Wow, can you believe it? This fic isn't dead! Yes, Weekend Detention is back online. As to what caused this long hiatus? Work, school, and lots of other

problems in between. We're hoping to update this fic on a more regular basis now, so stay posted!

Enjoy!

- Lena & Kabuki

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Chapter 26: A Question of Trust

Yugi slid his fingers over the Eye of Horus emblazoned across the front of the Millennium Puzzle. It seemed so empty without the familiar spirit tugging at his mind every so often, checking to see if he was alright. "So now what do we do?"

Pegasus shouldered his pack of supplies, "I think that the first course of action should be to find your friends. I can only think that when Croquet brought Joey inside he went upstairs first thing to let everyone know the boy was safe." Realistically Pegasus thought that Croquet would have performed the necessary first aid before carting Joey up to his friends, but the absence of his faithful bodyguard spoke a different story. Pegasus knew that something must have made them leave. He could only hope that they'd reached safety in time. Surely Croquet could handle himself if the situation had turned for the worst. But then he remembered his bodyguard's reaction on the plane during his seizures, the way he'd panicked whenever Pegasus had seen the visions. Despite his extraordinary performance outside, Croquet could not comprehend the dangers of the supernatural and the damage that could be done from within. But then again, Pegasus had to wonder if even he knew what they were up against.

Yugi's brow creased, "Pegasus? Pegasus, are you alright? Is Mokuba speaking to you again?"

"Yugi, I … I have a bad feeling. Now that you mention it, Mokuba hasn't said a thing to me since I made it inside." His eye drifted to the cold metal doors of the kitchen, "Which means something knows that we're here – something capable of keeping Mokuba from reaching me. It seems intent on separating us. Your friends will have worried about you for hours, why haven't they come downstairs?"

Yugi paled, "What if Tea didn't make it back inside! What if the ghosts on the third floor got her!" Yugi pushed his way out of the parka that engulfed him, and skidded more than ran across the floor in his over-sized red sweater and socked feet, his mind set only on the elevator and Tea. Pegasus leaped after him, grasping his shoulder tight. "Pegasus, let go of me!"

"Yugi-boy, wait!"

"I have to help them, don't you understand? They could be in danger and need my help!"

"Slow down! Think for a moment. At least let me try to contact Mokuba and see what happens. Duelists today, I swear you have no patience!"

Yugi glared at him from beneath his spiky fringe. How could Pegasus talk to him as though he were a wet-behind-the-ears rookie? Had he not proven himself time after time in duels of life and death? Had he not even beaten Pegasus at Duelist Kingdom? Pegasus' face was pale and his weary sunken eye was all the more defined by his sopping wet platinum hair. For the first time, Yugi could see that he was wearing a patch over the place where the Millennium Eye used to be. Seeing the man's entire face at once without the striking feature of the Golden Eye as a distraction, it was a bit shocking. Yugi and his friends had always thought of Pegasus as a fairly old man considering all the money he had. Not to mention the fact that he owned such a well-established corporation and was seen at almost every Duel Monsters tournament Yugi could ever remember. Having grown up with the card game, it was no wonder that they saw the creator of Duel Monsters as an 'old man', but Yugi was beginning to realize that Pegasus probably knew as much about this place as he did. It was not a comfortable thought.

Yugi thought back to his grandpa, probably keeping the Kame Game Shop spick and span. Ever since he could remember, Grandpa had always had the answers to anything Yugi wanted to ask about his Millennium Puzzle. And if he didn't have the answers, he could point him in the right direction. Pegasus had seemed just as knowledgeable when he'd challenged Yugi through the TV set at home. For the first time, he was beginning to realize that just because someone was older didn't mean they had all the answers.

Ordering around his workers, having them spend the long nights in this place, Pegasus saved himself from having to experience the harsh reality of the Overlook – inevitably keeping the hotel from being powered by his Millennium Eye when he had it. If only Pegasus had known whenever the troupe of teenagers arrived at his doorstep, perhaps he could have prevented them from getting hurt. Perhaps he could have prevented this from happening.

Yugi sighed. Had things worked out any differently, it would have left Pegasus as the unlucky guinea pig. He would have had to deal with everything alone, and Yugi couldn't imagine confronting the Overlook without the help of his friends. The Overlook would have swallowed him whole. Yugi closed his eyes, relaxing a little, ashamed of himself for thinking of his rescuer in such a harsh tone. For once, they were on equal ground and when it came to the Overlook every maneuver was left to chance. "I'd appreciate anything you can do to help. You know, if we were in a better situation, I'd suggest we make a game out of it. Just to get our minds off of this place…"

Pegasus blinked then stood, giving the boy a small smile. "A man after my own heart. But really Yugi-boy…"

Yugi shook his head, "Yeah, my mom always tells me I have lousy timing."

Pegasus chuckled softly, "Yup, sounds like my entire life." He paused for a moment, "I'd rather be playing any sort of game instead of being here, you know."

A strange silence fell between them as the kitchen suddenly seemed much smaller than before, as though the Overlook had heard the hesitant fear in his voice. The air felt heavier and the spark of comfort Yugi had begun to feel in his heart began to dissipate in the building's presence. Yugi felt a lump forming in his throat and swallowed hard, "If you think you can find Mokuba, then you should try it."

Pegasus' eye glazed slightly as he stared unblinking. Yugi was reminded suddenly of the blank face that his Grandpa had whenever his soul had been sucked out of him. Yugi wondered if he looked like that himself when speaking to the spirit of the Millennium Puzzle and he wondered for a moment if perhaps the mental communication might make them vulnerable to the hotel somehow.

"I can't reach him." His eye screwed shut, one pale hand flying to his head as he swayed a little. "This place is buzzing with activity, Yugi-boy. It might be hard for me to reach him, but it could be even more difficult for us to physically get to them." Pegasus shivered suddenly, glancing behind him at the set of double steel doors set in the far wall of the kitchen. "It's so cold in here…"

Yugi pulled the parka close around his throat, covering his exposed flesh. He saw his breath, the tiny clouds of air before his eyes. Something was familiar about it, but before he could fully pinpoint the cause, he felt a strange prickling at the base of his neck. He turned around, noticing for the first time how bright the room was, and how exposed the light left them amidst the gloom of the Overlook. "I've got a bad feeling…" He'd done this before, he'd had this same ominous feeling. Something bad was going to happen if they didn't get out of here soon… "We should leave."

Pegasus nodded, "There's something watching us." Yugi heard a tremor in his voice that betrayed his fear, "I hear something moving around." His amber eye fixed on Yugi, "And it doesn't sound like any rat I've ever heard."

"That's the meat locker." Yugi whispered, remembering with sudden clarity the twisted forms he, Joey, and Mokuba had seen. "I kept them away with the Puzzle before, but now I'm so tired …"

"Let's go – quietly." Without another word Pegasus grabbed Yugi's arm, dragging him from the room and into the foyer beyond. Yugi heard the familiar click of the meat locker doors as they were leaving, and saw them slowly swinging open before the kitchen doors were firmly shut upon the sight.

The foyer was still dark, and for a moment Yugi thought he saw movement above him. He jerked his head toward the ceiling, fully expecting to see some horrific creature straight out of Bakura's deck descending upon them. Instead of any Dark Necrofear, above him he saw the remains of dancing figures, clothed in thick cobwebs of ages past, frozen in time beyond the tarnished chandeliers. Breathing a sigh of relief, he turned his attention back to the lobby. The antique chairs were shadowy, the reflected light upon the snow outside giving the whole room a blue tint. Yugi's pale face shone like the moon itself, his eyes wide as he gazed across the deserted room.

Pegasus released Yugi, grabbing one of the old chairs hastily and wedging it beneath the twin doorknobs to the kitchen. When he stepped back he was breathing raggedly, his black garments making him appear a disembodied head and hands, his face as pale as death itself – all the more pronounced by his silver hair – the eye patch like an empty socket in a skull. Yugi shook his head, watching as Pegasus backed shakily away from the doors. "Gods, I didn't see that one coming…"

Yugi shrugged, "Everything in here is about like that, Pegasus. Everything I've seen anyway."

Pegasus was shaking slightly, his heavy breathing slowing reluctantly. He kept his eye on the door for a few moments longer, his body poised, listening as if waiting for something. "Yes, I suppose you have a point." He turned and froze, his jaw hanging stupidly for a few moments before he pointed at a large pile of rubble.

"What the hell happened to the staircase?" Pegasus hissed.

"Yeah, we were gonna get to that…" Yugi sighed, staring at the spot where Duke had nearly been killed. He knew he should feel guilty, but more keenly he felt the sense of loss. After their long bus ride, the whole group had met with Pegasus in the foyer, and Yugi could still pick out which chairs had been occupied by whom despite the low light. His eyes grew moist at the thought of his friends. If anything had happened to them, to any one of them, Yugi would feel responsible. He'd lost Yami and had cut himself off from everyone. He'd behaved selfishly, and hoped that his friends would not have to pay the price for his behavior.

"Well, are you going to explain or…" he stopped, his head cocked to the side. It took Yugi a moment but then he heard it too. From the belly of the Overlook, a high-pitched whirring sound, faint but growing louder, an echo from a time when bellhops would have been summoned to escort the Overlook's wealthy guests to their rooms. "What now?"

"I think that was the elevator… maybe…" Yugi stared across the room, wondering if it would be someone friendly or another angry apparition come to claim them. He'd heard the sound of the rickety old device only a few times, and still remembered how it had failed when he and Tea had needed it on the third floor. Remembering that, he backed away from it – his feet padding softly across the carpet. He stopped though once he felt the kitchen doors behind him – and then decided that whatever was on the elevator was probably safer than the things in the meat locker. He braced himself, almost expecting to see the undead gunman emerge from the metallic device, Tea's body slumped on the floor behind him a splattered mess, and a large machine gun in hand ready to finish what he'd started.

He was surprised when, moments before the doors opened, Pegasus broke into a run, moving faster than Yugi had ever seen him across the foyer and into the shadowy darkness beyond the fireplace where the elevator lurked out of sight. "Pegasus!"

"It's ok, Yugi-boy, just stay there!" The voice echoed from the pitch blackness. Had Pegasus seen something that Yugi couldn't? He remembered when Pegasus knocked Kaiba backwards their first night in the Overlook. Could Pegasus sense who it was? He thought of the things locked in the kitchen behind him, and tried to follow but found his body uncooperative, his limbs still recovering from the intense cold. He hobbled to a nearby moldy chair, finally understanding how Grandpa must feel when his back went out, and waited helplessly for Pegasus to return. He listened to the shuffling and murmured voices, recalling how he'd felt in school where he'd felt excluded for so long. His friends had changed all that. The spirit of the puzzle, Joey, Tristan, Tea, and then later Mokuba, Duke, and even Kaiba. He hoped they were ok. The shuffling move closer, and out of the gloom the pale form of Pegasus' hair was the first to catch the moonlight. He was not alone. "Guys!" Yugi tried and failed to pull himself off of the chair.

Duke grinned, "Hey Yugi! Man, am I glad to see you! Tea is all upset upstairs and –"

"Duke, I'm sure we'll all be very interested in your account once we secure your friend."

"Oh, sorry Pegasus!" Duke hurried back to his friend, helping him to maneuver a limping Tristan toward an ancient settee.

Yugi grinned as the words sunk in, "Tea's ok then! That's great!"

"Yeah she was really upset, though. She thought you were… well… Man, you're a lot heavier than you look, Tristan!" The boy didn't respond, allowing Pegasus and Duke to settle him comfortably on the elongated seat.

Yugi stood up shakily, leaning heavily on the chair for support. "Are you guys ok? What happened?"

"Yugi. Oh Yugi…" Tristan groaned, "I can't believe it. I'll never forgive myself."

"What do you mean?"

Tristan sighed, staring miserably at his hands. His eyes were moist with tears, but the set of his jaw promised a sound beating for whoever had crossed him.

As they spoke, Pegasus whispered in Duke's ear. "What in the world happened?"

"Hey it wasn't me!"

Tristan snorted, "Yeah well, he deserved it!"

Yugi blinked, uncomprehending. "Come on, guys, what happened?"

"You know, I wouldn't have believed it myself if I hadn't seen how he changed." Tristan's eyes grew dark, his hands balling into fists unconsciously as he spoke. "I … I can't believe it … that bastard!"

Duke nodded, flipping some of his long ebony hair from his face. "I told you he was loopy, but did anyone listen to me? Nope. And after he got in a fistfight with Joey, and Mokuba's gloom and doom prediction, did it ever occur to anyone that Kaiba might be crazy enough to –"

"Look, enough of the I-told-you-so crap! What do we do now?" Tristan blinked suddenly, "And what the hell is Pegasus doing here?"

Pegasus folded his arms. "And would the both of you mind being informative for a moment?"

Duke sighed, plopping down into a chair as he cast Tristan a sidelong glance. "You wanna tell it?"

"You think you're always right, you tell them! If I got started… I'd have to go back up there and finish the job!"

Yugi stared at Tristan intently. Normally if he said something like that, he was just joking or being boastful. But his face was ashen, his brown eyes hooded and pained, as though he'd just gotten the worst news of his life. He was serious about killing someone, about murder, and Yugi knew that only the worst situation could have pushed him so far. Though he was a former bully, Tristan had always been an observer, hanging back to weigh a situation before just plowing in. He wasn't as prone to making huge decisions on a dime like Joey …

His mind seemed to screech to a halt as the thought sank in.

Joey. Only if something happened to Joey would Tristan be so upset. A wave of despair swept over him and he sank into a nearby chair.

Pegasus, perhaps sensing the change, frowned and moved closer, switching to a more compassionate tone. "Tell us, Duke." The boy was preoccupied with his hair again, twirling the now abundant unruly strands with obvious agitation. He was trembling, as though the full reality of what had happened was only just now beginning to settle in; but at the sound of Pegasus' voice, he steadied.

-----

Mokuba drew the blankets up to Tea's chin. He was worried that she'd be uncomfortable with him watching her sleep like this. That or she'd think he was a pervert and slap him. It would be just his luck if the first girl he kind of liked was really just pretending to be asleep so she could smack him around. Seto had said more than once that girls were continuously confusing, and that time was better spent on more important things.

He'd always thought Duke and Tristan were cool because they were able to fight over Serenity. You had to be cool for a girl to have a tough time choosing one of you over the other. Seto, however, never encouraged the girls to follow him home, or to stalk him around the card shops, or try to flag him down at the library. He was just an unwilling girl magnet. Mokuba remembered a time at Battle City when a girl flashed him for a locator card. Seto had disqualified her instantly, but Mokuba could tell it bothered him.

In a way it frustrated him to know that his brother never took anyone up on their offer, but at the same time he couldn't really blame him. He remembered when Seto was kept up until the early morning hours studying piles and piles of books to prepare him for the Kaiba Empire. Girls were the last thing on his mind. It would be weird to see Seto with a girl anyway – if his big brother ever started swooning and gaping at girls the way Duke and Tristan did, he probably wouldn't have been able to run Kaiba Corp.

Speaking of the guys, where were they? It was annoying being cut off from everyone, especially since he'd just discovered that he could communicate with Pegasus. He tried once more to locate Duke and Tristan, but came up with only a blank. Darkness. Darkness everywhere. So oppressive that it made him want his big brother, as though he were a little kid again too afraid to sleep without a nightlight. The kids in the orphanage had made fun of him for that, and sometimes he'd found himself crawling into his brother's bed for comfort. Those days of laying in the dark together, before Gozaburo had come into their lives, had been the only moments of security. He'd cried against his brother there, in the dark while the other children slept. He'd been so homesick, painfully aware with every passing day that their father was never coming back. Seto had never cried.

They hadn't been in the orphanage long before a television broadcast showed that Gozaburo Kaiba, the famous arms dealer and champion chess player, was planning to pay a visit to their orphanage. As the attendants had set their charges to work cleaning and preparing for such a wealthy guest, Seto had seemed confident again, determined. His face was grimmer than Mokuba had ever seen it, an expression he would grow accustomed to in the years that followed. Seto hadn't always been great at giving words of comfort, but he always did what he could to keep them both safe. They watched out for each other. Seto had done what needed to be done to secure their future, and of course Mokuba had supported him.

Sometimes Mokuba wondered if perhaps his big brother would ever find someone to replace him. But really, Seto with a girlfriend? Nope. He just couldn't see it. Seto might marry some girl to secure Kaiba Corporation, but that was the extent of it. His big brother was above all that nonsense.

Something drew his attention away from his thoughts. It wasn't that Tea snored or anything, but the way she was sleeping. There was something off about it. It was unsettling, like smelling smoke but not seeing any fire. It was safer to stare at her than to attempt waking her up – she'd been really upset when she'd gone to sleep. He didn't know what to say to her. If Yugi was really dead, there was nothing he could do. He supposed he didn't have any more skills at giving comfort than Seto did.

He heard a small gasping sound and thought he'd imagined it, or that it was just the wind in the eaves of the old building. Not everything was attributable to ghosts after all. The second time, though, it sounded more like a whimper and he was on his feet before he quite realized it. "Tea?" She groaned again and he was at her side. The blankets he'd only just arranged were fisted in a shaking grip over her mouth. Beneath her closed lids, her eyes were darting wildly. "Tea, wake up! You're having a nightmare!" Mokuba reached forward, taking hold of one damp shoulder.

As soon as he made contact, she screamed and flailed, her arms flying about in front of her face as though to swat away a swarm of bees. He released her, shaking. "Tea please! Wake up!" His heart was pounding. What was he supposed to do? He'd never been the one to turn to for comfort. If only Duke or Tristan were here. Or Yugi or even Joey. Or better yet his big brother. Seto would know what to do.

He tried to touch her again, meaning to shake her awake, but this time Tea sat straight up in the bed, took a short breath, and screamed. Loudly. Mokuba had to cover his ears. Her eyes were closed, and every few moments she had to gulp a huge breath before screaming again in a high, obnoxious, ear-splitting pitch. Mokuba was afraid it would wake the whole building. "Stop it!"

The scream dwindled, but instead of opening her eyes she took another breath and screamed again, clutching the sheet beneath her chin and shaking her head back and forth as though her cry could hold off any attacker. Mokuba briefly wondered if this was what it felt like to be blasted by a Blue-Eyes White Dragon.

He had to do something. He didn't know what was wrong with Tea, but she was definitely going to draw the Overlook's attention with all the noise she was making. Not that the hotel was unaware of the hiding place or that Mokuba was in there, but it may not have noticed that Tea was vulnerable. There was no one else around to help, but the only tool he could think of was his newfound mental abilities and he still wasn't entirely sure of them. He could sense things, but could he really help Tea? Could he enter her mind and help from the inside? He knew he'd been able to talk with Pegasus, but that was different. They both had the power, whatever it was. What if he hurt her? What if he drew the Overlook's attention even more?

But he had to try. Seto would.

"Hold still, Tea." He closed his eyes, reaching out shakily, afraid of coming in contact but knowing he needed to try. He moved closer, reaching out his hands even as his mind sought hers. He tried to ignore her screams, he could feel her fear, feel the overwhelming terror pouring from her in waves. He was so close…

When his small fingers touched her shoulder again, Tea's scream took on a new pitch. And Mokuba, who had been feeling about her mind as though looking for a light switch, was suddenly blinded. Death. Overwhelming death and hatred flowed through him. He saw Yugi falling through a torrent of snow and out of sight. He saw Joey bleeding, dying. And Croquet, already dead. He saw Pegasus and Yugi helpless, attacked, pulled bodily into the meatlocker and rent limb from limb by the things within. Duke and Tristan, wandering aimlessly in the snow, succumbing to the need for a nap and the inevitable frozen death that waited patiently for them. And his brother. Seto. Hung by the neck, his long legs kicking, trying to free himself even as his eyes bulged and his breath halted. Mokuba was screaming too, fat tears rolling down his cheeks. Dead? They all were dead? He and Tea were the only ones left!

"Mokuba? Mokuba, what's wrong?"

He gasped, opening his eyes. Her hands were gripping his shoulders this time, her eyes red with tears. "Tea?"

"Mokuba, you saw it too."

"It … it can't be real, Tea. I'd have felt it if … if …"

"Hush. It's ok now. I'm better now that I'm awake." She pulled him close to her, wrapping her arms around him in a tight hug.

"It can't … it can't be real. Seto …"

"I'm sure they're all ok, Mokuba. Even … even Y-Yugi." She swallowed and seemed to shake herself. "We've got to keep it together. Just because we dream something doesn't mean it's real."

"Yeah." Mokuba's voice was hollow even to his own ears.

"Where are the others? Duke and Tristan?"

Mokuba pulled himself away from her slowly. "They went looking for some snow mobiles, but that was a while ago. They probably should've been back by now…"

They heard a knock at the door, a rattling of the doorknob, and a voice, a familiar voice, from the other side. "Mokuba! Mokuba let me in!"

"Seto!"

-----

"Yugi … now this may not be true, but …" Duke was fidgeting again, he knew it, but the news he had was terrible: not only reporting the death of Yugi's closest friend, but condemning someone they'd all spent time with. He'd gone with Kaiba to check out Room 213 and had seen the guy act like a crazy bastard, attacking Joey outside while his brother was being attacked by who knows what. He obviously didn't have his priorities straight.

There was no real reason to disbelieve what Kaiba had said upstairs – that he had murdered Joey. Or at least thought he had, and if that was the case then they'd been fighting again. Everyone had seen how crazy Kaiba had been in the fight with Joey. Even though Duke had set out disliking Yugi's gang, the group had grown on him. He'd seen them make the best out of the most otherworldly situations. He didn't want any of them to get hurt, not even the irritable ones like Tristan and Joey. And Pegasus was here now, his friend, the first person to see something marketable in Dungeon Dice Monsters after years of rejection letters. Pegasus, the goof from Vegas, also had a knack for making it out alive from screwy situations. He could only hope his luck held out.

Though he'd been an ass after Pegasus' brief disappearance following Duelist Kingdom, Joey and Yugi had forgiven him. They had accepted him into their group afterwards, faults and all. He'd kept up the tough guy act, saying slick things and coming on to Joey's little sister just for kicks, but he'd never felt outside of the group. He'd become just as much a part of their lives as they'd become part of his.

He stared at Pegasus, who had always been a source of consolation instead of fear. He looked at Yugi, who had accepted him despite all the things he'd ever done, and Tristan who was the closest thing to a best friend his own age that he'd ever had, despite his blockheadedness. How could he tell Yugi that his best friend was presumed dead? His rival insane? Tea and Mokuba still upstairs and –

He blinked, losing all interest in his own introspection. The present was what mattered, and right now there was a definite time table. "Yugi, we've got to get up there fast and find a way to stop Kaiba."

"Tea and Mokuba!" Tristan tried to stand but fell back again, his hand going for a sore spot on his leg. "Damn. He can't get in though, right Duke? Mokuba will lock the door, right? He won't answer it."

"Yeah, but it's his big brother. I don't know if he'll realize the danger."

Tristan smacked his forehead exasperated, "Now you mention this. Couldn't you have said something upstairs? You know, before we left the room?"

Duke crossed his arms. "Well you were the one itching to leave."

Yugi sighed, "Kaiba did it, then. He … he killed Joey … didn't he?"

Pegasus shook his head. "But that's impossible. Kaiba-boy couldn't have killed Joey. I know for a fact that Joey was with Croquet, and Croquet is always well armed. I don't see how Seto Kaiba could have gotten past him. Believe it or not, Croquet is my top man. He's quite formidable. Kaiba-boy might be good at cards, but taking down a military-trained bodyguard? Impossible! Duke, Tristan … how do you know Joey is dead? Did you see his body?"

"Don't give me that bullshit! Kaiba's had it in for Joey for years!" Tristan's face was turning red with anger.

Pegasus glowered, "I will not be spoken to in such a manner. Answer my question! I know Seto Kaiba far better than you do, and have known him for far longer as well I imagine. What could he gain from murdering Joey Wheeler?"

"Why are you of all people defending him! I know Kaiba! I've had classes with him every day for years. He planned this – it's obvious! Probably taking advantage of this stupid detention and just waiting for the right moment! He's always hated Joey! You don't have any business asking questions seeing that this is all your fault anyway, Pegasus!"

Duke grabbed Tristan roughly by the shoulder, "Stop it! Pegasus has a point, we don't know for certain if Joey is dead. Kaiba said he thought he killed him, remember? Or do you always think with your fists?"

"Damn it, Duke, why do you always have to defend Pegasus!"

"Because he's my friend. Like you are. And if Joey does need our help, then you're not helping by shooting your mouth off at our rescuer. Get yourself together, man – if for no one else, at least for Joey. Pegasus will help us out, right?"

Pegasus opened his mouth to respond, but was surprised by Tristan's burst of laughter. "He's supposed to be our savior?" he jutted a thumb at Pegasus. "Man oh man, are we screwed!"