The Seventh Element
Ahem. Sorry for going all AWOL on ya, but I've had the flu recently. Yeah, what a way to spend March break huh? But I know who gave it to me, and I plan to mutilate him when I go back to school. Anyways…
Chapter 15
Escape
Tea and Pegasus stomped down a corridor, Tea stopping every now and then to grab a fallen Mangalore's pistol. The two halted in front of the Control Room, Falk pressed against the opposite wall.
"You in charge?" Tea asked. Falk gulped.
"Captain Valentino is, but I think he's dead." Falk said nervously.
"Okay then. Any idea how many there are?" Tea asked. Falk shook his head. Tea whipped her head into the doorframe for a split second, then pulled back. "4 on the right, 7 on the left." She said. She clicked her pistol and spun around, firing. The Mangalores dropped, and opened fire as Tea pulled back. "2 on the right, 3 on the left. We have to kill the leader, Mangalores don't fight without the leader." Inside, Darek grabbed Malik up by the collar and pressed a gun to the side of his head.
"One more shot, I start killing hostages!" Darek snarled. Tea shrugged.
"Okay, I guess that's the leader." She muttered.
"Send someone, to negotiate a ceasefire." Darek ordered. Malik looked at the gun to his temple out of the corner of his eye.
"Please do as he says. I'd really like to live, if possible." He called. Tea raised an eyebrow and looked at Falk. Falk shook his head.
"No way, I can't negotiate, I don't do well under pressure." He stammered. Tea nodded.
"Okay then. Mind if I go?" She asked.
"On no, go right ahead." Falk laughed. Tea nodded and clasped her hands behind her back before strolling into the Control Room. Darek tightened his grip on the pistol at Malik's head.
"What's behind your back?" He demanded. Tea shrugged. "Show me your hands!"
"Okay." Tea sighed, pulling out her gun and shooting. Malik went frozen stiff, his jaw dropping. He slowly turned his head to stare at Darek, and the neat-little hole that had just appeared in his forehead. Darek groaned and slumped to the ground. Tea waved her gun over the shocked Mangalores.
"Anyone else wanna negotiate?" She asked. Falk turned to stare at Pegasus.
- - - - - - - - - -
"Where, where did she learn to negotiate like that?" Kaiba crossed his arms and stared at Joey.
"I wonder." He growled. Joey laughed nervously and jerked his thumb over his shoulder.
"I'm gonna…go check on the, um…check on the…uh…yeah." He said, quickly walking away.
- - - - - - - - - -
"I am not a hero, I just tossed her a gun." Kurama assured a fan. In the Control Room, Pegasus was getting a gash on his lower arm stitched up. The Millennium Items were in his hand.
"Ladies and gentlemen." He said into his mike. "This is Maxie Rhod here, still alive. OW!" Pegasus screamed and slapped the medical supervisor in the head. "That hurts, what the hell?" A few feet away, Tea stood hunched over the security monitors. Malik went up beside her.
"Tea…good shot." He laughed.
"What do you mean?" Tea asked, not looking away from the monitors. "I missed." Malik paled.
"Look, I know you're probably…pissed, about me…you know. Clubbing you in the head and taking your tickets. But please keep in mind I did it all for a good cause."
"I know, saving the world." Tea muttered. "I've just gotta find Yami now."
"Yami is in trouble?"
"He has less than 24 hours to single-handed save the world. I think that constitutes trouble, yeah." Tea said. "I got the Millennium Items, so once we find him, we can…do whatever it is they do." Malik gasped.
"You found the Items?" He threw his arms around Tea. "Thank you, thank you! Thanks the Gods, bless you, you wonderful, wonderful girl!" He cheered. Tea narrowed her eyes and stared at him as he let go.
"Did you just hug me?" She asked. Malik shrugged.
"Sorry."
"Don't touch me like that. Ever." Tea warned, turning to the monitors. She looked across one showing the wounded being treated in the Main Hall, and gasped. "THERE!" She yelled, running out of the room. Malik ran after her, leaving Pegasus to groan.
"More running? C'mon T-Girl, take a breath and relax for a minute!" He called. Tea and Malik emerged on the balcony overlooking the Main Hall. Tea spotted the lump of tri-colored hair, and jumped down to run across the floor.
"Yami!" She called, skidding to the man in question. "Yami, what happened?"
"Something got lodged in his knee, he'll need some major surgery." The doctor looking at him said. Yami moaned and tried to sit up.
"Tea...the…Items…"
"Don't worry, we got them." Tea assured him. "Come on, we have to get you to Malik." Behind the priest in question, Pegasus walked down the hall, Millennium Items in tow, and leaned against the wall next to a ventilation shaft. He turned his head and frowned as he noticed the little black box nearby. He inspected it and cocked his head.
"Hey Malik my man, what's this thing?" He asked, gesturing for the priest. Malik looked at the bomb and gasped.
"Oh my god….it's a, it's a, it's a…"
"Nononononononononono. No." Pegasus said. "It's not a bomb, because I own this hotel, and I know for a fact it has a bomb detector. Okay?" Malik nodded.
"Okay. Good." Pegasus nodded back, and the two spun around as sirens blazed in the Mai Hall. Flashing red lights popped up from the stairs and the floors.
"Attention. A bomb has been detected in the hotel. Please proceed calmly to the nearest emergency exit." Pegasus' jaw dropped.
"Aw hell no, not again!"
- - - - - - - - - -
Bakura kicked and sent Drake tumbling down the entrance ramp to his fighter. Drake coughed as Bakura began to retract the ramp.
"Find the other Items, or I swear to god I will kill you." Bakura seethed. Drake nodded and ran into the hotel.
- - - - - - - - - -
"Shit." Tea growled. She knelt down and threw Yami's arm over her shoulders, helping him to his feet. Around them, other guests were fleeing for the passages to the escape hatches. He various injured were being assisted by crewmates. "C'mon, we've gotta move." She grunted.
"T-Girl!" Pegasus called. Tea looked up at the DJ. "Follow me, I gotta way out!" Pegasus said, running back down the passage to the Control Room. Tea and Yami hopped up the stairs and followed with Malik, who helped Tea carry Yami. As they passed it, the elevator dinged, and Drake walked out, looking to the sides. He spotted the retreating tri-colored hair, and growled.
"Him." He snarled, marching after them. A few feet behind him, his bomb ticked off 5 minutes.
- - - - - - - - - -
"Where are you going?" Tea asked Pegasus.
"Have you seen those escape pods? Like I, the owner of this place, would leave in one of them." Pegasus replied. He punched up a security code to a door, and it hissed open. Beyond lay a large dry dock, with a rather-fancy looking ship in dock. "Meet my own personal transport to and from here." Pegasus said with a flourish.
"Yeah yeah, move it." Tea muttered, pushing past him and walking down the steps to the dock floor with Yami and Malik.
"Hold it!" Pegasus turned as Drake stomped up behind him. "Stop right there, or I shoot!" Drake ordered, holding up his gun. Pegasus eeped and held up his hands, the Millennium Items clanging to the ground. Drake eyed the sack as it spilled open, and smiled. "What a coincidence, just what I was looking for." He walked up to Pegasus and shoved the DJ down the short steps to the dock floor. "My boss has expressed a great interest in these items, thank you for finding them for me." Drake said, picking up the sack.
"Bakura?" Malik roared. Drake grinned and slung the Items over his shoulder.
"I really would like to watch you 4 blow up, but I have a transport to catch. Chow." Drake snickered and turned to leave. Tea growled.
"I did not spend all night with this fruitcake just to die now!" She snarled, shifting Yami to Malik. She ran past Pegasus and dove, tackling Drake to the ground. Drake went down with a grunt, his RB-96A skidding ahead of him. Tea ran ahead of him and grabbed the gun. Drake climbed to his feet, and Tea whirled around. Drake ducked, but not before Tea's aim caught him in the shoulder. Drake cried out and fell backwards. Tea tossed his weapon away and marched past him, grabbing the Millennium Items.
"Got them, get on! We're heading to Egypt!" She ordered. Pegasus, Malik and Yami climbed on the ship, Tea a second behind them. Tea tossed the Millennium Items on the floor and hopped in the pilot's seat.
"Whoa whoa, T-Girl, you know how to fly this thing?" Pegasus asked. Tea shrugged.
"Yup. Just like driving a cab." She said. She powered up the ship and raised the ramp. Drake ran to the closing dock doors as the bay doors opened into space. Tea pushed the throttle forward, and the ship lurched forward.
"What the hell?" Pegasus screamed. "Is this how you drive? How did you keep your license?"
"I didn't." Tea replied.
- - - - - - - - - -
Drake cursed as he watched them take off, then pulled out a new cell-phone.
"Sir, I know where the Millennium Items are." He said.
"Really? Bring them here." Bakura ordered.
"I can't, someone else has them. But I know where they're heading. Earth, somewhere in Egypt." Bakura was silent for a moment.
"So…you know the Items are now bound for Egypt. But you do not have them."
"No." Drake admitted.
"Drake. You are fired, and I am leaving." Bakura hung up, and Drake gasped. By now, all the escape pods would have left, and with Bakura gone…NO! Drake spun around and ran to the Control Room.
- - - - - - - - - -
Drake skidded around the corner and ran to the black bomb on the wall. He grabbed it and held it up to his face.
6…5…4…3…2…1
"Oh no." Drake muttered, dropping the bomb to his feet. It hit the ground with a clatter, and beeped as the timer flashed 00:00. (1)
- - - - - - - - - -
Tea and the gang flew through space towards Earth. Behind them, the Duelist Kingdom Hotel exploded in a blaze of light. No one on board the ship noticed the sleek, black fighter following in their wake. On board, Bakura sneered at the ship and punched up a course to Earth.
"This story isn't over yet."
1: To quote Chris Tucker from another of his movies: Damn! You know he dead!