Chapter 4: Angel of Darkness

In an instant, Mai and the masked man emerged through a large wooden oak mirror and into a room with dimly lit candles as the sole source of light. It had a queen-sized bed draped in white sheets and red bedding, and the headboard and legs were made out of brass. Above the bed was a royal purple canopy—just the way he liked it for a bed fit for a masked killer like him. The walls were covered in a wallpaper that was crimson with vertical golden stripes. The accent of the wall was painted ivory, a simple color that he didn't seem to mind about.

There were two wooden dressers on either side of the bed, and they matched the mirror's wooden frame. The masked man had thugs who found them tossed away from the previous owners, and they didn't want them to go to waste, hence why he hired them to take them. There was also a vintage lamp sitting on one of the dressers, albeit the flame-lit candles were what he would prefer for bringing in his prized woman for the first time.

"Where are we?" Mai asked, as she took a look around the room.

"This is where I reside in," the masked man answered her. "A secluded area of the city is safer for me to hide away from those who are searching for me."

Mai gazed into the mirror, staring at her reflection as her hands grasped the sides. The masked man sensed her concerns almost immediately, and he reassured her:

"The mirror acts as a portal between your home and mine, so rest easy about returning home. I'll be sure to take you back just before dawn."

Mai nodded to him, relieved that she would have an instant way home rather than wander alone in the sketchy part of the city. That area was filled with drug dealers, gamblers, ruthless duelists who would prey on beginners and rookies, and homeless people who would resort to stealing for money or food.

"You have something that intrigues me. Present it to me."

Mai willingly pulled her hand outward, revealing the ring to the masked man.

"That ring…," he said, holding up her hand and examining the ring closely. "It must be a special gift you possess."

"Why, yes, it is," Mai answered, nodding to him. "It's a promise ring, and my beloved gave it to me as a symbol of my loyalty towards him."

"And who is the man you are loyal to, may I ask?"

"Joey Wheeler."

The masked man's lavender eyes widened greatly, as he recalled witnessing Joey and Mai entering Pegasus's estate from above.

So he's the special someone Mai is taken by, he thought of him.

"Joey Wheeler… a considerable competitor for me," he described Joey in his own words. He clutched onto the Millennium Rod firmly, his eyes leering at it as he mentally noted to himself:

And I'll add him to my list of victims, for that reason.

"Now that we're alone again, there's something I've wanted to tell you," Mai said to him, preparing herself for the moment of truth.

"Hmm?" the masked man asked, tilting his head slightly.

She took a deep breath, and then she revealed to him:

"I want to see your true face."

"Very well," he said to her. "But before I do so, I have a favor to ask you: take off the ring from your finger."

A gasp of shock emitted from the blonde woman's mouth, and her violet eyes glanced at the ring that twinkled on her finger.

But this ring is my promise to remain faithful to Joey! she thought worriedly. If I were to take it off now, it would be a sign that I'd betray him for this man!

The masked man was growing impatient, frowning at her with a low growl. Mai was still staring at the ring, fearful of what would happen the moment she would remove it. She had loved Joey dearly, and she would never betray him for another man. It would break her promise to him—and his heart, as well.

"Why are you hesitating?" he questioned her, snapping her out of her doubtful thinking. "Don't you wish to see what's beneath my mask?"

"Yes," Mai answered, nodding to him.

"Then remove the ring at once."

Mai finally complied, removing the ring from her finger and setting it on one of the wooden dressers next to the bed.

It seemed like nothing happened, albeit Mai was starting to feel guilty about taking the risk of breaking Joey's heart by removing the beloved ring he gave her. To the masked man, however, it was pleasing to see her do exactly as he told her, in spite of the brief hesitation from her.

Joey, I'm sorry…, Mai apologized mentally, as the moments of her with Joey played inside of her mind. She could see them cracking and shattering to shards of glass, one by one, and she didn't know what to do when she would face him again.

That said, Mai was ready to move forward with seeing the face behind the man's mask.

"Alright," she said to him, maintaining eye contact with him. "I've done your favor. Now, reveal your face to me."

"As you wish," the masked man said with a dark chuckle.

This was the moment of truth: in slow motion, his hand reached for the mask, and Mai could feel her heart racing at an intense rate. A bead of sweat dripped down the side of her face, and her hands clutched onto one another as the man's left hand grabbed hold of the mask, and the moment he finally removed it…

A gasp of astonishment emitted out of Mai's mouth once he lifted up his face to her. As she gazed into his eyes, a memory of Marik with Aurora played in her mind. It was an unbelievable sight she had to witness—it was all clear to her from the moment she met the masked man in Cecilia's room, aside from the two cards he left behind.

His face! she thought, her eyes widening in growing bewilderment. It has to be Marik!

Her suspicion was correct all along. The masked man's true face had a striking resemblance to Marik's: the lavender eyes, the facial structure—everything! However, one difference that he had from Marik was that his sandy blonde hair was spiked upward.

"Surprised to see my true face?" he asked her with a chuckle. "This is what you've been waiting for since we first met, my dear."

"I am, and I have to ask you this," Mai said to him, still awestruck by his true face. "Are you the Marik Ishtar who vanished five months ago?"

"I am rather a darker side of him," Yami Marik answered her. "The Marik who went missing is nothing more than a small piece of my memory…"

A Cheshire Cat-like smile soon formed across his face and his lavender eyes widened greatly as he added in a sinister tone of voice:

"And soon, Joey Wheeler will be a small piece of yours when I'm through with him."

Joey…, Mai thought, fearful for Joey's safety. Even though she just removed the symbol of her loyalty to him, she had her right to be worried about him and she would do whatever she could to protect him. But what if he would never trust her again if he would discover her infidelity?

Yami Marik aimed the Millennium Rod underneath Mai's chin, making her blood run cold as he said to her:

"If you promise to keep this a secret between you and I, Joey will be spared. However, if even one person is able to uncover our secret, there will be dire consequences."

Mai gasped in horror, and she was fearful of what those consequences may be. Would it be a close friend of hers dead at the hands of the twisted man? What if Joey would be his next target, and wind up slaughtered? And worst of all, what if her sister would die by his hands too? These possibilities would be devastating to her, so she would have to keep her encounters with Yami Marik confidential if she wished to keep her beloved Joey, her sister and her friends alive.

"I… I promise you," she finally spoke up.

"Good. Then here is a special gift for you."

Yami Marik held up a magenta-beaded pendant with a purple jewel surrounded by a gold frame. A purple droplet gem was dangling beneath the jewel, as the finishing touch for the look. He approached Mai and placed it around her neck, intriguing her.

"What is that?" Mai asked, gazing down at the necklace.

"This is the mystical Black Pendant," Yami Marik explained to her. "Its dark magic will notify you when I would come to you. You must have it on at all times when we are alone together."

Mai nodded to him, showing that she understood his instructions. She suddenly felt Yami Marik's arms wrapped around her from behind, a pink blush tinting on her face. Her heart was fluttering like a butterfly as he leaned in toward her ear and whispered in a soft tone of voice:

"And with that, you are now my angel of darkness."

Angel of darkness? Mai repeated mentally.

She could feel his hands lightly grasping her bosom, and then sliding down to her sides and grasping her hips. Mai has never been caressed by a man who would bring terror to the city with his dagger and his intentions to kill anyone who would stand in his way. And now that she was in his possession at long last, this was her first time.

"You possess such womanly curves," he purred. "That is the ideal figure of a woman in my eyes."

There was no use escaping now; the yami's muscular grasp was strong enough to hold her closer as he pecked his lips onto her neck. The soft kiss was as light as a feather, and Mai closed her purple eyes and breathed out a soft moan of pleasure.

He feels so good…, she thought, the newfound feeling of euphoria having completely washed over her worries.

The soft kisses continued for a few seconds until Yami Marik sinked his teeth into her neck, as if it were a vampiric bite.

Mai's eyes opened up swiftly, her violet irises widening in shock as a gasp was released from her lips.

"That is how I would mark you, aside from the Black Pendant," he whispered to her, once he pulled away from her neck.

Mai was still in an euphoric state, having no second thoughts about losing her virginity to a man she barely knew. She had to forget about Joey for a while, although she loved him dearly and he meant the world to her.

Her body suddenly turned around and she could feel Yami Marik gently placing her onto the bed, her blonde locks spread outward on the velvet red pillows.

Mai could feel butterflies fluttering in her stomach. She had never experienced an intimate moment like this, and she wished that Joey would be the man she would have her first time with.

Yami Marik reached for the white ribbon tied around Mai's waist and untied it, and he slowly removed her nightgown as her eyes observed him. Once it was completely down to her ankles, the nightgown draped onto the floor and Mai was now nearly naked since she only had violet lace panties on.

So beautiful! Yami Marik thought of her, a light pink blush tinted on his dark-skinned face. His face soon shifted into a devious smirk, as he prepared to make his next move. Now, to remove the last article from her.

His fingers hooked onto both sides of Mai's panties and he carefully pulled them down to her ankles, with Mai observing him in such astonishment. She had never been stripped naked by another man before, and as much she would rather see Joey do it, this was her first time and she was going to be in for a wild ride with her new suitor.

"The night is still young, my dear," Yami Marik crooned to her, as he began stripping himself, starting with his purple cape. "And because this is your first time, I'll make sure you will enjoy it."

A bright pink blush tinted on Mai's face, and she could hardly take her eyes off of him removing his clothes one by one. Once he was finally free of his clothes, he climbed onto the bed and hovered above her, his hands besides her face. He leaned in toward her and they immersed into a deep, passionate kiss that melted into her mouth.

Mai draped her arms around his neck as their kiss deepened, and she wrapped her legs around his waist whilst hanging onto him for dear life. This had marked the commencement of their secret love affair…

An hour had passed, and an exhilarated moan of pleasure was heard from Mai as Yami Marik did three final rough thrusts into her, his body shuddering as he released. She collapsed onto the bed, panting in exhaustion, and as he leaned in toward her, he could feel her hot breath onto his chest. He latched his lips onto hers, sealing one last passionate kiss for the night to ensure that she would belong to him, rather than Joey.

"How was your first time?" he asked her, as he pulled out of her.

"It… it was… heavenly," she answered, in between her panting.

"Good. I'm so pleased I was able to bring you pleasure, so I'll be there for you when you need more."

As much as she enjoyed the first intercourse she had with Yami Marik, Mai knew she had to keep it all a secret from Joey, her sister Aurora, and their friends so that she would protect them from him. However, she could sense that a feeling of love was starting to blossom inside of her.

I've… I've started to fall for this man, she thought of her new suitor. I'll have to balance between him and Joey without exposing my secret, starting when I'll return home.

They suddenly jolted when they heard a grandfather clock chiming in the corner of his room. It read one thirty-seven, and to Yami Marik, it was time for his nightly hunt.

He rose up from the bed and redressed himself, intriguing Mai as she observed him.

"Wait, where are you going?" she asked him.

"I have a mission to carry out," Yami Marik answered her, placing his mask back onto his face. He took out his deck and pulled out a Spell Card that had an artwork of a silver hourglass filled with blue sand. The background in the card had a starry sky with constellations surrounding the hourglass.

"What is that?" she questioned, staring at the card.

"This is something to help you pass the time without having to worry about me," he explained, as he held up the card in front of the woman. "Activate Dreamer's Sands."

The card began to flash, a white light emitting from it as a shower of blue sand sprinkled into her face. Almost immediately, Mai began to feel drowsy as her eyes were slowly closing, and her body collapsed back onto the bed. Sleep had taken over her, as if she were hit in the face by the Sandman's sand.

Once Mai had drifted off to sleep, Yami Marik pulled the covers up to her shoulders, gingerly caressing her cheek as he watched her sleep.

"Sleep well, Angel of Darkness," he whispered to her softly. "I shall return to you before dawn, as promised."

And with that, he emerged through his mirror and vanished into thin air, leaving behind the sleeping Mai in his room.

Meanwhile, at The Joker's House, Joey was seated at a table with Rafael and his two friends Alister and Valon. The bar would be closing in one hour, so that would give him the time he needed to obtain information on the masked killer, as well as hopefully finding clues on the disappearance of Marik Ishtar.

"Yeah, I've heard about the masked man who's been terrorizing the city for five months now," Valon answered him. "It's said that he lurks at night in search of victims to kill, and he disappears right after he murders them."

"That served Keith right for not taking his safety seriously, after what happened to him last night," Alister said. "He was just too drunk to care."

"That's what he got for drinkin' too much, mate," Valon replied to his friend.

"That, and for starting that fist-fight with me," Rafael added.

"You handled that drunk chump well, Rafael," Valon reassured him, giving him a pat on the back. "Anyone who messes with the three of us has to deal with you first."

Rafael simply smiled at his friend and said to him:

"Thanks."

Valon then glanced over at Joey, maintaining eye contact with him as he questioned:

"Anyway… so, Wheeler, you're here to get info from us on the masked man, right?"

"Yeah," Joey answered with a nod. "I need to know how he kills his victims, other than lurkin' in da streets at night."

Valon, Alister and Rafael were left astonished by Joey's response, and that left Joey feeling a little uneasy.

"What's da matter?" he asked them, sounding concerned. "You guys sound shocked just because I brought up da masked man. I… I was just curious."

"So you want to know how he stalks and kill his prey?" Alister asked, leering his eyes at Joey.

"To start, he waits in the shadows for his victims to be out in the night," Rafael began. "It is said that he chooses any victim he wants, and he can kill as many as he would like."

Concurrently, Rex Raptor and Weevil Underwood were hurrying home in the rain, the downpour soaking them wet as they were shielding themselves with their arms.

"I told you we should've brought an umbrella, you dunce!" Rex grimaced.

"Well, I left mine at home and you didn't bring yours either, idiot!" Weevil shouted.

The dinosaur duelist groaned, dreading the cold air and the rain soaking him as he exclaimed:

"I'm in need of a hot bath when I get home, and fast!"

"Same here for me, when I reach my place! Besides, it's freezing out here!"

Back inside the bar, Joey was patiently waiting for the answer. He was eager to find out how the madman would intend to kill his victims.

"From what I've heard, he has a dagger as his weapon of choice," Valon said, sounding dark.

"A dagger?" Joey repeated, raising an eyebrow.

Valon nodded to him, and then he went on:

"The autopsies revealed that all of the victims he's killed have stab wounds and/or slits across their throats."

The sound of a strident thunderclap could be heard as the two boys were cowering at the sight of the masked man standing before them. The flash of lightning provided brief light to the darkened stormy night as a sinister smirk formed on his face.

These two will make easy targets, he thought of the whimpering boys.

"Is that the killer everyone's been talking about?!" Weevil exclaimed.

"I think so," Rex answered him.

The moment the masked man pulled out the dagger from his extended rod and aimed the blade directly at the boys, Weevil shrieked, sounding panicked:

"RUN FOR IT!"

The boys scampered as fast as they could in the pouring rain, like rats in a lab maze. However, the masked man had something up his sleeve, a wicked smile forming across his face.

He drew out a card and a white light began to flash, as he called out:

"I summon Bowganian!"

A mechanical monster with one eye and two arms emerged from the card, wielding a crossbow.

"Your target is the boy with the brown hair. Fire an arrow at him!"

Bowganian obeyed its master's order, aiming the crossbow at Rex and shooting an arrow from it. The arrow soared like a speeding bullet and stabbed Rex in the left leg, causing him to trip over and cry out in pain.

"Rex!" Weevil cried, as he paused and raced over to him.

"Ngh…," Rex groaned, clutching onto his left leg. "That man is crazy, attacking us with some hologram!"

"No," the masked man corrected him, sounding malevolent as he approached the two boys. "These monsters are for real, thanks to the power of my Millennium Item. The shadows are hungry for your soul, and it is my duty to feed you to them."

"Save yourself, buddy," Rex pleaded, tears forming in his eyes.

"Ohhh! Rex!" Weevil sobbed, "I can't live without my friend/enemy! I'll be damned if you die in front of me!"

"Just go already, before he gets you too!"

Knowing that Rex was right, Weevil immediately fled the scene as the masked man held up the dagger at Rex, ready to carry out the execution. All the dinosaur duelist could do was watch in horror as the killer aimed the dagger at his chest, piercing it with the blade. Rex's agonized scream ricocheted throughout the street and into an alleyway where Weevil was sheltering.

The scream left the insect duelist trembling in trepidation as he began sobbing, tears streaming down his face. He couldn't believe he had to sacrifice his frenemy for the sake of his own safety, and both the loss and the encounter with the masked man would leave him with traumatizing scars if he were to end up surviving.

Weevil slowly emerged from the alleyway, his body still shaking as he was checking to see if the coast was clear. The masked man had seemingly vanished just after taking Rex's life, and the Bowganian had vanished shortly thereafter.

"R-Rex…?" he whimpered, once he finally emerged out onto the sidewalk.

Slowly, Weevil made his way across the sidewalk whilst he continued whimpering in fear. His heartbeat was accelerating at a rapid pace, and he could feel the palms of his hands sweating as a sign of his high tension.

As soon as he finally made it, Weevil gasped in horror at the sight of Rex's body lying in a pool of blood, Bowganian's arrow still sticking out of his left leg. He let out a petrified scream that rang throughout the entire street, causing rats nearby a trash can to scamper away.

"Rex! REX!" he screamed, collapsing to his knees in front of his frenemy's corpse. "Oh, no! No! Why couldn't it have been me?! Why it couldn't have been me?!"

In the midst of Weevil's grief, the masked man was observing the scene from a rooftop above them alongside Bowganian. He gave a simple signal that the monster followed, aiming the crossbow and shooting an arrow at Weevil. The arrow struck him in the right shoulder, making him wince in pain.

I've been sniped! he thought, as he held onto his shoulder and blood was dripping from the wound. But where is it coming from?

All of a sudden, the Bowganian reappeared right in front of Weevil's face, petrifying the mint green-haired boy. Even though he was still clutching onto his wounded shoulder, Weevil started darting away with the Bowganian pursuing him. It shot another arrow from its crossbow, striking Weevil in the right leg. He tripped over onto the sidewalk and cowered in pain as blood started streaming from the arrow, much to the masked man's delight.

He had suffered the same amount of pain as Rex; however, he would not allow Rex to die in vain and he would risk his life to protect him. Now sounding desperate, Weevil turned to see his deceased frenemy as he groaned in pain.

Rex! he thought, eyeing on him. I refuse to let you die alone!

With the arrow in his right leg having forced him on all fours, Weevil began crawling in spite of feeling the pain from the arrows, moving at a snail's pace. Through the blood, sweat and tears he had to endure, Weevil finally made it to Rex… only to gasp in horror at the sight of the masked man in front of him.

"Now it is your turn to be sent to the shadows," he said in a dark tone of voice. "At the very least your friend won't be alone."

Weevil wanted to plead for mercy, but no words were emitted out of his mouth as his eyes were bulging out and his jaw had dropped. The masked man aimed the dagger at Weevil's back and pierced it into him, causing Weevil to scream in agony.

That was music to the killer's ears, and a moment later, he pulled his dagger out, observing Weevil's head collapsing next to Rex's. Now the two would wander the shadows together, as their bodies were lying cold on the sidewalk.

"Those who live together, die together," he said, as he walked away and vanished into the shadows of the alley. A booming thunderclap soon followed, along with a flash of lightning as blood oozed from underneath Weevil's body and Bowganian's arrows faded away…

Joey was left in a state of shock after having just listened to the three men; the info they gave him was gruesome, hence why he was worried about his own safety as well as that of Mai, Serenity and their friends.

"And that's what you shouldn't be wandering the streets alone, Wheeler," Valon warned him, wagging a finger back and forth like a metronome.

"It's best that you better hurry home as soon as possible, because the late night hours are when the masked man strikes," Alister reminded him.

"And you better be wary of your surroundings, kid, because no one knows when exactly he will target someone," Rafael stated bluntly. "Before you know it, you may be next."

Joey gulped apprehensively, fearful for his life whenever he would meet the killer. Nonetheless, he snapped out of his fearful state and moved onto his other priority: finding clues regarding the missing Marik.

"Before I do go," he said to them. "I also want to know if you have any clues on Marik Ishtar's disappearance."

"Sadly, there's no word on his whereabouts," Valon replied, disappointing Joey. "He just up and vanished without a trace five months ago. The police have found no clues, either, so who knows if he is ever alive…"

So much for collecting potential clues on the missing Marik…

With a low sigh, Joey rose up from his seat and headed for the door, ready to head home.

"Alright, thanks for the info," he said to the trio. "I better get going, or else da masked man would target me next."

"Be careful out there," Valon called out to him.

"I will," Joey replied, sounding valiant. "Don't worry about me. I'll do my best to avoid da masked psychopath and get home fast!"

Once he left the bar, Joey took out a black umbrella and opened it up, shielding his head from the rain as he sauntered down the sidewalk. His priority now was to return home so he could reunite with his sister and bundle up from the cold.

Serenity's gonna be worried sick about me, he thought of her. I've gotta come back to her before dat psychopath comes after me!

As soon as he made a turn, Joey abruptly paused and dropped his umbrella onto the rainy road, his brown eyes widening in horror. It was just as he had feared; the masked man had struck again. He could feel the blood from the boys' bodies oozing at his feet, and the sight of Rex and Weevil's bodies caused him to tremble in trepidation.