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Post by LadyKeren on Dec 22, 2015 12:48:11 GMT
Chapter 16
After Joey’s duel with Weevil, Vicki decided to stop at home to get some snacks before watching another duel. ‘I think I will watch Yugi’s duel next.’ She mentally cursed herself for not stopping to get food before leaving the house that morning because now she risked missing someone’s duel. ‘Oh well. Hopefully I will be just in time.’
Joey was walking down the street with Tèa, Tristan and Mr. Mutou, grinning from ear to ear. He was on a new high over his win against the insect duelist and he would be savoring his victory for awhile yet. "Who's the man? Thanks to Weevil, I'm only one duel away from qualifying for the Battle City finals." He was especially glad Yugi was there to see him kick the bug duelist out of the tournament. His mind drifted on Mai and how she was progressing. ‘I’ve caught up with you, Mai. One more duel and I will have made it to the finals.’
"That was some seriously impressive dueling back there, Joey," Tristan told the blonde. "You sent Weevil running out of Battle City like a roach from a spray can!"
Joey's grin turned cocky. He couldn’t help showing off just a little. "I guess I was the star of the show today, wasn't I? I had some fans I didn't even know about, I crushed Weevil, what a duel, huh? And plus, I got that termite's rarest card, the Insect Queen." The blonde held the card with pride.
"You know, Joey, you should have taken his Great Moth," said Tristan. "It's even more powerful than Insect Queen."
"I would have, but I don't have the Cocoon of Evolution or Larvae Moth…can't afford those right now."
"Never mind that, Joey," said Tèa. "You have a rare card you totally deserve. So for, you have defeated two top-ranked duelists, and both of them turned out to be major cheaters."
Joey’s grin faded and he looked serious as he thought about how accurate Tèa’s observation was. Everyone knew what a cheater Weevil was, and as for Espa, he gained respect for him after he made a promise to never cheat again. "Yeah, I just noticed that. Why am I the one attracting these freaks?"
Mr. Mutou chuckled. "It's good practice, Joey. Dueling Weevil and Espa Roba prepared you for anything. You're on your way to becoming an experienced duelist. "
"You're right, Gramps. Eat your heart out, Yugi!" The blonde started laughing excitedly. He looked forward to making it all the way to the top, even if it meant getting past two other top duelists first.
Tèa looked thoughtful when Joey mentioned Yugi. "I hope Yugi's other duels go well,” she said, smoothing out her short crimson skirt. Ishizu's warning about ancient evil forces was still worrying her. ‘Looks like I won’t get to watch Yugi duel after all…not until the finals at least.’
"Oh, I'm sure they will," said Tristan confidently. "You know it takes a lot to defeat him."
"True, but at this point I'm not so sure. I mean, there's no telling what the enemy is capable of."
Joey rolled his eyes, as if to say Oh please. "Come on. The guy is a creep, but he's got nothing on Yuge."
"I would like to believe that, but----"
Tristan gave Tèa a look. "No buts, Tèa. Yugi is gonna be fine. If anything does happen, he has us to back him up. Now enough about that snake in the grass, whoever he is. Joey needs another challenge."
Tèa looked sheepish. She never expected the day would come when Tristan chided her for anything."Oh right."
Marik spied on Yugi’s friends through Strings with a sinister smirk on his face. His rare hunters were stationed at every possible location. He used his rod to compel them to pay attention to the group. “Follow them my hunter. You'll need them all soon.” He gave an evil laugh, proud of himself for coming up with his diabolical scheme.After a fairly long journey, his ship finally approached Domino Harbour and was now in the process of docking. Most of the time, he stood on deck to observe all that went on in Battle City. "The time has come for my arrival. Everything seems to be in place, but before I set foot in Battle City, I have one more task to complete. If all goes as planned, the power of the pharaoh will be mine!”
Odion came to check up on him. He hoped his younger brother was feeling better after seeming to be in a foul mood earlier. "Master Marik…is it time? The Quiet One waits."
"Yes. I will use him to eliminate Yugi Mutou once and for all. And then, I'll dispose of the pharaoh and take that puzzle. Hahaha!" He grinned evilly, feeling very prepared for his duel with the pharaoh. He was confident he would succeed this time, for the plan was too elaborate and fool proof not to work. He would be furious if he failed, although he had started to come up with another way to annihilate his enemy.
Keren could feel the ship slowing down as she lay in her bed. She got up, went over to the window and peeked outside to see how far it had to go. She let out a sigh of relief that the journey had just about come to an end. Such a long trip bearing the excruciating pain in her finger was almost too much for her, to the extent she had nearly passed out. She had made a bandage for it from a handkerchief, but it did nothing but kept her finger still. She very rarely used painkillers but this was a time she wasn’t above popping a couple of them. Problem was, she would have to eat first and she didn’t have it in her to force down any food. ‘This must be why Ishizu warned me to be careful,’ she realized, running her good hand through her hair. ‘Surely she will understand I tried my hardest.’ All she could think about was the close call she had with the rare hunters. Try as she may to push the incident to the furthest corridor of her mind, she knew she would not be able to forget it for awhile. She trembled as she thought of what would have happened if she hadn’t reacted when she did. ‘I wonder if Odion knows what happened. I don’t know if I can face him if he does. He must despise me now.’ A part of her wanted him to come and see her again. She thought maybe he would be able to soothe her distress. She sighed in despair and headed back to her bed, pulling a pillow towards her to lay her head on. ‘Who am I fooling? He’s probably ashamed of me.’ Feeling physically and mentally exhausted, she closed her eyes, allowing sleep to claim her.
Several teenagers gathered around Strings, eyeing him with fascinated looks on their faces. They had been curious as to what he was, so they had stopped to take a closer look. He just stood on the seat of the bench motionless.
The orange haired girl yawned as if to show how bored she was. “I’m getting sleepy watching this guy.”
One of the boys snickered. “Right? He hasn’t moved since he got up on that bench.”
"He's a mime genius," one teen remarked snidely. "He stands there all quiet and we're supposed to be impressed."
"I don't get it, guys,” said the orange haired girl. "Is he pretending to be a statue or something?"
The blonde young man waved his hand in front of the mind puppet's face in an attempt to wake him up. "Earth to mime dude! Is anyone home in that bald head of yours?"
The teen girl tapped her foot and yawned again. "Hello, are you gonna move or what? Because if not, we don’t need to be here wasting our time. I’m getting hungry." Her stomach began to rumble immediately afterwards.
Through Strings’ eyes, Marik glanced at the teens and smirked at them. 'What silly mortals. They want this puppet awake? I'll awaken him all right.' Raising his millennium rod, he pointed it at his mind slave’s forehead.”Awake my mind slave!” The Eye of Horus appeared on the mime’s forehead and his eyes shot wide open. The teens widened their eyes in shock and jumped back.
“Was it something I said?” wondered the orange haired girl. She knew she wanted the mime to be mobile, but his sudden movements were not what she quite had in mind. She watched as he pulled out his duel disk and slipped it on his arm.
"Now locate Yugi Mutou!" Marik instructed the puppet. Strings leapt off the bench with such lightning speed that the teenagers were caught by surprise. He scurried off as if he were being chased. The teens just stared after him with their mouths hanging open.
The blonde young man let out a soft whistle. “That was pretty weird. Had he been sleeping or something?”
The orange haired girl shrugged her shoulders. “Oh who cares? Let’s just get something to eat. I’m starving.”
“Good idea.” The teenagers headed towards the plaza to find a nearby eatery.
Strings sprinted through the streets of Battle City like a track and field star. Marik increased the power of the rod slightly to make him run faster. ‘I will use one of my two Egyptian God cards to devastate him!’ He laughed evilly.
Yugi stood in front of the waterway as he thought of his impending duel with another one of Marik's ruthless minions. He wasn't sure what to expect from The Quiet One, but given the fact that the rare hunter possessed an Egyptian God card, he was sure the battle would be challenging, to say the least. ‘I guess I will have to be prepared for anything, but that’s hard considering I don’t know the name of this card, nor its strengths and weaknesses. I have a bad feeling nothing in my deck will be able to come close to matching its power.’ A worried look appeared on his child-like features as he visualized what would happen should he fail. Yami appeared next to him, concern filling his eyes when he saw the worried look on his face.
“What’s on your mind, Yugi?” asked the ancient spirit. “Is something troubling you?”
Yugi lowered his head a bit. "It's just that Marik keeps on talking about killing you and taking your power for himself. But you are the pharaoh. If you really had all this power, wouldn't you have known about it? You must have if you saved the world. But what happened?"
Yami furrowed his brow in thought. He wished he had an answer for the question but the only thing he knew of his past was what Ishizu had revealed to him before the tournament began. "It's all still unclear," he answered truthfully.
"Well I do know Marik's family have been protecting your family for years and for some reason, he has gotten this crazy idea that he's worthy of being the pharaoh instead of you. And I will do everything I can to make sure he doesn't get away with it. As long as he can't defeat us in a duel he cannot destroy you or take your power. Destiny brought the puzzle to me, and even though I didn't know it when I first put it together, I feel like I was meant to have it, and we are bonded forever. I will help you save the world, just as you did in the past. You may have had do it alone the first time, but now you have support from me and our friends, and with that, you will never lose."
The corner of Yami’s lips curled up into a small smile. "Thank you, Yugi. Your friendship means a great deal to me."
"Together we will find out about your past and put a stop to Marik's plan.” Yugi’s voice softened as he said, “I just hope I am strong enough to hold my own, should I ever have to."
Yami could hear the doubt in his friend’s voice, and realized he still had to teach him how to have confidence. "You have already proven your strength, Yugi. Your courage and determination are as great as I've ever seen. I've said it before. You have the heart of a pharaoh.”
“Thank you, Yami.” Yugi knew the ancient pharaoh only spoke the truth, but deep down he still wasn’t so sure. ‘I’ll have to do my best, though. I can’t keep relying on Yami’s strength.’
Yami frowned as the energy surrounding him changed, making him feel extremely unsettled. "I sense a dark presence approaching." He retreated before Yugi could ask any questions.
"Huh?" Yugi looked around, but didn’t see the spirit of the puzzle anywhere. His mind had been wandering when he faintly heard him say something about sensing evil. He felt it too, and also heard evil laughter. He looked up sharply. "Who's there? Show yourself!"
The response was more sinister laughter. “Yugi!” yelled a menacing sounding voice. A bald headed young man with multiple piercings soared through the air and landed on the ground in front of the spiky haired teen with precision.
Yugi was too taken aback to note the stranger’s agility. ‘Could this man be the Quiet One? I can’t be sure. I mean, he looks so different from the other rare hunters.’ He stared hard at the young man. "Who are you?"
Strings merely ignored Yugi’s question, instead replying, “Prepare to duel and lose your precious friend as well as your puzzle!”
Suddenly it clicked in Yugi’s head who the man was. Only one person had ever threatened him with such words before. "Marik!"
"Yes. And soon the world will be calling me Pharaoh!"
Yugi just glowered at the rare hunter. The fact that Marik wanted to kill his friend for his power showed how sick and twisted he was.
Marik saw the scowl on Yugi’s face, and smirked slightly, figuring the anger was because he had forgotten to introduce his servant. "Oh, pardon my rudeness. This is my mindslave, Strings, The Quiet One! And thanks to the power of my millennium rod, he shall defeat you!"
"Coward!" spat Yugi.
Marik let out a soft chuckle, clearly amused by his archenemy’s chastising remarks. "We'll meet soon enough, Yugi. But until then, why should I waste my time when I can duel you through my mind puppets? Battling with the power of my millennium rod is no different than you using your puzzle to duel!"
Yugi shook his head at how deluded Marik was, although it didn’t particularly surprise him. ‘I can’t let this madness continue. There’s only one thing left to do.’ His eyes filled with new resolve, he belted out, “YU-GI-OH!” A golden light from the puzzle engulfed him as his alter-ego possessed his body.
"That's not true! You force your servants to do your dirty work by taking control of their minds against their will! I duel with respect and honor!" said the spirit of the ancient pharaoh.
"And I will do what is necessary to claim that power, especially if it means ending your life!"
Yami still couldn't understand why Marik wanted to kill him, but one thing he knew was he had to stop him at all costs. "To do that, Marik, you'll have to defeat me, and break the heart of the cards. I can assure you that won't happen."
A sneer escaped the tombkeeper’s lips. 'We'll just see how you fare against an Egyptian God.’
Strings gazed at the ancient pharaoh with disdain. "Ha! You call yourself a pharaoh? You do not have what it takes to be one, so destiny has chosen me to take the power of the pharaoh away from you and then destroy you." He was tempted to list all the ways he felt his foe made an unworthy king right then and there, but decided not to.
"You are abusing the power of your millennium rod," replied Yami. "The ancient power is not yours to take."
Yugi’s silhouette momentarily appeared to show his agreement with his friend. "You tell him! There's no way he's getting away with this!"
"I just did."
"Okay." Yugi's spirit disappeared.
Yami angrily faced Strings. "Marik, make your move!"
Just then, Vicki hurried out of her apartment with her satchel of goodies slung over her shoulder and a cup in her hands. She stopped for a moment to catch her breath before spotting a taller Yugi standing face to face with an unusual looking guy, staring each other down. She let out a sigh of relief that she hadn’t missed anything. ‘Looks like I have arrived just in the nick of time. But who is that guy?’ She wrinkled her nose at the piercings all over the mime’s face and quickly removed her eyes off of him. "Yugi!" she called out.
Yami turned around slightly to face her. "Vicki." He figured she had come to give him support, which he could use. He needed all he could get if he were to face Marik’s Egyptian God monster.
"Who is your opponent?" Vicki inquired.
"Strings, the Quiet One."
"Oh." The name sounded very odd to her. 'What's his business with Yugi, anyway?' She could feel the mime looking at her. Her eyes met his for a brief moment and she thought she could see lust in them. ‘Why the hell is he looking at me like that? He should find someone his own type. Ugh!’ She shuddered.
Marik gazed at the brunette, licking his lips slightly. ‘Such a beauty, and I adore her spunk. She would make an excellent pawn if I have to resort to using the pharaoh’s friends to get what I want.’
Ishizu was back at the museum after winning another duel. She now had five locator cards. One more and she would have enough to qualify for the finals. She had called Keren to see if she was all right after her ordeal with the rare hunters, but there was no answer. She knew the reason for that, though, so she wasn’t too worried. ‘Dear Ra, please protect Keren from any more danger,’ she prayed silently. Her mind drifted off to Marik and his plan. "The wheels of fate are in motion. My brother faces Yami, and although he follows the path of evil, he can be saved. There is good inside him, but in order for his good side to shine, he must fail in his quest to assassinate the pharaoh."
The dark spirit of the ring had been roaming the streets of Battle City when he decided now was the perfect time to make his presence known and put his evil plan into motion. He approached the museum with a wide grin on his face. ‘Soon, this entire world will be mine!’ The arrows on his millennium ring pointed and tugged him with such a great force that he nearly stumbled. "I sense there is another millennium item inside. You must show me the way to this item my ring. Soon, all seven items will belong to me." He slowly walked up the steps and entered the museum, grinning to himself the entire time. ‘I wonder which item I am destined to collect this time.’
Ishizu let out a soft gasp when she felt the energy in the room shift from its pure aura. “The evil spirit,” she whispered. She disappeared from the room to go into hiding. She knew the tombrobber was coming after her item, and she couldn't allow that.
Yami Bakura continued to follow the force of the millennium item. He stopped in a room that held the stone tablets. All of a sudden, the arrows pointed down. "What's this? The force is gone!" His grin faded and he let out a soft growl, displeased at having his plans ruined.‘No matter. Those who possess the sacred items cannot evade me forever.’ He pondered what to do, for he was not about to scour the museum just to find the millennium item. His eyebrows furrowed when he noticed the tablets. He walked up to them to take a closer look. "It has been eons since I've laid my eyes on these stone carvings. Once I've obtained all seven millennium items, I can unlock the shadow magic it depicts."
Ishizu exhaled a deep breath, thinking what a close call it was.” This spirit has some knowledge of the ancient scriptures, but doesn’t know all, for my brother wishes to vanquish the pharaoh for a power far more dangerous."
*Flashback begins*
Marik took Ishizu’s refusal to reveal the location of Obelisk to mean she had removed it. He threateningly pointed the millennium rod at her. "You cannot stop me!"
Ishizu just stared at her brother in disbelief whilst holding back a shiver. "You'd use your millennium rod on your own flesh and blood, Marik?"
"If you continue to stand in my way, sister, then yes, I'll have to." The cornsilk blonde emitted an orb of light from the rod, nearly blinding the older woman.
Ishizu placed both hands in front of her face in an attempt to shield herself. "The pharaoh's power isn't yours!" To her relief, the light had no effect on her. She looked up and saw that Marik was nowhere in sight. She let out a sad sigh at how much her younger brother had changed. ‘I have to stop him before it’s too late.’
*End Flashback*
No longer sensing the presence of the dark spirit, Ishizu left her hiding spot. 'Only my brother's failure can save him. He must not succeed, or the entire world will be in jeopardy. The true pharaoh is the only one who can stop him.'
Marik smirked to himself as he formulated the rest of his sinister plan. It was pretty simple, compared with the largest part of the task. 'Once I am victorious, the millennium puzzle will be around my neck at last! Then I can focus on stripping Kaiba of the third Egyptian God card! Once I possess all three, I will combine their strength! In accordance with the ancient scriptures, I'll drain the power of the pharaoh himself and he will be no more! Nothing can stop me, Battle City and the world will tremble at my feet!'
"Your plan will never work, Marik!" Yami told the tombkeeper.
Marik sneered at his greatest foe. "I'm afraid it already has! I have drawn you into a duel. You can't possibly win! It's all over for you, Pharaoh!"
Yami wearily rubbed his temples. His patience for Marik’s ranting and raving was wearing thin."All right, Marik! No more talk!" He activated his duel disk.
Strings activated his duel disk as well. "Prepare to be destroyed by the force of my Egyptian God card!"
"I've heard enough!"
"Let's duel!"
"Stick it to this nut job, Yugi!" blared out Vicki. It had only been five minutes and already the mime was driving her up the wall.
Yami briefly glanced at her. "Right." He turned back to face his opponent. "You and your mindslave will never win my puzzle, Marik!"
"I disagree. Now, I set one card face down, and play this monster in attack mode! Meet Humanoid Slime!" (800 attack points). A liquid human-like being appeared. "This is the beginning of the end for you, Pharaoh! So make your move, and prepare to lose it all!"
"You will fail!" The ancient pharaoh pulled a card from his deck and glanced at it, looking thoughtful. ‘Hmmm, Gazelle the King of Mythical Beasts. It’s odd that he would play such a weak monster in attack mode, but I guess he wants me to attack so he can use his face down card to destroy my monster. I won't let him get away with it. I have to think of a strategy, and fast!' "I'll also set one card face down, and then, I'll summon a monster known as Gazelle, the King of Mythical Beasts in attack mode!” (1500 attack points) The lion-like creature materialized onto the field, roaring fiercely. “A stronger beast than yours!"
"Yes, your monster is almost twice as strong as mine, but don't be so confident your Gazelle will prevail! It takes more than strength to win a duel!"
"I'm well aware of that."
"Then you won't be surprised when my Humanoid Slime annihilates your monster!"
Vicki had begun to drink her smoothie when she heard Strings’ words. She almost choked on it, trying to suppress her laughter. ‘Is this dude nuts? Humanoid Slime doesn’t stand a chance!’
A laugh was threatening to escape Yami. He managed to hold it in, but just barely. "I'd like to see you try that, Marik!"
"Very well. I summon Worm Drake!" A jade and amber coloured worm materialized onto the field, letting out a loud roar. “Watch what happens when I use Polymerization to fuse my creatures together in order to create a diabolical new monster!” Yami and Vicki watched intently as the energies of the two monsters combined together. A half human, half worm beast emerged. "Behold my new weapon, Humanoid Worm Drake!" announced the mime. "It's 2200 attack points are more than enough to destroy your Gazelle as well as a portion of your life points!"
Vicki raised an eyebrow slightly, clicking her tongue. ‘Well that’s some monster. I have to admit, though, the plasma prevents it from looking too horrible.’ She went back to sipping her smoothie.
Yami shook his head at how much Marik was getting ahead of himself. "You’re forgetting something. When you fuse two monsters together, you must wait one turn before you can attack, so you've left yourself wide open, Marik. Your failure to abide by the rules is going to hurt you."
Strings let out a huffy laugh. "That's of no concern to me! Rules were meant to be manipulated, and my face down card will take care of that task for me. I simply outsmarted you, Pharaoh!"
"Let's see!"
"Just as you wish. Reveal face down card, the Quick Attack magic card!"
Yami let out a gasp. "You can attack now!"
"Very perceptive! Quick Attack allows my monster to attack in the same turn it was formed! Hmm. You've underestimated me as a duelist, and for that, you must pay a price! So watch closely as I destroy your monster and move one step closer to silencing you forever! I'm afraid you're no match for me, Pharaoh!"
Yami had a grim look on his face, knowing Marik and his mindslave were right. However, it was a part of his ploy to lure the villains in his trap.
Vicki let out a groan of annoyance. She was tempted to yell at Marik to quit his gloating and just make his move, but Yami seemed to know how to handle him, so she didn't.
"Now watch as my Humanoid Worm attacks! Destroy his Gazelle, my beast!"
The plasma monster floated towards the lion-like creature, prepared to slash it to shreds with its claws. Yami gave a small grin. "Hold on, Marik! I activate, De-fusion.”
Strings’ jaw dropped open as he watched his monsters split back into the original two. ‘Pharaoh is much cleverer than I thought.’ He gritted his teeth and scowled, angry that his plan was thwarted. "So you knew my plan at the start?"
"That's right. As soon as you played a monster as weak as Humanoid Slime in attack mode, I knew then and there that you were luring me to attack it!"
"And I thought you fell for it!"
"That's exactly what I wanted you to think, but it was really I who was luring you to use your hidden magic card so I could reverse it!"
Strings grunted in response. He was told the pharaoh was intelligent, but he didn’t expect his strategy to be crushed so easily. ‘Hmph! Such an impudent fool. It won’t matter when he feels the wrath of my God card!’ His scowl turned into an evil grin as a way to take his game up a level came to him.
Yami frowned deeply. Countering the mindslave’s move seemed almost too easy. He didn’t expect such sloppy dueling from him. ‘I do not understand. For someone who is confident he will be victorious, he has barely put up a fight. Is he trying to lose on purpose or is he setting me up for something? Either way, I must duel with all my strength.’ He gave the mime a reproachful look. "I was hoping for a far more challenging duel from you, but you've only disappointed me."
Marik chuckled lightly."This duel is far from over.”
"You'll never win my millennium puzzle if you continue dueling like that."
"It seems you're as smart as they say you are. That last turn was only a test! I will not be denied my victory or your puzzle!" He didn't want Yami to think he would achieve an easy victory. Not that he thought it was possible, considering what was to come.
"You will if you keep making amateur moves!"
"You shall witness my skills in due time! Once I defeat and kill you, I will become pharaoh! The relentless power of my Egyptian God card will deliver to me your puzzle and assure your death! Prepare to face the force the likes of which you have never seen!"
'Huh. This nutcase is more of a psycho than I suspected. He isn't scaring anyone with his outrageous threats!' Vicki rubbed the bridge of her nose, not sure whether to laugh or beat up her friend’s opponent.
"Your puzzle and your power will soon be mine!" said Strings.
"Only if you win," the ancient pharaoh reminded him.”It’s my turn. “ He drew his next card and put on a contemplative look. ‘Buster Blader. He's too powerful to waste on the weak monsters. But I am sure he will come in handy once Marik plays something more powerful, so I'll hold him until the time is right.' He gazed at the other cards in his hand for another option and smiled a bit when he saw he was holding Beta the Magnet Warrior. "Now I'll dispose of your weak monsters! I summon Beta the Magnet Warrior in attack mode. Destroy his Worm Drake now!" The monster shot a beam of magnetic energy at the worm, swallowing and dissolving it. “Next, my gazelle will attack! Destroy his Humanoid Slime with your Claw of Destruction!” With a mighty swipe of Gazelle’s claw, Humanoid Slime was reduced to water droplets, taking Marik/Strings down to three thousand life points. "You have no monsters left to protect you.”
'Excellent work! I knew you could do it!’ Vicki mentally congratulated him.
A grin slowly spread across the tombkeeper’s face. He had figured out the perfect way to put an end to his enemy’s winning streak and prepare him for the summoning of his Egyptian God. ‘Just one card and the pharaoh will be in dire straits.’ The rare hunter shot the pharaoh a smirk."Very impressive dueling. However, I'm just testing your strengths and weaknesses so I can destroy you and take away all that you possess! It's time for round two, and things are about to get interesting. Are you ready?" He pulled a card from his deck and held it up to look at, grinning when he saw he had drawn the one he needed. "The card I now hold is like nothing you've ever seen before. It is a creature that simply cannot be destroyed. It's a shapeless being made completely of plasma with no solid mass, making it utterly indestructible, and the perfect defense against enemy attacks!” He set the card down horizontally on his duel disk. “Prepare to experience Revival Jam, in defense mode!” (500 def) A watery ghost shaped monster appeared on the field, hovering in midair. "Just try to attack it! You will fail, I tell you!"
The spirit of the puzzle looked unimpressed. Here he was, thinking he would be dealing with a monster strong enough to defeat either of his two beasts and yet his opponent made another poor move. "It looks weak to me, Marik!"
"It looks weak, does it? Well take a look at this! I play the magic card, Jam Breeding Machine, which is the countdown to your destruction! What does it do, you might ask? Allow me to explain, if you will. Think of it as monster creating machine, breathing life into a new plasma creature every turn. This machine will continue to provide me with more and more plasma beasts called Slime Tokens."(500 attack points)
Yami knitted his eyebrows together. He eyed the unusual looking machine and noticed three slots, one on each side. It didn’t take him long to put two and two together. "Your plan is obvious. You plan to keep creating Slime Tokens until you have enough to sacrifice and summon your Egyptian God monster."
"Very observant, Pharaoh. Too bad you won't be able to come up with a way to stop me. Once my breeding machine creates three Slime Tokens, I will be able to summon the beast that will bring about your ultimate destruction! Your powers and puzzle will belong to me forever! They will be of no use to you, after your death."
Vicki’s face turned pale and she started shaking with rage. ‘Ugh! The hell does this scumbag think he is, murdering people?’ She never thought she would come across someone more evil-minded than Weevil, who was detestable enough. It took everything in her to not rush over to the henchman, pummel him to the ground and beat him to a bloody pulp. She started breathing heavily. ‘I hope Yugi gets rid of him before I lose it.’ She forced down another gulp of smoothie, and lucky for her it was the last bit, because she was beginning to lose her appetite.
"Sorry Marik, but as long as I believe in the heart of the cards, your plan will never work. So prepare to lose!" Yami pulled another card from his deck and scrunched up his brow, thinking of a way to stop Marik from executing his plan. ‘Now is the perfect time to summon my Buster Blader. I have to wipe out Marik’s life points before he summons his Egyptian God and I have 3 turns to do it. There’s no telling what his Egyptian God monster is capable of.’ It was times like this he wished he had his memories so he would easily have a handle on how to defeat an Egyptian God. "I sacrifice my two monsters in order to summon my all powerful Buster Blader!" (2600 attk) A warrior with navy colored armor and yellow lining emerged, clutching a large sword behind his shoulder. "My expert swordsman has the power to wipe out your Revival Jam and more than half of your life points!"
The brunette expected such a monster from a duelist in Yugi's league. A small excited grin formed on her face. ‘Freakshow is in for it for sure. His monster doesn’t stand a chance. I hope to see Dark Magician in action, too.’
Marik/ Strings gave a look of false admiration. "Your monster's attack strength is quite impressive, Pharaoh, but it's still useless against my Revival Jam!"
"We'll see! Now my sword wielding monster, destroy his Revival Jam!" The magnificent warrior leapt in the air with great amplitude and hacked the plasma creature so forcefully that only small bits of plasma remained...or so it appeared. "Your monster has been splattered!"
Marik/Strings gave a smug grin. “Has it?”
“Huh?” Yami watched with a look of horror as the bits of plasma began to rebuild until the monster was whole again. "What's happening? It's reforming!"
Vicki’s eyes widened. "What on earth….?" It boggled her mind how an obviously weaker monster could be unscathed from an attack like that. Her mouth formed into an O shape. ‘Well then…I think I have seen it all.’
Marik laughed gleefully at Yami’s stunned expression. It was refreshing to see he had proven him wrong for a change. "You're surprised? I told you my Revival Jam implored the perfect defense. Even the most powerful sword cannot destroy my monster. It will always reform itself!"
The ancient pharaoh looked grim upon hearing that. "So I can't attack?"
"You can. It just won't work! This means Revival Jam will protect my life points, while my breeding machine continues to create monsters for my ultimate sacrifice!"
Yami’s frown deepened as he realized how dire his situation was. He knew turning the duel around wasn’t impossible, but it would take time, and he didn’t have much of it left. ‘I have to find another way to wipe out Marik’s life points quickly, since destroying Revival Jam is out of the question…maybe if he plays another monster. Yes, that’s it.’
"Your dueling days are almost over," taunted Marik/Strings. "Soon, my breeding machine will have created enough monsters to sacrifice. Then comes your worst nightmare! My Egyptian God card!" Just as he drew a card, the Jam Breeding Machine was activated, producing a small pear shaped baby blue plasma being in the process. "I lay one card face down and end my turn! Only two turns left, then you'll meet your doom!"
A small smile appeared on Yami’s chiseled features. The taunting did not faze him in the least, for he had an alternative plan which would guarantee his victory if executed successfully. "I may not be able to stop your breeding machine but your plan has one tragic flaw, Marik. The rules state you have to sacrifice three Slime Tokens to summon your one Egyptian God, but what happens if I destroy them first? You see, your Slime Tokens are defenseless against the superior power of my Buster Blader. I can take them out with no resistance, and more importantly, each time Buster Blader destroys one of your Slime Tokens you'll lose over two thousand life points because they're so feeble! This means you’ll be defeated in two turns according to my calculations! Now my Buster Blader, attack his Slime Token!" The mighty warrior raised his sword and brought it down to reduce the puny monster into raindrops.
Strings’ lips spread into a devious grin.”Or don’t!”
Yami’s jaw dropped open. “Huh?”
“I reveal my face down card, the continuous trap, Jam Defender!” Revival Jam stretched its body and shifted in front of the Slime Token, causing it to absorb the attack instead.
"What's this? Revival Jam shielded your monster!" The ancient pharaoh wondered just how many more surprises his foe had. He was running out of ways to stop them. ‘I guess I’ll have to see what my deck has in store for me next. I don’t know how much time I have left.’
Marik/Strings laughed evilly. "Exactly! As long as Revival Jam stays in defense mode, the Jam Defender forces it to absorb all of your attacks, which means every one of your attacks will be blocked!" Just like before, the plasma monster reformed itself. "You see I knew you'd attack my Slime Tokens in a desperate attempt to stop me from summoning my Egyptian God monster, so I've protected them with an indestructible force!"
Yami grunted in frustration. He knew he had hoped for a challenging duel from Marik, but not like this.
"The end is near!" continued Strings. He drew a card from his deck, which activated his breeding machine again and produced the second Slime Token. “In case you’re not keeping track, I have two Slime Tokens now.”
"I've got to stop this," said the spirit of the puzzle in a low voice. He didn’t know how he would, but he was sure his deck would help him pull through.
"I'm afraid there's only one turn left, Pharaoh, before I summon my Egyptian God monster to destroy you. But just to be safe, I think I'll play this magic card, Nightmare Steel Cage, to make sure you can't attack me for the next two turns. Not that you'll be around that long!"
Yami watched helplessly as a semi-circular pen appeared around him and his monster. Vicki’s hands started to shake, causing her to nearly drop her smoothie cup. ‘Come on, Yugi. I know it looks bad but I have watched you for a long time and you have always created miracles. Don’t lose hope.’
"Now all you can do is just watch as I summon the most powerful creature you've ever seen to annihilate you!" gloated Marik/Strings.
Yami looked dismal. Marik was right. At this rate, his chances of victory were extremely bleak. First all of his attacks were rendered useless, now he was trapped for two whole turns, which meant the tan skinned young man would succeed in summoning the Egyptian God monster for sure. Even if he were able to get rid of the cage and trap card somehow, he would still have an immensely powerful creature to deal with. ‘I’m sure it has a weakness. However, finding it will be a challenge. But I’ll do it, somehow.’
Marik smirked evilly at his opponent’s apprehension. 'Soon, the millennium puzzle and the pharaoh's power will belong to me forever! Hahahahaha!' |
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Post by LadyKeren on Dec 28, 2015 20:56:34 GMT
Chapter 17
Yami had a meditative expression on his face as he was trying to figure a way out of his tight spot. ‘I must find a way to regain control of this duel and fast. There is very little time remaining, so I cannot waste this turn or the ones that follow. ‘ He stared down at the cards in his hand for a potential option, his brows furrowing. ‘Hmm…there is one thing I can do for now. While it may not be much, perhaps slow and steady is what I need to step on the road to a comeback.’ He glanced back up, allowing a slight smile to escape his lips.
Marik/Strings shot Yami a sneer after eyeing him strangely. "If I were you, Pharaoh, I wouldn’t be smiling. It appears you are out of options! You might as well give up while you can. In one more turn you'll be finished and your powers will belong to me!"
Yami’s smile faded and he gave his opponent a hard look. "Never! As long as I trust in the Heart of the Cards, you won't succeed in your plan." He kept his voice leveled, but there was a strain in it showing he was weary of the taunting and goading.
The mind puppet laughed a short sound. "Your misguided faith is completely pathetic when compared with the overwhelming power of an Egyptian God! Its powers are immeasurable and you will fall before its might!"
Vicki felt shivers going down her spine, not liking the sound of that at all. She had witnessed her fair share of bizarre moments ever since befriending Yugi, but she had a feeling what she was about to witness would throw her in for a loop. ‘Goodness, if this monster really has god-like powers then that could mean big trouble for Yugi. However, one thing I’ve learned from being his friend is anything is possible, so even if it seems farfetched, I believe him if he says he has a way.’ Her voice got a little loud as she called out, "Come on Yugi! You have to make the most of this turn! I have your back!"
Yami had a purposeful look on his face. 'Vicki is right. I have to draw the right card this turn or I'm doomed.’
Marik/Strings removed his eyes off the ancient pharaoh for a second to shoot Vicki a smirk. 'You foolish girl. You're so naïve. Well, I will deal your pathetic friend the most humiliating defeat ever. We'll see what happens to your faith then.' He directed his smirk towards his foe, only this time there was a hint of malice in it."History may be on your side, but destiny is on mine as I move closer to defeating you! If I were you, I would use this last turn wisely. Not that it matters. You are not worthy of the powers you possess, so I will seize them from you. For as long as I can remember, I was raised to obey the ancient scriptures and help my family protect the pharaoh's tomb, only to discover the pharaoh placed a curse on my family that I had to endure under this ludicrous servitude! Now I realize it's time to make you experience the misery and suffering I went through for years!"
Vicki arched an eyebrow at the mind puppet’s ranting and raving before clicking her tongue. “My, my, my. Talk about waking up on the wrong side of the bed,” she commented, not caring whether the mime heard her or not. She couldn’t help but wonder where the accusations were coming from. ‘I must be missing something here. I mean, I have yet to know the pharaoh as much as I want to, but I can definitely say he is far from what he is being accused of. After all, he has been kind enough to me and the entire gang. I am honored to call him a friend.’
Yami was speechless. He was so used to Marik being maniacal and somewhat envious that it was strange to see this touch of bitterness and anger. ‘Could these be his true raw emotions?’ A confused frown found its way on his features as the tombkeeper’s accusations rang in his ear. It was all he could do not to pull out his hair in frustration because there was still very little of his past he remembered. ‘What puzzles me most is, could I have possibly done wrong to him? What is this curse he speaks of?’ He shook his head to rid it of such thoughts, knowing his opponent had a penchant for playing mind games and planting seeds of doubt. ‘I must focus on winning this duel for now.’ He pulled another card from his deck, smiling slightly. ‘Dust Tornado...this card can most definitely be my ticket to turning the duel around. I can use it to get rid of Marik's Nightmare Steel Cage. However, I won't be able to stop him from creating the last Slime Token, so I will have to prepare a defense.'
Marik/Strings let out a gleeful laugh. "You can't attack!" he reminded Yami.
The ancient pharaoh’s eyes met Strings’, his smile never wavering."You're right! However, I can do this! I play Dust Tornado! This trap card allows me to destroy any magic or trap card I choose! I will use it to get rid of your steel cage!"
The smugness drained from Marik’s face, his mouth dropping open in alarm. "No!"
"Yes! Now, Dust Tornado, blow away his Nightmare Steel Cage with your storm!" The winds of the cyclone swept away the cage, making it evaporate into steam. "I play Berfomet in defense mode!” (1800 def) A brown-skinned beast with a wild black mane materialized, letting out a mighty roar. “That ends my turn!"
Marik gritted his teeth before growling softly, clearly displeased that his opponent actually found a way around his trap. His angry look then turned into an evil smirk. "Impressive you destroyed my Nightmare Steel Cage. However, it was a waste of your turn, for you still can't attack me. Your time has just run out!"
Yami’s tone grew strained as he responded, “I’m well aware of that, Marik. Now enough talk! Just go!"
"Very well. I do so with pleasure!" The possessed mind-puppet drew another card, producing the final Slime Token. His lips spread into an evil grin. "I sacrifice my Jam Breeder and my three Slime Tokens in order to summon the beast of your ultimate destruction, a creature whose attack power is absolutely limitless!" As the machine and three miniscule plasma monsters disappeared, a blanket of darkness slowly cloaked the sky, followed by the flashing of lightning. It was almost as if a storm was about to ensue.
Yami stood still, watching with a grave expression on his face. ‘I have a bad feeling about this. Marik, what power have you just unleashed?’ He glanced over at Vicki, whose eyes looked like they would roll out of their sockets if they opened any wider. “Vicki, are you all right?”
Vicki managed to recover from the shock just in time to hear the ancient pharaoh’s question. “Just fine, lad. The sudden change just gave me a bit of a fright, that’s all. “ Her face turned bright red. ‘Goodness...I must have looked as if I had seen a ghost.’
Yami nodded and said, “Good.” He turned to face his opponent once again, waiting with baited breath to see what would be in store for him regarding the powerful monster.
Strings let out a maniacal laugh. "Meet your maker, Pharaoh! The last monster you'll ever see, the Egyptian God, Slifer the Sky Dragon!" Just as he said those words, a silhouette of a serpent-shaped creature proceeded to slither about in the shadows.
"You're finished, Yami!" declared Marik, grinning wildly. "Prepare to feel its wrath!" An enormous, orange coloured dragon with thorny spikes protruding out of its back languidly emerged onto the field, encircling into a coil on the ground. It possessed two large mouths brimming with sharp pointy teeth strong enough to cut through stone.
Yami let out a gasp upon feeling a strong force emanating from Slifer. It was all he could do not to start quaking in his boots."How can I stop it?" he pondered in a low voice. As he gazed at the beast, a bunch of questions entered his mind, such as, ‘Was I the one to control the creature, and if so, did I wield it efficiently? Knowing those details would make finding its weakness much simpler.’ He let out a deep sigh before bringing up a hand to massage his temples.
Vicki had taken a candy bar out of her knapsack to nibble on as soon as Yami turned away from her. She opened the wrapper and took a small bite, chewing slowly. The dragon roared ferociously, making her nearly choke. 'Well it's official. I will never make fun of Rosie for her superstitions again after this. I will definitely be seeing those teeth in my nightmares tonight.' She gulped it down before having another bite, ignoring the shivers that went down her spine.
Marik/Strings gave the ancient pharaoh an evil smile. "There's nothing you can do, Yami. You're about to fall before one of the most feared creatures in all of Duel Monsters! Stare into the face of defeat!"
Yami shot the mime a withering glance."Every monster has its weakness, Marik, and I'll find yours!"
"Ha! You're in no position to make threats! You only have two weak monsters guarding your life points, and they will be destroyed one by one! You don't have a card in your deck that can stop my all powerful Egyptian God monster! All you can do is watch it grow stronger."
The three thousand year old spirit got a grim look on his face. "Stronger? But how?"
"Allow me to explain how Slifer works. Its attack strength is determined by the amount of cards I hold in my hand, and because I am holding two cards, it has 2000 attack points."
Yami almost laughed at Strings’ miscalculation, but managed to keep a serious expression. "Well it's still weaker than my Buster Blader."
"That will all change, thanks to this move." Strings pulled a card from his deck, smiling as he glanced at it. “I play Pot of Greed, which lets me draw two more cards. Greed is good." He grinned evilly. "I've lost one card but gained two."
Yami squeezed his eyes shut in an attempt to clear his mind. ‘Hmm....he mentions his monster’s attack strength depends on the number of cards he holds in his hand. That could be the key. Of course he is so blinded by his overconfidence that he is unaware of this.’ He opened his eyes and looked at his opponent with a small smile on his face. "In Duel Monsters, there is a limit to how many cards a player can hold, which means Slifer has a limit to its strength."
"Ha! Foolish Pharaoh!” scoffed Marik/Strings. “Don't you realize that every rule was made to be broken?" He grinned to himself about having an abundance of cards that enabled him to bend the rules. 'He has no understanding of the destructive force of an Egyptian God monster because he has no memory of the days when they devastated the earth! But he will learn about Slifer's strength the hard way! I have just the cards to give my dragon infinite power!' The tombkeeper’s lips slowly stretched into a tiny grin."I'm afraid any hope of survival is completely in vain, for no one has ever defeated an Egyptian God.”
Yami took his eyes off the dragon and fixed them upon his opponent, full of determination."Until now."
"You're a fool. Slifer will wipe you out with one single attack. It's only a matter of time before I crush you and kill you in the most painful way possible!"
Yami grunted in reply. He still drew a blank on what he had done to cause the young man such distress, but knew it wasn’t the appropriate moment to interrogate him. ‘There are more important matters to worry about now.‘ Silencing his musings, he put his game face back on. 'Getting rid of the Nightmare Steel Cage was a nice start. But I have to keep the comeback going, which means I will have to figure out a way to bring down Marik's dragon. Let's see. My Buster Blader gets 500 attack points for every dragon on the field or in the graveyard. I need a good card this turn before Slifer becomes too powerful to destroy.'
The mind puppet let out an evil chuckle before pulling a card from his deck, giving his monster 4000 attack points. "I hope you’re prepared to say goodbye, Pharaoh. Your pathetic defensive monsters won't be able to protect you. My dragon is powerful enough to annihilate your Buster Blader and seriously damage your life points!"Marik leaned over slightly, stroking the top of his rod. "Your reign is over, Yami. Surrender this duel to me."
Yami put on his best confident smile."Don’t celebrate just yet, Marik! I have a few surprises in store for you!"
Marik looked upon his foe with disdain. ‘What a tenacious fool. My god card is invincible, and he will see that first hand.’ His voice was laced with false pity as he said, "How sad. You're finished. Just embrace it. You’ve had your chance to prove you are a worthy pharaoh, which you hadn't. It's time for me to teach you a lesson on true sovereignty."
Vicki was nearly done with her snack. She had to resist the urge to burst out laughing at what the possessed mime just said so she wouldn’t end up spraying bits of chocolate and peanuts everywhere. ‘Oh please, he can’t even train a dog.’
A silhouette of Yugi’s spirit appeared next to the pharaoh, putting on his best stern expression. 'I don't think so, Marik. You don't even come close to having what it takes. It's my duty to stop you.’ He disappeared, seeing that Yami was in control.
Yami’s brow creased slightly. It was becoming increasingly difficult for him to curb his frustration. "No. I'll go on trusting my deck." He pulled a card from his deck, managing a half-smile as he held it up to glance at. 'Lightforce Sword. This card may be able to help. I do need to go on the offensive if I want to win this duel. I can't keep putting up defenses. Maybe I need to begin by setting a trap for him.' He glanced up at the puppet with fierceness in his eyes."I place two cards face down and then summon Kuriboh in defense mode!” (200 def) A large brown hairball with eyes and feet with three toes appeared hovering in midair.”Make your move, Marik."
"The moment has now arrived! Prepare to fall at the hands of my ultimate destroyer! It possesses a force so mighty it almost destroyed the entire world!" The dragon roared menacingly at Yami, which did little to faze him. "All right, let's end this! Go my dragon, incinerate his Buster Blader!"
Yami gave a smug grin before letting out a quiet chuckle. "You've activated my trap card!"
Marik’s smirk faltered. "Trap card?" he repeated.
"Yes! My Lightforce Sword slashes one card out of your hand for the duration of the turn!" The small dagger went flying like a dart and pierced a card Strings was holding.
"No!" Marik clenched his teeth and let out a growl, infuriated his plan had been thwarted. 'You're only prolonging your defeat, Pharaoh.'
Yami’s grin widened ever so slightly, knowing his monster was now strong enough to attack. "I’m afraid this is only the beginning. Buster Blader, swing your mighty sword and slay his dragon!"The blue armored warrior raised his sword to attack the large dragon."Your Egyptian God is defeated!"His grin faded and he gasped in horror when Revival Jam twisted its body, moving in front of the Egyptian God monster to take the hit.
The mime’s lips curled up again. "Not exactly. My Jam Defender is still in play, which enables my Revival Jam to intercept all of your attacks!" Just like the previous turns when it was attacked, the liquefied creature reformed as if there were never an onslaught. He pulled another card from his deck. “It’s my turn now. I play the magic card, Card of Safe Return!”
Yami furrowed his brow in confusion. “Card of Safe Return?”
“Yes. It allows me to draw 3 cards every time Revival Jam regenerates.” The sky dragon had 5000 attack points as a result.
The ancient pharaoh was stone faced."Five thousand points?” he inquired. “Now what?" He lowered his head a bit, not wanting his opponent to think he was losing hope. ‘Things are deteriorating rapidly. At this rate I will not last much longer. I don’t have any monsters in my deck that are strong enough to scratch Marik's monster, much less defeat it. Not to mention all of my attacks are useless anyway. Unless…’
Marik/Strings laughed at the pharaoh’s forlorn state."All right my dragon, destroy his Buster Blader! And take a bite out of his life points!" The behemoth fired lightning out of its mouth at the warrior, disintegrating it and taking Yami down to 2100 life points. The possessed mime laughed again."I wiped out nearly half of your life points, Pharaoh. Soon, your two defense monsters will be demolished. Do you surrender yet? You're finished. Slifer’s power will only increase as I draw more cards, and thanks to my trap card as well as Revival Jam, you can't attack."
Yami’s card held hand started to tremble as if he were struggling within himself to decide whether to continue dueling or forfeit. He used his other hand to smack it, not wanting his opponent to get a rise out of seeing his fear and doubt. ‘My chances are bleak, to say the least. However, I must not give up this battle. There is too much at stake for that.
By then, Vicki was done with her candy. She searched around for a nearby trashcan, freezing when she noticed the ancient pharaoh shaking. Concern immediately appeared on her features. ‘That guy must be getting to him, which is understandable. He’s driving me bonkers and I’m not the one dueling.’ She clenched her fists, fuming silently for several minutes before letting out a deep breath. "Don't even think about listening to this psycho!" she belted out. She was so sick of Strings’ gloating and wanted to see him squirm for a change. Feeling a bit thirsty from the candy bar, she reached inside her knapsack and pulled out a bottled water. Unscrewing the top, she took a long sip. ‘Ah, now that’s much better.’
Yami faced Vicki long enough to give her a slight nod and then directed his attention back to the duel, his eyes filled with fire. “You have not defeated me yet, Marik! It’s my move now!”
Marik/Strings set his mouth in a line, but there was a hint of amusement. “Very well. I gave you a chance to make it easy on yourself and hand over your puzzle, but if you desire more punishment, so be it! Once my sky dragon defeats you, your days as pharaoh will be over."
“Not if I defeat you first,” was all Yami would respond, in a very abrupt manner. He was beyond weary of listening to Marik and his mind slave ramble. He mentally told himself to keep focused, before gazing down at his deck. 'All right. None of my monsters are strong enough to beat a sky dragon, so I will need the right magic or trap card which can possibly get past his Jam Defender and Revival Jam. Please…Heart of the Cards…guide me.' He closed his eyes for a brief moment and reopened them, glancing up. "Here I go! Now!" He pulled a card from his deck and held it up to take a look at, his lips curling ever so slightly. ‘Magic Cylinder. This could probably do the trick, but it has to be combined with a magician to work. ‘ He took a peek at his cards again to see if he was holding any spellcaster type monsters in his hand. His smile widened a tad upon realizing he happened to be holding Dark Magician, the new one he had won from Arkana. ‘Perfect!’ He stared at the image as if he wanted to send a message to the monster’s spirit with his eyes and then glanced back up. "I sacrifice Kuriboh and Berfomet, to summon Dark Magician in defense mode!" (2100 def) The spellcaster emerged, crouched down on one knee. He no longer wore the sinister smile he was known for under his former master’s rule.
Vicki got a big grin on her face, happy about having another chance to see Dark Magician in action, not even caring how different his coloring was. ‘Great timing.‘ Her grin became smug when she side-eyed Strings. ‘You’re in for it now, psycho-boy. Your world is about to be rocked big time. The attack strength may be incomparable but I’m sure Yugi has a way to weaken that overgrown snake.’ She took another sip of water before screwing the top back on and putting it away.
Strings merely ignored the young woman, although he was well aware of the fact that her eyes were on him. ‘Let her revel in her joy. Her hopes will be dashed soon enough.’ He let loose maniacal laughter, eliciting a strange look from the pharaoh. "By summoning a new monster to the field, you've activated Slifer's special ability!”
Yami’s eyes widened. "Oh no. It seems Slifer is far more formidable than I feared. ”
"How perceptive of you. You’re about to witness its second mouth! Hahaha!"
"Slifer is full of surprises."
Marik laughed. "That’s right! Even if it's your turn, Slifer automatically attacks every monster you summon with its second set of jaws, draining 2000 points from whatever mode your monster is in, so say goodbye to your Dark Magician!"
Yami had a grim expression on his face as he pondered what he would do. 'Well, Dark Magician does have 2100 defense points, so that means he will survive. However, the attack will leave him barely alive, and I need him in order to carry out my strategy. I hope it still works, despite Slifer’s special ability.' He put his game face back on.
Marik/Strings let out a celebratory laugh. “You’re about to lose everything, Pharaoh! Slifer, attack!!” The dragon shot a ball of white lightning at the magician.
Yami was filled with fear as he saw the assault coming, and he knew he had to act swiftly to stop it. "It's time to save my Dark Magician.” He set a magic card on his duel disk.
Marik wore an evil grin to contain a laugh that was threatening to explode out of his throat. "It's too late! Observe!" The lightning ball travelled dangerously close to the spellcaster, whose expression held a mixture of fear and worry whilst bracing himself to be blown to smithereens. He gazed at the ancient pharaoh with pleading eyes, begging him not to allow anything to happen.
Yami returned the magician’s gaze and nodded to reassure him before facing the mime."Why don't you observe!" he retorted, spreading one arm out to the side for an added effect.
Vicki had long been resisting the urge to tell the mind slave to shut his pie hole, but opted to let Yami handle it. She gave a thumbs up sign, going, “Mmmhmm.”
Strings feigned a sympathetic look as he said, "It really is a pity that your magician had to leave us so soon."
Vicki’s stomach became queasy and she felt the bile rising up inside her. It took everything for her not to spew chunks right then and there at the mime’s antics. ‘Seriously...what a phony...his false sympathy isn’t fooling anyone.’ Reaching into her knapsack again, she pulled out her bottled water and opened it, taking a sip. ‘I hope Yugi hurries up and gets rid of this slime.’
Yami chuckled. "Who said he's gone?"
"I did," responded Marik with a sneer, watching as the lightning bolt collided with the Dark Magician, from which a massive explosion ensued. He refused to accept the idea of being outsmarted again. The smoke soon cleared and the lightning bolt dissipated, making a crackling sound. The tombkeeper’s mouth dropped open when he spotted several top hats lined up across the field.
Yami’s lips stretched into a smug grin."Guess again. I activated Magical Hats just in time.”
Vicki put away her water bottle and then let out a sigh of relief. She had been so worried the attack would hit. "Great trick, Yugi!" Her friend’s cleverness never ceased to amaze her. ‘But then again, Dark Magician is too epic to go down so soon.’
Marik's smirk faltered, turning into a deep frown and then a scowl. "So he's hiding inside one of those hats?" he questioned through gritted teeth. He looked like smoke was about to arise from his ears.
"Not just hiding. He's preparing to launch a counterattack."
Marik blinked several times before looking at the pharaoh as if he had reached a new level of insane. "Yami, your monster is not strong enough! Not to defeat Slifer!" He laughed again.
Yami kept his facial expression stoic, unfazed by the laughter. "If I were you, I wouldn’t be laughing. While it's true your dragon is powerful, Marik, I have something much stronger on my side, which is faith. I place two cards beneath the Magical Hats. That ends my turn.” He let out a satisfied sigh. ‘That should hold him off. If this doesn’t work, I don’t know what else can be done.’
Marik/Strings made a cynical sound in his throat as if to show how unimpressed he was."Your hats merely provide you with a temporary hiding place, Pharaoh. In the meantime I will play my own magic card, and it will make my dragon's power infinite! Infinite Cards lets me exceed the six card limit and hold as many as I wish! Didn’t I tell you the rules mean nothing to me?”
Yami grunted in response. It was quite frustrating when he looked like he was on his way to turning the duel around, only to have his strategy be foiled. Not to mention his foe’s constant gloating didn’t help.‘Well, with my face down cards in play, Slifer’s attack strength won’t matter.’ After closing his eyes and exhaling a deep breath, he managed to calm down a bit.
Marik/Strings studied Yami for a bit, quirking an eyebrow at his composed demeanor. ‘How could he be so calm when I am about to obliterate his most prized monster? Does he have something planned?’ He looked worried for a second, but then shrugged it off, thinking the ancient pharaoh was just deluding himself into believing he had a chance of winning. An evil smirk appeared on his face."Since Slifer gets 1000 attack points for every card in my hand, there's no limit to my monster's power! Slifer, unleash your Thunder Force on the right hand hat!"
“You made a lucky guess, Marik,” said Yami, watching as the snake-shaped dragon generated a massive burst of yellowish energy in its opened mouth, aiming it at the hat. Although he spoke gravely, inwardly he was smiling because of the trap he had set.
Marik grinned evilly. "You couldn't hide him forever!"
"This duel is not over!"
Marik’s grin widened as his dragon’s thunderbolt poured down and struck the hat."It may as well be! Your monster is destroyed!" When the smoke cleared, his grin quickly faded and his mouth fell open at the sight before him. There stood Dark Magician holding two cylinders, using one of them to absorb the thunder. “What’s going on?!” he demanded to know. “My attack has failed!” He let his eyes drift to the pharaoh’s face, noticing a hint of a smile. He clenched his rod tightly, shaking with rage. ‘To hell with you, Pharaoh! You have thwarted my strategy for the last time!’
Yami gave his foe a cocky smile. "It seems, Marik, you have forgotten I hid two trap cards under that hat! Magic Cylinder and Spellbinding Circle! I will weaken your sky dragon's power, and then redirect his own Thunder Force attack right back at him! Fire!" A circle appeared around the monstrous dragon, draining 700 of its attack points and decreasing them to 4300, Slifer grimacing as its strength was zapped. The magician then pointed his staff, and launched the attack with the other cylinder. "Say goodbye, Marik!"
Marik’s face relaxed into a devious grin. "Never! You can't attack me with my Revival Jam in play!"
Yami watched with a stunned expression as the plasma monster shifted in front of Slifer, taking the hit and then reforming. "So your plasma monster can even block redirected attacks?"
"That's exactly right, Pharaoh. Then it regenerates unharmed. This also means I can draw 3 new cards." Strings pulled three cards from his deck, giving his monster a grand total of 7300 attack points. “Don’t forget the ability of Infinite Cards.” The possessed mime drew one more card, raising his dragon’s attack strength to an astronomical eight thousand three hundred.
Yami’s face blanched, his eyes widening in both fear and astonishment. ‘Eight thousand, three hundred attack points? That puts the power of the Blue Eyes Ultimate Dragon and Gate Guardian to shame.’ He stood there speechless for several minutes before managing to say, "That Egyptian God monster is unstoppable."
The tombkeeper gave a wicked grin. He got the impression his foe was finally going to see reason and admit defeat. ‘That’s right, Pharaoh, surrender.’ He let out a sinister chuckle. "Precisely. Since your Spellbinding Circle card has expired, Slifer gains even more attack points, giving him nine thousand!” The circle that ensnared Slifer disappeared, and the dragon gave a mighty roar as it was freed. “Now Slifer, demolish his Dark Magician!" Slifer shot another burst of thunder at the spellcaster, blasting him with great vigor and destroying him. Both Yami and Vicki shielded themselves from the force of the attack, their hair blowing in the wind.
Vicki rubbed her arms as she felt chills going down her spine. ‘Wow…who would have thought a Duel Monster was capable of such power? But then again, it is a god, so I suppose it’s plausible.’ She glanced over at the ancient pharaoh. ‘I hope he’s all right. He looks shaken up over there. It doesn’t suit him.’ She shot a glare at the mime, filled with burning hatred towards him for putting Yami in such a position.
Marik felt Vicki’s angry stare through the eyes of his mind slave and smirked to himself. Although she was also an enemy, he couldn’t help feeling aroused. ‘Such a feisty vixen…she would make an excellent maid. Perhaps I will have her work alongside Keren after I win.’ His lips proceeded to spread into a Chesire cat grin before he shook his head, cursing himself for having that train of thought. His grin became malicious after his gaze fixated on Yami."Behold the ultimate five card combination that makes me completely indestructible! My Egyptian God monster will continue to grow stronger, and your attacks are useless!"
“Oh no…” muttered the ancient pharaoh. As much as he hated to admit it, Marik was right. With his last hope being gone, he had been backed into a corner. He dropped to his knees, beads of sweat pouring down his cheeks and forehead as he bent over. His bangs fell in front of his face. ‘How can I possibly win? His continuous trap and magic cards have left me with no way to attack and even if I were able to, his monster is far too powerful.’ "I can't let him destroy me…but what can I do?” He clenched his fists, pounded them on the ground and let out several groans of frustration.
Soon, there were two pairs of footsteps, followed by a chilly sounding voice barking, “Get on your feet, Yugi!"
Vicki’s ears jumped instantly at the familiar frosty voice and mild displeasure found its way on her face. She let out a muffled groan. ‘Oh great…he’s here.’ Not wanting her mood to become totally sour, she opted to just ignore him unless he said something truly out of line. ‘If he does, I will not keep quiet about it.’
Yami instantly recognized the voice that filled his ears. He frowned slightly. ‘Hmm?’ Though he remained hunched over, he glanced up ever so slightly to see that his rival and Mokuba had arrived. "Kaiba! What are you doing here?"
The teen CEO ignored Yami's question, instead giving him a funny look. "Since when do you bow to your adversaries?"
As disdainful as Kaiba sounded, Yami knew it was his way of encouraging him to keep going. "Never!" He was mentally cursing himself for allowing his nemesis to see him in such a weakened state.
"Then get up and pull yourself together so you can defeat this nobody and relieve him of his Egyptian God card, and do it now. Don't let this punk win! The only one who is worthy to be called my rival is you, so don't you dare rob me of a chance to face you in a rematch. Slifer may have brought you to your knees but you can move ahead and strike back if you find out its weakness. If you still have what it takes, then prove it to me now!" His lips curled up into his trademark half-smile. ‘Once I find out its weakness, I will win it from Yugi, and the title of Duel King will belong to me!'
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Post by LadyKeren on Dec 29, 2015 16:52:33 GMT
Chapter 18
Vicki remained silent whilst listening to Kaiba’s peptalk, her skin crawling slightly. She drew in a deep breath, ready to yell at him that the world didn’t revolve around him, but Yami put up a hand as if to say, ‘It’s all right. Leave Kaiba to me.’ She just nodded, knowing the ancient pharaoh was more than capable of dealing with the CEO’s glacial exterior. ‘I will concede Rich-boy is right, in his own obnoxious way. Yugi can’t allow the slimeball to defeat him. But if that’s his way of supporting someone, I would hate to see how he discourages people. Now I know not to go to him if I need advice.’ She rubbed the bridge of her nose before gazing towards the stream.
"Stand up Yugi, and take down his Egyptian God monster!" continued Kaiba.
Yami slowly rose to his feet and turned to his rival, nodding to him. "Wait for me, Kaiba. I will defeat him.” He then faced his opponent, glaring at him. "Marik, it's over!"
"Ha! My Egyptian God monster is unstoppable!" Marik/Strings let out a gasp upon hearing Kaiba’s voice before. He looked away from the pharaoh, facing the CEO with a wide grin on his face."It is so wonderful to see you, Kaiba. How fitting it is that you're here to witness Yugi's destruction. It so happens that you are my next victim. Once Slifer annihilates Yugi I will strip you of your Egyptian God card!"
Kaiba gave the mime a scornful look. "Save your breath. Your empty threats don't scare me!"
"They will in time, fool!"
Kaiba sneered, folding his arms. 'Hmph. Not likely. How ridiculous. I am the only one who has what it takes to defeat Yugi.'
Yami ignored the exchange between Kaiba and the mine, instead staring at the cards in his hand, contemplating his next move. 'I have to find a way to defeat Marik’s dragon once and for all, like Kaiba said. The problem is that it has 10,000 attack points and none of my monsters come close. The best I can do for now is put up a defense once again.' He pulled a card from his deck, glancing at it and looking hopeful. ‘Monster Reborn. This can come in handy soon. I need to find Slifer’s weakness before it is too late.’ His game face returned as he gazed at Strings. "I place one card face down, and summon Big Shield Gardna to the field in defense mode!" (2600 def)
Marik/Strings chuckled. "Have you forgotten that every monster you summon to the field activates my dragon's special ability? Let me remind you by blasting your monster!" The humongous beast fired its lightning blast at Big Shield Gardna, taking its defense points down to a very low six hundred. The monster groaned before hunching over.
Mokuba looked worried. "Oh no! Yugi won't last much longer!" he said in a panic.
The young CEO had a pensive look on his face as he watched the onslaught. 'Slifer is even more formidable than Obelisk is and a battle between the two would result in a clash. I must win Slifer for myself.' He then turned to face his younger brother to address his concern. “He said he would defeat this lunatic, so he had better honor his word.”
Mokuba was about to say something, but before he could, he noticed the smoke dissipating. His eyes widened and he let out a loud gasp when he saw Big Shield Gardna was still alive. Severely weakened, but alive."Look, Seto! Yugi's monster survived the attack!"
"Barely."
Strings gave an evil chuckle, feeling exhilarated about being so close to achieving victory."Your Big Shield Gardna has been cut down to size! My sky dragon will continue to automatically devastate your monsters as soon as they're summoned to the field." He laughed again. "Just one more attack and your only defense will be demolished, leaving nothing between you and Slifer. Where's your faith in the cards now, Pharaoh?" He pulled another card from his deck, giving his dragon a nearly insurmountable 11,000 attack points in the process.
Vicki wearily brought up a hand to rub at her forehead as if to show how much the complexity of the situation was making her brain ache. “Great. Just when I thought things couldn’t get more bizarre,” she muttered under her breath.
Mokuba’s eyes bugged out, looking as if they would pop out of their sockets any minute. He had never seen a monster as strong as Slifer. "Wow! Eleven thousand points! That's already more than 3 times the attack strength of your Blue Eyes White Dragon, Seto."
"Yes, and it'll only grow stronger. Yugi's opponent has Infinite Cards in play, which enables him to hold as many cards as he wants."
Mokuba’s expression turned grim upon hearing this. "And the more cards in his hand, the more attack points his dragon has. That means there's no limit to how strong his Egyptian God can grow." He was beginning to wonder what Yami’s chances of winning were, or if he even still had a shot.
Kaiba’s brows knitted together. 'Or is there? Slifer's power depends on how many cards the player has in his entire deck.’ Suddenly he pieced it together and realized what the discovery meant. 'That's it! Slifer the Sky Dragon has one fatal flaw! Let's see if Yugi has enough fortitude to figure out this "infinity" is just a pretense.' A tiny smile crept upon his lips.
"All right, my sky dragon, eradicate this fool's shield!" Marik/Strings commanded. The dragon obliterated Big Shield Gardna with its thunder attack, leaving Yami with no monsters on the field to protect him. The mime let out another malicious laugh."You're completely defenseless, Pharaoh. The next time my sky dragon attacks, you'll be finished! It's undefeatable, you fool!"
Yami put on his best pensive look, ignoring his opponent’s taunting as best as he could, although he felt a growl threatening to escape his throat. ‘I promised Kaiba I would defeat Marik, and I have no intentions of going back on my word. The question is, how should I do so? With every card drawn, Slifer’s power increases.‘ He recalled the theory he had about the possible way to spot the dragon’s weakness. ‘What if I force Marik to draw all the cards in his deck somehow? Then when he reaches his last one, he would automatically lose the duel. That’s it!’ His lips slowly curled into a small grin as he found the answer that had been in front of him the entire time. He glanced up and announced, “I will make Slifer the Sky Dragon destroy itself!"
Kaiba tilted his head back, a big grin spreading on his face at the fact that his rival had just said the words he had been waiting to hear. “It’s about time!”
Mokuba looked at his brother with a puzzled expression. "What does he mean?"
Vicki cocked her head. "Is that even possible?" she pondered aloud. The duel had been so much like a rollercoaster for her. She hoped Yami would be able to pull the plan off, whatever it was. ‘This I gotta see.’
The possessed mime raised an eyebrow. “Oh? What makes you think you can?"
Yami smiled as he explained, "Ah. It's a simple matter of common sense. If my monsters are too weak, then I must use your monster to destroy itself."
Marik/Strings looked at Yami as if he had just admitted he were an alien. "Haven't you realized that an Egyptian God monster cannot be controlled? It's much too powerful, Pharaoh!"
"We'll see," countered the ancient pharaoh, a cocky grin escaping. "I suspect you don't have as much knowledge about the Egyptian Gods as you think you do. After all, you've been so busy abusing the ancient scriptures that you have not learned their strengths and weaknesses."
The mime’s expression grew pinched, his eyes narrowing. He refused to allow someone who didn't even have any memories of the Egyptian Gods to play him for a fool. "How dare you challenge my wisdom of the ancient ways?! I know all!"
Yami had more or less anticipated such a reaction from the tombkeeper and his mindslave. Even so, his smile didn’t waver. "We'll see how much you know soon enough, Marik!"
The mime’s angry look turned into a sneer. "I'd like to see you try to turn Slifer against me!"
Mokuba gave a deep frown of confusion, unsure what to make of Yami’s plan. 'What's Yugi talking about? Sure, he's a great duelist, but how can he make an Egyptian God monster destroy itself? That dragon seems way too strong to be controlled. Sounds crazy to me!' He turned to his big brother. "Seto? Do you know what's going on?"
"It’s quite simple, Mokuba. The dragon’s greatest strength is also its greatest weakness. Just keep watching."
The young boy opened his mouth to say he was still confused, but then nodded, figuring his brother knew what he was talking about. "Okay…"
Marik/Strings smirked at Yami. "It’s time for you to make your move, Pharaoh! I promise you it will be your last!"
Yami grinned self-assuredly. "Is that so? We'll see!" He prepared to draw another card, hesitating as if afraid it would be useless for his situation. 'If I don't draw the card I need, his sky dragon will crush me. But I know the Heart of the Cards will guide me.' He pulled the card from his deck and slowly took a glance at it, smiling slightly. ‘Perfect!’ He held it up in the air, a powerful beam of energy emitting from it.
Marik/Strings furrowed an eyebrow and then frowned, wondering what his foe could be so happy about. "Well? What is it? Anything worth using in your final turn?"
Yami’s smile widened just a bit. “Actually it's just what I need to take you down!"
The corner of Kaiba’s lips quirked up into his trademark half-smile. 'That's right, Yugi! Win that god card so we can battle for it. The Egyptian God cards choose the better duelist to be their master, and it'll be me.'
Yami put his game face back on before gazing at his opponent with fire in his eyes."Time to lose! I reveal my face down card, Monster Reborn!”
Marik/Strings shot the ancient pharaoh a baffled look."What good will that do?"
"This card lets me bring back one monster from the graveyard, and I choose to resurrect my mighty Buster Blader!" The navy colored warrior reappeared glowing whilst letting out a grunt.
Marik/Strings widened his eyes in disbelief, wondering what had possessed Yami to make that move. ‘He must have given up. That’s the only reason he would summon such a weak monster after declaring he would defeat me.’ He gave an evil laugh. "What? My dragon has already destroyed that monster. Plus summoning it to defend your life points will only delay your ultimate defeat!"
"It's not defending,” corrected Yami, his voice dripping with amusement. “Take a closer look, Marik. Buster Blader has been summoned in attack mode!"
Marik eyed the ancient pharaoh with contempt. 'What a thoughtless move. With his Buster Blader in attack mode, not only will my dragon eliminate his monster, but the remainder of his life points will be depleted! Destroying him was a simpler task than I thought. '
"I have realized I cannot win a duel by just defending my life points, which is why I will be going on the offensive from this moment forward,” said Yami. “I will now risk one final sword attack by Buster Blader."
"You're more of a fool than I thought," scoffed Strings. "You've left yourself wide open for my monster to defeat you. Have you forgotten about my five card combination that makes Slifer the Sky Dragon completely indestructible? Perhaps you need a reminder, Pharaoh!" He pulled three more cards from his deck, making his monster an astronomical 14,000 attack points.
Mokuba’s eyes went wide at the huge numerical figure. "Fourteen thousand attack points?" he repeated. "That's nuts!" He then began to look doubtful. ‘I hate to even think this, since I’m supposed to trust my brother, but the idea of Yugi winning this duel seems like a tall order with Slifer as powerful as he is.’
Vicki had a look on her face that said, ‘Say what?’ before coughing a bit. Once the episode ceased, she cleared her throat and uttered, “That’s an understatement.”
Marik/Strings laughed loudly. "By resurrecting Buster Blader, you have also activated my dragon's second mouth! It will blast two thousand points from your monster!"
“My monster is strong enough to withstand your attack!!” pointed out Yami. He watched with a calm expression as the dragon prepared to deliver its assault. For the first time since the duel began, he was confident he had come up with the scheme that would turn Marik's strategy upside down and win him the duel. ‘Marik is in for a rude awakening, so he can taunt me all he wants. Nothing will be able to save him now.’ The lightning blast hit Buster Blader, draining his strength and leaving him with just 1100 points. The warrior let out a groan before hunching over.
Strings took one look at the severely weakened Buster Blader and burst into a fit of uproarious laughter."My Egyptian God has reduced your monster into the pathetic mess barely standing before you! Your reign as pharaoh is almost over, so prepare to die with all of your powers infused within me! In my next turn your monster and your life points will be completely wiped out."
Yami just stared at the possessed mime, appalled by his delusions of victory. His face then broke into a confident smile. "I'm afraid there isn't going to be a next turn for you. When my monster attacks, you'll be defeated. Watch as my plan to slay your so -called indestructible dragon begins!"
The smugness drained from Marik’s face, replaced by shock and then utter amusement. ‘How very foolish of him to even consider attacking when his monster is much weaker. Well if that is his decision, I will punish him for making such a fatal mistake.’
Mokuba’s eyebrows arched way up, shocked that Yami would make such a hasty move when he was usually much more careful. 'Has Yugi lost it? His Buster Blader won't even scratch Slifer the Sky Dragon.' He glanced over at his brother to see what he thought of all this.
The young CEO observed with his arms folded, looking as if he were in his own world. He felt his brother’s eyes on him and briefly glanced back before turning his attention back to the duel. 'I know Mokuba is lost and considers Yugi’s move careless, but this is getting interesting. If Yugi's plan works, my suspicions on how to defeat Slifer will be confirmed.'
Strings broke into another peal of evil laughter, as if Yami had just told him the funniest joke he had ever heard. Slifer being defeated by a weak monster? Impossible! His laughter elicited a hard look from the ancient pharaoh. After he had calmed down, he jeered, "I'm ready for your pathetic attack!"
‘This is it. Someone is going to lose this duel.’ Kaiba’s half-smile widened and his cold blue eyes were full of excitement like a little kid in a toy store. It was quite satisfying to see things going according to his plan. He gave Yami a look that said, ’Yugi, whatever you do, don’t screw this up or else there will be hell to pay.’
"Buster Blader, attack Slifer the Sky Dragon with your powerful blade!" The warrior staggered while lunging at the huge beast. It was almost as if his sword was too heavy for him in his weakened condition.
Marik/Strings let out a chuckle, trying to suppress the raucous laughter that was ticking his stomach. "Watching your puny warrior try to take down my unstoppable Egyptian God monster is actually quite amusing!"
“That I would love to see,” Vicki piped up. She muffled a giggle at the thought of Slifer being destroyed by a monster much weaker than it. Although a part of her felt a bit guilty for laughing, she loved seeing the mime get tossed down a peg or two. She waited with baited breath to see how the battle royal would end.
A cocky smirk crossed the mime’s features as he watched the navy colored warrior carry out his attack against the plasma monster. "Your terrible memory knows no bounds. Have you forgotten that my sky dragon is protected by my ultimate defender, the shape shifting Revival Jam?"
“I am well aware of that, Marik,” responded Yami with a smirk of his own. “If you would quiet down for a second, you would realize it is a part of my plan.” Once again, the plasma beast stretched its body, taking the brunt of Buster Blader’s attack, splattering into pieces.
Marik/Strings gave an evil grin. “You do realize your maneuver is helping me, don’t you?” He reached towards his deck, preparing to draw his next three cards.
Yami wagged his finger at the mime before smiling smugly."Not so fast. I'm afraid it's still my turn, but before I make my next move, I need for Revival Jam to revive." He watched as the plasma creature reformed. “To complete my strategy, I play my magic card, Brain Control! I’ll be controlling your monster from now on!”
Mokuba lifted his eyes, his confusion diminishing considerably."I think I get Yugi's plan. He must want to use Brain Control to take over the dragon's mind, but I still think Slifer is way too strong to be controlled."
Marik/Strings tilted his head as another cocky grin escaped his lips. "Good move, but it's not quite that simple. Sorry Yami, but magic cards are completely useless against the Egyptian God monsters, and now you will pay the price for making such a foolish mistake!"
Yami shook his head lightly before letting out a soft chuckle. It never ceased to amaze him how his opponent was quick to jump to conclusions. "Who said I was after your dragon?"
The mime’s grin faded and turned into a confused frown."You're not?"
"No Marik, there's another monster on your field I'm after, and I'll control him,” answered the ancient pharaoh with a small smile. The brain emitted some waves, pulling the plasma monster on the opposite side of the field. “My Brain Control will seize your Revival Jam!"
The mime’s jaw dropped open slightly and then he gave Yami a puzzled look. "What can you possibly do with my Revival Jam card? It can't hurt my dragon, so it's of no use to you."
‘Must I explain everything to him?’ It was all Yami could do not to let out a weary sigh because he was at the end of his rope dealing with the possessed mime’s lack of perception. “He is of more help to me than you think, Marik, and you will see that soon enough. In the meantime, draw your three new cards."
"I will, which will give my monster another 3 thousand attack points! With every card I draw, my monster grows even stronger!" As Marik/Strings drew his 3 cards, his dragon's attack points increased to seventeen thousand. He let out another sinister laugh. "You have made your final move, Pharaoh. Slifer, wipe out his Buster Blader and the remainder of his life points!"
'I wouldn't do that if I were you,’ thought Vicki, grinning to herself. Feeling psyched to see Yami regain control of the duel, she broke into a mini applause and gave a thumbs up sign. ‘Good job, Yugi. Now finish this tool off.’
Yami’s lips spread into a self-satisfied grin as he rose up an arm. "Hold on, Marik! Your sky dragon's special ability means its second mouth has to attack any new monster that appears on my side of the field!"
All traces of smugness were gone from the mime’s face and it was replaced by horror, for he recalled that the ancient pharaoh was now in possession of his plasma monster. He watched with a grim expression as the lightning bolt hit Revival Jam instead of Buster Blader. Without so much of a word, he pulled 3 more cards from his deck.
Yami got a rather serious expression upon noting the mime’s speechlessness. "Now do you see?” he asked. “Before you can destroy me, you will have to destroy my Revival Jam, and since it cannot be destroyed while in defense mode, you know what that means."
Marik just stood there with his mouth hanging open when the realization hit him. 'This can’t be. As long as Yami has his Brain Control card in play, Revival Jam will keep regenerating itself on his side of the field, blocking any attack my dragon launches and preventing me from getting at his life points. Every time Revival Jam reforms itself, my mindslave will be forced to draw 3 new cards as well as one more thanks to the effect of Infinite Cards. Slifer’s attack strength may continue to increase, but now it doesn’t matter because I’m trapped! There’s no way out of this situation! This means Yami will succeed.’ He let out a frustrated growl and mentally cursed a string of expletives, seeing the corner he had boxed himself into all because he wanted his creature to be invincible.
The mind puppet kept drawing the three cards as Revival Jam reformed after being attacked by Slifer. It kept up until he found himself holding too many and they fell out of his hand, scattering all over the ground.”No!” he cried out in a rage. “This can’t be happening.” Vicki’s face was turning red during her attempt to hold in her laughter at the mime’s state. It was making her ribs hurt. ‘Serves him right, though.’
Yami peered down at the scattered cards, then back at his opponent."As powerful as your Egyptian God card may be, no monster is without weakness and your sky dragon's weakness lies in its special ability,” he explained in an "I told you so" kind of way.
Marik gritted his teeth and let out a grunt, not wanting to hear anything from his foe. However, he knew he couldn’t contradict the ancient pharaoh any longer, for he had seen with his own two eyes that there really was a way to make Slifer self-destruct. ‘The cycle I created is never ending. First attack, then regenerate, then draw. Slifer will continue attacking Revival Jam and my mindslave will continue drawing until…’ Soon, Strings had reached the very last card in his deck. ‘No! This can’t be!’
"I've turned your dragon against you, causing you to use up all the cards in your dueling deck!"
"No…" Strings’ remaining cards fell out of his hands to join the scattered pile on the ground and he fell to his knees, frozen with shock. The powerless dragon collapsed in a heap, its head popping off. Vicki could hold it in no longer. She snorted with laughter, wanting to gloat, ‘Oh how the mighty have fallen’, just to make fun of the mime, but opted not to. She rubbed at her sore sides before smiling so hard her cheeks hurt.
Yami exchanged a look with Marik/Strings. He felt a smile escaping, but kept his expression serious. "I win! It's over!" he declared.
Marik’s shocked look turned into a scowl. He ground his teeth, clutching his rod tightly. "It can't be! How could I lose with an Egyptian God card in my deck?! You'll pay, Yami! You may have defeated Slifer, but I hold another Egyptian God card, one that’s much more powerful! I would advise you to savor this victory while you can, for it will be your last!" He very faintly heard footsteps approaching him, but he wasn’t in the mood for any company at the moment. He just stood there watching the view of the ocean and scowled, muttering curse words every now and then.
The footsteps belonged to Odion. He had come to see how the duel was progressing. He hung back, listening to his master rage for a bit and debated in his mind whether he should approach him or not. He frowned when he heard the young man swearing. ‘I take it he failed to defeat the pharaoh once again. I suppose it would be best to give him some time alone.‘ He was afraid even his politeness would earn him a tongue lashing. He turned around and walked away, thinking he would return after the young man had cooled off. ‘Perhaps I should check on Keren. I haven’t seen any trace of her since this morning.’
Keren had just awoken from her slumber. She had been in such a deep sleep that she almost forgot about her finger hurting, only to be reminded when she used her hands to pull herself into a sitting position. She winced before bringing up her good hand to rub the remainder of sleep from her eyes. ‘Well, that nap did do me good.’ She reached for the book she had been reading before she was so rudely interrupted, opened it to the page she had left off of, and began to read. Just as she was becoming engaged in the story, there was a knock on the door. She let out an exasperated sigh but then memories of the attack came to her. ‘Oh, please don’t let it be another rare hunter…anyone but them.’ Her heart started to race and she tensed up at the thought of dealing with the robed men again. ‘Stop being so paranoid! Just ask to put your mind at ease!’ a voice inside her head scolded. She laid her book aside and exhaled a deep breath. "Wh-Who is it?" she asked, her voice trembling.
"It is I, Odion."
‘Oh…thank Ra.’ The young woman let out a sigh of relief and her heartbeat seemed to be returning to normal. She didn’t know what he wanted, but she wasn’t complaining either. A terrible thought suddenly came to her. ‘What if he’s here to say he wants nothing to do with me anymore? As crushing as that is, I can’t say I blame him.’ She gulped. "Just a minute." She lazily got up off the bed, heading over to the door and opening it to see her male companion standing there. She quirked an eyebrow when she saw he was wearing his usual somber facial expression. ‘Hmm...I wonder what’s on his mind. I hope he’ll tell me. He’s been so mysterious lately.’ She stepped back so he could come in. He nodded at her unspoken invitation and entered. Once he was inside, she shut the door, hoping no one would interrupt their time together, regardless of his purpose for coming to see her.
"What's going on?" Keren asked, walking over to her bed and sitting down. "Is something wrong?" She gazed down at her lap and nervously twiddled her thumbs, bracing herself for unpleasant news. Running a hand through her slightly mussed hair, she then locked eyes with the tattooed faced man.
Odion studied the young woman for a bit, frowning slightly when he noted there was a hint of worry in her eyes and also pain. He felt a sharp jolt in his heart, but he shook it off before responding, "Master Marik has just been defeated in a duel against the pharaoh, and he is furious because of it. If I were you, I would not say or do anything to aggravate him."
Keren lowered her eyes knowingly, although inwardly she wondered why Odion was telling her that. It was just like any other time things didn’t go the tombkeeper’s way, and she never dreamed of saying anything to set him off. Just imagining his fury was enough to make her shudder. ‘I must admit, though, walking on eggshells is becoming tiresome. I hope this loss makes him see reason and stop trying to fight a battle he can’t win. Something tells me he won’t, though.’ She nodded. “I understand.”
“Good. The last thing I want is for you to be on the end of Master Marik’s wrath.” Odion paused, remembering what he wanted to speak to her about, now that they were alone. “What has been going on with you? I trust you are taking care of yourself?"
‘Oh. I guess he does not know after all.’ Keren let out a sigh of relief as there had been a huge weight taken off her shoulders. ‘Maybe I should confide in him. What would it hurt? After all, you never know until you try.’ She took a deep breath as she prepared to relate her story. “Well, I am trying my hardest to. However, awhile ago, I had a run in with several of your colleagues and they tried to assault me.“ She did her best to keep her voice controlled, but she felt it threatening to shake, since it was hard to speak of the incident. Her skin still felt grimy from their touch and her stomach was also queasy. ‘As soon as Odion leaves, I will take a long shower.’
Odion was silent for a long while, taking in what his female companion had said. His jaw was set, his eyes filled with fury and his nostrils flared. His first instinct was to find the robed men who dared to do such a thing and beat them senseless until they were black and blue. He removed his eyes off of Keren for a bit. ‘Calm down, Odion. Revenge will accomplish nothing.’ He let out a long breath before facing the woman again. “Are you all right?” he asked, making an effort to keep his voice leveled.
Keren felt all her fears disappearing upon hearing the older man’s question. His silence had been making her nervous and she knew if it lasted longer, she would have assumed the worst. “Not particularly. On the one hand, I escaped them before they could carry out their scheme, but my wrists still ache...also, my finger…” She held out the hand that had the bandaged finger to show him, removing the handkerchief she had tied around it. “This happened while I was escaping. I don’t know the extent of the damage done to it, but it hurts excruciatingly. But not to worry, Marik took care of them.” She spoke the last statement slowly, hoping she had reassured her male companion so he wouldn’t go seeking revenge. ‘I must say, though, it is nice to know he cares enough to fight for me. Lately I haven’t been so sure he does.’
Odion’s facial expression softened a tad, though there was still a hint of displeasure. “Well I am glad you escaped danger.” He held her hand in his, examining it and frowning when he saw the bruises as well as her finger being bent at an awkward angle. He then released her hand and his eyes met hers. “I would advise you to see a doctor as soon as we dock.”
Keren nodded in understanding. “I will. I had every intention of going, actually.”
“Good.” Odion managed a small smile before looking serious again. “I thank you for trusting me enough to share what has happened to you. There is something else troubling you, isn’t there? Don’t deny it…I have seen it in your eyes for quite some time.”
Keren looked taken aback for a moment. She knew she could not say she was all right, because the tattooed faced man spoke the truth when he said she seemed troubled, even though she had been trying her hardest not to show her emotions around him. ‘I suppose I haven’t done the best job suppressing them after all.’ While she should have been happy she was being given an opportunity to say what was on her mind, something inside her snapped and her eyes became cold, as well as her voice. “So you have finally noticed that, have you? Well, here is your answer. It is because you have allowed Marik to lead you astray to the extent where you’re following the darkness. What’s the matter with you? Do you not have a mind of your own anymore?!” She stopped, hearing herself. She had never raised her voice to Odion before. ‘Oh goodness...today’s events must have really put me on edge…and I am still hurt from how he treated me yesterday, to an extent. I imagine he is furious now if not before. However, I will not be deterred any longer.’ She turned away and took several rapid breaths, trying to calm herself down.
Odion looked shocked upon hearing the young woman’s outburst and it left him at a loss for words. It was painful enough seeing her in distress, but the fact that he was the cause of it tore at his heart. ‘Is she right? Has my honor really diminished? That has never been my motivation.’ He thought back to the other day when he had scolded her as if she were a child and he shook his head, disgusted with himself. He then placed a finger beneath her chin to make her look at him. She tensed up a bit, but relaxed when she didn’t see anger on his face. “Please forgive me. It is not my intention to make you suffer. However, I made a vow that I would always protect Master Marik. I am the only one who can keep his darker side dormant.”
Keren’s eyes softened a bit. "I know…but at what cost..?" Her voice trailed off, as it was on the verge of cracking.
Odion placed his large hands on the young woman's shoulders. "Until I find a way to help his inner light shine again. I want him to return to the innocent person he once was just as you and Ishizu do. It is important for him to learn the truth about his past. Once that is taken care of, I will make it up to you. That is a promise."
Keren smiled slightly, for she had been waiting to hear those words for quite some time. ‘It remains to be seen how long it will take him to reveal the truth to Marik. Six years of not knowing is more than long enough. I had better bring up the idea to Ishizu just in case.’ She shot her best charming smile at her companion before saying, “I will hold you to your promise.” |
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Post by LadyKeren on Dec 31, 2015 16:17:08 GMT
Chapter 19
It wasn’t long before Marik's ship finally docked at Domino Harbor. By then, Marik had forgotten about the defeat he suffered at the hands of his greatest enemy, having taken his anger out on several used glasses. After releasing his rage, he returned to the top deck with an evil smirk on his face. Clutching his rod, he emitted a glow from it, connecting with one of his rare hunters and spying on the people of Battle City. He chuckled to himself upon hearing them talk about how they were enjoying the tournament thus far. ‘Just look at those foolish mortals. They are so oblivious it’s pathetic. Well, I am about to spoil their fun. Let’s see if they will be so happy then.’ He was about to control the rare hunter to go see what Yami and Kaiba were up to when all of a sudden he heard footsteps. ‘Hmm?’ Annoyed at being interrupted, he turned around with a scowl on his face, ready to give the person a good telling off. His scowl disappeared and was replaced by a neutral expression when he saw it was Odion.
The older man knelt down respectfully, trying not to show how pleased he was that his younger adopted brother appeared to be in a better mood. “Master Marik, have you come up with a new plan as of yet?”
Marik peered down at his servant, his lips stretching into a wicked smile. “Yes I have. This time I will crush the pharaoh for sure!”
“Oh?” Odion furrowed his brow slightly, his green eyes filled with curiosity. “And what do you have planned for him this time?” ‘Judging from how quickly he seemed to have bounced back, it must be something truly ruthless.’
The tombkeeper’s smile widened as he replied, “Remember when I mentioned his friends have the potential to be quite useful? Well, I have observed them through the eyes of my mindslave and I have seen how high spirited they are, namely that fellow, Joey Wheeler. What better way to destroy Yami and his weak vessel than hitting them where it hurts most?”
Odion tilted his head before nodding knowingly. “Ah, I see. You wish to use this Joey Wheeler to force the pharaoh into a life and death match, correct?”
Marik’s smile shifted into a devious grin. “Precisely. It’s about time Yami feels what it is like to have his trust betrayed!” There was a bit of vehemence in his last statement, as he was still a bit sore about losing Slifer the Sky Dragon to his greatest enemy.
Odion hesitated, having strong doubts about Marik’s scheme. He had the impression the pharaoh was quite loyal to his friends and on top of that, his conscience was nagging at him. Not wanting to feel of his master’s wrath, he just said, “All right. Let me know if there is any way I can assist.” A pang of guilt hit him as his mind switched to Keren and his conversation with her for a brief second. ‘I’m sorry, Keren. It has to be this way for now. But I will not go back on my word.’
Marik frowned slightly at how hesitant Odion was at first, but shrugged it off, instead giving a deadly smile. “I shall. In the meantime, I will send Lumis and Umbra to keep Yami and Kaiba occupied while I prepare to carry out my scheme. “ He chuckled softly whilst rubbing the top of his rod. ‘Those fools don’t stand a chance.’
Keren had managed to get through a large chunk of the remainder of her novel when she noticed the ship was no longer moving. She turned the book over, resting it in her lap before taking a peek through her cabin window. She let out a relieved sigh when she saw they had indeed arrived. ‘Thank goodness. I don’t want to deal with this pain for another minute. ‘ She eyed her bandaged finger, wincing slightly at the pain. ‘At least I can get some help now, but first…’ She took out her mobile phone to check and see if there were any missed calls. Sure enough, there was one from the museum. ‘Just as I thought...she must have called while I was napping earlier. I had better return her call.’ Just as she was about to dial the number, the phone rang. She checked the ID to see it was Ishizu calling again. She answered. "Hello?"
"Good day, this is Ishizu speaking."
"Hello Ishizu. I was about to call you to let you know I have finally arrived in Domino City."
"I am aware of your arrival. I am glad the remainder of your journey went smoothly."
"As am I." Keren was hopeful she would be able to put the incident with the rare hunters behind her. On the other hand, it was a huge weight off her shoulders when she had the heart-to-heart with Odion, although she had to cringe at how explosive she was. While she had every intention of talking sense into him, she didn’t plan for it to go that way. ‘Note to self…never pour out my heart when under a lot of stress.’ She was hopeful she would be able to find a way to keep him from doing something he would really regret later. ‘With everything that has happened, I have to say it will be a relief once I meet up with Ishizu.’
"How is your hand feeling?" asked Ishizu, cutting into the older woman’s thoughts. "Is it in terrible pain?"
Keren had thoughts about saying it was nothing, but knew Ishizu would immediately be able to see through her lie, due to her millennium powers. "Very much so. I nearly lost consciousness."
On the other end, Ishizu was frowning. "It must hurt quite severely then. You should seek medical attention as soon as possible."
Keren knew better than to argue when Ishizu used the motherly tone with her. "I am aware of that. I will go there momentarily." She then remembered she didn't know where any nearby hospitals were, which posed a big problem. ‘What shall I do? I don’t want to wander around the city all day. Besides, who knows how dangerous it is? Fiddlesticks, why am I fretting? Surely Ishizu would know. She has been in Japan long enough to become familiar with the place.’ She paused for a bit to clear her thoughts before asking, “Do you know of any nearby hospitals?" She got out a pad and pen just in case.
"I most certainly do. I will arrange for you to be taken to the hospital and instruct the chauffeur to transport you to the museum afterwards.”
Keren smiled a bit, liking the arrangement. "Sounds like a plan. I will see you shortly." She put away her pad and pen, deciding she didn’t need them anymore.
"Wonderful. Goodbye."
"Goodbye." Keren hung up and put her phone away. She then stood up and began to do a quick search to make sure she had everything. She spotted her tichel on the bed and snatched it up, not wanting to leave it behind. She draped it over her hair and continued to look around, doing a thorough search. Aside from the book she had been reading, there was nothing. She picked up the novel, placed a bookmark inside and put it inside her satchel. Letting out a satisfied sigh, she slung the satchel over her shoulder and rolled the suitcase along as she left the cabin. Whilst walking through the halls, she felt a shiver going down her spine and a sour feeling in her stomach as the memories of her escaping from the rare hunters returned to haunt her. Shaking her head to rid her mind of such tormenting recollections, she exited Marik’s large ship and found a seat where she would be able to see when the chauffer arrived to pick her up. After getting herself situated, she pulled her book out of her satchel, opened it to the page she had left off of and began to read, becoming engrossed in the remainder of the story. This time, nothing could distract her. At one point, there was a sound of a motorcycle engine starting up and the vehicle speeding off. ‘Huh?’ She glanced up briefly, spotting a vaguely familiar figure on the bike. ‘That must be Marik…no doubt he is racing off to get into mischief again, since his last scheme failed.’ She reached up a hand to wearily rub her forehead before letting out a frustrated sigh. Closing her eyes, she said a silent prayer for the pharaoh and his friends to be kept out of harm’s way and then returned to the story.
Keren was finishing off the last page when she heard a car pull up, followed by honking. She glanced up with a jolt, knowing it could very well be the chauffeur Ishizu had sent to pick her up. There was a limo parked, its driver letting the windows down and asking, "Miss Keren?"
"Yes, it is I." The young woman closed her book and slipped it in her satchel. She then rose up and grabbed a hold of her small suitcase, rolling it along with her to the car. An older gentleman climbed out, opened the passenger door and took the suitcase from her, popping the trunk and placing it inside. She smiled gratefully before saying, “Thank you,” and climbed into the limo, fastening her seatbelt. The chauffeur pulled out of the parking lot of the harbor and drove to the hospital. She leaned back and closed her eyes throughout the ride to block out the pain, hoping the problem wasn’t serious. ‘Something tells me the pain will get worse before it subsides.’
(Domino Hospital)
Keren had made it to the hospital with very few problems and was now sitting in one of the chairs in the waiting room, reading a magazine as she waited to be served. She was trying her hardest to focus on the articles and not worry about anything else, but the overbearing stench invaded her nostrils, making her wrinkle her nose. Her stomach began to feel nauseous. ‘Goodness gracious, that smells positively putrid! Did someone forget to clean up spilled medication or something? Good grief!’ She inhaled a deep breath, holding it in so she wouldn’t have to stomach the smell as much. She then went back to reading. ‘I just hope it won’t be too long…I’m not sure how long I can keep it up.’
“Miss Keren Mizrahi?” a professional sounding voice asked.
The young woman’s head jerked up from the magazine article and she slowly let out the breath she had been holding in as she spotted a nurse standing over her. “Yes, ma’am?”
“The x-ray technician can see you now,” said the nurse, giving Keren a slight smile to make her feel more at ease, just in case she was nervous.
Keren nodded. “All right. Thank you for informing me.“ She rested the magazine down, arose from her seat, and headed to the x-ray room with a mixture of emotions. On the one hand, there was relief she would finally receive some help, but at the same time she felt a swarm of butterflies fluttering around in her stomach. She inhaled another deep breath, let it out and entered to see a man with graying blonde hair dressed in white waiting for her. He gave her a warm smile. "Good day. Miss Keren, I presume?”
“Yes, correct.” The butterflies had settled down in the young woman’s stomach, which was a welcome relief, but then they were replaced by a large knot. She inwardly groaned. ‘Of all the moments for that to happen…’ It was all she could do not to wring her hands together and wonder if she would be able to get through the process all right. She let out a deep breath, trying to compose herself.
“All right, from my understanding, you have a finger that needs to be x-rayed. On which hand is it?”
“My left one.” Keren removed the makeshift bandage from her left hand before holding it up for the technician to see, showing him her swollen and bruised index finger. He made a “hmmm” sound as he gently took her hand in his to examine, frowning deeply at the angle her finger was twisted. She remained still throughout the process, though she couldn’t help but tense up as soon as he touched her finger. She bit back the yelp of pain that was threatening to escape. ‘Hopefully it is not as bad as it looks.’
The technician looked at Keren. “Well from the looks of it, your finger may be broken,” he informed her, as if he had read her mind. “However, I must confirm it with the x-ray. I will need for you to remain still.”
Keren nodded slightly, giving him permission to proceed. Though she rarely had accidents that required hospital visits, she knew what to expect.
The man placed a large bib on Keren and then pressed a button on the large camera-like machine. 'CLICK!' it went. He took another one and then removed the bib. He retrieved the images as they slid out, scanning them to see the extent of the damage done. His facial expression became grim. The bone had been broken in two sections. He turned away from the x-rays to face the young woman, who had a questioning look on her face. “It is just as I had suspected. Your finger is fractured, in two places to be exact.” While his tone of voice was grave, his eyes held sympathy in them.
At first, Keren’s face turned pale at the news because it meant she would have limited use of the hand for awhile. On the other hand, it came as very little surprise to her since her gut feeling was telling her something was seriously wrong, as much as she tried to shake it off. ‘I suppose that is to be expected. The pain is far too great to be a sprain of any degree.’ She gulped. "I understand."
"Unfortunate, but nothing that cannot be fixed. I will give these x-rays to the doctor that is to tend to you. You will have to wait a bit, but it won’t be for long. You may go now."
"All right. Thank you." Keren exited the room. As soon as she was a far enough distance, she let out a sigh. ‘Please give me the strength to hold on a bit longer.’
Ocean duelist Mako Tsunami had just won another duel, which earned him two more locator cards. His lips spread into a wide grin. ‘Two more cards and I will have made it to the finals.’ There was nothing more he wanted than a chance to prove his potential. Whilst he watched his opponent walk away from him sniveling, his stomach growled. He let out an awkward laugh. ‘I guess it’s my cue to get some lunch. I could use a break anyway. Dueling is hungry work.’ Holding up his trusty net, he made his way over to the aquarium, quirking an eyebrow upon noticing its seemingly empty state. ‘I take it is a good omen.I can have my lunch in peace with no one to bother me.’ He climbed onto the ledge and cast his net into the water, hoping luck would be on his side. It wasn’t long before he felt his net filling up. It was becoming heavier and heavier. He checked on his progress and his eyes widened to see his net was filled with small fish. He got an excited grin like a little child who had been given the gift he had asked for. ‘Wow, jackpot! I will have plenty to eat during the Battle City finals!’ Just as he was about to get off the ledge to prepare his lunch, a large monstrous whale with jaws open wide and sharp teeth arose from the depths of the ocean and grabbed a hold of him by the seat of his pants, about to swallow him hole. He was so taken off guard that he nearly fell off the ledge, his heart pounding. He flailed his free arm to keep his balance and proceeded to scream at the top of his lungs.
A young woman with long light brown hair pulled into a tight ponytail, dressed in summer clothing came rushing out to see what the yelling was about. Her eyes widened and her mouth dropped open when she saw Mako holding the net full of fish and the whale trying to bite him. "Mister, what do you think you're doing? Do you not know this is an aquarium?"
Mako was trying to calm his rapid heartbeat. He faced the young woman with a panicked expression, trembling."I was just getting my lunch when this whale attacked me!"
The young woman gave the sea duelist an “Are you crazy” look. She had very little patience for thieves. "That's because you were stealing his lunch. Now leave if you value your life."
At those words, Mako dropped the net of fish back into the water, which pacified the whale’s anger enough for it to release its hold on the frightened young man. 'There goes my lunch.’ He lowered his head in despair before glancing up at the aquarium worker, noticing her look of disapproval. "I just wanted to have my daily meal before my next duel, that's all."
The aquarium worker’s frown softened a bit. She was able to understand his intentions and she definitely didn’t want him going hungry. ‘Even so, that still doesn’t justify his thievery.’ Her voice remained stern as she warned Mako, "Well, you should get out of here before you are a meal." Just as she said those words, she collapsed.
Mako let out a worried gasp when he saw the girl collapse. His eyes filled with concern, he leapt off the aquarium’s ledge and ran over to her. He used one hand to hold her up and the other to feel her forehead. He frowned upon noticing how hot it was. "You have a fever. You should be in bed, resting," he told her.
The aquarium worker looked a bit surprised at such concern. ‘Hmm....perhaps he really is a nice guy, even if he just tried to steal the fish. ‘ She let out a distressed moan. It was such a struggle keeping her eyes open. She couldn't say she didn't feel like lying down at the moment, but that wasn't exactly an option."I wish I could, but I have to perform in a show in just a little while," she responded weakly. "I'm the only one the creatures will obey."
Mako gazed down at the young woman with a serious, thoughtful facial expression. "Well you're in no condition to do it. Let me do it in your place. I happen to love the sea and its creatures. All of them are my friends."
The young woman wanted to laugh at how Mako went from being scared out of his wits to sounding like her father, or even a doctor, and she would have, had it not been for her weakened state. "Really? You'd do that for me?" She gave him a weak, grateful smile.
"Of course. Just leave it to me."
Marik rode down the streets of Domino City, enjoying the cool and gentle breeze. His longish cornsilk blonde hair blew in the wind and flapped on the nape of his neck. A big grin crept upon his face as he was nearing Battle City. 'Excellent. I can feel the victory within my grasp. Pharaoh, you may have won Slifer from me, but I will win it back and strip Kaiba of his Obelisk as well. You had better enjoy your brief ownership of Slifer because soon you'll be nowhere but oblivion! Hahaha!' His mind landed on Keren for a brief moment as he recalled the condition she was in the last time he saw her. ‘I would hope she received some help for her injuries by now.’ He quickly shook his head, refusing to allow himself to be distracted. ‘That woman should be the least of my worries now…there is work to be done.’
Joey wandered around Battle City with Tristan, Tèa and Vicki in search for a potential final challenge that was preferably a top ranked duelist. There had been no luck so far, with the exception of Kaiba earlier, but the CEO had bailed due to one of his henchmen summoning him. He let out a frustrated sigh. ’Dang, who knew finding a worthy opponent would be this tough? Don’t tell me all those participating are beginners. I know there’s Mai, but I don’t want to face her until the finals.’ He gazed around absentmindedly before his eyes brightened up a little when he spotted Bakura standing by himself. “Hey guys, that’s Bakura! We haven’t seen him since before the start of this tournament!”
Tèa and the others averted their eyes to where Joey was pointing out to them and saw the white haired young man. “Now that you’ve mentioned it, you’re right!” said Tèa. “This is the first time we’ve seen him. I wonder what he has been up to all this time.” Her expression then turned serious as she remembered how mysteriously he appeared during the Duelist Kingdom tournament and hadn’t revealed himself to the group right away. ‘Considering all the weird stuff that happened because of the spirit of his millennium ring, I have a feeling this meeting isn’t just a coincidence.’
Joey got a nervous expression on his face. “I just hope that’s our friend, Ryou, and not the evil spirit.” He barely held back a shudder. Just the mention of the dark spirit was enough to give him nightmares.
Vicki rubbed the bridge of her nose with her finger. “Well, there’s one way to find out. Let’s go say hello.” Bakura was someone else she wanted to get to know better, though she couldn’t say the same for his alter-ego, based on everything she had heard about him.
“I’m on it!” Joey and his friends wandered over to where their friend was standing. Joey stopped in front of him, plastering a big “happy-to-see-you” grin on his face. "Hey Bakura, what's up? You're here to check out the tournament too?"
Bakura glanced up at his friends, giving them a polite smile. "Hello. Yes I am. There has been much hype and it certainly sounded like fun. How are you progressing thus far, Joey?"
Joey got a big goofy grin on his face as he answered, "Just great! I have 4 locator cards now! Just two more and I’ll be qualified for the finals."
"Congratulations, Joey! I know you will make it.” The shape of Bakura’s dark eyes became narrow and he gave a devious smirk, indicating his sinister counterpart was briefly in control. 'You stupid mortals play your foolish games while I become the most powerful being in the world!'
Joey frowned slightly as he noticed there was a brief change in his friend’s demeanor, but he shrugged it off. ‘Maybe it’s just me.’ He took a look at his watch. "Well as much as I want to stay and chat for awhile longer, I’m in a hurry. I have to go find my next challenge. Smell ya later!"
Bakura nodded. "All right. Goodbye. " He watched his friends walk away for a bit before his dark side took control once again, grinning evilly. ‘Soon, all of them will cease to exist.'
The teenagers and Mr. Mutou walked through the crowded city, seeing duels going on left and right. Joey stared straight ahead, not even paying the duelists any attention. He started dragging his feet in boredom. ‘For the love of crap…there should be a worthy opponent around here somewhere…one that’s not a dirty cheater.’ He ran a hand through his hair, letting out a frustrated sigh. ‘This is ridiculous already.’
Mr. Mutou and Yugi’s friends kept going, only to stop short when they spotted a handmade sign containing a crayoned drawing of Mako snuggling with Shamu. It read: “DON’T MISS TOP RANKED OCEAN DUELIST MAKO TSUNAMI’S PERFORMANCE WITH OUR FAVORITE WHALE!” Tristan gave a confused frown. "Hey, Mako is supposed to be dueling, not performing with Shamu! What the hell does he think he’s doing?"
“Yeah, time is running out to qualify for the finals," agreed Tèa. A puzzled look etched onto her face before it became stern. ‘He better not have backed out at the last minute. He has too much potential to be a quitter.’
Vicki shrugged, as if to say she didn’t really have a clue either. "Maybe this is his way of issuing a challenge..?" she wondered aloud. Tristan shot her a blank stare. “Just a thought.”
Joey’s eyes lit up and a wide grin slowly spread across his face. He had been hoping he would cross paths with the top ranked ocean duelist. ‘Yugi beat him in Duelist Kingdom and now is my chance to test my skills against him. The fact that I actually like him is an added bonus.’ He ran a hand over his face. "Ah, who cares what he's doing? He's gonna be my next challenge." Wasting no time, he sprinted to the aquarium.
"I think he's lost it," muttered Tristan, shaking his head. He and Tèa ran after Joey.
"Wait up, you guys! Some of us can't run as fast as you can!" protested Vicki and Mr. Mutou in unison. Joey, Tèa and Tristan peered over their shoulders, shooting apologetic glances at them and slowing down their pace a bit so they could catch up. The five of them continued making their way to the aquarium, and it wasn’t long before they were approaching the entrance. They walked through, spotting a mob of people seated on the bleachers cheering and applauding loudly, as they were clearly enjoying the show. Mako was riding on Shamu, holding on tight as the whale dove underwater for a dip making enormous splashes. The people leaned backwards to avoid getting wet, and Joey, his friends as well as the old man stepped to the side to keep from being drenched.
The whale soon came back up with Mako standing on its snout. The ocean duelist smiled when he saw the gang watching, recognizing them as Yugi’s friends."Well, hello there, my friends. Have you come to see my unforgettable show?"
"Not exactly, Mako," answered Joey. "I've come to challenge you to a duel!"
"What are you doing performing anyway?" asked Tèa simultaneously, deciding not to scold the blonde for being so brazen.
Mako chuckled a bit, amused by how feisty the blonde was. ‘I admire his spunk, but he’s getting ahead of himself.’ He tilted his head before fixing his gaze on the group, and then on Joey. "It would be rude to stop the Ocean World show, but I believe these people would want to see me defeat you in a duel and advance to the finals. I have 4 locator cards at this point. And to answer your question, Tèa, I am here to duel. I just wanted to give someone a helping hand as a break."
Joey nodded to show he understood and then heaved a sigh of relief that he would have his duel. “I suppose that makes sense, and very nice of you.” The look in his eyes then grew fierce. "I have four locator cards as well! Nothing against you, but I'll have you know that I will be the one making it to the finals!"
Mako smiled wryly at the blonde."We'll see about that, Joey."
"Yes we will. Both of us will put on a show these people won't forget!"
"Now we're in agreement. Let's duel!" Both gentlemen took their places on the playing field, which was a concrete island in the middle of the tank. The teens and Mr. Mutou went to find seats on the bleachers, doing their best to drown out the uproarious cheer from the crowd. ‘I suppose I can understand their excitement,’ thought Vicki as she took a seat, making herself as comfortable as she possibly could. ‘I’ve seen the chap duel on television before and he certainly seems respectable enough.’
Joey and Mako activated their duel disks. "So how many locator cards are you willing to risk losing, freaky fish guy?" asked Joey with a hint of sassiness.
Mako grimaced a bit, for the nickname drove him up a wall, but he opted to ignore it this time. "Two. And how about you, jelly fish?"
"I put up two as well!"
"Smart challenge. Be prepared to feel the wrath of the mighty ocean!"
"I'm more than prepared!" In an attempt to get the crowd psyched to watch the duel, Joey did a couple of pirouettes while drawing a card from his deck. Tèa and Tristan groaned before facepalming. ‘I swear, he could be such a goof. I hope he doesn’t spend the entire duel making a fool of himself.’ The majority of the spectators in the audience had expressions on their faces that said, 'What the hell does this guy think he's doing?'
Mako just stared at the blonde before giving him an impatient look. "Is this a ballet class or a duel?"
Joey ceased the pirouettes. "Very funny!" He straightened up a bit and peeked at the card he had just drawn, looking mildly dismayed. ‘Hayabusa Knight…not quite what I was hoping for, but at least I can buy some time to figure out his strategy. He’s better than that Parasite Paracide card I tossed away, I suppose.’ He put his game face on. "I'll play my Hayabusa Knight in defense mode and end my turn." (700 def) A humanoid shaped bird with maroon, white and yellow feathers holding a sword emerged onto the field, letting out a squawk.
Mako feigned a disappointed look. “Not much of an opening move, but if that’s your best, you won’t last too long.” He pulled a card from his deck, smiling slightly as he glanced at it."I summon the mighty Flying Fish in attack mode!" (800 attk) A baby blue colored fish with wings and pink lips appeared. "Go my Flying Fish, attack that face down monster!" The fish pounced on the large warrior shaped bird, destroying it. He shot a smirk at the blonde. "This is just the beginning of my ocean onslaught!"
Joey returned a smirk of his own. "It takes more than that to defeat me, you big sardine! That was just a warm up and I have already figured out what strategy I’m gonna use to turn your monsters into fish bait! I place another monster in defense mode and that's all."
Mako was resisting the urge to tease the blonde some more, but kept quiet. "I will place one card face down, ending my turn." He sighed wearily. ‘I hope this duel heats up soon. Joey is not giving me much of a challenge thus far.’
"That's all you've got? I guess it's time for me to let you watch the master in action!" Joey started to do more pirouettes.
Tèa shook her head and let out an “Ugh, not again” kind of groan. "Hey Joey this is so embarrassing to watch!" she yelled from the sidelines.
"Just make your move already!” snapped Mako. “I have a duel to win!"
Joey nearly lost his balance on his last pirouette as he came to a stop. "Quit rushing me! I was just trying to give these people a good show."
"All you're doing is putting them to sleep! They came to watch a duel, not your best dancing skills!"
"Whatever. Where was I? Oh yes, I was about to fillet your Flying Fish. I sacrifice my defense monster in order to summon Garoozis in attack mode!" (1800 attk) A dragon- like beast emerged onto the field, growling.
Mako gave a small smirk. "You fell right into my trap!"
Joey’s confident look faltered. "Trap card?" he repeated in a panic.
"Yes! I activate Torrential Tribute, which wipes any monster off the field I choose! Say goodbye!” Joey gaped as he watched a giant flood of water drown his creature. “Great…” he muttered. “Now I’m defenseless. “
Marik continued to ride through the city, all the while using his millennium rod to monitor the activity of his rare hunters. As he came to a corner and approached an alley, he leaned his bike back, tilting on the hind wheels. He saw a young man with long wild white hair standing with his arms spread to the side, as if forbidding him to go any further. The wheels made a screeching noise as he came to a grinding halt. He removed his helmet, furrowed his brow and glared slightly at the young man. "Whoever you are, you're in my way," he barked. He didn't know what the stranger was up to, but he would not hesitate to use force if he had to.
The evil spirit ignored Marik's tone of voice, instead giving him a menacing look of his own. "You have something I seek. Give me your millennium item and you may pass by."
Under normal circumstances Marik would laugh such a demand to scorn, but he couldn’t help but notice the ring hanging around this stranger’s neck. He let out a slight gasp at the power emanating from it. ‘The force coming from that man…he is even more diabolical than I am. However, that doesn’t scare me in the least.’ He then made a face that was between a frown and genuine intrigue. "Why do you want my millennium item?" he wanted to know.
"I am on a quest to collect all seven millennium items so that I may rule the world!"
Marik drew his lips in a firm, thin line. It seemed to him the evil spirit had quite a bit of knowledge about the ancient scriptures. ‘How interesting. Even so, the power I seek is greater than that of the seven millennium items. Chances are he may become an obstacle, and that is unacceptable.’ He scowled at the thought of the dark spirit standing in his way but then a small evil smile crept upon his lips as an idea came to him. ‘Hmm....perhaps I can use this man’s goals to my advantage. It will take some negotiating, but he may make a valuable ally.’ He softened his tone just a tad as he said, “My name is Marik."
The evil spirit gave Marik a look that read, ’Yeah? So?’, as he didn't know why the tombkeeper was introducing himself. "Not that I care who you are or it's any of your business, but you may call me Bakura."
Inwardly, Marik was chuckling at the young man’s unfriendly behavior but he kept a nonchalant expression, not wanting to piss him off. "Well, Bakura, you may have my millennium rod, but before I hand it over, you must do something for me. After I get what I am really interested in, the millennium rod will mean absolutely nothing to me."
The dark spirit’s eyes narrowed slightly, not appreciating Marik’s audacity one bit."Why should I help you when I can take your item by force just as I had done to others in the past?"
Marik let out a heavy sigh. Yami Bakura was making him want to pull out his hair in frustration with his constant questions. ‘He must not understand very well.’ He took a deep breath to keep calm. "I know the whereabouts of several millennium items, including the millennium necklace worn by my older sister."
Yami Bakura tilted his head, the corner of his lips curling into a half smile. "Perhaps there is a way we can work together."
"Wise choice." The two young men faced each other, engaging in a Shadow Game to test the other’s strength with their respective millennium items. Flames surrounded their bodies, Marik’s being purple and Yami Bakura’s, blue.
Mako smirked at Joey’s diminishing confidence before letting out a small laugh. "You're wide open for a direct attack, Joey!"
‘Gotta keep cool and not let him see me sweat.’ Joey put on his best fearless expression."Go ahead and attack me!"
"I will! Flying Fish, attack Joey's life points directly!" The blonde gave a yelp as the fish flew towards him and nibbled on him, taking him down to 3200 life points.
The crowd clapped and cheered loudly for Mako, enjoying his performance thus far. "Wheeler isn't gonna last much longer at this rate," a teen boy said, grinning excitedly. His grin faded and was replaced by a more thoughtful expression. ‘I hope he picks up the pace soon. At least with him fighting back, the duel will become even more exciting. He is supposed to be good, after all.’
Mako glanced up to smile at the cheering audience and turned his attention back to the duel. “I set one card face down and end my turn. I hope you are prepared for the other surprises I have in store for you." He then lowered his head and closed his eyes, looking pensive as his mind switched to his father. ‘I remember as if it were only yesterday…my father put his own life at risk to make sure I would be safe from the storm. I thought I had lost him forever, but when I saw the life boat being missing, I knew he had survived. From that day forward I made a decision to dedicate every duel I fight to him. I am sure he would be proud of me.’ He glanced back up, opening his eyes and facing the blonde with a look of determination. "Despite my critical words at times, I bear no grudge against you, Joey. However, I am fighting this duel in honor of my father, which means I will show you no mercy."
Joey allowed a serious smile to escape his lips before putting his game face back on. "That makes two of us who don't show any mercy. I am dueling for a family member as well—my sister Serenity. I also have a promise to keep to a friend." He closed his eyes briefly, lowering his head as his mind landed on his best friend. ‘Yuge, continue to wait for me.’ He reopened his eyes before the ocean duelist could chide him for zoning out. “Anyway, I summon Alligator's Sword in attack mode. I also play two cards face down."
Mako gave Joey’s move a look of approval as if to say, ‘Very good this time.’ His look then turned into his all-business one."That's an improvement over your previous moves, but it's still not enough to save you from my denizens of the deep." He pulled a card from his deck, holding it up and smiling a bit. "I sacrifice Flying Fish in order to summon the almighty Amphibian Beast in attack mode!" (2400 attk) A hideous green frog-like beast materialized. "Amphibian Beast, attack!"
Joey gave the sea duelist a sly grin. "Not quite! I activate one of my face down cards, Fairy Box!" A large box with a bunch of holes entrapped the alligator in order to disorient the amphibian creature. Mako’s confident countenance wavered a tad upon realizing Alligator’s Sword could disappear into any hole.
"Excellent move, Joey!" cheered Vicki, giving a light applause. She admired how the blonde always came back strong despite the rocky starts.
Joey watched with a gleeful expression as Mako was clearly having trouble deciding which hole he should have his Amphibian Beast attack. "What's the matter, Mako? You don't like those arcade games? Well get ready because you're gonna be shark bait soon!" He began to laugh incessantly.
Mako grunted before exchanging a look with the blonde. "Enjoy your brief moment of triumph because you will be shark bait after I play this card!"
Joey instantly stopped laughing and his smile turned into a look of chagrin. "Say what? Not again!"
"That's right! I play Umi, which floods the entire playing field with water!" The sudden pool of water almost knocked Joey over but he managed to stay on his feet. "This also boosts my monster's attack strength by 200 points and makes your alligator come up for air, as it cannot breathe underwater!"
“Aww man!” whined Joey, knowing his monster was in trouble. It seemed like every time he was on the road to a comeback his opponent found a way to outsmart him. His hands started to tremble. He had to pinch himself to stop, lest Mako would poke fun of him for doubting himself and he refused to give in. ‘Wait, what am I so worried about? I still have my face down card. If luck is on my side, he is in trouble!’ He cursed himself for losing his calm before giving Mako a smug grin. "Nice try! I reveal my other face down card, Skull Dice!" The small imp-like creature tossed the die and he, along with all of his supporters mentally urged it to land on a high number. The audience waited with baited breath as it began to slow down and come to a stop. It landed on a 4, dropping the green colored creature's attack points to six hundred fifty. Joey raised his fist in delight. "Yes! Okay Alligator Sword, dispose of that oversized tadpole!" The alligator reduced Amphibian Beast to ribbons with its sword attack, decreasing the ocean duelist's life points to three thousand, three hundred. The blonde got a proud-of-himself smile on his face. ‘Great. We’re almost even now.’
Mako gave Joey a congratulatory smile for finally starting to live up to his reputation. "That was quite an impressive maneuver, Joey. I must say, you're a worthy opponent."
"Thanks, Mako. You're very worthy yourself."
“Why thank you. I appreciate you saying so.” Mako’s smile turned confident as he looked at the cards in his hand. 'However, this duel is just beginning. You may have destroyed my amphibian, but you do not stand a chance against my other sea creatures, including my secret weapon!'
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Post by LadyKeren on Dec 31, 2015 16:43:50 GMT
Chapter 20
Joey was all fired up from his comeback. Perhaps his victory wouldn't be so hard to obtain after all. He knew Mako had more in store for him, but at this point he felt like he was ready to face it. Not only that, but the ocean duelist was the one who was defenseless this time. All he needed was a monster strong enough and he would be able to damage Mako's lifepoints.
"Your comeback ends now, Joey. Soon you'll be finished and I will be taking two of your locator cards!" announced Mako.
"I don't think so! You have no monsters to protect you! That means I can launch a direct attack!"
The ocean duelist looked shocked at Joey's seemingly selective memory. "I'd like to see you try that, land lubber! You're forgetting that the field is flooded with my ocean."
Joey’s confident grin faltered a bit, but he put his game face back on. "No biggie. I'll find some way around your ocean, Mako!" 'I will need the right card or else I'm toast on his next turn!'
"Not likely. Neither of your monsters are a match for the mighty ocean!"
"That's what you think! It's my turn now!" Joey drew a card and was ecstatic with his draw. It was Polymerization. His comeback streak seemed to be continuing. 'Just the card I needed to complete my strategy.' "First I summon Baby Dragon in attack mode!"(1200 attack points)
The sea duelist widened his eyes in disbelief. All that trash talk and the best move he could come up with was Baby Dragon? He was beginning to wonder if he had overestimated his opponent. "A baby? I suggest getting a life jacket for him or else he will be swallowed up by my mighty sea creatures!"
"He may be small now, but who said he would be in this alone?"
"Just what do you mean by that?" He wondered just how Joey planned to conquer his ocean with a mere monster or two.
"You'll see." The blonde played his Polymerization card to fuse Baby Dragon and Alligator's Sword together, which formed Alligator's Sword Dragon. Alligator's Sword was riding on the back of the bright orange colored dragon. The creature had an attack power of 1700 points, which would do a great deal of damage to Mako's life points. "My new monster has the power to dive over your ocean!"
"Excellent move, Joey, except that all fusion monsters must wait one turn before attacking."
"I know that, aqua boy! Consider yourself lucky I won't sink you until my next turn!" 'I only hope I can survive a turn.' "Think you can wait that long?" teased Joey.
"Mako waits for no one!" He played one of his monster cards, hiding it underwater.
Joey got a flustered look on his face. Not only could he not see what he was fighting, but he wasn't sure what mode it was in because his opponent didn't say. ‘What if I don’t have a monster strong enough to defeat this creature? Hopefully my upcoming move works.’ He put his game face back on."Alligator Sword Dragon, attack Mako's life points directly!" The fused monster flew towards the sea duelist and slashed him with the sword. He winced as the attack took effect on him. His life points were down to sixteen hundred.
"Way to go Joey!" cheered Vicki from the sidelines. Tèa, Tristan and Mr. Mutou offered their words of encouragement as well.
Joey gave a lopsided grin, feeling very proud of himself. ‘I just might have found the perfect strategy for defeating Mako. If all goes well, I can win this duel with one more direct attack!'
"Once again, you're dueling quite admirably, Joey," Mako told the blonde. 'However I can't allow this to happen any longer. I have to win this duel so I can continue to search for my father.'
*Flashback begins*
Young Mako and his father were sailing on the open seas one afternoon. At the moment, the ocean was calm. They hoped it would stay that way for the duration of the voyage. Soon it would be time to go fishing for their dinner.
"It is such a beautiful day, isn't it Daddy?" asked Mako.
"That it is, son."
"It's the perfect condition for fishing."
Mr. Tsunami sailed the boat to an area where lots of fish usually bit. Mako gathered his net and threw it out. His dad smiled at this. Mako had become such an expert at fishing.
Soon, Mako's net began to feel heavy. He took it as a good sign. The net was so heavy that Mako couldn't lift it out of the ocean on his own. His father had to help him. Inside the net were a school of snappers, as well as a small blue marlin.
"Wow, we will have some leftover for the next day!" said Mako excitedly. He watched as his father placed them in the medium sized cooler. Just as he was closing the container and getting ready to sail back to shore, gray clouds appeared in the sky. 'That's strange,' thought Mr. Tsunami. 'The sky was sunny not long ago. "Son, it appears there is a storm ahead."
Mako quivered as the waves began to pick up. "What are we going to do?" he asked.
"We must prepare ourselves for the worst!" replied the older man.
'He's right. And knowing how unpredictable the storms can be there's no telling how strong this one would be.' Of course he didn't think it would be any worse than the one which occurred about three weeks prior—that one was bad enough.
The seas were becoming more and more tempestuous by the minute. Now Mako really didn't like this. "Daddy!" he screamed as he struggled to sit still. He was now leaning against a pole.
"It's okay Mako." The ship stopped rocking long enough for him to retrieve a long rope. He took it and securely tied his son to the pole so that he would be able to sit still, but not so tightly that he was feeling discomfort. "There, you are safe now."
Before Mako could thank his dad, the waves became even rougher and tipped the boat over. "Dad, look out!" cried the frightened young boy.
"AAAAH!" Mr. Tsunami screamed, falling overboard.
*Flashback ends*
"Never underestimate the power of the ocean!" Mako yelled.
"Yeah, yeah, yeah," answered Joey tiredly. 'Will freaky fish guy ever stop his ranting and raving about the sea?'
"To complete my turn I will place one card face down and hide it in the deep." Mako was looking forward to unleashing his ultimate creature.
"Man, I am tired of this," Joey complained."How am I supposed to fight something I can't see?" He didn't get why Mako kept hiding his monsters, but it wasn't like anything mattered. 'Not like he can stop my monsters, anyway. One more direct attack and I will win.' "Alligator's Sword Dragon, attack Mako's life points directly!" Once again, the goofy looking monster flew over the water and dove towards the ocean duelist.
"Joey wins if this attack works!" stated Tèa.
"Let's cross our fingers," said Mr. Mutou.
'Good work, Joey. You've achieved yourself an easy victory considering the rank of this laddie,' thought Vicki, rubbing her fingers together. 'Come on.' The bench was not easy on her poorly hips at all. She rubbed them a little. 'Owww. I should have brought my orthopedic cushion with me.'
Mako gave a smug grin. "I'm afraid that move won't work twice!"
"Say what?" asked Joey. He was almost afraid to see what his opponent was up to.
"I activate my trap card, Tornado Wall!" Joey and the crowd watched as a cluster of cyclones rose vertically, thus repelling his attack. Now what was he going to do?
"You should know it is nearly impossible for you to defeat me!" said Mako. "I also sacrifice one of my hidden monsters for an even stronger one. You're about to feel the wrath of the almighty ocean once again."
'Now there's an even stronger monster lurking down there. Will have to protect my life points just in case none of my monsters are strong enough to defeat it. And I am sick of hearing him babble all about the ocean.'
Mako eyed Joey's expression. "I can see your curiosity is getting the best of you. Well, I will reveal my monster! Show yourself, my ultimate creature, Sea Stealth II, the Legendary Fisherman!" (1850 attack points) A man with wild navy blue hair that was spiked like an afro, riding on a shark arose from the depths of the sea and hurled a harpoon at Joey's monster.
"Not quite!" The blonde revealed his face down card, Energy Drain. "This card will reduce your monster's attack points to zero." The reptilian monster's sword proceeded to glow and was surrounded with energy. The monster raised its sword and emitted the energy stream at Legendary Fisherman, but the towering water sprouts from Tornado Wall arose again and blocked the attack. This gave Mako's monster the opening he needed to counterattack.
"Legendary Fisherman, destroy his monster!" the sea duelist ordered. The fisherman fired his harpoon at Alligator's Sword Dragon, destroying it. Joey was down to 3050 life points.
"What the heck?! My magic card was supposed to zap your monster!" said Joey, confused. "What's going on here?"
"My ocean on the field makes my monsters immune to magic cards," responded Mako. "Your monsters are powerless against mine!"
'As much as I hate to admit it, he's telling the truth. My strategy is ruined,' thought Joey. 'But even so, if he thinks I'm giving up, he's got another thing coming.' "Two can play at the game of hiding monsters. For now, I place a monster in defense mode to keep you guessing, Mako!"
"Not for long. Your hidden monster is shark bait. Legendary Fisherman, destroy his face down monster!" Though still underwater, the fisherman shot a harpoon at Joey's defense monster, destroying it.
"No! My Tiny Guardian!" Not that it was part of any strategy Joey had to defeat the ocean duelist, but his defenses were being picked off like flies. This meant he had to come up with a way to be on the offensive and fast. "What's the big deal, Mako? Is your fisherman going to keep hiding like a frightened shrimp?" taunted Joey.
Mako gave an angry grimace. "My fisherman is brave just like my father." He called his monster back to the surface. The fisherman re-emerged from the depths of the sea and gazed at the blonde with a fierce look in his eyes, which didn't faze him.
"Hey. Your fisherman looks a lot like you, only a little older and creepier," said Joey.
Mako couldn't help but chuckle. "Watch yourself, Joey. To me that card represents my father, and what a brave and courageous man he was. He loved the ocean…that is, until the sea took him from me."
*Flashback begins*
Mr. Tsunami had managed to tie his son to the mast in time, but just barely. The mighty ocean capsized the boat, just when Mako uttered, "Daddy!"
Awhile later, the storm ceased, and Mako was still tied to the mast. He looked around and saw that his father was no longer onboard. "What happened?" he wondered.
*Flashback ends*
"My father was correct," said Mako. "Tying me to the mast had made me perfectly safe, but he did not have time to secure himself as well. I thought I had lost my father forever. However, I noticed that the lifeboat was missing. So even though I had been told my father's body had not been found, that gave me hope and the belief my father was alive, out there somewhere. So I built a monument to guide him home and held a memorial. Years later, I received a package and an anonymous note that read: Don't give up. The package was Sea Stealth II, The Legendary Fisherman. It inspires me to fight every duel in honor of him."
'Oh, that's such a touching story,' thought Vicki. 'You're such an honorable duelist, Mako. It would be wonderful if every duelist was as respectable an opponent as you are.'
Joey also found Mako's story to be moving. "I've got a lot of respect for you, Mako, but as much as I like you, I'm the one who will be going to the finals," he said.
"Then go ahead and make your move, little minnow."
"Will do. I place one card face down and play this monster card in defense mode!"
"Very well." Mako drew a card. 'Excellent. This card is just what I need to achieve my victory!' "I play my Fortress Whale Oath card!" He used it to sacrifice two of his weaker hidden monsters. "I summon my most powerful monster, Fortress Whale!" (2350 attack points.) An enormous black whale with a long white horn on its snout, and teeth bared, emerged on the field. "And the ocean on the field gives it an extra 200 attack points." The whale had 2550 attack points as a result.
"Oh great…just when I thought I only had the fisherman to worry about," Joey muttered. Of course the sarcasm was only masking how rattled he truly was. 'How am I supposed to get out of this one?'
Marik and Yami Bakura were still engrossed in their dark game in the alley. The dark spirit was struggling to overpower Marik.
"Enough of this farce now. It seems you are just as powerful as I am, and you can handle the power of another millennium item, such as the millennium rod," said Marik.
"Wise decision. I thought you would never say that." The flames that surrounded the sinister spirit disappeared. "So what do I need to do for you to hand over the millennium rod?"
Marik smiled one of his devious smiles. "It's quite simple, actually."
That was just what the evil spirit wanted to hear. "Go on. I'm listening."
"Well first, answer me this. How strong are your dueling skills?"
The evil spirit held up his hands as if he were ashamed to admit that he had lost to the pharaoh. "They are extremely strong. You should know that I've participated in several shadow games throughout history." He looked at Marik, but couldn't read the expression on the tombkeeper's face."Does that surprise you?"
"No it doesn't. It all makes sense now." At least Marik knew the dark spirit wasn't just some weirdo who was jealous of his power. "I ask because I will need you to duel on my behalf."
"I will duel whomever you want me too. May I just ask what is it you expect to gain from this, Marik?"
Marik looked just a bit agitated, for it seemed the dark spirit didn't listen very well. "I told you, I'm a collector like you. Win me the cards I want and the items are yours."
"Agreed." The evil spirit chuckled darkly to himself. ‘I hope Marik keeps his word for his own sake. I won’t hesitate to use force if I have to.’
Joey looked at the humongous whale above his head in utter amazement and fear. He was beginning to wonder if challenging the ocean duelist was a good idea after all. "That's a whale of a monster, folks. It looks like I may be in over my head," he said.
"Joey, don't say that! You can still win, even if your chances seem slim. Just believe in yourself like you've always done!" yelled Vicki.
Mako looked up at the young lady. "I'm sorry my friend, but Joey is correct. With my Fortress Whale above and my Legendary Fisherman below, my victory is guaranteed."
"Whatever." Vicki didn't understand why Mako was referring to her as his friend because he didn't feel like one at the moment.
"And now I will continue with my onslaught!" announced Mako. "Legendary Fisherman, destroy his defense monster!" The face down monster was revealed to be Rocket Warrior, which was destroyed. "Fortress Whale, attack his life points directly!" The large whale emitted beams from its laser cannon at the blonde, reducing his life points to 500. Joey grunted in pain as he endured the attack.
"Joey had better do something quick or else he'll be fish bait," said Tristan.
"Tristan, you're not helping at all," said Vicki, giving the pointy-haired young man a look.
Tristan shrugged. "Just being honest."
Mr. Mutou ignored the banter between the two teens. "Joey, you still have time to turn this duel around! Just believe in your deck!"
"Come on, Joey, you can do it!" cheered Tèa. She spotted two shadows beneath the ocean. "See those two shadows? I am sure one of those is Mako's Legendary Fisherman. I just hope Joey figures it out."
'Grandpa is right. But first things first, I need to get a decent monster on the field so I can attack, only there's one little problem. I can't find his Legendary Fisherman to destroy him and his whale is way too powerful.'
Just then a killer whale leaped out of the ocean and splashed Joey. 'That's the aquarium's killer whale. The other shadow must be Mako's Legendary Fisherman. Awesome! I found him. Now I just need the right card so I can destroy him,' thought Joey, smiling.
"Make your final move, Joey, so my sea creatures can win this duel," said Mako.
"I sure will." Joey drew his next card and examined his hand. 'I have one monster card, two magic cards and one trap card, as well as one card face down on the field. It's gonna be tricky, but I know how to destroy both of his monsters.' "I play 3 cards face down and summon Panther Warrior in attack mode!" The cat-warrior appeared, giving a fierce battle roar. "Since my Panther Warrior needs a sacrifice in order to attack, I'll end my turn. Consider yourself lucky."
"You played well, but it's all over for you. Fortress Whale, destroy his Panther Warrior!" The whale aimed its laser cannon at the panther, preparing to attack.
Joey gave a small grin. "Nice try, Mako, but you fell right into my trap!" He revealed his trap card, Magic Arm Shield. "Attach to Panther Warrior! Time to go fishing!" Panther Warrior grabbed a hold of the shield and used it to reach inside the ocean. It seized Legendary Fisherman.
"No! My Legendary Fisherman!" Mako cried out. He was afraid to watch what would happen to his most prized creature.
"I don't have to destroy him," said Joey. "Your whale is gonna do that for me. Fortress Whale, attack!" The whale's blast was redirected at the fisherman, destroying him. Mako lost 700 life points as a result, bringing him down to nine hundred.
Mako was in shock over Joey's attack, and then his shock turned into shame. "I destroyed my own fisherman...it was careless of me to let this happen."
Joey couldn't believe his ears. "It's just a card," he pointed out.
"It's more than just a card. I cannot be brave without it," responded Mako.
'Does this guy have low self-esteem or what?' "What are you talking about? You're one of the bravest guys I know. You've gotta give yourself more credit than that, Mako."
The sea duelist sighed. "It's not that easy, Joey. The card reminds me of my father."
"Mako…" Joey couldn't believe how hard on himself Mako was being.
"It's my own fault. I crushed my inspiration."
Joey let out a groan of frustration. Mako was trying his patience with how difficult he was being, but he knew yelling at his opponent wouldn't help. "That's not true. You don't need that card."
"Huh?"
"You've already got what you need. It's been inside you this entire duel," continued Joey. "You don't need some freaky looking fisherman sitting on a shark to inspire you. Do you hear what I'm saying?"
Mako gave an angry grimace. "Back off!"
'That's the gratitude Mako shows when Joey is trying to help him? How ungrateful he is.' thought Vicki. 'He's lucky I'm not the one dueling him.' She brushed her long bangs out of her eyes.
'Boy is this guy making it difficult when I am only trying to be nice.' "Look man," Joey began, trying to be patient, "what I am trying to say is you can be inspired by your dad without that card. There's something in every duelist that drives them."
"How would you know that, Joey?"
Joey was hoping he would ask that. "I know. I duel for my sister the same way you duel for your dad, and she inspires me even when she's not next to me. Your memories of your dad and your courage are inside your heart, not in that card. So don't be hard on yourself for destroying your Legendary Fisherman. What would your father say if he saw you?"
Mako looked thoughtful. 'Hmm, I never thought Joey could relate to the way I look at dueling. It's true; father would scold me for being as hard as I am on myself. '
"Anyway, let's get back to this duel," said Joey.
"Yeah, let's get on with the duel so I can win. You've made a great comeback, but it all ends here! Fortress Whale, dispose of his Panther Warrior!"
"I'm gonna have to stop you! I reveal my other face down card, Kunai with Chain!" The long chain wrapped around the whale's horn and Panther Warrior jumped on his back. "This card stops your whale from attacking and raises my Panther Warrior's attack strength by 500 points, giving it 2500!"
"It is still weaker than my monster," Mako stated.
"That's what you think. Panther Warrior, attack his whale now!" The panther stabbed the whale but didn't even scratch it.
"It can't!"
There were shocked expressions on the faces of everyone in the audience."Why would Wheeler attack a creature that is clearly stronger than his? Is he that much of an amateur?" people were asking amongst themselves.
"My monster is stronger than yours so the minute you attack it will be destroyed!" pointed out Mako.
Joey grinned, happy he had managed to outsmart Mako once again. "It's true my Panther Warrior's attack power is slightly lower than your whale's but you seem to be forgetting something."
"And what is that?"
Joey pointed to the card he still had face down. "This face down card down here."
"What about it?"
"I'm glad you asked," answered Joey with a wide grin on his face. He revealed the magic card, Lightning Blade. "This card raises my Panther Warrior by 800 points!"
"Oh no!" said Mako as he knew what that meant. Panther Warrior would have 3300 attack points, more than enough to destroy his Fortress Whale.
"Say goodbye to your Fortress Whale and most of your life points!" The wild cat electrocuted Mako's monster, leaving him with only 150 life points. "Any last words?"
"Yes, in fact, I have six. This duel is not over yet."
"Now you're talking. Give it your best shot."
"I intend to." Mako drew his card. 'I survived the previous turn, but just barely. But I know that I will win.' "I play Return of the Doomed. This allows me to resurrect one of my defeated monsters and hide it underwater."
"Not again," Joey groaned. 'What if my monster isn't strong enough to defeat what's hiding down there? Oh well, I'm gonna have to really trust in the heart of the cards.' He knew everyone was waiting for him to make a move. "Here goes." He drew a card. 'Giant Trunade. I can use this to dry up Mako's ocean. Without it whatever monster he is hiding will be weakened. It's worth a try.'
"What on earth are you waiting for?!" yelled Mako, clearly becoming impatient. "Hurry up so I can win this duel!"
"Okay, okay, don't have a hissy fit." Joey mockingly rubbed his temples. "I activate my magic card, Giant Trunade! Drain the sea!" The cyclone swept up the ocean like a mighty wind from a hurricane, and revealed Mako's resurrected monster, which happened to be Legendary Fisherman.
Mako could hardly believe what was going on before his eyes. Joey was going to win! He was sure he would be able to beat him, since the blonde was a slightly weaker duelist than Yugi."You exposed my fisherman. Just finish him off."
"Will do." Joey sacrificed one of his Scapegoats. "Panther Warrior, attack!" The feline warrior stabbed the fisherman, which took Mako's life points down to zero.
'I will never give up, Father,' the sea duelist mused. His eyes filled with tears and cascaded down his face.
"Yay, Joey won!" cheered Tèa.
Joey raised an eyebrow in confusion before looking concerned. ‘Huh? Why would Mako be crying? I hope it’s not because of the defeat.’ "You all right, Mako?"
Mako quickly wiped his tears away. "Yes, that was an excellent duel. Congratulations." He looked through his deck for the rare cards and two locator cards and handed them to Joey. "Here are my two rarest cards and two locator cards."
Joey took the cards from him and examined them. "Very kind of you, but you don't have to give me your fisherman card," he said, preparing to give it back to his opponent.
"Yes I do. You earned those cards, and besides, you were right. My courage and memories of my father are inside my heart."
Joey smiled, glad to have gotten through to Mako. "Thank you. And don't worry; I'll treat it with respect."
"You'd better. And best of luck in the finals!"
"Thanks. You're all right, Mako!" The two duelists exchanged a high five.
Ishizu had seen the evil plot concocted by Marik and the evil spirit of the ring with her millennium necklace, and got an uneasy feeling from it. 'Now is the time to find my last challenge.' She found the two men in charge of the museum. "I must take an extended leave of absence. Once again, thank you for allowing me to work here. It has been an honor," she said.
"It has been our pleasure to have you, Ms. Ishtar, and we hope you will honor us with your work again."
"I will, someday soon." The young woman went back to the room with the stone tablets, where Keren was waiting for her.
"How did it go?" asked Keren. Her finger finally felt better, even though it still pained her some.
"I have permission to leave now," answered Ishizu.
"That's wonderful. Hopefully we are not too late. 'I wonder what Odion is up to now. I hope he hasn't gotten into mischief.'
"Are you ready to go?" asked Ishizu.
"Yes. Let's go." Keren and Ishizu left the museum together.
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Post by LadyKeren on Jan 1, 2016 14:18:21 GMT
Chapter 21
Marik and the dark spirit of the millennium ring were still standing in the alley, and had just completed their little "shadow duel" to determine which one of them was strongest. It turned out that they were nearly evenly matched. This hadn't surprised the Egyptian, as his item sensed a tremendous evil force.
Marik gave an evil grin. His mind had just concocted a diabolical scheme regarding Yugi and his friends. "Now, to put together the plan."
Yami Bakura cocked an eyebrow. "Just to be clear, which plan are you speaking of?" He hoped it was one involving what he and Marik had just discussed regarding the items they both sought. Waiting was not something the dark spirit enjoyed doing.
Marik gave a wicked grin. "I am glad you asked. Our little agreement is just a backup plan, in case my current one doesn't work."
The dark spirit's grin faltered. It seemed Marik was trying his patience on purpose. "Look, Marik, I don't have time for this! There is work to be done."
Marik gave the spirit an amused look. 'How demanding he is.' "Patience, my friend. You will be involved in this scheme as well. " Truth was he had just thought of the idea and found it convenient that he crossed paths with the dark spirit.
Yami Bakura's temper subsided a bit, but he still looked at Marik warily. "And just what scheme is that?"
Marik gave another wicked grin. "Well, I intend to use Little Yugi's friends to crush him and I will need your help."
The sinister spirit of the ring knew where Marik was going with this. Usually he would have snapped something like, "Do it on your own" but for the first time he felt compelled to cooperate with the cornsilk haired young man, and he knew how closely his hikari was connected to Yugi and his friends. "I see…you want me to inflict harm on my weaker half so you can have a reason to cross paths with those fools."
Marik's grin widened. "Precisely." 'Pharaoh, I hope you're prepared to meet your demise.'
The evil spirit smiled. "I think that can be arranged." He reached into his pants pocket and took out a small dagger. He plunged the blade of the dagger deep into the bicep of his left arm, gave a grimace and pulled it out. It stung terribly, but the spirit was oddly turned on by the feeling. 'After all, my weak side will suffer much more than I will.'Blood immediately squirted everywhere. Some almost got on Marik's shirt, but he stepped back. It was a good thing he did because soon there was a small pool of blood.
The blonde young man smirked. 'Excellent. I will gain the trust of those fools for sure.'
The evil spirit disappeared, letting his hikari take control. Feeling weak from the blood loss and overcome by excruciating pain, the young man collapsed.
(Battle City)
Joey was bursting with excitement and pride over having obtained all six locator cards in a timely manner. The part which made him most proud was the fact that he made it by defeating three of the most experienced duelists.
"Tèa, lend me your cell phone please," said the blonde. "I want to check on my sis."
Tèa sighed...she didn't feel like digging in her knapsack for her phone. Plus she wasn't sure how much longer the phone's battery would last. She reached into her bag, pulled out her phone and handed it to Joey. "Just don't talk on it for too long. The battery is low."
"Don't worry, I won't be long." He took the phone and dialed the number to Serenity's room.
'Ring, ring.' "Hello, Serenity speaking."
Joey gave a wide grin as he thought about the news he had for his sister. "Hey Serenity, it's your big brother."
"Hey Big Brother! What's up?"
Joey noted how excited Serenity sounded. 'She must have some exciting news as well.' "Guess what?! I've made it to the finals!"
"That's great, Joey! I knew you could do it! I also have some great news!"
'So I was right.' "Oh yeah? What is it?"
"Well, the doctor told me I have almost completely recovered and my eyes have healed enough to take off the bandage any day," answered Serenity. "I will also be released from the hospital."
Joey's excitement grew, but he opted to control it as best as he could since it was a telephone conversation. "That's awesome news, Serenity."
'This is perfect timing. For a little while I was worried I wouldn't get to take off the bandages in time.' "I would like to see you duel in Battle City. And would you teach me how to duel as well?"
"Sure! I think that can be arranged!" answered Joey, to both questions. 'Not that I know quite everything there is to know about dueling, but thanks to the teachers I had, I can teach her a thing or two.'
"Great! See you later then."
"Later." Joey hung up the phone and could not contain his excitement any longer. He tossed the phone into the air.
Tèa gasped in horror as she saw Joey do this. 'Such a careless clod! If my phone battery dies, he's dead meat! I should never have lent it to him.' It was about to hit Vicki in the head but luckily Tèa caught it just in time.
"Hey!" yelled the short-haired brunette. "My phone is not a toy to be tossed around, you know!"
"Do you have any idea how expensive cell phones are?" added Vicki.
Joey looked sheepish. "Sorry. I am just excited because Serenity is doing well enough to remove her bandages and be released from the hospital today."
"Oh! That's wonderful news!" exclaimed Tèa.
"I have said many prayers for her," said Vicki.
"Thanks guys. I appreciate the support and I know she appreciates it too," said Joey. "She wants to come to Battle City, but there is one problem. I don't know when I will have the time to pick her up."
Tristan looked at his best friend strangely and pointed to himself, trying to give Joey a hint. "I'll pick her up, you goof ball! After all, you didn't let me spend any time with her yet! This will be my chance to get to know her!" He ran off before the blonde could object.
Joey shook his fist. 'That little sneak…he had better not flirt with her or else!'
"Calm yourself, Joey," said Vicki. "It won't be so bad."
"It had better not be if he knows what's good for him," answered Joey.
"Oh no! Look!" Joey, Mr. Mutou and Vicki heard Tèa exclaim. They looked to see why. A young cornsilk blonde man with tanned skin, dressed in effeminate clothing approached them, with a severely wounded Bakura. Bakura looked extremely pale and his left arm appeared to be bleeding, even though it was bandaged. It was such an upsetting sight.
"What's the matter with Bakura?" inquired Vicki, going over to the two young men. 'Well this day is just great! Here I thought it would be a wonderful day and one of my friends gets hurt. If anyone had dared to lay a finger on him, they will live to regret it.' She was fuming, but didn't show it, for fear of scaring the stranger away, whoever he was.
Marik smirked discreetly. He couldn't believe his luck with the plan to ensnare Yugi's friends. 'Trapping these fools will be a piece of cake. They trust me already. Quite frankly, kindness is a sickening emotion, but it is part of the plan.' There was no way he would tell them he caused it. What type of believable story could he concoct without risking losing their trust? It quickly came to him.
"I am not entirely sure," Marik lied. "I just found him lying on the ground. I did my best tending to his injuries. Do you know him?"
"Yes! We're buddies," spoke up Joey. He went over to Bakura.
Bakura slowly opened his eyes. "Joey," he said weakly.
"Bakura! Who did this to you?!" demanded Joey. He clenched his fists, thinking about how he would find the culprit, and if he did, things would not be pretty.
The white haired young man clutched at his aching left arm. "It happened so quickly…I cannot remember." What was more frustrating than the memory lapses was the fact that he did not know why his arm stung so much.
"He should seek further medical attention as soon as possible," said Marik.
"You are right, young man. I'll take him to see a doctor right away," said Mr. Mutou. He opened the passenger side of his car. Joey took Bakura's unconscious body from Marik and helped him inside, shutting the door. Mr. Mutou drove away.
'Hang in there, Bakura. I don't know who did such a thing to you but I hope you will be all right,' thought Joey as he watched Yugi's grandfather drive off.
Now that Bakura was taken to the hospital, Vicki used this moment to take a good look at his rescuer. She was star struck by what she saw and felt weak in the knees. 'Oh my...those purple eyes, his Egyptian jewelry…he is very attractive. I hope this laddie is as beautiful inside as he is outside.'
"Thanks a lot for saving Bakura. Your name is…" Joey gave an embarrassed grin. 'I only wish I knew this guy's name.' He wasn't sure how to ask Marik.
Marik was in such an uncomfortable position. He was being asked to introduce himself by a friend of his greatest enemy. 'However, I dare not reveal my real name to these fools…I will have to come up with a false identity quickly.' "Oh, you must pardon my poor manners," said Marik, plastering an uneasy expression on his face. "I'm Namu. What's your name?" He extended a hand towards the blonde.
"The name's Joey." He shook Marik's hand.
"I'm Tèa."
"And my name is Victoria, but you may call me Vicki if you prefer." Vicki was finding it difficult to look Marik in the eye, which had almost never happened to her when speaking to a guy before.
"It is a pleasure to meet you all," said Marik as he shook the hands of Tèa and Vicki. 'I have to admit, the girl called Vicki is rather attractive…a pity she will become one of my pawns.'
"Hey, is that a duel disk on your arm?" asked Joey. 'Just my luck. It would be cool if he were a duelist as well. Maybe we could play Duel Monsters sometime.'
"Yes, but I am not a very good duelist, I'm afraid," replied Marik, pretending to sound modest. "You are not challenging me to a duel, are you?" 'Not that you would stand a chance against me.'
"No, I don't have to," answered Joey proudly. "I already have all six locator cards."
'Excellent. You will be perfect for dueling on my behalf.' "Impressive. You must be quite talented. Would you mind giving me a few dueling tips? I would like to win at least one duel in Battle City."
Joey laughed nervously. He didn't want to be a show-off, but he was flattered by such a request. "No, not at all. I will be able to fit you in, now that I don't have to duel anymore until the finals."
"Thank you so much. I appreciate it," said Marik.
"Don't mention it. Just let me know when you're ready."
'Naïve fool, your advice will be needed sooner than you think,' thought Marik, sneering inwardly.
All of a sudden, Joey's tummy started growling. He hadn't eaten anything yet for the day and he was beginning to realize just how famished he was. 'I hope Namu didn't hear that. What was I thinking, dueling so long without eating? It's a miracle I was able to function at all. I'd better get some grub before the finals start.'
"Guys, if I don't get some food soon, I'm gonna pass out," Joey said to Tèa and Vicki. At that moment, the growling in his stomach became even louder.
Tèa rolled her eyes, whilst Vicki simply said, "I am surprised you hadn't said anything sooner. I didn't expect you to duel on an empty stomach for as long as you did. I could have brought some munchies just for you."
Vicki mustered up the nerve to look Marik in the eye. "Well, Namu, I guess we'd better get going now." 'Okay. That wasn't so bad.'
"Smell ya later," said Joey. He, Vicki and Tèa walked away. "Seems like a nice enough guy, doesn't he?" the blonde commented.
"Yes he does," answered Tèa.
"I think so too," agreed Vicki. Her face flushed as she spoke. 'That was odd. Why do I feel so shy around that lad? And why was my skin tingling when he shook my hand? Surely it can't be love. I just met him.' Was it a crush? Possibly.
Marik gave an evil grin as he watched Yugi's friends leave. 'Those fools have no idea of the danger that's in store for them. Their naivety will be their undoing.'
Yugi, with his yami still in control, went to the aquarium with Kaiba. Kaiba felt compelled to assist him in locating his friends with his tracking system, and the aquarium was where Joey's duel disk was tracked.
Unfortunately, there was no trace of either Joey or the remainder of the gang. There was just a crowd of people watching the killer whale do its tricks.
Yami frowned. 'This is strange. Kaiba told me they were here. Why would the tracking system say Joey is here when he isn't? Could the tracking system be wrong?' Kaiba had no reason to lie to him—unless he was just appeasing the ancient spirit in order to get him to accept the duel challenge, which was a great possibility, given that the CEO was not keen on helping in the first place. But if that were the case, why did the former world champion volunteer?
"Kaiba, it seems as though you were wrong," said Yami gravely.
Kaiba gave his rival an indignant look. 'My tracking system wrong? Impossible! My equipment is state of the ark.'"Relax, Yugi. I am constantly getting signals from Joey Wheeler's duel disk. There is nothing to worry about."
But Yami was not so sure. 'Joey could be in danger as we speak.' He frantically ran off.
Kaiba laughed huffily, amused by his rival's behavior. "I fail to see what Yugi sees in that small fry of a duelist," the young ceo pondered aloud. He followed Yami. 'After all, without my assistance, Yugi could be all day searching for those goody-two-shoes ditzes.'
Marik had signaled to his rare hunters that it was time to put the next part of his diabolical plan into motion. Before he completely lost sight of Joey and the others, he ran after them at the last minute. The henchmen stayed nearby.
"Joey, I don't mean to be an inconvenience to you, but will you give me a few dueling tips right now, before you go?" Marik called after the blonde.
Joey, Tèa and Vicki stopped in their tracks and turned to face Marik. A group of robed men proceeded to slowly walk up behind them and Marik. 'These numbskulls don't even know we are behind them…this ambush will be simpler than I thought,' thought one of the rare hunters.
'Rats! Now getting some grub will have to wait.' "Sure I will," answered Joey, trying his best not to be annoyed about having his lunch break interrupted. 'He must want me to die from hunger or something.'
Joey was thinking about which tip to give his new "friend" when all of a sudden, he heard Marik yell, "Joey! Look out! Behind you!" A rare hunter grabbed the cornsilk blonde from behind. He feigned a frightened look. The rare hunter punched him in the face, threw him on the ground and proceeded to kick him in the stomach and back, knocking the wind out of him.
"Huh?" Joey spun around to see what Marik was talking about. He saw a robed man preparing to strike him. He got out of the way in time, but just barely. But he saw a couple men beating up Tèa. He punched the rare hunters in the jaw. "Let go of her! Didn't your mother ever teach you that guys are not supposed to hit girls?!"
One of the still standing rare hunters grabbed Tèa in a tight hold, preventing her from escaping. She tried her hardest to free herself, but it was no use. He was much too strong. "What do you want? Let me go!"
As Joey prepared to attack the robed man who got a hold of Tèa, the ones he had attacked pushed him down.
Vicki took one look at what was going on, and was not impressed. 'Oh no, there are too many of these scumbags. Although I am not supposed to do my martial arts, it seems I have no choice. I won't stand for this.'
"Look, there is another girlie we can have some fun with," said one of the rare hunters, after they were through with Joey. They smirked and walked towards Vicki.
'Not if I can help it.' "Take this, you dickheads! Heeya!" The chocolate haired teen ran towards the rogue men and did a split leap kick. The rare hunters fell to the ground. She stomped them on the back. She saw that there were still a couple of the robed men beating up Marik. She kicked one in the crotch and tripped the other one.
All of a sudden Tèa's cell phone started ringing, but it was in her small knapsack. A rare hunter with longish bluish green hair laughed. "Too bad your friend won't be speaking to you." He took her bag from her.
"Get out of my stuff!" ordered Tèa, annoyed.
This incensed Vicki more. She despised invasion of privacy. "I'm afraid that doesn't belong to you!" She played her Ninja Bomb trap card. The ninja threw the bomb and an explosion ensued. The rare hunter was so taken off guard that he dropped the bag.
"Aha!" Vicki snatched up the bag, unzipped it and pulled out the phone. She hid in a corner and answered it. "Hello? Oh hello there, Yugi. No, this is Vicki. Not too bad, but had to fight off some of those robed freaks who are after Joey and Tèa. We are in the center of Battle City, by a large tree. All right. I will see you soon. " The young teen flipped her hair over her shoulders. 'Gee if I knew all this was gonna happen today I would have put my hair up.' Her hips started to ache from all the martial arts skills she did. 'Oh well. It had to be done. Speaking of which, I wonder how Namu is doing. I should go check on him.'
Mokuba was on the way to meet up with his big brother. He had decided to help find Yugi's friends as well. 'After all, they have been good to me, even though we had our differences at first. That guy Yugi had to duel sure was creepy. I hope he will be all right.'
All of a sudden, the young boy got this eerie feeling that he was being watched and something terrible would happen. He looked around and saw no one. 'I guess I am just imagining things and scared over nothing, even though one can never be too careful with all those rare hunters around the city.' Mokuba shuddered at the thought of facing the rare hunters head on. 'I hope that's not why I feel this way.' He kept on walking.
Unbeknownst to Mokuba, a group of robed men were spying on him from on top of the building. One of the men laughed to himself. 'That little brat doesn't even know we're here. This kidnapping job is a piece of cake. Now is our cue.' He gave his colleagues the signal that it was time to let their presence be known. They leapt from the building, a few feet in front of the raven haired young lad.
Mokuba's eyes widened with fright at such sudden noise. He looked up only to see a rare hunter. He felt his stomach beginning to churn. 'Just great. What could these creeps want with me?' "Who are you?" he cried.
"Someone who is about to become your worst nightmare," answered the rare hunter. He looked at the little boy. 'Master Marik will be pleased when I capture this wimp!'
'We'll see about that! If these jerks think they will mess with me, they had better think again!' The frightened little boy took off running. He hadn't gotten very far when suddenly, he was tripped down. It was Odion.
"AAAAH!" screamed Mokuba as he fell on his derriere. He dropped his briefcase as well.
"What's the rush?" asked a deep voice. "You will not escape us, little boy."
Mokuba slowly looked up to see who said and did that. It was a tall man with tan skin and a tattoo on his face dressed in a cape like the other rare hunters. 'This jerk is so big and buff…no way will I escape him.' "Leave me alone! You're one of those rare hunters, aren't you?"
"Perhaps I am, and you're our prey," answered Odion. The other rare hunters let loose evil laughter in agreement. They surrounded Mokuba, grabbed him and carried him off. Odion picked up the brief case.
Although this was a simple task, Odion felt a bit ashamed for lowering himself to such a level of evil when he thought about his last conversation with Keren. He had no doubt that if she saw him now, she would definitely despise him. She would despise him for capturing Mokuba, if not for any other reason. 'I have no time for such idle distractions. There is work to be done.'
Ishizu saw the vision of the kidnapping with her Millennium Necklace, and knew she had to find her final opponent, now or never. Of course if her necklace was correct, that would not do any good, but at least she would be one step closer to saving her brother from the darkness. There did not seem to be any potential opponents in the midst of Battle City, so she and Keren went elsewhere.
Keren noted that the younger woman seemed a bit pensive ever since they both left the museum. "Is something the matter, Ishizu? You seem troubled."
Ishizu wondered if she should tell the Israeli what was going on without risking worrying her. 'Hmm. I don't have to tell her all. A version of the truth will do.' "According to my necklace, Odion is up to no good once again, and Kaiba and Yugi are facing danger."
"Oh dear…" Keren placed her hands over her head. 'To think I was starting to have hope.' She wondered if Odion was trying to appease her the last time she saw him. A part of her was glad she wasn't with him at the moment. "It's hopeless."
The Egyptian gave Keren a hard look. "Don't ever say such things. You must remain optimistic."
"If you say so." Keren wasn't so sure.
The two young women came to a park where some children were dueling each other. A little boy of about eleven years old was searching for a potential challenge.
'Oh rats! There doesn't seem to be a person available…at this rate I will never make it to the finals...not that I ever had a chance, anyway.' The little boy was about to leave the park and head for home when he spotted Ishizu and Keren. 'Oh, I have seen that lady before! She used to work at the Domino Museum and she had all those cool items! And she has a duel disk on, too! Maybe she will duel against me.' He walked up to Ishizu.
"Hi there. My name is Shiro. You are Miss Ishizu, aren't you? I remember you from the show you held last week."
Ishizu looked a bit surprised. It was nice to know children were interested in her work. "Why, yes I am."
Shiro nervously twiddled his thumbs and looked at the floor. 'I hope she doesn't think I'm a bother.' He felt tongue-tied. "Oh! I have been waiting to meet you for a long time," he managed to say. "Will you duel with me? An official Battle City duel?"
"I certainly will." The Egyptian woman activated her duel disk.
Shiro was so happy that he felt like jumping up and down, but decided it wouldn't be exactly mature to do that in front of someone as refined as Ishizu. "Oh thank you so much! Let's do it!"
"You're welcome." 'For this duel I will not rely on the powers of my necklace for my victory. He is only a child.' She took off the necklace and placed it in her pocket.
"Duel!" The two duelists took their places on the playing field and drew their 5 cards. Keren stood next to the bench. "I can watch from there,' she thought.
"I'll let you go first," the little boy offered. 'I can't wait to see what this lady has in store.'
"How gentlemanly of you." Ishizu drew a card. 'Not too bad. But it won't be of any use to me right now.' "I summon Keldo in defensive mode." An unusual looking fairy appeared on the field. It was aquamarine and gold. "I also activate the powerful magic card, Michizure of Doom! This card requires for both of us to choose two cards for the opponent to discard. I choose Jinzo and Heavy Storm."
"What on earth? How does she know I have those cards?" Shiro muttered to himself. 'This lady is giving me the creeps…is she psychic or something? She can't be cheating as she never saw my cards...but somehow she is right. ' Mystified, Shiro sent the cards to the graveyard. "You show me your cards, too."
Ishizu did so.
"Send Exchange of the Spirits and Swords of Revealing Light to the graveyard."
"Very well." Ishizu discarded the chosen cards. "That ends my turn."
'Wow, Miss Ishizu sure is good. But I will try my best to beat her. I definitely can't let her little trick psych me out,' thought Shiro. He drew a card. "I play Petit Angel in defense mode and end my turn." (900 def)
'Very strange...this boy seems to be playing it safe. I cannot hold back.' "I summon Agido in attack mode! (1500 attk) I switch my Keldo into attack mode as well. Keldo, attack his Petit Angel!" The defense monster was destroyed. "Agido, attack his life points directly!" Shiro winced as the attack hit him. He lost 1500 lifepoints from the attack and was down to 2500 life points as a result. "It's your turn."
'Man, this lady is tough! How am I gonna beat her now?' Shiro wondered to himself. He began to wonder if he was wrong to challenge Ishizu in the first place. 'No. I can't doubt myself now. Even if I lose to this woman, maybe I can learn a thing or two from her.' He drew his card. 'Cyber Harpie…she is powerful enough to beat Agido, but that's the best I can do now.' "I call Cyber Harpie to the field in attack mode!" (1800 attk) The female semi-humanoid, semi-vulture monster with long red hair materialized. "Cyber Harpie, attack Agido!" The female winged creature slashed the Egyptian-style fairy with her deadly claws. Ishizu lost 300 life points as a result, bringing her life points down to 3700. "Let's see what you've got.”
"Impressive." Ishizu drew a card. 'I will hold this card until the time is right.' "I summon Mudora in attack mode!" (1500 attk) She also played a magic card, Sword of Dogra, which raised his attack points to 2000. "Mudora, attack his Cyber Harpie!" The female bird monster was slashed, making Shiro's life points drop to 2300. "Keldo, attack his life points directly!" Shiro lost 1200 life points, bringing him down to 1100. "I shall place one card face down. That ends my turn. The end is near for you. What will you do now?"
'She's right. There is no way I can fight back now with my life points so low. Even so, I will not quit!' He drew another card. 'Awesome! I can use this card to help block any attacks from her monsters!'
"I activate my trap card, Muko!" announced the Egyptian. "It requires for you to send the card you just drew to the graveyard."
"Oh man!" moaned Shiro. 'That was one of my best cards.' Shiro reluctantly discarded his Gravity Bind card.
"I summon Zorga!" (1700 attk) This fairy looked like a cape with a head on top. "I also switch my Keldo into defense mode and end my turn." (1600 def points)
'Okay...this is my last chance. Have to make the most of it!' "I give up 800 of my life points in order to activate my magic card, Premature Burial! I will use it to bring back my Cyber Harpie!" Cyber Harpie reappeared on the field. "I equip her with a magic card, Arrow Nail! It raises her attack strength by 300 points!"
"I am ready for your attack," said Ishizu.
"You got it!" Shiro drew a card. "Cyber Harpie, slice her Keldo to bits!" The female bird monster stabbed the fairy with her nail weapon. "Make your move. I can't wait to see it."
Ishizu gave the boy a reserved smile. "You fought very well for someone on your level. However, this duel will end with my victory." She drew a card. "I sacrifice Mudora and Zorga in order to summon Wing Weaver!" (2750 attk) A very regal female fairy emerged. "Wing Weaver, attack Cyber Harpie!”
Shiro watched as his monster was destroyed and his lifepoints dropped to zero. His face was emotionless.
Ishizu had expected Shiro to be at least mildly disappointed at his loss. After all, he was just a kid. She was a bit surprised when he came over to her and said, "This duel was fun! I'm glad I got to duel with you."
"Likewise. You did an admirable job. Keep practicing and your skills will improve," said Ishizu.
"Thank you. It means a lot." The copper haired young boy flipped through his deck and took out his rarest card, Sacrifice's Blast. He handed the rare card as well as a locator card to the young woman.
"Thank you." Ishizu took a look at the rare card given to her. 'This card will be of wonderful use, when it comes to destroying the most powerful monsters.' She slipped it into her deck and started to leave.
"Wait! One more thing!" Shiro called after his opponent.
Ishizu stopped in her tracks. "Yes?"
Shiro took out a book from his knapsack. "Is it possible I can have your autograph?"
Ishizu looked embarrassed at such attention, but the boy's eyes were so kind and innocent, she couldn't turn the request down. She took the book from him and wrote on the inside cover, 'Best wishes to Shiro, from Ishizu Ishtar.' She handed the book back to him.
"Thank you so much!" Shiro was so excited he nearly fainted.
"Of course." Ishizu looked around for Keren and found her standing by the bench. She walked over to the older woman. "Let's go."
"Wonderful dueling as always, Ishizu," Keren congratulated Ishizu as they left the park together.
"I could not have done it without your support." With all six locator cards, Ishizu felt more prepared than ever to save her brother.
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Post by LadyKeren on Jan 2, 2016 13:29:27 GMT
Chapter 22
Ishizu was glad she completed her final duel when she did because shortly after she and Keren left the park, her millennium necklace showed her another vision she considered unnerving. There was only so much she could do not to show how worried she was; she didn't want to worry Keren any more than she already was. But she couldn't keep hiding the entire truth from the Israeli, either.
"Come, let us return to the museum," said Ishizu. "There is something I must tell you."
"All right." Keren figured Ishizu wanted to go some place where their discussion wouldn't be overheard, whatever it would be about. Anxiety filled her as she followed Ishizu. She became more worried. 'Ishizu's voice sounded rather grim. Something must be really wrong. But what could it be?' She had known Odion was up to no good, but that was all. Had he gotten hurt or something? The suspense was killing her.
'Oh, I don't know how much more of this I can take,' thought Keren, smoothing her dress and heaving a sad sigh. She and Ishizu continued walking to the museum in silence, tactfully ignoring all of the noise from the duels that were going on.
The two young women arrived at Domino Museum, and entered. The museum was crowded as it usually was when Ishizu used to work there.
'So I see things have not slowed down ever since I had taken my leave of absence,' thought Ishizu. 'Well, no time to worry about that now.'
Upon seeing the group of people, Ishizu knew revealing the details to Keren in the main section of the museum was out of the question. "Let's see if the basement that contains the stone tablets is available," she said.
"I hope it is." 'At this rate, no plans will ever be made and I will drive myself insane worrying.' She followed Ishizu to the basement, and to her relief, it was empty. Though how long it would stay that way, she was not certain. She discovered how much she liked the basement, as strange as it sounded. It was very peaceful when not crowded with people.
"So Ishizu, what's wrong?" asked Keren, brushing a long strand of hair from her face.
Ishizu looked directly in the older woman's hazel eyes. She could see worry in them. 'I know the truth will hurt her deeply, but it must be told so we can take a course of action.' "You recall when I told you that Odion was up to no good, do you not?"
"Yes?" Keren answered slowly.
"What I hadn't told you was he kidnapped the younger brother of Seto Kaiba," stated Ishizu.
"Oh no…" The young woman's olive skin turned pale and she felt queasy. It seemed to her like Odion was turning more and more to the dark side. Since when did he stoop to the level of harassing children?
"Also, the duel of Kaiba and the pharaoh versus the rare hunters is not going well. Kaiba refuses to cooperate with the pharaoh, thus giving the rare hunters an advantage."
Keren's disappointment turned into dismay for the moment. "Won't that young man ever learn…?"
"He will, sooner or later. I can assure you that," said Ishizu. She understood the older woman's frustration.
Suddenly the dark haired young woman's eyes were filled with a tinge of disgust at Odion's indiscretion. "What Odion has done is deplorable. This must stop."
Ishizu was a bit surprised at Keren's no-nonsense tone, but understood she was at her breaking point and to be honest, she didn't blame the older woman at all. "Agreed."
"The question is, what should we do?" Keren felt like smacking some sense into her male companion, but believed it might cause more trouble. Besides, Marik needed to be stopped as well, but she was not foolish enough to try doing such a thing to him.
"Once the finals begin, we will tell Marik the truth about his past." The one thing that gave the raven haired woman little comfort, if any at all, was the fact that her younger brother was only doing this because he believed it was the pharaoh who caused their father's death. She couldn't let him keep living a lie any longer.
"Sounds like an excellent plan," said Keren. "I wonder if it will work..."
"I am confident that with the pharaoh's help, we will be successful. He is the only one who can stop Marik."
Despite Vicki's best efforts to fight off the rare hunters, she, Tèa and Joey fell victim to them. Although she had knocked them out cold, they had been awakened with the power of Marik's millennium rod, shortly after Vicki was done checking up on the semi-antagonist.
Three of the rare hunters grabbed a hold of Tèa and pulled her towards an abandoned warehouse of some sort. Because there were so many of them holding her down and she was so much smaller and weaker than they were, it was pointless for her to try and break free. "You jerks, let go of me!"
"I would keep my mouth shut if I were you!" said one of the robed men.
"You've got another thing coming if you think you will get away with this!"
The rare hunters smirked. "You don't scare us, girlie!" They continued to pull her towards the building. They were so forceful that they nearly dislocated her shoulder. The rugged men roughly led her to an empty room with a bunch of boxes. They gave the brunette a strong shove, causing her to stumble. 'What creeps!'
The caped men laughed. "Enjoy your captivity." They exited the room and shut the door.
Tèa got back to her feet, her bottom sore from the fall. Her biceps were also sore from the rare hunters' strong grip on her. She peeked through the glass on the door. "Mark my words, you will regret doing this! Come back here!" the young girl called after the men as she watched them walk away.
Tèa gave an exasperated sigh. "Just great," she muttered to herself. 'I wonder if Vicki and Joey are faring any better than I am.' Come to think of it, she was worried about Yugi too. She could hear Vicki talking on the phone to him and he was supposed to have caught up with them. 'Something must have happened to him.'
The brunette girl looked around for a possible way out, one where the rare hunters wouldn't see her trying to escape. 'If those jerks think they're gonna keep me cooped up in here, they're dumber than they look.' She spotted a window. 'Aha! I found a possible way out! It's gonna be difficult, but there is a way I can escape. I just hope I could pull it off.' She painstakingly began to climb on top of the stack of boxes. The boxes were not stacked very neatly. In fact, they were extremely wobbly. She grabbed onto the windowsill, intending to pull herself up and then jump out the window. 'Almost there!' However, as soon as she stood on the stack of boxes, the boxes collapsed, causing her to fall and land on her bottom.
'Ouch, that really hurt,' thought Tèa, rubbing her sore bottom. The dull ache grew worse thanks to the fall.
A few moments later, the rare hunters burst into the room and shoved Mokuba inside. "AHHH!" screeched the little boy as he fell. The rare hunters laughed and walked away, closing the door.
Tèa helped Mokuba to his feet. As glad as she was to see him, she felt bad the rare hunters got him as well. "Mokuba! Are you all right?"
"Yeah, I think so," answered the young boy. "How about you?"
"To be honest, I have been better. But it is good to see you."
"I know what you mean." His mind switched to his brother. 'Oh Seto…I hope you're all right, wherever you are.' "My brother and I had been looking for you and the others when the rare hunters grabbed me.”
Tèa shook her fist thinking of the rough way the caped men had dealt with her. "The nerve of those creeps!"
"Don't worry. Once my brother gets through with whatever he is doing, those jerks will pay!" vowed Mokuba.
"What do you think they want with us, anyway?" asked Tèa. She felt a bit silly for asking him that, but she figured he would know something.
Mokuba shrugged his shoulders. It was hard to figure out those detestable people. "I think they wanted to use us as bait so my brother and Yugi would duel them. You see, they have Egyptian God cards that the rare hunters want to get their evil hands on."
'Hmm…' the brunette mused to herself. "Are you sure that's all it is?"
"Yes…why?" Mokuba gave a curious frown. "Do you know something else?"
"Oh no. It's nothing." 'I suspect this could have something to do with what Ishizu said about the reawakening of ancient evil forces. There has got to be more to it than wanting rare cards.' But the brunette didn't want to tell Mokuba what was on her mind. She didn't want him to be more freaked out than he already was. "I will find a way out of here, so don't worry."
"Thanks, Tèa."
Meanwhile, Vicki was being carried off by Odion. He had grabbed her by the arm when she least expected it, while she was on her way to the gift shop to buy something to take to Bakura at the hospital. Usually she would break away, but his grip on her was so strong that it was near impossible for her to break free without injuring herself.
Mixed feelings of terror and indignation were in the young teen's mind. 'Oh, darn! And to think I was so close to escaping these ruffians! But this one is such a big guy I don't think I could win in a hand to hand combat battle against him. However that's not to say I won't fight if he does try anything funny.'
"Where the hell are you taking me?" asked Vicki.
"You will see soon enough." Odion led the Scottish girl into the warehouse, into a room where she would be isolated from her other friends who were held captive. There was a little wooden chair in the midst of the room. He sat her down and picked up a piece of rope that was on the floor.
'Okay, it's bad enough that this tattooed faced weirdo is treating me like a little girl. This is as far as he will go.' "Just what do you think you're doing, Mister?! Is that any way to treat a girl with arthritis? Have you no shame at all?" She felt annoyed with herself for the second question. 'Oh great. I sound pathetic. I can't believe I am expecting more than that from him, considering he is a rare hunter after all.'
"Silence, you audacious fool," the tattooed face rare hunter barked. However, her words had struck something inside him—his conscience. The young teen spoke truth about how ladies should be treated. He knew he would never allow any harm to come to Keren, even though she had thoughts of opposing him. 'What would Keren think if she witnessed you behaving this way?' asked a voice in his head. He dropped the rope back onto the ground. He would just have to find some other way to ensure that she didn't escape. "My apologies for handling you so roughly."
Vicki was unsure of what to say. A rare hunter apologizing to her? It was hard to believe, considering how sleazy all of them seemed to be. 'Could this laddie be different from the others? Or is he just pulling a fast one on me, to distract me? You never know with these slimeballs.' Vicki looked up and her grayish eyes met Odion's eyes. As imposing as he seemed to be when standing over her, she wasn't completely intimidated by him. 'Now that I think of it, his eyes are rather handsome…he can hypnotize someone with them.' Looking into his eyes, she didn't see any hint of malice or even hatred, but rather loneliness. She could also tell that his apology was sincere. "Apology accepted," she finally managed to reply. 'I wonder what possessed him to do that stuff anyway.'
Odion nodded in response. He exited the room and shut the door. He locked it, since binding the girl to the chair was out of the question.
'Well, that was an annoying waste of time,' thought Vicki, rubbing her bicep area which hurt from being grabbed so tightly. 'Yikes, I hope he didn't break it.' The arthritis in her hips started to flare up as well, but her agony was the least of her problems. The room smelt a bit funny. 'This old warehouse smells like dirty socks. Have to find a way to get out of here. If that guy thinks I'm gonna stay cooped up in this musky old room, he's got another thing coming.'
Bakura was in his hospital room, resting. Mr. Mutou was there, monitoring his progress. He was pleased to see that the young man's condition had improved slightly, even though he was still in poor shape. He had been drifting in and out of consciousness. Numerous tests had been run on him as a precaution. To compensate for the amount of blood he lost from the stab wound, a blood transfusion was in progress via an IV needle. To treat the wound itself, a gauze had been used to stop the bleeding. Once the hemorrhaging had slowed down somewhat, the damaged area was heavily bandaged.
"Not to worry…you'll be all right. Just get some rest," said the elderly man to Bakura's uneasily resting form. "I just wish I knew who had done this to you." It was so hard, seeing the young man in distress and not knowing the reason why. 'Yugi will not be too happy if and when he finds out what has happened. Speaking of Yugi, I haven't seen or heard from him since this morning. I wonder how he is progressing in the tournament.'
Bakura's yami took over and gave an evil smirk. 'Foolish old man…I don't need your pity. I am not weak like my worthless hikari, so this wound is nothing to me.'
(Rare hunter's hideout)
Marik was back at the pier, relaxing in a chair for a bit. He pondered the way things were going thus far. He found it hard to believe how relatively simple it was to execute the first part of his plan. 'Everything else should fall into place. With Kaiba and Little Yugi tied up at the moment, no one will be able to stop me!' The cornsilk blonde gave an evil smirk.
His mind switched to Vicki, thinking about how she showed concern for him when he pretended to be reeling from the rare hunters' attacks, how he was nearly taken by her gray-blue eyes, and the fact that she had nearly escaped his trap. 'Why am I thinking about that foolish girl? As alluring as she may be, I have no patience for meaningless distractions. Speaking of distractions, I have noticed Keren has mysteriously disappeared since my arrival to Domino City. Perhaps it is for the best, for Odion can better concentrate on his mission without her presence.'
In actuality, Marik thought Odion had done an excellent job remaining neutral towards the young woman, but he didn't think such a risk should be taken. From his point of view, it was better to be safe than sorry.
The duel against Lumis and Umbra looked very dire for Kaiba and Yami, to say the least. The two robed men found a way to deplete their opponents' life points without using monsters and to make matters worse, the two young men were unable to summon any powerful monsters.
"Destroying these imbeciles is a simpler task than I imagined, wouldn't you agree, Umbra?" Lumis asked the aqua haired man.
"You are right," answered Umbra. "They will both fall against The Masked Beast!"(3200 attk) He shot Kaiba and Yami a sneer. "It's your turn, Yugi. It will be interesting to see how you will deal with this predicament."
"I will!" The ancient pharaoh glanced at the cards in his hands. 'That's easier said than done! At the moment, chances of defeating their Masked Beast are slim to none, unless the duel could be turned around. I could use Card Destruction to start fresh, but what if Kaiba has a plan? I could end up ruining his strategy without meaning to. But then again, I would never know, because he refuses to cooperate, whereas the rare hunters have combined the power of their decks since the beginning of this duel.'
Kaiba turned to his rival. "Why the hesitation, Yugi? Neither of us can sacrifice any monsters because of that wretched masked card, so if you have a way to change that, do it already!"
"But what will you do?" asked Yami.
"Don't worry about me! These two numbskulls may think they can defeat me, but that's all about to change."
As impatient as Kaiba was being, Yami was more relieved than he let on. The CEO was actually giving him the okay to have him discard his hand. 'Here goes.' "I activate the magic card, Card Destruction!"
"WHAT?!" The rare hunters belted out. They happened to have been holding a couple of cards they planned to use on their next turn.
"Yes! This card requires all four of us to discard the cards in our hands and draw that many new cards in order to start anew. So let's go, Lumis and Umbra!" Yami discarded the three cards he was holding and drew three new cards. Kaiba did the same.
Grumbling, Lumis and Umbra discarded the cards they held and drew their new cards. "You will regret this move, you fools. All you two are doing are prolonging your inevitable defeat!" said Lumis.
"You two sicken me!" Kaiba scoffed. "It's my turn!" The CEO drew a card. "I activate the magic card, Monster Reborn! I will use it to resurrect my mighty Blue Eyes White Dragon!"(3000 attk) A pale blue dragon materialized onto the field, giving a mighty roar. Kaiba gave a sinister-sounding laugh.
For the first time since the beginning of the duel, Yami felt hopeful that he and Kaiba would be able to turn things around. 'If only I can get him to cooperate…at least for this one duel. Without his help, we will both be doomed.'
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Post by LadyKeren on Jan 3, 2016 12:42:26 GMT
Chapter 23
Kaiba was not surprised by his good fortune of being able to summon one of his most trusted beasts to the field, despite Lumis' trap card preventing him and Yami from making any sacrifices. ‘Such fools...they should have known better than to challenge me or disrespect my family! I will see to it that they suffer the most painful defeat!' "Your chances of defeating me have become non-existent!"
Lumis laughed. "You may have managed to summon one of your most prized monsters onto the field; however, it is no match for the all-powerful Masked Beast! I think you have absolutely lost it!"
Kaiba sneered. "What's the matter? Are you upset because I am about to steal your glory? You two snakes are so full of yourselves that your egos are easily bruised."
"Kaiba…" Yami began. He was unsure of how to tell Kaiba that he oftentimes behaved the same way he was accusing the rare hunters of acting.
Kaiba's taunting made the two rare hunters grit their teeth. "We have to destroy these insolent fools," said Umbra.
"We will," Lumis reassured his friend and dueling partner. "We just have to use these next few turns wisely."
Kaiba glanced at Yami. He had a feeling he knew what was on his rival's mind. "Yugi…when you waited to play your Card Destruction card so I can resurrect my Blue Eyes, you were trying to show me the power of cooperation, weren't you? Well I hate to disappoint you, but I do not intend to help you with my Blue Eyes White Dragon unless I absolutely have to."
Yami was becoming frustrated with Kaiba. "Kaiba, if we don't come to an agreement, we will lose the duel. It's why the rare hunters have had the upper hand for most of this duel."
"Nonsense," scoffed Kaiba.
"Kaiba…."
"Yugi is right!" said Lumis. "While you two fools were busy arguing, my partner and I have managed to come up with an unstoppable strategy. Say goodbye to your Blue Eyes White Dragon!"
"Kaiba! You mustn't listen to him," said Yami. "You can destroy the Masked Beast!"
The ceo looked at Yami in disbelief. It was unlike his rival to suggest attacking a monster that is clearly stronger than his. "What? I can?"
"Yes," answered Yami. "If you don't attack, the rare hunters may find a way to defeat your dragon on the next turn. Just trust me."
Kaiba had to admit that Yami was probably correct when he said Blue Eyes could possibly be destroyed. 'Why would Yugi tell me to attack when my monster is no match for that eyesore? Has he implemented a strategy I know nothing about? The only way to find out is to follow his advice, as much as I hate the thought of taking orders.' "All right. Blue Eyes White Dragon, attack with your white lightning!"
The two robed men watched in amusement. "Well, well, it looks like the pathetic duelists have given up!" said Umbra. "They are about to pay the price for making such a careless mistake! Masked Beast, attack!"
But as the monster prepared to launch its attack, Blue Eyes fired its lightning blast attack, destroying the creature. The two robed men's mouths dropped open when they saw what just happened.
Kaiba gave a smug grin. 'Good riddance.'
"But how? How could your Blue Eyes have destroyed my monster when it was no match?" asked Umbra. He was beginning to wonder if he and Lumis had underestimated their opponents.
Yami gave a small chuckle. "Allow me to explain. When I played my Card Destruction magic card on my turn, I discarded my Beast of Gilfer. By sending that monster to the graveyard, I activated its special effect. It lowers the attack strength of any monster I choose by 500 points."
"And you chose Masked Beast?" asked Lumis, clearly displeased that a dent had been put in his and Umbra's strategy.
"Very perceptive, Lumis," answered the ancient spirit. "Therefore, the Blue Eyes White Dragon was strong enough to defeat it."
Lumis gritted his teeth. "Consider yourself lucky this round."
Umbra's look of annoyance was replaced by smugness. "I commend you on defeating my Masked Beast, Kaiba. However, you will have to do better than that if you want to win against us."
Kaiba's facial expression was one between a scowl and a smirk. 'These men are fools to underestimate my abilities. Well, they will learn the hard way.' "You two goons are nauseating." 'I hate to admit it but they're right. If we're gonna win this duel, we cannot show any mercy. Not that it would be difficult.'
"It's my turn now.” Lumis drew a card. 'Seeing as how that fool Yugi only has those two weak magnet warriors guarding his life points, he is an easy target. However, I have something more ingenious in mind.' "I place two cards face down and play a monster in defense mode. It's your turn, Yugi. Remember, my trap cards Masked of the Accursed and Mask of Dispel are still in effect, so you will lose another one thousand life points." 'At this rate, Umbra and I will not need monsters to destroy you.'
Yami had a grim look on his face as he watched his life points drop to 1500. 'All right. Kaiba and I have started the comeback, but we have to work hard to maintain the streak and be prepared for anything.' He also hoped Kaiba would listen to reason and understand the true power of cooperation. 'His hatred for teamwork can be used against us in this duel.' "All right. I summon Alpha the Magnet Warrior in attack mode!" (1400 attk) The gray colored magnet warrior materialized. "Alpha, attack his face down monster now!" Alpha lunged toward the defensive monster and slashed it. The monster was revealed to be Melchid the Four Faced Beast.
Lumis had a nonchalant expression on his face. He knew very well he could have easily blocked the attack with one of his face down cards, but decided that the loss of his defensive monster was not dire. 'After all, what fun would it be to destroy him quickly when I can continue to overwhelm him with the power of my deck?'
Yami smiled slightly, for he had come up with a possible strategy, one that could win the duel for him as well as stop the depletion of his life points before they reached zero. 'All three of my magnet warriors are on the field, so as long as neither of them are destroyed, they can be combined to form a very powerful monster. I can only hope it would be strong enough to defeat whichever creature the rare hunters summon next.'
After awhile, the dull ache in Vicki's hips had subsided to the point where it was almost completely non-existent. Vicki gave a happy sigh as she removed her beret, scratched her head and then placed it back on her head. 'Now to think of a good way to get out of here…have to help the others escape as well. I have a gut feeling they haven't, and things will only get worse from this point on.'
Vicki looked around for possible exits out of the musky room. Of course, there was obviously the main one, but she knew choosing that way would be out of the question. 'For all I know, those ruffians could be guarding that door.' She also considered climbing out the window, but decided that wasn't a very good idea, either. After all, she had to be careful where her condition was concerned.
'The only possible way is to make an exit…where I could go right outside…but how?' There was nothing to break the wall with. The brunette removed the deck of cards from her duel disk. She was slowly getting an idea. 'Hmmm…maybe I can use one of these Duel Monsters cards to help…but which one?' She flipped through the cards. There were so many possibilities of monsters she could use that it could take forever to pick one. The next card she came to was Maha Vailo. 'Voila! This is it!' The spellcaster's lightning attack was definitely a good way to create an exit. 'Of course I will also be in big trouble for vandalism, but that's the risk I'm gonna have to take if I'm to escape!'
Vicki set the card on her duel disk in attack mode. The magician monster appeared. She wore a long robe-like navy blue dress and a blue cone shaped hat with gold metal decorations hanging from each end on it. Two of the gold ornaments had red jewels hanging as well.
"Okay, Maha Vailo, do your thing!" belted out Vicki. The spellcaster raised her arms and held open her hands so that both palms were facing each other. Lightning poured into her hands from the sky. She thrust open her hands and launched the lightning at the wall, creating a huge explosion. The young teen waited for the explosion to ensue. Once the smoke cleared, there was an enormous hole in the wall.
'Yes! It worked! That tattooed faced guy thought he had me…but he couldn't have counted on this!' "Good job, Maha Vailo." The female spellcaster nodded, and disappeared. Vicki picked up the rope Odion was going to use to bind her with and quickly ran out of the building. 'Gotta check on the others.' She went around to the other side of the warehouse to see where her friends were. She peeked through the glass window on the door. She could see Tèa helping Mokuba climb on some stacked boxes.
'Oh no, the goons got to the lad Mokuba as well.' Vicki clenched her fist and shook it. She had no respect for bullies. 'I have to get those two out of there.' She climbed on top of the roof so she was near the open window, not caring about her arthritic hips this time. She stooped on her knees a bit. "Hey! Are you guys all right?"
Tèa looked up to where she heard the voice. She smiled, happy to see her friend. "Yes, we're as fine as we can be under the circumstances. How about you?"
"Not too bad," answered Vicki. She decided not to tell Tèa about how she had been kidnapped as well. Not then, anyway. She threw down the rope in the form of a ladder. "I have come to get you out of there."
"Oh, thanks." The cheerleader made sure Mokuba was sturdy on the boxes—well as sturdy as he could be.
All of a sudden, the door opened and some rare hunters entered the room. One of them laughed. "Make sure these twits don't escape."
"Oh no, those creeps are here!" Tèa helped Mokuba climb some more, until he was on the very top box. He pulled himself up. Unfortunately, the stack of boxes started to wobble again.
"Mokuba, get out of here while you can! Don't worry about me!" Tèa yelled. She was so frantic at the thought of Mokuba being used in whichever way the rare hunters planned.
Mokuba hesitated. "But…are you sure you'll be all right?" 'There is no telling with those jerks will do.'
"Yes! I'll find a way out of here," answered the young girl. "Now go!"
Although Mokuba had doubts about this because he was worried for the older girl's safety, he cautiously nodded. He grabbed onto the rope Vicki had thrown down for him to climb, and the chocolate haired girl pulled him up. 'I imagine I will have a bad back after this…but it needed to be done.' Just as she did that, the stack of boxes Tèa was on collapsed, and once again she fell. This time she landed on her back.
'Oh no! Tèa.' Vicki slowly got off the roof and reached out a hand to Mokuba. The younger Kaiba looked a bit surprised, but took her hand as she helped him to stand up.
"Thank you for saving me, Vicki," said Mokuba, slightly out of breath.
Vicki gave the little boy a warm smile. "The pleasure is all mine, lad." One thing she noticed about Mokuba was that he was nothing like his older brother. She was sure he would help with whatever he could, even though she didn't know him very well yet.
"Anyway, we'd better get out of here," said Mokuba. "Those robed creeps could come back." He radioed for a pilot of one of the Kaiba Corp helicopters.
"You're right." Vicki thought about Tèa and Joey and felt a bit guilty about leaving them behind. 'Oh, maybe I am overreacting. I know they can take care of themselves and have what it takes to hold their own if the rare hunters try anything funny.' There was something she thought it would be nice to have, that would come in handy during the tournament finals, but she didn't want to walk home and risk getting captured again. "I need a small favor."
"What is it?" asked the young boy.
"Would it be possible for me to stop at my apartment? I need to pick up something."
Mokuba furrowed his brow. "Oh sure. Just give the directions."
"Thank you."
"Don't mention it." 'I just hope the copter comes soon. I think I can hear those creeps looking for us.'
Joey was in one of the rooms, bound to a chair. Not only was he faint with hunger, but his shoulders were also stiff and sore from being tied up with no way of breaking free. He had tried to snap the ropes but to no avail.
'Man this sucks! I wish I had a knife or something to help me untie these ropes. When I get my hands on those robed freaks, they're gonna be dead meat!' Joey wondered how his friends Tèa and Vicki were doing. 'I hope those two were able to escape. Those thugs had better not have laid a finger on them or else they'll be sorry. If only I wasn't confined to this blasted chair!' All before this episode happened, he was looking forward to meeting up with Serenity and having her see how far he came in his duels. 'I've got to find a way out of here or else that may never happen.'
Just then, Odion entered the room to check up on the prisoner. He had just come from checking up on Vicki, only to discover she had escaped, much to his horror. 'I should have bound her like my instincts told me to. Master Marik will be furious.' The tattooed face rare hunter held back a shudder at the thought of facing his master's wrath. He hoped the fact that Joey and Tèa were still there would count for something. 'How will I break such news to Master Marik?'
Joey snarled deep within his throat. 'Just great. Another robed freak.'
"I trust you have made yourself at home in here," taunted Odion, looking down at the blonde. "It's time to rise and shine."
Joey glared at the older man before him. He was already in a bad mood because of the situation and the last thing he needed was to be face to face with one of the people who was probably behind the scheme. 'This guy looks like a tough one but I won't let him scare me. He'd better not test me if he knows what's good for him.' "What's the deal with all of this, you caped clown?"
Odion studied Joey. He smirked at how feisty the blonde young man seemed in spite of the fear in his eyes. Admittedly, he admired Joey's spunk. "Your impudence will be the end of you. You will know what's in store for you soon enough. For now, I suggest you hold your tongue and do what you're told without question."
'Fat chance! This goon isn't scaring anyone.' "Listen, you think you guys are so tough, don't you, running around in your dark hoods! Untie me now and I will show you what being a tough guy is all about, you tattooed faced freak of nature! So what's it gonna be? If you let me go now, I promise I'll go easy on you!"
'That does it. It is time to show this insolent fool the meaning of respect,' thought Odion, reaching down towards Joey.
"Hey, keep your grubby paws off me! If you touch me, you'll be sorry!" Joey was about to place out a foot with the intention of kicking the rare hunter in the shin, but all of a sudden, he was partially frozen. "What? What's going on? I can't move!"
"Now that Joey is under my control, the pharaoh's destruction is inevitable!" gloated Marik, emitting some energy from his millennium rod. Joey screamed as he succumbed to its power and felt a sharp pain in his head. It was as if everything was fading into pitch blackness. He glanced up with cold, emotionless eyes and a harsh look on his face.
Tristan and Serenity were at the station, waiting to board the train. On the entire journey there, it was all Tristan could do not to be remotely flirtatious with Serenity, for he knew Joey would have his head.
'Man, Joey is no fun at all. Why does he hate the thought of me dating his sister? I mean, she is a great catch and I will do my best to protect her.' The pointy haired teen gave a sigh of despair. All he wanted was to prove that he was worthy of having Serenity as a soulmate. All of a sudden, he felt tightness in his chest, one he would usually get when he had the feeling Joey was in some type of danger. 'I wonder what type of mess Joey has gotten himself into this time…I always have to bail him out. Well whatever it is, Serenity and I will be there for you, bud. Until then, sit tight. If Serenity never gets to see you duel, I will never forgive you.'
At that moment, a train came speeding on the tracks. 'This must be it. We have to get to Joey quickly.' The train came to a stop and the automatic doors opened. "Serenity, it's here. Come on, let's go."
"Okay."
Tristan took the young teen girl by the hand and they stepped onto the train. The doors closed, and Tristan led Serenity to an empty seat, helping her to sit down. He took the seat that was facing her. He thought of a good way to make conversation with Serenity. He didn't want to spend the entire journey being in silence, and he hoped he wouldn't say the wrong thing, either. 'No need to be so nervous, man,' said a voice inside his head. 'Just be yourself.'
The young man relaxed. "So I bet you are excited to meet up with Joey once again, huh?" he asked.
"Yes I am," answered Serenity in her quiet voice. "I can't wait to see him duel. However, I am also a little bit nervous."
"Oh?" Tristan cocked an eyebrow. "What about?"
"About taking off my bandages, somewhat. I'm afraid the operation didn't work." Serenity felt ridiculous for not having more faith, but she heard a lot of horror stories about medical malpractice.
"Oh, I am sure it did," Tristan reassured the girl cheerfully. "The doctor said the operation was a success, remember?"
Serenity nodded. "I hope they were right. This time around, I really want to be there for Joey, just as he has always been there for me."
"Yes," agreed Tristan. In some ways, the young man was jealous that he didn't have a sibling to care for, so he made up for it by looking out for his friends. "I am sure Joey will give you the strength you need to take your bandages off. And you can be there for him when he begins his duels in the finals."
Serenity looked a bit happier. It felt nice knowing she could give courage to her brother as well. "You're right!"
Tèa went to see if she could find Joey. She had been glad Mokuba and Vicki were able to escape, but she got to the point where she had enough of the abandoned warehouse. 'And Joey had better be all right, or else there will be hell to pay! Those rare hunters are way out of line.'
The brunette came to the room Joey was being held captive. Aside from the fact that the blonde was tied to a chair, she let out a sigh of relief when she saw he appeared to be unharmed.
"Joey! Thank goodness you're all right!" she said, running over to him.
Joey didn't respond, or even acknowledge Tèa's presence, which she found strange.
"Earth to Joey! Joey, are you in there?" Tèa waved her arms in front of the blonde's face. He didn't respond to that, either. 'All right, this is weird. Sure, he is known to act as if he is in a daze, but this is much worse than usual. I wonder what's going on.' She grabbed him by the shoulders and shook him. "Joey, what's wrong with you?! Can't you hear me?"
Joey looked up and sneered at the girl standing over him. 'Impudent little girl.' "I'm not Joey you fool!" he answered nastily.
Tèa looked taken aback. Not just by what he said, but also his tone of voice. 'What's wrong with him?' "Ha ha, very funny."
Odion entered the room and stood behind Joey. Judging from the look on the man's face, Tèa got the suspicion he was behind her friend's personality change. "What have you done with him?" she demanded to know.
"It is none of your concern," the tattooed face rare hunter answered. "There will be plans for you as well."
Using the power of the millennium rod, Marik telepathically called on his best henchman.
"What is it, sir?" asked Odion. Something told him that his master was at least mildly displeased with him.
"Where has the girl called Vicki gone off to?"
Odion began to sweat nervously. He was afraid Marik would ask that. He wished there was a way to avoid answering, since he knew he would be in for an earful if he told Marik she escaped and that he hadn't bothered binding her to prevent it, because of her arthritis. Yet he knew he couldn't lie to his master. "I regret having to tell you this, Master Marik, but I am afraid she has escaped. I noticed that one of the walls was also destroyed."
There was a slight pause. "YOU FOOL! CAN'T YOU DO ANYTHING RIGHT?!"
Odion gulped. It was just as he was afraid of. And he didn't even tell his master about how he thought about what Keren would think if she witnessed certain actions of his. "I'm...I'm sorry sir," he stammered.
"You will be if you fail me again!" warned Marik. "Now go make yourself useful and win some locator cards!"
That was no problem for Odion because he had been participating in duels when he was not carrying out orders or meeting with Marik. He almost had enough locator cards for both himself and Marik to enter the finals. He was sure his master would want to be in the finals just in case all else failed. "Yes Master Marik." He left the room, locking the door.
Marik gave an evil grin as he used his rod on Tèa as well. "AHHHH! What is happening to me?" the brunette girl screamed as the power overwhelmed her.
A young teen girl named Mimi wandered around Battle City, looking for another potential opponent to test her skills against. She had just won her second duel and was now the proud owner of 3 locator cards.
'Whew…I'm on a roll here…maybe I will make it to the finals after all. I just have to keep believing in myself.' She began to daydream about the possible prizes for someone who made it to the finals and won. She proceeded to nibble on her fingernails a bit. Soon, she heard footsteps coming in her direction and it was so sudden that she nearly jumped a mile.
Mimi stopped biting her nails and looked up to see who was walking towards her. Much to her horror, it was a rare hunter. She heard lots of things about how rare hunters stole powerful cards and that oftentimes they used force to do so.
'Oh no...he's coming this way.' Her best instincts were telling her to run away and find an opponent elsewhere, but her feet wouldn't move.
Odion stopped about five feet away from Mimi. 'So this girl is a duelist. Interesting.' "It is unbecoming of you to appear frightened, young girl. Such an emotion can be a hindrance during a duel."
'Dang! He thinks I'm scared of him!' Slowly but surely, she started to thaw out. Once she did, she looked him over. He certainly did look intimidating, given his height and muscular build. The tattoo on his face sent chills down her spine. And it certainly didn't help that he was a big enough guy to snap her in half like a twig if he ever sat on her. "If you've come to steal my rare cards, you can forget it!"
Odion was beginning to see the reason behind Mimi's timid exterior. He realized this was his chance to show how different he was from his colleagues. "Well there is no need to be alarmed. I do not intend to harm you. I simply wish to participate in an honorable duel with you."
For a moment, Mimi stood there, agape. 'Duel with him? Is this dude kidding? If his dueling skills are anything like his big buff looks, I'll get my butt kicked.' But then she considered the proposition. 'Then again, this could be an opportunity to test how much my skills have truly grown as well as prove that I am not afraid, at least not enough to back down from this challenge.'"All right. I'll be glad to duel with you. I'll wager 2 locator cards."
"Wise choice. I will wager two locator cards as well."
"It's time to duel!" Both Mimi and Odion took their places on the field and activated their duel disks.
"So before we begin, may I ask a question?" asked Mimi.
"Hmmm? Go on."
"What is your name? Sorry if I seem impolite or nosy, but we haven't been properly introduced."
"You are correct." Odion looked embarrassed. "My name is Odion."
'Rather unusual name. I hope he wasn't teased too badly about it when he was in school…some are jerky enough to try.' "I am pleased to meet you. I'm Mimi."
"All right. Let us begin."
"Yes, and may the best duelist win. If you don't mind being a gentleman, I'd like to go first." Mimi drew her card. It was Ancient Sorcerer. Not what she was hoping to get on the first draw at all. ‘Even though its attack power is low, it can prove useful, especially since I don't know what the guy has planned.' "I place one card face down and summon Ancient Sorcerer in defense mode!" (1300 def). A magician dressed in a blue vest over a white robe appeared, wielding magic wands in both hands. He also wore a white cap and a mask covering his nose and mouth, so that only his eyes were showing. "Let's see what you can do, big guy."
"I can do quite a bit, given your mediocre opening move." Odion drew a card. 'Hmm…Temple of the Kings…excellent card, but I see no need to use it in this duel.' He looked at the other cards in his hand. 'Hmm. I have a feeling Magic Jammer will prove to be quite useful very soon. Until then, I will hold onto it.' "I'll set two cards face down and end my turn."
'That's weird. Why didn't he summon a monster strong enough to attack me? Surely it wouldn't be difficult for him to do so.' Mimi brushed her bangs over to the side. 'On the other hand, who knows what those face down cards are? I need to get rid of them somehow.' I play Shadow Tamer in defensive mode!" (700 def) A warrior with long blue hair wearing an off white dress that showed off her legs appeared. The monster was also holding a brown leather whip."Next, I activate my face down magic card, Heavy Storm! Say goodbye to your face down cards!" The cyclone swirled toward the cards on Odion's side of the field, preparing to sweep them away. 'If all goes well, I can get at his life points, seeing that he hasn't summoned a monster.'
Odion gave a small smirk. "Not quite!"
"What?!" yelped Mimi, stunned. 'What is it with him? It seems like he is many steps ahead of me.'
"I play my trap card, Magic Jammer! It will cancel the effect of your magic card!" The typhoon dissipated, leaving the set cards untouched.
Mimi groaned. "I should have known." 'I can't believe he just ruined my strategy.' "I end my turn. Go."
"As you wish." Odion drew another card. 'Perfect. The ticket to my victory. Little girl, you are finished.' "I shall place two more cards face down. That ends my turn."
'Yawn. This duel is so boring. You'd think he would at least have some action.' "That's the best you can come up with? Pathetic. You really need to work on coming up with some excitement. If I have to be the one to do that, then so be it." Mimi drew a card. "I switch my Ancient Sorcerer into attack mode!" (1000 attk) "Ancient Sorcerer, attack his life points directly!" The magician held out its magic wands, emitting a spell from them.
"I activate my trap card, Eye of Wdjat!" A purple eye appeared on the forehead of Ancient Sorcerer's cap, hypnotizing him and dragging him to Odion's side of the field.
Mimi covered her mouth in shock. "What is that eye doing to my monster? What is the point of this?"
"My Eye of Wdjat trap card controls your monster for one turn," explained the tattooed face rare hunter.
"Oh no!" Mimi had a bad feeling about what Odion would use her monster for.
"That's right! Ancient Sorcerer, annihilate her Shadow Tamer!" The spellcaster launched its spell at the female warrior, destroying her. Since the creature was in defensive mode, Mimi's life points remained untouched. "I summon Vorse Raider in attack mode!" (1900 attk) "That ends my turn."
'Finally. A monster. I was wondering if all he has are rare trap cards.' "Well, the effects of your trap card are over now, which means Ancient Sorcerer belongs to me again!" The purple colored eye disappeared and the magician returned to Mimi's side. "I switch my Ancient Sorcerer back into defensive mode." 'I know that doesn't seem like much but the best I can do is sit tight and hope for the best.'
"It appears you are out of options," said Odion.
"Sure. Rub it in," the young girl spat. 'However, he does have a point. I am out of ideas. He is way too many steps ahead and with those other face down cards there is no way I'm going to risk another attack now.' "Go ahead and give it your best shot, Odion."
"I intend to." Odion drew a card. 'Hmm…Trap Jammer…I may need this card.' "As a matter of fact, you have activated the remainder of my face down cards when you targeted my life points."
"Say what?! Not another one!" The girl wondered if Odion was just bluffing in order to scare her.
"I activate my face down cards that are known as trap monsters. Say hello to Embodiments of Apophis!" (1600 attk x3)A huge billow of a purple smoke like substance swirled around to form three large cobras. These cobras were black on the surface and their stomachs were purple. They were also holding swords, indicating they were semi-warriors. "Fortunately for you I must end my turn. You are staring into the face of defeat, Mimi! Use your last turn well."
"Whatever." It was all she could do not to spew chunks all over her shoes. 'Man, those snakes are so disgusting. And there are three of them!' Mimi drew a card. It was Gravity Bind. 'Hmm, let's see here. This card is not bad at all. This can help me buy some time while I figure out a way to get rid of those nasty snakes. He thinks he has got me cornered, but he is in for a surprise.' "I lay one card face down and that's it." 'Come and get me if you dare,' thought Mimi, smirking.
Odion ignored the smirk on the girl's face. As far as he was concerned, she was just a beginner so she couldn't possibly have anything sneaky planned. "You have played well. However, you are still no match for me."
Mimi was becoming tired of her opponent's gloating."Bring it on!"
"I'll do so with great pleasure!" Odion drew his card. "Vorse Raider, attack her Ancient Sorcerer!" The beast warrior raised its blades, prepared to chop the spellcaster into pieces.
Mimi smiled. "Nice try."
Odion arched an eyebrow. "What?!"
"I activate my trap card, Gravity Bind! Now the attacks from your monsters that are level four and above are useless!" Some distortion waves were emitted from the card, preparing to stop the attack of Vorse Raider.
"Clever move. Unfortunately, it is not good enough!" said Odion.
"What?" gasped the raven haired girl. She was afraid to see what he had planned to counter her trap.
"I activate my Trap Jammer card!"
Mimi looked on helplessly as she watched her last hope get destroyed. 'Oh no, I'm finished.'
"Now, Vorse Raider, continue your attack!" The monster lunged towards the sorcerer, slicing it with the blades.
Mimi cringed in fear. "Yikes, all my defenses are gone!" 'So much for hoping I would be able to take down those creepy things.'
"You know what that means," said Odion. "Apophis, triple attack on her life points!" The snake swordsmen slithered towards the young girl.
Mimi started to shake so much she had to smack herself to keep from dropping her cards. 'Snap out of it. Who says you even have to look?' She closed her eyes. 'Oh dear me please let this be over soon.' The serpents slashed her in the shoulder. She let out a cry of pain, and her life points dropped to zero.
The young girl slowly opened her eyes, now that the ordeal was over. She rubbed her sore shoulder and glanced at her opponent's facial expression. She expected to see him smiling, for he had achieved a relatively simple victory. She was surprised to see him wearing a rather serious expression. 'I did my best, so I am not too disappointed.' She slowly approached him. "Well Odion, you were right."
The older man looked up at Mimi, a shocked expression at what she just said. "I do have a long way to go when it comes to dueling. You defeated me fair and square. In the process you have also taught me a few things. I am sincerely honored to have had you as an opponent."
"Likewise, Mimi." Odion had to admit, he enjoyed the duel as well, even though she was not much of a challenge for him. She had taken her defeat with more stride than his previous opponents did and actually had potential. "I am sure that with more experience, you will become a skilled duelist."
Mimi was quite impressed with how humble Odion seemed to be. 'I think I misjudged him.' "Thank you so much. That means a lot." She reached into her dueling deck and pulled out two locator cards, handing them to him. "I'm sorry I don't have a rare card powerful enough for you."
"It's not a problem." Odion placed the two locator cards with the other ten he had previously won. He left to make his way back to the rare hunters' hideout. 'Master Marik will be very pleased to know I have succeeded in securing enough locator cards for both of us to participate in the finals.'
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Post by LadyKeren on Jan 4, 2016 12:41:01 GMT
Chapter 24
The newly brainwashed Joey and Tèa were at the rare hunters' hideout. They faced each other with blank expressions on their faces, almost as if they had been hypnotized.
Marik looked up from where he was sitting down preparing Joey's deck, and formed an evil grin on his face when he saw the teens' unfeeling expressions and their eyes filled with hatred. ‘Excellent. My spell seems to have taken effect. I expect that little Yugi and Kaiba will be arriving shortly. The thought of Tèa and Joey becoming Yugi's worst enemies must hurt him very much. Well, too bad for him, he will not be able to stop me once he does arrive.' He chuckled softly to himself as he went back to preparing the deck.
'Gah, this is so boring,' thought Tèa, tapping her feet. She gave a heavy sigh. Her feet were becoming tired. 'I hate standing in this position…at this rate my neck is going to break.'
'Is this dude trying to put us to sleep or something?' Brainwashed Joey wanted nothing more than to take Yugi apart.
Marik finally finished building the deck. He held it with satisfaction. 'These cards will give Joey's weak deck a powerful boost. The pharaoh won't stand a chance.' He stood up and walked over to the teens. "Come, it is time to execute our scheme. Follow me."
'Finally,' thought Tèa. Without as much of a word, she and Joey followed the cornsilk haired teen as he led them to the pier.
Marik smirked at the silence between the two young teens, which he found pleasing in an unsettling kind of way. 'This makes my job easier, for they may try to resist me, and I cannot have that.' "You two seem so quiet, almost as if you have no minds of your own," he mocked. "I am glad you have realized that your minds belong to me!" He gave an evil laugh. 'I hope Odion doesn't take all day.'
While walking to the pier, Marik spotted Odion walking towards him. He appeared to be holding something in his hand. Marik slowed down a bit to see what his lead henchman had to tell him.
Odion approached his master and crouched down on his knees, fearing Marik's patience was thin with him. "Master Marik, here are the locator cards you have requested," he said, holding out the clear colored cards he had been holding.
Marik took the cards from Odion and counted them. Twelve locator cards. He smiled at how his henchman was able to accomplish this task with little to no trouble. He gave six of the clear cards back to Odion. "Excellent work. I am hoping this scheme will work and it would not be necessary to enter the finals. However, as you know, it never hurts to have a back-up plan."
"That's right, sir." Odion got back to his feet.
"You have arrived just in time to put the plan into motion," said Marik, his lips stretching into a small grin.
Odion looked relieved to hear that. He expected to endure a scolding from his superior. There was a feeling of guilt nagging at him for becoming involved with such a nefarious scheme, but he shrugged it off. 'I cannot turn back now.'
"Give Joey the deck that was prepared for him," ordered Marik, handing Odion the deck he had just built.
Odion took a quick peek at the cards and handed them to a dazed Joey. "Boosting the power of his deck with the extremely rare magic cards is an excellent idea, Master Marik," he said.
"Yes and with those cards, Joey's victory is guaranteed." The Egyptian turned to Joey. "Go on, my mind slave. Wait for that fool Yugi to show up so you can lure him out."
"Yes Master." The blonde continued his way to the pier.
Keren and Ishizu had left the museum and were now at a small quiet Arabic café. All of a sudden Ishizu felt tightness in her chest as well as a touch of queasiness in her stomach. 'Oh no, Marik has become more ruthless than before.'
Keren glanced up from the falafels she had been eating and noticed the look of discomfort etched on Ishizu's face. "Ishizu? What is wrong? Are you unwell?" She hoped it wasn't the food, since she heard good things about the café.
"Oh no, not at all. My necklace tells me that great danger lies ahead for the pharaoh. It seems Marik has decided to involve his friends in his evil scheme and turn them against him."
Keren's face turned pale. "Oh dear me…" She sighed and pushed aside her plate of falafel, for the news had made her lose her appetite. She placed her chin in her hands, allowing her dark hair to fall over her elbows. She knew she and Ishizu had plans set in motion but she didn't think they could wait. "What shall we do? We cannot allow this to keep going on, and by the time the tournament begins, the damage may be irreversible."
Ishizu could see this whole ordeal was taking a toll on the Israeli, with the fact that she barely smiled anymore. "I understand your frustration. However, we must have faith that the pharaoh will be able to set his friends free, and put an end to Marik's plan."
"I am sure that he will." A lump formed in Keren's throat at the thought of Marik succeeding in his quest. 'Please overcome this trial, my king.'
Meanwhile, Kaiba was finally approaching the dock of the pier. This bode well for Vicki, as she had thoughts about moving near the pilot, since being in the small chopper was making her feel claustrophobic. Plus, she didn't feel at ease around the CEO.
Just as the pilot was preparing to land the copter, Mokuba and Yami spotted someone standing in the midst of the dock, appearing as if he were waiting for someone. "Hey, it's Joey!" Mokuba cried out. "He looks like he is in a daze. I hope Marik hasn't gotten to him."
'Mokuba is right. Joey does look a bit out of it,' thought Vicki. 'I wonder where Tèa is. Those hooligans had better not have laid a finger on her or else there will be hell to pay!'
"Joey...I hope he is all right," the ancient spirit mumbled. He hoped in his heart of hearts Marik hadn't gotten to the blonde already. Something told him he would have to be prepared to give Kaiba an answer to his question sooner than he had anticipated.
The pilot landed the helicopter, making sure it was a safe distance away from Joey. Everyone climbed out. Yami broke into a sprint and rushed over to the blonde. "Joey…thank goodness you're all right!"
'That voice…the pharaoh has arrived.' The possessed Joey glanced up at his friend with a look of disdain on his face. 'Such a naïve fool. If he only knew.' "The Joey you knew is gone forever!" he responded nastily.
"Gah, that electronic sounding voice makes my skin crawl," remarked Vicki. She wondered if she should have brought some ear drops with her.
Yami looked stunned at the change in his best friend's tone. The terrible realization hit him that Marik had succeeded. 'I have arrived too late.' He grabbed his friend by the shoulder and shook him. "Wake up! You are not yourself!"
The possessed blonde glared at Yami. "I am perfectly awake and I see a weakling who will soon be destroyed!"
"Marik," the ancient spirit stated, with a hint of anger in his voice.
"That's right! I have taken over your pathetic friend's mind!" said the possessed Joey, laughing.
"Release Joey from your control right now!" demanded the ancient pharaoh.
"Or else what? You are in no position to make demands," said Marik controlled Joey.
Yami growled. He was becoming sick of his foe's games. "Marik! I'm warning you, don't test me!"
Marik smirked. It tickled him to know he was provoking his greatest foe and causing him the same pain he believed the pharaoh had caused him. "To show you what a kind person I am, I will give you a chance to save your pathetic friends. You must face me in a duel."
Kaiba nearly burst into laughter at such a challenge. He didn't believe Joey had improved all that much, even though he had made it farther than he thought. 'Under normal circumstances, this would be a waste of my time to watch a one-sided duel, but if Wheeler is on the rare hunters' side, he may have been given the Winged Dragon of Ra card. Maybe I should stick around.'
"And if I win, will you set my friends free?" asked Yami, desperately trying to keep his temper.
Marik controlled Joey smiled. "Perhaps. However, we will be playing by my rules. This will be a duel to the death, which is quite fitting since I plan to dispose of you if I win! You cannot possibly defeat me now!"
Considering most of the duels Yami participated in during the tournament, he had an idea of what playing by Marik's rules meant, and he was afraid to ask. He knew it would involve something grotesque. "Marik!" he warned, his voice rising on the last syllable. "Enough of your twisted games! Why don't you show some honor for once?!"
"Ha! If you truly want to save face, you will have to do as I say!" declared a menacing female's voice.
Yami spun around sharply, only to see Tèa climbing down the steps. He clenched his teeth in his anger at the fact that Joey wasn't enough for Marik to control and had to involve the brunette as well. "Oh no! Tèa!"
Vicki's hands flew to her mouth in shock. "Not Tèa too!" Her face turned as red as a tomato. 'This Marik person is lucky he isn't face to face with me, Right now I just want to wring his neck!' Little did she know, Marik was the same person who made her feel star struck when he introduced himself as Namu, back when he rescued Bakura.
"That's right! Like your friend Joey, Tèa, too, is under my control!" Marik controlled Tèa gave an evil cackle. "Are you feeling the pain I have felt for the past six years?"
The spirit of the ancient pharaoh still didn't know what the Egyptian was talking about, and wished he would tell him so they could talk things out instead of the corn-silk haired young man spouting such unspeakable accusations. But now there were bigger problems to worry about than that. "Marik, leave her alone now! She has done nothing to you!"
Marik ignored the outburst and chuckled once more. It pleased him that he hit his enemy's sore spot."This is quite a fitting punishment for you!" He stood with his arms folded.
"You're at my mercy," taunted brainwashed Tèa. She picked up two ankle chains and handed one to Yami and the other to the brainwashed Joey. "Try this on for size."
Joey placed the chain around his ankle. Yami had his doubts, but he placed the chain around his ankle as well. Tèa sat in a chair in the center of the pier and automatic cuffs appeared around her wrists and feet, to keep her from escaping on her own. There was also a rare hunter with long bluish green hair sitting in a truck, holding a remote control and keeping watch.
"What is the meaning of this, Marik?" Yami asked. He didn't like where this was headed at all.
Possessed Joey smirked. "Remember, I said this duel will be played by my rules. See that anchor up there?" The blonde pointed above him.
Yami looked at what his brainwashed friend was talking about. Near the large ships, he could see a large mahogany colored ship anchor. "Yes, what of it?" It was becoming hard for the ancient spirit of the puzzle to keep his temper.
"Well this duel will last for forty minutes. Only the winner of the duel will be able to free himself from the chain. Once the duel concludes, the anchor will drop, the loser will be dragged into the sea, and will drown! In this case that is you!"
"You're insane!" Yami told his enemy.
Possessed Joey laughed. "Your anger amuses me. If by some miracle you defeat me, you will have to fish your pathetic friend out of the sea!"
Yami clenched his fists. It pained him that his friends' personalities had changed so drastically, but he knew they were not like that at all. 'There is still a chance I can reach Joey, albeit a small one.' "Joey, you must free your mind! Remember our promise! You vowed to help me defeat Marik and face me in an honorable duel when you feel you have become a True Duelist." If that wasn't enough to free his best friend from the evil force, he didn't know what was.
Marik controlled Joey laughed huffily. "No matter what you say, you will never set your friend free from my control! That promise is ancient history! If you want to set him free, accept my challenge!"
As much as Yami didn't want to accept the challenge because of how twisted and dangerous the setting was, he didn't see where he had any choice in the matter. 'This could be the only way I can get through to Joey. I will duel him with all of my strength.' "All right Marik. You win. I accept your challenge."
"So you have decided to see things my way," commented mind controlled Joey. "Wise choice."
"Oh, and there is one thing you should know about the final part of my plot!" said Marik controlled Tèa. "If you attempt to stop this duel, the crate you see hanging above my head will fall!"
Mokuba had been seething the entire time he had been listening to Marik's threats and was now at his breaking point. "That's enough! Seto, we have to stop this duel before someone gets hurt! Not to mention they may decide to try something like this on us next!"
Vicki held back a snort of laughter. 'An evil Kaiba? That would be scary.' It was the closest she came to laughing the entire time she had been at the scene. She had felt like letting out tears of anger and strangling Marik for causing all this trouble.
'As if I would allow that to happen. I will not be controlled.' This was one duel Kaiba had no qualms cancelling. He knew full well that harm could befall his one worthy opponent, robbing him of a chance to face him in a duel and he could not have that. 'I have to admit, it was rather amusing seeing Wheeler behave like a mean dog, but that is beside the point here. His little threats don't scare me!' He cleared his throat. "As head of the Battle City tournament, I command you to stop this duel at once!"
"Ha! Nice try, but this duel will happen whether you like it or not!" called the rare hunter, peeking his head out his truck window. "Try to stop it again and that girl will be sorry!"
Kaiba growled in frustration. Not that he was overly fond of Tèa, but he felt the rare hunter was crossing the line. 'How dare he tarnish my tournament? I won't let him get away with it!'
Tristan and Serenity had finally arrived at Domino City, and were now passing a park Joey and his sister often played at when they were little children, before their parents' divorce.
"You know something Tristan? I can picture this place clearly even though I still have the eye bandages on," said Serenity.
"Oh yeah?" The pointy-haired teen wondered if her faith that the operation was successful had been rebuilt.
"Yes! My brother and I used to come here all the time when we were little."
"Awesome." Tristan smacked his forehead. "Oh, silly me! I forgot to ask Tèa and Joey where to meet them. That means we could end up all over the city looking for them."
"Oh, I'm sure we will find everyone, eventually," said Serenity. "You have a number for them, don't you?"
"Yes I do." Tristan felt like an idiot for not thinking of that before. Here Serenity was indirectly telling him to use his head. He spotted a payphone nearby. "Listen, I'm gonna go and give Tèa a call. You wait right here."
"Okay."
Tristan ran over to the payphone, placed a coin in the slot and dialed Tèa's cell number. He let it ring several times, but her voicemail came on. He hung up and looked down at his feet. "That's weird…I wonder what she's doing..."
(at the pier)
Vicki tapped her foot impatiently. 'If Marik wants to duel so badly, why is he taking so long to start it?'
'I have a feeling this will be a waste of my time. I have to find some way to stop this pathetic excuse of a duel,' thought Kaiba, just as impatient as Vicki was.
"Let's begin this duel," said Yami. He just wanted to get it over with so he could move on.
"I thought you would never say that," said the blonde, smirking. He and Yami activated their duel disks and the timer started.
"By the way, if you were thinking about using your Egyptian God card to defeat me, think again! Remove it from your deck, now! When I win this duel, I will claim it for myself!" said brainwashed Joey.
"Fine." Yami took out his dueling belt. "My special cards are in here." 'I had no intention of using the Egyptian God card anyway. It is far too dangerous. Although Marik is in control, it is still Joey's body and the effects of Slifer could seriously injure him.' The spirit took a look at the other card that was inside the pocket of the belt. 'Oh, it's Red Eyes Black Dragon! I can certainly use this to save Joey. It is the least I can do to repay him for lending it to me.' He removed the Red Eyes card, placed it in his deck and dropped the dueling belt onto the floor.
"It's time to duel!" both gentlemen said.
"I hope you're prepared for defeat!" taunted possessed Tèa. With that, Marik released his control on her mind. "What happened?" Tèa wriggled her hands. "Why am I strapped in this chair?" She looked around, and was shocked when she saw Yami and Joey about to duel each other. 'Strange…something is not right here.' It seemed like something that would occur in one of her nightmares, but this time she knew it was sadly no dream."Why are Yugi and Joey dueling each other? Someone tell me what on earth is going on!"
Mokuba opened his mouth to explain, but Vicki beat him to it. "Marik has brainwashed Joey and forced him into a duel with high stakes...so high you wouldn't believe it if I told you about them. And he had you under his influence for awhile as well."
"Oh no..." The news gave Tèa a queasy feeling in the pit of her stomach. And to think for a moment that she was a part of the madness made the feeling worse. She didn't think she wanted to know what she had said and done. 'I have a feeling things will only get worse from this point on.' She heaved a heavy sigh. "This cannot continue! The duel must be stopped!"
Kaiba's clenched fists trembled as if he were struggling to make a decision. He couldn't allow his tournament to be dishonored, but he wasn't willing to risk anyone dying either.
"Don't even think about it!" warned the rare hunter. "One false move and I will push this button!"
"Jerk!" muttered the brunette. "Listen, don't worry about me! Just end this duel!"
'Perhaps there's a way to dispose of the trap,' Kaiba thought. 'But how?'
"Are you buffoons finished?!" mind controlled Joey exploded, exasperated. He fixed his gaze on Yami. "I will let you go first. You will need it and enough time has been wasted."
Yami took a look at the clock and saw that nearly ten minutes had passed already.'He's right.' "Don't mind if I do." He drew his card. 'Gazelle, the King of Mythical Beasts…I should put up a defense for now, until I see his strategy.' "I place one card face down and then play Gazelle the King of Mythical Beasts in defense mode!" (1200 def) The lion-like creature appeared on the field, growling. "That ends my turn."
Possessed Joey laughed. "How pathetic. Well, your mythical beast won't be enough to guard your life points! I play my trap card, Raigenki Break! It allows me to destroy any monster I choose! Say goodbye to your defense monster!" Lightning rained down on the creature, destroying it.
Yami looked on grimly. "Oh no! Now my defense is gone."
"That's right," sneered mind controlled Joey. "Now I play Alligator's Sword in attack mode!" (1500 attk) The alligator warrior appeared onto the field, raising its sword. "Alligator's Sword, attack his life points directly!" The reptilian beast slashed Yami, causing him to grimace. He was down to 2500 life points as a result.
Mind controlled Joey laughed. "Are you ready to give up, or do you want more punishment?"
"I will never give up!" Yami drew another card. It was Big Shield Gardna. 'I should be able to use this to protect my life points. After all, nearly half of my life points are gone. It seems as if Marik rebuilt Joey's deck, so I could be in for another surprise.' "I play Big Shield Gardna in defense mode!" (2600 def) "That ends my turn."
"It seems like you have lost your touch!" taunted the blonde. "Could you be trying to lose this duel on purpose? Well if that's what you want, I'll be glad to help you! All of your attempts to guard your life points are useless!"
Yami grunted. "Just what do you mean?" He was growing weary of the taunting.
"I'll show you, with a card that will allow me to target your life points even with a monster on your side of the field. Feel the wrath of my Hinotama magic card!" said the blonde, setting the card down. A barrage of fireballs rained down and blasted Yami. He screamed as he watched five hundred of his life points deplete. This attack left the ancient pharaoh with 2000 life points.
Kaiba was absolutely dumbfounded by what he saw. Joey taking a bite out of his archrival's life points this soon? That didn't sound like the Joey he knew.
Mokuba noticed his brother's expression. "What's on your mind, Seto? Why are you so pensive?"
"I have a feeling Wheeler is being helped by a card that is illegal," answered the teen ceo.
Mokuba whistled. "That's Marik for ya. I wish I could bust him but I can't…too risky."
'Come on, Yugi. You can pull through,' thought Vicki, rubbing her hands together. She hoped he would, too. She could barely stand to see him and Joey pitted against each other. But she would not allow herself to shed a tear.
The ancient spirit of the puzzle looked grim. 'This duel has already started and half of my life points are already wiped out. I have to find a way to stop this if I am to set Joey free.' He knew it would be quite difficult, given the power of his opponent's deck. He also found it strange Marik seemed to be urging Joey to finish him off quickly. The cornsilk haired young man usually enjoyed toying with his opponents. 'I can't remain on the defensive if I have any hopes of winning this duel.'
Marik was monitoring the duel via Joey's eyes, with the help of his millennium rod. He smiled at how things were going well for him thus far. "Crushing Little Yugi and the pharaoh was a simpler task than I thought! No longer will I have to endure the suffering brought on by that accursed 3000 year old pharaoh!" He gave an evil laugh. 'Failure will not be tolerated this time!'
Just then, Odion came and bowed deeply. "Excuse me, Master Marik."
Marik turned to face his most faithful servant. "What is it, Odion?"
"I just learned that Joey's sister has arrived in Battle City."
'Interesting.´ A wicked grin formed on the tombkeeper's face. "Did you say his sister? His sister could prove to be quite a useful pawn. Have a rare hunter bring her to me at once."
"Yes sir." Odion went to give the message to the rare hunters. He felt reluctant kidnapping such a young girl, but dared not disobey his master.
Seeing that Tristan was unable to contact Tèa, he decided to just find some people around the city who had six locator cards. 'I am sure they would be all over the place.' He took Serenity by the hand and led her away from the park.
"Tristan? You think Joey is okay?" she asked worriedly.
The gut feeling that Joey was in danger had grown even stronger, but Tristan didn't want to worry the young girl too much. "Oh, I'm sure he is!" he answered casually, placing his hand on the back of his head. "Your brother is a tough customer."
"I suppose..." Serenity wasn't too sure about that, but the thing was, neither of them knew what was going on with Joey at the moment.
Tristan and Serenity came to a dark alley. Tristan could see some tough looking robed men blocking the way. 'Bah, not those creeps! If they think they're gonna stop us, they've got another thing coming.' He led Serenity the opposite direction, in an attempt to hide, but the men saw them. 'Oh, darn it!' What was more horrifying was that the robed men were walking towards them, and had expressions on their faces he didn't trust at all.
"Who do you think you're looking at like that, you robed freaks?" asked the pointy haired teen.
The gray haired rare hunter smirked. "You two twerps are not going anywhere! Hand over the girl and you won't get hurt!"
"I don't think so!" 'I will never allow any harm to come to her!'
Although Serenity could not see, she could tell something was wrong based on the voices and the exchange going on. "Tristan, I'm scared!"
"Don't worry. I won't let anything happen to you!" He swept her off the ground and held her by her knees, pulling her onto his back. "Now hold on tight!"
"Okay!" She threw her arms around his neck and held on, tight enough so she was secure, but not so tight that she was choking him. Tristan ran out of the alleyway.
"After them!" one of the robed men barked.
Yami eyed the cards in his hand, pondering what strategy to use to put a dent in his opponent's life points. 'I think I have come up with an idea, but I will need to draw the right card.'
"What's taking so long for you to make your move, Pharaoh?" asked mind controlled Joey. "Have you realized you don't stand a chance against me?"
"I will never surrender to you, Marik!"
"Then if I were you, I would make my move and stop stalling," said the blonde.
"All right!" Yami drew a card. It was Kuriboh. 'Too weak to take down his Alligator's Sword, but with my face down card it can still help.' "I'll lay one more card face down and summon Kuriboh in attack mode!" (300 attk) A brown ball of fluff with eyes and claws appeared. "That ends my turn."
Marik controlled Joey laughed. "You must have given up if you will play such a miniscule monster in attack mode! I expect more from you, but I guess I overestimated your abilities." He drew a card. 'Excellent. Another Hinotama magic card. By the end of my turn, most of Pharaoh's life points will have been wiped out.' "Alligator's Sword, annihilate that furball!" The reptilian warrior raised its sword, preparing to attack.
Yami's lips stretched into a tiny smile. "Hold it right there!"
Possessed Joey's jaw dropped in shock. "What?!"
"You've activated my trap card, Spellbinding Circle!" The hexagram shaped circle appeared around the alligator warrior, stopping him in his tracks.
"NO!" The blonde shook his fists.
"That's right! Not only has my trap stopped your Alligator's Sword in his tracks, but 700 of his attack points have been drained as well." The monster's attack strength was down to 800 as a result.
"Well well. It looks like Yugi weakened Wheeler's monster, but he still has yet to find a monster strong enough to defeat it," observed Kaiba. 'Yugi, if you lose to this mediocre duelist, I will never forgive you.'
"Very impressive, Pharaoh," the possessed blonde said. "However, you still can't defeat my monster."
Yami gave an amused look at Marik's overconfidence. "Who said I was finished?" he asked.
"You're not?"
"No, I have other surprises. I activate my magic card, Monster Reborn! I'll use it to resurrect Gazelle the King of Mythical Beasts. This time, I will place him in attack mode!" Gazelle reappeared onto the field, roaring and baring its claws. "All right my gazelle, destroy his Alligator's Sword now!" The lion-like creature swiped at the reptilian creature with its claw, destroying it. "Now Kuriboh, attack his life points directly!" The furball pounced on possessed Joey. "The combined attacks create a difference of 1000 life points."
"Good dueling for a change. However, that won't last long. It's my turn now. You will feel the wrath of my Hinotama magic card once again! Fire shower attack!" For a second time, fireballs rained down on Yami. The spirit screamed in agony and hunched over as he felt the burning sensation. His life points dropped down to 1500.
Marik controlled Joey let loose maniacal laughter. "You are only life points away from your inevitable death, Pharaoh!"
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Post by LadyKeren on Jan 5, 2016 13:04:48 GMT
Chapter 25
Yami glanced at the cards in his hand, trying to find a way out of his predicament. 'Things are dire, to say the least. More than half of my life points are gone and Joey has twice as much. I cannot afford another direct attack like that.' He didn't find any of the current cards in his hand worth playing at the moment. He caught a glimpse of the clock and saw that there was only 25 minutes left.
"Staring at your deck won't help, Pharaoh! You are only delaying the inevitable! Play whatever you like, but it will never match the power of my arsenal of rare magic cards!" taunted brainwashed Joey, laughing. "If I were you, I would accept defeat!"
Yami merely grunted at the threats and insults that were driving him up a wall. He knew it was really Marik speaking, not Joey. 'I have to focus on saving Joey before the timer reaches zero. I can't let Marik rattle me. That's exactly what he wants. And I don't have much time left.' "Joey…it pains me to see you have forgotten your convictions as a duelist."
The possessed blonde gave Yami a hard look. "What are you talking about?" 'I have a duel to win. I have no time for useless babbling.'
"You wished to become a true duelist and right now you do not have the heart of one," said the spirit.
"Stop talking nonsense and just make your move!" snapped Marik/Joey. "You're wasting my time."
Yami gritted his teeth. Not only because he was becoming annoyed, but also because as much as he hated to admit it, his foe was right. 'If only there was some way I could get rid of the traps.'
Marik stood on his massive ship at the pier, pleased with how his mindslave was performing thus far. He felt proud of himself for making such a nefarious scheme and wondered why he didn't do it sooner. "You will never free your pathetic friend from my control, Pharaoh! You're a fool to try! Now, my mind puppet, continue to devastate your former best friend with your deck so he will be silenced forever!"
(back to duel)
The possessed blonde laughed again. "Pharaoh, you can forget your foolish delusion of freeing your best friend from my mind control! I told you, his mind belongs to me forever!"
"I don't think so," said Yami. "Your millennium rod is not as powerful as you think. Together, we can overcome your evil!"
"Your threats are empty, but if you are so sure of yourself, make your pathetic move so I can finish you off!"
It was so hard for Tèa to hear Joey sounding so antagonistic. 'Kaiba needs to find some way to stop this duel. I don't know how much more of this I can take.' "Joey, snap out of it! Remember our bond of friendship? Don't let Marik destroy it! Use that memory to break free!"
*Flashback begins*
While Yugi was preparing to face Kaiba in a duel that would teach the young CEO about dueling with his heart, Tèa pulled out a marker. "Yugi, Joey and Tristan, come here."
The three boys went over to the brunette. "What's up, Tèa?" asked Joey.
Tèa pulled off the top of the marker and drew something on her left hand. "Now I want all of you to place your hands forward. I'm going to mark it with a special symbol. "
"Okay…" Joey and his two best friends did as they were told, wondering what the girl had in mind.
'I hope she hurries. Kaiba doesn't like to be kept waiting,' thought Yugi.
Tèa quickly drew on the hands of her friends. Once she was done, they pulled their hands away and took a look at them.
"What is it exactly?" asked Joey, eyeing the unusual looking smiley face.
"It's a symbol of our friendship," the cheerleader explained. "The ink may fade, but this is to show the bond between us never will."
"Oh, I get it now!" said Joey, giving a cheesy grin. "I like that!"
*Flashback ends*
Vicki knew of the bond of friendship, and a misty-look appeared in her eyes, knowing she missed out on so many adventures. 'Oh man, I wish I was here back then. Oh well. Better late than never, I suppose.'
'Tea is right. And I have an idea.' The millennium puzzle glowed and a silhouette of Yugi appeared next to Yami. Yami turned to face his weaker counterpart. "Yugi! What are you doing?" He didn't have a good feeling about whatever it was Yugi had planned.
"Yami, I had been thinking about this for awhile and I think it would be best if I took over in this duel," replied the spiky-haired young teen.
Yami looked at his friend in shock. "But why?"
Yugi hesitated, unsure of how to explain the reasons to his alter-ego without risking hurting his feelings. "Well you see, I think I stand a better chance getting through to Joey. Also, when I first solved the millennium puzzle, I asked for friends, and my wish came true. I want to show how strong I have become since then without relying on you."
Sure enough, the ancient spirit looked slightly hurt. "What are you saying, Yugi?"
"I know one day you will be gone forever, and I will have to fend for myself."
"I understand how important this is to you. However, I can't let you do this. It is far too dangerous."
The young boy couldn't believe how hard it was to convince Yami to let him duel on his own. "Yes, I am aware of that, but I have faced danger before."
Yami definitely knew that, but felt the situation was different. "You do remember that the stakes in this duel are high, right?"
Yugi look scared at the thought of death by drowning. "Oh yes I do know. I cannot allow it to happen. This is not just something I want to do. This is something I feel I have to do." 'No matter how great the danger, I am willing to take such a risk to save my friends.'
Yami looked thoughtful, and could see the determined expression on his friend's face. 'There is no use convincing him otherwise.' "Very well. If you feel that strongly, then go rescue your best friend, and know I will be watching over you just in case your life is in danger."
"Thank you so much for understanding, Yami. It means a lot to me." Yami disappeared and let Yugi take over.
"Well, Joey, it is just you and me now," said the spiky-haired young man.
'The regular Yugi must have taken over,' thought Tèa, noting the difference in height. 'I hope he could save Joey.'
Marik leaned over the railing on his ship. When he realized what had happened, his evil grin disappeared and he clenched his teeth, tightly grasping his millennium rod.
"What?! The pharaoh's vessel?!" yelped the Egyptian. "Defeating him is not a part of my agenda! How dare that little runt interfere with my plan! He'll pay!" He was so angry he wished he had a glass of ice cubes so he could smash it on the floor. He took a few heavy breaths until he felt calm again. A smirk appeared on his face as he thought of a way to make good of the situation.
"But then again…I can always use the vessel to force the pharaoh to reappear," realized the cornsilk haired young man, laughing. 'Which would be simple, given that Little Yugi is an even weaker duelist than the pharaoh is.'
Meanwhile, Tristan was running through the alley with Serenity on his back, desperately trying to escape the rare hunters. His feet were getting sore and he was out of breath. Even worse, the robed men were hot on his heel, yelling insults and threats at him and the girl.
Soon, Tristan was feeling too tired to continue running. 'Ah, gotta take a little break. I can only hope those robed creeps don't get us.' He took Serenity off his back and rested her down, huffing and puffing.
"Dumb move, kid! I warned you, you couldn't run forever," taunted one of the robed men. "Not like there is anywhere left for you to run, anyway."
Tristan growled. "You wanna bet?" He stood in a fight stance.
"Yes we do," said a deep, gruff sounding voice.
The pointy haired young man turned around sharply, to see another rare hunter with short grey hair approaching him and Serenity. 'Oh crap! How am I gonna get past these thugs?' "You thugs had better back off if you know what's good for you!" warned the young man, cracking his knuckles. 'If I have to, I'll give you a pounding.'
Serenity was tempted to take her bandages off to see what was going on, but she decided not to. "Tristan, be careful," she said, her voice barely above a whisper.
The robed men walked up to Tristan and Serenity, smirking. "You're just all talk. Well, you two twerps are about to enter a world of hurt!" Two of the men grabbed Serenity by her wrists.
The frightened girl tried to get the men to release her, but to no avail. Her wrists started to ache from their vice-like grip. "Let go of me!"
The men just laughed at her. "Stop squirming, girl! It's hopeless. You're taking a trip with us!"
"Tristan, help!" screamed the young girl. 'These guys are so scary.'
Tristan took one look over his shoulder and went to fight off the rare hunters holding Serenity, only to be punched in the face by a bald headed robed man. Tristan fell over, groaning in pain and rubbing his face. He got up and kicked the rare hunter in the stomach.
The gray haired robed man was about to drag Serenity away when all of a sudden, he felt a die hitting him on the forehead and a male's voice saying, "And there's more where that came from, tough guy! Didn't your mother teach you not to be rough with girls?" Standing there was a young man dressed in a red and black vest over a black shirt, and leather pants. He wore a dangly dice earring and his long black hair was pulled into a ponytail.
The rare hunter rubbed his forehead. "Why you…." He looked around to see who did that.
'That dice…that voice…' Tristan diverted his attention to the end of the corridor. Although he couldn't see the person's face very clearly because of how dark the alley was, he only knew one person with the signature move. It had to be… "Duke Devlin! Is that you?"
"The one and only!" Duke revealed himself, and threw some more die which hit the other rare hunters in the heads.
'I don't know what he's doing here, but I am sure not complaining.' Tristan was now well rested and decided to use this moment as an opportunity to escape whilst the rare hunters were still distracted by the surprise attack. "Let's go, Serenity." He grabbed the young teen by the hand and proceeded to pull her away.
"So Tristan, what's going on?" asked Duke.
"Run now, explain later!" Tristan called over his shoulder, and continued to run.
"Oh. Right," said the raven haired young man, with a questioning look on his face. He ran after the pointy-haired teen. 'What is with those robed creeps, anyway?'
The caped men recovered from the assault by Duke, and were seething that the young man dared to inflict such a blow on them. "Where did those impudent twerps go?" yelled the man with gray hair, looking around.
"They must have gotten away," answered another one.
'Just what Master Marik would want to hear.' The caped man with light brown hair trembled at the thought of being banished to the Shadow Realm for failure. "Come, let's go after them! They could not have gone too far." The group of men left the alley way.
Yugi thought about a possible move to make. 'I have to prove to Yami that I can handle this duel or he'll want to take over again.'
A silhouette of the ancient pharaoh's spirit appeared. "Remember, Joey is counting on you. You can win as long as you believe in yourself and the power of your deck."
"Right." Yugi turned to face his opponent. "All right, Joey, it's my turn."
"Then make your move. You have stalled long enough."
'What do you plan to do now, Yugi?' wondered Kaiba, standing with his arms folded. 'You had better think of something quickly. Remember, you owe me a rematch.'
'If I don't draw the right card, it will be all over for me.' Yugi drew his card and slowly turned it over to see if it was one worth using. A small smile formed on his face. 'Yes! Red Eyes Black Dragon! This could be the key to saving Joey.' His smile grew even wider when he realized he would not have to wait to summon the beast.
Yami appeared next to his friend once more. "Excellent. I see you have drawn the Red Eyes Black Dragon. However, it could be our only hope, so play it wisely."
Yugi could tell his counterpart was worried about him playing the card too soon, but he didn't know what else to do. It was the only card he had in his hand that could put a dent in his opponent's life points, which he desperately needed to do. 'I understand his concern, but I need to take a chance.' "Joey…I am about to jog your memory, with an old friend of yours."
"Huh? And just what might that be?" asked Marik/Joey.
Yugi smiled. "You will see right now, so stand back."
'Come on, Yugi,' thought Vicki, rubbing her hands together.
Judging from Yugi's words, Yami had an idea of what move the young boy planned to make. "Yugi, are you sure you want to summon Red Eyes now? Marik may have given Joey a card powerful enough to destroy it. I think you should hold onto it until the time is right."
Yugi thought about what his counterpart said and understood his concern. He also knew it was quite possible that Joey had been given some trap and magic cards even stronger than Hinotama.'He's right. Maybe I should alter my plan. But what else can I do to save Joey?' The young boy looked at the cards in his hand once again. The magic card Exchange caught his eye. 'Yes! I can use it to show Joey the card. He can even use it if he wants.' "I play the magic card Exchange! Now we must each choose a card to take from each other's hand."
Kaiba's jaw slightly dropped open. "Why would Yugi play that card? What is he planning?" Sometimes he found his rival hard to figure out.
Marik controlled Joey let loose raucous laughter. "Your hand must be pathetic if you are foolish enough to play that card! I should have known you were bluffing when you said your card would be a blast from the past! Not that I need any help, but I am sure I can find a card to use from your hand." The blonde young man walked over to Yugi. "Come on! Show me your pitiful cards."
Yugi closed his eyes and held up the cards for Joey to see. Joey glanced over them. 'Now let's see. Which one of these pathetic cards can I make use of?' He spotted the Red Eyes Black Dragon. "Hey! It's my Red Eyes Black Dragon card! The one I lent to you, Yuge!" the blonde uttered in his normal voice.
Yugi looked hopeful. "That's right, Joey! You remember!"
"Silence, Wheeler! You are to do as I say!" yelled Marik sharply. "It seems as if little Yugi is foolish enough to risk losing his rare card, and the Red Eyes Black Dragon happens to be the best card in his hand! I command you to take it!"
"No!" protested Joey. "I lent it to Yugi for the tournament! I promised I would duel him for it when I become a True Duelist!"
At this point Marik was beginning to lose patience with his mindslave. "You insolent fool! You will do as I say! Now repeat after me and say, "I have no mind of my own."
"I have no mind of my own."
"That's more like it, my obedient servant. Now take that Red Eyes card so you can use it to crush this fool!"
Joey's hard look returned to his face. "You were a fool to play that magic card, and now I will punish you by relieving you of the best card you're holding!" He reached to pull the card from the spiky haired teen's hand, but as he was pulling it, his hand proceeded to tremble, as if he were reluctant to take it.
"Well you can have any card you want, so if you want the Red Eyes, go ahead!"
"I will!" Joey continued to pull the card, but his conscious told him not to once again. On an impulse, he proceeded to pull another card from Yugi's hand.
Yugi sighed. "There goes my plan to save Joey." He scratched his head.
"Yugi, you may want to take a look!"
Yugi opened his eyes and turned to see what Yami was pointing out. To his delight, he saw that the Red Eyes Black Dragon card was still there and Joey was taking Card Destruction instead. 'Not like I was planning to use Card Destruction in this duel anyway.' "Yeah, Joey! You didn't take it! I knew you could overpower Marik's spell."
Marik threw his rod onto the floor. "I ordered you to take his Red Eyes, Wheeler! How dare you disobey me?! You'll regret that!" He retrieved the rod and increased its power on Joey's mind just a tad.
The blonde sneered at Yugi. "Don't misunderstand. I told you, your friend is gone! With the arsenal of rare magic cards in my possession, I don't need your Red Eyes! You're such a weak duelist that I can defeat you without monsters!"
Yugi was in total disbelief over what his opponent just said. "You can remain in denial all you want, Marik, but I know what I saw. The real Joey stopped you from taking the Red Eyes Black Dragon, because he wants to become a true duelist first! He gave it to me to help take you down!"
Marik controlled Joey grimaced. "Shut up! Your pathetic friend's mind is feeble in comparison to my superior powers!"
Yugi ignored the outburst, for Marik was only fooling himself. "Admit it. Joey's mind is stronger than you think."
"Enough! Let's get on with the duel already!" Of course, Marik had witnessed his power over Joey weakening, but he wouldn't give Yugi the satisfaction.
"I will. Now it's my turn to take a card from your hand."
Joey held up his cards for Yugi to see. "If I were you, I'd choose wisely. Not that giving up a card would be much of a sacrifice."
'He's right. If I am to find a way to get out of this mess, I will have to choose the right card.' Yugi eyed the cards in Joey's hand, and tapped on his chin, trying to see which one was best. He spotted Magic Arm Shield. 'This card will be able to help. I can use it to deflect one of the attacks if I have to.' He took the Magic Arm Shield trap card from Joey and went back to his dueling corner. 'Okay, it's now or never. Now is a chance to attack his life points.' "I sacrifice my two monsters in order to summon Red Eyes Black Dragon in attack mode!" (2400 attk) The ebony colored dragon appeared on the field, giving a fierce roar.
"Yes!" cried Vicki, pumping her fist. She had been tempted to leave the duel, take a lunch break and not come back until the duel was over, but now things were starting to look up. She knew Tèa was there to help her get through these turn of events.
Joey looked at the dragon which was once his, on his opponent's side of the field. He could feel memories of the beast flooding back. He clutched at his head. "It's my Red Eyes Black Dragon…the card I lent to Yuge."
The spiky haired teen looked hopeful, knowing that his new move seemed to be working. Maybe neither of them would have to lose the duel after all. "That's right. Look at the dragon and break free!"
The more Joey looked at the dragon, the more it felt familiar to him. "I remember…my dragon." Some memories of his Red Eyes dragon bailing him out of tough spots in Duelist Kingdom came flooding back to him.
Marik gripped his millennium rod tightly. "No!" he growled. "My control over that fool is weakening again!" Again, he was about to throw his rod onto the ground when he heard footsteps.
Odion wasn't sure how to break the news of Serenity's escape to his master, but he knew it had to be done as Marik would ask him about it sooner or later. 'I can only hope he isn't in a foul mood, even though he will be furious either way.' "Sir…I am afraid Joey Wheeler's sister has escaped."
That did it. Marik whirled around and faced his servant, giving him a scathing glare. 'Can't this fool do anything right?' He smacked his henchman in the head with his millennium rod. "You dare to report such news to me? Get out of my sight and see to it that she is captured!"
Odion merely winced from the pain of being struck, but his main concern was appeasing his master. "Yes sir." He bowed respectfully and exited the pier.
The memories of the Red Eyes Black Dragon were overwhelming the blonde. He fell to his knees and began clutching at his head. "What is happening to me?"
"Come on, Joey, fight it!" Yugi encouraged his friend.
"Yes, we know you're strong enough!" echoed Tèa.
"That Red Eyes Black Dragon seems to be affecting Wheeler's mind," observed Kaiba. 'Not that he is worthy enough to wield it in the first place.'
"Well you heard Yugi. It used to belong to Joey until Joey decided to lend it to him for this tournament," said Mokuba. "It must be hard for him, knowing that a card he treasured will be used against him to bring him back."
'It pales in comparison to my Blue Eyes White Dragon, but it will be interesting to see how it will work against freeing Wheeler's mind.'
'This is it. The real Joey is trying to break free. Summoning Red Eyes was the first step.' "All right, Joey. I know you're in there somewhere, pal. It is time to blast you back to your senses. Red Eyes Black Dragon, attack Joey's life points directly with Inferno Fire Blast!" The ebony colored dragon shot a fireball from its mouth at the blonde. Joey staggered to his feet and grunted as the fire blast hit him, dropping his life points to six hundred.
"This is awesome! I knew Yugi could turn this duel around!" Yugi's comeback put Vicki in a celebratory mood. She pulled out some graham crackers from her satchel to nibble on.
"What do you think you're doing, fool?!" berated Marik. "Pull yourself together and dispose of Yugi at once!"
"Yes Master!"
Yugi eyed the dazed look on his best friend's face, hoping his attack had worked. 'If this doesn't work, what should I do?' "Joey? Is that you? Are you okay now?"
The blonde gazed at Yugi with a smirk on his face. "I hate to disappoint you, but your little trick didn't work! Nice try, though." He laughed.
"Oh no," said Yugi. 'What am I going to do now?' He caught a glimpse of the clock. 'Fifteen minutes left.' He thought of one last idea, which would be a good way to repay Joey for what he had done for him.
"This duel has gone on long enough! You may have managed to damage my life points, but that is about to end right here and now! Prepare to say goodbye!"
Yami reappeared, not liking where things were headed. "You have done well, Yugi, but I am going to take over before things deteriorate."
Yugi had a feeling his alter ego would suggest that. "Yami, I know you mean well, but I must stick it out. I want to prove to everyone and myself I am not the coward I used to be before I met you. I have one last idea to help Joey." He removed the millennium puzzle from around his neck.
Yami looked worried. "Are you sure you want to go through with this, knowing what will happen if you are defeated?"
"Yes," answered Yugi firmly. "It is because I know what will happen I have to continue. I could never live with myself if I do not succeed in saving Joey and something happens to him."
The ancient spirit of the puzzle could see his friend was still determined. "If you believe in yourself, then I believe in you too, Yugi. Good luck. You have the power to save your friend." Yami disappeared.
"Have you decided to give up?" asked Marik controlled Joey.
Yugi looked at his brainwashed best friend as if he were out of his mind. "I don't think so! I'm not going to stop until my best friend is out of harm's way!"
Marik/Joey laughed again. "I have given you the chance to surrender, but if you wish to prolong your misery, then so be it! I will make you regret that decision, with my next Hinotama magic card!" The blonde set the card on his duel disk. "Fire shower attack!" The torrent of fireballs rained upon Yugi, who screamed as he felt the discomfort. Ribbons of smoke swirled around him, and his life points were now at one thousand.
"No, Yugi!" Tèa cried out.
"Gee, I wonder just how many of those Hinotama cards Marik gave to Joey," pondered Vicki. 'At least Yugi is still ahead in life points, so I'm not too worried.'
Having lost sight of the Rare Hunters, Tristan, Duke and Serenity were now hiding from them in a truck bed. They knew the men would not stay down for long, but were holding onto hope the rare hunters would not be smart enough to think of looking for them there.
Such wishful thinking. All of a sudden, the three teens heard running footsteps, as well as voices asking, "Where did those fools go?"
"Tsk, tsk!" clucked Duke. "It looks like they're the fools." He gave a small smirk. 'Good luck finding us here.'
"I know, right?" agreed Tristan. "But it's nice to have a chance to catch our breath." The pointy haired teen knew curiosity killed the cat, but he had to know whether crossing paths with Duke this soon was a coincidence or not. "So Duke, what's going on, man? I wasn't expecting you to be here this soon. I thought you were in America, handling business for your Dungeon Dice Monsters game."
"I was, but I have something to take care of here as well, and while I was at it, I decided to check out this Battle City tournament. I also am hoping I get to run into Yugi. However, it's good to see you guys, too." Duke noticed Serenity behind him and Tristan. He had been curious about her ever since he came to save them. "By the way, who is that pretty girl you were walking with?"
Tristan felt a tinge of jealousy at the phrase "pretty girl". He wasn't about to let anyone have dibs on her that easily. "If you are hoping for a chance with her, you can forget it! She's mine!" Before Duke could snap back with a playful retort, Tristan lowered his voice to a whisper as he explained,"You remember Joey Wheeler, don't you? It's his sister."
The raven haired teen placed a finger on his chin and frowned deep in thought. "Oh, wasn't he the one I made dress up in the doggy costume?" He still couldn't believe how easily he was forgiven for that, and he wanted nothing more than to start over.
"Yes, but do me a favor and don't bring that up. You'll upset Serenity."
Duke nodded. "Fine." Come to think of it, the memory was quite embarrassing and he felt bad bringing it up. He still couldn't believe how easily Yugi forgave him for his obnoxious behavior. "Now that that's been cleared up, who are those guys that were chasing you and Serenity? Could they be the rare hunters I have heard about?"
"Yes, and they're nasty pieces of work. I know they are after Yugi, but I don't know what they want with Serenity and me. I mean, it's not like we have any rare cards or anything."
Although Serenity hadn't been able to see the robed men, she had a bad feeling about them from the things they were saying and how they were grabbing her. "Hey guys, if those jerks are after us, then that means…"
"They must be after Joey and the others, too," Tristan finished for her. "They may be in even more trouble than we are."
"We'll have to find some way to get to them without those robed creeps seeing us," said Duke. "However, that's easier said than done.”
Tristan gave Duke a look. "Have some faith, will ya! I'm sure we'll get out of here if we come up with a good enough plan."
Yugi was on his knees, still revealing from the attack, which left him exhausted. 'One more attack like that and it's all over. I have to hang on. I'm almost there. '
"Just look at Little Yugi now!" mocked Marik/Joey. "I must say, I enjoy seeing you on your knees. Does this mean you have given up?"
By then, Vicki had put the crackers away. "Don't listen to him, Yugi! If I learned anything from spending time with you, it's that anything is possible!"
'She's right. I have to keep going.' Yugi slowly got to his feet. "It takes more than that to defeat me!"
Tèa, though inspired by her friend's fortitude, wasn't sure how much more he could take. She wished she was able to leave so she wouldn't have to watch any more of the torture, but at the same time she wanted to be there to support her friends. "Kaiba, isn't there something you can do to stop this duel?"
"That crate hanging above your head makes it way too risky, Tèa." Mokuba was just as disturbed about the events as Tèa and Vicki were and not only because of the foul play either. He turned to face his brother. "Seto, we have to find some way to stop this duel before it's too late."
"I know." One thing Kaiba was not going to do was risk any deaths occurring in his tournament, but he still had yet to find a way to deal with the situation so he wouldn't have to.
Marik/Joey looked shocked to see Yugi able to stand on his feet at all, even if it was just barely. 'His tenacity is quite impressive, but foolish.' "It would have been wiser of you to give up. My punishment has just begun."
"No way!" said Yugi, holding his millennium puzzle and walking towards the brainwashed Joey. "I will fight till the end."
"Kind of difficult to do when you're so shaky on your feet, don't you think? Well if you insist! First I summon Rocket Warrior in attack mode!" (1500 attk) A green colored semi-humanoid with a sword and shield appeared. "I activate its special effect, which allows it to drain 500 attack points from any monster I choose for one turn! I choose Red Eyes Black Dragon!"
"No, don't do it!" begged Yugi.
But Marik/Joey pretended not to hear the young boy. "Next, I play my magic card, Attrition and switch my Rocket Warrior into its Invincible Mode!" The small doors on the warrior closed, transforming him into his full rocket form. "This will allow my monster to remain unharmed while it attacks."
"Joey! Please snap out of it! I know you're in there!" He was somewhat stronger, but still a bit shaky on his feet. Even so, he continued to walk to his best friend.
"Don't bother trying to stop me! Rocket Warrior, attack!" commanded Marik/Joey. The warrior soared in the air, dove towards the dragon and struck it. The dragon hunched over slightly and lost 500 attack points, reducing its attack strength to nineteen hundred. "And thanks to my Attrition magic card, your pathetic creature will lose another 1500 attack points!" Red Eyes Black Dragon was now a very low 400 attack points. It collapsed onto the field, clinging to life.
Yugi looked at the severely weakened monster with sad eyes. "This looks bad," murmured the spiky haired teen. 'While this is only temporary, by the next turn, Joey may be able to summon a monster strong enough to destroy it and I'll lose the duel.'
The blonde young man looked at the dying monster on the field with shock and horror. "Oh no…my Red Eyes Black Dragon…who did this to him..?" It was like he had dozed off or something.
"Arrgh! My control over Joey is weakening again!" growled Marik. "I command you to kill that fool at once!"
Joey collapsed on his knees and clutched at his head again. "Ahhhhh, what is this?! The pain! It burns! It feels like my head is going to explode!"
Yugi didn't want to tell Joey he unknowingly caused the near destruction of Red Eyes. He could see the blonde seemed to be feeling badly enough. He just wanted his friend to return to his normal self. "I have something I would like to give to you. You lent me your Red Eyes Black Dragon, so I want to repay you by giving you something valuable to me." He approached Joey and placed the millennium puzzle around his neck. "This is yours for now. Take care of it."
Joey glanced at his friend with a bemused look on his face. 'I don't know why this little guy would give his necklace thing to me, but I suppose I should take it as a nice gesture.'
'I can only hope this works, or the world will be in jeopardy,' thought Yugi as he went back to his side of the field.
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Post by LadyKeren on Jan 6, 2016 12:53:03 GMT
Chapter 26
No longer hearing the condescending voices of the robed men, Tristan, Serenity and Duke came out from hiding behind the truck bed and were now ready to search for Joey.
'It may seem dumb to show ourselves in the open like this for those jerks to find us, but we can't keep hiding forever. If those creeps do show up, I'll know what to do. It's payback time, anyway.' Tristan scratched his head as he thought of where to look for his best friend.
"Tristan, any ideas yet?" asked Duke. "You were so confident we would be able to find Joey."
Tristan noticed the raven haired young man had a slight edge to his voice, and didn't understand why. 'This guy needs to learn to think positive…his pessimism can really get on my nerves.’ However, he didn't want to start an argument so soon after meeting up with him, so he ignored it. "Let's look around for Battle City duelists. Joey must be dueling in the finals now."
"That is if those thugs didn't get to him first," Duke spoke up.
"What?" Serenity's face turned pale and she wrung her hands. "Oh no. Poor Joey!"
'Okay, that does it!' Tristan raised a hand and struck Duke in the head.
Duke was taken by surprise by the pointy-haired teen's action. "Ouch!" He rubbed his head. "Dude, what was that for?"
Tristan gave the dice obsessed young man a hard look as he answered, "Don't say things like that in front of Serenity! We don't know what's up with Joey for sure! See, look what you caused!"
"What?" Duke shot a glance at the young girl's facial expression, which was a look of fear and worry. He instantly felt guilty, even though he was only going by his gut feeling. 'Gee, who knew being honest could cause so many problems?' "Let's go find out where the finals are."
"Now you're talking. Let's split up."
"All right." 'This gives me a chance to get to know Serenity some more. He's crazy if he thinks I'm gonna let him have Serenity all to himself.' The ebony haired young man took Serenity by the hand and led her away.
'Okay, here goes nothing.' Tristan placed a hand to his forehead as he kept watch for Battle City duelists. It was not as easy a task as it sounded since out of the many people who had signed up for the tournament, only a small percentage would be finalists, and there was no telling which ones had six locator cards unless he asked around. 'This could take all day, and time is running out.'
It appeared that luck was on Tristan's side because at that very moment, he spotted a young boy with a duel disk on his arm. 'Goody, a duelist for once. Maybe this job won't be so hard after all. Here's to hoping he has six locator cards or even close to that.' He ran up to the boy and tapped him on the shoulder. The young boy turned to face him.
"Do you know where the Battle City finals are?" asked the pointy haired teen in a hurry.
"I have no idea," answered the boy. "In fact, I only have one locator card."
Tristan's eyes narrowed. "What?!" He pushed the boy away from him. "What do you mean you only have one locator card?! What have you been doing this entire tournament?" 'He must have been spending it slacking off…lazy bum.' He didn't think the youngster was even fit to be called a duelist, but he decided not to let it be known for the sake of politeness.
The boy was taken off guard by the shove, but wasn't about to stand for such rough treatment. "Don't touch me, you bully!" He marched away in a huff.
Tristan was about to yell some advice after the boy when he saw Duke coming from the corner with Serenity. 'They're back so soon. I wonder how Duke's luck was.' "So Duke, how did it go? The only duelist I found was someone with just one locator card."
"Well, at least you did better than me," remarked Duke. He took a short strand of hair on his finger and proceeded to twirl it around. "I wasn't able to find any duelists at all."
'Man, there must be some Battle City finalists around somewhere.' Tristan opened his mouth to respond, but he noticed the way Duke was holding Serenity's hand. He was instantly filled with a jealous rage. 'What does dice boy think he's doing?' On impulse, he took Serenity's hand, pulled her away from the ebony haired young man and walked away.
Duke looked taken aback at such a reaction, after he had risked getting caught by the rare hunters to assist his new friend. "Well excuse me for trying to help!” A thought occurred to him that Tristan wanted to hog Serenity. "So that's how it's going to be, huh?"
Tristan ignored the dice monster creator and kept on walking. Duke just shrugged his shoulders and followed.
'Duke really has some nerve, holding Serenity's hand the way he was. If he thinks he's gonna have a chance at her, he's crazy!' thought Tristan. Whilst he, Serenity and Duke were heading to the heart of Battle City, they spotted the group of rare hunters. Tristan's instincts told him to pretend he never saw the robed men and find somewhere to hide, but it was too late. Their eyes met his. "There those brats are!" one of them said.
"Oh darn it!" spat the pointy haired brunette.
Duke, who had been thinking about what a jealous maniac Tristan was, pushed those thoughts to the back of his mind when he heard him yell. "Tristan, what's up?"
"It's those robed freaks again!" Tristan knew it was pointless to run away because the caped men would just follow him and the others. 'But then again, I'm tired of running. It's time to teach those jerks a lesson.'
"Oh great," Duke muttered under his breath. "We're done for.”
"Not just yet," said Tristan. His lips stretched into a big grin. "I have an idea. Take Serenity and run!"
Duke looked at Tristan as if he had lost his mind. "What? But you're setting yourself up!"
"No I'm not. I have a score to settle with them. Besides, they would know where our friends are, which beats going around asking people where the finals are. Don't you agree?" Tristan mentally kicked himself for not thinking about this before, but then everything had happened so fast.
The ebony-haired young man thought about what Tristan said. 'He's actually making some sense for once.' "Yeah, I got ya."
"Good. Now take Serenity and go! I'll catch up with you later."
"Right. Come Serenity. Let's go this way." He took Serenity by the hand and led her away. Secretly he was glad the pointy haired teen told him to go on ahead. 'At least for awhile I wouldn't have to put up with his stupid jealousy.'
As soon as Tristan saw that Duke and Serenity were out of sight, he approached the rare hunters. "All right, freaks, it's go time! Come and get me, if you have the guts!" He cracked his knuckles.
"You fool! You will regret those words!" The group of robed men started circling the young man, prepared to pummel him to the ground.
Yugi knitted his brow, desperately trying to think of another move to make. The clock was ticking and his life points were low. True, he was still ahead of his opponent, but he was not sure how long it would last, as he had a bad feeling there were other rare magic and trap cards waiting to be used against him. 'I wonder what is on Joey's mind anyway. He's so quiet.' The spiky haired teen lowered his eyes, afraid that once again his effort to reach his friend was a failure.
'All right, giving Joey the millennium puzzle was the first step.' He glimpsed the ticking clock and saw that there was just over fifteen minutes left. 'I have to think of a strategy fast before the time runs out or Joey wipes out the rest of my life points.'
Marik placed a handful of ice cubes in his glass and smirked evilly. 'It seems as if Yugi is more of a fool than I thought. He is willing to give up his most valuable item in a feeble attempt to win back his pathetic friend. I do plan to claim it as a souvenir after I win this duel, but right now it is useless to me.'
"All right, my mind slave, it seems as if the spirit of the pharaoh has no intention of reappearing in this duel, so we might as well kill him right now! Remove a part of the accursed puzzle and throw it into the ocean!"
"Yes Master!" Joey took the main part of the puzzle which contained the Eye of Horus and raised his arm, preparing to drop the part of the ancient artifact.
'Oh no! It didn't work!' Yugi's eyes were filled with horror as he thought of what would happen to his alter-ego if Joey committed such an act. "Joey, please stop it!" As he watched his friend, he couldn't help but think of the time when he first had interactions with Joey and he was being teased.
Joey still had his arm poised in the air, but began to hesitate, for Yugi's pleading rang a bell for some reason.
*Flashback begins*
Yugi was sitting at his desk working on his puzzle while he waited for the bell to ring. A big grin spread on his face once he saw that for the first time in 8 years he was making real progress.
'Ah, I'm almost there.' Yugi put a few more pieces in place. 'Grandpa will be so proud of me!'
On the other side of the room, Joey and Tristan were leaning against the wall. Joey watched Yugi with a look of disdain on his face. 'Just look at that little twerp, fooling around with that necklace without a care in the world. I don't think he's even awake yet.' His disdainful look turned into a smirk. 'Time to have some fun.'
Tristan glanced over at his best friend. "Hey Joe, what's up? What are you thinking?" he asked, noticing the blonde's devious smile.
"I think it's time to show Yugi how to have a backbone," answered Joey, his grin becoming even wider.
Tristan glanced over at the spiky haired boy, who was still busily working on his puzzle and also seemed oblivious to what was going on in the classroom. "Good idea." He and Joey marched over to Yugi.
Yugi actually heard what Tristan and Joey were saying, but was just appearing to be in a world of his own in order to drown their voices out. Even so, he nearly jumped out of his chair when he heard the footsteps and saw a hand snatching his incomplete puzzle from the box.
"Hey!" Yugi got out of his seat and looked up only to see Joey holding his puzzle high, in a tantalizing manner. "Give me back my puzzle!"
Joey just laughed and stuck out his tongue. "If you want it back, you will have to try and take it from me!"
Yugi gave a sigh of annoyance. Though he was irritated at Joey's bully-like antics, he felt so helpless. He tiptoed and tried to retrieve the puzzle, but because of his short stature he was unable to.
Laughing, Joey ran with the puzzle in hand and opened one of the windows. Yugi went after him to see what he was going to do. He watched as the blonde removed a part of his puzzle.
"Please stop. I'm begging you, put it back. I can't completely solve the puzzle without it!" 'Not to mention Grandpa would kill me!'
"Sorry, twerp." The young man promptly threw the puzzle piece out the window, letting it fall into the pool.
Yugi gasped. He knew the blonde was street wise, but he never knew he was this insensitive. Not only was he annoyed about the situation, but confused as well. 'I wonder what I ever did to them.' He spoke softly but firmly. "Why did you do that?"
Joey shrugged his shoulders. "It's for your own good."
"That's right," agreed Tristan. "Let's see what you plan to do about this."
Yugi tapped his chin. That was a good question. It wasn't like he could fight them back, considering he was nearly a foot shorter than both of them, and he didn't care for violence anyway.' I suppose I could tell the principal, but that would just be tattling and who says they would be punished? Either way, I have to get it back somehow.' Before he could head outside to look for it, the bell rang.
'Oh well…I will just have to wait. Hopefully it will still be there.' Yugi hurried to his seat, desperately trying to block out the situation to prevent it from distracting him during his classes.
*Lunchtime*
Most of the students ran out of the classroom like a herd of wildebeest. Yugi was contemplating using his lunch break to go and find the missing piece to his millennium puzzle. 'I fear someone must have gotten to it by now.' He stood up and was about to leave the classroom.
"Hey Yugi, wait up!"
Yugi turned around to see his childhood friend Tèa walking up to him. For the first time that day, he smiled. Surely she would be able to cheer him up. "What's up, Tèa?"
"What do you say we head to the cafeteria for lunch together?" suggested the brunette.
Yugi wasn't all that hungry, but he needed the distraction. "Okay. Afterwards, will you come outside with me? I need to go find the missing piece of the puzzle Joey threw out the window."
"Sure I will!" Tèa's tone became indignant. "The nerve of those dorks…they need to pick on someone their own size," she stated through clenched teeth. She placed a strand of hair that was hanging in her face, behind her ear. "Shall we go now?"
"You bet! Lunch will be over before we know it." He and Tèa exited the classroom together and headed to the cafeteria. They were about halfway there when Yugi felt a tap on his shoulder.
Yugi stopped in his tracks and turned to see who it was. Standing over him was Ushio, a boy who liked to call himself his bodyguard and was on a mission to teach bullies a lesson. He certainly was fit to be a bodyguard, with his tall stature and imposing figure, although it made him look more like a bully than those he punished.
Tèa stopped walking, too. "What do you think he wants?" she whispered to Yugi.
"I don't know," the young boy whispered back. He turned to face Ushio. It was a bit difficult to look him in the eye, considering how intimidating the taller boy looked. "Hey Ushio. Is there a problem?"
Ushio looked at Yugi with a smile on his face, one that made the young boy feel very uncomfortable. "No, not at all. I just want to show you something, that's all."
"Oh?" Yugi cocked an eyebrow. "What is it?"
"Let's just say you'll be very pleased. You won't know any more unless you follow me."
Yugi didn't trust those words, nor did he trust the smile on Ushio's face, as it looked more like a smirk. However, something told him he had better comply. "Very well." Yugi turned to Tèa. "Tèa, stay here. I'll be right back!"
"But Yugi—"the brunette started to protest. Ushio gave her the creeps and she got the feeling he was no bodyguard but a bully. But Yugi left before she could finish her protest.
'Oh I hope he will be all right…I wonder if I should go with him just to make sure nothing happens.' Once Ushio and Yugi were a safe enough distance from her, she slowly started to follow them. She opted to stay nearby just in case Yugi needed her.
Ushio led Yugi to a pavement near the basketball court. His jaw dropped open when he saw Tristan and Joey sitting on the concrete, covered with bumps and bruises.
"Oh no! What happened to them?" Yugi cried.
"I simply taught them a lesson," the self-proclaimed bodyguard said smugly. "You should be thanking me for taking care of the bullies for you."
Yugi was absolutely dumbfounded at such a sight. 'Thank him? How could he think for a moment I would want such violence? They may have irritated me, but they do not deserve this.'
Ushio sneered at the two wounded boys. "So did you losers learn your lesson or must I give you another beat down?" He walked over to them, intending to deal them some more blows until they passed out.
On impulse, Yugi ran and stood in front of Tristan and Joey, spreading his arms to the side. "No! I won't let you! These guys are my friends!"
Joey had been lost in his own little world and mostly drowned out the talking, but Yugi's last sentence about him being a friend made him jerk his head up. 'I can't believe this kid is standing up for us, after we gave him such a hard time.' Usually he would consider Yugi stupid for defending him, but the words made him think of a different outlook to have. 'I feel so guilty; I have to get that puzzle piece back for him.'
*Flashback ends*
Yugi looked at the blonde with pleading eyes, hoping to find something in him that would make him revert to his normal self. Much to his relief, Joey dropped his arm and put back the piece of the puzzle he had removed.
'No! My control over this fool is slipping again.' Marik, enraged by his pawn's second act of insubordination, knocked over his glass of ice. 'SMASH!' Bits of glass shards and ice littered the ground.
"You fool! I ordered you dispose of that piece of the puzzle!"
"But I couldn't. It's not right to destroy people's property."
Marik growled in frustration, wondering just what would it take for Joey to obey his every move. One thing was for certain, he was not going to allow Yugi to prove him wrong no matter what."Very well, you may hang onto the puzzle. Either way, you're going to finish the job you started and destroy Yugi."
"Destroy Yugi," repeated brainwashed Joey, as if he was unsure of how to carry out the order.
"That's right. I'm glad you remember your mission." Marik gave an evil grin. "Kill him, kill him, kill him."
Yugi felt hopeful that giving Joey his puzzle was making the brainwashing effect wear off after all. Surely the blonde must have remembered something from their friendship, based on his hesitation before. 'Maybe if I bring up more old stories, he will completely return to his normal self.' "Hey, Joey?"
Joey lifted his head ever so slightly, not directly at Yugi but enough to give him his attention.
"Do you remember our adventures at Duelist Kingdom? You fought hard in so many duels in order to win the prize money for your sister Serenity and her operation." He spoke slowly, desperate for him to remember something about the events he was referring to. 'Surely he would remember his own flesh and blood.'
Vicki managed a tiny tight-lipped smile. It was all she could do to keep from agonizing over the fact that she wasn't there to experience the Duelist Kingdom adventures with them.
"Ser-en-i-ty," the blonde uttered, as if he were learning to pronounce the girl's name for the first time. He frowned slightly at the familiarity of her name, and a memory of her came to him. It was when he had been watching her get wheeled into the recovery room after her eye surgery. "Serenity…my sister."
"That's right, Joey," said Yugi, looking hopeful once again. "She inspires all of your duels…and you also promised we would have an honorable duel once you've become a true duelist."
"I promise," repeated the young man weakly. Of course, he couldn't remember very much at the moment, but he had the strangest feeling Yugi was telling the truth.
"Yes, and you have never broken a promise to me."
The hard, cold look returned to the blonde's face and he gave an evil grin. "Then I promise to annihilate you! Let's finish this duel already! It's time to get you out of my sight once and for all!" He took a look at the clock. There was only a little over eight minutes left. 'Now how should I get rid of this fool before he wastes more of my time with his ridiculous stories?' He looked at the cards he was holding and eyed the severely weakened Red Eyes Black Dragon. 'I could dispose of that pitiful creature and deplete the remainder of his life points, but I have bigger plans.' "Make your final move. Use it wisely."
Yugi could have despaired that he failed yet again, but the fact that Joey remembered his sister helped him to keep the faith. 'I'll never give up. I will fight till the end. I just need a good card before he destroys my Red Eyes. Good thing it's my turn now.' He drew a card. 'Mystical Rift Panel. This card can come in handy just in case Joey decides to destroy my Red Eyes Black Dragon with a magic or trap card…but then I also need to build a defense, just in case he plays a monster.' "All right! First my dragon will regain 500 of the attack points it lost!" The ebony colored dragon looked a bit less bleak as it regained its strength. "Next, I'll place one card face down and play Beta the Magnet Warrior in defense mode!" (1200 def). The yellow colored warrior materialized onto the field. "That ends my turn."
Marik/Joey let out raucous laughter. Here he thought Yugi was more formidable than he looked and yet he was proving that view wrong. "So you choose to make my victory simple, do you? Well, so be it! I hope you are prepared for your demise!" The possessed blonde drew a card, and grinned. "Meteor of Destruction…perfect! This is just enough to drain that fool's life points to zero! Go on my mindslave, set that card face down. Let's let some of the remaining time slip away. We will unleash its rage when the time is right."
Yugi had a bad feeling about the grin on his brainwashed friend's face, but he would not be deterred. "If you're so ready to destroy me, then what are you waiting for? Make your move!"
'I agree. I do not know why I have wasted my time watching this duel,' thought Kaiba.
"I'll do so with great pleasure! I switch my Rocket Warrior into defensive mode and place one card face down. That ends my turn. I hope you're prepared to lose everything!"
"We'll see who loses in the end!"
Tristan stood in the alleyway, huffing and puffing whilst the rare hunters lay on the ground, moaning in pain. They had tried the same onslaught on him as they had earlier, but he felt an adrenaline rush and pummeled them all with very little trouble.
"Did you punks have enough? Because there's more where that came from!" said Tristan, his fists still clenched. Despite his words, taking out his temper on the robed men made him feel much better.
The men were too stunned and dazed to respond. 'Who knew that scrawny little pipsqueak was so tough? Master Marik will send us to the Shadow Realm for sure.' They trembled as the pointy haired young man wandered over to them. He grabbed the one with pale brown hair by the collar of his robe. "Tell me where my friends are, pronto!"
The rare hunter had a scared look on his face and knew he had better answer if he knew what was good for him. "Domino Pier," he answered, flinching.
Tristan studied the rare hunter's face to see any sign of deception. He tightened his grip on the robe. "You'd better be telling the truth or you'll be sorry!"
"I am," answered the caped man.
"Good." Tristan released his hold on the older man, and made his way to the pier, only once looking over his shoulder at the robed men. 'I have the feeling that maybe Duke was right about what was going on with Joey. I should have taken care of those jerks when I first bumped into them.' He was in the middle of crossing the street when all of a sudden, someone in a purple sports car pulled over in front of him. He looked at the driver. It was Mai, and she had Serenity and Duke in the car with her.
"Hey Mai! Nice car." 'Mai sure knows how to surprise people.'
"Hey Tristan. Nice to see you again. Hop in if you need a lift."
Although Tristan was sure the pier was nearby and felt he could make it there in no time, he couldn't pass up the opportunity to ride in such a cool car. "Sure, thanks!" He climbed in the backseat next to Duke. "So Mai, what brings you to this part of Battle City?"
Before Mai could reply, Duke said, "She is helping us find Joey. I told her about the situation and mentioned that I was pals with him, so she said to hop in."
"So what have you been up to, Tristan?" asked Mai in her sassy tone.
"Not too much…had to fight off some robed freaks who are after us for some reason."
"Robed freaks…Duke has mentioned them as well." Mai drew an image in her mind as she drove. "You know, they sound like those rare hunters I had seen around while I was dueling."
Duke lowered his eyes. "Rare hunters?" 'All I know is that they are nasty pieces of work.'
"Yes. They are undercover duelists who lie, cheat and steal. Their goal is collecting rare cards and that's probably why they are after your friends."
"I get it now," said Tristan, understanding. Still, it didn't answer the question why they were after him, Duke and Serenity. He had a funny feeling the ride was longer than it was supposed to be. He looked up, glanced around and saw Mai passing the pier. "Hey Mai, stop, would ya? You're going the wrong way! That's not where Yugi and Joey are."
Mai's hand nearly slipped off the steering wheel. "Relax! I have all six locator cards. I know where they are!" she said, reaching a hand back to show Tristan all six locator cards she had won. She was offended that Tristan thought she would ever steer him wrong.
"I'm telling you, they're not at the finals now. They're at Domino Pier," insisted the pointy haired teen.
Mai gave Tristan a doubtful look in the rearview mirror. "Are you sure about that, Tristan?" She sounded as doubtful as she looked.
"I'm positive. It was those creeps who told me."
"Well, in that case…" Mai made a sharp U-turn and headed toward the direction of the pier, which made the passengers sway sideways in their seats. It was a good thing they were all wearing seatbelts. "Children, do not try this at home."
Serenity could feel her stomach churning at the speed Mai was driving and the sharp turn she had made. "Guys, I don't feel so well. I am not really used to fast cars." She rubbed her tummy to stop the wrenching around inside.
'Guess I better get there as soon as possible…the thought of someone spewing chunks makes me queasy.' "Just hold on a bit longer, hun. We're almost there. "
"Okay." Serenity leaned back in her seat.
Straight ahead, Mai saw a sign that read "Domino Pier", and slowed down just a tad as she drove towards it.
"Hey, we're here!" said Tristan. He looked straight ahead and spotted two figures that vaguely looked like Joey and Yugi standing face to face.
"Yes, let's crash this party!" The blonde young woman sped and parked on the sidewalk that led to the pier. She went over to Serenity's side and helped her out.
Duke and Tristan got out and proceeded to walk briskly to the pier.
Marik stepped on an ice cube that had fallen on the floor during his small fit of anger and smirked to himself. "So the pathetic fools have showed up. Well, how fitting it is that they have arrived just in time to witness the destruction of Little Yugi at the hands of his former friend, Joey Wheeler!"
Kaiba heard the sound of the car door slamming and turned around. 'So the rest of those goody-two shoes arrived. Great.' He maintained the emotionless expression on his face.
"Hey guys!" called Tèa, spotting Mai, Serenity, Duke and Tristan.
Before the two boys could get close to the scene, Mokuba ran towards them and placed both arms to the side, blocking their way. "Don't come any closer."
"What are you talking about?" asked Tristan. "This isn't the time to be playing games."
"I'm not playing! Take a look!" Mokuba pointed to Joey and Yugi facing each other, the chain around their ankles and the anchor hanging above their heads, as well as Tèa being strapped in a chair with the crate hanging above her head.
Tristan and Duke looked at what Mokuba was showing them. "What the heck? What are Joey and Yugi doing?"
Mai averted her eyes as well, and had a look of horror when she saw such a sight. "Does someone want to tell me what on earth is going on here?" she asked.
"Some guy named Marik brainwashed Joey and forced Yugi into a duel with him," explained the young Kaiba.
"What? Why?" asked Mai. "They have both qualified for the finals already, haven't they?"
"Yes they have," answered Kaiba, just as Tristan commented, "That's sick." He clenched his fists at the thought of this Marik messing with his friend.
"If you think that's sick, what do you make of the set up?"
"Yes, I have noticed. What's the point of the anchor, the chain and the crate?"
"The anchor will fall once the duel is over, and the crate is so no one will stop the duel. The chain is supposed to keep either of them from escaping."
"Man! You have to find a way to stop this, regardless of what those creeps decide to do."
"But they can't. Tèa will get hurt," said Mai.
"She will if this continues," pointed out Tristan.
Mokuba turned to face the young ceo. "Tristan is right, Big Brother. We can't let Tèa get hurt. She helped save my life. We can get rid of the trap. Don't you have any ideas?"
"I have been thinking about it, Mokuba." 'How could the trap be destroyed? I will have to do it myself. But how?' A possibility came to him, one that was under his nose. He pressed a button on the collar of his coat. "This is Seto Kaiba, do you read me? I need you to send a remote controlled chopper to Domino Pier at once."
'Oh no. My poor brother.' Serenity got the feeling she had better take her eye bandages off. She knew it would probably be something she didn't want to see, but having stuff hidden from her was much worse. She reached behind her head to unwrap the bandages.
Tèa realized what the young girl was trying to do, which she thought was a bad idea. She didn't think the first sight should be her brother being evil or else who knows how she would be traumatized. 'I can't let her see Joey this way. She'll be devastated. I have to stop her.' "Serenity, please don't take your bandages off yet!"
"Huh?" Serenity took her hand off the bandage.
"You have to trust me on this one, okay?"
"Okay." Serenity dropped her arms to her sides.
Vicki had begun to think all was lost until she saw Serenity. She knew for a moment that Joey was starting to break free when Yugi was reminding the blonde about her. "No, she should take them off."
Tèa found what Vicki said incredulous. "But Vicki-"she started to protest.
"But nothing. I understand you're only trying to protect her from such a horrible sight, but you can't shield her from everything. Besides, this could be the key to helping Joey return to his old self. Don't forget, he did show he hadn't forgotten about Serenity."
"Well…I guess you're right," responded Tèa begrudgingly. She still wasn't sure about what was just said.
"Serenity, listen to me!" called Vicki. "Remove your eye bandages!"
"You're sure about that?" Serenity asked. She felt confused. First someone was telling her not to remove them, which must have been done for a very good reason, and now here was Vicki telling her to take them off.
"Yes. You always like to know the truth about your brother, don't you?"
"I do."
"Then go ahead and remove the bandages."
Mystified, Serenity started to unfasten the bandages on her eyes once again. She unwound them and tossed them away, then slowly opened her eyes. Although things were blurry before the operation, everything was clear now. 'I can see.' She saw the setup in the midst of the pier, as well as her brother. 'It's Joey! And those other people watching must be his friends. '
"All right, enough of this folly!” said Marik. "It is time to unleash the fury of Meteor of Destruction! I hope you're prepared to die, little Yugi!"
"Okay, where was I before this rude interruption?" asked Marik/Joey. "Oh yes. I was about to dispose of you forever!"
'So this must be why that girl didn't want me to take my bandages off.' Serenity could feel a lump in her throat. She wanted to cry at how malicious her big brother sounded, but she knew it wasn't him, and that he would need her help. "Joey, it's me, Serenity, your little sister! I hope you still recognize me!"
Joey turned around at the sound of the girl's voice. He opened his mouth to scoff at her, but closed it. 'It can't be...she's the same girl in that dream I had. Or was it a dream?' "Serenity…my sister!"
Serenity wanted to jump for joy that her older brother hadn't forgotten her after all. "I'm glad you remember me."
"What do you think you're doing, you fool?" Marik chided the blonde. "I command you to forget that foolish girl and reveal the face down card at once!"
"No! I don't want to hurt my sister." Just as he said that, lots of memories came flooding back to him: his sister's video message, his victories in Duelist Kingdom, his humiliating defeat he suffered at the hands of Kaiba, and his duel with Yugi. "I remember everything. Yuge was right! My past is real. I am Joey Wheeler!"
Yugi's face lit up when he saw that once again, Marik's control over his friend was weakening and he had remembered everything. "Come on Joey! Be strong! You can do it!"
"I gotta be strong." The memories were so overwhelming that the blonde collapsed on his knees once again.
"You fool! You have no past!"
"Ahhhhh, get out of my head!" Joey clutched at his head as the pain tore through it.
"Your feeble brain is no match for my power! Now get up and destroy Yugi at once!"
"No! He's my best friend! I won't destroy Yugi!" Joey yelled at the top of his lungs.
Yugi knew it wouldn't be too long before his friend completely broke free from the brainwashing. He was full of confidence at this point. "Marik, wherever you are, I have a message for you!"
"Huh?" The corn-silk haired young man clenched his teeth.
"You hide like a coward, but I know you can hear me! There will be a loser of this duel. It's not me, and it's not Joey! It's you! You will lose this duel! Joey has proven that our friendship is stronger than the power of your millennium rod! If you want to defeat me that badly, I'd suggest you show your face and duel me yourself!"
Marik grunted in anger. 'How dare that worthless buffoon mock the power of my millennium item? He will learn about its full force the hard way!'
Kaiba eyed the ticking clock and could not believe his rival would issue a challenge. "Time has just about run out. It seems Yugi is trying to become fish food on purpose. How foolish."
"So what's it going to be, Marik? This is your last chance for victory! If you have any sense of honor, come and settle the score yourself, without the death trap!"
'I don't think so.' The taunting and goading was getting to Marik. 'I have no choice but to use the full power of the millennium rod on Joey.' He held up his rod once again and emitted a large burst of power from it.
All of a sudden, the Eye of Horus appeared on Joey's forehead. "Nice try. However, your effort was not good enough! I hope you're prepared to lose! I activate my trap card, Meteor of Destruction!"
Marik laughed evilly. "You were so vocal before, but who's losing now? I warned you that you and your friend were no match for me!"
"No Joey! Fight it! You've broken free from Marik's mind control before and you can do it again!" Yugi was not going to let Marik win, no matter what.
"It's too late for that! Meteor of Destruction, destroy Yugi now!" A huge fireball was about to rain down on Yugi. Joey looked at the fireball, and the look of fear on the faces of Serenity and Yugi. "Aaaaah, someone help me please!" He clutched at his head again. He thought of the memories he had earlier and with a long struggle, the Eye of Horus broke. The power of the rod which was infused in him dissipated and disappeared from his body as well.
Marik gave an angry growl. "No! This can't be! Joey's mind is stronger than I thought! Yugi was right! Noooo!" With that, he disappeared from Joey's mind. |
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Post by LadyKeren on Jan 7, 2016 12:23:23 GMT
Chapter 27
Kaiba, who had merely been observing what was going on, ran out of patience waiting for his henchman to send the copter. ‘I guess it’s too late for Gardner now.’ All of a sudden, he heard a sound, which was propellers spinning. ‘Huh?’ He saw that it was one of the KaibaCorp choppers he had sent for. ‘Took him long enough.’
Tèa glanced up with a look of hope on her face, and let out a sigh of relief when she saw the helicopter. ‘Thank goodness. I thought I was going to fall asleep in this chair.’ But when she saw no one was piloting it, her expression turned into one of confusion. “Hey, how did it get here if no one is driving?”
“It’s remote controlled,” Mokuba explained.
“Oh.”
The rare hunter took one look at the KaibaCorp chopper and pieced together what was going on. He sneered at Tèa and grabbed the remote control for the crate. ‘I knew I should have held onto it.’ “That does it. You nimrods have tested me long enough. I guess that’s the end of the girl.” He placed his finger on the red button, about to press it and have the crate crush the teen to death.
‘You insolent fool; you’re dumber than you look!’ The controlled helicopter flew towards the crate, used its landing skids to remove it by the chain and dropped the crate into the sea. As it landed, a massive explosion ensued.
The green haired rare hunter scowled over the loss of the trap that had been set, and then picked up a long piece of pipe. “That’s it! I’m going to teach you a lesson about meddling into affairs that do not concern you!” He ran towards the CEO with the pipe, intending to strike him.
“Not likely!” Kaiba reached into his deck and pulled out a card. ‘I place my faith in this card.’ He took a peek at the card and to his delight, it was Blue Eyes White Dragon. He threw the card at the rare hunter’s hand, wounding it. The rare hunter was so caught off guard that he dropped the pipe.
As soon as the rare hunter recovered from the blow, his shock turned into fury. “Why you…” he muttered, grabbing his injured hand. “You will pay for this!” He clenched the fist of his good hand and lunged at Kaiba.
“Nice try!” Kaiba grabbed the young man by the nape of his cape and tossed him down. The robed man was nearly unconscious from the maneuver. “That’s for making me waste one of my powerful monster cards on a scumbag like you!” He looked down at the rare hunter with a smirk on his face and walked away.
“Great work, Big Brother!” Mokuba ran to Tèa’s side. “All right, Tèa, let’s get you out.” He pressed a button on each of the chair’s arms and then bent down and pressed a button near her feet. The cuffs that had her ankles and hands locked in place slid open. Tèa stood up, knowing she was now free. A flow of water came over the two youngsters.
“Thank you so much, Mokuba,” said Tèa, ignoring the fact that she was soaking wet.
“The pleasure is all mine. After all, you saved my life.”
Tèa was so grateful that she felt like hugging the little boy, but she didn’t want to scare him. Besides, what would his big brother think of such affection?
Completely free from the evil spell, Joey gazed around the pier. He nearly fell over in shock at the unfamiliar scene. ‘Hey, what gives? How did I end up out here? The last thing I remember was being in that creepy warehouse with that robed tattooed face freak.’ The blonde rubbed his forehead. ‘At least my head doesn’t feel heavy anymore…that’s a welcoming change.’
“Joey? Are you okay?” asked Yugi. It worried him that his friend had not said anything since the spell was broken.
“Huh?” Joey was still partly in a daze. His head snapped up. He saw Yugi looking at him, obviously waiting for an answer. “I have been better. Could you fill me in on what’s going on?” He proceeded to walk towards Yugi but didn’t get very far. He also noticed the millennium puzzle was hanging from his neck instead of Yugi’s.”What’s up with this chain around my ankle? And why am I wearing your puzzle, Yuge?”
‘Joey will not be pleased, but I must tell him the truth,’ thought Yugi, gathering his thoughts. “Marik brainwashed you and forced us into a duel with high stakes where the anchor will fall and the loser will drown. I gave you my millennium puzzle to free you from his influence.”
Joey clenched his fist and shook it. “What?! That slimebucket! Wait till I get my hands on him!”
It was just the reaction Yugi expected, and quite frankly, he couldn’t say he blamed him. “Never mind that now. Let’s just finish this duel. We only have one minute left. Seeing as how only one of us can escape, I have decided I will save you.”
Joey looked at his friend as if he were crazy. “Don’t even think about it.” ‘Seriously, Yugi could be such an idiot at times.’
Yugi went on as if he didn’t hear Joey’s objection. “No matter what happens to me, I will be happy knowing you are safe. If anything happened to you, I would not be able to live with myself.”
Something in Joey snapped, but he felt too drained to get physical with the young man. “Don’t talk such crazy talk!! There’s no way I’m letting my best friend turn into sharkbait, especially after what I nearly did to you!”
Those words made Yugi’s heart feel warm, but he doubted there was a way for both him and Joey to escape alive. “It’s all right. It is my decision. I am happy to do it.” Tears streamed down his cheeks as he gave a small sad smile. ‘I have to act quickly or both of us will die.’ “I activate my face down card, Mystical Rift Panel! It destroys the effects of a magic or trap card, leaving me unharmed! I can also use it to transfer the effects to anyone I choose. ” An elf-like being with long purple hair, pointy ears and pink complexion materialized. It used the mirror to stop the fireball, and turned towards the two gentlemen. “Mystical Rift Panel, redirect the attack at me!” The elf used its mirror to launch the fireball at the spiky haired teen. “Go ahead and free yourself, Joey,” mumbled Yugi as he hunched over from the blast of the fire and his life points dropped to zero. “You only have thirty seconds.”
“Say what?!” Joey never heard of such a thing. ‘This Marik creep is out of his mind. How in the hell does he expect either of us to free ourselves in thirty seconds?’ He wracked his brain for a solution. He wasn’t sure how he was going to get out of this jam, but he knew he would have to, somehow. ‘The little guy is so stubborn. I can’t let this happen to him. It would be selfish of me to save just myself. And I have to think of something quick. Time is running out.’ The blonde still had a hard time wrapping his mind around the fact that the winner had very little time to save himself. His mind drifted, thinking of what he would have done to Marik if he was nearby. ‘Come on, Joey, focus,’ a voice in his head reminded him. He looked at the face up trap card on his side of the field. ‘That’s it! I’ve got it! Meteor of Destruction has another effect. I can use it to make Red Eyes Black Dragon attack me.’ “Meteor of Destruction, activate your other special effect! Have Red Eyes Black Dragon attack me!” The severely weakened dragon raised its head and launched a fireball at the blonde. He cried out as the attack made his life points drop to zero.
At that moment, there were only ten seconds left on the clock. ‘Oh man, I gotta hurry,’ thought Joey. “Don’t worry, pal. You’ll be out of those chains in no time!” He started reaching into Yugi’s keybox to retrieve the key, his arm falling asleep in the process. ‘Oh great, not now!’ He quickly shook his arm awake. ‘All right, that was a minor setback…but I’ll get that key. I’m almost there.’ Just as he managed to get a grasp of the key, he could feel the chain pulling him by his feet. Before he could go to Yugi and try to free him, the chain pulled him and Yugi towards the sea. “AAAAH!” the two boys screamed as they fell into the ocean.
SPLASH!
“Yugi!” the onlookers, with the exception of Kaiba cried out. Mai, Duke, Serenity, Tristan, Tèa and Vicki ran towards Yugi and Joey as the best friends sank below the surface.
“We have to save them!” said Tristan.
“Here, let me!” Serenity noticed that the keybox on her brother’s side of the field was open. She grabbed the key and leapt into the ocean. Just as she did that, Yugi’s head popped up.
“Hey guys, Yugi made it!” said Vicki. But then she noted how slowly he was trying to get to shore. ‘The little lad must be exhausted.’ She looked down at her turtleneck and wool kilt and knew that they would be soaking wet, along with her hair, but she knew under the circumstances that should be the least of her worries. ‘I’d better help him.’ “Tèa, hold this for me, please.” The long-haired brunette tossed her beret to Tèa, jumped into the ocean and grabbed a hold of Yugi’s shoulders, pulling him to shore. Whilst she did that, she realized Joey hadn’t come up just yet. ‘I wonder how the lassie is coming along. Maybe I should give her a hand.’ She hoisted Yugi’s body up and Tristan helped him out of the water.
Before Vicki could turn back around to check on Joey and his sister, Joey came up from underwater, giving a little cough, with Serenity wading along with him.
Tèa was relieved to see that Joey hadn’t drowned. “Hey, Joey is okay!”
Seeing that Serenity seemed to have the rescuing under control, Vicki dogpaddled back to shore, her long hair dragging in the ocean whilst she did it. ‘How dumb of me. I really ought to wear my hair up more often. It’s a miracle no shark decided to munch on it.’ She spun around, sat on the dock of the pier and pulled herself up. Her hair and clothes were dripping so much, she was practically drenched. Her hair curled into ringlets.
Mai took a look at how wet the teens were, but mostly at Vicki. Horror filled her as she thought of possible ailments the Scottish girl would come down with: hypothermia, influenza, and pneumonia being among them. “Good grief, girlie, you are soaked!” exclaimed Mai. She raced to her car, popped the trunk open and grabbed four towels out of her duffle bag. She jogged back to where Joey, Yugi, Serenity and Vicki were and handed them each of them a towel. “You guys are lucky I brought extra towels, especially you, Vicki.”
Vicki cringed at how much Mai sounded like her mother. She was tempted to tell her that, but decided against it. “You’re telling me. Thank you so much.” Vicki took the towel from the young woman and proceeded to dry her hair and clothes with it….as much as she could, anyway.
“You’d better dry off as best as you can,” said Mai. “I wouldn’t want you to get sick. You should have done like I did and brought extra clothes just in case something like this happened. I might have an extra outfit I can lend you when we head for the finals.”
“True…” Vicki felt like a complete nincompoop for not thinking of that whilst she was packing certain stuff when Mokuba had taken her home earlier. ‘Maybe I could just keep this towel wrapped around me?’ “But yes…I would appreciate it greatly if you checked to see if you have an extra outfit. “
“Sure thing, hun.”
(later)
Joey and Yugi stood facing each other, an uncomfortable silence between the two. Joey still felt rotten about the day’s turn of events. He knew he owed his friend an apology, but he wasn’t sure how to deliver it, given that apologizing and saying anything heartfelt weren’t always his forte. However, he knew it needed to be said.
“Um I…well I…” Joey began. ‘Just say it. Don’t chicken out now,’ a voice in his head reprimanded him. “I’m sorry man!” ‘Now, that wasn’t so bad, was it?’
“It’s all right,” Yugi reassured him. “Don’t be so hard on yourself.”
“But I almost destroyed our friendship.”
Yugi could see Joey was utterly ashamed, and it pained him, especially since Joey had already made up for his mistake. “In the end, you saved more than just our friendship. You saved me. You proved how much you value our friendship.”
“It was the least I could do. Once I realized what I was doing to you, I had to do everything I could to get a hold of myself. Even if…even my brain had turned into mush!!”
“It isn’t your fault, Joey. I hope you know that.”
But Joey still wasn’t convinced. In fact, he couldn’t stand the fact that Yugi was so forgiving and wasn’t making him take responsibility for his actions. He couldn’t keep in his frustration any longer. “Marik made a complete fool out of me! How am I supposed to show my face in the finals now??!” He was practically screaming at the top of his lungs.
Mai had heard enough. She walked over to Joey and slapped him hard across the face, which made everyone gasp in shock, and he was stunned as well, for she had never done that before. Sure, she had chastised him in the past, but she never got physical.
‘Note to self—never get on Mai’s bad side,’ thought Vicki. ‘And here I thought I was the one with the bad temper.’ However, she couldn’t say she totally blamed Mai for her frustration. Joey certainly did sound pitiful.
Joey rubbed the area of the stinging feeling in his face. Before he could ask Mai why she did that, the young woman said, “Please, pull yourself together! If you could just hear yourself right now! You have a sister that is inspired by you, so who cares about how you looked? Don’t tell me you forgot how you wanted to win the prize money for her in Duelist Kingdom.”
“Oh yeah.” Joey scratched his head.
Mai hid a smile at Joey’s expression---he could be such a softy when he wanted to be. But she was not done with her pep talk yet. “That was no way for you to act in front of Serenity. You’re her idol, ding-dong.”
“What kind of idol turns into a zombie and almost destroys his best friend?!” retorted Joey. “Talk about setting a bad example!”
“Stop feeling sorry for yourself!!” yelled Tristan, exasperated. “I thought you would have realized by now Serenity will stand by you no matter what! She knows you’re not at fault for what you did.”
“Huh?” Joey thought long and hard about what his friends were saying and realized they were right, as much as he hated that his sister had to see him acting like an evil psychopath. ‘Now that he’s mentioned it, if it weren’t for Serenity, I would be shark food right now.’ He walked over to his sister. “Hey sis, thank you for saving my life back there.”
“It was nothing,” said Serenity modestly. “You were there for me when I needed you most, so now it is my turn to be there for you in any way I can.” She threw her arms around her brother’s waist.
Joey returned the young girl’s embrace. ‘Man, I feel like the luckiest guy in the world to have a sister and pals to stand by me. With their support, I’ll win the finals for sure!!!’
Kaiba had to fight the urge to make a face at the sappiness going on. ‘Now that I have bailed Yugi and his group of cronies out, it is time for me to prepare for my victory in the finals.’ “Let’s go, Mokuba.”
“Right, Big Brother!” The young boy and his older brother started to walk away.
Yugi saw his rival leaving. He felt he owed it to him, even if the CEO only helped because he believed he was obligated to. “Kaiba, wait!”
Kaiba and Mokuba stopped in their tracks, but didn’t turn around to face Yugi. “Hmm?”
Yugi had a feeling Kaiba would probably scoff some cynical remark at his gratitude, but he decided to take the chance. “I just wanted to say thanks for your help.”
‘Humph. If he thinks I am going to start doing charity, he is sadly mistaken.’ The former world champion duelist did not acknowledge his rival’s gratitude, but instead answered, “If you please, tell the other you that he has given me the answer to my question.” He and Mokuba went on their way.
Yugi nodded, remembering the question his rival spoke about.
Joey looked down and realized he was still wearing Yugi’s millennium puzzle. ‘Geez, all this crazy stuff nearly made me forget all about it.’ He took off the millennium puzzle and handed it to Yugi. “Hey Yuge, I believe this belongs to you. Thank you for letting me hold onto it.”
Yugi hung the puzzle back around his neck. “Thank you for saving my life.”
“Don’t sweat it!”
The spirit of the puzzle appeared behind Yugi. He had one of those deep in thought expressions on his face. Although Yugi had managed to thwart Marik’s most ruthless plan yet, he had a terrible feeling the Egyptian would strike back with a vengeance—and the finals would be the perfect opportunity for him to strike, too.
Yugi sensed Yami’s presence. He turned to face the spirit of the one-time pharaoh. “Yami, I would also like to thank you for trusting me to save Joey on my own. Had it not been for your confidence in me, I would not have been able to.”
After filling a prescription for some analgesics, Keren went to the waiting area. Ishizu was sitting down, waiting for her. She and Keren left the pharmacy together, and were now prepared to head to the finals. They walked through the streets of Domino City where duels were still in progress, trying hard to drown out all of the distractions.
“Has your necklace showed you where the finals will be?” Keren asked, as they passed two girls who were trash talking each other.
Ishizu readjusted the mask she had covering her nose and mouth. “If my necklace is correct, the finals are to be held on one of Kaiba’s aircrafts. The finalists must arrive at the stadium at a certain time, lest they will be left behind.“
“Kaiba certainly is punctual,” noted Keren. “It wouldn’t hurt for him to learn some patience, though.”
“Agreed.” Although frankly, the CEO’s impatience did little to faze Ishizu.
“So do you feel prepared for the finals?” asked Keren.
“As prepared as I will ever be,” answered the younger woman. “Pharaoh may have triumphed and freed his friend Joey from Marik’s mind control, but according to my necklace, the worst is yet to come. Our work is just about to begin.” ‘It is no surprise Joey was able to break free. He is very strong willed.’
Keren was at a loss for what she should do. She didn’t want to run away, but she wasn’t sure how she would be able to survive the effects of Marik’s actions, either. ‘However, I made a promise to Ishizu that I would help her to set Marik free. I also have to make sure Odion doesn’t take the same path. To do that I have to become as strong as I used to be, somehow.’ |
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Post by LadyKeren on Jan 8, 2016 12:42:46 GMT
Chapter 28
For awhile, Marik had been in such a foul mood after his latest defeat that Odion knew not to disturb him. He felt a bit calmer after taking his temper out on his already shattered glass. ‘It’s time to put my backup plan into motion. There is no way the pharaoh and his worthless hikari will succeed, once I enter the finals.’
Millennium rod in hand, Marik used it to check on Bakura. The young man was resting peacefully in his hospital bed. The cornsilk blonde gave a smirk. ‘A pity he has to suffer.’ He emitted a golden energy sphere from his millennium item, making it sizeable enough to see that Bakura would at least be conscious even if he wasn’t wide awake. The light shone brightly in his face.
Bakura’s dark half appeared to Marik with a “This had better be good” expression on his face. It was bad enough that the Egyptian actually had thoughts about making him wait. He placed a hand on one of his hips. “Well? What is the purpose of this meeting, Marik?”
Marik couldn’t help but give his “colleague” an amused look. ‘He is even more impatient than I am, which could become tiresome rather quickly.’ “It is time to discuss our plan.”
The dark spirit’s facial expression softened a little. “I thought you would never mention that. It seems you have forgotten I have already fulfilled my end of the bargain.” He smirked, thinking about how severely he injured his weaker half. “It’s your turn to hold up the end of the bargain. Hand over your millennium rod now.”
Marik clicked his tongue. “I will not hand over the rod that easily. If you want it, you will have to win the Egyptian God card Slifer the Sky Dragon from the pharaoh in a duel.”
The dark spirit was beginning to lose patience with his new “ally”, but instead of threatening to take the rod by force, he broke into raucous laughter.
Marik looked confused, as to what was so amusing. “Huh?”
“I’m guessing you’re not duelist enough to face him on your own. Or have you failed miserably?” ‘Such cowardice is appalling.’
‘Is this imbecile going to question everything I tell him?’ It was all Marik could do not to give a growl of frustration. He was beginning to regret making a deal with the spirit. “Look, do you want my millennium rod or not?”
“What kind of question is that? You know I can just take it by force and I have the power to do so.”
Marik merely smirked to show he was unaffected by the threats. “If you want the rod, I suggest you do as I say.”
Yami Bakura scowled. He despised following orders, but judging from Marik’s tone he could tell the Egyptian meant business and was not going to budge. He gave an exasperated sigh. “All right. What do you want from me?”
“You’ll have to obtain a duel disk as well as six locator cards to secure a spot in the finals. And do it quickly, for time is passing!” With that, the tan skinned young man disappeared.
The encounter caused Bakura to grow restless and roll around in his bed, giving pain filled moans and screaming. At one point he rolled dangerously close to the edge of the bed.
Mr. Mutou had been watching over the injured Bakura for nearly the entire time he had been admitted. When he saw that Bakura was in danger of falling out of the bed, he ran over to his side and gently shook him by the shoulders.
‘Foolish old man,’ thought the evil spirit whilst he stirred. He stopped rolling around and opened his eyes.
“Are you feeling all right, Bakura?” asked the old man. “You were tossing, turning and groaning in your sleep.”
Bakura sat up, panting and sweating. “I’m sorry if I worried you. It was only a nightmare,” he said, trying to keep his voice sounding friendly.
“I have some exciting news that I know will cheer you up,” said Mr. Mutou. “Both Joey and Yugi have made it to the finals.”
The evil spirit smiled inwardly. ‘Excellent. I will destroy Yugi in the finals and his millennium item will be mine.’ “Excellent work for both of them! It is no surprise that they made it.”
“Those boys have made me proud ever since I trained them. I have no doubt that the gentlemen would continue to do well in their endeavors. “
“Did they happen to tell you where the finals would be held?” asked Bakura.
Mr. Mutou looked sheepish as he answered, “I was so excited for both of them that I forgot to ask.”
Yami Bakura gritted his teeth. ‘Such an incompetent old fool. Then again, I should not be surprised. I’ll have to find out myself.’ He pushed his feet into his tennis shoes and started to get up.
The elderly man placed his hands on Bakura’s shoulders, trying to stop him from leaving. “You cannot leave yet. You still have to get the results of your tests and convalesce. You can barely stand up.”
As much as Yami Bakura hated to admit it, Mr. Mutou spoke the truth of his condition. Still, he would not be stopped. “Get out of my way, feeble old man!” the evil spirit ordered in a menacing tone as he pushed Mr. Mutou off his feet. “I do not have time for your foolishness.”
Mr. Mutou was so taken by surprise at such a belligerent response that he didn’t bother reacting to the pain he felt in his buttocks. “Who are you? You can’t be Bakura!” He leaned back in fear as he watched the young man approach him.
“Very perceptive, old man,” the dark spirit said with an evil grin. His millennium ring started to glow and he emitted some energy from it, putting a sleep spell on the elderly gentleman.
“Not again,” Mr. Mutou groaned as he lost consciousness.
“Sleep well, old man.” Laughing, Yami Bakura pulled the IV needle out of his arm and left the hospital room.
A young man with black hair was looking for a potential opponent to duel against. However, he had been spending most of the tournament watching the duels, for he didn’t feel confident he could win against any opponent. He gave a loud sigh. ‘I can’t believe how much of the tournament I’ve wasted. I should have just showed some guts and faced a challenge anyway…now everyone is gonna think I’m a wuss.‘ He rested his duel disk on the ground and scratched his head.
Yami Bakura watched the boy from a distance with a wicked smile on his face. It was appalling seeing him look oblivious to the people around him and felt that resting his duel disk on the ground in the open was a careless thing to do, that he was practically giving the okay for someone to come and steal it. ‘Hmm. Stealing this fool’s duel disk should be a piece of cake. He is not even aware of my presence.’ He walked over to the young man, and bent down to pick up the duel disk.
The boy was so startled by the footsteps that he nearly jumped a mile. He looked around, only to see a young man with snow-white hair bending over in front of him. To his horror, the young man was picking up his duel disk! “Hey that’s mine! I can’t duel without it!” ‘Not like it matters anyway.I will never make the finals at this rate.’
Yami Bakura smirked as he put the duel disk on his arm. “I’m afraid it belongs to me now. Your dueling days are over.” He removed the one locator card the boy had from the duel disk slot and stuck it in the back pocket of his pants.
All the young boy could do is stand there and tremble. He looked as if he might start crying as well. ‘What have I ever done to him to deserve being treated like this?’
“Now let’s see what type of deck you have,” the dark spirit mumbled. He took out the deck of cards and proceeded to take a peek through them. He could not believe his eyes. The cards were nothing but weak monsters…definitely too weak to replace his own Occult deck. ‘It was a good thing I brought it with me.’ He looked at the young lad’s cards with disdain. “Your deck is pathetic!” scoffed the sinister spirit, tossing the deck of cards onto the ground with disgust. “You call yourself a duelist?”
“No…my cards,” the raven-haired teen whimpered. He bent down to scoop them up. ‘I knew signing up for this tournament was a bad idea.’
Yami Bakura smirked and walked away, over to a couple of teen boys who were talking about the Battle City finals. He listened to them argue about how many people made it to the finals thus far. ‘I had better make haste if I want to secure a spot.’ He approached a young man with long hair and a scarf tied around his head and grabbed him from behind. “You! It seems like you know an awful lot about the Battle City finals. Tell me where they are!”
The young man, angered at this stranger’s gruff tone, elbowed Yami Bakura in the ribs, which took the latter by surprise. “Get lost, homeboy! Where the finals are is none of your concern!”
Yami Bakura rubbed the sore area in his ribs and glowered at the young man. “I wouldn’t do that again if I were you.”
The teen boy glared back at the white haired young man, although he dared not say anything since he got the feeling this stranger was stronger than he looked. ‘I’m really in for it now.’
Yami Bakura grabbed the sandy-haired teen by his collar. “Well? What is your decision?”
‘Man! This dude is so persistent!’ The young man was becoming annoyed but could see that Yami Bakura would not budge until his question was answered. “I heard something about some duels being in the cemetery.”
Yami Bakura released his hold on the boy. “You had better be right.” With that, he made his way to the graveyard.
A teenage boy with black hair, wearing glasses wandered around the cemetery. He found the atmosphere to be rather creepy. ‘That dude said duelists would be here, but I don’t see anyone here. This could be his attempt to be scare me.’ All of a sudden, a large black bird flew above his head. He ducked as the bird was about to swoop down and peck him.
“Look at this! I’m scared of a bird that can’t do me anything!” He pulled himself together and glared at the bird. “Hey! Dumb bird!” he taunted, waving his arms. “Come get me if you can!”
The crow simply flew away. ‘Man, this is stupid! I’m just wasting my time. There aren’t any duelists out here!’ He was about to leave when suddenly a hand came up from beneath the ground. “Ahhhhhh!” He was able to get out of the way before the hand could grab him anywhere, but just barely. The person the hand was attached to came from underground, cackling. It was a young boy with blue spiky hair. He also wore a scary mask. Bonz.
“Ahhhhh! Creepy!” The young man stumbled backwards and bumped into someone. ‘Wow, this person’s body is big and buff!Quivering, he turned his head to see who it was he had bumped into. It was a shadow of a tall and muscular person. The figure came into the light and he was revealed to be wearing a mask similar to what Bonz wore. He ran away from the two fear inducing duelists.
Another young man with spiky red hair appeared, wearing some type of monster mask.
“Hand over your duel disk,” all three young men chanted in deep commanding voices, walking towards the frightened young man.
“Ahhhhh! This place is haunted!” The teenage boy quickly dropped his duel disk and fled the cemetery.
Bonz, Cid and Zygor laughed as they watched the guy go. “He was wimpier than the last guy,” said Zygor.
“Who cares? At least we now have 5 locator cards,” pointed out Bonz, going over to the escaped amateur’s duel disk and retrieving the locator card. “Only one more locator card and we will have enough to enter the finals. We’ll have a chance to make up for the humiliation we suffered at the hands of Bandit Keith, when he took our star chips in Duelist Kingdom!”
“Definitely.” Just thinking about what Bandit Keith did made Zygor’s blood boil. “The next chump had better have a locator card or else things will get ugly.”
“Things will also get ugly if they do,” said Cid, with a devious expression on his face.
Yami Bakura wandered around the cemetery, but could see no duelists anywhere. He was losing patience. “Those fools will be sorry they deceived me,” the dark spirit of the ring muttered to himself. He started to leave the cemetery to find the boys so he could make them pay for deceiving him. Whilst he was walking, he came across a duel disk lying on the ground. ‘Oh so there are duelists here after all.’ He spotted three young men standing around. ‘Those mortal fools look familiar...I believe Joey Wheeler had faced them in a duel before.’
“Hey guys, look at what we have here,” Bonz said to his comrades, grinning. “A potential challenge.”
“Hell yeah!!” Zygor turned around to scare the wits out of Yami Bakura, but the evil spirit saw the onslaught coming and moved out of the way. He reached out, pulled off Zygor’s mask, tightly grabbed his arm and placed it behind his back as if he were trying to break it. This maneuver placed a strain on Zygor’s shoulder.
“Okay, I give, I give!”
Yami Bakura released Zygor’s arm. He glanced at the gentlemen and frowned at their scary masks. ‘How amateurish.’ “If you mortals think you can intimidate the competition this way, you are more hopeless than you look.”
Cid pulled off the mask, laughing. He took a good look at Yami Bakura. ‘This bloke looks familiar…was he with those dweebs back in the cave?’ He eyed the white haired young man, and noticed the duel disk on his arm. ‘So this guy must be a beginner…I didn’t see him dueling in Duelist Kingdom.’
Yami Bakura was tired of the small talk and wanted to get going already. “All right, first things first.” He cleared his throat. “We’ll do things my way. I possess one locator card. If you’d like to have it, you’ll have to duel me for it.“
“Sure.” Bonz gave a huge smirk behind the mask. “I have five locator cards. Defeating you should be a piece of cake, considering you only have one.“
‘Stupid mortal.’ “Since you’re so confident you could defeat me, why don’t we raise the stakes? This will be a winner take all duel.”
Bonz laughed. “You can’t be much of a duelist if you only have one locator card. Give me one reason why I should risk all of my locator cards for a nobody like you.”
The dark spirit bristled with anger at being patronized, but then gave an amused look when he thought harder about the insult. “Your cowardice is no surprise to me. There is very little time left, and if you are wise, you’ll duel me.”
‘As much as I hate to admit it, he is right. I cannot waste time,’ thought the ghost duelist.
“Duel him and win that card, Bonz,” urged the red head teen. “There’s no way you can lose against him.”
Bonz looked at Yami Bakura, who still had the derisive expression on his face. “All right. I accept your challenge. I can duel fair and square, especially if it means a trip to the finals.”
“In that case, remove your mask and reveal your face.”
“Very well.” Bonz pulled off the mask and dropped it aside. “I hope you are prepared to lose everything, because you don’t stand a ghost of a chance against me!”
Yami Bakura gave a sinister laugh at the ghost duelist’s overconfidence. “Accepting my challenge was your first mistake, and it will be your last!” He activated his duel disk and his millennium ring started to glow, producing a fog of darkness. Bonz activated his duel disk as well.
“I’ll start this duel!” Yami Bakura drew a card and gave an evil smirk. “Do you know of the legend about this cemetery?”
The smugness drained from the young boy’s face. “What legend? What are you talking about?”
The dark spirit grinned evilly as he explained, “There is a knight who lost his head in battle and every night he goes and searches for his missing head!” He set the monster card on his duel disk.
“Boring!”
Yami Bakura merely laughed as the silhouette of the monster walked within the shadows. It popped from beneath the ground and took its position on the playing field. “Meet Headless Knight!” (1450 attk) “I’ll also place one card face down. Attack my knight if you dare!”
‘So it’s true…there is such a monster as a knight with no head!’ Bonz was so taken by surprise by how suddenly the monster appeared out of the ground, and the fact that it had no head sent shivers down his spine. He let out a frightened yelp.
“Calm down, Bonz, your face is scarier than that duel monster,” said Zygor, giving his friend an amused look.
“Hey, I didn’t see it coming.”
“Pull yourself together, bloke!” Cid advised Bonz.
‘He’s right...but I have to get rid of that monster somehow…it’s creeping me out.’ Quivering, Bonz slowly drew his card. ‘Great. This is strong enough to beat that creepy knight.’ “I summon Snake Hair in attack mode!” (1500 attk) A sorceress with hair resembling small snakes appeared onto the field. “Snake Hair, attack with your stone blizzard!” The evil woman shot a beam from her eyes, annihilating Headless Knight. Yami Bakura lost fifty lifepoints as a result, leaving him at 3950.
“It looks like your knight has lost more than just his head!” taunted Bonz.
Yami Bakura was unfazed by the loss of life points. “I can assure you that you haven’t seen the last of my knight! In fact, he will reappear sooner than you think! I activate my face down card, Shallow Grave! This card allows me to bring back one monster in defense mode! Welcome back, my Headless Knight!” The Headless Knight reappeared on the field. (1700 def)
“Nice try, but my Snake Hair is stronger than your puny knight!” said Bonz.
“I am well aware of that. I sacrifice my knight to summon Earl of Demise!” (2000 attk) A blue skinned zombie like warrior emerged onto the field, wielding his sword.
“Oh no! He summoned a strong monster! Mine’s a goner!”
The dark spirit smirked. “I see fear has replaced your overconfidence. Earl of Demise, attack Snake Hair with your sword of peril!” The occult monster lunged forward and slashed the sorceress in half. Bonz lost 500 lifepoints as a result. “Have you amateurs had enough punishment?”
‘He’s a better duelist than I thought.’ Bonz grimaced and retorted, “We’ll see who’s an amateur when I’m through with you! You may have defeated my monster, but you won’t be so lucky next time!” He drew a card, smiling. ‘Great! This card will help me get rid of that monster.’ “I summon Dragon Zombie in attack mode!”(1600 attk) “I’ll also play the magic card, Premature Burial! At a cost of 800 life points, I can resurrect one monster from the graveyard, and I choose Snake Hair!” The snake haired monster rematerialized, and Bonz was down to 2700 lifepoints from the sacrifice. “Lastly, I play my Polymerization card to fuse together Dragon Zombie and Snake Hair in order to create Great Mammoth of Goldfire!” (2200 attk) A gold colored elephant shaped skeleton emerged onto the field. “Since fusion monsters can’t attack in the same turn they are formed, I’ll play this one card face down and end my turn.”
Yami Bakura drew a card. A half smile formed on his face. ‘That fool thinks his monster is strong enough to destroy mine, but next turn will be too late.’ He set the card face down.
“Oooo! I activate my trap card, Skull Invitation! This trap card drains 300 life points for each card either of us has in the graveyard.”
The dark spirit gave an evil chuckle.
Bonz looked as if he thought his opponent was out of his mind. “Huh?”
“Your pathetic trap card is absolutely meaningless to me. To prove it, I will send every card I’m holding to the graveyard.” Yami Bakura discarded 4 cards.
Cid and Zygor could not believe what they were seeing. “This bloke has gotta be mad if he will destroy his own cards,” commented Cid.
“Or maybe he’s cracking up because he realizes he can’t win,” said Zygor.
“So you’re discarding your entire hand, are you?” asked Bonz, laughing.”Well suit yourself. All the easier for me to win this duel and your locator card!” Some spirits swirled around the white haired man, draining 1200 of his life points, which made him grunt in pain. He was down to 2750 life points.
“Are you ready for more?” taunted Bonz. “Because my torment is just beginning.”
Yami Bakura laughed again. ‘Stupid fool.’
The ghost duelist looked bewildered. “Now why are you laughing?” He was getting tired of the snickering.
“You were so distracted by the hopeless thought of winning my locator card that you didn’t realize I set a card face down. It is my ticket to winning this duel!”
“Oh no! Please tell me you’re just bluffing!!” It was everything Bonz could do not to sweat fearfully.
“I’m afraid I’m not! I reveal my face down card, Spiritualistic Medium! This card gives my monster 500 attack points for each card I sent to the graveyard and in case your memory is failing you, I discarded four cards!” A number of white colored ghosts infused themselves inside the zombie monster, causing his body to flail. His attack strength was increased to four thousand.
“No! He’s become too powerful!”
“That’s right,” said the dark spirit, giving an evil grin. “Earl of Demise, dispose of that mammoth!” The mammoth skeleton monster was severed by the sword. This attack caused Bonz to lose 1800 lifepoints, bringing him down to nine hundred. “Now you will feel the effect of your own trap card as well.” Something that looked like a misty fog zapped Bonz, nearly knocking him off his feet. He was now down to 600 life points.
Yami Bakura laughed. “One more attack and this duel is over! And you will lose so much more than just this duel!”
‘Geez this guy is so scary.’ Bonz started to tremble. “What? What do you mean by that?”
“Just look around, you fools! I have transported all of us to the Shadow Realm at the beginning of this duel. This is a shadow game! See those spirits?” Yami Bakura pointed to the ebony colored spirits moving along the ground like slugs.
The three gentlemen looked at them, their eyes looking as if they would pop out of their heads. Bonz felt shivers going down his spine. “What are those?”
“Those are the lost souls of people who have lost the shadow games, doomed to wander around the Shadow Realm for eternity.”
“Ahhhhh! We have to win this duel or we’ll end up like these guys!” said Zygor frantically.
The sight of the wandering souls was too much for Cid to handle. “This is much too scary for me! See you guys later!!” He proceeded to run out of the cemetery.
Yami Bakura smiled as he watched the red head run. ‘Run all you like, foolish mortal. You won’t get very far.’
Cid’s running pace slowed down and he ended up just a few feet away from his comrades. “What gives? How did I end up back here?”
The dark spirit smirked as he answered, “Let that be a lesson to you all. You cannot run from the Shadow Realm! Your only way of escaping is if you are fortunate enough to defeat me in this duel!”
A panicky Cid grabbed Bonz by his shirt collar and warned, “Whatever you do, don’t you dare lose this!!”
“Okay, okay! Just let me go! You’re suffocating me!”
Cid released his hold on Bonz’s shirt. Bonz was visibly shaken by the latest turn of events. He took a few slow breaths to regain his composure. “All right, let’s see here.” He drew a card and a tiny smile formed on the edge of his lips. ‘Hey not bad. This will buy me some time while I figure out a way to defeat him.’ “I play the magic card, Nightmare Steel Cage!” A large semi-circular shaped cage appeared around Yami Bakura. “This card prevents you from attacking for two turns! You’re through!”
“Good work, Bonz! You have two turns to find a way to wipe out his life points!” stated Zygor.
Bonz gave his friend a look of mock annoyance, for stating the obvious. “Duh! You think I don’t know that?”
The dark spirit had a nonchalant expression on his face. Being trapped in a cage would not be fun, but he knew he could find a way around it. ‘I just need the correct card.’ “I draw one card…” He drew, looked at the card and frowned. While it was a way out, he didn’t think he would draw it this soon.
Cid looked at the dark spirit’s facial expression and laughed. “What’s the matter, chum? Are you disappointed because you drew a crummy card?”
“On the contrary. I am disappointed because this duel has to end, and I wanted to prolong your suffering.”
Bonz found what he just heard incredulous. Was this a case of his opponent crying wolf? He hoped so, though he couldn’t be sure considering how many times he had been outsmarted. “What are you talking about? As long as you’re trapped in my Nightmare Steel Cage, you cannot attack me for two whole turns!!”
“That’s only partially true. But I have a card that can easily penetrate your cage!” Yami Bakura told the ghost duelist.
“What?! It can’t be!”
“It is! I play Ectoplasmer!”
Bonz cringed, for he knew the effects of Ectoplasmer.
“That’s right, cower in fear! Ectoplasmer, drain the soul of my monster and finish these fools off now!” The ectoplasm drained from the monster, shot out of the cage and zapped Bonz, taking his life points down to zero.
Stunned, the ghost duelist and his friends fell to their knees, quivering as the fog encircled them. They saw now that the Shadow Realm was real, when they previously thought the evil spirit was just making empty threats. Yami Bakura walked over to them, laughing. “There is no hope for you now. You have lost in your battle against me! For your punishment, you will remain in the Shadow Realm until I decide to set you free!”
The three young men screamed as the fog consumed them. All that was left behind was Bonz’s duel disk, which had fallen off his arm.
“Farewell, imbecilic mortals.” Yami Bakura bent over and retrieved the 5 locator cards. He gave a smile of triumph. ‘Wait for me, Yugi and Marik.’ |
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Post by LadyKeren on Jan 9, 2016 14:00:51 GMT
Chapter 29
Seto Kaiba and his younger brother soared above the massive stadium. The young CEO looked down and spotted a purple sports car heading in the same direction. He caught a glimpse of Yugi. ‘Common duelists, if you don’t want to be left behind, I suggest you make haste.’ He smiled to himself as he thought about the start of the finals.
Kaiba’s henchmen slowed the helicopter down and landed it in the midst of the stadium. He and Mokuba climbed out of the copter, Kaiba’s white trenchcoat blowing in the wind whilst he exited. Two of his chief henchmen followed him. Kaiba stood with his arms folded, waiting patiently for his competition to arrive. ‘Soon, the other two Egyptian God cards will be mine.’
Marik and Odion hid in the stands, watching Kaiba and his younger brother. Marik gave an evil smirk as he eyed Kaiba. “Just look at that fool. He is so naïve, he doesn’t know he will become a pawn in his own pathetic tournament.”
“That’s right,” agreed Odion.
“Listen carefully. The time has come for me to dispose of the pharaoh and end the curse on my family once and for all. I will need your help.”
The chief henchman nodded to show he was going to do whatever he could to assist his master. ‘Forgive me, Keren, but I must go against your pleas.’
Marik gave a tiny smile at Odion’s meekness. He was secretly grateful, although he had no intentions of acknowledging it. “All of the Egyptian God cards will be in one place. As you know, Odion, anyone who has all 3 cards is capable of becoming the pharaoh. Yugi may have won Slifer the Sky Dragon from me, but he won’t be so fortunate this time. The plan will be carried out in a subtle way. That is where I will need your help. I must hide my identity. Everyone shall think you are me. As for myself, those fools believe me to be a friend named Namu. I will gain their trust, and then crush them with the Winged Dragon of Ra!!” The younger Egyptian gave an evil laugh.
Kaiba thought he heard a sound, which made him suspicious. ‘Something must be amiss.’ “Roland, have the lights turned on at once!”
“Yes sir,” answered one of the men, a bit dubious about what was behind his boss’ sudden change in mood. He took out his walkie-talkie and yelled into it, “Uh, turn the lights on!” At the sound of his voice, the lights in the stadium came on almost instantaneously.
“No one is to enter this stadium unannounced.” The former world champion started considering which punishment would be fitting for the person who dared to enter the stadium without reporting to him first when all of a sudden, he could see some people coming. ‘They had better be the finalists or else.’
In walked Joey, Yugi, Mai, and the gang that comprised of the dueling cheerleaders. Mai was holding a duffle bag. Vicki had her arms tightly wrapped around her, for she was beginning to feel chills from being in such damp clothing for so long. Her throat was starting to feel a bit scratchy as well. ‘Just great. The finals didn’t even begin yet and I am starting to get sick, though I suppose it is to be expected. But I have to get out of these wet clothes or I will have to spend the entire finals in bed.’
“Hey Seto, it’s the first three finalists, Joey, Yugi and Mai!” stated Mokuba.
Kaiba’s annoyance faded just a tad. He looked up and fixed his eyes on the three participants. ‘Took them long enough, although I don’t know what Yugi’s pathetic fan club is doing here.’
“Well, it looks like we are very early,” said Mai, noticing how quiet the stadium seemed to be.
“Where are the other finalists?” asked Joey almost simultaneously. He wanted to face some worthy competition besides Mai and Yugi.
“You three are the only finalists who have arrived so far. Congratulations,” said a henchman with brown hair, handing Joey, Mai and Yugi some ID cards.
Joey pumped his fist, the one that was free. “Yeah! I’m ready to get this show on the road!!” ‘Yugi, I never told you this, but I’m glad you haven’t forgotten our duel.’
Just then, everyone spotted another figure walking towards them, though the shadowy dimness made it difficult to spot who it was at first. But as the person came closer, they were able to. It was Marik.
“Hey! It’s Namu!” said Joey, walking up to his new “friend.” Vicki felt butterflies in her stomach once again, but didn’t go up to him as she was feeling a bit poorly.
“Hey Namu, it’s good to see you again!” said Tèa, running up to him. “Are you okay? I was worried about you.”
“I’m all right,” answered Marik, feigning a sheepish look. ‘I have never been better, knowing I will soon destroy you all!’
“I’m glad,” said Joey. The blonde then got a funny look on his face. ‘I have a bad feeling about this guy. He asked me to give him dueling tips but the rare hunters attacked before I could. And I don’t remember seeing him get kidnapped by those caped clowns the same time we were kidnapped. How is it that he was safe?’ He was wondering if it was because he was behind the kidnapping. He shook his head in an attempt to get rid of the feelings of doubt. “Congrats on making it to the finals, Namu.”
“Thank you so much,” answered Marik. “Ever since I’ve met you, I have learned to believe in myself. However, the rare cards I have won are not particularly powerful.” He inwardly smirked to himself and thought, ‘That’s because I plan to win the Egyptian God cards and crush you fools!’ Yugi wandered over to where his friends were talking with Marik.
Tèa noticed Yugi and felt stupid for forgetting her manners. ‘Whoops, I almost forgot to tell Yugi about our new friend.’ “Hey Yugi, come here! Meet our new friend, Namu. He saved Bakura’s life and rescued us from the rare hunters. Right, Joey?”
“Uh yeah,” Joey agreed hesitantly, as if he were not sure.
“Hello, Namu. Nice to meet you,” said the spiky haired teen, placing out a hand for the Egyptian to shake.
Marik shook Yugi’s hand. “Likewise.”
“It’s always wonderful to have new friends,” said Yugi. “I would also like to thank you for rescuing my friends.”
Marik pretended to look modest. “It was my pleasure. I am happy to help anyone in need.”
Joey’s facial expression faltered as he watched his friend interact with the tanned skinned young man. ‘Maybe I am overthinking this whole thing.’
Yugi was about to respond when the gang spotted someone else entering the stadium. This person was walking rather unsteadily, as if he would collapse any minute. When they got a better look at him, they saw that it was Bakura.
‘Bakura? What is he doing here?’ wondered Vicki. ‘He can barely stand, much less walk.’
Bakura started to walk over to the group and stopped about 3 feet away from them. They were not expecting to see him either, as he should be in the hospital.
“Bakura! What are you doing here?” asked Joey. “You’re still in bad shape.”
Yugi looked concerned as he noted his friend’s unsteady gait. “Yes, Grandpa told me you had lost a lot of blood.”
“Does your wound feel better?” asked Tèa.
Bakura looked as if he was uncomfortable at all the fuss made over him, although he was still in pain from the stab wound. “I’m fine.”
“You’re sure about that?” asked Joey incredulously.
“Positive. You guys worry too much.”
Joey still wasn’t convinced, but he didn’t want to push things. “If you say so.” ‘Something fishy is going on here. There’s no way he could have healed that fast.’ He eyed the young man’s arm and saw that he was wearing a duel disk. Lots of questions entered his mind, like why was he wearing a duel disk. “Seriously though, what brings you here?”
“I have qualified for the finals, of course,” answered Bakura.
“Say what??!” the whole gang gasped.
“How could you have made it all the way to the finals in such a short time?” inquired Joey. “Or better yet, when did you join the tournament?”
Bakura took out all the locator cards and held them up. “I have all six locator cards.”
It was all Joey could do not to keel over in shock. There wasn’t much time between his buddy’s hospitalization and now.
Marik discreetly gave an evil grin when he saw Bakura holding up the locator cards. ‘Excellent. Everything is going according to my plan. I even managed to fool Little Yugi. Once he realizes that I am his greatest nightmare, it will be too late for him!’
Joey decided to forget about Bakura and his locator cards for now. The arrival of a rare hunter with tanned skin and a tattoo on one side of his face caught his attention instead. He could feel his blood pressure rising and hatred filling him.
The man walked over to Kaiba. The CEO gave him a look of indifference, and simply asked, “Are you Marik?”
“Yes,” answered Odion.
“Hey! I’ll never forgive you for treating me like one of your mind puppets!” Joey yelled at him.
‘Such an impetuous one.’ Odion barely gave the blonde eye contact. “Would you like to be controlled again?”
Such a threat did not scare Joey. “The only reason I won’t kill you right here and now is because I would like to save that energy to defeat you in an honorable duel!!”
Kaiba gave Odion a hard look. “I should disqualify you and have you arrested for kidnapping my little brother, but because you have something I want, I’ll let you participate in my tournament.”
“It seems as if you don’t have too many friends around here, tattooed face!” yelled Mokuba.
“Humph!” The tattooed face rare hunter walked away.
Roland cleared his throat. “All right, finalists. This site is merely a meeting place for you all. This is not where the finals will be held.”
Before the duelists could ask where, Mokuba raised an arm and declared, “That’s right! The actual dueling arena will be here any minute! It’ll blow you away!”
“Huh?” Joey was anxious to see what this designated dueling site was. At that moment, a large dirigible appeared soaring in the sky. It was the one that read: DUEL SHIP. The large aircraft landed on the ground and automatically opened its side door, revealing some stairs.
The blonde’s jaw slightly dropped open. “That’s where we’ll be dueling?” Not to say he didn’t like the idea, but he wasn’t sure what to make of it.
“That’s right,” answered Mokuba, grinning. “What do you think?”
Before Joey could answer, Mai chirped, “Très cool!” She walked up the stairs, with Yugi and Joey following close behind.
The non-duelists started to follow as well, but Roland blocked them from passing, forcing them to stop in their tracks. “Sorry, but you cannot enter the aircraft unless you have an ID. This vessel is for duelists only.”
A look of disappointment showed on Serenity’s face. She was looking forward to supporting her older brother in person and here she was being told it wouldn’t be possible. “But sir, I’ve wanted to see my brother duel for a long time.”
“Yeah, let us on!” chimed Duke. “The duelists need support, too.”
The brunette henchman looked thoughtful regarding Serenity’s plea. He hated to disappoint her, but he didn’t want to feel the wrath of his boss, either. “I’m sorry, but that’s the rule.”
“Come on, have a heart!” said Tristan.
Mokuba listened to Yugi’s friends argue with the henchmen. To him, it seemed like they were forgetting something. He knew just how to put an end to the back and forth, since it seemed like the henchmen were not going to budge. “Hey, I don’t have an ID either and I’m going. It wouldn’t hurt to make an exception for them.”
“But—“ Roland started to protest. It was true, the young lad didn’t have an ID, but he felt it was different since Mokuba had an important role in the tournament—the commissioner.
Mokuba turned to his older brother for backup. “What do you think, Big Bro?”
Yugi’s friends were not exactly Kaiba’s favorite people, but he felt compelled to humor them. “Do as you wish,” answered the CEO in a nonchalant tone.
Upon hearing those words, Tristan and the others knew they were given the green light to go after all. “Yes!” Tristan pumped his fist into the air and ran up the steps of the blimp. Serenity, Vicki, Tèa and Duke followed.
“Just pretend you didn’t see it,” said Kaiba.
“Yes sir.” ‘As soon as the eighth duelist arrives, we will depart.’
But it seemed like Kaiba had other plans. “Roland, prepare the blimp for take-off.”
“But sir, with all due respect, the eighth finalist has not yet arrived.”
“Never mind that.” Kaiba entered his large ship. ‘What is more important is that the duelists that hold Egyptian God cards are here, so everyone else is of no significance to me.’ He had very little patience for delays.
Roland was at a loss for what to do. He didn’t want the eighth duelist to be left behind, but he didn’t want to risk angering Kaiba. He tapped his feet, trying to figure out what to do when he saw a tanned skinned woman dressed in a cream colored dress with a gold belt around the waist, a veil draped over her head and a mask which covered her nose and mouth approaching him. With her was another lady dressed in traditional Israeli clothing. They approached the gentlemen.
“You gentlemen are waiting for me, are you not?” asked Ishizu.
“Yes.”
“Here are my locator cards,” said the Egyptian, handing Roland the cards she had won.
“Thank you. Welcome to the finals.” Roland noticed the woman who was standing next to Ishizu, and assumed she had come to give moral support. Given that Kaiba was so gracious towards Yugi’s friends who also did not have IDs, he didn’t ask any questions.
Ishizu and Keren entered the blimp, and the door shut. Roland was so relieved that he didn’t have to wait long.
“The duels will commence in approximately one hour!” Roland announced over the speakers.
By the time the aircraft was soaring in the air, Vicki was shivering uncontrollably from the cool breeze that blew from the air conditioner. She could also feel her hip joints starting to stiffen. Mai took one look at the girl and said, “Come on, hun, we’d better get you out of those wet clothes or else you will catch pneumonia!”
Vicki coughed loudly. “It’s too late. I’m already sick.”
The blonde gave Vicki a hard look that said not to argue with her. “True, but you’ll be even sicker if you remain in those clothes for another minute. Now come on!” She grabbed the girl by the wrist. She had done it so unexpectedly that Vicki had to struggle to keep up with her.
Mai used her card shaped key to open the door. The door slid open and she led the brunette inside. The room was huge and spacious, considerably larger than the bedroom in her apartment. Ordinarily she would be envious, but at the moment that wasn’t on her mind. All she wanted to do was get out of the wet clothing. She was secretly grateful to Mai for being so insistent.
“All right, let’s see what I can find for you,” said the blonde young woman, placing her bag on the bed and zipping it open. Vicki watched as she took out two outfits and tossed them onto the bed. The first outfit consisted of a vest-like white shirt, a bright purple sleeveless jacket and a bright purple skirt similar to the one she was currently wearing. But it was the other outfit Vicki thought was more her style, when she was out of the typical Scottish attire: a black tank top, a black bolero jacket and a hot pink skirt. She chose that one.
Mai smiled at the younger girl’s choice. “I cannot wait to see you in it. I’m sure you’ll look just great.”
“I’m glad you think so.” Vicki wrapped the semi-damp towel around her head, took the clothes and disappeared into the bathroom to change.
In the meantime, Mai decided to see if there were any refreshments in her refrigerator. ‘For someone with such a bad attitude, Kaiba sure knows how to make a girl feel at home.’ She opened the fridge and peeked inside. There was some gorgonzola cheese, fruit, veggies, milk, grape juice and wine. Frowning slightly, she decided she wasn’t particularly hungry for any of the food items. ‘I can use a drink to help me feel more relaxed in this tournament, though.’ She took out a wine glass and poured some wine. She sat in a chair and took a sip of the pinkish liquid.
“I may not be well known among duel monsters fans in spite of my talents, but I will use this tournament to make a name for myself.” It was slightly disappointing when Mai would come so close to victory only to not be quite successful. In the end, she would take it in stride and admit that she had numerous new things to learn about the game.
Ishizu sat in her room with Keren, mentally preparing herself for the tournament. She knew she was in for a long and hard battle to save her brother from the darkness before it was too late. ‘Everything is set in place. It’s up to fate now.’ She hoped fate would choose her brother to be saved.
Keren looked up from the jam sandwich she had been nibbling on. She didn’t have much of an appetite, but she had to force herself to eat something so she could take her pain medication. “Ishizu, when will you inform Marik of his past?”
“I will after the first duel,” responded Ishizu. “As much as I would like for those revelations to make him reconsider his plans, I know they will not right now. However, I still think it is good for him to be aware of the truth. We’ll have to have faith that he will use it to choose the correct path once again.”
Keren was tempted to ask what the millennium necklace showed of Marik’s response to being told about his past, but she didn’t think she wanted to know. Not yet. She preferred to face the events as they occurred. She was already worried about whether Odion would go too far. She wondered if he even made it to the finals.
Suddenly, Keren thought of something. She wondered if she should have entered the tournament to save Odion from making an irreversible mistake even though she hadn’t dueled in years. ‘I imagine my dueling skills must be rusty by now, but I should not have let that stop me. Ishizu must think I’m cowardly or lazy.’
Ishizu noticed Keren was unusually quiet, although she wasn’t eating anything at the moment. “Is something wrong? You look a bit troubled.”
Keren wondered if she was actually showing on her face that something was bothering her. If she had, she wasn’t aware. “It’s nothing.” She felt guilty about hiding her true feelings, but she didn’t see what Ishizu would be able to say or do to help, given that it was too late now.
Ishizu frowned slightly, as if she knew Keren wasn’t being entirely truthful, but she figured the older woman must have her reasons for not saying what she felt. “If you’re sure.”
Keren let out a sigh of relief that Ishizu didn’t try and force the truth out of her, but on the other hand, she was surprised as well, since Ishizu always prided herself on having an open and honest relationship with those close to her. She started picking at her sandwich once again.
Odion was sitting on the floor of his room. He had been going over the strategy he would use for his duel. Although he wasn’t sure when he would duel and who his opponent would be, he thought it would be wise to be prepared, especially if his opponent was formidable.
‘I must emerge victorious in my battles. It is my sworn duty to succeed.’ He remembered the promise he made to Marik’s parents many years ago, to always protect his master at all costs. By the same token, he also hoped Marik would see the error of his ways and be completely free from the darkness. ‘Maybe then Keren and I will be able to rebuild our relationship.’ He was aware of the fact that his relationship with his female companion had recently been strained as a result of his actions. He wondered how she was doing at the moment.
‘You fool, there is no time for frivolous things such as romance,’ the Egyptian rare hunter’s inner voice chided him. He rid his mind of the thoughts he had of Keren. He had reached the crucial point where distractions of any kind were a luxury he could not afford, lest his performance would be hindered.
“Attention all duelists! The tournament will commence shortly! I would advise all of you to gather in the hall where refreshments will be served!”
The part about the refreshments being served totally caught Joey’s attention. ‘It’s about time! I’m starving!’ His mouth started to water as he imagined what all foods would be there. He jumped to his feet and raced to the door. “Last one out of this room is a rotten egg!” He used his key to open the door.
Duke and Tèa rolled their eyes at the blonde’s exuberance, but followed. “The only thing besides food that makes Joey be in such a hurry is his worst enemy,” Tèa whispered to Duke.
“I know. It’s as if he hasn’t seen food in years,” Duke whispered back.
“Hey, wait for us!” Tristan and Serenity quickened their walking pace to keep up with Tèa, Duke and Joey. Although Tristan pretended to be embarrassed by his best friend most of the time, he could use a bite to eat as well.
As Joey walked out of the room, he saw Kaiba exiting his room the same time. The CEO walked by as if he didn’t see the blonde. Joey clenched his teeth and fists, still sore about the taunting Kaiba had dealt him earlier. ‘That guy needs to learn some manners! I’m going to defeat him if it’s the last thing I do!’ He started to walk to the hall when he saw Marik coming out of his room, which made him stop.
“Hello, Joey,” greeted Marik with false cheerfulness.
“Hey man! Are you ready for the tournament to begin?”
‘Yes, I have been ready, you imbecile,’ Marik thought to himself. However, he knew full well he could not say that. “Yes, as ready as I’ll ever be. How about you?”
“You bet I am!!” replied Joey with a wide grin on his face. “I must warn you, when I’m dueling against my friends, I don’t show any mercy, so don’t expect any from me if we duel.”
“I admire your determination. I hope I can remain that confident. May the best duelist win.”
“Right back at you.” ‘I’ll win this tournament no matter who my opponent is. Even if it’s Yugi, I’ll win!’ Joey and his friends continued walking to the tournament hall.
Soon, all of the duelists (minus Ishizu) were gathered at the hall. There was a table with a large spread of different foods from different cuisines. Joey’s mouth started watering like crazy. He and Tristan made a beeline for the table, grabbed plates and started taking a little bit of everything. Once they were done, Bakura went over to the table and got what food appealed to him.
Yugi stood by himself in a corner, merely observing what was going on. A silhouette of his alter ego appeared next to him.
“Hi Yami. What’s up?” The spiky haired teen noted the expression on Yami’s face was extremely serious, one he would wear when he was concerned about something.
“I have a bad feeling about Bakura’s presence in this tournament,” answered the spirit of the ancient pharaoh. “I have a feeling he isn’t our friend, but the spirit of the millennium ring.“
“Yes, I know what you mean. I have the same suspicions as well.” Yugi caught a glimpse of Bakura devouring a piece of steak. “What I’m confused about is, how could he have the millennium ring? I thought Tristan disposed of it in Duelist Kingdom.”
Yami drew his eyebrows together. “You cannot underestimate the power of a millennium item. If he is truly destined to have it, then the ring would have found its way back to him.”
“I guess you’re right.” Yugi had never thought of it that way before, but it was bad news. “I just know we have to keep an eye on him before he does major damage.“
“That we must.” Yami merged with Yugi.
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Post by LadyKeren on Jan 10, 2016 12:33:56 GMT
Chapter 30
Preparations for the commencement of the tournament were underway. Mai walked up to Yami with an excited grin on her face. “I hope you’re prepared to face me in a duel in this tournament. You may have defeated me in Duelist Kingdom, but this time, I won’t lose to you.”
‘I take it her dueling skills have progressed since our first duel.’ Yami gave a small reserved smile. “I am looking forward to an honorably fought match.”
“Of course.” Mai made a little face. ‘Does he really think I would want to win a duel against him by foul play?’ She was far past the stage where she used the tactic of using psychic tricks to throw off her opponents.
Joey walked up and down the hall whilst chowing down on his food. “Wow, this is food heaven! Who would have thought Kaiba knew how to serve yummy food? I think I’m gonna get seconds if I have time to.” From the corner of his eye he caught a glimpse of Odion standing in the corner with his head slightly bowed down. He shot the older man a dirty look. ‘Marik...such a dickhead! One day I will make him pay for controlling my mind!’
Odion looked up the blonde, amused. ‘This fool is just wasting his energy on such negativity. He can do nothing against me!’
Joey quickly walked past Odion. He preferred not to be near the rare hunter for a long time, lest he would lose his appetite. He bumped into Bakura and his food nearly flew off his plate. “Oops, sorry bud. I hope I didn’t hurt you.”
“It’s quite all right,” answered the young man in his cheerful voice. “I’m fine.”
“I’ve been wondering, how were you able to make it all the way to the finals so fast?” asked Joey.
“With my Occult deck against Bonz’s ghost deck.”
Joey gave a look of awe. He remembered facing Bonz and found him to be a tough cookie. “Oh you faced Bonz and his band of flunkies?”
“Yes. They tried to overwhelm me, but my occult deck was more than enough to overpower them.”
Joey never liked the ghost duelist, so it was good to hear that another duelist beside himself made Bonz squirm. He gave an impressed look. “Tell me, how were you able to get Bonz to give up all of his locator cards?”
“Let’s just say I didn’t give him much choice.”
Joey widened an eye. “You mean you forced him?”
“Sort of.”
Joey didn’t know whether to consider that a good or bad thing. Sure, he was glad Bonz got his butt kicked, but forcing him was a bit much. “Awesome work, I think.”
“Yes, thank you. And I hope you do just as well in the tournament.”
‘I will be lucky if I don’t have to duel him.’ Joey walked away with a creeped out expression on his face. ‘There’s something not right about Bakura.’
Serenity noticed the look on her brother’s face. “Is something wrong, Joey? You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”
‘Rats! I can’t tell her about my suspicions…I don’t wanna scare her.’ “Nothing...this cheese just tastes kinda funny.” ‘Very smooth attempt at coming up with an excuse, Joey.’
“Well, just don’t throw up on me.”
Joey pretended not to have heard the remark and scarfed down the remainder of his food. ‘Ah, that’s what I’m talking about.’ He spotted Kaiba standing a few feet away from him. “So Kaiba, when are we gonna find out who our opponents will be in the duels?”
Kaiba sighed and glanced at the blonde in a patronizing manner. “Can’t you wait patiently like everyone else?” ‘It seems as if this small fry of a duelist is rushing to his defeat, but if that’s what he really wants to do, then who am I to stop him?’ He pressed a call button on the collar of his trenchcoat. “Roland, make preparations for the duels to begin at once!”
“With all due respect, sir, there is still one duelist missing,” said Roland, hoping he wouldn’t piss off his boss.
“Never mind that.“
“Right, sir.”
All of the duelists in the hall had been given their respective numbers. Kaiba was number one, Joey was number two, Yugi was number three, Mai was number four, Marik was number five, Bakura was number six, and Odion was number seven. Kaiba’s other henchman knocked on the door of duelist number eight.
“You may enter,” answered a woman’s voice.
The henchman used the key to open the door, and spotted two women sitting down, facing each other. “What is it?” asked the tan skinned one.
“Your presence is requested in the dueling hall.”
“You are about to select the finalists who will be participating in the first duel, correct?”
“Yes, Miss.”
“Then I can assure you my presence will not be necessary,” said Ishizu.
“Huh?” The henchman looked taken aback. Was the lady defying Kaiba?
“I do not want to reveal too much, but I will not be playing in this round, but the fourth round.” ‘I hope Pharaoh emerges victorious.’
Kaiba’s henchman wasn’t sure what to say to that. He wasn’t sure how she knew when her duel would take place, but if she were wrong, she could always hear the announcement from her room. He exited the room.
Keren glanced at Ishizu. “I am sure your millennium necklace is correct about when you will duel, but won’t Mr. Kaiba be angry and disqualify you from the tournament for disobeying his order? He doesn’t sound like someone who takes kindly to insubordination, based on what you have told me about him.”
Ishizu gave a confident smile. “I can assure you he won’t.”
Keren learned a long time ago not to question the Egyptian’s certainty about things, since her necklace usually gave accurate predictions. “In that case, you will have extra time to prepare for your duel.”
“Yes, I will do that.” Although the necklace had predicted the outcome of Ishizu’s duel, she thought some extra preparation would be wise, just in case. ‘My necklace tells me the pharaoh will struggle in his battle with the evil spirit. I hope he triumphs in spite of the obstacles.’
(duel hall)
The present finalists gathered around a large lottery machine that was shaped like a dragon. Inside the mouth of the machine were eight balls labelled with numbers one, two, three, four, five, six, seven and eight.
Vicki, who was feeling somewhat better after changing out of the wet clothing, rolled her eyes at Kaiba’s obsession with dragons. ‘Seriously, can’t money-bags use another theme besides a dragon?’
Joey looked at the machine, in awe. ‘This looks like some sort of lottery machine. I guess rich boy is gonna use the game of chance to choose the duelists. Next time he makes fun of me for using luck in my duels, I’ll remind him of this.’ The blonde got a smug look on his face at the thought of throwing something back in Kaiba’s face.
“Listen up, everyone, the duels will be chosen by lottery!!” announced Mokuba.
‘Oh, I was right,’ thought Joey.
‘So that’s what the deal is with the big machine.’ “I’m fighting the urge to yell out bingo,” said Tristan jokingly.
“Go ahead. I could use a laugh,” said Duke.
Roland pretended he didn’t hear the back and forth between the two young men. “I will now select the duelists for the first matchup.” He pressed a button to activate the machine. Everyone watched as the small balls were shuffled. The machine finally stopped and one of the balls landed. “Number six! Bakura!”
The white haired young man pointed to his chest, feigning innocent. “Me? I’m first?” He proceeded to laugh nervously…of course it was all a façade. ‘You mortal fools will soon be destroyed!!’
The gang looked at him strangely, and had a bad feeling about his chuckling. “Is something wrong, Bakura?” asked Joey. ‘Now I know something isn’t right. Bakura needs to go to bed. There’s no way he could have healed that fast.’
“No, I’m just surprised I’m participating in the first duel, that’s all.”
Roland activated the machine to shuffle the balls once again. The onlookers watched to see who would be facing Bakura. The machine chose a ball with the number three on it. “Yugi Mutou!”
“Yay, Yuge, go kick some butt!” yelled Joey, pumping his fists. He let out a sigh of relief. ‘I’m glad it’s Yuge and not me.’
“This should be fun.” Bakura gave a dark smile. ‘I will finally strip Yugi of his millennium puzzle. First I will take his Egyptian God card and deliver it to Marik in exchange for his millennium rod!’
“Gentlemen, all duels will be held on the upper deck. The spectators are welcome to observe, but they must remain off the playing field.”
“I’m totally cool with that!” Vicki, Tristan, Tèa, Joey, Duke and Mai crammed into one elevator. Yami and Bakura took the one on the left.
‘I have to be prepared for anything,’ thought Yami. ‘If it is the spirit of the millennium ring like I suspect, who knows what he will do in this duel?’ He opted to look elsewhere as he could tell the friendliness Bakura showed was just a pretense.
Yami and Bakura took their places on the playing field. Yami folded his arms and exchanged a gaze with his opponent. The strong winds blew at his cape. He merely ignored the chilling feeling in his arms that was brought on by the gusty winds. “I must win this duel. The fate of the world depends on it,” Yami muttered to himself.
Just then, Yugi’s friends showed up, relieved to see they had not missed anything.
Serenity wrapped her arms around her chest, shivering from the cold. “It’s freezing!” she complained, her teeth knocking.
‘Wow. It’s a good thing I chose the outfit with the bolero jacket,’ thought Vicki. Even so, she could still feel the chills cutting through the jacket sleeves and irritating her hip joints. 'Oh, I so hope I don’t get even sicker.'
“Oh, look,” groaned Mai, as she spotted Kaiba and his younger brother coming and standing in a corner, just a few feet away. “Here comes the master of ceremonies now.”
“I can’t wait to hear what he has to say,” Vicki muttered under her breath. ‘Whatever it is, he had better make it quick. I’m ready for the duel to begin already.’
“I’m just going to make a quick speech. The gusty winds act as a sword slicing the body. The pain will test your stamina. If you cannot bear it, you don’t belong here,” said Kaiba.
Vicki bristled with anger. ‘Who in the world does he think he is? What are they, robots or something?’
“I like this twist,” said Tristan.
“Yeah, I have to admit, Kaiba sure does know how to throw a tournament, even if he is a rich snob,” Duke agreed.
Vicki elbowed the raven haired young man hard in the ribs.
Groaning in pain, Duke rubbed his side. “What was that for?”
“Don’t boost Kaiba’s already overinflated ego!” Vicki hissed. “Whose side are you on?”
“Oh, sorry.” ‘Who knew being honest was such a problem with these guys?’
“The first duel of the tournament will now begin!” Roland proclaimed, raising one arm in the air.
“Are you prepared to lose it all?” asked the evil spirit, still pretending to sound friendly.
Yami had become weary of the spirit’s disguise. “You’re not fooling anyone with your charade! I know you’re the evil spirit of the millennium ring!”
Bakura gave an evil laugh as the millennium ring appeared around his neck and gave off a bright glow. Parts of his hair spiked up. “How right you are! However, you will not be able to stop me!”
Joey and Tèa groaned at the antagonistic exchange between the two gentlemen. ‘Oh no, it’s him again!’ thought Joey.
“What on earth…?” Vicki mumbled.
“This can’t be!” yelled Tristan. “He’s wearing the millennium ring again. I thought I got rid of that thing in Duelist Kingdom.”
‘All of the incessant rambling is giving me a migraine.’ “So why all the fuss?” asked Marik, feigning cluelessness. “What’s around Bakura’s neck?”
“Namu…it’s kind of complicated, but that’s not really Bakura,” explained Tèa.
Mai couldn’t believe what she was hearing. “You lost me. So who is he?”
“You see, both Yugi and Bakura have old objects with magical powers. Yugi’s item is good, and Bakura’s item is bad,” said Joey.
“Because there’s an evil spirit that lives within the millennium ring,” added Tèa.
Marik pretended to look shocked. “So you’re telling me there’s an evil spirit dueling against Yugi? That’s so hard to believe.”
“Yeah,” Tèa agreed. “I didn’t believe it at first either.”
“I just hope he doesn’t transport Yuge to the Shadow Realm again,” said Joey, worried. “That’s not a place you want to be.”
Marik discreetly gave an evil grin. ‘You naïve fools! You have no idea I am really Marik, and the evil spirit is working for me!’
The dark spirit of the ring looked slightly annoyed at all the chattering going on, but decided to ignore it. “Anyway, let’s begin this duel so I may destroy you once and for all!”
“First, tell me what is your purpose for joining the Battle City tournament. Have you come for all of the millennium items?”
“Perhaps,” answered the dark spirit, giving an evil grin. ‘This is so amusing. Yugi knows I want the millennium items, but he has no idea how I plan to obtain them.’ “It is possible that I plan to take something else from you.”
Yami was becoming annoyed with the spirit. “What are you talking about?”
“You ask a lot of questions, don’t you?” Yami Bakura looked amused. “Well I will give you a hint. You are totally unaware of what is going on. There is so much being kept from you. For instance, how do you know I am working alone? And did you know one of the individuals you believe to be your friend is actually your greatest enemy?”
Yami looked skeptical. Of course there was a possibility he did not know everything that was going on, but he also knew the dark spirit was not to be trusted. “I do not think so. You achieve your goals through lies and deceit. However, they will not help you in this duel.”
Marik used his rod to appear in the dark spirit’s mind. “You are revealing too much information! Do I need to control your mind to keep you under submission?”
Yami Bakura knew what Marik was trying to say, and there was no way he would allow it. “If you could have defeated Yugi on your own, Marik, you would have done it by now!” He turned to face Yami.
“Just know, whatever it is you wish for, you will fail,” warned Yami.
“Not quite. It is you who shall lose everything you have!”
“Enough talk! Let’s duel!”
“That’s the most intelligent thing you have said all evening!” Both the dark spirit and Yami activated their duel disks.
‘Finally,’ thought Vicki, biting her nails. ‘I was becoming tired of the nut job’s ranting and raving.’
‘Come on, Bakura. Show me your strength,’ thought Kaiba.
“I will begin this duel!” The evil spirit of the ring drew a card and smiled. ‘Excellent. This fool’s destruction will occur sooner than I thought it would.’ “I play the Portrait’s Secret in attack mode!” (1200 attk). A picture frame with a scary-looking green head covered with a mop of black hair sticking out of it appeared. “For now, I shall end my turn. Attack me if you dare!”
‘He played such a weak monster in attack mode. That’s not a smart move at all. Not to mention there are no face down cards to protect it.’ So far, Yami was disappointed. He knew it was not like his archenemy to make such an amateurish move.
“I don’t get it, guys,” said Mai. “That monster is no challenge at all.“
“Could he be trying to lose this duel on purpose?” Vicki wondered. ‘I should have known, after all that talk of destruction.’
“Is that all you’re capable of?” asked Yami. He drew his card. “I summon Gazelle the King of Mythical Beasts in attack mode!” (1500 attk) The lion-like creature appeared on the field, growling. “Attack his portrait now!” The gazelle swiped at the monster, causing scratch marks to appear on the picture frame and destroying it. Bakura lost 300 lifepoints from the attack. “I’ll set one card face down and end my turn. Now is your chance to try again.”
“I do so with great pleasure.” The dark spirit smiled as he drew his next card. “You are playing right into my hands, Yugi.”
“How so?”
“You will soon find out. I summon the Gross Ghost of Fled Dreams in attack mode!!” (1300 attk) A bed appeared onto the field and a brownish colored ghost came from beneath the sheets, making a scary face at all the spectators.
“Yeah! That’s foul!” yelped Joey, making a frightened face.
“Foul is an understatement,” said Vicki.
“A slight improvement, Bakura, but it is still no match for my gazelle, and with no magic and trap cards, you cannot stop my attack,” said Yami.
“You should know that things are not always as they appear to be. I do not need magic or trap cards to lure you.”
“We’ll see.” Yami frowned. ‘I would say he’s bluffing, but what if he really is setting a trap for me? I’ll have to wipe out his lifepoints before he succeeds in implementing his strategy.’ “I summon Gamma the Magnet Warrior in attack mode!” (1500 attk) The pink colored warrior materialized. “Gamma, attack his monster now!” The magnet warrior lunged at the ghost monster and delivered a powerful blow to it. The dark spirit lost 200 more lifepoints, bringing him down to thirty-five hundred. “Gazelle the King of Mythical Beasts, attack his lifepoints directly!” The lion-like creature swiped at the sinister spirit, taking 1500 lifepoints from him. He grunted in pain.
“Wow, he lost half his lifepoints and the duel just started!” said Tèa.
“Yeah, at this rate, the duel will be over soon,” agreed Vicki. ‘This duel is such a bore, it’s pathetic. Even I can duel him and win.’ It was all she could do not to give a fake yawn or fall asleep.
Marik gritted his teeth at the dark spirit’s subpar performance thus far. ‘What does that fool think he’s doing? I want that Egyptian God card!’
Yami Bakura laughed. “Yugi, I may have been going easy on you, but that is about to change right now.”
“Let’s see.”
“As you wish,” said the dark spirit, setting his new monster card onto the duel disk. “I summon my Headless Knight in attack mode!” (1450 attk). However, the monster had not appeared.
“I’m afraid I don’t see your monster,” said Yami.
“That’s because he is a spirit that only appears when the time is right.” Just like he said, the beheaded warrior was seen walking but appeared as a silhouette at first. With each step he took, his solidity increased until he was officially on the field.
“You may have summoned a stronger monster but it is still weaker than mine,” the ancient pharaoh pointed out.
“Then why don’t you attack it?” ‘As soon as you do, you will have fallen into my trap.’
‘If Yugi attacks, Bakura’s strategy may work, but if he doesn’t, he will lose the duel,’ thought Kaiba. He still wasn’t impressed by the dark spirit’s dueling skills.
‘I have to continue with my strategy if I am to win this duel.’ “It’s my turn,” said Yami. He drew a card. “Gamma the Magnet Warrior, attack his Headless Knight now!” The Headless Knight groaned in pain as the magnet warrior struck it. The attack caused the dark spirit to lose 50 lifepoints. “Gazelle the King of Mythical Beasts, attack his lifepoints directly!” Yami Bakura was down to 450 lifepoints as a result of the direct attack.
“Something strange is going on here,” said Tèa.
“Yeah, this seems too easy,” Joey agreed.
“Or maybe Yugi is fighting the world’s worst duelist,” Tristan said bluntly.
“I know right? Even I would stand a chance against him in a duel,” said Vicki. Tèa and Serenity looked at her strangely, but didn’t say anything.
“Either way, Yugi will win this duel in his next turn,” said Mai. “He just needs a strong enough monster.”
The dark spirit proceeded to laugh maniacally and his millennium ring glowed brightly. All the onlookers just stared at him as if he had lost it. ‘He must have lost his mind,’ thought Vicki.
“It’s time,” gloated the sinister spirit, his eyes twitching. “You have done exactly what I wanted you to do, Yugi. Now your destruction begins. It’s over!”
“Over?!” Joey repeated incredulously. “Yeah, for him. Yugi has this clown set up like a balloon on a dart board!”
“It’s a bluff. It has to be. He has no monsters left, and he’s already down to less than 500 lifepoints,” said Mai.
Kaiba had been unimpressed by how one-sided the duel was. ‘There would be no point in bluffing now. Bakura must have a plan to turn the tables.’
“Just what do you mean?” asked Yami. “I have destroyed every monster you summoned and I can win this duel with one more attack.”
“You don’t listen very well, do you?” The dark spirit smirked. “I am holding the card that will be the ticket to my victory and your demise. In order to play this card I needed 3 of my monsters to be destroyed and you did just that. Say hello to my ultimate destructor, Dark Necrofear!” (2200attk) He placed the card on the duel disk and a humanoid, bald, blue-skinned monster with elf-like ears and white eyes emerged. She was holding a baby in her arms. The baby’s teeth started chattering.
Vicki shuddered. “She’s making chills go down my spine.”
“My monster has powers beyond your wildest imagination. It has a dark power waiting to activate and destroy you!” said the evil spirit. “I also place two cards face down. For now, I shall end my turn.”
Kaiba looked slightly more impressed. ‘This Dark Necrofear must be immensely powerful if Bakura was willing to risk losing the duel just to summon it. He has led Yugi through this duel like a dog on a leash. Let’s see you get out of this, Yugi.’
Yami frowned. ‘That’s strange. His Necrofear is much stronger than either of my monsters, so why didn’t he attack? Is he trying to trap me? I will have to draw a monster card strong enough to wipe out the rest of his lifepoints or else he will succeed.’
“Why are you stalling, Yugi?” asked the diabolical spirit of the ring. “Make your move.”
“When I’m ready! You were foolish enough to not attack me when you have the chance, and now you shall pay the price!” Yami drew a card and smiled. ‘Perfect. This monster will have enough attack points to destroy his Dark Necrofear and most of his remaining lifepoints with the help of my face down card.’ “I sacrifice my Gazelle the King of Mythical Beasts in order to summon Dark Magician Girl!” (2000 attk) The female spellcaster appeared onto the field, sighing and twirling her staff.
The dark spirit laughed at what appeared to be his opponent’s miscalculation. “Fool! Your magical warrior is no match for my Necrofear!”
“That’s true, but it appears you have forgotten about my face down card. It looks like you’re the fool!” retorted the ancient pharaoh. “Behold my Magic Formula card!” Yami switched the set card to face up position.
The dark spirit’s eyes widened. “No!”
“Yes! Magic Formula raises my monster’s attack strength by 500 points!” The female magician held the magic spell book in her hands and flipped through its pages. She now had 2500 attack points.
“All right, atta boy!” cheered Joey. “Put that big creep six feet under!”
“Dark Magician Girl, attack his Necrofear with Dark Burning Attack!” The magician emitted a burst of dark power from her scepter, causing the monster to dissolve into nothingness and draining 300 more of the spirit’s lifepoints. He was now at one fifty.
But the dark spirit of the ring only laughed. “Thank you. Once again, you’ve done exactly what I wanted you to do. Prepare for your ultimate destruction!”
“Good grief,” muttered Vicki. “He must be talking about himself.”
“Bakura, just go!” Yami was becoming weary of the spirit’s gloating.
“Very well. By destroying Dark Necrofear, you have allowed me to play this!” The dark spirit placed a card in the side slot of his duel disk. A thick black fog surrounded the blimp and a bunch of eyes started to open. “Behold the magic of Dark Sanctuary!”
Yami looked bewildered. “What’s going on?”
“It’s the evil eyes!” wailed Joey.
Serenity shivered and huddled against her big brother. “I don’t like this!”
“That’s it, no more B horror movies for a long time!” As scary as this was for Vicki, she was glad that she would have something out of the ordinary to tell her best friend back home about. ‘Cassidy won’t believe I found something creepier than her superstitions.‘
“I should thank you, Yugi.”
“And why is that?”
“Because in order for me to play this all powerful card, certain moves needed to be made, and you played your part perfectly! Dark Sanctuary has powers you have never seen before!”
Yami grunted. ‘This is bad. I have to find some way to overcome this, or who knows what will happen.’ |
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