I'm back from the weekend! And here's your Monday chapter!
Usual reminders:
Italics are thoughts or emphasis. Bold is Malekos' speech or emphasis in thoughts.
I do not claim to own Yu-Gi-Oh or its characters. I only own Jessica and Malekos.
They ran through the streets in search of any familiar face. A silence formed between them as they searched, both worried about what might happen if they didn't find their friends in time. They ran through crowds and down streets, never stopping. When two figures stepped into their path, Yami had to grab Jessica to help her stop so she didn't fall. She latched onto his arm as she panted, glaring at the Rare Hunters that stood in their path.
"Going somewhere?" The shorter one asked as he held up his duel disk. "If you want to rescue your friends, you'll have to make it past us first."
"And that's no easy task," the taller one grinned.
Jessica growled at them, "We don't have time for your games!"
"We will get past!" Yami exclaimed with a firm tone.
"Sorry, but I'm afraid the only way to get by us is to defeat us in a duel."
"Yeah, and that means you have to defeat both of us! Sorry, but we have strict orders from Master Marik."
She glared at them as they started to argue over who should defeat Yami. And then her eye twitched as they began a slow game of 'rock, paper, scissors'. An obvious attempt at stalling for time, and they all knew it. "They're just stalling and wasting our time," she growled, glancing at Yami to see if he had any idea of what to do. "I can always distract them while you make a run for it."
Yami turned a pointed stare on her. "Don't be ridiculous. I won't let you do something so reckless. You're still weak from before."
She huffed, "I know that. But the longer we stand here, the higher the chance that Marik finds Joey and the others!"
"Not to worry," the Rare Hunters interrupted them. "We shall defeat you soon. But as you know, only one of us may duel you at a time."
"But not if both of us duel against you!" They turned to see Kaiba stalking towards them with Mokuba not far behind. "Now it's two on two!"
As they prepared for battle, Jessica let go of Yami and stumbled backwards a bit to give them space. She felt tiny hands on hers and she looked down, seeing a concerned look from Kaiba's younger brother.
"Are you alright? You don't look so good."
Jessica's legs shook and she allowed herself to drop to her knees with a sigh, knowing they would be there at least a few minutes. She should take the time to rest while she can. She gave a nod and reassuring smile at the child. "Yes. Just a little weak and lightheaded, that's all."
"You shouldn't be running around if you don't feel well," he told her, kneeling down next to her. "You should go home and rest."
She shook her head and gave him a determined look with her green eyes. "I can't do that. I promised to help Yugi, and I can't just sit around while our friends are in danger." She tightened her grip on her water bottle, making it crinkle under pressure. "Not while I have the power to do something about it."
"But…"
"Please." Jessica fixed Mokuba with a soft, pleading look while listening to the sounds of the duel happening in front of them. "Yugi's friends mean so much to him. He's going to worry himself sick until he knows for sure that they're safe." She suddenly gasped as a gust of wind swarmed around them and she hugged Mokuba close to protect him, making him grip her arms in response. She winced as his fingers brushed her bruises but otherwise ignored it. She turned to look at what had happened and she froze, staring wide-eyed at the very tall monster that stood behind Kaiba. "What is that?!"
"That's my brother's Egyptian God card, Obelisk the Tormentor!" Mokuba grinned as he stared at the battlefield. She watched as it sent a punch straight at the Rare Hunters and an explosion left them both sprawled out on the ground.
"Incredible," she breathed, watching the monsters disappear and Yami ran over to one of the Rare Hunters to try to get information out of them. With the help of Mokuba, she stood up and walked over to them. She listened as Kaiba gave Yami his deserved locator card and then kept trying to stop him, only to realize that Kaiba was trying to help.
When Mokuba was asked to do something, he nodded with a smile and let go of Jessica so he could run over to the briefcase he had discarded not far behind them. "Right!"
With no support, her legs wobbled and she stumbled over to Yami who caught her readily. "Are you alright?" He asked her worriedly.
She nodded, "Just tired."
"We'll find your group of croneys in no time," Kaiba said as he turned and started walking away with Mokuba at his side. And with Yami supporting Jessica, they quickly followed them.
As Kaiba and Yami bickered, Malekos' presence distracted her. You're as stubborn as ever. He growled in her mind.
And you're no help at all.
Need I remind you who saved you from the Rare Hunters?
She mentally scoffed. And I thank you for that, but the strain you put on my body is something I don't thank you for.
That only happens because your body can't handle my power. If you can think of a way to fix that, I'd love to hear it. She could tell he was getting annoyed with her, the throbbing in her head told her so. It made her wince and grit her teeth. I didn't think so. And he retreated to the back of her mind once more.
"Arrogant asshole," she muttered under her breath, unknowingly catching the boys' attention.
"What was that?" Kaiba asked as he turned a glare onto her.
She flinched and gave a sheepish smile. "N-nothing! I was just talking to myself."
"Yugi, you should keep your girlfriend under control." Kaiba turned forward again.
She would have blushed at his comment had his attitude not irritated her more. "Hey. I'm sorry my internal struggles bother you. Not everyone can be oh so perfect as you." She glared at the back of his head.
"Jess, please. Calm down," Yami urged her, squeezing her hand reassuringly. "We need Kaiba's help to find our friends."
She let out a huff as she let his warm hand soothe her nerves. She frowned and whispered, "I know. But would it really kill him to be at least a little nicer?"
"No, it wouldn't. But try telling him that." Yami chuckled quietly despite their situation, making her smirk in response. Bless Yami and Yugi. They were trying to help her feel better.
As they walked the streets, she heard a noise coming from somewhere. When she looked over, she noticed Kaiba talking to something on his coat. And after a small bicker, they continued to a Sea World exhibit. She rolled her eyes as she listened to them argue about the coordinates and she tugged on Yami's hand as she started to lead him forward, not wanting to sit around anymore. They ran forward and pushed through the crowd as they entered the building.
They exited on the other side and saw an open area where an orca was splashing in a pool in the center. The crowd in the stands cheered for it. They looked around at the crowd but couldn't see any familiar faces among the sea of people.
"I don't see them anywhere," Jessica said as she gripped his hand. "Maybe they just wandered off to go find another duel."
"I hope you're right." Yami turned and led her back out of the building. "Let's call Téa's phone." He found a phone booth and they squeezed into it as he quickly dialed the number. She held her breath as she waited. She faintly heard the sound of someone picking up on the other end, and then she heard the sound of Téa's voice yelling. She gasped, holding a hand to her mouth.
"Don't tell me..?" She watched as Yami set the phone down and glanced at her. The look in his eyes gave her a sinking feeling in her stomach.
"I fear we are already too late!" He stepped out of the phone booth with Jessica clutching his shirt. He stepped in front of Kaiba, who was leaning against a pole as he waited for them. "It seems the Rare Hunters have already gotten to our friends."
Kaiba's next words made her bristle. "Relax. They're after you and your Egyptian God card. Your friends are of no use to anyone. Besides, my satellite will track them down." He stepped towards the edge of the sidewalk and stopped. "Wheeler's duel disk sends out a constant signal. So finding your friends will be a simple task."
Then why didn't we follow that signal instead of the one where his duel took place? She took in a deep breath and let it out slowly before she could mouth off to Kaiba again. She knew her big mouth would eventually land her in more trouble.
But that good news quickly went down the metaphorical drain. Something was jamming Kaiba's satellite systems so they headed down the street in search of them again. Malekos stirred in her mind and she paused, causing Yami to stop and then Kaiba as they looked at her. She grew tense as she glanced around, eyes narrowed. They weren't alone, she could feel it.
And suddenly a cloaked Rare Hunter jumped in front of them, causing the boys to tense up. And when he pointed behind them, they all turned as a wind began to pick up. Around the corner of a building came a helicopter, with a tied up Mokuba hanging from it. She gasped, hearing Mokuba's pleas for his big brother to help him. She didn't even listen as the Rare Hunter threatened Kaiba into a duel. She watched as the helicopter slowly started to lift into the sky and she surged forward without thinking, wrenching her hand free of Yami's grasp.
"Jessica!"
Yami's voice rang in her ears but she didn't stop. She bolted towards the chopper with all the strength she could muster, her eyes flashing red. And as she was just underneath Mokuba, she lifted off the ground with a powerful jump that sent her higher than a normal human should go. Reaching out, she grasped onto the rope holding Mokuba, and felt the chopper pull away quickly, causing her to grit her teeth and hold on for fear of falling to her immediate death.
"Jessica!"
Yami's voice grew distant as she felt the rope get tugged on. They were both pulled onto the chopper and hands immediately grabbed her as the door closed, shielding them from the wind outside. They wrestled her face-down onto the floor and held her down. She growled as she glared up at the grinning thugs as they laughed at her.
"Two birds with one stone!" One laughed and she squeezed her eyes shut.
How could I be so stupid?!
That's what I was wondering! Malekos growled in her mind. She could feel him at the forefront of her mind, but she tried to push him back.
I had to do something! Just stay out of this until we land. I don't want Mokuba to get hurt because of your recklessness!
Fine! Malekos' snarl rang in her ears and she groaned, feeling him pulse with energy in his anger that sent a throb of pain through her head.
It was a while before she felt the helicopter descend. She was roughly pulled to her feet and dragged by her already bruised arms onto solid ground, making her wince. She listened to the protests of Mokuba as they were dragged into a building and thrown into a room full of boxes. As she nursed her arms gingerly, she heard the click of the door closing behind them and she groaned.
"Jessica, are you okay?" He crawled over to her and lightly touched her arms, pulling away when he saw her wince. "Your arms are bruised!"
She let out a huff, "Believe it or not this isn't the first time I've been manhandled by these guys today." She turned a concerned stare onto him. "What about you? Are you okay?"
"Yeah, I'm fine." He looked around the room. "There's gotta be a way out of here!"
Jessica pushed herself to her knees as she looked around. She noted the boxes stacked against the back wall and followed the wall towards the top. She saw an open skylight at the top, just big enough for someone to squeeze through. "There!" She pointed to the open space above their heads. "If we stack the boxes, maybe we can climb out of here. I just hope they're sturdy enough."
They exchanged a look and then nodded, setting to work on moving the boxes. Luckily, they seemed like they would hold their weight for at least a little while. She had Mokuba stand higher than her in case her weight caused them to fall, so he could easily stack the boxes higher without worry. They finished stacking the boxes and started to climb, although in her weakened state it was a lot more difficult than it looked.
"Hurry, Jessica!" Mokuba called to her as he reached the last box, glancing down at her to make sure she was still following.
"This is harder than it looks," she huffed as she climbed up another box.
They're coming! Malekos' voice made her gasp and look down as Rare Hunters burst into the room.
"Oh no!" She turned to Mokuba and shouted, "Get going!" It sprung him into action as he climbed to the top. She felt the boxes shift as the Rare Hunters started climbing after them, but their weight was starting to crush the boxes. She looked up in time to see Mokuba pull himself through the skylight just as the boxes all started to tumble to the ground. She let out a shriek as she fell with them, landing amongst the boxes and Rare Hunters on the ground.
"Jessica! Are you alright down there?!"
She stirred and lifted herself onto her hands and knees, looking up at a worried Mokuba as he peered down at her. "Don't worry about me! Just go get some help!" When she saw him nod and disappear, she breathed a sigh of relief. Hands grabbed her as the angry Rare Hunters pulled her to her feet by her bruised arms, causing her to cry out in pain. She growled at them as she kicked her feet, "Let me go!"
"Our master wants to see you now!" The sinister laughs of the Rare Hunters rang in her ears and she froze in horror, not able to do anything as she was dragged out of the building and across the way.
Now in the daylight, she could see that they seemed to be on some sort of pier where ships loaded and unloaded their cargo. She was dragged towards another building and was pushed down into a chair, where she was locked in place. She squirmed in her restraints to no avail. She growled as the Rare Hunters walked away from her, only to gasp when she saw two familiar figures.
"Joey! Téa!" She almost breathed a sigh of relief before Malekos cut in.
They're being mind controlled! He snarled in her mind and she bit her lip as she watched them walk towards her.
"Snap out of it, you two!" She tried to reason with them, but their dull eyes gave nothing away. No life could be found in their eyes and it made her shiver. "Yugi is worried sick about you both!"
"They can't hear you!" Another laugh caught her attention and she watched as two more figures stepped into the room. One was a tall cloaked figure, and the other was a platinum-blonde boy with lavender eyes and gold jewelry. "My name is Marik, and you'll be a fine addition to my Rare Hunters!"
Uh oh, Marik caught her! What a stupid move, Jessica. To leap without thinking.
Anyway, leave a review and tell me what you thought!