Chapter Sixteen: A Few Surprises
I decided against my former judgment that visiting Dr. Tseusaki isn't such a bad idea after all, for my dreams are visited by such haunting arrays of images and faces I cannot recall that I must do something or never rest again.
The police are warning me that time is running out. They won't be able to keep up their work with any hope of succeeding. But I'll never let them stop. I have the funds to keep them going. Besides, I won't believe in their conclusions.
Writing it would be making it real.
Walking into the darkness, Mokuba grinned in anticipation of what was coming.
"Welcome to the Haunted Kaiba Mansion."
"A thrill house? One of those fake haunted houses with all the ghosts that leap out at people?" Téa asked.
Looking disdainfully at her, Mokuba sniffed. "I think we can handle things a little better than that."
Yugi looked at the others, and they all shared the same thoughts. The Kaibas had managed to handle things better than that when Death-T had happened. (1)A real-life murderer, the Chop-Man, had been released in the amusement park for one of them to battle or be killed by. Joey shuddered; that particular fight had been his.
"I cud you ub!"
Joey squealed and jumped. Behind him, snickering, was Tristan. Obviously, the shark-fin had had the same thoughts as Joey and had decided to scare him with the line Choppy had always been saying during that battle.
"TRISTAN!"
Mokuba frowned over at them, shining the light on both of them. "Choppy? He's dead. And I would never go back to him for a thrill in my haunted house. Don't worry, guys. I didn't get that involved in it. It's perfectly safe!"
They all muttered as they continued, one Spirit sniggering in the hollows of one's mind and making him completely nervous, one other Spirit ominously silent and leaving his friend worried of what was happening.
Perfectly safe, Mokuba had claimed. Indeed, it had been when he started it. But now, it was not remotely safe at all.
"This is where you start, you guys!" Mokuba said cheerily.
The others looked around, but with the focus of the flashlight on the ground, nothing was easily discernible.
Shadows seemed to blend into more shadows, and none of them appeared safe at all. Instead, teeth were looming out to snap and grasp them, dragging them screaming away to where everything was so silent and dark no one would ever find them again or even remember them. A distant dripping of water reminded the listeners of being in a cave, and the same stifling feeling accompanied them, making them feel trapped.
"Don't look so worried; I'll be going along, too!"
Slightly reassured, Yugi took a deep breath. He was mainly worried about Joey. He hated these kinds of things. Fortunately, the blond was still conscious; usually, he passed out about now.
"At least we don't have to worry about that brat, Johji." (2)
"Don't look at me! It wasn't my fault I had to baby-sit my sister's kid!
"But you didn't have to give him to me all the time! That kid was such a perv!"
Sticking his hands in his pockets, Tristan looked up at the ceiling. "Uh, speaking of which, Téa, he keeps asking me when you're going to come over."
Her hands formed into claws. Shrieking, she screamed, "I'M NOT GOING TO TAKE A BATH WITH THAT PERV!"
Yugi's eyes were as wide as Bakura's Millennium Ring. He hadn't known anyone could shout that loudly.
Mokuba blinked. He wasn't certain what they were all alluding to, but he wanted to get their minds off Death-T at all costs. Those times were over, and all apologies had long been made and accepted. He was absolutely certain of it.
"Anyway, there are four doorways here. You can pick which one you want. You might find they overlap or not…and there are surprises around every bend. Oh, and to keep it interesting, you're looking for Duel Monster cards. You need five to get out."
"Huh?" all five said together.
A clang rang out like a dungeon door slamming shut…which was what it was when they went to see. The way they had come was locked to them with a pseudo-jail door blocking them. A weird combination was on the door with five slots for five cards, the slots designed as an outlined of a body including a head, hands, and feet.
"Dis reminds me a'Duelist Kingdom," Joey muttered.
Or a Shadow Game, the Spirit of the Puzzle murmured.
"Five different Duel Monsters cards. You can work together, but then you'll have to find as many five sets of cards as for the people trying to leave." Mokuba smiled. He thought he had done a great job setting this up. All was a game, but a completely harmless one. He'd designed it, after all. Unlike those other games that had happened before, no one would be hurt.
He was sure of it.
Kaiba was certainly proud of his brother. He was on the same side of the dungeon door as the others, but as it was so dark, no one had even noticed him come in. Wearing his dark coat instead of his white studded one, he blended in well when no lights were on.
Yugi ought to love this challenge, he thought. Heck, I'd love this challenge. Maybe I'll join in the game and see what happens…
"Are you all ready? Any questions?" his brother asked, voice piping up to dispel the gloom and depression that hung on them from the darkness. His brother was able to lighten anything.
"Dere a time limit?"
"Do we have to play?" Téa asked at the same time.
Yugi turned to her. "I'm game! You can be my partner and then you won't have to do anything yourself."
"I wann be yar partner, Yuge!"
"Why don't we all work together?" Tristan asked glancing around for approval. "Bakura, you leaving already?"
Their friend turned back with an indescribable expression on his face. "I think I'll work alone…" He vanished into the gloom with an evil smirk, thinking of how this reminded him of the pyramids he used to raid. Such fun was involved, and he, Thief-King Bakura, was going to win this little competition!
"He's starting?" Yugi gasped. "We gotta go!"
From behind them, Mokuba quickly called, "No time limit…well, except be done by morning!" He watched their forms fade into the darkness, amused that their competitive spirit sent them off without any reckoning for light at all. Certain hints existed along the way, however.
"Nice job, Mokuba."
The boy whirled, amazed at how stealthily Seto had crept up to him. Well, no. Seto never crept. Just wasn't part of his normal bodily movements.
"You're going to help?" he asked brightly. Earlier that morning, Kaiba hadn't said one way or the other about which course he was taking. They had been sidetracked by the word—or anti-word—"geniusness."
"I was. But now I'm thinking about trying this place out. Looks…fun."
Mokuba, looking at his brother's glasses that Seto was now removing, was surprised. Years had passed since the last time Seto Kaiba admitted to having fun. And now, Mokuba would give anything, anything at all, even the pendant and his locket, to keep the look on his brother's face.
"What are those glasses for? I knew it! You really do need them; you were lying before."
Kaiba slowly folded them and placed them in a hidden inside pocket of his coat. A small smile growing on his face, his riveted eyes never left their place of gazing at Mokuba. "They're not for my eyesight; they're a type of secret camera."
"Really? Can I see?" Mokuba eagerly reached for the glasses already hidden away in his brother's pocket.
"Sure…but only because they've been fireproofed, waterproofed, idiot-proofed, smashing-proofed, and curiosity-proofed. You should be able to handle them without harm." Getting them back out, Kaiba handed them over to his brother with a grin as Mokuba groaned. "Are you going into the maze you helped create?"
"I suppose. But I need to give them a head start so some of them might have cards by the time I check on them. I was going to play, but that isn't fair considering I made it all," Mokuba said, smiling up at his brother wearing the glasses.
"Make sure your eyesight doesn't get any worse; those look ridiculous on you."
"They looked good on you. Are you sure you don't secretly wear them? Or contacts?"
"I'm sure. My eyes are too good for that."
Shrugging, Mokuba was looking around the area, glasses still perched on the edge of his nose. "Cool! When I look at the light, they change to sunglasses."
"They're called transitional lenses, Mokuba."
"So, these are some pretty nifty shades we have here!" He paused, still looking around, this time focusing on the darkness and adding, as the "shades" obviously didn't do the opposite and light up the blackness, "What we need are some night goggles now…"
"We could probably find some."
"Nah, too much like cheating."
This time, Kaiba didn't retort at all; he was simply too proud that his brother wouldn't even think of cheating.
He's better than I was years ago, he thought fondly. Then he turned with his brother and entered the maze.
(1): Manga reference. Part of Kaiba's death set-up had a murderer known as the Chop Man. He cut people into such little pieces that no one could put them together again. Joey was forced to face him in a battle during Death-T, and it ended in a fiery explosion for Choppy.
(2): Another manga reference. Tristan joined the gang in Death-T, but he was also watching his sister's baby, Johji. The kid ended up hitting on Tea, who was usually the one left holding him by Takahashi's kindness, and once, he helped the group in return that he would be allowed to take a bath with Tea. Tristan hadn't asked Tea before agreeing...