Currents- Chapter Seven

[asheth]

 It felt good to be back at base. Nothing quite competed with the quiet atmosphere there, especially compared to the noisy mess of HQ. The occasional ruckus of one of Jou’s squabbles was a welcome addition, while the constant buzz of activity that surrounded the main base was too much, the noise grating on Yugi’s patience.

He dragged himself up to his office, earning a sympathetic look from Ryou outside.

“Hard time at HQ?” He said, looking up from his computer screen.

“Isn’t it always?” Yugi sighed, letting off a loose shrug. “Send Anzu up here would you, Ryou? I need to brief her.”

“Sure thing, Mutou.” Ryou chirped, hands slapping the keyboard. Yugi left him to it, slipping into his office, almost shutting the door in Atem’s face.

“Sorry Atem.” He said, catching the handle and pulling it open more.

“Are you all right, sir? You seem tired.” Atem replied, closing the door quietly behind him.

Yugi gave him an incomprehensible answer, grumbling under his breath. The cracked leather of his chair was for once a welcome touch, and he dipped his head back with a sigh.

Atem stood off to the side, arms clasped behind his back, gaze forward, although Yugi could tell he was paying attention to him from his peripheral vision.

It didn’t take long for Anzu to show up, giving one light knock before she walked in. She glanced from Atem to Yugi, one eyebrow arched.

“You look positively reborn from your trip to HQ.” She said, plonking down into the chair in front of Yugi’s desk without invitation.

“I crave death.” Yugi groaned, massaging his temple. “The combination of dealing with not only Gozaburo’s pain-in-the-ass attitude, but Dartz’s slimy creepiness is enough to last a lifetime.”

“Let me guess, a two-or-so hour meeting?”

“Nail on the head.”

“And you called me up for a complaining session, or is there actually something important to pass down?”

“Can I not just complain to my best friend about my shitty trip?” Yugi put a hand to his chest, acting mortified.

“You can, but normally you begin it with a drink offer, and I’ve had no wine shoved in my face to dull my senses to your ramblings. What’s this about, Yugi?”

Yugi grunted, tapping the wood of his desk, allowing himself a moment to simply trace the grooves, drawing the seconds out.

“We have a mission to go on,” he said finally. “I need to brief you on the details.”

“Sounds more legit. What kind of mission?”

“Scouting, poking over the border a little maybe. Possibly causing a stir if need be. I get the feeling Gozaburo’s testing for some backlash, or an excuse to pick a fight.”

“Wouldn’t that be bad for us? More fighting?”

“Probably, but Gozaburo’s not going to care. I think he’s itching for another big battle. There hasn’t been one for… a while.”

“Since we…?”

“Yeah.”

“Ah, I see,” Anzu coughed into her hand, shifting awkwardly in the chair. Yugi took pity, purposely shifting the conversation.

“That’s not all.”

“We have more?” Anzu’s mouth dropped. “You cannot be serious, I’ll wring that guy’s neck myself if he thinks we’re going to do grunt work!”

Yugi hid a smile behind his hand. “No more orders from Gozaburo. This is a special one, from me.”

Anzu’s face immediately softened. “Oh, well, why didn’t you say so?”

“Because that reaction was worth it.” Yugi smirked. Anzu shot him a playful look, crossing her knees to lean back.

“All right Mutou, you had your laugh, now it’s time for the serious adult talk. What kind of mission is this?”

“Pegasus found an interesting detail between here and the border; a little outpost slapped into the countryside.”

“Closer to us or closer to that rival base on Armesian land?”

“It’s within the Empire’s territory, but distance wise, probably closer to us.”

“Is it manned?”

“Your guess is as good as mine.” Yugi shrugged.

Anzu raised an elegant eyebrow. “And Pegasus didn’t know either?”

“He only found the place; he’s leaving the rest up to us. He takes a lot of risks doing this from right under HQ’s nose; I don’t expect him to go any farther than that.”

“Mmm, good point,” Anzu agreed. “So what does that mean for us?”

“We check it out. If it’s got Empire soldiers in it, we find out why they aren’t on our radio channels or my general records. If it’s Armesian soldiers, we take them as prisoners and interrogate them.”

“All right, I’ll go get started with the supplies. Suppose I have to make sure Jou and Honda won’t burn down the base while we’re gone either.” Anzu rose from her chair, stretching lightly.

“Anzu wait, one last thing.”

“Yeah Yugi?” She turned back to him.

“I’m giving you as much authority as myself on this expedition.”

“Why?”

“Because… Well, I just want you to be able to give Atem commands if I can’t.”

Anzu’s brows lowered, disapproval sneaking into her expression. “Yugi Mutou, if this is-”

“It’s not,” Yugi interrupted, putting his hands up. “I promise it’s not.”

“All right, but don’t make me regret letting this conversation go.”

“Mm-hm.” Yugi pulled out a cigarette from the back pocket of his pants, lighting it before hastily snuffing out the flame.

“Yugi Mutou, that better not be a cigarette I see there.” Anzu groaned, shaking her head as Yugi exhaled deeply.

“And if it is, Mazaki?”

“You quit smoking years ago,” her eyes shone, sympathy crawling into them. “What happened?”

“Nothing. Just decided I wouldn’t mind one every now and then.” He brought the stick to his lips, breathing in the toxic mixture. “It helps calm me down.”

“It’s killing you is what it’s doing.”

“Let it try, many things have, and none of them have succeeded yet.”

“Yugi…” Anzu sighed. “The smoking is only the start. You know if you fall back into one habit, you run the risk of thinking the rest won’t be so bad. There’s a reason you stopped everything you used to do, remember?”

“That’s not true; I still play chess.”

“A harmless game against an AI on your desktop. Yugi, that’s not the point. You know what I mean, and you know I’m right. Don’t make me watch you fall back into all this. Ryou and Yusei too, we were all there.”

“I’m not falling anywhere Anzu. I promise, I’m not taking it back up. Once every now and then all right? I’ll stop soon, I swear.”

“I’ll make Atem smack the cigarettes out of your hand every time you try to light them, don’t think I won’t. Which, speaking of-”

“I don’t want to talk about it. Don’t, please.” Yugi turned to her, imploring her with his eyes to stop.

“Fine, Yugi, but if I hear or see anything to do with you and those lighters again, you’re going to be in trouble, mister.”

“That’s mister General to you. I didn’t ruin half my life to not be referred to as such.”

“Aye aye, General Mutou.” Anzu patted his head, walking to the door. He watched her open it and walk out, the gentle lock clicking into place as she left, and he allowed his shoulders to sag.

He began to feel like the cigarette in his hand weighted more than he thought, even as it burned down to a nub.

~~~~~~~~~

Nights were always cold and miserable for Yugi, the early hours of the morning never changing, stuck in a warp of their own accord and separate from the normal time stream. The difference between three forty-six and three forty-seven was massive, like battles were fought and empires destroyed in those mere seconds.

It all felt like borrowed time, something that wasn’t theirs to own. Perhaps that was why they slept during that time, nestled away in beds, under sheets, warm and oblivious to the magic of the early hours.

Or maybe Yugi just really needed to fix his sleep schedule.

He dragged a tired hand down his face, holding the cup of tea he had been nursing for the past hour in the other hand. The faint warmth of the drink was welcome against the sheet of cold that seemed to wrap itself around him.

Despite the chilly temperature, he still insisted on sitting close to the window where the icy air was strongest, leaking through the glass panel to creep inside and lurking in the corners where the shadows roamed free.

Yes indeed, he had too much time on his hands. He could write a book, with the way he came to describe such things. Could be a more productive use of my time, too, he thought, swirling the liquid of his cup around. From top soldier to best seller. That’s a thing that happens, right?

He distracted himself with a sip from the mug, letting the warm liquid wash through him. The soft sound of footsteps padding on the carpet approached him, and he glanced behind him momentarily.  

“Sir? Why are you awake at this hour?” Atem asked, feet silently taking him to Yugi’s side. His breath frosted a little in the air between them, and Yugi shivered at the sudden chill down his spine. Was it really that cold? He probably shouldn’t be up against the window then.

It wasn’t going to stop him from staying there, though.

“I get… restless, you could say.” Yugi said, in way of an explanation.

“You have insomnia, sir?”

“Mutou.”

“With all due respect, Mutou sir, insomnia is an important issue for one in your position.”

“I don’t have insomnia, I just get restless some nights and need to fidget. It’s not like anything could help me anyway. It’s just a thing that happens sometimes, nothing to worry about.” Yugi leaned against the window frame heavily, giving a half-hearted shrug.

Atem stayed silent, but he nodded slowly, his eyes drifting into the darkness outside. It was a solemn expression, and in the soft shadows, he almost looked like a normal human contemplating and not just staring blankly off into the distance. Yugi sighed.

“I’ll take you to Yusei tomorrow for one last check-up. We’re going out on patrol, so if you’re… damaged, at all, neither Anzu nor I will be able to patch you up. I need to make sure Yusei gives you a clean pass before we leave.”

“Yes Mutou, sir.”

Yugi nodded, thankful Atem didn’t pursue the conversation further. He turned back to the window, content to ride out the rest of the darkness in comfortable silence.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Hey! Be careful with that!”

“Be careful with your own load, buddy!”

Yugi dragged a tired hand down his face, barely holding in a groan. Half the supplies on the list were still unchecked, most of the items unpacked and lying around. Packing up was taking longer than he wanted to admit, and he was eager to set off already. Wasting time on loading everything up was taking away from the time he had to explore the outpost’s coordinates. His rank only had so much sway in the eyes of an impatient man like Gozaburo. If Yugi didn’t get his results in the short period of time he waited for, then he would raise hell.

“Honda, I swear, if you knock me with that crate one more time, I’ll-!”

“Cut it out you two!” Yugi bellowed down at them. Jou and Honda jumped immediately, guilty looking up at him.

“Sorry boss!” Jou called, clasping his hands together in a weak prayer-like gesture. Yugi just rolled his eyes, pushing off the railing.

He went to check on Yusei instead, working his way down to the lower level and heading to the section off to the side that marked the entrance to Yusei’s lab.

The door slid open, and Yugi ducked inside down the hallway.

Atem was sitting on the smooth benchtop, the fingers of one hand curled around the edge while the other was raised upwards, palm up, some kind of cord sticking out of his wrist. He dipped his head when he noticed Yugi enter.

“How’s it going?” Yugi asked.

“Doctor Fudo is just finishing my check-ups now, sir. I should be ready for our departure momentarily.”

“I see. What’s that for?” Yugi pointed at the cord, peering down at it. Atem followed his gaze, nodding.

“Scanners show it to be a device to administrate fluids. It transfers nutrients and blood in humans, I believe.”

“And in androids?”

“I’m not sure, sir.” Atem frowned, his other hand coming to touch the cord gently. “Doctor Fudo insisted I keep it in, though.”

“He must have his reasons I’m sure. I’ll go speak to him, where is he?”

“The doctor and the android with him are in the next room, through that door.” Atem pointed, Yugi’s head turning to follow to the sliding door at the other end of the room.

“I’ll be right back. Atem, stay here.”

“Yes sir.”

Yugi slipped into the next room, where Yusei and Bruno were crowded around a computer screen.

Bruno turned around at the door’s opening, nudging Yusei’s arm.

“General.” Yusei said, not looking up from the screen.

“Why does Atem have a drip in his arm?” Yugi asked, brows knitted close together.

“They didn’t feed him properly,” Yusei said quietly, lips pursed. “His body is weak.”

“How come there were no signs of this before? He’s been here over a week. He’s fought two of my best men and performed perfectly in a mecha. People don’t survive that long without food.”

“He’s not a normal person, though.” Yusei pointed out.

“But he’s still a person, under all that. How has his body survived all this time? What kind of enhancements does he have?”

“The chips, from what I can understand, give his brain signals to think and act like a robot would. A lot of the human things he does don’t go through his mind. He does them instinctively.”

“And his body telling him he needs food?”

“I’m not sure. Perhaps he replenishes himself without informing us. Maybe during the night, who knows? Make him eat something and see what he does in response.”

“I might just try that,” Yugi nodded, arms sliding across his chest. “So he needs human food? Fruits, meat, the lot?”

“To keep him from burning out, I would recommend feeding him.”

“How am I going to explain that.” Yugi groaned. This was a fine mess he had landed in, practically a baby sitter for someone who didn’t even realise when their body was about to give in.

“I’m sure he’ll listen to you, sir. Order him to do it with no questions asked.” Bruno chipped in.

“I’m trying to teach him to be a human, not unconditionally follow my orders.” Yugi dragged a hand down his face. “Never mind, I’ll think of something.”

Back in the lab room, Atem was still perched on the bench, but his head lifted when Yugi entered.

“You’re good to go Atem. Take the drip out and let’s go check on the progress of the mechas.”

“Yes sir.” Atem pulled out the cord, standing up.

“Mutou.”

“Mutou sir.”

“Good enough.”

In the hanger bay outside, Jou was walking past. Catching sight of Yugi, he made a detour in his route, passing right by Yugi.

“Your mech’s ready to go boss!” Jou gave him a lazy salute, hauling a crate over his shoulder.

“Thanks Jou, you did a good job.” Yugi nodded, swiping a hand over the metal surface.

“You go have fun out there boss. Must be nice to finally see some action again instead of paperwork, eh?”

“You could say that.” Yugi offered a small smile. Jou waved to him before strutting off, tackling the load of supplies for Anzu’s mech next.

Yugi barely got two steps in before someone else demanded his attention.

“Yugi!” He turned at his name, nodding as Ryou approached him.

“Something wrong?”

“No, just came to give you this.” Ryou passed him a wrapped package, the shape very distinctive. Yugi didn’t have to guess what it was, but he still asked, nonetheless.

“Is this my pistol, Ryou?” He said, mouth twitching downwards.

“Yugi I think we both know you’re going to need this,” Ryou sighed, already sensing the argument about to play out. “Just take it, or I’ll give it to Atem.”

“I don’t want it Ryou. You know it’s dangerous.”

“Then why do you insist on carrying it around, even just at the base? Every day you walk into the office wearing it, Yugi. You wouldn’t do that if you thought it was dangerous, especially around us.”

“I’m not bringing it Ryou, so take it back and stop going through my office drawers.” Yugi snapped, pushing the package back into Ryou’s hands.

“It was on your desk actually. You should have hidden it better if you wanted no one to find it.” Ryou snatched up Yugi’s hand, shoving the gun into it. The lazy cloth keeping it covered fell off with the movement, revealing the shiny metal underneath.

Yugi scowled at it, lip upturned in disgust. “I can fight with a mecha just as well as a gun, Ryou, I’m sure I can mana-”

“Mechas don’t count for close encounters. You know Anzu won’t let you walk around without a weapon on you, especially so close to the border. For your safety and our peace of mind, just wear it. Hopefully you won’t need to use it, but if you do, you’ll regret not having it.”

“I’m not so sure about that.” Yugi scoffed.

Ryou groaned, snatching the gun back and turning instead to Atem. “Hold onto this for General Mutou, won’t you Atem?”

“Yes sir.” Atem moved to accept the offered gun, but Yugi grabbed it instead, shooting Ryou a dark look.

“Fine, I’ll take it, but I’m not using it. If I happen to leave it in the mecha when we’re outside scouting, then that can’t be helped.”

Ryou grinned, crossing his arms to nod happily. “I can accept those conditions.”

“Good. Now go set up a party or something, whatever you guys do when I’m gone from base.” Yugi made a shooing gesture with one hand, the other still holding the pistol.

“Don’t worry, I’ll keep them in line here at base. Radio in if you run into any trouble, okay?”

“Will do Ryou. You’re in charge while I’m gone.”

“Hurry back then, would you?” Ryou laughed, walking away.

Yugi stared after him, hand tightening around the gun. The metal felt icy under his fingers, hard edges digging into the soft skin of his palm. He pressed harder, the bite stinging as it attempted to draw blood. No matter how I try it, we’re stuck together, he thought, eyeing the barrel, shining happily back at its master.

“Lieutenant Jounouchi appears to be calling to you, sir.” Atem’s voice pulled him back. He blinked, pocketing Ryou’s package before turning to where Jou was waving him down.

“All the mechs are good to go boss!” Jou shouted, giving him a thumbs up on both hands.

“Thanks Jou!” Yugi yelled back. He glanced at Atem beside him, standing as tall as he could, gaze straight ahead as always.

“Ready to go?”

“Always, sir.”

“Then let’s move out.”