Yu-Gi-Oh! Invasion of the Clear Brigade - Arc 1: Hunt for the "Numbers" [IC: Started/Currently Accepting]

[evilfusion]

"I'll take it into consideration," Natalie replied, somewhat curtly and began to walk off, examining her prize more carefully. [i]Number 17...a Rank 3 WATER Dragon...it can permanently boost its ATK by 500 each turn by giving up one of its Overlay Units, but cannot attack directly if it has none.[/i] [i]An interesting power, and well suited to my deck's strategy of using Rank 3 Xyz and cards that modify ATK values[/i].

She chuckled quietly. She could hardly have asked for a more fitting Number to claim.

[Agro]

Souta listened to Setsuna's suggestion with the thought still in the back of his mind. "Sure... I guess it can't hurt to go over there." But that would not be the case. Almost as soon as Souta and Setsuna began heading out down towards the card shop, Souta's phone rang. Slightly irritated, he checked the CID to see who it was. "Sorry, gotta take this, Setsuna." Souta stayed on the phone for only a minute, answering only with slight grunts and "yes" to the person on the other end. Hanging up the phone, he stepped in the opposite direction that they were heading. "That was my sister. Sorry, Setsuna, I gotta get home. I'll see you tomorrow."

[DeckShuffler711]

Watching as Souta answered his phone, Setsuna sighed. It was probably his sister once more. As he hung up, he waved to Souta as he said he had to leave. "See ya later," He said as he continued to walk towards the shop. Staring at his duel disk, his eyes narrowed. It had been a while since he had last dueled and it was slowly starting to bug him. "Maybe I can find an opponent for a friendly duel," He said to himself as he continued to walk forward, adjusting his cap as he did so. Somehow, he could tell his words may have been about to bite him back.

[Premier Alexander Romanov]

The woman held up her pointer finger and moved it from side to side as Graam suddenly short-circuited and slumped, moving back to its original position. Wind-Up Zenmaister did the exact same thing.

Delilah was pleasantly surprised at the result of the duel, and she saw the new kid walk up to the Numbers Hunter. Thanks to the ever-handy skill of lip-reading, she could see that the newcomer was also a Numbers Hunter. She smiled, and decided to give Natalie a visit. As she walked out of the room, she pressed her pointer and middle fingers to her temple and whispered. [color=#A9A9A9]"I assume you saw that duel?"[/color] After a short pause, she answered. [color=#A9A9A9]"Good. Tag her, then prepare for time compression at her coordinates. I will be there shortly."[/color]
Meanwhile, as Natalie walked down the road, a van opened up and an electrical worker pulled out some sort of rifle very silently, and fired a dart towards Natalie's neck...

[evilfusion]

(You're going to do what to her?)

Natalie was far too caught up in her thoughts and sense of triumph to notice or suspect anything unusual. That is, until something struck her in the neck, knocking her so far off balance that she fell over, her hand instinctively touching her neck where a sudden, searing pain had shot through her. Her fingers touched what seemed to be a dart, like the ones seen in movies that drugged someone into unconsciousness.

"Wha...da...f-" she never did finish her sentence.

[Premier Alexander Romanov]

The van quickly closed and drove away, the workers inside of the van furiously typing away on some computers. The dart's contents had emptied themselves into Natalie, and were now preparing to do something to her. Out at sea, a mysterious aircraft that was entirely black, but did not seem to have a clearly defined shape, launched from a tanker and headed straight for the city. Finally, Delilah caught up with Natalie. [color=#A9A9A9]"Well, I have to say that I am impressed with your duel. I did not realize that you had such strength behind you. Do not worry about what my associates injected you with. That will be revealed shortly."[/color]

[evilfusion]

Natalie let out the equivalent of a growl, feeling oddly light-headed, her hand closing around the dart and pulling it free, letting it drop to the ground as the same hand pressed against her neck to stem any blood flow. "And who," she spat to Delilah. "Are you?"

Indeed, she had never seen the woman before in recent memory, and could scarcely fathom why she would have just been hit with a dart. It hadn't killed her and she was still conscious for now...what was going on?

[Premier Alexander Romanov]

The strange aircraft swooped over the street, launching a strange rocket-like object towards the ground, which landed in between Natalie and the strange woman. A nearby off-duty police officer spotted this and got out of his car, yelling at the two, until the device nearby powered up, whining as it did so, and emitted a blue pulse of energy. The cop suddenly froze in place, as did a bee that was flying about nearby. The woman smiled as she started to walk towards Natalie, but didn't seem to get any closer. [color=#a9a9a9]"What just occurred was the activation of a space-time compression field, an area of time and space that is scrunched together into one single moment. What was once a second is now a few hours. What was once a few feet is now several yards. The further you get from this generator, the more drawn-out the compressed space-time becomes. Fortunately, you and I are immune to the field's effects, otherwise you wouldn't notice it. When the field disengages, normal space-time progression will resume, and to the officer, none of this will have ever happened."[/color] She was finally about the distance needed for a duel, and a strange nautilus-shaped Duel Disk had appeared on her arm. [color=#a9a9a9]"My normal Deck is currently being used by someone else, so I will use this substitute."[/color] She then held up a card. [color=#a9a9a9]"I will throw Number 52: AMF1-3 into the pot. What is your wager?"[/color]
[spoiler=Number 52]
[img]http://images4.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20110904214630/ycm/images/9/9d/AMF1-3_Card.jpg[/img]
[/spoiler]

[evilfusion]

(I saw the original edit and made a post for it just before YCM went down. Just FYI, she's still showing 2 cards in your edit)

Natalie didn't understand more than a few words of the explanation, but her eyes lit up at the revelation of two Numbers. She had never before faced someone with more than 1 Number, and until now had assumed that the loser forfeit all their Numbers...so could she face this woman and only wager 1 of her 3 Numbers?

"You have two Numbers? Yet only wager one of them... can you actually do that?" she mused, flicking two cards from her Extra Deck. Kai had asked her not to lose Number 17 so he could win it back, and while she doubted losing was that big of a fear, it was better safe than sorry, if only to appease him. With a swift motion, she fanned out the two remaining Numbers she owned, the arts depicting a large insect and the acid golem she had wielded before. She considered them for a moment before making her choice.

"Then I wager Number 30: Acid Golem of Destruction," she said softly. Although this card was more dangerous and powerful than Number 20, the insect Xyz was her original Number, and she was not going to part with it if she could help it. She had won Number 30 from someone else, and could do without it.

"So, shall we duel?"

[Brinolovania]

Jayce scowled. "Damn...didn't read it hard enough..." Then, looking at his screen, he growled in annoyance. Distracted by dueling, he had missed a turn, and was now farther away from Heartland High than he had been in the first place. "S***..." He turned quickly to the right, not looking to see if the woman was keeping up. [i]It's getting late...the students are probably all gone by now...great.[/i] "Nothing else I can do, sadly...whatever. You won't defeat Graam. Turn end!"

[Premier Alexander Romanov]

Delilah replied. [color=#a9a9a9]"Of course, but are you sure you want to add that Number into the pool? Because you cannot use the Number you just anted. Also, I will raise you a Number 42: Breaker Beetle."[/color]
[spoiler=Number 42]
Number 42: Breaker Beetle
EARTH/Insect/Xyz/Rank 3/1900 ATK/2500 DEF
3 Level 3 Monsters
When this monster destroys a monster by battle: Detach 1 Xyz Material from this card and target 1 card on the field; Destroy the targeted card.
[/spoiler]
Delilah added. [color=#a9a9a9]"The name of the game is to see when one of us reaches a breaking point. I do not know how many Numbers you have, and you do not know many Numbers I have, but I do know that I have more than you do."[/color]

The myerious woman drew her card, then Normal Summoned a strange electric-blue feline called "Photon Sabre Tiger". (2000 ATK|LV3) (2000 ATK -> 1200 ATK) She then added a card to her hand, and activated a Spell Card called "Photonize", that allowed her to Special Summon a Level 4 or lower LIGHT monster, like the additional copy of Photon Sabre Tiger she received thanks to her first Tiger's effect. A beam of light shot from her deck to her field, and a second feline started running alongside the first, the two powering up together. (1200 ATK -> 2000 ATK)

(Response?)

[Brinolovania]

Jayce sighed. "Summoning more wimpy monsters...you got nothing on me, lady. I assume you have something big to play, but...whatever you summon, you can't kill a Numbers! Do whatever you want." He glanced at his hand. [i]And even if she does defeat Graam, not a problem. I have everything I need right here...this duel is already over.[/i] He smiled. "Well, then, go on and Xyz summon or whatever...I don't really care. And hurry it up. I'm a busy man."

[evilfusion]

"I don't require Numbers to win duels," Natalie replied coolly. She displayed a second card, returning the insect Number to the Extra Deck. "I'll see your raise with Number 17: Leviathan Dragon," she said softly. "But I will not raise beyond that. I call, so to speak."

[i]I plan to keep my Number 20...even if I have to wager the Number I last won,[/i] she thought to herself. Besides, she had to risk Numbers to get Numbers, and if she could wager only some Numbers to get the same number of Numbers, it was a worthwhile risk without sacrificing everything. If she lost the duel, she would still have a Number to resume hunting. She took a moment to rummage in her back, extracting her Duel Disk and D-Gazer.

She calmly placed the two Numbers backwards in the Extra Deck, a message to herself that the declared Numbers would be out of bounds. "Are you ready, then?" she asked, sliding the Disk onto her arm.

[Astolfo]

Kuroi saw Natalie suddenly disappear. His sharp mind let him see all the possibilties. He didn't think there would be someone who could alter time, but oh well. It was a pity to have his offer basically rejected but oh well. He had forgotten to show Natalie but he took out of his Extra Deck, 4 more ink-black cards he had won from 2 people. Unfortunately, now they were vegetables from having their souls removed forcibly. "Numbers 14: Ultimate Karasu, Chaos 14: Hell Karasu, 72: Time Lord, and Chaos 72: Infinity Lord" he whispered to himself. He put the 4 cards back in his extra deck section, joining the other 2 he had shown Natalie. Kuroi suddenly remembered Natalie, and he wondered where she went.

[DeckShuffler711]

Walking up to the card shop, Setsuna walked inside and looked around the old shop. The geezer who ran the place saw very few customers now in days. His shop specialized in selling Synchro monsters and Synchro related cards. Ever since Xyz cards had become such a boom, people had stopped coming to his shop almost entirely. Looking through the displays of packs, he eyed an older pack that was quite common during his father's childhood. Picking it up, he stared at the monster on the cover of it. "Mech Commander, why can I never pull you?" He asked the pack as he grabbed another few issues of the pack.

Approaching the counter, he eyed a creature that appeared to be a beard, a pair of massive eyebrows, and a silly looking hat. "Old man, when are you going to shave that beard off?"

Receiving a lone glance, the old man opened his mouth wide and began to laugh, a low whistle echoing from the gap between his teeth. "When you finally pull that Mech Commander you lust after so much!"

Glaring at the old man, he pushed the packs forward. "That'll be $12.93," The old man said as he held his hand out for the money.

Reaching into his pocket, Setsuna pulled his wallet out and began to sort through his money. Setting the money down on the counter, he took his packs and stared at them. "You know, you ought to stop trying to become your father," The old man said as he leaned forward on the counter, his beard engulfing it with ease.

Opening one of the packs, Setsuna ignored the old man's comment and began to sort through the contents of it. His eyes widening, he stared at the white outlining of an unfamiliar card in the pack. Staring at the card, his brows raised up in confusion. "Buster Tiger?" He said to himself, questioning the card. Reading its effect, a grin grew across his face. "Another Mech Tuner card! And a Synchro Tuner no less?!" He shouted happily as he began to dance around the shop, holding the new cards up happily.

His eyes narrowing, the old man shook his head. "And he still has three more packs to open," He said to himself as he watched Setsuna dance around.

[spoiler=Buster Tiger]
Buster Tiger
Earth/Level 4
Beast/Synchro/Tuner
ATK: 1900/DEF: 100
1 "Mech" Tuner + 1 or more non-Tuner monsters
When this card is Synchro Summoned, banish 1 card for every non-Tuner monster used as Synchro Summon material from your graveyard. For a Synchro Summon, you can substitute this card for any 1 "Mech" Tuner monster. If this card is used as a Synchro Material Monster for the Synchro Summon of a "Mech" Synchro Monster, you can use "Mech" monsters in your hand for the other non-Tuner Synchro Material Monster(s).
[/spoiler]

[Dementuo]

Kai tapped Kenta's shoulder, and sighed. "You're always so dramatic, Kenta. Can't you board a train normally, for once?" Kai teased, taking a seat. Kai sighed again. [i]"Heh, I wish I actually was so carefree."[/i] He thought. He took a glance out the window a few moments later, noting that the train had almost arrived at there stop. They lived a little far away, so most of the people had already departed the train. "Kenta, we're here." Kai said, standing up. The doors slid open and Kai took a few steps off the train. Their house was only a few minutes' walk from here, so it wouldn't take much longer to get home. [i]"Long day today.'[/i] Kai thought plainly.

[Zextra]

"[i]If we weren't so late all the time[/i]" Kenta retaliated, stifling a snicker as he picked up his backpack before taking a seat across from Kenta. As the train pulled into Heartland Villas station about an hour later, the doors slid open and Kenta yawned as he trotted out after Kai. Since the subway station was not too far from their home, the walk back was short. Upon reaching their flat, Kenta took out a card key and swiped it along the indicated slot on the door - a small light glowed green and the door swung open. "[i]Well, what to do now...[/i]" Kenta mumbled sarcastically upon entering, dumping about 50 pounds of textbooks on a table. "[i]To think that a place as technologically advanced as Heartland still relies on physical books for school[/i]" he muttered with an annoyed tone as he sat down and began his homework.

[Simping For Hina]

Sitting at the top of the school, allowing to view the entire city and the grounds surrounding the school. He noticed a duel taking place at that moment which included a number monster. He tried his best to peak out the number of the actual card. The number was 42. There was no need to peak out the actual duelist since he did notice that Jayce was there at the scene. Not overlooking things, he left the roof of the actual school through a door near the left of him. He walked throughout the school, going about his business, not bothering anyone or anything there.
"[i]Why do I have to go to this school now? I mean, it is nothing more than just a boring place that contains the cards we are looking for. No big deal. This entire city contains those cards![/i]" he thought to himself while he roamed this place.

[Premier Alexander Romanov]

Delilah nodded. [color=#A9A9A9]"Certainly. I will let you go first."[/color]

The woman activated her first trap, Trap Stun, then she watched as, underneath the two tigers, a swirling vortex formed that absorbed the beasts. Shortly after that, a set of red and silver armor appeared from the vortex, followed by a strange ghostly serpent. The serpent roared, and the armor began affixing itself to the wyrm, causing its shape to changen as well, until the vortex disappeared, and standing on then woman's side of the field was a ferocious dragon with swirling white eyes, like a galaxy. (3000 ATK|LV8)

[evilfusion]

"I was hoping so," Natalie said curtly, sliding her D-Gazer over her left eye and activating the Disk. The usual virtual environment manifested around the two of them as the Disk and Gazer established a connection. With a swift motion, Natalie slid her deck into the Disk to shuffle, and then drew five cards.

LP: 4000

"I draw," she stated, easing another card and sparing it a glance. "I play Deep Sea Diva!" With a shrieking melody, the sea serpent monster appeared. (Lvl 2 Tuner, 200/400). "But that's not all: When Diva is Normal Summoned, I can Special Summon a Level 3 or lower Sea Serpent from my deck, and I choose another copy of my Diva!"

A second monster appeared, its cry mirroring the first.

"Let's go," Natalie whispered. "I Overlay my two Level 2 Diva!" The two monsters shimmered, becoming glowing blue spheres that launched into the air, entwining together. A red portal materalized in the center of the field, drawing the two spheres inside. "Xyz Summon! Defend me, Gachi Gachi Gantetsu!"

A rock-like golem appeared before Natalie, taking a defensive knee as two spheres orbited its body. (Rank 2, 500/1800)

"While Gachi is on the field, all my monsters gain 200 ATK and DEF for every one of its Overlay Units," Natalie explained serenely. "This includes itself. Now I place two cards down and call it quits for this round."

LP: 4000
H: 3
M: Gachi Gachi (2200 DEF, 2 Overlay)
S/T: 2 f/d

[Premier Alexander Romanov]

Delilah drew her card. Strangely, she didn't need a D-Gazer, but instead, her irises had gained some sort of circuitry. [color=#A9A9A9]"I will start off by Normal Summoning Sacred Pollux in Attack Mode."[/color] A silver warrior with gold trim and a split sword landed on the field in a flash of gold light. (1700 ATK|LV4) [color=#A9A9A9]"I will now activate the Spell Card Star Sign of the Sacred."[/color] A glowing ring of golden light formed above the mysterious woman in the lab coat. [color=#A9A9A9]"The effect of that Spell Card will be revealed shortly, but for now, Sacred Pollux's effect activates, allowing me to Normal Summon again, as long as the Normal Summon is of a 'Sacred' monster, such as Tributing Pollux to Tribute Summon Sacred Spica from my hand."[/color] A beam of light erupted around Pollux, and in the knight's place was a gold-armored angel with energy wings. (2300 ATK|LV5) [color=#A9A9A9]"Sacred Spica's effect activates, Special Summoning a Level 5 'Sacred' monster from my hand in Defense Position, like Sacred Eska."[/color] Spica turned to the space to her left, and raised her arms, electric-blue beams of energy creating a portal in that space, out of which stepped a large silver humanoid robot. (1400 DEF|LV5) [color=#A9A9A9]"Because I Special Summoned a 'Sacred' monster this turn, I will draw a card due to the effect of Sacred Eska, as well as add a 'Sacred' monster to my hand from my Deck because of Star Sign of the Sacred."[/color] She drew a card, then displayed a card, "Sacred Sheratan", to Natalie before continuing. [color=#A9A9A9]"Now, I believe it is time to do a little Xyz Summoning."[/color] A swirling vortex opened up in front of the two duelists, and Spica and Eska transformed into a pair of yellow beams of light, which entered the portal. [color=#A9A9A9]"I will create an overlay network with these 2 monsters! Xyz Summon! Light the path to knowledge, Sacred Pleiades!"[/color] The portal called forth a huge armored warrior with silver and gold armor, as well as a black cape filled with stars. (2500 ATK|RNK5|XM: 2) [color=#A9A9A9]"I will activate the effect of my Pleiades, sending your Gantetsu back to your Extra Deck. Solar Wind!"[/color] One of the two orbs surrounding Pleiades entered his sword, which he slashed, sending a wave of multicolored energy at Gantetsu.

[Brinolovania]

Jayce nodded as Trap Stun was activated. But then he gasped as the gigantic dragon appeared. "Wh-what the hell is that?!" He looked at its stats. "3000 ATK...it's stronger than Graam. But that doesn't matter, seeing as Graam is a Numbers. Good thing too...I was almost worried for a second there." [i]Of course it could have an ability to beat Graam I guess...but that doesn't matter.[/i] He smiled again. "Unless that dragon has something really good going for it, we're at a stalemate here...whatever, make your move."

[evilfusion]

"Sacred Monsters..." Natalie mused. Not an archetype she was overly familiar with. She watched calmly as her opponent performed a Rank 5 Xyz Summon. At first, the opposing monster didn't seem too impressive, but upon the explanation of the effect. "It bounces cards," she mused.

"I activate the Trap Card! Fiendish Chain!" Natalie announced, the card flipping up and green chains firing from them, entwining around the opposing Xyz monster. "This Trap seals one Effect Monster from attacking, and also negates its effects!" The chains tightened, cutting off the energy wind.

Her eyes flicked towards her opponent. "What now?"

LP: 4000
H: 3
M: Gachi (DEF: 2200)
S/T: 1 f/d, Fiendish Chain (targeting Pleiades)

[Premier Alexander Romanov]

Delilah didn't seem too affected that her monster had been ensnared by a set of glowing green chains. [color=#A9A9A9]"Most impressive. I guess I will set a face-down card, then see what you are about to come up with."[/color]

[color=#A9A9A9]Delilah[/color]: 4000 LP
Hand: 3
Monsters: Pleiades (2500 ATK|RNK 5|XM: 1)
Spells/Traps: Star Sign, 1 FD
Graveyard: Spica, Pollux

The woman pointed at Graam, and her dragon swooped in, but just before the attack, the dragon roared, opening a galaxy-shaped portal like the one it entered through, but the dragon grabbed Graam, and pulled the Number in with it, the portal closing behind them. The woman then flipped up her second Trap Card.

Antimatter Reaction Moderation
Trap/Normal
Tribute 1 monster and target 1 Xyz Monster on the field; Detach all Xyz Materials from the targeted monster.

She pointed at her now-useless Cerberus, who turned into a beam of light that swept near Zenmaister like a comet, absorbing its Xyz Materials before winking out of existence. Photon Crusher then charged in for the kill on the weakened monster.

[evilfusion]

"Hm, my turn!" Natalie announced, drawing a new card quickly and scanning her hand. The opposing monster had 2500 ATK, and even with the 400 ATK boost, that meant she needed to Summon a monster with at least 2100 to defeat it. Well, she had an idea of how to accomplish THAT.

"I Summon Drill Barnacle!" she said softly, placing the monster on the field. A large spiked sea creature appeared. (Lvl 3, 300/0)

"Drill Barnacle can attack my opponent directly, and when it does, it'll gain 1000 ATK," Natalie explained. "Due to Gachi, its ATK increases by 400, 200 per Material. Go, Drill Barnacle, direct attack!"

The drill-like spines on the barnacle whirred and it lunged towards Delilah. (ATK: 700)

(Response?)

LP: 4000
H: 3
M: Gachi (DEF: 2200, 2 Material), Drill Barnacle (ATK: 700, attacking directly)
S/T: 1 f/d, Fiendish Chain (on Pleiades)