The Bandit King Saved the Day (Part 2)

DIMENSION: MANGA (The One that Saves the Day)

Game Shop

Ryou Bakura waited for the return of everyone. He was warned about what was going on, but when Jounouchi had his emergency, they all left. He continued to concentrate on the best plans he could to protect what he could.

///Bakura: I suppose I could just be extra nice and ask Jounouchi and Mai politely to leave with me? But is that enough, that might not be enough./// The extra beds in the house, it should be a good indicator that everything would be fine. The last one only considered Jounouchi worth sparing. Then, he saw Jounouchi return with his early bundle. Right behind him was Yuugi and Atem. Nobody looked well. ///Bakura: Oh. Mai probably didn't make it./// It was a miracle the baby seemed to. "You're back."

Jounouchi just gave a slight nod. "This is Mana," he said.

Ryou Bakura came closer to check her out. "She's rather bigger than I thought."

"She had enough power to pull through," Jounouchi said. "She's been fused with her monster."

Oh. "Sorry, Jounouchi."

"Nah, nah. She's still my daughter," Jounouchi said. "Monster or whatever. Although I think I just pimped out my sister to Kaiba."

"Pardon?" Bakura didn't understand.

"Jounouchi asked for help for Shizuka," Yuugi said dully. "Whenever they help, life changing events happen. Quickly."

Ryou Bakura nodded but looked at Atem and Yuugi. "Where's Anzu and Satiah?"

"Gone!" Yuugi broke down as he closed his eyes and started to cry. "He just up and made them disappear."

"He wants to keep the prizes until after we win the game," Atem said a little more calm, but still just as perturbed. "Since the gods do nothing but appease him to play, we have little choice."

"Oh. I'm sorry," Ryou Bakura apologized.

"They never cared about anything else but appeasing him!" Yuugi complained openly to the world. "Now, Anzu is pregnant. So's Satiah, but they aren't having regular babies."

Ryou Bakura could feel the Bandit King was finally coming around to the surface. "They are pregnant already? Now?"

"Maybe. There is a good chance they could have had them." Atem sounded so much more solemn than usual. "He took them to a gods realm. They are human with light and dark power." Atem was trying hard. His body was shaking, but out of fear or anger, Bakura couldn't tell.

"And you just let Set wander off with them without doing a damn thing?!" Bandit King was awake and back now. "Shameful. You left your own to be devoured by Set!"

"He won't do anything without risking the game!" Atem yelled back at him. "What else can we do? The power we do have overwhelms the Earth and can destroy it. He knows neither Yuugi or I would use it. We have theories about our half pendants, but we don't know for sure. That leaves me nothing to fight him with for now."

"The time will come." Yuugi tried to sound positive. "We can be stronger one day." He looked at the mirror. Anzu had it to the side. All he could see was the sidings of the boat. It was left behind. "One day, we can stop it all."

"Your idiots. Your absolute morons," The Bandit King offended them more. "Have you no brains? Do you only think with power? Not everyone has power absolute all the time, and when you don't, you use your brain. You know, that thing on top of your shoulders."

"Of course there's more than power, there is strategy!" Yuugi scolded him. "But he just vanished with them. To a place we can't follow."

"Mai died for this advanced game he wanted to play," Jounouchi spoke again. "My daughter was changed forever because of this game. We are playing it."

"Perhaps you don't have to." Set's voice from outside. Atem, and Yuugi rushed outside as fast as they could.

The Bandit King strolled with Jounouchi. ///Bandit King: Stupid Pharaoh. If it wasn't for Rider being in this mess, I'd leave him hanging in the breeze!///

Set was outside, by himself. No one else was around. No flunkies, no minions, no Anzu and no Masika. There was also no Shizuka, a welcomed relief too. "Things went well," he said to Yugi and Atem. "I propose a draw."

"A draw?" Atem asked. "That's surprising coming from the one who rules the world. What's involved in this draw?"

"I'll go and let the world get it's second chance without a game," Set said, "You basically win. I won't take the dragon or plot to take away Mana. All I want in return? Are the souls and lives involved with the part of Masika."

Yuugi nor Atem spoke, but both of their eyes narrowed.

"Just agree, and you win. No gods game needed. This isn't hard," Set said again. "That's all that matters so much to you, to save the world? So, save your world. Just give me Anzu, Masika, Silhouette and Hikaru. That's all."

Two unknown names. Bandit King knew what they must mean. Being dragged to a gods realm, and being part gods? There was no human nine month wait. ///Bandit King: I better act fast./// "I have to say, someone who takes a prize that is not theirs to take must be missing a few thousand screws. Do you honestly think the gods will let you get away with that? What kind of a moron are you? As soon as this game is over, all of the gods will go after you for betraying sacred tradition!"

As he figured, Set was confused, and Atem and Yuugi were confused too. ///Bandit King: The things I do. The things I do!/// "What? Don't tell me the morons forgot to tell you?" He covered his face. "It's just like Atem, isn't it? A pain in the butt, waiting 'til the last minute to reveal his winning card." Bandit King held up his finger to Atem and flipped him off while continuing to speak to Set. "Oh, but I guarantee. Even when you think you've got it all wrapped up, he will always find a way to undo everything and piss everyone off."

Set glanced toward Atem. "What did you do?"

"What else?" Bandit King answered for Atem, trying to keep the light on him so that Atem didn't screw it up. "He's a royal greedy bastard! He sees something pretty, and he takes it. That's all Pharaoh's were ever good for, taking whatever they wanted and never thinking about anything but themselves."

"Sounds like Atem," Set tried to glance back at Atem. "What did you do now you snake?"

"Isn't it obvious? He found out a part was married to her from one of her past visions she's been having," Bakura said. "He always takes what's his. He declared her as his property and his wife right there. He did the same thing with the other side, granting it for his other self instead."

"What?!"

Atem and Yuugi were trying hard not to break with a sign of their own confusion.

"Satiah was dead and in his afterlife empire," Bakura finished lightly, yet with a sneer. "Yes, you may rule Earth now, but the Pharaoh of her afterlife will always have supreme rule over her. Feel free to rage now."

"You!" Set glared and pointed at Atem. "You are her Pharaoh?" His hand shook in anger. "Both parts are your wives again?!"

Atem didn't hesitate for long, he finally understood it. "Of course they are. She was mine, so I made her mine and Yuugi's after separation too. She is from my kingdom, Set. That means my rule will come before yours with her!" Atem pointed right back. "Now! I demand you return our wives!"

"And slaves," Bakura added strongly. "Don't just act like she was with you automatically. Utter nonsense. You know that wouldn't happen after knowing you for such a short time. She would never end up with you unless you forced her to be!"

---

Atem gave a slight nod, then glanced at Yuugi, ///Atem: Sorry, Yuugi, for the way I have to say this./// "You had your fun, Set. Now give my property back!"

///Yuugi: I get it Atem, as long as they are given back./// "Mine too!" Yuugi declared.

"Declare them free!" Set demanded.

"Never." Atem's voice was venomous. The Bandit King's absolute lie was the only thing giving them a chance.

"Pharaoh's never give up their riches, they'll let people die first," Bandit King said none too eloquently.

"Then there won't be a draw, unless you renounce your ownership of them," Set demanded just as strong. Once again, Atem nor Yuugi would cooperate. "Fine then! The gods game will go on, but you can bet when I have control over you? I will make you renounce them, and they will belong to me. Like they were always supposed to."

He disappeared, but then came back with twin cribs made of gold, diapers, and a ton of other baby supplies. "For the short time you're watching them before I win, I will take care of them as I can. For they will be mine."

Yuugi crept up closer to the gold cribs. "The other two names, Atem."

"I know." Atem joined him next to the empty crib. "I was hoping for an already full grown god. That human side. It may slow things down."

How human would they be? Would they be like human babies with such a fast experience? Were Anzu and Satiah okay? The mirror no longer showed them. Many thoughts should have been in their head and in their conversation, but nothing came. Yuugi just stroked the crib before lying his head on the side of it.

Atem glanced toward the other crib. Soon, there would be two. //The Bandit King's lies are saving them./// He wouldn't keep them lies for long, as soon as Set was gone, he would declare it and make them happen. He wouldn't risk Set discovering the truth, or he would be able to take them away again. The Bandit King's villainous, conniving ways . . . were saving them all. ///Atem: Yuugi.///

///Yuugi: I don't want to talk, I just want them here./// Yuugi made his point clear.