CHAPTER ONE

One early morning, on what was to be the first day of the new term at Duel Academy…

I, Chancellor Mykan Jaden and my new team of technicians had been hard at work over the summer since school was out. My wife Sabrina was with me, and today was the big day my team and I were going to test our latest creation. "Well, there they are Sabrina; the new Transcenders."

They were life-sized robots, all different colored; Blue, Red, Yellow, Purple, and were programed to help out with dueling exams, and other tasks around duel academy to help us out. "It's incredible, darling." said Sabrina "Shall we test them?"

I nodded at her and we ordered the technicians to begin the programs. The Transcenders could be set with difficulty levels for dueling to help match the required experiences of players, and two of the men were ready to test out their decks.

Everything went just fine at the start, but while no one was watching, one of the other technicians at the consoles slipped a small disc into the slot and she snickered softly.

Suddenly, the power levels began to go crazy, and the Transcenders eyes glowed brightly as small jolts of electricity emitted from their bodies. "What's going on?" I shouted.

"Sir, the systems are malfunctioning." cried one of the men.

"Shut it down, quick!" cried Sabrina.

"We can't, the controls won't respond."

The technicians tried all they could, but nothing they did would work. As they were distracted, that one technician who started all this quietly slipped away, and no sooner had she left did the Transcenders began to move on their own and attack the technicians. "Activate the destruct system!" I shouted, but even that system was shut out; we couldn't destroy our own creations.

The powerful robots gazed at us, and one of them spoke in fluent English, "You people will soon meet the end of your civilization. The world of the machines will soon prosper over man, and eliminate them from all existence."

Everyone quivered in fear at the mention of those words, and suddenly, all chaos broke loose in the lab as the robots went crazy, breaking the equipment, and stealing prints and plans from the wall safe, and anyone who tried to stand up to them got critically injured. I called for security, and the guards came in armed to try and stop them, but their weapons and defenses were no match for the robots and their special designed armor, and the robots fought back.

Soon, feeling they had accomplished their task in stealing what they needed, the four menacing machines broke out of the lab, literally by breaking down walls, and using specially fitted rocket thrusters, which were mysteriously not part of their original design, to fly away with all the goods leaving the lab and part of the school grounds in ruin, and several people injured. Sabrina and I were okay, but we both know we needed help and bad.

While Sabrina and her medical teams helped to care and treat the invalids, I quickly got onto the video phone and demanded "Get me WOOHP! This is an extreme emergency!"

…

Meanwhile, somewhere in the South Pacific…

Summers come and summers end, which means its back to school time for many, and while most were not too particularly keen about returning to school, The Clark siblings couldn't wait to reach Duel Academy for their second year and in Obelisk Blue from their previous accomplishments the last year. They were already on the ship and expected to arrive any minute at the island.

Marc was busy recounting his luggage, much to the annoyance of his siblings. "Honestly, Marc, you've checked five times since we left, and then ten times before we left." said Lee.

"So… I like to be well prepared." protested Marc "You should've seen how mom was acting before we left."

The others all remembered, their mother was all in a panic worrying if they had all packed enough things for their long stay at the school; constantly checking on them, and expressing her tearful worries about them being far from home again.

Even on their last night at home, both their parents acted like a couple of crybabies saying they'd miss them hard, and told them to send emails every day. "Yeah, well that's all behind us now." said Lee "This year is totally going to be a rockin' one."

"Especially these new uniforms." said Megan as she admired the reflection of herself in her new School outfit. The blue jacket, she felt really made her look hot and sophisticated.

"Boring…" groaned Tony "I'm just anxious to kick some serious dueling butt."

He was especially excited seeing as over the summer, Duel Academy had finally finished and distributed the new XYZ cards, and cards that supported them; thanks to the secrecy of the spies' last mission to help save the future before summer started. The spies had since restacked their decks up a little, but their overall themes remained the same.

Sadly, there were some downsides to returning to school, and one of them was Tami. She didn't get a promotion but was still coming back for another year, yet still in Slifer Red. She passed by the spies and for once didn't even bother to acknowledge them or poke fun at Megan, or even try to woo on Lee. She just passed right by them with a sour expression on her face.

"Did you see that?" asked Megan. Even Lee had to acknowledge this "Tami's not being her usual pushy self."

Tami heard them and reacted "It just so happens that I don't have time to deal with you kids today."

"Uh, kids? We're practically almost all the same age here." said Tony, but Tami didn't care "I've got better things to do, like study up and prepare."

Now the spies really felt something was up; Tami hated studying just as most of them did, except Marc, and since did she ever show eagerness to hit the books this much. They planned to find out more when they arrived on the island, which was just coming into view over the horizon. Many of the students were so excited and eager to get their game on.

Suddenly, the motors stopped and the ship came to a complete halt. "What's going on?" asked Lee "Why did we stop?" A lot of the passenger students were going about protesting, and suddenly an announcement was made that they had just received orders to turn back and return to the mainland, for something had recently happened at Duel Academy forcing them to suspend beginning of term.

Many students were extremely disheartened, but the orders were given, and soon the boat was restarted and they turned back. "Man, I don't believe this!" complained Tony "Why would they just shut down the school at the last second?"

"Whatever happened must've been really serious." said Marc as he and his siblings watched the island slowly sink back below the horizon as the boat continued to sail away. Megan flopped miserably down on the side railing and gazed down at the water, when she noticed lots of bubbles rising on the surface just below her. "What's that?" she wondered aloud. "What's what?" asked Lee as he and the others huddled near Megan and gazed at the bubbles, and suddenly there was a big splash as a huge water stream burst up, grabbing them and dragging them down. "I think we're being WOOHPED!" cried Tony.

…and they were! They were pulled under the water, through a special air-tunnel and landed right inside one of Jerry's mini-submarines, still drenched. "Hello Spies, sorry to bother you on your first day of school."

Megan gazed through her dripping wet bangs and groaned "We accept!" in a near sarcastic tone. Jerry activate a quick blow-drying system to dry them all off. Now they felt like fried potatoes, but at least they were dry. "At least I don't have to take a shower." Lee joked.

Nobody found that funny, and Marc asked "What's going on, Jer?"

Jerry explained that early that morning, robotic-companies all over the world were being broken into, and he showed them images taken by security cameras of large robots attacking the places and hurting anyone who tried to stand up to them. "I sent Clover, Sam, and Alex to investigate, but they haven't reported back. I fear they most likely have been captured and are being held prisoner by the robots."

"Or maybe someone else who sent those crazy things." added Marc.

Jerry was just about to send the spies off on their mission, when he received an urgent call on the video phone form me. "Chancellor Mykan?" cried the spies.

"Jerry, Spies… we need to talk, it's very important." I said in near panic "WOOHP me there quickly."

Jerry did so, and suddenly I fell through the floor from my room, and landed into the sub with a huge thud. "Thanks!" I groaned. As I got up, the spies huddled close to me demanding explanations of what was going on, why start of term was canceled, and what was so important. "Quiet, please! One thing at a time" I shouted, and everyone quieted down.

"You probably heard by now about those robots, and I think I can help provide you with what you need to stop them." I said as I held up a roll of blueprints.

…

Meanwhile, the Transcender robots were still going about and wreaking havoc on robotic-facilities all over the world, stealing more valuable prints and equipment, and no matter who approached and tried to stop them, they all ended up badly hurt.

All this was being viewed from a secret lair by a man sitting in the shadows, and his wife stood by his side. "It's a thing of beauty, my dear Marceline." The man snickered.

His wife snickered. "Oh, Monty, just think. Soon our great dream will become a reality and the world will become a much better place."

That's when the door to their office opened and in walked that same woman from the dueling labs. "Mother, dad, I did it!" she cried as she came in with a big briefcase. Her parents took the briefcase from her, and inside were blueprints of the Transcenders entire layouts and programing. "Excellent work, Michelle…" hissed Monty "With these programs combined with the technology we have pioneered over the decades, our machine empire will triumph over all humans and the world will be ours."

Michelle smiled proudly and her mother walked over congratulating her daughter. "Good job, darling. You make us both proud."

Michelle snickered wickedly "Thanks, Mom, I can hardly wait. Just think, no more having to pay for things when I go to the mall."

Mother and daughter shared a laugh, but Monty suddenly growled and pounded his desk in frustration. "Michelle! You blundering botcher! The master-key blueprints are missing!"

"What?!" snapped Marceline, even Michelle was shocked, and together they both went through the prints. "I don't believe it!" cried Michelle "They must've kept them locked up in another safe."

Her father looked ready to blow a gasket, literally. "We must have those blueprints. The others are no good without them!"

Just then, a few guards came in with Clover Sam and Alex all tied up and gagged. "Maybe we will be able to get them after all." hissed Michelle. The spies didn't like the look in her eyes and felt they were in for a world of torture.

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