Eliminator

Magicman: New fic coming through! It's slightly AU, but I tried to keep it mostly real. Special thanks go to BECA who helped me decide which to start on. Enjoy!

***

Joey stood staring up in awe at the skyscraper looming before him. It towered over any other building in Domino city and dominated the business sector without question. "Wow" he muttered to himself. "That is one big building." Taking a deep breath, he brushed a hand through his hair and pushed open the glass door that led to the interior, and maybe his destiny.

Normally Joey would never set foot in the business sector, but today he had no real choice. He needed work.

After the Duellist Kingdom incident, the three million dollar cash prize had been enough to pay for Serenity's eye operation, and even enough to rent an apartment for the two of them, away from their feuding parents. Since then he had tried to make enough to support the two of them but every employer he found seemed to be against him. He had been fired eleven times in the past year, and he was at a loss as to why. Granted, eating the wares at Burger World had been a mistake, but he had learned from that mistake. Contrary to popular school rumour, Joey Wheeler was no idiot. He could read the writing on the wall, and had no intention of letting his sister be put into an orphanage, not without a fight.

What Joey needed was work that played to his skills. He was best at dueling so logically he could try making a living off of the prize money he could win. But he wasn't famous enough to be invited to any duelling tournaments, and he hadn't heard of any taking place anyway. So his only option was to try and get work from one of the local Duel Monsters based companies.

That left three options open for Joey. Duke Devlin could just kiss his ass, Pegasus slipped into a coma just after Duellist Kingdom, and Kaiba would never even consider giving him a job as a janitor in the skuzziest basement in Kaiba corp. Things were looking grim until somehow Joey caught a lucky break. One month later, just after Yugi's battle with Devlin, Pegasus came out of his coma and launched a massive business campaign against Kaiba Corp. Devlin's company threw in some aid to Industrial Illusions, but the result was a largely forgone conclusion from the start.

Just before the takeover, Pegasus threw a lawsuit at Kaiba's head for illegal hacking of Industrial Illusions computers, the destruction of an Industrial Illusions computer mainframe, and the destruction of an Industrial Illusions satellite. The drain on Kaiba's money caused by the lawsuit kept him from putting his full effort into fighting off the takeover. These days Kaiba Corp still existed, but it had been reduced to a semi-national company and had been driven right out of Domino.

So here was Joey, sitting in the lobby of Industrial Illusions' office building, nervously drumming his fingers on the chair and hoping that Pegasus wouldn't take his involvement in the 'incident' to heart. Serenity had been coaching him all last night on how to talk to an employer and made him get up early that day. She had pushed him out the door with a smile, and said, "I know you'll do great big brother. You can do anything."

Joey hoped, for her sake that she was right.

"Joey Wheeler? Mr. Pegasus will see you now."

Joey looked up from shuffling through his deck. A smiling intern stood before him, gesturing through a door to the left. Grunting, he stood up and put his cards in his pocket before following the woman into the door.

He followed her through the winding halls; the only sound the clicking of her heeled shoes and the squeaking of his sneakers. It seemed an eternity or so to pass through the modern day labyrinth, but it was only really eight and a half minutes before the intern woman stopped and opened a door. She gestured, Joey walked through, and she closed the door behind him, sealing him in.

Joey found himself in Maximilian Pegasus' personal office. Surprisingly, it was pretty much like and other CEO's office, except that the multi-billionaire was leaning back in his chair, his feet up on a desk littered with comic books and his nose in a manga. The whole scene was strangely surreal and creepy, and it took Joey a few seconds to recover his composure.

Pegasus suddenly laughed. "Oh Ryo Saeba" he said to the character in the comic, "Lucky in gunfights but unlucky in love. The classic elements of a comedic action hero." He happened to glance over at the door and saw Joey standing frozen. He nearly fell off his chair and only righted himself by wind milling his arms wildly, losing hold of his manga.

By the time both men had recovered several seconds had passed by without incident. Finally though, Pegasus folded his hands and smiled charmingly. "So" he said, "It certainly has been a while, hasn't it Joey- boy? How's the world treating you? Friends? Family? Monetary concerns?"

Joey bristled slightly. "I don't think that's any of your business." Mentally he smacked himself. Snapping at the interviewer would not get him a job.

But Pegasus didn't seem ruffled. "Of course you're right. Forgive me. So," he abruptly changed the conversation, "My secretary told me that you want some work. Obviously in some sort of duelling capacity. Equally obviously, you need work that will support not only yourself but your sister as well. Stop me if I'm wrong; this is entirely deduction on my part. Anyway, I'm always looking for new talent and I'm quite aware of your credentials." He smiled. "You did place second at my tournament after all, and you beat some pretty powerful duellists along the way. I'm sure that Bandit Keith and Rex Raptor are still feeling the sting."

This was not going nearly the way Joey had expected. Pegasus had totally bowled him over with his joviality and enthusiasm. He was getting the job and he didn't even know how. Pegasus began flipping through a file and the lock of hair covering his left eye parted a bit. Joey stared. "You got your eye back?"

"Yep! It seems that while the Millennium Eye was resting in my head, my original eye was taking up residence in the Shadowrealm. When I lost the item my eye came back." Pegasus smiled. "I must admit, it was one of the nicer things to happen to me of late."

"Oh."

"It hasn't been easy for me. The Eye was my last connection to Cecelia." Pegasus seemed to forget that Joey was there as he slipped into a thoughtful pose, his brown eyes gazing off into wherever. "While I was in that coma I relived all the times I spent with her. I didn't want to let her go. But then..." he hesitated. "I don't know exactly what happened, but I heard a voice. I couldn't tell you whose it was but it told me to go on with my life. So I did." The billionaire suddenly smiled and fixed his attention back on Joey. "So now you know the truth."

"Wow. That's deep." Joey studied his soon to be boss closely. "You're a lot different than what I thought you'd be like."

"Why thank you, I get that a lot. Now, to actual business." Pegasus gestured for Joey to be seated. When the teen was, Pegasus continued. "Here's my proposal. You need a good job with good pay. I'll give you one and more. I'm also willing to provide lodgings for you and your sister and access to some of the rarest cards in the world to support your deck."

"What's the catch?"

"No catch. Just the job itself."

"Which is?"

Pegasus smiled charmingly. "An eliminator."

Joey hesitated. The deal was tempting. But he'd had some bad experiences with eliminators in the past. Panik had scared the Hell out of him, and the Paradox brothers were just plain nuts. He really wouldn't want to stoop to the level of those lowlifes. 'What would Serenity think of me?' he asked himself.

"I assure you" Pegasus reassured, seeming to read Joey's mind, "My eliminators have mellowed since your last encounter with them. They no longer need to be, oh how shall I put it, crazy." He made a face. "Though I must admit that the Paradox brothers haven't changed much."

That actually was reassuring, though Joey didn't quite see why. "One thing though" he asked. "Why would you want me as your eliminator? I'm not very well known around. I'm sure that you could get lots of great duellists on your side."

Pegasus leaned back again, resting his feet up on the desk. "First of all, like I said before, your credentials aren't all that bad. Second of all, I actually do need a skilled eliminator. I'm afraid that Yugi-boy sent poor Panik to the Shadowrealm. Finally, Shannon is always telling me to stop being so high and mighty and to make friends." He shrugged. "I try, but it's difficult for someone of my position to make friends."

Joey nodded. "Makes sense. Er, who's Shannon?"

"Oh you'll meet her soon enough. So, will you accept the job?"

The teenager did not hesitate any longer. "Alright Pegasus. You've got a deal. You take care of my sister and I, and I'll be your eliminator."

"Splendid! I couldn't be happier. This way we all get what we want." Pegasus reached out and shook Joey's proffered hand enthusiastically. "If you like, I'll have someone go over to your apartment and pick up your sister right away. There's no need to delay, after all."

"Yeah, that's true" Joey admitted. "So, where will Serenity and I be living?"

"There's a hotel I keep permanently booked for all my eliminators. You two can stay there. The sibling love will be good for the others."

Pegasus was about to continue when the door opened behind Joey. "Hey Maxi? What's up? Who's the new guy? He looks..." The female voice trailed off and the blond turned around, to see who it was.

It was at that moment that Joey Wheeler fell hopelessly in love.

Well, perhaps love was too strong a word. He felt the way he had when he first set eyes on Mai Valentine. That is to say butterflies were swarming his stomach and his heart was doing its best to squeeze its way up his throat.

Pegasus noted the electric looks both teenagers were giving each other and hid a smile. "Ah Shannon. This young man is my new eliminator. Joey, meet Shannon, my adopted daughter."

Shannon murmured a hello then fell silent while Joey only stared. Her hair was blond, but it was so wild he could barely tell. It was streaked and dyed with blue and green and pink and orange, tied with braids and tails and barrettes. Her eyes were a strange silvery colour that seemed to be peering into Joey's soul. It contrasted strangely with her pink t-shirt and faded jeans. It all merged together to give her a strange otherworldly beauty that had Joey completely floored.

Pegasus clearing his throat interrupted the teens' staring. "I'm afraid that I have some business to conduct" he apologized. "Shannon, would you show Joey up to the twelfth floor? Thanks a bunch sweetie. I'll see you in a bit Joey. Stay well until then." He kissed his daughter on the cheek before excusing himself.

The tension the broken, Joey recovered and smiled. "So you're Shannon, eh? It's nice to meet you."

Shannon smiled back, her white teeth showing. "The feeling's mutual. Trust me." She reached out her hand and they shook. "So come on! I'll take you up to the twelfth floor."

As Shannon grabbed his arm and started pulling him through the door, Joey asked, "What's up there?"

"That's the eliminators' floor."

As they travelled through the building's long twisting Shannon chattered cheerfully with Joey about all sorts of things. She was a spirited, happy person who always tried to see the bright side of something. Joey tried to not ask about her parents, but she brought up the subject herself.

"A long, long time ago in a city far away they were hit by a bus when I was just a baby. I really don't remember them much, but look on the bright side. If it hadn't happened, Maxi wouldn't have adopted me and I wouldn't have met you! Just like how if Luke hadn't blown out the engines of his X-Wing he wouldn't have met Mara Jade." She smiled at him, her silvery eyes twinkling.

Oh yes. It turned out that she was also a Star Wars fanatic.

The journey to the twelfth floor was uneventful. Employees recognised Shannon and got out of her way. Joey was enjoying the whole trip but all things must end eventually. They arrived at a door shortly after a long elevator ride, and Joey was pulled through it by his new female friend.

To say that Joey was nervous would be untrue. He knew how good some of these guys were, and he was confident in his own skills. However, when Shannon shouted "Hey guys! Meet your new coworker!" he couldn't help but feel a twitch in his left eye.

Shannon smiled. "Go and mingle. I have something to do." She turned and raced off through the room. Hesitantly, Joey followed.

The room was enormous! It reminded him of a movie he once saw where a bunch of fighter pilots were waiting in a room like this to be set out upon the world. The room itself was quite big, big enough to comfortably fit twenty people, and it was furnished with numerous attention-keeping devices. Scattered all throughout the room were arcade machines, Dance Dance Revolution games, a ping-pong table, a pool table, computers, chairs and card tables, a shelf full of books and one whole side of the room was a glass window, giving access to the city below.

There was even a mini-cafeteria in the center, with a disgruntled looking cook manning the plates. Joey walked over to him. "Hey man, is there a phone in here? I need to make a call."

"Obviously, or you wouldn't need one!" The rude cook chucked a thumb over to a corner, where a phone rested on a desk before going back to his work. Joey threw him the finger behind his back then walked over to the phone. He just had to tell Serenity the good news!

The phone rang and his sister's voice sounded at the other end. "Hello?"

Joey smiled. "Hey sis!"

"Joey! How did it go?"

"Let's just say that our money problems are over."

Serenity squealed with glee on the other end of the wire. "I knew you could do it! You're the best Joey!"

"I try," he said modestly. "Listen sis, Pegasus is sending someone over to pick you up. He offered to move us in with his other employees and pay the bill."

"Okay. I'll just pack some stuff and then I'll see you in a bit."

"Alrighty then. I'll just get acquainted with the other duellists in the meantime. Love ya sis."

"Bye Joey."

As Joey hung up the phone, someone behind him chuckled. "So you're the new guy? It's a pleasure to meet you."

Joey turned. The speaker was a smiling young man about Joey's age. "I guess I am. Who're you?"

The guy bowed with a dramatic flourish. "I'm none other than Simon Corona, professional duellist and Pegasus' third eliminator.

Joey fought to maintain control of his jaw, but his eyes bugged out. "Seriously? You're not fooling me?"

Simon Corona was a legend among duellists. He entered his first major tournament when he was twelve and diced three famous duellists before winning it all. His entire career lasted six years and he had never lost once. People called him the 'Uncrowned King' and he was expected to take the first inter-continental championship. But he had dropped out of sight just before the tournament, and no one heard from him again. Now it turned out he was working for Maximilian Pegasus.

"I'm quite serious." Simon reassured.

"Wow..." Joey murmured. "It's an honour to meet ya."

Simon smiled. "Likewise." They shook hands.

"I gotta ask though. What made you quit?"

"I just got sick of all the publicity and split. Do you have any idea how annoying it is to have photographers breaking into your house? Or to be challenged on the street by every kid who can throw fifty or so cards together? Bah!" The forgotten duelling star shook his head in annoyance. "My problem was that I still wanted to duel. But then Mr. Pegasus asked me to work for him. I said 'Sure'. So here I am today, and as far as the world knows I don't exist."

"Ah", Joey nodded. "Makes sense. I always did hate photographers. Back in grade school, some creep pulled my pants down, took pictures, and put them up on the Internet." He made a face at the memory. "Er, what did you mean when you said you were Pegasus' 'third' eliminator?"

Simon gestured and the two sat down. "Pegasus has five eliminators. Para and Dox are the first and second, and I'm the third. Panik disappeared during Duellist Kingdom", Joey coughed a bit here, "And Damien retired. So I guess you're the fourth."

"The fourth?" Joey smiled. "Cool! But who's the fifth?"

Simon shrugged. "Not a clue. All I know is Pegasus needs to hire him soon if he wants to kick off Duellist Kingdom Two on time."

"Duellist Kingdom Two?!"

Before Simon could answer, there was a rush of air. Both duellists whirled but missed it. There was another rush and this time the source appeared before them. With a 'Hi-yah!' two figures, one in orange and one in green, dropped into position, making Joey and Simon jump back.

"You thought that we were gone for good! But now we're back like we knew we should!"

"You were never very great, yet you achieved a fantastic fate."

"Second place among the best put you a cut above the rest!"

"And now you've earned the right to walk beside the Brothers Paradox!"

When he caught his breath, Joey sighed. "Ah man. Don't you two ever quit rhyming?"

"Not usually" Simon grimaced.

Para grinned slightly wickedly. "We heard the news"

"And we rejoice" Dox put in.

"At your most prudent career choice!"

"Yet still our team"

"Is one man shy."

"We wonder where the new talent lies."

Now the brothers' faces took on a quizzical, puzzling look. It was almost comical, but they had a point.

"A fair question" a voice by the door said, "And soon to be answered."

The four eliminators turned to the door. Pegasus and Shannon were flanking the entrance, Pegasus smiling happily and Shannon throwing Joey a 'V' sign. "Gentlemen" the billionaire started grandly, spreading his arms apart for dramatic effect, "May I introduce the fifth eliminator!"

He stepped back from the door with a flourish and a short teenager walked through cautiously. Joey studied him curiously but was slightly thrown off by the pink shirt.

"Hi" the newcomer said nervously. "I'm Espa. Espa Roba. It's nice to meet you."

Before Para and Dox could do their greeting routine again, Simon yanked them back. Then he bestowed a smile of welcome on the newcomer. "Welcome aboard Pegasus' eliminators. I certainly hope that you enjoy your stay."

Espa smiled tentatively. "I hope so too. I'll do my best to be worthy of the title."

"I'm sure you'll make us all proud" Pegasus smiled benevolently and gently nudged Espa into the room. Shannon smiled too. "Aw! They're all together again! I've gotta get a picture! Don't anyone move!" She rushed off again.

"Okay then" Pegasus said, still smiling. "Before my daughter gets back, I'd like to brief you all on the future. In one month, I will be hosting Duellist Kingdom Two in anniversary of the world's biggest duelling tournament. Naturally, you will all be invited to do your jobs."

Espa and Joey exchanged looks. Neither had done this sort of thing before. But the others looked fine. Simon even seemed to relish the coming duels.

"In the meantime, try to practice and study the strategies of your possible opponents. If you need a certain card, just check out my storage rooms on the fifth floor. I'm sure they'll have what you need. And remember, you are not just eliminators. You are also the Island's security. You must keep the peace among duellists and prevent cheating."

"Sure thing Mr. Pegasus" Simon spoke for them all. "You can count on us."

"If any duellist gets in our way"

"We'll be sure to make them pay!" The paradox brothers laughed sinisterly.

"You got it boss" Joey and Espa chorused together. Joey grinned down at his new colleague. Espa, who seemed rather shy, smiled back.

Just then Shannon burst into the room, camera in her hands.

"Okay everyone, get into position and say cheese!"

***

Magicman: So, my readers with the review button, what did you think? Good? Bad? Spectacular? You're going to shove this story down my throat? Be sure to let me know; I like to gauge opinion. Keep in mind though that I'm not going to bash anyone. Everyone will be as normal as circumstances allow them to be. Bye bye!