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Fanfic Chapter 152: Strength of Darkness Pt 4: Joey Falls
Episode Basis: The Darkness Returns Pt 4

Yami-Marik: That little whelp Wheeler thought he had this duel won with his Gilford the Lightning. Doesn't he know that whenever a chosen Millennium Item holder does battle with a civilian, the chosen holder always wins? While his monster did catch me by surprise, I had something ready to send against him: my Egyptian God Card, the Winged Dragon of Ra! The idiot got me so angry that I decided to make him the target of one of Ra's special abilities! Granted resurrecting the monster makes its attack points 0 but as soon as I transform Ra into its phoenix mode, I'll have him automatically destroy his Gilford. Wheeler will feel like he is dead once he feels the backlash of Ra's destructive path of radiance! Oh how I look forward to those screams of pain and agony.

"Ra, attack his Gilford now!" Yami-Marik commanded. The large firebird dove straight for Gilford the Lightning. Joey watched in horror. There was nothing he could do, he already used Gilford's effect and he had no cards to protect him with.

The Winged Dragon of Ra struck Gilford and set it and Joey ablaze.

"YAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!"

Harold's Armlet briefly flashed.

Down below, Serenity dropped to her knees as she felt a stabbing pain across her heart. She struggled to stand, "Hold on, Joey, I'm coming!"

"Joey, fight it," Yami-Yugi called as Joey continued to scream in pain

"We have to stop this duel," Tea cried out.

"We can't," Harold said firmly. "It's already gone through."

The attack was even getting to Mokuba, "This is nuts, Marik's gone over the line this time, we have to call a stop to this duel before things get even worse!"

There's no way I can stop this duel now, Kaiba thought. Not now that I'm seeing Ra in action.

"AAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!"

"I can't take it," Amara said covering her ears. "I can't take the screaming." Joey was still screaming but then stopped as smoke covered his side of the playing field.

"Excellent work, Ra, return to the graveyard," Yami-Marik commanded. Ra disappeared. "When the smoke clears, he'll be nothing but a motionless shell." But as the smoke cleared, that apparently wasn't the case. Joey was still standing. Sure, his whole body was smoking but he was standing, he was conscious.

Barely.

"This is impossible he should be a smoking pile of ash by now!" Yami-Marik ranted.

"Joey!"

"He's still standing!" Tea said joyfully.

"But for how long," Harold wondered.

Joey struggled to look ahead. A ghostly image of Yami-Yugi appeared before him. Yugi? Is Marik messing with my mind again?

"Joey, this is the last match of the Battle City Finals."

"I don't get it, I thought I was dueling Marik. Didn't he sic his Egyptian God Card on me?"

"He did, but your will overpowered his Egyptian God Card, now's your chance to finish him off! He's wide open for an attack."

Yami-Marik's eyebrow twitched. If he attacks me, I'll lose the duel and my Egyptian God Card!

"It's… my… move," Joey said hoarsely.

The others cheered, "Now all Joey needs is a monster with high-enough attack points," Duke said.

"That should be almost any card," Harold commented.

"All right," Mokuba cheered.

Kaiba just stared at the scene bewildered. How could he have withstood an attack from an Egyptian God Card?

"Joey, make your move!" Yami-Yugi yelled.

Like a zombie, Joey drew a card from his Duel Disk. His vision was blurry but he could tell that he drew a monster card. He laid it on his Duel Disk.

Gearfried the Iron Knight appeared.

"Awesome, Gearfried should be more than enough," Tristan said.

"Joey, hurry and call out an attack!"

It was then that Serenity arrived on top of the Duel Tower leaping through the hole Harold's Armlet made in it. She gasped at seeing Joey, "Joey!" She started to run to him but Harold stopped her. "Harold…"

"Serenity, there's nothing you can do for him," Harold said. A tear dripped down his face, "I'm sorry," he said mutely.

Joey struggled to command his monster to attack but his vocal chords wouldn't move, his mouth wouldn't even open. Finally, Joey fell to the ground, Gearfried dispersing.

"JOEY!" His friends all cried out.

Yami-Marik was gasping for breath and even dropped to one knee. "So much time and effort wasted on an imbecile," he complained.

The Shadow Bubble faded. "The duel is over," Roland announced.

"Forget the duel," Mokuba snapped leaping onto the arena. "Joey needs help." He ran over to Joey and shook him, "Joey, wake up! Say something!" He held his mouth near Joey's face but pulled away in horror. "Guys, he's not breathing!"

Even Amara gasped at that.

"Marik is the winner," Roland declared like he didn't really care that someone had stopped breathing.

I never thought Wheeler would've been able to withstand an attack by the most powerful of the Egyptian God Cards, Kaiba thought.

Tristan grabbed Joey by his shirt collar and shook him, "Joey, this is no time to fool around, wake up!" There was no response. Tristan let out a roar of rage and set up for a punch to the noggin.

"Tristan, stop," Duke commanded stopping his fist. He turned to Mokuba, "Where's that Doctor?"

"He's on his way," Mokuba reported.

Yami-Yugi just stood there in horror. Little-Yugi appeared and collapsed to both knees. "No, it can't be, Joey can't be gone, he just…" Little-Yugi burst into tears.

As much as I hate to admit it, Wheeler's performance was impressive, Kaiba thought. Maybe he's not the third-rate amateur I thought he was.

"One more soul sacrificed to the darkness," Yami-Marik said.

"When…" Yami-Yugi seethed. He glared daggers at Yami-Marik. "When will it end?"

"When will it end, simple, when the ultimate power of the Pharaoh is finally mine!"

As Yami-Marik started to walk away, Kaiba stepped in his line of sight. "Marik," Kaiba addressed. "You won't get a chance to duel Yugi because you'll be facing me in the finals. First I'll strip Yugi of Slifer the Sky Dragon and then I'll be all set to bring down your Winged Dragon. I watched Ra in action during this duel and I have just the card to destroy it." For visual evidence, Kaiba held up a Duel Monster card, its back facing Yami-Marik.

"Maybe you should try to get past the next round first," Yami-Marik recommended and walked away. "Good luck," he said mockingly.

No sooner had he left than the stretcher arrived. The paramedics loaded Joey onto the stretcher and began to carry him away. Serenity and the others soon followed. Soon only Yami-Yugi and Kaiba remained. Yami-Yugi started to follow them.

"The next duel will take place in one hour," Roland declared.

"I've been waiting for this moment for a long time," Kaiba said. "Victory will be mine."

Yami-Yugi didn't turn around but he said, "As soon as I'm sure that Joey is all right, I'll deal with you, Kaiba," his words were filled with acid.

"Then I'll see you in one hour," When I will take you down!

In the Infirmary, Joey was hooked up to life support as the Doctor looked him over. "His brainwaves are strong and his heart rate is fine."

"You call that fine?" Tea snapped. "He hasn't said anything for over twenty minutes!"

"Joey, say something," Serenity pleaded.

He found himself on a city street. "Huh, what am I doing here? This doesn't look like Kaiba's Duel Tower."

"There you are!"

Joey jumped and turned to see Yugi's Grandpa standing behind him. "Mister Moto?"

"I've been looking for you." He began pushing Joey in a particular direction.

"Hey, where are we going?"

"A major Duel Monsters tournament is coming up and you're going to be late for your first duel."

"But I thought I was…" Oh, that's right, this is a dream! Well… I suppose I could use some R&R.

"This is odd," the Doctor commented "According to these readings, his brainwaves are strong but he isn't conscious at all. In all honesty, I've never seen anything like it."

Ishizu and Kevin walked in. There's nothing that medical science can do for him now, Ishizu thought. Only Joey's heart can overcome Marik's attack. She laid a hand on Serenity's shoulder. "Everything will be fine, Serenity."

Serenity was too busy sobbing to respond to her.

"Ishizu, could you take Serenity to the other room, I think she needs some rest," Harold advised.

"Of course. Come on, Serenity." Serenity was too tired from crying to protest so she allowed the older woman to lead her away.

"You shouldn't have done that," Kevin said to Harold. "Joey needs Serenity to be at his side."

"He does, but he doesn't need her acting like a wet blanket," Harold argued. "He needs her as a beacon, to lead him back to the light."

Tea noticed that Mokuba entered, "Mokuba, when are we moving Joey to a real hospital?"

Mokuba looked down solemnly, "Bad news, we're not moving."

"Why?"

"The engines were damaged going through that explosion on the way to Kaiba Corp. Island. We're trying to fix them, but it doesn't look good." That was only half the truth. While the engines were broken from the explosion of Noah's fortress, what Mokuba didn't tell them was that Seto refused to allow Joey to be taken to the hospital saying that Kaiba Corp. doctors were just as good. Deep down, Mokuba had a feeling that Seto didn't want to waste time on anything other than this tournament, even if someone's life was at stake.

"ARE YOU SERIOUS?" Tristan shouted picking Mokuba up by the collar. "You better tell those mechanics to fix them fast before Joey's gone for good!" Duke and Amara were able to separate the two.

"Don't worry," Mokuba said. "I'll radio HQ and have them send a helicopter for both Joey and Mai."

"Mokuba, thank you," Yami-Yugi said. As Mokuba left, Yami-Yugi stared at Joey.

"It's my fault," Little-Yugi complained. "I should've been the one to face Marik, not Joey. I knew it was dangerous yet… why, why couldn't it be me?"

"Yugi," Yami muttered. He looked at the others. Tristan was literally on his hand and knees trying to convince the doctor to do something. Harold and Tea were trying to get him on his feet. Duke and Amara were just staring at Joey's still form. Yami turned and headed out into the hall.

"Marik's cruelty knows no bounds," Little-Yugi ranted. "He's pure evil! First he got Mai and then Bakura, and now this." Yami turned off his Duel Disk. "Maybe we should just stop all this fighting, fighting just seems to make things worse!"

"Yugi, wait," Yami said. He briefly reflected back to the beginning of Battle City when he defeated the first of the Rare Hunters. "Yugi, I know this is hard for you, Marik is the toughest opponent we have ever faced. But if we walk away now, Marik wins, and everything that Joey did would be for naught." Yami helped Yugi up. "Joey never gave up and neither should we."

"You're right, we should finish what we started no matter what; it's what Joey would've wanted."

Yugi faded into Yami who thought, Marik's cruelty knows no bounds! I won't give up if Joey doesn't. Keep on fighting, Joey.

"Now I summon Flame Swordsman (1) in attack mode. Flame Swordsman, waste that monster!" The opponent's King Fog (2) was actually scared as the warrior-type monster swung its sword and destroyed it taking the opponent's life points down to 0. Joey realized where he was now he was fighting in the regional tournaments. Oh yeah, I'm winning duels left and right and I'm not stopping until I get to the top!

From the stands, Yugi, his Grandpa, Tea, Harold, and Tristan all cheered for him.

Yami-Yugi leaned his head against the wall. Marik's path is so unclear, I don't even know what's next. It's all so… unclear.

"It doesn't have to be."

Joey? Yami-Yugi turned and saw a phantom image of Joey.

"Just check your pocket.

Huh? Yami-Yugi blinked but the image was gone again. Just wishful thinking I suppose. A small glow came from his pocket. Yami-Yugi pulled out the Millennium Necklace. The Millennium Necklace, Ishizu said it was ours now. But the last time she used it, it turned out to be wrong. Can I trust what it tells me? He gripped the Millennium Item in his hand. Millennium Necklace, please, show me the future.

He saw Joey and himself facing each other on a city street.

"Now that that's over, let's duel," Joey said.

The image faded. Maybe the Millennium Necklace is trying to tell me that Joey will be all right.

"The next duel for the Semi-Finals is about to begin," Yami-Yugi heard Roland announce over the P.A. System. "Will Yugi Moto please report to the dueling platform on top of the tower."

I have to believe in what the Millennium Necklace showed me. This insanity will be over soon and Joey and everyone else will be back to normal. Yami-Yugi switched on his Duel Disk again.

"Yugi?"

Yami-Yugi turned and saw Serenity and Ishizu walking up to him. Somehow, the Millennium Necklace's vision caused him to lose almost a half hour in the process "Serenity, are you all right?"

Serenity nodded and even smiled, "Yeah, I'm still worried of course, but I know that Joey needs my support and I need to show the same type of strength that he showed."

"That's good. Come on, let's go see him."

"Right."

"Kaiba Corporation, come in! This is KC-3 calling Headquarters, come in, we're requesting emergency chopper sent out immediately!" Mokuba growled in frustration. "That explosion must've fried the radio too."

Yami-Yugi, Serenity, and Ishizu walked in to the Infirmary. "Any change?" Yami-Yugi asked.

"Nope," Harold replied. Serenity sat in a side chair and took Joey's hand in both of hers.

"But knowing Joey, he's fighting his hardest to wake up," Tristan said optimistically.

Yami-Yugi went up to Joey's bedside and took his Duel Disk which was laying on the pillow besides him. He slipped it onto Joey's arm.

"What's that for?" Amara asked.

"Joey would want it close by… for his toughest duel yet." Yami-Yugi looked at Joey. "I'm going to duel Kaiba now, Joey, keep fighting here, I know you can succeed." He looked at the others, "Look after Joey, guys."

"Will do, bud," Tristan said giving him a thumb up. Yami-Yugi nodded and left.

Outside the medical room, Yami-Yugi inserted his deck into his Duel Disk and activated it.

"Yugi, wait!" Tea and Harold came running out of the Infirmary. "You're not really going to duel, are you?" Tea asked. Yami-Yugi nodded. "Have you forgotten how many people have already gotten hurt because of this tournament? I couldn't bare to live with myself if I lost you too."

"If I don't go through with this, everyone's suffered for nothing." Tea was rendered speechless. "Tea, remember what we learned at the museum? We learned that I was once an Egyptian Pharaoh and that I once saved mankind thousands of years ago by defeating an ancient evil and that I must do so again by winning a Duel Monsters Tournament. Joey found out about this and vowed to help me. If I back out, I would not only be giving up on Joey, but the entire world."

"But…"

"Yugi," Harold called.

"Harold, please don't try to talk me out of it."

"I won't, but I have something for you." He took out the three Knight cards he won from Kevin. "I won these three Knight cards in the elimination rounds at Battle City. I think they could be a huge help if you're planning to sic an Egyptian God Card on Kaiba."

Yami-Yugi looked at the cards. "Thanks, Harold, I think they will be."

"Also, take this card," Harold said taking another card from his Duel Disk. "It was a huge help in your last battle against Kaiba, who knows, it may help you once again. With all the chaos of Marik and Noah and Gozaburo, I never got a chance to apologize for trying to eliminate you from the tournament. I now understand that you have to go through with this and since it would be pointless trying to talk you out of it, the only thing I can do now is give you my support in any way I can."

"Harold, there's nothing to apologize for, I know you were just looking out for me. But I will honor your cards and promise to use them."

"I know you will, my friend."

"Good luck, man," Tristan called.

"Kick butt," Duke added.

Yami-Yugi nodded again, "I will." He went off with the others watching.

This is just like my dream, Tea thought. Yugi goes off somewhere and I can't follow him. Please, Yugi, don't end up like Joey, I don't want to lose you.

A duel between Yugi and Kaiba, Amara thought. This I have to see.

Yami-Yugi exited the blimp. Beating Kaiba won't be easy, he thought. I never had to go up against Obelisk the Tormentor before. I really wish Joey could be here to watch, but I know he'll be there in spirit. Kaiba may think he's the world's greatest Duelist, but the fate of the world is riding on my victory!

The End

Duel Monster Database

(1)
Name: Flame Swordsman (version 2)
Level: 6
Type: Warrior
Attribute: Fire
ATK: 1800
DEF: 1600

(2)
Name: King Fog
Level: 3
Type: Fiend
Attribute: Dark
ATK: 1000
DEF: 900