Anita stared at the phone for a long time afterward. Who was that? Why had they asked such a thing? And who in the world was the John Doe? Was he in danger? Maybe she'd better check on him and make sure he was still okay.
Quietly Anita walked to the boy's room and pushed the door open. She discovered that he was wide awake and staring out the window. He turned to look when she opened the door and gave her a curious gaze.
"How are you doing?" Anita asked.
The boy shook his head. "I am . . . alright, I suppose," he said finally. He hated not knowing anything about himself. What was he like? Was he a good person? How had he gotten into the car wreck?
"It's hard having amnesia, isn't it?" Anita said sympathetically.
"Very hard," the boy said quietly.
"Well, we'll have to give you a name until you can remember your own," Anita said resolutely.
The boy gave her a shy smile. "I suppose so," he agreed.
Anita sat down in the chair next to the bed. "Let's see . . . you look Egyptian," she mused. "But I'm afraid I don't know any good Egyptian names."
The boy shook his head. "That's quite alright. I could just call myself by the name they gave me when I was brought in. What was it again?" He glanced at his hospital bracelet. John Doe. Such an odd-sounding name.
"No, no." Anita stood up. "Give me a day or two and I promise I'll think of something."
"With any luck, I should be out of here in a day or two," the boy replied.
"Well, then I'll just have to think fast!" Anita said cheerfully.
****
Yugi couldn't figure things out. Seto hadn't told them what had happened to him, but he knew something was strange. Why would someone just come out of nowhere and beat the boy up? Seto had collected many enemies, but still, it seemed odd.
Joey thought so too. "Man, we just can't have any peace around here!" he cried. "Somethin' weird always happens!" It hadn't been long since they'd solved their last puzzling case, which involved reuniting a little girl with her parents.
"And here's something else weird," Tristan spoke up suddenly. "I just saw Weevil Underwood walking through town!"
"Weevil Underwood?" Yugi exclaimed.
"Oh great," Tea sighed. "I wonder what he wants?"
"Actually . . ." Bakura paused. "I think he might be moving here."
"You're kiddin' me!" Joey cried.
Bakura shook his head. "I saw him too—and he was going into a home with a moving van out front."
"Well, that's a surprise," Yugi said, blinking. "I never thought he'd be moving here."
Joey shrugged. "Eh, well, we've got stranger things to worry about. I think someone's stalkin' us!"
"Stalking us?!" Tea cried in disbelief.
"Why do you think that, Joey?" Yugi asked.
Joey paused for effect. "Okay. First Kaiba gets attacked. That was three days ago. Yesterday someone called me on the phone three times and never said a word! Then today when I was comin' over to your place, man, I swear, Yug—there was a car followin' me!"
"What? Really, Joey?" Yugi exclaimed.
"It stayed behind me for five blocks!" Joey said hotly.
Tristan shrugged. He didn't seem too upset. "I dunno, Joey. Sounds to me like you're getting paranoid."
"I am not!" Joey yelled indignantly.
"Supposing there really is someone stalking us," Bakura spoke up in his soft voice. "Who on earth would want to do such a thing?!"
"That's what we've gotta find out!" Joey cried.
Tea wanted to agree with Tristan and say that it was probably just Joey's imagination, but the fact was, she wasn't sure. A strange person had stalked her last month, and she knew that it wasn't always easy to know when such a thing was happening. What if Joey was right?
"Well," Yugi was saying now, "I think we should all be very careful until we find out what really is going on around here."
The other teens agreed, but Tristan still seemed doubtful. "Just don't let your imaginations run away with you," he said.
"I'm not, for cryin' out loud!" Joey burst out. "Don't you find it weird that some car would follow me for five blocks?!"
"Well, yeah, if that's really what it was doing," Tristan replied.
"Were you able to see who was in the car, Joey?" Bakura asked.
Joey shook his head. "No, I wasn't. And that's another freaky thing—the windows were all tinted so I couldn't!"
"That is strange!" Yugi exclaimed.
Tea felt sick. She was tired of getting into life-threatening situations, and now it sounded like they wouldn't be able to avoid getting into a few more.
Yugi sighed and opened his desk to put the chemistry textbook back. He gasped upon seeing a plain white envelope with his name pasted on the front in newspaper letters. "Huh? What's this?" he exclaimed, taking it out.
"It looks ominous," Tea declared.
Yugi lifted the flap and a single sheet of paper fell out, landing faceup on the desk.
You think you're so smart
But I'm smarter!
Tea blinked. "It's . . . weird," she finished finally.
"Man, you can say that again!" Joey said, messing his hair up in frustration. "What the heck does it even mean?!"
Yugi shook his head. It didn't make sense to him either.
****
Seto put down the company reports he was going over and rubbed his eyes. He couldn't seem to concentrate, and he knew why. He had felt like someone was watching him ever since the incident three days before.
He had collected many enemies over the years, and sometimes other companies sent spies to try to find out his latest technology, but this seemed . . . different somehow. Almost supernatural, he realized, remembering how his attackers just seemed to melt away into nothing. Of course, he *had* fallen unconscious after being slammed into the brick wall, so he supposed he might've been hallucinating just prior to going under.
But what was next? Would whoever it was try going after Mokuba? Seto's eyes narrowed at the thought. He couldn't let that happen.
He remembered how horrified Mokuba had been the other day. Seto had tried to clean himself up as best he could, but he still hadn't been able to hide his swollen eye and the cuts. He had tried to reassure his brother that it was nothing, but frankly . . . he wasn't so sure. He felt like something was just waiting to happen, and he didn't like the dark feeling he got when he thought about it.
The telephone rang and jarred him out of his reverie. Shaking his head in faint irritation, he picked up the receiver. "Kaiba," he said coldly.
"Seto Kaiba." He recognized Ishizu Ishtar's smooth voice instantly.
"What is it?" Seto tapped his fingers impatiently. "I hope you're not going to tell me more of that nonsense about the past. I don't have time for that today—I'm too concerned with the present to worry about what happened thousands of years ago!"
"Ah, I see." Seto knew that Ishizu was nodding and smiling in her mysterious way. "But unfortunately, Seto Kaiba, the events of the past are going to have an effect on the present. There is no way you can separate the two."
Seto grunted. "Look, someone attacked me a few nights ago and I'm afraid they're going to go after Mokuba too. Unless you can tell me who did that and why, I'm not really interested."
Ishizu seemed to ignore the last part as she went on speaking. "A great evil from the past has been reawakened," she told him. "Mortals are working with this supernatural force to unleash a terrible power on the world."
"And that involves me how?" Seto glanced idly out the window as a winter snow began to fall.
"I have foreseen that you are already deeply involved," Ishizu replied. "These evil forces are conspiring to take your life."
Seto raised an eyebrow. "They didn't do a very good job of it," he remarked sarcastically.
"What happened three days before was only a warning," Ishizu said softly.
"Then you're saying it was them that attacked me," Seto stated.
"Most likely." Ishizu paused.
"Can't you tell me any more?" Seto demanded. "Who are these clowns? Why do they want me dead? And are they going to go after my brother?" he asked urgently.
"I have not seen the answers to your questions," Ishizu told him. "I only see what is needed for me to see at the time."
"Look, it's 'needed' for me to know if Mokuba isn't safe," Seto growled. "He means more to me than anything!"
"I understand that," Ishizu said, and Seto could tell she was nodding again. "But I cannot tell you more at this time." She hesitated. "Stay true to your values, Seto. Farewell." With that she hung up, leaving Seto very baffled, confused, and a bit frustrated.
What Ishizu says hardly ever makes sense at the time she says it, Seto decided. He couldn't imagine why any great evil from the ancient past would want him dead.
Unfortunately, however, he couldn't entirely dismiss what Ishizu said, either. He knew someone was after him, and maybe she did know something about who they were. He rather doubted the supernatural angle, even though he himself had considered that only shortly before.
He mulled all this over in his mind before picking up the phone again and dialing his home number. "Velma," he said when he heard his bubbly maid's voice, "is Mokuba there?"
"Yes, sir!" Velma chirped. "He misses you, Mr. Kaiba! Shall I put him on?"
"Go right ahead." Seto waited.
Soon Mokuba's innocent voice came on the line. "Hi, big brother!" he said happily. "How are you?"
"I'm fine, kid," Seto replied, smiling. He loved that boy so much! "What have you been up to?"
"Oh, not much. Just finishing my homework," Mokuba told him.
"That's good," Seto nodded. "Look, kid, I'm sending the limo over. How would you like to come here with me for a bit?"
"You mean it, Seto?" Mokuba exclaimed. "Alright!" he yelled excitedly.
After saying their goodbyes, Seto hung up and waited for Mokuba to arrive. He'd feel much better knowing that Mokuba was with him instead of home alone with the maids, especially if there was some danger afoot.
****
The nameless boy slowly climbed out of the bed and limped over to the window for a better look at the world outside. He could see the strange white stuff falling from the sky and he shivered. Somewhere in the back of his mind, he knew that he wasn't used to snow. If Anita was right, that he was an Egyptian, what was he doing here? It seemed like a nice enough place, but was it really where he would want to live?
"Looks pretty cold, doesn't it?"
The boy turned and saw Anita standing in the doorway. "It does," he agreed, nodding slowly.
Anita came in and stood in front of him. "It looks like you're feeling a lot better now," she remarked with a smile.
Again the boy nodded. He wondered what he would do when he was released. Where would he go? What would he do? How would he get a job without any identification?
Anita seemed to sense his fears. "I'm sure everything will be alright," she said softly. "In time you'll remember who you are."
"I wish I had your confidence," the boy replied sadly.
Anita paused. "I went on a name website during my lunch break," she said finally.
"Oh?" The boy showed only mild interest.
"I looked through lots of different name lists, and . . ." Anita tried to choose her words carefully. "It was kind of strange what happened."
"What did?" The boy again glanced curiously out the window, while at the same time keeping most of his attention on the nurse.
"I was drawn to this one name," Anita told him slowly. "I felt that it was right for you."
Now she had his full attention. "What was it?" he demanded.
"Marik," she said softly. "The name was Marik."
Quietly Anita walked to the boy's room and pushed the door open. She discovered that he was wide awake and staring out the window. He turned to look when she opened the door and gave her a curious gaze.
"How are you doing?" Anita asked.
The boy shook his head. "I am . . . alright, I suppose," he said finally. He hated not knowing anything about himself. What was he like? Was he a good person? How had he gotten into the car wreck?
"It's hard having amnesia, isn't it?" Anita said sympathetically.
"Very hard," the boy said quietly.
"Well, we'll have to give you a name until you can remember your own," Anita said resolutely.
The boy gave her a shy smile. "I suppose so," he agreed.
Anita sat down in the chair next to the bed. "Let's see . . . you look Egyptian," she mused. "But I'm afraid I don't know any good Egyptian names."
The boy shook his head. "That's quite alright. I could just call myself by the name they gave me when I was brought in. What was it again?" He glanced at his hospital bracelet. John Doe. Such an odd-sounding name.
"No, no." Anita stood up. "Give me a day or two and I promise I'll think of something."
"With any luck, I should be out of here in a day or two," the boy replied.
"Well, then I'll just have to think fast!" Anita said cheerfully.
****
Yugi couldn't figure things out. Seto hadn't told them what had happened to him, but he knew something was strange. Why would someone just come out of nowhere and beat the boy up? Seto had collected many enemies, but still, it seemed odd.
Joey thought so too. "Man, we just can't have any peace around here!" he cried. "Somethin' weird always happens!" It hadn't been long since they'd solved their last puzzling case, which involved reuniting a little girl with her parents.
"And here's something else weird," Tristan spoke up suddenly. "I just saw Weevil Underwood walking through town!"
"Weevil Underwood?" Yugi exclaimed.
"Oh great," Tea sighed. "I wonder what he wants?"
"Actually . . ." Bakura paused. "I think he might be moving here."
"You're kiddin' me!" Joey cried.
Bakura shook his head. "I saw him too—and he was going into a home with a moving van out front."
"Well, that's a surprise," Yugi said, blinking. "I never thought he'd be moving here."
Joey shrugged. "Eh, well, we've got stranger things to worry about. I think someone's stalkin' us!"
"Stalking us?!" Tea cried in disbelief.
"Why do you think that, Joey?" Yugi asked.
Joey paused for effect. "Okay. First Kaiba gets attacked. That was three days ago. Yesterday someone called me on the phone three times and never said a word! Then today when I was comin' over to your place, man, I swear, Yug—there was a car followin' me!"
"What? Really, Joey?" Yugi exclaimed.
"It stayed behind me for five blocks!" Joey said hotly.
Tristan shrugged. He didn't seem too upset. "I dunno, Joey. Sounds to me like you're getting paranoid."
"I am not!" Joey yelled indignantly.
"Supposing there really is someone stalking us," Bakura spoke up in his soft voice. "Who on earth would want to do such a thing?!"
"That's what we've gotta find out!" Joey cried.
Tea wanted to agree with Tristan and say that it was probably just Joey's imagination, but the fact was, she wasn't sure. A strange person had stalked her last month, and she knew that it wasn't always easy to know when such a thing was happening. What if Joey was right?
"Well," Yugi was saying now, "I think we should all be very careful until we find out what really is going on around here."
The other teens agreed, but Tristan still seemed doubtful. "Just don't let your imaginations run away with you," he said.
"I'm not, for cryin' out loud!" Joey burst out. "Don't you find it weird that some car would follow me for five blocks?!"
"Well, yeah, if that's really what it was doing," Tristan replied.
"Were you able to see who was in the car, Joey?" Bakura asked.
Joey shook his head. "No, I wasn't. And that's another freaky thing—the windows were all tinted so I couldn't!"
"That is strange!" Yugi exclaimed.
Tea felt sick. She was tired of getting into life-threatening situations, and now it sounded like they wouldn't be able to avoid getting into a few more.
Yugi sighed and opened his desk to put the chemistry textbook back. He gasped upon seeing a plain white envelope with his name pasted on the front in newspaper letters. "Huh? What's this?" he exclaimed, taking it out.
"It looks ominous," Tea declared.
Yugi lifted the flap and a single sheet of paper fell out, landing faceup on the desk.
You think you're so smart
But I'm smarter!
Tea blinked. "It's . . . weird," she finished finally.
"Man, you can say that again!" Joey said, messing his hair up in frustration. "What the heck does it even mean?!"
Yugi shook his head. It didn't make sense to him either.
****
Seto put down the company reports he was going over and rubbed his eyes. He couldn't seem to concentrate, and he knew why. He had felt like someone was watching him ever since the incident three days before.
He had collected many enemies over the years, and sometimes other companies sent spies to try to find out his latest technology, but this seemed . . . different somehow. Almost supernatural, he realized, remembering how his attackers just seemed to melt away into nothing. Of course, he *had* fallen unconscious after being slammed into the brick wall, so he supposed he might've been hallucinating just prior to going under.
But what was next? Would whoever it was try going after Mokuba? Seto's eyes narrowed at the thought. He couldn't let that happen.
He remembered how horrified Mokuba had been the other day. Seto had tried to clean himself up as best he could, but he still hadn't been able to hide his swollen eye and the cuts. He had tried to reassure his brother that it was nothing, but frankly . . . he wasn't so sure. He felt like something was just waiting to happen, and he didn't like the dark feeling he got when he thought about it.
The telephone rang and jarred him out of his reverie. Shaking his head in faint irritation, he picked up the receiver. "Kaiba," he said coldly.
"Seto Kaiba." He recognized Ishizu Ishtar's smooth voice instantly.
"What is it?" Seto tapped his fingers impatiently. "I hope you're not going to tell me more of that nonsense about the past. I don't have time for that today—I'm too concerned with the present to worry about what happened thousands of years ago!"
"Ah, I see." Seto knew that Ishizu was nodding and smiling in her mysterious way. "But unfortunately, Seto Kaiba, the events of the past are going to have an effect on the present. There is no way you can separate the two."
Seto grunted. "Look, someone attacked me a few nights ago and I'm afraid they're going to go after Mokuba too. Unless you can tell me who did that and why, I'm not really interested."
Ishizu seemed to ignore the last part as she went on speaking. "A great evil from the past has been reawakened," she told him. "Mortals are working with this supernatural force to unleash a terrible power on the world."
"And that involves me how?" Seto glanced idly out the window as a winter snow began to fall.
"I have foreseen that you are already deeply involved," Ishizu replied. "These evil forces are conspiring to take your life."
Seto raised an eyebrow. "They didn't do a very good job of it," he remarked sarcastically.
"What happened three days before was only a warning," Ishizu said softly.
"Then you're saying it was them that attacked me," Seto stated.
"Most likely." Ishizu paused.
"Can't you tell me any more?" Seto demanded. "Who are these clowns? Why do they want me dead? And are they going to go after my brother?" he asked urgently.
"I have not seen the answers to your questions," Ishizu told him. "I only see what is needed for me to see at the time."
"Look, it's 'needed' for me to know if Mokuba isn't safe," Seto growled. "He means more to me than anything!"
"I understand that," Ishizu said, and Seto could tell she was nodding again. "But I cannot tell you more at this time." She hesitated. "Stay true to your values, Seto. Farewell." With that she hung up, leaving Seto very baffled, confused, and a bit frustrated.
What Ishizu says hardly ever makes sense at the time she says it, Seto decided. He couldn't imagine why any great evil from the ancient past would want him dead.
Unfortunately, however, he couldn't entirely dismiss what Ishizu said, either. He knew someone was after him, and maybe she did know something about who they were. He rather doubted the supernatural angle, even though he himself had considered that only shortly before.
He mulled all this over in his mind before picking up the phone again and dialing his home number. "Velma," he said when he heard his bubbly maid's voice, "is Mokuba there?"
"Yes, sir!" Velma chirped. "He misses you, Mr. Kaiba! Shall I put him on?"
"Go right ahead." Seto waited.
Soon Mokuba's innocent voice came on the line. "Hi, big brother!" he said happily. "How are you?"
"I'm fine, kid," Seto replied, smiling. He loved that boy so much! "What have you been up to?"
"Oh, not much. Just finishing my homework," Mokuba told him.
"That's good," Seto nodded. "Look, kid, I'm sending the limo over. How would you like to come here with me for a bit?"
"You mean it, Seto?" Mokuba exclaimed. "Alright!" he yelled excitedly.
After saying their goodbyes, Seto hung up and waited for Mokuba to arrive. He'd feel much better knowing that Mokuba was with him instead of home alone with the maids, especially if there was some danger afoot.
****
The nameless boy slowly climbed out of the bed and limped over to the window for a better look at the world outside. He could see the strange white stuff falling from the sky and he shivered. Somewhere in the back of his mind, he knew that he wasn't used to snow. If Anita was right, that he was an Egyptian, what was he doing here? It seemed like a nice enough place, but was it really where he would want to live?
"Looks pretty cold, doesn't it?"
The boy turned and saw Anita standing in the doorway. "It does," he agreed, nodding slowly.
Anita came in and stood in front of him. "It looks like you're feeling a lot better now," she remarked with a smile.
Again the boy nodded. He wondered what he would do when he was released. Where would he go? What would he do? How would he get a job without any identification?
Anita seemed to sense his fears. "I'm sure everything will be alright," she said softly. "In time you'll remember who you are."
"I wish I had your confidence," the boy replied sadly.
Anita paused. "I went on a name website during my lunch break," she said finally.
"Oh?" The boy showed only mild interest.
"I looked through lots of different name lists, and . . ." Anita tried to choose her words carefully. "It was kind of strange what happened."
"What did?" The boy again glanced curiously out the window, while at the same time keeping most of his attention on the nurse.
"I was drawn to this one name," Anita told him slowly. "I felt that it was right for you."
Now she had his full attention. "What was it?" he demanded.
"Marik," she said softly. "The name was Marik."