Kintsugi

by 7th Librarian

You are a broken man, Lyrius Stormcloud. You have lived too long and cared too much about the evil you loved as a wife All you have left is that worn battered body of yours, the kindness of strangers and all the trouble that could ever want to kill you. But you've been dead a thousand years, old man. Time to learn how to live. Part of the Shadowchaser series by Occam's Razor.

4. Escalation

Kintsugi
By 7th Librarian

Chapter 4: Escalation

"Okay, I know offered to sleep with you if you wanted to, but that wasn't quite an invitation to walk around my home in a towel." Serenity drawled from where she was sprawled on her couch, chin resting on the arm as she watched Lyrius stride across the living room with but a towel to protect his modesty. "Not that I'm complaining about it. But Ember is still lurking around and you wouldn't want to scar her young impressionable mind."

"Since I sleep here, does it not make this room my room and you are the one intruding?"

"You have to share it with everyone else." Serenity chuckled at the frustrated look on his face and threw him a pile of clothes. "Here. Put something on and you can come back all nice and gothic and brooding instead of dripping wet and delicious."

Lyrius' concession to manners was to simply vanish around the corner. "How is Nephyire?"

"Well, I can tell you this is the first time I've operated on a dead person to make sure they stay healthy in death." Serenity stretched on the couch with a groan, feeling a few kinks in her back from sitting down next to her patient finally unknot. "Otherwise, she's doing okay. All it really took was some suturing and most of my remaining fresh bandages. I'm not too sure about the mask, though. Definately damaged, but she wouldn't take it off to let me repair it or examine her head."

"I doubt the mask can be removed. I have seen its like before." Lyrius' voice floated out from around the corner. "The undead are usually mindless, soulless automatons. Masks can be used to ensure they keep their wits about them and even keep them from rotting."

"Mmm..." Serenity nodded along. "She said the mask was both her protection and her punishment."

"The mask will probably help restore her body and keep her from being seriously injured. As well as mask her from scrying and the like. But it also hides her from the gods. Which means she cannot pass into the afterlife and be judged. For an Egyptian from her time, that is indeed a fate worse than death." Lyrius swept back into the living room and gave Serenity a blink of curosity as she cocked her head at him. "What is it?"

"I gave you a shirt in that pile."

"I am intending to give Resonae a bath. There is no sense is having to change clothes twice."

"Ooh, yeah. She doesn't look like she'd take well to water." Serenity grinned and kicked her legs a couple of times. "Ember's still stuck doing my housework. We could have her do it."

"Would you want to explain to Jinx why my Nightmare is spitting out human bones?"

"Spoilsport." Serenity watched as he gathered a brush and a bucket. "Want my help, then? I have a little bit of chocolate left I can bribe her with."

"Thank you, but no." Lyrius began to fill the bucket in the sink. "Resonae will behave for me. If not, I can prove once again why I am her master."

"Please don't. I don't have enough supplies to put you both back together again and Resonae isn't much of a conversationalist."

"Thank you for valuing my mount over me. I do so, as it is said 'feel the love'."

"What can I say? Hell horse is freaking cute." Serenity watched Lyrius make for the back door, watching happily. "Though you're pretty good eye candy yourself. Look at those muscles. Rawr!"

"Thank you for the compliment." Lyrius paused as a thought occured to him. "Could you go to The Tar Pit and see if Rex will give or sell us some of his stock?"

"He probably will." Serenity's expression brightened. "Ooh, are we gonna give it to Ember?"

"No."

"Resonae! I bet she's a fun drunk! In a...err...stabby sort of way."

"I want to experiment with it. It may make a potent explosive. Or poison."

"Okay, alcohol will you kill you, but you shouldn't use it like that deliberately." Serenity said with eyeroll. But she slid herself off the couch and stood. "But a little sunshine would be nice. How many bottles you want?"

"All of them would preferable."

"We can't put him out of business. On the other hand, I did swear an oath to work to prevent others from harming themselves and that stuff is kind of dangerous..." Serenity mulled her options over in her head, then shrugged. "Right. I'll be back in a couple of hours. Don't let our guests kill each other."

Lyrius was quiet.

"Lyrius!"

"...very well."

TTTTTTT

The Domino Library had been spared most of the intial blast of Zero Reverse and even the ravages of time. But not the desperation of the inhabitants. Books that had once been plundered for knowledge had been plundered for fuel and heat in the early years after the catastrophe, and its shelves had been picked clean. Then the shelves themselves had been torn apart for more. All that was left was useless, fried electronics, a few busts and so on.

But the building was still filled with silence as it had ever been and the lich found that fact comforting.

Despite it being the middle of the day, the the upper floors of the library were nearly pitch black thanks to the lack of windows. The only light that existed was flickering of an old projector grumpily whirring its reels to project a black-and-white film against a bare alcove of untouched white wall.

The lich watched as, on-screen, a young officer dove into a trench even as several of his comrades were shot in the head. Smoke poured over the trench as the shot panned into the soldier's point-of-view of the corpse strewn battlefield, some men staggering around in pain in the throes of what looked like a gas attack. Noiseless flashes of light punctuated the fog, heralding machine gun that mowed down the hapless men.

"It's All Quet On The Western Front."

The lich cocked its head enough to catch sight of the six-eyed raven perched on the projector. "Is it? I can't read Japanese and the audio reel was damaged."

"It's a Word War I movie concerning a young soldier experiencing the horrors of that war and how combat had gone from a noble endeavor to wholesale slaughter."

"Ah."

The pair watched the film for a few moments longer, then the raven spoke again. "Why are you here?"

"I was bored. And truth be told, desperate for something new to read. Wizards boast about how powerful and enlightening books of magic are, but they lose their luster like anything else after a point." The lich gave a rattling sigh. "There are only so many ways to say 'This spell kills your enemies'. Perhaps we magic users are driven to create new ways of doing so in hopes of building a better mouse trap."

"Your life philosphy is of very little interest to me." The raven said bluntly. "Why did you come to this island?"

"Same as you. The Earthbound Immortals. There aren't exactly many gods walking the Earth these days."

"You'd be an equally lousy tourist as you are a liar."

"Worth a shot." The lich shrugged and held out a hand, a fireall ignighting in the plam. "I'm afraid I'm not your usual run-of-the-mill villain, Shadowchaser. I hardly need my ego feed by explaining myself to you. My goals are mine alone."

The raven took flight as the fireball destroyed the projector, swooping down over the railing and out of sight. The lich followed, leaping with surprising grace over the wooden railing and landing with Olypmic-level grace on the floor below. The raven had already joined its comrades pouring in the front door and the swirling mass of birds colalesced into Rayearth.

"Ahh, an Incantifer. Very lucky for me." The lich rasped and clapped its bony hands together, fireballs appearing in its palms as they parted. "Your kind's blood and organs make for wonderful ingredients in many things."

"You seem confident you can kill me." Rayearth produced her wand from her sleeve, the weapon lengthening into a staff.

"Oh, killing you Shadowchasers is more trouble than its worth. That Imprint I would be marked with is just terrible. Hardly flattering at all." The lich flicked both fireballs, unsurprised that Rayearth's staff simply smashed them into embers. "But you'd be surprised what organs and limbs you can live without."

"Pieces of myself won't be joining your collection today. But I have a teammate of the vulpine variety and she has been looking for some new bones to chew on."

"Alas, I've grown rather fond of my bones. Dead useful for existing as a lich, you see." The lich's comment was silenced as the staff slammed into its head, sending it tumbling end over end into a pile of bookshelves.

Rayearth didn't let up, a burst of power from her wand shattering a crumpled support pillar and leaving the upper floor to cave down atop the undead being and bury it further. The rubble pile shifted as the lich began to push itself free and then another burst of power slammed into its chest. It hurled the being into the wall and it blew apart into individual bones.

The skull didn't seem to notice. "Also useful because I can't feel pain."

"That remains to be seen." Rayerth grunted and stalked forwards, not slowing as all of the individual bones began to rise in the air menacingly and zip around her. "Clever."

The skull floated up casually even as bones began to hammer at the Incantifer at all sides, her staff a blur to knock and parry them aside. "You'd be surprised at how few liches are still limited to thinking like they need their body in one piece to be alive. With two-hundred and sixty-three bones in the human body, you'd think-"

Rayearth snatched a bone that had been about to crash into her temple from the air and flexed. There was a cracking noise. When she opened her hand, dust and tiny fragments of bone drifted to the ground. "Two-hunded and sixty-two."

"...you realize, this means war." The skull's sockets began to glow blue and the whirling, frenzied pace of the dancing bones picked up madly.

Rayearth just smiled.

TTTTTTT

"Hey."

Lyrius ignored Ember's call and instead splashed Resonae's side with another wave of water. The Nightmare huffed indignantly at the treatment, but remained obidiently still as he began to brush the dirt and trash from her coat.

"Hey, old guy." Ember huffed in annoyance from her position seated on the stoop. "I know you can hear me."

Lyrius continued scrubbing along Resonae's flank, pausing to use a comb to scrape lose some particularly stubborn dirt from the damp fur.

"...I could arrest you, you know."

Both mount and master snorted disbeleivingly in unison.

"You just got the drop me last time!" Ember insisted.

Lyrius knelt, Resonae lifting a hoof so he could carefully start scraping clean the underside.

The teenager let out an expasperated breath. "How does Serenity deal with this!? It's like talking to a brick wall!"

"She uses my name." Lyrius said simply. "Nor does she feel the need to put on airs."

"I'm just reminding you that you're a criminal and I'm a Shadowchaser." Ember barked. "No matter what Jinx and Rayearth say, you're bad news."

"You broke into an innocent woman's home and threatened her with a sword."

"You married an evil bitch and tried to conquer the world!"

"I spent four months training with a team of very powerful and very talented Shadowchasers. If they had felt I was a danger or needed to be punished for events that happened centuries ago, I would be sitting inside of a cell." Lyrius pointed out politely.

"Yeah, well, I've never heard of this Backwater place and Rayaerth's not exactly above-board, either." Ember grunted.

Lyrius didn't care to respond and instead continued with cleaning his Nightmare. Her dark coat meant dirt and the like didn't show up that well and despite her insistences that she was just fine, he had to be meticulous in cleaning to ensure he got everything. It was laborious task, made more so by the fact she was passive-aggressively complaining by shuffing her hooves or 'accidentally' swatting him with her tail when she felt he was taking too long in one particular spot.

He had finally cleaned one side of her to his satisfaction and swept around to the other side. Surprisingly, Ember's face appeared where he had just been. "What do you want?"

"I want to know what you want."

"No." Lyrius' felt his lips twitch slightly into a smirk at Ember's thrown expression. "This is not a story or tv show. I will not exposit on myself simply because you ask."

"I don't have to ask most of the bad guys I know...they like to hear themselves talk." Ember grumbled.

"Then perhaps this means I am not a bad guy."

"Absence of evidence isn't the same as proof of innocence." Ember said smugly.

"Presumption of guilt in absence of evidence is tyranny, not justice."

"You'd know, wouldn't you?"

"I would." It was several more minutes before Lyrius acknowledged the frustrated look on Ember's face. "I feel no need to say more on the subject."

"Then talk about something! Anything!" Ember said impatiently. "It's only you, me and the horse and she's just as likely to eat me than talk to me."

"What about Nephyire?

"She's still locked up in Serenity's room praying and we can't get any answers out of her."

"I am sorry to dissapoint, but I do not exist to relieve your boredom." Lyrius informed her. "Perhaps you should use this time to work on your deck. Or practice your combat skills. Or meditate and calm yourself."

"Those sound like things you'd do and if you consider those things fun or entertaining, you really are messed up." Ember huffed and folded her arms. "Seriously, do you do anything that might considered actually enjoyable?"

"Sex is enjoyable and engaging. Would you like to participate in that?"

Ember went as red as her name, her mouth dropping open.

"You asked first."

TTTTTTT

"-so it was at that point I swore off bananna hammocks as an underwear choice and found out that you can't hide inside of holograms." Rex polished off the remnants of his glass and set it down it with a punctuating thud. "Chased me all the way to the city limits and probably would have kept going if it hadn't been for that mime..."

Serenity snorted a giggle into her drink and shook her head bemusedly. "C'mon, Rex! Duel Monsters Mob?"

"Hey, they're a real thing! Or at least they were fifteen years ago." Rex insisted. "Break your legs if you crossed em and if you pissed off the Don, they tied you to a wheel, spun it and threw Duel Monsters cards at you until died of paper cuts!"

"No way, no way. I bet half of that story is made up!" Serenity pointed a finger at him. "Lying is bad for your heath, young man!"

"I'm older than you, red!" Rex said defiantly and rolled his eyes as Serenity just giggled. "Sheesh, what's gotten into you? You're cracking a smile at everything!"

"Don't think I can help it any, either." Serenity shrugged with a grin. "Just feeling like more like my old self these days, I guess."

"We got magic cops hanging around, Weevil's involved with some dark magic crap and your roomie is an ancient king with a literal killer horse. And that makes you like your old self." Rex said incredulously. "I can't believe you're liking all this magical hubub."

"Well, I am a little..." Serenity admitted with a sheepish grin, leaving Rex to lift an eyebrow at her. "Okay, maybe more than a little. I mean, this is the kind of stuff Joey and the others got up to you all those years ago and now its my turn. Not to mention that I'm learning so many new things."

"Don't be in a hurry to forgot the old lessons, training wheels. You aren't a young chickadee anymore." He gestured to the metal hand she had wrapped around her glass. "And you can't exactly afford to replace another limb."

"I am aware of that." Serenity held up that hand, flexing the fingers and there was a faint grinding sound as there was some hesitation on the fingers as they tried to move. "I can barely keep the ones I have working."

"Once the Daedalus Bridge gets finished, you shuold be able to hook yourself up with some better prosthetics. Maybe get yourself a rocket fist in there." Rex laughed at the frown she gave him. "Aw, c'mon, you never thought about that? You could be like Robodoc- fold out scalpel in your leg and your fingers transform into like a pair scissors and a needle and stuff!"

"First thing I'd do is sew that mouth of yours shut, Rex." Serenity huffed and took a swig of her drink. "Wouldn't have to listen to anymore of your lying stories, you lying ass."

"Hey, my stories are a hundred precent true! Especially the parts I wasn't there for!" Rex said in mock defensiveness and both of them shared a laugh. But it faded quickly and his smile fell into a frown. "Gotta admit, though. This stuff with Weevil is almost out of my league."

"What? No way, Rex." Serenity chided him. "Even if you've only done half the stuff you've said you done, ancient magic artifacts and life or death Duel Monsters should be a walk in the park."

"Naw, not like that. Just that I'm starting think Weevil's really gone off the deep end this time...and he's not coming back." Rex muttered into his glass. "I've seen it before, Serenity. Guys like him can hurt a lot of people when they decide to out with a bang."

"The Shadowchasers can stop him- Ember's young, but she's got heart. And Jinx and Rayearth clearly know what they're doing."

"I believe you. But Weevil's got himself convinced life has backed him into a corner and there's nothing more dangerous than a wackjob who has nothing else to lose." Rex growled and slammed a fist on the table. "I should have taken him out myself years ago!"

"Rex, I've seen you fight. You couldn't murder a sandwhich, let alone Weevil." Serenity snorted. "You're not in much better shape than I am."

"Bull. I've been drinking my own swill for years. Toughened me up. Put hair on my chest." Rex thumped his chest in emphasis and then winced, prompting his companion to laugh. "Hey!"

"Sorry, sorry." Serenity controlled herself, her expression sobering. "Rex, I don't know everything that you did to yourself. But all those ache and pains you're having, the tiredness, the irregular heartbeat, the headaches...that's your body telling you everything's catching up to you. I honestly can't tell you many years you have left."

"Mmm. Kinda figured that, yeah." Rex nodded. "But I'm not afraid of it, training wheels. I made peace with death a long time ago. I'll cuss the bastard out when I die and flip him off, but I'm not afraid of keeling over. Just find it kinda invconvient."

Serenity nodded slowly after a moment. "Yeah...I...know what you mean."

"Hey, now. Only room for one drunk idiot at the table and I'm filling it to capacity." Rex chided her. "In fact, there's only room for one in all of Satellite, so why don't you vamoose?"

Serenity must have looked confused, because he continued onwards. "Look, when all this stuff with Weevil is said and done, you think Lyrius is gonna hang around here? I've seen guys like him before - they're trying outrun the past and catch the future at the same time. Thing is, though, he doesn't pay attention to the present. He's tore up inside. He needs someone like you to keep him from falling apart."

"Rex, I'm a doctor, not a psychologist or anything like that. I'm not..." Serenity trailed off at Rex's expectant look. "Why do you want me to go with him?"

"Because you gave this crapsack place the best years of your life, two of your limbs and enough blood, sweat and tears to fill an ocean." Rex said curtly. "But Satellite isn't ever going to reward you for it and I think you need get out of here while you still can. See the world, learn about this magic stuff and maybe find a few old friends. And for the love of heart of the cards, find some happiness!"

Serenity sighed and muttered something uncomplimentry about her friend under her breath. "You don't even know if he'll want to take me along."

"Trust me. He will. You may have to cajole him a bit, but he'll cave like that." Rex snapped his fingers. "And if not, well, I'll show that old man a few things."

A snort escaped her at the thought of her diminutive friend trying to fight Lyrius and Serenity couldn't help but smile. "Alright, Rex. When this is all over, I'll see about going with him."

TTTTTTT

"I would speak with you."

Lyrius pulled himself free of his meditations at the echoey voice breaching the silence. He opened his eyes to see the mummy standing before him. "Nephyire. How are you doing?"

"Well. Your friend is good at what she does." Fresh white gauze covered most of the mummy's form and on the whole, her presence seemed stronger. "These bandages are quite sturdy."

Lyrius flicked his gaze up at her face. "Your mask seems to be repaired as well."

"Yes. My prayers have been heard, at least in part..." Fingers reach up automatically to touch the insect-faced mask. Chips and cracks still decorated it, but pieces were no longer flaking off and the gold had regained some of its luster. "It is a sign that asking you for help was correct."

"Then let us further that path. What did you wish to speak to me of?"

"The souls of those taken by the Immortals, as well as the souls of the tragedy that created this island are tained with darkness. The cartouches were to protect them from further harm so that when they pass from this world, they shall recieve fair judgement and purge their souls of the darkness." Nephiyre explained. "But they are not passing on to the afterlife."

Lyrius frowned in recognition. "The souls remain on this plane of existence."

"Yes. In the musuem, there is a strange artifact that has recently become...awake..." Nephyire paused, hunting for the words. "It shines with a sickly light and is somehow collecting the souls of this island. I have tried to release them, but I am a fallen priest and have not the power to purify them on my own."

"You said as a being of darkness, I could help you. How?"

"There is a way to help them. It is possible to draw the souls forth from the artifact, but I have refrained from doing so as they have no where to go. However..." The mummy's bandages shuffled and she produced a stack of Duel Monsters cards. "If they were to lend me their ka and defeat a soul of darkness, they could be purified."

"Symbolically overcoming the taint within through ritual combat." Lyrius nodded at the conclusion. Then his eyes narrowed. "Who else knows about this well of souls?"

"A being of bone and cold, who insults life by denying death. You would know it as a lich."

Lyrius frowned. "It stole the Millenium Star from you."

"Yes. We battled for the souls and I denied it from ever taking them itself. But it took my Item and I fear it it is only a matter of time it twists another into trying to do the thievry for it."

"It already has. The Shadowchasers are interfering with his plans, but it will not last." Lyrius stood, pulling his sword up with him. "Are you safe to ride, Nephiyre? The sooner we get to the museum, the sooner we can set these souls free and end their torment."

He paused and swiped bit of change from where it was sitting on the end table. With dexerity that only comes from practice, he twisted it in his fingers and flicked it at the door over Nephiyre's shouder. It punched through the cheap wood with ease and there a yelp from the other side. "You may come with us, Ember. "

"I wasn't gonna ask!" Ember insisted as she swept into the room, eyes flicking between the pair. "Someone needs to keep an an eye on you two creepy people."

Nephyire studied her curiously and then turned towards Lyrius. "I would not endanger a child."

"I'm a Shadowchaser and can take care of myself. Plus, what if Weevil or that lich shows up? You're going to need my help."

"You would follow us regardless." Lyrius pointed out and Ember huffed, but didn't deny the statement. "We will stop by The Tar Pit and drop you off. They will need protection if I am not present ."

Ember huffed angrily, opened her mouth, but Lyrius overrode her. "Your first duty is to protect those who cannot from magic, not to chase after us. We are taking this quest with full understanding of the risks. Serenity and Rex are Mundanes. To them, the risks can be quite lethal."

Ember's face twisted into a frown and she folded her arms in a pout. "I'm not admitting you're right!"

TTTTTTT

"Rex, just how much of this do you have?" Serenity gazed upon the dozen or so crates that were lined up on the bar. Each one held a variety of mistmatched bottles that were all sealed shut.

"Not enough." Rex grunted as he hefted another crate onto counter. He dusted his hands against one another and gave her a look. "And I run a bar. What do you expect?"

"Uh-huh." Serenity lifted an eyebrow curiously. "And how much is your rockgut and how much is real booze?"

"Well, geeze, you think I can't tell?" Rex growled indignantly and grabbed a bottle to wave in her face. "This one is clearly Jack Daniels."

"It says Schnapps." Serenity pointed out and tapped the bottle with a metal finger. "But the liquid inside is brown, not clear. So it's not that, either."

"Homemade Jack Daniels."

"Your stuff is an evil green."

"Okay, so I don't have much call for all this and wanted to clear it out." Rex threw up his free hand and shoved the bottle back into the crate. "I'm not even sure how much is liquor and how much is pop and stuff that's been expired for a decade or so."

Serenity sighed. "You mean we have to taste test all of these!?"

"Hey, any excuse to get drunk is a good excuse!" Rex said cheerfully and grabbed a different bottle, popping the seal. It never quite made it to his lips, though, as he paused in mid-motion and frowned. "Hey, red. We were drinking water earlier, right?"

"For what passes as water around here, yeah." Serenity nodded. "Why?"

"Cause if I'm not drunk enough to imagine seeing a sand tornado heading towards us, I'm gonna need to be drunk to deal with it."

Serenity turned towards the entrance of the bar, where there was indeed a sand tornado zipping towards them. Before it could impact, it impossibily ground to a complete halt. There was a heavy rusltling of sand and it resolved back into the form of Nephyire

"...oh great. Another mummy." Rex groaned and then let out a relieved sigh as Resonae drew up alongside the bar with Lyrius and Ember astride her. "Oh, good. It's Lyrius. Now all this weird stuff is going to at least have an explanation."

"Even if the explanation is going to be 'I can't tell you'."

"At least he's honest."

"Mmm." Serenity nodded. "Wait...another mummy?"

Rex didn't have time to regal her with the story as Lyrius and Ember had already dismounted and were walking into the bar with the mummy trailing a few steps behind. "Kid's a little young to be in here, Lyrius."

"Ha. A-ha-ha." Ember deadpanned. "Nice of the adults in my life to get a kick out of harassing me. Hilarious."

"There's not much else to do around her, kiddo and with that surly teenage look on your face, you make an easy target." Rex snickered as Ember just glared at him.

"Please don't antagonize each other. You are going to have to spend the next few hours in each other's company." Lyrius said before the arguement could progress further.

"Excuse you?" Serenity blinked.

"Nephyire has revealed that the reason a lich and by extension, Weevil, are casuing havoc is so that they can get to a well of souls lingering thanks to the Immortals. With my help, she can purify this well and send them to the afterlife." Lyrius explained. "Thus, removing the risk of our enemeis becoming more powerful."

"Not the strangest thing I've heard in the last few days." Rex seemed to give it a moment's though, then shrugged. "Alright, king. You're our magic man. If this is what you need to do, you do it."

"This makes Ember our bodyguard, then?" At Lyrius' confirming nod, Serenity shrugged. "Fair. Rex and I were about to taste-test a bunch of suspicious looking liquor, so we need someone around to keep us from being total idiots when we're plastered."

"Great. Now I'm a babysitter." Ember rolled her eyes.

Lyrius took in the number of crates and the mismatching bottles. "That seems...harzardous to your health. As a doctor, should not be attempting to dissaude him from doing so?"

"Naw. It'll only let him live a little longer." A nasally voice snarked from the bar's entrance.

Lyrius was first to move, vanshing into his own shadow and reappearing in front of Weevil. He was already attacking, fist aimed for Weevil's smug smile and then a pair of figures crashed into him. He went flying backwards into the group, all of them crashing down in a tangle of limbs.

Weevil laughed as Lyrius just reappeared in a burst of shadow even as the group began to untangle them. "Okay, that was funny!'

Lyrius just narrowed his eyes at the two figures standing alongside Weevil. House Peters and Jinx.

"What...dammit...Jinx? You got possesed again?" Ember swore as she got to her feet and caught sight of her teammate. "This better not be becoming a habit..."

"Weevil got a makeover..." Serenity got her feet slowly, helping Rex up and eyeing Weevil warily. The dark clothing, feather-like nature of his hair and unnatural gleam in his eyes.

"Shit...ten to one he's got some kind of magic power upgrade." Rex grunted.

"Oh, indeed I did." Weevil's shirt rippled and the Millenium Star appeared. It was glowing and a moment later, an Eye of Horus was on his forehead. "Would you like to see what I'm capable of?"

"You trifle with things not meant for any, thief." Nephyire rasped out as she moved up to join Lyrius. "That item is only a curse, not a blessing."

"Oh, look. A talking corpse." Weevil sneered and the light intensified. "I'm guessing you owned this thing? Mind telling me some of its secrets?"

"Never." Nephiyre paused as she and Weevil stared at one another, then a dry laugh issued forth. "You cannot control my mind, thief. Even the Star cannot affect the dead."

"But it can the living." Weevil gestured, Jinx and Peters stepping forwards and lifting their arms to reveal Duel Disks. "And my new friends are just what I need to get my revenge."

"You will do nothing of the sort." Lyrius informed him. "I do not need to duel you to defeat you."

"But you will to save your friends." Weevil laughed and the glowing intensified, darkness erupting out of the shadows of the bar to swallow up Serenity and Peters, then Rex and Jinx.

"No!" Ember lunged for Jinx, but the darkness threw back into a booth. "Dammit! That's a Shadow Game!"

.

"No! It's a death trap!" A burst of power launched from the Star and into Nephyire. The force threw the mummy back into the crates of alcohol, soaking in booze and glass as they broke. But then she ignited with a sudden roar of flames. The fire devoured her form, the spilled alcohol, then the bar and then the entire bar was ablaze. "Now it doesn't even matter if they win, they'll still all die!"

"You son of a bitch!" Ember charged for him, but was ground to a halt as darkness erupted around them and the searing heat of the flames was replaced by the bone-chilling shadows of a Darkness Game.

Ember slammed a fist into the ground and swore in Japanese under her breath before hauling herself to her feet and readying herself, unsurprised to find a Duel Disk on her arm. "You bastard! You trying to kill yourself along with us!?"

"Please!" Weevil sneered with ego and a touch of madness. "Haven't you all be comparing me to a roach? We're really tough to kill!"

"But not impossible." Lyrius squared off from Weevil as well. "Last time, I made the mistake of allowing you to live. Now I will correct it."

Weevil laughed again, his shadow spreading out behind him into the winged, multi-limbed and six-eyed form. It glared hungrily at the pair of duelists across the way. "You think I'm afraid of you!?"

The shadow reared up, somehow pulling itself into into three-dimensions. It opened a mouth ringed with fangs and tendrils to screech like a broken calliope. The darkness itself seemed to shudder and throb to the angry cry. "I'm going to devour your souls!"

TTTTT

Trivia: This chapter went through a lot of rewrites and changes. Intial idea was that Weevil ambush the two groups seperately and dragged Lyrius and Ember into a Turbo Duel that they had no Speed Spells for. But I figured this would work out better since it makes more sense- Weevil's impulsive and arrogant. Plus, its been awhile since we had a duel, so why not make up for it with three at once?

Beta: (stage whisper) I think he's a bit of a perfectionist!