A/N: Okay, I'm back after a short little hiatus. I swear to Horus, I'm such a deviant art lurker lately. ^^; Yeps, that's where I've been every night of the three weeks I haven't spoken to y'all. And I haven't even been doing anything interesting there, either....T~T.... Ah, I know some of you reviewers have already found me over there, namely Crystal-of-moonlight, Sun-chan and Black-Neko-chan, but if anyone else wants to add me, go ahead! ^^ I have a link up on my profile page here, and may occasionally do fanart for this story there, so go check it out from time to time.
Now, back to more important things. This story. I've recruited a few new readers and reviewers from DA, so that's how there's so much activity around here lately. But thank you! And hello to the few annonymous reviewers I got last chapter; that was a lovely suprise in itself and if you're ever around in the future, I'd love it if you dropped another review in while you're here!! *huggles all her readers thoroughly* Nyah~ I love you guys!! ^____^ And I'm sorry I had to take a break for three weeks... I missed you all.. but I'm back now! Yay!
And without further ado, here's chapter 13. WooooOoooOOo... anyone superstitious??
Disclaimer: Even as my hiatus comes to an end, I still do not own Yugioh or any of it's smexy villains. :D
Chapter 13- By my rules
The air was stagnant when Marik pushed open the warehouse doors, a wash of hot, heavy breeze that threatened the beginnings of thunder met his tanned skin.
It was almost ten minutes since he had gladly left Bakura's company, and still he felt nauseous and spacey.
I must not let this phase me… If Bakura wants to play his revolting games, then I'll be forced to deal with his insolence later. Now, the Pharaoh and his rival, Seto Kaiba should be arriving any minute and I have plenty of planning to be doing… after all, it seems now's a perfect time to demonstrate some of my authority to this unruly spirit of the ring!
He crossed the courtyard with quiet steps, the warehouse closest to the one he had just left looming closer with every passing second. The rod glowed independently from him; his overflowing anger channelling through it's golden surface, twining easily with it's magical energies to create light.
The bay to his right twinkled and winked diamonds at our villain between the crack separating the warehouses, shimmering blue, framing a structure mounted on the waves. It was wooden and tall, beams holding up something silvery and heavy at it's peak. A few hunters Marik picked out against the backdrop of the water were working around it, and he grinned internally to himself.
Soon everything will be in place… I will have my revenge… and Bakura will know his place belongs at my feet…!
The door opened easily to admit him, and this warehouse was just as dark and quiet as the one he had just left. There were less people around in here, and the ones which were there, standing around happened to be guards.
"Where are they?" asked our villain, the rod licking the floor with a steady wash of illumination before him as he strode swiftly towards them.
A man with long dark hair approached, bowing low.
"They're out the back, master…"
"And the kid? Did you separate him?" Marik asked urgently. Where was Odeon when he was needed?
"Yes, master Marik…"
"Where is Odeon?"
"..I haven't seen him around, master…"
Marik grumbled his displeasure at this, and exhaled deeply.
"Well get back to work, you fool!"
He reached out with his mind, the rod's steady glow brightening briefly.
Where are you..? Remember your part of the plan? I need you here in warehouse five, right now! The Pharaoh could show up any minute and we must be ready…!
The reply came almost immediately, and because of the steady echo, Marik knew he was somewhere near.
"Yes, master Marik… I'll be there in a minute… you wish to take the mind of the young one first?"
…I have no idea how he'll react, Odeon. I need to make sure it'll be easy to manipulate his mind while being preoccupied. You know that this won't be an easy task…
A second later the door opened behind him and without even needing to look up, our villain knew his servant had his back. He could always tell Odeon's approach from the sound of his footsteps…this skill stemmed back into his childhood, when they'd play hide-and seek together in the dimly illuminated passages… how long ago that seemed…
He'd have his back here, like always, at least, in case anything else went wrong…
But then, what exactly, about a nine-year-old kid, would Marik Ishtar have to fear…?
The door at the back was heaved open, and the tanned, caped servant slid in first. As soon as he had entered, Marik heard an angry voice raise to the shadows.
"Hey! Let me go, already! Don't you know who I am? …I'm the battle city's official administrator! If my big brother finds out about this-" the boy chirped angrily.
"You talk too much…" the deep, curved voice of the servant echoed back, threateningly into the darkness. Marik slid into the room behind them… unnoticed, and the rod began to glow in anticipation in his hands. He'd heard the true tone of this caring man's voice, and to hear it twisted into something so…spooky… at his request, made him grin at the very least.
Thank you, Odeon…
The little boy before them had a thick wash of jet-black hair down his back and two bright, glistening gray eyes stared his attacker down, so vibrant and full of life. His clothes were tousled from the kidnapping, but one object caught Marik's eye from where he stood. The pendant he was wearing which fell forward down his chest, was in the shape of a tan-backed trading card. A clasp glistened at it's side, hinting of it's true use. His whole attire was as lively as any other little kid, innocence blinding him to just how much danger he was actually in.
That is, until our crafty little mind-controlling villain behind had descended like a vulture to his tender, succulent consciousness. It held no challenge, no resistance met his effort as he consumed it, and shortly the small brother of the CEO was deeply under Marik's control.
"Excellent…that was much easier than I expected… now, will be the great test…" he grinned darkly, the temporary, ever-changing shadows cast from the rod momentarily crossing his face and enveloping it in a turbulent, stormy expression.
Mokuba Kaiba, whose once lively eyes were lit by childish innocence, were now dim and empty as he sat quietly against his bindings, no longer struggling, his life-force lost to age-old powers.
………………………………......................................................................
"You gonna let me outta here?! Huh, think you're so tough, don't you, you bald, tattooed freakzoid! Well why don't you untie me so we can see for real who's tougher! Hmm..? …Huhhh?!"
He snarled and struggled hard against the chains, almost as Bakura had-except just with less grace or self-awareness. Odeon's expression before him was relentless, he glared darkly back at the captured teen as if to prevent his instant struggling, and slowly extended a hand toward him.
"Hey…! Keep your greasy paws off'a me!!" the prey snorted, tossing a honey-ish golden head proudly. Marik was rather glad at this point that he was well-behind Joey Wheeler, and that he was tied up so that he would not see in our villain's direction.
Yes… you are a fine example of a mind-slave- headstrong…stubborn, and not afraid of anything… you shall be perfect for taking the puzzle from that blasted Pharaoh, and giving me what I want, once and for all! If Bakura can't do it, then you shall not fail me, my mindslave! Now, Joey Wheeler…open your eyes in my control!
He reached out until he could feel his conscience rub against the dirty blonde's, and tried to force his way in. This time though, a weight like Marik had never felt before came down around them, almost knocking the strength out of him-…was this mutt fighting back??
He struggled against the weight, trying to delve deeper, but the barrier was just too strong….The rod let out a fierce burst of power which crushed the pressure Joey's mind created around his, and slowly, like grains of sand falling through his fingers, the wall came crumbling down.
The great Joey Wheeler had fallen, as predicted.
Excellent…nobody can resist the magical energies of the Millennium rod… you will win me that puzzle, Joey Wheeler, and you will get me the god cards, you hear me??
He called for the younger boy's mind too, and behind him the door opened, heralding his newer puppet's entrance.
"Take off the bindings, and prepare their decks for the duel," Marik ordered, only pausing long enough to make sure the caped servant before him had understood.
Then he left, striding much more confidently out than he had on his way in…
………………………………...................................................................
As soon as he'd left, he was aware immediately of a second pair of footsteps echoing his. Without caring to look behind him, he sped up slightly, and became just the smallest bit alarmed when the secondary steps quickened likewise. He was heading towards the wooden structure above the waves, a square wooden path with enormous beams, holding up a glistening silver anchor, but now he made the slightest inflection to his path, towards the large cruiser ship parked at the side of the dock. There were hundreds of empty windows staring down over him, and it was slightly eerie… like a thousand mindless eyes of five hundred slaves, all fixed on him simultaneously.
He could see something in the distance- something approaching in the sky. A helicopter? He glanced back at the slaves setting up the wooden structure, and grinned.
Everything's in place…excellent… it's all coming together…
That is… until he turned around.
Someone was stumbling down the path towards him, someone with long, auburn hair that flowed down her back like a bubbling river. She paused every few seconds, reaching out for the walls, to steady herself and to recuperate from the effort.
"What the-" our villain gasped aloud, despite himself. It was the blind sister of his newest mindslave, Serenity.
How in the name of sweet Osiris did a blind girl get past my hunters like that?!?
"H…hello?" she gasped, helplessly. Marik stood there, motionless as a rabbit caught in the headlights, completely unsure of how to proceed…
What in the name of Ra happened for her to escape…?
Then, finally, a plot began to form in his mind, a plot to use her for something…this was but a minor detail in the bigger picture…
"Se…Serenity…?"
"W…who's there?"
"It's me, Namu…! Did you manage to escape too…?" Marik stood grinning; he hoped the smile did not inflect in his voice too badly, but he couldn't help himself, since this was the perfect plan…!
"Oh… Namu! What are we going to do to get away from this Marik guy? We have to find the others…they helped me to escape but the rare hunters moved them then…"
So those runts helped you to escape, did they?
"Ah… I…we'd better go and get help," Marik answered, his voice softening instantly unlike his expression. "That way, we can get everyone out without risking our own safety..!" He took a few hesitative steps towards the shivering girl.
"We can't leave…! I won't go without my brother!" she gasped, high voice wavering with worry, as she made her way towards Marik.
"Look, we must! I don't want to leave Bakura either, he's still trapped here, but we have to if we want to save them! We have no idea what this Marik guy is up to!" he reasoned, sliding the rod through it's usual spot, his back belt hook.
Fool!
There was something stirring from behind them, and Marik only had time to turn around before he was face-to-face with a huge white helicopter in the process of landing. The slogan 'Kaiba Corp' was emblazoned on it's side, and the windows were blackened as if the inhabitants didn't wish to be seen… but our villain already knew who it was, anyways. Truly, who else would be arriving randomly on the docks in an official helicopter if it wasn't Seto Kaiba and the Pharaoh?
The massive airborne vehicle touched down gently, whipping up a hurricane from it's propeller which clawed hungrily at Marik's clothes and tossed his hair around violently. (Just great… after I'd brushed it so carefully this morning…)
"Namu…! What's going on…?" cried the little voice behind him, and he turned back around, now almost face-to-face with Joey's sister. In his mind at that exact moment, he'd never been so close to another female who didn't happen to be his sister. (However this probably isn't true, but yet it made it's impact on him when she finally reached him and grabbed him around the waist violently.)
What in the name of sweet Horus is she doing…? Ah- the rod! I must hide it!
With a nervous hand, he quickly managed to invert the golden object down the back of his pants, hiding it to the world least someone would have seen it, or Serenity may have felt it's horned top.
The wind slowly died, a gentle breeze washed lightly over him as he tried his best not to shiver, and instead lightly rubbed the frightened girl's back with his left hand. However this did not seem to reassure her much, so he quickly stopped.
"It's okay, Kaiba's arrived! That's…. there's a helicopter landing, and…here he comes, he's getting out now! We're saved!" Marik commentated, watching the dark-haired CEO stepping out of the vehicle proudly, briefcase still dangling from his grip. His eyes widened marginally when he saw our villain, and the Pharaoh, who was trying to get out behind him peered below his raised arm holding the helicopter's door open.
"Namu??!"
"Ah…um, Yugi…" Our villain glanced quickly down over what little he could see of Serenity, wished himself elsewhere and finally, with face full of unease, lifted his head to glance into the questioning stares of the two new arrivals. What a compromising situation to be caught in!
"What's going on? Where's this Marik guy so that we can end this once and for all?" demanded Kaiba, brandishing the suitcase at the two. The blind girl tightened her grip around his waist, almost pushing Marik's heart out through his mouth.
"Aren't you going to ask us how we managed to escape, then?" our villain asked with a very false, forced grin, attempting to prise the frightened blind girl from his chest and hide his increasing unease at the same time.
"Yes! Where are the others?" asked the Pharaoh, finally pushing past Kaiba, and sprinting to the centre of the paved path leading down to the docks. Urgency and worry spread out across his face like a double blanket, and had he not have been so uncomfortable, our villain would have danced with happiness at the sight.
Wouldn't you like to know, Pharaoh! Well, you'll have to find that out by yourself! Hahahahahhh…..
"Um..."
"Yugi…? Is that you? You have to go and find my brother! He's still trapped!" Serenity yelped, burying her face in the front of Marik's jacket so that her voice came out all muffled and high-pitched. If it was at all possible, it seemed her grip could only have tightened, constricting our villain and causing nausea to rise into his chest.
If only Kaiba and the Pharaoh were not here, then she would pay for her ignorance! Fool! Nobody hugs Marik Ishtar like that…! Not even Bakura…no, he deserves everything that he gets from this moment on…
"Your brother…! Joey? Is he safe? Where is everyone?"
"I…I came from somewhere down this dock… Tristan, Tea and Joey helped me to escape…! I…I wouldn't have gotten anywhere if it wasn't for Namu here, though…"
"They moved them, after we escaped, apparently," Marik added boldly, hoping his expression did not betray his emotions. He did not like where he was right now, and was doing his best to think of a way out of it…even though he'd have to call the mindslaves that he'd selected to duel for him down to the docks now. And that would require him to use the rod, which he couldn't do while the new arrivals were around. He needed a distraction…
"So they're not in the same place? Can you tell me also whether there was a little boy in the place you left?" asked Kaiba darkly, scowling heavily (perhaps a sign of worry?) at them. The auburn-haired girl lifted her head slightly.
"..A little boy…? No…not that I remember…"
Of course not, you fools! You think I'd leave every one of my hostages in the same place…? Ha! You underestimate me, Seto Kaiba…
"…Okay…follow me, Yugi. We'll have to search all of these warehouses, under every roof… until we find Mokuba!"
"Kaiba! Don't be silly; this is more than likely a trap! We must work together until we find them- and least I remind you almost all of my friends are missing?" the Pharaoh frowned, exasperated when the CEO strode briskly past him and our villain, complete with frightened girl attached.
"Um…what about us?" asked Marik innocently, again rubbing Serenity's back in some last-ditch attempt to prise her away from him and restore his dignity.
"Do whatever you want, dweebs," Kaiba grumbled predicatively and our villain watched his retreating back as he strode briskly and formally down the dock.
"Kaiba! Come back!" The Pharaoh was caught between two minds as to who to stay with, but finally began to follow the dark-haired CEO at a run.
"We'll…um, go get help," Marik suggested faintly, using his left arm to herd the long-haired girl in the opposite direction. It appeared nobody was listening any more. Perfect.
"H…have they gone to rescue my brother…?"
"Yes, Serenity… I'm sure he'll be just fine…"
I can't believe I'm actually supposed to say this! I mean- what's she going to think when she hears her precious brother's duelling on MY side..?
"So…where are we going?"
Marik continued up the dock, heading past all the warehouses and back to the main road. Perhaps there he'd find a way to get rid of her.
It wasn't that he needed no more hostages and mind slaves, but she wouldn't survive two minutes on her own on a highway, would she…? No. She'd escaped at ridiculous odds once, it seemed he'd have to confine her on her own if this plan was to work smoothly. He could see the bristly trees and shrubs pooling around the road now, either side and the odd car whizzing past in the gap in between. The noises from the traffic grew closer, yet still he could not think of anything to say.
"We'll… I dunno…get help…" He finally decided on, distracted by her unnaturally strong grip on his clothing. Even if it were Bakura pulling out of him, Marik was sure he wouldn't enjoy it one bit. But if it happened to be the scheming demon, without his clothes, then maybe…
"You know, the doctor says I can take off my bandages soon…" Serenity confided, glancing up although she was hardly looking at him. He still tried to hurry her along, and at the same time extracted the millennium rod once again, without the fear of anyone seeing him this time. With it's cold metals pressing into his palm, he began to call his newest mind-slaves into position…. They were almost at the roadside now, it was about fifteen metres away…
"Ah… that's great," he responded to her statement, with not much feeling.
Now, my slaves, you must meet the Pharaoh and Seto Kaiba by the side of warehouse seven… understood…? You know which of you will arrive first… and who will see to it that Bakura's here to see it all too…
"Yeah… that's the reason I came down here. The first thing I want to see when I open my eyes is my big brother duelling!" continued Serenity.
"That's great…"
Then, someone must come up here and meet me with this insufferable fool! Abduct her again and confine her in some bottomless pit, you hear me…!?
"But then… I… After this whole thing with Marik, I feel I need my sight now more than ever if I'm to be of any help to Joey and all the rest of Yugi's friends…"
Marik was about to respond blandly again when he realised what the girl was trying to say. He lowered the rod from where it had been resting across his chest, and stared at her. He was so confused he almost didn't hear her next question.
"N…Namu..? Will you help me remove my bandages and… see again…?"
Will I do what now…? Ra, what is going on? I don't want her seeing me, that could be dangerous! Especially with me holding the rod..! Ah… I must do something…!
"I…Argh! What's that..?" He yelped falsely as they neared the cover of a bush near the road, tearing as hard as he could away from her grip at the same time. She leapt in fright and let him go, so forcefully he ended up accidentally losing his balance and falling snugly into the prickly embrace of one of the bushes, which forced him to suppress his displeasure at the wrong end of the thorns.
Marik Ishtar had had enough.
He got to his feet as quickly as he could, sullenly staring down the cowering girl before him, glancing around her(as if that's going to help…while she's blind…) nervously and brushed off some of the rogue thorns protruding from his clothes. The bite of their sharp edges tore into his bronze flesh and he had to take a deep breath to stop himself from becoming too angered. Already visions of a blade, sunk deep, came spurting through his mind. Pain… the white-hot slice of metal, through frothing crimson…
"I am Marik." he snarled, allowing his voice to drop low and dangerous like Bakura's. In fact, he quite fancied himself to be doing quite a decent impersonation of him right now, although he were a little too furious to stop to admire himself in the current moment. "I am Marik Ishtar, and you won't be going anywhere, little girl!"
"What did you do with Namu?" she gasped, fear weighing down her voice and intoxicating it. Our villain could actually physically see her shivering, paralysed with fear. And had no remorse.
"Oh…. he's gone… and I suggest you start running, before I do the same to you!"
"Namu!"
I am him, fool!
Dark cloaked figures began to melt out of nowhere…the very darkness dwelling in the cracks of the warehouses seemed to give them being, nearly. And she couldn't see them.
It seemed she could sense something, though, and that made her back slowly towards the road. Marik slid closer to the bush that he'd just landed on, and crossed the millennium rod over his chest once again…watching…
Come on, she's escaped once before… don't disappoint me this time…
He could sense something taking place before it finally did; and he almost laughed in frustration, when a red sports car skidded to a halt beside her. The screech of tyres whined in Marik's ears, and as he peered out through the green leafy branches of the bush, a man opened the door of the car.
"Are you all right?"
"Who's there?"
With a further drop of his stomach, and casting a sideways glance towards the mind slaves now as stumped as he was, he realised he recognised this unlikely do-gooder.
"What's wrong? …Oh, you can't see?"
"No,"
"Come with me, those guys don't look too kind. I'll introduce myself on the way down. Got any friends you can call?"
"..No… they were kidnapped…! My brother Joey's still in there…!"
"Joey………?"
Raven dark hair, sharp features and if he were a little closer, Marik was sure he would see the glimmering emerald eyes too.
Another of Yugi's friends.
Seriously, what are the odds of that actually happening? I mean…
"You know my brother?"
"I might…"
"He's one of Yugi's friends…"
There was a rev of the engine, and from his front-row seat half-hidden by scrub, our exasperated villain watched the shop keeper that Bakura and he had left earlier leap out and sweep the girl up in his arms.
"If you're one of Yugi's friends, then why didn't you say before? ..Right this way…"
"But I- they're back ther-"
"Never fear… Duke Devlin's here…"
"Um…"
Seems like someone had just made Marik's job a whole lot easier. As soon as he could smell the soot of the car's exhaust, and knew it had sped off up the highway, off into the sun, he straightened and relaxed greatfully.
The hunters looked to their master, leaning into the thorn bush thoughtfully and he rewarded them with a scowl.
"What should we do, master? Should we follow them?"
"No, you fools… I don't want her around anyways. Looks like he'll have more fun with her than I would…"
He began to walk back stiffly, cursing the prickles still caught under his jacket which he'd failed to remove as of yet, all the while searching for his newest mind slaves. Their consciousnesses were eager(just as they should be) and when he forced himself into their minds to see what they could, he could see the Pharaoh and Kaiba, approaching wherever it was Joey and Mokuba happened to be hiding. He made Joey look around; it seemed they were crouched behind the back of one of the buildings. Marik couldn't get a clear view of the water, or the wooden pier he'd had the rare hunters build, so they must be near the warehouse he was hiding the rest of the Pharaoh's pathetic friends in. They had no real value in this game, no value but to be used as bargaining chips in the grand scheme of things.
Just like Seto Kaiba.
If only my fool of a sister hadn't bestowed him with the power of this god card, then he'd be no more a problem to me as that mutt Joey. A pawn. A powerful chip for me to use to my disposal, just like all the other inhabitants of this world!! But I can't use it until I acquire the card…
He forced Joey to rise to his feet, and traipse slowly out in the path of the approaching teens, almost as if there was nothing wrong. However Marik knew the Pharaoh was smarter than that… surely he'd know without having to be told…?
Through Joey's ears, he heard the shouts.
"Joey…? It is him! Joey! Thank goodness you're-" As soon as the teenager with the tri-coloured hair had crept within three feet of him, he skidded to a halt.
"Joey! What's wrong??" Marik waited, he made the obedient boy's body stay still, the wind playing absent-mindedly through his rough golden hair, tossing it like sprightly waves of the ocean waving to ship-bearers.
Finally, when he saw Seto Kaiba come to a stop beside him, did he allow the wind-swept teen to raise his head.
"Seriously, Yugi! This is probably a trap or something…" The CEO felt the need to comment. Marik stared at Kaiba, stared through empty golden eyes that didn't belong to him and chuckled from somewhere down the dock.
"Joey isn't here," he forced the boy to say, the voice borrowed crudely too, a mask that buried his identity protectively beneath itself, a reassuring feeling Marik had only felt when he was a kid…a kid being hugged and cuddled…when he could still crawl into a sibling's lap for comfort after a nightmare…
A horrible realisation fell across the ancient king like a wet cloak… our villain could almost see it, descending from the heavens like a gift to him.
"No… don't tell me Marik's gotten to you already! Joey, it's me! Snap out of it!!" The pharaoh burst out desperately, the worry and fear evident in his voice. Our villain could have jumped in joy.
"It's no use, Pharaoh. Joey's gone away. Now it's only Marik…"
"You're a coward! Why don't you face me already like a man!" he retorted predictably, allowing Marik time to analyse that comment.
Ha! You say this to me, from the borrowed body of a simple vessel, your voice being that of your host's… your actions being committed by your host, form borrowed for your own use. You call me coward. You taunt me from your millennium prison, from the depths of another's mind, that I will not use my true body and face you.
While I… I am also hidden… using the power of a millennium item to project my thoughts, views and actions through another…
I'd say that makes us pretty much even, right now, doesn't it…? Hahahahh… although I think I'd win that little battle, since you've already unwittingly met me, you've seen my face… yet you don't know it. We can never see your true form, Pharaoh, since it was destroyed over 3000 years ago. My family was forced to wait, wait for you to hide yourself from us…
And then… now… I will put that to an end. In the next few hours, the world will have a new Pharaoh! You will be vanquished, once and for all and then we'll see who's a coward!! Then we'll see! Hahahahhahahahahh…..!!!
"There will be plenty of time for that…"
"You have to search within yourself, Joey! Marik is controlling your mind to force you to fight against me!" The ancient ruler continued to try and convince him. Marik felt the smallest of acknowledges from the true conscience of Joey Wheeler, and quickly stamped on it.
"I don't know what planet you think you're on, Yugi, but on this one people can't control each other's minds! Wheeler; I suggest you stop this nonsense as well! Quite frankly I can't care less whether you still want to be friends with Yugi here but I'd appreciate you moving so I can find my little brother already!" Kaiba raged, beginning to approach the blonde teen threateningly, his dark hair whipping out slightly in the afternoon breeze. Marik refused to move Joey, and mulled over his thoughts for a minute, contemplating the best way of breaking it to him that his brother was in his clutches, now too…
"I am not alone here," he finally chose for the blonde to say, as the tall tournament host came to a halt in front of him.
"Oh, wonderful." he spat in return, words drenched in sarcasm and condescending as usual. "Now move it, monkey boy,"
Marik tightened his grip on the rod, somewhere across the docks, and stood still, letting the same breeze wash over him, too. Then he forced the small boy to get to his feet, and run out to meet his older sibling head on. As soon as he was in sight, time seemed to stand still. Electricity sparkled from everywhere, shimmering, holding up the silence…
There was the slightest frail second of quietness and stillness before it was finally shattered like a window pane.
"Mokuba!!"
"Mokuba's not here either. Surprise! It's Marik again!" he then forced the boy to cry, watching in glee as Kaiba was forced to stop dead two inches away from him.
"What's going on, Mokuba?"
"Oh, no…" the Pharaoh gasped, his dark amethyst eyes swirling with horror. "Kaiba- you can't ignore the fact that Marik has supernatural powers! This is all his work! And now he's got Mokuba too!"
Kaiba, however, had obviously decided the blonde-haired Joey was all to blame for his little sibling's sudden change of heart, and seized a handful of the front of his t-shirt- yanking him almost two feet into the air. Marik really hadn't noticed how tall he was next to everyone else until he'd lifted Joey… he was much, much taller than Marik, that was for certain. He was quite glad it wasn't him, anyways.
As the trademark cold, piercing glare shot icily through the mind-slave's and reflected back onto our villain's, a fist was raised. It was a glare that could freeze hell over, a glare that could stop the heart of an unlucky victim, if administered in just the right way. If he were in Joey's position right now, Marik might have been a bit intimidated… but the great Marik Ishtar does not cower in fear before anyone!
"You tell me what you did to Mokuba before I personally see to it that you never speak again!" the dark CEO spat, face inches from Joey's. Our villain could have almost died from overdosing on the venom that flowed from Seto Kaiba's voice then, a powerful, real threat which didn't really effect our villain, even though he could almost feel the raging heat radiating from him, a boiling tower of terror he knew would be suicide to go up against in a fight.
Well lucky for me we'll be doing this by my rules, and soon you will be relieved of your god card, and be of no threat to anyone! Now… for the fun part…
"Tell me!" he threatened, although Marik refused to do anything himself, let alone to let the boiling energy he could feel from within the blonde-haired teen break free. It was almost as if the opposite edge of a magnet had been rubbed up against Joey's conscience, he was having such a powerful reaction subconsciously to the tournament host… but why?
The last thing he wanted was to loose control of a mind-slave and have him fighting pointlessly with one of our villain's selected victims like he could sense happening if he didn't do something.
"No, Kaiba! He's being controlled! ….Marik, why are you doing this? If it's me you want, then come and get me already!" The pharaoh cried in the background, attempting to loosen Kaiba's furious, iron grip on his friend. Marik knew he sensed it too; if this moment did not end very soon, then someone(namely Joey) was going to become seriously injured.
"I want…a duel." he stated, through Joey, still dangling from the CEO's grip.
"A…duel?" he repeated, unsure but still fearsome. He didn't release his hostage immediately.
"Yes, Seto Kaiba. A duel, for your god cards." Marik continued, this time through Mokuba and thoroughly enjoyed the moment that Kaiba realised it was Mokuba speaking, and dropped the captured teen pointedly to turn and stare at his little sibling instead. The empty body of Joey hit the ground with a dry thump, which faded into the background, almost.
"Joey!" worried the ancient spirit, from his host.
"Mokuba!" cried Kaiba, shaking the small dark-haired form with both hands.
"I told you," Marik answered impatiently from the latter, "Mokuba is gone. It's Marik now. So do you accept my challenge, you two?"
"You want to duel me again, Marik? Why don't you face me properly, this time instead of using my friends to speak through?" demanded the spirit of the ancient king, backing away when our villain forced the blonde-haired servant to his feet… forced to sigh in exasperation as he felt the unenthusiastic conscience shrug him off in favour of lying there longer. The rod glowed in anger; no slave of his would be lazy!
Get up, you fool! You will not disobey me!
"So do you accept my challenge?"
"Just who are you challenging, here?" demanded Kaiba furiously, now completely unsure of where to address all together.
"Both of you."
"But you can't-"
Marik made the two gather themselves together, and back away from their former friends and family.
"Follow us to the duelling arena and I'll explain what's going to happen," Marik told them, through the blonde slave. He slowly inched the two backwards, towards the strange wooden structure like a receding string he was baiting a kitten with.
That's right, you two…follow my bait… duel me… and prepare to lose!
"Wait, Kaiba. I should go."
"No way, Yugi…! That's my brother over there and I want to know what the hell is going on!"
"He's being controlled! And the person controlling him is after me! I don't want you getting hurt because of that… so let me go and duel alone."
"Yugi; you speak as if I need babysitting or something! I can look after myself. It's this Marik guy that needs to be watching his back after doing this to my little brother…"
"But you-"
"Actually," Marik interrupted, slightly annoyed, "I need both of you for this; remember you each have a god card and I intend to win them the both of them at once! So stop squabbling and follow me!"
………………………………......................................................................
"What is this thing?" asked the Pharaoh, as they stood on the creaking wood a few minutes later. Water passed easily beneath it, the whole ocean lapped the side of the pier and the wooden legs of the structure twinkling and shimmering in the full daylight.
"This will be the site of both your demise!" our villain grinned, from across the docks. His voice flowed freely through the younger of his new slaves, and he looked around as to where they were all standing.
Both the Pharaoh and Kaiba stood about a metre or two apart, facing the two mind slaves, creating a huge invisible square around the wooden planks.
Perfect… everything's in place, now…
"Okay… if it's a duel you want, then let's get on with it, already." Kaiba stated, sullenly. Marik was glad that they'd both chosen to be wearing their duel discs, as were his two new pawns. They would need them, for what our evil little mastermind happened to be planning…
"Right…. This game will be played by my rules… it will be a double duel, with alternating turns between us(Joey, then Yugi, then Mokuba and finally Kaiba…), and you already know the stakes, don't you? If I win, which will happen the minute one of your life points hit zero-"
Insert marginally surprised gasp from the Pharaoh here…
"…I want the puzzle… if I manage to deplete your life points to zero, Pharaoh, I expect that as part of the deal…"
"What makes you so sure that we'll agree to all this?" the ancient king concluded, glancing quickly from Joey to Mokuba, unsure of where Marik would speak from next.
"Ahh…. The guarantee." Marik, who himself was beginning to approach from his place near the main road, grinned in satisfaction… and marvelling at his own daring.
"Look above your head. There lies an anchor. If you don't comply……or, if the timer that's attached to it reaches zero… then it will fall."
The pharaoh's eyes widened in horror as he glanced upwards, panic swirling in his expression. Even Kaiba, when he glanced up, was taken aback slightly.
"Is…is there someone up there?"
"Yes… so you'd better do as I say and begin this duel…we have approximately thirty minutes… before the anchor will fall…taking that person to the bottom of the ocean with it..."
"As head of the battle city tournament I cannot let this duel continue!" Kaiba interjected, unable to take his eyes from the figure dangling limply from the anchor, it's body lifeless and unconscious. "This is just…sick!"
"I thought you wanted to save your precious brother..?" taunted our murderously evil little villain, this time making the subject of the previous sentence convey his message.
"Mokuba!"
"Well then- you must let it continue! Draw your first cards, already!"
"Wait…! Marik…! First answer me this; who is that, up there tied to the anchor…?" asked Marik's true target, his deep usually comforting voice plagued with the worry and stress of seeing any of his friends get hurt. That was something our villain, whose whole body suddenly came over weak with the excitement, would never have. Because he would be the one doing the hurting.
He had to stop abruptly and gaze up at the swirling blue of the relentless sky as it seeped into the horizon. To examine the soft white clouds sifting down it's face, the small prickle of light that was the sun, starting to slip itself towards the water's surface.
And thank Ra that he was in charge.
The whole excitement and thrill that had overtaken him raked his body… he felt like laughing, laughing in the face of his enemies and all who stood against him.
Nobody can stop me! Nobody! I'm unstoppable! Hahahahhh…. And now everything is in place… you shall get your come-uppance, Pharaoh, I will rule this world…! And Seto Kaiba… I will soon possess your god card too…! As for the spirit… the spirit of the ring…he'll soon see just who's in charge here… first-hand…
The curve of the grin that now covered his face reflected through his voice, even as it was projected through the blonde teenager's.
"The person tied to the anchor…? Oh, that's…Bakura! Hahahahahaaa!!"
A/n: Bakura!! Hahah, he deserves it though, doesn't he? :D And anyone notice I used the letters CEO far too much here...?^^ What else is Kaiba? Hmmm.... although I'm not happy with some of this chapter as I seem to be, lately with all of them, unfortunately your authoress has become such a procrastinator she can't go back and fix it until perhaps this story is finished...! Which won't be any time soon, I choose to remind you. ^____^ Aaaaahnd, Bakura didn't speak once in this chapter!! Hahaha, I've given your screen time- ahem- I mean, um... well you know what I mean... I've given it all to Marik for your horrible behaviour last chapter!!! Hahahaha!!! ----I've been watching far too many yugioh abridged episodes lately...^^;
Review please! I think I'll be highering the review number that I ask for whenever the finals do eventually begin, since I got eight last chapter and seven the one before that. XD But we still have a duel to get out the way before that, and that'll last...well it might last two chapters. So I hope you enjoyed the bonus chapter I gave you last time, because it'll be a while before you'll see any action between them two again!!! X3 (Eeeeeep! So can't wait for chapter 20 though!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Look out for it!!! I'm suuuper excited!! :P)
So...review please? I've already started chapter 14, and I need to post it soon to make up for the untimely hiatus I went on. :D (Oh, and I should hit 100 reviews sometime on this chapter if I get six like I need! Yay! Thank you so much for that, anyone who's contributed!! :3 Anyone reading this, I encourage to try to snag it; I was going to have like, some sort of reward to give to do with a choice of what direction the story will take, later on... but unfortunately we haven't hit the plotpoint that it revolves around yet...^^; so... Um, I'll think of something, if someone does that, anyways....*scratches chin thoughtfully*)
Until next time! ...Which I hope will be soon!!