Hi ya, Lovelies so I didn't leave an author's note in the last chap, cause of time.
But I do have some important details to tell you before you continue with the next chap. This story will only be updated once a week no more and to any of you that are reading my other stories. Do not worry, I am not dropping them nor will I forget them. I do plan to finish them.
Now my thanks to Aqua girl 007 for favoriting and for reviewing, as well as whomever Guest is.
So, because I forgot to and I am obligated to; I do not own YUGIOH no matter how much I wish that wasn't true.
After school Atem, Mana, Yugi, Joey, Tea, and Tristan headed over to downtown.
"Atem, do you even know where the registration office is?" Tristan asked already tired from the day's walk.
"Of course," Atem answered not bothering to look back.
"So are we there YET?" Joey whined, dragging his feet.
Tea turned and stared at the boys.
"Wow, you all are really out of shapes."
Joey growled not having the energy to respond.
Even Yugi was starting to wear down. Especially, since he technically had to jog to keep up with his friends.
"Tea not all of us can have the stamina of a horse." Tristan said hanging his head even lower. The three boys were in physical torture.
Joey grunted and forced one foot in front of the other.
"I mean look at those two. Atem can bloody run a marathon and still not break a sweat and Mana has the energy of a two year old."
As the minutes passed the duo in front kept advancing, slowly leaving the others to fall behind.
Mana turned and looked at them. They were all miserable, well except Tea she was only shaking her head in disbelief.
"Atem honestly, how far are we from the office?" She asked looking at the boy.
Atem smirk.
"Two blocks, I just don't feel like telling them."
Mana shook her head. At times Atem could be a real ass.
"Atem remind me again why I hang out with you?"
He gave a wicked grin.
"Because you can't stay away from my good looks and charming personality."
"No, I don't think that's it." Mana said lost in thought. After that they fell into a comfortable silence.
Back with the others, they stare toward Atem and Mana.
"Yugi, has Atem told Mana about..." Joey asked smiling.
"No," the small boy answered returning his smile.
"Oh man this is going to be good." Tristan chuckled.
YGOYGOYGOYGOYGOYGOYGO
Mana and Atem arrived at the game store a good five minutes before the others.
"Never thought, you to be so out of shape Joey." Atem teased when he saw his red face.
"Shut up," he said between puffs of air.
Atem smirked and headed inside. The others slowly followed, not sure it was the right place. Really, the store didn't look like much.
Atem tapped the back of the computer demanding the guy's attention.
The store clerk gave him an irritated look.
"Can I help you?"
"We're here to register for the tournament." Atem said in a bore voice.
The others gathered behind him. Tea innocently began to look through the flyers that were laying on the glass window display.
"Name," the clerk asked without looking up from his screen.
"Mana Sehr," Atem gave him in a clip tone.
Mana had been studying her nails when she heard him.
"Atem! What the hell?"
"Ah, here she is. Five star duelist, pervious dueling history recorded duels within Kaiba Corp. public arenas, rare card: the Dark Magician Girl." The clerk read her information in a matter of fact tone.
"Sir you have to be mistaken. I never signed up for any tournament."
Mana looked at her friends for support, but everyone was staring at Atem; who was grinning.
She narrowed her eyes at the boy.
"Atem what did you do?" Mana demanded.
Everybody but Atem took a step back, recognizing the edge in her voice. Mana already had a reputation for being short tempered and prone to violence. Nobody wanted to be in her way when she got like this.
Atem sighed and look her straight in the eyes.
"A few months back Kaiba saw you dueling and said you weren't half bad."
Mana snorted not believing that Seto Kaiba would say something like.
"He didn't use does exact words, but it's what he meant. I told him to add you to the duel rooster, which records all your dueling data and determines what level you are on. He agreed though saying, you would never reach tournament entree level and I bet him you would. Long story short he agreed if you by some "miracle" achieved tournament level he would grant you entree into his next tournament without needing previous experience."
Mana puffed in frustration.
"And you didn't tell me about this way?"
He gave her a half smile.
"I wanted to surprise you. Kaiba called me yesterday to tell me that you qualified."
Mana still glared at him. She knew it would look bad to reject a personal invitation from the tournament host, but she hated that all this happened behind her back.
"And you all knew about this?" Acid could have been dripping from her month by that point.
Not surprisingly everybody around Atem nodded.
"You're all such great friends," she said sarcastically.
"Atem if you weren't Mahad's oldest friend. I would strangle you." Mana sent him one last glare before turning to the clerk.
"Miss, here's your new Dueldisk and within the box you will find instruction on how to operate it, the rules for the tournament, and your locator card." He inform, pretending that he hadn't seen their earlier confrontation.
She received the box not looking at her so-call-friends.
The clerk looked at the others and continued.
"I take it your Atem Mutou, King of Games." He stated eyeing at Atem.
Atem nodded.
"Yes," grabbing another box behind him. "Eight star duelist, winner of Duelist Kingdom, and rare card: the Dark Magician." He murmured Atem stats in a lost voice.
As Atem grabbed the box the clerk saw the smaller version of the boy behind him.
"And you are Yugi Mutou?"
Yugi nodded confused as to way his identity was so important all of a sudden.
"Here's your Dueldisk," the clerk passed him a box.
Yugi was at a lost.
"No sir, I am not participating in this tournament."
The clerk shrugged.
"Says here you are. Yugi Mutou, eight star duelist, winner of the KC Grande Prix and rare card: Gandora the Dragon of Destruction."
The clerk had to fight not to smile. All this kids had rare cards that his master would be happy to get his hands on.
"Yugi just take the box, there's no point in arguing with the guy or Kaiba for that matter." Mana said in an annoyed voice.
Yugi nodded and sent Atem a small smile, which he returned. Atem was glad that his brother was participating. Yugi loved the game as much as he does.
"Hey! What about me?" Joey asked from the back of the group. Squeezing himself between Tea and Tristan to look at the guy.
"And you are?"
"Joey Wheeler, runner-up in Duelist Kingdom."
"Give me a minute." The clerk type a few commands in the computer and stared at the screen. "Says here you are only a two star duelist, that's not enough to qualify." The clerk read the rest of the information in silent and could barely keep from gasping when he saw what the kid's rare card was.
THE RED-EYES BLACK DRAGON!
How his master would praise him if he got his hands on that card.
"What!" Joey cried.
"Hate to be the devil's advocate, but this is Kaiba we are talking about." Tristan said in a grim tone.
"Kaiba that jerk!"
"Uh... wait a minute. It would seem that it was a computer cliché. It's seems that you do have enough stars to qualify." The clerk said typing a command to change the amount of stars that the kid had. He handed him the same box with the Dueldisk. Silencing Joey for the time being.
As Joey hugged the box closer to him, the clerk warned him. "You do realize that you will be risking your rarest card." His said, betraying a sinister undertone.
Joey shrugged.
"It won't be in any risk, cause I'm not going to lose."
The gang left the shop shortly after that. Mana wouldn't talk to any of them and Yugi was worry that there was more to this tournament then meet their eyes. Something about how the clerk had look at them when he stated their rare cards, just made him feel uneasy.
"See you guys later. I need to head over to the hospital. Promised Serenity that I would spend the night with her before she enters the surgery tomorrow." Joey announced once they neared the intersection that lead to Domino General Hospital.
"Tell her we wish her the best." Yugi called out.
"Sure thing, see ya guys!" He said before running off.
Atem saw his friend leave when he felt the vibration from his back pocket. He groaned.
"Mana, please tell me you told Mahad that you were coming with us after school."
Mana looked at him, but gave him a small shrug.
"Of course not," Atem murmured before answering the call.
"Hello."
"Atem is Mana with you?" Mahad's irritated voice asked through the speaker.
"Yes," Atem shot her a glare.
"Mind bringing her over to the museum, I have something to show you."
"Mahad really..." Atem started. He hated it when they put him on Mana duty. He may be friends with her brother, but he and Mana didn't have the best of relationship. Their personalities clashed way too much.
"You can complain another time; you still owe me for covering with your mom when you were passed out high on my living room couch."
Atem cursed, that had happen over a year ago and it had also been the last time. Mahad just wouldn't let it go.
"Fine will see you there in an hour or so."
As Atem shut the phone he glared at Mana.
"Your brother is requesting our presences at the museum. And no you don't have a choice." He added knowing she was about to start complaining.
"He's blackmailing you isn't he." Mana stated not bothering to ask with what it was.
"Yes and unless you want me to carry you over my shoulder. I suggest you go willing." He said heading toward the station. There was no way he was walking back to their part of town with only Mana as company.
Tristan, Tea and Yugi stared at them. Those two were always bickering and it had been like that since they were tods.
"So what do we do know?" Tristan asked.
"I think we should go with them; to make sure they don't kill each other." Tea answered beginning to walk in the direction Atem and Mana had walked off to.
Yugi nodded, knowing that things could get much worse and hoped they wouldn't.
Tristan shrugged and followed the others into the street.
YGOYGOYGOYGOYGOYGOYGOYGO
Joey ran through the alley, cursing for the millionth time that he hadn't left earlier. He had missed the last train that lead to the hospital. Damn it!
Suddenly, he slammed into someone and fell to ground.
"Yo, what's the big deal?" He demanded, glaring at the figure in front of him.
The man was wearing a strange purple cloak.
"You've got something I want."
It was then that Joey noticed the Dueldisk that was strapped around the strange man's left arm.
"That's not my problem."
"It's about to be. You, Joey Wheeler have the one of a kind: Red-Eyes Black Dragon. And as a Rare Hunter it is my job to take it from you."
'Rare Hunter,' Joey thought. His heard of that group before. 'They're famous for stealing and forging rare cards.'
The Rare Hunter continued.
"As such I challenge you to a duel right here, right now."
The Hunter slid his deck into the Dueldisk.
'Guess I don't have much of a choice.'
Joey pulled the Dueldisk out of the box and placed it on his arm.
"Alright, let's duel and I'll take you on like the crook you are!"
He stared at the contraption and slid his deck just like the Hunter had done.
"DUEL!" They both said as they drew.
-J: 4000-
-RH: 4000-
'Better get this done quickly,' Joey thought as he drew a card. 'Serenity's counting on me'
"I summon Panther Warrior in attack mode!"
"I summon Hannibal Necromancer in defense mode."
"I active the magic card: Scapegoat?" Four little sheep of different colors appeared behind Panther Warrior. "As Panther Warrior needs a tribute to attack. I choose to sacrifice one of them for him to attack your Hannibal Necromancer."
The humanoid panther in armor swung his sword and destroyed the Hunter's monster.
"One swing enough for that monster," Joey celebrated. "How do you like that?"
"I'll play the spell card, Graceful Charity." The Rare Hunter announced. "And then... I play Three-headed Greedo in defense."
"I draw," Joey stated. "I'll sacrifice another of my Scapegoats. Trounce it, Panther Warrior!"
The panther with a quick slash of its sword cut the monster in two.
"Two down!" Joey exclaimed.
The Hunter chuckled.
"C'mon c'mon! Is that all you got?" Joey called out. 'Yes! I'm totally in the lead!'
"On this turn I draw three cards and discard two, using Graceful Charity."
'What's with this guy? All he does is change the cards in his hand...' Joey contemplated.
'Heh, heh... keep playing with my defense monsters. And I'll keep preparing my hand.' The Hunter mocked Joey internally. "And I summon, Death Hand in defense mode."
'Why won't that dumb chicken attack!' Joey demanded. "I'm gonna play... Red-Eyes Black Dragon. Black Fire Bullet!"
The Hunter's monster disintegrated from the dragon's fire.
The Rare Hunter stared at the dragon with wanton eyes.
"That's your rarest card? Your arm must be heavy with the burden. Don't worry I'll lighten it soon..." The Hunter said. "Draw!"
As he saw what the card was. He chuckled. "I win…." He said vaguely.
"Behold Exodia, the Forbidden One!" He yelled.
'Wh-what?! Exodia?!' Joey gasped, not believing his eyes. 'That can't be! He gathered all five pieces.'
As the Rare Hunter placed the five cards on the Dueldisk, a pentacle star appeared in front of them. Slowly, a huge gold-armored monster with broken chains on its arms and feet broke through.
Joey thought back to the first time he had seen Exodia. The monster had been able to beat Kaiba's three Blue-Eyes with one attack.
"Exodia, God Flame, destroy his Red-Eyes Black Dragon!" In that instant a huge bolt of energy appeared and engulfed the dragon.
Joey's life points automatically hit zero.
As Joey stared at where his Red-Eyes had been standing a few seconds ago. Two other cloak figures came out of the shadows, grabbing him by the arms from behind.
"You scum bags, let go of me!"
The Rare Hunter to his left grabbed Joey's Dueldisk and took the card from where it was resting.
"Your Red-Eyes is ours now." The Hunter he had duel said.
There you go and see you next week. Au Revoir, for now. :*
