kittensinboxes | Hang My Head, Drown My Fear [Lab of Nature AU, Suffering Is Magic]

Hang My Head, Drown My Fear [Lab of Nature AU, Suffering Is Magic]

Kaiba remembers pain. He remembers...drowning.

And he remembers smiling as he maliciously made it all worse and watched the life spill from his throat, spewing out with arterial force before him and creating a mess of wasted life all around him.

Then, he remembers--more pain? How could there be more pain after death? He knows he's screaming, but nothing comes out. He struggles against his bonds, but he's too weak, too weak, and even opening his eyes shows little besides the searing white lights of an operating room, the flash of a face that resembles an ape...and then, nothing. He feels something cover his mouth, inhales reflexively...then passes out. It's a release, freeing him from the delirium of the restoration and the pain of the experimentation that occurs in between.

He won't remember it. Perhaps that's a mercy.

---

When Kaiba finally does wake, it's in a new room, with aching limbs, a soured stomach, and a throat that feels poorly patched up.

He's too weak to sit up, but his tired eyes scan his surroundings, seeking out any familiarity at all. He has to do it slowly, so that the tracking of his own eyes doesn't nauseate him more than he already is.

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By the time that Yuugi takes hold of his hand, Kaiba's already surrendered to the pitch black of unconsciousness. In fairness, he was already weakened by his revival.

The next time he awakens, it's in a chair, with the weight of something hard and scratchy secured around his neck. It takes him a moment to come to his senses and stop his own head from lolling tiredly against one shoulder. Longer still for his vision to clear.

When it does, he immediately flinches at the sight.

A gallows before him, with Yuugi secured in place with a noose of his own, as well as a loop around his shoulders, keeping him in place and not liable to fall until he came around. Then, when he does, the rope falls away, leaving him supported on his feet with the rope threateningly snug around his throat.

Just like Kaiba's, although his fed to the ground, and there was an array of buttons laid out before him, just within reach to be tapped by one foot. 26 buttons. Each marked with a letter.

This is a game Kaiba has played before.

This is a game he didn't want to play again.

But the scientists didn't care, did they? They wanted to see these two play together, didn't they?

When Yuugi wakes up, there'll be a display visible to both of them showing the rules, cheerily set forth by Helios. And then...it's up to them.

Yuugi opened his eyes, expecting pain.

That was always what happened when he woke up: it was either him tied to a gurney and filleted like a fish at the market, or beaten by one of the newbies who needed an outlet for their frustration.

Pain, day in and day out.

Numb, numb, numb--

But this was different. This wasn't the simple shock of physical pain. The noose around his throat was barely a tickle compared to the scientists' usual mercies, but the instructions...this was new.

Hangman. They want us to play hangman. With each other.

Another game, cruelly twisted by these horrible, horrible people.

How dare they.

How dare they take something so innocent as a childhood game and make it into something so horrible! How dare they take them and play with their lives like this?!

Yuugi took a deep breath...and closed his eyes.

He looked for all the world like he was fast asleep, but really he was trying not to think. Trying to, for a moment, clear his mind to his situation, his potential fate, his--

Edited 2025-03-30 05:54 (UTC)

Kaiba knows he has to be careful here. The noose will tighten the more he guesses wrong. But...this is a game. He's always been good at legitimate games, and the last time he did this...it had been a legitimate game.

He hadn't killed anyone.

That had to count for something, right?

So, he nudges the "T" with one foot, to see if that was one of the letters. His gaze flicks up to Yuugi, and if he's wrong...there's a look of frustration on his face. If he's right though, there's something odd in the way he glances at the other teen.

Like...he's apologizing, somehow. He'd never do it aloud, but his eyes betray him.

Six letters.

"T" is the last one, with "O" as the second, as given by the blessed mercies of the AI.

_ O _ _ _ T

So far, so good...look at Yuugi's face, Kaiba. Look at that reassuring little smile, encouraging and gentle as he has literal death wrapped around his neck.

Trust.

He trusts him to carry him through.

Because what else can he do? And with that apology in his eyes, Yuugi knows that he can trust him. That he's a man that would do what he could to keep him alive.

More than half a year ago...Kaiba would have been the one to create a game like this, and he would have rigged it too, with the intention of hanging Yuugi himself. Even now, the thought tickles at the back of his mind, a reminder of who he is, even now.

But somehow...not him. A him that doesn't quite fit the mold, after what the other Yuugi had done to him.

I won't let you die here.

He mouths the words confidently, tapping the letter "R" as he does so.

He won't let him die...but the noose grows ever so slightly tighter.

Yuugi's face twitches, but that smile does not fade. If anything, it warms up, grows gentler.

I know, he mouths. I trust you.

R, though? Doesn't seem to be a part of the word.

No! That's the wrong letter! Kaiba scowls, glaring at the blank spaces as if they've personally attacked him. It can't go this way...he can't let Yuugi be killed. He couldn't lose...not again.

Not this time!

His left foot moves towards the upper corner of the letters, tapping a vowel instead. "A", there has to be a common vowel in here. O can't be it. If this is a two syllable word, then...either A or E are the most likely.

He'll take a gamble on which.

Well, would you look at that?

_ O _ _ A T

Success! One of the letters filled in, and the word seemed to bloom on the screen.

What could that word be...?

It was a mystery.

The only way to know was to find more letters, right?

Kaiba closes his eyes, drawing in a breath and letting it out slowly. His mind is working...trying to narrow down the options afforded by this kind of letter arrangement. It's not coming to him yet so...he'll try to narrow it down further, to guess a common letter.

This time, he nudges the N with one foot.

He doesn't have time to overthink things, not when Helios has an imposed time limit on this game.

Tighter.

Tighter.

The smallest of noises falls from Yuugi's lips, even as he tries to keep it from escaping. It isn't one of pain, but surprise, like the wind getting knocked out of someone.

Pain? This was nothing.

Yuugi swallowed, trying to relax his throat against the noose.

When he sees the rope tighten, hears Yuugi make that noise...Kaiba's eyes widen, but it's not out of surprise. It's out of some other, incalculable emotion relating to his pride.

He won't lose. He will not lose! How the fuck could he look at this man, his rival, and respect himself if he got him strung up? Worse still...he didn't want to see Yuugi strung up like a taunt in front of him. Just the thought of it makes him want to vomit!

He shakes his head, and the scowl's back again, but there's something...desperate in it. Something nervous and manic and stressful.

Tick tock.

He can practically feel them over his shoulder, whispering for him to hurry, hurry HURRY HURRY HURRY!!!

This time, his foot hits the "C". Please...please let it be right! He needs this victory like he needs air!

C O _ _ A T

Well done, Seto Kaiba. Only two more letters.

Yuugi closed his eyes, so he couldn't see the desperation in the other person's face, or the mania that sparkled in his eyes. All he could see was blackness as he tried not to think about how his throat tickled with how tightly the rope was beginning to tie around him.

He was losing circulation, or maybe just air. His breathing was a touch labored...?

Ah, yes. That was labored breathing. It wasn't the same as when he had his lungs punctured while awake, but he remembered that sensation anywhere.

...!!!

Kaiba doesn't hesitate. He slams his heel into the "B" button, and then the "M". He could have done this better, much sooner, if he'd only paid more attention to the arrangement!

Even though he's gotten the word, and the noose will loosen around Yuugi's neck, there's only a slight consolation in it. After all, he's still got another word to go, once Helios clears out the first. But as long as Yuugi can breathe again, then...!!

Round two...second verse, same as the first.

Yuugi's breathing eased, his shoulders slumped slightly (his cheeks were flushed; had he really been that oxygen deprived...?) as another word is set in front of Kaiba.

Six Letters, one in clear display.

_ _ k _ _ _

So, what's it going to be, Kaiba? What's your first letter? How are you going to tackle this?

Yuugi's life hangs in the balance, after all...

Kaiba's hesitant to guess at first. He wants Yuugi to be able to recover...to be able to breathe, just for a moment, before inevitably, Kaiba has to swing in the dark and pray to strike.

K...that's a strange letter to be right in the middle of a word. He'll have to play it careful.

After a minute...he taps "S". A common letter, once more. But will it be common enough...?

Nope.

As quickly as it goes, the noose grows tight. But...goodness, Kaiba, doesn't it look like it's even tighter than it was before? When you messed up twice?

Yuugi's breathing is already getting a little labored, the poor thing.

It looks like you have less chances to mess up, or else Yuugi's going to run out of oxygen before he knows it.

Better think fast.

The rules have changed.

And Kaiba? He doesn't like it. He sees how much the noose retightens, and it makes him struggle against his bonds. For a moment, he doesn't care that his wrists burn and ache from the strain of it, he wants them to know that it's dirty!

He wants them to know they can't keep doing this, and expecting him to play along!

...Until the moment his own noose tightens. A reminder that he's bound by the rules. Don't want to play along? Then die.

They can revive him. It makes little difference.

That, and only that, is what brings him down enough to play again, but that ugly, unsetting look is back on his face as he slams a foot onto the letter "M".

M _ K _ _ _

Interesting first letter, Kaiba. Did your mother pick it for you? Either way, it's bought time for poor Yuugi, who dares to cough once against the rope.

Flushed cheeks, tightened eyebrows.

Lips pressed together as he tries not to make a sound.

Stare into the blackness. Keep his eyes closed. It was what kept him sane as they cut him apart; if he didn't have to see...

He didn't have to feel the shock.

But...

What other letters will you pick, Seto?

Clock's ticking.

Kaiba stares at the screen, his eyes flicking to each empty space, counting...and his heart feels like it's being crushed under an oppressive weight.

He should remain calm. This is what they want from him. They want him to have an emotional response. Light is Light, after all. But he can't...he can't calm himself as he hits "B", and hopes that it doesn't slot itself into the word.

No, not a word. A name, isn't it?

Rage has his vision blurring at the edges, his heart racing.

M _ K _ B _

Do you know what the word is, Seto Kaiba? Do you know what they're referencing? Do you know why this name is here and why you're calling it?

Do you know why the scientists want you to remember?

Do you know why you have to write it with Yuugi Mutou's fate in the balance...?

Do you?

They know.

Of course they know what it means, who Mokuba is. Kaiba presses all three letters to fill the rest of the name in, and of course Helios create a pixelated fireworks celebration about him figuring it out...but he can't look at it.

He can't look at the name, and he can't look at Yuugi. All he wants is to leave this room, to be put back in the cell and not have the name of his brother paraded in front of him. But then...this isn't exactly the same game, is it?

The screen starts to read out something new as the nooses go slack around their necks.

A good brother would have saved him.

Do you think he's alive? :O

The insult is too much, Even with his hands bound, with the noose around his neck, Kaiba tries to stand, tries to rip himself from the situation. But then...wasn't that was his noose was there to prevent? Where it had slackened, it now retightens, pulling his head painfully back against the chair until he's looking straight up at the ceiling, his breath stolen away.

More words appear.

Those aren't the rules of the game, Loser.

You should have been happy you won. :( What a shame. Can you hold out until the doctors come get you? Come on, win one more time if you can!

For 20 long seconds, Kaiba sits there being throttled, his eyes wide, mouth hanging open as he tries and fails to draw a breath in. 20 seconds of rage, of desperation...but not of reprieve.

Enjoying the show, Yuugi? It's only fair your partner gets to generate Light like you did while the rope tightened on you! Just look at that face, Yuugi. Look at the defiance melt away the longer it stays. Maybe they won't need to knock Kaiba out the conventional way like you, he's already going pretty still.

I guess he's not used to this kind of thing, is he Vessel? Not like you. You did so well! Thanks for playing! :D I hope you can teach him good habits.

Bastards.

Bastards, the lot of them. How could they. How could they?!

"Stop it!" Yuugi cried, even as his body grew slack against the bonds, "Stop it, you took your Light from him already!"

Are you noticing, Kaiba? Can you hear the anguish in your roommate's voice before you pass out?

"Please! How can you do this t--"

He didn't have the air to finish that sentence, as he too was choking. Choking harder and harder and harder as the rope closed in and stole his air.

Helios's response?

A single smiley face.

Yuugi knew why.

He knew why and he wanted to burn this accursed place down, with all the scientists still in the building.

As Yuugi faded, tears pricked at the corner of his eyes.

When he fell unconscious, they spilled down his cheeks.

It's only by moments that Kaiba passes out before Yuugi. Not that it matters. The experiment has yielded its results, and so the two of them are put back into their solitary cell after they're both unconscious and therefore easier to move.

This time, Kaiba's the first to wake, his throat aching miserably when he comes around. Reaching up to feel at it makes his fingers twitch away from the swollen flesh. Obviously he still can't speak, but it even hurts to swallow or draw breath now.

He sits up, glaring at nothing with an inconsolable rage written all over his face.

He doesn't notice what's been left in the room with them yet--a single plate with a cupcake just slightly larger than standard. Large enough to make out the words "Thanks for the Light!" lovingly iced atop it.

"Nnnngh..."

Yuugi mumbled softly as he finally woke up, sitting up slightly on his spot on the floor.

Wait. This...

This was a...!

Oh. Right. A bed. A bed in a room with...

With...!

Yuugi's head shot up, and he rasped:

"K-Kaiba, are you...?"

When Yuugi finally looks his way, Kaiba's lips move, but as expected, nothing comes out even vaguely resembling words. At best, there's a crackling sound simply because of air trying to force itself out through his abused neck.

I'm fine.

He's clearly not. But are either of them, after that?

You sound bad.

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