Chapter Twelve- The Past Haunts

-Joey-

I dashed through the park, past the bench that Yugi and I sat at yesterday. Was it really just yesterday? I feel like years have past since we were dismissed from school. I ran past the lake and into a small briar patch. Ouch, crap. 'At didn't feel good. I stepped on an exceptionally large thorn and screamed bloody murder, "Ouch!! Damn it!!"

When I stopped hopping around, I saw two figures standing in the center. They were Anny and Kaiba. "Guys!! Been lookin' all over here!! What's goin' on?" I saw the disappointed look on Kaiba's face, and with a quick life point check, I saw the reason, "You lost?"

Kaiba flinched at the words, before, "No! It was just a fluke! He couldn't have really… beaten… me." I could tell by the way that he said that, he had suffered a crushing defeat at the hands of Ananias. That musta been an even rougher duel than what we went through. Kaiba can't even admit it. Truthfully, I'm glad that I wasn't the one dueling him; I would neva've stood my ground against him. Bushes crackled before I saw my best pal step out from behind them.

"Ugh," Yugi groaned, "What's going on here? Kaiba?" Yugi's deep eyes looked at Kaiba. He gasped as he must have figured it out. "He didn't… Kaiba, you didn't lose, did you?"

Ananias, so far, had been silent, preferring to watch our struggle with the truth, but now, he smiled at Yugi, as though he had thought of a great plan. "HAHAHAHAHAAAHAH!!!" he laughed hysterically, "This is perfect." He turned back to face his old opponent. "Kaiba, here's your proof that I did beat you!! I'll do the one thing that you never could accomplish: beating Yugi Motou!! Then when your rival lays defeated at my feet, you'll know who is truly superior!!" He continued his twisted laughter.

-Normal-

Kaiba smirked, "You'll never get the chance. Yugi won't duel anymore, and I already know that I'm the best, so there is no reason for you to be here any longer."

Ananias chuckled, "Really? Well, I'd suggest you to convince him. Once Umi found out that you had left, no doubt she sent the ragtag team off to rescue you from myself."

"What's your point?"

"Hehehe, my point is this: that if Yugi doesn't duel with me, legitimately, I know of a certain younger brother of yours that is out wandering the street for you Seto. If Yugi doesn't duel me, your brother Mokuba dies." Ananias grinned as Kaiba squirmed, "So if I were you, I'd get Yugi to duel me."

"You're bluffing!" Kaiba shouted.

"Nope. My dragons have keen senses; they can find anything in this city within ten minutes. Your brother will die."

The older Kaiba brother winced. I have no idea if he's telling the truth or not. There's just one thing to do. "Yugi, do it!"

Yugi looked down, "I can't."

"What do you mean you can't?" yelled Kaiba, outraged at this new development, "This is my brother we're talking about!"

Yugi shook his head, "I don't have my deck. I don't know where I put it last."

Joey thought, Why should I be doing something now? I know there's something I can do, but what is it? He put his hands in his pockets and felt what seemed like cards. Yuge's cards! They were at Kaiba's! "Yugi! Here!" He handed the deck of cards to his friend.

The tri-haired boy looked puzzled, "But, how?"

Joey smiled, "They were at Kaiba's place. Ryou had to use them when he dueled with Bakura."

Yugi was hesitant. Now I don't have any excuse. But I can't walk away from this, Mokuba's counting on me. I guess I have to fight him. "I guess I have no choice."

Ananias's twisted smile grew, "Now don't sound so disappointed. I should have thought you'd have loved to have an excuse to duel again."

Yugi shook his head, "No. I've met too many weirdoes like you to want to duel anymore."

The raven-haired duelist laughed, "Of course you've wanted this. You've wanted this from the start! Yami was always overshadowing you, and you knew you'd never get the chance to step out for yourself."

"You're way off base!" Yugi yelled. He's beyond crazy. I could always take care of myself. I got rid of Yami because he caused the suffering I've had to bear. "I'm only doing this for Mokuba because he's my friend!"

Anny shrugged, "Perhaps you'll be humming a different tune later, for now we duel." He began to collect his cards and shuffle them. He had them all in his duel disk, before he saw that Yugi didn't have a duel disk with him. "Kaiba! Let him use yours!"

At first Kaiba clutched his duel disk like a mother to its child, but it must have crossed his mind that for one, his brother would be killed if he didn't, and two, he was acting like a child. Damn headache. "Here." He shoved it into Yugi's hands and took out his own deck.

"Arigato, Kaiba-kun," Yugi said, preparing his deck for the duel. "Oh," he dumped his pack on the ground at his feet. "Let's just do this."

Yugi's hand- Spellbinding Circle, Gamma the Magnet Warrior, Mirror Force, Brain Control, Monster Reborn

Ananias's hand- Spirit Ryu, Hyosanryu, Stamping Destruction, Nutrient Z, Dragon's Gunfire

"I'm in a good mood right now, perhaps you should go first, little Yugi," Ananias taunted.

"Boku no turn," Yugi drew first. The Magic Cylinder. Better save that for later. "I summon Gamma the Magnet Warrior in attack mode, and I set one card facedown." Gamma and a facedown card appeared on Yugi's side of the field. "That ends my turn."

"I had thought as much. You really can't duel without your little partner, can you?" Anny drew and looked at his card with pleasure before continuing, "I summon Spirit Ryu in attack mode!"

Why would he summon that monster? Yugi thought, It's pretty weak and plus he must notice that I've got a trap card. Why would he purposely set himself up?

Anny continued, "I also play the magic card Stamping Destruction. When I have a dragon-type monster on the field my Stamping Destruction card can destroy one magic or trap card on the field and does 500 points of damage to the card's controller." The Spirit Ryu glowed red before rushing towards the facedown card on the field and destroying it.

Yugi cursed, I needed that card! That was my Mirror Force card!

"But that's not all I'll do. Now I attack with Spirit Ryu!" Anny laughed hysterically.

Yugi gasped, "But why? Your monster is weaker than mine!"

"Hehe, don't you know? I can sacrifice my Hyosanryu dragon from my hand so that my Spirit Ryu increases its attack by 1000, thereby making it stronger than your magnet warrior!" The dragon doubled its size before destroying Gamma. "Now then, are you sure that you can duel just as well without Yami?"

The smaller boy growled, "If you even say his name again I will personally rip your lungs out."

"Very well. I'll set one more card and end my turn."

Yugi drew. Shisha sousei. If I use this card to revive Hyosanryu, I'll have a powerful monster on my side of the field. And with my Brain Control card I can use his own dragon and do him a ton of damage. "I play the magic cards, Monster Reborn and Brain Control! With these cards I'll take control of the card you sacrificed and your monster on the field! And now I have two monsters that I can attack you with!" The two dragons turned on their master to tear him to shreds, except the snake-like creature managed to avoid the whole attack. "Why couldn't my dragons attack you?"

"It's because I activated a trap card to protect myself, of course. It is the Nutrient Z trap card. With it, I gain 4000 life points when I lose 2500 or more. So I actually gained points from your attack." Anny's eyes glinted from the bits of light that reached them.

Yugi ended his turn.

Ananias drew his card, "I sacrifice my Spirit Ryu to summon the Luster Dragon! This card will be more than capable enough to destroy your Hyosanryu!" Sure enough, the beautiful dragon was eliminated, "I set one card and end my turn."

Beta the Magnet Warrior. I can't attack with this card; his Luster Dragon is too strong. I'll have to defend for now. "I summon Beta the Magnet Warrior in defense mode!" There's nothing else I can really do. "I end my turn."

Ananias drew a card from his deck. With his monster in defensive mode, I can attack but I can't do any real damage. At least not until I play my trap card. "I attack Beta with my Dragon!"

"I'm still safe though."

"Not when I activate this trap card; say hello to the Dragon's Rage! With my trap, when I attack with a dragon, you still lose life points regardless of your monster's position. So your defense will not save you this turn!" The magnet warrior was destroyed with a few precious life points of Yugi's. "I told you. You can't win, not on your own anyway."

"Just watch," Yugi sneered, "I set Alpha the Magnet Warrior in defense position and set one card facedown!" Now when he attacks next turn, he'll have a little surprise. "I end my turn."

"Hehe. Say goodbye to your newest monster." The raven-haired guy drew, "Luster Dragon attack Alpha!"

"I flip my trap card, the Magic Cylinder!" Two can-like objects appeared. The first absorbed the attack from Anny and the second sent it right back at him. "This card will redirect your attack right back at you! And you'll take the all the damage! I hope you don't plan on underestimating me any longer, or you'll pay the price of losing this duel!"