Nightmare
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Notes: The last chapter, but be on the lookout for an epilogue.
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Chapter 7
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Seto woke first, goosepimples crawling all over his body. Damn, he thought, dread pooling in his stomach. He slowly brought himself to his knees.
The first rays of dawn were streaming in through the window, falling dangerously close to Téa's sleeping face. Seto reached over and brushed a lock of hair out of her eyes. She didn't move. For how exhausted she looked, and must have felt, she might as well be dead.
If Marik gets his hands on her, she really might as well be dead, Seto thought grimly. But I made a promise. As long as I'm alive, he won't TOUCH her.
Renewed in his determination, he stuck his head out the opening and looked down the ladder. Exactly as he'd feared, exactly as he'd known, Marik stood at the bottom, his head turned straight up to face Seto.
"Kaiba!" he called tauntingly. "Come down and play! Oh, and bring Téa too…"
Seto gritted his teeth. He hadn't been prepared for this sudden, ruthless game: A game where Téa was the prize, awful as it sounded. But he had to go down now. He just wished their positions were reversed: approaching from above was dangerous, affording him a weak position.
He began his descent. Marik waited at the bottom, eyes gleaming, circling the ladder like a shark. When Seto was ten feet above the ground, just out of reach of Marik's arms, he paused. They both waited, Marik quivering with anticipation. Then abruptly Seto leapt, throwing himself as far away from Ishtar as he could. Marik lunged at him, but Seto managed to swerve away. The maneuver cost him, though, and as he stumbled to regain his balance Marik kicked him in the side. Marik got in another kick before Seto managed to get a firm footing on the ground. He was forced to stand still and brace himself as Marik's foot came into contact with his stomach, but in the next second he lashed out in retaliation. He kicked Marik viciously back, leaning so his longer legs worked to his advantage. His foot caught Marik right below the chin and sent the other boy reeling backwards. He wished he were wearing sneakers; he could do a lot more damage that way. But he and Téa had both run out in such a hurry, they were barefoot. He was wearing rough socks, and she had nothing. But there wasn't anything he could do about that now. He'd have to make do.
Seto wasn't one to lose an advantage, and he closed in on Marik, swinging his fist. Marik just barely managed to bring a hand up to block the blow. Gritting his teeth, Seto lashed out quickly with his opposite fist, catching Marik in the side of the head. Marik's neck gave an audible crack as it snapped to the side, but Marik shrugged to get rid of the crick and attacked Seto again. He grabbed the taller boy's arm, twisting it sharply. Seto hissed in pain and used the force of Marik's swing against him, forcing the other boy to fall forward and release the arm- but not after putting more strain on it. Ignoring the pain, Seto continued his circle and kicked Marik again, sending the blonde face-down into the dirt.
Seto leapt on top of him, intending to pin Marik's arms down. But Marik was too quick, and anticipated the move; he flipped himself over and kneed Seto in the gut. Gasping for air, Seto faltered, and Marik shoved him off. Seto went rolling in the dirt, but quickly stumbled to his feet.
Something hit him heavily in the back of the head, and he fell forward again, banging his nose badly. But that was the least of his worries. His vision was going red at the corners, and all he felt was blinding pain. Something warm was leaking out of the back of his head: blood. His own blood. What had Marik hit him with?
He rolled over onto his stomach; gold flashed in front of him. Damn Millennium Rod. Marik seemed hesitant to try to use its magic again, but he had no qualms about using it as a brute weapon. His vision was still blurry, but he could vaguely see Marik towering over him, raising the sharp edge to bring down directly into his stomach. Ignoring the sharp pain wracking through his body, Seto lifted both feet and kicked upward. He smacked Marik's arms away and off course. He scrambled to his feet, his arms questing frantically through the dirt. It was rocky ground, and he found a stone quickly. It wasn't as big as he would like, but he hefted it up nevertheless; he couldn't afford to be picky. Marik rushed him, obviously underestimating his remaining strength. Seto swung the rock straight up, hitting Marik hard. His jaw clicked together and Marik went down on one knee, clutching the Millennium Rod and gasping in pain.
This was it. He almost had him. But Seto swayed on his feet, his fist involuntarily opening and dropping the rock to the ground. He was so tired… and he hurt so much…
He was already falling when Marik bashed him over the head with the Millennium Rod. Then, mercifully, everything went black.
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Téa woke up slowly, listening to the sounds of two boys fist-fighting below her. She lay dully on the floor of the watch-tower, hearing the grunts of pain, but couldn't summon the energy to look down. Only gradually did awareness creep back into her being. When she realized what was going on, she shot up, ignoring the pain of the blood rushing from her head.
"SETO!" she screamed with all her might, hanging nearly all the way out the door. He was standing, but wavering greatly from side to side. In front of him, Marik, clutching his face with his left hand, rose, brandishing the Millennium Rod in the other fist. Violently, he slammed it down on Seto's head, watching in satisfaction as the other boy dropped like a stone. Téa screamed again, barely aware of her own voice.
Marik, on the other hand, was highly alert to it. The second Seto was down, he whipped around. His body was bruised and battered, and he'd been stumbling throughout the battle, but now he straightened, feeling a surge of adrenaline. He locked gazes with Téa once again. Gasping, feeling her stomach churn, she pulled her head back inside. She backed up, flattening herself against the wall, glancing wildly around for weapons. There was nothing! The room was bare, save for a control panel, but that wouldn't do her any good.
The ladder was shaking slightly. He was coming. She swallowed strangled sobs. She'd never imagined it'd end like this, alone, cold and afraid, with Seto lying close to dead thirty feet below her.
The suspense was killing her. This was worse than any nightmare. She dully wondered what he'd do to her. He wouldn't kill her, at least. But he'd use her, she was sure of that. He'd abuse her. It'd hurt far worse than death ever could. She clutched her skinny body, trying both to keep out the cold and to shield her breasts. She didn't want him to touch her. She didn't want to lose her virginity, unwillingly, by this creep. She wouldn't let him take her like this.
Marik was rushing up the ladder far too quickly. She crossed the room silently, praying under her breath in a steady stream. The second his head was in view, she kicked it.
His face registered mostly surprise as she kicked it again. He winced, trying to heave himself up onto the platform. She stomped on his hand, throwing all her meager weight into it, and kicked his head again. It disgusted her, but she was filled with a desperate urge to get him away. She shrieked aloud, showering him with vicious kicks, letting all her anger and frustration pour out. He fell back, clutching onto the ladder desperately. She moved forward, but it was too hard to kick him from this position. And then, without warning, his hand snaked up and grabbed her ankle.
She gasped in surprise, flailing around. Marik tugged insistently, using her body to pull himself into the tower. His stomach was dragging across the floor, and he was nearly inside, so Téa threw caution to the winds and flung herself forward. He shifted his grip to clutch farther up her leg, and she shook it wildly, trying to disengage him.
Marik, sensing himself falling, grabbed desperately onto her leg with both hands. It didn't save him from tumbling backwards… but it did drag Téa along too.
Her eyes flew open in shock as she fell over backwards, being dragged forward slowly, her back scraping against the floor. Then Marik lost his last grip on the ladder, and the two of them tumbled down to meet the fast-approaching ground.
She hit with a sickening thud, and a crack. Pain shot up her right arm, so intense that tears sprung to her eyes. She wondered if that crack had been her bone, splintering in two. By the sheer amount of agony flaring through the arm, she guessed that was a yes.
Marik, unbelievably, staggered to his feet, pulling the Millennium Rod out of his belt loop. He gazed down at her in dismay. "Téa…" he whispered through cracked, dry lips, falling to his knees. "I'm so sorry, my dear. I'll take you to a hospital… no, I'll take you home. The Hunters will bandage you. I'll get someone who will fix you up. You'll be fine… and then we'll be able to spend our lives together properly."
He reached out to touch her cheek, but she croaked, "Get away from me." He drew back, his face darkening.
"So be it," he spat, suddenly angry. "If I have to take you by force, Téa dear, I will. You might have wondered why I never had my minions just snatch you right out of school and bring you to me, or never took over your mind again…" her eyes widened. "Yes, I never did. It would have been so simple, too. It would have saved us both a lot of trouble." He leered unpleasantly. "But I must admit, I enjoyed the chase…" he stumbled to his feet. "And now I've won. Once I dispose of Seto Kaiba, I'll take you back with me- and we'll see how much more protesting you can do!"
He gave a half-turn in the direction he'd last seen Kaiba, but was stopped before he could take one step. A small, purple handbag flew out of nowhere and smacked him across the right cheek.
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Mai took careful aim, and whacked Marik again. She was lethal with a purse, especially one packed with makeup, a hairbrush, a small mirror, a change of heels, nail files, tweezers, and of course assorted nail polish.
He seemed shocked. He was even slow to react, peering at her in astonishment, and she was able to get another good blow in.
"Mai?" Téa asked weakly, struggling to prop herself up with her one good elbow. "What are you doing here?"
"Are you serious?" she asked, dodging Marik's first weak punch and shuddering. "Hon, I was looking for you. We all are!"
" 'All'?" Téa repeated as Mai scurried back, away from Marik, starting to look worried.
"Of course! Yugi called everyone. We split up into groups of two. We're combing the woods, looking for you. Duke was with me." She kept retreating in a circle, holding her purse up defensively. "And I really wish he were here now! We got separated!" She raised her voice. "DEVLIN!"
"Right here, Mai," a cool voice sounded from behind the trees. Marik looked over just in time to catch a pair of dice in the eye.
"Aargh!" he bellowed, nearly dropping the Millennium Rod.
"Téa!" Mai said urgently, rushing to her side. "Hon, can you walk?"
"If it means getting away from Marik?" she asked grimly. "I'll try anything."
"That's the spirit," Mai said worriedly, glancing at Duke. He was chucking first dice, then when he ran out, stones he kept scooping down to pick up from the ground. It was quite obviously annoying Marik, but it wasn't doing much else. It was like throwing snowballs at a polar bear.
"I've had enough!" Marik roared, sweeping the Millennium Rod in a wide circle. Duke froze, the stone hovering in mid-air in front of him. Mai's arms suddenly slackened. Both their eyes went blank.
Téa felt her eyes fluttering closed, her mind drifting away. She struggled to hold onto it, to keep her grasp on reality, but it was fighting a losing battle.
Who am I?
Who cares?...
'Sleep', a voice whispered in her ear. She complied.
Marik let out a deep sigh, surveying the scene. Mai and Duke and Téa were all his mind-slaves now. He didn't care about the first two, he'd just leave them here to break the news to the Pharaoh, but he finally had Téa. She'd given him quite a run for his money, even throwing him out of the tower. It no longer mattered, though, now that he was secure in his trophy. She'd regret it before long.
He absently rubbed his battered shoulder. His whole body ached. He grinned at Téa: she'd just have to make him feel better, was all. There was only one more thing he had to do before ordering her to come with him, back to the old Rare Hunter base he'd reclaimed. He was going to take care of Seto Kaiba, once and for all. That boy had caused him far too much trouble, almost making him lose Téa forever! In fact… if it hadn't been for Seto Kaiba, Téa might not have tried to fight him so hard. Maybe she would even have been glad to see him. But Kaiba, with the mysterious way he defied the Millennium Rod and the way he threw himself all over her… Marik's blood was boiling. Once Kaiba was gone, Téa would truly belong to him, heart, mind, and body.
He ran a finger along the blade of the Millennium Rod. How fitting, that this would be the tool that destroyed Kaiba. His unwillingness to accept his past role as priest of Egypt and bearer of the Rod would ultimately do him in. Marik grinned. The Rod, like Téa, would give itself over to him once Kaiba was dead.
Close to salivating, Marik scanned the ground where he'd left Kaiba. Then he scanned it again. And again. This couldn't be! There was no way Kaiba could have recovered, not after the beating he gave him!
Slowly, he turned to face the watch-tower. As he stared at it in disbelief, every siren in the place lit up. The noise pierced through the air, and the lights on top began to rove, calling to each one of Téa's friends that was out prowling the woods. It was impossible to miss.
He was in very real trouble.
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"I wouldn't give anything to be out of town right now," Mako vowed grimly. "I just hope Téa's okay. She was a wonderful girl."
Yugi sniffled a little, wondering if he'd ever see his best friend again. He and Mako stormed through the trees, snapping aside branches, scouring the area for any sign of Téa, Kaiba, or Marik. So far, they'd encountered nothing.
A high-pitched noise shot through his ears. He winced, and clapped his fingers to his ears, trying to block out the irritating sound. He glanced up at Mako Tsunami. The older duelist didn't seem perturbed by the noise; instead he was staring quizzically off into the distance. A few hundred feet away, a fire watch-tower was alight with blue and red sirens.
"I don't smell smoke," Yugi said dubiously. "And it's not fire season."
Mako might not have heard him through the noise, but it didn't matter. They both drew the same conclusion at once. Yugi bolted first, taking off through the trees, and Mako was right behind him.
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Ishizu and Odion had been searching for two hours when they bumped into Joey Wheeler, barreling through the trees and hollering for Téa.
"I was over that way," Joey said breathlessly, pointing to the right. "I didn't hear a thing. I might have missed seeing her, but she'd call back to me, right? She can't be hurt that badly, right?" His voice was pained.
Ishizu squeezed her older brother's hand nervously, her face haggard. "I hope Marik hasn't harmed her or Kaiba," she whispered. Odion shot her a pained look.
"He's not bad, not in his heart," Odion said sadly, hanging his head.
Joey gave a rude snort. "As far as I'm concerned," he began, but fell silent when he caught the look in the sibling's eyes. They were just as worried for their brother as they were for Téa. He sighed, and ran a hand awkwardly through his hair, suddenly feeling exhausted. "Thanks for coming, Odion," he finally muttered.
"Of course," the man replied immediately. "Ishizu told me what was going on. Perhaps I can help Marik regain his-"
Sirens blasted through the air. Ishizu winced and clasped her hands over her ears. Joey whirled around until he found the source of the noise: about a half-mile away, a fire watch-tower.
"Do you think that's them?" Odion roared over the noise.
"It has to be!" Joey shouted back, starting to run. Ishizu and Odion exchanged hopeful glances, and started sprinting after him.
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"No, no, no," Marik muttered frantically, trying to gather Téa in his arms without further damaging her broken bones. "This can't be happening!" He shot a nasty glare at the tower that was betraying him. Kaiba was up there, he knew, but he didn't have time to go after him, much as he wanted to. All he was worried about now was leaving as soon as possible, before Téa's friends showed up.
"You're too late," a deep voice announced from the edge of the clearing. Marik froze, his spine stiffening. Slowly, he turned around to face the Pharaoh.
A second duelist hovered around his shoulder, surveying the scene uncertainly. Yami stepped forward confidently, his dark eyes burning in anger.
"This has gone far enough," Yami said in quiet, righteous tones. "Release Téa and I may spare you the fate you deserve."
Snarling, Marik dropped Téa, but it was only so his hand could fly to the Millennium Rod. Yami reacted quickly, letting his Puzzle unleash a stream of energy, even beyond his own control. It hit Marik directly, and he struggled for a few seconds before bringing the Rod up to intercept the attack.
"Very good," he sneered, sending back a flow of power. To his chagrin, it didn't seem to bother Yami. The Pharaoh just twitched his head slightly, and resumed glaring at Marik.
"Yugi, what can I do?" Mako asked, his voice a tense whisper.
"Stop him," Yami said sternly, shifting his gaze slightly past Marik to the boy hovering at the edge of the clearing, looking surprised that Yami knew he was there.
Marik, despite himself, whipped around and saw the tombrobber. His narrow face was pulled back into a snarl, and he was looking straight at Yami. But Bakura had just stepped from the trees. He'd been completely hidden before. How had Yami known he was there…?
It didn't matter. Bakura shook his head. He had planned to take the Puzzle tonight, but one thing after another had ruined his plans. He was now completely outnumbered. He wasn't fool enough to try and cross the Pharaoh at this point, though if an opportunity came up he would certainly take it. Neither was he fool enough to keep his bargain with Marik. One had to be looking after one's own skin, of course. And he could still walk away from this with the Millennium Rod.
Opening his eyes very wide, allowing the essence of Ryou to creep into his demeanor, he shot Marik and Yami bland looks. Inside he was cackling, keeping a close eye on Marik. People were at their funniest when they'd just been double-crossed.
"Oh, my!" he cried in Ryou's British accent. "Is Téa all right? I've been so worried! Is there anything I can do to help, Yugi?"
Marik's eyes narrowed. He was trapped and he knew it. Fury filled his body, he wanted to strangle the tombrobber… but once again, his instinct for self-preservation crept in.
"I'll be back for you, Téa," he vowed softly to the unconscious girl, before turning and preparing to flee. He wasn't prepared, however, for the figure that barreled out of the trees and smashed him with his shoulder.
"Take that!" Joey cried as he fell to the ground. Mako rushed forward to help now, snatching the Rod from Marik's hands. Marik cried aloud as they began a desperate tug-of-war, trying to focus his mind to take them over but finding his concentration broken. Abruptly, Joey broke in, whacking Marik's fist and causing him to lose his grip long enough for the stronger Mako to wrench it away. Mako flung it backwards, where it crashed through the brambles and disappeared among the leaves. Yami's eyes flew to Bakura, who controlled his greedy expression just in time and rushed over to Téa, whose eyes were beginning to flutter.
Joey and Mako backed away from Marik, allowing Yami to stride up. That moment, Ishizu and Odion came crashing through the forest and burst into the clearing, panting heavily.
"Oh, Marik," Ishizu murmured, casting her eyes downward. "What have you done?"
"My head," Mai moaned, beginning to stir. Duke, too, sat up, glancing around in puzzlement. Joey rushed over to Mai, helping her stand up, while Mako awkwardly extended a hand to Duke. Mai rose to her feet quickly, swaying only a little, and pushed Joey aside. "I'm fine," she insisted, a small smile playing around her lips. Immediately, the four of them gathered around Téa, shielding her from Marik.
"But who set off the alarm?" Joey wondered aloud, giving Téa the most gentle hug he could. Mai sat down behind Téa, pulling the girl's head onto her lap and stroking her hair reassuringly.
"It's okay, girlfriend," she whispered, combing through Téa's locks. "You'll be fine, hon. At least, after you take a shower."
Joey scowled at Mai, but the comment had made Téa giggle.
"I'll check the tower," Mako said in a low voice, rising. Duke, after giving Téa one of his patented heartbreaking smiles, hurried after him. Bakura continued to crouch beside Téa, biding his time until he could sneak into the woods and retrieve the Rod.
"Sister," Marik said, his eyes wide, retreating slightly. His gaze flew to the Millennium Necklace, back in its usual position.
"Marik," Ishizu said desperately. "Stop this madness!"
"They tried to steal Téa," Marik snarled, still backing up. Odion strode forward, his hand shooting out with surprising speed and grasping Marik's hand.
"You were once my master," Odion said, staring right into his sibling's eyes. "Today, I call you my brother. Please, Marik. Come home with us."
"I can't leave Téa," Marik whispered, wrenching his arm away. He shot a glance at Yami, his crimson eyes flaring up once again in anger.
"Then we cannot allow you to walk free," Yami stated, crossing his arms. "Give it up, Marik. It's over."
"Never!" he snarled, whirling around with surprising speed and head-butting Yami. The Pharaoh stumbled backwards, a look of shock on his face, and Ishizu gasped. She rushed forward to help him, and Odion caught Yami before he fell. Marik, through the blinding pain and dizziness that he'd caused himself, saw all this. "So be it," he muttered angrily, stumbling off to the trees. He might still be able to make it out…
"I heard the sirens," a nasally voice announced itself. Confused, Marik stopped. The world was still spinning. He was starting to regret cracking skulls with Yami. However much it wounded the other, it was crippling him as well, not to mention his thousand other injuries he'd sustained through the night.
His vision focused in on a short pair, standing in front of him. One was wearing a red cap and had his arms folded, scowling at him. The other, the one who'd spoken, was small and stocky, wearing thick glasses and a green jacket, with distinguishing blue hair cut in a cap.
Weevil Underwood exchanged a glance with his partner in the search for Téa, Rex Raptor. Then he calmly raised his hand. He was holding a can of bug spray: Never leave home without it.
He pointed it straight at Marik's eyes and pressed the squirt button.
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Téa slept, her head still in Mai's lap. Seto slept next to her, but Joey had flatly refused to put Seto's head in his lap. Mai's head was resting on Joey's shoulder; she was nursing the headache she still had from the mind-control. Rex and Weevil sat cross-legged next to them, idly scratching shapes in the dirt. Duke, Mako, Yami, Ishizu, and Odion crouched around an unconscious Marik. The Pharaoh had used his Millennium Puzzle to send Marik into a deep, dreamless sleep.
Bakura slipped out of the woods quietly and settled next to Joey. No one gave him a second glance, and he hid his triumphant smile. That was three Millennium Items he possessed now. The Millennium Rod, made invisible to the rest of the world, was tucked securely in the inner loop of his jeans. He would bet anything that Yami, in his concern for Téa, would forget about it until the next day. And now he'd never find it. The Pharaoh's greatest weaknesses had always been his friends. Cackling, he retreated to his soul room. After a few modifications to Ryou's memory, he allowed his light to take over.
"Say, Ryou," Joey said, moving his head carefully so as not to disturb Mai. "How'd you know we were here, anyway? And how'd you know what was wrong with Téa in the first place?"
Looking confused, Ryou searched his memory- and found exactly what Bakura wanted him to. "I was taking a walk when I saw the sirens go off at the Kaiba mansion," he replied in his soft voice. "I called Yugi right away because I thought he could help. He's always tried to give Kaiba a hand before. Then I saw you driving away, and I was worried that something was wrong. I hitchhiked over here."
"Yow," Joey murmured, thinking over the story. Something seemed wrong with it, but he couldn't place his finger on it. It wasn't important, though; everything was going to be fine now. "You were taking a walk awfully late," he mused.
Ryou blushed. "I often have trouble sleeping at night," he murmured, which was true.
"Yeah, I don't think any of us have slept well lately," Joey said, laughing shortly, running his hand through his hair. "That's all gonna change, though, once Marik is out of the picture!" Funny… his hair was longer than he remembered. Softer, too.
"You mess up my curls, Joey Wheeler, and you'll regret it," Mai murmured, her eyes still closed. Startled, he quickly pulled his hand out of her hair.
"Oops," he muttered, turning red. "Sorry… I forgot you were there."
She snorted lightly. "You really know how to flatter a girl," she commented, her cheek resting on the soft fabric of his worn shirt.
Sirens were sounding again, but this time they were softer, and weren't coming from the tower. Mai jerked her head up, looking around, and Joey missed the warm pressure. But lights started dancing in the forest to their right, and he yanked his mind back to more important issues.
"Hey, Yugi!" a voice hollered. "Joey! Téa!"
"Tristan!" Yugi said happily, taking over for Yami and jumping up.
"Tristan's here! Who else was with him?" Mai said eagerly, looking at Joey.
"Two of our classmates," Joey responded, grinning. "Miho and Shiara."
"And the cops, the fire department, and a rescue squad," Miho added, popping into the clearing.
"It was weird," Shiara said bluntly. "We'd been trying to call them all night, especially after we saw the sirens going off. We were too far away to get there fast, so we went out of the forest, trying to find help. Finally, after we dialed for the fiftieth time, everyone like snapped out of a trance. They rushed over here and we led them to this fire tower."
The girls then caught sight of Téa and rushed over, squealing. "Téa, girl, I'm so glad you're okay!"
Tristan rushed into the clearing, followed by a dozen men and women in various uniforms. They dispersed immediately, hurrying to the wounded and laying out stretchers.
"What did you tell the girls?" Joey asked Tristan quietly as Mai, Miho, and Shiara helped two of the rescue team ease Téa onto a stretcher.
"That the new guy was stalking Téa because he'd known her before," he replied, scratching the back of his head and giving a great yawn. "Nothing about mind-control."
"It's for the best," Joey reasoned, shrugging off a cop trying to check him for injuries. "I'm fine, buddy!" he snapped.
"Just a little tired," Yugi chimed in, coming up and trailed by someone from the fire department, who began to question the three of them. Two more fire department volunteers climbed the watch-tower. The sirens had long ago been shut off by Mako and Duke, but they checked it over for safety anyway.
Across the clearing, Marik was being handcuffed while Ishizu anxiously made sure the policeman was being gentle. Odion was being questioned by a female cop. "And what is your relationship to this boy?" she asked finally, making a note on her pad.
"He's my brother," Odion said in his deep voice. "But I was adopted."
She nodded in understanding, flipping the pad closed. "We're going to have to lock him up," she stated flatly, and Ishizu and Odion nodded in sad consent. "There'll be a huge trial. It won't be pleasant for any of your friends, particularly the girl in question. It could last weeks."
"There is another option," Ishizu predicted, brushing the Millennium Necklace despondently.
"If you sign the order," the cop said bluntly, dusting off her hands, "We can have him committed to a mental home with no fuss. We have the case. It'd be a private affair, a lock on your story, and you wouldn't have to drag Miss Gardner back into this mess."
"I think that would be best," Ishizu said quietly, leaning against her brother for strength. But Yami came up behind them and gripped her shoulder. She turned slightly to face him, his face questioning. She nodded slightly. "Yes."
x
x
Faint voices argued in the background.
"Hypocrite. I can't believe you carried around bug spray."
"What're you talking about, dino-breath?"
"Hn, watch it, bug-brain. You carried around bug spray. After all the whining you do whenever someone crushes one of your precious insects…"
"You'll never know as much about anything as I know about bugs. And I know how to protect myself from them. Just because I like them doesn't mean I have to wear them. Or let them suck my blood."
"Hey, look! A fly! Someone swat it!"
An indignant squeak: "Don't you dare!"
A new voice: "Flies in a hospital? What kinda place is this?"
Téa opened her eyes to blinding white. Groaning, she tried to roll over, but found that she couldn't. Her right arm was in a cast.
She blinked at it for a few seconds before everything came rushing back. Sighing in relief, she flopped back onto the pillows of the nice, clean, warm, safe hospital bed.
"Hey, Téa's all right!" a voice cheered.
She turned her head. Yugi, Joey, Tristan, Ryou, Miho, Shiara, Duke, Mai, even Rex and Weevil and Mako… they were all there, crowded around her bed, beaming at her.
"You're safe," Joey proclaimed happily. "Marik's gone for good, everyone's back to normal- and your parents caught the first flight to Domino. They're in the air as we speak."
"Naah, they've landed by now," Tristan said, checking his watch.
Tears sprung to her eyes and she squeezed them closed. "Thank you, guys," she said, her voice husky. "Thank you so, so much. You are the best friends I could ever ask for."
"Aw, we know," Tristan said, sounding pleased. She let out a choked laugh, and the three girls leaned over to hug her.
"Watch her arm!" Ryou yelped quickly, before blushing red. He took her left hand, squeezing it gently. "You look much better," he assured her quietly. "You got lots of sleep. And you look happier."
"How long was I out for?" she asked, her voice mingled with giggling and sobs.
"Almost two days," Yugi said sheepishly. "But they were giving you lots of stuff, too, to make you sleep longer. Well, they did wake you up to feed you once, but I bet you don't remember it."
"No," she confessed, accepting a handshake from Duke. "You have no idea how relived I am, I'm so happy-"
Shouts, the sound of doors slamming, and heavy stomping all filtered down the hall. Everyone exchanged anxious looks. Téa's heart rose to her throat and she started to feel cold dread before the door swung open and Seto stormed in, bedecked in a hospital gown.
"They didn't want me to leave," he said by way of explanation, feeling everyone's eyes upon him. He started to blush, but decided he wouldn't let himself and forced it away. Instead, he walked to Téa's bedside, taking up her hand. "How are you feeling?" he asked softly.
"Fabulous," she said, smiling directly up at him. "Seto, I can never thank you enough. You saved my life."
He shook his head, embarrassed. "You would have done the same for me," he said, surprising the both of them. Téa didn't stop smiling.
"Yes, I would have."
"I…" Seto hesitated, staring directly into her eyes. He knew what he wanted to say, but he couldn't spit it out. "I…" Suddenly, he became very aware of everyone else in the room staring at him.
"Seto, the nurse is looking for you and she's not happy," a very healthy Mokuba warned, sticking his head into the doorway. Serenity followed him, clutching his hand and beaming. "Hey- Téa! You're awake!"
"I'm awake," she repeated, grinning at them. "Hi, guys."
"Oh, Téa," Serenity gasped, disengaging herself from Mokuba and running over to her friend. "I was so worried! But you look wonderful now, so much healthier…"
"Thanks," she said sincerely, giving Serenity an awkward one-armed hug. "I am so lucky to have such wonderful friends," she said, shifting her gaze to Seto. "All of you," she repeated.
He looked uncomfortable. "I should go back to my room," he said, shifting his weight.
"We'll visit you," Joey spoke up, surprisingly. Everyone stared from him back to Seto, who looked shocked.
"You will?" he asked uncertainly, letting his guard down slightly.
"Sure," Joey grinned. Yugi beamed proudly. "Of course we will," Yugi assured Seto.
"We were in there before," Joey said conversationally, leaning his head back against the wall. "But you were sleeping… hey, did you know you drool?" He snickered to himself. Mai rolled her eyes and boxed him in the ear. "Ow!"
"Nice, Wheeler," Seto growled, before whirling around and beginning to travel back to his own room.
"Kaiba!" Several voices called out.
"What?" he asked, his voice suspiciously absent of the usual curt edge. Still, no one was brave enough to respond. Mokuba finally spoke up.
"Aaah… the thing about hospital gowns. They don't tie in the back."
Seto froze a moment. Slowly, his hand crept behind him and felt bare back. He moved his hand down, slightly panicked, until he encountered the waistband of his boxers. He heaved a sigh of relief.
"Thanks," he grinned, then exited. Yugi and Téa exchanged wide-eyed looks.
"Did Kaiba just say thanks?" Joey asked in a stunned voice.
"Téa!"
"Mom! Dad!"
Aaron and Aimee Gardner practically flew into the room. Aimee was in hysterical tears, and Aaron's face was worn and exhausted. "Oh my God, what were we thinking?" Aimee sobbed, clutching her daughter. "How could we leave you? What's wrong with us?"
One by one, Téa's friends tiptoed out, leaving them alone. "I love you," Téa sniffled, salty tears streaming down her face.
"I love you too, sweetie," Aimee cried. "You mean everything to your father and me, Téa. We'll never leave you again, I'm so sorry!"
"It's not your fault," Téa sniffled, although she knew she couldn't tell them the truth. "Believe me, it's not your fault. This whole thing has been so messed up… but everything's okay now. I'm safe."
"You're safe," Aaron repeated, clutching her hand. "We'll keep you safe always."
"My friends will, too," Téa said quietly, still hugging her mother dearly. "Always."