hibryd: Working on this and two other stories is pretty exhausting. –wipes sweat from forehead- Just to let you know and all. I'm just going straight to the work.
One Day at Home Ch. 16 -------------------------
Marik stood over the edge of the blimp's rail, holding his head like he had a splitting headache.
"Who are you?" Joey asked as he held up Odion's nearly unconscious body. "Your Millennium Rod broke when Slifer the Sky Dragon hit you with a Thunderforce! You're not the real Marik!"
"I am merely a servant. . .of the real. . .Master Marik." Odion said as he pointed at the writhing Marik.
"What? That's Namu. He's our friend." Tea said. "He wouldn't help to hurt us."
"Oh, yes I would." Marik said, turning around. "I am the real Marik."
"But then why the act?" Tea asked.
"So I could gain your trust, you fools. Up till now, my Mind Slaves have been unable to do anything about the Egyptian God cards in your decks. But that will soon change. Paul, I will have Slifer the Sky Dragon back from you. And once I do, wining Obelisk the Tormentor back will be simple, Kaiba. Ahh!" Marik yelled out as Malik began to try and take over. "Let me out you fool!" Malik said in a deeper Yami voice. "Ahh!" Marik screamed to the sky, and the battle for supremacy was won.
Malik had been set free.
"At last I'm finally free."
"Who are you?" Yami asked.
"I'm the real Marik, and I'm not as kind as the one you've come to know."
"All duelists will now take a mandatory ten minute rest period! I repeat: this is not an option! All duelists will rest now!" Roland said over the intercom.
"You'd think he didn't want whoever faced Kaiba to be so tired they couldn't duel." Steven said to Paul, helping him to his feet.
"Whatever. I need the rest. Becoming an Egyptian God takes a lot out of you." Paul said, heading for the elevator.
Fifteen minutes later, they were all assembled in the room with the three Blue-Eyes heads.
"You all know your numbers, right? Okay then. The first number will be . . . a 7! Steven Bozeman is participating in the next match!" Steven stood looking nervously at the randomizer. "The next number is . . . a 2! Steven Bozeman will face Yugi Mouto in the next match!" Roland announced.
Steven almost immediately felt his stomach lurch. He was facing Yugi. It could be worse. He could be facing Marik.
"Time for me to watch you kick butt." Paul said as all of them headed once more for the Dueling Platform.
"Not necessarily. Yugi's one tough cookie."
"Then eat him like he's a cookie."
"I guess there's the chance of my victory." Steven said, pulling out the Winged Dragon of Ra that he had won from Nevets. "This is my ace-in-the-hole."
'That fool thinks he won the real Winged Dragon from Nevets.' Malik thought as he saw Steven walk up the Platform holding the Winged Dragon. 'But what he doesn't know is that fool Marik gave Nevets a fake card. I have the real Winged Dragon in my Deck.'
"Hey, Yugi." Steven said. "I'm gonna give you a tough duel, you know."
"Yeah. But I hope it'll be a good one too." He replied.
Steven: 4000 Yugi: 4000
"You can start off, Steven."
"Alright." Steven replied, smirking. "I'll play one card facedown and summon Gemini Elf. That'll do it."
"I'll also play a card facedown and summon Gazelle the King of Mythical Beasts in Defense mode."
"I'll activate my Mystical Space Typhoon to destroy your facedown card, Yugi."
"You losers better not be having a friendly duel up there!" Kaiba yelled up the platform.
"Hey! You just said they'd have to play. You never said it couldn't be friendly." Paul yelled at Kaiba.
"Oh great. Defender of the geeks." Kaiba said.
"What did you say!" Paul nearly screamed.
"Never mind. Watch your geeky friends duel each other."
"My move." Steven said, ignoring Kaiba. "I'll play Graceful Charity and draw three cards. Then I'll discard my Nobleman of Crossout and Blindly Loyal Goblin. Next I'll summon Cat's Ear Tribe and give it the Axe of Despair. Gemini Elf, attack. Then Cat's Ear will attack."
Steven: 4000 Yugi: 2800
"Yugi, are you letting me win?" Steven asked with an inquisitive look.
"You'll just have to find that out for yourself. I'll play a monster in defense mode and end my turn."
"I'll set one card facedown and one monster in defense mode. Gemini Elf, attack."
"You ran into Obnoxious Celtic Guardian."
"Good move."
"I'm up, now. I'll sacrifice my Celtic Guardian for Dark Magician Girl. Attack his Gemini Elf!"
Steven: 3900 Yugi: 2800
"Back to me. I'll flip up my Old Vindictive Magician to destroy your Dark Magician Girl. I'll attack with my magician, but that's it."
Steven: 3900 Yugi: 2350
"Are you letting me win?" Yugi asked sarcastically.
"No. Just toying with you."
"Fine. I summon Beta the Magnet Warrior and attack your Magician."
Steven: 2650 Yugi: 2350
"All I'll do is play Gravity Axe – Grarl."
"Fine. Beta and Cat's Ear now have the same amount of points. I'll summon Gamma the Magnet Warrior in Defense mode. Your turn."
"Card of Sanctity, Yugi. Then I'll set two cards facedown."
"Crush him, Yugi!" Joey yelled.
"Uh, Joey? You just said that in the presence of Slifer the Sky Dragon." Tristan whispered.
"Don't care."
"I summon another monster in Defense mode."
"I'll activate Acid Trap Hole. So your Kuriboh is destroyed.
"Then I end my turn."
"I'll activate Ultimate Offering and Call of the Haunted, play Premature Burial, and pay 1300 points to summon Cure Mermaid, Gemini Elf, Hysteric Fairy, and Blindly Loyal Goblin. Next I'll pay 1000 points to sacrifice everything but my Mermaid for Suijin and Sanga of the Thunder. Suijin will attack Gamma and Sanga will attack Beta."
Steven: 350 Yugi: 1450
"You didn't attack with the Mermaid."
"Of course not. I like to toy with my opponents."
"I'll set a monster in defense mode and play my Card of Sanctity. You're up"
"Good. I'll gain 800 Life Points because I've got Cure Mermaid on the field. Next I'll set two cards and summon Blazing Inpachi. Next I'll pay 500 points to play Opticlops. Sanga, attack. Your turn."
Steven: 650 Yugi: 1450
"This is getting boring!" Joey said.
"Too bad." Paul said. "They're having a friendly duel. Just shut up, Joey."
Yugi smirked as he listened to his best friend argue.
"I'll play Rain of Mercy to regain some Life Points. Next I'll play Monster Reborn to resurrect Obnoxious Celtic Guardian and sacrifice it for Berfomet. Then I'll play Five Star Twilight to summon the five Kuriboh brothers. Then I'll pay 500 Life Points to sacrifice two of the brothers for Dark Magician and I'll play Magic Formula! Dark Magician now has 3300 attack points! Attack Suijin!"
"I'm surprised with you, Yugi, unless you forgot. Suijin, activate Squall Barrier! This lowers your Magician's attack to 0. Suijin, counter!"
Steven: 1650 Yugi: 0000
"Your game, Steven." Yugi said.
"The winner is Steven Bozeman!" Roland announced.
"You had to make a tough choice, Yugi. Now it's not you that can save the world, but my friends and I." Steven said.
"It's all right. It's for the good of mankind. I seem to do a lot of this stuff anyway."
'That fool didn't play his fake God Card! I'm going to have to force him into it during my duel with him.' Malik thought, looking at Yugi and Steven shaking hands.
End Chapter ----------------------
hibryd: Malik. . . hates. . . Steven. . .doesn't he? Tell me in your review. Remember, I might also let MASAMUNE out of his prison.
