Note: All right! I got this chapter done just in time for the approaching New Year's! I worked so hard on this one! In this chapter, you'll finally learn how Atem got smuggled to the surface, and the truth and purpose of his troubled past is finally exposed, leading to a tragedy that is truly unexpected! And with the passing of that tragedy the true identity of Raiden is also exposed! What will happen? Once again, I must remind you that this fic is rated M for a reason! Enjoy!

Chapter 42: A Slave Obeys

As Atem finished his sentence, his father took one more video diary and handed it to him. "I suggest you play this before you finish your story." Mutou stated, "This would give some of your friends a better understanding of what happened to you that… fateful day." Atem nodded, and he pressed play. Once again, he steeled himself as his hated uncle appeared on screen.

"Advanced Deployment, Dr. Suchong/Client Orichalcos Futuristics. The final stage of our project has now reached its final phase." Suchong announced, "The stage is set for the ultimate test. If it succeeds, the project will finally be finished and the child will be deemed ready." He maneuvered the camera so it showed nine year old Atem in the center. "We have placed the child in an enclosed area, along with a certain weapon in a hidden compartment. All we need now are the targets."

Nine year old Kaiba stood by his father's side, leaning on the rails overlooking the enclosure, a large room with high concrete walls topped by a glass dome. He watched as little Atem warily looked at his surrounding, as if expecting something bad to happen. He was wearing his jeans and open-toed sneakers, along with the straps of the thermal bandages that made up his shirt. And hidden in his ear was a tiny earphone, through which Suchong was getting ready to issue his order. Brigitte Tenenbaum was standing at the other side, staring down at the boy she had cared for like a son. "Dr. Tenenbaum?" Suchong asked interrupting her thoughts, "Have the targets arrived yet?"

"Y-yes Dr. Suchong." She answered, not bothering to hide her distain for the lead scientist. "They will be approaching the compound any minute now."

"Dad, I want to play 'Simon says' with Robot again." Kaiba complained, "Can't I go down there now?"

"Not this time, my boy." Suchong answered. "You've done your part."

"Huh? What do you mean?" Kaiba asked in confusion.

"You'll understand soon enough."

Right at that very same moment, Ushio and his thugs had made their entry and were now in front of the locked metal door. The gang leader held a Video Phone, and he looked at the screen. "So this is where you have our reward waiting for us, huh?"

"That's right." Replied a smooth voice from the Video Phone. "You and your friends have worked so hard with your task for all these months, so I believe now is the time to thank you! Your reward is waiting for you just beyond this door!"

"You heard the boss!" Ushio declared, "Let head on in and get our prize!" The thugs cheered at the prospect, and the metal door slid open to allow entry. Upon hearing the metal doors sliding, Atem spun around and was horrified to see the bullies stepping inside. Ushio had soon caught sight of the poor boy just as the door shut behind him and his gang. "Well, well… if it isn't the Shrimp!"

"What's he doing here?" asked the bully with the black eye.

"I dunno." Replied the short ape-like bully.

"Hey!" the bully with the scar stated, "Maybe the boss had us come here so he can hand the reward to us in person! And he's letting us have some fun with the pussy while we wait!"

"Yeah, you got a point there." Ushio mused, "They say time flies while you're having fun…" He looked up at the terrified boy with a wicked smirk and cracked his knuckles, "… so let's go and take advantage of it!"

"Yeah!" shouted the lanky bully and Atem attempted to make a run for it. But Ushio easily caught up with him, grabbing him by the hair. With a chuckle, he struck the poor boy hard in the stomach with his knee. Then the lanky bully grabbed Atem by the leg and spun him around before throwing him onto the concrete floor.

"Aw c'mon!" Kaiba snapped as he watched the gang of bullies gather around his victim and beat him up. "I can do better than those gorillas! I can do all that without the need to touch him! Dad, let me go down there!"

Suchong only chuckled. "If you do that, your 'robot' is going to make you regret it."

"What are you talking about?" Kaiba asked in surprised shock.

"If you really think he's nothing more than a weak and pitiful doll, then watch carefully! You're about to see for yourself how wrong you really are!" He tapped on the speaker. By then, Ushio had landed an uppercut that sent Atem flying. The poor boy crashed into the ground, mocking laughter filling his ears, when suddenly a new voice began to speak to him. "Atem..." Suchong stated, "Atem, can you hear me?"

Little Atem lifted his head in surprise. "Uh…Uncle?"

"Atem, I know your pain. I know those… brutes have been taking advantage of you for what, going on a year now?" Atem let out a gasp as his uncle continued. "Yes, I can see it in your eyes… you hate them. So much so that you want to see them dead! Well now's your chance! Just on the other side of that room is a very powerful drill gun. Take that drill—and kill them all!"

Atem gasped in horror. Kill his tormentors?! That was too harsh! Sure, he wanted to make Ushio and his gang of bullies pay for what they've done to him, but they don't deserve that kind of punishment! And besides, he promised Anzu… "No…" he stated, "I can't… I won't do it!" Right then, Ushio grabbed him by his hair again and punched him in the face. The poor boy skidded across the floor before he got himself to his feet.

"Well, looks like the shrimp's still got a little life left in him!" Ushio taunted.

Suchong spoke to his nephew through the hidden intercom again. "Atem, if you don't act now, those monsters will destroy you! Go out and kill them!"

"No!" Atem shouted, his voice unheard by the bullies' loud and cruel laughter, "I can't lay a finger on them! I promised Anzu I wouldn't!" Before he could protest any further, the fat bully rushed in out of nowhere and slammed him with his big body. Atem crashed into the wall, right by where the weapon was hidden, and the fat bully turned his back on him.

"Nice one!" Ushio praised. And the laughter among the thugs grew even louder. Atem panted, sitting himself up.

"Atem…" Suchong stated in a rough demanding voice. "I am going to say this to you one—more—time…"—the hatch opened and the drill dropped on the floor by the boy's side—"Kill those brutes, would you courteously?!" It was then the gold chain tattoo on his left wrist started glowing.

Right then Ushio's Video Phone signaled the call. "It's the boss!" Ushio announced, and soon the screen lit up and the smooth voice echoed from the speakers.

"Well done children!" the voice praised, "I'm sure you've been waiting for this moment, so I won't delay it any further: it is time to receive your reward!" At that, the bullies cheered and laughed, fully anticipating the promised reward. Suddenly, there was a loud noise, and in an instant the fat bully started choking, blood dribbling out of his mouth. The cruel smiles of the other bullies faded, and instantly their laughter died in their throats. Their faces now displayed full-blown fear. Even Kaiba, who was watching from the sidelines, stared at the scene in terror. And no wonder.

Right in the middle of the fat bully's chest was a bloody drill.

He hardly had time to register what had occurred when the drill painfully exited the same way it came, leaving a gaping bloody hole. The fat bully slowly turned around…

And there was Atem, standing in the stance of a fighter, a wicked drill in his hand—the same drill that had pierced right through its first victim. In a flash, Atem thrust the drill again, this time into the fat bully's face. He barely made a scream before it was drowned out by the splattering of blood, gore and bone. The drill stayed in place, then it was pulled out, leaving a hole where the bully's face used to be. Soon after, the body crashed down in front of the other thugs with a thud… the fat bully had been killed instantly. Ushio and his gang stared at the body… then at the 'Shrimp', who was panting from all that effort. Gone was the weak little boy they had tormented for so long, replaced a powerful killing machine! With the light of his golden chain tattoo glowing fiercely, Atem let out a scream of forced fury. The bullies also let out a scream, but theirs was a scream of terror, and they broke into a run. The little boy quickly caught up with them with unnatural speed and drove his deadly drill into the back of the lanky bully, killing him instantly. The others soon discovered that the door from which they've entered was shut tight, so they sped around the whole room to find another exit. Along the way, Atem bashed the bully with the missing tooth, striking him on the right shoulder with the side of the drill before breaking his neck. Then the killing machine sped over to the short ape-like bully, tossing him into the air and having him land smack dab in the middle of the spinning drill! Blood and gore spattered everywhere, and the remaining bullies soon realized that there was no exit from which to make an escape—they were all trapped, like the rats they were.

At that very same moment, little Anzu was wandering the lab. "Grandma?" she called out, "Grandma, where are you? Marik needs your help in something!" It was then she heard the screams of the children in the enclosure—and her best friend among them! "Atem? ATEM!" She picked up the pace, running as fast as her little legs could carry her. Soon she caught sight of her grandmother. "GRANDMA!" Upon hearing her granddaughter's voice, the scientist looked up from her work with an expression of shock upon seeing her run in her direction. "Grandma, I've been looking everywhere for you! Atem's in-"

"ANZU, NO!" Tenenbaum exclaimed, trying to push the little girl away from the gruesome sight, "YOU MUSTN'T BE HERE! YOU MUSTN'T SEE THIS!" But try as she might, she couldn't hold back her granddaughter. She shoved her way to the window. Imagine her horror when she saw the corpses of all those bullies. But even more horrifying… was the sight of Atem, who had finished stomping the head of the bully with the black eye to a pulp. He then grabbed the bully with the scar by the hair and swiped his drill at him, effectively cutting off his head in a very messy sort of way. Now, only Ushio remained, and like the coward he was, he crawled as quickly as he could to a corner as Atem slowly made his approach.

"No, no please!" Ushio begged, "Please don't kill me!"

Atem lifted his drill gun high over the big bully. "Now finish him!" Suchong ordered. The little boy began to thrust the drill downward… but then stopped. His whole body began to shake and tears flowed down his cheeks.

"No… No more!" Atem whimpered, "No more…! I promised Anzu…"

Ushio, unable to escape from his corner, held up his Video Phone and barked at the screen, "I thought you said you're gonna give us our reward!"

The voice on the screen chuckled. "I am giving you your reward, my child—your eternal reward!"

It was only at that moment that Ushio finally figured out the truth. "…You tricked us!"

Right then and there, Suchong spoke in his firmest voice yet. "FINISH HIM OFF, WOULD YOU KINDLY?!" Immediately, Atem clutched his head as if in pain, as the turquoise circle-star symbol once more appeared on his forehead, glowing as brightly as ever. The little boy struggled for a moment—then gave one last forced cry of fury. Ushio barely had time to scream before the drill was jabbed right into his open mouth. In an instant, the drill ground the bully's face to a bloody unrecognizable mess. Then all was silent. The circle-star symbol faded, and Atem let go of the drill and stepped back in horror, his mind beginning to register what had just happened. He had killed Ushio and his thugs… he had singlehandedly killed them all! He thought back to the promise he made with Anzu. His one promise to his best friend, and he had broken it! He had no intentions to break that promise whatsoever, but that was exactly what he had done! He happened to look up at the dome… and when he saw Anzu staring down at him with a look of shock in her eyes… he suddenly felt a sense of dread.

Meanwhile, Suchong lifted up his video diary, ready to finish his entry. "The final phase is complete." he stated, "The child has passed the test in flying colors. Master Dartz will be pleased; He is finally ready for transport." With that, the lead scientist stopped recording, and looked down at his terrified son with an evil smirk. "Seto, you'd better hope that the boy dies after his task is complete… because I assure you, he's saving you for last!" At those words, little Kaiba stared at his father in horror.

Kaiba shuddered at the memory. "All those years… And now it all made sense! That's why Atem scares me! After all the things I've done to him, after what he's done to that gang of bullies under my father's command… why would he not seek revenge against me?!"

When the entry was finished, the Mermaid Agents stared at Atem in a mix of horror and sorrow. Anzu was sobbing like never before. "I'm so sorry!" she stated, "You were forced to break your promise! I didn't know! S-so I…"

Atem nodded sadly in understanding. "I know, Anzu… I know. I do not resent you for what you did. But it still doesn't make it any less painful…"

Later that night, Tenenbaum had escorted Atem back to the Otouto Imouto Orphanage and had just finished cleaning him up and dressing his wounds. The whole time, the scientist had remained silent during the whole treatment, and the crying Atem held his stuffed dog closer to him. At last she finished applying the bandage. "There you go." She stated, and there was a strong hint of sadness in her voice. She kissed him on the forehead. "Now get some sleep, Little One." Atem nodded as he guardian walked out of his room. There, standing at the entrance, was Anzu. Her expression of disbelief was still written on her face. She watched as he grandmother stepped by her and left, and the little girl made her entrance, slowly approaching the terrified little boy.

"Atem…" she gasped. "You…"

"A-Anzu!" Atem stuttered, "I-I…I…" And in and instant, Anzu's look of disbelief was gone… replaced by seething, hateful fury.

"YOU PROMISED!"

"I-I'm sorry!" Atem cried.

"You said you would never fight back against Ushio and his thugs!" Anzu snapped, "And what did you do?! You did worse than that: YOU KILLED THEM! NO FRIEND OF MINE WOULD EVER STOOP DOWN TO THAT LEVEL—OR EVEN LOWER THAN THAT!"

"Anzu, please!" Atem gasped, tears filling up in his eyes, "I can explain! I didn't want to-" But he never got a chance to finish. She slapped him hard in the face, and he let out a yell of pain.

"SAVE IT, YOU MONSTER! WE'RE NOT FRIENDS ANYMORE! DON'T EVEN THINK ABOUT COMING NEAR ME: I DON'T WANT TO SEE YOU EVER AGAIN!" And with that, she stormed out of his room.

"Anzu… ANZU PLEASE! DON'T LEAVE ME!" Atem cried, reaching out to the little girl. But she had already slammed the door on him, never to come back. "ANZUUUUU!" And in an instant, the poor boy broke down, sobbing loudly in anguished wails. His worst fears had become a dreadful reality: His best friend hates him! And now he was all alone.

/

A few hours passed, and soon most of the children in the orphanage were fast asleep. A shadow lurked by on the floors, which were illuminated by the lights glowing under the sea. A figure, whose face was hidden in shadow, approached a door and slowly turned it open. And there was the heartbroken Atem, still lying on his bed, wide awake, though his sobs had now become softer. The figure stood there for a moment, a smirk upon his lips. Then he slowly made his approach. "Poor child…" the figure spoke in a smooth tenor voice, "All alone, with no one to turn to…" Atem wiped his tears and looked up to see the figure in front of him. "Abandoned… by the very people he loved so much!"

Atem squeezed his stuffed dog even tighter. It was obvious he had never seen this man before. "W-who… who are you?"

"Why… I'm a friend!" The figure replied in a gentle manner "There's no need to be frightened. You see, I'm here to make all your sweetest dreams come true; I'm here to grant you your fondest wish!"

"My wish?" Atem asked.

"You want to leave this city and go to the surface, do you not? Well, I'm here to take you there! And I know how to do just that without getting caught by the watchful eyes of Ryu Mutou!"

Atem's eyes lit up. "Really?! You mean it?!"

"Every word!" the figure chuckled.

"All right!" Atem stated excitedly, "I've got to go and tell Anzu!"

"Oh no, don't bother." The figure replied, "She won't be going with you anytime soon. Forget about her!"

"But why? She's my friend!" Atem protested.

"Have you forgotten already?" the figure reasoned with a smirk, "You and that girl are no longer friends; she said so herself! She wouldn't care if you left to the surface without her… would she?"

The little boy thought about what had occurred hours before, realizing the truth in the stranger's words. He frowned, trying to hold back his tears. But soon he could hold them in no longer. "You're right! She wouldn't care! And besides, she hates me! Well, if she doesn't want to see me again, fine! I'll do her a big favor! I'll leave her and I'll never come back!"

"Yes my child… forget about the girl!" The figure reached out and offered a hand. "Come… Come with me!" Atem stared at the hand… then reached out his own hand, and took hold.

/

Minutes later, Anzu slipped out of her bedroom. She slowed padded across the hall until at last, she approached the bedroom where Atem was staying. "Atem?" she stated, knocking on his door. "It's me, Anzu. I want to apologize for what I said earlier. We're still friends, okay? So please… may I come in?" There was no answer, and that was unusual for her; he had always answered the door for her. "Atem?" she asked again, and turned the knob. She gasped; what she saw inside horrified her even more than what she saw in the laboratory.

The bedroom was empty, with only messy sheets… and the stuffed dog, sitting all alone by the pillow. Atem himself was gone!

"…I traveled with the stranger for a long time that fateful night." Atem explained. "For some reason, we took the scenic route." His head was filled with memories of many places he had been to, but couldn't remember consciously until now: the pathway leading to Mutou's gate in Hephaestus, the Fleet Hall of Fort Frolic, the path in Arcadia… and of course, Dragon King's Bounty. "I saw many places in Kyoki as I went by, and as I looked over each and every one of them… I somehow realized that a part of me loves this place. And now I might never see it again. How we managed to get by without my father and his guards noticing, I don't know… but finally, the stranger and I reached the bathysphere in Dragon King's Bounty…"

"Here we are, my child!" the stranger announced to the little boy. "The gateway to the surface! And just in time for your birthday, too! Can you believe it?! Come sunrise tomorrow, you'll be ten years old!" Atem looked at the scene behind him, staring at the fresh corpse of a smuggler.

"Mister?" he stated.

"What is it, Child?" the stranger asked.

"While we were traveling to Kyoki… I just realized that I'm going to miss this place… There are just as many good things about it as there are bad… and this is going to be the last time I'm ever gonna see this place." He stared intently at the stranger. "So… before we go into the bathysphere… could I at least say goodbye to Kyoki and everyone who live here?"

It was at that very moment that the figure chuckled. "Ah, my child! That would do you no good!"

"W-why not?" Atem asked in confusion.

"You're about to embark on a brand new life, a brand new start! Everything and everyone you knew, and hated and loved… all will be left behind! Your slate is basically wiped clean! In fact, by the time you reach the surface, you won't even know that this city exists in the first place! Oh but don't worry!"—The figure took out a syringe filled with an inky black liquid and held it up for the boy to see—"At least you'll remember your first name… and your date of birth!" Atem immediately grew stiff with terror as the figure bent down to reveal his eyes—turquoise on the left and golden on the right. "Now… hold still for me, would you kindly?" The turquoise circle-star symbol flashed on Atem's forehead, and he found that no matter how much he wanted to escape this man, he couldn't move an inch. And with that the figure plunged the needle into Atem's jugular vein and injected the liquid. The pain that followed was the greatest yet, and Atem grunted, clutching his head. The agony grew and grew… until finally, he let out a scream… and fell unconscious in the stranger's arms, his vision turning black.

"…That was the last thing I remember before I came to the surface." Atem sighed, "The next thing I knew, I was waking up in a hospital bed on the surface. It was my tenth birthday…"

Voices echoed in his ears. Who was speaking to him? Slowly he opened his eyes. He squinted at the bright lights. As his vision cleared he saw a man and a woman looking down at him. They seemed to be worried. "Akira, look!" the woman exclaimed, "He's waking up!"

The man, Akira Kakita, bent down to hug the now ten-year-old boy. "Oh thank God you're all right! We thought we were going to lose you!"

"Who… who are you?" Atem asked in confusion. The couple looked at him in shock.

"Sweetie?" the woman gasped.

Atem sat up on his bed. "W-where am I… who am I?!"

"Oh no… the doctor said that he would be suffering amnesia!" the woman stated in panic.

"Calm down, Kuni" Akira assured his wife, "I'm sure it must be temporary! Let's take this a step at a time, okay?" He stepped toward the boy. "Can you remember anything?"

"N-no…" Atem answered.

"Do you know your name?"

"A…Atem. My name is Atem."

"Anything else?" Kuni asked, seemingly hopeful.

"M-my birthday is… June 4th 1992. That's all I can remember! Everything else is blank!"

"Take it easy!" Akira stated gripping Atem's arm in a firm but gentle manner. "You'll remember in time. Let's start with the introductions. I'm your father, Akira Kakita, and this is Kuni Kakita, your mother."

Atem blinked. "…Mom? Dad?"

"Yes Sweetie!" Kuni replied, holding her "son's" hand.

"Wait… what day is today?" Atem asked.

"Why, it's June 4th, of course." Kuni answered, to which Atem's eyes widened.

"June 4th? But that means… I'm ten years old today, right?"

"Yes!" Akira answered, leading his "son" to the window. "Happy Birthday, my son!"

Outside the window, the boy could see a bright blue sky overlooking a pleasant garden view. The sun that day was so bright. Again, he squinted, shielding his eyes from the brightness of the sun. Why is he doing that? It's not like he hasn't seen the sun before… has he?

"…It was just like what that man told me the day before." Atem finished, "My memory had been wiped clean; my first name and my date of birth were the only things that I could remember."

Mutou stepped toward his firstborn son. "But you know you have memories in the years after that, don't you?"

"Yes Father, I do." Atem replied.

"A farm..."

"Yes…" Atem stated, recalling the rice paddy farm he grew up in.

"A family…"

"Yes!" Atem stated again, recalling the loving family that raised him.

"And friends…"

"Yes!" Atem stated once more, turning his eyes toward Jonouchi and remembering all the fun times they had together.

"From what I've seen," Mutou noted, "life on the surface was everything you've dreamed it would be!"

"Everything and more, Father! I couldn't ask for anything better!"

"But then there's the attic…" Atem gasped as he recalled that day he found the attic door unlocked. "The discovery of birth certificates…" He recalled the box, filled with the documents. "The revelation of the fact you were adopted… and the revelation that your true family still lives…" The Bolt wielder clearly recalled his shock and anger at discovering the truth, and of his foster parents telling him that his real family was waiting for them. "A plane…" He remembered the conversation he had with Jonouchi that night on his sixteenth birthday. "A crash…" He still recalled the fire and debris in the ocean… and he recalled the Pagoda Lighthouse. "And now, this place." Mutou finished, once more propping himself on his kendo sword. The others looked on as Kyoki's King sighed. "At least the life you've lived up there was genuine, as are your friends. But was there ever a family bond?"

"What do you mean Father?" Yugi asked.

"Yugi, throughout the seven years your brother lived upon the surface, the door to the attic had always been locked. Was it by chance that he found the door suddenly opened to him?"

"What?!" Atem gasped as his father turned toward him.

"What it just a coincidence that you found that box containing those birth certificates, which led to that fated revelation? Or could it be that your foster family planted them there while you were looking around, to give you a reason to embark on this journey of self-discovery?"

The Elder Prince was shocked. "Impossible!"

Mutou turned toward Jonouchi. "You there! Jonouchi, is it? You were there the night it happened!" The sandy blonde was about to ask him what he was talking about, but Kyoki's King quickly answered his question. "You knew the plane didn't just… crash, right?"

"Of course it didn't!" Jonouchi stated, "Someone hijacked that plane! I don't know who they are or why they did it, but they sent it crashing down right over this city!" The other Mermaid Agents gasped in shock at that revelation, especially Mai.

"Oh my God!" she gasped.

"Hijacked?!" Stephen stated, "No fucking way!"

"Of course…" Mutou stated, "You don't know who hijacked that plane..." He turned once more to his firstborn son. "…But your best friend does!"

Once again, the Bolt wielder recoiled in shock. "What?! Father, what are saying?! I blacked out when it happened! I was in the middle of opening my birthday present in the bathroom and-" Suddenly, he let out a shout of pain, once more clutching his head in his hands.

"Atem!" Yugi gasped in concern.

"Did you really black out during that time?" Mutou asked in a serious manner. "I highly doubt it… Once again, the Amnesia plasmid is at work here, hiding you from the awful truth! Now think carefully!" Soon the pain vanished as quickly as it came, and Atem gasped, his eyes widening in horror.

"Oh Mother of Ra…! Father, you were right! I… I do know who hijacked that plane!"

"You do?!" Jonouchi gasped hurrying by his friend's side. "Well then spill it! Who did this?!" At first, Atem didn't answer; he only shuddered for a moment. "Atem?"

"It was me…!" Atem murmured.

"Say what now?" Jonouchi stated, "I can't hear you!"

"It was me!" a teary-eyed Atem repeated, louder this time, "IT WAS ME!"

In the bathroom of the airplane, Atem eagerly opened his present. His smile faded into confusion when he saw its contents: a finely polished pistol. "A gun? But why would my foster parents give me a…" It was then he saw a piece of paper along with that weapon. He lifted it up to read it… and the moment he finished doing so, his eyes widened… and the turquoise circle-star symbol appeared on his forehead.

The wires connecting the security cameras were disconnected, shutting them off. With nothing to pry on him, the blank-eyed Atem strode toward the cockpit and locked the doors. The pilot and co-pilot were busy conversing with each other, not noticing the young man behind them, pointing the gun right toward the pilot's head. He fired. The pilot slumped down dead.

"W-what the?!" the co-pilot gasped, spinning around. But he too, was shot down. He could hear the passengers panicking.

"Oh my God! Did you hear that?!"

"Someone's been shot in the cockpit!"

Atem shoved the pilot's corpse from out of his seat and sat down, taking hold of the controls.

"The security camera's been shut down!"

"We can't get in the cockpit! The doors are shut tight!"

"What's happening?!"

He leaned the controls downward and felt the plane quickly decreasing in altitude. He watched as the plane plummeted toward the sea.

"What's going on?!" he heard Jonouchi scream.

Then in an instant, the plane made impact. The glass shattered, and soon Atem found himself engulfed in seawater.

The others stared at the Elder Prince in shock, unable to believe the explanation that they had just heard. "Atem…" Jonouchi gasped. But then he soon lunged at the Bolt wielder in fury, grabbing him by the collar of his shirt. "ATEM, HOW COULD YOU?!"

"I'm sorry Jonouchi!" Atem whimpered, "I didn't…"

Jonouchi shook him even more roughly. "THOUSANDS OF INNOCENT PEOPLE DIED IN THAT CRASH! YOU KILLED THEM, YOU BASTARD!"

"Before you continue throwing those foolish accusations of yours," Mutou snapped at the sandy blonde, "answer my question: If you were in the same position that he was, would you have done the same thing?"

"No, of course I wouldn't!" Jonouchi barked back.

"Well, neither would he." Mutou replied calmly, "If he had free will." Jonouchi let go of his friend, his face displaying an expression of shock. In fact, everyone stared at Kyoki's King in shock.

"What are you taking about, Father?" Atem asked.

Mutou stepped toward his twin sons. "Atem… Yugi… What separates a man from a slave?"

The twins looked at one another. "I don't know." Yugi admitted, "Do you?"

"No," Atem confessed, and the brothers looked once more toward their father. "What exactly does separate a man from a slave?"

"Go ahead," Mutou encouraged, "make a guess."

Yugi spoke first. "Is it money? History says that slaves come from the poorest of the poor."

"Good guess Yugi." Mutou replied, "But no, that is incorrect. For even the richest of individuals can be trapped in bondage."

"Then how about power?" Atem guessed, "From what I've learned in history books, slaves are often the lowest class in certain societies."

"An excellent deduction, but that is also wrong." Mutou explained. "For even kings can be manipulated by those from behind the scenes."

"So if it's not money or power," Atem asked, "Then what is it?"

Kyoki's King stepped toward the desk so he was once more facing his audience. "Friends, listen to my proverb. Learn it well, if you learn nothing else from me." He held his kendo sword in his hands, a serious expression in his face as he spoke his proverb:

"A man chooses. A slave obeys."

"A man chooses." Atem echoed.

"A slave obeys." Yugi repeated.

"What does that mean?" the Bolt wielder asked. "And what does it have to do with me?"

Mutou glanced at the wooden blade of his kendo sword as if to examine it. "To illustrate, let's play a little game. The rules are simple. Every time my back is turned toward you, you walk around in a circle. When I tell you to stop, you are to stop only when I am facing you. If you stop when my back is still turned, you're out of the game. Pay attention to my position, for I will try to throw you off."

"I see. So this game is a lot like 'Red Light, Green Light'." Yugi noted.

Atem nodded in agreement. "Sounds simple enough… I can win this easily!"

"If you're so confident, then let us begin." Mutou suggested, and with that, he turned his back. "Start." Upon the signal, Atem and Yugi began to move around in a circle. They walked like this for a while. "Stop." Mutou declared, but since his back was turned, neither twin did. Instead, they walked some more. Then Mutou turned around. "Stop." And seeing that their father was facing them, they both stopped. "Hmm, very good. But I assure you this game will soon be over in a flash." Once more he turned his back. "Start." And the twins began walking again, each on the opposite side of one another. "Stop." But they didn't stop, seeing as their father's back was turned. "Stop." The twins didn't fall for that one either; the back was still turned and they kept on walking.

"I don't see the point of this game." Atem noted. Right then however, Mutou spoke up again, his back still turned.

"Stop, would you kindly?"

Atem's eyes widened in shock, and he let out a gasp as he alone stopped in his tracks while his brother kept on going. The others took notice as well.

"No way!" Otogi gasped, "Atem stopped when he wasn't supposed to!"

Only then did Mutou turn around, a look of sad disappointment in his face. "Game over, Atem… you lose." The Elder Prince was visibly shaken by what had happened. He knew his father's back was turned; he had no intention of stopping then. So why? It was then that he looked at himself in the mirror close by him.

There, on his forehead, was the turquoise circle-star symbol. His horror knew no bounds. "No… it's can't be!"

"It's that thing on his forehead!" Coral gasped.

"Oh no! I know what that is!" Honda shouted in shock. In fact, everyone who has lived in Kyoki recognized that symbol right away.

"Unbelievable!" Pegasus gasped, "It's the Seal!"

Mutou stepped toward his firstborn son, eying the aforementioned Seal. "Ah yes…" he stated gravely, "The phrase, 'Would you kindly'. That's the phrase you need to fear, Atem." The Bolt wielder looked one more at the billboard, noticing once again that very phrase written in big letters. "It's such a powerful phrase… clearly much more powerful than 'Simon Says'." Atem spun around to face his father, his own fear escalating. "Yes, my son. That little game you were forced to play was nothing more than a decoy to keep you from discovering the true meaning of that phrase: that being the key word to activate the Greater Mind Control plasmid!"

"Greater Mind Control?!" Oscar gasped.

"Wait! Are you trying to tell us that Atem's been brainwashed or something?!" Jonouchi asked.

"Right from the very beginning, my friends!" Mutou confirmed, turning once more to his firstborn son. "And that proves the point of my proverb. Even if he has a master, a man can choose whether or not to obey that master's commands; if the command is against his will, the man can actually choose to disobey. But a slave… ah, a slave can do nothing but obey, even if he wishes to do otherwise! In that sense, a slave is something less than a man!"

Atem was in a state of panic now. For it was at that very moment that he understood the full meaning of his father's proverb. "No…!"

"A man chooses! A slave obeys!" Mutou repeated, "That is the difference between you and your brother! That is the reason I am proud of Yugi, and the reason I am disappointed in you!"

"No!"

"Yugi is a man! You are a slave!"

"NO!" Atem shouted, crying now. "YOU'RE WRONG! I'm not a slave!"

Mutou grabbed Atem's left arm, displaying the gold chain tattoo. "Then how do you explain this tattoo on your wrist? Your uncle didn't put it there without a reason! Do you even know the symbolism behind it?!" When the Elder Prince didn't answer, Kyoki's King continued, "It is a mockery of the Great Chain: a chain of bondage! The symbol of your slavery!"

"No!"

Upon hearing his uncle's explanation, Kaiba undid the bracelet on his right arm and scanned the gold chain tattoo upon that wrist in shock. "A symbol of slavery?!" he gasped, "No way…! I'm a slave?!"

Again, a wicked smirk appeared on Raiden's lips.

"And that symbol on your forehead," Mutou stated, pointing to said glowing Seal, "That is the brand that identifies your owner! Your master! The Seal of Orichalcos Futuristics!"

"No!" Atem cried desperately, "I'm not a slave! I'm not a slave!"

There were tears in Mutou's eyes as he stepped back. "Then as much as hurts me to do this to you, you leave me no choice!" He pointed his kendo sword toward the Bolt wielder. "Sit, would you kindly?!"

The Seal of Orichalcos Futuristics pulsated with power, and before he even realized it, Atem's body had seemed to have a mind of its own; in spite of his inner protests, he fell to the ground on his butt. Mutou put the tip of his kendo sword under his son's chin.

"Stand, would you kindly?!"

Again the glowing Seal pulsated. Slowly, Atem's body stood up on its own, no matter how hard he tried to fight it.

"Would you kindly run?!"

The Seal pulsating, Atem broke into a panicked run across the office.

"Would you kindly stop?!"

The Seal pulsated. Atem came skidding to a halt.

"Turn, would you kindly?" Mutou commanded, his voice growing softer now. Again the Seal pulsated, and slowly, the mortified Atem turned around to face his father, tears in his eyes.

"There's no way…" Yugi gasped, "There's no way! Father, tell me it's not true! My brother's not really a slave, is he?"

Mutou faced his younger son. "You don't believe me? Well then, see for yourself. Give Atem a command that you know would hurt both of you. That will be proof enough."

The Younger Prince stared at his father in dismay. Then, hesitantly, Yugi stepped in front of his twin. His whole body shook as he thought of the worst kind of thing to command. "Atem… S-strike me in the face."

"Say the phrase, Yugi." Mutou stated. The League leader did nothing; he didn't want to say that phrase, not after what he's seen! "SAY IT!" Mutou demanded in a booming voice, though it too showed an undeniable pain laced within.

So Yugi steeled himself… and reluctantly repeated his order in a more proper way. "S-strike me in the face…W-W-WOULD YOU KINDLY?!"

Once more, the Seal of Orichalcos Futuristics flashed with pulsating power on Atem's forehead, and he clutched his head, trying his hardest to resist that command. But it was to no avail. In a flash, he punched his little brother in the face with such force that it knocked the Younger Prince to the ground. Yugi looked up, rubbing his cheek to soothe the pain. The pain in his heart, however, was even greater. Atem stared at his little brother, horrified at what he had done. "Oh Yugi… Brother, I'm so sorry!" The rest of the Agents looked on, unable to believe what they were seeing. Mutou sadly stepped toward his firstborn.

"You see? A man chooses. A slave obeys." Atem broke down into sobs, and his father gently wiped away a tear. "But do not fear, my son. There is still hope. For even slaves have a strong yearning for freedom. It was part of your master's overall plan to smuggle you to the surface. But as it turns out… it is also his greatest mistake. For in doing so, he inadvertently gave you a taste of something you've never known before: free will! Yes, it's a false sense of free will, but it is still a taste of free will nevertheless! By choosing to rescue the Scavengers in my care instead of harvesting them, you showed me, and everyone here in this city, that you have the potential to break free from those chains of slavery! You have the potential to become a man!" Mutou traced his hand over his kendo sword. "That day will come very soon Atem! I'm sure of it!" He let out a mournful sigh. "But sadly… that day is not today."

"What?!" Atem gasped, "W-why not?!"

"You have a cruel destiny to fulfill!" Mutou replied, "The order has already been given. And even if I can stop it… the truth is, I have no intention of doing so. Not after what I've done to Kyoki, or its people."

"What cruel destiny, Father?!" Atem asked.

"No matter how much it hurts you to do so," Mutou stated, "Think back to all those times you heard the phrase. Only then will the answer finally become clear to you!"

So again out of reluctance, Atem thought back to all those painful moments. He thought of the days when he was bullied by his cousin, Kaiba.

"Break the mutt's neck, would you kindly?"

"Stab your hand with this knife, would you kindly?"

"Beat yourself with this yard stick fifty times, would you kindly?"

"Would you kindly…"

"Would you kindly…"

"Do this, would you kindly?"

All the while, he heard Kaiba's mocking laughter echo in his mind. The suddenly, his eyes widened in horror as a new voice entered his mind: Raiden's voice!

"Hey! Hey you! Yeah, you! The one with the crimson eyes and spiky tri-colored hair! Would you kindly pick up that Shockwave Video Phone hanging by the door?"

He remembered the very moment he arrived at—or rather, returned to—Kyoki.

The Seal of Orichalcos Futuristics flashed briefly on his forehead, and Atem grabbed the Video Phone.

"Would you kindly find a crowbar or something?"

The Seal flashed, and Atem picked up the lead pipe that he used as a quarterstaff.

"Now would you kindly equip that plasmid?"

He jabbed the syringe into his wrist with the gold chain tattoo. The Seal flashed as he lifted his head and screamed in pain.

"Atem, would you kindly lower your weapon for a minute?"

As he and Jonouchi approached the suspended catwalk overlooking the Scavenger that was Mei Lin, the Seal flashed and Atem lowered his lead pipe quarterstaff.

"Would you kindly do this for me?"

"Atem, would you kindly…"

"Would you kindly…"

"Would you kindly…"

"Would you kindly…"

Everything that had occurred in the past five days seemed to speed by in in his mind's eye. His encounter with Scavengers mourning their Hunters. His new friends. The paths he took, the places he'd seen. All the while, that phrase continued to echo in his mind. Then suddenly one sentence came into his mind… and his eyes widened in horror. With that one sentence, spoken at the very start of his adventure in Hephaestus… all the pain, all the torment, all those experiments… after all those years, it finally made sense!

"Now Atem… would you kindly head over to Ryu Mutou's office and kill that son of a bitch?"

To the shock of all his friends, he fell to his knees, panting to the point of hyperventilation. He couldn't believe it! His journey through Kyoki—no, his whole life… had been led up to this very moment! "Oh Mother of Ra…" Atem gasped in a hushed tone. "Raiden was right… we really do have the Ace in the Hole in our possession!"

The eyes of the all the Agents widened in a confused sort of shock. "What?! We do?!" Nathaniel exclaimed.

"What are you talking about?!" Jonouchi asked.

"Don't you get it?!" Atem shouted, grabbing the sandy blonde by the shoulders. "It was with us the WHOLE TIME! THE WHOLE FUCKING TIME!" He let go and stood in the middle of the whole room, pounding his chest once. "I'M THE WEAPON OF LEGEND! I'M THE ACE IN THE HOLE!"

The whole office was filled with the resounding gasp of all his friends. "Oh my God!" Emily gasped, her hands over her mouth.

"I can't be!" Pegasus exclaimed, "Atem Boy?!"

"Oh no!" Blossom shrieked.

"Atem!" Anzu cried out, once more on the verge of tears.

"No way!" Yugi gasped. "All this time… it was you we've been searching for!"

"That's right, my friends!" Mutou announced, tears flowing down his cheeks, "The legendary Ace in the Hole! Human in appearance, but something much less than human! Something trained and genetically modified from an early age to be a powerful fighter, then to sleepwalk through seven years of life until they are activated by one simple phrase, spoken by their cruel master!" He stepped forward until he was close to his firstborn son. His once more had an eerily hushed tone. "All for the sole purpose… of slaying me! It was not a man who was summoned here to kill… it was a slave. Look here." And he pointed to a corner in the room and everyone followed in that direction. There, standing neatly in the corner, its blue-white energy waves flashing from within was…

"No way! A Vita Chamber!" Honda gasped. Mutou took up a remote and pushed a button. In an instant, the energy wave was gone, and everything on the Vita Chamber was shut down. Then he dropped the remote onto the ground… and crushed it underfoot.

"Anyone who is within the same genetic ballpark as any member of the Kyoki Council can activate the switch of the main bathysphere." Mutou explained, "But only those who are genetically tied to me can activate the Vita Chamber's resurrection ability, myself included. By shutting it down, I have ensured that my fate is sealed. When I go down… I stay down." He turned toward the other Agents. "Don't interfere! If you do, I will force him to do the same to you as he will do to me! Think of all the people you loved, who have died because of me! Think of Julie Langford! Think of Cyndia Culpepper! Think of the Topsiders! If you think of it this way, you're finally giving them the justice they deserve!"

Atem realized at that very moment what his father was intending to do… and he could bear it no longer. "NO!" He screamed, bursting into tears, "Father please, don't make me do it! I don't want to kill you anymore! Since you feel so much remorse for what you have done to our city and its people, I am more than happy to forgive you! I want to form a bond with you, a bond between father and son! I WILL LEARN TO LOVE YOU, AND I MEAN EVERY WORD I SAY!" He broke down into pitiful sobs. "Just please… please don't make me do this to you, I beg you!" Understanding Atem's pain, Mutou reached out and wrapped his weeping son in a warm and loving embrace, rubbing the boy's back and letting him cry on his shoulder. Feeling the love of his father for the very first time, Atem clung to him, afraid of letting him go. He couldn't bear the thought of losing him now. The two of them stayed that way for a few tender moments, a father and his son. Then at last Mutou reluctantly broke the embrace.

"Atem…" he stated, "I'm glad that you, of all people, are the first to reach out to me in forgiveness. But unfortunately, I cannot accept it. I can never forgive myself for what I have done; my guilt is far too great." He placed his wooden kendo sword in Atem's hands, clasping them in his own until both were holding it in their grasp. "But know this: I forgive you in advance… for what you will do to me. And so, promise me… when I'm gone…make me proud of you for once. That's all I ask of you." And with that, Kyoki's King sadly loosened his grip on the Ace's hands, and let go, stepping back. The Ace in the Hole shook in dread, clutching his father's kendo sword like a noble but reluctant samurai warrior about to slay a beloved shogun. Mutou shut his eyes, bracing himself for the last moment of his life. "Now Atem… my son… would you kindly use all the strength you can muster, to finish what you've started before… AND KILL ME?!"

The Seal of Orichalcos Futuristics pulsated once more with power, the command to carry out the assassination reinforced. Atem clutched his head, his limbs shaking as he tried his hardest to fight back. But it was no use.

After what seemed like an eternity, but was actually a mere fifteen seconds, Atem quickly lifted the kendo sword… and let out a forced scream of fury.

He swung the wooden blade with all his might, and it made contact with his father. Blood spattered from the wound on his head as he fell to the ground. But that wasn't enough to kill him. Slowly, the dying king began to rise. "Yugi!" Mutou choked, "This is my final request! And I'm sure this time… you will heed it… for your brother's sake!" He was back on his feet, when Atem struck him a second time, sending him to the floor again. Again, Mutou rose from his position. "MAKE HIM… A MAN!" The Ace in the Hole struck him a third time. Again, Mutou rose up, though he was now struggling to stay on his knees. "SET HIM… FREE!" The wooden blade of the kendo sword struck him a fourth time. His face was now covered in blood, and with the last of his strength, Ryu Mutou, clung to Atem's shirt to rise to his feet one last time. He let out his final cry. "FREEEEEEEE!" Atem let out one more cry of forced fury, and swung the kendo sword.

This time, it struck right through Mutou's head. The wooden blade snapped in two, the tip of which was imbedded in the skull of Kyoki's King. Time seemed to slow down as he fell lifelessly to the ground, blood spraying from the fatal wound in his head.

Then all was silent. Everyone stared down at the corpse lying in the center, unable to believe it wasn't just a horrible dream. Finally, Yugi broke the tense silence and spoke. "He's dead…! Father's finally dead!" The League leader broke down into tears of sorrow. "So why am I not happy? Why?!"

"We've been waiting so long for this moment to come…" Mai gasped, already on the verge of crying, "But who would have thought that it would be… like this?"

For what seemed like an eternity, Atem just stood there, drenched in his father's splattered blood, completely stunned at the sight before him. As his mind finally began to register as to what happened… his heart shattered. "NOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" He dropped the broken piece of the kendo sword and ran to embrace his dead father, the very same man he had just killed. "FATHER! I'M SO SORRY! PLEASE WAKE UP! TELL ME IT'S JUST A BAD DREAM! YOU CAN'T BE DEAD!" But the evidence was clear for all to see. Not even the Vita Chamber can save him now. He let out an anguished scream, and held the corpse closer to him sobbing. In fact, everyone in the whole office was actually mourning the loss of Ryu Mutou… a sad twist of irony indeed.

Suddenly, the whole office shook—and the alarm went off once more. The Mermaid Agents looked over at a wall, and found a digital clock, counting down from 30 seconds! "The bomb!" Nathaniel exclaimed. "Mutou didn't shut it down at all! He was delaying the countdown until his demise!"

Atem's Video Phone signaled the call, and a certain guide appeared on screen. "Raiden!" he gasped.

"Hurry now… grab Mutou's genetic key card!" The Ace in the Hole didn't have to search long for the item in question: it was lying on the floor, not far away from his father's body.

"You mean this one?" he asked, picking it up.

"Yes! Now would you kindly put it in that goddamn machine?!"

The Seal pulsated once again, and soon Atem found himself rising up and rushing out of the office. "NO! I'm not a slave! I'm not a slave! I'M NOT A SLAVE!" But try as he might, he couldn't will his body to stop the order.

"Atem!" Yugi shouted in worry as his brother sped toward the control panel. There was 15 seconds left.

Meanwhile, Raiden's supporters were egging the living weapon on.

"C'mon, hurry up!"

"You're almost there!"

Raiden's smirk grew wider.

With 10 seconds left, Atem felt as if he were dragged toward the main computer, which looked like an impressive model of Kyoki itself complete with several monitors. One of them in the center displayed the logo of Mutou industries. And under it was a tank filled with blue liquid. As if had taken a life of its own, the arm holding the key card lifted itself toward the slot. "I'm not a slave!" Atem repeated as he grabbed that arm, "I'm not a slave!" But the arm thrust itself toward the slot, inserting the key card in doing so. The countdown stopped right on 3 seconds; the bomb was deactivated. But soon sparks began to fly all over, and the tank slowly began to drain of the blue liquid.

The non-splicer supporters of Raiden cheered when they saw the machine rewired. Victory was theirs at last!

"WE DID IT!"

"Three cheers for Raiden! Hip-hip!"

"HOORAY!"

Only a few of the non-spilcers were not celebrating. Kaiba was one of those few. He stared at the monitor, filled with dread. A huge part of him actually felt sorry for his cousin. After all, Atem was trained and genetically modified to be the one thing that would destroy his father: a perfect assassin. For what better way to slay Mutou than to strike him where it hurt the most? The worst part of it all… was the fact that the Splicer Killer had contributed to that training. Although he feared the vengeance that would come to him… he wanted so badly to apologize. Truth is, he didn't really want to fight him after all he's done. The gold chain tattoo pointed it out: they were both slaves, after all.

Raiden stepped toward the monitor and pulled a switch. For some reason, Kaiba had a bad feeling about this; and indeed this celebration was about to be cut short!

The monitors on the control panel all flashed on, each and every one of them showing the same scene: Raiden's face, the top of which was hidden in the shadow of his straw hat. And in the background were his supporters, cheering loudly. That sight disgusted Atem… they were celebrating the death of his father! And to think that the Mermaid League and their supporter were planning the same thing before all this happened… the irony of the moment was not lost on him or any of his friends. Soon however, something more disturbing happened. Raiden began to chuckle. The Agents all turned to face their guide. There was something about that chuckle that just wasn't right.

Finally Raiden spoke. "Well done… Mermaid Agents!" The team gasped in shock at those words. How did he know about their organization?! Raiden continued to chuckle… and very soon, as the chuckle grew into a sinister laugh, the Chinese accent vanished completely, replaced with a smooth silver-tongued voice!

That voice! Kaiba thought in fear. No, it can't be!

"Time to put an end to this little masquerade!" Raiden—or rather, the man who called himself Raiden, announced triumphantly. The supporters behind him had stopped cheering upon hearing his voice and they stared at their leader, confused.

"Uh Raiden…? One supporter asked, "W-what's wrong with your voice?"

"FOOLS!" snapped the man who called himself Raiden, "There is no 'Raiden'! There never was!" Everyone gasped at this sudden revelation as he continued, "I got to admit… there would come a time when a man of my talent would need to adopt an alias. Why, I even spent time among the smugglers as an Irish man for six months as practice!"

"YOU BASTARD!" Jonouchi bellowed, "How dare you deceive us like that! Who are you, really?!"

The man who called himself Raiden chuckled. "You all have been excellent allies to me… especially you Atem. You're a good boy." He took off his straw hat, revealing a bald head with a long turquoise braid from the back. His eyes were closed. "So I suppose I owe you the truth." And with that, the man who called himself Raiden reached out toward his head—and pulled off what actually turned out to be a bald wig! Underneath was a full head of long turquoise hair, with lightning-shaped bangs styled similarly to that of Atem and Yugi! The non-splicers voiced their shock and dismay as the man threw his head back proudly, feeling the breeze in this locks.

"It can't be!"

"Impossible!"

The man faced the monitor and chuckled again. "For those of you who don't already know me…" he declared, as he finally opened his eyes—revealing the mismatched orbs of turquoise on the left and gold on the right. "You can call me… Dartz!"

"DARTZ?!" Stephen exclaimed in shock.

"I knew it!" Yugi growled, "I KNEW THERE WAS SOMETHING FAMILIAR ABOUT YOU! I never thought that you of all people would take up a disguise like that!"

Once more, the man, now revealed as Dartz, chuckled. "Ah, Prince Yugi! I am pleased that you remember me after all these years!"

"Who wouldn't remember the likes of you?!" Mai roared in anger. "You don't even look a day older than the War of Smugglers!"

"I admit," Dartz stated, "A Perpetual Youth plasmid works wonders; I can live to be a hundred without ever growing old! But enough about me!" He stared down at Atem, who was gazing at him in shock. "Ah… Atem! You've grown so much since I saw you last! It seemed like only yesterday when I brought you out of Kyoki into the wide world above the waves."

Right then, Atem let out a gasp in recognition. The figure in his memory… the stranger that led him to the bathysphere… the same one holding that needle and syringe… those piercing mismatched eyes that stared down at him…

"Now… hold still for me, would you kindly?"

"It was you!" Atem gasped, "You're the one who smuggled me to the surface on my tenth birthday, the one who erased my memories!"

"That's right, my child!" Dartz replied, "Of course, it wasn't just you and me when we reached the lighthouse topside." Two figures stepped out of the shadows: a man and a woman, both showing expressions of heart-wrenching guilt. A man and a woman that were all too familiar to Atem.

"Akira… Kuni…" Atem exclaimed, "Mom! Dad!"

"Heh heh heh heh… they told you, 'Son… you're special. You were born to do great things.'" The mastermind's sinister laugh echoed all over the office. "And you know what? They were right! But then again I was the one who brought you to them as a reward for their hard work!"

"What?!" Atem shouted in horror.

"Yes, they're farmers by day… but by night, they're smugglers working for me! How else were they able to get all the treasure and artifacts you love so dearly?"

Akira and Kuni were sitting at the steps of the Pagoda Lighthouse, scanning the sea. The sun was already rising. Finally bubbles began to break the surface. "Kuni!" Akira gasped pointing to the sea, "He's here!"

"I wonder what we'll be getting." Kuni noted, "I sure hope it's a good as the boss says it is." Instantly, the metallic bathysphere bust through the water not far from the stairs. The two smugglers approached as the door swung open.

"Mr. Dartz!" Akira shouted, but soon he and his wife stopped to stare in amazement as their employer stepped out. In his arms was a small boy with spiky tri-colored hair, having just turned ten years old this very moment; he was unconscious, but very much alive.

"A boy?" Kuni gasped.

"Welcome my friends." Dartz greeted, "I presume you've noticed this little man I'm carrying. This is your new son, Atem. He's just turned ten years old today, and this is his first time outside the city undersea."

"You mean it?" Kuni gasped, weeping tears of joy, "He's really ours?"

"We've been trying so hard for years to have children of our own, but we've never been able to conceive one!" Akira stated, taking the boy into his arms, "How could we ever thank you?"

Dartz chuckled. "Just remember one thing: Whatever you do, do not fall in love with him. He's got a very special destiny in store for him, and when the time comes, I would like to have him back. Expect a call from me at any time!"

Atem stared in dismay, as the couple started weeping. Soon however, his anger started rising. "You… you lied to me! All those years, you've lied to me about everything!"

"Atem! We were told that you have a great destiny!" Kuni cried, "We never thought that this… massacre would be it!"

"Please son," Akira begged, "We didn't mean to deceive you like that! We love-"

"SHUT UP!" Atem exploded in rage, "STOP CALLING ME 'SON'! YOU DON'T REALLY LOVE ME! YOU WERE JUST KEEPING ME IN STORAGE FOR DARTZ!"

"But Atem-" Kuni pleaded.

"I SAID SHUT UP! GO BACK TO PITS OF JIGOKU FROM WHENCE YOU CAME, AND DON'T EVER COME BACK!"

"That's right, Child." Dartz stated encouragingly, "Fuel the fires of your hate!" He took out a dagger. "It will make my task that much easier!" And with that, he plunged the blade right into Kuni's heart. Atem's anger instantly turned into horror as he realized what was happening.

"Kuni!" Akira shouted in horror as his wife fell dead in his arms.

"Oh!" Dartz noted to the Bolt wielder, "Now that I think about it… I'm glad I summoned you back to Kyoki when I did! Against my wishes, these two fell in love with you. They were planning on telling you the whole truth; they were going to ruin everything! Luckily, I gave them a call before they even got a chance."

"You son of a bitch!" Akira spat, tears in his eyes. "You deceived us!" Right at that moment, his chest suddenly exploded; a bazooka splicer loyal to Dartz had shot him point blank from behind, killing him.

"NO!" Atem screamed, regretting the hateful words he had spoken. Now he had lost his foster parents as well.

Again, Dartz let out a string of laughter as his splicer followers proceeded to slay the rest of the non-splicers. "I must say, I've had plenty of business partners in my life. But you, Atem… you and the Agents of the Mermaid League are the best of them all! Of course, in your case, the fact that you were genetically conditioned from childhood to bark like sea lion or sprint barefoot across broken glass whenever I said 'Would you kindly' may have something to do with it, but still…"

Atem glared at the mastermind, trying his best to hide his fear. "You won't get away with this Dartz… I swear, YOU WON'T GET AWAY WITH THIS!" By now, the blue liquid had completely disappeared from the tank, and a red liquid was now filling up to replace it.

"Ha, ha ,ha, I already have, my child!" Dartz declared, "Besides, you're the one who made it possible! As soon as that machine finishes processing the genetic key card you've collected from your father, Kyoki will be mine to control, tits to toes! And in due time, I will take control of all those Safehouses as well!"

"DON'T GET YOUR HOPES UP TOO HIGH, DARTZ!" Yugi declared boldly.

"THAT'S RIGHT!" Honda added, "YOU'LL NEVER PENETRATE THE SAFEHOUSES!"

"WE WON'T LET YOU!" Anzu exclaimed.

"WE'LL KICK YOUR ASS BEFORE THAT HAPPENS!" Jonouchi declared.

"Then go ahead!" Dartz mocked, "Try and hunt me down! I have an army of splicers ready to destroy you on my say so! But I doubt that I'll be using them."

"IS THAT A THREAT?!" Stephen roared.

"YEAH, WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT?!" Nathaniel demanded.

The red liquid was already on its way to reach the top. "Mermaid Agents," Dartz stated, "You all have been my greatest asset! But you know me… I never let something as stupid as friendship get in the way of business!" As if to back him up, the computer's processing was complete; the tank was filled to the brim with red liquid, and the Mutou Industries flickered out of sight from the screen above it. The logo of Orichalcos Futuristcs immediately took its place, its signature Seal displayed for all to see. "Oh! And before I forget… Atem, would you kindly summon the Security Bots so they can finish off your friends?"

The Seal pulsated on cue, and Atem's horror knew no bounds! "NO! NO!" He screamed, and he struggled with all his might to resist. In spite of his inner protests, his hand slowly reached toward the switch not far from the control panel. "I'm not a slave! I'm not a slave!" Atem yelled, "I'M NOT A SLAVE!" But the effort was fruitless; the hand grabbed hold of the handle and pulled the switch. Instantly, the alarm blared out all over the office.

Dartz's laughter echoed loudly over the sound. "Thank you for everything! And tell Mutou I said hello!" With that, the mastermind vanished from the screen. Filled with despair, Atem slumped down to his knees and cried.

"You bastard!" Kaiba roared, "They're not going to be defeated that easily! You just wait! They'll hunt you down for sure!"

Dartz simply chuckled. "Even so, what makes you think the Ace in the Hole wouldn't hunt you down too? You better hope he dies right here and now… or you'll be joining Kisara soon enough." At that, the Splicer Killer recoiled in shock—and broke to a run. "Ha ha ha ha! Run away Splicer Killer!" Dartz taunted, "You have a destiny of your own! And if all else fails, you will fulfill your final task, whether you like it or not!" By then, said Splicer Killer was already gone.

It wasn't long before the whirling of the Security Bots choppers filled the Agents ears, as did the beeping. "That snake!" Oscar barked. Soon, the Bots came into full view and started firing.

"Oh shit!" Pegasus cursed and started firing his golden machine gun. A few of the Bots fell, but it was only a few scratches in what turned out to be a huge swarm. The Agents desperately tried to dodge the many bullets coming in their direction. But the swarm of Security Bots was increasing in alarming numbers. It was only a matter of time before the injuries they receive would become fatal.

"There's too many of them!" Emily shouted, "We're not gonna make it!" Soon a group of Security Bots started aiming toward a disheartened Atem, when suddenly a voice called out to him.

"MR. YAMI! WATCH OUT!"

Snapping out of his trance, he stood up and spun around just in time to dodge a barrage of bullets. Through all the commotion, he was amazed to find a familiar face standing fearlessly in spite of the danger. "Mei Lin?!" he gasped.

The other Mermaid Agents were just as surprised. "Mei Lin!" Yugi exclaimed, "What are you doing here?!"

"No time to explain," answered Mei Lin, "Follow me!" And she broke into a run. The team stared at one another, realizing that she might be on to something. They too began to run. But Atem, still feeling an incredible guilt over what had happened, didn't move an inch. Eventually, Mei Lin led her friends to a vent. It was wide open and standing by it was another pair of familiar faces.

"Rebecca!" Yugi exclaimed.

"Leon!" Otogi gasped.

"This way, you guys!" Leon shouted, crawling into the vent.

"Come with us!" Rebecca added, "We'll lead you out of here!"

Stephen immediately ducked in and entered the vent, followed by Emily, Oscar and the rest of his rock band. "C'mon!" Mei Lin shouted as Pegasus entered next, then Otogi, Honda, Mai, and Jonouchi. Finally, only Anzu and Yugi remained.

"ATEM!" Anzu exclaimed, "C'mon! It's not safe here!" But the Elder Prince stood still.

"Anzu's right!" Yugi shouted, "After losing our father I can't stand the thought of losing you too!"

Atem's eyes widened in amazement. After all the things he had done… "Hurry Mr. Yami!" Mei Lin shouted, a look of obvious worry on her face. The Ace in the Hole stared long at the little girl's face… seeing her pleading eyes. Then he gazed at his childhood companion… and his younger brother. He made up his mind. In an instant, he broke into a run. He felt the bullets grazing his skin, releasing his own blood. The pain was immense, and it greatly increased when he felt a snap in his left ankle. The Security Bot had struck him in his ankle, slowing him down immensely. But in spite of the agony, he trudged onward as fast as he could. He didn't deserve to live, not after what he done. But for the sake of all of his friends, and for his twin… he knew he must survive. Finally, he reached the vent. Seeing his approach, Anzu had crawled inside.

"C'mon!" Yugi insisted before he too entered the vent, with Atem not far behind. As they traveled through the vent, the banging of the Security Bots bullets rang into their ears like the annoying buzz of an alarm clock. They were midway through the trip, when suddenly, the old metal caved in from under Atem! He let out a scream as he fell into the dark abyss. "ATEEEM!" Yugi shouted, reaching out but unable to catch his brother. As the Bolt wielder fell, both his brother and the light grew smaller and smaller, until at last he could see them no more. Then his body crashed into what seemed to be a concrete floor, and he was overwhelmed by pain. His father's words echoed in his mind.

"A man chooses. A slave obeys. Obeys… obeys… obeys…"

His eyes rolled back… before they closed entirely.

All was silent, with only the dripping of water. For a while, Atem laid there, bloodied and unconscious. It seemed that he might not survive after all… but soon there was an echo of footsteps. A figure approached the unconscious form. Exposing himself to the light, Bakura stared downward.

"Ace in the Hole…" he murmured, "Seems that you served your purpose as far as that bastard Dartz was concerned. But you still haven't outlived your usefulness… not yet." He crouched by the body. "That's why I can't let you die… not yet."

Note: And so concludes the unexpected tragedy of Ryu Mutou. But this story is not over yet! Oh, by the way, the sentence about the Irish man is a reference to Bioshock's Atlas, in case you didn't notice. Anyway, the next chapter tells of a time of recovery... and a time of coping. How will Atem be able to heal after what he's gone through? Until Next Time!