Chapter Twelve-A Deal from the Keepers of the Shadow Realm

Veronica stirred slowly. Someone was poking her. "Hmm…?"

"Get up, you foolish child!" A rather nasty voice replied.

She bolted into a sitting position. "Who…?" The girl looked up, and gasped. "Yami Bakura….." Now she was really afraid. Why was she sent to him, of all people?

"That's right. I see my reputation proceeds me." The thief crossed his arms, smirking. "Now…What to do with you…"

"You could let me go…." Veronica suggested, without hope of it happening.

"No, I think not. Gozabouro Kaiba sent you here, yes? If that is the case, he must be lacking something you have, and is expecting me to get it."

Veronica stood up slowly. "I don't have anything…." She backed up a little, and nearly fell off a ledge. She shrieked, expecting to fall into the blackness below. A firm hand grabbed her, and yanked her back up. "Th-thank you…."

"You're not welcome. You've to be more careful." The yami just stared at her. "As you've no doubt realized, you're in the Shadow Realm. This is my domain."

"T-the…but how is that possible?!" Her eyes were wide. If that's true, I'm not even in the Virtual world anymore! Okay…this is no time to panic. I'll just ask him what he wants.

Yami Bakura was staring at the young girl curiously. "Does the prospect of spending eternity here frighten you, Child?"

"No. I wouldn't mind." Veronica replied acidly. "That's what Gozabouro Kaiba wants. He wants me to be frightened of his ability to play on my every terror. Well, I refuse to give in to him!"

"You're very bold indeed, if this place doesn't scare you." Yami Bakura grabbed her hand. "Come with me." This girl is foolish indeed, if she's not even flinching at my voice. Perhaps she knows nothing of my power. Well, she shall soon learn it! "Now, I believe there is a Key?"

"I don't have the Key. I told him that before he sent me away."

"Oh? Then where did you stash it?"

"I won't tell you!" Veronica exclaimed. "All he wants to do is destroy oniisan, I won't let him!"

"Very well. Then I shall have no other choice." He stopped them now, and threw her to the ground before a door. "Marik!"

Veronica's eyes narrowed. Marik Ishtar? He didn't live in the Shadow Realm unless….The yami of Marik Ishtar?! Oh no…no no no no! That, I'm terrified of.

"What is it, Tomb Raider? Can't you see I'm busy?" The darker yami appeared in his doorway.

"I'm sorry to disturb you, but I'm having a problem with the girl Kaiba Sr. sent me." Bakura's yami nudged her forward.

"I see…." Yami Marik glared down at her. "Well now….What have we here?" He knelt to pull her up to her feet. "You feel like you don't have to obey Yami Bakura, is that right?"

"I won't tell either of you where that Key is, and that's that!" She was rewarded by a rather violent slap, which sent her to the floor again.

"Insolent little Brat! You will do as you're told here! Get up!"

When she couldn't get up, Yami Bakura yanked her up. "Where is it?"

"I'll never tell you, ever!" She persisted through blinding tears. "I won't let Noa be destroyed! I promised!"

"You really are a pain, aren't you? It's no wonder your brother doesn't want you anymore." Yami Bakura sneered. "Well, since we won't get it out of you any other way, I suppose we'll have to go to phase two. What do you think, Marik?"

"I agree totally." Yami Marik yanked her up again, and dragged her inside, with Yami Bakura following. "We're going to have a little game, Veronica. If you lose, you tell us where the Key is. If we lose, which we won't, you go free."

"A duel?! You're going to duel me?! I can't duel here!" Definitely not here, and not with him! He'll have some sort of hidden penalty. I'm sure Gozie told them to dispose of me!

"I'm afraid you don't have a choice, my dear." Yami Marik sneered. "Now, I'll be a gentleman, and let you go first. The Shadow game starts now!"

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"Where did you send her, Gozabouro?!" Seto demanded.

"The Shadow Realm, or rather, a virtual simulation of it. It's real enough though. Don't worry about her. She'll have to confess, or she'll just dig herself into further trouble."

"She's stronger than you think! I tried to tell you that!" Noa yelled. "You're going to kill her mentality like this!" He worried that Veronica was reaching her coping limit. The girl had been brave for so long, she could only stay that way for so long.

"So much the better. Then you'd have a companion where you're going." The former CEO glared at them. "The longer she takes, the less chance you have of escaping."

"She will come back for us!" Mokuba exclaimed angrily. "You're going to get yours! You just wait!"

"Oh, we shall see, Little Boy. We shall see." Kaiba Senior left the prisoners alone.

Seto looked down at Mokuba. "Don't worry, Kid. We'll save her. But we're going to need back up." He pulled out the Virtual Key. "You're going to have go and get us help. I fear the worst if she's in the Shadow Realm. "

Noa looked at his brothers. "She's terrified. I can feel it."

"You know her worst fears of all, Noa. What is it?" Mokuba asked, afraid of the answer.

"Yami Marik." Noa replied simply. "Father must've been able to read her the same way I did when I first kidnapped her. This is bad."

"Did he send her to the real Shadow Realm?" Mokuba wanted to know. "Because Marik can help."

"I'm not certain…there's no telling. He's a lot stronger than the last time, and even then, he was difficult to beat." Noa sighed. "I'm so horrible. I can't believe I got her caught in the middle of this!"

"Don't worry, Noa. We'll save her, and you." Mokuba took the Key, and used it to open another door.

"Be very careful, Mokuba." Seto warned.

"I will be. Marik and I will be back soon." The youngest Kaiba disappeared, leaving his older brothers to stare at each other.