Millennium Items Arc

by Locondra Timbernova

Sequel to the KC Arc. (Summary provided by Guest Reader) With a new possible threat hanging upon them, Yuugi and the Pharaoh receive the unexpected help of the Ishtars, who have come to Domino with the intentions of protecting the Pharaoh and the Chosen One. With the looming danger shrouded in mystery, how will they cope?

6. Chapter 6

Disclaimer: I do not own this story, anime, manga, etc. Created for entertainment purposes only.

Chapter 6

The rest of the world went on as though nothing clandestine or incredible was going on in Yugi's life. Kame game shop became like every other store in the city, touting itself as the place to go for holiday gift-buying, and it seemed to be working. The annual upsurge in confused parents carrying clues written on scraps of paper like "dueling monsters" and "card shop" had already begun. Yet, throwing himself into work did not keep Yugi from worrying about the rest, particularly when he found himself needing to kick himself for making a wish that fate had been all to eager to fulfill. Only one day after ranting about it privately, his enemy appeared to take him up on his dare. Yugi worked the morning shift every day that week, since having a bodyguard drop in on him the moment he woke up meant that he couldn't really sleep in anyway, so he was off by the afternoon. It would have been nice to have something to do, then, but with Odeon eyeballing him from the corner, Yugi felt a sense of frustration that he didn't know how to deal with. He didn't get very far, though. Before he could even step out from behind the counter to go upstairs and try to find something to do, the shop door opened to admit a figure that had Odeon leaping from his seat immediately. David Archer did not sneak, rush, or otherwise attack; in fact, he looked fairly confident in himself as he strode straight for Yugi. Rather than scruffy casual clothes, he was dressed to be sleek and affluent in an expensive leather coat. "Excuse me, Yugi Muto," he said breezily, in his obvious American accent. "I'd like to speak with you."

Odeon stepped to Yugi's side and edged in front of him, making Archer look up at him and stare. "Whatever you want with him, you'll have to get through me, first," he threatened, crossing his hands in front of him in a way that thrust out his shoulders and made him look much bigger.

"You," Archer growled. "What the hell are you doing here?"

"Protecting me from you," Yugi answered for him, stepping to the side in order to be seen around Odeon's hulking frame. He wore a rather disconcerted frown, despite the fear that had leaped suddenly into his throat and nearly choked him. "What do you want?"

Eyeing Odeon suspiciously, Archer turned his focus to the shorter young man. "I want to discuss your pendant. Do you realize you're holding a very rare and valuable Egyptian artifact, there?"

Yugi's frown deepened to a glare. "I know more about this artifact than you do," he snapped insolently. "It's not a pendant, it's a Puzzle. And it belongs to me, rightfully."

The American gave a start of surprise. "You mean that's the Millennium Puzzle? The seventh artifact that was supposed to have rested in the Tomb of the Nameless Pharaoh? How the hell is it in the hands of a little goth kid in Japan?"

Yugi bristled at the insult. "You don't know anything about the Millennium Items," he retorted. "The Puzzle was destined to be given to the one who could solve it, and that person is me. I solved it and released the pharaoh, so it belongs to me now. It's bonded to me, it was my destiny. I don't know anything about where it was found or where you think it's supposed to be, it belongs right here." He curled a hand protectively around it, drawing strength from the spirit inside it.

"Look, kid," Archer said snidely, "I don't care what fairy tales about destiny you want to believe. The truth is, you're holding one of seven ancient artifacts more rare than anything in the whole history of the world, and I want them."

"As we suspected," Odeon said darkly.

Archer sniffed at him. "Your sister was onto me right away, wasn't she? It doesn't matter. For all your stonewalling, we're finally on the right track of the Items. I've got a pretty good lead on who's keeping at least three of them, including this one right here." He gestured idly to the Puzzle. "You can't hide them from me anymore. Now that I see you here with this kid, I know you and Ishizu know where all these things are."

Odeon glared seriously. "Not all of them."

Archer reached into his leather coat and pulled out a large, flat envelope, from which he slid what looked like glossy prints of photos. He shuffled through them and pulled one out, turning it so Odeon and Yugi could see. "I wouldn't have left Egypt so quickly if I had known she had one."

It was a photo of Ishizu taken during the Battle City finals aboard Kaiba's skyship, when she faced him. It looked like a publicity still that KaibaCorp might have had archived somewhere, there was a "KC" watermark in the corner. Odeon's eyes blazed with fury, while Yugi recoiled a little. "Ishizu is no longer in possession of the Millennium Necklace," Odeon stated bluntly. "That much I feel free to tell you."

Archer raised an eyebrow but kept looking through the pictures. Yugi could tell even at this distance that the rest were likely also Battle City publicity photos. "This guy was here the other day," the smuggler noted, lifting one photo enough to hint that it was one of Marik. "At least I think it was him, he looked a bit different. And this kid…" He turned out the last photo to show Bakura standing unsteadily at one end of a dueling platform, the Millennium Ring dangling around his neck. "He lives here too, doesn't he?"

Yugi stared, though it was hard for him to pretend he didn't know. "I…I couldn't say…"

"Ryo Bakura, aged nineteen, enrolled at Domino University?" Archer smirked when he got his confirmation simply from the aghast look in Yugi's eyes. "They're all collecting here, one by one, aren't they?" he prompted. "He's got one, you've got one, your blond friend has one…"

Yugi shrank back a little, all too willing to hide behind Odeon's arm as he thrust it out to block Yugi from Archer's view. "Do you have any idea how old those pictures are?" Odeon answered for him. "The Battle City tournament was years ago."

Yugi clutched at his arm, hoping the squeeze would be enough to silence him before he said too much. "What do you want with the Millennium Items?" he immediately asked of their visitor.

Archer tucked the photos away back in the envelope. "I'm collecting them," he said simply. "And that's why I'm here today. I've come to ask you for your item – the Puzzle."

"Never!" Yugi responded, glaring all over again. "The Puzzle belongs to me, I'm the pharaoh's vessel. No one can take it from me except by winning it in a duel."

The American gave him a scornful look. "A duel? Oh…you mean that stupid card game?"

Yugi's anger was quickly overtaking his fear, making him push forward past Odeon. "It's not a stupid card game," he snapped, "it has deep ties to ancient Egypt and the Millennium Items that you don't seem to understand at all. No one can just take the Puzzle, it has to be won. And I won't let that happen."

"I wouldn't just take the Puzzle," Archer countered, still sounding too smug and cool for his own good. "Not in broad daylight. I've been authorized to offer you a substantial amount of money for it."

"No," Yugi said incredulously, "a thousand times no. Can't you get that through your thick head? I don't care how much money…"

"Five million U.S. dollars."

The sum caught Yugi for only the briefest second. "I don't care," he repeated. "There isn't enough money in the whole world to convince me to give up my Puzzle and my connection to the pharaoh. Leave here before we call the police – and don't try to come after it any other way. Unless you can duel me and win, you're just wasting your time."

"Yugi?" The hesitant voice of Grandpa Muto let them know that he had come into the shop and was listening to everything.

Yugi spoke over his shoulder without taking his eyes off the American. "Grandpa, call the police," he said forcefully. "This is the guy who's trying to take the Millennium Items. I hear he's in this country illegally and is wanted internationally."

Archer did not react to that information either way. "You should know that money is no object," he said patiently. "My employer is willing to give up just about anything to collect these artifacts. You can name your price."

There was only one thing left for Yugi to do. With a flash of the Puzzle's Eye his partner stepped forth, just as angry but in his own cold, deadly way. He faced Archer with fists clenched, head down, eyes shadowed and glittering dangerously. "You do not understand what you are asking," he warned. "This isn't some golden plaything to be traded on the market, black or otherwise. This Puzzle contains a dark magic the likes of which the world has not seen in thousands of years, a magic you could not possibly hope to contain or wield. The right to bear it belongs to me alone, and unless you are somehow capable of facing the might of the Egyptian gods and defeating them, you will never take it from me. Leave, before I do something I'm likely to regret later."

Archer frowned at him. "Kid, there's no such thing as ancient gods," he scoffed, though in a serious tone. He didn't like the change that had come over Yugi, subtle but definite. "Somebody's been filling your head with legends to make you think you have a right to that artifact, but the real story is, it was stolen from a tomb in Egypt and is now fair game for anyone with the right price."

"It was not stolen," Solomon Muto said sharply, all of a sudden. Everyone glanced his way. "I was allowed to have the box that contained the pieces of the Puzzle, and knew that only the one who could solve it was the destined keeper of it. That happened to be my grandson rather than me."

"Leave, now," Odeon reiterated, taking an aggressive step forward. From where he stood beside him, Yami could hear the whisper of a blade being drawn from a sheath, and he glanced to see Odeon holding a dagger. "It is my duty to protect the pharaoh," he warned Archer, "and I will do so with all my might."

"Odeon, no." Yami placed a hand commandingly on the tombkeeper's arm. "Not here. We will let the police handle him."

"I've made the call," Grandpa added from behind them.

Archer backed away from them slowly. "You people are making a huge mistake," he growled. "You should take the money and run. They're just artifacts, they're not worth anything to plain civilians like you. Kids shouldn't play with things they don't understand."

"I ought to give you the same advice," Yami said angrily. "None of those who hold a Millennium Item will sell them to you for any price short of blood. You'll get the same answer anywhere you go. End this pursuit and leave us alone, and you may escape with your mind and soul intact."

The man laughed. "You don't scare me, little man." He shot a quick look toward Grandpa, aware that a phone call had indeed been made, and shouldered his way quickly out the door. "Fine! You want to play rough, we'll play rough!" he called back as he hurried away.

Odeon sprang from his place, sheathing the dagger but racing to follow Archer. He paused briefly at the door. "Call Marik!" he demanded of Yugi. "He'll protect you. I'm going after Archer!"

He was gone before anyone could protest. With Yami still in primary control, they called Marik and told him briefly of what had just happened, including where Odeon had gone, so within minutes Marik was at the shop, scouting around the block in case his brother was on his way back already before sequestering himself upstairs with Yugi. "It's all right, Odeon can more than take care of himself," he assured as they sat down together, trying not to be on edge. "He and I have been through much worse. If he can at least find out where Archer is staying, or who he's working for, it'll be worth it."

Yami refused to let Yugi go through this alone, keeping their minds bonded into one so the pharaoh could lend Yugi his strength and wisdom. "I am concerned that this is a dangerous move, but it's a necessary one," he conceded, clasping his hands in his lap as he sat across from Marik. "I don't think the police are going to do anything."

"Unless you have laws here about stalking, no, there's nothing they can do right now," Marik agreed. He studied Yugi briefly, understanding that he was talking to both spirits now, having become able to discern the pharaoh's presence when he saw it. "My pharaoh," he said more gently, "we'll handle this. Thanks to this one, bold move from Archer, we know what he wants and what he's willing to do to get it."

Yami Yugi nodded slowly. "Your suspicions were entirely correct. Including the thought that he might be working for someone else. Someone with the money to bankroll the purchase of seven rare artifacts."

"I was going to say, this guy certainly doesn't have five million dollars by himself." Marik's eyes narrowed. "And you're sure he said dollars, not yen or pounds or euros?"

"U.S. dollars, yes."

"That means his buyer is also American." Marik got up to pace. "If we can just get a hint on where he's staying, we'd be able to trace his connections back to America and find out who he might be talking to. Odeon had better bring us something we can use, or this might turn ugly really fast."

"Marik." Yugi spoke quietly, in the pharaoh's solemn tone. Marik turned to look at him, eyes lifted in question. Yugi remained sitting with his hands in his lap and his eyes downcast. "My mere existence is placing not only Yugi but his grandfather in danger," he intoned. "Archer may think I have only one, but if he were to find the other two here as well, there's no telling what might happen. It may be prudent of us to split them up to make it harder for anyone to get at them."

Marik stared at him. "I don't know about that," he said in a low, warning tone. "I can't think of a hiding place any better than with you."

Yami Yugi lifted his head and then pushed himself to his feet, crossing to where Marik stood. "I have great faith and trust in you," he murmured. "I am willing to allow you to possess the Millennium Rod again, for a brief time, solely to protect it."

Marik shook his head quickly. "No, pharaoh, no," he insisted. "I'm honored that you trust me, but…I wouldn't be any safer than you as a keeper. You said Archer was carrying photos of Battle City and knows it was me who held the Rod before. I don't have it now, so he can't take it from me."

"But he can still do you great harm just by thinking you have it," Yugi argued. "He will target you regardless of whether it's in your possession. Having it, you may be able to protect yourself with it. You have the strength and power to use it if need be."

Marik held his gaze for a moment, thinking, and then heaved a long sigh. "The offer is very tempting," he admitted. "But I don't think you want me carrying the Millennium Rod. Who knows what other darkness lurks in my heart, that could be awakened all over again just by having it in my hands?" He shook his head more slowly, gravely, this time. "I know what you want, and I appreciate that you think I could use it. But for everyone's sake, I must refuse. I can protect myself without shadow powers."

Yugi's brow twitched with a frown. "I was thinking more of the knife inside the Rod's handle. But I hadn't considered that. You don't think you should be allowed to touch the power of the Rod?"

"I would rather be safe than sorry. Besides, I already have a knife." Marik smirked very slightly. "If you must split up the items, I'll take the Necklace. It's easy to hide, and Archer won't expect me to have it."

"But he knows Odeon's connection to Ishizu," Yugi argued. "If he realizes yours to Odeon, or to her, you might be a suspect. Moreso than I am."

Marik bowed his head slightly. "It's your call. You're the pharaoh."

Yami Yugi closed his eyes to give it some thought. "Then, perhaps you're right," he said after a bit. "I am the best keeper for as many Items as I have. As long as there is no suspicion that anyone gave me anything besides the Puzzle, no one will think to look here. After all, I wear the Puzzle in plain sight."

Marik eyed him. "Where do you keep the other two, anyway?"

Yugi laughed faintly. "At the moment? In a box in the bottom of my closet, under some clothes I've outgrown."

"Such reverence," Marik teased. "I'm sure my ancestors would be mortified to know they're being protected with such honor."

Yugi just gave him an unamused look. "The time for honor will come later."

"I know." Marik looked away, sighing. "Where is Odeon, already? I hope he's not in trouble."

Odeon returned half an hour later, not at all in trouble but unfortunately also without his prey. He had tracked Archer halfway across the city before the smuggler was finally able to lose him, and could provide no valuable information on where he might be holed up. Both he and Marik stayed with Yugi the rest of the day, then, wanting to make sure that Archer's threat about playing rough wasn't to be carried out that very night. Even after Yugi sent them away so he could go to bed, Odeon remained on watch on the opposite street corner for a few more hours of his own choice. After all, tomorrow was Marik's turn on watch, and he needed his sleep. At this point, it was too much to hope that regular old authorities would be enough to stop a regular old criminal, so Odeon waited, watched, and thought long after the light in the upstairs skylight went out.

The shop and the house remained gripped in an unwelcome tension throughout the day, as Yugi and Marik simply waited around in silence in between customers, making the slow part of the day just before lunchtime sheer torture. Despite their alertness there was no sign of Archer again, no more visits or even calls hinting after the Millennium Items. The sky outside was the perfect shade of gray to match Yugi's mood as he went about his routine and holed up inside after work, too nervous and upset to do anything except stare out the window or pace the living room while Marik kept watch. About the only thing the two of them were able to do to feel a sense of accomplishment was find a new, unique hiding place for the Millennium Rod and the Necklace, so they weren't in Yugi's room or in the game shop. Marik had a bit of a chuckle about them being safe at the back of the linen closet with the fluffy towels, but even he agreed that a man like Archer wouldn't even think of looking there for Millennium Items. Yugi did his best to put on a brave face as long as Marik was around, but it was too much even for him to bear, so he decided to go to bed early and dismissed his bodyguard with a weary farewell. He hadn't been sleeping well, it was hard for his mind to shut off when there was so much to worry about, so as much as he craved the sleep, he ended up still lying awake for hours in his bed, listening to the faint sounds of his grandfather puttering about the house and the occasional soft hum of the heat turning on.

Once back home, Marik slouched on the floor with his back against a pillow, rubbing his temples, a half-cooled mug of tea sitting between his legs. Odeon stood by the window, gazing out into the night. "I couldn't sit there any longer," Marik explained to his half-brother. "Yugi went to bed, what was I supposed to do? He was upset anyway. I don't blame him – we're all on edge, now."

"All the same, we should be watching out for him," Odeon murmured. "It's early in the evening."

"Something tells me Archer doesn't exactly go to bed at ten or anything," Marik snorted. "If he was going to attack Yugi, it wouldn't be now when people are still out on the streets living their normal lives."

Odeon heaved a long sigh, his breath fogging the window. "Still, I am unsettled. He showed us his hand yesterday and threatened us, but a full day has gone by with no further word. I don't like it."

"Neither do I, but we're on the defensive," Marik reminded him, picking up his tea. "It's our position to wait and react. He has to make the move, we can't." He sat back against the pillow with a sigh and looked deeply into his mug. "I'm with you. I can't relax. I'm so tired, though – we ought to get some sleep as well. Yugi needs us both fresh and ready."

Domino City was usually fairly quiet and untroubled, with a low crime rate for a city that size and safe streets to walk on at night except in some areas. Kame game shop was not located in one of those areas, that neighborhood was traditionally friendly and hadn't seen an incident of anything more evil than vandalism in years – except for that trouble which seemed to follow the Millennium Puzzle. Yet, shadowy figures were still able to move through the city unnoticed, unimpeded, and set up their strikes to be swift and deadly now that their targets had been located. Three attacks in three separate locations, all planned for the same night, with the hopes of netting at least three Millennium Items and possibly information on the rest. One team set out for a small, low-rent flat near the university as a second simultaneously made their way to the unsecured temporary housing above a storefront. A pair of burly-chested men in dark clothing slipped knit masks over their faces before breaking a window that would let them drop into the hallway of the apartment building, from which it was only a matter of checking their instructions to find the correct flat and pick the lock on the door.

Though Ryo Bakura was dead asleep on the futon in his room after a long day of study, the dark spirit housed deep within him was on the alert as he had been every night since receiving the pharaoh's warning. He didn't trust his vessel to be able to take care of himself should anyone attempt to steal the Ring, so it was the second spirit's personal duty to see to it that his Ring did not leave Bakura. He heard the stealthy click of the lock being pried open, at which his eyes snapped wide open. Ryo's gentle mind went black as Bakura rose from his bed and reached for the Millennium Ring hanging from a nail in the wall.

The assailants were so busy trying to stay quiet that they didn't hear the faint jingle in the back bedroom. Closing the door behind them so as to muffle any shouts or struggle from being heard by other residents, they crept through the main room and slunk up beside the door to the bedroom, pausing to look before entering. There was a sudden burst of brilliant golden light, at which the man on the left fell bodily backwards away from the door. The other man recoiled in surprise, reaching for the combat knife strapped to his leg as a lithe shadow materialized in the darkness before him. The Ring glowed again, though merely to highlight its bearer as he moved through the room, dark eyes glaring with wicked glee. "Is this all?" he scoffed at the attackers, as the first man sat up and shook his head to stop it from ringing. "I thought I was going to be given a challenge. You are nothing to me. You call yourselves thieves, do you?" Bakura laughed heartily. "You're not worthy of being called that. Not when you're standing before the King of Thieves."

The attackers looked at each other, as if to ask if this guy was for real, and both went for their weapons. Bakura's glare hardened, and he flung out a hand towards them. The Ring brightened as his shadow power surged into him, illuminating him fully now, a leering apparition in a young man's pajamas. "I don't think so," he responded to their threat of harm. "This Ring belongs to me, and unlike some people I know, I'm not the type to hesitate when it comes to protecting it. Nobody touches it but me."

Yugi had finally fallen asleep, though a restless and unsettled sleep, when the phone startled him out of it. He leaped out of bed and lunged to snatch up the phone on his desk before the sound could wake his grandfather, and only then did he consider needing to be alert enough to answer. "Hello?" he wondered, bewildered at who might be calling at this time of night.

The voice on the other end was breathing heavily, but managed to groan, "Yugi…are you all right…?"

"Odeon?" Yugi cried, barely recognizing the voice. "Is that you? What's wrong?"

"Are you all right?" Odeon repeated more forcefully. "Has anything happened, there?"

Yugi looked around his room. "Um…no…I'm fine. I was just asleep. What…" His voice hushed fearfully. "What's going on? You sound hurt…"

Odeon took a breath to settle himself. "Can you come down here? Right away?" His voice was raw, with a note of anger beneath the strain. "They attacked us. Marik is gone."

Coldness shot through Yugi's heart. "Marik?" he breathed. "Gone?"

"They took him." Odeon paused for breath. "You must get out of the house before they come after you."

"Okay, hold on, I'll be right there," Yugi said in panic, already darting around his room to find clothing. "And call the police. This isn't a little thing anymore, they need to know!"

He hung up and snatched for the clothes he had cast off a few hours before, hastily changing and grabbing his keys on his way down to the door, the Puzzle swinging wildly around his neck. Pausing only to look around just in case someone was waiting to pounce on him, Yugi ran up the street as fast as he could, not even bothering to button his coat even though it was quite cold by now. His breath left a trail of steam in the air behind him as he ran, crossing the empty streets and pounding up the sidewalk to the little second-floor flat his guardians were keeping. The police had not yet arrived by the time he got there, but lights were on upstairs and the outer door to the stairwell was hanging loose off its hinges. Yugi raced up the stairs and found the apartment door also wide open, the meager possessions and furnishings inside tossed about as if by a struggle. Odeon sat hunched over in the middle of the main room with the phone next to him. He heard Yugi's boots on the floor outside and looked up as he stepped into the doorway. Yugi started at the sight of blood running from the corner of the Egyptian's mouth. "Odeon!" he yelped.

"Yugi," Odeon groaned. "You're all right."

He started to get up, but winced and fell back heavily. Yugi came to his side immediately, steadying him with hands on his broad shoulders. "Easy, there," he said. "What happened? Who was it? Was it Archer?"

"No," Odeon replied with a shake of his head. "He was not here. But I have no doubt they were sent by him. There were two of them…all in black, dressed for stealth." He closed his eyes. "They overpowered us before we could even get out of bed, and dragged us out here while they turned the place upside down looking for Millennium Items. They demanded to know where the Rod was, but didn't believe Marik when he said he didn't have it." He grimaced painfully at the next part, his voice beginning to shake. "They beat him and threw him face down on the floor, and that was when they saw the scriptures on his back. They knew it meant something, so they made him grab a shirt and took him with them. I tried to stop them, I fought with all my might, but…"

Yugi gripped him by the shoulders, giving him a sympathetic look. "How badly are you hurt?" he asked timidly. "They really smacked you around, didn't they?"

At that moment, Odeon raised the hand that had been wrapped around his midsection. His palm and forearm were smeared with blood. Yugi shrank back in horror to see the knife slash across his abdomen through the bloody rip in his shirt. "They made sure I was incapacitated," Odeon answered in a ragged voice. "I couldn't do anything to stop them from taking Marik."

"It's okay," Yugi tried to assure him, lifting his head slightly at the sound of distant sirens coming nearer. "First thing's first, we have to get you some help. Then we'll worry about Marik. I'm okay, they haven't come for me yet." His wide eyes saddened. "I'm sorry you two got dragged into this, Odeon. You're here to protect me, and you got hurt for it."

The sirens screeched to a halt right outside, and Yugi stepped aside as medical personnel and a couple of police officers blustered inside. The medics saw to Odeon's wound as much as they could, since he refused to be taken to a hospital and said he would make do with whatever assistance they could offer. It was more important that he be there to inform the cops of the kidnapping, providing as much information about his missing brother and the strange incident as he could. Yugi stood in a corner listening, but when the questioning came around to why men in dark clothing had attacked the foreigners, he felt a need to step up and tell them everything – at least, as much as didn't sound too weird. "They were looking for this," he said plainly, holding up the Millennium Puzzle. "And some other Egyptian artifacts just like it. We wouldn't sell them to this guy when he came in and asked the other day, so now they're trying to take them by force." He looked down at his guardian, who was lying on the floor while the medics wrapped him up. "They thought one of them might have been here, but it's not. I have it."

The officer taking down all the information paused at that, giving him a strange, questioning look. "This is a fight over Egyptian artifacts?" he repeated with some incredulity.

"Yeah," Yugi sighed. "I wish it were more deep than that, but it's not. They offered me five million American dollars for mine."

The officer stared even more. "And you didn't take it?"

Yugi shook his head firmly. "It's not about money. This means a great deal to me. I was given it by…well, by a pharaoh, so I don't even have a right to sell it. The Ishtars are my friends, they came here to protect me because they were afraid something like this would happen."

"I see." The officer looked over his notepad at everything they had told him. "Well, the important thing right now is to find your missing friend. He may need medical attention as well."

Odeon sat up now that he was free to do so. "There is a detective, at the main police station, whom we have spoken to about this criminal…"

"Yes, this international smuggler you spoke of…" The cop paged back to where he had written it down. "An American named Archer?"

"Yes." Odeon glared urgently. "The detectives know we have been looking for him, and there are international warrants out from Interpol."

The officer blinked in surprise at that. "Really? This is starting to sound a little too big for me. Let me call down to the main station, and see if someone there can shed some light on it. Meanwhile," he added to his partner, who had been inspecting the trashed apartment, "radio in this description in of the missing young man. He needs to be found immediately. That can't wait."

Yugi shrank back into his corner while the second officer took the notes and went down to the squad car outside. Then, he felt Yami within him stir, and heard a whisper in his mind before he could even ask what had roused him. "Someone is near," he said warningly. "Someone we know – I sense him plainly. Yugi, go outside."

"Uh…okay." Yugi went and knelt beside Odeon for a brief moment, placing a comforting hand on his shoulder and leaning close to him. "Yami senses something," he whispered in the guardian's ear. "I'm going to go outside and check it out."

Odeon reached up and clasped his hand quickly, as if to ask him not to go, but after a moment of holding Yugi's gaze and searching his eyes, he let go and allowed him to leave. Assuring everyone more openly that he would be right back, Yugi straightened up and left, hopping down the stairs and walking away from the police cars, looking both ways. The street was rather dark, completely deserted, except for the emergency lights strobing up and down the sides of adjacent buildings. The warmth of Yami's presence in Yugi's soul became a burning flame. "Yugi," he said urgently, "please, let me take over. This is very dangerous."

"Be my guest," Yugi breathed, closing his eyes to savor the ease with which Yami was able to bond with him, his spirit gaining control of his vessel but allowing Yugi to partner with him still. He looked around once more, but he could clearly sense the dark presence so tangibly near now, and walked briskly up the block to meet it.

A shadowy figure in a blue navy peacoat stepped out of the alley as Yami came closer. "So," he purred, "this is where my Ring led me. You're out and about rather late, aren't you?"

Yami heard the singular note of the familiar voice that told plainly of which spirit he was speaking to. "I sensed it was you," he muttered darkly. "I could feel you from a block away."

"Ooo, could you now?" Bakura chuckled to himself as he came out to the sidewalk, faint light from the streetlamps and aid cars glittering in his dark eyes. "It's rather sensual, isn't it? Feeling my presence that way?"

"I don't consider dark and cold very sensual," Yami growled. "What are you doing here? Searching for me?"

"As a matter of fact," Bakura replied, the smirk melting off his face. "I had some visitors earlier this evening, and was a bit curious as to whether you did, also. It looks like I was right."

"They didn't come for me," Yami demurred, "they hit Marik and Odeon. Marik has been kidnapped."

A flicker of surprise raised Bakura's eyebrows for a brief second. "Interesting. Yet, from the panicked phone calls I've been hearing in the past day or so, one would think they would have hit you, first." He chuckled sardonically. "Perhaps they aren't as stupid as I first thought. They came to take out your bodyguards to leave a clear path to you."

Yami stared in alarm. "You're right," he realized. "They attacked here first so that no one would come when I called for help." His eyes narrowed, then. "But they also came after you?"

"I told you," Bakura said, some of the evil glee returning to his voice. "Anyone coming after the Ring would get a nasty surprise. I may be chained to a soft wimp of a boy, but the clever disguise serves me all too well. They thought I would be an easy target to pluck the Ring from. Well, they learned that lesson the hard way."

Yami eyed him distastefully. "Just what did you do to the people who attacked you?"

"I didn't kill them, if that's what you're so worried about," Bakura flippantly replied. "I just obliterated their minds. Their souls are sealed away somewhere where I can have fun with them later. There isn't time right now to play."

The pharaoh's spirit gave him a disgusted frown, but there were more pressing matters than how Bakura chose to deal with his attackers. "You didn't come here to see if I was safe," he observed.

"No," Bakura admitted, growing serious again. "I came in the off chance I could pick up a few more Millennium Items for my collection, should they have gotten away from you. But they went after your servants first, not you, so I presume the rest are safe?"

Placing a hand over the Puzzle, Yami narrowed his eyes. "That isn't for you to know. But Marik and Odeon were not keeping any here."

"And now they have Marik." Bakura glanced past his adversary to the flashing police cars. "My, what a sordid affair this is all becoming."

Growling to himself, Yami turned a shoulder stubbornly. "If you're not going to help me, then go home," he snapped. "I have no time to deal with you. You've eluded your attackers, that's fine, but you made it so we can't question them to find out who they're working for or where they've taken Marik. We have to rely on more conventional means of finding him, now. You've done enough for one night."

He started away, but Bakura called after him. "If you think this is the end of your adventures tonight, pharaoh, you're mistaken. Dead wrong, in fact."

Yami halted and glanced over his shoulder. "What do you know?" he growled.

Bakura stood in his place, hands in his coat pockets, staring. "They struck the weaker prey first," he noted. "It's not that they're not coming for you at all…they're just coming for you last. And if they're at all intelligent, they will use Marik to find out that you have three Millennium Items, not just the one, and will come at you before this night is over." A wicked gleam came into his eyes, as he began to smirk. "Regardless of whether you're home at the time."

Yami's eyes widened suddenly. "Grandpa!" he breathed.

Bakura snickered. "Yes, I can only imagine what those brutes will do to him if he's the only one left standing guard over your Items."

"I have to get back there…" Yami turned to go, needing to touch base with Odeon first before he could return home and protect Grandpa Muto.

"And what will you do, then?" Bakura challenged him. "Do you think you can handle these thugs on your own? Or is the memory of how to use your shadow powers still vacant?"

Yami whirled around with clenched fists. "If you have something to say to me, say it!" he demanded in a hoarse shout. "Enough with the sly language. Out with it, Bakura! What do you want with me?"

Bakura strode forward purposefully to meet him. "I want to come with you."

Yami stared at him. "But…why?" he wondered. "What makes you think I would trust you?"

"I don't expect you to." Bakura stopped just inches from him, face to face, nose to nose, still glaring. "But like it or not, we are both victims of the same attacker. We are reluctant allies against the same foe. I may not want to help you out of any sense of right or compassion, but to see anyone else succeed where I have failed rankles me. If I can't have the seven Items, no one else can either, and I'd rather play some part in preventing it from happening. Not to mention," he added with the most subtle of smirks, "I rather enjoy beating the hell out of people who are weaker than I am. And believe me, these fools are weaker than us both."

Yami faced his challenge with a seething glare of his own. "You ripped those people's souls out of them with only your Ring's powers?"

"Never laid a hand on them," Bakura promised, backing away a step. "Except to roll them out onto the street where the police can pick them up for being passed out drunk or something." He nodded toward the police cars beyond them. "Do you really think they can help you? Or have you come to realize by now that this is out of their hands? They don't know what Millennium Items can do. They have no idea what the lust for their power is doing to people. We are the only ones who can handle this now. If you want Marik back, you had better take me with you."

For a moment Yami said nothing, holding his gaze, but then he grumbled under his breath and turned away. "Wait here," he muttered. "I will be back."

The aid car shut off its emergency lights and began to pull away as he walked past it, though the cop car remained. Yami Yugi climbed the stairs to find Odeon finishing up with the officers, standing at last with bandages wrapped around his middle. His eyes went to the figure in the door immediately, and Yami noticed the flicker of recognition in them. "I will be here," the tombkeeper said to the cops. "Please, call me the moment you have any information."

"And if they call you with any kind of ransom demands, don't take matters into your own hands – call us first," the officer insisted. They wrapped up the discussion and left, shouldering past Yami, who stood outside the door waiting.

Once left alone, Odeon turned to his visitor. "Pharaoh?" he asked cautiously.

Yami nodded. "Yes, it's me. I took over, this situation is too dangerous for Yugi to handle without me." He took a step into the flat and looked around. "I heard what they said. You need to stay here and wait for any information about Marik."

"But you're not safe, now," Odeon warned. "This is only the first strike. They will come after you next."

"I know." Yami looked away. "I will handle it. I must go home and keep them from attacking Grandpa. They've come looking for a Puzzle, but they will find a pharaoh who is willing to do anything to keep those he loves safe."

Odeon took a step towards him. "I will go with you. You need my help."

He grimaced, then, and placed a hand on his wound. Yami rushed in and caught him before he could wilt to the floor. "You're not in any shape to be helping right now," he noted in a more gentle tone. "Please, Odeon. Do yourself and Marik a favor, and stay here. Rest, and wait. The police will find him. I can take care of myself tonight. I have allies in strange places, I will not become a victim."

The tombkeeper frowned at him. "I don't understand."

"You will have to trust me. Rest, now. I insist."

A few minutes later, Bakura watched in interest as the slender figure of his adversary stepped out of the darkened doorway and walked briskly toward him. He gave no sign of welcome as he approached, but as he passed, Bakura heard him growl, "Only on one condition."

The thief raised an eyebrow. "Which is?"

"You and I will both relinquish control of our vessels. Yugi and Ryo will go home, and wait for this attack. They are friends, and Ryo will gladly help Yugi without strings attached. When and if danger strikes, only then will you and I make our play." He stopped and glared over his shoulder at Bakura. "And if you betray me while my back is turned, and offer me up to our enemies as a means of taking my Puzzle, I shall show you just how much of my shadow power I do remember how to use."

The razor-sharp note of anger in his voice was enough to make Bakura recoil a step. He drew a seething breath and said, "fine. It's a deal. On the count of three, pharaoh…"

"Three," Yami retorted.

At the same time, both spirits retreated to the safety of their respective Items, leaving Yugi and Ryo blinking at each other in the darkness. Yugi understood fully what was going on, and before Ryo could even stammer a question, simply said, "Come on, we're going back to my place. I'll explain everything on the way."

Kame game shop was quiet and undisturbed, no one had come to attack it while Yugi was away seeing to his friends' distress. Grandpa hadn't even been woken up by the phone or by the noise of boys blundering in the dark, leaving them free to settle down and wait without having to give any explanations. Ryo's mind had been blacked out for much of the incident so far that night, but everything Yugi told him made sense, so he curled up in the corner of Yugi's bedroom with his arms around his knees, resolving to be there for his friend even if he didn't know how much good he could do. Yugi crouched beside him, the two of them wedged into the space between the foot of Yugi's bed and the wall, near the free-standing closet. It was the darkest corner of the room, where light from the skylight could not reach. It felt odd and unpleasant to be hiding so, but both young men were more than aware of the danger they were in and knew that this might be the only way to make it all stop, in one bold, stupid move. Ryo glanced up at the skylight and breathed a quiet sigh. "Do you think they'll really come tonight?"

Yugi sighed as well. "I don't know anything," he admitted. "But everyone else seems convinced that because they came for you, and then came for Marik, they'll come for me too. We really don't have a choice."

"I can't believe I'm saying this," Ryo murmured, "but I'm glad the spirit of the Ring was paying attention. Otherwise, I might have been beaten up, too. Thugs with knives breaking into my flat? It could have been much worse."

"I'm glad you're okay," Yugi said, leaving it at that. "This has gotten way out of hand. I don't even think these people want the Items for the same reason the Ring spirit does – when I mentioned the pharaoh, that Archer guy thought I was crazy. I don't think he knows about the shadow games."

"Weird," Ryo breathed.

They quieted after that, not really feeling in the mood to make small talk while they waited. From there Yugi had a good view of the clock on his bedstand, and was able to watch the night tick by. He wished he were in bed asleep, but not even his tiredness could overcome the innate sense of terror that kept him wide awake and watching the skylight. At least he didn't have to handle this alone – Yami was there, alert, intense, expecting. As soon as there was even the slightest sign of trouble, he would be in control again, and pity the mortal fools who got in his way. Having Bakura there beside him also helped, if only because it kept Yugi from feeling alone in this trial. They whispered a few things back and forth to each other, but only to keep each other awake. Fortunately, they didn't have long to wait. Less than an hour after returning home and ducking into their hiding place, Yugi thought he heard an unusual sound on the roof over their heads. Both of them looked up, following the soft scrabbling noise as it crossed to the skylight, and then a shadow passed over the patch of light falling down into the room from above. The two boys needed no signal; instantly, Yami and Bakura were sitting there, the latter shifting forward into a crouch to be ready to spring. Yami held up a hand to restrain him. "This is my home and my problem," he murmured. "You will follow my lead."

"You don't mind if I don't obey you," Bakura whispered back spitefully. "If I see an opportunity, I will take it."

"At least leave them conscious and in possession of their souls," Yami hissed. "We need to find out what they've done with Marik."

"Fine." Bakura eyed the figure beside him with threatening eyes. He was not there to help, no, but his plans hinged upon the pharaoh not losing possession of the Puzzle, and he would do anything to make sure those plans were not ruined by these upstarts. Even if it meant letting the pharaoh have his way.

The shadows flitting over the face of the skylight seemed to be confident that they were in position, for after a moment the two spirits inside heard the faint scratching noise of the bolt being forced from the outside, and with a bit more noise than should have been made, the pane cracked open. A figure dressed in head-to-toe black swiftly yanked it open, and along with a second, dropped inside. At that instant, Bakura rose to his feet, thrusting out a hand commandingly as he called his shadow magic forth and sprang the waiting trap on them. The Ring's Eye flashed as he called out, "Adhesion Trap Hole!"

The two black figures looked up sharply at the strange voice and words, but they suddenly found their minds clouding, telling them that their feet were stuck to the floor and they couldn't move. They gave a start and thrashed around, and then began to yelp and scrabble at imaginary walls as if trying to climb back out of the skylight. Bakura stood back and laughed, while Yami straightened up and stared. "What did you do to them?" he wondered.

"It's a great trap card," Bakura said flippantly. "Not nearly as fun as Spellbinding Circle, but I wasn't going to wait for you to pull that one." He stepped up to the flailing attackers, who grunted at him and demanded to be let go. Bakura just eyed them suspiciously. "Ah, but I think this won't be enough. If you intend to interrogate them, they need to be held a little more securely." He closed his eyes, holding his hands up around the Ring as if to focus its power. It responded by glowing again, allowing him to tap into his inner power. Bakura looked up and grinned wickedly at the assailants. "And now…how about a Nightmare Steel Cage…"

An apparition faintly shimmered beneath the skylight, as the bands of a cone-shaped cage began to form around the two intruders. It wasn't actually there, or so one would have logically thought, but this magic formed on the borders of the shadow realm was tangible enough to those whose minds were already under the Ring's sway. They beat on the slats of the cage from the inside, and one gruffly shouted, "Let us out of here! What are you doing? Where did this come from?"

Yami stared, but considering Bakura could have attacked them much more seriously and done them harm, he was willing to allow the shadow magic to persist. He stepped out from the corner of the room and paced in front of the imaginary cage, as if to assure himself that it would somehow hold the intruders while he spoke to them. Bakura stood still, his hands now at his sides, admiring his handiwork. Yami stood far enough from him to keep him in sight as well as the intruders. "Who are you?" he sternly asked. "What business do you have breaking into my home at this time of night?"

"What kind of trick is this?" one attacker asked in return. "What have you done to us?"

"It is not your place to be asking questions," Bakura snapped. "Answer the man. What are you doing here, you pitiful excuses for thieves?"

The two strangers looked at each other before one answered, "We've been sent to retrieve the pyramid." He pointed to the Puzzle around Yami's neck.

"You ridiculous fools," Bakura snickered. "Don't you know that if it were that easy, I would have taken it myself a long time ago?"

"Bakura," Yami warned before turning back to the intruders. "Who are you working for? Who sent you?"

The men quieted, then, refusing to answer anything further. Bakura shook his head. "You won't get information out of them that way."

"And what do you propose I do?" Yami retorted. "Erase their minds or send their souls to the shadow realm? How would that help us?"

"Hey, you, with the Ring," one of the thieves suddenly shouted. "What did you do with the team who was sent to your place?"

"Shut up!" the other one hissed at him.

"He did something to them," the first insisted, grabbing his partner by the shirt and shaking him. "That's why they didn't report in. He messed with their minds, too!"

"I would be glad to show you," Bakura answered them, "but we need some information out of you first. Once that's been obtained, I will be all too happy to send you to join your friends."

The two men backed away from him, not liking the tone of his voice. Yami stepped closer and pointed forcefully to them. "Enough of this. You. Tell me, what have you done with Marik? The young man who was kidnapped earlier this evening? Two of your team, just like you, attacked him and his brother and took him. You will tell me what you've done with him, or I will let Bakura do anything he wants to you."

"Mm, that's rather appealing," Bakura chuckled.

One of the thieves swore at them boldly. "I'm not falling for your mind tricks. You can't actually do anything to hurt us."

"If it's a mind trick, then why can't you get out?" Bakura challenged. "Go on, walk through the cage. I dare you."

The man reached out ahead of him, but his hand came into contact with something that made him shiver and drop back. "What the hell? What is this?"

"It's more real than you thought," Bakura said gleefully. "You're lucky. Had I been in charge, I would have just sent a nasty fiend to feed on your soul, but the pharaoh wants to have things his way. At least for now. Maybe later I'll get the chance to play with you."

Yami folded his arms sternly. "I'll ask you one more time. What have you done with Marik? Where is he being held?"

The thieves stared at him, but still refused to say anything. Yami was growing impatient with them, and worse, angry at what they stood for. He saw the combat knives on their belts, and knew that they had broken into his bedroom with the intent of murdering Yugi in his sleep and taking the Puzzle. Though he did not remember the exact way to use shadow magic, in moments like this, when angry enough, threatened enough, the magic came out on its own. The longer the thieves started at him in unsettled silence, the more furious he became. Bakura just eyed him from the other side of the room, waiting to see what he would do. Yami stepped right up to the side of the shadowy Nightmare Steel Cage and glared through the slats at his captives. "You have no answer? Do you simply not know, or are you too stupid to realize the prudence of telling me?"

"What are you going to do with us if we don't?" the snide thief dared.

Power surged through Yami as he focused all his anger on them and their insolence. The Puzzle's Eye flashed, and a golden flame flickered on his forehead as a mystical Eye appeared there also. The two men backed away in surprise. "I could be patient if you simply had no information to give me," he said in a low, threatening tone. "But you have tested the limit of my patience. I have no mercy to spare for you, not when you come here to kill me and steal my Puzzle, to kill or harm the people I care about, and to meddle with powers you know nothing about. If you don't tell me where Marik is, I will enter your mind and find that information for myself." His violet eyes shimmered with anger. "After that, I'm sure your mind will be of no further use to you. Bakura here may be able to toy with your soul and send it places it doesn't want to be…" He lowered his head, making his glare even more deadly. "…but I can crush it into oblivion."

The intruders stood motionless for a moment, staring at him, conflicted as to whether that weird Eye on his forehead meant something or if it was all in their heads, still. At last, the skeptical one snapped and lunged for him, cage or no cage. Yami thrust out a hand and clamped it on the man's face, stopping him cold. It was an easy grip to get out of, especially if the thug had any combat training, but he was so astonished that he faltered just long enough for the pharaoh's spirit to reach his breaking point. Instinct called his inner power to his hands, driven by his desperate need to protect Yugi, Grandpa, Marik, Ryo, and everyone else involved. "Stop!" he commanded. "I've had enough! Mind Crush!"

The man shuddered and suddenly slumped to the floor, unconscious. The other intruder stared at him, and then at Yami. "What did you do to him?" he asked hysterically.

Yami turned dark eyes on him instead. "You heard what I said. He didn't believe me. He paid the price. Now, will you tell me what I want to know?"

The second thug had shown signs of believing what his eyes and mind were telling him. With one more glance at his senseless companion, he stammered, "We took him to a slum on the north side of town. Our orders are to meet Archer there when it's all taken care of. We don't know anything about this Egyptian crap, we're just in it for the money. He's paid us well. Oh shit!" He stared hard at Yami. "Don't tell me these Egyptian things really do have curses on them? Shit!" He backed away from the two shadowy figures staring at him through the cage. "Forgive me! I didn't mean to awaken any curses, I'm just being paid to steal some gold treasures!"

"Aren't we all," Bakura interjected aloofly.

"Bakura," Yami said sharply. "Remove the Nightmare Steel Cage."

Bakura eyed him warily, but with a gesture of his hand, the magical apparition faded. The intruder cowered back even more, dropping to one knee. "Don't!" he begged. "I didn't mean it! You're an ancient ghost or something, aren't you? Please, don't take my soul! I'll tell you anything!"

Beyond them, Bakura started to chuckle eagerly. "Lucky for us, pharaoh, we have a superstitious one," he cooed. "Your ancestors aren't going to protect you from us, little man. We were around long before they were even born."

Yami stepped up to the man and held a hand threateningly over him. "Give me the exact address of this place across town and who is there holding Marik. Anything you can add about Archer would be welcome. Bakura!" he snapped. "Get something to write this down."

Sighing, Bakura went to Yugi's desk and fished out a pen as the black-clad intruder stammered out all the information he could possibly give, his eyes on the Puzzle and the golden Eye on Yami's forehead the entire time. Once they had secured every last detail from their captive, the two spirits stood before him, glaring down at him. "What do you intend to do with him now?" Bakura asked sullenly. "Send him on his merry way so he can warn his boss that we're after him?"

"No." Yami strode closer and set his hand firmly on the intruder's head, eliciting a terrified "eep" from him. "I can't condone anything done in the name of greed, but I am willing to allow for remorse and repentance. I will make sure that if he goes back to those who paid him to come here tonight, it will render their plans useless."

"No, please, stop!" the man pleaded.

Yami glared down at him, searching out his eyes and holding his gaze. "It is not my place to judge you as good or evil," he said solemnly. "But I must protect the ones I love. You asked me not to hurt you, so I won't." The Puzzle began to glow, and the man stiffened in fear. Yami held firm, though. "I'm placing a trap in your mind. A Crush virus, you might say. If you return to Archer, even if it's to report what happened here, you will instantly forget every order he ever gave you, and deliver to him this message: I am the Nameless Pharaoh whose Puzzle you seek." Yami closed his eyes and recited it in dramatic tone. "Leave the Millennium Items alone, and trouble the young men who are destined to bear them no more, or you shall be the next in line to receive my wrath. And when you have said this," he added, opening his eyes and staring down his victim, "your memories of this night and my appearance will vanish, leaving you a clean slate in which to start a new life if you wish. If I were you, I would do so." Another flash of the Puzzle, and the power which surged from his hand knocked the intruder back. Yami stepped away from him, back to where Bakura stood next to the bed, arms crossed, frowning distrustfully. "Now go. Take your comrade and get out of my sight before Bakura gives you a reason to hurry."

"I'll give you a reason, all right," Bakura growled. "You're going to just let them go? You can do far worse than that, pharaoh. I know you have it in you. Come on, let's see your real power."

"Don't tempt me," Yami said shortly.

The two young men stood aside to watch, and not help, as the thug picked his unconscious partner up off the floor and hauled him through the skylight, before pulling himself up after him and fumbling around on the roof. It couldn't have been easy to get the senseless man off the roof, but right now Yami did not care. He waited until silence fell around them again, and then went to pick up the piece of paper Bakura had left on the desk. "What now?" Bakura wondered with a bit of a taunt in his voice.

"I don't know that part of town," Yami said quietly, relying on Yugi's memories to aid him. "But I know someone who does." He glanced over his shoulder, eyeing the dark spirit warily. "You've done well, but I'm sure I can go on without you. You're free to leave anytime."

"And miss out on all the fun?" Bakura stepped up beside him and nodded toward the paper with the address. "You're going, aren't you? Going to make some kind of heroic charge and rescue your little servant?"

"Marik is my friend," Yami corrected him, "and I never leave a friend stranded."

"I can't let you have all the fun," Bakura said with a comical pout. "You're going too soft on your enemies. You need someone along who will not hesitate to do what's necessary to stop these people once and for all. For that, you need me. I don't have your moral sensibilities – those you're borrowing from your vessel, that is."

Yami scowled at him. "That's all you're after, is it? The chance to smack someone around?"

"Well, in the off chance you fail in your mission," Bakura said breezily, "I want to be there to snatch some Millennium Items from you, but in the meantime, yes. That's all I want."

Though it rankled him to do so, Yami sighed and relented. "Fine. You may accompany us. But it will not be you and I alone this time. If you can't work with the team, you're welcome to go home and let Ryo get some sleep. Back out anytime you want. Now, go down to the street and make sure our 'friends' are long gone. I will be with you in a moment."

Bakura thought about taunting or arguing, but one look at the glare in the pharaoh's eyes made him think better of it. With a little haughty sniff, he turned on his heel and left the bedroom. Yami listened for his steps on the stairs before doing the last thing he needed to do, which Bakura did not need to witness. He went down the hall to the linen closet and stealthily retrieved the Millennium Rod from its hiding place. Marik may not have wanted to use its power or its blade to protect himself, but right now, the pharaoh reasoned, he needed every tool at his disposal to end this fiasco.