0713MM: Sup peoples? Here comes chapter 7! The chapter where Kite Tenjo, aka, the Number Hunter, challenges Thomas Arclight, aka, Quattro, to a duel. For the Numbers!

Thomas: (shivers).

Kite: Hahaha!

Orbital: Go at him, Ma-Ma-Master K-Kite!

Rio: Thomas...

Note: Read, reveiw, and enjoy!

Chapter 7: Hunter of the Numbers

Rio and Thomas have discussed plans for the next few days as to how they could obtain more Heart Pieces. Thomas suggested that they go for weak duelists for easy wins. Rio agreed, but also disagreed, which confused Thomas, but he didn't seem to mind it too much. The twosome were sitting on a bench in Heartland Park, talking, exchanging cards, coming up with strategies to help them out, and the list went onward. Eventually, Rio sighed in defeat.

"I give up." Rio flustered. "We can't come up with any plans that don't interfere your deranged father, Vetrix's plans." Thomas nodded in agreement.

"Yeah. So far, we've come up with dueling weak duelists, beating Quinton, and facing Vetrix himself. But none of them allow us to not be spotted by either." Thomas agreed, equally frustrated. Rio stood up, stretching her legs. Thomas glanced at her, his ruby eyes watched the young girl.

She's pretty. Thomas thought He shook his head. Stop thinking like that! Focus on the task at hand! Once Rio finished stretching, a lightbulb appeared above her head.

"I got the perfect plan!" Rio squealed with excitement. Thomas stood up and looked into Rio's magenta eyes out of curiosity.

"You do?" he asked. Rio gave a nod.

"Yes." Rio replied coolly. Rio leaned close to his ear to tell him the plan. Once she did, Thomas gave a nod.

"Alright, I'll tell my Numbers' spirits about this." Thomas said as he opened his deck box and rummaged through it, searching for his Numbers. When he skimmed over three particular Numbers, Thomas's ruby eyes widened slightly.

Trey. Thomas thought. I wish you were here. But don't worry, I'll put your Numbers to good use. Thomas brought out his Numbers: Number 15: Gimmick Puppet Giant Grinder, Number 40: Gimmick Puppet of Strings, and lastly Number 88: Gimmick Puppet of Leo. Thomas told Strings his and Rio's plan telepathically. To which the Numbers' spirit gave a salute, then flew off towards Heartland Tower. Rio watched the Numbers' spirit go.

"I hope my plan works." Rio muttered. Thomas nodded.

"So do I." Thomas agreed. The twosome were too busy admiring their plan to realize a hunter was on the prowl. For what exactly? Well, Numbers! Kite observed them from above in the air, staring intently at his prey.

"Orbital, bring me lower." Kite ordered.

"Ye-Yes Sir!" Orbital obeyed, doing so allowed Kite to land behind his prey.

"Hello there." Kite said nonchalantly Rio and Thomas both turned their bodies around to face the Hunter.

"Hi Tenjo." Thomas retorted. Rio gaped at Thomas.

"You know him?" Rio asked Thomas, puzzled. Thomas's ruby eyes flickered Rio's response.

"I'll that as a yes." Rio said. She glanced over to Kite, then back over to Thomas again. Kite extended his right hand out.

"If you two hand over your Numbers now, I'll let you both go on your merry way." Kite said threateningly. Rio paled, then hid behind Thomas. Kite chuckled darkly.

"How cute." Kite said, amused. "She your girlfriend or something?" Thomas's ruby eyes flashed a brighter red. Kite noted it.

Strange. Kite thought. Thomas's rage is strong. I can feel it from his Extra deck. Thomas glared back at the Number Hunter.

"Really Kite, you think I'll just hand over my Number cards?" Thomas asked fiercely. "Well, too bad for you. I'm not scared of you!" Kite smirked in amusement.

"Well, you will be. Go, Photon Transformation!" Kite declared. The second he said it, his black coat transformed into white. Thomas blinked, but he didn't seem too off guard because of coat color change. Rio stepped out of her hiding place behind Thomas slowly, so she could watch was about to be laid out. Thomas activated his D-Pad the same time Kite activated his. Thomas's D-Pad looked similar to that of metal arm, while Kite's was arched a bit. Both Kite and Thomas's Duel tattooes sprang over their eyes. The AR Link established itself by the computer. Thomas and Kite drew their starting hands.

"Duel!" Kite and Thomas declared in unison. Rio glanced at Thomas with worry plastered on her face.

"Please Thomas…" Rio murmured. Thomas glared at his opponent with fierceness. Kite chuckled again. Thomas gestured towards Kite.

"Why don't you start, oh mighty Number Hunter." Thomas asked sarcastically. Kite snorted, but accepted the offer nonetheless.

"Thanks Arclight, it's much appreciated." Kite replied with equal sarcasm as he drew his 6th card.

(Kite's hand: 6 cards). Kite grinned as a combo formed in his head. Kite grabbed one card from his hand, and inserted it into the spell/trap card zone of D-Pad.

"To begin I play the spell card Photon Sanctuary!" Kite declared. "With it, I summon out 2 Photon tokens with 2000 attack." The two tokens emerged next to each other. Kite's face curled into a smile. Thomas stepped back a bit.

"What are you smiling at?" Thomas asked, fear escaping his voice. Kite's smile grew.

"Oh you'll see!" Kite retorted as the two tokens vanished into two bright streams of light. "Now with these two monsters I use for a special summon. A special summon of a monster that's so powerful, space trembles before it. Arise, Galaxy-Eyes Photon Dragon!" Kite raised the card above his head, which glowed brightly. He then slapped the Dragon's card onto his D-Pad.

(The dragon released a loud roar upon being summoned. Eyes the shape of galaxies. Galaxy-Eyes Photon Dragon, level 8, attack: 3000, defense: 2500. Kite's hand: 4 cards). Thomas stared at the dragon with intent. Kite's grin never ceased from his face as he grabbed another card from his hand.

"Next I play the spell, Number arrival!" Kite smirked. "By sending the required monsters from my deck to the graveyard, I can special summon 1 Number from my Extra deck, by using this spell as an overlay unit. So, by sending my 3 Daybreakers from my deck to the graveyard, I can summon Number 10: Illumiknight!"

(the overlay network appeared as the spell went into the portal, which exploded, bringing out the knight on his horse. Number 10: Illumiknight, rank 4, attack/defense: 2400. Xyz materials: 1). Kite grabbed two cards from his hand, and inserted them into his spell/trap card zones.

"I'll end my turn with two facedowns!" Kite declared. "Your move, Arclight."

(Kite's hand: 1 card). Thomas stared down the two monsters that stood before him. Number 10, and Galaxy-Eyes Photon Dragon. He gritted his teeth in frustration.

Great! he thought. He glanced at Rio, who was shaking slightly. She very well knew that if Thomas lost, she'd be next on Kite's list. Thomas placed his right hand atop his deck. His right hand shaked slightly. Kite noticed, and he smirked.

"Afraid?' Kite taunted. "Well, you should be!" Thomas only growled in response.

"You wish!" Thomas snapped as he drew his 6th card from deck. "I draw!"

(Thomas's hand: 6 cards). Thomas glanced at his hand, he smirked in amusement.

Excellent! Thomas thought. Now to crush his monsters! Thomas grabbed one card from his hand.

"I summon Gimmick Puppet Gear Changer!" Thomas declared. Kite just stared at the small machine-like monster emerged.

(Gimmick Puppet Gear Changer, level 1, attack/defense: 100. Thomas's hand: 5 cards). Kite just smirked.

"Please! A monster like that won't harm me!" Kite snapped. Thomas only smirked in amusement.

"Oh really Kite?" Thomas asked. "Well let me show you how wrong you are! I special summon Gimmick Puppet Magnet Doll from my hand!" A giant doll with magnetic limbs appeared. Once it did, Thomas continued. "I can do that when you control a monster, and if the only monsters I control are Gimmick Puppets." Kite scoffed in annoyance.

"Whatever." Kite said. "That changes nothing." To this, Thomas smirked at. Kite's eyes widened slightly.

"I activate Gear Changer's effect!" Thomas announced. Rio cheered.

"Alright!" Thomas grinned at Rio's enthusiasm.

"Thanks Rio!" Thomas called back his friend. Then, as quickly as acknowledged Rio, he turned back to Kite. Who, was not impressed.

"You really think two monsters like that is any threat to me?" Kite snapped. Thomas's mouth curled into a smile. Rio cheered again, then it dawned on Kite.

"Hold on, 2 level 8's? That means…" Kite realized. Thomas smirked.

"That's right!" Thomas clenched his fist, then threw it up into the air. "I overlay my level 8 Gear Changer and my level 8 Magnet Doll in order to build the overlay network! Arise, Number 15: Gimmick Puppet Giant Grinder!" Kite watched intently as the giant puppet emerged out of the exploding overlay network. Rio cheered again, while Kite smirked.

(Number 15: Gimmick Puppet Giant Grinder, rank 8, attack: 1500, defense: 2500, Xyz materials: 2. Thomas's hand: 4 card).

"So, a Number card. Perfect." Kite laughed.

"Affirmative." Orbital agreed. Thomas glanced at Orbital.

"Hah! Guess you don't know Giant Grinder's ability!" Thomas declared. Kite scoffed once again.

"It doesn't matter what it's ability is." Kite retorted. Thomas pointed at Number 10.

"Giant Grinder uses 1 overlay unit to target 1 special summoned monster you control, then destroy it! But, if that target is an Xyz monster, you take damage equal to its attack points!" Thomas explained.

"There you go!" Rio cheered again. Kite's eyes widened again.

"Say what?" he asked, shocked.

"You heard me!" Thomas retorted. "Giant Grinder, grind Number 10 into nothing!" Giant Grinder raised his hands up, then shot out strings toward Number 10. Number 10 tried to escape, but to no avail. Kite watched in surprise as Giant Grinder crushed Number 10. Thomas clenched his fist again.

"It gets a whole worse for you." Thomas continued. "Now you take damage equal to all of Number 10's attack points!" Kite gaped.

"Uh-oh." Kite muttered. Giant Grinder opened up his chest, which released a cannon. Then, it fired, blasting Kite in the chest, which made him go flying.

"Ma-Master Kite!" Orbital called out to his boss. Kite landed on his back after he flew backwards a bit.

)Kite's Lp: 4000 - 2400 = 1600). Kite began to rise slowly. Once he was standing up upright, he clapped.

"Excellent work Thomas." Kite smirked. "However, you missed one detail." Thomas glanced at Kite.

"Oh? And what is that?" Thomas scoffed. Rio glanced at Kite, he had a smile on his face.

I don't like that look! Rio thought. Kite thrusted his right hand forward.

"I play a trap, Compulsory Evacuation Device!" Kite commanded. "With it, I can return one monster on the field to our hand. I choose your Number 15." Kite pointed at Number 15, to which Thomas's eyes widened, his mouth curved into a fear look.

"No!" Thomas cried out at his monster, Number 15 transformed into a dark stream of light, then returned to his D-Pad. Thomas glanced at his hand.

"I...can't believe it…" Thomas muttered. Kite noticed Thomas's doubtful words, to which he chuckled.

"So, you understand you can't win." Kite smirked again. Rio glanced at Thomas's fearful face.

"Thomas…" Rio muttered. Thomas began to shake.

"I… I end my turn!" Thomas announced fearfully. Kite grinned.

"My turn, here I go!" Kite declared as he drew a card from his deck.

"You go boss!" Orbital called out.

(Kite's hand: 2 cards). Kite grinned at the card he just drew. After he got what he needed, he pointed at Thomas's empty field.

"Galaxy-Eyes Photon Dragon, attack Arclight directly!" Kite ordered. Galaxy-Eyes roared, but before the attack was fully charged, Kite inserted a spell card into his D-Pad.

"I play the quick-play spell, Ego Boost! Know what it does? It grants my Galaxy-Eyes an extra 1000 attack." Kite explained. Thomas's facial expression grew with fear.

"Oh no! That means…!" Thomas realized. Rio realized it too.

"Galaxy-Eyes Photon Dragon gains 1000 attack! Making it have 4000!" Rio cried out. "That means Galaxy-Eyes has enough attack to wipe you out Thomas!" Thomas closed his eyes.

Trey, Rio, Chris… I'm sorry… Thomas thought as Galaxy-Eyes Photon Dragon's attack was almost fully charged. Kite began to laugh.

"So long Arclight!" Kite laughed. "Galaxy-Eyes Photon Dragon, att-Ugh!" Kite stopped his command because he sensed Hart, his younger brother, was in pain. Kite shut off his D-Pad.

"We'll finish this later Arclight!" Kite shouted at Thomas. "Orbital, glider mode!"

"I'm on it!" Orbital transformed into his glider mode, and the twosome flew off back toward Heartland Tower. Once they left, Thomas fell to his knees, to which Rio ran over to him.

"Thomas!" Rio called to him out of concern. "Are you alright?" When Thomas didn't respond, Rio said his name again.

"Thomas?" Rio asked. "You okay?"

"I...can't believe I couldn't beat him." Thomas muttered. "I had him in the palm of my hand. But, he must've known that I would summon a Number. He acted all calm when I summoned it. Like it was no big deal. Perhaps I don't have the strength to pull off any kind of revenge scheme after all."

"Oh Thomas…" Rio muttered. She wrapped her arms around his waist as he began to cry softly to himself.

0713MM: Looks like Kite's duel with Thomas has rattled him. Will Rio be able to help him get back up on his feet? Or will he fall into a depressive state that he can't get out of?