Sorry for the big long wait. Again. I bet you aren't buying my excuses anymore? –Gets slammed with a coffee maker- Ow… guess not… but here's the update anyway!

John: Is Thanatos the true villain? Only time will tell.

Demon Fan: Yeah, he is a great author.

Sean Oetter: I am glad you enjoy the story. Thank you for trying to help, but please keep these things in mind. I will continue to use their full, Japanese names, because in my eyes, those are better. And I already know all their effects. As for asking if the others will come… I'll leave you to reach a conclusion.

Dragran: Yep. Poor Max. He always seems to be the tortured one.

DarkFictionWizard: Um… no comment? P

Chapter 3: Thoughts

It was silent, except for Brandi's crying. Nobody knew what to say. In one day, three of their own were either injured or… dead? Was Max really gone?

Mana and Larka both came to their senses at about the same time. Mana went to Brandi, and began to heal her torn legs, while Larka knelt down to look over Zack.

"I can't tell how serious this is…" Larka sighed. "I don't even know how we can try to help…"

"We can't," Hope said, coming out of her thoughts gratefully. The more she thought about Thanatos, the more that she thought Max might truly be… "We know next to nothing about cyborgs, so really, the only person who can help Zack is himself."

Meanwhile, Mana had finished healing her friend. "How are you feeling?"

By now, Brandi had finally stopped crying, but now she was in some kind of a daze and refused to respond to Mana's question.

"We should get back to Brandi's home…" Will suggested. "Brandi and Zack need rest, for one, and we need to decide on what we can do."

In response, Gaston went over to Zack. "Hey, Ruecian! Would you mind helping out with this?"

Ruecian stepped over to assist while Mana tried to coax Brandi into rising. "Come on Brandi. We need to get home. Why won't you answer me?"

Brandi just looked at where Thanatos had vanished blankly.

Mana sighed, and then, seeing that Brandi would probably not be heeding her for a while, picked her up.

Malon was also frightened, whining constantly. Larka lifted him, trying to coax the puppy.

"How are we going to leave though?" Rue asked. For once, he was completely serious. "Brandi knew the way, but she is in no state to tell us."

"I believe I can recall the route," Daine volunteered. "Shall I?"

"Please," Claire nodded.

Surprisingly, they made good progress. Although Gaston, Ruecian, and Mana had to help carry their companions, they were still able to keep up a good pace, and soon they were out of the forest, heading towards the condo.

Hope went up and knocked on the door. In a few seconds, Hime opened it, and caught sight of their two disabled members instantly. "What happened?"

"We were attacked," Will said shortly. "Zack is currently unconscious, and we have no idea on how to help him. Brandi should be ok physically, since Mana healed her, but mentally…"

Hime stood aside to let them in, closing the door behind Fell, the last one to come in. "Mentally? How so?"

"We were attacked by someone called Thanatos," Hope explained as they headed for the living room. "But he… he looked like Max. Except for these eyes… some of the most evil eyes I've ever seen… you would have to see to understand…"

"Was it really Max?" Hime asked worriedly.

"We don't know…" Neo said sadly. "He claimed Max had died, and he now had control of his body… but we can't be sure if he's telling the truth or not."

"I see…" By now, they had arrived in the living room. Gaston and Ruecian lowered Zack onto the couch, where he laid unconscious. Everyone else sat down in various places, whether it was on a chair or the floor. Mana, however, left the room almost instantly.

"Where is she going?" Rue wondered.

"Probably to Abby's room," Hime replied. "That's the room she sleeps in, at least for now. But please, tell me more about what happened."

Will told the tale to Hime, but Larka could not focus on it. She was concerned for Zack and Brandi. She couldn't do anything for Zack, but if there was a way she could help Brandi…

The story was complete, and silence filled the room once more. Larka got up. "I'm going to check on Brandi."

"Alright," Hope said. Nobody else responded, but watched as she left the room, still carrying Malon.

She walked down the hall, and knocked lightly on the door at the end.

"Who is it?" Mana asked.

"Larka. Can I come in?"

"For a minute."

Larka went inside, shutting the door after herself. "Brandi… are you doing any better?"

Brandi lay on the bed, leaning against the headboard. She didn't respond.

"I'm really worried," Mana commented. She was sitting on the edge of the bed. "She hasn't said anything to me…"

Larka nodded. "Alright." Then she sat down next to Brandi, who watched her silently.

"Brandi, listen to me. I'm sure this is devastating to you, realizing what has happened to Max. But you can't give up hope yet. We have no reason to trust Thanatos-for all we know, Max is still alive, just being possessed. If that is the case, we have to help him somehow. You're one of the ones who knows Max the best. If someone has to try to get Max back, you are probably the one who can do it. This isn't just physical fighting; to save Max, you'll need to probably help him mentally as well. And to do that, you need to be strong. You will have to face Thanatos, and as terrifying as that might seem, I know you can do it. You care about Max too much to fail."

Brandi had been staring at her as she talked, and now she shook slightly. Then, she suddenly seized Larka, crying heavily.

Mana seemed somewhat shocked at her reaction, but Larka understood, and tried to comfort her. After all, she too had a brother she constantly worried about. When it got too much, she was tempted to do what Brandi was doing now. So she let Brandi continue to cry. "It's alright… it'll be ok… Max isn't gone yet. Somehow, we'll make sure he comes back. So just try to relax… alright?"

Brandi finally let go of her, laying back down, her face buried in the pillows, trying to stop her tears but failing.

"I guess… it's an improvement…" Mana blinked. "At least she's showing emotion now. Thanks for helping, but I think she needs some time alone now."

"Probably… tell us how she's doing later," Larka replied. Then she left the room, shutting the door behind her once more.

"How's Brandi doing?" Hope asked as Larka entered the room again.

"She just needs to be by herself for a while," Larka assured, picking up Malon. "It'll be fine."

"Good," Claire said. "In the meantime, I think we should rest up."

"No kidding! We had to be on an airplane flight, trek through a forest, and nearly be killed all in one day!" Rue complained. "I don't know about the rest of you guys, but I'm ready for some sleep."

"Where do we sleep, anyway?" Will wondered.

At that very moment, Mana came in. "I just realized you needed that information. There's a foldout bed in the sofa that can have up to three people. Sorry, but I'm afraid the rest of you will have to sleep on the floor." Then she left, going back to Brandi's room.

Hope, Claire, and Larka looked at each other, before chorusing, "We call the bed!"

"What? Hey!" Rue protested.

"They did manage to all say it at the same time just by making eye contact," Will commented. "I think they win."

"Cheapskates," Rue muttered.

Gaston and Ruecian got Zack off the sofa, laying him gently in the corner of the room, away from the door. They really didn't know what else they could do.

"Poor Zack… this has got to be a great way to recover from an injury. Just sleep on the floor," Larka commented.

"I don't think that will effect him very much," was Rue's response. He lay down on the floor, calling Ruecian back to his Soul Card. There wasn't enough room for all the Soul Monsters to fit with the humans there.

All of the other Soul Monsters vanished, except for two. Malon absolutely refused to go back into his Soul Card, especially since he already had that day at the airport. Seeing that he would be able to sleep on the bed anyway, Larka finally let him stay with her. Daine was the other one, but the cause was apparent when he and Fell left to go outside.

"He STILL sleeps on the roof?" Rue said in disbelief.

"Yes. It's just something he can't help," Larka stated, getting into the bed.

"Still as weird as ever," Rue muttered. "And cold. I have to wonder why he even bothers sticking around with us."

"He's trying to figure out what his emotions are," Larka answered. "Or at least, that is my theory. He has never been able to trust anyone but me, Malon, and Daine. He needs time to be able to get used to the rest of you, to actually accept you all as friends."

"I'm sure," Rue said before closing his eyes.

And soon, they were all fast asleep.

-----

As always, Gen knocked before entering, but it was more out of politeness than anything.

And as always, Miles was distant as he leaned against the headboard of his bed, seeing Gen come in but not responding.

"I went to Teknisk Wereld to tell the others you were still ok, but they were not there. I am getting slightly concerned. What if they are in trouble?"

"…Check again tomorrow," Miles said, closing his eyes. "We can't panic because they were missing for one day. They're strong. They can handle anyone who tries to harm them."

"You are sure?"

"Well, there's nothing I can do anyway," Miles stated. "They're better off without me… everyone is… I shouldn't even be alive right now, damn it. The only reason I haven't committed suicide yet is because I'm a coward. I'm not brave enough to end it all yet…"

"It was an accident. You need to quit blaming yourself for it," Gen told him. "You didn't mean to kill them all. It wasn't your fault. But if your friends die, then that can readily be blamed on us, for not doing anything to help them."

"What are a few more deaths? They will only increase the weight of the many sins I cannot repent." Miles stared up at the ceiling. "I don't want anymore deaths… that is why I won't go near them. Yeah, they'll be fine as long as I don't weigh them down… and this way, I won't have to kill anyone else…"

Gen couldn't find a response to that, so he walked back out of the room, closing the door.

It's no use. I've waited for almost a month, hoping he would get over what he had done. No, not get over. Accept. Accept that he had been the one who murdered them so he can move on. And he did admit that he had been the one to do it, but he refuses to see anyone but me. At this rate, he will stay here for the rest of his life, never leaving. This is just getting out of hand. I can't do this on my own… I'll need the help of some of the only friends he's ever had. When they come onto Teknisk Wereld again, I'll ask them to help… If they come on again soon. I hope they do… because I'm getting a bad feeling about them being gone…

-----

Draken walked back outside, making sure he closed the door softly, then went down the hall.

Darche was in the living room, waiting for him.

"Status?" Draken asked.

"Doing much better. It's only a matter of time. What about you?"

"Worse, I'm afraid. We'll have to stay for at least a week, if not longer." Draken sighed. "I was hoping we could go to South Carolina soon, but it's out of the question. Oh, have they sent any more emails?"

"None. If they do, I'll tell you."

"Thanks. Well, I'd best get back. I can't get many breaks, unfortunately," he said.

"Understandable."

And they parted, going back to what they had been doing.

-----

It was ten minutes before midnight when she stepped into the clearing she had been told to wait at, flanked by two guards. Although this was to be a negotiation, there really wasn't any way to get around the fact that the one she was meeting with could very easily turn on her at any second. Her guards seemed intimidating enough in appearance. They wore black shoulder armor, along with a red short-sleeved shirt with a high collar, and dark blue pants. Brown boots and a silver armor piece over each elbow also was part of their outfit. They also had on black fingerless gloves. Although they might have appeared rather low-equipped, their clothes let them be fast while still being protected from blows that did connect. But even though they had on good equipment, they were still very nervous, and were unable to relax.

For the ten minutes they waited, the woman stood perfectly still, while the guards glanced around the forest uneasily.

Then the one they had been waiting for leapt out, grabbing one of the guards and snapping his neck, and landing in front of the woman and the remaining guard, where he calmly put down the corpse of the guard.

As quick as he had been, the other guard did not realize what had happened until he saw the body, and stumbled back, staring in horror. But the woman did not even flinch. In fact, although her face was emotionless as ever, she did seem pleased.

"You are just as strong as you claimed, Thanatos."

"I do not suggest doubting my capabilities again," Thanatos said.

"Of course not. Already you have proved your worth. Now, here is what we need. Kill the ones that are in your group any way you like. It doesn't matter to us how you do it, as long as they are all dead in the end. And in return, you will gain the things you desire. To speed up the process, you may have this." She handed Thanatos a syringe.

Thanatos looked at it, then back at her. "Hm… this ought to be an interesting device to try out."

"Use it wisely. It isn't very hard to get, but I don't know when I'll be able to give you another."

"I don't even need it. It will just make the process of slaying them much more enjoyable, if it works as it should."

"It will. The only time it has failed was because of a rather rare case that will not occur again."

Thanatos smirked. "I see. Very well then. I will report to you once I am done."

"We are on a schedule that we cannot afford to delay," she responded. "So please deal with them as soon as possible."

"It isn't like I have anything better to do."

"Of course. Oh, I was also told to give you this." She brought out a Duel Disk, but not like the standard model. This one was pitch black, with green lines running down it. On top of where the deck went, there was a purple line that formed the outer shape of an eye. The monster zones seemed the same, but that did not change the evil feeling the Duel Disk carried.

"An interesting device."

"And a worthy one, for those that wish to kill. But remember this. If you fail, or betray us, your sister will be the one to suffer the consequences. She will be begging for death to come when we are done with her."

Thanatos laughed coldly, causing the living guard to shiver. The women did not seem phased. "As you wish… it is not as though I care."

"Very well then. Until next time." She turned, leaving the clearing, her remaining guard hastening to catch up. She had not even spared the corpse a glance.

"Boss… I'm surprised you're letting him do this…" the guard said nervously. "I thought that you… wanted to…"

"More than anything. But we must dispose of all of them quickly, and this is the best way. If I get a chance to though, believe me, I will…"

-----

Larka was woken up when she heard footsteps coming into the room. She looked over to see Brandi walk in, and got out of the bed. She nodded to the hall, and Brandi, taking the hint, went out into it, Larka following while carrying a sleepy Malon.

"Hi. Are you feeling better?" Larka whispered.

"…A little," Brandi replied. "Um… thanks for helping me yesterday."

"I was happy to. I'm glad I could actually help." Larka thought for a minute, and then finally decided to ask her question. "I'm sorry if this is kind of personal… but I want to know. Will you be helping us fight Thanatos?"

Brandi remained silent for a few minutes before finally speaking. "Yes. He is not my brother. If possible, I want to save Max. If that can't be done… then I will kill Thanatos myself, if I am able to."

"I see," Larka said. "Let us hope that will not be the case." She smiled. "Glad to have you with us."

"Heh… yeah… what have I missed?"

"Well, yesterday we decided that we would make plans today on what to do against Thanatos. So you will talk with us, right?"

"Yes," Brandi nodded. "When do we start?"

"After we eat, I believe."

One by one, the others woke up as well. They didn't really have the time to eat anything extravagant, so most of them had bagels. There was bacon also, but that was mainly for Fell and Larka, since the only thing they ate was meat.

"I'm going to be really sick of bagels by the time we're done with our campaign of 'saving the world'," Rue joked as he put his plate on the counter.

"You aren't tired of them yet? I envy you," Hope said dryly.

"I'm just grateful that I'm getting to eat something. Usually I'm not able to," Will stated, glaring at Neo.

Neo looked away from Will's piercing stare. "Um… I didn't do it?"

"I thought I taught you not to lie," Will muttered as he finished eating.

When they were all ready, they went back to the living room to discuss what to do next. Hope started the conversation.

"It seems that we have come across an enemy that we just can't win against. Even if we were strong enough to defeat him-which we aren't, at the moment-then we would be killing one of our best friends. It's a lose-lose situation. Any ideas?"

"We capture him?" Larka suggested.

"If it's possible, that's great. But it doesn't seem like it will work too well," Rue pointed out.

"We figure out how to get Thanatos to return to being Max, and do it before he slaughters us," Will said.

"Probably our best bet," Hope agreed. "But how do we pull it off?"

"Well… Max is very emotionally attached to Brandi, right? So let's have her try to talk with him," Neo proposed.

"Yeah, that really worked yesterday," Rue said sarcastically.

"She didn't have much time to try that then," Claire argued. "It's the best idea so far. What do you think Brandi?"

"I can try," she shrugged.

Larka looked over at Hope. Hm… is Brandi really the right choice for that though? After all, when Max had amnesia, he remembered not Brandi, but Hope. But I can't bring that up. Brandi doesn't need to be reminded of that. Sure, it might not faze her, but her emotions are so easily changed at this moment.

"Ok, so talking would work. But what if Thanatos kills us before we can even try?" Gaston inquired.

Will sighed. "I don't really… like this idea, but it might be necessary to weaken Thanatos before we try anything. You know… injure him in a non-vital area. It would probably lower his defenses. Hopefully, Max could heal when Thanatos is gone. Does anyone disagree with this?"

He had expected at least Brandi to raise an objection, but she said nothing.

"Alright then… our next problem is where to find…"

He was interrupted by a knock on the door. Malon jumped out, barking and howling as he ran towards the door, while Daine stood up calmly.

"It looks like Matt has arrived," he informed the others.

"Then why is Malon going crazy?" Claire asked.

"He always goes nuts, no matter who it is," Larka explained as they went to the door. "We learned this pretty quickly. I'm afraid the poor mailman still hasn't recovered from the shock he got from when Malon attacked him. And the neighbors weren't too happy to realize their mail had been chewed, torn, and eaten by Malon."

Larka grabbed her Soul Monster, pulling him away from the door so that Hope could open it. Matt raised an eyebrow at Malon, who now gave a few friendly barks.

"He's happy to see you," Larka told him.

"Could have fooled me." He closed the door behind him. "Nice to see you guys again, although I wish the circumstances were better."

"Yeah. Do you know about Thanatos?" Rue asked.

"Mana called me last night to explain." He shook his head. "I want to help if I can… I'm aware that I can't do much, seeing as I'm doing so much at this time. But I can help in other means, such as helping you revise your decks."

"You have enough cards to do that?" Rue said doubtfully.

In response, Matt took out a huge black bag and put it on the ground, unzipping it to reveal piles upon piles of cards.

"Forget I even asked," Rue muttered, staring in disbelief.

Matt closed it again. "I can also provide moral support and such. If there's any other way I can assist, please tell me. Ok?"

"Of course," Claire replied.

Matt looked over at Brandi. "Are you going to be able to go through with this?"

"I will… for his sake…" Brandi said.

Before Matt could reply, another knock sounded. Larka nearly fell over when Malon lunged, trying to break free of her grip, howling again.

"NOW what?" Perseus wondered.

"I do not recognize this person," Daine stated. "However, I think it will be alright. Open the door."

Hope did so, revealing a women who looked to be in her twenties. She wore a red dress with black shoes. Her shoulder-length hair was red, and her eyes green.

"Sorry, we aren't buying," Rue said.

Claire smacked him over the head. "Quit being an idiot. We don't know if she's a saleswoman."

"I'm not," the women stated dryly as she stepped inside. "Hi Matt."

"Glad to see you," Matt nodded. "You came pretty quickly."

"Well, you did say it was urgent."

"Um… did I miss something?" Neo asked.

"I think we all did," Will commented.

Brandi had been glancing at the women, and she finally could not stay silent. "Matt! WHAT is the meaning of this?! I never thought that you, of all people, would…"

"Whoa, hold on," Matt interrupted. "You don't understand who she is."

"I think I full well understand!"

"No, you don't. Everyone, this is my sister, Lilian. I called and asked her to come over here."

"…Oh…" Brandi blushed, and looked away in embarrassment.

"Nice to meet you all," Lilian said, choosing not to comment on Brandi's reaction.

"Same to you," Hope replied.

"I called her because I wanted her to look after Abby. I've been really busy lately, and I just don't have as much time to help as before. Besides, she'll be better at helping her than me."

"How so?" Gaston asked.

"I am actually a nurse," Lilian explained. "I am hoping that I can help Abby recover."

"Good luck with that," Hope said.

"Thanks. Matt, should I see her now?"

"Please do so as soon as possible."

"Alright, then I'm off. Bye all," she said before walking outside.

Larka finally set Malon down. "Now that that is over… what next?"

"I'll help remake your decks now, if you want," Matt volunteered.

"That'd be cool," Rue nodded. "Who first?"

"We'll decide that once we get back to the living room."

After sitting down again, Hope handed Matt her deck. "If you don't mind, I'd like to have mine looked at first."

"Sure…" Matt went through them quickly. "Standard Warrior deck… plenty of strong attackers, and some defenders… good effects… nice support magics… decent traps… wow, even a side deck. Hm… I'd say most of your problems are in your choices of monsters. I mean, what is a Blindly Loyal Goblin doing in your side deck?"

"I'd like to know myself," Hope said sheepishly.

Matt handed her a pile of cards. "These should contain some better Warriors somewhere. I'll look again when you're done. Alright, who next?"

"I will." Rue took out his deck.

"A Black Magician deck? Good monsters… decent magics… decent traps. Start working on the magic and traps section." Matt gave him back his deck and another pile of cards.

Before he could ask, Claire handed over her deck.

"Angels? Wait, why is there a Saint Magician in here then?"

"It's a Light Main-Type," Claire shrugged. "And she's been helpful."

"Still, it kind of kills the theme. I advise changing them. Otherwise, it looks pretty good… next?"

Will held out his.

"Magic Users, eh… oh gosh. WHAT are you trying to do with this deck? I can't even tell what you're trying to do with this!"

"It's both offensive and defensive. It also uses several magic cards to support magic counters."

"Ugh… seriously, you can do better than this. Please, if you want to live through duels, rebuild this deck now." He took out a much bigger stack of cards and handed it to Will. "Make a theme this time, besides random Magic Users."

"How about me?" Larka asked.

"Well, let me see… a Light deck? Eh… no offense, but this could use work too. You have some good effect monsters, such as Reflect Bounder, but what the heck is an X-Head Cannon doing there? It may have a high attack for a Light monster, but that's no excuse. The magic and traps are fine, but work on the monsters."

Fell silently took out his own.

"Dark… nice contrast of your sister's I suppose… ok, hold the phone. WHAT are you trying to do with this deck? I mean… ugh. Is this supposed to be some kind of a horrible Beatdown? No, this really needs work. Really. I'm sorry, but I cannot stand Beatdowns. Yes, I realize my choices were somewhat limited when you built the deck, but you could have easily rebuilt it over the last month. Either way, get to work on it. Brandi? You're the last one."

"What about Zack's deck?" Larka inquired. "He isn't going to be able to revise it…"

"I'll leave these here," Matt said, gesturing to another pile. "He does use a Machine deck, right? These should help. Anyway… most of your deck is good Brandi. I don't see much to criticize, although you might be able to make a few better choices in the monster department. Look through these to see if there's anything better. I guess that's everyone…"

"I think I'm done," Hope said, giving him back the spares she had not used.

"Let me see again. Ok, good, at least you had the sense to take out Blindly Loyal Goblin… heh. Interesting changes you made."

"What did you do?" Rue asked.

"You think I'll tell you so you can put cards in your deck to counter them?" Hope accused.

"It was worth a try," Rue sighed.

"I'll give you one thing; your deck is very balanced. Good work on that, if not anything else. Anyone else done?"

"Check this out." Rue handed Matt his deck.

"I see them already… yeah, good. Ok, you're ready. You done Claire?"

"Yep."

"Hm… alright, it works. Will?"

"I'm not done yet," he said without looking up.

"I am though." Larka offered her own deck.

"Ah… yeah, much better."

"I am not going to change anything," Brandi told him.

"That's fine. Will? Fell?"

"Finally done," Will sighed.

"Yes… this is very improved. Good."

Then Fell handed his to him.

"Well, it's better than what it was before," Matt shrugged. "If this is your theme, then go with it." He got up, zipping up his bag again. "So, any questions?"

Nobody responded.

"Then I have to go to work. Yeah, it might not seem very important when compared to Max's life, but I do have to continue with my job. All I can say is good luck."

"Thanks," Hope said.

"I think she speaks for all of us," Claire added.

"Not a problem. I'll catch up with you guys later." He gave Brandi a quick kiss. "Don't give up. He'll come back somehow." Then he left.

A few minutes of silence followed, in which the others were putting away their decks. Then someone finally broke the quiet.

"Well… now that we have that out of the way… should we start trying to find Thanatos?" Gaston suggested.

"My dear friend, that is a GREAT idea. There's just one flaw-we have no idea of where to look," Rue pointed out.

"I suppose not…" Gaston sighed.

Then Malon suddenly leapt up, but instead of barking, let out what sounded like a cross between a snarl and a yelp. Then he ran to Larka, trembling.

"What is it?" Larka asked in concern.

Daine glanced over at the direction of the door. "It looks like we will have no trouble finding Thanatos now."

"He's outside?!" Rue exclaimed.

"Only one way to find out," Perseus stated.

Rue cautiously opened the door, stepping outside. "…Nope. Nobody here. I'm not sure whether I should be happy or sad."

"But why would he come here then?" Larka asked.

Fell had noticed something the others hadn't though. He went to the front of the door, and calmly pulled off a dart that was stuck to the door.

"What is that?" Neo inquired.

In response, Fell handed the dart and the paper attached to it to Will, who scanned it quickly before reading it out loud.

"One of you has been defeated. How long will it take for the rest of you? If you wish to rush to your deaths, come to the beach nearby your current location at noon today. Signed, Thanatos."

To be continued…