Apologies again for the longer wait! I found myself without internet when I was going to update but here we are! Fresh off the word document :) Hope you enjoy the games round 2!

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The only sound was his foot as he bounced it against the floor. He didn't know how long he had sat in the cell, elbows on his knees, fingers tangled in his hair. Nor did he really care...He was too preoccupied trying to figure out why Yami, his other self, had tried to kill him in battle. What could they have done to him in the less than 24 hours they had been separated?

He didn't fight as a man came in and pressed something against his cheek, figuring it was best when the man was two times his size, number one, and number two, they had long ago confiscated his disk, the only thing he knew to use as a weapon. His face stung and he jerked away, but the man released him and left just as quickly and quietly as he came. Lifting his hand, he gingerly touched his cheek, not even a scar was left where the slice had been. Well that was nice at least...But he had to wonder why, they had been in a battle to the death, why had they stopped? Why were they healing him? If they were to play again, wouldn't it be better to leave him in pain?

Well, the pain was still there, his heart absolutely ached with what was happening. Letting out a frustrated sound he kicked at the wall, only to hold his foot and hop around. "Ow ow ow ow!" Damn it...Sighing he plopped down onto the bench once again. He wouldn't even ask if it could get any worse, it was a steady decline and he knew he hadn't reached the end just yet.

When the wall slid open he looked up glumly, what next? Sitting up he lifted his head, staring at the soldiers who entered and stepped up to either side of him. Getting the hint, he stood and sighed, following reluctantly to wherever the next place they had ready for him was. He blinked as he exited the hall and entered the brighter arena. His disk was attached to his back and he was handed an odd rod.

What...the hell was he supposed to do with this?

"PLAYER GAME DECIDED: CYCLE RACE"

Cycle race? He looked around but his attention was drawn to a section of the floor as it opened and Yami was raised into view. His breath caught in his chest and he stepped forward, only to be held back.

"Yami...Yami listen to me..." Why couldn't he get through to him? He didn't seem affected by anything he said, like...He was a complete stranger. But he supposed...He was, wasn't he. He was a stranger to this computer and if those circuit-glowing eyes were anything...He clenched his jaw, trying to control his emotions. He had to get through this, without dying, and without killing Yami. He just...had to knock sense into him somehow without permanently injuring him.

Images of that other man disintegrating into bits of computerized matter flashed through his head and he shuddered. Gods...Would that happen to Yami if he hurt him too badly? Why, why did they have to fight, who's sick ideas were these games anyway? Gladiator style entertainment, he thought it died out years and years ago, before technology, so why was it here inside that very technology.

He stared at the blank, black surface of the Yami's faceplate. He couldn't see the curve of his face, the red of his eyes, it was cold and...empty. The feel he got from the other staring at him was just as chilled, distant...Dangerous. Yami carried himself with a ferocity that he only saw when they dueled and to be face to face with it...It was frightening. He stood still, hands falling to his sides.

Fine...if he wanted to play...They'd play. And Yugi would make him remember who he was. His voice was soft as he stared at him.

"What are we supposed to do."

"Each team will race, last one standing, wins. This is the proper game for a Player. Not disk battle." That same robotic, warped voice answered and he hid his cringe. Gods...What he wouldn't give to hear Yami's normal voice. But he had answered him at least, sort of, that was a plus. Maybe he could try again...

"Why."

"More honorable win. More honorable death."

Oh...well...That was comforting. Though part of him, maybe because of how beyond hopeless he felt, wanted to laugh. He sounded so much like a king. A vibration cut off his next question as the floor opened behind them both and raised up eight more men...Teams he said. Five against five? Well, that brought him both comfort and fear. At least he wasn't alone, but now there was Yami and four others trying to kill him. On top of that, anyone on his team...could kill Yami.

Great.

"GAME BEGINNING IN 3..."

He blinked rapidly and looked around. Wait...what? No, he wasn't ready! He didn't even know what to do! Then he saw everyone making a run for it, his team in one direction, Yami's in the other.

"2..."

But Yami stood there, staring at him. He couldn't see his face, but he felt those eyes boring into him and it sent a shiver down his spine. Until there was ever the slightest shift of Yami's head, and it made Yugi's breath catch in his chest, eyes widening. Did he just..Gesture to something? But suddenly Yami, too, was running.

"W-Wait!"

He watched as the other leaped into the air and pulled the rod apart, and gasped as a motorcycle formed around him and he sped away, catching up to his team.

"1"

Yugi took off like a shot, running and looking at the rod in his hand and mimicking the motion. It seemed simple enough, but he didn't have time to think about it. If he didn't get on a cycle, he wouldn't last long enough to figure out the rest of the game, let alone get himself and Yami out of it alive.

As the rod came apart, he watched in awe as the cycle formed itself around his body, and suddenly he was zooming up beside his team. He hadn't driven a motorcycle before, having only ridden with Tristen a few times before...But it wasn't too hard at all, he just had to balance.

The men from his team looked at each other and split up, leaving Yugi wondering what he was to do, where he was to go. How was this game played? A race didn't end in death, and obviously that was what was to happen as Yami had said whoever was left standing...So how?

However when one of Yami's team cut in front of one of Yugi's, he got his answer as his teammate crashed into the wall of orange light left by one of Yami's cycles and disintegrated into computer matter. For a second he forgot how to breathe, but he shook his head...

Focus. Have to focus. If he didn't, he would die. He had to put on his game mask and play it to win. No second guessing, no looking back, and as he clenched his jaw, he went into an underground passage, up a ramp and cut off the cyclist that killed his teammate. He held back the cringe and didn't wait to see them explode into circuitry.

The game was fierce, cutting around each other, narrowly avoiding smashing into walls or each other. It was close, two of Yugi's teammates were taken out, then one, then another of Yami's. As Yugi zoomed along, he and his last standing partner on his team were side by side, coming up to the last of Yami's. He looked over and his teammate nodded, they widened out, coming up to either side of their opponent and then converging. Closer and closer they got before they finally forced him back and with one sharp turn, it was down to Yami.

As Yugi's teammate revved and zoomed off to get ahead of Yami...Yugi's blood ran cold. It was nearing the end and the one thing he was avoiding thinking about was at hand, how did both of them survive, when only one was supposed to live? And with his teammate, Yugi had the advantage. An advantage that did not think like Yugi, his partner wanted to live as well, but he wouldn't hesitate to kill Yami. He had no reason to keep Yami alive.

Think, Yugi, think!

With a curse, he kicked up the speed in attempts to catch up to his teammate, to stop him from killing his other self. He watched as Yami sped along, his teammate coming in from the right to cut him off, Yugi peeled away to come in from the left, maybe he could get between the two...But it seemed unlike Yami to be heading into such an obvious trap. He knew Yami's cunning from his duels, from their hand to hand, and now from seeing how ruthless he was in this game as well. Something wasn't right, where was the trick...

And as Yugi and his teammate both closed in on Yami, there it was. The spirit hit the breaks and made a dangerous turn, skimming along Yugi and his path. Everything slowed as they passed each other, eyes meeting, but the world was brought into sharp focus as he let out a cry, both he and his teammate having to make sharp turns to narrowly avoid a head on collision. Yugi snagged the side of his partner, sending the cycle off balance and tipping, it threw him with a scream. Tucking his head he hit, rolled, and skid along the ground, his cycle turning into a simple rod and bounce a distance away.

His last team member did not get off so lucky, caught in the two trails of Yugi and Yami's cycles, Yugi looked up just as the last of his matter disintegrated into nothingness. There was no time for mourning or counting his wounds. He scrambled up, ignoring the sharp pain to his shoulder he had landed on and raced for the rod, letting out a yelp and nearly falling backwards when Yami zoomed past. He stared wide eyed and watched as he turned and came back.

Shit...

Shit shit shit!

He ran for all he was worth, not looking back as he heard the cycle getting closer and closer, his heart pounded in his chest as he hoped, prayed to get to that rod. It couldn't end like this, it just couldn't! But the roar of the cycle was all he heard as he dove, hitting the ground and rolling as Yami blew past him. The man turned and Yugi scrambled for the rod, barely able to take in a panicked breath until...The cycle barely missed him. He couldn't think about the details of how's or why's, he needed his cycle back and the smooth metal his fingers closed around was a blessing as he nearly laughed with relief.

The game was back on.

Leaping to his feet he started his cycle once more and the chase began in earnest. There was one close call after another. One seeming to corner the other, the crowd was beside itself as they cheered then boo'd, gasped then screamed. Side by side, Yami and Yugi butted each other, trying to throw the other off their cycle. He glared at his partner, he was so over this game shit, over the fact that one of them had to die.

Well not this time.

Veering off, he broke their path and zoomed ahead before turning. If he wanted to play rough...Then by gods they'd play rough. Revving, there was a squeal as Yugi went at Yami with full speed, head on. They both hunkered down, a game of chicken taking the place of the usual cycle rules. The audience held its breath, wondering which would turn first...Which would live.

But neither turned, neither moved, and it wasn't until the last second that Yugi began to disengage from his cycle. Getting his feet under himself on the seat, he used it as a spring board, launching himself forward in the split second before the collision. His hands connected with Yami's chest, sending them both off the back of Yami's cycle to hit the ground and skid and roll. And as the cycles exploded, Yugi laughed through his pain.

No one had to die if there wasn't a cycle race; and you couldn't have a cycle race, if you had no cycles.

Sitting up he rubbed the back of his head and looked around for Yami. He hoped he hadn't been too hurt hitting the ground...Oh the other wasn't too badly hurt at all, that much was evident as Yami leaped to his feet and drew his disk all in one fluid motion.

The game wasn't over just yet.

It was only just beginning.