Nightmare Troubador
By 7th Librarian

Chapter 5: Step To The Music

"...you are either the dumbest man I have ever met or secretly an evil genius." Marik Ishtar's words were in that low-key awe state as he regarded the Millennium Scales sitting innocently on the coffee table in front of him. "And speaking as a former evil genius, that's a compliment."

"You were evil, Marik, not a genius." Ishizu Ishtar's words were more reserved, as was her expression. Metal and flesh fingers were laced together as she rested her hands in her lap as she stared at the Scales.

Marik lifted his head to huff at her. "Hey, I ran a world-wide criminal syndicate that stole millions of dollars worth of anything we wanted! And I was sixteen! Even the Mafia and the Triads steered clear of the Rare Hunters!"

"That was because you mainly dealt with Duel Monsters. And according to Odion, your biggest asset to the Rare Hunters was the Millenium Rod." Ishizu didn't bat an eye as Marik huffed again. "And you used the threat of mind control to keep the more competent Rare Hunters running the organization and from over throwing you."

"...well, I designed the robes! And those still strike fear into duelists across the world!"

Plato coughed politely into his fist. "While I find your family dramas engaging, I am going to have to ask that it be tabled for now. I need an answer to my question."

"The answer to 'Can this dangerous, ancient magical artifact be used to help Lero kick a god's curse out of his soul?' is 'Maybe," Marik drawled out the last word with a helpless look at the Item in question. "I mean, none of the Items were ever proven to not do a thing like that…"

Plato frowned at him. "I thought the Tomb Keepers were the guardians for all of the Millennium Items for centuries and your ancestors wielded them all at some point. Surely you would know the extent of their powers?"

"Unfortunately not, Plato," Ishizu shook her head. "The Tomb Keepers had several branches - the Ishtar clan, the clan that Shadi hailed from and so on. There is even a branch here in Japan. The Items were passed from family to family as the tombs they were guarding were broken into, they were hunted down or the Items drew wielders to them. No one family ever had all seven at any one time and when they were used, they were used as tools of judgment and punishment."

"Plus, not all of the families got along. Several of them weren't above killing other branches and trying to take possession of whatever artifacts they were guarding, so a lot of history changed hands or got left behind." Marik said, a dark scowl flashing on his face for a moment. "Between all of that, there wasn't exactly a record book of what Items did beyond the basics."

"Very well, then." Plato gestured to the Scales between the three of them. "Then tell me what you do know about the Scales."

"It was one of the Items that represented justice. Putting it near a person can weigh the darkness of their souls. It can be used, alongside the Feather of Ma'at, to judge a person's heart as done in the Book of the Dead. And it possesses the ability to fuse or de-fuse spirits." Ishizu said.

Plato examined the Scales thoughtfully. "Which theoretically is what we aim to do…" He looked at them both. "How does one go about it?"

Marik blew out a puff of air. "It's hard to explain how to use a Millennium Item - it's like trying to explain to you how I breathe. It's instinct."

"The only requirement is that you have some connection to them," Ishizu put in, in a more helpful tone. "As to whether or not it will work, I have no idea. It may work. It may do nothing. It may even make Ra angerier with Lero."

"That's something that's been bothering me. The gods have always been vindictive sorts and they're in your face about it. I saw enough Rare Hunters fall to lightning strikes on clear blue days to know that much." Marik propped his cheek in his palm, other hand reaching to play with one of the cups on the Scales. "And yet, Lero uses a fake Ra card...and doesn't get smote."

Ishizu lifted her head, her eyes coming back from wherever her thoughts had been. "Perhaps you want to rephrase that, little brother."

"No, I get it, the kid's dying. But this is eight years later - and the curse is a progression. He has to duel for it to get any worse and he avoided that for nearly a decade. He even repeated the same sin again right before the Bride Tournament, down to suiciding Ra into an enemy monster." Marik pushed down on the cup, making the Scale tilt. "And yet...no lightning bolt to the face for him. No Penalty Game. Nothing as brutal or harsh as every other example we've seen. Why?"

"I am not sure...I have never thought about it like that." Plato said, inwardly lambasting himself for missing such an obvious thing so easily. "But I don't see how it helps us right now."

"I've got a theory, is all. The night Lero used the Ra card, he also got Galaxy-Eyes Cyber Dragon. And he's mentioned he 'feels better' when he plays that card while feeling like he got run over by a truck when it dies in battle or something. And Kaede said the same thing when her Hot Red Dragon Archfiend got nuked. I bet that Jackie lady would report the same."

"So you're saying that whatever this 'Crimson Dragon' is, it's the reason Ra has not simply punished Lero outright and had done with it? And it's tied to the dragons they all have?" Ishizu frowned slightly when Marik nodded. "That seems a little far-fetched."

"As far-fetched as Atem's reincarnation being a Japanese boy with the same hair? As far-fetched as Seto Kaiba somehow altering the future without touching any of the Millennium Items at the time? As far-fetched as humanity being transported to another dimension-?"

"I think you've made your point, Marik." Ishizu raised her hand to stop him. "...what is your point?"

"My point, dear big sister, is that we should be using the Scales not to rip out a curse. It's not something that exists separate to Lero, it's part of him, bound to his soul. If ripping it out is possible, it'd probably be like ripping out one of his kidneys. He'd live, but not quite as well as before." Marik pushed the Scale down so it touched the coffee table. "I'm saying we use the Scales to weigh the two warring bits in his soul...and make the Crimson Dragon a bit heavier."

"Marik, that is…" Ishizu trailed off as she caught on to the train of thought and her skepticism melted into wary consideration. "That is remarkably clever."

"Like I said, former evil genius."

TTTTTT

"This is completely unreasonable and as your personal doctor, I am adamantly against this idea." Gregorio Lucinda was not only the Lucinda family's top specialist in magical afflictions, he was the biggest nerd Lero had ever met.

He was literally so, given how tall and broad his body was. He was muscular to the point Lero suspected that both his glasses and his 'Han Shot First' shirt under his coat were there simply to take the edge off his intimidation factor.

But Plato had never been one to be intimidated. "Nothing else we have tried is working and you said it yourself that mundane options had run out. Now is the time to try magical efforts."

"Controlled, known magical efforts. Such an exorcism or other known curse removal remedies, not using a magical artifact on him." Gregorio argued. "You have admitted we have no idea what the Scales really do. On top of that, they have a history of wielders and users dying painful deaths! It may very well make things worse!"

"I am aware of that. But using the Scales might make things worse. Leaving Bellerophon as he is will kill him." Plato said bluntly. "He cannot just sit and wait for you to come up with something new to try."

"We have several methods in development-" Gregorio started, but Plato cut him off.

"Can you tell me the Young Master will still be alive when they're ready to be tested on him?"

Gregorio stared at him, then begrudgingly shook his head. "No, I cannot. However-"

"However, I'm still the patient here, Doctor." Lero shoved himself into conversation by rapping his knuckles on the desk for their attention. "And I have the right to determine my treatment plan. At the very least, we would be able to rule out the Scales or other Items as an option. It's better to do that than not know."

"Well, yes, Lero, but…" Gregorio stopped when he met Lero's firm gaze. "As your doctor, I would be remiss if I did not caution you against this highly experimental idea."

"I know, doc. But at this point, highly experimental is better than nothing at all." Lero said and looked over at the two Ishtars who had been politely ignoring the argument. "Alright, so what do we do-"

"Ow...ow...ow…"

"Sumire, girl, I thought we covered why kidnapping people was bad when we were kids?"

"It is not kidnapping - neither of you are kids-"

"That's not strictly the definition..."

"-additionally, Jessibelle, I only needed Kaede - you followed of your own volition."

"My best friend has apparently gone crazy and kidnapped my cousin! Why wouldn't I follow?!"

Lero had a moment to register the absurdity of the conversation coming down the corridor before the door was shoved open and Sumire entered, dragging Kaede behind her by the arm. The Devil Dragon was casually dressed in sweats and her hair was more frazzled than usual as she was manhandled by the CEO. Behind them both, Jessie was trailing, also casually dressed, and clutching a half drunk bottle of wine, and a jar of expensive olives.

"S'up Lero," the blonde saluted him with the bottle. "Did you know your wife has gone crazy?"

Trepidation rose as Lero looked at Sumire. "What did you do?"

"Uncle Marik said we need a piece of the Crimson Dragon to weigh on the scales," Sumire released Kaede casually, as though dragging people into rooms was something she did on a daily basis. "I went to obtain one."

"You flew the Blue Eyes Jet up to my penthouse, climbed in through the window, and dragged Kaede out without saying a damn thing!" Jessie huffed, unscrewing the wine bottle and taking a much needed swig. "Most people would ask! And use the freaking door!"

"Too slow," Sumire objected. "Time is of the essence - most people do not have Bellerophon's life hanging in the balance."

"Okay, for one, I don't think fifteen minutes is going to make much of a difference at how fast I'm dying," Lero cut in. "And two, what makes you think Kaede has something related to the Crimson Dragon?"

Sumire gave him a flat look. "Her Hot Red Dragon Archfiend card is magical. She confirmed it herself. It also manifested for her during a time of extreme stress and magical combat four years ago. Though I was only able to arrive at that conclusion based upon what her parents said and her first use of the card in a recorded game, as well as how Bellerophon and Jackie acquired your dragons."

"Yeah, there's a reason you can't find out anything about that. 'Cause your security clearance isn't high enough." Kaede didn't back down from the glower Sumire gave her. "And what the hell are you digging into my life for? You can just ask me questions!"

"I was not researching your life, I was researching things related to this 'Crimson Dragon' and all recent magical phenomena." Sumire corrected her. "Practical experience has shown that when one major magical event happens, many more follow it like dominos. Or the reverse."

"Okay, let's assume you're right, Sumire and Kaede's dragon is related to mine somehow." Lero said. "What do we do now?"

"We use the Millennium Scales for their intended purpose." Sumire marched over to where her family and Plato were sitting, pulling the golden item off of the velvet pillow. She placed it down on the desk in front of Lero. "Put the Winged Dragon of Ra card on one scale and then your Galaxy-Eyes Cyber Dragon on the other."

"Alright…" Lero thumbed through his deck and pulled out the two required cards. Feeling a bit wary and more than a bit nervous about this, he carefully wedged the Ra card into one of the cups so it rested against the strings. Then he did the same with the Galaxy-Eyes card.

The Scales swayed slightly from his touch and then settled. Silence filled the room as everyone stared and Lero was starting to question what exactly they expected to happen when the Ra side of the Scales slammed down hard enough to make everyone jump. "Whoa!"

"That's kind of a pointed message, isn't it?" Marik drawled and reached out to push down on the upraised arm of the Scale. Despite the goodly amount of strength he was clearly putting into the act, the Scale didn't so much as budge. "Feels like I'm trying to move a mountain."

Sumire was staring at the Scales, then lifted her eyes. "Bellerophon. Do you feel any different? Do you notice anything?"

"Well, I have this quiet rush of existential terror that I didn't have a minute ago." Lero said dryly, then shook his head when Sumire folded her arms. "I'm not seeing or feeling anything different - it's just two cards on a golden scale."

"Look closer."

Lero obeyed, if only because he hadn't anything else to do. The two cards looked back at him, nothing but cardstock and ink. But he knew better. The Ra card was a god, powerful and commanding the fires of the sun itself. And Galaxy-Eyes was...well, he wasn't sure what it was except it was helpful and made him feel better when he played it.

Once more, his gaze fell on the Sun God's relic. He blinked, swearing he could have just seen a faint distortion around the card. Like the haze of summer heat on tarmac.

The more he stared, the more he was sure it was there. And in the back of his mind, flames began to whisper to him in a voice coarse and cruel. A voice that grated his very soul.

"Suffer the judgement of the gods…"

Sumire's hand on his shoulder pulled him away from the God Card. Once they made eye contact, she nodded slightly, as if confirming to herself he was still there, before speaking. "Kaede. Put your dragon alongside Bellerophon's."

"Sure." Kaede produced her dragon and moved up to the Scales, sliding it alongside Lero's with dexterous fingers.

Once again, silence filled the room and then...the Scales began to wobble. Slowly, begrudgingly, the Ra side of the scale lifted from the table as it was pulled towards an even keel. The two sides swung back and forth as if in battle for several minutes. Then, at last, the Scale settled down. Still with the majority favor in Ra's side, but not nearly as much as before.

"That's...new." Marik said into the silence that followed. "I was kind of expecting...I dunno, dark magic? Monsters to come flying out of it or a lightshow? Maybe some wicked cackling unseen voice and an Eye of Horus on someone's forehead."

Jessie looked at him as she popped an olive into her mouth. "Not everyone is as flamboyant as you when they're evil."

"Only because they can't compare to my greatness."

"They do not want to sink that low, little brother." Ishizu put in, smiling slightly as Marik huffed loudly at her. "We have achieved something with this, perhaps some measure of the curse's effectiveness? Lero, can you do anything you could not before?"

"No. I…" Lero broke off as he felt a sudden new, yet familiar sensation in his shoe. Like several somethings were pressing into it. But he hadn't had any feeling in his legs in over a month. "I can move my toes!"

Kaede gasped, and Jessie's mouth fell open, half chewed olives on display to the world. The Ishtars looked equally pleased and Plato had that slight, half-smile he had when things were going well. Even Gregorio was looking cautiously hopeful as he knelt to pull off Lero's shoe and socks and began to check on his toes.

Only Sumire did not share in the elation, her gaze focused elsewhere. "So increasing the number of dragons is what will empower the Crimson Dragon inside of Lero's soul and allow it to defeat Ra and the curse. But there are only three known dragons at this time."

"It's a start, isn't it?" Lero put a hand to stifle a spurt of inappropriate giggles. "Doc - be careful! I'm ticklish!"

"It only shows how much we do not know. We do not know how someone acquires a dragon, we do not know why they only work in close proximity to you. We do not know why or how Jackie became a Signer when Kaede did not despite going through the same series of events. And we do not have time to figure this out piecemeal. We need to craft our own solution to this." Sumire's expression had grown more firm as she was speaking and by the time she was done, her face had the steely resolve only a Kaiba could have. "Mother."

"Yes, Sumire?" Ishizu's words were kind, but Lero couldn't help but notice how the older woman's back went up slightly as Sumire turned to face her. Not that he could blame her - the last time Sumire had gotten an idea into her head, it had resulted in Sumire marrying him and taking over I2.

"Where is Pharaoh Seto's tomb?"

Ishizu's own expression hardened slightly. "Sumire, no."

Ignoring her, Sumire turned to her Uncle. "Uncle Marik - "

But he was already raising his hands. "No way, kiddo, you keep me out of this. Your mom's the head of the Ishtar clan for a reason."

"Very well." Turning back to her mother, Sumire matched gazes with her. "Mother, where is that tomb?"

"Sumire, even if I told you, we cannot go back to Egypt without being killed. And there's no way a modern excavation team could find it without the Egyptian government-"

"I know the tomb is not in Egypt, Mother." Sumire cut her off with a wave of her hand. "It is here, in Japan. You taught me to read the history stele. And I read them all."

"Wait - what's going on?" Kaede asked in confusion. "What do you mean his tomb's not in Egypt? Didn't Pharaoh Seto take over Egypt after Atem sealed Zorc away the first time?"

"He did, but left after only a decade of rule in order to pursue a great threat. One that he traveled the whole of Asia to stop it. His chase ended in Japan and only one of his party returned to Egypt to tell Pharaoh Seto's grandchildren the story." Sumire informed them, but she hadn't looked away from her mother. "Now tell me where it is-"

"No."

"Mother, my husband is dying. We need those dragons to heal him. And Pharaoh Seto would have been buried with the slab containing the Blue-Eyes White Dragon. As his heir, I will be able to call it to myself. It rivals the power of a god on its own - it is the fastest way to tip the scales in Bellerophon's favor." Sumire's tone was getting icy.

"Sumire, you may legally be an adult, but I am still your mother, as well as head of our clan, and I say no." Ishizu, the very image of polite and rational argument, had a steel in her eyes that Sumire had seen before - it was the same iron will that had led her to manipulate Seto Kaiba to hosting a tournament simply to draw out her missing brother. The same will that had steered their mess of a family to survive when they had retreated underground, fearing the wrath of the outside world. It was a will that not even the Gods could break.

But Sumire was willing to try, radiating a frostiness that sent a shiver down Lero's spine. "So you are willing to let your son-in-law, the son of your friend, die."

"No more so than I would let you die, daughter. And if you go after this tomb, you will die." Ishizu's steel gaze wasn't going to become brittle in Sumire's frost. "This situation will be resolved, but not by you."

"And what makes you so certain of that, Mother?" Sumire's eyes narrowed.

"I am certain because you have repeatedly sworn to not make the mistakes of Seto Kaiba...and yet you have been ignoring your significant other when they need you the most in favor of your own ambition." Ishizu informed her calmly.

The women stared each other down, the tension in the room thickening until Jessie, either braver or more foolish than the rest of them, reached out and put a hand on Sumire's shoulder. "Sumire, let it go. You can't get any further on this and Lero needs you to be here. So do the rest of us."

Sumire was still for a long moment, then broke gazes with Ishizu and stormed out of the room. Jessie sighed and gave the others a 'what-can-you-do' look before chasing after her. Marik sidled out of the room a little better, then Ishizu did, though Lero noted it was in the opposite direction Sumire had gone. Gregorio, having put Lero's shoes back on, quietly excused himself to report this development to his family and start more research. Plato handed back the cards off of the Scales and carefully returned them to their pillow and left to put them away.

That just left him and Kaede, staring awkwardly at each other.

There was a little jingle at the door and Lero looked up to see Artemis standing in, a dingle ball in the retriever's mouth bouncing with how hard she was wagging her tail. "...wanna go play fetch with my dog?"

Kaede looked immensely relieved. "I'd love to."

TTTTTT

"...to the left...to the right...and walk it out...walk it out guys, you're doing great!"

"Yeah I am."

"Take a break! Get some water, have a stretch…"

"Nooo! Breaks are for wimps!" Scoffing, Serenity Mutou stretched both arms over her head, and paused the video. A quick glance around the stop floor told her that nobody had walked in to find her doing a youtube Zumba class behind the counter in the last twenty minutes. She tilted her head from side to side and felt a few satisfying clicks. Well they do say you should do exercises at your desk…

Maybe they'd never envisioned dance aerobics in a tiny game shop in Japan, but at forty four years old and with a mostly sedentary occupation, she would take all the healthy intermissions life could offer her.

It was two thirty in the afternoon - the dreaded slow period where it was too early for the rush of school kids, and too late in the afternoon for harassed parents rushing in during their lunch break to find last minute gifts. Nobody had been in in the last hour. Serenity found this time of day made her incredibly sleepy, and exercise was the only thing that staved it off. Kaede's off working and researching participants to scare for another tournament. I'm home alone with only the cat for company.

She'd briefly thought she might get something half an hour ago, when Joey had called, babbling in panic down the phone at Yugi - something about seeing dead people. Her husband had left quickly, promising he'd be back as soon as he had found out more. She wasn't too worried - if Joey was composed enough to make a phone call then he was probably fine - but she was curious what had flustered him. Probably stayed up late watching horror movies with Jessie again…

She paused, the hair on the back of her neck standing on end. On her laptop, the Zumba class sat frozen where she had paused it, and yet the upbeat techno was still pulsing in her ears.

The door to the game shop flew open as a lanky man slid his way into the shop, a double-cassette boombox over one shoulder. A Rolling Stones t-shirt hung loosely over his bony frame, the double-studded belt over his jeans looped four times around him to ensure his baggy jeans stayed up. "Can you tell Kaede to come on down, 'cause her destiny has arrived!"

"Kaede's not home," Serenity said, eying the man warily. "And could you turn that off? You're rattling the windows."

"Johnny Steps thinks the music can never be too loud!" The man retorted, but shut the boombox off anyway. "They say silence is golden, but dead air never paid my bills! So help Johnny out and tell him where Kaede went?"

"I don't know," Serenity shrugged and leaned on the counter. "But I'll tell her you were looking for her. In the meantime, unless you're gonna shop, I don't think I can help you."

Johnny frowned, lowering the boombox to his side as he headed up to the counter. "Well, that's pretty harsh on my buzz, but it can't wait, missy. It's really important that Johnny sees Kaede, cause she owes me."

"Owes you what, Mr. Steps?" Serenity felt the hair on the back of her neck raise slightly - an instinct honed by years of knowing when you, your famous husband and your semi-famous baby had been made out by some crazed fans.

"Eight years of my life. See, little Miss Mouto and Johnny, well, we liked some creepy stories on the worldwide web. Call'em 'creepypastas'. And she shared one about a dancing machine who had a ghost waiting for a challenger in some old arcade down near Dominio Pier. Johnny went out, poked around and found that machine." Johnny's steps and tone were light, almost playful. But there was a dead look in his eyes that made his smile rotten. "Johnny lost."

"That sounds like your decision to go there...like it should be your decision to leave. Right now." Serenity warned. "I don't care what magic you got involved with, you're going to leave my daughter alone."

"Sorry, little red, I didn't crawl out of the darkness and the fire to waltz back into it without my new dance partner. And if I can't go to her - then she'll come to me!" Johnny whipped the boombox up and over the counter like a club, Serenity leaning back as the massive item skimmed her nose.

When he launched the backswing, she caught it and twisted while pulling, the device's plastic handle snapping. She shoved it roughly back at Johnny and he caught it on reflex, stumbling from the weight and push.

Serenity vaulted the counter and he hucked the boombox at her, but it sailed overhead as she ducked and bounced off the glass counter. He made a grab at her, trying to use his foot of height and arms to restrain her. And Serenity had none of it. She bobbed around the grasping hands and her fists landed square in his gut - once, two, four times. Johnny gurgled and stumbled, eyes wide as he hacked up his lunch.

Which left him open for a right hook to the jaw that snapped his head back. Serenity followed up with an in-step, pinning down his left foot and as he howled, her fists slammed into his throat hard. The tall man wheezed, clutching at his throat and then topped over with only a desperate grab to a display rack keeping him from slamming into the floor..

"The hell is this….!?" Johnny swore and stared at her with panicked eyes. His foot caught on the shelf as he tried to rise and he kicked out, launching a spray of booster packs and model kits at Serenity. She jerked back as he hucked a few larger display statues at her, one clipping her ear and then the tall man was bolting out the door in a panic.

She chased after him, but by the time she ducked her out the door, he was out of sight. Ear throbbing in pain and swearing under her breath, Serenity pulled out her cellphone and slammed her thumb down on her daughter's speed dial.

TTTTTT

"So...looks like this whole 'destiny, fate-of-the-world' thing is going to be generational." Kaede said. She was pushing Lero's wheelchair along one of the garden paths that snaked through the grounds behind Kaiba Mansion.

"We don't know it's the fate of the world yet." Lero said as Artemis fished her ball out from under some hedges and scurried back to him to drop it in his lap. He picked it up and waggled it at her, watching as the dog tracked the ding a ling toy. Then whipped it farther down the path, watching as it bounded off the end of an T-intersection and down a path, his dog a golden blur after it.

"You really think it won't be? I'm with Sumire on this - little magical events have a way of setting off dominios to big magical events." Kaede retorted. "Jessie was just telling me how Uncle Joey got attacked by his old bully and dueled him in some kind of not-Shadow Game."

"What?" Lero twisted his head to look at her, suspicion on his face. "Did he mention a card called 'Wicked Canticle'?"

"Yeah - Hirutani played it and summoned a weird fusion monster with it. Did the same thing happen to you guys?"

"Mostly. Sumire was challenged at the Kaibaland Grand Opening this morning and that man used Wicked Canticle and summoned a monster that needed another thing called 'Isfet' as a material…" Lero sighed and sank back in his chair. "I was hoping it was a one-off or some kind of prelude, but if there's a second duel on the same day."

Kaede cocked her head as Lero tapped a few buttons on the arm of his chair and a keyboard slid up for him to pull into his lap while a holo-screen projected itself above. "Ooh, fancy!"

"Sumire installed it." Lero tapped away at the keyboard. "After she duelled, we set up watchdog programs for Wicked Canticle and the related cards. If your uncle dueled, then we should have gotten a ping at least."

He brought up the relevant page and frowned. "There are no pings, but…" A few more keystrokes brought up a different list and he tapped in a password. "Let's see what the satellite records say."

"I'm not surprised you didn't get pings - magic has a way of keeping things isolated. Remember, I had to basically hack into that duel arena when you dueled Ryou and the remote emergency shut-off wouldn't work." Kaede leaned over his shoulder as he scanned the screen. "So your records might just be blanks."

"I know, but better safe than sorry. And I have an edge - your Duel Disk updates the record in real time as you duel, but once the duel is finished, it sends one final update a few minutes later to a separate file. It's how we make sure no one is cheating and we can reload duel states if a system crash happens." Lero brought up the file, his breath catching as he saw the list of three names in it. "Sumire Pegasus. Joey Wheeler. And Rosemary Bakura."

"Rosie? Oh shit - her mom is going to be so pissed-" Kaede muttered as Lero yanked out his phone and started dialing.

The phone picked up on the third ring. "Rosie, it's me-"

"Rosemary is currently unavailable and will be so for the next month, Mr. Pegasus." Amane's crisp British tones cut into Lero's heart like a well-honed knife. "Please keep us out of your magical nonsense. We'll be in touch about the New Dimensions campaign."

The ending click seemed to smash his heart into a hundred pieces and Lero quickly hit re-dial. But there were no rings, only an automated voice telling the number he was trying to call was unavailable right now. Anger ignited and the phone went hurling over a hedge wall. "God dammit! Can't anything go right for me!? That frigid controlling bitch!"

Kaede didn't seem to have anything to say as she stopped pushing him. Artemis, attracted by his shouting, trotted up to him and leaned her weight into his legs. Lero couldn't feel the dog's heat or weight, but he knew it was a protective act and he instinctively stroked her fur. He let the anger fizzle out - it wasn't helping and he'd been angry enough lately. He needed to do something.

He heard Kaede's phone go off - a blaring heavy metal ringtone that prompted her to pick it up and move a few yards away. He didn't bother to listen in, just staring at the list of names on his screen. He had no idea why three people he knew had been attacked by magic-bearing strangers.

No, only Sumire was attacked by an unknown. Joey had been attacked by someone he'd known from his past, looking for revenge. Rosemary's opponent...Edward Read. On a whim, Lero plugged the name into a search engine. The first result was a newspaper article dated more than twenty years ago, talking about how a teenager had been found comatose by his parents amongst a tabletop roleplaying game.

Like the ones her Uncle used to play when he had the Millenium Ring. So he wanted revenge, too. And Takura talked about wanting revenge on the big people who had put him away. Lero tapped his cheek as he watched all three duels replay silently in front of him. There was something about those cards, the ones that weren't Wicked Canticle, that was bugging him.

A swear from Kaede pulled him out of his thoughts and he looked up at her. Her face was tight as she punched in another number into her phone. Seeing him staring, she spoke up tersely. "My mom was just attacked by Johnny Steps. He was looking for me. "

"What- why?"

"To duel me. Mom found a deck after she kicked his ass. Years ago, he and I were part of the same creepypasta forum. I let him in on a few places around Domino and he went to check it out. I never saw him again, but apparently I now owe him eight years of his life. Shit…" Kaede stepped farther away, waving away his questions as she raised her phone to her ear and began to speak quietly.

Lero glanced back at the three duels he did know about, a piece clicking into place. "Kaede - Kaede!" She looked up at him, glowering at the interruption. "The deck your mom found -what was its name?"

"I don't know - she said it was 'Amped' or something? Lero, look, I need to make this call - it's for everyone's protection!" Kaede hissed and then turned back to her call. "No, ma'am, not you-"

Lero turned her out and instead went back to his company database. He punched in 'Amped' and got a response - a structure deck called 'Amp It Up!'

A structure deck that had not gotten past the prototype stage.

He punched in Goblins, Giant Ballpark and Statues and they all popped up. All structure decks that had not gotten past prototyping.

Tapping a few more keys, he brought up a smaller insert window and hit the call button. A few seconds later, Sumire answered. It was a stock photo of her, meaning she must have been using her Bleeding Edge headset. Though her tone more than conveyed her stoic frustration. "Is this urgent, Bellerophon? I am not the best to talk to right now."

"I have a lead on our mysterious attackers - Joey Wheeler and Rosie got hit today, too." Lero explained.

Sumire's tone instantly changed into interest. "What lead?"

"All of the attackers were using prototype structure decks. Ones I had my team design to help update some older stuff to keep it competitive with the Synchro and Xyz mechanics. But they aren't scheduled for release until a year from now."

"Were they stolen? Or the files concerning the cards hacked so they could print their own?"

"Stolen. Prototype cards are kept on a secure server that isn't linked to the outside. And that server is sitting in the mansion. Which means they had to get the cards from this building-" Lero sent her a snapshot of the building in question. A nondescript warehouse with a simple car park with a walled gate surrounding it. "I2 Warehouse 13. It's where we do research and development as well as product testing. And it's one of our most secure sites because of it."

"How secure? How many people have access to it?"

"You, me, Plato and the members of R&D. But here's the rub - the warehouse has been locked tight for a year. I had to move my work on the Synchro and Xyz mechanics to Duelist Kingdom to keep the Board from finding out about them until I was done. I moved the rest of the team over to other projects - if we stayed in the warehouse, they'd have gotten curious about what big products we were working on."

"Could any of them have betrayed you? Or been bribed?"

"Possible, but unlikely. The NDA's R&D personnel have to sign are very strict and Dad personally recruited them, so I don't think they're the leak."

"Your father has a talent for picking out reliable people." Sumire's tone suggested she was reading something while talking to him. "Security logs for the warehouse have no irregular activity or breaches."

"Someone got in there to get those decks, though. And even if they got into the building, they have to figure out which computer has the cards on it and hack into it. Which shouldn't be possible because they'd have to bypass a fingerprint scan and need my ID card." Lero said. "Though clearly someone did."

"It may be possible, if the warehouse was unused, they took their time getting in and managed to edit the software or something to bypass security measures." Sumire said in speculation. "However, that is not my area of expertise, I specialize in hardware."

"But I do software - getting a Master's in it." Kaede said as she suddenly appeared over Lero's shoulder. "If you can get me into the warehouse, I can pick out what they did."

Lero gave her an incredulous look. "And just what makes you think you can go to this warehouse on your lonesome?"

"My mom was attacked. So was my uncle. This makes it my business."

"And she will not be going alone. I, along with a security team, will be accompanying her." Sumire put in. "We will be leaving in ten minutes."

Lero opened his mouth to protest, but then remembered he was still in a wheelchair. It would be difficult to navigate that warehouse in one and if trouble happened, he'd be a liability, not an asset. The protest died in his throat. For a moment, he'd been useful again.

But only for a moment.

"You will not be idle, my husband. You will be guiding us through the warehouse and the terminals." Sumire said as if she was sensing his thoughts. "Your security clearance is higher than mine and it was your department. If there are any irregularities, you are the one who will notice."

"Yeah, right, of course." Lero pushed away his dead feelings. Not only was Sumire right, this wasn't the only lead they had gathered today. It was possible to heal his curse. The past three months of worry and dread were like a thick blanket, but for the first time ever, a spark of hope was starting to burn.

If this was what they had to do to make this work, he was going to help however he could. He couldn't give any less when they were all working so hard for him.

TTTTTT

The frustrated yell was punctuated by the thump of a clenched fist on hollow metal. "I could have taken her! Dammit!"

Johnny Steps leaned over the mailbox, expression distraught and frustrated as he held his face in his hands. "I came back from that place, from the dark and the flames to get my revenge! She's an old hag! I could have just beaten her and waited for Kaede to come back! Why'd I run? A fist doesn't hurt like the flames do!"

His shoulders heaved as he slammed another fist into the mailbox, then another and another until he was wailing on it. But it was the heavy strikes of anger, only the ever-weakening blows of a man who was feeling his body get heavier with every blow until he was slumped on his knees, forehead against the mailbox and dry sobs wracking him. "I should have done it…but Johnny Steps...is still just a coward…"

"There is no shame in admitting that some tasks are simply too much for you, Mr. Steps. Admitting one's limitations is seen as a weakness, but I think it can be taken as a sign of maturity."

Johnny looked up to see Chrysaor standing a few feet away, hands clasped behind his back. "You...I...I know you…"

"You might call me your savior, for I am the one who pulled you out of the darkness and flame of the Penalty Game you were under." Chrysaor said with a dismissive shrug. "Though, I remind you, you suffered it through every fault of your own."

"You don't have to tell me that, I know it!" Johnny thumped the mailbox again. "I was so scared...I didn't think I was gonna beat that game...so I had to cheat - I had to live!"

He turned, collapsing against the mailbox and letting his head hang in defeat. "But all I did was lose. Just like with everything else I wanted to do."

Chrysaor didn't respond right away, seating himself on the curb next to Johnny and resting his hands on his lap. "It's a miserable feeling, isn't it? To struggle, to know you have a talent, that you are good at something - and find that your 'good' isn't nearly good enough. That in a world of one-in-a-million success stories, you're just one of the million."

"Yeah. It sucks." Johnny agreed. "I thought I could dance...but I failed out of dance school. I was good at doing creepypastas and telling stories...but I wasn't ready for how real they were. And now I was supposed to get my revenge, to get some justice in my life...and an old lady beat me up." He let out a bitter laugh. "I'm living up to my name, alright! Johnny Steps is everyone else's stepping stone!"

"That is an unfortunate truth of the world, that for some to rise to the top, there has to be people at the bottom." Chrysaor said in sympathy. "And that knowledge crushes the drive in you, because if all your efforts end up unrewarded, why bother trying?"

"Yeah…" Johnny draped an arm over his face, sighing deeply. "This is all I am, isn't it? Once a nobody, always a nobody."

"Not everyone can be destined for great things, or even average things. Sometimes, when we take the road less travelled, all we find is a dead end." Chrysaor said gently as he opened his hands and his Wicked Canticle. He opened it, paging through it to find a blank page. "And when we try to find the path back to where we started, it's too late to go anywhere else."

"You said it." Johnny sighed again, not even cracking an eye as the pages of the book glowed softly. "I'm not even worth a hill of beans…"

And in a soft flash, he was gone. Chrysaor studied the trapped image, Johnny's broken expression empty and hollow of anything as he stared down at nothing. A single glowing light traced itself over the image, carving out the last of the five runes that Chrysaor needed and engraving upon the defeated man like an epitaph.

The rune read 'Doubt.'

Rising to his feet, Chrysaor closed the book and willed it out of existence. As he did, another man emerged from a nearby alleyway. "Ah, Scott. You did a good job, planting trackers in all of them."

"They shouldn't have gotten out in the first place, Mr. Pegasus." Scott said with a shake of his head. "That was my mistake."

"No one can predict a car accident, that's why they're 'accidents', Scott." Chrysaor said with a dismissive wave. "But alls well that ends well. I have collected all five Sinister Doctrines."

Scott nodded, his expression sober. "Are you sure they will work? Johnny Steps did not even duel."

"I have to have them in the throes of their primary emotion, the decks and the duels were simply a means to evoke those emotions in them. And for Mr. Steps, failing to do even that because of his own sense of inadequacy qualifies him." Chrysaor explained and turned to the other man. "Is everything else ready?"

"Yes, Mr. Pegasus. The Ghouls have gathered and Kozaky has prepared the ritual. All that is waiting is your efforts."

" I am one step closer to my dream." Chrysaor held up his empty hand and a mask appeared in it. It was carved from stone and colorful, depicting a bright and cheery smile. Scott's eyes widened at the sight of it. "I told you I would reward you for helping me, Scott."

"That is...that mask is...it carries the soul, doesn't it?" Seeing Chrysaor nod, Scott reverently took the mask from him. Fingers glided over the smooth surface, tracing the features as if he could see something beyond the paints. "Is...is it her?"

"Yes, Scott. It is her." Chrysaor assured him, giving him a genuine smile. "I'm sorry Isfet and I cannot be of more help at the moment."

"No, this is...this is more than I could have asked for!" Scott shook his head, clutching the mask to his chest. "With this, my research can finally progress! I have to start work right away!"

"Please keep in touch!" Chrysaor called after him as the scientist vanished down the alley and then shook his head. "Such a dedicated man. I do hope his work goes well for him. If the Lucindas can't wake my father up, perhaps this will be an alternative. Though I think father would be quite pleased to wear a fancy mask for the rest of his life."

Humming to himself, Chrysaor turned and headed in the opposite direction Scott had run. There was no time like the present to perform his ritual. And then...then he would finally be able to confront that imposter Akl face-to-face.

And take back his destiny.

TTTTTTT

"She's going to kill you."

"Marik, you have been saying that since we took off."

"Yeah, because it's true."

"Sumire is not going to kill me."

"Well, she's going to kill one of us and it can't be me because I have the favorite Uncle mug." Marik insisted. He was sitting in front of her, hands on the pilot's controls as the Blue-Eyes jet roared over the ocean. "Also, I didn't lie to her."

"Nor did I. She is not going to go after this tomb. We are."

"Ishizu, I know you're a big fancy archaeologist and brilliant Tomb Keeper, but all you know about this tomb is where it is. There's no telling what kind of traps it could have and there's a reason when you go tomb raiding, you take a lot of spare people. You're going to need them." Marik said, lifting his gaze off the ocean to look at her reflection in the canopy. "Plus, we aren't on the best of terms with the Japanese Tomb Keepers."

"There's only one member of that line left, Marik and they won't be a problem. And for your information, I know exactly what this tomb has for traps. Sumire isn't the only one who read the stele." Ishizu informed him.

"Let's say I buy that." Marik said, not looking away. "Even we can't just go wandering around a school randomly. Especially since we're showing up in a big fancy jet that's going to attract attention."

"Yes, which is why we won't be wandering around. I've already phoned ahead and made plans with the Principal. I am going to the tomb and you, little brother, are going to be delivering a guest lecture to the students on ancient history." Ishizu allowed herself a little smile as her brother's face went from serious to annoyed in the space of a heartbeat.

"What, why do I have to give the lecture? You're the smart one, Ishizu! You know all this boring history stuff by heart!"

"Which is why you are giving the lecture. They'll be much more interested in a former thief telling his stories about how he raided rich homes for the U.N. to steal back precious cultural artifacts than listening to me talk about what those cultural artifacts are."

Marik huffed. "If I knew that was going to be the plan, I'd have told Sumire where the tomb was and she could be flying over to find it. She owns the place now, so it's not like anyone is going to stop her."

"Sumire has suffered enough at the hands of her ancestor's poor decisions, Marik. There's no reason to suffer more when we are perfectly capable of dealing with them. And…" Ishizu trailed off for a moment. "She wouldn't succeed against one of the tomb's traps."

"Little Miss Determinator Terminator wouldn't?" Marik lifted an eyebrow, his expression cautious. "She's like you on steroids, so what makes you think you can beat this trap?"

"Personal experience."

"You. Personal experience that isn't living underground, talking about dead people and ancient art or reminding me to behave." Marik said, his tone curious now. "Just what experiences are these, big sister? What have you been doing holed up at home all day, hmm?"

"Marik, please be quiet and drive the dragon."

TTTTTTT

A/N: And once again, real life rears its ugly head and forces me to rewrite and redraft things to accommodate new developments. The duel just wasn't panning out well, nor did I find the moves in it really all that interesting. Don't worry, I promise there'll be more to come.

In our next chapter, our brave heroines go investigate their only lead on these attackers. What they find is something that history is repeating itself in the worst of ways. And the Devil Dragon is going to have to send someone back to Hell…

Next Chapter: The Fires of Death and Rebirth.