(A/N: So, last chapter was pretty messed up. This chapter is a little bit better, but it's only the calm before the storm. Junko is a mainstay of this arc people. I don't know what you were expecting really :/)
As Rafael was carried away by Gundham's bird escort, he heard a pair of voices calling out to him from below.
"Hey! Hold up!"
Rafael looked down to see Rex and Weevil below him. "Hmm? Oh great."
Up ahead, Rafael could also see Gundham standing atop a cliff at the rendezvous point. The bird helped him land and Rex and Weevil, having been pedaling so fast, smashed straight into the cliff in front of them.
Gundham, alerted to this turn of events, stepped out towards the edge of the cliff before Rafael could even explain. "Hark and well met, travelers!" Gundham shouted at the top of his lungs. Since the cliff was about 50 feet up and Gundham had the high ground, he was indulging himself in the moment. "You stand in the presence of GUNDHAM TANAKA, the SUPREME OVERLORD OF ICE! State your intentions!"
"Wha…Gundham Tanaka," Rex said, scratching his temple with a finger. "The Battle City Finalist?" Weevil elbowed him in the ribs. "Ow."
"We want Orichalcos Magic Cards!" Weevil demanded, curling his lip.
Rafael palmed his face. Rex and Weevil, to him, seemed like those two geeks always trying to sit with the cool kids at the lunch table.
"I see, so you wish to temper your astral powers with the devil's magic as well," Gundham said, chuckling to himself, arms folded. He then glared down at him. "Fools! You know not of the terrifying and mystical powers that is the Seal of Orichalcos!"
"Those mystical powers could make us amazing duelists!" Weevil exclaimed. "I'm sick and tired of being a laughing stock!"
Gundham paused in silence and contemplation. Rafael stood next to him. "We shouldn't waste our time on these small fries. Let's go."
"No," Gundham said to him. "I believe it may be best to let Dartz make the final call on this one. More acolytes mean more souls for the great Leviathan. If, in his countless wisdom, our lord and master is upset, I will bear the full responsibility."
Rafael sighed and backed off, stepping back a few paces.
Gundham gazed down at Weevil and Rex. "Stampeder of the Great Plains! Four-eyed Master of Insects! This bearer of the Evil Eye has heard your plea! But even with my vast astral powers, I do not hold the power in the palm of my hand necessary to bestow upon you the magic you seek! That privilege belongs only to the King of Atlantis himself, his highness Master Dartz!"
"What's he saying?" Rex asked.
"I think he's saying that we need to talk to the person in charge to get the power of the Orichalcos," Weevil said to Rex and looked up at Gundham. Four-eyed Master of Insects. I like that. "Take us to this King Dartz!" Weevil demanded, clenching his fist. "We want this Orichalcos power at any cost!"
Gundham extended his arm down towards Rex and Weevil and the Monstrous Bird doing his bidding offered them its talons. The two grabbed one leg each and were brought up to the cliff as Gundham then thrust an arm towards the back of the cliff and a green, swirling, 7-foot portal, tore open through space. Rex and Weevil were then set down on the cliff by Gundham's bird. Monstrous Bird was then dismissed as Gundham chuckled, arms folded.
"Then come," He said to Rex and Weevil. "Destiny awaits."
On the drive back to the estate, the ride was entirely silent. Mukuro was driving and Mai had suggested Junko ride as the front passenger. As she had promised Téa, she was doing her best to give her time with Yugi…even if half of the two sides of the same coin was now AWOL. Under the circumstances, it was enough for Téa. She spent the entire ride, clasping Yami's shoulders, crying and sniffling and mourning the loss of Yugi. Yami was still in shock himself, unable to say a word and do little more than instinctively stroke Téa back extremely slowly.
When they made it back to the Hawkins Estate, things were about as cheerful as a funeral. Rebecca being without her soul was weighing down everyone else. Arthur himself was still inside the estate, devastated and not yet able to move forward with a proper solution. At the sound of the Jeep, and Copernicus, approaching though, Joey, Tristan and Miho ran out to greet the others. One look at Téa's face and they all knew something was wrong.
"Why the long face, Téa? What happened?" Joey was trying to sound upbeat, but even he could tell something horrible must've happened. He did a head count. Everyone was accounted for.
Mai got out of the jeep and stared at the ground. "Yugi lost."
Miho, Tristan and Joey all looked shocked and completely unable to form words.
Putting on her best acting skills, Junko bolted from the jeep and ran for the Hawkins' Trailer. She sounded whiny and heartbroken, making crying sounds and actually shedding tears, slamming the door behind her.
"I'll…go check on her," Mukuro said, walking much more calmly to the estate.
"What do you mean Yugi lost?" Joey asked. "He's standing right there, ain't he?"
This only made Téa cover her hands and cry more.
"Miho doesn't understand. What happened?" Miho asked, tears starting to form in her eyes.
"That's not Yugi," Mai said, sounding extremely depressed. "It's the Pharaoh. Yugi's gone."
"No! That can't be!" Joey shouted. "What happened? What about the Heart of the Cards?"
Yami balled his fists and clenched his teeth. "It's all my fault. Because of me…Yugi's gone."
As Yami explained the exact details of how he'd let his competitiveness get the better of him, no one noticed that Junko had snuck out of the trailer and was crouched down behind it, peeking around the side. She was eyeing the situation with a big, happy smile, scribbling little hearts in a notebook, especially as Joey punched Yam in the face and sent him tumbling to the ground.
And here I thought the Pharaoh was a cold, unfeeling, invincible superhuman god. I found it, his crippling weakness, Junko thought. She made a sketch of Yugi in her notebook. Puhuhuhuhuhuhu! She drew the millennium puzzle next to Yugi and started to draw Yami next to him. And not just him. Those two would do anything for each other. I suppose after nearly a year of possessing the same body, their bond must be closer than even most siblings, possibly even closer than most couples.
Slamming her notebook shut, Junko put it away, along with her pencil and slapped her cheeks. If she wanted her plan to work, she would have to keep up the façade. No, she would have to push its envelope and go full throttle as though she were one of the good guys. If she could be bold and snap Yami out of his funk while everyone else was moping around, he'd be ever so grateful. Even if she failed, the gesture alone should earn her enough brownie points. She was already considered Yami and Yugi's friend. Now all she had to do was cement her status.
Stepping out from around the back of the trailer, Junko declared, "Joey is absolutely right, Pharaoh!" She marched out with pride, sounding like some kind of motivational speaker. It was a new persona for Junko: her heroic persona. She wished she had a tiny cape to attach to her neck. "You can't just mope about and feel sorry for yourself! Yugi gave himself up for you!" She pumped her fist and gave Yami a determined look. "You can't let his sacrifice go to waste! I worked for Dartz briefly, remember? If I escaped him, that means I also know how to find him! So let's quit acting like we're having a funeral and get back out there! Fall down seven times, stand up eight! So you had an off-game, does it define who you are? Does the King of Games title mean so much to you that without it, and Yugi, you're just some handsome dead guy using somebody else's body, pretending to be alive? To hell with that! If Destiny is asking you to save the world, then you owe it to destiny to not give up so easily! You'll get Yugi back!"
"But I—"
"But nothing!" Junko exclaimed. "You made a mistake. And now that you made it, if you're smart, you won't make it again!"
Junko's speech was so effective that, while Yami was still being wishy washy on the subject, she actually managed to inspire Téa. "Junko's right. Yugi wouldn't want to see us acting sad and giving up. He knows we'll come save him. And that's exactly what we're going to do!"
"Miho will do her best!" Miho exclaimed, eyes full of vigor, fists clenched by her collar.
"Well then, what are we waiting for?" Tristan asked, getting into the jeep. "Let's fire up this bad boy, and get going!"
"Don't need to tell me twice," Joey said, getting in.
Junko nodded to Mukuro to get behind the wheel and then got in behind her. Mai got into the front passenger seat and Miho got in next to Tristan, putting him between her and Joey.
Téa held Yami's hand. "It's going to be okay," she told him. "We'll get Yugi back. Come on."
Yami nodded and got into the jeep with Téa.
"We'll be driving to the nearest train station," Junko stated. "Not a whole lot of gas left in the jeep and public transit will be faster under the circumstances." She got out her phone. "Mai, you have a motor license, right?"
"…I have a car," Mai responded.
"Excellent," Junko said. "If the worst should happen, I'll create a contingency plan."
"The worst should happen?" Joey asked as Mukuro started the jeep. "What do you mean?"
"Hard to explain," Junko said. "If it happens, it happens. You guys have enough to worry about. I shouldn't burden you with my paranoia."
Téa smiled a little. Maybe I should ease up on Junko a little. She's only trying to help. She then looked at Yami and then saw how Junko was holding his hand a little. Then again… Téa tried her best to cuddle up to Yami and mark her territory. It didn't matter to her if she and Junko were friends of any sort. Nobody took her crush away from her. And if Junko tried to push her away from her lifelong friend, the claws were going to come out.
Junko, of course, was hiding several knives behind her smile. Their hope will only lead to more despair, but let's see where it all leads to in the end. I'm not done torturing you yet, Pharaoh. Let's see just how deep I can drive down my blade of despair through your very soul.
After arriving on the roof of the Paradius building through the portal, Rex and Weevil were escorted by Rafael and Gundham through the building to meet Dartz.
"Hey, not to sound disrespectful or anything," Rex said. "But why does a super-secret organization have such a lame hideout?"
"If you want to make it to your next birthday," Weevil said to him, "I suggest shutting up."
"Keheheh," Gundham chortled. "Haven't you ever heard of hiding in plain sight? The masses will not think to look for our evil lair when it is disguised as an ordinary office building."
"I guess," Rex said, partially unconvinced.
They two were brought to a pair of large brown doors. Despite Gundham being 5' 9", even if he reached his arm up and stretched, his longest finger would not have reached the top of the door.
"You're about to meet the overlord himself," Gundham told Rex and Weevil, "Be respectful for hell hath no mercy like a scorned king."
"In other words, be on your best behavior," Rafael said. "Master Dartz is not known for his limitless patience."
Rex and Weevil gulped. The two were brought into Dartz's main conference room, escorted by Rafael and Gundham.
"Mission accomplished, master," Rafael said.
"We're gonna become supervillain," Weevil said, giggling mischievously with Rex.
Gundham turned his head to the side, deliberately avoiding looking at what he considered two mischievous imps at best.
"You'll be happy to know the strongest soul on Earth has been captured, Master Dartz," Rafael said to the back of a chair at the far end of the room.
"Ah, yes," Dartz said, with his usual calm suave, "The Pharaoh."
"Pharaoh?" Weevil screeched, looking at Rex.
"What Pharaoh?" Rex asked, equally confused, looking at Weevil.
"If you two parakeets would cease your jabbering and use the ears you were born with, you might learn something," Gundham said, finding their banter irritable.
Dartz ignored the two nimrods rather than addressing them. He was more focused on Rafael's mission. "Unfortunately," He said, his voice becoming agitated while still remaining calm, "You failed again."
Dartz spun around in his chair. Hiyoko was sitting on his lap, smiling cheerfully. Dartz had one hand on her shoulder and was brushing her hair. Her pigtails were currently out so her hair was currently straight. It was as if the dancer was half-pet, half-evil minion. However, to Gundham, she was more like a yappy dog that wasn't bearing its fangs at the moment.
"That's right," Valon said, stepping out from behind a curtain. "The soul of the Pharaoh is still out there, Rafael." He was joined by Natsumi standing behind him and Nagito and Alister from the curtain on the other side of the room.
Gundham's ears pricked up as he heard this. Rafael audibly gasped.
"Now watch and learn," Dartz said. "Hiyoko, my dear, would you be so kind?"
"Of course, Father Dartz!" She pushed a button on his desk and showed an image on the monitor of the wall of souls, resting above the altar of the Great Leviathan, residing in Doma's true abode.
Weevil was getting the heebie jeebies, but Rex maintained his composure. "What's that?" he wondered aloud to himself.
"The body of the Pharaoh's spirit belongs to a young man," Dartz said as the image zoomed in. "And what we have here is a clear case of mistaken identity." The emphasis on his words showed that Dartz was far from happy.
On the wall, between Pegasus and Ibuki, was Yugi Mutoh.
"No way," Rex blinked.
"Yugi?" Weevil questioned, also in shock.
Rafael and Gundham walked down the table towards their colleagues, looking at this case of bait and switch.
"Instead of the Pharaoh, you got the soul of some kid," Valon explained.
"I still don't understand," Rafael stated. He knew he was dueling the Pharaoh. What happened?
"Then you need to clean out your ears, you dumbass pigshit!" Hiyoko snapped.
There it is, Gundham sighed, having been waiting for Hiyoko to open her mouth.
"You got the wrong guy! The Pharaoh's body has two souls, not just one and you nabbed the weirdo kid looking for friends, moron!"
"Now, now, Hiyoko," Dartz said, patting her head. "Let's not resort to four letter words." He glared at Rafael. "But the sentiment stands. You obtained the wrong soul. That is the fact of the matter."
"But how?" Rafael asked, still in shock. "I was certain I was dueling the Pharaoh, so the Orichalcos should've sealed him!"
Dartz's eyes narrowed further. "Well apparently you're not as perceptive as you think you are because he got away!"
"That punk!" Rafael exclaimed.
"There's no one to blame but yourself!" Dartz snapped.
"No, that's wrong!" Like a bullet firing through the air, Nagito's crisp, bold statement, pierced the air as though it were shooting the very words Dartz had spoken.
"Oh?" Dartz looked over at Nagito. "You think so, Nagito?"
"Well I…" Nagito said nervously.
Gundham chuckled. "You already have one foot in the grave, Jester. You may as well fall in and hope that you didn't forget the Rope of Life."
Nagito cleared his throat and spoke calmly and clearly. "Yugi and the Pharaoh share the same body, but they can also switch who's in control at will. I saw that at Battle City myself. Gundham was there. He can back me up."
"Are you saying the Pharaoh used Yugi as a human shield?" Hiyoko asked. "That's rather nasty."
"No, far from it, actually," Nagito responded, remaining calm. "Their bond is too strong with one another. The Pharaoh would never use Yugi to protect himself."
"I don't follow," Natsumi said. "If the Pharaoh didn't use Yugi, then how the hell did they switch?"
"Well it's boring if I give all the answers," Nagito said with a devious smirk. "I'm sure our boss can figure it out by process of elimination."
Dartz smiled. "Yes, I see. If the Pharaoh did not use Yugi, then Yugi must've sacrificed himself to save the Pharaoh."
"But why would he do that?" Alister asked.
Nagito folded his arms and sighed, disappointed in Alister's inability to understand. "Isn't it obvious?"
"Perhaps you'd like to spell it out for the slower members of our group, young Komaeda," Dartz said calmly.
"Just spit it out, you weirdo!" Hiyoko barked. "No one wants to play your stupid games right now."
Nagito sighed. "Very well." He smiled. "It's because the Pharaoh is Yugi's hope. So of course Yugi would put himself in harm's way so that the Pharaoh can try his best to stop us."
Dead silence fell over the room. Only the hum of the screen could be heard.
Nagito sighed, but smiled. "The Pharaoh is stronger of character than Yugi, in Yugi's eyes. He must've wanted to help him in the only way he knew how. They share a body. Can you even imagine what that's like? I certainly can't."
"Komaeda's philosophy aside," Dartz said, tenting his fingers, "I find his explanation to be acceptable. Rafael, the matter is still disappointing, but you are at least, in part, excused from the blame laying entirely with you." Dartz turned his attention towards Rex and Weevil. "Now then, who are these two?"
"They look like the kind of trash that even trash doesn't want," Hiyoko said, leaning over, examining them.
"Hey! You want a piece of me, pipsqueak!" Rex exclaimed.
Hiyoko hid behind Dartz, the latter of whom glared at Rex harshly.
"You imbecile," Weevil said, hitting him over the back of the head and pulled him down to a kneeling position in front of the turquoise haired Atlantean King. "Please forgive him, your majesty, he was dropped on his head as a child."
"Hey!" Rex exclaimed.
Gundham gave Rex and Weevil introductions for them, speaking not overdramatically, but rather calmly. Of course, his speech was still as hard to understand as ever. "They are promising acolytes, desiring power for the sake of revenge against our foes. I told them that whether they received the gentle caress of your blessing, or the harsh slice of your guillotine was entirely up to you, sir."
"We're great duelists!" Rex exclaimed. "But we came here to be even better."
"Yugi and his friends have been making fools of us for too long!" Weevil shouted. "Before they showed up, we ruled the duels!" he shouted, arms shaking with rage as he tried not to cry. "But lately it seems like we're just the butt of everyone's jokes!"
"And no one likes being a butt!" Rex interjected.
"Ah, what he means is," Weevil said, realizing how that sounded and not liking the icy stare he was receiving from Dartz, "We want to have our revenge." He then got over on his hands and knees. "So please Mr. Dartz, sir. Share your dueling secrets with us and we'll help you get what you want."
"Please!" Rex pleaded.
"It won't be easy," Dartz said. "The Pharaoh and his friends wield the power of the Legendary Dragons. How do you intend to fight against cards like those?"
"That's exactly why we need your help, sir," Weevil said, picking up his head.
"Yeah, we need the Seal of Orichalcos," Rex added.
Dartz turned his back on the two, arms folded behind his back. "Before I share my power with you, I have to make sure you're worthy."
"Ha! These two worthy of the Orichalcos?" Hiyoko scoffed. She glared at them. "These two look like they're about as worthy of the Orichalcos as a pig would be worthy of gourmet soup instead of slop!"
"You shut your mouth!" Weevil shouted, only to receive a stare from Dartz. "Er, I mean, that is to say…" He dropped his head again. "Please, we'll do anything. We're desperate men, Mr. Dartz, sir."
"Very well," Dartz responded.
Weevil and Rex seemed ecstatic at the prospect of being able to have the Seal of Orichalcos.
Dartz took two cards out of the inside of his suit jacket and dropped them in front of Rex and Weevil. "These are for you two."
They each nabbed one as the cards floated down without even getting up off the floor. However, when Weevil saw the card he was holding, he was dreadfully disappointed. "Huh?"
Rex then saw his card and was equally insulted, "What is this? Some kind of joke?"
The cards were blank.
"Hey! We're serious about this!" Weevil shouted.
Dartz smiled ever so faintly. "That makes three of us." With a little sleight of hand, he opened his right palm and revealed two small stones, one for Rex and one for Weevil. He let go of them and they floated out in the middle of the room, glowing brightly until they formed a green sphere.
Rex and Weevil stood up, intrigued. "What's that?" Weevil asked.
"Your test," Dartz responded with a smile. "These crystals from the Orichalcos stone will activate your cards."
"But I stink at tests, no fair," Rex complained.
"All you have to do is hold the rock fragments in your hands," Dartz told them. "If they deem you worthy of their power, you'll be able to grasp them. But if they don't…" Dartz said, trailing off and gave Rex and Weevil a hardened stare, "you will have to pay the price by offering up our very souls to the Great Leviathan!"
Rex and Weevil backed up, freaking out and hugged each other. "Are you nuts?!" They shouted together.
"Told you these guys were weak," Rafael said.
Gundham immediately cut in. "We would be wise not to underestimate their potential. How about it, Four-Eyed Lord of Insects, and Stampeder of the Plains, have you the skill and fervor to match an Ultimate?"
Nagito stepped closer to Weevil. "How about it, Weevil? This is your chance to climb back to the top. Do you have what it takes?"
Having no comment she wished to vocalized, Natsumi simply folded her arms and stared to one side.
Throwing caution to the wind now, and refusing to let the others talk down to them for even a second longer, Rex and Weevil thrust their hands at the Orichalcos crystals and reached into the sphere of energy. The sphere then grew and engulfed both of them in its light, making them little more than shadows within the light itself.
It took some screaming, exertion, determination and a little bit of luck, but both Rex and Weevil were able to grab the crystals. This was a surprise to everyone except Gundham and Nagito.
"Well, I guess your time as a stepping stone isn't over yet, Weevil. Congratulations," Nagito said.
"Shut up, Nagito," Weevil said. Nagito did, but the smile on his face suggested that he still felt superior to Weevil in every way.
"Congratulations," Dartz said calmly. "And welcome to our family."
Natsumi watched Rex and Weevil be shown the card gallery. She was sticking her nose up at them. It's not like Dartz has any real use for these twerps. He's likely going to throw them at the wolves immediately. At least I'm considered even partly valuable. Power to match an Ultimate? Please! As if these losers could even come close to matching my potential.
It was only then that Natsumi remembered her last two duels. But then again…what is my potential?
Mukuro pulled up to the train station as the Jeep came to a stop. "Hey, look, a gas station!" Téa exclaimed, pointing to the right.
"Well, that's convenient," Junko stated. "But, we should stay on track. Mukuro, you know what to do."
Mukuro nodded. "Everyone please exit the vehicle," she said calmly.
"Why not just take the Jeep to Florida?" Joey asked.
"Drive cross country through Texas, Arizona, Louisiana, Alabama and Mississippi?" Junko asked. "Do you like pouring stupidity out of your mouth, or does it just come natural?"
"Hey!" Joey barked.
Junko chuckled. "It's faster, trust me."
"Well, you've gotten us this far, I guess we do owe you the benefit of the doubt at least a little," Tristan stated.
Junko smiled. "Exactly!" Good. They trust me. That makes everything else all too easy. She took out her wallet. "Joey, dear," she said, handing him a crisp $50. "Why don't you buy yourself some snacks? I'm sure you're hungry."
"Whoa, you have American cash on you? Since when."
"I travel a lot, love. I'm rich."
"And what about for the rest of us, blondie?" Tristan asked.
"Well, let's go inside and take a look around. If the airplane ride is any indication, that $50 is only going to cover Joey. I'll charge the rest on my card."
"Wow, Junko, that's really nice of you," Téa said.
Junko smiled only to see Yami looking sad. She got goosebumps on her back, but did her best to maintain her friendly demeanor. "Pharaoh, come on. Eat a little. Yugi's body will deteriorate if you don't stay healthy."
"Junko's right," Téa said, and took Yami by the hand. "Come on, I'll find us some good snacks."
In the end, the total charges to Junko came out to about $150 for everyone, including the $50 she handed Joey. By the time they were done snack shopping, the train was almost ready to take off.
Just keep dancing in the palm of my hand, Junko thought. It'll make it that much more satisfying when I swipe the rug out from underneath all of you.
The train departed not soon after, Mukuro joining, munching on Slim Jims and raw cheddar cheese.
"Could you be anymore boring?" Junko asked. "Here," she said, reaching into her plastic bag. "Have a Snickers!"
"…why?"
"Oh right, I forgot." Junko said, taking the candy away. "You're always boring."
Mukuro resisted the urge to sigh and simply sat down next to her sister, the two of them facing Yami and Téa. Across the aisle, Miho sat next to Tristan and Joey was sitting next to Mai, the men had the aisle seats, the women were looking out the window.
Téa made no attempt at communication, her eyes constantly drifting between Junko and Yami. She wanted to make conversation with either one, but the situation was stealing away her voice. Junko took advantage of the silence and used it to examine the Téa and Yami more closely, as well as their companions. She'd known them for at least a full day now. The time was ripe to organize her examinations, going clockwise to her left.
Tristan, to Junko, was a sarcastic, talentless, average joe. He had a good, easily manipulatable heart and while he had a thuggish outlook, it only seemed to be Joey's influence. Miho's influence on Tristan was not only his greatest asset to make him a more moral member of society, but also his Achilles' Heel. Strike her from the equation and Tristan would easily topple.
Miho, speaking of her, was too naively trusting. She also had connections to pop sensation Sayaka Maizono. If Junko wanted to, she could worm her way to be Miho's best friend and then use her as a springboard to get to Sayaka. Having the world's best pop sensation under her thumb would make spreading despair easy. As for Miho herself, she was kind, too kind. And to Junko, kindness was the easiest thing to break. It was like throwing a baseball at a mirror.
Of course, out of all of the others, Mai seemed like she'd be a tough nut to crack. She was a full-grown adult after all, none of those pesky teenage hormones to deal with. However, Mai's pride and struggles, and her own vanity, were easily exploitable. Or rather, that was to say, those would be the easiest ways to separate Mai from the group. She would have to be taken very careful care of to snap like a twig.
Joey Wheeler was probably the easiest way to do it. Despite the age gap, their duel together had proven how close they were. If something happened to Joey and Mai wasn't there to help him, or because it could be perceived as her fault, the cracks in Mai's stern, strong demeanor would falter and she'd crack like an egg. As for Joey himself, he was stupid, plain and simple. Stupidity would always been the downfall of anyone faced with a smart, cunning person like her. His sister…oh yes, his sister. How much he cared about her, how normal she was. Junko hadn't met Serenity, but she didn't have to in order to see that, much like Miho for Tristan, awful things happening to Serenity would easily plunge Joey into despair.
Téa, despite her kindness and pep, was already beginning to lose her footing in Junko's eyes. She had all the jealous rage of a bitch in heat while not actually being in heat. Flirting with Yugi or Yami annoyed her and if Junko could snatch the King of Games' heart out from underneath the brunette, she'd likely do something drastic, perhaps even commit suicide. Oh, now there was an idea.
But, fantasies like that were nothing close to the fantasy of crushing the spirit of the King of Games and Junko already had all the ammo she needed. The duel against Rafael had shown all of the cracks Junko needed to see to rip them open into fissures with her bare hands. If she couldn't steal the Pharaoh or Yugi's heart, she could simply do her best to break their spirit into such a fine powder that they'd never want to duel again. Easier said than done of course, and Junko knew it well.
I know their weaknesses, but to exploit them I will need far more time with this lot. But it is not a question of if, Junko told herself, only a question of when.
Junko was shaken from her analysis by Téa sneezing and, judging from the way she did it, it was faked. However, Junko knew its purpose. Yami had not said a word since they all decided to take the fight to Dartz. Téa was only trying to cheer him up.
Téa was not one who gave up so easily though. "Wow!" she exclaimed, pointing over Yami's shoulder. "Look at the view!"
No reactions.
Rocks and dirt and dead trees, Junko thought. Quite the view indeed. She resisted the urge to chuckle.
Téa clasped her hands together. "Florida has the best beaches!" Téa exclaimed. "Aw, man! I think I forgot to pack my bathing suit."
Junko, to appear friendly, chimed in with. "You could borrow one of mine if you wanted." She leaned back and made her boobs bounce. "If they fit."
Téa resisted the urge to growl. Instead, she only glared at Junko.
"Feels lonely in there, doesn't it?"
Téa was surprised when Yami glanced towards her. Téa had been thinking it, but she hadn't vocalized her thoughts.
"A part of you is missing and nobody understands how it feels. You feel responsibility, guilt, and, above all, despair. How can I duel again after what I did? Do I deserve to duel again? Should the world be saved by someone who lusted for power and sacrificed the friend he cherished most to do it? You're asking yourself all these tough questions and more, aren't you? And your mind isn't giving you answers you like, is it?"
Yami looked at her, only to stare at the ground.
Téa frowned. "Junko, stop! You're just going to make him feel worse!"
"No, Junko's right," Yami said, surprising Téa by speaking up. "I…I've been asking myself all these hard questions, berating myself for giving into the darkness within my heart." With a dejected expression, Yami added, "I can't even see the light anymore."
Junko bristled with cheer. If one examined her closely, her whole body was shaking like it wanted to let out a happy squeal. Oh. This was more effective than she ever imagined. Yami was falling hard into a downward spiral, and she had the prime opportunity to take full advantage of it.
Reaching over her seat, Junko grabbed his hand. "Let's go for a walk, you'll feel better."
"H-hey, if he's going anywhere, I'm going with him too!" Téa exclaimed.
"The aisle is only wide enough for two and I've already volunteered," Junko said. "Sorry, Téa." She stood up, holding Yami's hand.
Téa wanted to throttle Junko, but she knew the ultimate decision was up to the Pharaoh. She looked over to him. He looked miserable. She put her hand on his forearm. "Hey…come on. Let me go with you…please."
Yami got up and, much to Téa's despair, shook her off his arm, walking hand in hand with Junko, albeit temporarily. They broke hands and Junko put her hand on Yami's back reassuringly.
Téa wanted to cry. I don't get it. Why does he want to go with her instead of me?
"Junko understands his pain," Mukuro said. The line was rehearsed just for this sort of occasion. "You were trying to cheer him up, but right now he just wants to keep sinking." It was after this sentence that Mukuro changed the script, however. "I believe if the Pharaoh sinks to his lowest point, it'll be easier for him to climb back up. I do not believe your friendship is in jeopardy in any way. Junko may be…difficult to deal with, but she…means well." Adding those last two words and not biting her tongue over them was one of the hardest things Mukuro had ever had to improvise. The only way Junko "Meant well" was for the sake of despair. Still, she doubted Junko would do something incredibly stupid at this stage of the plan.
Téa leaned back in her chair, sighing. "Thank you, Mukuro."
"Yugi means a lot to you. That much is clear." And she was back to repeating rehearsed lines.
"More than anyone," Téa said. "But right now…he feels so far away."
"I'm sure things will get better," Mukuro said, trying to smile, but only managed a half-assed smirk.
"I sure hope so," Téa responded.
At this rate, these two may be collapsing towards despair of their own accord. What will you do, Junko? Mukuro wondered.
Yami and Junko's walk was relatively short. The two stopped at just the cabin between train cars when Yami slumped against the wall. The despair in his downcast look was priceless.
"Can't walk any farther?" Junko asked.
He didn't respond.
Junko put a hand on the wall above his shoulder. She was right in his face. "Hey, listen to me. What happened, happened. I said it before. You can't change the past. But you can change the future."
"Junko, during that duel…you were still cheering for me. Why?"
Without skipping a beat, Junko tipped Yami's head up by his chin to look at her. "Because I still believed in you." Yami's mouth hung open in response. Junko pushed her finger on his lower lip, pushing up on it to try and close it a little. "Sure, you disrespected your deck and tossed away what you believed in to win. You lost control and you betrayed yourself, but I knew that wasn't you. I knew even if you had won that you'd regret it. So I wanted to see you win because I knew, just as you will do from your loss, that you will get over it and be stronger for it." She wasn't technically lying. She was just excluding the part that watching him lose was so much more gratifying to her.
"I…don't understand," Yami said.
Junko put both her hands flush against the Pharaoh's chest. "I can see deep into your soul, Pharaoh. Not because of any ancient magic or supernatural powers, but simply because I can gaze into your eyes and see through them like windows into your soul."
Yami stared into Junko's eyes. He could not do the same, though, of course, he believed she meant it literally.
"It's ironic, really," Junko said, rubbing her hands on his chest. "If Yugi were here, he'd be able to prevent me."
"Prevent you from what?"
Junko leaned in closer. "From doing this…"
Junko closed her eyes and leaned forward more, lips pursed. Yami was at a loss as to her actions, mind unable to comprehend it. He wanted to struggle, he wanted to push her off, and yet, he was somehow drawn to her at the same time. Was it the hypnotic scent of her perfume? Was it the golden glow of her hair? Was it the softness of her hands against his chest? The whys didn't really matter. The result was the same.
The Pharaoh closed his eyes too, lips opening to allow Junko to hit her mark.
However, before their lips could meet, the whole train shook, throwing Junko against the back wall of the cabin and Yami towards her. If the two had been under any kind of spell, it had clearly been broken. However, Yami was not exactly his stoic, unflinching self. He was rubbing his hair, blushing.
What the hell had he almost done? This was…new. What about Téa? Where had she'd played into the last five seconds? What the hell just happened?
Junko grabbed Yami's hand. "Come on, Pharaoh," she said, clutching his hand tightly, fingers intertwined, "Let's continue our walk together."
Yami followed Junko, hand gripped to hers tightly. He didn't know what just happened, but all he felt was that, as long as he gripped tightly to Junko's hand, he didn't, for whatever reason, feel truly alone.
It was about an hour later when Doma set the next phase of their plan into action. While Yami and Junko were standing in another cabin, chatting about mundane stuff, Mai, Miho, Tristan, Joey, and Téa were all getting comfortable. Mukuro was also looking at her watch. They'd be passing over a bridge soon and, if Junko's paranoia proved to be true, their enemies would strike.
Sure enough, the situation turned weird when all of the passengers, except for the specific enemies of Doma and their allies, vanished from the train. Mukuro, having stood up and making it look natural, was the first to notice.
"Doma's made a move," she said calmly.
"Huh? Whatdya mean?" Joey asked. "I don't see the Seal of Orichalcos or those biker freaks anywhere."
"Stand up and look around," Mukuro suggested calmly. The others did and noticed that all of the passengers on the train had just simply vanished.
"What?!" Joey gasped.
"Dartz's power is growing. The power of the Legendary Dragons has protected us, but sadly those passengers were not so lucky. Dartz can just will weaker souls out of this reality and into the Leviathan."
"What do we do?" Miho gasped.
"In case this happened, Junko had a plan. She and the Pharaoh will be fine. Mai. Miho. You two come with me. Tristan, Téa, Joey. Head for the back of the train immediately."
"But Miho wants to go with Tristan," Miho said, grabbing his hand, sounding terrified.
Tristan pulled her closer and rubbed her shoulder. "It'll be all right, Miho. Mukuro and Mai will keep you safe."
"But…"
"Junko may be annoying, but when it comes to strategy, she at least has her head on straight," Tristan said.
"That much even I can give her," Mai said and put an arm around Miho's shoulders. "I'll make sure nothing happens to her."
Téa wanted to protest. She wanted to go running to the Pharaoh and make sure he was okay, but…he had made his decision. He'd chosen Junko over her, no matter how temporary. She would just have to deal with it for now. "Come on you two," she said to Joey and Tristan. "Let's go."
"My Jeep is in the cargo hold!" Mukuro exclaimed.
Téa waved back at her as the trio ran off.
"Guess we're getting those bikes Junko was talking about, right?" Mai asked.
Mukuro nodded. She, Miho and Mai headed to go get the bikes in one of the train storage cars and grabbed them as the train separated into three pieces. The segment Mukuro, Mai and Miho were on was destined to come to a complete stop as Téa, Joey and Tristan's kept spiraling backwards in the direction it came.
"Should we wait for the others?" Mai asked, strapping on her helmet. Miho was getting in the sidecar of her bike and Mukuro was already turning hers on.
"No time," Mukuro said. "We need to catch up to the Pharaoh and my sister. When we can confirm they're safe, we can all meet up."
"How did Junko know this would happen?" Mai asked.
"She didn't," Mukuro said as she set her eyes on the moving terrain passing by in front of her, "She's just very good at accounting for all the possibilities." She then drove straight out of the train car, Mai not far behind. Miho screamed in displeasure of the motorbike spinning around and around from the torque of driving 90 degrees in the opposite direction of a moving train, but Mai's vehicle came to a proper, complete stop.
Mukuro and Mai's bikes stalled as Mukuro could still see the faint trace of the front of the train in the distance. "Come on!" she exclaimed, her back wheel kicking up dust. Mai followed the soldier close behind.
Joey, Tristan and Téa didn't make it to the cargo hold before their part of the train came to a complete stop in the middle of absolutely nowhere. At least there were patches of grass mixed in with the hot desert. Minor, but still a silver lining.
"We gotta get to the Jeep," Joey said, only to hear revving come from the back of the train and he and his friends saw Rex Raptor driving the vehicle, swerving out wide and bringing it to a dead stop in front of them. "Rex? What're you doing here? Give us the Jeep, dino brain!"
Rex got out of the vehicle, slamming the door. "I'm afraid if you want your ride or even if you want to see your friends again, you're gonna have to go through me first."
"Bring it!" Joey said, cracking his knuckles. "You're nothing but four feet of a Jurassic jerk."
"Oh, not like that," Rex said. "We have a score to settle. Don't you remember? You took my Red-Eyes Black Dragon."
Joey frowned. "Rex. This is not the time."
"It's the perfect time," Rex grinned, turning his head up to look at Joey, "For revenge!"
"Look, Rex, not only can I duel circles around your sorry behind, but you're half my size!" Joey shouted. "So why don't you get out of my way before I step on you!"
"Sorry, pal! I'm not going anywhere till we duel!" Rex shot back. He drew the top cards of his deck. "So draw your cards and let's get it on chump. I've got a duel to win!"
"Joey, waste this creep and let's go catch up with the others," Téa said.
"Yeah," Joey nodded. "Bring it on, Rex!" Joey shouted.
"Well, since I now have your consent, permit me to make you a captive audience."
"Huh?" Joey was confused, only until Rex flipped around the top card of his deck, showing off the Seal of Orichalcos.
"What?!" Téa gasped.
"Drop the card, Rex!" Joey shouted. "That thing's evil! I'm tellin' ya, you got no idea what yer doin!"
But Rex knew exactly what he was doing. "You're not so tough now, are you, Wheeler?" he asked and activated the card without hesitation. This turned what would've otherwise been a casual grudge match, into a nightmarish, soul stealing, battle for survival. One that Joey knew that he simply had to win.
While Mukuro and Mai were still trying to catch up with Junko and Yami, the pair was making their way through the train, trying to see if they could stop it. Unfortunately, the conductor's room was both locked and unresponsive.
"Seems like Dartz sprang a trap," Junko said.
"Oh no! The others!" Yami exclaimed.
Junko patted his shoulder. "Relax. I took care of it. By now, Téa, Tristan and Joey have the jeep, and Mai and Mukuro are on motorcycles. Dartz may be smart, but he's not as smart as me," she bragged.
A huge weight felt as though it was lifted off of Yami's shoulders. "Junko…thank you."
"Don't thank me yet. Until we reunite, I could've just made your friends prey for Dartz's minions, but at least they don't have to worry about crashing."
Yami nodded. "Any ideas on how to stop this nightmare train?"
Junko felt giddy that the Pharaoh was now relying on her and her mind. "The emergency hatch on the roof. Maybe we can get in if we open it. It'll be dangerous though." He could've easily come up with that idea on his own, but the fact that he heeded her council showed that she was closer to him that even she'd given herself credit for.
Yami nodded again. "If that is our only option," he said. He had already considered the hatch, but wondered if Junko had a less risky idea. But if she could offer no wiser council, then they had no other choice.
Yami was the first to climb the ladder onto the top of the train and that's when he and Junko spotted Weevil. "Weevil Underwood, are you behind this?" Yami demanded to know. "You'd better start explaining yourself!"
"Well, well, well, Weevil," Junko said. "I didn't think you were so desperate that you'd fall off the wagon."
Yami looked back at her, gasping. "What do you mean?"
Junko stood right behind him. "Well, Weevil, how about it? Do you work for Dartz now?"
Yami gasped. No. It couldn't be true. Weevil could be scummy, but that was a new low, even for him.
Weevil laughed. "Master Dartz was right. You are truly a cunning, devious woman, Junko Enoshima."
Yami gasped, Weevil's words confirming Junko's theory. He then, however, frowned. "You've been brainwashed, Weevil!" Yami bellowed.
"No, I don't believe he has," Junko said.
"J-Junko…" Yami looked back at her, stuttering.
"Weevil was a high rising duelist before you showed up. And from what I've been hearing, ever since Duelist Kingdom, he's hit quite a slump. Oh, and I suppose being kicked out of Battle City by Nagito Komaeda didn't help matters either, did it? I bet you blame Yugi for everything, don't you?" Even though she knew Yugi was gone, she knew Weevil understood what she meant better this way.
"Junko is exactly right," Weevil said, pointing at Yami. "This is all your fault! I was a regional champion before you showed up, and now I'm just a joke!"
With all he'd been through, Yami did not need Weevil's personal issues on his conscience.
Junko, however, decided to lift the Pharaoh's spirits just a tad. "Don't blame someone else for your own shortcomings. It didn't have to come to this, but I suppose the temptation of power was just too great, and that makes you weak, Weevil Underwood."
"Junko is absolutely right. If you were truly an honorable duelist, you would work hard and reflect on your actions and believe in the heart of the cards, but instead all you ever do is cheat and take the easy path to get your way. For someone like you," Yami shouted, "You will never be a true duelist!"
Weevil grinned. "If that's what you believe, then duel me!"
Yami grimaced, but Junko put a hand on his shoulder. "Don't let his presence annoy you. He's just a gnat compared to you," Junko said, almost talking in Yami's ear. "You're going to have to duel for your soul, but I know you can handle it. Just swat him like a fly. After all, it's Weevil, what's the worst he could do to someone like you?"
Yami only glared harder, and straight at Weevil. He didn't like how Junko phrased that, but she was right. Weevil wasn't taking no for an answer, and his mind was clearly made up. The necklace around his neck started to glow though.
Junko began to take it off. "Here. Let me help you with that if it's distracting you." She took some glue out of her shoulder back and replaced the stone back to a hairpin that she put in her hair.
"Junko…"
Junko stared at him seriously, arms folded. "You aren't being given a choice. Don't worry about Weevil's soul for now. He's already dooming it on his own. We need to get to Dartz to save the whole world. That's far more important."
Yami hated to admit it, but Junko was right. He could not let Weevil's soul deter him from the goal of saving the world. "Junko, go back into the train," Yami told him.
"Yeah, that's not going to happen," Junko said calmly.
"Don't be foolish! It's safer in there!" Yami exclaimed.
With an amazingly acrobatic backflip the likes of which neither Yami nor Weevil thought her capable of, Junko sailed through the air and let gravity carry her onto the other car behind Yami, planting her feet firmly on the train. She stood with her arms folded, grinning proudly.
"This back far enough to satisfy your worries," Junko said. "Don't worry about me. I'm a big girl. I can take care of myself, but if I went inside, there would be no one to cheer you on. I'm not exactly Téa, but I hope I can manage as a substitute."
Once more, Yami could see that "No" was not an acceptable answer in this conversation. "Just stay back then," Yami encouraged her.
Junko put her hand over her face, arching her back like she was doing her best Dio Brando impersonation. "You're going to regret this decision, Weevil. I hope the price you paid was worth your little power trip."
"I will not be mocked by a filthy casual, do you hear me?!" Weevil shouted, losing his temper.
"Then play it, play the card that will raise this duel to the ultimate stakes," Junko said.
"Junko, don't encourage him!" Yami shouted.
"Oh, relax, Pharaoh. It's Weevil. He's about as threatening as a silverfish. Besides, it's not a question of if he plays the Seal of Orichalcos, only a question of when."
Again, Yami didn't want to admit it, but Junko had a point.
"How very astute, Junko Enoshima. In fact, I think I'll reward your sound deduction by playing this, the Seal of Orichalcos!"
"Weevil! Don't be a fool!" Yami shouted.
Weevil's shit-eating grin was downright insidious, "What seems to be the problem? You've played this card before, haven't you?" Weevil leaned in closer. "If I'm not mistaken, this is what you used to lock little Yugi away."
Yami growled. Weevil was really getting under his skin here.
Weevil laughed. "Now it's my turn. I need to experience this card's power first hand! And when you lose, you'll join your little friend."
Junko laughed. "The very idea that you could defeat The Pharaoh, even with the Seal of Orichalcos, is hilarious." She somehow managed to get a tiny red blanket around her neck and adopted her new heroic persona. "The Pharaoh has nothing to fear from you and your bugs, Weevil! Last duel he lost sight of who he is, but this duel he'll be fighting with maximum effort! You don't stand a chance!"
Junko's right, Yami thought. I won't make the same mistakes I did last duel. This duel, I will fight using the standards I set for myself, to respect my monsters and trust in the Heart of the Cards.
Weevil then activated the Seal of Orichalcos, becoming enriched with its awesome and dark powers. The seal surrounded the entire train car that Yami and Weevil were standing on. Junko knew this would happen, hence her decision to stay on the car behind her fake crush.
Yami, of course, still showed concern for the blonde. "Junko, are you all right?"
"Everything's a-okay!" Junko said, giving the V for victory sign. "Take him down, Pharaoh." She gripped her extended arm into a fist and pulled it back. Then she made a few mock punches with the other arm. "Give him the old one-two." She then folded her arms and smiled gently at Yami. "You got this."
Yami nodded and turned his attention back to Weevil. It was bug squashing time.
As the train sped ahead towards its destination, Mukuro lost sight of it when it turned around a bend through the canyon, slowing down.
"What's wrong?" Mai asked.
"I lost sight of the train," Mukuro admitted.
"What was Junko's plan if that happened?" Mai asked.
"I'm supposed to call her on her cell phone in 30 minutes."
"We're not just going to stay here, are we?" Miho asked.
"No, we follow the road," Mukuro suggested. "Follow me," she encouraged and drove off.
As the three women turned with the canyon to try and get a glimpse of the train tracks, another motorcycle appeared to cut them off.
"Bogey at 8 o' clock," Mukuro communicated.
Mai and Miho looked left as a familiar looking motorcycle and rider pulled up. "Ello, Mai."
"Valon!" Mai exclaimed.
Everyone slowed down to a stop.
"Looks like you and your friends are in a bit of trouble."
"I doubt you're planning to tell us where that train is headed," Mai said.
"Course I'm not," Valon said. "But I am here to duel you and settle the score."
"Beat it. I don't have time," Mai said.
"Well if you're short on time, we could always ride while dueling," Valon suggested. "Have our card game on our motorcycles."
"That would be time efficient," Mukuro said.
"Switch with me then," Mai said. "I'm not putting Miho in that kind of danger."
Mukuro nodded and Mai and Valon lined up, parallel to each other.
"Drive carefully behind us," Mai said. "If something happens to me, break his knees before he can escape and take him hostage."
"Acknowledged," Mukuro said.
However, Valon wasn't scared as he and Mai prepared to head off. "Scared, Mai?"
"The only thing I'm scared of is the sorry look on your face when you lose your soul," Mai said. "I'm not scared of you or your weird armor cards."
"Sure about that? Wheeler isn't here ta babysit you!"
"I can take of myself! Even if my friends aren't with me in person, they're with me in spirit. But I know that's not something you could ever understand, the strength my friends give me every day."
"Friendship's a load of bollocks."
"Valon," Mai said. "I truly pity you."
"Right, whatever. Enough philosophy. We doin' this or what."
"Oh, we're doing this all right. And you're going straight to the hospital when your bike crashes after I take your soul mid-ride."
"We'll see about that, Mai. We'll see about that. Try to keep up."
"That's my line," Mai replied.
The two revved their engines and then tore off down the open road, drawing their cards mid-ride.
"Are you ready, Mai?" Valon asked. "Cause I play the Seal of Orichalcos!"
Since both players were in motion, Dartz bent its power and made two seals around each individual rider that could combine and overlap as the two rode through the countryside towards the runaway train.
"Of course I am," Mai declared, "And you're going down!"
"Well then, get ready," Valon told her. "Because this is going to be the last duel, you'll ever have and the only destination for you is a soulless shallow grave!" Valon then began laughing as Mai clenched her teeth and glared at the open road. The highest stakes duel in her career had officially begun.
(A/N: CARD GAMES ON MOTORCYCLES! Okay, originally that wasn't going to be the case, but I absolutely had to reference it XD. Next time on Dueling Trigger Finger, two duels for the price of one and more depending on how long they take. Originally, Mai Vs Valon was supposed to be the focus of this chapter, but I spent so much time on character development that I didn't want to release another stupidly lengthy chapter. Since Joey Vs Rex won't change much other than Téa being there, the focus will instead be on Junko's commentary to the Weevil and Yami duel, as well as the original duel of Mai Vs Valon. I might include the part where Yami duels Yugi in the Valley of Lost Souls and the stint with the Orichalcos soldier, or I might push that back to next chapter. Chances are I won't given that Junko won't be directly observing the duel between Yami and Yugi and that the Orichalcos soldier duel is less a duel and more Yami fights the same respawning monster over and over.
Fyi, I contemplated Junko and Yami actually kissing since the mood fit, but I had a very vocal friend who said she would have quit if I had done that. And in case you aren't aware, it's practically an act on Junko's part to try and get the Pharaoh on board with her despair shtick. I mean, jeez! Yami fell harder than I remember from that duel with Rafael. It's really unfortunate Junko is such a raging C-bag because I wouldn't mind her with Yugi and Yami otherwise. But that is neither here nor there.
What is there is next time, but until then, as always, from all of me, to all of you, let your hearts stay human and your wrath draconic. Ja ne!)