"There is good and there is evil. There are those who commit crimes and those who try and stop them. Both sides are opposites; as different as day and night, and the line between them is clear. Or at least, it's supposed to be..." -Robin The Boy Wonder (from Teen Titans episode "X")
The two of them spent the evening celebrating their good news. Everyone in the castle was informed of the event, and were a part of the celebration. There was cake and drinks for all, other than Cecelia of course. Before the days end every worker in the castle had congratulated the happy couple. When they retired to their bedroom together, both were giddy with excitement and could hardly think of sleep. Eventually they did fall asleep, and dreamed of the family they were now in the process of making.
The next day, they spent their mealtimes discussing things that they would do for their child. Pegasus had insisted on painting the nursery himself. They chose the room right next to theirs and Pegasus wasted no time trying to figure out what design to paint the room, he sketched on his sketch pad absently as he made business calls. Cecelia, for her part, started reading parenting books and trying to prepare for motherhood as best she could. She was in the middle of the classic What To Expect When You're Expecting when the phone rang.
"Maximillion Pegasus... Yes, I am... What?... You're sure?... Very well. I'll be there as soon as I can."
Cecelia's head popped up as he hung up the phone.
"Who was that, darling?" She asked. Pegasus sighed.
"One of the people on my board of directors. He needs me in the main office in California."
She smiled. "Well, it looks like we're taking a trip to America."
They boarded Pegasus' private jet that night and slept through the flight. Pegasus had already booked them a hotel, but had the feeling that somehow it was unnecessary. When they touched down, they were taken by limo to Industrial Illusions headquarters. Pegasus and Cecelia got out while their bags were whisked away to the hotel. Pegasus took his wife into his office and had her wait there while he went into a board meeting. Cecelia kept her nose in her book while she waited for her husband. The hours ticked by, and very soon it was nightfall. She yawned tiredly and turned on the lamp on the desk to read by it's light. When the door opened again, she grinned. Pegasus sighed as he opened the door but smiled when he saw Cecelia coming toward him. She kissed him sweetly.
"How was it, my love?"
"Boring as could be, my sweet. But, as ever, you brighten my day." He decided to lie to her. He didn't want to burden her with the idea that someone was trying to buy out his company. He would handle that himself. She laughed and hugged him tightly. As they walked back to the desk, they both noticed some strange lights in the sky. It looked like the aurora borealis, but they both stopped short when they saw monsters coming down from the sky. Cecelia tightened her grip on her husband's arm.
"What is that?" she asked, sounding frightened. He wrapped his arms around her unconsciously, but couldn't tear his eyes away from the monsters flying and roaming the city.
"My monsters..." He whispered in shock. "What have they done to my monsters?" Cecelia stepped closer to him and put her hand on his chest. As quickly as it started, that was how quickly it ended. But Pegasus couldn't stop staring out the window. Cecelia looked up at him.
"Maximillion? Are you alright?" She asked, reaching up to tuck a lock of hair behind his ear. When he didn't answer her, she turned to him and pulled him into a kiss. That snapped him out of it. He knew he had to do something- and fast. But what could he do? And what was really going on here? He had to think. He sat down in his chair and tried to come up with a plan. He could feel Cecelia staring at him, but he couldn't worry about that now. This was serious. Suddenly, it all started coming together- someone buying out his company, the monsters coming down- it all wove into the most terrifying of patterns. He stood up abruptly, struck with an idea.
"Wait here my darling. I'll be right back." He promised, then ran from the room, leaving a stunned Cecelia in his wake. He ran to his private sanctuary to record his message, and then bolted to another room to make the tape that would get the only person who could possibly help him now: Yugi Moto. He had made a card earlier in the week that he had originally intended to be an access card for the nursery, but he had reconfigured his private sanctuary to accept that card only, and now he was enclosing it along with the tape. He wrapped his package and addressed it, then put it in the mail to be shipped to Yugi-Boy and his friends. He could only hope it got to him safely, before returning to his wife. He went over to her and clasped her hands in his own.
"Cecelia, my love, I'm in terrible danger. And as long as I am, you are too. And I can't have that. Not with our baby on the way. You must get somewhere safe before it's too late." He said, fearful. Cecelia's blue eyes bored into him. The pools of blue were so enormous he feared they would swallow him whole. She looked at him with firm determination.
"I'm not leaving you, Max. When we got married I vowed to stay with you for better or worse, and I never make promises I can't keep."
"But Cecelia, it's not just you anymore! We have to think about what's best for the baby. And putting you in danger means that our child is in danger. Please, be reasonable." He pleaded. "I couldn't live with myself if something happened to you."
Before she could answer him, she noticed something flash by the window, and was distracted, but ignored it. Pegasus sat at his desk.
"I can't believe the very monsters I made famous are now terrorizing people around the world... Talk about bad publicity." He said glumly.
"Do you always talk to yourself like that?" Said a different voice. Pegasus whipped around to see someone standing on the balcony. "You gotta get yourself some friends, honey."
He was stunned. "But how did you get past my security?!"
She grinned evilly at him. "I guess your office isn't as secure as you think, moneybags."
"I know you! You're Mai Valentine. Tell me, why did you come here?"
"Good question. I came here to duel you- and to take your soul!"
"NO!" He shrieked. Mai stepped forward.
"Get ready to lose it all, honey!" She said, activating her duel disk.
"Maximillion, you can't!" Said Cecelia, running to him.
"I must." He said, kissing her gently. He turned to Mai.
"Do whatever you want to me, but leave my wife alone!" He declared.
"Fine. I don't need weak souls anyhow."
"Let's duel!" They chorused. And their battle began. Cecelia was forced to watch the man she loved duel for his very soul- and was slowly backed into a corner.
"This duel's not over! I still have 100 life points left!"
"Not for long! My move! You thought it was fun to steal people's souls in duelist kingdom, didn't you? Well now it's time for me to have a little fun! Now I activate Harpie Lady Phoenix Formation! Since I have six harpies, it lets me destroy six of your monsters!"
"Oh no!" He cried.
"And thanks to my magic card, The sum of my monster's attack points gets subtracted from your life points!"
"No! This can't be happening!" He said as the seal of Orichalcos advanced on him. He looked at his wife apologetically just before his soul was sealed away and he collapsed to the ground.