October


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The engines of the Time Wizard roared, slowly building up to full capacity. Jounouchi Katsuya kept a close eye on the power meters, levels rising according to the output of the engines. To his own annoyance, he noticed his hands on the handles were slightly trembling. Kaiba always managed to piss him off, especially when it concerned Mai. Keeping her on that lowlife outback planet Wremmoor... fucker! He pushed a button a little harder than necessary, and another display lit up, showing that the pressure in the engines were rising- the ship was almost ready for takeoff.

Wremmoor was one of the last planets where no government, military or police force had been installed despite several attempts, so it remained a haven for those who wanted to operate outside of the law, as there was hardly any law to be obeyed. For such a criminal paradise, home of rogues and renegades, it did have a strange ethical code, a sort of 'honor amongst thieves'- though anyone who disappeared on Wremmoor was likely to end up dead. Not even Kaiba Corp had influence on this particular planet, something that made Jounouchi snicker- so there was something left that Kaiba hadn't gotten his grubby little fingers on. Nonetheless, it was no place for ladies such as Mai. Jounouchi couldn't wait to see her in person again; maybe he could slip in some quality time. The thought brought a goofy grin on his face. Hopefully Mai had identified the right person, so she could get away from there. He forced himself to keep his hands straight. If only he didn't owe Kaiba so much, he would've said his goodbyes a long time ago.

A loud clatter behind him jerked Jounouchi out of his thoughts, and he craned his neck to look over his shoulder. Honda Hiroto was busy stocking the large supply crates with equipment- armor, guns and ammunition, along with locking and buckling everything down.

"Don't you think you brought a little too much?"

"Hey, you told me to bring the works. I don't think this is too much for someone who is able to alter his weapons to carry both clips and laser feed."

"You're quite impressed with that, aren't you?"

Honda snorted, bolting the last one of the crates. Suddenly, he straightened himself and closed the distance between them, rolling up his sleeve as he walked up the small platform. He turned his lower right arm towards Jounouchi, showing him a large, distinctive scar.

"I've seen that one before," Jounouchi all but yawned.

"I never told you where I got it from, now did I?" Honda snorted in response. "Think again."

It suddenly dawned on Jounouchi. For as long as he knew his friend, he knew about his fascination with weapons; not only their function, but also their mechanism and design. Honda wasn't a weapon expert for nothing; he had extensive knowledge on the subject, as well designed some of his own.

"You mean you got that from your own experimenting?"

"I've done extensive research on weapons, believe me. I was dismantling my toddler toy gun even before I learned how to pronounce the word 'weapon' properly. Both laser feed and clips are impossible to combine in one weapon. Somehow this guy has rerouted every possible electro circuit in the system to make it work. I'm dying to learn how he did that, before we turn him over to Kaiba, of course."

"Nothing new on ICDR on Ishtar, and nothing on his possible buddy," Otogi announced, while hoisting himself up on the small platform that separated the pilot cabin from the cargo space of the ship. "Oh, sorry. I didn't mean to interrupt something personal."

He grinned when he saw Honda and Jounouchi, the former with his sleeve up and his arm close to Jounouchi's face. Honda pulled his sleeve down again, yanking at the fabric. "You didn't interrupt a thing."

Otogi knew better than to push it, as his kind of humor often fell wrong with Honda and he also knew better than to piss off his colleague when they were on a mission. Jounouchi knew that Otogi would use this as teasing future references and he quickly commented on Otogi's earlier announcement.

"If the Intergalaxy Criminal Database Records holds no information about him, he simply doesn't exist. Interesting- I thought everyone outside the law has been numbered and tagged by now."

"There's always a way to escape the system," Otogi merely shrugged, "if you know the right people, have a shitload of money and a whole lot of luck. Anyway, there was nothing new on the Ishtar kid, beside the information Kaiba gave us."

"Still strange that he's not to be harmed... and five million genz is a shitload of money."

"Who did he kill? A celebrity?"

"According to his file, his father."

"His bounty is five million genz because he killed his father? Man, they even get..."

"Knock it off, you two!" Jounouchi interrupted. "We've dealt with business like this before. It's not our job to doubt or to discuss the intentions involved. We're here to collect the perpetrator and the bounty for Kaiba."

"Thank you for reminding me," Honda scoffed, and took a seat next to Jounouchi. The Time Wizard was an extremely small ship, built for fast transportation and movement only. It wasn't really in need of a co-pilot, but the cabin was the only place for the three men to buckle down, as the rest of the space was occupied by their equipment.

"ICDR only showed that Ishtar has an older sister and an older brother by adoption," Otogi picked up on the conversation while strapping himself into the seat. "The physical description of the brother doesn't fit the one Mai gave us on the other person accompanying Ishtar."

"Ishtar probably is not capable of piloting a ship," Jounouchi thought out loud. "His records didn't show any education or skills in that area."

"So he hooks up with a smuggler who carries weapons on display?" Otogi asked, baffled.

Honda shrugged, patching in a plug into the console, tapping in a verification code to connect with the flight tower. "After so many years in the business, nothing really surprises me anymore. Tower, this is Time Wizard..."

"True," Otogi affirmed, finishing the last of his buckles. "People will do strange things, especially when they're on the run from bounty hunters." He glanced over his shoulder, seeing the metal crates bolted to the floor. "Isn't that a bit... exaggerating?"

Jounouchi grinned. "Honda thinks we're dealing with a weapon-altering psycho."

Otogi couldn't resist flipping some of his raven black hair over his shoulder. "We're dealing with a simple "pick up and retrieve" here. I don't see the problem."

"You most of the time don't...and with your incredible luck, you always manage to work your way around or out of a situation."

"That's me," Otogi smirked, but Honda cut his sentence short.

"We've been cleared. Ramp 34, southeast side."

"Right," Jounouchi answered and steered the handles forward. The Time Wizard rolled over the metal tracks, following the signs to ramp 34. Otogi closed his eyes and drove his fingers into the padding of the arm rests; no matter how many launches he experienced, the take off always left him a bit queasy and anxious.

"Countdown," Honda announced. "10...9..."

"Systems ready. Engines at 70%. Engaging thrusters. Open flaps." Jounouchi monitored the meters.

"8...7..."

"Flaps open. Thrusters at 40%. Engines at 80%. Navigation control system online; course Wremmoor, XFR590-110."

"6...5..."

"Thrusters at 60%. Engaging auxiliary launch motor. Switching on tripacks. Engines at 90%."

"4...3..."

"Course adjusted. Thrusters at 80%. Engines at 100%. Tripacks operating and functional. Auxiliary launch motor engaged and activated."

"2...1..."

"Time Wizard ready for take-off!"

"Launch!"

The engines roared, the thrusters flaring to full life, propelling the small ship into outer space. The Time Wizard left the ramp behind, flinging itself into the dark skies of the universe.

"Whoo-hoo! Another perfect take-off!" Jounouchi high-fived with Honda, their hands slapping together in the victorious gesture. Honda couldn't help but look behind him, seeing the only obvious weakness of his other colleague- Otogi was looking pale, fingers almost clawing at the padding of his seat.

"And that's why we never leave Otogi to do the launch," Honda mercilessly grinned. "How are we doing back there, dice boy?"

Otogi glared, not really appreciating Honda's reference to his love for dice games. "Shut up you ugly piece of shit, or you'll find the barrel of your beloved gun someplace where the sun doesn't shine!"

"Oooh, feisty," Honda commented, but backed off anyway. They were a team, a good, solid team, and even though they occasionally teased and joked, they all knew each others boundaries and limits. It wasn't for nothing that Kaiba almost always used their team to get the best results. In the course of the years, they had become friends- well, not with Kaiba, but he didn't care about friends anyway-, and good team players...an invaluable asset in this line of work.

Jounouchi leaned a bit forward, pulling a plastic bag from under his seat. Honda's eyes lit up- leave it to the team leader to think of something to eat!

"Here you are," Jounouchi shared generously. "A bit to snack before we reach Wremmoor! You want something too, Otogi?"

It was redundant to ask, as the latter was now looking positively green. "Who thinks of eating after a launch? What do you have for a stomach- a solid concrete cage or something?"

Honda waved his cereal bar close to Otogi's face. "Hey, don't get too sick, buddy! Our bathroom's for emergencies only."

"Three hours...just three hours...180 minutes...10800 seconds...10799...10798..."

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Pain, numbing, throbbing pain. Sore, thick throat...headache...

"Uhn..." He blinked a few times, though his eyes had no problem adjusting to the dark surroundings. Something was thrumming, as if an insect was close to his ear and he brought his hand up, yelping in surprise when he smacked himself with cold metal, clamped around his wrist. Bakura's thief mind worked at top speed, pumping adrenaline through his body, taking stock in his predicament. Where was he? The thrumming sounds were unmistakably of engines. Transport? Train, car, boat? No... too large. Spaceship. I'm on a fucking spaceship. Not good. Fewer chances to escape. What happened? He blinked again, noticing the heavy bracer on his right wrist.

"What the fuck?" he screamed out loud.

The metal was secured airtight around his wrist, sporting a small strip on top, displaying a tiny, flickering red light. Electronics. Whoever has put this on me has control over me. Fuck!

"Fuck!" Bakura exclaimed once again for good measure. His mind was racing back to what happened before he lost consciousness- before he ended up here. He had to determine what and who he was dealing with and fast. The last thing he remembered was him robbing that gold adorned kid...knife to his back...Bakura didn't even bother checking if he still had the knife. If someone was smart enough to put a wristlock on him, he would certainly have lifted his weapons. Superhuman strength. Something happened when he was robbing the kid; he was attacked from behind, the attacker had lifted him up with just one hand, feet dangling. Speed. He was disarmed and lifted up at virtually the same second. Someone knew about his specialties and had taken adequate measures to keep him from using them. Too many similarities to ignore. Not only speed, but using the Shadows as well...

"Another Alternate, eh?" Bakura grinned in the darkness, a feral, predatory grin. He had a pretty good idea who he was dealing with. It didn't look as bad as he'd originally thought... but it was better to be careful anyway. He was already calculating his chances to escape, contemplating several options. Bakura leapt back into the farthest corner of the room when he heard a few, short sounds- someone was punching in a code. Barely a second later, a door slid open, and light flooded into the room. He squinted with his eyes, cursing mentally.

"I brought you something to freshen yourself up with."

A familiar voice...but not too familiar...a voice he heard not long ago...soft footsteps, his visitor wore slippers or sandals. Big mistake. Bakura blinked a few times more.

"I also brought you something for your throat...don't expect much of it, it's just some syrup."

Well well well, who was his mysterious visitor, a fucking goody two-shoes Samaritan? The thief's eyes were finally adjusted to the light and he opened his mouth, but almost gaped.

"What the fucking hell, Ishtar? You look almost civilized! What the hell happened?"

The young man in the door opening shook his head. "I think you've got the wrong one." It sounded bitter, yet with a hint of amusement.

"Quit playing games," Bakura hissed. Could it be...he had found another way...Marik sure was insane enough to develop something like this... "I don't take shit from you, Marik."

"Close, but not close enough."

The thief startled, immediately hating himself for showing any sign of surprise. He knew it- he had known it the second he had seen the electronics on his wristlock. Bakura slowly turned around to the source of the sound, hearing the voice he thought he would never hear again. That was Marik. The first Alternate to be created, and as mixed up and psychotic as they come. He knew he was in some deep trouble now.

"I see you were able to find your Other, then," Bakura croaked. His eyes were now sharp enough again to clearly distinct between the two. The younger one, the Other, stood in the door opening with a tray in his hands, and the kid from the alley he had tried to rob before. The pieces of the puzzle fell together; no wonder he'd looked so familiar. Right behind him stood the Alternate Bakura had known for so long; both exact copies of each other- dark tan, violet eyes, platinum blonde hair... only some differences in their hair and their eyes enabled others to tell them apart. Marik was slightly taller than his Other, and dressed differently; as usual- and expected- with weapons on display.

"What's your name, kid?" Bakura asked, wincing when his voice squeaked. Not from fear, but because his vocal cords has been severely abused by Marik's earlier treatment.

"Malik Ishtar," he simply answered. "Nice to meet you, Bakura, Thief King."

Great. Just fucking great.

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The living room was small and cosy, and so different from what he was used to. With the newly-deciphered nametag on his chest, the silver catching a glimmer of light and sparkling a little, Atemu's lips slowly formed a smile. He had seen palaces, Throne Rooms, courts, mansions, shacks and tents. History would repeat itself, destiny would bring them together once again, and again and again until the string of events would be stopped. His tan fingers slowly slid over the silver nametag, touching the engraved scripture. History was already repeating itself... and he was grateful that he had found his Other so soon again. It wasn't really a surprise, though... they would naturally gravitate towards each other, no matter how much time would pass, no matter how many people would try to keep them apart. Atemu's attention was caught when he saw a few framed pictures, neatly arranged on a side table. He had to familiarize himself with the surroundings of his Other; the gods knew how soon they would have to leave; if any of the other Alternates had found their Others, or the God Cards...he picked up a frame, showing a picture of his Other...no, Yugi, with the girl who had just come in. It was a nice, warm picture, and radiated love and friendship. Strange that someone nowadays would still put down paper pictures in wooden frames...wasn't everything holographic, digitised or displayed in transparent static boxes? Maybe the elderly man held onto certain traditions... besides, it hadn't been too long ago that simple things as framed pictures were common. Earth hasn't been gone that long. At least, not long in the span of his life.

Atemu put the picture down, trailing the frame before picking up another one. This must be a very young Yugi with his parents. Yugi seemed a very happy, bubbly toddler, one hand fisted in the blouse of his cheerful mother, his other hand being held by his solemnly smiling father. This Other had probably lost his parents...on the day Earth was destroyed? How come the old man had survived, and not these young two? Questions for later, Atemu was sure to ask them. They would have plenty enough time and opportunity to talk. Something caught his eye- but when he looked up, his mirror image only stared back. The small mirror above the side table had a golden frame, and mirrored Atemu's shoulder-length large earrings of the same material. His crimson eyes narrowed a little, dark long lashes forming a thick black line. Atemu... how could he ever forget his name? Why did destiny make him forget his name, time after time?

"Do you like the pictures?"

He almost dropped the one he was holding, totally unprepared for the sudden question directed at him. Turning his head around, he mustered his usual smirk. "I like them very much, ai..Yuugi."

Yuugi cocked his head a little; curious about what Atemu had wanted to say first. When he remained silent, Yuugi continued the conversation himself. "My grandfather wanted to keep those. He's not... very into modern things. I like them as well- it's the only thing I have of my parents left."

"You look nice in the picture," Atemu said, picking up on the slight sad undertone in Yuugi's voice. He pointed to the one of Yuugi and the girl.

"Anzu is my fiancee," he practically beamed. "We've been friends since High School! She studies dance- she wants to become a dancer, you see- and she's always been so nice to me... she's great! Anzu really cares about people, she's kind and she's always there for you..."

"She sure looked nice to me," Atemu confirmed, carefully gauging Yuugi's reactions. Everything was about to change very soon for this Other, and he would have to make some choices. Choices that would change his life forever, choices that would influence more than one world as well.

"As soon as she finishes her studies, we're getting married!" Yuugi smiled, a genuine, warm smile, his large violet eyes exuberantly radiating. Atemu smiled in return, much colder, and couldn't suppress a chuckle.

"That is nice."

Someone flipped on the light switch, and Atemu all but hissed. His eyes were used to the dark, and he blinked frantically.

"Sorry about that," the woman's voice almost sang to him, "but you both were standing in the dark, and that's bad for your eyes. It's past curfew, the lights are allowed on."

Anzu proceeded to turn on another light, close to the couch, illuminating the furniture with a warm, rich yellow colour.

"Would you like some insta-coffee, Atemu?"

Seeing his confused look, Yuugi quickly explained. "Instant coffee... you have to get used to the taste. Real coffee beans are not...eh...easy to get." He'd wanted to say "not really affordable", but their financial situation was nothing of Atemu's business. He still wasn't sure himself why he felt so at ease around his look-alike, he hadn't invited anyone over to his home ever, and within a few minutes after they met, he had asked Atemu to come with him.

"Ah, a small cup then, thank you," Atemu answered. It wasn't really polite to decline, even though he knew how it would affect him later- his body didn't really need food and drink. Anzu was about to ask the same from Yuugi, but he was faster.

"I'll make some, you go sit down and relax... you've had a hard day dancing and working! I bet grandfather wants some too. I'll be back shortly!"

With a last glance at Atemu, Yuugi left the small living room, calling out for his grandfather. Anzu picked up a few magazines, some batteries and a half-broken game-controller, putting everything into hard plastic box.

"I swear he's just a kid sometimes," she smiled, "with his fascination for games. I guess we all have our hobbies...what's yours, Atemu?" She fixed her gaze on him.

"Travelling," he answered without hesitation. "I travel around."

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