This is a very short one-shot. It wasn't fitting anywhere so it now stands alone.

Set before Death-T in the manga and Season Zero anime.

Enjoy, and please let me know what you think :)

"Boy, that was rough," Joey sighed, rubbing his knuckles. He stretched his neck. "But we showed 'em, didn't we Yuug?"

He didn't receive an answer. He frowned and turned to face his smaller friend. The boy stood a small distance away in the shadows, hunched over and rubbing his face. Joey knew Yugi had taken a couple hits before he'd shown up to help him but he'd seemed alright until now.

"Uh… Yuug? You okay?" he asked.

The boy grunted, muttering something. He walked further away.

"Yuug?"

"I'm fine," was the response he was given.

Odd. Yugi sounded… different. He suddenly straightened up, staring in the opposite direction. He was eyeing the wall against which the thugs all lay collapsed.

Joey didn't like this. "Hey…"

Yugi started at his voice, glancing to the side but apparently refusing to show his face to his friend.

"It's over, Yuug," the blond continued. "They deserved it, it's okay."

The boy remained silent. The shadows enshrouding him seemed to pulsate with each breath he took. Joey swallowed. This was getting creepy. Perhaps Yugi had hit his head? He was probably dazed.

"Hey, relax, huh?" Joey tried to lighten the eerie mood with a laugh, but it sounded pathetic and flippant.

"How can I?" Yugi asked him darkly. This whole place was dark. The boy scanned the area, his face still shy of view. "Everywhere there's…"

He murmured something inaudible. Joey thought he caught the word 'protect' but it was impossible to know. The teen frowned at his friend, no longer concerned so much as afraid.

"Look, Yuug…" Joey slowly stepped forward.

There was a small growl from the boy, so uncharacteristic his friend started to wonder if this even was Yugi. It threw him off guard and he froze. The shadows seemed to creep forwards from the edges of the room.

"It's all so dangerous for him here," this not-Yugi whispered.

Joey was tempted to leave right now. This was wrong. Every horror movie he'd ever watched started with something like this. But his friend… well, he couldn't be sure his friend was in trouble or simply… he didn't know.

"It's alright," he said carefully, gaining just enough courage to move closer to the smaller boy. "Buddy, are you—"

Yugi spun around as Joey placed his hand on his shoulder, startling him into silence. For the briefest moment, he could have sworn the boy's eyes shone crimson in the dim light, but almost as soon as it flashed it was gone, and Yugi was staring up at him through wide, shining amethyst.

"Hm? Is everything okay?" he asked inquisitively.

Joey blinked, taken aback. Yugi's demeanour was completely different – it was normal.

"Uh… yeah," the taller scratched his head, letting go of a breath he'd been holding.

Yugi looked around, frowning. "Um… we should… go."

Joey nodded. "Let's get out of here."

He'd had enough weirdness for now; staying here wasn't going to quell his discomfort. He was relieved Yugi was out of whatever he'd just been in. The smaller boy seemed fine now.

Still, Joey didn't protest when Yugi gripped his sleeve as his friend led him away.

They were both understandably a little scared.