Chapter 2: - That's All Folks
"Yugi, Yami, go and grab some more stock from the store room."
The Muto 'twins' rushed into the stock room, and came out with fresh boxes of almost every Duel Monsters set currently in print.
"Yami, toss me a box of Spellcaster's Secrets!"
The box in question slid across the counter from the hands of Yami Muto to the 'twins' best friend, Joey Wheeler, who opened it quickly, and took the money from the customer just as fast.
Once the final customer had been served, Solomon Muto, Yugi's Grandpa, sighed in relief as he looked at the clock, five past five, gone closing time. He sent his grandsons and their best friend upstairs, while he locked up.
The teens trudged upstairs and Yugi and Yami crashed out on the sofa, while Joey opted for his usual spot after finishing, the fridge in the Muto's kitchen. "I know tournament season is nearly here, but that was ridiculous!" Yugi complained as Joey came back in with four glasses of apple juice, closely followed by Mahado and Boh.
"I know, when was the last time it took all of us to clear the days' customers?" Yami asked.
"Ummm," The golden blonde thought as he set the glasses down, "The summer of the first year at Hogwarts."
"Philosopher's Stone year." Yugi nodded, "I've heard that Kaiba's got a huge tournament on, for lower ranked Duellists, in a couple of weeks time."
"But that means it's going to be manic for weeks!" Joey suddenly realised what that meant, and his grimace made Yami laugh, "It's not funny! I bet Rich-Boy planned this somehow."
"How?" Yugi laughed, "Besides, don't complain, the more money we take, the better the wages Grandpa can afford to pay you." Joey gave his friend an odd look, but was disrupted from saying anything else, as the phone went off.
Yugi leapt off the sofa and entered the kitchen to pick up the phone.
Joey turned to Yami, a serious look on his face, "Has it gotten that bad?"
Yami frowned, "The money is tight, but we can manage if it keeps up like this for another week." Yami sighed, "I tried to get Grandpa to take the prize money, but he's making me keep it for Hogwarts supplies."
"Why's it so bad?"
"The rent on the shop's gone up," Yami sighed, "The Tournament Season's just kicked off…" Yami went into a whole list of reasons, some of which Joey had known and others he hadn't.
"I can go without pay." Joey said, "I mean I've nearly got enough money for supplies if you include the money I got from that mini tournament last week."
"Speak to Grandpa." Yami sighed, leaning back and closing his eyes as his head rested on the back, "He'd know what was best."
Yugi wandered in and joined his yami in slumping on the sofa.
"What was the call?"
"Ombre, apparently Kari's bogged down at work and Ombre wondered if she and Shadowfae could come over. I said it was alright."
"I'm not surprised Kari's bogged down, she's trying to catch up with nine months of work." Yami snorted as Yugi curled up and leant back on the corner piece. "And Ombre knows she's always welcome, why did she ask?"
Yugi shrugged, and then remembered Yami's eyes were closed, "I don't know."
"I'm surprised Kari and Kaiba took the time off to compete." Joey said, "I just hope Kari remembers its Sunday tomorrow." Joey said as Mahado let Tobias in the window and Boh leapt up onto Yugi's lap.
"Why wouldn't she?" Yugi asked, frowning as he looked over at the irritated blonde, while petting the Kuriboh.
"She's worked through three weekends since she got back, Ombre's been over here or at Ryou's since we got back, plus she's nearly missed four dates!" Joey growled, "I don't care how much work they've got to catch up on, Kaiba has to give my girlfriend some time off at some point."
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Kari grinned.
After four weeks of constant slog, she'd done it.
She had finished the pile of work that had built up over the nine months she'd been at Hogwarts.
"Sorry Mana." Kari apologised to her Duel Monster partner, who'd come into work with her, "I'll let some light in now I'm done."
Kari got up and stretched, her hand touching the lump that was her silver wand, hidden in the pocket she'd sewn into the inside of her jacket and then moving, without thinking to the gold chain that the Millennium Orb now rested on, which was sparkling in what little light made it through the blinds.
She pulled them, letting the bright summer sun through her window wall and sighed in pleasure at the view. One of the many reasons she came to work was this view.
That was one of the disadvantages of doing computer work; she had to shut the gorgeous Japanese Summer out.
She looked at the clock, six forty nine in the afternoon.
She'd finished earlier then she thought she would, after phoning Ombre at five…
She felt guilty now.
"You have mail."
Kari frowned, she wasn't expecting an e-mail… if this was the tactics department again, she was going to hurt someone…
It was from Seto.
To: Ironhide Kari
From: Kaiba Seto
Message: Mokuba badgered me into e-mailing you about this.
There is an Egyptian Exhibit on at the Domino Museum.
There are rumours that that Ishtar woman had some hand in getting the stuff brought over.
Make sure Ombre goes, just in case.
Kaiba Seto
Kari could easily read between the lines.
"Mokuba badgered me into (insert item here)" normally meant that Seto wanted to tell her, or ask her something but didn't actually want to tell her or ask her. But she didn't understand why she had to make sure Ombre went to that particular Egyptian Exhibit, just in case.
Either Seto knew something she didn't or he felt guilty because he'd heard their talk of going to Egypt and actually felt sorry that he'd stopped them.
No. Seto was still subscribing to the magic is real, the Millennium Items are real but I'm not some reincarnated Priest from the past, no matter how much you and the Muto gang believe it.
Wait, Seto?
Kaiba, Kaiba, Kaiba, Kaiba.
She wasn't thought of as his friend, so she couldn't call him by his first name.
Even though she thought of him as one of their group, after the events of their second year at Hogwarts.
But still, it was good of him to let her know.
She wondered if she could talk Joey into going there tomorrow, with her and Ombre and then go out on their date afterwards.
If she was right about Se…Kaiba's tournament causing a mad rush, Joey would be at the shop, she flipped open her mobile, then looked at the clock again.
Sod it.
She could get started on the work she'd been given this morning on Monday. None of it was urgent.
"Mana, shall we go see the guys?" Kari asked the Dark Magician Girl who grinned and nodded.
That would be great! Mana told her with a grin.
"Give me a second then."
She popped into the lab to tell her workers that if they needed her she'd check her e-mails tonight and tomorrow night and she'd be back in on Monday and then grabbed her backpack, shoving her laptop inside, before shooting down to the front exit, having sold her car last Summer, because she didn't need it and the MOT was killing her, not literally she'd had to tell Ombre.
If she ran, she'd make it to the Kame Game Shop in twenty minutes.
She slipped off her work shoes and slipped into her trainers, roughly shoving her shoes into her backpack and shoving it on.
"Think we can make it in fifteen?"
No harm in trying. Mana replied, delighted her partner was in such a good mood after the day she'd had.
"Ombre, I'm on my way to the Game Shop, can you meet me there?"
'I'm already there.' Ombre's reply was faint, but it wasn't strained, the distance was just a little too far for the link to be loud. 'Is everything alright?'
"Yeap, but I've got something to ask you and Joey."
'See you in twenty then?'
"Hoping to make it in fifteen."
'Good luck.'
"Haha." Kari laughed sarcastically, and then she broke into a jog that turned into a run as she warmed up as Mana followed.
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Kaiba was rather disturbed to find Pegasus had been expecting him.
Then again he shouldn't be that surprised, his Blue Eyes White Jet wasn't the most inconspicuous airplane in the world.
"Well, well, Kaiba-boy, back from obscurity I see, and just in time to get trounced in your own tournament again." Pegasus laughed.
"This isn't a social call, Pegasus." Seto growled, pleased to see Kisara glaring at Pegasus. "You have something I want."
"And what would this be? You did hear I retired from the game wherever you've been hiding yourself, right?" Pegasus didn't seem to care that he had a Blue Eyes White Dragon gunning for him.
"Yeah, and Yami Muto isn't a self righteous…"
Pegasus looked amused, "Is that a hint of jealousy I hear from you Kaiba-boy?"
"As if." Kaiba growled, after the events of Duellist Kingdom he wanted to stay as far away from this freak as possible, "I came about the Egyptian God Cards."
"And what gives you the idea I can help you with those?"
"Because you would never have let them leave your grimy hands if you didn't have someway of beating them."
"Oh, so it is jealousy of the Yugi-boys." Pegasus continued to look amused, "That battle between Slipher and Obelisk was rather impressive wasn't it?"
"Stop stalling, do you have something or not?"
"I do, but I don't feel like giving it to you, Kaiba-boy." Pegasus took a sip of his red wine spritzer.
"What?" Kaiba growled.
"I don't think you deserve them." Pegasus smirked, "After all, Yugi and Yami Muto have been handing you defeat after defeat for what, going on six years now? Why should I help you?"
"Because…" Kaiba's hand went inside his coat and he drew from the top of his deck, knowing without question which cards they were, "If you'll put up the cards I need to defeat the Muto's Gods, I'll wager these."
All three Blue Eyes White Dragons were in his hand.
He could feel Kisara's disgust at him and tried not to flinch from it in front of Pegasus.
"You'd wager all three of your precious Blue Eyes White Dragons for a chance to trounce the Yugi-boys? My, my, you are desperate, especially if you'd run the risk of angering your girl."
Kaiba looked confused then looked up at Kisara.
"Well, if you want them so badly, I suppose I can be persuaded, Kaiba-boy, it's time to duel."
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"So what did you want to ask?" Joey asked.
"There's an Egyptian Exhibit on at the museum and…" Kari looked at Ombre, "It's rumoured that it was arranged by that Ishtar woman you told us about."
"I'll go." Joey said amicably, "You've been so busy, I'll go anywhere as long as we actually get our date."
"We can go elsewhere afterwards but…"
"I'd like to go." Ombre nodded.
"We'll go on Monday on our day off." Yami said, "Or I will at least."
"Sundays are always insane in store." Yugi added, "I'll come with you on Monday, Yami, maybe we can find something."
Yami just nodded as Mana and Mahado went into the kitchen for something.
"Also, I have something to admit to you boys, before the next tournament."
"What's that?" Yugi asked, violet eyes showing more then his body language just how tired he was.
"I'm not going to be Duelling competitively anymore."
Three voices, all started talking at once.
Kari and Ombre looked at each other as the two Magicians came back, wondering what all the noise was.
"Calm down and I'll explain." Kari sighed.
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It's not quite up to your standards Kaiba-boy, in fact did I hear rumours about the DD2?" Pegasus asked as he got a pile of cards and his deck out of a briefcase and left the pile and the briefcase on a table and walked over to his side of the Duelling Arena.
"That's company business and quite unfounded. The Duel Disk as it stands at the moment is perfectly capable of receiving every download and running every card. There is currently no working plans for the DD2." Kaiba growled, "But that isn't related to the here and now. I'll use your outdated system, since you can't cheat using magic anymore."
"What's this? Kaiba-boy finally believes?" Pegasus looked shocked.
"Just get on with it, Pegasus!" Kaiba snapped, as Kisara flew in and settled on his side of the Duelling Arena.
"Fine, I'll start things off." Pegasus said, drawing. "Oh dear, I'm afraid you're about to enter into a world of pain, Kaiba-boy, a world of chaos, a world of absolute mayhem…" Pegasus's life points dropped from 4000 to 3000 and Kaiba frowned slightly, "That's right. A world of Toons!"
With that he played his one of a kind Toon World card. The magical book appeared on the field.
Kaiba snorted, "Don't tell me you're actually still using that idiotic Toon World Card!" Pegasus looked insulted, "Well, this is going to be even easier then I thought!"
"I summon Toon Gemini Elf, in attack mode!" Pegasus sounded annoyed. The elves giggled as they arrived on the field. "And this for later. It's your turn Kaiba-boy."
Seto drew and examined his hand. "I summon X Head Cannon!" The yellow cannon monster appeared on the field. "Also I'll throw two cards face down for later." Two magic and trap slots lit up.
"Oh, I'm so scared Kaiba," Pegasus said with so much sarcasm he could have made the Weasley Twins wince, "Two cards face down? Oh mercy me, what will I do?" Pegasus got a smug look, "Oh wait, I know." He drew, "Play this. Card of Sanctity!" A bright yellowey green light flickered above both Duellists' heads, "Isn't it pretty? And it allows us each to draw until we both have six cards in our hand." Both drew just one card, "Just what I needed. Now I'll activate the magic card Cost Down which means that…"
"Do you ever shut up?" Kaiba snapped, "I know what it means, you can summon your strongest monsters to the field more easily. Please, who do you take me for, the Mutt?"
"You're not as good as you think you are Kaiba-boy." Pegasus smirked, amused, "I summon the Toon Dark Magician Girl!"
She appeared out of the book and Kaiba's first thought was I wonder if Kari and Mana would squeal at the chibi or get insulted by a toon version? Then he shook his head, it didn't matter and he was getting distracted.
"But I won't be using her just yet." Pegasus said, still smug, "First I attack with, the Gemini Elves, and I think I'll have them target…" Kaiba growled as they appeared behind him, "You!"
The twins kicked Kaiba in the back and knocked him forward, his life points fell to 2100 as Pegasus grinned and said, "Cartoons are so violent these days." Kaiba looked up at him, "But we're not through yet. My elves have another ability!"
Kaiba knew what it was, and the elves stole a card from his hand, his Monster Reborn.
"Aren't my Toons simply magnificent Kaiba-boy?"
"I should have just tried to get Ironhide to tell me how she beats the Mutos." Kaiba growled under his breath.
"Oh stop complaining, think of it this way, at least it's my Toons stopping your quest to the top and not the Yugi-boys for the umpteenth time!" Pegasus threw his arms wide, "Now, lets get on with it shall we? Oh Toon Dark Magician Girl, your turn!"
She started flying at Kaiba who smirked, "You must really be out of practise Pegasus, because you forgot all about my face down cards and that's going to cost you…" Kaiba flipped one of his cards.
"Oh." Pegasus flinched.
"Huh?" Toon Dark Magician Girl asked, stopping in the middle of the field.
"Attack Guidance Armour!" Kaiba smirked, "Which acts like a magnet, redirecting your attack right back at you!"
"No! You wouldn't!" Pegasus looked furious.
"Oh yes, I would. And I will!" Kaiba glared back, "Guidance Armour attaches to your Toon Gemini Elves!"
The elves tried to escape, but couldn't get away.
The Toon Dark Magician Girl looked from Kaiba to the armour, to Kaiba, to the armour.
The armour's eyes lit up.
The Toon Dark Magician Girl slammed her staff down on the elves heads.
Mana wouldn't be that easily fooled. Kaiba found himself thinking, then wondered what was going on with his head. He never got distracted during duels.
Keep your mind on the match, Seto. Kisara scolded.
"But they were just innocent Toons!" Pegasus practically snarled, losing his cool completely as his life points dropped to 2900. "You'll pay for that!"
"I activate the magic card Monster Reborn to bring them back!" The toons reappeared on the field, "And activate Ultimate Offering!"
"Don't you dare explain it to me Pegasus, just make your move already!" Kaiba snapped.
"Fine, I offer my Toon Gemini Elves and five hundred life points, Kaiba-boy, to introduce, the Blue Eyes Toon Dragon!"
Kisara snarled at the her toon counterpart and Kaiba growled.
"Your girl doesn't seem too happy to see her counter part in Toon World." Pegasus smirked.
"I'm not surprised, nothing can match Kisara's grace and beauty, especially not a stupid looking fake like that." Kaiba snapped.
"Well at least the next Toon isn't one of your monsters, ladies and gentlemen, the Toon Summoned Skull!"
Blue Eyes is mine, Dark Magician Girl is Kari's and Summoned Skull is Muto's, please doesn't this hack have any monsters of his own?
"Sure I'll have to give up another 500 life points," They dropped to 1900, "But you know what they say, Kaiba-boy, you have to spend life points to take life points." Pegasus smirked, "Of course you'd know all about that, the Yugi-boys have been taking your life points for almost six years. Oh, I'm sorry to keep bringing that up."
Yeah right. Kaiba thought. If he's sorry, the mutt is a better Duellist then me.
"I activate the magic card Dark Core, discarding one card from my hand to remove one monster from the field!"
"I see. Well then, I'm sorry Blue Eyes Toon Dragon, I guess this is goodbye."
"Not quite Pegasus, you're not getting off that easily. Because I'm discarding Y Dragon Head from my hand to remove X Head Cannon from the game."
"But X Head Cannon is your own monster!"
"I also play Soul Release, removing one more monster from the game and I'm using it on my Y Dragon Head."
"Why are you removing your own monsters?" Pegasus demanded.
Well played Partner. Kisara said as Kaiba summoned Z Metal Tank.
"That makes no sense…unless!" Pegasus's eyes widened…
"Unless I still have one more card to play, Pegasus, and it so happens I do! Activate Return from the Different Dimention!"
Pegasus watched as the card appeared on the field.
"It's well worth half my life points to bring back all my monsters, a nice trick to know if you want to summon more then one monster in a turn."
Pegasus took a half step back, gawking at the monsters.
"And, as you're well aware, these aren't just any monsters, Pegasus, they combine!" The three machine monsters joined together, "Together they form the XYZ Dragon Cannon!"
Kaiba glared at Pegasus, "Now I have all the fire power I need to blast any card I want out of the duel! If you still say you're going to win, it's time to change your tune! Go! Destroy Toon World!"
"NO!" Pegasus yelled.
"Use Cannon Firestorm!" Pegasus's yelling didn't help as the Dragon Cannon fired, blasting Toon World and all the monsters inside, finally knocking Pegasus backwards and into the ground.
"That's all folks." Kaiba said, as Pegasus's life points hit zero. "Now, let's see what you've got to beat the Egyptian Gods." Kaiba looked through the card pile Pegasus had put down by his briefcase. "Looks like you had two cards up your sleeve!"
"What do you mean two cards?" Pegasus demanded, "Kaiba, there was only one!"
"Yeah right, you snake."
Kaiba left the room, the mansion and Pegasus's fantasy island, to return to Kaiba Corp and make plans.
The Muto 'twins' rushed into the stock room, and came out with fresh boxes of almost every Duel Monsters set currently in print.
"Yami, toss me a box of Spellcaster's Secrets!"
The box in question slid across the counter from the hands of Yami Muto to the 'twins' best friend, Joey Wheeler, who opened it quickly, and took the money from the customer just as fast.
Once the final customer had been served, Solomon Muto, Yugi's Grandpa, sighed in relief as he looked at the clock, five past five, gone closing time. He sent his grandsons and their best friend upstairs, while he locked up.
The teens trudged upstairs and Yugi and Yami crashed out on the sofa, while Joey opted for his usual spot after finishing, the fridge in the Muto's kitchen. "I know tournament season is nearly here, but that was ridiculous!" Yugi complained as Joey came back in with four glasses of apple juice, closely followed by Mahado and Boh.
"I know, when was the last time it took all of us to clear the days' customers?" Yami asked.
"Ummm," The golden blonde thought as he set the glasses down, "The summer of the first year at Hogwarts."
"Philosopher's Stone year." Yugi nodded, "I've heard that Kaiba's got a huge tournament on, for lower ranked Duellists, in a couple of weeks time."
"But that means it's going to be manic for weeks!" Joey suddenly realised what that meant, and his grimace made Yami laugh, "It's not funny! I bet Rich-Boy planned this somehow."
"How?" Yugi laughed, "Besides, don't complain, the more money we take, the better the wages Grandpa can afford to pay you." Joey gave his friend an odd look, but was disrupted from saying anything else, as the phone went off.
Yugi leapt off the sofa and entered the kitchen to pick up the phone.
Joey turned to Yami, a serious look on his face, "Has it gotten that bad?"
Yami frowned, "The money is tight, but we can manage if it keeps up like this for another week." Yami sighed, "I tried to get Grandpa to take the prize money, but he's making me keep it for Hogwarts supplies."
"Why's it so bad?"
"The rent on the shop's gone up," Yami sighed, "The Tournament Season's just kicked off…" Yami went into a whole list of reasons, some of which Joey had known and others he hadn't.
"I can go without pay." Joey said, "I mean I've nearly got enough money for supplies if you include the money I got from that mini tournament last week."
"Speak to Grandpa." Yami sighed, leaning back and closing his eyes as his head rested on the back, "He'd know what was best."
Yugi wandered in and joined his yami in slumping on the sofa.
"What was the call?"
"Ombre, apparently Kari's bogged down at work and Ombre wondered if she and Shadowfae could come over. I said it was alright."
"I'm not surprised Kari's bogged down, she's trying to catch up with nine months of work." Yami snorted as Yugi curled up and leant back on the corner piece. "And Ombre knows she's always welcome, why did she ask?"
Yugi shrugged, and then remembered Yami's eyes were closed, "I don't know."
"I'm surprised Kari and Kaiba took the time off to compete." Joey said, "I just hope Kari remembers its Sunday tomorrow." Joey said as Mahado let Tobias in the window and Boh leapt up onto Yugi's lap.
"Why wouldn't she?" Yugi asked, frowning as he looked over at the irritated blonde, while petting the Kuriboh.
"She's worked through three weekends since she got back, Ombre's been over here or at Ryou's since we got back, plus she's nearly missed four dates!" Joey growled, "I don't care how much work they've got to catch up on, Kaiba has to give my girlfriend some time off at some point."
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Kari grinned.
After four weeks of constant slog, she'd done it.
She had finished the pile of work that had built up over the nine months she'd been at Hogwarts.
"Sorry Mana." Kari apologised to her Duel Monster partner, who'd come into work with her, "I'll let some light in now I'm done."
Kari got up and stretched, her hand touching the lump that was her silver wand, hidden in the pocket she'd sewn into the inside of her jacket and then moving, without thinking to the gold chain that the Millennium Orb now rested on, which was sparkling in what little light made it through the blinds.
She pulled them, letting the bright summer sun through her window wall and sighed in pleasure at the view. One of the many reasons she came to work was this view.
That was one of the disadvantages of doing computer work; she had to shut the gorgeous Japanese Summer out.
She looked at the clock, six forty nine in the afternoon.
She'd finished earlier then she thought she would, after phoning Ombre at five…
She felt guilty now.
"You have mail."
Kari frowned, she wasn't expecting an e-mail… if this was the tactics department again, she was going to hurt someone…
It was from Seto.
To: Ironhide Kari
From: Kaiba Seto
Message: Mokuba badgered me into e-mailing you about this.
There is an Egyptian Exhibit on at the Domino Museum.
There are rumours that that Ishtar woman had some hand in getting the stuff brought over.
Make sure Ombre goes, just in case.
Kaiba Seto
Kari could easily read between the lines.
"Mokuba badgered me into (insert item here)" normally meant that Seto wanted to tell her, or ask her something but didn't actually want to tell her or ask her. But she didn't understand why she had to make sure Ombre went to that particular Egyptian Exhibit, just in case.
Either Seto knew something she didn't or he felt guilty because he'd heard their talk of going to Egypt and actually felt sorry that he'd stopped them.
No. Seto was still subscribing to the magic is real, the Millennium Items are real but I'm not some reincarnated Priest from the past, no matter how much you and the Muto gang believe it.
Wait, Seto?
Kaiba, Kaiba, Kaiba, Kaiba.
She wasn't thought of as his friend, so she couldn't call him by his first name.
Even though she thought of him as one of their group, after the events of their second year at Hogwarts.
But still, it was good of him to let her know.
She wondered if she could talk Joey into going there tomorrow, with her and Ombre and then go out on their date afterwards.
If she was right about Se…Kaiba's tournament causing a mad rush, Joey would be at the shop, she flipped open her mobile, then looked at the clock again.
Sod it.
She could get started on the work she'd been given this morning on Monday. None of it was urgent.
"Mana, shall we go see the guys?" Kari asked the Dark Magician Girl who grinned and nodded.
That would be great! Mana told her with a grin.
"Give me a second then."
She popped into the lab to tell her workers that if they needed her she'd check her e-mails tonight and tomorrow night and she'd be back in on Monday and then grabbed her backpack, shoving her laptop inside, before shooting down to the front exit, having sold her car last Summer, because she didn't need it and the MOT was killing her, not literally she'd had to tell Ombre.
If she ran, she'd make it to the Kame Game Shop in twenty minutes.
She slipped off her work shoes and slipped into her trainers, roughly shoving her shoes into her backpack and shoving it on.
"Think we can make it in fifteen?"
No harm in trying. Mana replied, delighted her partner was in such a good mood after the day she'd had.
"Ombre, I'm on my way to the Game Shop, can you meet me there?"
'I'm already there.' Ombre's reply was faint, but it wasn't strained, the distance was just a little too far for the link to be loud. 'Is everything alright?'
"Yeap, but I've got something to ask you and Joey."
'See you in twenty then?'
"Hoping to make it in fifteen."
'Good luck.'
"Haha." Kari laughed sarcastically, and then she broke into a jog that turned into a run as she warmed up as Mana followed.
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Kaiba was rather disturbed to find Pegasus had been expecting him.
Then again he shouldn't be that surprised, his Blue Eyes White Jet wasn't the most inconspicuous airplane in the world.
"Well, well, Kaiba-boy, back from obscurity I see, and just in time to get trounced in your own tournament again." Pegasus laughed.
"This isn't a social call, Pegasus." Seto growled, pleased to see Kisara glaring at Pegasus. "You have something I want."
"And what would this be? You did hear I retired from the game wherever you've been hiding yourself, right?" Pegasus didn't seem to care that he had a Blue Eyes White Dragon gunning for him.
"Yeah, and Yami Muto isn't a self righteous…"
Pegasus looked amused, "Is that a hint of jealousy I hear from you Kaiba-boy?"
"As if." Kaiba growled, after the events of Duellist Kingdom he wanted to stay as far away from this freak as possible, "I came about the Egyptian God Cards."
"And what gives you the idea I can help you with those?"
"Because you would never have let them leave your grimy hands if you didn't have someway of beating them."
"Oh, so it is jealousy of the Yugi-boys." Pegasus continued to look amused, "That battle between Slipher and Obelisk was rather impressive wasn't it?"
"Stop stalling, do you have something or not?"
"I do, but I don't feel like giving it to you, Kaiba-boy." Pegasus took a sip of his red wine spritzer.
"What?" Kaiba growled.
"I don't think you deserve them." Pegasus smirked, "After all, Yugi and Yami Muto have been handing you defeat after defeat for what, going on six years now? Why should I help you?"
"Because…" Kaiba's hand went inside his coat and he drew from the top of his deck, knowing without question which cards they were, "If you'll put up the cards I need to defeat the Muto's Gods, I'll wager these."
All three Blue Eyes White Dragons were in his hand.
He could feel Kisara's disgust at him and tried not to flinch from it in front of Pegasus.
"You'd wager all three of your precious Blue Eyes White Dragons for a chance to trounce the Yugi-boys? My, my, you are desperate, especially if you'd run the risk of angering your girl."
Kaiba looked confused then looked up at Kisara.
"Well, if you want them so badly, I suppose I can be persuaded, Kaiba-boy, it's time to duel."
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"So what did you want to ask?" Joey asked.
"There's an Egyptian Exhibit on at the museum and…" Kari looked at Ombre, "It's rumoured that it was arranged by that Ishtar woman you told us about."
"I'll go." Joey said amicably, "You've been so busy, I'll go anywhere as long as we actually get our date."
"We can go elsewhere afterwards but…"
"I'd like to go." Ombre nodded.
"We'll go on Monday on our day off." Yami said, "Or I will at least."
"Sundays are always insane in store." Yugi added, "I'll come with you on Monday, Yami, maybe we can find something."
Yami just nodded as Mana and Mahado went into the kitchen for something.
"Also, I have something to admit to you boys, before the next tournament."
"What's that?" Yugi asked, violet eyes showing more then his body language just how tired he was.
"I'm not going to be Duelling competitively anymore."
Three voices, all started talking at once.
Kari and Ombre looked at each other as the two Magicians came back, wondering what all the noise was.
"Calm down and I'll explain." Kari sighed.
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It's not quite up to your standards Kaiba-boy, in fact did I hear rumours about the DD2?" Pegasus asked as he got a pile of cards and his deck out of a briefcase and left the pile and the briefcase on a table and walked over to his side of the Duelling Arena.
"That's company business and quite unfounded. The Duel Disk as it stands at the moment is perfectly capable of receiving every download and running every card. There is currently no working plans for the DD2." Kaiba growled, "But that isn't related to the here and now. I'll use your outdated system, since you can't cheat using magic anymore."
"What's this? Kaiba-boy finally believes?" Pegasus looked shocked.
"Just get on with it, Pegasus!" Kaiba snapped, as Kisara flew in and settled on his side of the Duelling Arena.
"Fine, I'll start things off." Pegasus said, drawing. "Oh dear, I'm afraid you're about to enter into a world of pain, Kaiba-boy, a world of chaos, a world of absolute mayhem…" Pegasus's life points dropped from 4000 to 3000 and Kaiba frowned slightly, "That's right. A world of Toons!"
With that he played his one of a kind Toon World card. The magical book appeared on the field.
Kaiba snorted, "Don't tell me you're actually still using that idiotic Toon World Card!" Pegasus looked insulted, "Well, this is going to be even easier then I thought!"
"I summon Toon Gemini Elf, in attack mode!" Pegasus sounded annoyed. The elves giggled as they arrived on the field. "And this for later. It's your turn Kaiba-boy."
Seto drew and examined his hand. "I summon X Head Cannon!" The yellow cannon monster appeared on the field. "Also I'll throw two cards face down for later." Two magic and trap slots lit up.
"Oh, I'm so scared Kaiba," Pegasus said with so much sarcasm he could have made the Weasley Twins wince, "Two cards face down? Oh mercy me, what will I do?" Pegasus got a smug look, "Oh wait, I know." He drew, "Play this. Card of Sanctity!" A bright yellowey green light flickered above both Duellists' heads, "Isn't it pretty? And it allows us each to draw until we both have six cards in our hand." Both drew just one card, "Just what I needed. Now I'll activate the magic card Cost Down which means that…"
"Do you ever shut up?" Kaiba snapped, "I know what it means, you can summon your strongest monsters to the field more easily. Please, who do you take me for, the Mutt?"
"You're not as good as you think you are Kaiba-boy." Pegasus smirked, amused, "I summon the Toon Dark Magician Girl!"
She appeared out of the book and Kaiba's first thought was I wonder if Kari and Mana would squeal at the chibi or get insulted by a toon version? Then he shook his head, it didn't matter and he was getting distracted.
"But I won't be using her just yet." Pegasus said, still smug, "First I attack with, the Gemini Elves, and I think I'll have them target…" Kaiba growled as they appeared behind him, "You!"
The twins kicked Kaiba in the back and knocked him forward, his life points fell to 2100 as Pegasus grinned and said, "Cartoons are so violent these days." Kaiba looked up at him, "But we're not through yet. My elves have another ability!"
Kaiba knew what it was, and the elves stole a card from his hand, his Monster Reborn.
"Aren't my Toons simply magnificent Kaiba-boy?"
"I should have just tried to get Ironhide to tell me how she beats the Mutos." Kaiba growled under his breath.
"Oh stop complaining, think of it this way, at least it's my Toons stopping your quest to the top and not the Yugi-boys for the umpteenth time!" Pegasus threw his arms wide, "Now, lets get on with it shall we? Oh Toon Dark Magician Girl, your turn!"
She started flying at Kaiba who smirked, "You must really be out of practise Pegasus, because you forgot all about my face down cards and that's going to cost you…" Kaiba flipped one of his cards.
"Oh." Pegasus flinched.
"Huh?" Toon Dark Magician Girl asked, stopping in the middle of the field.
"Attack Guidance Armour!" Kaiba smirked, "Which acts like a magnet, redirecting your attack right back at you!"
"No! You wouldn't!" Pegasus looked furious.
"Oh yes, I would. And I will!" Kaiba glared back, "Guidance Armour attaches to your Toon Gemini Elves!"
The elves tried to escape, but couldn't get away.
The Toon Dark Magician Girl looked from Kaiba to the armour, to Kaiba, to the armour.
The armour's eyes lit up.
The Toon Dark Magician Girl slammed her staff down on the elves heads.
Mana wouldn't be that easily fooled. Kaiba found himself thinking, then wondered what was going on with his head. He never got distracted during duels.
Keep your mind on the match, Seto. Kisara scolded.
"But they were just innocent Toons!" Pegasus practically snarled, losing his cool completely as his life points dropped to 2900. "You'll pay for that!"
"I activate the magic card Monster Reborn to bring them back!" The toons reappeared on the field, "And activate Ultimate Offering!"
"Don't you dare explain it to me Pegasus, just make your move already!" Kaiba snapped.
"Fine, I offer my Toon Gemini Elves and five hundred life points, Kaiba-boy, to introduce, the Blue Eyes Toon Dragon!"
Kisara snarled at the her toon counterpart and Kaiba growled.
"Your girl doesn't seem too happy to see her counter part in Toon World." Pegasus smirked.
"I'm not surprised, nothing can match Kisara's grace and beauty, especially not a stupid looking fake like that." Kaiba snapped.
"Well at least the next Toon isn't one of your monsters, ladies and gentlemen, the Toon Summoned Skull!"
Blue Eyes is mine, Dark Magician Girl is Kari's and Summoned Skull is Muto's, please doesn't this hack have any monsters of his own?
"Sure I'll have to give up another 500 life points," They dropped to 1900, "But you know what they say, Kaiba-boy, you have to spend life points to take life points." Pegasus smirked, "Of course you'd know all about that, the Yugi-boys have been taking your life points for almost six years. Oh, I'm sorry to keep bringing that up."
Yeah right. Kaiba thought. If he's sorry, the mutt is a better Duellist then me.
"I activate the magic card Dark Core, discarding one card from my hand to remove one monster from the field!"
"I see. Well then, I'm sorry Blue Eyes Toon Dragon, I guess this is goodbye."
"Not quite Pegasus, you're not getting off that easily. Because I'm discarding Y Dragon Head from my hand to remove X Head Cannon from the game."
"But X Head Cannon is your own monster!"
"I also play Soul Release, removing one more monster from the game and I'm using it on my Y Dragon Head."
"Why are you removing your own monsters?" Pegasus demanded.
Well played Partner. Kisara said as Kaiba summoned Z Metal Tank.
"That makes no sense…unless!" Pegasus's eyes widened…
"Unless I still have one more card to play, Pegasus, and it so happens I do! Activate Return from the Different Dimention!"
Pegasus watched as the card appeared on the field.
"It's well worth half my life points to bring back all my monsters, a nice trick to know if you want to summon more then one monster in a turn."
Pegasus took a half step back, gawking at the monsters.
"And, as you're well aware, these aren't just any monsters, Pegasus, they combine!" The three machine monsters joined together, "Together they form the XYZ Dragon Cannon!"
Kaiba glared at Pegasus, "Now I have all the fire power I need to blast any card I want out of the duel! If you still say you're going to win, it's time to change your tune! Go! Destroy Toon World!"
"NO!" Pegasus yelled.
"Use Cannon Firestorm!" Pegasus's yelling didn't help as the Dragon Cannon fired, blasting Toon World and all the monsters inside, finally knocking Pegasus backwards and into the ground.
"That's all folks." Kaiba said, as Pegasus's life points hit zero. "Now, let's see what you've got to beat the Egyptian Gods." Kaiba looked through the card pile Pegasus had put down by his briefcase. "Looks like you had two cards up your sleeve!"
"What do you mean two cards?" Pegasus demanded, "Kaiba, there was only one!"
"Yeah right, you snake."
Kaiba left the room, the mansion and Pegasus's fantasy island, to return to Kaiba Corp and make plans.