Hello Yu-Gi-Oh! Zexal fanfiction fans, I'm Rocket Knight 777 and I figured it'd take a stab at writing for this new phenomenon. Inspired by the Numbershots written by Vile EXE, I decided to do some of my own Numbershots to try and ease myself into this world. I you all enjoy this first one. One word of warning, don't plan on this being updated regularly, with about 2 or 3 other stories and college classes, and the fact I choose to handwrite my stories first (don't have a labtop plus the words come a little easier for me this way) it'll be slow posting chapters. Anyway, this Numbershot takes place around the time of Yuma's duel with Nelson and Number 83. This first chapter is set the day before or maybe of the start of episode 7. The next chapter will occur the day after episode 8. Simple right? Ok then, as someone famous once said, let's do this thing.

NUMBERSHOT 41: SOME LIKE IT HOT

Written by: Rocket Knight 777

Classes had just let out for the day, and Yuma, Tori, and Bronk were on their way back home. Normally, Yuma was able to keep pace with his friends, but today he was dragging his feet far behind them.

"Come on, Yuma," Tori called to him, "hurry up. You're moving at a snail's pace."

"To tell you the truth," Bronk told Tori, "I think I just saw a snail lap him."

"I can't help it," Yuma whined, "I'm so hungry."

"Well, that's what you get for skipping lunch," Tori told him.

"Yeah," Yuma whined, "but then I would have missed most of the action. A duel's not as cool if you're just seeing the ending."

"I gotta admit he has a point," Bronk agreed.

"You're not helping here!" Tori snapped at the large boy.

It was at this time that Astral appeared. He floated over Yuma, who was on his knees holding his stomach and groaning like he was in pain as Tori was busy chewing Bronk out for 'taking Yuma's side'.

"Are you alright, Yuma?" the dimensional being asked. "You do not seem well."

"OF COURSE I'M NOT WELL!" Yuma snapped at him, also gaining Tori and Bronk's attention. "If I don't get something to eat soon, I'm gonna fade away."

As Astral made a mental note on the observation that humans fade away if they don't ear regularly, something suddenly occurred to Bronk.

"Hey, I just realized, there's a kid in our class whose dad just opened a restaurant. We can probably go there for a quick bite."

"Well, what are we waiting for?" Yuma asked. "Let's get going!"

Yuma grabbed his friends by their wrists and practically dragged them behind him as he went down the sidewalk. Astral floated behind to observe more.

"Yuma wait," Tori argued. "You don't even know where it is."

"Yeah," Bronk added, "and besides that, I don't think we could get a seat without one of our parents or your sister or grandmother with us."

Hearing that, Yuma stopped dead in his tracks and collapsed once again.

"But I can't wait that long!" he whined. "Besides, if Kari finds out why I skipped lunch, she'll kill me!"

"Skipped lunch, huh?" said a voice.

The three friends looked behind them to see a boy about their age standing there. He was about Yuma's height, and a little overweight. He had blonde hair styled in small spikes, each with a brown tip. He wore the same uniform that Yuma and Bronk wore.

"I think I can help," he continued.

"And you are?" Tori asked.

"Not important right now," the boy said. "You guys were talking about visiting Fietman's, right? I can get you in."

"Really?" Yuma asked excitedly.

"Slow down, Yuma," Bronk told his excited friend. He looked intensely at the boy. "What's the catch?"

"No catch," the boy said. "Just trying to do something nice for someone. Are you interested?"

"Are we?" Yuma shouted, jumping to his feet. "Let's get going."

With that, the boy ran down the street with Yuma right behind him. Tori and Bronk followed, still a little uneasy about this whole turn of events. Astral floated behind them, but quickly caught up to Yuma.

"Are you sure it is wise to trust this boy, Yuma?" the dimensional being asked.

"Why not?" Yuma asked. "He's going to get us in so we can eat. What's so wrong with that?"

"I do not understand your question," Astral said.

"Just trust me on this, Astral," Yuma told him. "He's my age, goes to my school, he can't be that bad."

Not long after meeting the boy, the three friends found themselves in front of a small café that was full of people. The boy led, Yum, Tori, and Bronk to an outside table, and had them sit down as he went inside.

"I don't like this, Yuma," Tori said.

"Yeah, he could be setting us up for something," Bronk added.

"Aw, you guys worry too much," Yuma told them. "He seems like an OK guy."

"Come on, Yuma," Tori said, rolling her eyes. ""Do you really think someone our age knows a guy here who could let us eat here without an adult with us?"

Yuma was about to tell Tori that it was all in her head, but stopped when what she had said started to make sense to him.

"Tori's right, Yuma," Bronk added. "I think this kid is just pranking us. I bet he's going to get us thrown out just so he can have a laugh."

By this time, the boy had come back out of the restaurant wearing an apron, with an older man, possibly middle aged, behind him wearing a uniform that looked to belong to the restaurant.

"Are these the kids you were telling me about?" the man asked the boy.

"Yep," the boy told him. "That's them."

The man looked at the three kids sitting at the table.

"So you three are interested in a free meal, huh?" he asked them.

"Uh, we were just leaving," Tori said as she started to stand up. "This was a mistake."

"Oh, it's no mistake," the man said. He then started to smile. "It would be my pleasure."

Yuma, Bronk, and Tori stared dumbfounded at the man, as the boy next to him laughed a little.

"Thanks, dad, that was priceless," the boy said.

"Dad?" the three said, now even more confused.

"Don't tell me you did it again?" the man asked the boy.

The boy just shrugged his shoulders.

"I got you three new customers, didn't I?"

Hearing the boy say that, the man rolled his eyes in slight frustration.

"I should apologize for him," the man said. "He can be a bit of a scamp."

"Uh, that's ok," Tori said, still very much confused.

"I suppose we should introduce ourselves," the man said. "I'm Bobby Fietman and this is my son, Gordy."

Feeling a little more comfortable now, Yuma, Tori, and Bronk introduced themselves and then, while Mr. Fietman went back into the kitchen to fix them some food, Gordy sat down and talked to them.

"Sorry about playing the role of a mysterious stranger," Gordy told them. "I usually have a hard time making friends, so I usually just try to lead people to the restaurant and try to get them to come back."

"To be honest, we thought you were going to get us kicked out after bringing us here," Bronk told him.

"Nah, I wouldn't have done that," Gordy told him. "My dad and I just like to kid around with kids my age. You guys are like the 4th group this week I've gotten to come here."

"How long have you been here?" Tori asked.

"About a month and a half, I think," Gordy answered. "My first day at your school was the day after we moved it."

"I hope you don't take this the wrong way," Bronk said, "but I don't really remember Mr. K introducing you."

"I doubt you would," Gordy said. "I didn't exactly announce myself to the class. All I did was blush and mutter a very shy hello. Like I said, I'm not all that good at making new friends."

"Well, you got three now," Yuma told him, patting Gordy's shoulder.

Astral then floated closer to Yuma.

"I was wrong to question your judgment, Yuma," Astral told him. "It appears you knew what you were doing after all.

"Yeah," Yuma laughed. "Guess I have my moments."

"Yes," Astral added, "and you should treasure those moments, for you do not have them often."

Yuma's expression instantly changed after hearing that.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Yuma shouted.

Yuma got into another of his "discussions" with Astral. Of course, since Yuma was the only one could see Astral, it looked like he was arguing with himself. Seeing this happen again, Tori and Bronk shrunk in embarrassment. Gordy, who was experiencing this for the first time, didn't know what to make of this slightly awkward situation.

"Does this happen often?" he asked Tori.

"Unfortunately," Tori told him.

"It has been lately," Bronk added.

Yuma turned away from Astral in a huff, and looking at Gordy, noticed something in the pocket of his apron.

"Hey, Gordy," Yuma said, pointing to the pocket, "is that your deck?"

Happy for the change in subject, Gordy reached into the pocket and did indeed pull out a Duel Monsters deck.

"Yeah, it's mine," Gordy said, placing the deck on the table. "It's not the best, but it can hold its own."

"Why do you have your deck with you?" Tori asked Gordy.

"Duh, so he can duel," Yuma told her, as if it was a stupid question.

"Come on, Yuma, how often can he duel when he's working here?" Bronk asked his childhood friend.

"More often than you'd think," Gordy told his new friends. "My dad has a deal going where the customers can duel a member of the staff to pay off all or some of the bill."

"How does that work?" Yuma asked, now more interested in the conversation.

"Well," Gordy explained, "if the customer wins, the meal is free, and if he loses and manages to inflict damage, the difference of Life Points for the staff member is what is taken off the customer's bill."

Yuma, Tori and Bronk gave Gordy confused looks again.

"Think of it this way," he continued. "If Bronk and I duel, and I win, but Bronk brings my Life Points to 4000, since he reduced my Life Points to half their full amount, Bronk's bill is then half off. Get it?"

The three friends nodded as it sunk in and made sense. By then, Gordy's dad had come out with a tray of burgers, fries, and drinks. After taking only one bite, all three agreed that this was the best food they had ever eaten. Tori and Bronk causally ate their food while Yuma shoveled his into his mouth non-stop.

"Slow down, Yuma," Bronk said. "You're making a pig of yourself."

"Don't worry, Bronk, he's fine," Mr. Fietman told the large boy. "The kid has a healthy appetite. It brings a tear to a restaurateur's eye to see such people enjoy the food he serves."

Bronk and Tori just stared at the restaurant owner.

"Dad's a bit of a self-proclaimed hopeless romantic when it comes to his food," Gordy explained. "He sometimes won't sleep at night until he gets a recipe to where all the customers enjoy it."

After finishing their meals, and a dessert that Mr. Fietman had given to them, the three friends were getting ready to leave.

"Man, that was good," Yuma said, reclining in his chair. "I don't know if I've ever had anything that good before."

"I know," Bronk added, "I'm telling my mom and sis about this place. We're definitely coming here again."

"Same here," Tori agreed. "I'm just sorry we can't pay for the food."

"Don't worry about it," Mr. Fietman told them. "It's on the house. Any friend of Gordy is a friend of mine."

"Just remember, Yuma. Next time you're here you owe me a duel," Gordy told his spiky haired friend.

"It's a deal," Yuma replied. He then heard a beeping coming from his pocket. Reaching in, he pulled out his D-Gazer and pressed a button on it.

"Hello," he said.

"YUMA! WHERE ARE YOU?" shouted the voice on the other end. It was so loud, it startled Yuma and he almost dropped his D-Gazer. He juggled with it for a bit before he finally got back control of it.

"Sis?" Yuma asked.

"Do you know how worried your grandmother and I were?" Kari went on. "You are in so much trouble young man. If I find out that you've been dueling, I'm gonna . . ."

It was then that Mr. Fietman took Yuma's D-Gazer and started talking to Kari.

"Ms. Tsukamo, I'm Bobby Fietman," he told her. "I run a restaurant called Fietman's, and my son, who goes to school with your brother, brought him and his friends to the restaurant. I told him to bring his friends over here to try the place and have them talk their parents into coming here as regulars. My son was acting upon my request, so it's my fault Yuma is so late getting home."

"Well . . . " Kari was silent for a few seconds, and then asked to talk to Yuma again. Mr. Fietman handed Yuma back his D-Gazer. "I'll let you off the hook this time, but don't you ever go anywhere without telling me first again."

"You got it, Kari," Yuma said with a salute. "I'll be home in a bit."

With that Yuma closed the link.

"Guess we better be going," Yuma said to his two friends.

"Yeah, I guess so," Bronk added. He turned to Gordy. "Guess we'll see you in class tomorrow, Gordy."

"Yeah, I'll see you guys then," Gordy said with a smile.

"Hey, who knows," Yuma called to him as he and his friends ran off, maybe next time we're here we can have something you cooked."

Gordy smile started to fade as he waved goodbye to his friends. Luckily, they were too far away to see this.

"Well, come on, Gordy," Mr. Fietman told his son. "Those dishes won't clean themselves."

"I'll be there in a minute, dad," he said to his dad as he walked inside the restaurant. Gordy sat back down at the table.

"I wish Yuma had of said that," he said to himself. "How can I tell them I'm no good in the kitchen? I can't even make a simple grilled cheese sandwich without setting it on fire. I bet I'd even burn a cup of soup. I'm never going to be as good as my dad. I just wish here was a way to make me a better chef."

It was then that Gordy noticed that a Duel Monsters card had blown onto the table he was sitting at. He picking it up to see the card art, but saw that it was completely blank on the one side. Looking at it, it started to glow, and he became enveloped in a dark, evil-like aura. He started to get a little scared.

"Yes, Gordy," said a rough, evil voice inside his head as the card's artwork and stats started to form, "let the Number take hold."

And we'll leave it at that. So what do you think? Am I slightly on par with the Numbershots of Vile? Please R&R, folks, and let me know how I did with this. I think it's good, but a person's worst critic is himself, because he can't tell himself like it is. Next time, we see just what this Number card has done to Gordy, as Numbershot 41 continues.