--
Chapter 10
--

A few hours later….

"That's it!" Ian shouted. "We're lost!" He had no idea how much time had passed since he and Ritsuko had begun their "little" trek back to Duel Academy, but it certainly felt like forever. They had made little progress so far, if any at all. In fact, now that he thought of it, he could've sworn they had just passed that same tree stump a half an hour ago!

Ritsuko shrank away from the sound of the shorter boy's raised voice. "I'm sorry. I thought that if we-"

A defeated sigh from Ian silenced the girl's words. "It's not a problem." Ian said quickly, realizing he had scared her. "We just have to backtrack and I'm sure we'll eventually figure out our way out of this mess. Then again, if we head one direction long enough, I'm sure we'll eventually find out way out…"

"Yeah…" Ritsuko answered meekly. "I'm sure that'll work. I just hope we get out of here soon. It feels like we've been wandering around for an hour at least". After spotting what she thought to be a familiar path, Ritsuko motioned towards Ian and pointed to it. "Let's try that way."

"Or…" a sudden and all too familiar voice interrupted. "You could just follow me, dear friends." Accompanying this sudden interruption, a shadowed figure suddenly swung down in front of where the girl was standing, hanging from the knees upside down like a bat. "Hello." Victor grinned, light reflecting off the big round lenses of his glasses.

Needless to say, Ritsuko didn't exactly greet him kindly. A terrified and surprised scream was loosed from the girl's lips as she simultaneously swung her arm to slap at Victor with all the might she could muster.

"Ack!" Victor exclaimed, barely avoiding the sudden slap by quickly ducking back up into the tree momentarily. After a bit to make sure it was safe, he descended once more, but slowly so as not to provoke another attack from the terrified girl. Of course, she was already trying to hide behind Ian's diminutive form at this point. "I should've expected that." the bespectacled man said with a sigh. "Really… Why couldn't I remember what happened last time I happened upon you? Eh, Ritsuko? That being said, you think she'd-"

"Victor." Ian growled, glaring at the man with daggers in his eyes. "How dare he show his face to us and act like nothing's wrong!"

Meanwhile, Victor appeared simply oblivious to Ian's tone. "Yes?" he said simply while casually examining a fingernail.

"What…do you think you are doing?"

"Hanging upside down at the moment. Why?"

"That's not what I meant!" Ian shouted, clenching his fist as his blood started to boil. Ian liked to think that he was a calm person and that it took a lot for people to get under his skin. Most people just thought he was lazy, though. But this guy—no, monster was too much. After all he'd done, he deserved a punch in the face.

"What do you mean? I'm not a mind reader." Victor antagonized with a sly but mocking grin.

"No, but you certainly love toying with our minds." Ian growled lowly. The knuckles of his right fist popped softly as he clenched it harder and harder. Every word, every mocking syllable, Victor made always seemed to feel like pins and needles being pushed into Ian's brain. Well, Ian wasn't going to take it anymore. His knuckles popped again as the boy's eyes blazed with barely restrained fury, and he pulled back his arm and launched himself forward to finally deliver some well-deserved punishment to Victor's face.

However, it just wasn't his day. Within the last second, Victor not only pulled himself onto the branch he was hanging from to avoid the impending pain, but did it all with a grin and even a small chuckle. Sitting there with his legs dangling over the branch's edge, he grinned at the two students with a Cheshire's smile.

"No, that won't do." Victor laughed while waggling a finger at Ian. "You wouldn't want to do that. But we don't have that much time. Your other friends are waiting for you two. Shall we be going?"

Ian froze the moment he heard Victor's words. "What have you done with my friends?" he exclaimed, whirling around after stumbling from his failed attempt at a decent punch. However, there was now another problem. When he turned around to face Victor, he wasn't even on the branch anymore. That was when Ian noticed Ritsuko's gaze and followed it to spot Victor on the trail they'd just come from. "Damn, how's he moving so fast?"

"Oh, it's nothing of concern for you." Victor called back at the pair over his shoulder, leaping and vaulting from branch to branch with unearthly grace. The tails of his black coat flailed in his wake and seemed to appear like great black wings. "But I do suggest you try to keep up." With that last comment, Victor vanished into the foliage.

"Come on." Ian shouted to Ritsuko while following into the bushes. It turned out there was another trail behind the thick brush, hidden from site. Victor stood at the end of it, cradling one arm in the other as he rested his head in his hand. The sarcastic shaking of his head, as if he were upset, was in complete disagreement with the huge grin on his smug face. This did little to help Ian's mood. "Why you…" he started before continuing to run towards Victor.

Once again, the fiend disappeared from sight, only to show up moments later somewhere down the path. A voice inside Ian's head said that Victor was taunting him, but he ignored it despite knowing it was true. Even if it was reeeeeaaally irritating. "I know he wanted to get me somewhere, but I don't care. Wherever it is, I'm gonna pound his face in when we get there!" Ian was vaguely aware that Ritsuko was barely keeping up behind him.

This continued for a good ten minutes at least before Ian finally rounded a corner and burst out into a clearing. To his surprise, it was the same clearing where he had just dueled Victor; the one that Victor always kept using when meeting the students of Duel Academy. But this wasn't nearly as surprising as seeing his friends all burst from the shrubbery on the other side of the clearing. He could already spot the familiar forms of Lee, Joe, and Mitch. Aaron wasn't far behind. "Mitch? Lee? What's going on?" Ian shouted as he caught up with them with Ritsuko following close behind. Although, she was breathing a tad heavy.

"I'd like to know myself, pal. " Lee answered, running to the center of the clearing to meet Ian. Mitch, Joe, and Aaron were close behind Lee and appeared to be as equally perplexed as their good chum. "One minute, we're all sitting around, and the next that jerk Victor shows up and calls us all out here." Lee continued. However, the look on his face told Ian that wasn't even half of the surprise in store for him. "Plus, guess who woke up?"

Ian gasped, realizing exactly what Lee was getting at. This was only reinforced as Amy and Milly both stepped out of the shadows behind Mitch and Lee.

"You two!" Ritsuko practically squealed, then realized how stupid she sounded. She quickly rushed over to rope both of her friends into group hug. "You're both all right, I mean."

"Yeah…" Milly replied nonchalantly, "But that jerk Victor got away from us again! I swear, when I get my hands on that man, well…we all know what happened with Joey-boy's monsters, now don't we?" Milly chuckled at the memory, but was obviously just as annoyed as Ian was that Victor has slipped through their grasp. The sound of a very annoyed Joe clearing his throat broke Milly out of her reverie, and she turned to him with a smug yet sheepish grin. "What? It's true." she shrugged almost bashfully.

That was when something didn't feel quite right. "Wait." Ian suddenly realized. "You mean you chased Victor here? But that's impossible! I chased Victor here!"

"You must be mistaken." Milly replied with a lifted eyebrow and a shake of her blond locks. "That simply can't be true."

"I swear! I chased him all the way here. If you don't believe me, ask your friend." Ian argued, jerking his finger at Ritsuko.

"He's right." Ritsuko agreed meekly. "I couldn't see him most of the time, but he kept showing up, as if he was luring us here."

"Odd." Mitch interjected. "That crackpot was doing the same gig with us." he continued while carefully scanning their surroundings.

"How else would I be able to get you all together, my dear friends?" a dark and maligned voice interrupted. Everyone turned to Victor standing at the edge of the clearing.

Lee was the first to react. "That's it!" he shouted before breaking off into a run towards their common enemy. "You're mine!" Lunging forward, the larger boy cranked his arm back and rocketed it upwards to deliver a bone-crushing uppercut to Victor's jaw. Despite his size, it seemed that Lee could move fast when he wanted to and there wasn't a doubt in anyone's mind that Victor would be lifted clear off his feet if that strike connected. Actually, Ian was thinking that was a little disconcerting about his friend. "Note to self… Don't make him mad."

Victor, on the other hand, was just plain amused at such stupidity. "Silly student." he sneered, tilting his head and leaning back at the last second to avoid contact. Following this, all in the same sweeping motion, he stuck his foot out to trip Lee, and grabbed the outstretched arm before yanking it behind his attacker's back. It was clearly painful looking as Victor spun Lee around to lock his arm into place, his back to Victor's front.

"Why you son of a-"

"Nuh-uh-ah." Victor clicked, shaking his head in disapproval. "Children present, including yourself. At least, that's what you should be thinking of yourself as, launching at me with such a lack of finesse." It was obvious that the bespectacled man was enjoying this on some level as he lifted his gaze to the others. That same smug grin that never failed to get under Ian's skin had come back again, though this time it was now obvious that it wasn't just Ian that was irritated severely by it. "Now, I want you all to listen carefully so I don't have to break your friends arm. And I want honest replies to my questions. Then we can all go home happy. Okie dokie?"

"Why you…" Ian grumbled, clenching his fist once again. "He's got us. We can't do anything without risking Lee getting hurt." It appeared the others also knew this, and were frozen like statues.

Victor's smile grew broader. "Very good. Now, I ask you… Have you enjoyed my little game?"

"GAME!?" Amy shouted, surprising everybody save Victor with the power behind her voice. "You put Milly in a coma! Then you forced Ritsuko to do the same to me!" The girl's voice was practically shaking with rage, but a soft shoulder squeeze from Milly and Ritsuko seemed to calm her down. But only barely. After swallowing hard to regain her composure, Amy opened her eyes again and glared at Victor. "You're just a weird little sicko with big glasses and a bad coat. You had no right to do this."

"I'll take that as a no." Victor chuckled before wrenching on Lee's arm. Lee couldn't help but stifle a growl of pain. "Now do quiet down before I break this off. Next question. Would you like me to continue?"

Joe cut Amy off with a sweep of his arm before she had a chance to shout again. "I think…" he swiftly answered. "It's safe to say that we do not."

Amy fumed at being cut off, but nodded a curt agreement.

"Hmm, it's to be expected." Victor nodded, seeming in agreement with the much more reasonable sounding person. "Most people do not enjoy have their lives at stake, but I assure you that from now on, that will be the case quite often." For a moment, Victor's grin seemed to falter a bit as he held Lee steadfastly. "Now, I can finally end this sham and reveal my true agenda. Which fills me with a certain degree of joy, I'll tell you right now. You see, I don't like hurting you little students."

"Then what's your excuse for all of this?" Ian argued. "You think people like getting put into comas?"

"No." Victor countered, shrugging of the seriousness in Ian's voice, "But it was necessary. And for your own good." A pause followed to let what Victor had just said to be absorbed into everyone's head. That, and judging from the incredulous and gap-jawed expressions everyone had, it was a little while. "I had to show you…children…a world in which your every waking moment was tormented by a powerful entity who treated you like playthings. I had to show you what it was like to get manipulated, played with, and eventually tossed aside when you were broken. Some of you already have companions who know that feeling all too well, don't you?" Victor snickered, gazing at Ian intensely. The others picked up the feelings passing between them and cast a nervous glance to Ian.

"Yes." Ian replied simply, leaving a long silence as everyone waited for more.

When he decided that Ian wouldn't say anything more, Victor merely shrugged and continued his dialogue. "As I was saying then, I think you all have quite a good image of that, and don't ever want to see it again. Trust me, neither do I. So, what must we do to prevent this?"

"Stop people like you." Milly curtly answered with her arms crossed in front of her. She almost seemed regal in the way she stared down Victor. However, Victor's reaction pretty much caught everyone off guard.

"Yes!" Victor exclaimed loudly, a grin growing across his face once more. "We must stop people like me. But not exactly like me, and I'll reveal why in just a second. But first, I have one last thing to say before wrapping up this fun little chat. It's this. I chose this group, each and every person. I wanted all of you here, tonight, for this very special get-together. You'll each find out why eventually. Not now, but eventually. That's why I hope you'll all stick around afterwards so we can find out together." There was a smugness in Victor's voice, a kind of self-assured knowing that they would all just stick this through, as if Victor knew something else he wasn't telling.

"As if." Ian heard Joe mutter under his breath.

Victor seemed to pause again, most likely expecting a few more nasty retorts, but all he got was cold stares. Shrugging it off, he chuckled to himself before continuing. "Very well. I guess I'll end this little midday get-together and get to the reason why I assembled this team, or whatever you'd call it. I'll start by saying this: I didn't get here by boat. Nor did I fly in here. No, I took an alternative means of traveling to this particular island to find fellow duelists to aid me in my quest. I came through a portal."

"A what?" Mitch gasped. "What kind of crazy talk is that?"

"I assure you, it's no jest." Victor began smugly. "I'm sure you're all well aware of the legends surrounding this school. About how a group of skilled duelists, one Jaden Yuki in particular, saved it time and time again by using the powers of this other world. Most of you probably think it's all just a story to attract students." he continued, the grin swiftly leaving to reveal deadly seriousness. "Well, I can assure that it's not. I came here through a portal, a portal from the realm of Duel Monsters. It's a realm in which all of your Monster Cards, all of your Spell Cards, all of your Trap Cards…are real. They're living breathing creatures. They're the landscape, and the forces that shape it. They're the confrontations, the history…the very essence of that realm."

"You can't honestly think," Lee grunted through clenched teeth, "that we'd buy that garbage."

"Quiet you." Victor ordered, yanking his hostage's arm a bit further. "Now, as I was saying, that is where I came from. But, not originally. No, I was born here on good old Earth, our planet. Our dimension. But as I attended this very institute not too long ago, I was approached by an ancient and powerful entity. I was stupid then, and was quick to agree to offer my skills for its power. It was only after I was trapped in its employment did I realize the evils he intended for this world." Another pause followed before Victor continued. "The entity that I was approached by was none other than one of the rulers of the Duel World, Caius the Dark Monarch." Another hush fell over the students at the mention of the name, and all of them couldn't resist the chill that ran up their spine. Each of them were all too familiar with the power commanded by the cards known as the Monarchs, and the thought of even one actually being a real creature in some unseen world was an unpleasant thought. The fact Victor said it was Caius didn't help at all. "You see, he and his brothers run things over there. Despite the other powerful monsters that exist, they've somehow managed to gain enough power to control them all. Each has staked out his own piece of real estate if you would, and made it their kingdom."

Ian was still mulling over the thought of a real live Monarch actually existing when he spoke again. "Say we buy into this fantasy of yours." Ian interrupted. "Big deal. So they're causing trouble over there. So what?"

"So…." Victor chuckled, giving Lee's arm one more tweak to keep everyone's attention. "They want to bring the fun here. They're bored with their domain in the Duel World, so they intend to change things up and finally merge it with ours. I've heard that it was attempted in the past, but nothing came of it. Whether it was because of good ole Yuki's efforts is a mystery. However, I do know how to stop it this time. And that, my friends, is where you all come in."

"You can't be serious." Joe reiterated. "How are a bunch of kids supposed to stop these things? Even as just cards, the Monarchs are pretty powerful. I don't even want to consider facing the real thing."

"Oh, but you will consider it." Victor argued, "and quite possible it could be you who faces one of these fearsome siblings." he continued with a sort of demented optimism. "Time will tell, but for now, let me finish my speech. Yes, as I was saying, the Monarchs intend to merge this dimension and theirs. Already, 'occurrences' happen where the paths cross. Why, that's how I got here! And it's how some of the Monarchs have already recruited human followers. To think…" Victor trailed off, obviously losing himself in some distant memory, "There's other idiots out there like myself, or worse yet, people who willing betray their own world for power." Suddenly, as if hitting a different string of thoughts, Victor returned to reality. "But yes, make no mistake, the Monarchs are coming, and they intend to bring their whole world with them as they take over our own."

"Still, I fail to see where we come in." Joe argued again.

"How can I put it simpler?! You're going to defeat them!" Victor shouted, a giddy sort of joy jumping out with his words. "I don't know how, but it seems you are all special in some way. A couple of you have become somewhat apparent to me, but I know little about the rest of you. As I said before, only time will tell."

He was answered with silence before eventually continuing. Sighing lightly as if in exasperation and defeat, Victor rolled his eyes a bit before continuing. "Fine then, I guess I'll finish this up. I'm sorry for my actions thus far, but be assured that I did them for the greater good. I had to portray myself as the ultimate evil, because that is what we intend to face. Now…"

All of a sudden… CRACK!

One moment, Victor was about to continue on with his speech without so much as batting an eyelash at everyone else's expression. But the next, Lee had managed to work his free elbow into the right angle and send it crashing right into the side of Victor's face. The blow had managed to shake the fiend into loosening his grip on his hostage's arm and Lee managed to wriggle free and rejoin the others, his face red and furious as he rubbed at the arm Victor had been toying with.

Meanwhile, Victor seemed to be busy staring at the little birdies circling his head before he managed to shake out of his own delirium. But the odd thing was that he wasn't even angry. Instead, he just shrugged his shoulders, rolled his eyes, and rubbed at the bruise forming on his cheek where Lee and struck him. "I suppose I deserved that. But anyway… Our mission is now to defeat the evil that is the Monarchs, and prevent them from taking over our world. If you are willing, I will show you how to do this." However, a tone of warning rang clearly in Victor's next words. "But, I cannot help you…if you will not help me. We have to act together against these powers, and act now." The way Victor stared at them harshly now was unsettling as always, but now it was for a different reason. Instead of the creepy and evil glare they had always seen him use, the way he looked at them now was as a person who needed help and needed it sincerely. For the first time, Victor appeared human to them. " I'll give you all one week to mull over all that I have told you, and then I will return to meet your decision. If you decide that I'm a crazed psycho…. Well…" Victor chuckled. "Then perhaps you deserve what happens to our world. If not… if you believe I am speaking the truth and can realize the danger approaching from beyond the horizon, than I will gladly welcome your aid as we move onto the next step in my plan." After a bit, Victor let his hand drop away from his bruised cheek. However, the thing was that it was finally revealed, the bruise was completely gone! "That's all I have to say for now. I guess I'll be going Oh! But before I do…." he said turning to Milly. "Milly, did I ever tell you that you had a sweet deck?"

Moments after dropping the sudden and unusual complement, Victor launched himself backwards, disappearing into the trees. Even with the sun still out, Victor somehow seemed to melt into the faded shadows themselves as he vanished from sight.

Next Chapter: Decision Time!