Chapter Thirteen-Journey into the Maze

Once they were safely out of sight, Espa looked at his friends. "The first thing we have to do is get Cedric back into the park. We're a team, and we can't function without him."

"Yeah, I know. He was really upset." Weevil replied. "However, the gates are heavily guarded how are we going to get to him?"

"Who said we had to go that way? We can climb the fence, can't we?" Rex suggested.

"Yeah. There's more than one way to get around them." Joey agreed. His mind was on Lacey, and the others of course. "Do you think they're okay?"

"I hope so. Kendra gets really weak sometimes. It's her disability. I know what you're thinking, but you're wrong." Weevil added, a note of defensiveness in his last statement.

"We didn't say anything, Weevil. We know your sister is different, but she's very strong. Jonathan actually fears playing soccer against her." Espa said softly. "She's considered to be their school's best player."

Weevil sighed. "I just hope she's okay in there."

"I'm sure she's fine." Joey reassured him. The Brooklyn boy looked ahead, at the tall iron gates. "Here goes nothin'…."

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"Marik…brother? Are you alright?" Rishid looked down at his younger brother in great concern.

"I…I've just got a terrible headache. It's nothing worse than what we've already been through. Where's Lacey?!"

"I have her,Marik." Ishizu walked up ahead of Kenny and Seto, to join her brothers, with the sleeping Lacey in her arms. "She was really worried about you."

Marik touched the small girl's back gently. "She was very courageous to try and stop them from hurting me."

His older sister nodded. "Yes, she was." She looked over at Seto and Kenny. "Are you two alright?"

"I'm okay." Seto replied. He was carrying Monica in his arms now. He looked over at Weevil's sister, who seemed to be weakening. "Kenny?"

Kenny looked up at Seto, forcing herself to stand straighter. "I'm fine."

"Don't kid yourself." Seto said, shaking his head. He looked down at Monica. "Can you walk a little bit, Little one?"

"Uh huh." Monica slid down out of Seto's arms, and gripped his right sleeve in her little fist.

Seto smiled slightly at that, remembering how Mokuba used to do that, before picking Kendra up, and cradling her. "Okay, we're ready to go now."

Rishid nodded, and led the way through the white door. "It's getting colder as we go." He observed.

"Yes." Marik said, shivering. He smiled a little when Rishid held him closer,to keep him warm. He noted that the younger girls were shivering horribly, and he looked at Ishizu. "Have we nothing to keep the small ones warm? Cold such as this will get them sick."

Ishizu shook her head. "This, we were not prepared for."

Seto grunted, removing his long coat, and wrapping it around Kenny. "If it is as cold where the others are as it is here, they're in real trouble." He glanced down at Monica, worriedly. He didn't have anything to wrap her in. "Just stick close to me,Monica. I'll try to keep you as warm as possible."

"Shh! Listen to that!" Marik exclaimed suddenly,sitting up in Rishid's arms abruptly. Ahead of them was the sound of children crying and whining. "That sounds like the Robas!" The Egyptian boy scrambled out of his elder brother's arms. "Come! We have to help them!"

"Marik wait!" Rishid ran after his younger brother. "It could be a trap, or distraction!"

Ishizu motioned for Kaiba and the others to stay put, while she went to examine the situation further. "I will tell you if it is safe." She went to join her brothers. After a minute, she looked up at Seto and the girls. "It is them." She said gravely.

Seto growled under his breath. "Do you hear my brother?"

Marik listened harder. "No. He must be elsewhere." The anger he'd felt towards this Lorelai Cadell burned in him all the more. "We must get in there to get the others out."

"Yes, we must." Ishizu agreed. She continued down the hall, trying to find the door where the cries were the loudest.

"Carefuly, Ishizu." Rishid said softly, following behind his sister to protect her.

"Brover in dere?" Monica asked Seto hopefully.

"Who's your brother?" The CEO asked.

"Rex Raptor is." Kenny answered barely above a whisper.

"I don't think so, Sweetheart. But don't worry! We'll find him soon!" Seto hastened to added, seeing the child's face begin to crumble. He patted her with his free hand. "These bad people are going to pay, I promise you. No family deserves to go through this!"

Rishid arched an eyebrow at Seto. He certainly has changed since we met him. He's not as cold as he tries to have us believe. Rishid chuckled to himself.

Ishizu smiled, sharing Rishid's thoughts. "Come. We get the others out now."

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Cedric looked at Espa in disbelief, when his friend climbed over the iron gate post. "Are you mad?! You have a chance to save your brothers!"

"Not without you, I don't." Espa smiled. "We all came here together, and that's how we're leaving." The psychic confirmed it, pointing up. Weevil, Rex, and Joey peered over the gate top. "Come on. We're going into the maze ourselves to find our families."

Cedric looked skeptical. "Won't the entrance be guarded?"

"I don't think so. Not anymore." Espa said. "The owner of the park has probably dispatched their guards to find us by now." He turned to scale up the gate once more. "Besides, they've made me really mad. That's a bad thing." He climbed back over, then helped Cedric over.

"Welcome back, man." Joey clapped Cedric on the back.

"Thanks….I don't know how to thank you…..all of you.." Cedric wasn't used to having a group of friends like this. It had always been just him and his sisters.

"You don't have to, Man. We've all become like family this weekend. Families stick together!" And as he said it, Joey realized how true it was. Even Kaiba in his own way, had become part of their family. "Come on. Let's go get our youngest members back!"

Espa led them cautiously across the park, keeping out of sight of the guards. When they reached the entrance to the maze, he looked at everyone. "We'll have to split up here. This place is big, and the three remaining children could be anywhere within it."

"Into pairs with one group of three, then?" Weevil asked, after noting the uneven number they held.

"Yes. Cedric, you, me and Joey will stay together." Espa looked at Rex and Weevil. "Are you two going to be okay together?"

"Yeah. This isn't a duel you know." Rex just wanted to hold Monica in his arms again.

"I know." Espa said quietly, muttering to himself. "Alright. Everyone stay with each other. If you get split up, don't try to find each other, because it might make it worse. "

"Alright." Weevil agreed. "Let's go already!"

Espa nodded, and taking a deep breath, he led everyone into the maze.