Rock Bottom: Season One

Zombies

"Don't you think Mai's been gone for a long time?" Joey commented suddenly. He stood up and started to walk into the underbrush, calling her name.

"Uh, Joey, you might not want to do that," Anzu said, well aware that Joey might see something he shouldn't.

"Wait did you hear that?" Joey said and froze, his ears perked like a golden retriever.

"I didn't hear anything," Yugi said, confused.

"Sh!"

Anzu and Yugi remained silent for a few moments as Joey listened carefully. Then their blond friend suddenly took off into the woods.

"Hey Joey, wait up!" they called as they dashed after their friend, but Joey didn't wait. He'd heard a cry for help, he was sure of it. He broke through the bushes into a clearing where he saw a Duel Arena, but he wasn't paying attention to that right now. He was focused on the huge man molesting Mai, the way he gripped her arm so tightly

"Hey, why don'tchya pick on somebody your own size, ya giant freak!"

The man looked up and released Mai just before Joey barreled into him, knocking them both off-balance, though not quite off their feet. Joey recovered first and punch the other in the face good and hard, then quickly darted out of range, taking Mai's hand and tugging her further away from the man who'd been molesting her. That was when Joey turned his attention to her and realized that she looked absolutely terrified and was fighting tears.

"Didn't anybody ever tell you not to make a lady cry!" Joey shouted angrily at the freak, who was still recovering from Joey's punch. He wasn't used to people retaliating with physical violence.

"Are you okay Mai?" he asked gently, turning his attention to the duelist at his side. Mai threw her arms around Joey as she hugged him tightly, surprising him and making him blush as he returned the embrace.

"Joey, you saved me!" she cried, blinking back her tears as Joey realized that she was trembling in his arms. "Thank you, thank you!"

Anzu and Yugi burst onto the scene just then.

"Who's he?" Anzu asked, eying Mai's assailant with suspicion.

"My name is PaniK, and I'm an eliminator."

"An eliminator," Yugi repeated in wonder. "What's that?"

"Check out her duelist's glove. Not a star-chip left."

"But that would mean she's been disqualified," Anzu said, unable to comprehend that the seasoned successful duelist might have lost.

"I root out all the dueling filth on this island and dispose of it," PaniK continued, crossing his arms smugly. "Just like Pegasus pays me to do."

"I guess that makes you a garbage man," Joey retorted disdainfully, holding Mai in a reassuring embrace as she clung to him. She released him now, though, pulling back and turning to face the others.

"So, you're out, Mai?" Yugi asked in shock.

"I am," she answered regretfully starting to regain her composure. "It all happened so fast. The way PaniK duels, I just... lost it."

She hung her head, ashamed of losing the eight star-chips she'd earned her first day of the tournament. She flicked her warm violet gaze back to Joey, looking almost guilty. Joey knew that she was omitting the part where PaniK had assaulted her.

"This isn't right," Yugi said softly, his inner sense of justice rebelling against the way his new friend had been treated.

"Ha! She was one of my easiest victims yet!" PaniK laughed maniacally, a crazed look in his eye that made Joey hate the man all the more.