Chapter 13: - Small Details
"Miss Gardener, thank you for your time," the black-suited government goon said with the slightest nod of his head. "We just need a few moments, then you can be on your way."
Tea tried not to feel like she had been kidnapped out of class as she settled on the edge of a desk. "I have an important meeting," she complained, not looking forward to travelling by Duel Monster to get to it, "so could we make this fast?"
"Certainly." Tea looked up. A woman entered the room, pulled her sunglasses off and gave Tea a sharp smile. "My name's Adriana Gunner," she said, "I'm with the American Ministry."
"Nice to meet you, Miss Gunner," Tea replied, instinctively tensing up as she did. She remembered the fiasco created by the American Ministry of Magic just the previous summer.
"Mrs," Adriana corrected automatically. "We need to talk to you about your, 'family.' Your, 'brothers,' made a huge mess."
"It wasn't their fault," Tea defended them without even thinking. "Bakura's been trying for years to do what he did and no one, no one at all, has ever offered us assistance. Yugi's saved the world so many times that I've lost count and we've always had to stand alone because no one bothered to help us. Even when we nearly died."
"Miss Gardener," the government agent tried the appeasing route, "I understand your anger. If I had been through what you and yours have been through without assistance, I would be cross too. However you have to understand that doesn't fix the situation that's now arisen."
"What do you mean?" Tea frowned.
"Your brother knows how to seal the Shadows and return the world to the way it should be," Adriana replied. "We need that information."
"And what do you want me to do?" Tea asked, bristling at the thought that someone would want to put someone else through what Yami had been, just because they did not like the new, 'normal.'
"We need you to set up a meeting, that's all."
Tea reached instinctively for her purse where her deck was, just awaiting her call as Adriana's comment set off her, 'trap,' warning bells.
"In exchange we would provide your tuition for your continued schooling, something I know is at threat with the death of your patron."
Tea grimaced. While she had not known that Pegasus was paying her tuition at the dance school she studied at until last year, it was true that with his demise, her fees were going to build up. She did not want to ask the new C.E.O. of Industrial Illusions for money after all. Not when he had more important things on his mind.
Still, if the Americans thought she would betray her brothers, they thought wrong.
"No one knows how to seal the Shadows again. Not even Yugi," Tea informed her, certain of that fact. It was not possible to know the very end of a ritual you had been the sacrifice for after all. "And I don't think Yugi's allowed to leave whatever safe-house the Ministry's set him up in."
"And yet you're going to him," Adriana smirked, as Tea stared at her in shock. "You honestly thought, Miss Gardener, that we would allow someone who was actively sought after by another magical government into the country without keeping tabs on them?"
"I won't be your lure," Tea warned her, reaching into her bag and relaxing slightly when she managed to get her hand on her deck, subtly fiddling with the deck holster to get a card out.
"Miss Gardener, to be quite frank we want to do this the peaceful way but the threat to every magical in the world is very real," said Adriana, gesturing behind her back to her colleague, who had already noticed Tea's actions. "If we do not undo the damage it could cause a new round of Salem Trials. We cannot allow that."
"My family have just suffered a heavy loss at the hands of what you would consider, 'normal,' magicals," Tea snapped back. "What those people did was neither subtle, nor was it productive to preventing the general public from panicking. And yet it's my family who are in the wrong? For something that isn't even their fault?"
"Miss Gardener, please take your hand out of your purse," the man who had been watching her carefully drew his pistol from its holster and aimed it at her.
"I'm not a terrorist," Tea said slowly, and cautiously removed her hand from her purse, letting go of the card she had drawn at the same time.
"No one said you were," Adriana replied, "but no one wants to risk you summoning something with the mood you're in."
"What're you going to do if I say no, I won't help?" Tea asked, still watching the gun warily.
"Then I'm afraid I'll be left with no choice but to have you arrested for obstructing the authorities," Adriana replied, "and then you most certainly wouldn't get to your meeting."
"Fine. I'll call him, but I won't make any promises."
LINE_RECOGNITION_HAS_GONE_AGAIN
"Hi."
Seto internally winced at the sound, but showed no outward signs of doing so, instead turning from his filing cabinet to glower at the speaker. "You know, some people would consider it rude to break into someone's office."
Yugi let out a nervous chuckle, looking sheepish. "Sorry," he said, "we had to sneak past the Ministry's guards to get here and I figured you probably wouldn't speak to me if I made an appointment."
Seto could not deny that Yugi had a point. Still, he raised an eyebrow, refusing to acknowledge it. "We?"
"Mokuba and Joey," Yugi explained, "and of course Ya..." He sighed, his hand resting gently on the Puzzle as he did so, "Atem."
"What do you want?" Seto asked, warily watching the young man who was pacing his office, half expecting his other self to make an appearance.
"The Japanese Ministry made me an offer. I want to bring it up to all the Clan," Yugi replied, still pacing the office, reminding Seto of himself when he was worked up over some project or another and unable to express his frustration in any other way.
"So?" Kaiba asked, acting unconcerned, although he was curious with regards to what exactly Yugi had been offered. "I believe Wheeler made his thoughts on my membership rather clear."
"You handed me over to the enemy," Yugi sighed, having had to talk the others round to him coming out here to talk to Kaiba in the first place. "Surely you expected them to be cross at you?"
Technically, Yugi had handed himself over, Seto had just lured him into the trap, but he did not mention those facts. Besides, the new Pharaoh understood why he had done what he had done, that was all that was important.
"I have a company to run, Yugi," said Seto.
"As do I," the Pharaoh reminded him. "I've been ignoring Industrial Illusions for too long already. However, this is important."
Kaiba just watched him resume pacing for a moment, waiting for the other man to work through his train of thought in his own time. He would not normally bother. Time was money after all, but Yugi would not have snuck past the Ministry guards and disturbed him at work if it was not of vital importance. He could afford to give him a little time.
"You're Clan, Seto, and this will affect all of us. They're willing to give diplomatic immunity to me and members of my inner circle," Yugi explained, stopping and turning to face the elder Kaiba brother, "as well as aid us against Voldemort."
"And this has what to do with me? I can't play your games anymore, Yugi. I can't afford to..."
"We're not going back to Hogwarts," Yugi interrupted. "You can't afford the time, I can't afford the time. There are too many people expecting us to do too much and to be quite frank even if there weren't, I wouldn't trust the English Ministry to not have us murdered in our sleep if we went back to their school."
"Paranoia from you?" Seto asked, looking Yugi over properly and finally developing an idea of the damage the last few months had yielded.
"Everyone has to grow up sometime," Yugi replied. He recognised Kaiba's understanding, and acknowledged it. That the deaths of his family and friends, along with the loss of the shield that had protected him for so long, his belief that even the bad guys had to fight fair and his faith that in the end he would be able to save everyone, had forced him to look at the world with a much different view.
Seto frowned slightly but did not comment on it. For the last couple of years he had been wondering how much more Yugi could see and go through before it changed him. Now he knew. "So what do you need from me?" he asked, changing the subject.
"I just want you at the Clan meeting later," Yugi replied, glad to go back to what he had come for. "If we go with the Speaker's offer it could change a lot. You don't have to offer any assistance if you don't want to or put yourself forward for anything but you might think of something that we haven't."
"All right," Seto allowed, relieved he was not expected to jump into whatever they were planning this time, "but I won't be available until five at the earliest, our time, not whatever time you're running on that island of yours."
"We can wait," Yugi promised. "The Speaker said he wouldn't be back till morning anyway."
Seto decided that was good. It would allow them to work and argue and plan late into the night if necessary. "You said Mokuba and the mutt are with you?" he asked.
"I really wouldn't call him that right now," Yugi warned him, "he's still ticked at you and, well..." He trailed off.
Seto sighed exasperatedly. Of course Wheeler was ticked at him. Pretty much the whole Clan would be. Never mind that he had been trying to protect his brother at the time, or that he had had a plan in mind. Admittedly one that involved setting an angry Atem on the prick who had had the audacity to kidnap and possess his little brother, but a plan none the less.
Still, this was no different from how it had been when he had first become friends with Yugi and his group of lunatics. Only Yugi had trusted him back then too, a position that he had deserved considering everything he had done to the group. It had taken years to gain the trust of certain members of the group, a trust that he had not always wanted and now no longer had.
"Your brother's in his office. He said he needed to come in to get some of the jobs done that he can't work on while away from the building's secure network," Yugi informed him. "Joey's hovering outside the door." He indicated the door to the outer office where his and Mokuba's secretaries worked.
"I'm surprised he felt safe enough to leave you alone with me," Seto snorted. Magic flowed and Seto grimaced as he felt a tingling all along his nerve-endings. The air in the office seemed to darken slightly as the changes that he had not seen in going on five years occurred. "Atem," he murmured, with a nod to the former Pharaoh.
"Serenity was at risk as well," said Atem, "once he remembered that little fact he was a bit more understanding."
"But he's still cross," Kaiba pointed out, "not that it bothers me."
Atem hid his smirk well. Seto may claim that he did not need them, and that he would not miss them if they went away and never came back, but he could see through that easily. Seto had been the one to regularly seek them out during the Goblet issues after all, almost as much as they had him.
"He's ticked at everyone right now. You, me, Yugi, Neos, Voldemort, even himself" said the Pharaoh. "You should know by now that it takes ages for Joey to calm down after a major event, and this..."
Seto understood clearly. The last couple of months were the worst that the Clan had ever been through. They had been on a losing streak ever since Voldemort had had Kari killed, they still had not managed to regain their footing and there was nothing in their experience that could match up to the losses they had taken. Still, that did not explain why Atem had taken over. There was obviously something on that the ex-Pharaoh wanted to get off his chest.
"Is there something you want?" Seto asked, amused at the way Atem's back stiffened at the question. "Or can I get on with my work?"
There was silence for a moment, then, just as Seto went to turn back to his work, Atem let out a frustrated noise. "I need you to withdraw your complaint against Marik."
"No," Seto replied firmly.
"Kaiba..."
"Don't treat me like one of your subjects," Seto glowered at him, interrupting what was sure to be an impressive speech. "I might well have existed in your time, but in the modern age I am not your servant. I won't bend to your orders."
"I need Marik out of jail," Yami said, ignoring him.
"Why? So you can abandon your precious, 'hikari,' and fail to repay some of the debt you owe the human race?" Seto snarked back, pleased when hints of confusion slipped through the former Pharaoh's mask of indifference. "You may not be fully aware of what price was paid for your memories, but I am. Your little jaunt into the Shadow Realm cost over a fifth of the planet's population their lives or souls."
"What!?"
"Didn't the Speaker tell you?" Seto enjoyed the shock that little revelation bought a little too much, and could not resist the urge to drive the point further. "Just under one point two billion people were wiped out that morning. All because you didn't bother to wait to see if Bakura was nearby when you activated the tablet."
"Leave him alone!" Yugi snapped, seizing control of his body as shock took a hold of Atem. "It's not his fault his memories were booby-trapped!"
"No," Seto allowed, pulling the claws back in with Yugi, "but Marik would see him dead. Properly dead. As soon as possible. And though he saved the world five thousand years ago, he owes the world now a huge debt."
"Yami isn't leaving. Not any time soon," Yugi defended. "He promised Sirius he wouldn't. Not until Voldemort was defeated and Sirius came back." He let out a calming breath. "Besides, I'll take on any debt left when he leaves and repay it to the best of my abilities."
"You can guarantee that Yami won't go to Egypt?" Seto asked, watching him carefully.
"If this is about that bloody title..." Yugi warned, already thoroughly sick of the newly revived mutual distain between his darker self and the C.E.O. of Kaiba Corp.
"Bloody?" asked Seto, amused.
"Blame Ron and don't change the subject," Yugi grumbled. "We're not going to Egypt until this war is over. No matter what Marik says. I can promise you that."
Seto turned over the words in his head. Yugi never lied, not when it was important. A promise from him was as good as a written guarantee. "I'll see what I can do."
LINE_RECOGNITION_HAS_GONE_AGAIN
"If I had known I wouldn't be going back to England I'd have packed all my notes," Hermione grumbled as she searched through her bag, looking for the notes on privacy spells. She knew she had made them, but could not remember if they were with her or in her trunk, which was still currently in the Granger home back in the U.K.
"Can I help?" D.M.G. asked, poking her head in the door and looking at her curiously.
"Dani!" Hermione grinned, glomping the young woman, causing her to stagger backwards.
"Hi, 'Mione," D.M.G. replied, hugging the younger girl back once she had stabilised herself. "How'd you get yourself caught up with this lot?" She indicated the castle in general.
"Is this my concerned cousin Danielle asking, or is it D.M.G., the sole researcher, reporter and editor of Digital Duellist?" Hermione could not help asking.
"Cousin," Danielle promised, "even if I could put things up on Digital Duellist, I wouldn't spread your secrets unless you gave me permission."
"What do you mean, 'even if you could'?" Hermione frowned. "The site's yours, isn't it?"
"Question for a question?" Danielle offered, the reporter in her mentally pulling out a pad of paper and a pen even as she reminded herself that everything her cousin was saying was off the record.
"All right," Hermione allowed, turning back to her stack of notes as she did so, trying to work out if she had the information on the potion she and Kari had worked so long on only for Golden to steal the results before anyone could look at it. Her privacy spell notes were with it. "The guys saved me from a troll."
"Good one," Danielle chuckled, then paused when Hermione stared at her. "You're not serious."
"I am," Hermione nodded. "A troll broke into the school during my first year. I was friends with Kari before that, but the guys came to rescue us."
"Bloody hell," Dani commented, torn between shock and relief that her cousin had people willing to jump in front of trolls for her.
"Why can't you post anything on your site?" Hermione asked her cousin, glancing up from the pile of parchment she was leafing through.
"The police made me shut down Digital Duellist," the reporter sighed. "The guys who attacked CardCon could have used it to find targets."
"You never told me who attacked the Con." Hermione frowned. "Did someone admit to it?"
"Here," Dani tossed her cousin her 'phone, which still had the photos she had taken in its memory.
Hermione blanched as she looked the photos over, anger rising as she realised exactly what she was seeing. "They won't be using D.D. to get information."
"How do you know?" Dani frowned, curious and horribly tempted to ask if she could get an official statement for her site if the terrorists could not use it for information gathering.
"Because these are Death Eaters," Hermione handed the 'phone back with a rather impressively timed image of a Death Eater shooting off a spell on screen. "Pure-Blood Wizards. Their so-called experts on Muggles - non-magicals - can't even say telephone or electricity properly, yet alone use the internet."
Danielle frowned as she took her 'phone back. "So I got shut down for nothing?"
"Maybe," Hermione allowed, thinking things through. "I need to..."
"Hermione!" Rebecca flitted into the room, looking relieved. "Oh, good, here you are."
"What's wrong?" Hermione asked, dropping her notes and watching her carefully.
"Yugi's called a Clan gathering," Rebecca informed her. "The Speaker popped by with an offer."
"Good," she replied, "I need to talk to him anyway. The Death Eaters aren't being sneaky anymore."
"I know," Rebecca pushed her recently acquired glasses up her nose, "I read Digital Duellist. I just haven't had a chance to talk to Yugi and Yami about it yet."
"If I may," Dani interrupted their conversation, putting her laptop bag on the nearest table and searching for something within it as she did so, "I can provide proof for him if you need it."
"The photos?" Hermione asked, wondering what her cousin was looking for.
"Not just that," Dani shook her head, "the Duellists were fighting back and one of their elemental ninjas managed to snatch this from one of the attackers." She fished out a Death Eater's mask, and grinned at her cousin. "I'll let you have it in exchange for one thing."
"Oh?" Hermione grimaced, kind of guessing what was to come. "What is it?"
"Oh, don't worry, it's nothing big," Dani replied, next pulling a Dictaphone out of her bag, "I just want an official statement from the High Priestess of the Pharaoh."
"Seriously?" Rebecca complained. "Right now?"
"I want first reactions," Dani shrugged.
"I have a better idea," Hermione smiled slightly, having obviously thought of something that appealed to her. "Come to the meeting with us."
"I'm not Clan," Dani reminded her.
"Eyewitness statement is better than second-hand reports," said Hermione, "you taught me that."
"Get me in, I'll tell him what I can," said Dani, then more slyly, "then can I get my statement?"
"I'm pretty sure Yugi'll want you to put something online. You'll probably get a statement from him."
"Oooh," Danielle's eyes lit up and Hermione could practically see her pull out her reporter's hat. "Count me in."
LINE_RECOGNITION_HAS_GONE_AGAIN
"Come on guys..." Tristan paced the floo room, scowling at the Japanese fireplace. "What's taking so long? Damn it!" He kicked a decorative vase, then swore as it toppled over and smashed.
If there was one thing he had not missed about being around his friends, it was playing the waiting game. Unfortunately, it often felt like that was all he was good for. Before Shadowmorn he had had no magic of his own and he had been bad at Duel Monsters, to put it politely. He had been rather good at providing muscle for their magically overpowered but physically underwhelming friend, but that had been about it.
He had wanted to go along with the group that had gone to Kaiba Corp, but it had been argued that taking too many along would probably get them caught. They were, after all, still supposed to be in protective custody and away from the mainland. He had tried to suggest that maybe it would be better he went than Joey but the resulting debate between the pair of them had resulted Yami threatening to leave both of them behind.
It did not help his nerves that the Pharaoh was as unhappy with Yugi's plan as the rest of them. When Yami and Yugi disagreed, something went wrong. Not that things could really go much more wrong than they already had, but it still put him on edge.
Green flames flared in the Japanese fireplace, and Joey stepped out carrying a stack of paperwork. Mokuba followed him closely. Tristan relaxed slightly. "So?" he asked.
"He'll be by later. We got bigger problems," Joey shrugged it off, in a fouler mood than when he had left that morning, something that Tristan had not thought was possible.
"What now?" Tristan groaned, worried something else had burned to the ground. Yugi stepped through the fireplace and immediately started dialling someone on his 'phone. "Guys?"
"Tea called," Joey explained as Yugi started talking in a rapid and fluent mixture of English and Japanese. "The American Ministry want a meeting with Yugi."
"Uh, no?" Tristan scoffed. He recalled with great clarity the events of the previous summer. He had little interest in getting involved with the Americans again.
"That's what Tea said," Joey grimaced, "then from what I can gather they threatened to arrest her if she didn't help them."
"Great," Tristan groaned. "Has anyone told the Japanese Ministry?"
"We were on the wrong side of the floo for that," Joey pointed out, "and Ya...Atem, I'm never going to get used to that, thinks he has a plan if they try to keep Tea from getting to the meeting."
"We are not storming the American Ministry of Magic," Tristan could easily see where the plan was going.
"If they kidnap Tea we are," said Atem, appeared in spirit form. Tristan jumped a mile, still unused to being able to see and hear ghosts.
"Damn it, Yami. A little warning would be nice," he ranted, distracting Yugi from his conversation. The spirit of the Millennium Puzzle did not apologise, but Joey started sniggering.
"Now you know how I felt," he smirked. Yugi had gone back to his reassuring Tea that they had a plan and was now imploring her not to worry. Tristan just rolled his eyes.
"If I don't hear from you in an hour I'll send someone to check on you," Yugi promised, his hand going automatically to his deck. He suddenly chuckled. "I'm not sure Boh would be suitable, it wouldn't help anything if they made him explode. It's all right, hand it over if they're that insistent." Tristan watched him take a deep breath, obviously not in the mood for this crap on top of everything else. He switched to English. "Mutou Yugi speaking, who is this?"
"Oh, brother," complained Joey, seeing his friend grimace and sit on the hearth of the disconnected England fireplace. He put the 'phone on loudspeaker.
"...of Magic in America. It's of vital importance that we speak to you in person as soon as possible."
"I'm sorry," Yugi replied in a manner that indicated he was being polite but really just wanted the other person to buzz off. Considering it was generally only ever used on the hordes of Duellists that had swarmed daily at the Game Shop, or Weevil Underwood, Tristan found it funny. "But I'm not supposed to leave my protective custody so you really need to go through the Japanese Ministry if you want a meeting, rather than harassing my friends."
"You're also supposed to get visitors approved before they come to you and yet we know Miss Gardener is coming over later."
Atem scowled at this, wondering how long they had been bugging their conversations with Tea. Yugi, on the other hand, just sighed and asked, "What is it you want from me?"
"My bosses would like a few moments of your time in order to get the full story of what happened during Shadowmorn and find out more about the Shadows," replied the woman on the other end, who had introduced herself as Adriana, "and about the seal which held them."
"No," Yugi's instant, uncompromising reply stunned his friends. They had expected him to at least try the more diplomatic route first. "I can't share the details of the ritual and I wouldn't even if I could."
"Mr Mutou..."
"I don't know the full details of the ritual and I won't share what I do know with people I don't know and trust. Not when trying it might cause the Shadows to riot," Yugi interrupted, "and I don't appreciate you badgering my friends. If you want to have a meeting with me, then please, contact Saitou-san, don't force my friends to 'phone me."
Suddenly, Yugi's mood made much more sense. Picking on his friends had always been a sure-fire way to earn the ire of both his personalities.
"But Mr Mutou..."
"Now if you don't mind, Tea has an important family meeting to get to and I don't really have time for pointless questions," Yugi interrupted again. Rituals were the last thing he wanted to think about. "I have a business to run."
"You do realise that most of Industrial Illusions is an American company and we can make it very difficult for you to continue trading?"
Mokuba let out a sharp hiss. His brother's company relied on Industrial Illusions for a lot of its products. If the American government started putting pressure on it, Kaiba Corp. would take another hit and they really could not afford it right now. The company was in enough trouble as it was between Shadowmorn and the Death Eaters' on Domino. Any more and it was possible that those who wanted to seize Kaiba Corp. from them might actually succeed, or worse. The company could lose the last of their staff and they would be forced to shut down entirely.
Yugi glanced at Mokuba, grimacing slightly at his expression. "If we're going to have this face-to-face meeting, I want two of my people and the Speaker and whoever he chooses present," he said aloud, ignoring Atem's comment about having had enough of blackmailing gits, although he also fully agreed with it.
"Of course," Adriana sounded pleased.
"On neutral ground," Atem recommended, wondering why it felt a lot like they were negotiating a parley.
"You can travel to us, a lot easier than we can to you," Adriana pointed out when Yugi passed it on.
"With all due respect," Yugi tried to ignore the fact Joey was making gestures that suggested she was due none from them, "that's rubbish. You have access to the same methods of magical travel we do. More in fact, since none of us can make portkeys or apperate."
"We'll talk with the Japanese Ministry and liaise with them about a suitable time and date," Adriana said, ill-amused to have been called out, "in the meantime, if we could have some guarantee that you'll actually keep your word..."
Yugi was rapidly tiring of her games. "I've never been anything but honest in my dealings with your Ministry," he said. "Your Ministry were the ones who screwed up past relations after arresting all of us, throwing us in jail cells when we needed medical assistance and threatening to kill Yami for possessing me, when I was the one who switched us in order to protect him."
He paused, realising that the hurt and anger he had previously been prevented from feeling was flowing out of him at the wrong time and against the wrong person. His link partners both offered him reassurances, until he felt he was able to continue. "Perhaps this might be enough. I, Mutou Yugi, swear, on my magic, to attend a meeting between myself, the Magical Ministry of Japan and the one of America, at a date and time arranged by all three parties, to discuss the Shadows."
"Yuge!" Joey protested as he felt magic swirl around Yugi for a moment, before settling and glowing white.
"That will do," Adriana sounded appeased, if nothing else, "thank you for your co-operation." With that, the 'phone went dead.
"You do realise it's a trap, right?" Joey scowled.
"Yeah," Yugi admitted, leaning against a fireplace pillar, "but they have the advantage. We're not the government of a huge country with political clout across multiple countries. We're just a group of young adults in way over our head." The others hated it, but Yugi had a point. "And..."
A swirling column of Shadows appeared in the middle of the room and Atem switched with Yugi, while Tristan moved to step in front of him and Joey did the same for Mokuba. Out stepped Tea, accompanied by her Shining Friendship. She looked around, spotted Atem and stalked towards him. The ex-Pharaoh, recognising impending female wrath when he saw it, dropped Yugi in control just in time for her to slap him upside the head.
"Mutou Yugi, you are an idiot."
Yugi just stared at her in shock. She had hit the other boys in their group plenty of times, but that was the first time she had ever hit him.
"Boys," Tea let out a frustrated noise, before hugging each of them in turn. "So where am I staying tonight?" she asked.
"I'll show you," Joey grinned at her, amused by Yugi's stunned silence. "This way." He gestured for her to precede him.
"Lead on."
LINE_RECOGNITION_HAS_GONE_AGAIN
"Excuse me?" Hermione asked as she double-checked what she was hearing and wondered why everyone seemed to be coming to her rather than one of the guys.
"You lot are going to have to face Moldywarts and his Dead Munchies at some point, we want in when you do," Dinah repeated herself priggishly.
"I'm not the leader of our group," Hermione pointed out, "it's not me you have to talk to."
"You're a High Priestess of Pharaoh Yugi's Court," Dinah disagreed, "so if you vouch for us, Yugi'll trust your word."
"I'm not..." Hermione sighed. "Where did that even come from anyway?"
"The Duel Monsters said that's how you announced yourself to the Shadows."
Hermione wanted to face palm the answer, remembering with distinct clarity how she had introduced herself into the Memory World Shadow Game.
"I'm Hermione Granger, I'm a Priestess who serves Prince Yugi…"
"Oh," she winced.
Dinah smirked a little. "Anyway," she said, "back to the point. We want in when you lot face the tosser who attacked CardCon and killed all those people."
"It's going to be dangerous and you're going to have to convince Yugi yourself, even if I say yes," Hermione pointed out. "He doesn't like it when we follow him into danger, even though we're his friends, so he's not going to want you guys joining in."
"It wasn't even his fight," Rebecca reminded the bushy-haired Gryffindor, having followed her and D.M.G. from Hermione's room, "not to start with. It was Harry's. He's the one Voldemort targeted first and from what I know, Harry's even less keen on dragging people into his fights then Yugi is."
"They're two of a kind," Hermione murmured.
"You can't win a war without troops," said Dinah, "and we're willing to follow orders. At least until the prat's dealt with."
"Still not my call," Hermione reiterated, "even if you have a point."
"Hey, 'Mione?" D.M.G. asked, "remember what we need to tell your boss?"
"Yeah?" Hermione frowned, wondering why her cousin was bringing up the fact they needed to warn Yugi and Harry that Voldemort had attacked the largest Duel Monsters convention in the U.K.
"Eyewitness reports," said the reporter.
Hermione thought about it for a moment, then nodded. "All right," she agreed, "Dinah, come with us to the meeting? If we can prove that they need backup, hopefully they won't think that going off on their own is such a great idea."
"If I help you talk some sense into Yugi and Harry? Was it? Will you help talk the Court into accepting our help?" Dinah asked.
"You actually manage to help me talk some sense into those two and I'll nominate you for an award, let alone vouch for you," Hermione snorted. "Not that it's possible."
"We can try," Dinah grinned, relishing the challenge.
"You're all nuts," Rebecca complained.
"You came to help us too," said Hermione.
"Okay, okay, we're all nuts," Rebecca corrected herself.
"Then we all fit in here," Hermione sighed. "Right, food, then meeting. Seto's not getting here till after work so we have time to grab a snack."
"I thought Joey threatened to punch Kaiba's lights out the next time they saw each other?" Rebecca asked, confused.
"Really?" Dani grinned. "Then I want a front row seat."
"Dani!" Hermione scolded.
"What?" Dani asked innocently. "It all adds to the flavour of the article."
"I can't take you anywhere, can I?"
LINE_RECOGNITION_HAS_GONE_AGAIN
"Bloody Kaiba and his bloody security guards," Marik grumbled as he collected the stuff that had been confiscated when he had been arrested. "I swear I could sue for harassment." He glowered up at the Ministry official who was overseeing his case. "So, what? I can go now?"
"That's right, the charges have been dropped and you're free to go anywhere you like," the Ministry official agreed, "except to go see Mutou-san."
"Oh, for...why not?" Marik demanded, sick of this whole charade.
"Because he's no longer in Japan."
"What!?"
"Please refrain from screeching, Ishtar-san," the official requested. "To answer your question, the Ministry had him moved to a safe-house off of the mainland."
"So where is he?" Marik growled.
"I can't say."
"Oh, not this again," Marik groaned, "I NEED to speak with Yugi urgently."
"When it's safe for him to be on the mainland again, we'll arrange a meeting," the official reassured him, though Marik could not help but feel like he had been patted on the head and told, 'there, there,' like some four-year-old throwing a tantrum. "But until then I'm afraid you don't have the clearance to know where he is. Nor will you get it. Not with your criminal record."
"That was five years ago!" Marik snapped. "I've changed since then!"
"Doesn't matter," said the official with a shrug, "with attempted murder, kidnapping, misuse of magic and forced possession on your rap sheet, you're lucky you're not staying in that cell, so don't push it."
Marik hesitated. While he had been a, 'guest,' of the Ministry, his position had been made very clear to him. While they had not intervened in Battle City, they were fully aware of what he had been up to before and during it. The fact he had had a psychotic alter ego and had seemed to mellow once it had been removed was the only reason they were even allowing him to stay in Japan. They, understandably, did not trust him, and he had not helped his case when he had tried to explain why it was so urgent for him to see Yugi. He had not wanted to tell them as much as he had, but once he had started talking he had seemed unable to stop. Marik was personally of the opinion that they had put something in the tea.
He would have preferred to skip dealing with Kaiba, and hence the Ministry entirely, but he had no way of contacting Yugi without their assistance. The only telephone number he had had was for the shop and he had no way of sending Yugi a message.
"Fine," Marik grimaced, making a mental note to see if Ishizu had any better luck, "I'll wait."
"Excellent," said the official, nodding his approval, "here's your stuff." Marik noted the careful way the suited individual handled his deck, but pretty much just dumped the rest of his things on the table. "And Kaiba-san left a message for you," the man handed him an envelope which he snatched from his hand.
"What does he want?" Marik growled, his anger diminishing slightly when he realised that it was, in fact, Yugi's mobile 'phone number. Annoyed and confused as to why Kaiba had not just given it to him in the first place, he grabbed the rest of his things and followed the official out of the room, down the corridors along to reception and stalked out of the front doors, slamming them shut behind him.
Pulling out his own mobile device, he entered the number he had been given and put the handset to his ear. It rang constantly for a minute or so, then frustratingly cut to, "Mutou Yugi speaking, I'm sorry I can't come to the 'phone right now. Please leave a message after the beep and I'll get back to you as soon as possible. BEEP."
"Oh, for..."
LINE_RECOGNITION_HAS_GONE_AGAIN
The sun was just setting on Duellist Kingdom when Seto finally managed to get there. Mokuba and his girlfriend had waited for him at the Fireplace Room, as it was getting to be known, and by the time they had led him down to the beach, the bonfire had already been lit and there was a tag team duel going on between Tate and Lyle, the pyro tag team Duellists from DuelDMU, and Atem and Joey, who were giving the pair a run for their money.
"Why did they want to hold this meeting down here?" Seto asked, confused as he watched the former Pharaoh destroy all four Solar Flare Dragons, a combination that would have destroyed his and Joey's Life Points in just one more turn. The combination he used, Dark Magician and Diffusion Wave Motion, cut through their lockdown and wiped out pyro Duellists.
"Should have seen that coming," Tate seethed as his teammates laughed at him and Lyle forked over some money to their leader, a young woman.
"Too many people to get around one table," Mokuba explained with a grin, having heard about the wagers beforehand, but far from foolish enough to bet against the King of Games himself, "and we can't be sure that the Japanese Ministry didn't bug the castle while they were warding the island."
"More paranoia from Yugi?" Seto asked, looking over at Atem, who had given control back to his lighter self and taken spirit form and settled in the sand next to Harry.
"Me, actually," Mokuba said, and shrugged, "I just remember how many times we had to watch out for opponents bugging our 'phones and things to steal secrets."
Seto would have commended his brother's idea, but Joey had just finished joking about with the tag team Duellists and spotted him. "Wheeler," he said, barely acknowledging the other Clan founder, who glowered at him and hunkered down by the fire.
"Seto," Yugi smiled as Atem gave him a sharp nod, "glad you could make it."
"I told you I'd be here," Seto replied. He hesitated before taking off his white trench coat and sitting on the sand, the pristine garment folded beside him. Mokuba swiftly joined the group of would-be fourth years that were gathering by the box of ice containing the drinks.
"So," said Tea, looking at Yugi as the main group settled and the DuelDMU lot moved further up the beach, a second bonfire flaring up at their position not long after they migrated. Dinah, however, and D.M.G., settled on the sands on either side of Hermione. "You said you had something important to ask us?"
"That's right," Yugi waited until everyone was sat down and handed out drinks. "The Speaker for Magical Japan came to see me earlier," he started, watching everyone as he slumped down next to Atem, going to lean on his dark half's shoulder only to catch himself at the last instant. "He wanted to make us an offer."
He could feel that he had everyone's attention, though the blazing fire made it a little difficult to see the whole group. "Before I say anything else, I'll warn you all that I've agreed to take a group of refugees that the French Ministry sent our way."
"Are you sure that's a good idea?" asked Tea.
"I won't let the Death Eaters leave anyone else homeless," Yugi replied, his tone brokering no argument and reminding his friends a little too much of his darker self to be completely comfortable. Harry nudged him over the link, concerned for his friend and able to sense that he was not entirely in the present. Yugi started, then shook himself loose of Atem's ancient memories and nudged back, sending reassurance his way. "I'm okay," he sent, smiling slightly at Harry before turning back to the matter at hand.
"In exchange for us working with the Shiragiku and helping in training exercises, the Speaker for Magical Japan is offering us diplomatic immunity not only in Japan, but wherever we go," he continued, "along with supplies and materials to build homes. Not only that, but full support in dealing with Voldemort, and the English Ministry are willing to hand over the prophecy between Harry and Voldemort." There was stunned silence for a moment, then everyone started talking at once. Past experience had taught Yugi that trying to be heard over them was futile so he just let them talk themselves out.
"We," Hermione indicated herself, Rebecca, D.M.G. and Dinah, as the babbling died down, "need to tell you something before anyone says anything else."
"Okay," said Yugi, gesturing for her to go on.
"Are you aware of CardCon? The annual weeklong convention, that's held in England and is the biggest con of its kind in the country?" Hermione asked.
"I've been invited as a guest a couple of times," Yugi confirmed.
"Well the Friday before Voldemort attacked Domino, he and his Death Eaters attacked CardCon."
For a moment there was uproar amongst the gathered group, something D.M.G. and Dinah were surprisingly gratified to see. Finally, Yugi held up his hand and the rest fell silent within seconds.
"How bad?" he asked, concern obvious.
"Really," Dinah replied, "there were thousands of people there. Us Shadow-Touched fought back as best we could, but we were in deep trouble 'til one of Kaiba's Blue Eyes White Dragons showed up." She looked at Seto and added, "Thanks for that, by the way."
Seto just waved it off.
"I figured since Kaiba knew about it, you lot did too 'til I spoke to Hermione," Dinah said, with a frown.
"The Death Eaters weren't discriminating between Shadow-Touched and mundane, or by age or anything," D.M.G. continued, "they were just out to slaughter everyone there." Her expression soured. "Their leader was saying something about wiping out the tainted ones and destroying anyone who might ally with Potter and the Pharaoh." She glanced between the shade of Yugi's twin brother and the Pharaoh himself. "Who's Potter?"
"That would be me," Harry murmured, trying not to think about the fact that Voldemort had attacked the convention to remove threats, only to cause some of those he attacked to join their side anyway.
"I thought your surname was Domino?" said Dinah incredulously.
"No," Harry looked embarrassed, "that was the name I was using to avoid being found by Voldemort and his goons."
"So you're Harry Potter, not Harry Domino, got it."
He noticed D.M.G. jot that down, and realised she was dutifully taking notes on the meeting as a whole.
"If Voldemort's attacking innocent people to prevent them possibly joining up with us, we need to stop him," said Yugi, hands balled into fists. "He's hurt too many people already and it looks like he's just going to get worse the longer we leave it."
"It's me he wants," said Harry.
"It's not just you," Atem retorted. "He's threatened to kill most of us at some point."
"Look," Joey glowered at Harry, "we don't let Yugi go off on his own to fight these idiots. There's no way you're allowed to go off on your own, either."
"There's more," D.M.G. interrupted what was swiftly going to become an argument. "The Duel Monsters couldn't touch Voldemort. He could use the Shadows to defend himself against almost anything we threw at him. The only attacks that got through were from LIGHT monsters."
"He's grown stronger then," Harry frowned. "When I faced him in the graveyard, when Wormtail killed Kari, he wasn't that powerful."
The thought of Voldemort with enough power to shrug off anything but a LIGHT attack, and in all likelihood growing even stronger, was not a reassuring one, and left them all speechless.
"I have to stop him," Harry broke the silence, speaking over the sounds of the crackling fire.
"You shouldn't..."
"I'm not going to go alone. I can't take him alone, not if he can do that. I'll need help," said Harry, "but if there's a prophecy that made him try to kill me as a kid, it probably means that I'm the only one who can beat him."
"If we're going to accept the Speaker's offer, we should probably come up with a plan," Hermione commented.
"Well, the Speaker's not coming back 'til morning, so..."