Chapter 7: - Teamwork
From the stairwell they'd been able to see Yugi's duel, and more then once Joey had had to watch himself so he didn't give their position away by cheering.
They'd carried on down slowly right up until the thugs had tried to take Obelisk out with Gilford the Lightening, teaching Joey never to even attempt that move as he jumped over the side of the stairs, landing on one of the huge metal crates.
Mai had rolled her eyes at him and finished descending the stairs as Joey leapt down and the thugs attacked Yugi.
Mai had held Joey back from storming into the middle of it there and then and something had exploded.
Luckily it had been just as Hirutani was calling off his goons. Joey and Mai edged their way towards the row of goons who had just settled behind Yugi again as the teen picked himself up, wincing as he did so.
"You cheat." Yugi groaned, Joey kept his eyes on Hirutani the whole time, too familiar with the Boss Monkey to trust that he wouldn't pull something else.
"Well, we could do worse, we could do this!"
"No!" Joey saw Hirutani moving but didn't quite grasp what was happening, unlike Yugi. "NO! DON'T!"
A horrible cracking sound followed by the sound of gold pieces hitting the floor followed as Hirutani slammed the Puzzle into a pillar, causing it to shatter. "The idiots with the money didn't specify what state it had to be in and they've all gone off to gather Map Cards, they didn't trust that we beat you." Hirutani threw the piece attached to the chain to one side, "Now, are you ready for the next match?"
Joey froze, stunned for a moment as the gold pieces glittered in the sunlight that filtered through dirty windows. Is Yami alright?
"Joey!" Mai hissed at him as Hirutani glared at Yugi, "Muto, do we have to knock some more sense into you to get you to duel us again?" Hirutani growled.
Joey and Mai attacked the goons behind as some moved away to grab the pieces and Hirutani started talking again. "Now, your next opponents…"
They finished kicking the goons arses in time for Yugi to turn around. Joey didn't return Yugi's grin as he took his place at his friend's side. "Hirutani." He growled.
"Wheeler." Joey had the pleasure of seeing surprise in Hirutani's eyes as he growled back, "Who's your girlfriend?"
"Mai Valentine." Mai had her 'I-don't-scare-easy' attitude she'd had fighting Marik thankfully, forcing Hirutani to consider her as a possible threat, or at least not a target, "And I'm not his girlfriend."
"Yet." Joey secretly hoped. "You alright Yuge?" He didn't take his eyes from Hirutani, but could practically feel the relief rolling off of his friend.
"I'm fine but he…"
"I saw." Joey glared at the Gang Boss. "Give it back, you big ape."
"I'm glad you came, I wanted a word with you." Hirutani growled.
"I'm still not interested in rejoining your little group." Joey growled, reminding himself a little too late that there were things Mai didn't know about his past yet, "I just came to help out a friend. Now give back those Puzzle pieces."
"I don't see why I should."
"I'll do you a deal." Joey said, thinking quickly, "Yuge, you trust me, right?"
Yugi nodded.
"You and me Duel, I lose I rejoin your Gang. I win, you give back the Puzzle pieces."
"I need to beat Muto to get paid, you and Muto against me and someone of my choice, you lose I get the Puzzle and you rejoin the gang, you win I hand over the Puzzle pieces and you're free to go."
"I'm not sitting on the sidelines." Mai warned Joey.
"Fine, I'll play three on three." Hirutani smirked, "Do you accept?"
"Mai…" Do you know what you're getting yourself into?
"Don't start Joey, I'm in this as well. I was from the moment I help you with that goon." This is still saner then Marik.
"Yuge?" I need you to help me here.
"I'll Duel." I'm in, I just hope you know what you're doing.
"We accept Hirutani." Joey growled. Thanks guys. The unspoken messages didn't have to be said vocally or mind to mind, they passed through the group anyway.
"Fine, you and you." Hirutani pointed to the smartest two of his goons, "You're with me."
Six Duel Disks activated, "Let's Duel!"
Six Duellists drew their first hands, "What's the order of play?" Yugi asked, looking at Hirutani.
"You, Kin," He pointed at goon Duellist to his left, "Wheeler, me, Valentine, Daiki." He pointed at the goon Duellist to his right.
"Fine." Yugi drew, energy surging up his arm and eyes widening, he couldn't use this God Card, he didn't speak Ancient Egyptian… "I play two cards face down and summon Giant Soldier of Stone in defence mode!" The large stone creature crouched in front of Yugi, "Kin, your move."
He drew, "Mataza the Zapper, in attack mode and I equip him with Fusion Sword Murasame Blade!" Mataza's attack points grew to 2100, "One card face down and I end my turn."
Joey didn't back down from his glaring contest with Hirutani as he drew, "Gearfried the Iron Knight, in attack mode and two cards face down. Your move Hirutani."
"Thanks, Wheeler." He drew, "I summon Cyber-Stien to the field in attack mode and play three cards face down." He mockingly bowed to Mai, "Your move."
Mai glared, "Harpie Lady and I activate Elegant Egotist, turning my Harpie, into the Harpie Lady Sisters!" The three Harpies did not look amused as they gave the thugs a most disgusted look. "Then I equip them with Cyber Shield and Rose Whip." The Sisters's attack points rose to 2450 on two and 2750 on the other.
"Nice move Mai!" Joey crowed and Mai grinned at him, "Next." She called, looking at Daiki.
He drew, "Two cards face down and end my turn."
The swords crashed down in front of Yugi, Joey and Mai as the turn came back to Yugi, who drew again, "I sacrifice my Giant Soldier of Stone for the Dark Magician Girl and activate Mage Power, raising her to 3000 attack points." Yugi frowned. "I end my turn."
Kin drew, "I summon Flame Swordsman. Mataza the Zapper attacks Gearfried the Iron Knight!"
"I activate Fairy Box!" Joey called. His Gearfried vanished into a whack a mole style box and kept popping it's head up. "I have to call Heads of Tails. If I call right, your attack points drop to zero."
"Fine." Kin growled as a huge virtual coin started spinning in mid air. "Get on with it."
"Heads."
The coin landed…
Heads up.
"Yes!" Joey crowed. Mataza the Zapper attacked and was destroyed.
"A card face down and it's your move." Kin growled.
Joey grinned and drew, "I play Release Restraint, freeing my Gearfried from his heavy armour and summoning Gearfried the Swordmaster!" The 2600 point Warrior monster appeared on the field. "Your move Boss Monkey." Joey smirked.
Hirutani looked surprisingly unworried, "I activate Altar for Tribute, sacrificing Flame Swordsman to increase my life points and activate Cyber-Stien's special ability."
Yugi suddenly looked worried.
"Yuge, what?" Joey asked, but was answered by the arrival of VWXYZ Dragon Catapult Cannon. "What the…?"
Hirutani's life points dropped by 5000.
"Cyber-Stien is incredibly rare." Yugi glared, "Forbidden too, where did you get one?"
"Yuge, a little help here?" Joey asked, completely clueless. Mai looked confused too.
"Cyber-Stien has the ability to summon ANY Fusion Monster from the Fusion Deck if you pay five thousand life points." Yugi said, still glaring.
"It's amazing what cards you can find online." Hirutani smirked. "And I'm guessing you know my Catapult Cannon can do." Yugi growled. "Not feeling like explaining, alright I'll show them, I remove your Dark Magician Girl from play!"
She vanished with a surprised yelp.
"And that leaves you wide open, Cyber-Stien!"
"Fairy box!" Joey yelped. "Tails!"
He'd called it right, so Yugi didn't take any damage.
"Fine, VWXYZ Catapult Cannon!"
"Heads!" Joey called.
The coin landed on Tails and Hirutani laughed as the Cannon fired at Yugi, sending him sprawling.
"Yuge!"
"Yugi!"
Yugi groaned as he sat up. "Ow."
"Yuge, are you alright?" Joey asked, concerned as Yugi staggered back to his place.
"Fine." Yugi replied, limping slightly but trying to give a reassuring smile.
Joey rolled his eyes, Yugi had obviously been hurt worse then Joey had accounted for. He hated the scripted fines that Yugi often gave when he was hurt but was so used to them by now that he decided to wait until they were out of here to rant at him.
"Valentine?" Hirutani looked annoyed but moved on.
Mai drew, "I summon Harpie Lady and activate Harpie Lady Phoenix Formation."
"What does that do?" Hirutani snorted.
"It allows me to destroy a monster for every Harpie I have on the field and you take damage equal to their attack points." She smirked, "And guess what? I have four Harpies on the field. I chose to destroy VWXYZ Catapult Cannon and Cyber-Stien!"
The two monsters exploded, but Hirutani's life points went up to 2100.
"What?" Joey growled.
"I activated Nutrient Z and Numinous Healer, increasing my points by 5000." Hirutani laughed. "I'm not gone that easily." He smirked at Mai, "You done yet?"
"Next." She growled.
Daiki drew, "I play a card in defence mode and end my turn." Hirutani glared at the goon who shrugged.
Back to Yugi, who drew, grinned and then frowned again.
"Yugi?" Mai asked.
He looked at her, then at the number of cards in his hand and frowned.
She got it.
"I play Monster Reborn to get my Giant Soldier of Stone back." Yugi called, the giant stone soldier crouched in front of him again. "And I end my turn."
Kin drew next, "Fear from the Dark, in attack mode!" The 1700 attack point Zombie monster appeared on the field. "I activate The First Sarcophagus!"
Joey frowned, he knew this combo, but he couldn't remember what the monster it summoned was.
"I end my turn."
Joey drew, "I pay 500 points to have Fairy Box remain active." Joey's points dropped to 3500, "Gearfried the Swordmaster! Attack Hirutani!"
"I activate Skull Dice!"
"I play Graceful Dice!"
Skull Dice rolled a six, while Graceful Dice only rolled a three, taking the Swordmaster down to 1300 and Hirutani down to 800.
"Next." Joey growled, annoyed.
Kin activated The Second Sarcophagus.
Hirutani drew, "I play Bowganian in attack mode and equip it with 7 Complete." It grew to 2000. "And end my turn."
"It's a shame about that." Mai said, smirking, "I play Card of Sanctity, allowing all of us to draw until we have six cards in our hands."
Yugi grinned slightly and Joey caught it, knowing exactly what was being planned.
"I activate Graveyard's Grasp, which allows me to discard all the cards I just drew." Kin called. Mai frowned, not quite understanding, but Yugi finally twigged what he was up to and it was too late to stop him, unless they could defeat him this turn.
"I summon another Harpie Lady and all my girls attack you, Daiki." His monster died and Daiki's life points hit zero. "Next. Oh wait, I think it's you Yugi."
Yugi nodded and drew, "Mai, may I?"
"Go for it."
"I sacrifice three of Mai's Harpies to summon Slipher the Sky Dragon!" At 6000 attack points, Kin was looking understandably worried.
"Slipher! Destroy Fear from the Dark!"
Kin's lie points hit zero too.
"Your move Joey."
Joey looked at Yugi with a slight frown as his life points dropped to 3000 because of Fairy Box. Was Yugi aware of how much he'd sounded like the Pharaoh then? He drew, summoning Blue Flame Swordsman.
"I attack!"
"Waboku!" Hirutani saved himself for one turn.
"I end my turn."
Hirutani growled audibly, knowing he was in trouble in this match, signalling to those with the Puzzle pieces to get out of the warehouse behind his back. He could see about half payment if he gave the buyers the Puzzle.
They left without the Duellists seeing, not that it was easy to see around the huge red dragon that now took up almost all the available space.
"I summon Gagagigo!" The Reptile monster .lasted as long as it took Slipher to charge up his second mouth effect. "I end my turn and Bowganian takes 600 from all of you."
"My move and I end this." Mai growled, "Harpie Ladies!"
One blew up his Machine monster and the other wiped out the last of his life points.
"Now hand over the Puzzle." Joey growled.
"Can't." Hirutani smirked. "It's already gone."
"What?" Yugi yelped.
"What's gone?" Bakura asked, coming into the warehouse, carrying something... some things… some things that were gold and shiney… "Honestly Muto, you don't take very good care of this."
"B…Bakura?" Joey saw Yugi tense, limping between his friends, the teen and Hirutani.
"I want to win it from you, Muto, for that you happen you have to have it." Bakura smirked at Hirutani, "Which means I get to deal with this thug."
"How dare you?" Hirutani snarled, attacking the teen, who dropped the Puzzle pieces, goaded Hirutani away from them and then dragged the Gang Boss into the Shadow Realm.
"What just?" Mai asked as Yugi snatched up the Puzzle pieces.
"Let's just go before Bakura decides we're next." Joey said.
Mai didn't look happy, but they walked (or limped) out into a snow coated Domino.
"You should go to a hospital, Yuge." Joey said, when the three of them were far enough away to be 'safe' (or as safe as they got).
"It's only bruised." Yugi shrugged, then he reached into his back pocket, "Here, I have an extra one." He said offering a Map Card.
"Yugi Muto!" Joey growled in despair. Then the teen shrugged, "I give up with you, I'm not taking it."
Mai and Yugi grinned at ach other, "Mai, don't I owe you for those Star Chips?"
"Why you're right Yugi." Mai pretended to suddenly remember, "And this takes me up to six."
"And Joey's only got another couple of hours hasn't he?" Yugi asked.
"Alright, alright!" Joey growled and took the offered card. "You need one more too?" He asked Mai, it finally sinking in.
"Yeap, see you in a couple of hours." Mai wandered off.
"Fine, let's find me an opponent to crush while you fix the Puzzle." Joey growled, stalking off, with Yugi in tow.
They'd carried on down slowly right up until the thugs had tried to take Obelisk out with Gilford the Lightening, teaching Joey never to even attempt that move as he jumped over the side of the stairs, landing on one of the huge metal crates.
Mai had rolled her eyes at him and finished descending the stairs as Joey leapt down and the thugs attacked Yugi.
Mai had held Joey back from storming into the middle of it there and then and something had exploded.
Luckily it had been just as Hirutani was calling off his goons. Joey and Mai edged their way towards the row of goons who had just settled behind Yugi again as the teen picked himself up, wincing as he did so.
"You cheat." Yugi groaned, Joey kept his eyes on Hirutani the whole time, too familiar with the Boss Monkey to trust that he wouldn't pull something else.
"Well, we could do worse, we could do this!"
"No!" Joey saw Hirutani moving but didn't quite grasp what was happening, unlike Yugi. "NO! DON'T!"
A horrible cracking sound followed by the sound of gold pieces hitting the floor followed as Hirutani slammed the Puzzle into a pillar, causing it to shatter. "The idiots with the money didn't specify what state it had to be in and they've all gone off to gather Map Cards, they didn't trust that we beat you." Hirutani threw the piece attached to the chain to one side, "Now, are you ready for the next match?"
Joey froze, stunned for a moment as the gold pieces glittered in the sunlight that filtered through dirty windows. Is Yami alright?
"Joey!" Mai hissed at him as Hirutani glared at Yugi, "Muto, do we have to knock some more sense into you to get you to duel us again?" Hirutani growled.
Joey and Mai attacked the goons behind as some moved away to grab the pieces and Hirutani started talking again. "Now, your next opponents…"
They finished kicking the goons arses in time for Yugi to turn around. Joey didn't return Yugi's grin as he took his place at his friend's side. "Hirutani." He growled.
"Wheeler." Joey had the pleasure of seeing surprise in Hirutani's eyes as he growled back, "Who's your girlfriend?"
"Mai Valentine." Mai had her 'I-don't-scare-easy' attitude she'd had fighting Marik thankfully, forcing Hirutani to consider her as a possible threat, or at least not a target, "And I'm not his girlfriend."
"Yet." Joey secretly hoped. "You alright Yuge?" He didn't take his eyes from Hirutani, but could practically feel the relief rolling off of his friend.
"I'm fine but he…"
"I saw." Joey glared at the Gang Boss. "Give it back, you big ape."
"I'm glad you came, I wanted a word with you." Hirutani growled.
"I'm still not interested in rejoining your little group." Joey growled, reminding himself a little too late that there were things Mai didn't know about his past yet, "I just came to help out a friend. Now give back those Puzzle pieces."
"I don't see why I should."
"I'll do you a deal." Joey said, thinking quickly, "Yuge, you trust me, right?"
Yugi nodded.
"You and me Duel, I lose I rejoin your Gang. I win, you give back the Puzzle pieces."
"I need to beat Muto to get paid, you and Muto against me and someone of my choice, you lose I get the Puzzle and you rejoin the gang, you win I hand over the Puzzle pieces and you're free to go."
"I'm not sitting on the sidelines." Mai warned Joey.
"Fine, I'll play three on three." Hirutani smirked, "Do you accept?"
"Mai…" Do you know what you're getting yourself into?
"Don't start Joey, I'm in this as well. I was from the moment I help you with that goon." This is still saner then Marik.
"Yuge?" I need you to help me here.
"I'll Duel." I'm in, I just hope you know what you're doing.
"We accept Hirutani." Joey growled. Thanks guys. The unspoken messages didn't have to be said vocally or mind to mind, they passed through the group anyway.
"Fine, you and you." Hirutani pointed to the smartest two of his goons, "You're with me."
Six Duel Disks activated, "Let's Duel!"
Six Duellists drew their first hands, "What's the order of play?" Yugi asked, looking at Hirutani.
"You, Kin," He pointed at goon Duellist to his left, "Wheeler, me, Valentine, Daiki." He pointed at the goon Duellist to his right.
"Fine." Yugi drew, energy surging up his arm and eyes widening, he couldn't use this God Card, he didn't speak Ancient Egyptian… "I play two cards face down and summon Giant Soldier of Stone in defence mode!" The large stone creature crouched in front of Yugi, "Kin, your move."
He drew, "Mataza the Zapper, in attack mode and I equip him with Fusion Sword Murasame Blade!" Mataza's attack points grew to 2100, "One card face down and I end my turn."
Joey didn't back down from his glaring contest with Hirutani as he drew, "Gearfried the Iron Knight, in attack mode and two cards face down. Your move Hirutani."
"Thanks, Wheeler." He drew, "I summon Cyber-Stien to the field in attack mode and play three cards face down." He mockingly bowed to Mai, "Your move."
Mai glared, "Harpie Lady and I activate Elegant Egotist, turning my Harpie, into the Harpie Lady Sisters!" The three Harpies did not look amused as they gave the thugs a most disgusted look. "Then I equip them with Cyber Shield and Rose Whip." The Sisters's attack points rose to 2450 on two and 2750 on the other.
"Nice move Mai!" Joey crowed and Mai grinned at him, "Next." She called, looking at Daiki.
He drew, "Two cards face down and end my turn."
The swords crashed down in front of Yugi, Joey and Mai as the turn came back to Yugi, who drew again, "I sacrifice my Giant Soldier of Stone for the Dark Magician Girl and activate Mage Power, raising her to 3000 attack points." Yugi frowned. "I end my turn."
Kin drew, "I summon Flame Swordsman. Mataza the Zapper attacks Gearfried the Iron Knight!"
"I activate Fairy Box!" Joey called. His Gearfried vanished into a whack a mole style box and kept popping it's head up. "I have to call Heads of Tails. If I call right, your attack points drop to zero."
"Fine." Kin growled as a huge virtual coin started spinning in mid air. "Get on with it."
"Heads."
The coin landed…
Heads up.
"Yes!" Joey crowed. Mataza the Zapper attacked and was destroyed.
"A card face down and it's your move." Kin growled.
Joey grinned and drew, "I play Release Restraint, freeing my Gearfried from his heavy armour and summoning Gearfried the Swordmaster!" The 2600 point Warrior monster appeared on the field. "Your move Boss Monkey." Joey smirked.
Hirutani looked surprisingly unworried, "I activate Altar for Tribute, sacrificing Flame Swordsman to increase my life points and activate Cyber-Stien's special ability."
Yugi suddenly looked worried.
"Yuge, what?" Joey asked, but was answered by the arrival of VWXYZ Dragon Catapult Cannon. "What the…?"
Hirutani's life points dropped by 5000.
"Cyber-Stien is incredibly rare." Yugi glared, "Forbidden too, where did you get one?"
"Yuge, a little help here?" Joey asked, completely clueless. Mai looked confused too.
"Cyber-Stien has the ability to summon ANY Fusion Monster from the Fusion Deck if you pay five thousand life points." Yugi said, still glaring.
"It's amazing what cards you can find online." Hirutani smirked. "And I'm guessing you know my Catapult Cannon can do." Yugi growled. "Not feeling like explaining, alright I'll show them, I remove your Dark Magician Girl from play!"
She vanished with a surprised yelp.
"And that leaves you wide open, Cyber-Stien!"
"Fairy box!" Joey yelped. "Tails!"
He'd called it right, so Yugi didn't take any damage.
"Fine, VWXYZ Catapult Cannon!"
"Heads!" Joey called.
The coin landed on Tails and Hirutani laughed as the Cannon fired at Yugi, sending him sprawling.
"Yuge!"
"Yugi!"
Yugi groaned as he sat up. "Ow."
"Yuge, are you alright?" Joey asked, concerned as Yugi staggered back to his place.
"Fine." Yugi replied, limping slightly but trying to give a reassuring smile.
Joey rolled his eyes, Yugi had obviously been hurt worse then Joey had accounted for. He hated the scripted fines that Yugi often gave when he was hurt but was so used to them by now that he decided to wait until they were out of here to rant at him.
"Valentine?" Hirutani looked annoyed but moved on.
Mai drew, "I summon Harpie Lady and activate Harpie Lady Phoenix Formation."
"What does that do?" Hirutani snorted.
"It allows me to destroy a monster for every Harpie I have on the field and you take damage equal to their attack points." She smirked, "And guess what? I have four Harpies on the field. I chose to destroy VWXYZ Catapult Cannon and Cyber-Stien!"
The two monsters exploded, but Hirutani's life points went up to 2100.
"What?" Joey growled.
"I activated Nutrient Z and Numinous Healer, increasing my points by 5000." Hirutani laughed. "I'm not gone that easily." He smirked at Mai, "You done yet?"
"Next." She growled.
Daiki drew, "I play a card in defence mode and end my turn." Hirutani glared at the goon who shrugged.
Back to Yugi, who drew, grinned and then frowned again.
"Yugi?" Mai asked.
He looked at her, then at the number of cards in his hand and frowned.
She got it.
"I play Monster Reborn to get my Giant Soldier of Stone back." Yugi called, the giant stone soldier crouched in front of him again. "And I end my turn."
Kin drew next, "Fear from the Dark, in attack mode!" The 1700 attack point Zombie monster appeared on the field. "I activate The First Sarcophagus!"
Joey frowned, he knew this combo, but he couldn't remember what the monster it summoned was.
"I end my turn."
Joey drew, "I pay 500 points to have Fairy Box remain active." Joey's points dropped to 3500, "Gearfried the Swordmaster! Attack Hirutani!"
"I activate Skull Dice!"
"I play Graceful Dice!"
Skull Dice rolled a six, while Graceful Dice only rolled a three, taking the Swordmaster down to 1300 and Hirutani down to 800.
"Next." Joey growled, annoyed.
Kin activated The Second Sarcophagus.
Hirutani drew, "I play Bowganian in attack mode and equip it with 7 Complete." It grew to 2000. "And end my turn."
"It's a shame about that." Mai said, smirking, "I play Card of Sanctity, allowing all of us to draw until we have six cards in our hands."
Yugi grinned slightly and Joey caught it, knowing exactly what was being planned.
"I activate Graveyard's Grasp, which allows me to discard all the cards I just drew." Kin called. Mai frowned, not quite understanding, but Yugi finally twigged what he was up to and it was too late to stop him, unless they could defeat him this turn.
"I summon another Harpie Lady and all my girls attack you, Daiki." His monster died and Daiki's life points hit zero. "Next. Oh wait, I think it's you Yugi."
Yugi nodded and drew, "Mai, may I?"
"Go for it."
"I sacrifice three of Mai's Harpies to summon Slipher the Sky Dragon!" At 6000 attack points, Kin was looking understandably worried.
"Slipher! Destroy Fear from the Dark!"
Kin's lie points hit zero too.
"Your move Joey."
Joey looked at Yugi with a slight frown as his life points dropped to 3000 because of Fairy Box. Was Yugi aware of how much he'd sounded like the Pharaoh then? He drew, summoning Blue Flame Swordsman.
"I attack!"
"Waboku!" Hirutani saved himself for one turn.
"I end my turn."
Hirutani growled audibly, knowing he was in trouble in this match, signalling to those with the Puzzle pieces to get out of the warehouse behind his back. He could see about half payment if he gave the buyers the Puzzle.
They left without the Duellists seeing, not that it was easy to see around the huge red dragon that now took up almost all the available space.
"I summon Gagagigo!" The Reptile monster .lasted as long as it took Slipher to charge up his second mouth effect. "I end my turn and Bowganian takes 600 from all of you."
"My move and I end this." Mai growled, "Harpie Ladies!"
One blew up his Machine monster and the other wiped out the last of his life points.
"Now hand over the Puzzle." Joey growled.
"Can't." Hirutani smirked. "It's already gone."
"What?" Yugi yelped.
"What's gone?" Bakura asked, coming into the warehouse, carrying something... some things… some things that were gold and shiney… "Honestly Muto, you don't take very good care of this."
"B…Bakura?" Joey saw Yugi tense, limping between his friends, the teen and Hirutani.
"I want to win it from you, Muto, for that you happen you have to have it." Bakura smirked at Hirutani, "Which means I get to deal with this thug."
"How dare you?" Hirutani snarled, attacking the teen, who dropped the Puzzle pieces, goaded Hirutani away from them and then dragged the Gang Boss into the Shadow Realm.
"What just?" Mai asked as Yugi snatched up the Puzzle pieces.
"Let's just go before Bakura decides we're next." Joey said.
Mai didn't look happy, but they walked (or limped) out into a snow coated Domino.
"You should go to a hospital, Yuge." Joey said, when the three of them were far enough away to be 'safe' (or as safe as they got).
"It's only bruised." Yugi shrugged, then he reached into his back pocket, "Here, I have an extra one." He said offering a Map Card.
"Yugi Muto!" Joey growled in despair. Then the teen shrugged, "I give up with you, I'm not taking it."
Mai and Yugi grinned at ach other, "Mai, don't I owe you for those Star Chips?"
"Why you're right Yugi." Mai pretended to suddenly remember, "And this takes me up to six."
"And Joey's only got another couple of hours hasn't he?" Yugi asked.
"Alright, alright!" Joey growled and took the offered card. "You need one more too?" He asked Mai, it finally sinking in.
"Yeap, see you in a couple of hours." Mai wandered off.
"Fine, let's find me an opponent to crush while you fix the Puzzle." Joey growled, stalking off, with Yugi in tow.