Eliminator

Magicman: Blarg. I'm finally getting around to writing this. Good grief, I hate writer's block. It's like feeling lazy and uninspired at the same time.

Smokegirl: It's like, you know there are people to kill but you just don't care! It's like holding an atomic-disintegrator beam in your hands while people walk around you and not feeling the urge! Is there anything more insulting and cruel than that? IS THERE!

Magicman: …So where was I?

Joey: (Cough)fic(cough)

Magicman: Ah yes, thank you. The eliminators were locked in a life and death struggle-

Pegasus: I doubt it. They're only cards.

Magicman: -with the Rare Hunters. Joey keeps knocking Strings down but the little pest just gets back up. So what could Joey do?

Tea: Pull off a spectacular and unlikely win?

Magicman: Precisely! Incidentally, I'm still playing around with card ideas. So if you don't see any you recognize, don't worry about it. By the way, I looked over last chapter and noticed the spelling errors. I shuddered at the amount. I'll do better in the future, you can count on it.

IIIIIII

Jasper grinned viciously. "I have you now Corona. With four pieces of Exodia in my hand I can win on my next turn! You have no hope!"

Simon shrugged. "Wishful thinking. But go ahead. I'll beat you in the next turn anyway.

Jasper considered the field a moment before dismissing the threat as bravado. He had Witch of the Black Forest and Sangan on the field in defence mode. If either were attacked he could draw the final piece of the puzzle and win. But he had Gravity Bind, Robbin' Goblin, Magic Thorn, and Scapegoat all on the field. He had 3000 lifepoints while Corona had 1500. And Corona's only card was an Aether Strider (200/500). There was simply no way he could win.

But Simon Corona had other plans. If someone were to ask him his biggest weakness he would probably say that he was too dramatic. He liked to make a really big finish.

"Well Jasper" Simon drawled, "I have to say that I am impressed. You've managed to combine an Exodia-based deck with a Burn-based deck very successfully. But you're missing out on the big plays that can turn things around like that." He snapped his fingers.

"Just make your move" the hunter snapped. Simon nodded.

"Very well. For my turn, first I will draw." Simon drew and nodded in satisfaction. "Next I will sacrifice my Aether Strider to summon my Jinzo (2400/1500)." He grinned at the giant cyborg. "Next my Aether Strider's special ability kicks in. When he is sent from the field to the graveyard I can bring one magic card from my deck to my hand. So I will choose Megamorph and equip it to Jinzo, making him incredibly big and scary." Jinzo's attack points doubled to a whopping 4800, enough to wipe out both of their lifepoints combined.

"Finally" he continued, "I play my trump card that I've kept in my hand since the start of the duel. Shooting Star Bow Ceal. Normally I dislike this card as much as the next person but against Stall decks I like to sideboard it in. Just in case. So Jasper" he finished, equipping the card and grinning at his stunned opponent, "I guess you've been eliminated. Jinzo, Cyber attack!"

IIIIIII

Espa and Arcana's lifepoints were dead even, with 500 apiece and it was Arcana's move. The mad magician drew, laughing wildly. Espa had kept his expression cool and relentless throughout Arcana's attack, but it was becoming a strain. His opponent had brushed past his best cards with a combination of magic and sheer firepower. There weren't many cards stronger than a Dark Magician and Espa's deck relied more on cunning and tactics to win than on brute force. But still he'd given as good as he got and now he was out of tricks. But he wasn't done yet. He had two facedown cards left.

"And now for the final act in our show!" Arcana cackled. "I play Dark Magic Curtain, allowing me to summon a Dark Magician from my deck at the mere cost of half my lifepoints!" He laughed some more as the cloak's black magic brought forth the mighty spellcaster. "And now say goodbye to your lifepoints! Dark Magician attack with Dark Magic!"

The mage powered up his staff and the crowd of duellists fixed their eyes on Espa's two cards and waited for them to flip up. They didn't and the attack slammed home. However the duel wasn't over.

"You've activated my Final Struggle magic card! When my lifepoints are reduced to zero this card clears all monsters off of the field."

Arcana snarled as his magician vanished. "So what? You've still lost!"

Espa smirked. "I'm not done. We then draw three cards. Any monsters we draw are summoned to the field and there attack and defence points are merged together to form a single creature. Then these two creatures of ours will battle and whichever one wins will destroy the loser's creator!" His smirk widened. "And from what I can see your cards just won't do the job."

Arcana snorted. "Not more of that psychic crap again. Just draw your cards."

"As you wish." Espa drew Kycoo the Ghost Destroyer (1800/400). "I summon my first monster. But your first card will be a trap so I have the advantage."

"Shut up!" Arcana drew and scowled. "Lucky guess you pipsqueak."

"Whatever helps you sleep." Espa drew again. "Even better. I summon Reflect Bounder (1700/1000). Now I've got you outnumbered two to none."

Arcana drew and laughed. "Now I've got a monster too! I summon Dark Magician!"

Espa drew. "My final card I Magician of Faith (300/400). Your Dark Magician won't stand a chance. I predict that he will be fighting alone and that it's the end for you!"

"Fool!" Arcana drew. "My last card is Seiyaryu (2500/2300). Combined they form a creature with an attack power of 5000! Your pathetic collection is doomed!"

Espa let Arcana laugh for a few seconds as all of the monsters began to glow then he played his final card. "I activate Mind Control Collar!"

A silver collar studded with bright green gems whirled through the air and fastened around Seiyaryu's neck. The dragon then obediently flapped its wings and flew over to Espa's field.

Espa explained while Arcana's expression changed from victorious to panic. "Mind Control Collar is a trap that equips onto your monster and lets me take control of him just in time for the transformation. I told you Dark Magician would fight alone!"

With Seiyaryu, Espa's monsters were simply far too powerful. They merged into a humanoid being made of pure light and with an attack strength of 6300. Just before it hurled itself at Arcana's lone Dark Magician Espa smiled pleasantly.

"And now I foresee that this duel is finished. Game over!"

IIIIIII

It had been a nightmare. Listening to those lunatics rhyming at every opportunity had set Lumis' teeth on edge to begin with. But on top of that this whole labyrinth style of duelling was annoying! And if either he or Umbra lost the brothers would win.

Right now they were laughing again. They seemed to be getting ready to summon some super monster. Not that it mattered. Umbra had a Rogue Doll (1600/1000) with Des Guardius (3300/3200) in front of it halfway through the maze while Lumis had three cards facedown. The brothers were both down to 3200 lifepoints, Lumis was untouched and Umbra, whose monsters had born the brunt of the damage was at 2300.

Para laughed. "And now that it is my turn my paycheck I will earn! I combine our monsters of wind, water and thunder to compound your colossal blunder!"

Lumis winced, his head throbbing. He couldn't take much more of this. Beside him, Umbra growled "What are you talking about?"

Para and Dox looked at each other and grinned. They threw their arms up into the air and began to chant.

"Elements of thunder, water and wind! Suijin, Sanga, Kazejin begin! Meld your powers in eternal light! Show these fools your unstoppable might!"

"He is pain beyond description!" Para shouted, sending another sliver of agony into Lumis' skull.

"He'll mark the graves with your inscription!" Dox laughed, deepening the pain. And together the brothers yelled out the name of their ultimate beast.

"Gate Guardian (3750/3600)!"

Umbra snorted. "Your monster isn't anything special. Lumis? Go ahead and crush their beast." When he received no response, he turned to his partner and saw him clutching his forehead in pain. "Lumis? Are you alright?"

Para frowned. "I think his head must be splitting in two. Tell me Dox, what should we do?"

Dox thought for a moment. "We could call the island's doctor to work. But the duel would halt. And our job we can't shirk."

Umbra ignored them and spoke into the small microphone concealed in his mask. "Well Lumis what do you think? Can you keep this up?"

The shorter masked man didn't answer. 'It's okay' he thought to himself. 'It's just some stupid rhyming that's been going on for hours. I've got to stay calm, but this whole duel is turning me sour!' He blinked a couple times. Then he screamed. "OH MY GOD! THE RHYMES ARE TAKING OVER MY MIND!"

The other three duellists were taken aback and could only stare when Lumis jumped down from his platform and ran screaming from the Paradox brothers' chamber. Silence reigned for several seconds.

Then Para cleared his throat and tried to recover himself. "Um, according to the, er, rules he's disqualified for leaving his position before the duel is over."

"And that means I lose too." Umbra smacked the palm of his hand onto his forehead. "Damn, the master is going to be pissed."

Dox nodded sagely before exchanging a glance and a wicked grin with his brother. Another victim of rhymes. The written word was truly mightier than the duelling card.

IIIIIII

"I know what you're thinking" Strings told Joey. "You want to wait until my Berserk Dragon weakens enough for you to destroy. Your plan is doomed to fail. You have no cards in your hand and none on the field. Berserk Dragon can destroy every monster you manage to play and my lifepoints have increased to 2150. By the time my monster has weakened I will be able to summon others and you'll be right back where you started. And you're also restricted in your attacks because of my field cards." The mime shook his head in bewilderment. "You won't give up; you're not the type. But I can't understand why people like you won't accept fate."

Joey's brow furled into a determined scowl. "Because I don't believe in fate" he answered his foe. "Nothing controls human actions. I do what I can and if that's not good enough then tough luck. But I won't believe that everything happens because it's meant to!"

"Then you are a fool for you are fated to fall against the power of my master."

"I won't give in to you!" Joey shouted, inexplicably angry. "And when your master comes I'll stop him too!"

"Of course you will. I attack your Red Eyes Metal Dragon (2700/2300) with Berserk Dragon (3500/0), and destroy it with Eternal Death Blast!"

Berserk Dragon opened its jaws and released a series of fireballs comprised of hissing black flame. Every ball crashed into Joey's metallic monster and with a screech it exploded into shards of shrapnel.

"And finally I activate my Poisoned Wound magic card to double the damage my attack deals to your lifepoints. This drops you down to 1300 while I stay comfortably at 2150." Strings put down his hand and folded his arms. "This ends my turn. You may go."

Before Joey drew Strings mused out loud. "I wonder if your colleagues are as pathetic as you. I truly doubt Pegasus' senses in hiring you for this job. If he made such a big mistake with you then he must have been mad in his other choices."

"Cocky little bastard" Joey grumbled. "I don't care what he says. I won't let him win."

For Joey this match had gone beyond his job. Pride had taken over. "Listen up freak because I'll only say this once. Nobody bashes my boss like that, let alone my friends. And when I'm done with you not even an Egyptian God Card will be able to save you." His brown eyes narrowed coldly. "I'm going to bury you." Then he drew.

As he drew his card he thought for just a second that he saw his right hand, the one covered by his duelling gauntlet, the one that was holding the card, was glowing. But the thought was driven from his mind, for he knew suddenly that he would win this duel. He knew what card he would draw.

"I play Card of Demise!" Joey shouted. "This lets me draw until I have five cards in my hand. I'll lose them in five turns but this duel will end long before that. I now have the perfect combination to defeat you!"

"Big talk" Strings taunted in his emotionless voice.

"Believe it. First I play the magic card Shield and Sword!" Joey grinned as Strings suddenly stiffened. "I see you've heard of it. Then you'll know that your monster's attack and defence points switch."

Strings seemed to recover himself. "Clever but obvious. My lifepoints are strong enough to withstand a hit. I will recover in time."

"No you won't! I now play Costdown, lowering the level one monster in my hand by two, letting me summon him directly to the field. Now I play my mighty Freed the Matchless General (2300/1300)!"

Joey smirked. He watched the general appear on the field, his cape billowing in the wind. He was insignificant compared the Berserk Dragon but his power was enough to finish off his opponent. Only when he was certain that he had a killing advantage did Joey allow himself the luxury of some trashtalk. "So then" he taunted. "I guess you were wrong after all. All I have to do is order one last attack and then you get a one way ticket off of this island."

"Save your breath."

Strings' voice was twisted, sounding as though his throat had suddenly changed and sprouted an entirely new set of vocal chords. Also there was a glowing yellow eye on his forehead now where one hadn't been before. "I know now what I needed. I must say Wheeler, I'm fairly impressed. You defeated the pharaoh first and now you've defeated my mindslave."

Joey blinked in sudden confusion. "Huh?"

"I suppose I should introduce myself" the voice said. "I am the Quiet One's master. My name is Marik."

"Marik huh?" Joey was dubious. "I think that the pressure of losing has finally got to you Strings."

The voice let out a low chuckle that sent shivers down Joey's spine. "You may be a fool but you have both power and a strong destiny. Unfortunately for you I cannot tolerate either in a potential foe."

Joey shrugged. "Whatever. Just quit talking so I can finish you off."

Now the voice took on an angry note. "Are you really this dense? I'm threatening you! Show some concern!"

"Why? I still think that Strings has snapped and I'm talking to some split personality of his."

"I'm NOT an aspect of his psyche! I'm controlling him through the power of a millennium item!"

This brought Joey up short. He'd had some interesting experiences with Yugi's millennium puzzle and more with Pegasus' millennium eye. And of course there was the costume party in the Shadow realm brought on by Bakura's millennium ring. He personally had no idea how magic could do all these things but he wasn't entirely ready to dismiss the claims of this Marik person.

Marik sensed Joey's hesitation and let a grin spread across Strings' face. "So you finally believe me!"

Slowly Joey nodded. "Not entirely, but I do know something about millennium items."

"Then let me inform you some more. My millennium rod allows me control the minds of people. I did this to Strings, enabling me to speak to you though we are a great distance apart. I commanded him to duel you and it was I who set my other hunters upon your colleagues."

Hearing this, Joey began to be annoyed. "Is there some particular reason why you're trying to beat my friends and I in a duel?" he asked. "I was finally getting my life together until this mess started."

"It's because of you that I staged this attack" Marik answered. "You defeated the pharaoh, and so destiny has chosen you to try and defend him. But I will not be denied. His time ended five thousand years ago and the power that was his legacy will pass to me." Marik's voice rose with manic joy with each passing word. Soon he was shouting with glee. "I will become the new pharaoh! And with the millennium puzzle and the pharaoh's power I will rule the entire world! All will bow before King Marik! And any who oppose me will fall before the might of my God cards!"

About two sentences into the tirade Joey was lost. By the time he could get in a word all he could manage was "Huh?"

Marik sighed, using Strings' body. "You really are a fool. Why fate chose you to oppose my power is beyond me. I don't understand it entirely myself, but the magic of the items and of the puzzle especially are semi-sentient. Created to save the world, they will not willingly allow themselves to be used for destruction. You defeated your friend Yugi Mutoh in a duel, did you not?" He waited for a nod of assent before continuing. "Since you were victorious the magic of the puzzle has integrated slightly with your soul; not enough for you to utilise but enough so that it cannot be used by another while you exist." He frowned slightly. "The part of this that I find interesting is the process of reincarnation."

Joey blinked in surprise. "Now you're really reaching pal."

"Your little friend is the reincarnation of a pharaoh from ancient Egypt so of course it's possible that your soul came from that time as well."

"Oh come on! That's a load of crap!"

"Oh really? Then how did you know that Slifer is an Egyptian God card?"

"Hello? Your freaky little pal told me!"

"Strings said he was a god yes, but not an Egyptian god."

Joey hesitated but his internal surprise gauge had reached its limit. "Ah forget it. Freed, attack him with Broad blade swipe!"

Freed drew his sword from his back scabbard and rushed the Berserk Dragon. He swung hard, ducking under the beast's snapping jaws and ripping easily through its chest armour. The dragon let out one last unearthly howl before exploding. The blast took the last of Strings' lifepoints but the strange man possessing his body had more to say.

"Your victory here means nothing Wheeler!" Marik shrieked. "I still possess the other God cards! And next time I won't take any chances. I'll come for you myself! And with you out of the way I'll destroy the pharaoh and take his power!"

Joey rolled his eyes. "Whatever. See you Strings. Try and get some psychiatric help."

When the blast subsided Strings slumped over in his box and lay unmoving. Joey waited for a moment then shrugged, figuring that the blast had knocked him out. He hopped out of his own box, being careful to put away his deck first then sauntered over his opponent. "Sorry Strings" he said as he snatched up his opponent's deck, "But you won't be using Slifer any more."

After slipping the mighty beast into a pocket on his belt designed to hold cards he turned around and began the long walk back to the castle. He figured that Strings would be up and about in an hour or so once he came to. It never really occurred to him that his opponent hadn't been insane, nor that life was about to get much more difficult. It never occurred to him that he should worry about his friends and loved ones. It certainly never occurred to him that a titanic clash of ancient magic would rock the world. No, none of these thoughts occurred to him for he had filed them all in the back of his mind where he stored mental junk to be deleted. What did occur to him was to wonder what to buy Shannon for her upcoming birthday.

'It's only three weeks away. She'd probably like Kingdom Hearts, but maybe she'd like a book or a DVD? I heard from Espa that Revenge of the Sith is coming out on DVD soon…'

IIIIIII

Marik sighed in exasperation after breaking his mental connection with Strings. None too soon after all for his 'partners' chose that moment to stride into his throne room.

"Did your plan work?" the tall one growled as he came to a stop in the light. "I warn you that my patience for your petty schemes is wearing thin."

"The plan was only partly successful" Marik admitted. "The pharaoh's new guardian has been identified but my mind slave was unable to defeat him. Still I am rather pleased with the results."

"Pleased?" The tall man flushed angrily. He was not used to failure. "If I'd known that this deal with you would be such a waste I'd have pitched you out when you first asked for my help!"

Marik raised an eyebrow. "There's no need for such hostility Kaiba. I promised that you'd get what you want and I do keep my promises."

The CEO of Kaiba Corp was frowning angrily, though he never really looked pleasant. "I want Yugi and Pegasus to do with as I please" he countered. "I want those who humiliated me to suffer."

"And they will, my dear friend. As long as you keep up your own end of the deal then you will have all your former wealth and power returned to you."

Kaiba frowned even more and one of his eyelids twitched hard. Ever since Pegasus' takeover his company had been challenged by every major corporation in the world. He'd been losing ground in Asia, Europe and North America. Businesses were no longer coming to him for high level technology. The power base he'd built for himself was crumbling around him and he knew why. Customers and partners saw him as a loser. He had lost both to Yugi and Pegasus in his favourite game, and had lost a great deal of his company in a lawsuit brought upon by what looked like the reckless actions of a teenager. It had been a brilliant job, hacking that satellite but he hadn't reckoned with Pegasus' revenge. It was a mistake that had cost him badly.

But his fortunes weren't irreversible. He was positive that humiliating those who had humiliated him would show everyone that he was still the best. Kaiba plotted for the day he'd get his payback. He would even dream of it at night. Mokuba was telling him that he was becoming obsessed and that the pressure of his chosen lifestyle was finally getting to him. Of course Mokuba didn't know just how right he was.

Seeing as there was nothing he could do at the present however, Kaiba changed the subject. "So who's this new target?"

"He is one of Pegasus' eliminators. His name is Joey Wheeler."

Kaiba snorted. "Wheeler? He couldn't duel to save his life! The only way he can win is by dumb luck! And I emphasise the 'dumb'."

"Then he is extremely lucky. He defeated my servant and now possesses Slifer the Sky Dragon." Marik folded his hands and waited for a reaction.

Kaiba's cold eyes narrowed but it was the third part of this villainous trio who answered. "No matter. We can simply include this fool in the plan. I believe his sister is on the island as well as several of his friends." He smirked from the shadows. "The only difference that this will make is the increase in the payoff. I trust that we may still use your facilities Kaiba?"

Kaiba nodded. "Of course."

"And Marik will of course provide us with suitable leverage over our foes?"

""My hunters will look forward to a chance to redeem themselves."

"And I will provide us with some otherworldly reinforcements should they prove necessary." He bowed ironically to the other two. "Gentlemen, all is in position. Why tear each other apart now when the coming rewards are plentiful enough to share? And with that as my final word, I bid you both farewell. I have business to attend to, but don't worry. I'll do my part." He stepped back and slunk off through the shadows. Kaiba snorted.

"I look forward to when this is all over" he said to Marik. "I won't have to deal with either of you again. I'll be on the island checking on the situation." Not waiting for an answer he turned on his heel and walked away to the door.

Marik sat in his throne room for several seconds, considering his options.

He knew how greedy Kaiba was; he could see his eyes flicker every time the Egyptian God cards were mentioned and he wouldn't just settle for one. It had been easy to get the wealthy CEO to side with Marik by promising him Mutoh and Pegasus but he would not be satisfied with them for long. Doubtlessly the thought of possessing all three god cards had occurred to him. But Marik still needed him, as duelling muscle and especially for his 'facilities'. He was a belligerent ally at best but for now he was willing to cooperate, even if their long term goals clashed.

It was his other partner who concerned him the most. An ancient soul from the pharaoh's time, he had likewise been sealed in a millennium item. He wanted all seven of the items for his inscrutable purposes and his entire being was saturated with the dark magic of the Shadow Realm. He had come to Marik and offered his services in exchange for the items. He was also a skilled duellist, being far more competent than most of the hunters. He had never identified himself but he existed in the body of one of the pharaoh's friends, a young man named Ryou Bakura who possessed the millennium ring.

Marik frowned at these thoughts. After the debacle at Duellist Kingdom it was clear that he could not trust his minions to deal with his intended victims. More than ever he needed Kaiba and the spirit of the ring's help. But once the plan was successful, perhaps even before that, they would become irrelevant.

Time would solve his problems and present him with an opportunity. And in the meantime his own power could increase.

Marik smiled to himself. He knew that his colleagues were planning to betray him. But he would be ready for them. And before they fell the pharaoh and his power would belong to him. Then he would be invincible.

IIIIIII

Ishizu woke from her afternoon nap to a shiver rushing down her spine and the bright glow of her millennium necklace. Getting up from her couch she walked over to the open window, shaking her head to clear it of sleep. Worried, she looked outside.

'It's about to begin.' She thought. 'I don't know what will happen but it will happen soon.'

IIIIIII

Magicman: The plot is kicking in!

Joey: Finally!

Tea: (smacks him upside the head) Be nice!

Joey: Ow…

Smokegirl: You think that's bad? (pulls out electro whip) Run dog-boy!

Joey: Eep!