Chapter 2: Meeting at Six
Yugi's bus stopped at a decent bus station. He had seen better, but he supposed Pegasus was not as rich as he once was.
"Yugi," Yami spoke in his mind, "Be careful. I know you care for Joey, but be on your guard. No telling what Pegasus has planned."
"No sweat, Yami."
Yugi was only glad when Grandpa believed that he was invited to a tournament. He looked for a phone to call his contact.
"Yugi, are you sure you don't want to merge our minds and face this together."
"I'm sure. Remember, Pegasus knows what you are, Yami, and I want to make sure he doesn't do anything irrational."
Finally, Yugi found a telephone, put some money in it, and punched in the number. It rang several times before a message came up.
"The number you have dialed is not available at this time."
Yugi hung up in distress.
"Oh no. They've killed him."
As he was on the brink of tears, the telephone rang. He immediately picked it up.
"Hello! Hello!"
"Yugi-boy, you sound tense."
"Pegasus, where are you?!" he demanded to know.
"You really are tense. Do you want me to free you of Joey to ease it?"
"No! Just tell me what you want."
"You know what I want, Yugi-boy. I simple want ratification for what you did to me."
"You brought it upon yourself, Pegasus. If you hadn't stolen Grandpa's soul…"
"Oh quit that nonsense," Pegasus inturupted, "It's not the duel that made me sour."
"Then what is it?"
"You're little friend, Bakura…or at least that evil spirit in his Millennium Ring. With your Millennium Puzzle, I can beat him and reclaim my Millennium Eye."
"It won't work like that."
"It can and it will. Now come to a place called the West City Night Club. I'm sure the phone book near that telephone has the address. You have until six o' clock to get to the back alley. Then your friend dies. HA HA HA HA HA HA!"
The phone cut off, leaving Yugi in dismay. He looked in the phone book hanging from a chain and began to look for the appropriate place.
Goku was stuffing himself in the Capsule Corp dining room. Bulma and the others had gotten used to this now, but they couldn't hold back comments.
"Goku," Bulma said, "You've been eating like this for the entire week. Can't you hold off a little?"
"Oh come on, Bulma. I don't eat like this at Master Roshi's place. Launch is a good cook, but not as good as your mom."
(A/N: Launch is the girl with the split personality that changes when she sneezes.)
"I guess…"
Suddenly, Goku could feel a ki he had not felt for some time. He froze, which worried Bulma.
"Hey, you ok Goku?"
"Yeah. I think I felt someone's energy."
"Who?"
"Someone familiar. I can't really tell who, but I've felt this not to long ago."
"Well, why don't you go find out who it is?"
"Hey, that's a good idea. Maybe it's someone I haven't seen in a while."
Goku took off to the outside and called the Flying Nimbus.
"Good," Bulma sighed, "Maybe I can get this dishes cleaned."
She looked at the table, which had over a hundred empty dishes on it.
Yugi looked at the building that stood before him. It was a small in and out bar that was blaring music. Someone came behind him. Noticing this, he turned around to see a large man with tattoos, almost looking like Bandit Keith.
"You, Yugi," he said.
"How do you know?"
"Some guys paid me to look out for some kid with spiky hair named Yugi. You look like the general description."
"So what do you want?"
"They told me to tell you to meet them in the back."
"Well, thanks…I guess."
The big stranger looked at the teen a little longer.
"You into that Duel Monsters thing?"
"Yes, how did you know?"
"We have that stuff here in West City. Even some of the guys play that. You just look like a guy with eclectic predilections, and I don't mean that in a good way."
He turned back and reentered the bar. Yugi, after dismissing the weird conversation in his mind, went into a dark alley that turned to the left at the end. He looked at his watch, which read 5:58. He was two minutes early, but it did not matter.
"Yugi Muto?" a familiar voice came from the mouth of the alley.
"Yes, who are you?"
A man and two guards with silenced machine guns came to the young man.
"Crockett?" Yugi questioned upon seeing the leader of the small group.
"Yugi Muto, hand over the Millennium Puzzle."
"Where's Joey?"
"He's in the safe care of Mister Pegasus."
"I want to see him."
"That is not possible."
"What?"
"You see, Mister Pegasus has decided to change the conditions of the agreement. He'll release Mr. Wheeler after we end this meeting and your life."
"No!"
The Millennium Puzzle glowed and Yami came out again.
"Yami, I told not to come out!"
"I can't let this happen, Yugi. Stay behind me."
"Mister Pegasus has told us about you as well," Crockett said turning to the guards, "Kill them both!"