Author's Notes

I've got a bit of a break between this exam and the net one, so I can finish off this chapter. Funny thing is, I've got half of chapter 10 and part of chapters 26 and 34 (with the current plan anyway). Ideas running around. Better than charges running around, aka. physics exam today.

Enjoy, and tell me what you think.


AutoCycle

It's set on automatic. It's set on random. They can't get it off, and it sends them to places they know little or nothing about. 20 cycles, then they're home free...if they're still alive.

Digimon & Anime x-overs


Chapter 4

Battle City Tournament

'What are you guys going to do?' Joey asked suddenly, swinging on the chair as the twins quickly played a game of rock, paper and scissors for the dishes. Koichi won and whisked them off before Solomon could comment. Or Yugi for that matter.

'Letting your guests do the housework?' Téa chided in some amusement as the others laughed. 'Of course, I'm one to talk.' She looked meaningfully at Zoe, who grinned bashfully in return.

'We can't just mooch off you guys,' the blonde commented, before glaring at the three guys.

The two older boys pointed at Tommy, who grinned somewhat sheepishly and pointed at the other two.

'Okay?' Koji blinked.

'We split,' Takuya clarified with a grin. 'Five chores, five straws.'

Koji rolled his eyes.

'And since Koichi beat you to the dishes…'

'And the beds.'

'And the beds, what exactly did you do? And tell me you didn't make breakfast.'

JP gagged.

'No, Koichi beat me there too.'

'That's four in a row,' the goggle-head said, amused. 'You're falling behind.'

'At least I won the shopping list,' he shot back.

'Are you two going to leave any chores for me?' Yugi wondered as Koichi came back inside and plopped down next to Koji.

'The clothes,' they said together in perfect unison.

'Seriously,' Joey commented. 'How do you do that?'

'And how did you wake up so early?' Tristan's awed voice cut them in, accompanied by the tinkling of the bell as he walked into the game shop.

'Someone snores,' the dirty blonde replied in a whining tone, glaring at the three brunettes, the oldest and youngest of who glared at the middle member. Koichi and Zoe exchanged grins, as did a very amused Zombie Master who was cackling uncontrollably and a more controlled Mist Valley Shaman, much to the surprise of the two grinning teens.

'You can-' Zoe began, and Koichi nodded. The grin widened. 'Cool.'

'Were they hovering in front of your face when you woke up?' The elder twin asked wryly, as everyone except Yugi stared blankly at them.

'Nope. They were throwing a party outside.'

'Fun,' the other commented, as the spirit behind him continued to cheer. 'You didn't sneak out on that party did you?'

'I would have noticed if he had,' Zoe replied, giving the hyperactive ghoul a one-over before shrugging it off. Looks were deceiving after all, and she found she somewhat preferred the no-skin scenario. More focus on what was inside. And she got the feeling Koichi would agree to her.

Koji was however still confused, and annoyed at being confused. 'Not you too,' he groaned. 'Can anyone explain what's going on?'

Yugi chucked. 'I completely forgot,' he confessed, before proceeding to explain the concept of monster spirits, while Koichi vanished again after the dishes.

Once that was done to everybody's immediate satisfaction, Joey brought up his original question, causing the six to exchange glances before immediately referring their attention to their wrist bands.

Then Takuya shrugged, speaking for everyone. 'Who knows how long this is going to take? But I'll tell you one thing; definitely not going to school in my winter break.'

'School closed yesterday,' Yugi clarified. 'But the Battle City Tournament starts up next week.'

'Battle City?' Takuya repeated, before jumping up suddenly. 'Koichi, was there any locator cards with our stuff?' he yelled loudly so the other could hear him over the water.

The tap turned off on cue and Koichi poked his head around the door. 'What's a locator card?' he asked.

Yugi dug around in his pockets. 'This,' he said, showing the transparent card with a small white square on one side. 'It's what qualifies you for the tournament. Kaiba sent one to everyone who also received a duel disk.'

Koichi came over and looked closely at the card. 'I think so,' he replied. 'I thought it was one of JP's computer things, so they're probably in his back-pack.'

Takuya turned to the older brunette. 'Want to check?'

'I'm going.' The other quickly held his arms up in surrender before pushing his chair back. 'What are you so excited about anyway?'

'Are you kidding? It's like the biggest tournament ever. The Egyptian Dark cards, E-'

'Enough,' Koji interrupted.

The frontier children didn't looked too surprised at the interruption, but the others certainly were.

'I'll never get used to this,' Joey muttered, before raising his voice for the next statement. 'What's wrong with a little info?'

'Knowing the future can cause it to change,' the ex-warrior of light replied calmly. 'And that can cause changes to the continuum, which can cascade effect into other worlds.'

'Of course' Koichi continued. 'Us simply being here might change things as well. Unless our presence is in fact virtual.'

'I thought we already settled it can't be,' Zoe frowned.

'Virtual's the wrong word,' Koji commented, looking at his brother.

'I know,' he replied. 'But I'm having trouble coming up with the right one. Umm…'

There was silence for a moment as the ex-warrior of darkness tried to put his thoughts into words that made sense to his audience, before he suddenly snapped his fingers. 'Alternate timeline.'

'So its stems off from the world of the anime?' JP asked, coming back in and overhearing that last part.

Koichi shrugged. 'Just speculating.'

'What happens if it's not?' Tommy asked.

Koichi shrugged. He was good with coming up with theories, but not so good when it came to applying them.

'I suppose we'd wipe out our own plane of existence,' Koji replied for him. 'Change our world, and others, so there'd be no home, no Digital World, no…us.'

'That's scary.' The boy shivered.

'I doubt that,' Zoe said, lowering her chin onto her arms. 'Something would have already happened if that was the case.

Koji frowned. 'We haven't done anything substantial.'

'Not in our view,' the blonde female pointed out. 'But even the smallest things make a difference.'

'But can we take the risk?'

'We're going to have to,' JP pointed out. 'Us just being here is going to screw things up otherwise. All the same though Takuya, we know the basics, so keep all the other anime tidbits to yourself.'

'Fine,' the brunette grumbled, before perking up. 'The locator cards?'

JP held up six.

'Aw man,' the luck-duellist groaned out. 'He's already got six of 'em.'

'They're probably one each,' Téa pointed out. 'If everything got scattered, someone might have just put them all in the same place.'

That someone attained a small red blush on his cheeks, much to his slightly younger brother's amusement.

'Quit it Koji,' he muttered under his breath as the other started snickering.

'All right,' the other assented. It probably wasn't the best time to tease his older twin, especially since he sprouted an identical blush when he noted the captive audience.

'Oh my God!' Joey suddenly yelled. 'I forgot to check on Serenity.'

He shot for the door.

'Use our phone,' Yugi shouted after him.

'Thanks man,' the dirty blonde responded, rushing past for the phone in the hallway amidst a few giggles.

'Okay, now that that is out of the way,' Solomon began. 'Who's going to do my shopping?'

Everyone except Koji stared at him. Koji just pulled out the list from his back pocket. 'On it.'

Koichi got up too, but his brother pushed him down. 'No way.'

'You don't know the way.'

'Neither do you.'

'No worries,' Téa interrupted. 'I'll take him.'

He smiled at Koichi, who smiled back and gave up. It would be rather funny to see Koji after spending half a day with a girl. And shopping of all things.

Koji glared inward daggers at his brother, perfectly reading the intention, but he could do nothing. He really didn't know the way, and it would defeat the usefulness if he got lost and never made it back. Besides, he couldn't let her go by herself. Would outlive his usefulness, and the least he could do was be the gentleman and carry the bags.

Zoe was rather amused as well, remembering the "loner wolf's" reaction when she had hugged him. 'Have fun,' she called after the pair. 'Don't stay out too late.'

'Whatever,' Koji grumbled before vanishing from earshot apart from a couple of blank stares and a few more giggles.

'So we're in the tournament?' Tommy asked, bringing the conversation back on track.

The remaining five looked at each other. 'Sounds like fun,' Takuya said, a little more placate now. 'And seriously, what have we got to lose. We have to do something.'

'And in the meantime?' Koichi asked.

'And another thing,' JP continued. 'This is only the first cycle. We might not always be so lucky as to wind up with people we can be sure are friendly. The chances are pretty slim. We've got enough money between us for one hotel room for a single night, and a cheap one at that. We've only got one change of clothes, the yutakas we were wearing. Apart from that, some useless gadgets, five mobiles, a few books, a water bottle and a train ticket. And some other junk.'

'It's not junk,' Zoe snapped lightly. 'But you do have a point. What can we do about that though?'

'It's the holidays, right?' Koichi asked. Upon a nod, he continued. 'Don't students sometimes work in the holidays. Maybe we can find somewhere-'

'Normally I'd say no way,' JP butted in. 'But I see your point. We might as well take advantage of this opportunity and find something.'

'Well,' Solomon said, easing himself off the chair. 'I could use a break and a couple of hands at the card shop. Why don't you and your brother work for me? It sounds like an easy solution.'

'But-' Koichi began to protest, seeing as the old Muto was referring to him and his twin, only the others seemed to sense what he was thinking, or about to say before he quite got the words out, and Takuya promptly grabbed his wrist and started dragging him to the extended shop.

'We're not helpless,' the brunette continued, dragging his quiet friend. 'We'll find something. Besides, it makes more sense for you two, because you're both more patient than me, don't stop for useless chatter and you already know how to work the cash register and clean the shop to the standards of an old geezer-' He immediately cut off. 'Not you Mr Muto, I'm talking about that-what's his name?'

Koichi just shook his head, a tad amused but respectful all the same.

'Not to mention you've got the adorable "over the counter" look.'

The others didn't quite hear Koichi's reply as Yugi's grandfather, along with Yugi, got up to follow them. 'I'd better explain the ropes,' the old man stated to himself. 'Don't want them all tangled up.'

Zoe cracked up in her seat.

'Now can we talk about something that involves us?' Joey grumbled, conveniently overlooking the fact that he started the entire ball-game with his oh-so-innocent question.