"Get off of me you freak!" Mokuba yelled angrily as he was thrown down. He landed in front of Yami and Joey but stood up again, his hands clutched tight in fists.
"Mokuba," Joey repeated. "What are you doing here? Where's..."
"I came to rescue you," Mokuba smiled proudly. This received another laugh from the spirit controlling Ryou.
"The time is near," he said. He whisked the door shut and a lock clicked into place. " Your efforts are in vain, there's no way out." The voice concluded, muffled slightly by the thick door. Tea was waking up now and fought to push herself up.
"What's going on? Why does my head hurt?" she said as Tristan moved to help her up. She looked around the room confused. "And where are we?" Yami stood up and went over to examine the door.
"I don't think this is an ordinary door," he said.
"What in this place is?" Joey mumbled. He stood up as well and looked Mokuba over. " And what the hell did you think you were doing? You could have gotten yourself hurt," he scolded and then his voice softened. " You didn't, did you?" Mokuba smiled again.
"Of course not. I got caught on purpose," he said. He pulled out some kind of electronic device no bigger then the size of his hand and pressed a button. The lock clicked outside and the door creaked open a little as a red light started flashing on and off on the ceiling and water started to spray from the sprinklers. Everyone looked up as the water quickly soaked them all.
"What was that?" Tristan asked standing up, half trying to protect Tea and half trying to see the others through the downpour.
"No building in Domino doesn't have an automatic release system when a fire breaks out. Everything is automatically disabled to avoid it spreading to anywhere else or harming anyone who happens to be inside. The government had us install them in every building that we owned."
"So that means...you know where we are?" Joey beamed and pulled Mokuba into a happy hug. "I take back every mean thing that Tristan ever said about you!"
"Hey!" Tristan objected.
"Don't rejoice yet Joey. We still have a long way to go before we're safe," Yami reminded them. Joey loosened his grip on Mokuba and Mokuba pushed him away annoyed.
"I set up a tracker outside so that Kaiba Corp could find us but they might take awhile and we don't know when those creepy guys are coming back," he continued. Joey pouted.
"Way to crash a guy's hope guys," Joey said sarcastically.
"Well let's stop talking about it and start putting some distance between us and them," Tea broke in, limping over with assistance from Tristan.
"Yeah, I don't think standing here getting wet is any good for us either," he added. Yami looked through the crack in the door and then slowly opened it.
"Okay, let's go." He led the way out. Once they were all out Mokuba took the lead, ushering them all around the back of the building.
"Which way?" Joey asked stepping up beside Mokuba to get a good look around the corner. Mokuba pointed.
"You go first," he said. Joey looked at him.
"But I have no idea where I'm going? And what happened to Mr. I'm Here To Save You?"
"I got you out didn't I? Just go first."
"I think Tea and Tristan should go first," Yami broke into the conversation. " It'll be harder for them to get away quickly if someone comes. Joey, you stay close to them." Joey nodded as Tristan helped Tea start out.
"Lead me. Where am I going?" Joey looked to Mokuba. Mokuba nodded forward.
"Just keep going straight to the end of the row of buildings. Stay close to the walls." Joey started after them, relaying the information and making sure that he was never more then a few steps away from them. Mokuba followed after with Yami.
"So what happened to Yugi? Why isn't he with you guys?" Yami looked down at him to make a reply but a startled yelp from Joey made them both look toward him. He was on the ground rubbing one knee with one hand and his head with the other.
"Are you okay?" Tristan asked trying to hold in a laugh. Tea sent him a disappointed look.
"Tristan! This is no time to be laughing," she reprimanded. His smile faded and he left her leaning on the wall to help Joey back up.
"I know that wasn't an accident," Joey muttered bitterly. "Someone tripped me." Tristan backed off.
"Don't look at me." He put up his hands in surrender. Joey smacked him across the back of the head.
"No duh."
"Well I don't see anyone...or anything for that matter," Yami said examining the area that they'd just passed.
"Don't listen to him, he's just trying to keep his pri...ahh!" Something from the shadow grabbed Tristan and covered his mouth. "Mfhhnmht," He struggled to free himself. Everyone tensed up and Joey got ready to attack. The being stepped into the light and Yami relaxed.
"Bakura, let him go," he said boredly. The spirit sighed and released him. He ran around to hide behind Joey and recompose himself.
"But you're all being so serious. As if there's really danger here."
"How did you end up here? I thought you were chasing Yugi?" Yami ignored the implication. Bakura scowled.
"I lost him so I decided to follow you instead. He wasn't taking me where I wanted to go anyway. I was actually surprised to find this..." Bakura held up the millennium puzzle. "...before I found you." Yami went to grab it but Bakura ripped it away. "Bad Pharaoh. Being so careless like that. I don't think you deserve to have it back."
"We don't have time to fight over this. Marik could be..." Tea started.
"R...right there..." Joey pointed feebly at a figure that was approaching.
"Where did Marik get a briefcase?" Tea asked doubtfully.
"Didn't anyone ever tell you that pointing is rude?" the familiar coldhearted voice responded. Joey dropped his arm.
"Seto!" Mokuba exclaimed and ran over to him.
"As if you really care about what's rude or not," Joey muttered trying to hide his embarrassment. Kaiba glared at him.
"Yami! You're okay! I was so worried," Yugi appeared behind Kaiba and ran to Yami's side. Bakura rolled his eyes.
"Well isn't this just..."
"A most touching reunion," a dark voice interrupted. Marik walked out of one of the buildings, pushing Ryou ahead of him, the white haired boy appearing to no longer be held in his control. He was tied at the wrists and gagged with blood dripping from a cut on his forehead. His eyes were filled with water and he was trembling. Bakura pushed the millennium puzzle back into Yami pushing the surprised spirit back a bit as well and approached the two newest arrivals.
"You let him go!" he demanded angrily. Marik smiled daringly.
"Or what? You'll attack me with one of your cards? Your tricks are useless against me...and you're all doomed." He pushed Ryou into them and looked up to signal something from above. A large cage fell over them, locking itself into the ground and trapping them.
"Well this wasn't in the city plans," Mokuba muttered looking around for any exit.
"I don't think we're in Domino anymore," Joey said noticing the unnatural mist that was rising around them.
"Where else would we be?" Kaiba said rudely. He walked to the side of the cage, closest to Marik. "Let's settle this with a duel." Marik laughed.
"A duel?" He shook his head as if it was the most ridiculous thing he'd ever heard. " Welcome to the new ages. We don't settle everything with duels anymore or haven't you looked around lately?"
"Does that mean you're afraid you'll lose?"
"Kaiba, what are you doing?" Joey pulled him aside. "You can't 'duel' Marik. If you haven't noticed this isn't a game he's playing."
"But I thought all your friends were all about games?"
"Marik is NOT my friend," Joey said taking a glance toward the dark spirit.
"Really? He's just as crazy as they all are." Joey scowled.
"You're going to get yourself hurt," he tried another route. Kaiba just smirked.
"Awe, puppy, I'm touched. Really. But I can take care of myself." He turned away from the blonde and back to Marik. "So. What will it be? I'll even play a game of your own."
"Oh? But you already are." Marik disappeared and so did the cage, but they were no longer in the city but on what looked like a game board where they were the peices. "Whoever gets to the end...might live. Choose now who's most important to you because I guarantee, not all of you will survive. Oh, one last thing...stay away from the shadows, well, if you can that is." Laughter was the last thing they heard before they all fainted.