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DUEL THREE
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Strong Will
Strong Resolve
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The world had certainly been a struggle for Nichole Belvins, even though she had, up to now, spent only nineteen years in it. As far as the Shadowchasers went, she had been Dugan's apprentice, but her struggles against the dark side of Shadow had, like his, started before she had ever heard of them.
Nichole grew up in the inner city of Chicago, on the South Side. Her father was a deadbeat who left her, her older brother and her mother when she was two. That left her brother Marc, ten years her elder, to look after them, something he swore he would always do.
And somehow, he managed to do it. He kept enough money coming in to pay the bills, put food on the table, and even found time to help Nichole with her homework. Still, he always told Nichole never to follow in his footsteps. It wasn't the best path. Often he told her this after coming home with black eyes and a fat lip.
Even if their mother suspected that the money Marc was earning came from crime, she didn't know how serious it was. Marc had joined a gang called the Blue Serpents, an incredibly violent group of young toughs. To give one example of how violent they were, when an initiate wanted to become an official member, the initiation ritual (which was the same for both genders, incidentally) was simply to survive inside a ring used by the gang for boxing and other fighting matches for five minutes – senior members tried their best to make sure it wasn't easy for them. The ritual was overseen by the gang's leader, a hulking muscleman named Sven. If he was in a good mood (which was rare) he made sure that there was only one senior member per initiate. If he was in a bad mood, he might have made it so they were outnumbered as much as three to one.
Sven bore especial remark. He was not only big, he was hulking. He stood six-foot-ten, and had a chest that measured four feet across. The only thing he was prouder of than his muscles was his natural red hair, which he never got tired of combing. He was an excellent duelist too, playing a Monarch Deck that was much better put-together than Scully's. He even had a copy of the incredibly rare Delg the Dark Monarch, although he had once said that his favorite was Thestalos.
Plus, he was no idiot. That was why the Trap Cards Mask of Restrict and Pulling the Rug were strictly forbidden among members of the gang. Who would own them for any reason other than defeating his deck? (At least that was his reasoning.) He'd hold surprise inspections of belongings at inopportune times, and anyone caught with one of them would be brutally punished.
Only the top members of the Blue Serpents knew that they were really working for Madison Vance, the biggest mobster in Chicago at the time. A crime boss with power on the same level as folks like Cattivo Fanciullo and Louis DaPen, he dealt in drug dealing, protection, loan sharking, illegal gambling, smuggling... There were even rumors of white slavery floating about. The head members of the Serpents thought that the gang was supposed to be Vance's eyes and ears on the street.
But only Sven himself knew the true purpose of the gang. When it became certain that the police were going to bust one of Vance's operations, evidence would be manipulated and planted so that a member of the Serpents would be set up as the fall guy and fingered as the one who directed the scheme, leaving Vance and his lieutenants unsuspected.
And when a protection racket went too far and a store owner ended up murdered because of it, that's exactly what happened to Marc. Nichole was twelve at the time.
It might have ended after he went to prison, if not for Sven's gall. He paid Nichole and her mother a visit, saying he was sorry about what happened to Marc, and mentioned to Nichole that the Serpents' door would always be open if she wanted to come.
Whether he was truly sorry or not, it was impossible to tell; Nichole knew Marc had been set up, and blamed Sven for it, but in fairness, she had no idea who had made the choice. But seeing Sven opened Nichole's eyes... It awakened the latent Aware inside her. Sven was not fully human. His coal-black skin was a dead giveaway, and his yellow teeth were clearly not the result of poor dental hygiene. He also had an odd smell about him, kind of like that of a cooling charcoal kiln.
Nichole would later learn that Sven was a half-giant, one of the rarest types of Shadow-Touched. Giants don't mate with humans often, due to the size difference (even hill giants, the smallest variety of true giants, averaged about eighteen feet tall as adults), but sometimes a teenage giant might not have had all of his or her growth spurts yet, and might take fancy to a human servant (or slave). In any case, Sven's father was a fire giant, one of a race of giants known for being violent, militaristic, and unlike giants with similar attitudes, quite clever.
As Nichole grew older, she put her sight to good use. She joined up with St. Cuthbert's House, a charity organization named after a Shadowkind deity devoted to retribution and punishing lawbreakers. When not running soup kitchens and holding clothing drives, St. Cuthbert's House took an active role in keeping thugs like the Serpents from corrupting the youth of the inner city – often more of an active role than the law would like, but it got the job done.
Most Mundanes assumed that whoever founded St. Cuthbert's House named it after Saint Cuthbert of Lindisfarne, one of the most important medieval saints. It made sense; Cuthbert was known for his generosity to the poor, as most charity organizations were. In truth, the organization was named after a completely different person, not a messenger of divine powers, like the one Mundanes knew about, but a divine power in his own right.
This St. Cuthbert was an odd deity to say the least. Some Shadows – including his followers – believed that he had once been a mortal man, but if that were true, it was many ages ago, from a civilization long extinct and forgotten. He was more concerned with defending the concept of Law than with the ongoing struggle between Good and Evil, but because evil beings broke laws far more often than good ones did, he more often than not sided with the forces of Good.
While at St. Cuthbert's House, Nichole learned martial arts, swordplay, wrestling, and naturally, Duel Monsters, all ways to survive in this day and age. It didn't attract a lot of boys, something that was on the mind of most girls her age (one of them said it would be hard to go out with a girl who was "more ripped than he was") but she was in no hurry to find the right person yet. Being strong – and strong-willed – was more important to her.
When Dugan came and invited her into the Shadowchasers, she couldn't say yes fast enough. She resolved then and there that the first Shadowkind crook she would take into custody would be Sven. It was easier than she thought, in fact. The Shadowchasers raided the Blue Serpents' headquarters, and Sven, like most bullies, turned out to be a coward when the odds were against him. Nichole even got a recorded confession from him regarding what had happened to her brother...
But for solid evidence, the big fight remained: Taking down Vance. Their campaign to do so lasted a month, and revealed a big secret: Vance was an incredibly powerful Shadowkind related to evil dragons called a Bluespawn Godslayer. Believed to be created via the will of Tiamat herself, Tiamat's Spawn are supposed to act as warriors for Tiamat's cause, fighting the servants and vassals of her hated enemy, Bahamut. Bluespawn Godslayers were among the most powerful of them.
The problem was, some of the more intelligent Spawn often lost sight of their purpose, becoming mercenaries whose loyalty could be bought. And a rare few, like Vance, took initiative on their own, becoming leaders in their own right. Nonetheless, after the month-long fight, Vance fell, and did not rise.
Vance was tried in the Shadowchasers court, but his lieutenants were tried by the regular system, and many formerly closed cases were reopened. Marc was still in prison now for several crimes he committed as a member of the Serpents, but with the most serious convictions overturned, he would be eligible for parole in a couple of months, rather than thirty years from now. His new lawyer, who worked for a firm that worked for St. Cuthbert's House, said his chances were excellent, and she was eagerly awaiting the day.
Nichole was still an active member of St. Cuthbert's House – you never truly leave such a place, after all. She had even helped orchestrate a small alliance between the Chicago Shadowchasers and the House, something that the leader of the Shadowchasers had been reluctant to do before, given the House's occasional vigilante activities. Nichole was nineteen now, still young, and she knew there was still plenty to accomplish...
...and if this tiefling, this "Mean Emcee", was causing trouble, she was going to handle it.
Right now, he was standing in front of the checkout lines of a supermarket, where the employees and the customers were cowering in fright. Like Nichole's contact had said, he was dressed like a stage magician – a formal black suit with a waistcoat and vest, a black cape with red lining, and a top hat. His tiefling nature would make him look even more sinister to an Aware viewer; he had devilishly pointed ears and grey skin.
"Now watch," he said, taking off his hat, "as I make all of this money... Disappear!"
He waved his hand, and the cash registers dinged, and then opened. A powerful suction drew the bills and coins out of them and into the hat, as the cashiers screamed and covered their heads.
"Thank you very much, ladies and gentlemen!" he said, replacing the hat on his head. "I wish I could stay for an encore, but I have another show to do down the street..."
He rushed out the door, laughing as he did...
Then he stopped short. Nichole was standing in front of him in the parking lot, and Ben was behind her.
"You know, pal," she said, "the magician thing has already been done. Ever hear of a guy named Pandora?"
"Yeah!" laughed the Mean Emcee. "And didn't he open a big box of trouble?
"Get it? Pandora? Box?"
"I get it!" said Nichole. "So what's it gonna be, pal?"
"Wait!" said the Mean Emcee, as he took his hat off again, "watch me pull a rabbit out of my hat!
"Nothing up my sleeve..."
Nichole became a little nervous as he did that. There was really nothing up his sleeve. Not even an arm.
He reached into the hat.
"Presto!"
He thrust his hand out, and in a shower of magical motes, a full-grown African lion appeared between him and Nichole.
It licked its lips when it saw her...
"Whoa..." said the Mean Emcee, replacing the hat. "Must've gotten the wrong hat...
"Bye-bye!"
He fled in the other direction as Nichole and Ben backed away from the hungry lion.
"If there's one thing I hate worse than a wise guy," said Nichole, nervously, "it's one who makes a mockery of the classics..."
"What are you gonna do?" asked Ben.
Nichole opened a pouch on her belt, and took out a three capsules.
"I usually use these for bestial Shadowkind," she said, "but they work just as well on ordinary animals."
She tossed them at the beast, and they landed under its chin. As they did, three sprays of green gas shot into its face.
The lion slumped to the ground, in a deep sleep.
"Come on!" shouted Nichole. "It'll be out for hours."
As she and Ben rushed after the Mean Emcee, Nichole hit the speed dial of her cell phone.
"Dugan?" she said. "Call animal control. There's a lion asleep in front of the Big Y on Clark.
"I know, long story... I'll explain later."
"I think I see him!" yelled Ben.
He did, down the road. The Mean Emcee had reached an underground parking garage, and deftly leapt over the bar blocking the entrance. Still giggling, he ran inside, where several cars were parked.
"I'll just wait in here until the coast is clear..." he said to himself.
Then he heard a growl.
He looked around. Then he realized it was his stomach.
He frowned. He took off his hat and looked in it.
"Now where's that lunch I packed?" he mused.
He took a watch out of his waistcoat pocket and looked at it.
"Five o'clock? Damn... I must have eaten it for lunch!"
He replaced the hat on his head, crossed his arms, and made a sulk.
"Note to self..." he said. "Next time you rob a grocery store, stop by the deli to get a sandwich."
"You want a sandwich, huh?" said Nichole's voice.
The Mean Emcee turned to see her and Ben approach.
"How about a knuckle sandwich? I don't know where you came from, friend, but I'm not amused."
"Why are you so upset?" laughed the Mean Emcee. "If it weren't for guys like me, you Shadowchasers would be out of a job!"
"This guy isn't jogging my memory at all," said Ben, "but if I did see him before, it must have been from a time when I had one of those days."
The Mean Emcee gestured, and a bouquet of flowers appeared in his hand.
"So, this is the part where you take me in for armed robbery, I suppose?" he asked.
The flowers turned into golden motes, and the motes surrounded his left arm. Then they turned into a Duel Disk.
"Well..." he said with a sinister smile. "Not without a fight..."
Nichole was more than a little nervous, even if she talked tough. This guy was a spellcaster of some sort... And she had no way to gauge just how powerful he was. Ben knew the same thing. He couldn't remember much, but something in the dark cloud that obscured his memory broke through, and told him to always be wary of wizards.
Nichole held up her Duel Disk.
"You're on!" she said.
The two Disks activated.
"Duel!" they both said.
(Nichole: 8,000) - - - - - - - - - - (Mean Emcee: 8,000)
The Mean Emcee chuckled, and made a draw.
"I Special Summon my Jester Confit," he said.
He played the card, and with a low, throaty chuckle, a jester appeared in front of him. It was short and squat, dressed in a purple suit, sleeves that had white and purple stripes, a mushroom-shaped hat with the same design, and a ruffled collar and cuffs. It was balancing on a ball. (0 ATK)
"That guy has no points..." said Nichole.
"Mmm, yes..." said the Mean Emcee. "I'll end my turn with three facedown cards..."
Three reversed cards appeared behind the Confit.
"...and then we'll see what you have..."
Nicole made her next draw.
"Oh, I have plenty!" she said. "Like Amazoness Swords Woman!"
In a flash of energy, a tall, woman with muscles just as developed as Nichole's appeared, dressed in a blue bikini and boots decorated with the claws and teeth of some predatory animal. She had wild, red hair and carried a large scimitar. (1,500 ATK)
"Whoa!" said the Mean Emcee. "She's hot!"
Swords Woman gave him a dirty look, and Nichole shook her head.
"Watch it," she said. "My Amazons don't have to take that kind of crap, and they aren't going to."
"Well then..." said the Mean Emcee, "if I want to put on a crowd-pleaser, I'd best pull out all the stops..."
One of his facedown cards lifted. Swords Woman gasped, and a cube of force formed around her.
"Hell Barricade!" laughed the Mean Emcee. "It prevents all Level 4 or lower Monsters from attacking this round."
Nichole frowned.
"Then I set one card," she said, as a reversed card appeared behind Swords Woman, "and end my turn."
"Then the second effect of Hell Barricade takes effect," said the Mean Emcee. "You take 500 points of damage for each Level 4 or lower Monster you have."
Nichole winced a little.
"Jester Confit's effect occurs at this point too," continued the tiefling. "It goes back to my hand, while your Monster goes back to yours."
Nichole stopped short as both Monsters vanished.
"That's... not good..." she said.
(N: 7,500) - - - - - - - - - - (ME: 8,000)
"My draw..." said the Mean Emcee.
He made a draw.
"And I play my Pot of Duality," he said as a Spell Card appeared. "I have to forfeit my ability to make a Special Summon this turn, but I get to reveal the top three cards from my deck, and then choose one."
Now Nichole was really shocked. Pot of Duality was a pretty rare card.
Three cards appeared in front of the Mean Emcee. They were Level Limit Area B, Dust Tornado, and Jester Lord.
"This one will do," he said.
Jester Lord vanished, and a card appeared in his hand.
"Now, I shuffle these two back to my deck..."
The other two cards vanished, and the Disk shuffled the deck.
"I set one more card, and then summon Jester Lord."
A set card appeared in his Spell Zone, and then a new jester materialized with a haunting laugh. Unlike the Confit, this one was tall and thin, dressed in orange and blue, with a green foolscap. (0 ATK)
"I know," said the Mean Emcee. "You're wondering why Jester Lord has no points either... Well, when he's the only Monster on the field, he gains 1,000 Attack Points for each Spell and Trap Card on the field."
Jester Lord laughed again, and started juggling four flaming balls. (4,000 ATK)
"Ho boy..." said Ben.
"Are you enjoying my show?" asked the Mean Emcee.
Nichole's only response was a scowl.
"Tough crowd," said the Mean Emcee. "Jester Lord... Attack!"
Jester Lord laughed again, and raised his arms, turning the four flaming balls into one huge fireball. He threw the projectile, and Nichole was thrown back ten feet as it hit her.
Nichole got up, her skin covered with scorch marks, but she looked far more angry than hurt. Ben looked on in disbelief. This woman was just as tough as her Monsters.
"Here's an interesting bit of trivia," said the Mean Emcee. "Fear of clowns is called coulrophobia!"
"You know something?" said Nichole. "I don't find you funny at all...
"It's my move!"
(N: 3,500) - - - - - - - - - - (ME: 8,000)
She drew a card. She glanced at it, put it aside, and chose another one.
"I summon Amazoness Swords Woman again," she exclaimed.
Once again, the scimitar-wielding warrior woman appeared. (1,500 ATK)
"And now that your Jester Lord is not the only Monster on the field," she continued, "his score falls to zero."
The flaming balls that Jester Lord was juggling fell to the ground and vanished. He shrugged. (0 ATK)
"Maybe so," said the Mean Emcee, as another facedown card lifted, "but he'll quickly gain it back. I activate Imperial Register.
"This is a useful Trap Card, and I can use its effect once per turn... When one of my Monsters loses Attack Points due to a card effect, even his own effect, I can increase the Attack Points of one of my Monsters by the same amount until the End Phase.
"So... Jester Lord quickly regains the 4,000 Attack Points he lost."
Jester Lord cackled again, and started juggling the four balls again. (4,000 ATK)
"I suppose you don't know about Swords Woman's effect," said Nichole. "When she battles a Monster, all Battle Damage is taken by my opponent, not by me."
"Okay..." said the Mean Emcee. "That's a real pickle... But if you attack, my Jester Lord will still win the battle..."
Nichole grinned.
"Don't count on it..." she said.
She fit a card into her Disk.
"I play the Equip Spell, Amazoness Heirloom!"
Swords Woman's bikini top turned into an armored breastplate, and gauntlets appeared on her wrists.
"With this Equip Spell, when an Amazon attacks a stronger Monster, she survives. The Monster she attacks, however, isn't so lucky.
"Swords Woman, attack that Jester Lord! Pride of Themyscira!"
Swords Woman charged at the mad clown, and made a swipe with her blade. The Jester held his stomach, and then burst into swirls of dark energy.
"And, as promised," continued Nichole, "due to Swords Woman's effect, the Battle Damage is inflicted to you."
The Mean Emcee suddenly felt like he'd been socked in the gut. He held his stomach.
This isn't funny anymore, he thought.
"Not bad..." he growled, as another of his facedown cards flipped up, "but by doing that, you activated this, the Trap Card, Harlequinade!
"Its effect activates whenever a Monster with the word 'Jester' in its name is destroyed, giving me an extra draw... So long as there aren't any Monsters with the same name in my Graveyard at the time."
He drew a card.
(N: 3,500) - - - - - - - - - - (ME: 5,500)
"It's my move!" he said, drawing another card.
His last facedown card lifted up.
"Boy, this guy sure likes Continuous Traps," said Ben.
"Damn right!" snapped the Mean Emcee. "This is Imperial Custom, and it prevents all of my Continuous Traps from being destroyed except itself.
"Moving right along, seeing as this does indeed seem to be lady's night, let's welcome a special guest... I summon Jester Queen!"
In a dark aura, a feminine figure appeared. She was indeed a jester, but didn't look as "clownish" as the previous two, dressed in a frilled, purple leotard and green leggings, her green hair tied back in a ponytail with an oversized pink bow. (800 ATK)
"When I summon this gal," continued the Mean Emcee, "I have to destroy all my Spells and Traps. But thanks to Imperial Custom..."
Imperial Custom burst into shards.
"...it's the only one that's destroyed."
"So what is your Queen going to do?" asked Nichole.
"I'll get to that," said the Mean Emcee. "I play Secret Passage."
In a flash, a Continuous Spell Card appeared.
"I can use the effect of this Spell when my strongest Monster has a lower Attack Score than your weakest one. Since that's the case, one of my Monsters can attack directly."
"Go ahead!" said Nichole, with a grin. "I'm not scared of her!"
"You will be when I tell you about her effect," said the Mean Emcee. "She can attack more than once. In fact, she can attack once for each Spell and Trap I have."
"Three times?" exclaimed Ben.
"Nope," said the Mean Emcee.
He set a card in his Disk, and a set card appeared next to Secret Passage.
"Four."
Jester Queen casually lifted her hand, and a fireball appeared in it.
Okay, this may be a problem... thought Nichole.
Jester Queen threw the fireball, and Nichole grunted as it hit her in the torso. Then she followed up with three more fireballs, and Nicole held her stomach in pain.
(N: 300) - - - - - - - - - - (ME: 5,500)
"Isn't my Jester Queen fabulous?" asked the Mean Emcee. "Well, don't go away, folks, she'll be doing an encore next turn. For now, I'll turn the stage over to my opponent."
Nichole was breathing heavily.
She drew a card. She looked at it.
"Trap Card, activate!" laughed the Mean Emcee, as his set card flipped up. "Threatening Roar!
"Afraid you can't attack this turn."
Damn! thought Nichole. That Jester Queen will be able to attack three more times next turn... But if she attacks even one more time, it will be over...
She looked hard at the five cards in her hand. Then her eyes fell on one of them.
Heh... she thought, looking at the Warrior on the card. And to think I almost took this gal out of my deck...
"I summon Amazoness Blowpiper!" she exclaimed.
Another Amazon appeared, this one younger than Swords Woman. Her black hair was tied in a ponytail, and held back by a barrette made from an animal's jawbone. She wore a green bikini and breechcloth, fur boots with knee-guards made from the skulls of fanged animals, wore war paint on her face, and carried a blowpipe. (800 ATK)
"Eh?" said the Mean Emcee.
Oh, I see... thought Ben.
"I end my turn, buddy," said Nichole.
"Well then," said the Mean Emcee, as he drew a card, "time to bring this show to a close...
"Jester Queen... Attack..."
He stopped short.
"Hey, wait a second..."
"You realize why I summoned Blowpiper, right?" said Nichole, with a big grin. "Her Attack Score is equal to Jester Queen's.
"Since your strongest Monster isn't weaker than my weakest any more, you can't use the effect of Secret Passage!"
For the first time, the Mean Emcee looked angry.
"I'll teach you to upstage me!" he said.
"I'll set a Monster..."
A reversed Monster appeared in front of him. (It's obviously his Confit, thought Nichole.)
"Then I'll move Jester Queen into Defense Mode as well..." he continued.
Jester Queen knelt, and crossed her arms over her chest. (800 DEF)
"Then I'll play... Magic Planter."
He played his last card, and a Spell Card appeared. Vines sprouted from the ground, wrapped around Imperial Register, and pulled it into the ground.
"By sending a Continuous Trap to the Graveyard, I get to draw two cards."
He made two draws. He looked at them.
"I'll set one of them facedown, and end my turn."
A reversed card appeared where Imperial Register had been.
"My move!" shouted Nichole, as she made a draw.
"I summon Amazoness Fighter!"
With a battle cry, an Amazon appeared that was more muscular than the others, having the build of a female wrestler. Her bikini top and breechcloth were blue, connected by two leather belts that encircled her mid-section, her black hair was tied back in a ponytail, and cloth was wrapped around her wrists, below her wristbands. (1,500 ATK)
"Okay, now you're scaring me..." said the Mean Emcee.
"It's only gonna get worse," said Nichole. "Blowpiper, destroy that hidden Monster!"
Blowpiper put her weapon to her lips and aimed, revealing the portly clown on the card. She fired, and he shattered into pixels.
"Now, my Trap activates," said Nichole, as the facedown card she had set on her first turn lifted up.
"Queen's Pawn?" exclaimed the Emcee. "What does that do?"
"I can activate it when one of my Amazons slays one of your Monsters," said Nichole. "And summon another low-Level Amazon from my deck.
"You like big cats so much? Say hello... To Amazoness Tiger!"
There was a loud roar, and a large she-tiger bounded onto the field next to Swords Woman. It wore a bronze collar and bronze wristbands on its paws. (1,100 ATK)
The Tiger growled. Swords Woman bent down and lovingly pet her on the head.
"Amazoness Tiger just can't stand being alone," said Nichole, "because she gains 400 Attack Points for each Amazon I have."
(2,700 ATK)
"But I won't be using her just yet... Amazoness Fighter, destroy Jester Queen with fists of fury!"
Fighter leapt at the female clown, and gave her a mighty punch with her bare hands. Jester Queen was propelled backwards, and shattered into bits.
"Harlequinade's effect activates!" exclaimed the Mean Emcee, making a draw.
"You'd best hope it's a good card," said Nichole. "Swords Woman... Attack him directly!"
Swords Woman rushed at the thief, and slammed her sword into him. He shrieked.
"And then there's Tiger!" exclaimed Nichole. "Attack with Fanged Fury!"
Amazoness Tiger roared and pounced. The Mean Emcee screamed as the she-beast tackled him.
"Whoa, Nichole," said Ben. "I hope I never have to duel you... You know how to kick serious A."
Nichole looked at him, and smirked.
"To end my turn," she said, as she held up another Spell Card, "I'll play Supremacy Berry. Because my Life Points are lower than yours, I gain 2,000."
She glowed with golden energy.
(N: 2,300) - - - - - - - - - - (ME: 1,300)
The Mean Emcee got to his knees, breathing heavily.
This girl's material is pretty good... he thought. If I don't do something fast, it's gonna be curtains for me.
"It's your move, Mean Emcee," said Nichole. "And by the way... So long as my Tiger is on the field, you aren't allowed to attack any Amazon except her."
The Mean Emcee drew a card.
Then he started cackling again.
"I think he got a good draw..." said Ben.
"Indeed I did," said the Mean Emcee, "but before I use it, I'm going to play Emergency Provisions."
He played a card, and Secret Passage vanished. He glowed with golden energy.
"I hardly need that any more. Now... I'm going to summon the true star of my show...
"And because I have all three lesser Jesters in my Graveyard, there's nothing stopping me! Time to meet my most powerful Monster! Introducing... Chaos Jester!"
An ominous shadow appeared on his side of the field. Then the shadow gave way to an equally-ominous Monster. Its clothing looked similar to a jester's garb, but more form-fitting, and colored dark purple and orange, with a black heart over the left side of its chest. It also wore a blue full-face cowl with slits for eyes. It held a long scythe made of a silvery metal. (2,800 ATK)
"Chaos Jester?" said Nichole. "Wait... I've heard of this card... It was the rarest Secret Rare of the set that came out three sets ago! It was so scarce the promotional material didn't mention it. No-one even knew about it until someone actually pulled it!"
"True, it's not exactly common," said the Mean Emcee.
He looked at Nichole.
"Oh, I know what you're thinking… You're probably thinking, why on Earth is this duelist who can get such a rare and powerful card… Why this conjurer who can make full-grown African lions appear out of thin air… Why is he possibly wasting his talent robbing stores like a common thief?"
"Pretty much," said Nichole.
The Mean Emcee took a strange pendant that was around his neck, and lifted it to eye level. He looked at it.
"Let me ask you a question…" he said. "Why did the fireman wear red suspenders?"
"You're kidding, right?" asked Nichole. "To keep his pants up! That's an old joke!"
"True," replied the Mean Emcee. "But my dear Shadowchaser, it was once a new joke a long time ago. When it was a new joke, the reason it was funny was because the answer was so obvious. Why did the fireman wear red suspenders? The person being asked would think it was because of some odd reason, when the answer was the obvious one, the reason anyone wore suspenders. The answer being obvious made it funny."
He took a handkerchief out of his pocket and started to clean the pendant.
"What?" said Nichole. "Wait… Are you saying that the answer is right in front of my face and I should…
"Hey… What the heck is that thing?"
"This?" said the Mean Emcee, letting the pendant hang again. "Oh, it's nothing, pay it no heed.
"Now let's see, where were we…"
Chaos Jester lifted its scythe…
"Oh yes, that's right…"
It made a slash, and Amazoness Tiger roared before shattering into pixels. The other three Amazons looked in horror.
"And don't think you're gonna pull the same trick with your Swords Woman that let her destroy my Jester Lord," he continued.
He played the last card in his hand, and Mystical Space Typhoon blasted across the field. The Amazoness Heirloom card shattered, and Swords Woman's armor fell off.
"I end my turn..." said the Mean Emcee.
(N: 2,200) - - - - - - - - - - (ME: 2,300)
Okay, don't panic, Nichole... thought Nichole.
She made a draw.
"First, I use Blowpiper's effect," she said, "Which I can use during each of my Standby Phases…"
Blowpiper put her weapon to her lips, and fired a dart, hitting Chaos Jester in the shoulder. He grunted, and his Attack Score fell down to 2,300.
"Nice," said the Mean Emcee. "But your Amazons still won't be strong enough."
"Then I'll summon someone who will be," replied Nichole. "I sacrifice Blowpiper..."
Blowpiper turned into an orb of light.
"...for Amazoness Queen!"
Both Swords Woman and Fighter knelt, as a taller, more regal-looking Amazon strode onto the field. She was older than they were, and radiated an aura of authority. While she was still dressed in a bikini top and breechcloth, they were accented by woven designs, jewelry made from claws and teeth, and a scarlet cape. An eyepatch over her right eye was a testimony to the battles she had endured, and she carried a nasty-looking falchion with an elaborate hilt. (2,400 ATK)
"With my Queen on the field," said Nichole, "both she and all other Amazons are invincible in battle.
"And she'll deal with your Jester personally! Amazoness Queen, attack! Blade of Hippolyta!"
Amazoness Queen lifted her sword, and leapt at Chaos Jester...
But the Jester used the shaft of its scythe to parry the blow. It was pushed a step backwards, but was unharmed.
"What?" said Nichole.
Then she noticed that her opponent had activated another Trap Card.
"I activated Spirit Barrier," said the Mean Emcee. "Its effect keeps me from taking damage so long as I have at least one Monster on the field...
"And Chaos Jester isn't leaving, because he can't be destroyed by battle either so long as I have at least two Continuous Traps in play.
"But... While he benefits from me having two Continuous Traps, the same effect renders him immune to them. In fact, it renders him immune to ALL Trap Cards!"
Nichole looked at the field. She looked at the three cards left in her hand.
"I end my turn..." she said.
"That means your Blowpiper's poison wears off," laughed the Mean Emcee, as Chaos Jester's Attack Score rose to 2,800 again. "Now I'll draw…"
He drew one card. Then he quickly played it.
"I'm activating the Spell Card, Shrink," he said. "And it's gonna cut your Queen down to size."
Amazoness Queen gasped, and shrank to the size of a little girl. (1,200 ATK)
The Jester lifted its weapon.
"This won't destroy her..." said the Mean Emcee, "but you'll still take damage!"
Amazoness Queen grunted as the weapon hit her. She held her stomach, but stayed standing.
(N: 600) - - - - - - - - - - (ME: 2,300)
"Make your move..." said the Mean Emcee, as Amazoness Queen returned to her regular size.
Nichole paused before drawing.
There'd better be something to that old 'Heart of the Cards' thing that the King of Games was always talking about, she thought. I have a feeling that there's more to this whole thing than I thought half an hour ago.
She drew her next card.
Heh... Maybe there is...
"Come on out, Amazoness Sage!" she shouted.
There was an aura of magical energy, and another Amazon appeared, this one dressed in an outfit that appeared more ceremonial. Her black halter top and collar were accented by yellow feathers, her red breechcloth was held in place by a white sash and a belt made of teeth, and her hair was done up in a beehive-style hairdo, worn long in the back. She carried a simple wooden staff, topped with a crescent-shaped piece of wood, on which hung more feathers and three small bones. (1,400 ATK)
"Next, I play Amazoness Fighting Spirit!" she exclaimed, as a Continuous Spell Card appeared in front of her.
"With this card in play, an Amazon gains 1,000 Attack Points whenever she attacks a Monster that has more Attack Points than she does.
"All right! Amazoness Sage... Attack Chaos Jester!"
"Say what?" said the Mean Emcee.
The Sage lifted her staff above her head, and leapt at the masked Spellcaster, intent on smashing him in the head with it. The Amazoness Fighting Spirit card glowed, and her Attack Score shot up to 2,400.
Chaos Jester simply swatted her aside with a backhand, and she fell backwards on her behind.
(N: 200) - - - - - - - - - - (ME: 2,300)
"Well that was incredibly stupid!" laughed the Mean Emcee.
"Oh, really?" asked Nichole. "Want to know what Sage's effect is? When she makes an attack, successful or otherwise, I get to destroy one Spell or Trap Card."
"Huh?" said the Mean Emcee. "WAIT a minute!"
Amazoness Sage pointed her staff and shot a blast of energy from it, blowing Spirit Barrier to pieces.
"Now you only have one Continuous Trap Card," said Nichole, "so my Queen is coming in for a second try, and this time, I don't think your Jester is going to be able to withstand it!"
Amazoness Queen lifted her sword, and charged at the evil clown. Her Attack Score rose to 3,400, and with one mighty blow, the Spellcaster was cleaved in half. The two pieces dissolved into dark mist.
"Fighter, Swords Woman..." said Nichole. "He's yours..."
The two Amazons rushed at the Mean Emcee.
"No, no wait..." he said.
Then he screamed as Swords Woman's scimitar and Fighter's foot slammed into him. He fell over.
(N: 200) - - - - - - - - - - (ME: 0)
Nichole and Ben looked at the fallen tiefling. He seemed to be out.
"One more crook off the streets," sighed Nichole.
"I just wish that he could have jogged my memory," said Ben. "I haven't got the faintest idea why I was able to guess what his name was... It was like it just... Popped in there... And..."
Then the Mean Emcee sat up. He started laughing.
"What's so funny?" asked Nichole, annoyed.
He didn't answer. He just kept laughing, harder and harder. Sweat poured down his brow.
"Something's wrong with him!" shouted Ben.
"Are you okay?" shouted Nichole.
Then she noticed something. The amulet around his neck was glowing.
Nichole grabbed it, and with one swift tug, tore it free from him. She threw it on the ground, and it stopped glowing.
The Mean Emcee's insane cackling calmed down to a quiet chuckle. He lay down, his eyes still open, still laughing softly.
Nichole snapped her fingers in front of his face. Then she did it again.
"Something terrible happened to him..." she said. "He may have thought this whole thing was a joke… But someone else certainly didn't think it was very funny…"
Ben and Nichole turned to the amulet...
For the first time, she got a good look at it. It was a strange symbol... A black, angular, inverted, two-step pyramid, made out of some sort of crystal, the color of a bruise.
"What is it?" asked Ben.
Nichole looked hard at the weird piece of jewelry.
"I haven't the foggiest idea..." she whispered.
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
HELL BARICADE (Trap Card)
Normal Trap
Image: A barbed wire fence in the desert, surrounded by robotic drones.
Card Description: Activate when your opponent Normal Summons a Monster. Level 4 or lower Monsters cannot declare an attack this turn. At the End Phase of the turn, your opponent takes 500 points of damage for each face-up Level 4 or lower Monster he controls.
Note: "Hell Barricade" was first used by Ushio in the Yu-Gi-Oh 5D's episode "Driving Test". Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode.
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
JESTER QUEEN (Monster Card)
Card Specs
Type: Spellcaster/Effect
Attribute: Dark
Level: 2
ATK: 800
DEF: 800
Card Description: When this card is Summoned, destroy all Spell and Trap Cards you control. This card can attack once for each Spell and Trap Card that you control.
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
IMPERIAL REGISTER (Trap Card)
Continuous Trap
Image: The king from "Imperial Order" holding a book and issuing a command to a man in front of him.
Card Description: Once per turn, when a Monster you control loses Attack Points due to a card effect, you can increase the ATK of a Monster you control by an amount equal to the amount that the Monster lost until the End Phase of the turn.
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
SECRET PASSAGE (Spell Card)
Continuous Spell
Image: Dark Scorpion Chick the Yellow standing in front of staircase in a dungeon corridor going down that had been hidden by a trap door.
Card Description: Once per turn, if the face-up Monster you control with the highest ATK has a lower ATK than the face-up Monster your opponent controls with the lowest ATK, 1 Monster you control may attack directly.
Note: The preceding three cards were first used by Jeager in the "Yu-Gi-Oh 5D's" Episode 114.
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
CHAOS JESTER (Monster Card)
Card Specs
Type: Spellcaster/Effect
Attribute: Dark
Level: 8
ATK: 2,800
DEF: 800
Card Description: This card cannot be Normal Summoned or set. This card cannot be Special Summoned except from your hand when you have at least 1 "Jester Confit", 1 "Jester Lord", and 1 "Jester Queen" in your Graveyard. If you control 2 or more face-up Continuous Trap Cards, this card cannot be destroyed by battle and is not affected by Trap Cards. If your Graveyard does not contain at least 1 "Jester Confit", 1 "Jester Lord", and 1 "Jester Queen", destroy this card.
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
HARLEQUINADE (Trap Card)
Continuous Trap
Image: A sad-looking man dressed in the garb of a jester from French-style drama, in the act of singing.
Card Description: When a face-up "Jester" Monster you control is destroyed and a card with the same name is not in your Graveyard, you may draw 1 card.
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Next:
Ben: I've only heard mention of Karl, the last member of Dugan's team, and the other Shadowchaser he trained. Where has he been all day? Well he was – and still is – on a stakeout, at a place where he believes Shadowkind with ties to international organized crime will show up soon.
They are, but not in the way he expected. He's about to meet up with someone who probably wouldn't have had to duel... But wants to, because he wants something that only a Shadowchaser might be able to provide. And he offers as a wager something that Karl can't risk turning down.
"Cold Hands; Heated Determination" is coming soon…
