Laughter is the Best Medicine

By Lucidscreamer

Disclaimer: Yu-Gi-Oh! was created by Kazuki Takahashi.

Author's Notes: This is a part of my prequel series and is set in my Chariots-verse, a nebulous time (a few weeks or a couple of months?) after the massacre at Jupiter Station. This ficlet is complete. Any follow ups will be posted separately. See my profile for a complete list of the stories in the "Shadow Wars Chronicles" universe.

(Story prompt provided by frenziedpanda: "What the hell are you doing, Jounouchi?" I changed the name to fit the Chariots universe.)

-o0o-

"What the hell are you doing, Wheeler?" Growled rather than shouted, the accusation in the question still cut through the ambient noise of the mech bay.

Joey would know that voice anywhere. On bad nights, it followed him into his dreams. He tucked his hands behind his back and gave Seto Kaiba a big, patently-false grin. "What? A man can't admire a fine piece of machinery?"

"Go admire that piece of junk you call a Duel Mech and get the hell away from my Dragon." Seto loomed over Joey, peering past him to give the Blue-Eyes White Dragon a suspicious once-over. Apparently satisfied that Joey hadn't damaged his "precious", he turned his glare back on the other Duelist. "What are you waiting for, an escort? Can't you find your way without Yami here to hold your hand?"

"Bite me."

"Watch how you address a superior officer, Lieutenant," Seto snapped.

"Bite me, Captain Kaiba sir!"

"Report to your duty station, Lieutenant, or you will be scrubbing toilets until you are forty."

Joey snapped off a smart salute, spun on his heel, and marched toward his mech in its gantry further along the curvature of the bay. He made it out of earshot - he hoped - before the snickers broke through his control, and risked a quick peek back at the other pilot. Seto was climbing up the gantry to the primary cockpit, so it seemed safe to assume he hadn't spotted Joey's little addition to the Blue-Eyes.

From this distance, Joey couldn't see the round patch of white plasfilm attached to the mech's armor, even though he'd put it there. The patch, thinner than gauze but sturdy and packed with circuitry, was a holo-projection bumper sticker. Joey had picked it up on one of his hops down to Mars to visit Yami in the rehab center. He'd have to make sure to get a copy of the Red-Eyes' recordings today from his crew chief. Tilly liked Yami, so Joey was sure she'd help him out with his little prank, designed to cheer up the injured and depressed "Hero of Jupiter Station."

Still snickering, Joey took the gantry lift up to his own cockpit. He was a bit amazed - and obnoxiously pleased with himself - that he'd pulled it off. He'd barely made it back down to the bay floor before Seto had shown up. A minute earlier and the other pilot would've caught him up on the gantry.

Joey couldn't wait for Seto's reaction when he realized his beloved Blue-Eyes was sporting an I "heart" the Dark Magician! bumper sticker on its butt. Even better, would be Yami's reaction to Seto's reaction. Joey snickered again just thinking about it.

Still smirking, Joey turned to his crew chief and, in a conspiratorial tone, said, "Hey, Tilly, can you do me a big favor?"

She gave him a wary look, but - once he'd explained what he wanted - agreed to help. Joey climbed toward his cockpit, already anticipating the feeling of a job, and prank, well done.

He couldn't wait to show those recordings to Yami...

(The End)