The Pharaoh's gaze never left Mai as the medics rushed her unconscious friend away. Outwardly she could hide her emotions well, except for her posture, which was as stiff as a board, and her hands, which balled into fists.
Inwardly, fury and guilt boiled away beneath the surface. She'd never wanted any of her friends hurt, and now Mai was yet another victim of Hanaq's cruelty.
Another of the innocent souls burned by the Gods in Hanaq's insane pursuit of a freedom, which could only end in death for her and for her brothers if she succeeded in her plans.
She staggered as power suddenly flowed through her, twisting and twirling around her and her twin, healing their wounds and restoring the energy that'd been drained from them the day before. Meisa let out a relieved breath as her fatigue dissolved, every ache faded, her twin's heart returned to a normal beat and her breathing settled down for the first time since Yugi had reawakened after her trip to the underworld.
As relief and joy skittered across the bond from her twin, Meisa stretched her fingers out and curled them back in, enjoying the feel of a body free from pain for the first time in forty-eight hours and a core of mostly restored life energy.
'If we're healed, does that mean our friends are too?'
Yugi's hopeful question made Meisa dart into her twin's soul room to check on Ba-Khu-Ra, Yugi close behind. When the soul there was still in pieces, their hearts dropped.
Not everyone had been restored, and that meant it was possible that not all their hospitalized friends were back on their feet either.
Retaking control of the body, she wheeled around to look at Kaiba, who was stepping into the arena.
"Kaiba. I…" She trailed off.
The Pharaoh wanted to go with Mai, wanted to ensure that her friend's soul survived, wanted to see which, if any, of her other hospitalised friends, Hanaq's defeat had helped, but knew she wasn't allowed. Kawaii had banned her from the infirmary.
And the show HAD to go on, or the crowds around them, who were already getting restless, would understand that something serious was going on, which would create more chaos than Hanaq had already brought forth.
Then it hit her.
She was back at full strength and Hanaq was no longer protected by the rules of the tournament.
'You could stop her now. End this before she can take anything else from you.' A hissing voice in the darkness of the Puzzle whispered in her ear. 'You could stop this madness here and now. She's no longer protected by the Rules…'
It was tempting. Oh, so very tempting. To tear down Hanaq and protect everyone she had left. To prevent any more pain and suffering.
Then Yugi was latched onto her side in spectral form, helping her take a deep breath and calm herself.
Attacking now would be walking away from collecting Obelisk the Tormentor, and she needed all three God cards if she was going to recover her memories and help Ba-Khu-Ra's people reach the afterlife.
"Ready, Yugi?"
She couldn't do anything about Hanaq until she could get out of the public eye. She couldn't even risk thinking about Hanaq until this duel was over. Because her task now was to defeat Kaiba and get that God card, and that would take every last drop of her concentration.
She activated her Duel Disk, causing the mood of the crowd to shift to excited anticipation, the worry of Mai's collapse getting swept away in the sheer emotion ramping up to a fever pitch.
"Bring it on, Kaiba."
Up in the technician's booth, Mokuba let out an excited squeak as he activated the stadium projectors and adjusted the solar panel flaps on the stadium to focus the light on his brother and his opponent, who were shuffling each other's decks.
This was the duel Seto had been waiting for. The only duel he'd been able to think about since November, when the Other Yugi, Meisa, had countered him with a setup that'd been laid in place turns before it'd finally fired off.
It was also the duel that Mokuba was hoping would finally ease his brother's mind and allow Seto to let himself breathe.
Meisa hadn't been wrong when she'd said Seto would return to him after Death-T. The Seto then and the Seto now were two entirely different creatures. If someone had requested that he push a duel back a year and a half ago, Seto would've considered it cowardice or weakness and scoffed in their face.
That he'd been the one to push back his own duel today was a huge sign that his brother was mostly recovered.
However, he wasn't fully there yet.
Building Hekigan had gone a long way towards helping. Burying their father's pride and joy under a million or so tons of steel and concrete and various other materials to create their theme park had brought back the smile to Seto's face. Just once, just briefly, but it'd been there.
And now Mokuba wanted him to defeat his demons, by beating Yugi and finally, finally be able to rest.
"Kaiba-fukusha…"
The sounds of a fight outside the door cut off the technician speaking, made Mokuba turn to look and had the guards assigned to him move between the noise and their principal target.
Before anyone could activate the lock down, the door burst open, slamming into the wall to admit a group of ten or eleven members of park security.
"Stand down!" Mokuba ordered, rising to his feet.
None of them listened. Instead, guns were raised. More guns on that side of the room than on his.
Mokuba gritted his teeth. They'd background checked everyone that they'd hired for the park. Their guards should've been their most trustworthy staff members here on the island.
Then Hanaq walked in, the Millennium Rod glowing, and Mokuba understood.
She'd seized control of their minds, just like she'd done to Jonouchi Katsuya. And if she'd been able to make Jonouchi kill Yugi, then Mokuba stood no chance of breaking the guards free from her control now.
"What do you want?"
"You're coming with me." Hanaq didn't ask.
At her words he reached back behind himself for the panic button on the desk, to alert the Head of Security, and his brother, that something had gone very wrong.
Then he paused.
If he set the alarm ringing, the Head of Security would bring heavily armed guards here, pinning Hanaq and her brainwashed troops between his forces and Mokuba's. Giving her more guards to take control of and basically handing island security over completely.
And worse, it would distract Seto just as his Duel against Yugi began.
"Allow the technicians to do their jobs undisturbed and I'll come quietly." He said instead, stepping forward despite the protests of his guards.
"You'd give yourself over to protect the tournament?"
No. That wasn't it. Battle City had been ruined the moment he'd learned about what Ishizu had done to Yugi and her friends, but he was damned if he was going to let her ruin the opening of the park too. Hekigan meant too much to him, to his brother, to allow her to wreck it's opening, and that meant allowing the tournament to run undisturbed.
But she didn't have to know that. In fact, telling her that would only encourage her to go out of her way to destroy any chance they had of launching successfully.
"Kaiba-fukushacho…"
The concern from the nearest of the technicians was appreciated, but he held himself as tall as he could and stared directly into Hanaq's eyes.
"Focus on running the event smoothly. Don't tell my brother, or anyone else, about this until after the finals. She won't kill me. I'm no use to her dead. And she knows Seto will never let her rest if she harms me."
"Your brother doesn't scare me."
Hanaq seemed unbothered, but Mokuba didn't believe it. She wouldn't need to take him hostage if she had no fear of Seto, but as he headed for her side, one of the guards he'd been assigned took a shot at Hanaq.
Only for one of her brainwashed mooks to take the bullet for her.
Without a moment's hesitation and before gunshots could ring out from every angle, Hanaq's eyes flashed, and the Rod's glow brightened. Mokuba held up his arm to shield his eyes, but it didn't protect him from the magic, which sent his mind tumbling into the darkness.
"Why do I bother?" Hanaq asked the world as she considered the scene before her. "I try for calm. I try for reasonable. And each time it's torn down before I can get what I want. All I needed was the little one. No one else needed to be hurt."
As she spoke, she pointed at Mokuba, then at her side. The younger of the Kaiba brothers moved without hesitation, coming to her side as ordered. She considered him for a moment, then let out an amused huff.
"I suppose it works in my favour, if no one finds out so soon. It gives me more time to keep securing control of this place. So, since you were trying to be a good little boy…"
She turned to her new minions.
"Guards with Mokuba and I. If anyone tries to take Mokuba from me, stop them. Technicians, keep this tournament running. I want no one to know anything has happened."
"Yes, mistress."
"Mokuba, you will not stray more than three yards from me. Understand?"
"Yes, mistress."
Smirking at the title coming from even a Kaiba, the most stubborn of the people she'd manipulated today.
"Good boy. Now, follow me."
"You will let me in, or I'll…"
"Move aside!"
Mazaki waited for her moment as she stepped aside, allowing the medical crew to rush a stretcher bearing an unconscious Kujaku Mai in and, once the guards were distracted with the chaos within, slipped in herself.
Only to find that the medics who'd come running in were held at gunpoint by several guards, and there were the faces of children she knew watching scared or angry, from the doorways of the various rooms. The medics here were absolutely no help, as they were sprawled out over the floor, either unconscious or asleep.
"Stand down. They have jobs to do." Mazaki pulled her identification out, to prove her status within the company, but it was no use. The guards didn't back down.
"My sister's taken control of them." Rishid informed her from one of the doorways. "I'm afraid they won't listen to you."
"Will they listen to you?" Mazaki demanded, frustrated and worried for the health of the young woman on the bed. She'd met Mai before, when she'd stayed with them back in November, after Anzu had called her to tell her about Yugi's injuries.
"No." Rishid had the grace to sound ashamed, "I'm not in my sister's good books right now."
"Can she hear me through them?"
"I believe so."
"Good."
With that, Mazaki stood face to face with one of the guards, refusing to back down an inch. "Oi. Ishtar. I need your attention. Now."
With that she snapped her fingers in the guard's face. A loud, startling sound that rang down the connection to the mind-slave's, already stretched, owner, forcing her attention to that slave in particular.
"Who are you?" The guard asked, his voice overlaid with that of Hanaq, "And why should I waste my time with you?"
"Mazaki Yui, Head Lawyer at Kaiba Corp." Yui answered without pre-ramble. "And because I need you to get your guards out of this hospital and you need me to not have you taken out the moment your guard is down."
"You can't stop me. I can take control of any men you have sent."
"Can you stop a bullet, shot at a distance of three hundred yards?"
There was a pause, then, "I could have you killed now."
"Then my husband or my boss will do it instead."
Another beat, as if the one pulling the strings on this puppet was considering her words.
"I want your men out. I want you to stop preventing people from getting treatment. I also want you to drop your dumbass plans and release everyone, but I already know asking for the latter is pointless."
"Indeed. You realise I can't let anyone leave? Including you?"
"I don't want to leave." Mazaki was lying. She'd promised her daughter she'd be back, but if she could at least get what was going on out to her boss, then Kaiba could organize a way to stop it before it got worse. "I'm here to check on the children and ensure those who need treatment can get it."
Before Ishizu could respond, a second stretcher was being rushed through the doors. This one with an older, Egyptian woman upon it. Mazaki didn't recognize her, but Rishid yelped and the cold, stern stare that Ishtar was forming on the guard's face, broke to a shocked concern as she rushed to the woman's side.
"Azra!"
There was no response from the woman on the stretcher, whose breathing was shallow and whose skin was clammy.
"Where did you find her?!" Ishtar demanded, through the guard.
The sharpness of the demand made the medic grimace. "Security was doing a sweep of Tenku no Seiiki, when they discovered her by the dumpsters."
The low growl that ripped from the guard's throat made Mazaki say, "If the medics could do their job, you'd know what's wrong with her."
"I don't care."
Hanaq did though. As much as Azra had hurt her. As much as Azra's actions had endangered her life and her family, this was the woman who'd raised her brother and sister for ten years of their lives, after their father had basically abandoned them after Marik's birth.
And losing her would be painful for her brother, who, despite her anger at him, was one of the pieces of her heart.
Her gaze snapped to Rishid's face. The pain and worry that she saw there made up her mind for her.
"I'll withdraw my men. The medics can do their duty, but I want to know what happened to her." Hanaq snapped, "You will keep me informed."
"Leave my daughter alone and I will."
Hanaq's eyes narrowed as she evaluated the lawyer.
"Mazaki… Anzu. The Pharaoh's dancer friend. She's your daughter, isn't she?"
Mazaki nodded.
"Fine. I won't hurt Anzu as long as she doesn't try anything stupid. In exchange, you'll keep me informed through this number."
Mazaki didn't hesitate to write down the number given. Once given, the guards turned for the doors.
"I'm warning you, Mazaki. If anything more happens to her, or harm comes to my brothers, I'll kill you."
"I get it. Now get lost."
As the guards left, the unconscious forms on the floor started to stir. As the newly arrived medics checked their colleagues over, an auburn haired girl that Mazaki recognized as Kawaii Shizuka, Jonouchi's little sister, rushed over to one of the downed women and helped her to her feet, crying about her brother not waking up.
Bakura Amane, on the other hand, hurried over to the stretchers, the paleness of her expression telling Mazaki that something was wrong as Rishid, looking like he was seeing a ghost, stared at her.
"Talk to me quickly." Bakura's hesitance irritated the lawyer, who snapped. "I'm Kaiba's lawyer, I know about magic. Remember the coma?"
There was a moment as Bakura processed that, "I'm a little hazy from just waking up, and I can't be sure without my Ring, but I can sense traces of magic on them both. Shadows on Mai…"
"Which would've come from the Shadow Game against Hanaq." Rishid's grumble made both Bakura and Mazaki glance at him, "What about Azra?"
"I've never felt anything like this. It's old, it's… alluring, but it's not Shadows."
"So, she was attacked by another magical?"
"Yes, and not a Shadow holder. Something more powerful… wait, you said her name's Azra? Like the Necklace holder?"
Rishid cursed and lowered the collar just a little, revealing no Millennium Necklace.
"Shit…" Amane breathed.
"Can you find it?" Rishid's snarl made her wince.
"Not without my Millennium Item. Until I can get it back from your sister, I can't do anything, but…" She hesitated, uncertain of her next words, but needing them to be said, in case she was right.
"I have a bad feeling. I've seen this condition before. It's the same one Shizuka was in when your sister ripped out her soul."
"Ripped out her…" Mazaki squeaked.
"You get used to it," Amane promised as the medics headed in their direction.
"Can you undo it?" Rishid demanded again, daring to grasp Amane's shoulders and shake her. When Amane let out a pained yelp, the medics pulled them apart and forced him away to the chairs.
"Can you?" Mazaki whispered as Mai and Azra were rushed into treatment rooms.
Amane shook her head, wishing she had Ba-Khu-Ra around to help her confirm her theory, or her mother and aunt here to help her work out what magic this was.
"No… not without my Ring, and even then I might not be able to do anything. I'd need to know where her soul is being held and how to undo their magic. I don't think it's the same as mine."
"At least I have something for the lunatic running around." Mazaki huffed, beginning to type her message.
"Don't tell her I'm awake." Amane's demand made Mazaki raise an eyebrow. "She tried to kill me, I don't want a repeat."
That was fair, and as Mazaki started her message to keep Ishizu in the loop as promised, Amane searched her room for her own phone, hoping beyond hope that she was wrong.
If she wasn't, if Azra's soul had been stolen by whoever had attacked her and taken the Necklace, then she couldn't keep her promise to Ba-Khu-Ra and give them the information that they'd waited oh so long for.
A thought hit her as her hand landed on her phone. If the person who'd caused the fall of Egypt back in ancient times was somehow still around, possibly by possessing others, like Meisa and Ba-Khu-Ra did, then they wouldn't want the Pharaoh and the Thief to team up against them.
So, they'd want to stop Azra from being able to tell them the truth.
And ripping her soul out and spiriting it away was the perfect way to do that.
With this knowledge, she decided to make a few calls of her own and, noting the time on her phone, she decided to wait to phone Yugi, because she had no intention of preventing the Pharaoh from getting the God cards and keeping her promise.
She could tell Yugi everything later.