Winning Without Gods (A Yu-Gi-Oh Fanfiction)DONE!

Chapter 3: It Landed In The Dirt

Manga Note: Death-T was a life or death game Kaiba made Yuugi go through. It was where the happy face was first drawn, to lift their spirits up, instead of letting them sink.

Italy- Six years after Graduation

"I don't know how, but I know you're cheating," Jounouchi accused Skeezy. "Cheating all over the place. You've beat duelists who are three times as good as you." Skeezy was like his name. He dressed nice, but underneath he was a worm.

Jounouchi made friends with some duelists, but not this guy. He reeked of being a cheater. He was asking Jounouchi for a challenge, but he wasn't rushing for it. Until he knew how Skeezy was cheating, he'd probably lose. If he lost? Then, well, life went on but he wouldn't have as much money to make life go on.

Jounouchi heard a beep on his phone. Hm? He looked and saw a text from Anzu. Subtle, about her style now. He followed her texting step with his own better one. A flat-out call. "Hey, Anzu, how ya been? How's America treatin' you now? Still down in the dumps?"

"Hey, Jounouchi. It's, uh, fine." Code for not fine. "I just wanted to see how your dueling went?"

"Doing great," Jounouchi insisted. "Absolutely, wiping the floor left and right with these guys. Trying to figure out a cheater right now, but besides that, pretty good. Looks like I'll probably win. So, how you been?"

"I have a new address."

"New address, huh? Well, you might as well fork over the details," Jounouchi insisted as he walked to his next destination. She said she texted it to him. "Hey, great. Next time I come down to dueling in America, I'll come see you."

"Sounds great. As long as I don't have to work the next day. I'm serious about that. Mai almost cost me my job."

"Heh. Yeah, yeah." It was doubtful he'd ever actually make it to America for awhile, but it was good to keep in touch. "So? There's something me and Mai wanted to ask you about. You know. Next time we can come down? You know what it is?"

"Yeah, probably." Ooh, it sounded like she was starting to cave. "Keep my address handy and I'll call you from a different number next time. I can't um . . ."

"Got it, no explanation necessary," Jounouchi said. She couldn't afford her phone anymore. When she first went to America, she was doing fine. Right on track with her dream. Dancing school and everything. Then, there was some kind of economic crash or something, and she wasn't doing so fine. She was making ends meet, barely.

Jounouchi knew what roughing it was like, he paid for a lot of his own things growing up. He wanted to talk about a small loan from a friend, or maybe even possibly-

"Jounouchi!"

Jounouchi looked at Kajiki coming toward him. "Looks like I got a dueling emergency. Talk to you late-hey!" Kajiki made him drop his phone as he shook him. "What's the big idea, Kajiki? Geez. Making me drop my phone and everything." He looked down. Right on the hard dirt trail. Better not be broken.

"Jounouchi, I just found out about Skeezy. Come on." Kajiki dragged him away.

"So you found out he was cheatin' and how?" Jounouchi asked.

"No." Kajiki looked terrible. "I eavesdropped on the wrong thing." He showed him pictures he snapped. "He was talking to these other guys and it wasn't about the duel. At all." Kajiki gave him his phone to show pictures he snapped.

Oof. Jounouchi had a feeling this wouldn't end pretty. Too many suits in that cave meeting. "What was it about?"

"Human trafficking."