Chapter 2- The Fortune Cup
After riding in the sunset for several hours, our heroes finally found themselves at Goodwin Stadium. They quickly realized, however that they were not alone. They quickly saw a short stubby looking man approaching them at the gates.
"Good, so four of our eight duelists are here already. Now we just need the other four and we can get underway." said the man.
"Excuse me, my good sir, but who are you?" asked Joshua.
"Oh yes, terribly sorry, I am Lazar, aide to Director Goodwin and your go-to guy for the duration of the tournament. Luna, Joshua, and Yusei, you three need to follow me, and your friend can wait for you in the stands." said Lazar, and Joshua, Luna, and Yusei complied.
"Welcome, lady and gentlemen, to my office, please, have a seat." said the Director when the group got to his office.
"Yes, Director." the three said and sat down.
"So, you must be Joshua, Yusei, and Luna, then, am I right?" asked the Director.
"We are, and you would be?" Joshua politely inquired of the Director.
"Ah, yes, so sorry. I am…." Director Goodwin started only to be cut off by Yusei shouting angrily, "DIRECTOR GOODWIN!!!! WHAT DID YOU DO TO MY FRIENDS FROM THE SATELLITE?" Joshua and "Luna" exchanged looks, though Luna remembered something just then.
"Yusei did read something on the back of the letter he got from Director Goodwin that got him really upset, so I'm guessing that this was it." Luna said. "Yes, Luna, you are correct, I did read that Director Goodwin and his creepo henchman Lazar had kidnapped my friends and used them as bargaining chips to force me to duel in the tournament. He said if I didn't he'd hurt them or much worse." said Yusei, and Joshua then understood exactly what Goodwin was planning to do. Jack then walked into the office.
"Director, you never told me you had guests." said Jack.
"Jack, no surprise seeing you here, I guess." said Yusei.
Luna and Joshua exchanged looks of surprise.
"So, you're THE Jack Atlas, then. I've heard a great deal about you. It's a pleasure to meet you. The name's Joshua." said Joshua as he shook Jack's hand, but only in a diplomatic and mildly friendly manner so as not to freak Jack out.
"Yes, it is always nice to meet a fan. So, I take it you're here to duel in the tournament, then?" asked Jack.
"Yep, I sure am." Joshua replied.
Just then, Lazar came into the office and said,
"Director, we have a problem. One of our duelists has gone missing!"
"WHAT?? Which duelist???" asked Goodwin.
"Commander Koda, sir. He vanished just a little bit ago. We are still unclear who did it, or why." said Officer Trudge, who had entered the room.
"Terribly sorry of me. My name is Officer Theodore Trudge, but most just call me Trudge." said Trudge when he turned and saw Luna, Joshua and Yusei. Yusei scowled slightly at Trudge, but shook his hand anyway.
"Well met, Mr. Trudge. My name is Joshua, and these two are Yusei and Luna." Joshua replied.
"Good to meet you, Joshua." Trudge replied.
Meanwhile, out in the stands……..
"Our first-round matches have been determined, and they are as follows:
Match 1: Yusei Fudo vs. Blister
Match 2: Joshua Prigmore vs. Grieger
Match 3: Akiza Yakamoto vs. The Professor
Match 4: Luna McCray vs. Sir Randsborg
Today's match is Yusei Fudo against Blister, with the winner advancing to the next round. That said, both duelists have fifteen minutes to get to the arena before they find themselves disqualified. That is all." came the voice of the Commentator from the stands.
Back in Goodwin's office, Yusei had heard the announcement, and was surprised to find out that he was up first for the tournament. "Oh, great, just what I needed, to be the first up for the tournament, but at least its an easy duel." Yusei groaned out loud.
"Sounds like a hard duel, then, Yusei." Luna replied.
"Yeah, but you're lucky, you get to duel last, Luna." said Yusei. Joshua scowled at him, then said,
"Step off, Yusei. Luna is NOT lucky. She will be if she wins her duel, because she has one of the hardest warrior duelists around as her opponent."
"How do you know that, Joshua?" Luna asked Joshua.
"Simple, really. Because I had to go up against him once before, and only narrowly walked away victorious. So DO NOT take Sir Randsborg lightly as he'll take your overconfidence and use it against you. Good luck out there." Joshua said, then, before he could talk himself out of it, he kissed her, then left the room, leaving everyone there to gape.
"Why did he just kiss HER? He could have gotten any girl he wanted, even the Black Rose, but he chose LUNA???? WTF?" shouted Lazar, Trudge, and Yusei all at once.
"Gentlemen, sometimes it is wisest not to meddle in matters of the heart, but simply to trust that the one whose heart it is will come out the better for their faith. And, I believe you have a duel to win, Mr. Fudo," Goodwin said sagely, nodding at Yusei as he finished to indicate that Yusei needed to get to his duel. He did just that, only making it to the Arena with under a minute to spare before disqualification, and Blister came in right behind Yusei.
"Ladies and gentlemen, now that our two duelists have shown up, let the match begin! A coin toss will be used to determine who goes first. Heads, the first move goes to Mr. Fudo, tails it goes to Blister. And it is……..HEADS!!!! Yusei gets the first move. So, ladies and gentlemen, without further ado, what say we get the first duel of this tournament underway?" shouted the commentator to the crowds. Yusei and Blister had the answer for that. They both looked right at each other and simultaneously exclaimed,
"LET'S DUEL!!!!"
Yusei Fudo LP:8000 Blister LP:8000
"I draw!" said Yusei as he drew a card.
Yusei's hand: Scrap-Iron Scarecrow, Junk Synchron, Turbo Warrior, Speed Warrior, Nitro Synchron
"From my hand, I place one card face-down and then I summon from my hand Turbo Warrior in Attack Mode!" said Yusei.
Turbo Warrior: ATK-1600, DEF-1700
With that, I end my turn. It's your move!" said Yusei.
"Gladly. I draw!" said Blister.
Blister's hand: Dark Blade, Sakaretsu Armor, Mystic Doll, Tune Warrior, Raigeki, Swords of Revealing Light.
"I place three cards face-down, and summon Dark Blade from my hand in Attack Mode.
Dark Blade: ATK-1800, DEF-1600
"It looks like my Dark Blade has more attack points than your Turbo Warrior, so its time to say goodbye, or it would be, were it not for your facedown card. So, I end my turn." said Blister.
"Okay then, I draw!" said Yusei.
Yusei's draw: Synchro Boost.
"Okay, now from my hand, I summon Junk Synchron in Attack Mode, and since he was Normal Summoned successfully, I get to summon Speed Warrior automatically, but he goes in Defense Mode." said Yusei.
Junk Synchron: ATK-1300, DEF-1200
Speed Warrior, ATK-900, DEF-800
"Now, I use Junk Synchron to give Speed Warrior a little tune-up! Now, Junk Warrior, let's rev it up!" said Yusei.
Junk Warrior: ATK- 2300, DEF- 2100
"On top of that, since my Turbo Warrior is a Level 2 monster, its attack points get added to those of Junk Warrior, and on top of that I activate the equip spell Synchro Boost, which ups Junk Warrior's attack by 500 points and increases its level by one!" said Yusei.
Junk Warrior
Level: 6 ATK-4400, DEF-2100
"With points like those, I can easily take out your Dark Blade, and do considerable damage, but to be sure, I activate the trap card Straight Flush, and since you have all of your Spell and Trap Card zones filled, those cards are all destroyed. Now, Junk Warrior, destroy Dark Blade with Junk Fist! Also, Turbo Warrior, direct attack on Blister now." said Yusei, as Dark Blade was destroyed and his life points took a hit.
Yusei Fudo: LP-8000, Blister: LP-3800
"With that, I end my turn." said Yusei.
"I draw!" said Blister.
Blister's Draw: Summoned Skull
"Aw, crap, I got nothing. I end my turn." said Blister, knowing he was defenseless and at Yusei's mercy.
" I draw!" said Yusei.
Yusei's Draw: Synchro Boost
"Well, Junk Warrior, finish him off. Direct Attack!" Yusei said as Junk Warrior flew forward and delivered the finishing blow to Blister.
Yusei Fudo: LP-8000, Blister: LP-0
"Ladies and gentlemen, we have a winner finally after our first match of the tournament, Yusei Fudo will be going on the second round, where he will take on the winner of the next match, which pits Joshua Prigmore against Grieger. We'll give our duelists a 15 minute recess, after which the next round will begin and both duelists will be expected to be in the arena. That is all." said the commentator.
Joshua then headed out to the arena, where he sensed someone behind him, and turned around only to find it was just Luna. She looked at him, and started shuffling nervously.
"I guess there's no easy way to say this, so I'll just say it. I love you, and good luck with your match." Luna said as she kissed him, then left the room. He then stopped to think. That's the third time since the tournament she's kissed me. Maybe we should pursue a relationship, but the question is, do I love her, or would I just be hurting her to try and be with her? Man, I wish life wasn't so complicated sometimes, Joshua thought to himself. He was stirred from his thoughts by the sound of a throat clearing behind him. He hurriedly got to his feet only to see an unfamiliar muscular man, who he figured was his opponent.
"Excuse me, but are you Grieger?" asked Joshua.
"I am, and are you Joshua Prigmore?" asked Grieger.
"Yes, I am, though in most circles I go by another name: the Dueling Fiend. Well met, Grieger. I look forward to our duel." Joshua said.
"YOU are the Dueling Fiend????" asked Grieger, and Joshua could tell that he'd struck a nerve in him.
"Uh, yes, I am. Why, do you have a problem with it?" Joshua inquired politely.
"No, it's just that where I come from, you're a living legend, as the only one to ever defeat Commander Koda, and not be profiled by him, as well as being the possessor of the incredibly rare Dark End Dragon, so it's like I'm meeting my childhood hero." Grieger replied.
"I know a lot of people look at me as a hero, and some a bandit, but really I'm just doing what's necessary to give to the poor and needy, and take from the rich and greedy, and no, I'm not some modern day Robin Hood, so if you were about to say that, I wouldn't." said Joshua, and the tone of his voice made it clear that he didn't want to be interrogated further on the subject, and that the first person to call him Robin Hood would meet a rather unpleasant fate.
"Anyhow, I couldn't help but notice how you and Luna seem to share some intimate moments when you think no one else is looking. Is there something going on between you?" asked Grieger.
"Man, I wish I knew. I mean, she kissed me, which is the third time she's done that since the tournament started, and then says that she loves me, but I don't know if I really do reciprocate her feelings, or if it would just hurt her if I was to pursue a relationship with her just now, and then I figure I should probably wait awhile so I can sort out my thoughts, but I don't know. Why do you ask?" Joshua replied to Grieger.
"All I can say is this: just trust your heart, and give her a chance, but wait until after the tournament to pursue her, as to do otherwise would impede your ability to duel at peak form. But it's up to you. Anyway, so lots of luck with our match, and may the best man win." said Grieger.
"Yes, lots of luck to you too." replied Joshua.
The two duelists then headed to the arena.
"Ladies and gentlemen, it's time for the second match to begin. Now, let's meet our duelists. In the left corner, we have the tower of power, Grieger! In the right corner, we have a mysterious young man who we don't know much about, but rumors are afloat of a connection between him and a duelist who goes by the moniker Dueling Fiend, it's Joshua Prigmore!" called the announcer.
"And now we use Monster Cut to decide who goes first. For those of you who don't know what that means, each duelist has to pick up their deck and the first monster each player picks up is shown to the opponent, and the one with the higher ATK monster gets to decide who goes first. And Grieger picked a 1900 ATK point monster, Spell Reactor RE, ooh but Joshua also picked a 1900 ATK monster, Trap Eater! But Grieger picked a stronger monster, this second time, as he got his 2400 ATK point monster Flying Fortress Sky Fire, but Joshua beats him with his 2500 ATK monster, Summoned Skull. So Joshua gets to decide who goes first. Joshua studied his hand carefully before coming to a decision.
"Grieger, you may have the first move." Joshua said.
Joshua Prigmore: LP-4000, Grieger: LP-4000
"Okay then, LET'S DUEL!!!!" Joshua and Grieger exclaimed simultaneously, as both duelists gathered their hands.
"First move's mine." said Grieger as he drew a card.
Grieger's hand: Summon Reactor-SK, Trap Reactor Wi-Fi, Spell Reactor RE, Gearfried the Iron Knight, Reload, Jar of Greed
"From my hand, I place two cards facedown, then I also summon Trap Reactor Wi-Fi, in Attack Mode!" said Grieger.
Trap Reactor Wi-Fi: ATK-1700, DEF-1600 Effect: Deals 800 points of Direct Damage to an opponent when a Trap Card is activated. This effect can only be used once per turn.
"With that, I end my turn!" said Grieger.
"My move!" said Joshua.
Joshua's hand: Trap Eater, Ryu-Kishin Powered, Axe Of Despair, Bark of Dark Ruler, Sakaretsu Armor, Dark Blade
"Okay, I place two cards face down, then I summon Trap Eater in Attack Mode!" said Joshua.
Trap Eater: ATK-1900, DEF-1600
Effect: This card is unaffected by Trap Cards. Also, whenever a Trap Card is activated that would target a Fiend or Warrior-Type Monster Card on your side of the field, discard a card from your hand to negate the activation of the Trap Card and destroy it. Treated as a Spell Speed 3 Effect.
"Okay, Trap Eater, attack! Destroy Trap Reactor, with Snapping Jaw!" called Joshua as Trap Eater destroyed Trap Reactor.
Joshua: LP-4000 Grieger: LP-3800
"Okay, with that, I end my turn." said Joshua as Grieger struggled to get to his feet after taking the attack that he did.
"Okay, my move. I draw!" said Grieger.
Grieger's Draw: Straight Flush
"From my hand, I summon Spell Reactor RE in Attack Mode!" said Grieger.
Spell Reactor RE: ATK-1400 DEF-1900
Effect: Once per turn, inflict 800 points of Direct Damage to your opponent whenever a Spell Card on their side of the field is activated.
"Now, from my hand I place a card facedown and end my turn." said Grieger.
"My draw!" said Joshua.
Joshua's Draw: Bloodlust Warrior
"Awesome. Now from my hand, I summon my Bloodlust Warrior in attack mode!" Joshua said.
Bloodlust Warrior: ATK-2400, DEF-2300, Level 4
"Perfect. Now from my hand, I attach Bloodlust Warrior with Axe of Despair, and then activate his hidden ability. When I equip it with an Equip Spell, his attack goes up an extra 300 points. Now, Trap Eater, take out Spell Reactor RE, then Bloodlust Warrior, end this duel with Bloodlust Carnage!" said Joshua as first Spell Reactor RE was destroyed, and Grieger's LP quickly followed.
Bloodlust Warrior: ATK-3700
Joshua: LP-4000 Grieger: LP-0
"Wow, folks, we have a winner. Joshua Prigmore will be going on to Round Two, where he'll have to square off with Yusei Fudo. Our match-ups for tomorrow are as follows: In match 1, We'll have Akiza Yakamoto squaring off with The Professor, whilst in Match 2, Luna will find herself pitted against the Knight Lord himself, Sir Randsborg. So that's it for today's duels, folks. Have a good night." said the commentator, as he stepped down from the stands. "Good job with that match out there, Joshua." said Luna as she approached him, and it was only then that he fully appreciated just how beautiful Luna really was. Damn, but have I been blind all this time to how gorgeous and attractive this girl is? And she's willing to be with me, of all people? Should I wait for the tournament to end before I pursue her? Joshua thought to himself.
"Joshua, are you okay? You seem awfully quiet." asked Luna in concern when he didn't answer her.
"Huh? Oh, sorry Luna, didn't see you there. I'm fine, just thinking about some things is all. And thank you for the compliment, and may I just say you're looking lovely today?" Joshua replied smoothly. Luna blushed, then said,
"Do you really think so?"
"Of course I do, I wouldn't be saying that you were beautiful if I didn't think so, now would I?" Joshua said as he kissed her, then left, calling over his shoulder as an afterthought,
"Good luck in your match tomorrow, Luna."
Next: Akiza and Luna have some very hard matches, but only one of those two will win their match, but who will it be? Come back next time to find out.