"I'm Not Gonna Panik"
By cdc100
Summary: When Aelita and Yugi's friends have been kidnapped, it's up to Yugi to get them back. Takes place after Duelist Kingdom. Yugi has never met Panik, and Duel Disks have not been created yet. Oneshot. JxA UxY YxT. Read and review. Inspired by Aelita's Ordeal.
Disclaimer: This is a work of pure non-profit fan fiction. I do not own any of the characters, their weapons, their abilities, or any of their universes, nor do I own any of the lyrics that will appear in later chapters, or any of the products mentioned in the story such as Coca-Cola, or Playstation. If anybody is wondering about the night terror thing, I got it from Boston Legal. I might use more story points from Boston Legal.
Note: Whenever I'm giving the stats of a monster, it is in this format:
(Name of Monster: ATK/DEF)
And if you're going to read this story, PLEASE at least have the decency to leave a review!
Joey Wheeler was running as if his life depended on it. He needed to find Yugi Muto, and fast. He ran through Kadic Academy's halls looking for him. He finally decided to check Jeremie Belpois' dorm for him. He turned the doorknob and barged in. Sure enough, Yugi was in Jeremie's room. They were all in a tizzy.
"Yugi! I've found you!"
"What is it, Joey?"
"Mai's gone missing! I can't find her anywhere!"
"Well, that's just perfect!" exclaimed Ulrich.
"Why? What happened, Ulrich?" asked Joey.
"Aelita and Yumi have gone missing, too!" said Ulrich.
"Hey, calm down, everyone!" said Tea. "Let's go look for them together."
"Good idea," said Jeremie. "Where should we start looking?"
"Why don't we try at the factory first?" asked Odd.
"Best idea you've come up with all day, Odd," said Ulrich. "Let's go!"
It was nighttime. After dodging the dorm supervisors, they all ran out the door and out of the academy to look for their lost friends. Jeremie led the way to the factory, Yugi close behind him, with Odd behind Yugi, and Tea between Odd and Ulrich, while Joey, Tristan and Bakura brought up the rear.
Jeremie came to a stop in front of a manhole, the lid of which he took off, and then entered.
"Let's go," said Jeremie. "In this situation, time is definitely of the essence."
Jeremie had Tea go first, seeing as she was a girl. That, and she was wearing a skirt. After everyone had made it down the manhole, since not everyone had a skateboard or scooter, they ran to the factory. They had to stop at the end of the sewer because Yugi had fallen behind.
"Thanks for waiting," said Yugi, out of breath.
"What took you so long, Yugi?" asked Ulrich.
"Hey, your legs are longer than mine, remember?" asked Yugi, panting heavily.
"This is no time to stop and catch our breaths," said Jeremie. "There is no telling what could be happening to them."
"Right," said Joey. "Let's go!"
He led the way up the manhole. Tea was sure to go last, also because she had a skirt on. The group ran to the entrance of the factory, and stopped.
"All right. When we get inside, we need to split up in different directions and look for them. Joey, take Tristan with you and go to the storage room. The one with the assembly line. Yugi, you and Tea go to the tunnel to the far left of the elevator and go check it out. Bakura, you take Odd and go to our good friend, Xana's room. Ulrich and I will check Lyoko and the computer room for them. Let's meet back at the elevator in half an hour."
"Break," they all said in Unison. They all parted in different directions.
Joey and Tristan looked high and low in the storage room for Aelita and the others. Joey had just finished checking all of the closets.
"I'm not finding anything in here, Tristan."
"Maybe they've just disappeared. Like Yugi did when he dueled Pegasus."
Joey thought for a moment and began looking through the cabinets.
"I once saw a disappearance performance. After the show, I snuck up to the stage and looked at the gear used to perform the trick. Turns out, there was a trap door hidden under the box. I don't believe in disappearances."
"Spoken like a true cynic."
"Hey. Just talkin' logic, bro."
Yugi and Tea walked the tunnel that led to the basement of the academy, making sure to check every nook in the passage. It didn't take long for Yugi to notice that Tea looked dispirited.
"Is everything all right, Tea?" asked Yugi.
"Oh, yeah," she said. But Yugi could tell that she was hiding something.
"All right, spill it. What's wrong?" asked Yugi.
"I'm fine, Yugi. It's no problem."
"Come on, Tea. Do you expect me to know you since preschool and believe that?" asked the spiky-haired boy.
Tea hesitated for one minute.
Should I tell him?
"So, what's up?" asked Yugi.
"Well, you'll think that this is crazy, but…" she began.
Yugi was curious, now. What was she going to tell him?
Tea decided on what to do. What have I got to lose? She thought. But, instead of telling him, she got closer to him, and bent down.
"Tea! What-" he was cut off by her lips. He was caught by surprise, but after a moment, he closed his eyes and just let it wash over him. He had often wondered whether this would happen between the two of them. Now it was happening.
"Yugi?" she said after they finished.
"Yes, Tea?"
"I hope that didn't bother you. I just…"
"I understand. It's fine. But, I'm just wondering…"
"What?"
"Wouldn't you feel strange dating somebody who's significantly shorter than you?"
"It's fine. You'll just have to be my significant shorter other."
"You don't feel… a little bit like Katie Holmes?"
"What?"
"Sorry. I just can't believe that a girl like you would go for me of all people."
"Is that a problem?" asked Tea.
"Well, no."
"Well, then, let's not worry about it," said Tea. "Besides, love doesn't come in sizes."
"Right," said Yugi. He bore a smile now. After a moment, however, he looked alarmed.
"Oh, no!" said Yugi.
"What's wrong?"
"We only have five minutes left! And we still have half a tunnel to search for Mai and the others!"
"Oh, right! Come on! Let's go!"
They then broke into a run down the tunnel. It wasn't long before they arrived at the basement of the academy.
Bakura and Odd were looking around the core of the factory. It didn't take long to search the room.
"You know, Odd. I can honestly say, I've never been in a less cluttered room," said Bakura.
"Well, the fact that Xana pretty much lives here doesn't really add any pleasure to the situation."
"I thought your friends said that you were incapable of using big words like that."
"HEY!" said Odd. He looked furious, but they both broke down laughing their heads off after a few minutes.
"Are there any other rooms of this factory that we could check, Odd?" asked Bakura.
"No. I think Einstein pretty much listed everything."
"Well, since we haven't found anything other than Xana's hard drive, I think that it would probably be best for us to go to the meeting point."
"Yeah. You're probably right," said Odd.
With that, they left the room and punched in the code for the elevator to go up. They arrived at the ground floor, and stood outside the elevator.
"All right, Ulrich. That's the last sector. Have you found anything?" asked Jeremie.
"Nothing. Not even an activated tower."
"All right. I'm bringing you in. Materialization: Ulrich."
Ulrich disappeared from Lyoko, and then stepped out of the scanner. He punched in the elevator code, and met Jeremie in the computer room.
"What could this mean?" asked Jeremie.
"You're the genius."
I certainly hope nothing bad happened to them. Especially Aelita. Thought Jeremie.
"You all right, Jer?" asked Ulrich.
"Yeah. I'm fine."
Ulrich could tell that he wasn't telling the truth.
"You're worried about Aelita, aren't you?"
Jeremie hung his head.
"Yeah. I am. I just can't stand the thought of losing her."
"You've just described everybody in our group."
Jeremie closed his eyes.
"Oh. Okay. I get you," said Ulrich. "You want to be with her still, don't you?"
Jeremie nodded his head.
"Tell you what. How about after we find Aelita, you tell her how you really feel about her. After something like this, she won't hesitate to go out with you."
"You really think so?" asked the blond-haired boy.
"I know so. She is the perfect girl for you, Jeremie. She won't be able to say no."
Jeremie smiled. Something he hadn't done in a long time.
"Thanks, Ulrich."
They sat there for a moment, and Jeremie scanned Lyoko one last time for any trace of the others.
"Well, I think we've done all we can here, Einstein. I think we should meet back with the others."
"All right. Now we can begin our search elsewhere."
With that, they both made their way to the elevator, punched in the code, and went up to meet the others.
After a few minutes, the gang was right in front of the elevator.
"Did anybody find anything?" asked Jeremie.
"Me and Tea looked, but didn't find anything," said Yugi.
"We had no such luck, Jeremie," said Bakura.
"Nothing," said Tristan.
"Nothing?" asked Jeremie.
"We looked high and low in this factory and didn't find anything. Not even a strand of Aelita's hair," said Tristan.
"Shouldn't we make sure they're not in the rafters?" asked Yugi.
"Good idea," said Tristan.
"No no no! No no no no no wait wait wait wait wait! AAAAAAAAAAAAGH!" yelled Yugi as everybody tossed him up into the rafters.
He landed so that he couldn't fall off one of them.
"HELP ME!" he yelled with his eyes closed.
He opened them for a minute and looked around. No Aelita, no Mai, no Yumi.
"Uhh… this is a problem."
"Now what?" asked Tristan.
Jeremie threw a spy camera up where Yugi was and looked around.
"Oh, that's perfect," said Jeremie.
Yugi looked at the spy camera that Jeremie threw up in the rafters and was furious.
"I can't believe this! You mean to tell me you guys had a spy camera this whole time and you threw me up here anyway?!"
"Uh… well…" said Tristan, scratching the back of his head. Everybody else put on a fake smile.
"Tristan!" yelled Yugi.
"Yeah?" asked Tristan.
"GET ME DOWN FROM HERE!!!" yelled Yugi, kicking futilely.
"Okay. You don't have to yell."
Tristan thought for a moment.
"Yugi?" he asked.
"Yeah?" answered Yugi.
"Go ahead and let go. I'll catch you."
"Really? Uh… I don't think I'd better come down just yet. There're a lot more rafters to be checked." Yugi was still clinging to the rafters.
"He's not going to jump. Hey, Jeremie?" asked Tristan.
"Yeah?" answered Jeremie.
"Is there any tarp in the storage room?" inquired Tristan.
"There should be, why?" asked the blond boy.
"Go get it. I've got an idea," answered the cone-headed teen.
"Oh, boy," said Yugi.
After a few minutes, Jeremie came back with the tarp, The gang took it up to the higher level, and managed to hold it across the way so that when Yugi fell, he'd be caught in the tarp.
"Hey, Yugi?" asked Joey.
"Yeah?" answered the spiky-haired kid.
"Are you done checking those rafters yet?"
"Well… uh… there's still one in the corner I haven't checked yet."
"It's all right, Yugi, you can go ahead and jump."
Yugi looked down.
"Ugh! Are you crazy?! I'll be killed!"
"It's perfectly safe!"
"Yeah?"
"Yeah. Of course!"
"Then, why don't you jump off the rafters?!"
"Can you just trust us this once, Yugi?"
"Okay! Okay!"
He made ready to jump, and then stopped.
"Hey, Joey?"
"Yeah?"
"If I don't make it, my deck and Millennium Puzzle are yours."
"Hey, come on. Don't talk like that, pal. Just jump! You'll be fine!"
Yugi did so.
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAGH!!!" he yelled.
He landed on the tarp.
"Alright, Yuge. You can come off, now."
Yugi just stayed where he was.
"Yo, Yuge? How about a little somethin' for the effort, here?"
Yugi didn't say a word. He just stayed on the tarp frozen stiff. After a few minutes, the gang managed to tip the tarp over and roll Yugi off of it. He finally hit the floor. They walked over to him and saw him laying there with his eyes wide and shivering incoherently.
Tristan tried to pick Yugi up himself, but couldn't manage it.
"Joey, a little help here?"
Joey came over and helped Tristan pick Yugi up.
"Man… for a little guy, he sure weighs a lot," said Tristan.
Yugi still had his eyes wide and his body shaking incoherently.
"Yuge… you have really got to cut back on the burgers," said Joey.
Yugi stayed with Tea on the bridge while the others searched the exterior of the factory for any trace of Mai or the others.
"Nothing. Not the slightest trace of Aelita, Mai or Yumi," said Jeremie.
"The only place we haven't checked is the rooftop," said Joey.
"Hey, Yugi?" asked Tristan.
"What?!" Yugi had finally broken out of his stupor.
"Care to check out the roof for us?" asked Tristan.
"Not on your life! I still can't believe I let you talk me into checking the rafters!" answered the shortest friend from the end of the bridge.
"Well, that idea's out the window," said Ulrich.
"We could try looking in the forest," said Jeremie.
"Yes. Good idea, Jeremie," said Bakura.
"Tea, is Yugi fit to walk yet?" asked Jeremie.
"I'm fine now!" said Yugi. "Where are we off to?"
"We're going to go look in the forest for a lead," said Jeremie.
"All right, let's go!" said Yugi.
They all walked to the forest, except this time, when they split up, Yugi went with Jeremie, and Ulrich went with Tea.
Yugi and Jeremie walked through the forest for a half hour and didn't find anything to help them find Mai, Yumi or Aelita. After a while, Yugi noticed that Jeremie looked dispirited… sad.
"Jeremie?" asked Yugi.
"Yeah?"
"Are you okay?"
Jeremie knew that there was no point in trying to hide his emotions. If Ulrich could read him, then he knew that Yugi could.
"I'm worried about Aelita, Yugi. I love her so much. I don't want to lose her. I promised her when I brought her out of Lyoko that I wouldn't let anything bad happen to her."
"It's all right, Jeremie."
A few minutes passed by before Yugi spoke again.
"How did you meet your friends, Jeremie?"
"It happened right after I turned on the supercomputer. I met Aelita while she was on Lyoko, and discovered a way to send our friends there. Only, they weren't my friends yet. After my robots attacked me, Ulrich wouldn't leave me alone until I told him what was going on. I told him about Aelita, Lyoko, and the scanners, and we decided that before we used them, we needed to test them out. That's how I met Odd."
"Odd was the test subject?"
"No, not exactly. It was originally intended to be Kiwi. You see, unbeknownst to us, Odd had followed Ulrich to the factory to get back his dog, and ended up shut in the scanner himself. When he was sent to Lyoko, he was instantly attacked by Xana's monsters. So, I decided to send Ulrich in. The day after, Xana had sent this ball of energy to attack us, and when I called Ulrich, he happened to be practicing Pencak Silat with Yumi. And Yumi wouldn't let Ulrich go to the factory unless he told her what was going on. After they arrived, I ended up sending them all to Lyoko, and having them help Aelita deactivate our first tower."
"So, it all happened at the flip of a switch."
"Pretty much."
Yugi put a hand on Jeremie's shoulder.
"Believe it or not, my story's almost exactly like yours."
"Really?"
"Yeah. I became friends with Joey and Tristan when I first solved the Millennium Puzzle. I made a wish on it. When I finally put it together, I would finally have friends. See, Tristan and Joey used to make fun of me because I'm… well, let's just say I'm vertically challenged."
"Well, better vertically challenged than horizontally challenged," said Jeremie, earning a chuckle from Yugi.
"Well, anyway, Joey actually took a piece of the puzzle and threw it into the pool. One day, on the way home from school, I saw that Tristan and Joey had been beaten up by the hall monitor. He was about to finish the job, but I stepped in and defended them. Not my smartest decision, I'll admit, but if I hadn't done it, that hall monitor would have gotten away with it, and Joey would never have gone to retrieve the last piece of the puzzle. Thanks to Joey, I was finally able to solve the puzzle, and that hall monitor got exactly what he deserved."
"You and I are birds of a feather," said Jeremie.
"Yes we are."
Jeremie let a tear escape his eye.
"What's wrong, Jeremie?" asked Yugi.
"It's just… I may end up losing one of my friends. I don't want to lose her, Yugi. I love her so much!"
Yugi put his hand on Jeremie's shoulder once more. He now had a serious look on his face.
"Don't worry, Jeremie. We'll find Aelita. And if somebody has done something to her, they won't get away with it. I promise you."
Jeremie turned back to Yugi and stopped crying. He could tell that Yugi meant what he said.
"You really mean that, Yugi?"
"I do, Jeremie. Don't worry."
Just then, they heard an ear-piercing noise!
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAGH!!!"
They heard footsteps coming in their direction. Joey and the others made their way over to Yugi and Jeremie.
"Did you guys hear that?" asked Joey.
"It sounded like it came over that way," said Tristan, pointing behind Yugi.
"And it sounded like Mai," said Yugi.
"What do you think could have caused her to do that?" asked Bakura.
"I don't know," said Yugi. "But whatever it is, we'll face it together!"
They took off running toward the source of the scream. They made it to a clearing in the forest where an arena was set up. A hologram was evaporating into thin air.
"Bye-bye, birdies," said a voice.
"My harpies!" said another, more feminine voice "They're gone!"
"It looks like I win, loser." A moment ago, there was smoke on the opposite end of the field, but it cleared to reveal a big burly man behind it. He had black hair which was parted to either side, and a cap that covered his head.
"Ugh!" exclaimed Mai.
Yugi and the others came to help her.
"Mai! Are you okay?!" asked Yugi.
"You're too late," said Mai.
The gang stopped a safe distance away from the behemoth that was now standing right next to Mai.
"Ulrich!" said another familiar voice.
Ulrich gasped when he saw who the man was blocking from getting to them.
"Yumi!" he yelled.
"Dis sideshow freak givin' you a hard time?" asked Joey.
"Yes," said the man. "Just as your good friend, Xana hired me to."
"A caveman like you working for a computer virus?" asked Tristan.
"This is no joke! Panik is trying to take us all out and if you don't get out of here, he's going to do to you what he did to me and the others."
"What do you mean?" asked Joey.
"Look over yonder. That's what she means."
He pointed over to a tree. Sitting in front of it, seemingly unconscious was…
"AELITA!" yelled Jeremie.
He ran past Panik, and straight to Aelita. She had a few cuts on her hand and several bruises on her eye, cheek and collarbone.
"They were my easiest victims yet!" said Panik, pushing Mai and Yumi forward and laughing.
"You creep!" said Joey. He made to rush Panik, but Bakura and Tristan stopped him. "Move it! There's no excuse for treating girls like that!"
"Calm down, Joey," said Bakura. "We know how you feel, but that guy's more than twice your size."
"I can take him!" said Joey.
"No, Joey," said Yugi. "Fists aren't the answer."
Everyone looked at him in disbelief.
"Violence won't solve anything. I've dealt with a lot of bullies in my life, and I'm afraid there's only one way to deal with them…"
He walked up to Panik.
"What do you mean?" asked Joey.
Yugi looked up at Panik with his eyebrows furrowed.
"You have to stand up to them!"
In Yugi's Mind
"YU-GI-OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOH!"
"But Yugi-" began Mai, but she was cut off by Yugi.
"Now, let's see you try your intimidation tactics against me, Panik."
The Lyoko Gang (With the exception of Aelita) looked at Yugi in awe. He seemed… different, somehow. Stronger, more confident, more muscular.
"I don't scare easy, especially when I'm standing up for my friends, so, let's Duel!"
Jeremie brought Aelita over to their side and laid her across his lap.
"Aelita…" he said. He let a tear escape his eye.
She, in turn, opened hers, if only slightly.
"Jeremie…?" she asked, slowly.
"Are you okay, Aelita?" asked Jeremie.
"I'm… weak," said Aelita.
"It's all right, Aelita."
Jeremie looked at Panik. Yugi could see the rage in his eyes.
"You slimeball! How could you do this to such a sweet girl! She's done nothing to you, and yet you do THIS to her!"
"I told you… Xana hired me to do this. Not that I wouldn't do it for free."
Jeremie began crying all-out.
"Yugi…"
"Yes, Jeremie?"
"Beat him for Aelita, please. Don't let him get away with this."
"I made you a promise, Jeremie. If somebody hurts Aelita, I will never let them get away with it. My word is my bond, Jeremie."
"Okay," said Jeremie.
"You twerp! I'll do to you just what I did to them!" said Panik. "Valentine, tell him how I trounced you."
"Please, Yugi," said Mai.
"Let her go, Panik. If you're looking to bully someone, try bullying me. Playtime is now over, Panik. It's time to duel!
Yugi and Panik went to their respective dueling arena sides.
"All right, Yugi! No problem! Show this Panik guy how we deal with thugs like him!" encouraged Joey.
"Yugi, huh? It must be my lucky day. Xana has promised me and my co-workers a bonus if we defeat you."
"Heh. You better start thinking of other ways to make money, Panik. Because once I defeat you… you'll be out of a job."
"Whoever said I was doing this just for the money, Yugi? I made enough cash to have retired long ago. I worked as an eliminator at Maximillion Pegasus's Duelist Kingdom tournament."
"He did?" asked Joey. "We must not have run into him. Either that or we blocked him out."
"But I won't quit, because there's nothing more fun than breaking weak duelists like you. So get ready, Yugi."
He pointed his finger at him.
"I'm about to take you into a world of hurt!"
"I won't be bullied by the likes of you, Panik. I play with my heart. That's why I'll always win against your type!"
"You've never faced my type before, Yugi. When I'm in a match, there's a lot more to it than sheer dueling strategy."
Yugi looked confused.
"Meaning?"
"Panik's ruthless, Yugi! He had me totally… terrified!" yelled Mai.
"That's right, and she's not the first, either. We eliminators have built our career on stalking weak players like her, and strong-arming them into dueling with us. You see, when you're as good as me, you learn to appreciate the hunt as much as the duel itself. Now, I'm gonna take you down just like I did Mai!"
Yugi grinned.
"Hmph. I see how you work, Panik. Sneaking up on unsuspecting duelists because you haven't the courage to challenge them face-to-face!"
"Watch your mouth, you insolent cur!"
"True duelists fight with honor and respect, not the underhanded tactics of a poacher."
Panik actually got mad at this.
"And to prove it, I'll make a wager with you. I win, and you have to leave this city and never return, I lose, and you get to do with me whatever you want!"
"It's a deal. If you win, I'll never return to France! The bet makes no difference to me."
"What do you mean?" asked Yugi.
"What I mean, little Yugi, is when you duel with Panik, you're putting more than just your dignity on the line. Much more!"
Panik cackled as shackles came up from behind Yugi and locked him into place, then, on either side of the arena, two flamethrowers shot a stream of flames at Yugi. Yugi cried out in pain as the flames overheated him.
"Yugi!" cried the gang in unison.
"UGGGGH!" cried Yugi.
"AAAAAGH!" Aelita began writhing in Jeremie's arms.
"Aelita?!" asked Jeremie.
"It hurts!" cried Aelita. "Jeremie, please, make it stop!"
"Aelita, it's going to be okay!" He began stroking her back, and gave Panik a look of the utmost loathing..
"We've gotta get him outta there!" said Joey.
Panik cackled once more.
"What's the matter, Yugi? Hmmm? Can't take the heat? Well, get used to it, because you're strapped in for the long haul!"
"Turn it off, Panik!" yelled Joey.
"Panik used those on us, too," said Mai.
"Stay strong, Yugi," said Bakura.
"Urgh!" yelled Yugi.
After a few minutes, Panik turned off the flamethrowers. Aelita had stopped throbbing, and was now gasping for air.
"I can see the fear growing in your eyes, Yugi. I can hear you quaking in your boots! You're beginning to realize the nightmare you've stepped into. I do believe you're beginning to PANIC!"
"Get a life, you psycho!" yelled Tea.
"Forget about this guy, Yuge! This wasn't part of the job description!" yelled Joey.
"Yeah, no joke! Come on! Let's get you down from there, Yugi. What do you say?" asked Tristan.
"Yugi! There's no need for you to risk your life just because we got beaten up by some bully!" yelled Yumi.
"Listen to them… Yugi… Don't do this…" said Aelita.
"Are you finished blowing smoke, Panik?" asked Yugi calmly.
Everyone looked at him in awe once again.
"Yugi," said Tea.
"What's he think he's doin'?" asked Joey.
"It will take much more than cheap pyrotechnics to make me lose my cool," said their spiky-haired friend.
Panik laughed again.
"The last time someone had the nerve to talk to me like that… I broke them in half! Now, let's duel!"
(Panik LP: 2000)
(Yugi LP: 2000)
"Fight time," said Joey.
"Seeing as how the blaze of my fire didn't faze you… Let's turn down the lights. My Castle of Dark Illusions will turn this duel into your darkest hour, Yugi."
Panik played the Castle of Dark Illusions in Defense Mode, and a floating castle appeared on the field, which cast shadows all over Panik's side of the field.
"Its magic shrouds the field in a veil of shadows."
(Castle of Dark Illusions: 920/1930)
"And the castle itself is extra fortified, thanks to the field power bonus I get for playing it at night!"
(Castle of Dark Illusions: 920/1930 FPB 30 1196/2509)
"I'm not afraid of the dark, Panik!" declared Yugi.
Panik cackled.
"You would be if you only knew the fearsome nightmares within its shade!"
The shadows now completely covered the field, making it impossible to see Panik or anything on his side, save the castle.
"The blanket of shadows cast over my entire side of the field make it impossible for you to see the creatures I summon, but leaves your entire side exposed and vulnerable to my attacks!"
The monitor that showed the opponent's cards on Yugi's field went black.
"Unnerving, isn't it, Yugi? How the darkness preys on your fears. Until you're too scared to think, too terrified to fight."
Panik let out another cackle before Mai spoke up.
"Don't listen, Yugi! This is exactly how he threw me off my game!"
"Now you tell us?" asked Joey.
Yugi looked slightly frustrated now.
"And if you think you can storm my castle with the help of a field power bonus of your own, think again, because just as my shadows block the light from above, they block the field power from the ground below. Only the night grants bonuses here."
Yugi finally made up his mind and played a card.
"Celtic Guardian! Defense Mode!"
He played it, and an elf carrying a sword appeared on the field.
(Celtic Guardian: 1400/1200)
"Not a very bright idea!" said Panik.
He played a card on the field, but didn't tell anybody what it was.
"Attack. Dark Grasp of Fury!" yelled Panik.
Yugi gasped as a jet of shadows with red eyes came out and devoured his Celtic Guardian.
"Our first victim of the night," said Panik, smiling.
Yugi scowled.
"Yugi…" said Tea.
"That's cheap! How do you defend against what you can't see?" asked Joey.
"Yeah… or defeat a monster you can't find? Hmm…" asked Bakura.
"Anybody got a flashlight?" asked Tristan.
Panik cackled once again.
"Even your friends have lost hope for you!"
I'm not gonna panic
Yugi looked over his hand.
"Play any card you like!" yelled Panik "The creatures within my veil of shadows will consume them all!"
"Winged Dragon and Guardian of the Fortress in Defense Mode!" yelled Yugi.
A blue dragon that looked like Aerodactyl from Pokémon appeared on the field and folded its wings.
(Winged Dragon, Guardian of the Fortress #1: 1400/1200)
Panik let out a bloodcurdling cackle.
"This defensive maneuvering may protect your life points from one monster, Yugi. But not two!"
Another glowing pair of eyes appeared beneath the shadows that Panik had placed on the field.
"You're terrified, aren't you, Yugi? Admit it! All your courage has been devoured by my shadowy fog!"
He laughed again.
"Yes, all that's left is a trembling little duelist, powerless to defend himself!"
"So, how is Yugi supposed to take this guy out, Mai?" asked Tea.
"If I was able to figure that out, we wouldn't be in this situation," answered the blonde-haired duelist.
Here in the shadows, a phantom of the night
Attack without warning, a single strong light
I'll brave the darkness, I'll make my stand right here
No matter how you come at me, I'll show no fear
I won't give up
I won't break down
I'm not gonna panic
"Guardian of the Fortress! Take flight!" commanded Yugi.
The blue dragon flew up into the air, switching to Attack Mode in the process.
"Fireball Attack!" Yugi commanded.
The Winged Dragon flew up into the air and fired a fireball out of its mouth and at the Darkness.
He didn't hit anything, making the Lyoko gang wonder what exactly Yugi was up to. Finally, they figured it out. When the dragon's fireball hit Panik's side of the field, the gang got a glimpse of a yellow monster accompanied by a green and brown one.
"His monsters!" said Yugi.
Panik laughed again.
"So you saw my creatures. But I doubt it gives you the foresight to see what's coming next."
I will not run
I'll stand and fight
"Dark Grasp of Fury!" commanded Panik.
Slowly but surely, the darkness devoured the Winged Dragon, Guardian of the Fortress. The gang heard the cries of the Dragon as it was slowly eaten alive.
"Lights out for your Guardian of the Fortress!"
(Panik LP: 2000)
(Yugi LP: 1606)
"My creatures hungrily eye your remaining life points, Yugi, and I'll see to it that they feed again quite soon! Has it sunk in, yet, wimp? Standing up to a bully leaves you nowhere to go but down! The night has eyes, Yugi. And all of them are on you! Keep struggling, Yugi. Bullying's so much more fun when you resist!"
"Tough talk, Panik, coming from someone who makes all of their attacks while hiding in the safety of shadows!"
Panik laughed again before making the flamethrowers on either side of Yugi began spurting flame at him again.
"Yugi, look out!" yelled Tea.
Yugi growled as he was once again engulfed in flames.
"AAAAAAAAAAGH!" Aelita began squirming again. She must have been in intense pain.
"Aelita, it's all right! I'm here!" cried Jeremie.
After a few minutes, Panik turned off the flamethrowers, and Aelita stopped writhing once again.
"You okay, pal?" asked Joey.
"You uppity little fiend! Perhaps you should think twice before insulting someone who can scorch you at the touch of a button, huh? You're afraid, Yugi. You're lost and alone in the dark, and I'm the big, bad boogeyman, about to leap out, and give you the scare of your life!"
Yugi grinned and laughed.
"Hmm? If you could see what I have in store for you, you wouldn't be laughing!"
"But that's why I'm laughing. Because I can see… right through you."
"What? What are you talking about, you little runt?!"
"You are the boogeyman, Panik, scaring children into being afraid of the dark, until they realize the dark is nothing to be afraid of… like you," said Yugi, still smiling.
"Huh?"
"Once a person conjures up the confidence not to be fearful of the unknown, they've disarmed the only weapon the dark has."
"You wish it was that simple, you little-"
"But it is that simple!"
"Huh?"
"I have the card to prove it!"
"What card?"
Yugi held a card up, still smiling.
"A card that will expose you… and lift up that veil of shadows you cower behind."
"What's that?"
"It's just a little something that will teach you a tough lesson in broad daylight."
"Oh, come on, would you just tell us what card it is, Yugi?" asked Odd.
"Hey, Mai, why would Yugi tell Panik his strategy?"
"It's panic. The same thing happened to me. You start making amateur mistakes."
"I don't know, Mai," said Bakura. "He doesn't look like he's panicking."
Panik laughed again.
"You almost had me there, but we both know that that card is nothing but a big, fat bluff! Prove me wrong, Yugi! Go ahead, let's see you give me my 'tough lesson!'"
It was Yugi's turn to laugh.
"Why should I show you my card after you've gone to such lengths to keep yours in the dark?"
"I think you're stalling."
"You don't trust me, Panik? Believe it or not, not all duelists are lying dogs like you."
Panik growled.
"And to prove it, I'll show you. After all, I wouldn't want you thinking I was some kind of liar."
"Show me!"
"You don't need to prove anything to that slime, Yugi!" cried Yumi.
"Ready, Panik? Here it is. The Swords of Revealing Light!"
He revealed the card to Panik and the rest of the gang.
"UGH! 'Revealing Light?'"
"The blinding magic of the Swords of Revealing Light not only stops all enemy monsters from attacking for three full turns, but it bathes the entire field in a light so luminous, that even your lurking shadow creatures will be exposed! Soon, Panik, the monsters in your dark empire will have nowhere to hide. But rather than play it right now, I'll take a page from your book, and let you worry about when and how I'll use it, just like you do with the monsters you hide in the dark. You're going down in five turns. Five turns, Panik, then my monsters will finish you off. Curse of Dragon! Defensive Mode!"
A skeletal dragon appeared on the field.
(Curse of Dragon: 2000/1500)
"And, of course… the card that will make you see the light," said Yugi, laying a card face-down. "Your five turns start now, Panik. It's your move."
Panik seemed to consider his options for a moment.
"What's the matter, Panik? Has bullying lost its thrill?"
"I'll teach you about loss, just you wait," said Panik.
"Hey, Mai, why is Yugi keeping that card out if he's not going to play it yet?" asked Tea.
"I hate to say it, guys, but it's not a good sign. I was able to keep it together for about this long, too, but after a while, Panik has a way of getting to you and making you slip up."
"Not my pal. He knows what he's doin'," said Joey.
"I sure hope so," said Bakura.
"He does," said Tristan.
"Listen, I know Yugi's good, but fighting Panik isn't about being good, it's about keeping a level head while you're lost in the dark or being attacked by fire. Yugi's gonna need guts to win this duel, not skill," said Mai.
"Guts, huh?" asked Tea. "Well, he's got heart."
"You got that right," said Tristan.
"Yes, but he did just leave his best card out fully vulnerable," said Bakura. "You don't make those kinds of mistakes unless you're nervous. Panik's not one to let a mistake like that go unpunished."
"Make your move, Panik," said Yugi.
Panik grinned, and then laughed.
"I must say, it was quite a daring move to illuminate me with the presence of that card, little Yugi. But it was a critical mistake to leave it on the field completely exposed! If you thought idle cards were safe from attacks, you're dead wrong!"
All you've done wrong, I will set right
No matter what you try tonight
I'm not gonna panic
Fill my heart with terror do the worst you can do
Shivers up my spine, I'm not afraid of you
The dark can be scary until you find
Things you thought were frightening are only in your mind
I won't give up
I won't break down
I'm not gonna panic
"Reaper of the Cards!"
A grim reaper-esque monster with a scythe and a necklace of Duel Monster cards on its neck appeared on the field.
(Reaper of the Cards: 1380/1930)
(Reaper of the Cards: 1380/1930 FPB 30 1794/2509)
"The Reaper?" asked Yugi.
"When the Reaper is summoned, all Magic Cards hear the ghostly call of doom! He'll be sending your Revealing Light card to the discard Graveyard. Reaper, attack!"
"Yugi!" cried the group.
"But that card was Yugi's only chance!" yelled Mai.
"Your fate belongs to me, now, Yugi!"
Yugi seemed unfazed.
"Call of the Graveyard!" yelled Panik. The Reaper slashed its scythe at the spot where Yugi had concealed the card, but… nothing happened.
"What's going on? It can't finish its attack!"
Yugi started laughing again.
"It should have destroyed your card! The Swords of Revealing Light!" yelled Panik.
Yugi grinned and chuckled again.
"I said the Swords of Revealing Light is the card that would illuminate your monsters, I never said it was the one I placed on the field. You just assumed that."
"But if that's not-"
"The card I placed on the field was a different card."
Everybody gasped.
I will not run
I'll make my play
Come the dawn, the light of day
Will burn your shadows all away
"The Spellbinding Circle! A Trap Card!"
"A Trap Card?" asked Panik.
"Yes. A Trap Card that snares your Reaper, stopping him dead in his tracks, encircling him in a magical prison!"
A circle with a hexagram came out of the field and surrounded the Reaper of the Cards, immobilizing him.
I won't give up
I won't break down
I'm not gonna panic
I'm not gonna panic
"In Duel Monsters, one must be wary of the Reaper of the Cards and its ability to send Magic Cards to the Discard Pile. I figured that you probably had one stalking around your deck somewhere, but now that he's frozen, unable to damage my deck, I'm free to lay whatever Magic Cards I want on the field."
(Reaper of the Cards: 1794/2509 – SBC 700 ATK 1094/2509)
"Great thinking!" yelled Tea.
"Way to put one over on him, Yuge!" yelled Joey.
"What is it with this kid?" asked Mai. "I can't even keep up with him here on the sidelines."
"He's doing good, but it's not over yet," said Bakura, causing everyone to look at him.
"How dare you!" yelled Panik. "You fooled me!"
Yugi smiled.
"Hmph. You fooled yourself, Panik, and wasted quite a powerful card, too. But, now that the coast is clear, I'll really lay my Swords of Revealing Light!"
"URRRG!"
"And a second Magic Card. Both face-down."
"Face-down? Why?" asked Panik.
"Now what's up?" asked Ulrich.
"I don't know," said Yumi. "But I bet we're going to find out soon enough."
"So what? You captured my Reaper, but he's only one of my powerful monsters. The ones that remain will destroy you!"
"Getting nervous, Panik?" asked Yugi. "I may have yet to launch an effective attack against your night creatures, but that will all change very soon."
"Ridiculous! What are you talking about?"
"You know what I'm talking about. I made you a promise that in five turns, I would teach you a lesson that you would never forget, and I intend to make good. You only have four turns left, Panik."
He held up four fingers.
"Four turns before I drag you from your shadows and show you up for the bully that you truly are."
"You dolt! Have you forgotten who you face here?" asked Panik. "I am Panik, the Eliminator!"
He pushed the flamethrower button once again. This time, however, Yugi didn't even flinch.
"Is that supposed to scare me, or are you running scared?" asked Yugi.
Panik growled.
"AAAAAAAAAAAGH!" cried Aelita she was writhing once again in Jeremie's arms.
"Aelita, are you okay?"
Panik stopped the flamethrowers, seeing as they didn't scare Yugi.
"I'm fine now, Jeremie."
"Aelita?"
"Yes?"
"I need to find out what's causing you to do this. Do you mind if I take a look?"
"Go ahead, Jeremie."
What the heck happened to her to make her start doing this? Thought Jeremie.
"Yugi's playing with fire. I sure hope he knows what he's doing!" said Tea.
"Yeah. This Panik nutjob is playing for keeps!" said Joey.
"Oh, yeah," said Mai. "Panik enjoys breaking people down. Making them sweat, watching them squirm. To him, dueling is just an excuse to practice his cruelty!"
"You can't stall forever," said Yugi. "Sooner or later, you'll have to make your move!"
"Silence…" said Panik.
He drew his card, and then smiled. He let out yet another bloodcurdling cackle.
"This beast will win the entire match for me!" yelled Panik. "King of Yamimakai!"
A big monster appeared and was immediately shrouded in fog.
(King of Yamimakai: 2000/1530)
"But don't take my word for it! Powered up with my field power bonus that all of my monsters get from the night, my King of Yamimakai is more powerful than your pitiful creature!"
(King of Yamimakai: 2000/1530 FPB 30 2600/1989)
"Oh, no!" cried Joey.
"King of Yamimakai! Destroy his Curse of Dragon! Electro-Shock Attack!"
The King of Yamimakai fired off a ball of electricity, but instead of Yugi's Curse of Dragon, it went for Panik's Reaper of the Cards.
"What? It veered away!"
Panik's Reaper of the Cards was destroyed.
"Your Reaper of the Cards is vanquished."
"All right!" said Joey.
"Panik messed up!" said Tea.
"No! My life points!"
(King of Yamimakai: 2600 – Reaper of the Cards: 1094 1506)
(Panik LP: 2000 – 1506 Panik LP: 494)
"Curse
you and your Spellbinding Circle! It's light drew in my attack and
destroyed my precious monster!"
"They don't do well when
they dare step out of the darkness. Now, let's bring all your
monsters into the light."
"Huh?"
"I dispel all your darkness with the Swords of Revealing Light!"
The field was instantly blanketed in a blinding light.
"Stop! Stop it! I can't stand the light!"
Finally, Panik's monsters could be seen.
"Your monsters are revealed!"
Ulrich looked at the monsters.
"A Dark Chimera..."
(Dark Chimera: 1610/1460)
(Dark Chimera: 1610/1460 FPB 30 2093/1898)
"And a Barox."
(Barox: 1380/1530)
(Barox: 1380/1530 FPB 30 1794/1989)
"Alright! Nothing keeps Yugi in the dark!" said Odd.
"Even Panik's cards are revealed, now!" said Yumi.
"No more hiding, Panik, your darkness will shield you no longer! Three turns left, and then you're finished," said Yugi.
Panik growled again.
"I didn't use the swords just to illuminate your monsters. It also causes all of your monsters on the field to be frozen for three turns. Starting right now. That means you can't make any attack while I implement my strategy."
Panik thought for a moment.
"You're stalling, Panik. Afraid to draw your next card?"
He drew a card, looked at it, and laughed.
"Yugi, you can forget your foolish delusion of defeating me in just three turns! I've drawn a Chaos Shield card!"
"Oh, no. That affects all the monsters on the field! It puts them all in Defense Mode and raises their Defense Points!" said Yugi.
"You're thinking too small, you fool! Or don't you realize that I can combine my Chaos Shield with my Castle of Dark Illusions?!"
"This is bad!" yelled Mai.
"With this combination, I can project a defensive shield around my entire area!"
"Now, Yugi can't get anywhere near his monsters!
"What's that mean?" asked Tea.
"Panik's untouchable while Yugi's a sitting duck!"
"As long as my Chaos Shield is in place, your monsters can't touch me! Do you still think you can defeat me in three turns? You impudent shrimp! Admit defeat now! You can see how the shield raises the defense points of my monsters."
(Castle of Dark Illusions: 1196/3200)
(Barox: 1794/2600)
(Dark Chimera: 2093/2600)
(King of Yamimakai: 2600/2600)
Panik hit another switch.
"AAAAAAAAAAGH!!!" cried Aelita.
Jeremie gasped.
"What the heck have you done to Aelita, you slimeball?!" asked Jeremie.
"Oh, that's one detail I forgot to mention. All those times that I shot fire at Yugi, I pressed another switch at the same time, which made Aelita feel 2,500 volts of electricity go through her body. Go ahead, Belpois, take a look at the device on her neck!"
Jeremie spotted the device on Aelita's neck. He tried to pry it off, but got shocked himself.
"OOOOW!"
Yugi looked at Aelita and Jeremie in disbelief. Jeremie was right. How could Panik do something like this to someone like Aelita?
"You'll pay for that, Panik!" yelled Yugi. "You'll pay dearly!!!"
Panik Cackled once more.
"By the way, I'm the only one who can take it off her! So, if you don't want her to be electro-shocked to death, you'll have to defeat me! Not that you will!"
"I hate to say it, but Yugi really doesn't stand a chance," said Mai. "Breaking duelists is what Panik does for a living. Panik is brutal, ruthless, everything the ultimate duelist needs to be."
"Mai," said Bakura. "you've become so cynical about Duel Monsters, and you don't understand Yugi at all, really. There's much more to him than meets the eye."
"Joey, Yugi can win this, right?" asked Tristan.
Joey scoffed.
"Man, I wish I could tell you. But after the way Panik beat Mai, I got no idea what his chances are."
"Urgggh, Give up! Admit defeat! I'm going to crack you like an egg!"
Yugi just grinned and chuckled.
"You'd like me to crack, wouldn't you, Panik? Because it's worked for you before. Winning through intimidation, not through skill."
"You mock my skill? My skill is what's defeating you!"
"Don't be so sure."
"What do you mean by that?"
"Hmph. You think that you're winning. That your tactics are taking me by surprise, but I saw your strategy the minute I saw what kind of man you are."
"You're talking nonsense!"
"I knew you would do something to Aelita to try and make me lose myself. It would have worked if I didn't have a more collected mind. I promise you you will pay for using her against us. And I knew you would use Chaos Shield. Cowardly bullies like you always try to hide behind something."
"Shut up! I'm in no way a coward, and I never try to hide behind anything!"
"Your whole strategy is nothing but cowering and hiding."
Panik touched a panel next to the flamethrower control switch.
"You dare to call me a coward?! You insignificant little worm!"
The flamethrowers pointed themselves at Yugi.
"Nobody talks to me that way!" yelled Panik.
He pressed the button for the flamethrowers to turn on.
"I am Panik, the Eliminator!"
The flamethrowers each shot a jet of fire at Yugi, but he leaned backwards and dodged them both. Panik was now heaving with rage.
"Are you finished, or are you going to continue to hide behind your bluster and battlements like a big coward?"
Panik heaved a giant growl.
"The truth hurts, doesn't it, Panik?" asked Yugi. "Facing up to your true self is usually more than bullies like you can bear, so you hide in the shadows."
"You will taunt me no longer!" Panik hit another switch.
"Yugi, he's dangerous. You've just got to stop stirring him up!" said Tea.
"Don't interfere," said Mai, causing everyone to look at her. "Yugi's just using Panik's own tactics against him. It's psyche-out warfare."
"I will burn you to a cinder!" yelled Panik.
"That would prove you're a coward. If you're not afraid, then you should stop hiding and play this game with honor. Or I will rip your pathetic "fearsome" façade away."
"You bluff!" yelled Panik.
"There's only one way you'll know for sure," said Yugi. "Play out this game."
Panik growled an animal growl.
"After all, we'll know in two turns," said Yugi. "Can you last? Just two turns. Do you have the courage?"
"Do I have the courage? Panik fears duelist! I will crush your spirit and wipe out your life points!"
"Whoo," said Joey.
"Boy, Yugi really shook Panik up," said Mai. "Psychology is half the game."
"And now, it's my turn," said Yugi, drawing a card. He must have drawn something good, because he grinned. "And my card is Gaia, the Fierce Knight!"
He played it on the field, causing a knight carrying two lances and riding a horse to appear on the virtual field. The horse neighed.
(Gaia the Fierce Knight: 2300/2100)
"Idiot! Do you really think that a monster with an attack power that weak can break through my chaos shield?!"
Yugi reached for the face-down card that he played with Swords of Revealing light.
"Maybe not by himself, but I also have a Magic Card."
"Huh?"
"Read it and weep," said Yugi. He flipped the Magic Card face up.
"A Polymerization card?!" exclaimed Panik.
"And with this card…" began Yugi, "I combine them to create Gaia, the Dragon Champion!"
Gaia the Fierce Knight and Curse of Dragon disappeared and were replaced by what looked like Gaia sitting on top of Curse of Dragon.
"And now, my combo creature's attack power is raised to 2600!" declared Yugi.
(Gaia the Dragon Champion: 2600/2100)
"The Dragon Champion?" asked Panik.
"My turn is over, but you're finished as well," said Yugi.
Panik thought for a moment, and then laughed. He drew his card.
"Ah, perfect!" he said.
"Hmm?"
"Metal Guardian, in Defense Mode! He will further shield my creatures, and the field power bonus raises his defense power to 2795!"
(Metal Guardian: 1150/2150 FPB 30 1490/2795)
"With him on guard any attack against my monsters is totally impossible!"
"Huh. It figures. You're cowering again," said Yugi.
"Insolent dog!" yelled Panik.
"Your strategy is nothing but putting up defenses," said Yugi. "You're showing how weak you are."
"Silence!" exclaimed Panik. "In the next turn, the Swords of Light will be extinguished, then I'll hit you with everything at once!"
"It'll be too late. I've already led you deep into my trap," said Yugi.
"What?" asked Panik.
"The stronger you make your defenses, the more you lock yourself into defeat," explained Yugi.
"That's a joke," said Panik. "Your nothing but talk!"
"The time for talk is over," said Yugi. "That was your last turn."
He pulled a card from his hand.
"The end is now!" exclaimed Yugi. "Catapult Turtle!"
A turtle with a cannon on its back appeared on the field behind Gaia the Dragon Champion.
(Catapult Turtle: 1000/2000)
"Slow and steady wins the duel, Panik, for I can use the Catapult Turtle to launch Gaia the Dragon Champion, and shatter your defenses!"
"Agh!" said Panik.
"Catapult Launch raises Gaia's attack power all the way up to 3200!" said Yugi. "You weren't expecting that, were you?"
"My monsters' defense power is still much to strong for you! Protected as they are by the Chaos Shield, you still can't touch them! You can only watch helplessly as they prepare to assault you next turn!"
Panik laughed again.
"Who said anything about attacking your monsters?" asked Yugi. "What I'm attacking is… the castle!" he said, pointing to the Castle of Dark Illusions.
Mai gasped.
"You fool! My castle is still unassailable!" exclaimed Panik. "It's wall is still invincible to any of your attacks! So, I won't take any damage at all!"
"We'll see about that," said Yugi. "Turtle, Catapult Launch my Dragon Champion!"
The turtle launched Gaia the Dragon Champion toward the Castle of Dark Illusions, taking a portion out of Yugi's life points.
"Whoa," said Odd. "Yugi flushed a lot of points with that move!"
(Yugi LP: 1606 – 1306 300)
"Agh! He sacrificed his Dragon Champion!" said Joey.
"That's an awfully big loss. Both in monsters and life points," said Bakura.
"Right!" exclaimed Joey. "And if this attack doesn't bring down that castle, then next turn, Panik will wipe out the rest of Yugi's life points."
"I hope this works," said Ulrich.
"It has to work!" said Joey.
"I can't see a thing!" said Yumi.
Smoke had completely covered the field, but when the smoke cleared, the castle was still there. Suddenly, a crack formed on part of the castle.
"Uhhh…" was Panik's only reaction.
The ring surrounding the castle cracked and fell off.
"No!" exclaimed Tea. "It's still floating!"
Panik cracked up laughing.
"The castle survived!" said Tea.
"Fool! For all your threats, my castle is unharmed! Your worthless attack simply knocked its floatation ring off! And now that your attack has failed, I'll eliminate you once and for all! It's been five turns and I'm still standing, Yugi! My monsters are still contained an protected within the Chaos Shield! When this turn is over, the paralyzing effects of your Swords of Revealing Light will vanish! Then, on my turn, I'll attack you with all my monsters and wipe you out forever!"
"Hmm. There is no next turn for you," said Yugi. "This duel has already ended."
"It's not over!" exclaimed Panik.
"Doesn't it seem strange to you that a castle that has lost its floatation ring is somehow still floating?
"Huh?"
"What if the Swords of Revealing Light had locked in place not only your monsters, but your castle as well? Then, what would happen next?"
"It… can't be!" exclaimed Panik.
"Can it?" asked Mai.
"Right now, the only thing holding up your castle are the swords of revealing light. And when this turn ends, each and every sword will vanish."
"What? Th-that means-"
"It's over! And your world's about to come tumbling down!"
"Aaaaagh! No! No one defeats Panik!"
"My turn is over," said Yugi, making a thumbs-down sign.
The swords vanished, and the castle started to fall on top of the monsters.
"Run, monsters! Get out of the way!" said Panik.
"It's no good. The Chaos Shield is keeping them from running anywhere. You've trapped them all inside!"
Panik gasped as all of his monsters were smashed by the falling castle.
(Yugi LP: 300)
(Panik LP: 0)
"He won!" exclaimed Tea.
"And Panik's not takin' it well!" said Joey.
"I'll say," said Tristan. "Panik's having a panic attack!"
"Nobody… beats Panik. Nobody!" exclaimed the oversized man. "I may not have defeated you, Yugi! But I can still eliminate you!"
He put his hand down, crushing the control panel for the flamethrowers. Aelita began writhing in pain again, this time in a more extreme manner.
"JEREMIE! PLEASE, MAKE IT STOP!!!"
"Aelita!" Jeremie cried. He then proceeded to try and pull off the device on her neck, he remembered that it shocked, but that was nothing compared to the pain that he'd feel if he lost her.
"D-don't worry, Aelita! I'll get this off of you! I will be damned if you die before I do!" yelled Jeremie, while he was being shocked.
Yugi was now engulfed by the flames from the flamethrowers.
"Yugi!" cried the gang.
"Jump out of the way!" yelled Bakura.
"Yugi's still in there!" said Joey.
"And he can't get out!" observed Tristan.
The flame formed a whirlwind around Yugi. Eventually, the switch ran out of power, and the flames that were searing Yugi and the electricity that was shocking Aelita subsided.
"You… survived!" cried Panik.
"My Millennium Puzzle protects me from harm, Panik. And it can remove objects from people. By the power of the Millennium Puzzle, I free Aelita!"
The device fell off Aelita's neck, and Jeremie picked it up and threw it at Panik's.
"CURSE YOU, YUGI MUTO!"
"You may have gotten away with treating people, especially girls and women like this before, Panik, but that won't happen again! NEVER AGAIN!!!"
Yugi cast a Mind Crush on Panik.
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGH!"
Yugi stepped down from the dueling arena.
"Yugi, you made it!" cried Joey.
"Your Millennium Puzzle has more power than we thought!" said Tristan.
Yugi walked over to Aelita and Jeremie to check on them.
"How is she, Jeremie?" asked Yugi.
"I don't know. I don't know how much damage Panik's done to her."
Aelita opened her eyes.
"I'm feeling fine. Thank you, Jeremie. You too, Yugi."
"It was your courage and the love that Jeremie has for you that saved you today, Aelita," said Yugi.
"Well… I couldn't have found her without your help, Yugi."
"That's true. I did help you find her. But you never gave up on finding her even when it seemed hopeless, Jeremie. That is why you found her. Think of this. My grandfather always told me to believe in the Heart of the Cards, and that when you put your heart in the game, there is nothing you can't do. That's the secret to both Duel Monsters and life, Jeremie. You just have to believe."
"Well…" said Jeremie.
"Now, Jeremie. Is there something you want to tell Aelita?" asked Ulrich.
"Well, I'm a little scared to, now," said Jeremie.
"What is it, Jeremie?" asked Aelita.
"I…"
Everyone looked at them with expectancy.
"Aelita?"
"Yes, Jeremie?"
Jeremie hesitated for a moment, and then looked Aelita in the eyes.
"I love you."
She looked back at him and smiled.
"I love you, too… Einstein."
She leaned forward and kissed him, but for some reason, he had a guilty look on his face afterwards.
"What's wrong, Jeremie?" asked Yugi.
"It's just… the whole time that you were dueling Panik… he kept on putting Aelita through so much pain… and I couldn't do anything to stop it."
He let a tear escape his eye.
"It's okay, Jeremie. I never blamed you. You rescued me. That's all that matters."
"She's right, Jeremie. As Panik said, the device couldn't be removed by sheer brute force. There was nothing that you could do. But you tried, Jeremie. That's what made all the difference. Because you tried, you helped me find a way to free her from Panik's device. So, you see, you really saved the day, Jeremie. Not I."
Jeremie blushed.
"Come here, hero!" said Aelita, pulling Jeremie into another kiss.
Yugi reverted back to his old self before addressing the others.
"Are the rest of you guys alright?" he asked.
"Me and Yumi are fine, but Aelita is going to need to see a doctor," said Mai.
"We'll go see one in the morning," said Aelita. "Right now, I think we could all use a good night's sleep. Especially Yugi and Jeremie.
"Yeah. Let's go. Time to catch some Z's," said Joey.
They all made it to their dorm rooms and parted ways.
"Good night, everyone," said Jeremie.
After a few minutes, he powered down his computer and turned out the light when he heard a knock on the door.
"Jeremie?" asked a voice.
"Aelita?" asked Jeremie.
"Can I come in?"
"Um… sure."
She walked into the room and faced Jeremie.
"What's up?" asked Jeremie.
"I was wondering… um…"
"What is it, Aelita?"
Yugi was also in his room, finishing dressing into his pajamas when he heard a voice behind him.
"Yugi?"
"Hmm? Oh, hi, Tea."
"Yugi, I was wondering…"
"Yes, Tea?"
"Since we're dating now…"
Ulrich also heard a knock on his door.
He walked over to it and answered it, finding Yumi outside.
"Oh, Hi, Yumi."
"Hey, Ulrich," said Yumi, smiling. "I heard some interesting stories from the others about what happened while we were gone."
"Really?"
"Yeah. Jeremie told me you were in a Panik, so to speak."
"Haha, very funny."
"He also intimated to me that you intimated to her that you were having some intense feelings."
"Oh… It's nothing, Yumi."
"Intense feelings… about me."
Ulrich panicked at this.
"Are you in love with me, Ulrich?"
Ulrich looked at his feet.
"Yes, Yumi. I am.
He felt something soft touch his lips. Yumi had kissed him.
"I'm in love with you, too," she said, smiling. "So, it got me thinking.
"Would you mind if I slept with you tonight?" asked the three girls in unison, causing all the guys to gasp.
"Um… sure, if you really want to, Aelita," said Jeremie.
Aelita got dressed into her oversized nightshirt and climbed into bed with Jeremie.
"I don't see why not, Tea," said Yugi.
Tea got dressed into a pink nightgown and slid in next to her shorter boyfriend.
"I would be very pleased if you did, Yumi," said Ulrich.
Yumi changed into a pair of black pajama pants and shirt and climbed in next to Ulrich.
All three girls kissed their boyfriends on the lips before falling to sleep in their arms. Everyone's night was filled with happy dreams that night.
The End