Chapter Eighteen: A Piece of Exodia
I knew I hated sleep for a good reason. Nightmares must be the work of some demon playing games with me. What's the point in all this? I should just forget it all and move on. I don't care if the feeling of never quite being finished with something ever fades. I forgot those things for a reason. Why should I want to relive them on the whim of someone who claims to have my well-being at mind?
No one has ever had my well-being in mind.
But it is about someone else. I must recall these things to see if I know anything of importance from that night. Still the days dwindle through my fingers, escaping and I can never halt them…
The various groups that were wandering in the immense basement were staring, mostly with awe and plenty of trepidation, at all the preparations Mokuba had gone through to create this haunted house for them. With only a week's advance time, all the rooms and added monsters, doors, and walls seemed like too much work even for a mansion with its profuse collection of servants.
"You borrowed some of my castoffs from Kaiba Land and…Death-T, didn't you?" Kaiba asked his younger brother as they were walking in the maze, their flashlight beam highlighting the bare floor.
"Yup. I couldn't manage to make a whole bunch of new collections in so short a time. And you were too busy to ask for help. I thought you wouldn't mind, considering these were nearly lost in the old warehouse and lab anyway."
"They were just gathering dust," Kaiba commented, eyes visualizing his various creations. "I'm glad you finally found a use for them. They were meant to give children joy. And even if these people aren't the children I had in mind"—here Kaiba grimaced—"it works all the same.
Prancing along beside his older brother, not the least baffled from which direction he was planning on going, Mokuba listened with one ear for any hints that his friends were nearby. He wondered if any had one of the cards yet.
"I kinda wish we had a setup like you did—uh, before. You know, cameras set up to watch how they were doing. But I didn't have enough time to add in a bunch of cameras, especially ones that would work with the darkness and still manage to see despite the added walls I put up. We'd've needed a lot of cameras to see everywhere."
"This is just fine, Mokuba. I'm quite impressed with what you've managed to create here, especially all on your own."
Swelling with so much pride his head was threatening to float off his neck, Mokuba fell silent and was glad the darkness hid his smile.
Something skittered off in the darkness, making Téa stifle a shriek.
"Are you sure we're going in a safe direction, Tristan?" she asked accusingly.
Her companion looked over his left shoulder and then his right, backing away from the skittering sound. At the very least, Téa thought sourly, his hair might be used as a weapon if he couldn't do anything else like even pick a good direction.
"That's it; we're doing this my way. Just follow me this time. I'll show you right to a card so we can get starting out of here. And finding the others. Why did I have to get stuck with you out of all the others!"
Frowning, Tristan crossed his arms. "You're lucky to be with me, you mean. Don't worry; I'll protect you, Téa."
"Oh? Then why is that skittering still coming closer? Take care of it if you're so certain you'll protect me! So far, you haven't gotten me convinced."
Glancing back into the darkness, one black as absolute as the next—though the rage and skepticism came off Téa in a color and aura as vibrant as any light—Tristan felt his skin crawl at the sound of that skittering coming closer. Only a very few creatures could move in what could even remotely be categorized as a "skitter." And if this creature were indeed one of them, it wasn't one Tristan wanted to see anytime soon.
"This is how I'll protect you."
Without a warning, Tristan grabbed her hand and yanked her along after him, choosing corridors and paths at random, fortunate only in that they didn't crash headlong into any real—or constructed—wall.
Once, a sudden indrawn breath from nearby made Tristan's stride falter, but Téa just shoved into him. The inertia moved them beyond the point quickly. No doubt, if it were one of his friends, he would have been shouting something to snag their attention.
So off they continued, seeking out anything that seemed safe or to hold one of the many things they were searching for: cards, lights, friends, or the exit.
"I hear something, Seto!" Mokuba stopped moving, listening to someone rustling about nearby.
"Should we make this game more interesting and take away any cards people have if we find them?"
Sensing his brother's smirk, Mokuba still couldn't give in. "Nah…I think they'll have a hard enough time. But I think I'll see who this person is…" Quietly, as quiet as their voices had been, Mokuba moved away down the hall to peer around a corner.
"Master Mokuba."
The calm voice made the boy jump into the air and whirl the opposite direction of which way he had been looking. Trying to make his breathing less shaky and not allow anyone to see his heart flapping like a bat encaged, Mokuba turned to the butler.
"Y-yes?"
"I would like to report to you that the spider has been beaten and that card taken. That's all so far."
Taking this news in for a startled minute, Mokuba shook his head. "That's all? See, Seto? It definitely is hard enough for them already. Hasn't it been nearly thirty minutes already?"
Chuckling in the background, without a face visible and sounding like some sort of demon, Kaiba crossed his arms and scoffed. "It'll take these people far longer than that, Mokuba. You've made too good of a hunt and maze for them. And I wouldn't be surprised if, somehow, they were screwing things up for each other."
Not quite as certain about the gang's mess-ups as his brother, Mokuba put a hand to his chin, wondering which way they should go. Would he have to help the gang eventually? Maybe he'd take out all the workers playing roles in the maze to scare and hinder the gang.
Kaiba seemed to be scanning his mind like Pegasus with the Millennium Eye.
"We shouldn't have to help them, Mokuba. Let's just continue to see how they're doing before we interfere. You know Yugi'll be able to handle it just fine."
Slowly nodding, Mokuba turned his eyes from facing up to his brother back to the butler before him. He could tell from the air movements and the dancing shadow in the flashlight's circle of brightness that the man had bowed.
"Yes, you can get back to what you're supposed to be doing. I'll let you know if the agenda ever changes."
The man vanished utterly into the shadows, black clothing and soft shoes lending themselves to the background and the silence.
Silence wasn't supposed to be everywhere.
"Let's check to see if the music is on where it's supposed to be! I wouldn't want the creepy sounds to miss their chance to join the spooky night. I knew those Halloween tapes from America would help us out!"
"Heh, I hope Wheeler heads that way, too."
Mokuba aimed the flashlight back to the floor and began hurrying off in a certain direction. And, being tugged along by his brother's anxious hand—and so as not to become lost—Kaiba followed along after.
Such a maze...
Without his brother, Kaiba knew he'd be lost, helplessly, hopelessly lost.
Panting, Yami hurried down one path and then another, about to yell out the names of his friends. Abruptly, he closed his mouth, thinking shouts might summon less savory people toward him. Stealth was best for now.
Don't forget about those cards!
Chuckling darkly, Yami assured his other self, "Don't worry, Yugi. I'll find our friends and all the cards we need and all long before anyone would expect it of us. I excel at these games."
I know, Yami. I do. Let's go.
Nodding, the Spirit of the Millennium Puzzle set off down the hall again, a certain place in mind. Or rather, in view. A red light glowed dimly in a distant room. The others would most likely try to find their way to the light, and maybe, some cards were in the place with the light as well.
At the threshold of the room with the red glow, Yami stopped and slowly peeked in, eyes already adjusting to the new light.
A mahogany coffin was resting gently on a table, lid completely closed. Red tapers set off a golden glow to the scene, but the majority of the light filtered in through a lamp covered with red crepe paper. The rest of the room, walls and floors, were bare. No carpets, no pictures, no other decorations.
"Something must be in that coffin." Although coffins normally locked upon shutting, Yami had no doubt that this one would open again.
Yugi was greatly relieved that he wasn't the one out at the moment. Nothing, almost absolutely nothing would get him to open a coffin all alone in a red-tinted room. Mokuba had to have something hidden within it.
Taking long strides, Yami never faltered as he approached the coffin. He reached out a hand to the lid, beginning to pull it back, but he felt his best friend's hesitation and fear. Before doing something possibly detrimental, he had to work to calm down his other self.
"Yugi, don't worry. Everything's fine. Nothing in there will hurt us."
That might be true…but it's still freaky! What if one of the servants is dressed up in there waiting to lunge at us? And I can't stand coffins! People whose funerals I've attended have always been cremated.
"Well, others have long interred their dead. And as to if there is a servant in there…they'll just try to startle us and get us to run. No big deal."
No big deal! All right, Yami. Whatever you say. The derision in the boy's voice was obvious. This is just a haunted mansion set up by the brother of a genius billionaire, after all. Nothing else much would happen.
Shrugging, Yami smirked. "Aren't you at least curious as to what's inside?"
Not really.
"Well, I am. And I bet there's a Duel Monsters card in there we need. We can't pass that by, can we? We need a few sets to get everyone out of here."
Sighing, Yugi relinquished his arguments. Fine, Yami. I trust you. Go ahead.
The Spirit resumed creaking open the lid, needing both hands to haul it up. Finally, a loud, echoing click sounded in the still air, and a musty, putrid scent wafted to their nostrils. It smelled worse than any of the Egyptian pyramids, Yami was certain.
Still, undeterred, he continued to heft it open, eyes eagerly scanning down into the dark depths as he heaved the lid farther.
Maggots. Swarms of maggots feasting on something rotted and the king of all putrescence. Now that the lid was completely open, Yami saw the creatures dripping from the inside of the lid and at the squiggling worms inching their way out of the coffin, some squirming onto his arms.
Dismayed and shocked despite himself, Yami was about to leap back and let the lid fall and maybe squish the maggots that happened to be wriggling in an unfortunate spot. Before he could, a small protruded section of brown caught his attention. Ignoring Yugi's moans and determination to get out of there, Yami did the unavoidable and plucked at the brown, feeling the slippery surface of a card. Unfortunately, his touch made it sink farther in the bath of baby flies.
Doing the inevitable, clenching his teeth, Yami sunk his hand into the oozing mass and ignored how the worms were rolling onto his skin and making his skin feel like a writhing, bubbling disease. He grabbed at the single solid shape, knowing that a few maggots had burst with his strong clasp, and yanked out the card and his hand. Somewhat subconsciously (urged and nearly done by Yugi, no doubt), the hand shook frantically, sending the white little crawlies all over with small smacking sounds.
Only after he shut the lid and locked most of the maggots within, only when Yugi could no longer feel the inching and quivering forms of the bodies so easy to burst, did Yami clench the card in his fist and look at it proudly.
"One down, Yugi. Just fourteen to go." Bakura was, after all, opting to work on his own.
The Right Hand of the Forbidden One.