"Man, what is that?!" Joey cried in disbelief, pointing at the ruby.
Simon snatched it greedily. "It's mine," he growled.
"Simon!" Captain Hardy cried. "What's going on?!"
"This," Simon sneered, "is a priceless gem from ancient Egypt."
"The Eye of the Mage," Shadi muttered.
"The WHAT?!" Joey cried in confusion.
Simon grunted. "I don't care what it's called," he cried. "I only care about the high price I'll get for it on the black market!"
Yami Yugi stepped forward angrily. "You can't sell that on the black market!" he said firmly. "It's full of an ancient evil!"
"Don't be ridiculous!" Simon laughed. "It's a piece of stone!!"
Captain Hardy just stood back, completely baffled. "What's happening here?!" he demanded. "Why doesn't anything have a simple, logical explanation anymore?!"
"With Yugi Muto around," Seto smirked, "logical explanations go out the window." He had discovered many a time about the many strange events that followed Yugi and his friends around.
Yugi looked up at his Yami and Shadi in confusion. "What's the Eye of the Mage?" he asked.
"It was crafted by an evil sorcerer many millennia ago," Shadi replied grimly. "When he was defeated, his wicked powers were sealed inside it."
"Man, where are all these ancient artifacts comin' from?!" Joey said in frustration. "Is this thing connected to the staff?"
"It may be," Yami Yugi said.
"I've heard enough of this nonsense!" Simon cried, waving the hand with the ruby around wildly. Without warning, a bolt of electricity shot out and narrowly missed striking them down.
"Hey!! Watch where you point that thing!!" Joey cried in frustration.
Simon stared at the ruby in disbelief. "Did that really come out of this?" he said, blinking.
Shadi stepped forward. "You must hand it over to me," he said sternly.
"I don't think so," Simon growled defensively, trying to figure out how to make the lightning shoot out again.
"He's tryin' to toast us!!" Joey cried indignantly.
"Everyone duck!!" Mokuba screamed.
****
Shakily Bakura leaned down and pried the staff from the man's hand, then held it up and stared at it, not quite sure what he was supposed to be doing with it. "Yami? . . ." the boy asked waveringly.
Yami Bakura grunted, watching Bakura through half-open eyes. "Just don't let him get it back," he muttered, starting to slip away.
"But . . . but Yami, what does it do?" Bakura asked worriedly, his eyes wide.
"Don't use it," Yami Bakura growled.
Bakura watched, his heart pounding, as the thief fell into an unconscious state. He was on his own now.
****
When everyone looked up from Simon's latest failed attempt to strike them all down, their attacker was nowhere in sight.
"Where the heck did he go?!" Joey cried.
"Down that way," Seto said coldly, wondering whatever had happened to the embezzlers.
Quickly the others followed his lead, but somehow they all became separated in the confusion of a sudden blast that rocked the ship wildly.
"Now what's happening?!" Tea cried as she clanked into Seto.
"Whatever it is, I don't like the sound of it," the boy muttered. "This hallway leads to the main power control room. Maybe that ruby is jamming things up somehow!"
"C'mon!" Mokuba cried, racing ahead. "Let's go find out!"
"Mokuba!" Seto called in frustration. "Wait for me!"
****
"Well, well. What have we here?"
The Ishtars looked up. Standing before them was a strange man with naturally tanned skin and dark hair. A scar adorned his left cheek and his violet eyes glinted curiously. No one had heard him approach; where had he come from?
"Who are you?" Ishizu demanded.
The man laughed. "No one you would know. I am simply here to retrieve what is rightfully mine!"
"And what would that be?" Marik asked suspiciously.
"Oh . . . just a couple of trinkets. Nothing for you three to worry about." And with a strange cackle, the man vanished into thin air.
"That was very odd," Marik remarked, helping Rishid to stand.
"I sensed a darkness about him," Ishizu said quietly. "I fear that something else may be amiss."
****
Bakura sat next to his Yami's unconscious body, nervously watching the man on the floor. The old thief hadn't told him what to do if the person woke up, so Bakura could only clutch the sceptre and pray that such a thing wouldn't happen. He didn't like fighting with people, but of course he would have to do it if it was necessary.
Suddenly the door was thrust open and the same man who had appeared to the Ishtars stood silhouetted in the shadows, a determined sneer on his face.
Bakura leaped to his feet. "Oh my!" he cried. Heart pounding, he raised the sceptre and pointed it at him. "Why are you in here?!"
The man's eyes lighted on Bakura—or rather, on the staff he was holding. "That," he said simply, "is mine." He stepped forward, grabbing it roughly by the dark orb affixed to the top. "And now I will take it back."
Bakura struggled, sensing that he couldn't let the staff fall into this intruder's hands. "Who are you?" he asked, trying not to show how scared he felt.
"He is a dangerous man."
Both looked up as Shadi stood in the doorway, accompanied by Yugi and his Yami.
A note of recognition showed in the intruder's eyes as he studied Yami Yugi. "My Pharaoh," he said, giving a mock bow.
Yami Yugi blinked. "Who are you?" he wanted to know.
The man straightened up, obviously unfazed. "Oh yes, that's right. You have no memories of your time as Pharaoh. But that's just as well." He yanked the staff out of Bakura's hands and held it up. "I have what I came for."
"Do not remove the sceptre from this room," Shadi said sternly, stepping forward.
"It is mine," the intruder retorted, pointing it at Shadi threateningly. "I have the right to take it wherever I please." With that, he shot a blast of electricity at the Egyptian man in front of him and Shadi collapsed to the floor. Bakura clapped a hand over his mouth in utter horror.
Now Yami Yugi stood up firmly in the intruder's path. "That was uncalled for!" the ancient Pharaoh said sternly, his Millennium Puzzle starting to glow. The intruder shot out another blast, which collided with the powers from the Puzzle and was neutralized.
When the smoke from the failed attack had cleared, however, the intruder—and the staff—were gone.
"Oh my!" Bakura cried in surprise.
"He wasn't mortal," Yami Yugi said gravely. Somewhere in the back of his mind he was sure that he remembered the dark-haired man from somewhere, but he couldn't place where.
Yugi was kneeling next to Shadi worriedly, laying a hand on the man's shoulder. "Shadi, are you alright?" the boy gasped. "Wake up!!"
The Egyptian man groaned, but didn't revive.
"Get him onto the other bed," Yami Yugi directed, and Bakura rushed to help Yugi in accomplishing that.
"Are . . . are he and my Yami going to be alright?" Bakura asked frantically, his brown eyes wide.
Yami Yugi looked grim. "I wish I could remember who that man is and what his staff does," he declared, shaking his head. Seeing how upset Bakura looked, the Pharaoh tried to smile comfortingly. "But your Yami isn't a mortal, so I'm certain he'll be just fine." He paused. "It's Shadi I'm worried about," he admitted.
****
When Seto and Tea chased Mokuba into the power control room, they found Simon there with the ruby—but he wasn't alone. The embezzlers Seto had been after were there as well.
"What are you snakes doing here?" the boy demanded upon seeing them.
"Just finishin' some business, Kaiba," one of the criminals replied.
Seto glared. "What do you mean?"
"Seto, be careful!" Mokuba cried worriedly from some unseen part of the room. "They're gonna hurt you!"
"I'm not afraid of them, kid," Seto said gently, stepping forward forcefully. "Now, explain yourselves!" he growled at Simon and the others.
"There's nothing to explain, you insolent cur," Simon shot back, holding the gem up in the air. "I don't have to say anything to a rude child such as yourself!"
Seto fumed inwardly, but he tried to keep his temper in check. "Those men with you happen to be former employees of mine who've been embezzling money from my company's accounts!" he cried, pointing his forefinger at them in emphasis.
"How interesting," Simon sneered. "However, I won't have to worry about them embezzling any profits I make." With that he held the ruby out in front of him and a burst of electricity shot out and struck both of the embezzlers, sending them to the floor. "I was going to do that anyway," he shrugged now.
The force of the electricity blast, however, also caused the lights to flash vigorously and the ship to rock again. Simon looked unaffected by this and simply sneered at the two teens. "It looks you two will have the same fate," he remarked, "and I can't say it won't please me to be rid of such an annoying brat as you." The man smirked at Seto maliciously.
"Leave them alone!!" Mokuba screamed, suddenly dropping down from a high beam near the ceiling and landing squarely on Simon's shoulders.
The man started, jerking in surprise. "What the . . . get off, you little brat!!" he growled, grabbing Mokuba harshly and throwing him across the room. The boy let out a cry of pain as he hit the hard wall and then lay dazed on the floor.
Tea shrieked in horror, and Seto's eyes narrowed in outrage. "Mokuba!!" he screamed, turning to face Simon with his hands clenched. "How dare you treat my brother that way!" the boy cried.
Simon went over and picked up Mokuba's limp body. "I don't like children," he said carelessly, preparing to drop the boy to the floor again.
Instantly Seto grabbed Simon viciously, twisting his arm painfully while he retrieved Mokuba from the man's grasp. "I'll give you something to not like," he snapped, reaching to squeeze a pressure point.
Before he could, Simon raised the gem to shock him as well. "I don't think so," he hissed.
"Don't even think about it," Seto replied, quickly handing Mokuba to Tea and turning his complete attention to defeating this madman. He grabbed the man's other wrist and restrained it, but Simon was undaunted. The man kicked Seto sharply in the ribs and the boy doubled over with a gasp. With Seto's attention divided, Simon quickly aimed the ruby to point at Tea and Mokuba, who were both moving forward to attack.
"Now," he said with a grim smile, "you will all meet your end."
With an angry cry, Seto straightened up and grabbed Simon harshly, sending them both to the floor. The ruby, caught in the middle of the pressure from the intense battle, glowed brightly and then suddenly erupted in a blinding light, causing a horrendous explosion!
Simon snatched it greedily. "It's mine," he growled.
"Simon!" Captain Hardy cried. "What's going on?!"
"This," Simon sneered, "is a priceless gem from ancient Egypt."
"The Eye of the Mage," Shadi muttered.
"The WHAT?!" Joey cried in confusion.
Simon grunted. "I don't care what it's called," he cried. "I only care about the high price I'll get for it on the black market!"
Yami Yugi stepped forward angrily. "You can't sell that on the black market!" he said firmly. "It's full of an ancient evil!"
"Don't be ridiculous!" Simon laughed. "It's a piece of stone!!"
Captain Hardy just stood back, completely baffled. "What's happening here?!" he demanded. "Why doesn't anything have a simple, logical explanation anymore?!"
"With Yugi Muto around," Seto smirked, "logical explanations go out the window." He had discovered many a time about the many strange events that followed Yugi and his friends around.
Yugi looked up at his Yami and Shadi in confusion. "What's the Eye of the Mage?" he asked.
"It was crafted by an evil sorcerer many millennia ago," Shadi replied grimly. "When he was defeated, his wicked powers were sealed inside it."
"Man, where are all these ancient artifacts comin' from?!" Joey said in frustration. "Is this thing connected to the staff?"
"It may be," Yami Yugi said.
"I've heard enough of this nonsense!" Simon cried, waving the hand with the ruby around wildly. Without warning, a bolt of electricity shot out and narrowly missed striking them down.
"Hey!! Watch where you point that thing!!" Joey cried in frustration.
Simon stared at the ruby in disbelief. "Did that really come out of this?" he said, blinking.
Shadi stepped forward. "You must hand it over to me," he said sternly.
"I don't think so," Simon growled defensively, trying to figure out how to make the lightning shoot out again.
"He's tryin' to toast us!!" Joey cried indignantly.
"Everyone duck!!" Mokuba screamed.
****
Shakily Bakura leaned down and pried the staff from the man's hand, then held it up and stared at it, not quite sure what he was supposed to be doing with it. "Yami? . . ." the boy asked waveringly.
Yami Bakura grunted, watching Bakura through half-open eyes. "Just don't let him get it back," he muttered, starting to slip away.
"But . . . but Yami, what does it do?" Bakura asked worriedly, his eyes wide.
"Don't use it," Yami Bakura growled.
Bakura watched, his heart pounding, as the thief fell into an unconscious state. He was on his own now.
****
When everyone looked up from Simon's latest failed attempt to strike them all down, their attacker was nowhere in sight.
"Where the heck did he go?!" Joey cried.
"Down that way," Seto said coldly, wondering whatever had happened to the embezzlers.
Quickly the others followed his lead, but somehow they all became separated in the confusion of a sudden blast that rocked the ship wildly.
"Now what's happening?!" Tea cried as she clanked into Seto.
"Whatever it is, I don't like the sound of it," the boy muttered. "This hallway leads to the main power control room. Maybe that ruby is jamming things up somehow!"
"C'mon!" Mokuba cried, racing ahead. "Let's go find out!"
"Mokuba!" Seto called in frustration. "Wait for me!"
****
"Well, well. What have we here?"
The Ishtars looked up. Standing before them was a strange man with naturally tanned skin and dark hair. A scar adorned his left cheek and his violet eyes glinted curiously. No one had heard him approach; where had he come from?
"Who are you?" Ishizu demanded.
The man laughed. "No one you would know. I am simply here to retrieve what is rightfully mine!"
"And what would that be?" Marik asked suspiciously.
"Oh . . . just a couple of trinkets. Nothing for you three to worry about." And with a strange cackle, the man vanished into thin air.
"That was very odd," Marik remarked, helping Rishid to stand.
"I sensed a darkness about him," Ishizu said quietly. "I fear that something else may be amiss."
****
Bakura sat next to his Yami's unconscious body, nervously watching the man on the floor. The old thief hadn't told him what to do if the person woke up, so Bakura could only clutch the sceptre and pray that such a thing wouldn't happen. He didn't like fighting with people, but of course he would have to do it if it was necessary.
Suddenly the door was thrust open and the same man who had appeared to the Ishtars stood silhouetted in the shadows, a determined sneer on his face.
Bakura leaped to his feet. "Oh my!" he cried. Heart pounding, he raised the sceptre and pointed it at him. "Why are you in here?!"
The man's eyes lighted on Bakura—or rather, on the staff he was holding. "That," he said simply, "is mine." He stepped forward, grabbing it roughly by the dark orb affixed to the top. "And now I will take it back."
Bakura struggled, sensing that he couldn't let the staff fall into this intruder's hands. "Who are you?" he asked, trying not to show how scared he felt.
"He is a dangerous man."
Both looked up as Shadi stood in the doorway, accompanied by Yugi and his Yami.
A note of recognition showed in the intruder's eyes as he studied Yami Yugi. "My Pharaoh," he said, giving a mock bow.
Yami Yugi blinked. "Who are you?" he wanted to know.
The man straightened up, obviously unfazed. "Oh yes, that's right. You have no memories of your time as Pharaoh. But that's just as well." He yanked the staff out of Bakura's hands and held it up. "I have what I came for."
"Do not remove the sceptre from this room," Shadi said sternly, stepping forward.
"It is mine," the intruder retorted, pointing it at Shadi threateningly. "I have the right to take it wherever I please." With that, he shot a blast of electricity at the Egyptian man in front of him and Shadi collapsed to the floor. Bakura clapped a hand over his mouth in utter horror.
Now Yami Yugi stood up firmly in the intruder's path. "That was uncalled for!" the ancient Pharaoh said sternly, his Millennium Puzzle starting to glow. The intruder shot out another blast, which collided with the powers from the Puzzle and was neutralized.
When the smoke from the failed attack had cleared, however, the intruder—and the staff—were gone.
"Oh my!" Bakura cried in surprise.
"He wasn't mortal," Yami Yugi said gravely. Somewhere in the back of his mind he was sure that he remembered the dark-haired man from somewhere, but he couldn't place where.
Yugi was kneeling next to Shadi worriedly, laying a hand on the man's shoulder. "Shadi, are you alright?" the boy gasped. "Wake up!!"
The Egyptian man groaned, but didn't revive.
"Get him onto the other bed," Yami Yugi directed, and Bakura rushed to help Yugi in accomplishing that.
"Are . . . are he and my Yami going to be alright?" Bakura asked frantically, his brown eyes wide.
Yami Yugi looked grim. "I wish I could remember who that man is and what his staff does," he declared, shaking his head. Seeing how upset Bakura looked, the Pharaoh tried to smile comfortingly. "But your Yami isn't a mortal, so I'm certain he'll be just fine." He paused. "It's Shadi I'm worried about," he admitted.
****
When Seto and Tea chased Mokuba into the power control room, they found Simon there with the ruby—but he wasn't alone. The embezzlers Seto had been after were there as well.
"What are you snakes doing here?" the boy demanded upon seeing them.
"Just finishin' some business, Kaiba," one of the criminals replied.
Seto glared. "What do you mean?"
"Seto, be careful!" Mokuba cried worriedly from some unseen part of the room. "They're gonna hurt you!"
"I'm not afraid of them, kid," Seto said gently, stepping forward forcefully. "Now, explain yourselves!" he growled at Simon and the others.
"There's nothing to explain, you insolent cur," Simon shot back, holding the gem up in the air. "I don't have to say anything to a rude child such as yourself!"
Seto fumed inwardly, but he tried to keep his temper in check. "Those men with you happen to be former employees of mine who've been embezzling money from my company's accounts!" he cried, pointing his forefinger at them in emphasis.
"How interesting," Simon sneered. "However, I won't have to worry about them embezzling any profits I make." With that he held the ruby out in front of him and a burst of electricity shot out and struck both of the embezzlers, sending them to the floor. "I was going to do that anyway," he shrugged now.
The force of the electricity blast, however, also caused the lights to flash vigorously and the ship to rock again. Simon looked unaffected by this and simply sneered at the two teens. "It looks you two will have the same fate," he remarked, "and I can't say it won't please me to be rid of such an annoying brat as you." The man smirked at Seto maliciously.
"Leave them alone!!" Mokuba screamed, suddenly dropping down from a high beam near the ceiling and landing squarely on Simon's shoulders.
The man started, jerking in surprise. "What the . . . get off, you little brat!!" he growled, grabbing Mokuba harshly and throwing him across the room. The boy let out a cry of pain as he hit the hard wall and then lay dazed on the floor.
Tea shrieked in horror, and Seto's eyes narrowed in outrage. "Mokuba!!" he screamed, turning to face Simon with his hands clenched. "How dare you treat my brother that way!" the boy cried.
Simon went over and picked up Mokuba's limp body. "I don't like children," he said carelessly, preparing to drop the boy to the floor again.
Instantly Seto grabbed Simon viciously, twisting his arm painfully while he retrieved Mokuba from the man's grasp. "I'll give you something to not like," he snapped, reaching to squeeze a pressure point.
Before he could, Simon raised the gem to shock him as well. "I don't think so," he hissed.
"Don't even think about it," Seto replied, quickly handing Mokuba to Tea and turning his complete attention to defeating this madman. He grabbed the man's other wrist and restrained it, but Simon was undaunted. The man kicked Seto sharply in the ribs and the boy doubled over with a gasp. With Seto's attention divided, Simon quickly aimed the ruby to point at Tea and Mokuba, who were both moving forward to attack.
"Now," he said with a grim smile, "you will all meet your end."
With an angry cry, Seto straightened up and grabbed Simon harshly, sending them both to the floor. The ruby, caught in the middle of the pressure from the intense battle, glowed brightly and then suddenly erupted in a blinding light, causing a horrendous explosion!