Hey yall, sorry for the late chapter! I'm running out of pre-written chapters so updates will become slower. To give me time to get out of my writing funk I found myself in.
Usual reminders:
Italics are thoughts or word emphasis. Bold is Malekos' speech.
It wasn't long before they decided to follow Noah through a dark cave tunnel, who had a change of heart after learning of his father's betrayal and true plan. Jessica was walking beside Yami as they followed Noah's lead, their friends not far behind them.
"There it is! The possible exit!" Noah ran forward as a control panel with a bunch of buttons came into view. He stopped in front of it and looked down. "Nevermind… This is one of several remote network stations built by my father. It can give us access to all the programmed emergency exits, but it seems that my father has locked the system and closed off every exit to stop us from escaping." He paused for a moment before continuing. "When he showed up again after six years, he promised to help me! But he was lying! My father was using me!"
Jessica stuffed her hands in her hoodie pocket as she frowned. She didn't know the feeling of a family betrayal. When she lost her parents, she was found by the authorities and given medical treatment right away due to her burn. But after that, she was given to an orphanage since she had no other family members, or at least none that stepped up to claim her. Soon after that, she had escaped and had fended for herself on the streets since then. The smiling faces of her mother and father surfaced in her mind and she gripped her hands into fists. She was glad she had hidden them, she didn't want anyone to worry about her right now.
Their faces were pushed out of her thoughts forcefully as Malekos growled in her mind. Pay attention, little one. They're discussing a possible exit. Biting her lip, she focused back on the shouting voices around her.
"There's a doorway that I created and it leads directly to the real world," Noah was explaining. "I'm quite sure my father has no idea that it exists. You can escape and warn the world of his plan."
"Then what are we waitin' around here for?" Joey asked. "Let's go!"
"Very well," Noah agreed. "Just follow me." And he began to walk back down the tunnel.
Jessica followed the others as Noah led the way again. She noticed that Yami held back to walk beside Kaiba, probably to discuss something with him. She could just barely make out their conversation but she acted like she wasn't eavesdropping.
"Kaiba, something isn't right," Yami told him. "I think Noah's lying to us. He's not to be trusted."
"Why don't you try telling me something I don't already know, Yugi?"
"If you're so sure this is a trick, then why are you following him?"
"I was always taught to keep my enemies close by."
Jessica noticed Kaiba push past her as they exited the tunnel into an open area that sloped downwards. She stopped and glanced over her shoulder, realizing that Yami had also stopped. He looked lost in thought and she waited patiently for him. When Yami suddenly switched places with Yugi, her heart fluttered. She greeted him with a smile and reached out her hand to him, and he grasped it with his.
"Sorry about that," he told her, smiling. "Let's catch up to the others."
"Right!" Jessica nodded. And hand in hand, they jogged to catch up to the gang.
They followed Noah into a canyon, walls of rock surrounding them on either side. Joey was the first to let his impatience show.
"Alright, where is this exit already?" He asked.
"There." Noah stopped and they took notice of a large stone wall in front of them, complete with a double door. "Your freedom lies beyond this door." He turned back to look at them. "Once you walk through, you'll wake up in the real world." The doors opened and they all walked through despite their doubts.
Blinking open her eyes after the blinding light faded, Jessica looked around. She was in the middle of Domino city. The streets were bustling with people and she noticed Yami walking ahead of her. She furrowed her brows in confusion. "Yami? Did you switch with Yugi just a little while ago?"
Yami stopped and turned to look at her, a look of confusion crossing his own face. "What do you mean? Yugi sent us out here to 'hang out'."
A twinge in her mind made her shut her eyes, and suddenly she was standing by the canal overlooking the duel Yami had with Strings, facing off against Slifer the Sky Dragon. "What?" She looked around and felt another twinge in her mind. And suddenly she was strapped to the chair at the pier, staring at Marik as he brandished the Millennium Rod in her face. "These events already happened!" She was shaking as she squeezed her eyes shut. And just as suddenly, there was someone shaking her shoulders.
"Jess, are you okay?" It was Yugi.
Gasping, she released her head and looked around. She had been crouching down and clutching her head to make everything disappear, and now she found herself in an empty courtyard with the rest of the gang, minus Kaiba, Mokuba, and Noah. She looked up into the worried face of Yugi and she stood up, throwing her arms around him and making him gasp in surprise. "Please tell me this isn't another memory…"
"It's okay," Yugi assured her as he rubbed her back soothingly. When she released him and held his hand instead, he turned to address the whole gang. "Noah must have tricked us!"
"Let's find that punk right now," Joey said. "Where is he anyway?" They all looked around but didn't see him.
"I don't know but Kaiba and Mokuba are missing too," Jessica told them as she bit her lip.
She listened as the gang talked about Noah's betrayal when suddenly she felt something, making her flinch in surprise. She glanced in a separate direction, towards where she thought she felt it. Malek?
Yes, I sensed it. Another body has just been stolen.
Jessica gasped, "What?!" She accidentally exclaimed out loud in her shock, startling the group.
"Jess? What's wrong?" Yugi asked, his brows furrowed in confusion and concern.
"We sensed something," she said and then started running in the direction she last felt it. "This way!"
"Wait!" Yugi called after her, but she could hear the gang's footsteps as they followed her anyway. And then something suddenly materialized in front of her, catching her off guard. "Jess!"
Skidding to a halt, Jessica used her momentum to push backwards and leaped back, stumbling a bit. A pair of hands steadied her by the shoulders and a quick glance told her it was Yugi. Looking forward again, she saw monsters had materialized in her path like soldiers and she growled.
"Joey, behind you!"
Monsters had materialized behind him, and then more appeared behind Duke and then Serenity. They were surrounded on all sides by different monsters. Jessica got into a defensive stance beside Yugi and then gasped as she saw one of the monsters swing a sword towards Joey, who was standing protectively in front of his sister.
"Come forth, Curse of Dragon!" Yugi's call startled her and Jessica watched as his monster appeared and destroyed the monster in front of Joey.
Joey followed his lead and summoned his own monster to defend them.
"We can't fight them all," Yugi realized as he took out one wave, and another advanced. "We just need to take out enough for us to make a run for it!"
The two took out enough monsters in order to run further into the city, but they were stopped by another mob. One of them took out Yugi's dragon, and he grunted from the shock it gave him.
"Yugi!" Jessica was at his side in an instant, grabbing his shoulders to steady him. "Are you okay?"
"I'm fine," he assured her, giving her a small smile. He looked over her shoulder and gasped. "Behind you!"
She barely had enough time to see what he was looking at. There was a monster towering over the two, holding its sword high as it prepared to strike. Her eyes grew round in horror as she realized they had no time to defend themselves, and they flashed a bright green as the sword came down towards their heads. She hugged Yugi tightly and heard him gasp, and the sound of metal ricocheting off of something.
"Yugi! Jessica!" Joey called out their names, and the monster attacking them suddenly roared and vanished.
Yugi blinked as he saw the green forcefield that had been protecting them fade, and he looked down at Jessica, who was blinking in confusion. "Jess, what was that?"
She stared at where the monster had been, her eyes back to normal, as she tried to wrap her mind around what had happened. "I… I don't know…"
"Well, come on! The coast is clear," Joey called, and they turned to see him gesturing down an alleyway.
Yugi grasped Jessica's hand and led her into it after their friends. They stopped once they got inside the alleyway and huddled together, and Jessica stood dazed, not knowing what to think.
"Are those monsters coming back?" Serenity asked.
"Don't worry, Serenity," Duke said. "It seems like we're safe for now." Heavy footsteps were heard and they turned to see a monster peer into the alley behind them. "Or maybe not!"
As Téa screamed for them to run, Jessica stumbled to lean against the wall as she watched Joey and Yugi face the monster for another battle. They summoned monsters to defend themselves and defeat wave after wave to create room to escape. Finally, after what seemed like forever, they destroyed the monsters and Noah's frantic voice echoed above them.
"Attention, can all of you hear me? This is extremely important!"
"Noah?" Jessica blinked up at the sky in confusion.
"This is a warning to all of you! Look, the virtual world that you're all in is about to be destroyed!"
"Say what?" Duke and Joey made their comments against Noah, but Jessica could tell there was a real urgency to his voice.
"Noah! Tell us what's going on!" She called out, and she felt Yugi's hand grasp hers. She gripped it back but didn't look at him.
"I'm so sorry for the way I treated you all! But now a satellite is set to destroy the main computer system. When that computer shuts down, the virtual world will collapse. You must escape or your minds will be lost forever!"
The gang gasped, and Jessica gulped. She stepped closer to Yugi's side and glanced at him. He gave her the same worried look.
"Listen to me! I can still help! The only exit is in the Domino Arcade! Hurry, time is running out!"
"Can we... trust him?"
"Trust Noah? Forget about it," Joey said.
"I don't think we have a choice," Jessica told them, and they all turned to her. She straightened up with a deep breath, trying to look more confident than she felt. "Yes, he's done horrible things to us… But he sounds really sincere right now. And I don't want to wait around to find out if his words are actually true or not."
"You're right," Yugi agreed with a nod. "We have nothing to lose."
When they all agreed, they took off running in the direction of the arcade. They were all huffing as they ran, closer and closer.
"Domino Arcade is only two blocks away," Joey said.
"And the exit should be inside," Yugi added. He looked over his shoulder and gasped. "Oh no! Behind us! There's no way we'll outrun Gozaburo's monsters!"
The gang stopped as Joey, Yugi, and Duke decided to stay behind while the others escaped. Jessica tried to stay behind, but the girls pulled her along. She growled and followed them anyway, if only to make sure they got there safely. When they reached the entrance doors, she let them walk in by themselves. Téa stopped and glanced over her shoulder.
"Jessica? Come on!"
She shook her head. "I'm not leaving until the guys get here. I'll stand watch so that no monsters come in. You three need to escape!"
"But-" Serenity tried to say something, but Jessica cut her off.
"No buts!" She growled, clenching a fist in front of her. "At least this way you'll know that I'll bring the guys back with me." Her green eyes were determined as she met Téa's gaze, and the brunette finally nodded.
"Fine. But you better come back in one piece!"
"You got it!" She grinned, and watched as they disappeared into the arcade.
The sounds of monsters growling made Jessica whirl around and she saw three come around the corner of the building and notice her. She growled and got into a defensive stance as they approached. Malekos! Is there a way for me to use some of your powers without you having to be in control?
It is possible. But I don't know how much strain it will put on your mind. She noticed he didn't say body, since they now knew that their bodies weren't in the virtual world.
I'll take that chance. We need to keep these monsters away from the arcade!
Then focus!
He didn't have to tell her twice. She focused all her energy on what she thought his powers looked like, and balls of black shadows formed in the palms of her hands like flames. She could already feel the throb of a headache forming, but this was necessary. As a monster approached with a sword, ready to strike her, she let out a shout and threw one of the balls of shadow at it. It engulfed the monster and it let out a shriek before bursting into pixels. She grinned and silently triumphed. It worked! Now to deal with the other two.
Now she's got green powers? What the heck's with that?