Chaos Effect

Chapter 5

Little Yugi's powers had developed greatly, enough to truly be impressive to anyone other than Pegasus himself. His growth in the Shadow Realm powers was impressive and Pegasus knew that when the time came for them to battle it would only make their competition all the sweater, like the perfect wine paired with the finest of cheeses.

'But it won't be enough,' Pegasus thought to himself. 'Little Yugi has only begun to learn the power of the Millennium Items and just what they mean to their wielders. I have learned how to master my Millennium Eye for years now... paid a grave price for it while Yugi-boy merely had the power handed to him. Well, that is fine enough... the suffering I've gone through has only motivated me all the more. And soon I will add Yugi's puzzle to my own power and then... and then you and I will be together again, my darling Cecelia.'

Even though all his plans hadn't worked out Pegasus was still in a decent mood. 'Young Mokuba may no longer be under my control but he still remains on the island with no hopes of escape. All the boats that could remove him are under the control of me... save Renard's.' He frowned a bit as he thought of the dashing and probably insane duelist from Europe he'd hired to be one of his Eliminators. The man had read too much pirate fiction in Pegasus' opinion and had insisted he be able to anchor his tiny schooner offshore, as "what is a man of romance and danger without his trusted vessel?" Still, Mokuba wouldn't be getting off the Island any time soon and only under Pegasus' command. 'And because he is traveling with Yugi-boy and his friends he believes he is entirely safe when all he's done is exchange one prison cell for another.' He paused and smiled at the thought that Mokuba believed he had won when in reality Pegasus reminded completely in control. 'And besides it means I don't need to waste my servants' attention on the ungrateful brat. Used those sheets as a rope... those were 400 thread sheets and scented with lavender....'

Still, it wasn't merely Yugi and Mokuba that Pegasus was thinking of... nor they that made his smile drop as Croquet entered with a folder. "Master Pegasus."

"What did you find, Croquet?" he asked.

"It is as you expected... during Edwin Chaos' duel with the Mimic of Doom we detected an intrusion to our systems. A trace has shown in came from the mainland and within an hour we'll have it zeroed in-"

"No need," Pegasus said, holding up his hand dismissively. "I already know who it was." He smiled slightly, lips quirking upward. "It seems the men the Big Five lent me to deal with Kaiba-Boy are about as skilled as those corporate suits are."

"Then you mean..."

"That Seto Kaiba is alive and well? Of course. And I would imagine that he is now making his way to Duelist Kingdom right now, hoping to rescue his brother, save his company, regain his deck, and get his vengeance on myself and Yugi Moto." He chuckled at that. "Of course it all depends on him which comes first."

"Surely his brother will be his first priority."

"You would think that but I have found with Seto Kaiba it is truly impossible to determine what he cares about more. Just look at his rather... unhealthy... obsession with his Blue-Eyes." He laughed at that, thinking of the complete set of Blue-Eyes White Dragons he had hidden in his vault deep within the castle... along with monsters that Kaiba had never even heard of. 'I wonder how he would react to the Blue-Eyes Alternative White Dragon... I suppose either find a burning desire to obtain it... or destroy it as a disgrace to 'his' dragon.'

"I will alert the staff to prepare for him-"

"No no, no need for that. After all, what kind of host would I be if I attacked my guests? Come now Croquet, we must be polite. Let Kaiba-Boy come and join us... after all, it will be all the more pleasurable to destroy him fairly than it will be to do it underhandedly." He ran his index finger under his nose in thought. "In fact now that I think about it doing it the Big 5's way wasn't sporting at all. Have Kaiba-boy eliminated with an accident? How utterly boring. Rather like them, actually... small minded. Mmmmm. And you know I am ANYTHING but boring."

"Very good sir." Croquet made a note of that before continuing on. "As for Yugi Moto he remains with 5 star chips while his friend Joseph Wheeler is now at 2."

"Yugi-boy seems to be going rather slow. One would almost think he isn't interested in saving his grandfather's soul. Still, I suppose spending half his time babysitting his friend does waste much time." Pegasus flexed his hand only to wince as his wounds burned and his good mood vanished. "And what of Edwin Chaos?"

Croquet was quiet.

"Well? You know how I hate to repeat myself..."

His valet swallowed. "It seems that thanks to his battle with the Mimic of Doom Edwin Chaos now has the most Star Chips on the island with 9 total."

"9?" Pegasus said with a frowned. "How is that possible? He had only 3 when he battled the Mimic. Your math is failing you, Croquet; he should be at 6."

"It seems, per reports, that he managed to win 4 from another duelist. He is... hiding his true total, sir."

That left Pegasus baffled. "Hiding them? Why ever would he do that? Every other duelist is seeking out Star Chips and bragging proudly of their victories and this man is trying to downplay his wins?" He paused, considering what he'd just said, it occurring to him just what was going on. "Oh... oh, now that is cunning. By hiding his true total he keeps the likes of Yugi-Boy or the other skilled duelist from seeking to challenge him. At this stage the weak have already been eliminated and now those that remain are trying to prove themselves as the mightiest of the mighty. And the more Star Chips you have the more attractive target you are." His lips once more raised into a slight smirk. "A cunning man."

'And a dangerous one,' he thought to himself.

That was what was truly bothering him. Not Kaiba coming to the island, as that was expected. Not Yugi-Boy and his growing skill with the Millennium Puzzle, for Pegasus knew his own mastery was far greater than the boy. No, it was this unknown factor, this Edwin Chaos, that was ruining his good mood. Pegasus liked order, even in the most pleasurable of pursuits. With his favorite cartoons there was always a structure. Funny Bunny would get into a situation with Ruff Ruff McDogg, he would do a few comedic schemes to deal with the mutt, and in the end he'd get his way. Oh, he'd find different ways each time to get his way but he would always win. But this new factor was living up to his name: he was Chaos Incarnate. The unexpected. The unplanned for. The Devil in the Details.

'He defeated Kaiba-Boy's deck. Not with Yugi-Boy whispering in his ear, not with magic or outside trickery... he defeated the Blue-Eyes White Dragon with his deck. Yugi Moto needed to summon a myth... Edwin Chaos did so with merely a few meaningful draws. And doing so has forced me to completely rethink my plans for the days to come.'

What truly worried him was Edwin's Ace Monster, Endymion. The ability to destroy any card on the field threatened Pegasus' deck completely and utterly. Toon World had been designed to ensure that Pegasus could defeat anyone that managed to make it to the end of his tournament. He was all for good fun but he wasn't going to lose at the game he himself had created. The power of his Toon Monsters were unbeatable... so long as Toon World was on the field. And Edwin had a card that could destroy it.

'And not just that card,' he thought to himself, remembering Edwin's Mystical Space Typhoon. 'He showed in that duel along that he can destroy Toon World and with it my precious Toons. Should he manage to get his Endymion onto the field there would be little I could do to prevent it from ruining everything.' He scowled at that. 'I'll need to rework my deck to make sure that his Master Magician isn't able to hurt my beloved toons.'

"Where is he now?" Pegasus asked.

"He is currently traveling with Yugi Moto and his friends, Master Pegasus."

The Creator of Duel Monsters nodded at that, coming to a decision. "Croquet, alert all the Eliminators that the bounty on Yugi Moto remains the same: 2 million for the one that removes him from the Tournament and brings him to me... and inform them I am placing the exact same bounty on Eddie-boy as well. I want him defeated and banished from my island so I might retake Kaiba-Boy's brother. " He narrowed his eyes, flexing his injured hand. "It is time I took back control of my tournament."

~MC~MC~MC~

"Man, I can't wait to take on my next opponent!" Joey said, bobbing and bouncing on the tips of his toes and doing shadow boxing moves. "That last one against that Fake Kaiba has me ready to take on anyone and everyone! I'll take on the real Kaiba! Pegasus! Heck, with how I'm feelin' I could take on both Kaiba and Pegasus... at the same time! Joey Wheeler, duelist extraordinaire!"

"Is... is he always like this?" Mokuba asked us as we followed after Joey who had sprung ahead of us and begun striking poses like he was in the Ginyu Force.

"I wouldn't know, I just joined up with this group," I stated with a shrug and an embarrassed grin.

"Well I've known him for years and yeah... he's always been like this," Tristan said with a roll of his eyes. "Always making bold claims that he can't actually back up."

"What's that supposed ta mean!?" Joey demanded, whipping around and suddenly appearing right in front of Tristan, finger held right under his chin. "I can so back up what I'm sayin'! I beat Mai, didn't I?"

"Barely," Tea said with a side glance towards Yugi, who chuckled at her comment only to clam up when Joey shot him a sour look. The short teen quickly held up his hands as Joey made him the new target for his ire.

"What, ya don't believe in me either, Yug? Don't think I have what it takes?"

"I didn't say that!" Yugi said sheepishly. "It's just..."

"Just what?"

I pressed my tongue against the side of my cheek before chiming in. "Maybe you need to try working up to such lofty goals before declaring your future victories, Joey." I gestured at Yugi. "You don't see either of us claiming that we can win two-on-one matches against the most skilled duelists there are in the world, do you?"

Joey opened his mouth to reply only to deflate a bit. "Yeah... yeah I guess not."

"It's not that I don't think you can big, Joey, it's just that I want you to be careful," Yugi said. "Remember what happened back on the boat against Edwin?" Joey grimaced at that.

"What happened on the boat?" Mokuba asked.

"Nothin'!" Joey said quickly. "Nothin' to share, nothin' for ya to ask about!"

But I shook my head. "Yugi and I agreed to a trade and Joey didn't think it was fair. He tried to convince me to duel to determine the odds, with me winning resulting in him giving me a few of his rare cards-"

"I don't think I said 'a few'..." Joey muttered.

"-but I refused. Which is good because I easily beat him."

"Ya didn't-" But Tea, Tristan, and I all stared him down and Joey let out a huff, crossing his arms over his chest. "Yeah yeah, I messed up."

"And you aren't learning from it, Joey," I said coolly. "Never gamble more than you need to because you run the risk of losing far more than you need to." I looked down at Mokuba. "A good lesson to remember when you duel people."

"I guess," Mokuba said awkwardly, scratching the back of his head. I motioned for the group to stop, aware that the youngest of our fivesome could wear out far easier than the rest of us. "I actually haven't really dueled that much... in fact my match against you was my first, Yugi." In a quieter voice he admitted, "If you can call that a duel..."

Yugi patted Mokuba on the shoulder. "You did a good job-"

"No he didn't," I said bluntly.

"Edwin!" Tea yelled, shoulders raised and head pressed against her body as she glowered at me, the sky actually getting darker thanks to her rage. "That wasn't a nice thing to say at all!"

"But!" I quickly added, "And it's a big but! That wasn't your deck so it doesn't count!"

"It doesn't?" Mokuba asked.

"It doesn't. You didn't know that deck, you were just randomly using it." I patted my suitcase, where the kid's stolen deck was safely secured.

"That's right, Mokuba!" Yugi said with a gentle laugh. "Until you have a deck you call your own you truly haven't dueled yet."

"Oh... oh, okay!" Mokuba said with a grin. "Well, that makes me feel better!"

"Good!" Yugi said with a grin. "You have plenty of time to build your deck and have your first duel."

"Yeah!" Joey said with a grin, ruffling Mokuba's hair. The boy didn't like that but I could tell that he also understood that Joey wasn't picking on him and was rather coming from a place of friendship. "Hey... waitaminute... if ya need to make your own deck in order to have your first true duel... does that mean Yugi hasn't had a duel yet either since he's usin' his grandpa's deck?"

I bit back a snort as Yugi's eyes went wide. Tristan and Tea didn't manage to hide their amusement though. "It doesn't work like that!" Yugi exclaimed, waving his arms about. For my part I was snickering because Joey was right but not for the reason he thought; after all, Yugi had been getting help from an undead Pharaoh since before he'd taken on Kaiba!

"I'm just askin', Yug," Joey said before he snickered. "Heeheehee... thought that does mean I've won more times than you!"

"It does not!" Yugi complained childishly.

After a few more moments of Joey and Yugi taunting each other I finally stepped in. "I think it's a little bit different if the deck is freely given AND gets modified from what it once had been." I rubbed my chin. "Though that does remind me of the Ship of Theseus Paradox."

"The Ship of Whose-Its Parydots?" Joey asked.

"Ship of Theseus Paradox," I stated, trying not to cringe at how bad Joey had mangled that. "We'll use Yugi's deck as the example. Yugi says to you "This is my grandpa's deck! He used it!" You go through it and go, "Is this his original Beaver Warrior?" and Yugi goes, "No, that one got ripped so I bought another one". And you then ask, "What about this Gaia?" and Yugi says, "Oh, that one was fading so I replaced it with a duplicate". And you go on and on and with each card Yugi explains how he replaced every card in the deck with a different one. Can you still say that Yugi's grandpa used THAT DECK if not a single card was actually used by Yugi's grandpa?"

"Well... no! He never used it!" Joey declared.

"Okay, but when did it stop being Yugi's grandpa's deck."

Joey opened his mouth to answer that only to snap it shut.

"Huh," Tristan said, thinking that over. "That's actually a good one."

"It's a paradox. Doesn't really matter with what we were talking about but interesting to think about." I stretched my arms out high above my head. "Anyway, Mokuba, have you ever tried to put a deck together?"

"Well... kind of? I asked Seto to help but-"

"Was he too busy?" Tea asked sympathetically.

But Mokuba shook his head violently. "No way! Seto drops everything if I need help! School work, help on a project, he always puts me before everything!" He looked down and scuffed at the ground. "It's just..."

"He wasn't good at explaining how to build a deck, was he?" I asked gently. "He would begin on a subject but you'd get confused because he'd breeze by it, right?" The boy nodded glumly. "Not your fault or his. Some people just aren't that great at teaching, to be honest. Your brother knows duel monsters, he places it a ton, so for him the basics are... common place. He doesn't need to go over them because for him it would be like explaining that you have to breathe in and out... it's obvious! But he forgets that for you it's not. And that's okay, nothing against him... he just isn't designed for teaching. Maybe high end strategy, but not basics."

Yugi chimed in. "Yeah. Sometimes I forgot when I was showing Joey how to play that he didn't know all the rules and I'd get frustrated when he did something that I knew was wrong. But for him he'd never been taught that."

I nodded in thanks for that. I didn't want to make Mokuba feel down about himself or accidently insult Seto. "That said Yugi is a good teacher. I think between the two of us we can begin giving you some pointers while we look for a challenger for Joey."

"You... you mean that?"

I grinned. "Sure! And if Seto gets upset about it tell him you were secretly milking Yugi and me for information so he could beat us both, seeing as we are the only two so far to defeat his Blue-Eyes." Mokuba grinned at that, eyebrows waggling at just how Seto would react to that lie.

The next 20 minutes were spent explaining to Mokuba the basics of the game. Not even how the turns worked but the different types of cards and their pros and cons. Monsters, spells, and traps. The Extra deck stuff I left to Yugi as in this world those things were... odd. I knew that for the most part characters didn't actually need to have physical fusion cards when they played the game but apparently they DID exist. It was merely that they were one of the few things not required. A fusion card was a... status symbol. You didn't need it, as simply having a picture of it in an official rule book (or using a dueling platform to handle all that) was enough but actually having a fusion card meant that you were rather special. Mokuba had mentioned that Seto was still seeking out the Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon, as that card was so rare it was question if it'd even been printed.

"There is a Blue-Eyes ULTIMATE Dragon?" Yugi asked, much to my amusement.

"Yeah! They don't even mention it in the guide books because it's so rare, according to Seto. But he knows it exists because he did some training using a duel terminal system and ran through every possible fusion there could be done with his deck and discovered it. Three Blue-Eyes Whit Dragons merged into the ultimate form."

'Except for Neo Ultimate Dragon and Alternative and Twin Burst,' I thought to myself. "What, you've never tried that yourself, Yugi?" I asked.

"Honestly no," Yugi admitted. "I didn't have a lot of time to play around with the cards in my grandpa's deck. I know the cards that I use and what they can fuse with but not if his and mine are compatible."

"You might want to consider it then," I pointed out. "That way you can figure out what cards you are going to focus on as the theme of your deck."

"Theme?" Yugi asked. "What do you mean?"

I shrugged even though inside my head I was working myself into a tizzy over getting ready to completely alter the timeline by dropping some game theory on Yugi Fucking Moto. A part of me was screaming that I needed to avoid mucking things up, as I could end up causing Yugi to toss away a card he'd need in the future. The other part of me pointed out that he used Mushroom Man and Watapon and thus his deck couldn't get any worse than THAT.

"Duel Monsters is a young game," I stated, adopting the same tone I'd used when I taught training classes at work or led New Hire Orientations. Easy flow, loud enough for everyone to hear, and a smoothness that covered up the fact that half the time I was throwing the damn script away and just talking off the top of my head. "There are how many cards out there right now? 200? 300? Roughly that. They add more every few months but there isn't a lot to pull from. So you don't have a lot of choices, and it gets worse with rarities. And it's harder if you want to build a deck around a theme... a monster, a type, an attribute. You don't have much to select from to make it work. Look at my deck." I pulled out my deck box, used my Uncle's key to open it up, and pulled out my cards. "Endymion is my main monster. I have Crusader and Rogue and Lab. That's it really. Breaker and Defender help but I really don't have much else. So I have to use other cards like those birds I used against that fraud. The birds are fine, don't get me wrong, but they don't fit the theme."

"Okay," Mokuba said, brow furrowed as he joined in. "But you said that Yugi needed to pick out a theme to focus on... but you also said that it's really hard to do so. That doesn't make sense."

"It's hard RIGHT NOW. But every few weeks Industrial Illusions is putting new cards out. They are swelling up the card pool. And not just new cards but cards that support older cards."

"Oh, like with Mai's Harpie cards!" Yugi said.

"Exactly. Eventually the game will be large enough that Yugi could build a deck around that dragon he used against you, Mokuba. They might make all sorts of Fortress monsters with spells or traps to work with them. For now he couldn't... be he can weed out what cards aren't working when new ones come out, figure out what he is most comfortable with. How your brother duels and how Yugi duels are going to be completely different. That's actually why Seto destroying the Blue-Eyes White Dragon that belonged to Mr. Moto was so stupid. A Blue-Eyes doesn't fit with how Yugi duels. Wouldn't fit how I duel. So even if Mr. Moto had wanted to use it he'd never have been able to use it properly."

"Huh," Mokuba said, considering that. "But what about me? I don't even have a deck yet."

"Then you need to begin thinking about what you'd like your deck to do and then find cards that work with that. Do you want to overwhelm your opponent with strong monsters? Or use spells that power up your monsters? Or burn damage? Or destroy them with effects? Or... whatever Joey does?" Yugi and Mokuba chuckled at that. "Think about what's comfortable for you. Once you decide that then we can begin looking to get you cards."

"W-we?" Mokuba asked. "You mean... after Duelist Kingdom...?"

"Unless Seto wants to help you and make it a brother bonding thing, I'd be more than happy to help."

"Me too!" Yugi said quickly. "My grandpa runs a game shop after all so he'll have all sorts of resources we can you!"

"Hey Mokuba!" Tea called out, motioning for him to jog ahead and join her.

Once Yugi and I were alone the teen looked up at me and smiled. "That was really nice of you to help him out."

"He's had a rough life, especially these last few weeks. Orphaned, adopted father a MASSIVE icehole, overprotective big brother, and now all this kidnapping nonsense..." I shook my head. "He needs some happiness in his life." I glanced at Yugi. "We all do. Tristan told me about your grandpa."

He hadn't. But it was a good lie to cover up knowledge I shouldn't have had.

"I know it might be hard to believe-"

"Yugi... I told you all when I took on Pennywise the Dance Fraud... I've seen things you wouldn't believe. Ancient magic and trapping souls? Not that hard to swallow." I clenched my jaw. "Pegasus has a lot to answer for."

"Seems like all of us are here because of desperate reasons. Me, Mokuba, Joey-"

"What did Pegasus do to him?" I asked.

"Oh, nothing with Pegasus... Joey's sister has this... she's going blind and there is an operation that could save her sight but it just costs a lot. $3 million. His mom can't afford that so he wants to win the tournament so he can get her the operation."

I stuffed my hands in my pockets. "...so we're giving him the money if either of us win, right?"

Yugi started at that. "What?"

"You and I. Either of us win and Joey's sister gets the money. Assuming we can't get it another way..." I thought of Kaiba's deck that was locked in my suitcase, a plan forming in my head.

"You'd do that?" Yugi asked.

I tapped my glasses. "My right eye is so screwed up I can't see anything more than 6 inches away from me without these. That's just blurriness. Going blind? No one deserves that. She gets the money."

Yugi nodded, smiling at that. "I think Serenity would appreciate that..." He frowned slightly. "Not sure about Joey though. He's really proud... would be hard for him to accept."

"I get being proud but there is having your dignity and being a moron. Refusing that kind of gift? Moron."

The teen looked at him, eyes narrowed. "What is with you, anyway?"

"Hmmm?"

"One minute you are being all nice to Mokuba and giving Serenity your prize money the next you are calling everyone names. Joey-"

"I've heard you and Tristan make jokes about him."

"That's different."

"Is it?" I pressed.

Yugi shifted at that. "We're his friends. He teases us, we tease him. We still care about each other. But you... when you say it the words come off as really cruel. You did the same with that guard of Pegasus' and with that imposter Kaiba. You just kept mocking them and needling them. You didn't let up. It wasn't right."

I glowered at Yugi, taking a breath before I spoke so I didn't risk lashing out and saying something harsh that I'd regret. "Let's tackle the latter two. Kemo, and yes I did remember his name, and that Fraud were trying to capture a boy who had just escaped being kidnapped. Both work for someone using black magic to steal souls. The Fraud was using a stolen deck. No... they don't deserve a lick of my respect. In fact that's what they desperately wanted and I refused to give it to them. I wasn't going to let them feel like they mattered to me. I would not blink an eye if they were wiped off the face of the earth... which I might add you apparently did."

Yugi cringed at that. "I'm... I'm not sure what I did. There are times when I feel like a completely different person and I'm facing people that just... I know are evil or broken and I need to deal with them." He looked down at his hands. "I don't know what I did to that Fraud but I know that if he had truly possessed a good heart he'd still be here."

"And I knew when I heard all the crap he'd done that he didn't have a good heart. Thus he gets mocked and belittled." I bit back the retort of 'If I could use dark magic would that make it fine if I called him 'sir'?'. I knew that wouldn't go over well.

"I guess I see your point... but it doesn't feel right to me to be so harsh. You need to show you are better than them."

"I did show that."

"I didn't mean in the duel."

"I didn't either. I meant that I didn't kidnap Kemo, force him to stay in a cell, and then use him as leverage against his family."

Yugi shifted at that. I could tell he saw the logic to all my points but his damn stubborn ingrained belief in integrity of all, even when it was counterproductive and/or stupid, was too hard to break down. And I wasn't exactly sure that breaking it was something that I wanted to. Last thing I needed was to turn him into Chazz from GX. I adjusted my Tigers cap and waited for him to speak.

"But what about your comments about Joey? Just because you don't agree with him-"

I held up my hand. "It is more than not agreeing with him." I sighed, rocking my head back and forth. "I don't tolerate fools. And I don't mean people who aren't smarter than me though I do sometimes snap at them. No, for me a fool is someone who makes life harder than it needs to be. Joey has a problem... a big one. A massive one. I'm not downplaying that. But... you are telling me that even if I offered him a solution he wouldn't take it because of his moronic pride. Let me put it like this: if I disappeared for 2 hours and came back with your grandpa's soul in a little sugar dish and said, "I stole back your grandpa's soul. Let's go shove this baby back into him!" would you wave me off and go, "No no, can't do that, please put it back in Pegasus' kitchen because I'd rather defeat him on my own"?"

"Of course not!" Yugi exclaimed only to blink. "Oh."

"Yeah. Joey makes things harder on himself. He made things harder on the ship when he didn't like the trade you and I set up. He rushed off to take on Mai Valentine and yeah he won but he could have very easily lost. It would have been better for him to have a duel with someone who wasn't an international player of this game. And he won't accept charity because he sees it as an insult instead of a kindness. That makes him a foghorning fool and I'm not ashamed to say it."

We were silent the rest of the way and I was a bit surprised to see a large gathering of other duelists milling about, trading cards and chatting with each other. I'd forgotten about this part of the show, only remembering that Mai got Rex to duel Joey and it got him his Red-Eyes. I vaguely hoped that Mai wouldn't resort to such tactics this time around, that maybe me calling her out would have an impact, but I knew that wasn't the case. People didn't change because of a single encounter, even in this fictional world I found myself in.

"Huh...wonder what made everyone bunch up like this," I muttered as he looked at everyone.

"Who cares... now maybe mister Big Shot Duelist can find his next opponent!" Tristan teased.

Joey began to lip off to him and I looked over at Tea who shared an eyeroll with me. "I'm going to walk around, get some info. Wait for me, okay?" Tea nodded and I motioned for Mokuba to follow. He'd pulled his hat on as soon as we saw the large group and was keeping his head down. "Stick with me, okay? Believe it or not I do trust Pegasus to keep his word on not going after you so long as you're with me on the island. But I can see him taking advantage if you wander off."

"I'm not a baby," Mokuba complained.

"I know but Kemo has no problem beating up babies, let alone mature young men like you. So stay close."

Most of the duelists that were milling around didn't pay much attention to us, busy swapping stories, cards, and a few even supplies. I mentally debated taking advantage of hungry duelists by trading some of my food for cards but decided against it; with Mokuba now glued to my side I needed to make sure there was enough for both of us. Especially as now I was debating if I would be able to enter the castle with him. It was tempting though and the natural avarice that made me want money, lots and lots of money, I want to fly in the sky, was singing to begin cutting deals. But instead I looked to try and find someone who might be willing to pass some information-

"Ah, I see another competitor has joined our little non-aggression area," a heavily accented voice said from behind me.

-and it seemed the info-giver had found me instead.

I was a bit surprised to find that the person who'd approached me was closer to my age than Yugi's. I had never been good at pegging people for how old they were, always going favorable (kids were older than I thought, grannies younger), but the man in front of me had to be in his 20s. Red hair topped his head, spiking on either side so that they looked a touch like dog ears. He also had a soul patch that made me wish my stupid beard would grow in already, and thick eyebrows that looked ready to fly right off his face.

His outfit though showed me this was no mere background character. He wore a blue coat with long tails, golden buttons in two rows running up the front, a huge collar that reached halfway up the back of his head, and red cuffs. Cream colored khakis with high boors finished the outfit, making me instantly think 'pirate' for some reason.

"Non-aggression area?" I asked.

"Yes. No duels allowed, no challenges either. One can only meet with others, swap cards and tales, and relax. Did you not see that in the rule book?" the newcomer said. His nationality was very hard to deduce as it seemed that he fluctuated from French to Spanish to Italian. A fiery latin undercurrent no matter what but what flag he'd been born under I couldn't tell. "You can see the markers there and there." He gestured at some trees and sure enough someone had put down some red stakes, creating an invisible boundary that began a few feet from where Joey and the rest of the gang was standing.

"That seems rather basic compared to what Pegasus has set up," Mokuba stated and I found myself agreeing with him on that assessment.

"Perhaps that is because I... forced the issue," the man said. "I informed Mr. Pegasus that if he wished for me to be a part of this tournament he would agree to certain requirements. This area was one; my having my own boat to leave on was another. He was most desperate to have me involved, as my connections would allow him to gain others to assist, so in the end he agreed." He tugged on his beard, face thoughtful. "Perhaps that is why you do not know? When did you receive your rule book?"

"A few days ago, came in a special care package."

"Hmmm, I can not be sure then."

I took in the man carefully before a shock of fear shot right from my crown all the way to my toes. I threw out my arm in front of Mokuba and was ready to call for the others but the other man, seeing me tense, let out a sigh and took a step back.

"I see you have already encountered one of my number," he stated before looking down at Mokuba. "And am I right to suspect that this same one attempted to collect on Mr. Kaiba here's bounty?"

"You're like that fraud who pretended to be my brother!" Mokuba snapped, a bit louder than I would have liked. A sideways glance showed that Yugi and his friends... were busy making fun of Joey and not noticing that we were having issues. Because of course.

"I am an Eliminator, yes. But I am NOT like many of them. I brought the uomini in with my connections but I do not associate with them. They are not mon équipe! And let me assure you I have no interest in what other games Mr. Pegasus might be attempting to play on this island. The capturing of children? Fah! I do not do such things!" He slammed his right arm against his chest in a salute. "I am an Eliminator, I am here to test duelists and give them a chance to rise or fall in the ranks. No more, no less. It is not my task to commit such underhand schemes as the other Eliminators will engage in!"

To my own surprise I found myself believing him. Maybe it was because I'd never seen him on the show and thus had nothing tainting my opinion of him. Maybe it was just some natural sixth sense I'd gained in coming to this world. Maybe I was just tired and wanted to believe that there could be people other than Yugi and his friends and Mako who were decent people on this island and not cheating fiends. Whatever the reason I slowly lowered my arm and nodded in acceptance.

"Edwin Chaos. And you know Mokuba Kaiba, who is currently under my protection." I held out my hand, my name said in politeness, Mokuba's as a warning.

"Renard Volpe," the Eliminator told me returning the handshake. "Now, I must warn you that while I do not seek to claim Mr. Kaiba for Mr. Pegasus if I do come upon you in the field I will be forced to duel you. And I am aware of the stipulation placed upon you."

I sighed at that. "So long as Mokuba is with me and so long as I am in this tournament he is untouchable. Meaning Pegasus just made me Public Enemy #1."

"#2, actually," Renard stated. "Mr. Moto is #1, Mr. Kaiba here's older brother is #2, along with you. The young Mr. Kaiba is #3."

"So I have a high bounty all the same," I muttered, knowing it was really stupid to think so but still pleased that in Pegasus' eyes I was on the same level as Yugi and Seto.

"Wait, my brother?" Mokuba asked. "Pegasus wants my brother? You mean he's here?"

"Or will be," I said before Renard could answer. "You think for a moment he won't come to save you if he has the chance?" I pulled out my phone. "I've sent texts to my uncle about all this... hold on..." I paused, held the camera back as far as I could, and took a shot of Mokuba and myself before sending that along. "...there. Anyway, I've sent him texts about everything that has happened and asked him to try and find a way to contact Seto. Smartest thing he could do is stay away, get the authorities involved, and they get you and I off the island and deal with Pegasus."

"Nuh uh, no way does Seto do that. He'll want to handle this himself... Pegasus made it personal."

"I agree. So that means he is coming it's just a matter of when he does." I looked at Renard. "I suppose you can't give me a head start to get out of here before you challenge me?"

"I am not challenging anyone this evening," Renard said with a shrug. "I wish to make sure the rules of the non-aggression area are followed. So as long as you aren't here after the moon rises then I won't follow after you. Should we meet though after that..." He gave a shrug.

"Fair enough. So tonight we're just two guys surrounded by kids hopped up on competition and sugar. Speaking off... Mokuba, grabbed something to eat from my bag. Not the suitcase, the backpack slung over the tent. I have a feeling with the way Joey is going we are going to be having midnight snacks instead of supper." Mokuba nodded and began to rummage through my bag while I turned back to Renard. "So, I'm guessing you are a professional duelist?" He nodded his head. "So how'd you get roped into doing this instead of competing? I'd have thought the title of King of Games and a $3 million prize would be a pretty strong draw."

Renard chuckled at that, waving his hand dismissively. "The title means little to me. That isn't my dream and if I were to claim it then I'd be depriving another. Now the money-" here I can literally see the dollar signs in his eyes and behind him the world turned to a gradient with golden coins raining down, "-that is... tempting..." He snapped back to normal and I wondered if I was going to develop a tumor with all the world altering anime did. Well, better than Hellsing Ultimate and their freaky animation joke bits. "However there are only two chances to claim that prize. I am getting $60,000 guaranteed for being here. I will take guaranteed money."

"But that doesn't sound like that much at all!" Mokuba complained only to clam up when I shot him a dark look. "Uh... or is it for people whose brother doesn't run a multibillion dollar company?"

"Got it in one. Good job."

"Tell me, Mr. Chaos, why are you here?"

I'd been asking myself that very question a lot... how had I ended up stuck in an anime. One with 4kids censoring to boot. But I figured he was looking for the in-universe answer and said, "My uncle broke his leg so I came in his place. I'm reporting on what has happened... I don't think Pegasus thought this through, having a reporter on site to see him kidnapping children and committing hostile takeovers." Or he had and he knew he could get away with it... that dark little thought danced through my head. I was hopefully that it was merely a case of Yugi never bothering to go to the cops but I couldn't shake the feeling that I was dealing with billionaires who took the law and rewrote it with a sharpie. Getting my uncle involved was a risk, as if Pegasus did get arrested after Duelist Kingdom it may affect the Wake the Dragons Arc but honestly I hoped that by the time we reached that point I'd have worked out a way to deal with Dartz without needed Pegasus to give Yugi a blank card, should he manage to wiggle his way out of things.

"So winning... it is not your dream?" Renard asked and I felt an odd tickle on the back of my brain. I was getting conflicting Deju Vu from the Eliminator and I didn't quite get why.

"No. I won't say no to the money but it's not my dream."

"And what is?"

Mokuba spoke up before I could answer. "What do you mean? What dream? Like when you sleep?"

"No no no... I mean what he longs for. The dream that drives him."

One Piece. That was the first tickle. This was One Piece and that everyone had a dream they wished to achieve. Odd choice but hey, guy from another world stuck in a place with ancient Egyptian magic. Not one to cast judgment.

Renard squatted down so he could look at Mokuba better. "For you see... all men dream. But not equally. Those who dream by night, in the dusty recesses of their minds, wake in the day to find that it was vanity."

I chimed in, Renard's eyes going wide with delight as I continued to famous verse. "But the dreamers of the day... are dangerous men. For they my act their dream with open eyes. To make it possible."

Together the two of us intoned, "This... I did."

We grew silent and I truly thought about what Renard had asked me. What was my dream? Why was I doing what I was doing? Yugi wanted to save his grandpa. Kaiba his brother and his company. Joey his sister. Pegasus wanted to bring Cecelia back to life. Some wanted glory, others wealth. What was my dream? What did I want in this world? Why had I decided to get involved?

I looked down at Mokuba and had my answer.

"There are powers at work in this world. Gods and immortals and the like. Dark magic and heroic souls. And when my time here is done I want to be able to look them right in the eye... and spit in their faces before telling them I did more good than they ever did." I placed my hand on Mokuba's shoulder.

Renard nodded at that. "A bold dream. But a worthy one."

"And you? What do you dream of Renard?"

The Eliminator smiled wistfully. "I have been alone for a long time, Mr. Chaos. It is by choice... for my dream is to find those I belong with. My captain. My crew. The ones who will have my back as fiercely as I will have theirs. True companions and whatever our goals may be... we would see it done." He looked past us. "I see your friends are leaving and I imagine you will do the same. When we next meet we will be opponents... but I hope not enemies."

"Not enemies," I said, thinking how it would be nice to have someone that, while I needed to go against him if we did meet on the island, wouldn't be gunning for my head. "Come on Mokuba, I have a feeling Joey did something very stupid." We began to jog after the gang, Mokuba munching on the granola bar he'd grabbed, me yanking my bag behind me, only for to stop short. "Don Karnage."

"What?"

I threw my head skyward. "Don Karnage. That's what I was... never mind." I shook my head. 'Of all the references? Well... at least Alto wasn't Baloo.'

~MC~MC~MC~

Seto Kaiba should have been focused on getting to the private airport.

He should have been focused on if the Big 5 had learned about his private airport, or if they knew he had his pilot's license.

He should have been focused on what his plan was once he got to Duelist Kingdom in order to ensure that his company was secure and Pegasus and the Big 5 never attempted to take what was his ever again.

He should have been focused on the ramifications that so many of his employees had turned on him, happy to betray him and Mokuba. Some for money, some for promises of promotion, some for fear of the Big 5 when it was HIM they should have been worried about. The entire KaibaCorp security team would need to be eliminated, what with Kemo being a part of the entire plot. The attack on his mansion also showed the need to completely revamp those hired to watch out for him. Digital security too, since no one had noticed what was going on. Then there would be needing to look into the Big 5's associates... he didn't care if they didn't know anything about their plot everyone from the highest manager to the secretary for those old men would be shown the door. He couldn't risk it.

But he wasn't focused on any of these things.

One thought was ringing through his head.

'Edwin Chaos defeated my deck.'

Not him. That was the only consolation to all of this. Merely his deck, wielded by a hired goon of Pegasus' who'd tried to impersonate him but, from the audio Seto had heard, Edwin had at least not been fooled by it. Mokuba neither but he'd never doubted for a second that his brother would be able to see through such a pathetic ploy.

Seto had begun digging into Industrial Illusions' computer records the moment the duel was done, able to get a few files downloaded before someone had finally realized he was there and sent their own virus at his computers to try and shut him completely down. It hadn't worked, as his AI was just too cunning for that, but it had meant that the information valve was shut completely and wouldn't be opening any time too soon. Oh, he could have broken through again but it would have taken time and he didn't have that. Not with his brother and his company at stake. So he had to make do with what he'd managed to grab. Unfortunately he didn't have anything that explained just what Pegasus' endgame was with trying to take his company; Seto knew though there had to be one.

'Pegasus isn't someone who makes such a bold move on a whim,' he thought as he took a sharp curve along the road before loosening his grip on the steering wheel, letting the leather slide along his fingers as the wheel rotated back to the proper position and he could once more hit the gas. 'He likes to appear as a casual fop when people are around but the man has a mind nearly as sharp as mine. It's all an act, a way to put people at ease... and lower their guard. This whole Duelist Kingdom is far too grand and too quickly thrown together to be anything other than a shade to hide what he's really doing and claiming KaibaCorp... that isn't his endgame. It's just a stepping stone to something else. But what?'

Seto was forced to finally stop when he came to a railroad crossing, two other vehicles in front of him watching as the cars rumbled by on the track. Reaching over he grabbed the files he'd managed to snag from Pegasus' database and print out before he was booted from the system and began to look them over. It wasn't much but it did give him an edge: these were the profiles of the Eliminators that Pegasus had hired to weed out the duelists that were competing... and deal with any threats to Pegasus' plan, of course.

He was able to quickly separate them into two groups. The first were those that were legitimate duelists who competed in tournaments and enjoyed the game. The biggest name there was Renard Volpe, the European Champion, The Crimson Fox, and someone that even Seto had heard of. The man was honorable to a fault with his only real pressure point being that he hated cheats. Having him had let Pegasus bring in a few bigger players to act as Eliminators. Edgar Wight, Congo Cornella, Nikolas Edison, the Paradox Brothers...

But then there were people who had absolutely vile reputations and had been brought to the island to be Pegasus' muscle. PaniK, who kept having to change his name whenever he received permanent bans; Pain Killer, Player Killer of Darkness, Yamitsukai... honestly the list when on and on. Then there was The Puppeteer and after Seto had taken a look at some of the photos of his... hobbies... he'd locked the documents away, deciding that when this was settled he'd turn them over to the police. Then there was Bruno Hadrian who didn't look like much at all... in fact Seto would have bet all his fortune on Mokuba being able to knock out the punk with a single punch, but his viciousness showed he was someone to be wary of. One of the last sheets was on the Mimic of Doom, the thief that had used his stolen deck against Edwin Chaos.

'The man who beat my deck.'

The train finally passed and Seto revved the car's engine, barely waiting for the final car in the other lane to get by before he cranked it to 100 and passed everyone in front of him. Somewhere on Duelist Kingdom were the only two duelists to defeat his Blue-Eyes White Dragon. One had defeated him by summon a legend. The other had defeated an imposter by turning the might of the Blue-Eyes against itself. And now the two of them had his brother with them, but for how long?

It didn't matter.

He made a hard right into the private airfield, pleased to see that his helicopter was already waiting for him.

'Pegasus. Yugi. Mokuba.' He paused. 'Edwin. I'm coming to Duelist Kingdom... and I will have answers.'

~MC~MC~MC~

'I am a detective for the Domino Police department.'

The fact that Yuri had to keep reminder herself of that fact spoke to her situation... and how displeasing it truly was.

Being the youngest member of the department, at an age where, as her captain liked to remind her time and time again, she still got carded if she went to an R Rated movie, she was getting stuck with the crap assignments. Not the dangerous ones, no no. Even those could offer some prestige. She got the mediocre tasks and cases. And in Domino, one of the safest cities in the country, that truly was saying something.

There were normal crimes to be sure... about 6 months ago there had been the hostage situation at Burger World involving Jiro the Jorogumo; Yuri hadn't been involved with that but from what she had heard she was glad she had been stuck dealing with an old woman convinced someone was taking her paper and purposely adding fake pages. The hostage had gotten out okay but Jiro had been found screaming that he was on fire, writhing on the floor as he beat the imagined flames. Last she heard they'd had to keep him sedated as the trauma was stressing his heart. Then there was the Rintama Gang from about 4 months ago that had caused trouble but even that was nothing compared to other cities. In America they had mobsters shooting at anything that moved... in Domino the gangs used Yo-Yos of all things.

'Flippin' Yo-Yos,' she thought to herself as she made her way past the empty desks and towards the interview room, pausing only for a moment to make sure that she at least looked decent. It wouldn't do for her dark shoulder-length hair to be a mess or to discover that she'd missed a button on the blouse she was wearing under her black jacket. First impressions were vital, especially when so many people looked at her youthful face and instantly dismissed her as a child playing at an adult's game. That was part of the reason she went with so little make-up... too much and she looked like some sorority sister out on the town. 'Better than when I had to wear the uniform,' she thought, remembering how many times someone had gotten too handsy with her thinking she was going to a costume party; though she had enjoyed twisting their arms around their back and slamming them to the ground. That was always fun.

But Yuri got the crap cases each and every time. The time wasters. The dull as paint ones where there was no crime just some bored or lonely person who thought something bad was happening but in reality it was merely their imagination or them making much out of nothing. The old lady on the edge of town who complained that the neighborhood kids were karate-chopping her fence posts. The apartment dweller who wanted someone to come and tell his upstairs neighbors to pipe it down... their footsteps made it hard for him to blare his big swing albums at full blast. The woman who called the cops because the grocery store wouldn't accept her coupons and then when Yuri pointed out they'd expired a year ago was told that clearly they had altered the dates on them. Stuff that not even patrol officers had to deal with dropped on her desk to keep her busy.

The why she got those cases was so many folded that it might as well been an origami swan.

Stepping into the interview room she couldn't help but be a bit startled by who was waiting for her and that must have shown on her features as the man cocked his head to the side, regarding her.

"Expecting someone else?"

"Yes, actually," Yuri admitted. "Normally at this late at night when I get a call to come in here there is a guy in rags wondering why he couldn't bring his bottle in with him or a crazy old lady with fifteen cats popping out of her jacket. You?" She gestured at the man, who was finely put together in his tailored suit and expensive watch save for the cast on his leg. "You aren't the usual fare."

"Well, I have a feeling what I'm bringing you isn't your usual fair."

"In this line of work the usual is the unusual." Yuri took a seat. "Detective Yuri Gander."

"Kipling Chaos."

That gave her pause. In all areas of Domino there were families who were respected and feared, both in equal measure. The Saitōs and the Cullmins if you looking for a good meal. The Taylors for furniture. Itōs are who you went to see if you wanted only the best medical care money could buy. So on. Yuri was used to that herself as the Gardner family had been involved with law enforcement for over a century. But there were always names that were a cut above the others, the ones that really made doors open and people leap out of the way. The Kaibas were the biggest one right now.

The name 'Chaos' was also growing.

Kipling Chaos had taken a small fortune and a knack and finding talent and turned it into a media empire. Chaos Communications had the highest rated 24 Hour news channel in all of Japan and was making inroads to be the biggest in America as well. They had stakes in half a dozen newspapers. Their radio broadcasters covered everything from hard rock to sports. Even their internet business was doing well. It had made the name Chaos be synonymous with 'king maker' and 'the breaker of reigns'; when they decided to focus in on you one prayed it was for the right reasons.

And Yuri had the CEO sitting in her interview room.

"What can I do for you sir?"

Kipling smiled and gestured towards a folder he'd brought in. "Normally this is something I'd just handle with my network. It was filed by a reporter, after all. And make no mistake, detective, we will be running with this tomorrow. But... given the nature of the situation I wanted to be polite and give the police a heads up." He tapped the folder but made no move to open it. "Tell me... how much do you know about Duel Monsters."

"Not much, other than everyone seems to be playing it," she said.

"Not a fan?"

"Just don't have the time, honestly." The other detectives made fun of her for that, as they were always pulling out decks when things were slow and playing a few duels. She didn't even have a deck of her own, just odd monster cards that her co-workers had pulled from their decks and tossed to her as a joke. Yuri couldn't even remember half of the cards she had... the only ones that came to mind at that moment were Satellarknight Sirius and Gusto Falco. She had a feeling if she did play her 'deck', if she could even call it that, wouldn't be winning her anything.

Kipling shrugged. "Currently there is a tournament being held by Maxamillion Pegasus on his private island in the Pacific. Duelist Kingdom. I was invited to attend but-" he gestured towards his leg, "-so I sent my nephew, Edwin, to go in my place. Both to compete and to report on the details. What he has revealed is... concerning."

"Concerning how?" Yuri asked.

Kipling took out a photo and passed it to Yuri. It was a touch blurry and she instantly recognized that had been taken with a phone's camera, but still she could see well enough the smiling face of a young boy, maybe 11 or 12 years old, standing with two young men, a few other people in the background. One had brown hair and a caramel colored jacket, the other one a shaggy blonde mane and a green coat. They were, if Yuri had to guess, in high school but not quite close to graduating yet.

"Do you recognize the boy there?" Kipling asked before pulling out a shot from a newspaper. "How about now?"

"Mokuba Kaiba," Yuri said in surprise. "Seto Kaiba is famous for sheltering the boy... what is he doing on this island?"

"Surviving, despite what the picture might have you believe. According to my nephew he discovered that Maxamillion kidnapped Mokuba Kaiba when his brother Seto went missing and brought him to the island."

"Max... the game developer? He kidnapped someone?" she found that hard to believe. "Wait... Seto Kaiba is missing?" She shook her head. "No. I'm afraid your source is wrong on that. We'd have heard if he were missing."

"Not if those that are after him are covering it up while Kaiba himself is laying low," Kipling challenged. He reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone. "My nephew interviewed the younger Kaiba." He pressed play and turned the phone so Yuri could see Mokuba standing in a clearing, some sort of large colorful piece of machinery just behind him. The blonde from the photo seemed to be arguing with a shorter young man in green with a cap on while a rather busty blonde woman and a short man with wild spikey hair were watching.

"Alright Mokuba," a man's voice said, the person holding the camera Yuri wager, said. "Tell me how you ended up on the island."

"Well... Seto had been acting weird ever since he lost to Yugi..."

What followed was a tale of corporate espionage, hostile takeovers, and disgusting dealings that made Yuri's skin crawl. The highest echelons of Kaibacorp had conspired to murder their CEO and use his younger brother to give control of the company to Pegasus. The Industrial Illusions owner had in turn kept Mokuba locked in his castle like he was some demented middle ages lord... and according to Edwin the man had also attacked some kid named Yugi's grandfather and put him in the hospital then blackmailed the boy into coming to the tournament. Mokuba described being struck and manhandled by Pegasus' staff (with Edwin Chaos chiming in that the man was named Kemo) and also hiring criminals to enforce Pegasus' will on the island.

The video finally ended with the camera being turned and Yuri seeing Edwin for the first time; nice enough looking man, no movie star good looks but decent all the same. Of course that was partially marred by the intense burning gaze he was sporting.

"Uncle Kipling," he said, juggling the camera slightly, "I'm doing all I can to protect Mokuba. I was able to gamble on a duel to secure his freedom but it won't last forever. Pegasus has put a bounty on my head, along with Seto Kaiba and Yugi Moto, and he isn't going to stop until I am eliminated... or worse. And the moment I can no longer compete he is going to take Mokuba and this time lock him in a dungeon. The others don't want to get the authorities involved... Pegasus claims to know the Dark Magic and sorcery and that has them freaked out. They'd rather just play the duels, win the tournament, and force Pegasus to surrender. I'm not as confident. At best the man is a criminal and conartist but I'm growing more worried we have a cult leader on our hands. We need HELP. We need a way off this beaver dam island-" he paused, weirdly bemused by that statement but then pressed on, "-and we need it ASAP. And at worst... I need the world to know what Pegasus did here. So we all can be avenged." The camera shifted again, whirling to reveal more people nearby Edwin and Mokuba, before the recording ended.

"As you can see," Kipling said, "things are not right on that island. They need-"

Yuri wasn't paying attention. Instead she backed up the video to the final seconds of Edwin's message.

"So we all can be avenged," Edwin said. She hit pause and slowly began to cycle through the video, play-pause-play-pause...

Yuri froze. She hadn't been mistaken the first time she'd seen it. There, in the final moments, she could see a group of teenagers. The spike-haired kid, shaggy blonde, trenchcoat brunette, the busty lady, the stocking hat guy...

...and a familiar brown-haired teen in a pink outfit.

The detective pulled out her phone.

"Excuse me? Detective?" Kipling asked but she held out her finger, motioning for him to stay silent.

"Come on, come on..." Yuri muttered as her cell rang before, finally, she heard a voice on the other end.

"Yuri? What is-"

"Dad," Yuri said firmly, "do you and Charlotte know where Tea is?"