Chapter 13: The Gauntlet Thrown

"GUYS!!!! GUYS!!!" Horus yelled throughout the entire rectory. 'Get over here quick!!!" At once, James, Adam, Shinobi and Maximus all ran up to the second floor to the room that Tea was using for the night. The room was totally ransacked and Tea was nowhere to be found. On the bed was a small cassette tape with the words "Play Me" taped across its front. Horus entered the room and picked up the tape. "Dan, you have a cassette player right?" he asked.
"Yeah, I'll go upstairs and get it." Maximus said, He then turned and ran as fast as he could upstairs to his apartment to find the player. He returned about 2 minutes later with a small portable cassette player. Horus placed the tape into the slot and pressed, "Play." A recoding of a dark and brooding voice began to play.

"Hello boys. It seems that Miss Tea Gardner is now with me. If you want to see her again, come to the land where all of this Duel Monsters Business began. We'll be waiting for you. HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!"

Horus recognized the voice on the tape as that of Set himself. His eyes glowed a flash of steel gray and red. "You twisted monster." He said, "You'll pay for this. We'd better get Yugi and Joey over here. They need to hear this too."

About 20 minutes later Yugi and Joey showed up at the Rectory.
"What happened?" Yugi asked frantically "What happened to Tea?"
"They have her now." Shinobi said, "The Hunters took her." Horus then played back the tape for Yugi and Joey to hear.
'That voice is that of Set." Horus said, "He's laid down a challenge to us. The Hunters took Tea to Egypt. They must have come in the middle of the night and broke into her room."
"Well, what are we gonna do?" Joey asked
"The three of us are going to answer the challenge." Horus said. "We're going to Egypt, to the temple of The Eternal Hunters and destroy them once and for all."
"I'm going with you guys." Joe said "You've done so much for us I think I owe it to you to help out."
"I'm coming too." Yugi said, "I need to rescue my friend."
Horus motioned Yugi to come with him. The two left the group and walked outside the front door so that no one could hear them talk.

"Yugi, I need to know. Is that how you truly view Tea, as a friend?" Horus asked
Yugi was caught off guard for a few seconds before answering, "Yes, Horus. What kind of question is that?"
Horus looked up with a look of disbelief, then he addressed Yugi "Yugi, you do realize that Tea likes you, right??" He asked
"Of course she likes me, she's my friend." Yugi replied, Horus's disbelief grew.
"Oy! You don't get it, so I'll just spell it out for you. When Tea told me she liked you, she meant like in the "I wanna date you and have a relationship sense." Horus then gave Yugi a slap on the side of the head. It was not too hard; it was just enough so that Yugi could feel it.

"WHAT!!" Yugi said excitedly, "So that's why she was always so clingy towards me all these years. Wow, I never saw that coming."
"Yugi, you need to open your mind up more to these things. If your mind is not open and alert, The Hunters will hurt you." Horus said
"I can handle the Hunters" Yugi said. "I can take care of myself and handle anything they throw at me." Yugi said.
"I hope so, Horus replied." They then re-entered the Rectory to join the group.

"Yugi, Joey, this is going to be a rather arduous path and battle. If you want to join us, feel free but be careful. The Hunters are powerful." Horus said, "Have you boys got Duel Discs?"
'Yeah we have them in the car." Yugi said. He and Joey then left to go back to the car. Meanwhile Horus turned to Adam and James,
"Guys, you two are gonna have to run the shop for a few days. We'll be back as soon as we can. If anyone asks tell them that we are away on business." Horus said
"Don't worry, the shops in good hands." James answered.
"Good." Horus replied. The he turned to Maximus and Shinobi "Time to put on our battle gear." He said. At this all three went upstairs to their respective apartments to prepare for battle. Maximus changed out of his usual jogging pants and put on a dark blue long sleeve T-Shirt that looked more like it was Medieval Armor than a shirt. He also put on jeans, black ankle length boots, and a black trench coat that fastened in front. At his side he placed his custom-made Duel Disc. It was shaped like a sword and when drawn the blade would fold over the left arm. There were slots on the hilt for a deck reader and graveyard. Shinobi donned an all black night suit similar to one a ninja would wear. His duel disc was shaped like a large throwing star. The blades folded out and served as arms for reading cards. Horus's attire consisted of all black. He wore black jeans, with a sleeveless black T-Shirt. Underneath his shirt he had on what looked like a suit of plate armor colored black and red. He also had a head cowl that looked like a hawk's head, but he did not put this on yet. Across his left arm was his duel disc. It had a hawk's mouth at the end and going the length of his arm was what looked like a serrated blade that folded into the shape of a dragon's wing.

Yugi and Joey both stood in the main hallway waiting for The Saints. They both had the standard Kaiba Corp red and white duel discs. They both looked rather puzzled upon seeing the Saints come downstairs in their attire.

"What on earth are you guys wearing?" Joey asked, "You guys look like you're going to a costume party or something."
"These are our battle suits." Horus said, "We only wear them when we go to face Hunters."
"All right I can live with that." Joey said
"Come on, we'd better get moving. We have to get to the airport quick." Horus said. The five all filed out of the rectory across to a small parking lot next to the Rectory. This lot was formerly used by Rectory staff and by Priests in residence. It was now used by The Saints for their own use. The five all climbed into Horus's car, which was a big black Chevy Impala that resembled something Darth Vader would drive. They made their way to the Airport and after about 90 minutes boarded a flight bound to Cairo, Egypt.

Since the flight was going to take quite some time, the group had plenty of time to kill. They tried to make jokes whenever possible.
"I have to ask, how did you guys get those duel discs? They look awesome." Yugi said
Shinobi grinned, "Another wonderful contribution from our good friends at Kaiba Corp. We needed something for portable battle that suited our personalities and playing styles."
"Dan, I'm sorry, but I just cannot picture you wearing jeans like that." Joey said
Maximus looked down at his pants for a second and then looked at Joey. "You're right. I normally don't wear jeans. I prefer my sweats for comfort. But Matt said that I'd look cool if I used these for my battle gear. Have to admit, he was right." Maximus said
"I can't believe he actually talked you into that." Joey said
"Nahh, you know what I can't believe? I cannot honestly believe that they actually let Dan on this plane. Mr. I have a duel disc that looks like a sword." Shinobi chimed in
Everyone let out a small laugh, but Maximus recovered and quickly fired back. "Oh Yeah, well I cannot honestly believe that they even let you out in public. Mr. I look like I'm going to a pajama party." He said, "Or how about, Mr. I look like I'm trying out to be a cat burglar."
"Yeah, I am a cat burglar. If you keep this up I might have to steal your tongue and silence your jokes for good." Shinobi said.
"If that's the case then I guess a cat would really have my tongue. I'd better get some catnip or a ball of yarn for the cat to play with." Maximus responded

"Hey, guys keep this up and I'll drag Sean over to an all girls slumber party and have you tided down so you can be beaten with pillows as if you were a piñata, and then I'll have them give you a make over. And you Dan I'll take your precious sweatpants, every single pair you own, and BURN THEM!!!!" Horus said
"NOOOOOOOOOOOO Not that!!" Maximus shrieked. He could not bear the thought of losing his beloved jogging pants.
"Don't Temp Me!" Horus warned, in a more relaxed joking tone

Eventually after countless hours of similar dialogue and the occasional nap in between, the plane finally landed in Cairo, Egypt. The group gathered up their belongings and ventured out into the streets of Cairo. Shinobi pulled out a head cowl and put it over his face so that only his eyes were now visible. They made their way to a small car rental building about half a mile from the Airport where Horus knew an old friend.

"Akmed! My old friend! Horus said. It is good to see you again."
"Mathias! How are you?" Akmed replied from behind the front deck. Akmed was a middle-aged man with a thin, streamlined, beard and graying hair. "What are you doing in this part of the world again?"
"Long story Akmed, but first let me introduce you to my companions. The little short guy with the trench coat and jeans is Daniel Clay. The man with his face covered to protect it from the sun is Sean Phoenix; the little one with the spiky blond hair is the famed Yugi Moto, and the blond guy next to him his Joseph Wheeler.

"Hello Akmed." Came everyone's response. "Welcome, all of you to Cairo." Akmed answered back.
"We need a jeep Akmed. Have you got anything available that can go off road?" Horus asked, "We have to pay some old friends of mine a visit."

Akmed realized that Horus meant The Eternal Hunters when he said 'some old friends'
"I have something that you will find useful in your journey." Akmed said as he reached under the desk into a drawer. He came up a minute later with a set of keys and handed them to Horus. "Take the black one in the far back of the lot." Akmed said, "It is best for where you will be going. I wish you luck on your journey."

"Thank you Akmed." Horus said. They took the keys and exited out a back door into a parking lot. In the back of the lot, was an old, 4X4 truck that Akmed had said was there. Everyone climbed in and Horus started up the Engine.

"Let's do this." He said, everyone put a fist in as a handshake and then Horus drove off the lot into the streets of Cairo.

"All right, this thing has a CD player on it." Horus commented, "This requires some MUSIC!!!" He then reached into a backpack and pulled out a CD, he put it in the player and the truck began playing metal songs from the 1980's.
"Yeah, now this is my kind of music." Horus said as they sped through the streets and out into the desert, Maximus and Joey began to sing along to some of the songs they knew from the disc.
"Yugi, Joey," Horus began, "Rock and Roll can make any trip more enjoyable."
After about an hour traversing through rugged desert terrain, the group entered a narrow valley with sheer cliff walls. A short while after entering the valley, Horus pulled the truck over to the side near the wall and shut the engine off.
"We'd better walk from here, so they don't hear us coming." He said, "It's not much further. Try and stay down and keep quiet. We don't want to give ourselves away." Horus and the rest of the group exited the truck and proceeded on foot through the valley. They tried to stick close to one of the walls so that no scout up top could spot them.

Horus went about 15 feet ahead of the rest of the group in order to scout out the valley. The terrain was pretty desolate, except for a few rocks scattered across the area. He slowly slinked back towards the group.

"Ok, it's only about a mile or two to the Temple. We can cover that quickly. Just stay low." Horus said. The five worked their way through the valley as quickly and as silently as possible. After about 400 yards or so, they came across a large rock. Horus looked across the valley and saw another large rock. He looked and saw a flash of light come from the rock. Seeing this he quickly dove for cover and pulled everyone with him.
"I thought I saw something." Horus whispered. "It looked like someone was behind the rock, watching."
Maximus slowly crawled around the rock to take a peek out. From his position he could see flashes of light coming from the rock across the valley. He quickly crawled back behind the rock. "Someone's behind that other rock. I could see the light reflect off of a pair of binoculars. He's looking for us."
"Ok, everyone stay down and keep quiet." Horus said, "When I give the signal, we hug the wall and try to slip past him. The shadows should conceal us."

Horus then poked his head out from behind the rock to see the lookout on the other side. The flashes of light had vanished. About a minute later the sound of a horse neighing echoed through the valley. Joey freaked out and let out a loud scream. "Whoa!!! Don't let in get me!!!" He shouted.
"Maximus and Shinobi quickly grabbed Joey and covered his mouth.
"Shhhhhhhhhhh…They'll hear us." Shinobi said, no sooner did he say this did the sound of a horse-galloping, echo through the valley. Everyone looked up and saw a robed figure on horseback ride off towards the temple.

"Looks like our covers blown now." Horus said, he then look back towards the truck. "We might as well get the truck and drive through the valley. They know we're coming so no use being sneaky now."
"Good idea." Yugi said, the group then made their way back to the truck, got in and started her up again.

Meanwhile, the rider rode full speed back to the Temple. He dismounted his horse at the front doors and entered the entrance hallway. Set was standing in the large torch-lit room that contained several passageways. At his sides were Seto Kaiba, Venom, Kaprit, and several other robed figures. The lookout removed his hood and revealed his face to Set; He was a large hulking man, just over 6 feet tall and was rather hefty. He had black hair, glasses, and clear skin similar in tone to Maximus and spoke slowly.

"Master," the lookout began. "The Saints are coming. They've also brought Yugi and Joey along as well."
"Thank you Sylax." Set replied. Then he turned to address everyone. "All right, this is it. The Saints have taken the bait and have come to do battle. I want everyone to be prepared for anything they throw at you. Seto! You should stick with Sylax and Kaprit. They will make sure you are ok."
"Fine," Seto barked out. "But do realize one thing Set. I don't know what you're planning to do with these freaks, and I honestly don't care. I desire nothing more than to get my revenge against Horus."
"Seto, just RELAX!!" Set answered back. "You shall get all the revenge you desire, just have a little faith in me and my men. OK, Everyone into position." At this command everyone in the room spread out through the various passageways to await the arrival of The Saints. Set ran through the winding passageways to a hallway on the uppermost floor. He walked down to one of the torches lining the hall and pulled it down as if it were a lever. At once one of the wall panels opened up revealing a small chamber. He walked up to one of the walls where Tea was chained by both her hands and feet.

"They're almost here." Set said as he ran his hand gently across Tea's face.
"Get away from me you freak!" Tea shouted as she struggled against the chains. Set stepped back until she tired herself out. He then walked up to her again.
"Just relax, my dear. It will be over soon enough. Your friends are coming just as I knew they would." He then exited the chamber and pulled the torch/lever a second time closing the wall panel behind him.

Meanwhile the truck arrived at the main entrance to the Temple of the Eternal Hunters. It was located at a dead end at the end of the valley seemingly carved into the face of the wall thousands of years ago by the ancient Egyptians.
"Well here it is everyone." Horus said, "The Temple of the Eternal Hunters." Everyone filed out of the truck and stared down the enormous pillars that held up the façade of the structure. Horus then had everyone form a huddle.
"Ok everyone; this is what we trained for." Horus began "The time has come to exterminate these fiends once and for all. It's going to be a very dangerous battle inside, but trust your instincts and trust in your abilities and we will emerge victorious."
"We're right behind you Mathias." Joey said
"It's time to see if what've learned from you has paid off." Yugi said. Horus was extremely angry at this comment.

"Yugi, I'm not gonna argue with you. Just trust in us and in your abilities." Horus said. "This is nothing like the Yugi I've heard so much about."
"The Yugi who won all those victories has gone away for awhile. I need to find him again. I need to prove to myself and to everyone that I can still win big duels when it counts." Horus's eyes glowed a steel grey as he stared down Yugi
"Yugi, focus on the task at hand here. Worry about rescuing Tea and beating the Hunters." Horus said. Yugi began to fume with anger. He walked up to Horus and shoved him. Horus looked as if he was going to tear Yugi apart with his bare hands.
"I don't know what your problem is Yugi but if it's a duel that's gonna settle this then let's go!" Horus took off his duster and flexed his shoulders. The blade on his left arm shot out and formed a serrated edge looking like a wing. He then placed his deck into the hawk's mouth. Yugi opened up his own duel disc and prepared his own deck.
"Horus, I'm sorry it's come to this, but this will serve as my test before I take on the Hunters." Yugi shouted, "Let's Duel!"