YGO fanfiction, except this time I'm actually trying, so hopefully it's actually worth reading. =P



"What the hell," I muttered under my breath. Did I put my helmet on too tight today or was Sector Security seriously on my tail?

"Ichi! Yun Ichi! Pull over!" demanded the peon.

"What on Earth for?" I retaliated.

"Stolen merchandise has been detected aboard your D-Wheel, of course! Now are you going to come along quietly?" I couldn't say I knew what the guy was talking about. I certainly hadn't taken anything from anyone, and it's not like I wouldn't notice anything unusual about my ride. A guy has to know his vehicle like the back of his own hand. I thought about what to do for a moment, but the guard was rather jumpy for whatever reason and preemptively activated the Field Spell - Speed World 2. I wasn't pushing for a Duel today, but it didn't look like I had a choice in the matter. The air struck me as unusually cold as it rushed by me. "I'll be taking the first turn, perp!"

"That's fine," I told him, still not enthused.

"To start off this game I'll summon Gate Blocker in Attack Position!" Of course. The cops are known for their lock decks, almost as much as they are for losing to their suspects. "I Set one card and end my turn at that!"

Wonderful. "It's my turn!" Because of his Gate Blocker, my Speed Counters remained at one while his were boosted to two during my Standby Phase. Given Gate Blocker's 0 ATK, I decided it would be best to take this chance at first blood. "I'll be summoning Turbo Synchron! With that, I attack your Gate Blocker!"

"Reverse card, open! Desert Sunlight! Too bad, Ichi, but this card will turn my Gate Blocker into Defense Position, and with 2000 DEF, you're in for a world of hurt!"

"Grk!" My Life Points were down to 6100 already, but it wasn't like I was unprepared. "I activate the effect of my Turbo Synchron! In the event that I take damage when Turbo Synchron attacks, I can summon a monster from my hand with less ATK than the damage I took. I'll call on my Oppressed People in Defense Position! " That 2000 DEF help me avoid some hurt next turn for sure, but then there was the issue of Gate Blocker. "In my Main Phase 2, I special summon Turbo Booster. By releasing this card, I can destroy a monster that one of mine battled this turn, so kiss Gate Blocker good-bye!"

"So the kid can fight, can he?"

"I end my turn with two face-down cards!" I had to keep my field presence up if I was going to get this officer off my back. My hand was left with one card.

"It's my turn; I draw!" The cop started his turn with five cards in hand, three Speed Counters to my two with full Life Points. "I'll summon Pursuit Chaser! Doesn't look like you have any response, so I'll be attacking your Turbo Synchron!"

"Trap card, open! Super Junior Confrontation! The lowest ATK monster in Attack Position on yoru field battles the lowest DEF monster in face-up Defense Position on my field, and afterward the Battle Phase ends!"

"A little desperate, are you? That'll only be a minor scratch!" the guard spouted. It was true, but I couldn't afford to lose any of my monsters. His Life Points dropped to 7400 as Pursuit Chaser bounced off my Oppressed People. "I Set three cards. Over to you, perp!"

"Well, that's trouble. My move!" I needed to come up with something quick. Normally my deck would have been treating me better, but my hand was turning up empty this time. "I summon Sasuke Samurai #2 and activate its effect!"

"What could a puny monster like that possibly do?"

"By paying 800 of my Life Points (6100 -> 5300), Spell and Trap cards cannot be activated this turn!"

"Is that so? Fine, then! You're only delaying the inevitable!"

"Turbo Synchron attacks Pursuit Chaser!"

"You seem rather masochistic, Ichi!"

"I'm only doing what I need to. When Turbo Synchron attacks, it can change the target to Defense Position, and by taking that damage (5300 -> 4800), Turbo Synchron lets me summon the Copycat in my hand! When Copycat is summoned, it takes on the the ATK and DEF of a monster on my opponent's field. I select Pursuit Chaser to buff my Copycat to 1400/600! Copycat attacks Pursuit Chaser!"

"Another one down, eh? Continue."

"Sasuke Samurai #2 attacks directly!"

"Oh no, what ever will I do?" said the man in white, mockingly. His Life Points dropped to 7200.

"Nothing else in my hand, so I'll have to end my turn."

"My turn!" His hand now had two cards. With his five Speed Counters against my four, I couldn't help but think trouble was brewing, especially with the significant Life Point gap. "It's your lucky day!"

"Huh?"

"Normally I don't have to do this against a thug like you, but today I think I'll enjoy my opportunity to play hard ball. I summon Marauding Captain! When he hits the field, I can Special Summon a level four or lower monster from my hand, and that'll be Rose, Warrior of Revenge!"

"A level four Tuner monster?!"'

"That's right. Now, my Captain will have a go at your Turbo Synchron!"

"Trap card, open! Malevolent Catastrophe destroys all Spell and Trap cards on the field when an attack is declared!"

"Ha! Like these even matter anymore!" Perhaps this guy was a little too confident as his three down cards were blown away. "Take your pain!" My Life Points were now 3700. "Rose attacks Sasuke Samurai #2!" Uhhgg. Another share of damage, dropping me to 2300. "When Rose deals Battle Damage, she deals an additional 300 points of effect damage on top of that!" Okay, my mistake, 2000. "Before my turn is done, I think I'll tune my level four Rose, Warrior of Revenge to my level three Marauding Captain! To prove and protect the absolute power of authority, no amount of strength can be more fitting. Synchro Summon! Dual wield, X-Saber Urbellum!" Great. A monster with 2200 ATK against my pathetic field... was not something I was bargaining for. "Turn end!"

"My go!" The speed stood at five to six as I drew into my favorite card, and just the one to pull myself out of this situation. "I summon Link Synchron!"

"Hm? What do you intend to do with a Tuner without Synchro Materials?"

"I don't need them. Link Synchron allows me to use a single monster on my opponent's side of the field for a Synchro Summon if I give up my Battle Phase."

"WHAT?!"

"I tune my level one Link Synchron with your level seven X-Saber Urbellum! Day by day the people struggle, but no matter their troubles, a trusting companion can be their one saving grace. Synchro Summon! Defend the weak, Colossal Fighter! Since I can't attack this turn, I'll be placing my good buddy here in Defense Position! Over to you."

"I draw! I summon the Enraged Battle Ox and attack your Colossal Fighter!"

"Ack! That thing deals piercing damage (2000 -> 1300)! Luckily my Colossal Fighter can revive a Warrior-type monster resting in either Graveyard when he's destroyed by battle, and I do believe he fits the criteria himself. Be reborn, Colossal Fighter! This time, he's in Attack Position."

"I end."

"My turn!" Things were certainly looking up. I couldn't help but be concerned over why he was saving his Speed Counters, but extra cards are always nice. I proceeded to trade in my seven Speed Counters to activate the effect of Speed World 2, allowing me to draw an additional card. I was holding two after that. "Colossal Fighter attacks your Enraged Battle Ox! My fighter is sitting pretty with 3200 ATK because of the four warriors between our Graveyards." The cop's Life Points were down to 5900. I gasped a sigh of relief. Finally, a significant hit! I also had my Copycat attack directly to cut his points to 4500. The two cards in my hand were Speed Spells that I couldn't use, unfortunately, so I ended my turn, keeping them in my hand.

"My turn then!" he strained. The guy was finally starting to sound a little discouraged. He had stockpiled nine Speed Counters, but for some reason wasn't going for that extra draw. "I Set this monster in face-down Defense Position, and that'll be all!"

I drew to a hand of three with two Speed Counters now. "Colossal Fighter attacks your defender!"

"Revealing Blast Sphere! Haha, I can't believe you fell for it! Blast Sphere attaches itself to the attacking monster, and during my Standby Phase, it destroys that monster and deals damage equal to the monster's ATK." Since I couldn't play anything else, I ended my turn after another attack from Copycat (4500 -> 3100). He drew his card and laughed like an idiot, detonating his Blast Sphere.

"I pitch the Hanewata in my hand to make any Effect Damage I take this turn 0!" I was ready for it, of course. Sadly, I couldn't protect my Colossal Fighter.

"Fine. I remove ten Speed Counters from Speed World 2 in order to destroy a card of my choice on the field, and your Oppressed People are cramping my style!" he now had a single Speed Counter. "I summon Search Striker to attack your Copycat! That's it, your field is empty!" my life fell to 1100 from that attack.

"Well damn," I grumbled as a drew to a hand of three with four Speed Counters in tow. "I activate the effect of Speed World 2! By removing four Speed Counters, I can deal effect damage to you equal to the number of Speed Spell cards in my hand times 800, and I'm holding two of them! I revealed the Speed Spells Overboost and Gap Storm to bring his Life Points to 1500. "Now, I'll activate the Speed Spell Overboost to bring my Speed Counters to four again. I'll use the effect of Speed World 2 again, hitting you for another 800!"

"Why you," my pursuer scowled as his Life Points hit a low of 700.

"I summon Chaos Necromancer from my hand. His base ATK is 0, but he gains 300 for every monster in my Graveyard, and if my math is right, I have six there for a grand total of 1800. I attack Search Striker!" Gone in a flash, and his life crawled to 500 as a result. I ended my turn with no other options.

"I draw!" the guy yelled, now seeming angry and desperate with three Speed Counters on hand. "I summon Ally Genex Durdark, and with its effect I can destroy a monster on the field with the same attribute as it in exchange for Durdark not attacking this turn. Bye-bye, Chaos Necromancer!"

"God-!" I yelled, frustrated. Durdark was only one monster, but I couldn't imagine a way I could get around it before it finished me next turn. It was all going to come down to my last card. I drew for my turn. I paused for a moment before looking at the card, rather stressed out. Fortunately, I had gotten the right card at the right time. "I summon the Spirit monster Kinka-Byo! When I successfully summon this card, it revives a level one monster in my Graveyard. Hanewata, you're up!"

"And just what are you going to do with those two pathetic monsters?"

"Did you just say they were "pathetic"? Somehow I think you're quite misinformed. I tune my level one Hanewata to my level one Kinka-Byo!"

"A level two Synchro Summon?!" he screeched in disbelief.

"Day by day the people struggle, but no matter their troubles, a trusting companion can be their one saving grace . In a moment of need, be the one that comes to our aid! Synchro Summon! Honor the fallen, Emergency Arms!"

"That's nice and all, but I think your numbers are off. Your 1500 ATK can't compete with Durdark's 1800."

"Who says I'm trying to take on your Ally Genex? Emergency Arms can attack directly," I informed the member of security. He couldn't help but be silent as I launched my attack on his Life Points for game over. The two of us slowed to a stop as the siren on his bike was finally silenced. In he heat of battle, I hadn't really noticed it blaring away. "Now would you mind telling me what this is all about? I don't like being wrongly accused."

"Well, er... according to the readings we got, there seems to be a stolen part on board your D-Wheel," the man was suddenly being more professional, "It's nothing you would notice off bat, but it's a chip that enhances PC performance."

"You don't say," I mumbled, thinking on that for a moment. "Ah, you know, I did have some guy give my D-Wheel a tune-up earlier, but I didn't think much about it since it was just the usual routine maintenance, or so I thought. Maybe he installed something strange?"

"That's very possible. Thieves don't generally hold onto the goods for long, you know. Do you mind if I have a look?"

"No problem. I wouldn't feel right just keeping it." I left the officer to his work for awhile and took the opportunity to have a good stretch. The Duel certainly took a lot out of me despite my good physique. Night had fallen, and the wind picked up for a moment, teasing my brown hair as I removed my helmet. Albeit cold, it actually felt rather refreshing. My dull, brown eyes were starting to feel a little red, though. I supposed it was a long day after all.

"Ichi!" the guy from Sector Security called for me.

"You get the part alright?" I asked, returning to my D-Wheel.

"Yes, thank you. Hey, I'm sorry for the trouble I caused you today. I know I was hasty, but it's my first day on the job, and I honestly couldn't wait to Duel someone. I'm glad it was someone as inventive as you!"

"Me? I'm nothing special."

"No, I mean it! That's why I want you to take this card. It's rather rare, but I just can't ever see myself using a Synchro Monster like this. Besides, you're the one with the matching Tuner," the cop said apologetically, handing the white-boardered card to me.

"Truce Envoy," I trailed off, reading it.

"Anyway, I have to get back to the HQ for the night. Later!"

"Hey, thanks!" I called after him as he blazed off into the city. Maybe this wasn't such a bad night after all.

This message was edited by WiseLugia on Oct 26 2009.

.-. Omigod

WL wrote a fanfic?

The apocalypse is starting.

HIDE, WE HAVE ABOUT THREE MORE YEARS TILL WE ALL DIE.

Good shit, for you tho.

The next morning, I was woken by a fierce pounding on the front door of my garage. I call it a 'garage' since it's not really an apartment or anything, although I did fashion it into something of a dwelling that could be inhabited. Anyway, I shook off the grog, made my way to where the banging was, and lifted the large metal door to see a familiar face.

"Good morning, Yun!" the pretty girl smiled. Her hair was a lighter shade of brown than mine, a dirty blond I guess. She wasn't what I would call sexy, but her small figure made her nothing short of adorable nonetheless. She was wearing a simple green t-shirt and jeans combo, hair in a somehow high-hung ponytail.

"Ah, Kira-chan," I started, "What brings you here?"

"You make it sound as if your girlfriend is a bother..."

"No, not at all! It's just a bit unexpected is all."

"What's unexpected was the fact that you weren't here last night! Don't you usually tell me when you're going for a joy ride?" she playfully demanded. I couldn't tell if she was ticked or not.

"Sorry about that, but I got a little hung up with Sector Security since some fishy guy did maintenance on my D-Wheel yesterday afternoon. Turns out he installed a stolen part, but that's all taken care of now," I paused for a second, "You came by last night?"

"Of course! Don't I always come by on Friday nights?"

"You're right. I forgot. Sorry."

"Well, since you explained it and everything is alright, that's fine!" she smiled again, any question of her being mad at all being moot. "Anyway, since I'm here, how about a Duel?!"

"I should have figured that's what this was about. I don't mind," I said, wandering over to my D-Wheel to eject the on-board Duel Disk, "It's nice to have a girl who's into the game!"

"Hehe, it's so fun, especially when I get to play with you, Yun! How about we play out here since the weather is nice?"

"No problem. You can go first if you want to, Doki."

"Hey! I've told you not to call me by my given name! It's sooo dumb!" she pouted.

"But you call me by mine all the time," I weakly tried defending myself.

"That's cuz it's cute! Anyway, I draw! To start, I summon Naturia Guardian," she announced, placing the card on her green disk. It was actually rather stylish compared to the stock standard thing I had, "With that out of the way, I Set a card and end my turn!"

"Okay, my turn," I said, drawing my card and examining my options. Standard Duels were certainly a lot less restrictive than Riding Duels, but by that token it was rather easy to make misplays by burning through your whole hand. "I'll summon Copycat."

"When you normal summon a monster, my Naturia Guardian gains 300 ATK, placing it at 1900 when the effect resolves! On top of that, when you normal summon a monster, I can summon the Tuner monster Naturia Cosmos Beat from my hand!"

"Alright, but my Copycat will gain the ATK of your Guardian. 1900 to be exact, since its effect went on the chain first!"

"A-okay!"

"With that, I think I'll attack your Cosmos Beat with Copycat!"

"No you won't!" Kira-chan said in a sing-songy way as she flipped her Trap, "I activate Urgent Tuning! This card lets me Synchro Summon during the Battle Phase!"

"Nice move."

"Wherever greenery is in danger, the call of the wild brings forth a new power to defend it. Synchro Summon! From the sky - Naturia Palkion!"

"Guess that means I have to call off my attack," I mused, "So, I'll Set two cards and end my turn."

Kira-chan drew to a hand of four cards. "Alrighty, I summon Naturia Triumph!" Another Tuner, as luck would have it. "Naturia Palkion attacks Copycat!"

"Hold up, I activate Waboku. It'll nullify all battle damage dealt to me and my monsters."

"Yun, you dummy. I activate the effect of Naturia Palkion! By removing from play two cards in my Graveyard, I can negate the effect of a Trap card and destroy it, so I'll get rid of Urgent Tuning and Cosmos Beat."

"Oh, right," I threw my face into my palm for a second, not believing I could forget something like that. My Copycat was gone along with 600 of my Life Points (8000 -> 7400).

"And now Triumph will have a shot at your Life Points."

"I'll take that damage (7400 -> 6800) so I can activate Wolf in Sheep's Clothing! This card lets me summon a level one monster from my hand and one of the same name from my Deck."

"I send the top card of my Deck to the Graveyard to summon the Naturia Rock in my hand, since I can do that whenever you activate a trap!"

"Sure. I summon two copies of Cyber Valley!" We were throwing around quite a few monsters so far.

"Hrm, I'll have Naturia Rock attack one of them to get it out of my face."

"I remove it from play to draw a card and end the Battle Phase."

"Okie dokie! Before I end my turn, I tune my level two Naturia Triumph with my level three Naturia Rock! Wherever greenery is in danger, the call of the wild brings forth a new power to defend it. Synchro Summon! From the jungle - Naturia Beast!" she wasn't pulling any punches. I was staring at a field of two monsters that could easily lock off Spell and Trap cards at will, and they were quite sizable to boot - Beast at 2200 ATK and Palkion at 2500. "I Set a card to wrap things up!"

"My turn!" I drew, my hand now containing four cards. "I'll summon Kinka-Byo. It lets me revive a level one monster in my Graveyard."

"As if! Trap card, open - Divine Wrath! I discard the remaining card in my hand to negate the effect of a monster and destroy it."

"Crap," I reeled. Three cards were left in hand with a Cyber Valley sitting on the field to address her two monsters. The Spell would be negated by the Beast if she sent two cards from her deck to the grave, and the trap would meet the same fate as my Waboku did. I already attempted a summon this turn, so the monster would have to wait. "I've got nothin'. You're up."

"Yay! I draw!" she seemed rather excited. I expected she'd get me this time. "I summon Naturia Cliff to attack your Cyber Valley!"

"You know the drill, Kira-chan. I remove it to draw and end the Battle Phase."

"Such a party pooper. I end my turn!"

I drew to five cards and an empty field. I figured now was as good a time as any to give that new card a test run. "I summon Link Synchron! You know how this guy works. I can use one of your monsters as Synchro Material if I give up my Battle Phase. I tune it to your Naturia Cliff!"

"No fair! I can't use its effect if you do that!"

"Such as it is, my dear. Synchro Summon! Truce Envoy, let's see what you've got! When it's Synchro Summoned, my opponent skips their next Battle Phase. I Set a card from my hand and end my turn."

"Draw! Since I can't battle this turn, I'll just sit on this card. I pass."

"Draw!" I was starting to have quite a bit of fun. Four cards... "I'll activate the Continuous Spell - The Stars Above. Once per turn I can reveal the top card of my Deck, and if it's a Tuner, I can summon it."

"No way, I used the effect of my Naturia Beast! I send my top two cards to the grave to negate a spell and destroy it."

"I don't think so. My Truce Envoy can negate the effect of a card without destroying it by discarding a card of the same class, and I'll discard my Winged Kuriboh to make your Naturia Beast null and void!"

"Yun, you're so mean."

"Anyway, back to The Stars Above, the top card of my Deck is Turbo Synchron, so I'll summon it. Next, I'll Set a monster in Defense Position. Turbo Synchron attacks Naturia Palkion!"

"And now you turn it to defense position right?"

"You got it. I take 1700 (6800 -> 5100), but it's worth it to summon the Turbo Booster in my hand. Truce Envoy takes out Naturia Beast (8000 -> 7700)!"

"Daw... he's my favorite. You'll release Turbo Booster to destroy Palkion in your second Main Phase, then?"

"Right. Now it's over to you!"

"I draw! I'll use my Mystical Space Typhoon to destroy your Set Spell or Trap! Now I'll summon Naturia Dragonfly. He gains 200 ATK for every Naturia monster in my grave. So that's... four synchro materials, minus one, and two synchros, then the monster that Rock threw in there. That makes six for a gain of 1200, putting him at a grand total of 2400 ATK! Dragonfly, beat up his Turbo Synchron!"

"That smarts," I moaned, my life dropping to 2800.

"Turn end!"

"My turn!" I drew to a hand of one. "I activate the effect of The Stars Above, revealing," I paused to build a bit of suspense, "Water Spirit. I summon it! Now, I'll flip summon my Tuningware. As for the card in my hand, it's Mind Control! It lets me gain control of a monster my opponent controls until the end of the turn, but it can't attack or be released."

"Yeah, but Synchro Materials aren't released, so... go nuts."

"Sure thing! I tune my level one Water Spirit with my level one Tuningware and the level four Naturia Dragonfly. Day by day the people struggle, but no matter their troubles, a trusting companion can be their one saving grace. Synchro Summon! Ride on - Gaia Knight, the Force of the Earth! When Tuningware is used for a Synchro Summon, I get to draw a card." I grinned and had myself a good chuckle.

"W-what is it?"

"From my hand, I play the Equip Spell called Megamorph on my Gaia Knight. When my Life Points are lower than my opponent's, the equipped monster's ATK is doubled."

"Cheater!"

"Gaia Knight attacks!" Kira-chan's life dropped like a rock, from 7700 to 2500. "Now, Truce Envoy will deliver the final blow!" The game was over.

"Geez, and I had you on the ropes so well, too! You're one lucky SOB, you know that?" she told me with a friendly hug.

"Of course I am, but it's not just with the cards," I beamed. She blushed, but for some reason the look on her face immediately became angry.

"Stupid! I'm not making you dinner tonight!"

"Huh? Kira-chaaan!" I yelled after her as she took off into town. Maybe I was too forward?

This message was edited by WiseLugia on Oct 26 2009.

After spending all too long considering it, I decided to give chase to Kira-chan, but I almost immediately lost sight of her. I thought about checking in at her place, but embarrassingly enough I didn't have much of an idea of where it was yet since I'd only been there once. Upon giving up the chase, I found myself smack in the middle of town amidst a stream of busybodies, stores, and all that noise. I didn't want the trip to be entirely wasted energy, so I chose to have a look around. Neo Domino was still rather foreign to me given that I'd only just recently moved in. I had to admit, though, that the city was a rather amazing place with all its tall buildings and incredible advents in technology. What I found most impressive was Duel Academy. Could you believe the existence of a school that teaches card games?

Eventually I found myself in the local card shop, examining the various singles and boosters they had on display. The place was incredible, having merchandise from all over the globe. I must have had my first look at cards from overseas that day. Digging into my pocket, I pulled out my wallet to count what was inside. That Ghost Rare Stardust Dragon card was just calling out to me, but the next thing I knew I received a massive blow to the back of the head from an unknown assailant. Needless to say, I blacked out.

I came back to reality to the sound of keys clicking away on a computer, not to mention the massive headache. It took me a few moments to realize where I was, and a few more to come to a false conclusion.

"Hairo, what the hell did you-" I started.

"Relax, I didn't do anything to you. In fact, I just happened to walk into the store when all this commotion was going on about someone being assaulted. If anything I saved you from a hospital bill that you couldn't possibly pay and a police investigation that you wouldn't want to get wrapped up in. Maybe you should be thankful, Yun!" it was the voice of an old friend of mine, Daikai Hairo. He was always a bit of a rich snob, no way anyone would like him on their first meeting. After a bunch of encounters, though, he proved to have a strong sense of honor and dignity, not to mention just the knack for getting out of rough situations, be it through his impressive physical strength or otherwise. He stood at a few inches taller than me, hair as golden as the sun, and outfitted in... was that set of dress clothes and a cape?

"What on Earth are you wearing?!" I spouted, immediately forgetting about what happened leading up to this encounter.

"What? A man isn't allowed to be fashionable? At least it's better than that poor man's look that you always plaster yourself with. Oh, wait..."

"Pff, whatever. So, it's been awhile. What've you been up to lately?" I inquired, actually rather curious.

"Nothing out of the ordinary, really. The usual Duels on the Circuit. I supposed I've been trying to land a job at the Accademy, but they say they want someone more "professional". Just what the hell is that supposed to mean?! Am I not proper?"

"Somehow I don't think that's the problem. You're just a bit too rough-and-tumble for a place like that, as far as I'm concerned. Nothing wrong with that."

"I guess you're right. By the way, Yun, I took the liberty of picking up your cards for you, so I hope they're all present and accounted for," he seemed genuinely concerned for once. I took the time to look through my deck, but sure enough, something was missing.

"Oh, no," I sighed, "the Truce Envoy that this Security officer gave me is missing. It was quite something, too."

"Well, I've got nothing better to do, so what say you to us going to get it back?"

"You really think that's possible?"

"I bumped into some thug on my way into the store. He was scampering off with a white-bordered card. That fits the bill, doesn't it? The guy was clearly from one of the local Duel gangs. I should know since I used to be part of it, after all! That is, before I got sponsored and started living the good life."

"If you really don't mind, that would be great," my voice was somehow ecstatic. Hairo decided to give me a lift back to my place so I could get a hold of my D-Wheel, then we both took off with our Decks in tow, him in the lead. The sun was already starting to fall, glistening off his ride that happened to be the most beautiful shade of blue I've ever seen. Mine? An ugly brown that was begging for a paint job I couldn't afford to give it. Be that as it was, I followed Hairo though several backstreets and alleys until we came to what looked like a dead end, walls on all sides except the one from which we came. "This can't be the place, could it?"

"Allow me to turn your attention to that manhole by our feet," he said as we dismounted our D-Wheels, disks now on our arms. "This is really just a ruse. It's something of a front door, actually, and nobody suspects it in the least. You ready to get your card back?"

"Maybe I am, maybe I'm not," I told him, not sure what I truly meant to say. Hairo lifted the cover, and sure enough there was a ladder that lead to a set of stairs rather than the sewer one would expect to find. We made our way down and casually strolled through the hide-out. Well, until we came upon a couple of henchmen, who immediately freaked out and called for backup. This was definitely poor planning on our part, as we were soon surrounded by thugs of all shapes an sizes, and they were armed to the teeth. "We come in peace?" I tried to crack a joke, but they didn't seem to appreciate it. Maybe I should have just called out a challenge instead.

This message was edited by WiseLugia on Oct 19 2009.

"Got any bright ideas, Yun?" Hairo asked, as if it was my fault we were in this mess!

"I thought you were the one with the game plan!" I returned, now highly panicked at the thought of being torn limb from limb in God knows what fashion. My fears were allayed momentarily, however, when the gangsters suddenly stood down for the arrival of another man I'd never seen before. I couldn't get a grip on how old the guy was, but he stood out from the rest on many accounts. For one, he was wearing a fancy, dark business suit of sorts from head to toe, with a white undershirt and red tie to go with it. On top of that, he was clean-shaven and possessed a sort of regal aura. I could only guess he was their head honcho.

"Hairo, baby," the man began enthusiastically in an accent I couldn't identify, "it's been quite the long time since I've seen you in these parts. If my memory is on par, you up and left the Ivory Tusks for bigger and better things. That can only mean you's got some business here today. Am I right?"

"I heard you all picked up quite a nice card recently," Hairo didn't waste any time getting to the point, "which is all well and good, but my buddy here happens to be out on one of his, isn't that right, Yun?"

"Huh? Oh, yeah!" I said in a rather dumb way. Who wouldn't be flustered when it looked like they would die moments ago?

"That's quite unfortunate for your friend, Hairo, but how in the world do these two events relate?" their boss was a cool customer, for sure.

"Don't play dumb with me, Phont. I was there when one of your lackeys ran off with Ichi's Truce Envoy, and we're here to get it back!" Hairo began to fume, losing a fair share of the formality in his speech.

"Is that right?" Phont began to eye his ranks, "Which one of you is responsible? The Ivory Tusks may be a Duel gang, but I know for a fact that I taught each and every one of you something about right and wrong." He didn't get an answer, and suddenly cracked, "We don't steal, ya got that?! You're all a bunch of idiots!" Even I somehow felt like I got hit by a train when he yelled at his subordinates.

"Excuse me," I finally found my guts to speak up.

Phont turned his attention to me, something he hadn't done at all until then, "Hm? Ah, yes, Yun Ichi, was it? I'm terribly sorry for any trouble my followers may have caused you. However, having not been on the scene in question myself, and with none of these numskulls confessing to the crime in question, I'm in quite the spot, you see. I lack any decisive proof that we're in possession of one of your cards." I couldn't help but be impressed by this man's reasoning and way with words. It was easy to see why people would work for him.

"Bull-!"

"Settle down for a second, Hairo," I extended my arm, "You've done a lot for me, but I can take it from here." He backed off, still uncharacteristically huffy.

"Oho ho, I don't recall the last time the boy could so easily be made docile. Well done," Phont mused. "Anyhow, since I'm a man of honor and bear no ill will toward either of you, I have a proposition I believe can satisfy all of us in the end. We're all Duelists here, after all, so hows about a game? You win, you walk away with a Truce Envoy, courtesy of yours truly. You don't, well, you'll have to find some way to compensate me for all this wasted time. They say time is money, after all. What'll it be, boys?"

"I'm game," I accepted, not like I had any other choice.

"Well then, I suppose a change of scenery is an order, yeah? Follow me," the leader of the Ivory Tusks said as he started down the hall.

I hesitated for a moment, my emotions tied in a confusing knot of frustration, gratefulness, awe, and so forth. This long day wasn't over yet, and as such I began to follow. Hairo had my back along the way, as many of these thugs looked like they would gut me at a moment's notice for the sole purpose of getting themselves out of this life by making a killing on my cards. After a couple of minutes, we found ourselves in a vast store house, well-lit with crates and boxes all over. It was likely where the Ivory Tusks kept all their goods and did a majority of their business, whatever that was. It didn't take me long to notice the Dueling arena in the center in which I immediately took my place on the blue side.

"I apologize if this isn't to your personal preference, Yun, but I'm no D-Wheeler, as you must know, so a ground Duel is all I can offer," Phont justified.

"I don't mind. A Duel's a Duel, after all."

"If you don't mind, would you take the first turn as well?"

"No problem," I replied, since nobody in their right mind would refuse that advantage. Taking into consideration that it may have been a trick of some sort to get the upper hand, I started off conservatively, Setting a monster. There was no way I'd show him more information than I had to. "I'll end my turn at that!"

"My turn, and with that I draw. I summon Ehren, Lightsworn Monk. When she attacks a monster in Defense Position, that monster will get returned to the deck, and I'll follow suit by attacking your monster."

"Unfortunately for you, the monster still gets flipped face-up, so I'll cash in on the effect of my Magical Merchant after shuffling it back in. I pick up cards until I hit a Spell or Trap, then I add that to my hand while pitching the rest. It'll fetch Machine Duplication and throw away Kuriboh, Sasuke Samurai #2, and Tuningware!"

"Very well. During the End Phase of my turn, Ehren sends the top three cards of my Deck to the Graveyard. Oh, would you look at that? One of them was Wulf, Lightsworn Beast, and through his effect I get to summon him! Over to you, Yun."

"My move, and I draw!" I was holding seven cards, but Phont was sitting on five himself with two big monsters that I wouldn't easily be able to address, especially since the Link Synchron in my hand was lonely without Truce Envoy to back it up. "Light monsters and no face-down cards... I'll summon Grave Squirmer! When it's destroy by battle and sent to the Graveyard, I get to destroy a card on the field. So that said, I activate Creature Swap, which requires us to each trade a monster, and I'm handing over my Grave Squirmer."

"That's fine. You can have Ehren."

"Ehren attacks Grave Squirmer. And with that hit to your Life Points (8000 -> 6400), I destroy Wulf as well!"

"Well played, well played."

"I Set a card face down, and I'll end my turn by sending the top three cards of my deck to the Graveyard."

"It's my turn, then. Perhaps it's time I got a bit more serious about this. I activate the Solar Recharge Spell, and by discarding the Ryko, Lightsworn Hunter in my hand I get to draw two cards, then send the top two cards of my deck to the grave. Oh-ho, a Necro Gardna, very nice," Phont mused. That certainly wasn't good considering it'd be able to repel an attack for free. "Now for Charge of the Light Brigade. I send my top three cards to the grave in order to add any level four or lower Lightsworn monster from my deck to my hand, and that'll be Lumina, Lightsworn Summoner, who I will now summon! She lets me discard a card to revive a level four or lower Lightsworn, so I throw away Plaguespreader Zombie to revive Lyla, Lightsworn Sorceress. Lyla can take out a Spell or Trap card by turning to Defense Position. If you don't mind, I'll destroy the only one you control."

"Tch... good hit," I snarled as my Negate Attack hit the grave.

"I place a card from my hand on top of my Deck to revive the fallen Plaguespreader Zombie with its effect. I'll need to remove him from play when he leaves the field, but no matter, for he'll transform my vulnerable Lyla into something much more fierce when I tune the two. Synchro Summon! Among the strongest of white-bordered cards, Goyo Guardian! And with this, I do believe I'll be taking my Monk back."

"Hrk!" I definitely wasn't expecting plays like these. My Life Points dropped to 6800 as Ehren returned to his field in Defense Position. Lumina hit me for another thousand (6800 -> 5800).

"I'll end my turn with that, but now I need to send six card off to the Graveyard for the effects of these two lovely ladies. Ahah! Another two copies of Wulf, Lightsworn Beast (one of which I put on top with Plaguespreader Zombie!) and a Necro Gardna. Luck is with me today, sad to say for you."

"My turn!" I drew to a hand of five. "I guess I don't have much of a choice. I activate the Spell card Lightning Vortex. I discard my Link Synchron to destroy all your face-up monsters!"

"Is that so? Good show."

"Now, I summon Cyber Valley and use the Machine Duplication I was able to grab earlier to summon two more Cyber Valley from my Deck. I end!" I was holding one more card, but I was certain those would hold him off for awhile.

"My turn then. I draw. Since I have several different Lightsworn monster in my Graveyard, I can Special Summon Judgment Dragon from my hand."

"Whaa? That thing is huge!"

"You don't even know the half of it. I can pay 1000 Life Points to destroy every other card on the field, and I'll do just that (6400 -> 5400)!"

"No way!"

"And since I haven't performed my Normal Summon, I play Jain, Lightsworn Paladin. Have at Yun's Life Points, you two."

"Son of a," I stifled myself, but my life was down to a mere 1000 in the face of these enormous monsters and few options.

"I'd say you have on more turn, so make it count. I end my turn by sending off six more cards."

I drew for my turn rather hopelessly. With my only two cards being Demon's Chain and Book of Eclipse, I had to bank on a miracle. "I Set two cards and end my turn!"

"With that, I'll end this game. I draw! I pay 1000 Life Points (5400 -> 4400) to destroy all cards on the field other than Judgment Dragon!"

"Get real, I activate my Trap - Demon's Chain! I select a monster my opponent controls, and that monster's effect is negated. On top of that, it also can't declare an attack!"

"Fufu, well in that case I get to keep Jain, now don't I? But to be on the safe side, I'll activate Charge of the Light Brigade to search for another copy of Lyla, Lightsworn Sorceress, and summon her to get rid of your other face-down card!" This was it, my chance!

"Sorry to break it to you, but my last card is the Quick-Play Spell called Book of Eclipse, and I'll activate it in response to Lyla's effect. This causes all monsters on the field to be flipped into face-down defense position until the End Phase, at which point any of yours are flipped face-up again and you draw a card for each one."

"That means..."

"You need to draw three and send the remainder of your Deck to the Graveyard for the effects of your monsters. You won't be able to Draw a card next turn."

"Commendably done, young man! It's been quite a long time since I've milled out. I must be getting rusty. That said, however, I've been beaten fair and square," Phont congratulated me, in my opinion more than he should have. The holograms from the Duel Disks faded away as he made his way over to me, groveling around his Extra Deck. "As promised, here is your Truce Envoy. Well, it's probably not the same one, but it should suffice."

"Yes, thank you. It's getting late, so I think I'll be on my way since my business here is done."

"Not a problem. It was nice seeing Hairo again, anyway."

Hairo... oh man, I went and completely forgot about him! I turned around to see his disgruntled face, none too happy about all the time we had to spend in the Ivory Tusk hideout. I made a beeline for the exit, and he was immediately on my tail. If I didn't know any better, I would have thought he was out for blood. Well, I guess I wasn't wrong since he took out frustration on some random thug while we were leaving. I couldn't complain since it wasn't directed at me, right? My tired arms managed to hoist me up the ladder, the underground now in the past, hopefully for a good, long while. It was silly of us to leave our D-Wheels and helmets unattended, but luckily they were still there waiting for us. I uttered a "thank you" Hairo's way as we mounted our bikes, but he was silent as we raced off into the dark of night.

"Maybe I should get him something for his time," I thought to myself.