Summon The Dragon

Body

Next chapter.....here's where things start to get surreal. And just for fun, guess who Paigey the Dark Mystic, the Golden Warrior, the Englishman and Mad Dog really are. (I've been listening to the "School of Rock" soundtrack a lot lately....) It's probably painfully obvious - I'm no good at subterfuge.

BTW, Astarte is a warrior goddess with a real kick-butt, take-no-crap attitude ;-). And I'm assuming that Yami knows that Seto was Seth in a previous life, but he doesn't know about his sister - yet. Nor does Jada know about Seto, much less Yami. And tazo chai spice tea smells absolutely divine......

The Shining Trapezoidhedron, Yog-Soototh, et al are the masterful creations of HP Lovecraft. And the Golden Eyes Black Dragon is my nickname for my car :-).

Disclaimer - I don't own anyone, except for Jada. I'm just borrowing them - and giving them things to play with.
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"Where did that -- doctor -- go?" Yami wondered aloud, looking anxiously up and down the hallway of the "Fast-Track" emergency center.

"He said he went to get the results," Yugi said softly. He was sitting on the edge of Solomon's gurney, holding his grandfather's hand. When they had arrived a couple of hours earlier, Solomon had been awake and alert. He had told them his assailants had only taken two items - a box of new card packs that had arrived earlier that day and the strange artifact he'd brought back from his last trip to Egypt - a large, dark red, faceted crystal ball. Yami was just as glad to see the last item gone - that thing had given him the creeps. Yugi hadn't thought it was a real stone - he insisted it looked just like the red crystal ball on Jada's Yog-Soototh card. They had thought Solomon might be released that afternoon. However, in the last hour or so, the older man had started fading in and out of a daze that was rapidly deepening into unconsciousness. Alarmed, Doctor Yakamoro, who'd arrived at about the same moment Yugi and Yami did, had ordered an immediate CAT scan.

"Here he comes," Yami said, stepping back

"I don't know what's going on," the doctor said without preamble as he came back in. "The scan shows nothing, no swelling, no bleeding on the brain, no other internal injuries. I don't know what's happening, but something's very wrong." He gently shooed Yugi off the gurney to check several monitors, finally lifting Solomon's lids to shine a penlight flash into each eye. The older man's pupils barely responded to the light. His eyes were fixed, unseeing. "We need to get him admitted right away. I'll have the ICU staff get him set up while I call Hiro Towonda. He's the best neurologist around."

"W-will he be all right?" Yugi said shakily, hugging his arms around himself.

The doctor looked at him. "I don'ow, ow, Yugi. I wish I could say yes. But I'm going to do everything possible to make sure he is. I promise."

~*~

"Hey Jada, can't you see, you're just not the girl for me, I know it might be wrong but I'm in love with Jada's mom-----"

"Guys, the windows are down----" Jada groaned. She didn't mind being kidded about her mom - heck, her mother was absolutely gorgeous - but she wished Joey, Seto and Mokuba could sing on key.

She didn't hear her phone ring.

~*~

"She's n-not answering---" Yugi said shakily. He'd never felt so helpless. Always before, he'd at least had the option of doing something to help his grandfather, but this time there was absolutely nothing he could do. And not much the doctors could, apparently. It didn't look good.

"Try Seto," Yami suggested. He and Yugi were outside, sitting at one of several little picnic tables near the emergency area, because Yugi couldn't use a cellphone inside the hospital. Yami guessed it was an outside break area for the staff. It was nicely landscaped, with flowers and a small brick path winding down the hill. Two women in nurses' uniforms sat a couple tables away, while about thirty feet down the path two men stood, talking quietly. The afternoon had turned eerily cloudy, a sort of gray pearlescent haze over the sky. Although the air was still fairly worm, the wind had picked up and was rapidly turning chilly.

"I---" Yugi looked down and away, trying to choke back a terrified sob.

"Shhh, koibito--" Yami reached over, pulling his small koi onto his lap, as much to comfort himself as Yugi.

"Yami, oh Yami----" Yugi clung to his darker half, telling himself not to cry, it wouldn't do any good, but dissolving into tears nonetheless.

"Beloved----" Yami held the little hikari close, stroking his hair. "I'm here, beloved. I'm here." He closed his own eyes, feeling tears burning in them anyway.

"I'm s-sorry---" Yugi managed to sob. "I'll be okay in -- in a m-minute---I'm just s-so scared----oh Yami----" He hid his face against Yami's shoulder.

"Koi---" Yami held him tighter. "I won't leave you. I promise---"

~*~

Down the path, one of the men looked around. "That's them," he said softly. He was of medium height, several inches taller than Yami, dressed all in black with a long, flowing coat. He had long wavy dark hair and a gentle, cherubic face. "The taller one with the crimson eyes is the great pharaoh, once known as the Game King. The small one who weeps is the chosen one, Yugi Mutou." He shook his head sadly, then looked at his companion, who was shorter and a bit stockier, with shoulder-length hai hair and a mustache. "There was no need for it. The Presidio could have taken the Trapezoidhedron without taking that man's life."

"I thought he was alive---" The other man looked stunned.

"Kept so only by the machines," the taller man said.

"Aren't we going to do something to help them?" the shorter man demanded. "Damn it, Paigey, I thought that's what you dragged us here for! To help them and find someone to get rid of that sick motherfu---"

"Mind your language, please," Paigey scolded. "The Englishman has gone to seek out the High Priest Seth and the Golden Warrior seeks Astarte, the Game King's sister and successor."

"They'd better hurry --- " the shorter man muttered.

Paigey looked amused. "Mad Dog, you have yet to learn patience."

"We don't fucking have time for patience!" Mad Dog snapped.

"Language, please---" Paigey murmured. "Come. Before they go back inside."

Mad Dog didn't think that would be for awhile, considering the Pharaoh was still trying to mop up his little lookalike, but he followed Paigey. Poor kid, he thought. His parents beat the crap out of him, and now this Presidio bastard kills his grandfather - well, more or less.

~*~

Jada dropped the boys off and continued on toward home, making a quick stop along the way to pick up sesame noodles. When she came out of the little grocery store, carrying the bag, she was met by a tall, ruggedly handsome man with long, curly blond hair, dressed in brown leather pants, boots, and a white shirt worn with a brown leather vest. A scabbard hung from his belt with the ornate handle of a short sword or long dagger sticking out of it.

"My Lady?" he said, "Are you Jada Mercury?"

"Uh--yeah." That was a first - since when had anyone ever called her that? Especially an awesome studmuffin like this? Yum------

"Lady, I'm afraid I bring bad news. Your friend Yugi Mutou's grandfather has been badly injured in a robbery. He was taken to the healers, but there is little they can do." The man shook his head sadly.

"Oh no---" Jada put a hand to her mouth. "Where was he taken?" At this point she was guessing this to be one of Solomon's friends.

"Domino City General Hospital," the man replied. "He---"

A high, wild, keening scream from somewhere above and behind the store cut him off. They both spun around. Just for a moment, something shimmered into view in the pearly-gray sky - something huge and dark, shaped like a manta ray, with a three-lobed, glowing ruby eye.

"The fuck----?" Jada said softly in the aftermath. "That looked like----"

"Something evil is afoot---" the blond man agreed. "Come along. I shall take you to your friend."

"We'll take my car," Jada said.

~*~

Yami abruptly shot to his feet, nearly dropping his startled hikari. "What was that?!"

"Wh-what was what?" Yugi peeked fearfully up at his darker half. He was feeling very small and scared and very much in need of protection.

Yami set his small koi down on the bench, turning to look around. His Sennen Eye was shimmering on his forehead. "I don't know, beloved. I felt a disturbance -- Shadow powers---"

"A failed summoning---" The voice belonged to the dark-haired man, Paigey. He had turned to look in the same direction as Yami.

"I didn't feel bugger all---" Mad Dog added, under his breath.

Yami looked at Paigey. "Yes. But who---?"

"The Presidio," Paigey said grimly.

Yugi's eyes widened and he pressed against his Yami's leg, shivering. "Th-the P-Presidio? That's who Pegasus was talking about---" He looked down, trying to choke back a frightened sob. "Yami, wh-what's going on?!" He was very close to a full-blown panic attack.

Yami sat back down and hugged him close. "Shhh, koi---" He looked back up at Paigey and Mad Dog. "You both seem familiar, but I can't place your names."

Mad Dog bowed extravagantly, tipping an imaginary hat. "Mad Dog the rabble-rouser and Paigey the Dark Mystic at your service, Pharaoh."

The names didn't mean anything to Yugi, of course, but Yami was more than a little taken aback. "Paigey? The Dark Mystic? Chosen apprentice of the Dark Sage, Alistair?"

Paigey nodded, looking appropriately modest. "I was fortunate." He sat down on Yugi's other side, offering the still-sniffling duelist what looked like several fast food napkins. "Please don't cry, small one. We will do all we can to help you."

Yugi tried to choke back his sobs, but he couldn't. He was starting to hyperventilate. Yami held him, using a bit of Millennial magic to soothe his terrified hikari. It took a few minutes, but Yugi, much to their relief, finally wiped his eyes, then looked up at them, finally looking around and unexpectedly meeting Paigey's concerned gaze. He blushed and looked down. "G-Great Mystic? Wh-what's going on? Who's the Presidio?" He sniffled, then blew his nose with a cute little honk before looking back up at them, shyly.

"Please, Yugi, call me Paigey. As for what's going on -- Mad Dog and I are still trying to figure that out." He looked at Yami as well, addressing both of them. "The Presidio, as he calls himself, has taken hold of Lower Rhye. He claims to be acting as regent for the Black Queen. Whether this is in fact true, none know. What is known is that he greatly desires the seven Sennen Items. The Dark Sage fears that he has acquired the Scales and the Key, and now seeks the Eye. It is my fear that he has also gotten hold of the Shining Trapezoidhedron and the Golden Eyes Black Dragon---"

"The what?" Yami said.

"Where's Rhye?" Yugi said softly.

"The Shadow Realm, koi," Yami said, then looked at Paigey again. "What is this Trapezoidhedron of which you speak? It wasn't one of the seven items----"

"No. Long ago, before life arose on its own accord, this planet was home to a race of beings from beyond space and time - the Elder Gods," Paigey explained.

Yugi's eyes went wide. "That's -- like Jada's cards! Cthulhu and Yog-Soototh and all those---"

Paigey nodded. "I will explain more as we go along - there is little time now. But the Trapezoidhedron was used to call and control the one named Yog-Soototh. It looks like a large round ruby, the size of two fists, but it is of a crystal unknown to this earth---"

"A red crystal sphere----?" Yami realized.

Paigey nodded. "The Sage and I fear that that the Chosen One's grandfather inadvertently came into possession of the Trapezoidhedron."

Yugi's eyes had gone even wider than usual. "And t-the Golden Eyes Black Dragon? Is that one of the Elder Gods, too?"

"No one has ever seen the Golden Eyes," Paigey's voice was hushed, respectful. "It is the most powerful of all creatures in the Shadow Realm. Even the Great God Cthulhu and Exodia the Forbidden One could not stand against it. In this world there is but one card that controls it. Whoever holds that card holds control of the Golden Eyes." He looked seriously at Yugi. "The Sage believes your grandfather may have been in possession of the Golden Eyes Black Dragon card without knowing it. He also fears the Presidio knows, too."

"That would explain the card packs that were taken---" Yami said.

"Were those the only recent arrivals?" Paigey asked.

Yugi nodded. "Industrial Illusions hasn't been shipping much lately, Paigey-san."

"So what are we going to do?" Mad Dog said.

Paigey looked at him. "I think we will need to return to the Shadow Realm. But first we need to find what had become of that card, and if in fact there is a chance the Presidio might indeed have it."

"If anyone knows that, it's Pegasus," Yugi said.

"Would we be able to speak with this - Pegasus?" Paigey said.

Yugi nodded. "Let me call Jada and have her meet us at his place -- wait. We don't have any way of getting there----"

"I could call the Red Eyes Black---" Paigey started, but Yami stopped him.

"That would be rather too conspicuous in this Realm, Dark Mystic," he said, smiling, then did a startled double take. "Wait. There's Jada now." Her silver car had just screeched into a parking space in Emergency. "Koi, did you leave her a message?"

Yugi shook his head. "How did she---?"

"Yugi, baby!" Jada had leapt out of the car and run over to hug him. "How is he?"

"N-not good---" Yugi said shakily. "How did you know?"

"Your Grandpa's friend told me," she replied. "Baby, listen is there anything - anything - we can do? Anything at all?"

Yugi shook his head. "I---" He trailed off in dumbfounded amazement as the blond man strode over. "Jada, who's that?"

She looked around, then bat Yat Yugi. "I thought he was one of your grandfather's friends."

"No---" Yugi said softly.

"You found Astarte?" Paigey looked at the blond man.

"The one now known as Jada, yes," he replied. Yugi, Jada and Yami couldn't quite hear what was being said.

"Who's the dude in the Keaneau Reeves coat?" Jada said, "He's kind of hot. Almost as cute as our little Yugi-chan."

Yugi started to point out that she had, in essence, just called him a girl, but Yami had already spoken up. "He is the Dark Mystic, apprentice to the Dark Sage and renowned throughout the Shadow Realm. It is said he weaves his spells through a legendary stringed instrument, and there are few who rival him." His tone was hushed, reverent.

"Wow. All that and he's got a really cute butt, too," Jada observed.

"Jada----" Yami groaned, slapping his hand to his forehead.

"How can you tell with that coat he's wearing?" Mad Dog inquired. He'd abruptly decided he quite liked the Pharaoh's sister.

"Just an educated guess. Since the rest of him looks pretty hot, I'm figuring his butt must, too," she replied. "By the way, I'm Jada Mercury. And you are----?"

"Mad Dog, rabble-rouser, troublemaker and all-around carouser, at your service, m'lady," he replied, bowing and kissing her hand. "The blond, who usually doesn't wear a shirt, is known as the Golden Warrior and Mystery Boy is also known as Paigey. The fourth member of our little group has gone to seek the High Priest Seth, whoever that is."

"Seto--" Yami said, recovering from his embarrassment.

"I better call him and tell him to----" Jada started, but her cellphone abruptly warbled out Queen's "Dragon Attack." She fished it out of her bag. "Yo, Dragon Butt Breath! Get your ass over here to the hospital, now!"

A pause, then, "Of course he's telling the truth, dumb ass. Why would someone make up something horrible like this? No, I haven't, but I talked toi-chi-chan. He's really freaked, poor baby." Another pause, then, "I did not call him a girl! What do you mean, I ---- oh. Well, hurry up, all right?" She hung up.

"Lady?" Paigey suddenly sat back down on the bench next to her. Yami, to his amusement, saw her start slightly and flush, her cheeks tinged slightly pink. "The Pharaoh and the Chosen One spoke of someone called Pegasus. They said you could contact him."

"Pegasus J. Crawford?" She was a bit taken aback. "Yeah, n-no problem. Want me to ask him to come over here, too?" Oh damn. Not only is he a cutiepie, he smelikelike that tazo chai stuff at Starbucks......

"Perhaps you and I could speak with him?" Paigey suggested.

"Sure - let me try to call him---" She was so flustered all at once that it took her a couple of tries to find the number on her speed dial. Yami could hardly keep from chuckling. It was very unlike Jada to lose her cool like that.

"He's not answering----" she said after a moment, frowning.

tbc.......