The Domino Effect is my compilation of one-shots; each chapter will be an unrelated story. Some will be for the Eighth Season of the YGO Fanfiction Contest, some will just be random stories that I upload for no adequately explored reason. This, in short, is my attempt to Atkins up my profile page.

For Justice! For Love! For Card Games! Is my entry for Round One of the YGO Fanfiction Contest, Season Eight; the challenge pairing is Spiritshipping: Yami no YugixAnzuxYugi, and I had a blast writing this. Two words: Superhero Story. :D It's actually something of a spoof of all those superhero movies, so read this with a healthy sense of humor and sarcasm. Hope you enjoy!

"For Justice! For Love! For Card Games!"

Strange things happened in Domino City.

Or maybe it was that, because strange things happened so often they were taken as normal everyday occurrences, Domino was due for something truly unusual.

Yet, in an ironic twist perhaps typical for this city, something truly unusual came presented in the form of someone small and unassuming.

"Thank you for your purchase, and have a great day!" As Yugi Moto bid farewell to the latest customer at his Grandfather's game shop—he still thought of it with that prefix, never as his, it just never seemed to fit—he couldn't help glancing at the clock that hung on the far wall. The day was almost over, and he supposed it wouldn't hurt to close up a little early. The small game and puzzle store did enough business to get by, yet for Yugi it wasn't about the money at all. Being around the people he loved, being able to play any of the games he liked—there was a solace here that he wouldn't trade for anything.

The phone rang, shrilly bleating away his reveries, and he ambled over to the wall-mount, pressing the phone to his right ear. "Oh, Anzu! How was your day?"

…Alright, maybe there was one thing that he would trade it all for.

Yugi's eyes lost a little of their newly-found sheen as he nodded and 'Mm-hmmed' over his end of the line. "He surprised you with tickets to Swan Lake? How wonderful… no, you go and enjoy yourself. I'll keep packing up over here. Of course we can reschedule. Have fun… bye, Anzu." Eyes drooping towards the worn floor tiles, he returned the phone to its cradle, resisting the overwhelming urge to shout out his frustration just in case a customer had wandered in. He pulled open the cabinet's top drawer, glaring at the small envelope stamped with the Domino Performing Arts Center's logo hatefully, as if it were the source of all his troubles. This time, Otogi had beaten him by two hours. And those tickets were expensive… front-row mezzanine. She would have loved it.

He made his way to the front of the store, fitting the red closed sign in its place before trudging back to the stairs at the far corner of the store. The basement level still had a dozen boxes crowding that small apartment, and Yugi needed to fix it up so hopefully a renter would ease some of their money troubles. Sugoroku couldn't handle the stairs on his own anymore either—he had thrown out his back moving the first of the boxes, and had spent most of the week resting in his room.

As Yugi hefted the lightest-looking box, groaning at its actual weight—appearances could be deceiving that way—he couldn't help but wonder at how the night was supposed to have gone. The look on her face when he showed her the tickets… the elegance of the ballet, the moonlit stroll after the show, the improbable confession that it was him all along, and never Otogi—"I know," he'd say, and then he'd close the distance between them and—

"Ouch!" He'd walked straight into the doorframe. The box fell from his hands, hitting the floor with a sound somewhat like breaking pottery, and he cringed. Better check what the damage was. The box was old cardboard, with faded words 'From Egypt' scrawled upon its sides in his grandfather's unmistakable handwriting. Inside was old relics from his days as an archaeologist… he could see photos of his grandfather not much older than himself. Faience scarabs lay scattered amongst ushabtis in the corners of the box, brilliantly blue, yet what drew his attention was the jumble of mismatched pieces, filling up the center of the box. Instinctively he reached in, and pulled a piece out.

The gold shone even in the weak light of the basement, and Yugi had put together enough puzzles in his lifetime to know one when he saw it. The piece in question had a wedjat eye emblazoned on its center, and despite how battered the day had left him, Yugi felt the small stirrings of anticipation begin to unfold somewhere inside his stomach. He would finish this puzzle.

Dragging the box to a small wooden desk in one corner of the bleak space, he withdrew each piece until a small mountain of gold stood on the desktop. Taking a seat, he began, starting first with the corners, finding the spots where each piece fit together just right.

It was daunting, enthralling, and it kept him up half the night. When he finally placed the center piece into the now-completed pendant, instead of the feeling of absolute calm that would wash over him upon completion of each new puzzle, his thoughts turned, inexplicably, to Anzu.

He had liked her as long as he had known her, but he didn't know anyone that didn't like Anzu. She was just that kind of person. Yet for all of that time, despite his rather obvious social cues, he was the token best friend—the sympathetic soul on the other end of the phone, the supporting shoulder, the late-night rescue driver. He wanted to be for her what all of those others could never be, and more. He wished that he could become someone that she could love, yet who never broke his promises. He wished he was strong enough to protect her.

Overcome with an intense wave of fatigue, he stumbled upstairs to his room, clutching the finished puzzle to his chest, and collapsed on his bed, asleep before his head even touched the pillow.

Yugi awoke to the sounds of his grandfather making lunch downstairs. He slipped on faded jeans, a shirt and a leather jacket, eyeing the puzzle glinting innocently at the corner of his bed. There was a loop at the top of the pendant that made him sure that it was intended to be worn as a necklace. Rummaging into a drawer for a length of cord, he fashioned himself a makeshift necklace. Eyeing himself critically in the mirror, he frowned at the fashion statement—it did not look fantastic. At the same time, he did want to show Anzu the puzzle, and he could buy a sturdier chain at one of the shops downtown. Buttoning up the jacket so it covered the majority of the puzzle he walked down the hallway into the kitchen.

"I'm headed downtown to visit Anzu and I'll be back later, okay?" He called, waving as he pulled open the door and went outside. The weather was still a little crisp, with winter slowly fading into spring and as Yugi began the familiar journey into what was 'officially' downtown Domino—their store was just outside of it, saving them quite a bit on taxes—he could feel with every step the reassuring thud of his puzzle against his chest.

"If she won't shut up then just drug her."

"She won't even let me get near her! I swear she's got bricks in that purse of hers. Wow, Otogi sure knows how to pick them…" The two men had their hoods pulled back, leering at Anzu from her position on a white plastic folding chair set up in the corner of the windowless room. She glared back at them, unwilling to show the slightest hint of the fear that was starting to consume her. If she budged an inch they would push back a mile.

It had started at lunch. Just her and Ryuuji at his favorite sandwich shop. She was halfway through her turkey on a croissant when they had swept in, all in dark cloaks and sharing the unmistakable aura of power. They had meant to grab Ryuuji, but they had ended up with her instead—she had pushed him towards the kitchens before any of them had a moment to react. At the time, she didn't even know what she was doing. It was pure instinct. All that she knew was that she was still downtown—even blindfolded she could tell that the elevator ride was long—and that they were holding her ransom. She didn't even know who these guys were, and that scared her almost as much as anything.

A new man entered the room, clad in the group's apparent uniform and talking rather loudly on the cell phone he held up to his right ear. "You want proof she's still alive? Here…" He calmly pressed the speakerphone button and held the phone out to her.

"Anzu? Are you there?" It was distorted in static, yet Ryuuji's voice was unmistakable.

"Ryuuji, it's me! I'm okay… or as okay as I can be, considering…" Anzu's voice turned a shade softer. "What's going on?"

"Alright, time's up!" The man pulled the phone away, clearly enjoying prolonging their host's anxiety. "So, what'll it be? You need to wire the shares to the numbered account within ten minutes or who knows what's gonna happen to your girl?"

"Ten minutes is too short of a time…" Ryuuji's voice was strained, yet he was obviously unaware that he was still on speakerphone. Anzu's face was getting redder by the second. "Give me an hour. I'll need more time."

"I'll call back soon, and you'd better have an answer then. Remember, this is not negotiable. DDM's shares for the girl. Alive." He allowed his gaze to rise up to Anzu's face for one terrifying moment, and then snapped the phone shut. He motioned to the two lackeys still in the room. "Get the girl. It's time to send a little… message."

Yugi was standing in line, holding a slim link chain in one hand, and browsing the aisle of cheap impulse-buys standing between him and the cashier. He was currently sifting his hand through a bin of scarves and bandannas when the woman behind the counter suddenly grabbed the remote and navigated the televisions above the screen to a news channel. Yugi recognized the building as one of the apartment high-rises in the city, but as the camera zoomed in to the rooftop deck, he found that he recognized the girl currently being hauled through the door into the outside terrace. A scrolling marquee at the bottom of the television screen read 'Rare Hunters demand ransom for hostage, targeting Domino game company DDM.'

"Anzu…" Yugi's hand clenched into a fist; pulling it up closer to his face he realized he was holding a black scarf.

His mind later rationalized what happened next as something like an out-of-body experience, but what more accurately happened was as if one switch was turned down and another pulled up. Yugi felt the change come over him almost as suddenly as the difference between wet and dry or night and day, and instinctively he knew what to do. Slapping down several dollar bills on the counter, he ran from the store.

"Time's up." The man in charge approached Anzu, who struggled to stand even though two other Rare Hunters had grabbed both of her arms. She had fought like a cat but the sedative seemed to be doing the trick nicely. It made her look much more like a hostage to the news media. "Time to make the call… you don't want to get hurt, do you?" Anzu tilted up her face weakly, but she couldn't see the profile of his face, hidden as it was behind the hood of his cloak.

"Put the phone away… your fight is with me."

"What the hell? How did you get up here?" The henchman yelled, turning to face the intruder.

The two other Rare Hunters advanced towards this man, grinning maliciously. "Got something wrong with your face? You will when we're through with ya…" Yet the man hardly even tensed; his only reaction to their words a slight curve to his enigmatic smirk. His mouth was the only distinguishable feature on his face; a large black scarf was tied like a bandana around his head, and then shrugged low over his face, with two narrow slits torn in the fabric that he could see out of. He reached into the pocket of his leather jacket, retrieving the small squares of laminated paper.

"Yami!" He called out the name of the upraised card, grinning smugly at the two villains as their world descended into darkness. They immediately crumpled to the floor, clawing at the air with their hands. He gracefully stepped around them, continuing on towards the leader.

The last remaining Rare Hunter hastily placed one foot behind the other, edging cautiously towards the door. He had been around long enough to know when to get out, and that time was now. He reached into his own pocket and flung open his phone, dialing with shaking fingers the number he knew by heart. "Mr. Ishtar, we have to call off the operation. You wouldn't believe this man—guhhhhhh!" With terrifying rapidity his limbs seized up, each joint locked into place and in mid-step he fell, twisting sideways onto the cement terrace, completely unable to even break his fall. The ache in his head intensified into a rhythmic throb, his vision swimming from the impact. He heard a voice, his voice inside his mind, the pain in his left shoulder almost unbearable, yet something was preventing him from blacking out. 'You are a fool and a coward! You are gone from the Rare Hunters, but you will never be able to run away…from anything...ever again!' His eyes were the only thing capable of any movement at all, and he did the only thing he could do: watch as this man approached him. A moment later his eyes closed and finally he slipped into unconsciousness, welcoming this black oblivion.

It was only when all threats were taken care of did the not-quite-Yugi return the cards to his pocket and rush to her side. "Oh, Anzu…" he felt her pulse: relatively stable, considering whatever they had put into her system. He gently eased her off of the ground, one arm supporting her upper body and the other arm under her knees. Her head turned towards him, supported by his shoulder. He began to walk back inside and down to the ground level. She needed medical attention.

Yugi ran back to the Game Shop, the leather jacket slung over one arm and the puzzle bouncing slightly with each step. His instincts were screaming at him to get back to the house, and once he had arrived and let himself in to the basement, he turned on the television and paced across the living room as the channel and sound chased after his remote selection. After a few moments, the female anchor's voice could be heard through the speakers:

"What appeared to be an attack on the Dungeon Dice Monsters Corporation was thwarted today by an unknown hero, who single handedly saved the day—and the hostage. Our cameras caught most of the footage, and experts are still speculating how he managed to get through the building and incapacitate these criminals, who are currently in custody."

He sunk to the floor in front of the TV, drawing his knees up against his chest as he saw himself going through the motions that he kept replaying over and over in his mind. His eyes jumped between the TV and the windows, half expecting someone to break down the door at any moment. Sweating, shivering, and out of breath, his current state was the least of his concern. Above all else, the question in the front of his mind was 'what in the hell just happened?'

Insector Haga, editor-in-chief of the Domino Daily newspaper, turned slowly in his black leather swivel chair, absorbing the information that was being relayed to him. His secretary kept trying to page him, but he had expressly forbid calls at the moment—this was where news got made. He controlled the paper, and the question on everyone's minds was: 'who was that guy?'

"How do we know it's even a guy?" He asked, chuckling to himself that Domino's man of the hour might be lacking a y-chromosome.

"We've got forensics looking at the tape, and they're almost positive that it's a dude," Ryuuzaki, the Features writer he had assigned to the case, chimed in. "Male, twenties, and that's about it."

"Not good enough." Haga leaned back a little in his chair, trying out the look that Kaiba went around parading on the news. Head tilted up; then stare at them down your nose for a few seconds. He might have gone cross-eyed a little there. Oh well, it took practice. "We need a name. What are we gonna call this guy?"

"He's like a superhero… his outfit is a black mask and leather… how about Leather-Man?" One of the junior-staffers brought up hesitantly.

"No." Weevil settled for his own brand of disdainful glare. "Terrible idea. How could you even brand that?" Ryuuzaki snorted at the surely unintentional pun, directing his boss' attention. "Got a better one?"

"Yeah… replay the tape; you'll notice that it actually picks up one word that he says, right when those two goons go down." They listened intently as the deep voice called out 'Yami,' the villains dropped to the ground, then the image froze as Haga pressed pause on the remote. The group nodded slowly, trying the name out.

"It kind of works… play off the dark bandana and jacket and it could make sense," Haga bristled a little, internally convincing himself that it was his idea all along and not that hack Ryuuzaki's. "Let's talk headlines: how about 'Yami: Hero of Domino's Darkest Hour.'"

"I was going to use 'Superheroes walk among us,'" Ryuuzaki whined.

"Overruled," Haga cut in, sitting up straighter in his chair to further reinforce his superiority. "Now, what's currently front-page for tomorrow's paper?"

The junior-staffer raised his hand meekly. "The special-interest piece on Kaiba Corporation's recent philanthropy event."

Haga snorted derisively. "Move Kaiba and his orphans to page seven. This is front-page material."

The horde of staff writers exited his office, leaving Haga alone. He once again leaned back into the soft leather of his 'you've-made-it' chair. Sales would go through the roof tomorrow and those proceeds would net him enough cash to upgrade his glasses to transitions lenses.

Anzu woke up to a world of mint-green walls, starched white sheets and the unmistakably clean smell of disinfectant. The attending nurse quickly moved over to her, checking her pulse and monitoring her vitals. "How are you feeling?" She asked Anzu. "What do you remember?"

"I remember… that room. Those men with cloaks…" She shuddered. "And… a voice…" For some reason she couldn't explain Anzu found herself blushing.

"Maybe this will help jog your memory." The attendant picked up a stack of newspapers from a tray on the other side of the room. Fishing through the papers, she picked up one folded piece by its corner and dropped it gently on Anzu's bed. "Let me know if you need anything. Also, a young man has just arrived and is asking to see you. Can I tell him you're awake?"

"Yes, of course." Anzu picked up the creased newspaper, glancing at the bold-print headline which took up a third of the page. The large picture in the center also captured her attention. It was of the mysterious superhero Yami, she read in the caption, holding the hostage; holding…her…

She looked up at the sharp rap on the doorframe, seeing Ryuuji rush through the room to her side. "Anzu, I came as soon as they told me you were awake. Are you hurt? I keep three law firms on retainer who are searching relentlessly for these Rare Hunters. I swear to you I'll—"

"Ryuuji," Anzu interrupted sweetly, taking a few deep breaths for good measure. Steeling herself, she began. "Ryuuji… if you had to choose between me or your company, would you ever choose me?" She had to let it out—it had been troubling her ever since she woke up. "You weren't going to hand over the shares. I heard what you said over the phone. You needed more time? Ryuuji, a life was at stake—my life was at stake!" The electronic beep of the monitor increased, providing a syncopated cadence to their conversation.

"I had to stall for time so that we could find a way to get you out of there safely," Ryuuji pleaded, moving the newspaper out of the way so he could sit down on the corner of the bed. "The answer always is you… I just couldn't tell them that. Look, you're up now; how about we sign some discharge papers and then get something to eat? It'll be my treat, and then we can go on like none of this ever happened."

Anzu sat up in her bed, shocked that he had actually said that. "But it did happen… I can't pretend like it didn't. That's not healthy. I agree with what you said earlier, actually. …I… just need more time." She gave him a long, measured look. "I'll call you when, or if, I'm ready." Snatching the newspapers with a little more force than she attended she hid her face behind them, hoping that he would get the hint and leave her alone. It was only when she was alone, after reading and re-reading the article, that she realized how much she missed Yugi.

Yugi lay sprawled out on the floor of the basement living room, three objects spread out on the floor in front of him. One was the golden puzzle he had developed such an attachment to; the second was his deck of Duel Monsters cards. Completing the trio was his black scarf. "Think, Yugi, think," he mumbled to himself, staring each object down as if it would suddenly jump up and tell him everything. "This is just another puzzle… now what fits…"

He had come to some startling revelations during his time spent cloistered in that room. The first thing he knew for certain was that he had done something extraordinary. He had defeated those men and snuck past others in the building by methods unexplainable by any rational phenomenon. He had drawn cards from his deck, and somehow brought them to life in the minds of his opponents. And now, he was Domino's new superhero?

"I'm a superhero?" His voice came out feeble and oddly high-pitched, and inwardly he cringed. "I have magical powers!" Not much better. He flopped backwards, resting his head on the carpet. "I'm going crazy…"

Some seconds later, he got back up, studying the items with a fresher perspective. If he wanted to know if he really did have any… powers… he might as well get out there and see what happens! He picked up each item, placing the cards in his pocket and the pendant around his neck; buttoning up his jacket and stuffing the scarf in his other pocket just in case he ran into trouble.

After roughly ten minutes of wandering aimlessly around Domino, loitering and skulking around areas he would never have visited in broad daylight, he found it.

He saw the break-in from across the street; convenience stores always seemed to be the targets for these street gangs who were no doubt looking for cigarettes or alcohol rather than the minimal amount of change in the cash register. All the same, Yugi saw this opportunity, and pulled his bandana out of his pocket.

It shouldn't have been surprising how easily Yugi slipped into that other persona. It was so easy how he became the identity that he had been given. He felt freer, more confident; it was as if the weights on his shoulders had been replaced with helium balloons. When the sense of untouchable autopilot washed over him, he embraced it. What was surprising, however, was how much he liked it.

"Fissure!" He called the name of the card he had drawn, noting how the thugs instantly fell, the illusion of falling into the chasm sinking through all of their senses. He motioned for the cashier to call the authorities, and didn't stop the illusion until he heard their approaching sirens.

"Wait!"

He turned; it was the cashier, a middle-aged woman with dark curly hair, who upon seeing him stop broke into a wide grin. "Thank you, Yami."

"Uhh… no problem." He turned and left, melding into the darkness, and once alone and himself again, he ran home.

In the ensuing weeks, Yami was everywhere. From the security camera footage on that first night at the convenience store to the lockdown of countless other Rare Hunters in their failed attempt at invading Kaiba Corporation—they had barely gotten through the door when a combination of Kaiba's holographic dragons and Yami's illusory ones stopped them in their tracks—with their new superhero, the streets were safer than ever.

Domino loved it.

The media loved him.

"His facebook fan page already has five thousand fans," one newscaster said that morning. "He's made Domino a safer place. But what is he really like? Just who is Yami? That's what we all want to know."

Yugi switched off the TV, opening the game shop for the day. Duel Monsters cards were the new thing, and the store was generating quite the revenue from the recent rumors that the Rare Hunters were only targeting places associated with them—so that was where everyone wanted to be. He was helping a grade-schooler pick out his first deck when he saw a familiar face enter the store.

"Anzu! It's great to see you. Give me a minute and I'll be right over."

She had come at a good time—the busiest times were during lunch and just after school. Once they were alone inside the musty store Yugi pulled over another chair and joined her at the currently empty game table. "It's been what… two weeks since I've seen you? Otogi sure is monopolizing your time…" he laughed; it sounded forced.

"I'm not seeing him any more." Anzu's voice was even quieter in the silence of the store.

"Oh…" Inner Yugi was torn between being a tactful friend and jumping up and dancing around the shop. "When did that happen?" This was his chance! This was…

"Ever since Yami showed up, things have been… different."

…this was… so not going as expected. "Oh… really?" He should have known that she would want to talk about him; sometimes it seemed that everyone was.

"Yeah… I feel different. With the Rare Hunters in that room, it really felt that I was all alone. …But I wasn't, because he saved me." She looked down bashfully, fidgeting with the hem of her skirt. "Look at me, acting strange over a little crush!"

Yugi leaned forward, the tiniest hint of a smile playing at the corners of his mouth. "So, do you have a crush on him?"

Anzu felt her cheeks heat up; since when had Yugi ever been this forward with her? "Maybe," she shrugged, laughing it off as if it was nothing. "But don't ever let him know, okay?"

He laughed at her joke, and how it hit a little closer to home than she had anticipated. "I want to show you something," he said. His chair slid shrilly against the linoleum floor as he pushed it back and stood up. "I recently finished this puzzle, and you have to see it. Can you just watch the shop for a minute?"

"Sure!" She stood up as well, moving the chairs to their original positions. She looked up, a smile on her face as the front door swung open. "Kame Game Shop, how may I help you?"

Yugi was removing the puzzle from the bottom of his sock drawer when he heard her scream. "Anzu!" He grabbed the items and ran to the front of the store only to see her thrashing in a net made up of very thin strings, which was being raised to the roof of the neighboring apartment block.

With practiced efficiency he tied the scarf over his head and ran around the building to the fire escape. Hauling himself up the stairs, he reached into his pocket, wishing on the intrinsic power of those cards that he would draw something helpful.

"Gravity Bind?" A wicked smirk crossed his features as he played the card. Taking the last flight two stairs at a time he arrived on the rooftop, immediately seeing Anzu in the net hoisted over the edge of the building. Across from Yami stood a man so decorated with tattoos and piercings that he did a double-take out of sheer surprise. The opponent's limbs were frozen in a mime-like caricature and it took him another moment to realize that it was the result of the card he had played earlier.

"What do you want with us… with Domino?" Yami growled; his voice low and menacing as he advanced towards the mime.

"Don't tell me you haven't gotten it yet?" The voice echoed throughout Yami's mind, yet his opponent's mouth stayed pressed in its firm line. It was dark with the faintest hint of accent, and if he had to lay his chips down Yami would have bet that he was speaking to the ringleader of the Rare Hunters. Yami replayed each scene again in his mind. The attacks must not have been random… large-scale companies, smaller franchises, their game shop, what did they all have in common… games and puzzles… think about it…

"You're looking for something." Now that he had it the answer was obvious. Why hadn't he seen it earlier?

"And now I know that we've found it… or at least part of it." There was that voice again. Yami couldn't even begin to explain away that one, but his life after solving the puzzle had taken many twists and turns down the road of the inexplicable. "Why don't we meet face to face? I'm sure you'll find it very… illuminating."

"And then you can face me head on, without hiding behind your pawns!" Yami pulled another card from his deck; sending the mime-like villain into unconsciousness. He moved quickly to where Anzu was, pulling the net safely over the rooftop before slashing the ropes so she could escape.

"Oh, thank you," she said, smiling brightly at him as she straightened her clothing, smoothing her skirt to remove any wrinkles. She knew that he would arrive and rescue her, just like before. "And thank you for last time, too. I wasn't able to tell you that in person."

"Please, don't mention it." Yami briefly allowed their conversation from before to filter through his mind, now noticing the smaller details from the flush of her cheeks or to the way they each unconsciously leaned forward.

"My name is Anzu."

"Well, then you're welcome… Anzu." Yami was enjoying this a little too much.

"…How do they work? Your powers, I mean…" she trailed off, subtly moving a little closer to him.

"It's a secret," he whispered. "I can't tell anyone, because…"

"Because?" She could see a golden pendant hanging from a chain around his neck, and she ducked her eyes downwards. She could see his hands—oddly enough they looked smooth and pale, not what she had been expecting.

"…Because I don't even know how they work." He tilted his head down a fraction of an inch and then waited, smiling, for her to make the move.

For once in her life Anzu couldn't think of anything to say. After a moment's pause, the phrase actions trump words drifted down through her currently hazy mind, and as she closed her eyes, ready to act on her own advice, inexplicably and without warning, she remembered Yugi.

Well that had never happened before. It made her stop, then move back slightly so that she could exhale. She wasn't quite sure what her breath would smell like.

Yugi. Why Yugi?

That unnamable pang skittered through her again and she repressed the thought. What, was she cheating on him? Her best friend? How would that happen? In a moment the expansive rooftop felt entirely too small, and too crowded.

"I should really go." Anzu allowed the disappointment to filter through every syllable. "I promised my friend that I would watch the store, and it's been awhile. I should really get back…"

"Then go." He stepped back, and in the morning sun she felt oddly cold. "…it's good that you want to keep your promise." The resulting smile was forced, the eyes hidden behind the scarf a little bitter. "If we do meet again, I hope it's under better circumstances."

"Goodbye, Yami." She turned to the stairwell door leading back down to the ground.

"Goodbye, Anzu." He waited until he was alone to feel the weight of the puzzle in his hand, detachedly observing how it would feel to throw it off of the building. Then, he realized where she was headed, and took off, back down the fire escape stairs.

Anzu returned to the Game Shop to see Yugi loudly sifting through boxes in their living room. "I guess I've lost that puzzle I was going to show you." He tried to look properly sad about it—he couldn't show it to her now, not when she'd already seen it. To her, he looked perfectly, heartbreakingly normal and she couldn't quite figure out why it made her want to look away. "Back to work, I guess. Tell me, how's your dance class going? Are your charges behaving?"

"Hey Haga, we got an interesting tip in the mail today." Ryuuzaki stormed into his boss' office as if it was his, dropping the tri-folded sheet of paper onto his desk, then seating himself in a smaller chair across the room.

Picking up the paper with a measured level of distaste, Haga began to read. "We challenge Yami to an all-or-nothing fight for the future of Domino. Appear at the last place we met in two days time and I'll direct you to the site of our final battle." Haga's eyeglasses gave off a metallic sheen in the fading evening light. "It sounds like a trap."

"Of course it's a trap!" Ryuuzaki exploded. It amazed him how thick Haga could be sometimes. "Are we going to print it?"

"Of course we are!" Haga smiled devilishly. "Pull the story about that giant rock at the Domino Museum and slap this on the front page. 'Fight for the future of Domino.' Make it look good, Ryuuzaki—sales have been through the roof ever since we started following this guy. That reminds me… do you have a list of all of Yami's most recent sightings?"

Ryuuzaki pulled a piece of paper from his notebook, a red journal that never left his side. Reporting never slept, and who knows when the perfect scoop would present itself? "There's five sightings here, and that's from the past week. We can track down those witnesses, see if we've got any cell-phone pictures that corroborate their claims." He paused, never liking when that particular look crossed his boss' face.

"I've got an idea, Ryuuzaki." Ryuuzaki winced, almost afraid at what would happen next. "We're going to follow Yami to this battle, and then write the ultimate article about this battle! A Domino Daily exclusive… make sure you've got your equipment all ready. Two days from now, we're going to make history."

Ryuuzaki gulped, a little upset about how this had become their mission when it was originally his story. Going up against the baddies even with a superhero to protect him seemed a little iffy—the guy was only human, right? They could traipse right into the worst part of the city and get bumped off just like that!

And then we wouldn't be making history… we'd become ancient history.

The newspapers had sold and the message had reached its intended recipient. Yami stood on top of the rooftop where he and Strings had fought only days before, the sun washing gold over the buildings as it sank over the horizon. He knew that this was possibly the worst decision he had ever made—facing off against the Rare Hunters on their own ground, but he had to go. This was his chance to settle things, once and for all—and to get the answers he wanted.

There was a rattle at the same fire escape and two dark-cloaked figures emerged; each at differing ends of the height spectrum. The hoods of their cloaks concealed their faces, yet Yami knew why they had come.

"You will follow these two to our final location," the mysterious voice again resonated through Yami's mind. "You would do well to not attack them, for then you'll never get any answers." The connection severed abruptly, and as the Rare Hunters turned to go back down the metal staircase Yami silently followed them.

It was almost dark, and as they kept to the back streets, heading farther away from Downtown towards the harbor, they did not run into any others; Rare Hunters or otherwise. They threaded through blocks of buildings sheeted with corrugated steel, and the smell of salt and rust lingered in the air. They paused in front of a large building, and suddenly Yami found that he was alone. "Open the doors." That voice again; commanding and insistent. Yami pushed open the sliding panel and stepped inside, pulling it closed behind him. Once he had done so, the overhead lights of the warehouse flickered on, showing rows of dark-cloaked figures. This time, their hoods were thrown back, revealing faces that were completely blank, their eyes glassy. A glowing wedjat eye was visible on each man's forehead.

The expansive warehouse filled with this immobile mass, this mockery of figurines and toys sent a cold shiver down Yami's spine. It was beyond disconcerting… this was wrong. "What's going on?" His voice echoed through the room.

He easily caught sight of the one moving man in the space; he also had the hood of his cloak thrown back, exposing his harsh features and spiked hair to his rival. "Allow me to introduce myself. Marik Ishtar, leader of the Rare Hunters. How fitting that you should know my name because once I take control of your Millennium Puzzle, you will join my army… and then your thoughts, words and actions will only be what I decide for you. Such is the power of my own Millennium Rod." He raised one arm, and clenched tightly between his fingers Yami could plainly see the glint of metal and the impression of the eye, not unlike his own pendant.

Yami looked down, where his puzzle rested securely around his neck. "How did you know about my puzzle?" He quickly glanced at the number of Rare Hunters in the room; there must have been at least two dozen facing off against him. He saw his two escorts join the ranks, assuming the same eerily still posture as the others.

"These Items can grant the wielder power beyond any imagination. One Item would never be enough—there are seven scattered throughout the World, and my organization has been searching for them ever since our inception. We must have gotten lucky, stumbling across you like this. You have barely scratched the surface of the depths of power achievable with these Items. A pity you'll never truly know…" Marik raised his Item higher, and in one swift movement each of the Rare Hunters snapped to attention, their dead gazes each directed towards one point—him.

"Let's see how you fare against a true master of the Millennium Rod!" With another motion his minions began to march, slowly but surely, towards Yami. Instinctively he glanced behind him, but was met with the cold door of the warehouse.

Reaching for his deck, he slapped down the first card—the power of his deck had never failed him yet. "…Kuriboh?" The small, brown puffball rolled in midair, its eyebrows furrowed in concentration as it surveyed its opponents, who were still steadily advancing towards him.

This can't be happening! I've always been able to summon the right monster at the right time… why now of all times did my powers have to give me… this? Yami pulled the next card from the top of his deck, hoping that it would provide some inspiration. A combination attack? He gritted his teeth… it just might work.

"Multiply!" He called, watching with satisfaction as the single Kuriboh doubled, then quadrupled, and within seconds he had his own army to match Marik's. With a slight nod and a smile at the original, the Kuriboh attacked, ramming into the slow-moving Rare Hunters and knocking most of them over. The army of monsters swarmed the remaining villains, and in the ensuing melee Yami stepped through a small break, headed straight for Marik.

Understanding his intention, Marik raised his Millennium Rod higher, yet the Kuriboh continued to multiply, pouncing on each pawn until they all remained on the floor. "Don't you want to know more about how your Item works? There are mysteries that I have uncovered, and I'm sure that ours hold similar secrets…" His voice changed as Yami approached, becoming higher and more desperate. "I will not lose to you!" His Item glowed once again, yet Yami continued to approach, undeterred.

"You lost because you possess that Item for all of the wrong reasons," Yami spoke with surety, stopping near his adversary with eyes full of contempt. "Open your heart, Marik!" His puzzle glowed, and for a moment the golden wedjat eye shone bright on his own forehead.

"MIND CRUSH!"

The wave of light erupting from the puzzle overtook Marik, spreading outwards to envelop the entire room. Marik cried out in surprise, his eyes wide as he felt his very soul shatter, then once it was over he slumped to the ground, the Millennium Rod rolling out of his grasp until it stopped at Yami's foot. He picked it up gently, not feeling any aura emanating from the Item whatsoever. He turned, only then noticing that the Kuriboh had vanished, leaving each Rare Hunter unconscious on the floor. The two journalists who had been peeking through the door were also unconscious.

Now that it was all over, Yami allowed himself to smile in triumph at the scene. Maybe I do know a little more about this puzzle than I had thought.

Anzu always walked with purpose, but this time her pace would probably qualify as speed walking. It was almost midnight yet she couldn't sleep, not yet. It had taken her an hour of staring at the wall near her bed before it struck her.

Why, during all of her most important, influential, life-altering moments or revelations, did she think of Yugi?

The answer was so obvious she couldn't believe it hadn't occurred to her before.

He had always been there, at her side, loyal to the end—and perhaps felt a little stronger for her than she had before, but she was never very good at reading that sort of thing. Now, she found herself thinking about him far more than she had, perhaps… ever, and it had to mean something. She had to figure things out, once and for all.

For her pace of mind, if for nothing else. For love, if that little voice in her head could be relied upon.

She rushed to the back of the building and hurriedly knocked twice on the kitchen door. She could see a light was on in the house and after a few seconds Yugi appeared, opening the door for her. He was dressed in blue cotton pajamas and held a mug of tea in one hand. She was grateful he was still awake—she knew his grandfather was an early sleeper. All the same, Sugoroku could sleep through a hurricane but she was about to unleash a tempest of her own upon the Moto household.

Without any prompting Yugi reached into the upper cupboard and retrieved another mug, filling it with tea from a pot perched over the stove.

"So, I sort of almost…kissed Yami the other day," she began, instantly seeing it was the wrong thing to say by the way Yugi missed the cup and poured some of the tea onto the countertop.

"But… but I didn't," she hastily corrected, fidgeting awkwardly with her hands as he swept the area with a washcloth. "…Because, oddly enough, I thought of you."

Yugi remained silent, absorbing her words as he handed her the cup of tea, hating the way their fingers brushed for the longest of seconds, the resulting blushes and awkward pauses. Sure, he had been privy to odd tidbits of her love life—the toll for being her longest friend, and one he was willing to pay for the privilege of being her friend, but he wouldn't compromise that for anything. What was she driving at?

"…I know, odd, right?" She blew on her tea to cool it, hating how this was coming out all wrong, even though she had rehearsed it twice on the walk over. "But, I realized that I was counting on Yami for all the wrong reasons. The only person who has always been there for me, and always will be is… you."

Yugi very nearly choked on that sip of tea. "It might not work out… we might be meant to be just friends, but all the same I'd like to try. I like you, Yugi."

"Like like?" Even in the darkness of their kitchen Yugi knew how red he was blushing.

"Yes, Yugi… I like like you." She might have felt even more than that, but it would be hers to tell him later, in time. She took another sip of her tea, feeling very warm. For a moment they just stood in the kitchen smiling at one another.

"I have something to show you." He took a deep breath, then motioned for her to follow him downstairs, into the basement that was now fully empty of the boxes. Yugi was going to put in a notice for a renter the very next week, but with all that had happened, he figured he needed a base, a sanctum of sorts, a division of space where Yami could exist in his life separately from everything else. "I was cleaning out boxes and found a puzzle, like I told you the other day. But there's a little more to the story than that." He pulled open the desk tray and removed two items: his Millennium Puzzle and the infamous black scarf, and held them up for her to see. Anzu wordlessly took the puzzle as he folded the bandana and tied it expertly around his head.

"Ta-da…" he said, smiling expectantly. "It's me, Anzu." Through the slits in the fabric he saw her standing, unmoving, just looking at him. He tried again: "…Anzu?"

She crossed the room and kissed him.

In that instant, Yugi's wish came true, and he understood why he had been the one to put together the puzzle, and just what the Item had given him. Yami had given him the strength that he never knew he had, and the woman he had always wanted. In that instant, he felt complete.

After they broke apart she reached up, gently removed the bandana from his face, and then kissed him again.

The next morning Yugi tended the game shop with the hugest smile on his face. He was taking Anzu to lunch today, which would make things official—he was dating Anzu Mazaki. Preserving justice in Domino and asking out the girl of his dreams, what was out there that he couldn't take on? He lifted his head up at the sound of the door opening, ready to greet each new customer that entered the store.

It was an odd man, odd even by Domino's standards, swathed as he was in a sandy-colored robe and turban. The cheerful greeting died on Yugi's lips as he took in this newcomer, who looked like he had come to this very store with a purpose.

"Are you Yugi Moto, possessor of the Millennium Puzzle and also currently the Millennium Rod?" His accent was vaguely familiar, although Yugi couldn't quite place it.

"Who wants to know?" He reached for the drawer knob under the cabinet where his deck was, just in case.

"My name is Shaadi, and I hold two Items much like yourself." He drew aside his cloak, revealing a large golden key hanging from a cord around his neck. "I have a task for you, Yugi Moto."

"What do you want from me?" Yugi eyed the man warily. Whatever it was, it could wait until after his lunch date.

"You must reunite the Millennium Rod with its chosen user. Not that fiend Marik, who wrongly took control of the Item for his own gain. The Item knows its true master; you must restore that balance by finding the person to whom it rightfully belongs."

"…that's it?" Yugi blinked in surprise. …He didn't have anything else to go on?

"Your role as the hero of Domino is far from over, Yugi Moto," Shadi said, staring at Yugi as if he could see through to his very soul. "Your role as the mediator of the Items has only just begun." His robe swished against the floor as he turned to leave. It was only when the screen door rattled sharply against the frame that Yugi was jolted from his stupor. Well, that was interesting. He turned to the clock, counting down the minutes.

He had a lunch date to get ready for.

The End.

Omake:

"And the headlines will say: Intrepid reporter saves Domino, rounds up dozens of Rare Hunters." Haga spread his arms wide, visually diagramming an invisible newspaper in the air.

"Reporters; we were both there," Ryuuzaki glared from his position, seated in Haga's supremely uncomfortable leather 'visitor's chair.' He was beyond tired, and his head ached like he had been punched in the face.

"Yeah, but you don't remember what happened."

"Neither do you! You're just making it up."

"Exactly," The glasses on Haga's face shone once more, highlighting his triumphant grin. "We're making history, Ryuuzaki."

Omake:

"Remember this, Yugi, as this advice is more valuable than anything else." Sugoroku slowly turned from his chair at the dining room table to glance firmly at his grandson. "With great power comes great card games."

Author's Note: I can't believe the superhero genre hasn't been exploited to oblivion yet; it fits so perfectly. Yugi as the mild-mannered games geek; Yami as the superhero persona; and Anzu as the love interest just fits so well, yeah? Add in two bumbling reporters and a few mind crushes and you got a story.

A sequel to this could happen, as it is set up for one (like all superhero movies, there's always another one), and if it does get finished, I'll post it to this compilation, but expect other contest stories to get in before that happens. Look for Shadi making no sense and Kaiba in denial.

Thank you for reading, and please review!