[On Track]

Disclaimer: What's your favorite idea? Mine is explaining the copyright.

How do you explain the copyright?

Not with Youtube's Copyright School. (jk)

Now when you look at this fanfic, tell me please, who do think?

I just think about boring old Yu-Gi-Oh.

Maybe to you, but not to Konami.

Konami sees lots of profit, marching along, making movies

I don't see what you mean.

`Cause you're not thinking in terms of money!

So take a look at this show. (cool) The animation came all the way from Japan.

But isn't the dub owned by a US company?

...The animation comes all the way from Japan.

Now when you take a look at thi-

Disclaimer for Disclaimer: Okay, no, I can't. You probably couldn't tell, but I was using "Don't Hug Me I'm Scared" as the reference here. And I'm just going to go ahead and squash that before it gets out of hand.

Plus, I can't actually explain copyright. Especially Yu-Gi-Oh. Convoluted as [4filter].

Narrators Note: Speaking of song references, there's a Marty Bags "You're Not Me" reference in the beginning. It's not subtle. I also squashed that before it got too out of hand.

Chapter Nineteen - The Star Chip Retrieval Mission " My 'Man-Eating Plant' will eat your dragon alive." (lol no it won't)

Alternate Titles: The Start of Something New?, The Kaiba Boys PII, We Aren't so Different

Here's something that's really astounding: this whole Seto Kaiba is not an [4filter] filler. The whole plot drags three episodes, invents a really ugly and bogus Eliminator, and has a duel conclusion that makes no sense. One would assume that a corporate take over subplot would be interesting. One would be wrong, apparently.

Don't get me wrong, it's very touching to know the dilemma of Mokuba and Seto Kaiba. At least the first time. The second, third, and fourth times the subject is dry and boring. By that point we understand that Mokuba and Seto love each other. We get it, they don't got it all. They don't got it made. That their only friends are the ones they pay, leaving Mokuba on his own to protect everything he and his brother have. Everything glamorous thing that Seto worked for. Even though no one understands what he'd do to change his life for just one day.

Concerning Mokuba's incredibly bold and kind of ill planned actions, I can't say "if I were him", I would have done something different. Or tell him what to do. How things would be if I were in his shoes. 'Cause I'm not him.

Although what I can say is, boy, did you really think that you could beat Yugi? Your brother couldn't beat Yugi. I'm not even sure Mokuba has ever dueled, even when he was a sadistic little eff in original Yu-Gi-Oh. In the Death-T he played a game of "I poisoned da' cake lol" and some whacked version of capsule monsters chess. Yet there he is, up on the Ring, desperately throwing down cards.

Yugi and the thief, who I'm going to just drop the descriptive title and just call him by his name because we all know who he is, readied their cards.

"What does Yugi see that we don't? Its like he's looking into the other player's soul." Téa asked. Well ding, ding, ding, we have a winner. All things considered Téa's pretty good at picking up on all the supernatural stuff. Probably something about have an open mind and believing in others and blah blah blah helps with. It's at least one sliver of credit I can give miss Mother-May-I-Nag.

Even though she asks a lot of stupid questions. Hey, not everything can have a silver lining. Take the previous question for example, while its expositional dialog meant to cue the audience in on a character device, it's kind of stupid to ask. Who exactly was she expecting to answer? Was she expecting Tristan to turn to her with a face suited for a puppy kicker and say, "Yes I know every corner of the inner workings of Yugi's mind." Because that's about as likely as my fanfiction senpais noticing me.

To my point, she was met with an appropriate response. "Hey, soul shmoul. I can see from here that that kid's gonna get his butt kicked."

With that Amy reached up and stretched her arms, something which she hadn't done since she awoke from her princess like slumber. In fact, this was the first time she felt like she could relax since. "Well no duh, he's like... twelve." Even her snark was coming back. Oh life was sweet again.

"Maybe, but Yugi should hurry if he plans to get those Star Chips back to the boat in time."

Amy could only nod a Tristan's comment. "True. I get why Yugi's doing what he's doing, but it's kind of an inefficient system. Still, what needs to get done has got to get done." She muttered this to herself more than anyone, but the others still heard her and sent questioning glances. Joey even followed up with a, "You lost me there. You understand what Yug's doing?" So Amy proceeded to pout and shrug. Best save ever. Gold star. She felt Amiee's mental sympathetic pat.

All the more reason that when Téa tried to reassure everyone that they would be back at the docks with time to spare, Amy kept her mouth shut. Anything she blurted could only make things worse for her case. I bet in some world, in some version out there, Téa says something actually intelligent here. Like, if she said, "Maybe Yugi knows the thief's real identity" which would actually answer the question of Yugi's illogical, time consuming motives.

Finally, the duel began, with the clock slowly counting down. A metaphorical clock this time, not a literal VHS timer.

Here's an interesting sidebar for those of you who didn't keep up with the times. Remember that flashback where Kaiba states he's not going to Duelist Kingdom, and that he was going to run away and join the circus? (kidding) Some of you may not remember, but Kaiba tosses Mokuba a card before he leaves and says he can have it – it was always Mokuba's favorite. Ever wonder where that plot void to nowhere came from? In some of the earlier, non 4kids-efied, source material, what he threw Mokuba was the key to the company's important documents. Isn't that so much more meaningful? Seto trusts his little brother with the keys to his existence. Deep as [4filter].

But not in this version. Nope, all we get is a "I'm going to run away now but here `ya go. I'm sure this card will be able to glue back the broken pieces of your now twice abandoned heart" parting gift. Which I think is cheep as [4filter].

Although I'm just your underpaid, under appreciated narrator. No one cares what I think.

Mokuba started the duel with the 'Man-Eating Plant' as his offensive, playing no face downs or any other sort of strategical defense. Amy could see in his eyes the anger he was struggling with, which called for her sympathies. At the same time there was a nagging question arising about how the little brother of Seto Kaiba could be so bad at Duel Monsters.

Summoning his 'Winged Dragon' (1400/1200), Yami prepared a counter attack. All Mokuba could do is scold him, saying "Ha! Bad choice Yugi. My 'Man-Eating Plant' will eat your dragon alive." On the ground, Amy knew her face sagged in exhaustion. That... didn't even make sense. Not just in the game, but if it had been a real dragon verse a real carnivorous plant it still wouldn't have a prayer.

Although her attention was pulled back in when Mokuba starting to talk again. Only this time, it wasn't about fantasy physics or even Duel Monsters. "So now, you're finally gonna pay for what you did, Yugi." Everyone (almost everyone) was caught off guard by that. Tristan, Joey, and Téa couldn't imagine why anyone would want revenge on their pure little friend. Even in their earliest history when Yami used to murder people, it was never a fight he started. It was hard to imagine anyone coming after Yugi with a grudge (although the fact that everyone who might was either dead, arrested, or under 24-hour white jacket watch helped with that). "And your stupid dragon's gonna be plant food."

Mokuba ordered his attack, causing clear, gooey saliva to drip from the mouth of his plant. Before it could go any further, Yami ordered his counterattack. 'Winged Dragon's mouth filled a substance as well. Although this was fiercer than saliva. In a moments time fire grouped into a ball and launched brutally towards 'Man-Eating Plant', enveloping it in flames.

Mokuba: 1400

Yami: 2000

"H-huh? My monster lost?" the black haired boy raised an eyebrow.

Indeed it did Mokuba. Fancy that.

"You can't win a duel with cards that don't rightfully belong to you." Yami's voice traveled calmly, but sternly across the field. He strained to help Mokuba understand the only truth Yami knew. "How could your heart ever live in cards that belong to someone else?"

Actually it lost because 'Man-Eating Plant' had a cruddy 800 points, but hey, again, who cares what I think (and yes, that is factoring any field-point bonus would only bring it to 1040). I wouldn't want to spoil the morally correct, life lesson learning mood.

Mokuba's sneers could be heard under his bandanna, "I don't believe in that 'Heart of the Cards' stuff you keep preachin` about. Cards have nothing to do with heart. It's all about power."

"Alright, alright. Geezus. I don't know how much more of this I can take." Amy let out a huff. A feeling was stirring up inside her, a fidgety, uncomfortable feeling. Amy's brain knew two things, that Mokuba had a good logical point, even though she would argue the secret is strategy over power. Endurance even. Anything was better than "the key to winning is bonding with the the cards in your hand". At least out loud it sounded silly.

However, the other thing her brain knew is that, no matter how much in the moment she denied it, when she dueled Amy felt something. Thoughts of PaniK filled her memory, and the emotions that came with it. The trust and attachment she had to her own cards. They had been apart of her.

So, naturally, Amy took these conflicting feelings to heart and dealt with them the only way she knew how. By changing the subject. All eyes were on her as she waved her hands around. "Look, whether or not there's something to the 'Heart of the Cards' isn't why you're here, is it? I think it's high time you stopped and explained to Yugi what he's doing in this duel with you. Cause we all know it ain't about winning Star Chips."

That seemed to strike a chord with Mokuba. His nose wrinkled from underneath the bandanna. "You wanna know why Yugi here? Because he broke up my family, and now he has to pay." Yami closed his eyes, searching for that link to Kaiba he sensed.

Meanwhile, Amy sneered back, twice as heavy and three times as disciplinary as Mokuba's, and added and arm cross for good measure. The boy may have even flinched. "Didn't your brother ever teach you not to lie. That's not why you're here either." Slowly, Yami's eyes opened and he focused ahead. His face lost all clouds of doubt that were hanging over it.

"That's it, I knew I sensed a connection to Kaiba. You're his brother. You're Mokuba."

Oh no, not the big reveal. How did Yami possibly know it was Mokuba oh noooooo.

What? My patience with this subplot is limited. Consequently, my sarcasm is unlimited.

Mokuba pulled off his bandanna in surprise, and with enough of a reaction shot to cover for all of us he said, "How did you know?" but quickly changed his position on the subject, "Well, it doesn't matter."

Eyes widened in the crowd below. "He wasn't kidding, it's really Mokuba Kaiba." Bakura gasped. Amy just rolled her eyes at was what soon to be a repetitive squawk of already established facts.

"It is Kaiba's little brother." Téa, check.

"Shoulda` known Kaiba had something to do with this." Joey, check.

"This must be about Yugi beating Kaiba in a duel." Tristan, check.

With Tristan making his stupid and obvious comment, that takes care of everyone on my list that needs to say something pointless even you it doesn't help the plot, nor reveal, along. Back to the story.

Mokuba ripped off his hat and let his long locks of black hair fall down his back. Without any regards to it, or the environment, he tossed it to the side never to be seen by the screenwriters again. "That's right, Seto Kaiba is my brother and he's the best duelist that there ever was. But now, thanks to Yugi, he's gone. And Pegasus is trying to take over KaibaCorp."

"Pegasus wants Kaiba Corp.?"

Then four heads turned towards Amy. I'll let you guess which. All at once, as soon as Mokuba's story left his mouth, eight pair of eyes were on her. An act that she was generally surprised at, and maybe even a little confused. Enough to earn a bored, "What?"

Heads bobbed this way and that, Bakura tried to avert his eyes and pretend like he hadn't reflexed like the others. Téa shifted awkwardly and Joey clasped his hands behind his head with "Nothin`" whistle as a reply.

To which she eyed each of her friends and said, "No, really, what? Why are you all looking at me?"

Three heads turned slowly again, but this time to glance at Tristan. Amy followed suit. Tristan, on the other hand, was making a large effort to look as far away as possible and all of a sudden not be a part of the conversation. He refused look her in the eyes. That was when it all became clear.

"Oh my gwad, you little moth ball. You totally ratted on me, didn't you?" Amy's gaze lit up on fire.

"I wouldn't call it ratting."

"You told them what I told you, in confidence."

Tristan didn't so much look guilty as he looked like he had been caught. There's a difference, I swear. Looking guilty implies that guilt, which implies consciously or unconsciously thinking about the moral direction of ones actions. Being discovered without seeing a mistake or action as morally wrong is more along the lines of getting caught. It was clear to her that Tristan hadn't thought about twice about it. Even now he didn't get the big deal. How do I know? Because he answered with, "You never said it was a secret."

If she lived in a more cartoon-ish world, surely steam would be coming out of her ears. "I didn't think I had to. The subject matter kind of speaks for itself."

Téa stepped in here, feeling as if there was a good reason for it all and she needed to explain. "It wasn't Tristan's fault. He had to."

Bakura even added, being the power duo they are, "When he brought you back you were unconscious. We we're all worried about you."

"Oh yeah?" the words were so excitingly livid, "Did that fudge face happen to mention the reason I was unconscious was because he punched me out? That ever come up while he was spilling all my secrets?" Faces across the crowd gave her all the answer she needed. "Hmp. Didn't think so." So Amy folded her arms and puffed out her chest again. To be honest, now that they already knew, it was a far question. She understood that. Now was as good a time as ever to swash this. So Amy brought her tone down to a responsible, even respectable amount. "Look, I only helped Pegasus plan Duelist Kingdom. Rules, regulations, guest list. That's it. I had nothing to do with the Kaiba brother's company takeover. The only time the name Seto Kaiba ever came out of my mouth was when I suggested him on the guest list."

Amy then placed her hand on her hip and the other running through her hair. One could even say it was in a thoughtful manner. I know, weird right? "That's a whole level of cooperate sabotage out of my league."

Whether Mokuba couldn't hear the shenanigans in the grass, or didn't care to listen, he gazed silently down at the Ring as memories flooded through him. Memories that made his shoulders weigh in distress. Pegasus meeting with the big five. Kemo grabbing him from behind. The sheer stress of it all was evident on his face. "I don't know what you did to my big brother when you dueled, Yugi, but ever since that defeat he hasn't been the same."

His face made Amy's stomach drop a little. Up till now, this had been just fun and games, and she hadn't realized before that Maximillon Pegasus was honestly ruining this boy's life. That Mokuba was just as lost and alone as his dialogue claimed to be. Before she knew what she was saying, Amy found herself taking over the explanation. "Pegasus met with a couple of suits secretly. By beating Yugi, he would insure himself a merger with their company." Did didn't take Amy long to figure out why she had chimed in. Anything to make Mokuba's weary voice stop talking.

Honestly, Amy was not equipped to handle this level of child sadness.

"Or at least those are some rumors I heard before I left. But I didn't hear that it was KaibaCorp..."

Up on the ring, Mokuba was flipping between rage and loneliness. Anger at Pegasus for trying to take over, at the big five for betraying the company, at Yugi for sending his brother astray, and at the same time desperate for his family. "They told Pegasus to get rid of Seto for good. And then to kidnap me to control it. And then to beat Yugi. That's why I have to beat you Yugi. And if I can't..." Mokuba's voice trailed off, his arms lowering slowly.

Meanwhile Téa, after much thought, was finally able to put the pieces together. "I think I get it now. Mokuba isn't dueling out of revenge." Her statement even caught Yami's attestation, because up until this point it had sure looked like it. "Pegasus needs to defeat Yugi in order to make the merger. But if he defeats Yugi now, Pegasus will never get to, and that will void the deal." Tristan and Joey met this explanation with blank looks, but the others understood.

Yami even exclaimed, "Ah, that must be it." as he now had a whole new light on Mokuba's motives. And now knowing the problem, the could find a solution. Just as he turned back to face his opponent, Yami realized that Mokuba was gone. He wasn't on his platform, and he wasn't standing on the ground. Suddenly the small, black haired body leaped onto his platform.

Another sidebar here, last one I promise, can that kid jump or what? I mean he hauled [4filter] like six feet up to Yugi's platform. Either this child is some kind of ninja, or he's got Steven Universe level of flotation powers.

"If I can't beat you, Yugi, I'll have you disqualified." Mokuba made a grab for the Star Chips as Yami made a grab for him. Using that moment he ducked under Yami's arm, and with three more star chips scurried back onto the ground.

Yami yelled out for his chips and the other gasped, but Mokuba knew it was all for nothing. They would never catch him now. He had accomplished what he came here for. Yugi was now out of chips and KaibaCorp. had won a much needed victory.

That was why, when Amy seemed to jump out of no where, Mokuba had not clue as to what was going on. All he understood was that he was falling, and with him it felt like the company was too. They were both tumbling down to get a face full of dirt. He didn't feel Amy's tackle as she grasped onto his waist to pull him down, and he didn't feel her let go as they began their decent, so she would fall on top of him. He didn't see her bare arms skid into the dirt beside him, or her wince at that. All he saw was the ground. All he felt was defeat.

Maybe it was this feeling that made Seto run away. To have his near victory dragged down by Yugi Muto and his friends.

Finally, Mokuba saw her kneeling in front of him, fists wrapped around his collar. Amy's face was aggressive for a minute as she said, "Listen to me kid." and then it went away. Her anger was replaced by something else. Amy's grip didn't soften, it disappeared. The muscles in her mouth loosened and even sagged. "I'm sorry you had to go through all that. I can't imagine having to hear that your brother's going to be gotten rid of or that you'll spend the rest of your life being a corporate puppet. I can't pretend to know what you're feeling, but if it's being alone, you're not. There are people right in front of you who aren't so different. You're trying to protect something, but Yugi and Joey have their own things to protect too. The difference is that they're doing it together." She looked up, Mokuba's wondering face now blurring away in the foreground. Instead, Amy focused on the crystal clear image of Yugi, not Yami, but Yugi trying to catch up with them. "We all do better when we work as a team. Join our team, Mokuba."

Mokuba was trying to understand her words, they left him with one burning question. "But... Seto..." How could he possibly trust the people who made his brother leave him?

"Seto isn't gone, I promise. He's just trying to figure his life out. When Yugi defeated him, he was able to show Seto that he was trying to win by hurting people. You were there, weren't you?" Mokuba nodded slightly, "Remember how he trashed Yugi's grandpa to get 'Blue Eyes'? Your brother is learning a long overdue lesson, and when he's finished he'll be back. You should too Mokuba."

"I should...what?"

"Learn your lesson." Amy started to get up, and in the process she latched onto Mokuba's underarm and pulled him to his feet. "You stole a kid's Star Chips and deck to get here. And now he's being shipped home, without having a chance to play. Seto's fixing his mistakes, and now is your chance to fix yours."

Before he knew what was happening, Mokuba was surrounded from all sides. It wasn't entrapment, it was a circle of support. Somewhere in his little adolescence head, Mokuba nodded and muttered, "O-okay." without being completely sure of why he said it.

.~~~~~~~~~~~~~.

"There's the boat, I can see it!" Joey waved to the others as he ran. The Brooklyn Blonde was far ahead of Yugi, Amy, and Mokuba especially.

"I can't believe we caught up with it." Bakura exclaimed in between gasps of breath.

"I can't believe that nine times out of ten today we ended up running. [4filter] running." Amy's face was listless, short on all kinds of endurance. If she didn't know that Mokuba was going to run away before, she never would have caught up with him. So, so very out of shape.

This is why Amy lacked a witty comeback when Téa retorted with, "I told you we'd be back at the docks with time to spare." Amy let her tall adversary have this one win.

Mokuba pulled ahead of the others. Maybe it was because he felt responsible and duty bound, or maybe not. No matter what he felt, little Kaiba knew that he had the keys to getting that kid off the boat. "Hang on! I've got your chips."

The boat had only started to inch away when Mokuba got to the edge of the dock. He held the chips out as proof. "I've got to return that kid's Star Chips to him." All eight chips looked very much alive in Mokuba's hand. The five he had and the three Yugi bet with. Kemo took on glance at them and grunted.

It was a no tolerance grunt. Cruel even. These were the moments the Kemo lived for in this job. The Robo-Ken lifted his arm, but no one was fool enough to think he was going to accept them. Although no one thought that he would knock Mokuba's hand to the side and send the Star Chips flying, plunging into the ocean below.

"Yugi's Star Chips!" Tea's shrill screech floated below the salty air, dense with the realization.

Amy felt her muscles flare. The others stopped at the docks just in time to watch the chips sink. But she didn't, she couldn't. Her eyes flashed as she readied her shoulder to and head to do the one thing she had wanted to do for so long, ram Kemo overboard where he deserved. "You complete [4filter]."

It was like she had hit a wall, he only staggered back a tiny bit before regaining his composure. With a turning ricochet, the Star Chips weren't the only things to fall into the water. Amy soon joined them.

Someone called her name as the water approach. Then the blue turned to black and the smell of the sea disappeared. Instead her nose began to sting as water invade her nostrils and skin shivered at the unexpected snap of the sea.

Amy surfaced in mere moments, taking in a frantic breath and pinching her nose at the discomfort. Becoming aware of sounds again, she heard another name being called. It was Yugi, they were calling Yugi's name. With the water out of her eyes and and the picture coming into view saw Kemo now holding onto Yugi with his creepy [4filter] child gabbing grip.

"Let him go!" The others protested. Things were heated now, anyone could feel it. It was more than disgust, Tristan and Joey were furious.

Kemo smiled that equally disgusting smile. "What did I say? Anyone with no Star Chips gets on the boat."

Amy's head bobbed underwater wanting to shout 'You moron! That's Yugi Muto. What do you think you're doing?!' but didn't have the time. She wanted to tell Kemo to put him down or else Pegasus will kill him. If he couldn't duel Yugi, then Pegasus could kiss his Solid Vision Technology goodbye, and Cecelia with it. Surely Kemo should know better.

Just who's hand was he trying to force?

Amy broke the surface again just in time to hear Kemo laugh that sickeningly "I need an adult" laugh. Finally, she could take in a breath, and then let it out with, "You can't do that!"

"Oh? Can't I? Orders from Pegasus himself."

She paddled over to the boat just in time to see Weevil pick up an oar and squabble, "Oh no you don't." in that that creepy crawly Jimmy Zoppi voice. There was absolute no time for that. Weevil's swing missed by an unimpressive gap, letting Amy grab onto the oar and use it to pusher herself up. For good measure she also shoved him into the water and stood where Weevil once sat.

Probably not necessary, but you know, Amy's a bully so she really didn't care.

"Your orders must be all mixed up. He's off limits."

"You wish." The wince in Yugi's face made it clear that the more Kemo spoke, the more restrictive his grip was. "If Yugi Muto looses his Star Chips he's to be shipped off immediately and never allowed back. Word for word from the boss."

Joey and Tristan had their face muscles all twisted like they were ready to go for blood. If they did Téa was clearly not going to stop them. Then there was Mokuba, the most important of all of them. He still seemed to be in shock, processing the event, unsure what to think of the situation in front of him.

There was still hope. It occurred to Amy that Yugi was being eliminated on grounds of not having any chips. That didn't have to be true. The sound of a zipper came muffled from the boat. Amy's pouch. She felt around, glasses case, school ID, and then two little Star Chips that she squeezed in her palm.

This was the answer. It had to be. Amy opened her mouth to roar up to the docks, but Yugi's muffled and desperate breath stopped her. "D...don't do it."

She felt herself pale. How did he even know what she planned? In his position Yugi could only glance at Amy from the most strained peripherals, not enough to even see or process her actions. Still, knew Amy. He knew what she was thinking.

The others didn't feel what Amy felt, so they were rather confused by Yugi's outburst. Joey at least translated "Don't do it." to mean "Please stop." Which, given the circumstances was a fair assumption. He retorted with, "You heard him, get your paws o-"

"I...I told you." Yugi's continued breath cut Joey off, and quite frankly stunned anfdconfused him greater. The result was the blond actually shutting him mouth. "Th...ey're yours. To accomplish your goals..."

"But Yugi...!" she thought it but couldn't get her mouth to say it. 'But you are my goal.'

"I won't ac...cpet them... if you... do."

Amy could only growl back. Why hadn't Yami taken over? Where are you Yami? You're suppose to protect him. "Don't be stubborn!" she wanted nothing more right now than Yami to pop up and give this guy the thrashing he deserved. "There isn't another way."

"There... has to... be."

That was when Kemo's smile got wider than it had ever before. "What a lot of fuss for a little runt. If it mean so much I'm sure we could work something out."

One Brooklyn phrase "Whad`ya mean?" later everyone was all ears.

Téa was the first to stern her face and step forward. "Name it. Name it and we'll do it."

"Hold on Téa, this could be a trap."

"Oh, it's definitely a trap, but he's not leaving us when any other choice." Tristan was clearly siding with Téa, and Joey followed with a nod. That left Bakura out voted, out manned, and ill prepared for the trip to the shadow realm [hell] and back they might have to take to get Yugi his chips.

"It's simple. The Kaiba brat is to meet me at arena 146 for a duel in exactly four hours."

Mokuba's already wide eyes widened a bit more. "Me?"

"You, twerp."

"But I don't have a deck." Mokuba glanced at the poor boy in the pink shirt he had doomed. "Not a real one anyways."

"We've got a special deck already prepared for you."

Mokuba didn't know what to say, none of them did. None of them could figure how they could possibly force the child to do more when he had already been through so much. Yet they were cornered, knowing they couldn't tell him to reject. If he did, Yugi's last chance would disappear. Only Yugi was brave enough to say anything in between his struggled breath. "Lea...ve him... alone."

Even with that, no, maybe because of that, Mokuba shook his head. It wasn't a 'yes' or a 'no' shake, but to clear his mind from the jumbles, doubt, and confusion. Amy, rocking steadily on the boat couldn't breath. She was too paranoid that if she did it would upset the delicate balance. This was everything Mokuba worked for, a half hour ago, everything he wanted. Mokuba could refuse now and his brother's company would be safe. She couldn't imagine why he would take the offer, but didn't dare imagine what the results would be.

"No, I'll do it. You said we were a team now, and I know that if it were me, you'd duel for me."

Damn straight.

"And I'm sure you'd do the same if Seto was in trouble, too."

Meh.

"I'll be there, and I'll duel and all win." Mokuba sounded so sure of his words that it seemed to rally the tropes behind in. They fist pumped and let out determine, yet defensive, "Yeah."s Even Amy couldn't argue. In fact, she was... proud. A weight had sky rocketed off her shoulders and in that moment she didn't think that she'd be any prouder if Mokuba was her own brother.

Everyone felt the same way. They were going to save him.