Out of the frying pan

Chapter 11:

The next morning, Marik and Malik met Joe at I.H.O.S bright and early. When they got inside, an army of large men and women awaited them. Marik was greatly pleased with the results, but Malik was still skeptical about his yami's plan.

"Okay, Marik. We have the fat people, now what are we going to do?" Malik asked, folding his arms.

"We send them out to fight!"

"E-Excuse me?! Send them out to fight?! Fight who?"

"The skinny people." He said with confidence.

Malik shook his head, "Marik, there are more skinny people than fat people. Think about it… it'll be, like, twenty to one. Our guys will get their butts handed to them!"

"I admit… I was hoping for a bigger outcome. But it's better than none, right?"

"Well," Malik smirked, "If you wanted more fat people, you should have recruited Jim. He's got some meat on him."

"Hey, I do not!" Jim cried, "That's muscle."

"I didn't know muscle wiggled like that."

"Alright, cut it out, you two." Marik ordered, "We'll just have to make due with what we've got. And what we've got is an army awaiting orders." Marik walked to the front of the room, "Alright, is everyone here?"

They all nodded.

"Okay, so let's get started-" Marik was interrupted by the door opening and two chubby men with hoods on walked inside, "…Hmm. Can we try to be on time, guys? This is a job, not a summer camp."

The two men nodded and mumbled, "Sorry…"

Marik continued speaking and the two men whispered to each other in the very back of the room.

"…Well, Taylor, we're in." Curt said.

"No disrespect, sir, but this is kinda dangerous… I mean, Marik isn't a real understanding guy… suppose he catches us?"

"Not to worry, Taylor. I got it all figured out… we just need to get those shiny golden sticks away from Marik and Malik. That's how they control everybody."

"Then…?"

"Then we can give all these poor people the antidote we got off the black market website, last night. Once they find out that we saved them from Marik's insane wrath, they'll love me forever and come to McDonalds from now on. We'll gain all our customers back and run Marik out of business. Pretty cool idea, huh?"

"…Sounds nice, sir. But what's in this for me?"

"Well, if we succeed… I'll promote you to Assistant Manager. How's that sound?"

Taylor pumped his fist in the air, "Great, sir!!!"

"No!" Curt pulled his employee's hand down, "Don't draw attention to us!"

"S-Sorry, sir…"

But it was too late. Marik had already noticed and was standing next to Taylor in a flash, "Is there a problem back here?!"

They shook their heads rapidly, and kept their heads low so Marik couldn't see their faces.

"What's up with the costumes?" Marik asked, "It's not Halloween, take them off."

They shook their heads again.

"Take. It. Off."

When they said nothing, Marik grabbed the hoods and yanked them to the floor. Curt tried to cover his face but Marik had already seen him, "Curt! What in hell's name are you doing here?!"

"I'm here to stop you!" he said finally. "I won't let you turn my faithful customers to fat warlords!"

"Oh, yeah? And just how do plan to stop me?"

Curt looked behind him and saw Taylor still standing there. He slowly handed a bottle to him and looked at Marik, "I'll find a way."

"Ha! Yeah, right." Marik grabbed Curt by his collar and dragged him towards Malik and Jim, "Malik, tie Curt up and put him in the freezer. Jim, you help."

"Alright." Malik took hold of Curt and headed for the door. Jim tried to help and Malik told him to go jump off a cliff.

Curt's employee was still in the back of the room and he was trying to give the antidote to some of the people but, since they were still under the control of the millennium rods, they wouldn't take any.

Taylor sighed, 'Okay… I know what I have to do… get that stick away from Marik. But I highly doubt I can get it away from him…' He looked over at Marik, who was twirling his millennium rod between his fingers. 'Oh, well. If I want that promotion… I'm gonna have to work for it.'

He walked up to Marik, "Excuse me, sir?"

"…Huh?! Who the hell are you?! You're aren't fat, so you shouldn't be in here."

"I-I'm lost. Could you point me to the… uh, airport?"

"Oh. Well, it's over there." Marik pointed his millennium rod out toward the street.

"Gotcha!" Curt jumped out from the kitchen and grabbed the rod from Marik as he tumbled to the floor.

"What the…?!" Marik looked on as his hikari and Jim ran out after Curt to try and get him back, "Malik, how'd he get away?!"

"It wasn't my fault!" Malik answered, still chasing Curt, "Jim was pouting cause I wouldn't let him help! So, I said he could tie Curt up! And he let him get away!"

"Tattle-tell!" Jim yelped.

"Oh, I don't care whose fault it was! Just get my rod back!"

"Taylor, I've got it!" Curt called to his young employee, "I've got it!… Wait a minute… how the hell do I use it?!"

"Try saying… open sesame!" Taylor called back.

"That won't work!" Curt was now struggling to keep out of Malik and Jim's reach, "…We have to think of something! I can't keep this up much longer!"

"But what can I do?" Taylor asked himself.

"Nothing!" Marik folded his arms, "As soon as he runs out of steam, and Malik catches him… you're both going to the shadow realm."

"The shadow what?"

"Never mind. Put it this way, you won't be coming back."

"Ugh…" Taylor looked at the bottle in his hands, "There's gotta be something I can do!"

In less than five seconds, Malik captured Curt with little help from Jim, who had sat down in the middle of the room to have lunch.

"Got him, Marik." Malik said, "Here's your rod back."

Malik tossed Marik's millennium rod back to his yami, but in midair Taylor jumped up and caught it. "Don't worry, Curt, sir! I've got it now!"

"Do something!" Curt yelled.

"Like what-" before Taylor could finish his sentence, Marik lunged at him and wrestled him to the ground.

"Give it back to me, you little worm!" Marik said as he pried Taylor's hands open. Just as Marik was starting to gain control of the struggle, Taylor slipped from under him and ran for the door.

Curt had gotten away from Malik, and started for the door as well. It looked as if they were going to make it out the front door, but just as they opened it… Taylor tripped over Jim.

"Ouch!" Jim and Taylor yelped as they both hit the ground.

Marik nodded, "Way to go, Jim! You stopped him!"

"I-I did? I was just having lunch…"

As Taylor fell to the ground and Jim fumbled with his sandwich, the millennium rod soared through the air and fell onto the ground in the middle of the room. Curt wasted no time in diving for it, and Marik did the same. They ended up on the floor, smacking and kicking at each other.

Malik felt it was his duty to help his yami out by using his millennium rod, so he directed it towards the two on the floor. But, they were moving around so much that Malik couldn't get a clear shot at Curt. It was too much of a risk to do anything with his rod, so Malik jumped into the fight and decided to help out, physically.

Taylor did the same as Malik; he tried to fight off Malik to help Curt out. So, Marik, Malik, Curt, and Taylor were in the middle of the room and were fighting amongst themselves with the millennium rod floating from person to person.

Jim, on the other hand, was watching the altercation with contentment while eating his sandwich. 'Wow, this is cool. It's like dinner and a movie. But, I guess I should help Marik out. Hmm… he's trying to get his shiny stick back, right?'

Jim got up, casually walked over to the fight and plucked Marik's millennium rod from Curt's hands. "Here you go." He said while handing it to Marik.

Marik jumped up in victory, "In your face, Curt! In your face!" he pointed the rod towards Curt and Taylor, "See ya, later."

As Marik was preparing to send his foes to the shadow realm, Malik was fuming mad in his mind, 'I can't believe it! Jim helped Marik out again! All he did was take the damn thing from Curt… and now Marik's going to be saying how helpful and supportive Jim is…I can't take this anymore!'

Consumed with rage, Malik viciously jumped on top of Jim and wrestled him to the ground, "You stupid, stupid bum!" he yelled while trying to scratch Jim's eyes.

"Ahh! Help!" Jim cried, "Malik's gone mad!"

Marik looked behind him, "What the hell are you two doing-"

Before Marik could finish his sentence, Malik and Jim's fight had reached him and he toppled over as they continued to yell and shout.

Curt and Taylor had been completely forgotten about, and decided to take advantage of the situation. Curt tiptoed to the three people and grabbed the millennium rod from Marik. Taylor did the same to Malik and then they ran out of the restaurant, screeching, "Victory!"

In less than a minute, Marik realized what had happened and he pulled Malik off of Jim, "Do you know what happened!?"

"Uh…" Malik scratched his head.

"They got away," Marik pointed towards the front door, "with our millennium rods! Did you even notice that yours was gone?!"

Malik checked his pants, "Oops."

"Well?! What have you got to say for yourself?!"

"Uh…uh…! Jim started it!"

"I did not!" Jim retorted.

Marik screamed in aggravation, "I'm surrounded by idiots!"