DISCLAIMER: If you recognise it from somewhere else, it isn't mine.

Family Affair Part II

Sharee fully expected the ambush and ducked as soon as Marik's eyes flicked behind her. She straightened up and grabbed the two Rare Hunters that'd attacked, her hands wrapping around their cloaks. Using their own surprise, and borrowing some of Shamee's strength, she gave them a hard yank. Both of them flew overboard and landed in the water. Marik stared in disbelief.

Odion came at her next. He was fast for such a big guy. Sharee dropped again and kicked his feet out from under him. She sprung to her feet again. Odion was just pushing him up. Moving fast, Sharee shot over and kicked him in the ribs. It was just hard enough for him to be knocked onto his back. Sharee lifted her foot and then brought it down and dug her heel into the top of his sternum – a pressure point useful for incapacitation. A sound was emitted from Odion's throat and he lay there, frozen.

Sharee lifted her head and looked at Marik. behind. 'I also studied the writings of the Pharaoh within Yugi Moto. Do you know why he was so respected and revered in ancient times?'

'He was a Pharaoh!' Marik snapped. 'They thought their kings were living embodiments of the Gods.'

'There were plenty of Pharaohs throughout Ancient Egypt's history that were neither respected nor revered,' Sharee said. 'The fact that he was meant to be a God on Earth meant nothing. The correct answer is that he earned his loyalty and love from the people.' She paused and cocked her head, eyes going down to the Rod. 'In fact, I'm not sure the Royal Court even knew about the Rod's mind-control abilities back then.'

Marik growled and reached back for his duelling deck.

'Uh!' Sharee held her hand up. 'Hold on, now, Marik. We're not going to duel that way. I have another idea.'

Marik paused and looked at her curiously. 'Oh, yes?'

'Yes. We're going to go a little more old-hat.' As soon as she finished speaking, there was the roar of an engine and a pick-up truck drove into the wharf. 'Have you met my father?'

The truck stopped next to where the boat was docked and Dennis climbed out of the driver's seat. He moved around and hopped up onto the tray. Standing there, he waited for her to proceed. On his left forefinger, and having caught Marik's eye, was an ancient ring made of gold and bearing the eye symbol.

'I see he has the Ring of Horus,' Marik remarked.

'Well, we don't want you using that on him.' Sharee jabbed her finger at the Millennium Rod. 'A few minutes is enough time for you to have him put a bullet in my back.' She pulled her foot off of Odion's sternum, letting him back up. She gave him a warning as he got up. 'And he does have that gun if you interfere.'

Odion scowled as she stood. Anyone could see he knew that she was serious and he didn't like it one bit. All the same, he now knew she could knock him flat. Odion backed away and stood next to the entrance of the deck. Marik watched him go and then turned his attention back to her.

'What's this duel?' Marik asked.

Sharee smirked. 'My father has brought one of every variety of traditional weapons for the ancient Egyptians – just one. You may pick a weapon and I will pick one. We use our weapons in physical combat. We may use nothing else besides the selected weapon, outside of ourselves.'

Surprise crossed Marik's face before he smirked. 'I see. The winner is the one who slays their opponent.'

'That is a personal choice,' Sharee said. 'Pick your weapon.'

'Give me the khopesh,' Marik said.

Dennis leaded over and pulled a sickle-shaped sword from the tray and tossed it across. Marik caught it by the handle. He swung it around and smirked at it. 'I must say, it's very-well crafted. Is it a reproduction?'

'Well, we can't use an original can we?' Sharee asked. 'Dad, toss me the mekes.'

Dennis reached down again and pulled out a long staff with a nodule in the middle. He threw it to his daughter. Sharee caught it and spun the weapon. She brought it to a stop in a defensive position in front of her.

'A stick?' Marik sneered. 'The very idea that you think that will help you is quite amusing.'

Funny, he'd said the same thing right before the Pharaoh beat him and took Slifer the Sky Dragon. Best not to mention that. 'Let's just get on with it.'

With a smirk, Marik swung the blade, heading right for Sharee's head. THUNK! Marik's eyes widened as Sharee raised the staff and blocked his blow with one end. She smirked now and spun the other end up. With a whack to the head, Marik hit the deck. His fist tightened around his sword and he looked up, his eyes slightly unfocused.

Sharee rested one end of the staff near her foot. 'All over the world, the staff is a weapon of defence. If used properly, it can easily take impact from blades – and it's blunt, so when you get hit with it, it hurts more.'

Marik found his focus and looked up at her, eyes narrowing. Slowly, he stood up. His eyes narrowed as he looked her over. Sharee knew that now he wouldn't be so foolish with his fighting. He knew her skill with the weapon wasn't as shoddy as he'd previously thought. Of course, he had a bad habit of thinking they all weren't as good as they actually were.

Sharee smirked as they circled each other. 'Come on now, boy, there's no such thing as undefeatable.'

'You are far from undefeatable, Sharee,' Marik said.

'I wasn't talking about me.'

Marik growled. 'The Pharaoh's Puzzle and power will be mine!' He attacked her again, swinging his sword around. Sharee blocked and spun her staff. Marik ducked to avoid getting hit in the head again. He swung again and Sharee blocked again. This time both weapons were above their heads, Marik pushing against the wood and Sharee holding her staff steady.

'Please.' Sharee huffed. 'The only time the Pharaoh loses is when his judgement is clouded by something. I was talking about you.' She was also getting sick of having her arms in the air. Sharee brought her knee up, into the bottom of Marik's ribcage.

Marik hacked and she twisted, flipping him over her shoulder. Sharee lowered her arms. She leaned on the staff and used her free hand to wipe her face. 'Ugh.' Well, she supposed it served her right for that. If you were gonna knee someone in the torso, expect to get spat on.

Marik was on his feet again, faster than she was expecting, and charging at her. He stabbed. Sharee jumped to the side. She used her staff to deflect the blow to the side. Marik spun around sliced down at her again, this time aiming for her neck. Sharee ducked and swiped her staff into the back of his knees, knocking him down.

Sharee hopped up and had to swing her staff up to defend quickly. Marik had, again, recovered faster than she'd been expecting. He pounced up and came at her with an overhead swing. With another thunk, Sharee caught the blow on her staff. His eyes were burning with hatred. Sharee would admit that Marik had angled his body well this time. He was careful about not letting her get at his ribcage again, angling himself away from her at the same time as he was trying to slice her head in two. But Sharee could never have been accused of underestimating him.

Before that moment, Sharee didn't know "famous last words" could include thoughts.

With a startling speed, Marik released one hand from the handle of the sword. His now-free hand shot down and he yanked his Millennium Rod out. With the flick of his wrist, Sharee realised what he was doing and she dodged to the side. Hot, white pain shot across her ribcage as Marik sliced through the flesh. If Sharee hadn't moved, it would have gone into her ribcage and pierced her liver, she was sure.

Sharee staggered back. She was sure she was the one glaring now, but she didn't care. Marik still held his sword, but the Millennium Rod was in his other hand. What Sharee had been told, but never seen until now, was that the bottom part of the Millennium Rod was also a dagger. Marik his flicked away the casing in the hopes of doing her in. Now, he held the Rod with a large and sadistic smirk pasted right across his mug.

'All right,' Sharee said. 'I'm done with playing games.' Ignoring the tearing pain and pouring blood, she crossed the deck. Before she came into reach of his sword or Millennium Rod, Sharee flicked the staff out. It slammed into Marik's gut, deep.

This time when he hacked Marik coughed up blood. He doubled over and struggled to catch his breath. It was his turn to stagger back. Sharee bounced around him and swung the end of her staff into the back of his head again. It wasn't hard enough to knock him out, but he would be seeing double for quite a while.

Grunting, Marik shakily struggled to push himself up. Sharee wasn't having that. She slammed the end of her staff into him again, this time aiming for his back. He hit the ground with a louder grunt. This time, he gave no resistance and he didn't try to push himself up again.

All the same, Sharee had noticed. She may have been bleeding out all over the deck and in a load of pain, but she still noticed. She just wasn't sure what she'd felt through the staff. It sure as Egypt's sands didn't feel like his spine – well, that was there too but it wasn't what got her attention.

Note to me: ask Ishizu later. Sharee had to make her point though. 'And that's why you don't stuff with us. Next time, I may kill you.'

Sharee leaned over and picked up his sword, dropped on the deck, and made her way over to her father. As soon as she was away from Marik, she noticed Odion rushing over to check he was all right. As for Sharee herself, her father pulled her down from the boat with his mouth set in a grim line.

YGO

Sharee sat in the hospital room, her father leaning against the wall. Her torso was bandaged and she had a bag of plasma attached to her arm. There was a clean row of stitches in her side. Thanks to modern medicine, though, that would eventually fade into a faint line.

Well…provided she didn't pull any stitches.

They expected to discharge her in a few hours. That was good. She didn't want to be stuck here for the duration of this fight. As it was, she was on the phone to the Pharaoh. It wasn't often that Sharee was the one talking to him but she was the one who owed the explanation. The radio was on in the background.

'Yeah, so I had to deal with that. I should be out by about five. Have you found our friends yet?'

'Not yet, but I'm looking.'

A voice in the background told Sharee what the main problem was. 'Oh, is Kaiba still badgering you?'

'Yes.'

'Is Mokuba with him?'

'No.'

'So, he didn't take Shamee seriously.' Sharee huffed. 'You'd think he'd know better by now.'

'You would think.'

Sharee went to say something, but she suddenly noticed what the radio reporter was saying. 'Um, Pharaoh, you might want to look near the aquarium.'

'Why?'

'It said on the radio that Joey Wheeler just defeated Mako Tsunami.'