This is a Yu-Gi-Oh, fic. Yay! o.o It takes place after Battle City, but I've decided to pretend everything after that never happened, at least not yet. Hey, I needed a place to stick the setting, alright? Kazuki Takahashi owns Yu-Gi-Oh, and all of its characters. I take no claim over them. For future reference: Yami Marik is Marik, Marik is Malik, and Yami Yugi is Yami.

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Marik clicked his tongue against the roof of his mouth as he walked along behind Bakura. He sped up his pace a tad, treading beside the tomb robber, "You're being awfully quiet; don't you have something threatening to say to me?" Bakura grunted and refused to reply. Marik smirked at the reaction, "I'll give you time to think of something. After all, it must take an awful long while for you to process something like 'I'll kill you' or 'Shut up.' Honestly, sometimes I wonder which of us is truly immature."

When Bakura still refused to snap, Marik left him alone. Now he focused on that odd feeling in his chest. The area about his heart was throbbing with a dull pain. Strange, he hadn't hurt it recently. And there was the oddest feeling that his other half was in dire need of assistance. Passing it off as nothing, he looked ahead to the faint torchlight so far down the tunnel. He had no knowledge of these human feelings anyway so why should he take notice of them now?

"Where are you born from, boy?" Domestique asked, moving to sit in front of the Malik. Malik frowned, "Egypt. Why?" "I am not used to seeing flesh tone like yours," Domestique admitted. Looking aside, down the black hole that was the tunnel leading to this cavern, Domestique narrowed his eyes. He thought he saw two forms approaching, "He does not care, you say?" Malik quirked a brow, "What?" Since the guillotine faced that particular tunnel, Malik need only see for himself who was coming.

Bakura and Marik, unafraid, waltzed into the torch-lit cavern, glancing up at Domestique and Malik. Malik's hopes sank below ground level. All three of them were going to do something terrible. Perhaps that would be worse than cutting off his head. Fearful situations ran through his mind as the two spirits came to the base of the platform. Domestique stood and smiled down to them, "Welcome gentlemen."

Bakura merely sneered at the greeting, "I didn't come here just to hear you spout words of welcome. Explain yourself after you kill Malik." Marik smiled up at Malik and waved. Malik in return spat and frowned at Marik. "We seem to have a common interest, my friend," Domestique said calmly. Bakura shrugged, "Perhaps. Now then, get this over with so we can talk of other things. ~ And so I can use your own guillotine on you. ~

Yami reached the entrance of the cavern and let out a gasp as he heard Bakura's words. Seeing him there was shocking enough, "Bakura?!" The white-haired spirit turned halfway to look back at Yami and his friends who were filtering into the room. Tea put a hand to her mouth and Duke Gawked. Tristan held Serenity back and Mai's jaw dropped. Joey pointed accusingly at Bakura, "I can't believe this, Bakura's a traitor!" Bakura smirked devilishly in reply.

Domestique grinned, "Welcome all. We are here tonight to view the execution of the prisoner, Malik Ishtar. He has been tried by a jury of the dead and found guilty of a most unforgivable crime!" Yami frowned and approached the guillotine platform, "What are you talking about? What is this crime you keep talking about?" Domestique went grim, "Guilty as charged. Being at the improper place at the improper time and aiding the escape of a convict." Domestique's eyes wandered over to Marik.

Malik failed to speak for now, watching fearfully as Domestique accused him of wrongdoings. Marik purred quietly, watching the scene with much delight in his eyes. Malik glared at his Yami, "Marik, this is all your fault! If it weren't for you I wouldn't have had to give a damn about saving you. It should be you up here, not me!" A tear streaked down the right side of his face as he continued to glare at the grinning spirit down below. Duke frowned, "Who do you think you area anyway?" Duke looked up to Domestique, the question hanging in his eyes.

"Where have my manners been? My name is Domestique de la Guillotine. All of you must naturally stay to view this as you will soon fall next to ma Madame Guillotine!" Domestique extended a hand to Yami and the rest, summoning something beneath them. It was Mai first who screamed as vines wrapped tightly around her ankles. She struggled, "Ah! Get these off!" Quickly, vines trapped Duke, Serenity, Tea, and Tristan. All of them struggled and made their various cries for assistance. Yami and Joey moved swiftly, evading the vines that came for them.

"Domestique! Stop this now!" Yami growled. Bakura grinned and watched the rest of them suffer. What he didn't realize was that a shadowy form rose up from the floor behind him. Marik saw this but decided not to tell Bakura. He whistled once the form stretched itself to Bakura's sides. Only then did Bakura turn and realize the presence of duel monster behind him. He backed away as it stepped forward. The monster revealed itself to be a Darkfire Dragon. It hissed and slithered toward Bakura.

Marik then wondered if Domestique had anything planned for him. He saw nothing coming and wondered if Domestique was planning something else. Malik cried out as his friends became trapped, "Ah! No!" How was he supposed to get free if his friends were entangled in vines?! Yami's puzzle glowed and rose up from his chest, "I said stop it, Domestique."

The French man laughed, "Are you going to use that on me? Is that wise?" Yami replied, "You have no idea what this is and yes, I will use it if I must." Domestique shook his head, "Find some entertainment in dueling with death." ~ A duel? ~ Yami thought. Yami was about to grab his deck when Domestique stopped him, "What are you doing? Don't you know how to duel?" Yami looked confused. Domestique only smiled in explanation, "A duel is a fight, young hero, and no cards can possibly defend you. They are only paper."

Still confused, Yami found out what Domestique meant soon enough. "Yug', behind ya'!" Joey squawked. Yami turned and stared into the face of the Reaper of the Cards. "Duel!" Domestique commanded. His gaze traveled to Joey, "You may assist." Joey glared, "How are we supposed to fight with no weapons? How can we win?" Domestique's smile widened, "You can't, young hero, you can't!" He then broke into vicious laughter as the Reaper of the Cards moved in on Yami.