Chapter 10

They ran through the streets with an ever increasing sense of dread. The sun was now directly overhead, but neither Joey nor Tristan were distracted by the smells of lunch drifting out from the fast food joints they passed. The only human need that chained them down was their aching muscles, pulling and stretching taunt as they pushed themselves to move as quickly as possible. The day had grown warmer, and even the slight weight of their thin jackets was causing them some small bother. Tristan was lucky in that he had no heavy duel disk attached to his arm, but Joey did from having been down at the dueling district earlier, and he complained silently in his head as the metal dug painfully into his skin. You weren't meant to run with them on, apparently.

They passed out of the business district of Domino and finally entered the district that backed onto the wharfs. Here were buildings dedicated more to the storage of supplies; people didn't generally come too far this way and so the streets were relatively empty. It was not a very busy day for cargo ships, perhaps, and so there was nothing to be unloaded or loaded, which also helped to explain the lack of people.

Though neither Joey nor Tristan spent much time down here, they did have a fairly good idea of where they were. The address that Yuugi, Bakura, and Kaiba had found in the hotel room was not on either of them, but Yuugi knew it. So, they planned to meet up with him at someplace they all knew before heading on to find Dr. Yoshida. And they had just the place in mind. It was a place that held a sad, bleak memory, but it was also the only place that they really recalled in this part of Domino and so it was the best fit under the time constraints.

Joey and Tristan finally allowed themselves a break from running as they came into view of the ocean. Their lungs hurt and their sides and legs ached, but neither of them mentioned it out loud. Something terrible could be happening to Serenity at that very moment, and their own petty discomforts could not possibly compare to that. Reaching the end of the street, Tristan bent over and placed his hands on his knees, puffing. Joey shielded his eyes from the harsh glare of the sun and got a good look around. There: a short black figure was weaving its way between dock machinery and was coming towards them. Joey breathed a sigh of relief. It could be none other than Yuugi, of course.

Both managed to get their lungs to stop heaving before Yuugi had reached them. He too looked out of breath, though the flush in his cheeks only stood out more because it happened to compliment the maroon colour of his hair. Yuugi offered them a helpless smile. "I'm sorry if I took long. Did you have to wait here for a while?" He asked between breaths.

Tristan shook his head. "Just got here, man. Take a moment to breathe, we can wait for a little bit."

Yuugi looked at his two friends, their faces covered in a light sheen of sweat, their hair a mess on their heads. He stood straighter. "No, we have to go on. For your sister, Joey." Yuugi glanced out to the ocean, at the deep blue of the waves rocking gently against the docks.

Joey remembered clearly the sister whom had dove into that water, rescuing him from being pulled by an anchor to the seabed below. She had been so brave, having only just removed the bandages that had kept her from seeing at all. And she had used her first glimpse of the world with her new eyesight to save her brother. And he had been the one to allow her to have the surgery in the first place. It was at this very place, this very dock where Joey and Yuugi had forged their friendship anew, strengthening their trust in one another, even when times were at their most difficult.

"Yeah. For Serenity." The duel disk suddenly felt much heavier on his arm, but Joey held out his other hand. Yuugi grasped it with his own. They both grinned.

Tristan interrupted their moment before they got too distracted. "Bakura and Téa didn't bother coming?" He questioned with some degree of confusion.

All of a sudden Yuugi looked quite guilty. His eyes shifted away from Tristan's for a fraction of a second. "I never told them," he explained, "I thought that it would be better this way. I didn't want anybody else to get involved, in case they got hurt. One person is bad enough." His voice faded to a mumble.

Squeezing his shoulder, Tristan gave Yuugi an encouraging smile. "Listen, buddy. We've all helped save the world too many times to count now. We're pretty incredible people, if you think about it. So do you think we're just gonna let this guy do what he wants, huh? I don't think so. We'll go in and save Serenity. And then this guy is definitely getting his butt kicked." He teased.

Yuugi and Joey both stood silently, blinking and thinking it over. Then Joey laughed. "Sounds like a plan to me, Tristan. Let's go." They both nodded in answer. Yuugi took the lead.

Leaving the docks and the ocean behind, they delved further into the rows of numbered warehouses surrounding the wharfs. Some were clearly unkempt and poorly treated, with graffiti covering the doors and the walls. Others were shining with newly-cut metal, properly locked and protected from any ill-doers. All of these were intermixed with each other, suggesting that as old companies ran out of business they eventually sold their land and so the old buildings were torn down and newer ones put back up in their place. Yuugi considered the dark picture in his mind and knew he was looking for an older building, possibly in poor condition.

He counted the numbers of the warehouses that they passed silently in his head. The street they were on was coming to a fork: diagonally left it lead back to the ocean, while right it seemed to reach another street that headed off in another direction. They turned right, and after four more buildings, Yuugi stopped. The photograph matched the image of this building the most. There was the streetlight from the picture, tall but crooked looking. Giant metal doors allowed delivery trucks into the building, but they were closed shut. A smaller side door beside these was probably locked, but it was their best bet. "Well," Yuugi said, but then stopped. There was nothing that needed to be said.

Joey went ahead of them this time, approaching the door boldly and with no caution. Tristan and Yuugi were a little more wary, considering what possible traps could be set up for them behind the door. Their imaginations were strong (after having faced so many unlikely situations, nothing seemed quite impossible in their minds, all considering) and frightening. They tensed, preparing for the worst. Joey grasped the doorknob and twisted. With a slight creak, the door fell open, tapping against the wall gently.

The building was somewhat dark within, although great amounts of sunlight were filtering in through the now open door, as well as through high windows cut into the walls. Walking in, the three friends glanced around the large space. It seemed empty...

"Welcome, Mr. Wheeler. Welcome, Yuugi Mutou and Tristan Taylor." Echoed a rough voice. Overhead lights flashed on, revealing everything.

Startled, they all turned to where the voice was sounding from. In the middle of the room lay a row of virtual pods, with cables and cords attached from their backs to a large electrical box standing against the wall behind. Near this metal box was a desk, with computer equipment piled on it. There was a screen on this desk, angled in their direction so that they could see. Dr. Yoshida's face smiled at them from the screen. "What is the meaning of all of this?" Joey spat at him.

"I've brought you here to show you the fruits of all my labours. Beautiful, aren't they? Kaiba's virtual pods. Are you amazed at how quickly I had them built?" He mocked.

Tristan brought up his fists. "Don't think you can mess with our heads! We know how you built them, you creep. You used the power of the Millennium Rod, the one you stole from the Ishtars! How dare you force innocent people to take part in your evil schemes!" He shouted.

Dr. Yoshida laughed loudly, but it was distorted by the computer and so it ended up being very hollow and mechanical sounding. Tristan couldn't help the shiver that went up his spine. "Ah, yes. The Rod. Without it, I really wouldn't have been able to get as far as I have. No...without it, I wouldn't even be here at all. But don't fear. Those people have been returned to their rightful places. I had no more use for them, you see. They served their purpose."

Speaking before either of his friends had a chance to start shouting at him again, Yuugi asked, "So tell us: why have you really brought us here? What's the purpose behind all of this? You said we should meet face to face, and yet here you are, hiding behind a computer screen. So start explaining. Where's Serenity?" He cried out.

Another computerized chuckle came through the speakers on the desk. "You haven't figured it out yet? I took her with me to the virtual world, Yuugi! And now you have a choice, you see? You can enter the virtual pods I've left for you in the warehouse, and come after her...or you can stay in the real world, and try to find where I've put our bodies. But let me assure you...it's highly improbable you'll find us. Which leaves you with only one option, of course. Come to the virtual world. And try and rescue your dear Serenity."

Joey let out a half-strangled scream. "Yeah, we'll do it! And just you wait! We're gonna make you regret all of this, Dr. Yoshida!" Yuugi and Tristan gave him shocked looks, and Dr. Yoshida let out one last laugh before the screen went dark. They were left listening to the quiet whirr of the machines and their own breathing.

"Joey, I know this is for the good of your sister, but we have to try and think of some other way! We can't just walk into the virtual world like that! Who knows what traps he's laid for us there," Tristan pleaded with his hurting friend.

Spinning around, Joey returned, "I've got no choice, Tristan. I can't just sit here and try and figure out a better plan. I mean, it doesn't seem like we have any options! I won't force you guys to come along...I'll do it by myself if I have to. I know this is totally crazy and dangerous, so I can't ask you guys to put yourselves in danger on my behalf." He explained, a little crestfallen. They realized he expected them to say they wouldn't come with him, and Yuugi rushed to reassure him.

"Of course we'll do anything to help, Joey. You know that —so don't ever think otherwise. And you're right, we really don't have any other options, now that we know he wants us to come to the virtual world. If we leave now...who knows what's happening to Serenity." Yuugi exhaled, finally coming to terms with their situation. There was no way to back out now...not with all that they knew, all that was riding on their compliance with Dr. Yoshida's demands. His worried expression changed to one of determination. They'd all faced tougher challenges before, with much higher stakes. Something good was going to come out of this, he was sure of it. "I'm in, Joey. I'll come with you to the virtual world." Joey gazed at him with unbridled relief and gratefulness. And then they both turned to Tristan.

Considering them for a moment, Tristan shook his head, causing them some surprise. "I can't come with you guys. But not for the reasons you think. I mean, who else is there here who can operate the virtual pod equipment? Remember, I was the one along with Téa who stayed behind when you guys went to rescue Kaiba. I'm the only one here qualified for the job."

Joey and Yuugi blinked in further surprise. Then Joey admitted, "I hadn't even thought about how we were going to get into the virtual world. Okay, Tristan. You operate the equipment. Start it up!" Tristan hurried over to the desk and started to activate a few switches. Shooting out air from beneath, two pods closest to them suddenly lifted their lids. Climbing in with some trepidation, Joey settled into the seat and let his head fall under the piece of technology that covered his eyes. From behind the black glass in front of his eyes, Joey watched Yuugi climb into the adjacent pod, though he was but a dark figure.

"Okay," Tristan came over to Yuugi's pod first, and reached in to press a button by his hand, "just place your dueling deck in here, Yuugi. You might need it in the virtual world." A miniature drawer had opened up, and Yuugi agreed to his statement, sliding his deck out from his duel disk in order to place it in there. Tristan pressed the button again and the drawer slid closed.

"I heard what you said, Tristan. My deck's ready too." Joey informed him. Tristan nodded and went back behind the desk.

"You guys ready?" Tristan called out.

"Yes," they responded together.

"Okay." Flicking on another switch, Tristan watched with some degree of helplessness as the lids of the two pods closed over his friends. He gripped the lever in the middle of the table with both hands and pulled it down. All at once every light on all of the pieces of equipment flashed on, and the pods which held the two duelists began making other whirring sounds. There was a blinking signal on the computer screen —and then the system went silent.

Though there seemed to be no change in the room, looking down at the screen showed that both Yuugi and Joey had successfully entered the virtual world. The one mind remaining in the building contemplated getting a hold of the others.

Kaiba was not going to be happy about this.

xXx

The ground was damp with fresh dew, and the grass tickled his face. Groaning a little, Yuugi opened his eyes and breathed in the pine smells. He sat up. All around him were trees, thick shrubs and brambles. Birds flitted in-between the branches and chirped. Crickets hopped in the grass around him. Glancing down at his arm, Yuugi was calmed to see that his duel disk and deck had managed to make it to the virtual world with him. But where was...?

There was a sound of a branch snapping behind him, and Yuugi quickly got to his feet, turning to face whatever was in the brush. "Joey?" He called out uncertainly.

It was not Joey. Stomping out of the bushes was a creature Yuugi recognized. Half-man and half-horse, the beast heaved a long scythe and sliced sideways, cutting down a branch so that it could step into the clearing. "Mystic Horseman," Yuugi thought aloud, and considered his options. The duel monster snarled at him, and stamped one hoof down, pawing at the ground. It raised the scythe again, causing Yuugi to shut down his train of thoughts and come to a decision. He raised his duel disk and activated it, then drew the top card of his deck. "I summon Celtic Guardian!" Yuugi placed his card onto a monster space.

The warrior leaped from the card in a blaze of white light. Raising a broad sword, Celtic Guardian stared down the Mystic Horseman, who was smart enough to realize that this opponent was maybe too much for it to handle. It started to back away, but it was too late, as just then Yuugi ordered his attack. "Go, strike down the Mystic Horseman!" The elf reacted speedily, faking left, which had the beast move its scythe to block the attack which was not to come from that direction. Celtic Guardian slashed the Mystic Horseman deeply, and it roared in pain before dissipating into nothingness. Yuugi waited for his heartbeat to return to normal.

He exchanged a look with his duel monster, then said aloud, "I'll guess it'll be best if you stay out of the card for now. I don't know what else I'll run into in these woods," he got a nod in return.

They started to walk out of the clearing, with the Celtic Guardian leading, easily cutting a way through the brambles in order to let Yuugi walk without overexerting himself. Yuugi called out as loudly as he could while they walked, cupping his hands over his mouth in order to let the sound carry the farthest. "Joey! Joey, are you out there somewhere? Hello!" He received no answer.

Hearing the sound of rushing water, Yuugi turned in that direction. His monster obeyed his silent command and stepped in front of him to once again slash down all of the forest growth that got in their way. Once at the source of the sound, Celtic Guardian stopped. Yuugi stepped out from behind the elf and stared at the new scene. A large pond was spread out before him, the water lapping up gently against its shores. Beyond the water and surrounding the pond on all sides was more of the forest. Frowning, Yuugi tried to identify the vague feeling he was having. The place seemed so familiar. Now where had he seen this pond before?

The water closest to him made a sudden gurgling sound. The Celtic Guardian levelled his sword and faced the noise. Yuugi raised his duel disk and prepared for the worst.

With an abrupt splash, a monster leapt up from the depths of the pond and landed on the shore. It was vaguely humanoid, and stood taller than the Celtic Guardian. Green scales covered its body, and its hands and feet were webbed. Armour covered its chest and a helmet was fitted tightly over its head. Flexing its claws, the monster made no noise and dug its feet into the ground, bending its knees...it launched itself at the elf. Yuugi cried aloud in surprise. It was so much faster than—!

Celtic Guardian blocked the attack with the broad sword, causing its claws to screech against the metal. Digging into the ground to make a harsh stop before it could fall into the sword, the water monster pushed against the dirt and began to jump out of the way before the elf could retaliate. Celtic Guardian would have none of this, and moved quickly to swing evenly at the monster's head. "Wait, no, stop!" Yuugi shouted, but it was too late. He had the impression that the monster was smirking at the elf from behind that visor. The sword connected with the metal of the helmet with a clang. But quite suddenly a strange force vibrated through the air, and just as the elf pulled the sword away, a black vortex appeared where he had struck.

It all ended in a single moment. The same exact sword which had struck the helmet appeared from the vortex, and stabbed clean through the Guardian's chest. There was a yell of agony, and then a flash of light before the elf disappeared. Yuugi glanced down at the card on his disk to see that the monster space had grown dark, where it had once been lit up by miniature lights. The Guardian would be of no more use to him at the moment, then. He sent the card to the graveyard and drew another. The water monster waited patiently for its next victim. It seemed to have enjoyed the battle, judging by the confident stance it took and the eager clenching of its clawed hands. Yuugi gulped. He knew that monster well, and he was beginning to think that he knew this location, too. This was the same place where he had faced another version of the Deepsea Warrior. This was not Kaiba's game world that he had created years ago, as he had been led to believe. This was Noah's world.

He couldn't pause to consider the matter further as he didn't actually know how long the monster would wait patiently for him to make a move. "I know all your tricks," he informed the warrior, "and I don't intend on falling for them again. So, instead of a monster —here's this!" Slipping the card into a slot in his duel disk, he called out his next move with a triumphant look. The water monster crouched defensively, ready with its ability to send attacks right back at the monster or duelist. Yuugi could feel the force of the invisible vortex slashing through the air. "Go, Trap Hole!" He commanded.

Yuugi hadn't been sure if the trap would work on the monster, since he had never actually used it outside of a duel, but he decided to try it out anyway as a test. Hopefully the rules of dueling still applied to this world, though it seemed as though they did, or did apply so far, at any rate. His Celtic Guardian had beaten the Mystic Horseman whom had less attack points, but had fallen to the Deepsea Warrior's special ability (a bit of a twist on a Deck Master special ability, if he could remember right), after all. Although; there weren't any turns in this battle, and so there certainly weren't any phases which would have existed in those turns. Who knew if the card would take effect or not? Had he played it at an inappropriate time?

No oversized card appeared before him, as he had half-expected. Instead, a dark pit formed right underneath the water warrior, in the space of a moment of time it took for Yuugi to blink. The warrior didn't see it coming. It fell with barely any more noise than it had first appeared with, scrabbling madly at the edges of the pit. But it could get no firm hold on the earth (its claws were made for slashing, he thought, not for climbing), and so it dropped to the bottom of the pit below. Yuugi waited a breath and warily approached the edge of the pit with some degree of curiosity. How deep did it go? He leaned over the edge and got a good look at the monster below, some several meters down, desperately jumping and clawing at the walls of the pit in an effort to get out. Yuugi took another breath and stepped back.

This world was beginning to look far too realistic for his tastes. The Trap Hole had not disappeared like he had thought it would, taking the monster with it. It had remained instead, and even now that monster was still trying to get out. So, even though the trap should have worked on any duel monster with an attack over one thousand, Yuugi concluded that such things would definitely not work on anything with wings. He rolled the thought over in his head and corrected himself. Anything that could climb, actually. The scrabbling noises from the frantic monster could still be heard just beneath him. Suddenly Yuugi glanced down at his disk. He noticed that the slot his Trap Hole occupied was still alit with tiny lights. Could this mean—? If he removed the card the pit would no longer be there? But wait, that would just free the monster. Did this mean that any trap that he lay would immediately become ineffective if he just removed the cards? But what if he needed the card space? How was he going to hold back a group of monsters if he ran out of monster and magic and trap card spaces? He didn't have a Millennium Item like the Rod —he couldn't just summon things with Shadow magic, he needed the duel disk in order to operate. Looking again at the Hole, Yuugi reconsidered his options. Apparently he had more limitations in this world than he had first realized. If he wanted that slot for another card, then he was going to have to remove it once he was safely away from the Deepsea Warrior. And Yuugi did not relish the thought of the monster coming after him. Hopefully it did not harbour any bad feelings towards him. I mean, Yuugi thought wearily, it's just a computer program, right?

He started back into the forest, walking quickly into the undergrowth. Who knew what else was waiting for him in the forest —but it was better than staying put. It was important to keep moving, lest he be caught in some trap. Dr. Yoshida could have nearly anything waiting for him in the virtual world...if he stayed in one place for too long, Yuugi was sure the man would start sending monsters after him. Yuugi wondered where Joey was. Would it be his best bet to go to Noah's castle? That was where Joey had dueled Johnson (as the Judge Man), so perhaps the familiar place would draw his friend to it. At the very least, the towers of the castle would provide a good look out for him.

Back in the real world, Kaiba was probably having a fit after learning they'd left without him. Yuugi didn't know if he'd completely lost his trust. The thought stung him a little. He could imagine the rest of his friends having some sort of conference in order to figure out what to do about them. He hoped that they would hold out and wait for them to come back. Yuugi didn't want anyone else involved. It was bad enough that Serenity was kidnapped, let alone if any of his other friends got in Dr. Yoshida's way and were taken too.

Serenity. She'd been the one to dive in and save Joey, not him. Even after he'd chosen to lose the duel, Joey had still been thrown in danger after he had dove in and unlocked the chain dragging Yuugi to the bottom of the ocean. If it wasn't for Serenity, Joey might not have lived to be here with them today. He had to do something to help.

Wait a minute, Yuugi thought. This is all that's been on my mind since the phone call. Serenity saving her brother when I couldn't. Joey may have been the one to make the first move in asking him to come with him to the warehouse, but if he hadn't, then he was sure he would have gone in alone. Was it too unbelievable to think that maybe Joey wasn't the target of this attack? Was it him? Was it Yuugi that Dr. Yoshida was trying to hurt? Well, Weevil had told him that the man was after him, hadn't he?

Yuugi brought his arm with the duel disk attached closer to his chest. He wished fruitlessly that the Puzzle was still around his neck, that the Pharaoh was still there with him to guide him and lend him his advice. He sure could have used it now. But as the Puzzle was not there, and so neither was the spirit that had once lived within, Yuugi was on his own. Maybe there was someone better qualified for the job, someone who had more courage or more wisdom than him. But now it was only him there. Reordering his thoughts, he scraped up the reserves of determination lying fitfully in his chest. He could do this. He would do this. I've helped saved the world more than once now, Yuugi told himself sternly. I can surely help save it again, even without the Pharaoh's help.

He delved further into the forest.