Renegades: A New Dawn

by Primal WolfBlood

In Part 3 of The Renegade Chronicles, follow the Renegades as they try and recover from the shocking end to The Renegade Revolution, and continue their lives with more action and suspense than ever before, as they learn who the true enemies are, and finally confront Segolia once and for all, to end their clash with each other.

20. Robbery on Highway 121

Renegades: A New Dawn

Chapter XX: Robbery on Highway 121

Astrid awoke backstage to find Lydia and Freja standing over her along with four EMTs. 'Maddy… where's Maddy?' Lydia gave a gentle smile. 'Maddy's doing ok. We're more interested in you at the moment.' 'I… can't move.' 'It's best for you not to try. We don't want any lasting damage.' 'Where am I?'

'You're backstage. What do you remember?' 'I remember being hit by Claude, I… tried to shift my weight, I… don't know, everything went black.' 'You landed on your neck, you were out cold.' 'How long for?' 'About 40 minutes.' Freja then noticed Phil pass. 'I'll be back in a minute. You just stay there.' 'Like I have a choice.' She then dashed over to him.

'How is she?' 'Awake but confused.' 'Remember anything?' 'Seems like she remembers everything. Any luck with Maddy?' 'She's not answering her phone.' Jade then came up to him. 'I want to go and find Maddy.' Jade then revealed a secret, flashing her eyes at him. 'Well I never' 'We're a pack, we look out for each other. I should be able to locate her with Eolas.'

'You know how to use it?' 'She's been giving me pointers. Besides, I run quick.' 'Be careful, and if any of them approach you, you and Blair don't talk anymore.' 'I understand.' 'I'll take the north half.' 'I'll take the rest.' They then both ran off.

Elsewhere

Eyes glowing, fangs bared, Maddy was in full-on hunting mode. In this mode, her muscles were at maximum tensity, blood pressure had dropped, and her senses were all hyper-sensitive. As a 6ft 3in staff member approached her, she plucked him off of the ground, and held him up against the wall, and spoke with a hoarse growl. 'Where is Claude Duane?' 'I… I don't know, please just don't hurt me, I have a wife and child at home.' She threw him down, and ran off, leaving the staffer terrified.

As she continued searching, she ran into Lukas. 'Where is Claude Duane?' 'Like I'm going to tell you.' The hint that he knew was unwise, for Maddy lifted him up, and ran him at top speed until stopped by a partition wall, which she smashed to pieces. As Lukas rolled around in pain, Maddy simply stood up, and walked off.

Not far behind her, Jade was still looking when she found the staffer, crumpled on the ground, being tended to by several others. 'Hey, erm have you seen Maddy Smith by any chance?' 'It… it was like an animal, I… my life… flashed before me…' The terrified staffer was clearly in no state to talk, so Jade continued looking.

As she did, she found Lukas, with Akiza. Jade locked eyes with the Psychic duellist, before running off again. Out of sight of anyone else, she noticed a CCTV camera, and sprayed a can of whipped cream at it, leaving her free to take in the scent of the ground. 'This isn't good at all.'

10 minutes later, near the parking lot

With Kari and Radley having won their semi-final, they, Claude, and Hassleberry were just leaving when a fan told Claude to turn around. As he did, he saw the vigilante stood there. All that was visible of her face were her eyes glowing. Before he had chance to react, she speared him, and started pounding away on him with right and left hands.

As Radley went to pull her off, she spun him over, and scratched him just below the eye, before decking Kari with a left hand, and going back to Claude. As she continued punching him with him hitting back from his back, she growled at him. 'This is for Astrid! I'm done showing mercy!' At this moment, Jade arrived, and tried to break up the fight.

'Maddy, cool it. Astrid's fine, she's awake and talking. You're going to get yourself in trouble at this rate.' Before she could say any more, the exotic dancer was laid out from behind by Hassleberry. Claude then walked over to Maddy, and grabbed her in a headlock, squeezing the life out of her. And then, he looked behind him, and Hassleberry was out cold, with Phil standing over him, wielding a police baton.

They stared each other down, and eventually, Phil gave a wicked smile. 'Let's dance.' Claude charged, only to eat a baton to the gut, and then one to the shoulder, before being kneecapped by it. The godfather then produced a chain, which was enough to prompt Claude to escape. As Kari looked up, Phil bent down to her.

'I'm not going to lay a finger on you or Radley' 'Don't pity us.' 'Oh don't worry, I'm NOT. Because tomorrow, Lydia and Freja are going to make you wish that you'd never got your tour cards. You're not leaving with those tag titles. That is my promise, and my promise is a bond I will never break.' He then tapped Maddy twice on the back of her shoulder, and she started breathing heavier. 'Thanks. Is Jade ok?' 'She'll be fine – just a bit dazed most like.'

'Where'd you get the stick?' 'It's a police baton from the 1950s. It belonged to my grandfather.' 'I thought he was a train driver.' 'The other one – my mum's father was in the police. Became Chief Constable eventually.' Jade then started to get back up. 'When did you arrive?' 'After Claude's little puppy-dog knocked you to the ground.'

Jade then touched the back of her head. 'I'm bleeding.' 'Are you ok if I quickly check the back of your head?' 'Sure. Phil wasn't it? Sorry I'm terrible with names.' 'Not a problem.' Phil came around Jade's back, and pushed her hair out of the way. 'You'll live. If Sakura's available when we get back, probably best to get her to stitch it up.'

'Thanks for the sympathy.' 'Just checking it wasn't anything too serious. I'd suggest we get going before that lot realise we're still outnumbered.' 'So Astrid's ok then?' 'I mean, she's awake, and she's bending Lydia's ear. She can't move yet but she'll be in good hands.'

As they got back to the rest of the club, Astrid was just being loaded into an ambulance. 'Which hospital is it?' 'The Arlington Memorial. It's a 10 minute drive, so not far for her to wait. We've got a team waiting for her when we get there.'

Maddy then jumped into the ambulance. 'I'll meet you guys later.' 'Understood.' As they drove off, Hannah was comforting the twins. 'Don't be so worried – they make 'em tough up there.' 'But what if she's paralysed?' 'I'm sure she won't be. And if she is? Well… let's just say we'd work on something.'

Freja then started to cry. 'We just didn't see it coming.' 'Nobody did. They moved quickly. But do you know the best way to really get revenge for Astrid?' As Freja looked up, Hannah smiled at her. 'Win tomorrow. Win, and deprive Claude of the power he wants. No title, no power.'

'But how are we supposed to concentrate when Astrid's stuck in there alone?' 'She won't be alone. I suspect Maddy will be spending most of the day there. But let me know 15 minutes before if you can't concentrate, and I'll work on something.' 'Trance?' 'If need be. I'll let Phil know later, but I'll likely be doing it.' 'Sure.'

In the hospital

As Astrid arrived, she was rushed into the hospital. 'What's her last name again?' 'Hofferson. H.O.F.F.E.R.S.O.N. Got it?' 'Thanks. This is Astrid Hofferson, 20, was assaulted and landed on her neck. BP 130/85, 44 bpm, we have a possible cervical fracture. Patient hasn't tried to move for over 20 minutes, was unable to last time.'

'Ok thanks. Astrid is it?' 'Det er meg.' Maddy then stood over her. 'You speak perfectly decent English. 'Fine, that's me.' 'Right Astrid, let me know if you can feel this.' Before the doctor did anything, Maddy stopped her. 'Let me.' She then sat down, and kicked her friend's ankle. 'Du ass!' 'Yep, she can feel it.'

'Ok. Well Astrid, we're just going to transfer you from the spinal board to the bed. This might hurt a bit, but we'll be as gentle as possible. Is that ok?' 'Yeah.' A team of doctors then moved the board over to the bed, and gently dropped Astrid off of it. A doctor then took Maddy to one side. 'We're just waiting for our CT Scanner to come free, and then we're going to check to make sure that she's not got any internal cranial bleeding. Then we'll do a scan on her neck just to see what if anything is broken in there.'

'Will she need surgery? You know, if anything's broken?' 'It will all depend on how serious her injury is. If she does have a fracture, then it will depend on where it is. Am I right in thinking neither of you are from these parts?' 'Yeah, I'm from England and she's from Norway, but we both live in England. Not like that though.'

'I wouldn't have suggested anything. I probably shouldn't tell you this, but if the damage isn't too bad, we can have her transferred to your local hospital in England. But we will have to wait and see before we can sort anything out.'

That evening, at the hotel

Phil was getting ready to turn in for the night when Hannah came in, wearing only a red crop-top. 'Please remind me never to get pregnant again, it's a nightmare finding stuff that fits.' 'It'll be worth it in the end.' 'I know. Got a couple of months yet though.'

'Could end up popping at the Manchester Festival. Hopefully after our duel.' 'Fuck off, I'm not giving birth in a greyhound track. But we will duel. Never go back on my word.' 'I know.' Just then, there was a knock on their hotel room door. 'Come in.'

Maddy then gently pushed the door open. 'Sorry, I didn't know if you'd be asleep or not.' 'Not a problem. How is she?' 'She isn't paralysed. Other than that, we don't know a lot yet – I'll be going back there soon. Just wanted to see how Lyds and Fre were but they're both asleep.' 'In a bit of a state honestly.' Hannah then got up. 'I'll go and let them know.' 'Thanks Mam.' 'No problems.'

As she left the room, Maddy sat down. 'It just scared me to death.' 'You're not the only one. I like to think of the club as one big extended family, and it's horrible when any of us go down like that. Don't worry – Claude will get what's coming to him. Just make sure you're getting sleep yourself.' Maddy then received a call. 'Don't recognise the number.'

'Hello?' 'Maddy isn't it? I just heard the news, Astrid, how bad is it?' 'Sorry, who are you?' 'I'm Andre – Astrid's brother… it's complicated.' 'Sorry, I've never met you before so I didn't know. She seems to be in reasonable shape.' 'Are you with her?' 'No, I'm in a hotel about 10 minutes away from the hospital, I was just updating everyone.'

'She's moving though.' 'Oh yeah yeah, she's not paralysed or anything like that. We're waiting on her to have a scan to check for any bleeding inside her head but it doesn't seem like there will be.' 'I'll be over to England in a few days – will she be out of hospital by then?' 'We're hoping to get her transferred to an English hospital. I'll keep your number and contact you.' 'Thanks. Could you tell her that I asked about her?' 'Sure. You want me to let her know you're coming over to England?' 'No thanks, she needs a nice surprise.'

Four rooms down

Hannah crept into Lydia and Freja's room, and gently shook the younger twin. As she opened her blue eyes slightly, she saw her familiar friend stood next to her bed, and dragged herself up. 'Hey, you ok?' 'Yeah, Maddy's just been back, apparently Astrid's doing ok, she's moving and talking.' 'Thanks.' Freja then leant over, and pushed her twin. 'Lyds, Lyds' As there was no answer, she took desperate measures. 'Lydia!' She woke up with a start. 'What was that?' 'Sorry. Apparently Astrid's moving.' 'Really? Awesome.' Hannah smiled, and left.

20 minutes later, in their hotel room

Undressed, Hannah and Phil were just lay in bed, musing. 'It's crazy that my whole pro duelling career ends tomorrow.' 'Happy and sad?' 'I s'pose. It just seems mad that I'm actually going to stand out there and say it.' 'But you know it's the right decision.' 'I'm not enjoying it anymore. And honestly, I don't think I have for a while. And I always told myself there was no point if I wasn't enjoying it.' 'Well I'm going to be with you every step.'

At the hospital

It was nearly 11pm when the X-Ray machine finally came free. A CT scan had revealed no cranial damage, so it was up to one more scan. After the scan finished, the doctors examined it, and then Maddy was called over by them to discuss the results.

'Hey, how's it looking?' 'A way you could describe it is worse than you would of liked, but better than we expected. Astrid has suffered fractures of her C1 and C2 Vertebrae. To be exact, her C2 appears to be what we would call an Extension Teardrop Fracture, which is where the vertebrae is extended too far, and can be a result of trauma.'

'But she's ok?' 'We will be able, if you wish, to transfer her to your local hospital in 24 hours.' 'Will she need surgery?' 'It is advisable, but as a matter of medical fact, she doesn't need it immediately. However, we do have another concern – she appears to have significant damage to her C7 vertebra from a previous injury.'

'She did mention this one time that she was attacked and her neck was bad afterwards.' 'When about was this?' 'It was sometime about June I think.' 'That would make sense. She will need surgery sooner or later. We would prefer to do it asap, but we will discuss with the patient as well.' 'Thanks.'

As Maddy walked back towards the bed, Astrid was just lay there. 'Hey 'trid.' 'I'd prefer it if you just come out and say it.' 'You've fractured the top 2 vertebrae in your neck.' 'Again?' 'Hang on… what do you mean again?' 'It was way ago – I was out Fjord Climbing near Stavanger, and I was probably about 10 or 11, I misplaced my foot and fell onto a rock. I had surgery but it's not been right.'

'And why didn't you tell me?' 'My memory's poor before then, I was knocked out. And it was never relevant.' 'They said you'll need surgery' 'If you try and make me have surgery I'm just leaving.' 'Why?' 'Just don't want to.' Tension by now was sparking between them. 'You don't want to? You don't want to get your neck fixed? Bullshit! Having surgery ain't weak Astrid, you're just too proud to accept that sometimes, you do need help!'

Just then, Maddy saw the look on her friend's face, and the reality suddenly hit her like a ton of bricks. 'You're not stubborn are you… you're scared.' 'I can't be in a wheelchair, I just can't.' 'You won't be.' 'I'm not doing it that's it.' Maddy rolled her eyes. 'Fine. Tell me what you're going to do instead.'

Astrid just shrugged her shoulders. 'Wait for it to heal?' 'You could be waiting years.' 'I'll wait.' 'Take it there's no reasoning with you?' 'Nope.' 'Figured so.' 'I'll be fine. Doesn't even hurt that much. Just feels like someone punched me. I'm going to be walking outta here any day and then recovery begins.'

The next morning, in the stadium

As the day began, most minds were still focused on the events of the previous day. As they got dressed, Hannah came over to the twins. 'Hey, have you thought about my offer yet?' Lydia just held Hannah's hand. 'We're ok thanks. We had a chat, and figured that we wanted to win the titles by ourselves.'

'It's ok, I completely understand.' 'So are you looking forward to your duel?' 'I guess. I mean, it's kinda a big day – me and Phil have 999 wins as a team.' 'Seriously? You got something planned for 1000?' 'Well… I might treat myself to a glass of white tonight.' The card for the second day of Desert Storm was as follows:

Grudge Match: Martin Garcia and Don Pope vs. M18 Connection (Phil and Hannah Robinson-Cummings)

Akiza Izinski vs. Mohammed Kharuly

WDC Championship Top Contender's duel: Lt. Claude Duane vs. Astrid Hofferson

WDC Championship Lockdown Duel: James Birchall vs. (c) Rhydian Morris

Desert Storm Final for the vacant WDC Tag-Team Championships: Shapesisters (Lydia and Freja Mckinna) vs. No Remorse Corps (Kari Tsukumo and Radley)

When they reached the arena, an interviewer approached Phil as he stepped out of the Aston Martin, wearing a pair of sunglasses with orange lenses, and a grey blazer. 'Phil, Phil, please could you answer a couple of quick questions for me?' 'I'm busy.' 'You said previously that Kari and Radley won't leave with the tag titles. Does this mean Lydia and Freja will win them?'

'It would appear that way.' 'But how can you guarantee that?' 'I guarantee only that Kari and Radley will not leave with the tag titles. That is all you need to know.' 'And what is the status of Astrid Hofferson? Will she have to retire from duelling?' 'We will release a statement in due time.' 'Is she still unconscious? Does she have a broken neck?' 'We will release a statement in due time.' Phil then pushed the interviewer over, and walked out the car, leaving Kelly to distract the onrushing press.

In the arena

Phil and Hannah headed straight off to prepare for their duel. As they did, they were greeted by Kalin. 'How's Astrid?' 'Still in hospital, she's got a fractured neck. She's been lucky.' 'Thought she was paralysed. I'm thankful for her. Send her my best.' 'Thank you, we will.'

Soon enough, they reached the entrance gate. As they waited, Hannah applied her face-paint, resembling her look from her return in Newcastle. They looked at each other, shared a tender kiss, and then he took her hand. 'Ready?' She nodded, stone-faced. 'Ready.'

Martin was in the duelling zone, with a microphone. 'Amiga, get your butt out here, I got Donny waiting on me and I'm just waiting to put you 6 feet under for good!' Don then walked out to no music, dressed in just a plain black shirt and shorts, a far cry from his usual chains and glasses. 'Yo dude, is there really any need to get aggressive?'

Before he could answer that, Phil and Hannah walked out, to a rapturous response. As they walked down, they were run down by Kalin on commentary. "Phil's experience is almost unmatched, and his tactical brain is the envy of many a great foe. His Firepower Eruption deck provides limited defensive use for explosive offences, and Phil boasts the entire deck cost less than $20 to assemble."

"Hannah's experience is near unmatched, and she's regarded as one of the pre-eminent balance duellists in the history of the business. Her Gishki Aura deck combines two very different strategies into one cohesive deck which has multiple angles of attack and defence, leaving her very difficult to duel against.'

In the duelling zone, Hannah stared straight into Martin. 'You're scared.' 'Watch what you say.' 'You're scared of me. Because you don't understand how I can be here. And you're scared that I'm going to expose you again. First as a fraud, now as an amateur. If you're scared of what you can't control, you won't be able to control what you can. This will be like taking money from a bank. Because I have your number.'

Grudge Match: Martin Garcia and Don Pope LP:4000 vs. M18 Connection (Phil and Hannah Robinson-Cummings) LP:4000

Turn 1: Phil: 'I'll start us off. I activate Blaze Accelerator.' A singular blazing tripod then appeared on the field. 'Next I'll summon Volcanic Slicer (Atk:1800). And by giving up Slicer's attack for the turn, I can deal 500 damage.'A single fireball was spat out by Slicer, landing right in front of Martin and making him sweat severely (Martin and Don LP:4000-3500). 'I'll throw a couple of face-downs.'

Don: 'I draw. I'm activating my Foolish Burial. This sends a monster directly from my deck to my graveyard. Next I'm summoning Scrap Chimera (Atk:1700). And when this dawg is out, I'm getting Scrap Soldier from my junk pile (Atk:2100). I'll tune Level 5 Scrap Soldier to Level 4 Scrap Chimera now! You think you know me, but this ain't the old Don you knew, this Don is nobody's bitch! I Synchro summon the Level 9 Scrap Twin Dragon (Atk:3000).'

Hannah made it clear quickly that she wasn't in the slightest impressed. 'Congratulations on summoning a Synchro monster. It only took you four years to learn how to duel.' 'Laugh now, because you won't be doing soon. I'll banish Scrap Chimera from my graveyard and summon Gigantes (Atk:1900). But I'm getting rid with Scrap Twin Dragon. By destroying Gigantes, I can destroy Slicer and Blaze Accelerator. Malevolent Metal Burst!' Twin Dragon crushed Gigantes into a cube, and then fired off bits of it, destroying both the fiery cards. Phil barely blinked as his cards bit the dust however.

'Scrap Twin Dragon attack directly!' 'I activate the Trap card Firewall. All I have to do to negate a direct attack is banish a Pyro-type from my graveyard. One like Volcanic Slicer.' Twin Dragon flew in, but got drowned out in a sea of flames. 'I end my turn.'

Hannah: 'I draw. I pay 500 Life points (M18 LP:4000-3500) to keep Firewall on the field. I summon Deep-Sea Diva (Atk:400). When I do, I can summon Neptabyss, the Atlantean Prince from my deck (Atk:800). And when he's summoned, I can send Atlantean Dragoons from my deck to the graveyard and add another Dragoons to my hand. Now I'll use Level 2 Deep-Sea Diva to give Level

1 Neptabyss a tune-up. I Synchro summon the Level 3 Tatsunoko (Atk:1700).'

Martin burst out laughing at the sight of a seahorse facing off against a twin-headed metal dragon. 'If you think that's going to work Amiga you got another thing coming!' 'You know what Martin, I'm going to wipe that smile off of your face. Tatsunoko isn't strong, but boy is she useful. Being a Synchro-Tuner, I can Synchro summon with her.'

'I mean, you have no monsters, so go ahead.' 'The other Synchro material with Tatsunoko is one monster in my hand. I tune Level 3 Tatsunoko to the Level 5 Catapult Turtle in my hand to Synchro summon White Aura Whale (Atk:2800). When White Aura Whale is summoned, she can destroy all monsters you control as long as they are in Attack mode. Aura Burst!' The graceful-looking Whale released a burst of light from it's transparent body, causing Twin Dragon to rust away.

'He don't leave me empty-handed girl, when he's destroyed my Twin Dragon leaves me a non-Synchro Scrap from my graveyard. Like Scrap Soldier (Def.:700).' 'I really, really don't care. White Aura Whale, attack his Scrap Soldier.' 'I'll discard Swift Scarecrow to stop the attack.' 'Good for you. I end my turn with two face-downs.'

Martin: 'My turn. I'll just lay four face-downs and end my turn there.' As he did, Phil and Hannah looked over at each other, and nodded.

Phil: 'I draw. I pay 500 Life points (M18 LP:3500-3000) for Firewall. Now I activate Dark Designator. With this, I can declare a card name. If you have it in your deck Martin, you have to add it to your hand. I choose… Exodia the Forbidden One.' Martin responded with a sneer. 'So you worked it out. You'll regret giving me a piece of Exodia.' 'We won't. Because we're about to show you real teamwork.' 'I activate Mind Crush. With this, I can choose a card, and if it's in your hand, you have to send it to your graveyard. I choose Exodia the Forbidden One.'

After that was sent to the graveyard, Phil continued his turn. 'I activate 5 Card Salute to draw 5 cards. Now I activate Blaze Accelerator. But I'm dismantling it to upgrade into Tri-Blaze Accelerator. By loading a Volcanic Shell into the Accelerator, I can destroy Scrap Soldier and deal you 500 damage.' Soldier got blown up quickly by the three-cannoned tripod, shooting a shell into it's heart (Don and Martin LP:4000-3500).

'I activate Scrap Cycle. Because you just destroyed a Scrap monster, I can destroy a card on our field, and then summon a Scrap monster from my deck. I'm destroying Martin's left face-down.' Martin was furious as his Hope for Escape bit the dust. 'What the hell man?' 'Needed my monster. This monster to be exact – my Scrap Golem (Atk:2300).' 'I'll end my turn with a face-down.'

Martin: 'I draw. I activate my face-down Obliterate!' 'I take it we're supposed to be scared at three exclamation marks?' 'You can laugh la perra, but you won't laugh soon. By sending Exodia's left leg to my graveyard from my deck, your stupid Whale is returned to your hand.' 'I activate Digit Lock. This prevents cards from being bounced back to the hand. So come and get me, comadreja!'

This response saw Martin's rage peak. 'I'm going to make you suffer!' 'Do it then.' 'I activate Graceful Charity. It draws 3 cards and discards 2.' Don then shouted over. 'Use Golem's effect Martin.' 'Perro, I'm better off without your kind, stupid Zambo.' This racial slur was enough for Don to deactivate his duel disk. 'You wanna do this yourself? Do it yourself then!' Don took his deck out, but hung around outside the duelling zone.

'Fine, I'll place a monster face-down and end my turn. I don't need you, I never needed you. Me and James, we did what we did with no help from you at all! You or that stupid oaf Kieran amigo! He's deadly and you're just in the way!'

Hannah: 'I draw. I'm just going to lay a face-down and end my turn.' Seeing that Hannah was losing confidence in herself, Phil redoubled his focus. 'There's been a change of plans – I'm going to destroy you.'

Phil: 'I draw. I choose to destroy Firewall. Now I activate Mind Merger. With this, I can name up to three Extra deck monsters, and if Hannah has any of them, she can hand them off to me to use. I choose Number 27: Northern Dolphin and Chaos Number 27: Doom Dolphin.' Hannah smiled as he activated the card. 'M18 forever.' She then threw the cards over. 'Now I activate Rank-up Magic Renegades Unite! This allows me to summon out Number 27: Northern Lights Dolphin (Atk:3000). And now I can rank it up. Chaos Xyz Evolution! I wish I could show you when you are lost in the darkness, the incredible light of your own being! Surface from the depths Chaos Number 27: Northern Lights Doom Dolphin (Atk:3300). I end my turn.'

Martin: 'I draw. I activate the effect of Obliterate, sending Exodia's right leg to my graveyard. Now I activate Contact With Exodia. Because I have all parts of Exodia in my graveyard, I can summon the deadly Exodia Necross (Atk:1900).' As Martin set up his field, Hannah dealt a death blow. 'I activate Doom Dolphin's ability.''Hey it's my turn!' 'I don't care! By banishing Volcanic Doomfire from my deck, Doom Dolphin gains it's ability. So now your face-down monster is switched to Attack mode (Deep Diver Atk:1000), and both your monsters have to Attack… I'm calling it Doomfire Dolphin. Volcanic Aurora Fall!' Doom Dolphin's eyes invited in both of Martin's monsters, which were split apart by a vicious drill horn, ripping them to shreds (Martin LP:3500-0).

After the duel, Don just walked off, leaving Martin to get thrown to the ground by Hannah, and then punched several times in the head. When he managed to flee, Phil picked up a microphone. 'If you would please all silence for just a few minutes, the lady has something to say.' He then handed the microphone off, and Hannah began to speak.

'I have something to announce which I've been considering for some time now. Because I always promised myself that I would continue to compete as long as I felt I was competitive at the highest level, and as long as I was enjoying it. That was the promise and the vow which kept me going throughout my career.'

'But I'm at a crossroads in my life. My situation has changed so much in so little time, and it's about time that I focused all my energies on other projects outside of the duelling zone. What I'm saying is… I'm not enjoying duelling any more. So I've made the decision that here and now, I'm announcing with immediate effect my retirement from professional duelling. I will hand in my tour card when the season ends.'

'I also want to take this opportunity to thank my beloved husband.' She then turned him around to her. 'Without you I wouldn't have got here. You're my confidant, my tag partner, and most of all, you're my best friend. And not only could I not have done this without you, but I wouldn't want to.' Hannah's music played as she and Phil kissed, and the fans chanted "Thank you Hannah."

While this was going on, Jade returned, much to the delight of her girlfriend. 'Hey what happened to you last night?' 'The guy with dreads who hangs around with Claude.' 'Hassleberry?' 'Yeah, kinda clocked me in the back of the head. Got busted open a bit, and got a minor concussion.' 'And you didn't tell me?' 'Didn't want you panicking. I'm fine, just a little light-headed.' 'Let me take a look at the wound then.' 'Not like there's much to see – got stitched up at the hospital.' 'Should think so.'

Meanwhile, in the car park

Maddy was just making her way to the stadium when she was stopped by a well-groomed man in a tweed jacket. 'Excuse me, you must be Maddy. 'Yeah, and you're dressed like ma Dad. So what?' 'Sorry, I must introduce myself. My name is Alexander Kincaid. I am the head of research for the Segolia Corporation.'

'Yeah, I've never heard of you and I'm not even slightly interested.' As she walked off, he grabbed her attention. 'I know about you. And your secret.' She then backed up. 'What secret?' 'Don't try and bluff me – I know you're a wolfblood.' 'Pardon?' He then laughed. 'Don't play dumb with me, I know quite a bit about you. Such as how you've… how do I put this… gone beyond your limits.'

'Fine, what do you want?' As she said this, Maddy took her glasses off. Her eyes were red from a lack of sleep, and her gaze was wavering. 'At the Segolia Corporation, we want to understand wolfbloods. We want to understand your entire species, and show humankind that there's nothing to be afraid of.'

'Yeah, already tried that once, ended up almost having to move to the end of the world.' 'The end of the world you say?' 'Yea.' 'That isn't important right now. What's important is if we can prove you're no danger to humans, then we can begin to help bridge the gap between your two species. So if you'd be able to come with me, I'd just like to run a couple of little tests, just to truly understand.'

Maddy giggled at this. 'Is something amusing you?' 'It's just… you must think I'm completely stupid! The only test I wanna do is finding out what your intestines look like after I spear them out yer body!'

'Now there's no need to fight it. Let's face it, your friend Jana thought so.' Maddy was about to flash her eyes, but took a deep breath instead. 'Thanks for letting me know where Jana is. I might swing by later.' 'I knew you'd see sense. Good day to you.' As he walked off, Maddy picked up her phone immediately. 'Hi, I need to speak with Belle. Thanks.'

'Hello? Hey it's Maddy. Listen, I need a favour. Yeah, there's somewhere I need you to invade. It's in Scotland. Yeah, thanks. Go into the accounts office and ask Jodi to print off a picture of Jana Vilkas. I need you to establish if she's there, and if she is, I need you to grab her and bring her to the base. There should be some chloroform in the basement and I'll arrange for you to be taken there and picked up. Thanks.'

After this, she dialled again. 'Sean, it's Maddy. Listen, I need a massive favour. I think my friend's stuck in a lab in Scotland, I'll send the address to you. I need you to pick Belle up from the base, and take her there – she'll do the hard work. Thanks Sean, I really owe ya. £50 do you? Great thanks. Laters.'

As she was coming back, she noticed Akiza defeating the African champion Mohammed Kharuly by 7000 Life points, sending him back to Egypt with a whimper. After the duel she looked completely impassive, and just walked away from an interview.

As she did, Claude's music hit, and he strolled out, locking eyes with Akiza as he did. The tension was clear and palpable, and the Dane couldn't help but trash talk. The Black Rose didn't even blink, staring impassively and impassionately at him before leaving. Irked, the Dane strolled down to the centre of the duelling zone.

'Hey, I don't see any opponent here. Wait, that's right – it's because I destroyed her. I told Astrid not to bother coming here, but she had to stick her nose in where it wasn't wanted. And now she can have a happy retirement painting pretty little pictures of her hospital bed. Now count her out so I can get my title shot!'

Instead of the count beginning, the referee took off their baseball cap and face-mask to reveal that it was Kelly. As she strolled down to him, he laughed. 'Oh look – we've gone from a third-rate duellist to a third-rate singer. Bad news Kelly.' He then got right in her face. 'Your music sucks!' While the Texan crowd through their garbage at Claude, Kelly stole his microphone.

'You do realise that Astrid isn't retiring right?' 'Course she is, I turned her neck into a jigsaw.' 'Even if Astrid was in a wheelchair she'd be duelling. I actually came out here though, because I am the Renegades' official spokesperson, and I've got a very important message straight from Astrid for you Claude.' 'I'm listening.'

'Come closer.' As he did, she giggled. 'Closer. Closer. Closer.' As Claude stood right in front of her, Kelly hoofed him straight in the uprights, before producing a steel chain, and mercilessly whipping him with it. As Hassleberry ran out, she wrapped the chain around her wrist, and so began a game of cat and mouse which ended with Tyranno pulling his Sergeant to safety. Kelly then posed, as her own song (Not Today) played.

When she came back, Rio was waiting. 'I like it.' 'I liked it as well. Hi-five sista!' As they did, Hannah smiled, before Kelly confronted her. 'Here now, why didn't you tell anyone you were retiring.' 'To be honest, I only decided last night. I'm just not good enough to keep up.' 'You're plenty good enough. But you shouldn't be continuing if you're not enjoying it any more. Just wish you'd told us.' 'Yeah, sorry.'

Seemingly completely unaware, Maddy looked stunned at this. 'You're retiring?' 'I am. I'm not handing in my card until the season ends though. I'm just fed-up of all the BS and all the politicking around Michael and the board, and this just isn't me anymore. It just never felt right this season.' She then looked accusingly at Phil.

'Hannah told me while we were on our Christmas break that she was considering it, but she asked me not to say anything.' 'And?' 'Figured she wasn't certain. It's Hannah's choice honestly, and I bow to her decision. If she's happier not duelling, then it's best for her not to.' Hannah then looked at Blair. 'I've not forgotten you Blair, when I've given birth and you're fully fit, I'd be more than happy to take you on.'

'As soon as I'm healthy I'll be back in there.' 'You're like a bloody caged animal when you're not out there.' 'I feel it. I'm just not used to not being out there. It's just what I do.' 'Well I'm sure you'll be back soon. Let me speak to Sakura for you in a bit.' 'Thanks.'

The subject then switched to the missing member. 'How's Astrid doing?' 'Yeah, she's doing ok. She's going to be released from hospital tomorrow hopefully. She's got significant damage but she doesn't want to have surgery, so we're looking at other options.' Sakura overheard this, and nodded.'When we get back to England, remind me and I'll have a look through some of my books, see what we can do.' 'Thank you. Now I've just got to worry about Segolia.'

Hannah heard this and was confused. 'Who are Segolia?' 'They're a clinical "integration" corporation in the UK. They claim that they want to help wolfbloods integrate into society more, and be able to show their real selves.' 'Why do I sense a "but" coming?' 'Because one is coming. I've heard about what they do, and it isn't what they claim. They force wolfbloods to conform by doing experiments on them and stealing their wolf away. Their boss tried to lure me in in the car park, and I think they've got Jana as well.'

'You think?' 'He said that they do, but it might have been a trap. I've sent Belle out to investigate.' 'Are you sure about that?' 'Trust me. If Akiza's somehow there, as far as she's concerned Belle is of no importance, she was only brought in as a drone. So taking her wouldn't benefit her at all.' 'I like your thinking.' 'If Jana is there, we get her back. If not, we keep looking. I'm sorry I didn't ask, I had to be proactive.'

As the conversation continued, Rhydian and Birchall were just concluding their duel, with Rhydian defeating his bitter enemy by 1200 Life points thanks to Vennominaga's instant-win ability. Afterwards, Kieran walked out, and dragged Birchall up to his feet, before throwing him back down face-first, knocking one of James' teeth out.

Focus then switched to the main event. Before it could begin, Michael walked out to the duelling zone. 'Excuse me ladies and gentlemen, I am here today to address the incident which happened yesterday regarding Astrid Hofferson and Claude Duane, on behalf of the Board of Directors. And I must stress that I do not necessarily agree with them, their opinions do not always reflect my own.'

'Nevertheless, I have been asked to provide a statement. And I quote: "We are utterly appalled by the behaviour of Claude Duane regarding the attack on Astrid Hofferson. We begrudgingly turn an eye to some violence, but this was a deliberate attempt to not just injure, but cripple another duellist. As such, the duel between Claude and Astrid has been declared null and void, and Claude will not receive a title shot against WDC Champion Rhydian Morris. Instead, Rhydian will not defend his title. As for Claude, we of the board decided by a majority of 7-6 that Claude will not be suspended for his actions. However, we will dock him 90% of his earnings for the next 5 tournaments."

Michael then smiled. 'It is a shame that Astrid will likely never return to professional duelling. However, we move on, because we do have a huge announcement regarding a former 6-Time WDC Champion returning to us.' Before he could say anything, several cloaked figures appeared behind Michael. One of them then took their hood down, to reveal a tall, lanky man with grey hair and a pair of red-rimmed glasses, who just stared at Michael, before leaving. A very concerned chairman and commissioner then left hastily, without revealing the big return.

In the entrance gate

Lydia and Freja were preparing to enter for their tag title duel, when Maddy caught up with them. 'Hey guys. Just wanted you to know that Astrid's sent a video message from her hospital bed.' The video had Astrid lay on the bed in a hospital gown, clearly fighting off quite severe pain.

'Hey tvillingers, I don't look it but I'm ok. As Mads might say, I'm kinda banged up. But I'll be ok. Just you go out, don't think about me, just win. Take those titles away from those spinlos jaevels, I can say that here only she speaks the language and she's laughing at me, take those titles. I'll catch up with you in good old Storbrittania. Love ya, Vikingkraft!'

The girls looked at each other, and nodded. 'Let's do this. Ready?' 'Only if you are.' 'We're going to make them pay.' 'You do that. I'll be watching from right here. And whatever you do, don't let them get to you.' The three bumped heads against each other, and then the twins were ready to go.

In the duelling zone

Radley and Kari were first to emerge, being flanked by Claude and Hassleberry, with both of them wearing shirts saying "No Remorse". 'The following duel is your main event, the final of the Desert Storm tournament, and is for the vacant WDC Tag-Team Championships. Introducing first, accompanied by Claude Duane and Sgt. Tyranno Hassleberry, they are the team of Kari Tsukumo and Radley, the No Remorse Corps.'

When they got to the duelling zone, a fleet of security guards surrounded Claude and Hassleberry, as a message conveyed from Michael on the big screens. 'Sorry, I intended to make one more announcement earlier. To keep the peace during this main event, everyone not involved in the duel is banned from being in the duel arena.'

After several minutes of arguing, Claude and Hassleberry were put in handcuffs, and security escorted them out, as fans chanted obscenities at the armed forces pair. As they were carried away, the screens changed to highlights of their first two duels.

Lydia and Freja then made their entrance, both wearing matching Lycra jumpsuits in the colours of the Norwegian flag. 'Introducing their opponents, representing the Renegades, from Manchester, England, they are the team of Lydia and Freja McKinna, the Shapesisters.' Both girls walked straight down, laser-focused, and immediately activated their duel disks.

WDC Tag-Team Championships: No Remorse Corps (Kari Tsukumo and Radley) LP:8000 vs. Shapesisters (Lydia and Freja Mckinna) LP:8000

Turn 1: Kari: 'I draw. I'll set a monster in Defence mode, and then activate Onomatopick. This allows me to add Onomatopia from my deck to my hand. I end my turn with a face-down.'

Lydia: 'I draw. I activate the Continuous Spell card Samsara. Next I'll use Advanced Ritual Art. By sending Normal monsters from my deck to my graveyard, I can Ritual summon a monster whose levels equal that of my monster. I'll send off Dunames Dark Witch and Spirit of the Harp, to summon Ruin, Queen of Oblivion (Atk:2300).'

'And the best bit? That comes from Samsara. This Spell allows me to send any monsters used for a Ritual summon back to my deck instead of to my graveyard. So I'll never run out of monsters. Ruin, attack her face-down monster.' 'I activate my face-down Negate Attack. This puts a stop to you immediately.' 'I'll end my turn.'

Radley: 'My turn. I'm going to activate Fire Formation – Tenki. This adds Brotherhood of the Fire Fist – Elephant to my hand. And now I can summon Elephant (Atk:1000). When I do, I send Tenki to my graveyard, and Elephant brings out the Tuner monster Brotherhood of the Fire Fist – Boar (Atk:1100). Now I'll tune Level 4 Boar with Level 4 Elephant to Synchro summon my Crimson Blader (Atk:2800).'

'Crimson Blader, slash away at their points by destroying Ruin.' The powerful blader swung straight through Ruin, leaving fire all across Lydia and Freja's field (Shapesisters LP:8000-7500). 'Because Crimson Blader destroyed your monster in battle and sent it to your graveyard, you can't summon any monster above Level 4 next turn. I'll lay a face-down.'

Freja: 'I draw. I summon Arcana Force I – The Magician (Atk:1100). When I summon it, I have to toss a coin. Heads and it's Attack is doubled whenever a Spell is activated. Tails and you gain 500 points every time a Spell is activated. Oh look – Heads. Now I activate Cup of Ace (Atk:1100-2200). Tails, you draw 2. Heads, I draw 2. Heads it is.'

'You're still not close to Crimson Blader.' 'I know, I'm attacking Kari's monster instead. Sphere-roid Stream.' The Magician released a single blast of blue light from one of it's hands, crashing into Kari's monster (Gogogo Aristera and Dexia Def.:2200). 'I end my turn with a face-down (Atk:2200-1100).'

Kari: 'I draw. I activate the Field spell Onomatopia!' An expansive cityscape with a harsh sun beating down appeared on the field. 'Now I'll summon Gogogo Goram (Atk:2300). And now I overlay Level 4 Goram and Aristera and Dexia to build the overlay network and Xyz summon Number 39: Utopia (Atk:2500). Now for my Field spell. Whenever a Utopia monster is summoned on the field, my field Spell gains a Hi-Five the Sky Counter, and all our monsters gain 200 points (Counters:1, Atk:2500-2700, 2800-3000).'

'Crimson Blader, attack Arcana Force I.' 'I activate my face-down R:Blowback.' 'But… you must have had that face-down last turn.' 'It's all about timing. There's a total of 9 cards on the field, so you're being smacked for 900 points.' The impact of Crimson Blader's swords crashing into the barrier bounced Radley several feet backwards, with Kari staying low to dig in (NRC LP:8000-7100).

'Utopia, attack The Emperor with Rising Sun Slash!' Utopia leapt into the air, and slashed Freja's monster with crossed swords, busting through it (Shapesisters LP:7500-5900). 'I'll end my turn with a face-down.'

Lydia: 'I draw. I summon R: Recycler (Atk:0). With Recycler's ability, when he's Normal summoned, I can bounce him and a card on my field back to my hand to add a Spell back from my graveyard to my hand. I'll bounce Samsara and add back Advanced Ritual Art. Now I activate Samsara, followed by Advanced Ritual Art. I'll send Gayugatenno Megami and three Mystical Shine Balls from my deck to my graveyard and summon out Herald of Ultimateness (Def.:3000).'

'And don't forget, Samsara returns those materials straight back to my deck. See? I can just bring anything I like back.' 'Apart from your Herald. All it takes is one more counter on my Field spell, and it's dust.' 'I end my turn.'

Radley: 'That's what I thought. I draw. I activate Monster Reborn to revive the Tuner monster Brotherhood of the Fire Fist – Boar (Atk:1100). Now I summon Brotherhood of the Fire First – Gorilla (Atk:1600). Now Level 4 Boar tunes to Level 4 Gorilla. I Synchro summon Brotherhood of the Fire Fist – Kirin (Def.:2800).'

'When Kirin is summoned successfully, I can set a Fire Formation directly from my deck. And for each face-up Spell or Trap we control, your monsters lose 100 Attack and Defence (Herald Atk/Def.:2000/3000-1800/2800). Crimson Blader, destroy Herald of Ultimateness.' 'Go – Safe Zone.'

Freja's Trap surrounded Herald of Ultimateness in a bubble, protecting it from harm. 'Now not only can you not destroy our Herald in battle, but it can't be targeted or destroyed with card effects. So it's practically invincible.' 'I end my turn.'

Radley: 'My turn. I activate Pot of Greed to draw 2 cards. I activate the Spell card Monster Material. By detaching a material from Utopia, I can summon a monster from my deck whose Level matches it's Rank. I summon Brotherhood of the Fire Fist – Rhino (Atk:1700). And he's being joined by Dragon (Atk:1800). Now I overlay my two monsters to Xyz summon Brotherhood of the Fire Fist – Cardinal (Atk:1800-2000).'

'And the effect of Cardinal. By detaching both it's materials, he can return Brotherhood of the Fire Fist – Rhino and Fire Formation – Tensu from my graveyard to my deck, and send Safe Zone and Samsara back to your deck.' Radley was confident, until he saw Lydia raring to go. 'I activate the effect of Herald of Ultimateness. By banishing Arcana Force I from Freja's graveyard, your effect is negated and destroyed.'

A firestorm from the Cardinal soared through the duelling zone, only for the Herald to cut straight through it with intense light, causing an explosion as Cardinal overheated. 'I end my turn with a face-down.'

Freja: 'I draw. I activate Hand Destruction. This forces all of us to discard two cards, and then draw two. I'll set a monster and end my turn with a face-down.' 'Nothing else? Thought you were looking for revenge.' 'Costing you these titles is all the revenge we need.'

Kari: 'Fine, I'll have to make you angry. By discarding Rank-up Magic Numeron Force, I can rank up Utopia. Rank-up Xyz Evolution! Take wings, Number 99: Utopic Dragon (Atk:4000). And I activate Rank-up Magic Clone Force! By skipping my Battle phase this turn, I can target an Xyz monster on my field and summon one of the same Rank from my Extra deck. I target Utopic Dragon and summon Number XX: Utopic Dark Infinity (Atk:4000). And that means two more Counters for my Field spell (Atk:4000-4600, 4000-4600, 3000-3400)

'When Dark Infinity is on the field, once per turn we gain Life points equal to the Attack of any Special summoned monster on our field. Like Utopic Dragon (NRC LP:7100-11700). I end my turn.'

Lydia: 'I draw. I activate The Dark Door, and end my turn with a face-down.'

Radley: 'My turn. Utopic Dragon, attack her face-down monster. Hope Burst!' A steady stream of light came from the Rank 10 Dragon, slamming into Freja's monster (Scapeghost Def.:0). 'When Scapeghost is flipped face-up, I get Black Sheep Tokens on each of my unoccupied monster zones (Def.:0)x5. 'I end my turn with a face-down.'

Freja: 'I draw. I'll activate Boost-Out. This makes the Attack of all monsters on the field their Original Attack until the turn ends. Now I tribute two Black Sheep Tokens to summon Arcana Force XIX: The Sun (Atk:2900). And now it's effect. Heads, I can destroy one of your monsters every turn and you take damage equal to it's highest stat. Tails and Arcana Force XIX's stats both become 1000.' Freja was no longer trying to hide her abilities as her eyes glowed all the way down with the coin. 'Heads. So I'll use The Sun's effect and destroy Utopic Dark Infinity.'

The Sun opened up it's limbs, and unleashed fiery revenge on Number XX, melting through it as if it was ice, before sending a stream of molten rock crashing into Kari and Radley (NRC LP:11100-7100). 'I activate Utopic Memories. When a Utopia monster on the field is destroyed while another one is on the field, I can detach an Xyz material from Number 99 and revive Utopic Dark Infinity (Atk:4000-4800, Counters:3-4).'

'Fine. I'll attack Crimson Blader next with The Sun. Solar Slammer!' Freja's Level 8 monster grabbed Crimson Blader's swords, and slowly turned it to molten rock, before it shattered (NRC LP:7100-7000). 'When a monster on our field is destroyed in battle, I can detach an Xyz material from Utopic Dragon to bring it back.' 'I end my turn.'

Kari: 'I draw. Utopic Dragon, attack Arcana Force XIX.' 'I activate Tarot Shuffle. When an Arcana Force monster is attacked, I can use this to swap it out for another Arcana Force monster of a lower Level, and it gains the effect for the same coin toss as the monster I switched out. I'll send back Arcana Force XIX and summon Arcana Force XVI: The Tower (Atk:2600).'

'Keep it up Utopic Dragon!' The Dragon's assault slammed into the dark and foreboding tower, smashing it to pieces (Shapesisters LP:5900-3700). 'And now we can attack for game.' 'No you can't.' 'Why?' Kari then noticed the shattered Tower floating around the field. 'When you destroyed The Tower, it's Heads effect activated. Now every card on the field is destroyed and for each one, you lose 400 points. Cursed Calamity!'

The broken bricks from The Tower floated around the field, before crashing into every area of the field, causing huge craters in the hope city which Kari had created. A light then protruded from the heavens, crashing into the Corps (NRC LP:7000-3300). As the dust cleared, the Corps were astonished to see Herald of Perfection surviving.

'How is it still there? It should have gone with Safe Zone.' The answer lay in Lydia's graveyard. 'I used the Trap card R: Forcefield. When activated, it keeps all monsters on our field safe from card effects for the turn.' 'I'll set a monster and end my turn with a face-down.'

Lydia: 'I draw. I activate Graceful Charity to draw 3 and discard 2. Now I'll activate Celestial Transformation to summon Athena, but her Attack is halved and she's destroyed at the End phase (Atk:1300). Now I use Inferno Reckless Summon to bring out two more (Atk:2600)x2. I'll activate the effect of Athena Number 1, to send another Athena to the graveyard and summon Arcana Force I: The Magician (Atk:1100).'

'And when I do, Athena deals 600 points of damage. With two, that's 1200' 'Nice try. I activate Rainbow Life. So every time we'd take damage this turn, we gain that amount instead (NRC LP:3300-4500). So end your turn.' After a moment of thinking, Lydia came up with a brave move. 'I'm going to use the effect of my second Athena.'

'You're insane.' 'By sending The Magician to my graveyard, I can summon the Athena in my graveyard back (Atk:2600, NRC LP:4500-5700). And now I use the third Athena's ability to send my first one to the graveyard and summon it straight back (Atk:2600, NRC LP:5700-6900).' 'Why are you doing that?' 'I end my turn with a face-down.'

Radley: 'It's my turn! I activate Card Destruction, so all of us throw our hands in the trash and draw again. But all of your cards actually ARE trash, so it's not going to help you. Next I activate Rekindling, to bring back Fire King Avatar Garunix and Fire King Avatar Yaksha (Atk:1800)x2. And I summon Coach Captain Bearman. He's Level 8, but I can summon him at the cost of half his Attack (Atk:2600-1300). When Bearman is on the field, he can make my other monsters Level 8 (Level:4-8)x2. Now I'll overlay all three Level 8 monsters to build the overlay network and Xyz summon Coach King Giantrainer (Atk:2800).'

'Giantrainer, activate your ability. At the cost of my Battle phase, I can detach three Xyz materials to draw three cards. For each monster, you lose 800 Life points. I draw.' Radley then showed off his new hand – Brotherhood of the Fire Fist – Gorilla, Coach Captain Bearman, Coach Soldier Wolfbark. 'Three monsters is 2400 damage. Take it.' Giantrainer threw his training rods at the twins, dropping their Life points down yet further (Shapesisters LP:3700-1300).'

'And now I'll activate Rank-up Magic Quick Chaos! This ranks up Radley's Giantrainer into a Chaos Xyz monster. Chaos Xyz Evolution! I Xyz summon Cxyz Coach Lord Ultimatrainer (Atk:3800). Ultimatrainer, activate your ability. By detaching a Chaos Xyz material, I draw a card and if it's a monster, you lose 800 points.'

Radley took his card, and laughed. 'Too bad – another Wolfbark. Say goodbye to 800 more points.' Ultimatrainer fired a series of fastballs, which the girls were unable to dodge, almost wiping them out (Shapesisters LP:1300-500). 'I end my turn.'

Freja: 'You've made a big mistake. I draw.' 'What mistake – did I upset your feelings?' 'Nope, but you left us with Life points I overlay my three Level 7 monsters to build the overlay network. Roll up roll up, for the show of the century. Introducing that crafty trickster, Number 7 – Lucky Straight (Atk:700).'

'That thing doesn't stand a chance. Have you seen it's stats?' 'Stats aren't everything. Lucky Straight, I'm activating your ability. By detaching an Xyz material, he can play a dice game. He rolls two dice, and his Attack is the higher roll x 700. Dice of Destiny.' Lucky Straight spun on the spot to produce a pair of dice to the game, and put them in his staff (which had a red "7" on it), before firing them out and waiting for them to land.

'That's a 6 and a 1. So his Attack becomes 4200 (Atk:700-4200).' Both dice then started glowing gold. 'Oh isn't that nice - the numbers add up to 7. 7's a very lucky number, because now I gain access to one of three effects. I'll choose the first effect – sending every other card on the field to the graveyard. Dice Armageddon.'

Lucky Straight lifted his staff, and thousands of dice plunged from the sky, exploding on contact with anything, leaving Lucky Straight alone. 'Attack them directly Lucky Straight.' 'I'll stop your attack by discarding Swift Scarecrow. We're not going anywhere. Isn't that right Radley?' 'So right.' 'I'll end my turn with a face-down.'

Kari: 'I draw. I activate Xyz Reassemble. This allows me to revive an Xyz monster from my graveyard, but it loses all it's Attack points and it's ability. I revive Number 39: Utopia (Def.:2000).' 'I activate the effect of Herald of Ultimateness. By banishing Athena from my graveyard, I can negate your Special summon and destroy it.'

'I activate the effect of Double Negative from my hand. By banishing this Spell card, I can negate an effect which would negate my effect, and destroy the card.' Double Negative absorbed the blast from the Herald, and then the card bent and warped, before bouncing it back, splitting the Herald in half.

'Now I activate Rank-up Magic Astral Force. This ranks up Utopia by two Ranks. Rank-up Xyz Evolution! I summon the next level of hope. Meet Number 39 – Utopia Beyond (Atk:3000).' 'Great.' 'When Beyond is summoned, it can reduce the Attack of your Lucky Straight to 0.' Beyond's body shone brighter than a star, nearly blinding everyone and turning Lucky Straight into a metal statue (Atk:4200-0).

'Now attack and destroy them! Rising Sun Beyond Slash!' While Freja watched on, Lydia had a plan. 'I activate the effect of R: Reversal from my hand. By discarding it, I can summon back Lucky Straight in Defence mode (Def.:700).' 'Keep attacking.' Utopia Beyond's shining swords sliced Lucky Straight asunder, dismantling it. 'I end my turn.'

Lydia: 'I draw. I activate Trade-In. By discarding Level 8 Demise, King of Armageddon, I can draw two cards. Now I'll activate Swords of Burning Light to buy time and end my turn.'

Radley: 'I draw. I activate Monster Reborn to bring back Cxyz Coach Lord Ultimatrainer (Atk:3800). And now I'll end my turn with a face-down. Once our next turn comes, I'm going to make sure that you both end up like your little bud – in a wheelchair with no life ahead of you!' Radley laughed at his threat until he saw Freja's eyes, which had turned pitch black.

Freja: 'You're not going to touch my sister! I draw! I activate Xyz Recycle. By banishing an Xyz monster which was summoned successfully earlier in the duel, I can summon the monsters used as material for it if they are still in the graveyard. I summon two copies of Athena (Atk:2600)x2.' As she did this, the burning swords flamed out. But Freja had much bigger things on her mind.

'Now I overlay my two Level 7 monsters to build the overlay network!' Lydia then remembered a conversation from earlier in the day. 'Of course, this is the secret weapon he talked about!' By now, Freja had developed a sadistic grin, and her hair was covering her right eye. 'I Xyz summon! Prepare for the end of days – Red-Eyes Flare Metal Dragon (Atk:2700).'

'Come on, why don't you attack me? Fire your best shot!' 'I don't need to attack, I can make you burn instead. I activate Moon Mirror Shield. When Flare Metal Dragon is in battle now, it always has 100 more Attack than what it's facing. I end my turn with a face-down. But I must warn you – Flare Metal Dragon can't be destroyed by card effects while it has materials.'

Kari: 'I draw. This will be like taking candy from a baby – I activate the effect of Utopia Beyond.' Kari then got stung with a quick blast of fire from the Rank 7 Dragon. 'Every time you activate a card or effect, Flare Metal Dragon deals 500 damage (NRC LP:6900-6400). 'Now for Utopia Beyond. I can tribute an Xyz monster on the field, like Ultimatrainer, to revive a Utopia monster from my graveyard. Return Number 39 – Utopia (Def.:2000). I end my turn with a face-down.'

Lydia: 'I draw.' After analysing the field, Lydia decided to put Radley in an awkward position. 'I activate Swords of Revealing Light. So if you want to attack us now, you'll have to pay for the pleasure. I end my turn.'

Radley: 'I draw. I summon Gogogo Giant (Atk:2000). When he's summoned, I can revive Gogogo Golem in Defence mode, and then switch Giant to Defence (Golem Def.:1500, Giant Def.:0, NRC LP:6400-5900). Now I overlay my two Level 4 monsters to build the overlay network and Xyz summon Number 55: Gogogo Goliath (Atk:2400). I end my turn with a face-down.'

Freja: 'I draw. I activate Wave-Motion Cannon. Now during each Standby phase of ours, this gains a counter. When we send it to the graveyard, you lose 1000 Life points for each Counter. For now though, I'll attack Goliath with Flare Metal Dragon. Molten Fire Blast.' As Freja looked on increasingly crazed, Kari activated her face-down. 'Go – Number Wall. This stops you from destroying Number monsters by battle or with card effects (NRC LP:6400-5900-5500). 'I'll end my turn there.'

Kari: 'My turn. I activate One Day of Peace. So we all draw a card and until your next turn ends, nobody takes any damage. I end my turn with a face-down.'

Lydia: 'I draw. I activate Double Load. With this, I can place two counters on any card on the field. I choose Wave-Motion Cannon. So in just two more turns, you're going to be done. I end my turn.'

Radley: 'You're not lasting that long! I summon Coach Soldier Wolfbark (Atk:1600). When he's out, he can get Fire King Avatar Yaksha back to work in Defence position (Def.:200, NRC LP:5500-5000). And I'll activate Xyz Downburst. This reduces the Levels of all monsters on the field by the amount of Xyz monsters out (NRC LP:5000-4500). And I count 3 (Level:4-1)x2. I overlay my two Level 1 monsters to build the overlay network and Xyz summon Number 78: Number Archive (Def.:0). I end my turn.'

Freja: 'I draw. I activate Destruction Insurance, equipping it to Flare Metal Dragon. I' 'I activate the effect of Number Archive. By detaching a material, I can summon a random Number from my Extra deck.' A card then flew out of the Extra deck slot. 'I summon Number 10: Illumiknight (Atk:2400, NRC LP:4500-4000). 'I end my turn.'

Kari: 'This is the end! With the Xyz monster I'm about to showcase, I can overlay Xyz monsters of the same Rank. I overlay Utopia, Gogogo Goliath and Illumiknight to build the overlay network and Xyz summon! All hail Number 93: Utopia Kaiser (Atk:2500. And I use the effect of Kaiser. By detaching a material, it can summon Number monsters of different Ranks from my Extra deck equal to the amount of units Kaiser had. I summon the Rank 5 Number C39: Utopia Ray Victory, Rank 3 Acid Golem of Destruction, and Rank 8 Number 38: Hope Harbinger Dragon Titanic Galaxy (Atk:2800, 3000, 3000, NRC LP:4000-3500).'

Radley then put the final piece in place. 'I activate Dust Tornado, to destroy Moon Mirror Shield (NRC LP:3500-3000). Do it Kari.' 'Utopia Ray Victory, destroy Flare Metal Dragon with Rising Sun Victory Slash!' Flare Metal Dragon released a fierce blast of fire, and Victory sliced through it, destroying them both and causing a widespread explosion. 'When the monster equipped with Destruction Insurance is destroyed, you lose it's Attack points as damage.' The ghost of Flare Metal Dragon appeared, before exploding, dropping the points very low (NRC LP:3000-200).

'Utopia Kaiser, attack directly with Rising Sun Kaiser Slash!' Kaiser's four portal-like openings opened to reveal arms, each with a sword. All four were crossed as Kaiser charged in, slamming the twins to the ground (Shapesisters LP:500-0).

After the duel, Kari and Radley fist-bumped, as Lydia and Freja looked on, devastated. Claude and Hassleberry came back to lift their team-mates up into the air. 'Your winners and the new WDC Tag-Team Champions, Kari Tsukumo and Radley, the No Remorse Corps.' The show then went off the air with commentary declaring new champions.

As they did, Phil and Hannah's music hit, and he walked out, back in his suit jacket, and holding a microphone. 'I mean seriously? I have warned you, time and time again, that you are not going to leave with those titles. But you still have to be contrary, you still insist on disobedient. But you should know one thing – I don't break promises.'

Claude then grabbed a mic himself. 'You're all full of bluster. You talk a good game, but the problem is that you can't actually deliver. So the answer is no – you're not getting a single shot at these belts as long as we own them.' Phil laughed at the idea of asking. 'The thing is Claude, I don't need to ask. Because I have a partner. Someone who owns a briefcase, and someone who is… cold blooded. Because she never took her last breath!'

My Last Breath by Evanescence played as he finished speaking, and there was a delay, before Rio walked out on her crutches, wearing a black jumper with a silver star on it, and black briefcase on her arm, with the words "Square Go" on them. She handed it over to Phil, who pushed it into the arms of the referee, and put him on blast. After a quick conversation with an unseen official, the referee took the case.

'Ladies and Gentlemen, Rio Kastle is cashing in her Square Go briefcase. As a result, she and her chosen partner will challenge for the WDC Tag-Team Championships immediately! The champions will retain the 200 Life points they had left, as well as the cards they had on the field.' As Rio reached the duelling zone, she and Phil had a quick conversation, and she activated her duel disk with the help of her crutches, amazing everyone in attendance. 'And before you ask, I made that.' Kari's Utopic Dragon and two face-downs then rematerialised on her field.

WDC Tag-Team Championships (Square Go cash-in): (c) No Remorse Corps (Kari Tsukumo and Radley) LP:200 vs. Phil Robinson-Cummings and Rio Kastle LP:8000

Turn 1: Rio: 'I draw. I summon Blizzard Falcon (Atk:1500). And I'll equip her with Wings of Silence to give her 300 Attack (Atk:1500-1800). Tear them apart with your ability now!' Falcon spread it's wings, and crashed straight into Kari and Radley, ending their reign before it began (No Remorse Corps LP:200-0).

As the truncated duel ended, Phil grabbed both tag titles, and he and Rio ran away before Claude could react, and held the titles up in the crowd, as they both laughed. As Claude charged over, Freja wrapped her leg around his, tripping him up, and laughed. 'Your winners and the new WDC Tag-Team Champions, Phil Robinson-Cummings and Rio Kastle.' The show went off with Phil and Rio holding the titles, and Phil screaming 'We told you!' over and over again to a shell-shocked Kari and Radley.

Next time: Fallout from Desert Storm, preparations continue for the Arena courses, and the presidential speeches arrive in Renegades: A New Dawn Chapter XXI: Doing the Impossible