And another chapter's put up.  Was anybody holding their breath for poor Duke?  Heehee, you know you were!  Now, on with the responses:

Malik Fan – So you like the clifies, huh?  Sometimes that's the best place to stop a story, and sometimes it's the only way we know when to end a chapter.  Heheh.  Glad you're enjoying the fun, and that you enjoyed Tristan being a hobo expert.  He must've taken Hobos 101 or something in high school.  Go figure.  Thanks as always for the great review!

darklight – Well, we're glad you liked that bit with Kaiba.  I know it's only gonna get tougher for the poor guy, I'm sorry to say (yeah, not that sorry) but we both know Kaiba's good deep down, and he won't be steered wrong for too long.  You really think we could be good one day?  Gosh, we're flattered!  *blush*  Though science fiction isn't usually our forte, we're finding that we rather enjoy writing it.  Maybe it's just the thrill of watching the Yugi gang getting trapped in a haunted hotel.  Yeah, that must be it!  And keep that popcorn and Coke nearby, cause like they say: it isn't over until Grandpa sings.  Or something like that…

Allenby – Yeah, it's not everyday we get to put Duke against a hobo.  It seems Duke lost, but maybe there'll be a rematch in the future.  Who knows, maybe Duke will get to fight a hobo in the anime.  Season 4 anyone?  We're glad you're enjoying the show, and thanks for the high praise.

Jherrus – Freakily cool?  Ooh, we like that!  And since you've read the original book, you certainly are well-acquainted with the "hobo" in room 217.  Heehee.  Umm, not the best place to read horror fiction, but then again, maybe it's the prime choice.  They wants us to kills someone, Precious?  Hmm, maybe we'll pull a few strings here and there…

Vyctori – Their bickering is what makes their friendship so strong… or something like that.  As for Pegasus at three in the morning on video games, yeah… what *else* would you expect him to do with Duke?  *And get those slashy thoughts out of your head!  This is only rated PG-13!*  Yeah, we couldn't include Bakura, because he'd be easy pickins for a hotel like this.  I mean really – there wouldn't be much of a shove involved.  He'd already be a psychopath!  Glad we're keeping everyone true to form, and thanks for continuing to stop by!

SetoKaiba419 – Ugh, science projects, *terrible memories come to play* I can definitely understand that one!  Yeah, you just gotta remember that hobos can show up at any time.  Very resilient, those hobos.  And very resourceful!  You'll find out what Tristan saw eventually, they still have rooms to clean after all.  And don't worry, the funny won't last too long.  Just enough to make you feel relaxed.  *evil laughter*  Duke and Pegasus probably go way back.  It was just an obvious thing to us for them to be gamers at 3am, especially on those long business trips.  Pegasus can only watch funny bunnies for so long before Duke woulda slugged him.  Glad we're able to infiltrate your school life – this is more fun than a science project anyway.  Just watch out for speeding vehicles, else you might turn out to be a ghost at the Overlook.  It's always good to bone up on your Stephen King, at least not at nighttime in Sylvia's opinion.  Kabuki on the other hand likes to get the most out of her horror.  She thinks most of them are actually pretty funny.  Go figure.  Thanks for the great review, as always!  And don't worry about being the last to show up, as long as you show, that's the important thing!

That's all folks!  Now remember, lots of happy reviews make happy writers.  And it might make us post faster.  Ooh, was that a plug?  Yeah, I guess so.  Oh well. Enjoy the show!

Kabuki & Sylvia

*****

Part 7

At the deafening sound Kaiba instinctively leapt to his feet and moved his body protectively in front of his brother. Mokuba was also startled from his reverie, and he peered with wide blue eyes from around his brother's dusty white trench coat toward the source of the sound. The group of three friends near the elevator all wore expressions of shock, but of all the students Joey was the first to react to the situation. "Tristan!? What the heck just happened?"

Yugi shook himself from the shock and raced over to the large pile of debris. A few of the stairs were still crumbling, and a large gaping hole, wide and glaring as a dilated pupil, stared back at him from the center of the staircase. From the dark orifice, there came a soft groan. Yugi's eyes bulged as though he'd been struck. "Duke, is that . . . Tristan, is Duke down there?"

"Yes! He fell and – we've got to help him!" Yugi was already scrambling over the rickety stairs as Joey watched. The blond duelist was about to move and offer his help when Tristan's voice rang out again from the second floor. "Umm… guys? I need some help here . . ." Strangely enough, Joey watched in confusion as a few drops of water fell down from the second floor pitter-pattering upon the pile of debris.

"What's the matter, buddy?" Joey looked up concerned. "We've gotta help Duke first!"

"It's just that … oh never mind."

Kaiba had come to stand at the base of the stairs, and he cast a curious glance into the gaping wound in the staircase. "I told you not to take the stairs, Devlin."

Yugi meanwhile had crawled into the hole, his body just small enough to be able to fit. Joey tried to squeeze in as well, but his shoulders were unfortunately too wide. "Yug, don't go in there alone!"

"If I don't then who knows what could happen! Duke sounds seriously hurt, and I can't just leave him here!" The boy crawled forward on his elbows, squinting in the dust and debris. The stairs creaked dangerously and Yugi suddenly realized that it could collapse at any time, crushing him beneath decades-old wood and mortar. "I'll be ok, Joey. Just wait for me, and lend me a hand when I bring Duke close enough for you to reach."

Joey stood uncertainly at the lip of the makeshift cave, running a hand through his bushy blond hair. If anything happened to Yugi he'd never forgive himself, but given the circumstances, he knew his friend was making the right choice. He had to trust in his friend.  "Alright, Yug, I'll do as ya say, but don't get yerself hurt in there!"

Kaiba shook his head. "Yugi's care for others will get him killed one of these days." He allowed himself a wry smile. Maybe Pegasus had tampered with the stairs in the hopes of hurting Kaiba or his brother. In that light, it was poetic justice that Pegasus' favorite was trapped there now. Kaiba only wished the Industrial Illusionist himself were the hapless victim.

Mokuba sighed and held his brother's hand tightly. There was something bothering him, but the boy didn't know exactly what. He was sensing something bad happening all around them, and he didn't want his brother getting hurt. Even though Duke Devlin was a Pegasus fanatic, Mokuba held no grudge against the other student. "I hope Yugi and Duke are alright."

Seto managed a nod, thinly disguising his distaste for both duelists. "Knowing Yugi, I'm sure everything will turn out just as he wants it."

"I hope so, Seto."

Tea was standing by Joey in the rubble, squinting into the dark. "Are you ok, Yugi?"

"I think so!  Hang on … I think I've got him. I don't think he's badly hurt, just knocked out."

Joey shook his head. "Nothin' like puttin' our fears ta rest, huh?" He winked and rubbed Tea's shoulder reassuringly. "Don't worry, Tea. I'm sure Yug knows what he's doin'." Behind them Kaiba rolled his eyes. He imagined what it would be like if the rest of the staircase suddenly caved in, burying the two boys.  He could even imagine the beautiful looks of despair that would cross the boys' minds as they saw the rubble falling towards them –

He shook his head, staggering forward a little. Mokuba was at his side in an instant. "Big brother, are you ok?"

Seto looked in his brother's wide, innocent eyes and grasped him desperately, wrapping him in a tight hug. He didn't understand where such horrible images were coming from. Was he really still so angry at Yugi after all this time? His head throbbed, probably from the wound to his skull. He wondered if he had a concussion of some sort from the fall, and he latched onto that thought as a reasonable explanation for the strange urges which coursed through is brain. The vision flashed again, this time with Yugi and Duke crumpled beneath tons of debris, their bloodied limbs outstretched as a strange cackling laughter echoed all around. Kaiba clutched his head and leaned against his little brother desperately, covering his ears to drown out the sound which seemed to come from everywhere and nowhere at the same time.

Mokuba held his brother and through Seto's mind saw flashes of the visions which tormented him. "Umm… guys?"

Joey waved his hand, focused on the perils of his friend. "Not now, kid. Can't you see Yugi's in trouble here?"

"But guys I think Seto's in trouble too! We've gotta help him!"

"We can only help one of 'em at a time, Mokuba!  Anyway, Yugi's in a bit more trouble than Kaiba over there." Joey glanced in the direction of the two brothers, and was shocked to see Kaiba on his knees, clutching his ears tightly, and muttering strangely to himself.  "Kaiba?  You okay, man?"  He moved to offer help, but then heard the voice of Tristan above them.

"Umm… Joey?? I really need to get down from here!" Tristan's voice had heightened somewhat in something Joey had never heard from his friend – desperation.  He noticed nervously that the droplets of water that had been coming from the second floor had now multiplied to numerous rivulets.  He cupped his hands around his mouth, and called up to his buddy.

"Tristan!  What the heck's wrong with you?  Just use the elevator, for cryin' out loud!  If there's a leak, we can plug it later!" Joey peered up into the darkness.  He couldn't see his friend, only the crumbling remains of the ancient stairway.  Then he jumped as he felt a hand grasp his ankle.  "Yaah!"

"It's only me, Joey."  Duke's voice was breathless and his face was marred with trickles of blood.  "Don't be such a coward." He grinned slightly as Joey grasped the boy's arm and tugged hard to pull him free.  Tea grabbed another arm once it was yanked from the wreckage and together they pulled Duke from the ruined staircase.  Joey was relieved when he spied the familiar spiky hair of Yugi poke out of the rubble, his violet eyes wide and his face smeared with dirt.

"I told you I could do it," Yugi grinned, his eyes flashing in his triumph.  "Now help me outta here!"

"Sure thing, Yug!" Joey helped the short King of Games escape the rubble with much less trouble than he had had with Duke.  Mokuba rushed over to Duke and between him and Tea, they aided the injured teen into the foyer, leading him to a chair.

"What's wrong with Kaiba?" Yugi gasped as Joey helped him to his feet, brushing the dirt from his blue coat.

"Forget about Kaiba for the moment, I wanna know what's wrong with Tristan," Joey muttered as the elevator dinged and Tristan raced out, his eyes wide and his hair mussed.  He was sopping wet from head to toe, and Joey had to wonder where all the water had come from.  "Tristan… what the heck happened to you?  Didja fall inna toilet or somethin'?"

Tristan shook his head, flinging water about as he ran over to Mokuba, and grabbed him firmly by the shoulders.  "Okay!  I believe you!" his voice was shrill and he was shivering like mad from the chill of the house and probably in fear.  Joey approached his friend, and placed a hand on his shoulder, trying to lead him away from the boy, but Tristan refused.  "I want to know everything about this place, Mokuba.  Tell me what Pegasus said.  Tell me what he said about Room 217!" Tristan shook the boy by the shoulders, but stopped when he heard a low growl from behind the kid as the hunched form of Seto Kaiba staggered into view.

"Get your hands off of him!" Kaiba snarled, staggering to his feet and holding the side of his head in obvious pain.

"He knows something about this place, and I think we all deserve to know!" Tristan declared, standing up straight and eying Kaiba defiantly despite his drenched disposition

"I know only what you do, Tristan!  Don't think I know everything about this place!  I don't think even Pegasus does.  Whatever you saw up there, just leave it alone." Mokuba pushed Tristan's hands from his shoulders, moving backwards toward his older brother.

"I don't care what you think my brother knows.  You stay away from him," Kaiba pointed a finger at Tristan, causing the teen to take a step backwards.

"Look, guys.  Everybody just calm down!" Yugi stood between the two, holding his arms out to keep them at bay.  His face was still covered in dirt, and his hair was a darker shade from the stairway's cave-in.  "I think we're in way over our heads this time.  Let's just sit down, bandage you guys up, and try to figure out what's happened tonight.  We've got to work together if we're to conquer this thing."

"I don't have to work with anyone!" Kaiba growled, grabbing Mokuba and leading him over to the elevator, mashing the up button.  "According to our gracious benefactor, our rooms are upstairs and to the right.  Mokuba and I are going to bed.  You idiots can stay out here and tell ghost stories all night long, but we will have no part of it.  Just make sure you cut out the lights before you leave.  We don't need a fuse to blow and burn the hotel down with us in it."  The elevator dinged and the doors squeaked open.  Kaiba steered Mokuba into the elevator, his actions leaving no room for argument as the door slid shut and the brothers disappeared into the elevator shaft.

"Great.  So I guess there really was no point in going up there to grab this, huh?" Duke muttered, lifting the dusty and battered first aid kit.  He chuckled sarcastically as Tea opened the package, sorting through its contents.

"Well, we can at least make sure you're okay," Tea removed some antiseptic and began applying it to Duke; the teen winced in pain.  "Sorry, but I can't do anything about that." She smiled weakly.

"Well, at least I planned for my own injury.  Ow!  Jeez, that hurts!" Duke jerked back, but Tea held his arm firmly wiping the antiseptic along one of the deeper abrasions.

Everyone looked pretty rough from the long evening, and even though each one of them was looking forward to sleeping in a soft bed, they wanted to know what each had seen.  Tristan plopped into a chair, his clothes making a squishing sound, and Duke instantly sat up straighter.

"What happened to you?" he cried to Tristan, only now noticing his friend's wet condition.  "It wasn't a hobo was it?  Oh man, I am so sorry!  I didn't mean to wake it up!  I didn't know, honest!" Tea put a hand on his shoulder to keep him calm.

"You've got to hold still, Duke!" The duelist nodded, and tried to keep his shivering to a minimum.  He'd never fallen through a flight of stairs before, but of course he'd never seen pictures that looked at him with such menace either.

"I didn't see it, but I felt it coming.  And then, water started dripping down all over the walls.  I was afraid the elevator wouldn't work," Tristan whispered, his eyes glazed and his mind seemed distant.  Joey placed a reassuring hand on his friend's shoulder.

"Easy there, buddy. I'm sure dat Yug knows what's goin' on. What's yer Puzzle thingie say about all this?"

All eyes turned to Yugi, but the troubled teen looked just as worried as the rest of them. He sighed heavily, shaking his head. "Yami doesn't know what's happening either. He says that something is terribly wrong with this hotel. He thinks maybe something bad happened here in the past." Yugi shook his head and held the golden puzzle close to his chest. "I don't know what this place wants. I don't know why it attacked you two, or why it's trying to hurt Kaiba."

Duke rubbed his forehead to ward off the impending migraine while Tea wrapped his right arm, "Am I the only one here who is completely lost about what the heck he's talking about? Why would that weird pyramid thing know anything? I mean, is like a Magic Eight Ball or something?"

"Yugi," Tea ignored Duke, eyeing her friend slowly, one hand clutching Joey's green coat close around her shoulders as she replaced the medical supplies and snapped the plastic first aid kit shut. "Did Pegasus plan all this? Is this some trick to get revenge after you beat him at Duelist Kingdom?"

Yugi thought for a moment, his fingers tracing lazy circles on the intricate design on the Puzzle, and then he shook his head. "No, it's something else. Pegasus was afraid of it too, remember? Whatever's here is worse than anything Pegasus could have possibly planned for us."

Joey rubbed the back of his neck thoughtfully. "That's really sayin' somethin' if the place's worse than somethin' Pegasus'd do." He sighed. "But Yug, can't we fight it somehow?"

"I don't understand why you all think Yugi would know any of this," Duke commented, wondering if he really did hit his head too hard in the fall.  Tristan simply shook his head as he grinned at the dicey duelist.

"I'll have to explain it to you sometime, Duke.  But for now, just trust us on this one.  Let's just say that Yugi usually has a good hunch about these things." Duke merely rolled his eyes in response. He ached all over from the fall, and with everyone talking like crazies and a killer headache coming on he felt it best to just let the matter drop. He'd question Tristan, but only when he could get the guy alone.

Joey glared at Duke for a moment. No love was lost between the two duelists, and Joey wanted to remind the Pegasus-fan of that pointed fact as he glared at the dark-headed duelist.  He was practically daring the other boy to ask another dumb question and when Duke remained silent, Joey smiled before he turned his attention back to Yugi.  He couldn't stand anyone disrespecting or questioning his friend.  To him Yugi could do no wrong, and with the help of the Millennium Puzzle, he'd seen the guy get out of more tough scrapes than anyone he'd ever met.  If nothing else, Yugi had his utmost respect, and Joey was going to protect him at all costs. "Well, Yug? Can we do anythin' ta stop what's happenin' here?"

"I don't think so. I think it can only get worse." Yugi shook his head and blinked, his usual optimism returning as he managed a smile for his friends. Yami was sensing terrible things, but there was no use on worrying his friends about it all.  "If we just try to stay out of its way, I don't think it will hurt us. I think it's only curious about us."

Duke lowered his eyes. "I shouldn't have provoked it then. Is that what you're saying?"

Yugi nodded, though deep down he wondered if their actions really made any difference at all. The longer they stayed, the more dark energy Yugi could sense, practically oozing from the aged wallpaper and covered furniture.  He felt it creeping out from behind the aged walls, watching them from the shadows and from behind closed doors.  He held his puzzle all the closer, and felt the reassuring warmth from Yami in the back of his mind, but the danger loomed nevertheless. He couldn't help but wonder what the rest of the weekend would bring. "If we stay to the rooms we're supposed to and avoid the places that have proven dangerous so far, I think we'll be ok."

"How're we supposed to do our chores then, Yugi?" Tristan shook his head, squeezing his eyes against the humiliating fear he'd felt earlier and attempting to wring out the excess water from the sleeve of his brown jacket. "We can't just slack off all weekend or they might send us back for detention again, maybe even to the same place. I can't imagine being here longer than necessary, can you?"

Tea gazed about the room thoughtfully. "Maybe it's just that we're all tired and the place is so unfamiliar. It might be better in the morning with the sunshine coming in through the windows and all."

"I don't think there's gonna be much sunshine with all those clouds I saw earlier.  It was already snowin' pretty hard; I bet the ground's covered by now.  Speakin' of morning, I think we'd better follow the Kaibas and get to bed." Joey yawned and rubbed a hand over his face. "I'm totally out of it."

Duke and Tristan exchanged worried looks and Tristan sighed. "Yeah, ok. Hey, where are our rooms?"

"Up and to the right, I think." Joey shrugged. "I dunno."

Tea nodded. "That's where the Kaibas went and I think they were right. We may as well follow them."

Duke chuckled, allowing Tea to help him to his feet. "Yeah, we haven't heard any screaming, so it must be safe."

Tristan rolled his eyes, getting reluctantly to his feet. "Oh yeah, that's encouraging."

Yugi shook his head. There really was no other choice, despite the fear which had settled over them all. Despite his better judgment, the mention of sleep had taken its effect, and the tricolor-haired teen could feel the weight of such a long day catching up to him. He was nervous about going upstairs as everyone else, but he trusted in his reasoning. It didn't make sense for sad ghosts, for that was the way Yugi always envisioned such spirits, to go around making trouble without provocation. If he and the others could somehow discover what the source of their anger was, perhaps the frightening displays could be avoided for the rest of their stay. "Let's go, everyone. Turn off all the lights so Kaiba won't get mad at us."

Duke nodded. "Let's just take the elevator for everything. Kaiba's right about the building being built weird. If the stairs gave out, who knows what else is built badly around here."

Joey grinned. "So we step lightly. No problem. C'mon, guys! Let's get some sleep before anything else happens."

**********

The sound of deep breathing should have lulled most anyone to sleep. Mokuba was breathing easily, despite a few sudden jerks and furrowed brows in the beginning. Seto had been afraid of that, and was there to sooth his brother with a tight hug. The two boys had always depended on one another for support, and there was no way Seto would deprive the boy of any comfort in such a dire situation.  There was no question in his mind that the situation was indeed dire.

He had heard the rest of the gang enter the rooms about an hour back, trying to be quiet but failing as usual since it included Joey and Tristan.  He had felt Yugi touch his shoulder cautiously and ask if he was awake and needed bandaging, but Kaiba had simply shut his eyes and feigned sleep.  He simply didn't want to deal with them for the rest of the night.  All he wanted to do was comfort his poor brother and get out of the damned building.

Seto lay with his eyes wide and staring at the ceiling. There was nothing particularly interesting about the swirled plaster, but he couldn't just nod off. The nightmares came as soon as he shut his eyes. That horrible thing in the basement, he had been so sure it was a mechanical device, but lying in the dark with everyone asleep around him, Seto began to wonder if the thing was in fact real. The word 'ghost' didn't cross his mind, Seto was too logical for that, but he knew that strange things lurked in old buildings. He'd once seen a homeless man with a grizzled grey beard and a .45 revolver hiding in the attic of his old orphanage. The man had been raving about whiskey and soap, and he'd taken a few shots at Seto before the boy had made it safely to the main floor and called the police. He remembered the fear he'd felt at the time, listening to the sounds of someone walking back and forth in the ceiling and wondering every night if a monster lived there. When he'd seen that the monster was no more than a mentally disturbed vagrant, Seto had vowed to never be fooled by tales of the supernatural again.

Pegasus had been trying to play them, he reasoned.

Still, though, the thing he'd seen in the basement had been real enough. Seto allowed his mind to replay the events slowly, picking through his memories for any detail which might lend a kernel of reality to the situation. Either it had indeed been a highly advanced automation, or a crazy person of murderous intent was hiding out in the basement. If it was a robot, it would be regulated to the place in which it had been placed; but if it were a real, living person …

Mokuba cracked his eyes when he felt his big brother get out of bed and felt a stab of panic course through him. "Big brother, where're you going?"

Kaiba ruffled the boy's hair. "Go back to sleep. I just forgot something."

"No, I'll go with you. What did you forget?" Kaiba's eyes hazed for a moment, and Mokuba had a sudden flash of what his brother had experienced -- darkness and the fall from the stairs, and a sneaking thing that scraped curling claws over ancient wood. He shivered. "You're going to the basement again, aren't you?"

"No. No, I … I left the door open, I think. I need to shut it and make sure it's secure."

"You don't want whatever's down there to come out, huh?"

Seto nodded, pulling his trench coat over his shoulders to fight off the chill in the room. "That's right." He stood, buckling his boots quietly. "I'll be back, Mokuba, don't worry. I wouldn't leave you here alone."

The boy nodded, though he couldn't explain the strange feeling of panic that had overtaken him for a moment. His big brother always seemed to know what he was doing; but still the feeling that something was wrong wouldn't leave him. "Please be careful. I don't want you down there long, ok? Just to the door, then back." Mokuba looked long into his brother's eyes until the older boy surprisingly turned away.

"There's no reason to go any further. I'll be back before you know it." He pulled the blankets around his little brother carefully. "Go back to sleep. I'll be here in the morning."

Mokuba yawned. Despite his fears, he trusted his brother implicitly. He didn't think anything could hurt Kaiba. The older boy had always been a protector, and Mokuba couldn't imagine him letting anything hurt either of them. "Ok, but come right back."

"I will." Seto padded across the room. There were plenty of beds for everyone, and though the arrangement of so many sleeping places reminded Mokuba of the orphanage, he found the room was more comforting than any other place in the hotel.

He watched his brother leave the room without a sound, but the boy did not sleep just yet. He lay awake, waiting for something he couldn't identify, and the pit of fear began to open in his belly as he heard the whir of the elevator. He heard it settle on the first floor, and Mokuba waited, straining to hear it return. There was silence for a long time, and Mokuba felt sleepiness starting to settle in when the whirring sound began again. There was something strange about it, but Mokuba was already drifting off to a troubled sleep. In his dream, he was talking to another boy, older but with his own eyes and face. The boy was saying something about the basement and danger. About Seto and trouble if he found something. Mokuba wrung his little hands, "But what's wrong with him?" A horrible pounding was coming from somewhere, and he was running suddenly through the winding halls of the hotel, his heart pounding in his ears. On all of the doors in place of the brass numbers were a skull and crossbones, and he ran all the faster, the pounding sound now accompanied by a sort of hysterical screaming. He turned a corner, sure he would find the end to the madness, but all that greeted him was a blank white wall, and written in something slick and red were words which he did not understand but which almost made him wet himself: REDRUM.

Mokuba shook his head, and realized he'd been asleep for over two hours. He blinked the sleep away in the darkness, and looked for his brother; but Seto wasn't in the room.