The Following story is work of Fiction. Any relation to any real People, Places, or refernces are purely coicidental. The Characters and copy right cards of Yugioh 5D's do not belong to us.
*Lake Erie Bridge Highway, Cleveland, Ohio, USA 6:34 AM LST*
The wind was blowing gently against Colin's Duel Runner as he rode across the empty bridge in the early morning. Rita had her arms tightly around him and she was resting her head against while sleeping. The gentle wind actually woke her up and she saw the sunrise against the crystal blue waters of the lake.
Rita: Wow, how pretty.
Colin: Good, you're finally awake. We're almost there.
Rita looked a little past Colin and she saw the bridge highway leading up to a pretty average-sized island with a small community on it with both US and Canadian flags flying in the distance.
Rita: You live there?
Colin: That's it, Glen Kern Island.
Rita: Not like I imagined it.
Colin: My house is on the other side, away from the hustle and bustle of the downtown community.
Rita: I thought you lived in the city.
Colin: That's not for me; I prefer smaller things.
They drove onto the island and through the town. It was early morning, so nobody was really out yet. It took about 16 minutes to get to the other side of the island where they rode on a single stretch of road through a wooded area before they arrived at Colin's house. It was a big house, but not exactly a mansion. It sat on a hill that overlooked the small sandy beach below and the lake.
Rita: That's your house? How can you afford that?
Colin: Thank God for Red Star Electronics endorsements.
Rita: Oh right, you get paid a lot of money to wear those stupid headphones.
Colin: The sound quality is shit, but they look cool.
Colin pulled his Runner up to the front of the house and both he and Rita got off, the latter was still amazed with his house.
Rita: I still can't believe you live here.
Colin: Yeah, it's a nice house, isn't it? And the best part is that we've got it all to ourselves.
Colin smirked at her and Rita just rolled her eyes with a smile and she lightly punched his arm. Colin then went to open the door, but then heard screaming from inside the house.
?: Dude, put that down before you break it!
CRASH! CRUMPLE! POP! SPEWS!
?: I think I just broke it...
Colin: Oh no! Oh hell no!
Colin opened the door and on the inside he saw Jeremy Griffan, the Violet Rose, and Chris Martin cleaning up a mess that looked as though they threw a party last night.
Chris: Oh, shit, I think he's home!
Jeremy: You think? !
Colin: What are you two doing here? !
Chris: Well, Liz kicked me out. She accused me of cheating on her with other girls and I wasn't, I was just flirting with them.
Jeremy: And my apartments being fumigated.
Colin: So that gives you two idiots the right to throw a party at my house? !
Jeremy: It wasn't our idea.
Just then, a person shot up from the couch with a lampshade over their head.
Krystal: Whoo! What a party!
The girl removed the lampshade and it was Krystal Skyler, the Azure Rose.
Colin: Krystal, what are you doing here? !
Krystal: Well, I didn't want to go back to Pearl City, so I decided to hang out with you guys for a bit.
Colin: And you idiots let her stay here? !
Jeremy: Actually, she was here before us and let US in.
Colin just stood there, dumbfounded, and he smacked himself in the face and Rita just stood there next to him.
Rita: Come on, it's not that bad.
Colin: Fine, you guys can stay here.
Chris: All right! I call the guest bedroom!
Jeremy: Which one? There are two.
Colin: You guys get neither! You're sleeping on the couch!
Krystal: Yay! I get guest room 1!
Rita: I guess that leaves me with guest room 2.
Colin: Guest room 2? Really? I figured you and me could share the same room.
Colin smirked and Rita rolled her eyes.
Rita: Sorry, Colin, but that's a bit too "personal". I'll do it when I KNOW you better.
Colin felt like Rita smacked him in the back of the head again. Rita had just gotten him back for the time they were in the duel runner garage and he wouldn't tell her the secrets for his silver rose runner.
Chris: Oh! Burn, dude! You ain't getting nothing tonight!
Colin: Neither are you, Chris! At least I've still got a girlfriend!
Chris then huddled away like a scared little puppy.
Krystal: Aw, poor Chris… Say, Colin, you want to show me around town? I'd like to meet everybody here.
Krystal's attitude always seems to change on a whim. She is a strange one.
Rita: That sounds good.
Colin: But I'm tired. I just want to hit the bed.
Rita grabbed Colin's arm and twisted it around.
Rita: Show us around town, dammit!
Colin: Ow! Ow! Okay! Okay!
Jeremy: Remember, you're the one with the girlfriend. You can't do anything you want to anymore.
Krystal: Well put, Jeremy.
Colin: Fine, let's just go. Chris, you better clean this house up by the time I get back or else you'll be sleeping in a rowboat on the lake!
The group left the house and walked along the dirt road until they reached the town. It was much livelier now that everyone was awake. People were working, walking around, and enjoying their day.
Guy: Hey, Colin, welcome back!
Colin: Hey, man!
Lady with groceries: Colin and Jeremy, there you two are. We watched you on TV during the Tournament. You both did so well.
Colin: Hey, remember, I did better.
Jeremy: Oh, stuff it!
Dude: Hey, Jeremy, bro! What's up? You're awesome man!
Jeremy: You're awesome, too, man!
Krystal: Wow, you two are very popular around here.
Jeremy: In small communities such as this, you tend to know more people better. Most of the time, it's better than the city because people know and care about each other more.
Colin fangirls: Colin!
Several young beauties then swarmed around Colin like a field of locust.
Colin fangirl A: Welcome back, Colin!
Colin fangirl B: We watched you while you were in Egypt! You were so awesome!
Colin fangirl C: Move! I wanna talk to him! I wanna talk to him!
Colin fangirls: We love you, Colin!
The girls continued to swarm Colin with hearts floating in their eyes. They had completely separated Colin from Rita and she was getting a little pissed off at the annoying girls.
Colin: Ladies, ladies! I'm very flattered, and I'd hate to break your hearts, but I have myself a girlfriend now.
Colin fangirls: Awwwww!
The fangirls made sad panda faces.
Colin fangirls: … We still love you, Colin!
The girls swarmed around Colin for a little bit longer and they wouldn't leave until Colin signed autographs for them.
Rita: Unbelievable! Those girls are such skanks!
Jeremy: I know. Damn, Colin gets all the luck!
Krystal: Jeremy, you want skanks to follow you on a weekly basis?
Jeremy: Is that too much to ask for?
Krystal: Aw! I'll be your skank.
Krystal then hugs Jeremy.
Jeremy: Thanks, Krystal, but in truth, that's not really what I want.
Krystal: You want Makoto, right?
Jeremy: What do you mean by that?
Krystal: You can't hide it from me. I can tell. If it makes you feel better, I knew Colin and Rita would end up together the moment I met them. And I can see that you and Makoto will make a very nice couple. ^_^
Jeremy: *flustered* Well, I, we, she, this conversation's over!
Krystal just continued to smile and Colin finally made it back to the group after getting rid of his fangirl legion.
Colin: I can't even walk around town without getting mauled by fangirls. This is my gift, it is also my curse.
Rita: Oh, you're so full of it!
Krystal: I'm hungry! Is there any place to eat around here?
Jeremy: Well we can go to the Food mart and cook something back at the house.
Colin: Good idea, let's do that.
The group made their way into the small Food Mart, which was a small, family-owned grocery store. Colin and Krystal had picked out most of the food and checked out with the owner, old lady Hilda.
Hilda: Colin! I heard you came back. And I also hear you've got a girlfriend, you Casanova, you.
Colin: Wow, nothing's faster than rumors in this town.
Hilda: Well, with something this big, you can't hide it, especially with a girlfriend this pretty. What's your name?
Krystal: Krystal.
Hilda: My, you're definitely a good catch.
Colin: Whoa! It's not Krystal! My girlfriend's the one in the back of the store in the red shirt!
Old lady Hilda looked over at Rita who was still looking at the shelves for something she might want and Hilda wasn't that impressed.
Hilda: Oh, she's okay, too… I guess.
Hilda then takes Krystal aside and whispered in her ear.
Hilda: *whispers* If you get a chance to steal the young boy, take it.
Krystal: I will, don't worry.
Krystal gave Hilda a thumbs-up, even though they were both playing around. Colin sighed and paid for all the food. The four carried the bags out.
Rita: We have to walk all the way back to your house with this stuff? It's a long walk.
Jeremy: Well, we could stop by Tinker's garage. He's been working on my Duel Runner. We can swing by and I can take the groceries home on my Runner.
The group then made their way to an auto shop that said Tinker-ing Garage. Inside, they saw Timothy "Tinker" Twininski, or as Colin would properly dub him, "The Old Man". Tinker was in a beach chair sleeping, with a hat over his face while he had a dozen Duel Runners that still needed work to be done.
Colin: Hey, old man, wake up!
Colin kicked Tinker and he snorted as he woke up.
Tinker: Huh? Wha happa?
Colin: Oh, look, old man's not dead yet. Darn.
Tinker: Oh, come on, I ain't old.
Tinker then got up from his chair.
CRACK!
Tinker: Ow! My back!
Rita: You okay?
Tinker: I will be, as soon as I get some painkillers.
Jeremy: Well, good luck with that. We're just going to take my Runner and leave.
Tinker: Sure, no problem, guys. Just leave me here with my painful back.
Colin: Well, we were planning to.
Krystal: You guys are so mean! Here, Tinker, I'll help ya.
Krystal then gets behind Tinker, grabs both of his hands, pulls them behind Tinker's back, stretches them out and kicks him in the back with both of her feet until she heard another crack.
Tinker: Dah! Wait, my back actually feels better.
Jeremy: Krystal, how'd you know how to do that?
Krystal got back on her feet and brushed the dirt off.
Krystal: I didn't, I just always wanted to try that.
Tinker: Well, whatever you did, it worked. My back feels grea-
? (megaphone): SECTOR SECURITY! THIS IS A RAID! PUT YOUR HANDS ON THE FLOOR AND DON'T MAKE ANY SUDDEN MOVEMENTS!
Tinker dove for the ground with his hands over his head like he was expecting this. Suddenly, the front doors opened and there was a single Sector Security officer there. He was young, about 18, and was wearing the full uniform, but he didn't look like he was there on a raid.
?: I heard you two losers came back and I had to hear it from old lady Hilda? That's friendship for ya, I swear!
Colin: JIMMY!
Jeremy: Jim, how's it going?
The officer came over and the three guys embraced like they were friends.
Colin: Oh, you're Mr. Badge now? You know what we used to say about Mr. Badge.
Jim: Yeah, we said if he ever confiscated our duel cards, we would take his Duel Runner and dump it in the lake. But now that I'm on this side of the law, "OMG, that seems so ghetto".
Rita: You guys know each other?
Colin: Rita, this is Jim Paxton. He, me and Jeremy grew up together.
Jim: And who's that lovely creature you got there?
Colin: *glares* My girlfriend, Jim.
Jim: Really? Miss, I can tell you right now you can do so much better.
Rita: I know. But he was the first one who asked.
Jim: And who's the other beautiful lady you've got with you?
Krystal: Krystal. Krystal Skyler. And I'm still single.
Jim: *smirks* Oh, I'm gonna remember that.
Krystal: You guys got a Sector Security officer as a friend? You guys can get away with so much crap now.
Jim: Uh, don't think so. I bend the rules for nobody. I turned in my own dad for selling fake Blue-Eyes White Dragon cards.
Colin: Fake Blue-Eyes White Dragon cards? ! The nerve of that man!… where can I get one?
Jim: Colin, same as always. I can see Niagara Falls didn't straighten you out one bit.
Colin: Nope. Neither did becoming Freedom Cup champion, and neither to becoming one of the Elite 8 in the World Tournament. And after all of those accomplishments, what have you done? You sold yourself out.
Jim: Hey, I'm proud of the work I do. I've actually done some good things. This is how you change the world: One small good deed at a time.
Jeremy: Same old Jim.
Colin: Yeah, you're still a goody-two-shoes.
Jim: And you're still oblivious to everyone but yourself. Anyway, I got to get going. Nice seeing you guys.
Colin and Jeremy: Later, dude!
Jim left and Tinker finally got off the floor.
Tinker: Huh? Wha? Is the raid over yet?
Colin: No, old man, they're actually about to search your car now.
Tinker: Fine, just take the Runner and get out of here.
They loaded the grocery bags onto Jeremy's Duel Runner and he drove back to the house. Colin walked back to the house, with Rita on one arm and Krystal on the other like he was such a playa.
Colin: A guy can get used to this!
Rita: -_- You better not get too used to it!
Krystal: I'm already used to it! ^_^
As the Sun set behind the horizon line on the lake, they finally made it back to the house and when they got inside, they saw that Chris did not clean up the place at all (Go figure). In fact, he was busy in the living room on his laptop while Jeremy was putting the groceries away.
Colin: Chris, what the hell? I told you to clean up!
Chris: Oh, dude, let's be honest, you knew I was never gonna clean up. Just get the maid to do it.
Colin: I don't have a maid.
Chris: Then make Rita do it.
Suddenly, Chris felt Rita's hand grab his neck and start crushing the little bones inside it with her fury.
Rita: I know you DID NOT just say that!
Chris: I didn't say it! I didn't say it! I didn't say it! I didn't say it!
Rita let go of his neck and Colin pushed Chris aside and went to his own NDC account on Chris' computer.
Colin: Looks like Ringford sent that email for the team thing.
Jeremy: Ringford sent you a team form to fill out? How'd you get him to allow you to do that?
Colin: It wasn't easy. First, I had to team up with Rita, that was hard. And get this, I had to duel Calvin Mitchel.
Jeremy: Calvin? That no good snake bastard CHEATER!
Colin: That's what I said, only not those same words.
Rita: I'm sorry, should I know who this guy is?
Colin: Not really, he's just a puppet.
Jeremy: The NDC has rigged their Freedom Cup championships for years. They pick one guy they like the best who has a good image and they rig the tournament so they can win it all.
Colin: His first few opponents were just simple novices who had no clue how to use a deck.
Jeremy: Then, when he dueled me in the semifinals, he switched out the cards in his deck so he could counteract mine. NDC uses a deck recognition program. You select the cards in your Deck and the ones in the Extra Deck and you're not allowed to switch them out for the whole tournament. He switched out all the cards in his deck and the NDC ruled that he did nothing against the rules. He had me in a corner for most of the duel, but then I found a way to turn it around. Finally, I set a Trap down that could've won the duel. When I go to activate it, the system didn't recognize the card and it wouldn't activate it. The guy then kicks my ass.
Colin: They pulled the same tricks on me during the finals. He had all these anti-Machine cards: Short Circuit, Malfunction, System Down. But he left himself completely defenseless, saying he could beat me with just Spells and Traps. However, I was able to use Cost Down, summon Dark Magician Girl and that was it.
Krystal: Wait, couldn't the NDC have frozen your cards like they did with Jeremy's?
Colin: They could've, but I played nothing face-down. They only lock up cards when they're face-down. That way, if the card isn't activated, they could say that the duelist simply forgot to activate the Trap or fake the opponent out. If you play a card face-up, then you've got a card face-up, there's 10,000 people in the stands watching and you can't blame a system error, because a system error means that the whole tournament must be redone.
Rita: Unbelievable! They're just a bunch of crooks and snakes!
Colin: And what's worse is Ringford had the nerve to come up to me, tell me everything that he did and offer me to be his new puppet! I just told him to piss off! And even worse, Jeremy didn't have a fair chance to win that championship.
Jeremy: Damn straight!
Krystal: And you were planning to form a team for this guy why?
Rita: 'Cause he'll drop the charges against my dad if we do. He allowed me to register as an NDC duelist just for that.
Colin: Oh, Rita, remember that special card he gave you? Put it in your duel disk, you need to register.
Rita pulled out the card Ringford gave her and activated her duel disk. She then placed the card in the middle Monster Card Zone and the duel disk lit up like a Christmas tree.
PC: NDC registration card confirmed… Please state your name…
Rita: Rita St. Clair.
PC: Loading...comfirmed "Rita St Clair" "Age 18" "Hometown: Oakland California" "Current Location: Glen Kern Island" Please insert your deck into the Deck slot of your duel disk.
Rita placed her deck in the deck slot.
PC: Loading...loading...loading...loading...Deck Comfirmed. 0 illeagal cards. 1 one of a kind Card "Twilit Dragon". Deck Grade B+ Congraulations Miss . I look forword to your duel's in the future.
The Light shot off and Rita was a registered Duelist now.
Rita: Thats it?
Colin: Thats it. Easy right?
Colin turned his attention to the computer and began reading the Team formation form.
Colin: K lets see..."Each duel is a signal round 3 on 3 elmination macth"-blah blah blah-"8000 life points"-yap yap yap-ok here we go "3 members must be lined up for a macth. For every 1 member their must be 2 back ups in the event a duelist can not complete. Also Back ups can also, replace a dueist Prior to a match to fit a teams stratagy." Seem's simple enough.
Jeremy: So we need 3 duelists...and 2 back ups for each...thats 9 duelist's at the least for our Team.
Colin: Hm...thats so familiar for some reason. Where are we gonna find 9 duelist's?
Rita rolled her eyes and lifted up Colin's wrist and showed her the Rose mark.
Colin: Oh right! Roses! Forgot about them.
Krystal: Great! We got that finished.
Colin: Not Quite. "All duel teams require 1 manager to Manage the team. Manager is in charge of scheduling Deuls and setting up the match ups. Under NO cicumstances will the Manager Duel for the team." We need a Manager.
Derek: I'll do it!
Everyone looked over to the outside window and there they saw Colin's brother Derek Kennat standing there.
Derek: Heeey, ya mind letting me in? It get's cold out here at night.
Colin let Derek in and he immidently went over to the computer and looked over the team form.
Derek: I couldn't help but overhear, from where I was eavesdropping, that you guys are forming a little team and need a Manager. I can do that.
Colin: No offense Derek, but your not exactly the most trustworthy person out there.
Derek: When have I ever NOT been trustworthy?
Colin: You gamble away your life savings, come to me for more money, gamble that away, promise me to pay me back for another loan, gamble that away, steal my cards and sell them to a evil CEO of a Criminal origanization.
Derek: ...Once...
Krystal: Come on Colin give'em a chance. I got a good feeling about this.
Colin: *sighs* Fine Derek, you can manage.
Derek: Yes! I won't let you guys down! I'll get strait to work!
Derek jumped on the computer and got to work. Then their was a collective yawn amongst the group.
Rita: OH geez, I'm tired. Colin where are the guest rooms?
Colin: Here I'll show you.
Colin took Rita up the Stairs and took her to one of the guest rooms. It was a nice comfy rooms, not too flashy.
Rita: Thanks, I'll see ya in the morning.
Colin: Or ya know, I could stay a bit...help you get comfortable here...k?
Colin gave a smirk and Rita rollwed her eyes. She then pushed him out of the room.
Rita: Good night Colin.
She then closed the door and it seperated the two of them.
Colin: Oh Come on Rita.
Rita: GOOD night Colin.
Rita wasn't gonna open the door for him anytime soon, so Colin returned to his own room and went to bed...alone.