Chapter 87 - 87

Chapter 87: Chapter 87

Martin sighed as he paced around Cassie's living room, mindful not to step on her cat who had decided to make an appearance. His phone was held out a few inches from his face, the speakerphone option turned on because he was used to having to do ten things at once and thus needing his hands free. Outside the sun had set and he had been meaning to head out after the last match (which had ended very oddly with it cutting off just after Obelisk the Tormentor had slammed his fist down on Odion, jumping to the studio where the hosts had quickly done a wrap up) but he hadn't wanted to try and make his way back to his place and chat at the same time.

"Mr. Kaiba, I understand that you are upset."

"I do not get upset, Martin," his boss said, a slight static on the phone but that was to be expected with him flying over the pacific ocean. "I get results. And that is what I am asking from you."

Rolling his eyes skyward Martin asked the gods for strength.

~MC~MC~MC~

Selene and Brom both looked up suddenly before shrugging and going back to what they were doing. Much like all the other gods that were currently hiding out on Earth.

~MC~MC~MC~

"And I understand that, Mr. Kaiba. You have made very clear what you want. All I am saying is-"

"Ishizu stole Obelisk the Tormentor from me and then used it in her duel. On international television. I want her out of this tournament, I want Obelisk back, and I want her to pay."

"Yes sir. Except by her own words she gave you the card and thus it was her right to request it back-"

"She broke into Seto's safe!" his boss snapped and Martin frowned, wondering if his boss had gotten so pompous that he was speaking in the third person; he REALLY hoped that wasn't the case. "That card is important! You know how much my brother cares for it!"

"...well, yes," Martin said slowly, growing more concerned as the conversation went on. He wasn't aware that Mokuba had an attachment to the card. "But as I'm trying to explain I can't do anything."

"You are my lawyer."

"I am your INSURANCE lawyer. Now, if you put down a policy on Obelisk then we could talk-"

"Who cares what kind of law you do the... lawing. I want this taken care of."

Martin frowned, stopping right in front of Cassie's tv. "Sir... have you seen a doctor?"

"I don't need a doctor I need a lawyer!"

"I think you need a doctor. You might be having a stroke."

"I am not-"

"What is going on here?" another Seto voice suddenly said, cutting into the conversation.

"Uh... nothing. You can leave now," the Seto voice that had been ranting at Martin stated nervously.

"...Mokuba, are you using that voice changing program you created again?"

"Maybe?" the first Seto said.

The second let out a huff. "This isn't going to be the Happy Meal incident again, is it?"

It was very offputting to hear "Seto" whine "I was trying to get the rare golden T-rex toy!"

The second Seto let out a sigh. "Mokuba, we could have bought it off Ebay."

"Its not special if I don't get it myself! That's like someone throwing a duel instead of actually taking you on!"

"Should... should I hang up?" Martin asked.

"No," the second Seto said and suddenly there was a burst of static that caused Cassie's cat to... well, just kind of look at him from its spot on the couch, give the feline version of a shrug, and then go back to sleeping. "What exactly was my brother asking you to do?"

"I was asking him-" Mokuba (because now it actually did sound like the boy) whined only for Seto to cut him off.

"I was asking Martin."

The lawyer groaned, wondering how he'd gotten drawn into the Kaiba Family Drama. 'I should have taken that job with Schroeder Corp. I bet they don't create drama like this.'

~MC~MC~MC~

"Zigfried, please!" Leon pleaded. "I just want to go get lunch..."

"And we will," the pink-haired man declared dramatically, "for our meal shall be revenge! Starting with taking over this Burgerpalooza that Herr Kaiba owns! I control it and make it mine own!" He looked down at his little brother. "And then we will go and find ourselves a blond man with a beard who makes movie references! Herr Kaiba has one of those now too and I won't fall behind him!"

"Uh... you gonna order?" the cashier asked.

"Yes! And it will be the order that ruins Seto Kaiba forever!" Zigfried threw back his head and laughed.

Leon walked up to some Chinese tourists. "If anyone asks I'm with you guys."

~MC~MC~MC~

Seto folded his arms over his chest, shooting Mokuba a cool look that had his brother squirming. He REALLY hated having to play the bad guy but sometimes he did have to be the adult and actually discipline his brother.

'Though I now have a bit of help with that,' he thought. He would never admit it but it was... tolerable... that Edwin was around and had proven that he wasn't some goof that was an utter pushover. He understood that Mokuba was a child and there were boundries that needed to be set for him. And Edwin did just that. Seto had seen Edwin scold Mokuba when he'd gotten 'too big for his britches'. Renard and Mai had also stepped in, acting like Aunts and Uncles that would be willing to have fun but also demanded the children be respectful and obey the rules of the house. He was sure that Yuri would be the exact way (though he wouldn't allow her to take Mokuba shopping or else his brother would come home with dreadlocks and tattoos). But after going so long with him being the only authority figure in Mokuba's life, with servants that refused to step up and deal with his brother when he acted up... it was... well, not nice, never nice, to have others there to step in. To make themselves the bad guys that had to ruin all the fun.

He really wished that he could have one of them step in right now.

"Martin," he said as the man finished telling him how Mokuba had tried to trick him into suing Ishizu, "we're not going to do that."

"Good because as I explained I handle your insurance-"

"Yes, yes," Seto said, cutting the man off before he could give another rant, "I heard you. I will handle things here."

"Good!" another voice called out and it took a moment for Seto to place that it was Cassie Garnett, Industrial Illusion's Lore Mistress. "Then maybe you can get the fuck out of my house! I'm in my jam-jams and that means you need to scoot!"

"I'm talking with him, Garnett," Seto said coldly.

"I thought you were done!" she complained. "Seriously, I have things to do."

"Like look at Godzilla porn apparently," Martin mumbled and Seto narrowed his eyes, glancing at his brother who looked... confused. Wonderful.

"Maybe, maybe not! All I know is you need to get the fuck out of here and Kaiba needs to hang up!"

"I am your boss, Garnett."

"Keith is my boss, the prick," she replied.

"I am his boss."

He could HEAR the laughter in her voice. "Eh, not really. I work for Industrial Illusions and while it and KaibaCorp have merged those are two different companies still when it comes to hierarchy. Pegasus is my boss and if he's not available then its Edwin. If you don't like that the bunch of you can have a conversation about power structures WHEN ITS NOT TIME FOR BED!"

There was some shuffling and then the call ended.

"Mokuba..." Seto said slowly, drawing the name out.

"I was just trying to help!" Mokuba exclaimed. "That witch Ishizu stole your card!"

"Mokuba, do not call her a witch."

"Because its rude?"

"Because its an insult to actual witches," he replied, a small smirk playing on his lips. His brother giggled at that and Seto shook his head, moving to sit down on his bed. "Mokuba, I am going to get Obelisk back."

"I know you will, Seto," Mokuba said and it warmed his heart that after everything his brother still had such faith in him. "But you shouldn't have to."

"No... but I need to." He let out a sigh, hating what he was going to say next. "Ishizu though was right... I didn't earn Obelisk the Tormentor. She gave me that card and while I was happy to have such a powerful beast in my deck I didn't earn it." He paused. "How did I get my three Blue-Eyes White Dragons?"

Mokuba grinned. "The first one you won at an auction! And you were only able to get into that by winning a game of pool!"

Seto nodded; people always assumed he was just good at dueling but the fact of the matter was that there was no game he wasn't the best at. Chess. Poker. Pool. Darts. If it required skill he could win. That pool game had been interesting, as he'd been playing a man who was such a shark it was a wonder he didn't have a fin.

His brother kept going. "The second you won at that tournament in France! And the third you were able to buy but only after you defeated its holder in 20 duels in a row!"

"And how did I get the Blue-Eyes Alternative Dragon?"

"You beat that crazy lady."

Seto didn't bother to scold his brother for that... he was right, after all. "And while I'm not proud of how I got the fourth Blue-Eyes... or how I treated it... I still won it in a duel. But Obelisk? I didn't win that card, Mokuba. It was given to me. That...that made me no better than Wheeler. Getting power because someone just handed it to me." He clenched his fist hard. "And I don't want it back because someone just gave it to me."

"You're gonna win it back!" Mokuba exclaimed, delighted.

"That's right. Just like I'll win Yugi's Slifer the Sky Dragon and Marik's The Winged Dragon of Ra." He patted his brother on the back. 'And when I do Ishizu will learn to regret ever crossing me!'

~MC~MC~MC~

'Hmmm... it would be so easy.'

Marik looked down at his Millennium Rod, feeling the ancient relic pulse with energy. It was... hungry. In the past he'd only allowed it a sampling of a filling meal. A taste test of the souls that it could consume. But now he was willing to throw open his kitchen doors and allow it to have a true feast and as such he could feel the Millennium Rod salivating at the thought. He wondered how the others could stand not giving their own items what they desired... perhaps it was a simple matter that the other Millennium Items craved other things.

He could feel every Rare Hunter he had inducted into his rank and file. Every soul that had pledged themselves to him. All those little fishes, swimming about in the water, not realizing that they all had hooks in their mouths. That connection between him and them allowed him to see through their eyes. To know what they were thinking, what they were doing, and making sure it connected with his own grand plans.

But now he had no grand plan other than the death of the Pharaoh and the claiming of the power he held. And thus all those Rare Hunters he had recruited, who were waiting for his command to see them move against the Nameless Pharaoh? They weren't needed at all. They were utterly useless.

'It would be nothing to rip out their souls right now,' he thought to himself, holding the Millennium Rod up to his face, staring at the golden eye upon it as if it were another creature. 'And yet... no. I think not.'

He felt the frustration and rage of his Millennium Item at that. Or perhaps it was himself, hating that he had to be cautious still even when he'd never felt so free. But whatever it was he gripped the Millennium Rod tighter even as he laughed mockingly at the anger.

"You do not control me... I control myself." He turned about in his room, a cruel smile on his face. "That fool Odion kept me from truly experiencing the world... my head was stuffed with cotton and my eyes glazed over. But now I feel all... taste all. There is blood in the water and I plan to savor every drop." He thrust the Millennium Rod out, the item crackling with power. "But only when I, and I alone, choose to. Never again will I be a slave to anyone or anything!"

The relic of the ancient past calmed in his hand, falling into line like any good pet.

"My servants will all suffer the moment I choose for them to suffer. Perhaps that time will never come. It could be that the Pharaoh's failure will be enough to slate my thirst. Or... I might rip their souls out tomorrow and delight in their wails of betrayal. But it will be I, and I alone, who decide that." He chuckled as he looked out the window, staring at the night sky. "And none will be able to stop me."

"...you told the child?" Selene asked.

"He's actually the first one that found out," I said with a smirk. Selene scowled at that but I honestly didn't give a fuck; the goddess was on my shit list at the moment for sending Joey at me for whatever fucked up reason she'd come up with and I had other things to deal with.

Seto let out a scoff. "Not more mystical mumbo jumbo."

"How can you STILL not believe in magic?" Yuri asked.

"Because it isn't real."

Pegasus chuckled at that. "I must admit that Kaiba-Boy's ability to close his eyes to the truth is impressive."

Yuri waved her hands in my direction. "He literally morphed!"

"Hard light," Seto responded and I had to admit that was a good theory. Wrong... but good. "As for this other world nonsense I-"

"Multiverse theory," I cut in with.

Seto considered that before nodded. "Hmmmpf. I guess that explains a few things."

Serenity raised her hand. "So... you aren't from here?"

"No," I stated. "I woke up in this world just before Duelist Kingdom. In my world all of this is an anime and a manga." I frowned, letting out a sigh. "But things have changed."

"How so?" The Pharaoh pressed.

"For one it was only Marik who became Yami Marik."

"Yami Marik?" Tea asked, wrinkling her nose at the name. "Really?"

"Fan name. Seeing it up close I'm not going with it. But Ishizu? She didn't join her brother in going for a magic carpet ride to Insanityvile. Things have changed... chaos effect. And now I have no idea what is going to happen next. I just know that we are in a world of danger with Yami Marik and... Yami Ishizu? Kari Ishizu?"

"What do you mean?" Duke asked.

"In my world Yami Marik... he's a psychopath. He sees murder as something to do for fun. Has no problem ripping souls out of bodies and torturing people. He dueled Mai and erased every good memory she had before trapping her soul in an hour glass."

"Then he dies a slow death," Selene said coldly.

"Let's hold off on the smiting," I asked.

"Or we could not and let her smite Marik," Tea suggested. "Ishizu too. Nothing would really be lost."

I shot little miss "Friendship Speech" a surprised look before shaking my head. "Trust me, we want to leave that as a desperate final option. Right now we need to all be prepared." I began to tick off my points. "No one goes off alone. If you encounter either Marik or Ishizu you get the fuck out of there. Odion needs to be guarded at all times... if he wakes up there is hope of snapping them out of it. And we need too-"

The door to my room slammed open and I spun around... and stared at myself.

Or, at least, a version of myself dressed in full cowboy gear, mouth covered with a bandana and eyes replaced with two Millennium Eyes.

"Oh... this is gonna suck," I muttered as the intruded lifted up a golden gun and fired, my world exploding into pain.

~MC~MC~MC~

He remembered when he had first awoken, for lack of a better word. Perhaps realized he existed? What was the test for Sentience? State one exists, having thoughts and feelings, and something else? He could look it up but the screaming was distracting.

Still, he remembered it well. The spark. The light. The golden key. And the man. His Life-Giver. The man that bled chaos.

Edwin fell to the ground, his chest exploding in a shower of sparks from the blast. The group fell into pandemonium as they all reacted to the sudden intrusion. Joey yanked his sister behind him, Yuri doing the same thing with Tea and Seto with Mokuba; the young boy cried out Edwin's name as his friend fell. Renard pulled out a collapsible baton, extending it before moving towards the intruder only for the cowboy to dodge the first strike and kick him in the gut, sending him stumbling back. Solomon Muto pulled out a knife from... somewhere... and threw it only for the shooter to catch it and fling it back, forcing the old man to fling himself towards the ground in order to keep from being stabbed. Pegasus looked at the man in utter horror, staring at the twin Millennium Eyes that were sunken into his sockets while Duke slipped his helmet back on and fired his own gun at the intruder, causing him to drop low and fire a shot at him, sending Duke pinwheeling as sparks exploded from his chest.

Selene growled, runic tattoos of pale silver appearing on her flesh as her eyes glowed black with white ring irises. She suddenly seemed larger, looking over them all as she stormed forward.

The Life-Giver had unlocked his full potential but it had taken him a while to realize it. He had needed to grow, to explore his existence. And the Life-Giver had been patient with him. His searches of the world's history and entertainment showed him plenty of movies and tv shows where beings such as himself were met with hatred and subjugation but other than annoyance that was more playful than anything else the Life-Giver had only been kind to him.

"I will make your suffering be the stuff of legends!" she roared as she swung a glowing fist at the intruder.

He caught it in his own hand, leather gloves slowly burning away to reveal golden gauntlets.

Selene stared at him in shock before crying out as he began to twist her hand, forcing her to fall to one knee.

"You aren't the first god I've killed," the figure said coldly, the gauntlet holding her hand beginning to glow eve as he aimed with his other hand his golden revolver right at Edwin's fallen form. He was still breathing but had been rendered unconscious, which was why he put up no effort to move away as the intruder aimed right at his head.

And because of that... he would repay his debt.

In the blink of an eye there was a blast of light from Edwin's side and a new figure appeared, spin kicking the intruder's hand just as he fired, causing his blast to go wide.

"Huh... so this is what having limbs feels like!" the new arrival chirped. He glanced at himself in a mirror and grinned. Dark skin. Lithe yet muscular build. Curly dark hair that stuck up from his head like he was a drawing a child had made and yet the look so suited him. He took a moment to rub his chin, tilting his head. "Hmmm... maybe I should get a beard."

"An AI," the intruder said slowly, aiming right at the new arrival, Selene still clawing at the golden gauntlet as she tried to free herself. "I've killed your kind before too."

"Oh, I'm sure you have. But first, before we get to the threats and all that... you could be polite and give me your name. Hey, I'll start." The new arrival gestured at himself. "I'm Troy."

"...is that Edwin's fucking phone?!" Yuri exclaimed.

"I haven't tried fucking so we can't say if I am or not!" Troy said happily before turning back to the shooter. "And you are?"

"Wyatt," the cowboy stated. "Wyatt Chaos."

"Oh. Annie and Edna warned us about you."

"Not well enough." Wyatt pulled on the hammer of his gun, causing it to begin to glow. "Now then, I've only been hired to take out the Chaos. Step away now and you can live."

"See... no." Troy shook his head. "Nope, sorry, not happening. He bought the phone so... well, I'd say more but considering the skin color I chose that KINDA comes off as Master and Slave and that is not our deal-"

"Bored now," Wyatt said, finger moving towards the trigger.

"Yeah, so am I," Troy said. "Which is why, when we were talking, I hacked into the KaibaCorp Blimp and sent out a message... one saying you wanted the Pharaoh's puzzle." He tapped his chin. "Now, how does that old saying go? The Enemy of my Enemy?"

While none of them could see Wyatt's face Troy would forever claim the man stared at him in utter confusion just before the door exploded open, flinging him to the ground before Ishizu rushed into the room, grabbing the Gunslinger and throwing him out into the hall.

"You dare attempt to steal the possessions of the Pharaoh?" she snapped. "I will tear your soul to pieces and sink them to the darkest depths of the Great River for your blasphemy!"

They saw Wyatt shake his head as he got up. "I don't have time for-"

A blast of shadow magic sent him flying.

"There is only one who can claim the power of the Pharaoh!" Marik roared, marching past the doorway, the Millennium Rod gripped in his hand. "You will not take what is rightfully mine!"

"He is mine to kill, brother!" Ishizu cried out, giving chase.

"Well... that happened," Joey said.

Pegasus shook his head even as Selene slowly got up, clutching her hand to her chest. "We aren't out of the woods yet." There was the sound of explosions and grunts of pain that wafted back to them. "Considering he managed to hold off someone he claims was a goddess-"

"It is no claim, mortal," Selene grumped, clearly in pain.

"-I don't think the Ishtars will hold him for long."

"Which is why I arranged a quick exit!" Troy said. "Yo Annie! Open up!"

In front of Edwin's door a large circular disc appeared, spinning rapidly before it suddenly flared out into a ring, a strange futuristic room filled with blinking lights and cool metal surfaces appearing before them. And standing there was-

"Edna!" the Pharaoh proclaimed.

"Get in!" she shouted, motioning for them to follow her.

Seto frowned. "We aren't seriously following the strange woman through the dimensional gateway, are we?"

"You want to stick around and deal with Insane Cowboy Edwin?" Tristan asked, helping Brom lift Odion up while Renard grabbed Edwin. Once he was sure that Odion was good Tristan hefted Duke up. "Then follow the new girl!"

"That's actually Edwin's female counterpart," the Pharaoh replied.

Yuri blinked. "...wow, Edwin makes a sexy woman." The others stared at her. "What? You were all thinking it."

"Talk about my tits later! Less yappin' and more fleeing!" Edna growled, waving for them to hurry it up.

Rex shrugged. "I'm all for escaping, thank you!" He darted into the portal and when he didn't explode or turn to dust or anything like that the others quickly followed after. The moment they were in Edna waved her hand, the Millennium Ring glowing as the portal shut.

At once a quarter of the group was on edge.

"It's okay," the Pharaoh assured them. "Her ring is not like the Spirit's Millennium Ring." He glanced over at the woman. "I had hoped we wouldn't have to meet up again so soon, though it is pleasant to meet you again."

"Likewise though for me its been a bit longer. Been out of time and space for a bit." There was a bit of commotion and Troy smiled as he saw Edwin's father and brother rush forward to check on him. Another Edwin, this one wearing a long black coat with silver highlights, ambled over, along with King Edwyn, what appeared to be a female Ash Ketchum, and a man in a blue and yellow costume that, a quick check of his downloads, showed was Edwin's favorite superhero, Booster Gold. "Thankfully Des was able to whip something up to keep us out of the multiverse proper and thus off Wyatt's radar-"

"Holy shit," Mai whispered, Selene having given her back control as some point. She was staring out of one of the two-story tall windows at the world that lay beyond them ... a wild maelstrom cloud of purples, pinks, blues, and dark reds with lightning bolts shooting through it. Every time one shot through the air there was a brief glimpse of what Troy realized was another Earth.

Purely on instinct... he cued up a song.

When are you gonna come down?

When are you going to land?

I should have stayed on the farm

I should have listened to my old man

"Edna... what is going on?" The Pharaoh asked. "Who was that that attacked us, that... Wyatt Chaos?"

"He's known as The Gunslinger. A bounty hunter." Edna frowned. "We're being hunted. Chaoses. All across the multiverse. And if Wyatt has targeted Edwin... none of you can ever return to your reality."

Oh, I've finally decided my future lies

Beyond the yellow brick road!