Téa's mouth dropped open. "Yugi!! Mokuba!!" she cried, standing still in horror. She was afraid to make any sudden movements in case they would become startled and lose their balance. "Kaiba!! Why don't you help them?!" she screamed.
Seto remained stoic and unmoved as he continued to watch the two boys on the ledge.
"Kaiba!!" Joey yelled angrily. "What's the matter with you?!"
Slowly the brown-haired boy turned to face the others, a wicked sneer on his face. "Oh, well, I don't see any reason to do anything. They're doing exactly what I want."
"WHAT??!!" came the collective gasp.
Seto started to laugh. "You fools!" he burst out.
"Hey!! You want a piece of me?!" Joey growled, charging forward. Seto blocked him easily and flipped him over his shoulder.
"Stop this madness!" Marik said angrily. "Yugi and your younger brother are both in serious danger!!" It enraged him to no end to see two of his friends—one his very best friend—helplessly transfixed and apparently forced to stand on the narrow ledge. And the only thing he could figure out about Seto was that perhaps he was being mind-controlled by Vivalene. He knew that if the CEO was in his right mind, he'd never behave this way—especially not where Mokuba's life was concerned.
"My younger brother?" Seto seemed to find this hysterical as well. "Oh, he isn't my younger brother. Kaiba's, maybe, but not mine."
Yami Yugi was the first to figure it out. "Seth!!" he cried powerfully. "Release them from your evil control or you shall have to suffer the consequences of facing me and losing in a Shadow Game!"
"Ah, Pharaoh. So you know who I really am." Seth smirked, enjoying the looks of shock and astonishment he was getting. "Too bad those poor fools out there were so unfortunate when they realized it. And now I'm afraid you will all have to join them!"
"I don't think so." Yami Yugi glared daggers at the former high priest, his Millennium Puzzle glowing brightly. "Release these minds from Seth's control!" he ordered, the third eye appearing on his forehead.
Marik rushed over to help steady Mokuba while Téa ran to Yugi. The two confused boys stared around at their surroundings and then cried out in horror.
"What are we doing up here?!" Mokuba shrieked, grabbing Marik's arms in terror. Quickly the Egyptian boy helped his friend back over the railing to where there wasn't danger of falling overboard.
Yugi didn't look much happier. He stared at the ground far below, his violet eyes wide. Téa then assisted him off the ledge as well, asking if he was okay. Yugi replied that he was, much to the girl's relief.
Seth continued to laugh. "I really don't care if you freed them from my control, Pharaoh," he said. "You'll all plunge to your deaths soon enough!"
"SETH??!!!" Mokuba cried, starting to remember what had happened. He struggled to get to him, but Marik held him back firmly. "Where's my big brother??!!!" the little boy yelled, still fighting against Marik's tight grip. "What've you done with Seto???!!!! And stop wearing his clothes, you big jerk!!!"
Seth seemed highly amused by Mokuba's outburst. "Patience, child," he scolded mockingly.
"I won't be patient!!" Mokuba yelled. "Marik, let me go!!!" He jabbed his elbow against his friend's stomach.
Marik grunted and closed one eye. "Mokuba, there's no way you could take Seth on and win!" he said plainly. "He's three times your size and he has ten times your strength! Even the Pharaoh himself has problems contending with him!!"
"That's right, young Mokuba," Seth grinned, admiring the way the trenchcoat looked on him. "You should really listen to your friend, you know. He's wise."
"Answer Mokuba's query!!" Yami Yugi ordered. "It is certainly a valid one. What have you done with Seto Kaiba?!"
Seth sneered in a cold-hearted way. "Well, you knew we . . . needed him," he replied.
"NO!!!" Mokuba screamed. "NO!!!!!!!" Tears streamed down his face. "You couldn't have taken him!!!! You just couldn't have!!!!"
"Couldn't I have?" Seth said innocently.
Now Viper stepped forward, her dark eyes narrowed angrily. "Look, Chuckles, I'm kinda getting tired of your ego. I think maybe someone needs to take you down a few notches."
Seth looked unfazed. "Attack me by all means if you think you can, my dear," he told her.
"Gladly." Viper lashed out instantly and took Seth completely by surprise, kicking him harshly in the abdomen. The evil high priest fell over with a gasp and then Viper stood over him, arms akimbo. "Take that!" She tossed her hair and pressed down hard on Seth's chest.
To her shock, Seth now seemed amused. "Ah, it's so nice to let my enemies think they have the upper hand," he remarked, grabbing her ankle and dragging her to the floor.
"Cease!!!"
Suddenly Seth found himself paralyzed and stuck to the concrete. "What did you do, Pharaoh?!" he growled.
Yami Yugi glared down at him. "That doesn't matter. Right now you're supposed to tell us exactly what you have done with Seto Kaiba!"
"And why you are working with Vivalene after what she did to you back in San Francisco," Ishizu added sternly.
Seth blinked. "What are you talking about, woman? I have never seen Vivalene in San Francisco."
Yami Yugi narrowed his eyes. "You don't remember?"
"More of Vivalene's brainwashing," Rishid uttered low, clenching his fists.
"I don't care what Vivalene did to him!" Mokuba wailed. "I want my brother back!!!"
"Poor little Mokuba," Seth taunted. "You'll never see your brother again. But I look just like him. I can go back to KaibaCorp and no one will know the difference, especially not after there's no witnesses!"
"I've heard enough!!" Yami Yugi declared. "Seth, you will never vanquish me!!"
"We shall see, Pharaoh," Seth shot back as he was freed.
Energies clashed in the sky as the two began their duel. The others stood to the sides, worry evident in their eyes.
Mokuba hugged Marik tightly, still crying. "It's not true!!" he sobbed. "They don't have Seto!!! They can't have him!!! Seto would never let himself get caught!"
Marik held the younger boy comfortingly. "We'll find your brother," he promised, his heart breaking for his friend. "I swear, we will find him!!"
Seth's scream brought their attention back to the fight as Yami Yugi pinned the high priest against the railing dangerously. One wrong move and the man would slip and fall overboard.
"Now," the Pharaoh hissed, "will you cooperate with us?"
Without warning the man he was holding captive suddenly began to change in front of their eyes. He was Seth's older brother Khu . . . Marik's wicked Yami . . . even Yami Yugi himself!
"What the heck?!" Joey yelled in disbelief. "That can't be Seth!!"
"There is only one person I know of who can do all that," Marik hissed.
"Oh?" the person said calmly, changing now into a carbon copy of Ishizu. "There is more than one who can change appearances at the drop of a hat, dear brother."
"DON'T call me that!!!" Marik screamed, fire burning in his eyes.
"Perhaps you should reveal to us your true identity!" the real Ishizu said sternly.
"I don't think so." Now the strange, dangerous person had morphed into Seto Kaiba once more. In a puff of smoke, he had vanished completely.
"Come back!!!" Mokuba yelled desperately. "Tell me where Seto is!!!"
"It's no use, my friend," Marik whispered gently. "He never would have told us anyway."
Martin stepped forward now, shaking his head in disbelief. "This is terrible," he muttered. "They have one of us now!"
"There must be something we can do to get Kaiba back!" Téa cried, her blue eyes wide.
"Are we sure they have him?" Yugi exclaimed.
"Without a doubt," Martin replied tiredly.
Rishid looked at him. "You say you had an old office inside the building," he said slowly.
"That's right," Martin nodded. "But this is why I'm so confused—there's nothing in my office! I cleared everything out when I got my new office elsewhere. I can't understand why that man who was shooting at us came here."
"Is it conceivable that he came for something other than your office?" Marik suggested. "Perhaps it all was a filthy trap to lure us here." His blood boiled at this possibility.
"It is conceivable, I'm afraid," Martin said grimly.
"Well," Viper spoke up, "I think the best thing now is to go to the hideout. We can talk things over better there."
"She is correct," Yami Yugi said in defeat. "I feel that there isn't much more we can do here. Let's go. We don't have much time. The full moon is the next night."
Everyone else agreed and they all turned to head back inside. Off in a distance a raven cawed loudly as it flew away.
****
In the meantime, Tristan and Duke both advanced carefully into the living room to investigate the source of the clunk—only to discover a sad and baffled Alyson holding the Ankh tightly in her hands and staring at an overturned potted plant.
"Alyson!" Duke blinked.
"What are you doing here?!" Tristan demanded. "You were supposed to stay back in your room with your grandma!"
"I know," Alyson sighed, "but I couldn't sleep. . . . So . . . I . . . I came over here to see what was happening."
"Well, I'm afraid the action is happening elsewhere, kid," Tristan said. "Everyone else went off with that Martin Collsworth guy."
Alyson nodded. "I kinda figured they would." She clutched the Ankh tighter. "I . . . I just wish I knew what to do!"
Tristan understood in an instant what she meant. "Hey, you'll probably know exactly what to do when the time comes," he said gently.
Alyson smiled weakly. "I hope so," she said barely above a whisper.
****
Mai looked up at the clock. "How long is it going to take them?!" she complained.
Bakura shrugged helplessly. Mai hadn't said much since they'd been waiting, but she had indicated that she was grateful for the boy's presence. He could see how edgy she was, and he didn't blame her in the least. He was worried about Rex too. I don't want anyone to die, he said silently, staring out the window at the coming dawn.
Yami Bakura had fallen asleep in his chair, slumping down to the side. Oreo, luckily, hadn't made an appearance from out of his shirt, and Bakura assumed that she was asleep as well.
"Ms. Valentine?"
Both Mai and Bakura looked up at the approaching doctor.
"Yes?" Mai asked, springing up.
The doctor gave her a tired smile. "Your friend is going to be alright," he declared.
"Oh thank goodness!" Bakura exclaimed, smiling as well.
Mai gave a sigh of relief. "Is he awake?" she wanted to know.
"He's sleeping right now," was the reply, "but he should be awake soon."
Mai plopped back into her chair. "I'll wait," she said, crossing her arms.
****
"Well," Martin said, pushing a door open at the back of an old, long-abandoned logging camp, "we're here."
"Your hideout is in this dump?" Joey blurted out.
"It's a good way to keep our enemies away," Viper told him, sashaying ahead to Rishid.
"Yugi," Téa said softly as they walked down a seemingly endless staircase, "do you remember what happened back at the Prudential Building, before you and Mokuba were forced to stand out on the ledge?"
Yugi paused. "Not too much," he said helplessly. "But I think the real Kaiba must've been grabbed there. I don't think Seth—or whoever that guy was—could've been impersonating him for very long. Mokuba would've noticed."
"You don't think he was still at the building somewhere, do you?" Téa's voice reflected her worry.
"I doubt it," Yugi replied, shaking his head. "If they actually managed to get hold of him, they wouldn't waste any time getting him back to their lair."
Up ahead, Martin found another door and began picking at the lock. Soon it swung open, revealing a lush, beautifully furnished room—and a strange figure attired in clothing of the Middle East. A flowing turban and a veil concealed most all of his face, the only visible part being his eyes—which were hard to see in the dim light. He regarded all of them for a brief moment and then disappeared into thin air!
****
Seto Kaiba regained consciousness slowly, trying to place his surroundings. Where am I? he wondered. Where's Mokuba?! Is he hurt?!
"Ah, so nice of you to join us, darling."
Seto growled. He would recognize that foul voice anywhere. "Vivalene!" he hissed. "What have you done with Mokuba?!"
"I told you I wasn't interested in that brat, only you," Vivalene replied flippantly. "The full moon is tonight, my dear Seto. I have the entire day to have fun with you and try to capture the other boy I need for our scheme. It seems, unfortunately, that he survived my last attempt to get rid of him."
"Then it's true," Seto grumbled. "You actually want to try sacrificing me—and Marik—to try bringing some monster to life!"
"That's right," Vivalene smirked. "And nothing can stop me!"
"Oh yeah?" Seto narrowed his eyes. "If you actually think I'm gonna allow myself to do anything to further plans of yours, I'm afraid you're sadly mistaken!"
Vivalene laughed. "Well, I admire your determination. I didn't think you'd ever give up, not even if you didn't have a ghost of a chance." She flipped her hair alluringly.
"Just wait and see," Seto hissed. He would figure out how to get out! He had to! If he didn't . . . he didn't even want to think about what would happen to Mokuba.
Seto remained stoic and unmoved as he continued to watch the two boys on the ledge.
"Kaiba!!" Joey yelled angrily. "What's the matter with you?!"
Slowly the brown-haired boy turned to face the others, a wicked sneer on his face. "Oh, well, I don't see any reason to do anything. They're doing exactly what I want."
"WHAT??!!" came the collective gasp.
Seto started to laugh. "You fools!" he burst out.
"Hey!! You want a piece of me?!" Joey growled, charging forward. Seto blocked him easily and flipped him over his shoulder.
"Stop this madness!" Marik said angrily. "Yugi and your younger brother are both in serious danger!!" It enraged him to no end to see two of his friends—one his very best friend—helplessly transfixed and apparently forced to stand on the narrow ledge. And the only thing he could figure out about Seto was that perhaps he was being mind-controlled by Vivalene. He knew that if the CEO was in his right mind, he'd never behave this way—especially not where Mokuba's life was concerned.
"My younger brother?" Seto seemed to find this hysterical as well. "Oh, he isn't my younger brother. Kaiba's, maybe, but not mine."
Yami Yugi was the first to figure it out. "Seth!!" he cried powerfully. "Release them from your evil control or you shall have to suffer the consequences of facing me and losing in a Shadow Game!"
"Ah, Pharaoh. So you know who I really am." Seth smirked, enjoying the looks of shock and astonishment he was getting. "Too bad those poor fools out there were so unfortunate when they realized it. And now I'm afraid you will all have to join them!"
"I don't think so." Yami Yugi glared daggers at the former high priest, his Millennium Puzzle glowing brightly. "Release these minds from Seth's control!" he ordered, the third eye appearing on his forehead.
Marik rushed over to help steady Mokuba while Téa ran to Yugi. The two confused boys stared around at their surroundings and then cried out in horror.
"What are we doing up here?!" Mokuba shrieked, grabbing Marik's arms in terror. Quickly the Egyptian boy helped his friend back over the railing to where there wasn't danger of falling overboard.
Yugi didn't look much happier. He stared at the ground far below, his violet eyes wide. Téa then assisted him off the ledge as well, asking if he was okay. Yugi replied that he was, much to the girl's relief.
Seth continued to laugh. "I really don't care if you freed them from my control, Pharaoh," he said. "You'll all plunge to your deaths soon enough!"
"SETH??!!!" Mokuba cried, starting to remember what had happened. He struggled to get to him, but Marik held him back firmly. "Where's my big brother??!!!" the little boy yelled, still fighting against Marik's tight grip. "What've you done with Seto???!!!! And stop wearing his clothes, you big jerk!!!"
Seth seemed highly amused by Mokuba's outburst. "Patience, child," he scolded mockingly.
"I won't be patient!!" Mokuba yelled. "Marik, let me go!!!" He jabbed his elbow against his friend's stomach.
Marik grunted and closed one eye. "Mokuba, there's no way you could take Seth on and win!" he said plainly. "He's three times your size and he has ten times your strength! Even the Pharaoh himself has problems contending with him!!"
"That's right, young Mokuba," Seth grinned, admiring the way the trenchcoat looked on him. "You should really listen to your friend, you know. He's wise."
"Answer Mokuba's query!!" Yami Yugi ordered. "It is certainly a valid one. What have you done with Seto Kaiba?!"
Seth sneered in a cold-hearted way. "Well, you knew we . . . needed him," he replied.
"NO!!!" Mokuba screamed. "NO!!!!!!!" Tears streamed down his face. "You couldn't have taken him!!!! You just couldn't have!!!!"
"Couldn't I have?" Seth said innocently.
Now Viper stepped forward, her dark eyes narrowed angrily. "Look, Chuckles, I'm kinda getting tired of your ego. I think maybe someone needs to take you down a few notches."
Seth looked unfazed. "Attack me by all means if you think you can, my dear," he told her.
"Gladly." Viper lashed out instantly and took Seth completely by surprise, kicking him harshly in the abdomen. The evil high priest fell over with a gasp and then Viper stood over him, arms akimbo. "Take that!" She tossed her hair and pressed down hard on Seth's chest.
To her shock, Seth now seemed amused. "Ah, it's so nice to let my enemies think they have the upper hand," he remarked, grabbing her ankle and dragging her to the floor.
"Cease!!!"
Suddenly Seth found himself paralyzed and stuck to the concrete. "What did you do, Pharaoh?!" he growled.
Yami Yugi glared down at him. "That doesn't matter. Right now you're supposed to tell us exactly what you have done with Seto Kaiba!"
"And why you are working with Vivalene after what she did to you back in San Francisco," Ishizu added sternly.
Seth blinked. "What are you talking about, woman? I have never seen Vivalene in San Francisco."
Yami Yugi narrowed his eyes. "You don't remember?"
"More of Vivalene's brainwashing," Rishid uttered low, clenching his fists.
"I don't care what Vivalene did to him!" Mokuba wailed. "I want my brother back!!!"
"Poor little Mokuba," Seth taunted. "You'll never see your brother again. But I look just like him. I can go back to KaibaCorp and no one will know the difference, especially not after there's no witnesses!"
"I've heard enough!!" Yami Yugi declared. "Seth, you will never vanquish me!!"
"We shall see, Pharaoh," Seth shot back as he was freed.
Energies clashed in the sky as the two began their duel. The others stood to the sides, worry evident in their eyes.
Mokuba hugged Marik tightly, still crying. "It's not true!!" he sobbed. "They don't have Seto!!! They can't have him!!! Seto would never let himself get caught!"
Marik held the younger boy comfortingly. "We'll find your brother," he promised, his heart breaking for his friend. "I swear, we will find him!!"
Seth's scream brought their attention back to the fight as Yami Yugi pinned the high priest against the railing dangerously. One wrong move and the man would slip and fall overboard.
"Now," the Pharaoh hissed, "will you cooperate with us?"
Without warning the man he was holding captive suddenly began to change in front of their eyes. He was Seth's older brother Khu . . . Marik's wicked Yami . . . even Yami Yugi himself!
"What the heck?!" Joey yelled in disbelief. "That can't be Seth!!"
"There is only one person I know of who can do all that," Marik hissed.
"Oh?" the person said calmly, changing now into a carbon copy of Ishizu. "There is more than one who can change appearances at the drop of a hat, dear brother."
"DON'T call me that!!!" Marik screamed, fire burning in his eyes.
"Perhaps you should reveal to us your true identity!" the real Ishizu said sternly.
"I don't think so." Now the strange, dangerous person had morphed into Seto Kaiba once more. In a puff of smoke, he had vanished completely.
"Come back!!!" Mokuba yelled desperately. "Tell me where Seto is!!!"
"It's no use, my friend," Marik whispered gently. "He never would have told us anyway."
Martin stepped forward now, shaking his head in disbelief. "This is terrible," he muttered. "They have one of us now!"
"There must be something we can do to get Kaiba back!" Téa cried, her blue eyes wide.
"Are we sure they have him?" Yugi exclaimed.
"Without a doubt," Martin replied tiredly.
Rishid looked at him. "You say you had an old office inside the building," he said slowly.
"That's right," Martin nodded. "But this is why I'm so confused—there's nothing in my office! I cleared everything out when I got my new office elsewhere. I can't understand why that man who was shooting at us came here."
"Is it conceivable that he came for something other than your office?" Marik suggested. "Perhaps it all was a filthy trap to lure us here." His blood boiled at this possibility.
"It is conceivable, I'm afraid," Martin said grimly.
"Well," Viper spoke up, "I think the best thing now is to go to the hideout. We can talk things over better there."
"She is correct," Yami Yugi said in defeat. "I feel that there isn't much more we can do here. Let's go. We don't have much time. The full moon is the next night."
Everyone else agreed and they all turned to head back inside. Off in a distance a raven cawed loudly as it flew away.
****
In the meantime, Tristan and Duke both advanced carefully into the living room to investigate the source of the clunk—only to discover a sad and baffled Alyson holding the Ankh tightly in her hands and staring at an overturned potted plant.
"Alyson!" Duke blinked.
"What are you doing here?!" Tristan demanded. "You were supposed to stay back in your room with your grandma!"
"I know," Alyson sighed, "but I couldn't sleep. . . . So . . . I . . . I came over here to see what was happening."
"Well, I'm afraid the action is happening elsewhere, kid," Tristan said. "Everyone else went off with that Martin Collsworth guy."
Alyson nodded. "I kinda figured they would." She clutched the Ankh tighter. "I . . . I just wish I knew what to do!"
Tristan understood in an instant what she meant. "Hey, you'll probably know exactly what to do when the time comes," he said gently.
Alyson smiled weakly. "I hope so," she said barely above a whisper.
****
Mai looked up at the clock. "How long is it going to take them?!" she complained.
Bakura shrugged helplessly. Mai hadn't said much since they'd been waiting, but she had indicated that she was grateful for the boy's presence. He could see how edgy she was, and he didn't blame her in the least. He was worried about Rex too. I don't want anyone to die, he said silently, staring out the window at the coming dawn.
Yami Bakura had fallen asleep in his chair, slumping down to the side. Oreo, luckily, hadn't made an appearance from out of his shirt, and Bakura assumed that she was asleep as well.
"Ms. Valentine?"
Both Mai and Bakura looked up at the approaching doctor.
"Yes?" Mai asked, springing up.
The doctor gave her a tired smile. "Your friend is going to be alright," he declared.
"Oh thank goodness!" Bakura exclaimed, smiling as well.
Mai gave a sigh of relief. "Is he awake?" she wanted to know.
"He's sleeping right now," was the reply, "but he should be awake soon."
Mai plopped back into her chair. "I'll wait," she said, crossing her arms.
****
"Well," Martin said, pushing a door open at the back of an old, long-abandoned logging camp, "we're here."
"Your hideout is in this dump?" Joey blurted out.
"It's a good way to keep our enemies away," Viper told him, sashaying ahead to Rishid.
"Yugi," Téa said softly as they walked down a seemingly endless staircase, "do you remember what happened back at the Prudential Building, before you and Mokuba were forced to stand out on the ledge?"
Yugi paused. "Not too much," he said helplessly. "But I think the real Kaiba must've been grabbed there. I don't think Seth—or whoever that guy was—could've been impersonating him for very long. Mokuba would've noticed."
"You don't think he was still at the building somewhere, do you?" Téa's voice reflected her worry.
"I doubt it," Yugi replied, shaking his head. "If they actually managed to get hold of him, they wouldn't waste any time getting him back to their lair."
Up ahead, Martin found another door and began picking at the lock. Soon it swung open, revealing a lush, beautifully furnished room—and a strange figure attired in clothing of the Middle East. A flowing turban and a veil concealed most all of his face, the only visible part being his eyes—which were hard to see in the dim light. He regarded all of them for a brief moment and then disappeared into thin air!
****
Seto Kaiba regained consciousness slowly, trying to place his surroundings. Where am I? he wondered. Where's Mokuba?! Is he hurt?!
"Ah, so nice of you to join us, darling."
Seto growled. He would recognize that foul voice anywhere. "Vivalene!" he hissed. "What have you done with Mokuba?!"
"I told you I wasn't interested in that brat, only you," Vivalene replied flippantly. "The full moon is tonight, my dear Seto. I have the entire day to have fun with you and try to capture the other boy I need for our scheme. It seems, unfortunately, that he survived my last attempt to get rid of him."
"Then it's true," Seto grumbled. "You actually want to try sacrificing me—and Marik—to try bringing some monster to life!"
"That's right," Vivalene smirked. "And nothing can stop me!"
"Oh yeah?" Seto narrowed his eyes. "If you actually think I'm gonna allow myself to do anything to further plans of yours, I'm afraid you're sadly mistaken!"
Vivalene laughed. "Well, I admire your determination. I didn't think you'd ever give up, not even if you didn't have a ghost of a chance." She flipped her hair alluringly.
"Just wait and see," Seto hissed. He would figure out how to get out! He had to! If he didn't . . . he didn't even want to think about what would happen to Mokuba.