Fan Fiction / Yu-Gi-Oh! Fan Fiction ❯ The Devil's In The Details ❯ Chapter 9 ( Chapter 9 )
[ Y - Young Adult: Not suitable for readers under 16 ]
By: holyllama 
Just when our heroes thought things couldn't get worse, Murphy's Law kicks in.
Anime/Manga: Fan Fiction / Yu-Gi-Oh! Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Mystery / Supernatural | Type: Alternate Universe | Uploaded On: 07.30.2005 | Pages: 1 | Words: 1.5K | Visits: 141 | Status: Work In Progress
Just when our heroes thought things couldn't get worse, Murphy's Law kicks in.
Anime/Manga: Fan Fiction / Yu-Gi-Oh! Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Mystery / Supernatural | Type: Alternate Universe | Uploaded On: 07.30.2005 | Pages: 1 | Words: 1.5K | Visits: 141 | Status: Work In Progress
I do not now nor have I ever owned Yu-Gi-Oh! (property of Kazuki Takahashi) or Demon: the Fallen (property of White Wolf).
Warnings!: This story contains strong language, violence, and references to dark occultism. If you’re at all squeamish about any of this, I’d recommend that you stop reading right here.
One of the voices paused in the chant, the cloaked figure moving next to Jonouchi. A brief glimpse was enough to alert him to the fact that Suzuki was one of his captors. “Just stay still. It’ll be over soon.”
“Fucking - ! Where’s Honda and Yugi? And Maharet?”
Suzuki straightened and gestured at the dark tableau in front of the stone slab that served as the setting for Jonouchi’s bindings and probably some sort of twisted altar. He could see everyone relatively clearly when he turned his head towards the flickering candlelight. There was one of the hooded nutcases on the other side of him, he could hear that much. Suzuki stood near his head, the other four spaced in a wide circle around the warehouse floor.
Then there were the others. Jonouchi didn’t even want to guess at what the red substance staining the concrete in a pentagram actually was. He was, however, pretty sure that it was Maharet in the center of the chalk circle that overlaid the pentagram, the real Maharet. She stood as still and cold as any statue, her gaze fixed on something above or behind him. Then he took note of his comrades. Honda and Yugi, no, Yami judging by the way that the blond spikes of his hair seemed to flare upwards, were bound with their hands behind their backs. They were lined up between the pentagram and the altar, Honda on one end and the unbound Ryo on the other, all three looking like they’d love to hurt something. Well, Honda and Yami looked like they’d love to hurt something. Ryo still looked like something the cat dragged in. At least he didn’t seem to be as weak as he was when he collapsed. But there was almost a flicker of something not quite right across his eyes…
“My master grants you one last chance, Maharet.”
She spat, glaring defiantly back at Suzuki. “Your master is a deluded fool. I would rather spend another ten thousand years in the Abyss than submit to him.”
Suzuki seemed to slump slightly. “So you have decided, and so your fate is sealed.”
There was the snap of fingers from the other side of the altar and the chant shifted into something even darker. There was the same maniacal laughter that had accompanied their arrival mixing with the shrill scream that tore itself from Maharet’s throat and Jonouchi’s own yowls of pain as something began trying to shove its way into his body. It almost felt like the last few seconds of his duel with Malik’s darker half in the Battle City tournament, that feeling of excruciating pain and the sensation of being torn in two.
Just underneath the screams and the laughter and the chant, there was a scraping sound before a burbling groan and the meaty thud of a body hitting the floor. That wasn’t to mention the entirely relieving sensation of that something moving the hell out of Jonouchi’s body.
There was silence on all fronts for a split second before the spirit of the Millennium Ring in Ryo’s body lifted its head with an expression of affected innocence, or as close as the spirit could get, plastered across its face. “What? The noise was annoying me.”
*************
The warehouse had officially entered pandemonium. Chaos, pure and simple. Granted, there weren’t that many people present, but the general idea was the same. The other three cultists, despite the old man’s exhortations to keep the rite going, had flocked to their friend’s side. Not that it would do any good, really. The spirit of the Ring had chucked a decently sized spike of glass with deadly accuracy into the throat of the cultist that had stood at Jonouchi’s feet.
Honda guessed that he was probably the only one who had noticed Suzuki’s quick movement, a hand flashing out to unbuckle the restraints at Jonouchi’s right wrist and ankle as he moved to the small crowd. Hell if Honda knew why, but he wasn’t going to be complaining and he doubted Jonouchi was either.
His friend wasted no time in undoing the other two restraints and practically leaping off of the stone slab, ducking under the swipe of the snarling old man who, might he add, seemed to look a lot more sinister than he had earlier. Honda was immensely thankful that Jonouchi crouched behind him first, snatching a nearby sliver of glass and sawing through the ropes at his wrist relatively quickly. “Honda, tell me that this isn’t happening.”
“Hate to disappoint you, man,” he said with a halfhearted grin as he dashed back towards the pentagram. “When you’re done with Yami help me with this!”
He figured that Jonouchi must’ve made some sort of sign of assent and cut through Yami’s ropes relatively quickly, because his buddies were flanking him in the next few seconds. “Whaddaya need us to do, Honda?”
“The chalk, correct?” Yami asked quickly, barely waiting for the nod from Honda and a somewhat shaky Maharet before dashing off to the other side of the circle and mimicking Honda’s hurried scuffing. “Jonouchi, get Bakura over here.”
He couldn’t help glancing back at Maharet from the corner of his eye, noting that she definitely seemed ruffled. Then again, he’d probably look like shit as well if he’d been through whatever it was about that second chant that had her screaming at a pitch high enough to shatter crystal. “We’ll have you out in a couple seconds.”
“Thank you,” the less demonic of the two demons said between panting gasps when Honda and Yami had freed up enough space for her to squeeze out of the formerly sealed circle. “But if I may offer one piece of advice?”
“Huh?”
“Duck!” Maharet grabbed both Yami and Honda by their collars, yanking their faces down to meet the cement at the same time that Honda swore he could’ve felt something whiz past a few scant millimeters above his head. It was not, Honda decided, a good feeling. “Get everyone out. I’ve got his Royal Pain-in-the-Ass.”
“You aren’t strong enough -” Yami started, swallowing his words when Maharet turned silver eyes to both of theirs in a cold glare.
“I know what I’m doing. Now you two get Jonouchi and Ryo and get going! I’ll meet you outside.” For a second Honda thought he saw Yuki’s cocky grin on the demoness’s face, but the illusion was shattered as soon as it had planted itself in his mind when Maharet muttered some archaic phrase under her breath.
Not that he really had any time to contemplate the matter, really. The other three goons were coming at them fast. “Oi, Yami! Grab Ryo and get the hell out. Jonouchi and I’ll get you some time.” Honda and the blond exchanged toothy grins that probably would have seemed more appropriate on a pair of sharks circling their prey, cracking their knuckles as the three robed goons closed in. “Who wants it first?”
*********************************************** *************************
Author’s Notes:
Wow, that took forever and a freaking day to write! Sorry about that, by the way. It’s the combination of RL and a very unhelpful little llama-muse (*glares at fake-innocent llama-muse*). On the plus side, Chapter 10 should take me less time to churn out than this one did. Oh, and remember that “2 more chapters and that’s it” thing I said last chapter? I lied. Now it’s probably 2, maybe 3 if my muse continues to be a pain in the rump.
Thanks to readers and reviewers, and as always, reviews and constructive criticism are welcomed but not necessary.
Mata ne, minna!
HolyLlama
Warnings!: This story contains strong language, violence, and references to dark occultism. If you’re at all squeamish about any of this, I’d recommend that you stop reading right here.
Chapter 9
It was the thrumming chant that woke Jonouchi. A small chorus of male voices rising and falling with the eerie tones of some unfamiliar and probably long-forgotten language that seemed to pulse in time with the throbbing of the lump on the back of his head. He’d never actually admit it, but it made his hair stand on end. Jonouchi tried to lift a hand to rub at the goosebumps on his arms, jerking up as much as he could in surprise when his arm didn’t move more than a few centimeters. “What the hell?”One of the voices paused in the chant, the cloaked figure moving next to Jonouchi. A brief glimpse was enough to alert him to the fact that Suzuki was one of his captors. “Just stay still. It’ll be over soon.”
“Fucking - ! Where’s Honda and Yugi? And Maharet?”
Suzuki straightened and gestured at the dark tableau in front of the stone slab that served as the setting for Jonouchi’s bindings and probably some sort of twisted altar. He could see everyone relatively clearly when he turned his head towards the flickering candlelight. There was one of the hooded nutcases on the other side of him, he could hear that much. Suzuki stood near his head, the other four spaced in a wide circle around the warehouse floor.
Then there were the others. Jonouchi didn’t even want to guess at what the red substance staining the concrete in a pentagram actually was. He was, however, pretty sure that it was Maharet in the center of the chalk circle that overlaid the pentagram, the real Maharet. She stood as still and cold as any statue, her gaze fixed on something above or behind him. Then he took note of his comrades. Honda and Yugi, no, Yami judging by the way that the blond spikes of his hair seemed to flare upwards, were bound with their hands behind their backs. They were lined up between the pentagram and the altar, Honda on one end and the unbound Ryo on the other, all three looking like they’d love to hurt something. Well, Honda and Yami looked like they’d love to hurt something. Ryo still looked like something the cat dragged in. At least he didn’t seem to be as weak as he was when he collapsed. But there was almost a flicker of something not quite right across his eyes…
“My master grants you one last chance, Maharet.”
She spat, glaring defiantly back at Suzuki. “Your master is a deluded fool. I would rather spend another ten thousand years in the Abyss than submit to him.”
Suzuki seemed to slump slightly. “So you have decided, and so your fate is sealed.”
There was the snap of fingers from the other side of the altar and the chant shifted into something even darker. There was the same maniacal laughter that had accompanied their arrival mixing with the shrill scream that tore itself from Maharet’s throat and Jonouchi’s own yowls of pain as something began trying to shove its way into his body. It almost felt like the last few seconds of his duel with Malik’s darker half in the Battle City tournament, that feeling of excruciating pain and the sensation of being torn in two.
Just underneath the screams and the laughter and the chant, there was a scraping sound before a burbling groan and the meaty thud of a body hitting the floor. That wasn’t to mention the entirely relieving sensation of that something moving the hell out of Jonouchi’s body.
There was silence on all fronts for a split second before the spirit of the Millennium Ring in Ryo’s body lifted its head with an expression of affected innocence, or as close as the spirit could get, plastered across its face. “What? The noise was annoying me.”
*************
The warehouse had officially entered pandemonium. Chaos, pure and simple. Granted, there weren’t that many people present, but the general idea was the same. The other three cultists, despite the old man’s exhortations to keep the rite going, had flocked to their friend’s side. Not that it would do any good, really. The spirit of the Ring had chucked a decently sized spike of glass with deadly accuracy into the throat of the cultist that had stood at Jonouchi’s feet.
Honda guessed that he was probably the only one who had noticed Suzuki’s quick movement, a hand flashing out to unbuckle the restraints at Jonouchi’s right wrist and ankle as he moved to the small crowd. Hell if Honda knew why, but he wasn’t going to be complaining and he doubted Jonouchi was either.
His friend wasted no time in undoing the other two restraints and practically leaping off of the stone slab, ducking under the swipe of the snarling old man who, might he add, seemed to look a lot more sinister than he had earlier. Honda was immensely thankful that Jonouchi crouched behind him first, snatching a nearby sliver of glass and sawing through the ropes at his wrist relatively quickly. “Honda, tell me that this isn’t happening.”
“Hate to disappoint you, man,” he said with a halfhearted grin as he dashed back towards the pentagram. “When you’re done with Yami help me with this!”
He figured that Jonouchi must’ve made some sort of sign of assent and cut through Yami’s ropes relatively quickly, because his buddies were flanking him in the next few seconds. “Whaddaya need us to do, Honda?”
“The chalk, correct?” Yami asked quickly, barely waiting for the nod from Honda and a somewhat shaky Maharet before dashing off to the other side of the circle and mimicking Honda’s hurried scuffing. “Jonouchi, get Bakura over here.”
He couldn’t help glancing back at Maharet from the corner of his eye, noting that she definitely seemed ruffled. Then again, he’d probably look like shit as well if he’d been through whatever it was about that second chant that had her screaming at a pitch high enough to shatter crystal. “We’ll have you out in a couple seconds.”
“Thank you,” the less demonic of the two demons said between panting gasps when Honda and Yami had freed up enough space for her to squeeze out of the formerly sealed circle. “But if I may offer one piece of advice?”
“Huh?”
“Duck!” Maharet grabbed both Yami and Honda by their collars, yanking their faces down to meet the cement at the same time that Honda swore he could’ve felt something whiz past a few scant millimeters above his head. It was not, Honda decided, a good feeling. “Get everyone out. I’ve got his Royal Pain-in-the-Ass.”
“You aren’t strong enough -” Yami started, swallowing his words when Maharet turned silver eyes to both of theirs in a cold glare.
“I know what I’m doing. Now you two get Jonouchi and Ryo and get going! I’ll meet you outside.” For a second Honda thought he saw Yuki’s cocky grin on the demoness’s face, but the illusion was shattered as soon as it had planted itself in his mind when Maharet muttered some archaic phrase under her breath.
Not that he really had any time to contemplate the matter, really. The other three goons were coming at them fast. “Oi, Yami! Grab Ryo and get the hell out. Jonouchi and I’ll get you some time.” Honda and the blond exchanged toothy grins that probably would have seemed more appropriate on a pair of sharks circling their prey, cracking their knuckles as the three robed goons closed in. “Who wants it first?”
*********************************************** *************************
Author’s Notes:
Wow, that took forever and a freaking day to write! Sorry about that, by the way. It’s the combination of RL and a very unhelpful little llama-muse (*glares at fake-innocent llama-muse*). On the plus side, Chapter 10 should take me less time to churn out than this one did. Oh, and remember that “2 more chapters and that’s it” thing I said last chapter? I lied. Now it’s probably 2, maybe 3 if my muse continues to be a pain in the rump.
Thanks to readers and reviewers, and as always, reviews and constructive criticism are welcomed but not necessary.
Mata ne, minna!
HolyLlama