My lord, I actually continued this… Lord only knows where it'd going but, I hope you all enjoy it anyway. My inner 'shipper is kinda starting to make her appearance. Standard Disclaimers apply.

Chapter Two.

New York City, Carmen Street Apartment Block 3, 2:00 a.m.

"Hey there, you've reached the Joey Wheeler Mobile Hotline. I'm kinda busy helpin' save the world, kicking duellist ass or maybe out getting burgers or something right now. Leave a message!"

Beep.

'Joey? It's me, Téa. I'm so sorry I missed all those calls, I was at my late night training and… and what do you mean Yugi's in Austria?! I've seen the news, Joey, its total chaos over there. Several English channels have gone out on the neighbours' satellite TV and the last I checked they were shutting down all the flight lines. I can't even seem to get through to Yugi's phone so I have no idea what's happening there and… Listen, I have no idea how I'm going to get to—'

Beep. Click.

'Uh, okay that's just as annoying as he made it sound.'

Beep.

'Joey? It's me again. In the time since the last message I had the neighbours round. They're saying the channel tunnel's being inundated with shadow magic. That means whatever this is; it's spreading outside of one country, right? And spreading far, from the sounds of it. It's only a matter of time before…

'Joey, I don't know where you guys are right now but please, try and stay safe and don't—'

Beep. Click.

'…God Damn It.'

Beep.

'Look, Joey, just… I know you're probably already on your way there, but just call me back, okay? I don't know how I'm going to do this, but I can't leave you guys out there alone in all that mess. I can't leave Yugi out there. I don't understand why he didn't… well. Help me out here? Please call back.'

Click.

Somewhere over the North Pacific Ocean, 1:49 am.

There are no other crafts in the runway when they arrive at Kaiba Corp's private landing strip. And no crew or workers either, unless you counted Kaiba.

'Whoa, whoa, hang on a sec. What the hell's he doin' on the plane? I don't remember bookin' into Jerk-Class.'

'It is his plane, Joey… and his air field, for that matter.'

'Don't you start turning traitor on me, 'Kura. I'm serious. Who the hell asked him to come?'

'Well its likely Yugi mentioned it to him at some point. Otherwise, I believe he must have invited himself.'

'Oh. Wonderful. Okay fine, shadow magic and freaky soul stealing demons in Australia—'

'Austria, hun,' Mai corrected. 'We're going to Austria. Europe, not Oceania. And I hope to God that somebody brought earplugs with them because from what I hear, these high class jets are fast as hell and shoot through the atmosphere like a Harpy Lady on caffeine.'

'Ah. Very…Interesting metaphor that one, Mai.'

'Thanks. Say Bakura, you're European by origin, aren't you? It would explain the accent.'

'Yes but Austria is… perhaps a little far out, regardless. We're still going to have difficulties concerning language unless any of us happens to be familiar with German.'

'German, huh? Heh. Sprekanze deutschen? Or something…'

Bakura blinked. 'What did Tristan just say?'

'He's being an intellectual drunk. Lots of people do it. He's also failing because I'm fairly sure that's not how you say "do you speak German?".'

'Whatever. Look back to the point, man, all of that stuff I can handle. But not him. Not right now. Not for ten whole freaking hours without any respite.'

Seto sighs and rubs his forehead impatiently with a finger. 'Like mister shy-and-impersonal said, Wheeler. It's my damn plane. If I'm sending you people halfway around the world to deal with some ridiculous crisis of supposed supernatural proportions of my own freely given generosity, then I'd like to see exactly what my cash is being wasted on. For all I know you're planning to use this for a shopping trip to the Big Apple.'

Tristan's eyebrow raises slightly. '…So Yugi's in Australia or… or this Austria place facing down Gods only knows what evil forces of… evilness, and yet you think we're gonna take this thing on a day trip to New York?'

Seto stares, conscious of a vague slurring coming from Tristan's general direction. 'Please, don't tell me you're not even sober.'

'M'kay, I won't tell you.'

'Oh for Christ's sakes, Taylor.'

'Hey, seven day week, man, cut me some slack.'

Bakura is wincing and clearly wishing for a long lost bed. 'Can't we all just agree to disagree for now and move right along?'

'For once I agree with Bakura. Now can we tell the pilot to begin take off procedure, or do I have to throw you all out on the runway?'

'Aw who're you foolin', Kaiba? Yugi wants help here, not more challenges to stupid pointless duels that we all know he's gonna win anyway.'

'Funny I was under the impression that lending you the transportation without which it would be all but impossible for you to even get to your precious champion gave me certain privileges. Of course if you're really so adverse to my assistance, mutt, I could always make you pay the fuel-and-loading fees. I suppose you all have the twenty thousand yen necessary to soup this machine up for a single transpacific crossing? Not including the return flight, of course.'

'…Nggh.'

'I thought as much.'

'Huhm. You know you may have some smart ass privilege things for lending us the plane an all, Kaiba, but know what? You still suck.'

'Just sit down and shut up already, Tristan. I think you could use the upcoming several hour journey to sober up. And don't even think about changing your mind when we're halfway across the freaking continent because I'm sure as hell not detouring to drop you off in Egypt.'

'Fine, fine. That wouldn't be so bad, though…Could visit the pharaoh's ol' homestead, you know… hey, maybe we could all go there after this.

'Shut up, Taylor.'

'S'hup 'self, Kaiba. So how long's it gonna take us, anyway? To get to jolly ol' Europe?'

Kaiba 'We're not going to Austria yet.

'…Come again?'

'What? Sorry, Kaiba but I could've sworn the possible end-of-a-continent-situation was somewhere in that general direction.'

'Brilliant observation, Valentine, but we're going to New York.'

'…Uh?'

'I thought he said no shopping…'

'Shut up, Taylor.'

New York City, Carmen Street Apartment Block 3, 2:00 a.m.

'I don't care which transfers you put me on, okay? Whichever is the fastest.'

'…'

'Lady , believe me, you have no idea about my stress right now. And yes I'm sure that's what they all say, and I know you're a person too and every good luck to you in that but that doesn't change my problem and lets not start an equality of customer services campaign just now, okay?'

'…'

'Okay okay, I apologise, but… but I'm serious it's so urgent I get there right now I can't even begin to describe it. They're missing a left smiley eye, it's an important part!'

'…'

'Yes I'm sure it doesn't make any sense to you but it does to me and I have to get to the other eye and the two parts of the lips right now and… oh, god this is starting to sound ridiculous, I knew I should've gotten more sleep last—'

'…'

'What? Um, no, no I can't pay by credit, but I'll pay it, okay, I don't care what it costs.

'…'

'Well… well then whatever is available, I'm serious I have to get there right now.'

'…'

'Um. Okay, so the Austrian international airport is refusing to accept any incoming flights at the moment which are not military oriented. I've already grasped that. Then can you get me on a military plane? I'll sit in the cargo if I have to.'

'…?'

'Yes I really am that desperate. Can anyone do it?'

'…?'

'What? Well if they aren't even sending any military planes out there why did you even mention—urgh, never mind. Look I—'

'…'

'Well who else am I going to ask about getting a plane? You're a helpline, aren't you? It's what you do, you get people on planes, and right now I really, really need to get on a plane to Austria. My English isn't that bad, madam!'

'…'

'Look I apologise, I didn't mean to snap, but I really don't care what the government thinks.'

'…'

'Yes.'

'…'

'No I… it doesn't exactly work that way I— no I'm not New York native. Look I don't think this is the time for me to be discussing the coolness of my accent or… oh fine, already, I'll try another airline, goodbye!'

Click.

Hang on.

'God damn it I hate airport help-lines.'

Somewhere over the North Pacific Ocean, 1:49 am.

'…Y'know what they should call us?'

For the fifty-eighth time since they boarded the jet and began the climb to ten thousand feet, Seto Kaiba asks himself what the living hell he is doing here. There's a quiet sigh from the seat behind him.

'I don't know, hun, what should they call us?'

'The Scooby gang!'

'The what now?'

'Man and here I was thinkin' you knew weird stuff like this with all your international duelling and stuff. You know, like that weird American cartoon, where those kids solve all these weird mysteries with the dogs an' the cute chick… we solve mysteries with creepy villains an' bad guys, right?'

Tristan looks up (somewhat less intoxicated than earlier. Due to find out exactly how bad a hangover feels even when you don't lose conscious between it and the initial consumption. Serves the idiot right. 'Which chick? Y'mean the one with the specs?'

Kaiba considers making short stab about the obvious identity of the dog's role amongst the present company but it feels too much like cracking a joke and at this moment in time, he can't be bothered with the repercussions it would have amongst aforementioned present company. As if Kaiba actually making a joke would be a kind of sin against all nature, or something. It also says something severe about the severity of their current situation that Kaiba has been reduced to thinking Joey Wheeler's girlfriend might be the most intellectual person he's currently sharing an aircraft with.

'So…are we in Austria yet?

'We're not even going to Austria yet, Tristan.'

'Oh… then where are we going?'

'New York,' Kaiba sighs, painfully. 'We're picking up… your friend, Gardner, remember? That is, if she's found it in herself to step out of her ballet pimps for a few damn minutes and get to her answering machine.'

The silence that follows only lasts a few minutes, but that's long enough for Kaiba to start trying to relax, and then regretting even the attempt when Wheeler's dumb head appears through a gap in the chairs.

'So why are you doin' this, anyways Kaiba?' Kaiba doesn't want to afford him the patience of a reply, so he doesn't offer one. The mutt apparently isn't deterred, though. 'Only I love Téa and all. But she's not the one who could be up to her eyeballs in zombies over in good ol' England…'

'I'll have you know that on a jet like this the time difference between New York and Austria will be all but negligible anyway,' Kaiba muttered. 'It doesn't make much of a difference if we stop for fifteen minutes in another airport to pick up little Yugi's girlfriend.'

'That in mind, its still time. Every second counts in things like this.'

'I'm fairly sure Yugi if anyone is going to be pleased to see her. Nothing of the sort Wheeler, but if you're going to place some level of importance on a ring of permanent ink on your hands then you're going to want all four of you if you're going to be effective.'

'Uh… no, that's kinda where you're wrong, Kaiba.'

Kaiba forgets to make a smart remark settling instead for an only vaguely wry: 'Oh? It works with the Power of Three then, does it?

'Funny,' Wheeler scowls but doesn't react nearly as severely as he usually does. 'Okay sure, Yugi'd like Téa around right now, we all would. She's like glue, yeah? So for stuff like this it'd be cool to have her around. On the other hand, we're talking a lot of supernatural evil crap here. Yugi wouldn't want her near that, not after all the other times. You ever notice how the creepy mind possessing guy always went for her? Well, when he wasn't goin' for me, anyways. It's like she's a bad guy magnet, or something.'

Kaiba raises both eyebrows, vague interest changing to a combination of irritating curiosity and piqued amusement.

'Anyway, why'd you think Yugi called me instead of her? He'd just tell her to stay in New York, out of harms way. And you know what? That's what I'm thinking too. I'm thinking she don't deserve to be pulled outta that dream life she somehow got the chance to live in just to go blowin' up dead guys in the south of Europe.' He blinked. 'Shoulda thought about that before I told her she should try an' get to Austria in the first place, really… Crap.'

'Bit of a cock up on your part, then?'

'Shut up. You're meant to be the smart ass executive freak here, Kaiba.'

'Look, it doesn't matter if she's not invited. Gardner would still probably find out and tag along anyway doing that ridiculous togetherness stuff that she always does and forcing you into yet deeper interdependence…' …and refuse to talk to you if you all treated her with kiddie gloves, he adds silently in his head. And they thought he didn't observe Yugi's friends. 'She'd want to be there and would no doubt make your lives a misery afterwards whether or not the world still existed.'

'Still not the point.'

…Witty today, isn't he?

Seto takes a deep breath, mentally recites several expert chess strategies in his mind, and opens his eyes again to face another onslaught of what from his perspective is little more than sheer inanity.

'Listen. If it's so imperative you know the answer before your life can continue…' (and possibly end) '…Then the reason I am flying you over to New York international airport and to hell with flight regulations is not because Yugi would want her there, but because you need her there. Because it's bad enough that I'm flying you all into what –if the problem hasn't been sorted by now– is probably very much a veritable no man's land death zone without at least ensuring our numbers are at least one person higher, lest we all die anyway. Because you need,' he snorted. 'Your circle.'

Joey blinks at him slowly and carefully. Just as Kaiba suspected, he thought. He'd lost him…

'You trying to tell me you actually believe that?'

…Or perhaps not.

'No, I don't. Not where I'm concerned. Placebo effect or not it sure as hell seems to do something for you and while I'm not one for encouraging delusions, interdependence is possibly the only think that's keeping you people alive right now,' he settles back in his chair. 'I'm taking you in the plane,' he continues, very slowly and carefully so that the mutt didn't get lost along the way and leave Kaiba having to explain it all again. 'Because I owe Yugi. Do you understand? In fact, don't even bother to answer that one, Wheeler. I honestly don't care if you understand or not. After this we're even until the next time comes to reclaim my title. Anyway, it does something. I can't deny the fact that you're all still alive after all when you should have been killed ten times over in the last twelve months alone.'

'Uh… Sure. Whatever, Kaiba.'

Wheeler probably doesn't believe him. Or if he does, he doesn't really care and Kaiba can easily return that nonchalance athousandfold.

He decides that this would be a good time to retreat to the cockpit and stay there for the rest of the flight harassing the pilot.

'…Man, that one so wasn't the hot chick. The hot chick was the red head with the weird fashion stuff!'

'Aw c'mon, that cartoon was made at like the turn of the century, or something; all fashion was bad, 'especially in the Americans.'

Seto Kaiba doesn't believe in a God like deity. He still prays for more willpower, or for the immediate removal of all of their voice boxes. Whichever way is the fastest.

Austria, Vienna, 4:00 a.m.

'Yugi…'

'Hm?'

'Phone line reception. We've lost it. Completely'

'…Crap.'

'Exactly what I was thinking. The lines must've been cut outside. All the psychic shockwaves from the possessions running around the streets are playing havoc with the electricity.'

'…Yami?'

'Hm?'

'We've also lost the water.'

'…Crap.'

'Since we're getting so good at echoing each other today, I'm assuming that you're also thinking that we really have to get out of here?'

'Yes, but the airport is a long way from here I seem o remember the journey took forty five minutes. How do we…'

'…Get there? I have no idea whatsoever but if you've got a plan I'd love to hear it.'

'Hm. If this were a duel—'

'But it's not a Duel, Yami. It's not. It's a Shadow Realm unleashing without so much as a common-level trap card in sight and we can't shut it down or de-possess all those people just by brandishing a card at them! So… so just…'

'…'

'I'm sorry, Yami, I didn't mean—'

'It's alright. You're right, anyway, I…' he pauses, chuckles. 'I seem to equate everything with duelling, these days, don't I?'

Yugi's lips tweak a little. 'Watch it, Yami Yugi, I think you're developing an obsession complex.'

'Ha.'

Still joking. Well, it's something at least. But then the joke is followed by a long pause of silence except for the sound of Yugi drumming on the tabletop. Wasn't Austria supposed to be famous for good furniture or something? Why did all the motels they'd been in come equipped with plywood furniture and whitewash. Not hat he's ever complained about motel furniture. Provided it keeps blocking the door as well as it's currently doing, he supposes he can't get too snotty about it.

'It's only going to get worse out there and I. I don't know what to do about it, Yami. We need our friends. We need help – anyone's help but…'

'But?'

'I'm meant to be… to be used to this.'

'I don't think you can ever get used to the Shadow Realm, Yugi.'

He all but ignores Yami's statement. 'It still makes my eyes itch. And things still start spinning when I go out in it for too long. And it still makes me want to pass out, thrown up and tear my heart out all in one go and I… I don't understand. It never does this to the others.'

'…The others aren't you, Yugi.'

Yugi is too concerned right now to take offence at the truth, so he just sighs and focuses on Yami's hand on his shoulder.

'Mokuba was right, then. I am comparable to Disney's snow white.'

'That's probably a bit extreme.'

'But not by much?'

'Well.'

The streets are back to screaming again, too far away for them to ever have helped whoever it was even if they could've gotten there. They're forced just to sit and listen and pray the television comes back on so they can find out what the hell the world is trying to do about all this. Probably not nearly as much as they should be, but then what help can they give, anyway? The few people in the world who have enough knowledge of the Shadow Realm to be of any usage are sitting in this room.

'I think we should've stayed in Egypt.'

'Yeah. The zombies would have been way more preferable to this, now that I think about it.'

Reviews and concrit are appreciated.