Kaiba POV
I watched her in anger, she wasn't listening to me, out of the corner of my eye I could see Wheeler coming closer.
"Kaiba!" he called over the wind. "Hook onto my arm, we'll get yah closer to her!"
I realised what he was planning to do, I nodded. Linking up with him. Tristan and Yugi realised what we were going and grabbed a hold of Joey allowing him to move further down the steps. We all could feel the heat from the explosion. I could see the fire burning while the blimp remained safe. I looked at her. Maybe she didn't need my help, she was so powerful that –
My stomach plummeted, her eyes closed, and her body went limp as she began to fall.
I leaped forward, managing to grasp at her jumper, I lifted her so that her chest was the highest point. I didn't want her to slip out of the garment. My other arm was in agony as I felt the jolt from the lock Wheeler had on me. Using my legs, I pulled her closer to me, wrapping them around hers, tugging her closer to my body. The others were beginning to pull us back onto the stairs. After four long, time freezing tugs they pulled me over the side of the stairs, my body back on something solid.
We all lay panting on the stairs, Mana unconscious in my arms.
"Nice one, Kaiba," Wheeler said, watching my bundle in relief. I nodded to him, grateful for his suggestion.
"We need to get inside." Téa said. I nodded scooping her up and carrying her in. Duke closed the doors behind me.
Mana POV
The increasingly familiar beeping woke me up. I opened my eyes to see everyone around my bed.
"You are in so much trouble with that little stunt," Seto snarled at me.
"Nice to see you too," I muttered. He glared at me. "How –?"
"Kaiba jumped out and saved you." Téa said. My own blood boiled.
"What! Seto the whole point was to keep you all safe –"
"If I were you. I would stay silent," he snapped.
"I didn't know I would drain all my energy. And I saved you all didn't I?"
He continued to glare at me. In fact, now that I was looking; they were all kind of scowling.
"I would like a word with Mana," Yami broke the silence, I shrank a little at the tone in his voice. The rest of them all left leaving the two of us alone with Mai.
"Yami, I'm –"
"Let me speak first," he said, I nodded at his stern gaze. He pinched his nose, hold that position for what felt like eternity. My heart thumping as I wanted for him to yell at me. He removed his hand and pulled her chair beside me; taking one of my hands in both of his and resting his head on it.
What?
"I am not going to yell," he told me, his forehead still resting on my encased hand. "I want to throttle you, but I understand why you did. I'm angry, but I don't blame you if I had my full strength, if I truly knew my own power. I too, would do whatever I could to help our friends."
"Thanks," I whisper, running my free hand through his hair. He looked up at me, our eyes locking. We didn't need to speak; we could see everything in each other. He lifted my hand up and kissed it.
"I should let you rest," he said, touching my face, he rubbed my cheek with his thumb for a moment before he let me go and walked from the room.
"Attention Duellists we are now on course for Kaiba Corp Island for the conclusion of the Battle City Finals."
"Hey Joey," Serenity said, as Joey walked into the hospital wing.
"Hey sis, hey Mana. How you feeling?" he said looking at me with concern.
"A lot better than I would be if you hadn't helped Seto. Thank you for that by the way." I said, he grinned at me.
"Well someone's gotta take care of ya when you do stupid stuff like that." He said, then turned back to Serenity. "Has Mai's said a word?"
She shook here head.
"We will save her Joey," I said, both Wheelers turned to me. "By defeating Marik and unlocking mine, Yami and Seto's past we can save Mai from the Shadow Realm. We just have to be strong for her."
"You are still in the dog house," he said scowling at me. "You ain't fighting or helping anyone until the Doc says so. You should'da done that spell on the stairs, with us there to help yer."
"I know," I admitted. "I wanted a clearer shot, and I honestly didn't know that I was going to pass out."
"Be more careful, we wanna help you." He said, taking my hand a squeezing it.
"Attention Duellists we're 6 miles away from Kaiba Corp Island, preparing for decent." The speakers sounded, I sighed but began to try and push myself up.
"And what do you think your doing!" Joey demanded, pinning me back down. I scowled at him, but before I could say a word, he leaned over me and pushed the speaker button.
"Attention Kaiba and Yugi, yer sisters tryin' to get her butt out of bed. Please come to the hospital wing to help me bind her to it. Thank you." He said in a mock pilot voice. I sat there my blood boiling.
After a couple of minutes Seto walked into the room.
"I brought the straps to tie her down." He said holding up actual hospital straps. I glared at him.
"Don't you dare," I snarled at him. He smirked.
"I don't know, Mana… Maybe Wheeler is right. You clearly can't look after yourself, so perhaps extreme measures need to be taken."
"See what happens if you try it," I said darkly.
"Please, your too weak to use any strong magic." He said coming closer.
"I have to know what is going on!" I said looking between them frantically. "Come on, Marik is still out there and I need to be able to see what is going on or I'll lose it."
"If we do let you watch the duels, which we haven't decided you have. There will be conditions." He said still holding those damn straps.
"What conditions?" I scowled.
"Mokuba," he called, I watched as a wheelchair, then Mokuba entered the wing. Oh, he had to be kidding – then again, I thought bitterly. If it helps me gain my strength faster than I would help more against the threats that the finals were certain to bring. Giving each one of them a filthy look in turn, before I nodded in surrender to the terms.
"That's what I thought." Seto said smugly. "Mokuba, put the chair by the bed." Both of them walked towards me, then Kaiba went to pick me up.
"I can get in the damn thing on my own." I snapped, lifting my weight onto my arms before sliding my legs over the side of the bed. Mokuba began to angle the chair to help me to get in without standing up. I had slept and I was perfectly fine. A little sore, but I could have easily walked. They were all going overboard. I sensed that if I actually stood up, they would make me stay in strapped to the bed. So, I slid myself over into the chair.
"Happy?" I said gesturing to my current situation.
Before he could answer Yugi entered the room.
"Thought you guys might like some back up." He said cheerfully, then he saw the chair.
"You can wipe that look off your face," I muttered.
"I'm glad you find her amusing Yugi, because I don't." Seto said raising an eyebrow.
"Good idea, guys that way she won't be trying to get up and see the duels, after we've gone."
I glared at him, until I heard a familiar chuckle; my glare turned to the transparent figure.
"The rest of the guys are heading to the landing area now." Yugi told us. They all nodded.
"Let's go," Seto said, walking behind me and pulling me backward, turning the chair before confidently walking out of the room. "I have a tournament to win." He said, looking at Yugi and Joey before we were in the hallway.
"We'll see about that Kaiba!" Joey yelled, I looked up to see the smirk on Kaiba's face.
"You really are a dick."
"I have no idea what you are talking about," he said still looking amused. We all made our way to the exit, and the rest of the gang were already there.
The group smiled, until they saw me in the chair.
"What are you doing up? You should be resting!" Téa said anxiously.
"I thought you guys were binding her to the bed," Tristan said, frowning at them, like he was annoyed that they didn't.
"We reached a compromise," I said, looking behind me to throw Seto a dirty look. He simply ignored me, continuing to push me towards the exit doors.
"It'll become a ramp as the wheels hit the first step." He informed us all. "You should all get off first." He said.
"We are now beginning our decent on Kaiba Corp island for the Battle City Finals. When we touch down please exit the aircrafts and await further instructions."
We felt the blimp land, and the doors opened.
"Wow, check it out guys," Yugi said as we all looked at the tower in awe.
"Now if we could leave it there without any digs at each other. I'm looking at you two," I said eying up Joey and Seto. "If you can team up to make me sit in this thing, then you guys can get along," I crossed my arms.
"I suppose you have been very useful," he said, the taunt was more gently than normal. "Now, we are wasting time. Lets go." He began to push me toward the tower entrance. I kept my arms crossed and pouted the whole way making, Noah (who had been very quiet), and Mokuba laugh.
"Watch it you two." I scowled at them, mostly playfully. Yugi changed into Yami, he looked at me with an amused expression.
"Don't you start," I grumbled.
"It's such a lovely day isn't it Pharaoh," we all turned to see Marik exit the craft. "It's a shame that some of your friends can't enjoy it from the –"
"One more word, and I'll make you wish you were in the Shadow Realm," I hissed at him. He just laughed at me, boiling my blood further.
"When do I find out who my next victim is, shame I can't finish poor little Queen Mana,"
My brothers scowled, Noah even moved between me and Marik. Had someone filled him in on everything yet?
Yami's face was filled with rage.
"You will not touch her." He growled. "You need her –"
"I need her alive, the scripture says nothing about a little torture –"
"Are we going to get another melodramatic villain speech?" I said. I was worried one of my friends, or brothers or Yami would try and attack him if he kept going. He laughed again. I noticed the group closed in around me more, I wanted to comment, but I didn't want to start Marik off again either.
Once we were inside Roland was waiting for us.
"Please step into the centre of the tower, the Battle City finals will take place here."
"This place doesn't look like an arena," Téa said looking around and up, I looked up too, I could see the numbers on the side… ah clever. This would be interesting.
"Oh yeah, just wait and see," Mokuba said, I smiled at him.
"As you know there are four finalists remaining, Yugi, Joey, Marik, and of course Mr Kaiba. You'll noticed we are surrounded by 4 doors, each finalist must choose a door in which to enter. Choice wisely."
As he finished speaking the doors opened.
"How I'm I supposed to know which door to pick." Joey said, scratching his head. "What do you think, Yug?"
"I don't think there's a wrong choice," Yami said, trying not to make him look stupid, but also reassure him.
"Well here, goes. One potato, two potato –"
"Joey, just pick a door." I said, rolling my eyes. I felt the slight movement as Seto let go of my chair and began to stroll towards one of the doors.
"Just pick a door you geek," he said.
"Everyone else follow me," Mokuba said, I leaned forwards so I could get my hands on the wheels of the chair.
"Mana, someone is pushing you."
I snapped around to look at Yami, he hadn't even turned around.
"Don't glare at me either," he said, his voiced amused, but stern.
"I'll push her," Duke said a little too eagerly, clutching my chair.
"I can push myself," I said scowling at all of them.
"Don't be difficult, or I'll call someone to take you back to the hospital wing with a security detail watching you." Seto said in a bored voice, again not even turning from the door he had chosen.
"How about I take that off you, man," Tristan said, I felt the movement as I changed hands.
"Dude," Duke said.
"Look man, you don't have a chance. She and the Pharaoh have loved each other for 5000 years. I'm sorry but it isn't going to happen," I heard Tristan tell him quietly, but not quietly enough for me. I still felt my face warm as we followed Mokuba to the elevator.
"Come on," Mokuba said, he was keeping the doors open for us, the others already inside. The finalist disappearing through their doors.
"Whoa I can barely see the top of this thing," Téa said, looking straight up.
"So what gives, Mokuba," Tristan asked him.
"Look," I said as the four of them appeared shooting higher than us to the 4000 mark on the wall.
"Before the winner of the Battle City tournaments can be crowned, we must first narrow down the finalist. So, in the semi final round the four remaining duellist will be reduced to two, but –"
"Wait are they going to duel to see who is going to duel each other." I asked Mokuba excited, as Roland continued explaining the rules of this game.
"Yeah, good guess Mana," he said, I zoned out of the rest of Roland's speech. I looked up at them all nervously. Someone I cared about was going to face Marik. I didn't think Marik would make this a shadow game, there was two millennium items and Seto's magic even though he didn't really understand it yet. It wasn't worth it for him. No, he would wait until the individual duels.
They began to play, Seto went for Joey pretty much immediately, but Yami defended him. I could tell they Seto was using mind games. I could guess the tactic he was using. I wanted to yell and tell him off, but psychology was a part of the game, and it was a part that Joey struggled with. He had to learn if he wanted to keep being in duel monster tournaments in the future. After a while Joey rose higher as he lost life points, then Yami lost 1000. Marik was the first one to get to zero. He was soon followed by Joey. Meaning the only non-magic person I cared about was going to be facing Marik. Out of the three I had hoped he wouldn't be the one facing the psychopath.
"This duel is over; the semi-finals have been determined. The first demi final duel will be Marik Istar against Joey Wheeler. Followed by Mr Kaiba and Yugi Muto." Roland continued to talk, while he did so I focused on a spell to help Joey against the pretty much guaranteed shadow game he was about to be in. I had completed several before I felt the jolt of Tristan moving the chair.
"Jeez, give me some warning Tristan." I looked up to scowl at him.
"What were you concentrating so hard on?" he said back, I had a feeling he had guessed what I was doing. We made our way back to the lift and the climb towards the top of the tower began.
Woof what a week this has been. As of writing the end of this comment here I am going to hope that with only needing one more State that the mouldy orange is out, and hopefully soon in prison for at least some of his crimes. To everyone in the US, I hope you and your loved ones are safe, and know that most of the world is with you and watching in horror.
Anyway!
Here we are getting near the end of BC. Hope you are enjoying it