Ch.2: A Forced Hand

Jack, Yusei, and Crow weren't expecting any company later tonight, but when a frantic Dexter shook all of them awake they had no choice but to get up and listen to the boy's desperate pleas. Problem is he was talked so fast, that his words were mumbled.

"Whoa Dex slow down" said Yusei, placing a calming hand on the boy's shoulder " now calmly explian what happened,"

"Leo's been kidnapped!" yelled Dexter.

"What?!" shouted Yusei, Crow, and Jack.

"Someone jumped us on the way home" said Dexter " we blacked out, when I woke up Leo was gone,"

"I'll go and inform the others" said Yusei, looking at Crow and Jack " you guys get on your runners and look for Leo. I'll join you as soon as I can,"

In just minutes the terrible news had been spread and the small search party set out to find the missing boy. Luna was deeply worried for her twin's safety. All her life, Leo was the one that was looking after her. Now the roles had been reversed, and she was the one looking after him.

"Please Leo" thought Luna to herself " please be okay,"

Leo awakened to find himself in a strange blue-grey chamber made out of smooth, cool stone. A duel disk had been placed on one of his arms, and a heavy chain bounded his leg to the floor.

Laughter echoed through the chamber as Jose entered the room. Not wanting to face this opponent laying down Leo stood up and glared at Jose.

"Well" laughed Jose " you do have some fire burning in those eyes. To bad you're dueling record is so pitiful,"

"What's going on?" said Leo " Why'd you bring me here? What is this place?"

"So inquisitive" said Jose " I thought toddlers have better sense. The reason your here is quite simple, what can you tell me of the Crimson Dragon?"

"How should I know?" said Leo " I'm not a Signer,"

"The boy doth protest to much" said Jose " admit it! You crave power that you can never have, 'cause without it you're weak! Not strong enough to defend your sister! Not strong enough to help out your friends! You're just a little brat that's always getting in their way! Cry for help all you want, none of them miss you! None of them even like you!"

"Shut up!" shouted Leo, readying his duel disk " I'll show you that I can be as good as any Signer. Let's duel!"

"Very well" said Jose, preparing his duel disk as well " but it will all end where it began, failure,"

"Duel!" shouted Jose and Leo, and the duel began.

Meanwhile, the search party arrived back at the renvedous point with defeated looks on thier faces. Not one of them had found any trace of Leo. Luna broke out into tears and cried openly on Akiza's shoulder.

"Where could he be?" Luna sobbed.

Just as there seemed to be no more hope an outburst from Crow suddenly boosted everyone's spirits.

"Leo's duel disk just went active!" said Crow in excitement " if we can lock onto the frequency, we can trace him to where his kidnappers have taken him,"

"Then what are we waiting for?" said Yusei " let's ride!"

Jose LP: 1800 Leo LP: 800

It had been one tough duel so far, but Leo had found away to survive it. Jose's Tiger Warrior was one tough cookie ith 2000 attack points. Luckily, Leo's Power Tool Dragon was 300 attack points higher.

However, with the field spell, Lair of the Forbidden in play, Jose could double the attack points of one his monsters once per round, amking them stronger than anything Leo could play.

"Give up boy" said Jose " you cannot win. You're not a Signer, a pyshic, or anything of the kind. You're not worthy of the power of the Crimson Dragon,"

Leo had tried his best to block out Jose's words for the entire duel, but the truth is he was starting to believe them. Memories flashed through mind showing him of all the adventures he had been on with Luna and the others, but then came the bad memories. Memories of him being all alone at night wishing that he could do more, and beating himself up when he felt like he was weak.

Leo's eyes locked on Jose, and he could the faces of his friends grinning and laughing at him. Suddenly all that bitterness he felt before turned to anger and a dark, black light started to glow around his body.

"Yes" whispered a voice in his head " feel the darkness, embrace its power, show your true strentgh!"

A glowing black card suddenly shined from Leo's deck, and he drew it just as Yusei and the others arrived. Luna's mark, as well as the other Signer's marks, began to glow and burn as Leo played his newly gained card.

" I play the spell Dark Earth Transformation" said Leo " with this card in Power Tool Dragon is released from his metal form to once agian become flesh and blood. Come out, Power Earth Dragon!"

Luna gasped when she saw Power Tool's Dragon's flesh and blood form.

"Guys " said Luna " that looks exactly like the fifth dragon from my dream that helped your dragons defeat the Dark Signers,"

"But that's impossible" said Jack " Leo's not a Signer, there's no way he could have the fifth dragon. Crow was given the mark right after we beat Goodwin,"

Power Earth Dragon had a whopping 3000 attack points, that meant big trouble for Jose's Tiger Warrior if the attack went through. But with the Lair of the Forbidden field spell still in play Tiger Warriors attack points would double to 4000, making it stronger than Leo's dragon.

"You lost Leo" laughed Jose " your dragon doesn't have enough strentgh to finish me off, your toast!"

" You'd think so wouldn't you" said Leo " I activate Power Earth Dragon's special ability. Until the end of the turn my Power Earth Dragon can call on the strentgh of my Power Tool Dragon that I used to summon it making its attack points 5300!"

"What?" said Jose.

"And since your Lair of the Forbidden can only double your monsters attack points once per round, guess what that means" said Leo " my dragon is stronger than your tiger! Power Earth Dragon attack!"

With that Power Earth Dragon released a stream of searing gold flame at Jose, destroying his Tiger Warrior and making his life points drop to zero. The battle was over, Leo had won!

"He did it!" yelled Crow, and everyone joined him in jumping up and down for joy.

Luna was about to run up and hug her brother when Kuribon appeared in front of her wailing in warning. A black cloud suddenly appeared in the center of the arena, as it dissipated a massive black and red dragon was revealed.

"That's Red Eyes Darkness Dragon," said Jack, as he and the others stood amazed.

"Come Leo" said Red Eyes " the time has come to fufill your destiny,"

A bright red light suddenly filled the room and when it vanished both Red Eyes Darkness Dragon and Leo had disappeared.

Meanwhile, back at Carly's apartment, Tiffany was playing solitare on the computer when the ruby pendant around her neck began to glow. It was a sign from her master and she knew what it meant.

"Another member has joined our cause" thought Tiffany " soon our army shall be complete, and then we will rule the world,"