Kaiba: hmph, took ya long enough to get to the real meat of the story

QueenOfSliferRed: shut up! be happy that i'm writing ya into the story at all, moneybags!

mai: *flips her hair* calm down, girlie. just ignore what mr big shot has to say and get to the story!

QueenOfSiferRed: *sighs* ok... can someone do the disclaimer?

serenity: *clears her throat*

Disclaimer: QueenOfSliferRed does not own Yugioh or any of its characters besides Jaycelynn Trudeau and Momoe Yukimura. Akane Yoshie belongs to suspiciouslyjo.

QueenOfSliferRed: *pats serenity on the head* thanks, best girl!

Nausea swept across the living room as gruesome images played on the big screen TV. Aside from the droning narrative and eerie music that crackled through the speakers, the room was dead silent. One could probably hear a pin drop from miles away with how silent the group of friends were.

Katsuya's hand never left his mouth in fear of vomiting all over the couch as he faded in and out of consciousness as the longest hour and forty-five minutes passed by. By his side was Jaycelynn who could not turn away from the screen no matter how badly she wanted to. She couldn't even remember the last time she blinked. If she closed her eyes for even a second, the images of the drawn out autopsy at the beginning had already burned themselves into her mind. God, she could have gone the rest of her life without knowing what the inside of the skull behind the face looked like. Anzu and Yugi sat on the floor. Yugi peeked at the screen between the gaps of his shaking fingers while Anzu grimaced whenever she opened her azure eyes. Honda sat behind Anzu on one of the arm chairs. Ice water pumped through his veins as he considered sitting on the floor just so he'd be close to someone and feel a little safer.

Meanwhile, next to Jaycelynn, sat Ryou Bakura who neatly picked away at the bowl of popcorn in his lap. Images of death of all sorts flashed in his big brown eyes as he watched, perhaps looking a little bored but still paying full attention.

Eventually the movie came to an end. As the young woman on screen groaned in pain and a baby's first cries echoed throughout the room, Ryou yawned as he leaned over to flick on one of the lamps. Hopeful music swept across the room as a collective sigh all escaped the teens. Stock images of nature were spliced in between footage of the new mother and her newborn child played and the crimson text slowly scrolled up the screen.

"Well, what did you guys think of Faces of Death?" asked Ryou, looking as bright eyed and innocent as he did before they put the movie on.

Honda opened his mouth and closed it.

Dead silence rang throughout the room.

"Ryou?" Jaycelynn whispered.

"Yes?"

"...What the fuck?" the girl whispered.

"You guys didn't like it?"

"N-no!" Anzu cried out. "It... I... Well..."

"It was fucked up, Bakura," Honda finally added. "It was better than Guinea Pig, I guess."

Katsuya's eyes fluttered open as he swallowed, desperately trying to fight off the nausea that continued to attack his senses. "...Th-that was fake though, right? Like, it wasn't real?"

Ryou blinked. He cocked his head from side to side and then shook his head. "Well, they did use some archival footage they bought from news stations, other documentaries and such..." He hummed as he tried to remember other things. "But the actual deaths in these? No, they're not real."

Katsuya sighed in relief.

"Those dead bodies were real though. That was a real autopsy and dead surfer."

Bile rose in his throat. He snapped forward and tore the bowl of popcorn from Ryou's hands and lurched forward and vomited.

Slowly but surely, a small, minuscule crowd formed in front of the entrance to Kaibaland. Normally, the sight of such prolific duelists—okay, some of them weren't duelist at all but still—all standing together outside of a tournament would have caught a few eyes. However, the fact that they were all dressed up in various costumes caught everyone's eyes.

Honda's cheeks burned as he shifted from foot to foot. A few passersby on the sidewalk muttered to each other as they stared at him. Maybe he got too into the costume. Still, he couldn't deny all the fun he had putting this together. He only needed a bit of pushing from Jaycelynn to actually commit to the bit. He towered over Anzu and Yugi who opted to go for something simpler in comparison to them.

"Wow, Honda!" Yugi said as he strolled up to the brunet. His lips curled into a smile to reveal a pair of fake fangs. His costume was a cheap black three piece suit and a black cape with a red crushed velvet lining. He looked cute. "You really went all out."

"Yeah, you look great!" Anzu called out. Funnily enough, her costume matched Yugi's in a way. Honda wondered if they had planned this. She wore a tight black dress that came to her mid-thigh with striped black-grey stockings, low black pumps, a similar cape to Yugi's and fake fangs that poked out between her blood red lips that dripped fake blood. The most distinctive thing about her costume was that she had even gone so far as to dye her brown hair black. She grinned as she stood next to her friends. "Oh, I didn't think you were also..."

Yugi flushed as he tried to tear his eyes away from the tiny scrap of skin between her dress and her stockings. "A vampire? Jaycelynn suggested it."

"Oh, she suggested it to me as well."

Honda coughed as he felt his blush creep up his neck. It felt so intense that he was sure it'd show through the green body paint he was covered in. He had also gone through the trouble of dyeing his hair black with a grey stripe. Various stitches were drawn across his wrists, face and neck with the help of Jouji. Though, the toddler had gone a little crazy. He was sure the actual Frankenstein's Monster didn't have as nearly as many stitches. Maybe. He didn't really know. His clothes were a tattered mess stolen from his father's stash of out-dated fashions stuffed into the attic. Hopefully, he wouldn't mind.

A candy apple red vehicle crept up next to the curb. Muffled American pop music spilled out onto the sidewalk only to blast out once the door swung open. Slowly, out stepped a fancily dressed Akane Yoshie. Her long legs were clad in thigh high black boots and tight white pants with gold trimming. Her heels clacked against the concrete as she smoothed out the shiny red satin that made up her long red coat. Intricate gold patterns adorned the coat and framed the black lapels and shirt cuffs. Her painted red lips curled into a smile as she adjusted her hat, a tall striped top hat.

After Akane came out Jaycelynn who was glad in a loose fitting golden yellow toga that draped across her body. Hanging from her neck was a necklace with a large blue rhinestone and around her hips was a belt made up of similar rhinestones. Her dark hair was dyed a deep lavender and straightened to hell and back so it didn't poof up like usual. Once she was out of the vehicle, the gang could see three pairs of little angel wings that were somehow stitched together. She was dressed as her signature card, Wingweaver. The wings weren't accurate. They were too small but no one was about to shame her for being practical for once in her life. She squealed in delight at the sight of Honda, Anzu and Yugi. "You guys did it!"

"How couldn't we?" Anzu laughed. "You'd probably kill us if we didn't."

"Where's Jounouchi?" Yugi asked.

"Nah. I ain't comin' out," Katsuya called out from the vehicle.

Jay puffed out her cheeks as she slumped down to reach into the car. "Yes, you are! Come on!"

"Nuh-uh."

"Please?"

"Nope."

The rest of the gang snickered as the couple continued their back and forth. They took so long that another vehicle pulled up behind Akane's. Out stepped Otogi, decked out in a black and crimson kimono with black hakama. His straw zori lightly scraped against the concrete as he adjusted his straw hat. Despite his historical costume, he still wore his immaculate eye make up that framed his emerald eyes and had his signature hair style. Slowly, he turned around and held out his hand for Momoe to take.

Everyone tore their eyes away from Jay and Jounouchi's argument to take in the sight of the young woman's costume. A black, long sleeved furisode styled kimono that was intricately designed with cherry blossom trees and petals. Her obi belt was even more intricate with red, gold and lavender details. Even from far away, the gang could see that she was wearing an intricate wig as well due to her natural hair being fairly short. Her tall wooden kobo sandals had her slightly tower over Otogi but he didn't seem to mind. Her eyes flashed almost dangerously as they made their way towards the group. Her skin was painted white with reddish-pink details around her eyes, bottom lip and cheeks. "Hey," she murmured.

"Wow, Yukimura!" Anzu said in awe. "Is that your..."

Momoe smiled and shook her head. "Nah, Grandma would kill me if I wore any of her old maiko kimono. This is from a second hand shop though."

"It looks beautiful. Are you really okay with wearing it out with this?"

Otogi chuckled as he wrapped his arm around her waist. "Hey, its important to look good at all times. Momo-chan just happens to take it to the elevens," he murmured before leaning in to kiss her.

However, she pushed her fingers against his lips. "Not now, Ryu-chan. I don't want to ruin my makeup."

"I'll just get my daily dose of kisses from—" Otogi was cut off by Momoe squishing his lips shut.

"You will do no such thing, O-to-gi-san~," Momoe purred. Her sugary sweet tone dripped with poison however.

Akane rolled her eyes as she turned around to stare up at the gates of Kaibaland. Her eyebrows furrowed as the sounds of the two arguing couples faded into the background. Just what did Seto have in store for them? Surely he wouldn't be serious about another Death-T. He wasn't that kind of man anymore. She swallowed. As she ruminated on her thoughts, the rest of the guests arrived.

"Bakura!" Anzu called out as the white haired boy made his way towards the crowd.

Ryou smiled as he waved at his friends. Every step made his fake wings—one demonic black and the other an angelic feathery white—and the heart shaped pendant around his neck bounce. He was dressed as his favourite card, Change of Heart, complete with the darker body paint on the right side of his body. Unlike Jay, however, he didn't bother to wear a wig or style his hair. Not that anyone would fault him for skimping on that detail thanks to the sheer detail in his wings.

Jay blinked and looked up once her friend arrived. A shriek of delight rang across the street as she rushed towards him. She threw her arms around his shoulders and tugged him into a tight hug. "You did it! You look totally cute!" she giggled as she pulled away and pushed his poofy bangs from his eyes. "It's amazing!"

Warmth panged inside Ryou's chest as he was showered in adoration from his friend. His lips curled into a sad half-smile once she pulled away. She linked her fingers with his and pulled him back to the car where Katsuya refused to get out. "Can you help me with Joey?" The sound of her nickname for the blond made Honda snort. "He won't come out."

"Oh come on, Jounouchi-kun..." Ryou whispered gently. "I mean... Yoshie-san already saw you, didn't she?"

"Yeah, and guess what? She wouldn't stop raggin' on me the whole time!" Katsuya huffed.

"Oh, man up, Jounouchi!" A deep velvety voice rang out. Everyone turned to see Mai Kujaku, looking as immaculate as ever. There was just one problem; she wasn't dressed up. She was dressed in her signature purple outfit and white corset. Her hand ran through her blonde locks before throwing it over her shoulder to reveal a deep bruise and two dark dots drawn on her neck. "If you didn't wanna be teased, maybe you shouldn't have dressed up."

Jaycelynn smiled. "You came after all. Wait, that means—"

"Ay! Listen, no one tells Katsuya Jounouchi to man up!" Katsuya called out as he finally crawled out of the vehicle. Everyone was stunned. The plush peach coloured body squished and squeezed through the door. The costume was a round pillowy affair that had big shiny orange eyes drawn on the Katsuya's upper torso and had little stubby legs dangling in front of his waist. If he were to turn around, you'd see a pair of little blue wings. His poofy blond locks managed to puff out from under the matching toque with a halo attached. He was a poor man's Petit Angel.

"I can see why you wanted to hide," Honda muttered between laughter.

Anzu snickered. "You look adorable. But, why Petit Angel?"

Katsuya huffed. "Jay really wanted to do matchin' costumes... And then Bakura made a few jokes..."

Jaycelynn puffed out her cheeks before reaching for her boyfriend's and squishing them. "You could've said no!"

"I tried! Then you gave me those big ol' babydoll eyes—like that!" Jaycelynn pouted as her now big, round saucer-like eyes shrank back down to normal. "You know I can't say no to that look!"

Yugi chuckled. "It's great to see you, Kujaku-san."

The blonde smiled. "Lookin' good, kid."

He flushed. "Does that mean..."

Suddenly, a deep, crackling throaty noise ripped through the air and made everyone's—especially Katsuya's—hair stand up on its ends. An ashen skinned figure dressed in just a long baggy white dress crawled out behind Mai and scrambled across the ground. Long, stringy black hair dragged across the concrete as her black nails scraped against it. The figure slowly rose to her feet, jittering wildly as she did so before charging towards Katsuya.

"Guh!" he howled before jumping back.

The figure laughed as she threw her arms around him before pulling back and pushing her hair out of her face to reveal his little sister, Shizuka Kawai. "You look great, Big Brother."

Katsuya huffed before ruffling his sister's wig. "You too, Lil' Sis."

Honda swallowed as he watched Shizuka, his not-so-secret crush, smile and laugh with her brother. His eyes flickered towards Mai who also had a sweet look on her face. He tried not to frown. The two girls had gotten together during Battle City much to everyone's shock. There was some initial push back thanks to their age gap. However, Mai made it clear that she was going to love and cherish Shizuka until the day they died. He was happy that Shizuka was happy. That was all he could ask for. Still... It stung knowing that he couldn't be the one to be with her.

His thoughts were interrupted by the doors to the indoor park opening. Slowly, an usher with purple hair and a golden ribbon that stuck out from under her usher cap stepped out of the building. She wore a gloomy expression on her face before leading the crowd into the building. Honda blinked and felt himself flush again, recognizing her as Miho Nosaka from their class... and his former crush.

"Hold out your invitations," she whispered.

Each member, save for Shizuka and Mai though Miho simply nodded at them, held out their envelopes before making it to the main lobby. The room was dark, save for a few flickering candelabras on the walls that contrasted against the ultra modern decor that came with Kaiba's projects.

"Good luck everyone," Miho muttered before the doors slammed shut and the candle light was snuffed out.

Katsuya shuddered as the rest of the gang muttered amongst themselves. Then, something grabbed his hand. Ice water pumped through his veins as he tensed up, only to hear the familiar sound of his girlfriend's laughter. Colours danced in the corners of his vision as it adjusted to the darkness around them. "I'll protect you, Joey," she teased with a squeeze of his hand.

He sighed as he relaxed. "Promise?" he asked with an airy laugh,

Another giggle escaped her. "I promise."

Warmth blossomed inside his chest as they squeezed their hands together.

The room suddenly burned with bright light. Static electricity pulsed through the air, forcing each member of the gang's hair to stand up on its end as the light focused. Soon, a large hologram of Kaiba floated above them in the air. His lips were split with an almost maniacal sneer as he leered down at his audience. He was in a sitting position and crossed his legs. He leaned forward in his seat as he rested his chin atop his hand as his cold blue eyes scanned the audience.

"Welcome to Death-T," he said coolly.

Yugi swallowed as beads of sweat rolled down his face. Violet eyes flickered across the lobby in search for Anzu who wore a seemingly stoic expression. Hesitantly, he moved towards her and brushed his hand against hers. He felt her trembling. Something panged inside his chest as his hand charged forward for hers without his realizing. Anzu blinked and turned towards him. Panic flashed across her lovely features before she realized who touched her. A smile spread across her lips as she gently squeezed his hand back.

'Good job, Partner,' Yami teased.

Yugi flushed.

"Some of you are new to this attraction," Kaiba continued. "Some of you are past champions of this—"

"Oh, enough of the theatrics, Kaiba. Get on with it," Mai snarked. One hand placed itself on her hip as she pulled Shizuka into a tight side hug."

The brunet paused as he stared at his audience. His eyes narrowed as they locked with Mai's wine coloured ones before flickering towards Shizuka's. "I don't remember inviting you two. Whatever. It doesn't matter." He recrossed his legs as he seemingly locked eyes with Akane. "For the newcomers of this challenge, there will be trials for you to complete before you can escape Death-T. They will require intelligence and tenacity. I'm sure even mutts like Jounouchi can manage it."

Katsuya grit his teeth.

"Yeah, yeah," Mai interrupted once again. Gently, she let go of Shizuka as she stepped towards the sneering hologram. Her heels clacked against the immaculate tile and echoed throughout the almost empty hall. Soon, she was in front of the group and so close to the floating Kaiba that it started to distort around the legs. "We get it. We're all just stupid peons here just to humiliate ourselves and stroke your enormous ego. Just get on with it so I can go home, kick my feet up and enjoy my stories."

Kaiba's lips quirked upwards as his eyes flashed dangerously.

The sound of a panel, or rather several of them, sliding open boomed in the open room. Kaiba cackled as everyone looked up to the ceiling to see what the noise was. The ceiling rumbled as thick spears jutting from the roof. They glinted almost evilly from the glow of Kaiba's hologram before shooting downward... towards Mai.

Yugi and Anzu's cries for Mai to move went unanswered. Jaycelynn screamed as she stumbled backwards and tripped on her toga. Katsuya and Ryou scrambled to help her up as Shizuka stepped towards Mai. Momoe and Otogi were the furthest away from Kaiba's hologram and found themselves stuck in place. Adrenaline pumped through Honda's veins as time seemed to both speed up and slow down to a screeching halt. He reached for Shizuka who cried out for her lover. He yanked her backward, wrapping his strong arms around her and holding her tight, before collapsing onto the ground. Their bodies bounced across the tile.

Mai stared up at the ceiling as the spears came right for her. Her voice, normally bold and unfiltered, was caught inside of her throat. Ice water pumped through her veins. Like with Honda, everything was moving so slow as if the air was made of molasses. Tears pricked at her eyes. A spear impaled the ground a centimetre away from her shoulder, tearing into her bordello's sleeves. The tip scratched her sun-kissed skin. Blood oozed from the shallow wound as she screwed her eyes shut. Her mind screamed at her to run. To move. To do anything. But she was stuck.

Kaiba's laughter bounced off the walls as he disappeared and the only source of light was snuffed out.

Spears rained down onto Mai. One pierced into her foot, splitting through leather, flesh and bone and kept her locked in place. Another ripped through the air and shot through her chest. Flesh tore apart as blood stained the spear. Then another and another and another. Blood gurgled in her throat before gushing from her lips. Pure sensation ripped through her body and none of it was pleasure. The scent of iron hung heavily in the air as she felt herself go limp but was forced to stay upright thanks to the spears. She swallowed. Slowly her arm reached out for Shizuka before everything went completely dark.

The flickering lights of the candles returned and just barely illuminated Mai Kujaku's corpse.

Both Shizuka and Jaycelynn's screams boomed through the air as Kaiba's laughter rang throughout the hall.