Final Plea for Time

(Joey and Mai were running across one of the corridors they never been through.)

Joey: Alright, we need to keep going, and take the first left.

Mai: Quite an ingenious invention of Kimiko's.

(They came to a fork in the corridor and immediately took the left road. Meanwhile, Omi, Stephanie and Kaiba all took their places in an effort to buy Joey and Mai time.)

All: Let's Duel!

Marik: Since I'm a bit outnumbered, I'll start first, by summoning Skeleton Moth (1200/900) in defence mode! Now I place a card face-down and end my turn!

Kaiba: Me next, I summon Vorse Raider (1900/1200) in attack mode! Now feel the wrath of his blade, as he destroys your Skeleton Moth!

Omi: Kaiba, reconsider! That moth could be deadly!

Stephanie: Or worse, that face-down card can be bad!

Marik: And they're right! Activate Nightmare Wheel!

Kaiba: No!

(Vorse Raider was trapped in the wheel.)

Marik: Ahahahahaha! Now your best four star level monster's useless! And he'll be your undoing every turn!

Kaiba: I'll place two cards face-down and end my turn!

Marik: My move! I summon Skeleton Wolf (1500/1400) in attack mode! Now attack Kaiba's life points directly!

(Kaiba was flung off his feet of the wolf's strike. And his life points fell to 2500.)

Omi: Kaiba! Are you alright?

Kaiba: I'm fine baldy! What I don't get is I could have activated my trap card, but it didn't.

Marik: That's where my Skeleton Wolf's special ability activates. He is immune to trap card activation towards it!

Kaiba: You freak!

Marik: Thank you! Now let's take this game to the shadows! Ahahahaha!

(The place started to turn dark.)

Stephanie: Not another Shadow Game!

Marik: Kaiba was lucky that I attacked before I summoned the darkness.

Kaiba: And why's that?

Marik: All in due time! I place two cards face-down and end my turn!

Stephanie: My move! I activate Legendary Ocean!

(The place was engulfed in a huge water palace, despite all the darkness being there.)

Stephanie: With this on the field my Water Monsters can increase their attack power by 200, and they decrease their level by 1 star!

Marik: What good will that do you, my dear?

Stephanie: This will! I summon Legendary Fisherman (1850/1600) in attack mode! And now his attack becomes 2050!

Omi: Nice work, Stephanie!

Stephanie: (Happily.) Thank you, Omi. Now attack his Skeleton Wolf!

Marik: You played into my hands! Activate Trap Hacker!

Stephanie: But I don't have any traps yet.

Marik: No, but Kaiba does! Now I can take control of his trap cards. Which his favourite is: Ring of Destruction!

Stephanie: No!

Kaiba: How dare you use my trap cards!

Marik: I'm a dark twisted evil monster. What do you expect? Now destroy her Legendary Fisherman!

(The fisherman was destroyed.)

Stephanie: You may have destroyed my Fisherman, but you lose 2050 life points!

Marik: Not before I activate Magic Hacker!

(Kaiba had a sweat dripping.)

Marik: Now I can take control of Kaiba's face-down magic card, which is: Ring of Defence!

Kaiba: No!

Marik: Now my life points are safe, while you lose 2050 life points!

(Kaiba's dropped to 450, Stephanie dropped to 1950 and so did Omi.)

Omi: He's too strong, even before I made my move!

Marik: Thank you for noticing, Omi! And by the way, Kaiba, if I am so kind as to let your turn pass by, then Nightmare Wheel will destroy you!

Stephanie: Not before I activate the magic card: Remove Trap!

Marik: Grrrrr!

Stephanie: Now his Vorse Raider is free, and his life points are safe!

(Stephanie looked at Kaiba, expecting a "thank you" but Kaiba merely grunted.)

Stephanie: What a grouch, I'll place two cards face-down and I activate Monster Reborn to bring back my fallen Legendary Fisherman!

(The Fisherman returned.)

Marik: Oh how silly of me, did I mention the effects of the Shadow Games?

Omi: No, I do not think so.

Marik: It's the same as before, when you lose life points, a chunk of yourself is left in the shadows!

(Kaiba had only a small part of his torso and head left. Stephanie's entire torso was gone. While Omi's arms had vanished and parts of his knees. While Marik remained whole.)

Stephanie: I'll end my turn you sick man!

Marik: Alright, I summon Skeleton Knight (1700/1600) in attack mode! And now I activate Polymerization! Now fuse my three Skeleton fiends, to form: Skeleton Monolith. (2700/2500)

(A huge Skeleton monster came forth.)

Marik: And Kaiba! Your Vorse Raider's looking green around the gills!

Kaiba: No! He's about to destroy me!

Marik: Very observant! Now attack Skeleton Monolith and send Kaiba to the shadows!

Stephanie: Activate Waboku! This protects Kaiba and his monster from harm!

Marik: Grrrrrr! You've interfered too much, little lady! When cue ball's finished, my Monolith's coming after you!

Omi: That's when it's my turn! I activate the magic card: Emergency Rescue Party! A favourable card of Kimiko's, now I can summon Sanga of the Thunder, (2600/2200) remember him?

Marik: A most annoying card, but I'll crush it anyway!

Omi: Now attack Skeleton Monolith!

Stephanie: Omi, stop!

(Sanga continued the attack and destroyed the monolith.)

Marik: What? Sanga was weaker than my monolith!

Omi: I do not think so! Because Stephanie's Legendary Ocean helped my Sanga increase to 2800 points, enough to take down your Monolith!

Stephanie: Hahaha! Way to go, Omi!

(Marik's life points fell at last to 3900.)

Kaiba: I wouldn't play the celebration flute just yet, Marik's still ahead of us.

Omi: Then I'll place a card face-down and end my turn!

Marik: And don't forget, little Omi. Since your Emergency Rescue Party lasts for one turn, your Sanga is destroyed!

Omi: His sacrifice was not in vain!

Marik: My move! By summoning Revival Jam (1500/500) in defence mode!

(The liquid monster rose.)

Marik: I'll end my turn with one card face-down.

Kaiba: Now for my turn! (He gave a smile.) Now I activate the magic card: Soul Exchange, to sacrifice your Revival Jam and my Vorse Raider to summon Blue Eyes White Dragon (3000/2500) Ahahaha!

(The two monsters vanished and Kaiba's rare monster was summoned.)

Stephanie: Wow, we might actually have a chance after all.

Kaiba: Unfortunately, due to Soul Exchange's effect I cannot attack this turn. So I'll end by placing one card face-down.

Marik: Your Dragon will be history in a few moments!

(Marik drew and his eyes widened in joy.)

Marik: Now I activate: Skeleton Renewal!

Stephanie: What's that?

Marik: Now I can bring back my lost skeleton creatures: Skeleton Knight, Skeleton Wolf and Skeleton Moth!

Omi: This is not looking good!

Marik: And now my pitiful little fools, I sacrifice all my Skeleton monsters to summon my Egyptian God Card!

Kaiba: I hope you dweebs got a plan!

Stephanie: We just gotta but the others more time!

(Back at Joey and Mai, they finally made it to the pace were the three finalists were held.)

Joey: Care ter help me bust this door down?

Mai: With pleasure!

(They both activated their duel disks.)

Joey: Red Eyes Black Dragon!

Mai: Harpie's Pet Dragon!

Both: Bring down the door!

(The two dragons blasted the door away and inside was Raimundo, Kimiko and the Pharaoh all tied to chairs.)

Raimundo: Joey? Mai?

Kimiko: Boy are we glad to see you!

Pharaoh: What about the duel? Are we too late?

Mai: No. Omi, Stephanie and Kaiba are duelling Marik right now to buy you some time.

Raimundo: What? Omi doesn't have his Legendary Knight!

Kimiko: And without that he's wide open for the Shadow Realm!

Joey: Well come on! We gotta get to the stadium!

(They untied them and ran for the stadium, and then the same silver ball rolled in front of them.)

Raimundo: No you don't! Sword of the Storm!

(He blew away the ball and the vapour that blew out of it.)

Kimiko: Okay, who's doing that?

(She checked where the ball rolled and out came Chase Young and Jack Spicer.)

Raimundo: Jack, I can handle, but what're you doing working for Hannibal?

Chase: I have no intention of working with that bean! All I'm in for is the pleasure of getting revenge on Yugi!

Raimundo: Sorry, dude! We got bigger fish to fry!

(He tried blowing himself, Kimiko and Pharaoh away, but Chase intercepted. He activated his duel disk, followed by Jack.)

Jack: You're surrounded! Now duel us!

Joey: Hey, you mess with Yug; you mess with his right hand man!

Chase: Out of the way Chihuahua! We only want Yugi!

Chase: Well too bad! You gotta go through me first!

Mai: Me too!

Joey: Ugh, Mai! You're helping me?

Mai: Yes, to buy the three time to face Marik.

Raimundo: Then come on! Shroud of Shadows!

(Raimundo, Kimiko and the Pharaoh walked past them and ran for the stadium. While Joey and Mai prepared themselves.)

All: Let's duel!

(Meanwhile Raimundo, Kimiko and the Pharaoh were still running.)

Kimiko: I can't believe the amount of people sacrificing themselves to get us to Marik.

Raimundo: Yeah, Omi, Stephanie, Kaiba, Joey and Mai.

Pharaoh: We cannot let their sacrifice go to waste, we need to face Marik and free Clay.

(Meanwhile at the duel with Marik, the Egyptian God Card in its orb form was summoned.)

Marik: Great Beast of the sky, please hear my cry.

Transform thyself from orb of light and bring me victory in this fight.

Envelop the desert with your glow and cast your rage upon my foe.

Unlock your powers from deep within so that together we may win.

Appear in the Shadow Game as I call your name:

Winged Dragon of Ra!

(The real God was summoned (4400/3900.) Dominating the field with it's evil.)

Marik: Now that my legendary beast has been summoned, I am now left with a choice. Attack the rest of Omi's life points, and send him to the shadows. Attack Stephanie's Fisherman, and send her to the shadows. Or attack Kaiba's Blue Eyes White Dragon and send him to the shadows. Either way, one of you shall be plunged.

Kaiba: No! I didn't team up with two losers to be a loser!

Marik: I don't think you see the full error of the situation. None of your monsters can withstand my attack. And I have made my decision, and will attack Stephanie!

Stephanie: (Gasp)

Marik: Winged Dragon of Ra! Attack her Fisherman!

(The dragon blasted a fireball at the Fisherman.)

Omi: Wudai Neptune Water!

(The little monk fired in front of the Fisherman and took the blast.)

Omi: ARRRRRGGGHHH!

Stephanie: Omi! No!

Kaiba: The cue ball's toast.

(The blast stopped and Omi had his entire costume ripped apart. He collapsed to the ground of the platform, and his life points went down to 0. He wasn't moving and seemed lifeless.)

Stephanie: (Crying.) Omi?

Marik: Ahahahahahaha! Your friend now belongs to the shadows! Along with his friend Clay!

Stephanie: Nooooo!

(She buried her face in Omi's chest.)

Kaiba: Whatever it takes, I won't let his puny sacrifice be in vain!

Stephanie: Now I promise Marik, I will defeat you! For Omi!

Voice: No! We will!

(She turned round, to see the three real finalists. Raimundo, Kimiko and the Pharaoh.)

Stephanie: Guys!

Marik: Ahahahaha! I'm afraid your too late! Cue ball's now in the Shadow Realm!

Raimundo: Omi!

Kimiko: Poor Omi. I can't believe we're too late!

Pharaoh: There is still a chance we can save him; all we need to do is defeat Marik.

Raimundo: Then what're we waiting for? Stephanie, Kaiba. Appreciate the time buying, thanks a bunch.

Stephanie: No problem, glad to help.

(She carried Omi back to her seat in the finalist's seats, while the Pharaoh, Raimundo and Kimiko took their place, to get revenge on Clay and Omi.)