In a brightly lit hospital room, Atem lays under the white bedsheets, hooked up to an IV with bandages around his upper abdomen and around his head. He had been taken there after Yugi and the others found him at the bottom of a cliff off the side of a two lane road. It was only thanks to the smoking truck that was toppled over and emergency crew that they thought to look around that area after Atem didn't come home.
Scrunching his face and grimacing, he opens his eyes partially, still aching from the fall he took. He looks down to his wrists that have been poked and prodded at from the doctor's medical treatments of administering fluids into his veins. But in doing so, he realizes his diadhank is no longer there. His eyes snap fully open as he looks around in a panic until he spots a table next to him, where his diadhank, along with his neatly folded clothes lie.
He wonders how he even got there. One moment he and Mana were falling off a cliff and the next his world went dark. Trying to move more, he hisses and places a hand on his abdomen. It looks like he still has some ways to go on his road to full recovery. But the last thing he wants to do is sit around, especially since Cairo is still out there.
He looks out the window, noticing it is night time. "Cairo…wherever you are…I hope you're safe…"
Outside on an adjacent building's roof, a small dark silhouette observes him closely, grinning when they have confirmed their target. "I've got you now…"
An older female nurse goes in to check Atem's vitals and provide a new IV bag. Seeing Atem in deep thought, she shakes her head with a smile. "The last thing you want to do is stress yourself out when you're trying to recover," she says, bringing him out of his thoughts.
His eyes scroll to her as she observes his wounds and bandages. "Tell me, how did I get here?"
"You were found at the bottom of a cliff two days ago by who I assume to be friends of yours," she tells him.
Atem's eyes widen briefly. She must be referring to Yugi and the others. Then it hits him. "Two days?!"
"Mhmm. Must have been a pretty bad fall. You're lucky to be alive young man."
As she goes to observe his abdomen, he moves away. "That's far too long. I need to go. Immediately."
"Don't be silly. You're in no condition to be going anywhere."
As she continues to speak, he suddenly feels a dark presence quickly approaching, putting him on guard. A bright light from the corner of his eye brings his gaze to the open window and his eyes widen with horror, seeing a blast headed their way.
A small explosion follows shortly after with smoke emitting from the damaged brick wall. In Cairo's form, Mimic snickers with his hands on his hips, observing the damage he just caused. He's sure the pharaoh couldn't have survived that. But he was also certain that the pharaoh wouldn't have survived the fall he took a few days ago either. So to be sure, he levitates inside of the room to make sure the pharaoh is no more.
Atem kneels down on one knee, placing the unconscious nurse safely on the floor while using his free hand to clench his side as he grits his teeth. He managed to use what's left of his strength to get them out of harm's way, but the quick motion certainly didn't help his already injured body. The sprinklers above him activate, extinguishing the flames and the alarms sound off.
The small silhouette floats inside of the window, partially concealed by smoke as Atem stands to his feet, hunched over in pain. Mimic snickers, the mere sight of Atem hardly being able to stand up straight bringing him much amusement and satisfaction. "I should have no issue in finishing the job now." He shakily outstretches his hand to form a ball of energy to finally end it all.
Atem subtly looks to the diadhank that is now laying on the floor. There's no way he'll be able to get to it without raising Mimic's suspicions. And even if he were successful, he doesn't have the energy to summon a monster. He grunts, narrowing his eyes, feeling agitation beginning to build up.
'I need to stay calm and approach this situation strategically,' he thinks to himself. He closes his eyes, exhaling deeply.
Mimic grins. "It's finally hit you, hasn't it? That no matter what you do, you won't defeat me."
Atem opens his eyes, staring him down in a manner that still sends chills through Mimic, even through he has the upper hand.
"How long do you plan on keeping this up?" Atem asks to Mimic's surprise and annoyance.
"What do you mean?" The ball of energy in his hand begins to waver and he grits his teeth, trying to put on a tough facade. But the truth of the matter is, it literally feels like something is eating him alive on the inside.
"The greater the power, the more dangerous. Especially in the hands of someone as inexperienced as you."
"Yes, except you're the one who's in dang—" he suddenly doubles over, coughing up enough blood to make several small splotches on the floor.
Atem manages to stand up straight while still holding onto his side, looking with anger and disgust as the Cairo imposter gags for air and tries to regain his composure.
It feels as if his insides are on fire and the dark presence is ripping his body to shreds. The pain is becoming unbearable as much as he tries to fight it. Is this why Marik didn't want it initially? No. That couldn't be it.
"It seems your body is rejecting it…" Atem says. "Or rather…it's rejecting you…"
"Sh-Shut up!" Mimic yells, glaring up at him while holding his stomach. "You have no idea what you're talking about!"
"Your heart was already filled with evil, so there was no struggle in that regard. But you're weak…."
"Shut up!"
"…and you will surely perish if you continue with this."
"SHUT UP!"
The door behind him bursts open, revealing Joey, Tristan, Téa and Yugi who just so happened to be on their way back to the hospital after getting a quick bite to eat when the explosion occurred.
"Atem!" Yugi calls out.
"Hey, you alright pal?" Joey calls out to the pharaoh.
Atem looks over his shoulder for a brief moment, but when he looks back, Mimic is nowhere to be found, only leaving behind droplets of blood that trail toward the window.
"What happened?!" Téa asks before gasping at the nurse on the ground.
Atem opens his mouth to speak, but a wave of exhaustion hits him all at once and he begins to drop to his knees until Yugi quickly goes to his side, holding him up by draping Atem's arm over his shoulder. "I've got you," Yugi says assuringly.
"Was that Cairo I just saw?" Tristan asks.
"Don't tell me she's lost control again," Téa says frowning as she tends to the unconscious nurse.
"No," Atem says, narrowing his eyes. "He was another escaped soul that we first came across at Duelist Kingdom…impersonating my daughter…"
Yugi gasps. "You don't mean…"
"But if that's the case, then where's the real Cairo?" Joey questions with worry.
"I'm not sure…After she attacked Bakura I went looking for her sometime after, but never found her," Atem responds. "Wherever she is, I hope she's alright."
He refuses to believe Cairo is gone for good, holding onto Mana's words of being able to sense their daughter's energy.
YGOYGOYGOYGOYGOYGOYGOYGOYGO
In a rest area about a hundred miles from Domino, Cairo sits on top of a wooden picnic table with her knees pulled close to her as she gazes up at the night sky. The stars glimmer and sparkle and there is a nice warm breeze, making for a perfect way to end the night. Off in the distance is Rebecca and her grandfather's RV, lit up on the inside as dinner gets prepared.
Tomorrow they will be back in the city, and then it's back to business for Cairo. This particular trip back to the world of the living has been hard on her for so many reasons. And it's not going to get any easier. Sure she was a strong sorcerer for her age back in the day, but with her dark powers in someone else's hands, she doesn't know what to expect. Nor does she know how she'll do in combat.
"I've established that my levitating needs work," she comments to herself. "But what else am lacking?" After pondering over it for a few seconds, she stands to her feet and looks toward a wooded area filled with trees. She aims her hand and narrows her eyes, concentrating her energy to the palm of her hand.
She stays that way for awhile, regardless of the stares of a few other travelers. Growing impatient, she dims her eyes. "Oh, you're kidding me…" she mutters. "GO ALREADY!"
A purple flicker emits from her hand before it fades, leaving her dumbfounded. "Are you serious?!" she yells, stomping her feet before yelping as she feels herself fall through the table. A kid going by stares at her while a mother quickly leads him away, disturbed by Cairo's odd behavior.
"Well…at least my physical strength is still intact," she mutters in a daze. "And…I still have my wand."
"I don't remember you being this goofy," a girl says and Cairo peeks out of the hole she made in the table, seeing none other than Rebecca wearing a dinner apron. "Are you sure you're the real Cairo?"
"Who else would I be?" Cairo questions, finally climbing out and sitting on another table nearby.
"You just act like such a kid. But you used to be super mature and reserved."
Cairo sits up, still looking in Rebecca's direction. "But I am a kid."
"A centuries old kid."
"Besides…I already told you the reason behind the change of my demeanor."
Rebecca sits on the bench, looking up toward the sky with a sad sigh. "Not much longer now and my head will be back in the books. I'm gonna miss nights like this."
"Is this what you and your grandfather do often?"
Rebecca nods. "Yeah…at least when we have the time. We're both always so busy though."
Cairo crosses her legs, rocking a little as she stares up at the stars. "My dad and I used to do this too. I'd stay up past my bedtime, waiting for him to get done with all his pharaoh duties just to do this simple thing," she explains before chuckling. "Although sometimes I'd fall asleep before he got done."
"What was it like?"
"Hm?" Cairo blinks.
"What was it like being a princess in Ancient Egypt? Did you always get what you wanted?"
Cairo chuckles. "Sure, I guess I did get everything, although I didn't ask for much to begin with. Being a princess definitely came with its ups and downs that's for sure."
"Oh yeah? Like what?"
"Like being forced to attend different events and parties with neighboring areas and their rulers. Sooo boring," Cairo rants, earning a laugh from Rebecca.
"I was expecting you to say something along the lines of having strict rules and not being able to do certain things."
Cairo hums with thought, tapping her chin. "I definitely had rules but…well, my mom was pretty laid back so I got away with a lot on her end."
"And your dad?"
"Not so much strict, but very protective…and will do anything for his family and friends."
"I can see that for sure."
Cairo sighs, leaning back a little as she continues to stare up into the sky. 'Which is why I don't understand why he said all those harsh things to me…'
"We should give Yugi another call."
"Yeah…" Cairo replies absentmindedly before pausing. Then she whips her head over to Rebecca when she realizes what she just agreed to. "Wait!"
"Too late!" Rebecca chirps with a grin as the phone starts to ring. The other line picks up as Cairo waves her hands frantically for her to stop and hang up.
"Yugi! My love!" she proclaims loudly, standing up and twirling around while Cairo dims her eyes. "I miss you so much!"
Cairo droops her shoulders, hopping to the ground and kicking a lone pebble that, unbeknownst to her, hits a nearby camping lady in the face. Looking to Rebecca as she talks enthusiastically to Yugi, she cringes. "She sure can be over the top."
"Oh, h-hey Rebecca," Yugi answers shyly.
"WHAT DOES SHE WANT?" a voice belonging to a very jealous Téa yells in the background, earning a nervous chuckle from Yugi.
"Come on Téa, we should be headed home," Tristan says.
"Yeah, it's getting late," Joey agrees.
Rebecca can practically picture Tristan and Joey dragging Téa away from Yugi, which only causes her to grin, feeling victorious.
"I can't really talk for long unfortunately," Yugi tells Rebecca. "We've got a bit of a situation here."
Rebecca frowns. "Anything I can help with?"
"Well…it's kind of a long story…"
"Would it have anything to do with Cairo by any chance?" she asks.
Yugi gasps. "How did you know?"
"Because she's right h—" As Rebecca turns to face Cairo, her face drops when she sees the sorcerer being picked up by the back of her shirt by a wide and muscular woman who wears a red dress with red lipstick that has been smudged across the bottom part of her face. A large bump is in the middle of her forehead as the lady glares at Rebecca angrily.
"Uh…Rebecca? This old lady's really mad for some reason," Cairo says innocently.
"OLD LADY?!" the woman snaps.
"What did you do?" Rebecca asks between clenched teeth as a drop of sweat goes down the side of her face.
"Friend of yours?!" the woman asks the blonde girl who gulps as the lady takes her into her grasp as well, causing Rebecca to drop her phone.
Cairo blinks and her eyes look over to the angry woman. "Er…are you okay? What happened to your face? Looks pretty bad."
The woman growls, beginning to turn red with rage. "You troublemakers are gonna pay!"
"Cairo! Do something!" Rebecca cries.
"I don't even know what I did!" Cairo whines.
"You both need a spanking!" the woman yells, causing Cairo and Rebecca to both exchange horrified glances as their screams echo through the air.
YGOYGOYGOYGOYGOYGOYGOYGOYGO
"Rebecca? You still there?" Yugi asks as he hears her whining in the distance on the other line. He pulls the phone away from his ear with an eyebrow raised. When the phone shuts off, he scratches his forehead before going up to his room to check on Atem, who is doing the remainder of his recovery at his house after what happened at the hospital.
When he opens his door, he is surprised to see Atem standing and gazing out the window as if planning his next move. Yugi shakes his head, but isn't surprised to see Atem isn't taking the time to rest.
"You really don't know how to take it easy, do you?" Yugi questions somewhat jokingly to lighten up the mood. "Must be a 'pharaoh' thing."
But when Atem doesn't answer, he tugs at his collar anxiously, feeling the uncomfortable silence. Clearly the pharaoh is in no joking mood.
"Sorry," Yugi quickly apologizes, rubbing the back of his neck.
"Not only is she still out there, but Mimic has a hold of her dark powers," Atem says, continuing to look out the window.
"I don't get it," Yugi says, coming up to join his side. "I always thought her dark powers were permanent."
"I thought so too…until I returned to the afterlife."
Yugi tilts his head. "Did something happen?"
"Cairo enlisted the help of her mother to come up with a spell that would rid her of the Dark One. Feeling guilt over what initially happened to Cairo and wanting to help, Mana succeeded….partially."
"What do you mean?"
"She was able to take the dark powers out of Cairo's body…but in doing so, it allowed the darkness to roam freely, looking for it's next victim. And it just so happened that it went for Mana next."
"Are you serious?"
"So Cairo took it back, not wanting to see the affects of the Dark One on her mother."
"I get it…even though it can leave her body, that comes with the risk of it getting into the wrong hands. Which would sorta make it permanent. Cairo has had centuries to adjust to the darkness to get it mostly under control and has since used it for good. So it's best if it stays with her."
He looks to Yugi. "Mimic is clearly struggling with his new dark abilities. It's killing him and he seems to be in denial about it. I believe the darkness senses his weakness and is finding no use of him. So it won't be long before it finds its next victim."
"What's the plan?"
Atem sighs. "I'm not sure…But right now, my number one priority is finding Cairo."
Remembering his conversation with Rebecca, Yugi hits his fist lightly against his palm. "That's right! I think I know where she is!"
Atem turns to face him full with a look of surprise. "What?"
"I mean, I don't know for sure, but when I spoke to Rebecca a few minutes ago, she mentioned Cairo," Yugi explains. "And I could've sworn I heard her voice…"
"Are you certain?"
"Well…she did sound a little different. But how else would Rebecca know Cairo is here?" He dials her number to see if he can get back in contact with her and to his relief, she picks up. "Hey, Rebecca?"
"My butt hurts so bad," Rebecca groans on the other line.
Yugi blinks with confusion, but decides to get straight to the point to ease Atem's nerves. Putting the phone on speaker, he asks what they are dying to know. "Uh, Rebecca? You mentioned something about Cairo earlier…Would she happen to be there with you?"
"Yeah, she's here alright."
"Where are you now?"
"We're not too far from Domino. We'll be there tomorrow actually," Rebecca replies. "Wanna speak to her?"
Yugi glances at Atem. "Actually…there's someone else that would like to talk to her." He hands Atem the phone.
A brief back and forth goes between Rebecca and another girl's voice as Rebecca tries to convince her to come to the phone.
"Cairo?" Atem says, making the bickering stop completely. She doesn't answer at first. And he can only assume that she is still feeling remorse for what happened with Bakura. But in actuality, she's surprised he's even talking to her after their last conversation.
He continues anyway. "I'm glad you're okay. I was so worried about you."
He hears her draw in a breath as if surprised to hear that coming from him.
"I know you're going through a lot," he continues. "Just know that no matter what, I love you. And when you get here tomorrow, I promise we'll set aside time to talk…alright?
There is another brief silence before the other voice on the line whimpers, "O-Okay…"
He is taken aback by her voice that sounds much different than the voice he has grown accustomed to. Her dark powers truly are gone and she must have reverted back to her old self, he assumes.
"Are you crying?" he can hear Rebecca ask her with a hint of disbelief.
"N-No! I don't know what sorcery is causing my eyes to leak in this manner!" Cairo cries.
"Thank you Rebecca," Atem says before passing the phone back to Yugi.
"Let me know when you make it back in town," Yugi tells her. "And we'll meet up."
"Sounds like a plan," Rebecca replies before hanging up.
Atem sighs, feeling relieved to know for sure that Cairo is safe. Although that doesn't make getting rest even easier as he is now anxious for the new day to arrive. But he has no choice but to be patient.
YGOYGOYGOYGOYGOYGOYGOYGOYGO
Lurking in the shadows, Yami Marik watches as his other self walks down the stairs alongside his sister Ishizu after another day at the museum. They engage in a short conversation before saying their goodbyes. With his helmet underneath his arm, he goes over to his black motorcycle, swinging his leg over and sitting down on it.
Although his good self is practically wide open, now is not the time. He will just have to be patient. "In due time," Yami Marik remarks to himself as the good Marik places his helmet on and rides off into the night.
Only seconds go by until someone magically appears behind him. From the sounds of it, they appear to be struggling to breathe as they gasp for air. Even so, Yami Marik does not turn around. Instead he keeps his back toward Mimic with his arms folded across his chest.
"Please," Mimic gasps as he drops to his knees. "You gotta help me! Something is terribly wrong."
"Are you not satisfied with your newfound strength?"
"It's killing me. I'm sure of it!"
Marik looks over his shoulder when the Cairo impersonator drags himself over to him and holds onto Marik's ankle in a pleading manner. The look of desperation in his eyes disgusts Marik and he kicks Mimic off him. "Never touch me again, understand?" Marik warns sternly.
"I can't take it anymore! Just get it out of me!"
"I'm afraid I can't do that."
Mimic stands up, his body beginning to rumble as his eyes go pitch black briefly. "What do you mean you can't?!"
"Do you see the sorcerer known as Arcana anywhere? Isn't he the one who has done this?"
"I haven't seen him since he gave it to me! Where is he?!" Mimic yells, stumbling and struggling to keep on his feet.
"It's none of my concern."
Mimic growls. "Don't you want this power?! Help me find Arcana so you can take it! Do it or else!"
"I take orders from no one," Marik replies before smirking. "Besides…I'm waiting on the perfect time and that time hasn't come yet."
Mimic holds onto a nearby building for balance, breathing heavily. "You did this on purpose didn't you? I'm just some sort of guinea pig to you!"
"Now you're catching on," Marik smirks.
"You were stalking that kid who looks like you for a whole hour," Mimic says, causing Marik to grunt with annoyance. Mimic snickers weakly. "Ah, so he is important to you eh? Be a shame if anything were to happen to him."
This threat earns a snicker from Marik now, who shakes his head. "Fool. Has it occurred to you that I could care less about you or any of these other humans?"
"Heh…fine. If that's the game you want to play. I suggest you watch you and your friend's back. I'm about to make life here a living hell. You're gonna wish you would have stayed on top of your duties in the Shadow Realm."
Marik turns to look back out toward the street as Mimic disappears. A frustrated growl emits from his lips. He will not let Mimic ruin any of his plans. But with him currently having Cairo's dark abilities, he can't go toe to toe with him. He's just going to have to keep a close eye on his good counterpart.
And hope that the darkness devours Mimic before he does anything stupid.
YGOYGOYGOYGOYGOYGOYGOYGOYGO
AN: And the plot thickens. It's becoming even more clear what Marik's intentions are. What will happen next? Stay tuned!