DISCLAIMER: This is a work of fanfiction produced for entertainment purposes only. Yu-Gi-Oh! and all related characters are the creations of Kazuki Takahashi.

AUTHOR'S NOTE: My humblest apologies for not updating this story in so long. Real life went crazy on both myself and my beta reader. To make up for it, here's a little status update on the progress of this story: This update contains chapters 9-10 and I've already started work on chapter 11. I also have the remainder of this whole story roughly planned out. So it's getting there, I just need time to work on it. For those who are still reading after all this time, I thank you for your patience and hope you continue to enjoy it.

Tournament of Shadows
Chapter 9: All Down to Luck
By Shadow's Mirror

The dark clouds that had hung over the city of Domino the previous day had grown heavier through the night. As they threatened to rain on the fourth day of the Domino City Treasure Quest Tournament, breakfast at the Kaiba mansion was interrupted by a phone call.

Joey and Mokuba continued eating while Seto answered it. They were almost finished by the time he returned to the table. One look at the dark scowl creasing the young CEO's forehead and, for the first time in living memory, Joey hesitated in the middle of raising his fork to his mouth. "What's up, Kaiba?"

Seto sat down again, his scowl deepening at the question. "That was the head of my security division. Kaiba Corp. is providing additional security for the tournament today, because of the attacks yesterday. The tournament organisers have just advised that they won't need quite so many guards as there is now one less participant." He shook his head at the sharp look Joey sent him. "No, not another attack. Esper Roba has pulled out."

Joey's fork clattered onto his plate. He stared at the other teenager in shock. "What? Why?"

"Fear. Not for himself. For his brothers. Apparently the attacks on the three girls yesterday, combined with the attacks on the children throughout the city, has made him fear for their safety. They are alone for the entire day, as long as he remains in the competition." Seto and Joey traded glances. Fear for a sibling was something they both understood.

"It's a pity. He's a good duelist. I was looking forward to dueling him again, too. But yeah, I can see his point. If my sister was in the city, I'd be worried about her too." He glanced at Mokuba, then arched an eyebrow at Kaiba.

Seto nodded once. "I agree. In his case, this is the wisest course of action to ensure his siblings' safety. For me, I have already issued instructions that Mokuba is to be closely guarded at all times if he steps foot off this estate." He looked at his pouting younger brother. "I mean it, Mokuba. You are not to lose the guards."

"I know, big brother." Mokuba sighed and pouted some more. "But I really hope that whoever's behind the attacks is caught soon. I don't want to be guarded for any longer than I have to be!" He paused to have another bite of breakfast, then added casually, "The bodyguards really cramp my style with the ladies."

As Joey snickered, Seto stared in shock at his younger brother. "Mokuba! Have you been listening to Wheeler again?"

"Hey!" Joey glared at Kaiba but Mokuba just grinned and shook his head.

"No. It was one of the bodyguards. Before you ask, no, I'm not saying which one. He's one of the few I actually like, so I don't want to get him into trouble." As his older brother glowered at him, the boy continued eating.

Seto sighed and reluctantly gave up the idea of getting the man's identity out of his brother. He had more important things to focus on than working out who was behind Mokuba's use of inappropriate-for-a-Kaiba terminology.

Turning to Wheeler, Seto spoke quietly. "I called Yugi and informed him, also. He had some news in return. They suspect the one behind the attacks to be a" He sighed heavily and clearly didn't want to say what he was about to say. "A Shadow Monster." He wrinkled his nose in distaste at the ridiculous notion. "Working with someone else." That seemed to make it a little more palatable for him as his nose stopped wrinkling.

Joey nodded. "That fits. No one person could have taken out all three of the girls at once. I thought that when I saw them." He winced at the memory.

Seto started to nod, but then stopped, frowning. "Wait. You saw them? When?"

"Huh? I didn't tell you? Oh, sorry." Joey winced. "I was the one who found them in the alley."

"What? Why didn't you say anything?" Seto glared at Wheeler, but the blonde boy just shrugged.

"Didn't seem important. It's not like I saw the attack on them or anything. They'd been there for a while. Besides, I say I found them, but really I was just the one who called for help for them. The one who found them was that kid."

Seto frowned. "A child? What do you mean? Start from the beginning, Wheeler. What happened?"

"Okay." Joey sipped his orange juice as he got his thoughts in order. "I was on my way to my next duel when I spotted that little girl on the side of the road, near the mouth of an alley. You know, the kid we were talking about the other day. The one I'd seen with Callie. She was crying and looked so scared, I knew something was wrong. So I asked the driver to pull over and asked her what the problem was. She said Callie and the other girls were in the alley and they were really hurt and she didn't know what to do. I said I'd help and went to take a look. They were lying against the wall, out cold but breathing. I called for an ambulance and stayed with them until it came."

Seto's frown had deepened while he listened. "What happened to the child?"

It was Joey's turn to frown. "That's just it. I don't know. After I called for help, I went to tell her the ambulance was on it's way, but she was already gone."

The silence stretched uncomfortably as Seto just stared at Joey for several moments. Then he put his hand to his face and pinched the bridge of his nose, as if he had a headache. "Wheeler A strange child informs you that someone is hurt and then vanishes and you do not consider that to be important?" He was clearly trying not to lose his temper.

"She didn't do it, Kaiba." It was a quiet statement with the blonde teen's complete conviction in every word of it.

"You may be naïvely trusting, Wheeler, however I am not." Seto scowled at the other boy, but Joey just shook his head.

"You didn't see her. She wasn't just scared. She was terrified."

"What does that have to do with anything?" Seto was now glaring at him, but Joey only shook his head again.

"I don't know, all right! I just don't think she did it! I saw how scared she was and I can't believe that she had anything to do with the attack on the girls. She was scared for them. I don't know why she ran. Maybe once she knew they were being helped, her fear for them became fear for herself, or something." Joey glared back at Kaiba.

Seto was about to reply when the last thing Wheeler had said struck him as actually being probable. He paused to consider it and finally, reluctantly, nodded. "I suppose that is a possibility. Especially if she is as young as she looks. I will have the security division keep watch for her. I have a man stationed at the hospital, also. Perhaps, if she is indeed friendly with Callie, she will visit her there."

Joey relaxed again and nodded. "Sounds good." He picked up his fork again and resumed eating, clearly relieved that was settled. "We should get moving. It's nearly time to go. You're going to the office this morning, right?"

Seto watched his temporary house guest for a moment, the look of surprise on his face shifting to something that might possibly have been almost amusement before he, too, resumed his interrupted breakfast. "Indeed."

When the participants gathered at the park for the opening of the tournament, as they were required to do by the rules, it was a much smaller group than on the previous days. It was also a very serious and sombre group. Even Marik seemed subdued and hovered close behind the Light, like the Shadow he was.

Rex looked around at the seven duellists there and frowned in confusion. "Uh where is everyone? All running late or something? I mean, I know about Avril, Rina and Callie" His eyes widened in alarm. "Don't tell me the others?"

"Relax, Rex." Joey waved a hand before the other boy could start panicking. "It says in the rules we only have to come here each morning if we're still active in the first round of the tournament. Yug, Kaiba, Bakura and Nyc already made it through to round two and Esper pulled out this morning." He said it softly, still shocked and sad over the decision.

"Huh? What? Why would he do a fool thing like" Rex trailed off and looked thoughtful, for once. "Wait. He's got a whole heap of little brothers or something, hasn't he?"

Joey nodded. "Yeah. The city's not safe for kids right now and he was worried about them. He's taken them home."

A soft sound behind Joey and a slight frown on Malik's face were the only warnings Joey had that the last of the duelists had arrived, before he spoke. "Such a shame." Evien's smooth voice held just a trace too much sympathy for it to be honestly felt. "Still, it means there's more hope for the rest of us to get into the finals." He moved to stand beside Joey and smiled his 'oh you poor thing' smile at the blonde teen. "Most of us, anyway."

Joey shrugged. "Like I said before, not all of us care about that. I'm just here 'cause I love to duel."

Evien smiled and nodded. "If you say so." He sauntered off towards the officials.

Malik waited until he was gone before removing his hand from over Marik's mouth. His 'brother' immediately pouted at him. "Malik! I wanted to tell him off. You know Joey will end up in the finals."

The smaller boy nodded and smiled consolingly at his darker half. "Of course he will. But remember what Isis said to us this morning?"

Marik thought for a moment, then beamed happily. "That we weren't to run in the house while eating pancakes as it made Odion pout and treat himself to bunny magazines as a reward for having to clean the syrup off the walls."

Malik shook his head. "No, not that. Although it's good that you remembered because I'd forgotten. I meant what she said about Joey's dueling ability. Remember that?"

"Oh!" Marik nodded happily, but then his smile was suddenly gone and he was more serious than he'd been in the rest of the contest. "We're not to let on to Evien that Joey is a really good duelist."

Joey blinked. "Huh? How come?" He looked confused.

Malik shrugged and looked at his sister, who was watching and listening with her usual complete calmness. "Isis?"

Isis looked at Joey, her eyes warmer than usual and quite gentle. "Watching Evien Sanders duel has made me suspect that he could be a dangerous enemy. He clearly wishes to win this contest and I do not believe he would allow anything, or anyone, to get in the way of that goal. At the moment, he does not see you as a threat. I feel that it would be best if it stayed that way. If he knew the truth That you are coming last only because you fell behind on the first two days due to a lack of transport, which has since been remedied It might not be safe for you."

Rex and Weevil frowned and looked uneasy. "You think he's the one behind the attacks?" Rex spoke for both of them.

"I have no proof, only suspicions based almost solely on his duels. You have seen them, have you not?" Isis spoke very quietly, but her words made both boys frown deeply.

"Yeah. We've seen them." Weevil didn't look happy.

"His duels are full-on." Rex looked even less happy.

"If you could even call them duels. They looked more like torture sessions to me." Joey scowled.

Mai nodded. "For both his opponent and his monsters. That guy has a real cruel streak. He really enjoys handing out punishment."

Rex looked at Mai as if struck by what she'd said. "Huh I wonder if that's what Rina meant." At the others' curious looks, he shrugged slightly. "The first day of the contest, Rina and I shared a cab when we went off to look for our duels, since we were heading the same way. I asked her how come she and the other girls had been so hard with Evien and if they knew him. Figured it couldn't hurt to find out a bit more about one of my opponents, you know." He frowned. "Rina said she, Callie and Avril got on his bad side a few months back, and he'd made sure that they all suffered for it. No details, but I got the feeling she wasn't just talking about dueling there."

Weevil frowned. "A few months ago? Wasn't that about the same time they pulled out of the Tokyo contest? You know, the one we were in, too."

Rex nodded. "Yeah. I heard a rumour that Callie twisted her ankle or something. They've always been close, so it wasn't surprising that Rina and Avril pulled out too." He frowned. "But looking back on it now after all this I'm starting to wonder if that's really what happened." He looked uneasy and so did Weevil.

Mai was frowning now. "First night of the tournament, Nyc told me Evien tried to make Avril go out with him not long ago, and 'it went badly'. That's how Nyc put it. I know whatever he did, it royally ticked off those three girls. You know what? I haven't liked him from the start, but the more I hear about him, the less I like him."

Isis nodded. "I would advise all of you to exercise great caution today." She looked at Rex, Weevil and her brothers.

As the four of them nodded, Joey pouted. "So you don't think I'm in the running either? Ouch. That hurts."

Isis smiled a little and shook her head very slightly. "I believe he believes that you are no threat to him. That is not the same thing at all, Joey."

Reassured, Joey nodded. He looked around the group and grinned with his usual cheerful attitude. "Well, it's all down to luck now. Four more spots in the finals and eight duelists after them. Enjoy your duels!"

The others replied in kind and when the officials called for the duelists to assemble, they all headed over together to listen to the same talk on the tournament and its rules that they'd been made to listen to every day for the previous three days. Only Rex and Weevil hung back a little from the others, talking quietly for a moment.

"Think we have a chance?" Weevil frowned. "Because I'm not sure I do."

Rex nodded slightly. "Isis just needs to go to the last location and Mai's up to her last match. They're in for sure. That leaves two places. For the two of us maybe." He looked worried.

Weevil sighed. "I'm not sure I want to get in, if it means going up against that Evien guy. You've seen him duel. You think you can beat him?"

"I have no clue." Rex didn't look happy to admit it. "You?"

"If I can get my main card on the field, maybe. But I don't like my chances. My deck's not good against his, from what I've seen of it." Weevil glanced at Rex. "So what are we going to do?"

Rex shrugged slightly. "What we can. Wheeler's right. It's all down to luck now. If any of us get stuck on where our last duels are we're out. Let's just keep going to the end and see what happens."

Weevil nodded. "Sounds like a plan."

The two hurried to join the others as the fourth day of the tournament officially began.

To be continued