Tea gasped at the threatening message, her eyes wide.
Seto's eyes narrowed. "Seth," he muttered.
"Who?!" Tea demanded.
"An evil high priest from ancient Egypt," Seto told her grimly. "He's back."
The man on the floor stirred, moaning in pain. The teens turned to look at him. "You stupid kid," he rasped when his eyes opened. "You shot me!"
"You're wrong." Seto found a doily on a couch and used it to press against the man's wound. "You shot yourself while you were trying to shoot me!"
The man growled and cursed at Seto in reply.
"None of that," Seto ordered. "I want you to tell me why you were trying to kill me—and Tea."
"I don't have to tell you anything," the man grumbled.
"No, Henry—you do!"
The tired voice came from the doorway, and everyone turned to see the woman standing there, looking exhausted.
"I've had enough of all your cult nonsense," she declared.
"Shut up, Betty," Henry snapped.
"I won't!" Betty came in, setting a First Aid Kit down on a table. "I've been quiet about this for too long! And if you won't tell these kids what you've been doing, then I will! I've watched you ever since you went into this cult. You've become so self-centered and greedy that I hardly recognize you any more!"
Henry only looked at the floor sullenly, refusing to answer.
"Tea, call 911," Seto ordered, and Tea nodded and went to the phone. The boy looked up at the woman. "Now. Tell me everything about your husband's cult," he ordered.
"I don't think so," Seth's nasty voice came, and the woman's eyes went wide as she began struggling with something she couldn't see.
Henry stared in disbelief. "Quit tormenting my wife, you . . . you . . . you crazy spirit!!" he finished finally. An immense change seemed to come over him when he saw his wife in trouble.
"You dare to speak back to me?" Seth returned menacingly. "I am your master, and you will obey me!"
"Shut up!" Henry yelled.
Tea made the emergency call and hung up. When she turned back to watch the goings-on, her eyes widened in alarm. She had never seen anything like what Betty was going through. She was screaming and yelling and trying to fight off an unseen assailant. It was so disturbing. . . .
Betty cried out and collapsed to the floor, shaking. Henry was horrified.
"Betty!! Oh, you were right!" he berated. "I don't want any part of your cult, Seth!!" he said hotly.
Seth appeared then, a staff in his hand. "A little late for that, old fool," he sneered. "You're in too deep. And I never let my former followers go easily."
"You psycho!" Tea yelled in contempt.
Seth came over to her and ran a finger down her cheek. Tea pulled away in revulsion. "Henry was willing to kill the both of you to stay in my . . . organization."
"I wasn't myself!" Henry cried. "I was possessed by greed!"
"Yeah, well. . . ." Seto tied the cloth firmly around the wound once the bleeding had stopped, feeling disgusted at this man. "That doesn't happen unless you let it." He stood up and glared at Seth, who was trying to pull Tea closer to him. "Let her go!" he ordered.
Seth's lips pulled back in a nasty smirk. "Oh, you want her, do you?"
Tea's heart was pounding. She tried to pull away from the evil boy, but he had a viselike grip and it was impossible to get away.
"I've been looking for a beautiful girl such as Tea for some time," Seth sneered.
Seto grabbed Seth's arm. "Let her go!" he said again, fire in his eyes. It outraged him to no end when wicked people such as this priest took advantage of girls and children.
Seth was unfazed. He chanted something in his ancient tongue and Seto cried out, collapsing to the floor as Betty had earlier.
Tea screamed. "Kaiba!!!" She looked up at Seth. "What did you do to him?!"
Seth sneered. "That was only a taste of my powers, which I have now regained," he muttered, kicking at Seto's dazed body. "If you want to see your lady friend—and your precious brother—again, you will have to challenge me once more!" he said, vanishing in a cloud of blue smoke with Tea.
Seto stirred, pulling himself up with a groan. "Tea?" he mumbled.
"That crazy spirit carted her off!!" Henry yelled, looking at Betty, who was also slowly recovering.
Seto's eyes narrowed, recalling the priest's words. "Mokuba!!" he cried suddenly. Did Seth have Mokuba too?!
Quickly he ran to the phone and dialed his home number. "Velma?" he said abruptly. "Is Mokuba there?"
"Why, no sir," Velma replied in disbelief. "He left with Miss Mai Valentine. He was lookin' for you! Everyone's out lookin' for you and for Miss Tea! We've all been so worried . . ."
"Velma," Seto interrupted, "when did Mokuba leave?"
Velma paused. "Why, it must've been nigh to four hours ago!" she declared. "But where in the world are you, sir?!"
"Lincoln," Seto replied, hanging up. He had to get back to Domino City immediately. Seth had Tea, and he might have Mokuba now as well! How would he rescue them?
****
Mai had kept a steady pace behind the police officer's car for ages now. She had also kept one car between them and him, and the man didn't seem to realize he was being followed. He seemed to be going deeper and deeper into an isolated area, and the teens had no choice but to follow.
"Where is he going?!" Mai said in frustration as he turned onto a dirt road leading into the deep canyons. She struggled to see through the falling snow.
Marik, in the meantime, was getting more flashes of memory—this time about the area. He couldn't remember when he had been here before, nor could he yet recall anything about himself—he only knew that this area was familiar for some reason.
"Are you alright?" Bakura asked him, concerned.
Marik was about to just nod, but then he decided to tell the truth and he shook his head instead. "I am not alright. I feel that there is a great evil in these woods, and that I am familiar with it."
Bakura wasn't sure what to say to that.
Suddenly Mai slammed on the brakes, sending everyone pitching forward. "I nearly ran that guy down!" she gasped, pointing to a cloaked figure running through the trees.
"My goodness! How odd!" Bakura exclaimed. "What is he doing out in this weather?!"
"Some of us should follow him," Duke declared, climbing out of the car. "Or at least I will. The rest of you should keep chasing Burton. You can't let him get away!"
"I'll come with you," Bakura said firmly, and the two of them disappeared into the shadows.
"I don't see that policeman now," Mai fretted, staring down the road.
"That guy probably ran in front of us so we *would* lose him!" Mokuba wailed.
"Keep going," Marik directed, and suddenly cried out in horror as another flash of memory came to him—that of a mangled body laying in the woods. "Oh!" The image was very graphic and horrid, and no matter how Marik tried, he could not block it from his mind.
"What is it?" Mai gasped as she started the engine.
Marik's eyes filled with tears. When had he seen such a terrible sight? Who was responsible? What if . . . what if he was? No, that couldn't be true!
"What's wrong?" Mokuba demanded now.
Marik shook his head. "It is nothing that you need to concern yourself with, child," he said with a weak smile.
Mokuba bristled at being called a child, but he was much too worried about his brother to make a retort.
****
"Where is everyone?!" Joey cried, throwing his hands in the air. They had been waiting at the designated meeting place for almost an hour, and no one else had shown up. And it was snowing again.
"They must be in trouble," Tristan said grimly.
Ishizu didn't answer, but she felt that as well. She knew they had to be found—but how would they even know where to look? Please, dear God, she prayed silently, help us know where the others are!
A brief vision came to her then—she saw trees, many trees—and she knew what she was looking at. "That is where we must go!" she said aloud.
"Huh?" Joey and Tristan turned to stare. "Go where?"
"The canyons," Ishizu told them. "Beyond the city."
"Now what in the heck would they be doin' out there?!" Joey exclaimed, puzzled.
Ishizu didn't answer. Quickly she led them to her car and they climbed in. They didn't see the dark-cloaked figures watching them in the shadows.
****
Yugi was intensely worried. He and his Yami had been all over the railroad yard, but no one was there—and certainly no one who could tell them where Seto and Tea were. Only God knew where they were now, Yugi said to himself solemnly.
Suddenly a cold hand grabbed Yugi and pulled him behind a box car.
"Hey!" Yugi gasped. "What the . . ."
"Be quiet," Weevil grumped.
Yugi was startled out of his wits. "Weevil?! What are you doing here?!" He couldn't have been more shocked if he had found himself facing the Abominable Snowman.
"Shhhh! You'll alert everyone!" Weevil scolded. "I can't believe I'm doing this," he muttered, adjusting his glasses.
"What *are* you doing?" Yugi asked, completely confused. He had thought Weevil had left the railroad yard ages ago.
Weevil looked around furtively, then turned back to look at Yugi through narrowed eyes. "I'm warning you, Yugi."
"Warning me?!" Yugi repeated. "Of what?!"
Weevil crossed his arms. "It seems that you've made some more enemies, Yugi," he remarked. "I overheard some strange people talking about exterminating you."
Yugi should have expected this, but still it came as somewhat of a shock. "When did you hear this?" he gasped.
"Just a few minutes ago," Weevil replied.
A twig snapped nearby and the two boys jumped.
"Someone's here," Yugi said grimly. And it's not my Yami, he added to himself.
****
Bakura and Duke chased the retreating figure through the closely-knit trees.
"Who on earth do you suppose he is?" Bakura cried as a stray branch slapped him across the face.
"I can't imagine, but I'm sure he's up to no good!" Duke replied, looking around wildly. "There he goes!" he yelled, pointing ahead to a fleeing form darting through the trees.
Quickly the two boys dashed after the strange person.
"I can barely see through this snow!" Bakura exclaimed. "It's falling faster by the minute!"
Duke didn't answer, instead looking grimly around.
Suddenly the figure they had been chasing dropped out of a nearby tree, tackling Duke and bringing him to the ground! The boy wrestled with his assailant while Bakura watched, wide-eyed. Whoever Duke was fighting with seemed to have excellent skills, and the green-eyed boy found it extremely hard to get the upper hand.
Finally he pinned his opponent to the ground. "Alright," he growled. "Now who are you and why did you jump in front of our car?!" He pulled back the person's hood while they struggled violently to get free, and then Duke and Bakura stared in shock.
It wasn't a man at all—it was a woman, and on her finger was a ring with the same mysterious symbol that Detective Burton's had had!
****
Seto wandered outside to the couple's garage. Betty had told him to take their car to get wherever he needed to, and he intended to do just that. The ambulance had taken Betty away as well as Henry, but she seemed to be shaken up more mentally than physically. And Henry still refused to talk about his cult, even though now he didn't seem to want anything more to do with it.
Slipping the key Betty had given him into the door, Seto opened it and climbed in. He still couldn't believe that Seth had actually taken Tea, nor did he understand how his ancestor had suddenly regained his powers. That staff must have something to do with it, he decided. He prayed that he would know the right thing to do to rescue Tea and Mokuba, and that they would be kept safe until he could.
Before long he found the highway and was driving through the heavily falling snow. He quickly became aware of a strange, dark car that seemed to be following him. No matter which lane he switched into or how fast he drove, the other car always caught up to him.
Then it was alongside him, and Seto tried to see who was in it—but to no avail, as the windows were tinted.
It clanked into him without warning and Seto swerved wildly, narrowly missing hitting another car. He gritted his teeth and tried to regain control of the automobile, just as the ominous car banged into him again, forcing him near to the lake on one side of the road. It was obvious what they were trying to do—they wanted to knock Seto into the water!
Seto's eyes narrowed. "Seth," he muttered.
"Who?!" Tea demanded.
"An evil high priest from ancient Egypt," Seto told her grimly. "He's back."
The man on the floor stirred, moaning in pain. The teens turned to look at him. "You stupid kid," he rasped when his eyes opened. "You shot me!"
"You're wrong." Seto found a doily on a couch and used it to press against the man's wound. "You shot yourself while you were trying to shoot me!"
The man growled and cursed at Seto in reply.
"None of that," Seto ordered. "I want you to tell me why you were trying to kill me—and Tea."
"I don't have to tell you anything," the man grumbled.
"No, Henry—you do!"
The tired voice came from the doorway, and everyone turned to see the woman standing there, looking exhausted.
"I've had enough of all your cult nonsense," she declared.
"Shut up, Betty," Henry snapped.
"I won't!" Betty came in, setting a First Aid Kit down on a table. "I've been quiet about this for too long! And if you won't tell these kids what you've been doing, then I will! I've watched you ever since you went into this cult. You've become so self-centered and greedy that I hardly recognize you any more!"
Henry only looked at the floor sullenly, refusing to answer.
"Tea, call 911," Seto ordered, and Tea nodded and went to the phone. The boy looked up at the woman. "Now. Tell me everything about your husband's cult," he ordered.
"I don't think so," Seth's nasty voice came, and the woman's eyes went wide as she began struggling with something she couldn't see.
Henry stared in disbelief. "Quit tormenting my wife, you . . . you . . . you crazy spirit!!" he finished finally. An immense change seemed to come over him when he saw his wife in trouble.
"You dare to speak back to me?" Seth returned menacingly. "I am your master, and you will obey me!"
"Shut up!" Henry yelled.
Tea made the emergency call and hung up. When she turned back to watch the goings-on, her eyes widened in alarm. She had never seen anything like what Betty was going through. She was screaming and yelling and trying to fight off an unseen assailant. It was so disturbing. . . .
Betty cried out and collapsed to the floor, shaking. Henry was horrified.
"Betty!! Oh, you were right!" he berated. "I don't want any part of your cult, Seth!!" he said hotly.
Seth appeared then, a staff in his hand. "A little late for that, old fool," he sneered. "You're in too deep. And I never let my former followers go easily."
"You psycho!" Tea yelled in contempt.
Seth came over to her and ran a finger down her cheek. Tea pulled away in revulsion. "Henry was willing to kill the both of you to stay in my . . . organization."
"I wasn't myself!" Henry cried. "I was possessed by greed!"
"Yeah, well. . . ." Seto tied the cloth firmly around the wound once the bleeding had stopped, feeling disgusted at this man. "That doesn't happen unless you let it." He stood up and glared at Seth, who was trying to pull Tea closer to him. "Let her go!" he ordered.
Seth's lips pulled back in a nasty smirk. "Oh, you want her, do you?"
Tea's heart was pounding. She tried to pull away from the evil boy, but he had a viselike grip and it was impossible to get away.
"I've been looking for a beautiful girl such as Tea for some time," Seth sneered.
Seto grabbed Seth's arm. "Let her go!" he said again, fire in his eyes. It outraged him to no end when wicked people such as this priest took advantage of girls and children.
Seth was unfazed. He chanted something in his ancient tongue and Seto cried out, collapsing to the floor as Betty had earlier.
Tea screamed. "Kaiba!!!" She looked up at Seth. "What did you do to him?!"
Seth sneered. "That was only a taste of my powers, which I have now regained," he muttered, kicking at Seto's dazed body. "If you want to see your lady friend—and your precious brother—again, you will have to challenge me once more!" he said, vanishing in a cloud of blue smoke with Tea.
Seto stirred, pulling himself up with a groan. "Tea?" he mumbled.
"That crazy spirit carted her off!!" Henry yelled, looking at Betty, who was also slowly recovering.
Seto's eyes narrowed, recalling the priest's words. "Mokuba!!" he cried suddenly. Did Seth have Mokuba too?!
Quickly he ran to the phone and dialed his home number. "Velma?" he said abruptly. "Is Mokuba there?"
"Why, no sir," Velma replied in disbelief. "He left with Miss Mai Valentine. He was lookin' for you! Everyone's out lookin' for you and for Miss Tea! We've all been so worried . . ."
"Velma," Seto interrupted, "when did Mokuba leave?"
Velma paused. "Why, it must've been nigh to four hours ago!" she declared. "But where in the world are you, sir?!"
"Lincoln," Seto replied, hanging up. He had to get back to Domino City immediately. Seth had Tea, and he might have Mokuba now as well! How would he rescue them?
****
Mai had kept a steady pace behind the police officer's car for ages now. She had also kept one car between them and him, and the man didn't seem to realize he was being followed. He seemed to be going deeper and deeper into an isolated area, and the teens had no choice but to follow.
"Where is he going?!" Mai said in frustration as he turned onto a dirt road leading into the deep canyons. She struggled to see through the falling snow.
Marik, in the meantime, was getting more flashes of memory—this time about the area. He couldn't remember when he had been here before, nor could he yet recall anything about himself—he only knew that this area was familiar for some reason.
"Are you alright?" Bakura asked him, concerned.
Marik was about to just nod, but then he decided to tell the truth and he shook his head instead. "I am not alright. I feel that there is a great evil in these woods, and that I am familiar with it."
Bakura wasn't sure what to say to that.
Suddenly Mai slammed on the brakes, sending everyone pitching forward. "I nearly ran that guy down!" she gasped, pointing to a cloaked figure running through the trees.
"My goodness! How odd!" Bakura exclaimed. "What is he doing out in this weather?!"
"Some of us should follow him," Duke declared, climbing out of the car. "Or at least I will. The rest of you should keep chasing Burton. You can't let him get away!"
"I'll come with you," Bakura said firmly, and the two of them disappeared into the shadows.
"I don't see that policeman now," Mai fretted, staring down the road.
"That guy probably ran in front of us so we *would* lose him!" Mokuba wailed.
"Keep going," Marik directed, and suddenly cried out in horror as another flash of memory came to him—that of a mangled body laying in the woods. "Oh!" The image was very graphic and horrid, and no matter how Marik tried, he could not block it from his mind.
"What is it?" Mai gasped as she started the engine.
Marik's eyes filled with tears. When had he seen such a terrible sight? Who was responsible? What if . . . what if he was? No, that couldn't be true!
"What's wrong?" Mokuba demanded now.
Marik shook his head. "It is nothing that you need to concern yourself with, child," he said with a weak smile.
Mokuba bristled at being called a child, but he was much too worried about his brother to make a retort.
****
"Where is everyone?!" Joey cried, throwing his hands in the air. They had been waiting at the designated meeting place for almost an hour, and no one else had shown up. And it was snowing again.
"They must be in trouble," Tristan said grimly.
Ishizu didn't answer, but she felt that as well. She knew they had to be found—but how would they even know where to look? Please, dear God, she prayed silently, help us know where the others are!
A brief vision came to her then—she saw trees, many trees—and she knew what she was looking at. "That is where we must go!" she said aloud.
"Huh?" Joey and Tristan turned to stare. "Go where?"
"The canyons," Ishizu told them. "Beyond the city."
"Now what in the heck would they be doin' out there?!" Joey exclaimed, puzzled.
Ishizu didn't answer. Quickly she led them to her car and they climbed in. They didn't see the dark-cloaked figures watching them in the shadows.
****
Yugi was intensely worried. He and his Yami had been all over the railroad yard, but no one was there—and certainly no one who could tell them where Seto and Tea were. Only God knew where they were now, Yugi said to himself solemnly.
Suddenly a cold hand grabbed Yugi and pulled him behind a box car.
"Hey!" Yugi gasped. "What the . . ."
"Be quiet," Weevil grumped.
Yugi was startled out of his wits. "Weevil?! What are you doing here?!" He couldn't have been more shocked if he had found himself facing the Abominable Snowman.
"Shhhh! You'll alert everyone!" Weevil scolded. "I can't believe I'm doing this," he muttered, adjusting his glasses.
"What *are* you doing?" Yugi asked, completely confused. He had thought Weevil had left the railroad yard ages ago.
Weevil looked around furtively, then turned back to look at Yugi through narrowed eyes. "I'm warning you, Yugi."
"Warning me?!" Yugi repeated. "Of what?!"
Weevil crossed his arms. "It seems that you've made some more enemies, Yugi," he remarked. "I overheard some strange people talking about exterminating you."
Yugi should have expected this, but still it came as somewhat of a shock. "When did you hear this?" he gasped.
"Just a few minutes ago," Weevil replied.
A twig snapped nearby and the two boys jumped.
"Someone's here," Yugi said grimly. And it's not my Yami, he added to himself.
****
Bakura and Duke chased the retreating figure through the closely-knit trees.
"Who on earth do you suppose he is?" Bakura cried as a stray branch slapped him across the face.
"I can't imagine, but I'm sure he's up to no good!" Duke replied, looking around wildly. "There he goes!" he yelled, pointing ahead to a fleeing form darting through the trees.
Quickly the two boys dashed after the strange person.
"I can barely see through this snow!" Bakura exclaimed. "It's falling faster by the minute!"
Duke didn't answer, instead looking grimly around.
Suddenly the figure they had been chasing dropped out of a nearby tree, tackling Duke and bringing him to the ground! The boy wrestled with his assailant while Bakura watched, wide-eyed. Whoever Duke was fighting with seemed to have excellent skills, and the green-eyed boy found it extremely hard to get the upper hand.
Finally he pinned his opponent to the ground. "Alright," he growled. "Now who are you and why did you jump in front of our car?!" He pulled back the person's hood while they struggled violently to get free, and then Duke and Bakura stared in shock.
It wasn't a man at all—it was a woman, and on her finger was a ring with the same mysterious symbol that Detective Burton's had had!
****
Seto wandered outside to the couple's garage. Betty had told him to take their car to get wherever he needed to, and he intended to do just that. The ambulance had taken Betty away as well as Henry, but she seemed to be shaken up more mentally than physically. And Henry still refused to talk about his cult, even though now he didn't seem to want anything more to do with it.
Slipping the key Betty had given him into the door, Seto opened it and climbed in. He still couldn't believe that Seth had actually taken Tea, nor did he understand how his ancestor had suddenly regained his powers. That staff must have something to do with it, he decided. He prayed that he would know the right thing to do to rescue Tea and Mokuba, and that they would be kept safe until he could.
Before long he found the highway and was driving through the heavily falling snow. He quickly became aware of a strange, dark car that seemed to be following him. No matter which lane he switched into or how fast he drove, the other car always caught up to him.
Then it was alongside him, and Seto tried to see who was in it—but to no avail, as the windows were tinted.
It clanked into him without warning and Seto swerved wildly, narrowly missing hitting another car. He gritted his teeth and tried to regain control of the automobile, just as the ominous car banged into him again, forcing him near to the lake on one side of the road. It was obvious what they were trying to do—they wanted to knock Seto into the water!