Chapter Text
Maybe it was just who he was, too caring for his own good, but the murder of someone unknown to him should not have worked him up so much, then again in what world does a 12 year old girl deserve to die.
This was the type of news that destroys a community and everyone involved, from the family to those on the scene. It’s something no one would ever expect at least never ‘there’ in that town, they all say that and act so surprised when it does happen as if the chance was always zero.
“It’s so strange having that many police officers so close by huh…Yugi?” Jounouchi was trying to get his attention but it was locked on the forensic team to the left of the abandoned house as they walked past.
“yeah it is” he was out of it still, since hearing the news on the morning broadcast and realizing how close it was to him, it could have been anyone and no on deserves that. A part of him wished it was himself and not her, a girl he has never met, a girl he didn’t even know the name of before the morning sunrise.
The scene was discovered next to an abandoned building on the Main Street of a town with less then 500 people, a brutal murder as recent as the day before. The one responsible was most likely still close by trying to inject themselves into the investigation, or at least that’s what the police have been speculating, word travels fast in a town as small as this.
The school group was staying the week for a museum tour, personal guided trips and activities relating to the history of the area, an area famous for its railway lines.
In an attempt to get everyone’s mind off the morning news the class traveled by railway to a close state park, 10 minutes of watching the landscape change from rolling wheat fields to a small steep red sandstone canyon. The bridge the train travels over did help get his mind off the young girl, taking photos got him to think of something else but the feeling of anger and helplessness remained although it really didn’t feel like his own emotions for some strange reason, a feeling he can’t describe.
“Ok class we are going to split into two groups, one will head upstream the other one downstream” The teacher was practically yelling to get everyone’s attention. “MR. Alec will take you guys on this half of the trail to look at the paleontology of the canyon” she gestured to all those down the stairs a bit lower then the platform ahead of the rest. That included Yugi and Jounouchi, Anzu was in the other group going for a hike but she looked concerned when she said by to him.
When heading back to switch groups if only for a split second the sky looked like the galaxy, dark and full of stars but the light hitting them was at if everything was normal, it was there and then gone, maybe it was the summer heat, maybe he should drink something. With a half hour left he forgot about it and instead focused on taking some photos to print off when he returns home in 4 days time. Time went fast when hiking, he really enjoyed it, maybe he should do it more often. He will need to ask the others if they want to go to a nearby National Park one day, the canyons stretch on for miles out there.
——<>——
Something was off on that train ride back, what it was he didn’t know, the feeling of dizziness kept coming like waves powered by a Hurricane off the non existent shores. Trying not to black out was it’s own challenge, he thought that maybe a hospital visit would be a good idea when he returns home but then again this wasn’t the first time it’s crossed his mind he just keeps forgetting.
By the time he was back in his shared room with a number of other students none he knew well, he was tired and trying beyond anything not to black out again, nothing good ever comes of it and a school trip could be the worst timing yet.
To bad his efforts were null, the sky looked like the Milky Way overpowering the setting sun, it was out of place. The next thing he knew he was surrounded by it trapped there until the dark came in like a tidal wave from the edges of his vision and forced him to sleep.
——<>——
Now In control he could find the one he knew was responsible for yesterday’s murder, how he knew wasn’t entirely clear but the shadows seemed to have pointed to the man on that train ride back from the canyon, the same guy that seemed to be following them on the trails. Yugi hadn’t noticed nor did anyone else but going over yugi’s memories of that trip showed otherwise, he was following from a distance trying not be noticed.
Some of the other students in the room seemed to have noticed the change between them, they seemed a little confused so he kept his head down and left the room before they could say anything to him.
Now in the hallway trying to get past the teachers was it’s own challenge, the best plan he could come up with was using the shadows to turn off all the lights and get to the other side of the room in that two second window of time, using shadow magic made that possible.
He was about to test it on the storage room lights to begin with as messing up would make a confusing mess of the situation before it had really began. Before he could try the door down the corridor clicked as someone, an employee walked out the back exit he never noticed before, he followed after once they vanished from view. The door was locked and a key card was the only way through or at least it would have been if he wasn’t capable of manipulating it without touching it. The door opened once he got close enough, the light where the key card should go went green without much effort on his end.
With the doors now open he decided to go to the train station as it’s the other way from the windows where his other classmates could see him and he knew he was being followed from this point on. A teenager sneaking out in the dark would make it easy for anyone willing to course harm.
——<>——
Waiting behind one of the trains after leading the man in, then challenging him to a shadow game was what he had planned, using the train beside him as apart of the game. To bad he never thought the guy would have planned to take him out before he even had the chance to initiate the game.
The man had taken out a knife and before he could react had cut in between his lower ribs, he was bleeding. “Fuck” he cursed under his breath, slightly startled from the attack. This seemed to be aimed at him only because he was there. His attacker was going after him because a teenager shouldn’t be walking around the streets at night alone, he was a victim of opportunity although for the one responsible, he went out of his way to find.
He should have waited before moving in between those trains and then maybe Yugi wouldn’t be waking up even more confused with a deep cut and bloody clothes, not to mention everyone else’s confusion and concern. There was no way he could heal that in a few hours, a day maybe, but he couldn’t really hide it or play it low with the amount of blood drenching his school uniform either.
Ignoring the river of blood flooding from his open wound down the concrete step and in between the metal train tracks, he eyed his attacker unfazed by his own blood flowing down his side and onto the ground.
screw the game his attacker won’t walk away alive.
His attacker actually looked afraid, maybe it was how he handled his injuries or his anger now directed at him, the heat building on his forehead was a reminder of how angry he actually was “you foolish little-“ The guy took off down the train line before he could finish his sentence. He followed using the shadows to help keep the wound together so he could follow, using walls, rails, and jumping fences to his advantage to try and catch up.
To his surprise he went into the same hotel his class was staying at, no doubt he had a room there too, but he had a key card for the back door the same one he used magic on only an hour before. Using the same trick as before he was able to gain access and run after him, this time not stopping for anyone including concerned and afraid bystanders.
The man had booked it downstairs using the lift most likely exiting through the underground car park, they both had a lot of blood on each other but it was obvious who the attacker was. Nobody interfered for some reason although that was the least of his worries as no doubt the police had been called.
He took a second, arms crossed and with an expression of annoyance, now getting impatient why did it have to drag out like this, he was stupid for not properly thinking this through the game hadn’t even been initiated so he couldn’t just end it when things went wrong and the rules were broken.
“Uhh um sir you a-are bleeding out, y-you should go to the hospital” he looked over at the hotel employee unamused, she took a step back, others were looking at him now. “I’m aware” he replied calmly before using a bit of magic to turn off the lights for only a few seconds and using it to re appear in front of his attacker part way across town now on a bridge several hundred feet above a raging river.
Now leaning against a light post looking very annoyed he used more magic to materialize a knife so they were both equal. “I don’t take to kindly to those who kill for no reason at all” he was able to keep his composure while talking but it was slipping ever so slowly. “Who are you to say kid” the man sounded afraid, trying hard to not let it show in his voice. “I was going to suggest a shadow game but I would rather you meet your end the same way your victims did, let’s call it karma”. Only now did he realize the glow emitting from his forehead, it most likely didn’t vanish when it first appeared and he forgot about it in the rush, it would explain the mans fear in regards to him and everyone else’s.
His attacker seemed to fall into a panicked mess and lunged out at him, the knife cutting into the side of his throat, he pushed back again unfazed until the rail gave way and he found himself falling into the river below. In a last ditch effort using as much shadow magic as possible using both hands he fired back a stream of red fire wrapped in lightning, how that was even possible was again unknown to him. The man went down as the energy stream passed through his heart directly.
The Milky Way was brighter then ever visible on his way down, that image was shattered when he hit the water below now fighting to stay above. When he was able to grab hold of the rocks he barely missed on the way down he saw police lights on the bridge and a car with flashing lights coming down a side road into the canyon toward him.
His blood was glowing gold and flowing into the water, now with very little magic left he couldn’t run anywhere or try and slip back into his room, how would he even begin to explain it all. His eyes reflected in the water, bright red with a ring of expanding gold, expanding from his own panic. His third eye was still illuminating the area, not that the dark was ever an issue.
Voices were becoming louder in the line of bushes and cacti on the rivers edge, he knew they were either the police or the EMT team maybe both. He was to exhausted to run and very close to blacking out himself.
The last thing he saw was the EMT team coming at him before passing out on the smooth cut sandstone along the river bank, everything got unfocused the static he always heard while in control completely took over, the sky seemed brighter then usual for only a second like the sun was rising red, the dark closed in fast and he was out cold.
——<>——
He woke up chained to a hospital bed with the morning sun rays creeping through the small window, still in control of Yugi’s body and with a terrible headache. He tried to unhook the medical equipment from his skin but was stopped mid way by a nurse who was now slightly panicking. “Hey you can’t do that, stop or I will get security” he was too tired to actually try anything involving magic “yes and then what, I am just rather uncomfortable is all” he sounded less threatening and more out of it then he was hoping.
The doctor walked in just as he spoke, the doctor was surprised most likely because he was awake already, “sir I ask you to sit down please, you have lost a lot of uhh blood, you need to take it easy” blood loss was the least of his concerns, he just wants to head home to properly regain his magic and heal both deep open wounds, a doctor won’t help with either issue in regards to him. “I do not need your help, I will admit I am exhausted but thats it, I can deal with my injuries myself”, the doctor seemed concerned now, and was about to reply out of annoyance but a police officer interrupted him.
“I need to speak with Yugi Mutou privately”