Ishizu didn't look very happy at the thought of a reindeer having rummaged through the kitchen. Purposefully she descended the stairs, a broom in hand. "This reindeer shall be shown to the door," she declared.
The creature looked up as she approached, but didn't look frightened in the least.
"Shoo!" Ishizu yelled. "Be gone!!" She waved the broom wildly, deliberately whacking the reindeer on the back. It only grunted and continued standing right where it was.
Marik and Rishid quickly came down as well, looking baffled. They couldn't imagine how the animal had even gotten inside in the first place.
Noticing a bridle on the reindeer, Rishid quickly walked forward and grabbed hold of it. "Come," he growled, trying to pull it forward. But not even his strength was a match for the reindeer's determination to stay in the house. The poor man soon found himself laying on the floor courtesy of the reindeer's hooves.
"Why you . . ." Marik angrily ran forward. "How dare you knock Rishid down!!"
Abruptly the creature perked up, seeming to hear something that no one else could. Without warning it charged toward the door and Rishid was only barely able to open it in time as the reindeer barreled through.
"Well . . . that is a relief," Ishizu smiled, setting the broom aside and still being extremely puzzled over the whole thing.
"Blasted animal," Marik muttered, still upset over it kicking Rishid for no reason.
Rishid shook his head. "All of the doors were locked," he said in confusion. "There is no way it could've entered!"
Marik sat down on the couch, running his hands through his hair. "And yet it did."
Ishizu sighed. "Well . . . it has gone now. There is not much we can do, so let us simply go back to bed."
Her brothers agreed.
****
The residents of Domino City awoke to a snowy Thanksgiving. They didn't really mind; even the ones who found snow "evil" were willing to accept it. Yami Bakura was much more interested in the meat than the flurry outside.
The day passed mostly uneventfully, much to everyone's relief. The extent of the strange occurrences were Bakura's continuing suspicions of Frances and Oreo's taking up yowling in front of the oven while waiting for the turkey. Yami Bakura ravenously started eating the meat as soon as he set it before himself, but Bakura had expected that. That's not to say he wasn't embarrassed, however.
After dinner, most everyone spent a quiet evening with their families. Duke, who really didn't have anyone, was spending Thanksgiving with the Wheelers at Serenity's insistence. Ishizu, who had one of the sweetest voices anyone had ever heard, was softly singing Christmas carols with her brothers. Seto was taking a rare day off and just enjoying being with Mokuba. Yami Yugi was trying to figure out how to work the oven and not burn the turkey. Yugi had to step in and help while Solomon muttered things about Pharaohs not being good cooks. Téa's family went out to her grandparents' for the holiday and Téa enjoyed chatting with her grandmother and performing her latest dance steps for her. Tristan hung out with his parents for most of the evening and then made plans with Joey on the phone to create a snowman battlefield the next day.
All in all, it was a very peaceful, enjoyable holiday for our friends and a very well-deserved break from all their troubles. Before long they would all be involved in some very dangerous goings-on once more.
****
Friday passed away mostly uneventful, as the previous day had, but when it was dark Marik left a note for his siblings and went out to his motorcycle. He hadn't forgotten about the secret meeting he was to have with his ally.
The boy shivered as it started to snow again. He doubted that he'd ever get used to the icy substance.
Brandon and Taylor were outside again, building a snow wall. When they saw Marik riding past, they couldn't resist chucking a few snowballs at him.
"You're going to get someone killed!" the Egyptian yelled back at them, swerving wildly as he tried to avoid the flying snow. I'm just lucky there aren't any other vehicles coming down the street right now, he thought to himself, or there could very well be a collision!
Eventually he arrived at his destination and stepped inside as the door was opened, his lavender eyes narrowed. "Now. What is this about someone breaking in?" he demanded. "Do you truly think it's connected with what we're working on?"
"No," was the reply, "I think it's connected to what *I'm* working on. You're just along to offer advice about some of our opponents."
Marik glared. "Yes, well . . . when a good portion of them are ex-Rare Hunters, you can't expect me to be satisfied with just giving advice! They have become far more ruthless and cruel than before!"
"That's what I want you to tell me about—the kinds of things they're capable of! Look, Gabrielle Valesquez knows what I'm up to! The police are in on this! It's not like I'm operating completely on my own here."
"They wouldn't hesitate to kill you if they learned the truth!" Marik retorted. "And it wouldn't just be the ex-Rare Hunters, but any and all of this drug ring."
"I won't stand for one of my employees being mixed up in this! He tried to pass drugs right in my shop!" Marik's friend leaned forward, seriousness in his eyes. "I wasn't just going to let it happen then and I'm not going to now, either!" He set the ice pack aside.
Marik sighed. "I know you won't. And I can't allow it either. I insist on being more involved in this."
"What about your brother and sister?"
"You know as well as I do that they'll be in worse danger if the Rare Hunters are left to go on their rampage. Sooner or later they'd get around to those whom I hold most dear." Marik stood up, leaving no room for argument. "Now. We'll work on completely equal ground."
"Fine." The boy partially concealed in the shadows spread his hands out. "Except you can't work on the inside, like I'm doing. The Rare Hunters would find out."
"I already know that," Marik hissed.
The other boy sighed and got up, twirling a piece of hair between his fingers. "The payoff is set to happen December 5th," he reported. "A week from today. I bring the cocaine, they pay me. And the police will be there to witness it all. They're hoping to round up a good portion of the gang that night."
"I have to be there," Marik declared. "And I won't take no for an answer."
"You can come," was the slow reply, "but no one can know we're associated. If you see me, pretend you don't know me." He lowered his voice. "Now . . . this is taking place at the docks. Wharf 33."
Marik nodded, ingraining the location in his memory.
Moving right next to the other teen, the dark-haired boy then stated that there was more to his tale than even what he had said so far. It got much worse. Carefully he wrote on a paper and showed it to Marik, who narrowed his eyes angrily.
"I understand," the blonde boy said at last, nodding.
Tearing the paper up, Duke threw the remnants into the fireplace.
****
Seto, meanwhile, was going to speak to Mr. Thorton out of sheer frustration. He tried several times during the day to find out if he was back yet, or even to discover where the sister lived, but he hadn't found out anything that even could begin to satisfy him.
"I don't think you're gonna find out anything until Monday," Mokuba said, watching Seto hang up in frustration again.
Seto sighed. He was certain that something was going on tonight, only he didn't know what it was or how to find out about it.
****
Bakura paced his floor, perplexity in his eyes.
"What is the matter with you?" Yami Bakura demanded. Bakura hadn't told him of his suspicions about Frances yet.
The boy shook his head. "Nothing, Yami," he said with a weak smile.
"'Nothing' doesn't put you in distress," Yami Bakura grunted.
Bakura plopped down on the bed and gathered Oreo into his arms. "Francesk—oh! Frances!! FRANCES!!" he repeated desperately, trying to fix his mistake. "Frances is coming again tonight!"
Yami Bakura had caught the boy's slip, however. "Why were you going to say 'Franceska'?" he asked. "Don't tell me you have it in that foolish brain of yours that Frances *is* Franceska!"
Bakura went completely red. "Oh, I know it's ridiculous. . . ."
"Perhaps not," Yami Bakura replied, much to the boy's surprise. "We shall have to see." He sneered. "Tonight, I believe, I will find out for a surety of that woman's identity."
"How?!" Bakura demanded, instantly suspicious.
Yami Bakura only continued to sneer in response. Bakura suddenly felt a nervous lump in his throat.
****
Duke was waiting at the pay phone when it rang. Hurriedly he snatched it up, his eyes narrowed.
"Well, well, Mr. Devlin," a voice dripping with evil laughed, "it seems that you have done exactly as we wished. We were watching you this evening. You invited Marik Ishtar over, just as we wanted."
"That's right," Duke replied coldly.
"Did he agree to show up at the docks on payoff night?"
"He did," Duke confirmed. "You were right—he couldn't refuse the chance to stop all of you." He closed his eyes tightly, knowing exactly how terribly dangerous everything already was and how much more so it was becoming.
"I knew it," the voice chortled. "So predictable, that Marik Ishtar. And I suppose he bought the story you fed him, about working against our espionage ring?"
"Every word." Duke took out a die and set it on top of the phone. He needn't tell them the truth. Let the man think what he would. "But you do realize that if the boss found out about what we're doing just to get rid of Marik, he'd do away with us all in a heartbeat."
"He'll never know," the ex-Rare Hunter objected. "To him, 'Master' Marik will be only an unfortunate passer-by who got shot with our poison darts when he stumbled upon our drug dealing. And remember the extra cut you'll be gettin' on the side for helping us be rid of him."
"I remember." Duke tossed the die into the air and then caught it. "Marik will die come Friday."
"He had better." With that the line went dead.
Duke replaced the receiver and exited the booth, his emerald eyes narrowed. It seems, he said to himself, I'm caught up deeper in everything than I ever could've imagined.
Everything he had told Marik was the truth. Duke was no criminal. But in the process of working undercover, he found that the ex-Rare Hunters had learned that he knew Marik. For a larger cut of their profits, the vengeful men had tried to get Duke to set Marik up to be killed—unbeknownst to the other members of the drug ring. Duke had agreed.
But then Duke had told Marik about all of that. That was what he had written on the paper and shown to him. It only made Marik all the more determined to have the evil persons stopped, as Duke had known it would. Marik would never back down, no matter how bad the threats against him were. Duke could only pray that their enemies would never learn the truth. He couldn't have known just how much was about to go wrong.
****
The rest of the weekend passed by slowly and calmly, but on Monday more trouble was awaiting them all.
When Téa arrived at Toys, Etc. to help Mr. Thorton get the trashed store back in order, Seto Kaiba was already there. She could hear him and her boss yelling as soon as she pushed the door open.
"I don't know about any blackmail!" Mr. Thorton wailed nervously. Téa knew that wail—it meant he was trying to hide something.
"Just tell me and maybe we can get to the bottom of it," Seto retorted in annoyance.
"I won't!!" the excitable man cried. "You're liable to give me a heart attack right here and now!"
"Now you say you won't? You mean there really is something to be told; you just won't tell it." Seto's voice was deathly calm.
There was a crash and Téa knew that everything had just fallen off Mr. Thorton's desk. "NO!!" he screamed. "That's not it!! That's not it at all!"
Maureen, who was just coming in as well, rolled her eyes. "Thorton's having his daily breakdown, I hear."
For some reason, even though Téa was exasperated by their boss's goofball actions, Maureen's comment made her rather angry. "At least he cared enough to hire you back after finding out you were involved in the jewel smuggling ring!" she shot out.
Maureen looked taken aback at first and then flipped her hair. "I changed my ways," she said.
"Yeah, but not your attitude." Téa set to work putting everything on the right shelves.
"Not everyone can be Little Miss Sunshine like you," Maureen grunted.
"OUT OF MY OFFICE!!" Mr. Thorton yelled before Téa could retort. "OUT!! OUT!! OUUUUUUUT!!"
Seto looked less than enthused as he was forcefully pushed out into the store. But he quickly recovered, straightened his trenchcoat, and nodded to Téa before preparing to head out the door.
"What's going on, Kaiba?" the girl demanded. She wasn't about to let him go so easily.
"Nothing that concerns you," was the emotionless reply. "Go back to your work."
****
The Ishtars were having disastrous problems as well. Marik had just stepped out to collect the mail when he felt an uneasiness sweep over him. He couldn't put his finger on what it was, but in the next instant Rishid had grabbed and pulled him back in the house, his grip firm and urgent.
"Rishid, what the devil is the matter?!" Marik cried in confusion from his new position on the floor.
His brother didn't answer immediately. Marik could hear the man breathing in a raspy manner and suddenly he became quite concerned. "Rishid??!!" he screamed.
Slowly Rishid loosened his grip on the boy's body and bent over on one knee, shaking uncontrollably.
Marik pulled himself up in alarm, gripping Rishid's shoulders. "What happened, my brother??!" he pleaded to know, remembering his foreboding from a moment before.
Rishid could only remove a small but deadly object from his neck before collapsing to the floor and laying still.
The creature looked up as she approached, but didn't look frightened in the least.
"Shoo!" Ishizu yelled. "Be gone!!" She waved the broom wildly, deliberately whacking the reindeer on the back. It only grunted and continued standing right where it was.
Marik and Rishid quickly came down as well, looking baffled. They couldn't imagine how the animal had even gotten inside in the first place.
Noticing a bridle on the reindeer, Rishid quickly walked forward and grabbed hold of it. "Come," he growled, trying to pull it forward. But not even his strength was a match for the reindeer's determination to stay in the house. The poor man soon found himself laying on the floor courtesy of the reindeer's hooves.
"Why you . . ." Marik angrily ran forward. "How dare you knock Rishid down!!"
Abruptly the creature perked up, seeming to hear something that no one else could. Without warning it charged toward the door and Rishid was only barely able to open it in time as the reindeer barreled through.
"Well . . . that is a relief," Ishizu smiled, setting the broom aside and still being extremely puzzled over the whole thing.
"Blasted animal," Marik muttered, still upset over it kicking Rishid for no reason.
Rishid shook his head. "All of the doors were locked," he said in confusion. "There is no way it could've entered!"
Marik sat down on the couch, running his hands through his hair. "And yet it did."
Ishizu sighed. "Well . . . it has gone now. There is not much we can do, so let us simply go back to bed."
Her brothers agreed.
****
The residents of Domino City awoke to a snowy Thanksgiving. They didn't really mind; even the ones who found snow "evil" were willing to accept it. Yami Bakura was much more interested in the meat than the flurry outside.
The day passed mostly uneventfully, much to everyone's relief. The extent of the strange occurrences were Bakura's continuing suspicions of Frances and Oreo's taking up yowling in front of the oven while waiting for the turkey. Yami Bakura ravenously started eating the meat as soon as he set it before himself, but Bakura had expected that. That's not to say he wasn't embarrassed, however.
After dinner, most everyone spent a quiet evening with their families. Duke, who really didn't have anyone, was spending Thanksgiving with the Wheelers at Serenity's insistence. Ishizu, who had one of the sweetest voices anyone had ever heard, was softly singing Christmas carols with her brothers. Seto was taking a rare day off and just enjoying being with Mokuba. Yami Yugi was trying to figure out how to work the oven and not burn the turkey. Yugi had to step in and help while Solomon muttered things about Pharaohs not being good cooks. Téa's family went out to her grandparents' for the holiday and Téa enjoyed chatting with her grandmother and performing her latest dance steps for her. Tristan hung out with his parents for most of the evening and then made plans with Joey on the phone to create a snowman battlefield the next day.
All in all, it was a very peaceful, enjoyable holiday for our friends and a very well-deserved break from all their troubles. Before long they would all be involved in some very dangerous goings-on once more.
****
Friday passed away mostly uneventful, as the previous day had, but when it was dark Marik left a note for his siblings and went out to his motorcycle. He hadn't forgotten about the secret meeting he was to have with his ally.
The boy shivered as it started to snow again. He doubted that he'd ever get used to the icy substance.
Brandon and Taylor were outside again, building a snow wall. When they saw Marik riding past, they couldn't resist chucking a few snowballs at him.
"You're going to get someone killed!" the Egyptian yelled back at them, swerving wildly as he tried to avoid the flying snow. I'm just lucky there aren't any other vehicles coming down the street right now, he thought to himself, or there could very well be a collision!
Eventually he arrived at his destination and stepped inside as the door was opened, his lavender eyes narrowed. "Now. What is this about someone breaking in?" he demanded. "Do you truly think it's connected with what we're working on?"
"No," was the reply, "I think it's connected to what *I'm* working on. You're just along to offer advice about some of our opponents."
Marik glared. "Yes, well . . . when a good portion of them are ex-Rare Hunters, you can't expect me to be satisfied with just giving advice! They have become far more ruthless and cruel than before!"
"That's what I want you to tell me about—the kinds of things they're capable of! Look, Gabrielle Valesquez knows what I'm up to! The police are in on this! It's not like I'm operating completely on my own here."
"They wouldn't hesitate to kill you if they learned the truth!" Marik retorted. "And it wouldn't just be the ex-Rare Hunters, but any and all of this drug ring."
"I won't stand for one of my employees being mixed up in this! He tried to pass drugs right in my shop!" Marik's friend leaned forward, seriousness in his eyes. "I wasn't just going to let it happen then and I'm not going to now, either!" He set the ice pack aside.
Marik sighed. "I know you won't. And I can't allow it either. I insist on being more involved in this."
"What about your brother and sister?"
"You know as well as I do that they'll be in worse danger if the Rare Hunters are left to go on their rampage. Sooner or later they'd get around to those whom I hold most dear." Marik stood up, leaving no room for argument. "Now. We'll work on completely equal ground."
"Fine." The boy partially concealed in the shadows spread his hands out. "Except you can't work on the inside, like I'm doing. The Rare Hunters would find out."
"I already know that," Marik hissed.
The other boy sighed and got up, twirling a piece of hair between his fingers. "The payoff is set to happen December 5th," he reported. "A week from today. I bring the cocaine, they pay me. And the police will be there to witness it all. They're hoping to round up a good portion of the gang that night."
"I have to be there," Marik declared. "And I won't take no for an answer."
"You can come," was the slow reply, "but no one can know we're associated. If you see me, pretend you don't know me." He lowered his voice. "Now . . . this is taking place at the docks. Wharf 33."
Marik nodded, ingraining the location in his memory.
Moving right next to the other teen, the dark-haired boy then stated that there was more to his tale than even what he had said so far. It got much worse. Carefully he wrote on a paper and showed it to Marik, who narrowed his eyes angrily.
"I understand," the blonde boy said at last, nodding.
Tearing the paper up, Duke threw the remnants into the fireplace.
****
Seto, meanwhile, was going to speak to Mr. Thorton out of sheer frustration. He tried several times during the day to find out if he was back yet, or even to discover where the sister lived, but he hadn't found out anything that even could begin to satisfy him.
"I don't think you're gonna find out anything until Monday," Mokuba said, watching Seto hang up in frustration again.
Seto sighed. He was certain that something was going on tonight, only he didn't know what it was or how to find out about it.
****
Bakura paced his floor, perplexity in his eyes.
"What is the matter with you?" Yami Bakura demanded. Bakura hadn't told him of his suspicions about Frances yet.
The boy shook his head. "Nothing, Yami," he said with a weak smile.
"'Nothing' doesn't put you in distress," Yami Bakura grunted.
Bakura plopped down on the bed and gathered Oreo into his arms. "Francesk—oh! Frances!! FRANCES!!" he repeated desperately, trying to fix his mistake. "Frances is coming again tonight!"
Yami Bakura had caught the boy's slip, however. "Why were you going to say 'Franceska'?" he asked. "Don't tell me you have it in that foolish brain of yours that Frances *is* Franceska!"
Bakura went completely red. "Oh, I know it's ridiculous. . . ."
"Perhaps not," Yami Bakura replied, much to the boy's surprise. "We shall have to see." He sneered. "Tonight, I believe, I will find out for a surety of that woman's identity."
"How?!" Bakura demanded, instantly suspicious.
Yami Bakura only continued to sneer in response. Bakura suddenly felt a nervous lump in his throat.
****
Duke was waiting at the pay phone when it rang. Hurriedly he snatched it up, his eyes narrowed.
"Well, well, Mr. Devlin," a voice dripping with evil laughed, "it seems that you have done exactly as we wished. We were watching you this evening. You invited Marik Ishtar over, just as we wanted."
"That's right," Duke replied coldly.
"Did he agree to show up at the docks on payoff night?"
"He did," Duke confirmed. "You were right—he couldn't refuse the chance to stop all of you." He closed his eyes tightly, knowing exactly how terribly dangerous everything already was and how much more so it was becoming.
"I knew it," the voice chortled. "So predictable, that Marik Ishtar. And I suppose he bought the story you fed him, about working against our espionage ring?"
"Every word." Duke took out a die and set it on top of the phone. He needn't tell them the truth. Let the man think what he would. "But you do realize that if the boss found out about what we're doing just to get rid of Marik, he'd do away with us all in a heartbeat."
"He'll never know," the ex-Rare Hunter objected. "To him, 'Master' Marik will be only an unfortunate passer-by who got shot with our poison darts when he stumbled upon our drug dealing. And remember the extra cut you'll be gettin' on the side for helping us be rid of him."
"I remember." Duke tossed the die into the air and then caught it. "Marik will die come Friday."
"He had better." With that the line went dead.
Duke replaced the receiver and exited the booth, his emerald eyes narrowed. It seems, he said to himself, I'm caught up deeper in everything than I ever could've imagined.
Everything he had told Marik was the truth. Duke was no criminal. But in the process of working undercover, he found that the ex-Rare Hunters had learned that he knew Marik. For a larger cut of their profits, the vengeful men had tried to get Duke to set Marik up to be killed—unbeknownst to the other members of the drug ring. Duke had agreed.
But then Duke had told Marik about all of that. That was what he had written on the paper and shown to him. It only made Marik all the more determined to have the evil persons stopped, as Duke had known it would. Marik would never back down, no matter how bad the threats against him were. Duke could only pray that their enemies would never learn the truth. He couldn't have known just how much was about to go wrong.
****
The rest of the weekend passed by slowly and calmly, but on Monday more trouble was awaiting them all.
When Téa arrived at Toys, Etc. to help Mr. Thorton get the trashed store back in order, Seto Kaiba was already there. She could hear him and her boss yelling as soon as she pushed the door open.
"I don't know about any blackmail!" Mr. Thorton wailed nervously. Téa knew that wail—it meant he was trying to hide something.
"Just tell me and maybe we can get to the bottom of it," Seto retorted in annoyance.
"I won't!!" the excitable man cried. "You're liable to give me a heart attack right here and now!"
"Now you say you won't? You mean there really is something to be told; you just won't tell it." Seto's voice was deathly calm.
There was a crash and Téa knew that everything had just fallen off Mr. Thorton's desk. "NO!!" he screamed. "That's not it!! That's not it at all!"
Maureen, who was just coming in as well, rolled her eyes. "Thorton's having his daily breakdown, I hear."
For some reason, even though Téa was exasperated by their boss's goofball actions, Maureen's comment made her rather angry. "At least he cared enough to hire you back after finding out you were involved in the jewel smuggling ring!" she shot out.
Maureen looked taken aback at first and then flipped her hair. "I changed my ways," she said.
"Yeah, but not your attitude." Téa set to work putting everything on the right shelves.
"Not everyone can be Little Miss Sunshine like you," Maureen grunted.
"OUT OF MY OFFICE!!" Mr. Thorton yelled before Téa could retort. "OUT!! OUT!! OUUUUUUUT!!"
Seto looked less than enthused as he was forcefully pushed out into the store. But he quickly recovered, straightened his trenchcoat, and nodded to Téa before preparing to head out the door.
"What's going on, Kaiba?" the girl demanded. She wasn't about to let him go so easily.
"Nothing that concerns you," was the emotionless reply. "Go back to your work."
****
The Ishtars were having disastrous problems as well. Marik had just stepped out to collect the mail when he felt an uneasiness sweep over him. He couldn't put his finger on what it was, but in the next instant Rishid had grabbed and pulled him back in the house, his grip firm and urgent.
"Rishid, what the devil is the matter?!" Marik cried in confusion from his new position on the floor.
His brother didn't answer immediately. Marik could hear the man breathing in a raspy manner and suddenly he became quite concerned. "Rishid??!!" he screamed.
Slowly Rishid loosened his grip on the boy's body and bent over on one knee, shaking uncontrollably.
Marik pulled himself up in alarm, gripping Rishid's shoulders. "What happened, my brother??!" he pleaded to know, remembering his foreboding from a moment before.
Rishid could only remove a small but deadly object from his neck before collapsing to the floor and laying still.