Chapter 10- Showdown

Day 3

With a container filled with blueberry muffins, she jogged in her runners with a bright green floral dress. She didn't have time to think about fashion. On her way she could hear Odion pleading with Marik to reconsider something. "Please, they contained valuable cards in preparation to defeat the previous tournament champions. We worked for months for this collection." The Rare Hunter's tent was the last place Petra wanted to visit that morning and it had been proven. As she walked in at 8am, she could hear Marik's anger burning and specifically at Odion. She had to find out why; she could also hear the sound of one being kicked and a groan. "Odion, if you are an Ishtar, you will listen to me and I said, THOSE CARDS ARE USELESS YOU FOOL, HOW MANY TIMES DO I HAVE TO REPEAT MYSELF?" She could also hear a crash of glass and a whistle of a flail from the other side of the tent and didn't dare to go in.

Not that Marik would mind. Bailey came and called out to her, "Petra, I wouldn't go in if I were you. Once he is furious at something, he can be very destructive." He said in worry.

"BAILEY, I NEED TO SPEAK WITH YOU." Marik sneered yet containing his anger. Bailey gritted his teeth. Bailey went in and Petra followed him reluctantly holding tightly to the container.

Bailey instantaneously bowed to Marik without eye contact. Petra stood by him, though uncertain of what to do; Marik growled. He wasn't angry with Petra but if he could take it out on anything, it would be people around him who are inferior in his presence. She placed her container on the table and bowed her head hoping his worse side wouldn't flourish on her.

"Yes Master, we are ready." He said in the most utter respect to Marik.

"AND YOU are you ready?" Marik pointed his Millennium Item at Petra trying to keep his nerves together.

Petra gulped and nodded quickly. Marik took no heed of her answer with a growl and just walked away letting Bailey take the lead. Odion was still kneeling. Still looking calm but shaking from his little brother's wrath.

"A-are you okay sir?" Petra asked Odion offering a blueberry muffin to Odion as she squatted down.

"Yes Miss Petra, I'm fine. You do not need to worry about me." He smiled at Petra. He took the muffin gratefully and stood to walk away hoping she won't get involved in Marik and his fight.

"What was that about?" Petra asked Bailey.

"Sibling fight" Bailey said to her.

"Whoa, didn't know that they were related." She replied.

"I only heard that they were adopted or something but I didn't know myself". He said remember the rumours.

"I see, man poor guy. Oh yeah… today I have to duel you right?" She dawdled.

"Uh huh, first game aye?"

"Yah, I was wondering if you could help me after this game about the guys you saw at church yesterday. I need you, Jun Yoon and me to take on those guys." Petra whispered to him.

"Huh? Does Master Marik know?" He was puzzled in her request.

"No but this is the reason we need to get it done and over with before Marik… I mean the Master discovers this." She took out the papers written of threat to her from her pouch.

"Risky man, he finds out everything but yeah if it's just a small street bashings, we're good at it." Bailey said wavering in his thoughts. Perhaps it would be fun…

Bailey took out his iPhone and played 'Breaking the Habit' by Linkin' Park to start them off.

"You know they have this thing before duelling. When people are about to duel they say 'Let's Duel!' to commence the game. Should we do that?" Bailey took his deck out.

"LET'S DUEL!" Both exclaimed

~Gambela Village Square~

With only one day left after today, Marik had enough of staying at that place. He took a break and arrived with his motorbike. He was wearing all black, black jeans and navy shirt and vest. He went to a warehouse unbeknownst to the public for any use. A middle age Ethiopian/Middle Eastern man sat in the middle of the room in bondage with twelve other Rare Hunters standing around this man.

A Rare Hunter bowed to the Egyptian boy wearing their formal robes. "As the Summer Solstice of the Ancient Ritual we offer this man to the Shadow Realm. He was useful in the search of Obelisk the Tormentor and we have located the card in Riyadh Museum for History Archaeology. It is in Saudi Arabia and he was the Professor of Antiquity Studies. "The servant explained.

Marik stood remembering that he wasn't wearing his own formal robe paced around the man like a vulture taunting the potential prey. "Sadly, I am not prepared for this myself however I will now commence the ritual for the gods. I would like to congratulate you all in attending this traditional ritual as it has rooted the importance of keeping the Shadow Realm powerful and strong" He announced, and then two Rare Hunters brought him his Robe and his Diadem. It was Jun Yoon and Odion who came just in time in their assembly.

The man was drenched in his own sweat as he knew he was working to the Rare Hunters' opposition, Ishizu Ishtar. For any purpose, he wouldn't give away the information of the card anymore than it had been revealed. Marik paid attention to the captive, reading his thoughts, emotions and beliefs. Even though Marik knew it all, he still wanted to rattle the man's virtues. He stood right in front of the petrifying form. "I can be your advocate in sparing you if you are willing to expose your negotiation with a certain girl some months ago; or I can annihilate your existence as a sacrifice to the Shadow Realm forever if you deny the course of event." The Millennium Item illuminated as Marik placed it on the man's forehead. "You have two minutes to impress me." Marik sneered at the man.

"You need professional psychological aid young man, I can refer you to…"The man said in courtesy but afraid of the teenager. The professor couldn't gather any words out as it was nearly times was out; Marik was impatient enough to continue his ritual.

"I assure you, you'll need aid more than I for my sister have misled you in her beliefs…. We have a frightened man in our midst but nevertheless, we should keep the Shadows waiting should we?" Marik said in a peculiar mocking way and cued a Rare Hunter to pin the man as Marik slit the man's wrist with his Millennium Rod. He raised his arms in victory then began cackling in laughter.

The man yelled with severe pain and groaned.

"To my dear sister, you have lost along with the Pharaoh of the Past. This special rendition of sacrifice is called 'The Exsanguinations of the Shadows'. Each drip of blood comes in a form of spirit as the Shadows will devour every past of life very slowly and painfully" He said mockingly as though his sister was there. The more red liquid of life was oozing out; the man's colour became a spiritual life form. Slowly each solid form was becoming transparent, including the blood. Then Odion handed a cloth to wipe his Millennium Rod with and a bucket of disinfected water to clean Marik's hands with.

The group roared with jeers, laughter, wooing, howling and cheering as a sign of completion. Marik was ready for the next Egyptian God Card to collect. Then Odion pulled out his wallet as saw the professor's friend's name at the back of the photo was Abel Tyrimelovan and a photo of a younger Janice Cinyato and a new born baby, at the back was the Dr Belarus Tyrimelovan man he had sacrificed with another woman Sara Grenadine who looked like his wife. He showed it to Marik realising this man with Janice was Petra's father and the infant was Petra herself.

"This is, little Petra's Father?" Marik asked; a slight sympathy formed his face. Perhaps it could have been a favour even to Petra since he had brought him to the Shadows.

"This must be her father if he had this picture for years, this child looked like Miss Petra, and I think this man is his Uncle or related to her, the one we just sacrificed." Odion concluded from the picture. It didn't matter; she was already hurt by the family absence. Like Marik, he was never able to farewell his parents before they parted. His mother passed from giving birth to him and his father was murdered by the Pharaoh. Only Petra's father ran away from the family.

"Then should we disclose this event and reunite her father as well?" Marik asked for reverence in his part.

"Perhaps after the duel with her Master Marik, we have to trace her father's whereabouts." Odion suggested

Marik nodded. "Though he deserved this fate I have given to him either, I can send her father to the Shadow Realms as well." He said unremorsefully. He left to tour around the markets on his own free will. What a small world it is. He chuckled inwardly.

~Gambela Alley~

"Dammit! You beat me man. I can never win against Marik." She realised all her life points were eliminated by the last direct attack as Bailey's Archangel Zeraato vanquished Petra's Chaos Soldier.

"It was a good game; at least you took out 1100 of my life points. I mean the aim of this lesson is to get an idea of what the game is like with a real opponent." Bailey said trying to cheer her up whilst gathering his cards. "Beside, no one expects you to ace this duel the first time."

"Marik does, he's gonna kill me after today when he finds out I lost." Petra said fearfully

"We'll meet up Jun Yoon tonight but for now let's play UNO." He brought out his cards

"I wish I could play with this in my ritual thing instead of Duel Monsters." She said still chewing on her failure to win against Bailey.

"I got in trouble once by the Master while playing this instead of looking at Duel Monsters. He ended up burning them but I bought this set." He emotionlessly and started dealing the cards between Petra and himself.

"Gee, that's really comforting…" She said sarcastically, "Is he always a bully when it comes to like you know anything?

"Yeah, as a boy from Germany, I know as much as being picked on at school. Then when I moved to Ireland I was the one who picked on people so I guess I had an even share on my experience as a bully and being bullied." He said playing with UNO

"Oh, that's how you met Bryn… you know Bryn is one of a kind, he's so kind…" As though she just discovered something she placed her card on the table.

"Err yeah you don't want to go on his bad list either." He said to Petra

"Like why..?" She asked

"He can be really calculative of his work and if something it goes wrong, he will be all manipulative and even justify it through Master for aid but kind in the outside to the offender but that is very rare on Bryn's part. He's always one step ahead." He explained.

"How about you..? Oooh UNO!" Petra asked Bailey

"Similar I guess… but not calculative as I'm pretty up front with things. I mean we're Rare Hunters, we have to be tactless in a way." He dawdled a bit.

After a while around 8pm Marik, Odion and Jun Yoon returned and it was obvious enough for Bailey to pack up and leave the tent with Petra. Marik opened the container Petra brought to the tent wondering if she won or lost the duel. It was weird not having to talk to her all day for once. He had grown accustomed to her crazy talk about politics. He took a blueberry muffin; again he had never tasted those delicacies in his life. He placed his bagful of tools, clothes on a chair and notice to pieces of paper on the ground. Perhaps a practical joke Petra and Bailey are pulling at one another but remembered their writing didn't look like that.

'Watch out you fucking devout whore. We're after you.'

'You will be no redemption from Lord Sorukhan.'

His laugh broke out remember how absent minded Petra can be in leaving notes like these and placed it in his pocket. Perhaps it was worth investigating and if it wasn't a joke, things may go out of hand. If it wasn't he could easily lash out at Petra for not being honest again. He was her escort and now a mentor and a Millennial Agent; to a certain degree she needs to open up to him. He made an audible growl and went to his trailer to refresh himself and think about what might happen to her if this was a situation worth investigating.

He filled the bathtub with warm water and some unwanted cheap wine in his trailer. Marik undressed and felt his scars on his back with the Pharaoh's memory. For now he wanted space with pleasure; rubbing his whole body from head to toe. He sighed and sunk lower to soak all of his upper body.

~Gambela Rail and Temple Hill

"This is where they live and I'm glad you can join Jun Yoon." Petra said holding a rolling pin as a weapon and staring at the mansion with a 30ft statue of Sorukhan in front of the temple. The mansion was facing the temple. The gate barred the premises in case of any intruders with a huge garden with fountains.

Bailey and Jun Yoon looked at each other and laughed while they were holding a bat and a crow bar. It was so quiet and dark as it was already 11pm. Petra frowned and pouted as she thought it was a good idea to beat them up with something she could find in the kitchen but knife was not an option.

"Should we maybe come back? I mean we might have pick the wrong time to really yeah… do you have the note though?" Jun Yoon asked wondering if there was a schedule written on it.

Petra felt her pocket and realised it was empty. "Oh crap! I must have left it on the table." She remembered and never kept it after that.

"We'll be intruding you know, but for now let's listen to this music and walked to the temple." Bailey said pulling out his iPhone and turned up the volume so that they could hear.

Petra and Jun Yoon chuckled, "Nice!" they both said at the same time of the song choice of 'For You I'll Die' by Marion Raven.

"I didn't know you have her songs. Yeah she's from M2M but became a soloist. She improved a lot but she's still underrated. " Petra said in a slight mocking way she pranced and sat next to Bailey.

"Whoa! It's already 11:30 and we're still here chatting about music. It's totally passing my bedtime." Jun Yoon said slightly annoyed.

"I didn't know Rare Hunters have bedtimes…" Petra chuckled.

"Yeah Marion has the coolest voice though." Jun Yoon finally said.

Suddenly there was a rustling near the bushes. "Oh Petra, I didn't know you're here?" Rupe came out. "Oh sorry I was just passing by though."

"Thank god it's you." Petra sighed

"Yeah great a passerby, but I highly doubt anyone could pass by here at this time of the hour." Bailey swang his crow bar at Rupe, and smacked his left shoulder.

"BAILEY, WHAT THE..? WHAT ARE YOU DOING, HE'S MY FRIEND!" Petra was shocked at his action trying to stop Bailey.

Then they heard a chuckle coming from Rupe which turned into a sinister laugh from his laying form. Petra was confused now.

"I think this kid is right Petra, why would anyone pass by here." Rupe smirked "Boys, let's take care of Petra Tyrimelovan, the mother power of our LORD SORUKHAN!" He clicked his right finger and five other guys came out, three were familiar but the two weren't. "You see, we figured we needed more enforcement and those times when I was your 'friend', I could've helped you but you were too tough and you didn't need me."

"What..?" Petra was still confused

"That's right I started the fights and I was behind the scene. I wanted to see if I could help you, be let's see… a soul mate to you but you refused" Rupe sneered.

The three of them were fighting the five but soon later the five or rather the six advanced them. They tied Petra, Jun Yoon and Bailey back to back.

"You double crossed her!" Jun Yoon yelled.

"Oh? I thought she was the traitor... She left trying to keep her powers to her own benefit and not die." Rupe's tone was harsher. "And now the traitor will suffer her own concept of destruction in her own grave she initially stood for, the Shadow REALM!"

"Please Rupe, can we start again." She pleaded frightened or the boy she once knew.

He kissed Petra on the cheek. "This is the kiss of betrayal by the biblical traitor and now you get to experience it for once. Rupe pulled out a knife and Petra quickly shut her eyes, she could feel the sharp knife slicing near her left cheek but before he could plunge the knife into Petra's abdomen, he froze. He was unable to move his muscles.

"What's going on Rupe? Do it!" One of the guys asked

"I can't, you moron my hands can't move Victor." Rupe sneered at one of the guys. Then Victor took his knife off Rupe and attempted the same action to Petra but he was stuck as well.

Suddenly a familiar voice emerged with a deadly tone behind Rupe, "No one judges on behalf of the Shadow Realm if they don't have a clue what it is with a mere mortal mind." Marik appeared wearing his Rare Hunter's robe then the other four flew backwards and collided on the pillars of the temple. He then turned his attention to the two closest to Petra, Bailey and Jun Yoon; Marik pointed the sceptre at the two and simply sent them to the Shadow Realm.

Marik then cut off those ropes bounding them together. He was angry but there will be time when they go back for scolding the three. Marik led them to the van as Odion sat at the driver seat; Marik sat at the front and Bailey sat at the back with Petra and Jun Yoon. Petra was still distressed about Rupe; he was only using her and they were never true friends but one of the conservative believers of Sorukhan. Her eyes were watery wondering what had she done to made Rupe hate her but all the more the kindness he had were all for show.

"Odion my intuition is right all along. Those who were so called servants of Zorc had no knowledge of the powers." He turned around to the back. "Bailey, Jun Yoon and P-"Bailey shook his head to signal not to scold her as he was trying to comfort her with his hand on her back. Marik didn't proceed realising she was emotionally wrecked but started again with another growl. "You two are fools going through this without my CONSENT!"

As they arrived, the young Rare Hunters knew they had to meet Marik at the tent and Marik sat on the throne. Petra just followed them still thinking about Rupe but just kneeled as the two did not heeding Marik's temper. "Jun Yoon I should have locked up after the trip and Bailey, as for you should have been DUELING THE WHOLE DAY! YOU TWO ARE STILL NAÏVE AS MY ELITES AND COULD HAVE COST… I HAVEN'T FIGURED OUT ANY PUNISHMENT YET… JUST LEAVE THE TENT!" He roared and chucked his diadem on the ground at the two scrambling out. It landed right in front of Petra. He paced and realised he forgot Petra was still there but she was oblivious to her surroundings as though she was in a trance. He will now punish her. He took a flail on his left hand and the Millennium Rod on the right.

"You…" he said furiously but noticed the cut on her cheek and used his robe to wipe the blood off. He had changed his mind seeing how she is still paralysed in thought. He squatted down and snaked his arms around her waist bringing her close to his toned body.

Petra was snapped out of her distress shock and burst out crying. "He was never my friend… NEVER, I HATE HIM!"

"Listen to me; you need to forget about him and…" Marik frowned. He wasn't sure what to say to her. He's still angry with her for leaving the grounds and seeking the fight on her own matters. Yet she still needs comfort from her friendship with Rupe and that's enough of a punishment. "Petra... your friend wanted your powers and wanted you to vanish out of this era to awaken Zorc in past and present ever since he was young. He was never hurt but with pure greed, he wanted to manipulate you. It's okay to be angry and you are hurt but remember I helped you in your vengeance against him so forget about him. Besides, I'm still angry about tonight but I want you to focus on your duel with me. I've stayed true to my bargain in getting you here as an escort and helped mentored you…" He slapped her back hard with pure anger. And she winced and sobbed a little harder with a small yelp. Way to go for I have just shared my emotions, what I'm saying isn't all true though... I want to take revenge on Ray through her but that's after I come back to Egypt. He thought to himself. "I realised I haven't talked to you all day. How did your duel go?"

"Loss…" She just said simply, sniffing hard.

"Well I expected that to happen, tomorrow you will keep duelling with the three until you win." He chuckled "Day 4 is the toughest. Actually come to my trailer for tonight. I need to critique your strategies from the narrative." He smiled still holding her close to him.

"It's in my room, need to get it." She said slowly recovering from the trauma.

"One word of reminder though, little Petra… I will see to it if you daring to disobey me or keep a secret from me; enough to waste my time, I will not hesitate to teach you a lesson worse than anything you can imagine." He warned Petra and she nodded. "Your notes you left in the tent saved you and so did your absent mindedness this time." Marik grinned and looked at her face on. A flush of redness appeared on her cheeks but smiled.

Meanwhile they both walked to the mansion. Marik waited for her outside whilst she retrieved her notepad and came down. As they reached Marik's trailer she sat on his silk black bed while he looked for spare blankets and pillows for her. And set it on the lavish red velvet couch. When he finished she sat on the couch while Marik poured wine for himself and sat on his own bed looking at the strategies. "Little Petra, your Meteor of Destruction is not a monster." He chuckled at her mistake he didn't notice before. It took a while for him to analyse but by the time he finished, Petra was already fast asleep on the couch.

He tucked her in, finished his wine and lit another cigarette but this time they are the expensive strong ones he bought today. He looked at another list of technology. They are list of timers, explosions, torture equipments and weapons his industry prides on for uncompliant members or enemies to him. All had been planned out, the duels and twist against the Pharaoh but he has to find the location of the Pharaoh. He took off his top leaving his track pants on prepared to go to bed. Then he glanced at the silver arm band Petra gave him. To him the arm band represents weakness of love, forgiveness, meekness, and humble traits of any person in based on these two items. He'll never wear it, he's more of a dictator or those past ruthless pharaohs; like Stalin, Hitler, Alexander the Great, Emperor Nero, Emperor Caesar, King Nebuchadnezzar, King Darius, King Ramses II. All mercy, power and glory were theirs to have. They had their time but now he will rule his own Empire but it's his turn. He won't fall like they have done in the past!

A/N: Bit of a tragedy with Rupe and the professor, he was cool but I realised he could also be mean in the end and cut him off because there were too many ideas. Someone help organise my thoughts! The emotions will link to other future chapters and help the plot for Petra. UNO! I love that game since forever so had to put it in. Thanks again for the reviews and those who haven't... do it please!