Treacherous Toons, Coma, and the Devil Gods' Thief

Treacherous Toons!

Pegasus J. Crawford: My beloved deck tried to kill me. I decided that that statement would be best to open up my little story. Oh, one of the worst nights of my life. Not to mention the humiliation of being found by Mr. Crocketts once the guards heard my screams.

Every evening like this starts out simple, calm; silent. I should've known something was up since the night went so smoothly. I was humming as I walked down the hall, the buzz from my three red wine spritzers making my head warm and my actions unhindered.

Gekko has warned me that he was going to cut off my supply of alcohol, though I try to ignore him about that.

Gekkou Tenma (flashback): 'You're too young to be drinking this much,' he'd whine. 'You're not even that much older than me, father!'

Pegasus J. Crawford: Blah, blah, and all that health shit. Honestly, if I want to drink myself into a stupor, that's my prerogative. There is no way I'm going 'Cold Turkey.' I began to drink when I was seventeen, when I lost the only person who meant the world to me. Alcohol was the escape from the reality that was losing Cyndia; couldn't the Tenma twins realize that? It didn't even matter by the time someone brought it up. I am an alcoholic. I need that alcohol like I need my next breath.

As I'm walking up the steps and basking in the warmth turning my mind into fuzz, I take out my deck, flipping through the cards. I've loved these cards since the moment I thought of them, strange as it may be. I never thought I'd stare at these cards warily, as if they were a snake ready to strike.

I hummed as I set them down on a table in the tower with my fiancée's portrait. I come up here just to draw, think, write, really anything in my free time. Work was making me insane lately, increasing my alcohol intake and Gekko's concern. Coming here was the only time I felt happy and carefree.

I blink a few times as a small sound makes its way to my ears. A creak? If it was a mouse, I was ready to get up and run screaming from the room.

Instead, the Blue Eyes Toon Dragon was right in my face, grinning like the little devil he is. His wings were flapping steadily, whoosh, whoosh, whoosh against the floor. He roared in my face before slamming me roughly into the wall. I was too stunned to speak or scream. I didn't even drink that much tonight! Why am I suddenly hallucinating?

A young girl's giggle catches my ears. I turn my head to see the Toon Dark Magician Girl drawing scribbles in my sketchpad, drawing a handlebar mustache over my drawing of Mai. How charming.

She floats over to me before clocking me on the head with her scepter. The world seems to dim for a few minutes.

Maybe that's because Toon Mermaid was sitting on me. The Blue Eyes was clawing at my side, the Magician girl whamming me with her scepter, the mermaid jumping on my battered body.

I don't know how much later it is when I open my eyes to Mr. Crocketts standing over me with a concerned expression.

Mr. Crocketts: "Master Pegasus?" he asks hesitantly. "Can you hear me?"

Pegasus J. Crawford: "Why wouldn't I?" I mutter, trying to sit up before deciding it was a horrible idea.

Mr. Crocketts: "You're in the hospital, sir. Your monsters attacked you."

Pegasus J. Crawford: Once again, I'll say: Worst night EVER.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Jounouchi's coma, visiting Pegasus at the castle, and the Devil gods' thief

Yami Yuugi: *in his aibou's room, crying again because he's overcome with sadness over the tragedy that occurred...*

Mahaado: *hears the crying and is surprised to find it coming from Yuugi's room before knocking* Yuugi? My Pharaoh? Are you hurt?

Yami Yuugi: *hears someone knocking and recognizes Mahaado's voice* Mahaado...you can come in. *sadly stares at the floor, definitely feeling like he could use his magician's support right now*

Mahaado: *opens the door and walks over to the bed, sitting down* Are you alright, my Pharaoh?

Yami Yuugi: Something terrible happened, Mahaado.  My aibou and I have a dear friend who is in a coma.  Doctors do not know if he will wake up... *grits his teeth* And I was powerless to stop it!

Mahaado: *watches Yami cry sadly* My Pharaoh... you know that you haven't truly lost your friend right? *wipes the tears away* If he dies...we believe they go to the Afterlife, to the Field of Reeds. *opens his arms* Would you like a hug, my Pharaoh?

((I dun know if you've ever heard of the Field of Reeds, but that where Ancient Egyptians believed they're loved ones went when they passed on.))

Yami Yuugi: ((I didn't know that the Egyptian afterlife was also called the Field of Reeds, but now I know! ))

*goes in his magician's arms* I know. I'm aware that our loved ones go to the afterlife. And normally death is a very familiar concept to me since I've been dead for so long, but...

*sighs heavily* Jounouchi is so young and his death would be so painful. According to the news, he was attacked by an unidentified attacker, which sent him into a coma and gave him a heart attack some time later. He was on the verge of death from that heart attack! And something tells me that the attacker is one of our enemies!

*gets up and angrily punches the wall* Who's the bastard who is trying to murder Jounouchi like that!? I must find out!

Mahaado: ((I'm happy to help~ X3))

*widens eyes and gets up quickly to grab Yami's fist* My Pharaoh! *inspects the hand before healing it* We'll find out who did it, but please. Don't hurt yourself in anger and sadness. It wouldn't do... Jounouchi? *shakes head* It wouldn't do him any good if you did that, now would it?

Yami Yuugi: ((D'aww Mahaady is so sweet~ :3 ))

*notices the kind gesture when Mahaado heals his hand, which touches him* You're a good magician and a loyal friend, Mahaado. *wipes his tears away with the back of his hand* I know we have to remain strong for Jounouchi's sake. It's what he would want, but...he is one of the people who gives us strength and who helps us defeat our enemies. With him possibly gone, I feel like we're not as strong anymore, especially since whoever did this to Jounouchi is most likely laughing at our pain! *overcome with deep sadness again as more tears come and he furiously punches the wall again with his other fist*

Yuugi Mutou: *appears beside him in Spirit form, looks pained* Ph-Pharaoh.. please don't punch the wall anymore.. You're hurting me as well as yourself.. *frowns, holds onto his hand to apply pressure to try and ease the pain*

Yami Yuugi: *sighs* I'm sorry, aibou.  I'll stop...

Mahaado: ((Yesh~ It's so adorable~ X3))

My Pharaoh... *sighs and smiles, taking his other hand and healing it* You know your other friends will always be there when you need them. Mana and I will always be here for you when you need us. *inspects the hand, making sure it's healed* Jounouchi is very close to you, I see this. There's also everyone you met and befriended over any of the challenges and obstacles you've faced in this life. *releases Yami's hand* Dying is a part of life, no matter how young the person is. Murder, how I despise it, is also a part of life. We may never be ready, or able, to face it. Whoever is bent on killing Jounouchi will be tried and sentenced. Whether it's by me or another, they will suffer. I will see to this, my Pharaoh. This is my promise to you. *shows Yami the Black Magician card* This will always be my promise to you.

Yami Yuugi: *takes the Black Magician card and looks at it fondly as Mahaado's words sink in* Yes, everything you say is true. Whoever is trying to kill him will suffer through a harsh punishment. There are some things that are still unclear to me, such as how Jounouchi is comatose now even though he was still meant to live, or how you and I are still here even though we should be in the afterlife, but one thing is for sure. In the end, we'll be in the afterlife together with our friends. *gives a small smile and looks at his beloved magician* Thank you for giving me the strength to go on, Mahaado. You are a true friend.

Mahaado: *smiles* I'm sure you'll find out who it is, nothing can stay hidden forever. *blushes* It was nothing, my Pharaoh. You know I'd help you anyway I could. *kisses his forehead like a father would to his child* You will always have me at your side. Like it or not, we're stuck together until the end of time. *smirks slyly, feeling mischievous XD* So you better get used to it.

Yami Yuugi: *is surprised by the fond gesture, but smiles feeling how close they are <3* Yes, we will be together forever and nothing can separate us, my dear Priest. I wouldn't have it any other way, Mahaado, and I can even feel Jounouchi's spirit still by our side.

Mahaado: *ruffles Yami's hair fondly* Right you are, my Pharaoh. On both accounts. We will always have our friends, alive or not.

Yami Yuugi: You're right, but I'm quite worried about something, Mahaado. *expression get serious again* I must tell you about it, especially since you're my Black Magician, so it concerns you. Duel Monsters are not behaving normally and have been attacking their owners! *frowns worriedly* It happened to a lot of people, including the creator of Duel Monsters, Pegasus, and someone else I know named Ryuuzaki. I know you would never betray me willingly, but maybe you might if some type of evil power was controlling you! My enemies have even used my aibou against me because they enjoy forcing our loved ones to turn against us to make us weak! It would harm me deeply if you were also brainwashed like that, Mahaado. We've been best friends for 3,000 years, but we can't let some type of unknown curse ruin that! I don't want to lose you or my other monsters...

Mahaado: Duel Monsters turning on their friends? *puts hands on his shoulders, looking worried* My Pharaoh, I'd never willingly betray you. My love for you is stronger than that, and always will be. Even if I was brainwashed, you'd always save me with your kind voice and strong heart. *smiles* You've always been able to save your friends, even at the last moment, right? No matter what the odds, you're always there to bring us back. And that, my Pharaoh, will never change.

((The reason I say friends instead of owners is because Mahdy, since he is the Dark Magician, believes all cards are friends to their owners, even if they don't believe. *cough*Kaiba*cough XD*))

Yami Yuugi: ((Aww, true!  Yami also views his monsters as friends! ))

Yes, our love is stronger than any evil force, but we need to figure out what's causing Duel Monsters to behave this way and put a stop to it because I certainly don't want it to happen to you, not even for a brief moment. Even the most loyal Duel Monsters have been affected, so this curse or whatever is going on must be pretty powerful. I suggest we go see Pegasus about this. He'll surely have some answers since he created the modern version of Duel Monsters and got attacked by his toons. The only problem is that I don't know where he currently is, so could you try to use your magic to locate him? We can go see him together.

Mahaado: *nods* Alright, my Pharaoh. I will try to locate him for us. *sits in the middle of the floor, closing his eyes before entering a trance-like state*

Yami Yuugi: *watches as his magician sits down and concentrates* I hope you'll be able to locate Pegasus...

Mahaado: Alright... let us find you, Pegasus. *looks through several minds briefly* Where could he be? *a flicker catches his attention* Wait... what's this? *follows, seeing the Eye* The Eye...? Could that be Pegasus? Could that be why it caught my attention? *opens eyes, looking at Yami* My Pharaoh... would Pegasus happen to have the Eye?

Yami Yuugi: Yes, he's the current owner of the Millennium Eye in this time period.

Mahaado: Hmm... *smiles* I believe I've found him then. He's at his home, with his own personal doctors.

Yami Yuugi: Good! Please take us there if you can, Mahaado! We have to get there as soon as possible.

Mahaado: *smirks* Alright. *takes Yami's hand and teleports them both there* Here we are. *in front of the castle*

Yami Yuugi: Amazing! You're able to use teleportation powers to transport us here. Your magic is very advanced, Mahaado. *notices they're at the front gates, but there are guards nearby who look astonished that Yami/Yuugi and Mahaado just appeared into thin air xD*

Mahaado: I try my best, my Pharaoh. *looks at the gates then gives Yami a sideways glance* Want me to teleport us to the room Pegasus is in? Or knock out all the guards?

Yami Yuugi: No, that would be rude and Pegasus would get upset. We'll need to speak to the guards. *approaches them*

Guard: *stares in amazement* How did you two just appear like that from out of nowhere?! I've never seen anything like that before! *still shocked at how that happened xD*

Yami Yuugi: *realizes that the guards must've seen them arriving with magic and then looks at Mahaado* _{Maybe we should've been more subtle with our arrival...}

Mahaado: *thinks* Whatever you want to do, my Pharaoh. *shrugs* I could always clear our arrival from their minds.

Yami Yuugi: That's a good idea. You can do that, Mahaado. Then we'll have to figure out a way to get to Pegasus without unexpectedly showing up in his room.

Mahaado: Alright. *waves a hand, every guard who saw their arrival forgot about it* It is done. *thinks* Any ideas?

Yami Yuugi: Do you think you can try to mentally communicate with Pegasus to tell him of our arrival? You can say that we're here to visit him at the hospital.

Mahaado: *nods* I can try. *searches out the familiar mind he touched before* Pegasus, if you can hear me, we need to see you.

Pegasus J. Crawford: *Opens his eye, frowning at the voice* ....? Should I be worried? I wonder who 'we' is. *Frowns and reaches over to the table, fumbling for the phone and calling the guards*

Mahaado: *opens his eyes, smiling* I think it worked, my Pharaoh.

Yami Yuugi: That's wonderful.  Your skills as a magician are truly excellent.  Did you let Pegasus know who's visiting him?  With all the visitors and employees he has, he'll want to know.

Mahaado: Uh... *looks away, contacting Peggy xD* By 'we' I meant the Pharaoh and I, Mahaado. *blushes lightly* It is done.

Yami Yuugi: Was he able to communicate back? *suddenly they see more guards emerging from the castle, which Pegasus called earlier to protect him from a potential threat* Mahaado, we need to leave this place before all those guards see us!

Pegasus J. Crawford: Ohhhh. Well you should have mentioned that before! *Grumbles and calls someone special to pick them up*

Richie Merced: *Slams the main door open, glowering as he looks for the two* .... HEY. SPIKY HEAD AND MAGIC BOY.

Yami Yuugi: Richie, please take us to your father.  We need to see him because we heard he got attacked by his own Duel Monsters. *frowns*

Mahaado: *blinks* Magic boy? *blinks again* Spiky head? *huffs* I'll have you know I'm a fully grown man, thank you very much. And this is a King. Respect him as such. *looks to Yami* Anyway lead us to where Pegasus is, if you could please.

Richie Merced: Okay then; Magic Man and King Spiky Head, we don't allow visitors. I just came to give you the royal boot. No one sees Master Pegasus.

Yami Yuugi: *frowns* Somehow that's hard to believe, especially since we're here to help. *looks at his magician* Mahaado, could you please tell Pegasus that his son is preventing us from entering?  It'll be embarrassing for Richie if Pegasus finds out his son isn't letting us in.

Mahaado: Yes, my Pharaoh. *rolls eyes, sighing at the smart aleck in front of them* Your son won't let us see you, Pegasus. Think you could help a bit?

Pegasus J. Crawford: Me? Get him to listen to reason? Yeah, okay. I'll give it a try. *Calls Richie, barking at him to let them in*

Richie Merced: *Grumbles, putting the phone away* Get in the house, dumbasses.

Yami Yuugi: *looks at Mahaado* He's very rude.  He's been this way ever since I met him.

Mahaado: Hmm, I see this. *walks into the house* Thank you.

Richie Merced: Can you two shut it? *Leads them to an isolated part of the castle* He's up in the tower.

Yami Yuugi: *goes up the stairs, but has a feeling they're not going in the right direction* This is strange, but I don't think we're headed for the hospital...

Mahaado: *follows* My Pharaoh... *looks around* I have a bad feeling about this...

Yami Yuugi: Somehow I know what you mean... *opens the door and is led to a spacious room with a large portrait of Cyndia on the wall* It certainly doesn't look like a hospital. *frowns*

Richie Merced: *Snickers* Those idiots.

Yami Yuugi: *goes in the room, not noticing the security's guns show up in the corners, aimed at shooting at any intruder...* And there's no sign of Pegasus anywhere.

Mahaado: My Pharaoh... *looks around, spotting something in the corners as he widens his eyes* My Pharaoh, get down! *protects Yami from any possible harm*

Yami Yuugi: *!* What's going on!?

Yuugi Mutou: *appears beside him in Spirit form, looking around and his eyes widen* Pharaoh, there are security guns in the corners!! They're pointing right at us!! We need to either get down or get out of here!

Pegasus J. Crawford: *His voice comes over the intercom, panicked and hoarse* NO! They're guests! Deactivate the guns in Tower A3! *The guns slowly go back into their normal positions*

Mahaado: *makes sure there are no more threats before checking Yami* My Pharaoh, are you alright?

Yami Yuugi: Yes, I'm alright, but that idiot, Richie, purposefully brought us in this room so that we'd get injured by those guns! *grits his teeth*

Pegasus J. Crawford: *His somewhat drained voice goes over the intercom* Yami, Magician, you're in the wrong section of the castle entirely. RICHIE. GET THEM BEFORE I GET OUT OF THIS BED. YOU KNOW THAT ROOM IS OFF LIMITS. Bring them to the CORRECT room this time. If I have to get out of this bed, you'll be joining me in my stay at the hospital.

Yami Yuugi: Off limits?! *frowns, realizing that Richie led them in the wrong room* But we're here to see Pegasus!

Richie Merced: *Snarls at getting caught, furious that Yami/Yuugi and Mahaado weren't at least a little hurt*

Yami Yuugi: We could've gotten really hurt...! *frowns, turning to leave the room* We should leave this room, Mahaado.  Pegasus is obviously not here.

Yuugi Mutou: Geez.. I don't know what Richie has against us.. all we're here to do is visit his father..

Yami Yuugi: I agree, aibou.  What he's doing is beyond ridiculous! *sighs*

Mahaado: *ignores Richie and Yami to inspect the picture* Who... are you...? *touches the picture* What...? *memories upon memories start filling his head* Cyn... Cyndia? *falls to his knees, holding his head*

Yuugi Mutou: *appears in Spirit form again* It seems like he's having some sort of reaction to the painting... *frowns* I really hope we don't get in too much trouble for touching things that don't belong to us..

Richie Merced: *Shoots up the stairs* Whoa, whoa! Get your hands off that painting!

Yami Yuugi: *was about to leave, but his eyes suddenly widen when he notices what Mahaado is doing* Mahaado! *frowns* Stop touching that!  It's not our property!

Mahaado: *his eyes shoot open, blinking at Yami* My... Pharaoh...?

Yami Yuugi: *walks over to where Mahaado is and takes his hand* Come, you know better than to touch one of Pegasus's portraits.

Richie Merced: Gods, you just HAD to touch Cyndia! Master Pegasus is going to flip!

Mahaado: *looks back at the portrait as Yami takes his hand, tightening his own grip on it* Just... who are you, Cyndia?

Yami Yuugi: Richie, you better take us to Pegasus's actual location this time. *frowns*

Richie Merced: Whatever. *Leads them to the room* He's in there, knuckleheads.

Mahaado: *still confused by what happened to him in the room, he lets Yami take the lead*

Yami Yuugi: ((Does Pegasus have bandages already by now, or is his back visible?  If it's visible, it means Yami, Yuugi, and Mahaado will see the damage that the toons caused.))

Pegasus J. Crawford: ((His back should be visible. The doctors are probably going to start treating his burns more now and they're going to try getting the claw marks to disappear a little. XD))

Yami Yuugi: ((Good!  I want them to see Peggy's injuries because it will create a sweet scene.  Yami, Yuugi, and Mahaado will have compassion for him, while Peggy might be embarrassed that he's vulnerable right now like a child. xD Pegasus saw Yami get sick when Yami had a hangover, but now Yami will see Peggy injured!  Ahhh I love the bond between Peggy and Yami in this group~ ))

*goes in, gasping at the sight of the burns and claw marks on Pegasus's back, and turns to his magician* This is very bad.  The curse or whatever is affecting Duel Monsters is seriously causing them to severely injure their human friends.  I'm worried that some victims might have died...

Yuugi Mutou: I don't know if there is a way to know for sure if the victims have died.. I think the only thing we can hope for is that they're not dying, and that we still have hope in saving them.

Pegasus J. Crawford: ((I love their bond too~ It really is just so sweet.))

Mahaado: I concur, my Pharaoh.

Yami Yuugi: *frowns at the thought and turns back to look at Pegasus* Pegasus, we came to see you because I heard people are being attacked by their own Duel Monsters, and you were one of the people who got attacked.

Pegasus J. Crawford: Hmm? *Ends the call he was making, turning around to look at them* Oh, you two finally made it up, I see... *Coughs, turning to face them* It took you two long enough.... Thinking about that, Richie. Come here, please.

Richie Merced:*Walks over to him*

Pegasus J. Crawford: *Forces himself up, hissing at the dizzying pain that hits him, but tries to push it away* Richie?

Richie Merced: *Sighs* Yes, Master Pegasus?

Pegasus J. Crawford: ARE YOU INSANE?! I want to SPEAK with them, not clean their bodies off the walls! How old are you, five?! We do not blow up our guests! ... Unless they're against us, but that is beside the point! Honestly, even Yakou doesn't do this! You should be ashamed of yourself! *Scolds Richie heatedly, looking furious*

Richie Merced: *Takes it all, glowering and flushing with embarrassment*

Pegasus J. Crawford: WHY DIDN'T YOU JUST TAKE THEM UP HERE?! IT'S NOT LIKE IT HELPS ANYONE WHEN THEY'RE WANDERING AROUND!!!

Richie Merced: *Nods sheepishly, head bowed* Yes, I know...

Mahaado: *smirks when seeing Richie is getting yelled at xD*

Yami Yuugi: *is inwardly happy seeing Richie get scolded for having lied to them, but his expression remains serious as he waits for Pegasus to finish talking to his son*

Yuugi Mutou: *appears beside Yami in Spirit Form* I feel Richie did need a little scolding.. I know that's how you feel, Pharaoh. *frowns* But I feel it could've waited for later.. after we've visited, I mean. *shrugs* That's what I think..

Yami Yuugi: Actually, aibou, I think it's good for Richie to be scolded in front of us.  It'll humiliate him and will hopefully teach him to never do something like that again.  We could've gotten really hurt in that other room.

Yuugi Mutou: *nods at Yami's remark, disappears back into the puzzle to let him handle everything*

Pegasus J. Crawford: *Sighs, kicking Richie out of the room and sulking on the bed* Now, to whom do I owe the pleasure of having you two come here? *Lounges back into the bed*

Yami Yuugi: We were wondering if you have any information on why monsters are hurting people like this.  So far, I have not been attacked, but it may be because the deck I have consists of cards you gave me, so I'm not their true owner.  I'm also not sure if the thief who stole my cards, Giese Hunt, got injured by my monsters.  However, I do know that my Black Magician has not attacked me so far.  I want to figure out what's going on so that we can put a stop to it before more people get hurt! *frowns*

Pegasus J. Crawford: And how should I have any idea? *Frowns slightly* Yami boy, I can tell you what happened. Other than that, I haven't gotten a clue. I can assure you that I'm not exactly comfortable with my deck so close by.

Mahaado: *stands back, looking at nothing* Just who was she...? Cyndia must be very important to Pegasus. But why... why did I see her memories? It makes no sense to me.

Yami Yuugi: I see...maybe it might be best to keep your deck securely locked somewhere until we figure out this mystery.  I have a suspicion that one of the dark forces in Domino put a curse on our Duel Monsters. *looks at his magician* I don't know how strong the curse is, though.  My Black Magician may be able to use spells, but I have no idea if his magic will be strong enough to put a stop to this...

Pegasus J. Crawford: Honestly, I wouldn't put it past them. *Grabs his laptop, ignoring doctor's orders and working anyways* ... *Uses the Eye to hear Mahaado's thoughts, and his eye narrows* You're thinking of my Cyndia. Why?

Mahaado: *sighs, looking away from Yami and Pegasus* For some reason, when I touched her picture... *looks at his hands* I saw her memories... all of them just piled into my head...

Pegasus J. Crawford: You... touched... my painting of her?! *Obviously very upset*

Yami Yuugi: *embarrassed by his magician's behavior* I'm really sorry it happened.  I'll have to teach Mahaado how to better behave.

*looks at Mahaado to scold him* Don't do that ever again!  Do you understand?

Mahaado: *looks away, hugging himself* Yes, my Pharaoh.

Pegasus J. Crawford: *Sighs* It's fine. I'm just.... very sensitive about her. She's gone and those pictures and paintings are all I have left.

Yami Yuugi: We understand.  *would talk about how Cyndia is in a happier place in the afterlife, but doesn't in case it might make Pegasus even sadder*

Mahaado: *nods, feeling guilty that he did such a thing, then looks up at Peggy* You realize that Cyndia is in the Afterlife now, right? You'll see her again, Pegasus.

Pegasus J. Crawford: *Glowers, definitely not feeling better at being reminded she's dead*

Yami Yuugi: *looks at Mahaado in a way that says it's best to change the conversation* Well, as I was saying, you should probably not duel and keep your deck locked until we find out what's causing Duel Monsters to behave this way.  It's unfortunate you were one of the victims.

Pegasus J. Crawford: Yes, it would be most... unfortunate if I were to die again, hmm? *Chuckles, looking at his laptop* Wha....? *Frowns and types quickly, becoming distressed*

Yami Yuugi: *notices that Pegasus is troubled* What's wrong?

Pegasus J. Crawford: The vaults were broken into... *Frowns, typing*

Mahaado: *blinks, confused* What happened?

Pegasus J. Crawford: The Wicked Eraser and The Wicked Dreadroot have gone missing. *Scowls, forcing himself out of bed and shrugging on a robe*

Yami Yuugi: *gasps* But those are extremely powerful cards!  They're the dark counterparts of the Egyptian gods and whoever has them could unleash a terrible evil upon Domino and the world!

I don't have the Egyptian gods anymore, so I'll be unable to protect the world if this thief uses The Wicked Eraser and The Wicked Dreadroot to reach his evil goals! *grits his teeth, visibly terrified of this*

Yuugi Mutou: Pharaoh! We need to get those cards back where they belong without getting hurt! *blinks* Wait.. There's something I don't understand.. This place has guards in every corner.. How were the vaults broken into when this place is so strongly guarded?

Yami Yuugi: I was going to say the same thing, aibou!  Whoever stole those cards had the intelligence to get around the security without getting caught. *frowns*

Yuugi Mutou: I wonder if it's anybody we know... Hopefully, the security tapes will answer all the questions we have. *disappears back in the puzzle*

Doctor: Master Crawford, you shouldn't be out of bed in your condition.  We need to finish treating your wounds, sir.

Pegasus J. Crawford: *Blatantly ignores the doctor, tying the robe up and staggering a few feet to the door* I have to get into the vaults.

Mahaado: Let us come with you. We may be able to help in some way.

Yami Yuugi: I agree with Mahaado.  We can help you look for the stolen cards.  You can also start by looking if the surveillance cameras caught the thief on tape.

Pegasus J. Crawford: *Grunts, using the wall to pretty much drag himself along before grasping the banister, going downstairs* Yes, the tapes are something to look at. You want to help me? Make sure I don't kill myself walking down the stairs.

Yami Yuugi: Of course. *promptly holds him up when he sees that Pegasus is about to fall, providing a support despite being much shorter*

Mahaado: *helps Pegasus on his other side*

Pegasus J. Crawford: *Thanks them quietly, going to the door of the security room at the end of the hall, typing into a keyboard as a small microphone appears and speaks into it* Pegasus J. Crawford. *Jumps as two guns pop out and aim themselves at Mahaado and Yami* And guests! And guests! *Sighs as the guns slide back into the wall*

Yami Yuugi: *his eyes widen when he sees the two guns, the same sort of weapons that almost shot them in the tower earlier, but then is relieved when Pegasus stops the guns from shooting*

Mahaado: *jumps and about to protect Yami before seeing the guns disappear* What in the world are those things?

Pegasus J. Crawford: What? Do you honestly think I would let just ANYONE come in here? *Laughs, letting the next security panel scan his eye* Only Mr. Crocketts, my children, and I can enter certain parts of the castle. Others will be terminated for trying.

Yami Yuugi: Yes, we understand.  It's just that I think Mahaado probably never saw so much modern security before. *still holding Pegasus*

Mahaado: *shudders at not knowing about the modern ages before helping Pegasus again* My Pharaoh is right, I'm not used to such things yet.

Pegasus J. Crawford: Then prepare yourself, boy. We're going into my security room. *Grunts, pulling himself up to type in another password and stepping back as the wall parts and makes a new passageway*

Yami Yuugi: *hesitantly steps forward since he, his aibou, and his magician already faced guns in two rooms, wondering what sort of security devices will be in the next room*

Mahaado: *a little hesitant to go into the next room, but went anyway just in case Yami would need him*

Pegasus J. Crawford: *Plops into his chair with a groan of relief, holding on as it rises and a large screen lights up in front of him, a fancy keyboard sliding out into place* Welcome to my home, boys. I think there are some seats over there. *Snaps his fingers, watching two chairs shoot out and snag the two*

Watch your feet! Don't fall off! *Laughs, beginning to type*

Yami Yuugi: *walks past some security cameras that catch him and Mahaado entering this secret room, which will most likely make Yakou furious later...* *eyes widen when the two chairs suddenly blast out from behind, one of them catching him* Ack!  I was not expecting that...! *frowns a bit*

Mahaado: *looks at all the camera positions, wishing they had this kind of stuff in Egypt* This is all very interesting. *yelps when he's snagged by a chair xD* I reeeaaally dislike you right now, Pegasus.

Pegasus J. Crawford: Mahaado boy, does it look like I care? *Gives him a look before bursting into laughter* Of course not! As soon as Yami leaves the castle, we're done, aren't we? At least, that is what I hope. *Hums, glancing back at them with a wicked grin as their chairs rise to bring them on the same level as him*

Now, I worry about these cards like I worry about my sanity. *Smiles* So let's see what we have here, shall we?

Mahaado: *scowls* Whatever. *watches what Peggy does*

Yami Yuugi: *looks at the huge screen* Let's see if the security tapes caught the thief.  I'm eager to see who it could be.

Pegasus J. Crawford: Hold your horses, let me log in. This is my personal computer, the guards have a separate one. *He glowers, typing in several extensive passwords before the screen brightens, showing the vaults*

This is the vault for The Wicked Dreadroot. This one was broken into second.

Mahaado: Hmm... *watches the screen interested*

Yami Yuugi: I see.  Whoever got in must've bypassed the security and figured out the passwords to the vault since there are no signs of damage anywhere, meaning the thief didn't have to physically break anything to get in.  We're dealing with a very intelligent thief. *frowns*

Pegasus J. Crawford: Yes, exactly what I was thinking. I only have a few people in mind, including our infamous little Kaiba. Though, as obsessed as he may be with getting the cards to defeat the gods, it just doesn't seem like him to sneak in there. He usually has to come and bore me with some speech about how he's to do it first.

*His eyes narrow slightly as he rewinds to the day before, sitting back as Yakou appeared at the doors*

I... *Literally too stunned to speak as he watches his son get through his extensive security*

Yami Yuugi: *eyes widen* Yakou!?  That would explain how he got in so easily!  You taught him how to manage this company and by now he must have extensive knowledge on how to get into those vaults!  But what does he plan to do with those two cards!?

Yuugi Mutou: *frowns* Pharaoh.. I'm very disappointed Yakou is still up to no good. I wonder myself what he plans to do with those cards.

Mahaado: Yakou, my Pharaoh?

Yami Yuugi: *sighs* He's one of Pegasus's sons.  My aibou and I had to face him before when he tried to revive Pegasus using Anzu's body. *frowns* He used The Wicked Dreadroot, The Wicked Eraser, and another card called The Wicked Avatar in our final duel, but then he tore them up after his defeat.  Unfortunately, it looks like he still wants to own all three cards... *glares at the screen, not liking what he's seeing at all*

Pegasus J. Crawford: He wouldn't go after those cards without a reason... He asked me for them before, but I denied him. I have no idea why this is happening!

Yami Yuugi: You should read his mind.  It's the easiest way to know what he's up to with those cards.  It'll also tell you where he's hiding them.

Mahaado: We need to get those cards away from him. They sound like they could be trouble. Maybe seriously hurt someone.

Pegasus J. Crawford: I will. .... Once he gets close enough. I'm not going to go trekking through Domino to look for him, obviously. Those cards are extremely dangerous! *Huffs, flipping his hair* The god cards were my greatest regrets. The Wicked Gods were made to keep the gods in check, to make sure there was a backup in case the Gods got into the wrong hands.

Yami Yuugi: ((Instead of using the name Wicked Gods, I use the name Devil Gods because it's the original name in the Japanese manga. ))

I know.  The Tenma twins told my aibou about me about that, too, but why are the Devil Gods still in existence?  The twins ripped up the cards after I defeated Yakou... *frowns* Maybe you can send men to go look for him.  He has to be somewhere in Domino...unless maybe he returned to the island?!

Pegasus J. Crawford: ((Lol, alright, we'll use that name. )) Oh... That... *Flushes, clearing his throat* Well, I created them again. For both personal gain and the need to have reassurance... Yes, I'll have to send some men out to look for him.

Yami Yuugi: *looks at him surprised* But why would you recreate them if you know they're so dangerous?  It seems like their dangerous power outweighs the benefits of having them...

Yuugi Mutou: I hope they can find out what Yakou plans on doing with the Devil cards.. I want to know why Pegasus recreated the cards, too. To gain reassurance, I can kind of understand, but I still don't know why he would recreate them when they're so dangerous..

Yami Yuugi: I don't understand.  Pegasus knows by now what Yakou did with those cards when we had to beat all those card professors to save Anzu.  It seems foolish to recreate them! *sighs* This is like history repeating itself.

Mahaado: Maybe I could help look for these cards?

Pegasus J. Crawford: Does it really matter anymore? *Chuckles* The only thing that matters is that they're here, now.

Yami Yuugi: Of course it matters!  You know Yakou well enough by now to not trust him with those cards, which is why it doesn't make much sense to have recreated them. *sighs and looks at his magician* Yes, you can try using a locator spell to see if you can find Yakou anywhere, similarly to how you were able to find Pegasus earlier.

Mahaado: *nods and concentrates what Yakou looked like by closing his eyes* Where are you...? *having difficulty finding him he opens his eyes* My Pharaoh, I'm sorry. But from the magic I used to get us here and from myself not knowing Yakou personally, I can't locate him.

Pegasus J. Crawford: May I remind you that Yakou seemed sane after you defeated him?! *Sighs* I won't speak of this now. I'll just have to find Yakou... Right after I'm able to walk again.

Yami Yuugi: Yes, but I can also remind you that you can read minds.  You often read people's minds to see trivial things about them, yet you didn't see that Yakou had reverted back to the way he was before.  If you had seen that, it could've prevented this from happening again.  History does repeat itself. *frowns*

Mahaado: *sighs* History can be a pain sometimes.

Pegasus J. Crawford: *Waves them off dismissively* I've been having... numerous problems with my Eye, thank you. And yes, history is a pain.

Yami Yuugi: *frowns* What sort of problems?  That doesn't sound normal.

Pegasus J. Crawford: Oh, very painful problems. Is it normal to get blinding pain in your head every now and then? *Laughs lightly as the chairs start moving*

Yami Yuugi: No, that doesn't sound normal.  I would normally suggest going to the doctor, but since you mentioned having problems with your Eye, this could be related to a problem with the Millennium items. *frowns* As far as I know, I haven't been experiencing problems with my Puzzle, but even I don't know everything about my own item. *sighs heavily* It looks like we have another mystery to solve.

Yuugi Mutou: The pain in his Eye does seem rather strange.. *frowns* I don't know if that's true or not.. I mean, he did tell us once before that the Eye didn't work underground, but the Puzzle seemed to be working perfectly fine. If the Puzzle isn't causing problems, I don't know why the Eye would be causing him pain. *sighs* This could go either way, Pharaoh.. I'd be careful.

Yami Yuugi: Ah yes, I remember that, but I'm pretty sure Pegasus was just joking when he said the Eye was not working underground.  Then again, sometimes it's hard to know when he jokes and when he's being serious because he jokes so much...

Mahaado: Interesting. When Akhenaden had the Eye, I don't think he ever complained about any pain being felt.

Pegasus J. Crawford: Akhenaden? Excuse me, who is that?

Mahaado: *blushes lightly* Ah, my apologies. He's the Eye holder from my time.

Yami Yuugi: Akhenaden is my uncle and the original owner of the Millennium Eye.

Pegasus J. Crawford: Ohhhh, gross! This thing was in another person's head?! UGH, worst day ever! If you hear sobbing, it's not me.

Mahaado: *blinks* Didn't you know all the Millennium Items belonged to the Pharaoh and his priests in the past?

Pegasus J. Crawford: You know, it's not exactly on your mind when your eye is being cut out of your head, is it? *Deadpans, sighing* Anyways, I've given it thought before, and I know it had to be owned. It's not fun to be reminded.

Yami Yuugi: *sighs* Could you tell us if anything else is wrong with the Eye, Pegasus?

Pegasus J. Crawford: I get some horrifying images. Strange, isn't it? *Smirks* I'll blame it on that Bakura boy. I've never seen anyone look so furious about losing to me; well, other than Kaiba, of course.

Yami Yuugi: *suddenly gets a light bulb moment and gasps* That's it!  It must be because of that creep, Bakura!  He temporarily owned that Eye, so who knows what he could've done to it?! *grits his teeth*

Mahaado: *frowns* This Bakura sounds like a real piece of work. *trying to think of where he may have heard the name before* You wouldn't happen to be talking about the Bakura from my- *looks to the Pharaoh* our time, would you?

Pegasus J. Crawford: A curse would sound just about right. Oh, and are you talking about the man with the scar?

Yami Yuugi: I was thinking the same thing.  And yes, Mahaado was ta--!

(Continued in Shenanigans at Pegasus's Castle! )