"Marmalade." He replies. His voice is cold but his bronze eyes appear remorseful as if he knows that the manipulation he performed upon Akefia has hindered our relationship and potentially stopped it from growing and returning to its previous state. I’m going to have to accept his apology since Marik is in love with him and we are a team. Or at least we were. I’m not sure how our ‘evil plans’ will take shape now since I’ve returned from the past.

"Fluffy?" I ask unsurely.

"Marmalade?" he repeats, unsure of where he now stands with me. I was by far the hardest person to accept him and maybe that is why I was held dear by Bakura.

"I’m sorry that I didn’t listen to you, you tea drinking pansy." I begin the circle of remorse with a joke.

"I’m sorry that I did not try to stop this when the problem began a few weeks ago, so when you flew over here abandoning Hadley." Marik adds.

"I’m sorry for leaving my partner behind. We were a team." I wince at Bakura’s initial response. "We’re still a team, if you’re willing to join us once again Marmalade."

"Let me think about that… what the bloody hell do you think Fluffy, you and Blondie’s pathetic plans are what keeps me sane." I beam, hugging my team, my partners.

"Odion if you would willingly leave I would like to go somewhere in Egypt to start the next meeting of the Evil Council of Doom." Marik grins. I beam, I’ve never been to an Evil Council meeting, and apparently all of Domino’s scariest villains attend Evil Council as if it’s a party. Maybe it is to those socially awkward angsty Japanese teens with bizarre card game fetishes like Seto Kaiba and his dragon fetish but he’s ‘rich so it’s acceptable’.

"Awesome!" I cheer. Bakura frowns; of course he won’t want to brag about his relationship with Marik to all of the dweebs in the Evil Council.

I follow Marik and Bakura, Akefia not too far behind me, to a door leading out of the Ishtar home. We walk across the concrete for around ten minutes and then Marik opens a trapdoor; it creaks as if it hasn’t been opened for a number of months. I am faced by a long table of ‘villains’.

"Oh look Marik’s here." Maximillion Pegasus nods, looking at us via a compact mirror.

"I guess we cannot start yet, Pegasus is still applying his makeup." Bakura frowns as pessimistic as he always was. I wonder whether the third personality was Akefia’s. He did say that he wouldn’t forget me.

"I guess we will just have to wait for him then." Marik states.

"Yes." Bakura replies.

"I am now exceedingly fabulous." The creator of Duel Monsters states. I roll my eyes, no wonder Bakura never spoke highly of him, he sounds like a fob!

"So… let me introduce you to the newest members of our council." Marik begins, turning everybody’s attention to Akefia and I.

"Oh Ra, Bakura’s back." One of the Rare Hunters tells the other.

"Wow, great skills there Steve!" the high pitched voiced Hunter sneers.

"My Evil Council of Doom please welcome Marmalade and Scar!" Marik introduces enthusiastically.

"So you’re Hadley Stevens?" I hear Pegasus comment. I turn to face him.

"Hello Pegasus, it is indeed an honour." I reply awkwardly. Despite sounding like a man’s man, he’s still intimidating to be around.

"So I believe that the council should still stand despite the death of the Pharaoh." Marik begins his rant.

"Why just because of Dartz?" the shorter Rare Hunter asks.

"Yes, Steve! We must rid ourselves of Dartz’s pathetic council of motorcycle riding morons." Bakura replies.

"Then why did you join them?" Rebecca Hawkins asks. I blink, why is she evil. Wait, maybe Rebecca’s only here because of her ‘satanic teddy’.

"I joined because I was a fool and Marik took me back because he’s a fool." Bakura smiles slightly.

"H-hey, look a real chick." I hear one teen comment.

"Mhmm, hm. Yeah, a real chick." Another replies. I turn to scowl at the two teens. They’re calling me ‘real’ because I have hit puberty. Douchebags.

"Back off Weevil. I have dibs!" the one with a purple fringe comments. The blue haired teen with yellow glasses frowns.

"No Rex! I call dibs!" Weevil replies. Wait, Weevil and Rex? Weevil and Rex were in Battle City and Duellist Kingdom and were in comas while I was in Bakura’s memories.

"I think that you two need to pay attention because if you hadn’t noticed it appears that Scar has dibs." Pegasus snaps. I blush as does Akefia.

"Marik! What in the name of Ra are you doing down there!" Ishizu yells, refusing to open the trapdoor.

"Nothing Ishizu." Marik lies.

"Well where’s Bakura?" she demands. Giggles erupt from several members of the council.

"Not here!" Marik replies.

"Well are Hadley and Akefia down there with the pair of you… actually I don’t think I want to know. But hurry and finish up because there is something Odion just worked out and wants to tell you all." She calls with a huff before leaving to return to her home.

"We aren’t doing anything!" Marik yelps in protest. The two things that irritate Marik the most are claims that he uses spray on tan, and assumptions that he is gay. Of course he knows that he’s gay and is happy with Bakura but isn’t so eager to declare his undying love for Bakura… yet.

"So what do we do about Dartz?" the shorter Rare Hunter asks after a long silence which most of us seem comfortable with.

"Easy!" Marik enthuses. "We get bug boy and dino fetish to put bubble mixture in the fuel tanks of all of the motorcycles belonging to Dartz’s minions." He laughs.

"Until we meet again." Bakura waves, dismissing the council. One by one the members arise and leave the cramped dark chamber. Akefia, Bakura, Marik and I leave the council room and go back inside the tomb, Ishizu is waiting, frowning.

"What’s the problem Odion?" I ask friendly.

"I think it’s best if you sit." Ishizu suggests, the four of us obey, joining Ryou on a stone slab, the same expression of confusion crossing each of our faces.