This Chapter Contains . . .
Violence: Blood and death
Language: Suck
Drugs: None
Nudity: None
Sexual Content: None
Edit Update: 11/7/2015
Made some minor changes; the biggest one being that I got rid of the "a whole bunch of evil henchmen shoot at the hero all at once but somehow keep missing him" cliché. I've always hated that in books and movies, so why had I put it in my own story? Oh well. At least I got rid of it.
UPDATE: Oops! I had forgotten to separate the scenes! But it's all fixed now :)
Yugi was woken up by his alarm clock - which had just begun to ring - and after sitting up and rubbing his eyes, he remembered what had happened last night. There was a giant insect who killed someone, Marik had fought it off before they hid in the warehouse, and then . . . He shook his head. What had happened after that was fuzzy at best. Was it all a dream? It had to be. But it had felt so real.
To make sure, Yugi looked down at his clothes and gasped. He was still wearing his school uniform, and it was covered with blood and a green liquid. He jumped out of bed and bolted into the bathroom, where he stared at himself in the mirror. Dry blood spatter and more of the strange green goo was also on his face. Marik really did save him from a praying mantis creature. And the insect really had . . . Yugi covered his mouth and just barely made it to the toilet bowl before puking into it as images of the gang leader's corpse flashed through his mind. The eyes that were rolled back into the thug's head; the mouth slightly agape, letting the tongue spill out and lay limply on the pavement, which had turned red with the man's blood. So much blood.
Yugi's throat burned and his stomach ached as he went to the sink. He saw his reflection in the mirror and felt his body tremble as tears threatened to surface. With shaking hands, he turned on the faucet and placed a hand towel under the running water, vigorously wiping his face with it until it felt like the rough cloth was trying to scrape the skin clean off. When he was finished, his face now wet and sore, Yugi grabbed onto the sink while trying to control his breathing and once again glanced at his uniform before getting dressed, putting on sweatpants and a hoodie. When he was done, Yugi grabbed his bloodstained clothes and looked at his alarm clock. He didn't have enough time to clean his uniform before school. His hands clenched around the clothes he was holding and his tears landed on the fabric. Jonouchi was always telling him that he cried too much, and he knew that it made him look like a wimp, but . . .
"Yugi!" His grandfather said from downstairs. "Your friend is here. Are you up yet?"
"I'm up." Yugi called back, wiping his eyes with his sleeve. "But I think I'll stay home today."
On the lower floor, Yugi's grandfather turned towards Anzu. "He says he wants to stay home today." He scratched his bearded chin thoughtfully. "I wonder if he's not feeling well."
Anzu ran to the bottom of the stairs before shouting up, "Are you okay, Yugi? Is there anything I can do?"
"No, it's nothing." Yugi replied.
"You wouldn't be staying home if it was nothing."
"Really, it's fine."
Anzu's eyebrows lowered and she stormed up the stairs, ignoring Mr. Mutou, who tried to tell her that what she was about to do was probably not the best idea. When she reached the door, Anzu slammed it open, making Yugi jump and drop his uniform. She paid no attention to the clothes on the floor and walked up to the short high schooler as she frowned down at him sternly, like a parent who had just caught their child trying to steal the cookie jar, making Yugi gulp.
She leaned in towards him, her face only inches away from his. "Don't you know that when something is wrong you're supposed to go to your friends, not push them away?"
"I-"
Anzu placed a hand over her chest. "That's what friends are for. We go to each other in times of trouble and try to help each other out."
"Yeah, but-"
Her face softened and she smiled. "No matter what's going on, please know that me and everyone else are here for you, and you can tell us about anything."
Yugi smiled back at her, momentarily forgetting about the uniform and the story behind the stains. "Thanks, Anzu."
"Now that my friendship speech is over," Anzu crossed her arms, "will you please explain why you said you wanted to skip school?"
While he did believe that everything Anzu had said was true, he also knew that he couldn't tell her the truth. She would never believe him. And even if she did, he didn't want to burden her. "My uh, my stomach isn't feeling good today." That wasn't a lie. He still felt like he might throw up at any moment.
"Why didn't you just say so?" Anzu straightened up. "Do you want me to stay here with you?"
"No, it's fine." He said. "I don't want you to miss school on my account."
"I don't mind."
"I'll be fine, Anzu. Really."
She let out a sigh. "Okay, but I'll be right back after school, okay?"
Yugi smiled. "Okay."
After saying a quick goodbye, Anzu left his room, closing the door behind her. Yugi stood there for a moment and picked up his uniform before tossing it onto the bed. He would have to get it washed. But he had to wait until his grandfather wasn't home. And then after that . . .
Yugi straightened up. Tomorrow he would go back to school and pretend that everything was all right. There was no reason to drag his friends into this by making them worry about him. And he also needed to speak to Marik. He had so many questions that needed answers. Why did Marik say that he had to protect him? What was the Pharaoh's power? And why did the praying mantis attack him? The praying mantis. Images of the man's lifeless body flashed through his mind, making him feel another wave of nausea.
Yugi sat at his desk and decided not to think about what had happened. Hopefully he would feel better tomorrow morning. But right now, even after Anzu's speech, he felt like he would never be okay.
"Hey, Yug!" Jonouchi hollered from the other side of the door, causing Yugi - who had fallen asleep at his desk - to nearly fall out of his chair. "Are ya up, man?!"
"He probably is now with the noise you're making." Honda told his friend.
Yugi remembered his blood covered uniform and rushed over to the bed, covering it with his blanket before sitting on top of it. "Uh, yeah." After the door opened and Jonouchi, Honda, Anzu, and Bakura all poured in he asked, "What are you guys doing here?"
"I said I was coming back after school, didn't I?" Anzu said. "Are you feeling any better? You look tired."
Yugi scratched the back of his head. "I just woke up."
"That's probably a good thing." Honda said. "It's always best to get plenty of rest when you're sick."
Jonouchi snickered. "Listen ta Mr. doctor over here."
"I'm not the one toting the bag."
"What's inside, Jonouchi?" Bakura asked, looking at the paper bag the blond was carrying.
Jonouchi flashed them a proud grin. "When I heard that Yugi wasn' feelin' too good, I brought somethin' that'll make him better in a jiffy." He reached inside and pulled out a half empty bottle. "This'll fix ya right up."
Anzu cocked an eyebrow. "Red wine?"
"Are you trying to get us arrested?" Honda asked.
"It's suppose' ta help with stomach aches." Jonouchi turned to face Yugi. "Ya do have a stomach ache, right? Or do ya have a cold? Cuz I can get ya some whisky if you've got that."
"Where did you get it?" Bakura asked.
"From my old man."
Honda leaned against Yugi's desk. "And Jonouchi's crime record expands."
"Just for that, you're not gettin' any."
Anzu and Bakura laughed as they watched Honda try to apologize and convince Jonouchi to give him some while his blond friend waved it in front of his face, pulling it out of reach when he tried to grab it. Even Yugi found himself smiling at their antics. He felt lucky to have such great friends.
"Thanks, guys."
"Don' sweat it." Jonouchi handed his short friend the bottle. "It's what friends are for, right?
Yugi smiled. "Right."
When Yugi woke up the next day, he did feel better. It was true that after his friends had left he had spent almost all of yesterday locked up in his room, only coming out to grab dinner, which he had picked at before putting it in the fridge, and even now he didn't have much of an appetite. But the queasiness had subsided and he found it easier to not think about that night. The biggest problem was that a part of Yugi wondered if he would ever fully recover. He hoped he would, but he highly doubted it. How could anyone completely forget about something like that? While he put on his now clean uniform, Yugi tried once more to push every thought and memory of that night out of his mind before heading downstairs, where his grandfather was waiting for him.
"Morning, Grandpa." Yugi said with a yawn.
"Good morning. Are you feeling better today?"
Yugi wasn't sure how to answer that, but luckily he didn't have to because the store's door opened and Anzu stepped inside, clearly out of breath.
"Sorry I'm late." She said between breaths. "I overslept."
"It's okay, Anzu. I just woke up."
"Did you have that dream again?"
It took him a moment to realize what she was talking about. After everything that had happened, Yugi had completely forgotten about it. "No, not this time."
"Do you think it's gone for good?"
"I don't think so. Sometimes it goes away for a while and then comes back."
Anzu smiled. "You look a lot better today. Did the wine help?"
"I think it helped Jonouchi and Honda more than me." He said, remembering how they had taken a few too many sips, making them quite tipsy.
"Good thing I took it from them when I did." Anzu said with a sigh. "So, are you ready to go?"
"Yep!"
"Aren't you going to have breakfast?" Yugi's grandfather asked.
"I'm not hungry."
Mr. Mutou nodded in understanding. "All right. But first," He made his way towards one of the bookshelves that contained many different games of all shapes, sizes, and types.
He grabbed a stepladder and used it to reach a golden box with Egyptian hieroglyphs on it from the top shelf and brought it down before handing it to Yugi, who looked up at him with wide purple eyes. Mr. Mutou nodded, silently telling his grandson that he had permission to open it. Yugi had known about this box his whole life, but whenever he had asked him about it his grandfather always said that he had to wait until he was older to find out what was inside. He had spent all those years waiting, trying to figure out what it contained. And now he would be able to see for himself. Yugi swallowed and opened it at a snail's pace, wanting this moment to last for as long as possible, and then his eyes widened even further when he saw the contents. Inside was an upside-down golden pyramid with an eye on the center that resembled the one that was on the dagger Marik had used.
"What is it, Grandpa?" Yugi asked.
"Don't you know a gift when you see one?" He said with a laugh as he pulled out a thin piece of rope from his pocket, which he put through the ring that was on top of the pyramid, turning it into a necklace. "This is called the Millennium Puzzle, and it's said to have great power."
"Power?" Anzu asked.
Yugi's grandfather nodded before handing it to his grandson. "I believe that if you wear this, it will stop you from having that dream you sometimes have."
Anzu bent down to get a closer look at the object. "Is it like a dream catcher?"
"Something like that." Mr. Mutou said while stroking his chin.
"Thank you, Grandpa!" Yugi gave him a hug. This combined with Anzu's words and his friend's visit made that night all but forgotten. For the moment, anyway.
"But remember, Yugi." His grandfather placed his hands on Yugi's shoulders. "For it to work, you must keep it on at all times."
"That sucks." Anzu said.
"If you want something, you have to give something in return." Yugi's grandfather said, crossing his arms. "Especially when it comes to objects with magical properties."
Yugi smiled, but it quickly disappeared when he glanced up at the clock on the wall. "We have to go, Anzu, or we'll be late."
"Oh shoot!" Anzu and her friend both ran for the door, saying a quick goodbye to Yugi's grandfather as they did.
As they made their way to school together, Yugi looked at the Millennium Puzzle and watched the sunlight reflect off of it. While the incident was still in the back of his mind, he somehow knew that everything was going to someday be all right.
"The Pharaoh has appeared?!" Gozaburo Kaiba, a middle-aged businessman who was sitting at his desk with a cigar in his hand, shouted into the telephone receiver with a voice loud enough to deafen a dinosaur from fifty yards away. "Well where is he?! If you know where he is, go and bring him to me and stop wasting my time!"
He slammed the phone down, almost hard enough to break it in half, and then he sat back in his chair, making it creak as he did, and smiled to himself. After all these years, the great Pharaoh was finally back. And he, Gozaburo Kaiba, was going to capture him and use his powers to make millions. True, he already had millions, but there was nothing wrong with having a little extra. It wasn't only about the money, though. The Pharaoh's power would also leave his competitors in the dirt and everyone would want to do business with him and him alone. Gozaburo placed the cigar in his mouth and chuckled. Soon his plans would be put into action, and no one would be able to stop him.
While he remained lost in his thoughts, a pair of indigo colored eyes watched him from the slightly ajar office door before the black haired boy ran down the long hallway, heading straight for his older brother's room. When he reached it, he knocked on the door three times and waited for a response.
"What is it, Mokuba?" A voice asked from inside.
The eleven-year-old boy rushed inside, unable to contain his excitement. "Seto! I just heard father talking about the Pharaoh! They found him and are on their way to him right now!"
"Interesting." Seto, who was five years older than his little brother, smiled to himself. "Too bad for them that I had found him first. By the time they get there, he will already be gone and in my custody."
"Do you think the Pharaoh's power is really as great as they say?" Mokuba asked excitedly.
"It had better be," Seto Kaiba finished putted on his school uniform and grabbed his schoolbag, "or all of this would have been a waste of my time."
"What's that thing?" Jonouchi asked as he and the rest of Yugi's friends stared at the Millennium Puzzle.
"It's a gift from my grandpa." Yugi said while holding it up. "It's supposed to help me with that dream I told you guys about."
"Wha'? Like some voodoo-hicky-somethin'?"
Anzu raised an eyebrow. "Voodoo what?"
Honda shrugged. "Whatever works, right?"
"Guys," Bakura said, "is that Marik coming towards us?"
Sure enough, their Egyptian classmate was walking in their direction. This was strange all by itself. But to top it all off, Marik was also smiling.
"That's just creepy." Honda said with a grimace.
"Hello, Yugi." Marik said, his voice soft and friendly, instead of distant and menacing like before.
"Uh, hi." Yugi replied, uncertain what to say or do. He instinctively looked at Marik's shoulder and felt a wave of guilt.
"I'm sorry to interrupt." He apologized. "I hope you don't mind."
"Of course not." Anzu said with a smile that matched Marik's before glaring at the others, silently telling them to do the same, before turning back to the dark skinned boy. "What's going on?"
"I actually wanted to apologize. I was against moving here, and I took out my frustrations on all of you. I hope that you will all forgive my rudeness."
"Of course." Anzu saw that the others weren't responding and jammed her elbow into Jonouchi's stomach. "Right?"
"Yeah." Yugi said hastily.
"Of course, man." Honda put in.
"No problem." Jonouchi said, his hand on the spot where Anzu had hit him.
"Why did you suddenly decide to apologize after all this time?" Bakura asked, lowering his eyelids with a faint hint of a grin. "Unless you secretly want something from us."
"Bakura!" Anzu said in disbelief. "How can you say that? Can't you see that he's trying to apologize?"
"No, it's fine." Marik raised his hand reassuringly. "I don't expect any of you to forgive me right away."
"But we do forgive you, Marik."
"We do?" Jonouchi asked before seeing the look on Anzu's face. "Uh, I mean, yeah. 'Course we do. I guess."
Their teacher came into the classroom and everyone sat in their seats. Yugi only half listened, occasionally glancing over his shoulder to look at Marik. Why was he acting so nice all of a sudden? Did it have something to do with that night? He couldn't see how that could be the case. Maybe what he said was true, at least in a way. Yugi knew nothing about him, after all. Marik saw that Yugi was watching him and gave his classmate a friendly smile before grabbing his pencil to write something down. When Yugi's head felt like it was going to explode, he pushed his questions to the back of his head and decided to ask Marik about it after school.
While Yugi tried to listen to what the teacher was saying, Marik glared up at him and felt a wave of disgust. Disgust at himself. It had taken every ounce of willpower not to drive his pencil into the runt's eyeball when he was talking to him and his clueless companions. It was still tempting. But he had to wait for the right moment. That is what he had decided last night.
Marik pulled the tip of the dagger out of the concrete, where he had stabbed the ground only inches away from Yugi's unconscious body. Nothing would bring him more pleasure than to see Yugi's blood drip from his weapon as he watched the boy's life fade. But they would know that he did it, and he knew the consequences. No. He wasn't going to let the Pharaoh ruin his life any more than he already had. There had to be a way to kill him without anyone knowing that he was behind it.
The main problem was his sister. With her power to see the future, it was almost impossible. But it did have its weaknesses. She would be able to see a man stab another, but she could not read their heart to know their reasons behind it. If he could use that to his advantage, than maybe he could figure out a way to kill the Pharaoh and look blameless for it.
For now he would pretend to be his friend to lower his defenses and fool his sister if she was watching. And then, when the time was right, he would have his revenge.
Marik spun the pencil between his fingers while the gears in his head spun, trying to come up with the perfect strategy. When he realized that all of his current ideas wouldn't work, he directed his attention at Bakura, the innocent looking boy who had everyone fooled. He was a great actor, he gave him that. Or was it that he also . . .
Bakura felt Marik's eyes on him and turned his head in the Egyptian's direction. His brown eyes looked into Marik's lavender ones and they had a short staring contest, trying to figure each other out without revealing anything about themselves. As they did, they both remembered the first time they had officially met.
Yugi and Anzu had left Marik's desk just moments before, having failed in their quest to befriend him, when Bakura walked over and smiled sweetly at him. "Mind if I join you?"
"You can stop acting." Marik said in a flat tone.
Bakura's features changed and he let out a small chuckle. "What gave me away?" When Marik didn't answer, he crossed his arms over his chest. "You're one of the Tomb Keepers, right? A long line of guardians who protect the Pharaoh and his secrets." The corners of his mouth pulled into a cruel smirk, exposing teeth that were as white as his hair. "But I can see your hatred when you look at him." He leaned forward slightly. "We have something in common."
Marik's eyelids lowered. "Are you suggesting that we team up?"
"Of course not. I never work with anyone unless there's something in it for me." He raised his shoulders in a slight shrug. "I just came here to warn you. If you kill the Pharaoh before I do, I will delight in dismembering your body and sending the pieces to your family. But they won't get all of it. I'll keep your head and throw my knives at it when I'm bored."
Bakura hadn't been joking. He really would kill anyone who got to the Pharaoh first or tried to get in his way. And he would enjoy it too. His hands ached to grab a knife hilt again. The memory of watching the blade piece the skin was still fresh in his mind and remembering it now made him want to do it again. Maybe he would just kill Marik for kicks. It had been a while since he murdered anyone, and he felt out of practice. He wasn't too worried, though. It was like riding a bike; except more fun. As he grinned to himself, Bakura leaned back in his chair and placed his hands behind his head. This was out of character for the Ryo Bakura that everyone knew, but he was in too much of a good mood to care. And it didn't matter, because tonight he was going to make his first move.
"Are you all right, Ishizu?" Rishid Ishtar, a tall man with Egyptian hieroglyphs tattooed on the left side of his face, asked his sister when she had stumbled.
"I'm fine." She told him as he helped steady her.
"Was it another vision?"
"No, and that is the problem. I'm worried, Rishid. Was it wrong of me to assign Marik to guard the Pharaoh?"
He wished he could reassure her, but he was probably more concerned than she was. Rishid lowered his head and remembered the conversation he and Marik had had before his little brother left for Japan.
Deep under the sands of Egypt, Rishid walked through the tomb that the Ishtar's called home and stepped into Marik's room to find that he had already finished packing. But of course, Marik didn't have many belongings. None of them did. Just a handful of clothes, a primitive first aid kit, and the Millennium Rod that doubled as a weapon. Marik was now sitting on his bed while staring at the stone wall in front of him, lost in his thoughts.
"Come in, Rishid." Marik finally said, not looking in his direction.
Rishid complied. "You wanted to see me, Marik?"
The teenage boy's fingers intertwined. "When I meet the Pharaoh, I may not be able to control myself."
"Ishizu wouldn't send you if she thought you would be a threat to him."
Marik looked up at his older brother. "If I lose myself, I want you to kill me."
"It won't come to that." Rishid knew that the only reason why he said this was because he didn't want it to happen, but he knew that it was a possibility.
"You have to promise me that you will do it."
Rishid's head lowered. "I promise."
While Rishid remained silent by her side, Ishizu grabbed onto the railing of the ship they were on with one hand and touched the Millennium Tauk with the other. She closed her eyes and tried to see what would come to pass, but of course she saw nothing. Ishizu didn't know why, but something seemed to be blocking her visions. One of the reasons why she had so willingly told Marik to stay by the Pharaoh's side was because she knew that she could see his future to make sure everything would be all right. But now that she couldn't, Ishizu wondered if her little brother really would kill the one he was supposed to protect. Telling herself that there had been no other choice didn't make her feel any better. All she and Rishid could do now was go to Japan and pray that they were not too late.
Marik was on his way out of the school grounds, still trying to formulate a plausible plan for annihilating the Pharaoh, when someone blocked his path. It was Yugi. With effort, Marik managed to force himself to give a fake smile and opened his mouth to say something friendly that would make Marik's stomach twist with revulsion, but Yugi spoke first.
"Marik, we need to talk."
The Egyptian looked at their surroundings. Students were still piling out of the building, chatting to each other while heading back home or to other various locations to hang out. This wasn't exactly the ideal place to have this conversation.
"Is there somewhere private where we can talk?" Marik asked.
Yugi smiled. "I know the perfect place!"
Pegasus J. Crawford brought his wineglass to his lips before looking up at the portrait of his deceased wife. "It won't be long now." He told her. Of course she didn't reply, but talking to her like this helped ease the pain a little. And it renewed his resolve.
The door flew open with a loud bang and one of his many security guards marched into the room. Pegasus looked up from his glass in annoyance. Why did they all have to barge in like that? What happened to dignity and etiquette? All of his men severely lacked both of those things. That was the price of hiring brawn over brain. While his Millennium Item was very useful, he sometimes found himself wishing that he had one that controlled men's minds instead. That way he could force them to have some manners. But of course, that wasn't his style. He much preferred permanently disposing of those who didn't meet his standards.
"Mr. Crawford!" The security guard said a bit too loudly for Pegasus' taste. "We have just found the location of the Pharaoh, sir!"
"Excellent." Pegasus said as he moved his wrist in a circular motion, making the red liquid in the wineglass spin like a calm whirlpool. "Soon my plan will be complete."
"What is our next course of action, sir?!" Why did he have to be so loud? Pegasus hadn't even finished his wine yet and he already felt like he had a hangover.
"We are going to send him an invitation to my mansion, telling him that I, Pegasus J. Crawford, would like to speak with him in private about the power he holds."
"Wouldn't it be easier to capture him instead, sir?!" This man was really starting to get on his nerves. "What if he refuses to come, sir?!"
"Oh, he will come; when he realizes that I've taken one of his loved ones hostage."
"I didn't know that we had done that, sir!"
"That's because we haven't yet. But a group of my men were ordered to do so once we found out his current identity."
"Why wasn't I informed, sir?!"
Pegasus smiled and made a flourish with his free hand. "I didn't see the point in explaining my plans to a dead man."
The security guard's eyes widened and his voice lowered in volume, much to Pegasus' relief. "Dead man, sir?"
"That's right. But don't worry. I'll be sure to send your family some flowers."
Before the terrified guard could respond, Pegasus moved his long platinum colored hair away from his left eye, which, many years ago, had been replaced with the one and only Millennium Eye. As the security guard looked at it, he felt a searing pain in his hand. He looked down and saw that his fingers had molded together and had somehow turned into steel, creating a deadly blade, and it was moving towards his throat against his will. Pegasus grinned and sipped his drink while the man begged for it to stop, his eyes bulging as the blade came closer and closer to his neck until it sliced him open.
Pegasus let out a deep sigh. Another mess to clean up later. But even the blood seeping into his expensive carpet couldn't dampen his mood. Tonight the Pharaoh would be his guest, and he would force the boy to give him his powers. If he refused, then Pegasus would just have to put up with a few more blood stains.
Marik wouldn't have called this the 'perfect place' to continue their chat. Burger World was filled with the sound of teenagers and families talking to each other in raised voices to be heard over everyone else as pretty waitresses wearing mini skirts busily went from table to table without rest. Being around this many people made Marik feel uncomfortable. He much preferred being alone. Or at least not with such large crowds.
"It's okay." Yugi said when he saw the look on Marik's face as they sat down. "It's so busy in here that no one will be able to listen in on us."
Yugi's logic was flawed at best, but Marik was still fairly new here, meaning that he didn't know of a better place to go. Besides, if they went to an isolated area, Yugi might find himself with the Millennium Rod pierced into his head. So all-in-all, this was probably one of the better places to talk.
"May I take your order?" A waitress asked them.
"What kind of a burger would you like, Marik?" Yugi asked.
Marik blinked. "What's a burger?"
The waitress pointed at the Egyptian with her pencil as she whispered to Yugi. "Is he serious?"
Yugi gave her a nervous laugh before ordering for the both of them and waited until she was gone before asking, "Have you really never had a burger before?"
"There are a lot of things I haven't had because of where I live." His home was surrounded by sand and the nearest marketplace didn't exactly have the widest array of food and supplies. And his family couldn't even afford most of it.
Yugi now realized that he took so many things for granted and felt guilty in a way, but then he smiled. "I think you'll really like it. Jonouchi can vouch for them."
Marik didn't reply. He had kept up the nice guy act as long as he could. Besides, it only made him loath Yugi even more, if that was even possible. So the two of them sat in awkward silence until their food arrived. Yugi instantly grabbed his burger and bit into it, his appetite finally returning, while Marik just stared at his, as if expecting it to grow legs and perform a tap dance routine on his plate. He never rushed into things and liked weighing all of his options before making a move; even when it came to simple things like trying out a new food. Except for when he was in the heat of battle. During a fight, he always let his instincts take over and charged forward, not thinking about the possible dangers. People who hesitated on the battlefield, in his opinion, were cowards. Finally he decided to give it a try and chewed it thoughtfully, tasting the toasted bun, beef patty, ketchup, mustard, and pickle slices.
"Well?" Yugi asked, honestly wanting to know what he thought.
Marik swallowed it before putting the rest of the burger back on his plate. "You wanted to talk, right?"
"Right." Yugi wolfed down the rest of his burger. "Can you please explain what that bug was and why it was after me?"
Marik tried to ignore the taste in his mouth as he resisted the urge to wash it out with the glass of water that sat in front of him. "It would be quicker if I just started from the beginning."
"Okay." Yugi leaned forward, telling Marik that he was ready to listen.
After placing his arms on the tabletop, Marik began. "Three thousand years ago in Ancient Egypt, the Pharaoh's wizards found a way to call upon Monsters and make them enter their bodies, giving the wizards great powers." He saw the confused look on Yugi's face but continued anyway, trying to explain everything in as few words as possible. He couldn't stand to be in the same room with him for much longer. "It's unclear exactly what happened, but something went wrong and the Pharaoh and he used the power to control all Monsters to slaughter all of his people before his demise."
"Was that bug a Monster?"
Marik ignored the question. "We don't know why, but those who are possessed by Monsters become reincarnated when they die, forced to relive the events that took place in their first life." His lavender eyes narrowed. "And you are the reincarnation of the Pharaoh, Atem."
Yugi felt a cold chill run down his spine. He, Yugi Mutou, the shortest kid at his school and first-class wimp, was the Pharaoh of Egypt in a past life? The idea seemed laughable. It would explain what the insect was, but if he could control all Monsters, why couldn't he stop it from attacking him? Or from killing that man? His burger tried to resurface but he managed to keep it down and pushed back the memory. As he did, he suddenly realized with dread that that insect might not be the last Monster to come after him. What if one attacked him at school, or at his grandfather's store? What if someone he knew got hurt because of him? Or worse . . . Yugi's head lowered and he clenched his fists. What could he do to prevent that from happening?
The dark skinned teenager glanced at the object that rested against Yugi's chest and wondered if he knew that the Millennium Items were used to better control the Monsters that possessed their hosts, decreasing the creature's chances of taking over in the form of their previous life. After thinking about it for a while, he decided to not mention it. As long as Yugi kept it wherever he went it should be fine, and he could always explain it to him later on. Besides, Marik knew that it was always best to give out as little information as possible to the enemy. Speaking of enemies . . .
"Over the years, the Pharaoh's power has become well known." Marik explained. "Many have tried to take it for their own. No one has succeeded yet, but that doesn't stop them from trying every time the Pharaoh resurfaces. It was probably someone who wants the Pharaoh's power that sent the Monster after you."
"And you're protecting me from them?" Marik didn't answer, but Yugi took it as a yes. "Why?"
He could explain that the Ishtar family have served the Pharaoh for three thousand years, but just thinking about it filled his heart with an uncontrollable rage. Marik decided not to answer. He needed to remain calm and in control of his emotions and actions. Talking about it would only upset the balance.
When he saw that Marik wasn't going to answer any of his questions, Yugi stared at the tabletop. What was the point of Marik telling him all of this if he wasn't willing to explain everything? Yugi had so many things he wanted to ask, but was it even worth it if Marik was going to remain silent?
The two of them were interrupted from their private thoughts when a man wearing a suit walked over to their table. "Are you Yugi Mutou?"
"Uh, yeah." Yugi answered. "What is it?"
"Mr. Seto Kaiba has requested your company. If you would please follow us, we will take you to him."
"Kaiba?" What would he want with Yugi? Even though they were classmates, they had never spoken to each other, and all Yugi knew about him was that his family was extremely rich.
"We must leave now." The man insisted.
"Okay." Yugi started to get up before he remembered his companion. "Can my friend come too?"
The man looked at the Egyptian through his dark sunglasses before speaking again. "Mr. Seto Kaiba has requested you alone."
"Oh." Yugi turned towards Marik to say goodbye and ask if they could continue their discussion at a later time, but before he could get the words out of his mouth, Marik had grabbed the plate that still had his burger on it and slammed it into the man's face. "What the-?"
Marik grabbed Yugi's arm, yanking him out of his seat, and pushed him towards the door before running through it himself. At first Yugi didn't move and tried to figure out what could have caused Marik's outburst, but then he saw the man reach into his suit and pull out a gun, while trying to wipe ketchup and mustard from his eyes with his free arm. The sight of the lethal weapon was a good enough reason to leave. Yugi ran for the exit and a gunshot rang out behind him. Luckily the burger toppings had disoriented him enough for the man to miss. As Yugi made his escape, the people inside Burger World all screamed and flattened themselves on the floor, hoping to not get hit by stray bullets.
When he made it outside, Yugi looked up and down the street, wondering which way Marik went, when he saw five or more armored jeeps coming towards him. They stopped a few feet away and men wearing commando uniforms and carrying guns that were triple the size of the ones the suited man had pointed their weapons at Yugi as one of them put a megaphone to his lips.
"Mr. Yugi Mutou! We command you to surrender and put your hands behind your head!"
Before Yugi could perform their request, someone grabbed his shirt collar from behind and dragged him into a narrow alley, causing him to be hidden by darkness.
"Hold your fire!" The commando ordered his men. "Gozaburo wants the Pharaoh alive! Split up and circle around him! He won't get far!"
When the person who had grabbed Yugi let go, the spiky haired boy let out a sigh of relief when he saw that it was Marik. He opened his mouth to say 'thank you', but like always, Marik sped off without a word and Yugi followed while trying to figure out what was going on.
Unknowing to them, Bakura was standing on the rooftop, watching them as if they were two lab rats in a maze. He had been planning to kill the Pharaoh tonight, but it would be too much of a hassle with all of these people chasing after him. And besides, this was fun to watch. Maybe a few innocents would get caught in the crossfire and their blood would run in the streets. Or, if he was lucky, maybe Marik would be fatally shot. It would certainly make his job a whole lot easier. Bakura smiled as he effortlessly followed Yugi and his protector, wondering how long they would be able to keep him entertained.
