ALL YOU NEED IS ME 6
Chapter 6: Whenever, Wherever
Kaiba stood at the glass and looked at Joey through the glass. He was healing nicely. Kaiba had been standing vigil for two nights now. They'd only had to perform heyhole surgery really...just in three places - that's the reason it was so risky. And expensive. But the money was pittance to Kaiba.
Ishizu was talking on the phone, looking for the Ring and Sceptre through the museum's private investigators. Yugi was in a room with Bakura and Yami, both had been moved there. Tristan was in the room next door with Duke and Mai had called over to comfort him and visit Joey.
"Kaiba?" Kaiba turned and supressed his urge to groan. Téa was in the doorway in an obnoxious yellow and pink outfit. "Where's Yugi? We're brilliant friends and I want to support him like a friend should"
Kaiba pointed down the hall way. As she passed by he shivered. The girl didn't normally make his skin crawl so much...then again it was that outfit that was affecting him.
It was really ugly.
Juno was suddenly beside Kaiba. "Have you spoken yet?"
"He's still asleep" muttered Kaiba
"Go and do it anyway, practice." Juno turned and walked away - Kaiba decided no matter who he was in love with Juno had the best figure of female-dom he'd ever seen.
Slowly he entered the room and sat down by Joey's bed. "Okay puppy" he murmured. "I think I don't hate you" that wasn't so hard. "In fact I might like you...like you very much...a lot...I don't want you to die" He gingerly took Joey's hand...it was warm and nice to hold.
"So...don't die" decided Kaiba. "I - I want you around"
There was a sultry laugh from all around. "The High Priest - you always were pathetic Seto, I pitied you ever so much..." Seto whirled and looked around. The shadows swirled into one shape. "What a pathetic creature you are and yet you have the audacity to believe you are - powerful!" She laughed. Her long black cloak seemed to be filled with shadow. She tossed the things at the feet of Seto Kaiba. "Their use ran out" she stated. "Thank the Oracle...tell her...tell her they were so very useful!" The stolen artifacts clattered to the ground. "But they've done what I need, they've summoned what I wanted." She laughed and Seto rose to confront her. "So...you want to challenge me because I defeated the one you couldn't...so be it High Priest. Meet me - here" there was a flash and Seto gasped as he saw where to go.
The old Mansion House near the cemetery - Haunted House was the local kids name for it because it was a stereotypical place. But it was the place Seto had first learned to value people. It was where Juno had proven her worth, it was where he had faced something he never spoke about.
"Just a place I call home" the woman said. "Ta-Ta darling" in a flash of darkness she vanished.
"187 Moraven Road" muttered Seto as he let go of Joey's warm hand. "I'll do this for you" he said and for a moment debated on what to do. Then he bent down and kissed Joey on the lips, a chaste kiss that made his lips tingle.
Then he swept out of the room.
"Seto where are you going?" Juno asked as he moved past her, Tristan, Ishizu and Noah.
"Out" responded Seto. "I need...to do something"
Juno frowned.
The door opened of its own accord for Seto. He glanced back over his shoulder at the black car he'd driven out. "Okay" he said. "Time to duel" he touched his deck and disk and then walked forwards. The floorboards creaked.
(Flashback)
Little Mokuba ran into the house. Seto followed him with teenage Juno at his heels. They were dressed in their school uniforms. "Mokuba!" called Seto. There was a crash and Seto shoved open a door, in the living room the floor had given way. Seto could see Mokuba clinging to a board for dear life.
"Don't worry" Juno said soothingly. "I'll take care of you" she called to Mokuba.
Before Seto could react Juno had knotted the end of a sheet off a couch and tossed it to Mokuba. She dug her high heels into the wood. "Grab it Mokuba" she said. Mokuba grabbed the sheet and Juno tugged. Mokuba scrablled to grip the sides of the hole. Juno grabbed his hands and lifted him up with surprising strenghth. There was a creak and the boards gave way. Seto shouted out but Juno simply peformed a flip to one side and landed on safe wood.
"That was incredible!" Seto murmured.
"No it wasn't" Juno sighed. "It was a mix of parents and gymnastics...daddy was in the army". She put Mokuba down. "As for you - first we'll take away your games then there will be ice cream before Gozu-boring get's back."
Seto shifted uneasily...why was he letting her rob his authority?
END FLASHBACK
Seto pulled open the double doors to the dining room. The five people looked at him. They were bikers, three men, two females...he raised his duelling gloved.
"Don't bother" one of the women (she had purple hair) said. "She's waiting in the garden."
They pointed at the conservatory window. The man with blue hair, the man with green hair, the man with white hair, the woman with purple hair, the woman with pink hair...they all wore the colours of their hair in face paint and clothing with the black leathers. They were colour coded... sheep. They moved in unison.
He walked through the glass doors into the conservatory then into the garden. The woman in black was waiting, dressed in her black robes. "Come along Kaiba..." she called. "There's much to show you." She darted into the maze.
Kaiba growled and chased her. The wall shadow lurched from the wall and before kaiba could even think he was seeing Yami's battle with the woman.
"Oh the Phaoroh put up a fight...but I was better"
"Let's Duel!" Yami snapped. "You're doomed Witch, I have a girl waiting for me outside the shadows and I'll fight to be with her"
"Then so be it" the woman laughed. "Shall we?"
"I play Feral Imp in attack mode and place-"
"One card face down ending your turn...you know...that Unicorns Horn will do you no good" the woman laughed. "It will raise the imps attack, this is true, but I have a monster that is far stronger, I play Empress Mantis...with 2200 attack and 1400 defence she will decimate your imp!"
The Imp's horn grew as it tried to fend off the Mantis claws...the hacking split it in two. "And I place another card face down" added The Woman. Yami flinched. His life points dropped from 3000 to 2750. He grimaced and looked at his cards...
"Now I play Pot of Greed, allowing me to draw two cards from my deck..." he looked at the cards and smirked. "It seems fortune smiles on me. I play The Celtic Warrior! and give him a temporary strength boost of 1000 attack points... cutting your mantis down to size!"
The Empress Mantis was destroyed. The Woman's life dropped to 2700. "Hm. Not bad" she admitted. "A few Milennia in a puzzle haven't dulled your skills any - while a few millennia in a crown...HAVE SERVED TO STRENGTHEN MINE" she put a card face down on the field and then summoned Fortress in Defence mode 300/2200. "And then I reinforce my fortress walls with Solid Coating giving it an increase of 400 defence points! break that darling!"
Yugi frowned and summoned his Big Shield Garuda to the field. The Woman waited patiently but he simply ended his turn. He didn't see a strategy to her moves yet. So far she had attacked, failed and then defended like a voice did. He watched her carefully but the shadows blurred her face so he couldn't read her...
"Shall we progress?" she smirked. "I place one card face down, then I play Gearfried the Iron Knight with Rented Upgrade boosting his attack and defence by 1000 each for one turn...destroying your Garuda!" She smiled. "Your turn love"
Seto watched on as Yami smiled and placed a card face down and then mixed Gazelle with a card he'd put face down on the field to form Chimera.
"You're in for it now" Yami said. "Because by the power of my card Beast Lore there's an increase of 1000 attack and 500 defence to my monster" Gearfried was destroyed. "Are you ready for the rest of it?"
The woman's points dropped to 2300.
"yes darling - more then ready. First I play Harpies Lady with Cyber Armour and then I use Dimension Hole to suck her off the field" she flipped the card she had last put face down on the field over. "Then I use Yami. This destroys every monster on the field except for my Harpies Lady who's on an outing through the dimensional rift" she laughed. "And I know for a fact darling - that you have no monster cards at hand. So we wait."
Yami drew two cards...Seto could see them - Alpha the Magnet Knight and Magical Hats...a decent hand. "I play Alpha the Magnet Knight in attack mode!" Yami shouted.
"I see darling well my harpies Lady has just returned from her excusion but I've decided not to waste her talents on you so...I'll play the magic card System overlorad, this destroys any monster of the metal alignment which is exactly what Alpha is. Say goodbye dear!" she smirked. "And now that you're wide open for a woman's touch...HARPIES LADY! TOUCH!"The whip crack struck Yami in the chest sending sparks flying.
"And your life points drop to 2400" The Woman laughed. "Sorry Phaoroh - but things aren't as perfect as you thought!"
"I'm still ahead" The Pharoh snapped.
"You really belive that don't you! Not for long beloved, not for long!" she cackled. She plucked a card from her deck. "Because you are weak...friendship is power.. and over you it will be your downfall!"
"Don't be so sure" growled Yami as he placed a card face down and flipped up another. "I know my love and my friends support me... and the time has come to end your darkness! Man Eater Bug! Devour her harpies lady" The Man Eater Bug destroyed any monster on the field but was quite weak. Its special effect destroyed the Harpies Lady but that ended his turn.
"I'm not done yet love" the woman said as her life points dropped by 50 to 2250. "I summon Bazoo the soul eater who's 1600 attack points easily dispatch your pathetic insect."
"perhaps" Yami smiled "but I play Dragon Vengeance that summons Retributive Dragon from my deck!" The card popped up. "When any monster with lower then 1000 points dies this beast is summoned straight from the field from my deck in defence! With 2200 attack points and 2400 defence points your monkey won't succeed in beating him!"
"baboon dear...and you are the monkey around here! Because I use Bazoo's special ability he devours the souls of Harpie's Lady, Gearfried and Empress Mantis and becomes 900 points stronger...love this darling! He's 2500 life points stronger and when I play the magic card Tenhut your dragon switches into attack mode! Say ta-ta to yout Retributive Newt!" The Baboon slashed down and destroyed the monster. "And that - is - that!"
Yami was now down to 2200 she had turned the tables. Seto could feel himself moving, the scene was playing out before him with black sands shifting under his feet and an eclipse overhead...he didn't believe what he was seeing.
Yami moved fast, drawing a deep breath and focusing. Seto could see his thoughts...he was thinking about his friends...and Seto and Mokuba had been factored in...interesting. Yami looked up.
"You seem to be using powers to see ahead - but this time I will be too fast for you woman. Prepare yourself because I believe in my cards and they believe in me, they will give me strength and I will win"
"Blah-Blah-Blah..." yawned the woman. "Get on with it!"
Yugi smirked. "As you wish. "I summon the DARK MAGICIAN to the field" His beloved card was placed down on the field and appeared, ready to fight. "Then I play Lessons of Power which change the Dark Magician into the dark Sage! Bazoo's strength now fades as your turn ends and I play Double attack, first I destroy Bazoo! Then I attack you directly!"
The woman shrieked as Bazoo was obliterated and then the blast struck her, igniting the world in a haze of light. Her Life points dropped deeply, down to 1050... Yami was on top once again.
"Well, not bad" smirked Seto. Then the woman's eyes burst out with red light under her hood. "What!"
"Not Bad little boy" she said. A gold glow flowed from her body, gold patterns glowing on her face under the hood but nothing was shown of her features. She whipped a card from her hand. "First things first my dear I play Endless Boundaries! This allows infinite monsters to play on the field. Next I summon my first wave of attack! Millenium Generals Kando and Shanzo!"
Kando was dressed in Egyptian garb with Gold armour and gold face paint with a gold helmet shaped like a scorpion.
Shanzo was dressed in similar clothes but had a blue hemming rather then red as Kando did. He held a scythe while Kando held a spear.
Kando was identical to Tristan and Shanzo was the image of Duke.
"Look familiar? 2000 attack and 1000 defence both...and best of all while on the field they can defend together...or attack together!" the beings made an attack on Yami. He flipped a card over.
"I use Blockade Mannequins!" he exclaimed. "That destroys this card but my sage stays alive!"
"Fabulous" yawned the woman. "Let's continue!"
"I play Magical Recycle" Yami said. "And if you think I won't hurt them think again, they are not my friends as I know them they are likenesses on cards! With magic recycle I rejuvenate my Double Attack...destroying Kando and Shanzo!" Duke and Tristan disappeared in a blaze of light.
The Woman seemed unphased.
Seto felt a very unpleasent sensation crawling up the back of his neck.
Joey Opened his eyes. "Seto?" he gasped.
Yvonne was at his side in the blink of an eye offering him water on a straw and explaining how his surgery went well. "Seto...where's Seto?"
"Gone" sighed Juno. "He came in to see you then left in a hurry...what are those?" she snapped. The Nurse jumped and Joey sat up to look.
"Easy Joey" Yvonne said. "You're still week"
"I'm fine!" he exclaimed. "I've studied the procedure a series of keyhole surgeries won't keep me down...ow" he rubbed his bandaged head gently.
Juno shouted to Ishizu. They were looking at the artefacts.
"Damn him!" Juno cursed. "DAMN THAT SELFISH GIT!" she roared.
"Ms Athena" warned Yvonne.
"Sorry doc...okay let's see" she opened her personal organiser then groaned. "he's left his tracer here! I have no idea where he is!"
"The Haunted House" Joey said quietly. "I remember...I remember it...don't ask how. I just do."
"On it" Noah said from the doorway. "I'll call the car!"
Joey sat up. "Don't even think it bub" Juno said. "Seto'd kill me, stay sleeping"
"What does he care?" murmured Joey sadly.
"Well he PAID for the Opperation" Juno said firmly. "MEN!" she threw her hands in the air and hurried out of the room. As he was left alone Joey thought about it. He paid for the opperation. He tried to get rest but...
"I think...I think he likes me" Joey whispered to himself. The glowing white hand laid itself on his forehead as he closed his eyes. The entire room was lit up like the core of the sun by vibrant light. Joey sat up. His bandages were gone, he was pain free and full of life.
"Joey? What was all that!" Yvonne asked as she walked in the door. "Where did your bandages go...how did your hair grow back...WHATS GOING ON?"
"I haven't a clue...but I have to go!" Joey exclaimed.
"No you don't, you're healing!" Yvonne said. "And that annoying brunette girl could be back from her friendship speech coffee break any second now and the last thing I need is her complaing about what I believe: which is that you're in recovery!"
Joey shook his head and grabbed his clothes from a chair. "Not anymore!" he said. "I'm fit as a fiddle!" Something fell out of his jeans. It was a Belt Knife engraved with patterns and the Eye of Horus that all millenium items had on them. Joey looked it over.
"Seto's in trouble" he whispered. "I have to go to him!"
He was out the door in seconds before Yvonne could stop him.
Seto watched in awe as the Woman played Millenium Amazon (1900/1500), Millenium Pharaoh (1800/1800) and Millenium Scribe (1800/800). Yami had pulled out a few tricks, he had Dark Sage, Lustre Dragon and Gaia the Fierce Knight as well as two face down cards but the Woman was using special abilities.
Once every two turns she used the Pharaoh's power and looked at Yami's hand and all his monsters had taken a reduction of 500 to their attack and defence any turn the Amazon attacked. Meanwhile the scribe was summoning a card from her deck for her each turn. The Pharaoh was Yami. The Amazon was Mai. The Scribe was Yugi.
It was twisted and cruel... the woman was trying to make Yami falter. Seto shuddered as he watched Yami think through his next move. Finally he decided. "I place a card face down and end my turn" he said.
"Such a pity...Amazon attack his Fierce Knight!" shouted the woman. Yami smirked as Mai's character fired her arrow. He flipped up the card.
"Not so fast, I play the card Iron Touch! This increases my Defence by 1000 points for 1 turn. Which I do, this means that I get 500 points on top of my original strength and once that happens..." he smirked. "Your Amazon fails!"
Mai dispersed and Yugi and Yami were left on the field in Egyptian clothes. The woman seemed amused.
"Now! Dark Sage! Destroy her Pharaoh!" His own form was destroyed. Seto could sense someone behind him. The Woman was there, he swung around but the same scene was waiting for him.
"You're seeing what you wanted to see Kaiba, how to destroy the Pharaoh! Aren't we having a nice time?"
"Witch" he growled.
"Thank you" she smiled. "This house...important isn't it? Where your Grandparents once lived?" he flinched. "Where you nearly lost your brother, where you learned to rely on SOMEONE..." she laughed near his ear. "Where you saw the Spirit of the Millenium Rod - the High Priest..."
The memory of the ghost flitted through his head but he shook it off.
He focused on the past battle playing out before him. She was whispering all around but he ignored her. The past was playing before him as the woman summoned The Millenium Oracle.
"I place one card face down and play the Millenium Oracle in Defence mode. Show me those face down cards of yours darling" smiled the woman as Ishizu appeared before her. "The Oracle reveals all face down cards without activating them!" She scoffed. "A Mirror Force trap Card and the Magical Hats card? hardly worth the effort of putting them down...but you always had a strategy love." She smirked... "Go on then..."
Yami growled. "Very well...I give my Lustre Dragon a strength boost with Steel Claws and defeat your Oracle!"
The woman laughed. "How terrible...well let me give you a thank you"
"A thank you?"
"Millenium Princess! Attack!" The face down card flipped up and Tea appeared. "You've sent 6 of my Millenium Royalty cards to the grave. Thanks to that I can now increase the princess' strength by 1200 points! and turn her into a monster with 3000 attack points - ATTACK!"
"Not so fast! I play the mirror force Trap card!"
Tea dissapated into a thousand fragments. The woman's life points were now 500 and she was lucking angry. The Woman hissed. Yami was at 1950 but she didn't seem worried, only annoyed.
"My turn" Yami said. He drew a card. "Now...I place this card face down."
"You know...your fooling no one with that face down Polymerization card" she yawned.
"We'll see." he replied
"Whatever" she snorted. "I summon Millenium Thief to the field and play Ties that Bind to summon two more Millenium Royals to the field. Say hello to more friends!" The Thief was Bakura he even wore the Millenium Ring.
"That's the best you have?" Yami challenged.
"Millenium Priest! Millenium Keeper! Come forth!" she called. Seto stared as his own image materialised holding the Millenium Rod and Marik soon appeared with his heavily adorned body and tattooed back gleaming in the halo of light.
Millenium Priest: (1500/1300)
Millenium Thief: (1800/1500)
Millenium Keeper: (100/2300)
Millenium Keepr was waiting in defence mode...it seemed deceptively weak in attack with only 100 points of attack. But the defence was great. As for the thief and the Priest...something bad was brewing and Seto knew Yami felt it.
"He was so sure he'd win" The Woman whispered. "Like you are"
"I place two cards face down and attack your Priest with my Lustre Dragon! Lustre Dragon! GO!" Yami declared the second the woman ended her turn.
"How foolish...any monster that attacks my Priest with greater then 1000 attack points is immediately put under his control. I can only do this to one monster per turn...but its enough. Watch me destroy your Gaia!"
The Lustre Dragon tore through the Fierce Knight. Seto looked over the shoulder of Yami. He had two Monster Reborn cards, a Polymerization card and a Curse of Dragons monster as well as a Monster Exchange card. There was definitely something coming up...
"We'll see what happens now" Yugi smiled. He whipped up a card, the Spell Binding Circle trapped his dragon. "That's enough from you!"
"Don't be so sure. Thief, attack his Sage" the thief hadn't a chance, he was destroyed on impact. But the woman laughed at Yami's confused expression. "On his attack the Thief destroys all Trap cards. And that was an attack - albeit an unsuccessful one..." Two cards disappeared. "Now...do hurry up darling I'm terribly bored!"
"You're down to 300 points...boredom should be the last of your worries!" he smirked. "I play monster reborn and resurrect my Gaia The Fierce Knight, then I use Monster exchange to switch Curse of Dragons and Lustre Dragon! Then with Polymerization"
"Drone drone drone I recognize the Fierce Dragon Knight or Dragon Rider...are you done?"
"You are" Yugi smirked.
"Don't count on it darling" she sighed. He attacked. "I play Mystical Ref panel, this will freeze your attack for one turn. Then I use my Keeper's special power, I remove the magic card you have face down, Book of Ancient Spells that you planned to use on your Sage to make him stronger...then I Play the card Sacrifice of Strength for 100 Life points I can give any card I choose the attack or defence power of another. Your attack is aimed at my dear High Priest...will it be him?" Marik disappated. "Think again..."
As the lances swept down at Seto there was a class, dressed in gold armour and black material Joey stood with two golden swords before him. His defence was the 2300 of the Keeper and his attack was 2100. "Millenium Bodyguard springs into action the second the Priest is Threatened and defends then uses counter attack..." the Curse of dragons exploded. "Which receives a 500 point boost because it's a counter attack". She laughed as the dragon riding knight exploded into fragments. "Now...I place one card face down and end my turn..."
Seto stared. It was bizzare, the bodyguard was so close to the Priest...it made his chest hurt and knowing he could do something to rescue Joey's friends and maybe get the blonde to think about letting him close...he looked at the guard and the priest...his heart pounded angrily.
"Soon, soon" whispered a voice.
Seto stared.
"I summon Beaver soldier and Kuriboh!" Yami exclaimed. "Then I use a Multi-Purpose Ritual Card, and sacrifice them to bring forth..." the world warped. "A card from my deck - THE MAGICIAN OF BLACK CHAOS"
"Yawn" the woman sighed. "Do your worst"
"1000-year old Sage, Magician of Black Chaos! attack her monsters and end this duel" Seto felt the impending twist of fate. The blasts rushed at himself and Joey. He shut his eyes and heard the forms dispel.
Then he heard rich dark laughter
"Ah-ah-ah" laughed the woman. "I've plaid Life Barrier, their deaths do not affect me" she smiled darkly. "However you've fallen right into my hands! That Monster Reborn card in your hand is about to become redundant...First I play Gates of the Mausoleum! This prevents cards being recalled from the graveyard... now I play Sealed Fate which takes away your next turn. Then I play Takamara the Golden Sphinx of Magic Death who destroys any spellcaster I choose...namely that old fogie!" The Sage exploded into shards as a Woman with a lions legs and a gold and blue torso swept down and destroyed his Sage. "Now why didn't I destroy the Magician of Black Chaos? Because you ALWAYS try and save the dark magician - feel futile darling, I Win!"
"Your sphinx is still too weak to defeat my magician."
"But you don't have an attack phase! So I can finish my play!" she laughed. "I play circle of friends...did you think I threw my Millenium Royals at you to simply hurt your precious feelings? Did you think the Gates of the Mausoleum were to prevent you resurecting your dark magician? There's method to my madness!"
"Doubtful" muttered Seto.
"I use Circle of Friends, this makes my Royal Cards conjure their magic. You can't resurrect any of them or call them back out of the graveyard so they are there to stay, they each give 500 points to my Sphinx...and that's 11x500 so...even alone you never could have one. DESTROY HIM!"
The Sphinx swooped. "Wake up" whispered a voice.
Seto opened his eyes. The woman was just ahead of him, he was deep into the maze now...how had that happened? He chased after her. They arrived in the centre of the maze. There was a gazebo, a fountain and a well all surrounded by black flowers. "So, at last you're here...Seto Kaiba" the woman mused. She rose and opened the cloak. She was dressed in a Black Chinese style dress with gold and silver embrodery and clasps up the side that were pins shaped like swords.
A small gap showed her cleavage and had a large red gem on a chain lying against the bared flesh. She wore golden gauntlets and bangles and a pair of leather trousers under the dress with boots that had very high heels and gold and silver buttons flecked with rubies. A long black sash with red symbols on it flowed at her hips.
She examined her red and black nails casually and then removed her hood.
The gold chain around ehr head dangled a Horus Eye with a ruby in it on her forehead. Seto saw who she was.
"What are you looking at LOVE?" she sneered. "Never seen a pretty girl" she snapped out her duelling gauntlet.
In all his life Seto would never have imagined it possible he could be terrified by the seemingly impossible look given to him by a viscioous looking Tea!
TBC
Mystery solved
Problems Beginning
I'll list all the cards I made up at the end of the fic but most are obvious!