hibryd: I'm sorry for such long delay. But I may have found the perfect zone for MASAMUNE. The Mystic Plasma Zone! The ultimate darkness, with no escape for those who enter!

MASAMUNE: (in a deep voice that threatens all mortals) All shall bow down to my superior powers, and if they do not obey my every command, they shall perish!

hibryd: I've still got the work the bugs out of this seclusion idea. While I work, read.

----------------- One Day at Home Ch. 8 ---------------

"So Rare Hunters are after us now huh? Guess we're in trouble now. But on the bright side? I've got five Locator Cards!" Steven said as he and Paul walked around Battle City. Now that the Rare Hunters had revealed themselves to the two, they could search them out and duel them.

"Why must you brag about you Locator Cards so much? So what? You dueled two people for two Locator Cards each. I don't care!"

"Okay. Let's just search these guys out and you can duel most of them. Then we'll catch up."

"Fine. We'll search them out."



"So have Luap, Leahcim, and Nevets been unleashed into Battle City yet, Odion?"

"Yes, Master Marik. They were let out just as soon as you ordered it. And The Winged Dragon of Ra was put in Nevets' deck just as you requested."

"Good. As soon as they find their targets, they will utterly destroy them!"



"Uh, Paul? I think it's your turn to duel a Rare Hunter. Look over there." Steven said to Paul as he pointed. "A guy in a purple robe."

"Yeah. I see him. But I doubt anyone else can. I think they would be questioning him about that yellow eye on his forehead if they could."

It was true. A shining yellow Millennium insignia was on his forehead, showing Marik controlled him.

"Marik's control?" Steven asked.

"Yup."

"Let's steer clear of that one then."

"Why? I'll rid of him quickly. Oi! You! Rare Hunter! I know you're there, Marik! Get over here!"

"Hmm? Ah! The God boys! Hello there. Sure I'll duel you! But I want to duel you this time." He said, pointing at Paul.

"Me? Okay, but I'll warn you right now: your chances of winning are slim to none."

"I don't believe you! Let's just duel and see!"

"Fine! Let's go!"

Paul: 4000 Marik: 4000

"I'll start off. Here goes!" Paul said. I'll set a card facedown and a monster in defense mode! Your move."

Paul: 4000 Marik: 4000

"Good. Two cards facedown and a monster in defense mode! Your move."

Paul: 4000 Marik: 4000

I'll flip up my monster, Witch of the Black Forest! And I'll also summon Mataza the Zapper! And I'll equip him with United We Stand! This shall raise his attack points to 2900! Attack Mataza!"

"My Aqua Madoor! No!"

"This was too easy. Mataza, attack again!"

"What? A monster may only attack once a turn!"

"Well, Mataza the Zapper is a special card that may attack twice in a turn! So attack his Life Points! Witch of the Black Forest, follow up!"

"Nooooooo!"

Paul: 4000 Marik: 0000

"My Hunter lost? How pathetic! I'll banish him to the Shadow Realm! No! Please Master! I'm sorry! Quiet, fool, and be gone from your body! Nooooooo!"

And the Rare Hunter fell silent, no movement or sound coming from his body.

"That was far too easy. I guess if he can't duel I'll just . . ." he said as he took the Rare Hunter's Locator Card. "I'll take this. And how about his rarest card? Ah! A My Body as a Shield card! I'll take this!"

"Well, you're still a Locator Card behind. And are you even looking for that guy Nek that Ken told you about?"

"Yeah. But with the Rare Hunters out now, it'll take a bit of an effort."

"I think that might be him over there." Steven said, pointing at some blue hair they saw walking through a crowd.

"Maybe. Hey! Hey, you, with the blue hair! I wanna challenge you to a duel!"

The guy with blue hair stopped. After a while, the crowd thinned out, and they got a good look at him.

Blue hair, blue eyes, and looked almost exactly like Ken. It must have been Nek.

"You wanna challenge me? Fine."

"Yeah. Your brother Ken told me about you after I defeated him. He also said that you should be easy to defeat."

"Ken likes to flatter himself. He's never once ebbed the flow of my Water deck!"

"I hate how all these guys act like the theme of their decks." Steven mumbled to Paul.

"Well, I'll just duel him and get it over with. I'll let you go first."

"Okay. Then I'll go first."

"But I want to duel for your two rarest cards instead of one."

"I'll win for sure then!"

Paul: 4000 Nek: 4000

"I'll tell you one special thing: there is a certain card that I have won that doesn't fit the theme of my deck. You'll soon find it emerge however, as if it were underwater as well. I'll set one card in defense mode and end my turn."

Paul: 4000 Nek: 4000

"Two cards facedown and Dark Blade. Attack!"

"Sorry. It's my Humanoid Slime. Say goodbye to a couple Life Points!

Paul: 3800 Nek: 4000

"My move again. And another monster in defense mode."

Paul: 3800 Nek: 4000

"I also set a monster in defense mode."

Paul: 3800 Nek: 4000

"I pass"

Paul: 3800 Nek: 4000

"I offer Dark Blade for Jinzo and play Premature Burial to revive Dark Blade at the cost of 800 Life Points. Jinzo, destroy Humanoid Slime, Dark Blade, attack the facedown card."

Paul: 3000 Nek: 4000

"I play Fissure to destroy Dark Blade, and Change of Heart on your Jinzo, remove two Water monsters in my graveyard from play to summon Fenrir, and attack with my Fenrir!"

"This is a great thing I call Cyber Jar! You should know what it does."

"You've given me Granadora, High Tide Gyojin, and Weather Report."

"I got Dark Blade."

"Your move."

Paul: 3000 Nek: 4000

"Sacrifice Dark Blade for Vampire Lord! And play Monster Reborn to resurrect Dark Blade! Raigeki to destroy your monsters, and Mystic Plasma Zone! Both monsters! Direct attack!"

Paul: 3000 Nek: 0000

"What? I lost?"

"Yep. Now your rarest cards and Locator Card please!"

"Okay. Koitsu and Vampire Lady."

"Vampire Lady?"

"Yeah. She's a smaller version of your Vampire Lord."

"Cool! This goes right into my Deck!"

"See ya." Nek said, turning away.

"Same to you." Paul called out. He then turned to Steven. "Look at that. We are now tied in the Locator Card race!"

"Darn! Oh well. I bet I could get into the Finals before you!"

"We'll see about that!"

"Let's go!"



"I have them in my sight Master Marik." A figure in the shadows said into a cell phone.

"Excellent. Take down the fool who looks like you, Luap. I want Nevets to take out the other."

"Right you are, sir. I'm heading out."

-------------------------- End Chapter 8 -----------------------

hibryd: MASAMUNE is getting along extremely well with all the dark clouds here. I think we'll leave him here for a while, to learn control of his powers.

MASAMUNE: . . . you come up behind 'em and I'll zap 'em! That'll show 'em to mess with us!

hibryd: I've gotta go squeeze an elephant, see ya!