Serena was gazing out the window as the Industrial Illusions jet rocketed across th sky, intent on returning to its home berth in Japan. She was so lost in thought she didn't even notice Fader approach from behind until she felt his kiss on the back of her head.

"Are you okay?" he asked as she turned from the cloudy visage to face him.

She smiled. "A little sense of deja vu don't you think? I asked you that before we left, and now even more has been piled on our plate," she replied. "You've been through so much recently; your duel with Caecius, then the battle against Sin and Discord. You barely had time to catch your breath, and now this," she added pointing at the new tattoo he was sporting on his right shoulder.

"Don't worry about it."

"Don't worry? You said that the Phoenix from your card just rose up and then grafted itself on to your shoulder and you don't want me to worry?"

"Of all the things we've seen over the past half a year, and a tattoo is what causes you to become concerned? If I had known you felt that way about body art..." He stopped when Serena playfully punched him in the shoulder. "Sorry. Sorry, I know. It's just that whatever it is we've found ourselves in we have no choice but to see it through to the end. And we're not doing it alone," Fader paused, taking Serena's hand in his. "We have each other."

"Don't forget about me," Evo said, entering from the cockpit of the craft.

"We never could, whether we'd like to or not." Fader said.

Evo feigned being hurt, placing both hands over his heart. "You cut me to the quick Fader. I would have thought that after everything we'd been through it would mean something."

Fader stood up and walked over to where Evo was standing in the entryway. "It does mean something Evo." He stuck out his hand to the older man. "And I have never thanked you properly for it, so I offer my thanks now." As Evo accepted the younger man's handshake Fader pulled him in close and in a lower voice added, "But I won't be led to blind trust. I will be watching you."

"I would expect nothing less."

"Good," finished Fader, breaking off the handshake. "Now was there something important you wanted to tell us?"

"We're touching down in a just about half an hour. I would suggest that we convene in the Illusions board room to discuss the King's Crown tournament in more detail."

Fader nodded. "Agreed. I'd like you to patch us in to Kaiba Corp so we can talk to Beezy, I want to check in on Vega and Dennis."

"I'll have it ready by the time we land." With that Evo disappeared back into the cockpit. Fader went back to Serena to talk to her again, but she was asleep against the window. He picked up a blanket and draped it over her before taking a seat himself. He pulled his deck out and flipped through it until he found the Saint God Dragon Osiris. He stared at it for a few minutes before a familiar voice rung in his head.

"We must be cautious with that card, as will our friends have to be with their god cards," Yami warned.

Fader turned and across from him the faint silhouette of Yami appeared seated. "I can see you? This is new."

"Our bond grows stronger as time passes, and with it we can draw from each other's strengths. When with Yugi I was able to use our bond to assert my mind in his body and aid him in our duels."

"I don't know how I'd feel about you taking over my body."

"The process is completely voluntary, and not harmful. It is a show of trust though, and I should expect that you would not show blind trust in me anymore than you would with Evo."

"You were listening to that, eh?"

"Always."

"I'll keep that in mind."

----------

An hour later, after their arrival and touchdown at Industrial Illusions, the board room was occupied with Fader, Serena, Evo, Jaina, Adora and Shadi all seated around a table, listening to Jaina as she briefed them on the details of the King's Crown tournament.

"It started shortly after the death of the King of Games. There was much chaos," Jaina explained. "With the title of King of Games now up in the air, the competitive nature of duelists of the era were even more motivated to claim the title for themselves, but with no solid format with which to test themselves the arguments couldn't be resolved. At least not with the small area tournaments that were being held at the time. So in response the Duel Monsters Players Association crafted the idea of the King's Crown tournament to be held every ten years to offer duelists everywhere the chance to compete for a legitimate claim to the title." Jaina got up and started to walk around the room as she continued, "Now a days the requirements for entry are a little more strict, not just anyone can enter."

"So how do we get in?" Fader asked.

"You already have your entry Mr. Fader. Battle City was officially sanctioned by the DMPA and your victory qualified you for entry. As it did for anyone in the top eight in Battle City. The problem is not how to get in however."

Serena piped up, "So what is the problem then?"

"The problem will of course be to make it through the tournament. There are hundreds of duelists competing and there will be several rounds to push through to make it to the highest levels."

"But we're not trying to win the tournament," Fader pointed out. "Our purpose there is to stop Sin and his partners from whatever it is that they're planning."

"To do so," Evo added, "Will more than likely require us to reach the plateaus of the tournament. We know that Sin and Discord are not your average duelists, and it stands to reason that their associates too will be among the very best. We should be prepared to have to rise up in the ranks before we will find them."

"Which means that we going to need our own team." Fader smiled. "I think it's time we did some drafting. Is that line to Kaiba Corp. open?"

Jaina shook her head. "We tried to get a hold of Beezy, but it seems that he as well as Vega and Dennis have left Kaiba Corp."

"Any idea where they could be?"

"Word is that there was a problem at Dimension Systems head office."

"The Dungeon Dice Monsters company?" Serena asked.

"Dennis Devlin is the chief executive officer of the company," Evo answered. "He's also been out of commission for a little while. I'm sure there are duties he has to see too."

Fader seemed concerned. "Can we try and get a hold of them there then?"

"I'll do my best," Jaina said as she left the room.

"I would like to say something," Adora said from her seat. "I would like to go with you. My brother and I grew up learning the life of the Tomb-Keepers and I am proud to follow you Fader as the bearer of the Millennium Puzzle, but I also wish to see that my brother's murder does not go unpunished."

"I know how you feel Adora," Fader replied. "Though the rules for the tournament state that you have to be a previous winner in a sanctioned event on the tour."

"I should be able to help there," added Evo. "there should be one more event before the King's Crown. If Miss Adora can win, she will have her entry requirement."

"That's settled then," now all we have to do is get in touch with Beezy and let him know about..."

Fader was cut off as Jaina entered the room. "We have a problem," she said.

"What is it?"

"Dimensions Systems has had a hostile takeover. Dennis has been deposed as CEO, and no one at the company will let us speak with him, or anyone else there."

Fader stood up. "Then we're just going to go out there."

"What?" Serena said with amazement.

"We're going to go out to the Dimension System corporation and figure out what the hell is going on."

"I'm going with you," Serena told him, standing up beside him. "It was my game, my program that caused him to get trapped and if there's anything I can do to help I want to try."

"Alright then." Fader turned to Evo. "We still have a week before the King's Crown starts right? Can you take care of our registration as well as Beezy's and help Adora with getting in if you can. We'll go out and be back before the week is out."

"Alright," Evo replied. "Well take care of it. Are you going to need anything else?"

"We should be fine."

"See you in a few days then."

Fader and Serena got up to leave but were stopped by Shadi before they could reach the door. "What is it?" Fader asked.

"I regret to inform you that I will not be here when you return. I am no duelist Pharaoh. My path does not lie with you. I will return to the deserts of Egypt and attempt to uncover more about our clandestine adversaries and what it is that they may be trying to achieve." Fader looked into the man's eyes and nodded. He walked out the door, not noticing the Egyptian spirit phasing out, returning to places and realms unknown.

----------

"Sir you can't go in there! Sir!"

Fader didn't listen as he pushed his way through the large oak double doors of the CEO's office with Serena a frazzled receptionist close behind. "I'm not taking anymore run arounds."

At a large deck a grey haired man, with a grey well trimmed beard sitting a large black leather chair turned from a computer screen to Fader. "What the hell are you doing in my office?" he asked Fader.

"I'm here to find out where Dennis Devlin is," Fader bit back. "You should know him, he runs this company."

"I do know him," the older man replied. "But he is not the chief of this company. Not anymore at least. When he disappeared his company succeeded to the head of his board of Directors. Me." He stood up at this point as a show of strength and adjusted his jacket. "Now if you'll be so kind, who the hell are you?"

"I'm Dennis' friend, that's all you need to know."

The secretary, still hanging in the entryway nervously spoke up, "Should I alert security Mr. Russo?"

"Please do, they can escort this gentleman and this girl out of my office. I have work to do."

"Girl?" Serena balked at the statement. Fader stepped aside and let her approach the older man. "I am no girl. The name is Kaiba, Serena Kaiba. As in Kaiba Corp. I assume you've heard of us. And as Chief Executive officer of that corporation I am here to conduct a meeting with the 'official' head of Dimension Systems Incorporated, Dennis Devlin. And if he is not made available for a meeting right now, then the future of business relations between this company and Kaiba Corp will be placed in extreme jeopardy, such jeopardy that we may decide that it is not worth dealing with a middle man and that we would just purchase the company and liquidate its assets." Her tone and face did not waver through her whole speech.

"An impressive speech," Russo replied. "I bet you practice that face in front of the mirror to look intimidating when you're with the adults."

Serena stepped forward and her stern expression turned fierce but she was stopped by Fader. "Don't Serena. This isn't' how we're going to do this." Serena backed down and Fader once again turned to Russo. "You must have been so thrilled when Dennis went missing. Someone like you has probably toiled away in this company for years only to have it given to a kid instead of someone like you who really deserved it."

"You're Fader aren't you? I've seen you on the newscast after Battle City," the elderly man answered sitting back into his seat. "You do understand what I've gone through don't you?"

"Only too well. It never changes. People like you will always lurk, waiting for your chance to steal that which isn't yours."

"You don't know me. Don't presume to judge me."

"I don't need to know you specifically Russo, I just know your type."

Russo pressed looked to the door. "My security men will be pouring through that door in another minute so if you're quite done with your speechifying boy then I would suggest you try and leave before they get here."

"I'm not going anywhere." The Millennium Puzzle began to glow bright gold and the doors to the office slammed shut, before the glow faded. A few seconds later the sounds of the guards banging on the door could be heard. "Not until we settle this."

"I don't know what it is that you hope to accomplish with this stunt of yours. My take over of this company is perfectly legal, as is backed by the highest authorities, which is more than I can say for the insurrection you have just attempted. Mr. Devlin is being held pending the official turnover of the company and his share to me tomorrow morning. I did not need him trying to intercede now that I am so close. Nor do I need any 'friends' of his showing up. By this time tomorrow I will be the official owner of this company with a fifty-one percent controlling interest in this company. There is nothing you can do to help him. You rolled the dice and you came up snake eyes. You have no leverage."

"Is this just a game to you?" Fader asked.

"Life is a game boy, you have to realize that. Pieces get moved, you position them according to your strategy and when each one is in their proper place you strike." He sat back in his seat and opened his arms. "Look at this company. It produced games. Do you really think that I would be a part of something like that without understanding the fundamental rules of the game? I spent my entire childhood playing games and becoming the best and learning how games can apply to the real world. Now I am the top position and am about to be crowned a king."

"Until a knight swoops in to mate you."

"Is that a challenge boy?"

"If everything you understand is in terms of game, then yes. I challenge you for the control of this company. If I win then you quit and Dennis re-claims his company."

"And what is in it for me?"

"Name your stakes," replied Fader confidently.

"Your Millennium Puzzle is a much sought after item Mr. Fader. I sure it was grant me much esteem and prestige if I were to possess the former trophy of the King of Games." He paused. "And one more condition. I name the game."

"Deal."

"Good. In one hour you and I are going to battle in a game of Dungeon Dice Monsters."

Serena grabbed a Fader's shoulder as he continued to stare down Russo. "Do you even know how to play Dice Monsters?"

Fader shook his head. The Millennium Puzzle once again shone brightly. Both Serena and Russo had to cover their eyes to protect them from the blinding light. When they looked back Fader was standing there still with the Puzzle glowing around his neck. his posture was different and the wings of his hair and risen up a little. In a voice not quite his own he answered, "But I do."