Instantly Tristan rushed forward in an attempt to tackle their assailant before anyone got shot. "Alright, buster, you've got a lot of nerve!" the hazel-eyed boy declared. "No one pulls a gun on my friends while I'm around!"

The man only grunted. "A gun?" he repeated, reaching out to restrain Tristan from grabbing him. "Kid, you've got an active imagination."

"Well, if it's not a gun, then what is it?!" Mokuba demanded angrily, picking himself up.

"Just this." Now the man removed a piece of paper and spread it out, revealing a newspaper clipping of Lila Palmer being arrested.

Marik slowly got up as well, rubbing his backside in annoyance. "I don't understand what your problem is," he said. "Lila was a conniving criminal who got exactly what she deserved."

"Lila was no crook," the man growled. "A little selfish, maybe, and irresponsible, but not the cold-blooded criminal you people made her out to be!"

"I don't think so!" Yugi cried, becoming upset. "She kidnapped her own brother to further her plans! I don't call that irresponsible—I call it cruel and heartless!!"

"She sounds extremely selfish to me," Ishizu agreed quietly, "not to mention wicked and thoughtless." She silently fumed at this person's utter unmannerly actions at throwing her brother—and Mokuba and Bakura as well—to the floor.

Rishid glared. "I will thank you to not carelessly throw people—especially my brother—to the floor again." He stepped forward threateningly.

"I knew Lila better than anyone," the strange man growled, ignoring Rishid. "You've warped her entire reputation!"

"What makes you think you know her so well?!" Joey growled.

"I was her fiancé," was the reply.

Before anyone could answer to this shocking statement, Mandy Granger ran past, her eyes wide with horror as she led the firefighters in.

"I think it's been put out now," she babbled, "but oh! This is so scary! Why do all these things happen at this radio station?!"

Téa couldn't say she was happy to see Mandy again. The red-haired girl was a complete scatter-brain and an immense fangirl of Seto Kaiba. She reminded Téa a lot of a girl Tristan had once been nuts about.

"We'll have to discuss this later," Marik said, walking around the man and following after Mandy and the firefighters, wanting to know what had happened in the station. The others chased after him then, even Lila's irate former fiancé.

When they reached the room, it was empty except for a smoldering box in the middle of the floor. The smoke was thick in the air and everyone began waving it away and coughing.

"You people stay back," one fireman directed as he walked inside to make certain the fire was out.

Mandy wrung her hands and then suddenly became aware of the audience gathered there. "Oh hi!" she chirped. "Where's Seto Kaiba today?"

"He came in here," Mokuba replied guardedly. He wasn't sure who Mandy was, as he hadn't been involved with the part of the disappearing deejay mystery that had taken place right inside the radio station. As he looked around, the little boy began wondering himself where his older brother was and hoped that he hadn't gotten into trouble.

At that moment Seto appeared with an upset Bruce in tow. "What exactly caused this?" Seto demanded. "It clearly looks deliberate."

"Unfortunately, it probably was," Bruce said, his voice rising in anger. "Mandy found it and ran to tell me as I came through the doors. Someone must want this station to fail!!"

"Sabotage again, hmm?" Seto half-turned, looking irritated.

"Oh, Mr. Kaiba!" Mandy exclaimed in delight, immediately trying to attach herself to his arm.

Instantly Seto distanced himself as far away as possible, waiting for Bruce's answer.

"It had better not be!" the station manager cried indignantly.

"Then what would you call it?" Seto asked calmly.

Bruce looked flustered. "A disgrace!" he said at last. "A disgrace, that's what I'd call it!!"

Seto shook his head and turned away.

At that moment JP came out from the studio where he had been doing his show. "Great!" he exclaimed. "You're all here!" He sighed as he looked at the smoke wafting out into the hall, but he didn't seem too surprised.

"Yeah, we're here, alright," Téa said slowly, "but why exactly are we?"

JP sighed, apparently not wanting to speak in front of more people than he had to. Trying to make light of things and not look suspicious, he simply grinned and said, "Why, to tour my studio, of course!"

Joey blinked. "That's why you invited us all down here?"

Téa, sensing what JP was doing, quickly shushed the Brooklyn boy.

"Come right this way," JP said grandly, leading them all down the corridor and back into the cosy, cushioned room he was broadcasting from.

"Hey, this is nice," Joey said, sinking down into a soft chair.

"I could definitely get used to this," Tristan agreed.

"So what's with the new studio, JP?" Yugi asked, looking around in awe.

JP shrugged. "Bruce said I'm his star deejay and that my studio should be a place of complete comfort." He laughed a bit embarrassedly. "You know how he is about his deejays."

Bakura winced, remembering suddenly that his Yami had volunteered him for the mystery hour.

"Are you alright, Bakura?" Mokuba asked. "You look green!"

Bakura sighed, sinking deeper into the couch he was on. "I honestly feel ill," he replied, rubbing a hand over his forehead.

"Hey, it'll be alright, buddy," Tristan said, knowing what the other boy was so upset about.

Bakura gave him a weak smile.

"Well, anyway . . ." JP glanced around furtively before pressing a switch that locked the door. "I really did call you guys here about something important. I just didn't want Bruce to hear us talking."

"Why not?" Téa asked. Though she was quite sure she knew that was why JP had acted as he had a few minutes before, she didn't understand the reason.

"Frankly, the truth is . . ." JP narrowed his eyes. "I think Bruce may be doing things because he wants to get his station back in the public limelight."

"It wouldn't surprise me," Marik grunted. "From what I've seen of him, he seems the type. But . . ." The Egyptian boy crossed his arms and his arm bands clanked into each other. "I don't know why he'd want to get bad publicity. That is, after all, what this nonsense will certainly bring about."

"Perhaps he wishes to make himself a hero," Ishizu suggested. "He, or someone else in the studio that he has enlisted to do so, would create the accidents and then Bruce would pretend to find a way to solve things."

JP nodded. "It's possible," he agreed.

"Do you have any proof of your concerns?" Seto wanted to know.

"Unfortunately, nothing that would hold up in a court," JP admitted ruefully. "But I did see Bruce going into a room shortly before this fire started, carrying a pack of matches. He seemed to be muttering something like, 'I'll show them! I'll show them all!'" He sighed. "And he's said some other strange things lately, like how he's frustrated at the way the press portrays him. I really think this lovely young woman . . . what is your name?" he asked, interrupting himself to blink at Ishizu, whom he had never met.

"Ishizu Ishtar," she replied softly.

"Oh of course . . . Marik's sister," JP nodded. "Well, anyway, I think Ms. Ishtar may be on to something with her suggestion."

"But how can we prove any of this?" Yugi wondered. "If it's true, that is."

JP laced his fingers together. "Well, it would really help if one of you was working here," he said. "You could try to get close to Bruce and find out what's going on. If he decided he trusted you enough, he might let you in on the secret."

Bakura bit back a sigh. He would be the one who wound up working here, he was certain. The shy, quiet British boy really didn't care for the spotlight at all and would be perfectly content to simply stay in the shadows.

Seto grunted. "I already own this station," he said. "I could easily have some of my men come here and work undercover."

"Not a bad idea," JP agreed. "But I think one of you would be the best choice. Bruce already knows all of you and thinks you're great."

"What if he isn't doing anything and we're suspecting an innocent man?" Yugi worried. He hadn't voiced his opinion yet, but he honestly felt that Bruce wasn't the culprit.

"Well, if he isn't, then there's no need to worry," JP smiled. "But you can understand why I called all of you and not the police."

Téa nodded. "Of course."

The disc jockey stood up and walked to the window. "Even if Bruce is innocent, which he very well may be, there is someone running loose here who needs to be caught," he said. "I'll be investigating all that I can, but it may not be enough."

"We'll be happy to help," Yugi said.

"Super Joey is on the case!" Joey grinned.

JP grinned as well. "I knew I could count on all of you," he said.

Bakura sat up straight. "Well, my Yami's already decided that I'm going to do the mystery hour show," he said, trying to smile.

"Really?" JP looked at the clock. "Then you'd better hurry along. It starts in thirty minutes!" He pressed another button and the door unlocked.

Bakura gulped, walking to it with his Yami quickly following.

"It's not as bad as all that, pal," Tristan said. "All you havta do is talk into the microphone to several thousand people and play a few songs."

"Oh, thanks for the encouragement, mate," Bakura remarked, showing his rare cynical side as he walked out into the hall.

"Good luck, Bakura!" Yugi called.

Marik looked at JP again. "There's more, isn't there?" he said calmly.

"What?" JP said innocently.

"There's something else you're not telling," Marik replied, giving him a searching look. "This isn't just about whoever may be out to cause these accidents, is it?"

JP began to pace the room. "Well . . . you know that fiancé of my dear sister's?" He spoke with an air of cynicism and disgust himself.

"Oh yeah. Real nice guy there," Joey remarked. "And strong! Heck, he pushed three of our friends down with one hand!"

JP stopped pacing, looking disturbed. "Something's strange about him," he declared.

"Well, go ahead and tell us," Téa said. "Is he another suspect?"

"He could be," JP said vaguely, seeming reluctant to tell exactly what was on his mind.

"Hey, come on, spill!" Joey said impatiently. "What's up with the dude?! Who is he?!"

JP sat down on the edge of his desk. "His name is Phil Court," he replied, "and he's actually working here." He made another face. "Bruce knows about the whole 'him-being-engaged-to-Lila' thing, but he doesn't care. He's sure that Phil is trustworthy and won't do something stupid."

"But what do you think?" Seto asked, irritated because it seemed that this mystery was only getting deeper and more confusing.

"I think . . ." JP stopped, shaking his head. "No, it's ridiculous."

"What is?" Yugi wanted to know.

"Those creatures don't exist!" JP said in frustration.

"Would you care to enlighten us on your ramblings?" Marik said.

"Werewolves," JP muttered. "Werewolves don't exist."

Seto snorted. "You're right, they don't." He stood up. "I didn't come here to listen to fairy tale nonsense. I have better things to do with my time."

Ishizu seemed to be paying intense attention to JP, however. "Do you think that this Phil is a werewolf?" she asked.

JP sighed. "Well . . . the thing is, he's been working here for a while, and everytime it's around the full moon, he always asks for a few days off. One time, when he wasn't able to get it, he went a bit ballistic. Then I heard this weird sound down in the basement that night . . ." He trailed off.

"Go on," Ishizu encouraged.

Marik blinked at her, wondering if she was actually believing this strange tale. Of course, he said to himself, we've seen so many odd things. What's a werewolf or two? He also remembered the creature from earlier that had prowled around their house and wondered if possibly it could have been something of the kind. It seemed that Ishizu might be thinking so.

JP broke into his thoughts as he picked up his story again. "I heard this weird moaning, scratching sound," he said, "so I went down to investigate. I knew Phil had been the last one down there. He's the producer for the morning show, the one Mandy does now. So anyway, I called and asked if he was okay. I saw what looked like his silhouette on the opposite wall, struggling in agony, and then suddenly I didn't see it anymore." He paused for emphasis. "And then a horrible fanged beast leaped out at me!"