The Entrance Exams Part 1 (TJ)
Hey readers! Take note that this story is collaboratively written, different sections being written by a different person. Two people actually. Just me and a friend. Also, in the canon of this story, Synchro monsters have been recently released. So don't question why they exist in Gxverse. You'll also probably notice Zexal monsters or cards, some that normally make reference to XYZ monsters. Try to ignore that. One more note, yeah, his last name is Avian. No it has nothing to do with the E-hero card. Though it does have a meaning. One more thing, if these seem like self insert characters to you, they practically are. YuGiOh, Yugioh GX, and all of their characters who appear in this story are owned by their respective creators. Lastly, enjoy the story. Leave a review if you want, all that.
Duel monsters. The most popular card game on earth, loved by millions around the world. Created by Maximillion Pegasus , it has become such a popular game that many disputes throughout the world are settled by playing this game. In the course of it's existence there have been many legends to rise to through the duelist ranks. Duelists who: Through resources, skill or just dumb luck have become better than the other average duelist. Seto Kaiba and Yugi Muto, just to name a couple. Also throughout it's existence there have been some cards that are different than the average ones. Ones of great and terrible power. More than just playing cards, these were special, embodied with the powers of the ancient Egyptian beasts they were based on. But today was a big day for a different reason. It was once again time for the duel academy to accept new students.
Times have changed, so many more parents are sending their children off to duel academy that the entrance exams have become harder, some times even those who pass of their exam can end up being left out. The academy is getting over-booked, and they needed to thin out the numbers. Today, a young man by the name of T.J. Avian was stepping up to the plate. Standing just outside of the exam building, he was confident. He was the best duelist in his own school. He stood a little over five feet tall, with curly short hair. His brown eyes glinted with the fire of a man with a mission. He was going to get into duel academy today, and nothing was going to stand in his way.
"Hey! T.J.!" Somewhere not far behind him, a voice called out. Across the road stood an old friend of his from school, waving a card in the air. In most people's opinions, second to him in dueling skill. T.J. knew better. She was just as good as him, if not better. The only difference, other than the obvious, was that he was going to duel academy, while she wasn't. After scanning the road for cars, she ran across the road.
"Oh hey Natelie. Here to wish me luck?" T.J. asked, turning back lightly toward her, mostly only turning his head rather than his body.
"Close enough Avian, we pulled some money together and got you a new card for good luck." She held the card out to him. Looking the card over, he wasn't sure how it would fit into his deck. It was an Ice Master. Though it did fit with his recent addition of spellcaster monsters, and it was a smidge more powerful than his Cyber Dinosaur in terms of defense, there wasn't much use for it with his effect. But he'd feel bad if he turned down a gift from his friends. He opened a small container on his belt, slipping the card in with the rest of his deck.
"Tell the guys I said thanks, and tell them to tell you I said thanks!" T.J. turned back to the exam building. He was sure that he was set. With a single look back at Natelie, who re-assured him with a nod, he walked through the open doors of the building. The place was big, sure the building itself was big, but this was incredible. It was almost like the walls we paper thin with that much room. T.J.'s eyes darted up and down the sands outside of the duel booths. They were lined with other young duelists who were waiting for their turns, and enjoying the show down below. One of the many changes from the old days of entering was how you were called for your exam. In front of T.J. was a desk, two people standing there arguing over something, a man and a woman. The man slammed a dueldisk down to the desk before storming off past T.J., his anger apparent in the shake of the floor that his stomping caused. Looking back to the desk, T.J. began to walk forward.
"What was all that about?" T.J. asked, looking back at the door. The woman just sighed, closing a book full of cards to look at him..
"Are you signing up?" She asked. T.J. nodded, prompting the woman to look through a large binder, many names listed on it.
"What's your name?" She continued.
"T.J. Avian." The woman paused for a moment, looking at him as if trying to work out if she'd heard him right. After receiving a weird look from T.J., she began flipping through the pages, looking for his name on the list. Stopping on the Ts, she began to run her finger over the page, it wasn't long before she pointed out a name, his.
"Alright you're good, that guy who just stormed off was the only open proctor. His kid flunked the exam and he quit." T.J. was sure how to feel about that.
"Does it mean I'll have to wait?" T.J. asked, impatiently kicking at the floor. The woman looked at the dueldisk on the table for a few seconds. An eerie little smile crossing her face. She bent down, grabbing a deck box that was on a shelf under the desk, taking the cards within out and sliding them into the dueldisk. She turned around, looking to a man sitting at a lower corner of the stands.
"Hey Optryx, you take over for me, I've got an exam to give." The man looked over, he looked bit frustrated but began to descend the staircase from the sands. T.J.'s gaze changed from the man to the woman again, he was just a little concerned by the implications.
"Wait, I'm going to duel you?" He asked. He knew that it was usually teachers who sit at the sign-up desks, and they didn't become teachers just by applying for it.
"Is that a problem?" T.J. felt intimidated, and... Challenged. He was not about to let his chance at duel academy slip through his fingers. But he wasn't going to wait and he was definitely not going to turn down a challenge. Anyone or anything standing in his way was going to be delt with. He was feeling very bold, perhaps a bit too bold. If he was going to take on a teacher, he was going to take them on in a big way.
"... Yeah. I'll duel you. I'll beat you with only one attack! How about that?!" As the words escaped his mouth he instantly regretted it. He knew he had just overstepped a boundary that he would not have stepped over on any other day. He really, really wished he hadn't said that.
"Heh. Sure kid, sure. Follow me." Now he felt like he was going to get stomped. He was going to walk home a loser because he got too cocky to wait for his duel. The teacher was already walking toward an open spot in the walls the surrounded all of the exams. T.J. looked over at the stands, knowing that this was not only going to be a loss, but it was going to be humiliating with all of these people who were watching. Walking past the doorway, T.J. turned right and picked up his exam dueldisk from the table next to him, putting his deck into the slot, and approaching the slightly raised platform in the middle of the booth. It was like he was entering an arena, an arena containing a lion. This was going to be short, he know that. But it sure wasn't going to stop him from trying.
"Are you ready to start your exam?" The woman asked, turning around to face him. T.J. stepped up to the platform, holding his dueldisk across his chest.
"Yes Ma'am." He stated, nodding in agreement. The dueldisks lit up, the lifepoints bar displaying the number 8000. This was another change that the creator of Duel monsters, Pegasus, had made to the rules in recent times. Because of his recently released "Synchro" monsters, duels were getting too fast-paced and mostly only lasted four or five or so turns at the most. He thought the duels were no fun anymore, so he thought doubling the life point total might make things more interesting. The dueldisks dispensed five card each at the top of the deck, a sixth extending from the teacher's dueldisk.
"Alright then, I'll go first." She drew it and added it to the rest of her cards.
"I'll summon The Agent of Creation, Venus. " A white silhouette materialized onto the field, a humanoid figure with a pair of wings, being circled by thee floating orbs. A wave of color brushed over it, revealing the full appearance of the monster. This was the first hologram that T.J. had seen in person, and he thought it was the most awesome thing he had ever seen.
"I'll also set one card face down. Now let's see what you've got, I end my turn." A hologram of the back of a Duel monster's card appeared not far behind her monster. The monster only had 1600 attack, surely T.J. could pull a monster with higher attack than that. His dueldisk extended a card at the top, signifying the start of his turn. He pulled it, and looked at his hand. An Axe of despair, Dark Bribe, Giant Germ, United We Stand and Magic Cylinder were the first cards, his new one being a Mystical Space Typhoon. It could be a lot better, but he wasn't entirely complaining. T.J. could have a monster with 2800 attack points if he wanted, but then how would he hold up to his boast of winning in one attack?
"I'll summon Giant Germ in attack mode, then set two cards face down. I end my turn." A giant pulsing blob covered in spikes formed on the field, followed by two face down duel monsters cards behind it. As the teacher drew her card, she made one comment.
"Odd choice, since I have more attack points. Still, I'll tribute Venus to summon The Agent of Judgment, Saturn". Her previous monster came apart into large white pixels, a new monster taking it's place. This one was not too different, another angel, this one having purple skin and wings, and a slightly fancier outfit.
"Saturn, attack his Giant Germ!" The angel held out it's hand, a wave a bright blinding light erupting from it and heading directly toward the Germ. This move would however, prove a very bad choice on her part.
"I activate a trap! Magic Cylinder, it takes your attack, and flips it back at you as direct damage!" A large red tube appeared before the wave of light, taking all of the attack in. The cylinder then flipped over, returning the wave at the teacher. As it struck her, the lifepoint counter on her dueldisk counted down to 5600. It was still painful, hard light is a very, very hot substance, but she got over it, laughing in fact.
"Ha! Good, baiting your opponent into attacking. That's smart. But that won't always work. Remember that. I end my turn." T.J. drew another card and added to his hand, a new card he had gotten just a week ago. Junk Synchron, and it gave him an idea.
"I'll change my Giant Germ to defense mode, and that will end my turn." The Germ seemed to slightly compact itself and became less gelatinous. The woman drew another card, but disregarded it, she had an attack to carry out.
"Let's not waste any time then, I'll set one card face down on the field, and then I'll attack your Germ again!" The angel fired another wave, this time it hit it's mark true, but in the place of the normal hologram explosion, the Giant Germ expanded before exploding, sending bits of debris in all directions, most of which hit the teacher, knocking her down to the floor.
"The Germ always makes an explosive exit, you take five hundred points of damage." The lifepoint counter on her dueldisk counted down once again, this time reaching 5100. Shortly after, T.J.'s dueldisk dispensed another two cards, a pair of Giant Germs.
"Of course, whenever you get rid of one germ, two more take it's place." The two Germs took the others place quickly, to the annoyance of the teacher.
"Hmf... I end my turn." The teacher stated, a lot of frustration clear in her voice. She did not want to deal with two more of those things. But that wasn't going to matter next turn, when she was going to summon her strongest monster. T.J. drew another card, but it didn't matter, he was already set. He was about to home up to his boast of beating her with one attack.
"Alright, time for me to keep my word. I summon Junk Sychron!" A small humanoid covered in metal parts and orange armor appeared on the field, along with T.J.'s previously destroyed Giant Germ.
"And because of his effect, I can bring back my old Germ. But they won't be staying long." T.J. smiled. This was going to be good. The Junk Synchron grabbed a small ripcord on it's back, revving up a small engine that was attached to it's back before raising above the Giant Germ, a huge wall of white raising from the ground behind them and reaching as high as the ceiling of the building. A series of green orbs dotted the surface of the wall, all in the direction of T.J.'s monsters.
"Because I'm about to Synchro summon my favorite monster, the Junk Warrior!" The Junk Synchron lowered in front of the Germ, before both sunk into the while of white, this was certainly getting a lot of attention from the people in the stands. The wall shattered into hundreds of small shards, and T.J.'s other two monsters were gone, replaced by a tall humanoid warrior who was covered blue armor, it donned bladed feet and a long scarf dangling behind it. As it revealed itself, it punched the air in front of it, seemingly for nothing more than to show off.
"So what? It still only has twenty-three hundred attack points, your Warrior is still weaker than my Saturn." A valid point made by the teacher, the Agent of Judgment had 2400 attack points, 100 more than the Junk Warrior.
"Yeah, but because of his effect, he gains attack equal to the combined points of all level two or lower monsters on my side of the field!" Orbs of energy began to flow out of the germs and into the blue warrior, raising it's attack points to...
"But that's..." The teacher only knew so much about the newly released synchro monsters, she taught duel mechanics, she knew how they were summoned, but not what their effects were.
"Forty-three hundred! But I'm not done yet, I equip him with Axe of Despair, giving him an extra thousand attack points! " As T.J. slid the spell card into his dueldisk, an axe materialized into the Junk Warrior's hand. But T.J. was still not done with powering his monster up.
"But wait, there's more! I'll also equip him United we stand! Now he gains eight hundred attack points for each monster I control!" More energy poured from the Germs and into the Junk Warrior, raising it's attack to 7700.
"Junk Warrior, let's make this angel fall, Attack!" The Junk Warrior pitched its arm back as it charged forward, ready to slice the monster to ribbons, when a shining transparent wall materialized in front of it.
"You shouldn't have gotten so sure of yourself, and you definitely shouldn't have put your best chip up right off that bat. I ACTIVATE MIRROR FORCE!" The Junk Warrior was charging right toward it, not stopping it's assault, if it made contact with the wall, it would destroy itself. But T.J. was not about to let that happen.
"I was prepared for something like that, and that's why I set this trap card, Dark Bribe!" The Junk Warrior stopped in it's tracks just short of the wall as the hologram of a short balding man appeared next to the teacher, pulling a card from her dueldisk and adding it to her hand.
"It let's you draw one card, but your trap is negated!" The man then pulled the trap card from the dueldisk, sliding into the graveyard before taking a bow, and fading away.
"And with my Warrior's attack no longer blocked, it's time to finish this!" The Junk Warrior raised it's arm again, this time nothing stood in it's way. As the axe made contact with the Agent of Judgment, it exploded like it was nothing but glass. The life point counter on the teacher's dueldisk swiftly clocked down to 0, leaving T.J. the winner of the duel. The teacher smiled. T.J. was every bit the duelist as her old classmate and friend had been.
"Hm. You're good kid. Your dad would be proud." She mumbled under her breath. Happy to see him do so well. He'd probably make it into yellow for this duel if he was lucky. She walked over to the table next to where they had entered, writing down T.J.'s name on the list of people who had also passed their exam.
"You won the duel, now just go back to the stands, exams will end in a few hours, you'll know if you're going to duel academy." She added as she put the clip board back on the table. T.J. was nothing but happy to oblige. He couldn't believe his first duel had gone so well. It was a shame he couldn't use the Ice Master he had been given, but he won his duel and that was enough. As he climbed the stairs on the stands he had gotten a few envious looks, not everyone did, but enough people gave him that look for him to be satisfied. It was nice to have won. With a duel like that as his first impression, he might even stand a chance of becoming the king of games one day.
The Entrance Exams part 2 (Ran)
Ran doesn't do author's notes like I do, so mine is right here to tell you that, and this will be the only one you see for him, unless he changes his mind about that.
Ran: The red-haired duelist cantered up the stairs that led to the exam field. His cat-green eyes glimmering with promise, he knew quite well that he'd be able to destroy whomever he was supposed to duel. Especially with the one card he found lying on the ground when he visited Domino City. He looked around for the owner, but he couldn't find the person. So Ran had just decided to keep it himself and add it to his deck. All he wore was a simple pair of slightly torn blue-jeans with leg hemlines that fell over the tongue of his dark boots, and a black blazer that hid a dark blue shirt. Simple, yet effective.
"Alright entrant 78, show me what you got." The proctor called, the guys modernized duel disk activating as the hologens activated a basic dueling field. "Get ready."
Ran simply grinned, taking his spot at the opposite side of the now-engaged field. His own dueldisk, one that came from the battle city era engaged. The number "8000" appearing on the digital screen. Both he and the proctor drew five cards, and since he was to go first.. He drew one card. Not bad.. Celtic Guardian, Negate Attack , Dian Keto the Cure Master, Solemn Wishes and the Summoned Skull.
"Alright.. I play Dian Keto The Cure Master, rising my life-points to nine thousand. I set one card face down and summon the mighty Celtic Guardian in face-up attack position!" He called out, the mighty warrior elf rising from its spot and standing proudly. The crowd around them cheered, it had been such a long time since they had seen any card from the King of Games era. "That will end my turn, not bad at all, eh?"
"No, not bad at all." He chuckled, drawing one card from the deck. "Now, let me show you how a real duelist starts off! I activate the spell card Brain Control! By paying 800 life points I can take control of one monster on your side of the field and add it to my own." He grinned, watching the almighty Celtic Guardian fade from his side and appear on his opponents. "I also play the spell card red medicine to raise my life points back to 7800. One more thing, I play the field effect card Gaia Power!" He yelled, slapping the spell into its respectful home. A massive tree sprouting behind his proctor, powering up the Celtic Guardian to 1900 attack. "Now! Attack!"
The mighty Celtic Guardian narrowed its eyes, slightly unsure about attacking its master. But after a few seconds, it raised its hefty sword and charged right towards him! It gripped the sword tightly with both hands and brought it down in a massive slash for his masters chest in a mighty horizontal sweep!
"Not so fast! I activate the trap card Negate Attack!" He yelled, a large whirlwind like thing lifting from the card to push the warrior back and away. Preserving his life points for the mean time. "Because of Negate Attacks effect, it automatically ends your battle phase!"
"Not bad, not bad at all. Your Celtic Guardian is now yours again."
Yes! Things were going good for him, now he just had to keep this up. "I play the spell card Graceful Charity!" He called, drawing three cards and adding them to his hands. Followed by discarding two he really didn't need. "Now, I'm sorry Celtic Guardian but.. I sacrifice you to summon the beautiful Dark Magician Girl!" He called out, the crowd went absolutely nuts as the powerful magician stepped forward. Turning and winking towards the boys in the crowd who miraciously had hearts sprouting from their head.
"Now! Dark Magician Girl, attack his life points directly!" She made a noise and held her staff out, generating a mighty blast to slam it directly into the proctors chest. Draining his lifepoints to 5700. At that point, the crowd was going absolutely crazy. The duel was now in his control. "I play the trap card Solemn Wishes!"
"Hmm.." The proctor mused, drawing one card before a rather evil smile grew across his lips. "I activate the spell card Fissure, allowing me to destroy the monster with the lowest attack on your side of the field!" Oh no! Not his Dark Magician Girl! he grudgingly send the card from his hand right to his graveyard, the crowd was now booing the proctor for destroying such a beautiful card.
"Now for that pesky trap card, Dust tornado!" He slapped the trap down, a mighty tornado rose from the card to destroy the trap. Sending it right to the graveyard. "I end my turn."
Alright Ran, calm down.. You can still win this, it was only one card. A powerful one, but something you can handle. "I place one monster face down on the field, and two face downs to end my turn. " Was all he said, his voice now lacking the clear ambition he had earlier.
"Come on out, Warrior of Zera!" He called, the mighty warrior rising from its card to stare daggers right into Ran. He knew that it was coming for him, but its attack points were lower than his face down.. but not like it mattered.
"I don't think so! Go, Trap Hole!" He called, the ground under Zera split open and he plummeted into the depths. Completely destroying him.
"Lucky for me, I play the spell card premature burial. By paying 800 life points I can bring one monster back from my graveyard. Come on back, Zera!" The monster grinned as it returned to the field, staring down Ran once more. "Now, attack his facedown!" The Monster lunged forward with its sword, making a large sweeping attack towards the monster.
"No! I play the trap card Magic Cylinder, redirecting all damage right back to you!" Ran shouted hopefully, watching his life-points deplete to 3300.
"That was a good move. You chained those two traps to work perfectly for a back up, didn't you?"
"Yes, I knew you'd bring back Zera as soon as I tried to get rid of him. A basic duelist knows not to let his monsters get destroyed without a backup if its possible."
"Very good." He chuckled, drawing a card before grinning again. "I summon Dark Blade in attack mode! Two monsters against your facedown, be prepared to lose some life points" He called, sending Dark Blade to attack the face down.
"I think that statement should be directed towards you, my face down was Legendary Six Samurai - Kageki! His defense is stronger than both your monsters attack! Rendering you unable to attack him!"
"Hmm.." He hummed again, watching his lifepoints fall to 3100. "I end my turn."
He drew again, a large smile growing across his youthful features. "I sacrifice my Kageki to summon SUMMONED SKULL!" He called, the crowd actually staring at the mighty beast as it rose from its card. Lightning crackling around it, staring at the two warriors with a cold, apathetic stare. "Now! Attack his Dark Blade! Electrical Dark Surge!" He called, watching electricity roll from the skull to shatter the Dark Blade. "Haha!" He cheered, watching his lifepoints fall now to 2600. Two more turns.. this duel was his!
"All I can do here is switch my Zera to defense mode and set one card face down. And that's it." He grunted, not happy about losing.
He drew one card, looking to his hand.. "I summon Darkfire Soldier #2 in attack position! Now, Summoned Skull, attack that Zera!" He called, watching Zera get shattered against the powerful might that is the Summoned Skull. "I'm not going to attack with him just yet, so I end my turn." In truth, he was really just cautious about that facedown.
"I activate the trap card, Compulsory Evacuation Device, allowing me to send one card from the field to your hand. I choose Summoned Skull." He stated bluntly, knocking the powerful creature from the field right back to Ran's hand. He then set one card face down.. but not like it mattered.
"Those test decks are certainly full of surprises, aren't they? Well, all I can do here is sacrifice my Dark Fire Soldier to bring back Summoned Skull!" He cheered, watching the mighty fiend rise again. "Attack!"
"You'd think that, but no. I activate Magic Cylinder! You take the damage!" Ran's life points fell from 8000 to 5500.
".. Ouch." Ran stammered, that was a real hit to his life points. But no matter, two more turns and it was his..
"I end my turn." He leaned back, waiting for Ran's next turn.
"All I can do here is summon the mighty Mammoth Graveyard!" He called out, watching the massive mammoth rise from its card. Shaking its head about and staring right towards the proctor. "Attack, Mammoth graveyard!" It let out a loud snort and charged, sending its massive tusks right into the Proctors chest. Taking 1200 points of damage. "Now! Skull, finish it off with Black Lightning!" He called, watching a massive black ball of lightning slam into him. Removing what was left of his lifepoints!
"Congratulations, welcome to Duel Academy." A few seconds of silence before the entire arena went up into a massive uproar of applause. They had witnessed a great duel! And the victor was coming to the academy. He waved to the audience and stepped down off the platform, he did it, he won! He was going to fulfill his dream! Wait till his mother and father heard, they'd be ecstatic! There was one female who did catch his eye, though. She had long, flowing brown hair and a type of bright, burning blue eye that seemed to stare right through to his soul. Her face was not smiling like the rest of them was, it was rather arrogant, seemingly smug. What was this woman's problem? She seemed incredibly.. what was the word.. familiar. Was she a TV star? Huh, oh well.
He walked towards the exit, all eyes were on him. He needed food now, he used up all his energy worrying that he might lose. He wondered who else he might find there..
For those fans of my Zoids story who are reading this, don't worry, I'm going to get on it as soon as this is posted. I promise. Also once again yes, his character's name is Ran, same name as the one from the Zoid story. You're probably going to see that in our collaborative stories. On one more note, the waits between chapters for this story won't be nearly as long as my other stories, since this is being co-written by two people, both Ran and I have someone breathing down our neck to get eachother's halves of the chapter done. THANKS FOR READING, and let us know what you think!