A/N: Confession time. I'll admit this before you read this chapter and ask why the Mai/Izzy duel isn't there; it isn't. The Duel did happen, but nothing of real importance actually happens; suffice to say Izzy wins and that's where this chapter begins...
Disclaimer – I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh. I only own my own characters.
Chapter 12 - Machine Onslaught
Izzy chased after her,
"Mai," she called, "Hey, wait!"
Mai stopped, turned and waited for Izzy to reach her.
"Why did you surrender?" Izzy asked as she drew level with her.
Mai grinned,
"There was no was no way out," she shrugged as she thought of those final of their duel, "So I thought it would be better to concede the duel."
"You could have found a way out," Izzy protested, stepping towards her, "There could have been a way."
"Something's are worth more so much more than that," Mai laughed, shaking her head, "Simon told me why you're here." She glanced up and down the corridor, "About your brother."
"He told you..."
"Yeah," Mai said nodding, "Please, don't be angry with him. I'm glad he told me and one more thing," she added, in a much quieter tone, "Last night, I heard noise outside my room. I went to investigate and I saw Bandit Keith waiting outside the girls' room for them to leave."
Izzy opened her mouth,
"Bandit Keith was in Alyssa and Cassie's room?"
Mai nodded,
"More than that," she added quietly, "I think he stole Alyssa's entrance card- so she can't compete in the finals."
Izzy just stared at her while she dug in her pocket for something.
"If she needs it, give her this," she continued, holding out her Honor of the King's Right Hand card, "I don't need it anymore."
Reluctantly, Izzy took the card and put it in her own pocket,
"Thank you," she muttered quietly, "For everything."
"No." Mai smiled at her, "I should be thanking you, Izzy. Do you have a mobile?" She asked suddenly, changing the subject, "Or an e-mail address?"
Izzy nodded, fishing a small notebook from a pocket. She scribbled in it, tore it out and handed it over,
"Why do you want it?"
"I want a re-match at some point, you know," Mai explained, tearing the paper in two and scribbling her own contact details down, "And besides, you said that we were friends, are we not?" She passed it back.
"I guess."
"Pass it on to the others, will ya?" Mai said, waving as she started along the corridor, "And good luck!"
Izzy watched her leave, before she turned back to find out exactly what the commotion from the arena was.
"She doesn't have her entrance card, face it!" Keith drawled, folding his arms again. "Just disqualify her already!"
His opponent was standing on the other side of the stadium digging through her pockets for something. Her deck was already on the platform, but there was one thing she need first.
"Hold on, Howard," Alyssa snapped at him, digging once more in her pockets, "I know I put it in here somewhere."
Bandit Keith scoffed at her as Izzy reached Simon and Cassie on the balcony.
"What's going on?" she asked them. Simon shrugged.
"Allie can't find her card," Cassie muttered quietly as they watched the events below. "She couldn't find it in our room earlier."
Izzy swallowed hard and gulped as Keith grew more impatient- Mai had been right.
"You won't find it," he turned to the official standing by the stadium. "Just declare me the winner already-" He was cut short by a triumphant cry.
"Ah ha," Alyssa yelled triumphantly, pulling a card from her pocket. She grinned at her opponent, "Told you I had it, Howard." She flashed the blank card at the official who nodded.
Bandit Keith looked outraged.
"But that's-" he shouted, before stopping and snarling, "Fine, let's get this over with!"
"Gladly," Alyssa said cheerily as she drew her hand and watched as Keith drew his own hand, "Your move first, Howard."
He scowled at her as he scanned his hand.
"Fine," Keith snapped as he pulled a card from his hand and slammed it down on the field. "I play Pendulum Machine in DEFENSE MODE." He glared again at Alyssa as the giant pendulum creature hovered in mid-air, gently rocking back and forth, "I'll make you pay for insulting me- the former USA champion."
Alyssa just waved a finger at him,
"Ah, and that's just the point," she said with a grin as she selected a card from her hand, "I play The Little Swordsman of Aile in DEFENSE MODE too." The small swordsman appeared on the stadium with a flicker of light. The alligator that it was sat on roared slightly at Keith as Alyssa ended her turn.
"That's it," he scoffed, laughing, "That's not even worth my effort. Pendulum Machine switch into ATTACK MODE and slice her pathetic monster into oblivion." The pendulum swung back and forth in larger sweeps until at last it reached the poor swordsman and sliced him clean in two.
Alyssa shielded her eyes slightly as her monster disappeared in flickers of light. She drew a new card and pulled another card from her hand and placed it on the field.
Neo the Magic Swordsman appeared where his fallen comrade had been only moment before; his cloak gently sweeping around him as his sword glimmered in the light.
"I activate reinforcements to increase Neo's ATTACK to 2200,"she added as Neo's sword grew brighter. "Now he's more than a match for your Pendulum Machine." Alyssa pointed at Keith, "Now go, Neo, destroy his monster."
The loyal swordsman did just that, but when the smoke cleared, Keith's monster emerged unscathed.
"But he can't do that?" Cassie protested as Keith began his turn by summoning a new monster. "That's unfair," she turned to Izzy who was standing next to her, "He can't do that, can he?" To her dismay, the older girl shook her head.
"It's perfectly legal." Izzy said frowning as the new monster blasted Neo into oblivion, creating a large dent in Alyssa's life points. "Monster cards can not be attacked by magical monster cards. They're complete opposites."
"What about fire and water?" Cassie asked as her sister summoned Mother Grizzly in DEFENSE MODE. "They're opposites too. Why do they work?"
"Magic and machine are so different that one disrupts the other." Izzy explained quietly as below Keith played a card face down and summoned yet another new monster in DEFENSE MODE. " Magic has always been unable to stop machines," she finished.
Below, Alyssa began her turn. She studied her hand briefly and selected a card from her hand and placing it face down on the field. Selecting a new card, she slammed it down on the field.
Her ever-faithful Strike Ninja appeared on the field. He stared brazenly at Keith before he sank to his knees in DEFENCE position. She finished her turn by playing another facedown card.
"Defence won't save you," Keith sneered as he activated a magic card, "Stop Defence!" Alyssa's monster stood up jerkily, as if being pulled by some unseen force. Keith laughed, "Your monster is now open to a direct attack from my monster."
Alyssa watched the Pendulum Machine swing closer to her Ninja, each swoop bringing destruction just a little bit closer.
She turned over the face down card and snapped, "I activate Way of the Ninja- this increases Strike Ninja's Attack by 600 ATTACK." Her Ninja leaped into the air; his red belt flickering as he raised his hand and slammed his knife down into the machine. He twisted it, finding the right mechanical part; he jumped back into position as Pendulum Machine disintegrated into a thousand pieces. "Not so indestructible as you thought!" Alyssa waved her finger at him, "My turn and I attack your Launcher Spider with Strike Ninja."
"I'll end my turn by switching both my monsters back to DEFENCE MODE," she added as she ended her turn.
Keith glared at his opponent and her monsters, realising that his own creature was still stronger before he brought his head back and laughed,
"Ha," he cackled, "My monster is still stronger than your sniveling Ninja- Barrel Dragon destroy both her scrawny creatures." The Dragon rotated its three gun barrels several times, before it came to a halt locking in position
Unfortunately, since Barrel Dragon was a Machine and had no mind of it's own, it fired two shots at Strike Ninja and Mother Grizzly. On impact, both monsters disintegrated into nothing.
Alyssa blinked slightly as she glanced at her hand. Her hand lingered thoughtfully on one card. Smiling, She selected it and played it down on the field, "I activate Assassination Preventive which prevents you from attacking me next turn."
Keith, already planning his next move, held up his card and sneered, "I think I'll active Slot Machine in DEFENCE MODE." The new machine monster fitted it's name acutely; it highly resembled on those gambling slot machines that took most of your money. "Try and get past him."
"I play this card face-down," Alyssa said, as she pulled a further card from her hand. Alyssa started grinning, "I also activate Summoned Skull in ATTACK MODE." The demon creature roar as it took its place on the field, as its master smirked at Keith, "You know what I've noticed Howard," she glanced at her opponent, "My monster's stronger than yours." Alyssa pointed at Barrel Dragon, "Attack with Lightening Strike."
Summoned Skull did just that, blowing Barrel Dragon into oblivion. As the smoke cleared, she smirked at Keith, "I'm back in the game; so watch out Howard."
Furious, Keith selected two cards from his hand played them face down. With a slight smirk, the ex-champion ended his turn.
Drawing from her deck, Alyssa studied her hand slightly, before playing a card facedown. Satisfied, she turned her attention to her opponent and his monster, adding, "Summoned Skull, do what you do best."
The demon creature slammed its hand together, creating a blast of electricity that he fired at Keith's monster. As Summoned Skull's Lightning Strike attack came hurtling towards Slot Machine, Keith flipped over both facedown cards; he had played on his previous turn and activated them. Both monsters disappeared in a cloud of dust as the attack made impact.
However, when the smoke cleared again, both monsters were still standing, much to the disgruntled expression of the attacking monster's owner as her own life-points were slightly depleted. "That…" she dwindled into silence as she saw that Slot Machine DEFENCE POINTS had gone up to 3000; 500 more points than Summoned Skull. "That is not good," she added after a momentary pause, "That 's…" she eyed her monster again, "Hold on, Skull has only got 2400 ATTACK; he supposed to have 2500 ATTACK. How did that happen?"
Keith sniggered as he waved his cards,
"Just a little thing called Poison Infection- this is like any other computer or human virus; it takes 4 of your monster's ATTACK POINTS away from it," he indicated the second card, "And this raises the ATTACK or DEFENCE of Slot Machine." He laughed, "You didn't even scratch it."
Alyssa scowled as her opponent began his turn- Howard was really starting to annoy her. He drew from his hand and smirked again at her. She almost rolled her eyes at him.
"Guess what?" Keith turned the card that he had just drawn, "I've got another Seven Complete and I'll equip it in ATTACK MODE to Slot Machine." He placed it on the field as his machine's ATTACK increased to 2700."
Frowning slightly, Alyssa began her turn, but as soon as she had drawn from her deck and seen what it was, she smiled.
"I activate Axe of Despair," Alyssa slammed the magic card down on the field, "And I'll attach it to Summoned Skull." The demon creature growled slightly lifting its arm as a circular axe head latched on to it. He brought it up to his face and grunted his approval as his ATTACK POINTS increased to 3400.
Alyssa continued, "That's not all, because I also activate this, as well," she held up the second magic card, "Truce of the Enemies, this card prevents both of us from attacking for one turn." She tilted her head at her opponent, "Whatever you've planning, Howard, "I'm ready for it!"
"This is impossible," Simon demanded from the balcony as they watched the duel. Izzy raised her eyebrows slightly, glancing at her friend. He nodded; after all everything they had seen and experienced this week, was a testament that nothing could be impossible.
Keith smirked as he began his turn again– there was a reason he was getting all these Seven Completes. The answer was up his sleeve- quite literally. He had several hidden beneath his wristband and was slipping them into his hand, but that wasn't something that these pathetic losers weren't going to know.
"I have no need to attack," He snorted, as he revealed a third card and adding, "Just look what I got?" He slammed the card on the field as another Seven Complete card attached itself to Slot Machine, raising its ATTACK to 3400 - the same ATTACK as Summoned Skull after his little trap card earlier and Alyssa's upgrade. He sneered again at her, "And I think I'll move Slot Machine into ATTACK MODE."
It was a standstill.
"Ya not gonna find out a way from this!"
Alyssa played a face down card on the field, before she ended her turn.
"You should have known better than to challenge me." Keith laughed as he selected a card from his hand, "I activate Pilliager," he sneered as he slammed the magic card down on the field, "It allows me to look at your hand and take one of them for myself." He snapped his fingers impatiently. "Come on, show me your hand!"
Scowling, Alyssa revealed her hand to her opponent. He snorted in disgust at her cards. "Your cards really are pathetic, but," Keith paused, seeing what he wanted, "I think I'll have your Sword and Shield magic card." He smirked, "That's quite a good card."
Above, Simon blinked at the sound of the name of the card.
"Sword and Shield," he muttered to Izzy as Alyssa sent her card over to Keith. "I've heard of that." She nodded.
"Me too, but I've never seen it in action before," Izzy glanced down at her friend. "I never knew that Alyssa had it in her deck."
Cassie just looked blankly at the both of them, "Care to explain? What the heck does Sword and Shield do?" she demanded of them as Keith activated said magic card.
"No need to really explain. Just watch," Simon indicated below to where the ATTACK and DEFENCE points of every monster on the field swapped over so Keith's monster was now stronger than Alyssa's. "It switches the ATTACK and DEFENCE points of Slot Machine and Summoned Skull for one turn."
"And one turn is all that Keith needs," Cassie nodded, cottoning on, "Although Allie used Axe of Despair, it only affects ATTACK. Her DEFENCE didn't change." Her eyes widen in horror as she saw that Slot Machine now had 3000 ATTACK, " Summoned Skull only had 1200 DEFENCE points. It'll be destroyed and Allie will lose."
"Slot Machine," Keith ordered as a sneer covered half his face. "Attack that pathetic monster and win me this duel." The machine's three screen spun started spinning until slowly eventually as each screen was showing one word – ATTACK. As the last one locked in place, the Slot Machine took aim.
"I activate Magic Jammer," Alyssa yelled, flipping over the card she had played earlier and discarding another from her hand.
"Too late loser," Keith laughed, "I win." Smoke bellowed from the gun towards Skull before both monsters were consumed by the grey smoke When finally it cleared, there was one monster still standing – Summoned Skull. Slot Machine was nowhere to be seen.
"What, this can't be?" Keith shouted, the smug expression now long gone from his face. "I should have won."
"Think again, Howard," Alyssa said smiling, "I activated Magic Jammer. By discarding White Ninja from my hand," she indicated her graveyard, "I was able to destroy the effect of one magic card," She paused again for dramatic effect, "I chose Sword and Shield, so my monster is safe and sound and back at full power, unlike your monster, Howard."
Keith glared venomously at her as she smirked at him, ordering her Summoned Skull to attack him directly. "As you were saying, Howard, I win." The holograms vanished as Keith's life point plummeted to zero. Alyssa eyed her opponent again, "I'm curious Howard," she asked, folding her arms, "Why were you so sure that I didn't have my card? Would it because you stole it?"
Keith sneered at her,
"And how would you know? You've got no proof."
Alyssa returned the smug expression,
" I left that card out purposely because I knew that you would try and steal it." She added, "You don't deserve the title of former champion. You're nothing more than a thief, Howard."
"And a cheat, as well," Pegasus interrupted, standing up, staring at disgraced duelist. Keith just sneered at him, but was cut sharp by Pegasus' next words. "Don't think that I didn't see your little Seven Complete trick." The Game Creator shook his head, "Hiding a bunch of Seven Complete card beneath your wrist band. So you could add them to your hand when you wanted."
"What?" Cassie demanded from above, "He cheated?"
"You tried to get me disqualified," Alyssa shouted at her ex-opponent, "You should be disqualified, you sleazy…"
"I quite agree," Pegasus overwrote her string of insults, "Guards," he ordered, pointing at Keith, "Remove this man the Island."
Despite his loud protests, Bandit Keith was forcibly dragged away from the arena. Watching him, Pegasus smiled and sat down and began addressing those who were left.
"After all the drama of the last two days, it finally reaches this point, the last match of the finals…"
There was a rush of movement as Keith stormed back into the room, without the guards. He came flying across the room and launched himself at Pegasus.
Give me the prize money," he demanded, shaking him, "And I won't punch your lights out."
"Oooh, I'm so scared," Pegasus muttered in mock tones as Keith held his collar. "What ever shall I do? I know," he stamped his left foot on a tile by his chair. "This." The floor beneath Keith vanished and with a shriek of terror, he disappeared into the darkness.
When Keith's scream faded away, Pegasus stood up- once again the charming host,
"After that wonderful entertainment," he said cheerfully, "As I was saying, we have our two finalists- Isabella Corbey and Alyssa Trent. My congratulations to the both of you, but there can only be one winner of my Duelist Kingdom Tournament," He focused his Millennium Eye on Izzy and smiled again. "The next duel will take place in ten minutes."
A/N: I finished it! The first complete duel that I have ever written. Go me!