When they finally exited, a familiar presence was seen coming toward them. Outside of a huge van, came Shizuka and Kaiba.

Shizuka and Kaiba seemed . . . different. Nothing happened, Jounouchi. Get it out of your head. It's fine. They are just allies right now. That's right, allies. Nothing more. Besides, he had more than them on his mind.

"Katsuya." Shizuka came over and hugged him. "I knew you were here, I could feel it."

"We popped the bubble around Domino City," Seto Kaiba told them. "We can't get many. They turn up too fast, and Shizuka has to be refreshed to make a direct hit."

"Do you have duel cards?" Yuugi preferred to ask him instead.

"Well? Nice manners," Kaiba complained. "And people say I have no manners."

"Do you have duel cards?!" Yuugi asked him more strongly, his hands becoming fists. "Are you ready for the fight of your life with strong cards?"

"I always am," Kaiba answered. "Why?"

"You'll need the strongest cards you've got to win this," Atem said as he pulled out a holster from his side. "If you are missing any, then we will find a way to get them to you."

"Ah, so it sounds like you know what the game actually is now?" Kaiba commented. "Well then, what is it?"

Yuugi and Atem were quiet at first.

So quiet.

Then, with some slight tears in his eyes, Yuugi wiped them away and then retold them.

Retold them what the gods game would be.

Kaiba listened. Intently. "Mokuba. My brother has been put into this? Take him out now!"

"The decision was made," Atem answered. "The Ishtars, Mokuba, and Maximillion Pegasus' girlfriend."

Kaiba squeezed his hands. "That's my brother. My brother, and I have to manage Honda instead?"

"Honda is a good guy," Jounouchi reminded him. "Set will play a card if someone goes after him."

"Like us? Mokuba is on the enemy's side!" Kaiba grabbed Shizuka's hand. "You let the enemy take my brother into this game, none of you tried to stop it at all. Did you?"

"Seto." Shizuka hung onto his hand back. "I'm sorry."

Seto? Why the heck is she calling him Seto? No. No way, nothing happened. Being friendly. He's gonna hate that though. He's gonna hate it.

"I tried," Bakura opened his mouth. "Ryou Bakura told him Mokuba was working for me, which made him an ally." Bakura looked toward Atem and Yuugi. "He originally wanted to use Hikaru, Yuugi's newest son, but do you know what Atem said?"

Yuugi went straight over to his son and picked him up.

Kaiba didn't dwell for long on it. "Three days. I will get my own cards ready. Come, Shizuka."

"We all need to head toward Ultimate Cards," Jounouchi said to him. "We are on the same team."

"Atem said that Yuugi would be distracted," Bakura said, finishing up his thought. "He said taking Mokuba though would make you focus. Have you lost any focus, Kaiba? Has your little romping around Shizuka made things harder?"

"Hey. Don't talk like that," Jounouchi warned him.

His brother. They were going to use his little brother in that game, and Jounouchi's concern at the moment? Had nothing to do with Mokuba. Not one damn thing. Just like them all. Only their own family matters! Only theirs.

Kaiba looked over toward Shizuka.

He blamed the apocalypse alcohol they were enjoying, along with celebrating the takedown of Set. He had last placed her in bed after the fight with Set so she could recover. He celebrated a little more himself. After that, he remembered her getting up a little while later.

With the power they had, things were looking up. Then, one thing led to another. Then, he woke up next to her in his bed.

They were both a little alarmed, but her especially. He explained alcohol and success probably led to things and she could let it go. As much as he liked teasing Jounouchi, he didn't want to anger her.

After all, she had the Blue Eyes White Dragon. She needed to feel safe and in control. He couldn't treat her like his other dates that ended like that.

He wasn't losing the dragon because of that.

Shizuka was much less used to it. She made him promise never to tell Jounouchi, no matter what, or she would leave.

After he agreed, she started to call him Seto.

The girl could call him whatever she wanted to call him. He didn't care. As long as she stayed beside him.

It was a simple, trifle of a thing. The name. Seemed fine. Yet it was clearly eating at Jounouchi.

Not one single terrible thing (about her) had left his mouth. He knew nothing about what happened between them. He's already fixated on me more than my own brother's situation because of stupid names!

Well. "Mokuba is as good a sacrifice to any of you. Forget even suggesting something else," he started on them. "No. Let's use an innocent kid that had never killed anyone! Let's just put him in the hot seat. What do you think, Shizuka?"

"I think asking me won't change much, Seto," she answered. "I'm sorry."

"Why do you keep calling him Seto?" Jounouchi's brilliant reply.

Yep, he knew it. Maybe I can't change the past, but I can still torture his future. "Great job, Pharoah. That's the right decision in all cases, save the innocent babies instead of the ones that are almost reaching adulthood. Oh, wait? Didn't Mokuba have a better chance of living back in Ancient Egypt? Babies died all the time. It's apparent your Pharoah values haven't followed over with you."

"I will not answer that," Atem said. "Seto Kaiba. If anything happens, when we win, it will be reversed. Mokuba will be alive and fine."

"Then so would Yuugi's." Unfair. "Some magical baby gained more notoriety I guess."

"He isn't magical! He's not a god or anything," Yuugi revealed. "He was already there."

Oh? "Anzu already was pregnant? So, the gods had to have her push your mistake out first before they could move on with their plan? Not surprising. You give everyone problems in some way. It seems to be a gift of yours."

"Kaiba," Atem gave him a warning. "I know that you are upset about your brother."

"My brother was chosen as a sacrificial lamb. You better be telling me that my role is somehow to protect him!" Kaiba had a feeling it hadn't been though.

"Seto can protect his younger brother with me," Shizuka offered. "Somehow. There must be a reason for our power."

"He's protecting Honda," Jounouchi noted as he walked over to her with his own son. "I'm protecting Mai, so Kaiba needs to follow the rules."

Kaiba watched Atem hand him a piece of paper.

"They are already memorized," he said to Kaiba. "The rules are important, and must be followed completely."

Kaiba looked over the rules. I am supposed to protect Honda of all people? "Why do I have to protect that loser?"

"Maybe because you use my sister like your weapon," Jounouchi pointed out, "and Honda is dating my sister."

"Seto already knows that," Shizuka said to Jounouchi. "You don't have to point it out so hard."

"Point it out so hard?" Jounouchi stared at her. "It's the truth. Sure he's gone right now, but . . . but we are going to win. Then, he'll come back and be dating you. Again."

Shizuka gave Jounouchi a funny look. "Katsuya, you never liked me dating Honda in the first place. Why are you so insistent about it now?"

"Because Honda is better, leaps and bounds better, circles and spheres better than Kaiba! So stop calling him Seto!"

Extreme. Wow. I did manage to get under his skin with nothing but a name. "As long as at the end of this game, Mokuba is safe." Kaiba stared more at the papers.

"We have to win this." Yuugi finally spoke again. "Then, Anzu will be able to come back."

"I hope that happens," Shizuka said to Yuugi. "For you, Seto, and everyone else."

"So you conveniently don't share Honda's name?" Jounouchi was almost vicious in his approach.

"You know why. She was trying to make Yuugi and I feel better. Although not needed, she does that," Kaiba continued. "Of course, it wouldn't be as selfless if she added her own hope of Honda. You are her brother, Jounouchi. You should know that."

"Of course I know that, but you shouldn't!" As Jounouchi yelled that, Mana started to cry. He tried to soothe her.

"Jounouchi." Atem's voice had changed to that no nonsense tone of his he usually reserved simply for Kaiba. "Many lives are at stake. Although we shall try for a pacifist way, to even accomplish these attacks, innocents will be in the way. In buildings, on sidewalks, and we won't be able to help. This matter? Is serious. In several ways, we will each be committing murder."

Mmm. The Pharoah was laying it out truthfully. Jounouchi looked a little less confident now.

"We'll do our best though," Jounouchi answered.

"We will, but nevertheless, I fear no matter how careful we are? Innocent lives will be lost. Zorc will see to that. Therefore, why I know we will win, and that Mokuba will be in safe hands no matter what." Atem almost glared at Jounouchi. "Can you at least pretend his brother Mokuba is worth more attention than Kaiba's relationship with Shizuka right now?"

"Look!" Jounouchi shot right back at him. "I'm not taking this whole thing lightly! Not only is Mai's life wrapped up in this, her eternal soul is too! If I don't get this right, Mana won't ever have her mom, in life or in death!" He glared at Kaiba. "All I can do is protect what little family I have." Jounouchi looked toward Shizuka. "Did Set come after you, and did Kaiba get bitten to help fight?"

Shizuka seemed a little stunned by all the words. "Yes."

"Then? How you feel?" Jounouchi asked her. "You okay? You don't feel sick or nothing?" Shizuka shook her head, she was fine. "Okay. Then why you calling him Seto instead of Seto Kaiba? Why isn't he calling you Shizuka Kawai?"

"Shizuka Kawai." Now Kaiba would. "I'd like to talk to you privately for a moment."

Shizuka followed behind him. Relentlessly loyal. Good. They walked a small distance away so no one could hear them. "There is no way I am protecting your dead boyfriend's soul over Mokuba's. I don't care if the world is at stake."

"I get that," she answer back. "I know it must feel unfair that he was substituted in. Yuugi's baby though. I get it, but we have to do what we can."

"No." Kaiba wouldn't let this go. "If someone tries to shoot for Mokuba, I will protect him. Honda won't have protection, and that's that."

"If you don't follow the rules, something terrible could happen!" She tried to convince him. "I know you love your brother very much. I know that you don't want anything to happen to him. I know how much a brother can mean to someone," she reminded him. "I get it. It's not fair. This is the world we are talking about though. We will win, you have to believe that. Mokuba will be okay."

"So I should just fight anyway? They sacrificed my little brother into this situation, because I do better under the pressure?" He remembered Bakura's words. "Mokuba has done nothing to nobody! He never should have been involved in this game."

"There must be something?" Shizuka tried. "You have to fight. It's been decided. If you don't, it might mean everyone forfeits. Same for your actions against the team even if you do fight."

Something? "There's nothing."

"Something? Anything?" Shizuka pleaded. "This is the entire world. Mokuba will be lost forever if you don't play too."

"I hate losing." This felt like losing. They conned Mokuba to somehow get in the game, and he was supposed to help them win.

"F-forget it."

He looked back toward her. "Forget what?"

"The promise. The promise to keep quiet about what happened to Jounouchi," she said quietly. She lowered her head, growing red in the face. "Say it. Gloat if you want and I won't leave your side. Just, please play?"

"You are way too good for your own good," Kaiba warned her. "If I do this? You owe me, but it won't be that."

She looked back up toward him, her face still in full blush. "Anything, Seto."

As much as Kaiba loved to rub things in Jounouchi's face, it felt like a betrayal against a partner in a company. He didn't want to corrupt the alliance with Shizuka. Besides?

"Keep calling me Seto and just follow my lead." If he had no real choice in this matter? Then he'd be sure that his revenge was so just, that Jounouchi would run into traffic if it meant keeping Mokuba from being a bargaining chip again!

Forget telling Jounouchi they had some one-night stand. That was only limited anger with quick-time annoyance. He'd make him slowly believe he was actually falling for his sister. The 'is' or 'is not' of it all.

That would land the moron in the psycho ward. All he'd need is a little help.

"Thank you, Seto," Shizuka said from behind him. "Really. Thank you and I'm sorry. About all this, about everything."

"You had nothing to do with what happened to Mokuba," he said. "What do you have to be sorry about?"

"Last night. I guess."

"I told you. Alcohol and saving the world don't mix. That's all."

"It feels like I used you though."

Her words sometimes.

"Whenever I meet someone tougher than me, I tend to gravitate toward them. That's what happened with Hirito Honda. I may have done that last night."

"I already told you. I'm used to quick one-off nights. The only difference is that I didn't plan it. That's all. Don't apologize." He still felt like he should say something else, but he didn't know what. "Let's go."

"I'll handle Mokuba for you too."

Huh? Kaiba stopped and looked back.

"All the players have someone to manage, but I don't," she reminded him. "Five battleships. More than five players. If someone aims for Mokuba, I'll use the dragon to help stop it."

"As long as you are aware, that if you do that and I have to save Honda-"

"Then my life points probably won't survive if the hit is too strong against the Blue Eyes White Dragon? Everyone risks something. I'll protect your brother the same way you would protect him. With everything I have."

Kaiba stared at her for about a minute. " . . . we should go." Those still weren't the words he needed to use. He wanted to say something different, but he didn't understand what. Maybe? "Thanks."

I am glad we got a decent deck. Yuugi looked toward Atem. Even with Earth on the line, there's no guarantee Seto Kaiba will help now that Bakura opened his mouth like that.

Agreed. If we could have said Zorc just took him, it would have gone better. He would have been focused on the fight.

I couldn't do it. Little Hikaru, he couldn't even have a chance to run. He can't run. He can't do much, he's just a baby. He wanted one of them though, and Mokuba was Heba.

I know, Yuugi. We will let Kaiba know the truth if he has a problem continuing. Otherwise, it should be something we talk about with Masika and Anzu.

"We're back." Seto Kaiba came closer. "I wanted to quit this game and let the world end. Shizuka reminded me though, that if the world ends, so does Mokuba." He brought out the millennium rod. "I won't let anything happen to him. You should thank her for saving you all."

"Thanks." Yuugi didn't waste time. "Shizuka and Kaiba. I know it's tough, but we'll get through it all."

"It's still aggravating," Kaiba continued. "Not only am I having to ignore Mokuba's need, but I have to protect her ex-boyfriend. I really hate that."

"Honda's still a good guy," Jounouchi said.

"I don't care." Kaiba glared . . . at Shizuka?

Shizuka looked away oddly. "Thank you for helping," Shizuka said toward Kaiba quietly.

"Whatever. As long as he knows his place," Kaiba said strangely.

As long as who knows his place?

"As long as who knows his place?" Jounouchi went ahead and asked what Yuugi was thinking. "What's that mean?"

"I am so tired of this from you." Kaiba shoved and pointed a finger at him. "Knock it off with your staring. If I hadn't promised Shizuka? Hm." Kaiba went over by her and whispered something in her ear. It seemed to really shock her. "Don't worry. I'll keep my promise, Shizuka."

What do you think Kaiba promised Shizuka, Atem?

I have no idea. "Can we get going now, Kaiba? Yuugi. Do you want to duel in the back with me?"

"I haven't dueled in years." I am probably rusty.

We should duel as much as possible. "Jounouchi. You should duel with Kaiba. Shizuka can drive if she sees well so you can play a match. The winner of that match can play Bakura."

"Are you fine with that, Kaiba?" Jounouchi asked him. Watching him carefully. "My sister is gonna drive your wheels, is that okay?"

"Of course." Kaiba had no problem with it. "I have more of a problem wasting my skill on you for practice."

"I've been winning lots of competitions for years." Jounouchi went toward Kaiba's car. "Kind of a surprise you picked this model."

"It's not my style, but I knew eventually I would run into the lot of you, so I bought it." Kaiba went over toward Shizuka. She looked confused and whispered something back. "Sure. Fine. One game. Here, Hon-Shizuka." Kaiba tossed her the keys. Shizuka grabbed them. "If your vision gets blurry, pull over. You know the signs. Don't put yourself in danger."

"What was that?" Jounouchi noticed the words.

"I was going to say something about Honda, but decided to forget it," Kaiba replied.

"Nah, the whole 'don't put yourself in danger' part?" Jounouchi questioned. "You never care about anyone else."

"If she puts herself in danger, we are all in danger. It's a van, Moron." She leaned back over to whisper to him. "Sorry. Let's go, Jounouchi. We'll get this over with."

"So?" Jounouchi was the last one to come over toward the vehicle with Mana. "You are letting Shizuka drive, and you are going to battle me?"

"Will you stop making a big deal of it?" Kaiba insisted as he got into the second set of back seats. "I agreed to one round, so hurry it up."

Yuugi tried to hook up the safety straps to the carrier, so it could become a car seat for Hikaru. It's a good thing Kaiba likes things big and flashy. There's no way we could be playing two duel monster games in a small car. He looked toward Bakura in the front with Shizuka. Sitting is what it is with two infants too.

"Stop staring," Bakura warned him. "If I do anything, I die too. Like Seto Kaiba said, it's a van."

Right. Yuugi tried to put it out of his mind. He needed to focus on the cards.

Yuugi had many cards, but it had still been awhile since he seriously played. If I had known that Anzu and the world would be at stake, I never would have stopped playing.

Then it's good you didn't. You probably needed that rest. Atem put down a card first. "We will practice and be the best we can be. We won't lose to Zorc or Set. We'll get Anzu and Masika back. We'll get everyone back."

"This doesn't feel like the standard 'save the world' that we've had to deal with before." Yuugi placed a card down. "I don't want anyone to suffer anymore than they have to, and . . . and casting cards against the Earth? There is bound to be someone who will get hurt."

"If the casualties stay under a thousand, we will be lucky," Atem answered honestly. "Even if we get to tell the battleships where to hide, Zorc and Set could still strike everywhere."

"How the hell?!" Jounouchi's voice from the other side. He lost already? Yuugi expected to hear Kaiba gloating. Instead, all he heard was-

"That's one game. Trade spots with Bakura now."

No gloating at all? That is really strange. Kaiba must be very concerned for Mokuba.

Or he doesn't want to upset Shizuka. That is more likely, Yuugi. Kaiba has been his usual self with us, but his unusual mannerisms seem to happen after he speaks or whispers with Shizuka. Those two seem to be hiding something.

I don't want more secrets. I'm tired of secrets. I just want to win this.

Then keep your eyes on the future, Yuugi. I'll watch for the secrets in the present for you.

They felt the car stop and Bakura came toward the back to sit with Jounouchi.

As they started to ride, Yuugi and Atem played. Yuugi won a game. Atem won a game. Bakura lost a game. The babies laughed and cried.

Then, a new update sent the idea of going to Ultimate Cards on hold.

"Surrounded by an energy bubble?" Kaiba cursed from the front of his van and stared. Not the whole of Tokyo. Just Ultimate Cards.

"It's not surprising," Atem admitted as he got out with everyone else. "The energy bubbles are Set. He probably did that before the game started." He stared out toward the energy bubble.

"How long does it take to get the bubble to pop?" Jounouchi asked.

"The Blue Eyes White Dragon isn't like bubblegum, Moron." Kaiba looked back toward Shizuka a moment as she came out. "I mean, it's tricky to say, Jounouchi. Shizuka and I need to find a tall hotel and check in. From there, it's a little easier. Right, Shizuka?"

"Right," Shizuka agreed.

"I'll drop everyone off at a regular hotel. We'll come back for you when we pop the energy bubble," Kaiba insisted. "Everyone back into the car."

"Uh?" Jounouchi looked toward Shizuka. "Don't you want us to come with?"

Shizuka looked toward Kaiba, and then toward Jounouchi. "No, it's fine. I've been fine with him."

"Come on you idiots, back into the car," Kaiba commanded. "You too, Shizuka."

"Hey!" Jounouchi yelled. "Be mean to my sister like you are everyone else!" Then Mana started to cry. "Sorry, again, Mana." He brought her up closer and nestled her. "Kaiba just really makes me mad sometimes."

"I don't get what you're sputtering," Kaiba said to him. "Just get back in the car."

Huh. Maybe Atem was right? Kaiba was acting kind of strange with her. It was almost as if . . . no. Yuugi wasn't going to focus on anything but Hikaru and Duel Monsters. Focus on the future.

Yes. I will handle the present, Yuugi. I'll find out what Kaiba's hiding.

Thanks, Atem.

It had better not have anything to do with Masika.

The whole of Masika, or just Masika?

Now is not the time to tease, Yuugi.

I'm not teasing, Atem. Yuugi watched Hikaru start to fall asleep in his carseat again. I miss parts of our ancient wife too.