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Fanfic Chapter 173: Mechanized Melee Pt 1: Doom Factory

Yugi: The last time I was actually involved in a Shadow Duel, it nearly overwhelmed me. In fact, it nearly killed me! And while I have gotten used to tough duels between then and now, it still was agonizing. Arkana sent his evolved magician, the Dark Eradicator Warlock after me after dealing over 2500 points of damage to me equal to the attack points of my Dark Magician. But I evolved my Dark Magician too into the Dark Magician of Chaos and was able to beat Arkana and win the Shadow Duel. I hope Arkana was able to make peace with himself, because nobody, not even him, deserves to toil in the Shadow Realm any longer.


Panik had just viewed Yugi's victory over Arkana. "Bah, Arkana was a fool! I knew I shouldn't have relied on him."

"Don't blame him," a new voice said. "He battled against the King of Games. And not even you could beat him."

"Silence, Bandit Keith, or I'll return you to your penalty game. I don't care much for your patronizing."

From her perch, Tea strained her head to see the newcomer. He had scraggly blonde hair and brown eyes. He was dressed in a purple cloak. What's Bandit Keith doing here? I don't recall seeing him in a Shadow Game.

"All I'm saying is that Arkana bit off more than he could chew. To get at the core, we need to cut around the edges."

"What are you babbling about?"

"Let's not target Yugi for now, let's target his friends."

"His friends?"

"Yes, those geeks like each other so much they'll sacrifice themselves for each other. Once we take out the weaker Duelists, Yugi Moto's dueling strength will go down, I guarantee it."

"Fine, go do it. But don't return unless you've won."

"Can I use the Shadow Realm to set up a little surprise for those wimps?"

"Yes, yes, just get rid of them!"

Bandit Keith smiled sinisterly, "Perfect." That tub of lard over there obviously has no idea that he should keep his eye more on me than on Yugi, because I'm the more dangerous threat.


It seemed like the Shadow Realm couldn't get any darker but somehow it did. Wingweaver's hands emitted light so that they were able to see each other.

"How long have we been walking?" Serenity wondered.

"I don't think time has any purpose in the Shadow Realm," Harold commented.

"You feeling better, Yug?" Joey asked.

"Yeah, Edina's healing magic really hit the spot. I just hope we don't have to get in any more Shadow Duels."

"Hey don't worry about it, bud, I'll take over for you."

"But Joey…"

"You forget, I'm not exactly a baby when it comes to this Shadow Duel stuff. I did almost defeat Marik after all."

"Thanks, Joey."

"You don't sound convinced that Joey can handle himself," Yami pointed out.

"It's not Joey who I don't think can handle himself in the Shadow Duel, it's me."

"Careful, Yugi, remember, when you started questioning yourself before, the Shadow Realm released a threat against us."

"Sorry, Yami, I can't help it. In the end, I did need your help after all, apparently I can't even win a shadow duel on my own."

"Hey, does anybody hear that?" Serenity asked. "It sounds like gears turning."

"How about it, Edina? There any factories in the Shadow Realm?"

"None that I know of, Joey, we better be ready for anything." Yugi, Joey, and Harold activated their Duel Disks as they carefully stepped towards the source of the humming sound.

"Maybe we should send someone on ahead," Serenity recommended.

"Yeah, good idea. Wingweaver, scout ahead to see if there's any threat." Wingweaver flew ahead. The group waited for a while but Wingweaver hadn't returned.

"Is Wingweaver not returning a good thing or a bad thing?" Joey asked.

"Wingweaver," Harold muttered, worried for his favorite monster. He ran ahead with the others playing catch-up.

Up through a dense layer of shadow fog was a giant metallic building complete with smoke stacks.

"I don't like the looks of this," Yugi said.

"It's a trap," Joey said casually.

"I don't care," Harold said. "I need to save Wingweaver." He ran up to the large steel door and struggled to open it.

Buster Blader took care of that, slicing the door open with its sword. "Thanks," Harold said and the humans went inside.

"Hey guys, doesn't that look familiar?" Yugi asked. The inside looked like an automotive assembly plant though no products could be seen.

"I'll say," Harold agreed. "It looks like the magic cards Machine Conversion Factory and Dark Factory of Mass Production."

"So it's a factory, I recon," Joey guessed.

"Edina, what kind of technology does the Shadow Realm have?" Serenity asked.

"None," Edina replied.

"Wingweaver!" The angel was strapped to a table, clamps held down her arms, legs, and wings. Her right leg was metallic. "Holy cow, what happened to her?"

"The same thing that's going to happen to all of you!" A voice cried out. Clamps shot out from the wall and latched onto Yugi, Harold, and Serenity and pulled them to individual tables. Drills and probes and other sharp objects were aimed towards them. A new steel door replaced the one tore open

"Guys!" Joey cried. "Hang on, I'll get you free."

"You'll do no such thing!" An elevator opened up and Bandit Keith emerged. "Except watch as I turn them into mechanized minions."

"Bandit Keith? What the heck are you doing here?"

"Bandit Keith was under Marik's control," Yugi explained. "Marik must've sent the original Keith's mind to the Shadow Realm when he failed to get my Millennium Puzzle."

"Nice story, too bad it's a load of bull. I know that Yugi with his freaky pendant sent me here, Panik told me the truth. And now I'm here to pay him back."

"I can't get free," Yugi complained.

"So why did you leave me?" Joey asked.

"Simple, I plan to eliminate the weakest link and you are it, King Dweeb."

"I think being in the Shadow Realm must've made you loopy, you couldn't even beat me at Duelist Kingdom, what makes you think you can beat me now?"

"Because I have this entire place backing me up and an improved deck as well." A side hatch opened up and a Duel Disk slid out.

"Your deck means zilch if you don't have the skill to use it."

"You mock my skill? I was the Intercontinental Champion while you were still trying to figure out what came after one. Then you came along and cheated me out of everything!" He put on the Duel Disk.

"Keith… you have got to be the stupidest person in this entire realm," Joey said. "I didn't steal anything I won my victory fair and square." Joey dramatically inserted his deck. "And I'll prove it by kicking your butt a second time!"

"You tell him, Big Brother!" Serenity cheered.

"How cute," Keith said snidely. "But you'll be singing a different tone once you become a machine, slave to me."

"I won't let you touch my sister," Joey said. "Let's duel, BK!"

(J: 4000)
(B: 4000)

"I'll start by summoning Gear Golem the Moving Fortress (1) in attack mode and putting another card face-down." With my super deck and superior intelligence, I'll crush this dweeb and turn his friends into my machine slaves. I'll then sic them on Panik and then I'll control the Shadow Realm.

Keith's losing it, Joey thought. That thing has only 800 attack points. Even my weakest monsters could take care of it. Still, he might have something planned.

"I activate Gear Golem's special ability. Now we each take 800 points of damage."

"What?" Joey was caught off-guard as the machine attacked him.

(J: 3200)
(B: 3200)

"You see, Dweeb, I told you my deck was improved."

"Just because it's improved doesn't mean…" A loud scream came from behind Joey. Joey turned and saw the apparatuses moving closer towards his friends.

"Joey, it's moving closer," Serenity cried.

"And as long as Wheeler keeps losing life points, it'll keep getting closer until the three of you will end up just like her." He pointed to Wingweaver who now had both of her legs mechanized and was slowly started to work up her body.

"Wingweaver!" Harold cried. "Joey, please, win this duel!"

"I intend to, bud." The biggest mistake Keith made was threatening my family and friends. I'm going to come at him fast and hard! "I summon an old buddy of mine, Axe Raider (2) in attack mode. Axe Raider, wreck that gear!" With a roar, Axe Raider charged towards Gear Golem.

"You dweeb, you're still falling for my traps, like this one: Firewall!" A trap card flipped up. "Firewall switches one of my monsters to defense mode." The panels on Gear Golem's side moved to the front as the Axe Raider's weapon struck.

(J: 2700)
(B: 3200)

"I end my turn," Joey sighed.

"And to think you actually beat me once!"

"And I'll do it again."

"No you won't, I summon Machine King Prototype (3) in attack mode. Machine King Prototype gains 300 extra attack points for every machine monster on the field."

(MKP: 1600-1900)

"Machine King Prototype, attack with Gallic Gun!" Joey's Ace Raider was destroyed.

(J: 2500)
(B: 3200)

"I activate Gear Golem's special ability inflicting 800 points of damage!"

(J: 1700)
(B: 2400)

The machines moved closer. Serenity could feel the heat from the laser probe. She screamed.

"Serenity!" Joey cried.

"Poor pathetic dweeb, I guess your last win was just a fluke."

Joey growled but instead took a deep breath. Okay, Joey, calm down, you need to think through your next move carefully, otherwise your sister's going to turn into a washing machine. He has two monsters on the field. If he summons another monster, he could bust the rest of my life points. Looks like I'm going to have to get a little sneaky. "Wow, Keith, I had no idea your cards were so powerful. Guess I'll just lay these two face-down cards and end my turn."

"Very cute, Dweeb, but I'm on to your strategy."

"Didn't you say before that I wasn't capable of strategy?"

"You think I haven't learned anything from our last duel? You want me to attack so you can activate your trap cards. But I won't bite; I can wait to finish you off. After all, I've waited this long, one more turn won't hurt. Instead, I'll activate Gear Golem's special ability again." The Golem fired spikes at Joey. "That should do for now."

(J: 900)
(B: 1600)

"Too bad, Keith, you should've attacked."

"What do you know? I'm the Intercontinental Champion, you're just a dweeb with good luck. You have no right to lecture me on Duel Monsters strategy!"

"Former Intercontinental Champion and actually, I do. If you attacked, you would've beaten me."

"But your traps…!"

"Oh they were traps all right, but they weren't trap cards, but only designed to make you think they were trap."

"Uh… I'm lost," Harold commented. He still couldn't get the image of Wingweaver lying helpless, almost fully a machine.

"Joey set those face-down cards knowing Keith would think they were trap cards and not risk attacking," Yugi explained.

"You… tricked me?"

His friends cheered, "Way to go, Joey!"

"No, there's no way you could've outsmarted me."

"Oh I have," Joey said smirking. "And now I'm about to out duel you! My move! And first, I think I'll activate my face-down cards." The two cards were flipped up. They were magic cards. "Cure Master increases my life points by 1000 and Serial Spell copies any magic card currently out on the field. So that means I gain 2000 life points."

(J: 2900)
(B: 1600)

The apparatuses, which had been uncomfortably close, pulled away, allowing the prisoners a sigh of relief.

"That's using your head, Joey, there's more than one way to win a duel!" Yugi called out.

"Thanks, Yug, I got the idea from you, from your duel with Mai at Duelist Kingdom."

"I knew a monkey like you couldn't have come up with an original strategy."

"Hey as long as it works, who cares whose strategy it is? Now what do you say we get down to business? My move!" I brought myself some time but I need to attack and attack hard. He drew a card. "I summon Panther Warrior (4) in attack mode along with the magic card Scapegoat." Four small colorful sheep appeared. "Next I'll sacrifice one of my sheep to have Panther Warrior whoop your mechanized behind." One of the sheep tokens disappeared into Panther Warrior's sword. The beast-warrior sliced up Machine King Prototype.

(J: 2900)
(B: 1500)

"I guess you can't beat the real thing," Joey said.

Bandit Keith drew a card and let out a chuckle. "You know what, Dweeb, you're right you can't beat the real thing. I sacrifice my Gear Golem to summon Machine King (5) in attack mode. Because Machine King is a machine monster, it gains 100 attack points."

(MK: 2200-2300)

"Time to put this kitty to sleep. Machine King, flying fist!" The Machine King fired its hand which destroyed Panther Warrior.

(J: 2600)
(B: 1500)

"I set two cards face-down and end my turn. You're on your way to Loser-Town, Dweeb, and I'm piloting the ship! And your friends will be my cybernetic slaves forever!"

To Be Continued


Duel Monster Database

(1)
Name: Gear Golem the Moving Fortress
Level: 4
Type: Machine/Effect
Attribute: Earth
ATK: 800
DEF: 2200

(2)
Name: Axe Raider
Level: 4
Type: Warrior
Attribute: Earth
ATK: 1700
DEF: 1150

(3)
Name: Machine King Prototype
Level: 3
Type: Machine/Effect
Attribute: Earth
ATK: 1600
DEF: 1500

(4)
Name: Panther Warrior
Level: 4
Type: Beast-Warrior/Effect
Attribute: Earth
ATK: 2000
DEF: 1600

(5)
Name: Machine King
Level: 6
Type: Machine/Effect
Attribute: Earth
ATK: 2200
DEF: 2000