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

Friends Til the End Part I

'As soon as we land, Mokuba will lead us to my friends,' the Pharaoh said. 'We'll break in, and get them out.'

Kaiba looked at him. 'Look, Yugi, I brought you here and I'll be calling all the shots today.' He smirked. 'And the first task on my agenda is to track down the third Egyptian God card. After that, we'll find your friends.'

Shamee huffed, like she'd just given up on talking to him.

The Pharaoh looked back at him. Did he have no concept of priorities? 'Kaiba, Joey and Téa are in great danger and we must rescue them right away!'

'Sorry.' Kaiba never sounded it when he said that. 'But it's obvious that you and I have very different priorities, Yugi. So why don't we split up and fend for ourselves when we land?'

The Pharaoh narrowed his eyes. 'That's foolish.'

'Maybe it is to you, but I've always worked much better on my own. Haven't you realised by now that teamwork's not my thing?' Kaiba then went for an example. 'When we battled against Lumis and Umbra in that double duel, it was me who defeated them and without much help…'

Shamee cut him off with a snort. 'Don't pull that one, Kaiba. We were all there. If not for him, you wouldn't have been able to summon either your Blue Eyes or Obelisk. Don't go on pretending that you wouldn't have set off that trap either.' She stood up, seeming to have more difficulty than usual. 'You were gung-ho on attacking them at every given opportunity.'

Kaiba gave her a glare. 'Just do me a favour and stay out of my way. I brought you here now you can take care of the rest by yourself. I've done enough charity work already.'

The Pharaoh turned away from him and looked at Shamee.

'Sorry.' Again, it was insincere. 'I'm through.'

Shamee's eyes flashed in irritation.

'We're approaching our target now, Mr. Kaiba,' the pilot reported.

'Hey, guys.' Mokuba was looking out the other window. 'I think I see someone on the pier.'

Shamee walked over and looked out his side. 'It's Joey.'

'Hm?' The Pharaoh looked over and leaned forward. 'Is he all right?'

'No.'

'He looks all right,' Mokuba said.

'Well, yeah,' Shamee said. 'Apart from the fact that his expression is completely blank, there are no guards anywhere around and his heart is cut off, he's perfectly fine.'

The chopper was coming down for a landing.

'Heart is cut off?' Mokuba asked. 'What does that mean?'

'It means Marik's got control of his mind.'

The Pharaoh growled in irritation at hearing that. 'Kaiba, we may be heading into a trap.'

Kaiba paid him no mind. 'Yugi, please, I've heard enough out of you for one day.'

The chopper came to a landing just a few feet away from Joey. Shamee crossed back over and opened the door. As she hopped down and landed on the ground, she winced a bit. She ignored it though and stepped aside. The Pharaoh was the next out. The two ancients stepped forward as the Kaiba brothers climbed out of the chopper.

Joey's lips were tugged up in a smirk. Marik spoke through him. 'Welcome.'

'Joey!' The Pharaoh ground his teeth.

'Not exactly.' The smirk widened. 'Joey is not present. He's gone away.'

The Pharaoh knew that wasn't actually true. When a person was brainwashed in this way, the mind was merely suppressed. He somehow knew it was like floating in a fog. They could still be retrieved and, when that happened, it was always a shock to the one doing the brainwashing. 'It's Marik.'

'That's correct,' Marik said through Joey. 'And, if you want your friends back, you will listen to me.'

Behind him, Mokuba voiced his confusion. 'What's going on? That sure doesn't sound like Joey.'

'It must be one of Marik's tricks.' That was as close to belief confession as they'd get from Kaiba.

The Pharaoh stepped forward again. 'Listen, Joey! You've got to be in there!'

'It's pointless,' Marik said. 'Now, you listen, Yugi. We are playing by my regulations. I'll release your pathetic friends as soon as I get what I want. Of course, since I want your Puzzle and Egyptian God card, there's only one way to do this.' He lifted Joey's arm with the duel disk attached. He needn't have said the next part, but he did. 'You and I are going to duel.'

YGO

Shamee's attention turned to Kaiba as he explained to Mokuba why he thought this would be interesting. 'Well, if Joey is fighting for Marik and the Rare Hunters now, he may be holding the third Egyptian God card.'

'He hasn't got it, Kaiba,' Shamee stated. 'I can tell you now, he hasn't got it. You won't see the Winged Dragon of Ra until Marik himself plays it.'

Kaiba smirked. 'We'll see.'

The Pharaoh tried again. 'Joey, I know you can hear me.' After all, brainwash victims were merely no longer in control of their bodies and mouths. 'Your mind is under the control of Marik, and you must break free. Understand? The same Marik you vowed to help me crush. Think, Joey! You've got to remember your promise to me…'

Shamee checked her watch as he spoke.

Joey's face remained blank though.

'…when you gave me your Red Eyes. Marik couldn't defeat me in a duel, so he decided to turn you against me in order to win my Puzzle and my Egyptian God card. Joey, I know you're in there and I'm going to set you free. Marik's power is feeble compared to the strength of our friendship. Please, say something Joey.'

Joey merely turned around.

'Joey!' The Pharaoh tried again.

Joey looked back with a sneer on his face. 'You'll never set him free, unless you follow me, Yugi.' He started walking.

The Pharaoh gasped. 'Joey! Wait!' He ground his teeth and shook in frustration, his fingernails digging into his palms. Indecision flashed across his face. 'Shamee?'

'Yes.' She stepped forward and stood at attention.

The Pharaoh looked back at her. 'Can you detect Téa?'

Shamee nodded and pointed to the cruise ship next to them. 'She's in there. I wouldn't be half-surprised if Marik's taken control of her mind too.'

Almost as soon as she shut her mouth, Téa walked out with a statement from Marik. 'Yugi, you'd better do exactly as I say.' Marik went on, relentless. 'This may come as an unpleasant surprise but, like Joey, Téa is also under my control.' He laughed. 'Surprised?'

'No,' Shamee said.

'Marik, leave her alone, now!' the Pharaoh barked. 'She's done nothing to you!'

Marik chuckled. 'Looks like I've turned your closest friends into your greatest enemies. You're at my mercy.'

Shamee only spared Téa a glance as she passed before she continued. 'I think you're gonna have to duel him, reach into his emotional centre. Tea will be released when she's no longer useful to him.'

The Pharaoh nodded and followed Joey. Shamee fell into step behind him. She heard the Kaiba brothers following her. Joey – or Marik controlling Joey – led them right to a part of the pier that was sitting out over the ocean. There was a square platform and an anchor hanging from the railing above the centre. A box that looked suspiciously like a time bomb was strapped to the top. Only a couple of yards away was the wharf where Sharee had fought Marik in traditional weaponry warfare.

'Welcome to my very special duelling arena,' Marik said through Téa. 'Look around you. Shouldn't you accept? You'll be battling your best friends in a duel like none you've ever experienced, for the highest stakes imaginable.'

The Pharaoh simply walked forward and took his place opposite Joey. He turned his head. 'All right. Let's duel, if it means saving my friends.'

Téa held up two shackles. 'Let's begin. Why don't you both try these on for size?' The idea became clear in Shamee's head as she watched. Her face tightened. Both the Pharaoh and Joey were shackled to the anchor, one long chain going up to it. Marik went on with Téa's voice. 'Notice that you're both securely fastened to a chain that leads to a large anchor hanging above you. Thirty seconds after a player's life points reach zero, the anchor will drop to the bottom of the sea.'

'That's right.' He went through Joey now. 'Now, look down.'

The Pharaoh did so.

'That small yellow box is your life point counter, but it also contains the key to your survival. When one player's life points reach zero the other player's box opens, revealing a key that unlocks his shackles. Remember, you'll have thirty seconds to free yourself before the anchor drops.'

The Pharaoh summarised it. 'So the loser of this duel will be dragged to the bottom of the ocean…' He lifted his head. '…while the winner frees himself at the last minute.'

'That's right,' Marik said. 'Quite ingenious, isn't it?' He chuckled.

Winner stays, loser drowns. Basic and sick would be the words I would use.

The Pharaoh was more concerned with what was important. 'But wait. If I win this duel, will you set my friends free from your control, Marik?'

'You'll have to fish Joey out of the sea first,' Marik said. 'And don't think I left little Téa out of all the fun.'

The Pharaoh turned. Shamee and the Kaiba brothers did too, from where they were standing on the pier. After leaving Marik's custom-made duelling arena, Téa had been walked over and sat in a chair. They watched as metal cuffs emerged from inside the mechanism of the chair's arms and legs and clamped around her wrists and ankles. Something else caught Shamee's eye in the window of the wharf.

Marik went on. 'But I'll get to her role shortly. And just in case you had any plans of refusing to duel, think again! If there's no winner within sixty minutes the anchor will automatically drop, sending both of you plummeting into the sea. Ha, ha, ha!'

The Pharaoh growled in irritation.

Shamee's hand went to her waistband, the opposite side of where she had her deck. Feeling the lock-pick there, she nodded in satisfaction and folded her arms again. She noticed Kaiba glance at her with an expectant expression. He knew she had it. If it came down to it, she'd use the thing too.

Marik switched back to Téa to gloat. 'But you will lose, Yugi. And before that anchor drops, I'll take your Millennium Puzzle and your Egyptian God card.' He chuckled.

'You're not going to get away with any of this, Marik!' the Pharaoh barked.

YGO

Kaiba ground his teeth as Marik addressed him next.

'Ha! And, Seto Kaiba, don't think you're merely a spectator in all this. As soon as I'm through with little Yugi and his friends I'm setting my sights on your Egyptian God card, Obelisk the Tormentor.'

While he said Marik had turned Yugi's friends against him, he knew this wasn't the fact. Their voices were distorted and had the echo of someone else in them. He knew enough about these guys to understand they'd never turn on Yugi in a million years – not of their own free will. Their minds were being controlled by a madman. They were under Marik's control.

What had Shamee meant by "possibly insane"?

Mokuba turned to him. 'All right! I've heard enough. This duel is getting way out of hand, Seto. You've gotta put a stop to it before someone gets hurt! Plus, Marik may try something like this on us next.'

Kaiba felt sweat start to build across his forehead. On one hand, Mokuba was right. This was getting way out of hand. He'd never admit it to anyone else but he could see that Marik was going to force Yugi to duel his friends in order to take his Egyptian God card and the Millennium Puzzle off of him. On the other…did he really want to let this opportunity to witness the power of the Winged Dragon of Ra pass him by? But Mokuba was right.

'As the head of the Battle City Tournament, I demand that this duel be stopped!'

Shamee turned around and pointed at the corner. 'Easier said than done. If we try and stop this duel, Marik will make a Téa pancake.'

Kaiba followed the direction she was pointing with his gaze. He had no idea how she saw it but as Marik spoke again, the issue in question came into view. 'Sorry, but the duel will go ahead as planned. And here's the other part of my ingenious plot!'

Another of the Rare Hunters drove into the area and onto the platform where Téa was in a crane. It had a massive metal crate held aloft by the arm. It was stopped when the crate was over Tea's head. If they did try to stop the duel, the operator in the cabin of the crane would drop it onto her head and squash her.

'Very observant,' Marik told Shamee. 'I suppose there was a legitimate reason you stood at the Right Hand of the Pharaoh.'

'Hey, what's that?' Mokuba demanded. 'Above Téa?'

Yugi's back had been turned. Upon Mokuba's demand, though, he spun around. 'Téa! What is the meaning of this, Marik?'

'I've taken extra measure to make sure no one interferes,' Marik said. 'So don't try. If you attempt to stop this duel, the crate you see hanging over my head will fall.'

Yugi looked up with a cry of alarm.

Shamee's teeth snapped together. Kaiba and Mokuba both drew back.

'You wouldn't put poor Téa in danger, would you?' Marik sneered.

The guy in the cabin of the crane was waving a remote control tauntingly. He had a wide smirk on his face. 'Make one false move and I press the button, releasing the crate above the girl's head.'

Kaiba shifted irritably. 'I can't stop this duel.'

Marik went on. 'Now that everything seems to be in place and everyone is familiar with all the rules, why don't we start the show? Oh, wait. I almost forgot. I wouldn't want little Téa to miss all this.' Her head suddenly dropped.

Kaiba assumed she'd been released.

'Téa!' Yugi called out to her.

Téa's eyes slowly opened. For a moment, she clearly had no idea what was happening. Her lips moved, so she was muttering to herself. Then she noticed she was shackled and started tugging on her binds.

Marik spoke again through Wheeler. 'Now then, there's one last matter.' He pointed at him. 'Yugi, your Egyptian God card is off-limits. So if you were planning on using it against me, you're out of luck. Now, remove the card from your deck so I may claim it when I win.'

'As you wish, Marik.' Yugi took his deck-belt from around his waist. He held it up. 'I keep my special cards in here.' He opened the pouch and pulled out a card. He looked at it.

Kaiba wondered if it was his Egyptian God card. When Yugi added the card to his deck, he decided it wasn't. Yugi would never risk his friends like that. He looked across at Wheeler in determination. He was still set on un-brainwashing him.

Marik used Wheeler's hand to point. 'Now, place Slifer on the ground, Yugi.'

Yugi tossed his deck-belt on the boards next to him.

Marik used Wheeler to smirk. 'So whoever wins will retrieve that card while the loser goes swimming.' He raised his arm. 'I think it's finally time to begin this duel.'

YGO

Téa stared across the water, trying to make sense of what was going on. All she remembered was those Rare Hunters coming in. After that…nothing. Also, why were Sharee and the Kaiba brothers just standing on the pier? What had she missed? The duel was the most confusing though.

'Yugi versus Joey?'

YGO

Mokuba stood next to his brother and watched all of this. It was now clear to him that what Yugi…the Pharaoh said before was true. Come to think of it, Shamee was standing there like a trained soldier. Téa appeared to be back to normal. That meant that Joey was under some kind of mind control. The idea scared Mokuba. Would Marik do that to him and Seto next if Yugi didn't win?

'Are you ready to duel, Yugi?' Marik asked through Joey.

'I am,' the Pharaoh said. 'Let's do this!'

'Prepare to lose, fool!' Joey was talking just like all those others. It went to say that none of them were really like that – Marik was.

'It's time to duel!' The beginning phase activated and so did their duel disks.

Mokuba's only consolation was that Marik was after Yugi first. As long as he still held Slifer the Sky Dragon, they were reasonably safe. Mokuba was suddenly pulled out of his thoughts when he heard a ringtone. Shamee pulled a cell phone out of one of the pouches around her waist.

'Hello?' She paused. 'Tristan?' Her eyes suddenly narrowed. 'Okay, where are you?' Upon getting her answer, she quickly shot through an explanation of what was going on. She then waited for Tristan to finish reacting. 'All right, all right. Before you go off all half-cocked, remember you have Serenity to look after. Joey won't want his sister to come to any harm and Marik's an idiot. He already attacked my whole family.' She paused. 'Well, fortunately for us we're all used to defending ourselves without a moment's notice. The point is that Marik fails to learn from past mistakes. Once he knows Joey's sister is around, I don't doubt he'll try to snag her too.' He paused for Tristan's response. 'The best thing you can do right now is get her to a public place: café, arcade, anyplace with plenty of people. They won't want to risk witnesses because then they'd have to deal with the police.' A few minutes later she hung up.

'Sounds like things just got worse,' Mokuba remarked.

Shamee nodded. 'We're just lucky Tristan thought to call me after he couldn't get Téa.'

YGO

'Yugi, you draw the first card.'

The Pharaoh drew.

'It's the beginning of the end for you.'

Looking down at his hand, the Pharaoh took note of what cards he held.

I've gotta figure out a way to stop this duel! Yugi insisted in their minds. When that anchor falls down it's taking one, or maybe both, of us with it.

'What's the problem, Yugi? Are you too frightened to play a card?'

The Pharaoh growled. 'I don't think so, Marik.' He pulled the card from his hand and played it. 'I summon Gizelle the King of Mythical Beasts.' The card appeared on the field in defence mode and the monster emerged in defence mode. 'That ends my turn.'

'Very well.' Joey drew for Marik. 'Yugi, say goodbye to your Gizelle.' He played his card. 'I play Raigeki, which destroys it!' Lightning shot out of the sky and destroyed the monster.

The Pharaoh threw his arm up against the attack and grunted.

Another card was taken from Joey's hand. 'And now, I summon Alligator Sword!' The card appeared on the field and the monster rose up. 'Attack his life points directly!'

The Pharaoh winced as the sword slashed across his front. His life points dropped down to 2500. Frustration was a drawn out grunt coming from behind clenched teeth.

Marik laughed. 'Surrender, yet? Or do you want more? I hope you're not going easy on me because we're old friends, Yugi.' His eyes narrowed. 'You'll be sorry.'

The Pharaoh made it clear he was aware who he was really duelling with one statement. 'We're not friends, Marik.' He was just using Joey's face and voice to try and throw him off. The Pharaoh drew. 'I play Big Shield Gardna, right now.' The monster appeared on the field. 'In defence mode.'

'So, you think that's enough to protect your life points, Yugi? So naïve!' Joey's deck was drawn from. 'I play my Hinotama magic card!' He showed the face of the card and then lifted it above his head. 'Now, watch closely…' A beam of light shot out of the sky and lightning flashed around the arena. '…as its power blasts away your life points!'

'Yugi!' Tea cried out from behind him.

The Pharaoh's life points dropped to 2000.

That's the second time he attacked me directly.

YGO

Marik chuckled to himself. 'Looks like Yugi's starting to panic already after getting a taste of my powerful deck. Enhanced with cards gathered by my Rare Hunters, Joey's deck is virtually unbeatable. Yugi will be out of my way shortly, leaving behind his Puzzle and his Egyptian God card.'

Odion suddenly came out of the cabin behind him and bowed. 'Pardon me, Master Marik, but I've just learned that Joey's sister has arrived in Battle City.'

Marik turned his head, interested. 'Did you say his sister?'

'Yes, master.'

Marik turned more fully. 'This sister of his may prove to be an excellent pawn in my game, Odion. Bring the girl to me immediately.'

'Yes.'

YGO

The Pharaoh stared across at Joey. I've gotta figure a way outta this! I've already lost half my life points, and if I lost this duel the whole world is in danger. The Pharaoh narrowed his eyes at Yugi's thought. But if I win, my best friend gets dragged into the ocean. There must be a solution!

'Time is running out, Yugi!' Marik mocked him through Joey.

The Pharaoh narrowed his eyes again.

He's right! In less than an hour, that anchor drops automatically and we're both doomed! Come on…Heart of the Cards, guide me!

'It's my move.' The Pharaoh drew.

YGO

'Hey!' Téa suddenly called across the water. 'What in the world is going on here? Why is Yugi duelling against Joey? Is this some sort of freaky dream?'

Shamee sighed. She guessed she couldn't put it off forever. She called Téa's attention to her by raising her voice. 'Long story short: Marik brainwashed Joey and you're the blackmail.'

Téa looked at her. 'Blackmail?'

'Sure. They're chained to the anchor and it'll drop in less than an hour.' Shamee pointed above Téa's head. 'If anyone tries to interfere, you get to be acquainted with the bottom of that big metal crate they've got suspended above your head, there!'

Téa looked up and her eyes bugged. She cried out in alarm. She'd seriously never even realised the potentially fatal situation she was in. She struggled against the binds that held her down. Shamee and the Kaiba brothers calmly waited for her to work out she couldn't get away.

'Chill, Téa.' Shamee called out to her again. 'Having a panic attack isn't going to get you outta there. This is the absolute worst time to be a cheerleader. So, you may as well just sit back…and watch.'

Téa stopped struggling and looked over at her. Shamee had already turned her attention back to the duel. Téa stared at her, a little helplessly for a moment longer, and then she too turned her attention back to the duel. The truth was there was nothing else to do. Nobody could go anywhere.

'This Marik guy's behind everything?' Téa asked. 'Then he must be the one Ishizu warned us to watch out for!'

Shamee only glanced over at her. She wasn't sure about that one. It looked like Marik right now, but something niggled at her mind. No…no, it wasn't him. It sat there, at the back of her consciousness. There was something even bigger that they had to watch out for. Regardless, Téa either took that for confirmation or she thought she was having an epiphany.

'Everything's making sense to me now!'

The Rare Hunter leaned out the window. 'Hey, girlie! You stop making a fuss or you're done for!'

'You wouldn't do it!' Téa snapped at him. 'You don't have the guts!'

'Téa!' Shamee snapped at her. Now was not the time for the modern-day sixteen year old naïvety. She waited until the brunette was looking at her. 'Of course he will do it.'

'Who would drop a crate on anyone's head?' Téa demanded.

'Roughly about three per cent of the human population.' Shamee answered like it was the most normal thing in the world. 'Marik has control of all Rare Hunters in the same way he now has control of Joey. He's an absolute psychopath. Insane, twisted and without a conscience. Kaiba already tried to stop this duel, but he couldn't because he knows as well as I do that they will drop that crate.' She paused. 'Not to be mean, but it would be in your best interest to sit back, zip thy lip…and pray.'

Téa hesitated and then sat back.

YGO

'Let's go, Yugi. Time is of the essence, and stalling's not an option. You know that as well as I do.' Marik used Joey to point at him. 'So make your move, now!'

All right. Time to make a move. Let's see. His Alligator Sword has 1500 attack points, and I don't have anything powerful enough to beat it but I do have Big Shield Gardna, which has enough defence points to keep me safe for now. He looked at the cards in his hand. But I still need to figure out a way to win this duel without hurting Joey. Huh…that trap card might help me for now. His eyes narrowed. Until I can figure out a plan. He took the card from his hand. Well, here goes.

'I place this card face-down.' The Pharaoh set the card and it appeared in front of him. Joey might work out what it was, but he wasn't duelling Joey. The Pharaoh took another card from his hand. 'And then, I shall summon my Kuriboh in attack mode…' The card appeared on the field and the monster emerged from it. '…and end my turn.'

Marik promptly proved it wasn't Joey he was duelling. 'Are you playing some sort of a joke? Kuriboh's weak! It only has 300 attack points. Why would you play it in attack mode…unless you're trying to lose this duel on purpose to save your friend?' He smirked. 'All right. Very well, then. If losing is your goal, allow me to help you.' Marik laughed maniacally.

'I won't lose.' The Pharaoh narrowed his eyes. 'Understand?'

Marik never took him seriously. He just had Joey smirk wider.

'I'll defeat you,' the Pharaoh stated. 'And free Joey from your control!'

'Wrong,' Marik said. 'I'm afraid that this time you're in over your head, Yugi.' He called the attack. 'So now…Alligator Sword, attack his Kuriboh!' The Alligator charged, heading right for Kuriboh.

'Hold it right there!' The Pharaoh activated his trap card and it flipped up. 'Activate face-down card.'

Marik drew back with a growl through Joey. 'It's a trap!'

'Alligator Sword is now caught in my Spell-Binding Circle!' the Pharaoh stated as the monster's attack points dropped to 800. 'Your monster's power has decreased while my Kuriboh is safe and sound.'

YGO

Kaiba couldn't believe Marik had been so stupid. That had been so obvious. Of course, Yugi had duelled this guy enough through his cronies to know just how cocky he was. It was more likely he'd been counting on that overconfidence. 'He weakened it, but he still has nothing powerful enough to destroy it.'

Kaiba ground his teeth.

YGO

'Joey!' Téa called out again. 'Don't attack!'

Shamee was, clearly, getting rather fed up. 'Téa, he can't attack! The Spell-Binding Circle paralyses the monster, remember?' Well, she had already told Téa to keep her mouth shut. She had made it very clear that the crate would be dropped on her head, but Téa was too young, too sheltered and too naïve to really understand somebody would actually kill her.

'Oh, I can attack,' Marik said through Joey. 'All right, Yugi. I've had enough of your childish games. Now it's time for me to regain control of this duel.'

The Pharaoh ground his teeth.

'Ready?' A card was taken from Joey's hand and raised into the air. 'Because this worked so well last time, I'll use another one! Hinotama, attack his life points!' This time, a fireball shot out of the air and headed right for him. Marik laughed maniacally again.

The Pharaoh braced himself. The fireball impacted. Fire tore through and around him, ripping right through his body. He cried out in pain as the heat burned him, licking at his flesh with blistering pain. He barely heard Téa calling out to him or the cackling in Joey's voice. When it finally cleared, his body did not feel like holding him up. He hit the wooden boards he was standing on, cheek pressed to the timber as he fought to catch his breath.

The Pharaoh's life points dropped to 1500.