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Post by LadyKeren on Aug 10, 2015 19:21:16 GMT
A/N: My first solo YGO fan fiction ever. Yu-gi-oh! and its characters belong to Kazuki Takahashi, not me. However, Keren Mizrahi and Victoria “Vicki” Lennox, as well as some other random OCs do belong to me, so if you steal them you will feel my wrath. This takes place during Battle City, and will not follow the saga very well in all places. There will be twists of events here and there, so don't hassle me about things not happening the way they did in the anime'. Will be using dub names, but there will be a mixture of North American dub and original influences (scenes, background stories, quotes), taking what I like best from each. Some dialogue from the show will be used here and there. Rated T for mild language and violence. Feel free to give helpful advice, but rude, hateful comments are not welcome.
Chapter 1
(in Egypt)
Marik sat in his secret hideout, surrounded by his rare hunters. He had summoned them for a meeting to inform them about a very important decision he had made. The robed men glanced up at their master and noticed he looked somewhat happy. They wondered what could have brought it on, since most times he was temperamental and super cranky because he was trying to find a way to escape the task of guarding the pharaoh’s tomb. Not to mention the energy in the room didn’t feel as tense. ‘He must have found that way, based on the smile on his face.’
A man named Odion, dressed in a robe, with hieroglyphics tattooed on the left side of his face knelt in front of his master. "What news do you have for us, Master Marik? Shall we aid you with anything?"
The cornsilk haired young man looked at his lead henchman with a sinister grin. "I know the perfect way to dispose of Yugi Mutou.”
‘So we were right.’ A caped man that appeared to be in his late twenties cocked an eyebrow. “Oh? And which way is that, Master?"
Marik’s purple eyes held a sparkle in them as he answered, "I will seize the three Egyptian God cards and use them to devastate that foolish pharaoh's vessel. With the combined strength of these cards and my other rare cards, Little Yugi won't stand a chance against me!"
The rare hunter started to smile as well. It was hard not to with his master so excited for once. "Excellent idea, Master Marik."
"Of course it is a good idea, you imbecile," scoffed Marik. It never ceased to amaze him how dense his servants were at times that they felt the need to state the obvious. "And then, I will snatch that puzzle. After all, he will have no more use for it after he's dead."
Odion knew Marik still thought it was the pharaoh's fault his father was dead, and that was the reason he felt he didn't deserve his powers. He opened his mouth, ready to tell him the truth about what had happened. It pained his heart to see the young lad so different and he hated lying to him, but he closed it, deciding not to tell him then. He didn't think Marik would believe him and besides, his mind wasn't very stable at the moment."Would you like one of us to get them for you?" he asked.
Marik gave his henchman an evil smile. He knew he could always count on the older man to remain loyal, regardless of how harshly he treated him. "Don't bother. It's time for the other tombkeepers to put themselves to better use.”
"All right. Let us know how we can serve you."
"Oh trust me. I will." Marik left the hideout and made his way to the room where the Egyptian God cards had been stored. He could feel his heart bursting with pride and excitement, knowing he would soon be free of his dreadful task. ‘Those tombkeepers had better do as I say or else.’ He would not hesitate to use his millennium rod on them if he had to.
While all this was going on, Ishizu and Keren were in their bedroom. Both of them got a gut feeling in their stomachs that something was amiss and knew instantly what was causing them such discomfort.
"I suspect Marik and his rare hunters are up to no good at this very minute," said Ishizu. She couldn't help but notice how the rare hunters liked to steal all the rare cards from the other duelists. There was no telling which card they would get their hands on. She also knew how much Marik despised his mission and was determined to get out of it, despite her and Keren’s protests. Her eyes popped open wide when a possibility suddenly hit her. ‘I have a feeling Marik has gone after the Egyptian God cards.’ That was her greatest fear since their powers were quite perilous when abused or placed in the wrong hands, and she knew her brother intended to use them for less than noble means. ‘I had better go and stop him, or who knows what will happen?’
“I have a feeling you are absolutely right,” said Keren. She let out a wistful sigh and ran a hand through her hair, which was starting to become thin from all the stress. She also thought she noticed a strand of gray on the side. "I am especially scared for Odion…he doesn't seem quite like the same person I always loved. Although it was more than five years ago since I have met you all, it feels as if it were only yesterday. "
Ishizu nodded in agreement. “It certainly does seem so, doesn’t it?” She had to admit, at first she had her doubts about whether befriending the Israeli was such a good idea or not, seeing as how she and her brother made a grave mistake going to the surface in the first place. ‘However the more time I spent with her, the closer we became.’
“Yes. While I cannot say the experience was all sunshine and roses, what with the hostile treatment from your father and the appearance of Marik’s evil half, I consider Odion an important part of my life and I do not regret meeting him. Nor you and Marik. I know Odion made a promise to always protect Marik, but...” Keren’s voice was starting to crack. She had to exhale before she could continue. “I just wish he didn’t have to compromise his integrity in order to do so. “ Her eyes grew misty.
Ishizu gave her an understanding look. She could see the physical wear and tear the ordeal was beginning to leave on the older woman. "I know that Odion is trying his best to protect my little brother. However, in case anything should happen to him, something must be done to bring out Marik's good side. Otherwise, the evil within him will grow stronger."
"Of course." Keren knew Marik had potential for good, based on how he acted towards her when they first met. Now she had to pretty much walk on eggshells around him to avoid setting him off. Not what she preferred, but she found it scary when he got angry. "What are you going to do?"
"First things first, we must retrieve at least one of the Egyptian God cards to give to Seto Kaiba. I will be travelling to Domino, Japan in a few days to display my Egyptian exhibition." The ebony-haired woman smiled a bit as an idea of how to retrieve the God cards formulated in her mind.
The older woman wasn‘t sure about giving the card to Kaiba, given the reports she heard about him being cold, ruthless, power hungry and greedy. ‘Obelisk would be much better off in the hands of Yugi or the pharaoh.’ She was about to ask Ishizu why she chose Kaiba, but figured the woman must have her reasons and knew not to question her. ‘I suppose it is better him than Marik.’ The more she thought about it, the more she was able to consider the benefits and how it would mean one less card for Marik to get his greedy hands on. “That’s a wonderful idea, Ishizu. Let's do it."
Ishizu smiled, pleased to see Keren had no objection to any part of the plan, although she was aware of the doubts she possessed. "Thank you for your support." She and Keren left the bedroom.
By then, Marik had already snatched up the Slifer the Sky Dragon card, and was now on the way to retrieve Ra. He used his millennium rod on one of the tombkeepers, just in case he were to refuse. "Open the lid, and unlock the safe, my servant," he commanded as a sneer crossed his features.
Like a robot, the man did as he was told. Marik’s eyes filled with glee when they landed on the Egyptian God card of the sun. He grabbed it and smiled evilly. "Excellent," he purred. "Just one more card and I'll be unstoppable. “ Smiling to himself, he exited the room and was on his way to get the third card. He stopped short and his smile faded when he spotted two people blocking his way. Standing in front of the entrance were none other than his elder sister and Keren.
"Don't take another step," Ishizu ordered. Her tone was even, yet no-nonsense at the same time.
Marik had the urge to just shove his sister aside and just go on his way, but he resisted it quickly. "Ishizu," he acknowledged in a less than pleased voice.
Ishizu could see Marik wasn’t pleased to see her, and it made her feel a pang of hurt inside, but she knew she had to remain strong while confronting him. "Brother. My millennium necklace warned me that you would betray me and it appears you have. Don't you realize your destiny is with serving the pharaoh?"
Marik scoffed. "Why should I protect him? He is not worthy of being the pharaoh. He is a despicable murderer, so fate has chosen me to take what should have been mine from the very beginning, sister."
Keren buried her face in her hands. She wanted to just disappear so she wouldn’t have to hear the young lad spout such unspeakable accusations. Not only were they malicious, but they were also completely false. ‘I have not met this pharaoh, but I know in my heart he would not murder someone who was nothing but loyal to him.’ She wanted to cry at how much Marik had changed over the years. She nearly yelled to him that he was wrong, but decided against it, knowing she wouldn’t be able to provide sufficient proof. She uncovered her face, shaking her head in disgust at herself. ‘I’m so pathetic, letting him intimidate me.’
Ishizu was tempted to tell her brother the truth about what happened, but knew that wasn’t an option, considering he wouldn’t even listen to reason. Plus, she was on the verge of pulling her hair out with what she had said to him. "If you want to carry out this madness, then you will have to find the last card."
Marik’s brows furrowed. He gritted his teeth and let out a growl both at the fact that he was too late and someone daring to oppose him. He held out his rod threateningly and pointed it at his sister. "I'm warning you. Do not interfere with my plans."
Ishizu just stared at the young man with looks of shock and fear crossing her face. She couldn't believe he would think of hurting her. "You'd use your millennium rod on your own flesh and blood, Marik?"
Keren almost turned and ran away. Seeing Marik behave so ruthlessly was making her feel a bit queasy. As far as she was concerned, he was not acting any better than what he accused the pharaoh of doing.
Marik’s eyes met his sister’s and he saw fear in them Normally he delighted in seeing people be afraid of him, but with Ishizu his hard look softened just a tad and he mentally cursed himself for giving her such a fright, even if she had made him angry. "If you continue to stand in my way, then yes, I will have to." He emitted a golden burst of energy from the rod. Keren stepped away a safe enough distance. She knew if she felt the wrath of a millennium item, she would be in trouble, for she didn't have protection of any kind.
Ishizu braced her hands in front of her face to protect her eyes from being blinded. The rod had no effect on her, for her millennium necklace had shielded her. "The pharaoh's power isn't yours," she protested. She turned her head to look at the spot Marik had been standing and saw he was no longer there. She wondered where he could have gone. She let out a sigh of relief that he had not harmed her. ‘I cannot be certain he won’t in the future. I must not take any chances. It’s time to put my plan into motion.’ She turned to face Keren, who still looked a bit shaken. "Let us go, Keren. There is much work to be done."
Without so much of a word, the dark haired woman followed Ishizu. She could only hope whatever it was the Egyptian had in mind would work. She wasn’t sure if she could handle another incident like what she had just witnessed.
(Domino)
After a long and tiring day at school, Tèa and Yugi were walking home together. One of the highlights of the day was a new girl joining their class, which was enough to prevent it from being a total drag, at least where Tèa was concerned. “Do you think you did well on the quiz?" she asked Yugi.
The spiky haired teen shrugged. "As well as I could have done, considering that we knew nothing of it. It was a good thing I took a quick glance at the notes beforehand, otherwise I probably would not have understood anything.”
"Yeah, I know what you mean.” Tèa made a slight face before continuing, “But then again, I hate pop quizzes." In a way she preferred tagging along with Yugi when he had to duel in tournaments or face danger. She pushed the subject of school to the back of her mind, not wanting to think about it anymore for the remainder of the day. ”What do you think of the new girl Victoria?" Inside she was squealing with excitement at the thought of possibly having a female friend at last.
Yugi scrunched up his brow in thought. "She seems like a really nice, friendly person. It sure didn’t take her long to open up to us."
Tèa nodded in agreement."Yes, I have noticed that. Hey, if we hang out on Sunday, I was thinking, maybe we should ask her to come along with us."
"Good idea, Tèa. It would be great to get to know her better." Yugi wanted to be sure she could be trusted and was friendship material.
The two teenagers were about half-way to Yugi's house when they saw a man dressed in a robe, sitting behind a table and waving his hands around a crystal ball. Something about him seemed sinister. Yugi felt chills going down his spine just from looking at him. "Hey, Tèa, it appears to be a fortune teller."
The brunette girl rolled her eyes. "Don't tell me you want your fortune told. We're both a little too old for that. "
Before Yugi could answer, the caped man cut in, "Step right up if you want me to predict your future."
Yugi frowned in thought, recalling his conversation with the spirit of the puzzle that morning about how he was unsure of who he was and what his future held. ‘Who knows? Maybe he can help the spirit of the millennium puzzle, and I promise I will do all I can to help him. Maybe having my future revealed by this man is not such a bad idea.’ He slowly walked up to the man, almost as if he were still debating whether he should or not.
The robed man glanced up and looked directly at Yugi with an expression that was between amusement and impatience. "What are you waiting for, young man? Step up if you need me to tell your future."
"Don't do it. Something about him gives me the creeps," Tèa whispered to her friend.
"I know. I think he’s creepy, too, but the spirit of the puzzle needs my help, and this man may be the key," Yugi whispered back. Making up his mind, he walked a bit closer to the man so there was only a small distance between them.
Marik gazed at the spiky haired teen through his servant’s eyes with a smirk on his face. 'Excellent. The fool is walking right into my trap! Soon, he will be nowhere but oblivion and the pharaoh’s powers will be all mine.’ The robed man gave Yugi a toothy grin. "To predict your future, I will need your most valuable possession.”
Yugi gulped and his eyes twitched. "Huh? And what might that be?" He sure hoped it wouldn't be his puzzle. After the fiasco with Pegasus, he was wary of anyone who asked him for his millennium item. The last thing he needed was someone else wanting to get their greedy hands on it.
The “fortune teller” eyed Yugi from head to toe while pretending to be deep in thought. "That necklace would do nicely," he said, smirking. Marik tried his hardest to make his servant sound friendly, but it was becoming difficult, and tiresome, quite frankly. He couldn't wait until his mindslave showed his true colors.
‘Just what I was afraid of.’ Yugi gave a pained expression while clenching his fist. He silently cursed himself for being so gullible.
"Be careful, Yugi. It could be a trap," Tèa warned.
Yugi looked at Tèa and nodded to show he understood. He then turned back to the caped figure with a firm expression on his face. "I'm sorry, but I cannot."
Marik growled through clenched teeth, furious that it looked like his plan wasn’t going to work after all. He took a deep breath to remain calm. "If you do not give it to me, I cannot predict your future."
Yugi let out a sigh of defeat. He had been hoping there was another way to help his alter-ego, any way but taking such a risky chance, but now it seemed like he had no choice. He reluctantly removed his puzzle from around his neck. "All right...but just for a little while." He handed his item to the robed figure and watched with an uneasy feeling as it was taken out of his hands. ‘Something tells me I will regret this.’
Marik’s angry look changed into an evil grin. ‘Perfect. My plan is working. This fool is so gullible, it's pathetic.’
The caped gentleman proceeded to wave his hands around the small crystal ball. When he opened his mouth to speak, his tone was not the faux friendly one, but sinister and had an electronic effect to it. "Ah yes. It's coming to me. I see that your millennium item belongs to me!" He grabbed the puzzle, knocking the table over and running away.
Tèa’s eyes widened to the size of saucers at what she had just seen. ‘I knew it!’ She was not going to scold Yugi, though, for she figured he already felt like an idiot.
Yugi’s eyes widened and his mouth fell open. Mentally he kicked himself for falling for such a decoy. "My millennium puzzle!"
The man gave a sinister laugh and continued to run.
"Get back here!" Yugi proceeded to chase after the man. There was no way in hell he would allow him to get away with this, whoever he was. He turned back briefly to face Tèa. "You go on to the game shop. I'll deal with this." He continued running.
"Yugi, wait!" she called after him. It always drove her crazy when Yugi discouraged her from helping him in a potentially dangerous situation, especially when it was something he couldn’t handle alone. ‘Well I have had enough. I’m helping him whether he likes it or not, and I’m not taking no for an answer.’ She ran down the street, but didn't see Yugi or the faux fortune teller anymore. However, she met up with Bakura and…Victoria. ‘Huh? What are they doing here? Not that I’m complaining or anything.’ She slowed down a little so they could catch up with her.
"Hi Tèa," Bakura greeted, his voice filled with concern.
"What's wrong, lassie? Why are you so frantic?" asked Vicki.
Tèa panted several times, trying to catch her breath. "No time for chit chat, you two. But if you want to come with me, I will fill you in on the way."
“All right.”
Yugi was still running through the alley, trying to track down the robed man. After awhile, he had lost sight of him. He stopped to try and compose himself as well as catch his breath. He then noticed there were arrows taped to the walls. His eyebrows furrowed. ‘Could the thief have left these arrows for me to follow? Strange he would do something like that, unless he wants me to find him.’ Knowing there was only one thing left to do, he followed the arrows. ‘Something tells me I am walking into a trap, but I have to take that risk if I want to get my puzzle back and save the spirit.’ The arrows pointed him to a rundown warehouse. ‘I guess this is now or never.’ Drawing in a deep breath, the young man walked up to the building and entered before exhaling. The room was dark, musky and dreary. There was also an evil vibe in the air. ‘I don’t like this.’ Yugi looked around and tilted his head when he realized he could still sense the spirit of his puzzle. ‘Good. My puzzle is in here. More importantly, Yami is all right.’ That gave him a little bit of hope that maybe he wouldn’t have such a difficult time after all. His thoughts were interrupted by diabolical laughter, making his hopeful look turn into a glare. “Show yourself, whoever you are!!” he yelled. He had very little time for foolishness.
More evil laughter followed. The lights flickered on, revealing a massive dueling arena. “So you finally showed up, Little Yugi! For awhile, I was beginning to worry whether you would have the guts!” taunted the uncanny voice.
Yugi’s eyes narrowed. “Of course I did! No way am I letting you have my puzzle!” He looked around for his millennium puzzle so he could grab it and get out of there. The ancient artifact was fastened to the wall. He frowned, realizing retrieving it would be far more challenging than he initially imagined. ‘What I don’t understand is, what could this man want with my millennium puzzle?’
“Your puzzle is safe, but whether it remains that way depends on you. You’re a fool if you thought getting it back would be easy. If you want it back, you’re going to have to fight me for it! That’s right, I challenge you to a duel!”
Yugi froze, looking as if he thought the thief had lost his mind. He didn’t understand why he had to duel for his item. The only other thing puzzling him was he couldn’t shake the feeling that he met the man before. He shook his head. ‘Now is not the time to think about that. He stole my puzzle, and that’s unacceptable.’
The robed man revealed himself, and laughed again. "Are you going to accept my challenge? Or are you too afraid?" he taunted.
Yugi gave him a hard look. "Never! I'm not afraid of you, whoever you are. But I will not duel you for something that is already mine!"
The caped man sneered at the spiky haired teen. He had heard stories of him being somewhat defiant, but he had doubts whether the young man would be able to back up his words. "If you don't, I will smash your puzzle into smithereens!"
Yugi started trembling with a fearful expression on his face. ‘Oh no! If he does that, then it will mean the end of the spirit inside.’ What was worse than the actual threat was that there was no telling if the man would make good on it or not. ‘As ridiculous as his challenge may be, I can’t let Yami be killed.’ He let out another sigh. "All right. I accept your challenge.”
The thief let out a chuckle. "I knew you would see things my way. Very wise choice." He and Yugi both ascended the dueling platform before taking their places on the arena.
The spiky haired boy nervously set his deck on the field. He knew there was a chance he would have to fight alone, but he wasn’t sure if he could under such dire circumstances. His eyebrows rose a little when he realized he could still sense the presence of the spirit. ‘Hmm. Maybe I can still connect with Yami even though I am not wearing my puzzle.’ He tried connecting with the mind of his alter ego and succeeded, but just barely.
A silhouette of the spirit appeared. "I cannot help you, because the bond is too weak and I can feel someone watching me. You will have to fight this duel alone.”
Yugi looked at his friend and counterpart with wide, scared eyes."But I have never fought a duel with such high stakes on my own before," he protested. “How can I possibly win?”
Yami smiled kindly at his dueling protégé, sensing his fear and dismay. He hated disappointing him the way he did, but it couldn’t be helped. "You can. Just believe in yourself and in the heart of the cards. And know that I will be guiding you." With that, he disappeared.
Yugi bowed his head and closed his eyes to mentally prepare himself for the toughest battle he had ever fought alone. ‘I will win and save you if it’s the last thing I do, Yami, I promise.’ He opened his eyes and gave his opponent a fierce look of determination. “Play time is over! It’s time to duel!”
The robed man laughed. "Prepare to lose everything, Little Yugi! This duel will be your last!"
"We'll see about that!"
"We will indeed.”
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Post by LadyKeren on Aug 29, 2015 13:50:40 GMT
Chapter 2
The two young men exchanged a stare after shuffling their decks and setting them down on the playing field. After breaking eye contact, they each drew five cards.
Yugi put his best game face on as he gazed at the cards in his hand. ‘I have to win this duel in order to save Yami. I also hope to get to the bottom of what this man is after.’
The mystery duelist shot him a smirk. “So, little shrimp, are you prepared to lose your puzzle and friend forever?”
Yugi kept his facial expression nonchalant. He was quite used to the insults in regards to his short stature and was now able to let them roll off his back. “You’re the one who is going to lose,” he retorted in his best no-nonsense tone. He wasn’t sure if he was doing a good job but he wanted to show how confident he could be without his counterpart by his side.
The caped man chuckled. He had serious doubts the spiky haired teen would be able to hold his own without help from the spirit of the puzzle. “Oh, is that so? Well, let’s see how tough you are!”
“You’re about to find out! I’ll go first!” Yugi peeked down at his cards once again, looking thoughtful. ‘Hmmm. I have no idea what his strategy is like, so I can’t prepare one of my own yet. For now, I will just make a safe move.’ He hardened his gaze."I summon Celtic Guardian in attack mode!" (1400 attk) An elf dressed in green and brown holding a sword appeared on the field, grunting. "That ends my turn."
The robed man gave a look of disdain at Yugi’s opening move. ‘I find it hard to believe he defeated Maximillian Pegasus with such a weak deck.’ He had expected much more of a challenge, considering what he knew of the young boy’s reputation. ‘Is he holding back?’ he pondered, frowning a little. His frown then faded and turned into a small grin. ‘Well, no matter. He will be trampled by my army of rare monsters.’ He erupted into loud laughter. "Is that all you're capable of? How pathetic. It appears defeating you was a simpler task than I thought. I'll play a monster in defense mode. That ends my turn. Try to attack me if you dare." He smirked evilly. ‘The minute this fool attacks me, he’s finished!’
Yugi frowned. ‘That’s weird. Why would he be on the defensive on his first move if he is so sure he’s going to win? Is he trying to lure me into attacking?’ He knew if he did attack, he might fall into a trap that could cost him the duel. ‘However, if I don’t, it will only drag the duel out and I will never save Yami that way.’ He tugged on his bangs a bit, thinking of what he should do about his dilemma. ‘I have to get rid of that defense monster sometime, so although I have a bad feeling, I can’t let that stop me.’ He stopped tugging at his hair and put his focused look back on."Celtic Guardian, attack his face down monster!"
The mystery duelist smirked and laughed a little. “Not so fast!”
“Oh no!” gasped Yugi. He knew when a phrase like that was uttered, it meant his opponent was about to outsmart him in some way. “What are you up to?”
“You activated my Cyber Jar! “ A white jar with a blue mouth and emerald green gem materialized and swallowed up Celtic Guardian.
Yugi’s mouth dropped open as he watched his monster vanish into thin air. “What?! My monster is gone.”
The robed man laughed. "I see this move has taken you by surprise. This card destroys every monster on the field. Both of us are also required to draw five new cards and summon every monster that is level 4 or lower.”
“Fine.” Yugi drew five new cards as instructed, scanning his hand for any level four and below monsters. ‘I suppose I should defend this turn to be safe.’ He laid the card down on the field and then frowned when replaying his opponent’s voice in his head. ‘I can’t put my finger on it, but something about this man seems familiar. I’m not sure why, though.’ He tried to think of where he could have seen him before, but there were no clues. ‘Oh, well. It isn't important right now.’
"On the defensive now, are you? Well, not to worry, your destruction will come swiftly so you won't have to suffer. I summon Bugroth and Mechanical Chaser!"
Yugi let out a loud gasp. The move had triggered a memory. ‘Now I know where I have seen this guy before. It’s not just the voice that rings a bell, but the deck as well. Only one duelist I can think of that uses machine type cards…it has to be Bandit Keith.’ He stared ahead at his opponent with a firm expression on his face."Show yourself, Bandit Keith!"
“Very well.” The mystery duelist removed the hood that concealed his head, and it was indeed the blonde haired Intercontinental Champion. He wore the same trademark bandana with the design of the American flag. However, his eyes were different. They were cold and almost dead.
‘So I was right.’ A confused frown crossed Yugi’s features. 'Why would Keith disguise himself, steal my puzzle and threaten to destroy the spirit inside?’ He knew of Bandit Keith to be a cheater, but not someone who was sadistic. ‘But then again I haven’t seen him since he was ejected from Duelist Kingdom. Something must have happened to him since then. I have to find out what. Maybe I can talk some sense into him.’ He did his best to ignore the chills that were threatening to ensue from looking into the blonde man’s eyes. "Snap out of it! This isn't who you are!"
Keith studied the boy before him for a bit. ‘So innocent, yet so naïve.’ He gave an evil laugh. "I am not Bandit Keith! He no longer exists! He is my mindslave now!"
Yugi just stared at the man. While his suspicions were confirmed that something was not right, the change in behavior still unnerved him. "Then who are you? And who put you up to this?!"
"No one did. It is a decision I've made on my own terms. It is part of my plan to eliminate you and that worthless pharaoh. I merely thought Bandit Keith would be one of the perfect servants to do my bidding," answered another man's voice, this one unfamiliar, and even more diabolical. “When Keith was ejected from Duelist Kingdom and was struggling to swim to shore, my rare hunters and I had fished him out of the sea to add to my army of rare hunters. The pathetic fool may have been defeated in Duelist Kingdom, but thanks to my powers he is unstoppable. And as for who I am, that will be revealed in due time. For now, let's just say I am someone who will take your counterpart's fate as my own after I dispose of him. I possess more knowledge of the ancient scriptures than you will ever know."
Yugi froze, aghast at how dangerous the man sounded and how he made Pegasus seem tame in comparison. ‘I wonder which millennium item he is using to control Bandit Keith.’ He let out a sigh. ‘If only I had Yami’s help. Oh well. I will have to see what I can do on my own. I just know this madman, whoever he is, won’t get away with his plan.’
Keith’s eyes returned to their normal state for a brief second, signifying he was trying to break free from his mind control. "H-help me please. Take this nut job down!" he earnestly begged.
His manipulator sneered. "You're too weak to defeat the power of my millennium rod, fool!" The unidentified male used the rod to strengthen the control on him, returning his eyes to the blank state.
Mind controlled Keith glanced back up, laughing evilly. "I summon Machine King in attack mode! This monster gains 100 attack points for every machine monster on the field. Machine King, destroy this fool's face down monster." The robot-like being shot his fist at the defense monster, sending it up in flames.
Yugi had a grim expression on his face as he watched the destruction of his monster. ‘I really need to figure out a strategy…and fast, too. ‘ He pulled a card from his deck, hoping it was something that would help him turn the duel around. His expression turned into disappointment when he saw he had drawn another weak monster. ‘This doesn’t even come close to matching the attack strength of Machine King. I guess I will have to stay on the defensive. ‘ He put his best pokerface on so his opponent wouldn’t rub it in. “I play Giant Soldier of Stone in defense mode!!” (1000 def)
"How sad,” mocked Keith. “I summon Megasonic Eye. Since it is a machine monster, my Machine King's attack strength is raised by another one hundred points." A reddish aura surrounded the machine monster as its attack points increased to twenty-six hundred. "Machine King, incinerate his defense monster!" Giant Soldier of Stone was destroyed, leaving Yugi defenseless once more.
Yugi could feel his confidence dwindling ever so slightly. ‘I could sure use my friends’ support right about now. I wonder what they’re doing this very moment.’ He lowered his head a bit. ‘You guys, please show up soon. I really need your help.’
Yugi’s friends were currently running through the alley, desperately trying to find him. Shortly after the original three teens had begun their search, they had bumped into Tristan and Joey. When Tèa filled the two boys in on all the details, they cursed like sailors at the thought of someone stealing Yugi’s belongings and instantly agreed to help.
Bakura’s ring tugged him through another corridor and the remainder of the gang had to speed up so they wouldn’t be left behind.
Tèa was starting to feel out of breath from running so fast and her legs had begun to ache. She had to slow down a bit. "Oh, I sure hope we make it in time.”
"Well when I find whoever did this, they're gonna be sorry!" declared Joey, clenching his fist. He didn’t tolerate anyone going after his friends and family.
"I'm with you," agreed Tristan.
Vicki still had trouble wrapping her head around what Tèa told her, given that when she played Duel Monsters, it was strictly for fun. However, she saw herself becoming friends with the spiky haired teen and hated the idea of him being in danger because of criminals. "Oh I'm sure he'll make it. From what you’ve told me, he seems to be a very tough little lad. It'll take more than this to break him."
Tèa scrunched up her face in thought. It was true, Yugi was indeed tougher than he looked, but she still couldn’t help worrying at times. "Yes, I guess you’re right." She mentally assured herself with Vicki’s words to calm her nerves. `Don't worry, Yugi. We'll be right with you soon.'
Bakura's millennium ring gave a hard tug again. He wasn’t ready at the time and nearly stumbled. The others ran to keep up with him when they realized they were being left behind.
"Hey laddie, control that ring of yours, will ya?" yelled Vicki, rubbing at her left knee a bit. “I almost blew my knee out.” She reached up a hand to smooth down her super long hair.
Bakura slowed down and briefly placed a hand over his mouth. "Goodness, my apologies. I hope you’re not hurt. You have to excuse this accursed ring. Sometimes it does things I have no control over. " He sometimes wished he didn't have the item, especially when it caused him to unknowingly harm someone and have no memory of it afterwards.
(the warehouse)
Yugi tapped his chin, pondering which strategy he should use to defeat the two powerful machine monsters. ‘I know there are monsters powerful enough to defeat them, but I need to draw the right card or it’s all over.' He closed his eyes briefly as he prepared to draw his card. 'Heart of the cards, guide me!'
Mind controlled Keith tapped his foot in boredom and faked a loud yawn. "What are you waiting for?! Make your final pathetic move so I can dispose of you and that foolish pharaoh." There was a brief view of the man who played puppet master to Keith, although he was invisible to Yugi. He was sitting on a throne-like chair, also wearing a dark cloak. He had an ominous look in his eyes.
Yugi drew a card, and smiled a bit when he held it in front of his face to see. ‘Curse of Dragon...this may help.’ He eyed the cards in his hand and his smile grew wider when he saw he happened to be holding Polymerization and Gaia the Fierce Knight, too. 'Perfect. I can summon Gaia the Dragon Champion. He’s definitely strong enough to beat Mechanical Chaser.’ He smiled to himself, happy that he finally had a chance to make a comeback. "I play Curse of Dragon and Gaia the Fierce Knight in attack mode! I'll also use Polymerization to fuse these monsters together in order to form Gaia the Dragon Champion! Gaia, attack his Mechanical Chaser with Double Dragon Lance!" The dragon warrior slashed the machine monster with his lance, destroying it. Bandit Keith lost 750 points, leaving him at 1250 life points, as well as weakening Machine King.
"Hmm. Impressive. I was worried that you had lost your touch since defeating Pegasus. However, your luck is about to run out." Marik/Keith drew a card, grinning evilly. “I would like to see how you will handle it when I switch my weaker monsters to defense mode, and play a magic card called Machine Conversion Factory, which raises the attack and defense points of my monsters by 300 points." Machine King now had 2800 attack points. Yugi’s smile faded and turned into a worried look upon seeing this. “Machine King, rid the field of his dragon knight combo!" Yugi lost 200 life points from that attack. "Do you surrender yet? You'll make things so much easier for yourself if you do."
"Never!" Yugi’s eyes possessed a fiery spirit. He was determined not to let anything faze him from now on. ‘The comeback was a start, but I have to keep drawing good cards so I can keep it going.’ He put on his best determined look. "My turn now." He pulled another card from his deck and glanced at it, looking pleased to see he had drawn another high level monster. ’Hmm. Summoned Skull. Not quite strong enough to defeat Machine King on his own, but I have an idea for another combination attack.’ He checked to see what else he was holding. ‘Awesome! Makiu, the Magical Mist! This is just what I need.’ His face lit up.
Keith had a confused expression on his face. ‘Huh? What’s this little runt smiling for? No matter what he plays, it will be at the mercy of my Machine King.’
Yugi let his eyes meet Keith’s."I hope you’re prepared to say goodbye to your Machine King! First, I play my magic card, Makiu the Magical Mist and then I call Summoned Skull to the field in attack mode!" (2500 attk) A skeleton that had a chalk white upper body and red leg muscles rose from beneath the ground just as it started to drizzle. The flood of water dampened the field ever so slightly.
“Big deal,” scoffed Marik/Keith. “So you’ve managed to flood the field with a rain shower and summon an impressive monster. You’ll have to do better than that to defeat me!” He smirked, thinking how he would crush Yugi’s monster on his upcoming turn. However, the smugness drained from his face when he noticed that the light downpour was making his monsters rust. “What the—“ His mouth hung open as he watched Summoned Skull gain 750 attack points, making it three thousand, two hundred fifty. ‘This kid has really done his homework. Not that it matters, since I can easily counter his move. Once I draw the right card, he’s history.’
"Summoned Skull, destroy Machine King with Lightning Strike!" Lightning surrounded the skeleton monster, and it flashed towards Machine King, electrocuting it. Keith lost 400 more life points.
"You've done very well, considering that you're dueling on your own. But it ends now. I play Graceful Charity, which allows me to draw 3 new cards as long as I discard two." Rather than abide by the rules, Keith opted to cheat by removing 3 cards from his sleeve. Whether he was controlled or not, it was part of his plan to make sure he drew the card he needed. "I play the magic card, Zera Ritual! This allows me to sacrifice 2 monsters in order to summon Zera the Mant!" (2800 attk) A hideous turquoise coloured creature appeared on the field, roaring.
Yugi’s proud-of-himself expression turned into one of fear. 'Oh no. With my monster’s attack strength back to normal, it doesn’t stand a chance against Zera.’
"Zera the Mant, destroy Summoned Skull!" The turquoise coloured monster slashed Summoned Skull with its claws, reducing it to ribbons. Yugi lost 300 more life points as a result. He looked grim. ‘I have to do something or else I’ll lose.’
(outside the warehouse)
Bakura and the others were led to the rundown warehouse by the millennium ring. The arrows on it gave a hard pull, indicating there was a strong force inside the building. His dark side had taken over by then. He wore a scowl on his face as he thought about the situation. 'Yugi better not have lost that duel. I'm the one who deserves the puzzle.' He dismissed his musings and disguised his voice to sound as friendly as his hikari’s. "I think Yugi is in here. Let’s go in before we’re too late."
"Right behind you.” Something about the warehouse made chills go down Vicki’s spine, but they were not severe enough to scare her away. Drawing in a deep breath, and exhaling, she and the others tiptoed inside the building. The group stood still when they saw Yugi dueling a man dressed in a cape and the millennium puzzle hanging from the wall. A million questions entered Tèa’s mind at once, such as Who is that guy? and Why is Yugi’s puzzle hanging on the wall?
Joey gazed around the room before his eyes landed on Yugi and the duel set up. He blinked in confusion. “Does someone want to fill me in here?”
Vicki’s attention was on the robe Yugi’s opponent was wearing. She made a face that was between bafflement and amusement. ‘Who dresses in just a robe in public? Seriously, this chap needs some fashion tips.’ She wanted so badly to poke fun at the choice of wardrobe, but knew there were bigger problems to worry about. “I could only guess,” she remarked.
“Well, whatever the case is, Yugi could be in great danger,” pointed out Tèa. “It’s a good thing we got here when we did.” She raised her voice a bit whilst calling out, “Hang in there, Yugi! We're here for you!"
"Come on, Yuge! You can beat this caped clown!" Joey cheered before looking the man up and down. ‘I can’t help but think I’ve seen that dude somewhere before. Oh well. Maybe it’s all in my head.’
The spirit of the ring smirked to himself as he listened to the cheers. 'Yes. I'm the one who will defeat you and take what's rightfully mine.'
Yugi tilted his head a bit at the sound of the familiar voices of his friends. ‘Joey, Tèa and Vicki…are they really here? Or is it just wishful thinking since I need them?’ Just to make sure that he wasn't hallucinating, he turned around to look. His eyes brightened when he saw his friends standing several feet away from the arena. He gave them a small smile before once again turning his attention back to the duel.
Marik/Keith growled softly, not liking the interruption one bit. ‘But then again, it is quite fitting for Little Yugi to have an audience witnessing his destruction.’ His look of displeasure turned into a sneer. "What a very touching reunion. However, I am afraid it'll have to be cut short. Make your final pathetic move."
"Here goes." Yugi drew a card, feeling hopeful he would be able to get back on track now that his motivation was nearby. Disappointment was etched on his features as soon as he laid eyes on what he had drawn. ‘Koumori Dragon? It only has 1500 attack points. That doesn’t even come close to being able to stand up to Zera.’ He realized he would have to defend. ‘Maybe I can buy some time to help me find a way to bring down Keith’s monster. ‘ He set the card down on the field with a somber look on his face.
Marik gave a look of disdain. 'There's no way this foolish boy can defeat me with such a feeble deck. He should have surrendered when he had the chance.' The caped man laughed. “No pathetic defense is going to save you! I summon Seiyaryu in attack mode! I'll also set one card face down, as well as play the magic card, Stop Defense."
Yugi’s eyes widened in fear. "Oh no!" He knew because Koumori Dragon's attack strength was so low, he would take a heavy blow when Zera attacked. ‘I can’t afford to lose so many life points.’
"Zera, attack Koumori Dragon!" Marik/Keith ordered. The creature delivered a mighty swipe to the purple colored dragon with its claws, destroying it. Yugi trembled as he watched his life points plummet to a very low four hundred.
"Things sure don't look good for Yugi," observed Tristan. "He's gotta do something soon or he's toast."
"Oh, I'm sure he can do it. After all, he defeated the creator of Duel Monsters at his own game," Vicki reminded him. She clasped her hands together. 'Come on, Yugi. Keep fighting.'
"You said it." Joey agreed with her. He turned to glare at the possessed Keith. "It'll take more than that to beat my pal, you robed freak!" He gave him another quick scrutiny, this time looking at his face. His mouth opened slightly when it suddenly hit him why he recognized the man. ‘That’s Bandit Keith! Only this time he’s creepier. I couldn’t stand him back in Duelist Kingdom, but this time he’s much worse than before. I hope Yugi curb-stomps him!’
Marik smirked at Joey through his puppet’s eyes. 'If only these fools knew what I have in store for Little Yugi.'
Possessed Bandit Keith sighed and faked another yawn. "All right, enough playing around. It’s time for you to make your final move so I can move on to the next phase of my plan."
"With pleasure." The tricolor haired teen drew another card, frowning a little when he saw it was not what he had been hoping for. ‘Mystical Elf…much too weak to take down either Seiyaryu or Zera.’ “I play Mystical Elf in defense mode, and that’s all.” (2000 def) A blue skinned warrior with bleached blonde hair appeared on the field chanting a spell.
"Desperate move.” Marik/Keith gave him a look of false pity, whilst clicking his tongue. “Perhaps if you had the spirit of the puzzle helping you, your chances of defeating me would have been greater. Well, don't worry. I will put you out of your misery. Seiyaryu, destroy that feeble elf!" Yugi watched grimly as his last defense was destroyed. “I also set two cards face down and switch Zera from attack to defense mode. Your demise is drawing near. I would use this last turn wisely if I were you."
“This looks bad,” Yugi muttered under his breath. ‘I’ve got to make this next turn count.' He pulled a card from his deck. ‘Please let it be one that can help me turn this match around and win the duel.’ As he brought the card up to look at, the corners of his lips slowly curled into a smile. ‘Yes! Dark Magician! He could definitely be what I need to win the duel.’ He glanced at Keith with his best confident smile. "I'll lay one card face down, and then throw Dark Magician in defense mode!” (2100 def) A young man with longish deep purple hair, blue eyes, dressed in a purple cloak and holding a staff appeared on the field, crouching down on one knee. “I also play Magical Hats to conceal him. That ends my turn."
Upon seeing Yugi’s ace on the field, Joey and Tristan wore smiles that were a mile wide. They had the urge to do a happy dance as well, but decided to save it for when their friend won the duel.
"That's the way, Yuge!"
"Finish this creep off!"
Marik/Keith gave a smug grin. "Good try, Little Yugi. However, it wasn't good enough!"
Yugi’s smile faltered and turned into a look of chagrin. He wasn’t sure how much more of having his strategies foiled he could take, and he was afraid to ask what his opponent had planned this time. His right hand proceeded to shake and he had to smack it. He didn’t want Keith to see his fear.
Thankfully the robed man didn’t seem to notice. "I'll discard one card, and then I play my trap card, Magic Jammer. I'll use it to destroy those silly hats!"
Yugi watched with a stunned look as the protection for his Dark Magician was destroyed. "Oh no! My Magical Hats!"
"But wait, there's more. I also reveal my magic card, Curse of Fiend! This card allows me to switch the mode of the monsters!" Zera and Dark Magician were switched into attack mode as a result. "Zera, attack Dark Magician!"
Yugi smiled a tiny smile. "Not so fast! I reveal my trap card, Mirror Force! Now your attack is reflected towards your own monster!"
Marik/Keith smirked. "Not quite!"
Yugi’s smile disappeared. "What now?"
"I play my trap card, Solemn Judgment! At a cost of half my life points, I can negate your trap!"
Yugi lowered his head a bit, not caring to see his favorite monster get destroyed. The attack made his life points drop down to one hundred. He raised his head back up and fought hard to keep his game face on. 'I know I can still win this...but it won't be easy.' He drew a card, smiling slightly as he looked at it. ‘This can come in handy.’ He smiled an open mouthed smile as an idea came to him. “All right, Keith, I place a monster in defense mode and two cards face down. That’s all.”
"You have just made your final move." Marik/Keith pulled another card from up his sleeve. "I play Tribute to the Doomed, which allows me to destroy any monster on the field, as long as I discard a card from my hand." He disposed of a card he had no intention of using.
Yugi’s eyes bugged out. "That's the rarest magic card there is!"
"That's right. Say goodbye to your last defense!"
It was now Yugi’s turn to have a smug grin on his face. "Nice try!"
Keith’s jaw dropped open. "What the-?"
"I reveal my trap card, Living Arrow!"
"No!"
"That's right! The arrow will take your magic card and send it right back at Zera!" The arrow flew at Zera like a dart and pierced it.
Marik/Keith had a nonchalant expression on his face. It was almost like he was pulling the wool over Yugi’s eyes when he showed fear. "Well, I still have my Seiyaryu. Go my dragon, destroy that defense monster at once!"
Yugi was still smiling. "You forgot my other face down card! Reveal Spellbinding Circle! Now your monster is snared in the trap and is 700 attack points weaker!" Seiyaryu's attack strength decreased to one thousand, eight hundred."It is my turn now. It's time for me to win this duel!" Yugi drew a card, his grin spreading wider when he glanced at it. ‘Awesome. I can use this to revive Dark Magician, which will win me the duel.' "I play my magic card, Monster Reborn!"
Keith’s mouth hung wide open. ‘What is this squirt going to revive?’ Two beads of sweatdrops formed on his forehead and he proceeded to tremble.
"I'll use it to revive my Dark Magician!" continued Yugi.
The robed man mentally cursed. He had a bad feeling the spiky haired teen would revive his favorite monster and now his fear had come true. "No! This can't be! I was so close to destroying you!"
"I'm afraid it's over! Dark Magician, destroy his Seiyaryu with Dark Magic attack!" The magician emitted dark energy from his staff at the dragon, destroying it. Marik/Keith's life points dropped to zero. Only once turning to look back at Keith, Yugi grabbed his deck off the playing field and exited the dueling platform.
"You did it!" Tèa cheered.
"Who's the man?!" chimed Tristan.
"Yuge is!" answered Joey. He gave his best friend a high five.
Vicki was grinning so hard her cheeks hurt. "I knew you would beat him.”
Yami Bakura had been observing the entire duel through Ryou. He discreetly gave an evil grin. ‘Excellent work, Yugi. I was hoping you would win so I can have a rematch against your miserable counterpart and claim my prize.’
Marik gritted his teeth and let out a fierce growl. He had planned this scheme so carefully, only to be robbed of his victory by some kid. ‘I can’t believe that little runt outsmarted me! He will pay for that! ’ He sulked for a bit and then a wicked smile escaped his lips. ‘I will come up with a plan that’ll destroy him and the pharaoh.’
Again, Keith managed to break free of Marik's mind control. He proceeded to scream. "Ah, get out of my head! Show yourself, whoever you are!"
"Your feeble brain is no match for my powers, you fool!" Marik taunted him. "Resistance is futile!"
Keith leapt off the dueling platform, running out of the warehouse, holding his head and screaming.
Joey looked like he thought Keith had lost his mind. He whistled softly. "What was all that about? What was up with Bandit Keith?"
“Someone had brainwashed him into taking my millennium puzzle,” explained Yugi. “I don’t know who it was, but apparently the person wants to destroy the spirit inside. “
‘So that’s why the puzzle was bolted to the wall.’ Joey had only recently come to terms with the idea of there being another more confident Yugi. He still couldn’t help but raise an eyebrow. "Wow. Sounds like a real Grade A nut case.”
Tèa would usually think so, too, but this time she had a very uneasy feeling in her stomach that the man was more dangerous than she suspected. ‘He could strike again soon, for all I know.’
Vicki’s eyes drifted up to the wall and she caught a glimpse of the puzzle. ‘Wow...that artifact looks incredible. I hope I don’t have any nightmares after what that robed weirdo just did.’
Tristan let out the shudder he had been holding back. "Let's get out of here.”
"I have to get my puzzle first," Yugi reminded him.
"Yeah. But how?" He saw how the puzzle was attached to the wall. ‘Oh man. Retrieving this thing will be difficult. Whoever possessed Keith to take the puzzle surely didn't want Yugi to have it anymore, that's for sure.’ He proceeded to yank on the puzzle, but to no avail. ‘Gah! This chain is so thick! What was Yugi thinking when he chose it?’
Joey rolled his eyes at Tristan's attempt."Let a real man do the job!"
"Oh yeah? I'd like to see you try," the pointy haired teen retorted.
"Oh I will. Stand back and watch the master in action!"
Tristan hung back and folded his arms with an amused expression on his face. 'This should be interesting.’ His best friend's ditziness and tough guy act never ceased to amaze him.
Joey tried pulling on the puzzle as well, but he wasn't successful, either.
Tristan had to bite his lip to stifle the laughter that was erupting in the pit of his stomach. "What was that you were saying?"
"Zip it!"
Vicki shook her head whilst listening to the two boys argue. She then noticed a long piece of pipe lying on the ground. ‘Voila! That should work.’ She glanced up at the boys, letting out a whistle to get their attention. "Hey, if you two laddies would stop your bickering for a second, I've found something that can help,” she told Joey and Tristan.
The two boys looked at her. "Huh? And what might that be?"
Vicki picked up the piece of pipe. "This."
Joey took the long pipe from her and examined it. "Hey, maybe it can help. Thanks Vicki. You're a genius."
Vicki blushed at the compliment. "I wouldn't say that, but if you think so."
'Let's see, how to do this?' Joey wondered to himself. All of a sudden, Tristan yanked the pipe out of his hands. Joey gave a surprised gasp and he looked flustered as well. "What the hell did you do that for?!"
"I think it'll be best if I freed the puzzle. You don't know what you're doing."
"And you do, genius?"
"More so than you!"
The two boys started bickering and fighting over the pipe, yelling things like “Give me that!” and “No way!”
Yugi opted to stay out of the dispute, although he couldn’t help but chuckle awkwardly. Tèa shook her head in disgust. This was one of the times she felt embarrassed to be around Joey and Tristan. "At least I now have a female friend to spend time with," she muttered under her breath.
Vicki groaned deep within her throat whilst she listened to the two young men argue. "Will you two knock it off? You are giving me a headache!" She rubbed her forehead.
The boys instantly stopped bickering and looked at each other, then at her sheepishly. "Sorry," they said in unison.
"Why not do it together? Many hands make light work, remember?"
"Of course." Joey looked at the eye bolt the puzzle was hanging from. His eyes widened a bit. ‘Ah! The bolt has a hole in it! That could be the ticket to prying the puzzle off the wall.’ He took the pipe back from Tristan, who seemed to be distracted. "I’ve got an idea, but I can't do it without you," he said.
“Huh?” Tristan turned his attention back to the blonde and cocked an eyebrow. It was rare when he respected any idea his best friend had. "Oh? And what's that?"
"It's very simple. All we have to do is put the pipe through the hole in the eye bolt, and pull it off the wall. Sounds ingenious, right?”
Tristan hesitated for a moment. He wasn't sure if the idea would work or not, but he couldn't think of a better one. "Okay, we have nothing to lose. Let's do it."
Joey slid the pipe through the hole in the eye bolt, and pulled. Tristan helped by bracing him . He was actually getting it to budge. He pulled and pulled, and after about fifteen minutes, he got it free. “Here you go, Yuge,” he said with a wide grin, holding the millennium item towards his best friend.
Yugi took the puzzle from him and hung it around his neck. "Thank you so much. You're the best."
Joey was so out of breath from all the energy he exerted into freeing the puzzle that he forgot to gloat to Tristan about how his idea paid off. "It was nothing."
"Okay, let's get out of here. I can't stand to be in this dump for one minute longer," moaned Tèa.
Vicki nodded in agreement."You said it!" The group of friends exited the warehouse together.
Yugi followed his friends, heaving a sigh of relief and appearing to be lost in his own thoughts. ‘That was a close call, but finally my puzzle is back where it belongs.’ He peered down at his puzzle. ‘Yami, I’m so glad you’re safe. I promise I won’t put you in danger like that again.’
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Post by LadyKeren on Sept 12, 2015 21:31:20 GMT
Chapter 3
(next day)
Although planned on short notice, Ishizu managed to have made all of the necessary preparations for the trip to Japan. She was now sitting in the airport terminal, waiting to board her flight. It was scheduled to arrive in forty five minutes, so she knew she had a bit of a wait. Not that she minded, seeing that she was accompanied by Keren. She glanced over at the woman two years her senior, smiling slightly at how absorbed she seemed to be in her novel. ‘That must be a romance novel. Speaking of such, I certainly hope she finds happiness with Odion one day.’ She opted to just let her read since she obviously needed the distraction.
Keren managed to get through twenty five percent of the book until she decided she couldn’t focus anymore. Letting out a sigh, she placed a bookmark between the pages and put the book away. ‘I suppose it is for the best. After all, I won’t see Ishizu for awhile so I should be enjoying these last moments with her.’ The decision to stay behind was pretty difficult, but it was one she felt she had to make.
Ishizu took a peek at her watch again to see how much time she had left to wait. ‘Fifteen minutes.’ From the corner of her eye she saw the older woman was no longer reading, meaning it was all right to converse with her. “Keren? Are you certain you will be all right staying behind? I can always make arrangements for you to join me tomorrow or the following day.”
Keren hesitated for a bit, especially when she heard the hint of worry and doubt in the younger woman’s voice. A thoughtful look crossed her features. ‘Hmmm...maybe I should consider her offer. After all, she had recently been the one to soothe my loneliness.’ Now that she thought about it, she wasn’t sure how she would be able to cope with the absence. Not to mention she couldn’t guarantee she would see much of Odion. ‘No no, wait! Remember your reason for staying behind in the first place,’ said a voice inside her head. She sighed at the interruption but knew her inner voice spoke reason. “As much as I would love to join you by at least tomorrow, I think it is best that I stay behind. I will travel with Marik and his henchmen when they plan their voyage. I am sure they will at some point. “ She could tell Ishizu was about to object just by looking at her expression, and she knew why. “I’ll be fine. I just want to keep an eye on Odion.”
The ebony-haired woman still looked doubtful, for her necklace had shown her a rather unsettling vision of Keren’s safety being threatened and she could sense that the probability of it coming true was great. However, she understood Keren had some business of her own to take care of. “Well…if you are sure,” she relented. She then got a very serious look on her face. “Just promise me you will be careful and that you will remain in contact with me so I know you are all right. “
Keren almost laughed at how motherly Ishizu sounded. ‘One would think she is the older one and not I.’ She was able to keep a straight face but just barely. “Of course. In fact, I don’t think I will be able to function unless I hear from you.”
Ishizu smiled a bit at that. “Good. Also, let me know if you change your mind. The offer still stands.”
Keren scrunched up her brow slightly. She was hoping it wouldn’t come to that, but there was no way she would stay someplace where she feared for her life. “I will. “
Before Ishizu could respond, there was a sound of the gong ringing loudly throughout the terminal, drowning out loud voices belonging to some unruly children. She and Keren remained silent just in case an important announcement was about to be made.
"Attention, please, attention please! Flight 2029 to Domino City, Japan is now boarding at Gate 7!" a woman’s voice boomed.
"Ishizu, that is you,” Keren reminded the Egyptian. She could feel a lump forming in her throat and her eyes were starting to get a bit misty. ’Oh, Ra, no. I promised myself no matter what, I would not cry.’ She didn’t like showing her emotions in front of strangers.
"Yes, I know." Ishizu gazed into Keren’s hazel eyes before wrapping her arms around her, enveloping her in a warm embrace. "Take care of yourself. And remember what you have promised me.”
Keren hugged her back, managing a weak smile even though she felt the lump in her throat increasing in size. It was the reminders that were keeping her from bursting into tears, although Ra knew how much she wanted to. "Don't worry. I will. And good luck with the tournament. I hope everything goes well." She still didn’t approve of Kaiba having Obelisk but she trusted Ishizu knew what she was doing.‘I just hope he proves he is worthy.’
"Thank you. I really should be boarding now." Ishizu broke out of the hug and rose from her seat. ”Goodbye for now."
"Goodbye. So much love to you."
"Likewise." Ishizu gave a brief salute before making her way to the gate.
Keren watched as the young woman disappeared from sight, quickly wiping away a tear that was rolling down her cheek. She had been trying to fight it, but she couldn’t any longer. ‘Remember now, it’s only for a few days. You will join her soon enough, so there is no need to go into a deep depression,’ she mentally told herself, over and over. She reached into her purse for her phone to call her chauffeur.
Vicki was sprawled across her bed reading after having completed her morning chores. The events from the previous day at the warehouse still weighed on her mind. She had been trying to shake it off, but she didn’t think she would ever be able to, as it was like nothing she had ever witnessed before. ‘And don’t get me started on that voice...if it doesn’t give me nightmares tonight, I would be surprised.’ She shuddered a bit, replaying the voice belonging to Yugi’s opponent. Sure, she had seen worse in movies, but if anyone told her such things existed in real life, she would not have believed it. ‘To think I teased Rosie so mercilessly about being superstitious before…now it’s coming back to haunt me. I can just hear her laughing and rubbing my nose in it. No way am I gonna give her the satisfaction though.’ She chuckled a little, thinking about how her best friend she left behind would have a fun time gloating. ‘Speaking of which, I wonder how she has been holding up. I know me moving away was a little harder on her than she let on. Perhaps I should give her a call later.’
Her musings were then silenced by the sound of the telephone ringing, making her ears perk up. ‘Hmm. I wonder if that’s Yugi, Tèa or Joey. They were the only ones I gave my number to.’
Ring ring.
Vicki lazily pulled herself into a sitting position. "Okay, okay, I'm coming," she muttered under her breath. She marked the page in her novel and raced to the telephone, snatching it up. "Hello, Vicki speaking," she said, making an effort to sound perky.
"Hey there, Vicki, this is Tèa.”
A grin slowly crept upon Vicki’s face. She was hoping to hear from Tèa and depending on her purpose for calling, she would consider it to be the highlight of her day. She eliminated all signs of feeling wiped out from her voice. "Hi there. What's up?"
"I’m making a shopping list. How about you?"
Vicki let out a weary sigh and scratched her head. "Oh, very little. I was just reading a book when you called.” All of a sudden, she felt like doing something, as being cooped up in her apartment all day would be boring. ‘Too bad I don’t know the whereabouts of any shopping centers or other hangout spots and I wouldn’t want to impose on Tèa just in case she is busy or something. ‘
"I see. Will you be busy for the rest of the day?"
"No. Why?"
"I’m going to meet up with Yugi in a bit and we were wondering if you would like to join us. You know, maybe we could show you around the city since you're new here."
Vicki's grey-blue eyes brightened. ‘Is this girl a mind reader or what?’ She felt like jumping up and down while yelling, Yahoo, but opted to show some self-control instead. “Sure, I would love to.”
"Great. We'll pick you up in fifteen minutes."
"All right. See you then." Vicki hung up the phone. She was mostly ready, with the exception of a few minor things she had to do. She grabbed her hairbrush and gave her thigh length chocolate coloured hair a quick brushing before resting her favorite beret on her head. After slipping on her ballet slippers, she retrieved her book, purse and keys, heading to the living room to wait. She sat on her couch and picked up her book to read a bit more whilst waiting for her friends.
She had only gotten through a few more pages when she heard knocking on the door, along with some murmuring outside. She glanced at her watch. ‘That must be Yugi and Tèa now. Hard to believe 15 minutes has gone by so quickly.’ Placing the bookmark inside the book, she grabbed her belongings and went to see who was knocking. She peeked through the curtains and spotted her two friends standing on the doorstep. She unlocked the door and opened it. “Hey you guys,” she greeted with a cheery smile.
"Hiya, Vicki," they answered. Tèa quickly eyed the girl from head to toe, not actually studying or scrutinizing her but more of a glance over. “Well you certainly look as different as we do out of uniform,” she said, before she could be questioned about whether something was wrong or not. “If it were not for your hair color, I would not have recognized you.”
“Oh?” Vicki gave a confused frown before looking down at her grey turtleneck shirt and black plaid kilt. She was sure the outfit would give her origin away, but it was one of her favorites. “How so?”
“Well for starters, you’re wearing your hair down instead of partially in a French braid,” Tèa pointed out. “It looks really nice though.”
Vicki gave a small self-conscious smile. “Thank you.” Everywhere she went, people admired her hair but she didn’t really think it was all that special. ‘Must be because of the length.’
Yugi smiled at the interaction between the two girls. He was beginning to think Vicki would fit in their circle of friends just fine. ‘I just know Yami will like her as well. She is definitely easy to get along with.’ He hated to break up their little conversation, but knew they would have to get going if they hoped to do any reasonable amount of sightseeing that day."You ready to go?" he asked.
"You bet." Vicki stepped outside, closing the door behind her and locking it before leaving with her new friends.
(later)
Ishizu peeked through the window to see that the plane had landed and was now speeding down the runway. She smiled a little, happy to have finally arrived and that the flight went pretty smoothly. Not one to sleep through plane rides, she spent the journey mulling over the plan in her head. ‘My necklace tells me Marik will also come to Domino City and I am confident I will be well prepared. I have foreseen that Kaiba will assist me, albeit for selfish reasons. What’s important is that he will.’ A cocky smile escaped her lips as she was proud of herself for thinking of consulting with Kaiba. ‘He is much more involved in this role than he knows, and while he may be a skeptic at first, he will learn the truth soon enough. ‘
The speed of the plane going down the runway gradually decreased until it eventually came to a complete stop. Whilst Ishizu waited for the other passengers to exit the plane, she closed her eyes and said a silent prayer for Keren to be safe from the rare hunters. ‘Be careful, Keren.’ When she opened her eyes, she realized she was the only one left. She unbuckled her seatbelt and stood up to stretch her legs as they were slightly cramped from sitting for so long. She slowly climbed down the steps to exit the plane. She had her belongings shipped to Japan the previous day and made arrangements for transportation so she knew there was no need to wait with the other passengers. As soon as she climbed out, she spotted a group of men dressed in suits standing in front of the building, seemingly waiting for her. She ran a slender finger across her necklace. ‘They are right on schedule.’ She briskly approached the men, not wanting them to be kept waiting. After all, there was much work to be done.
“Welcome to Japan, Ms. Ishtar,” greeted one of the officials, smiling. “We have been expecting you.”
Ishizu managed a reserved smile as she nodded. "Thank you very much. I appreciate your hospitality."
"It is our pleasure. Thank you for choosing us to host your exhibition. Not to worry, the thieves you've mentioned will not lay a hand on your artifacts. Our security is extremely tight."
Ishizu wasn’t sure how to say she already knew things would be just fine without them raising questions about it, so she simply responded, “Well, from the moment I spoke to you gentlemen, I had the feeling I could trust you to make sure everything is taken care of.”
The official’s brows furrowed, but before he could answer, a limo pulled up and stopped in front of the tan-skinned young woman. “I take it that is your transportation to the museum?”
Ishizu’s eyes averted to the ebony stretch limo. “Yes. Once again, thank you for all your help.” She opened the door and climbed in, shutting it behind her. With that, the limo pulled off.
After several hours of touring the city, Tèa, Vicki and Yugi were now at Mr. Mutou's game shop. Yugi wanted his grandfather to meet the new friend he had told him about. Seeing that Vicki was in no hurry to go home, she consented to it.
Vicki took a look around the store at all the different trading cards on display. She heard the sound of the television blaring in the other room, but drowned it out as best as she could. There were numerous cards that caught her eye and she wanted to add to her collection. ‘I must say the shopkeeper has wonderful taste.’ From the corner of her eye she spotted an elderly man sitting behind the counter. She shot a quick glance at him to get a better look. She noticed the similarities between his and Yugi’s hairstyles. ‘I take it that’s Yugi’s grandpa? He certainly looks friendly.’
Yugi gently tapped her shoulder, which made her turn to face him. “Are you ready to meet him now?” he quietly asked her.
Vicki nodded. “Let’s go.” She glanced over her shoulder at the cards, deciding she might purchase some of them before she left.
Yugi took her by the wrist and led her up to the old man. "Grandpa, this is my new friend, Victoria, or Vicki for short.”
Mr. Mutou seemed to be in his own world, but when he heard his grandson’s voice, he glanced up and squinted at Vicki, putting his glasses on. He gave her a warm smile."So you're the nice young lady my grandson told me about. It is a pleasure to meet you. I’m Solomon Mutou."
Vicki felt relaxed seeing his friendly smile and warm eyes as she gave direct eye contact. "It is a pleasure to meet you, too, Mr. Mutou." She extended a hand for him to shake.
He gave her hand a firm shake. ‘Mmmm, so soft.’ He let go of her hand and cleared his throat in order to avoid having inappropriate thoughts. "Please pardon me. I forgot myself for a second. Um..you’re welcome to watch television if you care to. My grandson can show you where it is."
Vicki nodded, for she usually watched television during the evenings. "All right. Thank you." She turned away from him, towards Tèa and Yugi. "Let's see if there is anything worth watching, you guys," she suggested.
"Okay!" Yugi and Tèa led their new friend to the living room where all three of them sat on the couch. The television was on the news channel. A press conference was being aired, featuring a tan-skinned young woman standing in the midst of the museum. She had longish straight jet-black hair and green-blue eyes.
Vicki leaned forward a bit and paid extra close attention, not wanting to miss anything that was being said.
"I would like to take this moment to invite all of the best duelists in Domino to my exhibition to view my artifacts and also learn about the origin of Duel Monsters," said the woman.
Vicki sat upright with a jolt. She had always wanted to know about the origins of Duel Monsters although she was no professional duelist. ‘I wonder about those artifacts as well. They sound like they’re really neat. I definitely want to check out that exhibition. I wonder what Yugi and Tèa think.’ She glanced over at her two friends, wondering what was on their minds as they were rather quiet.
A silhouette of the ancient pharaoh appeared next to Yugi, sitting on the chair arm. He watched the conference along with the youngsters, his brows furrowing a bit at the information. He let out an inaudible gasp when he noticed the necklace around Ishizu’s neck. ‘The millennium necklace…this woman may be able to help me uncover my past. She wields a millennium item and seems to be quite knowledgeable about ancient Egypt.’ He got a deep in thought expression, thinking a trip to the museum was in order.
(KaibaCorp)
Seto Kaiba sat in his office, working on some new technology. It was an upgrade to his duel disk and he wanted to make sure the device worked perfectly. He paid very little attention to the conference his younger brother was watching in the den.
Mokuba had an excited grin on his face as he heard the invitation. ‘Wow, that lady sounds so cool! I wish I could go check this stuff out, but I can’t go without Seto.’ He glanced up at his elder brother, who was still glued to the computer screen, typing busily. "Hey Seto. You're the best duelist in the world. Would you be interested in checking this out?"
The ruthless young businessman frowned. "No thanks, Mokuba. I don't have time for that garbage. I have a company to run," he replied flatly.
Mokuba wasn’t expecting him to react in such a way, but he knew enough to not press the issue once he said no. He shrugged his shoulders."Oh. Okay." Deep inside, though, he felt his brother needed to relax. ‘His work habits are so unhealthy and at the rate he is going he will give himself a heart attack.’ He opened his mouth to mention he wanted to go to the exhibition, but closed it, deciding the CEO would not let him go. ‘I wish he would at least let me have some fun even if he doesn’t want to.’
Just then, the telephone rang. Kaiba gave an exasperated sigh, not appreciating being interrupted one bit. Grumbling under his breath, he snatched up the phone. "What is it?" he asked gruffly. He hoped the person was calling for an important cause and not just to be a nuisance.
"Hello, Kaiba. Forgive my interruption, but I do have an important matter I wish to discuss with you. Stop what you are doing and look at the television screen. "
Kaiba glanced up at the television to see the conference still in progress, and then back at the computer screen."How did you know I had the television on?" he asked.
Ishizu didn't feel like getting into it right then, so all she said was, “Let's just say that I have a sixth sense about it."
Kaiba snorted and rolled his eyes. 'Oh great. Another self-proclaimed psychic.’ His tone became impatient as he said, "Listen, lady, if there is something you want to ask or tell me, make it quick." He was ready to get back to work.
On the other end, Ishizu was shaking her head in amusement. She anticipated the young man would be rushing her and she knew just how to handle it. "I would like to personally invite you to my exhibition. I can assure you that you won’t be disappointed. I have something to give you that I know you will be more than willing to accept. “
The former Duel Monsters champion almost burst out laughing. His first instinct was to call her a wacko and hang up on her, but hearing she had something to give him made his eyebrows raise in peaked curiosity. "All right.” With that, he ended the call. He pressed a button to contact his secretary.
“You rang, Mr. Kaiba?” asked a female’s voice.
“Yes. I am about to step out for a brief period of time so I want you to hold all my calls until I return.”
“Of course, Mr. Kaiba. Consider it done.”
“Good.” Kaiba pressed another button, this one for the limo service. “I want you to send a limo over to the Kaiba mansion at once. Yes. I will be waiting.” He let out a sigh as he hung up the phone. He then went into the den where Mokuba was still watching TV. “Come on, Mokuba. We’re going to the museum.”
Mokuba looked up at his brother, his eyes full of confusion. “What? But I thought you didn’t want to go.”
Kaiba sighed heavily and rubbed his temples. He resented having his orders questioned. “I don’t, but there has been a change of plans. Now let’s go. I don’t want to be out all evening.”
Mokuba could hear the irritation in his brother’s voice and saw the tense look on his face. ‘He probably is mad that his work has been interrupted, which is understandable, but surely he could stand to take a break from that thing for 15 minutes.’ He didn’t want to risk putting him in an even worse mood by keeping him waiting. "Okay, big brother." He got up and turned off the TV, following his brother out of the mansion to wait for the limo. It was getting very dark outside. ‘Wow, it must be very late. No wonder Seto wants to make this quick. I wouldn’t want to do business this late either. Weirdoes are out kidnapping at this hour.’
The Kaiba brothers stood on the doorsteps waiting until a limo finally pulled up five minutes later. They both climbed into the vehicle and shut the door.
“Good evening gentlemen,” the chauffeur greeted with a smile.
“Good evening,” answered Mokuba, whereas his brother muttered, “Good evening yourself.” Mokuba gave him a look that said, ‘Seto, be nice.’
The driver ignored his boss’ grumpy tone and drove away from the mansion. ” So where to, Mr. Kaiba?” he asked.
“Domino Museum.”
“You got it.” The chauffeur drove to the requested destination in silence, and both boys were quiet as well. He pulled up at the museum ten minutes later.
Kaiba reached for his briefcase before opening the door and climbing out of the limo. He glanced over his shoulder at Mokuba. “Stay in the limo. This won't take too long." He walked away before the young boy could reply and briskly walked up the steps, entering the museum. It appeared to be empty, with no trace of Ishizu anywhere. He frowned deeply…this did not bode very well for him. He didn’t want to be there in the first place and the fact that she was late didn’t win her any brownie points. ‘Where is that woman? If she thinks I’m gonna search the entire museum for her then she’s nuts.’ He was about to turn around and leave when all of a sudden, he heard footsteps. His eyes narrowed slightly until he spotted a young woman approaching him. He recognized her as the lady who gave the press conference. ‘It’s about time.’
"Welcome, Seto Kaiba. I knew you'd come,” said Ishizu. “You are the only guest here tonight."
The young gaming president gave her a cold stare. "The less people here, the better for me. Now let's get this over with. I do not plan to stay here all night. And you never properly introduced yourself."
Ishizu did her best to mask a pained expression at having forgotten to reveal her name. ‘He’s correct, you know. What has happened to your manners today?’ a voice chided her. She felt annoyed with herself that it took Kaiba’s berating for her to remember. She gave him an apologetic look. “You are right. Please pardon my poor manners. My name is Ishizu Ishtar.” Her lips curled into a small smile.”I can see you are anxious for our excursion to begin. Come with me.” She led him down the halls of the museum.
Without a word, Kaiba followed her. A part of him was curious about where she was taking him, although he would never openly admit that. Soon, they both stopped in front of a rather large room. It had a sign hanging from the doorknob that read KEEP OUT. Kaiba’s eyebrows rose a little. ‘What’s this? Could it be some kind of private room? I wonder what’s inside.’
Ishizu stepped forward and opened the door to the room, making a gesture for the young man to enter. He gladly complied, his curiosity getting the best of him. Ishizu followed and turned the lights on.
Kaiba’s eyes flitted around the room. His slightly intrigued look faded and was replaced by one that read, ‘Okay…am I supposed to be impressed?’ Inside the room were several stone tablets and some other ancient artifacts. He shot the ebony-haired woman a questioning glance as if to say, ‘This is what you want to show me? A bunch of old rocks?’
Ishizu ignored the funny look she had received. She had anticipated such a reaction from him. "Before I reveal my purpose for inviting you, I have a very important question. Do you believe in destiny?"
Kaiba let out a sigh of exasperation. "Why does it matter?"
Ishizu smiled at the question, despite the edge she heard in his voice. "Well, what you are about to learn will change your life forever."
Kaiba gave her an impatient glare…he was becoming weary of her beating around the bush. ‘Why did I even agree to come here when I could be doing other things?’ His tone of voice became stern as he said, “I don't have time for this. If you don't get to the point, I'm leaving."
Ishizu let out a sigh of her own. She was tempted to warn the CEO to be careful what he asked for, but to avoid any more tension between them, she just said, “All in good time.” Inwardly she was smirking. She got a thrill out of showing him he wasn’t at his company so she wouldn’t be allowing him to call the shots with her. “The first thing you should know is that three millennia ago, the monsters were real. Pharaohs and magicians would use them to battle each other in mystical duels. One day, however, the games became dangerous and nearly destroyed the entire world. A brave and powerful pharaoh was forced to sacrifice himself while in the process of locking the magic away.”
Kaiba felt his eyes close during her little lecture. He had to pinch himself to remain awake. Once feeling alert again, he looked at her as if she were an alien. "That’s the most ridiculous thing I have ever heard,” he scoffed. “Egyptian History 101 is of no interest to me, so if that is your topic of discussion, I cannot help you. Now I would get to the point if I were you."
"I'm getting to it," the young woman reassured him.
Kaiba muttered something under his breath that sounded something like, “You could have fooled me,” but Ishizu gave no indication to have heard it. Instead, she put her hand on the small of his back, guiding him over to one of the stone tablets. He flinched at her touch, but didn’t object. “If you want proof of my words, here it is,” she said.
The gaming president warily glanced up at the old rock. He got a stunned look on his face when he laid his eyes on the carvings. ‘What? This makes no sense! I can actually make out this chicken scratch. They look like Duel Monsters!’ He side-eyed the woman before turning back to stare at the tablet. "Maybe there is some truth to your story,” he acknowledged begrudgingly. While he couldn’t deny that she had the sources to impeccably back up her claims, he didn’t want to stroke her ego, either. He avoided her eyes.
Ishizu smiled slightly, glad to see that Kaiba was learning, although his progress would prove to be much slower than she would have liked. She knew enough to enjoy the rare moments of open-mindedness while they lasted. "Come this way, and I will reveal one of the other reasons I called you here tonight."
With an eye roll, Kaiba turned away from the carving and followed her. ‘I can’t wait to see what she is going to show me next. It had better not be another old giant rock. I swear, that woman must want me to fall asleep.’ His train of thought was cut off by a creaking sound of the door opening, bringing him back to reality.
Ishizu gestured for him to enter the basement. “After you.” She stood on the side so he could walk through.
Kaiba eyed her strangely, although in truth her chivalrous behavior was making him nervous. “Thank you. You’re too kind,” he said dryly as he entered the room.
Ishizu opted to just ignore the snide remark although she had the urge to make one back. ‘There is no need to partake in child play.’ She followed the brunette young man and closed the door before wandering over to one of the stone tablets. “This is the tablet most important for you to see.”
“Oh?” Kaiba furrowed an eyebrow, coming a bit closer so he could get a better look. He caught a glimpse of the TABLET OF THE PHARAOH inscription, tilting his head as he held back a snicker. “And what is so important about some ancient rock?”
“It is more than a mere ancient rock, Kaiba,” said Ishizu calmly. She wearily rubbed the bridge of her nose. Kaiba’s surly attitude was making her want to pull out her hair in frustration. “To answer your question, there is a carving of the pharaoh on the right side.”
Sighing heavily, the former Duel Monsters champion let his eyes drift over to the right, only to see the image was a replica of his rival. His eyes widened and his jaw dropped open. "That's the pharaoh? But…that's Yugi. And the monster above him is the Dark Magician."
Ishizu nodded to show he was correct. "On the left is the sorcerer fighting against the pharaoh. That's you, Kaiba. If you have any doubts, look at his monster. It's the Blue Eyes White Dragon. This will prove your rivalry has existed since then and is nothing new. "
Kaiba quickly glanced at the sorcerer and Blue Eyes White Dragon carvings. A skeptical look appeared on his features. ‘Me, a sorcerer, and Yugi a pharaoh? Ridiculous. There’s no such thing as sorcerers or magic.’ He gave the ebony-haired woman a doubtful look. "This has got to be a fake. I’m a gaming president and a powerful duelist. "
Ishizu set her mouth in a line, as if she were trying to salvage what was left of her patience. "All right, you have left me with no choice. Perhaps actually witnessing the battle first hand will convince you. My millennium necklace has the power to show events of the past." She placed her hands by her neck in a mystic manner, causing the item to emit a bright glow.
‘What the....’ Kaiba froze, his eyes looking as if they were going to pop out of their sockets any minute. Under normal circumstances, he would have passed it off as just a cheap trick, but the paralyzing fear left him at a loss for words. He trembled, making horrified sounds before bracing his arms in front of his eyes to shield them from the blinding light. He cried out as the power of the necklace engulfed him. It was like the world had faded into nothingness. When his eyes slowly fluttered open, he saw he was no longer in the museum, but instead hovering midair in a palace. He blinked several times to get an idea of his surroundings. ‘What’s going on here? Where is Ishizu?’ As he looked around, he didn’t see the young woman anywhere. He clenched his teeth in annoyance. ‘She had better get me out of this palace or she’ll be sorry. I don’t have time for this.’ He took a breath and then peered down to see what was going on. He let out a gasp upon spotting some men dressed in traditional Egyptian clothing fit for royals. "This can't be! I remember!"
*Flashback begins*
A very tall young man wearing a colorful cap on his head entered the throne room. Jealousy filled him as he thought of how the pharaoh was in the spotlight yet he was only in his shadow. He eyed the young ruler on his throne. ‘Just look at him, so calm and relaxed. Well, he won’t be for much longer. ‘ His lips stretched into a small smirk. ‘I will take his kingdom away from him.’ When he felt stares on him, he rose up an arm, belting out, “I declare a challenge to the pharaoh! By the rights of tradition, duel me if you are not a coward!"
There were some men in robes nearby. Although they did not approve of the challenge, they knew declining was not an option. "Magic powers heed my cry, release the monsters trapped inside, magic powers heed my cry, release the monsters trapped inside, magic powers heed my cry, release the monsters trapped inside!" they chanted.
A group of henchmen standing on the opposite side of the pharaoh shot the sorcerer a glare, clearly furious with him for his betrayal. "As the pharaoh's loyal servant, I will stand against you, traitor!" one of them declared. "I banish you all to the Shadow Realm!"
The sorcerer looked at the group of men, then at the pharaoh. He glowered at the younger man. “Are you so much of a coward that you have to hide behind your pathetic henchmen for protection?! How dare you disrespect me in such a way?” There was no reply. All he received was a blank stare. He drew in a deep breath, ready to yell at him again.
“Watch your tongue, you treacherous sorcerer!” barked one of the henchmen. “I’m protecting my king because I choose to!”
The sorcerer diverted his attention from Pharaoh and sneered at the servant. It boggled his mind how he could have been recruited.” You are no match for me, but if you are that eager to face destruction then so be it! Prepare to lose everything!"
“I would tell you the same thing!”
Both men activated their diahdiankhs and belted out, “Diaha!”
“Since I was the one to issue the challenge, I’ll begin!” volunteered the sorcerer. “I call forth La Jinn!” A stone tablet rose out of the ground and a green genie emerged from it.
The henchman fought to keep a neutral expression on his face, for he had been expecting such a maneuver from his opponent. ‘I have to duel with all my strength to defend his highness.’ He glanced over at the pharaoh, noting how apprehensive he seemed to be. ‘Do not worry, my pharaoh. I shall not fail you.’ He turned back to face his adversary. “Very well. I shall call forth two of my dragons!” Two large brownish dragons appeared from their respective tablets.
"Ha! Your dragons will fall before my genie!" gloated the sorcerer.
The henchman kept his cool, although inwardly he was thinking what a fool his opponent was for underestimating him. "Your genie might be strong, but did you think I would not come prepared? They're no match for the combined fury of my dragons!"
The robed men chanted, "Let two be one, let two be one, let two be one!"
"Unite my dragons, you will be unstoppable!" The dragons fused together to become one and let out a huge roar that echoed throughout the palace, signifying the increase in power. "Attack, bombard the traitor with your blazing inferno!" The dragon shot fire and with that, the genie was fried to a charred cinder.
The sorcerer let out a soft growl at the loss of his monster and then his angry look was replaced by an overconfident smile. "You haven't won yet, pharaoh. Do you think your pathetic minions have what it takes to defeat me? They'll be gone before your very eyes. "
The pharaoh had been trying to block out his rival’s taunts, but they reached his mind anyway. He let out a soft sigh, minorly saddened by the fact that one of his most trusted court members decided to turn on him. He closed his eyes and clasped his hands. ‘Ra, if you can hear my prayer, please guide my servant to victory and show the sorcerer the error of his ways.’
*Flashback ends*
Present day Kaiba observed the battle with his best pokerface, but then turned to face Ishizu indignantly. He didn't appreciate her insulting him. "That sorcerer is a big mouthed pompous windbag! You can't compare him to me.”
Ishizu could only smile to herself. ‘Oh, Kaiba you are more like him than you know.’ She had to bite her lip to keep from chuckling, for she knew that would really tick him off. Instead she cleared her throat. “There’s something else I would like you to witness, but I can see the last vision took its toll on you, so that’ll be all. However, the tablet next to this one has what I wanted you to witness. Come.”
Heaving a loud sigh, Kaiba went over to the tablet, showing he didn’t need to be coerced into doing anything. He silently cursed himself for allowing her to do it before.
Ishizu followed close behind, standing about 4 feet opposite him. “The tablet you are currently standing in front of has the victor of that particular battle, but as you can see, the name is worn away, not to be revealed until the pharaoh unlocks his memory. Now do you see, Kaiba? It is not coincidence that Yugi is your greatest rival. The two of you have battled in the distant past!"
Kaiba snorted and rolled his eyes, as if to say, ‘Ugh, not the legends of the past again.’ "Gimme a break, Ishizu. I battle against Yugi because he is a worthy opponent, not because of some ancient myth.”
The raven haired Egyptian was extremely close to grabbing Kaiba by the shoulders and shaking him. She couldn’t believe he was being so incredibly stubborn even after what he had witnessed. She sighed, her voice getting quiet as she spoke, "Your eyes will be opened up to the truth soon enough."
"I doubt it, but if you say so." Kaiba was so distracted by the ancient legends that he nearly forgot about what Ishizu had promised him. Now he remembered. ‘I wonder if she has as well. I am not leaving here without it.’
"Take a look at this tablet over here," said Ishizu, referring to a tablet between the first two she had already shown him.
'Oh great. Not another old rock with chicken scratch on it.' Kaiba dragged his feet as he walked over to where Ishizu was. “What is it now?” he asked in a tired voice.
Upon hearing the tiredness in the young man’s voice, Ishizu gave a sympathetic look. "Do you remember I had mentioned to you I have a gift that you would be pleased to have?"
"Maybe I do," answered Kaiba. "What of it?"
Ishizu smiled. “I’m glad you asked. The images you see are of immensely powerful beasts called Egyptian Gods: Slifer the Sky Dragon, Obelisk the Tormentor, and the Winged Dragon of Ra. They were once controlled by the pharaoh, but they were sealed away. However, Pegasus resurrected them in the form of cards when he created Duel Monsters.”
For the first time that evening, the business tycoon looked genuinely interested and a half-smile found its way on his lips. He was always excited at the thought of owning new, powerful cards. ‘Looks like I did the right thing by sticking around and putting up with this woman’s creepy behavior.’ But then his smile faded as a puzzling thought entered his mind, making his look turn skeptical. He had expected Pegasus to tear him to shreds with the monsters given his other tactics. "As much as I would love to hear about these all-powerful cards, there is a question I must ask you.”
“Hmm?” Ishizu cocked an eyebrow in surprise. She never thought Kaiba of all people would ask her anything. “Go on. “
“If Pegasus recreated these monsters as you say, then why didn’t he use them against me in Duelist Kingdom?” Kaiba folded his arms tightly across his chest, frowning deeply.
"Because they all possess unfathomable powers that are very dangerous if controlled by someone that is unworthy. He nearly angered the gods just by creating the cards. In the end, he gave them to me to store away so they would never fall into the wrong hands."
Kaiba’s frown softened just a bit. In fact, he looked almost thoughtful. "I see." Mild amusement appeared on his features as he pictured Pegasus trying to control such powerful creatures. ‘It is no surprise that snake Pegasus is unable to control them. Without that stupid ancient artifact of his, he is probably a weak duelist. I am confident if I were in possession of those cards, I would be able to wield them with no trouble. Not only that, but my deck would be unstoppable.’ He grinned to himself.
Ishizu noted the smile on the CEO’s face. It was such a nice change from the sour and bored expressions he wore earlier that she hated to be the bearer of bad news. "Unfortunately, two of them were stolen by rare hunters just yesterday."
“Rare hunters?” Kaiba repeated. He hadn’t recalled hearing of them before. His grin faded at the news of their theft and he facepalmed. ‘What a careless woman! Pegasus should have entrusted them to me!’ He scowled for a bit, before remembering Ishizu had said 2 out of the 3 were stolen. ‘At least there is one card for me to claim. I must find a way to get my hands on it.’
Ishizu nodded. "They are a group of elite duelists who trade and sell rare cards. They often resort to dishonesty and unfair practices to have the most powerful ones. However, if you hosted a tournament that would attract the most talented duelists in the world, you may be able to lure them into the open."
Kaiba listened with his best attentive look, for he was genuinely curious about the rare hunters and wanted to know more about them. When he heard Ishizu’s idea, his head snapped up with a jolt, his sapphire eyes lighting up. "I see! It's a trap! You want them to surrender the Egyptian God cards after they suffer defeat."
It was all the charcoal haired Egyptian could do not to shake her head and think how hopeless he was. She smoothed out the wrinkles in her dress. ‘I suppose I should be grateful he did not refuse. Keren is absolutely correct when she mentions his greed. However, this is the only way.’ She reached into her purse and pulled out a card. "Here is the Egyptian God card I've managed to retrieve,” she said, holding it out for Kaiba to take.
He took the card from her, his eyes widening when he glanced at it. His lips curled into an excited smile. “Can it be? Obelisk the Tormentor!” Inwardly he was screaming for joy. ‘One down, two more to go.’
Ishizu smiled, glad to see he was as pleased as she anticipated he would be. She then put on a serious look, the one she wore when relaying disappointing news."You may borrow it for the tournament, but I expect it back.”
Kaiba looked at her as if she had lost her mind. It wasn’t just her expectation that stunned him, but her no-nonsense air. Not that it moved him, once he made his decision. "What makes you think I am trustworthy? I can walk out of here with this card and you'll never see it again."
Ishizu pinched the bridge of her nose. Kaiba had been testing her patience all night and now it was starting to wear thin. "You will return it to me. I have foreseen it."
Kaiba laughed a huffy sound before giving an eye roll. "Sure you have.” He then realized he never gave a proper response to her proposal. “Don't worry, I will host the tournament."
Ishizu was aware of the fact that his motives were selfish, but knew his cooperation would still help in the long run."I thank you."
The young businessman’s voice became like an icicle as he said, "Don't get your hopes up. I am not doing it because of your mind tricks or folktales. I want to have the most powerful deck in the world so that I may return to the glory I once knew. Now if you will excuse me." He coolly exited the basement before Ishizu could think of a reply. He had no intention of allowing her to waste any more of his time.
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Post by LadyKeren on Oct 2, 2015 12:04:43 GMT
Chapter 4
It was the end of another school week, and the bell had just rung. The classroom was nearly empty, save for Tèa and Vicki. They had remained behind to copy down the homework assignment.
The two girls copied the last bit of notes and cleared off their desks, stuffing their books in their backpacks. As Vicki went to zip hers up, she felt her hips stiffening, followed by sharp pain shooting through them. Her mouth formed an O shape. ‘What the hell? I was feeling fine just a few moments ago.’ She shrugged her shoulders and continued zipping up her backpack, making sure not to show any sign of discomfort on her face. She didn’t want Tèa to suspect something was wrong. ‘Must be from sitting in that ridiculously hard chair all day. I should have brought my orthopedic pillow. ‘ She arose from her seat to relieve the pressure, carefully picking up her bookbag to place on her back. She was very cautious about it, just in case the pain radiated to her lumbar region as it oftentimes did.
Tèa got up as well, and slung her backpack over her shoulders. “Are you ready to go?” she asked. ‘Yugi must have left already, but it’s okay. I can always catch up with him later.’
“You bet.” Both girls walked out of the classroom into the hallway, saying “Excuse me” as they walked past several students who were talking amongst themselves. They were almost at the end of the corridor when they came face to face with Joey and Tristan, who happened to be dressed in janitors’ uniforms.
Vicki eyed the two boys strangely, not expecting to see them. “What are you fellas still doing here? I thought you would have left already. “
“Nope.” Joey rested the mop down and reached up a hand to scratch his head. “Tristan and I have clean up duty today.”
Vicki wrinkled her nose a little, as if to show she didn’t find the idea of cleaning up after school appealing. “Clean up duty?” she questioned. She vaguely recalled doing something similar in grade school, but it was no picnic.
Before Joey or Tristan could answer, Tèa explained, “Yes. All the boys in our class are on a cleanup schedule.”
“Oh.” Vicki gave the two young men a sympathetic look. “It must suck for you to have to spend after school cleaning.” She had half a mind to remain and help them so they would finish faster. ‘Perhaps I shouldn’t, though. Not with my joints acting up like this.’
“It does. I hate it, but what can I say?” Tristan shrugged. “You do what you gotta do, right?”
Vicki looked thoughtful. “I guess that’s one way to put it. Well, you two carry on and don’t let me keep you. I would stay and help, but something tells me I had better not.”
Joey was about to ask her why, but decided to just let her tell him on her own. “Don’t sweat it. We’ve got this. Right, Tristan?”
Tristan looked dazed for a moment before nodding in agreement. “Right.”
Vicki glanced over to her left to make certain Tèa was still there. Although her friend was not complaining, she didn’t want to keep her waiting when she probably had work to do. “Well, Tèa and I will be heading off now. See you on Monday, and try to stay out of trouble, all right?”
Both boys gave mock salutes before going, “Ma’am, yes ma’am.”
The chocolate haired girl rolled her eyes and snorted with laughter at the boys’ snide comments. “Good.” She and Tèa walked away, leaving the boys to finish their work. “Those two are such clowns,” she said when they were a safe enough distance from the gentlemen.
Tèa pinched the bridge of her nose before letting out a slight laugh. “That’s putting it mildly.” She was about to launch into a bunch of anecdotes when she realized she and Vicki were at the exit. She fell silent when she thought she heard a sound. She frowned. ‘Huh? What was that?’ She opened the door and poked her head outside, only to feel a water droplet landing on her forehead, making her eyes bug out. As she looked up to see if there was a leak in the ceiling, she heard the sound of rolling thunder. Almost immediately after, it started to drizzle. ‘Oh no. Please don’t tell me it’s raining.’ She let out a groan, pulling her head back inside and shutting the door. She wiped the water droplet off her forehead with the back of her hand.
Vicki heard Tèa groaning and noted her downcast expression. ‘Uh-oh.’ She gave her friend a concerned look. “Tèa? Is something wrong? Why do you seem so melancholy all of a sudden?”
Tèa looked at her friend, almost as if she had forgotten she was with her. “It’s raining outside,” she answered in a panicky voice.
Vicki lowered her eyes in dismay. “Oh crap,” was her response. ‘That would explain why this blasted arthritis started to flare up on me all of a sudden. It tends to be worse on rainy days.’ She wasn’t sure if she should be relieved she knew the source of her flare up or not. Not to mention there was the problem of her not having an umbrella so it was inevitable she would be soaking wet, and end up sick as a result. She made a face of distaste at the thought. ‘The common cold, influenza, pneumonia and arthritis? What a dreadful combination.’
Tèa nodded her agreement. “What’s worse is that we have to walk home in it. Luckily I have an umbrella and it’s big enough for the both of us.” She pulled out her umbrella and unstrapped it.
Vicki looked relieved to hear that. “Great.” She knew her hair and most of her uniform would be shielded at least, which she was most concerned about. “Well, what are we waiting for? Let’s get out of here while the rain is still light.”
“Now you’re talking.” The last thing Tèa wanted was for them to get caught in the hard rain. She pushed the door open for her friend to exit first.
“Thank you.” Vicki exited and stood on the concrete, the one area that would be sufficient to shield her from the rain while waiting for Tèa. There were a handful of students standing around waiting for the rain to stop completely, most of whom she didn’t know. ‘They must be seniors or at least juniors.’
“Don’t mention it.” Tèa followed and let the door shut behind her. She opened up her umbrella, and held it above her and Vicki’s heads. They stepped off the concrete and started to walk home together. Tèa had been trying hard to suppress her true feelings about the weather although it was hard to. Stepping into a small puddle of water and getting her socks soaked were the last straw for her. "Bah! I can't stand rainy days!" she complained loudly.
"Tell me about it," agreed Vicki. She was walking stiffly, for the pain had increased tenfold. She couldn’t help wincing.
Tèa shot a quick sideways glance at her friend to make sure she wasn’t getting too wet. Worry and concern crossed her features when she saw the pain on her face. She stopped walking, making Vicki stop as well, which she didn’t mind as she could really use a breather. “Vicki? Are you okay? I know this horrible weather tends to aggravate your arthritis.”
Vicki rubbed her forehead and let out a bitter laugh. She was never one to let her painful condition slow her down. “It does. Don’t worry about me, though. I will be fine once I use my massaging chair at home.”
Tèa got an unreadable look on her face as she was considering what the chocolate haired girl had said. She was unsure, but she knew she was in no position to say so.”Hmm. Well, in that case, I had better get you home as soon as possible. I can feel the rain picking up. “
Vicki heard the rain beating loudly against the umbrella, which made her cringe. “You’re right.”
The two girls continued their walk home, going quiet for a bit, that is, until Tèa spoke up again. "Say, will you be busy on Sunday?" she asked Vicki.
Vicki scrunched up her forehead in thought. "No, I am free, once I complete a few chores. Did you want us to do something together?"
"Yeah. Yugi and I have plans to hang out and we thought it would be even more fun if you came along with us."
"Most definitely. I should be feeling better by then." Vicki looked serious all of a sudden. ‘At least that’s what I am hoping, anyway. I would hate to miss out on a day of fun.’
"I hope you will be. There is someone I would like you to meet." Tèa crossed the fingers on her free hand, hoping her friend would not have to miss out, although she would understand if she did. ‘After all, she could always meet him later.’
"Oh?" Vicki furrowed an eyebrow. She was curious about this person she would be meeting. ‘Tèa mentioned there was a spirit living inside Yugi’s pendant that takes over when he duels. Could he be the one?’ She put her cute face on. “Can I have a hint as to who it is? I think I know, but I just want to make sure I’m right.”
"Let’s just say you’ll like him a lot. You’ll know more when you meet him.” Tèa spoke firmly, which left very little room for persuasion.
Vicki made a face that said, ‘Awww man.’ She knew Tèa’s last sentence was her way of saying she wasn’t going to reveal any more information. She simply shrugged it off. "Well, in that case, I can hardly wait."
Marik had called upon his rare hunters for a meeting. He knew with the defeat of Bandit Keith, destroying his greatest foes would be much more of a challenge. Even so, he did not have patience for failure or obstacles that stood in his way. He fixated his eyes on Odion. “So, Ishizu is currently in Domino City, correct?”
Odion felt his master’s stare and instantly gave him eye contact. “Yes, sir. According to Keren, she has gone to take care of some sort of business. Unfortunately, she had not specified what the business was.” He sweated and squirmed, expecting to receive a berating for not being competent enough to gather more information from the woman.
Marik knitted his brows together before letting out a light chuckle. “There is no need to be so tense, Odion. You revealed all I needed to know. I have an idea of what she is up to.” He scowled a little as he thought of his last encounter with his elder sister. ‘Well, no matter. I will seize Obelisk from whomever she has given it to.’
Odion heaved a sigh of relief that Marik didn’t bite his head off. "What is the next phase of the plan?”
"As a result of the failure of that fool Bandit Keith, we will have to alter our strategy in order to crush Yugi Mutou and the pharaoh. Also, I want you to find out who has the third Egyptian God card." Secretly, he was glad that Yugi was the victor, since it meant the young man was a worthy opponent. ‘Seeing the little runt struggle is much more fun. That’ll make it more devastating when I crush him and that worthless pharaoh.’
Odion nodded before bowing respectfully. "You'll be the first to know, sir."
Marik gave an evil smirk. "Excellent. “ His facial expression then grew stern. “One more thing.”
Odion’s eyes filled with curiosity as he gave the cornsilk haired young man his best attentive look. “What is it, Master?” He had the feeling it was really important.
Marik pointed his rod at the older man. “I'm warning you, control whatever feelings you have for your little friend, and make sure she doesn't conspire against me. I do not tolerate divided loyalty. "
Odion looked slightly taken aback, knowing his master was referring to Keren. Truth be told, he had hidden feelings for her that developed sometime after he first met her. ‘Now it seems I will have to dismiss or at least disguise them.’ He gulped. "Yes sir."
The young man stared his older brother down, trying to detect any sign of disloyalty. He saw none. “Good.” A small deadly smile escaped his lips. ‘On the other hand, perhaps she can be of good use to me. I trust that Odion would be able to keep her under submission. I won’t hesitate to use my rod on her if I must.’ He chuckled softly to himself and put on his all-business look, this time fixing his eyes on every one of his servants. "Now let us find more potential mind slaves and servants. We will need an entire army of rare hunters if we are to crush Little Yugi. Prepare the ship at once."
"Yes, Master," the robed men chorused. They exited the hideout to make preparations for their next trip.
Meanwhile, Keren was on the surface of the Valley of the Kings, taking a walk. She was hoping it would be enough to free her mind from the loneliness she felt without Ishizu. It was a pleasant surprise when Odion had come to visit her, but she knew it would be a rarity with him being Marik’s shadow. ‘Perhaps it is for the best that I won’t be seeing much of him from now on. I wouldn’t want him to get in trouble because of me.’ What she feared most was the tombkeeper having a negative influence on him and the decisions he would potentially make as a result. ‘I suppose I should view it as a test to see how much of a backbone Odion has. The fact that he is so secretive about what he and Marik have planned disturbs me greatly.’
She decided if she really wanted to know what Odion was hiding from her, she would have to take matters into her own hands somehow, although she had no idea how she intended to do that. ‘Perhaps I can ask Marik’s permission to attend his meetings so I can relay the scheme to Ishizu and help her come up with a plan. Sounds intrusive, but if that’s the measure I have to take to ensure neither of them make irreversible mistakes, then so be it. ’ A smile of self-satisfaction escaped as she was very proud of herself for being more assertive for once. However, her smile faded when a thought occurred to her that carrying out the plan was not as simple as it sounded. First of all, there was no guarantee he would allow her to sit in on his meetings. An image of the platinum blonde threatening and attacking her in fits of rage entered her mind. The scenario felt so real that she gripped her head with both hands and it was all she could do not to scream for help. ‘It’s all right. Marik isn’t even within striking distance to do such things,’ she mentally assured herself. The horrendous image faded, but she still heard the voice echoing inside her brain. She removed her hands from her head and took several deep breaths to calm herself. ‘What was I thinking? I could never have the courage to approach him with a request like that. Besides, even if he did allow me to attend, he might recruit me into his army of slaves. I refuse to go down that route. I do wish to help him, but I am only willing to go so far.’
Her musings were cut off when a tan-skinned man with a turban wrapped around his head, dressed in a cloak appeared. His eyes were a crystal blue and had very little emotion in them. From his ears hung donut-shaped earrings and about his neck was a chain that had a millennium item attached to it.
Keren’s eyes widened just a tad. ‘Huh? It’s Shadi, the guardian of the millennium items and wielder of the millennium key. What is he doing here?’ She knew he always showed up whenever catastrophic events occurred or if someone stole a millennium item. To her knowledge, neither of those things had happened, although she couldn’t be completely positive. Her eyes met his and she felt a chill going down her spine from his grim but otherwise stoic expression. She shook it off as best as she could before clearing her throat to speak. “Shadi! What a pleasant surprise. Is anything wrong? Or have you come to warn me about something?” It was rare of her to ask more than one question at a time, but she wanted answers.
Shadi studied the young woman before him, which made her even more nervous, but then she thought she saw concern crossing his features. "Neither. What I have come to tell you is that you must not despair. You will find a way to aid Marik without going against your convictions."
Keren froze, just staring at him. She wasn’t sure what her face had been showing previously, but she had never given any indication she had trouble figuring out what to do about Marik. “H-How did you know?” she asked, trying not to sound accusatory.
A smile threatened to escape the guardian’s lips. “I can see it in your eyes. They show a great deal of uncertainty and diffidence. It truly does not suit you.”
Keren nearly scoffed at him, but she couldn’t help but blush profusely. As cryptic as she found his actions to be, she had to admit, his smooth voice did bring healing to her soul. Not to mention he was more or less complimenting her. "You really believe I can? But how?"
"Just look deep inside your heart. You have far more inner strength than you know. We will meet again. Farewell. " In a flash, the young man was gone.
Keren watched as he disappeared. "Shadi," she whispered, clasping her slender hands together. Little by little, she felt her confidence returning. Her spirits were uplifted as well. ‘I thank you for your kind words. I still have yet to find an effective way to help Ishizu save Marik, but I will not rest until I find it. ‘ She averted her eyes toward the sun, silently saying a prayer to Ra.
(two days later)
Yugi was in his bedroom, preparing for his outing with Tèa and Vicki. All of his best outfits covered his bed, which he had tried on. Much to his frustration, they all looked the same and he wanted to look his best. He glanced at his watch to see how he was doing on time. ‘Oh no! I have less than an hour before I have to meet up with the girls. I’ll have to pick an outfit and stick with it. ‘ He picked through the clothes one last time before finally deciding on a sleeveless black shirt and black leather pants. It was plain, but at least different from his usual wear. He put them on and finished off the look with a grey cuff around his neck. As he went to go put on his shoes, he took a look at the mess he had made and frowned. ‘I’m gonna have to clean up this mess after I get back home. Hopefully Grandpa would not see it before then.’ He cringed as he recalled the old man’s past lectures about his room being messy and how it looked like a typhoon had hit, although he couldn’t help stifling a laugh at the last part.
Yami in spirit form watched with a smile on his face as Yugi dressed for his little date. He had to hold back a chuckle when his young friend was previously racing around the room like a chicken with its head cut off. He didn’t want Yugi accusing him of finding his frantic state amusing. "It is nice to see you have calmed down, Yugi. I take it you have found someone to bring you happiness?"
Yugi turned to face his friend, giving him his best “If you only knew “smile. Under normal circumstances, he would be fretting to Yami about his poor luck in love, but helping with a bigger problem gave him much satisfaction, thus enabling him to forget his troubles. He was confident the ancient pharaoh would be in a better mood after meeting Vicki. ”It isn't me. This will be the happiest day of your life," he replied, winking mischievously. ”Whatever it is that has been troubling you lately, you’ll get over it."
Yami saw Yugi’s wink and raised an eyebrow. ‘Well, then…I think I have seen it all.’ He absorbed the latter’s words and gave a genuine smile. "Thank you, Yugi. While I may not know what you have planned, I do appreciate your thoughtfulness.”
The spiky haired teen grabbed a bottle of cologne from his dresser and squirted some on himself. “Of course. I have your back.”
Yami felt his heart melting at Yugi’s words. “I know,” he said softly. “Likewise. “ He disappeared, leaving Yugi to finish get ready.
(half an hour later)
Tèa and Vicki arrived at the local station to wait for their friend. The entire time they were walking there, Tèa’s heart was beating rapidly and butterflies were fluttering wildly in her stomach. Her palms were sweating as well. ‘Gosh, why am I so nervous? What’s wrong with me? I know the spirit of the puzzle very well now, although I had never gone out on an official outing with him before.’ Her hands shook as she reached one of them up to brush her bangs out of her eyes.
Vicki smoothed down the pleats in her wool kilt and then looked over at Tèa. “Hey, are you okay? Your face is flushed and you’re shaking. Don’t tell me you’re nervous. If anyone should be nervous it’s me. I’m the one meeting the guy for the first time, not you.”
At this point Tèa’s stomach was in knots. She let out a sigh. “I know...but...but...what if I say or do something embarrassing? He’ll never look at me the same way again! He’ll think of me as a total doofus!!” She started pacing back and forth.
Vicki just shook her head in utter amusement and stifled a laugh. ‘This girl is so dramatic, although I can kind of understand her concern.’ She firmly rested her hand on the girl’s shoulder, which prompted her to stop pacing. "Lassie, calm down! You will be fine! If he’s the person you described to me, being yourself should be good enough.”
Tèa took several deep breaths and nodded. “You’re right. I usually am at ease. I feel so silly for losing my cool.”
Vicki gave her an understanding look. “Well, don’t. It happens to everyone on occasion.” She tapped her foot and glanced at her watch. ‘Hmm. I hope Yugi shows up soon. I feel fine but who knows how long that will last?’
Yugi showed up at the station a few moments later and saw his friends already there. ‘I hope they haven’t been waiting for too long. Oh well. What’s most important is my own timing was good.’ He smiled to himself, pleased that he had found a way to cheer up his alter-ego. 'Okay Yami, this is where you take over.’ He invoked the power of his puzzle and it gave off a bright glow, enabling the spirit to take his place.
Yami was so taken off guard that he squatted and nearly fell over. "Yugi, wait! This isn't a duel!" he sputtered, flailing his arms to keep his balance before rising to his full height. He glanced up, spotting Tèa and Vicki standing just several feet away. His face turned red with embarrassment upon realizing that they had just witnessed his most awkward moment ever. ‘They must think I’m insane.’ He licked his lips slightly and cleared his throat before giving a wave in greeting. "Hello.”
"Hi there, Yugi." The two girls wandered over to him. Vicki’s jaw dropped open at how he went from being several inches shorter to slightly taller than her. She also noted how his spiky red and black afro was streaked with blonde, as well as his narrow, slanted eyes. ‘I can definitely see the difference. Either way, he is one attractive fellow.´ She gave a little yelp when Tèa pushed her forward. “Meet the newest member of the gang. Her name is Victoria, but we call her Vicki for short.”
“So I have heard.” Yami gazed the Scottish girl in the eye, his lips curling upwards into a small, reserved smile. “It is a pleasure to meet you, Vicki. Welcome to our circle of friends.” He stuck out a hand for her to shake.
“Thank you. I am honored to be a part of your group and to meet your acquaintance. “ Vicki took his hand, shaking it firmly. ‘Oh my gosh, his hands are so soft...his deep voice…and those eyes.’ She had to force herself to keep eye contact with him as she was afraid of being hypnotized by his eyes to the extent where she would get tongue-tied. “So you are the spirit of the millennium puzzle, correct?”
Yami wore a serious expression on his face, though there was kindness in his dark violet eyes. “I am. Just call me Yugi for now.” After awhile, he turned away from her with a pensive look on his face. In the past he had no qualms telling people to call him Yugi, but there was a voice deep inside encouraging him to find out his true identity. He recalled Ishizu and her press conference about the exhibition. ‘I know that woman seems to have quite a bit of knowledge of the events that occurred in my past, but I wonder, can she also tell me my actual name?’
Vicki frowned a little at the change in his behavior, but otherwise shrugged it off. She just nodded. “Yugi it is, then.”A bit of relief crossed her features, since she was going to ask his permission to call him by the name of his weaker half. Opting to give him some space, she directed her attention towards Tèa."Now that we’re all here, what shall we do first?"
Tèa had been smiling at how quickly Vicki and Yami seemed to have clicked. Her smile faded and was replaced by a thoughtful look. She noticed how somber Yami seemed all of a sudden. ‘Poor guy. Not knowing who he is must really be causing him a lot of stress. I hope I can help. I promised Yugi that I would. The problem is I don’t really know what to do. I hate this.’ She really didn’t want to end up reporting bad news to Yugi that she was unable to help. After letting out a sigh, she tapped her chin. ‘Come on, Tèa, think. What would you want if you were in his shoes?’ She wracked her brain for possibilities, and began to smile a bit as she considered a good place to start. ‘What he needs right now is a distraction.’ She turned to Vicki. "Hmm…maybe the coffee shop?" she suggested. “There’s a really good one around this block.” She was hopeful it would help calm Yami’s spirits.
Vicki’s eyes brightened. "Sounds good to me. I could use a nice espresso." She faced Yami, asking him, “Is that all right with you? If not, where would you like to go?”
The ancient pharaoh snapped out of his thoughts just in time to hear Vicki’s question. “No…it’s fine.” What he really wanted was to go to the museum, but he didn’t know how to approach the idea and he had a feeling Tèa would eventually. Besides, he needed something to help relax him first.
“Then it’s settled. Let’s go.” Tèa led her friends away from the station, towards a small café which read ALMONDO COFFEE SHOP. Its roof was covered by a green and white striped tent. There was an outside dining room as well, with very few people. Whether or not it was busy was the least of the trio’s concern, for they had no plans to dine outside. They waited for a car to pass by before carefully crossing the street to enter the café.
Once inside, a lady who appeared to be in her late twenties approached them. She was dressed in a long-sleeved white shirt beneath a black jumper, and her auburn hair was pulled back into a French braid. The name tag on her uniform read Mika. She had a smile on her face that could melt anyone’s heart. “Good day. I’m Mika. Is it just the three of you?”
“Yes,” answered Tèa, speaking for the entire group.
“Well, follow me and I will show you to your seats.” Mika spun around and started to walk away, prompting Yami and the two girls to follow her. She led Yami and Tèa to a table by the window, pulling their chairs out for them. “There you are,” she said, before going over to Vicki to give her the same treatment. She was seated at a table that was right next to Yami and Tèa. “Here you go, sweet pea, your very own table. “
All three of them sat down, mumbling polite thank yous. Vicki couldn’t help but raise an eyebrow and giggle softly at the pet name she was given. ‘Seriously? No one calls me sweat pea. On the other hand, having a table to myself is fine with me.I am sure Yugi and Tèa can use the time alone.’ She turned her head to glance over at her friends, smiling to herself. ‘I wonder if they’re in a relationship or something. I can tell she really digs him, based on what she has told me of him, and I can see why.’ Her mind drifted off to her interaction with the ancient pharaoh. ‘He strikes me as rather reserved, but I think he just needs time to warm up to me. Aside from that, he seems pleasant enough, and I do like him.’ The sound of smooth jazz music playing in the background invaded her thoughts. She let out a soft sigh, enjoying the atmosphere. ‘Now I know where to come if I am out of espresso mix at home.’ She glanced up at the order board to see which options were available. ‘Most of those I tried before…I think I want something different this time, though.’ She skimmed the list again to make sure. ‘Wait, wait a minute. Tiramisu? I have never tried that one. I heard it is supposed to be really good.’
Mika smiled. “My pleasure. Are you ready to order?” She took out a notepad and pen.
“Yes, I’m ready.” Vicki looked away from the menu to give the waitress eye contact. “I would like the Tiramisu flavored espresso.” She felt her mouth watering as soon as she gave her order. ‘Well that was elegant, Lennox.’
The woman’s eyes sparkled a little. “Excellent choice. Plain or with extra cream?” She removed the top from the pen.
“Extra cream, please.”
Mika nodded. “You got it.” She scribbled down Vicki’s order and went to Tèa’s and Yami’s table. “What can I get for you two?”
Yami quickly scanned the list of options on the menu before answering, “Vanilla milkshake, please.”
“Very well, sir.” Mika wrote down what he said and then looked at Tèa. “And for you, Miss?”
Tèa looked like she was daydreaming but then she heard the waitress asking her something. “What..? Oh! I would like a milkshake, too.”
“All right.” Mika made a little note next to Yami’s order. “Two milkshakes and one espresso. I will be right back with your orders.” She walked away, her high heels clacking loudly against the tiled floor.
Tèa cringed slightly at the noise. ‘Geez, does she have to be so loud?’ She mockingly rubbed her forehead and pulled a brochure out of her purse. She had meant to take it out for sometime but was glad she didn’t, knowing it could come in handy. ‘Hmm. I only know a little bit about the millennium puzzle, but this book should have some ideas that could help.’ She opened the book and skimmed through the pages, not finding anything of interest or that had anything to do with ancient artifacts. She turned the page and saw a picture of the stone tablet. She gave a little smile as she read the article. ‘This is more like it!’ She glanced up at the ancient pharaoh, whose demeanor changed very little since coming to the café. “Hey Yugi, I found somewhere that could be a great help in uncovering the mysteries of your past.”
Yami’s brows furrowed slightly in curiosity. He looked genuinely interested. “Hmm? And where is that?” He had a hunch on what his lady friend had in mind, but he wanted to make sure he was correct.
“The Domino Museum.” Tèa turned the book around so Yami could see the article she had been reading. ”See? The stone tablet holds historical events of the past. This could be just what you need.”
Yami let out a slight gasp when he laid eyes on the stone tablet. ‘I’m not sure why, but something about it seems familiar. Could it be?’ He held the bottom of the book and then looked at the brunette. “May I?”
Tèa nodded. “Go ahead.” She loosened her grip a little.
Yami took the book from her and began to peruse the article next to the ancient rock. He remembered some of the same information from Ishizu’s press conference. When he was done, he handed it back to Tèa. “You are right. In fact, I had every intention of paying a visit to the museum.”
Tèa could tell from Yami’s expression that he had perked up considerably, which was a relief for her. It pained her heart to see him looking so troubled. “Awesome. Then we will go sometime this evening.” She wanted to make sure he was fully prepared.
The ancient pharaoh nodded. “That’s fine.”
After enjoying the refreshments and paying for them, Yami, Tèa and Vicki left the coffee shop. The caffeinated drink had made Vicki wired, which was fine with her as she didn’t want to hinder her friends’ outing in any way. ‘The question is, will my joints hold up just as long?’
The group of friends was approaching a nearby park on their way to the gaming store when Tèa yelled out, “Hey, look!”
Vicki and Yami stopped in their tracks with confused looks on their faces. They glanced at each other as if to ask, ‘What gives?’
“Is something wrong, Tèa?” asked Yami.
“Yeah, why did you stop?” added Vicki.
Tèa silently cursed herself for making her friends worry. “There’s a pigeon feeding going on,” she said, pointing out to them a young woman scattering some food on the ground for the pigeons to eat.
Yami watched with a nonchalant expression and his arms folded. “Yes, I see.”
Vicki let out a giggle as she watched one of the birds hop over to the scattered crumbs and devour them as if it hadn’t eaten in days. “Well well, it seems as if the poor thing must have skipped breakfast. “
The pigeons made quick work of the food, and before their feeder could drop more for them to eat, they noticed their observers. They flew in droves whilst squawking loudly, heading for Yami with every intention of pecking and pooping on him. ‘Huh?’ Yami stooped down on his knees to avoid their onslaught, grunting as they flew over his head. He bent his arms and placed them by his ears as the squawking increased in volume. The girls had to cover their ears as well.
The young woman jumped a mile hearing the cacophonous noises from the creatures. She rubbed her forehead. ‘Goodness, what is the racket about?’ She glanced up, her eyes widening when she saw they were about to attack the ancient pharaoh. She stuck the whistle hanging from her neck in her mouth and blew on it. ‘TWEET!’ That did little to stop them, so she whistled again before yelling in a loud voice, “Get away from that young man. Now!”
The birds obediently flew away from Yami, soaring high into the sky, still squawking. Letting out a sigh of relief, he got back on his feet and uncovered his ears as soon as they were out of sight. His knees had begun to ache from stooping down for so long, but it was nothing compared to the headache he could have ended up with. He turned to face Tèa and Vicki, seeing that their ears were still covered.
The two girls spotted him looking at them, and uncovered their ears. He walked over to them. “Are you all right?” he asked them. They both nodded yes. “Good.”
“How about you?” asked Vicki. “You seemed pretty shaken up there.” ‘To tell the truth though, I can’t say I blame him. Those buzzards were ridiculous. ‘
Yami looked a bit sheepish, almost as if he were ashamed to admit the pigeons had given him quite a fright. “I am fine, although I must say I have never seen pigeons behave in such a way before.”
Tèa was about to voice her agreement, but then the bird feeder wandered over, giving the youngsters a sympathetic smile. “Yes, I know. I’m sorry you had to see that. They’re usually quite tame.”
Yami looked at the woman with kindness in his eyes. “No apology needed. I thank you for your intervention.” He didn’t want her to blame herself, especially not after she had done such an impeccable job reining the birds into submission.
“Of course. It was a pleasure. Now if you will excuse me.” The young lady walked away, her longish braid flapping in the wind.
Tèa watched the woman take her leave for a bit and then turned to face her friends. “So guys, what do you say we get out of here?”
“Fine with me,” said Vicki, rubbing her nose. Yami nodded his okay, too. Although he could enjoy nature on occasion, that little episode was obviously not what he had in mind.
“All right, let’s go.” The three friends left the park together. They spent some time in a record store and a gaming shop before coming to the arcade. Tèa’s eyes lit up. She had to fight the urge to jump up and down like a little kid in a toy store. “Let’s go in there. I’m in the mood to play a couple of games.” She entered before either of her friends could say anything.
Without a word, Yami followed and so did Vicki. ‘The least she could have done is wait for us.’ As she entered, she noticed a toy machine with stuffed animals and plushies of all types inside...even Duel Monster plushies. A small grin escaped her lips as she got an idea for a little gift she would give to Yami. ‘Ah…I know his favorite monster is the Dark Magician and I saw one in there. Surely he will appreciate it.’ There was a line of people standing in front of the machine, so she knew she would have to wait awhile. She looked away from the machine to see Yami waiting for her. ‘Oh how thoughtless of me.’ She facepalmed and then went over to him. “Go on and find Tèa. I will catch up later.”
Yami frowned. “Are you sure?” He had his doubts since he wasn’t entirely sure where Tèa was and even if he did find her, Vicki would not know where to look for them.
Vicki gave him a smile that said to just relax. “I’m positive. I will find you both, but first I have something to do. “
Yami’s brows furrowed slightly. “Well, all right, then. Be careful.”
“I will, don’t worry.” She turned around and left to go stand in line. Yami waited until she was safely out of sight to begin his search for Tèa. He lightly tapped his chin. ‘She couldn’t have gone too far. This isn’t a particularly large arcade after all. ‘ He gazed around the building to see if the chestnut haired teen was standing in front of any of the games, but he didn’t see her. He frowned, hoping she hadn’t gotten lost. It was so strange since there were not enough people for the arcade to be considered packed. ‘Hmm…where could she be?’ He considered some areas he had not checked as of yet, and there was one that came to mind. He had learned from his counterpart some time ago how much she enjoyed dancing. His eyes snapped wide open as the realization hit him. ‘Of course! She must be playing the game called Dance Dance Revolution. Yes, that’s right.’ Trusting his instincts, he headed over to the popular dancing game. There were quite a number of people gathered around it, watching as a medium height young man was duking it out against another gentleman on the dance stage. He had medium length light brown hair styled in dreadlocks and chiseled features. There was also a condescending smirk etched on his face as he and his opponent appeared to be exchanging words with each other.
Yami frowned disapprovingly as he was getting a very pompous vibe from the dancer. ‘Ignore him,’ said a voice inside his head. ‘You have an important task to focus on.’ He moved to the side and peered through the crowd of people to see if Tèa was standing among them. Relief filled him when he spotted her standing near the front. ‘There she is.’ He said “Excuse me” as he walked past different people. As soon as he got behind her, he lightly tapped her shoulder. “Tèa,” he whispered into her ear.
Tèa jumped a little before turning around. She took a deep breath, preparing to give a tongue lashing but the frown on her face relaxed when she saw it was only Yami. “Yugi! It’s just you.”
The ancient pharaoh hid a smile at how startled he had made her, although he was mentally cursing himself for it. “Yes, it’s me. My apologies for frightening you. It was not my intention.”
Tèa gave him a smile, her feelings of annoyance and indignity being long gone. “I know. It’s okay. I’m just glad you found me.”
Yami returned her smile, only his was more reserved. “I am happy I did.”
Tèa’s smile faded and she frowned upon noticing he was alone. “Hey, where’s Vicki? Wasn’t she with you?”
“She said she had something else to take care of.”
Tèa twisted her mouth to the side. “All right. I just hope she can find us.”
“I hope so, too.” Yami put on a serious look as he eyed the young man again. “Please, tell me what’s going on.”
Tèa frowned at the sudden change in his mood, but as soon as she noticed him watching the dance off, she understood why. “Oh, you mean that guy? His name is Johnny Stepps. He calls himself the Master of Dance Dance Revolution.” She rolled her eyes.
Yami tilted his head. “Ah. He most certainly is sure of himself, isn’t he?” Inwardly he was rolling his eyes at the thought of dealing with another Kaiba.
Tèa snorted and pinched the bridge of her nose. “That’s an understatement. I mean, sure he’s a good dancer, but he has such a nasty attitude. He takes such pleasure from humiliating his opponents and making them feel small. “
The brunette’s direct opinions made Yami smile, and he couldn’t say he begged to differ, either. He heard Johnny telling his dance rival to give up. “So I have noticed, and that will be his downfall.”
“You said it.” Tèa and Yami watched the remainder of the dance off, mentally urging Johnny’s opponent to continue to give it his all.
Despite a valiant effort, the challenger was not able to out dance Johnny Stepps. He let out a groan of disappointment and smacked his forehead. “Awww man!”
Unfortunately Johnny heard him. He stared his opponent down before shooting him a nasty smirk. "You never stood a chance against me from the start," he taunted.
The young man had the urge to say something nasty, but decided his teaser wasn’t worth the effort. He just shot him a glare and marched off the dance stage.
Johnny looked into the audience, still wearing the smirk on his face. “Who shall I humiliate next? Any volunteers?” Instead of waiting for a response, he just gazed at everyone to see who would be most fitting. His smirk widened when his eyes landed on Yami and Tèa. ‘It looks like those two are a couple. This is perfect.’ He ogled at Tèa, who seemed to be oblivious to his stare. ‘That girl is pretty…too pretty to be with a scrawny piss-tailed little punk like him. And given that she’s a girl, I would win against her for sure.’ He whistled in her direction, making her glance up at him sharply. "Are you feeling lucky today?" he asked her. "I challenge you to a duel!"
Yami put on a look of disdain. He knew the young man was only showing off and he didn’t want Tèa to be his little guinea pig for puffing up his ego. "Just ignore him, Tèa."
Tèa held up a hand as if to say don’t interfere. She had a deeper purpose than just tossing the veteran dancer down a peg or two, even though that would give her much satisfaction. “It’s all right, Yugi.”
Yami looked surprised. “But Tèa—“
“Listen, Yugi, I know you’re just standing up for me and I appreciate it, but remember when I said I want to be a dancer someday? Well, to get there I need to work hard. This will be good practice and it also gives me the chance to show what I am made of. “ The brunette spoke firmly to make sure her spiky haired friend knew how serious she was.
The ancient pharaoh considered her words, and nodded. “I understand, and I support you.”
“Thank you. I appreciate it.” Tèa briefly turned back to smile at him before redirecting her attention to Johnny with a hard look on her face. "You're on. I accept!" She took off her jacket and tossed it to Yami. With a surprised grunt, he caught it. She stepped onto the dancing platform, taking a deep breath. From the corner of her eye she thought she saw her opponent looking lustfully at her but opted to ignore it, knowing he was just trying to rattle her and get a rise out of her anger.
Johnny shot the girl a smug smile."Are you ready to be embarrassed?" he asked, his voice giving off a condescending vibe.
Tèa glared him down, just wanting to wipe the smug look off his face. "You're the one who's going to be embarrassed," she retorted.
Johnny shot her another smirk. Her jabs didn’t faze him in the least. In fact, they made him even more drawn to her. ‘Just as I thought. She would make the perfect girlfriend. I have just the perfect scheme.’ He twirled a dreadlock around his finger. "You have spunk. I like that about you. Since you’re so confident, let’s up the stakes. If I win this, you have to spend the evening with me and be my girlfriend."
Tèa couldn’t help but grimace and look at him as if he had lost his mind. She felt the bile rising up inside her. ‘If I were not so repulsed, I would be laughing at him.’ She wrinkled her nose. "I would rather eat worms than date a jerk like you!"
"Okay, enough small talk! Let's begin!"
"That's the most sensible thing you've said so far!" Tèa put on her best game face and took her place on the platform, ready to dance. Johnny took his position as well.
The dance machine lit up, and upbeat music began to play, signifying it was time for the archrivals to begin. Tèa started off with something relatively tame, with the intention of just warming up and giving her opponent a test. Johnny matched her skills with no problem at all. Seeing this, Tèa picked up the pace a little, showing fancier footwork. The young man’s mouth dropped open slightly, realizing how good she truly was. ‘Well, no matter. She hasn’t seen any of my best moves yet. I can’t wait to see the look on her face when she loses to me. It’s time to take my game up a notch.’ He started to unveil some of his best moves.
For a moment, Tèa looked stunned, but she put her game face back on. ‘All right, that does it. He’s going down. No more Miss Nice Girl.’ She shot Johnny a glare before speeding up her footwork and doing her most spectacular moves. ‘Let’s see him top that.’
The audience watched with their eyeballs looking like they would pop out and their jaws ready to fall on the floor. ‘This girl is even better than Johnny.’
Johnny just stared at her with his eyes wide as saucers. ‘Where the hell did this girl learn such moves? None of my best moves compare to that.’ He wracked his brain for a way out of his predicament and then his panicked look transformed into a devious grin. ‘There’s no way I’m letting an amateur beat me at my game.’ He put his leg out to trip her.
Tèa’s eyes widened and she gaped at the young man, a soft gasp escaping. She knew he had attitude problems, but she never suspected he would stoop so low. 'This jerk is cheating.' She had to stop her dancing and leap high in the air to avoid his foot. A collective gasp filled the air and people were murmuring amongst themselves. Yami clutched her jacket tightly, looking scared for her. His expression then hardened in anger that Johnny would dare to pull such a cheap trick.
Johnny’s underhanded maneuver against Tèa proved to be a poor one on his part, because soon his leg crumbled beneath him, making him sprawl out on the dance floor. He let out an expletive just as Tèa flipped forward, landing gracefully on her feet. She marched over to her opponent, shooting him a scathing glare. “It looks like I’ve won our match, so the deal is off. “ Her voice was very stern and no-nonsense, although she could feel a satisfied smirk threatening to escape her lips.
The nutmeg haired young man sat there frozen, staring up at the girl with big wide eyes and his mouth hanging open. ‘I can’t believe this! Beaten by a girl? Impossible!’ He so badly wanted to believe it was just a bad dream, but he caught a glimpse of the results on the machine. He started trembling and sweating.
A round of applause and cheers erupted among the crowd. People were shouting things such as “That was awesome!” and “She really is a great dancer!”
After giving Johnny one last glare, Tèa turned on her heel and marched off the dancing platform, making her way to Yami. She smiled at the people cheering for her, knowing her work was greatly respected. However, that was the least of her priorities at the moment.
The ancient pharaoh looked up at her with a smile. “That was excellent work, Tèa. You will make a wonderful dancer one day. And I am certain you taught Johnny Stepps a valuable lesson in the process.”
Tèa smiled brightly at him. “Thank you, Yugi. That means so much to me. I know I couldn’t have done it without your support.” Her smile faltered a bit when Yami mentioned Johnny. She would have hoped her opponent learned something, although she couldn’t be sure. Either way, she didn’t want to waste time dwelling on him.
“I always will.” Yami remembered he was still holding the brunette’s jacket. He draped it over her shoulders. “Here you are.”
Tèa took the jacket, slipping her arms through its sleeves so it was on properly. “Thank you. Now what do you say we go find Vicki and then get out of here? I’m sure you’re ready to go to the museum now.”
“Yes, I’m ready. Let’s go.” Yami and Tèa walked away from the Dance Dance Revolution game to go search for their friend, not once looking back.
Vicki was able to win the Dark Magician plushie on her first try. Clutching the doll in her hand, she walked away from the machine with a smile on her face. ‘Oh I am so awesome at this. Now it’s time to go find Yugi. I hope he found Tèa. This isn’t exactly the best time to be on a wild goose chase.’ She stuck her pinky on the left hand in her mouth, chewing on her fingernail a bit before letting out a sigh. ‘Well I guess I had better get to work. This could be a long search.’ She took a quick look around, seeing if she could spot either of her friends at the arcade games. There was no trace of them. She wearily rubbed her temples and then re-adjusted her beret. ‘Darn it, I’m such a dolt. Why didn’t I wait until we were about to leave to get this toy? Then I wouldn’t be in this situation. Hopefully they would not have left already.’
Her heart pounded rapidly and leapt into her stomach, causing her to feel a bit queasy. The only thing more terrifying than the mere thought of her friends leaving her behind was the fact that she wouldn’t know where to look for them. She took a deep breath, trying to calm down before she gave herself a heart attack worrying. ‘Girl, get a hold of yourself and stop being so paranoid. You know they would never do that to you!’ Her mental scolding was interrupted by murmuring nearby. ‘Huh? Where are those voices coming from?’ She gazed around the arcade, and then lifted her eyes slightly when she noticed a large group of people gathered together. ‘What’s this? A commotion? That’s something you don’t see every day.’ Her worries faded when she saw her two friends approaching her. She stopped in her tracks to wait for them.
“Hey, there you are!” was Tèa’s greeting.
“Well hello to you, too, Missy,” responded Vicki, but she had an amused look on her face. “What’s up?”
“We’re about to leave. Are you ready to go?” Tèa paused. “Or was there a game you wanted to play?” She wasn’t about to rob the girl of her fun, even if she didn’t want to give Johnny an opportunity to challenge her again.
Vicki hesitated for a bit. She was actually thinking about squeezing in just one game, but she knew she could always wait until she got home, and she could tell from Tèa’s expression she was anxious to leave. ‘That reminds me, I will have to ask her what I missed.’ She removed a strand of hair off her button down shirt. “No, it’s fine. I’m ready.” She glanced at the plushie she was holding. ‘I will see if I can find a plastic bag in my purse for this. I should have one.’
Tèa tried not to show how relieved she was to hear that, although she wasn’t sure if she was doing a good job or not. “Come on, then.”
“I’m right behind you.” Vicki left the arcade with Tèa and Yami. |
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Post by LadyKeren on Nov 23, 2015 17:48:50 GMT
Chapter 5
Tèa, Yami and Vicki walked away from the arcade and were now on their way to the museum, ignoring the crickets chirping as well as the crowd of people chattering. The wind blew at the girls’ hair. Vicki shivered a little, silently cursing herself for not putting on her jacket as soon as she left her apartment. Because she was still holding the doll, she couldn’t very well wrap her arms around herself, so she had to bear it. ‘Oh blast I am such an idiot. I hope I don’t get sick.’ Thankfully, the wind died down whilst the group were passing an ice cream parlour.
Vicki brought up a hand to rub at her itchy eyes before glancing over at Tèa. “So, I noticed back in the arcade there seemed to be a commotion before I found you two. What exactly did I miss?”
“Well, I played Dance Dance Revolution against a guy named Johnny Stepps and won. Other than that, not much.”
“Oh, gotcha.” Vicki didn’t mind too much since all watching the face off would have done was made her wish she could play it. ‘I have to say, though, watching Tèa kick this guy’s butt would have been very entertaining. Oh well. Next time, I guess.’ She frowned slightly upon noticing Tèa didn’t sound very enthusiastic about her victory, not to mention she seemed agitated. “What’s up, girl? You should be proud of yourself.”
Tèa let out a heavy sigh, briefly faced her friend and turned away. “No...not that. It’s just…Johnny was totally obnoxious. “
‘Uh oh. Now I know why she didn’t seem happy. That would put a damper on my mood, too.’ Vicki cocked her head. “Oh? How so? Give me all the details.” She balled her free hand into a fist, clenching it. She was prepared to go hunt the young man down if she had to.
“He was extremely snotty and arrogant, but that wasn’t the worst of it. When I had started to gain the upper hand during the dance off, he cheated by trying to trip me.”
“Say what?” Vicki allowed the words to sink in, shock appearing on her features and then contempt. “He sounds like a douche.”
“He is,” Tèa confirmed. “He even had the nerve to say he wanted me to be his girlfriend and go out on a date with him.” She made a disgusted face.
Vicki tilted her head to the side before letting out a snort. “Huh. Well, he can keep dreaming. I know you won’t give in to him.”
“I most certainly will not.” Tèa’s voice was firm when she said that. She fell silent when she realized she and her friends were approaching the pier. The glare of the sunset shone brightly in their faces. She stopped in her tracks, prompting them to do the same. Before either of them could ask her if something was wrong, she turned to face Yami. “Yugi? Will you come with me for a second?” She glanced at him with pleading eyes just in case for some reason he had doubts.
The ancient pharaoh looked a bit surprised at her request, but nodded and followed her to the pier. Vicki remained behind, opting to give them some time alone. However, she made sure to stay close by so she could see when they were getting ready to leave for the museum.
Tèa felt shy all of a sudden, the words she wanted to say escaping her. She let out a barely audible groan. ’Ugh, why did that have to happen? Now he’s going to think I’m wasting his time.’ She looked down at her feet and then up at the boat in the midst of the ocean, finally managing to string some words together. “Y-Yugi? I know it seems pretty weird for me to call you out here like this, but I have something to tell you.”
Yami seemed to be in his own world when Tèa’s voice filled his ears. He glanced at her, letting her know she had his attention. “Oh? And what’s that?” he asked, furrowing his eyebrows in curiosity.
Tèa took a deep breath to compose herself before giving him eye contact. "Thank you so much for supporting me. At first I wasn’t really sure if I would become successful as a dancer, but your faith in me has made me more determined to chase after my dream. I won’t give up."
Yami gave a small smile. It made his heart soar to be able to have an impact on someone’s life. "That’s right, you can do many things if you believe in yourself. Your perseverance is an inspiration to me as well. You've also given me the strength and determination to find out who I am."
Tèa’s eyes widened in mild surprise. “I have?"
"Yes. A part of me had doubts about uncovering who I truly am and what my future holds. I fear I may be separated from Yugi and I would like to remain with him.” Yami paused, realizing he had just admitted to something he hadn’t mentioned to his weaker half yet. He leaned forward, resting his elbows against the railing and placing a hand beneath his chin.
“Oh! Well, the only advice I can give you is follow your heart, but I’m glad it has helped.” Tèa tucked a strand of hair behind her ear before thinking back to the ancient pharaoh admitting he didn’t want to leave. ‘I wonder what he meant by that. Does this mean he will have to go away forever after his mission is complete?’ Her eyes got misty at the thought, for she didn’t want him to go. She wiped her eyes so they wouldn’t get blurry. ‘Maybe I am just reading too much into this. After all, there is probably a lot I don’t know about this other Yugi. Either way, I will help him in any way I can, no matter what happens.’
“I thank you for that. Your kindness touches my heart deeply.”
“Awww…” Tèa felt like she could melt into a puddle right then and there. She inched a bit closer to him, feeling the distance between them was too great. He raised an eyebrow, but didn’t object or move away.
Vicki watched the two of them, chuckling to herself. ‘It’s nice to see them bonding like this. I must say I am a bit jealous. I would like to have someone special one of these days. I hope it will happen soon.’ She went to see if her friends were ready to leave yet. She was about to ask them when all of a sudden there was a male’s voice crowing, “Sorry to interrupt you losers!”
Tèa and Yami turned around sharply, recognizing the voice. Vicki also turned to see who had said that. There stood the veteran dancer with a smug look on his face, which made both girls want to spew chunks.
Vicki eyed the young man, wrinkling her nose in distaste. ‘Who the hell is this freak? Could he be the douche Tèa mentioned not too long ago? He certainly fits the bill.’ She turned away before she could feel too repulsed. Or tell him something really nasty. Whichever came first.
Tèa wearily rubbed her forehead before letting out a groan of annoyance. “Now what do you want, Johnny?” There was an edge to her voice. Inwardly she was cursing at the fact that she and her friends didn’t just head straight to the museum so her nemesis wouldn’t catch up with her again.
Johnny put on his best innocent look. "I just wanted another dance off against you, that’s all. If my leg hadn't cramped up, I would have won. You were lucky that time, but you won’t be next time."
Tèa gave an exasperated sigh and looked at him as if he were out of his mind. ‘This prick can't be serious. He is the one who tripped me and he wants to treat me like I did something wrong?’ She then shot the young man a glare. "Just buzz off and get a life!"
Vicki lowered her eyes knowingly, as if to say, ‘So I was right. That’s the Johnny Stepps Tèa mentioned. He’s such a troll.’ She pinched the bridge of her nose before saying to Tèa, “I know what you mean by obnoxious. In fact, that’s putting it mildly.”
“I’m glad you agree.”
Johnny ignored Vicki’s dig on him and shot Tèa a smirk. “So are you going to accept my challenge or not? Don’t tell me you’re too scared and all the spunk you displayed earlier was just a sham.”
The brunette took a deep breath, ready to yell that he didn’t scare her in the least, but she saw no reason to waste any more time on him when he already had his chance.
Yami narrowed his eyes at Johnny, becoming fed up with his antics. Before Tèa could say anything, he stepped forward and gave the dancer a hard look. "I'll duel you, but instead, we will play Duel Monsters. If I win, you must promise to never bother Tèa again. "
Johnny snorted and sneered at the ancient ruler. "I accept your lame challenge, porcupine head. However, if I win, Tèa has to spend the night with me and become my girlfriend."
Tèa let out a shudder. She felt the bile rising up inside her stomach and she had to resist the urge to throw up. ’Ugh…date him?? Oh, the horror! I would rather shoot myself before I date a chauvinistic creep like him!’ Just the mere thought of it made her want to scrub her skin raw.
Yami scowled, but just said in an eerily calm voice, “Very well. However, I am the one who will win.”
“Huh! Not likely. But if you think you’re so tough, I’d like to see you try and prove it. Follow me.” Johnny led the group of friends to Kaiba Land, grinning to himself about how he would have another chance to humiliate someone. He guided them inside the building before entering as well.
The attraction was dimly lit and empty, containing several dueling arenas. Johnny turned to face Yami. “The arena I have chosen is rather small. It is the perfect dueling site, don’t you agree?”
Yami kept a nonchalant expression on his face as he responded, “It makes no difference.” All he wanted was to get the duel over with so he and his friends could continue to enjoy their outing without any problems. He made his way over to the arena, taking his place and resting his deck down.
Johnny took his place on the arena, set his deck down and exchanged a stare with the ancient pharaoh, wearing his trademark smirk. ‘This punk doesn’t stand a chance against me. I can hardly wait to use my fan cards to teach him a lesson.’
Yami stared back at the dancer, his eyes full of determination. ‘Johnny Stepps…you have been a nuisance for long enough, but it ends here and now.’ He put his game face on.
The two brunettes remained on the sidelines, waiting for the duel to begin. Feeling a bit chilly, Tèa rubbed her hands together and clasped them. She gave Yami an anxious look that read, ‘Yugi…please win against him. I know you can.’
Vicki inhaled a deep breath and played with her bangs a bit before fixing her eyes on Yami and Johnny. ‘I have to say although Johnny’s stakes for the duel are so bloody idiotic, it has always been a dream of mine to see Yugi in action.’ An excited grin was etched on her features for a bit, only for it to fade when Johnny’s words echoed inside her brain. ‘Yugi…Tèa is counting on you. The pig has got to go.’
“So scrawny pipsqueak, are you ready to lose?” drawled Johnny. He turned away from the ancient pharaoh to make kissing noises at Tèa, who just made a revolted face at him in response.
Yami’s brow creased slightly. “Enough!” he growled. He stopped speaking, realizing he was just giving the veteran dancer the satisfaction. He softened his tone just a smidge as he said, “You will be the one to lose this duel.”
Johnny laughed, both at Yami’s little outburst and declaration. “If you’re so sure of that, then let’s get started! I can’t wait to see what you’re made of!”
“Duel!” Both young men drew five cards from their decks.
Johnny got a small grin on his face as he eyed the cards in his hand. ‘The loser is in for it now.’ He chuckled softly to himself. “I’ll go first! I summon Sonic Maid in attack mode!” (1200 attk) A young lady with orangey red hair holding a weapon in the shape of a musical note emerged onto the field. She wore a long mauve colored halter neck dress and a gold bandana was wrapped around her head. “That ends my turn. Now let’s see what you can do.”
“Hmm.” Yami frowned slightly.‘Strange…why has he summoned such a weak monster? Is he implementing some sort of strategy, or is he just a mediocre duelist?’ He glanced at the cards he held, smiling slightly. “I summon Celtic Guardian in attack mode!” (1400 attk) An elf-like creature with green and brown armor covering his chest, khaki pants and brown boots appeared, letting out a grunt. His lime green hair was also cropped by a green helmet. “Celtic Guardian, attack his Sonic Maid with your steel sword!!” The elf-warrior soared high into the air and sliced the Maid in half, reducing her to pixel. Johnny lost 200 life points from the attack, leaving him with one thousand, eight hundred. Yami gave a small smirk. “You will have to do much better than that to defeat me.”
The veteran dancer returned Yami’s smirk before twirling a strand of hair around his finger. “I have to say, you’re pretty good. However, you ain’t see nothing yet, so I wouldn’t get too cocky if I were you!”
“Well, if you’re so sure of yourself, show me,” was the ancient pharaoh’s reply. He was becoming weary of Johnny’s gloating.
“Just as you wish! Stand back! “ Johnny pulled a card from his deck with a grin on his face. His grin widened when he took a glance at the card. “I summon my Water Omotics in attack mode!” (1400 attk) A human shaped young woman with long pinkish red hair blanketing her body materialized. The center of her forehead was decorated by a gemstone. “That ends my turn.”
‘He has summoned a stronger monster, but it has the same attack strength as my Celtic Guardian. What could he be planning? Whatever it is, I will have to come up with a way to defeat him.’ Yami looked puzzled for a second, and then pulled a card from his deck. “I will pass this turn. It’s your move.”
Johnny made a tsk sound before laughing. “You must have drawn a pretty crappy card in order to make that move.” He shrugged. “Oh well...might as well make the most of it.” He pulled another card from his deck, his lips spreading into a small grin when he glanced at it. “Things are looking up, and you are about to find out what I mean right now. I play Spirit of the Harp in defense mode!!” (2000 def) A young woman holding a harp materialized on the field. She had lime green hair that was mostly covered by the hood of her cloak, and green eyes. There was a serene air about her. “I also play the magic card, Chorus of Sanctuary, which raises her defense points by five hundred!” The fairy’s defense points climbed up to 2500 as a result, a bright aura surrounding her. “It’s your turn. Let’s see you try to get out of this—that is, if you think you can.”
Yami wrinkled his brow in thought. ‘Perhaps he is a much better duelist than I gave him credit for...but I have to win this duel and cease his harassment.’ He put his game face back on, drawing another card. His lips curled into a tiny smile. “I play Dark Magician in attack mode!” (2500 attk) The purple haired spellcaster emerged onto the field, pointing his staff as if he were ready for battle.
A sweatdrop appeared on Johnny’s forehead and he clenched his fists, shaking. It was all he could do not to soil his pants at the same time. “Oh no…if he’s going after the monster I think he is, then I’m done for…”
The ancient pharaoh’s smile became smug. “That’s right. Go, Dark Magician, attack his Water Omotics with Dark Magic Attack!” The wizard twirled his staff around before shooting a burst of dark energy at the ocean based monster, which engulfed and disintegrated her.
Johnny lost 1100 more life points, taking him down to seven hundred. He cursed harshly, annoyed with himself for having forgotten to switch his monster into defense mode. He scowled for a bit, and then his face relaxed into a grin. “Well, I must say I’m impressed. I never knew you had it in you. However, that’s still not enough to beat me.”
Yami chuckled softly before clicking his tongue. “Your overconfidence will be the end of you, Johnny. Up until now, you have played nothing but random fan cards, whereas I have been thinking strategically all along.”
Johnny crossed his eyebrows and smirked at the ancient pharaoh. “Perhaps I do have a strategy, one your puny brain can’t understand.”
Yami ignored the snide comment, instead opting to keep his expression stoic, although deep down he was rather amused by his opponent’s obliviousness. “I place one card face down. Your move. I am curious to see this strategy you have planned.”
“You’re about to find out, so hang on to your hat!” The veteran dancer pulled a card from his deck. A wide grin spread across his face as he held it up to look at. ‘Awesome! This is just what I need to finish this loser off!’ He turned to face Yami. “I’m about to rock your world, so I hope you’re ready! I play Witch of the Black Forest in defense mode!” (1100 attk) A purple haired woman clothed in a black dress rose out of the ground, letting out a shrill cackle. “I’m not done! I also play Polymerization in order to fuse Lady of Faith and Witch of the Black Forest together! Say hello to Musician King!” (1750) A young man holding an electric guitar dressed in jeans and boots appeared on the field. His blonde hair was held in place by a red bandana. “Musician King, get rid of that wimpy elf!“ The young man picked at one of the strings on his guitar, strumming on it as if he were playing a song and emitting some musical notes. The swordsman covered his ears in pain before crumbling to pieces.
Yami grunted as he watched his life points drop to one thousand, six hundred fifty.
Johnny broke into a peal of laughter before smiling smugly. “It looks like your Celtic Guardian couldn’t face the music! I play one card face down and end my turn. Your move. Bring out another monster to hear the sweet song of my Musician King!”
Tèa could only shake her head at her nemesis’ antics, and his loud laughter made her cringe as well. ‘I hope Yugi beats him.’ She let out a weary sigh. “Come on, Yugi…” she mumbled.
Vicki tilted her head to the side with a roll of her eyes. ‘So the chap thinks he’s funny just because he laughed at his own joke. What a moron. On the other hand, it’s refreshing to see him putting up a fight.’
Yami had a grim look on his face whilst drowning out the taunting. His eyes landed on the face down card Johnny had played on the field. ‘I don’t know what that card is, but something tells me I should be cautious. More importantly, I must keep my Dark Magician protected, just in case he becomes my only hope. ‘ He stared down at the cards in his hand to see if he was holding anything worthwhile and then let his eyes meet Johnny’s once again. “You may have destroyed my Celtic Guardian, but this duel is not over yet! I draw!” He pulled a card from his deck and took a peek at it, a smile forming on his lips. “I switch my Dark Magician into defense mode and then play Curse of Dragon in attack mode!” (2000 attk) A yellow dragon materialized hovering in midair, letting out a shriek. “Curse of Dragon, attack his Musician King with Dragon Flame!” The reptilian creature spewed a massive burst of flames from its mouth at the musician.
Johnny gave a devious grin. “Nice try! I activate my magic card, Metalmorph! This boosts my musician’s attack power by 300 points, making him stronger than your dragon!” he explained as armor covered his monster’s broad shoulders and chest, raising his attack strength to two thousand fifty. “Meet Heavy Metal King!” The armor deflected Curse of Dragon’s fire attack, destroying it and draining 50 more of the former pharaoh’s life points, leaving him at an even sixteen hundred. The veteran dancer laughed again. “You might as well give up! My monster will only get stronger and stronger!”
Yami grunted in reply before vowing, “I will never surrender! I won’t stop until I defeat you!” He let out a deep breath before drawing a card from his deck. ‘Johnny is relying on the special ability of his Metalmorph card, but he is so blinded by his overconfidence that he forgot one important factor, and it is going to cost him.’ He glanced up at Johnny with a small smile escaping his lips.”Johnny…you may have made a brief comeback and summoned a powerful monster, but this duel is about to end.”
Johnny returned his gaze and was about to voice his agreement, until he realized what Yami meant. He gave the ancient pharaoh a strange look. “How do you figure that? Have you forgotten the ability of my magic card? No matter what you play, my Heavy Metal King will cream it. You really need to wake up and get your brain out of the gutter.”
Yami let out another chuckle—but this one was heartier. “It is you should wake up. I am aware of how Metalmorph works, and you are only partially correct.”
The veteran dancer’s eyes bugged out whilst staring at Yami as if he had two heads. “W-What do you mean by that?”
“While it is true that your monster’s strength increases in addition to the 300 points it gained, that is only when you call out an attack, and my Dark Magician is still stronger.”
Johnny’s mouth dropped wide open for a second and then he closed it. He didn’t expect that Yami would be more familiar with his magic card than he was. “What—I—I didn’t realize—“ Another sweatdrop formed on his forehead and he started trembling.
“Yes and that grave miscalculation is going to cost you the duel. It’s my turn now. “ Yami pulled a card from his deck and gave a genuine smile, paying very little attention to the fear Johnny displayed. “I activate my face down card, The Book of Secret Arts! This raises my Dark Magician’s attack strength by 300 points!” A bright purple aura surrounded the spellcaster as his attack power climbed up to two thousand, eight hundred. “You know what happens next. Dark Magician, destroy his Heavy Metal King now!” The purple haired young man shot a blast of dark energy at the powered up musician, destroying him.
“NOOOOOOOOOOO!!” belted out Johnny as his life points dropped to zero. Both players’ monsters disappeared.
Tèa let out the deep breath she had been holding in while she had been anxiously watching, hoping the attack would go through. A huge grin slowly spread across her face. “Yeah! Yugi won!!” Unable to help herself, she started jumping up and down before slapping a high five to Vicki.
Vicki chuckled a bit, mildly amazed to see her new friend expressing her excitement in such a child-like manner. ‘I can’t say I blame her, though. If I didn’t have to date that loser, I would be elated.’ She turned and gave Yami a thumbs up sign, as if to say, ‘Good job.’
Yami smiled at the two girls. “Thank you. I appreciate your support.” He then turned back to Johnny, who seemed to be in a stupor. He was hunched over, with his hands resting down on the playing field. The cards slipped out of his hand and scattered all over the field. “I hope this duel has taught you a lesson. Attempting to obtain victory through cheating will only hurt you in the end.”
Grunting, Johnny grabbed all of his cards and stacked them up neatly. He glanced up at the ancient pharaoh with a grimace, his eyes blazing with fury at being called a cheater.”Just shut up, midget! I don’t need to hear any lectures from you! You already got what you wanted, so just bug off already!”
Tèa folded her arms tightly across her chest. She looked like smoke was going to come out of her ears. She felt like telling the dancer off for being so rude to her friend, but decided to let him deal with it. ‘Hopefully he will see reason with Yugi.’
Vicki let out a soft whistle. “Wow. If he acts like that when someone is only being honest with him, I’d hate to see how he would react with those who are truly out of line.”
Yami sighed heavily, but otherwise maintained his stoic demeanor. Truth be told, he expected the outburst, as he knew all too well how people like the young man operated. He said calmly, “You see, that is your problem. You refuse to acknowledge your faults and you are hostile towards hearing the truth. That will be your downfall.”
Johnny scoffed. “Whatever, preach. I don’t have to listen to you. Who are you, anyway?”
Yami furrowed his brow, undaunted by the young man’s sour attitude. “You may call me Yugi,” he answered, making an effort to sound gracious despite his frustration.
Johnny’s eyes looked like they were about to roll back into their sockets and he let out a loud gasp. He stared, unable to believe he was facing off against one of the top ranked duelists. “It-It’s you! You’re the one who beat Pegasus! I knew I shouldn’t have accepted your challenge. I’m out of here! I can’t deal with you people any longer!” He marched off the dueling platform in a huff and was about to leave the building. The fact that one of the best duelists in the world made a fool out of him was more infuriating than not having a date. He stopped short when he noticed Tèa blocking his path. She had her hands on her hips and there was a scowl on her face. He opened his mouth to demand that she step aside, but she put up a hand, signaling that she didn’t want to hear a word out of him until he had the floor.
“You flip out just because you lose one game of Duel Monsters?” the chestnut haired teen asked in disbelief. “It’s just like when you tripped me during our dance off when I gained the upper hand. What’s the matter with you, Johnny? Where’s your sense of pride and honor?”
Johnny flinched and looked away, not caring to deal with Tèa’s glaring eyes. “Get off my case! I’m not as good at playing Duel Monsters as I am at dancing, and even in that department I’m losing my touch.” He sounded as if he were about to despair.
Tèa softened her scowl a bit, but her facial expression was still stern. She put a finger under his chin to make him look her in the eye. “Well, if you have so much time to be womanizing, you could use some of that energy to practice so you could improve your dancing. How many auditions have you attended?”
“Just one,” admitted the young man a bit sheepishly. He hung his head, although he was inwardly cringing at how much his dance rival sounded like his mother.
Tèa’s brows arched up for a second. She didn’t expect to hear those words from someone who was so persistent earlier. “You mean to tell me you quit after one audition?” She gave him a disapproving look. “You give up much too easily. You will never succeed at anything if you remain a quitter.”
“Hmph! It goes to show how much you know. You could never understand! You have no idea what it’s like to be a failure.” Johnny folded his arms like a sulky teenager who was in an extra foul mood.
Tèa was quiet for a moment. Under normal circumstances, she would have scolded Johnny for being a brat, but then she saw the reason behind his attitude and knew he was only masking his insecurities. ‘He must feel awful.’ Her eyes softened even more. “Oh, but I do know what it feels like, better than anyone else. “
The veteran dancer unfolded his arms and slowly let them drop to his side. He cocked an eyebrow. “Really? You do?”
“Mmhm. I have failed many times, but every time I do, I get back up and keep going. That is how I came as far as I have today.” Tèa spoke slowly, wanting to be sure Johnny would fully understand. After all, he finally looked as if he were open to advice. She stepped to the side a bit so he could leave whenever he was ready.
Johnny listened carefully and allowed Tèa’s words to sink in. It was impossible for him to be defensive any longer, for he knew she spoke the truth. He let out a deep breath, looking thoughtful.”Well, I never looked at it that way before. You have given me something new to think about.” He proceeded to head towards the exit, but then stopped in his tracks and glanced over his shoulder at Tèa. “I’ll try again.”
Tèa felt a small smile escaping her lips. “Good.”
Johnny nodded and exited the amusement park.
As Tèa watched the young man take his leave, she had a meditative look on her face. ‘Good for you, Johnny. I know you will be able to follow your dreams from now on.’ Her thoughts were cut off when she felt a hand on her shoulder. She stiffened a little but relaxed when she turned to see it was Yami. Vicki was standing next to him. “Oh!” she squeaked before breathing a sigh of relief. “It’s just you.” She forced a sheepish smile to cover up her humiliation at being so jumpy. ‘Geez, how embarrassing! I hope I don’t have another moment like that for the remainder of the evening.’ She let out several rapid breaths to compose herself.
“Are you ready?” asked the ancient pharaoh. “Or do you need a bit more time to recover?”
Tèa knew Yami was referring to the moment she had gotten shaken up, and could see genuine concern in his eyes. “No, I’m fine now. Let’s get going.”
“All right.” The group of friends left Kaiba Land and proceeded to make their way to the Domino Museum. By then the sky was dark and it had become even chillier. Vicki shivered, her teeth chattering a bit. ‘Good thing I trusted my instincts and brought my jacket.’ She remembered she was still holding the Dark Magician plushie she had gotten for Yami. ‘Oops. I had better give this to him before I forget. Besides, now is a good time.’ She cleared her throat. “Yugi?”
Yami side-eyed her.”Hmm? What is it, Vicki?”
Vicki held out the plushie. “This is for you. I know how much you love the card. Think of it as a sign of friendship.” She eagerly awaited his response, hoping he would accept. ‘Come to think of it, this kind of gift is a tad bit silly and childish, but I am almost certain he won’t scoff.’
Yami’s brow furrowed in mild surprise, for this was his first time receiving a gift in the modern era. He examined the doll for a bit before accepting it from the teen girl. "Vicki…thank you." He couldn’t help cracking a smile. Although it wasn’t his type of gift, such a kind gesture and the fact that she considered him a friend warmed his heart.
“Oh you’re more than welcome,” said Vicki warmly. She looked pleased with herself. Not only had Yami accepted her gift, but he seemed to like it enough. She untied the jacket from around her waist and put it on, buttoning it up about halfway. ‘Ah, now that’s more like it.’
Tèa paid very little attention to the exchange between her friends but instead diverted her attention towards the windows of the stores they walked past. She did, however, catch a glimpse of Vicki giving Yami the plushie. Mild jealousy bubbled up inside her, but she suppressed it as best as she could, reminding herself that Vicki was a good friend and wasn’t annoyingly overbearing, not to mention it was just a simple act of kindness. ‘I just wish I had the guts to do the same. I would have chickened out, and it’s simple compared to telling him I have feelings for him…which I could never do.’ She pushed those thoughts to the back of her mind and glanced over at the ancient pharaoh, realizing he never mentioned her peptalk to her dance rival or what he thought of it. ‘Hopefully he didn’t think I was being meddlesome…but I had to call Johnny out.’ She shook her head, refusing to second guess herself on whether she should have just kept quiet or not. “About what I told Johnny back there, sorry if I said too much.”
Yami smiled kindly at her. “No, Tèa. You were just fine. You spoke nothing but the truth.”
Vicki nodded her agreement. “I couldn’t have said it better myself. I don’t think I would have been able to keep my cool as well as you did at that point. “ ‘Then again, it’s hard for me to take sore losers seriously.’
Tèa smiled at her two friends, relieved to know she hadn’t said anything out of line this time. She knew she had the tendency to come on too strong at times. ’If I had, I would not be able to live with myself. I mean, it’s not like I can find Johnny to apologize to him.’ She and her friends walked the remainder of the way in silence. Soon, they were approaching the museum. They came to a complete stop and walked up the steps together. Yami stood in front of the door, closing his eyes for a brief moment and quietly tiptoed inside. The girls were right behind him.
Vicki gazed around the room, taking in all her surroundings. She noticed there was a table with various items resting on top of it. Curiosity getting the best of her, she wandered over to take a look. There were quite a number of ancient artifacts, ranging from figurines to different types of jewelry. She had an awed expression on her face. ‘So this is the exhibition that woman had been hosting. How magnificent.’ After looking at all the items, she walked away from the table just in case a staff member entered. Also, she didn’t want her friends leaving her behind. She turned around to see what they were up to.
Tèa was admiring a painting of the desert in Egypt that hung on the wall. ‘Wow...whoever painted this picture did an awesome job. They captured the sunset and sand perfectly…and this pyramid....’ She stared at the pyramid and felt like she was being sucked inside. She stepped away from the painting before she could become too drawn in. She glanced over at Yami, who seemed to have something on his mind. It was then when reality hit her that this was no pleasure trip and he was there for a vital purpose. ‘I can’t believe I almost forgot that.’ All of a sudden she got an uneasy feeling in her stomach, which only occurred when there was danger lying in wait. "Yugi? I understand how important it is for you to unlock your hidden memories, but please promise me you’ll be careful. I don’t know what I would do if something happened to you.”
Yami could hear the worry in the young woman’s voice. “I will, Tèa.”
"Good. Now let’s go. I imagine you have a lot to find out."
The ancient pharaoh was about to comply when a young woman with long jet-black hair and green-blue eyes walked in. "Hello, my pharaoh. I apologize for the long delay,” she said before giving a nod to Tèa and Vicki.
Both girls’ ears jumped slightly. “Pharaoh?” they repeated simultaneously, their voices raising a little. Vicki nearly dropped her purse, her heart almost stopping. ‘I’m actually becoming friends with someone who is royalty? That’s a hard pill to swallow. ‘ She placed a hand on her chest to calm her racing heartbeat. ‘Come to think of it, that would explain why he is so reserved. But the one thing that struck me is he seems to have an easygoing side…I mean, he didn’t make me kneel down or anything.’
Tèa, on the other hand, was quiet. It suddenly dawned on her why Yami was so desperate to find out the truth about his past. ‘If he really is a pharaoh like Ishizu said, then that would mean his name isn’t Yugi at all…but then, what is it? Oh well...I guess I can keep calling him Yugi until I find out.’
Yami eyed the woman. He recognized her as the one who held the press conference, although he didn’t know her name. "Who are you?"
"I am Ishizu. My family and I have been protecting your tomb as well as your memories for the past three thousand years. I have uncovered many mysteries using the power of my millennium necklace. Come with me and I will reveal all. “ She paused for a moment, remembering Yami was accompanied by Tèa and Vicki. “Your friends are welcome to come along as well.”
Vicki was fighting the urge to yell out, “Goody!” as she was bursting with excitement, but opted to show restraint. She settled for, “We’re right behind you. Just lead the way and we’ll follow.”
Ishizu gave a curt nod. “Very well.” She led the 3 friends through the museum, only once glancing over her shoulder to make sure they were following and not too far behind. The halls were as quiet and somber as the night she spoke to Kaiba about hosting the tournament, which was just as well for her. ‘I have foreseen this excursion will go much more smoothly.’
Vicki thought of what she meant to say to Ishizu. She knew there was something she wanted to tell her, but she couldn’t remember what it was at the moment. ‘I hope I do before she has to leave because I am not sure when we will see her again.’ She shut her eyes briefly before the words came to her. “Ishizu?”
“Yes, Vicki?” answered the older woman without turning around.
“I-I just wanted to say how much your work intrigues me.” Vicki let out a deep breath. ‘Okay, was that so hard?’
Ishizu quirked an eyebrow. “Oh, is that so? Well, thank you. I’m glad it does.”
Tèa had quite a few questions she needed answered. She tried to think of the best one to ask, but in the end decided to wait until the appropriate time. ‘I wonder where she is taking us.’
It wasn’t long before Ishizu stopped in front of a room and said, “Here we are.” She opened the door and then fiddled with something on the wall, causing the room to light up. She entered and gestured for Yami, Tèa and Vicki to follow her, which they did.
The ancient pharaoh walked past the stone tablets, looking at all the different carvings on them. He couldn’t help but let out a slight gasp at how familiar they looked to him, even though he hadn’t seen them in eons. ‘So Pegasus was correct when he said the monsters were real.’ However, when he came across the tablet that was labeled ‘TABLET OF THE PHARAOH’ with carvings of himself and Kaiba, he felt a mild tightness in his chest which forced him to stop short. As he gazed at the image, a flashback was triggered. ‘Of course...Kaiba and I fought many battles in Ancient Egypt. I now have an idea of who I am. However, this is only the beginning, and something tells me regaining my memories will be a rather lengthy process. ’
Tèa and Vicki looked at all the stone tablets with intrigued expressions on their faces. When they saw the tablet Yami was currently looking at, their eyes widened and their jaws dropped open. “Wow! That looks just like Yugi!” they marveled.
Ishizu wandered over to the two girls and Yami. “I see you have found the tablet I intended to speak to you about,” she said. “Excellent.”
Yami looked away from the tablet to face her. “Yes, it’s beginning to become clear to me now. However, there is still much I am unsure about. Tell me, what have you discovered?” He gave her his best attentive look. Vicki and Tèa also faced Ishizu. They didn’t want to miss anything.
Ishizu smiled a bit, finding it refreshing to be dealing with someone who was much more cooperative."Three thousand years ago, evil sorcerers nearly destroyed the entire world with their magic, until a brave and powerful king sealed it away. That king was you, and your very own life was sacrificed as well. “ Her expression became grave. “Now history is about to repeat itself. I am counting on you to save mankind from this impending threat before it is too late. "
The former pharaoh knitted his brows together. Little by little, he was beginning to understand his role a bit better, but he still couldn’t help but give the young woman a slightly skeptical look, mixed with confusion. “What exactly is this threat you speak of?”
Ishizu could tell by Yami’s tone that he was beginning to lose patience, although he was trying his best to be gracious and not disrespectful like Kaiba had been. Still, she didn’t wish to test him. “Shadow powers are being wielded by certain possessors of millennium items who tap into their magic for selfish purposes.”
Yami nodded, recalling the Shadow Duels he had engaged in and how dangerous they were. "I understand. What must I do to save the world from destruction?"
"You must enter a Duel Monsters tournament. The individuals responsible for this great evil will be participating as well, and you must defeat them. Make sure the millennium items do not fall into the wrong hands. The power of your puzzle will be your guide."
Yami gave a curious frown. “Duel Monsters tournament, you say? Who is hosting it?” He knew for a fact that Pegasus seemed to have disappeared after his defeat.
“You will know that soon enough. Be on your guard. I will be taking my leave now. Farewell.” Ishizu turned around to leave.
“All right.” One thing Yami did know was that he had his work cut out for him. ‘I have a feeling I haven’t seen the last of the madman who is after my millennium puzzle. Hopefully he will reveal his identity then.’ It bothered him not knowing all the motives of the mystery villain. He remembered the most important thing he meant to ask Ishizu. “Wait! One more thing!” he called out.
The raven haired young woman stopped in her tracks. “Yes, my pharaoh?”
“You have helped me understand my purpose a bit more and for that, I am grateful. But, do you know my actual name?”
A look of regret crossed Ishizu’s features as she shook her head. “I am sorry, Pharaoh, but I cannot say. Even if I could, it is not the correct time for you to know that just yet. However, it will be revealed once you regain all your memories. Right now, your task is winning this tournament. “
Yami nodded in understanding. “I will stop this madness at all costs.”
“I know you will. Until then, take care. We will meet again.” With that, Ishizu exited the basement. Vicki watched as she left, then shot a glance at the ancient pharaoh. ‘Poor lad must have a lot on his plate now. It’s a lot for me to process and I will only be the supporter. I have to take off some of that burden.’ She let her eyes drift over to the stone tablet again. ‘Still is hard to believe this more confident Yugi is actually a pharaoh, but it is no worse than the creepy stuff that went down when I first moved here.’ She side-eyed Tèa, who seemed unusually quiet. ‘I take it she must have trouble accepting these turn of events. I hope she’ll be okay.’
Tèa reached up a hand to massage her forehead. “Yugi? In regards to what Ishizu said about entering a tournament, are you going to go through with it? Based on what she said about ancient evil forces threatening the world, I have a feeling this won’t be a friendly game of Duel Monsters. People may get seriously hurt.” She looked at the ancient pharaoh with scared eyes.
Yami let his eyes meet Tèa’s, only to turn away because he couldn’t bear to see her looking so troubled. “I know how hard this must be for you, Tèa, but I must. It is the only way to uncover my lost memories and save the world. “
Tèa let out a sigh. She hated to admit it, but Yami was right. ‘If he really is the one destined to defeat this evil, I have to accept it. I mean, I don’t expect him to run away…I just get worried sometimes.’ She rubbed the bridge of her nose. “You promised you would be careful, and I am holding you to that. I also want you to promise me you won’t try to take on this fight alone.” Her voice sounded firm, leaving very little room for objection. ‘I know he wants to protect me and the rest of the gang, but it’s too risky for him to fight on his own.’
Yami hesitated, not sure if he would be able to promise such a thing to Tèa, as he was only trying to keep his friends out of harm’s way. Before he could answer, Vicki piped up, “Bah, those pricks, whoever they are, have nothing on Yugi. “ She put up a hand when Tèa was about to protest. “On the other hand, we’ll be right by your side just in case they try anything. Right, Tèa?”
Tèa looked slightly flustered before agreeing, “Right.”
Yami’s tense expression relaxed into a small, reserved smile. “Thank you. I know with your support, I will win this battle. “
“Mmmhmm.” Although Tèa had not received the answer she really wanted, Yami’s gratitude was enough reassurance for her. She glanced at her watch. “It’s late, guys. We should get out of here.”
Vicki ran a hand over her face. “You’re right. It’s been such a long day and Yugi here needs to rest up and prepare for this tournament. ” The trio of friends left the museum together and walked down the streets of Domino to head for home. They were passing Domino Station when they noticed a massive crowd gathering around.
Tèa frowned slightly. ‘I wonder what the big commotion is all about. Could this have anything to do with what Ishizu just told us? That could be the only way the station would be so swamped.’ Curious, she and her friends headed over to check it out. There was lots of yelling and screaming going on, almost like a party. Vicki rubbed her forehead. ‘I will need another cup of espresso before I go to sleep. ‘
Yami merely drowned out the noise, before shivering a bit from a sudden chill and an evil aura. ‘I have a bad feeling my new enemy is nearby.' He shook off the feeling as best as he could, figuring it was just Ishizu’s warning’s putting him on edge. ‘I think we all need a bit of time to recover.’ His thoughts were then interrupted when a young woman with long, wavy blonde hair came running towards him and the two girls. She was dressed in a white midriff bearing shirt with a purple vest over it, a matching purple miniskirt and purple boots. "Hello, my favorite knuckleheads!" she greeted them. "Long time no see!"
Vicki hid a mildly amused smile at the energy the young woman displayed before cocking her head to get a good look at her. “Guys, do you know this lassie? She certainly sounds as if she knows you pretty well.”
“Yes, that’s Mai Valentine,” said Yami. He gave a confused frown. ‘I wonder what she is doing here.’
“You don’t see her around very often because she’s a wanderer,” added Tèa. She turned to wag her finger at the blonde, saying, "Mai, it’s nice to see you again. We really need to hang out more often.”
"I agree, we do,” Mai replied dryly. She threw her arms around the brunette's neck, squeezing tightly. "You look so snazzy. Were you and Yugi on a date?"
Tèa squirmed and struggled a bit in Mai's headlock. "No, not at all. Now would you loosen the grip a bit? I can't breathe." At this point her face was turning blue.
Mai released her and saw the plush Yami was holding. "Oh really? Then what does that Dark Magician doll mean?"
Tèa let out a few coughs before blushing furiously. "What? I didn't give that to him.” She was trying to sound exasperated at the teasing, but there was laughter in her voice.
Mai gave the young woman an “I’m not buying it” look."Yeah. Sure you didn't. You don't have to deny your feelings. I can see them written all over your face." She noticed Vicki standing there and eyed her quickly, admiring her hair. ‘Wow...this girl has amazing hair. I imagine it must take her a while to deal with, given that it’s considerably longer than mine.’ She tore her eyes from the young woman, focusing her attention on Tèa. "Anyway, enough on that. Who’s the new chick?"
“Oh, that’s right!” Tèa smacked her forehead, annoyed with herself for getting so caught up with the banter that she nearly forgot to introduce her friend. She was about to correct the mistake when Vicki stepped forward.
“My name is Victoria Lennox. You may call me Vicki if you like. I moved here from Scotland last week."
Mai gave a slight nod. "Ah. I figured from your accent you’re not from these parts. Well, as you've heard from Tèa, the name's Mai. Mai Valentine."
“It’s nice to meet you, Mai.”
“Likewise.” Mai extended a hand for Vicki to shake. The brunette took her outstretched hand and shook it firmly.
"So…” Mai began, after releasing Vicki’s hand. “Are you good at dueling? Maybe we can play a friendly game of Duel Monsters sometime." She grinned at the thought of having another worthy opponent.
Vicki froze, looking taken aback for a second. After all, Mai had placed 4th in Duelist Kingdom. ‘There’s no way I would ever stand a chance against her, even if I were able to duel.’ "I'm average, good enough to hold my own. As much as I would like to duel with you, I will have to decline the challenge. I’m not supposed to engage in any strenuous duels."
Mai’s grin faded and was replaced by a look of genuine disappointment."What? Why?!"
Vicki felt her mood taking a nosedive at seeing the blonde look so down. ‘Now now, you must not feel guilty about your body having limits.’ She looked Mai in the eye as she plainly stated, “I have osteoarthritis.”
The medical term had just barely sunk into Mai’s brain when she gave Vicki a sympathetic look. "Oh you poor thing. It’s a shame you have to miss out on so much.” She didn’t hear much about teenagers having a health issue that was mostly common in elderly people, and when she did it was very rare.
Vicki let out a bitter laugh. "Don't remind me. Of course, there are always the tabletop duels, so that’s better than none at all."
Mai scrunched up her face in thought. “I suppose.”
Yami couldn't help but crack a smile at Vicki’s interaction with Mai. It faltered a bit when he heard Vicki mention her ailment. ‘What a shame.’ He took the sudden silence between the young women as an opportunity to ask the question that was lingering on his mind. "Mai, you'll be participating in the upcoming tournament, are you not?"
"You bet!"
“I thought so,” responded Yami, knowing the young woman would never miss out on any chance to prove herself. “Do you know when it will begin?”
Mai gave the ancient pharaoh a funny look."It's being announced tonight. You mean you didn't already know that?"
"No I didn’t. It was not specified. I was only told it would be very soon."
Mai looked thoughtful. "I see. Well, you arrived in the nick of time to hear the announcement. I am not sure who is hosting the tournament, but I heard it's someone with a ton of cash and an obnoxious attitude. Only one person fits that description, and it’s Kaiba."
Yami got a pensive look on his face. "Ishizu must have put him up to it…"
"You have to speak up, Yugi. I can't hear you when you're mumbling." Mai looked in the crowd to see if there were any duelists she was familiar with. She frowned at the ones she did notice. "I am already spotting some old faces that competed in Pegasus' tournament, most of whom I am not too happy to see."
Tèa and Yami looked around to see who Mai was talking about. There was Rex Raptor, Weevil Underwood, Mako Tsunami and a young man with long turquoise colored hair. The sight of the insect and dino duelists made Tèa’s stomach churn. ’Ugh...can’t there ever be a tournament without those scumbags?’ She sulked a bit. ’Oh well...at least Mako is here. I always liked him.’ She looked over at Mai.”Do you know that guy with the turquoise hair?”
"A bit. His name is Espa Roba. He's rumored to duel using ESP."
Tèa let out a groan and rolled her eyes. “Oh great…just what we need…another person pretending to have ESP.” She learned from experience not to take it to heart when someone claimed to have psychic powers.
“With the assortment of duelists, this is beginning to look like Duelist Kingdom once again," Yami spoke up.
"Most agreed." Mai was about to say more when all of a sudden the TV screens all over the plaza lit up. Everyone stopped what they were doing and waited with baited breath to see who the tournament host would be. Seto Kaiba’s face appeared on the screen. Now that he had perfected all the glitches of his new duel disk system, he was ready to go.
"Hello, duelists. Welcome to my new tournament! Because you are all top duelists, I have added new rules that only someone on your level would be able to follow! You will all use my new duel disks, and each duelist must ante up their rarest card. The loser must hand over their rare card to the winner."
Yami let out a horrified gasp. "You mean give up my Dark Magician?!" He was stone faced. ‘What could have possessed him to make such stakes? What is he after?’
Mai’s eyes widened with fear. "That means only one loss can ruin my deck!" She imagined losing her Harpie’s Feather Duster. Shaking her head to rid it of such thoughts, her fearful look then changed into a small grin. ‘But then again, if I manage to beat those losers that will mean more rare cards for me.’ She chuckled quietly to herself.
"This tournament will make Pegasus' Duelist Kingdom tournament look like a joke!" Kaiba continued, laughing.
Vicki had a “Was that really necessary?” look on her face whilst listening to the CEO give his speech. It had only been two minutes and already he was getting on her nerves.
Mai shook her head and rolled her eyes. "I don't know what's bigger, his ego or his melon on the screen."
Vicki burst out laughing. "Um...possibly both?"
A strong gust of wind blew, making everyone at the station shiver. Glancing up, they spotted a KaibaCorp chopper flying above their heads. There was Kaiba, standing on the landing strut. He exchanged a long stare with Yami before removing his eyes off of him, once again focusing his attention on the crowd. "Everyone pick up their duel disks and register because one week from today, my tournament will begin! If my rules are too much for any of you to comprehend, now is your chance to back down! And those of you novices who want to test your skills and make fools of yourselves, you had better purchase a duel disk while you still have the chance!”
"You're on, Kaiba," mumbled Yami.
Tèa twisted her mouth to the side, knowing Kaiba was most likely referring to Joey with the last comment. She tapped her chin. ‘I wonder if I should tell Joey about the tournament at school. On the one hand I know he doesn’t like Kaiba, but on the other, Yugi needs all the help he can get. Plus, Joey would never forgive us if we don’t tell him.’
Marik sat in his hideout, using the power of his millennium rod to spy on the people through the eyes of his rare hunters that were already stationed in Domino City. His lips spread into a wicked grin when he heard the news about the tournament. "Excellent. This is the perfect opportunity for me to strike!” He fixed his gaze upon the rare hunters. “Are you ready to wreak some havoc, my servants?”
"Yes, Master Marik," the robed men chorused.
“Good.” Marik gave an evil laugh. 'I'm afraid this will not be one of your silly card game tournaments, Kaiba. This is world domination. And the end is near for a certain someone.' His mind then landed on Ishizu. He had a feeling she was behind the tournament, based on how determined she was to stop him. ‘Well, no matter. Once I obtain the power I deserve, she will have no choice but to stop resisting me. Sorry, sister, but the Marik you knew is gone.’
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Post by LadyKeren on Dec 6, 2015 2:15:21 GMT
Chapter 6
(several days later)
As soon as school was dismissed, Yugi and his friends packed up, grabbed their bookbags and exited the classroom. Seeing that it was a Friday, neither of them were in a hurry to head home. Joey and Tristan had huge smiles on their faces as there was no cleanup duty. The group headed over to the basketball court and stood around in a circle.
Joey leaned against the wall and paced back and forth before focusing his attention on Tèa. “So, Tèa, what is it you wanted to tell me?” he asked. “Is it something I should be excited about? Details, man! The suspense is killing meeee!” He started to fidget.
Tèa let out an exasperated sigh at Joey’s lack of patience. “If you would just calm down and listen for a second, I am about to tell you.” She was trying to sound irritated, but a laugh threatened to escape. She had to clear her throat to stifle it. “To answer your question, I suppose it is exciting news, depending on how you see it. Kaiba is throwing a tournament that will begin the day after tomorrow. He’s calling it Battle City.”
Joey stopped fidgeting just in time to hear what the brunette had said. He furrowed an eyebrow. “Battle City?”
Tèa nodded. “He sent out private invitations and people have been buying his new duel disk. He said those who didn’t receive an invite but wanted to test their skills could still get a duel disk before the tournament begins. Of course he didn’t say it as nicely as that, but that’s the gist of it I got.”
Joey was quiet for awhile. He frowned deeply, wondering why he didn’t hear about the tournament until now. ‘Now that she mentioned it, I didn’t get an invite.’ When he had realized what had happened, his frown was replaced by a scowl. The fact that he still had time to register did little to appease him."Is he really too good to interact with people?! He could have come and tell me to my face! I placed 2nd in the Duelist Kingdom tournament! What more is he expecting for someone to be considered a good duelist?" If there was anyone else on the school grounds besides his friends that could hear him, he didn’t care. He was beyond fed up with the disrespect from the CEO.
Tristan shook his head before giving the blonde an amused look. “Have you forgotten your promise to be there for your sister’s operation? You won’t have time to prepare for the tournament with that going on. “
Joey had a look on his face that said, ‘Duh’ as he responded, “Simple. I’m spending tonight at the hospital with her and I’ll prepare for the tournament afterwards.”
The pointy haired teen looked relieved to hear that answer. "Good. For a second I thought you had forgotten. “
Joey looked at him as if he were insane for suggesting such a thing. “No way would I forget about my sister!”
“You had better not!”
Joey had thoughts about asking him why he cared so much, but he turned to Yugi instead. “Hey Yuge, you’re participating in Money-bags’ tournament, aren’t you?”
Yugi nodded. “I must. I have an important purpose to fulfill and that’s all. I don’t care much about the new rule where players are supposed to bet their rarest cards, nor am I looking for fame and fortune.”
Joey was about to ask Yugi why he sounded so unenthusiastic about partaking in the tournament but when he heard the remark about the new rule, he understood. As he replayed the words, his ears jumped. “Say what? Bet our cards? You mean I would have to risk giving up my Red Eyes Black Dragon?” He dug in his pocket for his best card, bringing it to his lips to peck lightly. Tèa and Tristan looked at him strangely. “What?!” he yelled out defensively. He checked his shirt to see if there was a curry stain on it he hadn’t noticed before. Suddenly a thought occurred to him that it must have been the way he kissed the image on his card. He sheepishly put it away. ‘How much of a doofus can I be to kiss a card in front of them? Note to self—never show my weak side.’
Neither of the blonde’s friends knew how to tell him the way he had kissed the card seemed a bit odd, so they kept silent. “Listen,” Vicki began with a serious look on her face after awhile. “I don’t know what went through Kaiba’s mind when he came up with that rule, and I’m not sure I want to, either, but think of it this way. If you win, you will get to take your opponent’s rare cards as well. That would give your deck a powerful boost.”
Joey considered what Vicki had said, and as the words sunk in, a grin slowly spread across his face. ‘Why didn’t I think of that before?’ He slapped his forehead before yelling, “Oooh, now that I think about it, you’re absolutely right! Rare cards, here I come!” He started grinning like an idiot.
‘There he goes again.’ Tèa rolled her eyes and face palmed. The blonde really embarrassed her with his antics sometimes. “I wouldn’t get too greedy if I were you,” she warned in her best motherly tone.
“Yeah, yeah, whatever,” Joey dragged as if he were on the verge of falling asleep.”You worry too much.” His grin faltered considerably when he remembered Tèa mentioning a new duel disk system as well. ‘I wonder what the new duel disk will be like…if it is anything like the old, then I am in deep trouble.’ A memory of the crushing defeat he suffered at the hands of Kaiba in Duelist Kingdom came to him. He shook his head to rid it of the unpleasant memory, refusing to let it deflate his confidence. He clenched his fists with a determined look on his face, desperately wanting to succeed in defeating the CEO. ‘Money-bags, you may have beaten me in Duelist Kingdom, but I’m much stronger now.’ He scratched his head before turning to Vicki.”So Vicki, what about you? Do you have plans to enter the tournament?”
The chocolate haired girl shook her head no. “I know I could not have received an invitation seeing as how I’m still relatively new here, but even so, I duel only for fun. I’m thinking of buying a duel disk for me to use on my better days, though.”
Joey nodded. “I hear ya.”
Yugi checked his watch. "Well, guys, I think we should get going. I am sure those duel disks are selling like crazy and we have to register. I don’t want to be home too late.” He knew how much it worried his grandfather when he came home late without letting him know first.
Joey’s eyes brightened."You said it! Let’s get going!" He turned to leave before remembering he didn’t know where the duelists were supposed to register. He mentally cursed himself for not thinking of that before. “Um, since you are the one who got the invite, why don’t you do the honors and lead the way, Yuge?”
“Yeah, because if Joey here led us, we would be lost like Alice in Wonderland!” chimed in Tristan, not able to resist getting a crack at his best friend.
The blonde whirled around sharply, shooting Tristan a glare. “You want to repeat that?”
Tristan gave a mock tremble before sneering. “I would, considering you can’t seem to hear, but now is not the best time.”
“I thought so.” Joey stopped glaring and let out a deep breath before facing Yugi once again. “Sorry about that, Yuge. So what do you say we get going now?” He had told his sister to expect him after dinner and he intended to make good on that promise.
Yugi gave a slight nod. "Yeah. Sure." He and Joey proceeded to exit the basketball court.
It was only then that Tèa, Vicki and Tristan realized they were being left behind. "Hey, wait for us!" They broke into a jog to catch up with their friends, the books rumbling inside their backpacks as they did.
"Sorry.” Joey and Yugi slowed down to give their friends time to catch up, especially Vicki, as they knew her mobility was limited in comparison to theirs. Once they had caught up, the gang left the school premises together, making their way downtown.
“By the way, Tèa, I just want to say thank you for helping the other me this past Sunday. I don’t know what exactly you guys did but thanks to you and Vicki, he’s in a much better mood and a bit more optimistic,” Yugi said to his childhood friend as they walked side by side.
Tèa blushed lightly before putting on her best modest face. “It was nothing, really. I’m glad to help in any way I can.” She allowed a small “proud-of-herself” smile to escape her lips, happy to hear Yami wasn’t feeling down anymore, especially since she had been afraid of making his turmoil worse.
“I know.” Yugi peered over his shoulder to make sure the rest of the group wasn’t too far behind. He and Tèa walked the remainder of the way in silence, not sure what else to say to each other. Yugi became lost in his own thoughts, his mind shifting to the upcoming tournament and everything his alter-ego had told him in regards to it. ‘Thanks to Ishizu, at least we don’t have to wander aimlessly and we have some direction. What worries me is how it will turn out. If our enemies she had warned us about will be there, things could get bad very quickly. With the ante rule in place, my Dark Magician will be at stake, on top of our very existence. We have to stop that madman and his servants at all costs. While I may not like the ante-rule, perhaps it can be used to my advantage.’
His musings were silenced by Tèa calling his name. He jerked his head to face her, hoping she hadn’t been calling him for a long time. “Hmm? What is it, Tèa?”
“Are you all right? You seemed out of it for a second there.” Tèa eyed the spiky-haired teen worriedly.
“I’m fine. I was just thinking about some things, that’s all.” Yugi plastered a smile on his face to reassure his lady friend.
Tèa studied the young man’s delicate, childlike face for a bit to see if he was being entirely truthful or not. She knew there were times he didn’t confide his innermost feelings because he didn’t want to be a burden. She turned away when she saw no sign of dishonesty, and also to avoid making him feel like something was wrong. “All right. I think I know what you’re thinking about. The tournament, right? And how it will go?”
Yugi looked taken aback at how Tèa seemed to have read his mind. ‘She’s so intuitive sometimes it can be scary…but it’s also a good thing.’ Knowing there was no point in trying to deny how he felt, he answered, “Yes. I have been thinking about it since I saw the invitation.”
Tèa took his hand and gently squeezed it. “I figured as much. I’m worried, too, so you’re not the only one. Some crazy stuff went down in Duelist Kingdom, and my gut feeling tells me things will get worse in this new tournament. “ Her voice trailed off, as it was painful for her to speak of the impending doom and she didn’t like thinking of it any better. “But you will do just fine. Also, you have the whole gang to back you up when things get really rough.”
“Yeah, no way are we letting any creepazoid lay a finger on our little buddy!” Joey piped up, having overheard the conversation between Yugi and Tèa. Clenching a fist, he raised it in the air before patting the spiky haired teen on his head.
Yugi couldn’t help smiling a little. The blonde’s enthusiasm towards lending a helping hand never failed to cheer him up, and knew he would need it as much as he hated putting his friends in danger. “Thanks, guys.”
“Don’t mention it.”
The gang was silent afterwards, opting to let Yugi lead them to their destination in peace and not distract him any more than they already had. They didn’t want to be responsible for him missing the place. Vicki, Joey and Tristan did a bit of window shopping to keep themselves occupied. Seeing nothing of interest, they stared straight ahead, remaining attentive so they would hear when Yugi notified them they had arrived.
Soon, Yugi came to a building with a sign taped to the door. The sign read: COME REGISTER AND GET YOUR DUEL DISK TODAY in big bold letters. He turned around to face his friends while stopping in his tracks. “Well, we’re here.”
Joey got an excited grin on his face. “Groovy!” He wasted no time opening the door and entering the office, holding the door for his friends to walk in behind him. Once they were inside, he let the door close.
A young man was sitting behind the counter, typing away busily at a very old computer. He glanced up when he heard footsteps. He acknowledged Yugi and his friends with the warmest smile he could muster."Hello, children. What can I do for you?" He was trying his hardest to sound friendly, but it was becoming tiresome.
Yugi frowned slightly, sensing some unnerving vibes from the shopkeeper. ‘Why do I get the feeling he’s putting on a pretense?’ He shook it off as best as he could, giving the man eye contact. "We're here because some of us want to buy duel disks and register for the upcoming tournament.”
The young man scratched beneath his chin before placing a finger on it to think."Ah yes, of course. All week long the store has been so busy with youngsters coming in to register and get duel disks." Inwardly he was smirking. ‘All the more rare cards for Master Marik. If these fools only knew who I really work for.’ He cleared his throat. “Oops, sorry about that. I zoned out for a brief moment. Young man with the tri-colored spiky hair, let’s start with you. What’s your name?"
Yugi stepped forward, realizing the shopkeeper was addressing him. "I'm Yugi Mutou."
"Yugi Mutou…" the man mumbled. He entered the name into the computer database. As the results came up, his mouth dropped open slightly as his memory was jogged. A picture of the spiky haired teen was displayed on the screen, along with his Dark Magician card. The shopkeeper’s surprised look turned into a small smirk. ‘I just know Master Marik will desire this one.’ He put on his serious expression."Excellent work, Yugi. You have the highest rank as a duelist. As a result, you get a free duel disk."
Yugi raised an eyebrow. "Really?"
"Yes. Have a look." The shopkeeper whirled the computer around for Yugi to see his dueling rank, just in case he wanted proof.
Mystified, Yugi glanced at the recorded dueling credentials with a fairly neutral expression on his face. He tried hard to be at the top of his game in his duels, but he never really thought much about his skills before. “I see,” he finally managed to say.
The shopkeeper smiled. “Good. You should be proud of your abilities. Now then, here’s your duel disk.” He handed Yugi a box with a shiny duel disk in it.
Yugi took the large box, glancing at the contraption. "Thank you."
“My pleasure.” The man glanced up. “All right, who’s next?”
Wasting no time at all, Joey walked up to the counter, barely able to contain his excitement about having a chance to prove himself. "Joey Wheeler is my name," he told the shopkeeper with a wide grin on his face.
"You got it." The shopkeeper typed Joey’s name, smiling as he was hopeful to see another high ranked duelist. As the results came up, his smile faded and turned into a deep frown. Joey's rarest card was the Red Eyes Black Dragon, but he was only ranked level 2, with the phrase Horsebone beneath. His frown deepened, making his features look like that of an old man’s. It made no sense to him for the blonde to have such a rare card and yet his dueling level was extremely low. ‘I may not know the gentleman, but something must be amiss here…or maybe my computer is acting up again. To hell with this old thing!’
Joey let out a long sigh, tapping his foot. He had a bad feeling about the silence, and he didn’t have time to waste, either. "So? What does it say?"
The shopkeeper glanced up with a grave expression on his face. "I'm sorry, young man, but your dueling level is not high enough. It's only a two."
Joey dug in his left ear to make sure he wasn’t just hearing things. When he looked up at the older man and noted his expression, he realized he had heard right. ‘Level two? Is he serious?’ During the next split second, he looked like smoke was going to come out of his ears. He proceeded to stomp his feet like a little child throwing a tantrum and flailed his arms. "What?! Kaiba must have done this! That lying, traitorous sleaze ball! Next time I see that lousy dickweed----" He stopped in midsentence to avoid letting out a bunch of expletives.
Tristan stood there, his face turning red with embarrassment. He muttered something that sounded like, “Geez, does he really know how to make a scene or what? No wonder Kaiba always makes fun of him.” Not wanting the blonde to make a fool of himself, he grabbed ahold of him in an attempt to quiet him down. "Calm yourself, dude! Your blood pressure is probably sky high now!"
Joey continued flailing his arms and wriggled, trying to get the pointy haired teen to release him. “Not a chance! Next time I see him I’m gonna give him a bloody lip or nose!”
Vicki rubbed her forehead to alleviate it of the headache Joey’s tirade was giving her. At the same time, she didn’t blame him for his rage, for she despised those types of dirty tricks. ‘It’s for the best I’m not joining the tournament. If he thinks Joey is a two, I could only imagine what he would say about me. Hell if I care.’ She pursed her lips together, having a genuine reason to dislike the CEO.
The shopkeeper tried his best to drown out the racket. He had half a mind to throw Joey out of the store, but a part of him felt genuinely sorry for the blonde. ‘I know Master Marik would be interested in his card just as he would be in Yugi’s Dark Magician. This gives me an idea.’ Facing his computer again, he erased the level two ranking, changing it to the bare minimum. He looked up from the computer at Joey with a grin on his face. "Well, Mr. Wheeler, it appears there was a mistake and you are actually a level five duelist. So congratulations." He handed the blonde his duel disk.
Joey instantly ceased his little hissy fit. A wide grin spread across his face as he took the heavy box from the man."I knew everything was gonna be all right." He laughed giddily for a bit before remembering something important. ‘I just need to study the handbook. The last thing I want is Rich boy showing me up.’ He spun the computer around to look at his credentials, beaming proudly.
Tristan and Tèa let out groans and rolled their eyes at how selective the blonde’s memory could be, although they couldn’t help but heave huge sighs of relief that the problem had been resolved.
Tristan tilted his head. “Now the only thing that worries me is whether he can figure out how to use the duel disk in time.”
“Yeah,” agreed Tèa. “I mean, he struggled so much with the old one.”
The shopkeeper wearily rubbed his temples before spinning the computer back around to face him."Anyone else?" he asked. He was about to call Marik to inform him of all the rare cards he came across.
Vicki hesitated for a moment, and then went up to the counter, looking the man in the eye. "I would like a duel disk as well, if it is no problem. My name is Victoria Lennox, but I go by the name Vicki."
“All righty then.” The shopkeeper typed in the young woman’s name, humming to himself. He waited to see what would come up from his search, considering she was unknown. His brows furrowed as he stared at the results displayed on the screen. Dueling rank, level four. Rarest card, Cosmic Queen. He made an “hmm” sound as he glanced up at Vicki. "Miss, you have just narrowly missed the requirement necessary to get a free duel disk. You can still have one, but you must purchase it. Would that be all right with you?"
Vicki scrunched up her face in thought. ‘Hmm…just missed, eh? I take it to mean I’m a level four duelist. I must admit, that’s pretty generous of the chap.’ She nodded and answered, “That’s fine." Digging into her small wallet, she pulled out several yen bills and handed them to the man, who in turn presented her with the huge box containing the duel disk. “Here you go,” he said. “I hope you all enjoy the remainder of the day. “
Vicki made a slight grunting noise in her throat as she took the box from the man. "Thank you. I hope you do as well,” she responded sincerely before turning around to face her friends. “Now everybody, let's go already."
“You said it!” The teens exited the office.
The shopkeeper stared after the youngsters, his eyes growing shifty and an evil grin appearing on his features. 'Master will be proud of me. Those fools don't have a clue.' Letting out a quiet chuckle, he picked up the telephone and dialed the number of the rare hunters.
There were two rings before someone answered. “Hello?”
"Hello. I just called to inform you that those pathetic duelists have just left the shop…Yugi Mutou and Joey Wheeler both have cards Master Marik would be interested in. They were accompanied by a female, who is not as prominent as the young men but also possesses a rather powerful card."
“That’s wonderful news. I will let Master know that right away. I dare say he will be most pleased. Hold on just a second.”
“All right.” The shopkeeper waited whilst the rare hunter went to speak to Marik. There was a long pause of silence followed by the sound of muffled voices in the background. It wasn’t long before he heard footsteps coming back to the phone.
“Master Marik says congratulations and he will dispatch Seeker to strip Joey and Yugi of their rarest cards.”
The shopkeeper grinned, proud of himself for carrying out his task efficiently. The last thing he wanted was to be at the end of Marik’s wrath. "All right. It's an honor to work with you,” he said before hanging up.
(in Egypt)
Marik sat on his throne-like chair in his hideout, surrounded by his army of rare hunters. Emitting a glow from his golden rod, he used it to connect with Seeker. “Seeker, I have an important task for you.”
Seeker’s eyes were full of curiosity. He was eager for a chance to prove himself useful. “What is it, Master Marik?”
“There are two gentlemen who possess rare cards. One is the Red Eyes Black Dragon and the other is the Dark Magician. You are to ambush whichever fool crosses your path and win me both cards.”
”Consider it done, Master Marik.”
Marik’s tone became firm and authoritative as he said, “Make sure you have backup just in case your opponent tries to escape. I will not tolerate any delays in my plans. Do I make myself clear?”
Seeker bit back a gulp. He knew his master spoke no empty threats. “Yes, Master.”
“Good.” Marik released his control on the henchman and glanced up at his servants with a wicked grin on his face."If all goes as planned, two more rare cards will belong to me!"
"That's right," agreed Odion. He smiled evilly, but then it faltered a bit when he heard an earnest voice inside his head pleading with him to not follow the darkness. It sounded like Keren. ‘I am sorry Keren, but this is the only way to protect Master Marik.’
Keren sat at a small round table in the corner, listening intently to everything that was being said. She had been granted permission to sit in on the meetings on the condition that she found ways to make herself useful. Although she was initially leery of such a demand, she knew it would be in her best interest to cooperate. At one point her mind had drifted off, but Marik’s evil plan quickly got her attention, making her arch an eyebrow in disapproval. ‘Does he not have enough rare cards? His greed is appalling!’ She briefly looked over at Odion and let out a sigh, thinking back to her encounter with Shadi. ‘Shadi has so much faith in me, but I have yet to be able to live up to his expectations.’ She knew one way to end Marik’s plan was to enter the tournament, but her skills were not on par enough for that. It had been ages since she last played and even then she only knew the basics. ‘I should have worked harder to discover my potential, then perhaps I might have learned to enjoy the game or at least put my issues with it aside.’
Marik chuckled darkly. “It won’t be long now.” He was beginning to feel a bit thirsty. He turned away from the caped men to see what Keren was up to, for he had not heard a peep from her. He raised an eyebrow upon noting how lost she looked. “Keren!!” he barked.
The young woman nearly jumped out of her skin at the sudden voice. She looked up with a jolt, placing a hand on her chest to calm her heartbeat. “Yes, Marik?” she answered meekly.
“Go bring the tray of iced tea from the kitchen, and try not to drop it on the way.”
“Right away.” Keren arose from her seat and exited the hideout, making her way to the kitchen. She learned from experience it was not wise to make the young man wait. Inwardly, though, she was rolling her eyes at his last comment, and couldn’t help but feel slightly offended by it. ‘Goodness, how did I let myself agree to become subjected to servitude? And was that comment about not dropping the tray really necessary? What does he take me for? Some kind of clumsy oaf?’ Upon entering the kitchen, she spotted the tray of iced tea on the counter. She carefully picked it up to carry to Marik and his henchmen, mentally reminding herself that she would only be away from Ishizu for several more days. ‘I should be able to hold on and keep busy until then...at least I hope so.’
(later)
Joey and Vicki were currently en route to the hospital, accompanied by the rest of their friends. Although neither of them were frightened to deal with muggers and weirdoes, it felt nice to have the extra security, even if only for a little bit.
Tristan raised an eyebrow and frowned at his best friend’s unusual silence, not to mention his lack of energy, which was not like him at all, especially under favorable circumstances. “Hey dude, why so quiet? Aren’t you excited to see your sister?”
Joey glanced over at his friend as if he had asked a silly question. “Are you kidding? Of course I am. It’s just….”
Tristan could tell there was a but coming. “Well then what’s up?”
Joey let out a heavy sigh and ran a hand through his mop of hair as he answered, “My mom is also going to be there for the operation and it’s been so many years since I’ve seen or spoken to her. I haven’t since the divorce.”
The pointy haired teen knitted his brows as he pieced the situation together. He recalled how messy the divorce was, based on what Joey had told him. “Oh, I get it. You’re worried it will be awkward, considering the way you and Serenity were forced to be apart from each other.”
Joey’s honey colored eyes held a bit of anxiety as he nodded. “Exactly. I do have to admit, though, my relationship with her was pretty good when I was a kid. “
“Well that’s good.” Tèa put a hand on the blonde’s shoulder. “Well, seeing your mom again could turn out to be a blessing. Maybe you two will be able to patch things up and make up for lost time. You should take advantage of that opportunity while you still have the chance.” As the words spilled out, she was surprised by them, but she really did speak from the heart.
Joey was quiet whilst taking in the brunette’s words. He had no idea where they came from but deep down he knew they were true. It was why he made the effort to make the most of living with his father, despite the older man’s drunken behavior. He looked thoughtful. “You’re right. I just don’t want Vicki here to be scared off if Ma seems cold to her.”
Vicki felt the ends of her lips curling upwards at the fact that Joey was looking out for her. “That’s kind of you, Joey, but you don’t have to worry about me. I’m good.” She didn’t want him to think she didn’t know how to deal with standoffish people.
Joey looked like he was about to protest, but he just said, “Okay. Just making sure.”
Yugi took a glance at his watch to see how late it was. “Guys, I think I had better get going now. I’m sure Grandpa is probably waiting for me as it’s almost dinner time. But Joey, I wish you all the best and I’ll say a prayer for Serenity.”
Joey nodded. “Okay. Thanks, Yuge. I appreciate it.”
“No problem. I’ll see you later. “ Yugi turned to leave.
At that moment, Tristan’s stomach started to growl, eliciting a chuckle from Vicki. He looked sheepish as he had been hoping that wouldn’t happen in her presence. “Looks like I had better get going as well. I need to grab me something to eat.”
“Me too,” said Tèa. “Let us know how the operation went.”
“Will do. Smell ya later. “
“Later.” Tristan and Tèa left to catch up with Yugi before he could leave them too far behind.
Joey watched as his friends walked away before turning to Vicki.”Looks like it’s just you and me, Vicki. Shall we go now?” He was hoping to have some extra time to spend with Serenity.
Vicki’s eyes brightened. “You bet. I look forward to meeting your sister.”
Joey gave a lopsided grin, feeling the excitement once again. “Good. Let’s hit the road.” He and Vicki continued making their way to the hospital. Aside from light conversation between the two, neither of them were particularly talkative. At one point Joey put a soothing arm around the small of Vicki’s back when he noticed her slight shivers whilst walking through the alleys, as if to assure her he wouldn’t let anything happen. She let out a little gasp, but then smiled gratefully at him.
The two high schoolers were almost at the hospital when they spotted several robed men standing in the midst of the alley with devilish smirks on their faces, looking as if they were waiting for someone. One of the men was wearing a duel disk.
Upon seeing the men, Vicki felt her cheerful mood taking a nosedive. She got an annoyed look on her face as she groaned, “Oh great. Not these weirdoes again. “
Joey eyed the rare hunters with a “What the hell are these clowns doing here” expression on his face. "Just ignore 'em. They can't stop us," he whispered to the brunette.
Vicki nodded. "Fine by me." She and Joey kept going as if the men were not there. However, when they tried to go walk past, the caped figures blocked their exit.
One of the men chuckled before asking in a menacing tone, "Going somewhere?"
"Who wants to know?" replied Vicki in a sassy tone. She stuck out her jaw defiantly. As much as the mere presence of the rare hunters sent chills down her spine, she wasn’t about to give them that satisfaction. ‘If they think they can scare us with their cloaks and empty threats, they can think again.’
Joey glared at the men before him. "You’re nuts if you think we’re intimidated by you. Now get out of our way if you know what's good for you!" He started cracking his knuckles.
The rare hunter known as Seeker sized up the blonde before giving him a malicious grin."I don't think so, Joseph Wheeler. You have something I want. Your Red Eyes Black Dragon card."
Joey gritted his teeth. The rare hunter was really trying his patience. His nostrils flared and he turned away for a moment before facing Seeker once more."Fat chance! You're gonna have to wait because I have something important to do. Now for the last time, get out of our way!"
“Or else we will give you a serious bruisin’ before you could cry out for the Grim Reaper to take you!” added Vicki.
The rare hunter erupted into loud laughter. Beaten by someone much shorter and smaller than him? Ridiculous! He laughed for a long time before finally getting it under control. "Your threats and smart mouth do not frighten me in the least, little girl. You don’t have what it takes to defeat me.” He fixed his gaze upon Joey. ”And you, blondie, aren’t going anywhere until you defeat me in a duel."
Joey clenched his fists and started trembling, unsure of what he should do. He didn't want to break his promise to Serenity, but the robed man wasn’t giving him any choice. Plus he was sure beating up the man wouldn’t make much difference. ‘Sorry, sis, but it looks like our reunion will have to wait.’ He hung his head and let out a breath, about to accept the challenge when Vicki stretched an arm to the side to stop him. "I will be your opponent," she announced to Seeker.
Joey just looked at her wide-eyed for awhile before shaking his head. “I don’t think that’s a good idea. You’ve got arthritis and these jerks seem like the type who wouldn’t give a rip.”
Vicki had more or less anticipated that response and while she usually appreciated people taking her condition into account, there were times she saw fit to go against doctors’ orders. This was one of them. "I know,” she said softly. “But you have somewhere important to be right now and I want to help ensure you fulfill that promise to your sister. I can meet her anytime since she won't be leaving the hospital for awhile."
Joey was silent, for he could not debate against her reasoning. ‘She’s right. I do have somewhere to go, and there’s nothing I hate more than breaking a promise.’ His expression softened a bit. "Vicki…you're sure?" he asked. “The last thing I want is for you to get yourself hurt because of me.”
“Yes, I’m positive. If defending you means putting myself in danger, then so be it. Now go on and let me take care of this. I bet Serenity is waiting for you as we speak and you don’t want to be late." Vicki spoke firmly to make sure Joey saw how serious she was about her decision.
Joey still looked a bit doubtful, but he nodded."Okay. But be careful. That caped clown looks like a nasty piece of work!"
It took everything Vicki had not to start laughing and tell him to relax."Don’t worry. I’ll be fine.”
"I hope so." The blonde turned around and ran through another alley, in search of a shortcut. ‘Sit tight, Serenity. I’m on my way!’
Vicki faced the rare hunters, giving them a hard look. "All right, you goons, it's go time!" She slipped her duel disk on her arm and placed her deck inside its slot before pressing a button to activate the disk.
Seeker let out an evil chuckle. "I must say, it is quite brave of you to accept my challenge even though it isn't you I am interested in. I suppose I can use this opportunity to teach you a lesson about meddling into affairs that don't concern you."
"Whatever. I’ll teach you a lesson about being a schoolyard bully."
Seeker laughed a short sound. “I would like to see you try. You don’t have what it takes to stop me!”
"We’ll see about that! Let's duel!" Both Vicki and the rare hunter drew five cards and exchanged a lengthy stare.
Vicki put on her best game face. "If you don't mind being a gentleman, I'll go first!" She pulled a card from her deck, smiling slightly. "I summon Dark Witch in attack mode!" (1400 attk). A humanoid shaped woman with deep purple hair, wearing a short yellow dress appeared on the field. "I'll also place one card face down and end my turn. Now let's see what you're made of."
Seeker gave the young woman a cocky grin. “You shall see soon enough. Your weakling witch pales in comparison to my ultimate creature. It’s my turn.” He pulled a card from his deck, his grin widening as he took a peek at it. ‘A piece of Exodia. Excellent. The countdown to this girl’s destruction is about to begin. She will be sorry she challenged me.’ He faced Vicki. "I'll play a monster in defense mode and end my turn. This is the beginning of the end for you, foolish girl. "
"Ha! You're bluffing!” scoffed Vicki, pulling another card from her deck. She scrunched up her face before looking pleased. ‘According to that rulebook, I can attack this chap’s life points when he has no monsters on the field. He’s so busy trash talking and yet he is only on the defensive. But I can use that to my advantage.’ She gave a cocky grin of her own. “You’re about to enter a world of pain! I play Vampire Lady in attack mode!"(1550 attk).A voluptuous looking woman materialized on the field. She had yellow eyes, blue skin, wings, and blue hair that matched her complexion. She wore a long mauve coloured gown and her forehead was adorned by a tiara. “Dark Witch, destroy his defensive monster with Shining Scepter Slash!” The witch shot a beam of yellow energy, disintegrating the creature. Seeker braced himself from the winds that blew. "Vampire Lady, attack his life points directly!" The creature of darkness shot of barrage of bats at the rare hunter. He grunted as he covered his face to shield himself from the bats. The attack took him down to 2450 life points. "When my vampire takes a chunk out of your life points, you have to throw out a card."
Seeker growled a bit, and then got a nonchalant expression on his face."No matter. I have many rare cards.” He peeked at the cards he was holding and disposed of Magic Jammer.
"That ends my turn." Vicki looked pleased with herself. ‘I must say that was pretty good, especially since I haven’t participated in this kind of duel for awhile. Let’s see if I can hold up physically as well.’
The rare hunter sneered at Vicki. "I must say, that was impressive. However, your good fortune is about to end here and now." He drew another card, taking a look at it. “I play Graceful Charity, which allows me to draw three cards as long as I discard two.” He disposed of two more cards he considered useless to him and peered down at the ones he had left. His lips spread into a wide grin when he saw he held several Exodia pieces. ‘Two more and this pathetic girl is done.’ He glanced back up. "I play one monster in defense mode. Make your move."
"Don’t mind if I do." Vicki pulled a card from her deck, beaming when she took a glance at it. ‘Groovy! I drew Wing Weaver. She will most certainly come in handy once this lad plays something more powerful, and it remains to be seen.’ She looked in her hand for something else, as she didn’t want to waste such a powerful monster on Seeker’s weak defenses."I summon Maha Vailo in attack mode!" (1550 attk) A magician dressed in royal blue emerged on the field. “I’m not through just yet! I also activate my face down card, Magic Formula, which raises her attack strength by 500 points!” The monster’s power climbed to 2050 points as a result. “Also, here is one more tidbit for you. Maha Vailo has a special effect that enables her to gain 500 attack points for every magic card that’s on the field and in case you’re too boneheaded to figure it out, she now has 2550 attack points.” A powerful aura surrounded the magician.
Seeker’s jaw dropped open as the realization hit him. “No! It can’t be!”
A smug look appeared on the young woman’s face. “It most certainly can. You know what’s next so you had better brace yourself. Maha Vailo, attack his defensive monster with Sacred Lightning!” There was a flashing sound in the sky as lightning poured into the spellcaster’s hands. She fired the lightning at Seeker’s creature, electrocuting it to bits. “As much as I want to make you squirm some more, I will show what a nice person I am and end my turn. “ Vicki had a hopeful look on her face. ‘I’m almost there. Just a few more moves.’
Seeker chuckled lightly before tsking.”You should have taken advantage of the opportunity to damage my life points, and now you will be punished for your poor judgment." He pulled a card from his deck. “I play another Graceful Charity, which should help me get what I need!” He discarded two of the three cards he just drew and glanced at his card held hand, smirking. ‘Everything is going according to plan. One more turn and I will be able to bring forth my ultimate destroyer. Not even the powered up Maha Vailo will stand a chance. This girl is finished.’ He allowed his smirk to fade somewhat as his eyes met Vicki’s. "I'll place another monster in defense mode. That ends my turn."
Vicki frowned, pressing her lips together. She had been expecting a challenge and here her opponent was, only putting up defenses. ‘He has got to be the worst duelist ever, not even worth my best effort. I guess it’s up to me to add some excitement because at the rate this is going, I’ll fall asleep.' She pulled a card from her deck and added it to her hand. "I play Fairy's Gift in attack mode!” (1400 attk) A pixy-type fairy materialized, letting out a sigh and glowing. “Maha Vailo, electrify that face down monster!" Once again, the magician shot lightning from her hands at the defensive monster, destroying it. “Now my fairy, rain your Enchanted Dust on this clown’s life points!” The fairy sprinkled dust all over the caped man, making him cover his eyes so he wouldn’t be blinded. He lost 1400 more life points, taking them down to 1050 while the young woman still had all. "I end my turn." Her eyes locked with Seeker’s. ‘You’re going down, freakshow. One more attack and you’re through.’ A small grin escaped, as she was happy she would have good news for Joey.
The rare hunter stared back at the young woman, gaping at her. ‘It’s so hard to believe this girl has come so far, considering what a novice she is. If she attacks me again, I will lose the duel.’ His eyes hardened like that of a fierce warrior’s as he pulled a card from his deck. He glanced at it and immediately let loose maniacal laughter. After he calmed down, he glanced up at a puzzled Vicki, sneering at her."Foolish girl...you may have shown your fighting spirit, but that is about to end now."
Vicki looked at Seeker as if he had lost his mind. "What are you talking about? Your life points are almost gone and you have yet to put a dent in mine."
Seeker chuckled. "That’s where you’re wrong. I was merely buying time in order to prepare for the arrival of the creature that will bring about your demise. " The rare hunter laid down all five Exodia cards on his duel disk. ”I call forth Exodia, the Forbidden One!" An ugly brown colored monster appeared, letting out a roar.
Vicki gasped. "Oh no!" Her stomach started doing flip-flops. It was all she could do not to start trembling or soil her tights. She knew once Exodia was summoned, that was it. Her heart leapt in her stomach as she awaited the attack. She shut her eyes, not wanting to be witness to the horror.
"That's right! Now my Exodia, obliterate!" The creature shot a cinnamon colored burst of energy from its hands, reducing all of the young woman’s monsters to pixel.
Vicki slowly opened her eyes and let out a deep breath. She watched with a stunned look as her life points dropped down to zero. She fell on her knees, allowing her cards to slip out of her hand and scatter all over the ground. ‘It feels so surreal…if only I had known he was just toying with me.’ She let out a heavy sigh, hanging her head. ‘I guess I do have much to learn, but that’s to be expected considering I’m not a professional duelist.’ She bent over and proceeded to pick up her cards. While she was doing that, she heard footsteps approaching her, making her blood run ice cold. ‘Dear God no! I have to get out of here!’ She quickly got up, stacked the cards neatly, and slipped them in her deck. Just as she was turning around to leave, she felt a hand gripping her wrist, preventing her from going anywhere. She whirled around sharply as the touch made her feel filthy. Her eyes narrowed when she saw it was one of the rare hunters. “What do you want? Let go of me!” When he didn’t oblige, she gave him an elbow to the stomach with her free arm, which made him release her and grunt in pain. Before he could react, she delivered a side kick to his ribs, knocking him off his feet. Although technically she wasn’t supposed to do martial arts either, it was a desperate situation for her. As she proceeded to walk away, one of the other rare hunters pulled her by the hair and yanked her back before Seeker shoved her to the ground. She yelped as she landed on her rear end, searing pain shooting through her right hip instantly. She had to pinch herself to keep from passing out.
The robed man let out a cruel laugh.”That will teach you to cross us, you little wench!” He then peered down at Vicki, shooting her a malevolent smirk as his mind formulated a devious plan. “Now let’s see if you have any cards worth using.” He stooped down and removed her deck from her duel disk. He set his mouth in a line as he flipped through the cards in the young woman’s deck, making a “hmm” sound.
Vicki just sat there, waiting for the pain to subside. Her eyes went wide when she realized what the rare hunter was doing. Her shocked expression was replaced by one of anger, her face turning as red as a tomato. “If you don’t hand over my cards, I will make you regret the way you were born, and don’t think I won’t find a way to do it even in my present condition!”
“Ha! Your threats don’t faze me in the least.” Seeker kept flicking through the cards. He paused when he laid eyes on Cosmic Queen, which had 2900 attack points. 'Hmmm...Master Marik would be interested in this one. Surely it will be enough to make up for letting Joey Wheeler escape.' An evil grin spread across his face. He snatched it up and scattered the other cards all over the floor."Thanks for being so generous, girlie!" The rare hunters walked away, laughing loudly.
Vicki stared hard after the robed men, clenching her fists and shaking with rage. 'Why that little….’ She inwardly cursed a string of expletives at the rare hunters. ‘The next time I see those brutes…’ Taking several deep breaths, she managed to calm herself down. She let out a sigh and proceeded to pick up her cards. She stacked them up neatly and slid them back in her duel disk, her nerves twitching at how the rare hunter had handled them as if they were nothing more than trash. ‘I swear, that scumbag has no respect for other people’s property.’ She shook her head to rid it of the image, not wanting her evening to be more spoiled than it already was. 'I guess I'd better get a move on before some more thugs come after me.’ She slowly rose to her feet, shook out her legs, and began to head home. It hurt her excruciatingly to walk, but she was determined to tough it out. ‘The good thing is I live nearby so I won’t have to bear it for too long. At least Joey is safe. I wonder how things are going with him and Serenity…’
Serenity sat up in her hospital bed with her knees pulled up to her chest, anxiously awaiting her elder brother’s arrival. She sighed as she rested her head on top of her knees, allowing her hair to blanket her face and her arms. ‘You remembered, didn’t you Joey? I need you here with me to give me that reassurance for the operation.’ She had been giddy with excitement before, but now there was a huge knot in her stomach. ‘What if this operation isn’t successful? I can’t stand the thought of going completely blind.’
Mrs. Wheeler entered the room to check on the young girl. She frowned when she noted how distracted and listless Serenity looked. "Serenity? Is something wrong?" she asked, sitting on the edge of her daughter’s bed.
Serenity lifted her head from her knees to glance up at her mother. "I'm just wondering when Joey will get here."
The older woman’s brows furrowed slightly. "Joseph's coming?" Her voice was filled with mild shock.
"Yes. He promised to spend the night because he knows I am nervous about the operation. Isn't it great?"
Mrs. Wheeler paused, not entirely sure how to answer the question. She was aware of the fact that her relationship with her son wasn’t the best, due to her not speaking to him since he was a little boy. One of her biggest regrets was not making an effort to remain in touch. ‘To be honest, there have been moments where he has crossed my mind. I would hope he has matured into a fine young man.’ She finally answered, “Yes…I suppose it is."
Serenity thought she had sensed some tension, but she shrugged it off, knowing her mother was still struggling with her emotions. “I hope nothing has happened to him.” All of a sudden she heard footsteps, followed by a familiar male’s voice announcing,” Joey Wheeler is here!”
Serenity sat up with a jolt. Her eyes lit up like a Christmas tree to see her brother standing in the midst of the room. "Joey!" she exclaimed. She leapt off the bed, ran to him and threw her arms around him.
"In the flesh, sis,” the blonde responded as he held his sister close to him and stroked her hair.
Mrs. Wheeler chuckled a bit. “After all these years, I see you haven’t changed a bit, son. You’re still as loving and energetic as ever. “
Joey looked at his mother with his arms still around Serenity. "It's nice to see you after all this time, Ma."
Mrs. Wheeler managed a small smile. "Likewise, Joseph." |
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Post by LadyKeren on Dec 7, 2015 13:22:51 GMT
Chapter 7
Two days later, it was time for the commencement of the Battle City tournament. Mr. Mutou was outside, sweeping. He took a break from sweeping for a moment and looked up towards Yugi’s room, frowning when he noticed the bedroom light on so early in the morning. 'All of the electricity that boy is using is going to cost me my entire pension. It would be nice if he would come and help me with these chores.' He understood that Yugi needed to be well prepared for his duels, but he could only do so much at his age now that his body was beginning to slow down. His frown turned into a small grin. 'On second thought, these chores can always be completed later.' He hung a sign that read CLOSED on the doorknob and locked up the shop.
(Yugi’s bedroom)
Yami took one last look at the dueling deck he and Yugi had put together. He decided there was a good balance of trap, magic and monster cards. Satisfied, he neatly stacked the cards in a pile and placed the deck in the slot designated for it on his duel disk before turning to face Yugi. "I want you to know I am entering the tournament for a vital purpose, which is another reason the ante rule is meaningless to me. However, the rare cards may help in our quest to defeat this evil."
Yugi nodded in understanding. He didn’t really care about having super rare cards either and felt his deck was fine the way it was. Though he had to admit, having some extra help wouldn’t hurt. "Yes, they can. We must trust in our deck. Our future depends on it."
"Right." Yami disappeared, letting Yugi take control again. He retrieved a rather fancy looking shoulder belt. ‘Hmm… I can use this just in case I end up having special cards.’ He slung the belt over his shoulder and buckled it tight enough so it would be secure, but not to the extent he would feel as if he were suffocating. With that, he left the apartment and headed to Battle City.
Meanwhile, Vicki was up and about again after having to rest for a full day in order to recover from the incident with the rare hunter. She smiled a bit, happy she was fairly well because it was soon time for the tournament to begin. She was bursting with excitement over seeing her new friends duel. The rare hunter’s smirking face entered her mind, making her snarl under her breath. ‘If that caped freak thinks he could get away with stealing my card, he has got another thing coming. I’ll get it back if it’s the last thing I do.’ She scrunched her eyes shut and shook her head, trying to forget about the rare hunter before he put a damper on her mood. ‘I wonder what Joey is up to now. Perhaps I should call him. It would be nice to have someone to walk to Battle City with.’ She sprawled on her bed, picked up her telephone and dialed Joey’s number.
Joey was sitting in his bedroom, surrounded by snack wrappers. He was in the middle of reading the rule book that came with the new duel disk when all of a sudden, he heard the phone ringing. He wondered who it could be. ‘That had better not be Tristan calling to pester me about Serenity or else I will have to smack someone. I’m getting tired of him nagging me.' He snatched up the phone. "Yo, this is Joey speaking."
"Hey there, Joey, this is Vicki."
Joey heaved a huge sigh of relief. ‘Thank God.’ He was prepared to go berserk if it was Tristan. He changed his tone of voice to a perkier, cheerful one, just in case he had sounded annoyed before. "Vicki! What's shaking?"
"Not a thing. Just relaxing. What about you?"
"Oh, just reading rich boy's rulebook so he doesn't find a way to make a fool out of me again."
Vicki muffled a giggle, for she knew when the blonde said rich boy, he was talking about Kaiba. ‘I must say that’s the perfect name for him besides moneybags.’ She let out another giggle before clearing her throat. "Oh, right. Smart idea. By the way, are you excited about the tournament?"
"You bet!"
"Good. We'd better meet up then. You don't want to be late."
"Got that right! Kaiba would never let me live it down."
"He most certainly won’t. Well, I’ll see you in a few."
"See you." Joey hung up and decided to check up on his sister whilst he waited for his new friend to show up. Her operation was a complete success. However, her eyes still had to heal and she needed to remain hospitalized for observation. He called her hospital room. ‘Tristan had better not be there or else.’ He thought of what he might do if he found out the pointy haired teen went to see Serenity behind his back.
Two rings. "Hello?" a young girl’s voice answered.
Joey’s angry thoughts faded upon hearing his sister’s sweet and innocent voice. It was impossible for him to be in a grumpy mood. "Hey Sis, how are you feeling?"
"Pretty good, Big Brother. What are you up to?"
"Oh, just preparing for the Duel Monsters tournament that's starting today."
"Oh, right." Serenity remembered her older brother telling her about the tournament when he spent the night. She hoped she would be released from the hospital in time to see him duel in the finals and that one day, he would teach her how to play Duel Monsters. She had decided she wanted to be a top duelist just like he was. "I wish there was a way for me to know what's going on with your duels while I am in the hospital."
"You will. I’ll send one of my friends to stay with you and give you the play by play." Joey furrowed his brow, thinking of the possibilities since Tristan was obviously out of the question. He didn't trust that his best friend wouldn’t try anything untoward. ‘Hey, Vicki has a laptop. Maybe she’ll go.’ He liked the idea of Vicki being in the room with his sister, plus it would give the brunette an opportunity to get to know her.
"Really?! That'll be great. I should let you go now. Good luck."
Joey smiled to himself, positive his sister’s face was lit up like a Christmas tree. "Thank you. I'll need it."
"Bye Joey."
"Later." Joey hung up and rose to his feet, giving a big stretch. The tournament manual fell out of his lap. He retrieved his duel disk and deck, placing the duel disk on his arm. It was a good thing he ended the call when he did, because just as he was leaving the room, he heard some knocking. He raced to the door and peeked outside. There stood Vicki holding something that looked like a Duel Monsters card. Plastering a big smile on his face, he opened the door. “Hey!”
Vicki chuckled a bit. "Well someone is happy today.”
Joey shrugged and gave a sheepish grin. “What can I say? I’m excited!”
“I hear you and you’re not the only one. Ready to go?"
"Yep. Let's do this." Joey stepped outside and waited for Vicki to exit the apartment before locking the door. They proceeded to make their way to the city plaza.
"By the way, Joey, I have something for you," Vicki told him.
His warm brown eyes brightened, full of curiosity and excitement. "Really? What's that?" He was secretly wishing it was food and not just some card, although he had already eaten. ‘Then again, a card is nice too. I can afford to give my deck a boost.’
"It's this," she responded, handing Joey the card she had been holding.
He took the card from her and glanced at it. ‘Giant Trunade.’ A lopsided grin slowly spread on his face as it meant he would be able to put a damper on his opponents’ trap strategies like Mai usually did. “Wow, thanks Vicki.”
"My pleasure. I have another one and I thought it would come in handy for you. Consider it a present."
"I was just thinking it would." Joey slipped his new card in his deck. It never ceased to amaze him how giving Vicki seemed to be. First she dueled the rare hunter in his place and now this.
All of a sudden fireworks exploded in the sky. The city was extremely crowded and Vicki noted a vast majority of the people were wearing duel disks on their arms. She raised an eyebrow. "I never thought this Duel Monsters tournament was such a big occasion."
"It is," confirmed Joey. “You ain’t see nothing yet.”
"It'll take me some time to get used to this." Vicki knew at this rate, she would be missing a lot of school. Not that she had a problem with it, but she would have to do a lot of makeup work and she wasn't particularly thrilled about the idea.
Yugi had just arrived at the city plaza. He looked around for his best friend. ‘I wonder where Joey is. With all these people, it could take awhile to find him.’ He hoped the blonde wasn’t running late. He didn’t want him to miss Kaiba’s opening remarks. Just then, Mai ran up to him, her long wavy blonde tresses flying behind her. "Hi hun," she greeted the spiky haired teenage boy.
Yugi smiled a bit. "Hey Mai!" he answered cheerfully.
Mai had a big smile on her face, too. It turned into a slight frown when she saw that Yugi was alone. "Isn't Joey going to be in this tournament, too?" She was hoping he had entered. ‘He better not have chickened out or else there will be hell for him to pay.’
"Yes he is. He isn't here yet. I am sure he will be soon, though," answered Yugi.
Mai’s frown softened a tad. "I hope so. I want a real opponent. Besides you of course."
Marik had been furious when he learned that his rare hunter had let Joey escape and took a rare card from Vicki instead. He wanted the Red Eyes Black Dragon, not some humanoid female monster, no matter how powerful the card was. He had thoughts about banishing his servant to the Shadow Realm right then and there, but decided to spare him so he could use the official start of the tournament to redeem himself. Clutching his millennium rod, he emitted a glow from it to connect with his rare hunter. "Seeker, this is your last chance to win me those two cards. If you fail me again, there will be severe consequences. Is that understood?"
The hoary haired man shuddered a bit. He knew that when Marik spoke in such an autocratic tone, there was no questioning him and he would make good on his promises. He had witnessed his master's wrath before and it was not a side of him he enjoyed seeing. "Yes, Master Marik. I understand perfectly. You will not be disappointed."
"For your sake you had better succeed." Just as Marik was done speaking with his rare hunter, Keren entered the hideout holding a glass filled with an orangey red liquid and ice. He wasn't particularly glad to see her, but at least it beat having to babysit incompetent servants. ‘She just may be of good use after all.’ He thought he was going to have to banish her forever for being a hindrance to Odion. He gave her a light nod in acknowledgment.
"Here Marik. I thought you could use something refreshing." She didn't think she could ever get used to calling him master, considering she was nearly six years his senior and he was not ruler over her in any way.
Marik took the drink from Keren and rested it on the arm of his throne-like chair. He noticed she hadn't addressed him with any of the respectful titles his servants typically called him but he decided to let it slide. It wasn't as if she were officially his servant, anyway. The rare hunters, on the other hand, were shooting her looks of disapproval. One of them even glared murderously at her. The dark haired young woman didn't notice, though.
There was such an awkward silence in the hideout. Keren knew she had better say something and fast. ‘What shall I tell or ask him? I do not want to say the wrong thing and anger him.’ She nervously twiddled her thumbs. It was hard for her to figure out what to say to someone she had resorted to walking on eggshells around. She finally managed to hesitantly ask something. "Um...well, will you allow Seeker to keep the card he stole from that girl Victoria?"
"Absolutely not. I specifically told him to win me the rare cards from Little Yugi and Joey Wheeler, so that girl's rare card means absolutely nothing to me!"
Keren cringed at how furious Marik sounded. She was almost sorry she asked him. She suppressed a nervous gulp, looking slightly uneasy. She studied him long enough to notice a scowl on his handsome features. "Wonderful." She wasn't thrilled at the thought of Joey or Yugi losing their powerful cards but she was glad to hear that he wasn't interested in Vicki’s card. She also hoped Vicki wasn't hurt. Considering how devious the rare hunters were, they were clearly not to be trusted.
Soon, all of the participants in Kaiba’s tournament had arrived at the city plaza. Joey showed up with Vicki. Yugi let out a sigh of relief when he spotted his best friend. “Look, Mai. There’s Joey now. And Vicki, too.”
The corner of Mai’s lips curled into a small grin. “Well, well, it’s about time.” She was prepared to give Joey a good chewing out for not having the guts to face his demons again. “Well, look who finally showed up—my favorite blonde knucklehead. I was beginning to worry you had backed out.”
Joey could tell his female companion was only teasing. He glared playfully at her. “Haha, very funny! Hi yourself! I’ll have you know I haven’t been more ready!”
Mai gave a seductive smirk. “I hoped so.”
Joey made a face at her and turned away before he could be taken by her wiles. “Hey Yuge!”
Yugi laughed lightly at the two blonde’s antics and turned to face his friends. "Hey Joey and Vicki. You both made it! “
“Well hello there, laddie.” Vicki blew at her bangs. “You bet I did. I would not have missed this for the world.” She let her eyes drift over to Mai. “Hi there...Mai, is it?”
Mai nodded. “That’s right. Nice to see you again, too, girlie. You’re just in time to see us kick some butt in the tournament.”
Vicki was about to respond when suddenly, there was a huge gust of wind, making her shiver. She and her friends glanced up, only to see an aircraft that read DUEL SHIP soaring by. On the video screen was none other than the tournament host…Seto Kaiba. Everyone else looked up, too. Joey felt a bit queasy and so did Vicki. All the duelists looked intently at him, waiting for him to “welcome” them all.
"Greetings, duelists. All of you who are good enough to be in my tournament have received a duel disk. The entire city is the stage of the tournament, so the duels can take place virtually everywhere. I will be using my tracking chip to keep tabs on your progress. And if any of you goofs care to test your skills against me, feel free to challenge me because I will be participating in this tournament as well. For the benefit of you slackers who were too lazy to read the rulebook included with the duel disk, I will review them quickly, so you'd better listen and listen good. First of all, if you want to summon a powerful monster, you must sacrifice a weaker one first. Also, the loser of a duel must relinquish his or her rarest card to the winner."
Some of the competitors mentally jotted the rules down and loud groans were heard amongst the people who missed the old rules.
"Only eight of you will make it to the finals. They will take place in a secret location. The clear cards are called locator cards. If you are fortunate enough to win six of them, they will be stacked together and reveal the location of the finals. I hope these rules are clear enough for those who have miniscule brains to comprehend! I am not going over them again! Those who cannot bear the thought of losing their rarest cards, I suggest you back down here and now.”
Mai widened her eyes before discreetly cutting them at the CEO. "Well excuuuuse me for living.“ She didn’t know why he had to make a big deal over a game.
"I know right?" Joey agreed with her. He was glad he was one of those who were smart enough to take a gander at the new rules.
"And now that the rules are clear, let the tournament begin!" Kaiba announced with a flourish.
“Finally.” Mai let out a sigh of relief. She didn’t want to hear any more from Kaiba. "Bye, you guys. It’s time for me to kick some butt. I hope to see you two boys at the finals." She was looking at Joey and Yugi when she said that.
"See you."
"Later, lassie," answered Vicki. "Good luck."
“Thanks, hun.” Mai gave one last wave and walked away.
Yugi wondered who his first opponent should be. That was hard to decide, considering his purpose for participating in the tournament. 'Maybe I should wait around for more pawns serving this evil person?'
Joey glanced at Vicki, who had a purposeful expression on her face. "You have some order of business to take care of, don't you?"
The brunette nodded. "That scoundrel stole my best card and I want it back. I didn't pay that much money for it to be snatched without warning."
"I hear ya! Anyone who messes with my friends messes with me!" Joey stuck out his chest and pumped his fist for emphasis.
Yugi furrowed his brow as an idea of a possible opponent came to him. ‘One of the rare hunters must have done it...maybe I should face him.‘ Not only would facing the rare hunter bring him that much closer to fulfilling his destiny, but he wanted to do something for Vicki after what she had done for him. "All right. Let's find this man, and then let me know when you see him." He figured the girl would know better than he did what the robed man looked like. After all, she was the one who faced him in the duel.
"Really? Let's go!" Vicki wasn't sure what her friends had in mind, but any chance to get her card back, she couldn't pass up.
The three teens began a search for the rare hunter, with Vicki as the guide. They knew the search could take quite awhile since the city was so enormous. That meant the caped clown could be anywhere.
Yugi scratched beneath his chin a bit and went hmmm before glancing over at Vicki. “Where would you like to look first?” he asked her.
"Let’s search the Almondo Coffee Shop,” she suggested almost immediately.
The spiky haired teen scrunched up his brow. "All right," he agreed. "Any particular reason?"
"Well it's pretty nearby…also, truth be told, I am feeling a bit drained. I could use an espresso," Vicki admitted rather sheepishly.
"Okay."
Joey had the urge to point out this was not the best time for a snack break, but he knew better. Not to mention he could be just as bad at times. "To the café it is." They headed over to the café together, noticing how busy it seemed to be that day.
Vicki looked around for a waiter/waitress. She wanted to make this quick. She knew that both Joey and Yugi had work to do. She couldn't hold them back. ‘They were really unselfish to do this for me. I owe them a great deal.’ As she was looking around, she spotted a very familiar looking figure sitting at a table in front of a laptop and sipping coffee.
Yugi noticed Vicki's facial expression. "Something wrong?" he asked, worried.
"I see him,” she answered in a loud whisper. Just looking at the robed man made her spirit feel cross.
Joey gazed around the outside dining room of the café for a bit, almost not hearing Vicki in the process. "What? Where?"
"The guy dressed in the cape staring at his laptop screen.”
The two boys looked to where she pointed out, finally laying eyes on the man. They knew it was him just by looking at his outfit, for it was identical to what Bandit Keith wore when he was brainwashed.
Yugi lowered his eyes a bit. ‘That rare hunter must be working for the man who is after my puzzle.’
“He's the one who swiped your card?" asked Joey.
"Yes. It’s because of him I was out of commission all day yesterday." Just thinking of the incident made the brunette’s blood boil.
Joey started cracking his knuckles, his face turning red with anger. "Well he's gonna get a piece of my mind!"
"That's very kind of you, but I can handle it." Vicki strode over to the rare hunter’s table before Yugi or Joey could object. She knew both of them meant well, but she didn’t want to rely on their help too much. ‘After all, I took 7 years of Tae-Kwon-Do. I can hold my own if I have to.’
"Be careful!" Yugi called after her. He and Joey followed her. They wanted to stay close by in case the rare hunter tried something funny.
Vicki loudly cleared her throat. The caped man glanced up, and a smirk spread across his face. "Well, if it isn't the wench I crushed a few nights ago. What can I do for you this time? Do you want more punishment?"
"Spare me your hospitality. You have my Cosmic Queen card and I want it back! I never agreed to hand it over in the first place!" The young lady could feel everyone staring at her but she didn't care. If making a scene was what it took to put Seeker in his place, so be it.
Seeker shot her a malicious smirk. "I'm sorry, but that's not going to happen. Your card is mine, so I have no interest in dueling you again.” The white haired man stared behind Vicki and spotted the two boys Marik ordered him to target. He smiled evilly. ‘This is the perfect opportunity to redeem myself in Master Marik’s eyes. First I will take care of Yugi Mutou. Joey is a rather weak duelist and I can destroy him at any time.’
‘My God, that smirk is so nauseating.‘ Vicki held back a shudder and looked away from the robed man.”Oh, so you want to be stubborn, huh? I can take the card back by force, you know!" She was extremely close to grabbing the man by his cape and tossing him into the bushes.
Seeker let loose uproarious laughter. "Your empty threats will get you nowhere. Besides, you are no match for me.”
Yugi could see that the rare hunter was not going to budge, despite Vicki’s no-nonsense attitude. ‘It’s time for me to step in.’ He opened his mouth, about to issue his challenge when Seeker stopped arguing with the brunette and looked at him. "Yugi Mutou, I challenge you to a duel!"
The teenage boy had already made up his mind ever since he heard Vicki’s story, so he was only too happy to comply. His puzzle glowed and he belted out “YU-GI-OH!”, thus allowing the spirit to take control of his body. In his place was now the ancient pharaoh. Vicki wasn't so surprised by the transformation anymore, since she had seen it once before.
Yami gave Seeker a stern look. "Rare hunter, I accept your challenge. If you win, I will hand over my Dark Magician. But if I win, you must return Vicki's Cosmic Queen."
"I most definitely will if by some miracle, you defeat me. However, your chances of victory are minimal. No one has ever conquered my strategy before. However, you've made a wise decision." The robed man stood up and walked away from the outside dining room, taking his position in the street. Yami did the same. He and Seeker activated their duel disks. "Let's duel!" they said in unison, both of them drawing their cards.
Vicki exhaled a deep breath she had been holding in. Joey glanced over at her and could see she was still tense. "Don't worry. If anyone can win your card back, Yugi can.”
"I hope you're right. There's more to this man's strategy that meets the eye."
"What do you mean?"
"He has Exodia. I should warn Yugi about it."
Joey shuddered. He knew how invincible Exodia was. He let out a sigh of relief that he wasn’t the one facing Seeker. ‘Knowing Yuge, he’ll find some way to create a miracle, though.’
Vicki placed her hands by her mouth and yelled, "Yugi, be careful! This rouge character is very cunning!"
The rare hunter growled. "Girlie, you had better not reveal my strategy or I will rip your card into pieces!"
‘Okay that does it.’ Everything inside Vicki snapped. She narrowed her eyes, her nostrils flaring simultaneously. "Try it and I will rip your heart out!"
Yami put up a hand for the brunette to quiet down."Calm down, Vicki,” he told her. "I will figure out his strategy in due time."
Vicki took one glance at the rare hunter and felt the anger boiling inside her all over again. That was when she realized she had better let Yami deal with him before things got really ugly. "All right...if you say so." At this point she really needed the energy boost and some time to cool off. “I’ll be right back,” she said, walking off.
Yami watched as Vicki entered the café, and then directed his attention back to the rare hunter. ”I’ll start this duel.”
“Go ahead. You will need the headstart to prepare you for what I have in store for you!”
“Very well. I’ll lay two cards face down, and then summon Beta the Magnet Warrior in attack mode!” (1700 attack points). A yellow themed warrior with tiny black eyes and magnet shaped arms appeared. “That ends my turn."
Murmurs erupted among the bystanders about how unusual the magnet warrior looked. “What type of monster do you think it is?” one man asked.
“I don’t know. He looks like a warrior with beads for eyes,” answered his friend.
A grin spread across Seeker’s face when he saw he was already holding several Exodia pieces. ‘It looks like this fool’s destruction has come sooner than I anticipated. Master Marik will be proud of me.’ He chuckled to himself. ‘How to lure this fool into my trap?' He examined the cards in his hand, trying to find something worth using until he got all Exodia pieces. "I play Graceful Charity, which allows me to draw three cards as long as I discard two.” He sent two of his cards he had no intention of using to the graveyard and peeked to see if the card he kept was one that could help. ‘Ah, excellent. I have drawn another Exodia part. Two more parts and Yugi will be finished.’
"Not so fast! I reveal one of my face down cards, Light Intervention! This requires players to play their monster cards face up.” Yami smiled cunningly. “Sorry, but you won’t be able to hide any monsters from me.”
"That doesn't scare me in the least," sneered the rare hunter. "I play Stone Statue of the Aztecs in defense mode! That ends my turn."
Yami furrowed his brow. ‘Hmm...how strange. He isn’t making an effort to strike me. He must be toying with me, in order to implement the strategy Vicki was trying to warn me about. I had better prepare a strategy to defeat him quickly or else I will fall into a deadly trap.’ He didn’t know exactly which strategy was used to defeat Vicki, but he had a bad feeling. He cleared his mind, pulling a card from his deck. "I sacrifice Beta to summon Berfomet, which will bring forth Gazelle, the King of Mythical Beasts! I activate my other face down card, Polymerization, which allows me to fuse my two beasts together, forming Chimera, the Flying Mythical Beast!” (2100 attack points).A winged creature that looked like a two headed lion emerged onto the field, letting out a loud roar.” I place one card face down. Since the new rule states that fusion monsters cannot attack in the same turn they are summoned, I’ll end my turn."
Seeker’s irises flashed a bright crimson color, brought on by x-ray contact lenses he was wearing. With them, he peeked at the card on top of his deck. ‘Not quite what I was hoping for, but maybe it can help me get what I need.’ He removed the card from his deck. "I play another Graceful Charity." He drew three cards and discarded two, grinning when he saw that the remaining one he held was another Exodia body part. 'Excellent…I only need one more Exodia part. On my next turn I will have the final Exodia piece!'
(KaibaCorp)
Kaiba had been observing the progress of his tournament thus far. Most of the participants were the least of his worries, since there was only one person he was interested in. He did a search for Yugi and his eyes widened a bit when the opponent was revealed—a white haired man on his gargantuan computer screen. ‘Odd. This man hadn’t been in my database when I first made preparations for the tournament.’ He frowned, thinking something was amiss. He scrutinized the picture for awhile and then turned to face his employees. "Do a research on this man at once.” He didn’t know what course of action he would take yet, but it all depended on what information was revealed.
“Yes sir.” The clone girls did an extensive background check on him, frowning at the lack of information. "Well, Mr. Kaiba, it seems as if he has not been in the database until last week. He must have added himself without our knowledge. Unfortunately, very little is known about him."
Mokuba, who was made Battle City commissioner, realized what that meant. The rare hunter had hacked into the database, which was against the rules. ‘This rare hunter has no shame!’ It was disgusting, but the young boy was prepared to swing into action."Don't worry about a thing, Seto. I'll go and disqualify him right now."
Kaiba gave a half-smile. His little brother was taking his role seriously, which was quite admirable. He wouldn’t entrust such a task to anyone but him. Even though what the rare hunter had done warranted a disqualification, he felt compelled to let it slide. ‘He could be one of those rare hunters Ishizu spoke about.‘ He rested a hand on Mokuba’s shoulder to keep him from leaving. "I am interested in seeing what style the rare hunter uses in his duels. Let them play."
Mokuba opened his mouth to protest about how important it was to consistently stick to the guidelines, but he closed it, remembering how stubborn the CEO was. He hoped his brother didn’t think he was just looking for an excuse to disqualify someone. "Well...all right. Fine,” he agreed with a doubtful look on his face. ‘I’ve got my eye on that creep, though.
The rare hunter gave an evil grin. 'I can feel victory within my grasp, and if it were not for my little "aids", I wouldn't have the upper hand.' "I play Eargon the Moving Fortress in defense mode! This is strong enough to withstand the attack of your Chimera!"
Yami frowned. ‘Something is not right. If the rare hunter is so confident, why is he on the defensive and not attacking me? What is his strategy?’ He recalled how testy the robed man got when Vicki was trying to warn him. He realized the rare hunter’s scheme must be one that was fool proof and virtually unstoppable, which would be the only reason for the secrecy. The incident where Weevil threw his old Exodia cards into the ocean on the way to Duelist Kingdom and Joey jumped into the ocean to try to get them back for him came to mind. ‘Of course!' His lips spread into a tiny smile at having figured out the strategy. "I'm on to your scheme! You plan to summon Exodia the Forbidden One!"
“Yeah, Yuge! Awesome!” Joey expected nothing less from his best friend, though admittedly, for a second, he was worried Seeker would succeed.
Seeker’s mouth dropped open. 'Oh no! How did he figure it out?' His astonished expression turned into an overconfident one. "Well, Yugi, it appears you are as clever as people say. However, coming up with a strategy to stop me is a different story."
"Not to worry, I plan to," replied Yami, smiling his confident smile.
"I'd like to see you try that."
"You'll get your wish." |
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Post by LadyKeren on Dec 8, 2015 13:23:55 GMT
Chapter 8
Ishizu was at the museum, pondering the start of the tournament thus far. It was just as her necklace predicted. The pharaoh was presently dueling one of the rare hunters, so her plan had worked. Her necklace had revealed to her that this first battle would be a challenge, but still nothing compared to the obstacles he had to face down the road.
She closed her eyes for a moment and said a silent prayer to Ra. 'My king, please be careful. I have faith you will emerge victorious.’ She just hoped the tournament was the best plan to save her brother, for there was no other way that had the potential to be effective. She also wished for Keren's safety as well, while she was still in Egypt. She had a feeling the Israeli would face danger at the hands of the rare hunters at some point. The phone calls she received from the older woman assured her she was safe. Keren was like the sister she never had.
Ishizu knew that if she intended to save her brother, she couldn't just sit back and observe. She had already signed up for the tournament as a mystery duelist, but had yet to find potential opponents. The participants only had so much time to qualify for the finals. ‘The time has come for me to do my part.’ She imagined Kaiba would be less than pleased when he found out she entered the tournament without his knowledge, but she didn’t care. ‘After all, if it were not for me, there would be no Battle City tournament.’ She left the museum and went to Battle City to look for a challenge.
(Battle City)
Yami stared at his deck, contemplating his next move. He smiled a bit at his accomplishment and at the thought of being the first to defeat the indestructible creature. ‘Figuring out the strategy was a start, but that’s not enough. I need to find a way to stop him. I am sure I can, but it won’t be easy. It will take time, and there is not much of it left.His smile faded and was replaced by a concentrative expression as he figured out which move he should make first.
Vicki returned to watch the duel with her espresso in hand. She hoped there was some progress made. She glanced up at Joey, who had a big smile on his face. “What’s up, Joey? I didn’t miss anything, did I?”
"Nah, you're just in time," he told her. "Yuge finally figured out the strategy of this caped creep!"
"Oh wow. Awesome!" Vicki started to beam. Of course she had expected nothing less from her friend, based on his past duels. ‘All Yugi needs to do is defeat this windbag and my Cosmic Queen card will be back where it belongs.’ She took a sip of espresso, making an approving Mmmm sound. Already she could feel a difference.
The rare hunter laughed at Yami. "Congratulations on figuring out my strategy. However, you are a bit too late. I have almost all of the pieces of Exodia, and by my next turn, you'll be finished!"
"Don't listen to this creepazoid! You have him right where you want him," Joey piped up. Watching the duel taught him a new lesson—one that would help him in his upcoming duels.
As the duel continued, KaibaCorp had more information on the rare hunter. They discovered that his cards were coded with an invisible ink, which would give him an unfair advantage.
Mokuba widened his eyes upon this revelation. His grey eyes filled with horror, then anger. He wanted to march out to Battle City and disqualify the robed man that very minute, but he couldn’t do that without his brother’s approval. ‘What was Seto thinking, letting him get away with breaking the rules?’ He gazed up at his brother with an irritated look on his face, slightly upset with him for not letting him disqualify the outlaw when he first started trouble. "Marked cards? He's cheating! I knew I should have disqualified him before!"
Under normal circumstances, the CEO would agree, but somehow he felt compelled to be lenient this time. "Let it go, Mokuba."
The raven haired lad stared at his big brother in disbelief. "But Seto," he protested, ”the guy is a menace. If he is low enough to hack into the database and cheat, there's no telling what he will do next."
"I realize that Mokuba, but I am willing to let it slide this time."
Mokuba drew in a deep breath, trying to keep calm. He was fighting the urge to reprimand the CEO for being so unconcerned. ‘I mean, why would he make me commissioner if he didn’t care whether people abided by the rules or not?’ He rubbed his temples, wondering if Kaiba even remembered his role. "You were the one who made me Battle City commissioner in the first place so I could enforce the rules, Seto. I'm just doing my job so other participants won’t think they can get away with it. Give me one good reason why I shouldn’t bust that cheat out there. "
Kaiba let out a heavy sigh. His younger brother was serious about his job and while he found that admirable, he had other plans. He wasn’t sure how he would be able to explain his reason, but he decided to try anyway. "I need him. This rare hunter may have something I want…and I am interested to see how Yugi plans to defeat Exodia." As much as he wanted his rival to squirm, he felt the rare hunter was not worthy to be called the world's greatest duelist.
Yami had begun to devise a plan to stop the summoning of Exodia. It would take numerous turns, but he was confident it would work if executed flawlessly. "I'll play one card face down, and attack your Stone Statue with Chimera, the Flying Mythical Beast! Chimera, attack!" The creature ran with lightning speed and pounced on the statue, reducing it to rubble. "You're nearly defenseless." Yami ended his turn. ‘So far, so good. Now if I could draw some more magic or trap cards before it is too late, I will be all set.’
"You'll have to do better than that," the robed man taunted. "Not that you can, because—" He was about to draw the final piece to Exodia, which would make him the winner. He grinned evilly.
Yami gave a small smile. “Not so fast, rare hunter!”
Seeker’s jaw dropped open in shock. “What?! A trap?”
“That’s right! I reveal my trap card, Time Seal. This prevents you from drawing any cards for one turn, which means you can’t draw the final Exodia piece yet!”
The rare hunter let out a growl. “You’re just stalling,” he said through gritted teeth.
'I bought myself some time, but not very much. If I don't draw the right card next turn, I'll be finished. I know there is a card that can help.’ Yami pulled a card from his deck and it proceeded to glow. A small smile formed on his face as he took a peek at what he had drawn. "I play Lightforce Sword!" It was a trap card that randomly slashed one card from the player's hand, stopping them from using it for one turn. If desired, the player could also aim for a certain card, which would extend the number of turns to three. "I aim for a piece of Exodia!" He played the card, hoping it would slash his aim.
Much to the dismay of the rare hunter, the dagger-like sword slashed the right arm piece. Joey and Vicki watched with excited expressions on their faces.
"Way to go, Yugi! Keep it up!" the brown haired girl cheered. For her, Seeker easily won the award for being the most despicable person ever. ‘I’m gonna be so happy when Yugi defeats him.’
Marik saw how the duel was going so far. He let out a grunt of displeasure at his servant's performance. ‘What does that fool think he’s doing? I should have sent him to the Shadow Realm ages ago!’ He mentally kicked himself for not punishing the henchman when he first failed him. He decided a warning was in order. Grasping his rod tightly and emitting its powers, he appeared inside his henchman’s mind. "Seeker, your performance has been substandard so far," he pointed out to the older man.
The white-haired man could hear the dissatisfaction in his master’s voice. He felt sweatdrops forming on his forehead and he started to tremble. He knew his master was telling the truth, and he didn’t find it a pretty sight when the tombkeeper got angry.
"Shall I take over your mind and duel the pharaoh through you?" asked Marik rather menacingly.
Seeker cringed at the thought of that. He had seen the mind control method used on Bandit Keith and he didn’t care for it. He gulped loudly."That won't be necessary. I promise you, I am merely toying with this imbecilic duelist. I will reveal my plan in due time.” He certainly hoped he could. He wanted to show he was capable of achieving his very own victory.
Marik considered this. At the moment, he found it extremely hard to believe that Seeker would actually win. After all, he was the weakest duelist of all the rare hunters. But toying with an opponent could also work, too. "Very well. If you fail me this time, I will not be forgiving. Is that understood?"
"Yes Master."
"Good." He released his hold on Seeker.
Just then, Odion entered the hideout. He noticed Marik's brow was slightly creased as if he were irate about something, so he chose the super polite approach. "If you would excuse me, Master Marik," the older man said, kneeling before Marik.
"What is it now?" The cornsilk blonde wasn't in the best mood, so he hoped his brother hadn't come to waste his time.
"Has the duel come to an end yet?"
"No, it hasn't. That incompetent fool has been playing poorly so far. I have just warned him that if he fails, there will be severe consequences."
Odion felt it was a clever move to send out the weakest duelist of all the rare hunters first. It was a great way to become familiar with the pharaoh's tactics. What fun would it be if the pharaoh was defeated in his first Battle City duel? "Shall I be the next one to face Yugi?”
"Not yet. You will get your chance in due time."
"All right."
"For now, I want you to keep an eye on Keren. Make sure she remains of good use."
"Yes sir." The tattooed faced henchman had noticed that during the rare times he did see Keren, she seemed to be distressed about something, but didn't know why. ‘I will ask her about that later.’
Yami had just destroyed Seeker's second defense monster with his Summoned Skull, which he had to sacrifice Chimera to do. Now that the rare hunter was defenseless, all Yami had to do was successfully attack his opponent's life points directly and he would win. "Rare hunter…it is now a whole new game. You thought you would defeat me, but now I'm in control of this duel."
"That's right, my good friend!" agreed Vicki. At this point she was halfway done with her espresso. Her energy was almost completely replenished. She took another sip.
The rare hunter drew another card. He had been so terrified of facing his master's wrath but now things were looking up for him. He proceeded to laugh maniacally. Yami raised an eyebrow and stared grimly at his opponent, not trusting his change in behavior at all.
Joey tilted his head in amusement before eyeing Seeker strangely. "What's with that guy? Did he inhale laughing gas or something?"
Victoria nearly choked on her espresso. She had to stop sipping it for a moment to recover. She rolled her eyes a bit. ‘He’s such a wacko.’
"You're sadly mistaken, Yugi. Did you really think you have what it takes to defeat me?" asked the rare hunter, his voice dripping with amusement.
"I do."
"You should know that rare hunters like me design decks with ultra powerful cards. I play my magic card, Swords of Revealing Light!” A wall of shiny swords dropped to the ground, stopping all of the monsters from moving. Yami’s eyes darted around in horror as he realized he would be trapped for three turns, unless he could find a way to get rid of the swords.
‘Uh-oh, that’s not good.’ Joey looked grim. "Come on, Yuge! I know you can get out of this mess!"
Vicki had recovered from her near choking fit. She rubbed the bridge of her nose. ‘This looks bad. I believe Yugi can still win, but he needs to draw the right card soon.’
(KaibaCorp)
Upon witnessing Seeker’s comeback, Mokuba let out a frustrated groan. He did not believe cheaters were worthy of victories. "Ugh! Why are we letting this cheat beat Yugi?"
The older Kaiba smirked. "Well, if Yugi hasn't lost his touch, he will find a way out of this." His tone was apathetic, almost as if he didn’t care if Seeker won by cheating. 'As if there is really a way to defeat the unstoppable Exodia.'
Having been snared by the rare hunter's Swords of Revealing Light, there was nothing Yami could do except draw one card and end his turn, which was what he did. ‘I won’t be able to stop him like this. I have to find a way around his magic card.’
The rare hunter let out a gleeful chuckle. He enjoyed seeing his opponent so helpless. "At this rate, you're done! One of my Exodia pieces might be rendered useless for two more turns, but I can always draw another right arm. "
A smile spread across Yami's face, and he laughed lightly at the rare hunter’s obliviousness.
"What's so funny?" asked Seeker, glowering at the ancient pharaoh.
"What makes you think you will draw the Exodia part you need, considering your deck is loaded with them?"
"You needn't worry about that.”
"Your mistake is that you're only relying on one monster for your victory, but a good dueling deck requires an eclectic selection of cards."
"Nonsense. I have everything I need here in my deck." He drew a card, which was an Exodia head. ‘Hmm. This won’t help me now, but I’m not too worried. I am still immune to any attacks.’ He grinned to himself, thinking by the time his magic card wore off, he would have assembled all five pieces of his Exodia.
It pained Vicki and Joey to see Yami so helpless, although their faith in him was steadfast.
"Come on, Yugi! There isn't much time."
"Take him down, Yuge! You can do it!"
Yami briefly turned to his two friends and nodded at them. He knew that if he did not do something soon, not only would he lose his chance of winning back Vicki's card, but he would also lose his Dark Magician. Given that he had to save the world from destruction, losing was not an option. "I set one card face down and summon Alpha the Magnet Warrior in attack mode!” (1400 attack points.)
Seeker looked at the ancient pharaoh as if he were out of his mind. ‘Yugi is more of a fool than I thought. Why would he put his monster in attack mode when it is still frozen? Is he up to something?’ He laughed loudly. "Need I remind you that you cannot attack?"
"I can't, yet," answered Yami calmly.
The rare hunter gave Yami an incredulous look. “And just what do you mean by that?”
"I am making preparations for when I am able to attack. The only thing stopping me is your swords card, which is a weak and temporary shield, but once I dispose of it, your life points will be wide open," continued Yami, referring to the fact that the rare hunter was still defenseless. “Your deck has a tragic flaw. It is cluttered with Exodia parts alone, and lacks the magic or trap cards that could be useful.”
The rare hunter scoffed. “I do not need trap or magic cards to defeat you. I have everything I need in my deck. You will be defeated before you get to carry out this plan of yours. It's my turn now." He drew a card, and gave an evil grin.
"It's another Exodia piece, am I right?" guessed Yami, eyeing the grin on the rare hunter's face.
"That's right. Soon I'll have all the pieces to assemble the deadly puzzle."
"But not soon enough.” Yami wasn’t too worried. He smiled confidently to himself, having set a trap for the rare hunter. ‘I expect him to protect his life points somehow, and I will be ready when he does.’
Vicki finally finished her coffee drink and dashed off to toss it in the trash can. ‘Hopefully Yugi will have turned the duel around by the time I get back.’
A horrifying thought occurred to Seeker. 'What if Yugi discovered some trick to destroy my swords? I'd better protect my life points. Yugi forgets that every individual Exodia card is a monster as well.’ He gave a smug grin. "I play Exodia head in defense mode! Now you can't touch my life points."
It was just as the spiky haired young man had planned. He chuckled again. "That's exactly what I wanted you to do. Now it is time for me to destroy Exodia!"
Seeker’s mouth dropped open. ‘What? It can’t be!’
"You activated my trap card…a costly mistake!" Yami revealed his face down card, Chain Destruction.
The rare hunter’s hand started to tremble. “W-What is that?!”
“It allows me to destroy any category of cards I choose, like all of the Exodia heads,” explained the ancient pharaoh. “While it can’t destroy the one on the field, it can destroy all the ones in your hand and your deck.” The golden chain pierced all of the Exodia heads, with the exception of the one on the field.
The rare hunter stared agape as all of his Exodia heads were rendered useless. He let out a loud scream when smoke emitted from his cards. He stood there, stunned. ‘I can’t believe it! Yugi managed to stop the indestructible Exodia and I’ve been relying on it to ensure my victory. There’s nothing I can do now, and I have a feeling this is just the beginning. Master Marik is going to be so furious.’ Just thinking about Marik’s fury made him shudder.
"I’m not through yet, rare hunter,” said Yami. “I have also found a way around your Swords of Revealing Light. I activate my trap card, Dust Tornado! It allows me to destroy whichever magic or trap card I choose.” He used it to get rid of Swords of Revealing Light. Seeker watched in horror as his swords were swept away by a gusty typhoon.
'I can't believe it! He's now going to come for my life points,' thought the white haired man, quivering.
"I play Monster Reborn! I’m using it to revive Chimera, the Flying Mythical Beast!" The winged lion-like creature with two heads reappeared on the field, roaring. "Chimera, attack the final Exodia head!" The beast ran towards the Exodia head with its lightning speed and pounced on the head, destroying it. The rare hunter screamed again.
Joey rubbed his temples a bit, trying to alleviate the headache that was starting to form as a result of Seeker’s yelling. 'Why won’t this wacko shut up?'
For the final touch, Yami combined the forces of his magnet warrior and Summoned Skull. The electricity gave the warrior an extra 200 attack points, giving it a grand total of 4100 points. More than enough to wipe out Seeker's life points. "Now my monster, attack the rare hunter's life points directly!" The magnet warrior, electricity crackling around its sword, lunged at the rare hunter and stabbed him. He cried out in pain and collapsed. With that, his life points dropped down to zero.
Joey stopped rubbing his forehead and gave a macho grin."Yeah, Yuge! You won!"
The crowd watched in astonishment. Some people cheered for Yami’s victory over the rare hunter.
Vicki returned to finish watching the duel, but it was too late. ‘Awww man, I missed it! I’m guessing from the chanting and Joey’s grin, Yugi won.’ She gazed around the field and spotted the caped clown lying seemingly unconscious on the ground. She let out a soft snicker. ‘Serves him right. I just wish I hadn’t missed all the action. Oh well. I can always get Joey to tell me all about it.’
Mokuba grinned excitedly, not only because Yami defeated an unbeatable monster, but also at the fact that he taught the cheater a lesson. "Wow! Yugi had an awesome strategy! What a way to stop the summoning of Exodia."
Kaiba had a look of indifference on his face. "I expect nothing less from Yugi. However, I have a much more powerful monster, and he will never defeat it.” A half smile slowly spread across his features. "I will head off to Battle City right now."
"I'm coming, too. I have to make sure no one else is cheating," Mokuba called after him. He broke into a sprint to keep up with his older brother. He briefly turned back to face the female employees. “If any duelist plays an Egyptian God card, don’t forget to notify us right away!” he called over his shoulder.
“Yes sir!”
The rare hunter was still lying on the ground, in a major daze. He knew he would be in for an earful, and he could only hope that Marik would spare him. He had tried his hardest, but didn’t see his opponent’s move coming.
"What a way to give that caped creepazoid the butt kicking of a life time, Yuge!" congratulated Joey.
Vicki gave Yami a thumbs up sign. "Excellent work! You sure showed that filthy scum."
Yami smiled at his friends. "Thanks, you two." He wandered over to the caped man and picked up his deck. He flicked through it until he found the Cosmic Queen card. 'Here it is.' He peered down at the unconscious Seeker. "I'm taking Vicki's Cosmic Queen card and your locator card," he announced. "You won't need to find the finals now." All of a sudden he felt something on his fingers. He frowned. ‘What is going on here?’
Joey noticed Yami's frown. "Something wrong, Yuge?"
"Something's rubbing off on my fingers." He looked and saw why. The Exodia cards were coded with something. His frown turned into a disgusted look. "All these cards are marked."
"He was a cheat!" Joey commented.
Vicki snorted. "Doesn't surprise me."
Yami tore up the marked cards and tossed the pieces into the air, letting them float to the ground. "Not anymore."
The rare hunter slowly opened his eyes, having recovered from his shock. "I lost...I failed."
Joey's eyes popped wide open, as if saying, ‘Huh? What the hell is this freak yelling about now?’
"Oh for the love of crap!" yelled Vicki, rubbing her forehead. The rare hunter's screaming was giving her a migraine. ‘I knew I should have bought two espressos instead of one.’ She wondered who he was talking to, anyway. ‘He must have gone mad.’
"Forgive me Master! I tried my best!" With a sudden burst of energy, Seeker sprang to his feet. "Please don't be angry! Ahhhhh!" He grabbed his head. "No master! Don't! Please, spare me!" As much as he pleaded for his master to not punish him, it was no use. The Eye of Horus appeared on his forehead and a golden aura surrounded his head. When he spoke again, he had an electronic sounding voice. "We meet again, Pharaoh.”
"Not this again," Vicki muttered under her breath, rolling her eyes.
"Remember me, Pharaoh? Actually, perhaps you don't! You were in the puzzle when I dueled little Yugi, although I thought I had sensed your presence. Congratulations on defeating my rare hunter. However, he was the weakest duelist...my other minions will be much more formidable, so this will be your final victory. I have waited for you for many years and now I will destroy you. I will not allow my other rare hunters to fail me like this again! I have no tolerance for failure, so as punishment I have trapped his mind in the Shadow Realm and taken over his body! I am in control!" The rare hunter proceeded to dance like a puppet on strings.
Vicki had the urge to burst out laughing, which she would have done if she wasn't so busy thinking about possibly having nightmares.
"Yeah, this guy is creeping me out," said Joey, trying to suppress his fear.
"How do you control him?" Yami inquired. He could sense evil around this puppet master.
"I am in possession of one of the seven millennium items, the millennium rod. It is the perfect tool for mind control."
Yami looked stone faced as his suspicions that the mystery person was using his powers for evil were confirmed. "No good can come from that power." He recalled Ishizu’s warnings about what was to come. ‘This man, whoever he is must be the great evil Ishizu spoke about.’
"Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Marik," said mind controlled Seeker.
‘So that’s his name.’ Yami mentally jotted the name down, even though he wasn't one to forget. He was somewhat relieved that he now had some information on his new enemy who clearly had some sort of grudge against him. "What is your business with me, Marik?"
"Simple. I want what belongs to me, and I will take it using the strength of the Egyptian God cards."
Yami’s violet eyes glazed over. "Egyptian what?"
Marik began to explain what the Egyptian Gods were—a trio of behemoth that had powers so awesome they nearly destroyed the world, so the pharaoh had locked them away. “When Pegasus created Duel Monsters, he resurrected these mighty beasts as cards.”
The ancient pharaoh saw the picture clearly. He thought it was bad enough when Pegasus was after people’s souls and his puzzle, but now he was facing a much more ruthless villain."You won't get my puzzle!" he vowed.
The tombkeeper gave his enemy a sinister smirk. "You misunderstand. What I truly want is the boundless power of the ancient ruler you once were. Of course seizing your puzzle as well couldn't hurt, since you will no longer have a use for it after I destroy you. Everyone will experience the reign of a true ruler. The end is near, Pharaoh. Soon you'll feel the wrath of one of my two Egyptian God cards!"
"Not yet, Marik. I'm beginning to understand why Ishizu asked me to participate in Battle City. It is my destiny to stop you from achieving the power you seek and recover my lost memory. I will do everything in my power to fulfill her prophecy.”
"I am afraid that destiny will not be on your side this time. Your days are numbered. The game has just begun. Enjoy the limited time you have left in this game and as a ruler, because soon your power will be mine and you will be cast into oblivion!" Marik released his hold on the rare hunter, who collapsed in a heap.
"Whoa,” muttered Vicki. "Can we say psycho?" Now she was glad she volunteered to help in any way she could during this tournament.
"That was weird," commented Joey. "I knew that guy was a big creep, but who knew he was just a pawn for an even bigger creep?"
Yami held the Cosmic Queen card towards the brunette. "Here you go Vicki. Take your Cosmic Queen back."
"Thank you so much, Yugi," said Vicki, taking the card from him and placing it within one of the pockets of her mini-dress. Unable to help herself, she wrapped her arms around him in a quick embrace. Yami stiffened a bit, flustered and uncomfortable by the sudden display of affection, but relaxed and returned the hug.
As freaked out as Joey was by Seeker’s little episode, it gave him more reason to help his best friend. He flicked through his deck and took out his Red Eyes Black Dragon card. "Hey Yuge, I have something you need more than me right now."
"And what's that?" asked Yami, violet eyes filled with surprise.
"It's this," answered Joey, handing him the card.
The ancient pharaoh glanced at the card given to him. His eyes widened when he saw what it was. ‘Red Eyes Black Dragon?’ He furrowed his brow when he considered how it was currently Joey’s best card. He shook his head, about to hand it back to the blonde. "Joey…that’s a very kind gesture on your part, but I cannot take your most trusted monster.”
Joey gave his friend an “I’m not taking no for an answer” look. "I insist. Based on what that robed freak said, you won't be able to go through this battle alone. "
Yami just looked at the blonde, not expecting him to say those words. "What are you saying, Joey?"
"The rare hunters have a ton of rare cards, so you'll need all of the powerful cards you can get. Ever since we became friends, you’ve helped me by teaching me everything you know about Duel Monsters. Give me a chance to help you for a change. Besides, I can always earn it back in a duel that will show you how far I've come in the road to becoming a true duelist. Also, I have another rare card you gave me during Duelist Kingdom."
"The Time Wizard," Yami recalled.
"Yes. It bailed me out of jams in Duelist Kingdom and I know it'll do the same for me here in Battle City. Also when I win the duels here, I will have even more rare cards. We're a team. Together we will make this Marik creep and his rare hunters feel sorry they ever decided to mess with us."
Joey's intentions were finally clear to the ancient ruler. He merely wanted to lend him his strength in this battle, which he could certainly use. He slipped the card in his deck."Thank you, Joey. I'll be sure to use it well."
"Don't mention it. Think of it as putting a part of me in your deck."
Yami gave the blonde a firm handshake. "You're a true friend, Joey. Together we will overcome any evil that comes our way."
Joey nodded. "That’s right." |
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Post by LadyKeren on Dec 9, 2015 13:11:31 GMT
Chapter 9
After watching Yami's duel with the rare hunter, Joey went off to find an opponent. Victoria stopped at home to secure her rarest card and get her laptop. She had volunteered to go to the hospital to keep Serenity company for a bit, since Joey had made it very clear about not wanting Tristan to be there. She understood the blonde’s concern, and felt this would make up for her not being able to meet the young girl when she had originally planned to. ‘You know what they say…good things come to those who wait, and I know this will be worth it.’ She hummed to herself whilst placing her laptop in its case. She headed out to the garage for her motorbike, which had a special cushioned seat. Although the hospital was a slight distance from her apartment, she didn’t think travelling on foot with extra baggage was a good idea.
Yami left the coffee shop to go look for an opponent as well. He tapped his chin, pondering all the possible challenges. ‘Hmm…there is no doubt I will probably have to face another rare hunter at some point. After everything Marik said, it would be foolish of me not to expect the appearance of one. The problem is, I wouldn’t know where to begin, for they could be anywhere in Battle City.’ One thing was for sure; he was not about to go on a wild goose chase to search for them. ‘I have to remain on guard so whenever I am challenged, I’ll be ready.’
Marik was sitting in his hideout, sulking and feeling very irritable. Seeker’s failure had put him in an extremely foul mood. The only thing keeping him from going ballistic on his other servants was the fact that he was now familiar with Yugi’s dueling tactics. This meant he could easily build a deck designed to counter the young boy’s well-known strategies. Even so, his patience was becoming thin. ‘It seems I will have to take my game up a few notches if I am to gain the pharaoh’s power. I won’t tolerate any more failures.’
For the longest time, Marik felt like he was the only one in his hideout as he had been busy playing with ice cubes. The room had fallen silent after he received some appeasing from Odion. ‘Hmm…have my rare hunters left already?’ He lifted his eyes from his glass of ice to where his henchmen had been standing. The spot was empty. He furrowed his eyebrows. ‘I wonder where they have gone off to. Well, no matter. I will enjoy the peace and quiet while it lasts. I am sure it won’t be too long before Odion comes back to disturb me.’ Oftentimes when he was displeased about something, his elder brother made an effort to pacify him whether he wanted company or not.
Feeling a bit thirsty, the tombkeeper rose from his throne-like chair, retrieved his glass of ice and went over to the refrigerator to pour himself a drink. It was times like this he wished Keren was around since most of the time, he couldn’t be bothered to get his own refreshments. ‘Perhaps I should turn her into my personal maid.’ A tiny smirk formed on his lips at the thought. He opened the refrigerator, pulled out a pitcher of juice, and poured some in his glass. After filling it with the orange colored liquid, he returned to his chair and sat down once again. He picked up the glass of juice and brought it to his lips, taking a sip. He allowed the sweetness of its flavor to linger on his tongue for a bit before gulping down some more. Little by little, he started to feel calm again.
Just as he was finishing off the drink, Odion and the other rare hunters returned, kneeling respectfully before him. They were making sure to show as much politeness as they possibly could, just in case he was still furious.
"Master Marik, what shall we do for you, now that Seeker has failed?" asked Odion.
Marik rested his mostly empty cup on the chair arm before glancing up at his servants. He studied their facial expressions and raised an eyebrow when he saw them looking somewhat nervous. ‘My temper must frighten them really badly. Interesting. If they are useful at all, perhaps that fear will motivate them to succeed.’ A cruel smirk spread across his face. "Well, my servants, I think it is time to put the next part of the plan into motion. I will crush the pharaoh with one of my Egyptian God cards. I want you to make copies of my Winged Dragon of Ra card and the rest of you to test their power." The semi-antagonist handed Odion his most powerful Egyptian God card.
Odion looked relieved to see that his master seemed to be in a better mood. "Consider it done, sir.”
“Yes, Master,” chorused the rare hunters simultaneously.
"And you are to return the card after you are through making the copies. Am I clear?" Marik was not willing to risk losing his all-powerful Egyptian God card.
"Yes, Master Marik." Odion bowed respectfully and left the hideout, with the other rare hunters following behind him. The tombkeeper watched them leave, grinning evilly. ‘Little Yugi, the countdown to your destruction has begun.’
Joey wandered around Battle City for a bit before ending up near the coffee shop again. He spotted a group of people who appeared to be observing something. ‘I wonder what’s going on...there seems to be a big commotion.’He decided to go see what was going on and wandered over to where the crowd of people were, saying “excuse me” as he went in front to get a better look. ‘Oh, it’s some sort of duel!’He got an excited look on his face. It was dino duelist, Rex Raptor and a boy with longish blue hair. Rex Raptor had his Serpent Night Dragon on the field. Swinging in front of the beast was a hypnotic device of some sort. Joey let out a soft whistle. ‘What is that? I’ve never seen that card before. Things definitely don’t look too good for Raptor.’ The words he heard coming out of Espa’s mouth made his eyebrows arch way up.
"I knew you were gonna play that dragon, so I had my Mesmeric Control card ready and waiting. You are no match for my psychic powers," taunted the blue haired young man.
Rex just looked at him as if he were speaking some type of alien language. "That’s impossible. How did you know what card I was going to play?"
"Simple. I'm psychic," responded Espa, smirking.
Joey rolled his eyes as if to say, ‘Ugh, not another duelist pretending to have ESP.’ Aside from his belief in the powers of the millennium eye, his experience dueling Mai had taught him to be wary of any duelist claiming to be psychic. His lips stretched into a small grin. ‘It looks like I may have found my next opponent. I hope he challenges me so I can show him up for the fake he is. As much as I love seeing Rex squirm, I have very little patience for frauds.’ He grinned to himself as he thought of the punishment he would inflict on the ESP duelist.
"Your pathetic dragon will fall at the hands of my Jinzo! Jinzo, attack with your psychic wave!" The android monster shot reddish colored waves at the dragon, destroying it and making Rex's life points drop down to zero.
Rex stood there with his mouth hanging open, overcome with disbelief at his defeat. ‘Why does this always happen to me? Ever since Joey beat me in Duelist Kingdom, my luck has gone from bad to worse.’ Just when he thought he would have a chance to prove himself, he was defeated in his very first duel of the tournament. ‘What did I do wrong?’ He hung his head. “I guess I’m just a loser...” he muttered, when some words finally came to him.
Unfortunately Espa heard those words. He laughed at the dino duelist.” Yes you are. I predict you will now hand over your locator card and your rarest card."
“That’s right, rub it in.” Rex handed the cards over with a glum look on his face. "Promise me you’ll take care of it?"
"Heh. Your card is worthless but rules are rules," answered the blue haired young man, slipping the card into his deck.
The dino duelist let out a groan of frustration, wishing Espa would quit it with the snide comments. ‘I wish there was some way I could get a do-over.’
Espa Roba looked in the crowd for another possible opponent. "Which one of you losers can I embarrass next?"
‘Uh oh.’ All at once the duelists came up with excuses for not dueling, such as "I left my deck at home," "My duel disk malfunctioned," and "My hand is broken and my doctor told me not to put pressure on it.” They squirmed nervously, hoping their reasons would be enough to convince him. Truth be told, they were scared to death but they knew he would never let them live down such an admission.
Espa laughed at all of their excuses. “Hmph! I don’t buy your reasons one bit!” He scratched beneath his chin. 'Hmm. They're all intimidated by me having ESP. I am sure there is someone who has the guts to take me on.' He spotted Joey, who had a bewildered expression on his face. 'That guy looks like he is in a daze. He would be easy pickings for my Jinzo.' He made a Psst sound, and then asked, “Hey blondie. Want to duel with me?"
Joey's mind had been wandering a bit. He snapped back to reality, nearly jumping a mile when he heard Espa’s voice addressing him. "Huh?"
“I asked if you wanted to duel with me.”
Before the blonde could answer, Rex interjected, “Take my advice and stay away from this freak. He duels using ESP."
"Yeah so I've heard. But psycho is more like it," Joey scoffed, rolling his eyes again.
Rex shook his head. He didn’t expect that getting through to Joey would be this tough. "He's psychic, and he'll eat you alive."
Joey looked at him skeptically. He definitely saw the regional runner up get destroyed right before his eyes, but he had a feeling in his gut Espa was not who he claimed to be. ‘Besides, after my first duel with Mai, I’m doubtful of any duelist who claims to have ESP.’ He tilted his head to the side as he remarked, “Yeah well, I’ve been there and done that, so I don’t believe in psychic powers.”
"Look, I know what I'm talking about. He’s bad news! You saw him destroy me."
"Yeah yeah, I saw that. I guess it’s my chance to show him who’s the man!! “He stared straight ahead at Espa. “I accept your challenge, psycho boy!"
Rex widened his eyes before looking like he thought the blonde had lost his mind. "What? Didn't you hear my warning, Wheeler?"
"Sure I did, and I appreciate you trying to look out for me but I creamed you in Duelist Kingdom. If anyone can mop the floor with this psycho fraud, it’s me! I duel by my own rules. Rule number one in the Joey Wheeler rulebook: Never back down from any challenge, and rule number two: always choose opponents with crazy dueling techniques. The stronger the opponent, the better my skills will become."
"Joey Wheeler," Espa repeated to himself. ‘That name sounds familiar. Where have I heard it before?’ He thought back to past tournaments and all their results, twisting his mouth to the side as he gave Joey a good look over. "Oh, it's you! You were the runner up in the Duelist Kingdom tournament. I would be honored to test my skills against you. I am sure you’re a worthy opponent."
Joey got this silly grin on his face at the fact that he was more well-known than Kaiba wanted him to be. "I guess my reputation precedes me." He chuckled sheepishly.
Rex snorted. "Yeah...your reputation as a fool. I tried to warn you, pea brain."
"Whatever."
Victoria was walking through the halls in the hospital, looking for Serenity’s room. She spotted a nurse nearby, which she was glad about because she didn’t want to risk getting lost. She walked up to the woman. "Hey Miss? Can you tell me where Serenity Wheeler's room is?" she asked.
The nurse studied the girl who approached her, trying her hardest not to stare at her super long hair. "Room 51-B, the first one on the left."
"Thank you."
The nurse nodded, and walked away to make her rounds before she could get too distracted.
Vicki proceeded to walk to the hospital room, following the directions given to her. 'The nurses here sure are helpful.' She kept walking, and sure enough, there the room was. ‘Oh. It’s right there. Good thing, too. I still have to take it easy.’ She opened the door and entered. There was a girl with long auburn hair sitting on the bed. Her eyes were covered with bandages.
Serenity heard the door open and footsteps walking in. "Who is it?" she asked.
"I am Victoria, but you may call me Vicki if you like. You must be Serenity."
“Yes I am.” Serenity’s voice was almost a whisper. "Hey there. You're my brother's new friend, right?"
"Right. It’s a pleasure to finally meet you.” Vicki smiled warmly. ‘Serenity is awfully sweet, although a tad on the shy side. It’s all right, though.’ She had to admit, she liked the young girl right away.
Serenity gave her a shy smile. “It’s nice to meet you, too.”
“Listen, I am sure you're bored out of your mind up here, so I thought I'd keep you updated on your brother's first duel. The Battle City tournament is streaming online. "
Serenity’s face lit up. "Awesome!" It was exactly what she had been hoping for. She thought she would die from boredom, and she was worried about whether she would get to see her brother duel at all. ‘Vicki is such a lifesaver.’
The older girl swung her hair out from behind her and sat on Serenity's bed, rested her laptop on the desk and turned it on. She logged onto the Battle City website. It showed Joey vs. Espa Roba. She clasped her hands together. ‘Come on, Joey. Stick it to him. I know you can.’
Serenity frowned a bit at the silence. She hoped nothing was wrong. "Vicki? Has the duel started yet?"
"Not yet. It's about to, though."
"Good." Serenity didn't want to miss out on anything that was going on.
Tèa and Tristan looked around the city for Yugi and Joey. So far, the two cheerleaders weren’t having much luck since they hadn’t called either duelist to suggest a possible meeting place.
Tèa let out a heavy sigh. 'Where is Yugi? I knew I should have called him before I left home.’ She turned to face Tristan, who had a sullen expression on his face and was unusually silent. ‘That’s weird...he would usually be giving advice on where to find Joey or Yugi even if I didn’t ask for it.’ She stopped in her tracks and tapped his arm to make him stop as well. He turned around slightly, but was just looking at her sideways. Usually she would scold him for not giving her proper eye contact, but she decided to let it go this time.”What’s with the long face, Tristan? Don’t tell me you’re still sore that Joey wouldn’t let you stay with Serenity.”
Tristan shuffled his feet a bit whilst putting his hands in his pockets and letting out a sigh. “No, I’m over that, actually. I just feel like he’s never gonna let me get to know her.”
The brunette girl just shook her head and set her mouth in a straight line. A part of her wanted to yell at him for being overdramatic and a spoiled brat, but she knew that wouldn’t help his mood one bit. "Of course you’ll get to see her. Right now you're more needed watching Joey's duels than at the hospital. Do us both a favor and stop moping so much. It isn’t going to help either of us in our current predicament.”
"You’re right. Sorry,” muttered Tristan. He knew Tèa was right; in order to search for their friends he had to have a clear mind.
Yami wasn’t having any luck searching for a challenge, so he decided to take a small break. He furrowed his brow a bit when he heard some spectators mention that Joey was about to face off against an ESP duelist, the same one Mai had mentioned earlier. He got on the rooftop of a construction site where he would have a decent view. ‘Come on, Joey. Remember everything you were taught and you will be just fine.’
Espa and Joey had just finished shuffling each other’s decks. “If I win this duel, you have to hand over your Time Wizard,” said Espa as he handed Joey back his deck.
Joey returned Espa’s deck to him before snatching his deck out of the young man’s hand. “And if I win I’ll be taking your Jinzo!” He slipped his deck into its respective slot of his duel disk.
“You have no chance of defeating my psychic powers!” gloated the blue haired young man.
“That’s what you think!” retorted Joey, staring daggers at the ESP duelist. “I bet you’re not psychic at all, and I will prove that when I beat you!”
Espa gave a confident smirk. “I’d like to see you try! I predict you’ll suffer a rather crushing defeat!”
"We’ll see about that. Let's duel!" said Joey, activating his duel disk and then drawing his five cards. Espa did the same.
"I'll start this duel, you blue haired freak!" Joey took a look at the cards in his hand, smiling a bit. ‘I have a good opening hand for once. I am actually having trouble making up my mind.’ He spotted Giltia the Knight. A small smile appeared on his face. ‘I can definitely use this to wipe the floor with psycho boy.’ He pulled it out of his hand, about to place it on his duel disk, but then he remembered the new rule about sacrificing weak monsters if he wanted to summon monsters level 5 or greater. His smile faded when he realized it meant he would have to wait awhile. ‘Man, that new rule stinks. If rich-boy hears I broke one of his new rules, he would never let me hear the end of it.’ He peeked at his cards again to see what other options he had. ‘There’s Flame Swordsman and then there’s Battle Warrior. He’s a weak monster, but I could use him to protect my life points until I know what psycho boy plans to do.’ He put the Giltia the Knight card back in his hand and pulled out Battle Warrior. "For my first move, I play—"
The ESP duelist made an annoying humming sound, similar to the one Mai made when she pretended to be psychic. "Oh stars, make me one with the cosmic universe!" he said, stretching out his arms horizontally. "I predict you are toast!"
Joey started to sweat nervously, looking flustered. He nearly forgot what move he was going to make. ‘Come on, Joey, stay focused. Remember those psychic powers are not for real.’ He wasn't falling for that trick again. He wiped away the sweatdrop and put on his game face."Well I have my own prediction. I will send you packing, so I play Battle Warrior, in defense mode!" he announced, placing the weak monster card on his duel disk. (1000 def) A pale blue colored warrior appeared on the field.
Espa laughed at Joey's opening move. "Just as I thought! I knew all that talk about sending me packing was just an empty threat! I summon my Cyber Raider in attack mode!” (1400 attack points) The warrior was navy blue, and had a charcoal colored face with yellow eyes. "Cyber Raider, send that wimpy warrior to kingdom come!" The stronger warrior delivered a ferocious punch to Joey's monster, destroying it.
'Oh Joey,’ thought Vicki when she saw that Joey was now defenseless. ’You’re off to a rocky start. ‘
Serenity frowned when she noticed Vicki was very quiet. "Is something wrong? What's going on with my brother?"
"He just lost his only monster. However, with it being in defensive mode, he still has all of his life points. But I'm afraid it won’t last long. He has to get a monster onto the field. "
"Okay. Thank you for letting me know." She didn't really care what was going on, as long as she was being told the truth. 'You can do it, Big Brother.'
Yami watched grimly as Joey’s defense monster was vanquished. 'Hang in there, Joey. You can pull through. Like you, I have a feeling this duelist is not what he is said to be.‘ His eyebrows arched up when he saw younger versions of Espa holding binoculars and using them to spy on Joey's hand. He also heard them talking to their elder brother via radio about which cards the blonde was holding. 'This duelist is cheating, and it'll be the end of him.’
Espa smirked at his opponent. "My psychic powers tell me you have drawn a Graceful Dice magic card you plan to use with the top card in your hand, the Swordsman of Landstar! But that move won't be good enough, either!"
Joey shot the ESP duelist a smug look. 'Old blue hair thinks he's so smart. He thinks he knows all of my moves, and that I have another Graceful Dice card. But that's where he's wrong. Well, I'll show him.' He grinned goofily at the thought of outsmarting his opponent, and then his grin changed into a fierce look.”That’s what you think, but my first move was just a warm up! I'm through going easy on you!"
"If that's the case then let's see you try to stop me! I predict it's another lame move!"
"I'll show you who's lame! I play Flame Swordsman, and I put him in attack mode! (1800 attack points) I'll also set one card face down for later! Take your best shot, psycho boy!"
Espa gritted his teeth. It always drove him crazy when his so-called “powers” were taken lightly. ‘I’ll let it go this time, though.’ He pulled a card from his deck. "With pleasure. I sacrifice my Cyber Raider in order to summon the Fiend Megacyber!" (2200 attack points) A mostly gold-colored warrior with an ebony face appeared. 'This loser may have a card face down, but I am not worried. It is not going to work as Graceful Dice can only be used on monsters that have less than 1000 offense points.' He gave a devious smile before ordering, “Go my fiend, take out that puny swordsman!" The warrior prepared to attack the swordsman dressed in blue and orange.
Joey gave a small smirk. 'Gotcha!'
'Huh?' thought Espa. ‘What is Wheeler grinning about? His Graceful Dice is not going to work on his Flame Swordsman. Has he lost it or is this some sort of a trick?’
“You think you’re so smart, don’t you?” teased Joey. “Well I hate to disappoint you, but you’re dead wrong! I play the trap card, Skull Dice! It lowers the attack points of your monster depending on the roll of the die." The miniature creature tossed a red dice. 'Come on.' The crimson colored die landed on a five, reducing Fiend Megacyber's attack strength to a very low 440 attack points. "And now that your fiend is basically a wimp, Flame Swordsman, attack it with your Flaming Sword of Battle!" The fiend warrior was reduced to ashes by the fire attack. Espa lost 1360 life points, bringing them down to two thousand, six hundred and forty.
Espa was speechless, and his jaw dropped open. ‘I can’t believe Joey outsmarted me! Did I underestimate him?’
The blonde glanced up at the ESP duelist, shooting him a glare. "Your psychic shtick was just a con! I never planned to use Graceful Dice! Someone who knew I was holding two dice cards was telling you this information! This confirms what I've suspected about you all along! You couldn't foresee my moves at all, you snake in the grass!"
Rex stared at the back of Espa’s head as hard as he could. If looks could kill, the blue haired boy would have dropped down dead at that instant. "You cheat!" The fact that the ESP duelist won against him by foul play displeased him even more.
Espa's smug expression turned into fear. He started trembling. ‘Oh no! He figured it out! If someone finds my brothers, I will be in big trouble!’
'That was an excellent move, Joey. Now you're in control of this duel,' Yami mentally told Joey, smiling slightly.
The other Roba brothers started to pace nervously, upon realizing Joey had found them out. "Uh oh. We're busted," the oldest of the group said. ‘Maybe we should go and hide this stuff.’ Before he could say anything to his younger brothers, there was a sound of a whistle blowing.
"Violation!" screamed a shrill voice. The brothers proceeded to flee, but the voice continued. "Freeze!" A hand reached out and grabbed the ankle of the oldest brother, making him almost fall over. "Gotcha!"
The boys stopped, and looked up. They saw that they were face to face with none other than the commissioner of Battle City, Mokuba Kaiba. They squirmed and sweat nervously, bracing themselves for an earful.
"Your brother will never duel in this town again!" the younger Kaiba declared.
"Please, commish, give him another chance," pleaded one of the brothers.
Mokuba's stern expression deepened. "As a commissioner, it is my sworn duty to bust cheaters! Give me one reason why I shouldn't disqualify him."
"He's not dueling for the glory, he’s doing it to protect us."
Another brother explained how they used to be carnival folks and that after school, bullies would gang up on them. But the bullies respected top duelists and as long as Espa won, the bullies didn't bother them.
Mokuba's expression softened a bit. "Your big brother protects you from bullies?" That sparked some memories of when he was little.
*Flashback begins*
Some bullies had teased Mokuba and pushed him around until he was in tears. This was an everyday routine for them. Once they were satisfied, they stopped and watched the young boy, noticing his tears.
Mokuba sniffled loudly and wiped his tears away, only to have more roll down his cheeks.
The bullies broke into loud laughter. "Does the baby need a diaper?" one of them taunted.
"Why don't you try picking on me if you're so tough?" challenged Seto.
*Flashback ends*
Ever since that experience, Mokuba always related to any other person who got bullied from time to time. He shook his head. ‘That’s still inexcusable. ‘ His expression became firm again. "It's still cheating! If I let you guys off the hook, what's to keep you from pulling this stunt again?"
"I promise, it won't happen again."
"Yeah, give him a chance to go legit. He's a great duelist even without the bogus psychic abilities," one of the younger brothers agreed.
Mokuba looked thoughtful. The brothers did seem sincere. He glanced up and saw Yami standing on top of the building, realizing that he must have seen everything. ‘I am sure Yugi would give them a second chance.’ He turned to face the young boys with a firm expression. "All right. This is your last chance. However, if he cheats again, the match automatically goes to Joey."
The older Roba brother nodded solemnly. "Understood. Thank you so much, commish."
Mokuba rubbed his nose as he watched the boys go back to cheering for their elder brother. ‘Big brother stories get me every time. I hope they stay true to their word for their sakes. ‘
Espa heard the warning, and let out a sigh of relief. ‘Whew! That was close!’ He let out a nervous laugh before looking serious again."All right, let's continue with this duel, Wheeler! Your luck is about to run out!"
"Oh please, you're just mad because I put an end to your cheating ways!" Joey shot back.
"That means nothing! Even in a fair duel, you can't win against me! Rumor has it that without Yugi's help, you can't duel your way out of a paper bag and I will prove it!"
"Just you try it!"
"Very well." Espa drew a card. "I place one card face down and end my turn."
"My turn now." Joey pulled a card from his deck and grinned when he saw he had drawn Alligator’s Sword. ‘Yes! Let's see Espa try to wrestle this gator! Since he has no monsters on the field, I could launch a direct attack.’ With its 1500 attack points added to the 1800 attack points from Flame Swordsman, it would make a grand total of 3300 attack points, which was more than enough to wipe out the remainder of Espa’s life points. “I summon Alligator's Sword in attack mode!" The green reptile with a little black ponytail, holding a sword appeared. "You're finished! Go Flame Swordsman, attack him directly!" The fire-based warrior attacked, bringing Espa's life points down to eight hundred and forty. The ESP duelist groaned in pain.
Victoria saw Espa's life points decrease, and did a Yes gesture with her fist. "Hey Serenity. Your brother's comeback is continuing. Just one more attack and he'll win!"
"Awesome!"
“Go Alligator’s Sword, it’s your turn!” Joey crossed his fingers, hoping the attack would succeed. He had a look of excitement on his face as he watched the reptilian monster lunge towards his opponent. ‘Winning this duel was easy!’
Espa gave a smug grin. "If you think you're going to attack me twice, you're crazy!"
Joey’s grin faltered. “Say what?”
Espa laughed at the blonde’s expression. “You should see the look on your face! Did you really think it would be easy to beat me? Well, guess again! I reveal my trap card, Mind Control!”
“What does it do?”
“It lets me take one enemy monster and brainwash it. “
Joey gasped as the realization had hit him that his opponent let him attack his life points on purpose. “Then that means…”
“That’s right! I’m using it to take control of Alligator's Sword!”
Joey watched in horror as the reptilian monster's eyes started to swirl, which indicated that it was being hypnotized. "This can't be good."
Yami observed all of this from the rooftop, frowning. 'This puzzles me. Why would Espa allow Flame Swordsman to attack when he could have used Mind Control and have it attack Alligator’s Sword?’ He took it to mean Espa planned to sacrifice the brainwashed gator for something stronger, which worried him since he wasn’t sure how powerful the monster would be. ‘You know what you have to do, Joey. Build up a defense.'
Having figured out Espa's strategy somewhat, Joey placed a card face down, ending his turn. 'Come on. I know you can't resist attacking my swordsman. But if you do, I'll be ready.'
"You're done, Wheeler! I sacrifice your Alligator's Sword in order to summon my mighty Jinzo to the field!" (2400 attack points) The android being appeared, grunting. Espa noticed the smug expression on the blonde's face, and gave a smirk of his own. "You'd better hope your face down card is not a trap, or else you won't like my next move at all!"
“And why is that?” Joey asked with a hint of sassiness.
“You’ll soon find out! Jinzo, show this wannabe your special effect!” The creature shot a beam from its eyes and aimed it at the trap, setting it on fire.
Joey watched in horror as his card was being destroyed."Ah! My trap!" he screamed.
Espa laughed gleefully. "That's right! You should be scared! With Jinzo on the field, all of your trap cards are useless!"
“Awww man,” the blonde whined. He looked away from his opponent so the young man wouldn’t see his dismay. ‘That means I can only use magic and monster cards now. I am sure I can find a monster or a magic card that can do the job, but it’s going to take time and I don’t know how much of it I have left.’ His eyes landed on the monster. Just looking at it made chills go down his spine. ‘My chances of winning have just gotten slim, to say the least. But I will find a way to take baldy down if it’s the last thing I do. There’s no way I’m gonna let myself be beaten by some dirty cheater.’ He clenched his fist whilst making that vow to himself. |
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Post by LadyKeren on Dec 16, 2015 17:25:51 GMT
Chapter 10
Marik went to check on the progress his henchmen were making on their task of creating and testing the counterfeit copies of Ra. He hoped they hadn't failed at that, too, since it was a no brainer, compared to winning rare cards for him. At least that was how he saw it. Dealing with the inefficiency of his servants made him want to rip his hair out, and there were times he did. He entered the underground vault where Ra was once hidden. He saw that his rare hunters had just finished making the copies. He gave a small deadly smile. 'Excellent. They're not as incompetent as I thought.'
"Here you go, Master Marik," said Odion as he returned the original copy to his master.
"Good work, my rare hunters. Now let's see how powerful these copies are," said Marik, taking the card and slipping it into his deck. He smirked to himself as an idea came to him. 'Hmm. If any of my rare hunters get through this exercise okay, perhaps I will give them each a counterfeit copy when I send them to destroy Yugi and the pharaoh.' He chuckled softly.
The rare hunters heard his laughter and took it to mean he had come up with a devious plan. "Yes, Master Marik," one of them said. Each rare hunter set down 3 monsters of their choice on the desk. They moved them aside as if they were sacrificing them and laid down the carbon copies of the all-powerful card. All of a sudden a dark presence and an ominous cloud appeared, followed by the sound of lightning flashing.
Keren spotted the clouds blanketing the sky as she was taking a walk outside the vault.'Hmm....unusual...I could have sworn it was sunny just moments ago.' She heard voices underground. 'I wonder what Odion and his colleagues are up to. Something tells me they are behind the sudden change in the weather.' She pursed her lips together at the thought of them causing more mischief. The rumbling thunder interrupted her musings and made her jump. 'Oh my...it seems a storm is coming. I had better seek refuge inside.' Holding back a shudder, she scurried inside the vault, spotting Odion, Marik and a group of rare hunters. She was about to say hello to them when she got an uneasy feeling in her chest. She clutched it as she looked to see what was causing the discomfort. The sight before her was not what she expected to see. Rare hunters were pretending to summon monsters, and some of them were on the ground unconscious. 'What on earth has happened here?' She stood still, speechless before some words finally came to her. "Greetings, Odion and Marik. What’s going on? Why are some of the rare hunters comatose?" Despite not being overly fond of the robed men, she knew how to show compassion to her enemies when necessary.
Marik gave her a nod of acknowledgement before replying, "I have had my rare hunters produce copies of my Winged Dragon of Ra card."
Keren furrowed her brow and nodded as if she had known all along. "Ah."
"Yes, and as you can see, the rare hunters are testing the duplicates to make sure they are just as strong as the original. It is also a test to see who is most worthy of controlling the card," added Odion.
Keren’s face turned pale, for she was well aware of the dangers based on what Ishizu had said, and knew the creature wouldn’t take kindly to forgeries being played. 'I take it the gentlemen were unsuccessful and angered Ra in the process.' She was about to get in the tombkeeper’s face and ask him what possessed him to risk angering Ra, but the feeling of oppression he induced within his minions caused the desired words to escape her. “I see.” She eyed the servants lying on the ground once more before closing her eyes and wringing her hands. 'I have a feeling something terrible will happen if this continues. I can only hope Marik learns the error of his ways before it is too late.' Letting out a deep sigh, she opened her eyes just in time to see a lightning bolt strike the remaining rare hunter. He screamed in pain and all his rare cards fell out of his hands, scattering all over the ground. He collapsed and went into unconsciousness. The young woman covered her mouth with both hands, letting out a gasp. Afraid she would be struck as well, she ran over to Odion and cuddled close to him, burying her head in his chest. It felt a bit awkward given her five foot seven frame, but she didn't particularly care. She inhaled his scent whilst listening to the sound of his beating heart. 'Mmmm, so nice and warm.'
The high ranked rare hunter looked taken aback, for he wasn't expecting that from her. Instead of pushing her away, though, he slowly wrapped his arms around her in a small protective embrace. It was pretty rare for him to show her that kind of affection, but he had to admit it made him feel good.
After awhile, Keren reluctantly pulled away. Although Marik seemed to be preoccupied with watching his servants, grimacing each time they were struck by a lightning bolt, she wasn't sure how long that would last and she didn't want him to get the impression she was trying to seduce her male companion. She did, however, make sure to stay close to him.
Under normal circumstances, Marik would be enraged if his henchmen did not perform their tasks efficiently, but this time he decided to let it go. After all, the accidents were not their fault. He cleared his throat. "I cannot risk any more casualties, so that will be all. It appears you all were not meant to control the Winged Dragon of Ra," he said to his still standing rare hunters.
"Understood," said one of them, while another one asked, “Do you know who exactly is capable of wielding it?"
"Yes. It is someone who has a connection to the ancient scriptures." Marik licked his lips before smiling evilly. 'Hmm. From my understanding, Odion studied some of the ancient scriptures in order to become a tombkeeper before I was born. Perhaps I can entrust him with the task of destroying those fools with Ra.'
The duel between Joey and Espa continued. Although Joey was ahead of his opponent by nearly 3200 life points, the situation had become dire for him. 'I have to find a way of this mess or else I'm history. That's going to be hard, since I can't play my trap cards.'
Espa laughed. "It's all over for you, Wheeler! I equip Jinzo with my magic card, Amplifier!" The equip card raised the android creature's attack power by five hundred so it was now a whopping 2900 attack points. "This card will also give my Jinzo 300 points each turn!"
Joey struggled to hold back a sweatdrop. "Oh no!" he cried out. "That Jinzo is unstoppable! My Flame Swordsman is done for!"
"Exactly right, Wheeler! Now Jinzo, attack that pathetic swordsman with your Cyber Energy Shock!" The powered up Jinzo shot a blast of black energy that went careening towards the swordsman, hitting and destroying it. The attack made Joey's life points decrease to twenty nine hundred. "You might as well give up now. I foresee things are only going to get worse!"
"Never! I outsmarted your tricks before and I'll do it again!"
The Roba brothers watched the duel with wide smiles on their faces. "You rock! Go, go, go brother!" they cheered. Mokuba did his best to drown out their cheering. He continued to keep a sharp eye on the ESP duelist just in case he cheated again.
"It's my turn now, psycho boy! And you're going down!" declared Joey. 'Come on, Heart of the Cards. Don't fail me now.' He pulled a card from his deck. A big grin spread across his face as he glanced at it. ’It’s my old pal, Baby Dragon.' He eyed the other cards he was holding, his grin growing wider. 'I'm holding the Time Wizard, too! Sweet! This could be just what I need to beat this fraud. I bet he didn't see that coming. '
The ESP duelist frowned in confusion. 'What is Wheeler smiling about? Could he have drawn a remotely decent monster?' "Make your pathetic move so my Jinzo can finish you off!"
Joey placed the card on his duel disk. "Gladly! You're toast, psycho boy! I summon Baby Dragon!" (700 def) A bright orange dragon appeared, letting out a soft growl.
Espa Roba burst into a fit of uncontrollable laughter, eliciting a glare from the blonde. He laughed until his sides ached."That's your big plan? I don't know whether to attack your Baby Dragon or give it a baby bottle."
"That's right, laugh it up! Sure he's just a baby now, but it's possible he’s about to grow up. I play Time Wizard!" As Joey slipped the card into one of the magic/trap slots of the duel disk, a small red cuckoo clock appeared. It had skulls and time machines in place of the numbers which symbolized the fate of the monsters. If it landed on a time machine, the opponent's monster would rust and corrode. However, if it landed on a skull, the monster would be destroyed and half of its attack points were deducted from the player's life points.
Rex grimaced a bit seeing the Time Wizard. 'That's the same trick Wheeler used to defeat me in Duelist Kingdom. I would be surprised if it works against Roba.'
Espa cocked an eyebrow and tilted his head to the side. "I get it! You want to try and turn the Baby Dragon into an older dragon. Well, my extrasensory perception is telling me it still won't be enough."
"We'll see about that! Time Wizard, go! Time roulette!" The arrow proceeded to spin round and round. Both Joey and Espa watched, filled with anxiety. 'Come on, not a skull,' Joey mentally urged it. Soon, the arrow slowed down, Joey inhaling a deep breath. To his relief, it landed on a time machine. He let out the deep breath he had been holding. "All right!" he cheered. The power of the time machine made the dragon evolve into Thousand Dragon, which also doubled the attack points in the process. He awaited the second effect, which was rusting Espa’s monster and lowering its attack strength. Unfortunately, nothing happened, with the exception of Jinzo's eyes glowing.
Joey's mouth hung open when he saw that Jinzo was unscathed. "What gives? Where's the rust? Explain yourself!"
The dino duelist started guffawing uncontrollably. "Some plan, you dork."
The blonde gritted his teeth. "Hey you over there, watch it!"
Espa joined in on the laughter. "Don't you know anything? Jinzo is made of a special titanium metal that is guaranteed not to age, rust or corrode for ten thousand years! That stupid mistake is going to cost you!"
Joey stuck a finger in his ear and pretended to clean it out. "Huh? Titanium who?"
"If you had done your homework, that would teach you not to rely on the same tired old tricks!" said Rex, still laughing.
Joey growled. "Hey, you back there! Zip it!"
"Ha ha ha!" gloated the ESP duelist. "You're mine, Wheeler! Go my Jinzo, blast Thousand Dragon into next week!" The android monster shot cyber energy at the dragon, destroying it. Joey lost 500 more life points, bringing him down to 2400 and leaving him defenseless.
"This looks bad. What do I do now?" the blonde mumbled.
“I suggest you give up! With no monsters to protect you, I predict you'll be finished on my next turn!"
Joey squirmed upon realizing his opponent must have heard him. He glared at him. "Please! If you think I'm giving up because of a baldy monster with a tin can hat, you've got another thing coming!"
Vicki was still watching the duel over the internet. She winced when Joey lost more life points. 'Uh oh, the poor laddie has taken another hit.' She still believed he had a chance of winning, given his comfortable lead, but she wasn't sure how long that would last. 'He needs to make a major comeback, and soon.' She crossed her fingers, hoping Serenity wouldn't ask about his progress.
"Vicki? What's going on with my brother now? Is he still winning?"
'Oh rats!' Vicki was in such a bind. She hated being the bearer of bad news, but she didn't believe in lying to her friends to protect them, either. She whipped her head around and turned to face the auburn haired young girl. "Well, Espa has managed to turn the duel around and right now seems unstoppable," she answered.
Serenity kept her facial expression as neutral as she could, but that didn't stop the disappointment from arising. "Oh. But he can still win, right?"
"Oh yes." Vicki's expression grew serious. "However, it won’t be easy. He needs more than just the right card. Just in case he is beginning to lose hope, we should somehow let him know we're with him in spirit."
Serenity seemed to perk up. "You got it, Vicki. Let's do it together."
Vicki tapped on her chin as she thought of an idea. 'Hmm...I wonder what Tèa and Tristan are doing at the moment. I should call Tèa.' She pulled out her cell phone and dialed her friend's number.
Tèa and Tristan were sitting on a bench, resting their feet after spending some time looking for Yugi. Tèa let out a deep sigh. 'Oh I sure hope that Yugi is being careful. Everything Ishizu said about evil forces returning worries me.'
All of a sudden an old man's voice yelled behind the teens, "Peek-a-boo, children!"
'Huh? Mr. Mutou?' Tèa was so startled that she jumped 4 feet high and her head bumped his nose by mistake. Tristan nearly fell off the bench. Both of them turned around to see it was Mr. Mutou who had snuck up on them. The old man let out a grunt of pain and rubbed the bridge of his nose.
Tèa glared at him. "Don't scare me like that!"
"Yeah, you nearly gave me a heart attack," chimed Tristan.
"Well go easy on me, will you? You could have broken my schnozz."
"Well next time, don't be so sneaky."
Mr. Mutou was about to retort a smart aleck remark when he was interrupted by the ringing of Tèa's cell phone. She wondered who it could be. She pulled the phone out of her pocket and answered. "Hello, this is Tèa speaking."
"Hello, lassie, this is Vicki."
"Hiya, Vicki. What's up?"
"Listen, are you and Tristan watching Joey's duel?"
"No, we're not."
"Well, I need you both to find him and give him a message from Serenity and me."
"Oh? What is it?"
"Let him know we are with him and that he and Serenity will be a team forever."
"I will. See you later." Tèa hung up and slipped her phone back in her pocket. "That was Vicki, you guys. Let's go find Joey." She hoped the blonde could hang on for a bit longer.
Joey eyed the cards in his hand, trying to figure out a way to defeat Jinzo. He was unsure of what to do, now that his best monster combo hadn't worked. 'None of these cards look very useful and if I don't come up with something soon, my life points will be wiped out and I will be out of the tournament. One thing is for certain, though, I have to stay strong.'
"I suggest you throw in the towel, Wheeler! What you're faced with now is just the tip of the iceberg and there's not a card in your pathetic deck that can help!"
"You're wrong. As long as I've got my deck, I have hope. It hasn't let me down in Duelist Kingdom and it won't let me down here."
"Then go ahead and make your move. I can't wait to see what lame card you play next."
"Don't worry, I'll shut you up! Just you wait!" Joey pulled a card from his deck, looking fairly nonchalant when he held it up to see what he had drawn.'Scapegoat. This card can help with protecting my life points…but I need to find a way to take down his Jinzo, and fast.' He set his mouth in a line. "I place one card face down and summon Swordsman of Landstar in defense mode!” (1200 def) “Try and get me now!"
"You're only stalling, Wheeler! If you think that'll be enough to protect your life points, think again!"
"Bring it on and stop talking about it!"
"Be careful what you ask for. I summon Reflect Bounder to the field in attack mode!" (1700 attk) This new monster looked rather unusual. It held both of its hands up and there was a mirror in the center.
'Geez, what is it with all these monsters I've never seen before?' Joey's eyes looked like they would pop out of his head and his mouth formed an O shape. "What's that?!"
Espa smiled. "I'm glad you asked. Reflect Bounder is practically attack proof, which means that any monster foolish enough to attack it will just have its attack redirected. Even if you do manage to summon a remotely decent monster, you can’t defeat me. You're finished!" Jinzo's attack points increased by 300 points, so it now had 3200 attack points. "Reflect Bounder, destroy that miniature swordsman!" The Swordsman of Landstar was destroyed by the mirror-like monster, but the attack did nothing to Joey's life points since his monster was in defensive mode. "You're defenseless now! Jinzo, wipe out the rest of Wheeler's life points!"
Joey gave a small grin. "Nice try! I activate my Scapegoat magic card!" Four different colored hairballs with smiley faces appeared.
Espa made an amused face at the Scapegoat tokens. 'This guy can't be serious.' He erupted into another fit of laughter. "You think those furballs can save you? Well, my Jinzo will take them out one by one. Go my Jinzo, crush one of those Scapegoats!" Jinzo blasted the first one, leaving only three. "Make your last move. Your future as a duelist is bleak."
Joey somberly bowed his head, his determination diminishing considerably. ‘I hate to admit it, but Espa has a point. Scapegoat bought me some time, but not a whole lot of it. I don’t know what else to do. If only I could use my trap cards, I would beat him for sure. But I can’t and I used up most of my other decent cards. I hate to listen to this psycho fraud, but there’s nothing else I can do.' He closed his eyes and started to put his hand over his deck to surrender. ‘Sorry, Serenity, but it looks like you won’t see me be the Duel Monsters champion after all.’ He slowly began to place his hand down to rest on top of his deck.
”Joey, hang in there!!” a familiar female’s voice suddenly yelled.
‘Huh?’ Joey froze with his hand hovering over the deck. His eyes popped open and he turned around to see Tèa, Tristan and Mr. Mutou joining the crowd of people. A small smile escaped his lips. “Hey Tèa. What’s up?”
"Vicki is at the hospital with Serenity, watching your duel over the internet right now. Serenity wants you to know something."
Joey cocked an eyebrow. "Huh? What is it?" he asked curiously. With the odds stacked against him, he welcomed any advice that would remotely be able to help him.
Tèa gave Joey the peace sign. "She said you two are a team forever, and she as well as Vicki are with you all the way, so don’t even think about giving up!!"
"That's right, Joey!” agreed Mr. Mutou. “You can still win this duel! You just have to believe in yourself and in the Heart of the Cards!"
"Yeah Joey! You can beat him!" cheered Tristan.
Filled with confidence, Joey removed his hand from over his deck. He knew he was blessed to have such good friends who had his back no matter what. He mentally cursed himself for allowing Espa’s taunts to affect him so deeply. 'There is no way I'm quitting. Serenity and my friends would never give up on me, and there's no way I'm gonna give up on myself. From this point on, I will put my faith in the Heart of the Cards like Grandpa said.’ He put his best game face on.
The ESP duelist tapped his foot and let out a fake yawn. "What are you waiting for, Wheeler? Are you going to quit? If you did, I wouldn’t blame you. In fact, it’s the smart thing to do under the circumstances."
"I don't think so! I never quit! If you think I’m gonna lose to a cheat like you, then you’ve got another thing coming! That’s right, I’m back!" Joey glared at him.
Espa just stared at his opponent. He had expected the blonde’s fighting spirit to have been extinguished. He didn’t know whether to applaud him for his resolve or not. "Then suit yourself. I was trying to make things easy for you so you wouldn't suffer a painful loss, but if you're a glutton for punishment, who am I to stop you? Now go. I can't wait to see your pathetic grand finale."
Joey closed his eyes to concentrate and drown out Espa’s taunting. 'Come on, deck. It all comes down to this. I need you to come through for me.‘ He slowly drew his card, opened his eyes and brought the card up to look at. His lips slowly stretched into a grin. ‘Yes! This could be just the card I need. Luck has been very good to me so far. Time to see if it’s still on my side.’ His grin grew wider as his eyes met his opponent’s. "Well well, Roba, you may have had me on the ropes for awhile but now things are about to change. Check this out! I play the magic card, Roulette Spider!" He slid the card in the magic/trap slot of his duel disk. The spider attached to Jinzo's head and started dragging him away.
Espa’s eyes bugged out. He never liked spiders and now there was one on his monster’s head. "What's that, Wheeler?"
Joey gave a cocky grin as he explained, "It’s a little something called Roulette Spider. Playing it is one of the riskiest moves in Duel Monsters. It could destroy me, or win the duel for me. After I pay half of my life points, the spider blindfolds Jinzo and drags it to the center of the field. That's when things get interesting." Joey’s life points were down to 1200 as a result.
Espa watched as his most powerful monster was dragged to the midst of the playing field, onto a giant wheel. ‘Wheeler must be out of his mind to make such a gamble.’ He looked at his monster, then at the blonde. "What’s the point of this?"
Joey shook his head in amusement and clicked his tongue. "You know, for a guy with ESP, you ask a lot of questions. The spider will spin Jinzo round and round like a giant wheel, and when you tell him to stop, he'll destroy any target the arrow points to."
"Any target?" the ESP duelist repeated, his voice filled with dread.
Joey let out a sigh, clearly weary of repeating himself to his opponent. "Open your ears, psycho boy. Any target. It could be either of us directly, or any of the monsters on the field. Since you have been so busy piling up attack points for Jinzo, whatever he points to will be destroyed instantly.“ He rubbed the bridge of his nose before asking, “Any final predictions, Mr. ESP?"
For the first time during the duel, Espa was at a loss for words. ‘What if this works? I’ll be out of the tournament and everyone will laugh at me.’ He squirmed a bit and then looked away to avoid the blonde’s eyes.
Joey tilted his head. "I see you have none. Roulette Spider, spin now!" Just as he ordered the spin, Jinzo proceeded to go round and round like a giant wheel, rather fast.
Rex made a tsk, tsk, tsk sound. 'This lame brain is about to risk losing the duel and getting kicked out of the tournament. This move will never work. I have to admit, though, it would be nice if he feels what it is like to face defeat.'
Espa and the spectators watched as Jinzo spun around. Espa’s stomach began to flip-flop and his heart pounded loudly. The fact that there was still a 50/50 chance he could win brought him very little consolation, for he knew he couldn’t choose the target. ‘If only I had a way to counter that creepy thing.’
Joey noticed how hesitant Espa was, and couldn’t help but have a smug expression on his face. After all, he had endured merciless taunting for nearly the entire duel. ‘For someone who was so annoyingly arrogant before, it must not feel good to have the tables turned.’ He covered his mouth and snickered a little. "What's the matter? Are you too afraid to tell it to stop?"
The blue haired young man folded his arms tightly across his chest, pouting. 'Hmph. Easy for him to say. With such a lame deck, he has nothing to lose, whereas if I am attacked, I will lose everything.'
Joey laughed to himself when he saw how his words were affecting his opponent. ‘I know. I’ll just keep pushing his buttons.’ He hid a small smirk before taunting, "What's the hold up? If you are so sure you're going to defeat me, make your move already!"
Espa clenched his teeth and ground them together until his jaw hurt. He could bear the goading no more. ‘Okay, here goes nothing. Whatever happens, happens. I just want Wheeler to stick a sock in it already.’ He took a deep breath and ordered, "Jinzo! Stop!"
Jinzo began to slow down. Joey held in a deep breath. ‘Come on,’ he mentally urged. Soon, the roulette came to a complete stop. It pointed to Reflect Bounder. The blonde let out a huge sigh of relief, clenched his fist and did a Yes gesture.
Espa, however, was another story. His jaw dropped open slightly. ‘Impossible! It actually worked!’ He stood there trembling and a sweatdrop formed on his forehead. Jinzo shot its cyber attack at Reflect Bounder, and just as he previously said, the mirror stopped the attack. "No, don't reflect or else they’ll both be gone!"
It was no use. Joey watched with glee as the mirror-like creature sent the blast back at Jinzo. The ESP duelist closed his eyes tight, for he could not bear to see his beloved creatures get destroyed. He was also hoping against hope the events unfolding were just part of a nightmare. ‘Is it over?’ He opened his eyes to see both of his monsters gone. ‘Oh no!’
"Now both of your monsters are destroyed! And you're history!" declared Joey.
Espa stood there with a stunned look. "This has to be a nightmare! I had it won. There’s no way you could have defeated me!" he whined. Of course deep down he knew it was no dream, but it hurt his pride to admit it. After all, the blonde was a rookie compared to him.
Joey had the urge to laugh at his opponent’s state of denial. "What do you think just happened? Let me do the math for you, psychic sneak, since you’re too lazy to figure it out on your own. Your Jinzo had 3200 attack points. Subtract Reflect Bounder's 1700 from it and that'll make you lose 1500 life points. Since you only had 840, you know what that means."
‘He’s right! I’m done for!’ Espa started to sweat some more. He stood still with his mouth hanging open as he watched his life points drop down to zero.
"You're finished. This duel is over!"
"Yeah! You won!" cheered Tèa. In her excitement, she hugged Mr. Mutou tightly. He squirmed in her embrace.
"You're the man! That was great work, Joey!" Tristan congratulated the blonde.
Vicki watched Espa’s life points drop to zero with a smile on her face. "Hey Serenity, your brother has just won."
Serenity’s face lit up. She was so happy, she wanted to get out of the bed and jump up and down, but she decided to show some restraint. "I just knew it. I knew he would win."
"So did I." The older girl gave the victory sign.
Espa fell to his knees, still stunned over his defeat. His younger brothers put away their binoculars. “I can’t believe that guy beat him,” said the eldest of them all. “He must be really good. “ He and the others realized how much they had underestimated Joey.
"He beat me!" the ESP duelist sniveled. Tears welled up in his eyes. People in the audience laughed him to scorn.
"What's the matter? Where's your ESP now? You couldn't predict you'd be a loser?" one of the boys taunted.
Espa turned away from the crowd, drowning out the taunting. Their cutting words were nothing compared to the scars of defeat. All he could think about was how he failed his little brothers. ‘They must be really disappointed in me right now.’ He was so lost in his thoughts, he almost didn’t hear when Joey walked up to him.
"It was a tough duel. Now fork over your Jinzo and locator card."
Espa sniffled loudly. "It was bad enough that you took away the duel! Please don't make me give up my most prized card, too! You must really hate me!" Tears rolled down his cheeks and he didn’t bother to dry them. He bowed his head a bit so the blonde wouldn’t see him crying.
Joey saw the teardrop fall from Espa’s eye. He was tempted to laugh at how much of a baby and sore loser his opponent was being, just as some people in the crowd had done. ‘However, it’s bad sportsmanship to kick a player when he’s down, and that’s not what Gramps taught me.’ His voice grew somewhat stern. "Cool your jets. There’s no need to flip out! You know the rules. I get to keep your rarest card. Nobody likes to lose, but you have to stand up and face defeat like a man. Even I've lost a couple of duels before."
Espa flinched and put his hands over his ears for a moment, as if he didn’t want to hear what his opponent had to say. "Please stop! People count on me to win and I just failed them, Wheeler!"
Joey let out a groan of frustration. ‘This guy is trying my patience. I’m this close to grabbing him by the shoulders and shaking him.’ He looked up at the sky as if he were seeking help to control his temper, then back at his opponent. "Listen. We all have our reasons for dueling—" he proceeded to explain.
"Stop! You just don't get it, do you? I have to win at all costs! I’m not dueling for myself, I'm dueling for my brothers. If my reputation as a loser spreads, they'll be picked on by bullies again."
Joey opened his mouth to yell at Espa to quit his sniveling and pull himself together, but hearing his words made him stop and think. Buried beneath the childish behavior and outburst was a duelist with a noble outlook on the game. ‘We actually have something in common. Looks like there is more to him than I realized.’ He looked thoughtful."That's not true. I can say that because I am a big brother as well." He extended a hand to Espa. "Come now. You don’t look good on your knees. Need a hand?”
The blue haired young man stared at Joey’s hand for a moment and grimaced before pushing it away. "I don't need your pity!"
"Fine! Be that way!" Joey started to march away in a huff, not about to waste his energy on someone who rejected his kindness so rudely.
All of a sudden, Espa’s radio receiver fell out of his ear. "Come on, bro! Get up! “a voice urged him. "You did a wonderful job. You fought an awesome duel and you did it without cheating. For that, we're proud of you.”
Joey nearly jumped a mile. ‘Who is that?’ He stopped walking and turned back around.
‘Huh?’ Espa looked up, and saw his younger brothers standing in front of the crowd. A smile threatened to escape his lips. "But I lost," he reminded them.
"So?" countered the oldest of the younger brothers.
"You're not worried about people thinking I’m a big loser?" Espa asked incredulously.
"No, because in our book, you're a winner."
"Not to mention you fought an awesome duel fair and square.”
That was all it took to get Espa out of his slump. He finally stood up with a small smile on his face. "Well come here and give me a hug!" His younger brothers raced over to him, throwing their arms around him in a tight embrace.
Joey watched as Espa bonded with his younger siblings. He couldn’t help smiling. "So these were the cosmic forces he was talking to. I can definitely tell they’re his brothers. I hope he hands over the cards, too."
Yami was still on the rooftop. He smiled at his best friend’s victory. 'Excellent, work, Joey. You've begun to discover your own path to becoming a True Duelist.’ He left to go find an opponent.
Having calmed down, Espa finally handed his locator card and Jinzo over to Joey. "Here. My Jinzo and my locator card. You deserve them."
Joey took the cards from his opponent."Thank you."
The blue haired teen smiled a little before looking serious. "Listen, I'm sorry for cheating and disrespecting you.”
Joey gave Espa a warm smile. "No hard feelings."
Espa looked surprised Joey was willing to forgive him so easily after everything that had happened. "I had a total blast in our duel and you taught me some things I needed to learn. Next time we face each other, I’m playing totally legit. No more cheating.”
Joey smiled. "That sounds good. I'll hold you to your promise. Until then, smell ya later, Roba brothers." He started to walk away, and then stopped in his tracks when he remembered what he wanted to say the moment his opponent was having his little tantrum. "You know something Espa? We're a lot alike."
Espa’s eyebrows quirked up slightly."Huh? You really mean that?"
"Yeah. You've got your brothers, and I've got my sister and my pals. Once we have someone to stand by us, nobody loses." Joey gave the ESP duelist the peace sign.
‘Come to think of it, he’s absolutely right.’ Espa returned the gesture. "Mmmhmm."
"See you later." The blonde left with Tristan, Tèa and Mr. Mutou. They congratulated him along the way for his dueling and victory.
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Post by LadyKeren on Dec 17, 2015 16:40:16 GMT
Chapter 11
The tournament was underway, with duels going on simultaneously. They took place just about everywhere imaginable in Domino City. There were some bystanders who would stop to watch, and of course there were some people who were not thrilled because of the inconveniences caused, such as the roads being blocked.
Two young men were on the streets, concluding a duel. One had long grayish blue hair, and was sitting on the ground. The other one had mullet cut blonde hair.
The blue haired young man had just lost the duel. He let out a sigh of dismay. 'Oh man, I was so close. A rule is a rule, though, and he beat me fair and square.' He took out a locator card and his rarest card, handing them over to his opponent. "Here. Good luck on your other duels."
"Hmph!" The blonde guy snatched them away. He stared at the rare card and a look of disdain appeared on his face. It was not powerful enough for him. 'He calls this a rare card? Surely he has something better than this and is just trying to escape the rules because he's mad he lost.' He glared at the blue haired boy. "Hand me the other rare card in your deck right now!" he demanded.
The blue haired boy raised an eyebrow at the ingratitude displayed and shook his head."I'm afraid I can't do that. Just because you won the duel that doesn't give you the right to change the rules. You're cheating."
"Your words are spoken like a true loser. The card you gave me is a piece of trash!"
The loser of the duel let out a groan of frustration. "But the rules say you only get my one rarest card," he protested. "Are you trying to get me in trouble or something?"
"I don't care what the rules say! If you get kicked out of the tournament, then so be it! There's no way in hell I'm taking this piece of crap! Now give me the two rarest cards in your deck if you know what's good for you!" He yanked on his opponent's shirt in order to make him listen.
The young man struggled against his rival's grip. "Two cards? Come on."
All of a sudden, the duelists heard a shrill sound of a whistle blowing and a young boy’s voice yelling, “Dueling foul!”
The blonde young man released his opponent's shirt and glanced up. There stood a short little boy with long wild black hair, dressed in a striped shirt and jeans standing a few feet from them, giving him his best stern look.
The blue haired young man let out a sigh of relief. He was just thinking about how he would have had to get physical and risk getting expelled from the tournament. 'Thank you, Commish. You're a life saver.'
The blonde scowled at being interrupted, then his scowl transformed into a look of amusement as he sized Mokuba up. 'This little runt can't do anything to me.' "Get lost junior or I'll throttle you just like how I'm gonna throttle this loser here."
Mokuba's eyes widened a bit at the guy's audacity. He was aware of the fact that the duelist was much bigger than him, but he wasn't intimidated in the least. He was well past that stage. "Junior? You've got some nerve referring to me that way. As commissioner of the Battle City tournament, what I say goes. Do I make myself clear?"
The young man sneered at Mokuba. "Whatever. Now for the last time, get lost if you know what's good for you!" He cracked his knuckles.
Mokuba growled softly, hardening his eyes even more."If you want to be in the tournament, then you'd better do as I say!"
"Or else what?" The blonde snickered under his breath.
A cold, deeper voice answered, "I will have to personally deal with you, you detestable windbag of a duelist."
That icy tone sounded very familiar to the belligerent winner of the duel. It could only be one person-the tournament host himself. He glanced up, and sure enough, Seto Kaiba was standing there with an expression on his face that was between a glower and a sneer. But he was only slightly fazed. "Well if it isn't Seto Kaiba."
"When you disrespect my brother, you disrespect me as well. Besides, I do not tolerate bullies." The teen CEO placed his briefcase on the ground and opened it. "I can see that you have no honor and respect, and I am just the one to teach you."
"Is that so? Well, how do you figure?"
"I challenge you to a duel, under the condition that you use some of these cards to improve your mediocre deck," answered the former world champion.
The bully eyed all the cards, his jaw dropping. ‘Wow, look at all these rare cards. Not that I really need them since my deck is already pretty powerful, but I guess a boost wouldn’t hurt. Besides, there’s no way I would pass up a chance to make Mr. High and Mighty squirm.’ His lips spread into an impish grin as he chose the cards he most wanted to use. He then slipped them into his deck and glanced up at the CEO, smirking."All right let's do it," he said. "With these cards and my skill, there is no way I'll lose. Watch out Kaiba. I'll make you pay for meddling in my affairs." He placed the deck in its slot on the duel disk and activated it.
Kaiba gave a mischievous smile, which sent chills down the bully’s spine. 'I can't wait to wipe that smile off his face.' The CEO let out an evil chuckle. "I only need one card to teach you a lesson the hard way!" He happened to be holding his Egyptian God card. He didn't bother summoning 3 monsters to sacrifice it, since he was not in an official duel. "I summon Obelisk the Tormentor!" The blue creature towered over the skyscrapers in Domino City. "Attack this snake's life points directly!"
The immensely powerful behemoth emitted a blast from its fist at the bully. "Ahhhhh!" he screamed. He had never felt so much power from a monster before. The shock from the attack made him drop all of his cards, and he collapsed, too. A gust of wind blew and made the cards scatter even more. Letting out a cruel laugh, Kaiba left with his brother.
The bully's opponent stared agape, amazed by the Egyptian God monster’s power. He glanced over at his tormenter, who was a quivering mess. He couldn’t help stifling a smug laugh. "Now who's the loser?" he gloated.
Mokuba walked alongside his brother with a big smile on his face. If his brother didn't come to his rescue, he didn't know what would have happened. All he knew was that things would have turned ugly in one way or another.
'No one messes with my brother, especially not when I have an Egyptian God card in my deck,' mused Kaiba. 'That loser wasn't worth my time and energy. I won't feel satisfied until I use my god card on a real opponent, like Yugi. It’s only fitting that I demonstrate its power on him so he’ll know what he’s up against.’
Many of Marik's weaker servants were fatally wounded by the lightning blasts from the anger of Ra, so they would be off duty for awhile. That meant the plan had to be slightly altered. The healthy rare hunters, including Odion gathered at Marik's secret hideout for a meeting. Marik had sent Keren to watch over the injured rare hunters, just to give her something to do. She shuddered at the thought of it, as she noticed the way they looked at her during the few meetings she attended, making it clear they despised her. Being the meek person that she was, she graciously agreed to the request, just to avoid trouble.
"Master Marik, I have some important information for you," Odion told the cornsilk blonde young man.
"Oh?" Marik looked interested. He needed all the info he could get to aid him in his nefarious plans. "And what information is that, Odion?"
"Seto Kaiba has played the third Egyptian God card in Battle City just moments ago. It seems to be immensely powerful."
"It is." Marik furrowed his brow upon realizing Keren had been telling the truth when she said Ishizu gave the card to Kaiba. 'How fortunate. It wouldn't be within her best interest to give me false information.'
"Perhaps the little wench is more useful than I thought," commented one of the other rare hunters. Just like Marik, they believed she was not to be trusted. However, it was more than mere suspicion.
"So it seems. So far Odion is doing a wonderful job making sure she remains cooperative, unlike Ishizu, who has begun to conspire against me." Marik recalled the day when he first made plans to escape the fate he so despised and get revenge on the pharaoh for bringing such a curse on his family. He had managed to retrieve two of the three God cards, but when he went to get the third one, Ishizu had blocked his way and informed him he would have to find it if he wanted to carry out the plan so badly. "Ishizu was a fool to give Kaiba that card," he said impetuously. "He has very little understanding of its true strength, and only organized the tournament out of greed. However, his ambitions will send him to his doom."
"Sir, do you want me to send a rare hunter to snatch Obelisk the Tormentor from Kaiba?" asked Odion. He, too, believed Kaiba's greed would be the end of him one day.
Marik thought about this. Seizing the third Egyptian God card sounded very tempting, so did showing Kaiba what true power was about. 'However, there are more important matters to deal with, like weakening the pharaoh to make it easier to eliminate him.' He hesitated before answering, "No, let Kaiba enjoy his game for awhile longer. Dispatch Arkana to defeat Yugi Mutou in a duel."
"Yes Master."
Meanwhile, Vicki had decided to leave the hospital to see if she could find Joey. 'I would like to watch at least one of his duels.' She shut her laptop down, packed it in her case and walked towards the exit. "I'll be leaving you now, love. I will see you later."
"Hey Vicki, wait!" Serenity called after her.
The brunette turned around to look at the young girl. "Yes, Serenity?"
"Thank you so much for telling me what was going on in my brother's duel. It really meant a lot to me, and I know it must have been a lot of work for you.” She felt a little like she was taking advantage of the brunette, but it wasn't something she could help. After all, her eyes were not completely healed enough for her to remove the bandages yet.
"It was no problem, love. I was glad to do it, and it also gave me an opportunity to get to know you."
Serenity smiled slightly, happy to have gotten to know Vicki as well. ‘She seems friendly and easy to talk to.’
"Well I'm off now, lassie. If you want to talk to me, you know my cell phone number."
"All right. Bye for now, Vicki."
"Later." Vicki left the hospital room.
Yami was still on the lookout for another challenge. He took out the Red Eyes Black Dragon card and glanced at it. Yugi's spirit appeared next to him. ‘Thank you, Joey. You have no idea how much this means to me.' Lending him the card was one of the kindest things the blonde had ever done for him. 'I feel a little guilty taking it, though. What if he needs it at some point?' He turned to face his alter ego. "Do you think Joey can survive in this tournament without his Red Eyes?"
"I believe he can. He is an excellent duelist and gets better with every duel he fights," replied Yami. He remembered Joey's wish to prove he was a true duelist and was confident that by the end of the tournament, he would have proven himself.
Just then, a harlequin dressed like a clown appeared. "Hello, Yugi. We've been expecting you."
Yami raised an eyebrow and then frowned. He had an uneasy feeling about the clown. "Who's we?"
"If you want to know, then you must follow me. Walk straight ahead and into that tent. It would be in your best interest to go, so if you are considering declining, know that it isn't exactly an option. And make haste, for it would be rude to keep my master waiting." The harlequin laughed and flipped backwards behind the tree.
Yami lowered his eyes a bit. 'Marik must be behind this. In that case, I am most likely walking into a trap, but I have no choice. I am on a mission to stop him.' He proceeded to walk towards the tent.
Mr. Mutou and Tèa happened to be following close behind. Tèa had a small smile on her face. 'Finally, I've got a chance to watch him duel.' "Hey Yugi! Wait up!" The ancient pharaoh showed no sign of hearing her, and entered the tent. Mr. Mutou and Tèa broke into a jog, worried that something would happen to him.
Once inside, Yami saw a box on the stage that looked like his Mystic Box card, only it read Magic Show instead. Now he knew something fishy was going on. 'I have a bad feeling about this.'
The harlequin appeared again. "Enter here, Yugi. My master awaits your arrival." He disappeared just as quickly as he showed up.
Yami cautiously stepped inside the box, and just as his magic card did with his Dark Magician, the box made him disappear. Tèa and Mr. Mutou arrived just in time to see this.
"Yugi!" the young girl cried out in horror. She didn't want to know what trap he fell into.
"I'm getting too old for this," muttered the elderly man. He wasn't sure how much more of the stress of Yugi's dangerous adventures he would be able to handle.
The magic box transported Yami into a tiny room. Once he stepped out, he spotted a computer. On the screen was information about his dueling credentials…the same info that was shown when he purchased the new duel disk. He hoped his challenger wouldn't take forever to show up. He didn't have time to waste. Sighing heavily, he eyed the screen. He got a look of mild surprise when it gave off a bright glow, followed by a female’s voice quipping, "Hacking into Battle City database for Yugi Mutou. Dueling level: level eight. Rarest card: Dark Magician.” Just as she said that, the Dark Magician's original purple robe turned red. Also, his complexion, which was originally pale, turned into a medium brown color and his serious expression changed into an evil grin. A hologram of the newly transformed Dark Magician appeared in front of him.
The ancient pharaoh gasped. "My Dark Magician!"
Dark Magician gave an evil chuckle. "I've been waiting for you. You are not worthy of having me in your deck, so prepare to lose me forever. You're not the only duelist with my power in their deck Yugi and you're certainly not the best! It's time you met the true master of the Dark Magician!" He pointed his staff at Yami.
Yami couldn't help chuckling. As unsettling as it was, he knew his Dark Magician would never betray his trust that way. "All right. Enough of these tricks," he said calmly.
There was more laughter; this one high pitched and girly sounding. The perpetrator revealed himself. He was dressed in a red suit and top hat, his face covered by a striped masquerade mask. He happened to be holding a Dark Magician card. The picture on it looked exactly like the illusion that materialized before Yami. "Welcome, Yugi Mutou. I am the illusionist known as Arkana. Soon, your Dark Magician will be under my control." He chuckled again. "Only one person can understand the true power of the Dark Magician, and it’s not you."
Yami grimaced a bit, growing tired of Arkana's taunting and gloating. "That's enough!"
The illusionist let out a chuckle. 'Hmmm. So this is the boy Master Marik wants me to destroy. I wonder if he is as powerful a duelist as my master says he is. There's only one way to find out. ' His lips stretched into a smile. "I'll tell you what. We'll decide which one of us is most worthy to wield the power of the Dark Magician in a duel. The winner will take the loser's Dark Magician."
"I accept your challenge. You must know that when a duelist builds his deck he chooses his favorites from different types of cards. However, sometimes a card can choose a duelist. A true duelist can tap into its power. The two are connected and each is bound by the Heart of the Cards. The Dark Magician has chosen me." Yami pulled his Dark Magician card from his deck and an illusion of it appeared behind him. "I have placed my faith in my Dark Magician. He has never let me down in a duel before and he won’t begin now. Winning him from me will be no easy task."
Arkana smiled. "Ah, so it's true. The great Yugi Mutou never backs down from a challenge. I like your determination, but it won't be enough to defeat me. Marik has built the perfect deck for me. What I can promise is that I will reward you with a grand magic show. I have orders from my superiors to make this show a spectacle."
Yami cocked an eyebrow. He knew for a fact he was facing another one of Marik’s rare hunters, but the illusionist made it sound like he had more than one superior. "Who else are you working for besides Marik?"
"You will find out in due time, Yugi. For now, just worry about me."
Yami gave a frustrated sigh. He didn't intend to put up with this rare hunter keeping secrets.
Arkana chuckled softly to himself. 'Perhaps I can teach Yugi to lighten up in our duel.' "This room is a bit cramped, don't you think? Not exactly the ideal dueling arena. There is a slightly more spacious one. Follow me."
Without a word, Yami followed Arkana to a circular shaped dueling arena. The two men placed their decks on the table and proceeded to shuffle them. Yami kept a sharp eye on the illusionist to make sure he didn't pull any sleazy stunts. "I'm watching you. Don't try any of your underhanded tactics," he warned as he shuffled Arkana’s deck.
"Not to worry. I am way beyond that stage."
"Just to be sure, I'll be the one cutting your deck."
Arkana gave a wicked smile. "Of course. You know there's a saying in high rolling and card sharks. Always trust your opponent, but only after you have cut their deck."
Yami took one of Arkana’s cards and trimmed the edges, then placed it in the midst of the deck. He handed Arkana back the deck and took his. "Here's another. Never trust a masked man."
Arkana gasped as if he were hurt by his opponent's lack of trust. "I'm offended. When I prove I am the master of the Dark Magician, you will regret that remark."
"We'll see about that."
"Yes we will. Now come on. We have very little time to waste." Arkana and Yami took their places on the arena. "I must warn you, the stakes for this duel are extremely high. The winner leaves a free man, whereas the loser will get his legs cut off and bleed to death."
Yami gave a look of horror. He expected the duel would be anything but friendly, but he didn't think Arkana would be this sadistic and ruthless. "What kind of person would place a gamble on someone's life? Are you a sadistic madman?"
"No, I am undefeated at my game."
"Not likely. You have met your match, so get ready. It's time for us to duel!"
"For once, I agree. Let the show—I mean duel begin!" The table lowered into the ground and shackles appeared around the young men's ankles, trapping them.
"No!" cried out Yami.
Arkana gave the ancient pharaoh an amused look. "Calm yourself, Yugi. Both of us are locked in, so neither of us can escape. As you know, those shackles are the least of your worries."
Yami did know, and he didn't like it at all. 'Defeat is not an option in this duel. Marik must have had a hand in this. I am sure of it.' He glowered at the illusionist.
Arkana noticed the spiky-haired young man's scowl. He clicked his tongue in amusement and then looked almost serious. "To show you how kind and considerate I am, I will explain the rules to you." He pointed to the chest box on each side of them that contained 4000 points on it. "You know what that is?"
It didn't take long for Yami to catch on. It was a dueling set up that was connected to the razors. "Those are life points. The closer they get to zero, the closer the razor gets to us."
"Exactly right, Yugi. Now look down between your feet."
Yami did so, and saw a box. "What type of box is it?"
"It's a key box that is your only salvation if you are fortunate enough to win this duel. It contains a key that will enable you to unlock the shackles around your legs."
As twisted as the plot sounded, Yami realized going along with it was the only way to stop him. "All right, enough talk." The two gentlemen drew their five cards.
Arkana smiled widely at the fact that he was fortunate enough to get Dark Magician on the first draw. 'Just as I thought. Yugi was clever, but even he wasn't smart enough to stop my trick. I've manipulated certain cards. Even though Yugi buried the Dark Magician card deep within my deck, I've trimmed the edges of it to make it slightly smaller than the rest, so it showed up on top when he cut my deck. '
"I'll start this duel!" announced Yami, putting on his game face. 'I have to come up with a strategy quickly to avoid falling victim to any more of Arkana's tricks.' He looked at the cards in his hand, knitting his brows together. 'It's best to prepare a defense for now.'"I place one card face down and summon Alpha the Magnet Warrior in defense mode! That ends my turn."
"I'll summon my Legion the Fiend Jester, also in defense mode!" (1500 def) A scrawny young man wearing a cone shaped hat materialized. Arkana gave a devious smirk. 'Just one more monster and I will be able to sacrifice them in order to summon my all powerful Dark Magician! I'll show Yugi what being a true master is all about!'
"If I were you, I wouldn't be smiling right now," said Yami, drawing his card. 'To defeat a trickster, I will have to think like one so I can be prepared for anything. It will be tough, but here goes.' He gave the illusionist a smug look. "Since I don't trust your hand, I will play a magic card!"
"Don't trust my hand?" Arkana repeated.
"Take this. I play Card Destruction!"
A sweatdrop appeared on Arkana's forehead. His confident smile turned into disappointment when he realized his scheme was ruined. "Not that! My precious hand!"
"I see you know what that means. I suspected you fixed your first hand, so rather than falling victim to another one of your tricks, I decided to have both of us discard our hands so we can start over with a clean slate." Yami sent every card in his hand to the graveyard and drew the exact same amount he discarded. "Say goodbye to your opening hand."
The trickster did as he was told, and drew his five new cards while grumbling under his breath. He glared at Yami. "You'll pay for that. You just got lucky. Well, your luck will run out soon enough, and when I defeat you in this duel, you'll be sorry."
Yami merely smiled to himself, for he had led Arkana into his trap. "It is you will be sorry. I reveal my face down card, Brain Control! This card lets me control any of your monsters, like Fiend Jester!" A purplish colored brain grabbed Arkana's Fiend Jester with its outstretched green hands and placed it on his side of the field.
Arkana cringed. "No! My monster!"
"I'm afraid I'm not done yet. I sacrifice my Magnet Warrior and your Fiend Jester which allows me to summon my ultimate monster. Fear the power of my Dark Magician!" (2500 attk)The spellcaster appeared on the field.
Arkana's annoyance turned to fear as he started quivering. He had no monsters to protect him or any face down cards on the field to block the attack. He realized how much he underestimated Yami. 'I have to take my game up a few notches and soon, otherwise I'll lose!'
"When you believe in your deck, you don't need to cheat. You believe in trickery and winning at all costs! Now you'll see what happens when you have faith in your cards and duel honorably! Dark Magician, attack his life points directly!" The wizard swiftly twirled his staff around and shot a blast of dark magic at Arkana, taking his life points down to one thousand, five hundred. The circular razor moved dangerously close to him. "You're just one direct attack away from falling victim to your own demented trap," stated Yami.
Arkana panted several times, trying to catch his breath. ‘It can't be! My life points are more than half-way gone and the duel has just begun.' After recovering from the attack, he looked at Yami with a smirk on his face. 'It doesn't matter. He may be on top now, but I was merely testing his dueling prowess. After all, a true magician never reveals his secrets until the time is right. I have lots of tricks up my sleeve that have yet to be revealed, and once I unleash them, he will meet his demise! Ahahaha!'
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Post by LadyKeren on Dec 18, 2015 12:33:48 GMT
Chapter 12
Keren was becoming bored with watching over the injured rare hunters. She didn't know why Marik told her to watch them in the first place, since it was not like they could go anywhere. She wished she had brought one of her novels with her, which she could not do, as Marik wanted her in the infirmary pronto. Even being present at one of the meetings would have been a picnic, but for some reason Marik didn't want her there. Not fair at all. ‘Then again, sitting here idly is much preferable to enduring any more unnerving stares.'
The young woman’s mind landed on Odion and what had happened earlier. 'Things have certainly been tense between us lately, but that one moment has given me a glimmer of hope. Even so, I can’t help but feel at this very moment he is up to no good. Oh, what am I going to do with him?' She sighed heavily, wondering just how much stress he would give her until she decided she couldn't take it anymore. All of a sudden, her cell phone rang, interrupting her musings. 'Now who could that be? I hope it is Ishizu.' She dug into the pocket of her dress, pulled it out and answered. "Hello?"
"Hello, Keren," answered a female's slightly fluttery voice.
Keren heaved a sigh of a relief, her lips curling into a smile as she was grateful for the distraction, even if it was only for a few minutes. She excused herself and sat in the waiting room. "Ishizu! Hello! How are you?"
"I'm doing quite well, thank you. And yourself?"
"To be honest, quite bored out of my mind," answered Keren.
"I can see how you would be, given your current predicament."
“Yes, I am sure. Your necklace showed you all that has occurred, correct?"
"Yes. I know of the rare hunters' situation." Ishizu decided not to tell Keren what else she foresaw, as she didn't want to make her even more worried.
"This is becoming too much for me. I don't know what to do anymore."
Ishizu could hear in Keren's voice that she was extremely depressed by the recent turn of events. 'I cannot say I blame her.' It gave her all the more reason to remain strong and keep going. "Don't lose heart, Keren. Everything will be fine."
"I hope so. Now enough about me. What have you been up to? How many locator cards have you won thus far?"
"Four."
"Wonderful! At this rate you will be the first to qualify for the finals."
"Thank you for your confidence. I must get going now. There are people who wish to explore the museum and you should get back to keeping an eye on the rare hunters."
"All right. Thank you for calling."
"Of course. Take care of yourself now."
"I will. Goodbye."
"Goodbye."
Keren hung up and glanced at the phone to see how many minutes the conversation was before slipping it back in her pocket. 'Just a bit over two minutes. Not too bad.' She breathed another relieved sigh, as the last thing she wanted was to lose track of time and neglect her responsibility. ’Speaking of which, I should get back to work.' She hurried inside the infirmary and was about to sit down when she heard a loud "Ahem," which made her jump. She glanced up and saw Odion standing there. 'Has he been here the entire time I was out? In either case, how come I didn't see him walk by while I was on the phone?' She had half a mind to yell at him for giving her such a fright. Those feelings melted when she noted his stern facial expression. 'Oh no. He must be very angry with me for leaving the room.' She wiped away a bead of sweatdrop that had started to form on her forehead. "Odion! What are you doing here?"
"I've come to see if you noticed any improvement in the rare hunters' condition."
"No, I haven't. They're still motionless."
"Do you suppose it is possible that they regained consciousness while you were outside of the infirmary?" Odion's voice was very level, yet there was still disappointment in it.
Keren gulped and avoided his eyes. 'It's just as I have feared. How should I explain myself? I cannot deny what I have done. I hope he doesn't tell Marik.' She squirmed a bit, both at the thought of facing Marik's wrath and Odion's glacial, disapproving stare. She rarely saw that side of him and every time she did, she felt like disappearing. She realized she had better give him an answer. She forced herself to give him eye contact. "Yes. I suppose it is possible."
"Do you realize you have disobeyed Master Marik? He specifically said under no circumstances are you to leave the infirmary until he told you to."
Keren looked down on the ground like a little child who had been scolded. "Yes, I remember his orders. I never meant any harm. I stepped out for a few moments to answer a phone call. Besides, it made no difference whether I was present or not. The only other option I had was ignoring the call altogether and I didn't want to do that, just in case it was very important." She gasped when she realized what she had just said. 'I shouldn't have said that last part. He will probably have Marik confiscate my phone, which is the only way I can remain in contact with Ishizu at the moment.'
Odion studied the woman before him, and his frown softened ever so slightly when he saw the fear in her eyes. He mentally cursed himself for being so rough on her. 'It is for her own good,' he told himself. The hard look returned."I do not want to hear any excuses. In the future, you are to efficiently do as you're told. If this happens again, I will inform Master Marik. Am I clear?"
"Yes." Keren's voice was nearly a whisper.
"Good." Odion left the infirmary.
Keren stared after him, stunned at how different he was from the man she fell in love with. He was playing the part of the villain, and for what? Just because it would help pacify Marik's wrath? She couldn't help being angry at Marik for causing this change and at Odion for not having more of a backbone. She knew she should understand why he was going to such lengths to remain a loyal servant to Marik, but right now she did not care. Not even Odion assuring her he wouldn't inform the tombkeeper of her actions this time was enough to ease her mind. To avoid any further distractions, she retrieved her cell phone from her pocket, shut it off and slipped it back in. 'If Ishizu phones me again I can always return her call later.' She went back to watching over the robed men, wearily rubbing the bridge of her nose. She found herself wanting to do the task less and less and had to pinch herself to keep from falling asleep from boredom.
Arkana was at a disadvantage with more than half of his life points being wiped out. To make matters worse, he had just received a warning from Marik that if he didn't pick up the pace, he would lose so much more than a chance to win back his lover Catherine. The warning left him trembling and sweating. The thought of being trapped in the Shadow Realm or having his legs sliced off was horrifying, but he was not too worried. He confidently reassured his master that he was merely toying with Yami.
"You're about to lose this duel, Arkana," warned Yami. "One more attack and you will lose and fall victim to your own trap. If I were you, I would fight the rest of the duel with honor."
Arkana smirked, wanting to laugh at the ancient pharaoh for presuming he believed in fair play. "I don't think so."
"I have given you a fair warning, but you choose not to heed it. It appears that I'll have to teach you a lesson the hard way. "
The illusionist peeked down at the cards in his hand. 'Yugi is going to attack me again with his Dark Magician next turn. I must set a trap to protect myself and turn this duel around.' He spotted the cards that could help, smiling to himself. "I play Mystic Tomato in defense mode!" A pumpkin colored tomato with a wicked smile resembling a jack-o-lantern appeared. "I'll also set one card face down. That ends my turn."
Yami frowned. 'Hmm...a weak defensive monster...he must want me to attack it for some reason, so he can activate his face down card. It can destroy me, but I must take a risk and wipe out the remainder of his life points.'
Arkana gave a devious smirk. 'Come on, Yugi, take the bait. I know you want to summon a monster that would be powerful enough to destroy my tomato so you can wipe out my life points. When you do, I will have an unpleasant surprise waiting just for you.'
"Prepare to lose it all, Arkana!" Yami drew a card and glanced at it, his lips stretching into a tiny smile. ‘Beta the Magnet Warrior…this has enough attack points to destroy Mystic Tomato. Once that is taken care of, he will be defenseless again.’ "I summon Beta the Magic Warrior in attack mode!" The yellow colored magnet warrior appeared. "Beta, attack!" The magnet warrior prepared to carry out its assault.
Arkana grinned evilly. "I was expecting that move from you, Yugi! Behold my trap card, Dark Renewal!"
Yami looked on helplessly as the brown colored coffin opened and emitted mesmerizing energy. The irresistible energy dragged the magnet warrior inside, and did likewise to the Mystic Tomato.
"I may have had to send one of my monsters to the graveyard but it was well worth the sacrifice because this card allows me to revive a spellcaster that had been destroyed. In that case, my monster."
A thought suddenly occurred to Yami. He realized Dark Magician was among the cards he had made the illusionist send to the graveyard when he played his Card Destruction magic card. "You want your Dark Magician back."
"How very impressive of you to figure it out, Yugi." Arkana’s Dark Magician emerged from the coffin, wearing a very sinister--looking grin on his face.
Yami was unsettled by the opposing Dark Magician's smile, but he did not show it. "You have your wish. It's Dark Magician versus Dark Magician. Now we can see which one of us is the real master."
Arkana smiled at his opponent's cleverness. "Exactly right, Yugi. But as you know, our monsters' attack points are identical so merely attacking won't be enough. We will have to think strategically."
"I am well aware of that, Arkana."
"I cannot wait to see what your strategy will be. You need a foolproof scheme if you hope to defeat me."
"Don't worry, I intend to give you my best effort. I place two cards face down. "
Arkana grinned widely. 'This duel will have more twists than he knows. I will match him move for move.' "Impressive move, Yugi. I'll set two cards face down as well. What do you have planned next?"
"I'll show you." The ancient pharaoh didn't know why Arkana was copying his moves, but it wasn't worth making a scene over. "I'll place one more card face down."
"Likewise." Arkana slipped a third card into the magic/trap slot of his duel disk, just as Yami did.
"I'll place my last."
"As will I."
Both players had four cards face down and one Dark Magician on the field. "Well, Yugi, it appears we have made the same moves," said Arkana. "It is time to see which one of us has the best strategy to ensure victory."
"I am confident mine will be more effective."
"Not likely. I reveal my magic card, Mystical Guillotine!" Chains appeared from the decapitating machine shooting towards the spellcaster monster. Yami let out a gasp of horror as he was familiar with the card's ability. "I won't let you destroy him!"
"It's too late to stop me, Yugi! Say goodbye to your favorite monster!" Arkana laughed his feminine laugh as the chains shackled the Dark Magician's ankles and wrists, pulling him towards the blade at the top.
"My Dark Magician! No!" Yami cried out in alarm.
"Just as I thought. Your strategy is no match for mine! Watch as my all-powerful magic card beheads your Dark Magician!"
Just as the platform was about to fall on the Dark Magician's head, Yami activated a magic card of his own, Magical Hats, hiding his Dark Magician."You will have to find my Dark Magician to attack him." However, one of the empty hats was destroyed by the blade of the guillotine so the odds were one to three instead of one to four.
Arkana laughed again. "Good move Yugi. However, I am one step ahead of you! I activate my face down card, Thousand Knives! This will allow me to find your Dark Magician and destroy it!" The glowing daggers covered his Dark Magician and he took one of them, launching it like an arrow at the hat that contained Yami's Dark Magician.
Yami used his De-Spell magic card to negate the effects of both magic cards on the field, making his monster appear back on the field, unscathed.
"Dark Magician, attack with Dark Magic now!" the two men simultaneously belted out. Due to the fact that both Dark Magicians had the same number of attack points, the match ended in a draw. Both duelists then resurrected their monsters with their Monster Reborn magic cards, bringing them back to where they started.
"I am warning you, unlock our shackles and finish this duel with honor or else you will regret it. There is still time."
"With honor?" scoffed the illusionist. "And spoil the fun? Never!"
Yami sighed at the stubbornness of his opponent. Getting through to him was like pulling teeth. He didn't have the energy to try and convince him anymore. "Have it your way. But answer this. Why did you lead me down here, Arkana? And why did you force me into a duel where the loser gets his legs sliced off?"
Arkana almost laughed. "You are so inquisitive, you know that? If you must know, I am simply following my master's orders."
Yami was becoming annoyed with Arkana's beating around the bush. "Enough secrets, Arkana. Tell me who put you up to this."
Arkana could see that Yami was not going to accept any vague answers. He decided it couldn't hurt to tell him why he was really fighting this duel, since he had just about figured out how to bring about his opponent's destruction. "Look at my face," he said, taking off his mask. That was something he hadn't done in a long time, but he saw it fitting to make an exception in this case.
Yami gasped when he saw the disfiguring scar on his opponent's face. 'So that is why he wears the mask. To hide the scar.'
Arkana began to explain about how he used to be a famous illusionist since Harry Houdini. "There was a time I felt like the luckiest man in the world. I had it all--money, fame and the love of my life, Catherine, who was also my assistant. During a routine escape trick I had done flawlessly many times, there was a freak accident which involved the magic box exploding while I was in it. I had managed to escape the brunt of the explosion but I was severely wounded and disfigured. I lost my career and good looks. And if that wasn't bad enough, I also lost Catherine's love. I felt like I had nothing left. So during a hospital visit, I drove her away. I didn't want her to see me in such a state. What I didn't realize was that she loved me unconditionally and she would stand by me no matter what. By the time I came to realize my mistake, she was gone. I thought all was lost until I met the one person who brightened my day-Marik."Arkana put his mask back on. "Master Marik made me an offer, saying that if I can defeat you in a duel, he will help me win back Catherine with his millennium rod. So you see, Yugi, I have nothing against you at all. It's just that I owe it to Master Marik to assist him in exchange for giving me that glimmer of hope."
Yami absorbed the entire story, and felt better now that he knew the motive behind Arkana's actions. 'I feel very sorry for him. After all, no one should have to endure such a sad ordeal. But still, that does not excuse his behavior. I expect more from him.' He glanced at the illusionist with sympathy and disappointment in his eyes. "Working for Marik will only bring you more pain and suffering, Arkana," he warned. "Marik cares about no one but himself, and he will say and do anything to get what he wants. If you really love Catherine that much, you should have faith in her and trust what's inside your heart."
Arkana laughed at how naive Yami sounded. He had become extremely cynical ever since the accident and his heart had grown rather cold. "You know nothing about how the world operates, Yugi. You are only a child. The world is a cruel place where there are very few people you can trust. But I do trust Marik to unite me with my fiancée. My life has made a turn for the better since meeting him. He's a man of honor, Yugi. You shouldn't be so quick to judge people." He signaled for the door to open. Behind it was a silhouette of a young woman sitting in a chair behind the curtain. "See? There she is waiting, just like Marik promised. Catherine, just give me some time to kill Yugi, then we will be together forever."
Marik...honorable? Those were two words that shouldn't even be in the same sentence, as far as Yami was concerned. Someone who was making Arkana do evil just so he could have his loved one back was anything but honorable, in his book. Not to mention his own life would be in danger if he failed. 'I cannot believe how much Arkana has compromised his integrity.' He opted to be straightforward with the illusionist. "You are a fool to trust in him. You should be putting your trust in yourself, your dueling deck and in Catherine's heart. You rely on tricks to win, and that will be your undoing."
The illusionist looked at Yami as if he were speaking gibberish. "They're just cards, Yugi, and nothing more."
"That is your problem. They're not just cards. I duel with my heart and that is something you would never understand."
"You talk about having faith in your deck and that will be your downfall. I knew you would depend on your Dark Magician to bail you out of a tough spot. Well, not for much longer. I built the perfect deck that will take your Dark Magician away from you."
"This duel is far from over, Arkana, so I wouldn't get too confident if I were you. Now make your move."
"With pleasure. I place one card face down and end my turn. Make your final pathetic move."
"I won't lose." Yami drew one card. 'Hmm. Mystic Box. I don't know what Arkana is planning, but I am sure it can help.' "I place two cards face down. That ends my turn.”
"I see you're still desperate to stop me. Well, as valiant as your effort was, it has been in vain. I activate my magic card, Beckon to the Dark!" An orange claw reached out from the center of the card and grabbed the magician, intending to send him to the graveyard.
"I don't think so!" Yami played a quick play trap card of his own, Mystical Rift Panel. "This trap card destroys the effect of your magic card, leaving my monster unharmed." With that, the orange hand released its hold on the Dark Magician.
"Smart move, but not smart enough! I knew you would try that move, desperate to stop me, and I was prepared. I play my trap card, Nightmare Steel Chains!" Chains elongated towards the spellcaster, binding him and tying him to a cross. "Now your Dark Magician will be out of play, ensuring my victory."
"My Dark Magician is trapped!" Yami grunted and clenched his fists, trembling. 'I am wide open for a direct attack. My face down card is my only hope.'
"That's right, and with your Dark Magician out of play, you have no monsters to protect you. Brace yourself, because you know what is in store for you," continued Arkana. "All right, my Dark Magician, attack Yugi's life points directly!"
With a wicked grin, the cocoa skinned spellcaster shot dark magic at Yami from his scepter. The ancient pharaoh screamed in pain as the dark energy surged through him, making his life points drop to fifteen hundred.
Arkana laughed gleefully. "Fortunately that's enough punishment for now. Let's see you try to get out of this, if you can."
"Don't mind if I do." Yami drew a card and glanced at it, thinking that while it may not be enough to destroy Arkana's Dark Magician, he could use it to protect his life points. "First I play Big Shield Gardna in defense mode. Then I'll activate one of my face down cards, Mystic Box!"
Arkana gave a curious frown. 'What is Yugi up to now?' he wondered.
The Mystic Box materialized next to the cross that Yami's Dark Magician was chained to and the magician disappeared inside the magical box. A barrage of swords rained from the sky, into the holes of the box.
Arkana was speechless. 'Has Yugi lost his mind? Why would he destroy his own monster? What kind of stunt is this?' His mouth fell open when another box materialized and the one with the swords opened, only to reveal it was the Nightmare Steel Chains card that had been skewered. Out of the other box came an unscathed Dark Magician. The freed magician flipped back onto Yugi's side of the field. "I switch my Dark Magician into defense mode. That ends my turn."
For a moment Arkana was stunned that Yami had managed to free the Dark Magician. 'If only I had seen the Mystic Box trick coming, then I would have easily been able to counter it.' His shocked look turned into a smirk. 'Well, no matter. He won't be able to escape my tricks forever.' "I see you rescued your Dark Magician from my trap."
Yami smiled. "That's right and now he is guarding my life points along with my Big Shield Gardna."
"Not for long. It was quite impressive of you to figure out a way to counter my trap card, but that doesn't guarantee your victory. Remember, I am the master of all Dark Magicians."
Yami was becoming annoyed with all the ranting and raving. "Enough talk, Arkana. Make your move."
"With pleasure. This is the move that will bring me closer to victory. Let's just say Master Marik will be pleased. You, on the other hand, probably won't be."
"Just play it."
"Very well. I summon the Doll of Demise!" (1600 attk) A miniature sized doll appeared on the field, giving a high pitched evil laugh. "I also play Ectoplasmer! If you do not know what it does, allow me to explain. Ectoplasmer is a magic card that drains the soul of any monster I choose and fires the extracted ectoplasm at my opponent, which in this case is you."
Yami's eyes narrowed in disbelief at what his opponent had just said. "What?! If you turn your monsters into hollow shells, they will be of no use."
"Ha. That's of no concern to me! Once I defeat you, they will no longer be of any use to me." The illusionist's spellcaster heard those words and his evil grin faltered, turning into an angry grimace. He didn't appreciate being used as a mindless puppet one bit. He decided Arkana was much too cruel. 'Please emerge victorious, Yugi. Throughout the duel, I have observed the way you treat your monsters and I know that you do not see them as cannon fodder. For that, I respect you and would be honored to have you as my master.'
Yami gasped. "You can't be serious!"
"I haven't been more serious! Ectoplasmer, drain the soul of my doll and attack Yugi!" The soul of the Doll of Demise passed through Big Shield Gardna and blasted Yami, draining 800 attack points from his life points.
The ancient pharaoh grunted in pain and watched as the razor came even closer to his legs. Now it was dangerously close. 'I must find a way to turn this duel around. One more attack like that and I will lose everything.'
Arkana laughed and gave Yami a look of false sympathy. "You're one attack away from defeat, Yugi. You've played very well, I'll give you that much. But do you know why your Dark Magician will not win this duel for you? You're too soft."
Yami growled in response. He was fed up with listening to Arkana's nonsense. 'Once I win, I will relieve him of his Dark Magician. He is not worthy of controlling him.' He looked at the magician and sent him a message with his eyes that said, 'Don't worry. I will save you from having to endure any more abuse.' His telepathic promise seemed to calm the spellcaster a bit, who gave a slight nod as if to say, 'Thank you. '
"In battle, servants respond best to fear," Arkana continued. "You have to make sure they are afraid of you. You will never command their respect through kindness and trust. Just remember what I did to your favorite monster a couple of turns ago, even though you were lucky enough to rescue him. You are the master, your monsters are the servants, and their duty is to ensure victory for you. If it means destroying them to get there, then so be it."
"You're very sick and ruthless. Working for Marik has made you lose all sense of honor and respect. You should be very ashamed of yourself." Yami shot another glance at Arkana's magician and noted the look of displeasure etched on his features. "See? Look at how much you have angered your magician."
"Nonsense!" Arkana turned to see what the ancient pharaoh was talking about and saw that his monster was indeed glaring murderously at him. He shrugged his shoulders, clearly unfazed by Yami's disapproval and his magician's displeasure. "Well, my Dark Magician will just have to get used to my treatment. He has known from the beginning that I am his master and he is nothing but my pawn."
Yami smiled to himself, thinking about how the illusionist wouldn't be controlling the Dark Magician for much longer. "Stop this duel now. It has gone too far."
Arkana scoffed. "I don't think so. Not when I'm about to win. Say goodbye to the rest of your life points!" He used his Ectoplasmer card to drain the soul of his magician. If successful, this move would drain Yami's life points down to zero. However, something unexpected happened. Yami's Dark Magician proceeded to glow, and his soul was drained. It clashed with the soul of Arkana's Dark Magician, thus blocking the attack.
"My Dark Magician!" Yami watched as his monster disappeared, along with Arkana's. In spite of this, his life points remained untouched. It was as if his Dark Magician had protected him.
'Yes! I win!' The illusionist took a look at the life point count and saw that there was no change. His jaw dropped open. 'What's this? Why didn't his life points decrease?' He noticed the soul of Yami's magician was being drained as well. "What the hell? I had told Ectoplasmer to drain the soul of my Dark Magician only. How is it that it drained the soul of both of our monsters? What is going on here?"
The spirit of the puzzle chuckled. "It's simple. You were so busy disrespecting your cards that you have failed to learn how to use them properly. While it is true that Ectoplasmer drains your monster's soul and fires the energy at your opponent, what you haven't taken into account is when there is more than one of the same monster on the field, Ectoplasmer affects them all in the same way. This resulted in my Dark Magician being drained of his soul also, cancelling out your attack, Arkana," he explained.
Arkana just shrugged it off. "You may have managed to block another attack, but your Dark Magician was a fool to sacrifice himself to protect you! As a result of that fatal mistake, you are once again defenseless. Just one more attack and you will be sent to oblivion!" He gave a sinister laugh.
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Post by LadyKeren on Dec 19, 2015 22:42:34 GMT
Chapter 13
Yami had been bought some time when his Dark Magician protected him from Arkana's trap, but not a whole lot of it. ‘The good thing is Arkana is also wide open. If I make it through this next turn, I will be fine.’ He gazed at the cards in his hand, trying to think of which move he should make next.
Arkana laughed."You may have evaded my last trap, but on this next turn, you will not be so lucky. You're only one attack away from entering an early grave!"
"Never! You've already lost by putting your trust in a scoundrel like Marik. Do you honestly believe that if you defeat me, he will reunite you with your lost love, Catherine? If so, then you're more of a fool than I thought."
The lecture made Arkana cringe a bit. He was still determined to prove he was right. With a flick of his hand, he once again signaled for the door to open. "My sweet Catherine, don't listen to a word he says. He's just using his disrespect for Marik to try and destroy whatever hope we have of being together again. Just give me a few minutes, and I will silence him forever."
Yami gave a frustrated sigh. ‘How hopeless he is. He is so blinded by his loyalty to Marik that his mind is clouded and he no longer recognizes when someone is only looking out for his best interest.’ He rubbed his forehead to relieve it of the tension before facing the illusionist again. "Arkana! Why don't you be reasonable for once and get rid of the trap while you still can?"
'This fool will never learn.' Arkana looked at Yami as if he had lost his mind."And ruin all of the fun? Not when I have come this far. It's too late to turn back now. I play one monster face down. "
'He has no monsters on the field. Perfect. That means if I summon a monster strong enough, I can wipe out his life points and win this duel.' Yami pulled a card from his deck, taking a look at it with a neutral expression.”I summon Gazelle, the King of Mythical Beasts in attack mode!” (1500 attk) The lion-like creature emerged on the field, roaring loudly. “That ends my turn.”
'Ha. Yugi is so predictable. I knew he would make that move.' "I activate my face down card, Shadow Balance!" A large scale with spikes scooped up Yami’s two monsters. "This card makes the number of monsters you have on the field equal to the amount I have. Since I don't have any on the field at the moment, that means you don't, either!" The open scale closed, squishing the monsters to death. The illusionist gave an evil chuckle. "And now the time has come for me to show you why I am the master of all Dark Magicians."
It was all Yami could do not to laugh at how deluded the illusionist was. "Do not elevate yourself, Arkana. If you were a true master, then why did you treat your Dark Magician as cannon fodder? You disrespect your monsters and rely on tricks to win. And for that, I will punish you!"
"Please. You're just jealous because I am the one with the advantage. But then again, I don't blame you. The grand finale is so close that I can practically taste it." He licked his lips.
Yami felt his stomach becoming nauseous at Arkana's antics. "That's enough!"
"Getting irritated, are we? You know, you really ought to learn to lighten up."
"Arkanaaa," Yami warned. He wanted the illusionist to just make his move already and quit with the taunting.
Arkana wagged his finger at the ancient pharaoh. "Relax. I will put you out of your misery right now." He drew a card, giving an evil grin. 'This is just the card I needed to win the duel. Yugi...you're finished.'
Yami did not like the look of the smirk on Arkana's face. It was the one he wore when he was up to something devious. ‘I don’t know what he has planned, but I have a feeling things will get worse. Hopefully my face down card will help.
"In my hand I hold the ticket to your destruction, Little Yugi. You think you're more of a Dark Magician master than I am? Well here's a rhetorical question for you. What kind of master has only one Dark Magician in his deck?"
Yami’s eyes widened in surprise. "What are you saying? Do you have another Dark Magician?"
"Very perceptive, Yugi. My first one may have been destroyed, but he served his purpose. There is another one waiting to finish the job he couldn't complete. You know Yugi, if you had another one as well, perhaps you would have stood a chance." Arkana gave the ancient pharaoh a look of false pity.
Yami would generally think the illusionist was bluffing, considering he didn't even have any monsters on the field and Dark Magician required a sacrifice of two monsters, but given all the tricks he fell victim to, he knew better than to draw that conclusion.
Arkana peered onto his opponent's side of the field and noticed there was still one more face down card. A sneaky grin crept upon his face. "First order of business is to get rid of that face down card, just in case you were counting on it to stop me! I activate my Anti-Magic Arrow magic card! Say goodbye to your last hope. Seek and destroy, my arrows!" Yami had a look of horror as he watched the arrows fly through the air like a geyser and strike his final face down card. He let out a distressed grunt. ‘I suppose this is it for me.’
"I'm afraid it only gets worse. Next, I play my magic card, Dark Magic Curtain!" A maroon colored curtain with a white skeleton appeared. This skeleton had a wicked grin and its hands rested on an orb containing a symbol resembling the Spellbinding Circle. "This lets me summon my Dark Magician without making a sacrifice, as long as I give up half of my life points." Arkana was down to 750 life points as a result of the tribute. Another Dark Magician emerged from behind the curtain, his grin more wicked than before."With nothing on the field to protect you, your defeat is guaranteed, Yugi! Go my Dark Magician! Wipe out the rest of his life points!" Smiling evilly like a maniac, the brown skinned magician prepared to attack.
Yami braced himself for the attack and the unpleasant sentence that would come with his defeat. The curtain blocked the magician from attacking by appearing on his side of the field. He looked relieved, his face then relaxing into a cunning smile."I don't think so, Arkana!"
Arkana’s eyes were as wide as saucers, his mouth hanging open. ‘How could it be that Yugi thwarted another one of my attempts to defeat him? Why can’t I ever win?´ He sulked for a bit until some words finally came to him. "What's this? My card is working for you?"
"Yes," answered Yami, grinning. "You really should brush up on the cards in your dueling deck. The Dark Magic Curtain's summoning power is equal to both sides of the playing field, and that means I can drain half of my life points for a monster as well." Yami was down to 350 life points as a result. "Just like you, I will summon another Dark Magician."
Arkana gave a puzzled look. "What? I was told you only had one Dark Magician in your deck. Is this a joke?"
Yami ignored the last question. He found it so sad Arkana reveled in his trickery so much that he believed those he came in contact with were also deceitful. "You are partially right, but mostly misinformed."
Arkana’s eyes glazed over slightly. He gave the ancient pharaoh an annoyed look. "Stop speaking in riddles!"
"The card I now hold in my hand is a different variety of Dark Magician, and at this point it is even more powerful than yours is!"
"You lie! There is no such thing! It can't be!"
"Oh, but it can. Say hello to Dark Magician Girl!" The new magician appeared on the field sighing contentedly. She was just like the male counterpart except she was shorter, dressed in baby blue and pink, and her hair was blonde.
Arkana's jaw dropped open slightly, and then his shocked look became smug upon seeing the female magician’s attack strength. "It's true! A female Dark Magician exists! But you're wrong about one thing, though. She only has 2000 attack points so she's no match for my Dark Magician. That grave miscalculation will cost you the duel. Dark Magician, attack Dark Magician Girl!"
Yami was not too worried, as he knew something about the Dark Magician Girl that Arkana didn't know. She was surrounded by a pink aura which symbolized a hidden power. Even so, the spellcaster attacked, and there was a big explosion of dark magic.
Arkana laughed. "Ha! Your Dark Magician Girl is defeated! I am the victor!"
"I wouldn't be so sure if I were you. Take another look, Arkana," said Yami, pointing out to where the explosion was clearing up. There stood the Dark Magician Girl, unharmed.
Arkana did just as Yami said, and the smugness drained from his face. Not only did the attack have no effect on Dark Magician Girl, but his Dark Magician was dissipating. His mouth opened and closed several times. "H-how could it be that my Dark Magician has been destroyed when he is much stronger than your female Dark Magician?"
"The Dark Magician Girl receives 300 points from every Dark Magician that's inside the card graveyard, Arkana. This made her strong enough to defeat your Dark Magician," Yami explained a bit tensely.
"A hidden power?" Now that was news to the illusionist. He didn't want to admit it, but he did not know as much about Dark Magicians as he thought. ‘No. I refuse to believe that.’ He shook his head like a stubborn child."There is only one Dark Magician in your graveyard, so it's still not adding up. Even with the power boost, your new girlfriend should only have 2300 attack points. How in the hell is she able to defeat my Dark Magician when he is 200 points stronger?"
Yami sighed. It never ceased to amaze him that underneath the façade of the "know-it-all" attitude, Arkana was really clueless. "The answer is right in front of you. You sent your first Dark Magician to the graveyard, or don't you remember?"
Arkana grimaced a bit, mainly because he couldn't argue. "It's true I did destroy my first one. But why would the power of my Dark Magician be reborn in your monster?"
Yami had the urge to pull out his hair at how dense the illusionist was. He sighed heavily before explaining, “Dark Magician Girl receives 300 points from every Dark Magician in the graveyard, whether it is mine or yours. So when you destroyed your first one, you helped strengthen her with the necessary power."
Arkana fell silent at that. He just stood there with his fists clenched, shaking. ‘I’m such a failure! It was bad enough that I lost my career, my good looks, and my lover...now I’m going to lose this duel, too? Why? Why me?!’ If he had not been locked in place, he would have fallen to his knees in despair.
"You have been doing a lot of talking about your grand finale, but now I am the one who is on the road to victory! I hope you're prepared to face defeat!"
Arkana finally realized why Yami had been trying to convince him to stop the duel. ‘I should have listened to him. Now it's too late.' He struggled, desperately trying to get out of the shackles, but to no avail. "Someone please help me!" he wailed.
“Dark Magician Girl, attack Arkana’s life points directly!” The female spellcaster shot a blast of pinkish dark energy at Arkana. He screamed at the top of his lungs as his life points dropped to zero.
Yami then shot the illusionist a cold stare. "Let your defeat be a warning to not misuse your cards in the future. You've lost.”
In the meantime, Mr. Mutou and Tèa were able to track down Yugi's whereabouts, thanks to Mokuba's help. All three of them frantically ran to the basement, desperately hoping they were not too late. While they were running, they spotted Vicki on a motorbike, which she found easier than walking for long amounts of time. She slowed down and came to a stop.
"Hey Vicki," greeted Tèa.
"Hello there, you guys. Why are you in such a hurry? Something wrong?"
“Yugi walked into a tent a few hours ago and disappeared. We were afraid something had happened to him, but Mokuba found out where he is from his brother’s satellite," Tèa explained, feeling slightly out of breath. "By the way, Mokuba is Seto Kaiba's little brother."
Vicki lowered her eyes. “Oh. Well it’s good news you found him. “ She then shot a glance at Mokuba. She could see in his eyes that he was kinder than his older brother, whom she never actually met but was left with a bad taste in her mouth and felt slightly nauseated during the few times she listened to his "welcoming" speeches. She could tell she was going to get along with the young boy much better. She gave a slight nod and a friendly smile. "It is nice to meet you, lad."
Mokuba had a look of endearment on his face, for he liked listening to the older girl's slight Scottish accent. "Likewise. Anyway, we don't have time for chatting. We have to hurry."
"Right. Just show me where he is."
Arkana looked like he was in a daze as he was still coming to grips with his defeat. It was like a day nightmare before him. He had never lost a duel before, even without his illusions. His cards slipped out of his hands and scattered all over the ground. Now not only did he lose a chance to be with his fiancée once more, but his master would be furious. He had made it very clear that he would not tolerate failure. He started quaking in fear.
"You call yourself a Dark Magician master?” asked the ancient pharaoh scornfully. “It was your disrespect and your misuse of your own Dark Magician that caused you to lose this duel, Arkana."
Arkana was still shaking, his clenched teeth knocking at the same time. Like a little child, he covered his ears to block out the lecture about respect. "There's no way you could have defeated me, Yugi! I am the greatest magician the world has ever known! You're nothing, Yugi!"
Yami’s stoic expression didn’t waver, despite the tantrum and insults. ‘Considering he doesn’t know how to open his eyes to the truth, it does not surprise me.’ He let out a frustrated sigh. "How sad that even after your defeat, this duel has taught you nothing. For that reason, I feel very sorry for you."At that very moment, his box showed Arkana's remaining life points dropping to zero and it opened to reveal the key and a locator card. Also, the razor moved very close to Arkana. Yami retrieved the key and the locator card. ‘Three locator cards…I’m progressing well, if I do say so myself.’ He let a tiny smile escape before unlocking the shackles around his ankles, and wandered over to where the cards were scattered, turning to face Arkana."Just as the deal was, the winner is entitled to keep the loser's Dark Magician. Therefore, your Dark Magician belongs to me now. You won't need both of them anymore," he said, kneeling down to claim his prize from the mess. He looked through all the cards until he found it and when he did, he grabbed it before glancing at the image for awhile. 'I apologize for the abuse you suffered under your previous master. Rest assured you will not get hurt under my control.’ He slipped the new Dark Magician card in his deck.
Vicki, Mr. Mutou, Mokuba and Tèa raced down the stairs, their legs becoming tired. Vicki had parked her bike outside and locked it so no one would steal it. Inside looked extremely creepy and void."Mokuba, thank you for helping us find Yugi," she said.
"No problem at all," answered the little boy. He led his companions to a basement, which was where his brother’s satellite had tracked down Yami. They all had curious frowns on their faces upon hearing a loud humming sound. Mokuba tried to open the door, but it was bolted shut. Tèa and Mr. Mutou started to bang on it loudly. "Yugi!" Vicki yelled.
Yami very faintly heard his friends calling to him, whilst watching his opponent try in vain to free himself from his impending doom. He couldn’t help shooting a “you’ve brought this on yourself” type of glare at the illusionist, still angry with him for putting him in such a dangerous situation and refusing to listen to his warnings.
Arkana made all sorts of panicked noises as he realized that the razor was dangerously close to him and the blade of it happened to be touching his skin. ‘How did this happen? I was so close. Had Yugi been right about everything all along?' He shook his head, unwilling to admit his mistakes that easily. He felt something hot against his ankle, tossing all his angry and confused feelings out the window. "Aaaah! Please help me!" he wailed. All of a sudden, a sneaky grin appeared on his face as he remembered something. ‘I almost forgot! I have my own key. After all, a true magician always has a backup plan,' he thought to himself, grinning evilly. He retrieved the key from his sleeve, and prepared to use it to unlock the shackles around his ankles. However, as he was about to free himself, his hand froze. His grin was replaced by horror."What is this? I can't move my hand! I can't move my hand!" he cried out. A yellowish aura surrounded him and there was a familiar angry sounding voice, calling his name. "Master Marik?" he answered in an almost inaudible voice. He was trying his best to suppress his fear but he wasn't sure it was working.
"You didn't hold up your end of the bargain. So prepare for your punishment!" Marik’s tone was sadistic and filled with anger, making the illusionist shudder and wish he could teleport to a distant planet.
Arkana cringed and squirmed as a sweatdrop appeared on his forehead. His heart started to palpitate. "Please spare me from the Shadow Realm!" He knew it was pointless to sweet-talk his master once he was that livid, but the thought of being sentenced to an eternity in the Shadow Realm was enough to make him want to commit suicide in exchange. Not to mention he did try his best in the duel.
"No!” barked Marik. He softened his tone a little as he laid eyes on the ancient pharaoh.”I'm coming for you next, Little Yugi! Ha ha ha!"
Arkana started to whimper like a frightened dog before he felt something sharp against his ankle, making him cry out. "Please Master Marik! Please give me another chance and save me!"
‘Hmm. For someone who is a superb magician, he is pathetic when in a life and death situation.’ Marik’s eyes held no compassion, despite the illusionist’s cries of pain. In fact, they were like music to his ears. "Where's your magic now, fool?" he sneered.
Arkana's ankle started to bleed heavily and was followed by searing pain. There was also a tear in the bottom of his pant leg. He worried less about the wound and more about whether he would get out of the ordeal alive. All he wanted was to forget about his failure and move on. He tried moving his hand again, and let out a sigh of relief when it was mobile. He got a “What the hell” expression on his face when the key disappeared and reappeared in his hand, only to become invisible. He let out a horrified gasp. "What happened to the key? I just had the key and now it's gone! I feel like I’m going blind or something!"
Marik let out a cruel chuckle. "Is your brain playing tricks on you?" he taunted. "Or have you just lost control of your feeble little mind? That key in your hand doesn't really exist!"
Yami disappeared, letting Yugi take control. Yugi took one look at the disturbing sight before him with the razor slicing Arkana’s ankle and the deep wound that had resulted. He knew it would not be long before Arkana’s foot was completely sliced off. ‘I have to be fast if I want to save him.’ Swinging into action, he dashed over to the illusionist, taking the key from him. He unlocked the shackles and pushed him away from the razor, ignoring his uneasy feelings from seeing the puddle of blood. "Not even a cheat like you deserves to die or go to the Shadow Realm.” In spite of the whole mess Arkana dragged him into, he was willing to forgive him and move on.
At this point Arkana was weak from all the blood loss and of course, running to his lost love was out of the question. He let out a ragged sigh. ‘I guess Catherine and I were not meant to be after all. Maybe she will come to me if she is the real one. Oh, who am I fooling? I was the one who ruined our relationship with my bad attitude. I wouldn’t blame her if she doesn’t want to hear my name again.’ Muttering the young woman’s name, he collapsed, Yugi catching him before he hit the ground. The spiky haired teen frowned upon noticing the paleness of Arkana’s skin, not to mention he was losing warmth rapidly. His expression became grave as the illusionist went limp in his arms. ‘He really needs medical attention and fast. The problem is, I have no first aid kit or a cell phone to call for an ambulance.’ He wrinkled his brow in thought, trying to think of something he could do. ‘Hold on, wait a minute…I think I heard my friends calling when Yami was still in control…’ He opened his eyes wide as the possibility hit him. ‘Tèa would most definitely be able to get help...I hope she can get in…’ He glanced up at Arkana, whose eyes were squeezed shut. "Hang on, Arkana. I'll get help for you.” He had to reassure himself as well to keep from reaching panic mode.
All of a sudden Arkana’s eyes shot open and the Eye of Horus appeared on his forehead. He rose to his full height as best as he could on one foot before turning to Yugi with a malicious smirk on his face."Ha! Arkana is gone!"
Yugi’s concerned look turned into a startled one at the illusionist’s sudden movement, but when he heard the venom in his voice, his eyes narrowed. “Marik!” he spat with just as much venom.
"We meet again, Little Yugi. I am pleased to see you remember me. That saves me the trouble of having to introduce myself."
Yugi gave the possessed illusionist a hard look, not in the mood for his theatrics. "Show yourself to me, you coward!"
Marik chuckled lightly. ‘Such a spirited one. However, you are nothing but a frightened little boy.’ He clicked his tongue. "You are that eager to meet me face to face, are you? As flattered as I am, I’m afraid that isn’t going to happen. I will show myself when the time is right. Not to worry, though, we will meet sooner than you think. It won’t be long before I claim what I want, which I’m sure you recall from our last encounter. “
"Tell me why you want Yami's power so badly! Answer me!"
“Yami is not worthy of that power! Once I have it, I will be unstoppable and it will be time for me to show what being a worthy king is all about. No one will stand in my way. Especially not you. "
"Oh yeah? Well, that's what you think!" Yugi retorted in a sassy tone.
"Listen to me. My family has slaved for centuries, protecting the pharaoh's tomb until his return, and for what? When I become the pharaoh, I will be free of such a curse!"
Yugi’s brows furrowed. "What is this curse you speak of?"
"That does not concern you at this point. All you need to know is only an evil pharaoh would bestow curses."
The spiky haired teen let out a frustrated sigh. He could see Marik was beyond reasoning with. ‘I wonder if Yami knows of this curse. Even so, that does not justify his behavior in the least.’ His voice became firm. "No matter what happened in the past, you will not get the pharaoh's power and I'll make sure of it. That power belongs to Yami, not you!"
"Ha! We'll see about that, Little Yugi. You are nothing but a vessel for the pharaoh. You could never understand his strength, nor can you stand in my way of getting it. Neither you nor Yami are a match for my superior skills. You see, for as long as I can remember, I was raised on the ancient scriptures and I know everything there is to know about King Yami and the Shadow Games. The key to his powers are the millennium items and the 3 Egyptian God cards. After years of suffering, I have realized it is time to use that knowledge to show you true power!"
Yugi lowered his head before closing his eyes. ‘I wish I knew more about Yami’s past. It would make stopping Marik that much easier. History is repeating itself.’
"It's only a matter of time you see, until I take what I deserve,” continued Marik. “I do realize that I cannot just take the powers. According to the scriptures, I have to defeat you in a duel. Afterwards, I will dispose of you and the pharaoh."
Yugi arched an eyebrow, aghast. It was one thing when Marik wanted something belonging to his friend, but murdering him, too? "But why would you do that?" he asked, looking confused.
"To make sure you don't try to oppose me! As soon as the both of you are taken care of, I will be king, and a much more worthy one than Yami ever was. He does not even know how to harness the great powers that lie dormant within him, whereas I know how to take them from him. My millennium rod and Egyptian God cards will help me. As it stands now, I currently only possess two of the cards, but I know where to find the third card, and the rare hunters will bring it to me. It is all I need to be completely unstoppable!"
Yugi pursed his lips together, appalled by Marik’s scheme. He couldn’t help but wonder if the young man came up with it on his own. He hated feeling so powerless to stop him. ‘Now is not the time to doubt myself. While I may have limited knowledge on Yami’s past, at least I can stay connected to him and have faith in my deck, like I always do.’ He got a purposeful look on his face. "Marik, you will never defeat me in a duel so you won't get your greedy hands on the pharaoh's power!"
"I promise you, Yugi, by the sands of time, you will meet your demise. Until then, beware of the Quiet One. He is waiting to defeat you, and he has an Egyptian God card."
Yugi tilted his head to the side. It seemed like ever since the tournament began, there had been much hype about the Egyptian God cards. ‘Something tells me these god cards Marik keeps mentioning are immensely powerful. I am sure they have a weakness, though, and I'll find it.' His eyes glazed over at the mention of the rare hunter."Who is the Quiet One? And what's the name of the card?"
"You'll know that soon enough. What fun would it be to reveal such information so soon? Until then, be prepared, because we will meet again!" With that, Marik released his control on the former magician, making him collapse.
Yugi caught Arkana’s lifeless body in his arms. He looked up to glare at the tombkeeper, although he knew it was pointless to do so. "I'm not afraid of you! Next time show me your face, you coward!"
Keren sat in the waiting room, reading a magazine. Shortly after Odion had left, the rare hunters had stopped breathing, which prompted her to summon the doctors. They had made her leave the room while they prepared to work on the robed men, which was fine with her. She was sure if she remained in there for another minute, she would have fallen asleep for certain and the last thing she wanted was to be scolded for sleeping on the job. Plus, she was grateful for any opportunity she had to free her mind, which she was in desperate need of at the moment.
The young woman shifted in her seat before rubbing the bridge of her nose and glancing at her watch, which read half past nine. She let out a soft gasp when she realized she had been in the waiting room for nearly half an hour. ’Oh well…I suppose time does fly when one is doing something productive.’ There had been no word on the rare hunters from the doctors since she had left the room, which she couldn’t help but frown at. ‘How odd…surely they would have some news to report by now.’ She ceased her musings for a moment, realizing she was actually feeling concern for the robed men. ‘Perhaps it is foolish for me to worry about them, given their hostility, but I cannot help it. It has never been within me to wish harm on anyone.’ Shrugging her shoulders, she continued reading, opting to just be patient and pass the time as best as she could.
Several minutes later, a doctor came out, prompting Keren to glance up from the magazine. She would have been relieved, but then she noticed the woman’s expression was stony. ‘Oh my. I don’t even have to ask to know she has some negative news.‘ Her stomach sank and her heartbeat sped up as she held in a deep breath, preparing herself for whatever grim news the doctor had for her."I regret to inform you, Miss, but in spite of our best efforts, we were unable to save your friends.”
Keren just sat there, frozen with shock as she absorbed the news. She replayed the words in her mind over and over again. Once she thawed out, a mixture of emotions coursed through her, numbness being the most dominant. ‘The thing is, I am not sure how to feel. While I am not necessarily happy about their demise, I would be lying if I said I am saddened.’ After a lengthy silence, she let out the breath she had been holding in. “To respectfully correct you, they were not particularly friends of mine. However, it is unfortunate. Thank you for informing me." She hoped she sounded as sincere as she wanted to be.
"Of course. My apologies for the mix up."
Keren made a waving gesture with both of her hands. “Oh no, it’s fine. You didn’t know.”
The doctor felt a smile escaping at Keren’s gracious attitude towards her mistake. ‘Such a nice young woman. If only more young people were like her.’ She cleared her throat and said, “Well, all right, then. I’ll be going now. There are other patients I must attend to and I must also make preparations for a pending autopsy on the gentlemen. Good day.”
“Thank you. Good day to you as well,” Keren responded politely.
The doctor smiled her thanks and then left to take care of her duties. ‘Please, Ra, if you are there, give me the strength as I take care of this difficult task.’
Keren rubbed her temples and went back to reading the magazine. As tragic as the news was, she had no intentions of letting it put a damper on her mood, especially not when she never cared much for the rare hunters. ‘I just hope Odion is careful not to repeat the same mistake. If the same thing happened to him…I...I couldn’t bear that.’ She shut her eyes tight, trying to block out the image of Odion falling at the hands of an Egyptian God so she wouldn’t end up breaking down in tears. She reopened her eyes, and just as she managed to focus on the article, she heard another set of footsteps approaching her. She glanced up with a jolt, breathing a slight sigh of relief when she saw it was Odion. ‘I wonder why he’s here. Has he come to apologize? Or to scold me again? It’s hard to tell.’ Her eyes twitched as she recalled his stern lecture to her. She quickly looked down at her lap so he wouldn’t pick up on her uneasiness. Once the twitching ceased, she looked back up, putting on her best stoic expression to match his somber mood. "Odion...it's you."
"I've come to tell you that you are free to leave the infirmary now. However, it appears you have tried to escape your given task once again, even after you had given your word that you wouldn’t."
Keren flinched at Odion’s accusatory tone. She knew she had slipped up earlier, but it hadn’t been due to deliberate insubordination or incompetence. 'I can explain myself this time, though, so I am not worried.’ Her eyes met his so he wouldn’t doubt her honesty. She bit back a nervous gulp. "Y-Yes. The rare hunters stopped breathing and I was told to leave the room by the doctors."
Odion's facial expression softened just a tad, seeing the hurt in the young woman’s eyes. He mentally cursed himself for being so hard on her. ‘Has my loyalty to Master Marik compromised my integrity that much?’ Dismissing his thoughts, he rubbed his thumbs together. “I see. Have you received an update as of yet?”
“Yes.” Keren’s voice broke with a little emotion as she confirmed, "The rare hunters expired.”
Odion stood still, falling silent with a look of mild shock on his features. He had expected his colleagues to make a complete recovery, even if it did take time. ‘There is no escaping informing Master Marik about this. He is bound to find out sooner or later. My main concern is how it will affect his plans. It wouldn’t surprise me if he wishes to go ahead with them.’ He noted how composed Keren appeared to be, but shrugged it off, figuring she had her reasons. "That’s a shame. Before I forget, I have also come to inform you Master Marik plans to set sail for Domino City tomorrow.”
Keren nodded. "All right." In spite of the doubts she had about the tombkeeper’s motives for the trip, her eyes lit up a bit. ‘I will finally see Ishizu again, and we can come up with a plan to stop this madness.’ After resting the magazine on the desk, she rose up from her seat and exited the infirmary so she could call the younger woman to tell her the news.
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Post by LadyKeren on Dec 20, 2015 12:38:53 GMT
Chapter 14
The next day, Keren awoke bright and early to prepare for the trip to Domino. The night before, she had phoned Ishizu to tell her the news of her arrival. Ishizu had begun to worry about the Israeli’s safety, so she was delighted to hear that she would be coming. When Keren had broken the news to her about the rare hunters’ death, she found it unfortunate but wasn’t surprised, given that she had foreseen it. She recalled Ishizu warning her to be careful, and although she had no idea why, she knew not to question the younger woman, since she knew what the future held more than anyone else did. ‘It must be because of the rare hunters. I do feel uneasy when I am in their company and I have noticed their less than friendly gestures towards me. Either way I will do well to heed her warning.'
Managing to push the worries to the back of her mind, she double checked to make sure she had everything she needed. Deciding she was all set, she grabbed ahold of her small suitcase and wheeled it along the ground as she headed for Marik’s hideout. She checked her watch to see how she was doing on time. She let out a sigh of relief when she saw she had done pretty well. The last thing she wanted was to get on Marik's bad side. She entered the hideout with a neutral expression on her face. Odion, Marik, and a few other rare hunters were already there. This came of no surprise to her, since they seemed to be turbo-punctual for everything. The moment she was in clear view, the rare hunters shot her scathing glares. If looks could kill, she would have dropped down dead. She frowned at this change in behavior. ‘So this is why Ishizu warned me. What puzzles me the most is why do they despise me so? I haven’t done them anything.‘All of a sudden a possibility hit her--one she had not thought of until now. ‘Could they think it is my fault some of their colleagues had died?’ It was the only reason she could think of as to why the blatant hostility all of a sudden. Sure, the robed men had given her the silent treatment before, but now it seemed like they wanted to physically harm her. Her body tensed up at the scenario. ‘Odion would never allow it…at least I hope not. I cannot be too sure what he would do these days.’
The awkward silence was almost too much for Keren to bear. In an attempt to break the ice and relieve the room of some of the tension, she managed a rather weak, “Greetings to you all.”
The rare hunters grunted in reply, but Marik and Odion nodded to her. Marik even said, “I see you're looking well."
Keren felt like being sarcastic, considering everything the tombkeeper had done so far, but she opted to take the higher road and at least be civil. She simply replied, "Yes, I am well. I appreciate your concern."
Marik gave her a small smile, something that was pretty rare for him to do ever since he had begun to follow the dark side. It was refreshing to see, and also creepy. She wasn't sure if he meant it or not. "Excellent. Now let's be going. There is much work to be done."
"That's right, Master," said Odion. He had eventually told Marik about the death of the lower ranked rare hunters. The cornsilk blonde had not emoted much about it, at least not openly. Although Odion felt there should be a change of strategy, it didn't surprise him at all when his master decided there would not be time for waiting, and therefore still wanted to carry out the plan as scheduled. After all, Marik was extremely impatient and didn’t tolerate delays.
The rare hunters switched their glances to Keren, studying her with scornful looks on their faces. They were unable to comprehend what Odion saw in her. As far as they were concerned, she had no redeeming qualities whatsoever. Their disdainful expressions turned into malicious smirks when their minds proceeded to concoct a diabolical scheme that would ruin her. ‘By the time we’re done with the wench, Odion will look upon her with disgrace. That’ll teach her to be a distraction to him.’
(Domino)
Meanwhile, Mai and Yugi were at town square, waiting for Joey to show up. He was supposed to come there so they could update each other on their progress in the tournament so far.
Mai let out a sigh and took a glance at her wristwatch, frowning at how late Joey was. ‘Oh, that Joey. Where is he? I don’t have all day.’ She tapped her foot, having half a mind to just show Yugi all the locator cards she won and just leave. ‘Calm down, Mai. Be patient,’ she told herself. She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.
Yugi glanced over at her, noting the mild agitation etched on her features. “You okay, Mai?”
"Yeah,” she dragged. “It’s just…that slacker should have been here ten minutes ago. I have duels to win!" She decided if he didn’t show up in 5 minutes, she would leave.
Yugi nodded. “I hear you. I hope he didn’t forget. He can have a selective memory sometimes.” He was about to say more when all of a sudden, he spotted Joey from a distance. "Joey is coming now.” He waved his arms at the blonde to let him know where he and Mai were standing. “Joey! Over here!”
Mai watched as Joey sprinted towards her and Yugi. 'It's about time.'
The blonde young man finally reached his friends, huffing and puffing. He slapped Mai a high five as he came to a complete stop."Fancy seeing you again, Mai!"
"Hello. Still in the tournament, Wheeler?"
"You bet. I am the proud owner of two locator cards," Joey boasted, holding up his locator cards to show his female companion.
Mai expected such progress from Joey, considering how far he had come since she first dueled him. "Not bad. However, you're gonna have to pick up the pace if you're gonna be as good as I am."
"What do you mean? How many do you have?" asked Joey, looking a bit flustered. Much to his dismay, Mai held up twice as much, meaning she had four.
“I have three so far,” said Yugi, holding up his locator cards to show his friends.
Joey groaned loudly. "Aw man! I have the least! At this rate, I'm never gonna make it to the finals.” He pretended to sulk.
"Don't say that, Joey,” Yugi mildly scolded his best friend. “You have plenty of time. You're doing great and I know you'll do even better in your next duels. I have faith in you."
Joey stopped sulking, his facial expression softening. “Thanks, Yuge.”
Mai always felt uncomfortable when really mushy things were said in her presence, but she chose not to let it be known this time. "Well neither of us will make it to the finals unless we actually win more duels."
"You're right Mai," agreed Joey. "Time for me to do some major catching up."
"Now you're talking. I'd better get going now. I wish you boys the best of luck! Muah!" Mai blew a kiss.
Yugi waved goodbye. "See you later!"
"Luck is for amateurs and I have passed that rank for quite some time," remarked Joey.
"Hmph!" Mai ran off to find more opponents. She couldn't agree more with the young man. ‘He really has improved a great deal. Our match in the finals should be interesting. If he doesn’t make it, I won’t forgive him.’
Joey left to go and find another opponent as well. He didn't want Mai to completely show him up when the fact of the matter was that he was on the same dueling level as she was.
Yugi watched as Joey walked away. He knew he should be searching for an opponent, too, but he couldn’t decide whether he should look for another rare hunter or someone else. Marik’s warnings gave him an uneasy feeling. He needed something to take his mind off of it for awhile. ‘I guess I should face that rare hunter Marik spoke of. But for now, I think I’ll watch another duel of Joey’s. I should be mentally prepared.’ He discreetly followed Joey.
Marik spied on the spiky haired teen through his rare hunter, Strings. The rare hunter was standing motionless on the seat of a bench. ‘Hahaha! I'm watching every move you make, Little Yugi.’ A small bird perched onto the mime's shoulder. He smirked as he watched Yugi try to catch up with Joey. 'He’s a fool to let his guard down. It doesn't matter. Soon, not even his pathetic friends will be able to save him from his imminent demise.' By then his ship was loaded up, his "crew" was on board and he was ready to set sail. He couldn't wait to destroy Yugi once and for all.
Tristan, Tèa and Vicki arrived at Yugi’s house to pick him up. Vicki reached out to ring the doorbell before glancing at her watch. ‘Uh oh. We’re late. I hope he’s still home.’
Tristan looked away from Tèa to avoid the dirty looks she was giving him for causing them to be late. He hadn’t meant to hold them up; he had just lost track of time. He gulped and squirmed as he imagined the earful she would give him. He nervously stuffed his hands in his pocket. ‘I wish I could disappear right now…the way Tèa is glaring at me…I can’t take it.’ Just when he thought he would pass out, he heard footsteps coming toward the door. He let out a sigh of relief. ‘Yes. I’m safe for now.’
The door cracked open, revealing Mr. Mutou. He spotted the teens and gave them a warm smile. He was always glad to see Yugi’s friends."Can I help you children with anything?" he asked in his friendly voice.
Tèa forgot about Tristan for a second and turned towards the elderly man. "Yes. We're here for Yugi," she answered.
"Oh that's right." Solomon’s smile faded a bit and he rubbed his temples. "Sorry, but you have just missed him. He left fifteen minutes ago."
Tèa held back a disappointed sigh. She looked over at Tristan and her annoyance bubbled up inside her. She couldn't keep her temper any longer. She reached out a hand and whacked the back of his head. "This is your fault for yakking on the phone for so long!"
“Ow!” Tristan winced and rubbed the sore spot on his head. "I was on an important phone call," he explained sheepishly, hoping to calm the girl’s temper.
Vicki rolled her eyes, not buying it one bit. "Yeah, sure you were. Telling Serenity all sorts of incorrect things about yourself in an attempt to impress her is more like it."
Tèa nodded her agreement. "You're such a flirt. How am I going to see him duel now?" The last word came out as a whine.
"Calm yourself, lassie. You'll raise your blood pressure," said Vicki, giving her friend an amused look.
"Never fear," said Mr. Mutou. "I will slip on my comfy shoes and help you find him."
"Thank you, Mr. Mutou." She had seen him duel once but she didn’t mind watching another duel of his. And she thought it would be cool for all of them to watch a duel together, instead of being split up.
Yugi was walking down the streets of Battle City with Joey, trying to help him look for potential challenges. He knew his best friend would want to face someone a bit ruthless, given his great improvement. There were quite a few competitors who would test his skills and push him to his limits.
Just then, a young boy of no older than ten or eleven years old ran up to the two duelists, holding a pen and pad. "Joey Wheeler?" he questioned, gawking at the blonde. He could see that Yugi was with him, and was tempted to beg him for an autograph since he was Duel Monsters champion, but the person he was working for had no interest in him. ‘Oh man I would kill to have an autograph from the famous Yugi Mutou.’
‘Huh?’ Yugi and Joey looked puzzled. They glanced at each other, wondering what this kid wanted.
Knowing the boy was waiting for a response, Joey stepped forward. "Yes, that's me. What can I do for you?"
It was all the boy could do not to smirk. 'This is so easy. Weevil will be so proud of me. That rare card will be mine.' He cleared his throat and made his tone of voice sound as polite as he could. "I am collecting autographs from all of the top duelists here in Battle City for my little sister. She especially wants one from you. She has a major crush on you."
Joey sweatdropped and nearly fell over, but he caught himself. After all, it was normal for fangirls to obsess over their favorite idols. And he was secretly flattered to have admirers of his work. This meant he was doing something right. He gave an awkward grin. “Sure thing.” He took the pad and pen from the boy, furiously scribbled something on it, and handed it back to him. "There you go."
"Thank you so much! This will mean so much to my sister!" He paused for a second, trying to figure out a way he could politely ask what he really wanted to. "That duel disk on your arm looks totally cool. Would it be okay if I tried it on to see how it looks on me? I promise I'll be careful with it."
"Uh..." Joey was silent for a bit. Even though this boy was just a kid and he sounded sincere, he couldn't take any risks. He did not want to have to learn the hard way to be careful who he trusted.
"Be careful," Yugi whispered to him.
"I know," Joey whispered back. He made his decision. "Sorry, kiddo. I don't hand over my duel disk to just anybody."
'Rats!' spat the kid mentally. "Please?" he begged. "Just for a little while." He stuck out his lower lip and gave puppy-dog eyes.
Joey tried to keep a firm expression, but he found it difficult to do so with the boy giving him the sad look. "Okay. But you have to give it back, all right?“ he caved in. "I need it for my other duels."
"Sure thing." The little boy was so moved by how nice Joey seemed that he almost felt bad for being so deceitful. He stifled a laugh. ‘I can’t believe how easily this chump was suckered.’
Joey took off the duel disk and handed it to the boy, having the feeling he would regret it.
The navy haired youngster gave a smug grin. 'Operation success!' He gleefully snatched the duel disk and broke into a sprint, laughing.
For a moment, Joey stood there, waiting for the boy to return his duel disk, but when he reached for it, there was nothing but air. He also heard footsteps running away. ‘What the-‘ His mouth dropped open when he saw the child running away with his duel disk, clearly having no intention of returning it. He gritted his teeth. ‘Why that little twerp!’ He wanted to kick himself for giving in so easily. It was just like that moment when Yugi had agreed to let Weevil see the Exodia cards and the bug duelist had thrown them overboard. He was generally more skeptical than his best friend. "My duel disk!” the blonde yelled. "Get back here, you little rat!" He didn't know what the devious little clown would do, but whatever it was, he would see to it that the young lad paid dearly for tricking him. He chased after him.
"Joey!" Yugi shouted. He ran after his best friend. He was scared Joey would have a hard time controlling his anger, for he knew how short tempered the former street fighter could be.
Soon, Mr. Mutou and Yugi's other friends arrived in Battle City. They watched as people walked by, wondering where they should begin their search. "Hey, let's stand on the footbridge,” Tèa suggested. "That way we will be able to have a clear view."
"Super idea, Tèa," chirped Vicki. Though she wouldn't admit it, she was hoping Tèa would suggest that. All of the walking around was making her hips feel a bit stiff. The three teens and Mr. Mutou walked up the bridge. Mr. Mutou muttered something about his bones not being as strong as they used to be. They all peered down, keeping their eyes out for any sign of Yugi.
Their eyes shot wide open when they saw someone running by. It was Joey, running after the little boy, with Yugi on his trail. "You won't get away with this, you lying punk!" the blonde was screaming. The boy didn't pay much attention…instead, he kept running and only slowed down long enough to slip something into Joey's deck.
"What's this? A chase?" pondered Tèa.
Mr. Mutou wondered what Tèa was referring to, and noticed three boys running after each other. "Looks like some youngsters are playing tag." Sometimes he pitied the fact that his eyesight wasn't as good as it used to be. He reached into the pocket of his overalls for his glasses and put them on. ‘Ah, that’s more like it.’
Tèa, Tristan and Vicki took a closer look. "It's Joey and Yugi!" they said simultaneously. Tèa took that moment to give Tristan a look that said, "You're lucky we found him."
Tristan ignored the scowl and focused on Joey. “I’ve got your back, man!” he shouted to his friend. He leapt off the bridge and grabbed ahold of the boy. The young kid squirmed in his grasp, but it was no use, since the older guy was much tougher and bigger than he was.
"Tristan! You came in the nick of time!" said Joey. Some of his anger faded as he knew the pointy haired young man had the situation covered.
The boy kept on squirming."Get off of me!"
Tristan ignored the boy's cries. “What’s this runt doing with your duel disk?”
"That's what I'm about to find out.”
Tèa forgot about Tristan's little tryst for the time being. She, Mr. Mutou and Vicki joined the two boys off bridge.
Yugi gently but firmly spoke to the boy about lying and stealing people's possessions.
The boy felt guilty, and returned the duel disk to the blonde."I'm really sorry. I didn't know how else to become a duelist. You see, I finally built a deck that I can duel with, but this guy stole all my cards."
"So you stole someone else's," concluded Tristan. As angry as he was at the little stunt the boy pulled, he felt bad that his deck was stolen.
The young boy looked down at the ground in shame. "I knew it was wrong. I was just desperate to be in the Battle City tournament, that's all."
Instead of being angry, Mr. Mutou had a kind expression on his face. "The most important thing about becoming a duelist is always playing with honor," he reminded the young lad wisely. "There's no satisfaction in cheating your way in."
The boy couldn't believe how patient these people were being with him. He almost felt bad for going along with his "master's" plan. "I know. I'm sorry."
Even Joey didn't feel any negativity for the boy. What had happened didn't justify his actions, but it didn't change the fact that he despised bullies. "Who was the punk that stole your dueling deck?" he pressed.
The kid shrugged. He knew who it was, but knew if he was going to maintain their trust, he couldn't reveal what he was up to. "I dunno…he had bug eyes and a head like a blue beetle."
Joey pictured the image in his mind, and right away he realized there was only one person who fit that description. "That's gotta be Weevil Underwood!" he and his friends said in unison. He was the only person who would be low enough to steal someone's deck, considering what a liar and cheater he was.
Tristan shook his head. "That freak is up to his old tricks."
Joey’s eyes narrowed and he punched the palm of his hand. "Now I'm angry! Where is he? I'm gonna teach that bug a thing or two!"
"He's by the fountain!" the kid replied.
Joey had started running off to find Weevil even before his question was answered, and so he only faintly heard the boy. Tristan had to tell him to slow down…but even he was hot on Joey's trail. Tèa followed, and so did Vicki. She had seen the bug duelist when Mai pointed him out before the tournament, but she wanted to see if he was as much as a snot as she suspected.
Mr. Mutou realized that he was getting left behind, and turned to leave as well. "Goodbye."
"See you. And good luck."As the boy watched the old man leave, he smirked evilly. He couldn't believe how easily they accepted his story. He ran to report this to Weevil. He found the insect loving boy in the corridor, waiting for him. Weevil grinned when he saw his little minion coming, hoping it meant he had good news. "So, were you successful?"
"Yes. I told them my story and they believed every single word," the boy reported proudly.
Weevil’s grin widened. Everything was going according to plan. "Then the fools have crawled right into my trap. Wheeler is mine!"
The boy looked serious. He didn't want Weevil to think he had forgotten the promise of his payment. "I did what you wanted me to do. Now where is that rare card you promised me?"
Weevil placed a finger on his temple, as if he were trying to recall. He tapped his chin. "Ah yes, the rare card. I almost forgot all about it." The blue haired duelist flipped through his deck and handed the boy the card.
The preteen smiled and took a look at it. His smile disappeared and was replaced by a look of dismay. "You lied! This is a card everyone has, and it's not even strong!"
Weevil let out a chuckle, amused by how hurt the boy looked. “You want me to give you something else?"
"Yes!”
"How about a taste of my arachno-slime?" suggested Weevil, grinning evilly. He took out a gun and squirted the boy with it, leaving him entangled in the slimy web. The insect duelist walked away, guffawing hysterically. "Yugi may have defeated me in Duelist Kingdom, but after the trap I've set, Wheeler doesn't stand a chance!" he gloated. ‘It is no secret that Wheeler is a weaker duelist than Yugi. Crushing him should be simple.‘ He laughed to himself as he went looking for his prey.
Serenity sat in her bed, bored out of her mind. With Vicki gone, the room was quiet-too quiet. All of a sudden, she heard someone come in, place something on the ground and crawl under the bed. Her eyebrows quirked up a bit. ‘Huh? Who could that be? Not that I’m complaining. I could use some company.’
A few minutes later, the door opened again. This time it was the nurse. "Serenity, did you hear anyone come in?" she asked.
"You mean, besides you? No. Why do you ask?" She really hated lying, but she knew how the person felt.
"There's a boy named Kenta running around the ward, trying to avoid getting his x-rays taken."
Serenity nodded knowingly. "He must be afraid."
"That he is. He won't go near the machine, even though it's painless." The nurse left the room to continue her search.
Kenta discreetly breathed a sigh of relief. He was sure that she would find him. He couldn't thank Serenity enough for not ratting him out.
"You can come out now," Serenity told him.
The brown haired boy climbed out from beneath the bed and looked up at the young girl with big, wide eyes. "You knew I was here?" he asked incredulously.
"I could hear you breathing under the bed."
“Oh.” Kenta then got a confused look on his face. "Why didn't you turn me in?"
Serenity had a kind expression on her face. "Because I understand how you feel. I was scared of some of the tests here, too, but you know, they're not as bad as you think they are."
"Ah I see." Kenta looked thoughtful, but he still wasn't convinced that he would get through his procedure unfazed. ‘At least I have my laptop to keep me entertained.’ "So how can I pay you back for covering for me?"
Serenity tapped her chin, trying to think of a good way. She realized she hadn't heard about any duels from her brother since his victory against Espa. "I know! You can check out the Battle City website for me."
"Will do! But how come?"
"My brother is dueling today."
"He's a duelist?" Kenta gave a look of awe. "Cool!" He came out from beneath the bed, picked up his laptop, placed it onto the bed and booted it up.
Yugi and his friends were by the fountain, just as the boy had told them to go. They looked around, but they couldn't find a trace of Weevil.
"I don't understand. I thought the kid said he was around here. He'd better not have tricked us again or else he's toast!" said the blonde, shaking his fist. When he was about to rant some more, he and the others heard a familiar annoying voice asking, “Looking for someone?"
Joey looked up sharply and sure enough, there stood the insect duelist. "I thought I'd smell a dung beetle.”
Weevil feigned a hurt expression. "That's my greeting after all this time?" He cackled like a witch.
Vicki's first impression? He was stupid. And the laugh made her want to wash out her ears.
"You stole that boy's cards, didn't you, worm breath?" Joey asked accusingly.
"I don't remember stealing any cards," answered Weevil.
"Then maybe I can refresh your memory!" said Tristan, cracking his knuckles.
"Take it easy, Tristan," advised Yugi. He was never one for violence.
To everyone's surprise, Joey shook his head at Tristan. They looked at the blonde strangely, as they knew he would usually be joining Tristan with the clobbering.
Joey merely ignored the strange looks, thinking his friends could not possibly understand. "Don't bother, Tristan.”
“What gives, Joey?” asked the pointy haired teen with a raised eyebrow.
“Look, I can’t say I don’t feel like smacking the bug duelist to the moon and back. But this could be a chance to prove myself to this little worm. We'll settle it fair and square with a duel."
Tristan groaned, wondering why Joey had to shoot his mouth off when he knew Weevil was not to be trusted.
Tèa looked unsure as well, although she was able to see why Joey would want to face Weevil. "Be careful Joey! This guy is a major cheater!" she warned, pointing at the bug duelist.
Weevil looked at Tèa with a smirk on his face. "Be careful where you point that finger Tèa. It might get bitten by one of my pets!"
Tèa wasn't amused. "Gross!" she exclaimed, making a squeamish face. Vicki nearly threw up. She was afraid to see what pets the little worm had. ‘I knew I should have brought a barf bag with me.’
The regional champion laughed before switching his smirk to Joey."What’s this? A challenge from the underdog in this tournament? Thank you for saving me the trouble of challenging you. I must say you have guts considering you have no idea what you’re up against.” He laughed again. “I look forward to giving you the most humiliating defeat you have ever received! We'll duel for two locator cards!"
Before Joey could answer, Tèa looked at him with pleading eyes. "Joey! Don't accept it! You can't risk both of your cards! If you're defeated, you'll be out of the tournament!" She looked worried.
"It's much too risky, Joey," agreed Tristan.
"That's if you even have two," taunted Weevil. He wasn’t about to risk losing both of his locator cards to someone he considered a novice.
Yugi looked thoughtful as he listened to the concerns of Tèa and Tristan. He could see his best friend was hesitating as if he were beginning to have second thoughts. "Joey? You do realize that as risky as it may be, you can do it, right?“
Joey widened his eyes a little.” Huh? You really mean that, Yuge?”
“Of course. You have come very far since Duelist Kingdom and I know you can do it. Just believe in yourself and in the heart of the cards.”
The blonde furrowed his brow, absorbing Yugi’s words. He appreciated his friends’ concern for him but he had already made up his mind. ‘If I’m gonna make it to the top and become a true duelist, I have to face my fears.’He shot a glance at the spiky haired teen, smiled at him for understanding and turned to face the insect fanatic with a fierce look on his face. "You're on, Weevil! Yugi was the one who mopped the floor with you in Duelist Kingdom so now it's my turn to teach you that cheaters never prosper!"
Yugi nodded. “That’s right, Joey! You can overcome Weevil’s cheating ways!”
Vicki had been silent the entire time. She understood both sides, but felt it was up to Joey in the end. She tilted her head. "Well if that's your decision, just know we're behind you all the way.”
"Thanks, Vicki." The blonde glared at Weevil. "How many locator cards do you have?"
"Two!"
"Then once I step on you and take them both, plus your rarest card, I'll be responsible for kicking your ugly mug out of the tournament!" Joey activated his duel disk and slipped his deck into its slot.
Weevil did the same and gave an evil grin. "It's time to duel!" he and Joey declared in unison. The bug duelist felt so pumped. He couldn't wait to educate the blonde about his insect cards. ‘That loser won’t know what hit him.’
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Post by LadyKeren on Dec 21, 2015 13:05:51 GMT
Chapter 15
After exchanging a rather lengthy stare, both Weevil and Joey drew their five cards. Joey skimmed the cards in his hand, twisting his mouth to the side. ‘Hmm, not quite what I was hoping for, but at least I can test him to see what he plans to do first. He thinks I’m easy pickings, but he’ll see.’ His deep in thought expression hardened and he gazed at the bug duelist with fiery eyes. “I hope you’re ready, because I’m about to send you into a world of hurt!”
Seemingly unfazed by the blonde’s stare, Weevil laughed. “I’d like to see you try! You’re no match for me!”
“That’s what you think, but I’m afraid I disagree! I’ll start this duel!”
“Go ahead. You’ll need a headstart!” Weevil smirked as he gazed at the cards in his hand. ‘I already have Wheeler weaved into my web, but he is too dumb to realize it. And he won’t, until it’s too late.’
“I’ll wipe that smirk off your face soon enough! You’ll see! I play Swordsman of Landstar in attack mode!” (500 attk) A tiny warrior with a goofy smile appeared. It held a miniature sword in one hand and a small round shield in the other. "I'll also set one card face down for later!" said the blonde, slipping the magic card in one of the magic/trap slots. “That ends my turn. Let’s see how tough you really are.”
Weevil burst into hysterical laughter. "I knew beating you would be a piece of cake! An amateur like you will be squashed by my army of insects! I summon my Flying Kamakiri #1.” (1400 attack points) A light brown colored mantis appeared on the field, wiggling its front legs.
Joey held back a shudder. ‘I swear, bug boy has the nastiest taste in monsters.’ It was a good thing his stomach was relatively strong, otherwise he would have lost his breakfast. Not that he had any before leaving home.
The insect duelist could feel the change in the blonde’s demeanor, going from feisty to uneasy. He smirked slightly. “If you think my monster is bad now, just wait until he sends your puny swordsman packing! All right my Kamakiri, crush his toy of a monster!" The mantis glided forward to attack.
Joey gave a cunning smile. “Uh-uh! You thought I was gonna let you get me easily, didn’t you? Well, you thought wrong! I activate my magic card, Shield and Sword!” The swordsman had 1200 attack points as a result, and the mantis-like creature only had 900 attack points. Weevil gave a look of horror as he watched his monster become weaker.
It was now the blonde’s turn to smirk. The insect fanatic had the tendency to be so blinded by his confidence that it was a pleasure to see him show fear for once, even if he was only faking it. "That's right! As you can see, my magic card switches the attack points with its defense points, so now my monster is stronger!"
"Way to outsmart him, dude!" cheered Tristan.
"Okay my swordsman! Slice and dice that oversized mantis!" The swordsman severed the monster in two with its sword, causing the bug duelist to lose 300 life points.
Weevil giggled his annoying giggle again. While he was willing to admit maybe he had dismissed Joey too soon, he was merely toying with him until the time was right. "You may have destroyed my Flying Kamakiri #1, but you activated its special ability, which lets me summon the dreaded Kamakiri # 2!" Another mantis-like creature materialized onto the field, this one considerably stronger than its predecessor. (1500 attack points) “I’d like to see you try and get past him!”
“I plan to do more than try, bug brain!” Making a slight face, Joey pulled a card from his deck and held it up in front of his face to see. His lips curled up into a small grin. ‘It’s Jinzo, the card I won from Espa Roba.’ He remembered the rule about sacrificing weaker monsters in order to summon a creature level 5 or higher. He still had yet to get used to the rule, but he was not about to disgrace himself and get banned from the tournament. "I sacrifice my swordsman in order to summon Jinzo to the field!" The android being appeared, roaring. "Jinzo, turn that oversized mantis into bug juice!" Jinzo emitted cyber waves at the mantis-like insect, destroying it. Weevil's life points were reduced to twenty eight hundred.
The insect duelist let out an overdramatic gasp. "That wasn't supposed to happen."
"Like hell it wasn't!" yelled Vicki from the sidelines. She hoped Joey hurried up and defeated the annoying twerp once and for all. She didn't think she could put up with him for much longer. Not only was his choice of monsters sickening, but so were his gloating and overall attitude. ‘I should have brought some barf bags with me.’
"Your luck is about to run out, Wheeler!" Weevil chuckled, and drew a card. His smile grew wider. "I place one monster face down and end my turn." Weevil's expression turned into an evil smirk. 'Just take my bait and attack this! You'll get a very unpleasant surprise the minute you do!'
"That's right! Set 'em up so my Jinzo can cream it! Jinzo, attack!" However, before the android creature could attack, the card activated and something leapt out, wrapping itself around its head.
Joey’s eyes bugged out and he felt shivers going down his spine. "What is that?"
Weevil cackled. "It's my leech Kisetai! It attaches to the first monster foolish enough to attack it! Not only that, but my life points also receive an extra 1200 boost as long as it's in play!" Everyone watched in horror as Weevil's life points increased and returned to the original four thousand.
"Disgusting!" Tèa yelled out, her face turning green. She was always repulsed by Weevil's monsters but now his deck seemed to have gotten worse.
Weevil pretended not to hear Tèa. It wasn’t as if he cared what she thought anyway. "To finish my turn, I play one monster in defense mode."
Joey put his game face back on. "So Jinzo has a leech on him, big deal! He can still cyber attack! Jinzo, do your thing!" The face down monster was destroyed by Jinzo’s psychic flame, but the bug duelist only grinned. Joey’s jaw dropped open as Weevil's life points increased by another five hundred.
The blue haired boy laughed. "How kind of you.”
The blonde gave a puzzled look at what he had just seen. "What's the deal? How did you get more life points?"
Weevil just laughed at his opponent's confusion. "I see what just happened is much too complicated for your peanut-sized brain to comprehend! Well, I'll make it simple for you. When you destroyed my Skull-Mark Lady Bug, you activated its special effect. It gives me 500 more life points in addition to the 1200 life points I receive as long as my leech Kisetai is in play! I play one more monster in defense mode, and end my turn!" Just as Weevil's turn ended, he got 1200 more life points, raising them to a shocking five thousand, seven hundred.
Joey started to sweat, but he quickly wiped the bead of sweat away. One of his hands started to shake lightly and he had to smack it to get it to cease. He wasn’t about to let the bug duelist sense any fear in him. ‘I have to find a way to get rid of that leech or else Weevil’s life points will keep on increasing. It’ll be impossible for me to beat him then.’
Yugi could tell his friend was beginning to lose confidence in himself. "Come on, Joey! Stay focused and you can beat him!"
Vicki's face was turning green by the sight of the leech but she placed her hands over the area so the others wouldn’t notice and worry."Yeah! We're right behind you! Teach this vermin a lesson the hard way!"
"Right! You guys rock." Joey maintained his game face and stared daggers at the insect duelist. "It'll take more than that to beat me, bug breath! You're going down! It's my turn now!"
Weevil smirked at Joey. "Then go ahead and make your pathetic move. You know, it would have been easier if you had just given up."
"Whatever!" All he wanted to do was get Weevil out of his sight. 'Come on, deck, give me a winner.' He drew another card. 'Sweet! The card I was hoping for!' He gave the insect duelist his best “I hate to disappoint you” smile. "Well well, bug boy, it's time to burn off your leech! I sacrifice my Jinzo in order to summon Panther Warrior to the field!" (2000 attack points) A humanoid shaped panther holding a sword appeared, roaring. "Now your life points can't increase anymore!"
Tèa let out a deep breath. 'Good riddance!' She feared if she had to look at the parasite for just one more minute, she would have gotten sick.
"Good work, Joey!" Yugi congratulated his best friend.
Joey smiled at the support his friends were giving him. He recalled when Mr. Mutou said he had to be prepared for anything and at this point he felt like he was. "Panther Warrior, slice and dice his face down monster!" The feline warrior slashed the insect monster in two.
The destruction of the defense monster was the last straw for Weevil. He gritted his teeth, miffed that the blonde had foiled his previous strategy. "All right, Wheeler, enough playing around. Up until now I have been going easy on you, but you have started to bug me, so now it’s time for you to feel the onslaught of my ultimate creature!"
Joey sneered. "Bring it on!"
"Very well. I summon the Larvae Moth!" (500 attack points) A hideous bright green caterpillar with blue spots materialized.
Joey started to tremble, with a horrified expression on his face. He recalled when Yugi was nearly defeated by the combo. He couldn’t help cringing at the fact that he would now be facing the same strategy. On top of that, it remained to be seen if he could somehow pull through."It's the bug you used against Yugi."
"Exactly right! Your memory seems to be much better than your dueling. Now that you know what's in store for you, your destruction begins! I wrap my Larvae Moth in the all powerful Cocoon of Evolution!"
Everyone held their breaths as they watched the silk cocoon encase the caterpillar, which had a defense power of two thousand points.
(hospital room)
Just as Serenity requested, Kenta had been giving her the play by play for her brother’s duel. So far, he had yet to see the blonde live up to the reputation Serenity described. She had so much faith in her brother, he hated to be the bearer of negative news but he knew he couldn’t lie to her. It just wasn’t in him to be dishonest, not to mention she had made it clear she didn’t want to be shielded from the truth. He frowned a bit when he noticed Joey’s low star ranking. ‘Why is he ranked so low? I mean, yes Weevil has him on the ropes but he has done much better than a level two duelist. ‘ He furrowed his brow in confusion as he turned away from the computer screen.
Serenity shifted a bit, stretching one of her legs out in front of her and placing her other one next to it horizontally. Kenta’s silence was making her anxious. She hoped it wasn’t because something was seriously wrong with her brother. As much as she hated the idea of Joey being in trouble, she hated being in suspense even more. “Kenta? You have been awfully quiet. Have things improved for Joey yet?”
The young boy hung his head somberly. "I hate to tell you this, but things have gotten worse. Not in terms of your brother’s performance, but Weevil has played one of the strongest combos in all of Duel Monsters. He plans to evolve the Larvae Moth into the Ultimate Great Moth. It could be over for Joey unless he comes up with something fast."
Serenity’s shoulders slumped a little. The news was not what she hoped to hear. “Oh.” She realized how disappointed she sounded, and didn’t want Kenta to think she was losing confidence. "Well, I am sure he will find a way out of his tight spot."
Kenta just stared at the young girl, astounded by the faith she had in her brother even when the situation seemed hopeless. It was both admirable and mindboggling. ‘I wish I could be like that. It would make my life so much easier.’ He let out a sigh before responding, "If he really is as good as you say he is, now is the time for him to prove it."
"He will. You'll see."
"I hope you're right. If he loses, he will be out of the tournament."
That was something Serenity didn’t need reminding of. She swallowed, trying not to let the little boy’s pessimism affect her mood. "There’s still time. Joey believes in himself and I believe in him."
Weevil laughed at Joey’s horror. "This is the beginning of the end for you, Wheeler! The Ultimate Great Moth is like nothing you've ever faced, or will ever face again! Care to throw in the towel?"
The Duelist Kingdom runner up grunted in reply. ‘There’s no way I'm giving up.’ He hated to admit it, but the insect duelist was right when he said that the Ultimate Great Moth was virtually unstoppable. "I've gotta pop that pupa!"
Weevil wagged his finger at the blonde. "Uh-uh-uuuh! My next move is going to make such an attempt useless. You see, there is already a parasite living inside your deck!"
"What?" questioned Joey incredulously. Sometimes he wondered if the bug duelist ever listened to himself.
Weevil took it to mean Joey never heard the word before. "Parasite! An insect that lives off of other animals. I play the magic card Reckless Parasite, which will bring the insect card, Parasite Paracide, in your deck to life!"
Joey’s eyes bugged out at what Weevil had just said. "You've gotta be out of your mind! My deck doesn't have any insect cards—" he started to protest. Just as he was saying that, his deck emitted an aura, and a worm-like creature popped from the glowing card and latched onto his Panther Warrior, poking out of its semi-open mouth.
Vicki took one look at the Parasite creature and excused herself. Her stomach had been churning like crazy at most of Weevil's monsters and she couldn't take it anymore. Everyone else was too busy watching the duel to notice.
"What was that you were saying?" Weevil taunted, laughing his obnoxious laughter.
Tèa’s face started to turn green and she could feel the bile rising up inside of her. "That's really gross!" she wailed.
Tristan clenched his fists and started shaking with anger. "That little germ! It looks like Weevil pulled a fast one on you, Joey!"
Joey stood there with his mouth hanging open for several minutes before Tristan pointed out the obvious to him. "I know! But how did the card get in my deck?" Suddenly a thought occurred to the blonde. He remembered when the little boy had tricked him into letting him hold his duel disk. He thought it was weird that the kid started running away with it. ‘That kid must have been working for Weevil! I bet he slipped it in.’ His look of shock turned into disgust and he felt like a fool for believing the boy's claim that Weevil stole his cards. 'Wait till I get my hands on him!'
"A good duelist prepares for an encounter long before it takes place!" said Weevil.
Tèa could see that he hadn't changed a bit. "But that's against the rules!" she pointed out, giving the young boy a look of disapproval.
"You creepy little cheater!" Tristan accused.
Weevil faked an innocent expression. "Cheater? It's not my fault Joey didn't think to examine his deck before challenging me to a duel."
"Watch it!" warned Joey.
Tèa turned to face Vicki, who was unusually quiet, which she found odd since she was generally very vocal when it came to situations like this. The girl had originally been standing right next to her, but at the moment her spot was empty. She didn't even say she was leaving. She wondered where she had gone off to. She was beginning to worry when all of a sudden she spotted Vicki briskly jogging back, holding a coffee cup in her hand. Judging from the greenish look on the girl’s face, Tèa could only guess that the insect duelist's choice of monsters made her lose her breakfast…that is if she actually had breakfast. She couldn't say she didn't feel like spewing chunks herself. "Vicki! Where did you go off to?"
"Oh, just to the nearest coffee shop to grab a bite to eat, after having lost my breakfast. I had to take my Dramamine otherwise I would not be able to watch the rest of this duel."
"Oh." Tèa thought it was reasonable and a smart move on her part.
"Are you okay now?" asked Yugi, his round amethyst colored eyes filled with concern.
"Yes, thanks."
Yugi noted the tinge of green on Vicki's face and wasn't too sure of that. "Are you sure?"
"I’m fine, really." She sipped on her espresso some more.
Joey shot a glare at the bug duelist. “It’s my turn! You’re in for some hurtin. “ He peeked at the cards in his hand. He wasn’t holding anything worth bragging about, but at least he would not have to pass his turn. He had an idea of how to get rid of the cocoon. "My Panther Warrior may have a leech on him, but he can still attack you as long as I sacrifice another monster first, bug breath!"
Weevil shook his head and laughed."Your selective memory never ceases to amaze me. You seem to be forgetting every time you summon a monster, it will be infected."
"Yeah? So what?"
"So you can't sacrifice an infected monster, which means your pathetic Panther Warrior can't attack!"
“Oh crap!” Joey had a pained expression on his face at his opponent’s revelation, then remembered his plan B. "Well, no biggie! I play Tiny Guardian in attack mode!" (1400 attack points) A tiny warrior with wings and a mask- like face and glowing eyes appeared. Just like Weevil said, the monster was infected the moment it appeared on the field. But Joey didn't care. "You were so busy bragging about your monster that you don't seem to realize your cocoon has zero attack points!"
"Attack points mean nothing you fool! It's defending me!" Weevil started laughing hysterically.
Joey was thoroughly tickled at how oblivious the bug duelist seemed to be and yet he had the nerve to call him a fool. "Take a closer look, flea brain!"
Weevil looked, only to see his cocoon was in attack mode. If Joey only knew. But he had to let him believe he was winning so it would be that much of a surprise when he sprang the trap he set. "Oh no! It can't be! I forgot to switch my cocoon into defense mode!"
"That's right and with zero attack points it's a sitting duck! And you're toast! Go, Tiny Guardian, attack!" The miniscule warrior with wings lunged at the Cocoon of Evolution, intending to slice it in half.
"Oh no! I'm done!" Weevil quivered in fear, and then his frightened look turned into a smirk. "Or so you think! I forgot about my face down card." He pushed a red button on his duel disk. "I activate my Insect Barrier magic card, which prevents attacks from all insects, including yours!" The oblong shaped barrier stopped the infected guardian in its tracks.
"Mine?" Joey repeated. He was about to ask Weevil what he was talking about, but then he remembered how his monsters were just infected. ‘This stinks! How am I supposed to stop that blasted thing from evolving now?’
"Joey, don't give up!" Tèa called out.
"Yes, stay calm and believe in your deck!" added Mr. Mutou. "There may be a way to turn Weevil's own trick against him."
"That's right," agreed Yugi. "I know his life points are high, but the fact that you duel honorably will help you overcome his cheating ways."
Joey looked over his shoulder at Yugi, Mr. Mutou and Tèa, giving them a slight nod to show he understood. 'They're right. I know I can do it. But how?'
"Kenta, how is Joey doing?" Serenity asked her new friend. She hoped things were getting better for her older brother.
The little boy glanced at the computer screen. He frowned when he saw that the blonde’s predicament had deteriorated. ‘Oh man! Serenity isn’t going to like this very much. She really believes in her brother, I hate to break her heart.’ He turned to face the auburn haired girl with a grim look on his face. "Well, things haven't gotten any better. Every monster your brother summons will be infected and now Weevil has played a card that prevents Joey's infected monsters from attacking."
Serenity kept a neutral expression on her face to hide her disappointment as she didn’t want Kenta to think she had given up hope. After all, she was trying to teach him how to think positive. "What about that gross moth thing?" she asked.
"It says your brother has four turns before it hatches."
"Well that's good."
"Yes, but when that happens…it will take a miracle to keep him from losing."
Serenity clasped her hands together and bowed her head a bit. 'I know you can get out of this, Joey. Don't give up.' Kenta’s pessimism was really getting to her. She hoped her brother succeeded and wouldn’t make a liar out of her.
Weevil wrinkled his brow in thought as he peeked at the cards in his hand. His lips spread into an evil grin when he spotted a card that gave him an idea. He drifted his eyes up to Joey, sneering at him. "I could wait for the next four turns to go by to destroy you, but what fun would that be when I can start weakening your life points right now?"
Joey rolled his eyes at the insect duelist. "You're bluffing!"
"Oh? I beg to differ. I summon Leghul!" (300 attack points) A purple and lime green leech with pinchers appeared.
Joey let out a soft whistle to cover up the fact that there were shivers going down his spine. “Whoop-de-doo! What can you do with some wimpy little caterpillar?” A silly grin appeared on his face and he started to snicker.
Weevil laughed. ”You’ll soon find out, and when you do, you won’t be laughing! Leghul, attack!" The leech pounced forward and pinched Joey on the leg, bringing him down to 3700 lifepoints. It hurt, but that was the least of his worries at the moment.
"Ah! “yelped the startled blonde. “How'd you do that? I still have monsters on the field!"
The bug duelist chuckled. "My Leghul has the special ability to bypass your monsters and attack you directly."
"Great. Just when I thought things couldn’t get any worse.” There was a sweatdrop threatening to form on Joey’s forehead, but he quickly wiped it off with the back of his hand. "Well, I switch both of my monsters into defense mode and end my turn."
"How sad,” mocked Weevil. “At this rate nothing will save you! Leghul, attack again!" The attack made Joey lose 300 more life points.
Joey gritted his teeth in frustration before putting his game face back on. ‘There’s no way I’m gonna let this bug brain get to me. I know there’s a card that’ll help. I just have to draw it in time.’ He pulled a card from his deck. ‘It’s Giant Trunade! The card Vicki gave to me. I can use it to get rid of that Insect Barrier! Things are looking up!' He grinned.
"Play whatever you like, Wheeler! You'll never stop me!" Weevil taunted, oblivious to Joey's facial expression.
"That's what you think, you worm!"
"Huh?" Weevil was literally shaking in his boots for the first time since the duel was in progress, which was a rarity for him. In fact, he almost always thought his opponents were making empty threats, but with the smile on Joey's face and the fiery look in his eyes, he knew better than to draw that conclusion. ‘What could this fool be up to?’
"That's right! I play my magic card, Giant Trunade!" He slipped the card into one of the magic/trap slots."Say goodbye to your Insect Barrier!" A typhoon swirled towards the barrier and swept it away, sending the card back to the insect duelist’s hand.
Weevil let out a horrified gasp. "Oh no! Now you can attack!"
Joey gave a smug grin. He got great pleasure from watching the bug duelist squirm. "That's right! First I switch my Tiny Guardian back into attack mode! Now let's try this again! Tiny Guardian, slice and dice that cocoon!" The miniscule winged warrior lunged forward and slashed the silk cocoon into ribbons, reducing Weevil's life points to four thousand, three hundred.
"Excellent work, Joey!" said Yugi. “Keep it up and you will win the duel in no time!”
"You're the man!" cheered Tristan.
Vicki had an excited grin on her face upon seeing that Joey used the card she had given to him. "You used the card well.”
Joey turned to face his friends, giving them the thumbs up sign. "Thanks, guys. You're the best."
However, it was not over yet. All of a sudden, a billow of smoke ensued and surrounded the cocoon. When the smoke cleared, there was a large light green moth. The moth had almost completely evolved, except it still had its legs. Joey’s grin faded and was replaced by apprehension. ‘Uh-oh. This doesn’t look good. Yuge had so much trouble destroying it last time.’
Weevil cackled. "You may have destroyed my barrier and cocoon, but you still can't stop me! My moth has 2600 attack points, more than enough to turn your pathetic monsters into bug juice!"
Joey put his game face back on to show he wasn’t worried. He had known destroying the cocoon was just a start and he still had a ways to go. He recalled when Mr. Mutou said he could use the Parasite Paracide card to help him, and he had just the idea. "Zip it, worm boy! I am just getting started! Now go!"
"As you wish. Leghul, stick it to him again!" The direct attack knocked the blonde off his feet. He let out another cry of pain.
"Oh no! Joey!" Yugi cried out.
Joey got back up right away, rubbing his sore rear end. “It’ll take more than that to keep me down, you bug-eyed punk!”
"So you say! Fortunately for you, that's enough punishment for now. What fun would it be to finish you so quickly, when I have other surprises in store for you? Hahahahaha!"
Tèa and Vicki covered their ears to block out Weevil’s incessant laughter, not wanting to hear it anymore. They let their arms drop to their sides once he stopped.
"That's right, laugh it up, bug boy! I'll be getting the last laugh!" Joey drew another card. He smiled when he saw it was one he needed to put his strategy into play. "First I switch Tiny Guardian into defense mode. I also play Alligator's Sword in defense mode, and I'll set a card face down to end my turn." The parasite popped out of the alligator monster, but he didn't care, since he wasn't using it to attack.
"Give it up, Wheeler! No matter what you play, you'll never stop my Great Moth! Your two locator cards are mine!"
"You wish!" Tristan yelled at him.
"Zap that big bug Joey!"
"Stay focused!"
Weevil laughed to himself at the support Tèa and Mr. Mutou were giving Joey. ‘They can crow all they want, but that won’t save Wheeler from his impending doom.’ He smirked at the blonde. "You're finished! Only a handful of monsters are strong enough to defeat my Great Moth even though you have managed to stop the evolution one turn earlier! You don't have any of them in your pathetic deck! Now my Great Moth, destroy his Alligator's Sword!" The moth flapped its mighty wings, emitting a gust of wind at the alligator.
Tristan let out a frustrated groan, finding the monster to be a giant thorn in his side. Yugi had destroyed it and he was desperate for his best friend to do the same. "Come on Joey! Find something in your deck that's like a fly swatter or something!"
Weevil chuckled at this. "What are you? His pompom girl?" he mocked.
"If I come over there, you'll be ancient history!" Tristan warned, punching the palm of his hand.
The insect duelist tilted his head and crossed his eyes at the pointy-haired teen. "Oooh, I'm shaking!"
Kenta wondered how much longer the duel was going to last. Although impressed Joey had managed to get rid of the Insect Barrier magic card, what little faith he had that the blonde would pull it off disappeared when he saw the attack points of the Great Moth. "Serenity...I have good news and bad news."
Serenity gulped, alarm bells ringing in her head at the words bad news. "What is it?" She held in a deep breath, prepared for the worst possible news.
"Joey destroyed Weevil's Insect Barrier, so he can attack now. But he is still facing a virtually unstoppable monster and there is no way he can defeat it. I think we should stop watching the duel now."
Serenity exhaled the deep breath she was holding in, relieved that Joey managed to stop the evolution of the Great Moth one turn earlier just as she believed he would. Even though her brother wasn’t out of the woods yet, the slightest chance of victory gave her that glimmer of hope. "No way, Kenta. Joey is going to win and we're not giving up on him."
Kenta stared at the young girl in disbelief. He was unable to comprehend how her faith in Joey could be so unwavering, even though he was in dire straits. "How can you be so sure? He's facing a very powerful monster and he hasn't summoned anything strong enough to defeat it. I guess he would be better off if he just quit and ran away." He lowered his head a bit.
Serenity had been frustrated with Kenta’s inability to think positively, but a light switch turned on in her head at his last statement, allowing her to see the entire picture. She placed a hand in her hair and ran it through.”You mean, kind of like what you did today?"
Kenta gave a sad sigh, hanging his head. "I guess," he admitted. "Some things are just too scary, especially when you have to face them all alone. I don't want my x-ray taken, so I will stay in here." He also preferred to stay hospitalized than go back to school, but he was too embarrassed to admit that. He imagined Serenity was already unimpressed with him. ‘She probably doesn’t want anything to do with me now.’
Serenity looked thoughtful. She felt for the young boy and was able to relate to his feelings a great deal but it pained her that he was in a state of despair. ‘I have to talk to him somehow. He can’t go on living like this.’
Joey gazed down at the cards in his hand with a contemplative look on his face. Neither of them were what he needed to complete his strategy. ‘I need to draw that card soon or I’m history.’ His thoughts were interrupted by an annoying chuckle. He glanced up at Weevil to see him smirking. He stared daggers at the bug duelist, gritting his teeth. ‘You won’t be laughing for much longer.’
Weevil seemed to be unfazed by Joey’s intense stare. He let out another chuckle."Make your final move, Wheeler. And you'd better use it well."
"Keep talking, bug boy! You're toast!" The blonde’s hand shook as he reached towards his deck to draw a card. 'Come on, deck, show me some love.’ He cautiously pulled the card from his deck and glanced at it. His facial expression relaxed into a small grin. ‘Sweet! Just the card I needed. Look out, you little vermin! Joey's got a plan!' His coffee coloured eyes grew fiery. "I place one card face down and switch all of my monsters into attack mode!"
Gasps erupted from everyone watching. They considered Joey’s move to be unwise, and worried it would cost him the duel.
"How can he attack when his monsters are weaker?" asked Tèa.
"He's lost it. The pressure has gotten to him. He's cracking up," said Tristan.
Mr. Mutou looked thoughtful. He knew Joey could be reckless at times, but he doubted his former pupil would want to lose on purpose. "Unless…he is doing what I think he is.”
Vicki glanced over at the old man, wondering what he thought Joey was doing. But then again, this was the first time she actually watched the blonde duel in person, so she trusted Mr. Mutou. ‘I just hope he knows what he’s doing.’
"Bring it on!" challenged Joey. He gave his best devious smile. 'When you do, I'll have a surprise waiting for you.'
"You got it!" Weevil chuckled as he drew his card. "I doubt a fool like you could have anything sneaky planned, but just in case, I place one monster in defense mode. You remember Leghul, don't you?"
Joey cringed, remembering the creature all too well, although he didn't really care to. ‘I gotta get rid of that thing. It’s such a pain in the rear.’ The idea of being turned into worm food didn’t appeal to him one bit.
Weevil grinned evilly. "If not, I will refresh your memory. Leghul, bypass Wheeler’s monsters and attack him directly once again!" The attack knocked Joey's life points down to twenty eight hundred. The blonde flinched a bit, but that was all. "And since you've put your parasite in attack mode and it's technically your weakest monster, you will lose once I attack! Say goodbye to Battle City, Wheeler! Go my Great Moth, attack!"
Joey had a smug look on his face that read, ‘Gotcha.’ "I don't think so! You activated my trap card, Skull Dice! This lowers your monster's attack points depending on the roll of the die! The higher the number, the weaker your moth gets!" His eyes were focused on the die. ‘Come on, four or more.’ Everyone watched with baited breath as the die was tossed and waited to see which number it would land on. It landed on a two, reducing the moth's attack strength to one thousand, three hundred.
The smugness slowly drained from the blonde’s face, replaced by chagrin. "What?!“ Before the insect duelist could mock him, he hid the disappointment in his voice as best as he could, his face relaxing into a wide smile. “Well, no matter, it still cuts the attack strength of your oversized pest in half!"
Weevil gave a derisive huff. "What a pathetic attempt to survive, Wheeler! My moth still has more than enough attack power to destroy your parasite!"
Joey wagged his finger at the blue haired young man to silence him."I'm not through yet! I also reveal my other face down card, Graceful Dice, which increases my monster's attack points depending on the roll of the die! The higher the number, the stronger my monster's gonna be, you little termite!" He held in his breath as the fairy-like creature tossed the die into the air. ‘Come on, big bucks this time.’ He watched it land with an eager expression. Fortunately, it landed on a four. He let out a huge sigh of relief and pumped his fist. "All right! Parasite Paracide multiplied by 4 makes it two thousand! I bet you're sorry you snuck it into my deck, aren't you?"
Weevil’s jaw dropped in alarm. He knew what this meant, and he didn't have a card to stop Joey's attack. "Oh no! I can't watch!" He put his hands over his eyes, squirming.
"Say buh-bye to your bug!" The leech entangled the weakened Great Moth and squashed it. Weevil lost 700 more life points, bringing him down to thirty six hundred.
"Nooooooooo!" The insect duelist poked out his lower lip and proceeded to whimper like a wounded dog that had gotten its bone snatched away. The loss of his most prized monster was too much for him, and he didn’t expect that Joey of all people would be the one to demolish it.
"Yay!" cheered Tèa.
"Good riddance," commented Vicki. She covered her mouth, giggling at Weevil’s sniveling form.
"Great dueling," complimented Mr. Mutou. Tristan and Yugi gave their congratulations as well. They were all impressed by how much the blonde had improved.
Kenta watched in awe as Weevil’s life points decreased. He turned to Serenity with a small grin on his face, glad that he had good news to report for once. "Hey Serenity, get this. Joey just crushed Weevil's Great Moth, and he just used the card that was slipped into his deck to do it."
Behind the bandages, the young girl’s eyes brightened. "That's wonderful! I knew he could do it!"
"Yeah…" Kenta's voice trailed off a bit. He was beginning to understand Serenity's optimism. In fact, he thought maybe Joey would be able to win after all. He looked a bit serious. ‘However, depending on what Weevil plans to do next, Joey will also have to take his game up another notch.’
At this point, Weevil had stopped his crying and was now shaking with rage. "My Great Moth! My precious, precious Great Moth! You squashed it like a common fly! You'll pay! This duel isn't over yet, Wheeler! Not by a mile!"
Vicki snorted with laughter at Weevil's little hissy fit. 'Come on, Joey. Keep it coming to him. Don't let up.'
Joey cut his eyes at the bug duelist, unfazed by the outburst. "Bring it on, Weevil! I'll exterminate all of your little critters!" he shot back.
Weevil side-eyed the blonde before pulling a card from his deck."You won that round, but my next surprise is going to win me the duel and send you packing!"
"We'll see about that, Weevil!"
"Yes we will," agreed the regional champion."First I play my Insect Soldiers of the Sky, and then I'll play Eradicating Aerosol, which has the power to destroy any insect monster on the field! And since all of your monsters are now insects, I could take one of them out, but I've got bigger plans! I play my Pinch Hopper. Now I can destroy my own insect!" The magic card consisted of a brown hand holding a spray can.
Joey stared at the hand with a blank look on his face. "What gives?"
"Yes, why would he want to destroy his own insect?” Vicki wondered aloud.
"Once Pinch Hopper goes to the graveyard, Weevil can summon any monster he wants from his hand," explained Mr. Mutou. A frown crossed his features. ‘I have a feeling Weevil may summon a monster even stronger than the Great Moth. Remain focused, Joseph.’
"Any monster?" Joey repeated. His eyes drifted up to Weevil’s face and he got an uneasy feeling in his gut from the smirk he wore. After all, he knew how devious the bug duelist could be. ‘I hate it when he grins like that. I don’t know what he has planned, but I have a feeling it’s not good. Whatever it is, though, I’ll be ready.’ He put on his best determined look.
Weevil cackled incessantly. "That’s right. Prepare to say goodbye to Battle City! Eradicating Aerosol, destroy my Pinch Hopper!" The magic card sprayed the grasshopper-like creature, melting it away with the toxins. "Now I can summon a creature whose attack power is virtually limitless! My Insect Queen! She's my rarest card and if played the right way, she is virtually unstoppable!"
Joey groaned in frustration. He was beyond weary of the pipsqueak’s annoying antics. "Quit your yapping and just play the friggin’ card already!"
"As you wish! I summon Insect Queen!" (2200 attack points)An enormous female cockroach-like creature with blue cat-shaped eyes slowly crawled onto the playing field. She gave a very shrill battle cry. "Kneel before my almighty queen!"
Joey cringed, both at the noise and the monster’s ugliness. He wasn't the only one repulsed by her appearance. Vicki was resisting the urge to throw up in her mouth. ‘Goodness gracious. I can only imagine how he is when eating.’
Weevil smirked evilly at the blonde. He just loved it when people feared and loathed his creatures. "If you think she's frightening now, wait until you see her special function! She absorbs the attack power of every insect monster on the field!"
"She still has less than your Great Moth, and I creamed that thing! Squashing your queen will be a piece of cake!"
Weevil made a tsk, tsk, tsk noise and held up a finger to show his utter amusement towards Joey’s poor listening skills. "You weren't listening! All of the insects on the field give her a power boost, even yours!"
"Mine?" Joey gazed around the field to see what Weevil was talking about. He had forgotten about his infected monsters for just second. ‘Oh that’s right. My monsters are still considered monsters thanks to that blasted parasite. Good thing is that I got rid of the Insect Barrier so I can attack. All I need is a monster strong enough.’
The queen drained the strength of every single monster on the field, raising her attack power to three thousand, two hundred. Dread began to fill Joey and he got a panicked look on his face.
"Remember, Joey," Mr. Mutou reminded the blonde young man, "Insect cards can be very tricky. And to battle an insect duelist, you have to think like an insect duelist! You destroyed his Great Moth, and you can destroy his Insect Queen!"
"That's right!" agreed Yugi. "Just believe in the heart of the cards!"
Kenta let out a distressed sigh upon witnessing the latest developments. Watching the duel was like a rollercoaster. Every time he began to have a little hope that perhaps Joey could win, something occurred to dash it. He didn’t think he could take it anymore. He pushed the laptop away and ran a hand through his hair. "Joey is up against a monster that's even stronger than the Great Moth. It could be over for him. How could he face it all alone? It's too powerful."
Serenity had been mulling over in her head how to deal with the young boy’s pessimism and this time she knew how to respond. "Joey isn't alone, Kenta,” she told him gently. “He knows I'm always there for him in spirit, and when I need him, I know he's there for me. When I was afraid to get my eye surgery, he gave me the courage to go through with it. Joey is more than my brother. He is my friend and our bond of friendship will always be there."
"Oh." Kenta looked thoughtful as he considered what Serenity had just told him. He had never looked at it from her perspective before but she definitely gave him something to think about. ‘I have to say, I like being around Serenity. She’s so sweet and smart.’ He looked up at her with big wide eyes, almost as if he were afraid she would say no to his question. "Hey, will you be my friend?"
"Sure."
"Thanks."
"So if you ever get frightened, I'll be there for you. But right now, Joey needs both of our help. So let's cheer him on."
"Yeah, let's do it."
Keren laid down on her soft, comfy bed in one of the cabins of the ship. She generally would have loved to be able to spend time with Odion, but he was with the rare hunters so she didn’t expect him to come to see her anytime soon. She wasn’t about to brave the robed men’s hostility to be with him, either. She placed her hand beneath her chin. ‘Hmm…what shall I do through the duration of the voyage? It will be hours until we arrive.’ She thought about sleeping through it, but the idea of lazing around didn't sound very appealing to her. ‘Perhaps I will just read. I do have several books I never got around to reading.’ She reached into her satchel and pulled out one of the books. She was about to begin reading when all of a sudden, she heard a loud knock on the door. She gave a rather exasperated sigh. ‘Who could that be?’ She rolled over and placed her novel aside, lazily getting up to go see who it was. She would not mind if it was Odion coming to check on her, since she loved him very much. She pulled the door open and poked her head out. She froze, filled with trepidation.
Standing outside the door was not Odion, but rather two of Marik's rare hunters. The expressions on their faces were anything but friendly. The young woman’s heart sunk in her stomach, making her feel slightly queasy. A voice inside her head was screaming at her to just slam the door in their faces, but she couldn’t make her hands move. ‘Dear Ra, no. Of all the times my body could choose to paralyze on me, why now?’ Her legs started to tremble a bit. She had to hold onto the doorknob to keep from falling. "H-How can I help you?" she tentatively asked. She felt piercing pain tearing through her stomach and chest. Something told her whatever they came for couldn’t be pleasant, given how much they despised her.
"We've come for you to show us a good time, to see what Odion sees in you," responded one of the rare hunters in a dark tone. He smirked at her.
Keren gulped, and was speechless. She just stared at the men. So this was what their hostility towards her had been about. ‘I had thought they were blaming me for the death of their colleagues, but it seems I was wrong. They want to violate me. Did Marik put them up to this? No, not even he would want a woman to be defiled.’ Her eyes, which had been filled with fear, grew stone cold, and so did her voice as she spoke to them. "Well I am afraid I cannot help you there. Now please leave." She thawed out bit by bit and mustered enough strength to push the door closed, but the men demonstrated how much stronger they were by pushing the door back, causing her to stumble against the wall. She let out a cry of pain as her shoulderblade hit the wall. Before she could properly straighten up her body to be steady on her feet, one of the robed men strode over to her, grabbed her by the hand and pushed her onto the bed. It was clear that the men were not willing to take no for an answer. She did not like where this was going. "What the hell do you think you're doing?!" she cried.
"Temper, temper," answered the rare hunter, sneering at her. Her anger did not faze him in the least and she was all talk as far as he was concerned. ‘No one will come to your rescue, girlie.’ He whistled for the other rare hunter to come and hold her down.
“You got it!” The rare hunter came over and held Keren’s wrists so she would be defenseless against the other rare hunter's advances. As much as she tried to get out of his grip, it was futile. He was too strong. Her heart started to pound loudly as the rare hunter who had pushed her on the bed pulled off the veil she was wearing, and began to climb on top of her. Her wrists hurt from his iron grip on them and she felt grimy from his touch. ‘Oh Ra, please help me!’ There was no doubt in her mind about what he intended to do, and she was not going to allow it so easily. She tried to pull away, but with the other caped man having such a rigid grip on her, escaping wasn't exactly an option. She shut her eyes tight, bracing herself for the unthinkable that was about to happen and visualizing the consequences that would result from their actions. Pregnancy out of wedlock and fatal STDs were just two of the horrors that came to mind. ‘I’m sorry, my dear Odion. If you do not look at me the same way again, I understand.'
Then, before she had time to think of how to escape, a massive burst of energy flowed through her body. She kicked the rare hunter on top of her in the groin, making him let go of her and causing him to roll off the bed. He landed on the floor in a heap. Now that she was somewhat free, she swung out a leg and delivered a powerful blow to the other one, knocking the wind out of him. ‘All right, that should keep them down for a bit.’ She pulled herself into a sitting position before peering down to see the two men lying on the ground, dazed and still reeling from her little "assault". Wasting no time at all, she hopped off her bed and fled from the room as fast as she could, not looking back once. She didn’t know where she was going, but she didn’t care as long as she was away from the caped men. ‘Who knew I had it in me?’ Her wrists throbbed from having been held so tight, and her shoulderblade still ached, but those were the least of her worries. She ran so fast that she stepped on the tail of her dress and tripped. She used her hands to stop the fall, and one of the fingers on her left hand bent whilst she was pushing herself up to get back on her feet. There was a popping and snapping sound, followed by searing pain. She ignored it and held up her dress as she continued running through the hall. All of a sudden, she bumped into something...at least that was what she presumed until the figure moved and let out a loud groan. ‘Dear Ra, no. Please don’t let that be another rare hunter.‘
Drawing in a deep breath, Keren cautiously glanced up to see who it was she had bumped into. She breathed a huge sigh of relief when she saw it was only Marik. ‘Not quite who I was hoping to see, but he’s much more preferable than those awful men.‘ She built up the nerve to give him eye contact, which was generally difficult for her to do. She figured he would be furious and yelling at her to watch where she was going at the least. It was hard to tell, though, because his face was literally expressionless. “I-I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to bump into you. I hope you’re not hurt.”
Marik didn’t refuse her apology or acknowledge it. Instead he studied her facial features. He frowned when he noticed something different about her demeanor. He could sense she was shaken and in distress. Her eyes were also full of fear. ‘Wait a minute! Why would I care about that? She is no more useful than a slave!’ His frown transformed into his usual, all-business look. "Where do you think you're going?"
Keren let out a bitter laugh to try and lighten up the mood. “To be honest, I am not sure myself, but anywhere is safer than my cabin right now.”
“I see.” Marik’s eyebrows furrowed with curiosity. “And why is that?”
Under normal circumstances, Keren wouldn’t even think of giving any complaints to the tan-skinned young man regarding the rare hunters, since he typically pulled the strings of their actions. On the other hand, she noticed there was genuine concern in his voice and that would not be the case if he had put them up to it. “I was attacked by two of your rare hunters. They were going to—“ She couldn’t bring herself to say the word rape; it was too degrading to think about. “They were going to rob me of my innocence.” She took deep breaths, hoping Marik would understand what she was trying to say.
Marik stood there listening as the older woman related her story. He frowned slightly at her last admission. “Are you telling me they were trying to force you to give them intercourse?” he asked. He kept his voice leveled, but there was still a hint of fury in it.
Keren looked away when she saw Marik’s facial expression change. She hung her head and muttered a barely audible, “Yes.”
The Egyptian’s eyes narrowed angrily. To think his rare hunters dared to attack Odion's companion without his permission? He would see to it that they were severely punished. He reached out to grab her face, which made her flinch a bit. She relaxed when she realized he was cupping her chin to make her look up at him. “Are you hurt?” The pain on her face she had been trying to conceal answered his question.
Keren wasn’t sure what to make of Marik actually caring enough to ask such a question, for she was certain that side of him no longer existed. “I managed to escape in time so there’s nothing to worry about. It’s nothing serious.”
Marik furrowed his brow as if he were trying to assess the truth behind what the Israeli said. “I will be the judge of that.”
Before Keren could protest, Marik grabbed both of her hands and examined them, frowning deeply when he saw that a finger on one of them was black and blue, as well as bruises on the anterior of both of her wrists. Once again, she flinched, but this time it was because of the pain. “Your hand is badly bruised and swollen. So are your wrists. “
“Oh.” The young woman looked sheepish. “The rare hunters are responsible for the marks you see on my wrists.” She didn’t want Marik getting the wrong idea and accusing her of being clumsy, although he probably would say it when he knew what caused her hand injury.
Marik released her hands. It took everything in him to control his anger because there was a lady present. "Where are they?" he demanded to know.
"I left them lying unconscious in my cabin. I'm sure they have come to and left since then to try to come after me." Keren was about to lead him to her cabin when all of a sudden, she heard footsteps, which prompted her and Marik to whirl around. There stood the robed men who tried to rob her of all her dignity and purity. They both had smirks on their faces, which faltered when they saw Marik standing next to their victim, looking furious. Their mouths fell open at the sight, as they were sure the cornsilk blonde would congratulate them for disposing of someone they considered a potential obstacle. They knew they were in for the biggest earful ever, or possibly worse.
Marik glared murderously at his minions. However, a part of him smiled inwardly at seeing the look of dread on their faces. "You fools, explain yourself regarding Keren!" he barked.
The robed men opened and closed their jaws several times before realizing they were at a loss for words. Marik’s withering stare did not help matters and made them wish they could just disappear. Beads of sweatdrops appeared on their foreheads.
“I’m waiting,” Marik reminded the men in a sing song voice.
The robed men looked down on the ground to avoid his eyes. "P-Please spare us, Master Marik! We didn't mean any harm!" cried out one of them.
Marik could very easily see through their pretense and knew they were not the least bit remorseful for their actions. "You dare inflict harm on this woman without my permission?!" he raged.
The two men got to their knees and started sniveling. "Please! It won't happen again!"
"You're correct, it won't." Marik slowly walked toward the henchmen, and raised his millennium rod over them. They trembled and their teeth started chattering. "Accept your fate!" He emitted a burst of dark energy to engulf their minds, causing them to collapse, motionless. With a flick of his cape, the tombkeeper walked away, leaving a dumbfounded Keren behind.
Keren watched as Marik took his leave. It always made her shudder whenever she heard of him sending his minions to the Shadow Realm, but witnessing it was an entirely different story. Yet this time she was able to observe without feeling like she would be traumatized. ‘I must say, I am grateful to him this time. He saved my life. Who knows what those men would have done to ensure they succeeded next time?’ She was positive that there were more rare hunters on the ship, but she was certain they would know not to repeat the same mistake once they learned of the fate of their colleagues.
She examined her finger to see if what Marik had said about it was true or if he was just exaggerating. Not that he would have any reason to, but he had proven he could be hard to figure out at times. She let out a soft gasp when she saw it was indeed swollen and badly bruised. ‘Goodness, Marik was right! It looks terrible!’ When she tried wiggling the finger, it hurt so terribly that she swore in Aramaic. She headed back to her cabin to see if there was anything she could use to temporarily numb the immense pain. ‘It would be nice if Marik had remained to see if I needed assistance. I am sure he has some medical supplies in his room.’ She let out an exasperated sigh. ‘Oh well. I might as well see what I can do for now.’ She knew she wouldn’t be able to see a doctor until the ship arrived in Domino, and that wouldn’t be for hours. ‘Hopefully I can make it until then.’
Kenta and Serenity had been rooting for Joey as he fought hard to overcome Weevil’s many nefarious webs. A wide grin spread on Kenta’s face as he watched Weevil’s life points drop to zero. "The duel is over!" he reported to Serenity. "He won! Joey kicked Weevil's buggy butt!"
The young girl beamed brightly. Although she was quiet, inwardly she felt like jumping up and down. “I knew he could do it.”
"Yeah. He almost lost a zillion times, but he never gave up." Kenta now knew Serenity had been right all along, and he had no qualms admitting it either. "Serenity? I'm through running away! I'm not afraid anymore. I know I can face anything, as long as I have friends like you."
Serenity smiled at him, glad that he finally realized what she had been trying to tell him. "That's right."
Kenta propped himself up on the bed, with a pensive look on his face. "You know, one of these days I might become a top ranked duelist just like your brother, and all my friends can come cheer me on."
"I say go for it if you really want to. And I will be cheering the loudest. "
Kenta put his adorable face on. "Can you get me Joey's autograph?"
Serenity chuckled at his enthusiasm, though she was flattered he was now a fan of her older brother. "I'll ask him next time I speak with him." She wasn’t sure how, but she would find a way to get it to him.
The bystanders eyed the results of Joey’s and Weevil’s duel with awe. Just like most nay-sayers, they wondered whether the blonde would be able to live up to his reputation by defeating another unstoppable duelist. They murmured amongst themselves, saying things like, "Wow, what a duel. I can't believe Wheeler pulled it off “and “Well, he wasn't second in Duelist Kingdom for nothing.”
Yugi was passing by when he noticed the crowd of people talking about his best friend. He smiled to himself as he listened to them say how genuinely impressed they were. 'Excellent work, Joey. You did all of this without the Red Eyes Black Dragon! Keep it up and you'll qualify for the finals in no time.' Knowing that Marik's rare hunters were looking for him, he intended to use Red Eyes to help him with the battles. He had a feeling it would be instrumental in saving the world.
Marik spied on the people of Battle City through Strings. The mine’s head started to emit a golden aura. 'The time is growing close, my mind slave. Soon, we will defeat Yugi together! Hahahahaha!' By then, he had managed to calm his foul mood. He just hoped he wouldn't have to spend any more time baby-sitting his rare hunters. He had little time and patience for such nonsense.
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