AN: As you know, I don’t own Yu-GI-Oh, so there’s no point in trying to sue me. Anyway, this is my first time writing an adventure/mystery fic, so R+R please!



Game of Life



Tap, tap, tap…

Yugi turned around at the sound of footsteps behind him, but saw only darkness. /Strange, I was sure someone was following me. Oh well./

But before Yugi had even gone a few steps farther, a dark figure lunged out at him and trusted a gun at his neck.

“Yell, and you’re died,” the attacker hissed in Yugi’s ear. “Now, get in the car!”

Yugi, transfixed with fear, stumbled along the sidewalk toward a broken down van. /Yami! Where are you? Help me!/

“Get in!” The kidnaper shoved Yugi into the back of the vehicle where another shadowed figure was waiting. Yugi felt his hands and feet being bounded with wires that cut deep into his skin. It took all he had to keep from screaming aloud. Suddenly, the van lunged forward, whamming Yugi into the van and knocking him unconscious. Before Yugi’s vision blurred, he hoped silently that Yami will be safe.

“Where’s Yugi?” Yami muttered to himself. “He should be back with the groceries by now.”

“Don’t worry about him, Yam,” Joey leaned back in his chair and stared at the ceiling. “He’s tough for his height.”

Tea and Tristan nodded their agreements, but Tea couldn’t shake off the streak of anxiety she felt.

Suddenly, a brick crashed through the window, leaving shattered glass dispersed among the red carpet.

“What the-?” Joey was about to chase whoever did that until Yami stopped him.

“Wait! There’s a note attached to it.”

Everyone crowded around the Game King as he read:

‘Greetings, Yami. I hope you’re all doing fine because Yugi sure isn’t. It seems that he had a little accident and we’re keeping him hostage. This, Yami, is all just a game---the Game of Life. Rules are simple: you’ll receive a clue to start with that will lead you to the next one until you’ve reached my fortress. Then you will see what happens. But if any of your friends interfere, they’ll end up with a tragic ending.”

The room was bestowed with silence as everyone gaped wide-eyed at the new threat. Finally, Joey broke the tension. “Not worry, Yami! No creepy message is gonna scare us off! We’re your friends, and friends stand up to each other.”

“That’s right, Joey! C’mon, let’s solve this and get this game over with!” Honda agreed.

“Here’s the first clue.” Tea held up a collage with four dragons cut out from a magazine.

“Um…it’s a dragon family reunion?” Joey tried lamely.

“But there’s no such things as dragons,” Tea pointed out.

“Then it must be related to dual monsters,” Yami mused to himself. “Let’s see, all of the dragons are the same, so that must mean the dualist has four similar dragon cards. Hmmm-Of course!” In his excitement, Yami jotted up and tipped over his chair. “It’s Seto Kaiba!”

“That must mean that next card is at Kaiba Corporation!” Tea reasoned.

“Well then, why are we still here like sitting-ducks? Let’s go!” Joey led the others into the pitch blackness of night.

“I told them not to interfere.” An icy voice sliced through the air. The shadowed apparition watched silently from a building as Yami and the gang raced to Kaiba Corporation.

“Don’t worry, master,” another voice spoke up. “I’ll make sure they are taken care of.”

“Good.” The shadow continued to watch as his slave unfolded his wings and took off. “Soon, my nemesis, soon…You shall feel me wrath and I will avenge you for what you did to me in the past.” The figure crackled evilly as he melted into the darkness.

Kaiba woke up with the sound of banging doors ringing in his ear. “Uurraghh…I’m gonna sue this city. They should let a mob run lose.” Groggily, he felt around for his bathrobe and stumbled down the steps. Flicking on the lights, he activated the security system that allowed him to speak to those outside. “What the @#** are you crazy people doing here anyway!? It’s 3 a.m. for Pete’s sake!”

“Kaiba, let us in!” Yami shouted back. “We have important matters to discuss!”

“Get---Yami?!” Kaiba opened the door a crack and stared at his adversary. “What do you want?”

“Someone hid a clue that we need in your corporation.”

“How would I benefit from helping you?” Kaiba ask suspiciously.

“I’ll play you a round of Dual Monsters.”

“Deal.”

Throwing on his long, trench coat, Kaiba grabbed his keys and led the group over to the 50-story building beside his mansion.

“Whoa…neato!” Joey glanced around at the lavish setting in front of him. The marble floor was carpeted with a tint of royal blue. A glass elevator was build behind a rather large receptionist desk that was in the center of the luxuries. Every corner was occupied by a spy-camera, and there was an identity search at the main entrance.

“Stop your awing!” Kaiba snapped. “Let what you need and leave!”

“Gee, I wouldn’t want to be caught stealing be Kaiba, would you?” Tea whispered to Tristan, who just sweat-dropped and gave a nervous, anime smile.

“Now, if I were a clue, where would I be?” Joey wondered once they had all settled down.

“Kaiba, where’s your office?” Yami suddenly asked.

“Follow me.” The CEO led them to an elevator and press on the highest level.

“How do you know it’s in Kaiba’s office, Yami?” Joey implied.

“Well, since the clue led to Kaiba, it must lead to his office. I doubt our little joker here would want us to search all 100 rooms.”

“Oh.”

After 5 minutes, the elevator slowed to a stop at the fiftieth floor and Kaiba walked over to the doubled doors of the only room there.

“So, where do we start?” Tristan asked, staring at the stacks of technology plans and codes.

“Look for anything suspicious or out of the ordinary, I guess.” Yami shrugged.

2 hours of intense search later, Tea cried out triumphantly, “I think I found it!” In her hands were a measure tube and a air of goggles.

“Kaiba, I didn’t know you do science experiments,” Joey turned toward the other boy, surprised.

“I don’t”

“Science experiments…that’s it!” Once again, Yami toppled over his chair.

“Geesh, Yami,” Joey complained. “Stop doing that!”

“The clue points to the science lab! The one at school!”

“Hey…you’re right! Man, you’re good at this, Yami!” Just when Joey was about to smack the king of games on the back, a dark figure leaped out from the shadows and rammed Joey through the thick, glass windows and disappeared. The night was shattered by the anguish scream from Joey Wheeler and the sound of broken glass.

Yami and the others watched in horror as their friend fell from a 50- story building, aiming straight for the concrete below.