Aaron stood in an old abandoned building in a less than welcoming part of the city. Several others were there. Their appearances all matched the atmosphere. Two skinny looking kids wearing black leather jackets hauled over two metal trunks to the center of the room and unlocked them revealing a collar, bracelets, and leg braces. "Who's up first?" One of them sneered.

Under the control of the number, Aaron walked forward. "I am."

The boy looked at him and then his outfit. "The dinner party's downtown."

"And the duel's right here." He picked up the collar and put it on followed by the rest of the ensemble. An orange light turned on once he was wearing it all.

Aaron stared at the same boy who had a smirk on his face as he walked over to the other trunk and put on the gear until the light turned orange. "Get ready to lose."

"You should really stop talking to yourself. People are going to think that you're crazy." A sinister smile formed on his face while the boy glared at him powering on his duel disk. Aaron raised his hand upward as a purple duel disk formed on his wrist. His eyes glowed purple as the duel began with 4000 life points each. "I'll go first if you don't mind. I play three Wave-Motion Cannons and one card facedown. All you."

The boy drew his card. "I summon Slate Warrior in attack mode. Slate Warrior, attack him directly." The monster's attack was a success reducing Aaron's life points to 2100. Electricity coursed through his body causing him to writhe in agony. "I end my turn."

"Screw you Ninety-Six." Aaron thought to himself drawing his card.

"No pain no gain. Now, on with the duel." He cackled resuming control of Aaron and ending his turn.

The boy drew his card. "This duel is going to be over faster than I thought. I tribute my Slate Warrior to summon Cyber-Tech Alligator. Now, prepare to be finished."

Aaron cut him off. "Predictable. I activate my facedown, Threatening Roar. You're not winning this duel."

"No, no. This can't be happening. I..I…end my…t-turn." He said weakly.

Aaron broke in to a sinister smile as the cannon's charged up and he drew his card. "This is only going to hurt a lot." All three cannon's fired shocking the boy to a point where he passed out on the ground. Aaron looked around the room eager for another duel. "Who's going to be my new opponent?"

"I will." A girl wearing biker attire stood in front of him with her duel disk on as well as the shock collars. "Those toy cannons won't work on me."

"I was just getting warmed up." Aaron said as his deck was shuffled. "Lady's first." He said drawing his cards as the duel began with 4000 life points each.

"Oh, a gentleman. Haven't seen one of those in a while." She smirked looking at her hand. "I summon Reflect Bounder in attack mode. I play one card facedown and end my turn."

Aaron drew his card. "I play A Foolish Burial and send Giant Germ from my deck to the graveyard. Next, I play Monster Reborn to bring it back. Giant Germ, attack her Reflect Bounder." Aaron first took 1000 points of damage from Reflect Bounder's ability, then 700 in damage bringing his life points down to 2300 giving him a powerful shock while the girl's life points only fell down to 3500. "I activate Giant Germ's ability and summon two more Giant Germs in attack mode. I tribute my germs to summon Darkness Destroyer, and I end my turn."

The girl looked at Aaron who had just performed a very self-harming move just to bring out a monster. "Better stay on my guard." She thought to herself. "I play one monster facedown and end my turn."

"Pitiful." Aaron chuckled drawing his card. "I play Malevolent Nuzzler boosting my monster's attack to 3000. Now, Darkness Destroyer, destroy her facedown." The card flipped over to reveal Marshmallon. Aaron's life points fell down to 700 causing him to fall on to his knee while the girl's life points fell down to 1000. "My monster can inflict piercing damage, and that's not all. It can attack twice." The girl looked in horror as the fiend monster slashed her Marshmallon once more reducing her life points to zero sending her in to a series of painful shocks. "Who's next!?" The power-crazed number shouted through his human puppet. Everyone backed away as he threw the shock collars to the floor which were now smoking.

Seeing no other challengers, Aaron prepared to leave only to be stopped by a man wearing a navy blue, pinstripe suit as well as a fedora. "Wonderful game out there." He chuckled extending his hand to Aaron who declined to shake it. "Anyway, you had a really good game out there. How would you like to do a job for me?"

"What kind of job?" Aaron asked.

"I would enjoy it if you would show up to a party and dueled a little for me. Food, drinks, pretty girls, the whole shebang." He smiled.

"What's the catch?" Aaron asked raising an eyebrow.

"Just beat my son in a duel. Everyone is letting him win. It's my fault honestly. I let him have everything as a kid hoping he would turn in to something great, but all he became was another spoiled brat."

"Deal with your own problems." Aaron said walking off.

"Wait, I can pay you. I can make it worth your while." He said looking a bit more desperate.

"Deal." Aaron shook his hand while the man handed him an invitation card.

"Just show up, have a little fun, and beat him. If you need I can give you a layout of his deck."

"Come on, at least try to make it a little challenging." Aaron smirked disappearing in to the night.

Number Ninety-Six was in his own thoughts as he walked forward in Aaron's body. "This plan is already coming together so much faster than I thought."

Earlier in the day…

Shark was walking downtown with his hands in his pockets. He looked around seeing police tape and broken glass covering the usually busy street. He saw police officers trying to get statements from people, but coming up with completely different testimonies every time. "Attention hogs." He sighed walking in to one of the alleys starting his own search. Only after a few minutes of searching he came across a bracelet made of black beads with a few charms on it. He put the bracelet in his pocket before walking off.