"You're kidding, right, Yug?" Joey said, grabbing the paper and nearly boring holes into it with his intense stare.
"I'm afraid not, Joey," Yugi replied slowly. "See, it says it right there."
"But what could it mean?" Tea exclaimed.
"It's all very perplexing," Yami Yugi remarked.
"Hey!" Joey cried suddenly. "What if everything is part of the fake mystery?!"
Everyone turned to stare.
"Don't be ridiculous, Wheeler," Seto grumbled.
"They said there wouldn't be any real danger in the game," Tristan added, looking like he thought Joey had completely lost it.
"Still," Yugi said slowly as he took another slip of paper out from his pocket, "this does seem strange. Here's the first event of the fake mystery—someone falls overboard!"
"Man, this is gettin' freaky!" Joey burst out. "The first thing that happened in our real mystery was that someone nearly got thrown overboard!"
"We should find the Captain and ask him more about this game," Yami Yugi decided. "There may be an important clue somewhere."
Marik shrugged. "Be my guests," he said. "But I must stay here and steer the ship until he returns."
Ishizu and Rishid opted to stay with him, but the others left to follow several of the Coast Guard officers and Jamie, who had already left to look for Captain Hardy. The remaining officers took the hijacker and led him out of the room.
****
As the ship gave another jolt—milder this time—Yami Bakura pitched forward onto the floor and he growled angrily.
Slowly he picked himself up, leaning on the edge of the bed for support, and looked up to make certain that Bakura hadn't been hurt worse. The boy stirred slightly, but otherwise showed no signs that he was even aware of what had happened.
"Foolish mortal," Yami Bakura muttered, but in the next sentence he made it clear that he found the real fool to be himself. "You're a fool for listening to me. You're too ridiculously innocent to have been forced to go through what you did. And it wouldn't have happened if it weren't for me."
"That's not true, Yami," a soft voice gently reprimanded. "You saved me!"
Yami Bakura paused and looked down at Bakura. "You're awake," he said in relief.
Bakura smiled. "Yami, this all would have happened whether I had stayed with you in the pool hall or not. You only did what you thought would keep me safe. There is nothing you could have done to stop that man from controlling me, Yami." He looked at the thief with his soft, kind eyes. "I don't blame you for anything."
Yami Bakura leaned back and said nothing. Bakura was willing to offer more forgiveness than the old robber felt he deserved.
****
The others found the Captain right where the hijacker had said he'd be—unharmed and angry as he was guarded by several more criminals.
"Uncle!" Jamie cried happily.
"Jamie!" Captain Hardy exclaimed. "What are you doing here?"
"Here to rescue you, duh," Jamie replied.
The Coast Guard officer in the lead smiled. "We'll do the rescuing this time," he said as he and the others raised their guns at the hijackers.
****
Once the Captain was safely resting in his quarters, Yugi hesitantly brought up the subject of the mystery game.
"I know this'll probably sound kinda odd," the violet-eyed boy said slowly, "but who came up with the idea of the game?"
Captain Hardy paused, thinking. "Actually, I came up with the idea, but my crew put the plot and clues together."
"Well, we just discovered somethin' freaky!" Joey burst out. "Look at these!" He held out the slips of paper Yugi had been looking at earlier and handed them to the Captain, who stared at them in confusion.
"These aren't part of the game," he protested.
Everyone exchanged baffled looks.
"But they look exactly like the clues from the game," Tea said finally. "And this one here is what we found in the envelopes with our characters' identities."
Captain Hardy looked concerned. "There must be a reason for that," he exclaimed.
Seto was already ahead of him. "Someone slipped these in with the actual clues and plot twists," he decided, "wanting everyone to think that they were part of the game."
"But what the heck for?!" Joey said in frustration.
"Perhaps they were clues to their accomplices to help them know what to do next," Yami Yugi suggested, catching on.
Seto gave a curt nod. "Exactly. What's been happening isn't just random attempts to cause trouble. It's all part of a well-thought-out plan that's been in the works for ages. What we need to do is find out who's responsible and why."
Yugi smiled slyly. "And I think I'm beginning to get an idea," he declared. "Captain, where do you keep the clues for the mystery game?"
Captain Hardy blinked in surprise. "Why, in the meeting room where I speak with my crew," he replied. "Every few hours, they go in and take the next clues and plot twists and hand them out to those who are playing the game."
"Can anyone get in there?" Mokuba asked.
"No," was the reply. "Only the crew and myself have the security cards to enable us to unlock the door."
"How interesting," Yami Yugi mused. "Why don't we all go investigate this room further? Perhaps we'll gather some clues as to how these other instructions were slipped into the game."
"Some of us should go look for Bakura," Tristan said.
"True," Yami Yugi nodded. "We'll split up. Joey, go with Tristan and Shadi and look for our . . . fallen friend," he finished solemnly.
"You got it, man," Joey said with a salute.
"In the meantime," Seto spoke up, "the rest of us will try to crack this case."
****
"This is very interesting," Yami Yugi mused thoughtfully as he looked around the meeting room.
"Where are the game clues?" Tea asked, also glancing about.
"Right here." Captain Hardy reached into a desk drawer and pulled out a pack of index cards bound together with a rubber band.
"What's the next thing that's supposed to happen in the game?" Seto demanded.
Captain Hardy removed the top card. "One of the guests is to be found stabbed in his room," he replied. "That's one of the things that's supposed to 'happen'."
"And when, exactly is it supposed to 'happen'?" Yami Yugi asked.
"These cards are to be distributed tomorrow at breakfast," the Captain said. "The guests will then spend the rest of the day trying to find the attempted murderer."
"Maybe someone's going to sneak in here tonight and try slipping in a card of their own again," Yugi suggested.
Seto smirked. "That," he said, "is what we're counting on."
****
"Tell me again what this plan is," Captain Hardy requested as he, Yugi (who had merged with his Yami), Tea, Seto, and Mokuba huddled under the table to watch for any intruders.
"We're trying to see if someone's gonna try adding new cards," Mokuba replied.
"And what if they don't?" the Captain demanded.
"They might try something else," Seto grunted. "Who places these cards around at the tables?"
"Actually," Captain Hardy said, "Jamie does. I entrusted him with that job in the hopes that he would want to do well and not cause mischief."
"Does it work?" Yugi asked, amused.
Captain Hardy chuckled. "I think so . . . but there is the matter of the chewed gum someone found on their napkin at lunch today. Things have been so hectic since then that I never got a chance to ask Jamie if he did that."
Tea looked disgusted.
"Be quiet," Seto hissed suddenly. "It sounds like someone may be coming."
****
"Man, where could Bakura have gotten himself to?!" Tristan exclaimed as they walked down the hall. "We've been everywhere!"
"Perhaps he has been under our noses the whole time," Shadi spoke up. "We have not checked his room."
Joey blinked. "'His room'?!" the Brooklyn boy repeated. "How the heck would he wind up there?!"
"We should investigate all the same," Shadi said, going down the long corridor until he came to Bakura's stateroom. "If the door is unlocked, I feel that we should just go in without knocking. There is no telling what he might be planning."
Before Joey and Tristan could reply, the Egyptian man tried the door and found it to be locked. He then sharply rapped three times and a grouchy voice yelled back, "What is it?!"
"That's Bakura's Yami," Tristan remarked.
Shadi called back firmly, "Is Bakura in there with you?"
"What do you want with him?" Yami Bakura snapped. "He's been through enough today."
"I only wish to ask him a few brief questions," Shadi replied.
"You can let them in, Yami," they heard Bakura's soft voice say.
After a moment the door creaked open and Yami Bakura gestured for them to come in. Shadi nodded his thanks and turned to Bakura, who was sitting up in bed and looking puzzled.
"Hello," the boy said slowly.
"Hey, Bakura!" Tristan came out from around Shadi and grinned. "You seem to be back to normal."
Bakura blushed and looked down. "I'm so sorry for any troubles I've caused," he said quietly. "I couldn't control what my body was doing."
"Hey, we know, pal," Joey said comfortingly. "No one's blamin' you."
Bakura smiled softly, then looked worried again. "No one got hurt because of me . . . did they?" he asked frantically.
"Not that we know of," Tristan replied.
"Ask your questions and get out," Yami Bakura growled.
"Very well," Shadi nodded, turning to Bakura. "Can you tell me how this happened?"
Bakura paused, thinking. "I . . . I saw a strange light," he said at last. "I couldn't stop myself from going to it. . . . It was as if I was hypnotized. Then I felt this dark force take control of me, and . . ." He stopped, shuddering at the remembrance.
"Did you ever see who it was controlling you?" Shadi demanded.
"I did," Yami Bakura interrupted, describing the man with the rifle.
"And where is he now?" Shadi wanted to know.
"Perhaps he is back in the boiler room," Yami Bakura said, "but more likely, he has left long before now." He knew that the effect of his Chain Energy card only lasted for a short while. If he had not been pressed so much for time, he would have used a Morphing Jar instead.
****
Marik blinked as he continued to steer the ship. He was starting to feel extremely tired, but he wasn't sure why.
"Master Marik," Rishid exclaimed, seeing the boy nearly slump against the console for the third time, "what is wrong?" He, also, was battling to keep his eyes open.
Marik struggled to sit up straight. "It is nothing, Rishid," he replied, his voice slurred.
"Something is wrong, brother," Ishizu said gravely. "I am feeling overly exhausted as well, and I know it is not because of the eventful day."
Marik coughed suddenly. "Perhaps . . . perhaps someone should open the door," he suggested before falling out of the chair and onto the floor.
"Brother!" Rishid cried, running forward to the boy and taking him in his arms. He looked up at Ishizu. "There may be a gas leak in here," the Egyptian man said grimly. "We must leave now!"
Ishizu ran to the door and struggled with it, feeling her ability to think clearly slipping away.
Holding Marik's limp body over his shoulder, Rishid stumbled over and tried to assist the woman, but she slumped backward against him before she could manage to open the door.
Knowing he must work fast, Rishid struggled with the door himself, managing to swing it open just as he, too, fell into the oblivion.
"I'm afraid not, Joey," Yugi replied slowly. "See, it says it right there."
"But what could it mean?" Tea exclaimed.
"It's all very perplexing," Yami Yugi remarked.
"Hey!" Joey cried suddenly. "What if everything is part of the fake mystery?!"
Everyone turned to stare.
"Don't be ridiculous, Wheeler," Seto grumbled.
"They said there wouldn't be any real danger in the game," Tristan added, looking like he thought Joey had completely lost it.
"Still," Yugi said slowly as he took another slip of paper out from his pocket, "this does seem strange. Here's the first event of the fake mystery—someone falls overboard!"
"Man, this is gettin' freaky!" Joey burst out. "The first thing that happened in our real mystery was that someone nearly got thrown overboard!"
"We should find the Captain and ask him more about this game," Yami Yugi decided. "There may be an important clue somewhere."
Marik shrugged. "Be my guests," he said. "But I must stay here and steer the ship until he returns."
Ishizu and Rishid opted to stay with him, but the others left to follow several of the Coast Guard officers and Jamie, who had already left to look for Captain Hardy. The remaining officers took the hijacker and led him out of the room.
****
As the ship gave another jolt—milder this time—Yami Bakura pitched forward onto the floor and he growled angrily.
Slowly he picked himself up, leaning on the edge of the bed for support, and looked up to make certain that Bakura hadn't been hurt worse. The boy stirred slightly, but otherwise showed no signs that he was even aware of what had happened.
"Foolish mortal," Yami Bakura muttered, but in the next sentence he made it clear that he found the real fool to be himself. "You're a fool for listening to me. You're too ridiculously innocent to have been forced to go through what you did. And it wouldn't have happened if it weren't for me."
"That's not true, Yami," a soft voice gently reprimanded. "You saved me!"
Yami Bakura paused and looked down at Bakura. "You're awake," he said in relief.
Bakura smiled. "Yami, this all would have happened whether I had stayed with you in the pool hall or not. You only did what you thought would keep me safe. There is nothing you could have done to stop that man from controlling me, Yami." He looked at the thief with his soft, kind eyes. "I don't blame you for anything."
Yami Bakura leaned back and said nothing. Bakura was willing to offer more forgiveness than the old robber felt he deserved.
****
The others found the Captain right where the hijacker had said he'd be—unharmed and angry as he was guarded by several more criminals.
"Uncle!" Jamie cried happily.
"Jamie!" Captain Hardy exclaimed. "What are you doing here?"
"Here to rescue you, duh," Jamie replied.
The Coast Guard officer in the lead smiled. "We'll do the rescuing this time," he said as he and the others raised their guns at the hijackers.
****
Once the Captain was safely resting in his quarters, Yugi hesitantly brought up the subject of the mystery game.
"I know this'll probably sound kinda odd," the violet-eyed boy said slowly, "but who came up with the idea of the game?"
Captain Hardy paused, thinking. "Actually, I came up with the idea, but my crew put the plot and clues together."
"Well, we just discovered somethin' freaky!" Joey burst out. "Look at these!" He held out the slips of paper Yugi had been looking at earlier and handed them to the Captain, who stared at them in confusion.
"These aren't part of the game," he protested.
Everyone exchanged baffled looks.
"But they look exactly like the clues from the game," Tea said finally. "And this one here is what we found in the envelopes with our characters' identities."
Captain Hardy looked concerned. "There must be a reason for that," he exclaimed.
Seto was already ahead of him. "Someone slipped these in with the actual clues and plot twists," he decided, "wanting everyone to think that they were part of the game."
"But what the heck for?!" Joey said in frustration.
"Perhaps they were clues to their accomplices to help them know what to do next," Yami Yugi suggested, catching on.
Seto gave a curt nod. "Exactly. What's been happening isn't just random attempts to cause trouble. It's all part of a well-thought-out plan that's been in the works for ages. What we need to do is find out who's responsible and why."
Yugi smiled slyly. "And I think I'm beginning to get an idea," he declared. "Captain, where do you keep the clues for the mystery game?"
Captain Hardy blinked in surprise. "Why, in the meeting room where I speak with my crew," he replied. "Every few hours, they go in and take the next clues and plot twists and hand them out to those who are playing the game."
"Can anyone get in there?" Mokuba asked.
"No," was the reply. "Only the crew and myself have the security cards to enable us to unlock the door."
"How interesting," Yami Yugi mused. "Why don't we all go investigate this room further? Perhaps we'll gather some clues as to how these other instructions were slipped into the game."
"Some of us should go look for Bakura," Tristan said.
"True," Yami Yugi nodded. "We'll split up. Joey, go with Tristan and Shadi and look for our . . . fallen friend," he finished solemnly.
"You got it, man," Joey said with a salute.
"In the meantime," Seto spoke up, "the rest of us will try to crack this case."
****
"This is very interesting," Yami Yugi mused thoughtfully as he looked around the meeting room.
"Where are the game clues?" Tea asked, also glancing about.
"Right here." Captain Hardy reached into a desk drawer and pulled out a pack of index cards bound together with a rubber band.
"What's the next thing that's supposed to happen in the game?" Seto demanded.
Captain Hardy removed the top card. "One of the guests is to be found stabbed in his room," he replied. "That's one of the things that's supposed to 'happen'."
"And when, exactly is it supposed to 'happen'?" Yami Yugi asked.
"These cards are to be distributed tomorrow at breakfast," the Captain said. "The guests will then spend the rest of the day trying to find the attempted murderer."
"Maybe someone's going to sneak in here tonight and try slipping in a card of their own again," Yugi suggested.
Seto smirked. "That," he said, "is what we're counting on."
****
"Tell me again what this plan is," Captain Hardy requested as he, Yugi (who had merged with his Yami), Tea, Seto, and Mokuba huddled under the table to watch for any intruders.
"We're trying to see if someone's gonna try adding new cards," Mokuba replied.
"And what if they don't?" the Captain demanded.
"They might try something else," Seto grunted. "Who places these cards around at the tables?"
"Actually," Captain Hardy said, "Jamie does. I entrusted him with that job in the hopes that he would want to do well and not cause mischief."
"Does it work?" Yugi asked, amused.
Captain Hardy chuckled. "I think so . . . but there is the matter of the chewed gum someone found on their napkin at lunch today. Things have been so hectic since then that I never got a chance to ask Jamie if he did that."
Tea looked disgusted.
"Be quiet," Seto hissed suddenly. "It sounds like someone may be coming."
****
"Man, where could Bakura have gotten himself to?!" Tristan exclaimed as they walked down the hall. "We've been everywhere!"
"Perhaps he has been under our noses the whole time," Shadi spoke up. "We have not checked his room."
Joey blinked. "'His room'?!" the Brooklyn boy repeated. "How the heck would he wind up there?!"
"We should investigate all the same," Shadi said, going down the long corridor until he came to Bakura's stateroom. "If the door is unlocked, I feel that we should just go in without knocking. There is no telling what he might be planning."
Before Joey and Tristan could reply, the Egyptian man tried the door and found it to be locked. He then sharply rapped three times and a grouchy voice yelled back, "What is it?!"
"That's Bakura's Yami," Tristan remarked.
Shadi called back firmly, "Is Bakura in there with you?"
"What do you want with him?" Yami Bakura snapped. "He's been through enough today."
"I only wish to ask him a few brief questions," Shadi replied.
"You can let them in, Yami," they heard Bakura's soft voice say.
After a moment the door creaked open and Yami Bakura gestured for them to come in. Shadi nodded his thanks and turned to Bakura, who was sitting up in bed and looking puzzled.
"Hello," the boy said slowly.
"Hey, Bakura!" Tristan came out from around Shadi and grinned. "You seem to be back to normal."
Bakura blushed and looked down. "I'm so sorry for any troubles I've caused," he said quietly. "I couldn't control what my body was doing."
"Hey, we know, pal," Joey said comfortingly. "No one's blamin' you."
Bakura smiled softly, then looked worried again. "No one got hurt because of me . . . did they?" he asked frantically.
"Not that we know of," Tristan replied.
"Ask your questions and get out," Yami Bakura growled.
"Very well," Shadi nodded, turning to Bakura. "Can you tell me how this happened?"
Bakura paused, thinking. "I . . . I saw a strange light," he said at last. "I couldn't stop myself from going to it. . . . It was as if I was hypnotized. Then I felt this dark force take control of me, and . . ." He stopped, shuddering at the remembrance.
"Did you ever see who it was controlling you?" Shadi demanded.
"I did," Yami Bakura interrupted, describing the man with the rifle.
"And where is he now?" Shadi wanted to know.
"Perhaps he is back in the boiler room," Yami Bakura said, "but more likely, he has left long before now." He knew that the effect of his Chain Energy card only lasted for a short while. If he had not been pressed so much for time, he would have used a Morphing Jar instead.
****
Marik blinked as he continued to steer the ship. He was starting to feel extremely tired, but he wasn't sure why.
"Master Marik," Rishid exclaimed, seeing the boy nearly slump against the console for the third time, "what is wrong?" He, also, was battling to keep his eyes open.
Marik struggled to sit up straight. "It is nothing, Rishid," he replied, his voice slurred.
"Something is wrong, brother," Ishizu said gravely. "I am feeling overly exhausted as well, and I know it is not because of the eventful day."
Marik coughed suddenly. "Perhaps . . . perhaps someone should open the door," he suggested before falling out of the chair and onto the floor.
"Brother!" Rishid cried, running forward to the boy and taking him in his arms. He looked up at Ishizu. "There may be a gas leak in here," the Egyptian man said grimly. "We must leave now!"
Ishizu ran to the door and struggled with it, feeling her ability to think clearly slipping away.
Holding Marik's limp body over his shoulder, Rishid stumbled over and tried to assist the woman, but she slumped backward against him before she could manage to open the door.
Knowing he must work fast, Rishid struggled with the door himself, managing to swing it open just as he, too, fell into the oblivion.