Yu-Gi-Oh! Fan Fiction ❯ The Crow: Armageddon ❯ Keys to the Underworld ( Chapter 7 )

[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]

The Crow: Armageddon By The Wolf God and Kokuryu

Disclaimer: The Crow is owned by James O'Barr although the films is owned by Dimension Films. Teen Titans is owned by DC Comics, Warner Brothers, and Cartoon Network. Yu-Gi-Oh is owned by Kazuki Takahashi, Shonen Jump, and 4Kids TV.

Author's note: The latter half of this story now begins. The Crow has recovered from his psychotic episode and is ready to kick some ass again. The evil Marik possess a set of mystical keys called the Great Demon God keys. What kind of power do these keys have? For these answers, my fellow wolves and Crow-ites, read the chapter and find out.

"I've been defeated and brought down

Dropped to my knees when hope ran out

The time has come to change my ways

On this day I see clearly everything has come to life

A bitter place and a broken dream

And we'll leave it all, leave it all behind

I'll never long for what might have been

Regret won't waste my life again

I won't look back

I'll fight to remain

On this day I see clearly everything has come to life

A bitter place and a broken dream

And we'll leave it all behind

On this day it's so real to me

Everything has come to life

Another chance to chase a dream

Another chance to feel

Chance to feel alive

Fear will kill me, all I could be

Lift these sorrows

Let me breathe, could you set me free

Could you set me free

On this day I see clearly everything has come to life

A bitter place and a broken dream

And we'll leave it all behind

On this day it's so real to me

Everything has come to life

Another chance to chase a dream

Another chance to feel

Chance to feel alive"

Alter Bridge-"Metalingus"

Chapter 7:
Keys to the Underworld

Two days went by since Yami Yugi Muto a.k.a. The Crow regained his sanity thanks to his beloved sister, Raven. Yugi stood in an alley while he reflected on the tragic events that happened over two days back. Right after his fight against the Batman, he, Raven, Joey, and Robin returned to the ghetto where the apartment was located. It was there he was confronted by his friends and the Titans. They were upset and saddened about the crap that had happened over the last few days. Wracked with guilt and grief, The Crow wanted to turn his back on everyone and even wanted to resign from the team who looked up to him. Luckily, a lecture from Skull Cowboy convinced him not to. The skeleton guide told The Crow if his grandfather were alive right now, he would be disappointed about giving up on his hopes and dreams. Skull Cowboy even told Yugi about how much his family mean to him, which he was refering to Yugi's friends and the Titans. Afterward, The Crow apologized to everyone for all the pain and suffering he caused. Even Tristen and Serenity had forgiven him for what happened back at the cemetary.

Yami's thoughts suddenly interrupted when his crow arrived and cawed to him. Yugi looked at the crow and knew it was time to leave. The Crow stepped out of the alley and resumed his night patrol when he sensed trouble not too far from his location.

(Theater/Crime Alley)

Jaden Yuki and Alexis Rhodes were walking out of the theater after seeing The Hills Have Eyes. Alexis was scared out of her mind while her date tried not to blow chunks during those two hours. As the couple were coming through Crime Alley, Alexis felt an uncomfortable feeling knotting her stomach.

"I know we shouldn't have seen 'The Hills Have Eyes'," Jaden commented. "I could barely contain that pop corn and Reeses Pieces in my fuckin' belly."

"Jaden, I'm getting a bad feeling about this," Alexis said.

"Whaddya mean, Alexis?" Jaden asked.

"I don't think it's a good idea walking down this part of the street," Alexis replied.

"Oh, come on, Alexis. What could possibly go wrong?" Jaden asked rhetorically.

Something was about to go wrong. Two masked men suddenly emerged out of nowhere, one masked man held a double barrel shotgun while his accomplice grabbed Alexis.

"Let me go, right now!" Alexis screamed as she struggled.

"All right, punk! Hand over da cash before I blow yer fuckin' head off!" the shotgun-toting man demanded.

"Ok, ok," Jaden said as he handed over his wallet to the masked man.

The masked thug grabbed Jaden's wallet and pulled out twenty-five bucks but got mad for the lack of more cash.

"Twenty-five fuckin' clams!? Where da fuck is da rest!?" The thug demanded.

"It's all I got, dude," Jaden replied.

"Well, then. Guess we'll have to take yer pretty girlfriend as collatoral," The accomplice said.

"No! Jaden, help me!" Alexis screamed.

As Alexis screamed for her life, a crow flew by and landed on a chainlink fence. At the same time, a shadow blanketed the spot where Jaden, Alexis, and the thugs were standing. They all thought the shadow hovering over them belonged to Batman but they were wrong. The shadow really belonged to The Crow. The Crow's boot smacked the shotgun-toting thug in the face then he landed on the sidewalk.

"Jesus fuckin' Christ, it's him!" The accomplice screamed. "The Crow!"

"Let them go or you will suffer," The Crow said calmly.

"Not gonna happen, goth boy," The second masked man said. "This chump here owes us money or we're takin' his pretty girlfriend with us as collateral."

"You ain't taking her anywhere," The Crow said as the thugs sweated under their masks.

"Now you're really gonna get it, asshole," Jaden remarked.

"Shut up, dickhead!" The masked thug shouted as he aimed his shotgun at Jaden's face.

"Jaden!" Alexis screamed.

"Look out!" The Crow yelled as he shoved him out of the way.

The double-barrel blasted Yugi in the head. Blood poured down his face but thanks to his crow power, the blood seeped back into his wound and the shell bullet fell to the ground. Jaden stared at Yugi with utter shock and amazement.

'God damn! He just took a shotgun blast to the head and is still breathing,' Jaden said mentally.

'No way this guy could be human,' Alexis added mentally.

The masked thug's jaw nearly dropped to the ground upon seeing what happened. "That should've killed ya, man."

"I'm already dead," Yami Yugi said as he reached into his boot. "My turn now."

Yami pulled out his boot knife while the masked thug reloaded his double-barrel. But before the thug could fire, Yugi threw his boot knife at the thug's left arm and stabbed him.

"AAAHHH!" The thug screamed while dropping his weapon.

"This kinda reminds me of that part from 'The Warriors'," Jaden remarked.

The Crow grabbed his knife from the thug's arm and wiped it on his ski-mask. He gave the thug a slug to the sternum which knocked him out. Yugi turned his gaze to the thug who was holding Alexis hostage.

"Release the girl now," The Crow said firmly.

"Y-ya want her? Ya can have her," The second thug said as he shoved Alexis away from him. "I'm outta here!"

The Crow caught Alexis as the thug ran for his life. The Crow pulled out a bolo-rope from his coat pocket and swung it. He threw it at the running thug which bound his feet. He tripped to the ground thanks to his bound feet. He looked up to see Yugi standing over him as he recieved a punch to the face. After knocking out the second thug, The Crow dragged him by the arm and handcuffed the two masked thugs to the chainlink fence.

Afterward, Jaden and Alexis walked up to Yugi just as he was about to leave.

"Wait," Jaden said. "We would like to say thank you...for taking care of those dudes."

"Don't mention it," The Crow said.

"You look kinda familiar. Hey, I know who you are," Jaden deduced. "You're The Crow, aren't you?"

"Yeah. Why do you ask?" The Crow asked.

"Everyone's been talking about you at the Dueling Academy," Jaden said.

"Dueling Academy?" Yami echoed.

"It's a school where we learn to duel," Jaden replied. "Monster, trap, spell. Ya know, the basics. Alexis and myself are students over there. I'm a freshmen and Alexis is an senior."

"I hope you two do well over there," Yugi said.

"Thanks," Jaden said as he saw something in Yugi's card holder on his second studded belt. "Say, are those cards you got right there? May I seen them?"

"Ok," Yugi said as he pulled out his deck. "Here."

Jaden took the cards and begin to shuffle through them. He smiled when he looked at the familiar monster, spell, and trap cards in the deck.

"I can't believe this!" Jaden exclaimed. "This deck belongs to the late King of Games, Yugi Muto!"

It was then the young duelist realized something.

"Hey, uno momento," Jaden said. "You can't be him. Yugi Muto died five or six year ago."

"True," Yami Yugi replied.

"Damn, I'm meetin' the King of Games in the flesh!" Jaden yelled in a excited tone. "This is slammin'!"

Alexis couldn't help but smile at Jaden's exhilaration, despite the fact that she'd just seen his hero take a bullet to the head without flinching.

"What the hell is this?" Jaden asked as he saw a card that had a Kuriboh with wings while shuffling through the deck.

"That is Winged Kuriboh," Yugi replied. "He's just like Kuriboh, same attack and defense points but he has a special ability."

"Sweet," Jaden said.

"Would you like to have it?" The Crow asked.

"What? You're givin' me this card?" Jaden asked. "This is too cool."

Jaden took Winged Kuriboh out of Yugi's deck and looked at it. A huge smile cracked his face as he said, "I can't wait to use this card."

"Glad you like it. May I look at your deck?" The Crow asked as he pointed at the deck in Jaden's pocket.

Jaden gave Yugi's deck back as he showed him his deck. The Crow shuffled through Jaden's cards to see various Elemental Hero monsters, fused Elemental Hero monsters, and various spells and trap cards.

"You have a good set of cards here," Yugi said as he handed back Jaden's deck.

"Thanks," Jaden replied.

As Yugi looked at Alexis, a mental image of Tea appeared in her place while letting out a sigh.

"Are you feeling ok?" Alexis asked. "

"You remind me of someone very important to me," Yami Yugi replied.

"What happened to her?" Alexis asked.

"She was taking from me by this evil cult leader named Marik," The Crow replied.

"Hope you get her back, dude," Jaden reassured.

"Thank you," The Crow said.

"Don't mention it," Jaden said. "Before you go, I was wondering if you could face me in a duel one day?"

Yami smiled when he heard the young duelist's offer.

"You got yourself a duel, Jaden," Yugi said. "But I'm not gonna go easy on you even if you're a rookie."

"I'm gonna give my hundred and ten percent, Yugi," Jaden said with a smile.

"That's the spirit," Yugi said. "But you must not tell no one about my identity as The Crow, all right?"

"You got it," Jaden replied. "I won't tell anyone about this."

The Crow smiled at Jaden and Alexis as he said, "Take care of yourselves, Jaden and Alexis."

"You take care too, King of Games," Alexis replied. "Hope you find your loved one."

"I will. Remember, always believe in the heart of the cards," The Crow said as he aimed his grapple gun up and fired it. The grapple line carried him away while his bird followed.

As Yugi and his bird were gone, Jaden and Alexis looked at the Winged Kuriboh card for a moment that seemed like a long time.

"This is so awesome! I can't wait to show Syrus, Chumley, and Bastion this card," Jaden said.

"What do you wanna do now, Jaden?" Alexis asked.

"I dunno," Jaden replied. "What do you wanna do?"

"I may have an idea," Alexis replied with a sultry tone.

Jaden blushed upon hearing what Alexis said.

A few hours later, the cops arrived and arrested the two masked thugs. One of them was carted off to Gotham General by paramedics while the other was placed in the paddy wagon and taking to police headquarters. Gordon, Albrecht, Bullock and Montoya were interviewing witnesses about seeing a dark figure attacking two masked street criminals. The police and witnesses assumed Batman just appeared and rescued a boyfriend and a girlfriend from being robbed and shot. That is until the Batmobile came gliding down the street and its top hatch opened. The Dark Knight emerged from the tank-like car as he greeted, "Evening, Commissioner Gordon."

"Hello, Batman," Gordon acknowledged. "Batman, I want you to meet Detective Albrecht from the Domino City police."

Albrecht lent his hand to the Caped Crusader to shake it but he just stood there while staring at the detective.

"Pleasure to meet you too," Albrecht said sarcastically as he withdrew his hand.

"Is there something you need to tell me, Commissioner?" Batman asked.

"Good work on those muggers," Commissioner Gordon replied.

"What muggers?" Batman asked.

"You mean . . . that wasn't you?" Gordon deduced.

"No," Batman confirmed.

"If you didn't capture them, then who did?" Albrecht asked.

"I would believe it was The Crow," Batman replied.

"The Crow?" Gordon echoed.

"Yugi's nickname thought up by the police and the media," Albrecht replied. "The reason for that is because of his calling card is a bird."

"So what do you got for us, Batman?" Gordon asked.

"I have a file compiling details about Yugi's life," Batman replied as he handed Gordon a folder.

"We'll be sure to check this out," Gordon said.

"Um, Gordon? May I speak with you for a minute?" Albrecht asked.

"Sure thing," Gordon replied. "Would you excuse us, Batman?"

Gordon and Albrecht stepped away as they began to have a little talk.

"Gordon, what the hell is the matter with you?" Albrecht asked irritatingly. "Why are you working with that masked psycho? You're a cop for God's sake."

"That 'masked psycho' has helped us over the years, Detective Albrecht," Gordon replied firmly. "He provided the department with info and vice versa. You should've seen this city before he showed up."

"But still, Gordon," Albrecht commented. "He's a goddamn vigilante and he operates outside the law."

"I don't want a debate about this," Gordon said. "You're in Gotham now, not in Domino. And unless you wanna go back there, I suggest you follow protocol, understood?"

"Yeah, yeah," Albrecht replied.

The two cops turn their attention back to Batman as the Dark Knight said, "There's also something you should know, Commissioner."

"What's that, Batman?" Gordon asked.

"There's a mysterious cult lurking around in the city," Batman replied. "They seemed to be linked to an ancient order of dark priests from the early days of Egypt."

"What else?" Gordon asked.

"The Joker is in league with the cult's leader named Marik," Batman replied.

"Damn," Gordon cursed. "We got ourselves a real situation here. Not only we got a dangerous street criminal dressed like a demon mime but now we got a satanic cult led by that nutjob clown."

Just as Gordon was about to ask Batman more about the cult, he was gone.

"Does he always do that?" Albrecht asked.

"Pretty much," Gordon replied.

(Arkham Asylum)

Tea and Starfire were sleeping in their cell. They slept well until they woke up by the sound of a knock on their cell door. Entering the cell was Odion carrying a bag of food in his hand. He laid the bag down on the floor as he said, "I hope you two are hungry."

"Good, I am fucking starving," Tea commented.

"I have not had anything to eat since I got here," Starfire added.

Odion released the two girls from their restraints then opened up the bag so they could chow down on its contents. Odion walked out the cell and closed the door so he can continue with his watch. During the last two days, Odion took over guard duty so no one, not even Sid and Zygore, could harass them. He treated Tea and Starfire more like guests rather than prisoners. He would give them food and drink, clean clothes, and even let them go the bathroom. Although Odion doesn't like doing things behind Marik's back, he felt the prisoners deserved to be treated a little bit better.

'I know Master Marik would get pissed about this but those two girls shouldn't deprived of food or water,' Odion thought. 'This plan of his is putting my loyalty to him in question.'

After Starfire and Tea finished with their dinner, Odion put their restraints back on them and resumed his duty. It was then a Ghoul walked down the hallway with a message for Marik's right hand man.

"Hey, Odion, the master wants to see you," the Ghoul said.

"What does Marik want?" Odion asked.

"I dunno but he wants to talk to you right now," the Ghoul replied.

"All right, watch over the prisoners while I'm gone," Odion ordered. "But don't bother them, got it?"

"Ok," the Ghoul member replied.

Odion left the cellblock for Marik's office. When he arrived at the board room, Marik was sitting at the table with Joker and Harley Quinn sitting near him. Standing next to Marik was a skinhead dressed in a longsleeved black shirt with red shorts and suspenders, and he had piercings on his faces.

"You wanted to see me?" Odion asked.

"Of course, my dear brother," Marik replied. "I want you to take the Quiet One to The Crow and his half-breed sister's residence. By the way, how are the prisoners?"

"They're doing fine," Odion replied. "I've been watching them around the clock ever since Sid and Zygore came in their cell unannounced."

"Hey!" The Joker shouted as he shot up from his chair. "If my two boys wanna see girls bump uglies, they will!"

"Listen here, clown! They better not come anywhere near that cell or I will knock that grin so far down your throat, your ass will do the smiling!" Odion shouted back.

"Hey! No one threatens Mr. J!" Harley Quinn screamed as she jumped on the table.

"Bring it on, clown bitch!" Odion screamed.

"Stop it, the three of you!" Marik screamed as he slammed his fist on the table. "Keep this up and I'll banish you all to the Shadow Realm!"

"Eh ha ha. Sorry, Marik," Harley apologized nervously.

Marik sighed in fustration. "I don't want any more god damn problems from any of you. If you wanna continue your services with me, Joker, I suggest you keep your minions away from Tea and Starfire. And as for you, Odion, take Strings down to Yugi's residence and come back here. Got it?"

"Yes, sir," Odion obeyed as he escorted Strings out of the room.

(Mutos' Apartment)

The Crow drove his GTO toward his shared apartment. After parking his vehicle into the garage, he walked to the front door of the complex and entered the premises. Meanwhile, Yugi's co-worker, Haze, was visting her cousin, Ivan, and his roomate, Yuri. Haze and Ivan were talking about what's going on at work while Yuri was playing Doom 3.

"So Sean's bothering you to go to the movies with him for months?" Ivan asked.

"Yeah. He hadn't stopped bothering me about this movie he wants to see with me," Haze replied.

"What movie is that?" Yuri asked.

"The Hills Have Eyes," Haze replied.

"Yuri and I saw that movie," Ivan said. "It's pretty good. You should see it with him"

"Well, I'll give him a shot," Haze said. "After all, I do think he's kinda cute."

"That's the spirit," Ivan said.

It was then they heard sounds of bootsteps hitting the wooden floor. Yuri paused his game as he asked, "Who the hell is walking by at this time of night?"

Yuri and Ivan walked toward the door and opened it a crack. The two roomates saw a man dressed in a black overcoat walking past them.

"It's him," Ivan whispered. "It's Yugi."

"Who's him?" Haze asked as she walked toward the door. "Who is it you're looking at, cousin?"

Haze's movements and voice scared both Ivan and Yuri, causing them to fall to the floor. Yugi stopped to see his two unknown neighbors who were giving off sheepish smiles.

"Hi there, dude," Ivan greeted.

Yami raised an eyebrow as he looked at the roomates. Haze stepped out a moment later and saw her co-worker standing there. She gave Yugi a smile and said, "Hey, Yugi. I didn't know you lived here."

"Hello, Haze," Yugi said. "What are you doing here?"

"Oh, just visiting my cousin and his roomate," Haze replied.

"Those two guys on the floor?" Yugi asked as he pointed at Ivan and Yuri.

"Yup," Haze replied.

"How's it going, cowboy?" Yuri greeted as he and Ivan got up. "Sorry, we didn't introduce ourselves. I'm Yuri and this is my hetero-life mate, Ivan."

"Nice to meet you both," Yugi replied.

"Same here. Say, where's that hot girl whose with ya?" Ivan asked.

"Excuse me?" Yugi asked with slight irritation in his voice.

"Ya know? That purple-haired girl bunking with ya," Ivan said. "What's her name?"

Yami Yugi grabbed Ivan by the shirt and pinned him to the wall as he stared him right in the eyes.

"I appreciate it if you don't talk about my sister like that," Yugi said firmly.

"Hey, hey, it's cool," Ivan said as he raised his hands up. "It's cool."

Yugi released Ivan as Haze commented, "Sorry about that. Ivan can be very rude to people."

"It's all right," Yugi said. "I'm gonna get going. I'll see you at work thursday?"

"Of course," Haze replied. "Have a good night, Yuge."

"You too," Yugi said as he walked toward his apartment.

Yami opened the door while he saw Raven reading one of her books. Raven put down her book as she greeted her brother.

"Hey, Yugi. How was your night out?" Raven asked.

"Other than beating the shit out of two masked punks, it was good," The Crow replied.

"By the way, Joey and Robin were just here before you came back," Raven said.

"What did they want?" Yugi asked.

"They were wondering if you would like to go to this new cyber-cafe in Downtown Gotham," Raven replied. "I think it's called 'Wired Java'."

"Sure thing," Yugi said. "I do think I need a break from hunting down that bastard, Marik."

The Muto siblings heard a knock on the door. Yugi walked to the door and opened it. He became suprised to see a vistor whom he and Raven met before.

"Ishizu?" The Crow deduced.

"Hello, Yugi. it's been awhile," Ishizu greeted.

"What is it you want?" Yugi asked.

"I came here to show you and Raven something," Ishizu replied.

The Egyptian woman reached into her purse and pulled to what it looked like a strange key. The key was a dark blue color with its handle resembling a demon's head.

"What the hell kind of key is that?" Raven asked.

"This key contains the power of an ancient demon that almost destroyed the world a millennia ago," Ishizu replied. "This key has the power of Obelisk the Tormentor."

"Obelisk the Tormentor?" Yugi echoed.

"Yes. Him and two other gods, Slypher the Sky Dragon and the Winged Dragon of Ra," Ishizu said. "Each key has different types of abilities: The Slypher key will allow the user to control thunder and lightning. The Ra key will grant the user the powers of a phoenix. And the Obelisk key right here will give its user infinite strength."

"Why come to us about this?" Yugi asked.

"These keys mustn't fall into my brother's hands," Ishizu said. "He already has the Slypher and Ra keys. I can not allow him to get the Obelisk key. If he has all three of these keys, who knows what he'll do."

"Who is your brother exactly?" Raven asked.

Ishizu sighed. "His name is...Marik."

Yugi and Raven gasped upon hearing his name.

"You've got to be shitting me," The Crow uttered breathlessly.

"No, I'm not shitting you, my pharaoh," Ishizu said. "Marik wasn't always evil."

"What are you talking about?" Raven asked.

"He was always a good brother until he became a tomb-keeper," Ishizu replied. "One day, after he and I ventured into the outside world, my father took his anger out on my older brother Odion. Marik became consumed with rage and then...he killed him. It was on that day he vowed to make the whole world feel his anguish. That's why I want you to take this key and make sure Marik doesn't take it."

"We'll do what we must," Yugi said as he took the key from Ishizu.

"Thank you," Ishizu said. "I must go. And Yugi, please don't hate my brother. He may have kidnapped Tea and Starfire but I know there's still good in him."

Ishizu walked out the door and left the apartment. Silence filled the room as the Muto siblings stood there with the fact of Ishizu being related to Marik scratching away at their minds.

"I don't fucking believe this shit," Yugi blurted out. "Marik and Ishizu are brother and sister?"

"If she's Marik's sister, then why is she helping us?" Raven asked.

"I don't know but it may have something to do with this key," Yugi replied. "I'll have Robin take a look at this tomarrow."

Outside of the apartment, Ishizu walked to her car as a bright red pontiac pulled up across the street. The driver, Odion, saw Ishizu leave the premises.

'Ishizu? What was she doing there?' Odion thought to himself then said out loud, "We're here".

"Good. Just dropped Strings off and go," Marik's voice said through the Quiet One. "Tomarrow will be The Crow and the Titans' last day on this god-forsaken planet."

Odion opened the passengerside door. Strings exited the car and stood near a bus stop, waiting for Yugi and Raven to come out of the apartment until the morning sun would rise.

Yugi and Raven went to bed sometime after Ishizu was gone. The next morning, the Muto siblings left the apartment and headed for the Wired Java cafe but little did they knew, Strings boarded a bus and followed them. Meanwhile, Joey, Cyborg, Tristen, and Beast Boy hopped into the T-car as Superboy and Robin jumped onto their motorcycles. As for the females, they decided to head to downtown Gotham for a little shopping trip.

(Wired Java Cafe)

Within the cyber cafe, the customers were drinking some coffee while surfing the internet and chatting with people online. Jaden, Alexis, and their friends sat at one table, playing a game of Doom 3.

"Take that, ya stupid cyber demon!" Jaden shouted as he fired the Soulcube at the final boss.

"Lishus! Two more hits and that motherfucker's gonzo," Chumley cheered.

Jaden punched in a few keys on the keyboard to fire several rounds of rockets at the computerized demons then finally beaten the Cyber-Demon.

"Shit. I thought I would never beat that damn game," Jaden said.

"Oh, come on. It only took you fifteen minutes," Alexis stated.

"That's because he kept on dyin'," Syrus said.

"If Yugi were still alive, he would've beaten the bloody game like that," Bastion added.

"I always wanted to meet the King of Games but it sucks that he's gone," Chumley said sadly.

"Yeah. It would've been awesome," Syrus said.

Jaden and Alexis remembered their encounter with Yugi from the previous night. Although they wanted to tell their friends about it, they swore themselves to secrecy about Yugi's reappearance. Meanwhile, Yugi, Raven, and co. arrived at the cafe. Yugi noticed two familiar-looking kids through the window of the cafe, with them are a group of friends laughing it up.

"Yo, Yuge? What's goin' on?" Joey asked.

"Oh, it's nothing," Yugi replied.

"Let's get in," Joey said. "I'm dyin' for some coffee. No offense there."

Everyone walked into the cafe and sat down at table right near a jukebox. Joey walked to the jukebox and popped in a few quarters to play some Metallica tunes as Robin went to look up something on the Obelisk key at another table. Beast Boy logged on the web to find some cheat codes for Mega Monkeys 4 while Cyborg and Tristen ordered a round of java for everyone except for Yugi and Robin since they can't eat or drink. Jaden turned his head to see Yugi with a group of people chatting about stuff. Jaden gasped as he tapped Syrus' shoulder.

"What is it, Jaden?" Syrus asked when he suddenly went bug-eyed. "What the fuck!? No way!"

"What's going on? Oh, Lishus!" Chumley exclaimed when he saw Yugi too. "I thought the dude is dead. I'll bet ten grilled cheese sandwiches that he faked his own death."

"Why don't you go there and ask him?" Bastion asked.

"And let's not forget that the Teen Titans are here," Alexis said.

"The Teen Titans? They're here too?" Syrus asked. "Gotta be dragonshitting me here."

"No, she ain't," Jaden said while pointing at a table near a jukebox. "Look."

Syrus looked at the table near the jukebox, seeing Yugi talking to a pretty looking girl with purple hair. Syrus gasped as he said,"I thought I recognized that girl. That's Raven. I've always had a huge crush on her. But what she doing talking to Yugi?"

"Wanna go there and ask then, Sy?" Chumley asked.

"Why the hell not?" Let's go, Chum," Syrus said.

Syrus and Chumley creeped around toward Yugi's table as Bastion said, "There they go, making total retards out of themselves."

"Shut the fuck up, Bastion," Alexis said irritatingly. "Do you see yourself hitting on Wonder Woman?"

"Apparently not," Bastion replied coldly.

The two D.A. students walked past Beast Boy and Joey's table and almost bumped into Tristen and Cyborg. They finally stopped at Yugi and Raven's table as Syrus nerviously said, "Uh, heh. H-hello."

"May I help you two?" Raven asked with a raised eyebrow.

Syrus tried think up something to say but his mind raced a thousand miles a second, all he blurted out were incoherant words. Chumley did his best to assess the situation.

"Sorry, Syrus is always like this when he sees a pretty girl," Chumley said as he tapped his friend's face lightly.

Raven giggled upon hearing what Chumley said.

"Excuse me, uh...is your name Yugi by any chance?" Syrus asked.

"Yeah," Yugi said.

"Well...we thought you were dead," Syrus said. "But Chumley said you may have faked your own death."

Yugi suddenly became a tad angry. "I really did die. Did Jaden tell you about this?"

Chumley gulped. "N-no, he didn't. Honestly, Neither he or Alexis told any of us about you."

"I swear on my deck, he never said one word about you," Syrus added.

Jaden walked over to the table as he said, "Sorry about that, Yugi. These two don't know what they're thinking half the time."

"That's easy for you to say," Chumley said.

"Tell me, Yugi, who are your pals here?" Jaden asked.

"I'll be more than kind to introduce everyone," Yugi replied.

Yugi and Jaden called their friends over the table. Everyone took their time shaking hands and saying hello to each other. They all sat down and talked about movies, music, and stuff that happened in their lives.

"So you all did battle against an evil demon and a group of fallen angels?" Bastion asked. "I bet that's some bloody well fucked up shit right there."

"Got that right," Beast Boy replied. "They were no match for us."

"Oh, please. You were pissin' yer pants half the time, Gar," Joey remarked.

"I was not," Beast Boy complained. "I helped out...a little."

"Oh, stop it, you two," Robin said.

"So what brings you all to Gotham?" Cyborg asked.

"We're all on a field trip," Alexis replied. "Checking out all the places here and there."

"Our teacher, Prof. Banner, is currently judging a dueling test for new students in downtown Gotham with Dr. Crowler," Jaden said.

"Let me ask ya something, Jade, do ya have a special lady in yer life?" Joey asked.

"Yeah, I do and she's sitting right next to me," Jaden replied, draping his arm over Alexis' shoulder.

"How long have you two been dating?" Tristen asked.

"Quite awhile," Alexis replied.

"You're real lucky, man," Superboy said. "If Cassie weren't in my life, I would've swept Alexis right off her feet and fly back to Jump City with her."

As the greyhound bus made a stop, the mind-controlled Strings stepped off and went to go find the cafe. He walked for a several blocks until he found a glowing sign of a cup of java giving off lightning bolts and the words, "Wired Java", glowing in green.

'Hmm, this must be the place,' Marik thought as he made Strings pick up two rusted metal bars and began to tap them together. Marik/Strings said out loud, "Titans, come out to play!"

During that time, Yugi, Raven, and Robin felt a dark presence coming from outside while hearing metal banging into each other.

"Oh, crap," Yugi said. "He's here."

"Who's here?" Bastion asked.

"Marik," Raven replied.

"You mean that creepy little bald dude out there?" Jaden asked, pointing at the window.

Everyone turned their attention at Strings tapping the metal bars as he shouted, "Titans, come out to plaaaaaaaay!"

"Is that asshole making fun of 'The Warriors'?" Jaden asked.

"Coming after us is one thing but talking smack about a classic movie is something else," Tristen said.

The Crow rose up from his chair as he said, "I'm tired of Marik always cutting in on my personal time. I'm gonna go put a stop to him right now."

"We should all go," Joey said, all gung-ho.

"No," Yugi said. "I want you to stay here. The Titans and I will handle this."

"Come on, everyone," Robin ordered.

Marik/Strings continued his chanting until The Crow, Raven, Robin, and the Titans walked out. Strings smiled as he threw the metal bars to the ground.

"Bout god damn time you got out, Titans," Marik/Strings said. "Thought you weren't gonna come out here and face me."

"Listen, Marik, I am sick and tired of all your fucking mindgames!" The Crow shouted. "When are you gonna quit hiding behind your damn mind puppets and meet face to face?"

"Heh heh heh. There will be a place and time for our eventual encounter, Yugi," Marik/Strings replied. "Word from the grape vine is my sister gave you a key, right?"

"Yeah," The Crow replied.

"My guess is the Obelisk key, correct?" Marik/Strings asked rhetorically. "I've come here to take it. Hand over the key and my puppet here will be on his merry little way."

"Forget it," Robin said defiantly. "You're not touching this key."

"Don't make this harder than it already is," Marik said. "Don't forget, I have Tea and Starfire back at my lair. If you don't give me that key, I will kill them."

"You better not lay a hand on them, you bastard!" The Crow yelled.

"Aww, is the Pharaoh getting angry over his queen? Pathetic," Marik/Strings said sarcastically.

"Marik, why do you hate my brother so much?" Raven asked. "What did he ever do to you?"

"It's oh so simple, love. He ruined my life!" Marik screamed. "It was his fucking fault I became this way!"

"You brought this on yourself, Marik," Yugi stated.

"Oh, no. Ishizu didn't give you the full story," Marik/Strings said. "You see, kids, the Ishtar clan came from a long line of tomb-keepers. We were responsible for protecting the Pharaoh's tomb until his return. Because of this, I was denied of everything: going outside, hanging out with friends, watching t.v.! It wasn't fair! I wanted to experience life rather than watching over the bones of some dead king! My own father didn't wanna get it, so that's why I killed him!"

"You're nothing more than a selfish monster!" Beast Boy shouted. "You killed your old man just because you wanted to go outside? You're lower than a snake's belly!"

"Ha. I'd rather be a monster than a lowly tomb-keeper," Marik said. "Now, give me the Obelisk key or be destroyed."

"Like I said before, forget it," Robin said coldly.

"You think you're the only one who has a key on his person? Check this one out," Marik/Strings said as he pulled out a dark red key with a dragon's head for a handle from his pocket. "I currently posess two keys, the Slypher key here and the Ra key."

"You better give up that key, Marik," The Crow said.

"I don't think so. If I can't have the Obelisk key, then you can't have the Slypher key," Marik stated. "But if you want it that badly, get through my demon minions. I summon forth Vatar the Fiend Megacyber and Zoa!"

Marik let out a chant as two holes opened up. Red hellish light burst its way through the holes while two demons materialized before everyone's eyes. The demons landed on the ground, ready to fight.

"You summoned us, master?" Vater asked in a thick Australian accent.

"Yes. Get that key and destroy The Crow and his friends," Marik/Strings ordered. "Show no mercy!"

"My claws been achin' to tear someone apart," Zoa said.

"Time to join the fallen, mate," Vatar said.

"If anyone's gonna fall, its you demons!" The Crow shouted as he pulled out two combat knives. "Attack!"

The Crow, Raven, and Beast Boy took on Vatar while Robin, Superboy, and Cyborg went after Zoa as everyone inside the cafe watched the fight.

"You and Alexis never told us Yugi Muto and The Crow were one and the same, Jaden," Syrus said.

"Uh...had no intention to, Sy," Jaden said.

"I dunno if they're fighting guys in Duel Monster costumes or actual demons," Chumley said.

"Trust me, dude. They're demons," Joey said.

"Forget I said that. The proof was in the cheese when those lights shot from the ground," Chumley said.

"Can't you say something without mentioning food?" Bastion asked.

Back at the fight, The Crow and the Titans were being man-handled by Vatar and Zoa. Yugi tried to stab the Fiend Megacyber but he dodged the incoming swings. Vatar smacked the knives out of The Crow's hands and punched him in the face. Vatar picked up Yami Yugi and gave him a powerslam in the middle of the parking lot. He then grabbed Yugi and brought him to his feet.

"Hope ya like this, mate," Vatar said as he thrusted his arm back for an attack. "Cyber Swipe!"

A g-force push from Vater's right hand sent Yami flying toward one of the windows of the Wired Java.

"Look out!" Alexis screamed as everyone ducked from the raining glass.

Yugi slammed onto a table as Vatar stepped into the cafe through the broken window.

"Yuge, he's coming in!" Joey exclaimed.

The Crow jumped to his feet, he picked up a table leg off the floor and bashed Vatar across the face with it. The Fiend Megacyber stumbled backward as Yugi delivered another blow to the stomach. Raven added to the punishment by zapping Vatar with her dark power. The customers, except for Joey and co., ran out the back door of the cafe while one of them called the cops. Superboy lay in a crumpled heap as Cyborg had Zoa in a full nelson. Robin delivered a few martial art chops and kicks to Zoa's face.

"You can't win, kid," Zoa said, breaking from the full nelson by headbutting Cyborg. "You'll lose that key soon or later."

"It'll be later than sooner," Robin said as he was about to kick Zoa again but got blocked.

Zoa flung Robin onto Cyborg then crossed his hands over his face, ready for his attack.

"Glimmer Strike!" Zoa screamed as he threw an X-shaped projectile at Cyborg and Robin.

The X-shaped attack slammed the two Titans to the ground. Zoa grabbed Robin by his head and lifted him off Cyborg.

"Give me that key or else," Zoa ordered.

"Bite me," Robin said while firing an X at the blue-grey demon.

The incoming X sticked itself on Zoa's chest then sent an electrical current throughout his body. Zoa moaned while feeling every jolt surging in his body. Robin and Cyborg took advantage by doing a sonic boom attack on Zoa. Superboy was able to recover in time and delivered a right cross to Zoa's belly. The shadow monster fell face first to the ground.

In his gorilla form, Beast Boy punched Vatar the Fiend Megacyber in the chin. The Crow bashed the demon in the back with the table leg then Raven flipped him over her shoulder and slammed him to the ground. Joey and co. cheered after the demons were defeated.

"Oh, yeah. That was one badass slamdown!" Jaden cheered.

"It ain't over yet, kid," Skull Cowboy said as he appeared from nowhere.

"Ah! A skeleton!" Syrus screamed.

"Relax, I'm not here to hurt you," Skull Cowboy said.

"W-what are you doing here?" Chumley asked as his voice quivered.

"Same thing as always, watch over Yugi," Skull Cowboy replied.

"Are you like his mentor or something?" Alexis asked.

"Something like that, sweetheart," Skull Cowboy said.

"What is it ya want now, dead head?" Joey asked.

"Watch and see," Skull Cowboy said.

Marik was pissed off when he watched his demon minions fall at the hands of The Crow and the Titans. He had just about enough of it. It was time to take drastic action.

"You fools!" Marik/Strings screamed. "You let a bunch of scrappy heroes defeat you!? Rise up and destroy them!"

Vatar and Zoa got up as Marik shouted, "Zoa, transform yourself into your more powerful form and Vatar, use this!"

Marik tossed Vatar the Slypher key as Zoa summoned a power deep within himself.

"This battle really has begun now!" Zoa shouted. "Metalmorph!"

Zoa's body morphed into a robot that looked like him but just a bit bigger. The Slypher key in Vatar's hand transformed into a scimitar sword.

"Oh, dude. We're boned," Beast Boy said.

"Get ready for a trip to Hell," Marik/Strings said. "Zoa, Vatar, destroy them!"

(Downtown Gotham)

Police cars cruised down the highway through Downtown Gotham after responding to the dispatcher about a fight going on at the Wired Java cafe. In the lead car was Commissioner Gordon and Detective Albrecht.

"So, this Crow was the one who helped you bring Bane down back in Domino?" Gordon asked.

"Yes," Albrecht replied. "Bane was smuggling this steroid called 'Venom' throughout the city and started a drug ring so he could distribute it to various addicts."

"Are they gonna extradite him back to Gotham?" Gordon asked.

"Yeah, they will," Albrecht replied. "I just hope I find Yugi at this cafe and take him back to Domino in handcuffs."

(Wired Java)

The tide of the fight was turning in Vatar and Metal Zoa's favor. Robin tried to contact the others with his T-com but it got stepped on thanks to Metal Zoa. Metal Zoa slashed Superboy in the back with his metallic claws then tossed him into a dumpster. Cyborg fired his gunarm at the metal demon but the laser didn't even make a mark on him.

"Your little toy cannon can't penetrate my armor," Metal Zoa stated as he crossed his arms over his face. "Hardened Glimmer Strike!"

This attack was much like Zoa's Glimmer Strike but more powerful. The attack hit Cyborg really hard in the chest. The cyber-teen fell flat on his back as Metal Zoa walked to him and started to stomp him.

"I'm gonna smash your outdated hardware ass into scrap," Metal Zoa said as he continued to stomp on Cyborg.

Suddenly, several x-shaped projectiles nailed Metal Zoa in the chest then exploded. Although he wasn't hurt, the attack did force him to stop his beating on Cyborg.

"It's you and me now, Zoa," Robin said.

"Your weak human weapons are no match for my metal body," Metal Zoa said as he and Robin charged at each other.

The Crow, Raven, and Beast Boy dodged the lightning bolts as Vatar continued to fire them from the Slypher blade.

"You hadn't seen the full power of this sword," Vatar said as he raised the sword over his head.

Lightning emnated from the Slypher sword as the clear blue sky turned dark. Thunder clapped and lightning flashed in the surrounding radius of the cafe.

"Thunder Force Strike!" Vatar screamed as he unleashed a powerful bolt of lightning at his three opponents.

The Crow grabbed Raven and Beast Boy and dodged the jolt as it nailed a street light.

"The next one won't miss!" Vatar hissed.

Metal Zoa had been pounding Robin to a pulp throughout the battle. Robin crashed into the back room of the Wired Java as The robot demon moved for the kill.

"It's all over, Boy Wonder," Metal Zoa said. "Once I'm done with you, that key will go to my master."

Metal Zoa was about to do another Hardened Glimmer Strike to finish off Robin but then his armored body suddenly felt hot. As Robin saw searing hot flame covering Metal Zoa's body, he noticed Etrigan was standing behind him. Metal Zoa backed out of the hole in the wall of the back room.

"Etrigan? What are you doing here?" Robin asked.

"I was in the neighborhood, thought you could use some help," The Demon replied.

"Thanks but I had it under control," Robin stated.

"Sure, you did," Etrigan said sarcastically. "Now let's go destroy that demon."

Etrigan and the Black Robin ran out of the back room to face Metal Zoa once more.

"I don't know who you are, demon but you shouldn't have interfered!" Metal Zoa screamed. "Hardened Glimmer Strike!"

Metal Zoa fired his attack at Etrigan but he crossed arms over his face to block it. The attack slid Etrigan backwards a bit as he blocked it.

"Do you think that could hurt me?" Etrigan asked. "I don't think so."

The Crow, Raven, and Beast Boy were tired from all the dodging they did. Vatar smiled as he raised his Slypher sword and was ready for do deliver the fatal blow. Meanwhile, Jaden was all tensed as he watched the fight. He couldn't stand to see his hero get killed for a second time.

"That's it! I can't take this shit anymore!" Jaden yelled. "I'm gonna go out there and save Yugi!"

"Don't even think about it!" Skull Cowboy warned. "You're gonna get yourself killed!"

"I just can't stand here while Yugi's about to get fried!" Jaden exclaimed as he grabbed a chair. "Besides, someone has to defeat this Marik guy!"

Jaden ran out of the door with the chair in tow as Everyone protested.

"Jaden, get the bloody fuck back here!" Bastion screamed.

"Jaden, please!" Syrus screamed.

Jaden ran toward the battle and threw the chair at Vatar. The chair thwacked Vatar in the back, causing him to dropped his weapon. He turned around to see a very defiant Jaden standing his ground.

"You leave them alone, asswipe!" Jaden screamed.

"Jaden, get out of here now!" The Crow screamed.

"No way! I'm not gonna let this bastard send you back to the grave," Jaden said.

"You better do what he says, boy," Vatar said.

"Forget it," Jaden said as he picked up one of Yugi's knives to protect himself. "You're just a retarded ass coward."

"Ha. Me? A coward? Look at you, trying to be brave," Vatar said. "You don't have the guts to kill."

"There's a first time for everything," Jaden said as he ran at Vatar.

"Jaden!" Alexis screamed as she watched Vatar grab her boyfriend's arm.

Vatar turned the knife on Jaden and stabbed him in the chest. Everyone watched as the young student coughed up some blood. The Crow became enraged when he saw his new friend go limp. While the Fiend Megacyber had his back turned, The Crow grabbed the Slypher sword off the ground. Vatar pulled the knife out then dropped Jaden's body. He turned around to see Yugi carrying his sword with an merciless look in his eyes. Vatar's eyes widened as The Crow swung his new weapon at him.

Etrigan crashed into the wall of the building's exterior as Metal Zoa said, "As I said many times before, I'm unstoppable in this form. Nothing can shatter my indestructable armor!"

"Even the most powerful armor can have a weakness," Etrigan said as he helped himself up. "Robin! Use that key! It could be the only way to destroy Metal Zoa!"

Robin looked down to see the Obelisk key tucked between his belt and his Red X shirt. He grabbed it and noticed the key was glowing. The key gave off a dark blue aura while its eyes glowed a bright red. The Obelisk key transformed itself into a pair of dark blue spiked gauntlets. Robin looked at his gauntleted hands and forearms with amazement.

'Oh, boy. I can feel my strength increase,' Robin thought then said out loud, "It's all over, Zoa!"

"Hmph. You think your new toys can destroy me? I think not," Metal Zoa said. "You're just a weak and pathetic human."

"This 'weak and pathetic human' is gonna take your ass down," Robin said as his gauntleted right hand glowed.

Metal Zoa crossed his arms for another attack as Robin ran at him with his glowing fist balled up. Before Metal Zoa do anything, Robin thrusted his arm at the demon as he screamed, "Fist of Fate!"

Robin smashed his fist through Metal Zoa's diamond hard armor. Metal Zoa screamed as his whole body started to crack. His body shattered into millions of pieces then disintergrated into nothing. Robin lowered his right fist as the gauntlets reverted back to their key form.

"Nice work," Etrigan said.

"What happened here?" Cyborg asked as he helped an injured Superboy. "Where's Metal Zoa?"

"I killed him thanks to this key," Robin replied while showing off the Obelisk key. "Now let's go check on Yugi."

The Crow smashed Vatar across the jaw with his free left hand. The Fiend Megacyber tried to defend himself but he knew his number was just about up.

"Time to send you straight back to Hell, Vatar!" The Crow shouted as a lightning aura around the blade. "Thunder Force Strike!"

Yugi zapped Vatar with the Slypher sword. The Fiend Megacyber screamed as his eyeballs exploded, causing blood to leak from the sockets. Vatar collasped to his knees and exploded. All that remained of him was a scorch mark on the pavement. Everyone in the cafe cheered except for Alexis. She ran toward Jaden's body and hugged it close as Joey and co. followed her.

"No, Jaden," Alexis said as she started to cry. "Please, don't be dead."

"Damn it! I was so close!" Marik/Strings shouted. "I had that damn key within my grasp!"

"So? An innocent boy died because of you!" Beast Boy screamed. "This is all your fault!"

"I don't care," Marik said coldy. "You fools may have the two keys but I'll make sure you never have the Ra key."

Robin, Etrigan, Cyborg, and Superboy arrived to see Alexis clutching Jaden's body as she cried.

"What happened?" Cyborg asked.

"Jaden died while trying to help Yugi," Beast Boy replied.

Yugi walked toward Alexis as he said softly, "His soul hasn't crossed over yet. Lie him down."

Alexis lay her lover's body back to the concrete as Yugi knelt down. He took his knife and sliced the palm of hand. Yugi placed his hand on Jaden's stab wound, letting his blood seep into the fatal wound. Jaden suddenly began to breath as The Crow lifted his hand off Jaden's healed chest. Jaden sat up while rubbing his eyes to focus his vision. The first person he saw was Alexis smiling to him.

"Oh, Jaden! Thank God you're alive!" Alexis exclaimed as she hugged him.

"Alexis, what's going on? Jaden asked. "Why are you crying?"

"You died for a brief time," Alexis replied. "Yugi was able to bring you back to me."

"Yugi did that? Damn," Jaden said.

"So The Crow brought you back. Big deal," Marik/Strings said. "You worthless Titans may have defeated me but you'll never stop me from ruling this pathetic planet and the universe. So enjoy those Demon God keys while you still can. I'll see you all in Hell."

After Marik released Strings from his mind-control powers, the mindless mime fell to the ground. Raven checked for a pulse on Strings but didn't feel it.

"He's dead," Raven said.

"What's this about the demon god keys?" Bastion asked.

"They're called The Great Demon God keys but that's not their true name," replied Skull Cowbay.

"Skull Cowboy, it's been awhile," Etrigan said.

"Nice seeing you again, Etrigan," Skull Cowboy said.

"You two know each other?" Syrus asked.

"Yes but it's a long story," replied Skull Cowboy.

"What's the true name of these keys?" asked The Crow.

"'The Great Demon Gods was just a name thought up by the historians of old," Skull Cowboy replied. "They're really called 'Egyptian God Monsters'."

"Egyptian God Monster keys? I think Prof. Banner was telling this to us at one time in class," said Jaden. "If I remembered correctly, he said a priest once summoned them during the Taelos/Skrios conflict. But he feared their power would destroy the world, so he locked them away in three keys."

"That is correct," Skull Cowboy said. "After their powers were contained, the God Monster keys were sealed in three seperate locations in Egypt and were forgotten by the sands of time."

"Why does Marik want them so badly?" Chumley asked.

"I've done some investigating," Etrigan replied. "An informant told me this Marik wants to rule the world with the power of the Egyptian God Monster keys."

"Who was this informant?" The Crow asked.

"He didn't say his name but he did tell me to pass this along to you," Etrigan replied.

"Then we can't let Marik have them then," Raven said. "Since we have the Slypher and Obelisk keys, we need to find the Ra key soon."

A dark red van pulled up into the parking lot of the Wired Java. Coming out of the van was a man dressed in a white shirt with a blue tie and slacks. His black messy hair was tied in a pony tail and he wore glasses. The other was a man dressed in a blue uniform. He had blond hair and appeared to be thin.

"Hello, students," The neatly dressed man said with a german accent.

"I hope you kids had a good time tonight," the blond haired thin man added in a somewhat creepy voice.

"Hi, Professor Banner and Dr. Crowler," Jaden said. "We had fun. We made some new friends here. How do that test go?"

"Hmm, yes. It went well. Some of the duelists I faced were like you, slackers," Dr. Crowler replied.

"Lay off, Dr. Crowler! Jaden's no slacker!" Alexis shouted.

"Whatever. Come on, kids, it's time to go," said Dr. Crowler.

"We gotta catch the red eye express to the airport," added Prof. Banner.

"Can we say good-bye first?" asked Jaden.

"Ok but make it quick," Dr. Crowler replied. "The sooner I get out of this god-forsaken city, the better."

The students said their good-byes to their new friends then boarded the van but before they left, Jaden and Alexis had one more thing to say to The Crow.

"Thanks for bringing me back, Yuge," Jaden said. "And don't forget about that duel."

Then it was Alexis' turn to bid farewell.

"I hope you find Tea and here's a little something for good luck," Alexis said, planting a kiss on Yugi's cheek. "See you later."

Alexis got into the rental van and sat next to Jaden. Bastion closed the van door then the van drove off. The Crow couldn't help but smile to himself.

"What are you smiling about?" Robin asked.

"That Jaden has the potential to be a great duelist," Yugi replied. "I'm getting the feeling we'll see him again soon."

Suddenly, the peace was shattered by the sounds of police sirens. The police cars pulled into the parking lot of the Wired Java. Everyone, except for Yugi, ran for the vehicles before the cops arrived. Etrigan and Skull Cowboy simply disappeared. The first ones coming out of one of the patrol cars were Detective Albrecht and Commissioner Gordon. The rest of the police came out of their respectives police cars with their weapons drawn.

"Freeze! Drop your weapon and get your hands up!" Gordon ordered.

"You better drop that weapon right now, Yugi," Albrecht said.

"Albrecht, what a pleasant suprise," Yugi said. "I thought you were doing paperwork back in Domino."

"Cut the comedy, Yugi. There's a cell waiting for you back home," Albrecht said.

"Uh, Detective. Is he really The Crow?" Bullock asked.

"Yeah," Albrecht replied.

"Come on, look at him. He is just a punk ass kid," Det. Bullock remarked.

"That 'punk ass kid' has a rap sheet of vigilante-style murders," Det. Albrecht said. "So, what's it gonna be, Yugi? We do this the easy way or the hard way?"

"I'm afraid I can't let you capture me, Officer Albrecht," The Crow said. "I have some important things to take care of right now."

"Don't give me that bullshit," Albrecht said. "I'm taking your ass back to Domino right now."

"I love to stay and chat but I gotta go," The Crow said. "I'll see you boys in blue later."

Yami Yugi pulled out a smoke bomb from his coat pocket and threw it to the ground. The GCPD covered their eyes from the smoke as a black GTO car sped away from the Wired Java parking lot.

"Where the fuck did he go!?" Det. Bullock demanded.

"I don't know!" Albrecht shouted.

"I'm gonna issue a dragnet right now," Det. Montoya said.

"No. We'll find him tomarrow," Gordon said. "Where ever he is, he couldn't have gone far."

Meanwhile, Yugi drove the GTO through the big city night. Raven turned her head as she asked, "What kept you?"

"Almost got caught by the police," Yami replied. "Now that Albrecht's here, we have to be little bit more careful from now on when we go out."

Yugi and Raven headed on home as the car became one with the traffic on the Gotham highways.

(Arkham Asylum)

Marik sat quietly in the board room. He was fustrated after losing the Slypher key and failing to steal the Obelisk key from the Titans. Marik became startled when he heard a knock on the door.

"Come in," said Marik.

Bakura came through the door with a personal request on his mind.

"What do you want, Bakura?" Marik asked.

"I want to hunt down Yugi and the Titans," Bakura demanded.

"And why should I let you?" Marik asked.

"Your foolish flunkies couldn't get the job done," Bakura replied. "Not even you succeeded in destroying them. Didn't you remember about our agreement?"

"Yes, of course," Marik replied. "I give you the Millenium Rod in exchange for one of the Egyptian God keys."

"You better remember about our terms in this alliance," Bakura said coldly. "And it's about time I have a little reunion with my old friend, The Crow."

"You want this so fucking bad? You got it!" Marik shouted. "Just make sure you get those damn keys from Yugi and the Titans. Got it?"

"Yes. As soon as they're in your hands, that Millenium Rod will be in mine," Bakura said then left.

Bakura walked down the hallway as he thought, 'Once I destroy my old friend Yugi and the Titans, I'll take that Millenium Puzzle from his neck. Then I'll take that rod and the power of the Egyptian God keys for myself.'

"And no one will never stop me," Bakura said out loud.

To Be Continued...

"It’s so long since you’ve been gone

Back to the place where you started from

And it is so wrong and now you’re spun

There is nothing that you haven’t done

And I say you’re so blind

And you will never see

And you will fall beneath the cracks

You’re wasted again

So how does it feel

And it never ends

Do you wanna heal?

And you wonder why

I see you my friend

Now this is goodbye

Cos you’re wasted again

It’s too bad, I did not know

It’s everything that you had to go

And it is so sad you’ve lost the flow

It’s such a crime that you feel so low

And you say you don’t mind

And you will never see

And you will fall beneath the cracks

You’re wasted again

So how does it feel

And it never ends

Do you wanna heal?

And you wonder why

I see you my friend

Now this is goodbye

Cos you’re wasted again

You’re wasted again

So how does it feel

And it never ends

Do you wanna heal?

And you wonder why

I see you my friend

Now this is goodbye

Cos you’re wasted again

Wasted again

Wasted again

Wasted again"

Tony Iommi and Glenn Hughes-"Wasted Again"

End note: Sorry for the long delay, my fellow wolves and Crow-ites. The reason why I didn't update the story was because of a few personal problems going on in my life. This story should've been finished last year but what the hell can you do? Anyway, I was lucky enough to put some time into finishing up this chapter. I hope you all enjoyed the guest appearances of Jaden, Alexis, and the rest of the characters of YuGiOh GX, especially you Jaden/Alexis romance fans out there. I enjoyed writing them so much, I decided to do a spin-off starring Jaden and Alexis. This spin-off will be a YuGiOh GX/Darkwatch crossover called Dark Riders. Be on the look out for that story in the near future. Just be happy The Crow: Armageddon is updated and hopefully, chapter 8 will be written soon enough. Sorry again for the delay and I'll gura-damn-tee work on The Crow: Dark Dragon Rising and my other stories. Enjoy the long awaited seventh chapter of this horror story.

May the wolf spirit guide thee...