"The full moon?!" Yugi repeated in astonishment.

"That's what they said," Duke told him.

Yami Yugi stared up at the moon, deep in thought. "The full moon . . . what is it they could be releasing?!" he mused.

"Werewolves?" Rex suggested. "They're supposed to come out at the full moon!"

"Werewolves?!" Joey cried in alarm as he, Tristan, and Alyson—who was struggling to carry Oreo—approached.

"Who said anything about werewolves?!" Tristan wanted to know.

"Oh come on," Mai sighed. "Werewolves don't exist!"

"Hey," Rex shrugged, "after everything we've seen that 'wasn't supposed to exist' it's hard to figure out what's just phony!"

"There truly are werewolves," Yami Yugi said after a pause. "But somehow I do not believe that they are what was being talked about."

Joey blinked, his gaze suddenly turning to Duke, who was still curled up against the crate and trying to collect his bearings. "What the heck happened to you, man?!" he burst out. "You look like something Oreo dragged in!"

Oreo gave a loud meow of protest.

Duke grunted at Joey in annoyance. "If you were viciously ambushed by half a dozen thugs and left for dead in a crate, I doubt you'd look any better."

Joey's eyes widened. "What??!!"

"Joey, Duke was hurt!" Serenity cried. "He was beaten up terribly!"

That was when Bakura and his Yami came upon the scene. "Oh my!" Bakura gasped, looking at Duke in horror.

Yami Bakura grunted, not really caring one way or the other.

Seeing him, Oreo meowed happily and leaped out of Alyson's arms, bounding over to her tomb raider and giving a loud purr.

"You absurd feline!" Yami Bakura snapped. "What in the name of Heaven did you bring us all out here for?!"

"Meow," Oreo replied, whipping her tail around his leg.

Slowly Duke tried to stand. "The jerks who attacked me are long gone by now. Let's get out of here!" His vision swam and he swayed backward, nearly falling before Joey caught him.

"Whoa, man, you're in no condition to do anything but rest!" the blonde boy cried.

"I'll rest at the hotel," Duke replied firmly. "I'm not staying here!"

"Okay," Joey shrugged, "but you'll need help getting back there."

Duke sighed loudly but didn't protest, knowing that Joey was right.

Joey and Mako began helping their friend along and they all started out again, hoping to be able to find the others before too much time had passed.

"What happened here?!" Téa cried, appearing out of seemingly nowhere.

"I was ambushed," Duke said, tired of explaining.

"Meow," Oreo said simply.

****

Eventually everyone found everyone else again and they all returned to the hotel.

Mokuba shivered as he changed into dry clothes. "Now I know how you must've felt," he said to Marik with a lopsided grin, referring to when Marik had been thrown over the waterfall back at the Black Diamond Ranch.

Marik chuckled. "It's certainly no picnic," he declared, helping the younger boy wrap a blanket around his shoulders.

Out in the living room part, Seto listened as Ishizu told him of her vision and what she knew was going to happen.

"So basically what you're saying is that someone is after Marik and me because they want to offer us up to bring forth some great power." Seto crossed his arms and raised an eyebrow.

Ishizu nodded. "You are both in very grave danger."

Seto grunted. "Just more of your psychic nonsense. Do you really expect me to believe that we're being hounded by a group of blood-thirsty nutcases who want to sacrifice us both, like in that first virtual reality game? We're not on some desert island with heathens and head-hunters. We're in the middle of Boston!!"

"This is not psychic nonsense," Ishizu said sternly. "After all that you have seen, you should know that the supernatural does exist."

Seto turned to look out the window and didn't answer.

"You cannot bury your head in the sand and ignore this," Ishizu continued. "I know you do not believe me now, but you may have to learn the hard way." She paused. "They will do anything to get at you. I do not doubt that they might do something to Mokuba in order to set a trap for you."

Seto tensed at that. "That's not gonna happen."

"Then take heed of my warning," Ishizu answered softly.

****

Shadi, invisible to all, stood out on the balcony and listened to them talking. "Ishizu is correct, Seto Kaiba," he said stonily. "If you wish to protect young Mokuba, you must accept that she is not telling you nonsense."

Seto, still standing at the window, suddenly froze. "Did you hear that?!"

Ishizu looked at him in confusion. "I heard nothing."

Seto narrowed his eyes and looked out on the balcony. Shadi looked back at him, but since he had become invisible, Seto didn't see him. He did feel the other man's eyes on him, however, and this quite disturbed him.

"There's someone out there," the brown-haired boy growled.

Puzzled, Ishizu came over and looked out as well. "I see no one," she proclaimed.

Shadi closed his eyes and sighed to himself. Forgive me, Ishizu, he said silently. I wish I could let you know that I am alive, but it would be too dangerous. The only reason I was able to let Alyson know is because it will help her when she needs to use my Millennium Ankh. I promise I will tell you as soon as I possibly can, my dear friend. With that the guardian vanished from the balcony, leaving a very unsettled Seto Kaiba behind.

Now the young businessman grunted in irritation. "I know someone was there," he muttered, turning away from the window and crossing his arms.

Rishid, who had been silent throughout all of this, suddenly spoke up. "Lady Ishizu, it is almost two o'clock," he said quietly.

Ishizu paused, considering. "Well, I am sure we are all agreed that this meeting is some sort of trap set by the enemy," she replied slowly, "but perhaps we should try to beat them at their own game." She gave a secretive smile. "Someone should maybe try to spy on them and see what sort of villains we are up against."

"I would be most happy to do this, Lady Ishizu," Rishid said almost instantaneously. He was willing to do anything at any time to protect the ones he loved so dearly.

Ishizu patted his arm. She knew that Rishid would probably be the most logical one to go, since he was such a strong fighter and could most likely overpower the thugs in the event that a battle would take place. But she still worried. "Do be careful, brother," she pleaded softly. "Remember what Kamara told us about these people. They are ruthless!"

"I will be fine," Rishid promised.

Seto looked back and forth between them. "What's all this about a meeting at two in the morning?" he demanded. Quickly Ishizu explained about Viper's visit and the strange Kamara girl while Seto listened attentively. "I see," he said at last. "Well, I'm supposing this perhaps has a connection with this other . . . information you've been giving me."

"Most likely," Ishizu replied.

Marik peeked out of the bedroom where he had been playing Monster Capsule with Mokuba. "If Rishid is going tonight, I am going as well," he said firmly.

Rishid looked at him worriedly. "But Master Marik . . ."

"Hey, I don't want to be left out of things!" Mokuba whined, also coming to the door.

Seto held up his hands for silence. "Let's get something straight here," he called in his commanding voice. "Mokuba is not going under any circumstances. And what's more . . ." He paused for effect. "What if these people know this is some kind of a trap? Maybe they want to draw us away from the room so that they can get in at Ishizu."

"Ishizu could stay here until they get back!" Mokuba chirped. "And maybe we could set up some kinda decoy in her room incase those jerks do try to get in!"

"A decoy, eh?" Marik looked thoughtful. "I think we could work something out to that effect."

****

Before long they had enlisted the help of Mako, Joey, and Tristan, who were all more than willing to fight if necessary.

"Now," Seto directed, "you three are to stay hidden in Ishizu's room where you can watch the door. If someone comes in you don't recognize, jump them and force them to the floor."

"Meantime," Mokuba smiled, "Ishizu will stay safe in our room!"

"And Rishid, Kaiba, and I will investigate outside," Marik finished.

"Sure thing," Joey grinned. "Those crooks will never know what hit 'em!" He cracked his knuckles loudly.

"I do trust you won't mess things up, Wheeler," Seto grunted as he turned to the door.

"Hey!!" Joey yelled indignantly. "Everything will go smooth as clockwork! You just try not to come back beat up worse than Duke!"

"Seto's not gonna get beat up!!" Mokuba yelled loudly over the rising voices of the two older boys.

"Of course he won't," Marik reassured him. "None of us will."

****

Before long, Seto and the two Ishtar brothers were hiding outside the hotel in the brush, well concealed from anyone's view.

"Do you see anyone?" Marik asked Rishid, parting the bushes just slightly.

"I see no one, Master Marik," Rishid replied solemnly, narrowing his eyes.

Marik looked at him with a smile. "Rishid, really, I wish you wouldn't call me that. I am not your master."

Rishid sighed and averted his eyes. They had had this conversation many times in the past. "I know. . . . But it is so hard to break the habit. . . ."

Marik squeezed his hand. "What Father did to you was atrocious and wicked. I understand how you are feeling, my brother, and I will help you get over it. Father will not succeed in what he tried to do."

Rishid smiled back at last and squeezed Marik's hand in return, so thankful for his precious brother and for Ishizu as well.

Seto, who was stationed a bit ahead of them, suddenly came to attention as he spotted several shadowy figures concealing themselves under the awning of the hotel. "It seems they're here," he said.

The Ishtars perked up as well and looked over.

"I recognize one of them," Marik said slowly, "but I can't place who he is."

Rishid narrowed his eyes. "That is Seth," he proclaimed. "If he stepped into the light, or if you came over here, brother, you could see him better."

Seto clenched his fists in pure frustration. What was Seth doing here?! he screamed in his mind.

Without warning something cold and metallic was pressed against Rishid's shoulder blades. "Hello, darling," a frightfully familiar voice purred.

Marik's blood ran chill. He would know that voice anywhere. And by the way Rishid and Seto looked, they would too—and did.

"Vivalene!" they all cried at once.

****

Yugi helped Duke to lay down on the bed in his room. "Are you sure you're okay?" the violet-eyed boy asked worriedly.

Duke grunted. "Yugi, I told you I was," he said, wincing as he did so.

"You sound just like Kaiba," Rex remarked.

Duke laid an arm across his eyes, accidentally displaying several bad bruises for the other boys to see.

Yugi's eyes went wide. "At any rate, Duke, you must be awfully sore!" he exclaimed.

"I'll live," Duke mumbled.

Bakura went into the bathroom and quickly came back with a first aid kit. Despite Duke's protests the brown-eyed boy carefully began tending to the many bruises and wounds adorning his body. "There," Bakura said in his soft voice when he was done, and smiled.

Duke rubbed his eyes. "I could've taken care of it. But thanks anyway," he added.

Rex wandered over near the door. "I wonder how the stakeouts are going," he mused.

"I don't know," Yugi said slowly, "but I hope everyone's okay."

****

It just so happened that Joey's stakeout wasn't going much better than Seto's.

"Hey," Tristan said suddenly, "did you hear that? Someone's trying to open the door!"

"What?!" Joey immediately came to attention.

"Be quiet, both of you!" Mako reprimanded. "We want them to come in and not be scared off!"

All the teens became silent as the door slowly began to creak open. A stream of light poured in from the hall and a shadow filled the doorway.

"Now!" Joey yelled, charging forward with Tristan and Mako in hot pursuit. As they brought the intruder to the floor, they made a startling discovery.

"Wait a minute!" Tristan cried. "You're Alyson's grandmother!!"

Instantly all three of them were thrown back as the elderly woman got to her feet, no longer needing her wheelchair. "Am I?" she cackled in an eerie, echoing voice.

"Hey!!" Joey exclaimed. "What's goin' on here?!"

"What's going on?" the woman sneered. "What's going on is that all of you fools are about to meet your doom!"