AN: I'm kind of throwing Yusei's 24-hour recovery out the window for this one, because really, wtf is up with that?
Disclaimer: I don't own Yugioh 5D's.
Rating: M
Pairings: Kiryu/Yusei
Warnings: Character death, violence, blood, slash
Summary: Yusei's ready to welcome Kiryu back with open arms, if he shows repentance for his actions.
Repentance
Someone was knocking at the door. Yusei stared at it for a moment before he got up to go see who it was. He probably shouldn't have gotten up, since he wasn't fully healed yet and Martha would have his head if she came in and saw him out of bed, but then, they shouldn't have left him alone believing he would behave either.
Lightning flashed and thunder rumbled through the house. Yusei hastened his steps. No one deserved to be out in that.
He opened the door and almost immediately closed it again. It was only the other person's strength that kept him from slamming the door on him.
"What do you want?" Yusei demanded. Pale fingers curled around the edge of the door and pushed it open.
"Yusei, I'm so glad it's you and not someone else."
"Kiryu..." Yusei shook his head. He couldn't allow himself to give in. Kiryu was no longer a friend. Kiryu wanted to kill him. He'd made that clear during their duel. "You didn't answer my question."
"I came to apologize," Kiryu murmured, sounding so stricken and repentant that Yusei couldn't help but relax a little. Maybe their duel had woken him up and he was back to normal.
"Yusei! You traitor!"
Yusei flinched at the memory. It was always possible this was a trick.
Then Kiryu looked up at him, and Yusei suddenly felt sure he could be trusted. His whites of his eyes were no longer the haunting black they had been during their duel, were no longer cold and lifeless or glittering with insanity. This was the Kiryu they had conquered Satellite with, who they had followed for so long.
"I feel horrible for what I put you through," Kiryu said, taking a step inside. He reached out when Yusei took a step back, a flash of guilt crossing his face. Kiryu pulled his hand back and looked down at it. "I'm so sorry, Yusei. I hurt you all so much..."
"Kiryu..." Yusei was finding it hard not to go to him and tell him he forgave him, everything was fine. The pain shooting through his gut convinced him not to.
"You killed someone," Yusei said flatly. "It doesn't matter who it was. You're a murderer."
Kiryu looked up at him, frantic. "I didn't—" He shook his head, knowing that Yusei wouldn't believe him no matter what excuse he tried. "I was only doing what I thought would help us the most. It got out of hand. I made a mistake. You don't know how much I wish that had never happened."
"And what happened a week ago?" Yusei said.
Kiryu took another step toward him. This time, Yusei didn't take a step back.
"Yusei, you don't understand. I am a Dark Signer, just like you're a Dragon Signer. Being a Dark Signer..." Kiryu shook his head and clenched his fists. "It messes with your head. Even being a regular Signer messes with you, but being a Dark Signer..."
Then Kiryu smiled at him, and Yusei knew that even if this was a trick, he trusted his old friend. Kiryu had come back to them. He was still a murderer, because he'd admitted he'd done that himself, but he felt remorse for it and that was what mattered.
"But I don't want to help them," Kiryu said, walking toward him. He grabbed Yusei's hands and clung to them. "I want to help you. I want to be your friend again, and Crow's, and Jack's. I know you won't be able to accept me for a while, but I'm going to prove to all of you that I'm still the old Kiryu that you remember. The other Dark Signers will never expect it."
"Kiryu..." Yusei looked down at their hands, then back up at Kiryu's face. He couldn't find a trace of the insanity he'd seen only days ago. It would be hard to accept him back, but he was sure they could do it.
Yusei finally nodded and smiled, squeezing Kiryu's hands. "I don't know if Crow and Jack will accept you back, but I'm willing to give you another chance."
Kiryu grinned and shook his hands free. "You won't regret it, Yusei!" he exclaimed, enveloping Yusei in a tight hug.
Yusei cried out as pain suddenly shot through his back. Something slid out of his back and Kiryu pushed him to the ground.
"Because I won't give you the chance to regret it," Kiryu hissed, twirling a bloody knife between his fingers.
"Kiryu..." It hurt to breathe. Yusei could feel his blood starting to spread under him, faster than could possibly be okay.
Kiryu laughed, high and crazed the way he had during their duel. His eyes had turned black again.
"Now Yusei, I repented for my sins. You can repent for yours in hell!"
Kiryu laughed again and turned away. Yusei struggled to sit up, reaching out for him.
"Kiryu, wait! Why? Why are you like this?"
Kiryu paused and glared back at him. "Why? You know why. It's all your fault! But now, I have my vengeance. And soon, Yusei, you'll be mine to play with as I please."
"Kiryu..." Yusei's arm collapsed under him and he fell back to the ground.
"Yusei!"
Kiryu glanced up. Crow dropped to the floor beside Yusei, carefully rolling him over to he could check the damage.
"Martha!" Crow yelled as soon as he saw the blood stain. "Martha! Dr. Schmitt! Martha!"
Kiryu laughed, grabbing his attention. Crow instinctively pulled Yusei closer, as if that would protect him for further harm.
"Yell all you like, Crow," Kiryu said, tucked his knife in his belt. "The next time you see Yusei will be in hell!"
Crow tensed as though to attack him, but he looked away a moment later. "Martha! Rally! Martha!"
Kiryu snorted and walked out.
Yusei reached up a shaky hand to touch Crow's arm and get his attention. Crow stopped yelling and grabbed his hand, squeezing it painfully tightly.
"Don't worry, Yusei, you'll be fine. I won't let you die. And Kiryu's going to wish he'd never messed with Crow the Bullet!"
"Crow...I'm really cold..." Yusei murmured. Crow dropped Yusei's hand and rolled him back over onto his back.
"I'm going to go get Martha, alright? You'd better still be conscious when I get back!"
Crow leapt to his feet and ran back into the deeper parts of the old orphanage. Yusei watched him go for as long as he could.
Blackness started creeping at the edges of his vision. He suddenly felt very warm, his right arm especially. He tried to hold onto consciousness, but it was quickly slipping away from him.
Suddenly, Kiryu was standing above him again. Kiryu grinned and leaned down over him, hind on his hips.
"Now, King Yusei, prepare for your descent! You'll never see light again!"
The world went black.
"But how did he get in?" Martha asked as they ran back toward the front door.
"I don't know. Only Yusei could have let him in, but Yusei wouldn't—Yusei!"
Crow dashed in front of her into the front hall and collapsed next to a puddle of blood.
Yusei was gone.