Chapter 4

October 12, 6:00pm

Atemu clutched his chest, his fork clattering to his plate.

"Yami!" Yugi rushed to his side. "Yami, what is it? What's wrong?"

The pharaoh gasped for breath and sat back in his chair.

"Yami!"

"I'm fine, Yugi." He locked the boy's hand in a firm grip as he tried to steady his racing heart. "You didn't feel that?"

"Feel what?"

Atemu closed his eyes.

"I felt…something…like the Shadow Realm."

"The Shadow Realm." Yugi clenched his fists. "We already beat the Shadow Realm; why can't they just leave us alone?! How many times do we have to save the world before somebody else takes over? I haven't even graduated yet, I—"

"Yugi!" The elder Moto held out his hand. "Calm down, Yugi. I said it was like the Shadow Realm. Darkness comes in many forms but it all has the same root. It just did not feel like actual Shadow Magic."

"Oh."

The phone rang and Yugi went to answer it.

"Hello, Moto residence. Oh hey, Melody. Yeah, we're okay. Oh. You did?" He put his hand over the receiver. "She said she just got this feeling one of us was in trouble."

"A feeling, hmm?" Atemu rubbed his temples, thinking. "Can she come over?"

"Lemme check. Hey, Mel? Can you come over? Yeah, my brother felt something weird too. Okay, you know that main street by the library? The one by Dark Clown, yeah. We're right across the street, Kame Game Shop. Okay, see ya soon."

He hung up the phone then dialed another number. Atemu looked at him.

"I don't want to take any chances," the younger one explained. "I think the others should be here too."

"Good thinking, Aibou. I'll be right back."

Twenty minutes later, Joey, Tea, Tristan, and Melody congregated in the upstairs living room. Yugi sat perched on the arm of one of the couches while Tea sat next to him with Melody next to her, and Tristan and Joey claimed the other couch across the room. They left the chair at the end for Atemu, who came back out after they had all arrived, once again calm and composed.

"Oh, Mel, you haven't met my brother, Yami," Yugi said. "Atemu, really, but I call him 'Yami.' Yami, this is Melody Solo, the girl from class I told you about."

Atemu nodded to her.

"Yugi tells me you had a…feeling one of us was hurt," he said. The girl grabbed a lock of her hair and started playing with it.

"Yeah. I get those sometimes. In my gut."

"Mmm." Atemu folded his arms. "Where are you from?"

"New York."

"And this 'gut feeling,' was it limited to just us?"

"Yeah."

He stared at her a moment more then nodded and walked to his chair.

"Thank you all for coming so late," he said, sitting straight with his arms placed on the armrests and his feet solidly on the floor. Melody suddenly felt like she was at court. This Atemu person exuded a regal air, even if he was only a few inches taller than Yugi. His long, straight black hair fell down to his shoulders like a veil, highlighted by the same red and blond streaks as his brother, and his deep magenta eyes seemed to pin them to their seats.

"No problem, Temu," Joey said. "We weren't really doing anything 'sides homework anyway. What's up?"

"A short while ago, I felt a great surge of…energy, for lack of a better word. I am…reluctant to say it, but I think we could be in for another Egypt."

Tristan, Tea, and Joey groaned loudly in protest. Atemu held up his hand.

"I know how you feel and I'm not any more thrilled than you are. Especially after we've had such a hard year—"

Again with the 'hard year.'

"—but it hit me hard enough I couldn't breathe regularly for almost fifteen minutes."

"That's the way it was for me," Melody said. "I heard someone scream then it was like somebody was sitting on my chest. I almost blacked out."

Atemu turned those magenta eyes on her and she shivered as something tingled in the back of her mind. She smacked it away. It came back stronger and something gripped her neck. The girl gritted her teeth.

"Get out of my head, Atemu."

"Wait…you felt that?" Yugi slowly stood up.

"Yes, I felt that! And it's an invasion of privacy to probe somebody without their permission! Not to mention rude."

"Forgive me, Melody. I didn't mean to intrude—"

"Yes, you did or you wouldn't have done it!"

"We've had more than our share of betrayals. I had to make sure we could trust you."

"Well, can you?"

"I don't know yet. But the fact that you could even distinguish a psychic probe unnerves me."

"Come on, Atemu," Tea urged. "She's our friend."

"Namu was your friend and he turned out to be Marik in disguise. I needn't remind you that he tried to kill us."

"Yami." Yugi shot his brother a look while Joey and Tea exchanged skittish glances.

"It was a precaution, Yugi," Atemu said. "I couldn't just dismiss the fact that she felt the same thing I did." He sighed and rubbed the bridge of his nose. "You don't feel evil. Forgive me, Melody. I was merely trying to protect my friends."

Melody glanced down at the carpet. He was Alpha here. Not her.

Pack law, girly. Don't step in it right off the bat.

"I understand," she said at last. "But I'd appreciate you treating me like an adult next time."

"Of course. Has anyone tried to contact Ryou?" Atemu looked at Tea, the only one to consistently carry a phone. The brunette shook her head as she took out her cell.

"I have the number in here. Just a sec."

"You think Ryou might be in trouble too?" Tristan asked.

"Shoot! I completely forgot!" Yugi smacked himself in the forehead. "I meant to tell you earlier, Yami, but his nightmares are getting worse and he can see him during the day now."

"Him? Bakura?"

At the name 'Bakura,' Melody's stomach clenched. The others sat up straighter in their seats, all leaning towards Yugi.

"That's what he saw in the bathroom at school," he said. "He slipped and hit his head when he tried to get away."

"No wonder the guy's so pale," Tristan said, rubbing his eyes. "Bakura would give anybody nightmares."

"I can't get through, guys." Tea hung up then dialed the hospital again. She shook her head. "Nobody's picking up at the front desk or his room."

"Maybe we should go check on him. I think visiting hours are still open."

"No, wait," Tristan said, "don't you have to go pick up Mai?"

"No, there was some kind of hang up at the agency. Said she'll have to stay another day or two but she'll call when she gets in."

"It's settled then," Atemu said, standing. "I'll drive as I'm the only one with a car. And if it is Bakura, I'm probably the only one who can do anything. Who's coming with me?"

"We'll all go," Yugi said. They all stood and headed downstairs.

"Now wait a minute," Melody protested. "What's going on? Who's this Bakura you guys keep babbling about?"

"Tea, keep trying the hospital." Atemu jingled his keys and grabbed his jacket from behind the store counter. "I'll explain on the way."

"So, you're saying these Millennium Items caused all the stuff during Battle City."

"And the stuff with Atlantis," Yugi added.

"Atlantis?" Melody asked, frowning.

"Yeah, you know all those monsters that showed up before the Championship at Kaiba Land?"

"The news said it was just Kaiba Corp holograms going haywire."

"They weren't holograms." Yugi glanced over at Tea, who shook her head and dialed again. "They were real."

"That's impossible, Yugi, monsters don't just show up on the physical plane. Things stay on our plane or they stay in the astral plane; they can't just grow bodies and cross over."

"Believe it, Mel." Joey pulled his shirt back, revealing a long, thin scar running diagonally across his collarbone. "Got this from the Leviathon. Even Kaiba got pulled into it but you'd never know it from that denial act he's got goin'."

"Kaiba? What about Mokuba? Do you think he's okay?"

"Do you feel otherwise?" Atemu asked. He changed lanes then slowed to a stop at a red light. Melody closed her eyes halfway.

"No. No, I don't think so."

"Neither do I." The light turned green and he hit the gas. "The problem is that when we were in Egypt a few months ago, the Millennium Items were supposed to be lost to the sands."

"Could it be something else then?"

"It's possible but for so many odd things to focus on Ryou, it's hard to believe it's something else. Bakura is notorious for not staying dead. Any luck, Tea?"

"Not even on the hospital ph—"

"Yami, look out!" Yugi yelled. Atemu slammed on the brakes just as another car pulled out, crossing the street.

"Idiot!" Joey yelled, then he did a double take. "Dude, that chick's eyes were red!"

"It's night time, Joey," Tristan assured. "Probably just the streetlamps."

"Yeah? Then why is she following us?"

Everyone except Atemu turned to look out the back window. The small white car rode their bumper, black beads swinging wildly from the mirror. A pretty redheaded woman sat at the wheel. She locked gazes with Yugi and her eyes flashed a sickly crimson.

"Floor it, Yami!"

Left, right, straight, right, another right. The woman tailed them so close they could hear the clunk of their cars tapping.

"Slow down," Yugi screamed. "You'll miss the parking lot!"

"You just said speed up!"

"I know what I said! Slow down!"

"I can't; she'll hit us!" Nevertheless, Atemu tried to slow enough to turn but the woman sped up, hitting the bumper again. He spat something in Egyptian.

"I'll try and go around. Tea?"

"No."

He muttered something else and pulled back into the highway. Behind them, the woman followed, nicking the corner.

"If I slow down again, she'll drive right over the car."

"Turn here!" Melody pointed to an upcoming intersection.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, turn here!"

Atemu yanked the wheel to the right, the tires barely keeping the pavement. Tea screamed, Joey and Tristan swore, and Melody stared hard at the road.

"There's a side road up here. Turn left."

Another turn, another set of thumps from the flying teens. Tires screeched behind them.

"Dude, she's ramming us!" Joey flicked the woman off. She didn't even blink.

Wham!

"Ra, I'm so tired of this!" Yugi yelled. Atemu made another turn, knocking Melody into the window.

Wham!

"This is normal for you guys, right?" she asked.

Wham!

"Unfortunately, yes," Atemu said.

"Well that makes my job a lot easier then." Reaching up, Melody slid open the sunroof.

"Melody, what are you doing?!"

"Trust me!" She climbed up and knelt on the counsel, half her body hanging out of the top.

"Melody?"

"Keep it steady, Temu!" She raised her hands. The woman's car lurched, her brakes screeched. Melody weaved.

"Hang on," he called. "We're almost back to the hospital."

Suddenly Melody cried out and slipped back into the car, smacking her head on the way down.

"Are you okay?" Joey asked. Holding her head, she pointed to the woman, who was now fishtailing into the trees.

"Just get to the hospital. I'm fine."

They drove the rest of the way to the hospital in silence. When they pulled into the parking lot, they all piled out and Atemu hurried around to help Melody.

"Are you all right?"

"Yeah. Yeah, I'm okay."

Atemu gently checked the back of her head.

"So you are psychic."

"I—"

"Not now!" Yugi ran to the entrance as fast as his short legs could carry him. "That woman tried to keep us away for a reason!"

"We'll talk later," Atemu muttered. Melody nodded and followed them up to Ryou's room where a nurse stood over the bed.

"How is he?" Tea asked.

"Stable." The nurse checked Ryou's pulse and wrote it down on her clipboard. "And you are?"

"We're his friends." Atemu hurried to the bed and lifted the boy's eyelids. Ryou's eyes were a muddy brown, clouded and unfocused. "How long has he been unconscious?"

"Not long. Another nurse had just brought him his dinner. She said he was acting strange."

"Has he said anything?"

"He's unconscious."

Atemu sent the nurse a look full of barely controlled annoyance.

"People can talk in their sleep. Has he said anything?"

"No." She glanced at her watch. "The doctor should be here in a few minutes. Call the desk if you need anything."

"Thank you."

The nurse walked out and Yugi shut the door behind her.

"We're too late," he said. "That woman stalled us just enough we couldn't help."

"Yes." Atemu whispered softly to the British boy in Arabic, brushing Ryou's bangs out of his face.

"Do you think it really was Bakura?" Tea asked.

"It can't be anyone else," he replied. "The feelings Melody and I had, that woman in the white car, and now Ryou passing out after telling Yugi about his visions. Bakura has always been powerful but it seems now he has extended his reach."

"Hey guys, check this out." Joey walked to the side table and picked up Ryou's cross necklace, charred completely black. Yugi took the necklace with a shudder.

"He was wearing this when I left."

Melody edged behind Atemu.

"What is it?" he asked.

"It smells…wrong…Something smells wrong."

"What's that on his chest?" Tea reached over and pulled his hospital gown back.

There on the pale boy's chest rested five white bandages in a circular pattern. Blood still oozed under the gauze. Above them, a burn in the shape of a cross adorned his collar bone and it bled into a ligature mark, as if someone had forcibly wrenched the chain off his neck.

"So it's not the ring," Yugi said, relieved. "It didn't come back."

"I almost wish it had. At least the ring is tangible." Atemu sighed, straightening up, and ran a hand through his hair. "I know how to fight the Millennium Items. I even know something of Atlantian magic but I don't sense either here. And these wounds…"

"So he found another way to come back," Tristan said. "Healthy teenagers don't just pass out and for him to slip and hit his head twice in two days can't be a coincidence. He's clumsy but not like that."

"Yes," Atemu agreed. "I would not put it past Bakura to link himself directly to Ryou instead of merely using the ring as a conduit."

"Somebody should stay with him tomorrow," Tea said, her blue eyes locked on Ryou's pale form. "This only happens when he's by himself."

"I'll stay." Atemu pulled the edges of Ryou's bandages up. He winced. The cuts, though shallow, were edged with black. "Cauterized. Whatever Bakura wants, he needs Ryou alive. Yugi, do you still have your key to the Game Shop?"

"Always. You just gonna close for the day?"

"We can afford it."

"Can anyone watch it for us?"

"You all have school, Tea has dance, and Joey has to go pick up Mai tomorrow."

"No," Joey said, "remember, the hang up? It's the day after."

"Oh. Well, in any case, it's all right. It won't be for too long. One of us can go back after school lets out. And as long as we're keeping everyone in the loop, I'd like one of you to talk to Kaiba and Mokuba."

"Not me!" Tristan and Joey called at the same time. Tea and Yugi looked at each other then at Melody.

"Nuh-uh, I spent all day kicking his chair."

"Fine," Yugi said. "Fine, I'll talk to Kaiba. He probably won't believe me anyway but it's worth a shot. He was involved in this before so there's a chance he might've felt something."

"I'll talk to Mokuba, then." Melody pulled her jacket closer and reached into a pocket for a scrunchie. "I'm supposed to meet him tomorrow afternoon to help with an English paper."

"All right, that's enough visiting for one night." A man in a white lab coat swept in armed with a clipboard and a stethoscope. "Mr. Bakura needs his rest."

"He's unconscious; he's been 'restin' the whole time we been here!"

"Hush, Joey." Atemu sent him a warning look. "Doctor, I'd like to come back in the morning."

"Fine but that's in the morning. Out." He made shooing motions with the clipboard and the group filed out into the hall.

"So now what?" Joey stretched and, stuffing his hands in his pockets, fell against the wall. "I dunno about you guys but I'm still shook up from that car ride."

"Yeah, that was pretty intense, Mel." Tristan flung his arm around her shoulders. "What exactly did you do?"

She carefully ducked under his arm and hitched a thumb at the elevator.

"It's probably better if we talked in the car."

"We'll talk in the waiting room." Atemu walked past them all to the small, enclosed waiting room at the end of the hall. He waited for them to enter then shut the door.

"Should I be concerned that nobody else is in here?" Melody asked.

"Never mind that. Who are you, really?"

The temperature in the room seemed to dip as she looked at the older Moto.

"Why should I tell you?"

"Because at the moment I don't know if you can be trusted and I will not have any more of my friends hurt because some upstart thinks she can take over the world. Now answer me."

The foreign girl glared, hackles raised.

"Don't talk to me like that."

"Then for Ra's sake, make this easier for us and answer. Your being difficult does not help anyone."

The two stared at each other for a moment then Melody clenched her fists and sighed.

"Okay," she said, glancing down. "I was sent to Japan to investigate a…psionic disturbance. I thought it centered on you, Yugi. Then I met Atemu and I thought it centered on him."

"And?"

"It doesn't. You're powerful, Atemu, but I can't sense anything bad out of you." She grinned. "Even if you aren't telling me the whole truth about those Millennium Thingies."

"We don't know you." He came to stand in front of her, his arms folded, his eyes hard as flint. "Who sent you?"

"I can't say."

"Melody." Tea sat next to her on the faded blue couch and took her hand. "You have nothing to be afraid of. We won't hurt you or anything but we need to know if we can trust you. We need all the help we can get if this is what we think it is."

"What do you think it is?"

"Who sent you?" Atemu repeated. Melody studied them all, feeling them out. At last, she took a deep breath.

"Ororo Monroe-Howlett. You don't know her but she's been following you guys for a while now."

"Why?"

"She takes special interest in preternatural activities connected to Africa. She told me you guys usually handled things on your own but this disturbance wasn't Egyptian, at least, not completely."

"What then?"

"I don't know. Psionic, for sure. Ororo said it focused somewhere in this area and she wanted me to find out what it was."

"Monroe, you said?" Yugi said slowly. "I've heard that name before. She's a…teacher?"

"Sort of."

"I didn't sense any magic from you," Atemu continued. "What did you do to the car?"

"Slowed it down. But…she fought back somehow. Or, whoever was controlling her."

"Yes, it didn't seem to come from her…How did you slow it down?"

Melody hesitated.

"How, Melody?"

The girl bit her lip and looked down at her hands.

"Do you promise not to tell?"

Tea took one of her hands and squeezed it, leaning on the girl's shoulder.

"We won't tell if you don't."

She hesitated again then closed her eyes.

"I'm a mutant. That's how I could sense the probe and slow down the car. Ororo…strongly suggested I not tell anyone." There was an odd emphasis on "strongly."

"Why?" Tea wondered.

"It's dangerous." Atemu sat down on the other side of Melody. "Mutants are still very controversial, even twenty years after the Civil War in the United States."

"Really?"

He shot Joey a look.

"Am I the only one that watches the news?"

No answer. Atemu sweatdropped.

"Oy."

"But you can't tell anyone," Melody insisted. "I figured I wouldn't be able to hide it for very long if I was going to help but you can't tell anybody, please. I'm registered and everything but the FOH are still so prevalent—"

"We won't, dear heart," the Egyptian said, putting a hand on her shoulder. "I appreciate you telling us. At least now I know why it's been pulling tongues to get you to answer."

"Teeth, Yami," Yugi corrected with a grin. "Pulling teeth."

"That's what I said. But for future reference, it would have been better if you knew how we felt about mutants before telling us. We won't hurt you, but there are others who might. I suggest you stick with Ms. Howlett's advice until we know what's happening."

She nodded, chastened, and he continued.

"Do you have any questions for us?"

"Yeah, actually." She tilted her head at the dark-haired man. "Why do you feel so old?"

"I do not!"

The others couldn't hide their sniggers at Atemu's indignant expression and Melody grinned.

"Okay fine, ancient," she amended. "It's in your eyes. I can tell. Something about Ryou feels the same way."

Atemu looked at Yugi, then Tea, Joey, and Tristan.

"Well…since I can't hide forever either…I am ancient." He folded his hands and stared at the carpet. "I used to be an Egyptian Pharaoh and that's probably why your Ms. Howlett takes such an interest in us. I was locked in the Millennium Puzzle until Yugi completed it, then I took…joint-custody, as it were, of his body."

"Possession?"

"In a way. At first, I would take control without him knowing. I was Pharaoh; I still had the mentality of doing anything I wanted regardless of what people thought. Then, as I got to know Yugi and the others, we began to work together. "

"Wait, were you still in Yugi's body during Battle City?"

"Yes."

"I knew it! Your voices would change! I don't know if anyone noticed it but it always bothered me when Katie made me watch the duels."

Yugi and Atemu shared a look.

"It's amazing someone else didn't pick up on it," the younger one said. "I learned a lot from Yami. I used to be really timid and stuff but…" He gave his other a warm smile. "I actually have a backbone now."

"Okay, so why aren't you in the Puzzle now, Atemu?"

"One of the…side effects of being in the Puzzle was that Atemu lost his memory," Tea picked up. "After Battle City and the deal with Atlantis, we went to Egypt so he could get it back with those God Cards."

Melody frowned slightly.

"The big red dragon thing with two mouths, the big blue thing with the big shoulders and the big gold griffin thing," Joey supplied.

"Ah okay, go on."

"Well there's not much to tell after that." Atemu spread his hands in the closest thing he'd get to a shrug. "I retrieved my memory and my name, and Yugi and I were forced to duel. If he won, I would pass on to the Afterlife. If I won, I got to stay in his body."

"You won."

"It was a tie," Yugi said. "Now we just say he was a brother that had been in Egypt for a while."

"So what about Bakura?"

"Well, Ryou's had a lot of black outs lately—"

"He's sick, been a rough year, I get it. The kid's got something wrong with him that won't go away."

"You make it sound like cancer," Tea said. Melody's face went blank.

"Bakura."

"Bakura's always been the bad guy," Tristan said, leaning back into the couch. A bar dug into his back and he scowled at it before leaning forward again. "No matter what happened, he always managed to take over Ryou's body and try to do his own thing."

"He was a thief in my day." Atemu's eyes darkened at the memories. "A tomb robber trapped the same way I was. He's been trying to get the Millennium Items ever since."

"Why?"

"Power. Revenge. He blamed my father for destroying his village to make the Millennium Items and then later decided to gather all seven of them and…take over the world."

Melody rubbed her face with a sigh.

"They always try to take over the world. And this Bakura guy is the one that's been messing with the kid and freakin' him out."

"Yes."

"Okay." She stood up and clapped her hands. "Well, your story matches with the few details Ororo told me. None of you feel yucky and if you can keep all that a secret, my being a mutant shouldn't be much of a problem." She bowed with a Jack Sparrow flourish. "I am at your service, Old Man. Just tell me how I can help."

An hour later, the group drove back to the game shop in silence, although every passing car made at least one of them jump. No crazy women in white cars attacked them though and they all went home, worried but too tired to do anything right now. Yugi trumped up the steps to his room, yawning, and threw his jacket on the bed.

"Hey, Yami?"

The Pharaoh paused just outside the door.

"We'll be fine, Yugi. We've been through this before and have always come out on top. We can handle anything so long as we stand together."

It was an old, familiar speech, spoken at almost every catastrophe they'd ever encountered, but the message still made the teen smile.

"Thanks, Yami. Good night."

"Good night, Yugi. And don't worry. We'll be able to rest soon." Atemu smiled warmly at his charge then turned and went to his room across the hall.

Lord Osiris, keeper of the royal line, he prayed. Please don't make me out to be a liar. Protect my family. Protect these children. He walked over to his window and pulled back the curtain, a small shaft of moonlight falling across his eyes. Please let it end soon.

Behind him, two red eyes glowed out from the shadows. Too bad Osiris couldn't hear him.

Across the city, a slim woman with light brown hair in sweatpants and a t-shirt pulled out of the parking lot of the Domino Chronicle. She'd run late again but when weird stuff happened, people wanted to hear it, and her boss insisted everything be checked at least twelve times. She supposed it was a good thing he was so thorough but this time of night always felt strange to her. Her son called it 'creepy quiet' and the fog certainly didn't help.

Oh well, she thought. She had a family to get home to, laundry to do, and breakfast to make in the morning.

As she merged onto the highway, a small white car pulled up behind her. Two hours later, Tristan woke to a call from the police. His sister, Theresa, had wrapped her Prius around a light pole and was being airlifted to Tokyo General Hospital. The doctors were not hopeful.