Prologue
Champions to be Proud of
"And the new Tag Team Champions of America Patrick and Paul! The Outsiders!" A voice boomed over the crowds. Patrick and Paul watched as the former champions left in a huff. The play that had mad the match had come from his Brother and made it even more satisfactory since they had literally received a "just deserts".
"Hey bro, looks like we got 'em good," Patrick said turning to his brother. Both men wore glasses and had brown hair with brown eyes. His brother was grinning as they both stepped back from the dueling arena. The match had been brutal that was for sure. A well placed Raigeki had erased all the defenses both men had. As the opponent went in for the obvious kill they would have gotten, Paul remembered the trap card and activated it. Both members of the opposing teams had filled their monster banks, hitting the team for a total of 5000 life points damage and killing them off.
"Yeah, when will they learn to stop talking trash and play the game?" Paul said grinning. They approached the judge's stands and received the prize money. Patrick took his part of the prize money and smiled thinking of how he could use it. Paul was simply surprised at the amount. "Man with this money we could buy a lot of boxes of boosters!"
"You would think of that wouldn't you? Well this money is a good start on college for me. I could also probably use it to get my career in Magic jump started again." Patrick said half to himself.
"Awe Patrick, give up on that garbage, you're a great Duel Monsters player don't waste your time trying to be an ok Magic Player. You can make a living off this game!" Paul said clamping his brother's shoulder. Patrick nodded as they headed out of the stadium. His hand went to the D-clip that often carried the keys to his car. They had thrown the decks into their respective cases putting them in the gym bag that they used when playing Duel Monsters.
"Yeah pipe dreams can be bad; at least I'm good at something." Patrick said unlocking the back of the car letting Paul throw the gym bag into the back. With a resolute thud the back slammed shut and Patrick unlocked the car letting both brothers enter the old beat up Chevette.
"Pat, you're a good Magic Player, you just don't have the kind of money it takes to beat the best players. Besides how much prize money would have to go to stay at top?" Paul said reassuringly.
"All of it probably, still I'd like to be able to say just once I am the Champion of Magic," Patrick replied putting the key in the ignition. The car grudgingly rumbled to life letting heat pour from the vents. Patrick sighed taking off the flannel that often served as a jacket for him, throwing it in the back.
"I understand that, but at least right now we are the Tag Team champions of Duel Monsters," Paul said grinning. Patrick finally had to laugh and it did him good.
"Yes we did, the only part I hate is that stupid Bandit Keith guy weaseled his way out of facing me at the tourney. If I ever get my hands on that guy." Patrick grumbled. Bandit Keith was a pet peeve of his; the man had taunted him endlessly. Being from around the same area Keith had taken every opportunity to make life hell for him. Often times it would be entering the same tournament just so that he could beat Patrick, then leave allowing someone Patrick could have killed to win it.
"Pat calm down. As long as that Duelist Kingdom Tournament is going to happen we won't see the guy, and complaining won't do us any good," Paul said as they drove on. They finally reached the old apartment that the two used as more of a pad than anything. As they entered the lights turned on revealing a table stacked with old Duel Monsters cards. They had bought a lot of cards with their money and Patrick had worked hard for everything he got. His brother had gotten lucky and had a Red Eyes Black Dragon and Barrel Dragon. He was happy with the Summoned Skull and Beast of Talwar he had procured.
"Looks like someone left us a message." Patrick said tiredly hitting the button on the message recorder.
"Hey you two, we saw the match on the television! You guys were great, and I'm glad you guys fought as a team so well. Congratulations!" It was his parents. In their old age they had often not enough strength to make it to the actual Tournaments, so they watched from T.V. and taped the matches they were in. Tapes had accumulated as they had gotten into the game early enough to make it to the fifth annual regionals. They had just made it to the Tenth annual Tag Team Tournament, it had been ten years ago that they had started.
"The usual congrats from our parents," Paul said as he went to the fridge pulling out a bottle of soda. Patrick nodded as he caught the bottle Paul tossed to him. Shortly afterwards the next message rolled around.
"Hello, my name is Maximillion Pegasus, owner of Industrial Illusions. I congratulate you on your most recent victory, and I would like to offer you two a new job. As you know next week starts the Duelist Kingdom Tournament. On the Island are employees of my company that play Duel Monsters. These people are known as Eliminators. I have decided to hire you two as eliminators, and am currently sending a lawyer to you right now to work out the fine details. You will eliminate people around the Island for me thinning the pool of duelists and then will be pulled back to my private estate on the Island where you will get to watch the finals of our prestigious tournament. In return for your time and skills I will pay you $100,000 for each person you eliminate from the tournament, and full accommodations. I do hope you plan to sign on." With that the message ended. Both boys froze looking at the machine dumbly. They were shaken when they heard a knock at the door.
They opened the door to see a man in a business suit standing a suitcase in hand. "Hi, I'm Jack Reed from Industrial Illusions. I believe you are the two people Pegasus is hiring for eliminators?" He said cheerfully stepping in.
"Uh, yeah we're Patrick and Paul Smith," Patrick replied stuttering.
The lawyer sat the suitcase on the dinner table opening it and setting out two papers next to each other then two pens on top of them. "I believe my benefactor has set out the rough draft of it, but here are the contracts for you to read. I can basically summarize the rules."
"Rules?" Paul asked irritated as he sat down. Patrick closed the door.
"Yes, every night at around midnight the eliminators are to report in with their bags of star chips. The star chips will be read to see which duelist you faced and the notes will compare to what we reported them in with. Then we will tally how many people each duelist eliminated setting up the scoreboard for the night. You will then go to bed and be free until noon, where you will have to go out to the field and compete to eliminate more duelists. Any questions?" He said matter-of-factly.
"Yes, I have one," Patrick said softly.
"Yes?" The lawyers asked.
"What are the deck restrictions?" Patrick asked impatiently.
"You are allowed any tournament legal cards in your duelist decks. And on the side you can even challenge other eliminators. This will allow you to "kill steal" as the others put it," The lawyers said putting on a pair of glasses looking at another copy of the contract.
"I have a question," Paul said quickly.
"And what would that be?"
"Where do we sign?"
"And the new Tag Team Champions of America Patrick and Paul! The Outsiders!" A voice boomed over the crowds. Patrick and Paul watched as the former champions left in a huff. The play that had mad the match had come from his Brother and made it even more satisfactory since they had literally received a "just deserts".
"Hey bro, looks like we got 'em good," Patrick said turning to his brother. Both men wore glasses and had brown hair with brown eyes. His brother was grinning as they both stepped back from the dueling arena. The match had been brutal that was for sure. A well placed Raigeki had erased all the defenses both men had. As the opponent went in for the obvious kill they would have gotten, Paul remembered the trap card and activated it. Both members of the opposing teams had filled their monster banks, hitting the team for a total of 5000 life points damage and killing them off.
"Yeah, when will they learn to stop talking trash and play the game?" Paul said grinning. They approached the judge's stands and received the prize money. Patrick took his part of the prize money and smiled thinking of how he could use it. Paul was simply surprised at the amount. "Man with this money we could buy a lot of boxes of boosters!"
"You would think of that wouldn't you? Well this money is a good start on college for me. I could also probably use it to get my career in Magic jump started again." Patrick said half to himself.
"Awe Patrick, give up on that garbage, you're a great Duel Monsters player don't waste your time trying to be an ok Magic Player. You can make a living off this game!" Paul said clamping his brother's shoulder. Patrick nodded as they headed out of the stadium. His hand went to the D-clip that often carried the keys to his car. They had thrown the decks into their respective cases putting them in the gym bag that they used when playing Duel Monsters.
"Yeah pipe dreams can be bad; at least I'm good at something." Patrick said unlocking the back of the car letting Paul throw the gym bag into the back. With a resolute thud the back slammed shut and Patrick unlocked the car letting both brothers enter the old beat up Chevette.
"Pat, you're a good Magic Player, you just don't have the kind of money it takes to beat the best players. Besides how much prize money would have to go to stay at top?" Paul said reassuringly.
"All of it probably, still I'd like to be able to say just once I am the Champion of Magic," Patrick replied putting the key in the ignition. The car grudgingly rumbled to life letting heat pour from the vents. Patrick sighed taking off the flannel that often served as a jacket for him, throwing it in the back.
"I understand that, but at least right now we are the Tag Team champions of Duel Monsters," Paul said grinning. Patrick finally had to laugh and it did him good.
"Yes we did, the only part I hate is that stupid Bandit Keith guy weaseled his way out of facing me at the tourney. If I ever get my hands on that guy." Patrick grumbled. Bandit Keith was a pet peeve of his; the man had taunted him endlessly. Being from around the same area Keith had taken every opportunity to make life hell for him. Often times it would be entering the same tournament just so that he could beat Patrick, then leave allowing someone Patrick could have killed to win it.
"Pat calm down. As long as that Duelist Kingdom Tournament is going to happen we won't see the guy, and complaining won't do us any good," Paul said as they drove on. They finally reached the old apartment that the two used as more of a pad than anything. As they entered the lights turned on revealing a table stacked with old Duel Monsters cards. They had bought a lot of cards with their money and Patrick had worked hard for everything he got. His brother had gotten lucky and had a Red Eyes Black Dragon and Barrel Dragon. He was happy with the Summoned Skull and Beast of Talwar he had procured.
"Looks like someone left us a message." Patrick said tiredly hitting the button on the message recorder.
"Hey you two, we saw the match on the television! You guys were great, and I'm glad you guys fought as a team so well. Congratulations!" It was his parents. In their old age they had often not enough strength to make it to the actual Tournaments, so they watched from T.V. and taped the matches they were in. Tapes had accumulated as they had gotten into the game early enough to make it to the fifth annual regionals. They had just made it to the Tenth annual Tag Team Tournament, it had been ten years ago that they had started.
"The usual congrats from our parents," Paul said as he went to the fridge pulling out a bottle of soda. Patrick nodded as he caught the bottle Paul tossed to him. Shortly afterwards the next message rolled around.
"Hello, my name is Maximillion Pegasus, owner of Industrial Illusions. I congratulate you on your most recent victory, and I would like to offer you two a new job. As you know next week starts the Duelist Kingdom Tournament. On the Island are employees of my company that play Duel Monsters. These people are known as Eliminators. I have decided to hire you two as eliminators, and am currently sending a lawyer to you right now to work out the fine details. You will eliminate people around the Island for me thinning the pool of duelists and then will be pulled back to my private estate on the Island where you will get to watch the finals of our prestigious tournament. In return for your time and skills I will pay you $100,000 for each person you eliminate from the tournament, and full accommodations. I do hope you plan to sign on." With that the message ended. Both boys froze looking at the machine dumbly. They were shaken when they heard a knock at the door.
They opened the door to see a man in a business suit standing a suitcase in hand. "Hi, I'm Jack Reed from Industrial Illusions. I believe you are the two people Pegasus is hiring for eliminators?" He said cheerfully stepping in.
"Uh, yeah we're Patrick and Paul Smith," Patrick replied stuttering.
The lawyer sat the suitcase on the dinner table opening it and setting out two papers next to each other then two pens on top of them. "I believe my benefactor has set out the rough draft of it, but here are the contracts for you to read. I can basically summarize the rules."
"Rules?" Paul asked irritated as he sat down. Patrick closed the door.
"Yes, every night at around midnight the eliminators are to report in with their bags of star chips. The star chips will be read to see which duelist you faced and the notes will compare to what we reported them in with. Then we will tally how many people each duelist eliminated setting up the scoreboard for the night. You will then go to bed and be free until noon, where you will have to go out to the field and compete to eliminate more duelists. Any questions?" He said matter-of-factly.
"Yes, I have one," Patrick said softly.
"Yes?" The lawyers asked.
"What are the deck restrictions?" Patrick asked impatiently.
"You are allowed any tournament legal cards in your duelist decks. And on the side you can even challenge other eliminators. This will allow you to "kill steal" as the others put it," The lawyers said putting on a pair of glasses looking at another copy of the contract.
"I have a question," Paul said quickly.
"And what would that be?"
"Where do we sign?"