Chapter 8: Vengeance Unleashed

6:52 p.m.

'The Search for the Obelisk' Entrance, Luxor Hotel

Las Vegas, Nevada

–

Simon Henstridge had made it from the VIP room to his office to the Obelisk entrance in record time. He clumsily clutched the pair of duel disks he carried to his chest, his deck inserted into one of them. Whoever this guy is, he wants to play a game of Duel Monsters with me. Good thing I spiced up my deck... but who knows? Maybe winning against him won't be enough to shut him up.

His teeth ground against each other as he turned this way and that, eyes darting across the faces of nameless people in the crowd. He wouldn't have made me do all that, just to back out... would he? He certainly hoped not – because if so, then he had just jumped through all these hoops for nothing.

Maybe he's already called the cops on me. Maybe the duel disks in my arms are supposed to be identification marks of some kind. I'm marked, that's got to be it – the duel disks make me easy to spot.

But just as the inclination to drop them welled up into his mind, he suddenly had the distinct impression he was being watched. He whipped around to confront the eyes that spied him–

And unexpectedly met the gaze of Yugi Motou.

Simon frowned. This was most definitely Yugi, but there was something different about him. Several somethings, in fact, foremost being his change of attire from his favored school uniform into more comfortable – and more ominous-looking – black pants and shirt. What wasn't black glinted silver and gold; Simon counted two large golden pendants, including the pyramid-shaped one that was Yugi's signature, plus a gold choker. And there was a golden scepter hanging in one of Yugi's belt loops.

But his attire wasn't the only thing that was different. Yugi looked... taller, somehow, than Simon recalled seeing him at their first meeting. And it wasn't because of the hair, either... but as to that, Simon knew that Yugi had a few blond locks at the fore of his hairline; oddly enough, he didn't remember seeing the lightning bolt formations stretching along the wide frontal spikes. And the eyes that Simon recalled as purple were glinting a more maroon shade. Not only that, but those eyes... they were not the eyes of the innocent boy Simon had met only three days ago. These eyes were deep, dark, and contemplative.

And angry.

No, not just angry. Furious. As though the rage of the devil himself had taken hold of the boy.

If it was possible, Simon was now even more terrified. He had gotten his share of dirty looks from people before – it was part of the business, of course – but never had he seen such a stare of hatred and contempt before. It was all the more frightening that Yugi was normally a quiet and peaceful type. For him to be angry–

And then Simon realized why.

It was Yugi. He was the one who called me. The sound of the caller's voice had been deeper, more adult, more developed, but now that he gave thought to it, this boy and the caller were indeed one and the same.

He approached Yugi cautiously, tried to offer him a polite smile. "Yugi Motou?" he tried.

Yugi didn't let him get any further than that. "Put an end to your act, or I'll put an end to you. You have no idea the suffering you've caused others in your greed."

"I've also no idea what proof you have that I caused any suffering at all," he responded. "How do I know you're not just grasping at straws, trying to get me to incriminate myself?"

"You have some interesting idioms at your disposal, Mr. Henstridge, but I have names and numbers at mine. If you'd like, I can simply shout them to everyone within listening range. I'm sure somebody would be interested to know about all that pilfered money you keep in your Cayman account. If not the authorities, then someone with as much greed and as little morality as you."

"Let's not be hasty," Simon quickly replied – amazed, in spite of himself, at the sheer boldness in Yugi's tone. "You said you wanted to play a game. I take it from the duel disks, you want to play a game of Duel Monsters."

"Your greatest desire is to duel the King of Games. You now have that opportunity. I suggest you take it while it's still available to you for the next..." Yugi consulted a nearby clock. "...thirty-eight seconds. Otherwise, our business here will be concluded, and you will most decidedly be out of a job."

"It's obvious what you intend to do if I lose. What will you do if I win?"

"It is your honor and integrity at stake here, Mr. Henstridge, not mine. If you win our duel, I will forget this entire exchange, and you may continue with your despicable life at your discretion, content with the knowledge that you have conquered a world champion." Yugi looked at the clock again. "Eleven seconds. What is your answer?"

Simon's teeth were grinding again. If there was one thing he detested above all else, it was being manipulated. But he couldn't refuse the duel just for the sake of his own pride. If he went to prison, he wouldn't even have that anymore.

"Well, I had hoped that a duel between you and me would be under better circumstances," he finally said. "But considering the present situation... I don't really have any choice but to accept."

"You always have a choice. Whether or not you like the available options is a different matter entirely." Yugi held his hand out, evidently ready to accept the spare duel disk in Simon's possession.

Simon scowled. He was ready, too. Ready to drop this charade and just get on with it. He shoved the duel disk in Yugi's direction. "I suppose you'll want to duel here, then."

"Yes, Mr. Henstridge, right here, in full view of everyone. Here, you will either crown yourself as the new King of Games... or you will fall before your peers." Yugi mounted the duel disk on his left arm, secured it, and inserted his deck.

Simon donned his own duel disk, his deck already inside. He stared at his opponent for a moment – Yugi showed no interest in mercy for the businessman. In all honesty, Simon had neither expected it, nor wanted it. If he was to duel the King of Games, they would both have to give it their all.

Slowly, deliberately, he removed the gloves that protected his hands... the ones that he had kept from the investigators, who he knew would ask him about them... and showed his bare palms to Yugi.

"The kid gloves are off now," he snarled.

And the boy's only response was a smirk.

The split panels of their duel disks snapped together and swung into place. Their Life Point counters lit up at 4000.

The duel was on.

Las Vegas Crime Lab

–

Everyone had congregated in the break room upon urging from Grissom... so of course it naturally followed that he was the last one to arrive, looking as eager as his grim features would allow him to look. Nick and Sara had been eating sandwiches when Warrick, Brass, and Greg had all shuffled into the room, almost at the same time – prompting the hungry CSI's to stow it for a few moments and ready their results.

Grissom approached the head of the table, looked around at his comrades, and announced, "Simon Henstridge has been lying to us from the beginning."

"So what else is new?" Nick responded.

Grissom ignored the remark. "I looked over the security tapes the hotel provided, starting from last Friday's recordings. What I found were clips of Simon Henstridge visiting the various customers in the casino. As a hypochondriac, of course he didn't shake anybody's hand and wore gloves. Even on walkthroughs with his father, he kept his hands entirely to himself."

"So...?" Warrick asked.

"He told me that he and his father had always been close, and that his father was one person he wasn't afraid to touch. Yet whenever his father clapped him on the back or even did so much as touch his arm, he winced – as though he was giving his son the plague. This didn't happen on just one occasion, it happened on several, and across a period of three days." Grissom raised an eyebrow at his co-workers.

"Grissom, I hope you have more on Henstridge than just a lie or two," Brass wryly commented. "People don't like lies, but a majority of them don't go to jail for doing it."

I do, actually. The samples I picked up from his gloves didn't match the fiber that Nick found, but after careful examination of the videos, I don't think he was wearing his normal gloves when I obtained the samples. I think he switched them."

"How's that?" Sara inquired.

"The gloves he was wearing at the time were fake leather. Those can be pretty thick, and hinder movement of the fingers and hands underneath. Henstridge would need to be dextrous. His fingers had much more definition under the camera than a glove like that would allow. Simply put, the gloves he was wearing on Monday don't match the ones he's wearing today. I think he switched them so that they couldn't match when I went to inspect them."

"Back up a sec," said Nick. "You said Henstridge is a hypochondriac. If that fiber is from one of his gloves, then it means he was in the room, right behind his father – it couldn't have just brushed off the father's clothes if they were as distant as you say."

"And if he was right behind his father, that makes him suspect number one," Brass supplemented.

"That's a big 'if'," Warrick noted.

Grissom looked to Brass. "It's speculation at best, but can you get a warrant for his mansion on that 'if'?"

"I don't know. It's not a toenail, it's a fiber. It could have come off of just about anyone's clothes."

"True. But Henstridge's condition kicks in again – the fiber is coated with liquid antibacterial soap. How many people do you know who do that?"

Brass' reply was a simple shrug. "If we can't get a warrant, we can at least go down to the Luxor and ask him for the gloves he was wearing."

Grissom nodded. "If it doesn't apply to him, he's off the suspect list... but I think we're going to find a match. And if we do, then we have our killer."

'The Search for the Obelisk' Entrance, Luxor Hotel

–

Yami kept his eye on Henstridge as they both drew their opening hands of five cards. "Since you were so eager to duel me, you may as well go first."

"How sporting of you," Henstridge responded. He drew. "First, I summon Gravekeeper's Cannonholder (1400/1200) in attack mode." The monster that appeared was, as with the other Gravekeepers Henstridge had displayed in his duel with Joey, clad in black spellcaster's robes. This one bore what looked to be an ancient Japanese dragon cannon. "Then I place three magic/trap cards face-down, and end my turn."

Yami drew and only needed peruse his hand for a moment. "I summon Gazelle, the King of Mythical Beasts (1500/1200) in attack mode!" he announced. The creature looked like a horse/lion hybrid; it growled hungrily. "Gazelle, attack Gravekeeper's Cannonholder!"

"Activate Spirit Barrier!" Henstridge quickly responded, and the center trap card on his field flipped face-up. "While this card is active, battle damage to my Life Points is cancelled as long as I have a monster on my field."

And indeed, although Gazelle's swiping claws made short work of the spellcaster, Henstridge's Life Points remained unaffected by the play. Yami scowled. "Then I'll have to make sure you don't keep monsters on your field. I place two magic/trap cards face-down and end my turn."

"I draw." Henstridge didn't delay. "I play one monster face-down and end my turn."

Yami slipped the next card off the top of his deck. "I summon Oppressed People (400/2000) in defense mode." A cadre of miniature citizens appeared next to the comparatively gargantuan Gazelle. "Now, Gazelle, attack his face-down monster!"

But when the beast raced forward and swiped its claws at the holographic face-down monster card, it was repulsed. Another dark-robed spellcaster appeared, this one larger and more muscular than any of Henstridge's previous ones.

"You've revealed my Gravekeeper's Guard (1000/1900)," Henstridge announced, "and when so revealed, he allows me to return one monster on the field to its owner's hand. I choose your Gazelle as the target."

Yami pulled his Gazelle card off the duel disk and back into his hand, frowning as his Life Points dropped to 3600. "In that case, I end my turn."

Henstridge drew. "I play the magic card Book of Moon," he declared, "which allows me to flip one monster on the field into face-down defense mode. So say goodbye to my Guard for now – but expect to see him again in the near future. That's all for now." The hologram of the dark spellcaster vanished and was replaced by the face-down card from whence it had come.

"My move, then," said Yami, drawing as he spoke. "And I play the magic card Dark Hole, which destroys all monsters on the field."

With that play, a black hole appeared in the center of the playing field; it drew both Yami's Oppressed People and Henstridge's face-down Guard into its swirling maw, then vanished from view.

"Next, I recall my King of Mythical Beasts to the field in attack mode!" Again, Gazelle's imposing form graced one of the monster zones of Yami's holographic playing field. "Now, Gazelle, attack his Life Points directly!"

"Not quite," Henstridge snapped, "but you get an A for effort. I activate the trap card Raigeki Break – which lets me destroy your monster for the paltry price of one card from my hand."

The moment Henstridge placed his chosen card in his graveyard slot, his trap card took effect, and holographic lightning struck down Yami's Gazelle. A wrinkle creased the former pharaoh's brow, but he said nothing save for, "Your move."

Henstridge drew his next card. "I play Gravekeeper's Vassal (700/500) in attack mode."

The new monster was not as ominously clad as his brethren; instead he wore a cloak of green and gold. He rubbed his hands together in anticipation and his expression was one of shiftiness.

"Gravekeeper's Vassal, attack Yugi's Life Points!"

Yami had always found both amusement and annoyance in the fact that virtually no one seemed to take notice that he wasn't Yugi – Yugi, on the other hand, found it merely to be a useful tool. If they didn't know who they really faced, how could they claim to understand how his mind worked... or how capable he was in a Duel Monsters match?

In any event, he had prepared for the possibility of an attack, and he made that clear, even as Vassal came soaring through the air to strike him. "Activate Waboku!" he countered. "This will prevent my Life Points from being damaged this turn."

Henstridge scowled at having been foiled. "End turn."

Yami drew, then said, "I play the magic card Soul Exchange, which lets me tribute your monster in favor of a stronger one for myself. Then I sacrifice your Vassal to summon Jack's Knight (1900/1000) in attack mode!"

Vassal vanished in a haze of blue light, which then bolted over to Yami's field and reformed itself into the image of a noble blond warrior bearing a silver sword. True, it was weak in comparison to some of Yami's other higher-level monsters, but with his current hand, he couldn't admit to having much to work with. Besides, he thought, it's more powerful than most Gravekeeper monsters. He continued. "Due to the effect of Soul Exchange, however, I can't attack this turn, so it's your move now."

Henstridge harrumphed. "Thanks for the reprieve. I play one monster in face-down defense mode and place one card face-down. Back to you, King of Games."

"Such contempt will be your downfall." Yami drew his next card. "Jack's Knight, attack his face-down monster!"

Henstridge was actually smiling grimly as Jack's Knight brought its sword down upon his monster card – which flipped over and revealed a dull gray pot with a glowing red eye and devilish grin set inside. "You've just triggered the special effect of my Morphing Jar (700/500). Now we have to discard every card in our hands and draw five new cards from our decks."

Yami noted that Henstridge had no cards to get rid of – he'd placed his entire hand on the field last turn. Wordlessly, he discarded the three cards his hand had provided him, and both men drew their next five in unison. "Since I haven't brought a monster to the field yet, I'll do so now – the Mystical Elf (800/2000) in defense mode." The new monster was a beautiful and delicate blue-skinned elf whose eyes were closed and hands were clasped, lips moving in a never-ending prayer. "Then I place one card face-down and end my turn."

Henstridge sneered at Yami as he drew. "I notice you haven't yet managed to score an attack on my Life Points," he said.

"Contemptuous and cocky. No, this isn't a good combination at all." Yami looked around and smirked. "I wonder if our spectators appreciate the respect you're showing me, were they in my place. Personally, I find it lacking."

Indeed, many people were now gathering around to watch the holographic duel tearing up the air and were muttering to each other. The large group of people who had last completed the 'Search for the Obelisk' ride were filtering out and merging with the throngs of onlookers.

"There's only so much respect I'm willing to show someone who's not shown me an abundance of the same. I place one monster and one card face-down, and end my turn."

"An acquaintance of mine has a phrase that sounds appropriate to this situation," Yami replied, drawing. "'Pot-kettle'. You can think on that later – meantime, we have a duel to finish. I sacrifice Jack's Knight and Mystical Elf to summon Gaia the Fierce Knight (2300/2100) in attack mode!"

Yami's two monsters vanished; in there place there appeared a massive muscled warrior astride a great horse. A pair of blood-red lances were his weapons, and Yami intended him to use them. But before he could even think about continuing, Henstridge was already countering.

"Activate Coffin Seller!" he declared. "As long as this trap remains face-up, your Life Points will take 300 points of damage whenever monsters are sent to your graveyard... such as through sacrifice, including the one you performed just now!"

Although the newly activated trap drained his Life Points to 3000, Yami didn't regret the tribute summon. "Gaia, attack his monster!" Yami ordered.

The warrior urged his horse to race towards his target by kicking his spurs into its sides. The horse whinnied, reared back, then stampeded toward the face-down monster card. But just as that monster was revealed by the attack, Henstridge interjected once again. "You're attacking my Gravekeeper's Watcher (1000/1000), and although there's nothing particularly special about him, I'd like to keep him around anyway – so I'm discarding Charm of Shabti from my hand, which prevents all my Gravekeepers from taking any damage this turn."

Henstridge's monster card flipped over and revealed his unassuming Watcher, but Gaia's spears didn't reach it. Instead, they shattered a brown totem that spontaneously appeared in front of Watcher an instant before contact.

Yami pursed his lips. Not being able to touch his Life Points while he has monsters on the field, no matter what battle position, is bad enough – not being able to touch his monsters is even worse! "I end my turn."

"Thank you." Henstridge drew. "I place one card face-down, and then sacrifice my Gravekeeper's Watcher to summon another monster, also face-down. And that'll be all for me." Watcher vanished in another spray of blue light that coalesced into a face-down monster.

"I draw," said Yami. Not finding the drawn card useful at the moment, he turned back to his field. "Now, Gaia, you know the routine, attack his monster!"

"Not quite so fast," Henstridge admonished. "Activate trap: Nightmare Wheel!"

As Gaia closed in on the monster Henstridge had placed last turn, both the warrior and his horse were cut off by a gigantic torture device that fired out multiple chains towards the attacker. The thick cables wrapped about both creatures and then wheeled them in, holding them tightly against the device.

"While this trap is active, it disables your monster and deals 500 points of damage to your Life Points with every one of my turns," Henstridge clarified. "So it looks like you've got about six turns left to figure out how to get past it."

"I'll do you six turns better and resolve the issue now," Yami shot back, "because I haven't summoned a monster yet, and high-powered monsters can be tributed, too. So I sacrifice Gaia the Fierce Knight to play Summoned Skull (2500/1200) in attack mode!"

Gaia and Nightmare Wheel shattered in unison, and a massive flesh-and-skeleton fiend rose up to take Gaia's place. It crackled with electricity and growled menacingly at Henstridge.

"Impressive. Too bad you can't attack with him this turn. And you lost Life Points with that play thanks to Coffin Seller."

Indeed, when Yami inspected his duel disk's Life Point counter, he saw that his Life Points had dropped to 2700. "Don't worry about that. I end my turn."

"If I were you, I would worry about it," Henstridge returned as he drew, "because right now, Summoned Skull is the only thing protecting your Life Points – and I'm going to get rid of it. I flip my Guardian Sphinx (1700/2400) to attack mode!"

The newly revealed Guardian Sphinx had an appearance quite similar to its namesake in Egypt, and in this particular region of the Luxor hotel, it looked quite appropriate. Its ruby-set eyes glowed brightly; red light washed over Yami's field, and in particular, his Summoned Skull. He frowned. "What does it do?"

"When it's flip summoned, it returns all monsters on my opponent's field to his hand." Henstridge's grin was manic. "Which means the sacrifice of your Fierce Knight was meaningless!"

Yami scowled, but there was nothing he could do. He picked the Summoned Skull card up off his duel disk, the second time he had performed such a maneuver, and returned it to his hand of cards. As for the hologram, it vanished in the reddish illumination.

"But that's not all," Henstridge continued. "Next, I summon Gravekeeper's Spear Soldier (1500/1000) in attack mode!"

This monster, Yami recalled vividly, for it had been the most difficult for Joey to get rid of in his own duel against this criminal. But now, it was even more formidable... because special effect or not, Yami's Life Points were wide open.

"Their combined attack power will wipe out the rest of your Life Points," Henstridge crowed, "and when that happens, I'll be the new King of Games!"