Training at the Syndicate (Fujiwara Twins)

Ko and Ne winced as their life points dropped by 900, leaving them with 7100.

Then they laughed.

"Should have known you were going to pull a Kuriboh." Said Ko as he finished laughing, while his sister continued to giggle.

Seth simply looked on as his guests began to laugh. He had no reason to laugh, no want to. This was battle, and he was meant to win.

"Heh."

That was the closest to a laugh he mustered up before holding his hand out again, his second face-down activating.

"Now I chain with my second face-down, meet my trap Machine King - 3000 B.C.!"

Seth's Trap disappeared, and sparks rose from the ground infront of him against a new machine emerged. This one seemed even older than the Soldier Seth had summoned before. Wires connected it to a alrge seat, almost a throne crafted from rock. A small, crown-shaped decoration rested on it's head, one single glowing "eye" looking down at the twins (1000 ATK / 1000 DEF)

"I may lose one monster, but I gain another. My trap allows me to summon it to my field as a monster. All hail the king!"

Ne giggled a little more at Seth's 'All hail the king!' line, while her brother rolled his eyes with a smile at his sister's antics. "I don't think I can do anything else, so I end my turn."

Seth looked at his opponents with a raised right eyebrow. They were only a few years younger than he was, but in maturity he saw them as simply children. No matter, he knew the decks they were using, and he needed to act.

"My draw!"

Seth drew again, bringing his hand count up to four. He searched through for a good move, before an old friend.......or rather, old enemy caught his eye.

"I sacrifice my Machine King in order to Summon to the field Ancient Gear Beast!"

Seth's first monster shook and began to crumble, but from the ruins appeared a new machine, this one now made of old stone and gears, appearing as a wolf or dog-like being. (2000 ATK / 2000 DEF)

"Ancient Gear Beast, attack Ko directly! Clockwork Fang!"

Seth's monster roared before charging at Ko, leaping into the air, and biting down on his target.

Both twins gave a yelp as the mechanical creature attacked them, losing 2000 life points afterward. Both twins instinctively clutched then rubbed where the dog bit them...well, Ne rubbing where it would have been had it hit her. Sharing pain was odd sometimes.

Well, there was nothing that they could have been done to defend against that.

Seth caught the wincing of both twins, not exactly registering what had happened. He looked between them, trying to figure out what was going on. Why was Ne rubbing her arm, if Ko was the one that was struck. It couldn't be.

"When one of you feels pain, so does the other. Interesting. Seems we're not so different. This is good, now I know you have potential."

Seth selected one more card.

"I set a face-down and end my turn. You're up, Ms. Fujiwara."

Seth bowed his head to her, acknowledging her turn had begun.

Ne nodded in thanks to the man. "It's just a twin thing, the pain. That's all. And no last names, please. We...really, really don't like using it."

With that Ne gave a grin. "All right, my turn now!" The girl shouted as she drew her card. She glanced over them before she began.

"First I play Naturia Pumpkin (1400/800)!" A green pumpkin with a flower and a sleepy expression on its face appeared on the field. "His ability-"

"His?" Her brother interrupted.

"Yes, his. Now hush. His ability allows me, if he is normal summoned and you have a monster on the field, I can special summon a Naturia monster from my hand."

"So I summon Naturia Mosquito (200/300)! Her ability-yes HER Ko-says 'While you control another face-up "Naturia" monster(s), your opponent cannot select this card as an attack target. Your opponent takes any Battle Damage you would have taken from battles involving a face-up "Naturia" monster you control, except this card.'"

"And finally, I special summon Naturia Hydrangea (1900/2000)! His ability allows me to special summon him from my hand if I have used the effect of a Naturia monster this turn. And I have."

Ne finally took a breath, and then added. "I put one card face down, and I also activate the Spell Card Leodrake's Mane! I choose a Naturia monster and its attack is boosted to 3000 and its effects are negated until the End Phase. And I choose Naturia Hydrangea! Now, Naturia Hydrangea, let's go!" She pumped her fist in the air as the plant moved over to attack.

Seth watched as his beast was crushed under the strength of Ne's Naturia monster, a smirk crossing his lips. He was right, they were ready. He nodded once more, hapy to see they were on the offense, though he was still ahead by more than 1000 life points.

"Very good Ms.......Ne. I apologize, I've never been on........first name terms with anyone aside from Pierre."

He looked at the one card remaining on his field, then anticipated the remaining attacks.

"Oh wow, it worked." Said the female twin in surprise. She then threw her hands in the air. "WOOHOO!"

Her brother, having caught the brunt of the loudness, jokingly rubbed his ear. "It's still your turn, you know." He told her.

The girl blinked. "Oh yeah...Naturia Pumpkin, Naturia Mosquito, you go attack too!"

They did, Naturia Pumpkin attacking first, while Naturia Mosquito waited its turn, attacking when the other finished.

Seth ate the two shots head on, his life points dropping now to 5500. He took a step back from the impact, brushing the strike off, then turning back to face his opponents, his eyes reflecting a combination of rage and and anxiety.

"That............hurt."

His voice seemed lifeless, his eyes going cold once again, a small smirk cracking on his lips.

"You're using this deck quite well."

Even Ne noticed the look in Seth's eyes, and gave a puzzled one of her own in return. Why was he angry? It was just a game. Then again, pain was never particularly fun. Her eyes gained a apologetic look then. "Sorry. I don't want to hurt you with this. That's probably what I like the least about dueling..."

She sighed. "At any rate, thank you for the compliment. I end my turn."

Seth brought his right hand up to his chin, cracking his neck in two places before focusing back on the twins, Ne specifically.

"Pain is a part of life, my dear. If we try to avoid it, we only feel more pain. My Draw!"

He pulled a new card, going through his options once more, before looking back down to his one face-down.

"This deck......belonged to someone who didn't understand that change was necessary in order to survive, that evolution was everywhere, even in the cold steel of machines. That man's ideals only bought him and early grave, but now, now you both will be witnesses that evolution is key to survival, and the reason I'm even here to face you."

He held out his hand as the card activated.

"I activate the Spell Card Future Fusion!"

A large vortex opened up above the field, the pressure in the room increasing with every passing moment. The ground shook, and Seth just stood there, looking at his opponents as if nothing happened.

"The future is where we all should look, where we all should be focused on. There is nothing to find in the past, only tomorrow can there be existence. My prime example is this, one of my favorite cards. This allows me to remove Fusion Material Monsters from my deck and send them to the Graveyard in order to Fusion Summon a monster in two turns. I send Ancient Gear Golem, Ancient Gear Knight, and Ancient Gear to the Graveyard, and in two turns I'll present to you the next step in the Drakemore Syndicate's past productions."

He selected two cards in his hand.

"As for now, I'll play two face-downs, and wait out the storm."

In all honesty, in Ko was very curious about this man now. There was something much deeper than what he showed on the surface, this much was obvious. What was it, he wondered?

He shrugged the thoughts off as he drew a card. Seth hadn't bothered them about their past, so he certainly wasn't going to badger him about his.

Ne was another story, but for now she said nothing and nodded back at Seth.

"My turn then." Ko began. He soon put down a card. "I don't see much that I can do this time, honestly. Pulling a proverbial blank. I'll put one monster in Defense, and another card facedown, and then end my turn."

Seth nodded, understanding the short comings of Ko. He drew an additional card, looking through his cards.

"One turn down, one more to go."

He looked at the two cards in his hand, as well as the three spell/trap cards in his possession.

"I'd like to......end my turn."

He looked down to the floor, trailing away from the action taking place before his very eyes. His speech from before his fa-........no, no get that man out of your mind. Seth didn't need this right now.

Both twins blinked. End his turn? Without truly doing anything? He must be really confident. Still, the twins mentally agreed with each other that he certainly had most every reason to be.

They wondered if they could make him regret doing nothing.

"Let's go!" Shouted Ne as she drew a card. She looked over her hand for a long time before deciding on something. "First, I'm going to sacrifice Naturia Pumpkin, to summon Naturia Bamboo Shoot (2000/2000). Sorry buddy." The sleepy eyed vegetable seemed to smile and wave at Ne before vanishing. In its place were two bamboo shoots with faces.

"Thanks to the monster I sacrificed being of the Naturia archetype, these two have their effect activated. You can no longer activate spell or trap cards." The girl gave a triumphant grin.

Her brother chuckled at his sister's enthusiasm.









Not finished yet, but I'm curious to see Seth's reaction...or lack thereof. XD

Seth's eyes widened, then narrowed as his charade had ended.

"While I have to say, that move was very well played, Ne, however......"

He held out his hand as energy began to flow from one of his face-down cards, activating just before Ne's effect triggered.

"Another evolution to this ancient mechanism called a deck, I activate the trap Solemn Judgement!"

The image of a man well beyond his years in white robes appeared, a single hand extended out. He flashed with energy, and with that Ne's Bamboo Shoot was eradicated from the field.

"My card allows me to negate the Normal Summon of your Bamboo Shoot, and destroy it before it's effect activates."

Seth simply watched on, but he knew that it was a close call. If he didn't have that one special addition to the deck, it would have been all over. Still, he played it off as if nothing had happened.

"This comes with a cost, though. My Life Points are now halved, for the cost of power."

Just before Ne's card was destroyed, Ko activated a card of his own. "I'm not sure if I'm allowed to do this, so correct me if I'm wrong."

The teen showed one of his facedowns. "I activate Seven Tools of the Bandit. If we pay 1000 life points, we can negate the activation of a trap card and destroy it."

He shrugged as their life points dropped to 4100. "I'm guessing you know which I intend to use this on."

"I'm very proud with the two fo you, these counters have been phenomenal, I'm sure you'll be extraordinary duelists one day."

Seth had raised a single into the air.

"However.........I can't allow you to win here. Planning, my friends. I activate the trap Curse of Royals, which allows me to negate the activation of a spell or trap card which negates another Spell or Trap and destroy it, namely the Seven Tools."

Seth's monotone voice was soon followed by the negation and destruction of Ko's trap card.

"Against a normal duelist, you both will have no problem gaining victory."

"We're not quite done yet." Said the twins as they looked at Seth, smiling. Both were having a lot of fun. Never had any duel they'd been in yet feel quite so intense. The two were having the time of their life.

"I activate Dark Bribe." Said Ne as she showed said card to her opponent. She then began to speak, remembering what was on the card when she was looking at the decks. "'Negate the activation of an opponent's Spell or Trap Card and destroy it. Your opponent draws 1 card'."

"We're not done quite yet." They said again.

Seth bowed his head as the other trap he had set was destroyed. He thend rew a single card, nodding.

"Very nice."

He laughed very slightly, not enough to register but enough to show that, even through the grits of his reliving of his past, he was still enjoying this duel a bit.

"You leave me with no deffenses and two cards in my hand, very good."

"Yay!" Cried Ne as she threw one fist into the air. She posed like that for a few seconds before realizing it was still her turn. She blushed a bit as her brother laughed loudly.

"A-Anyway, let's just attack! Everyone go!" The girl yelled as her monsters went to do as she said.

Seth looked at the last card in his hand, nodding to it before the attacks from the monsters connected, draining Seth's Life Points to zero. He bowed his head, the fact that he had just received a defeat flowing through his mind. He looked back at the card, smirking, before placing it back in the deck. The little furball wasn't his style anyway. He'd rather lose than be saved by a non-machine.

"Congrats."

Seth rose his head back up, his steel eyes locking on the victors.

"I'm impressed you defeated this deck on your first try, not bad at all. Though............my Cyber Dragons would've been a much different story. still, congratulations you both."

"Impressive."

"Impressive? No. That was freakin' SWEET!"

Two voices echoed as one of the revealed figures threw a fist in the air. Kai Blackdragoon and Fayt Rutherford took a step out of a conveniently placed dark-spot within the area, a single pigtail whipping through the air. The Dragon and Fortune Ladies duellist began walking towards the two, the yellow criminal marker shining upon the Blackdragoon's features. Safe to say, why and how they got in was easy to see as Kai walked up to Ko and Ne,

"Yo, you guys kicked ass out there!"

Fayt just sighed and gave a simple nod, turning to Seth,

"Sorry, but your door was unlocked."

Well, it was now anyway....

"And apparently so was the elevator, and my security was asleep."

Seth shook his head, trying to figure out why he had wasted his money on such useless security measures.

"I'll let them enjoy their moment. Not too often you defeat Seth Drakemore. I digress."

He set his attention on the white-haired intruder into his facility.

"Well since you're here, you might as well make yourself comfortable. Don't stay too long, though......"

He turne dhis attention back to the celebrating twins, a small smile crawling across his face.

"They start their true training tomorrow."

The two jumped when they heard the voices. When he saw the criminal marker, Ko tensed and fear flashed in his eyes. When he realized it was Kai though, he greatly relaxed.

His sister almost immediately grabbed his hand; not just for his sake, but her own. With Fayt nearby she could already feel their bond breaking. Ne soon gave off the impression of a childlike wallflower.

Hearing the compliments, she gave a small but sweet smile to Fayt and then Kai, while her brother thanked them aloud. "Thank you, but I'm sure it was mostly luck and mercy. As he said before, we wouldn't have stood a chance had he used his real deck."