Viper has set another trap for the heroes and this one seems to be working. What actions have to be taken?

Read on to find out…


Chapter 11- Her Stand

"Make the choice."

Alexis stared helplessly from the phaser to Jaden to the flash drive in her hand. Months of K.C.I.I. training set out by Seto Kaiba himself attacked her, forcing her to remember the wealth of the information was too dangerous if given to the wrong people. If that ever happened, all the vulnerabilities they found in every dimension the Project had explored would be exposed. By that alone, she shouldn't hand it over.

But her heart was screaming, bringing tears to her eyes. Jaden, the boy, no not anymore, the man she loved would be killed if she didn't.

"Jesse, Zane. Come here."

The two men she asked for glanced unknowingly at each other but they both slowly walked toward her.

"Don't do anything stupid," Chumley warned them.

"We're not. We're getting Jaden out of harm's way," Alexis retorted. "Once I give you the drive."

"Lex, no!" Jesse exclaimed, stopping in his tracks.

"Shut up, Jesse. You'd be doing this if it was Blair lying there."

"That's different."

"No it's not."

"Zane, tell her."

The doctor turned to him with an emotionless glare on his face. "News for you, Jesse. I'm in love with Yubel. So I'm going with Alexis on this."

Jesse's eyes went so wide he was surprised they didn't pop out of his skull. Zane in love with…with…

Oh, never mind, he thought and he moved forward again.

He and Zane reached Alexis' side. She held the hand with the flash drive out. Syrus approached her. He took the drive. Chumley brought the phaser away from Jaden and stood back and pointed it at them. Syrus walked back to him.

Zane and Jesse lifted Jaden up off the floor together and, throwing his arms over their shoulders, supported his limp form back to the treeline. Alexis' eyes stayed on Chumley and Syrus, the acorn brown of her irises filled with betrayal. Their faces stared back, empty of any feeling. She looked back and followed the others.

Blair and Dark Magician Girl helped Zane and Jesse with Jaden, carefully prising him from their arms and putting him gently back down on the ground. Zane knelt and checked him for his pulse.

"He's fine."

Yubel, are you there?

She didn't answer him; she had been affected by the blow as well.

"He'll be out for a bit."

Alexis sighed with relief.

"Master, we have the device," they heard Syrus speak. "Do you have the co-ordinates?"

"Of course. Place it on the ground in front of you and step away. Once you have done that, give the communicator to Chumley."

They turned to see him do as he was told. Watching him follow Viper's orders painfully hurt Zane and Dark Magician Girl. Alexis, Jesse and Blair saw it as unimaginable treachery.

Syrus moved away from the device back to Chumley and put Jaden's communicator in his free hand. Chumley brought it up to his mouth.

"Ready for you, sir."

:*:

Viper let the insectoid relax in his hand. Now that Syrus and Chumley had the communicator, he had no need to transmit mental messages. Only control was required.

"Excellent. Stand by."

He gestured to one of his monsters. The monster nodded and pushed a sequence of buttons at its control station. He punched in the communications button on his chair arm.

"Transporter room, prepare to receive a small device on the transmat. Make sure not to damage it."

"Yes, Master."

He turned to Brron. "Go and collect the device. Bring it to me."

"As you command."

Brron left his station and went inside the elevator. "Transporter room," he said as the doors slid shut.

"The device has arrived, Master," the report came from the transporter bay chief.

"Thank you. Brron is on his way to collect."

He switched the communicators back over to Chumley and Syrus. "Well done, boys. The Project information is secure."

"Thank you, Master. When will we be beamed up?"

Viper smirked. He had the Project information. There was one thing left.

"After you complete one more task," he answered. "Kill Jaden Yuki."

:*:

Alexis and the others watched as the flash drive holding the Project information was taken via transmat beam. Then they heard Viper speak again, congratulating Chumley and Syrus on a job well done. The two welcomed his thanks without a thought as to what they had just done. Alexis seethed with anger. They had turned on them. Attacked Jaden and threatened his life. Stolen the Project information.

All for Viper.

When Jaden had mentioned his name before, she wondered what on earth he had to do with anything. The man was taken by Yubel and probably killed five years ago.

But when she heard his voice over the communicator, she quickly put everything together. Everything started going wrong with the expedition to Dark World. She figured Viper must have still been there, left alive all this time, and had somehow achieved a level of control. When the Reliant arrived, he used an opportunity to - to get whatever it was he wanted.

Probably to conquer the dimensions, she thought, because he wanted the Project information.

She soon learned that that was not the only thing he wanted.

"Kill Jaden Yuki."

She turned, seeing Chumley raise the phaser. That was the last straw.

"No!" she shouted, stepping into the line of sight.

"Is that the voice of Alexis Rhodes I hear?"

"You bet it is, Viper!"

Viper chuckled and said, "Then get out of the way, silly girl. The phaser is capable of handling two blasts. Chumley could shoot you and then kill Jaden."

"Then he'll have to."

"But Alexis, I don't think Jaden wants another death on his conscience. Marcel, he's been treated badly enough."

"You did that. You're a murderer, Viper. A cold-hearted stinking murderer!"

"I repeat," Viper's voice grew fierce. "Get out of the way or die."

"Never. Mana, pass me my duel disk."

"Alexis?"

"Now."

Mana collected her duelling disk from the pile of personal belongings hidden behind the trees and threw it to her. She caught it and attached it to her arm.

"Viper," she declared. "I challenge Chumley and Syrus to a duel. They lose, you leave Jaden alone."

:*:

Viper was about to order Chumley to shoot Alexis, but once he had heard her challenge, he thought again. The scenario he was imagining pleased him immensely. He stroked the back of the insectoid.

"I am sorry, my pet, but I have to ask for some more from you."

The parasite mother clicked its pincers obediently. He smiled.

"Let me into their minds."

The field of his mind enlarged as he was given access to Chumley and Syrus'.

Perfect.

"Alexis," he spoke. "I accept the challenge on one condition."

"What?"

"Whoever wins shall keep the phaser."

"Fine."

He smiled again. She had fallen into the trap. Young people never think things through. One special advantage, he surmised.

:*:

Chumley and Syrus armed their duelling disks, the former clipping the communicator to his collar. Alexis moved in closer.

"This is how it will play out," Viper announced. "Alexis will take the first turn, Chumley next, Alexis a second time, Syrus takes his turn, and it starts over. Are we in agreement?"

"Yes," Alexis replied.

"Yes, Master," Chumley and Syrus obeyed.

"Good. Chumley, set the phaser."

Chumley rubbed his thumb over a hidden switch on the handgrip and let go of the phaser. It floated through the air to the middle of the soon-to-be arena. A metal stand materialised out of the ground, where the phaser sat and moved left to right and back to pointing horizontally along the centreline.

"What's that for?" Alexis asked.

Viper sighed. "I suppose I should say this. Once set and attached to the stand, the phaser is programmed to kill whomever loses this duel."

"WHAT?" she snapped.

He chuckled. "Heh, heh. You can stop this duel before it begins if you like, but then we'd right back where we were with Chumley about to shoot you and Jaden after you."

Alexis growled, glaring at the communicator on Chumley's collar, then she looked at Chumley and Syrus.

"Fine."

"DUEL!" the three combatants declared.

The life points on either side went up to eight thousand and the players were given their first hands. Alexis was about to examine hers when Viper spoke again.

"Oh, and Alexis?"

"What?"

"Now that you cannot back out of the duel without dying, it would be a good time to tell you that Chumley and Syrus are not following me willingly."

She looked up. "What are you talking about?"

"Do you not remember? You practically heard my monsters discussing the use of mind controlled slaves. When they were brought to me on Dark World, I inserted creatures in their heads, creatures that allow me to control them."

"Oh God!" Jesse gasped hoarsely.

Alexis' eyes shook with guilt as she looked at Chumley and Syrus again. Viper went on, confirming to what she was thinking.

"There are two blasts in the phaser, remember. Should you be the victor, it will destroy them both. You will kill your friends who literally have no idea of the things they are doing."

She took a step. "I - I can't."

"That's right, Alexis. Poor innocent soul. You can't bear to kill them, not even to save Jaden. This is the lesson you must learn. All decisions have consequences. So what will it be? Save Chumley and Syrus, or yourself and Jaden? Either way, two lives will end."

All at once four emotions conflicted within her. The first demanded she win the duel and save Jaden. The second was pleading with her to save Chumley and Syrus from death. The third was desperate thinking to pull off both.

The fourth was a bad memory. She was brought back to the time in Dark World when Jaden was duelling Brron, and Brron was using her, Chazz, Atticus and Hassleberry as sacrifices. It made her realise how Jaden must have felt then, backed into a corner with his friends' lives on the line if he made the wrong move.

"Alexis!"

She turned blindly. Mana was looking at her seriously. "Duel them," she said.

"I can't. I'll kill them if I do."

"Listen to me," Mana argued. "I'll find a way to get into their minds and free them. Maybe we can come up with a way of getting you all out of this."

"You think we can?"

"You're not the only person with a loved one's life at stake."

Alexis' eyes steeled. "You're right."

She rounded back to face Chumley and Syrus and looked at the hand she had been dealt. Angel Blast. Spell Shield Type 8. Scapegoat. Ritual Weapon. Ritual Sanctuary. Pot of Greed.

Damn it, not one monster, and I can't use Ritual Sanctuary yet to get one of my Machine Angel Ritual cards without at least two. She gazed at Chumley and Syrus. I better give Mana some more time by playing defence.

"All right. I play the spell card Scapegoat. I special summon four sheep tokens to the field."

The tokens appeared in her monster spaces. ATK/0 DEF/0

"Then I lay two cards face down and end my turn."

I hope you can do what you say you can do, Mana.

:*:

Mana sat crosslegged on the ground. She breathed in and out, calming the agitation and upset she was feeling. She cleared her mind and focused on the task ahead. She closed her eyes and concentrated.

Her mind projected from her body, reaching unseen across the clearing-turned-duelling field to Chumley and Syrus.

"Chumley, Syrus. Listen to me. You need to fight him. Fight Viper. Come back to us."

:*:

Chumley could not hear Mana speaking to him. The hold Viper had on him was too great, since the man was now pressuring on him to look at his hand and put out his first move. The cards he had were Des Koala, Animal Trail, Beast Soul Swap, Polymerisation, Ayers Rock Sunrise and Second Goblin.

From his mind Viper considered the cards. Right now, Second Goblin was useless without a Giant Orc also being in the hand, but the others were sufficient enough.

"I summon Des Koala in Attack mode," he had Chumley say.

A huge brown koala sitting down eating gum leaves appeared on his and Syrus' side of the field. ATK/1100 DEF/1800

"And he'll destroy one of your sheep tokens."

Des Koala got up on its stubby legs, stomped over to the line of sheep tokens, and smashed the first one on the right to pieces. It stomped back to its side of the field, and resumed its sitting and eating of leaves.

Alexis was unfazed. She had expected it to happen.

Viper knew she did too but had Chumley finish his turn.

"I place three cards facedown. Ending my turn."

Alexis drew out a card for her next move. It was Cyber Gymnast. Great.

"Get ready to say goodbye to Des Koala. I summon Cyber Gymnast in Attack mode."

A tough looking woman with long blond hair and dressed in purple and black and a silver mask that covered her face arrived on the field. ATK/800 DEF/1800

"First, I activate its Special Ability by sending a card from my hand to the graveyard. Now, I can attack and destroy a faceup Attack monster and destroy it, no matter how strong it is."

Cyber Gymnast ran across the field and leaped into the air. Des Koala looked up as she came closer, his eyes widening. She kicked him in the head, sending him tumbling over backward. Des Koala vanished.

"And next, my actual attack. You directly."

Gymnast rushed at Chumley, giving him a punch to the gut, and went back to her position. His and Syrus' points dropped to 7200.

Chumley groaned. "You triggered my trap. Animal Trail. It adds one Beast monster to my hand from my deck."

A single card jutted out from his deck. Viper looked at it through his eyes and grinned. It was Des Kangaroo.

Alexis, unaware but cautious of what the new card could possibly be, proclaimed the final part of her move. "I switch Cyber Gymnast to Defence mode and end my turn."

:*:

Viper looked over to Syrus' mind. The boy had Shield Crush, Cyber Summon Blaster, Training Wheels, Defence Knockback, Patroid and Cyberdark Edge.

Still playing with his toys, he remarked as he went over Training Wheels and Patroid.

Then he detected Dark Magician Girl trying to break through his control. Remembering how the mere mention of her name had shaken his control on him before, he gave Syrus his orders.

:*:

"I play the spell card Shield Crush," Syrus exclaimed. "It will destroy a Defence monster you have, and it's gonna be your Gymnast."

"I don't think so, Syrus," Alexis shot back. "I activate my face down trap, Spell Shield Type 8. When you send a spell card against one of my monsters, my shield negates and destroys your spell card."

Shield Crush shattered in front of Syrus, but because Viper was in his mind, he was undeterred.

"I summon Patroid in Attack mode."

A toy in the shape of a police patrol car complete with siren and police cap appeared and stood on its back wheels. ATK/1200 DEF/1200

Don't bother with its Special Ability, Viper told him, just attack.

"Patroid, attack the first sheep token on the left."

Patroid got on al four wheels and raced toward the three remaining sheep tokens. Its target bleated in terror as the car ran over it, flattening it to a sheet. The token shattered as Patroid drove back to its master.

"I switch Patroid to Defence mode and lay one card facedown. That ends my turn."

:*:

"Syrus!"

"M-Mana?"

"Yes it's me," Man continued to fight through Viper's dominance.

"What's going on? Where am I?"

"Your mind is being controlled by Viper."

"Oh no," he remembered the agonising pain of the parasite latching somewhere inside his head. "What's he making me and Chumley do?"

"The both of you are duelling Alexis. Viper's made sure that the loser is going to die."

"What do we do?"

"You need to fight. I'm helping, but I can't do everything."

"Okay, I'll try," he promised.

"Good. I need to get to Chumley."

"Mana. Be careful."

She appeared to him. "Come out of this, please."

He smiled at her. "I won't let you down."

:*:

Alexis drew out Pure Pupil and examined the field ahead. Syrus had that new card facedown as well as Patroid. Chumley had two facedown cards but no monsters. I hope neither of them is a trap.

"I return Cyber Gymnast to Attack mode. She will attack Chumley directly."

Cyber Gymnast charged off across the field. Viper reacted through Syrus.

"I don't think so. I activate Defence Knockback."

Gymnast stopped as if she had run into a glass wall and jumped back to her place on Alexis' side of the field. In Defence mode. At half its strength.

"What the heck?"

"Defence Knockback," Syrus explained. "One of my newest cards. When an opposing monster attacks, Defence Knockback stops it and forces the monster into Defence mode at half its points. Also, you have to discard one card from your hand."

Damn it. She looked at what cards she had. Pure Pupil. Angel Blast. Ritual Weapon. Ritual Sanctuary.

Ritual Sanctuary was the one to go.

"I end my turn."

"My move," Chumley declared, pulling Destruction Punch from his deck and adding it to his hand. "First, I activate one of my facedowns. Ayers Rock Sunrise. It brings Des Koala back from the graveyard to the field."

Viper triggered a sinister addition to the speech. "Lucky for you, since there are no other Beast-type, Plant or Winged Beasts in the graveyard, Sunrise's other effect of lessening your monster's Attack doesn't happen."

Des Koala returned to his hand via the duelling disk and he summoned it to the field. Viper made him smile.

"Now, Des Koala comes back to the field in Attack mode."

The brown koala re-emerged. ATK/1100 DEF/1800

"That's not all. From my hand, I summon Des Kangaroo in Attack mode."

A sickly green kangaroo dressed in a purple vest and bright red boxing gloves and boots came on the field.

"Prepare to lose everything. Des Koala, attack the sheep token on the right."

Des Koala got up on its feet and stomped toward the two sheep tokens. With a single swipe of its paw, the token it was told to take out was flattened. It disappeared. Des Koala returned to Chumley and munched on more gum leaves.

"Des Kangaroo, take out Cyber Gymnast."

The kangaroo hopped its way through the field. Cyber Gymnast watched him come unemotionally through her mask. It came at her and threw a left-hook to the head. She recoiled and shattered. Des Kangaroo hopped back to its position.

"I lay one card facedown and call it a turn," Chumley finished.

Alexis gritted her teeth. This was not going well. Her hand went to her deck and pulled out her next card. It was The Warrior Returning Alive. Her scowl changed to a smile. She was still in the game.

"I play The Warrior Returning Alive, which allows me to bring one Warrior-type monster back from the graveyard."

Her duelling disk gave her the card. She went on. "Guess what, it's Cyber Gymnast. I summon her back to the field in Defence mode."

She waited for Gymnast to arrive on the field to conclude her move. "I lay one card facedown and that's it for now."

Syrus drew Power Wall from his deck to begin his turn and put it in his hand. "I switch Patroid to Attack mode," he announced. "Patroid, destroy her final sheep token!"

Patroid got down on all four wheels again and sped off for its target, its siren blaring. The token never had a chance. Patroid raced back to its master.

"I then switch Patroid back to Defence mode and I lay one card facedown. That ends my turn."

:*:

Perfect, Viper thought from the Reliant, the card I had little Syrus set was Power Wall. That card will be useful, as long as he uses it right.

And he will.

:*:

Mana felt confident. Syrus was now beginning to break through, largely to his own strength of will. The strength of his love for her, she sensed as she felt him battle. It made her heart want to fly, but that would only serve to throw off her focus. While Syrus was now less likely to require her help, the mental wall Viper had placed around Chumley's mind was as unbreakable as it had been when she started.

:*:

"My move!" Alexis stated. She drew Cyber Petit Angel.

"I summon Cyber Petit Angel to the field in Defence mode."

A little monster in the shape of a pink ball with brown eyes, a jagged smile, silver wings and a golden yellow halo appeared on the field next to Cyber Gymnast. ATK/300 DEF/200

"But that's not your problem."

A card emerged from her deck. She took it. "Summoning Petit Angel brings a very special card to my hand. Machine Angel Ritual."

No, Viper roared from inside Chumley and Syrus' minds.

"Which I can use," Alexis continued. "I sacrifice Cyber Gymnast and Cyber Petit Angel in order to summon Cyber Angel Idaten."

Gymnast and Petit Angel faded away in a bright flashing light, which cleared to reveal a pink skinned woman dressed with a magenta battle helmet and tight-fitting black clothing in their place. ATK/1600 DEF/2000

"Her summoning also gives me another card, this one being a magic card from the Graveyard. And I choose Pot of Greed."

Her disk delivered her the card. "Which I now play to give myself two more cards."

The two cards her disk then gave her were Meteorain and White Veil.

Yes, she cheered.

"Here we go. First, I play the equip spell Ritual Weapon and give it to Idaten, raising both her Attack and Defence by fifteen hundred points."

Idaten's Attack went up to 3100 and her Defence to 3500.

"Now Idaten, attack Syrus' Patroid!"

Doesn't matter, Viper grinned. It's in Defence mode.

Idaten came up to Patroid and struck it with the Ritual Weapon.

Alexis smiled. No traps.

"I play from my hand, the trap card Meteorain. It allows me to deal Battle Damage to an opponent's Defence monster, as long as my monster's Attack is higher than that monster's Defence."

Patroid broke down and vanished. Chumley and Syrus' Life Points went down to 5300.

"I end my turn," she said proudly.

:*:

Viper growled. She had tricked him. She had fooled him into thinking her attack on Patroid would not cost him anything. She would pay dearly.

He tightened his grip on Chumley's mind when he heard Dark Magician Girl again.

Come on, Syrus, come on.

Chumley, answer me.

Chumley, it's me, Mana. Chumley!

He realised what she was doing. She was trying to break into his slaves' minds. He smirked. It would do her no good. The duel was in play and nothing would stop it. And he would win. Thanks to the powerful decks his slaves had and his own strategic mind, the victory would be his.

But right now it was Chumley's turn to strike.

:*:

Chumley drew Big Koala and put it in his hand. "I use Des Koala's Flip ability to do four hundred points of damage to your Life Points."

Alexis' Life Points slightly dropped to 7600.

"Then I place Des Koala and Des Kangaroo in Defence mode and end my turn."

"Mine again," Alexis stated, drawing Polymerisation from her deck. "Cyber Angel Idaten, attack Syrus directly."

:*:

Viper switched from Chumley's mind to Syrus'. "Use Power Wall, but sacrifice only sixteen of your cards," he ordered. "You have too many potential moves to waste."

Don't do it, Syrus. Let Alexis attack, he heard Dark Magician Girl argue.

I - I can't. He's too strong.

That's right, Syrus, he intervened. Do as I say.

In the physical duel, Syrus edged his hand to play Power Wall.

Syrus, don't.

Foolish girl, Viper spat. He's mine. They both are. Syrus, play it now.

:*:

"You can stop that, Alexis. I play Power Wall."

Syrus, no!

Mana's pleading scream tore his heart apart. In that split second, so did Viper's control of him.

"I sacrifice thirty one of the cards in my deck to negate all the damage."

Unaware of what had really happened, Alexis begrudgingly replied, "I end my turn."

:*:

"SYRUS!" Viper roared.

You don't control me, Viper, he heard the boy exclaim.

"We'll see about that."

He turned to the insectoid in his hand. "Double the force of control on Syrus Truesdale!" he growled.

:*:

Mana was smiling happily. Syrus, her sweet Syrus, was succeeding. He was breaking through. They were going to be back in each other's arms.

Then she sensed the change. The wall came back up, harder and more powerful than ever.

"No!" she screamed.

"As I told you," Viper's voice echoed. "He is mine! And, for your interference, once this duel is ended and he and Chumley kill Alexis and Jaden, I will have him kill you and then I shall release him and show him the damage he has done."

He laughed. Mana was shocked.

"You're despicable."

"Not despicable, my dear, determined. Now Syrus, give Alexis Rhodes your worst."

"Syrus! NO!"

:*:

"My turn," Syrus stated blankly. He drew out Cycroid.

"I summon Cycroid to the field in Attack mode."

An orange and silver bicycle with a black eye underneath the handlebars and brown hands on either side appeared in front of him. ATK/800 DEF/1000

"Next, I give it my equip spell, Training Wheels, which allows me to attack you directly."

Cycroid rode itself across the field toward Alexis, going past Idaten. It swung on its front wheel, giving her a swift decisive punch. Alexis' Life Points went down to 6800. Its job done, it went back to its position. Then it vanished.

"Because of Training Wheels, it and Cycroid disappear until my next Standby phase."

"Which leaves you wide open. My move," Alexis declared, drawing Mind on Air.

Okay, I can't summon this without another monster. Better leave it in my hand for now.

"Idaten, attack Syrus directly!"

Idaten rushed forward, Ritual Weapon in hand, and struck at her target. Chumley and Syrus' Life Points descended to 2200.

"I end my turn."

:*:

She has such faith that Dark Magician Girl will succeed, Viper mused. Unfortunately I cannot blame her. The mere presence of that meddling Duel Spirit weakens my hold on Syrus, despite the amount of strength I place on him.

She will free him soon. Then she can turn her attention entirely on Chumley. This duel has to end now.

He watched Chumley begin his next move and looked closely at his hand. A strategy formed fast in his mind. He grinned as he saw its potency.

"Prepare to fail, Alexis Rhodes."

:*:

"My turn. I draw," Chumley declared. The card he drew out was Eucalyptus Mole.

"I use Des Koala's Flip ability again to deal four hundred more points of damage to you."

Alexis brushed off the going down of her Life Points to 6400.

"Then I summon Eucalyptus Mole to the field, but it's not staying. I sacrifice it and Des Koala to bring in Big Koala in Attack mode."

A blue and white furred koala three times as enormous as Des Koala came in place of the two monsters. ATK/2700 DEF/2000

"But he's not staying either," he continued. "I play the card Polymerisation, letting me fuse him and Des Kangaroo together."

Big Koala and Des Kangaroo changed into shapeless forms of white light that drifted to combine into a bigger one.

"Allowing me to summon in Attack mode the most powerful monster in my deck. Master of Oz!"

The light exploded. A green and yellow koala-kangaroo hybrid the size of Big Koala and wearing larger versions of Des Kangaroo's purple vest and red boxing gloves and boots was revealed. ATK/4200 DEF/3700

"That's-

"Stronger than Idaten? Exactly. Master of Oz, destroy Cyber Angel Idaten!"

Master of Oz leapt through the air and landed with a quaking thud before Idaten. It raised its right hand. Alexis cursed the fact that the card she had facedown wasn't something other than Pure Pupil. Master of Oz brought its fist down on Idaten, shattering the cyber angel to bits.

Alexis cringed as her Life Points were brought further down to 5300.

"And that," Chumley spoke, "is the end of my turn."

Alexis grimaced. Without Idaten now and with her up against a monster as strong as Master of Oz, she need another monster or a suitable spell or trap card to at least put up a defence. She had Mind on Air in hand, but she could not summon it without sacrificing another monster for it.

"I draw."

The card she got was Doble Pass. She gritted her teeth. It was a good card, very useful in a pinch to keep a monster in play, but that was why right now it was useless.

"I pass."

:*:

Viper's eyes widened when he heard her say those words. She passed? He smirked.

"I've got you."

:*:

"My turn," Syrus claimed. He drew Dragonroid.

Cycroid returned to the field in Attack mode.

"Attack her directly, Cycroid."

The bicycle monster again rode across the field to give Alexis another punch and went back to disappear again until Syrus' next Standby phase. Alexis' Life Points went down to 4500.

"That ends my turn."

"Making it mine," Alexis countered.

Her hand went to her deck. She closed her eyes, hoping for something good. The card she brought out was A Rival Appears. Another one of her best trap cards and she couldn't use it.

The only monster in my hand is Mind on Air, and neither Cycroid or Master of Oz is the same level as it.

"I end my turn," she groaned emptily.

Mana, I'm going to lose this duel, she transmitted mentally. How are you doing?

Alexis, I'm sorry, Mana tearfully replied. I may get Syrus out of it but I'm not going to get through to Chumley in time.

The first signs of the weight of Mana's words affecting Alexis was of her lips and eyes trembling. She looked at Chumley and Syrus sadly, then she turned around to face the others. Zane, Jesse and Blair looked back at her, worry and fear etched on their faces. Silent tears were sliding down Mana's cheeks.

Then her eyes settled on Jaden. He was still unconscious. Tears of her own flooded out. She thought of the many things she had wanted to say to him. The life she could have spent with him if he was ready to accept her feelings. The memories of the times and experiences they shared.

And that was all about to end here with her being killed, and him just after her.

"Jaden, I'm sorry. I let you down."

:*:

"Jaden, I'm sorry. I let you down."

From the place she had fallen in the labyrinths of Jaden's mind when he had been knocked out, Yubel shot up from unconsciousness and sensed all the things that were happening. Alexis in danger. Viper inside Chumley and Syrus' minds. Dark Magician Girl battling to free them. Zane, Jesse and Blair in fear of the coming result of the duel.

"Jaden!" she shouted. "Jaden, wake up. Our friends need you. Alexis needs you!"

He didn't answer her. There wasn't even a mental response.

"Damn it!" she hissed. "I have to take over to get him up."

She concentrated and began tapping into his mind, hoping that she was not starting this too late. "Come on, Jaden, come on. Wake up."

:*:

Dark Magician Girl grew desperate, relentlessly hammering at the mental walls around Chumley and Syrus and calling out their names.

Only Syrus was able to answer her.

"Mana, what is it?"

"Alexis is about to lose. You guys are gonna kill her!"

"Not in this or any lifetime!"

The strength in Syrus grew and he threw it against the wall. Viper's control fractured.

"You're doing it. Keep it up," Mana encouraged him.

"Get to Chumley. I can do the rest."

:*:

Outwardly, Syrus' demeanour changed, going from being completely emotionless to being in visible pain. He was sweating and gasping for air; his hand went up to the side of his head.

Chumley on the other hand stayed the way he was. Inside his mind was a different story. From within the mental wall Viper had around him he could hear Dark Magician Girl trying to get through to him and he could see Alexis lose her confidence and look defeated. He remembered what Viper had said would happen to the loser of the duel. He couldn't let it.

"Chumley," he heard that voice again. "Use Master of Oz. Strike her now."

"No, this is not 'licious."

"Do not disobey me. I can make things worse for you."

"You can't make me do it."

"Yes I can, as long as you are mine. Obey!"

Chumley felt his body reluctantly move. "No, no, no!"

:*:

Chumley started his move, drawing his second Des Koala out from his deck. "I summon my other Des Koala in Attack mode."

The big brown koala materialised next to Master of Oz. It felt very small in comparison to the hybrid.

Good, Chumley. Now launch your attack.

No, don't, he heard two distant voices cry out, one of them sounding very much like his own.

"Master of Oz, attack Alexis directly."

:*:

Viper watched with insane pleasure as Master of Oz delivered a full Attack's worth of damage to Alexis, massively bringing her Life Points down from 4500 to 300. Now all that was left was for Chumley to send Des Koala against her, and it would wipe her out.

And the phaser would fire. Ending her life.

Chumley, finish her now. Send Des Koala to attack.

No, Chumley struggled against him.

Viper frowned. This was not the time to lose control. He looked down at the insectoid. The parasite was seizing; the toil it was making to keep his slaves in check had exhausted its body. He found he didn't care. Not when he was so close.

"Put every bit of force you can on Chumley."

The insectoid squealed, clicking its pincers in a terrified frenzy.

"I don't care what you have to do. Take away some of what you have on Syrus! I want Alexis Rhodes destroyed!"

The insectoid replied with a weak and resigned acknowledgement.

Now, Chumley. Attack.

N-n-n-n-no.

Do it! Do as I say.

:*:

Alexis turned back to look at Jaden again. He still had not moved. She went back around to facing the field. To facing Chumley.

He lifted his arm up over his duelling disk.

She closed her eyes in regret. "Jaden, I love you," she whispered to herself.

Jaden started to stir.

Chumley made his move.


TBC