Yugi's competitive nature had won out, just as Kaiba Mokuba had hoped. He pulled a Duel Monsters deck from his vest pocket and entered the room. The door swooshed shut behind him and the sound of the latch was almost enough to make him nervous again.

Almost but not quite. He was inside Yugi's room now. The toughest part of OCC (Operation Cure Curiosity) was over.

Yugi came up beside him and looked around. "Since you don't have a Duel Disk we can pull chairs over to the table and play there."

Mokuba shrugged; a gesture full of classic Kaiba carelessness. "Get your Deck and I'll move the chairs."

The cards were retrieved and the makeshift playing field was assembled. Both boys then settled into their plush seats and began shuffling.

"Couldn't sleep?" Yugi asked.

Mokuba's shuffling slowed and he directed his gaze to the table. "I slept a little. Nisama and I were researching stuff in the Computer Room and I dozed off in my chair. A dream woke me up."

No wonder he couldn't go back to sleep. Yugi regarded the boy sympathetically. "Nightmare?"

Mokuba felt the flush return to his face and he lowered his head a little more. No it hadn't been a bad dream. It was more like the reoccurring basis for OCC and the #1 reason for all his flushing and fidgeting now. He and Yugi had been playing Duel Monsters in a setting much like the one they were presently in. No arena and no friends and no Nisama. It had been pretty weird to be Dueling Yugi in the first place in that set up, but not half as weird as what Yugi did to him every time he sent one of Mokuba's Monsters to the Graveyard.

Or even one quarter as weird as what Mokuba was planning to do now.

He laid his Deck down. "No, no nightmare. Ready to start?"

Yugi was actually more ready to ask why the boy wouldn't look up at him but just replied, "Mm" and reached to pick up five cards.

Mokuba raised his head in time to see this and hurriedly clamped the hand to the table with his own. "Wait!"

Yugi's palm stung and he looked at Mokuba with so much discomfort that the child immediately eased the pressure on the hand and said, "I-sorry. I'm sorry."

Yugi's good nature kicked in and he tried to move his hand. "It's okay. If you aren't ready we can wait a few minutes before we-uh, Mokuba?"

"Yeah?"

"Can I have my hand back please?"

What? Mokuba glanced down and saw that he still had it trapped beneath his own. A bubbling sensation built up in his stomach at the sight and he slid his hand away. "It's cold," he muttered.

Yugi rubbed his palm. "I know. I was outside and-it's a long story. Why did you stop me?"

OCC. Mokuba took a deep breath. "Because we have to go over my rules first."

"Rules?"

Mokuba's expression became impish as he relaxed once more. "What, did'ja think that I was gonna challenge you to a regular game? Get real. You can beat Nisama. I have to do something to help me win."

Yugi should've expected something like this. An out of the blue competition with Mokuba had already once proved to be full of mischief and ulterior motives. True, the motives had involved trying to help his brother but as honorable as that was the kid hadn't been above a trick or two. So to have him lay his intentions out in the open was both new and interesting.

But Yugi was wary. His entire day had been filled with insane Duels with special conditions and promises of dire consequences to the loser. Mokuba wasn't in possession of any dark power but Yugi felt he still needed more information. "What rules?"

Mokuba pointed to the Sennen Puzzle. "Well for starters, rule one is that you Duel without this thing."

Surprised, Yugi cupped it in his hands and brought it up onto the table. "Without my Puzzle? Why?"

"Because even though I don't really believe that you have some ancient Pharaoh's spirit living inside you, I can't risk ignoring it for this game. True or not, take it off."

There was a minute of hesitation before Yugi lifted the trinket from his neck and set it next to him.

The bubbling sensation in Mokuba's stomach intensified. Yugi was cooperating. So far, so good. "The second rule is that we keep this game a secret. No one can ever know we played it."

If Nisama ever found out…

A troubled expression passed over Yugi's face and Mokuba could tell that he was skeptical. Quickly, he added, "That way you'll be spared from your humiliation when I take you down."

It was obnoxious and something Nisama would say but Yugi was starting to look suspicious. Mokuba had to say something to goad him into agreeing!

Yugi was still unsure but couldn't ignore Mokuba's usual stubborn disposition. The kid would meet a tidal wave head on if it got in his way. "Okay Mokuba, this game stays between us."

He meant it. Mokuba started to relax again but didn't get too far before Yugi added, "Are there any other rules?"

Only the biggest and most important one. Mokuba's heart began beating a little faster and he clasped his hands together. "Just one more. We each decide on a penalty for the other whenever one of our monsters is destroyed."

Visions of darkness and shadows flashed before Yugi's eyes and he tried to push them aside. "Penalty? What kind of penalty?"

"Any kind we want." A moment. "Does that make you want to chicken out?"

The taunt had come out a little differently than Mokuba had planned. He had meant to sound more arrogant, more condescending. Instead his growing nervousness had given his voice a small, shaky tone. Like he was ready to start bawling if Yugi refused to accept and continue.

Both looked to be excellent possibilities as the silence went on. Mokuba clutched his hands tighter together and waited, feeling sweat gather between them. This was definitely the most exciting and nerve-racking thing he had ever done. And he was only half finished with it.

At last Yugi replied, "No, I won't chicken out. I've agreed to everything else. My penalty is that every time you destroy one of my monsters, I get to pick a new penalty."

Mokuba didn't say anything at first. The bubbling in his stomach had turned into a boil and he had to wipe his hands off on his jeans. Yugi had consented to everything. He was really going to Duel him. OCC was set to go into the final stages.

But only if Mokuba could dump the nervousness and get a hold of himself.

I can, he thought. I told Yugi that I wasn't a stupid little kid and I'm not. I can handle this.

With as much nonchalance as possible he shrugged and then reached for his cards. "Okay. Then my penalty will be that whenever you destroy my monsters, you're gonna have to kiss me."