oos: Ta-da! The long duel you've all been awaiting.... HAS ARRIVED! YEAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH! ^_^ I hope you enjoy all the work I've put into this! lol

Also, please note that some parts of Marik and Bakura's decks are made up! ^_^

Marik VS Bakura

"I'll go first," said Bakura, a little too cheerily for Marik's liking. He frowned as the yami gleefully drew five cards.

"Hm.... let's see..." Bakura mused. "Here. I place a monster in defense mode and one card facedown." He placed the cards on the table accordingly.

Marik frowned in concentration. He picked up his five cards. "Very well. I place this card facedown and summon the Witty Phantom (ATK: 1400 DEF: 1300) in attack mode. Witty Phantom-"

"Uh uh uh!" tsked his opponent. He turned over his facedom card. "I use Trap Hole. Your Witty Phantom goes to the graveyard."

"Uh uh uh!" Marik mimicked Bakura's words in a high-pitched feminine voice. "I play Remove Trap! It cancels out your Trap Hole, so my Witty Phantom gets to stay on the field."

"Not that that weakling could help you any," the spirit sneered, but Marik thought he detected worry deep within those narrowed eyes.

"Oh, but it can. Witty Phantom, attack the facedown card on the left!" Marik said confidently.

Too confidently for fate's liking, it seemed.

"Ha!" barked Bakura, flipping over the facedown card. It was a Headless Knight (ATK: 1450 DEF: 1700).

"Damn!" cursed Marik. "I lose 300 attack points.... now I only have 1700 life points." He let out a growl of frustration.

"Sure do," grinned the yami cheerfully. "My turn-" He drew a card, glancing at it momentarily before saying, "I place one monster card face down and end my turn."

"Fine." Marik frowned. He drew a card and his scowl decreased in mild satisfaction. "I lay down this card and attack your facedown monster!"

"Stupid mortal," Bakura laughed menacingly. "How could you make the same mistake twice in a row?!? But still, the consequences are much worse this time! HAHAHAHHA!"

"What?!? Flip over your card already!" Marik demanded. Bakura, still chuckling, obeyed for once. Marik groaned.

The yami cackled. "I believe you're farmiliar with the card Cyber Jar, are you not? Cyber Jar {{(ATK: 900 DEF: 900 SPC: Flip: Destroys all monsters on the field (including this monster). Both players then pick up (not draw) 5 cards from the top of their respective Decks and show the cards to each other. Immediately Special Summon any Monster Cards of Level 4 or lower among them on the field in face-up Attack Position or face-down Defense Position. The rest of the cards picked up are placed in the players' hands.}} is a marvelous card, isn't it?" He spoke with feigned innocense.

Marik did not try to hide his contempt. "You will pay for this later, whether I win or not!" he promised. Both players placed all cards in the field in the graveyard and picked up five cards.

Bakura's face creased in psychotic delight. "I place these five monsters in attack mode!" he grinned, playing Psychic Kappa (ATK: 400 DEF: 1000), Mystic Clown (ATK: 1500 DEF: 1000), Boar Soldier (ATK: 2000 DEF: 500), Spike Seadra (ATK: 1600 DEF: 1300), and Shining Abyss (ATK: 1600 DEF: 1800).

/Bakura!/ a faint and weak voice echoed in his head.

"Shut up, you!" he growled at it and his host silenced.

Marik snickered. "Schitzo!" he jeered. "Are you having some control issues, Bakura?"

"That is none of your business," Bakura snapped. "Reveal the five cards you drew to me." Marik showed him the cards: Giant Rat (ATK: 1400 DEF: 1450), Spirit of Flames (ATK: 1700 DEF: 1000), Earthbound Spirit (ATK: 500 DEF: 2000), Man Eating Treasure Chest (ATK: 1600 DEF: 1000), and Ryu-Ran (ATK: 2200 DEF: 2600).

"I special summon Giant Rat, Man-Eating Treasure Chest, Spirit of Flames, and Earthbound Spirit onto the field in attack mode. I also play one card facedown." announced Marik, setting the cards out. "And I end my turn."

Bakura raised an eyebrow, but said nothing about it. He drew a card. "I attack with Shining Abyss-"

"Not so fast," Marik grinned lazily, flipping over his facedown card. "I active Mirror Wall." Bakura made a strangled noise and glumly placed all his monster on the field in the graveyard.

"I place a card facedown," he sighed. "Your turn."

"Fine by me," commented Marik cheerfully, drawing a card. "I attack with Earthbound Spirit-"

"I don't think so!" Bakura rasped, turning over his trap card. "I play Waboku, which protects my life points for this turn."

Marik cursed softly, then huffed a sigh. "Your turn."

Bakura grinned. "I summon a monster onto the field facedown and play this magic card: Gravity Bind. Now any monster at level 4 or higher can't attack."

Marik frowned as the yami smiled innocently. "That sucks for you, doesn't it?"

"Shut up!" Marik retorted, drawing a card. "I'll pass on this turn."

Bakura smirked happily and drew his card. "I play Swords of Revealing Light. Now you may not attack for three turns! And I summon one monster to the field in face-down defense mode."

"F*ck!" Marik spoke in a short breath. He picked up a card and scowled. "Still passing...."

"Okay. I summon one more monster to the field." said Bakura. "And that's it."

Marik drew a card and gritted his teeth. "I'll pass for the last time."

Bakura picked up a card off the top of his deck and continued to beam, thrilled. "I summon yet another monster in defense mode and place this card facedown. My Swords of Revealing Light has expired."

Marik took a deep breath. *Come on, deck!* he silently begged. *I need to win this duel. And not just for me.... but for Alex...* His gaze softened for a moment as he glanced at the limp and bloody form on the couch. He must win!

Marik drew a card and stared, open-mouthed. "I've won." he stated simply.

"What?!?" gasped the spirit as Marik threw down the card. "How can this be?!?" He took a closer look at the card. "What luck! It's-"

oos: Ooooooooooooooooooooh, evil cliffy! Mwahhahahha! I hope you liked this chapter, cauz I sure as hell didn't. My brain hurts! lol