Jaden buys some sandwiches. (Expert)
Syrus gets into a duel. (Pumpkin)
Jaden makes a choice. (Paranoia)
Chumley thinks about the future. (Voices)
Accidentally did two of these in the wrong order, so it's four this time instead of three.
Year One - Main Gate
"Hey, Chumley, how much store credit do you have through duels?" Jaden asked.
"Uh, I think I have some, why?" Chumley replied.
"See, Syrus and I have this bet going. Syrus doesn't think I can stuff more than five sandwiches in my mouth at once, but I think I can do more. The winner owes the loser the cook's sandwich next time they draw one," Jaden explained. "I think I have enough duel credits on my own, but if not we might need your help."
Chumley pulled out his PDA and checked a setting. "Yeah, I think I can do that." He put it back in his pocket. "But are you sure this is a good idea? You could choke or something, and that's definitely not licious."
"It'll be fine!" Syrus said. "I won't let him go overboard. Though, maybe it'd be good if you were there to make sure, too. He'll be more likely to listen to you, since you don't have any stakes in it."
"Yeah, sure, I already finished the assignment earlier so I can do that," Chumley agreed.
"Wait, we have homework?" Jaden asked.
Jaden, Chumley, and Syrus were sitting on the ground outside the main gate, a pile of sandwiches next to Jaden. Jaden held his mouth open as he shoved another sandwich. After a few seconds of adjustment, he managed to get it to stay.
"Well, he's at four. I gotta say, I'm impressed," Chumley commented.
"Impressed about what?" All three of them looked to see Bastion stopping nearby, giving Jaden a look of concern. "Given how the situation looks, though, I'm not sure I actually want to know."
Jaden immediately began to try to explain, which only resulted in various unintelligible noises. Bastion frowned.
"It's nothing really," Chumley said. "Jaden and Syrus are just doing an experiment."
"An experiment on…" Bastion looked around him. "…Jaden eating sandwiches? What's the hypothesis?"
"Jaden thinks he can fit more than five sandwiches in his mouth at once," Syrus explained. "But I think five's his limit."
"Interesting." Bastion sat down between Syrus and Chumley. "And four's where he's at now, you say? Looks like he should be able to fit about two more."
"Two? No way, I'm never gonna win this bet," Syrus whined.
"Well, you never know. My math might actually be off. I'm just going off of looks and estimations, instead of measurements," Bastion ceded. "Though, did you just pick a bunch of random sandwiches? Jaden could definitely fit more if you only had plain sandwiches."
Jaden motioned for the commentary to die down as he reached for the fifth.
"Here we go, number five!" Chumley announced. "Can he do it?"
Year One - Classroom
"So, class, I know I'm not usually the teacher who goes over dueling basics with you," Professor Banner began. "But as Dr. Crowler is out today, I'll be taking his place for this class. So, today we'll be going through some practice duels with some practice decks. Pay very close attention to the duels you don't participate in. Jaden, Syrus, you'll be first."
As Jaden and Syrus walked to the front of the class, Professor Banner gave them each a deck to use. The two shuffled their decks and drew their starting hands.
"Yo, uh, Banner, is it just these cards in my hand, or is my entire deck pumpkin-themed?" Jaden asked.
Syrus glanced down at his hand as well. "Hey, me too! Uh, not specifically the pumpkins, but is mine all just vampires?"
"I know you all have your preferred decks and monster types, but it's good for you to branch out," Professor Banner explained. "Since zombie decks don't seem to be very popular at the academy lately, we'll be practicing with zombie monsters today!"
"Oh, hey, Chumley, maybe you'll like this one. There'a a card in my hand called Vampire Koala," Syrus said.
"Totally licious," Chunley responded. "I can't wait to see what it does! I might have to try it out."
"Zombie koalas are pretty cool," Jaden admitted. "But zombie food is even sweeter!"
"Now, class, pay attention. Syrus, Jaden, for this duel I want you each to play at least one Continuous Spell or Trap," Professor Banner said. "Syrus will start. Now, begin!"
Year Four, Second Half - Slifer Dorms
Something was on its way to Duel Academy. It was painfully obvious to Jaden.
Probably not to everyone else, though, given his new abilities. So maybe that'd explain why, while he was so on edge, everyone around him remained relaxed. And why shouldn't they be? This was Duel Academy. The worst thing anyone should have to worry about here was essays or upcoming exams. Despite the supernatural phenomena that seemed to occur at Duel Academy almost semiannually, it shouldn't be normal.
Still, the danger was coming, Jaden knew that much. And whatever it was, he knew it wasn't here yet. So there wasn't anything he could do about it yet. Was there?
Duel Academy seemed to attract disaster. There was the whole situation with Atticus and the Abandoned Dorm that happened before Jaden had started attending Duel Academy. Yet, after that… It was Jaden's duel energy that Kagemaru had needed and used. Jaden was supposed to be the first at Duel Academy converted into the Society of Light. Yubel, well, they were always going to come after him, for better or for worse, once they were able to again. So while Duel Academy attracted these sorts of incidents, but Jaden couldn't deny that he seemed to be a magnet for disaster as well.
If Jaden hadn't been here, would Kagemaru have had the duel energy he needed? Would the Shadow Riders have struck when they did? Would the Society of Light have come to Duel Academy? He was needed for both their plans. If Jaden never attended Duel Academy, would these last few incidents have even happened?
What was this new disaster after? Duel Academy, or him?
So, what are you going to do, then? Yubel asked him. They didn't have the answers to any of his questions either; if they did, he wouldn't be asking any of these questions. They were taking a back seat on this one. Either way, it was Jaden's choice.
What was he going to do now? He wasn't sure.
It was basically a coin toss. Either the threat was after Duel Academy or Jaden, and Jaden could either stay or leave. If Duel Academy was after him and he decided to stay, he was needlessly putting his classmates and teachers in danger, involving them in problems they shouldn't have to deal with. But if he left and the threat was after Duel Academy, then he wouldn't be there to help. His friends could get hurt because of him, yet again. Not that they couldn't take care of themselves. He trusted them, knew they could handle it.
It was risky either way. But before Jaden acted, he needed to weigh the risks of every possibility and figure out what action would be the least risky. That was a lot of thinking, theorizing, and planning he wasn't used to and wasn't looking forward to. That was more Bastion's speed, but asking Bastion about it was out of the question.
If only Sartorius could tell him the future. Then again, that might not even work. When it came to the future, Jaden had had a way of defying destiny.
"Alright, Jay, it's fried shrimp day at Obelisk," Syrus announced as he shoved the door open without knocking. "You're not getting out of it this time!"
Jaden chuckled. "You win this time, Sy. I'll eat dinner with you guys."
Well, he had an idea of what option he was leaning towards already.
Year One - Slifer Dorms
Chumley stared down at his Des Koala card.
Jaden claimed he could see and talk to duel spirits. That Winged Kuriboh appeared to him and talked to him all the time. He'd told Jaden once that sometimes it was like he could hear Des Koala in his duels, cheering him on and giving him advice. Jaden had declared that was proof that Chumley had more than enough potential, that he belonged at Duel Academy and that he should be there. Not to say that was the only proof; Chumley hadn't wanted to leave, so that was more than enough for Jaden, he didn't want him to leave either. But, still.
Working at the hot sauce company wasn't ideal. That was someone else's dream, not his. Dueling was fun, and Duel Academy was where Chumley wanted to be.
But if Chumley didn't want to work in the hot sauce business, what did he want to do instead? Dueling, maybe, but he didn't have nearly enough confidence in his skills to consider going pro right now. Nothing else sounded appealing.
They'd convinced his dad to let him stay at Duel Academy, and Chumley was grateful. But was it really for the best?
He didn't know.
People like Jaden and Bastion and Alexis had it easy. They were good at what they wanted to do. Those three could go pro easily. Even Syrus had better grades and more skill, he just needed more confidence and control.
Being at Duel Academy was the best, of course Chumley wanted to be here. But was this really where he should be? What should he do? Chumley wasn't a fortune teller. He couldn't answer that. He just wished someone would tell him.
"What do you think, Des Koala?" Chumley whispered.
He heard it, just barely. Des Koala was answering his question. It sounded like Des Koala thought he should stay at Duel Academy, that this was where he was meant to be.
"You really think I'm cut out for all this?" Chunley asked.
He didn't get a response that time. Des Koala was a lot quieter than Winged Kuriboh seemed to be, but he didn't mind. When it mattered, Des Koala always knew what to do or say.
If Des Koala really thought he had what it took…
"So, what do you think of this one?" Chumley asked, sitting back in his seat. A finished painting sat on the easel in front of him; an image for another new card for Industrial Illusions he was helping to make. "This one's supposed to be a trap card."
Des Koala gave approval on the design. Chunley smiled. "I thought you'd like it. This one's supposed to work well with you, I hear."
When Chumley had been accepted into a position designing cards at Industrial Illusions, part of him had expected it to be a prank, or to get fired almost immediately for doing something wrong. But he was still here, still creating cards, and cards he made were being approved, even sold. He was successful now. A year ago, he never would've imagined this. He couldn't have. It still seemed so impossible.
He still dueled some, but it wasn't his job. Still, he was working with the game that helped him through such hard times. Working for the game. And it was better than he could have ever hoped.
"Sure, I went to Duel Academy and I can hear you," he told Des Koala. "But none of that means I had to make dueling my career, you know? I never would've made it if I did that. Working with dueling doesn't have to mean becoming a pro duelist. You can make cards, you can teach, you can report on duels or help other duelists with their careers…"
Chumley didn't duel much these days, but Duel Academy had been where he belonged. It was where he was supposed to be at the time, even if he wasn't sure he had it in him to keep up with his classmates. Duel Academy helped him get the job he had now, and he'd met important friends there that had done so much to help him. They'd forged the kinds of friendships distance couldn't truly destroy.
And all that had been so close to never happening, too. He hated thinking about that part. He'd rather just be grateful that it did happen.
Things were better now, even if he couldn't see they'd improve before. Life could be pretty licious sometimes.