Hello! It's been a long time since I posted a fanfic, but I'm back, in a totally different fandom this time. :) This should be approximately five chapters, I believe? I don't plan on dragging it out too long. But we'll see. (This is unusual for me, I prefer to have a story finished before posting it.)

Disclaimer: you all know the drill. I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh! or any of its characters. They, of course, are the property of Kazuki Takahashi, and were adapted by Toei, NAS, and eventually 4Kids.

Enjoy! Reviews are appreciated...but no pressure. :P

Part 1

Yugi sat back on his heels and looked at his handiwork. The Bristol board was nearly covered in paper, but all his information and photos were arranged neatly. It had taken him and his work partner nearly two hours to put their project together, but the end result looked like an A-plus assignment.

He glanced over at his partner and cringed. The last two hours had been almost torturous to him. Seto Kaiba had made his dislike of Yugi clear from their first meeting, and the fact that they were working together on a science project had not changed his mind at all. Kaiba was sitting in front of his laptop, typing out the final paragraphs of his and Yugi's lab report. The two of them had barely spoken as they worked, only talking when the project called for it.

"So," Yugi said uncomfortably, "did you want to start the presentation, or should I?"

"I will," Kaiba replied without looking up from the computer. "We can alternate topics." Still without taking his eyes from the laptop's screen, he jerked his head towards the two typed-out copies of the presentation outline they had put together earlier.

"Okay," Yugi said. "Sounds good."

Kaiba nodded. "I'm almost done this. You can go home after I print it."

"Okay," Yugi repeated, and though he should have been somewhat offended by Kaiba's inhospitality, he simply found he felt relieved that he would soon be out of the mansion and away from his science partner and Duel Monsters rival.

He examined the visual part of their project again while Kaiba continued to type. It looked good, and while he was certain that it would earn him and his partner a good grade, he couldn't help but wish that he had been assigned to work with someone else. Anyone else, really. There had been no fun in working with Kaiba. The grade would be nice, but the road to the A-plus hadn't been enjoyable at all.

"I'm finished."

Kaiba clicked something and a moment later, the printer connected to the laptop by a USB cable lit up and came to life. Within a minute, the six-page report was in Kaiba's hands. The older student examined it.

"I'll keep this," Kaiba said. "You walk to school, don't you?"

Yugi nodded, pretending he hadn't heard the snide tone in Kaiba's voice.

"I wouldn't want it to get wrinkled on your walk." Kaiba tucked the report neatly into a duotang. "I'll keep the Bristol board, too."

"Okay," Yugi agreed.

Kaiba stood up straight and avoided Yugi's gaze. "Thank you for your effort on this project. I will see you tomorrow. Good night." He handed Yugi a copy of the presentation outline and gestured toward the door into the hallway that would lead Yugi out of the mansion.

Yugi fought he urge to roll his eyes and picked up his backpack. "You're welcome. Thanks to you too. See you tomorrow." He walked past Kaiba and put his shoes on, before nodding curtly at his science partner, giving him a forced smile, and exiting the room.

The boy should not be able to get away with being so rude to people.

Yugi had shut off his mental link with the spirit of the Millennium Puzzle while he was working on the science project, knowing that Kaiba's presence and cold demeanour would only infuriate him, but now that he was out in the hallway, away from the older boy, the connection was strong again.

What? I didn't think he was too bad tonight. He wasn't terribly rude. And he didn't challenge me to a duel , so that was nice.

Who cares? He was horribly inhospitable. And the way he spoke about how you walk to school...he may not have said anything that was outright rude, but the implications were there.

That's okay, spirit. I didn't mind. I wasn't expecting him to be very polite, anyway.

Someone should teach that boy a lesson.

I don't think that's ever going to happen. If it was, don't you think he'd have learned by now?

I suppose.

The spirit grew quiet as Yugi reached the door. The butler, still on duty despite the gathering darkness outside, nodded politely to Yugi and opened the door for him. Yugi smiled back and thanked him.

You see? That was common courtesy. It is something that Seto Kaiba doesn't appear to understand.

Let it go, spirit. I think you're more bothered by him than I am.

You do remember the time he put your grandfather in the hospital, don't you? Why wouldn't I be bothered by him?

You can't change the way he acts towards people. I mean, he is a jerk, but he has had a difficult life.

So have many people. And yet the vast majority of them manage to be kind to others.

You aren't always kind to others. Neither am I. No one is.

When haven't I been kind?

Yugi rolled his eyes. You were willing to let Kaiba fall off that building to his death at the Duellist Kingdom, remember? And you can be ruthless when you want to be.

That was a special circumstance. The spirit's tone sounded sharp. And you are right, no one is compassionate all the time, but most people act kindly most of the time. Kaiba is an exception to that rule.

I'm not sure this is worth arguing about. Yugi couldn't keep a smile from his face.

I suppose it is rather silly, isn't it?

Just a bit.

The spirit's voice faded into silence once again. Yugi looked around him. Night had fallen completely in the minutes he'd been walking. He glanced behind him. The Kaiba property was expansive, the largest piece of land and place of residence in town. He was far from Kaiba's front door, but still walking alongside the fence that surrounded the mansion. He'd even passed a stoic security guard a few minutes before.

The rest of Domino City, typical Domino City, was only right across the street from Kaiba's home. Modest houses, apartment buildings, and condominiums sat in sharp contrast against the overwhelming grandeur of the Kaiba mansion. In fact, Yugi could see the corner he would have to turn down to get to Joey's house. And beyond the houses, he could see the lights of downtown Domino City, where its citizens still bustled despite the darkness.

Yugi watched the cars go by, wondering where each one was going. He peered at the drivers, trying to see if he recognized any of them. However, he didn't see anyone he knew.

It happened before he even knew what was going on. A man, out of nowhere. A bag over his head. He cried out and flailed as he realized that someone was pulling his hands behind his back. "SPIRIT, HELP ME!"

The spirit took control as he felt the prick of a needle in his arm. He could feel the spirit using all his strength, trying to fight against the man – the men? He didn't know. His brain started to fill with fog and he felt his legs weaken beneath him.

Spirit, please, he thought, unable to take control back from his alter ego. He felt his knees hit the pavement, and then someone lifted him from the ground. He fuzzily remembered where he'd been coming from. "KAIBA! SOMEONE! ANYONE! HELP!"

Kaiba? Really? The spirit's voice seemed far away.

He's going to kill me when I don't show up for that presentation tomorrow.

I think we have bigger things to worry about, Yugi! Are you okay?

Yugi tried to form a thought, to respond, but the fog was everywhere now, in his mind, his eyes, his mouth, his throat, his veins. He faintly heard the spirit calling to him.

Don't give in, Yugi! Fight it! Stay awake!

Okay, he agreed, I'll try. But the fog was making him tired...so tired...and it was so dark...