Chapter Ten
"You may have struck first but I'll have the last laugh!" Bakura goaded. "And the joke will be on you."
Bakura drew a card.
"It doesn't matter which card you play next. I know your deck very well and none of your moves will surprise me," Malik sneered. "Remember I witnessed your last duel."
Akeno brought herself to her knees to get a better look at the cards in Bakura's hand. She saw two cards of his Destiny Board. He can't use those without Malik seeing it coming… This isn't good. She frowned and bit her lip. Maybe Bakura can psych him out like in poker and just bluff his way through? They're both card games… right?
"It seems even your wench is losing faith in you," Malik jeered. "And by the look on her face, your cards have abandoned you as well!"
Bakura spun around, eyes wide, and saw her peeking at his hand. Anger and shock registered on his face.
"Do you have a death wish?!" he shouted at her.
Akeno blushed and fell backward. "I'm sorry! I-I didn't mean to-"
He grabbed her arm and hauled her to the end of the platform. "Stay!"
Akeno covered her mouth to keep from whimpering. She hadn't meant to give away anything and even more so, she hadn't meant to make Bakura angry. He glared at her.
Malik laughed. "So pitiful, you can't even handle your own wench! How do expect to fair against my Egyptian God?"
Bakura growled and returned to his position as Marik appeared by his side.
"Ra is no threat, trust me," he said to Bakura.
"Keep quiet! I have a plan."
"Don't be a fool," Marik growled. "In my mind lies the secret of Ra."
Bakura looked taken aback. "Give it to me!" he said urgently.
Akeno missed the hushed words Marik said to him. Her being further away from them didn't make it easier to eavesdrop.
"Lets go!" Malik said impatiently. "You two can argue in the Shadow Realm. Whatever you're planning won't work anyway."
"Thanks for the tip; that just might work," Bakura said to Marik. "You do realize if this scheme you told me works, you may lose your body in the process."
"I'll risk it! Now go!"
"I'll place two cards face down and summon Gernia in defense mode. Just try to tear him down!"
Malik drew a card and grinned. "I activate the card of Sanctity."
"What does your magic card do?" Bakura asked.
"Simple, we both keep drawing until we hold six cards," he explained. "This should help me immensely."
Malik growled after looking at his new hand.
"Seems to me that you didn't draw what you needed," Bakura smirked. "Fortunately, I can give you one more chance at it, that is, if you don't mind my help. Open face down card, Multiple Destruction!"
"What does that do?" Malik growled.
Please just say "It makes you lose." And let us be done with this damned game!
"My trap card forces both players to discard their hands to the graveyard then lets us draw five new cards from our decks. Of course, there is a down side to playing this card; the duelist loses one hundred life points for each card he throws away."
Akeno quickly looked at Bakura to see part of his other arm disappear. This guy's suicidal! Is he trying to lose on purpose!?
"Who's stalling now?" Bakura said icily, "It's your move."
Malik drew a card and made a face.
"I see you still haven't drawn the card you need yet, how pathetic," Bakura scoffed.
"You just worry about my face down card," Malik growled. "I'll take care of the rest. You're wasting away to nothing!"
"That will soon change," Bakura said drawing a card. He smirked. "And now I sacrifice Gernia to summon my dreaded Puppet Master. Did I mention my monster's special ability? For the bargain price of one thousand life points, it allows me to bring back three monsters from the graveyard."
As Bakura said this, his whole middle vanished. Akeno nearly gasped but stopped herself. Oh my God! He's barely here!
"You forgot to mention one important fact, you fool," Malik started. "Your monsters can't attack this turn!"
"Who said I was going to attack with them?" Bakura asked coolly. "I have something far more ingenious in mind with a little help from this card."
"What?!"
"Activate the magic card Dark Designator!" he said, playing a card.
"Why should I care about a magic card that lets you chose one monster from my deck and place it in my hand? Unless!" Malik exclaimed, eyes wide.
"Yes! I am forcing you to draw the Winged Dragon of Ra into your hand so I can then claim it for myself!" Bakura said triumphantly. "Now enjoy it while you can for it will soon be mine!"
"I'm onto your plan," Malik began. "Your sad attempt to steal Ra was obvious; you laid it all out for me on the field, you fool. The three useless monsters, the face down card you're waiting to activate. Too bad, this card will never leave my hand!"
"Don't be too sure, you demon!" Bakura shouted. "I activate my face down card, Exchange!"
"I was right," Malik sneered.
"Then you must know its effect," Bakura said, walking towards the middle of the platform. "Now, please hand over your Winged Dragon of Ra."
Malik snorted and met him halfway. "As you wish, fool," he said giving Bakura Ra and taking one of his cards.
"It must be hard to part with your most powerful card but don't feel bad," Bakura said in a mocking voice. "It may seem that you just lost your Egyptian God card but I can promise, you will be seeing it again very soon."
"Don't get excited just yet. You can't control the power of Ra which means the card is absolutely useless to you," Malik sneered.
"But not to me!" Marik cried suddenly. "The Winged Dragon of Ra may be controlled by anyone who can decipher and recite the ancient texts inscribed on the card."
"Well look who's back," Malik taunted. "Looks like the Spirit of the Ring isn't duelist enough to handle me without running to his little friend for help."
"Don't push me," Bakura warned.
"You'll need more than that weakling's help to defeat me."
"We'll see about that. Remember, my partner knows everything that you do. After all, he is your other half," Bakura said.
"Wrong," Malik growled. "I am complete without him!"
"You are nothing and soon you wont exist at all!" Marik barked. "One more turn and the Winged Dragon of Ra will cast you to the Shadows!"
Bakura chuckled. "Now that I've seized your precious Egyptian God card, your defeat is guaranteed! With your former self on my team, there's no way I can lose! Now proceed."
"With pleasure," Malik said drawing a card.
Akeno turned her attention from the duel and their talking to inspect Bakura. Most of his arms were missing, as well as his torso. She frowned. Almost all of the damage was because of himself, not from what Malik did. I have to trust him… Akeno couldn't believe she had just thought that. He must know what he's doing though! He has Ra now, that's good, isn't it? She looked over in time to see Malik play a magic card.
"This card forces all monsters to wait one turn before attacking so even if you summon Ra, you won't be able to use it," Malik growled. "And soon it will be too late!"
"I'm afraid this desperate move will only delay your inevitable destruction," Bakura smirked. "Now watch this!"
"You must summon the Winged Dragon of Ra!" Marik cut in.
Bakura made an annoyed face at him. "I'm well aware of that!" He then grinned. "Observe as I sacrifice my three monsters to summon this card! The Winged Dragon of Ra!"
"Not so fast!" Malik sneered. "My trap card is about to render your dragon useless!"
"What?!"
Are you freaking kidding me?!
"Before you send those three monsters to the graveyard, Joyful Doom will strip them of there attack points and add them to my life points. This will make Ra completely useless to you!"
"That can't be! Explain yourself," Bakura ordered.
"Just look at your pathetic creature!" Malik laughed. "It's powerless!"
A gigantic golden monster that had bird-like features rose up behind the platform where Akeno was sitting. She screamed and quickly shuffled away from it, hoping that it wouldn't notice her. White flames surrounded the beast and she could swear that it was real. This thing's on our side, she reminded herself though it didn't do much to quell her nerves.
"You may have summoned the Winged Dragon of Ra but thanks to my trap card, he has no power at all!"
Bakura turned around as it let out a roar. "How can an Egyptian God monster have zero attack points?" he asked.
"Because the monsters you used to summon Ra had zero attack points," Marik answered, staring up at Ra.
Bakura turned to Marik angrily. "Why didn't you warn me this might happen?!" he snapped.
"I wasn't aware he was holding that trap card, you fool!" Marik growled.
Bakura glared at him then faced Malik. "For now, I will switch Ra and my Puppet Master to defense mode."
Malik laughed. "You don't have much choice! Drillago attack his Puppet Master with spiral thrust!"
Malik's drill creature leapt forward and destroyed Bakura's monster, shattering it into pieces. "And the Winged Dragon of Ra is next then you'll disappear!"
"Wrong! I'll turn this around, with just one card!" Bakura said.
"You can't be referring to your Egyptian God card," Malik grinned. "I told you it's useless."
"Well I disagree. Maybe I can't attack you with the Winged Dragon of Ra but I can still sacrifice it, to summon something stronger in its place!"
Just before Bakura could place his card on his duel disk, Akeno sprang up, unable to hold herself back anymore. She grabbed his forearm.
"What are you doing?!" he demanded.
"Saving our asses!" she replied, still gripping his arm. "Are you nuts? You're actually going to listen to that guy?!" she asked nodding at Malik. "He wants you to lose! Of course he's going to tell you it's useless!"
He growled and shook her off. "I told you to keep quiet!"
Akeno flinched but continued nonetheless. Whether or not he decides to beat me to death, I'm going to make sure its in the real world and not this stinking hell!
"I'm trying to help," she protested.
"And what do you know of dueling?" Bakura growled.
Akeno blushed and looked at her feet. "Um…"
He snorted. "Go back to your corner like a good girl."
"I'd feel a lot safer in that corner with Ra there!" Not really but… "C'mon Casper, help me out!" she said to Marik.
Marik gave her an annoyed look at her choice of address. "There's nothing more we can do with Ra," he said firmly.
Akeno looked defeated and sighed, heading back towards the end of the platform.
"We'll discuss your behavior later," she heard Bakura say.
I sure hope so…
She was so frustrated, she tuned out their next words. If only they'd have just listened… At the name, Dark Necrofear, she perked up and watched as Bakura summoned the blue humanoid.
"Next I shall activate my Magic Burial card. By giving up eight hundred of my life points, I can bring my Earl of Demise back from the graveyard. With three monsters on my side of the field, try attacking me now."
Oh my… Ra, his legs are going! He's nuts! Did the Shadows take his mind too!?
"If you want to win don't be so reckless with our life points!" Marik rebuked.
Bakura turned on him. "What do you mean our life points, you parasite? I'm the one fighting this duel, not you!"
"Wise up you fool! If you want the secret to the pharaoh's power, then you'll listen to me!"
"But you haven't helped me at all, Marik! In fact, you're the reason I wasn't able to play the Winged Dragon of Ra!"
"And it's your fault we've lost so many life points!"
Akeno smacked her forehead. "This is so pathetic…" she muttered to herself. Glancing away from them, she could make out Malik smirking. She frowned. This is just what he needs too. They can't win if they're at each others neck!
"Will you two knock it off?" Akeno shouted, not caring if it pissed them off. "You're acting like children! Now stop bickering. If you want to win this duel, you'll have to work together!"
They both turned to glare at her. Bakura looked as if he was about to yell at her but Malik cut him off.
"Your monsters are impressive but my Vengeful Bog is still in effect which means they can't attack just yet."
Bakura made a face at him, affronted. "I'm well aware of your magic card's effect."
Malik laughed.
"What are you laughing at?" Bakura asked, annoyed.
"How I'll destroy you with the Egyptian God card you threw away!"
"You're bluffing!" Bakura growled.
"Am I?" Malik asked, "Or is it possible the Winged Dragon of Ra may possess a few special abilities that you're not aware of?"
"But I thought I knew of all Ra's abilities!" Marik said in disbelief.
"Apparently you don't!" Bakura growled.
Akeno groaned and rolled her eyes. "I told you not to trash Ra!"
AN: Woo! Been awhile since the last update, hope I haven't lost you all! Hope you liked it! Please review!