I'm back! From outer space! With that sad look upon my face…yeah. Tired. I updated! Hooray! I don't think I've made any progress though. Well, maybe a little. But I'm not satisfied! This story is moving too damn slow!!!!! Bah!

Sorry for the late update. I'll try and do better. I hope you're all still with me.

Hey, thanks to all my reviewers! You guys are awesome! Means a lot! I hope you'll like this chapter. So I'll shut up so you can read….

Read and enjoy! Review maybe too.

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

Chapter 7: Tower of Questions

Kazuma moaned as he slowly began to regain consciousness. His head throbbed and his right wrist slightly ached. What happened? An image of a black car and two burly men immediately came to mind. Purifiers!! Kazuma snapped his eyes open. A blinding white light met his gaze forcing him to blink and grab his head from the pounding headache.

"My apologies." A smooth, yet cold voice answered. Kazuma tried opening his eyes again only this time more slowly.

"Where am I?" He whispered, his vision slightly coming into focus. He was in a bedroom….a really nice bedroom.

"You're in a guest bedroom in my mansion." Kazuma shifted his eyes to the tall, young man with chestnut hair and piercing blue eyes.

"Do I know you?"

"I wouldn't doubt it. My name's Seto Kaiba, CEO of Kaiba Corp. and the host of the Duel Monsters Tournament." He paused for a moment as if debating his next sentence. "I'm also a…friend of Yugi's."

Kazuma immediately shot up at the mention of his friend's name. Worry plastering his face.

"Yugi! Where is he? Is he alright?" Kaiba stared at the man slightly confused and taken aback.

"Yes, he was at the dueling arena last time I checked."

Kazuma's heart fluttered as he panicked.

"I know, but where is he now? He had left the arena earlier to go save Arthur, but there was a trap and I don't know if he made it back or if the Purifiers got him! Because your obviously not a Purifier and…and…so you would know nothing about it, but I don't know if he made it back! I didn't call him yet! What if he's looking for me? I have to call him! I have to make sure he's okay! What if he's not okay?" Kazuma attempted to climb off the bed as he rambled to himself, but Kaiba pushed him back.

"Hold on, slow down. What do you mean Yugi left the arena?" Kazuma gaped at him for a moment not knowing how to respond.

"Well…uh…you're not a Purifier?"

"No, I don't know what a Purifier is."

"Oh…" He scratched the back of his head as he tried to think. His fingers accidentally grazed the large bump on the back of his skull causing him to wince. Stopping his ministrations he smiled. "Sorry, I'm not sure whats going on. Are you my enemy?"

"No I'm not your enemy." Kaiba replied confused. Perhaps they knocked him out a little too hard.

" You're not? Oh…then why did you kidnap me?"

"I need answers."

"What if I don't know the answer?"

"Then all of this would have been a waste of my time and energy." Kaiba growled. Kazuma grinned and pushed his back against the headboard. But soon his smile disappeared as a more depressing thought came to mind.

"I'll make a deal with you." He stated.

"You not really in a position to be making any deal." Kaiba countered.

"But you need answers and if you want them you have to make this deal." Kaiba narrowed his eyes warily. "If you call Yugi and tell me he's okay then I'll answer anything you need."

"Just by calling him."

"Yes."

Kaiba stared at the man for several moments. Seeing there was nothing to lose and everything to gain he whipped out his cell phone.

"What's his number?"

Yugi limped down the sidewalk doing his best to block out the pain. Blood dripped off his fingers and down his leg staining the inside of his clothes. Thank God for leather. It wasn't going to show through. As he strolled down another darkened alleyway a million questions stabbed at his mind demanding to be answered.

Why did they keep Arthur? What were they going to do to Arthur? Was Arthur still alive? What was he going to tell the boss? He chewed the hem of his sleeve as he thought of the boss. What was he going to tell the boss? Hey, yeah. Sorry Boss, I left my duties and sort of got one of our best guys kidnapped. He's probably dead by now, but hey I'm in the tournament! He could only imagine how well that was going to go.

And then there was Joey. Why did Joey join? What was his reason? Did they give him 'the world is in danger' speech or was it more along the lines of 'your skills are amazing! Join us and make a difference for mankind!' The thought of his old friend made his heart ache and his blood boil. A mix of anger and fear engulfed his heart as he thought about it. Why Joey? Why now? How could Joey fall for such a lowly group of people?

"You fell for it too." The little voice in the back of his head spoke. He bowed his head ashamed. He had fallen for the same thing. If he hadn't he wouldn't be in this mess.

"But still why would Joey join?" Yugi spoke allowed angry.

"Why would I join what?"

Yugi's heart stopped. He whipped around and glowered at the blonde.

"What the hell are you doing out here so late?" Yugi demanded.

"No need to be so hostile." Joey replied holding up his hands in defense.

"I have every at the moment!" Yugi snapped.

"Well if you want to know, I couldn't sleep and I felt like going for a walk." Joey said answering the original question. "But now why are you out here so late?"

"I was looking for someone." He lied. It wasn't really a lie. He was meeting someone. It just turned out to be a shooting match behind a garbage can.

"Oh." Joey took a step forward, but Yugi took a step back. Sighing Joey shoved his hands into his pockets. "You don't trust me do you?"

"Ha! Not in the slightest." Yugi replied. His eyes fell to his shirt where he knew the item of his interest would be found.

"I have a question for ya, Yug'." Yugi slightly flinched at his old nickname, but he quickly recovered.

"That's funny because I have like six for you."

"Realy?! Well…what?"

"Why'd you do it? Why'd you join?" Joey's mouth fell slightly open in shock. How'd he know so quick?

"H-How did you find out?"

"A little birdie told me. Now why?" Yugi ordered.

"Well, why did you join?" Refusing to answer.

"None of your business."

"Then it's none of yours."

Yugi snapped his mouth shut seeing the others point. But the glare on his face still remained like stone. This conversation was getting nowhere. Why should he care? They weren't friends anymore. Joey was old enough to take care of himself and make his own mistakes.

His arm and his leg throbbed even worse and every time he'd take a step a squishing noise would come from his boot due to the amount of blood pooled at the bottom. He needed to get back to the arena before he passed out.

"I have to go." He spoke softly. He turned around and continued to walk doing his best to hide the limp in his leg.

"Yugi wait!" Joey called. "Please!"

The tapping noises of Joey's shoes coming up behind him forced Yugi to turn around. Joey may not be an official enemy yet, but that doesn't mean he still trusted him.

"What?" He asked wearily.

"Yugi I joined because I wanted to help you!" Joey blurted. He couldn't hold it in any longer. He didn't care what Tristan and Tea said. He cared.

"Help me?"

"We may not be friends anymore Yugi but…I know you! You wouldn't join with the bad guys!"

"Who said I joined with the bad guys?"

"N…the people you're working with aren't nice people Yug'! They're criminals! You could get hurt or in trouble!"

"Why do you suddenly care?" Yugi questioned softly. He hadn't expected this turn.

"I-I've always cared." Joey whispered. Yugi shook his head and gripped his wounded arm.

"I'll see you at the tournament, Joey." With that he walked away.

Joey felt the stab at his heart and couldn't help the tears that pricked at his eyes. What had he been thinking? Yugi wasn't going to take a complete U-turn and open his arms wide like nothing had ever happened. He had screwed up too big this time.

No Yugi was right. They'd see each other at the tournament. Words weren't going to solve this problem. Only action.

An hour had passed and Yugi had successfully bandaged his wounds. He had shown his pass and the guards let him through with little trouble. He quickly headed to his room and from there cleaned up the cuts.

"I have a feeling I'm going to need stitches." He muttered to himself.

Joey had sounded sincere in their brief conversation but Yugi still couldn't help but feel angry. This wasn't something they could just ask forgiveness and expect to be friends. The wound had been too deep and too large for a couple of emotional words to solve everything.

As Yugi put the med kit away he was about ready to flop into his bed when his phone rang. Kazuma! He had completely forgotten! Running to his coat he pulled out the device and answered.

"Hello!"

"Yugi?"

"Kaiba? How'd you get this number?"

"A friend of yours gave it to me." Kaiba replied. Crap. Kazuma you idiot.

"Can I talk to him?"

"No." Was the flat reply. Yugi could hear the smirk on the other end.

"Why not?"

"Because he already left." Kaiba lied.

"Oh. Then why are you calling me?"

"You're friend asked me too. He said his phone had died and I offered to call since I needed your number."

"Why'd you need my number?" Yugi questioned confused. Kaiba inwardly groaned. Damn you Yugi stop being so perceptive!

"I was notified you left at an odd hour."

"Now you're keeping tabs on me?" Kaiba knew he led himself into that trap.

"Tournament policy. Can't have you disappearing and not show up." He lied.

"Oh, uh, sorry. I'm back so everything's good."

"Alright, then that's it."

Yugi stared at the phone bewildered as the other hung up. That was weird. He was going to have to talk to Kazuma tomorrow. At least he was safe. Shrugging his shoulders he snapped his phone closed and crawled beneath the sheets. With the moment his head touched the pillow he was asleep.

"Was he okay?" Kazuma questioned as Kaiba reentered the room.

"He said he was back in his room. He sounded rather tired so I ended the conversation quickly." Kaiba replied. It wasn't a lie. It was just slightly bent.

"Alright. You told him where I was, right?"

"Just like you asked."

Kazuma smiled happily. Kazuma wasn't the brightest of the bunch. He was sheltered much of his life due to his sickness, but after his parents died he was tossed to the streets. He never did finish grade school and was only able to read the absolute basic. Yugi through their journey together tried to help and better his skills, but the man was never really interested in learning. He lived in a 'home' thanks to a sympathetic caretaker, but as he grew older he ventured out determined to find himself. He hadn't realized his sickness would take such a turn and threaten his life as much as it did now. Yugi was probably the only reason he was still around.

"Now it's your turn to honor your end of the deal." Kaiba spoke.

Kazuma nodded in understanding. This man was cold, but something told Kazuma he could trust him. Yugi had spoke often of their duels and their rivalry. He had said how near the end of his time in Domino Kaiba was the one who helped him through his loss. Maybe Kaiba wouldn't mind helping a little more.

"Ask away."

"Why don't we start with the Purifiers. Who are they and why are they a threat to Yugi?"

"They're a group of people that believe they can change humanity for the better." Kazuma replied.

"But why are they a threat to Yugi?"

"Yugi got himself involved in the wrong crowd on accident and it happened to be their enemy." Kazuma replied nervously. Maybe this wasn't such a good idea after all.

"Just by accident?"

"Yeah." He lied. Kaiba saw right passed it and decided to take another approach.

"How'd you meet Yugi?"

"That's something I like to keep to myself." Kazuma replied.

"Kazuma, if you keep lying and holding your secrets I can't help. We had a deal."

"I know we had a deal! But w-who says we need help? We're perfectly fine!" He was getting nervous now. "Why are you so interested?"

"Because somebody found their way into my company's system and tampered with some files. I want to know why. There's evidence that Yugi's somehow involved and I can only guess you are as well."

"I'll tell you that part, but that's it. If you want to know more about Yugi talk to him."

Kaiba sighed his frustration growing. Taking a breath he calmed himself and continued.

"Fine. Who tampered with the KC files and why target tournament info? The truth this time."

"Alright, the truth. There's two types of gangs running around. They believe themselves more of as their own secret society, which in a way they are. They've been at each other's throats for ages now."

"Over what?"

"…Things."

"Kazuma." Kaiba growled warningly.

"If I told you, you wouldn't believe me!" He exclaimed.

"Try me."

"They're certain items that each side would kill to have." Kaiba didn't press what they were, guessing it really didn't matter.

"Continue."

"Anyways, there's the Purifiers and the Shadow Guards. They're both nasty and will do whatever they have to, to get what they want. It's difficult to actually retrieve the items from the other side without winding up in a full out show down with bullets and knives. So they came up with a better solution. They decided they'd use their…uh…skills instead. It was more effective and less life was lost."

"In skills you're talking about dueling skills, right?"

"That's one of them."

"What's the other?"

"Like I said you wouldn't believe me." Kazuma laughed nervously as Kaiba rolled his eyes.

"What happened next?"

"They fought it out. Taking the items from each other trying to gain the most. They'd send in spies who'd gather the names of their enemies. In doing so they could do a background check."

"That's why they hacked into my database?"

"One reason. Yugi and several others became a target. It wasn't uncommon for the enemy to hit a road block and end up having little to no information on their suspects. So when it got around with the man's extensive duel history they must've found away into your company and got their hands on those files."

"But that doesn't explain the false files."

"False files?" Kazuma questioned.

"They implanted several false files with names of people in the tournament with fake information. They input excessively high numbers in categories of tournaments they've participated in and their win lose ratio."

"They called it an intimidation file." He replied, memory returning. "They figured if they had figured out about the information in your company the enemy would have as well. So they implanted false files to scare off and intimidate the other. It was their way of dropping moral and boosting their credit." Kazuma explained.

"How do you know all this?" Kaiba questioned. Kazuma was able to go into extensive detail, which usually isn't possible unless he was part of it.

"Mr. Kaiba I had nothing to do with it. I swear. Yugi and I got stuck in the middle." Kazuma replied defensively seeing the look the CEO was giving him. "Neither of us wanted in this."

"Then why are you still in it?"

"We don't have a choice."

Kaiba sat in his bedroom chair as he contemplated what Kazuma had told him. It had been an hour since their conversation. Kazuma refused to disclose any more information after his last statement. Eventually Kaiba had to let him leave. (Of course he had him blindfolded so he couldn't find his way back but that's something else entirely.)

His initial thought had been true about there being a connection between the files and Yugi. But now the question was who exactly was it that corrupted the system and how is Yugi involved? Why is Yugi involved?

He had thought he'd have all his questions answered only to have them stacked even higher. He was going to get to the bottom of this even if he had to force it out of Yugi himself!

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

AAAAAHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!Runs in frantic circles Joey wasn't supposed to come in! Kaiba should be more cynical! And Kazuma shouldn't sound so stupid!!! AAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Okay, I'm done complaining. Sorry. Let me know what you think. Thanks for reading!!!!!

-Tragedyluver