0P3R4710N: 7URB0 DU3L

Hack grinned as the numbers slowly kept increasing. They slowly rose higher, until they reached $100, 000. She clicked a button at the bottom of the screen that said transfer, and all that money was suddenly somewhere else. She began slowly working her way out of the system, patching the gaps in the firewalls she had made her way through. She even left her typical calling card, a snickering .gif of her most powerful duel monster, a creature called Stolen Data. She checked her watch, which had been fed into the security feed, and saw three men approaching her position. She smirked as she packed her equipment up. Peeking her head out the door to check if anyone was coming, she exited the room.

Making her way down the hall, Hack looked around before pulling the fire alarm and exiting the emergency door of the bank. She made her way down the fire escape, and into the alleyway, quickly walking away. As soon as she reached the end of the back alleyway, someone grabbed her and pulled her aside. She reacted quickly, and pulled out her pepper spray, spraying her assailant in the face, who screamed in pain. Two other people grabbed her, and she dropped the pepper spray as they brought her into the back alleyway. "I don't have any money on me!"

"What?" Shiho asked. He nodded to Sasuke, who released her at the same time he did, and she collapsed to the ground. "Make sure Adachi is okay."

"Of course." Sasuke looked down at the child-sized Hack, before walked away. Shiho sat down next to her.

"We aren't here to hurt you."

"Well I couldn't tell the difference, what with you guys manhandling me."

"Do you know who I am?"

"Haven't the foggiest. Also, I don't give a damn."

Shiho sighed. "Do you recall hacking into a duel down in the warehouses three nights ago? Deleted a monster called Archangel Gabrius from the duel, thereby rendering it useless?"

"It might ring a bell. All I know is, there were people looking for someone like me involved in that duel. I took a shot at who it was that was after me. Looks like I guessed wrong."

"We're not your enemies. In fact, we're the farthest thing from it." Shiho pulled the sleeve of his jacket up and showed her his azure mark of the dragon. "In fact, we're almost family."

"Please. I don't have any family." Hack replied sternly. "All they're good for is letting people down."

"Give us a chance."

"No."

"Then have a duel with me."

"No."

"Look, this can go either one way, or the other. If you won't willingly duel me, I'll force you to. You play a role in the fate of this city more than just petty theft." Shiho pulled his sleeve back down. "You can be so much more"

"Fine, as long as you stop talking, Jesus." Hack pulled her phone out. "One duel."

"Let's go, right here, right now."

"I can't. Turbo Duel only." Hack replied. "I need to make some preparations, first. Meet me at the entrance to Coastal Track 3 in two hours."

"We'll be there." Shiho stood up. "No funny business. If you don't show, we'll find you again."

"If I agree to duel someone, I never refuse."

"I also hope you know that I've had my friend Sasuke maximize security and send it out as an update to all duel systems in the city." Shiho explained. "You won't be hacking your way to victory."

"We'll see."

Shiho, Sasuke, and Adachi stood waiting at the entrance to Coastal Track 3. In the distance, they heard the sound of an approaching motorized vehicle. Suddenly, from around the corner, Hack appeared, riding on a Duel Board. As she approached the three azure Signers, Sasuke and Adachi could barely hold their laughter in. "Aww, is the wittle kiddie ready to duel?"

"I am no 'wittle kiddie'. I am a master hacker, and a master duelist." Hack's Duel Board revved, almost on command. "But I figured you'd find my mode of transportation amusing, so I decided to spice this duel up."

"What do you mean, Hack?" Shiho asked, more intrigued in Hack than amused by her vehicle. Hack smirked as she pressed a button on her watch. The ground started to shake as Coastal Track 3 started to split in half, as if it was designed to. "What the hell?"

"Hey, please. Child ears here." Hack grinned. "This track is built to separate. It was how it was built. But I hacked into the mechanisms that control the track and some parts of the track are now separated, while others are still together. Basically, don't screw up, and don't hit me."

"Fine by me. Let's do this." Shiho and Hack drove their respective vehicles into the Duel Track and brought them to the start line.

"Turbo Duel, engaged. Autopilot standing by. Activating the Speed World 3 field spell." A wave of light floated off the two dueling vehicles, signalling the initiation of a turbo duel. "Autopilot active."

A holographic image appeared that counted down until the duel started. As soon as the duel was to begin, both duelists blasted down the track, Hack's Duel Board moving at incredible speed.

"Let's Duel!" They shouted in unison.

Shiho: 4000 LP SPC 0
Hack: 4000 LP SPC 0

"First person to take a side of the track goes first!" Hack declared.

"Oh, you are so on!" Shiho replied. As the first separation of the track approached, Shiho revved his engine, but Hack blasted past and took the side he was headed for, causing him to swerve and change course, almost knocking him into the water below. Hack snickered.

"I told you to be careful!"

"Oh, be quiet! Make your first move!"

"Don't mind if I do!" Hack drew a card from her deck and looked at her choices. "I summon my monster, Hacker Component – Ethernet Cable!"

Shiho: 4000 LP SPC 0-1
Hack: 4000 LP SPC 0-1

Shiho watched in bewilderment as a serpent-like being appeared. One side was a head crafted from an ethernet cable's connector, while the tail had a standard ethernet connector at the end. "What the…"

"I'll set two cards facedown and end my turn!"

"My turn, then! I don't know what that monster is, but I've already got a plan to eliminate it!" Shiho drew a card from his deck, and then pulled two cards from his hand. "I'll start with two cards facedown, also. Next, I'll summon my Azurian Bailiff in Attack mode!"

Shiho: 4000 LP SPC 1-2
Hack: 4000 LP SPC 1-2

"I'll have to activate the special effect of my Ethernet Cable!" Hack shouted as a card was ejected from her deck into her hand. "Don't worry, it won't stop the summoning of your precious Bailiff. But it does allow me to special summon a monster! Get ready, because I'm summoning my creature Hack Bug \\ Trojan! And due to his special ability, he appears to your side of the field!"

"What?" Shiho was shocked. A level six monster erupted to his field, its 2600 attack dominating his Bailiff. He snickered. "Are you sure you're as good as you claim, Hack? You gave me a pretty powerful monster!"

"We'll see."

Hack's very determined that his defenses will hold out. Well, I'm not gonna let some punk little boy throw me off my game! "Azurian Bailiff, attack Hacker Component – Ethernet Cable!"

"Not so fast! I activate my trap card Backing Up! By returning my Hacker Component to my hand, I can negate your attack!"

"But that leaves you wide open! Hack Bug \\ Trojan! Attack Hack directly!" Shiho watched as the digitized Trojan warrior drew his sword, preparing to bear down on Hack. At the last second, it turned, and obliterated Azurian Bailiff, showering Shiho with the holographic shards, the remains of his monster. "What?"

Shiho: 4000 LP-3000 LP

"When you declare an attack with my Trojan, since I am the original owner, I can dictate its attack targets!" Hack snickered again. "Come on, the card is on your field! You should have taken the initiative and read it for yourself!"

"Grrr…"

"But no matter. When your turn ends, my Trojan will be destroyed, as per the summoning conditions of my Ethernet Cable's effect!"

"But that leaves me wide open!" Shiho called as a ghostly tail of the Ethernet Cable appeared, plugging itself into Hack Bug \\ Trojan. In an instant, his monster was obliterated, sending pixilated bits in all directions.

"That's right, it does." Hack drew a card from her deck. "And it's my turn!"

Shiho: 3000 LP SPC 2-3
Hack: 4000 LP SPC 2-3

"I'll re-summon my Hacker Component – Ethernet Cable! And using his special ability, I'll special summon my Hack Bug \\ Defalt from my deck!" Hack shouted as the card was ejected from her deck. "Luckily for you, I don't have a more powerful Hack Bug \\ in my deck or a different Hacker Component, otherwise this duel would be all over! But with the Attack points I've amassed here, you'll be very nearly wiped out! My monsters, attack!"

Shiho watched as Hacker Component – Ethernet Cable launched towards him and struck his Duel Runner. Next, the other creature, a mass of unintelligible pixels, launched straight at Shiho and smashed into him and his Duel Runner. "Agh!"

Shiho: 3000 LP-400 LP

"I'd give up now before it's too late, puny Signer. There's no way you can defeat me!"

"We'll see!" Shiho drew a card. "My turn, which means your Defalt is toast!"

Shiho: 400 LP SPC 3-4
Hack: 4000 LP SPC 3-4

"I summon my Azurian Clerk in Attack mode! And since I've summoned her in Attack mode, I can add one Azurian monster to my hand, and I'm choosing Azurian Prosecutor!" Shiho added the card his deck ejected to his hand. "Next, I'll activate my Speed Spell Speed Spell – Right to an Attorney! At the cost of my four Speed Counters, I can change my Clerk to Defense mode, and special summon the Azurian Prosecutor in defense mode! Now that my two monsters are in defense mode, I gain benefits from each one!"

Shiho: 400 LP SPC 4-0

"You what?"

"That's right! My Clerk allows me to add a spell card to my hand, and I'm choosing the Speed Spell Speed Spell – Traffic Violation!" Another card is ejected from Shiho's deck and into his hand. "And my Prosecutor allows me to special summon a level 3 or lower Azurian monster from my hand, and I'm choosing my Azurian Enforcer in defense mode! And with his special ability, defense mode is the mode you don't want him to be!"

"What do you mean?"

"When Azurian Enforcer is in defense mode, I can increase his level by any number up to the total level of all other Azurian monsters I control! So I'll be transforming my monster to a level two, making him the perfect level for what I'm planning!"

"And what are you planning?"

"This!" Shiho thrust his hand forward as the two level stars of the Azurian Clerk floated out as the Clerk faded away. The stars flew up towards the other two monsters Shiho controlled, which had nestled together. As the two level stars of the Clerk circled them, they became glowing green Synchro rings, as the color faded away from the two monsters within, leaving only an outline of each monster with their respective level stars. Eventually, the outlines faded away, leaving only a cluster of six level stars inside the Synchro rings. "Law. The defining force of out society. I summon forth a dragon who is Law Incarnate! All rise, for court is in session!"

Shiho drew his gavel and pounded it down on the zone where his monster's card would appear at. The six level stars aligned themselves in a straight line within the Synchro rings as a green light pierced through them, and then expanded to the innermost edge of the rings. "Synchro Summon! The Supreme Judge, Justiciar Dragon!"

"What dragon?" Hack watched as the light faded away, leaving behind a majestic dragon that roared, before glaring down at her and her monsters.

"My Justiciar Dragon gains 500 attack for every WATER monster in my graveyard, and I'm counting 4!" Shiho shouted. "That means that my dragon's attack increases all the way to 4600!"

"No way!"

"Yes, way!" Shiho grinned. "Justiciar Dragon! Justice Wave attack! Destroy the Ethernet Cable!"

Justiciar Dragon opened its mouth and roared, a shockwave emerging. As it struck the Ethernet Cable, it was obliterated. Hack screamed as the real damage of Shiho's dark miasma flowed throughout the battlefield, pounding into her small body.

Hack: 4000 LP-900 LP

"As you can see, Hack. I have no reason to quit this duel now."

"You don't know that you've done, you fool." Hack glared at him, her azure mark of the dragon glowing brightly. "Now I won't feel bad what happens to you."