Since I'm still waiting on reviews for Chapter 8, I'll go ahead and start on Chapter 9. Now that the gang was finally out of the shadow duel with Bakura's evil half, they now had to deal with a creepy looking guy named Panik, who wasn't afraid of the dark apparently. ENJOY!

Chapter 9: Yugi VS Panik

After their shadow match with Bakura, they ran into some scary looking ass guy named Panik, who wanted trouble.
Yugi stepped in since he said that Stacey had done enough for one day. this guy apparently wasn't afraid of the dark,
since he had spent most of his duel with Yugi in the dark. Yugi won, leaving the guy to give Mai her chips back.

After getting back to camp, they decided to finally get some sleep. Stacey laid next to Yugi, who was sitting with Bakura, just talking,
even though she really wanted to sleep and cuddle up with Joey. since she was so tired, it wasn't going to happen.
As she was drifting off to sleep, something had come up that was interesting.

"Bakura, am I seeing things or is your Millennium Ring glowing?" Yugi asked. "If not, then I guess we're both seeing things." Bakura answered.
Since this was getting really interesting, Stacey turned over to face them, seeing one of the spikes from his Millennium Ring glow and point in the direction of the castle. "Why is it doing that?" she asked Bakura, knowing that she wasn't going to get any sleep tonight.

"I don't know, but it did the same thing when I met Yugi and you."

"Maybe it's pointing towards the Millennium Eye. it took my grandpa's and Stacey's uncle's soul." Yugi said with so much pain in his voice.

"Can we just get some sleep, guys. Please? I'm worn out. And also, can I please go and sleep with Joey, Yugi?" Stacey complained.

They both laughed at her and laid down, while Yugi nodded and she went over to Joey and shook him awake.

"Jo-Jo, can we cuddle? I can't sleep." Stacey whined to him. Joey opened his eyes and came face-to-face with his crush and future girlfriend.

"Huh? What? I thought you were over there with Yug." Joey asked, half-asleep. "Well, I was. until I couldn't sleep that well. I was so uncomfortable sleeping next to Yugi and Bakura and well, I figured I'd come and sleep with you. To keep me company." she finished in a low,
sultry voice that made Joey's member harden again.

"Well, alright. come here." he said opening his arms to her, and she took her boots off and crawled towards him and snuggled against his warm chest, while he wrapped his strong arms around her and she finally drifted off to sleep in his embrace, while he finally went back to sleep himself. They finally drifted off to sleep together.

Drifting back to sleep, when in came a blinding light, waking her up. and the sound of a helicopter.

"Hey, some of us are trying to get some shuteye, you insensitive jerk!" Joey yelled in frustration and she didn't blame him. Stacey needed her eight hours of beauty sleep. and if she didn't get it, she would wake up very grumpy. and she was extremely cranky in the mornings.

The plane landed near them, the engine dying down. She got up feeling so groggy, she wanted to pummel the guy to a pulp.
but then out came that familiar face, those icy blue eyes...Kaiba. She and Yugi ran to him, wanting to talk to him.

"I haven't seen you two since the duel." Seto said. that reminded her of something. "Oh, that reminds me, your deck. here. and thank you for helping me." she said, handing him his cards. it was weird, Seto actually smiled at her! but then it fell as quickly as it came.
he said thanks and then started to walk off. really?! she was friends with that?!
"You know, Kaiba, since we're all headed to Pegasus' castle, you can join us. but you'll need some star chips though." Yugi said.

"Don't be so naïve. this isn't just some game for me, Yugi. I'm going after Pegasus to save my brother, not so I can win some silly prize.
have fun with your tournament." The way he said that was so cold and cruel. she mentally slapped herself for being friends with this jerk.
He walked away without another word. Joey got angry and ran after him, grabbing him by his shirt collar.

"Listen here, tough guy! I can understand you wanting to get your little brother back and all, but don't go thinking your the only one with a noble cause, get it? we all have something worth fighting for, so if you want a piece of Pegasus, get in line, hot shot. that's right, I ain't scared of you!" Seto grabbed one of Joey's hands and pulled it off of him. "Nice grip, Wheeler, now let me show you mine."

With one swift move, he flipped Joey over and made him land on the ground, causing Stacey to scream while she ran to Joey, hearing him groan a little in pain. "Jo-Jo, are you okay?!" she shouted out, seeing that she had her boots on now and looking concerned.

"I'm fine, Stace." Joey said. Tristan smiled at the tender moment between the two friends. "You see Kaiba. This is why Stacey's falling for Joey.
Because, unlike you, she actually cares about people and their well-being, unlike you. it's no wonder you don't have any friends.
I'm surprised at how she's still friends with you, even though you always treat her friends and family like shit!"

Tristan commented, which shocked everybody, even Kaiba. Tristan was right. Ever since his stepfather had adopted him and Mokuba, he'd been treating everybody around him like trash and taking out his anger on the people who'd been trying to help him, but apparently, he'd been too stubborn to see it.

"Do you really think I'm going to let this little tournament stop me from getting to Pegasus?" Seto said coolly.

Joey got up and still wanted to challenge him. Stacey guessed that it was an ego thing with him. "Forget Pegasus, now you have me to deal with. Bust out your cards and let's get it on!" Stacey was shocked at what Joey was doing, but she figured that he needed to teach Kaiba a lesson in respect.

"Joey,...are you sure..."

"I'm sure Stace. he needs to learn some respect."

"Why don't you go and find an opponent you can really beat, like an infant or a monkey?"

Okay, now that just pissed Joey off more. Joey laid out some more insults about Yugi beating him. Seto finally agreed to duel Joey, but on one condition.
that they use this new device that Kaiba invented while he was away. what was bad about it, was that Seto won after three minutes. and in he came, gloating. man the guy can talk, and he also took his anger out on Joey, and that was going too far. but at least he did something decent and wished them luck,
before heading off by himself.

After everybody went back to their tents and laid down, she decided to follow Seto. he wasn't that far from them, so it was easy to find him.
She was hiding behind a bush, waiting to talk to him as they walked some more. He stopped, but didn't even turn around when he said,
"You shouldn't be out here, Stacey. you need some rest."

"Oh, so Seto Kaiba does care. From the way you were ripping on my friends and cousin, I thought you hated me. and by the way, you just took away my chances of having a potential relationship with my future boyfriend, dude! God, Seto. do you not want me and Joey to be together? Are you really that desperate to take me away from him? Or is it because you just want me to forget all about him and suddenly start falling for you instead?"

He turned to face her, and his look had changed from cold and cruel, to soft and caring. and he was also shocked by Stacey's words.

"I could never hate you. I'm just angry about everything. Mokuba's the only family I have left. and I didn't take away your chance at having a relationship with Wheeler. I just never thought I could picture you with someone like him. and I don't want you to forget about him. You can be with whoever you want.
It's your choice." Seto said, which shocked Stacey.

She smiled, finally seeing the soft side of Kaiba, she really liked it. He set up camp for the night, knowing that Yugi was bound to come looking for her in the morning, so she kept him company, as a friend. She laid next to him, looking up at the stars and he was quiet though. So she decided to ask him the question
that was driving her insane. "How did you manage to help me in the duel?" she asked, curiously.

His gaze never left the night sky, but he answered her. "Got back home and managed to hack into Pegasus's computer. it wasn't as hard as most people think."

She turned her body to face his, although he just looked up at the sky. and she did something that shocked her even... she kissed his cheek.
(A/N: It was just a friendly kiss that didn't mean anything, don't worry. Stacey's still in love with Joey and would never betray him.)
He finally looked at her, his eyes just curiously searching hers. "What was that for?"

"For helping me, it was really sweet of you." His face was a little red and hers was too.
she looked down at the ground, since she knew she made it a little more awkward already. But then a soft touch pulled her eyes up to meet his again.
His hand gently touching her cheek, as she saw him lean in, their lips just centimeters apart, when they heard some voices coming near them.

"Aw, look. Kaiba finally has a girlfriend. So sweetheart, you and that Wheeler kid already having trouble in paradise?" one of the other goons asked, teasingly.

"Urgh, no! We're not even dating yet, you jackasses! We're just taking things slow by being friends first and then we'll see where things go with us!"
Stacey yelled in annoyance and pouted. Seto had now finally realized why she was Joey's perfect match.
She was a loudmouth like him and also had a short fuse, even though she was normally shy and quiet.

It was the goons from earlier, only now there were about six of them and two of them, so they were practically outnumbered. they both stood up, ready to fight them by any means necessary. and she didn't even care if she broke a nail or not. Stacey wasn't no ordinary girl you wanted to mess with.

"Miss Muto, Master Pegasus would like to see you."

"Like hell he would. I'm not going anywhere with you ass holes."

"I'm afraid we have to insist." Seto pulled her behind him, as he faced the goons, head-on. while he smiled and gave her a thumbs-up for defending herself.

"If you want her, you'll have to go through me."

"Suit yourself, Kaiba."

One punch was thrown by Seto and sending one to the ground, the others tried to stop him. He jabbed one in the chest with his elbow, while kicking one of them and making them both fall to the floor. She was about to run to his aid, when strong arms came around her, dragging her away.

Seto turned to see her being taken away, leaving the other goons down and running after her, even though he knew that Joey would freak if he knew that something bad had happened to Stacey, and he would immediately blame Yugi for leaving her in Seto's care, instead of his.
the one that had her was faster, and Seto couldn't keep up, until something happened. Seto was knocked down, and he laid on the floor unconscious and not moving.
The guy who had her, stopped when he was hit, looking back at another one with big rocks in his hands. She softly called out to him, but he didn't wake up.

"Kaiba must really like this girl. Pegasus made the right choice about sending her to the dungeon."

What?! She's a prisoner now?! they both laughed and slowly walked to the castle, leaving Seto on the floor and her heart aching.
She just prayed he wasn't dead.

Underneath Duelist Kingdom was a dungeon, and an old one. It smelled horrible and it was cold. they opened one cell and threw her in, but cuffed one arm to the wall. when he did that, she punched his eye out, making him glare at her. He cuffed her hand that had her dueling glove, which he took that had her star chips. she tried to kick him in the balls, but he moved out of her reach. that little bastard.

"Just consider yourself lucky that you're not alone." He pointed to another corner of the cell, which she couldn't see that well, since it was dark.
But some light had shone through, so she called out the one person she knew that could be there with her.

"Mokuba?" The figure moved his head a little and jumped up, it was him. "How did you get in here, Stacey?"

"Long story, little dude. But the good news is, that I ran into Seto. and don't worry. he didn't try anything with me."

His face had lit up with such happiness, as he clenched the chain around his neck. "What's that?"

"Oh, it's a locket I keep Seto's picture in. He has one just like it, but with a picture of me." Since it was really late, Mokuba cuddled next to her and went to sleep, and she figured she might as well sleep too. since he took her glove and star chips, she couldn't duel in the contest anymore.

Well, there you have it. The end of Chapter 9. Only fourteen more chapters left to go and Season 1 will finally be completed. What do you think is going on here? Will Stacey ever be saved and reclaim her spot in the contest? Will she and Joey ever be reunited again? Find out in Chapter 10.