Author's Note: I don't own Yugioh, any of its characters, or the Gates of Hell. They are an actual thing in New Jersey, with tons of rumors circulating about them. If you ever visit NJ, I suggest staying away from them unless you bring enough magical protection to level a small planet. Or a baseball bat.

Chapter 14

Time/ 9:20 am EST
Location/ Clifton NJ, The Gates of Hell.

Ryou was looking at his new surroundings with amazement. He had left the dark, gloomy basement far behind and instead found himself at the mouth of several tunnels, seemingly storm sewers, in less then a second. Behind him his new acquaintances stepped out of the air and immediately began setting up different things. Ryou went over to where Nicole and Nessert crouched chanting over a small form the former had pulled from her backpack. Curiously, Bakura appeared beside his light. For a few moments the girls chanted before, in unison, they spoke one final, harsh word. Ryou moved his head, trying to see exactly what they were doing.

"What is that?"

Nicole looked up at him and, taking the thing in her hand, stood. Holding it up, the white-haired duo could see it was a plush version of Bakura, complete with a clay version of the Millennium Ring and red Egyptian robes.

"Its for you. Where we're going we're going to need all the help we can get."

Ryou took the doll in his hands.

"What do I…?"

Nicole smiled, Nessert now sitting on her left shoulder.

"Put your hand to the necklace."

Ryou glanced at Bakura.

"Do you think this is a good idea?"

The spirit shrugged.

"Sure, this should be interesting."

Ryou nodded and did as his step-sister had said. Bakura disappeared from his side and the doll in his hands blinked.

"This is… strange."

Ryou set the doll on the ground. Bakura held his hands out in front of him, staring at them as if they had turned into pinchers.

"This is great! I feel…I feel alive again!"

He turned to Ryou, eyes wide with amazement.

"You're there, and I'm here but… we're both solid. We're both real."

The plush fell silent and Ryou looked back to Nicole.

"Thank you."

The girl blushed.

"Don't mention it."

From up ahead there was a sudden drain of light, as if something had drained the sun momentarily. When Nicole and Ryou turned to look, they found Andro. Sort of.

The giant's cloths were still basically the same as they had been, but now he had a pair of horns sprouting from his brow and black, almost leathery wings graced his shoulders. And he was about 2 feet taller.

"YES! GOOD BYE CLASTROPHOBIA 'CAUSE I AM BACK!"

He pumped a fist into the air and Heather gave him an odd look.

"I still don't see how I ended up with B while you unlocked endless power."

The monster-boy shrugged, wings dipping slightly.

"I dunno, possibly because my soul was ALWAYS like this, while you tried to change yourself. You ended up with something good, anyway."

The girl eyed the moody, twitchy thing that had followed her through the portal.

"That's good?"

The giant shrugged again.

"Hey, your internal conversations with strange, violent voices don't get you put on meds. Stupid loony 'doctors'…."

Laura, as usual, was bouncing around. Sometime after walking through the portal she had acquired wolf ears, a tail and a slight muzzle.

"Whooo! LETSGOLETSGOLETSGO!"

Andro nodded and motioned to the group.

"Alright, our game plan is to do as we usually do, 'cause that's worked alright the last few times. Nes', you run reconnaissance. Nic, you're our shield." The duet nodded. "Laura, Heather, B., you're our hind defense. I'll lead. If anything bigger then what our shields can take comes after us, I want you three to take Ryou and Bakura and run. GUARD THEM WITH YOUR LIFE. Nicole, Lady Nessert, and I will hold it off."

The team nodded and took their positions. Ryou and Bakura looked around, confused.

"What do we do?"

Nicole blinked.

"Nothing, there isn't much you can do against most of what's down there. Stay towards the center and we'll cover you.""Oh, alright."

I'm scared 'Kura.

Bakura wasn't about to admit it, but he felt the same.