"Is that so what if we don't," Kaiba said smugly. Noah laughed.
"I'm afraid at this point refusal is not an option thanks to my stun phasers."
Machines came out of the walls pointing at the blimp.
"Do what he says," Tristan said as he eyed the machinery.
"This kid's nuts," Joey said. I felt the arm around me drop, I had forgotten that Kaiba was even holding me in the first place. He walked towards the door casually.
"You stay here," he said.
"Kaiba don't," Yugi said.
"Look this is my battle Yugi, so don't do me any favours."
"Kaiba," Yugi said again, as Mokuba stood, running towards him, but Kaiba stopped him half way with a look.
"Mokuba, you are not to leave this ship, stay with your sister." He said sternly.
"But wait –"
"Noah," Kaiba interrupted him. "I'll be coming out alone, any questions?" he began shooting, we all took cover, ducking from the bright shots.
"Please care to remake your decision." He said as the shots continued to fire.
"I can answer that for him," Joey said standing up, it stopped.
"Now lets try this whole thing again, shall we? Seto please be so kind as to exit the ship with your friends."
"We don't really have a choice here," I said quietly to him, he just shot me a look. Be quiet.
"Mana's right, Kaiba," Tristan turned to him. "This little punk isn't giving us the option. You can't go lone soldier on this one."
We all began to make our way towards the exit. This kid was dangerous, there was no telling what he was planning. I knew the others were thinking along the same lines. Most of the way we walked in silence, contemplating how the next 30 minutes was going to go. As we reached to door, Kaiba turned to look at us all.
"For the last time, Kaiba. He says we all have to –"
"I'm aware, Wheeler, that's not what I was going to say." He glared at Joey. "Let me do the talking, this kid has a problem with me, so let me handle it."
"Kaiba, let us help you," Téa said, she looked like she was going to touch his arm, but then she changed her mind.
"It's our problem now too." Duke crossed his arms. "He wants all of us."
"So too bad," I said. "Dweeb squad got your back,"
He raised his eyebrow at me before he opened the door, opening the blimp. We began to make our way down the stairs.
"Now if you could all proceed straight ahead; we can continue this party." Noah's voice sounded.
"Mr Kaiba," two suits came to join us but there were immediate shots.
"You two goons can wait in the blimp this invitation is for duellist only."
"So, does that mean a few of the people here can go back in the blimp?" I say to walls, hoping that I could get Mokuba, Serenity, Téa and Tristan at least back inside.
"So sweet Mana, trying to protect them. They are coming too."
"Thanks for trying," Joey nodded at me.
Kaiba continued to walk ahead we all followed, I kept Yugi and Mokuba close.
"Remember guys, strength in numbers. So Kaiba, Joey please try not to kill each other, we need you both focused." I said. Both grunted but didn't comment, Joey was keeping his sister close to him.
After walking in silence for a while the tension grew as our collective thoughts conjured up various reasons as to why this was happening. Just like we had through our walk in the blimp.
"What is it you want from us, Noah!" Yugi yelled breaking the silence.
"Everything will be made clear soon enough just continue till the end of the hallway and my associates will greet you. They're especially excited to see you, Mr Kaiba."
"This is getting creepier and creepier." Téa said as we kept on walking, the door opened. The room we walked into was large and empty like a giant metal school hall.
"Check it out, what is this place," Mokuba said looking around.
"Nothing good," I said, trying to get my staff from my pocket without anyone noticing.
"Is there anybody there?" Téa called, I could hear laugher before a flashing bright light forced us to shield our eyes."
"Who's there!" Kaiba demanded. "Show yourself,"
"With pleasure," said the voice.
"But wait, it can't be…" Kaiba went a little pale, walking closer to me and Mokuba. Great, that was encouraging. 5 suits came looming in front of us.
"You should have known we'd be back Seto Kaiba, for revenge." Said the middle suit, he was leaning on a walking stick. "Surprised to see us again Kaiba."
"So you know those 5 suits, man?" Tristan said, looking at the still stunned Kaiba. "What's going on here?"
"Suddenly I feel very underdressed," Duke said.
"Can't put my finger on it, but something about these guys seem really familiar to me," Yugi said, I frowned at him, how would he know them…
"These are the 5 creeps that tried to get rid of Seto and take over Kaiba Corp –"
"Wait the virtual gaming thing?" I said, remembering having to barricade the door from a bunch of suits.
"Yep, Gansley, Crumb, Johnson, Nesbit and Lector also known as the Big 5." Mokuba said.
"That's right they trapped Kaiba in cyber land until we saved him," Joey said.
"So what they got trapped instead?" I said trying to work it out.
"That's right," one of them said. "But did you honestly believe you'd seen the last of us? We wondered through cyber space for what seemed like an eternity with 1 question over and over. How we'd get revenge for our suffering."
"We finally found our answer the day Noah hacked into Kaiba Corp's mainframe –"
"Get to the damn point, I've heard more long-winded monologues this year than I've had periods!"
Joey and Tristan cringed at the analogy I used, I smirked when I heard Téa hit them. Grow up guys.
"Basically, you've teamed up with this Noah kid. Short versions people."
"I defeated you once, I could easily do it again." Kaiba said.
"We plan to give you every opportunity to do so Mr Kaiba for we've devised a new game with Noah's help."
"What kind of game are you talking about you snake?"
"Oh it's a game your quite familiar with Mr Kaiba, it's a duel monsters tournament. A virtual duel monsters' tournament and your invited to participate."
"But why do you guys want to duel us?" Yugi said, I had a bad feeling in the put of my stomach, that turned to lead as I gasped.
"Because they want to escape – to take our bodies and leave us here instead." I covered my mouth.
"Precisely smart girl," one of them said… Johnson?
"No one's taking over my body ever again." Joey said determinedly.
"Now it's time to pay a visit to our special duelling world," they all laughed as they vanished into yet another bright light. The room shifted into a blue tunnel until we landed in what looked like a jungle, we all landed on the flour groaning as we got to our feet.
"It's a jungle," Tristan said.
"Not quite." Yugi said, everyone was watching where we were, looking at all of the little details.
"What do you mean Yugi," Téa said. "It looks like a jungle to me."
"Weren't you geeks –"
"Kaiba," I said sharply. "It's a virtual jungle, but that's still a jungle." Serenity clutched onto Joey's chest.
"Joey!" she said.
"Relax Serenity, I know this place looks real but it's actually a life-sized video game." He reassured her.
"They must have smell stuff in here too," Téa said looking around.
"Actually that was me,"
"Eww Tristan, that's gross," Téa snapped at him.
Footsteps… and they were coming closer.
"I don't like the sound of this guys," Mokuba said, we turned to see a T-Rex.
"Don't panic it's a hologram," Joey said, putting Serenity behind him.
"Why don't I seem sure," Tristan said, everyone ran back behind Kaiba who didn't move, it swiped at Kaiba, and I felt Yugi tug me back.
"Run Kaiba!" Yugi yelled.
"Seto!"
And as I knew it would, even though it still looked terrifying as shit. The claw went straight through him, before it walked away.
"That brat Noah can't intimidate me with cheap virtual illusions like this. I wrote better virtual reality when this kid was still in diapers. This stuff is amateur."
Téa crouched down and tried to touch some of the flowers, only to find that she couldn't.
When I glanced up I jumped, there were two Kaiba's one was wearing the clothes he wore back in Easter at Duellist Kingdom. The Big 5 went on to explain the rules they had added to this compulsory tournament, and how collecting your deck and the 'deck master' worked. After they were done explaining shifted us back to the first room. I realised that we never actually left. The effects felt so real… I had a bad feeling about this.
"Er, guys I don't think we left this room." I said trying to figure out a way to escape.
"She's right you fools your trapped here, and your only chance –"
"Yeah, yeah you said that already!" I yelled at them.
"There is no way you are going to get away with this you stuffed shirts." Mokuba yelled at them.
"Yeah," Joey cried. "We'll kick your big business butts!"
"Joey wait –"
"Don't worry Serenity, we can whip these 5 geezer promise. We'll win and I've never broken a promise to yer."
"Promise you'll be careful," she said smiling a little now.
"Deal," he said.
"If we stick together they don't stand a chance," Yugi said.
"Don't worry, we got your back, man," Duke said.
"Me too," Tristan added.
"Where's the jam, cause you guys are toast," Téa said, jeez Téa really. We've had to many crappy monologues from supervillains if that kind of craps leaving our mouths… wait there are 5 of them and…
"They are going to duel all of us!" I gasped covering my mouth looking anxiously at the none duellers in our group.
"Right again, my dear," said one of the big five the fat busy moustaches one. "Yes, we will be duelling each one of you for the chance to take over your bodies."
"I don't think so!" I growled. They just laughed at me, there figures getting bigger.
"Our analysis shows your chances of escape are 0%, and falling sharply. In other words, you kids are finished."
"Well put Crump," that was moustaches name. "It's only a matter of time before the 5 of us are set free from this virtual prison. Remember when one of us defeats you we'll claim control of your body."
"These crooks haven't changed a bit," Kaiba snapped, moving closer to the monitor they were on.
"Let's start this party you 5 stiffs are going down!" Joey yelled.
"Oh, it is you who is going down." As the spoke the floor below Joey opened up and he fell through.
Joey!
Serenity ran to it crouching at the floor. Oh god.
"Get into groups they are going to separate us!" I yelled, but as I did, the floor below her disappeared. I saw Tristan and Duke rushing to Serenity, luckily, they fell through with her. I hoped they could keep each other safe. But they were the three least experience well bar – Téa!
"As you can see, before the virtual duelling begins. We plan to separate all of you."
I tried to run to her, but I wasn't fast enough.
"Tah, tah," the floor below her dropped, Yugi was also too late, I whirled around to see who was left.
"Mokuba get to Kaiba," I said pushing him into his brothers arms, as the floor below me opened up.
"Stay together!" I screamed as I began to fall.
"Mana," my three brothers cried as a fell through the whirling blue into the unknown. I tried to reach got my staff, but then I remembered this is virtual. I could make it worse. The world around me darkened as the tunnel closed to black.
Hello everyone, I just want to say that I am fully supporting the blacklivesmatter movement and if you would like links to petitions and information feel free to PM me xx