DUEL 2 - Bombs Away!

Music – "Life with Yusei and his Friends" (Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's Sound Duel 2)

"Numbers?" Yusei blinked.

His son, Yuji, nodded, "Yeah, and these things are very powerful, Dad."

"We saw them with our own eyes," Hideyoshi nodded, "And I still don't believe it."

The group was in Yuji's home, as Yusei and Aki were present. Yuzuki was serving tea to everyone.

"But Yuji lost the card," Shinichi whined.

"I didn't lose it," Yuji corrected. "It vanished."

"That's strange..." Yusei frowned, "Cards don't just vanish. They had to go somewhere. Also, I've never heard of these 'Numbers' in my life."

"And what about that spirit?" Aki asked. "The one who was with you in your Duel."

"I am here, and the Numbers are very mysterious," Astral declared.

"She can't hear you, dude," Yuji reminded.

"It must be due to our link... Shame, I would complement on how lovely this woman appears."

"Hey! Say that again and I'll break you face!" Yuji threatened the spirit.

Shinichi cocked an eyebrow at his friend, "Dude, nobody's there."

Yuji pointed at the air where Astral was floating, "This punk-ass is talking about my mom! I can't let that shit slide!"

"What did he say?" Yusei asked.

"He thinks Mom's hot."

Yusei sat back with his arms folded in front of his chest, "Well, then he has good taste. But she's mine."

"I understand," Astral nodded.

"He can't hear you either, dip-shit!" Yuji snapped.

Michiru frowned sadly, "I don't think you're feeling well, Yu-kun…"

"I'm not hallucinating," retorted Yuji.

"I believe this 'Astral' is a spirit only he can see," Hana assumed as she adjusted her glasses. Hana's interests in the supernatural often made her the go-to individual for mysterious occurrences, even if she doesn't have all the answers.

"Thank the Crimson Dragon somebody gets it," Yuji sighed in relief.

"Spirit? Like a ghost?" Shinichi gasped. He puts his fingers in a cross. "Be gone, evil spirit! Someone get an Ouija board or a couple of priests; a young priest and an old priest!"

"I don't think Astral's Catholic, Shin," Yuji sweat-dropped. "And he even thinks a ghost is a Duel Monster."

"I think you've been watching too many movies," Misato stated.

Shinichi said, "Let me head down to a shrine real quick."

Hana bopped him over the head, "Sit down and shut up, you idiot."

"Aside from his amnesia, he seems to be fluent with dueling," Yuji added.

"Yes, for I am a Duelist!" Astral proclaimed dramatically.

"I think I'm gonna rip my ears off just so I can't hear you," Yuji groaned.

"Maybe we should hold a séance to summon forth Astral from the great beyond," Shinichi suggested.

"He's already in the room!" Misato pointed out, "We just can't see or hear him."

"My mother has a friend who can communicate with spirits," Shinichi pointed out. "Maybe she can help."

"You know if she can mute him too?" Yuji asked with hope in his voice.

"You can't talk to a spirit when it's mute. That would defeat the purpose. She also does exorcisms."

Astral looked to Yuji, gesturing to Shinichi, "Is something wrong with him?" He'd observed Shinichi's behavior and considered it odd.

"He's just weird most of the time," Yuji explained, "You get used to it, but Shin's a good friend."

"Hey, is the creepy ghost talking bad about me?" Shinichi demanded.

"No, he just thinks you're weird. Which is tame compared to everyone else calling you an idiot half the time."

"Oh, that's good," Shinichi nodded. He paused. "Wait, what?"

"So, how's Yuki doing, Mom?" Yuji asked, changing the subject.

"Still studying in America," she smiled, "Her break starts later this fall, so she'll definitely come."

"Oh, and is she bringing her girlfriend along?"

"I hope so," Aki beams while hugging herself, "I can't wait to hug the daylights out of that adorable Rhea-chan!"

"And suffocate her with your chest," her son quipped. "I'm going to get some sleep." And he left the group, with Astral following.

"I better get going too," Shinichi stretched. "Kaa-chan needs help with her latest book."

"Give her our regards," Yusei nodded. Shinichi grinned and took off.

"We should get going as well," Hana said as she and Michiru stood up. "Michiru and I have studying to do."

"Bye-bye," Michiru beamed while hugging Aki.

"Tell your mama I said hi," the mother smiled. And the girls left.

"Shall you be staying with us, Misato-san?" Yuzuki asked.

"For a little while," she smiled. She got up and made her way to Yuji's room.

"Do you think he'll be OK, Yusei?" Aki asked. She was clearly worried.

"Yuji's a smart kid," Yusei defended. "He'll figure out how to handle this."

"I hope so," she sighed.

End Music

"So, there are more or less an estimated 99 more Numbers out there, probably scattered around the city; maybe even the world?" Yuji interrogated. He was sitting in a wheeled chair as Astral hovered in the air.

"That's right," Astral nodded.

"And you expect me to find them all," he concluded.

"You are the only one capable of finding and gathering them all," Astral reasoned.

"And why should I?" Yuji demanded. "So far you've been nothing but a pain in my ass."

"Did you already forget about the duel you had with that boy?" Astral questioned. "You've seen the power of Leviathan Dragon and Hope. Think of what would happen if the Numbers feel into the wrong hands."

Yuji was silent for a moment as he recalled the events of the day. The power he felt from Ryuji when he was possessed by Leviathan Dragon was definitely malicious. If someone smart got a hold of that kind of power…

"OK, I'll do it but not for you. I'll hunt down the remaining Numbers to protect the citizens of Neo Domino as well as my family and friends," Yuji declared. A knock was heard from his door. "Who is it?" he asked and Misato entered. "Misato," Yuji blinked. "I thought you went home."

"Wanted to see you," she smiled.

He leaned back in his seat, "What's up?"

"About this 'ghost', what are you gonna do about it?" she asked seriously.

"I have to find the rest of the Numbers so Astral can get his memory back," Yuji sighed, "Those things are dangerous, Misato. You saw what that dragon did to Sonozaki. Think of what would happen if some nut got their hands on one, if not more, of those things!"

"Need help?"

"I appreciate the offer, but only Numbers can beat Numbers," Yuji declined. "And also..."

"Also...?" she urged.

"If those things managed to possess you or the others, I don't know what I'd do..." he feared.

"Duel," she suggested as she moved closer. "If we get possessed, challenge us to a duel and win."

Yuji sighed, "I guess it's that simple, huh?"

"It worked with Sonozaki," Misato argued. "I assume that only a Numbers holder can duel a Numbers holder, is that right? Since you have two now, you're one step closer to gaining 99 of them. 97 left, right?"

"More or less," he nodded.

"And you need to relax and not let every little thing stress you out," she pointed out as she jumped into Yuji's lap, "You end up over-analyzing everything when you're stressed."

"I do?" he blinked.

"You're not alone too. You got me, Hana, Michiru, Hideyoshi, and even that idiot Shinichi. You don't have to shoulder this burden alone," she added. She takes his hand in hers.

Yuji smiled and kissed her hand, "Thank you, Misato."

"Now then, I'll be right back after I finish packing," she informed as she climbed off him.

He blinked, "Packing? Where are you going?"

"I'm moving in with you!" she beamed.

Yuji nodded, "Oh...wait, WHAT!-?" he exclaimed.

"I'm packing," she repeated.

"No, what was that about you moving in with me!-?" he demanded.

Misato blinked, "Your parents didn't tell you?"

"No, they didn't!" Yuji denied. "And what about yours, won't they be worried?"

"Oh, our parents discussed things," she replied, "Since my parents are going to be out of the country for my dad's work I'll be staying with you. They didn't want me to be all on my lonesome." She moved in closer, gazing at Yuji cutely as she pouted, "Why...don't you like me anymore, Yu-kun?"

He backed away, blushing from Misato's cuteness, "It's just... I don't understand how the hell you are able to plan ahead so far…"

"You really should pay more attention," she retorted.

"Well, I'm not against it. You just caught me off guard like always," he calmed down.

"Oh, and I'm also gonna be sharing your room and bed," she added.

"Some things never change," Yuji sighed.

She turned and grinned, "You actually believed that?"

"Oh, you're not? But you always used to sneak into my bed when we were kids," he recalled almost sadly.

"Oh, I'm getting my own room...but you should lock your door, unless you want me to sneak into your bed. So, you and me in the same house," she mused, "I worry if my innocent body will be defiled by your baser animal lusts!"

"Hey! In that case, I don't want you sneaking into my room," Yuji declared.

Misato laughs and punches his arm, "Please, if you tried I'd kick your ass and kick your balls!" He pouted. She then changed the subject, "So, how exactly are you gonna hunt down these Numbers?"

"Astral has some kind of connection to them," Yuji replied, "I guess he'll let me know."

Misato nodded before looking up at the ceiling, "Oh, and if Astral can hear me, I'd like to let him know if he gets you killed I'm gonna bring him into the physical realm and beat the shit out of him."

Astral cringed, "This woman is..."

"Scary, I know," Yuji agreed.

"I'll be back in an hour," she informed as she kisses his cheek, "Don't miss me too much, OK?"

Astral, after Misato leaves, inquires, "What is the nature of your relationship?"

"We've been friends since we were kids," he replied as he crossed his arms. "She was crazy, and she still is! She would always take a bath with me and Yuki, sneak into my bed, molest me, nibble on my ear, lick me...! God, she was always like that!" he fumed. "The shit she does now is tame compared to back then. I'm surprised she hasn't raped me yet!"

Misato was listening from his door, interested in what Yuji had to say about her. So far she had been disappointed. To recall what they've been through so negatively, she wondered if Yuji even liked her. But then why was he even friends with her after all this time?

"And despite these occurrences, you are still friends?" Astral questioned, clearly confused, "Why?"

Yuji relaxed as he leaned back in his seat, smiling, "Because... After that kiss, I couldn't stop thinking about her. I was drawn to her and wanted to know more about her; why she did the things she did, what made her tick. As we grew up, her shenanigans became second nature to me and I grew accustomed to it. She was like family. She is family. And I would do anything for her."

Misato smiles and walks away, humming, on her way to her apartment. She had a lot of packing to do.

'Observation #01: Relationships are complicated,' Astral noted to himself.

"Has anyone heard from Sonozaki since my duel with him?" Yuji asked.

"No, not really," Hana shook her head.

"It's like he disappeared..." Michiru frowned.

"Guess he couldn't stand the shame of losing to you," Shinichi suggested.

"Maybe, but I doubt he'd be 'missing' for long," Hideyoshi shrugged, "I have a feeling he'll turn up again, sooner or later."

"More importantly..." Shinichi stands and points at Yuji, "How the hell is Misato living with you?-!"

The students hear this and start talking amongst themselves

"Living together...?-!"

"Fudo and the Captain?"

"Should have known..."

"That bastard..."

"What makes him so special?-!"

Yuji sighed, "Gee, Shin, vocal much? And how did you know Misato moved in with me?"

Shinichi boasted, "My information network is top secret and..."

"Michiru told you," he cut off.

"Yeah."

"No fair, I wanna live with Yu-kun too!" Michiru pouted.

"Misato has a reason," Yuji supported, "Her parents will be out of the country and they want her taken care of."

"Misato was definitely happy about it," Shinichi grinned.

"And besides, two cheerleaders living with a boy might spread some unnecessary rumors, Michiru," Hana lectured.

"I admire you, and envy you at the same time," Shinichi glared.

"You make it sound as if it was my decision..." Yuji dead-panned.

"I know it's not, but it's not like you're rejecting the decision either."

"You don't reject anything when Misato's involved in the equation," Yuji informed, "That's a lesson I learned a long time ago."

"Well, it's Friday so what do you guys wanna do after school?" Michiru asked.

"How about a Halo party?" Shinichi suggested, "We all log onto Halo Online and play some Slayer."

"That's fine," Hideyoshi nodded.

"Yay! Slay-er! Slay-er! Slay-er!" Michiru chanted.

"I was thinking more on Firefight. But Slayer's fine," Yuji shrugged.

"I'd prefer we play other games, Yuji~," Misato purred as she crept up behind Yuji and hooked her arms over his shoulders, stroking his chest as she nuzzled his neck.

The boys in class all give Yuji death glares. Yuji shot his own death glare at the male students, his eyes glowing, as a dragon-like shadow hovered over him and growled, causing them to flinch as they cowered back to their seats. The teacher comes in and calls everyone to settle down to begin class.

"What are you doing?" Astral asked as he looked at the TV screen. Yuji was putting a circular disc inside X-Box and then the words HALO X appeared across the fifty inch screen.

"Playing some Halo," said Yuji.

"Halo?" Astral asked. "You mentioned it before. What is this 'Halo'?"

"It's a famous videogame and it's been updated a lot since a long time ago. This is the latest version," said Yuji as he put on the headset. He then logged onto Halo Online.

Yuji's Spartan avatar appeared on the map he and his friends had decided to use for their Halo Party. His armor was a primary blue and secondary white with the Mark VI variation and he had the Hayabusa gear on. The map he had chosen was Valhalla.

"Here I am~," Misato purred as she draped herself over Yuji. She was in a towel and her soaked hair draped onto his shoulders.

"You're wet," he blushed.

"I know," she agreed.

"Dry yourself off."

"I knew you like it raw," she retorted.

"Dry yourself and put some clothes on, Misato," Yuji ordered as his blush deepened.

"OK," she giggled as she got off from him and removed her towel, drying herself behind him as she got cleaned up.

Astral was watching her and Yuji noticed this. "Focus on the game," Yuji glared, "You were interested weren't you?"

"Observation #2," Astral monologue, "Female humans are physically alluring while unclothed."

"I know that," Yuji frowned, "Now stop looking." He was trying hard not to look himself, but knowing that Misato was naked behind him made his sweatpants uncomfortable.

"Hey, Yuji!" Shinichi came up to Yuji's Avatar. His Avatar wore the Mark V armor, colored forest green with brown trim.

"Yo," Yuji called into the microphone, "Just waiting on Misato and we can get started."

"I'm ready whenever you are," Hideyoshi called. His armor was colored green and he was in the Mark V as well.

"As you can see, me and Hideyoshi match," Shinichi beamed.

"You're forest green, I'm emerald green," he corrected.

"What's the difference?"

"We're here!" Michiru called as she and Hana approached. She was in maroon and Hana was all black.

"So, anyway, I think that to start things off let's play Capture the Flag!" Shinichi declared.

"Teams of two then," Yuji agreed.

Misato sat beside Yuji in her panties and a black crop top as she took a headset and controller. "OK, let's roll!" Her armor was black and red in the Mark VI as well.

"OK, so, it's simple," Shinichi began, "At the top of that base is one flag. The objective is to capture that flag until time runs out. The team who has the flag by then is the winner. Oh, and we can kill each other to-"

Michiru shoots Shinichi. "Let's go, Hana-chan!" Hana nodded and they dash towards the flag.

Shinichi respawned and growled, "Goddammit!"

"Come on, let's go!" Hideyoshi called.

"Right behind…"

*BANG!*

Misato killed him, "Let's go, Yuji!"

Yuji prepped a rocket launcher and blasted Hideyoshi.

Shinichi respawned and waited for Hideyoshi. "OK, that's it! Come on, Princess! Let's fuck them up!"

Hideyoshi blasted him in the face with a shotgun. "Don't call me 'Princess'," Hideyoshi frowned before sighing, "That felt good."

Shinichi respawned for a third time. "Hideyoshi! Whatever! I'll pay you back later!"

"I got the flag!" Michiru cheered.

"Not yet!" Shinichi denied. He threw a plasma grenade that hit Michiru

"Oh no!" she panicked.

*BOOM!*

Shinichi went and grabbed the flag. "Mine!"

Misato bashed him in the back of the head with her rifle. "Mine now, bitch!"

"Return to base!" Yuji ordered.

*BANG! BANG!*

Hideyoshi was on the cliff with a sniper rifle and just missed the couple.

Shinichi respawned and exchanged his assault rifle for a rocket launcher and aimed. "Fire in the hole!"A plasma grenade via Yuji was stuck to his face. "Oh, come-"

*BOOM!*

"You know, I so love blowing him up," Misato sighed, "Don't you?"

"Since we can't do it in real life, this makes up for it," Yuji agreed.

"LEEROY JENKINS!" Shinichi cried as he respawned yet again.

"Aw, you mad, bro?" Yuji grinned. He fired two more rockets at Shinichi.

Shinichi jumped out of the way "Not this time!" He got gunned down by rapid fire.

Hana was holding a Gatling gun. "Drop the flag," she demanded.

Yuji looked to Misato, "Run."

They tried to retreat and Yuji was blasted by a Spartan Laser held by Michiru. She then went and used the energy sword to stab Misato, grabbing the flag and claiming it.

Yuji respawned. "She's gotten better," he acknowledged as Misato returned to his side.

"Whatever! Let's get the flag!"

The game continued with them killing each other as the clock kept ticking. Astral watched, curious, as Yuji killed his friends' avatars on screen.

"What is the purpose of this game?" he asked.

"Take the flag and return it to your base without getting "killed'," Yuji explained.

"But you were 'killed' a number of time," he reminded.

"Yeah, it happens, but you can 'revive' as many times as possible before the clock runs out."

"Yuji, we got like two more minutes and the perv and pretty boy got the flag..." Misato reported.

Hideyoshi watched as Shinichi was teabagging Hana and Michiru's corpses. "Do you have to do that?"

"Just showing my superiority!" Shinichi beamed. He was then run over by a jeep that was driven by Michiru. Hideyoshi tried to flee when he was gunned down by Hana on the turret.

"Who's superior now, cockbite?" Hana asked.

"HAH! Taste my bumper!" Michiru beamed.

The girls were then bombed by tank fire as Misato ran alongside a Scorpion that Yuji was driving. She then grabbed the flag and rand for home while Yuji covered her, blasting the others as they respawned.

And time. The winners were Yuji and Misato as the scoreboard appeared.

"And that takes care of that," Yuji nodded.

"So, Yuji and Misato won," Shinichi summarized, "Let's have a 5 minute rest session and then resume with another game. How about Firefight?"

"Sure," Yuji nodded. He put his controller down and leaned back on the floor. "That took a bit outta me..."

Misato climbed onto Yuji's chest and smiled sultrily, "Good game."

"You won it for us," he stated.

"You're the one who covered my ass," she retorted.

"That's what partners do," he said as he gazed into her eyes, "They look out for each other."

"Yes, and I got to kill Shinichi repeatedly," Misato beamed.

"I know you enjoyed that," he chuckled.

"Well, killing him online is satisfying."

"Is that the only thing that satisfies you?" he asked.

Misato rubbed his thigh, "I can think of a few things that are more satisfying."

Yuji responded by wrapping his arms around her waist, their chests pressing close. Astral is watching. This is something Yuji has to get used to, an audience 24/7. "I don't say this often, but I do enjoy having you around, even when we were kids," he admitted.

"Same here," she smiled.

He smiled softly before jerking his head up, mashing his lips with Misato's. She blinked from the sudden action as she felt his hands caressing her sides and down her thighs. She moaned into the kiss as she had her own hands exploring under his shirt, tracing his skin. She yelped when she felt Yuji grab her rear, squeezing her cheeks in his hands.

She broke the kiss and smirked, "You naughty boy~…"

"Couldn't help it," he shrugged, "It's your fault for being naked behind me earlier."

They continued their make out as Astral continued watching. He then noticed a little humanoid with a bomb for a head and beady green eyes appearing on the screen. "Bug?" the creature blinked as it tilted its head.

"Hm?" Astral blinked as he turned to the screen and saw the creature. "What is that?"

It then pulled a bomb out of its pocket and beamed "BUG!" The bomb went off and the X-Box shorted out, catching fire and startling the teens.

"Oh shit!" Yuji cried as he ran for the fire extinguisher.

"What the hell happened?-!" Misato gasped as she watched the flaming X-Box. She looked to the window and noticed something odd.

Yuji came back with a fire extinguisher and put out the flaming console. "That was close," he sighed, "But what happened?"

"Um, Yuji," Misato called as she looked through the window.

Yuji came over and gaped at what he saw. Traffic lights were blinking constantly and cars were littered all over the streets of the city with citizens everywhere. Even Astral was amazed at the amount of chaos that was going on.

"OK, this isn't good," Yuji frowned.

Yuji jumped as his D-Gazer rang. Picking up the device he hooked it over his ear and adjusted the eyepiece. "Yuji here," he answered.

Shinichi's face appeared in front of Yuji. "Yuji, you know how they always warned us about the Red Ring of Death when we play on the X-Box? Well, my X-Box got the Red Flames of Death! Red Flames! It'll be ages before I can afford a new one!"

"I know, mine blew up too," he nodded, "I'm getting two more calls too."

Michiru called Yuji while Hana was putting out the fire with a fire extinguisher. "Yu-kun, our X-Box-"

"Blew up? Yeah, so did mine," he confirmed.

Hana spoke, "Tell him that all the electronic stuff outside has gone crazy."

Michiru responded, "I think he knows it too!"

'Something weird is going on here…' Yuji frowned in thought.

Music – "Strategy Conference" (Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's)

The next day at school, everyone was talking about what had happened. A lot of the kids in their home city owned X-Boxes. Well, not anymore.

"And now it's a pile of slag! I saved for two years to get mine! Two years!" complained Shinichi.

"I got mine as a present from my grandfather," said Hideyoshi, "Had it sent it to me on my birthday." His grandfather had died years before and he'd missed him but on his birthday he'd gotten a video recording and an X-Box as a present. He treasured both. "At least I have his video recording."

"Don't be so melodramatic," said Hana as she tapped on her tablet computer. She was looking up information on what had occurred. They had all seen a strange bomb-headed entity right before their X-Boxes blew up.

"Not only that, traffic signals were tampered with and chaos was abundant last night," Yuji frowned in his seat. "I have a bad feeling about this..."

Astral spoke, "I suppose it was not a natural occurrence."

"X-Boxes blowing up at the same time, while everyone was playing online?" Yuji responded, "What are the odds?"

"You talking to ghost boy?" Shinichi asked. "Hey, how about you ask him how everything went crazy."

"He's not omniscient," Yuji said.

"Omni...what?" Shinichi responded.

Yuji rolled his eyes. Sometimes Shinichi could be so dumb or so random. No, he wasn't dumb. Yuji knew his friend. He just wasn't articulate. "All knowing," he defined, "He's not God."

"Oh, because there's only one true God," said Shinichi. "You know, if we could speak to God, maybe She-"

"She?" Hideyoshi cut him off, blinking.

"Kaa-chan says 'God is a woman'," Shinichi quoted, "I just go with it. Don't care either way. I just got used to how she thinks that only a woman could make the world and give birth to all life on Earth."

"I still think the Crimson Dragon is God," Yuji shrugged, "But if it turns out to be female as well then that's fine with me." He then noticed Astral looking over Hana's shoulder with a serious look. "What's wrong?"

Astral pointed, "I saw this creature last night, before your game was interrupted!"

Yuji got up and looked over Hana's other shoulder. "What, that thing?"

Hana stated, "This image." She tapped a few buttons on the screen. "Bugman X; it's a Duel Monsters card."

"So a Duel Monster made everything go haywire?" Misato ask.

"Or a virus in the image of one," Hana corrected, "Not many people consider Bugman X a very strong monster. They're also pretty cheap and common."

"Hey, isn't there like one guy in our class who plays them?" Shinichi asked.

Yuji looked around and spotted an empty seat. His eyes narrowed with suspicion and he turned to Hana, "Hana, could you bring up the class roster? I wanna know today's attendance record."

Hana nodded and brought up the roster and class attendance record for the day. Pictures of their entire class appeared. All were present, except for one who was marked absent for the day.

"Sumira Koichi," Hana identified, "He's absent today."

"Sumira..." Yuji frowned, "Any idea where he lives?"

Hana said as he brought up a map which had Koichi's house marked on it, "I have his address and the fastest route to get there."

"How do you do all that stuff on that thing?" Shinichi asked.

"Practice," Hana said, "And knowing about the best Apps. I programmed the addresses and contact information of everyone in our class right in this little tablet."

"You're so smart, Hana, I could kiss you," Yuji smiled appreciatively.

"Please, not on school grounds," she blushed.

"Maybe later then," he nodded, "Now..."

"To Koichi's house!" Shinichi shouted out, standing on the table with his one foot while pointing dramatically towards the door. This earned him odd stares from a lot of people.

"Shinichi, did you have to be so dramatic?" Yuji groaned.

"Hey, just trying to be dramatic as the Kamen Riders," Shinichi shrugged.

"You really are a Kamen Rider otaku, you know that?" Misato teased.

"That's how I roll," he stated proudly. "One day I wanna be a hero like them, and I guess helping Yuji get these Numbers would help count as being heroic."

"Anyway, let's head down to that guy's place," Yuji ordered.

"Yeah!"

End Music

"But after school," Hana reminded.

"After school," Yuji and Shinichi parroted before returning to their seats.

"Hey, after we deal with this problem, can we go out for some bananas?" Michiru asked hopefully.

"Sure," Yuji agreed.

"Let's get choco-bananas, deep fried bananas, and regular bananas." Michiru's mouth watered at the thought of her favorite treat.

"Seriously, you are as obsessed with bananas as I am with Kamen Riders," Shinichi pointed out.

As the school day went on, the group used whatever free time they had between classes to plan an ambush on Koichi Sumira. After school, they went straight to Koichi's house, following the directions on Hana's tablet computer. They used a shortcut and were right there. The group showed up at a small apartment that was overshadowed by a huge radio tower.

Shinichi was banging on the door. "Hey, Sumira," he called, "come on out!" There was no answer, angering Shinichi. "Hey Sumira, open this door!" Shinichi banged on the door again. No answer came on the door, angering Shinichi further. "Open this door or I will bust it open with a Shinichi Kick!" Shinichi threatened, earning him odd looks from his friends.

Misato rolled her eyes as she spoke sarcastically, "Oh, right, threaten him to come out while banging on his door like an angry mob. That will get him to come out."

"You're right," said Shinichi as he backed away.

"What are you doing?" Hideyoshi asked but he didn't really have to. He knew that look.

"I'm gonna break the door down! Charge! Shinichi Kick!" Shinichi rushed towards the door as Yuji turned the knob and pushed the door open before Shinichi sailed by and crashed. "OW!"

"You OK in there?" asked Michiru.

"The hard floor broke my fall!" Shinichi shouted back, "Man, it's so dark in here! Also, I think I might've landed into some old pizza; really old and smelly pizza!"

"He rarely thinks before he acts," Astral observed.

"Yeah, his feet run faster than his brain can catch up sometimes. He's more on instinct than thinking," Yuji explained.

"I heard that!" Shinichi shot back.

Astral then tensed up as he looked to the tower.

"What's up?" Yuji asked.

"I sense...something," the 'spirit' replied. His eyes widened, "Numbers!"

"Seriously?-!" Yuji gaped.

Misato observed Yuji's expression, "I know that look. We got trouble, don't we?"

"Yeah, trouble with a capital 'N'," said Yuji as Shinichi stumbled out of the apartment, a pizza stain on his shirt. Yuji grimaced and pinched his nose, "That is some stinky pizza."

"I'm gonna need a shower and disinfectant. So, what did I miss?"

"Numbers, apparently," said Hideyoshi.

"Let's roll!" Yuji shouted as he dashed for the tower, followed by the others.

The group took an elevator to the top floor where the exited into a dark room.

"This it?" Shinichi asked.

"Top floor," Misato frowned.

The lights flashed on and everyone saw a young man on an elevated platform. He had curly, reddish hair, brown eyes, and wore cargo pants with a jacket and a red ascot.

Music – "Dark Signers" (Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's Sound Duel 2)

"Welcome, my guests," the teenager welcomed.

"Sumira Koichi," Hana identified.

"Indeed, that is my name," Koichi supported, "And what brings here on this lovely evening?"

"We know it was you that started that whole virus crap last night, Sumira!" Shinichi pointed.

"Ah, so you figured it out so easily," the redhead clapped, "Not bad. Well, how did you like my little test?"

"A test?" Michiru blinked.

"Yes, that virus I set into the city and many gaming systems was just a simple test drive for my most beautiful virus," Koichi explained.

"You're gonna pay for blowing up my X-Box, asshole!" Shinichi roared as Hideyoshi held him back.

"Take it easy, Shinichi," Hideyoshi placated.

Yuji stepped forward and called out, "What's the point of all this, Sumira? Why launch a virus into the city and cause trouble for everyone?"

Koichi blinked, "Why? Why to make a show, of course! You see, explosions and the like have always been something of a hobby of mine since I was a little boy. Experimented with fireworks and toys since no one could get hurt and watching everything explode was so much fun!"

"I think he's crazy," Michiru whispered to Hana.

"That has been obvious since he opened his mouth," Hana whispered back.

"So now I asked myself," Koichi grinned, "WHY NOT LET EVERYONE SEE THE FIREWORKS? HAHAHAHA!" he cackled madly as a purple, circular 34 appeared on his left cheek.

"Yuji!" Astral called.

"Numbers," Yuji glared.

"In fact, you lot are just in time to watch my virus bomb go off!" Koichi declared as several computer monitors turned on with a huge timer counting down. "Just thirty more minutes and the city will go up in flames," Koichi grinned.

"You're fucking crazy!" Misato cried.

"And what's wrong with being a little crazy?" Koichi chuckled. "However…I suppose I can give you a fair chance."

Shinichi blinked, "A chance?"

"If you can beat me in a Duel then I will shut down the virus and nothing will happen," he offered, "And if I win…WE ALL GO BOOM!"

"Fine, I'll take that bet," Yuji declared.

"Then let us begin!" Koichi cackled as he hopped off his platform and landed several feet across from Yuji.

"D-Gazer, set!" Yuji called. "Target: Lock-On!" And the AR field was put up

"AR Vision, link established."

"DUEL!" the boys called.

Fudo Yuji: 4000

Sumira Koichi: 4000

Music – "Duel 05" (Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's Tag Force 4)

"I'll take the first turn," Koichi smirked, "Draw! I set a monster in Face-Down Defense Position! I'll end my turn at that."

"OK then, my Draw!" Yuji declared. "So you wanna keep it a surprise, huh? Then I'll just have to open the box! I summon Flamvell Firedog!" He set the card and a blaze erupted before him, turning into a large Doberman covered in molten rock. It howled as it was summoned.

Flamvell Firedog
FIRE/Beast/Effect/Lv.4/1900/200 – When this card destroys an opponent's monster by battle and sends it to the Graveyard, you can Special Summon 1 FIRE monster with 200 or less DEF from your Deck, except "Flamvell Firedog".

"That card is different from the others you've used," Astral observed.

"That's because this is my real deck," Yuji answered.

"Your real deck…?"

"That's right, and I'll show how mighty my Burning Soul is!" Yuji declared. "Now then, let's see what that card is! Battle! Flamvell Firedog will attack the set monster! Honou no Kiba (Fire Fang)!" The firedog growled and lunged at the set card.

"Naïve," Koichi grinned, "Come out, Bugman X!" The set card flipped over and revealed the Bugman as it put up a cage-like barrier that repelled the Firedog.

Bugman X
DARK/Fiend/Effect/Lv.3/0/2000 – If you control a face-up "Bugman Y" when you Normal Summon this card, you can Special Summon 1 "Bugman Z" from your Deck.

"OK then," Yuji nodded with a frown. "I end my turn."

Fudo Yuji: 3900

"Yu-kun lost Life Points," Michiru gasped.

"Relax, Michiru, he only lost 100," Hana reminded, "And the Duel's just started."

"Kick his ass, Yuji!" Shinichi cheered.

"With my turn," Koichi began as he drew a card, "I shall summon Bugman Y!" He then summoned a clown-like monster that was fatter than its brother and had a smaller bomb-shaped head.

Bugman Y
DARK/Fiend/Effect/Lv.3/1400/1600 – If you control a face-up "Bugman Z" when you Normal Summon this card, you can Special Summon 1 "Bugman X" from your Deck.

"Next I activate the Quick-Play Spell Bug Road"!" Koichi declared. "Now we can special summon a monster whose level matches that of a level 4 or lower monster that we already control. So I'll summon Bugman Z!" The monster that was summoned was taller and skinnier than its brothers and wore a pinstripe outfit with a Z on its chest.

Bugman Z
DARK/Fiend/Effect/Lv.3/0/1500 – If you control a face-up "Bugman X" when you Normal Summon this card, you can Special Summon 1 "Bugman Y" from your Deck.

"Alright, let's see what we got," Yuji mused as he scanned his hand. I'll special summon Flamvell Magician!" A flame erupted on Yuji's left side and a light purple-skinned man in robes emerged.

Flamvell Magician
FIRE/Spellcaster/Tuner/Lv.4/1400/200
While you control an "Ally of Justice" monster(s), this card gains 400 ATK.

"Yeah, let's see Sumira get pass those monsters," Shinichi challenged.

"Be careful what you wish for," Hana frowned.

"He's gathered three level 3 monsters," Astral realized.

"It's coming soon," Yuji nodded.

"Time for the show to begin," Koichi grinned, "I overlay my Bugman X, Y and Z!" The Bugmen all turned into purple lights as they flew into the air "I construct the Overlay Network with these three monsters!"

Music Change – "Dark Ruler" (Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's Tag Force 5)

"An overlay of three monsters?-!" Shinichi gaped.

"This can't be good," Hideyoshi grimaced.

A black vortex opened above the field and the three lights flew in before exploding in a flurry of color. "Exceed Summon! Appear now, Number 34!"

What emerged from the vortex was a cube-like structure of blue and yellow plates. The plates then spread out as a tail extended from the back and its head flipped out from below. Its number is seen on the right shoulder plate and the creature had a crystal-like horn. Its Overlay Units were purple and orbited around its body.

"Computer Beast Terror-Byte!" Koichi proclaimed as the creature roared/shrieked at Yuji.

Number 34: Computer Beast Terror-Byte
DARK/Machine/Xyz/Effect/Rank 3/0/2900
3 Level 3 monsters
Once per turn: You can detach 1 Xyz Material from this card to target 1 face-up Level 4 or lower Attack Position monster your opponent controls; gain control of the target, until the End Phase.

"I am getting a bad feeling from that thing," said Hana as her tablet computer displayed no apparent data on the monster. She normally could access data on every card ever made. Then again, the Numbers were unknown in the Duel Monsters community.

"Me too," said Shinichi as his twin ahoge bobbed up and down rapidly. His whole body was tense as he saw the creature which Koichi had summoned.

"Sumira, you're not yourself!" said Yuji. "That thing's possessed you! You're not thinking clearly!"

"Oh, I'm thinking very clearly, Fudo," Koichi retorted. "It's been clear to me for a while now. I am a genius and I deserve to have my genius seen by all! Also, it was damn fun to see all the chaos! Nothing is more fun than chaos!"

"Except for girl on girl porn!" Shinichi shouted out. All eyes turned towards him. "What?"

"Remind me again why we have him around," Misato requested from Hideyoshi.

Koichi cleared his throat before announcing, "Anyway, I think it's time I demonstrated Terror-Byte's awesome power!"

"Caution, Yuji," Astral warned.

"I remove an Overlay Unit and Terror-Byte can seize control of one level 4 or lower monster on your field," Koichi pointed, "And I'm taking your puppy! Terror Hacking!" One of the Overlay Units was absorbed into Terror-Byte's horn and its tail released a blast of electricity that shocked Flamvell Firedog, dragging it to Koichi's side of the field.

"Oh, fuckberries," Yuji grimaced.

Shinichi commented, "So much for the loyalty of man's best friend."

Hana questioned, "Sumira, what do you hope to accomplish with all this?"

Koichi shot her a look, "Don't interrupt me, Class Rep."

"I can't do that. I want to understand your reason. Activating a virus bomb 'for fun' doesn't seem like a good reason, at least for me. There's more to it than just your enjoyment. It's just a bonus. You're doing this because of some grudge, aren't you? And last night was just a demonstration."

Shinichi spoke, "Man, he really turned out to become a super-villain."

"Funny, you look more like a lapdog than a villain, Sumira," Yuji smirked.

Koichi shouted, "Shut up, Fudo! If you haven't noticed I have your monster!"

"Then what are you waiting for, an invitation? Then come on and attack already," Yuji welcomed.

"You wanna die that much?"

"Terror-Byte can't do shit to me with no strength and I'll only take minimal damage this turn," Yuji explained with a smirk, "Unless, you're too chicken to follow through with your turn."

Koichi roared in anger, "Then take this! Honou no Kiba!"

The Firedog howled and lunged at the Magician, biting him on the arm as he shattered into dust. Yuji flinched as the shockwave blew through him.

Fudo Yuji: 3400

"I set one card and end my turn," Koichi smirked as Firedog returned to Yuji's field.

"Virus bomb activation, 20 minutes remaining."

"Oh, looks like you're running out of time, Fudo," he chuckled.

"Bite it," Yuji retorted as he drew his card. 'With Magician gone, Synchro Summoning is out of the question for now… But that doesn't mean I can't deal some surprise damage.' "I summon Laval Magma Artillery!" The spot in front of Yuji exploded as a purple-stoned golem climbed out of the hole, armed with shoulder-mounted cannon barrels.

Laval Magma Artillery
FIRE/Pyro/Effect/Lv.4/1700/200
Up to twice per turn, you can send 1 FIRE monster from your hand to the Graveyard to inflict 500 damage to your opponent.

"I activate Magma's Monster Effect," Yuji declared, "By sending a FIRE monster from my hand to the graveyard; I can blast you with 500 points of damage. Also, I can use this effect up to twice a turn." He slipped two monsters into his D-Pad, "Therefore, Magma Artillery deals 1000 points of damage. Magma Mortar!" The golem fired to fire-powered blasts that hit Koichi as he grunted from the heat.

Sumira Koichi: 3000

"Yeah, way to give'em the heat, Yuji!" Shinichi fist-pumped.

"How dare you…burn me," Koichi growled. "I activate my Trap Card, Damage Vaccine – Omega Max!" A light shines from above and Koichi was showered with sparkles. "With this card, when I take damage, I regain Life points equal to the same amount."

Sumira Koichi: 4000

"Shit, well that was useless," Yuji grimaced.

"My aim is a perfect victory," Koichi boasted, "I will not allow you to tarnish my perfect score." His body began to radiate with dark energy. Astral was not ignorant of this.

"Dammit, just when he had the lead," Shinichi groaned.

"He can still win," Misato assured.

"Yes," Hana nodded, "If he uses that card, then he may have a better chance of winning…"

'We're running out of time, Yuji…' Michiru feared as she watched the clock reach the 17 minute mark.

"It's a good thing my turn's not over!" Yuji proclaimed. "I overlay my level 4 Flamvell Firedog and Laval Magma Artillery!" The two monsters turned into beams of red energy as they took to the sky and a black portal opened. "I construct the overlay Network with these monsters! Descending from the Heavens, the Holy King has appeared! Exceed Summon!" The monument emerged as it began to transform. "Appear now, Number 39: Hope, the Aspiring Emperor!"

"HOOOOPE!" the warrior cried as it hovered in all its glory.

"YATTA!" Shinichi cheered. Seeing the white and gold armored warrior definitely gave him, and the others, hope.

"So, you have one too," Koichi frowned.

"Yeah, and unlike you, I'm not a slave," Yuji mocked as Hope hovered on the field. He gave Hope a nod as if greeting an old friend and the monster responded in kind. "And since Hope doesn't have a Level, he's immune to Terror-Byte's effect."

"Say what you want, but with such pitiful attack points that thing won't be able to take down my Terror-Byte," gloated Koichi. "And even if I do take damage, my Trap will restore any damage I take!"

"There's more to a monster's power than attack points," Yuji said to Koichi, pointing at him. "I'll end my turn here with a face down!"

"Virus bomb activation, 15 minutes remaining."

Yuji grimaced. He needed to end this quickly.

Meanwhile, Hana was tapping furiously on her tablet computer in order to find a solution. On closer inspection of her device's screen, were the countdown and a bunch of data scrolling across the screen.

Music Change: "Tough Situation 02" (Yu-Gi-Oh! 5Ds Tag Force 4)

"Then you shall die here!" Koichi proclaimed as he drew his card. "First I switch Terror-Byte to Attack Position and then I'll activate the Quick-Play Spell Space Cyclone! With this, I can remove the Overlay Units that are still on Terror-Byte, and I'm using two!" A vortex appeared overhead as a twister came down and sucked away Terror-Byte's Overlay Units.

Misato narrowed her eyes and frowned, "Why would he get rid of his own Overlay Units?"

"Simple," Koichi grinned, "So I can remove Bugman X, Y and Z from play in order to Special Summon this!"

What emerged from the shadows was another bomb-headed creature with a golem-like body as a mass of cubes and glowing pink lines.

Super Bugman
DARK/Fiend/Lv.4/0/3000
This card cannot be Normal Summoned or Set. This card can only be Special Summoned in face-up Defense Position by removing from play "Bugman X", "Bugman Y", and "Bugman Z" in your Graveyard. While this card is face-up on the field, switch the ATK and DEF of all face-up Attack Position monsters on the field. There can only be 1 face-up "Super Bugman" on the field.

"Say hello… TO SUPER BUGMAN!" Koichi cackled insanely.

"0 attack points," Shinichi grimaced. Normally that wouldn't be a problem but when a monster had no attack points, they had a special ability to compensate for the lack of attack power.

"It's so weird," Michiru observed. "Hana-chan, what can it do?"

But Hana was focused on her screen, only glancing up at Koichi's new monster for a second, before she resumed her work.

"Virus Bomb activation, 10 minutes remaining."

The bespectacled girl grimaced, wishing the clock wasn't counting down the minutes out loud so she could concentrate.

"So that's your ace," Yuji presumed.

"That's right and now comes his Monster Effect," Koichi grinned, "As long as Super Bugman is on the field, the attack and defense points of all face-up Attack Position monsters on the field are switched! In other words, Fudo, Super Bugman and Terror-Byte are stronger than ever!"

Super Bugman glowed and roared as he covered the field in a wave of energy.

Super Bugman: 3000 ATK

Number 34: Computer Beast Terror-Byte: 2900 ATK

Number 39: Hope, the Aspiring Emperor: 2000 ATK

"With its attack and defense points switched, Hope and Yuji won't be able to survive long!" Hideyoshi cried out.

"Don't count him out yet, Princess," said Misato which made Hideyoshi grimace. He really hated that nickname. "Remember, Yuji always has a plan."

"Now die!" Koichi grinned. "Super Bugman, attack Hope!" The giant Bugman was about the throw a punch at Hope…

"I activate Hope's Monster Effect!" Yuji declared. "By removing and Overlay Unit, I can negate the attack of a monster!" An Overlay unit flew into the orb in Hope's chest as he unfurled his wing as it extended and expanded. "Moon Barrier!" And the punch was blocked.

"One more time, Terror-Byte!" Koichi ordered. The Number monster's horn glowed and grew as it swung its head down.

"Moon Barrier!" Yuji called as Hope negated the attack. "Too bad, Sumira," Yuji smirked.

"I set a card and end my turn," Koichi glowered, before smirking back, "Keep in mind that you don't have much time left."

"Virus bomb activation, 7 minutes remaining,"

"Then I'll have to win on this turn," Yuji grinned, "Ore no turn! Draw!"

Music Change – "Unleash Force" (Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's Sound Duel 2)

He drew his card and grinned, "Time to rev it up! I activate the Spell Card: Rekindling!"

"WHAT?" Koichi gaped.

"With this, I can special summon as many FIRE monsters as possible with 200 defense points," Yuji explained, "So here comes Flamvell Magician, Laval Magma Artillery and two Neo Flamvell Hedgehogs!"

Artillery and Magician reformed onto the field, along with two red hedgehogs.

Neo Flamvell Hedgehog
FIRE/Pyro/Tuner/Lv.3/800/200
If this card is destroyed by battle, select 1 card in your opponent's Graveyard and remove it from play. If this card on the field is destroyed by a card effect, select 1 FIRE monster with 200 or less DEF in your Graveyard, except "Neo Flamvell Hedgehog", and add it to your hand.

"But how did they get in the graveyard?" Koichi demanded. He then gasped as he remembered the two cards Yuji discarded with Artillery's effect. "Back then…"

"That's right," Yuji grinned, "And now I overlay my two level 3 hedgehogs!" The two hedgehogs turned into orange balls of energy as they flew into the sky. "I construct the Overlay Network with these two monsters! Now arise from the depths of the abyss, and crush the wicked! Exceed Summon! Appear now, Number 17: Leviathan Dragon!" The sea dragon appeared and roared as it glared at its opponents.

"Another one," Koichi growled, "But Super Bugman is still in play which means Leviathan Dragon's points are switched!"

Number 17: Leviathan Dragon: 0

"Next, I'll activate Artillery's effect and blast you with 500 points! Magma Mortar!" The golem fired and Koichi took the damage.

Sumira Koichi: 3500

"Useless!" Koichi crowed, "I activate Damage Vaccine – Omega Max!"

Sumira Koichi: 4000

"He recovered again," Shinichi growled.

"Which is exactly what I was waiting for," Yuji grinned, "I activate the Trap Card: Unprepared Danger!"

"WHAT?" Koichi cried.

"When my opponent recovers Life Points, I can select 1 monster on your field and destroy it," Yuji explained, "So say bye-bye to your Bugman!" The Bugman moaned before he exploded into gold dust.

"NO!"

"And with him gone, all monsters on the field regain their original values!"

Number 39: Hope, the Aspiring Emperor: 2500 ATK

Number 17: Leviathan Dragon: 2000

"Battle!" Yuji called, "Leviathan Dragon, attack Terror-Byte! Vice Stream!"

The dragon reared its head back before unleashing its energy blast as it consumed Terror-Byte, Koichi screaming in pain from the flames.

Sumira Koichi: 2000

"And now to finish it," Yuji declared, "Time for a direct attack, Hope! Hope Sword Slash!" Hope drew his blade as he swung it in the air and came down on Koichi, the possessed boy screaming in agony from the shockwave.

Sumira Koichi: 0

WINNER: FUDO YUJI

"And that takes care of that," Yuji smirked.

"Very interesting," Astral mused, "It seems that Rekindling is a key card in this deck."

"You got that right," he nodded.

Astral then stretched out his hand, a glowing card flying out of Koichi's unconscious body as the Number mark faded off of him. Astral grabbed the card as it materialized into Terror-Byte. "Another piece of my memory," Astral mused. The card gave a bright light and Astral was shown a galaxy-like structure with swirling colors. 'My name is Astral,' he confirmed, 'the place I come from… "Astral World"…!' He snapped back to reality and looked up. "In this world, I…"

"Guys, the clock hasn't stopped!" Shinichi spoke, pointing at the timer.

"Tell me how to stop the countdown!" Yuji shouted as he grabbed Koichi by the front of his shirt. "Sumira!"

"He's knocked out," said Misato. "OK, does anyone know how to stop the countdown?"

"And done," said Hana as she gave her tablet computer one final tap. The clock suddenly stopped counting down as the numbers just froze.

"Class Rep, what did you do?" Hideyoshi asked.

"Since the start of the duel I've had my tablet device wirelessly linked to Sumira's systems," Hana began her explanation as she adjusted her glasses. "And during the whole duel I've been trying to stop the countdown, and it looks like I succeeded."

"So…you hacked it?" Shinichi asked.

"Yes, indeed I did," Hana smiled and she was glomped by Michiru.

"Hana-chan, you're so smart! No wonder you're our Class Rep!" Michiru cheered.

"I've only stopped the clock," said Hana, "I'm going to need a way to delete the virus bomb."

"Can't you do that with your little device?" Misato asked.

"I'm not a miracle worker," Hana countered, frowning.

"What about a anti-virus to take care of the virus bomb?" Yuji suggested, "Or a vaccination program?"

"That might work," she mused, "But I'll need Sumira's personal terminal for that."

After returning to Koichi's home, Hana put her all into working on the anti-virus program while the others were watching Koichi while he was still unconscious. It wasn't easy. First they needed a password to access Koichi's computer in order to get to the Virus Bomb. Fortunately, Hana had a Password Generator App in her tablet device. All she needed to do was to hook the thing up and millions of possible letter and number combinations flashed across the screen before the right one came up. Next was all a matter of deleting the Virus Bomb which didn't take long.

"And…we're done," Hana finished as she pressed one last key. The monitor read: "Virus Bomb Deleted."

"Good work, Hana," Yuji smiled, "I knew you were the only one who could do this." Hana smiled at the compliment.

"What do we do with him?" Michiru asked as she poked Koichi.

"I don't think this asshole will remember much of what happened," Misato replied as she watched Michiru drawing on Koichi's face with a marker.

"You sure that's a good idea?" Hideyoshi asked.

"Eh, he deserved it," Michiru shrugged.

"Alright, let's head home then," Yuji called, "I think we've been out long enough and I need sleep."

"And I need a clean shirt," Shinichi grimaced as he tugged at his pizza-stained shirt.

The crew left the apartment as they went their separate ways, Hana and Michiru going to their home, Hideyoshi going home, Shinichi taking his route and Yuji and Misato going home with Astral following behind.

Misato interlocked her fingers intertwined with Yuji's as he blushed. "I only dare to hold your hand like this after we've been through so much together," she blushed, "And no one is really around so only you get to see this side of me."

"I appreciate it," he nodded as they walked hand in hand.

"Observation result #3," Astral monologues, "The pieces of my memory, the Numbers cards… Those who touch it, the desire and darkness in their hearts become amplified… I'll remember that."

To Be Continued…

KAMEN RIDER BUSHIDO: And here's chapter 2 for your reading pleasure. The third Number card has been secured and the gang returns to their homes for some well-deserved rest. More nonsense and adventure will be in store next time!