Hello again! Sorry, I guess we're not updating as quickly as we'd anticipated. Lena's job keeps her busy until 6 or 7 at night and it's a hour to get home too, so our work has to be done whenever we can squeeze in time. We're sorry, but don't fret, the tale is sill going strong. As Aragorn once said, we'll not abandon our friends to torment. Lena and I, though, are not off to hunt orcs. *ahem* But enough rambling on my part. This is what happens when I don't get enough social – I start acting like an annoying Sim. *L* On a fresher note, there were an awful lot of people who freaked out about what happened to poor Yugi and Seto, but a good many who just wanted to find out about Joey(and Pegasus, yea!). So without further delay, on with the responses!
Leland Lancaster – Yeah, I don't think all the Listerine in the world can help him now. But you'll make us blush with those kinds of comments! *g* Thanks so much!
Wingweaver Hope – Hey, it was just one day after mine on the 20th. *g* Happy belated birthday, dear! Hope you liked your morbid sort of present. Hehe…
darklight – Oh yes, we'll explain all the answers … but not right now.*g* I know, we're just teasing writers and mean, but that's what we've gotta do. It's a conspiracy, you know. *smile*
angelohaku – I promise we didn't do it! Why would we want to cut responses? *scratches head* 'Tis a mystery, to be sure, but no matter. You got this one through and that's what counts! Lena says thanks for the congrats, she really does love her job though she's tired all the time. It's just for one semester though, then she'll be back to being a student like me. Yeah, poor Seto — but at least he's definitely alive, right? *glances at rabid Yugi fans* Hmmm…maybe I should say at least he's got away? Yeah, that's it. *applause all around* Yes, you pinpointed the identity of the dead lady? Brava, my dear! Lena and I are extra pleased!
Tes and Krysta – Thanks gals! Don't worry, Krysta, we'll try to keep updating, but I don't see how that will get her writing. *g* At any rate, try not to get too scared…it only gets more frightening from here on in. Muahahaaa!
Rinaidran Warrior- Wow, so many affected by Yugi. Makes me kinda sentimental.*sniffle* But the support group might be a good idea, cause who knows what's going to happen now. *s* Here, you need this more than me.*passes a handkerchief* Don't lose hope just yet though – as I said, you never know what's gonna happen. *glances at Lena who's stuck drooling at passing Legolas* Erm, maybe I'll need that handkerchief back later…
lilly22 – Aw, thanks! Had to have Tea do something besides whine about friendship. We didn't think the gunman would have taken kindly to that sort of thing, poor girl. *pats her one the back* Don't worry, dear. Yugi's pretty resilient. Maybe he landed on his head and the spikes cushioned his fall. *winks*
Myotismon13 – I know, Seto definitely has some bad karma working against him this weekend. He'll never admit anyone else was right, though. That's Seto for you.*rolls eyes* He's a Byronic hero if ever I saw one. And Yugi, well what can I say? He's not exactly Mr. Lucky either in my book, getting that puzzle and having his grandfather kidnapped and his friends bothered all the time. *g* And as for Pegasus…what do you mean? Nobody's called him. *g* Sorry, too much Tim Curry, but I agree he is taking a long time. I wonder what's keeping our sexy friend?
Gatochu – Yeah, wickedness is beholden unto writers you know. *g* Thanks for the sweet words, they do mean a lot! You've picked up the book, hmm? I'll tell you now that it's kind of a slow starter the first time, but it gets creepy pretty fast once all the chars are set up. Let me know what you think of it!
Mimiru – Yugi's always sacrificing himself for his friends, poor kid, and I'll bet Seto's regretting the way he ignored all those fangirls in the past. Maybe now he'll appreciate real living women, hmm? *L*
Firewing – Hey, you're good! You deserve a medal for those insights, but you haven't quite uncovered all of the truth yet. There's a great deal of weirdness going on, and the hotel is willing to do anything to get what it wants from the chosen few. *g* Glad we managed to freak you out even though you're familiar with the story. 217 is indeed a bad place to be. We couldn't leave that delicious part out of our story.*eg*
Tornado 666 – Yeah, gross is the right word. We thought of titling the part that way, but didn't want to give too much away.*g* Thanks so much for the praise! You're most kind. *smile*
Saisaishi – I'm not addressing REDRUM yet, though the fans of the book or films already know it. *g* Mokuba hasn't figured it out yet though. The kid's got more on his mind than that. As for Yami, you're getting closer to finding out about him is all I can say. Anything more might be too much. *g*
DarkFoxy – Yeah, anyone who doesn't feel bad for Seto by now really is out to get the guy. He's just as grossed out as you are though, more so I'm sure. *grins at image of Yugi crushing the hedge animal* That would be hilarious! Joey'd sure get the fright of his life when that happened, but I'm afraid it'll take more than Yugi's bodyweight to stop those things. He's just a little guy after all.
SW – Shipped off to school? I'm confused, but I hope you'll still be by, dear. I'd miss you terribly if you weren't! Yeah, though, you're right on the money with that. Pegasus had an encounter there too he said, and he might just tell about it when he gets to the hotel. *checks her watch* He really is running late! Maybe he's having bad flashbacks… poor Pegasus!
Hirotani – Yup, Tea cannot ever say she didn't know the hotel was haunted. Ya gotta feel bad for the girl, she was probably enjoying her weekend better than the rest until that moment. *nods* Mr. King's book is wonderful! The movies are good too, but the book is really awesome! Of course remember we're taking from all the versions and adding our own bits, so it doesn't follow the book line by line or anything. It's worth reading though. I'm sorry you had to wait on front of the comp for so long though…
Shadow's Girl12 – Yeah, the sanity meter is running low at the moment. Poor Seto, his situation is awful, but the hotel knew what to do to push him. And Yugi … poor Yugi.
Mystic-fox – No, a flame would be if you insulted the writing, characters, and storyline without any justification. I've gotten flames before, and I assure you that your review is nothing bad. Its no different from the others, asking us to stop with the cliffies and continue. We'll indeed post more…but the cliffies are here to stay! *evil laughter*
MySev.Snape77 – *blush* Wow, thanks so much! You'll find out about Seto soon enough, don't worry.
Chibi Arwen – Aww…we're sorry, dear! Just hang in there, you might be pleasantly surprised in a few chapters…
soccerGoalie – I dunno if Seto deserved all of that, but we shall indeed write more! *bounce* And I agree, sugar indeed good!
Whew, makes my hands ache, but never let it be said that we don't listen to our reviewers. You wanted more Joey, well here he is! Now, settle back and watch the poor puppy run. As for me, I just got box 2 of the Japanese uncut Yu-Gi-Oh DVDs in the mail. Hurrah, inspiration! Come muses, we shall commence! *g*
Kabuki & Lena
***
Chapter 20:
The twin lights were blinding as Joey stared in the direction, squinting against the snow-filled wind that tore at him mercilessly. His ears were met with a strange grumbling noise that sounded nothing like an angry lion or a ferocious bear, but more like the rumbling of an engine. His hesitant fear of the intruders dissipated as he recognized the unnatural roaring of a gas motor – snowmobiles! He cracked a slight smile, allowing himself to think positively for a moment as he dropped the slack of the life line to the ground. It took a great deal of effort for him to summon a final reserve of energy, and he sprinted as well as he could in the cumbersome snowshoes toward the double lights with his arms waving in the air. "Hey!" He cried aloud with as much strength as he could muster. "Hey! Over here, guys!" Dimly he felt the ache in his legs, but the cold and the stalking beasts had taken top priority for the time being. He tried to hobble up and over the assorted snowdrifts, all his thoughts focused on the tiny flicker of hope that had suddenly presented itself. He didn't care who it was – maybe Tristan or Yugi had started up the snowmobiles from the garage, or perhaps the police had come to check up on the poor stranded duelists. Whatever the reason, Joey was more than happy to find some help.
He dragged his feet in their direction, the snow impeding his speed greatly. Joey squinted his eyes nearly shut trying to discern who was on the shadowy snowmobiles that roared over the snowy landscape before him. Had the sky not been so cloudy or the snow not been falling so mercilessly upon him, the landscape might have been beautifully illuminated by a full moon. He panted, his body finally beginning to feel the effects of his adrenaline-charged exertion and he paused to catch his breath, peering into the snow in a desperate mingling of panic and exhilaration. "Hey! Can you see me over here? You've gotta help me!" He couldn't tell if the riders responded or not. The wind let up for an instant, and just as Joey began to make out the two heavily-dressed pair he was thrust to the ground by a tremendous weight.
The breath was knocked out of him as one of the hedge lions dug their fierce branches into the flesh of his back, rolling him down the hill somewhat in a spattering of white. He spit ice from his mouth and tried to regain his footing, but another powerful swipe pushed him aside, completely disorienting the poor teen yet again. Miserably he realized he'd covered several yards in his excitement, and he knew with sinking spirits that even if he was somehow able to escape the pine-scented creatures there was little chance of him ever reaching the relative safety of the Overlook in his exhaustion. The lions were toying with him, biding their time before making the final death-blow. He tried to kick at them and escape, but he was tired from the fight with Kaiba, tired from hours of yard work, and tired from fighting against the giant snow drifts in his netted shoes. His muscles were sore and giving out, he'd pushed his body nearly to its limit after the sleepless night before.
The idea of dying in the snow was growing more and more real as the playful beast pinned him facedown in the snow with one hefty evergreen paw. True panic set in, and Joey began to struggle; yet even while he tried to pull himself free, jerking his head to the side so he could breathe, the lions' bushy twin stalked around him in a tight circle daring him to make a move. It regarded him, the ice glistening against the evergreen foliage in an eyeless head. In places where the foliage was particularly thick near the tips of the mane and tail, Joey could make out the snowy landscape behind the beast, "C'mon, guys, can't ya let me go? I did just trim ya and all."
The lion on his back growled, low and guttural, a sound the likes of which Joey had only heard stories about or seen on television filtered through the indifferent lens of a camera. The sound came at his ear, and he was overwhelmed to the point of nausea with the scent of freshly cut pine. The pain mixed with the freezing snow was nearly unbearable and thrusting his arm outward in a final attempt to escape, Joey gasped as the second lion that had regarded him so calmly earlier approached with a crunching of prickly paws on snow to slash a fresh wound across the back of his hand. He watched the blood well up and pour onto the crisp white snow, and realized the cold had not yet dulled his ability to feel pain. He moaned against the heavy assailant on his back and cried out once more, "Whoever y'are, ya gotta get these things offa me!"
Almost in response, one of the motorized vehicles turned from the path leading to the Overlook, swinging fiercely against the wind in a wide arc, the headlights blinding Joey as they were suddenly trained on his wide eyes. The lion on his back shifted, pressing Joey's face against the hard snow with enough force to bloody his frozen nose. He gasped with the pain as the wind was knocked out of him again by the sudden press of more weight, and the monstrosity crawled atop him to catch sight of the approaching interloper. Joey tried to worry for his would-be rescuers more than himself, but as the lions roared again and the weight nearly suffocated him, blind panic ensued. When the lion shifted again, the blond boy craned his head, spitting snow and ice from his mouth as he struggled to breathe. He blinked in surprise when he noticed a man standing in a braced posture, legs spread and arms raised as though he was aiming for something. Joey thought for an instant that the man must have been crazy – these weren't exactly ordinary lions. He doubted a couple of bullets would stop some bloodthirsty hedges. The man stood a good distance away beside his idling snowmobile and wore an unreadable expression. His moustache, the man's only discernable feature in the blizzard, was thick with ice, and with the huge parka he wore, Joey couldn't tell if he recognized the man. Joey knew that neither Yugi nor Tristan would have been able to sneak a gun into the Overlook – the only explanation then was that the man was with the police. Joey tried to speak to him, tried to cry out a warning of the unnatural nature of the beasts, but the lion seemed to sense his intent, and cruelly smothered his face against the snow once more.
Joey tried to gasp for breath, but he could taste only snow and dirt. His head was growing lighter as his consciousness began to fade. He heard something growing increasingly loud, like a swarm of angry hornets. At first he thought it was the blood rushing in his ears, drowning out the rest of the world. But as the noise grew louder, he began to realize that it sounded more mechanical, more unnatural, and less and less like bees. He finally identified it as one of the snowmobiles coming fast toward him. He imagined the man charging the giant lions with an equally large pair of hedge clippers like he'd seen in the reenactments of jousting tournaments. Maybe the man was dressed from head to toe in shining metal armor, a large red plume erupting from the top of his helmet. It would be hilarious to be saved by a policeman in shining armor. After all he'd been through, the thought of his saviors jousting with a pair of giant scissors made him smile despite the pain.
Then the motor sounded like it was above him as the lion suddenly moved away from its prey. It howled into the freezing night and Joey looked up blearily as stars flew across his vision. A large green paw dropped from above, sheered at the shoulder and landed in front of him. It was enough of a shock to push Joey back to reality, and he cried aloud as he instinctively backed away on shaky limbs.
"Where are you going?" a gruff voice rang out suddenly from the poised figure in the distance, "Don't be a fool, Wheeler, you're backing into them!"
Joey stopped his hasty retreat, blinking his eyes rapidly as he realized the identity of the man, "Huh? What're you doin' here?"
Croquet ignored the question. He knelt on the ground, aiming what appeared to be a gun directly at Joey's head. "Get out of the way, Wheeler!"
Between his near-death experience and the dizziness that refused to release his head, Joey was quite slow to react. He watched as Croquet took careful aim and pitched some sort of metal object into the air. Joey watched it fly up, seeing it almost in slow motion as his mind whirled, trying to understand what was going on. His mind refused to react even though some part of him realized he was looking at a gas canister. His eyes grew very wide, and he knew he should have moved more quickly.
For the second time that night, Joey might have been killed. He watched as the gas canister fell from its great height straight toward his head. Then it was almost as though someone had walked up next to him, and disgusted by his lack of action, gave him a swift kick in the ass. Joey didn't even scream as he flew forward to land flat on his face at Croquet's feet; so many strange things had happened this weekend that nothing surprised him anymore. The older man didn't even take notice of the boy as Joey looked up into his stern gaze as the bodyguard took a marksman's stance, aiming some sort of a weapon … no, not a weapon. Joey laughed despite his aching body and slow reactions. "You're gonna shoot that thing with a flare gun?!"
Croquet allowed a small smirk before pulling the trigger. "I'd stay down if I were you." The gun discharged a flying fluorescent light, neon pink and nearly blinding. It arced across the night sky, cutting a swath through the heavy snow to collide with the gas canister. The hedge lion barely had time to snarl before there was an intense explosion, the gas canister having landing in the bushy creature's mane. Joey covered his eyes against the heat for a moment, and when he looked back he saw the flaming lion scampering about in the snow, limbs blown off or deteriorating in the flames. The gas would not allow the flames to burn out, and in its panic the dying bush had collided with the other hedge lion, unable to escape its burning companion as it limped along on three legs.
Joey watched the scene for a few moments in shock before a strong arm lifted him to his feet. He shook his head as the gruff voice of Croquet reached his ears. "Get on your feet, Wheeler."
The blond duelist shook himself back to reality, "I guess I should thank you, but how in the world did I get over here? Last time I checked, I was due for a flash fry!"
Croquet rolled his eyes and nodded his head toward the burning ashes of the two hedge lions, "You should thank Master Pegasus for that."
Joey blinked, shivering helplessly, "You mean he kicked me in the ass?
"Idiot, don't you pay attention to anything? Master Pegasus pushed you clear of the line of fire."
Joey thought for a minute, his mind working sluggishly. "Like with his mind? Like he did to Kaiba that first night?"
Croquet nodded, "And he's responsible for that ridiculous stunt he pulled trying to get that damned bush off of you."
"Whoa, man," Joey took a few steps backwards, the world seeming to spin momentarily.
Croquet pulled his parka closer around his throat, "Master Pegasus doesn't even know how to drive a snowmobile. I can't believe he pulled that ridiculous stunt!"
"I'm really thankful to you guys and all, but could we go inside?" Joey wrapped his arms around himself trying to keep warm, his teeth were chattering uncontrollably as he swayed back and forth on his shaky legs.
Croquet nodded, looking Joey up and down in critical assessment, "I suppose we have no choice. I can only assume that Master Pegasus will have the good sense to return to the hotel rather than face this damn weather alone." The stern bodyguard swept his eyes across the dark landscape, illuminated in places by the flaming remains of the hedge lions and the headlight on the front of his snowmobile. There was no sign of the other vehicle, not even the sound of the grumbling motor.
The stern bodyguard gave the younger boy a long stare before sighing deeply. "Well I suppose Master Pegasus would look down on me for putting you at further risk. He did help to save your life, and if placed in my position, I would expect him to make the same decision. Let's get you inside and then I'll come back out and find him later."
Joey nodded, too tired to show any other sign of thanks. "But I've got the lifeline right here, how's he gonna make it back to the Overlook?" He lifted the rope that was still tied around his waist, his gloved fingers trembling in the cold.
Croquet lowered his head slightly, his fearful gaze wandering over the grounds of the Overlook Hotel a final time. "I suppose we'll simply have to trust that Master Pegasus will be able to look out for himself. Besides, you already look as though you need medical attention." In all honesty, Croquet would much rather spend the rest of the dark hours of the night searching for Pegasus, but he couldn't ignore the kid's obvious pain and near-delusional state. Besides, if Pegasus was out of commission, it was then Croquet's duty to help the duelists in his stead. He had been against the idea of allowing these students to tend to the haunted Overlook from the very beginning, and now he wished he had voiced his protests earlier – perhaps this entire fiasco could have been avoided. Croquet shook his head wearily, he had to get moving. There was a great deal to do, and he had no idea how much time he had. The bodyguard guided Joey back to his snowmobile, still idling where he'd parked it earlier. He unwrapped the lifeline from the boy's waist and used it to guide him back to the Overlook's doorstep.
*******
Tristan checked his watch for the third time, amazed as usual that the minute hand had moved so little since the last time he'd looked. He sighed, "Where are they? They should have been back a long time ago. How long does it take to check for a hobo anyway? Those rooms can't be that big."
Mokuba lounged sideways on the bed, feet thrown over the edge in boredom and his hands cradling his bushy head as he sighed, his voice tinged with frustration. "I told you before, there is no hobo."
Tristan shrugged and slumped into a nearby armchair, his eyes never leaving the door to the room. "I agree with you, Mokuba, but I don't entirely understand. I mean, I gotta agree that there has been some weird stuff going on around here," Tristan couldn't escape the unnatural vision of the unknown silhouette emerging from the flooding Room 217. "Why do you seem to think that room is empty? I definitely saw something in there. I don't know what, exactly, but…"
"I never said it was empty, just that there's no hobo in there."
The boy's words gave Tristan chills. Mokuba's unnatural dedication to his decision made Tristan uneasy. It was as though the boy possessed some higher knowledge of which Tristan was unprivileged. "So what's in there then?"
"I don't know. Something bad, that's for sure." Mokuba answered as though it was the only obvious explanation.
"Like … how bad?" The older boy gave the kid a sidelong glance, he was growing frustrated with Mokuba's elusive statements.
"How should I know?" Mokuba shrugged, "I've never been in there. I just know that the only living people in this hotel are the group of us."
Tristan stood from his chair, glowering at Mokuba in irritation. "How do you know there isn't somebody else in this hotel? You keep talking about it as though it makes perfect sense, but I don't see it!"
Mokuba studied the biker hard, his blue eyes stern. "Why are you worried that they've taken so long? You simply know something has happened. You can't explain it, can you Tristan?"
"That's not the same thing! I'm worried about my friend."
"And worry feeds on itself, they say. It's just a feeling we get, everyone has it. I simply have it more than most people do, I guess. Especially in this place, it's only gotten stronger here. I don't think anyone could get drugged up or desperate enough to think that the Overlook's a good place to live, but there were a lot of people that thought it was a good place to die."
Tristan thought on that for a moment, "So what do you think made Pegasus buy this place? Do you think he planned to commit suicide here or something?" Tristan was almost confused by the words that were escaping from his lips. He'd never thought of suicide in his entire life as a choice that someone would consciously make. But talking with Mokuba, in this silent room away from everyone else, with the inches of snow piling up on the other side of the brick walls made him think on deeper topics and linger on morbid thoughts.
"Maybe, I guess we'll never know. This place is so cold…" Mokuba pulled one of the comforters up around his shoulders, his eyes growing distant. "I don't think any feeling person would want to die here."
Tristan sighed deeply, staring at the boy for a few moments in confusion. He'd never seen Mokuba act so serious, ever since he'd awoken from that strange comatose state he'd acted less and less like a child. Tristan didn't want to think that the hotel was causing this strange change in the boy, but he honestly couldn't think of a better explanation. He glanced at his watch again, the impulse too strong for him to deny as despair fell upon him once more. What if something had happened to them? He hated the thought of what might happen to the dice-loving freak if Duke fell down those stairs again. Sure, he did like Pegasus a bit too much for anybody's good, and yes he could get a little crazy sometimes, but he did seem to have good intentions. Even though Tristan had armed him with a switch blade, he wasn't certain how well the flashy duelist would perform in a real fight against Kaiba. When it got down to it, Tristan was worried sick about his newfound friend, and his anxiety was showing. "Mokuba, do you think Kaiba and Duke are okay?"
The shorter boy was quiet for a few moments before his eyes slid close. "I don't know. I could sense them for a while, but then they went in the room and I lost them. It's like… it's like they went into another world or something."
The biker was quiet for a moment, "You're serious then, huh? You really can sense everybody in the hotel?"
The boy shrugged, but this time Tristan could tell it was Mokuba's way of hiding his anxiety. He wouldn't doubt if the kid learned it from his older brother. "Kind of, but it comes and goes. I have to try really hard to sense them, and sometimes it doesn't work. Like earlier, I tried to find Yugi and check up on him, but I couldn't reach him, just like I can't reach Seto now."
"Where did you learn to do stuff like that?" Tristan couldn't help his curiosity.
At the question, Mokuba smiled a wide grin, "Oh, only about an hour ago. Pretty good, huh? Pegasus showed me a little, but I don't think he can do it as well as I can." The boy's arrogance was astounding. Tristan couldn't help but stiffen when Mokuba's face grew taut.
"What is it, Mokuba?"
"It's Duke," the boy's head moved in a fluid motion toward the door of the bedroom, "He's headed this way." Tristan turned his head and listened with shock as someone knocked on the door. Mokuba blinked, "You'd better answer it, he's really scared."
At the boy's words, Tristan jumped to his feet. He had a second to unlock the latch before the knob turned and the door flung open as Duke toppled inside, stumbling over himself in his haste. He crashed into the bewildered Tristan, and the two made a very undignified heap for a moment as Tristan stared into Duke's frightened eyes. "What the hell happened to you? Where's Kaiba?"
"Shut the door!" Duke sounded hysterical, and it was only now that Tristan glimpsed the opened rusty switchblade in his hand. His eyes narrowed and Mokuba left the bedside to walk boldly into the hallway.
"Seto! Where are you?!" Mokuba called with cupped hands around his mouth.
Duke barreled to his feet, the rusty blade coming dangerously close to Tristan's shoulder. The biker knocked it free from the other boy's grip but Duke paid no mind, moving like a man possessed and with the speed of a cat into the hallway. Mokuba took another breath to call to his brother, but wasn't able to get the words out as Duke's clammy fingers covered his mouth and his other arm wrapped around the boy's waist to carry him forcibly inside. Mokuba struggled as he felt his feet leave the floor, but he was no match for the larger boy. Tristan made to argue but Duke shoved Mokuba into the biker in a quick motion, spinning around to slam the door closed and lock it with shaking fingers. Tristan leaned down and picked up the razor blade, closing it and sliding it into his coat pocket. "Do you mind telling us what that was about?"
Mokuba crossed his arms and glared daggers into the dicey duelist, "Where is my big brother? What happened to him? Why did you leave him alone?!"
"Trust me, kid," Duke shook his head, his breathing coming in deep gasps, "Kaiba has nothing to worry about." He gave a sly look at Tristan, "I have solved the mystery!"
Tristan crossed his arms, mimicking Mokuba's stance, "Alright, Sherlock, let's hear it!"
"Okay," Duke smiled, even in the pathetic position he was in, he loved the attention. "We should have known earlier when he just 'disappeared' and knew where the electrical supplies were. I mean, he knew more about this damned hotel than Pegasus did! Come on! And then, when we were getting chased by the dogman – "
Tristan held his arms out, "Whoa, whoa, whoa. Time out, Duke. What the hell are you talking about?"
"Kaiba did it!" Duke flung his arms out like a sideshow barker.
"Did what?"
"You know the water that filled up this hallway while everybody was fishing me out of the staircase?"
"Yeah. I saw it, not you. I should hope I remember that."
"Well, Kaiba planned it!"
"My big brother didn't plan that! He was downstairs with us, you big dope! If you'd been more careful about where you stepped, Yugi wouldn't have had to risk his life to pull you out! We'd all be walking around in the dark if it wasn't for my big brother!"
Duke ignored the boy, focusing entirely on Tristan for support, "Come on, remember when you and I were cornered in the medical room earlier today?" Mokuba gave Tristan a quizzical glance. The biker shrugged as Duke continued, "I mean, wasn't it weird that whenever big bad Kaiba shows up the dogman turns tail? You've gotta see the connection, Tristan!"
"Yeah, I see the connection. But that still doesn't explain why he's so beaten up to begin with. And then there's Mokuba – why would Kaiba rig a hotel to hurt his own brother? Better yet, try this – why would Kaiba rig Pegasus's hotel to hurt Mokuba?" Tristan shook his head, "Another one of your brilliant ideas gone sour, Duke."
Duke sighed, walking between the two to head to the bed. He grabbed Mokuba's shoulders with one hand and poked the boy roughly, fingering the dark bruises on his neck.
"Ow! You dumbass, that hurts!"
"Hey, they're real! I coulda sworn they'd be stage make-up or something!"
Tristan put a hand to his forehead and rolled his eyes. "My God, you're an idiot, Duke. You've stooped to fondling children."
"He's not fondling me!" Mokuba cried, kicking Duke in the shin and smiling as the dicey duelist howled in pain and hopped on one foot for a few minutes. "Oh, I'm sorry – I thought your legs were fake!"
"Why you little brat! I'm trying to prove a hypothesis here and you're screwing it up!"
"Well, I'm sorry but your hypothesis is stupid and wrong! My big brother would never do something like that! He'd never do anything to hurt me. And if he tried to hurt you, it's probably because you deserved it! What did you do? Poke at his arm to see if it was really bleeding?" Mokuba backed up a few paces and looked ready to bite at Duke's ankles if he made a move in his direction.
Tristan tossed up his hands, "I give up! Look, Duke, whatever stupid ideas you have in the future – don't share them with me. I'm not in the mood for any more of your freaky theories."
Duke looked from Mokuba to Tristan, "But you should've seen him! He was like a crazy person just a minute ago – I thought my life was in danger!"
"Look," Tristan grabbed Duke roughly by his red vest, "Your life's gonna be in danger if you don't shut up. I've had it with your crap. I've been in here worrying about you and all you can do is poke at Mokuba's bruises like some kind of pervert or something."
"You left him there alone? Do you even know how awful that room is? Every room in this building has something bad in it – but that room is one of the worst!" Mokuba's eyes began to mist, "And he's all alone, that's what the hotel wanted! You've done exactly what it wanted you to do!" Tears began to flow freely down the boy's cheeks and he bolted for the door. He flipped the lock and was about to turn the knob when a sudden tapping from the window stopped him. "What's that?"
Tristan tore his eyes away from the door. He only then realized that the noise had been going on for some time, but he'd been too pissed off to notice. At the same time, though, it didn't make any sense. There weren't any trees out there, at least none that were tall enough to reach the window. Three pairs of eyes turned, staring at the pale yellow curtains with a mixture of curiosity and apprehension. "Should I open them?"
Duke swallowed, "I wouldn't."
From his place by the door, Mokuba was faced with two options. He could use this moment to go after his big brother and try to help him in any way he could, or he could help Tristan and Duke. He sighed in retaliation to his own better judgment as he relocked the door. "Open the curtains, Tristan. We can at least take a look and see what it is. If it's something dangerous," Mokuba looked from one duelist to the other, "At least we're all together, right?"
Tristan nodded silently and moved closer as Duke snickered, "Maybe it's Peter Pan."
The biker ignored his friend and pulled back the pale yellow curtains to reveal two long and shapely legs that led up to a short skirt. Tristan stared for a long time, he wasn't quite sure what to make of it. He'd not expected to see the lower half of a cute girl out the window – the dogman, Kaiba, or even some strange supernatural entity – but not a pair of legs, that's for sure. Tristan turned to Mokuba and Duke and shrugged, "I think it's a girl."
Duke smiled, "Well, stop hoggin' the view, Tristan. Let me see!" One of the legs on the ledge lifted, knocking its knee against the window desperately. Duke and Tristan grinned lecherously, "I think I recognize that skirt!"
"Yeah, but not the panties!" Tristan added.
"Hey, maybe we should leave her out there for a while. This is the most fun I've had all weekend!" Duke elbowed his friend with a wink.
"Will you guys cut it out? Poor Tea's clinging to the side of the building in a snowstorm!" Mokuba shoved the two perverts aside to yank open the window letting in a cold gust of air. "Tea, are you alright?"
Her legs shivering in the cold, Tea slowly lowered herself off the ledge and into the room. She made no response to answer Mokuba, but marched straight up to leering pair to smack their heads together. The sound reminded Mokuba of two coconuts knocked together. "How could you leave me out there? I heard you! You think it's funny to stare at a girl's underwear when she's freezing to death!?"
Mokuba pulled the freezing girl backwards, leading her to his bed and wrapping the blankets around her as his brother had done for him earlier. "It's okay, Tea. They're just stupid."
"Th-thank you, Mokuba. Oh, you're awake! I was so worried about you!" As Mokuba tried to push his friend onto the bed, she wrapped him into the coldest bear hug he'd ever experienced. Tea's teeth were chattering uncontrollably and Mokuba couldn't help but blush with her affection as he disentangled himself and eased her onto the bed, offering her an extra blanket sheepishly. Tristan closed the window again, still unable to wipe the smile off his face.
Duke was rubbing the side of his head but couldn't resist a final jibe, "I always figured white cotton was your style, Tea."
"Oh!" Tea growled and tried to get to her feet but Mokuba pushed her back down onto the bed.
"Stay still, Tea, you've gotta get warm." He picked up one of her hands and rubbed it vigorously with his own to ward off the chill. Mokuba couldn't help but notice how nice she smelled, and when she smiled at him gratefully, it made his heart beat faster and he had to lower his head to hide the blush in his cheeks.
Tea relaxed into the blankets a bit more at Mokuba's insistence, but suddenly her eyes flew open. "Oh my God! We can't stay here, we've got to go find Yugi!"
"Oh no," Duke put a hand to his forehead, "What now? That kid can't possibly get into more trouble. How do you guys deal with it?"
Tristan ignored him, "What happened, Tea?"
"Oh, it was all my fault! I thought it would be a good idea to go to the third floor and clean – I didn't know there was a crazy guy up there with a gun!"
"Was he wearin' a dog suit?" Duke's interest was suddenly sparked, but Tristan elbowed him in the ribs. "Ow."
"This is serious, Duke! If someone in this hotel is packin' firearms, then there's no way we're staying here another night. Detention or no detention. I say we find the others and get the hell out of here."
Tea nodded, her eyes misted as she clutched the blanket about her shoulders. "I don't think the guy was normal. I don't know where he got the gun from, but he seemed pretty mad. I think he was a ghost or something. He came from one of the rooms…"
"Which one?" Mokuba's eyes were hard as steel as he stared at Tea.
"Um… Room 300, I think?" The boy squeezed her hand, urging her to continue. "We went in there and it was awful! There was… blood all over the walls and when we ran out – there were… there were dead people in the hallways that weren't there before. Then a man came out of the room and began shooting at us! The dead people – they moved! I swear they moved!"
"It's okay, Tea," Tristan knelt by the bed, giving Duke a glance as if to prove Kaiba could not be at fault. "Just tell us what happened to Yugi."
"Well, we had to get out of there and we broke a window and climbed out."
"Pegasus won't like that," Duke muttered, standing away from the group and giving Tea a chastising glare. "You know, he did leave me in charge."
"Well I'm sorry, but Yugi fell off the ledge! We've gotta find him because it was so cold out there and it was really windy and… and I don't know if he's even alive!" Tea broke into tears. Mokuba patted her back gingerly, trying to console her as best he could.
Tristan stood, fully realizing what must be done. "Okay, so we've got to find Yugi, Joey, and Kaiba."
"And Yami!" Tea cried through hiccupping sobs, "We've got to find Yami too!"
"Alright, and the spirit too." Tristan added.
Mokuba gave Tristan an odd look as Duke voiced both of their questions, "What's a Yami, Tristan?"
The biker sighed, "Look, I'll tell you guys later after we get out of here. Mokuba – you take care of Tea and we'll be right –"
"No!" Tea cried, flinging Mokuba's hands and the blankets aside, "No, I'm not going to be left alone in this place!"
"But…" Mokuba voice was timid, "But I'd be with you, Tea. I'll take care of you. We can find them, I'm sure of it."
"Oh, Mokuba," Tea sighed, "It's not you – it's just that I think we all need to stick together. This place is trying to pull us apart! But we must believe in our friendship!"
"Hn, tell that to Kaiba!" Duke laughed.
"My big brother has nothing to do with this! So leave him out of it, Duke!"
"Oh yeah, like Kaiba believes in the power of friendship! Tea, I'm sorry, I really am, but your friendship crap isn't gonna help us here. This is the real world, sweetheart, and I don't think you're equipped to handle it. You're just gonna have to stay in here while we take care of this." Duke fondled his dice earring.
"You little jerk!" Tea jumped to her feet, and before Duke could escape she slapped him across the face sending him reeling backwards. "How dare you speak to me like that! I'm as 'equipped to handle it' as you are, Duke. I'm going anywhere you guys go, and that's final! I am not going to sit here while poor Yugi and Joey freeze to death!"
Tristan shrugged, "I guess she's coming with us."
"Well who's gonna watch out for Mokuba?" Duke rubbed the side of his stinging face.
"Do you wanna get kicked again?" Mokuba spat out, already marching to the door. "I'm coming too – and first things first, we find my big brother!"
Duke laughed, "Oh yeah, that'll be helpful. We'll look like a big Wizard of Oz troupe marching through this hotel. And Mokuba's the dog!"
"And what are you, the Cowardly Lion?" Mokuba grit his teeth and unlocked the door, turning the knob.
Duke could only watch in horror as a tall figure suddenly appeared in the doorway, Mokuba didn't notice it, so consumed with his argument and worry for his missing brother. "Uh, guys? The…the door?"
Tea pointed forward with determination, glaring into Duke's emerald eyes. "That's where we're going, Duke, out the door – wait, what's…. why're you turning white, Duke?" Slowly her eyes moved to the doorway where the masked figure stood. "Oh… what is that?"
"It-it-it…" Mokuba stood at the man's waist, staring up into the hollow eyes beyond the drooling mask.
"The dogman!" Duke yelped, reaching forward and slamming the door shut, turning the lock so quickly that Mokuba missed it when he blinked.
"I found you again, my little piggies!" The dogman's voice was deep and gleeful as its howls echoed up and down the hallway.