Chapter Text
The bar was a cheap place made of boards rattled from the constant hum of the generators. Its location close to the bottom of the flying dock ensured that little daylight filtered through, and the vibrations from the larger-than-normal antigravs echoed unpleasantly through one's feet, sending slight ripples through everyone's drinks.
Rowdy gamblers spilled their money onto rough-hewn wooden tables and watched it drain away with an odd sort of cynical cheer. The air was filled with shouts, call for more beer, and good-natured threats. However, the pirate captain in front of Yugi looked almost as miserable as the overtaxed bartender on the other side of the room as Yugi cleared the table of cards.
He watched as the man counted out what was owed, leaving a pitiful stack of coins behind. Yugi swept the money off the table and made it disappear into his long leather coat before grinning at the other captain.
"Another round, then?"
The man scoffed. "So you can rob me of everything else I've got? Not likely."
Yugi shrugged. "Too bad. You might be able to win it back, if you're careful." He stood up, gaining the casual attention of the crew arrayed behind the captain. Stretching, he grandly finished his drink, basking in the glares, while behind him, his own people shifted. Dropping his mug onto the table, Yugi looked over his shoulder and jerked his head to the doorway.
"Wait."
The captain had remained seated, a speculative gleam in his eye. "How about one more game?" he said, like he hadn't just been cleaned out almost completely.
Yugi raised an eyebrow. "Do you have anything left to bet with?"
The man reached into his coat with a flourish and pulled out a brown cloth sack tied at one end. "I have this."
"You have a sack." Yugi said flatly, which gained him an eye roll. Behind him, he could hear one of his friends stifle a laugh.
"It's what's in the sack that's important." The pirate bounced it in his hand. It looked to have some heft to it. "Tell me you'll play, and I'll show you."
Shifting forward, Yugi eyed the sack. "You haven't told me what we're betting with."
"All or nothing." The other captain said immediately. "You win, you get this, and all the gold you've won. On my honor. If I win," here he showed his teeth, "I get all my money back. Plus everything you're carrying."
Yugi narrowed his eyes. "How do I know that sack isn't just full of rocks? I'd be betting all my money just to see you cheat me."
Shrugging, the man made to put the sack away. "Thought you'd like a game like this. Or are the rumors about the great Captain Mutou untrue?"
"Now, hold on." Finally intrigued, Yugi plunked back down into his seat. The captain's smug smile widened as he slowly pulled the sack out again. "A game like this, you said?"
The pirate leaned closer, pushing their empty mugs out of the way, and finally tipped the contents onto the table. They clattered out onto the wood. Gold glimmered dully, the geometric edges of each piece catching the light. Yugi could see the teeth of tiny gears poking out of some of the corners. A puzzle?
"They say it took years to collect all the pieces." The captain's voice was quiet, reverent, clearly enjoying the moment.
"What does it do?" Yugi ghosted his fingers over one of the pieces, touching on one of the gears.
The man's eyes flicked away. "No one knows.” He looked back at Yugi. “It's never been solved."
Never been solved, huh? Interesting. "Is that the game, then? Solve the puzzle?"
"Nope," the man said, popping the 'p'. "Solving this could take months, if it even can be solved. No, all you have to do," he said, reaching forward and arranging the pieces on the table so they all sat equidistant from each other. "Is find the most valuable piece."
"What, that's it?"
"That's it," the captain confirmed. "All these here pieces are made of pure gold. You just have to find the one that's worth the most."
Behind him, some of the captain's crew shifted, craning their necks. All were smirking. Yugi felt his mouth twist into a faint smile at the silent challenge. He knew his own crew was probably doing the same.
"So what do you say, Mutou? Wanna play?"
Each shard seemed to faintly glow with yellow light. Yugi could tell just by looking that each piece would have substantial weight. And substantial value, if what he says is true. Even one part of the puzzle could buy a month's worth of supplies.
It was tempting. Very tempting.
"I'll play," Yugi said with finality.
The captain gestured at the table, sitting back. "Have at it."
Yugi studied the pieces. He noted the largest and heaviest golden fragment with a depiction of an eye that gleamed temptingly at him, placed in the very center of the scatter, which was probably on purpose. It was flat, with jagged edges, and the symbol on the front looked important.
He let his eyes drift around the table, counting. Forty-nine pieces in total, with five corners that he could see.
"You're sure this is all the pieces?" he asked. The captain nodded quickly, tapping his fingers on the table.
Four corners with three edges, and a fifth with four edges makes a-
Yugi reached to the side and picked up the very smallest piece, the top of the pyramid. He flashed it at the captain with a grin reminiscent of Jou after a successful prank.
The man's eyes narrowed. "This some sort of joke? I asked for-"
Yugi cut him off. "The part that holds it together, the most important piece: the very tip. Right?"
Silence. The opposing crew's faces had fallen comically fast. Their captain's smile wavered for a moment before he threw back his head and laughed.
"I should have known you'd figure it out! Nothing gets past Mutou, isn't that what they say?"
"Oh, I don't know," Yugi said, unconcernedly examining the gold in his hand. "Not a lot of people say things about me. We keep to ourselves." He stilled as a member of the man's crew stood up and stretched languidly, drifting to the side.
The man sank back in his chair, seeming to relax. He placed a hand on his hip, nice and easy, and Yugi tensed.
"You'll want to put that gold down now, son," the man said softly. Yugi rested his free hand on the side of the table.
"We had a deal. On your honor, you said. Or is that no longer binding, Captain?"
Heads were turning in their direction, some fearful, others feral. The bartender sighed and reached under the bar. Out of the corner of his eye, Yugi saw movement.
The tension in the air drew tight.
Footsteps. The person to his left lunged, and Yugi moved. He stood up, turned. His arm came up. Smash!
The pirate stumbled back, face bleeding as shards of Yugi's mug fell to the ground. Steel sang behind him. He shoved the puzzle piece deep into his pocket.
Another person came barreling forward. Yugi ducked under her arm, spinning. Grabbing her elbow, he braced his weight. Shoulders tensed, he hauled the arm across his chest fast and hard. The pirate's feet left the floor. She flipped over before slamming into the wood.
Whirling around, Yugi spied the captain sweeping the rest of the puzzle pieces back into the sack. He took a moment to snarl at the man's retreating back before the fight swallowed him again.
The bar was roaring. People were throwing themselves into the brawl. Yugi dodged a punch. His palm shot out, shattering someone's nose. He kicked them away, hitting another person. He spun on his heel, pounding a fist into a pair of ribs before swaying to the side to avoid a flying body.
Rinse. Repeat.
Anzu's sword was humming as she danced through the melee, heading across the room. Jou was a flash of yellow, ducking and weaving next to her. Ryou had his back to the wall, fists up. Where was-
Someone flew out of the scuffle, brandishing a knife. Yugi lunged away as it whistled past his face. He fumbled for a weapon, a revolver, a blade, anything, come on-
Honda was suddenly there to wrench the knife down and to the side, using his greater height to shoulder the person out of the way.
"Let's go!"
They clasped hands and charged together, shoving bodies out of their path. Ryou skidded around to bring up the rear, bundling them out of the bar. Yugi swept his eyes around, counting heads. He suffered a brief moment of panic before Anzu and Jou burst out of the doorway, clutching a very familiar sack.
Yugi laughed giddily as they sprinted up the catwalk.
The sound of cursing accompanied them as they dodged other patrons, following the wooden pathway as it spiraled upward toward the clear, open sky. A beautiful day.
The entire dock was suspended in the air, made of three large rings stacked on top of one another, the bottom one built wider to accommodate the four antigrav engines. Shops and bars on the outside of the path blurred past them as they raced around the structure, heading for the caravels tethered to the smallest topmost circle.
Farther down, the sound of smashing wood and shouting grew louder. Without speaking, they all picked up the pace. Yugi could see the tops of sunsails coming into view.
Bang! A bullet whizzed past his head. Yugi cursed. "Keep going!" He yanked one of his revolvers out of its holster on his hip and twisted around to fire back blindly. He saw someone duck out of sight, but several more shooters took their place.
"Yugi!"
"Go!" he howled at Anzu, before sending another few rounds at the group behind him.
A second bullet flew past, ruffling the hair on the side of Yugi's head. He sent the last of his shots in the gunner's direction before turning and booking it after his crew.
Nearing the top of the dock, he crested the ramp, feeling the usual moment of disorientation as the expanse of the sky opened up around him, the blue-tinted steppes far below. The Exodia, golden sunsails flying proud, was tethered to one of the long strips of wood that stretched out from the dock, serving as anchors and walkways both. He was only a few ship lengths away from it. He was also a sitting duck.
Yugi put his head down and ran.
Ryou was yanking at the ropes tying their caravel to the pier, while Honda had his rifle out, shooting back where they had come. Yugi could hear the rumble of the ship's forward engines firing up. He stumbled as a shot ripped through the end of his coat. Almost there.
He hardly heard the whistle of the bullet before pain exploded down his leg. "Shit!" He dropped to one knee, blood spattering the wood below him. Hands striking the wood, he started to tip to one side, unbalanced.
"Yugi!" Ryou was suddenly there, steadying him and throwing Yugi's arm over his shoulders to haul him up. Yugi groaned at the pain as he was forced to put weight on his bad leg. Together, they limped toward the ship, leaving a trail of red footprints behind.
"Come on!" Anzu was hanging off the side of the caravel, hand outstretched. Ryou passed Yugi up to her, and Yugi grunted as he was yanked onto the deck. Honda vaulted over the side, landing next to him, with Ryou close behind.
“All here! Go!” Anzu yelled. In response, the roar of the motors grew louder as the ship pulled away from the dock, its speed disturbing several geese that had settled on the ship. They flew off with a rustle of feathers and offended honks.
The four of them hit the deck as more bullets flew over their heads. The Exodia swung ponderously around, the tip of the bow pointing to the horizon. She rumbled like a beast and jerked forward as Jou gunned the engines.
None of them relaxed until the sound of the gunshots had faded. Cold wind ruffled Yugi’s hair, a counterpoint to the searing heat burning down his leg. He finally slumped against the deck and let his vision blur around the edges.
Movement and voices above him had him forcing his eyes open.
“-enough supplies to treat him.”
“I should, yeah-”
They were talking calmly. Not an emergency, then.
"-right, Yugi? Yugi?"
That was his name. He turned his head stiffly. "Hmmm?"
Anzu had her eyebrow raised. "Don't worry, Anzu, he says. We'll be careful, he says. I won't put myself in harm's way this time, he says. I'm starting to see a pattern here."
Yugi was too tired and in too much pain to think of a witty response. "Oops," he grunted. Anzu rolled her eyes.
"I was worried about you, airhead. Show some remorse."
He shifted so that he could clumsily pat her hand, smearing blood on her fingers. When had he gotten blood on his hand?
"We're having a serious conversation later."
Maybe the blood had just appeared. That seemed fitting. Pirate captain, can't even keep his hands free of blood. Poetic.
Something else was blocking his view of the sky. It looked like a cloud. Clouds were in the sky, though. So what was it?
The cloud resolved itself into Ryou's head. Oh. He had come back from wherever he had run off to, only this time he had his kit with him. "Time to sterilize!" he said cheerfully.
Yugi groaned into the deck and closed his eyes. He felt the slight weight of a blanket laid over his body and was grateful for the warmth. His hands curled into fists as he felt Ryou prodding at his leg.
"How is he?" Jou's voice. He sounded worried. Yugi heard Ryou say something back, but he wasn't paying attention. The deck seemed to be tilting back and forth, although Anzu's hand on his shoulder helped keep him grounded. Grounded. That was funny. When was the last time he had touched the ground?
More voices. The weight on his body increased, along with the warmth. Must have brought more blankets. Good. Keeping warm was important, wasn't it? Yugi couldn't remember. He drifted around the sharp throbbing in his leg until the cold prick of a needle with some of their precious anesthetic broke his concentration. Thank you, Ryou. The pain slowly began to drift away, and, exhausted, so did he.
The fragments were clean and smooth, without any dents or scuffs to show their age. The teeth of the gears were sharp enough that they could have been made yesterday. Yugi tilted the puzzle piece in his hand, watching the light of the lantern glide around the gold. He squinted, peering into the tiny gap where the gear poked out of the edge, but no matter how he angled the piece, he couldn't see inside. Another mystery.
Art by Sakaruchibi
"Shouldn't you be resting?"
Yugi looked up from his prone position. Anzu was standing beside his hammock, one hand on her hip. She didn't look impressed.
"I am resting!" Yugi gestured to his leg, which was elevated on folded blankets. His left pant leg was pushed up to reveal white bandages wrapped tightly around his calf.
"Don't know if playing with that puzzle you got counts as resting, Yug'," Jou put in from the next hammock over.
Yugi shifted, glaring in his direction as best he could while lying down. "I'm fine!" As if in response, his leg throbbed dully.
"Yugi, you had a fever. You should be sleeping."
Yugi waved a hand. "If I have to sit here and try to sleep again, I'll go nuts. It's been three days!"
Anzu raised an eyebrow. "What does Ryou say?"
"Ryou is happy as long as our captain stays off that leg," Ryou announced without looking up from his medical supplies.
Yugi grinned as Anzu sighed. "Looks like the doc's on my side, Anzu. Anyway, how could I resist? Look at these." He gestured to the scattered pieces on the wooden beam next to him.
"I guess they are pretty interesting." Anzu dropped to her knees and folded her arms on the side of his hammock. "You don't know what these do?" She reached out, running her finger over one of the gears. It refused to move.
"No idea. I can't see inside, either."
Anzu reached over to the beam and picked up the largest piece. She swiped her thumb over the eye, tilting it back and forth. "It looks like some sort of artifact, doesn't it? I wonder what shape it makes."
"It's a pyramid. You can tell by looking at the corner pieces," Yugi said absently, still studying the gold he was holding.
Anzu hummed as she bounced the piece in her hand. "We need to talk about before. You put yourself in harm's way again."
Yugi dropped the fragment onto his chest and rubbed a hand over his face. "What do you want me to say?"
"Tell us you're not going to do that again," said Jou.
"I can't promise that," Yugi shot back.
"Can't, or won't?" They all looked over at Ryou, who had raised his head. "We're all capable of protecting ourselves, Yugi."
"And I dunno about the rest of you, but I don't feel that great when our captain is the one always throwing himself in front of the bullets," Jou pointed out.
Anzu put a hand on his arm. "Yugi, we love you and we don't want to see you hurt again. Let us pick up some of the slack for once."
Yugi looked around the room at his friends. He slumped back. "I'll think about it, okay?"
"That's all we ask." Satisfied, Anzu drew back and rested her chin back on her arm. Ryou went back to what he was doing, and Jou grinned triumphantly before lying back down onto his hammock and closing his eyes. Yugi sighed and smiled wearily. Why did they all have to gang up on him?
Anzu rubbed her finger along the smooth edges of the piece of gold in her hand. "You're going to try to solve it, aren't you." It wasn't a question.
Yugi picked up the piece sitting on his chest and held it up to the light. "Yep. I want to see it when it's all put together. We can always sell it if it doesn't do anything interesting."
"True." Anzu dropped the jagged shard she had been playing with back with the rest and stood up to stretch. "Well, I'm off to bed. You're still banned from watch duty. Don't stay up too late, dear captain."
Yugi smiled at the old endearment. "No promises." That was Anzu, still looking out for him after all these years. She had an accomplice in Jou and the rest of the crew, now.
His gaze returned to the golden fragment he was turning over and over in his fingers. The more he thought about it, the more certain he was that he would be able to figure out how to solve the puzzle. It had only been a few days, less if he counted the time he had been lucid, but the problem was already tugging at his curiosity, a question to answer, a challenge to resolve.
And it had been a long time since Yugi Mutou had backed down from a challenge.
A knock sounded from the ceiling. Ryou stood up and started packing his things away. Footsteps on the wooden boards heralded the return of Honda, back from his watch, cheeks flushed from the cold. Ryou brushed past him with a wave to the rest of them, heading up for his own watch.
Honda looked around the room. "Did I miss anything?"
There was a pause. "Yugi's promised he isn't going to jump in front of bullets for no reason anymore," Honda informed him.
Honda considered that. "About time."
Yugi rolled his eyes and settled down to sleep.