Chapter 34

Less than a minute after Soul had told them the cure and before anyone had a chance to question him about it, he leapt down from SK's back. This left the Mistresses' Helper in a zoned out zombie-like state, whilst Soul casually examined his surroundings. It was pretty clear he had no intention of filling them in on anymore details or else believed they were intelligent enough to figure out the rest of the plan for themselves.

Joey rolled his eyes and contemplated how typical it was for a Kaiba to give them only half the information they needed just because they could. Sighing heavily he turned his attention towards Heart, whose visible eye was watching Soul intensely. Shifting his gaze back towards him, Joey watched as the shortest member of the foursome clearly communicated something to the other three. His communication was done through a series of lose gesture and subtle glances. Exactly what it was he was telling the others, Joey had no clue, but after a few moments, Mind nodded and with that nod both she and Heart vanished.

'Hey where did they go?' Joey couldn't keep the disappointment out of his voice.

He hadn't expected a verbal reply, but Soul's callous shrug annoyed him. Whatever the reason was for Heart and Mind leaving, he clearly didn't think it should matter to them. But he was wrong; it did matter, Heart was Mai after all and Joey loved Mai. Frustrated, there was little else Joey could do but watch as Soul skipped his way towards Body, grabbed him by the wrist and pulled him away from the others. As he did so the youngster poked his tongue childishly out at the rest of them, clearly displaying a complete disregard for anything they might think or feel. He then led the youth to a spot under one of the trees overshadowing the Huntay. When they reached it, Body sat down exhaustedly and crossed his legs. Almost instantly Soul curled up, in a cat like manner, on his lap and allowed the youth to gently stroke his sleek black hair.

'And just when you thought things couldn't get any stranger or more uncomfortable,' Duke cocked an eyebrow as he folded his arms.

'Yeah, well at least there's nothing to be jealous about there,' Joey shrugged.

'Well not for us at least.'

Joey couldn't help but share a sly smirk with Duke, as both of their eyes turned towards Kaiba.

'You're not jealous, are you Kaiba?' Joey couldn't help but tease.

In response, Kaiba grunted, folded his arms and turned his head away. In his current irrational, emotions pretty much out in the open state, this was the closest he'd come to blank-walling.

'You know what Joey, I think he is,' Duke smirked, 'and my bet is that it's because Body's no longer showering him with attention.'

'Oh grow up,' as unlevel as Kaiba's voice was it betrayed surprisingly little.

'Why? Not touching a sore spot for you, are we?'

'A question like that is so idiotic it doesn't warrant a reply.'

'Why not?' Joey edged towards him. 'Is it because it's true? Is it because you're jealous? Aw, what's the matter Kaiba, isn't Body showering you with attention anymore.'

'Shut up Wheeler,' Kaiba swung for him, but the aim was as sloppy as Kaiba was over emotional and Joey was able to catch it easily.

'You really aren't acting like yourself today, are you?' Joey met and held his gaze. 'We're just having a little bit of fun with you,' he released Kaiba's fist, 'and you're making it way too easy. You've got to get a grip rich boy; you're no good to us like this.'

'Well you're never any good to anybody,' Kaiba's eyes glinted with anger. 'Because if I were you I'd be a lot more concern with the fact we're facing the Reganna again one Mistress short of a trio. And we have the mutes to blame for that, I might add.'

'We're calling them the mutes now?' Joey cocked an eyebrow at him. 'Wouldn't the Win Parts or the Voices or even the Ids be a better name for them?'

The look of anger on Kaiba's face was enough to reveal just how short his patience had become. In the back of his head Joey could sense the First stirring and he got the sense she felt as though Kaiba's behaviour was Pure-like. Although from what he could tell, the First considered anybody's emotional behaviour to be Pure-like so that didn't really help.

'Fine, if you want to call them the mutes, we'll call them the mutes,' Joey rolled his eyes, 'but you seriously need to get yourself back under some kind of control. It kills me to admit it, but I can't stand seeing you like this; it's not natural.'

'Whatever,' Kaiba's voice was tight. 'Shouldn't we be working on a spell to put the Win Parts back together?'

'Yeah,' Joey tilted his head in thought, 'you're right; although it's going to be pretty tricky pulling one off on my own.'

'Then give me my powers back.'

'What?' An almost involuntary laugh escaped Joey as he turned his gaze back towards Kaiba.

'Give me my powers back. You said yourself reforming Win is going to be tricky on your own, so isn't the obvious solution here for you to give me my powers back?'

'You're kidding, right?'

'No,' the look on Kaiba's face was deadly serious.

'But you were the one who wanted the powers taken away to begin with, remember? Aren't you worried about the Pure forcing her will on you or something?'

'It's a risk I'm willing to take if it's the only choice we have.'

'But we don't know it's the only choice we have. I haven't sussed out all the options yet.'

'Okay, say you can put Win back together on your own, you and Win can't take on the Reganna by yourselves you know. You're going to need the Pure's help eventually and the only way that's going to happen is by releasing the block on my body. So...'

'So?' Joey stared at him. 'If and when I need the Pure's powers I will release the Pure's powers, but the way you're acting right now... You're not acting rationally and you're not thinking clearly and quite honestly I wouldn't trust you with a piece of paper.'

'What about the First? What does she have to say about it?'

'Funnily enough Kaiba, she agrees with me on this one. Your so called tired state would allow you to be easily influenced by the Pure and if you were thinking with any kind of clarity you would agree with me. So unless I absolutely need the Pure I'm not releasing the block on your body.'

Almost as soon as he'd finished speaking and before anyone could react to his statement, SK gave a loud groan. With stiff and uncertain movements he stretched several times in several directions before finally turning his attention towards them.

'What happened?' SK's tongue skated across his lips.

'You mean you don't remember?' Duke stared at him in surprise.

'No,' he shook his head, 'what did I miss?'

'Oh nothing much,' Joey's voice dripped with sarcasm, 'just your incredibly insane cousin asking for his powers back.'

'And does he? Have his powers back I mean.'

'As if.'

'Why not?' SK licked his lips again. 'Surely two Mistresses are better than one right now.'

'And here was me wondering how you two could possibly be related,' Joey rolled his eyes. 'Look, I'm not giving him his powers back. Not unless I absolutely have to.'

'Apparently he thinks I'm too emotional to handle them right now,' Kaiba's voice was filled with a mixture of childish and moody tones.

'Yeah, you're right, I do,' Joey shrugged, 'and? It's not as if I'm wrong. Besides, it doesn't matter what any of you think, right now I'm the only one capable of giving you your powers back so if I say no, then you're just going to have to live with it.'

'Is that what you think?' Kaiba laughed and shook his head. 'Because I know for fact you're not the only one here capable of giving me my powers back.'

'What?' Joey frowned. 'Who...?'

'Body.'

'Body?' His eyes slid towards the youth. 'Are you sure?'

'I'm certain,' Kaiba sounded smug, 'and what's more I'm know he'd be more than happy to do it for me.'

'I'm sure your little boyfriend would if he were up to full strength right now,' Joey gritted his teeth, 'but he isn't. So just suck it up and face it already rich boy, your powers are in my hands.'