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Post by Firebreath Fishslap on Jul 7, 2010 18:22:08 GMT -5
Souji's expression didn't change as Atem turned away. He hadn't meant to press that particular button, he'd just said what had first come to mind. The conversation clearly over, Souji looked back toward Izanami before cringing and looking away. She wasn't bleeding anymore... must have bled out... Dammit, why did this have to happen today of all days?
He looked toward Yuugi as he came out of his apartment. "We can figure that out while they're getting here. Right now..." He shook his head and looked toward Adachi.
"L-Look, I don't know anything that's going on. The last thing I remember was that Izanagi guy taking over my body, and then you were beating the shit out of me!" Adachi cried. He was officially terrified of Seta. He should have gotten the hint the last time Seta tried to beat the shit out of him, but as of today, he was officially terrified of him. If that blond kid hadn't stopped him, Adachi knew Seta would have beat him to death.
He backed up a little further against the wall, but the sound of something metal hitting the wall made him stop. He reached into his pocket and pulled out what could only be the Millennium Ring.
"Why... why the hell do I have this?" Adachi was staring at the object like he thought it wasn't really there. He was certainly holding it very carefully. He'd never seen what happened to the object after the trip into the TV World, due to where Lucius had dropped him. But if he had it, that meant either Bakura or Anpu were still inside of this... And he was thinking Bakura was more likely.
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Post by mugenginga on Jul 7, 2010 18:38:31 GMT -5
Yuugi nodded and walked out of the room, standing in the hall between Souji and Izanami's body. He caught Teddie reaching out to her.
"Don't move her! I mean... you're not supposed to move an injured person, right?"
Teddie looked a combinatino of panicked and tired. He opened his mouth to respond, but his eyes flicked towards Souji. He didn't know why he was suddenly getting along so well with her, but he had been. He closed this mouth and looked back towards the body. He'd worked into an actual sitting position by this point. He was sure she was dead.
Atem had looked up again at the sound of metal hitting wall. His eyes widened as Adachi pulled out the Ring. They had given that to Malik, meaning the teenager had to have run into Izanagi. He was able to hold himself back from directly yelling at Adachi, but there was anger in his face. Yuugi had looked up only when Adachi wondered aloud, and his eyes widened as well.
"Malik had that!!" Yuugi said.
"Partner, it was possible he got it from Bakura or Anpu..."
Worst part, it could be any of those three. The god could have taken it from Bakura to hold it over Adachi's head. He could have killed Bakura for that reason, but it seemed unlikely. If Izanagi had done someting to spite Adachi, Atem was sure the god would have let Adachi know about it. Anpu was possible, but if the god had gotten it from Anpu it was very likely the thief was dead. It left Bakura no body to return to, but it did free him. And Adachi had quite the grudge against him. The reasons for stealing it from Malik seemed to be limited to either returning the Ring to Anpu or attempting to destroy it. And Atem found himself having trouble figuring out which one seemed most likely. In any case, the odds were supporting at least one of those three being dead.
"Adachi-san, are you sure you don't remember anything...?" Yuugi said.
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Post by Firebreath Fishslap on Jul 7, 2010 19:03:07 GMT -5
"I'm positive..." Adachi said. He looked down at the Ring again. That Malik guy had it? Then it was possible Malik was dead... if Anpu wasn't too. He hated Anpu, he couldn't deny that, but if Anpu was dead, where was Bakura supposed to go back to? He knew now that his efforts at putting the Ring into the other side had done nothing.
He clenched the Ring tightly in his hand and glared at Seta. This was all because Seta couldn't fix things with that stupid god he was the vessel of. He didn't know what Seta had done to piss Izanagi off, but because of it Izanagi was running around in his body killing people! And because Seta couldn't fix things with Izanagi, Bakura was possibly dead, or at the very least, trapped in this damn Ring for good.
Souji looked up as he heard ambulance sirens. "That was fast..." He looked back down at Izanami. He'd never been overly fond of her, but this wasn't right... He clenched his hands into fists. Dammit... He had to fix things with Izanagi... in a way that meant no one else would have to die.
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Post by mugenginga on Jul 7, 2010 19:13:56 GMT -5
Yuugi hung his head. So as it was, someone else was probably dead. Whether it was Bakura, Anpu, or Malik wasn't the world's most important fact. The teenager couldn't lie, he wanted Bakura alive the most. If Anpu was dead, though, it mean Bakura wouldn't have a body to return to. Not if the Items worked the way he thought they did. It wasn't fair if Malik was dead, either. He'd been through too much for it to just end there.
Atem walked up to Adachi and held out his hand, "It's dangerous for you to keep that. The Items tend to violently reject people they don't accept."
He also didn't want Adachi keeping it. Even if the man had learned his lesson with the TV World, Izanagi might still try to destroy it. To his knowledge, no one had ever actually attempted to destroy them, but they were magical artifacts. Odds were they would defend themselves in a manner as violent as they rejected people. The fact that Adachi was in one piece either meant the Ring accepted him or Izanagi (he could see no reason for either) or the god had been smart enough to not wear it.
The noise made it clear that the ambulance had pulled up. Yuugi lifted his head at it, "A-Are we going to lie about what happened...?"
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Post by Firebreath Fishslap on Jul 7, 2010 23:00:18 GMT -5
Adachi gulped and looked down at the Ring again before nodding and giving it to Atem. Plus... he didn't know why Izanagi had taken it. Izanagi still had control over his body, and until Seta could fix his problems with that stupid god, he was stuck as his puppet.
"...I don't see any other options except getting Adachi arrested for something that's not his fault," Souji said. He actually looked pained from these developments. He didn't want Adachi arrested for something that wasn't his fault, but at the same time he felt someone should pay for this, except they couldn't do a damn thing about it, because Izanagi was a god. It was his fault all of this had happened.
"And even if I got arrested, it wouldn't do any good. The guys at the station are all afraid of Shinto gods and goddesses for some reason. Izanagi would just have to take over my body and they'd let me go no problem," Adachi added. He stopped talking as he heard someone running up the stairs. It turned out to be a couple of EMTs carrying a stretcher, though once they got over to the group, they dropped the stretcher and one went to go check Izanami's body for life signs. He shook his head sadly. With the kind of wound she had, there wasn't much chance for survival.
The other looked around at the group and chose the most emotionally stable looking witness to ask. This ended up being Yuugi, as even the one definite adult among them looked terrified out of his mind. "Can you tell me exactly what happened here?"
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Post by mugenginga on Jul 7, 2010 23:23:49 GMT -5
(OOC: Hollywood EMTs and guess work! =D)
Atem gave a puzzled look at that. While the Island had literal gods running around, that seemed rather odd. Scared of the Shinto pantheon...? There was possibly a way around that, but the thought was immediately cut off by memories of Souji's earlier words. In this modern world... Adachi wasn't the only one needing to be behind bars. He was avoiding eye contact again when he heard steps on the stairs. He stepped to the side to let the workers past.
One went straight over to Izanami and felt her pulse. There were three locations he tried, and it was only after all three of them and a quick look at her chest he actually shook his head. He pulled off his coat and threw it over her face. Yuugi had looked away from the body as they confirmed her condition, jerking as he was addressed. He looked down at Izanami's covered body and fidgeted.
"I-I... well..." Yuugi looked nervously at Adachi, although the way he tried to avoid it meant the look also could be taken as being at Atem, "I-it was an accident..."
"Adachi's gun misfired," Atem stated, stepping forward as he indicated Adachi, "Someone was trying to harm Souji-kun, and she got in the way."
Teddie's eyes widened at how smoothly Atem had pulled that lie off. The wordplay wasn't picked up on by the blond, but Yuugi was letting out a sigh of pained relief. As it was, the blame could fall on either Adachi or Izanami, but it wasn't guaranteed to fall on him. Someone referred to Izanagi. As for the "misfire" statement, it was true that Adachi hadn't meant to shoot her. Atem's lie and word twist was delivered flawlessly enough that he could have passed a lie detector test with it.
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Post by Firebreath Fishslap on Jul 7, 2010 23:53:19 GMT -5
The EMT noted how Yuugi seemed to glance toward Atem and Adachi. There were a couple different ways that could be taken, but the way Atem took over the explanation made the EMT decide that he'd just been looking for support on the explanation angle. He nodded as Atem explained, and then looked toward Adachi and examined him.
"You're a police officer?" the EMT asked.
"Well, I'm off duty right now... um, Detective Tohru Adachi, with the Void City police department," Adachi explained.
While Adachi gave his name to the EMT, the other one pulled a body bag off of the stretcher, and Souji forced himself to look away.
"You didn't happen to get a good look at the guy who attacked him, did you?" the EMT asked. "This sounds like another one of those incidents lately, where the victims are found tortured to death..." Adachi shook his head. "Damn."
The other EMT was lifting Izanami's bagged body onto the stretcher when he thought of something and looked toward Souji. "You look like you might have known the victim well. Do you know her name?"
Souji looked away. "Tadoru Mana..."
"Mana Tadoru, got it. Thanks," the EMT said. The two of them lifted up the stretcher and started heading down the stairs.
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Post by mugenginga on Jul 8, 2010 0:20:11 GMT -5
No words were shared as the EMTs headed down the stairs. No words were shared until they were out the door. It was then that Yuugi let out a pained sigh. It wasn't one of relief. He looked at where Izanami had been laying. The short teenager crouched down and put his hand on Teddie's shoulder. The blond jerked and looked towards Yuugi in surprise. Yuugi managed to force a fairly comforting smile and offered his hand. Teddie took it and they both got to their feet.
Atem looked at the Ring in his hand. They had to find out who Izanagi had attacked to get this. Atem closed his eyes and thought for a moment. He and Mana (the irony wasn't lost on him) had snuck out of the palace a few times when they were young. Mahaad had flipped on them, but it had been him that had made sure they had never been caught. He might have smiled at the memory if the situation had been a little different. He grabbed the rope of the item.
Yuugi had been trying to find words to fill in the heavy air. Adachi hadn't shown signs of moving. Given his condition, he probably needed to be at the hospital. With what the EMTs had said, he was surprised they hadn't brought it up. However, he saw the way Atem was looking at and holding the Ring. His eyes widened.
"Atem, don't!"
The former Pharaoh jerked and looked towards Yuugi. Don't...? Atem looked down at the Ring and realized what Yuugi was referencing. He shook his head.
"Partner, it can't hurt me. I've realized something about the Ring and Puzzle," Atem stated.
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"Go back inside and check on Mr. Adachi. He looks a bit like he's been through a meat grinder, and given those reports..."
The EMT who had climbed out the back of the ambulance once getting the body bag inside was referencing the torture. There had been a decisive lack of precision in the cop, but it was a bit much to ignore. He hadn't missed that the silver haired teenager had blood on his knuckles, either. While the story the two spiky haired teenagers had shared was plausible, there was a distinct feeling something was being left out...
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Post by Firebreath Fishslap on Jul 8, 2010 1:06:47 GMT -5
Souji wasn't saying anything. He didn't want to be here anymore. He wanted to do something about Izanagi, but he couldn't. Izanagi had moved past listening to reason and wouldn't rest until he was dead. Someone already was. He'd never admit it, but he'd started warming up to Izanami. There were things he could never forgive her for, like putting his friends in danger and causing all of the trouble in Inaba in the first place. But he'd come to see her as a person, just because she'd tried to save him and then later come to his apartment.
And now she was dead. He looked down at his bloodied hand. Izanami was dead, and he'd lost control. He couldn't remember the last time he'd lost control like this. That was the point, huh? He couldn't ever remember these kind of things. He gave a pained chuckle, one that would likely concern those not privy to his thoughts and probably still would those who were. He really was just a worthless Shadow...
He didn't even notice Yuugi and Atem's conversation as he spoke. "I'm going to... I need to lay down..." He shook his head and walked toward his apartment door.
The EMT made it back up the stairs as Souji was heading for his apartment door. He made a beeline for the injured Adachi. Adachi hadn't moved, but it didn't seem to just be because of his injuries. His gaze seemed unfocused, like he wasn't all there.
"Mr. Adachi, are you alright?" the EMT asked. Adachi jerked back into awareness and looked up at the EMT. His eyes still had that unfocused look, though. "Mr. Adachi, sir, we need you to come with us. You need medical treatment."
He looked toward the silver-haired teen. It seemed very likely that he'd been the one to attack Adachi, considering everything. For one, there was dried blood on his knuckles.
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Post by mugenginga on Jul 8, 2010 1:24:40 GMT -5
Yuugi and Atem had both paused in their conversation as Souji began to chuckle. Teddie looke concerned and was taking some cautious steps towards him when he finally spoke. The blond's eyes widened and he darted in front of Souji. He could at least make the bed or something. As a result of his speed, he was in the Apartment when the EMT made it back up the stairs.
Atem looked over to the man as he slipped the Ring over his neck. If darkness had returned to it, he couldn't tell. That had been a result of the Puzzle, not himself. He noticed the EMT take note of Souji. Yuugi quickly turned towards Souji having noted the same thing. He didn't have to fake the concern for the other teenager, just focus on it.
"Adachi-san, you should go..." Yuugi said, taking his eyes of Souji due to the lack of movement.
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Post by Firebreath Fishslap on Jul 8, 2010 1:43:15 GMT -5
Adachi looked toward Yuugi and then nodded before starting to walk toward the stairs. The EMT followed behind Adachi. Based on Adachi's injuries and the blood on the silver-haired teen's knuckles, the silver-haired kid had been the one to beat Adachi into his current condition. The two of them headed down the stairs and out the door.
Souji didn't react much when Teddie ran in front of him into the apartment. He just continued on in and closed the door behind him as Adachi made his way to the stairs. Souji paused and looked at Teddie. This was a lot like how Teddie had acted during the week before the Fall. Had he been that depressed then?
He walked over to the kitchen and looked down at the cake. It had nearly been done, too... Izanami had been writing something with frosting, but whatever it was, they'd never find out now. He stared down blankly at the cake, and then grabbed it and walked over to the trash can. Without a word, Souji dropped the whole thing, pan and all, into the trash can.
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Post by mugenginga on Jul 8, 2010 1:53:41 GMT -5
"......now what?"
Yuugi looked over at Atem. Now that everyone had gone their seperate ways, they were the only two left in the hall. Atem looked down at the Ring. It wouldn't be any good for tracking down who they were looking for. The Ring reacted to darkness, which was why it served as a way to find the other Millenium Items. Four of them were in the apartment, two of them were right here. The Torque was the only one missing, and odds were greatly against any Anpu/Bakura or Malik having it. He looked up at Yuugi.
"We have to find out who Izanagi attacked," Atem stated.
"By finding the one still alive...?"
Atem closed his eyes. Yuugi wasn't stupid. He nodded. Whether it was Bakura or Anpu in the Ring, it would be Bakura's body that was running around if he wasn't the victim. So they were, in effect, looking for "Bakura" or Malik to find out the fate of the other one. He began to head down the stairs.
"A-Atem!"
Atem paused, "I'm going to check the hospital first. Even if... If he survived, he'd probably be there."
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Teddie stepped back and looked at the bed. Somehow or another he felt this was his fault. If he hadn't been so resistant to Izanami, she might still be alive. He was walking out of the kitchen when he heard a rather lound "thunk". He tensed up and even growled a bit when he realized nothing dangerous was there. He hesitated before heading into the kitchen.
"Sensei... I made the bed if you want it..."
He wanted to go out, actually. But he couldn't tell Souji that. Because he wanted to go to the Shrine. There was no connection of how that could look suspicious giving that Mana had been the head there, Souji had been seen with blood on his knuckles, and Adachi was pretty clearly the cause of that. Izanami had run that Shrine, and if gods were as hard to kill as Izanagi implied... he wanted to both apologize and chew her out for abandoning Souji like that. He didn't like her, but Souji had been warming up to her, so...
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Post by Firebreath Fishslap on Jul 8, 2010 2:27:26 GMT -5
Souji took a moment to realize Teddie was there. He didn't look up as he spoke, instead continuing to stare down at the cake. He shouldn't have done that. It was too late now, but he shouldn't have done that, even if it would have just hurt to eat it now. He finally looked away from the mess and toward Teddie, giving a forced smile as he did so.
"...Thanks Teddie," Souji said. He walked past the bear and to his bedroom, shutting and locking the door behind him as he did so. He stood there leaning up against the door for a moment before sliding into a sitting position and pulling his legs up close to his body. He pressed his head into his legs and started to sob.
He hadn't liked Izanami. Her obsession with him scared him, she'd done too many horrid things to him and his friends, and her ideals went against some of his own. But she was dead because of him. It didn't even occur to Souji that it was just her shell that was dead, and the goddess Izanami was still out there somewhere. She was dead, and it was his fault.
That was why it hurt so bad. It was his fault someone had died. It was the same reason as why Souji knew he wouldn't have been able to go on if anyone had died back in Inaba, because someone would have died and it would have been his fault, because he was the leader of their group. The others depended on him; if he couldn't lead them to rescue whoever Nametame had pushed into the other side, then who could?
...I don't care anymore. I don't want anyone else to die for this. If it'll stop the deaths, the torture, then just take my body... Souji was calling out in his head to any fragment of Izanagi still resting there. He only got silence in return.
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Post by mugenginga on Jul 8, 2010 2:41:29 GMT -5
Teddie had turned to leave, to let Souji know via a note and leave, when he heard something like hiccupping. His eyes widened and he turned towards the door, as the realization of what was going on hit him. The blond, still in human form, looked scared. He looked towards the front door for a moment before running towards it. He was scared, because he had never seen Souji break down like this. For Nanako, but that wasn't the same. She was his cousin, family... this was far too different. He didn't bother leaving a note, he just ran out the door. If there was any part of Izanami left...
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Yuugi had considered going back to the apartment there. Let Atem go find out if a dead person fitting the description of Bakura or Malik had shown up. Atem was at the bottom of the stairs before he decided against it. No, he couldn't just let Atem do this. Bakura was his friend too, and Malik had helped them. Maybe there was traces of a grudge there, but even had he been consciously aware of it, he'd have known he couldn't hold onto it forever.
"Atem, wait!"
Atem stopped and turned towards the stairs. Yuugi was running down them. He had one hand on the bar so he could go faster without risk of falling. He came up beside Atem and looked the former Pharaoh in the eyes.
"Partner...?"
"You check the police station, I'll check the hospital. If Izanagi killed Malik or Bakura, there's probably a report. And those recent deaths through torture, doesn't that seem an awfully big coincidence? The timing?"
Atem was surprised for a moment, but he nodded, "I was thinking the same thing. If Izanagi is behind them and Bakura and Malik are dead..."
Yuugi winced a bit, "Y-yeah. Okay? You go to the police station and I go to the hospital?"
Atem nodded. They woul be out of the building just before Teddie ran out of Souji's apartment.
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Post by Firebreath Fishslap on Jul 8, 2010 3:01:14 GMT -5
Souji heard the quick footsteps and the slammed door all just fine. He just didn't care about what they meant. Teddie had gone somewhere, and he didn't know nor care what they meant. His entire body was shaking now, and the tears weren't stopping.
This is what you wanted, isn't it? For me to just give in and let you take over? I'm here, waiting... Souji thought to himself. Even his thoughts sounded insane to him. Was he really that torn up over his enemy's death? It wasn't just Izanami. It was the possible others, Bakura and Malik. It was the people tortured to death, who Souji knew had something to do with Izanagi. It was his own outburst earlier, which had been something he'd feared would happen since that first time Izanagi had stolen control of his body before.
It was almost hilarious. Before he'd wanted Izanagi to shut up and leave him alone. The one time he actually wanted the god, he was silent. Of course, the one time he wanted Izanagi, Izanagi didn't want him.
I'm sorry... Souji finally thought weakly. And just when he thought he'd be alone and silent like this...
I'm glad you've finally seen reason.
...That disturbingly similar voice gave him a response.
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