The Crow and The Cat

Chapter 8

When Seto and the others reached the game shop they found tire tracks leading from in front of the entrance to the left of where they were currently standing, and Jounouchi was nowhere to be found. Upon closer inspection, Yuugi and Atem discovered four people dressed in back laying injured on the ground. At least the Puppy had put up a fight...

"We need to find him. Both of you, follow me."

Both star-heads turned and looked at the brunette, who was already following the cars tracks.

"Ah! Seto-san, you have a tail and ears!"

One of the ears twitched. Why now, of all times, was he turning back into a cat! The brunette broke into a run. He had to save Katsuya before the transformation was complete...!

When the large, swollen brown eyes opened, they couldn't see anything.

"Ah, it's wake!"

"What do you wanna do with it, boss?"

His vision was clearing now, but the conversation wasn't, it made no sense to him at all. Who were they talking about, and why did they sound... disgusted.

"Get rid it, we don't need something like that. It pays no debts."

Debts? What were they talking about?

"But what about the ears and tail, don't you think we could get some money for the kid?"

Jounouchi tugged against the ropes that held him to the wall, but made no progress. They were thick and rough, his resistance only resulting in rope burns.

"He was supposed to give us his son, not this half-animal thing! He'll pay for this!"

Half-animal? Did they catch Seto? No... Kaiba's father wasn't here, was he? He would think on that later, maybe even ask, but for now...

"Let me go!"

There was silence for a moment before one of the men spoke... or rather shrieked.

"It's talkin'! Hurry, shoot it!"

The click of a gun was heard, then gunshots as the man randomly fired. The concrete he was tied to began to explode into dust all around his head and body. Why were they shooting at him? Who had ears and a tail? Why was here with these people? What happened?

"Stop shooting you fool, we want it alive for now."

"Who are you people!? What do you want with me?"

Seto had been walking for miles and hadn't seen, head, or smelled anything like Jounouchi, and he was getting more and more worried. Atem and Yuugi had stopped at a telephone booth to call the police and report his kidnapping, of course Seto couldn't stand still long enough for the call to be put through and went on ahead. He searched for a while before he came across the sound of gunshots. Due to his heightened sense of hearing, the brunette found he could easily tell where they had come from and headed there at a run. Buildings and cars, people and animals passed by but Seto noticed none of them. The puppy- His puppy- was the only thing on his mind.

The entire time Atem had spoke on the phone, he had held Yuugi's small hand in his own. The contrast of colors between his dark tan and his little ones pale.

"Yes sir, we believe he was kidnapped."

The man on the other end nodded, then asked for information on the missing teen.

"He's about 170 cm tall, dark golden hair, soft features, pale skin, honey brown eyes, thin to a point of under eating, wearing light blue jeans and an olive shirt, bandages on his leg, torso and arms, some may be bleeding at this point."