Well, once again, here is another chapter of my fic. I've decided to do something that probably hasn't been done before. I've long since typed up every chapter for this story and have them all saved to a file on my computer. However, due to a problem that I've been having with the computer lately, every file and program on my computer will have to be cleaned out and rebooted, which means all of my stories will be erased. I have no disks left, so I'll have to put up every remaining chapter now. So enjoy the rest of Island of Nightmares.

Chapter 9: Jason's Dark Challenge - Play For the God Card!

Jason and Yugi ran down the street towards the edge of the island. Both duelists remained concerned about Joey's sanity in the Shadow Realm.

"Yugi, I know that this sounds crazy, but it's the only way," Jason said.

"I can't let you do this. If you get trapped in the Shadow Realm, the god card will become his," Yami Yugi responded.

"But if I can beat him in a duel for Joey's soul, we won't have to worry about him having the god card. And even if I do lose, you'll be there as backup."

"Bakura is too powerful for you to face like this. Please reconsider your plan."

Jason stopped and faced the boy with a fire in his eyes.

"Look Yugi. I'm not the kind of person who likes to reconsider things once they are set in motion. Besides, this is my god card, you know. I could easily just quit this tournament and take it home with me. The prize money doesn't mean that much to me, especially compared to what I could get for this thing."

Yami Yugi stared at Jason and realized that he was serious and that he wasn't going to change his mind, despite the fact that his plan wasn't well thought out.

"Just be careful, Jason."
-------------------------------------------------

Number 1 sat back and watched the screens as more and more duelists were brought in. All the duelists who lost their key puzzle programs were being shipped in through the doors, most of them in chains. A sharp ring caught her attention as she carefully watched the screen. Number 1 picked up a phone on the console.

"Yes, my Lord?"

"Have you found the god card yet?" Lord Superior asked from the other end of the line.

"No, we have not found it yet, but we are searching every duelist as fast as we can. We cannot resort to our usual tactics because the other duelists may become aware of our activities in the tournament."

"Make sure that you search thoroughly, otherwise the card could slip through our hands. Don't fail me."

A sharp click came from the other end of the line, and Number 1 hung the phone up. Minutes later a knock on the door was heard. Number 1 got up and opened it.

"Ma'am, I have a report," came the deep voice of the Rare Hunter minion. "We have pinpointed the location of the two duelists who defeated Antoine and Sentu. Should we take care of them now?"

"No. Wait for my orders, then, bring the fools here for immediate termination. We will make them squirm."
-------------------------------------------------

Yugi and Jason stood in front of the large warehouse. Yugi could sense Bakura's presence in the building.

"Now Yugi, this will probably sound crazier than my last suggestion, but I want you to stay out here."

Yugi began to protest, but Jason explained his reason.

"If you go in there, he'll try to use Joey's soul to rope you into this so he can get his hands on your Puzzle. Just let him focus on me right now so we can get Joey back."

Yugi thought for a second, and finally relented.

"All right, Jason. Just remember that Bakura is a good person, but he is under the influence of the Ring, so don't be too rough on him."

"Yeah, I'll remember," Jason said as he walked into the warehouse.

He shut the door behind him and looked around. There were stacks of crates all around the room. Jason guessed that they contained supplies for the tournament.

"Hello? Are you in here?"

No response came. Jason continued to look around the room, which was fairly lit, except for one corner. A cold shiver ran down Jason's spine as he looked into the dark corner.

"You're there, aren't you?" he asked.

"How very perceptive of you," came the dark voice.

The Millennium Ring glowed through the darkness, highlighting Yami Bakura's face in an ominous golden glow.

"Did you bring the god card?" he asked, narrowing his eyes.

"Yeah, I brought it."

Yami Bakura looked around the warehouse for a second.

"There's no use looking; Yugi isn't here. I came alone," Jason said. "So if you want the Puzzle, that will have to wait."

"How do you know about the Puzzle?" Yami Bakura asked, slightly startled by Jason's knowledge.

"Yugi told me. How do you know about my god card?"

Yami Bakura chuckled as he stepped out of the darkness to fully reveal himself.

"I followed the fool who gave you the card. I would've taken it sooner, but when I found out that Yugi was in this tournament, I couldn't decide what I wanted first: your god, or his Puzzle."

Jason chuckled. "Well, if you want this god so bad, you're going to have to earn it, you soul stealing bastard." Yami Bakura growled as Jason activated his duel gauntlet. "So, what's it going to be? Are you a duelist, or are you a coward?"

"Fine, I accept your terms. If I win, the god card is mine. And if you win, I will release Joey's soul," Yami Bakura said as he activated his duel gauntlet.

The two squared off in the middle of the warehouse.

"One more thing," Jason said. "If you are going to use any of that freaky magic that you used in the duel against Joey, tell me now. Otherwise, this will be a normal duel."

"You're just yearning to lose your soul to the shadows, aren't you? Well, far be it from me to disappoint you," Yami Bakura said as the shadows poured over the two duelists.

Jason's blonde hair stood on end as a cold wind swept through the area. He could barely make out Yami Bakura's dark features through the thickening shadows.

"Let's start this duel, so that I may claim my god card," Yami Bakura said.

(Jason: 8000) (Yami Bakura: 8000)

"I'll go first," Jason said. "And I'll start by placing one monster in defense mode, and end my turn."

"If that's the best you can do, this duel will be quick," Yami Bakura teased as he drew. "I'll summon Opticlops (1800/1700) in attack mode."

Yami Bakura swiped the card and a muscular brown demon with a long horn appeared through the darkness.

"Now, my Opticlops, destroy his defense monster!"

The demon charged forward and slammed into the defense monster. The holographic card flipped up and a tall woman in a black robe appeared, then, shattered from the attack.

"Thanks. You destroyed my Witch of the Black Forrest, which allows me to bring a monster with a defense lower than 1500 to my hand from my deck," Jason said triumphantly.

"Get your monster, then. It doesn't matter what you try to play," Yami Bakura said as Jason went through his deck.

'This will do the trick,' Jason thought. 'I'll bring my Mad Dog of Darkness to my hand.'

"I'll end my turn by setting one card face down," Yami Bakura said with a slight smile.

Jason drew, then, looked at the card Yami Bakura set. Suddenly, the Millennium Ring glowed brighter and Yami Bakura felt power leave the ring.

'Something in my mind tells me that it's a trap card he's going to use to stop my Dog's attack. I should get rid of it,' Jason thought as the Ring perplexed Yami Bakura. "I'll activate Mystical Space Typhoon, to destroy your face down card." Jason swiped the card and a twister shot up and shattered the hologram.

'How did he know that it was a trap,' Yami Bakura thought as his Dark Removal card was destroyed.

"Now, I'll summon the Mad Dog of Darkness (1900/1400) to this shadow duel." A large demonic dog with glowing red eyes appeared in front of Jason. "Now, destroy Opticlops!"

The dog opened its mouth and unleashed a dark, blazing flame at the demon, incinerating it.

(Jason: 8000) (Yami Bakura: 7900)

Jason smiled at Yami Bakura and ended his turn.

"You won't be smiling after I play the Giant Orc (2200/0) in attack mode!"

Yami Bakura swiped the card and a large bone gray ogre wielding a large club appeared on the field.

"Now, my Orc, destroy the Mad Dog of Darkness!"

Giant Orc rushed forward and swung its massive club, destroying the Mad Dog of Darkness with a crushing blow.

(Jason: 7700) (Yami Bakura: 7900)

"It looks like I've got the advantage now," Yami Bakura said.

"You won't have the advantage for long with your Giant Orc in defense mode," Jason said, pointing at the kneeling fiend.

Yami Bakura looked at his hand, then, realized that he made a mistake.

'No! How could I forget to set that card?! What's the matter with me?'

"I'll summon Nin-Ken Dog (1800/1000) in attack mode," Jason said, breaking Yami Bakura's thoughts.

In a puff of smoke, a tall dog dressed in red ninja robes appeared on the field.

"Go, Nin-Ken Dog, destroy the Giant Orc!"

The Dog leaped up and hurled a shower of razor sharp shurikens at the Orc, shattering it on impact.

"Now I'll place one card face down and end my turn."
-------------------------------------------------

Yugi stood outside the warehouse, waiting for Jason to come back. He tried to look into one of the windows, but it was too dirty to see through.

"Maybe I should have gone inside with him, to give him support. Even if Bakura wants my Puzzle, that's no reason not to help my friends."

You promised Jason that you would stay outside of his duel, Yami said. His transparent form loomed over Yugi, trying to see through the filthy glass window. Plus, you know that he was right. Bakura would only try to use Joey to involve us in the duel.

"I know, but I can't help but feel worried that Jason might not be able to handle the situation."

The two continued to stand in front of the window until someone caught their attention.

"Hey you. I challenge you to a duel," came the voice from behind.

Yugi turned around to see a teenage girl holding up her deck. A smile curved her lips as she repeated her challenge.

"Sure, that sounds like fun," he said as he activated his duel gauntlet.
-------------------------------------------------

"I'll place one monster in defense mode and end my turn," Yami Bakura said.

"Fine, that's easily dealt with using my..."

Jason was about to summon a monster, but something told him not to summon what he wanted to summon. The Millennium Ring glowed again, and Yami Bakura found himself drained of more shadow energy.

'What's happening here? I should be in control of this duel. Someone else must be disrupting my Millennium powers, but who?'

"I'll summon Gemini Elf (1900/900) in attack mode," Jason said, breaking Yami Bakura's thoughts again.

A pair of female elves appeared next to the Nin-Ken Dog.

"Now, my Elves, attack Bakura's defense monster."

The twin monster unleashed two blasts of energy that struck the face down hologram with incredible force, shattering it.

"You attacked my Wall of Illusion (1000/1850), which forces that Elf back to your hand," Yami Bakura said, trying to regain momentum. The Gemini Elf disappeared.

"That's fine, because Nin-Ken Dog will attack you directly," Jason said casually.

The monster pelted Yami Bakura with a shower of ninja stars, knocking the soul stealer to the shadow-covered floor.

(Jason: 7700) (Yami Bakura: 6100)

"You know, Yugi told me that you were some powerful spirit that possessed dangerous magic and dueling skills, but really, you're nothing more than a light-weight punk. I don't know how you got this far in the tournament, but it ends here."

Yami Bakura got up from the ground and snarled at Jason in an animalistic fashion.

"No one mocks me that way. You'll rot in the hellish shadows for the rest of eternity. Mark my words."

"You talk way too much for a real duelist."

Yami Bakura snatched the top card off of his deck, determined to destroy Jason with his next card.

"I'll summon the Legion Goblin (1400/600) in attack mode!"

He swiped the card and a large red horned demon with yellow eyes materialized through the darkness. The Goblin threateningly swiped a claw at Jason.

"Next, I'll activate Axe of Despair, to boost my monster's attack by 1000 points."

A large axe appeared in Legion Goblin's hands. The demon swung the axe around and rested it on its shoulder.

"Now, my Goblin (2400/600), destroy the Nin-Ken Dog!"

Bakura's monster charged forward and dispatched the Dog with one swing of its large axe.

(Jason: 7100) (Yami Bakura: 6100)

"The darkness is closing in on you. I'll end my turn."

'All right, deck. Now, I need you.' Jason drew, then, smiled. "I'll activate Swords of Revealing Light."

Large glowing swords rained from the sky and fell in front of Yami Bakura, blocking his monsters.

"Nothing more than a pathetic stall tactic," Yami Bakura scoffed.

"Next, I'll re-summon my Gemini Elf," Jason said as the twins reappeared on his side of the field. "My turn is over. Let's see what you've got."

"You shall see," Yami Bakura said as he drew. "I'll place one card face down, and end my turn."

"I'll do the same," Jason said. He swiped the card and the face down hologram appeared. "It's your go."

Yami Bakura drew and ended his turn. Jason drew from his deck.

'What is this? I don't remember putting this in my deck. Well it'll have to wait,' Jason thought as he placed another card face down and ended his turn.

"These swords will not last forever," Yami Bakura said as he drew.

"No, but they will last long enough for me to do what I have to," Jason responded.

"Cling on to hope for as long as you can mortal. Your desperation amuses me as the shadows drain you of your energy and your life force."

"What the hell are talking about? I don't feel any energy drain," Jason said, "The only thing these shadows do is make it a little harder to see. Now make your move and stop babbling like a freak."

Yami Bakura's bewilderment continued as he looked at his hand for a monster to take care of Jason.

"Fine. Nevertheless, I play The Portrait's Secret (1200/1500) in defense mode."

A large painting of an old man appeared on the field.

"Oh no, it's fine art. I'm so scared," Jason said mockingly.

Yami Bakura smirked as a green demon leaped out of the image with a shriek. Jason didn't budge.

"What, was that supposed to scare me?" Jason asked impatiently.

"You won't be so tough when I'm done. My turn ends, and so does the effect of your pathetic swords," Yami Bakura said as the swords began to disappear.
-------------------------------------------------

The dark figure loomed up in the rafters, watching closely. He observed every second of the events and was almost ready to make the call. He spoke into the earpiece.

"Sire, I have followed the two duelists to this supply warehouse on the edge of the island, but I lost sight of one in some weird bubble. I've never seen anything like it."

"Hold your position. The time for retribution will come soon enough. Report back when you have them."

"Yes, sire. I will."

The connection was severed and the dark figure continued to watch the events unfold.
-------------------------------------------------

Jason's draw didn't help him as much as he thought it would, and the mysterious card in his hand didn't help matters either.

"I'll set a monster in defense mode and end my turn."

Yami Bakura drew with a twisted smirk.

"I'll summon Sakuma of the Darkness (1200/700) in attack mode." A skeleton surrounded by a black flame materialized. "End turn."

"Now I'm back in the game!" Jason exclaimed after he drew. "I'll sacrifice my face down monster to summon the Cyber Tech Alligator (2500/1500) in attack mode."

Jason's face down monster disappeared and a large winged metallic alligator stood before him.

"Just as I thought. Activate face down card: Bottomless Trap Hole!" Yami Bakura said as one of his face down holograms flipped up. A pit opened under Cyber Tech Alligator. "This card removes a monster with an attack over 1500 from play when it is summoned."

"You're so damn predictable. Activate counter trap: Royal Decree!" Jason barked back. The strange pit under his monster closed. "This card negates all other traps as long as it remains face up on the field. Now as I was saying before I was so rudely interrupted, Cyber Tech Alligator, destroy the Legion Goblin!"

The mechanized monster charged forward and slashed through the red demon with its sharp claws.

(Jason: 7100) (Yami Bakura: 6000)

"Gemini Elf, attack Sakuma!"

The elf twins launched blasts at the skeletal monster, shattering it.

(Jason: 7100) (Yami Bakura: 5300)

"I'll end my turn. Bring on the worst you've got. I'm ready for it."

Yami Bakura drew. His face contorted into a vile, depraved smirk, then, laughter.

"This duel is over, for in my hand lurks the most powerful monster in my deck. Your soul is mine!" the white haired thief said aloud.

"That wouldn't be the first time I've heard that today," Jason remarked.

"That may be the case, but this time, it spells your doom!"