CHAPTER ONE: Rise of the Horsemen

CHAPTER ONE: Rise of the Horsemen

Wow, this is a big chapter, even though most of it is just story-telling, not dueling. Still, hope you enjoy it.

Princess Yunariana: Thanks a lot for the compliments. Hope you enjoy this new story.

Metal Overlord 2.0: I had little better to do, so I decided to get working. However, I still have Minutes to Midnight to finish along with Illidan, so I'll have to balance out these two fics for a while. Hmm…. I don't know about that, even though it is a magnificent idea. One duelist who will appear is going to surprise you like crazy though. I'm not saying much though. Basketball fans will know what I mean when I talk about the star of a Philadelphia 76ers vs. New York Knicks game in 1962-63. It may be subject to change, but I think I'll leave it like that. Anyway, if you have any new ideas, please give them to me. They always help, because most of the time they're very good. Thanks a lot.

SolarMoon59: Wow, I didn't realize I was that good. Frankly, I still don't think I am, but thanks for the compliments anyway.

HimeAmelie: Thanks a lot for the compliments.

Aelsthla-Mental: Hope you like this one as much as Advent.

Captain James Parker was at the end of his rope. Never in his life had he expected to be in such a situation. Working for Kaiba Corp. guaranteed a whole lot of money, respect in the industrial field, and most of all, security. Hell, when he had been offered the job as captain of one of Kaiba Corp.'s satellites, he had jumped at it.

Now, as he sat on one of the seats, trembling with fear at the gun pointed at his head, he really did not know why he had taken the job. The man had killed three of his six crew-mates, and was threatening to kill the other two of Parker did not give him what he wanted.

The man was wearing a mask, but was very small and scrawny otherwise. He was literally floating in the clothes he wore. How he got on board, Parker didn't know.

"I will ask again. What is the password to the room I spoke of?" He voice was very raspy, like a bunch of metal pins gyrating against one another. Parker closed his eyes. "Please, I'm telling you…" The man didn't seem interested. "Wrong answer." He cocked his gun, and was about to shoot in the direction of another crew member, when Parker screamed.

"NO! Wait. I will give it to you. Alpha, three, nine, Alpha, Charlie." The man nodded. He then raised his gun and shot the other two crew members, much to Parker's horror. "NO! I gave you what you wanted!" The man cackled. "Be happy I've left you with your life." He walked over to the door, and punched in the password. The door acknowledged it.

"Wait!" screamed Parker. "If you release the energy in there, it will kill the both of us!" The man ignored him, and pushed open the door. There was a flash of light, followed by a final scream from Parker. This was then followed by a loud cackling from the murderer.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The veritably large group woke up in one of the backstreets of New York. Dawn had just broken, and slivers of light were filtering in from the shining sphere that was the sun. But no one noticed this. "Where is that damn envoy?" growled Rikuo.

Yugi shrugged. "They didn't say when they would come. We could relax for a bit. After all, we just dealt with not one, but three power-crazed madmen." He received a haughty stare from the Wolf Demon General for this. "Are you joking? Bring the Pharaoh out. At least he had tactical knowledge."

Joey glared. "Haven't our experiences with the Shadow Corporation taught you anything? It's more then likely that this dumbass will send people after us." He motioned to the Duel Disk on his wrist. "Not that I won't be ready for them."

Suddenly, something diverted Yugi's attention. It was the sight of Tea, slowly but surely getting to her feet. "All right, all right," muttered Joey. "Everyone out. My friends need their private time." Slowly but surely, the group of duelists moved out of the alley.

Yugi stared across at his friend. The two looked at each other for some time. Slowly but surely, Tea walked across to Yugi. Her arms encircled him, and his did the same. They simply stood there, locked in an embrace. The sheer platonic love between them, which many speculated went between that, and it was very possible that it did, was enough to wash away all their worries.

Finally, Tea spoke in a choked voice. "Yugi… It wasn't me, I swear! I could feel something in my head, it was horrible! It wasn-…." Yugi spoke calmly. "Shhhh…. We know. We don't need to discuss this. No one blames you. No one. Forget about it." He tightened his embrace, and Tea broke down into sobs.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The dark figure couldn't seem more ominous as he stood among the shadows of a Chicago backstreet. "I will need to resurrect my Horsemen. I believe Blight has already returned." The words seemed to be spoken to no one in particular.

"You spoke to soon, Master," said a raspy voice from shadows beside them. A form stepped from the darkness, and knelt down before Apocalypse. "Twenty seven thousand years, Master. Twenty seven thousand years I have awaited your glorious return. Finally, we will wage war on this sad excuse for a dimension, and move onto the destruction of every single being to have ever lived."

Apocalypse did not even seem to note what the man had said. "Where are the rest, Blight?" Blight stood. "I do not know, Master. With all due respect, it may be preferable to recruit new Horsemen. Your army will need to be readied quickly if the Infinity Council is to fail in its attempt to thwart you."

Apocalypse considered. "There is wisdom in your words. My previous three Horsemen were all destroyed by the Infinity Council in my last clash with them, and you were rendered all but useless. Resurrecting them will be a complex process. I will decide on new servants."

"As you wish, Master. As you wish."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Jason just entered the conference room in time. It was already quite crowded. People of all ages were present, although most were in their mid-thirties. They were of all nationalities. One man was standing at the head of the conference table, while all others were seated in leather chairs. The man was about forty, and wore an expensive suit. He was not clean shaven, with stubble all over his face. His hand gripped the chair at the head slightly more tightly as he noticed Jason enter, but he said nothing and simply gestured for him to enter.

Jason took an empty seat next to an absolutely gorgeous nineteen year old girl. She had dark raven hair that flowed down to her shoulders, with light blue eyes. Her features suggested Caucasian as well as Asian descent, and she gave Jason a playful wink as he leaned back in his chair. She wore a crimson top along with tight blue jeans. She attracted many stares as she walked down the street.

"What did I miss, Sarah?" said Jason from the corner of his mouth. She shook her head, and whispered back, "Nothing. They were just starting."

The man at the head of the conference table began to speak. "As I was planning to say before Mr. Becker entered," he gestured to Jason, "I have received very disturbing news. The one we know as Apocalypse has returned." This resulted in a number of mutters and angry growls from around the table.

"Mr. Chairman," began one of the men, a tall and lean Chinese man, but before he could continue, the chairman held up a hand. "Please. Allow me to explain." They paused.

"When this organization was established, its purpose was to check the rapidly growing power of the Paradias Corporation. Lead by the man called Dartz, it began to grow incredibly powerful. While our primary purpose was to stop its expansion on the political and financial fronts, using Duel Monsters to confront them, I resolved to personally research the origin of Dartz. I made some shocking discoveries."

"We know this, Eizan," wheezed an elderly man from across the table. The chairman, apparently called Eizan, nodded briefly. "I am sorry. As we know, we are not the only ones who had taken interest in Dartz's past. The Infinity Council was also extremely suspicious of him, but instead of exercising their enormous power, they began a covert investigation for reasons known only to them. Our parallel investigations had set us on a collision course that guaranteed that sooner or later, we would become aware of each other's existence."

There was silence in the room, as Eizan continued. "Our shocking discovery of the fact that a council of omnipotent beings watched over the Universe was surprising, to say the least. Strangely, they could have easily made us forget about them, literally, but they did not. It was, of course, useful for them to have a group of representatives on Earth, and having ties with such a huge power benefited us as well. Their armies slowly began to educate our operatives in magic. However, this is not important at the moment. Ladies and gentlemen, I introduce you to the Archangel Zerato, who operates as a liaison between us and the Infinity Council."

A man walked through the door. In no way did he look the part of an Archangel, but one could tell from his incredible aura of power and benevolence that he was not a man to be trifled with. He was of average height and build, and was dressed in a casual shirt and trousers. His face, however, seemed to carry an air of such purity around it, that it instantly washed away one's doubts.

He spoke in a soft voice. "It is indeed an honor to meet you all once again. I do wish the circumstances were different." No one answered, and he took it as a sign to continue.

"I live on Earth as a normal human being, communicating with Lady Life once a month. She has just informed me that the sixth member of the Infinity Council, the most notorious of them all, has escaped from the Oblivion Star where he was imprisoned twenty-seven millennia ago. The Council has appointed a group as a temporary measure against Apocalypse, who will surely begin gathering an army soon. I have come her to request the assistance of your organization to combat this threat."

The Chinese man spoke up in a throaty voice. "Archangel Zerato… It is indeed odd to meet a real angel. That aside, I must inform you that we are currently nearing an all-out war with the Paradias Corporation. We cannot spare any manpower."

The archangel's face hardened, but before he could speak, Eizan spoke curtly to the Chinese man. "Li… Although your opinion is valued as a senior member of this organization, you do not make the decisions. That is up to the directorial body, and even I myself, as chairman, cannot overrule their decision. Before we set this to a vote, please tell us what kind of help you require."

Zerato continued in his soft voice, much to Li's chargin. "We have our army; we do not require manpower. What we need is the five best duelists your organization has. It is very possible that Apocalypse will use Shadow Games to further his purpose, and having skilled duelists on our side is a great advantage."

Eizan frowned at the word. Shadow Games. He hated them from the bottom of his heart. He had lost his only wife to a Shadow Game initiated by a Rare Hunter of Marik Ishtar during Battle City, when she had just been an innocent bystander.

"You will have them. Jason Becker, here, for one. He is deputy Head of Field Ops." He pointed at Jason, who nodded. "Serena Avalon." He gestured to a blonde, twenty-four year old who was seated next to Li. She seemed to be eager to get away from him as soon as possible, and gave a nod.

"Drake Manning." A mid-thirties man who was sitting adjacent to Jason raised a hand. He was about five foot eleven, and wore a casual shirt and trousers. His red hair tumbled down to his shoulders.

"And Brian Palmer. They are all excellent field operatives, and good at using magic." An imposing African American who was seated at the far end of the table gave a curt nod. He wore a gray suit, and was quite bald, even though one could tell he was only in his twenties.

"Also, Sarah Taylor, our senior tactical analyst. All in favor?"

Out of the twenty-five people seated at the table, all eyes were on a group of six sitting at the head of the table. These were the board of directors, of which Eizan was head. They nodded.

Zerato nodded serenely. "Thank you for these duelists. Indeed, they will be a great help to fight the Horsemen…" He was roughly cut off by Li. "Mr. Chairman, I do not believe Ms. Taylor is a good enough duelist to warrant her being a part of this task force. I nominate Zachary Nemo."

Eizan lost his patience. "Nominate all you want. The directorial board has already agreed to these duelists."

Before Li could reply, Sarah stood up, a fierce glare on her face. "Mr. Li, if you do not believe I am capable of aiding the Infinity Council, I challenge you to a duel, right here, right now, to determine whether or not I am a good enough duelist to be a part of this task force."

Jason looked at her incredulously. Li Ching was supposed to be one of the deadliest duelists on the continent, having one a number of tournaments before retiring and joining the organization. "If I lose, then I will not join the task force, and your wish will be fulfilled. If I win, however, you will tender your resignation right away," she growled angrily. Despite her beauty, one could tell Sarah was not a person to be trifled with when angry.

Eizan looked at her. "No, Sarah," he said roughly. "It has been decided. You will be on the task force. As he is not a member of the Directorial Board, he has no say in this." Sarah looked ready to protest, but in the end, she took it quietly.

Zerato nodded. "Very well. We have recruited another group of duelists to help us fend off Apocalypse for the time being. We need to gather the Seals of Immortality before Apocalypse reaches them. Once this task force meets the other duelists, they will be able to decide who will go after which Seal by themselves."

Most of the people seated there were familiar with the Seals of Immortality. "Very well. The duelists are in New York. I suggest that the five of you contact them there." Jason nodded.

"This is bigger than Paradias," continued Zerato softly. "Apocalypse's soldiers are without mercy. They will not hesitate to kill you. I feel guilty placing the lives of such young people in danger, but the group of duelists we have assembled is our best hope to stem the tide of Apocalypse's power."

Jason spoke in a firm voice. "Do not worry. We are aware of the risks. This organization was formed to fight against establishments like Paradias. Apocalypse is far worse, and we know that failure is unacceptable." Zerato nodded. "I thank you all for this. I only wish I was meeting you under better circumstances." He then exited the room. Whoever was seated near the door glanced outside to look at him leave, but to their surprise, he had disappeared into thin air.

Eizan spoke. "Being Deputy Head of Field Ops, I think it is wise for Jason to lead the team." He looked at the twenty-one year old, who nodded. The other six directors did not seem to have any objections. "Very well. It is now three a.m. It would be safer to fly on a commercial airliner rather then charter one of the organization's own aircraft. Our transport sector will buy tickets for the five of you as soon as possible. Does anyone else have any matters to discuss?"

No one said anything, but Jason could have sworn he noticed a tightening of Li's jaw. "Very well. Adjourned."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Keh, what's taking those lovebirds so long?" grumbled Rikuo, leaning against a wall. Joey shrugged. "I always knew there was something between them. Just didn't know what, but frankly, there are times when I don't want to know."

"Save it," snarled Kaiba. "We've just gotten ourselves involved in what is probably the biggest freakshow yet on the list. I'm just trying to find a way to keep my sanity while surrounded by so many dweebs." Rikuo lashed out with his fist at this, which Kaiba easily ducked.

Before anything else could happen, they saw Yugi and Tea slowly exiting the alley. Joey had half expected them to be holding hands, but to his shock, they were not. "What IS it going to take to get those to together?" he thought in wonder.

Rikuo walked up to Yugi, while Kyle hugged Tea. "Let me speak to the Pharaoh," he said. Yugi shook his head sadly. "He is refusing to come out. I have no idea why. He isn't even speaking to me." Rikuo chuckled. "You'd be better of getting separate bodies, like I did with Daniel. It's so much more-…"

He was cut off by Zane. "There is one thing we haven't considered. While I am quite sure Marik Ishtar is back to his usual self, Dartz will most definitely still be a threat. He's still in the Empire State Building, at least he was the last time we checked. We have to go back and deal with him. After all, he probably got his soul back when the Tournament ended."

Rikuo scoffed. "Meh, we have to deal with Apocalypse and you worry about Dartz?"

Yugi spoke up. "Zane's point is valid. With the power of the Paradias Corporation behind him, Dartz is indeed a large threat. If we're not careful, we'll not only be dealing with Apocalypse, but Dartz as well."

"You make it sound like Dartz would ally himself with Apocalypse," said Kaiba, entering the conversation. "He's a control freak, all he wants to his impose his damn' 'order' on the world. He'll be against Apocalypse."

"The question is, will we be able to use this to our advantage?" continued the young CEO. "We don't know how strong Apocalypse is right now, hell, we know pretty much nothing about him. What we do know is that Paradias is a very powerful organization. This could actually benefit us. Apocalypse will be too busy dealing with Dartz to even notice us."

"I still think we should go after him," said Zane quietly.

There was silence, which was broken by Yugi. "We can discuss this later. We need someplace safe to recuperate. Most of us have just dueled in the Tournament of Shadows, and we're exhausted. We can't go to a hotel. Kaiba, can you think of a place?"

The CEO considered. "Well, Kaiba Corp. has a base just outside New York. It was originally used to manufacture weapons. Even though it doesn't do so anymore, I left Gozaburo's security measures in place. I don't advertise it, but its one of the most secure buildings on the continent. It can withstand any kind of attack excluding missiles."

Daniel, who had been listening, spoke up. "Well, I think it'd serve well as a temporary base. We could use it to regroup after we find those damn Seals." Kaiba nodded. "All right. It also has a large number of dueling rings, so if anyone wants to practise, they're open."

But Yugi didn't hear this. He had something very important to do.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

In the vast recesses of the Millennium Puzzle, Yugi stared straight ahead at the door of Yami's soul room. He spoke in a soft voice. "Yami. Just please let me in."

Yami's normally deep and authority-filled voice had cracked. "It's my fault, Yugi. It's my fault." Angrily, Yugi pushed the door open. He had rarely been in Yami's soul room, and never got used to the eerie emptiness of the place. It had absolutely nothing in it, except for the ancient Pharaoh, who simply stood in the center of the room.

His eyes were closed, and his head was bowed. The long bangs cast a shadow over his face. "It was me… I hated Marik so much. I wanted to cause him pain with that last attack. Because of that…. I let Apocalypse out."

Yugi walked up to him. "Don't say that! Anger is what makes you human. You can't blame yourself!"

Yami looked up, and glared at his hikari. "NO! Don't patronize me, Yugi! You know it's true! It is my fault. I can't do this any more. I've hurt too many people. Leave me alone!!"

Yugi was stunned by the outburst. Yami had once again bowed his head, and Yugi could see a tear dropping from his eyes. "Just listen to me," said Yugi urgently. "Without you, we can't fight him! Come out of this, Yami!"

"NO!" screamed Yami in answer. Yugi could see the desperate confusion, anger, and sadness in his friend's face. "I'll do it again! I'll let my hatred lose! I can't control it!"

"NO! YOU LISTEN TO ME!" shouted Yugi. Yami was stunned. Never, never had he seen his hikari lose his temper like that. "You can either sit here feeling sorry for yourself or get out of here and help us! You think you made a mistake, fine! This is a chance to repent for that!"

Yami looked at him sadly. "Yugi…." The young man calmed down. "Please, Yami. Just get out of this. It's not your fault. If it's anyone's fault, it's Apocalypse." Slowly, he went forward and hugged Yami. The spirit was stunned, but finally hugged his friend back.

"Will you do it?"

"Yes, I'll do it."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The base was exactly as Kaiba described it. A fortress. It was located on a man-made island four miles of shore of the beach. It was a twenty-story building that seemed a bit out of place on the otherwise empty island. It had a few windows here and there, but they were obviously bullet proof. Armed guards stood at each entrance to the building. No one could get in without Kaiba's permission.

He had contacted his employees, who had sent out a chopper. There were benefits to having a billionaire as a part of your group.

As the helicopter touched down, a man in a plain suit rushed up to him. "Mr. Kaiba, sir! Stock has gone up by one-…" "Save it," snapped Kaiba, stepping off as the rotors began to slow down. "Don't come to me unless it's a real emergency. Escort them to the residential floor. Then, I want you to tighten the security."

The man was stunned. Since when was Kaiba uninterested in stock? "Erm….. Very well, sir."

They were led into a plush lobby that resembled a hotel more then an office. The marble was all of the finest quality, with wall to wall carpets. But no one noticed this. "The residential floor is the fourteenth one. I'll be in my office on the fifteenth floor," Kaiba grunted to the group. He strode to his private elevator, and was gone.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Seven hours had passed since they had arrived in the base. The rooms were like those of a five-star hotel, and even had a PlayStation3. Rikuo had played it for a while, but had almost immediately gotten bored. The games were lousy, and he had finished two of them in the first ninety minutes. The computer had offered some amusement, but online strategy games just didn't cut it. He was a demon general who had fought hundreds of real life battles. Human teenagers who knew nothing of real battles weren't much of a challenge.

He had wandered to the dueling rings. For a while, he had contemplated leaving and trying to find Apocalypse by himself and take his revenge, but it would be impossible. He noticed that CJ was there as well. A rather bored looking Joey Wheeler joined them.

"How about a duel, Rikuo?" asked Joey. "Meh, you wouldn't be a challenge. Anyway, I'm reserving everything for that jackass who has caused me problems starting five thousand years ago."

Joey shrugged. "Suit yourself. CJ?" Rikuo smirked, knowing he was going to watch a good duel. CJ and Joey had dueled in the Shadow Tournament hosted by Giovanni Garlin, and it had been epic, to say the least.

The Horse Demon Lord nodded. "Seeing as I've got nothing to do, fine. I just hope that damn' envoy will get here soon." Joey grinned. This was going to be fun. Seeing as he had been soulless for a few hours, he hadn't been as sleepy as he thought.

They took positions at the opposite ends of the ring, and activated their Duel Disks. They continued to smirk at each other as the holo projectors were fired off. "This is going to end differently from the Shadow Tournament," said CJ.

Just as they were about to draw their first hands, a panicky voice sounded from outside the ring. They turned to see Alexis Rhodes running towards them, a stressed look on her face. "It's Jaden," she cried. "He's gone!"

Rikuo didn't really seem to care, but CJ and Joey were surprised. "Where'd the kid get himself to…" muttered Joey to himself. "He was in the room next to me. When I went in to talk to him, he was gone. The sheets were cold, which means he probably never even slept in there."

The Wolf Demon shrugged. "He probably just went for a walk or something, little girl." Alexis glowered at him. "I can see I won't get much help here."

Joey followed her out, so did CJ. For lack of anything better to do, Rikuo grudgingly joined them. They spoke to a security man, who immediately alerted those posted at different parts of the building. No one had seen a thing. The cameras didn't show anything as well. It was like Jaden had disappeared into thin air.

Slowly, the rest of the group awoke. Alexis was distraught, but being worried himself, Zane comforted her. Kaiba was furious. "Why do I pay you people?!" he roared at the security men. They flinched; incurring the wrath of an angry Seto Kaiba was not on their list of priorities.

"Damn it…" he growled. "Redirect one of your satellites. Check if any vehicle has come to or left the island in the past seven hours." One of the technicians got to work immediately, and within three minutes, one of Kaiba Corp.'s satellites had its ion beams trained on the tower in the ocean.

"Sir! The helicopter in which you came to the island left at eight forty-one a.m." Kaiba frowned. "I never authorized it to leave. It was meant to be permanently stationed on the island in case I ever needed to use it. Follow it." Slowly, they watched the helicopter fly across the gap of sea and land on a helipad in John F. Kennedy Airport.

Kaiba smirked. "Now I want you to contact the airport and ask them who that helipad belongs to." Immediately, one of the more experienced technicians spoke up. "Sir, if we went through this by a legal process, it would take a long time. I suggest you authorize me to hack into their database."

Kaiba smirked. He liked the techie's style. "Do it." In another three minutes, the screen was showing senseless gibberish. It was a mess of numbers and letters that made absolutely no sense. "It's encrypted," growled the techie angrily. "This would take a while to crack. The standard encryption code for the US Government is 256 bit."

The others could make very little sense of this. Kaiba frowned. He knew what this meant; it would take an hour at least. "Fine. Start working on it now. I'm going back to New York. Give us a call when you know the owner." He clenched his fist in irritation.

"Yugi, you might as well come. You too, Truesdale." He knew that it would be helpful to have someone whom Yuki knew and was friends with come along with them. Rikuo stepped up angrily. "What the hell are we doing here? I'm coming too." Kaiba shrugged. "Fine. But everyone else had better stay here." He then addressed his staff. "I want the security quadrupled here. No one gets in, or out. For all we know, the chopper was a decoy and Yuki and his captor are still in the building. Begin a sweep."

As they left, Alexis closed her eyes tightly. "Please, Jaden. Please be all right."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The trip back was short. They landed in JFK, and Kaiba used his influence to bypass customs. Soon, they were out in the city. "I never liked this place," commented Rikuo, sniffing at the polluted air. "Some places really stink. When you have the smell sensory cells of a wolf, it gets really bad."

As if on cue, Kaiba's cell phone buzzed. He stared into the crowded streets full of honking cars and the sidewalk of jostling pedestrians. "Kaiba." "Sir, I decrypted it. The helipad is the property of a man named Julius Smith. He has a house in New York." Kaiba smirked. "Where?"

"It's on First Avenue, Sixty-Fifth Street. The building number is 242. He lives on the fifteenth floor." Kaiba's grin widened. Finally, definite information. "Good work." He shut his phone, and spoke quietly to the other three. "He's in 65th and 1st, building number 240. I'm carrying a firearm just in case. With these guys, you can't be too careful."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Jaden Yuki awoke tied to a chair. There was a dull, throbbing pain in his head, and a bitter taste in his mouth. His hands and feet were numb, and his arms and ankles hurt where they had been secured to the chair. The last thing he remembered was going to one of the Dueling Rings to see if he could pass some time.

He was not blindfolded, however, and he could see that he was in an empty room. The windows were boarded up, and he had a feeling that it wouldn't matter even if he screamed for help.

Angrily, he struggled against his bonds. The person who had tied him was obviously bad at it, for they slowly came lose. But it wasn't enough for him to pull his arms out. With a heave, he pushed his captures limbs against the rotten wood of the chair, and was able to slip them out of the slackened ropes. He quickly freed his feet. In a flash, he was on his feet.

They had taken his cellphone, which was a pity. Quickly, he tried the door to the next room. It was locked, as he expected.

He noticed his Duel Disk on the floor. It would be handy as a weapon. As he bent down to pick it up, the door opened to reveal a stunned man. He was about six feet tall and fat around the middle. Without a second thought, Jaden leapt forward and powered his fist into the man's face.

The element of surprise, combined with the momentum of the punch, drove the man to his feet. As he fell, two more men rushed in. All that practice in the Academy gym was coming in handy now. Grimly, Jaden dodged a punch, and picked up his Duel Disk. He used it as a weapon, slamming it into one of his attacker's faces. He cried out in pain, and Jaden leaned backwards, lashing out with his foot at the other man.

With those two temporarily unable to fight, he charged towards the door, only to be stopped short by the first man. The other two got up. He was surrounded.

He reacted in a way they couldn't have possibly thought possible. He activated his Duel Disk. The holo projectors exploded out in both direction, slamming into their faces. The sheer force knocked them off their feet, unconscious.

The first man growled in anger, and was about to take a step forward when Jaden slammed a card down on his Duel Disk. A creature that had a red dragon head for a right arm, a mostly green and black body, with a long red tail, and a white wing on its left shoulder materialized in the room. The creature's head was mostly black with some red, and its eyes were red.

The thought going through the man's head was, "Why didn't I listen to Mommy and stay out of gangs?"

"Elemental Hero Flame Wingman (2100/1200)!" said Jaden triumphantly. "Attack him now!" Leaping into the air, the black and green creature took aim with it's dragon arm, which opened it's jaws and released a stream of flames at the mobster. He squealed in shock as the fire hit him head on. He was knocked off his feet by the sheer force of the attack.

He lay unconscious on the ground, patches of his shirt burned away and some of his skin charred. Jaden didn't care; the man had kidnapped him and was now getting his due. As he dashed towards the door, he felt himself suspended in the air. He couldn't move a muscle. He couldn't even turn his head around.

A deeply amused voice spoke. "You were correct, Master. He will indeed make a worthy servant once his dark side is released."

Another voice spoke, one that chilled Jaden's bones down to their marrow. He had never, ever heard such a voice in his life. It was devoid of mercy, pity, kindness, any kind of human emotion. "I tire of this filthy place. Break him, Blight."

Jaden struggled to turn around and see what was going on, but he couldn't. The first voice spoke again. "Hmm… Jaden Yuki. It would be wise for us to get to know each other. After all, we are going to be working very closely now…"

Jaden could feel his jaw moving. "Who are you?!" "Me? It is not important. You will know about me in good time. Right now, our goal is to find and release your inner darkness." Before Jaden could understand what he was hearing, he blacked out.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Jaden could see a dark figure in the corner of his mind. "Who are you?" he asked defiantly. He knew this had something to do with the freakshow who had kidnapped him.

A dark chuckle was heard from the figure, who revealed himself slowly. The figure wore dark black and gold medieval knight-esque armor with six tendril-like spikes, with two jutting out of the back of the armor and four off the armor's shoulders. On the back of the figure was a black cape with a red interior. The armor itself had a tall collar, surrounding a helmet that sat upon the figure's head. The helmet had a shield on it that was down, hiding the face of the figure.

Reaching up, the figure pushed the visor up, revealing his face, making Jaden gasp in complete and utter shock. "You… you're me!" The young duelist said in shock.

The man spoke in a cold voice. "I am not you. I am not weak. I am not afraid to use the power of darkness." His cold, dark golden eyes seemed to bore a hole through Jaden. His mind, normally full of happiness and joy, was an empty void.

Jaden could not answer. The fear was getting to him. "I was reincarnated in you. For seventeen long years, I have fed off the darkness in your mind, body and soul. For seventeen long years you have subconsciously withstood my influence. It has been too long. You will now surrender to me."

Jaden looked defiantly at him. "No." The man laughed coldly. "You do not have a choice." He raised a hand, which glowed with black energy. Jaden felt himself suspended in the air, unable to move. "This is my body now," whispered the man. "This is the body of Haou, Supreme King of the Dark World."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

When the body of Jaden Yuki regained consciousness, his eyes were dark golden, and held no emotion. He turned to see another figure. He was dressed in platinum armor. The crest was finely crafted, and one could tell that the armor was not anything ever seen on the Earth. His face was that of a middle-aged man, and he was bald, with wisps of blonde hair on his head. He raised a gauntlet-covered hand.

"Hello, Haou." Haou stared at him. "Who are you?"

"I am Blight," replied the other man with a grin. "The only remaining Horseman of Apocalypse. Strangely enough, that is why I have come here to meet you. My Master Apocalypse wishes that you join us."

Haou didn't even look at him. "A change is necessary." The black glow shrouded his body completely for a few moments, hiding him from her view. A moment later, the glow dissipated, revealing a figure wearing black and gold armor, a black cape with a red interior, and a helmet on their head with the visor down.

He then looked at Blight.

"I will receive no benefit from serving your Master."

Blight shook his head. "Ah, that is where you're wrong. For one, he won't kill you. Secondly, I know you're as sadistic as I am. As a Horseman, you'll get the opportunity to cause a lot of pain and suffering. That's just the beginning. Who knows? If you survive the eventual Apocalypse, you will really be the Supreme King. The benefits of agreeing far outweigh the consequences of being stupid and not agreeing. Besides, I don't even think Apocalypse needs to destroy you. Go out there and face the Infinity Council yourself. See what kind of reception you get."

Haou was silent.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Don't do it, Haou!" screamed Jaden, struggling in his bonds. The Supreme King fixed him with an odd stare. "Why? I will flourish. I love destruction. Let Apocalypse go and destroy this planet. Let him destroy the whole Universe! What difference does it make to me?"

"NO!" shot back Jaden. "He will kill you in the end! You know it."

But Haou didn't bother to reply.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Very well," he said coldly. "I will work with you on a purely provisional basis in order to destroy our mutual enemies.. But do not expect me to put the needs of your master before mine."

Blight snickered. "Believe me, you most definitely will. Until then, we don't need to remain in this pathetic flat. Master Apocalypse is waiting for us."

Suddenly, they heard a banging on the door. Blight sighed dramatically. "That's them." There was a cry of anger, and the door was blown off its hinges, to reveal a group of four. All four were easily recognizable as some of the deadliest duelists alive. Yugi Moto, Seto Kaiba, Zane Truesdale, and Rikuo Amero.

Zane stared at Haou and gasped. "Jaden!" "I am not Jaden," hissed Haou. "I am far stronger then that pathetic child."

Zane took an involuntary step forward, but Rikuo stopped him. "Are you an idiot? Both of these men are giving off far too much power for you to even hope of matching them. Anyway, who are you, old man?" He addressed these words to Blight.

"Lord Blight, First Horseman of Apocalypse," he said gallantly, with a mock bow. Haou simply fixed the four with a cold glare. No one seemed to understand this statement. None of them really seemed to care. The only word they noticed was Blight's last one, and it was enough. Rikuo snarled and stepped forward.

"So… You serve that jackass who was directly or indirectly responsible for the deaths of my father, mother, uncle, and myself?" Blight blinked. "Ah, I recognize you now! Rikuo Amero, I was not expecting you here. My, my, news really does get around here. Petty criminals kidnap Jaden Yuki, you people land up at the house he's being held a few hours later."

"Cut the crap!" snarled Rikuo. "I'm going to deal with the both of you now, and then I'm going to find your master and kill him."

"I'm afraid I must ask you to stop even thinking of such things. They are far beyond your little demonic powers," chuckled Blight, flexing his fingers. "If you even want to think something like that again, you will have to get by me. I will duel all four of you at once."

Kaiba looked at him incredulously. "What kind of crack are you smoking? You do realize you just challenged all three of the world's best duelists, as well as the new sensation of the Pro League to a duel?"

Zane shook his head, and activated his Duel Disk. "You are going to pay for this, whoever you are. I will duel you now, and show your master that he needs to find another Horseman."

Blight shrugged. "Very well. If you wish for me to pick you'll off one by one, I really don't mind. Haou, I believe Kaiba has been foolish enough to contact law enforcement. Why not amuse yourself by killing each and every one of those agents that have clamored around the building?"

Haou looked at the four with pure hatred in his face.

"I would kill you now. Your lives have been temporarily spared." Even as Seto shouted in anger at him to wait, the Supreme King vanished in a puff of noxious black smoke.

"Now…" smirked Blight with a horrible grin on his face. "Mr. Truesdale, prepare for hell." On his belt, the four duelists noticed, were a number of decks. Some of them were as large as sixty cards or more, while some couldn't have more then thirty. He picked one of them out its slot, and a Duel Disk appeared on his arm. It was a Duel Disk unlike one they had ever seen. It was merged with his armor, and pure white in color. It was shaped like a dragon's wing.

"I would have preferred someone who was going to be a real challenge, like maybe Mr. Amero, but I will make do with you. Oh, and Kaiba? You might want to check on your girlfriend, Ms. Wheeler. I believe that New York will not be a pleasant place soon."

Kaiba's fist tightened. "You… You… If any of you or your people touch one hair on her head, I will find your master and you will all drown in his blood!" His pupils were dilating, and sweat was pouring down his face. Yugi placed an urgent hand on his rival's shoulder. "We've got no time to waste. Zane should be able to handle him. We have to find Serenity, and hopefully, stop Jaden from killing all those agents. I don't know what they did to him, but we need to bring him back."

"Fine!" spat Kaiba. He looked at Zane. "Make him pay."

Zane nodded. "Oh, I intend to." Blight gave a dry chuckle. "We'll see." With a last, furious look at Blight, Kaiba left, along with Yugi and Rikuo, who cracked his knuckles in anticipation.

(Zane: 8000, Blight: 8000)

"I don't know what you've done to Jaden," growled Zane. "And to be frank, I don't care. Just know that once I'm done with you, you will be at your knees, begging me to let you change him back."

"You don't understand, do you?" smirked Blight. "I didn't do anything. I simply weakened Jaden. In my presence, his negative emotions became far stronger. He couldn't overcome his darkness, and the Supreme King Haou took his place."

"What connection does Jaden have with that man?" said Zane suspiciously.

Blight shook his head. "Such curiosity. That information is not out for everyone to know. You will have to defeat me in a duel if you are to find out the truth about what Jaden Yuki has undergone. For someone as pathetic as you, that is next to impossible."

"Watch it," warned Zane, drawing his sixth card. "You're already doomed. I play Polymerization, fusing Cyber Dragon (2100/1600) and Proto-Cyber Dragon (1100/600) to special summon Cyber Twin Dragon (2800/2100)!"

Two machine snake like dragons appeared onto the field in a flash. The first was an older dull grey colored metal and had many wires hanging out of its body, as if it wasn't finished being built. The other dragon was had a sleek silver body that was finished with a simple strong head. Together, the pair swirled together to form a twin headed silver machine dragon that looked snake like. With a loud roar, each head made its presence known.

They were on the top floor of the building, so the dragon's head broke through the ceiling and sprouted out of the top of the building. Through the substantial hole, the sky could be seen.

"I end my turn," growled Zane.

"How bland," commented Blight as he observed the two-headed machine. He was just about to play a card, when he paused. His face hardened. Zane stared at him. "What's wrong with you?"

Blight de-activated his Duel Disk. "I wish I could have stayed and crushed you, but my Master Apocalypse needs my help with something more important. Consider yourself lucky; you have been spared a terrible fate. I will find you once again, and believe me, I will do so no matter how well you hide."

"Get back here!" snarled Zane. But it was not possible. Blight simply flicked his hand, as if he were brushing a piece of dirt from his armor. A powerful force of wind lifted him into the air, and slammed him into the opposite wall. Before he had time to get up, Blight was gone.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Yugi stared in horror at the dead NYPD agents and civilians. Every single one of them had been killed in the most brutal and gruesome of ways. "I can't believe it… Jaden did this," whispered Yugi, more to himself then anyone else. Kaiba too, was shocked. Rikuo spoke in a disdainful voice. "Feh, what Sestros did is much worse compared to this."

No one answered him. Yugi broke the silence. "We have to go and get Serenity from the hotel. We told her to stay put… I just hope she hasn't been attacked yet." Kaiba answered with a brief nod.

"You are not going anywhere!" cried a new voice. It came from just behind the corner of the street. A man was standing there. He was short and lean, dressed in a black cloak. His face was scarred, and he had a brutal look to him, despite his unimposing physical build.

"Who are you?" spat Kaiba.

"I am one of the newest servants of Lord Apocalypse," he said in a monotone. The three duelists instantly recognized the voice as that of one who was under mental control. It seemed that Apocalypse had already begun taking control of other duelists, rather then waiting to resurrect his old army, however he would do that.

"My name is Evan. My orders are to defeat the three of you in a duel to prevent you from encumbering my Master." Rikuo stepped up. "I'll deal with this dumbass imitation of a real villain. Go find your girlfriend, Kaiba."

Kaiba's fist tightened at the last word, but he said nothing. Evan did not notice. "If you attempt to escape, I will find you sooner or later." Yugi and Kaiba didn't have time for Evan's monotone voice. They were already gone.

Rikuo fired off the holo projectors. "Ready for hell, kiddo?" sneered Rikuo.

Evan just gave him a blank look.

(Evan: 8000, Rikuo: 8000)

"I summon Alpha the Magnet Warrior (1400/1700) in attack mode," began Evan. A grey magnet creature with a sword and shield materialized onto his field, and pointed its sword at Rikuo. He snorted at this. He had seen Yugi use the Magnet Warriors, and they had proved to be incredibly useless creatures.

"I end my turn."

With a chuckle, Rikuo drew his sixth card. You didn't get a hand like this everyday… Evan was screwed. "I summon Mechanicalchaser (1850/800) in attack mode!" The strange, machine hunter appeared. Its body was spherical, and it had a number of weapons sticking out of various parts of its body. It buzzed in anger upon seeing Alpha.

"Destroy it!" The hunter lunged across the field, and its swords sliced through the Magnet Warrior. Alpha tried to defend itself, but it was seemingly impossible to fight against the mighty swords of the Mechanicalchaser.

(Evan: 7550, Rikuo: 8000)

"Activate, Flat LV4. When one monster is destroyed in battle, both duelists special summon one level four or lower monster from their decks." Rikuo gave a grin at this. The idiot was helping him. "I summon Gamma the Magnet Warrior (1500/1800) in defense mode."

A pink metal magnet creature with strange wings, large pink feet, a big blue S on it's chest, silver spring like arms, a magnet around it's neck, and a strange pink head appeared onto the field with it's arms crossed.

"I choose X-Head Cannon (1800/1500)," shot back Rikuo. A blue and yellow robotic creature, that was legless and hovered on a spiked ball, and had twin cannons extending out of its shoulders materialized. The robots hands were metal clawed, making it seemingly more dangerous.

"I'll set a card facedown, just like you," chuckled Rikuo.

Evan drew once more, with his blank face still present. "I sacrifice Gamma the Magnet Warrior for Iota the Magnet Warrior (2300/2100)." The pink monster was replaced a mechanical figure made up of silver, with bronze underneath, showing through at the joints. Its helmet was also bronze, with what looked like a magnet reaching out of the top of its skull and pointed backwards, like a pair of reversed horns. Its hands crackled with electricity.

"Iota the Magnet Warrior deals you four hundred points of damage for every Magnet Warrior in my graveyard when it is summoned," continued Evan. It raised its hands, which began to shake even more as the electricity built up. The blast slammed into Rikuo, and he deflected it with his fist. Nevertheless, the damage was done.

(Evan: 7550, Rikuo: 7200)

"Iota, attack X-Head Cannon." A spear appeared in its hands, the blade long and jagged. With a flick of its massive arm, it let the weapon lose at the cannon-like monster. "I activate Wabuko!" retorted Rikuo immediately. Evan fell silent as the three robed mages began to chant, stopping the spear in its tracks.

"End turn."

Rikuo snapped the top card off his deck. "Perfect. I summon Z – Metal Tank (1500/1300) in attack mode!" Up next was a blue and yellow tank like creature with treads. "I union Z-Metal Tank and X-Head Cannon to summon XZ-Cannon Tank (2400/2200)!"

Launching into the air by use of their thrusters, the two machine creatures began to form into one creature. The tank became the bottom and took up position while waiting for the other to link up. The large blue robot creature lowered itself into a port within the tank's back and linked up. A bit of electricity flashed through the air when the two finally fully powered up.

Evan did not say anything. He didn't even seem at all worried. "Damn, you and your silent ways are beginning to piss me off," snarled Rikuo. "XZ-Cannon Tank, attack him now with Laser Destruction!" With deadly aim, the weapons on the combo creature released a group of laser blasts, each just as strong as the other. The series of blasts soon struck, which was shattered by the force of the assault.

"Mechanicalchaser, attack directly!" Evan gave a small cry of pain as the many swords of the machine rendered gashes all over his skin. Other then that, however, he said nothing.

(Evan: 5500, Rikuo: 7200)

"End turn," shrugged Rikuo.

Evan snapped the top card off his deck. "I play Brain Control." A strange pink brain appeared on Evan's field. Dull green, vine-like tendrils snaked out and pulled the XZ-Tank Cannon towards him. Rikuo snarled in anger.

"I activate Magnet Meltdown. This lets me sacrifice a monster to special summon Magnet Warriors from my deck whose total levels equal that of the sacrificed monster. I summon the level four Delta the Magnet Warrior (1900/1200) and the level two Kappa the Magnet Warrior (300/600)."

Evan snatched up two more cards from his deck, the first his slapped onto a monster zone, revealing another box-shaped robot, only this one was a rusty brown color and had the letter "K" on its chest. This was Kappa. The second to appear was a blue, magnet shaped warrior appeared on the field. It held an axe, and had the letter'd' emblazoned on its front.

"I sacrifice both to summon Omicron the Magnet Warrior (2500/2800)." Instantly the droids shattered and was replaced by a much taller figure, this one with yellow armor, its entire body seemingly made up of magnets that were attached to each other and stack one on top of the other. It's head was a single magnet with a round golden eye peering out, while its hands and feet were much the same, minus the eyes. Printed on this ones chest was a large white "O".

"Activate field magic card, Magnet World." The air around them began to glow, and electricity pulsed. Rikuo watched in mild interest as the Mechanicalchaser was pulled this way and that, due to the awesome power of the magnetic charge around them. "It can only be activated when there are five or more Magnet Warriors in my graveyard. Each Magnet Warrior on my field gains five hundred attack points."

Omicron began to glow and gave a buzz of triumph as it's attack points soared (2500 + 500 3000/2800).

"Attack." Omicron raised both its hands, and they began to pulse with electricity. The electricity hit the Mechanicalchaser. Its metallic body was unable to withstand the magnetic force, and it was pulled apart. The pieces of scrap disappeared.

"When Omicron attacks, I can either draw one card, or deal you four hundred points of damage. I choose to draw one card."

(Evan: 5500, Rikuo: 6050)

It was back to the deadly machine duelist. He smirked at the next card. "I play Soul Exchange! By sacrificing one of your monsters, I can tribute summon a monster from my hand, although I will be forced to skip my battle phase. I summon my physical avatar, Wolf Demon Lord (2400/1000)!"

The monster that appeared resembled Rikuo himself. It was a samurai dressed in heavy Japanese armor, and his massive biceps rippled underneath it. It held a long sword that appeared very thick as well. Wisps of smoke were hovering around it, making it look even more deadly then it was.

"Luckily for you, you'll be spared his wrath for this turn," sneered Rikuo. "But just you wait until next turn, when you'll face the full strength of one of the most powerful Demon Lords! Until then, I set a card and end my turn.

Evan just looked at him blankly and drew. "Activate Summoner Cube. I must now roll a die, and I can special summon level four monsters from my graveyard equal to the number rolled minus one. They must be off the attribute of one monster I discard. I choose to discard another Delta the Magnet Warrior (1900/1200), which is earth."

A die appeared on the field, and it flew into the air. It rolled about a bit, and then fell on a three. "I now special summon Alpha the Magnet Warrior (1400 + 500 1900/1700) and Gamma the Magnet Warrior (1500 + 500 2000/1800)!" The gray, box-like robot wielding a sword and shield appeared, followed by the large pink earthen creature.

"The final effect of Summoner Cube allows me to draw one card for every monster on my field, minus the number on yours." He snapped the top card off his deck. "I sacrifice Alpha, Gamma and Beta the Magnet Warrior (1700/1600) from my hand to special summon Valkyrion the Magna Warrior (3500 + 500 4000/3850)!"

Another magnet shaped creature appeared onto the field, letting off of soft moan. It was a yellow droid with magnet like hands, and another on its head. Together, the three leapt into the air. Slowly, each began to break apart into many pieces. The pieces slowly reformed into one body. A large creature with many components from the previous three was build in the place of the three. It had a massive sword, a large body frame, pink wings, and many other pieces from the three previous creatures. Swinging it's sword in a sweeping motion, the new creature let out a low moan, showing its strength.

Rikuo didn't seem worried. "Meh, it doesn't make a difference. You're going to lose either way." Evan did not take kindly to this.

Rushing across the field, the large magnet creature brought its sword forward, preparing to attack. With a single sweep, its blade slammed into that of the Wolf Demon Lord. The two glared at each other and struggled, when Rikuo gave a chuckle. "I activate Negate Attack." A spinning vortex appeared between the two of them, and forced them to break apart.

"End turn," droned Evan.

Rikuo drew quickly. "I play Pot of Greed!" He snapped the top two cards off his deck. "Hmm… I play Monster Reborn, to call back my XZ-Cannon Tank (2400/2200)!" The strange, mechanical combo monster appeared next to the Wolf Demon Lord and buzzed loudly.

"Then I summon Y-Dragon Head (1500/1600)!" A machine red dragon with four smaller legs, metallic claws, and wings spread appeared in an offensive stance. "I then combine it with my XZ-Cannon Tank to call upon the mighty XYZ-Dragon Cannon (2800/2600)!"

The XZ-Cannon Tank broke apart, leaving the three component pieces by themselves. Launching into the air by use of their thrusters, the three machine creatures began to form into one creature. The tank became the bottom and took up position while waiting for the other two to link up. Slowly, the red dragon's wings broke off of its body and it retracted it's head. The large blue robot creature lowered itself into a port within the dragon's back and linked up, before finally the two came crashing down onto the blue and yellow tank, which hooked up as well. A bit of electricity flashed through the air when the three finally fully powered up.

"Now you're really screwed! I discard a card from my hand to activate its effect and destroy your Magna Warrior. Full Laser Destruction!"

Aiming its twin cannons, the combo machine creature released a pair of twin laser blasts at the magnet creature. The blast hit hard, smashing it into pieces. Not a trace was left of it. "This duel has lasted far too long…. Which is why I play the last card in my hand, Limiter Removal, to double the attack points of my XYZ-Dragon Cannon (2800 2 5600/2600)!"

The combo machine began to glow insanely as its attack points went through the roof.

"End this now!" With deadly aim, the weapons on the combo creature released a group of laser blasts, each just as strong as the other. The series of blasts soon struck Evan head on, who was knocked to his hands and knees while panting heavily.

(Evan: 0, Rikuo: 6050)

"That's game," he sneered. "I can't believe the duel was over so quickly. I was expecting at least a bit of a challenge." Evan hadn't seemed to hear him. He simply keeled over, and began to gasp in pain. Rikuo looked at him in surprise. "What's up with you?"

He noticed that he was gasping even more. His eyes were glazing over. "What the-…" began Rikuo before he simply fell over. Rikuo rushed forward and placed two fingers on his neck. There was no pulse. The Wolf Demon General clenched his fist. "He's dead," he growled to himself. This meant he couldn't even extract information from him to find out where Apocalypse was.

But it didn't matter. "Apocalypse, I am coming to get you," growled Rikuo.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The assassin was one of the best in the world. He had started off as a free-lancer for the Japanese gangsters, the Yakuza. After five successful killings and five hundred thousand dollars worth of pay, he had decided he had too much class for such a petty organization. He had then approached Paradias.

They had welcomed him with open arms, a bit too literally. One of the bigger and more idiotic men had actually had the audacity to run over and hug him. The assassin had sent him and three of his friends to hospital for five weeks.

No one would even think of him as an assassin as he leaned back in the soft chair of the expensive restraunt. He did enjoy the finer things in life, as he sat there sipping French wine. His cell phone rang, and he grimaced. He knew who it was.

"This is a big job," said a voice at the other end. "Failure is unacceptable at any costs."

"I know," sighed the assassin. He was tempted to be a little more rude, but then the client would be upset and that would cost him six hundred grand. "I will want confirmation that the other half of the payment will be wired to my Swiss bank account after the targets are killed."

"I will call you," replied his client. "Just remember, one of the group will not be harmed by your bullets. If he notices you, then everything is lost. I suggest you carry a Duel Disk and your strongest deck as well. If the escape your initial attack, then you may be forced to initiate an Orichalcos duel."

The assassin frowned at this. He did like dueling, and found it a fun pastime. He was a fairly accomplished duelist, having won the Phoenix Regional Championship in the previous year. However, he doubted that he would be able to stand up to the likes of Yugi Moto or Seto Kaiba. Then again, with his new deck, one could never tell.

"Don't worry. Jason Becker and Sarah Taylor will be dead. Just have my money ready, Mr. Li."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Whoo! Cliffie! Now you know that there's already a traitor in the mysterious organization I've been going on about.

I'm out of town for three weeks, so no updates until I get back. However, I will tell you this. Sarah Taylor will be dueling next chapter. Jason is based of myself. We're the same person, essentially, in all ways other then names. Sarah is a purely fictional character, although I based her physical appearance of a certain Disney actress whom I happen to admire.

Anyway, hope you guys enjoy the new fic, and please review!!