Alyson shrieked. "No, Shadi, no!! You can't fight!! You're hurt!!"
"Is he nuts?!" Tristan gasped.
"Either that or he knows he'll have some sort of advantage," Mai said slowly. "But he can't use that gold piece to defend him forever."
"Shadi's gonna win," Alyson said stubbornly. "He always wins!!"
Shadi ignored their conversation and instead concentrated solely on his battle with Mr. Ivy. "Before we begin this, there is something I would like to know," the Egyptian man said sternly.
Mr. Ivy looked at him impatiently. "Yeah? And what's that?"
"What will you gain from all of this?" Shadi narrowed his eyes. "Are you Lou's henchman, perhaps? Has he agreed to give you part of the profit he hopes to make from the oil well on the property?"
"Wait a minute, what oil well?" Mai asked, blinking. Both Shadi and Mr. Ivy ignored her.
Mr. Ivy sneered. "Maybe. Or maybe it's just been too long since I've had a real duel."
"You've done this before?!" Tristan's eyes went wide in disbelief.
"You'd best let them alone," Mako spoke up hastily. "Once they begin their match, Shadi will need all the concentration he can get."
Mr. Ivy positioned his machine gun and smirked at his opponent. "Shall we?"
Shadi narrowed his eyes and raised his Ankh.
"Not very talkative, are you?" Mr. Ivy chuckled.
Shadi ignored that.
"Oh, alright, let's start then." Mr. Ivy gave him a maniacal look. "It will be interesting to see how long you can hold up against my state-of-the-art machine gun."
"Likewise, I shall be intrigued to see how you fare against a Millennium Item," Shadi retorted.
"This is madness!" Mai exclaimed.
"It will all be over shortly," Shadi said, not even looking back at her. "This was not my choice, but it must be done."
****
When Mokuba arrived downstairs, he was horrified at the sight of blood splattered across the wall of the den. "What's happened?!" he cried in alarm, seeing Rishid and running over to him.
"Lady Ishizu was wounded by the apparitions haunting this ranch," was the grim reply. "Master Marik is trying to comfort her."
Mokuba's eyes widened. "Marik's awake?" he exclaimed, worry now building for Ishizu.
Rishid nodded. "They are both right in here," he said, leading Mokuba around the corner.
Marik looked up from where he was cradling Ishizu against his chest. "Mokuba!" he said, smiling weakly at his friend.
Mokuba ran over and climbed up on the couch. "I'm glad you're okay, Marik," he declared, "but what's happened to Ishizu?" His blue-gray eyes were full of worry and concern.
Ishizu lifted her gaze and looked over at him. "I am alright," she tried to say, straightening up and shuddering slightly.
"Sister, you were so dazed!" Marik protested.
Ishizu shakily laid a hand on Marik's shoulder. "I am fine," she said firmly, gently brushing a piece of his long blonde hair aside.
Marik smiled at that but still looked upset. "I had that vision about you and Rishid still being in danger," he reminded her.
Mokuba gasped. "You did?!" he interrupted.
Marik nodded absentmindedly and looked at Ishizu for her reply.
"I remember about that," Ishizu assured him. "But this is only a scratch. It merely disoriented me for a few moments." Slowly she got to her feet, swaying slightly. Both Rishid and Marik rushed to her aid and she smiled up at them. "We should go find the others," the Egyptian woman announced.
"But sister . . ." Marik tried to protest.
"They're in danger," Ishizu broke in. "We must find them now." She left no room for arguments.
****
Yugi and Bakura, meanwhile, had also gotten lost and were in somewhat of a plight.
"You have to hang on, Bakura!" Yugi cried, staring down at the poor British boy as he frantically clung to the edge of the hole in the floor he had fallen into. "Just a little bit more and I'll have you out!" Despite Yugi's short stature, he really was much tougher than he was given credit for—and quite strong as well. After all, during the tense moments at Pegasus's castle, he'd managed to pull Shadi up from the precipice where he'd been stranded in Yami Yugi's mind.
Bakura gripped the linoleum as tightly as he possibly could and then let out a horrified gasp. "I say! Yugi, something's attacking me!!"
Yugi's eyes went wide. "What?!" he exclaimed.
Bakura struggled, swinging his body back and forth. "Yugi, there's something trying to grab at my legs!" he burst out.
Immediately Yugi snatched Bakura's wrists, trying desperately to pull him out of the hole. "I . . . I think I've got you, Bakura," he said through gritted teeth.
"Yes, but whatever's after me has me as well!!" Bakura replied, feeling like the rope in a tug-of-war game.
Abruptly something slammed hard into Yugi, sending him flying into the hole along with Bakura. Both boys screamed as they descended down what seemed like an endless tunnel and then crashed in a tangled heap at the bottom.
Yugi blinked, trying to get the room to stop spinning. "Bakura, are you okay?" he moaned.
Bakura moaned as well, rubbing his backside. "I think I broke something," he said, slowly pulling a carrot out from underneath him. Both he and Yugi stared at it.
"What's a carrot doing down here?" Yugi wondered.
An evil laugh ricocheted around the room and Bakura gulped. "Perhaps we're about to find out?" he suggested.
****
Mr. Ivy sneered and gestured to the audience gathered around. "I would suggest you all move back a bit, unless you want to be inadvertently hit by one of your friend's misdirected attacks."
"That wouldn't happen!" Alyson yelled angrily. "Shadi's much better at this than you! And he's good, unlike you are!"
"Oh, but little girl, the 'good guys' don't always win. Not in my game." Mr. Ivy smirked, shooting off another round of gunfire. Shadi easily dodged it and used the Ankh to again redirect it at his opponent. Mr. Ivy dodged as well, letting it slam harmlessly into the wall.
"Well," he said, surveying the newly-placed hole, "it seems that round was a stalemate. Shall we try again?"
Shadi kept his Ankh raised, prepared for a surprise attack.
Before long the two were engulfed in a cloud of debris and dust as gunshots and blasts from the Millennium Ankh rang out. Mai, Mako, Tristan, Alyson, and her grandmother all stared in horror and shock as blood flew out and landed on the floor and wall. Screams came from both Shadi and Mr. Ivy as they were wounded again and again.
Alyson clutched at the arm of her grandmother's wheelchair, her maroon eyes widening. "He's hurt!!" she wailed. "He must be getting hurt terribly!"
After another moment, Mr. Ivy was thrown backward against the wall, the cloud of plaster slowly beginning to clear. Blood streamed from his wounds and he gasped, staring at Shadi in shock. "You know," he managed to choke out, "your reputation as the guardian is really deserved."
Shadi doubled over, his dark black curls falling across his face. He made no reply to Mr. Ivy's comment, instead clenching the Ankh tightly in his fist as blood trickled down over his fingers. It was obvious that he had been wounded just as seriously as his opponent had been, if not worse.
"Maybe we should call this another stalemate?" Mr. Ivy grinned, bleary-eyed. "Or maybe I should simply hand the match to you, since I can't seem to get back up."
Shadi opened one eye and looked at him suspiciously, suddenly noticing that the criminal was slowly raising a hidden pistol for one final shot—and aiming at Alyson. Knowing he was too weak to retaliate in time, the mysterious Egyptian managed to get in the way, allowing the shot to take him down instead. Alyson let out a shriek as Shadi collapsed to the floor and lay gasping for breath.
Mr. Ivy laughed, the gun dropping from his grasp. "Or maybe I am the victor after all," he sneered just before he passed into oblivion.
"You're a terrible man!" Alyson screamed at him, dropping to her knees next to her beloved Shadi and sobbing. "Shadi?! Shadi, say something!!"
Shadi moaned once and then went limp as well, the Ankh slipping from his hand.
"Shadi?!" Alyson whispered, her eyes widening in horror. "Someone's gotta do something!! He's hurt terrible!!" she screamed, looking up at the others helplessly.
Quickly Mako and Tristan both knelt next to him, examining the many wounds.
"This is bad," Mako said grimly. "He was injured at least four times. When that Ivy man could get a good shot at him, it really struck hard."
Alyson covered her mouth in horror. "Is he . . . is he . . ." She trailed off, unable to complete the sentence.
Her grandmother managed to roll herself over in her wheelchair. "It's going to be alright, Alyson," she said softly, laying her hand on the girl's shoulder.
****
Ishizu, meanwhile, was leading the others down a long hallway in determination.
"Did you hear those gunshots?!" Mokuba gasped suddenly, stopping short right in the middle of the corridor.
"I did," Marik said grimly.
"And I don't like the sound of it," Seto remarked, coming up behind them without warning.
"Big brother!" Mokuba smiled, running over and hugging him.
Seto returned the smile and the hug and then looked up, narrowing his eyes. Without warning he kicked out and struck an attacking figure in a black cloak that was emerging from the wall.
Mokuba gasped. "Where did he come from?!" he exclaimed.
The spectre fell backward, the hood falling away from his face.
"You!" Marik cried, staring at an infuriated Lou.
"That's the guy who attacked us outside!" Mokuba burst out.
Rishid came forward and grabbed Lou, restraining him from moving. "You caused my brother to be harmed," he growled low.
Lou struggled, shoving his elbow into Rishid's chest. The other man grunted but didn't loosen his grip.
"Frankly," Lou said at last after another futile attempt at freedom, "I don't care whether your brother was hurt or not."
Ishizu blinked suddenly. "His voice . . ." she murmured. "He is the one who pushed me!"
Lou glowered and cursed under his breath.
"And you are also the one who has been impersonating Rishid!" Marik yelled. "You have some explaining to do before I send you to the Shadow Realm." Not that he really would, but it was terribly tempting. Marik narrowed his eyes. "I suppose you also pushed Rishid off the cliff!"
Lou lashed out and kicked him on the shin. "And what if I did? I'm after my ultimate goal and no one is going to stop me!!" He kicked Rishid as well, but found that it didn't faze him in the least.
"You're gonna pay for everything you've done to my friends!" Mokuba yelled. "What about Seto? Are you the one who shot him?"
Lou's face twisted into a grin. "No. I'm not the one who uses the guns around here. Nor am I the one you really need to be worrying about."
"What do you mean?" Seto snarled, getting right in his face.
"Oh you'll find out soon enough," Lou replied, just as a horrible explosion ripped through the floor, knocking everyone off-balance!
"Is he nuts?!" Tristan gasped.
"Either that or he knows he'll have some sort of advantage," Mai said slowly. "But he can't use that gold piece to defend him forever."
"Shadi's gonna win," Alyson said stubbornly. "He always wins!!"
Shadi ignored their conversation and instead concentrated solely on his battle with Mr. Ivy. "Before we begin this, there is something I would like to know," the Egyptian man said sternly.
Mr. Ivy looked at him impatiently. "Yeah? And what's that?"
"What will you gain from all of this?" Shadi narrowed his eyes. "Are you Lou's henchman, perhaps? Has he agreed to give you part of the profit he hopes to make from the oil well on the property?"
"Wait a minute, what oil well?" Mai asked, blinking. Both Shadi and Mr. Ivy ignored her.
Mr. Ivy sneered. "Maybe. Or maybe it's just been too long since I've had a real duel."
"You've done this before?!" Tristan's eyes went wide in disbelief.
"You'd best let them alone," Mako spoke up hastily. "Once they begin their match, Shadi will need all the concentration he can get."
Mr. Ivy positioned his machine gun and smirked at his opponent. "Shall we?"
Shadi narrowed his eyes and raised his Ankh.
"Not very talkative, are you?" Mr. Ivy chuckled.
Shadi ignored that.
"Oh, alright, let's start then." Mr. Ivy gave him a maniacal look. "It will be interesting to see how long you can hold up against my state-of-the-art machine gun."
"Likewise, I shall be intrigued to see how you fare against a Millennium Item," Shadi retorted.
"This is madness!" Mai exclaimed.
"It will all be over shortly," Shadi said, not even looking back at her. "This was not my choice, but it must be done."
****
When Mokuba arrived downstairs, he was horrified at the sight of blood splattered across the wall of the den. "What's happened?!" he cried in alarm, seeing Rishid and running over to him.
"Lady Ishizu was wounded by the apparitions haunting this ranch," was the grim reply. "Master Marik is trying to comfort her."
Mokuba's eyes widened. "Marik's awake?" he exclaimed, worry now building for Ishizu.
Rishid nodded. "They are both right in here," he said, leading Mokuba around the corner.
Marik looked up from where he was cradling Ishizu against his chest. "Mokuba!" he said, smiling weakly at his friend.
Mokuba ran over and climbed up on the couch. "I'm glad you're okay, Marik," he declared, "but what's happened to Ishizu?" His blue-gray eyes were full of worry and concern.
Ishizu lifted her gaze and looked over at him. "I am alright," she tried to say, straightening up and shuddering slightly.
"Sister, you were so dazed!" Marik protested.
Ishizu shakily laid a hand on Marik's shoulder. "I am fine," she said firmly, gently brushing a piece of his long blonde hair aside.
Marik smiled at that but still looked upset. "I had that vision about you and Rishid still being in danger," he reminded her.
Mokuba gasped. "You did?!" he interrupted.
Marik nodded absentmindedly and looked at Ishizu for her reply.
"I remember about that," Ishizu assured him. "But this is only a scratch. It merely disoriented me for a few moments." Slowly she got to her feet, swaying slightly. Both Rishid and Marik rushed to her aid and she smiled up at them. "We should go find the others," the Egyptian woman announced.
"But sister . . ." Marik tried to protest.
"They're in danger," Ishizu broke in. "We must find them now." She left no room for arguments.
****
Yugi and Bakura, meanwhile, had also gotten lost and were in somewhat of a plight.
"You have to hang on, Bakura!" Yugi cried, staring down at the poor British boy as he frantically clung to the edge of the hole in the floor he had fallen into. "Just a little bit more and I'll have you out!" Despite Yugi's short stature, he really was much tougher than he was given credit for—and quite strong as well. After all, during the tense moments at Pegasus's castle, he'd managed to pull Shadi up from the precipice where he'd been stranded in Yami Yugi's mind.
Bakura gripped the linoleum as tightly as he possibly could and then let out a horrified gasp. "I say! Yugi, something's attacking me!!"
Yugi's eyes went wide. "What?!" he exclaimed.
Bakura struggled, swinging his body back and forth. "Yugi, there's something trying to grab at my legs!" he burst out.
Immediately Yugi snatched Bakura's wrists, trying desperately to pull him out of the hole. "I . . . I think I've got you, Bakura," he said through gritted teeth.
"Yes, but whatever's after me has me as well!!" Bakura replied, feeling like the rope in a tug-of-war game.
Abruptly something slammed hard into Yugi, sending him flying into the hole along with Bakura. Both boys screamed as they descended down what seemed like an endless tunnel and then crashed in a tangled heap at the bottom.
Yugi blinked, trying to get the room to stop spinning. "Bakura, are you okay?" he moaned.
Bakura moaned as well, rubbing his backside. "I think I broke something," he said, slowly pulling a carrot out from underneath him. Both he and Yugi stared at it.
"What's a carrot doing down here?" Yugi wondered.
An evil laugh ricocheted around the room and Bakura gulped. "Perhaps we're about to find out?" he suggested.
****
Mr. Ivy sneered and gestured to the audience gathered around. "I would suggest you all move back a bit, unless you want to be inadvertently hit by one of your friend's misdirected attacks."
"That wouldn't happen!" Alyson yelled angrily. "Shadi's much better at this than you! And he's good, unlike you are!"
"Oh, but little girl, the 'good guys' don't always win. Not in my game." Mr. Ivy smirked, shooting off another round of gunfire. Shadi easily dodged it and used the Ankh to again redirect it at his opponent. Mr. Ivy dodged as well, letting it slam harmlessly into the wall.
"Well," he said, surveying the newly-placed hole, "it seems that round was a stalemate. Shall we try again?"
Shadi kept his Ankh raised, prepared for a surprise attack.
Before long the two were engulfed in a cloud of debris and dust as gunshots and blasts from the Millennium Ankh rang out. Mai, Mako, Tristan, Alyson, and her grandmother all stared in horror and shock as blood flew out and landed on the floor and wall. Screams came from both Shadi and Mr. Ivy as they were wounded again and again.
Alyson clutched at the arm of her grandmother's wheelchair, her maroon eyes widening. "He's hurt!!" she wailed. "He must be getting hurt terribly!"
After another moment, Mr. Ivy was thrown backward against the wall, the cloud of plaster slowly beginning to clear. Blood streamed from his wounds and he gasped, staring at Shadi in shock. "You know," he managed to choke out, "your reputation as the guardian is really deserved."
Shadi doubled over, his dark black curls falling across his face. He made no reply to Mr. Ivy's comment, instead clenching the Ankh tightly in his fist as blood trickled down over his fingers. It was obvious that he had been wounded just as seriously as his opponent had been, if not worse.
"Maybe we should call this another stalemate?" Mr. Ivy grinned, bleary-eyed. "Or maybe I should simply hand the match to you, since I can't seem to get back up."
Shadi opened one eye and looked at him suspiciously, suddenly noticing that the criminal was slowly raising a hidden pistol for one final shot—and aiming at Alyson. Knowing he was too weak to retaliate in time, the mysterious Egyptian managed to get in the way, allowing the shot to take him down instead. Alyson let out a shriek as Shadi collapsed to the floor and lay gasping for breath.
Mr. Ivy laughed, the gun dropping from his grasp. "Or maybe I am the victor after all," he sneered just before he passed into oblivion.
"You're a terrible man!" Alyson screamed at him, dropping to her knees next to her beloved Shadi and sobbing. "Shadi?! Shadi, say something!!"
Shadi moaned once and then went limp as well, the Ankh slipping from his hand.
"Shadi?!" Alyson whispered, her eyes widening in horror. "Someone's gotta do something!! He's hurt terrible!!" she screamed, looking up at the others helplessly.
Quickly Mako and Tristan both knelt next to him, examining the many wounds.
"This is bad," Mako said grimly. "He was injured at least four times. When that Ivy man could get a good shot at him, it really struck hard."
Alyson covered her mouth in horror. "Is he . . . is he . . ." She trailed off, unable to complete the sentence.
Her grandmother managed to roll herself over in her wheelchair. "It's going to be alright, Alyson," she said softly, laying her hand on the girl's shoulder.
****
Ishizu, meanwhile, was leading the others down a long hallway in determination.
"Did you hear those gunshots?!" Mokuba gasped suddenly, stopping short right in the middle of the corridor.
"I did," Marik said grimly.
"And I don't like the sound of it," Seto remarked, coming up behind them without warning.
"Big brother!" Mokuba smiled, running over and hugging him.
Seto returned the smile and the hug and then looked up, narrowing his eyes. Without warning he kicked out and struck an attacking figure in a black cloak that was emerging from the wall.
Mokuba gasped. "Where did he come from?!" he exclaimed.
The spectre fell backward, the hood falling away from his face.
"You!" Marik cried, staring at an infuriated Lou.
"That's the guy who attacked us outside!" Mokuba burst out.
Rishid came forward and grabbed Lou, restraining him from moving. "You caused my brother to be harmed," he growled low.
Lou struggled, shoving his elbow into Rishid's chest. The other man grunted but didn't loosen his grip.
"Frankly," Lou said at last after another futile attempt at freedom, "I don't care whether your brother was hurt or not."
Ishizu blinked suddenly. "His voice . . ." she murmured. "He is the one who pushed me!"
Lou glowered and cursed under his breath.
"And you are also the one who has been impersonating Rishid!" Marik yelled. "You have some explaining to do before I send you to the Shadow Realm." Not that he really would, but it was terribly tempting. Marik narrowed his eyes. "I suppose you also pushed Rishid off the cliff!"
Lou lashed out and kicked him on the shin. "And what if I did? I'm after my ultimate goal and no one is going to stop me!!" He kicked Rishid as well, but found that it didn't faze him in the least.
"You're gonna pay for everything you've done to my friends!" Mokuba yelled. "What about Seto? Are you the one who shot him?"
Lou's face twisted into a grin. "No. I'm not the one who uses the guns around here. Nor am I the one you really need to be worrying about."
"What do you mean?" Seto snarled, getting right in his face.
"Oh you'll find out soon enough," Lou replied, just as a horrible explosion ripped through the floor, knocking everyone off-balance!