Serenity was inconsolable. That doesn't mean Duke and Tristan didn't try, but they had no luck reaching her. She was practically in hysterics. Duke and Tristan were both more than stunned, although they weren't crying. Kevin was explaining what had happened to Drake and Lara, who had only just entered. Téa had disappeared from the hospital wing.

"I don't believe it…" said Drake. "It's…"

"It's too much," said Lara, sadly.

"I never thought that anything like this would happen…" added Kevin.

"None of did," said Tristan, dejectedly. "Because you can bet that if I knew this would happen, I would have done something to stop it!"

"I don't know what to do any more," said Duke, looking helplessly over at Yu-Gi.

"We need to snap him out of it!" exclaimed Tristan.

"How?" asked Drake.

"There has to be something…some way…" Tristan trailed off. He turned his back to them, so they could not see him biting back tears.

"If anyone has any ideas, I am willing to hear them," said Lara.

There was silence, save for Serenity's sobbing.

"Maybe we should try to get her back to her room so she can rest or something…" suggested Kevin.

"With Marik still loose? I don't think that's a good idea," said Duke. Kevin shrugged.

"We've been together through so much…" said Tristan. "And now…it's over…"

"It's not over yet," said Drake. "We're less than a day from the city. We'll get Yu-Gi to the hospital."

"And Bakura too," added Lara.

"How is Bakura doing, anyways?" asked Kevin.

"I don't know, they won't tell us anything about him," said Tristan. Then, with determination, he walked across the room the where Bakura's bed was curtained off.

"Stop there!" said one of the doctors.

"Why?" asked Tristan, a bit harshly. He had his hands on the curtain. "I want to know how my friend is doing."

"He's fine," replied the doctor, quickly. "But he needs his rest, so leave him alone!"

Tristan gave him a wicked frown and pulled open the curtains. The bed was empty.

"What gives?! Where's Bakura?!" demanded Tristan.

"What are you…He's gone!" exclaimed Duke.

"He's…" stammered the doctor. Every eye in the room turned to him, waiting for an explanation. "He hasn't been in here since the end of the first rounds. We don't know where he is at either. Mr. Motou requested that we keep his disappearance quiet and pretend that he was still here."

"Yu-Gi?" asked Kevin, a bit surprised. "But why would he do that? What's going on?"

"I do not know the answer to that," said the doctor.

"What if something happened to him? Bakura's hurt! He can't just be walking around who knows where!" exclaimed Duke.

"I agree," said Drake. "Haven't you tried to find him at all?"

"Mr. Motou made it quite clear that Mr. Ryou was no long our concern," said the doctor.

"What the heck is that supposed to mean?!" demanded Tristan.

"Yu-Gi's the only one who could answer that," said Lara. "And it looks like he isn't going to be doing any answering for a while."

"But what was he thinking? And why didn't he tell us?" asked Tristan.

"We don't have the answers," shot Drake. "So you can calm down."

"I guess we have to trust Yu-Gi," said Kevin. "He obviously had a reason, and we have to assume it is for the best."

"I'd hate to say it, but you're probably right," sighed Duke.

"What do you mean?!" demanded Tristan. "We need to find Bakura before he ends up in even worse shape!"

"And you need to calm down," repeated Drake.

"It was bad enough losing Joe, I am not going to lose another friend," said Tristan. "I am going to find Bakura."

"You know Marik is on the warpath!" protested Lara. "He already jumped you once!"

"I don't care, my friends are worth the risk," said Tristan. "If you don't want to come, fine. Keep an eye on Yu-Gi for me." He walked to the door.

"You're not going alone," said Duke. "I'm coming with you."

"Thanks, dice-boy," replied Tristan.

"Lay off," retorted Duke as they left the hospital wing.

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Téa walked quietly through the halls, trying not to alert anyone to the fact that she was there while trying not to look like she was a spy. But there were few people roaming the airship to begin with, which made everything easier on her.

"Okay…so far so good," she said to herself. "His room is this way…" She turned a corner down another empty passageway. "You have no plan, do you, Téa?" She bit her lip. "Let's just hope he is out…and that he left the door open…and the he left the Millennial Puzzle in his room…"

It would be a lie to say that she wasn't nervous about trying to take the Millennial Puzzle back from Yami Marik, but something much stronger drove her. It was the bond of friendship she had with Yu-Gi that she always talked about.

Téa turned another corner. Now she was in the hall that led to Yami Marik's room. "I need to get Yu-Gi's puzzle back. If he has his puzzle, he'll wake up. He needs his puzzle."

She reached Yami Marik's room and placed a tentative hand on the doorknob. Before she turned it, she leaned forward and placed an ear against the door, listening for any sounds coming from the other side. It was silent.

"He must be out," thought Téa. "I hope the Millennial Puzzle is inside…"

She took a deep breath and pushed the door open. The room inside looked like all the others, similar furnishings and arrangements. It hardly looked like anyone had ever been in there at all.

"Do I have the wrong room?" Téa wondered, looking around and noticing no personal belongings.

"Well, if it isn't little Téa," chuckled a deep voice from behind her.

Téa whirled around and came face to face with Yami Marik. Her eyes went wide. The look of fear written across her face caused Yami Marik to laugh.

"What are you doing here?" asked Yami Marik.

Téa gulped and stammered something incoherent.

"Are you looking for something?" smirked Yami Marik, holding up the Millennial Puzzle.

"That's Yu-Gi's!" protested Téa, before she knew what she was saying.

"It was Yu-Gi's," laughed Yami Marik. "How cute, you're trying to get it back for him." With his other hand, he was fingering his Millennial Rod, which was still clipped in his belt.

Téa once again stammered gibberish, her eyes darting around for a quick escape.

"I can't let you pests continue to walk around, thinking you can defy me," said Yami Marik, approaching her.

Téa took a step back, only to find she had nowhere to go. She was pressed against the hallway wall.

"St-stay away from me!" stammered Téa.

Yami Marik pulled out the Millennial Rod and Téa eyed it, warily. "Perhaps you know where Obelisk is. Tell me and I might spare you."

"I don't know," answered Téa, trying to inch away from him.

"I don't believe that," said Yami Marik, raising the rod.

WHAM! The moment he unleashed the power of the Millennial Rod it was like a small explosion happened in Téa's head. She wasn't even sure if she scream or not, the pain was so overwhelming.

She had no idea how long that moment lasted, but it seemed like forever. When she finally regained her senses, she was aware that she was on the ground on all fours. Yami Marik was standing over her, laughing at the pain she was in.

"You…you monster…" she managed to gasp.

"You don't have the information I want either," said Yami Marik. "But I was right. You're here to try and take the Millennial Puzzle from me. I can't allow that." He gave her one of his most evil smiles.

Téa struggled to her feet. "I'm not going to be intimidated by you," she spat. "And I'm not going to let you continue to hurt my friends!"

"You should be more worried about yourself," replied Yami Marik. He laughed. "With each on of your friends that I destroy, I grow stronger. And when I combine my strength with the Millennial Puzzle and the three god cards, I will be unstoppable!"

"We will find a way to stop you!" exclaimed Téa.

"You won't be doing anything," smirked Yami Marik. He unsheathed the point on his Millennial Rod2. "Except make me stronger, that is."

(2See the Japanese version of the anime.)

Téa's face once again shone with fear. She tried to race passed Yami Marik, but he grabbed her arm and held her tight. She winced in pain as he nearly dislocated her shoulder.

"You're going to die," he said into her ear. "Just like your friend that you are trying so hard to save."

Before Téa could struggle to break free or even open her mouth to protest, Yami Marik drove the point of the Millennial Rod into her side as deep as he could push it. Before she could scream, Yami Marik clapped his free hand over her mouth, so she wouldn't alert anyone else until it was too late.

He raised the Millennial Rod again and drove it into her back several more times, laughing the entire time. Téa slumped to the ground, more dead than alive. She was bleeding profusely from all the injuries she had just acquired.

Yami Marik picked her up by the back of her shirt collar. She hung limply in his hands. "Good-bye, Téa," laughed Yami Marik as he stabbed her one more time in the back. This time it went right through to her heart. Her head jerked up as the rod pierced her body, then fell back to her chest.

Laughing even harder, Yami Marik through her down the flight of stairs that was across from his room. She hit the floor with a gruesome thud and didn't move, her own blood forming a pool around her.

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"Bakura has been missing for days," said Duke. "And I have no idea where to begin looking for him."

"We have to try," said Tristan. "He probably needs serious medical help!"

"I'm not arguing with you there," said Duke. "But I still can't figure out why he walked away in the first place and why Yu-Gi didn't tell us."

"I bet Bakura just wanted to find a safe place away from Marik," said Tristan. "And I don't blame him."

They turned a corner and both stopped in their tracks. They found Téa, laying on the ground at an odd angle, surrounded by blood. The hall was a mess because of that.

THUD! The sight was enough to cause Duke to pass out from shock on the spot. Tristan stood there a moment, too stunned to move. But then he bent down and began to shake Duke, trying to wake him up.

"Duke? You still with me?" asked Tristan, trying to revive his friend.

"Ugh…" groaned Duke. He sat up, though he still felt a bit light-headed. "Oh…no…no…"

"Duke, I need you to go to the hospital wing and get the staff. I'm going to stay here and see if I can help Téa," said Tristan. "I know Marik is behind this. You need to hurry."

"R-right," agreed Duke, who still sounded a bit dazed. He turned and started back the way they had come.

"Téa?" called Tristan, tentatively, turning back to his other friend. He wasn't surprised when he didn't get a response.

Tristan eyed up the situation. Seeing no other alternative, he walked to her, though the blood. He crouched down and placed to fingers to the side of her neck. There was no movement; no breath, no pulse.

"No…Not you too Téa," whispered Tristan. The first tears were out before he could stop them.

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Duke's head was slowly clearing and he was starting to jog, trying to get back to the hospital wing quickly to get Téa help, not knowing it was too late.

"Not you!" exclaimed Duke as he turned a corner. Yami Marik was leaning against the wall, waiting for him.

Yami Marik grabbed him by the collar and shoved him against the wall, "Where is Obelisk the Tormentor!?"

"I don't know!" snapped Duke. "Now let me go! I have to get to the hospital wing! Téa is hurt and she needs help!" Duke wasn't sure why he was telling this to Yami Marik, he knew he didn't care.

Yami Marik laughed. "Téa is dead."

"What? You! You're the one who hurt her!" exclaimed Duke, struggling to pull free.

"Yes I did," replied Yami Marik. "Where is Obelisk? I know one of you must be hiding it. You were one of the first to Yu-Gi when he lost the duel. Where is Obelisk?"

"I said I don't know!" protested Duke.

Yami Marik raised his Millennial Rod. "Then I'll find out the hard way!"

WHAM! Duke suddenly felt the whole world spinning. It was like someone had thrown a lit firecracker in his face. It was painful and everything blurred together. Duke wasn't sure if he blacked out again or not, but he might as well have.

When Duke came to, he was lying face down in the hallway. Yami Marik had walked away, not finding what he was looking for in Duke's mind. With a groan, Duke pushed himself off of the floor.

"What the heck was that?" he asked, rubbing his head. "Oh no! Téa!" He started running to the hospital wing.