"So, I say we go get lunch. One of those American-like sub shops? I think there's a few near here actually. You said you haven't been eating right, and they have good food."
"I'm tired, not hungry. Besides it's only..." the red head paused while searching for a clock. One day she was going to get a watch to prevent this. "Eleven seventeen. About forty more minutes before it's lunch time."
"We can still make plans, you know," the blonde said with a wagging finger.
"Yeah, I suppose," her friend nodded. A little voice in the back of her head kept telling her she needed to be free by two that afternoon, why Naki didn't know. She couldn't remember any sort of previous plans yet the nagging feeling wouldn't let up. Cloey took her bags to the back and Naki swiveled her head to the door when she heard voices. A key turned the lock and it opened to reveal Mai and Anzu in the middle of a conversation.
"So he is going to the finals, but since Jou lost the will to finish up himself we were wondering if you wouldn't mind serving as back up for Yuugi."
"I was just going to win, but an added cause wouldn't hurt," Mai shrugged. "I'd be glad to. Any way I can help get Yuugi back on his feet. Oh, hello Naki," she said once she caught the eyes watching her from the couch. Anzu gave a soft smile and wave.
Naki waved back and tilted her head towards the back. "Cloey's in her room I think. Or the bathroom, she headed back that way before you came in."
"Well, since the to of you are here, care to have lunch with us later?" Mai prompted.
"Eh, maybe," Cloey said as she re-entered the room. She wasn't fond of Anzu and refused to even acknowledge the other girl.
"My treat," Anzu said with a smile.
"Ok," Cloey said in a more cheerful voice. She caught Naki's gaze and mouthed the words `free food' before she shrugged.
"How come you're not with Vince?" Seto asked as he emerged clean and in fresh clothing.
"He was sick, I decided to stay home. It's not going to kill me to stay cooped up for a few days, Seto," Mokuba replied with the roll of his eyes.
"Well he gets docked the pay for however many days he's out," Seto shrugged.
"I personally don't care how much he gets paid."
"I know you don't," Seto chuckled before ruffling Mokuba's hair.
The boy grunted as he smoothed it back down. "Anyway, Yuugi was active earlier," he said.
"Oh?" Seto inquired. He knew Mokuba meant in duels, Yuugi's disk was being carefully monitored for action. "Maybe I will get another chance to duel. For him to get his `revenge' I mean."
"Yeah..." Mokuba nodded. "Seto, I really wish you would tell me why you want the items. It's not like you to keep a secret."
Seto sighed and his shoulders slumped slightly. He didn't like keeping it hush-hush either but had to make others focus on what he wanted them to see and think. "I'll tell you this much," he said at last before he turned around to face his brother. Mokuba had his arms crossed over his chest and had put on his tough guy face. Seto couldn't help but smirk internally, he had learned that from him. "You know the free monsters roaming about?"
"Yeah, what about them?"
"This will flush them all out, at least in the end. I need them, need to know where they are and how many slipped through the Pharaoh's fingers."
Mokuba sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "I can believe the monsters since I've seen and interacted with two, but I can't believe this all began five thousand years ago. It just seems to get weird there. And not long ago you didn't believe any of this mess. You even scolded Yuugi for believing it in the first place."
"My eyes were opened. Actually, they were stitched open after I ignored the first story," he laughed. Mokuba gave him a confused look and he just shook his head. "Believe me, Mokuba," Seto began. "I would love to go back to just running the company and playing the game. But this is something I need to do and when all is said and done it'll make perfect sense."
"I sure hope so, big brother," Mokuba replied as he chewed on his lower lip.
"Things... aren't always what they seem. I'm not the bad guy. Just keep that in mind."
"Trying to, it's just that you've been changing so much. Even let the tournament go on longer than you originally planed!"
"Well then," Seto began. "I think I'll just have to set a deadline for finalists to get what they need. Tomorrow night it is, I'll make the preparations today and get the word out as soon as possible."
"I can spread the word to the trackers, they can activate the disks to announce it to players."
"You do that and I'll give it a more personal touch," Seto smirked. By that he meant hanging out of the copter again and talking over the big screens scattered about Domino. Always one for dramatics even on the simplest of occasions.
"Have you secured the last card?" Malik asked as Rishid approached him.
"I have, Master," the taller figure said with a bow. "I am sorry I failed to get it last night, most duelists that have already qualified must be waiting for the finals patiently."
"No, I think the other duelists will be part of the little circle I was here to disrupt. I got word Yuugi was actively dueling, probably to get the Pharaoh back. I don't care if he does or not. No matter who is housing him or keeping him hostage I will have my revenge."
"It is what you deserve," Rishid replied as he knocked his hood back. Pale hazel eyes lowered momentarily when Malik looked up at him.
"And I thank you for helping me get it. I wouldn't have anyone else by my side for the end of this."
"I am honored to have been chosen," Rishid answered.
"I wonder," Malik grinned. "Since I'm sure that fool of a thief will be there too if he would bring that lovely creature of his. I may be able to claim her as well as exact my revenge on the Pharaoh."
"She will be there if he is, they are hardly ever seen apart."
"Well I'll just have to change that, now won't I?" he chuckled darkly. "It will be my side she never leaves."
"Master?" the soft female voice called.
Malik scowled before he looked to where the voice had come from. Rae stood uneasily on the plank that allowed him and others to freely walk between the boar and dock. "What is it?" he hissed.
"I just wanted to make sure you knew, the duel disk inside just announced that the finals have been scheduled for tomorrow night," she said with a deep bow. Before Malik could reply, the disk Rishid wore came to life to announce the very thing Rae had just relayed. The trio listened to the pre-recorded listing, only for a moment the question of why it wasn't delivered at once to all the disks bothered Malik.
"Just in time, then," Malik smirked. "I hope my fun isn't cut short by a bunch of unknowns entering..."
"I hope he falls," Anzu muttered as she watched Seto on the TV in eatery they were at.
"Hey! That was rude and uncalled for!" Cloey hissed. Part of what she was eating fell out of her mouth. The blonde scowled and brushed it off before glaring back at Anzu.
"It was perfectly called for, after what he's done!" the brunette protested.
"Cloey seems to have a thing for him," Mai sighed as she rubbed the bridge of her nose.
"How?" Anzu scoffed. "I don't see how anyone that knows what he's done could have any respect for him."
"See what you think when some criminal or demon has you backed into a corner and he saves you," Cloey glowered.
"Maybe I'd root for the demon!" Anzu huffed.
"Me to. So it would gut you," Cloey growled. She got up suddenly and wrapped her sandwich back up before sliding it into another bag and storming out with her drink.
"I, uh, should go make sure she's ok. Sorry for the outburst..." Naki said quickly before she gathered the rest of her meal and set out after the blonde.
"She's hopeless," Mai muttered.
"I'd watch her carefully if I were you," Anzu hissed. She slouched in her seat and poked the rest of the sub around the paper. "Does she even know what that rich bastard has done?"
"She does, Anzu. But she doesn't believe any of it. She thinks Jou's monster and Ryou's are just over zealous cosplayers."
"Last I checked, she was Bakura's monster," the brunette grunted while sitting up.
"Whoever," Mai waved. "I can't say I blame Cloey though. I still can't wrap my mind around this whole thing. Yuugi and Ryou both have ancient spirits within, I thought that was as weird as it was going to get. But then Seto does his thing and this Malik guy shows up."
"Seto did one thing for us, as much as I hate to admit it," Anzu grumbled. "He's stopped Bakura and Malik from being a threat to us. They just want him now. And they can have him, only after we free Yuugi's other half..."
"Don't you think maybe you could spend a little more time with Yuugi?" Mai said slowly. "Before you came over I talked to Honda on the phone. He says Yuugi's missing your company. Broke his heart to know you cared for his other half more than him. They are technically the same person..."
"They're different," Anzu blurted out. She sighed and placed her hand over her eyes. "Yuugi's a great friend and all, but he's just a bit too childish. His other half added so much to him. If Yuugi was more like that I wouldn't have a problem with it."
"Just talk to him," the blonde insisted. "He could use your support as well as mine and all the others."
"Pity that Ryou won't be there, you know as well as I do Bakura's not going to let him out any time soon."
"Make that our second mission? Once we help Yuugi we help him?"
"You find a way past that demon, let me know," Anzu snorted.
"Hi, Mai!"
"Oh great," she snorted before looking to the door.
"Know him?"
"Dueled him, won. Had dinner with Cloey and I, annoying," Mai answered quickly.
"Is Cloey around?" the American asked.
"Um, no actually. She stormed out earlier."
"Oh," he said. "She and I still up for the date Thursday?"
"I don't know actually. She wanted to come to the finals with me tomorrow and I don't know how long they'll last. It's up to her really," Mai shrugged. "Tell you what, give me the number of the hotel you're staying at and I'll pass it to her so she can contact you."
"Right!" he said happily before digging through his pockets. The key to his room was pulled out and Mai wrote all the information on a napkin before slipping it into her purse. "Thank you," he grinned back.
"If you'll excuse us, Troy. Anzu and I have somewhere we need to be. I'll give this to Cloey for you though."
"Alright, have a nice day ladies," he grinned while the two departed.
"Didn't seem too bad to me," Anzu said once the door was closed.
"That's because I didn't let him talk. And Cloey had better thank me for giving her an excuse to get out of this thing."
"You make it sound like you set her up in the first place."
"I did, and now I'm feeling guilty."
Where ever Cloey had stormed off too, Naki couldn't find her. She gave up after a while and decided to walk back home. Cloey would either call or visit when she was good and ready to.
"Hey lady!" someone called. Naki turned around and he frowned. "Sorry, thought that bag you have was a duel disk, my mistake," he said with a wave.
"It's ok," she shrugged. No, it wasn't. If Naki was going to get these up until the day of the finals, she wanted to stay home. He had been the first to say something, but other duelists had eyed her and turned their noses up when they found her to not be one. Well, she was one. But she did it for fun and had never bothered to do anything to get noticed.
The little voice in Naki's head told her to take a less used path home. It seemed reasonable, she'd be away from duelists but still around others so she didn't get paranoid. A few people ran past her in a hurry and she took a moment to stare after them with a frown. Up ahead where they had ran to she saw something quite strange, through the throng of confused bystanders she caught sight of a swirling mass of thick fog. Or that's what it looked like at least. Part of her said to flee and the other part said to check it out. Her curiosity was stronger so she pushed her way through the crowd to examine the strange fog. Much to her surprise it was made of swirling colors, purples and blues made up the majority with flecks of pink in places. Lightning like flashes of energy raced over the surface, she felt compelled to touch it so she raised her hand.
The red head jumped when someone snagged her hand.
"No, don't touch it miss. No one knows what it is and I'd rather not chance someone being hurt," a uniformed man said.
"It's just that... sorry," she sighed.
"If you would be so kind as to step back," he said with a slight nudge. Another officer was doing the same with the crowd.
Naki craned her neck to see once she was back behind a makeshift barricade. Her desire to see what was going on had drowned out the tiny voice telling her to leave.
HA! I make you wait to learn what's going on! Go me. That's really all I have to say, I think.