Chapter 37

Ishizu sat in her room as she heard the thunder crackling outside her window. Everything she had foreseen with her necklace occurred so far. 'The Winged Dragon has awakened.' All of a sudden she got an extremely uneasy feeling as her necklace had showed her the summoning of the Egyptian God monster would end in disastrous results. She had foreseen it was not the actual card, but a false copy. 'Such a powerful monster will not take kindly to being duplicated. Joey…be on your guard.'

Joey stared at the all-powerful creature before him. Although astounded by its might, he couldn't help but notice that something about the monster didn't seem right. That was one of the things keeping him from squirming. He wasn't even concerned about how he having more lifepoints than Odion would not last long if the attack worked.

Odion gave an evil smirk. "I take your silence as fear. Well, you should be afraid, because remember, my Mythical Beast had absorbed half of the attack points from your 3 monsters, giving it a monstrous attack power of five thousand, eight hundred and twenty five. All those attack points have been transferred to Ra! Once it attacks you, Mr. Wheeler, you'll wish you never entered this tournament. Brace yourself, because you're about to lose the rest of your lifepoints. " The tattooed face man gave an evil laugh.

"So what are you waiting for?" asked Joey. "Take your best shot, baldy!"

What should have been an exciting moment for Mai as she was witnessing yet another Egyptian God monster had become a terrifying moment since it was her closest friend feeling its wrath. 'It boggles my mind how Joey can remain calm in this situation. I don't know why, but something about Ra is giving me the creeps, and not only because it's unstoppable, either.' She turned to Yami. "Now what happens?"

"Yeah Yugi," agreed Tèa. "Remember when Bakura was injured by your Egyptian God card? These things are dangerous." 'I hope Joey will be all right.' She realized this must be the evil Ishizu spoke of. 'I have a feeling all that has happened so far is nothing compared to what will happen down the road. I don't know if I can face it just yet.'

Yami merely looked on grimly, lost in his own thoughts so he barely heard the questions he was asked. A silhouette of his weaker half appeared next to him. 'Tèa is right, and that's why I have a bad feeling. Joey being hurt is what concerns me more than him losing the remainder of his lifepoints. '

"What's taking you so long?" demanded Joey, agitated. "Come and get me already!"

Marik looked on, smiling wickedly. He could hardly believe victory was just within his grasp but it was a refreshing change, given all the previous failures. "Well done, Odion. You have made our family very proud. Your handling of an Egyptian God copy proves you are one of us once and for all. It has also convinced our skeptical friends you are Marik." His smile grew wider as he thought about how nothing could possibly go wrong now.

"The end has come for you, Mr. Wheeler," said Odion. "Prepare to face your worst nightmare that's about to become a reality!"

Vicki rubbed the bridge of her nose, furrowing her brow in worry, which made her shades slightly rise off her nose. 'Things are beginning to look horrible for Joey. I want to believe he will win, but I just don't see how.'

"Poor Joey," mumbled Serenity. She wrung her hands together wistfully and wanted to cry for him, but she was determined to remain strong.

Kaiba observed as the events unfolded with a smug looking smile on his face. 'Good work, Wheeler. You have served your purpose in this duel by lasting long enough for Ra to show its abilities. Now you get to fall at the hands of an Egyptian God.' He chuckled softly to himself. 'Soon the Egyptian God card will be mine.'

Keren looked on, stone faced, and she was also feeling numb inside. Her greatest fear was about to come true. 'Did Ra not hear my prayers?' She lowered her head and buried her face in her hands, unable to watch anymore.

'I can feel the sweet taste of victory within my grasp!' Marik wore an evil grin as he barked, "What are you waiting for? Unleash its mighty force now!"

"Yes Master. I was just about to." Odion eyed his opponent, sneering at him. "You're done! Dragon of Ra, attack Mr. Wheeler's lifepoints directly!"

Joey closed his eyes, bracing himself for the inevitable. He said a silent prayer that even if his intuition was incorrect, he would at least be spared and not to the point of death. 'Unlike Bakura, I don't have a millennium item to protect me so if I am attacked, I'll be in even worse shape than he is right now.' All of a sudden he had mixed feelings, the same reassurance he had felt before as well as a bad one, similar to tightness in his chest. He slowly opened his eyes and looked up. Much to his surprise, Ra was roaring fiercely and preparing to attack, but nothing was happening. 'What the heck?'

All the others watching didn't know what to make of what was going on with the Egyptian God monster either. They had expected to see it deliver that powerful blast and wipe out Joey's lifepoints, but there was also that eerie feeling.

'What's this?' wondered Marik, rather irritated that his plan appeared to be foiled when it was foolproof and things had been going so well before.

Ishizu was somber at what her necklace had revealed to her regarding what was presently going on in the duel. She began to feel some discomfort in her chest. 'I sense a great disturbance. Odion has angered the gods, and if my necklace is correct, he will pay a severe price for it. Joey will suffer too.'

Marik started to feel a strong force emanating from his hand, prompting him to take a look. What he saw caused his irritation to turn into shock. There was a yellowish gold aura surrounding his dueling deck. 'What's going on? My deck is emitting a powerful aura. One of great rage. It's as if the real Winged Dragon of Ra in my deck is angry that Odion played a counterfeit card.'

What little nervousness Joey was feeling vanished when it seemed as if he had been right all along. He gave Odion a smug look as he announced, "It looks like your dragon has other plans." He was fighting the urge to say, "I told you so," but he didn't want to say that until he was sure what these turn of events really meant.

Odion glared at Joey. 'Such an impudent fool. His luck is about to run out.' He then directed his glare towards the monster defying him. "Obey me! Attack my opponent right now!" He couldn't understand why Ra was being so stubborn.

Instead of attacking, the massive golden colored dragon gave a furious roar and started to dissipate with black spots surrounding it.

Everyone's mouths dropped open as if they couldn't believe their eyes. Not only was Ra not obeying Odion's commands but it looked as if the creature was starting to lose shape or something.

Vicki lifted her shades on top of her head as she could feel the lens getting blurry. Her jaw dropped open slightly, and then she closed it again. "What the hell? Can someone tell me why is there black stuff surrounding the Winged Dragon of Ra? Is that supposed to be a part of the summoning process?" There was a hint of amusement in her voice when she asked the last question. 'Man I should have brought my video camera so I could send a video of this to my friend back at my old home.'

"You got me there," answered Tristan, shrugging his shoulders. "What I would like to know is why isn't Ra attacking?"

"Something has gone wrong," stated Yami.

"It's like his card has a mind of its own."

"There's more to it than that." Yami wasn't sure how to put into simple terms that the Egyptian God monster had been angered by Joey's opponent.

Odion watched as the counterfeit monster disappeared completely. He sighed in exasperation. "Now what?" He stood there, unsure of what he should do. More importantly, he was worried about what his fate would be. Marik was firm in his warnings about what would happen if he failed, which he had, since the card did not work. He knew he would have easily won the duel if he had stuck to his original plan, since he hadn't been keen on using such a dangerous card in the first place, but then he would have been punished for disobedience. 'How do I convince Master Marik to spare me because I did as he asked, even though I failed?' He bowed his head, not daring to look in his master's direction.

The cornsilk haired tombkeeper grasped his millennium rod tightly and gritted his teeth, frustrated that his evil scheme had failed for the last time. 'The Winged Dragon of Ra card isn't working! How can this be?! My rare hunters tested these cards extensively. I know some of my weaker servants perished from their injuries after feeling its wrath, but I thought Odion could control this card.' Marik rubbed his forehead, trying to relieve it of the tension he was feeling. He knew it would be pointless to punish Odion for failure, since he was the one who gave Odion the orders to play the card.

After the disappearance of Ra, the sky remained covered in darkness and flashes of lightning started crackling, which meant a storm was about to ensue. The sudden flash of lightning made Vicki nearly jump a mile, forgetting about her hips for the moment. 'Owww...that was stupid of me...but I couldn't help it.' She rubbed her pelvic area and placed her hands over her chest to calm her rapid heartbeat.

Keren's heart leapt in her stomach. She had to wring her hands together to keep them from shaking as this moment brought back the most horrific flashback for her. Not only because of her fear of thunder and lightning storms but because it always brought back memories of the day some of the rare hunters were injured by the rage of Ra and eventually died. Now it appeared as if the same thing was going to happen to Odion and Joey. Tears filled her eyes as she lowered her head, her veil slightly covering her face. She closed her eyes and clasped her fingers together. 'Oh Ra, please spare Odion's life should he be struck down. Please don't allow him or Joseph to die.' Better judgment was telling her to leave so she wouldn't have to witness a horrible sight but her legs were paralyzed with fear and wouldn't allow her to move.

Joey heard the crackling sound and gazed around the playing field to make sure he wasn't hearing things. 'You mean to tell me a Duel Monsters hologram caused this to happen? Who would have thought?' "What's going on? And what's up with this storm? "he pondered. "Either this is the best Duel Monsters hologram I've ever seen or we'd better run for cover."

'The rage of my Egyptian God card is going to strike everyone involved in this duel.' It was then Marik was beginning to regret pressuring Odion so much to go along with his scheme .Sadly his autocratic demands were about to backfire. 'Not only may Odion lose the duel, but he will also be hurt...and it's all because of me. Please forgive me, Odion...and you too, Keren.' He wondered what was causing him to feel this remorse. Was it because of what Ishizu had shown him about his past or something else?

With each passing second, the storm raged heavily, causing two powerful lightning bolts to flash and hit the ground, nearly striking Joey and Odion. Both gentlemen let out fear filled yelps.

"Joey!" Yami cried out.

"Get out of the way!" warned Serenity.

Ishizu rubbed her forehead and let out a sad sigh as she heard the raging lightning storm outside. 'Oh my brother…what have you done?' She had hoped he would reconsider his decision after finding out the truth about his past, but those details whether he ever would were unclear to her.

Keren could feel her legs beginning to thaw out, and her fear filled her with adrenaline. 'I should go inside before the storm gets worse.' She turned to leave and headed towards the elevator, but a sharp pain in her chest forced her to stop. She whirled around sharply, only to see a lightning bolt strike Odion in the head. "Nooooooooo!" Her cry just barely left her mouth before his fake millennium rod shattered. She dashed over to the dueling arena, just as Odion was about to collapse. "Odion!" She could feel a bunch of curious eyes staring at her, but she didn't care. She came closer, started to climb onto the upper deck and reached out a hand to try to steady him.

Odion looked over at the young woman slightly, his eyes filled with tenderness and remorse. 'Keren…I am surprised she has remained.'

"Ahem!" Roland yelled loudly.

The sudden voice startled Keren so much that she nearly lost her grip. She immediately pulled her hand back and climbed back down, nearly stumbling when she landed. She looked up at him. "Yes sir?"

"Contact with any duelist during a match is strictly forbidden," the middle aged man said firmly, shaking his head.

Keren's eyes widened. 'Goodness, how could he be so thoughtless?' She opened her mouth to protest that Odion was hurt and needed help, but she gulped and decided not to say anything, trusting that the middle aged man would get him medical attention soon enough. "My apologies sir." She watched in horror as Odion collapsed, falling face down, and mumbling something she couldn't quite make out.

Marik felt a sharp pain in his head immediately after Odion collapsed and he let out a loud groan. It was just like that one time when he had returned from seeing the surface with Ishizu at age 11 and he met his father whipping Odion for their disobedience when they returned. 'Not this again.'

Joey forgot all about winning the duel for the moment and was filled with compassion when he saw Odion lying practically motionless on the playing field, although he had a strong dislike for him before. "Hey!" he called to the tattooed face man, "you okay?" He started to walk over to Odion so he could check on him but a lightning bolt stopped him and another one struck him in the head just as it did to his opponent. He gave a yelp as he collapsed.

Keren gasped softly, covering her mouth a bit. She didn't expect for Joey to put himself in harm's way to be sure her male companion was doing all right. 'That was awfully kind of him. Joseph certainly is a compassionate person.'

Serenity looked on helplessly as she watched her brother get strike by lightning. "Joey…" she whimpered.

"Joey?" Concerned, Tristan started to climb up on top of the dueling deck much like Keren did. "Are you okay, pal? "

"Get down!" barked Roland. "There's a duel going on."

Tristan felt like telling off this henchman, but he opted to keep his cool as best as he could. 'Seriously though, I am not gonna budge as easily as that lady did.' "Open your eyes. Both duelists are out cold. How could you say a duel is going on under those circumstances?!"

Roland ignored the question and answered firmly, "That may be but the duel is still in progress, in accordance with Battle City tournament rules. The gentlemen have lifepoints remaining. Now get off the playing field!"

"Forget about the rules, you suit!" snapped Tristan. "My friend needs help right away."

"Yeah, have you no heart at all?" chimed in Vicki. "Would you be able to live with yourself if either of the duelists died as a result of your lack of concern?"

Keren chuckled softly to herself at Vicki's directness. 'She certainly has a sharp tongue. Those are the exact words I wanted to say.'

Before Roland could respond, Kaiba cut in, "Enough!"

Everyone looked up at the former world dueling champion, curious to hear what he had to say.

"I don't know where that lightning came from, but it had nothing to do with the KaibaCorporation's duel disk system. I do not have my duel disks set to do damage. The duelists must have received some sort of mental injury from a freak act of nature."

"Who cares what it was? Just end this duel now!" Mai piped up.

Roland nodded. "I see." He looked thoughtful. "Should I declare the duel a double forfeit? Disqualify them both?"

"Not yet," answered Kaiba. "Wheeler has more lifepoints than his opponent so if he could be the first to get up in 5 minutes, he'll be the winner and go on in the finals."

"Yes sir."

Yami's eyes widened in disbelief. "Kaiba, that's ridiculous!" he said. He couldn't believe Kaiba was still thinking about the winner when both duelists were hurt. He and the others realized though, there was no point in convincing him of that, for he could be more stubborn than a mule. Reluctantly, they went along with it.

"Wake up, Joey!" chanted Mai. "You can do it!"

"Please Joey!" pleaded Tèa. "Snap out of it!" Although she wasn't sure what to believe anymore, she still was desperate for her friend's victory.

Meanwhile, Marik was hunched over, clutching his head as the pain was growing more and more intense with each passing second due to Odion's lack of consciousness. 'What is causing me this pain? Could it be the evil controlling me Ishizu spoke of?'

Odion was drifting in and out of consciousness. "Master Marik...I have to protect him," he mumbled.

Ishizu rose from her chair to stretch her legs, as they were cramped from sitting for so long. She walked over to the window and took a peek through it, frowning when she saw how dark the sky was. 'Marik has angered the gods…now everyone on board this ship is in danger.'

(on dueling deck)

Joey's friends had a staunch support for him and were rooting for him to win the duel, though he still lay there motionless.

"Come on, Joey, we're here for you!"

"Stand up now, Joey. I know you've got what it takes to beat this joker!" Mai was still intent on facing Joey in the finals. 'If he doesn't pull through this, I won't forgive him.'

Roland observed with his arms folded, keeping track of how much time both duelists had before they would be disqualified. So far, one minute had gone by, which meant Joey and Odion had four more minutes.

(Ishizu's room)

Ishizu sat back down, having decided she rested her legs enough. Also, she needed a moment to recover from the visions she was just shown. 'The visions I have just received from my necklace are disturbing. It tells me that the evil within Marik may grow stronger. I will always remember the day he received the tombkeeper's initiation. It was a day that would change all of us forever. But during that ritual, a great evil awoke within my brother, and now that Odion is unable to protect him, that evil presence will increase in power. ' She commended Odion on his devotion to protecting Marik, and had felt hopeful that his good side would be brought out one day. 'Now that Odion is out of commission, those chances have decreased drastically. However, Keren and I must not give up, no matter what happens.' She sighed heavily, imagining how stressed and devastated Keren must feel at the moment.

(on deck)

After another bout of unconsciousness, Odion managed to regain some consciousness again. He had heard Roland's announcement that the one who stood up first would be victorious whilst struggling to remain lucid. He figured his cover had already been blown to Joey, but decided it did not matter anymore. The only things he cared about was making sure Marik's dark side didn't take over completely and making amends with Joey as well as Keren afterwards. 'I must get up. It's my duty to protect Marik.' He very cautiously began to pull himself up, despite how weakened and exhausted he was.

Gasps escaped the lips of Mai, Serenity and Tèa when they saw Odion trying to get to his feet. Keren wasn't sure if she should be somewhat happy that Odion was proving what a fighter he was or disappointed that it appeared he might win the duel and continue his madness.

"That's not good," said Mai.

"Joey!" screamed Tèa.

"My goodness," said Vicki in a rather low voice. "To think this laddie is determined to win even though he's pretty banged up." She admired him for that, and was also sorry he had gotten hurt, but not enough to want him to win. Her voice got louder as she called out, "Joey, come on! Hurry!"

'I won't disappoint you again, Master Marik...' Odion got on his knees, desperately trying to make it on his feet.

Kaiba smirked, shaking his head as he listened to the cheers. 'How sad. Don't they realize it's hopeless?' "It looks like we have our winner."

"And the winner is…" Roland started to announce with his arm raised upward. Before he could finish the declaration, Odion collapsed once again, groaning.

"I'm sorry, sir," the rare hunter mumbled, hoping Marik had enough good left in him to take his condition into consideration and not punish him for failure. While Marik was very autocratic towards him, he had never come across as black hearted before.

"You can still win, Joey!" said Yami.

"Get up, Big Brother!" said Serenity.

"Joey!" Mai and Tèa cried out.

"Both duelists have three more minutes. If neither duelist gets to his feet as soon as the time elapses, they will be disqualified from the Battle City tournament finals!" declared Roland.

Joey could hear Roland's announcement as well as his friends cheering for him while in his seemingly-unconscious state. He knew he had to get up, but he didn't have the strength to. Plus he was currently in a deep dream state. He dreamt that he was at school, getting ready to leave for a Duel Monster's tournament he would be participating in and his friends had come to show their moral support and wish him well. Of course Kaiba tried to discourage him but that wasn't enough to shake him. When it was time for him to leave, he had trouble getting up so all of his friends had to help him. A minute later, he began to stir and suddenly felt this burst of energy surging through him. He arose to his feet and stood up with very little trouble. He looked down at his hands, and then looked up. 'What gives? I'm actually standing.' Not only that, but he was steady on his feet. Smiles appeared on the faces of all his friends when they saw him standing. Even Keren managed a small smile, as it appeared another one of her prayers had been answered.

"Hey look!" pointed out Yami.

"He's up." Mai had a grin on her face, not only because of her friend's victory, but also because she would get her wish to face a real challenge in the finals.

"You did it!" Yami told Joey with a congratulatory smile on his face.

"That means you win the duel!" said Serenity excitedly.

Joey gazed around the playing field, looking slightly confused and feeling brain fogged. His friends' words just barely registered in his mind. "Hey guys, I'm lost. Could you fill me in, please?"

Tèa groaned in frustration at the blonde's ditziness. "You're dueling in the finals? Hello, is your brain awake or asleep?"

"And you scared us, you dope!" yelled Mai. "Don't ever do that again!"

"Okay, okay, I'm sorry." Joey looked straight ahead and spotted Odion lying on the field across from him. "I now know where I am but I'm still clueless as to who that guy is." He took a closer look at Odion and immediately recognized the hairstyle and outfit. "Oh yeah. I remember."

*Flashback begins*

"Obey me!" barked Odion. "And attack my opponent right now!"

"Joey!" Yami cried out.

"Get out of the way!" warned Serenity.

"Hey!" Joey called to the tattooed face man, "you okay?" He started to walk over to Odion so he could check on him but a lightning bolt stopped him and another one struck him in the head just as it did to his opponent.

*Flashback ends*

"His card went nuts," Joey recalled. "And that's the last thing I remember."

Roland raised his arm again as he announced, "The winner of this duel is Joey Wheeler!"

"So I won? "asked Joey incredulously. He had to force a grin.

"Yes you did," answered Yami.

Serenity didn't seem to pick up on her brother's lack of enthusiasm. "I knew you would," she said, grinning.

Joey was usually ecstatic whenever he won a duel, but this time he looked rather thoughtful, as if he didn't feel it would be right to celebrate at the expense of his opponent's catastrophe. He stiffened a little when Tristan came and threw his arm around his neck asking, "Who's the man?"

"Wait."

Tristan frowned in concern, releasing Joey. "What's up, man?"

"I have to check on the guy who got hurt." Joey started to walk over to Odion. Keren, Yami and Vicki followed, as they were just as concerned, Keren most of all.

Kaiba stared after Joey, looking almost as if he had been run over by a truck. 'How is it that Wheeler survived another match? This isn't a cheap endurance contest. And secondly, what happened to Marik's Egyptian God card? Why didn't it attack? I have spared no expense to make sure my equipment is problem free. That card should have worked, unless it was a fake!'

Joey knelt on the playing field, sat down, turned his opponent over and held him up so he was in a sitting position somewhat. "Come on, man, wake up." Keren knelt on the other side of the tattooed face man, held one of his large hands and squeezed it gently.

Odion opened his eyes very slowly, struggling to remain fully conscious. He saw his opponent looking down at him with compassion in his eyes and Keren peering down at him, holding his hand. It took everything in him not to be too distracted by her touch, as much as he enjoyed it. Even though he didn't sense any anger from either Keren or Joey he knew he owed them an apology for his actions, and he was not the type who was too proud to say he was sorry. "Please forgive me, Joey. I'm sorry. It was an honor for me to duel with you."

Joey's expression softened even more so that it was very warm. He knew he wasn't very nice either, though at the time Odion was deserving of the anger. He respected the older man for admitting he was wrong. "Well, I'm sorry, too...you know, for everything I said about you?" He winced as he remembered the insults he shot.

"No worries at all. It's in the past." Odion directed his attention to Keren, who was still holding his hand. "Keren, once again I apologize for all the pain I have caused you. I hope we can start anew from this day forward."

Keren smiled softly as she intertwined her fingers with his own. "I forgive you. As for starting anew, I would like that. I love you, Odion. I always have."

Odion's green eyes widened slightly at the confession. He always suspected she felt that way based on her devotion to him but it was still a shock to hear the words come out of her mouth. "And I you, Keren."

The dark haired young woman gave a genuine smile to show how happy she was to hear that. She was always afraid Odion wouldn't return her feelings.

Just about everyone watching was moved by the tender moment between Odion and Keren, whereas Kaiba merely looked elsewhere. 'Let them gush over each other. I have no time for romance.'

"For the record, I enjoyed dueling with you, too. Thanks to that lightning bolt, I won't forget our match for awhile," Joey told Odion, trying to redirect everyone's focus."Now that the duel is done, you've got to come clean. If you're not Marik, then who are you, pal?"

"Yes, what's your name?" asked Vicki.

"I am merely a servant of the real Master Marik," admitted Odion, pointing to the cornsilk haired young man who was still hunched over, clutching his head. "My name is Odion."

Joey, Yami and Vicki directed their glances to where Odion pointed. "That's Marik?" all three of them asked in unison.

Tèa noticed the millennium rod in Marik's hand. "It's that rod. It looks like the one the other guy had."

"My word," commented Vicki. She had to fight the urge to laugh at how ridiculous Marik's screaming sounded. 'After all, I should be furious that we've been fooled for so long.' She was so furious about the idea that she didn't seem to notice he appeared to be in distress.

'That must be the real millennium rod, which means Namu is the real Marik,' realized Yugi. Yami gave Marik a hard look as he ordered, "Admit your true identity, Marik!"

Marik stood upright, taking his hands off his head. He sneered at Yami and his friends. "It's true. I'm indeed the real Marik, you fools!" he spat.

'Then he must have the real Winged Dragon of Ra,' thought Kaiba, a small smirk appearing on his face. Whilst the others were obviously ticked off, he was actually glad. 'It would give me great pleasure to seize the Egyptian God card from him.'

"Does this mean Namu lied to us all along?" asked Tèa, clearly hurt and angry about the deception.

"Ha! Namu? He was a disguise to get me closer to Yugi!" Marik smirked evilly, sensing everyone's anger towards him.

Joey glared at Marik. "You little worm!" That was all he could say without risking losing his temper.

"That's an understatement," Vicki muttered under her breath. The name she had in mind for him was much harsher. 'To think I actually started to develop a crush on this sicko...ugh! How stupid of me!' What positive emotions she felt for Marik in his Namu guise instantly faded and were replaced by hatred and contempt.

"He's the one who brainwashed you," Yami told Joey in a grim voice. He wasn't sure if he should be relieved that he finally found out Marik's identity or not.

"So, Pharaoh, we finally meet face to face. Now at last, I can finish the job my pathetic servants couldn't!" Marik's evil smirk grew wider as he continued, "Yugi...you will soon be nothing but a memory and your puzzle will be mine for the taking!" His tone of voice transformed into the distinctive electronic-like one and his face distorted, causing him to grab it in pain.

"Oh no...I was afraid of this. We're all in great danger," said Odion worriedly. "Beware of the great evil that's within Master Marik."

Joey gave a puzzled look. "Great evil? What do you mean?" The sample of Marik's evil he had witnessed before was unnerving enough for him. 'I'd hate to see an even more evil psycho version of him.'

"What you have experienced thus far is just a mere sample," explained Odion. "He has an even greater evil inside him that I had been able to keep suppressed, but I will no longer be able to. Please don't let it prevail." With that, the reformed rare hunter fell into a deep coma.

Joey still didn't completely understand, but he nodded. "Don't worry, I won't." 'Hopefully it will all make sense to me soon.' He laid Odion's head in his lap.

"Odion…" Keren pressed his hand to her cheek. His warmth convinced her he was still very much alive, but she was afraid that wouldn't last. Once again, her eyes started to fill with tears, but she quickly dried them. She was trying to save them for when she had some alone time.

Vicki shook her head sadly. "Poor laddie."

Just then, Marik let out a choked groan, clutching his face harder, making everyone turn their heads to see what was going on. "Let me out! You can't restrain me anymore!" taunted a deeper, more menacing sounding voice inside of him. Marik tried his best to hold the evil being back, but it was no use. He put his hands on his head and screamed at the top of his lungs as the evil power took over. A yellowish aura surrounded him.

Joey whistled softly. "I'm gonna file this in the category of not good."

Vicki shook her head, not sure whether to burst into laughter or be terrified. "Just when I think I've seen it all…"

Keren could feel her body tensing up. She knew what had just happened. 'I wonder how Ishizu is holding up.'

"Marik! What is going on?" Yami demanded to know.

This new version of Marik looked back down, revealing his altered appearance. Most of his hair was spiked up with only some coming down to his shoulders and his eyes held next to no emotion to them at all…only malice. He cackled evilly. "I am finally free again, which means I can do things my way. I was restrained for many years by that fool, Odion."

Vicki took one look at Marik and snorted with laughter. 'I know I shouldn't be laughing but he looks so funny with his hair sticking up.'

Yami gave Marik a hard look as he tried to keep calm. "Who are you?"

"I am the true Marik, and I am very different from the one you have come to know. He was afraid of darkness, but unlike him, I love it very much. I will finish the job he couldn't complete and dispose of you forever. I deserve to be the pharaoh, not you. So get ready for the real battle. When I'm through with you, your puzzle will be around my neck where it belongs. You will be trapped forever in the realm of eternal darkness, along with your friends, Odion, and his little girlfriend Keren as well."

Keren shuddered at the thought of being trapped in the Shadow Realm. That to her was even more terrifying than dying a slow, painful death. 'However I would go before I allow him to hurt Odion.'

'Yeah right, over my dead body.' Joey rolled his eyes. "Hey pal. Do us all a favor and get a life!"

Dark Marik sneered at the blonde. "You fool. Thanks to Odion's failure I now have a life. Of course by failing Odion did prove one thing. Only a chosen few could control an Egyptian God card. Kaiba, you're one of them."

Kaiba huffed disdainfully. "Ridiculous. I control Obelisk the Tormentor because I'm the most powerful duelist in the world, not because of some ancient prophecy."

Dark Marik chuckled. "Fool! Don't deny your ancient past. Your role in this game runs much deeper than you can imagine. However, that won't matter once I take over."

Vicki wearily rubbed her forehead and pinched the bridge of her nose. "Okay, the only thing more annoying than his voice is the nonsense he is speaking…I need brain bleach."

Tristan nodded in agreement. "Most definitely. "

"Yugi! The battle for the pharaoh's power will begin right now! A new history era is in the making!" Dark Marik started laughing maniacally. "The entire world will be plunged into everlasting darkness while I become the new pharaoh!" He laughed evilly again.