The Path of Vengeance

Damn, I'm just an updating fool! Woohoo!

*Chapter specific disclaimer: I don’t own Continental Airlines. (heh, is this really necessary? If I DID own an airline, would I be sitting her writing this stuff? … yeah, prolly.)


Yami kept his eyes trained on his hikari’s sleeping form, willing his own strength into the fallen teen. One of his arms was wrapped around the sleeping Ryou in his lap, his other hand running through the teen’s silver hair. To say that he was upset would be an enormous understatement. The rage that rocketed through his veins burned him from the inside out, demanding relief lest it destroy him completely.

Regardless of his history with Bakura, this was an unforgivable act. The pharaoh had engaged in his share of injustices, sure, but that was centuries ago. Times were different then.

Don’t think you’re getting away with this, thief, he thought viciously. You think my actions in the past were bad? You haven’t seen anything yet. I will not rest until my light is avenged. Be grateful that I care for yours or I just might have done the same…oh, Ra…. He shifted uncomfortably in his seat. That wasn’t a pleasant thought. He tightened his hold on the teen, pulling him closer.

Ryou sensed the former pharaoh’s discomfort and slowly opened his bloodshot brown eyes. “Yami?” he whispered, confusion apparent in his gaze.

Yami blinked and looked down. “Yes, I’m here.”

Reality found its way back to the teen and he inhaled sharply, sitting up. “How is he?” he asked.

“No change,” Yami said grimly. “I guess that’s for the best though. He should heal as much as possible before he wakes up and has to handle all of this.”

Ryou winced. “Maybe you’re right,” he relented. “He won’t get much sleep once the medication wears off. I know I always had a hard time sleeping when Bakura would-“ He quickly shut his mouth. “Well, never mind,” he muttered regretfully.

Yami closed his eyes briefly, trying to contain his fury. “Ryou, can I ask you something?”

Ryou looked down. “Maybe.”

A flood of questions threatened to pour from the spirit’s mouth. How many times has Bakura hit you? Why did you never ask for my help? Did Bakura ever do to you what he did to my Yugi? And the most pressing at the moment: Where in the seven hells is that rogue tomb robber hiding? Thankfully none of those inapt inquiries were able to get past his lips. Unfortunately nothing else seemed to want to either. “Uh…are you going to go back to your house?”

Ryou raised a puzzled eyebrow. “What?”

Yami cleared his throat, trying to force the errant questions from the fore. “What I meant to say was that I don’t want you going home. Not until this situation is resolved.” Boy did he choose that word carefully.

Ryou sighed. “Yami I appreciate your concern for me, I really do. But you don’t honestly think that Bakura is going to go back home do you?”

“Well, no,” Yami admitted. “I don’t.”

A small sound made both their heads spin to the bed. “Ryou,” Yugi whispered hoarsely.

“Yugi,” Yami said. They both stood up and rushed to his bedside. “How are you feeling?” he asked gently.

“Ryou,” Yugi said again.

Ryou took his friend’s hand, giving it a gentle squeeze. “I’m here, Yugi.”

A large tear slid out of one swollen amethyst eye. “Don’t go back there…”

Ryou and Yami exchanged a look. “Okay, Yugi,” he said softly. “If it will make you feel better I won’t.”

“I’ll make sure he doesn’t,” Yami assured, brushing the tear from the small duelist’s face.


Seto Kaiba sat behind the massive desk in his home office, his feet propped up on its corner, his computer on and a pile of paperwork nearly two feet thick lying on its surface. In his hands he held Yugi’s duel deck, which he was flipping through for the fiftieth time.

I’ve finally done it, he thought triumphantly. Fighting off the urge to do a very un-Kaiba like victory dance, he stood up, returning the cards to their protective casing before moving to ensure that the door was locked.

Satisfied in his solitude, he made his way to the wall safe hidden on the south wall and quickly entered his combination, pulling it open. No one will find them here, he thought victoriously.

His self-congratulation was cut short when he peered into the solid steel cabinet. What the… It was empty. His eyes widened. Twenty thousand…that fucking THIEF! There was no doubt in his mind where the money had gone.

He placed the deck inside and slammed the safe closed, replacing the painting over it. He stormed to his desk and slammed his fist down on the intercom button. “Get me security,” he demanded.

“Right away, Mr. Kaiba,” his butler’s voice came back to him.

Kaiba’s sapphire eyes blazed as he again took a seat in his office chair. Not a moment later his cell phone rang. “Kaiba.”

“Mr. Kaiba, you requested to speak with me?”

“We’ve had a security breach,” the brunette snapped. “Pull the security tapes from the last two days and have them ready in my media room in fifteen minutes.”

“Yes, sir.”

Kaiba hung up the phone, his hands shaking with the ferocity of his wrath. No one got the best of Seto Kaiba and lived to tell about it.


Two vehicles, one a flashy convertible, the other a sensible sedan, came to identical screeching halts in the hospital parking lot, neither parked in a particularly legal fashion but close enough to pass for it at a first glance. Four sets of legs took off at a run through the sliding doors and didn’t stop until they reached the ER waiting room.

Joey went up to the desk to learn that Yugi had been moved to another room on the fifth floor. He returned to his friends. “He’s out of recovery,” he said. “We’re going up.” He took Duke’s hand and led the way to the elevators.

“That’s good news,” Tea said sensibly. “He’s obviously going to be okay if they let him out of the emergency unit.”

Duke nodded. “That’s true. I wonder how Yami is holding up.”

“Not so great the last I saw him,” Joey replied.

“Someone should go to the game shop and get some clothes and things for him. I doubt he’ll leave Yugi’s side,” Tea remarked.

“I’ll do it,” Duke offered. “After we find out what’s going on and what he needs.”

“Thanks baby,” Joey said, leaning into the raven-haired dice king. He looked at Tristan, easily recognizing the anger that kept his best friend silent.

A subtle bell sounded, announcing their floor. They walked onto the floor and asked directions of the first staff member they found. With a collective breath they approached the room. Just seeing her friend’s name on the memo board brought a fresh wave of tears to Tea’s eyes. Tristan took her hand and gave it a reassuring squeeze before leaning in to whisper to her.

“Be strong,” he said softly. “Yugi needs us right now.”

“I’m sorry,” Tea whispered back.

Tristan nodded and followed Joey and Duke into the room, only to stop short at the sight of Ryou. What the hell is that traitor doing here? He thought hatefully.

Joey shared his reaction but was able to push it aside, noting that Yugi was awake. “Hey buddy,” he said. “How ya feeling?”

“Okay,” Yugi replied weakly. “How are you?”

A ripple of gentle laughter rose through the group. “Look at you,” Tea said, moving to stand next to Ryou in order to gain access to her friend. “You shouldn’t be worrying about us.” She leaned in and kissed his cheek.

“Hi, Tea,” the teen responded.

Both Duke and Tristan offered their hellos before backing out of the room, each for a different reason. Tristan made a beeline for the public restroom and Duke called softly to Yami, beckoning the pharaoh to join him.

“I’ll be back, Aibou,” Yami said to the teen. “I’m going to get some coffee.”

“Okay, Yami,” Yugi said immediately. He didn’t want Yami to feel that he needed to stay by his side the entire time.

Yami kissed his forehead. “I’ll only be a few minutes.” He gave Joey a sympathetic look before joining Duke.

“How is he really?” Duke asked as they entered the elevator. He pressed the button that read ‘Cafeteria’.

“Mentally I don’t know,” Yami replied. “He only woke up about fifteen minutes ago. Neither Ryou nor I have questioned his emotional state. Physically he’s in pretty bad shape.”

Duke winced. “How bad is it?”

“Well, the tomb robber was…thorough,” Yami stated delicately. “He’ll heal in time but there will no doubt be various degrees of scarring.”

Duke laid a hand on Yami’s arm. “You don’t have to mince words with me, you know. I can tell you’re about three inches from the edge here.”

Yami was unable to hold Duke’s sympathetic gaze. “My feelings don’t matter right now,” he replied caustically. “All I care about is making sure that Yugi gets the best care possible and all the support he needs to come through this.”

The elevator doors opened and they entered the hallway, following the various scents of the meals offered by the hospital to sustain those whose families had fallen victim to tragedy.

“You know Yugi’s got the support of all of us,” Duke began. “That will never be called into question.”

Yami raised an eyebrow. Duke’s tone made him uneasy. “But…”

Duke sighed. “Well, I’m worried about Joey and Tristan. Joey didn’t hesitate to tell us what he thinks of Ryou right now.”

Yami nodded. “And what was that?”

“He thinks Ryou knows where we can find Bakura.”

Yami decided to put his trust in Duke, going on the fact that Duke had just confided in him behind his boyfriend’s back. “I’m sure he can,” he replied slowly. “But I won’t ask him to.”

Duke’s eyes widened. “Why the hell not?”

“Because I won’t make him choose between Bakura and myself, that’s why. He’s feeling guilty enough as it is.”

The teen raised an eyebrow. “Is there something I should know about the two of you?” he asked intelligently.

Yami looked down before nodding. “We understand each other,” he tried to explain. “And awhile back we had that thing…”

A slow smile spread across Duke’s face. “Are you trying to say that the two of you have a…thing?”

“I think we do,” Yami replied, pouring himself a complimentary cup of coffee.

Duke’s smile widened. “That’s great, man,” he said. “I’m really happy for you.”

“Thank you.”

Duke popped the tab on a can of soda took a small sip. “Joey’s pretty upset,” he started. “But whatever happens, just know he means well. You of all people know how important Yugi is to him.”

“I do,” the pharaoh stated.

They boarded the elevator again. “I want you to know that I’m here for you,” Duke went on. “Anything you need let me know. Yugi too.”

“Thank you, Devlin,” Yami said. “It means a lot.”


Tristan splashed cold water on his face, trying to calm himself down. Seeing Yugi in such a frail state did not sit well with him at all. He knew that he had to pull himself together though, he had to be there for his friend. He, Joey, and Yugi had been through so much together. This was just another test of their friendship. Albeit the most challenging to date. But it was one that he was not going to fail.

A few calming breaths later and he was back in Yugi’s room. Joey raised his eyebrows in question but the brunette just shook his head. “Hey, Yug,” he said. “Can I get you anything?”

“No thank you,” Yugi replied. “What’d I miss in school today?”

Tristan blinked. Yugi was asking about school? “Not much,” he replied. “Mostly you missed watching me sleep.”

Tea snickered. “He’s telling the truth,” she put in. “He left a puddle of drool on his desk.”

Yugi wrinkled his nose. “Gross,” he said with a small smile.

Ryou stepped back, blending into the corner of the room, an action he was well accustomed to having lived with Bakura. He couldn’t endure the deadly glares that Tristan was sending his way.

Tristan however, caught on to his intent. “So, Ryou, you ready to help us find Bakura yet? Or are you just here to gather information to send back to him?”

Ryou flinched as though he had been slapped. His shoulders began to shake and he opened his mouth as if to speak but no words would form. He tried to blink back his tears, only aiding their production, causing them to spill forth. His heart hammered in his chest and his breathing became labored.

Everyone else froze at the candid statement, their eyes traveling between the pair. “Tristan,” Tea chastised. “That wasn’t very nice.”

Tristan didn’t back down. “Look, just because I’m the only one here with the balls to say it doesn’t make it any less true.”

“That’s enough,” Duke said from the doorway. “Tristan, get your ass out here.”

Tristan turned to Yugi. “I’m sorry, Yug. I’ll be back to see you tomorrow. If you need anything at all, call me.” With that he spun on his heel and stormed from the room, knocking Duke with his shoulder on the way.

Duke didn’t take the bait. He knew that the brunette was just upset. “Yami will be back in a minute,” he explained calmly. “We ran into Malik at the nurses’ station and they are talking. I’m going to take Tristan home. Love you,” he added for Joey, who nodded.

“Ryou,” Yugi coaxed when Duke had left the room. Ryou didn’t respond.

“Hey, come on Ryou,” Tea said, taking Yugi’s hint. She walked up to the teen and spoke gently. “Don’t take anything he says seriously. He’s just frustrated. I’m sure you understand.”

Ryou’s silent tears turned into full-blown sobs as he accepted Tea’s offered hug. “I’m sorry,” he managed. “I’m so sorry…”

“What happened?” Yami asked. The sound of Ryou’s distress had brought him on the run. “Ryou?” He took in the scene before him. “Alright everyone. Yugi needs his rest. Why don’t you two go on home for the night? You can come and see him in the morning. I’m sure Duke will bring you back. Joey, take the car.”

Not one soul in that room missed the meaning of Yami’s statement. For their part, Joey and Tea immediately said their goodbyes to Yugi and scurried out of the room.

“Thanks, Yami,” Yugi said gratefully.

“No problem Aibou.” He turned to Ryou who had remained in the corner. “You okay?” he asked gently.

Ryou nodded. With the immediate threat gone, he moved on shaky legs to the chair by Yugi’s bedside. “I’m sorry, Yugi,” he said with conviction.

“Stop,” Yugi replied with as much force as he could muster in his exhausted state. “You had nothing to do with this and I know that. Yami knows that too.”

“I know it too.” Malik spoke up for the first time since his arrival. “Hey Yugi. I brought you some magazines.” He laid them on the rollaway table.

“Hi Malik,” Yugi said. “Thank you.”

“Sure thing,” the blonde replied. “Ryou, you okay?”

Ryou nodded. “I’m sor-“

“Stop it,” Yugi said wearily. “Quit saying you’re sorry.”

Yami chuckled at his light’s insistence. “Yugi, why don’t you try to get some more sleep? Ryou and I will be here when you wake up.”

Yugi nodded, already beginning to drift off. He was grateful for the sleepiness. It had been hard pretending that every fiber of his mind and body wasn’t in blinding pain.


Marik buttoned up his jeans and pulled on his long sleeved black shirt, his hair still damp from his recent shower. He winced as he sat down to put on his socks, though the pain was a delicious reminder of his romp with Bakura, who was now bathing as well. A tremor snaked its way down his back as he recalled their encounter.

He had been surprised that Bakura had come at him with such aggression after having to obey the thief’s unspoken ‘hands off’ regulation for so long. He understood the reasons behind Bakura’s inhibition but that didn’t extend into the realm of fantasy. Truth be told, Marik had spent many a night moaning Bakura’s name while flying solo.

After round two they had devoured the pizza and made plans for their great escape, both grateful that no tension passed between them. Marik didn’t know what Bakura’s intentions were and honestly didn’t dwell on it. He’d find out soon enough.

It was startling to him how easily the thief had been able to manipulate him into the receiving end. It was no wonder he could barely sit. It had been quite a few years since he had bottomed to anyone and had not planned on doing so again. Bakura had plowed through that resolve however.

Despite all of his so-called faults, Marik was a pretty accommodating man. But only to those he deemed worthy of such accommodation. Malik was one. Bakura was the other. He had sensed the tomb robber’s need for dominance, the desperate need within him to once again take hold of his own fate had bled into their encounter and found solace within the blonde’s body. But that didn’t mean that Marik was going to let it become a commonplace act.

“You trying to take a shit?”

Marik was jolted from his reverie. He looked up to see Bakura staring at him from the bathroom doorway. “What?”

Bakura chuckled. “You look like you’re concentrating a little too hard there.”

Marik laughed. “Fuck you,” he said, pulling on his second sock.

“Maybe later,” Bakura replied with a smile. He quickly got dressed and they gathered up their things. “So…” he said conversationally. “Are you ready to brave the aircraft?”

“Hells no,” Marik replied. “But it’s the fastest way to get us there.”

“I’m not looking forward to it either,” Bakura admitted. “What are you gonna do with the bike?”

“Leave it at the airport. Malik can come get it later.” He shoved his feet into his shoes and picked up his wallet. “You ready?” he asked.

Bakura nodded. “I’ll be happy never to see this place again.”

They returned their keys at the front desk and climbed onto the bike. Marik revved the engine and they sped off, letting the dim light of evening envelop them in its protective cloak.


The airport was packed when they arrived nearly thirty minutes later. Night had completely fallen, causing both to breathe a sigh of relief. They parked the bike in the lot labeled ‘Long Term Parking’ and walked into the terminal.

In forty-five minutes they each held a ticket to McCarran International Airport and had shocked at least seven people with either their obscene behavior or minor demonstrations of their shadow powers. When their flight departure was announced they walked down the foreboding hall and onto the plane.

“Welcome to Continental Airlines,” the stewardess greeted them. “Please take your seats, we will be taking off shortly.”

“We’re right here,” Marik noted, pointing to a pair of seats near the back of the plane.

“I call the window,” Bakura replied.

“No way,” Marik retorted. “I want the window!”

“I bought the tickets.”

“No, you didn’t. I don’t know who did, but it wasn’t you!”

“Well…I got the money for the tickets.”

“Come on, Bakura, just take the damn aisle.”

“No way, Ishtar! You take it!”

“This was my idea,” Marik shot back.

“And such a good one. Don’t break your good idea streak.”

Marik leaned in and whispered to the thief. “You let me have the window and I’ll give you a hand job at 30,000 feet.”

Bakura started to respond but stopped. He thought a moment. “Deal.”

Marik chuckled and squeezed past the tomb robber. “Are you always this easy?”

“I’ll be asking you that in about a half hour,” Bakura quipped.

Marik flipped him off as he flopped into his seat. “Hey look,” he said as he began to press all of the buttons on his armrest.

Bakura sat next to him and pulled down his meal tray. “What’s this for?” he asked.

“I dunno,” Marik replied. He peered out the window. “Not much of a view yet,” he said.

Bakura chuckled. “Was it worth it?” he retorted.

“Are you kidding?” Marik asked. “I get to watch you struggle to keep a straight face while you shoot a load all over your tray there.”

Bakura looked at the tray. “You think that’s what its for?” he asked seriously.

Marik burst out laughing, gaining disapproving looks from the businesswomen across the aisle. “You dumb shit,” he managed.

Now it was Bakura’s turn to raise the salute. “Screw you, Ishtar.”

“Ladies and Gentleman, we have been cleared for takeoff. Please make sure your safety belts are securely fastened, that your seats are in the upright and locked position and that your trays are firmly secured to the seat back in front of you. We will be landing in Newark, New Jersey to refuel in approximately twelve hours and forty minutes. Please relax and enjoy your flight. Thank you for choosing Continental Airlines.”

“Twelve hours?” Marik repeated. “We have to sit here for twelve hours?”

“Look at it this way,” Bakura replied. “That’s twelve hours that we won’t have to worry about the pharaoh at all. There’s no way he could find us here.”

“True,” Marik relented. “But what the hell are we gonna do for twelve hours?”

Bakura snickered. “No,” he said after a pause. “Too easy.”

The plane lurched away from the airport. Both Marik and Bakura buckled their safety belts. “This is gonna suck,” Marik surmised.

“Uh huh,” Bakura replied. He put up his tray.

The plane came to a stop for a moment before pulling onto the runway. The sound of the engines revving up reached the ears of both of the yami’s, causing their eyes to widen.

“What the fuck is that?” Bakura asked.

Before Marik could respond, the plane began to accelerate. Quickly. He felt the velocity pressing him against the seat. “Oh, my fucking Ra. Who’s damned idea was this?”

Bakura gripped the armrests so tightly that one of them cracked. “Yours,” he ground out, trying desperately to hold onto his pizza. Just when it seemed that they could not go any faster, the plane gave one last burst of speed before gently lifting off of the asphalt. Within a matter of minutes it leveled out. If either had the courage to peer out the window, they would have noted with more than a bit of satisfaction that Japan was steadily growing smaller as more and more distance was put between them and their latest and most deadly nemesis.

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Well there ya have it! Thanks again to all of you wonderful reviewers. Oh, and btw: There is to be no stealing of Yugi's plushie! LOL and you guys call ME sadistic!