Previously, on Yu-Gi-Oh!: The Arcane Chronicles: LazyMan, to insure CyberV would be in the good duelists, rigged CV's duel with Mouse, who reluctantly went along with the plan. In the end, the deception was discovered, and CV told Mouse that one day they'd duel for real. During the Halloween Ball, Mouse decided that the time had come to do just that. Meanwhile, Jay and Ashes set up CV and Nat to be together at the ball, and Yugi paid an unexpected visit to Pegasus...
"So, it's finally time you and I faced off for real, huh?" asked CyberV.
"Yes," said Mouse. "It was a mistake to allow you an easy victory that day, and I aim to correct that oversight now."
"I'm glad to hear it. I've been waiting for this day to come ever since that fiasco... But in case you haven't noticed, I'm not exactly dressed for the occasion." It was quite true. He was still dressed as the Shadow, albeit without the fedora or scarf, which were lost somewhere inside the locked ballroom.
"I am aware... Which is why we duel at dawn... In the same place we first met."
"The initiation duel." CV smirked. "Sounds perfect. Dawn it is."
"Just be ready." Mouse turned on her heel and walked away without another word.
"Well, at least the duel won't last long, right?" asked Ashes. "I mean, with your new deck, you should be able to break through her defenses easily."
"I'm not using my new deck," said CV. "We're doing over our original duel. That means my Rocket Warrior deck against her Exodia."
"That's nuts," pointed out Jay. "She knows that deck's life point manipulation strategy. She'll be ready for it and tear it apart."
"I know," said CV. "But it's something I have to do. It's a matter of honor. I have to duel as I would have that day... If she hadn't thrown the duel."
Nat nodded. "I think I understand. Good luck."
"Thanks," said CV. "I'll need it. Because I've got one night to figure out what the heck I'm gonna do..."
Try as he might, CV couldn't help but imagine the specter of Exodia hanging over his head...
Yu-Gi-Oh!: The Arcane Chronicles: Past and Present Danger
Episode 21: Mouse's Honor! The Exodia Rematch!
Written by: Aaron (CyberV) Thall
As she walked towards her dormroom, Mouse practically ITCHED with anticipation. Finally, she would regain the honor that was lost that fateful day.
Several Months ago...
"Mouse, the time has come." Mouse was surprised. She'd never seen LazyMan so grim before.
"You mean that you've found the Warrior?"
He nodded, gravely. "The Scepter's finally chosen the one to wield it... And that's what worries me."
"I don't understand. If the defender has been found..."
"He's weak," said LazyMan. "Untrained. Decidedly underwhelming. I doubt he'd last five minutes against anyone on the team, much less a protracted fight against the forces of darkness."
"So you expect him to fail the initiation duel and get picked up by Ramesus."
"Unfortunately, yes... And we cannot allow that to happen. Weak or not, this 'CyberV' is the chosen one, and to allow him to be on the opposing team is unacceptable. Because of this... YOU will be the one to duel him for his initiation."
"Why me?"
"Because I trust you to do whatever is necessary to save the world from Evil."
There was a pregnant pause.
"You want me to throw the duel?"
"There's no other choice. We can't risk him losing because of his lack of ability."
"But if I purposely lose this match... No, I can't do it. It's wrong."
"You have to. The others... They're good, but they're not as loyal as you. You're the only one I can put my faith in to put the team ahead of yourself completely.
Mouse clenched her fists.
"Blast it... This isn't fair..."
"I know..." LazyMan looked away. "And I'm sorry... If there was another way, I'd take it. I promise that no one will ever know the truth. They'll just believe you had a bad hand. Your honor will remain intact."
Mouse hesitated. Slowly, she forced herself to relax. "...All right... But we never speak of this again."
"Agreed. It does here with us."
"Except it didn't..." muttered Mouse as her mind drifted back to the duel.
The Initiation Duel...
"What's wrong? You're gonna win." She had resigned herself to her self-imposed fate. She would not fight back.
CyberV glared at her, and at LazyMan. His rage was palpable.
"I've won nothing. This entire duel's a farce. I hope you're happy, Mouse. AND I HOPE YOU'RE HAPPY, LAZYMAN!" he yelled out loud. "I WANTED TO WIN IN A FAIR FIGHT, AND YOU'VE ONLY BROUGHT ME SHAME FOR MY FIRST WIN! I DESERVED BETTER THAN THIS, AND SO DID SHE! How DARE you force another duelist to degrade themself for your agenda!"
Mouse inwardly cringed as she heard these words... Her dishonor was known to the student body now. She was tainted by betrayal... Her own... of her own principles.
At that moment, she wasn't sure whom she despised more... CyberV for discovering the deception, or herself for taking part in it.
Mouse growled. Ever since that day, seeing the Warrior was a constant reminder of that humiliation... The worst part was how utterly infuriating he was... He could be such a child, but at other times... At other times, she could see why he was the chosen one.
The Mall Incident...
The bullet in her leg spread white hot agony through her body. She couldn't defend herself... She'd never felt so helpless in her life. There was nothing she could do as Blaze prepared to execute Allis... Which was when the one person in the world she couldn't stand decided to come to their rescue.
"THAT'S ENOUGH!" CyberV sprang from his hiding place and, before anyone knew what was happening, he performed a perfect palm thrust, knocking the gun away and sending it clattering down into a corner. He followed with a sweeping kick that knocked Blaze off his feet and to the ground. As he stood, surrounded by goons, the Wdjat glowed on his forehead.
"Punk," said Blaze, "You just made a BIG mistake."
Undisturbed by the goons all around him, CV kept his gaze on Blaze. "Wrong. This ends NOW. You've terrorized my friends, hurt innocent people, and disgraced the art of dueling. I'm here to take you down, once and for all."
He struck a battle pose.
"I am the Warrior of the Balance! CYBERV... FOR VICTORY!" It would have seemed silly, but the look in CV's eyes told Blaze that he was dead serious.
"GET HIM!" Blaze stepped back as several punks came at CV. Big mistake. As one swung a chain at him, he kicked the club out of the hands of a second and blocked the chain. Pulling hard, he got the goon off balance, and swung the guy into his friends. A spin kick took care of the club swinger now weaponless.
"Woah... He's got GAME." Hikari was amazed. She'd no idea that CV actually had moves.
Mouse was impressed. CV wasn't as good as she was, but he'd obviously been at it for a while. No specific style, but, she assumed, shamelessly cribbed from the countless hours he'd spent watching Japanese television.
It didn't take long for a shadow game to erupt... She'd been certain that he would lose. He was, after all, a weak duelist... But he went on to surprise everyone.
V-Tiger Jet: 1600/1800
W-Wing Catapult: 1300/1500
X-Head Cannon: 1800/1500
Y-Dragon Head: 1500/1600
Z-Metal Tank: 1500/1300
"They're all weak! I can crush all of them!" Blaze was feeling better. "Not that I need to. They'll all vanish at the end of your turn!"
"WRONG! COMBAT VEHICLES... COMBINE!" The five machines began shifting components. "Meet the V-Z Dragon Catapult Cannon!" The massive robot was ready for action.
VWXYZ Dragon Catapult Cannon: 3000/2800
"VICTORY STRIKE!" VWXYZ brought it's claws together down low, then rose them up to it's sides, taking them apart and forming an energy V. It them spun it's arms around, crossing them and encircling that V, before lashing out with both arms, creating a massive energy blast that struck Blaze head on, sending the gangleader flying into a wall. The mecha and monsters posed triumphantly before fading away.
She hated that he'd saved her life that day. She prided herself on her ability to fend herself from anything... to take down whatever stood between her and her goals. To be seen lying helpless on a dirty floor, unable to do anything but watch as someone who was supposed to be weaker defended her... Her humiliation knew new depths.
Her father would be so disappointed in her if he knew...
Years ago...
"EXODIA... OBLITERATE!" Mouse didn't know how her father had obtained a tape of the famous first duel between Yugi Mutou and Seto Kaiba, and she didn't care. She just watched with rapt awe as Yugi used one of the most legendary monsters in the game of Duel Monsters to deal Kaiba his first ever defeat.
"Wow... Exodia's... amazing!"
"That he is," agreed her father, dressed in his traditional gi. As a martial arts instructor, he kept a busy schedule, filled with classes. He did it largely for the kids who wouldn't be able to protect themselves from bullies without the help. "But what's more impressive is how that Yugi kid dueled with honor. Right from the start, it was obvious he was going to go places."
"You respect him, don't you?"
"I respect anyone that lives by an honorable code. Kaiba didn't, and look what it earned him."
Mouse nodded, watching as she reran the tape, and Kaiba got blasted by Exodia. She'd had her own run-ins with dishonorable people. She was shyer than most girls, and got picked on by the boys for being a girl, and by the girls for not being as pretty or well off as they were. They'd taken to calling her Mouse, and the name had stuck. Then they'd taken to roughing her up for kicks.
When she'd come home with a black eye and bruises, her father had immediately taken it upon himself to train her in the martial arts, so she'd never be a victim again. She was just starting, but had already graduated to a yellow belt, and she had no intention of slowing down. She would turn their nickname for her on it's ear and make it her own.
"So... Why are you showing me this tape?"
"It's simple, honey," said her father. "I know how hard it is for you... You don't have any friends, the kids pick on you... Even with my training, you're going to struggle to find your voice and your place... So I came up with a way to help you get past your shyness." He stepped away from the table behind him to reveal a Duel Disk with five cards in the monster slots... The five pieces of the Forbidden One. Those five cards, which she knew were insanely rare, must have cost him a small fortune.
"By learning the game and challenging other kids, you'll grow in confidence, and then you'll have their respect without having to resort to force to defend yourself. They call you Mouse, but I know you have a lion's heart."
Tears welled up in her eyes as she hugged her father. "I'll make you proud, Dad..."
Present day...
She clenched her fist, wiping the tears from her eyes as she shuffled her deck. "I'll make you proud."
Present day:
Industrial Illusions Inc.
"And that's the story," said Yugi as he finished relating the strange tale to Pegasus.
"The Warrior of the Balance, you say? I believe I've heard some of this story before." Pegasus seemed to search his memory. "Ah yes, now I remember. My wife Fatima spoke of a legend similar to that. It's said that her people will one day be freed from tyranny by the Warrior of Balance. However, I wasn't able to find this Warrior myself. But it seems Joey Boy did it for me."
"Don't call me that," said Joey, remembering some of the things Pegasus had put them through all those years ago.
"My apologies, but with our shared history, you'd think you'd be able to find a little humor in all of it."
"There's nothing funny about our past," said Tea. "You've done some sick things."
"No kidding..." muttered Tristan. "I still say coming here was a mistake. We don't need his help."
"I'm afraid you're wrong, Tristan." said Yugi. "Without my deck, there's nothing I can do to help fight this Ramesus, save gather allies to confront the coming darkness. Pegasus has long since redeemed himself for the actions of the past, and has earned, if not our respect, our trust."
"Well said," responded Pegasus, pleased. "I would think that the rest of you would be grateful after I so generously helped you against Anubis... Ah, but that is neither here nor there. So, Yugi Boy, tell me more of this garishly named 'CyberV'. Such an unusual nom-de-guerre. His parents must have wanted him to get beaten up on the playground."
"His name isn't what is important," said Yugi. "He's a relatively untrained duelist, still learning the ropes and strategies of the game. Thus far, he's been fortunate. In his few encounters against the Evil Duelists and others of their ilk, he has managed to survive, but as long as he is separated from this Scepter of the Balance, he cannot attain his true power."
"And so you come to me, hoping I might have some unique cards hidden away, waiting for the right moment to use them, am I right?"
"You usually do," said Yugi, remembering monsters like Thousand Eyes Restrict, the Toons, and Blue-Eyes Shining Dragon.
"True, true... So, tell me of the boy's style of dueling. That would be the most helpful of all."
"From what I remember hearing from Ishizu," said Tea, "He's built two of his decks around Joey's Rocket Warrior and Red-Eyes Black Dragon. But I think Hikari said he recently build a third..."
"Yeah," said Tristan. "Some kinda Power Rangers deal with the XYZ Dragon Cannon. I'll bet Kaiba'd be embarrassed if he saw that deck in action." He snickered, thinking of how Kaiba would react to some of his strongest monsters being used in such a cartoonish manner.
Pegasus smirked. "At least it sounds like he enjoys them, unlike Kaiba Boy. What else is there?"
"His Rocket Warrior deck relies heavily on the manipulation of life points over power. His V to Z deck focuses on bringing out his machines quickly and fusing them. His Red-Eyes deck focuses mostly on brute strength."
Pegasus nodded. "Not much else you CAN do with a Red-Eyes deck..." He thought for a moment. "But I do believe I can be of assistance." He got up and motioned for the gang to follow him. "Please, walk this way."
"Can we skip the funny voice?" muttered Joey as Yugi and the others moved to comply.
As the sun rose over the Arcane Academy, word spread about the rematch. The students rushed to finish breakfast before running to get a good seat at the Good Duelists' duel arena.
As LazyMan took his seat, he noticed Mokuba a bit further up in the stands.
"Surprised to see you here," he said.
"I thought I should watch... You know, make sure it's on the up and up this time."
LazyMan sweatdropped. "You're not gonna let me live that down, are you?"
"Not really."
LazyMan sighed.
Hikari yawned, rubbing her eyes as she found a seat. She saw that the others were already in their usual spots.
"Hey. What's the commotion?"
"The rematch we've been waiting for," said Ashes. "You mean you didn't know?"
"No... I just followed the crowd."
Jay and Nat sweatdropped.
"Well, you're just in time," said Jay. "Because here they come!"
Slowly, Mouse and CV entered the arena, Duel Disks fully charged.
"You're kidding. He actually agreed to duel her again?"
"Yes," said Nat. "And this time, it's for real."
Hikari grinned. "This ought to be GOOD."
CV glanced at the crowd. "Looks like we've got a big audience. Let's be sure to give them a good show."
"Just draw your cards," said Mouse. "I have a promise to keep."
"And so do I." Both duelists activated their disks. "IT'S DUELIN' TIME!"
CyberV: 8000
Mouse: 8000
"If you don't mind, I'll start things off," said CV, drawing a card. "And I'm sure you'll remember it! WAVE-MOTION CANNON!" A green energy blaster appeared. "Now, for each standby phase this is on the field, it gains 1000 attack points, and when I remove it, those points are deducted from your life points as effect damage."
Mouse glared at the Cannon, remembering it from their last duel. She recalled how he'd only activating it after begging her for a real duel had failed.
It was a symbol of her failure that day... If he'd wanted to get her angry... He'd succeeded.
"And now I'll summon Witch of the Black Forest in defense mode!" The Witch appeared, kneeling.
Witch of the Black Forest: 1100/1200
"I'll also throw in a spell card I've been saving for just such an occasion as this... Reasoning!" He held it up as it glowed. "Here's how it works. You call out a monster level. I then pick up cards and discard them to the graveyard until I reach a monster. If it's any level except the one you call out, it gets summoned to the field. But if it's the same level, I have to send it to the Graveyard."
Mouse nodded. "Fine. Since you love Rocket Warrior so much, I'll say four stars.."
"So be it." CV began picking up cards, stopping after four. He placed the cards into the graveyard. "Oooohhh... Tough luck. It's Enraged Muka Muka, a five star monster!" The insect appeared on the field.
'Oh no! That's one of his strongest monsters!'
"And Enraged Muka Muka will get a point bonus of 400 for every card in my hand."
Enraged Muka Muka: 1200/600 +1200/1200 2400/1800
"That ends my turn."
Mouse glared and drew. "I play Pot of Greed, which lets me draw two more cards!" She did. 'Good. I now have two pieces of Exodia in my hand! Now, I just need to put some pressure on him to keep him off balance!'
"I summon Drillago!" A drill covered machine appeared. "And I'll equip him with Black Pendant, which increases his attack by 500!"
Drillago: 1600/1100 +500/0 2100/1100
"He's still not strong enough to destroy my Muka Muka," said CV.
"Who said I was going for him? On the contrary, I'm glad he's there, because when there's a monster on your side of the field with 1600 or more attack points, Drillago can attack you directly!"
"...uh oh..."
"DRILLAGO, ATTACK WITH SPIRAL BLADE SPEAR!" Drillago leapt over CV's monsters and struck him in the chest, staggering the future Warrior.
CyberV: 5900
Mouse: 8000
"Ouch..." Jay winced. "That has to hurt."
"Be careful..." muttered Nat with more emotion than she normally would.
Ashes watched her carefully. 'Is she... Is she harboring feelings for CV?'
"I'll place one card facedown and end my turn." A card appeared.
"Fine," said CV, drawing. "First, my Cannon gains 1000 attack points."
Wave Motion Cannon: 1000
"Next, I'll sacrifice my Witch for a new monster, one I've been saving for just the right duel! Come on out Patrician of Darkness!" Witch faded away as a batwinged zombie appeared on the field in attack mode.
Patrician of Darkness: 2000/1400
"That activates Witch's special ability. Now I can add a monster to my hand with 1500 or fewer defense points, and my Gilford the Lightning suits me just fine!" His deck ejected Gilford, which CV snatched up.
"Now it's time to get rid of Drillago! Enraged Muka Muka, destroy it with Enraged Insect Blast!" The insect Monster lashed out with lasers from it's eyes, but Mouse didn't even blink.
"I play my trap card! INTERDIMENSIONAL MATTER TRANSPORTER!" Black Pendant shattered as Drillago faded away, the eye beams missing it completely. "This trap removes my monster form play until the end of the turn. Sorry. No dodging direct attacks for you."
"Fine," said CV. "I'll place one card facedown and end my turn." A card appeared on the field.
Enraged Muka Muka: 2400/1800- 400/400 2000/1400
'Wait... Why didn't he attack me with the Patrician? Is he intentionally throwing this match?'
CV smirked, seeing the look in her eyes. 'All going according to plan...'
"I thought you were coming at me with everything you've got! Why not attack me!"
"Because with your deck type, the life points don't matter. Now make your move."
Drillago reappeared.
Drillago: 1600/1100
"You'll regret that! I play Graceful Charity!" She held up the card. "Now I can draw three cards as long as I discard two from my hand!"
She did, choosing Reload and Chu-Ske the Mouse Fighter, and liked what she saw.
'Good. The third piece. Two more and I can end this farce of a duel! I'll teach him not to take me seriously!'
"I play Different Dimension Capsule!" A strange metallic coffin appeared, and a card from near the bottom of her deck ejected right into it. It faded into the ground. "In two standby phases, the card I just removed from play goes into my hand."
'Good,' thought CV.
"NOW ATTACK, DRILLAGO! GO STRAIGHT FOR HIS LIFE POINTS! SHOW HIM WHAT ATTACKING IN A DUEL IS ALL ABOUT!" Drillago leapt to attack, but paused in midair.
CV chuckled. "Right now, I bet you're wondering why I didn't attack you with the Patrician of Darkness. The truth is, I didn't want you scrutinizing him too closely. If you had, you would have discovered his special ability."
Mouse's eyes widened. "WHAT?!"
"I was counting on you remembering our last duel, how you held back intentionally so I would win. I thought that would blind you to really getting a chance to think about my move. You see, the Patrician has a very unique ability, one that makes him a lot more useful than most monsters."
"What's that?"
"He decides where your attacks go." Drillago turned towards Enraged Muka Muka. "And with my trap card revealed..." Jar of Greed appeared from it's facedown position. "My Muka Muka gets even stronger, because now I get to draw one new card!" CV did so quickly.
Enraged Muka Muka: 2000/1400 +400/400 2400/1800
"DRILLAGO, STOP!" She cried, but it was too late. Drillago lashed out at Enraged Muka Muka. It's drill shattered on it's exoskeleton, and Enraged Muka Muka retaliated, slagging the creature with it's eye beams.
CyberV: 5900
Mouse: 7200
Despite herself, Mouse was impressed. She'd been so blinded by the lack of a physical attack that she hadn't considered a psychological one. Maybe the dork wasn't as bad as she thought.
"I end my turn." There wasn't much else she could do in her current situation, except hope her life points would hold for the turn.
"My move!" CV drew. "And I play my own Graceful Charity!" He drew three cards and discarded Rain of Mercy and Hero Kid.
"Naturally, my Cannon powers up again..."
Wave-Motion Cannon: 2000
"But don't worry about Muka Muka getting tougher... I'm playing Monster Reborn!" The card appeared on the field. "And I'm doing it to summon another new monster, my Hero Kid!" A teenage boy in battle armor appeared.
Hero Kid: 300/600
"And thanks to his special ability, I can summon up two more from my deck!" His cards glowed as the remaining Hero Kids appeared.
Hero Kids 2 and 3: 300/600
"And now for those direct attacks you were yelling for earlier... GO GET HER!"
The Hero Kids let loose with energy beams from their armors, even as Enraged Muka Muka let loose with eye blasts and Patrician opened his arms to release a flock of bats on Mouse.
CyberV: 5900
Mouse: 1500
Mouse fell to one knee, winded and shocked.
'When did he get this good?!'
Rising to her feet, she stared at him.
"Go on. Finish it. Remove that Cannon and you win."
"...Nah." CV brushed the notion off. "I only played it to make you mad. Using it to beat you would leave a bad taste in my mouth, considering how things went last time."
Mouse clenched her fists.
"You... little..."
"Upset, I see. Must frustrate you that hitting me right now would make you lose the duel... Ah well..." He shrugged. "One card facedown. Your turn." A card appeared on the field.
Mouse drew. 'The fourth piece! If I can survive the next round, I'll win the match! And I know just what he's going to do, too..."
"I play one monster facedown and end my turn." A card appeared on the field.
'I knew it,' thought CV. 'She's got to have a handful of Exodia cards by now. She's stalling until the Capsule returns with the final piece. This ought to be good...'
"Okay," said CV. "I sacrifice my three Hero Kids to summon Gilford the Lightning!"
Wave Motion Cannon: 3000
Gilford appeared, swinging his sword.
Gilford the Lightning: 2800/1400
"And because of his special ability, by sacrificing THREE monsters, your monster is automatically destroyed!"
"Which is what I wanted," said Mouse. As lightning struck her card, it revealed itself as Neko Mane King.
Neko Mane King: 0/0
"When my Neko Mane King is destroyed by an effect, your turn automatically ends."
CV nodded. "Good move."
"Yes, I know," she said. She drew. "And now this duel is over." The Different Dimension Capsule reappeared. "As soon as I add this card to my hand, I win."
"Not exactly, said CV, even as Mouse's fingers brushed the card within the Capsule. "REVEAL TRAP CARD! LIGHTFORCE SWORD!"
Even as Mouse picked up the head of Exodia, a blade struck her hand, nailing one card and pinning it to the ground. The left leg of Exodia appeared, skewered.
"No... You... What have you done?!"
"Lightforce Sword randomly removes one card in your hand from play for two turns. You see, I knew you were gathering the Exodia pieces... It was all a matter of waiting for the right moment to spring my trap. I could have done it at any time, but I wanted to make sure that I'd hit an Exodia piece. Your conservative playing told me the time was at hand."
Mouse growled. "Fine. I can last two turns! I PLAY SCAPEGOAT!" Four goat tokens appeared. "And even if you summon a monster, I'll still be safe for another turn, thanks to your declaration that you wouldn't use your Wave-Motion Cannon!"
"If you say so..." said CV, shrugging.
He drew. "Oh, Mouse... Things don't look good for you. This is the final turn." He showed her what he'd just drawn. "I play Card Destruction."
"It's over," said Mokuba. "That'll make them discard their entire hands and draw new ones. She's gone from five Exodia pieces to none just like that!"
"Mouse..." LazyMan whispered, feeling for her.
Reluctantly, Mouse fed her four Exodia pieces into the graveyard, even as CV cleared his own hand.
"You'll regret that." she promised.
"Not today, I won't," he said. "I play the magic card Dark Hole!" A back hole appeared on the field, and all the monsters and Scapegoats shattered.
"My last defense!"
"Is gone," said CV. "And I just need the right monster to end this duel." He held up a monster card. "ROCKET WARRIOR!"
Rocket Warrior burst from the card.
"IT'S ABOUT TIME! I was getting bored waiting to get played!"
Rocket Warrior: 1500/1300
"Finish this duel with ROCKET SLASH!" Rocket Warrior nodded.
"All over it, buddy!" He blasted forward and swiped with his blade, hitting Mouse head on.
CyberV: 5900
Mouse: 0
Mouse fell to her hands and knees, wiped out. Rocket Warrior and the Cannon faded away.
"Good game," said CV. "It was nice to finally face you for real."
She glared at him. "You played me from the minute this duel began. You knew how I'd react, and how I'd play."
"Yeah," said CV a bit too casually. "More or less. Drillago was a surprise, though."
She smiled weakly. "Well, at least I have that."
"And your honor." He held out a hand to help her up. She took it, and quickly turned it into a headlock, letting her noogie him mercilessly.
"ACK!"
"But this is for that Cannon!" she said. He waved his arms frantically as the others sweatdropped.
"He is SUCH a dork..." muttered Hikari.
"I'm not so sure..." muttered Nat softly.
"You like him. You really like him!" Ashes said, teasing Nat.
Nat blushed and sweatdropped. "I DO NOT!"
"Oh, you SO like him. Nat and CV, sitting in a tree..."
"CUT THAT OUT!" Nat started chasing after Ashes, who bolted.
"Girls. Go fig..." Jay shrugged.
"OWOWOW! A LITTLE HELP HERE?!" CV thrashed, trying to get free.
"This is my special card vault," said Pegasus as he lead Yugi and his friends into a massive underground chamber. "This is where I keep any card I deem too powerful for general usage."
"Woah..." Joey said it all right there. Cards were everywhere, every rarity, every type. They were looking at a priceless collection, filled with cards most suspected were unique. If they only knew...
"Ah, these are what you require." Pegasus picked up a small bundle. Hesitating for a moment, he moved to collect three more cards from a pedestal to his right. "Give these to the Warrior. If he's the one destined to save the world this time, these cards will be of great use to him."
"Thank you," said Yugi. "I'll see to it that he gets them."
"Good. And one more thing." Pegasus flicked his wrist, and another card appeared. "This is for your darling daughter, Joseph." He handed the card to Joey. "From what I hear, she's a great talent, and I always want to encourage great talent."
"Uhhh... Thanks..." Joey was a bit thrown back by this.
"I don't get it," said Tea. "Why are you being so helpful?"
"Because there's no profit in the end of the world," said Pegasus. "And because I'm counting on this Warrior to save my Wife's people. But I warn you, if he isn't up to the task..."
"If he isn't," said Yugi. "I step in."
LazyMan watched as Mouse left the arena, defeated, but honor satisfied... She began walking past him, emotions mixed.
"You did great out there," he said. "Top notch."
"I guess," she said. "And I'm convinced. You were right. He may be a bit of a clown, but he's the right Duelist for the job."
"I guess we both made a mistake back then."
"Yes... I guess so..." Watching from a distance, Ikke snorted, just loud enough to be heard.
"You have something to say?" asked LazyMan.
"Yes. Hurry up and kiss already. You two beating around the bush is driving us all crazy." He turned and walked away, leaving the leadership of Good to blush and wonder what to do now.
"He is such a jerk..." muttered LazyMan.
"But..." she said. "Occasionally very wise..." Mouse kissed LazyMan on the cheek and walked away.
All in all, not a bad way to start the day.
Back in the Halloween Ball, McMike finally kicked the door open.
"We're outta here."
"Later, freak job..." waved Mikey to a hogtied Big Andy.
"MMMPH!" BA was upset. They'd ruined his costume by wrapping him up in a tablecloth. Ojamas didn't wear togas!
"Yeah, whatever... I need to go burn my hands for a while."
Ramesus scowled. "I think the Warrior's gotten a bit cocky. He'll have to be chastised for this humiliation."
The Evil Duelists left, leaving Jimbo alone with the wrapped up BA. He chuckled to himself, pulling out a small pendant from under his shirt. It glowed, and he saw the reflection of the Egyptian God of Death, Anubis, within it.
"And then... WE will rule this entire world..."
Jimbo laughed... In a voice momentarily not his own...
Next time: Greekman's Solemn Vow: Power Will be Mine!