Here's another chapter where two of the most previously underused characters finally get some action. *insert cheer here* If you're a Devlin or Tristan cheerleader, this is the chapter to grab those pom-poms and give a shout out. It seems they might need it…
Malik Fan – Wow, you did it again! You've got to have started a record up. :-) Sorry to hear we've given you insomnia with our little fic, but it's still been fun. Yeah, basements are pretty much off limits after reading this story, but of course bathrooms are kind of off limits after seeing the Kubrick movie too. Thanks for the great review!
darklight – What a complement! We were pretty surprised that you found this was the best chapter so far. Why do you say that, exactly? We'll try to put in more of whatever you liked, just for fun. Thanks for giving such a kind review!
SetoKaiba419 – Trust me, I hear your problems with slow computers. Sorry you've been having so many problems with yours lately, but I've found ff.net's been wacky lately too. Heeheehee – we're certainly glad it was scary enough for you! Lots of chills and shivers means we're doing a good job. Hope Seto's profanity isn't bothering you too much, but we felt it was necessary for his obvious character change throughout the story (as you've probably noticed). And don't worry, nothing too bad could possibly happen to Kaiba and Pegasus while we're the writers – Kabuki's a huge Peggy fan and I'm a Kaiba-holic! Oh, and don't worry about reading the book or watching the movie, it's not going to spoil our story. The stuff we're writing is based on the idea, but it's mostly our original work. If anything, watching the movie or reading the book might make our story all the more frightening. Trust me, Mokuba's gonna have a lot of things happening to him in the future. We think Joey's pretty gallant in the cartoon, and anyway he's very protective of his friends. That'll drive him to probably act more gallant than usual. After all, it's not everyday Joey's stuck in a literal life or death situation. We think if it really counted, Joey would pull himself together for his friends. He's got a pretty cool head in dire situations like this. I'm sure the gang's grateful for the luck, they'll need it. Oh, and don't worry about over-writing yourself! We really appreciate your lengthy reviews, it's wonderful to hear what you thought about our fic! Thanks again for the excellent review, SetoKaiba419!
Allenby – It's great to see a new face on the reviewer page! Glad to hear you're enjoying it. It's good to know that it reminds you of horror movies – that was the feeling we were going for. Hope you enjoy this chapter and thanks for leaving the review.
sakuya – Yep, he's cracked. But of course, you had to have seen that coming. Yugi's gotta figure out this puzzle if he plans to keep his friends safe and alive. *insert dangerous music here* You're gonna be on your toes for the rest of this little weekend, trust us! *evil grin*
^.^ - Gosh, another new reviewer! Thanks for dropping by and leaving a review! I don't want to say that it's hard to find decent fics around here, but sometimes if you want a particular fic you've gotta write it yourself. We're glad you're enjoying the story, and we hope you like this next chapter just as much. Thanks for the wonderful response!
Thanks to all of you for responding, it really keeps us inspired and brightens our day. We look forward to them each time we post a chapter and we hope that if you don't feel comfortable responding on ff.net, our emails are always open, just see Kabuki's or Sylvia's ff.net page. The story is posted in both places. Enjoy the show, and as always, show us your appreciation by dropping a review!
--Kabuki and Sylvia
*****
Part 6:
The elevator had let out on the right side of the hallway on the second floor. If they'd proceeded down the right hallway further, they would have found the servants' quarters and the place Pegasus had designated for them to sleep. However, Duke and Tristan were not very good with the directions, and they moved to the left, passing an old fashioned fire hose that hung on the wall.
Tristan let his hand trail along the wall of the hallway as Duke kept close behind him. He was searching for any kind of light switch, but was as of yet unable to find any. Even though Duke said he didn't mind the dark, Tristan was of the mind that it was necessary now that the electricity was working.
"Maybe there's a utility room with a switchboard we need to activate before any of these lights come on," Tristan whispered. He was keeping his flashlight low to make sure they didn't trip over anything while Duke held his up to illuminate the crumbling wallpaper. Occasionally they passed dusty, dingy paintings of unidentifiable people, some single portraits, others of some kind of festival – the typical paintings you would expect in any hotel.
"Why are you whispering? There's nobody here, Tristan. Not unless you actually believe in all that ghosty stuff they were talking about," Duke elbowed his jumpy friend in the ribs.
"Well, even Kaiba seemed pretty spooked about it. He's a virtual rock in bad situations, it was pretty disturbing, wouldn't you say?"
Duke's face darkened, as his lips tightened slightly. "I hate that guy. I think he's just playing along with them just to have an excuse to beat up on me. He just hates anybody that can order him around. I don't know why Pegasus allowed him to stay here. He'll just tear everything up out of spite." Duke sighed. "Poor Pegasus…"
Tristan laughed out loud, "I don't understand the Pegasus fan club, and I don't think I want to."
"Well, he's not as bad a guy as everyone seems to think. I don't know what happened in Duelist Kingdom, but I refuse to believe that Pegasus would just run around hurting people for no reason. He always has a reason for everything he does." Duke got a distant look on his face, speaking as though he were working through his own thoughts out loud. "I've seen him get shaken up pretty badly like he did earlier tonight, it's always kind of scary, but Croquet usually shows up in the nick of time."
"Have you seen him do that before?" Tristan couldn't help his curiosity.
"Do what before? Push someone away with his mind or nearly pass out?" Duke grinned in the darkness, and even though Tristan couldn't see it he felt a light bounce enter the dice-duelist's footsteps.
Tristan sighed, rolling his eyes in exasperation. "Well, both now that you mention it."
"When I was pitching the Dungeon Dice Monsters Game, Pegasus was very busy preparing for Duelist Kingdom. But, instead of blowing me off, he invited me to accompany him in London for a presentation to a group of his associates. The idea was that if I made an appearance and mentioned my game while he was talking about his Duel Monsters cards, people would make the connection and might be more open to backing me financially."
"That was nice of him," Tristan snorted sarcastically. "So when did he plunge the knife in your back?"
"I don't know what you're talking about, he's never treated me dirty. In fact, I made quite a lot of head way there, and he put in several good words for me in high places."
"Seems he's always putting in a good word for you."
Duke beamed, "That's because he knows a good duelist when he sees one. And besides, I don't mind his company –"
"Industrial Illusions?" Tristan smiled.
"No, you idiot, I don't mind talking to him. He doesn't get many visitors – he's really a pretty lonely guy." The pair continued on for a moment in silence. Tristan was fairly certain that Duke had been fed a great deal of falsities by the ever suspicious Pegasus, but he didn't know how to break it to the poor guy. Duke admired the underhanded creator of Duel Monsters too much, and no matter what anyone said, the guy wouldn't waver in his resolve.
The beam of Duke's flashlight glared suddenly against a glass case built into the wall at the head of the stairway, placed there to greet guests. They stopped and peered through the dusty glass to see numerous mounted photographs featuring several seemingly important figureheads of the hotel.
"Look at this one," Duke muttered, pointing at one of the larger pictures. It was a dusty, faded black and white photograph featuring a large group of people in fancy dress. Their faces and eyes all seemed to glare at anyone who stopped to stare at their picture. "It says it was taken in 1929 at the Gala Opening of the Overlook Hotel. Kind of spooky, huh?"
"Yeah, look at all those weird hair styles…"
Duke stared at Tristan's pointy head as the boy squinted obliviously into the glass case. "Uh, right." They stared at the old photographs a bit longer, but the 1929 picture seemed to be the most worn. "Come on, Tristan. Let's get that first aid kit before Kaiba bleeds to death." Duke rolled his emerald eyes, "As though that would be a big loss…"
Tristan laughed, "You don't mean that."
"No, but after nearly getting pummeled by the guy over nothing, I'm not exactly eager to play as nursemaid for him." Duke attempted to look taller, puffing his chest out and squinting his eyes evilly. "Look – I'm Kaiba! I'm a wack-ass. I'm a spoiled brat with way too much money and a bad hair day. Hell – My whole life's been a bad hair day!"
Tristan began laughing out loud uncontrollably. He'd never seen anybody have the guts to make fun of Kaiba – especially when he was so close by. It was rather relieving from the stressful situation of earlier. He wiped tears from his eyes as he regained control over himself. "You're crazy! No wonder you like Pegasus so much!"
Duke chuckled, "You should see the two of us on a sugar high at three in the morning, you might never want to talk to me again." He grinned.
"What do you do with Pegasus at three in the morning?"
"Play videogames of course! What would you expect us to do? Talk stocks? I never go anywhere without my PS2 and he never leaves without a memory card. Between the two of us, we're gamers for life!"
"I shoulda known…" Tristan exaggeratedly rolled his eyes.
The duo continued their walk down the hall, and suddenly found themselves in the section of the hotel usually reserved for guests. The carpet had once been paisley, but was now a strange shade of swamp water green. Duke flashed the light on the walls, squinting his face in confusion as he saw water damage along the corners of the faded wallpaper. "Pegasus is going to have a difficult job of fixing this place up."
"You mean we're gonna have a hard time of fixing this place up." Tristan mentioned. "I can't believe that creep left us with –" Tristan stopped dead in his tracks, and Duke nearly ran into him. "Did you hear that sound?"
The two listened for a moment, and then Duke shook his head. "What sound? All I heard was us breathing, and I almost heard the sound of us falling to the floor, you knucklehead. If you're gonna stop so suddenly, let me know!" Duke expected some type of rebuke from the pointy-headed teen before him, but received only silence as Tristan stood rigid in the middle of the hallway, listening.
"I know I heard – there! Do you hear it?" he whispered.
Duke cocked his head to the side, and eventually he did hear the noise Tristan was talking about. It sounded like someone trudging through muddy grass in sneakers. "Weird. What do you think that is?"
"I dunno, but I think it's coming from that room." He pointed to the right, and Duke shined his flashlight in the direction, revealing the mahogany shadow of a wooden door. The brass numbers had long since tarnished, but were still legible. They read 217.
"Isn't that the room Pegasus warned us about?" Duke muttered as he approached the door, placing an ear to the wood. "Yeah, it's definitely coming from inside. I wonder what it could be."
Tristan had the distinct feeling that he was being watched and as he stared at the peephole that was situated above the brass numbers, he swore he saw a shadow move as though someone had eagerly rushed to the door to find out who the strange visitors were that roamed the ancient hallways. Tristan backed away in sheer terror.
"Well, it's too big for a cat," Duke smirked, "It must be a hobo." He banged on the door. "Hey! Get outta there! Don't you know this property's been bought by Pegasus J. Crawford? You better not be messing anything up in there!"
Tristan winced at each bang, taking another step backwards. He noticed a distinctly mildew smell, and glancing down, saw with horror that water was creeping out from underneath the doorway. "Duke, look!" The dice-duelist looked down, and shook his head in dismay.
"God damn it! Either the little bastard pissed on me or the room's been flooded! Pegasus's gonna kill me!" he banged again on the door as Tristan flashed the light back down the hallway they had just come from, planning an escape. He was feeling very isolated and very alone, and he wondered after all the twists and turns they'd taken if they'd be able to find their way out. The hotel seemed to close in around them, and he wanted to run, but he didn't want to leave Duke behind. "I'm gonna find some guns and blow you outta there, you little prick!"
Tristan blinked, and stared at his friend in utter dismay. He'd never heard Duke cuss like this before, and somehow he knew that he needed to get both of them out of there. Now. He grabbed Duke by the forearm before the emerald-eyed duelist could refuse, and practically dragged him down the hallway toward the glass case they'd passed.
"Hey let go of me Tristan! What's wrong with you? Stop it!" Duke twisted his arm in anger, but Tristan was stronger and held on tight as he dragged his friend down the hallway. As he ran, the beam of his flashlight jolted from side to side, and for an instant he saw the gleam of red in the familiar form of a cross – the medical room. He stopped suddenly, grunting as Duke fell into his side. He found the red cross was on a door, somehow they'd missed it when they'd come from the other direction. He leapt forward and tried the handle. Luckily, it gave and he tossed Duke into the room, taking one glance back toward the doorway, his curiosity and fear unbearable.
The water had now flooded the hallway, and the door was open. A light flooded from inside the room onto the opposite wall, and the distinct silhouette of a person stood there, arms and legs spread out as though ready to run toward them. Tristan swallowed hard, his throat painfully dry and urged himself into the room after Duke. He slammed the door shut behind them, finding a small turn lock on the handle and turning it. He slumped to the floor, his breathing hard, and his body shaking as he stared at the floor.
Duke leaned against a dusty desk shaking his head. "Ok, what was that all about?"
"Duke, you have got to control that temper. There was something dangerous in there and –"
"No, listen to me. Pegasus specifically stated that I was to run things here. If there's a hobo flooding the rooms, then it's my job to take care of it."
Tristan sighed, his shoulders slumped. "That was no hobo."
"Oh, so now you're the hobo expert?"
He'd had enough. Tristan stood, coming face to face with his long-haired friend. "Pegasus said to stay away from Room 217 and I mean to do exactly as he said. You mean you didn't see what came outta there?"
"I was too busy being hauled around to notice anything but the back of your pointy head."
"Look, let's argue about this later. There should be a first aid kit in here somewhere. Let's find it and get the hell outta this hallway."
Duke sighed and ran a hand through his long dark hair, eying his friend skeptically. "Fine. I guess Kaiba's injuries are more important than my responsibility to Pegasus."
"I don't mean that, Duke. It's just that this place is seriously screwed up. I say we stick with the group from now on."
"Oh yeah, I'm sure Kaiba's safer than a hobo any day."
Tristan was up and rummaging through the aged cabinets, moving the miscellaneous gauze, crèmes, oils, and condoms aside. In the back of the cabinetry, Tristan found evidence of the hotel's age in the old fashioned medical equipment still stored there, including some surgical instruments spattered with what could have been rust but seemed more like blood to the frightened teen. "You shouldn't take everything so damn personally. You think Pegasus would appreciate you banging down the damn door?"
"Well, I can't help but take it personally when some asshole pisses on my shoes." Duke snorted. "Do I smell like anything nasty? Maybe I should wash my boots tonight just in case. God, who knows what that nasty bastard coulda given me if I'd been barefoot or something. Ok, from now on everyone wear shoes at all times in case some wacko's left a nasty package somewhere for us to find."
"Will you quit complaining and help me out?" Tristan shook his head. "You can relay the hobo story to everyone else later. Right now we're on a mission, ok?" He moved aside a few unidentifiable amber bottles, angling his flashlight to reveal the items in the very back. A spider ran across his hand and the boy jumped, banging his head against the wood of the cabinet and toppling some bottles inside. "Ow."
Duke chuckled a little as he began rummaging through the desk drawers, then made a triumphant sound. "Aha! I found it!" He pushed a few items noisily aside, then slid a white first aid kit into view. "Well, we've got what we came for."
"Yeah ok." Tristan was about to turn from the cabinet when a reflection caught his eye. There, among a large wad of gauze, rested a jackknife. Curious, Tristan lifted the object from its hiding place, examining the wooden handle by the meager electric light. It was old, but functional, and as he held it he remembered the terror he'd felt outside Room 217 and the utter feeling of helplessness when he'd seen that shadowy form emerge from the suite. Without another thought he slipped the knife into the pocket of his leather jacket. If nothing else, he was at least somewhat armed.
He stood, brushing the dust from his clothes and nodded to Duke who was waiting at the door, his ear pressed against the wood. "I don't hear anything. No hobo or anything else. Ready to make a break for it?"
Tristan nodded, his left hand deep in his pocket already fingering the knife. "Yeah, let's get outta here."
Duke nodded, then turned the handle, sliding the door open without a sound. With a wink, the dark-haired teen moved through the doorway and into the hallway, his green eyes scanning for anything out of the ordinary. Tristan emerged next, and was a little surprised by what he saw. The floor should have been sopping wet after all the water he'd seen spill out of the room, but the carpet was as dusty and dry as ever. He remembered Joey's reaction to the meat locker and how the emptiness seemed to have spooked his tough-talking friend. Maybe this was the same sort of situation, but then that would mean something else – that the hotel was indeed haunted. Tristan didn't want to believe in ghosts, but he did trust his instincts. He'd been in too many street fights to distrust his senses – if he'd sensed danger, it must have been real. "Something's playing with us." He shook his head and pointed toward the way they'd come. "Let's get back to the others before something else happens."
Duke nodded. "Right. I've got to say though, Tristan, you're creeping me out."
"Sorry."
"It's alright. I think I'm getting used to it." Duke flashed a winning smile and led the way down the corridor. The darkness seemed more ominous after the brief encounter outside room 217, and the duo were noticeably quieter for most of the walk back. They traveled slower, as though afraid running would attract too much attention, and their footsteps were barely discernable as they padded down the carpeted floor. After a while, though, Duke could take the silence no longer. "Ok, let's talk about something. I feel like a burglar sneaking around like this."
"Well, you're just going to have to live with it," Tristan snapped, glaring at Duke in annoyance. The emerald-eyed duelist sighed, but kept quiet. He wasn't sure which was worse – hiding from a drunken hobo or putting up with Tristan's ridiculous silence.
Eventually the duo came upon the glass case once again, and Tristan relaxed a little. He felt better knowing that they were once again in familiar territory. He turned to give Duke permission once again to speak, but stopped when he sighted the creator of Dungeon Dice Monsters. Duke was frozen with shock, staring wide-eyed into the glass case at the photographs.
"They're looking at me, Tristan!" Tristan strained to hear Duke's panicked whisper.
"What do you mean?" Seeing that Duke was not going to respond any time soon, Tristan rubbed the dust and grime from the glass with his sleeve, and peered inside at the photographs. He stared in horror as he saw that all of the men and women in each of the pictures had somehow turned their heads from the position Tristan had seen them earlier, and were now staring at Duke with disgusting grins spread across their faces. Duke let out a little whimper, slowly backing away from the pictures, unknowingly inching toward the staircase on the opposite wall of the hallway. He clutched the rectangular box of First Aid close to his chest and had broken out into a cold sweat.
"This can't be happening….this can't be happening…" Duke muttered as his foot graced the first stair of the staircase.
Tristan stared at his friend in terror as he spied the dilapidated staircase behind him. "Duke! Look out!"
The dice-duelist jumped in surprise, his wide emerald eyes staring at Tristan helplessly as he lost his balance on the head of the stairs and started to fall backwards. "Tristan!" Duke cried, throwing one arm forward in a vain attempt to catch his balance. Tristan ran forward, trying to reach his flailing friend in time. Duke wavered for a moment, and time seemed to slow for Tristan as the dice-duelist wavered back and forward like a weed in the breeze. The tough biker made a mad dash, his hand outstretched, but he was too late. Just as he reached the stairs, Duke had fallen backwards. Tristan cringed as he watched Duke spin down the first flight of stairs, his high pitch scream echoing throughout the vacant hallway. Once he reached the first landing, the wood gave out, sending splinters of wood flying into the air, and Tristan caught Duke's terrified gaze one final time before the terrified teen fell. Tristan held his breath until he heard the final boom of his friend hitting the bottom of the staircase.
***
The fire was burning brightly still, and Kaiba glanced at his watch in annoyance. Mokuba was dozing on his arm, although the boy's eyes were closed and his breathing came deeply, Kaiba could tell the boy was still awake. Tea and Yugi had long since washed up the dishes and returned to the fireplace. The hotel was already becoming very cold, and Tea wondered if the place had central heating they could use. She had searched, but she couldn't find any blankets, and didn't know where a linen closet was either. She wished she had thought to bring a long-sleeved shirt, and was shivering even though she sat beside the fire in her skirt and thin blouse. Tea couldn't help but envy the boys whose school uniforms allowed them to dress more warmly.
Joey meanwhile had decided to walk laps around the room to let out his nervous energy, and Tea glared at the boy in annoyance. She'd counted every lap, and at the moment Joey was working on number thirty-two. "Joey, couldn't you find something else to do?"
"Huh?" Joey blinked, stopping his incessant pacing and staring at her in confusion.
"The pacing? Could you hold off on it for a bit?" Tea put on her most patient expression and Seto just laughed.
"It doesn't matter. Let him pace all he wants. It's not going to make Duke and Tristan move any faster. Knowing them, they probably got distracted by the wallpaper. We'd all be better off just forgetting about my little injuries and going on to bed. Mokuba's tired."
Beside him, Mokuba yawned, his eyes partially closed. "I'm not tired, big brother. I'm just resting my eyes a bit." The boy smiled lazily at him, and then cuddled up against the white trench coat again. Seto glanced at his watch again.
"It's nearly eleven, Yugi. Shouldn't we just forget about them?" Kaiba asked in annoyance.
"We told them we'd wait up, and that's what we're going to do." Yugi replied, determined. "Besides, I don't want them to not be able to find us when they do get back."
"Yeah, we shouldn't split up anymore," Joey commented, strolling over to the window. "Aw man!"
"What is it, Joey?" Yugi stood, stretching out his cramped legs and hurrying over to his friend. "Oh great. It's snowing."
"Yep. Seems that bad weather front they've been talkin' about on the news finally caught up with us."
"Wonderful timing," Seto scowled. "I wasn't able to find a heater in the basement either. Only Pegasus would invest in such a terribly built hotel."
"Big brother, where are we gonna sleep anyway? I can't remember if Pegasus told us where the rooms are or not." Mokuba's sleepy voice was muffled by the trench coat.
Seto smiled. "On the second floor, I believe."
"But which way? Weren't there lots of rooms up there?" Tea shivered. Joey shook his head at the poor girl and took off his green jacket, draping it over her shoulders. "Thanks, Joey." She smiled.
"No problem," Joey grinned. "Besides, I don't get cold."
Seto rolled his eyes. "Sure, Joey. I guess the dog can sleep outside then, right?"
"Will ya quit with the damn dog jokes? They ain't funny!" Joey balled up a fist and glared at the smirking Kaiba. Yugi suddenly heard his puzzle's voice in his head.
::Yugi – there's something wrong.::
"What is it Yami?" Yugi whispered, moving slightly away from the others as Seto and Joey continued their dog debate.
::I'm not sure, Yugi. The hotel – it seems to be radiating a great amount of energy for some reason…::
Yugi glanced at the large mahogany grandfather clock that stood in a corner of the lobby. It was covered with cobwebs, but it appeared that Pegasus had found a way to wind it up again. The face had been scrubbed recently, and light streaks of cleaning fluid could still be seen from the hasty job. "Well, it is almost midnight, and they say that's a scary time…" Yugi could feel the spirit sigh in amusement within his mind.
::I don't think it has anything to do with the time, my friend. I'm more worried about our friends upstairs. Perhaps we should go and check on them. I feel danger lurking about and I suspect that they might be in need of our help.:: Yugi nodded, and turned toward the elevator.
"I'm gonna go check on Duke and Tristan." He said, marching forward to hit the button.
"Yug, wait!" Joey practically bounded up beside him, catching his elbow firmly. "I don't want you goin' up there by yourself! It's dangerous!" Then the blond leaned in close, his brow furrowed in worry, he spoke in a hushed whisper, "There could be something worse up there than what was in that meat locker. And last time you nearly got locked in there with 'em." Then he stood back, striking a pose and placing a thumb on his chest. "No way, man! There's no way you are goin' up there without ol' Joey to keep ya safe!"
Kaiba laughed, "Oh yeah, he'll keep you safe, Yugi. You're in good hands with Joey around."
Tea glared at the laughing man, and then stood to join Joey and Yugi. "And I'm going too!"
"What gives, Tea?" Joey pleaded with her. "We don't need ya gettin' hurt or something. Just stay down here with Kaiba. He's a snooty jerk, but he'll keep ya safe."
"Oh yeah, stay with the injured guy that likes to go psycho," Tea whispered, then stood back, smiling at the two. "I won't do it, Joey. I said that we'd all be fine but only if we stick together. If we split apart, we're vulnerable! But as long as we have each other, we're unstoppable!" Kaiba's laughter increased.
"You're on a roll, Tea! I should've made that bet with Duke, I'd have won too! You really couldn't last the first night without a damn friendship speech. I bet you gave another one earlier, didn't you?" he laughed again, holding his dizzy head with one hand.
"Besides," Tea continued, "I don't think we should leave Kaiba with all those injuries. He's acting really strange, even for him. I think he must have fallen too hard."
"Yeah, you could say that again," Joey smiled. "Okay, Tea. You've convinced me. You can come if ya want."
"But should we leave Mokuba?" Yugi asked.
"Do you honestly think we could pry the kid away from 'im?" Joey countered. "He won't let him outta his sight, and I for one say they can have each other." Joey shoved his hands in his pockets as the cold got to him for a moment. The elevator dinged and the doors opened with a long squeak. "I'm worried about Tristan too, it's not like my best buddy to be gone for so long."
They were about to enter the car, when they suddenly heard a terrible crash from the stairway and the sound of Tristan's panicked voice echoing down through the stairway.
"Duke? Duke, are you alright? Answer me!"