Cursed Millennium Puzzle (Part 2)

DIMENSION: ANIME

Atem took the phone, taking over the conversation. Yugi needed time, things were getting serious. He didn't want to reveal himself over the phone and get bogged down with questions from Joey so he pretended to be Yugi for now. "What does Skeezy have to do with egyptian items? I have my puzzle back, none of this can be coincidence." Atem didn't want to yell at Joey, but he wasn't getting enough information. Téa was in trouble, big trouble. This couldn't be a coincidence, this must be part of the reason he was sent back. If he could figure it out, he should be able to get her out. "Joey, think about it very hard, there must be something. Anything." ///Atem: Téa. I have never let anything hurt any of my friends before and I will not fail now!///

True, Yugi was clearly older. Time had passed by, but it still didn't matter. Téa was his friend too, and he wouldn't let anything happen to her. Joey couldn't add much, swearing Skeezy was the last kind of guy that would mess with anything Egyptian. He'd look into it more was all he could promise, but they arrived at the airport and he had to go.

Atem hung up. "Do you know anyone near her, Yugi? Think." Then, the phone rang again. Atem didn't answer, he didn't know the number. "Yugi, this may be important."

When he gave the phone to Yugi, he had a deep feeling they were about to get some answers.

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New York City.

Future Vision in Domino City.

Téa smiled at Yugi. The strange millennium necklace still attached to her collar bone. To anyone else, they would assume she was just wearing it around her neck.

Yugi looked like he did in the present, it wasn't any kind of a memory in her head. He didn't wear his school uniform, opting for a nice blue shirt with a tie. He looked professional, but the fact he was wearing the puzzle around his neck couldn't be denied.

They were both inside the Game Shop, behind a display case filled with all of the cards Yugi's grandpa had once sold. "What do you think, The Greatest Pharoah?"

End Future Vision

Téa touched the millennium necklace on her collar bone. ///Téa: I don't know what that had been. The puzzle? The conversation? The Greatest Pharoah? No, I don't care about seeing the future, stop it!/// She didn't want to know the future. She didn't want to see anything from that necklace that practically grew like a parasite on her own collar bone!

She hated to bother Yugi, but she needed help and Masika had seemed to leave her. Now there was no one to talk to or help her out. All she had was the phone.

She couldn't get through. She gave it a few minutes and tried again. The second time, she couldn't get through.

///Masika: "Are you okay, Téa?"///

Oh? "Masika? Bakura!" Both of them were at the window, thank goodness. She went toward the window, letting the employees know those were her friends.

They came into the store. Even though she didn't know Masika, she had to steal a hug from someone. That was so intense! "Masika!"

"It's okay, I am here now." Masika seemed to accept her hug graciously. "I had gone to Bakura for help, he happened to be visiting New York City. I could still sense and hear you, Téa."

"Thanks, Bakura," Téa thanked him. She backed away a little and showed off the millennium necklace. "I don't know what to do about this. I tried to call Yugi, but his phone was busy."

"You don't need Yugi," Light Bakura said to her. "He isn't going to be of any help, he doesn't have a puzzle anymore. Nothing has happened to him ever since Pharaoh left." He opened his shirt and showed the millennium ring digging into him. "I'm afraid this is our problem."

It was digging into his skin the same way?

"I also have a spirit. Not Zorc, but the . . . the Bandit King, but before Zorc," Light Bakura started to reason.

Bandit King Bakura?

"Don't worry," Masika assured her. "For one, Light Bakura is in charge of him. For two, I went to his monster for safety. I was friends with Dark Bakura in Ancient Egypt, and before the curse completely took him over, he helped save me many times with his monster tied to me. When it became too much, it broke." She smiled. "He is my friend again."

"Light Bakura? Dark Bakura?"

"Light is in reference to the modern day version of Bakura," Masika told her. "Dark Bakura is of the past. Considering their difference in personalities, they seem to have agreed upon and liked it."

---

Domino City

Game Shop

Atem watched Yugi practically destroy everything around the old Game Shop, looking for an old chain. They didn't have time to waste now, once Mokuba was ready, they would be going on a private jet with him to New York. Even though they didn't know the location, Yugi was sure he would find her. "I didn't know you still had keys to the Game Shop."

"My success meant I could get my own place. Bigger, with more room. Grandpa still owns and lives in the Game Shop, but I don't want to wake him up until I know what's going on," Yugi admitted. He was really hoping he could find the right kind of chain for the puzzle there. Grab it and go instead of wasting time to look at a store.

Atem watched him try to put the chains on. They looked extremely heavy, Yugi was right, they were not the same kind as before. "That will not take long to hurt, Yugi."

"I can't just walk around with this hanging out of my shirt," Yugi reminded him. Unfortunately, all of the old chains were just not the same either. "I have to get to New York and talk to her, face-to-face. None of these are going to work though." The puzzle was already heavy, chains were making it worse. "We need to go to the closest store."

Yugi grabbed his keys and headed back outside to his car. He opened it with a click and got in. Atem got in the car with him.

Yugi wasn't very talkative through most of the way. Atem could understand. Yugi didn't put the puzzle together and choose to stay with Atem while they made their way through the world together. He was forced, stuck to the puzzle with his own body. Like a punishment. The worry over Téa was no less terrifying.

Yugi was not in the mood to be chatting with an ancient Pharaoh, friend or not. His mind was completely obsessed over Téa.

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Hardware Section.

"Thank goodness for hardware stores." Yugi picked up a rope that looked heavy but was extremely light. It was about as heavy as he needed to make it look secure without weighing him down. "Problem one figured out."

"Out of multiple," Atem said. "We should hurry."

Yugi took the rope, paid for it and went to his home. He'd have to fix it before Mokuba came for him to go to New York.

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Yugi placed his rope around his neck after it was all fixed up. "Rope inserted through the top and no one can tell I'm a freak of nature with a puzzle growing out of my chest. Now to Mokuba's"

Atem had been quieter.

"Atem." Yugi looked over at the spirit. "I'm sorry, if I haven't been welcoming. I'm just worried."

The Pharaoh was limited to the present world knowledge of what he could pick up from Yugi. "What could this Skeezy want with her?"

Yugi didn't answer at first.

Atem tried something stronger. "What do you fear this Skeezy is going to do? You told me Joey was after him and that he's evil. What has he done?"

"Damn it, Atem!" Yugi cursed him. The thought and fear was too strong. Yugi's hands were trembling on the wheel.

"We will get to her, Yugi. Then, we will make sure no one ever hurts Téa. I swear it on the blood of Egypt that runs through me."

No one would hurt Téa. No one ever did. Atem had blocked several attempts of others hurting Téa, and he wouldn't be thwarted now. A good friend. The crush of Yugi. Téa would never be sacrificed to evil. "It will not happen."

///Yugi: If anything happens, I'll find them and kill them.///

Nothing Yugi would verbally say, but a sense he couldn't block. Right from the heart. ///Atem: Yes, we would, Yugi.///