Disclaimer – Yu Yu Hakusho, Yu-Gi-Oh!, and Ronin Warriors (a.k.a. Yoroiden: Samurai Troopers) and all related characters, events, and concepts belong to their respective owners. I get no monetary benefit from this. My benefit is the enjoyment of dealing with beloved characters. If you recognize him/her/it, I don't own him/her/it. If you don't recognize, I might still not be the owner but it'd be best to ask. I'd appreciate it, anyway. ((grin))
"The Spellfire Saga – 1: Shards"
by DragonDancer5150
Chapter 28 – Puppets
"And now, Obelisk attacks Umbra's Life Points directly!"
"UMBRA!" Lumis shrieked as the massive fist, any one finger of which was as long as Umbra was tall, rocketed down to smash through the Rare Hunter and into the glass surface at his feet. Power coursed through Umbra and he collapsed, momentarily senseless. "Umbra, are you all right?"
"He's fine . . . but only until his LP counter finishes counting down. Looks like you've fallen victim to your own trap, Rare Hunters!" Kaiba watched in cold satisfaction as the digits on the detonator box in Umbra's corner plunged through the numbers to zero. Several small, muffled detonations sounded under Umbra's quarter of windowpane and the glass shattered from beneath his body. He watched in grim silence as Umbra dropped from the surface of the skylight, screaming in terror.
"Umbra! NO, UMBRA!" Lumis darted to the edge, careful to stay on his portion of glass, the structure underneath still largely intact.
One hand went a decorative chain clasp, and a small parachute snapped open from the back of Umbra's robe. He floated down several more yards before the material tangled on a flagpole protruding into the shaft from a floor about halfway down, and he hung unmoving, passed out from shock.
"Umbra! Umbra, come back! Don't leave me here!"
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"Hn, a parachute," the spirit murmured. "I figured as much. And you dared to call this a Duel to the death. The odds are against you, Lumis, and you are powerless against our Egyptian God Card. Surrender." He watched the Rare Hunter collapse to his knees, staring in horror at the mammoth stone monstrosity before him.
Kaiba, however, had other plans. "Don't let him off the hook yet! The winners must beat down both of the losers, and Lumis needs to pay for what he's done! I'll send that bastard to hell."
Hashiba frowned. "Kaiba-san, revenge is no answer. You two have beaten the Masks of Light and Darkness. Their power is broken. That humiliation alone is punishment enough."
"Not to mention what Malik will do to them for failing to defeat you two," Urameshi smirked.
"And if you kill him," Hashiba persisted, "you may lose this chance to discover where they're keeping the prisoners."
The spirit nodded. "Hashiba and Urameshi are right, Kaiba. Besides, his fighting spirit is gone. We'll only shame ourselves by chasing after him at this point."
Kaiba growled. "Wise up, you three! Completely crushing the enemy is the only way to ensure his defeat – !" A sudden shout of pain and fear cut him off.
"AAHHHH!" Lumis gasped, clutching his head in agony. "Please, don't be angry! We tried our best! Please, don't – NOOOOOO!"
Kaiba frowned in confusion. "What now?"
"I gotta bad feeling about this," Urameshi murmured.
The spirit felt it, too, and from the look on his face, so did Hashiba. A power was invading – or rather, awakening in – Lumis, assaulting his mind, one with which he was growing all too familiar. He could just make out a glow coming from the man's forehead, largely concealed by the cowl and mask he wore, and guessed it to be the same stylized Horus Eye.
Lumis's shrieks died without warning, dropping into a low chuckle as he pushed to his feet without effort. The quality of his voice had changed as well as he commented, "So . . . now I've seen Obelisk. The power of the god is certainly impressive."
The spirit snarled, his fury back in full force. "Malik, come out and show yourself! Where is Mokuba? Where are my friends?"
Kaiba stared in shock. "What . . . ? He's changed. What's going on?"
"He's being controlled by another, the same one who controlled that mime."
"Hn . . . I remember seeing that. And who is he?"
"The leader of the organization the Rare Hunters are part of, the Ghouls. His name is Malik. He also has a God Card."
Kaiba gasped in shock. "The Dragon of the Sun-God Ra!"
Malik-controlled Lumis chuckled. "Hey there, Kaiba-kun. I have to thank you for fighting my subordinates. Because of you, I am fully prepared now. My plan is working smoothly. Through these two Hunters, I now have seen how both your Decks are constructed. You won't win over my Deck, and that's not counting my Winged Sun Dragon of Ra. He alone gives me more power than all of your cards combined. He is by far the most powerful – yes, even beyond your Obelisk, Kaiba. And with him, I will realize my true goal. Yugi, you and I continue the fight of 3,000 years ago. The anger of the Tombkeepers will only be appeased with your death! To that end, I have prepared a special Duel, the harshest fight you'll ever accept. Your friends have been waiting for you. Now, it's show time."
Within their heart, Yugi fretted. *Jou-kun, everyone . . . n-no . . . *
Hashiba had ascended the skylight to stand by the spirit's side while Urameshi investigated a troublesome sensation from the roof-access stairway. He scowled. "That bastard's done something to Jonouchi-kun and the others."
"Malik, what have you done to them?" the spirit demanded.
"You should enjoy the puppet show I have planned."
"Puppet show?" The spirit gasped. "You've turned them into puppets just like your Rare Hunters?"
Controlled-Lumis cocked his head, a grin of cruel amusement spreading across his face as his eyes flicked to something behind his adversaries. "Hm . . . speaking of puppets . . . well, let's see how that plays out first, shall we?"
"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" Hashiba grunted, glancing back at the stairwell shed as Urameshi cautiously eased the door open.
"Malik!" roared the spirit, rife with frustration and fear for his friends, "you bastard!"
Kaiba strode across the skylight, burying both fists in the front of Lumis's robe and lifting the squat man to eye level. "Where is my brother? Where is Mokuba? I won the Duel. Keep your promise!"
Lumis chuckled. "My promise? To set him free, you mean?"
"Bastard!" Kaiba growled, shaking him.
Hashiba and the spirit drew up behind him, the spirit gesturing for him to stop as they both felt the power fade from Lumis. "Kaiba, he's only a puppet. Threatening him will do no good."
"Chh . . . " Kaiba dropped the man, who collapsed unconscious to the glass.
"Besides," Hashiba admitted with some reluctance, "I just got word a little bit ago from some buddies in the bay area. They weren't able to catch up to your brother, but they did lay eyes on him climbing the ladder of a helicopter as it rose up above the buildings. It had your company logo on the side, so it must have been one of yours that he radioed to have meet him."
Kaiba's eyes narrowed in suspicion. "And just how did you 'get word' of this?"
Deep sapphire eyes met laser blue without flinching. "Let's just say that this Armor I'm wearing has a special communication system. You remember the blond guy from back at the waterway, with the bangs that sweep down over one eye? That's my teammate, Seiji. He and several others are in the bay area right now – looking for your friends," he added for the spirit's and Mutou's sakes, " – and they saw your brother, Mokuba. I'm sorry I didn't tell you before, but that would have let the enemy know we knew, too."
"Kaiba," the spirit insisted, "contact your headquarters again. Find out where they've taken Jonouchi! Then, Hashiba can direct his companions."
Kaiba glared at Hashiba a moment longer, then favored his rival with a glance before turning his attention to the Ghoul at his feet. "Yeah, sure, but first . . . " He dropped to his knees, locating two clear plastic cards from the bottom of the stack in the Deck slot of Lumis's Duel Disk. "Yugi, the puzzle cards that are our right from this Duel. Now we both have six and qualify for the finals." He offered one to the spirit.
Even as he accepted it, knowing that he would need it later, the spirit frowned up at Kaiba. "How can you be thinking about that right now? This is not the time for your tournament. Jonouchi – !"
The sudden appearance of a helicopter drowned out his words as it rose up from beneath the level of the hotel roof, shifting sideways to touch down on a painted, designated landing circle on the concrete next to the skylight. The rear door on the side slid open to reveal Mokuba. "Big Brother!" He leaped out as the three dropped down from the surface of the skylight and crossed to meet him.
"Mokuba, are you all right?" Kaiba demanded.
"Yes, I'm fine. Anzu helped me escape."
"Anzu!" the spirit gasped. "Is she all right? And where are the others – Jonouchi, Honda, Grandpa?" Not his grandfather, the spirit knew, but now was not the time for that.
"I'm sorry," Mokuba murmured, his tone heartfelt as he gazed up at them, his eyes mournful. "I don't know. When I went back to the storehouse where they'd been holding us, there was no one there."
The spirit gazed back in a moment of stricken silence as Yugi grieved from within their heart.
"Yugi, Hashiba, get on the helicopter," Kaiba ordered, not unkindly. "Your companion saved Mokuba. I will repay that debt."
"Thank you," Hashiba murmured.
"Kaiba . . . " The spirit nodded, praying that they would not be too late. He turned to find his other new friend before boarding. "Urameshi, come on – ?" He choked. Urameshi was nowhere to be seen, and the spirit noticed a power he could feel from the direction of the access shed, one matching the sensation he had felt the evening before during the fight that Urameshi and Hashiba's companions had tried to pass off as an ordinary tournament Duel. He cursed silently as he realized that he had felt it slowly growing for some time now but had been too preoccupied with his own worries to bother to take note. That might cost his new friends just as his own enemy was costing Jonouchi and the others.
"Looking for me?" queried a voice that was both familiar and alien in its changed tonal quality. Urameshi stepped into view from behind the door, a vile smirk twisting his lips. A deep cut freely bled down his right cheekbone. He stretched his arms over his head as though enjoying the feel of his own body's movement, then shook out his hands and crossed his arms. "Hm . . . what an interesting concept. Sohma's been easy enough to manipulate, but I never considered remote control. Once I've gathered all the pieces of Arago once again, I will have to thank that guy for the idea – before I kill him and take his power, too."
Kaiba scowled. "Urameshi, what are you talking – ?" He interrupted his own question with a gasp as the realization hit him. "Malik again? But how – ?"
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Touma snarled, shifting to put himself between Yusuke and his defenseless companions. Their cards would not help in a fight of this nature. "No, Kaiba-san, not Malik."
"This is the work of that armored fighter you and your friends faced last night, isn't it?" At Touma's startled glance, the spirit explained, "I was there for that fight. That was no Duel, whatever inventive ploy your companions tried to use to cover it up to the crowd in general. You already know that Aibou and I are aware of an enemy after your company."
Mind-controlled Yusuke growled. "Enough talk. You already know what I want. Heh, let me put this in terms you two can understand." He sneered at Kaiba and the spirit as he brought his right fist up, index finger pointed out like the barrel of a pistol. "Duel start, and first move is mine! Spirit Gun!"
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The spirit gasped in shocked horror as Hashiba tackled him to the ground, the huge, blue-white blast of crackling energy passing mere inches above them and standing the hairs on his arms up on end. Dear gods! He had seen Urameshi shoot that . . . whatever-the-hell-it-was last night, but it was quite another experience to have that blast of raw power come straight at him. This was not a Duel. His cards would not work! He did not know if there were any responding actions he could take short of initiating a full-blown Shadow Game – and that he was not willing to do, not when the potentially lethal Shadows could cost his new friend his sanity or even his life. Nor could he be sure that others would not be caught in the realm of influence and sucked into the Game. He glanced sideways to see that Kaiba had knocked his little brother off his feet, successfully dodging both of them out of harm's way. No, he would not pull innocents into such a hazard, not if he could help it.
*We . . . may not have a choice!* Yugi murmured, shivering in horror.
"Stay down. If you can, get to the helicopter." Hashiba gave the spirit a quick pat on the back to make sure he had his attention before rolling away and to his feet.
"W-what about you?" the spirit gasped.
Gloved knuckles rapped the deep-blue breastplate of his body armor. "The power controlling him is only after me. It'll leave you alone if you get the hell outta here! I can take a shot from Urameshi-kun. You can't." He gasped in surprise, noting as the spirit did as a field of silver energy snapped into existence around Yugi's body even as he spoke.
The spirit froze, breath hitching. . . . the hell? Gods, now what?
Kaiba had rolled to his knees, pulling Mokuba behind him, staring in disbelief at the close-fitting force field. The spirit saw Kaiba's eyes flick to the Duel Disk on his arm. It was not powered up. "Yugi, what the hell card is that?"
"You got an energy shield you can create?" Hashiba demanded at the same time.
The spirit shook his head at both of them, noting that whatever it was did not seem to hamper his movement as he pushed cautiously to his elbows. "This is not my doing! Urameshi?" He had reeled the Shadows back into the Puzzle with the end of the Duel, but now unfurled a few tendrils once more, testing the field around him . . . and gasped in shock at the Shadows that tested his in return.
Cowards, both of you! Hiding behind puppets . . . Those thoughts again! The spirit guessed that whomever's they were, she was not aware that he could hear them. The Pharaoh and the Puzzle Master are MINE! I protect what I have claimed. Gods, he did not like the sound of that . . . However, he had a more immediate problem at hand as Urameshi leered at the small group, striding across the skylight and right over Lumis's unconscious body.
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Touma had put a considerable amount of distance between himself and his companions, relieved that controlled-Urameshi focused on him to the total exclusion of Mutou and the Kaibas. "Come on, buddy – snap out of it. Fight it!"
Controlled-Yusuke laughed, shrugging. "Sorry, can't hear you. No one's home." Leveling his hands, he fired again and, this time, Touma did not quite get out of the way fast enough, the shot catching his shoulder and sending him reeling to the ground with a cry.
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"Big Brother, what's wrong with him? What's going on? And what's that he's shooting?"
"I don't know, and we're not sticking around to find out." Kaiba remembered Urameshi being the first to step up and offer to help Yugi find his friends, and his protectiveness against the goons in the alley. Had he intended to betray them all along? Kaiba shook his head. This was not his affair, especially not with his little brother present. Under no circumstances would he risk Mokuba getting hurt by this insanity. "Yugi, get on the helicopter! Let Hashiba deal with his own troubles."
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*No!* Yugi gasped. *W-we can't just leave them!*
The spirit shoved to his feet, ignoring the silver field shimmering on the edges of his sight. If Kaiba left, he could initiate a Shadow Game and not have to worry about entrapping innocent bystanders . . . but if Kaiba left, so might his and Yugi's only chance to reach Jonouchi before it was too late. He hesitated, fists clenching in furious indecision. He desperately wanted to get to Jonouchi, but his honor would not let him abandon ones who had stood by his side in his own time of need.
He heard Kaiba snarl as he backed himself and Mokuba to the helicopter. "Yugi!"
Hashiba had rolled to one knee, clutching his shoulder. He watched Urameshi advance on him but spared the briefest of glances for his companion. "Pharaoh-sama, go with Kaiba-san. Get out of here!"
"No! Hashiba, I won't leave you and Urameshi!"
"I got backup already on the way. Go save Jonouchi-san! Do it!" He ducked and rolled as Urameshi dove to grapple him.
"Last chance, Yugi! Come or stay, but decide now! I will not wait for you."
"Yugi, come on! Hurry!"
The spirit cursed vehemently under his breath before he turned and sprinted for the helicopter, the mysterious force field dissipating as he ran. He knew that Hashiba must have already contacted his teammates through the power of that magical armor of his, in which case he had some dozen people already moving in response. Jonouchi had no one but him and Yugi. The helicopter had already begun to lift off and he sprang, Kaiba and Mokuba catching his wrists and pulling him aboard. He turned with a moan of dismay to watch Urameshi bear down on Hashiba with another shot of his energy gun-hand attack square to the chest. DAMN IT! Hashiba, Urameshi, this I swear to you – I will come back as soon as Jonouchi and the others are safe. You helped me, and I will not forget that. You have my word of honor as a Duelist – I will return!
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Well, well, new toy, seems I can read your mind while I control it. The train station, huh? And another group not far from the pier, and the last near the commuter airport? Hm, decisions, decisions . . .
Author's Note: Please be sure to check my bio page for any updates, etc. Thanks!
