Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh or anything to do with the franchise. This fan fiction is merely for entertainment purposes and not my own profit.

Author's Note: We made it to 50 reviews, hooray! Let's make it to 100 soon. I'm looking for work, so I'll be getting extra busy; I really need the money. Ah, the life of a complete unknown writer is a hard one. I'm sure many of you understand what I'm talking about. But that doesn't mean I won't keep up with my work here. I have come to truly love writing fan fiction and there's still so much I want to do. Also, can someone tell me what an AU character is? I've heard it a lot and I feel stupid for not figuring it out.

Special shout-out to: biskittens, for being the 50th review on my story :D

Chapter 11: A Cornered Dog Bites

There was a chilling stillness in the darkness, a cry of pain resounding through the stifling air. Footsteps echoed on the cobble floor. The cold was so thick you could practically swallow it, feel it go down your throat and fill every part of your body. It was a dreadful place, with nothing but despair as one's only companion. A figure emerged from the shadows, looking down at the huddled creature below him. It shrank away as the man reached out to it with light fingers.

"Oh, come now, that simply won't do," he said in a silky voice. "I only want to help you, make you better. Isn't that what you wanted from the start?"

The frightened creature shuttered as it heard the voice echo, forming walls of words around it.

"Please, let me help you," he offered it a sweet smile. "I can make the pain go away. Come…"

The creature stared up at him, unsure of what to do. It had lost all hope, all visage of freedom, what else could this man do to it? Using what strength it had left, it extended a tentative hand to him.

"That's a good boy," he said as he took its hand. "A very good boy indeed."

The candlelight was small, barely flickering in the corner of the cell. An ember crackled into the air, briefly lighting the room even more. The creature saw the shine of soft blue and the elaborate stitching of the white tailcoat. The man pulled something out of his coat and then the creature felt a cool liquid pour down on its head. After that, the room was bathed in a magnificent blue light and all the pain the creature felt immediately faded away.

"Excellent," Johan said, watching the creature transform. "Now we're ready."

The creature towered over Johan, submissive in its mannerisms. There was no light in its eyes, no life, nothing. It only stared into space, emptied of all its will, now a servant to the one named Johan.

"Time to play," an evil grin formed on Johan's lips, the cruel intent in his eyes flickering like a dark fire, ready to consume all.


Alice sat up on her bed, hugging her legs up to her chest. She rested her head on her knees as she stared at the wall. Her long white hair fell neatly along her back, clear out of her face that held a vacant expression on it. If someone looked close enough, they would see the troubled look in her eyes. But for now, Alice was alone in her room, wide-awake as the clock reached 6:00 a.m. She normally didn't get up this early, but she couldn't sleep anymore, no matter how hard she tried. She could only feel this way for only one reason.

"That dream again," Alice huffed annoyed. "Every time, it's the same thing."

Alice carefully scanned her room, taking in every inch. The walls were painted white, her bed placed right in front of the rather big window in her room. The state of her desk was pretty sad as Alice had tried to organize it as best she could. Papers stuck out of folders, Alice's laptop lay closed as it was left to charge overnight, and a pile of books lay on the floor beside the desk. Fortunately, the rest of the room was in a better state. The full-length mirror stood by the closet, and on the wall opposite the bed, right in the middle, was a medium-size flat-screen.

What could she do now? Michael would be getting up soon. He was the early-bird type, relishing those hours in which all was quiet and peaceful, the new day not yet undisturbed by the frantic havoc of the everyday bustle. She could join him, that would be nice. With that made up, and nothing else coming to mind, Alice got out of bed. Her pale pink pajama top flowed gently as she moved. The hem of it reached halfway along her legs. It had long somewhat puffy sleeves, and was matched with similarly puffy bottoms that stopped just below the knees.

Alice put on her small matching slippers and walked out into the hallway. The house was so quiet with everyone still in bed, how she envied them. Alice slowly made her way downstairs. She could hear the light movement in the kitchen. Michael was awake. She walked down the hall and into the kitchen. Michael was hard at work on the stove, the smell of sizzling bacon, eggs cooking, and coffee brewing instantly swimming to her nose. Alice's stomach growled as the scent of food reached it. It seemed like Michael hadn't heard her, but soon enough, he was setting two places at the small table in the kitchen. Alice walked over to the cabinets and grabbed two mugs. She also got forks, spoons, and knives, delicately placing them on the table. Michael turned off the stove and filled their plates with equal amounts of food. It looked like he had prepared enough food for the both of them. Once everything was set, he joined Alice at the table as she was pouring coffee into their mugs.

"How long have you been up?" Michael asked her once Alice had placed the coffee pot back in its place.

His violet hair was disheveled, tied back in a messy ponytail. His dark blue shirt and grey pants were very wrinkled, an obvious sign that he had barely gotten out of bed. Yet, his eyes held no hint of drowsiness. It amazed Alice how easily her brother could get up so early in the morning.

"Shouldn't I be the one asking you that?" Alice smiled as she sat down.

"You know I always wake up at this time," Michael said as he poured sugar and cream into his coffee. "So why are you up? You hate getting up this hour."

Alice looked down at her food, avoiding eye contact with him. She grabbed her fork and knife and began to eat. Michael stared at her in silence as Alice ate. She was strangely quiet, it wasn't like her. Sure, Alice wasn't a morning person, but she was always cheery and full of energy when she greeted Michael. Even though Alice didn't say anything, as her older brother, Michael could always read her emotions as only he could.

"It was the dream again, wasn't it," it was more of a statement than a question.

Alice nodded as she ate. Michael placed a hand on her head to comfort her. She always got like this whenever it was mentioned.

"I've been having it more than usual," Alice said in a low voice. "It means something. I have no doubt about it."

"Is it the same as before?" Michael asked.

He knew full well about the recurring dream. When Alice first had it, she awoke with a frightened cry, and acting on instinct, immediately ran to her older brother's room. When Michael opened the door, he was disturbed by what he saw. There, in the dimly lit hall, was his little sister. The tears free flowed from her eyes without end, her little body shook in panic. She clung to her stuffed kitty toy as though she was sure it would protect her from whatever would come after her. When he saw those scared blue eyes stare up at him, Michael quickly pulled Alice into his arms, trying to calm her down. He sat on the floor as Alice continued to cry, divulging in great detail what she had dreamt. Even then, Alice was a pretty smart kid. She wasn't one to get easily upset over nothing. Once she had stopped crying, Michael let her sleep in his bed, knowing that Alice was in no state to be left alone.

"For the most part, yes, it is the same," Alice said, leaving her food alone. "But, there's more to it now."

Michael's eyes narrowed ever so slightly, "What do you mean?"

"Everything is the same, all the details," Alice said, then she looked up at Michael. "But the voices… They sound closer, and everything feels so much more...real."

Michael took a moment to take it all in, a pensive look on his face.

"This is a warning," Michael said, the grave tone in his voice soft but clear. "Your mind is trying to tell you something. It's using that dream in particular to get your attention."

"Something big is coming, isn't it?" Alice locked eyes with Michael.

"Yes, we have to be ready."

Alice took a deep breath before saying what was on her mind, something she knew Michael wouldn't be happy to hear, but she had say it.

"I know it has to do with him," Alice said. "I'm certain of it."

"Alice," Michael started, knowing who she was talking about. "He's dead. How can he have anything to do with this?"

"Because," Alice said with more determination this time, "I can feel it. I have always known it wasn't over. He was too strong to go down that easily."

Michael couldn't argue with that. There was always a part of him that felt the same as Alice, but he ignored it for the most part. Maybe it was his naïve way of trying to move on with their lives. Of all people, Alice deserved that.

"You're probably right," Michael sighed heavily. "Things have been a little too 'active'. I'll talk with Drake about it and see what we can find out."

Upstairs in his room, Drake stirred in his sleep.

Alice's eyes lit up with joy, "You're going to talk with Drake? Does that mean you're not mad at him anymore?"

Drake moved even more, his ears twitching at the mention of his name.

"Yes, I'm over it now," Michael replied with a stoic face. "I have seen that I overreacted at the situation."

The movement coming from upstairs appeared out of nowhere. Michael and Alice raised their heads as the rumbling of running feet grew louder and louder. The kitchen door slammed opened, Drake practically jumping into the room, his eyes watering like sprinklers, his robe dangling from the one arm he had managed to slip it on.

"Do you really mean it?" Drake asked Michael in anticipation.

"Yes, I do," Michael said while nonchalantly drinking his coffee. "I forgive you."

"Thank you, Michael," Drake said while on his knees.

He got up and joined them at the table. On cue like always, Michael stood and walked over to the stove, preparing breakfast for Drake. He'd been giving his uncle the cold-shoulder for a while, the least he could do was make him breakfast. As Michael went to work on the food, Alice got a mug and poured coffee for Drake.

"Alice," Drake whispered, leaning over to her with soft smile. "I want to thank you as well. I don't know what you did to get Michael to talk to me again."

"It wasn't hard," Alice lightly giggled. "Besides, who knows my big brother better than me?"

Drake chuckled in agreement. Had Michael faced them, they would have seen the subtle grin on his face as he had heard their conversation. Alice sat back in her seat, watching Drake try to help Michael cook, laughing as Michael scowled Drake whenever he asked too many questions. It was best they talk to Drake after breakfast. Alice just hoped they would make till then.


Stephan was lounging lazily under the shade of the trees, the breeze breaking the quiet that surrounded the forest. Fabian and he had been hiding out near the outskirts of Domino City, waiting patiently to enact their orders. It was only a few weeks away, but Stephan was not a patient man. He wanted the new Duel Monsters tournament to start already. He was fed up with all this skulking and hiding in the shadows. However, he had to follow orders, otherwise incur Johan's wrath.

"Stephan."

He looked up and saw Fabian approaching him. He had a rather pleased look on his face.

"Master Johan wants to speaks with us, come."

Stephan instantly appeared by Fabian's side. The two walked a short distance before reaching their hideout, an old, abandoned church, left forgotten for years. Fabian and Stephan stepped in, the interior being a vast contrast from the exterior. The tall walls were clean, the floor had not one speck of dust, and no cobwebs were to be found here. The long, thin stain glass windows let the sunshine in. The steeples had been repaired, their brown hue polished and pristine. At the front of the room stood a statue of the Virgin Mary, an altar with delicately organized roses placed in front. The two men walked to a door on the left side of the altar.

They remained quiet as they walked down the narrow passageway until they reached a big windowless room. In the middle was a large circle with ancient runes painted on the floor. A few torches lined up on the walls were the only source of illumination. Fabian walked up to the circle, extending a hand as he started to chant in Latin. The torches burnt higher and the circle before them began to glow. Wind swirled in the middle of the circle creating a small tornado, blowing at a steady pace. Soon, the wind dissipated, revealing a man in white standing in the circle. Fabian and Stephan bowed as Johan watched them with relaxed eyes.

"Master, to what do we owe the honor of your presence?" Fabian said.

"I have an assignment for Stephan," Johan said in cool voice, getting right to business.

"For me, master?" Stephan asked in surprise though still quite pleased.

"Yes, and I know this comes as welcome news as Fabian has confided in me that you grow tiresome of your current orders," Johan eyed his subordinate with interest.

"Forgive me, master," Stephan said as he stood up to eye-level with Johan. "I know this is an important task, but I do grow agitated with the…monotony of the situation."

"Then let me change that," Johan said with an evil glint in his eyes.

As though made of thin air, a monstrous creature appeared behind Johan. It stayed in the shadows, a low growl emanating from deep inside its body. Fabian came to a stand, gazing at the creature with unhidden fascination, marveling it's very structure.

"This is my new pet," Johan announced with grand wave of his arm.

"Master, it's magnificent!" Fabian breathed in amazement.

"It's all thanks to you and your research, Fabian," Johan praised the young man. "I truly appreciate all of your hard work."

Fabian took a bow in respect, "It is always a pleasure."

Johan gave him an amused smile then turned to Stephan.

"Now, I want you to take my 'pet' and see how he does in the field. Immediately report to me afterwards. Whatever happens, do not interfere. Let him have his fun," Johan said in mock cheer as he turned around. "We do not want Exia to trace him back to us. Understood?"

Though he was facing Stephan, Fabian knew that Johan was speaking to both of them. Fabian held an empty expression as the icy venom in Johan's last words lingered in the air.

"Yes, master," both Stephan and Fabian said.

The wicked grin that appeared on Johan's face was filled with malice, the wind wildly blowing around him, as if it were reacting to his dark motives. And soon, he was gone.


"Hey Tea," Yugi said as he approached his friend.

Tea greeted him with a smile as she looked up from her desk, placing her history homework away into her bag.

"Morning Yugi," she said. "Where are Joey and Tristan?"

Tea was surprised to see her two bumbling friends currently missing. They usually got to school in good time, a result of Yugi's good influence of them.

"Tristan got in trouble with the vice-principal for racing in the hallways with some sophomores. And Joey is running late today, he forgot to set his alarm last night," Yugi said as he took his seat in front of Tea.

"Of course," Tea sighed dryly.

Leave it to Joey and Tristan to start off the day in their own unique way. Tea looked out the window, suddenly feeling wary of the day ahead. Something was definitely going to happen today, something big.

"Where's Alice?" Yugi asked as he looked at the time.

Before Tea could answer, in came Alice, or rather she slid in, as she had been running all the way to school. After breakfast, Alice had gotten a tad lazy and took her time getting ready for school, a little too much time. When she noticed the time, without a word to her brother or uncle, Alice jumped out the door and agilely rushed to school.

"Save!" one of her male classmates nearby said as Alice came to a stop, pretending she was a baseball player sliding into home base.

She softly laughed at his antic and greeted him with a warm smile. The student instantly turned scarlet at her smile and said it was nothing before running to his friends, who sat at their desks flabbergasted that Alice had spoken to him. Tea giggled under her breath while Yugi waved Alice over. Yugi wasn't surprised by the boy's reaction, nor his friends'. Upon her first day, Alice had quickly become one of the most popular students at Domino High School, definitely the most popular girl from what Yugi gathered. He couldn't keep count of how many guys hit on Alice or asked her out. Each time she gently declined, much to Joey and Tristan's relief.

"Good morning," Alice chirped happily, though it seemed somewhat forced from Yugi's point-of-view.

"Good morning, Alice," Tea said, apparently she hadn't caught onto Alice's behavior as Yugi had.

Perhaps it was nothing, as Yugi watched Alice and Tea talk about various girl-related things. It could be that Alice just wasn't a morning person. It made sense as he had seen Alice fall asleep in class plenty of times. As the girls continued to talk, Yugi looked up at the door and saw Tristan walk in with a look of relief on his face. He explained the vice-principal decided to go easy on him and let him off with a warning this time. As the clock at the front of the classroom slowly ticked off each minute, Alice looked around worried.

"Is something wrong, Alice?" Yugi said.

"Kind of. Where's Joey?" as soon as she said that, Alice felt an ominous feeling sink deep inside her.

It was stronger than anything she had felt since arriving at Domino. It was quite a distance from the school, but Alice could sense it moving. She looked at the door, then across Yugi out the window. She would give him until the bell rang. He would come running any minute now, out of breathe but in his usual happy, loud self. That's right, any minute now. Any…RING! The remaining students sat at their desks, the teacher walking in and closing the door. Alice's heart sank as the door slid shut.

"All right, class. Let's begin," the teacher said as she got out her class schedule.

Yugi saw the look of fear on Alice's face grow more so. Something wasn't right.

"Alice, what is it?" he asked her, getting the others' attention.

Alice looked out the window with uncertain eyes, speaking in a soft, sad voice, "Joey."


"Joseph, slow down," Mr. Wheeler said as Joey gulped down his breakfast. "I don't want to choke you."

"Sorry, dad," Joey said through a mouthful of toast. "I'm running late as it is."

Joey chugged down the last of his orange juice, grabbed one more piece of toast, jumped out of his seat with his backpack in hand, and ran out the door.

"Be careful, Joseph!" Mr. Wheeler called out as Joey ran through their apartment building.

Joey waved at him, toast in mouth. Joey ran as fast as he could to school, finishing his toast in a hurry. He rushed through the crowd, excusing himself as he bumped into people in his haste. He reached a traffic light and skidded to a stop as it changed red.

"Come on, come on," Joey muttered, anxiously hopping from one leg to the other.

Once the light turned green, Joey was off like a race car, leaving the other pedestrians around him confused as he left nothing but a gust of wind behind him. Joey was halfway to school, checking the time every chance he had. Almost there, Joey thought eagerly, just a few more blocks. As he came around the corner, Joey didn't notice the strange shadow at the end of the street came alive and move. It stayed where no one could see it, stalking its prey. Joey remained oblivious to its presence. It swirled around the ground as though it were swimming through liquid concrete. Its head rose from the ground, staring after Joey with dead eyes. It knew what it had to do.

Joey felt a sudden heaviness in the air. It was not in the same way Alice could sense things, but after all the adventures he'd had with Yugi, Joey knew when something was wrong. He stopped, panting hard from running so much. Joey knew this feeling, this uneasiness that run down his spine. He had felt that way only once, and he knew he would never forget it. It had been that day when Yugi had worried so much about Alice, when they had chased that stranger all through Domino, when they had ended up at the manor and were dragged inside against their will.

"This is not good," Joey said as he slowly turned around, the Mischief rising from the ground. "Definitely not good."

The Mischief stood tall over Joey, a goliath of pure darkness. A low growl emanated from deep within the creature. Joey instinctively looked around. The place was deserted, but Joey knew that could change at any moment. Some innocent bystander could stumble upon them and panic. They could anger the creature and get hurt, or worse.

"What do you want?" Joey asked in a strong voice.

He had to keep his cool if he was going to get out the situation. It did not respond to him.

"What's wrong? Don't want to answer me, huh?"

"You ask me what I want?" the Mischief said in a low, gruff voice. "I think it is pretty obvious what I want."

Joey felt a cold sweat trickle down his forehead, "I was afraid you were going to say dat."

"Your soul is stronger than most in this city. I will grow stronger once I consume you," the Mischief said as it took a few steps towards Joey.

"Not gonna happen," Joey said, swinging his backpack off his shoulder and pulling his duel disk out in one smooth motion. "You want my soul? You're gonna have to work for it."

Joey swiftly placed his duel disk on his arm, taking a battle stance as it beeped on.

"I challenge you to a duel," Joey said as he placed his deck into the duel disk.

The Mischief did not seem to react to Joey's words. It stood quite still as Joey waited with bated breath.

"Very well, I accept your challenge," the Mischief said as it really did not have much of a choice.

It extended its left arm to the side, a duel disk forming around its wrist with a deck already in place. It was of a design Joey had never seen before. It was tan, with shades of orange wrapping around the device, with what seemed to look like an actual blade on the rim of it. It had two purposes from what Joey could tell: to duel and to attack. As soon as the duel disk formed on its arm, the Mischief took a solid form. The darkness slowly lifted, revealing its true appearance. It was like a humanoid lion. It was of a grey/pink hue, black claw marks strewn throughout different areas of its body. Its tail was swaying from side to side, obviously its master was impatient, though its vacant yellow eyes would not deceive such a thing.

Joey grimaced, I hope he isn't related to that one red lion Michael took out. The last thing Joey needed was a monster with a score to settle. A veil of power descended on the surrounding area. Joey tensed up as he felt the charge of negative energy spread into the very atmosphere. This is going to be hard, Joey thought, steeling himself for the battle ahead.

From atop one of the houses, watching everything happen from a comfortable distance, Stephan sat against the tile of the roof.

"Well, well, Alice must have told her friends about the 'defect'," Stephan said, not a hint of care in his tone. "It doesn't matter, it will only serve to make this little outing much more enjoyable."

Joey [LP:4000]/Mischief [LP:4000]

"Let's duel! I draw!" Joey shouted as he drew a card from his deck. "I think I'll start things off. I summon Gearfried the Iron Knight, in attack mode!"

Joey's mighty knight appeared in a brief flash of light, ready to fight for his master.

Gearfried the Iron Knight LV4 [ATK:1800, DEF:1600]

"I'll end my turn with two facedowns. Your move."

"I draw," the lion Mischief said as he took a card. "First, I will summon Assault Beast in attack mode."

From the ground, a great beast emerged. It appeared to be a hybrid of both wolf and human, though clearly, its canine face gave it away. It had smooth silver fur under light brown battle-armor, with long hair falling down from its horned helmet. Its muscles flexed as it held a hazel-brown shield in one hand, and a Morningstar in the other. It stayed at the ready for a command from its master.

Assault Beast LV4 [ATK:1900, DEF:1200]

"My beast, destroy his knight!"

Assault Beast charged at Gearfried, swinging his weapon in one mighty swoop.

"I don't think so! I activate my trap, Kunai with Chain," Joey said as a chain swirled around his knight as protection. "I can choose one of two effects: I can change the attacking monster into defense-mode, or I can equip the card to my monster to raise his attack by 500 points. I think I'll choose the second one."

Gearfried the Iron Knight [ATK:2300]

Gearfried grabbed hold of the chain as it spun around him. He gripped it tightly as Assault Beast was about to attack again. Gearfried swung the chain at the beast and it slashed through it like paper, the blowing up upon impact. The lion Mischief staggered back as the attack's force hit him as well.

Mischief [LP:3600]

"So, the damage in this duel is real too?" Joey said as he watched the Mischief regained his composure after the attack.

"Yes, it is," the Mischief replied unfazed.

"Great," Joey said sarcastically. "Figures dat would happen."

"I end my turn with two facedowns."

Stephan sat up straight to get a better view of the duel.

"This is certainly off to an interesting start," he said. "Let's see if the Wheeler boy can keep it up."

"I draw," Joey said. "I summon Alligator's Sword in attack-mode."

An alligator clad in light armor, wielding a sword with a dragon head-shaped handle, appeared next to Gearfried. It snuffed as it looked at the Mischief, arrogant in its nature that could win any battle.

Alligator's Sword LV4 [ATK:1500, DEF:1200]

"Okay, time to fight," both monsters prepared to attack. "Go Gearfried, Alligator's Sword, combined attack!"

"Activate trap card! Call of the Haunted!"

A swirl of shadows seeped from the ground, Assault Beast coming back on the field.

"Your monster isn't strong enough to take on my Gearfried."

"Not for long. I activate my second trap, Horn of the Phantom Beast. I can equip this to any Beast-type or Beast-Warrior-type I control and raise their attack by 800."

Assault Beast glowed as it gained power.

Assault Beast [ATK:2700]

"Eliminate his knight, show him what true power is!" the Mischief roared menacing.

Gearfried was inches away from dealing a fatal blow to Assault Beast when it agilely dodged his attack. The beast swung his Morningstar around and struck Joey's knight with all its strength. There was a huge explosion in which nothing was left of Gearfried. Joey saw the blast coming and braised himself. He crossed his arm over his face to shield himself. Joey felt a blow like none he had ever felt before. The explosion threw him off his feet, sending him tumbling onto the ground. Joey gasped sharply as he hit the ground, hard.

"Ooh, that looked painful," Stephan said as he watched Joey fall.

Joey [LP:3600]

"That didn't hurt," he groaned as he got to his feet.

"You can act brave all you like, it makes no difference to me," the Mischief said with no real emotion. "I'll have you soul either way."

"Like I said before, dat's not gonna happen," Joey said determinedly. "My soul is staying right where it's at."

"We'll see about that."

"I place one card facedown and end my turn," Joey breathed heavily.

That attack had taken more out of him than he had expected. It was just like when the Orichalcos duelists had dueled with that special card of theirs, only this time, the damage was worse. Joey had to keep dueling. He only had to prolonged the duel until his friends arrived. He knew Alice would figure something was wrong. He knew she would come to his aid. For now, Joey had to stay strong, he had to keep fighting.

"I draw," the Mischief's orders were clear: to kill all who stood in his master's way. "I summon Gene-Warped Warwolf."

Next to Assault Beast, a new creature emerged. It looked like a white wolf with a strange blue crystal-like substance covering most of its face except for its mouth, which housed razor-sharp teeth. It had four arms with black hands and red claws that matched it crimson eyes. Black markings adorned its arms and chest, and it had a wild dark mane that reached the ground. The only piece of armor it had was long steel kilt.

Gene-Warped Warwolf LV4 [ATK:2000, DEF:100]

"I now play the field spell card, Forest," the Mischief said.

Joey felt a rumbling coming from underneath him. Without warning, trees sprouted from the ground, concrete breaking and rolling down as the great wood grew with abandonment. Grass spread like wildfire all around, covering every inch of the neighborhood. Joey watched, awestruck, as for a moment, nature took back what was once its land.

"Forest is a magic card which increases the attack of all of my monsters by 200."

Assault Beast [ATK:2900]/Gene-Warped Warwolf [ATK:2200]

"Warwolf Attack! Rid the field of his Alligator's Sword!" the Mischief commanded.

Warwolf ripped Alligator's Sword like it was nothing, a savage look of pleasure on its face as its opponent fell. Joey readied himself again, this time he only skidded a few inches back. His body ached from the damage it had taken. Joey, however, did not back down. He had been through far worse situations than this. He could do it, he knew it.

Joey [LP:2900]

"Dat the best you got?" Joey smirked, as though he had nothing to worry about.

"I'm not finished yet. Go, Assault Beast!"

The beast dashed at Joey at great speed, but Joey stood his ground.

"Sorry, but it won't be that easy," Joey announced confidently. "I activate my spell card, Scapegoat."

The four little horned balls of furs created a barrier between Joey and the beast ready to sink its claws into him. Assault Beast ended up destroying one of the little goats. The Mischief growled in annoyance.

"What's wrong? Thought you could get rid of me so easily?" Joey stuck his tongue out immaturely at him.

Stephan chuckled heartily, "That boy certainly is entertaining. And you underestimate him, Mischief. Many have made the same mistake. Let's see if you can learn from it."

The lion Mischief snarled slightly in frustration.

"Ya gonna keep acting like an angry kitty or are ya gonna duel?" Joey said, trying to get his opponent to lose his cool.

Joey knew if the Mischief lost control of his emotions, he would lose concentration. Joey needed every advantage he could get.

"I place one facedown and end my turn," the Mischief said, trying to stay calm.

Stephan could sense the change in his behavior.

"Great, he's starting to lose it. Just what we needed," Stephan sighed, then he felt it.

A surge of power that pierced his very core. He remembered that power, he would never forget it. It was rushing to their location at an unbelievable speed. Even from where he stood, Stephan could tell, she wasn't angry…she was pissed off!

"I better leave before she gets here," Stephan said, knowing he couldn't let anyone know of his presence. "I got enough information here. Though…"

He was tempted to see the duel to the end. She wouldn't sense him at first anyway. Stephan had used a powerful technique to hide his own presence.

"My move," Joey drew a card.

"I activate my trap, Savage Call! This allows me to special summon any monster from my hand or deck as long as I give up 1500 life points."

Mischief [LP:2100]

"I call forth Beast King Barbaros!"

A ferocious wind twisted between Assault Beast and Warwolf. Beast King Barbaros was a creature designed for battle. It was the lion-version of a centaur, with the torso of a humanoid brown lion, and the lower-body of a black lion with a red stinger at the end of his tail. His long blonde mane bellowed behind him, strange golden spikes adorned the edges of his face and around his waist. For a weapon, he had a long red lance and blue shield for protection.

Beast King Barbaros LV8 [ATK:3000, DEF:1200]

"Dat thing does not look friendly," Joey said cautiously. "I better do something before he gets a chance to attack, otherwise I'm done for."

"Joey!"

His heart grew with pure joy as he heard the gentle voice call out to him. It was like the heavens had heard his plight and sent an angel to his aid. He looked behind him and saw Alice running towards him, her Ace in hand. Joey felt a pang of guilt as he saw those delicate blue eyes watering up.

"Joey!" Alice said again, not caring about the current situation and wrapping her slender arms around Joey's waist, taking him by surprise. "I was so worried about you!"

Her shoulders shook as Alice let out the tears she had been holding in while desperately trying to find him. When she had sensed that mass of power appear out of nowhere, and Joey had not shown up to school yet, the dread in her heart intensified. She had frantically raced through the city, trying to find her friend. For some reason, this Mischief was partially hidden from her. She had to use all of her focus just to locate him. Someone did not want her to find him too soon; they wanted to delay her in her search. That only made her heart sink even more.

"Would you look at that?" Stephan said as he watched the happy reunion between the two friends. "The little Nightingale is so relieved to find her lost puppy."

"I thought, I thought…" she could not say more as she sobbed into his chest.

"It's okay, Alice," Joey said in a brotherly tone. "I'm fine. See? I did exactly what you told me to do and I'm fine."

"But you're hurt," Alice said through teary eyes.

"Ah, it's nothing I can't bounce back from, just a few cuts and bruises," he tried to assure her.

"Excuse me," the Mischief said, the two teenagers remembering his presence, "but we do have a duel to finish."

"Joey," Alice said as she looked up at him.

"It's cool, Alice. I just need this one turn to finish him off," Joey said and Alice let go of him with nod, understanding what he had to do. "Okay, where were we? Oh, dat's right, I was about to kick you sorry Mischief butt."

Alice giggled at Joey optimism, wiping her eyes of any loose tears. Even after everything he had been through, Joey could still joke around. He felt a boost of confidence at making Alice laugh. Joey looked at his hand. If he played his cards right, the duel would end with him the victor.

"All, right," Joey said, "First, I play Pot of Greed, which lets me draw two more cards."

As he pulled his new cards, a big grin spread on his face. Awesome, looks like Lady Luck is shining on me today, Joey thought excitedly.

The Mischief raised his brow in curiosity. What was the blonde boy up to?

"I play Monster Reborn to bring back Alligator's Sword."

"So what? Your monster is too weak to take on my titans," the Mischief said in a condescending tone.

"I'm not done yet, you oversized pussycat!" Joey shouted indignantly, Alice clasping her hands over her mouth as she laughed at Joey's comment. "I'm going to sacrifice my monster to summon an even stronger one. Say hello to my Red-Eyes Black Dragon!"

Red-Eyes emerged in a blast of fire, sweeping its vast black wings back as it screeched out into the sky. Its black scales gleamed a shade of violet as it took its place by Joey's side.

Red-Eyes Black Dragon LV7 [ATK:2400, DEF:2000]

"That monster requires two tributes to be summoned, how could you summon it with only one?"

"Easy, I played this," Joey said, holding up a magic card. "It's called Downgrade. It lets me decrease the level of a monster equal to the amount of life-points I give up. I gave up 100 to turned Red-Eyes from LV7 to LV6."

Joey [LP:2800]

Alice smiled as she remembered when she had given him that card, as well as another. It had been a few days ago in school. Joey, I want you to have this cards. I have a feeling they will come in handy soon, and I know you can bring out the best in them. Alice had no doubt she had made the right choice.

"It doesn't matter," the Mischief said. "Your dragon cannot defeat all of my monsters."

A small devious smile spread on Joey's face, "Ya think so, huh?"

The Mischief took a step back in surprise. Why was this young man so confident? Could he not see that he would lose the duel in the next turn?

"I play the magic card, Joint Forces," a fire now burned in Joey's eyes as he played the second card Alice had given him. "I get to draw five cards from my deck and sent all of the monsters in my hand to the graveyard in order to increase my monster's attack points by their combined strength."

Joey drew his five cards with great satisfaction.

"I sent The Legendary Fisherman, Swordsman of Landstar, and Jinzo to the graveyard to raise my Red-Eyes' attack by 4750!"

Red-Eyes Black Dragon [ATK:7150]

"What?" the Mischief did not see this coming, so much power in one turn.

"Go Joey! Show him what you got!" Alice cheered.

"With pleasure," Joey said in a proud voice. "Time to get rid of your furry friends. Go Red-Eyes Black Dragon! Destroy his Beast King and end this duel!"

A ball of red energy, encircled by black electricity, formed inside its mouth before the dragon shot it straight at the Beast King. Barbaros held his shield in a feeble attempt to stop the attack. It shattered to pieces on contact, the blast destroying everything in its path. The Mischief let out a cry of agony as red fire engulfed his body. The fire soon ceased, the lion Mischief dragging his wounded body. Scorch marks covered his body, his long hair cinched. Joey and Alice stood back as the defeated creature struggled to move forward.

"The master…told me…I…I would be…stronger," he wheezed through raspy breaths, falling to his knees. "He…he promised…it wouldn't hurt…anymore."

"Your master?" Alice said as she took a few careful steps towards the injured creature.

"Alice," Joey reached out to her, not certain it was safe to approach his fallen opponent.

She mouthed that it was okay. She turned back to the Mischief, who was struggling to move. She knelt down in front of the Mischief, placing a soft hand on his shoulder. He looked up at her with eyes now filled with confusion.

"Who did this to you?" Alice said in a caring tone. "Why did they do this?"

"I…I…" the Mischief used what strength he had left to speak. "I cannot say. I…swore…I would not. Even if…I wanted to…I could not."

"I see," Alice knew what was going on.

It wasn't a matter of the Mischief wanting to keep silent; it was because someone would not let it.

"It hurts," the Mischief trembled. "It hurts…so much."

Alice moved her hand to his cheek, her heart aching for the poor creature before her, "I can make that go away. And this time, it will be for good."

The Mischief looked up at Alice with hopeful eyes. He knew what she was, what she did.

"Would you truly do that for me? Will you make it go away?" the lion Mischief did not know what to believe anymore.

Someone else had made that same promise before, only to be deceived by that man's sugar-coated lies. He should have known better. But there was something about this girl, a warmth she radiated, that assured him she could help.

"It will be quick," Alice smiled sadly as she rose to her feet. "Then, you'll be free."

She raised her scythe to shoulder-length, the silver glimmering in the sunlight. The Mischief looked at her with a grateful gaze, and whispered thank you as Alice swung her weapon in the blink of an eye. The grey lion vanished in a shower of black dust, his spirit riding the wind as he floated towards the heavens where he belonged. Stephan stared down at them. Saying not one word, he turned around and left. His work was done. Alice brought down her scythe upright, the bottom of handle clinking on the concrete. She had her back to Joey, who had witnessed the whole thing.

"Alice?" Joey wondered if she was alright.

"I'm okay," Alice said, spinning on her heel so gracefully, wearing a big smile. "Everything's right again."

Joey couldn't agree more. As light fell on the street again, everything seemed to come alive again. The dark energy dissipated, replaced by the comforting feeling of warm homes. The trees and creatures summoned by the Mischief disappeared into small twinkling lights, no longer needed as their master had been defeated. Joey looked over at his dragon. He stroked its smooth head, and it responded with a low yet affectionate growl. His scapegoat huddled loving around Joey, happy to serve such a wonderful master. One of the goats floated over to Alice, nuzzling against her arm. She wrapped her arms around it, petting it in appreciation for its concern for her. That and it was so cute! Red-Eyes looked at Joey for a moment before signaling the little goats it was time to leave. They looked saddened by this, but flew to Red-Eyes' side without protest. Joey and Alice waved them bye as they too shimmered away.

"Joey," he turned to Alice, who was looking down. "I-"

"Don't say another word," Joey interrupted her.

She looked at him hesitantly, debating whether she should still say anything or keep quiet. She decided on the latter. Joey took the chance to continue.

"Look, Alice," Joey placed a hand on her shoulder. "I know you're probably feeling bad right now, but you have to know dat it is not your fault. Those Mischiefs things go after strong people, dat's what ya told me. So, it makes sense dat big guy came after me. I did exactly what ya told me to do and I'm alive because of it. Besides, I've been in plenty of life-threatening situations before and I'm still here in one piece."

Alice giggled softly as she heard Joey finish. She should have known he could handle himself. He had helped saved the world a number of times after all.

"I'm sorry, Joey," Alice said. "But like you said before, you're my friend, and I tend to look out for my friends."

"Right," Joey chuckled, messing her hair a bit.

"Joey!"

They turned around to see Yugi and the others running towards them. A wave of relief washed over Yugi and company as they saw their loud-mouthed friend in fairly good shape. Other than some mild wounds, Joey looked to be fine.

"Joey!" Tea shouted as she grabbed him in a big hug. "We were so worried about you!"

"Yeah man, what did think you were doing going after one of those monsters by yourself?" Tristan said angrily, though the concern for his friend was obvious in his tone.

"Sorry guys," Joey said, Tea letting him go. "It's not like I planned it. The thing came after me out of nowhere. I had to do something, so I dueled it."

"It must have been some duel," Yugi said as he looked at the wreckage left behind, a souvenir of the duel. "What happened, Joey?"

"I think I can explained," they all jumped at the sound of Michael's voice, with the exception of Alice who was already aware of her brother's presence.

He was standing over a rubble of concrete where one of the trees had sprouted. He looked up at them with his usual aloof gaze.

"I see you had quite the duel, Joey," Michael said walking over to them. "Considering this was your first duel with a Mischief, I'd say the damage to the area is not that bad."

They looked at him with wide eyes and open mouths. Not that bad? The street was a disaster, no way anyone would be able to drive there for a few months; debris was scattered everywhere, walls left with huge dents, no doubt they would collapse soon. Yugi was glad it was an empty neighborhood, with everyone gone for the day.

"You're not seriously telling me it could have been worse?" Joey asked incredulously, though he felt he didn't have to as the answer seemed obvious.

"Yup," Alice answered anyway, looking oh-so-innocent.

Joey counted his lucky stars it hadn't turned that way. Tristan patted him on the back in agreement as he thought the same thing.

"So, what now? We can't just leave the place like this," Tea said as she took everything in.

"No need to worry," Michael replied coolly. "I will take care of it. Alice, why don't you take everyone back our place while I deal with this?"

"Are you sure you don't need my help?" Alice unknowingly looked up at him with those big, beautiful eyes.

"It's fine," Michael chuckled lightly.

"Okay!" Alice said then turned to her friends. "Let's go. I'm sure you guys could use a good rest, especially you, Joey."

"What about school?" Joey brought up as he then remembered.

"Dude, you just face a monster in a duel, and won, and you're just thinking about that?" Tristan said in a somewhat amazed tone.

"It's fine, Joey," Yugi said. "Alice told the teacher you had an emergency and convinced her to let us come help you out."

A wide smile spread on Joey's face, he grabbed Alice in a big hug. She blushed a bit, but only for a second. She was getting used to Joey's hugs.

"Thanks, Alice. You're an angel."

"Aw, Joey, no I'm not," Alice laughed.

Though in Yugi's mind, she was. Alice was their guardian angel, whether she knew it or not. Michael watched his sister and their friends walk away, talking amicably with each other, Tristan begging for details on Joey's duel. Michael was so glad Alice had found such great friends. Once they were out of sight, Michael brought his attention to the matter at hand. There was a small residue of the Mischief's presence left. Michael concentrated on it, locking on the tiny fragments. After a while, he stopped. His eyes narrowed as his suspicions were confirmed.

"It's the same as before," he said in a serious tone. "What is going on here?"


Stephan walked down the path, hands in his pockets. He walked through the door frame and saw Fabian kneeling down by the magic circle, muttering incoherently. Stephan walked to his side and knelt down as well, bowing his head. The same glow emanated from the ground and soon enough, Johan was standing in the middle of the room again, his silver eyes locking on Stephan.

"Stephan, your report."

"The Mischief performed as expected," Stephan said, his head down. "There was a definite increase in power, it subjugated to my will fairly easily."

"However…" Johan knew there was more.

"Control over its will dwindled after it was pushed to its limits."

"I see," Johan said as he paced across the room then stopped. "Do they know it was us?"

"No," Stephan answered. "They have their suspicions but no real clue as to who is behind it."

"And that is how it will be until it is too late," Johan smirked devilishly. "This promises to be a very interesting tournament indeed. Those Exia fools won't know what hit them…and even then there will be nothing they can do."

The flames from the torches went out as a deadly wind blew through the room, and the darkness fell on the room.

Hey people, what did you think of the duel? I think it was too short, so I would very much like your opinions on it. I'm following the rules of the game from the show because it makes them easier to write. I want to clarify that KaibaxKisara will be the main pairing I will work on. I just think there is so much to build on them. I will still include other pairings, but KaibaxKisara will be the more developed of them. I just realized I messed up Tristan's last name in Chapter 1. I needed to point that out otherwise it would have bothered me to no end.

Cards I Made Up:

Savage Call [Trap Card]: By giving up 1500 LP, you can summon any Beast-Warrior-type from your hand or deck.

Downgrade [Magic Card]: Give up 100 LP to decrease the level of a monster in your hand or field accordingly.

Joint Forces [Magic Card]: Draw five cards from you deck. Send all the monsters in your hand and increase to ATK of one monster on your field by their combined ATK.

Please review because I love hearing from you all.

Preview: The gang wants to help Alice relax and decide to go to the new exhibition at the Domino Museum, and make a surprising discovery concerning their fair-haired friend.