"We have to go help him."
"No! We cannot win this fight right now… We must leave Karter to his own for now."
"But…. He's my friend, and besides. Karter is the heir. Our whole lives have been devoted to protecting him and guiding him to his destiny when he awoke."
"Elenna, I we try to rescue him we will die. We must wait for a better opportunity. Besides, if they only needed Karter there is only one place they can go."
Jacob let go of Elenna after judging that his words had calmed her.
"I don't like it either Elenna." Yugi said having separated from Yami. "After all he is my son, but our best chance to rescue him has not yet come."
With that Yugi led the way onto the airplane with the others in tow. Once aboard the doors we sealed and the pilot took the plane to the air. Within minutes they had reached top speed and were making headway towards the Americas.
"Jacob." Yugi looked towards his new friend. "Do you know where this Millennium Gate is."
"Yes. Well at least the order does, you will have to ask Elenna where it is though." Sighing Jacob continued. "However for now we should let her rest."
With all said Jacob and Yugi reclined into their seats to follow Elenna's lead to catch some rest. Then with all aboard asleep the plane continued under the pilots control and with hours they were approaching America, and the next step of their journey.
Meanwhile aboard a second aircraft mirroring the movements of the first, Hannibal sat in a chair awaiting his captives return to consciousness.
Having killed all of his men in Egypt there was no one left who knew his secret.
"Although" he silently thought to himself. "I may have to deal with the rest of them after my business in America is finished."
Smiling Hannibal silently took pleasure in the thought of what was to come, as he slid his gun from around his shoulder and emptied the magazine onto a bench beside him. As the bullets came into contact with the surface a dark fog emanated from them.
"Ughh."
Looking up, Hannibal noticed that his captive was beginning to stir.
As consciousness returned, Karter was immediately aware of two things.
one- there was a red haze across his vision and a ringing in his ears.
And two- all he could feel was an excruciating pain that flared out from his chest into all the furthest reaches of his body.
"Ahh, awake at last are we."
The sudden voice rung out, echoing through Karter's skull until he was sure his head would explode, and even after it ended the ringing in his was left intensified. Stunned by the pain, Karter paused to gather his thoughts as his head rung scrambling is thoughts even as they formed.
Eventually, when he no longer felt his head was on the verge of exploding Karter tentatively opened is eyes. Upon contact with the light Karter was temporarily blinded, but once he could see clearly, he noticed that the red haze was still present. Clouding is vision as it tinted everything a deep blood red.
Looking down, he noticed the hole in his chest. It had been roughly bandaged to stop the bleeding, but even so blood had continued to seep through, and now his shirt and the bandages were stained red. However on the positive side the blood appeared to have dried, indicating that he was no longer bleeding out. Satisfied he was no longer dying Karter raised his gaze to look around, double taking when he saw the figure in the opposite chair. With his vision tinted as it was, this other figure seemed to have an otherworldly glow to him.
"In fact." Karter thought. "He almost looked as if he was a demon."
To get a better look at his captor, Karter tried to shift his position only to realise he was strapped down, unable to move.
"Welcome back to the world of the living, Heir of Yami."
"Who?" Karter asked as his foggy thoughts struggled, trying to find anything at all that he knew about this Yami.
"Who?" Hannibal scoffed. "Only the bloody Pharaoh currently paired to your father through that infernal pyramid. But don't worry that will change soon."
"Uggh." Just trying to remember enough to understand what his captor was on about, was taking all the energy Karter had left. So in his dumb struck state all he could say was, "Pharaoh….. Pyramid."
"Yes! Weren't you listening!"
Unsure why his captor was getting angry, Karter's face went blank as he worked his already spent brain even harder. And the blank look was enough to tip Hannibal over the edge.
Suddenly a sharp pain spread through Karter's cheek deepening the haze across his eyes. However the pain also cut through the fog in his mind bringing him back to complete awareness.
After a moment he realized that the pain had come from his captors palm as he slapped him.
"Now, if you are willing to co-operate we can begin again you insufferable relic of a by-gone age."
Watching his captor rage, Karter silently went through the information he had.
One- His captor seemed to be very impatient.
Two- His captor wanted something he needed Yami, Yugi and some Heir which had to be him.
And Three- For some reason his captor needed him alive.
"Well answer me!" Hannibal shouted.
"Patience, Patience." Karter chastised. "I just needed a moment. As after all, if it is Yami and my father you want, how do you know where to go?"
"Do you think you are the only fool with millennial artefacts?" Hannibal grunted, struggling to hold in his anger. "And do you really think I have any more patience for you after what you did to my brother."
"Your brother?" Karter asked, feigning ignorance,
For by this point Karter had a pretty good idea who this guy was. And based of the series of assassins sent after Elenna and himself, the brother ad to be one of the better trained ones. Also with this talk of millennial artefacts Karter was pretty sure that the one he retrieved the eye from was the brother. He also knew that with his left arm disabled he would be unable to fight as left was his dominant hand, so his only hope was to push this guy over an edge so he would strike again. As without his good arm he needed to trigger his power again, and in theory Karter had rationalized that danger might trigger that power. As after all it had triggered before when he felt danger.
"Don't give me that Bull…."
"Oh. I remember now." Grinning mischievously Karter continued. "Was he the one…."
"SHUT UP." Hannibal struck Karter. Then swung again and again with every consecutive word he spoke until something like this was created.
"YOU" Whack. "ARE" Whack. "NOT" Whack. "WORTHY" whack. "TO" whack. "SPEAK" whack. "ABOUT" whack. "HIM" Whack.
Vision already blurring into a mess of black white and red Karter panicked unsure if his theory was correct. Then just as he began to pass out he felt a familiar surge of energy spread through him.
Looking up time began to blur and slow as Karter's Millennium eye activated. And as he saw the next blow slowly creep towards him, he channelled as best he could the energy into right palm.
But, when he looked into Hannibal's face to peer through the window into his mind provided by his Millennium Eye, Karter froze.
There were two minds.
One enraged and one shadowed and concealed from his direct observation.
During his momentary lapse Karter was unable to defend as Hannibal's blow took him full in the face, and as his vision again lapsed he felt the energy he had accumulated in his palm explode free.
Flooding out from his palm it continued running over his body like a shield, then when it met the point that Hannibal's fist was still connected to Karter's face it switched hosts.
With the energy now running across Hannibal's body Karter could only watch in horror as it began to burn through his captor.
"What have you done to me?" Hannibal pleaded as his skin burned away and his body dissolved as if acid were eating away at it.
And then Karter saw it. Around Hannibal's neck was a golden ring with a pyramid containing the eye suspended in its centre.
And from within this relic Karter again saw that dark shielded presence that he had entered inside Hannibal's mind.
Suddenly aware of who this presence was screamed in fury and frustration as he was helpless to escape as that presence began to seek from inside the necklace and possess what little remained of what had been Hannibal's body.
"Well done Heir." The presence forced the bloodied and burned remains of Hannibal's face into a triumphant snarl. "You defeated my pawn. But all you have achieved is to delay my efforts. For now I have your power, all I need is Yamis'."
As the Pharaohs name left the lips of the Hannibal's corpse the presence vanished stealing the power Karter had inadvertently used to destroy Hannibal with him. However as the presence vanished Hannibal's mind returned to his body. And even though he should have died, the Warlord struggled to raise his head to Karter.
As Karter beheld the skeletal bloody form of Hannibal's face he suddenly hated himself. He had done this. This gruesome sight was his doing.
"Run."
Taken aback, Karter snapped back from his reverie to realize it was Hannibal who had spoken.
"Run." He croaked again, his throat on the verge of collapse. "The spirit…. The spirit of… of the ring."
Collapsing back the floor Hannibal began to cough, and from where he sat Karter could tell he didn't have long. As with every cough blood poured from the warlord's mouth as his lungs collapsed under the strain of maintaining life.
"Yes." Karter asked, knowing he had to be quick. "What about the spirit?"
"He…. He…." Descending back coughing Hannibal broke sentence for utter one final word. "Bomb." And then he collapsed to the floor of the plane.
Upon the departure of Hannibal's soul from his body in death, Hannibal's remains exploded tearing the plane apart and enveloping the explosion in a shadowy mist.
After landing in American the party of surviving Guardians and Pharaoh sought out a place to stay. Yugi's first thought upon the city of New York was. What happened?
Unlike Egypt which had remained almost exactly as he remember it even after a millennium, New York had changed with the times. All around them, buildings soared of into the sky until they blended with the clouds. And all around Yugi could see what appeared to be flying cars soaring through the air in an organised chaos that must be the traffic systems.
"Why is everything so different to how I remember here, whilst Egypt was exactly the same?" He asked.
"Egypt signed the declaration with Most of Northern and Western Europe, including what you would know as the UK and Russia, as well as all countries in between." Jacob recited from memory for Yugi.
"What declaration?" Yugi asked, completely at a loss of understanding for what Jacob had said.
"You know the declaration?" Jacob paused, clearly unsure how to explain this declaration that was of such significance.
"What Jacob means." Elenna picked up. "Is that Egypt signed a declaration stating that they would abstain from what they called the Jalkalla." Pausing Elenna checked to see if Yugi followed before continuing with her explanation. "Now the Jalkalla is the term they use to describe what is basically the movement that brought most the world into the future. For example. New York."
Elenna indicated the infinitely tall buildings and mass of airborne traffic that surrounded them.
"So this, is all Jall….."
"Jalkalla. Yes. Though we of more open mind just call it human advancement."
With that cleared up the party continued through the virtually empty ground streets until they reached a building that looked to Yugi like something he would see in a Star Wars movie. Pressing a button in the wall a panel slid back to reveal a small chamber, and following the lead of the two guardians Yugi entered. As the panel slid closed Yugi became vaguely aware that they were moving up, but before he could confirm the fact the panel slid back open and Yugi's head spun at what he saw.
Where a few second prior he had been on the Earth, he was now so high up he could hardly see those who still were on the ground.
"Don't worry. You'll get used to it." Elenna assured Yugi.
"Used to it. How are you used to it. Aren't you from Egypt?"
"Not really, whilst we are all basically of Egyptian Heritage. We base from New York as there is a better link into the movements of the world from here. It allows us to keep informed." Jacob replied.
"So, why were you in Egypt them, if you are so involved here?"
"We rotate around between the Egyptian base and the New York base, though we also have outposts in Garjarl, or Russia as you knew it and Fortakullu which you would know as Japan."
"Ok. So I assume we are headed to the New York Base then."
"Yes. Given that you decided to abandon Karter in Egypt." Elenna scowled at Jacob and Yugi. "We will need to alert the Order and gather whomever we can to wait out the enemy at the gate."
"Yes this gate. Jacob mentioned it before." Yugi recalled. "What is it, and why have I never heard of it."
"Yes." Yami agreed. Drawing Yugi into the realm of the puzzle. "We also need to find out how they were able to create a new Millennium relic to implant in your son, and whilst on the topic find out who that man is."
As Yugi returned from his brief encounter with Yami he realized he had missed most of Elenna's explanation on the gate.
"Woah, wait up. Yami just pointed some questions to me. Would you be able to start again."
"Ok, as I was saying." Elenna began, making sure Yugi was still there, not off with the Pharaoh again. "The gate is a relic that only surfaced within the last Millennia. It has the ability to open a pathway between the Ethereal and this realm. Now imagine the Shadow Realm, which is an intermediary plane composed of both Earth and the Ethereal. However the Ethereal is much worse, and if it is recombined with Earth the Shadow Realm will be like a dream to what follows."
"Extinction mate." Jacob added, filling the blank of what the joining of the worlds would.
"Yes. As Jacob has pointed out, merging the worlds would cause the end of human kind. Now about the Pharaoh, what did he want to know?"
"The Millennium Mind, or whatever you called it, how was it made? And what do you know about the man who took my son."
"The Millennium BRAIN. Was created from knowledge and technology we derived from the gate. Once we realized what it could be used for we hid the gate. To our knowledge no one knew of its existence outside the order. And that brings us to the man. We have no idea who he is, but he evidently knows about the gate. As he waited until you and your son were both awake before attacking. He also knew to wait until the Millennium Brain had been activated, and he apparently had possession of the Millennium Eye, though Karter has it now."
"This is important why?" Yugi asked, in the dark about the conversation.
"The gate." Jacob began, taking over from Elenna. "Can only be opened by returning all of the Millennium Relics to it. We believe that it was from this gate that the Pharaoh crafted the relics."
"Do you see it yet?" Elenna asked Yugi. "The relics weren't created as the Pharaohs symbols of power. They are keys. And when all of them are placed back into the gate the worlds will be re-joined. Only this time the Pharaoh won't be there."
"Wait a minute. What do you mean the Pharaoh won't be there?"
"His soul is sealed inside one of the keys, and besides, from ancient writings on the gate, we learned that to seal the gate and remove the keys the Pharaoh had to sacrifice his own life to Shadow Realm. Yami is but a reflection of that Pharaoh, and whilst he was powerful enough to fight the beast in a war with the Shadow Realm. He cannot win a war with the Ethereal."
"One thing is for sure." Jacob spoke up again. "Whoever this guy is, he apparently intends to end the world."
As Jacob finished the party came to a stop at the edge of the walkway. Below them lay a extensive drop to certain death. However after a whistle a blue energy field flared to life connecting the walkway with another fifty metres over on the adjacent building.
"Come on, the trains just over here, and from there we can go to headquarters."
Yugi watched as Elenna and Jacob stepped out onto the energy field which remained solid like a bridge over the gap. Then as he tentatively followed them Yugi realized that to either side lines of the flying cars he had seen earlier we building up and he realized. This energy field was a crossing and the empty space was the road.
"Great." He thought to himself as he reached the opposite building. "In the future we have flying roads, airborne walkways and ancient doomsday gates. What next."
Following his companions along the new walkway Yugi caught site of a tube like flying thing zoom in alongside them and come to a rest. Along its sides sections of it vanished to allow people inside to walk out as others entered. These were evidently the trains Elenna and Jacob had spoken of. And before long they had reached the abandoned end of the walkway which seemed to run right into the wall of the neighbouring building.
Coming to a stop Yugi observed as Jacob placed his hand against one of the panels, which in response to his hand withdrew to admit them to a hidden room with one of these "trains" in it.
"All aboard" Elenna called then leading the way she entered in through a door which materialized in the side of the tube. "Next stop, Guardian headquarters."
Authors notes.
Ok, in this chapter there is a lot of content that i have created for the YuGiOh universe, so no it is not canon and may contradict some of the history of the YuGiOh universe. However, I hope you enjoyed it anyway. By now you should be beginning to realize who the villain is. But in case you didn't pick up on it. The necklace around Hannibal's neck was the Millennium Ring or in Romaji the Sennen Ringu. It should be familiar from the anime.
Anyway, as usual I welcome constructive criticism as it helps make my stories better and more enjoyable for you to read. And stay tuned for more chapters which should be coming more frequently to this story as well as my other story New Blood.
Thank you once again.
RisingPhoenix15