Uncovering the Truth

Stage Makeup

"Don't worry, Yami. The shrimp is safe. Marik, Malik, Joey, Tristan, and I would all kill anyone who tried to hurt him. Well they would kill them; I would bring them back to torture them and then kill them again." Bakura snickered. Yami blinked at the taller albino; unsure of how to react to that comment.

"And that," Yami pointed to the large cut on Yugi's arm, "is fake too?"

"Yup!" Yugi smiled.

"Good. I'm glad you weren't actually hurt," the deep baritone voice relaxed going back to a smooth and silky tone.

"Thank you for your concern though," Yugi smiled as he sat down in his usually place; back up against the tree. Yami sat next to him. Yugi reached into the brown bag and brought out two sandwiches; he handed one to the crimson eyed Egyptian next to him and saved the second one from himself.

"Thank you for brining me a lunch again," the tan cheeks flushed lightly.

"I'm happy to," Yugi responded with a smile.

There was a group of students running around laughing, "Someone put the plastic saran wrap on the toilets in the boy's bathroom! The principle is freaking out!" Seven pairs of eyes turned to Marik and Bakura.

Marik laughed, "What? We didn't do anything."

"Uh..huh..." Ryou responded raising an eyebrow at the troublemaking duo, "Do you honestly think we are dumb enough to believe you had nothing to do with this?"

"So what if we did, it was funny as hell." Bakura rolled his eyes at the smaller chocolate eyed youth.

Malik grabbed his stomach gasping for breath. His giggle fits had him rolling into Marik, "Oh Marik I wish you would have told me you were going to do that. That is so funny!"

"Why? Would you have helped this time?" Marik asked.

Malik nodded; "That one is good!"

Marik smiled down at the lilac eyed teen laughing in his lap, "I'm glad you think so."

Yami leaned closer to Yugi whispering, "Do Marik and Bakura ever get Ryou and Malik?"

Yugi nodded, "Oh yea. No one is safe from their pranks."

"I will have to watch myself then," Yami arched an eyebrow in amusement. 

"It probably won't do any good. They are very unpredictable. That's what makes them so good at it. You never know where or when they will strike nor who will be the object of their next prank," Yugi shrugged, "but you'll get used to it and learn to laugh it off. Or they will drive you to the brink of insanity where they both seem to have purchased time shares. Ah hell. Forget the time share, they both have mansions on the brink of insanity." Yugi and Yami chuckled behind their hands as they watched Ryou try his best to get Bakura and Marik to behave for once.

\/\/\/

Yugi decided to wash the stage makeup off before he went home. He did not want to scare grandpa. It was one thing to startle teachers, classmates, and his friends, it was quite another to scare his grandfather. He just couldn't do that to him. The old man had done everything for him including taking him in when his mother died in childbirth and his father left with his secretary. He sighed taking one last glance over his arm and his eye to be sure all the makeup was gone.

Exiting the bathroom, he laced his arms through his backpack. He started on his way home. The weather was already starting to cool off dramatically from the searing summer months. It was not quite cool enough to need a jacket yet, but he would need to start carrying one soon.

Yugi was once again lost in his thoughts. He thought about the makeup job in drama class, Yami's reaction...he seemed so worried and..angry even. /Would he actually hurt someone who hurt me?/ His thoughts then moved onward to what homework had to be done that night and in what order he wanted to tackle it. A strong grip pulled him into the ally and pinned him to the wall. His face scrunched up as the bricks scratched his cheeks. Yugi was unable to see who pinned him and was not provided enough wiggle room to turn to look.

"Hey who.." a large hand covered his mouth.

"Now you be good and don't scream," a gritty voice whispered sending a chill down his spine Yugi struggled futilely against the strong grip on him. "I said be good!" Yugi's small form was moved away from the wall only to be slammed back into it. His head hit the concrete hard.

/Ow../ Yugi closed his eyes seeing stars shooting behind his eyelids. His legs were kicked out from underneath him. He fell to the ground receiving a fist to the back of his head. Yugi was too disoriented to do or think anything. He felt several blows to his torso and his face. A metallic taste filled his mouth. He coughed liquid crimson escaping his pink lips. He curled up in a ball to try and protect himself as best he could.

He heard something strange in the distance. He could not tell what it was; the only thing he knew was that the beating stopped. He felt himself be lifted out of his balled up position. He recoiled trying to go back into the fetal position.

"Can you stand?"

/Why do I know that voice?/ He felt himself be lifted and placed onto something. He hunched over and tried his best to remain seated; a warm figure sat behind him.

The figure wrapped its arms around him, "Hang on, I'll have you home in no time."

Yugi's world went completely black. He couldn't see what was happening to him. He only knew that at that moment, he felt safe.

\/\/\/

A groan escaped Yugi's lips; his eyes fluttered slowly open.

"Oh thank Ra, you are alright."

"Grandpa?" Yugi squeaked barely above a whisper.

"Yes, Yugi. It's me. How do you feel?" Solomon asked as he placed a gentle hand on Yugi's shoulder.

"Did anyone get the license plate of the Mac Truck that hit me?" Yugi chuckled weakly.

"This is serious, Yugi. You were attacked. Do you remember anything? Did you see anything?" Solomon asked.

Yugi shook his head gently, "No. I was pinned to a wall and then after that I couldn't see anything the entire time. I didn't see my attacker at all. How did I get home?"

"Yami brought you home," Solomon answered.

"Is he still here?" Yugi asked.

"Yes. He's downstairs," Solomon responded with a nod. 

Yugi shifted in the bed feeling his entire body the movement. "Can I see him?"

Solomon nodded again, "I'll go get him."

Yugi's eyes began to close after several minutes until he heard his bedroom door open and close, "Yugi?"

"I'm awake," Yugi whispered. Yami sat on the floor next to Yugi's bed, "So you brought me home?"

"Yes," Yami confirmed. The concerned crimson eyes searching Yugi's face.

"Thank you. Did you happen to see anything?" Yugi asked his amethyst orbs meeting concerned crimson.

"No. I heard a struggle as I passed the ally and saw a man hunched over beating you. As soon as I stopped my cycle, he ran. I didn't get a good look at him," the crimson eyes lowered, "I'm sorry I didn't get there earlier, Yugi. Why didn't you tell me that bullying was a problem for you?"

"Because it hasn't been for such a long time. After I made friends with Tristen and Joey several years ago, the beatings died down almost completely. Then when Bakura and Marik joined the group, no one wanted to piss them off so they stopped completely until now," Yugi explained. 

"Yugi, I would like to drive you to school and back home after school," Yami requested; a hint of guilt flashing in the crimson depths.

"I would like that, but please don't blame yourself. There was no way anyone could have seen this coming," Yugi placed a hand on Yami's shoulder and squeezed gently. 

Yami placed his hand on top of Yugi's, "We will find them, Yugi, and they will pay," the deep baritone voice was low and icy, "don't worry, they will pay."