Many people would have called being discovered while scoping out the Wukesong Arena an unfortunate setback. John called it an unparalleled success. Actually, he called it a success because the word 'unparalleled' was a tricky concept. That aside, Han the Han had been incredibly useful. Now he knew that there were multiple new recruits from across the world, that at least one of them had also taken the initiative to investigate their next staging area and both that the upper ranks of the Rare Hunters would be attending and had deep enough pockets to rent the arena for the evening.

As was written on his invitation card, John turned up at precisely 9 PM. No lights were on in the building. It appeared as if he was walking up to dead venue but appearances could be deceiving. "Closed." Giving a sour grunt, a guard near the main doors looked like he had far better places to be.

"I've got an invite." Unlike Han's disguise the other night, this guard actually looked a lot more realistic. John was banking more on the fact that guards rarely did patrols than any visual clues. "Scandal of the Commoner's Hand." Holding up the card, he watched recognition flicker across the stern face.

"You're late." Gesturing to be followed, the guard walked away from the main doors and around the perimeter of the building. "We're just about to lock up."

"It says to be here for 9 PM." Checking the card as he tucked it away, he would freely admit that punctuality was not one of his talents but the young Duellist had made a point of not missing the important event.

"Check the fine print, it says by 9 PM." One day, humanity would overcome their many differences. If it started with grammatical errors, that day couldn't come soon enough for John's liking. He had intended to arrive early and give the building another quick sweep before actually attending the event. Instead, he ended up hustled through a side door with a group of about fifty others. Fifty other people who had the sort of self-loathing that was practically required to join the Rare Hunters. None of them exactly struck him as being nice people.

Leading them down a corridor, the guard was clearly in a hurry to arrive on time. Unlike John's earlier visit, the inside passages were brightly lit and properly ventilated. After a few minutes of silent marching, they were directed into an expansive changing room already filled with roughly two-hundred people shuffling about impatiently. Looking closely would have noticed that a few of them seemed to already know each other but most everyone else were strangers to each other. The way the John saw it, these were the new recruits who were here for their proper induction to the Rare Hunters.

"Robes are in the box." Opting for a one-size-fits-all approach, several large cardboard boxes were piled in the middle of the room and contained a series of lengthy black robes which would obscure any features. "Hurry up and get changed. You're late enough as it is." A mad scramble for the robes resulted as everyone tried to avoid being the person who held up the meeting. Forcing his way through the mess, John was able to grab a handful of fabric and extract himself without too much trouble.

"I hate dressing up like this." Fluffing up the robe as much as was possible, the figure to John's left was quickly indistinguishable from any other. "Don't get why the boss ordered it. I mean, I get the whole 'one among many' thing but we're Rare Hunters, not a cult." If only they knew the exact origins of the group, this particular member might never have joined.

Glad not to have accidentally trapped himself in an underground sex club, John continued to wonder at the reasons for the large meeting. More members were in the room than he had even thought were in the country. What had been approached as a middling branch of the Rare Hunters appeared to be far bigger than was normal. Since China had over a population of over a billion people, it was possible that this was just being reflected in the crowd.

"If you're all ready," Went the words even as the tone said 'you had better be ready', the guard opened the door with a loud slam. He had already donned a robe and was hidden beneath the raised hood. "Then it's this way." Standing a short way down the hallway until they were all outside, he led a slow march towards the main hall that John had sized up the other day. "We're running a bit late." Shouting the words over one shoulder, their guide didn't even bother to look back to check they were all listening. "So just find somewhere to sit and keep quiet." Pushing through a pair of double doors, the mass of the moving crowd kept them from closing as one of them suddenly regretted blending in near the middle. Lights were dimmed to avoid being noticed from outside, the proximity of the people already inside made it difficult to get a proper count but the Wukesong Arena seating capacity was good enough to use as a guideline to estimate by.

John had completely underestimated the level of opposition that he would be facing. When he had entered, it had been fifty people. In the vast changing facilities, it had been the two-hundred he had been expecting. Two-hundred would have been manageable. From the way that every seat was filled and a lot of robes were lining the stairs for the latecomers, a calculating – also despairing, trepidatious and slightly fearful – eye numbered it as being a lot closer to twenty thousand. For the first time since he had found himself frequently encountering Rare Hunters in the course of his normal philanthropic adventures and decided to take them down to cut out a lot of work in the long run, John found himself genuinely feeling a bit out of his depth.

Thankful that his laidback nature kept him from arriving on time and being cornered in a seat, he was able to take the slimmest refuge by squatting on a set of stairs near to one of the exits. If the worst happened, he could hopefully get through the crowd and escape before they organised themselves for a chase. With the final group having arrived and the doors locked tight, the already dim lights dropped away entirely. Only one still shone down on the main court where a single figure was walking. Unlike the rest of the hidden figures, this one wore a robe etched with gold thread around the hems to distinguish them from their followers.

"Looks like all you #$% made it then." Jeers and shouts came at his words. It appeared that this leader didn't care for his underlings nor they for him. "You know what? #$% you!" Although John had stumbled into the vast gathering by what was almost an accident, he hadn't expected the leader of the Rare Hunters, one of the most insidious underground Duelling organisations in the world to be so completely uncharismatic. With twenty-thousand people in the arena alone and more still around the world, he would have anticipated more of a hypnotic personality.

"So," Waving for silence like some preacher, a pair of calloused hands calmed the rowdy crowd. "So, we're all here. I know a lot of you utter bastards," More jeers and insults came before he calmed them down again. "A lot of you complete and total bastards have been complaining about how we've been doing things the last few years." That was news. Every time that he had encountered a group of Rare Hunters, they had been proud of properly organised for the first time in years. "Having you cut off a lot of the rabble, keeping recruiting low, stopping a lot of you from talking to each other and asking before doing anything stupid. You didn't like having to take orders from someone higher in the chain than you. But look at us now!" Raising both hands and turning on the spot, he raised a loud cheer this time. "Chapters in every country in the world, police barely aware that we still exist and Industrial Illusions reporting that even they can't figure out where counterfeit cards are coming from. Tell me, are we careful or cowards? Hunters or prey?" Shaking his hands for emphasis, the gold trim fluttered in the dim light as he demanded an answer. "Who are we?!"

"Rare Hunters!" Came back the roar. Despite himself, John was starting to realise why people followed this man. He was abrasive, insulting, utterly unscrupulous but spoke to all the grimy little thoughts in people's heads. He made it okay to be utterly evil. And the only clue that he had to their identity was that gruff accent.

"He certainly knows how to play the crowd." Tightening a grip beneath his cloak, the intruder was unable to directly respond to words that only he could hear. "Maybe you could pick up a few things." Down on the floor, the speaker had resumed talking.

"It is not often that we get guests in these meetings." Clamouring shouts dropped away at the words. "Not ever really. Sometimes a new recruit comes and hears one of these big speeches. Decides that enough is enough and that we're not all born with a silver spoon or family heirlooms." That got a rousing roar before it was wiped out again with a wave of one hand. "So we bend the rules a bit. So what? It lets us have the same opportunities as a lot of people out there. We can't all be as famous as the King of Games." Jeers sounded and that little voice in the back of John's head started speaking again to reinforce his gut instinct that he should be sneaking back out. "Or as lucky as his replacement. Remember the big news last year? 'Yugi Muto reveals the next King of Games.' An upstart kid that nobody knows." Careful not to jostle too many people, John carefully began making his way for the nearest exit. No bad guy speech that began pointed ever ended on a calm note. "But what is he really? What do we call a monarch who hasn't claimed the crown?"

"An Uncrowned King!" On some hidden signal, the exits were suddenly barred by bodies so large that the cloaks couldn't really each the floor. The trio clustered by the nearest exit hulked up against him as John suddenly realised just how many people he would have to fight to get out. Twenty to one was his record. Twenty-thousand was probably a few too many to be handled all at once.

"Looks like somebody has other places to be." Out on the arena floor, the speaker had spotted the one body heading for an exit. "How about we don't #$% up your plans for the evening and cut this performance short?" Turning to look at the mastermind behind the entire plan, 'John' had strong reservations about his plan far too late. "Come on up here." A path opened up to the stairs and there was no doubt the crowd would turn into a mob if one step went wrong. "Face me like a man." One careful step after the other brought the stolen cloak to the top of the stairs where it could face down the ringleader. "How about you lower that hood? Let us all get a look at you." A rumbling went through the crowd. They were aware that something was happening on the illuminated stage but it was difficult to with the bright light managing to shroud the faces hidden beneath the hoods. "Word of advice – ditch the jacket next time, 'John'. It's so stupid that I saw you coming from last month."

"Hey, don't mess with the jacket." Schlepping off the dark fabric revealed a scarlet icon that had faded slightly but been treated with love and care over the years. "It's a lot better than one of those robes." Tears had opened and been sewn closed with exacting detail. Fabric hung slightly loose where it had always been a size big but it was worn well.

"Ladies, gentlemen and scum of the earth." Even with his face openly revealed and his secret displayed for everyone to see, the man who had gone by 'John' for a few years now had a gut instinct telling him that no cover identity would have worked that evening. One way or another, it would have fallen apart. "Meet the reason why we've been compartmentalising over the last few years. The 'Uncrowned King' himself, Jaden Yuki." While he didn't yet recognise the ringleader, they had been able to pick him out from across the hall. Another knot tightened in his stomach as Yubel continued to try and push advice in a voice that only he could hear. "You've been #$%ing up our plans for how long? Since Venice?" A sinister implication of the word stirred uneasy feelings in his gut.

Venice should have been an easy challenge. He had met up with Syrus after his old friend had been attending a tournament in the aquatic city. A few cards had gone missing from the rare Cyber Deck when he had stepped out of his dressing room for a moment. They had been replaced with good fakes but the unique Cyber Dragons had rarely been in official hands and an error in the artwork had tipped him off to the forgeries. There were surprisingly few branches of the Rare Hunters in floating city and only one that actually had scope beyond printing fake cards or stealing them from unwary Duellists. Then the skies had opened and Jaden's weird life had got a whole lot weirder. Of course, nobody knew the truth about what had happened there. Just the three impossible friends – Yugi from the past, Yusei from the far future and Jaden himself. With an idea of how dangerous even the most simple acts could actually be, that had been when he started tracking the Rare Hunters in earnest.

"As long as you guys keep stealing cards, I'll keep coming to stop you." Brave words when standing in the belly of the beast. Jaden was willing to admit that he would probably never be able to completely eliminate the Rare Hunters but every time they grew large enough to steal any important enough cards, the Spirits would pass it along to him. The Rare Hunters were slowly starting to learn to keep a lid on their activities. Small victories were still victories.

"Let's settle this the right way." Unveiling a Duel Disk strapped to his arm, the mix of shadows and overhanging lights only made it more difficult to look under the hood. "Here's the stakes: when I win, I get your Deck and, well, you die. Sound fair?"

"What if I win?" Always willing to take up a challenge – the bigger stakes bringing more fun – Jaden moved an old Academy Duel Disk from his back to his forearm. It had been uncomfortable to hide but he wouldn't have trusted any of the models provided by the Rare Hunters. Any of them could have been rigged. Just like with Ryuga.

What? Shaking his head clear, Jaden tried to focus on the match. He didn't know any Ryuga. That was weird. Maybe he was just mistaking one of the Rare Hunter's victims. Whatever the case, it would have to wait.

"Let's make it fair." It appeared as if his momentary lapse in concentration had gone unnoticed. "I'll let you go free." Clamouring whistles and threats of bodily torture indicated that the people up above didn't consider themselves part of that arrangement.

"What do I call you?" Pulling his Deck from where it had been stored in his breast pocket, Jaden felt that electric tingle. Oh yeah, this was what he had been missing. Two Duellists, two Decks, one field, one victor. Sneaking around sabotaging counterfeiting rings and rescuing stolen cards had kept him busy with altruistic work but this was what Jaden really lived for.

"Call me Outlaw."

(Turn 1)

Outlaw: LP: 4000 Hand: 6 Field: None Graveyard: None

Jaden: LP: 4000 Hand: 5 Field: None Graveyard: None

"Don't mind if I have the first go." Being an international criminal and literally calling himself an outlaw, it was no surprise that the Rare Hunter was stealing the first turn. "Draw." Looking out across the field, Jaden knew that he could be facing any number of rare and powerful cards, counterfeit or not. The Rare Hunters had a long reach and deep pockets. "I set one monster and two cards." Going first in a Duel meant that you had the advantage, whether to build your forces or lay traps for your opponent. "Come on then," Beckoning with a crude middle finger, it was clearly now Jaden's turn. "Show us what you can do, my liege." Mocking laughter sounded from all over at the sarcastic title.

(Turn 2)

Outlaw: LP: 4000 Hand: 3 Field: 1 Monster, 2 Spell/Trap Graveyard: None

Jaden: LP: 4000 Hand: 6 Field: None Graveyard: None

At least one of those two cards was probably a Trap. Okay. So he just had to make sure not to trip them. "I summon Elemental Hero Wildheart(L4/1500/1600)!" Drawing his sword from the blue circle even as his own legs were still materialising, the barbarian hero made for an imposing sight. "Due to his effect, he's immune to your Trap Cards. Let's take a look at what monster you had hiding."

"Just like your predecessor – rushing in at the start without thinking it over." Even as Wildheart stabbed his sword down through the surface of the card, he roared in pain. "That muscle-bound buffoon is only immune to actual Trap Cards and not plain old traps." Stumbling back to his side of the field, Jaden's fighter had a large red sphere pinned painfully tight to his body. "Traps like my Blast Sphere." As soon as it was attacked, it became an Equip Spell and froze the monster that had attacked it. And when Jaden's next turn came around, it would destroy Wildheart.

"I'll throw down three cards." Mirroring Outlaw's own playstyle was all that he could do that turn. "And end my turn."

(Turn 3)

Outlaw: LP: 4000 Hand: 4 Field: 3 Spell/Trap Graveyard: None

Jaden: LP: 4000 Hand: 2 Field: 1 Monster, 3 Spell/Trap Graveyard: None

"It's funny." Peeling a new card from his Deck, the Outlaw had an unpleasant smile just barely visible beneath his hood. "At this point, it's better to do nothing this turn. I mean, I could easily take down that over-grown ape but it wouldn't do as much damage as just letting things happen." Picking over his hand, he settled on a strategy. "I summon Gradius (L4/1200/800)." Hovering on his side of the field was a small, futuristic ship in gleaming silver bodywork. "And I think I'll bulk it up with Cyclon Laser." An Equip Spell unique to Gradius, it added 300 ATK and DEF even as it allowed Piercing Damage to take place. "That'll do for now. We'll pretend that your bluff worked."

Events were looking increasingly worse for Jaden. Outlaw was pulling none of his punches and had seen through his attempt to hold him at bay by pretending that his hidden cards were threatening. And now he was about to take a serious blow.

(Turn 4)

Outlaw: LP: 4000 Hand: 3 Field: 1 Monster, 3 Spell/Trap Graveyard: None

Jaden: LP: 4000 Hand: 3 Field: 1 Monster, 3 Spell/Trap Graveyard: None

Being immune to Trap Cards did Wildheart no favours. As soon as Jaden's turn started, it exploded in a bellow of pain and fire. He also took a sharp drop of 1500 Life Points from the secondary effect of Blast Sphere. Looking from between thrown arms that had shielded his eyes from the blast, Jaden glared at his opponent. "You'll pay for that."

"Be careful." Flanking him from behind, Yubel knew intimately how much he cared for every one of his friends. "There is something strange going on here. This man is too at ease, even for a cheater." Exactly what was out of place, she couldn't say. Only that she had felt a flicker of it a few days before when Jaden had been practising different combinations.

"I activate Elemental Mirage." Even though Wildheart was known for being immune to Traps, that only worked when it was on the field. Since it had been sent to the Graveyard, Jaden could use this one to bring it back but at a slight cost.

"That card doesn't just bring back your monster." Smirking to his followers, Outlaw was clearly toying with the infiltrator. "It resets all monsters that just left the field. Your Wildheart, my Blast Sphere." Even as the warrior clambered back to his feet, that same bomb launched itself across the field to attach to him all over again. "All that you did was set everything up to happen again."

"Not if I sacrifice him to summon Elemental Hero Prisma(L5/1700/1100)!" Crystallising from the ground, Prisma looked like an angel had been crudely hewn from massive gemstones. "And that's not all because I equip it with the Great Sword." Although Wildheart had gone to rest peacefully this time, that massive sword had been left behind for Prisma to take up and wield in his stead. "Take down that toy plane!" Swooping across the field, that rugged weapon carved down the curved middle of Gradius with the added power boost to Prisma's natural strength resulting in a massive explosion. "That was for Wildheart."

"Well, whoop-de- #$%-do." It appeared that only Jaden appreciated the artistry of his tactic. "You scored a few small points." Then Outlaw flipped up a card of his own. "For all the good that it did. Call of the Haunted!" Dredging the ruined machine back from the scrap heap, it was obvious that Jaden wasn't the only one who could instantly recover his destroyed forces. Setting one card, he ended his turn.

(Turn 5)

Outlaw: LP: 3500 Hand: 4 Field: 1 Monster, 2 Spell/Trap Graveyard: 1 Monster, 1 Spell/Trap

Jaden: LP: 2500 Hand: 1 Field: 1 Monster, 3 Spell/Trap Graveyard: 1 Monster, 1 Spell/Trap

"You're out of your depth. Mechanicalchaser(L4/1850/800)!" Floating out with no visible means of propulsion was the bastard offspring of a metal beach ball and iron age weaponry. "Machine Conversion Factory." An Equip Spell which boosted a Machine-Type monster by 300 ATK and DEF. Not the final move but enough to overpower his Prisma. But it was only one monster. He would easily be able to pull through. "Don't relax just yet. My Gradius is about to play the part of my," Flipping up his other hidden card, Outlaw watched as Jaden's calm was shattered by understanding. "Tribute Doll." It was a powerful Spell that allowed the Special Summon of one Level 7 monster with only a single tribute. The drawback was that the summoned monster had to wait a turn before attacking but it was enough to build a powerful defence in a single turn. "Coming here was a gamble but you forgot the most important rule of gambling: the house always wins." Dropping from the sky was one of the most pervasive betting machines in history. "Let's play the odds, Slot Machine(L7/2000/2300)!"

"Good thing the numbers say I've still got a turn left." Confidence was only in his tone. The only Trap he had set was Hero's Backup and it could only be activated if his monster had 1000 ATK less than his opponent's.

"Let's see if you're still so cocky when my turn comes back around. Mechanicalchaser, shatter his monster!" Setting to work on Prisma with knives, swords and a spear, the machine quickly cracked the creature into it fell into rubble and vanished. "Just to round it off, I equip my Slot Machine with a 7 Completed." With its attack boosted to 2700 and a decorative '7' appearing on the central reel, the gambling machine was only held back by its summoning conditions. "Face it," There was just the slightest glint of enjoyment coming from the criminal. It was the first honest Duel that he had been in for years. "There's no way that you can summon a more powerful monster in one turn."

(Turn 6)

Outlaw: LP: 3500 Hand: 1 Field: 2 Monster, 2 Spell/Trap Graveyard: 2 Monster, 2 Spell/Trap

Jaden: LP: 2350 Hand: 2 Field: 2 Spell/Trap Graveyard: 2 Monster, 2 Spell/Trap

"Maybe I can't get a more powerful monster than yours." Only a few existed in the stack of cards tied to his arm and all of them beyond his ability to summon before Outlaw finished him off. Luckily, Jaden rarely resorted to raw strength. "But my Elemental Hero Thunder Giant has the perfect effect to level the field."

"Thunder Giant... Thunder Giant." Muttering the name to himself, Outlaw pretended that he hadn't prepared for this Duel. "Yeah, I don't think you've got the #$% to pull that one off. Especially not with just two cards." Laughter jeered down at Jaden from those who knew what Thunder Giant could do. By discarding a card, it automatically destroyed a monster with a lower original ATK. Unfortunately, he needed three cards just to get it off the ground and a fourth for the effect.

"Well, I've already got Sparkman in my hand." That was one half of the equation and his fresh draw might be able to find the other half. "And check this out. Pot of Greed!" Boos sounded as the iconic grinning pot boosted his hand by two cards yet neither of them was he looking for. "Looks like my luck is still holding in there. I activate E – Emergency Call!" It was far more accurate than Pot of Greed. Instead of adding the top two cards of his Deck to his hand, it added one 'Elemental Hero' monster that he designated and he was quick to pick the other necessary monster, Elemental Hero Clayman.

"Not bad. But you'd need a lot of luck to get both cards that you need and you're still one short." Outlaw's words struck gold and it showed. Hidden cameras revealed the spare card as Gift of the Martyr as cheaters in the audience watched in glee. "Looks like that's all you get."

"Yeah, I didn't get to draw them both this turn." Ruffling up his hair, that unstoppable smile gave everyone in the hall a slight pause. "Good thing that I tucked this one away for later." Flipping up his earlier bluff, Jaden revealed the centrepiece of his entire strategy – Polymerization. "I merge together Sparkman and Clayman to Fusion Summon the mighty Elemental Hero Thunder Giant!"

In truly spectacular fashion, his monster failed to appear. No glitching motor to deliver the card, no change to the field as the hologram prepared to appear. Literally nothing. "What the," Looking down at his Duel Disk, a chill ran through Jaden. That was the first time that he was forced to realise that something was very wrong.

"Jaden, where did you get that card?" Even Yubel was unsettled by the sight. Like Clayman, the card being spat out from his Graveyard was a Level 4 Monster. Like his intended target, it was an Earth-Attribute. It even had the same high attack power and a similar earthy motif. But Jaden had never laid eyes on Elemental Hero Woodsman in his life.

"Don't tell me." Beneath the jeers of the crowd, across the space between them and despite being on opposite sides, Outlaw sounded almost regretful. "That's not a card you put in your Deck." Snapping up his head to look at his opponent, Jaden didn't need the ethereal whisper of Yubel in one ear to know to be careful. "And it's probably not the first time." No, it wasn't. Flashing back to his preparation for the final round of the Mongolian tournament, he remembered that perfectly fitting card which had simply vanished from between his fingers. Legacy of a Hero. A card that hadn't even been registered on the Industrial Illusions database when he checked during his journey to China.

"Well," Staring down at his own card, the leader of the Rare Hunters seemed sicked by what he saw. Although it was difficult to be entirely sure, Jaden thought that it was one of the first cards that he had drawn. "Looks like that's all we're going to get done today." Reaching under his hood, one hand pressed against his left ear. "I'm done with this #$%. Get your arses in here."

Sirens suddenly blared from all around the building. Shouts in every language sounded as private forces had been hired to assist the underwhelming Chinese police service. Every entrance poured in a suppressive force, every exit turned into an inflow of angry faces, riot gear and stun guns while a few quick-thinking yet still thick Rare Hunters tried to escape via the roof only to find themselves surrounded by a squad that had been dropped off by helicopter. Everyone had been focused on the Duel and nobody had noticed the quiet infiltration until it was too late.

With everyone in the arena currently running around like headless chickens, only two people moved with any purpose. Outlaw, who raced towards a perfectly disguised hatch in the centre of the field, pulled it open and dropped through before the open area could be flooded by his followers fleeing nowhere in particular. The other was Jaden, moving in the same instant and catching the hatch before it could close. By the time that anyone else reached it, he had already engaged the heavy bolts secured on the underside. It was time that he had a talk with the leader of the Rare Hunters and there was no room for anyone else in the conversation.

Game Over

Result: Inconclusive

Whatever cramped showmanship tunnels Outlaw had dived into weren't even tall enough to crouch through. The pair were shuffling along at speeds, frequently needing to employ knuckles when knees scraped against the floor or heads had to duck underneath pipes. Running a few hundred metres can take a couple of minutes. Trying to cover that distance when movement is restricted to the style of an elderly chimp and the haphazard chase was more inefficient than Jaden would have believed.

Suddenly, the dark cloak slipped down a junction that had been completely hidden by his outline. Chasing after his prey, Jaden was forced to admit defeat when a rusty metal gate was slammed in his face and locked fast before he could stop it.

"Looks like you don't catch me today." Breathing heavily, Outlaw slumped against the wall just out of reach. "Close, but second place is still first loser." Jaden had heard that line thrown around a lot by the Rare Hunters he had taken down. Generally right before they lost.

"Silver medal is better than no medal." Sitting against his side of the gate, there was no point in trying to find a way around. By the time he figured out a way to reach the other side – if there even was one – his quarry would have long since fled. "But I might still have won that Duel." If there had been time to think up a better strategy or figure out what had been happening.

"Maybe." Catching their breath, they were still on opposite sides of the barrier. With the hatch locked, there was no chance of either the Rare Hunters or the arresting force finding them any time soon. "Did you ever think about how you got this far by yourself?"

"Friend on the inside." There was no point in keeping secrets anymore. All the ringleaders had been caught in one fell swoop. The arena was surrounded. As soon as the pair stepped outside, they would be taken into custody. Jaden would just have to hope that a few friends in high places would be able to bail him out. "They sent me some tips from time to time. Not much, just enough to get me started."

"Messages like 'be early this time', do you mean?" Recognising the words, the younger Duellist carefully shifted to one side to easier look at the black cloak. "I told you the Mongolia tournament would be important." Back when he had been staying in Erdenet, those were the words that had been sent to Jaden. Words that had led him to Ulaanbaatar, to Bejing and now to this very tunnel. It was impossible to have controlled everything in the last few years with his random wanderings but the last month had been perfectly orchestrated.

"Why did you do it?" Crouched in a grimy tunnel was hardly the revelation of secret identities that Jaden had been anticipating. "Why did you lead the Rare Hunters only to sell them all out?" There were far more effective ways to take down the Rare Hunters than a single Slifer Red Duellist who hadn't been in a proper tournament for several years. Thinking over the question seemed to give Outlaw a wistful air.

"It's funny. Back before all this, I used to be a good Duellist. One of the best." Standing on the other side of the locked gate, the Rare Hunter looked back at Jaden with a strange look. "When you see our boss, you tell him that I expect my due." He sounded weary now that it was all over. Both of them had been at the game long enough but one of them had been at playing it almost too long.

"I don't have a boss." Everything that Jaden had done over the past few years to track down the Rare Hunters had been on his terms. "It's just me." And a host of invisible friends with his old teacher's ghost currently inhabiting a cat.

"Go down the tunnel behind you." Ignoring the effort that it had taken – with or without help – to get that far, Outlaw pointed back down the junction they had passed. "There's a uniform waiting at the bottom of the ladder. It'll get you past the cordon. Once you're out, go home, Jaden. You'll find your answers there." Turning around, he hobbled away as fast as the narrow opening allowed. "Good luck." For a defeated and deposed leader, he seemed to be taking everything in stride. "You're going to #$%ing need it."

From all his journeys across all the countries, Jaden had never met anyone who could curse quite like his inside source. It wasn't so much any particular expletive as it was an outlet of various emotions. Funnily enough, it was so distracting that he couldn't actually remember what had been said afterwards.

I know, it's the first Duel in a while. Honestly, they're the hardest part about writing this story. If you have any tips to make them easier, would you mind posting them in your review? You know, the one you were going to write anyway ;)