Duality Chaos, Book Two of The Chaos Saga

Chapter 10: The Hook

     "Damien, how ya been?" Joey asked, forcing a grin on his face.  He pulled out a chair, flipping it backwards and sitting down in it.

     Damien smiled, grabbing Joey's hand and shaking it.  "Joey...it's been awhile."  Damien's short curly white blond hair was perfectly in place, his pale blue eyes a perfect match for his pearly white teeth.  The Armani suit he wore just screamed "I am rich."  Joey felt like a street urchin in comparison in his blue jeans and white tee.

     The waitress came over, smiling at the two.  "What would you like?" 

     Damien smiled charmingly.  "I'll have a coffee and a slice of that wonderful carrot cake." 

     The waitress smiled, noting it on a pad.  "What about you, cutie?" she asked, turning to Joey.

     "An iced tea."

     "Okay!"  She smiled and walked off.

     Damien looked at Joey, eyebrow raised.  "Joey, you sick?  I have never seen you not eat."

     Joey shook his head.  "Nah.  I...I don't wanna talk about it.  What did ya want?"

     Damien frownwd.  "Well, I heard that some stuff is going down.  To be honest, I am worried about Ryou.  I haven't seen him in a few days, and I heard some creepy twin was hanging around him.  Have you seen him?"

     Joey looked up.  "Y..yea.  He's at The Pyramid.  He's fine."

     Damien frowned again.  "Joey, please tell me what's wrong.  If I didn't know better, I'd say you were suffering from a broken heart."

     Joey shook his head.  "Nah...I ain't sufferin from dat...ya gotta have a heart to break.  I ain't got dat, not after I saw him fuckin' her."  A tear threatened to slip out, and Joey angrily turned away.

     Damien sighed.  "I am sorry, Joey.  You didn't fuse, did you?"  The broken look on his face told Damien all he needed to know.

     "Damn."  He shook his head, as the waitress brought their orders.  He smiled at her and she blushed.  He looked back at Joey.

     Picking up his coffee cup, he took a sip.  "Well, what are you going to do about it?" 

     Joey looked up, the pain fresh.  "I can't do nothin' about it.  They are married, even if she died three thousand years ago."

     "Whoa...hold on..."  Damien grinned, chuckling.  "You telling me you're playing hide the sausage with another sausage?"

     Joey glared.  "Not funny, dickhead."

     Damien held up a hand.  "Sorry, trying to be funny...it failed.  My bad."  Taking a bite of his carrot cake, he looked at Joey.  "How is she here if she died 3,000 years ago?"

     "I dunno, sumptin about dis dagger called Exodia."

     Damien stopped chewing, watching Joey.  "Exodia, you say?"

     Joey nodded, playing with his glass.  "Yea."

     "Well..."  Damien weighed his next words carefully.  "You know that Maelstrom was the last to have that."

     Joey's eyes jumped up, locking on Damien's face.  "Who is Maelstrom?"

     Damien decided to play the odds.  "A chaos demon.  Last I heard, Maelsteom was trying to find and kill a vampire...that cousin of Yami's...Seto, is it?"

     Joey's face went white.  "I gotta go."  He started fumbling for his wallet.  Damien waved a hand dismissively.

     "I've got this.  Are you sure you are okay?"