In Safe Hands (PuzzleShipping)

Chapter 55

Yami sobbed, holding Yugi in his arms. The man landed several more shots into Yugi's chest and abdomen, also peircing both of Yugi's arms three times, bullet holes on either side of the limbs.

"P-Please..." Yami cried, tears still falling as the gunshots peirced the air and stung Yami when he saw the bullets go through Yugi like they did.

With every bullet came harder sobbing and closer holding as the body lost color, began to grow thinner, and began to weaken. Yugi's chest stopped completely and his heart didn't beat. He was completely limp, totally unable to defend himself to the shower of bullets that rained down upon him.

Yami couldn't stand the fact that he was right there, watching it all, but he could not shelter Yugi and save him. He could hold Yugi, but he could not lay across him and protect him, and he would have. Even if it meant the cost of his life.

"Please..." He breathed through his cries, squinting his eyes closed through his breakdown, "St-Stop...St-st-stop it..."

The man didn't stop until he was out of bullets, Yami coming to grip with the deathwish amount of bullets that had left gaping holes in his aibou...

9 bullets.

18 holes, all scattered around his body.

Yami knelt in the blood that pooled around him and the body, gazing gently and sadly at the close to dying young man that Yami held. Suddenly, he had a flashback, his eyes not leaving Yugi's. He was suddenly back on that battlefeild, kneeling beside his dying brother, who stared him in the face, slowly letting the deep blackness of death consume him.

He saw Heba in Yugi. They both stared death in the face. Heba, sad as it was, didn't make it. Would Yugi be the same way??

Yami couldn't picture that at all. It was far too much for him to imagine.

He cradled Yugi closer, still seeing the image of Heba in Yugi's deathly still face.

"Yugi, please..." Yami muttered, his voice cracking with every word, "I d-don't want...to loose you...too..."

Yami swallowed his tears and burst into a new round of tears when he realized that he could be witnessing a death similar to his brother's own. He cradled Yugi gently, knowing that Yugi wouldn't be able to respond to any of his actions. He wouldn't be able to feel his presence. He wouldn't be able to hear his words of gentle rassurance.

"A-Aibou...I'm here....I'm r-right here....I'm w-watching you...I will p-protect you...all the days o-of your suffering...I w-will not leave you..." Yami whispered, his voice cracking as his tears increased when he heard every single word he was saying to his loved one, "I swear on my life that I will not...a-abandon you...now...don't you a-abandon me..."

Yami shook with the sobs that escaped from his lips. He arched his back and sobbed harder, clutching Yugi as if he was a lifeline.

"I-I..." He lost it and yelled through his tears, the sadness overwhelming, "I DON'T W-WANT TO LOSE YOU!!!!!!"

With that, he burst into tears, burying his face in Yugi's limp shirt.

~~~~~~~

Mana and Mahad got out of the car, finally arriving at Yugi's apartment complex. Mahad and Mana got out of the car, taking the cookies with them out of the car and they walked up to the door.

Mana awkwardly held the cookies that began to sway.

"M-Mahad..." She said, concentrating on controlling the movement of her baked goods, "Get the door...please?"

Mahad chuckled. Just as he was reaching for the door, they both heard a series of loud gunshots. They both froze, their eyes widened like full moons.

"...what...what was that?!" Mana looked at Mahad, extremely concerned.

Mahad whipped the door open and the two ran, Mana forgetting all about the cookies in her trey and booking it instead after Mahad. They both ran through the hobby, into an elevator, down the hall, and to Yugi's room.

Another gunshot was heard on the other side. Mahad jerked the door open, seeing a man blow on his pistol, a smirk on his face. Mana looked over his shoulder and saw Yugi laying in a pool of blood.

"Y-YUGI!!!!" She shrieked, running in, taking him gently into her arms, checking desperately for a pulse on him.

Mahad was stunned. However, that stun faded away and was replaced with fury.

"YOU MONSTER!!!!!" Mahad boomed, landing a firm punch on the man's nose, sending his head whipping back, "H-HOW DARE YOU?!"

The man instead loaded his gun again.

"MANY REASONS." He laughed, holding the gun up in his direction.

He gripped the gun tightly in his hand and went to pull the trigger, pinning Mahad to the wall. He aimed the gun to Mahad's face. Mana paled.

"MAHAD!!!" She screamed, pushing the gun as it unloaded, the bullet being shot through Mahad's cheek, through the bottom of his chin, and into his throat.

Screaming, he felt to his knees. Mana, fury blazing in her eyes, grabbed her tray and hit him in the head hard enough to make him fall like a hard rock, unconscious. Mana dropped the plate, running and kneeling in front of him.

"M-Mahad!" She gasped, taking him bloody face in her own.

He whimpered, gripping her wrists tightly and his feet scrabbling on the floor. He gritted his teeth, tears falling down his cheeks.

"M-M-Ma..." He stuttered, the bullet lodged in his throat preventing him from being able to speak words.

Mana shook her head, gently shushing him. He strained, squinting his eyes closed at the pain.

"Quiet..." She whispered, "Don't hurt yourself..."

Mahad looked at her, his eyes glistening with his tears.

Mana smiled reassuringly and walked quickly to her purse and picked up the phone.

She dialed 911 and held the phone to her ear, sitting and cradling both Yugi and Mahad in her arms, her heart racing and her eyes being pumped with water.

Mahad leaned his head on her shoulder, the blood loss taking affect on his body as he also lost consciousness.

Yami was curled up in a corner, crying harder than ever before.

First his parents.

Then his step mother and step sister.

Then Heba.

Then Yugi...

Now...M-Mahad...