"We are landing now." Marco said, switching on the intercom. The Shadow Riders all began to emerge from their rooms, some more tired then others as the plane began to rumble slightly. "I would suggest you take your seats, as we are in for a bumpy ride, as it were."

Inside the cockpit, Vera and Marco quickly began flipping switches and checking gauges. Vera scanned the radar to makes sure they were clear to land, while Marco took the main controls and took them into a descent.

The clouds parted, giving way to the sea and the academy below. The two Italian assassins continued with their work, not sparing a glance at the sight. The plane leveled out, gliding down into the water with a minor splash as Vera cut the engine. Marco relaxed, locking down the controls and giving the command to the on board computer to activate the password setting.

'No need for our guests to begin thinking about joyrides.' Marco thought as he stood up. "Vera, go change. We will be going into the mountains, I think, and heels are not proper attire, I am sure."

Vera frowned, walking towards Marco with a slight sway in her hips. "But Marco, flats are so…ugly." She sighed, resting her head against his chest and playing with one of the buttons on his jacket. "Please Marco…can we not send others out this time? There are enough."

"No, Vera." Marco said sternly. "I do not trust them…we do not have others do our work. We are duel assassins, the most feared of duelists. We do not take the easy way out."

"Even if it means wearing flats?" Vera asked weakly.

"Even if it means wearing a burlap sack. Now, go on bella. I am sure you can find something absolutely stunning in your closet that will also be perfect for reconnaissance." He brought his thumb and forefinger to Vera's chin, moving her face up and capturing her lips in a light, tender kiss. Vera's eyes slowly closed, the beauty pressing her body into his.

"Hey lovebirds!" Marco and Vera snapped to attention, glaring at Nightshroud. "I'm heading out…mind getting me to shore?"

"Calm yourself, Signor. We will leave in 10 minutes…Vera and I need to change."

The Shadow Rider rolled his eyes. "Wouldn't need to wait if you two weren't sucking face!"

Vera gave him a playful smile. "How nice of you to volunteer to swim to the island! That will save us some gas, only having to carry two." She fluttered her eyelashes. "Unless you are willing to be quiet and let us do what we need to do. Well, what will it be, Signor Nightshroud? Because, allow me to insure you…you will only leave the aereo by swimming, no?"

Nightshroud glared at the woman before stomping off to the cargo hold of the plane to wait for the two of them to arrive. Vera and Marco shared a chuckle before heading to their bedroom.

"Where are you going?" Don Zaloog asked, walking into the room just as Vera disappeared into the bathroom, an armload of clothing in her grasp. "Going on some kinda trip?"

"You might say that, detectivo." Marco said.

"Huh?"

"It means detective." Vera called out. "Marco, wear your camicia della fiamma. It highlights your eyes just right."

Marco smiled slightly as he moved to his closet. "Of course Vera, whatever pleases you, bella." He removed his suit jacket, hanging it up carefully before he began taking off his dress shirt.

"So this is where the party is?" Taniya asked, giving Marco a lusty stare as he pulled the red dress shirt from his body, revealing his sculpted chest. "Mmmm, and here are the party favors."

"I'd suggest adverting your eyes. Marco belongs to me, and me along." Vera called out as she continued to dress.

"Vera is right…though I appreciate the compliments." Marco headed into the large closet, using the door to hide himself from view as he removed his dress pants. "What may I do you for, Taniya?"

"There are rumors running around about you, big boy. People want to know what the plan is for tonight."

"Tonight, Signor Nightshroud is to be thrown to the wolves."

"Wait, what are you yammering about?" Don asked.

Marco smirked as he emerged from the closet. He was dressed in a pair of tight jeans, a pair of hiking boots, and a black shirt with flames running up the back. Making his way over to the bed, he moved to a small touch pad on the wall and tapped in a long string of numbers. With a whir, one of the bolted down bureaus swung open, revealing a futuristic armory. Lining the back of the bureau and wall were all sorts of gadgets, from remote control looking devices to an assortment of firearms and quite a few items that neither of the Shadow Hunters could identify.

Marco pulled 2 small black wristbands, around the same thickness as a duel disk arm restraint. It was the same kind he had been wearing when he first met Nightshroud. Fastening one on his right wrist, he left the other for Vera as he pulled out more gear. A compact duel disk on his left arm, several guns and knives, and a weird headband with a piece of green glass hung in front of Marco's left eye were all added to his person, a second set waiting for Vera to come. He finally slipped a small two-way transmitter into his ear as Vera returned.

She was wearing a dark blouse and jeans, a pair of stylish boots on her small feet. Her golden hair was tied backing a ponytail. With speed that betrayed her familiarity with the gear, Vera equipped herself with all the items Marco had left her.

"Are you ready to go, Vera?"

"Yes…let us see if that foolish boy is waiting for us, or if he has taken his chances with the sharks."

Marco smirked, enjoying the image of Nightshroud being torn apart. Shaking the daydream off, the two of them moved back into the hall, past the kitchen and dining room, past the bedrooms, all the way to the door that lead into the loading bay. Entering, he found Nightshroud leaning against a wall, the Shadow Hunter glaring at them. Ignoring the pathetic young man, Marco made his way to the speedboat that sat in a deep trough in the plane's hull.

Hopping inside, he held out his hand to Vera, who daintily stepped aboard. Glancing at Nightshroud, the Shadow Rider rolled his eyes and walked over, taking a seat behind Marco. The assassin flicked a switch, and the hull doors lowered, while pumps within the ship activated, flooding the trough full of water. Once the boat was floating, Marco flicked a few more switches before hitting the throttle, the speedboat racing out of the Holst and into the night, leaving the rest of the Shadow Riders to watch as the water was sucked away and the doors shut tight.

&&&

"Well, look who's here." Nessa said sarcastically, leaning against the doorframe. "What a surprise to find you here…tell me, whatever are you doing here at the abandoned dorm, Samantha?"

The Greek Duelist looked at her, anger in her eyes. "I need your help Miss Fox…you are the only people…"

"You're mad at Alexis. You want revenge. Santa delivers presents on Christmas. God is a woman…tell me something I don't already know, will ya?" Removing herself from the door, Nessa turned and called out, "ARLISS! THERE IS SOME….THING….HERE TO SEE YOU!" The Queen of the Rare Hunters paused. "And that is soon to be Mrs. Lockehart." She snapped, marching away from Samantha and plopping down on the couch.

Samantha awkwardly entered the converted dorm, looking around it with a critical eye. "It's…destroyed. Falling apart." She frowned, looking over at the rat-infested couch Nessa had chosen to sit on. "How can you live like this? It is worse then the Slifer Dorms. You say you are Rare Hunters…powerful…and you chose this place as your hideout."

"First off…" Nessa snarled, "I am the queen of the hunters. So, if you want our help, you have to get my blessing. And questioning my lover's choice in things…that isn't the way to convince me to help you. Second…"

"You will learn that talkin' to Nessa when she is like this, not the best move to make Sammy." Arliss said, descending the staircase. "Though she is right…don't question my decisions. Nothin' is as it seems." His eyes flickered, and for a moment the cloaking spell he had placed on the dorm faded, revealing the true glory of the place. Samantha's jaw dropped as she took in the lush décor and rich assortment of furniture and art. Beautiful hardwood floors, soft leather chairs, a fireplace…

Then it was gone, and it was the cold and gray decay from before.

"A hunter doesn't hide." Arliss said simply as he moved towards her, his strides graceful and with purpose. "No, it be prey that hides, because prey is stupid. It believes much like babies, that the best way to avoid detection is to make it so ya can't see the predator. Hide deep, so ya don't have to face the fear, and the fear…it's gone." He paused, a smile slowly forming on his lips. "At least, they think it's gone. Because hiding is only temporary, Sammy. The prey begins to fear again, think that it isn't hidin' well enough. So it goes deeper, and deeper…until it pops up on the other side, and finds that it was never huntin'…that the predator always knew it was there…and that the hidin' spot is now a trap.

"But a hunter…he don't hide. The best hunters, they stand in plain sight…the prey just don't realize it. That's what we are doin'. We sit here, in plain sight of everyone on this here island…and no one truly realizes it, do they?"

"No…"Samantha said. "I guess not. No one realize notices what is in front of them…do they Mr. Lockehart?"

"Very true." Arliss said. "Now, please sit…ya know now that the chairs can support ya." Samantha nodded, taking a seat far from Nessa. Arliss sat down beside his lover, looking back at the Greek Duelist. "So tell me Samantha, what is it that you want?"

"I want revenge." She said darkly. "I want payback for the embarrassment I suffered at the hands of Miss Rhodes. I want to destroy her life, slowly but surely….until she begs for death."

"And why come to us?" Arliss asked. "We are the bad guys…and Alexis is apparently a bad guy. Doesn't make sense for a hero to be in league with the evil ones that brainwash duelists and kidnap people."

"Evil is a point of view, nothing more." Samantha stated. "The people of Athens saw Ares, the brother of their patron, as a monster, a blood thirsty coward. But to Sparta, he was their patron, their protector. Evil is merely the opposite of your beliefs, nothing more or less. And just as a belief can change, so can evil. I see Miss Rhodes as an enemy, as do you. That makes you good, in my eyes."

Arliss nodded. "Someone has studied her philosophy. I like philosophy too…know your opponent and you've already beatin' him, or somethin' like that."

"The Art of War." Samantha said.

"Yes…well, perhaps we should take this little meeting someplace else. Go upstairs, first room on the left. I'll be up shortly." Making no move to get up, Arliss waved dismissively at Samantha, until she finally stood up and made her way out of the room. "And now, let me guess…you're gonna yell at me, ain't ya darlin'?"

"What do you think?" Nessa snarled. "What are you thinking, Arliss! We know that she is just a spy! Alexis loves Jaden Yuki, not Zane. Those two never would have behaved that way! The only thing somewhat real about that whole scenario was the dueling, and even that was rigged probably!

"And now, we are just inviting her into our home with open arms! She can see us interact, learn of our plans…why don't we just throw open the doors and let the entire school come in with pitchforks and torches?" Nessa glared at her fiancée. "You're getting cocky."

"And you are over reacting." Arliss said. "First, I am thinking quite clearly. Second, I know she is a spy. I remember what you told me about Alexis, about her and Jaden. And I know that this might not seem like the smartest thing to do." He paced towards her. "Next, allow me to ask you…do you know what my final plan is?" Nessa shook her head, for once frightened by the dark tone Arliss had adopted. His voice was doing that strange thing where it lost most traces of his southern accent, leaving it merely cold and hard. "No…only me and Arlen know, because that way we can be sure we are the only ones worried about keeping it. And do you honestly believe I would tell that girl anything?" He shook his head. "Tell me Nessa…do you not trust me at all?"

"I-I trust you!" She stammered, suddenly feeling very much like Vanessa again. "It's just…"

"My plan will work?" Arliss interrupted.

"What…what do you mean…" Nessa stammered, confused

"I knew one day they'd come up with the bright idea of sending a spy into my hunters. I knew from the beginning. So I planned ahead, courted a duelist so people would think I was interested in her already. You know…that plan!"

Nessa's eyes grew wide. "The duel you had with Samantha…that was all…"

"An act? Of course." Arliss she said, confused himself. "I could have beaten her in 2 turns. I just had to draw it out, make people think I was weak, and make everyone in this damn school think that I was interested in Samantha."

"But why? Why chose her?"

"You really don't know, do you?." Arliss said, his tone slowly slipping back into the caring warmth he always used around her. He gathered her up in his arms, stroking her hair. "It's a the Long Con, darlin'. I thought you knew."

"A long con. That's where…you get people…to do what you want them to do, and think it's their idea…" The light sudden turned on above Nessa's head. "You want Samantha to be a Rare Hunter, don't you? You want another spy, a triple agent, working for you. She really is the next one of us, and everything has been to convince people to bring her here…even me…"

"Nah darlin'. Just assumed you realized what was goin' on. That's why I was so upset with ya…thought you knew and were still questionin' me." He kissed her forehead. "Sorry Nessa."

"It's ok…" Nessa looked up at him. "How are we going to turn her?"

"Leave that ta me." Arliss' eyes flashed black. "Oh…leave that ta me."

&&&

I do feel bad, not tellin' Nessa everythin' about my plan 'n all, but I just can't risk it.

Nah, it's not a matter of trust. I trust Nessa with my life. She is my equal, my queen and soon my wife. There is nothin' I wouldn't trust her with. I know that she would keep my secrets till the day she died, and even after that. Just as I would keep hers.

Nah, it's a matter of skill. Actin' skill really.

Me, I can act. I got some trainin' back before I dueled Marik. Me and Arlen and Mayday…the three of us traveled the world learnin' skills. Mastered karate from some old dude with a beard, learned survival skills from mountain climbers, and stage craft in England.

For the Long Con, ya have to be able to act flawlessly. You need to convince the mark that they are in control, to the point where they are for one moment. Where they have a chance to run and leave you with nothin' but broken plans and wasted time. You need to act well to get there, and ya need nerve to let the game play out.

Nessa, bless her little heart, she ain't got the nerves nor the actin' skills.

Don't look at me like that! Think about it! She couldn't even play along and make Sammy think we we're on to her. How do you expect her to act like she has no clue what my endgame is. And, no offense, but she isn't that patient. She tends to jump the gun, and Lord knows I love her for it…but she ain't built for the Long Con.

So I bear that burden alone.

&&&

"So it has begun Jaden." Banner said quietly to himself, looking up at the volcano. "Your first duel with a Shadow Rider. I wish there was a way to spare you this pain, but I can not. So much is at stake, my boy. The very fate of the world rests upon your young shoulders, and our only hope of survival is your skills in a duel.

"And yet, you are not yet ready for this Jaden. So far, you have only dueled for joy. But will you be able to keep your spirits up, when assaulted by the powers of the Shadow Realm? Will you be able to take your game to the next level? The threats you face soon are not simple ones, and they will make all challenges you have faced so far pale in comparison."

Banner shook his head sadly, watching as molten rock shot out from the volcano. This was a great risk, he knew. By allowing Nightshroud to endanger the lives of Syrus and Chumley, he knew that he now placed himself in equal blame for anything that happened to them.

"But I must. I was not strong enough to stop the Sacred Beasts…I will not allow you to share my fate."

"Pardon me, Il Professor Banner, but what is all this about Bestie Sacred?" Banner turned quickly to find two young people standing behind him, their arms crossed as they looked beyond him to the volcano.

"Well…hello there. Are you new students at the academy? You should know that you mustn't be out this late…"

"Please, you think I would be caught dead in those rivestimenti disgustosi?" The woman said with a roll of her eyes. "With the way the colori clash? No no no…do not ever speak of such a sin again."

"What she means to say…" The man said with a slight smile. "…is that we are not allievi. We were sent by Kagemaru." Banner looked at them both, in utter shock from that simple statement. "We are his representatives on this island. He has placed us both in charge of the Shadow Riders and all that they do while on this island." The man turned to the his companion. "May I present Sig.na Vera Amarillo. I am Marco Giovanni. A pleasure to make your acquaintance, Professore."

"And…yours too."

"Ah, you lie to me, Professore. You are no more happy to be here then most of us. But, we do what we must to survive." Marco smirked. "Vera desires wealth to survive. You desire the power Kagemaru and the Shadow Riders provide."

"And what about you?" Banner asked. "What do you desire?"

Marco gave him a knowing looking. "Un inviato non chiede perchè. Faccio mentre i dii lo comandano. An envoy does not ask why. I do as the gods command me."

"The gods?"

Vera shook her head. "Marco and his gods. Do not get him started, or he will weave tales from now to sunrise, then back to sunset once more."

"Parlo la verità. Una verità sembrate dimenticarsi." Marco hissed

"Non mi sono dimenticato. Soltanto sto comunicando."

"Parlate il blasphemy!" He shouted in anger. "I dii li danno molto e parlate di loro come se non siano stati mai!"

"Dobbiamo ora discutere questo?"

"Would you like some privacy?"

The two Italians turned back towards Banner, who stood there with a quiet smile. Each shook their heads, putting the argument out of their heads. "No…no Professore. There are other matters we must attend to."

"And what would that be?"

Vera smirked. "Examining Mr. Jaden Yuki in a duel, of course."

&&&

"Are you ok, 'ayden?" Cassandra asked, watching from her bed as her boyfriend paced up and down the room.

"What you do think, Cass?" He muttered, running his finger through his hair, almost to the point of ripping it from his scalp. "My whole bloody life has been thrown in the damn air, and you expect me to be ok?"

Cassandra watched him, growing increasingly bored by his antics. "I don't see wot the problem is, 'ayden. I would think you'd be 'cited that my da 'ad 'cepted ya into the family."

Hayden rolled his eyes. "Ay lass, he let me in out of the kindness of his dark little heart, huh?"

"I sense sarcasm."

"You bloody well should!" The Scottish Duelist snapped. "You honestly think he cares at all about me? That he made me part of this merry band because he likes my company? No way. He just wants me in for cannon fodder."

"'e doesn't!" Cassandra protested.

"Think about it, Cassie. Why would he suddenly decide to include me in this group? Because I know too much. I know about the Shadow Riders, about Banner. He can't risk me talking, so he bound me to you all. Bet he's getting ready to announce my transfer to this dorm at any moment." He shook his head. "He's trapped me. I try and say a word, and I get thrown under the bus along with the rest of you."

"Would…would ya really rat us out, 'ayden?"

"not you." Hayden said softly. "But those two…Cass, what they are talking about…the Shadow Riders…it can't be good. You know it can't. People are goin' to get hurt. You mean you can stand by and let that happen?"

"You can't?" Cassandra snapped, her eyes flashing black. "The only people that will be 'urt will be those that tried to 'urt us. Why care about those pathetic little worms, 'ayden? They don't care about us…they just try and take advantage of us. What does it matter to us if they are 'urt?"

Hayden shook his head. "I just don't know Cass…it's different with you. You chose to be a part of the Rare Hunters…I didn't."

"Do you want to?" Cassandra asked. Hayden remained quiet, sitting down on the bed and stroking her hair. "Do you? 'ayden?"

&&&

"So that is Jaden Yuki." Vera said, looking down at the battle between the Slifer and Nightshroud. "I expected someone much…handsomer."

Banner stroked Pharaoh's back. "Jaden has turned a few heads already, Miss Amarillo."

"Americans, I presume?" Vera asked. "They fall for anything with seni, so why should we assume that they have good taste in men?"

"Yes…well, Jaden will prove to be a formidable opponent for Nightshroud. He will have to be on his guard…"

"The boy will fall before the night is done." Marco said.

"You believe Nightshroud is that good?"

Marco shook his head. "I was not speaking of Signor Yuki. It is Nightshroud that will loss this match."

Banner was surprised by the comment, to say the least. "How can you be so sure?"

"Because Nightshroud is weak. Against any other, he may have a chance. But against this Jaden Yuki, there is little he can do to win. The body that the spirit known as Nightshroud holds prison shall awaken this morn."

"You…you believe that?" Banner asked, suddenly nervous. 'If Atticus is freed, he will tell them of my involvement…how can I hope to complete my mission if my cover is blown?'

"I have dueled this Signor Nightshroud, and while he does well, he is far below the league of myself and this Jaden Yuki." Marco shrugged, holding out his right arm. "But I have other matters to attend to." The device he wore on his wrist began to blink, Marco pressing a few buttons on the device.

"Oggetto trovato. Incidendo nella base di dati di Kaibacorp." A robotic voice said from Vera and Marco's ear pieces. Banner strained to hear what was being said. His attention had been peeked with the mention of 'Kaibacorp'. "Registri Trovato. Giocatore: Jaden Yuki. Tipo Della Piattaforma: Hero Elementare. Strategia: Fusione"

"What are you doing?" Banner asked.

"Quiet." Vera hissed. "He is scanning the boy's duel disk."

"Scanning?"

"Richiamo delle annotazioni di tutti oltre i duelli. Elaborazione." The computer said.

"What is going on?" Banner asked once more. "What is he doing?"

"Marco is scanning Signor Yuki's duel disk, so that he can learn the makeup of his deck."

Banner looked at them in surprise, the full realitization of what Vera was suggesting hitting him. "You have the equipment to read what is in an opponent's deck."

"Not quite." Marco said, still scanning the duel disk. "A duel disk is much like a computer. Consider each monster like a website. Imagine the power that would be needed in order for a duel disk to read a card, beam the information to Kaibacorp, upload the image of the monster, send it back to the duel disk and project it onto the field. It would be impressive with one monster…but an entire deck? The system, she would overload if done that way.

"So, the Kaiba Corporation took a page from the web browsers, and installed each duel disk with a small memory system that records what cards are played on a duel disk and saves part of this information on the disk itself, creating a quick file to go to."

"A cookie." Banner muttered. "Of course…and your wrist bands…"

"Taking a page from Spyware." Marco said. "They read the cookies the duel disk creates, then hacks into Kaibacorp to discover what each cookie is. The result is a full makeup of every card played those far by a duelist."

"Esplorazione completa. Dati del giocatore ricevuti."

"Ah, buon, buon." Marco said, lowering his arm. "We may now leave Signor Nightshroud to his defeat."

"That is all?" Banner asked.

"No no no…" Vera said. "Not at all. That is merely the first step. There are three things that determine a duelist: His motivation, his deck, and the company he keeps. We know Signor Yuki fights for the side of good. We now know his deck. We must now deal with his friends."

"Deal?" Banner asked.

Marco chuckled. "We have a date with Signor Truesdale."

"And what makes you think Syrus will duel you?" Banner asked as the assassins began to leave.

"Oh…we have our ways."

Next Time, on GX: Hunters: Rumors are spreading around the academy. Some of a mysterious vampire that is taking duelists into the shadows, never to be seen again. Others of a new dorm being formed under the command of Arliss Lockehart. And still more about Hayden McGregor and who the young duelist is really working with. But when Jaden and Co. hear rumors of another female duelist who gives out powerful cards when she is defeated, they are off to investigate. The trip will bring them into battle, one where the gods are not on their side.

Riders of the Storm Part 4