"And that is exactly why," Ayaka resumed, "We need you to let us have your helicopter at the very least!!!"

"Somehow I can't see the reason why." Seto Kaiba scoffed from his chair in his office, right in front of her. "Your logic doesn't seem to communicate with mine, in such a weird and ironic way!"

"Kaiba, Sugoroku Mouto was kidnapped! Moreover, by some evil psychos who want to rule over the world!" Ayaka stared incredulously at him, unable to do anything else. She could never grasp the nerve of this person.

"Ok. Where's the problem? I don't see any." He shrugged and continued typing on his laptop.

"Kaiba!!! That's it!!!" Ayaka slammed her fists on his desk, and the only reaction she got of him was his blue eyes traveling up to meet her grays in a totally apathetic way. Ayaka wasn't a person who would get mad easy, but if someone did manage to feed her up, a nuclear explosion was definitely a batter choice. The look she was giving now to Kaiba was the one of a bull's in a china shop. Not flattering at all. "You're coming with us, to rescue Sugoroku Mouto, and NO isn't an option for you! You have absolutely NO right to refuse, because I say so and that's enough for everybody! GOT IT???"

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Yaaaaaaaaaahhh!!!" Was the only thing Ayaka could say, as she was thrown out of Kaiba Corp's front door literally flying by the hands of the security guards. She landed two feet away from Amaya, Honda, Anzu, Mai and Otogi, in a very non-lady-like way.

Mai looked at her watch. "Wow! He actually listened to you for a three whole minutes?? That's a tremendous progress in Kaiba's social skills!!"

"Yeah, we must note down the day and tell Jou about this." Honda murmured through his teeth.

Anzu kneeled next to Ayaka, who was rubbing her head from the impact. "Are you okay, honey?" She asked with honest concern.

"I guess it's pretty useless to ask whether it went well or not." Otogi shrugged. "Damn Kaiba! That's not a way to treat a lady, oversized asshole!!! Don't worry Amaya chan; I'll protect you from this beast!" He turned to Amaya playing the prince.

He received a rather paralyzing look. "You want to protect someone? How about starting with Bakura!"

"I'm not gay, but I'll try."

"What was THAT?"

"Nothing! I'm joking Amaya chan, joking!" Otogi laughed it off, either way he was really joking, but Amaya was fuming. Yami's constant harassment hadn't gone well on her nerves. She felt like pummeling Pharaoh's pretty face until his teeth would fall off. But it wouldn't be a pretty face then… She shook her head, like that would shake the thought away as well. But even she couldn't deny that she was worrying about Yugi's grandpa.

"Well, if it's one thing that I know for sure, it's that I'll never ask Kaiba for any favors ever again! I'd rather die!!" Ayaka was in a weird mix of emotions. She felt like crying, but also like her rage had petrified her tears into place. Plus, the situation seemed kind of funny to her, even if it was so serious. She didn't know what to do. Cry? Throw a fit? Laugh?

"Ok, we've used to this in so many years! Let's not get depressed!" Honda suggested, trying to cheer everybody up. "Besides, Mokuba will surely persuade him to help us out, so there's no need to worry about that for now. Let's go back."

"Oh yeah, that's right! Come on guys!" Anzu added. "We'll work this out like we always do!"

"Wait, Mokuba will persuade him?" Ayaka protested. "Then what was I? A guinea pig?"

"You insisted on going. They warned you not to." Amaya reminded her.

"I was an eager guinea pig?" Ayaka rephrased.

"No, a masochistic one." Amaya replied and that cracked everyone up. They laughed, shaking their heads, and heeding towards Mai's car.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"No." Downright, flat response.

"Setooooo…" Mokuba had gotten a warning tone. "You gave than man a heart attack, that's the least you could do to repay him! What will you do if his heart has gotten weaker since then and he dies from a heart attack he might undergo while he's been held captive? How would you deal with the guilt?" Mokuba was putting everything on the table in the very first round.

"There are six billions of people in the world. I can assure you that one person's loss won't stop the universal rotation." Seto scoffed. He was starting to get irritated. "Besides, those dorks will find a way to save him. Why should I interfere?"

"Because this is our responsibility as well, not only theirs!" Mokuba protested. "My responsibility, because they've saved me countless times, and you as well-"

"I've paid them back for this." Seto interrupted him. "They've saved us and we've saved them. We don't owe each other anything; I've made sure of that."

"But you don't stop being a duelist, Seto!" Mokuba played his ace card. "What do you think this is all about? Malik wants to duel to conquer the world! If you, Yuugi and Jou can't stop him, he'll succeed and many people will die! And that might do something to the universal rotation!" The black-haired boy concluded sarcastically. "Isn't a duelist's duty to prevent that from happening?"

Seto sat to contemplate about it a little. It was true, what Mokuba was saying… And they had asked for help themselves, he added, as he was reminded of the redhead that came previously. And he was a duelist… The best duelist! Those geeks might screw up without him, either way they had been able to win so far because all of them acted like a team. He sighed, and admitted defeat in the hands of his brother after some minutes. Or at least, a tie.

"Very well, Mokuba, I'll go. Under one condition!" He added, before his little brother could celebrate. "Only I will go. You'll stay here until I come back!" The brunette got off his chair and grabbed his white trench coat, a sign that he was heeding out. Mokuba looked at him with mouth wide open. The truth had landed awfully at him.

"Wha-WHAT! You can't do this!" He suddenly awoke. "I just said it was my responsibility-"

"No Mokuba, for the next few hours, Kaiba Corp. is your responsibility! Better be still standing until I return!" With that final statement, Seto Kaiba closed the door and called his limo. He had to go and pick some idiots up.

"They wanted and a helicopter, God forbids!" He commented, as he stepped outside, where the limo was already waiting for him.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Sugoroku Mouto was lying unconscious on the ground of Malik's hideout. The evil spirit didn't pay any attention to the old man at all; one could say that he'd notice him more if he was an object. He'd lost the Rod from the last time, but luckily, his host had found a magic bracelet, which was so convenient for the spirit to use. The original Malik was suppressed in the depths of unconsciousness, and he couldn't come to unless the bracelet was taken off.

The spirit chuckled. He wouldn't lose this time! And that was because he knew what he needed to do now. He wouldn't duel. There would be no need to, since he had Yuugi's old man in his hands. He wasn't as stupid as to go through the same tactics as before. No… what he was going to do was to use some guns, the ones of the people he controlled, and a pretty knife…

… To sacrifice the three warriors!

Yami Malik laughed evilly and maniacally, a laugh that sounded through the empty now space. He would kill them all! Pharaoh Atem and his host, Yuugi Mouto, Jyounouchi Katsuya, and Kaiba Seto! He would take for himself that annoying girl, Mazaki Anzu, and that chick he had set his eyes upon when they dueled, Kujaku Mai! He held a particular grudge towards that woman. Women should stay low and watch men taking control, not dare to oppose them like that whore had the nerve to do! And he wanted so much to hold Pharaoh's cheek, caressing him right under his violet eyes, while the blood would cascade from his neck, draining his life away…

Malik let himself being drown in his daydream. He was sure he would win this time! Because now, he wasn't alone! Now he had a powerful ally…

…Yami Bakura.

When he thought about Bakura, he frowned. There would be a problem when they'd share the victims. He was sure he'd want to kill the Pharaoh himself… Maybe they could come to compromise. He'd let Pharaoh to Yami Bakura and he'd kill both Jyounouchi Katsuya and Kaiba Seto. He'd get Kujaku Mai and Jyounouchi Katsuya for sure, after all, they'd almost beat him when they dueled. The nerve of that blond guy had driven him much madder than the chick. Maybe he could leave Mazaki Anzu to Bakura… the only problem afterwards, was Kaiba Seto. Malik had never dueled with him, but he had stolen the Rod from him. Plus, if that punk hadn't given the Pharaoh that card, Malik wouldn't have been defeated! But Bakura had declared he wanted Seto Kaiba along with the Pharaoh…

Malik shrugged. In the worst case, they would just kill everyone together!

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

I just don't know what to do… What do you say, Yuugi?

For Bakura? Yuugi asked the spirit. Ryou was secluded in his house after the incident with Yuugi's grandpa and wouldn't come out, saying he was too dangerous for everybody. The only person, who would go and visit him, was Amaya, despite Yami's warnings.

No, no… For Amaya! Yami responded. She refuses to listen to me so stubbornly, that I'd bet my head she's doing it just because I say so, to oppose to me!

I think you're just being paranoid. Yuugi shook his head. Besides she cares about Ryou very much to let him as he is… as we did.

He asked us to do so, and very logically! Yami protested. What could happen to Amaya, I don't even want to think about it! Bakura is dangerous! He could kidnap her, torture her, and even kill her – Gods I have to stop her now! He concluded, frightened.

No Pharaoh, you're just being paranoid as I said. Ryou would never hurt Amaya chan! The person I'm worrying about is my grandfather…

Yami's gaze softened. We'll save him. Like we always did. He smiled at Yuugi, and that was enough for the boy to calm down and feel warm and safe.

Pharaoh, do you like Amaya chan?

WHAT???

From the very difficult position, the corn that sounded outside saved Yami. Let me take over for now, he told Yuugi, and the boy did as the Pharaoh said. Yami went and looked outside the window, to face Kaiba's limo. The window came down and Jou's head showed up.

"Come on, Yuugi, Pharaoh! Let's go save your grandpa!" He shouted and both Yami and Yuugi smiled. Amaya looked at Yami darkly, like challenging him: Will you come or not? Ayaka noticed, though she was still melting from the thought that Kaiba had actually picked her up. Before concluding that she was a masochist, she realized that her friends would soon have big love problems.

Yami got in, together with all the others – the only ones missing were Mokuba and Shizuka, it looked like Seto and Jou had something in common after all, and of course Ryou – and the limo, which Seto was driving, accelerated.

From down the end of the street, Bakura laughed sardonically and licked his lips like a hunter towards his prey.