Chapter 3: flipping out
Another day of School came and Alice was getting use to her new environment when a kid runs up to Alice and says "Hehehehey, Alice, how's it goin', pal" and with this Alice said "Who are you" the kid was small but wore a first year uniform like Caswell "The name is Flip' the new identified Flip said before continuing "And I take quite a bit of pride in that name, cause I believe everything has a flip side, My right has my left; my front, my back. My frowny face has my smiley face! See… Pleased to meetcha" he finished to which Alice replied "it's nice to meet you flip" flip then pulled out a card "Oh- before I forget, I have a little something forya Alice, It's an *Xyz* monster- Baby Tiragon" flip said "And you're giving it to me" she asked/said "Yep! For takin' down that bully Shark! Go on, don't be shy, take it. It can be a symbol of our new friendship" he said "Symbol of friendship, how could I refuse" Alice said as she took the card 'someone wants to be my friend' she thought sombrely plus before looking at it and thinking 'it's so cute' on a more positive note "well Alice I got to head to class for now, but I'll see you later" Flip said running off 'what is this dark aura I'm feeling, hmm' Astral thought while Alice headed for class
When Alice finished class she was greeted by Flip "hey Alice do you want to go to the mall with me" he asked "sure it sounds like fun" she said as the left for the mall "so Flip is shark really that bad a person, he seems pretty nice to me" Alice said as they were walking "I can see how you would think that with how Shark's been acting lately, fact of the matter is that he's been different ever since you beat him, a word most people use is not nice because Shark doesn't do nice but less mean" Flip said 'I suppose that's Sharks flip side but for now let's focus on the new girl' he thought before saying "that's why I think your awesome, not only did you beat the school bully, but since then he hasn't bulled anyone" Alice did feel a bit flustered at the complement
When they got to the mall Flip knowing Alice was an exchange student and as such didn't know her way around (earning her trust), while Alice took in the environment as much as she didn't want to admit it she hadn't really gone out much since getting here, after a full walk around the two sat on a bench "thank you for showing me around Flip and you didn't need to waste your time with me" Alice said "Like I said before I think your awesome. The way you beat shark that was one of the best duels ever" he said flattering her again "Wow, really...Thanks" she said before he asked "By the way, what was that card that you used to take down Shark? You know, uh..." getting ahead of him Alice said "You mean Utopia" with this flip got off the bench leaving his back to Alice "Huh Oh, right that was it" he said as he circled the bench, when he was behind Alice he stuck something on her back passing it off with a friendly comment "I'm your friend aren't I" he said making his way back around, with this Alice said "I would like to think so" with this flip asked "hey since we're friends how about a friendly duel" he said with a smile 'come to think of it I've never actual duelled anyone in a friendly environment' Alice thought before saying "sure, why not" with that she got up from the bench "I have a bad feeling about this duel. I think you should pass" Astral said unsure about Flip "why I mean there's nothing at stake, no consequences for losing" she said while Flip was confused at who she was taking to, "very well, but do try to win" Astral said 'he is suspicious, but as long as Alice wins their shouldn't be a problem' and with that thought Alice said "right" "Uhh, are you takin' to me" Flip asked "no just, ha ha ha" she tried laughing it off 'I got watch taking to astral around others' but with that done the duel started
Turn 1: Flip 4000LP
"I'll go first, if it's okay! Here goes draw; I place a monster face down in defence mode, that's it for this turn"
Turn 2: Alice 4000LP
"I draw, I summon Magician's Valkyria in ATK mode" ATK 1600 level 4 "and now I can tribute Magician's Valkyria and special summon Silent magician and it gains 500 ATK for each card in my hand" ATK 3000 Level 4 'I don't know what his face down is so I might take damage, but if I can take it down I can go for a direct strike' "now I play monster reborn to bring back my Magician's Valkyria" Silent magician ATK 2500 "now my Silent magician attacks your face down"
'I was hopping she'd go with this aggressive approach' he thought with a smirk "Porcupine Fish, appear" Porcupine Fish ATK 200 Level 1 "Flip effect, activate"
"Flip effect, well I guess that fits" Alice said
"Porcupine Fish's flip effect means you now take four hundred points of damage"
Silent magician destroyers Porcupine Fish, Flip no damage, Alice 3600LP
"Well played, but I expected no less! Still- I took your away life points ,yaahaa" he said happily jumping up and down
'He sure seems happy, maybe this is what the game is about, it doesn't even matter if I win, but I did say I would try' Alice thought while Astral had his own thoughts 'so he is a flip effect monster user' "now Magician's Valkyria attacks you directly"
Turn 3" Flip: 3400
"Alright then my turn, I play a monster face down in defence mode and two cards face down"
Turn 4: Alice 3600LP
'okay with my next draw Silent magician attack points should return to 3000, but given that put two cards face down, he might want to destroy it' Alice thought before taking her turn "I draw, and now I'll play two cards face down" 'sure it may weaken my silent magician, but my two face down cards should help if one of the cards he has damages my hand' "okay, now Silent magician attack his face down monster"
"with that attack Chew-Bone effect activates allowing me to summon three Chew-Bone Jr's to your field"
"My field"
Silent magician destroys Chew-Bone, no damage
'should I still attack with Magician's Valkyria, he still has those two face down cards so'
"so what do you think of that awesome summoning move three monsters at once"
"yeah but you summoned them to my field"
"what, oh no I read the effect wrong"
"okay I end my …."
"wait aren't' you going to summon your XYZ monster, you know because of the summoning mistake I made"
'he does have a point with this I could summon, wait', "be honest you didn't make a mistake did you"
'Don't tell me she's on to me' "what do you mean"
"You purposely summoned these three to my field because you want me to play the card you gave me, so that's what I'll do, I overlay these three level 1 monsters in order to build the overlay network and XYZ summon Baby Tiragon" Rank 1 ATK 900
"you sap, you fell for it, now I activate the trap Ultra C"
"What does that do"
"Well when you summon Baby Tiragon, I get to summon an XYZ a monster straight from your deck"
"My Deck"
"yes which means utopia is mine, summoning Baby Tiragon was the worst diction you made"
"flip purposefully set you up so that you would Baby Tiragon" Astral told her "so this whole duel was a setup"
"That's right and that note on your back tells you what we're playing for"
When Flip said that Alice found the note on her back and read it "If I lose this duel I agree to give Flip a card from my deck, so what card are we playing for"
"The same one I want, the card you used to beat shark with your utopia card"
"But utopia is a number card if you lose that then I will" Astral said "well I'll just have to win" Alice said
"Now utopia is mine" flip said as utopia was summoned to his field, Rank 4 ATK 2500 "now your best card is under my control and utopia stays with me as long as it's equipped with Ultra C, there's no way you can win, victory will be mine and so will your percusses utopia card
It was then Alice heard a gasp from Astral as he was engulfed by a share of blue light 'Astral, if I lose this duel then, no I won't lose' "not for long, I tribute Magician's Valkyria and Silent magician in order to summon my Dark Magician" level 7 ATK 2500
"Well I activate my trap car" Flip was about to say before Alice interrupted
"I activate my face down mystical space typhoon and it destroys your trap card, now I set one card face down and end my turn", 'since utopia's a number monster I can't use Dark Magician to destroy it, but I can use my face down next turn'
Turn 5: Flip LP 3400
"First I draw then I summon Flipangatan in ATK mode" Level 3 ATK 800 "now utopia attacks Dark Magician"
Utopia 2500 ATK attacks Dark Magician 2500 ATK, utopia is not destroyed
"Now my Flipangatan Attacks you directly"
"No because I activate the trap soul rope, see when you destroyed my Dark Magician this card lets me summon a monster from my deck that's level 4 or below for the mere cost of 1000 life points so I summon Skilled Dark Magician in attack mode" monster 1900 ATK level 4
Skilled Dark Magician destroys Flipangatan 1100 damage
Flip 2700 LP
"well it doesn't matter I'll still win"
"I don't get you flip why are being so mean"
"I'm not mean, the world is"
"What"
"And I learned it the hard way, Alice, Ya see I wasn't *always* like this! I was once a sap like you"
"Huh"
" It was way back when I first entered the Duel Monsters world"
(Flashback)
In a park somewhere, several older boys surround a younger one. The one speaking has shoulder-length red hair, a red shirt, and black shorts. "Hey Flip We heard you've started dueling. Would you mind teaching us" he asked a young Flip "I'd be glad to" he said and was given an answer "So what're you putting up" the Young Flip responded "Hmm? Whadda you mean put up" the boy behind Flip who speaks next has a tan cap, blue hair, a brown jacket and jeans "He means, which card. The winner of the duel gets a card from the loser" to which the Young Flip was unsure about "Uh- I dunno" he said before the one of them turns back to Flip "But'cha do know way more about duelling than us, so there's no way you're gonna lose" With another responding "Totally, Flip. You've really got nothing to worry about"
(Flash back end)
"But they were lying I had plenty to worry about, They knew how to duel, They were nice to face but mean behind my back, That's when I realized that there was always something going on, on the flip side, *that's when I decided, I would learn to become the master of the flip side, And so it began! The more I studied the way of the flip side, the more I learned, and It applied to everything And I took advantage! If my enemies were pretending to be nice but were truly mean, I would pretend to be fair but would truly cheat, and it worked, I got all my cards back- and something I didn't see coming Respect. Soon, I developed all sorts of different strategies to get what I wanted with my 'flip side' method, And without fail, it always worked I won at everything, including duels, where winning matters the most"
"that's sad story... Flip"
"enough talk it's your turn so take it"
Turn 6: Alice 2600LP
"alright it's my turn first I draw" 'perfect' "next I activate the trap card dark renewal, you see this card takes a monster from my side of the field and yours and tributes them to summon, my Dark Magician from the graveyard, so by sending my Skilled Dark Magician and utopia to the gave yard my Dark Magician returns" and Skilled Dark Magician followed by utopia to Alice's grave yard and the Dark Magician emerged
"What"
"now I activate the spell dedication though light and darkness, which lets me turn my Dark Magician into the Dark Magician of chaos" level 8 ATK 2800 "now my monster Attacks you directly"
Flip 2600LP - Dark Magician of chaos ATK 2800 = Flip 0
Alice win
"well done" Astral said having recovered after utopia was sent to the graveyard "you're okay" Alice said relived "yes now how do plan to deal with him" Astral said looking at a defeated Flip "I think I know" Alice said before she walked over to him "Hey Flip" Flip looks up, too surprised to scheme, when Alice crouches down near him, and gently offers him the Baby Tiragon card "I believe this belongs to you" she said " It did" he said in response "It does, take it you earned it, Flip. Just like you earned my respect the right way, by not cheating, it feels good right" she said as he thought about and responded with "...Yeah, I guess it sort of does" "Listen, all the respect you think you got by cheating, wasn't real at all. You were just tricking yourself" she said "Maybe... Or maybe this is all just a trick, and the flip side is you're gonna make me look like a big fool" he said suspicious with this Alice said Come on; that's impossible. I mean, there's no *way* could make *you* look foolish- not with those cool glasses you always were They're pretty hip" 'did I just say hip' she thought waiting for his response "... You think my glasses are... hip" he asked "Of course" Alice said as Flip is disarmed with surprise, He looks down and away with a small whimper, When he turns back to Yuma, he's crying; his watery eyes are gushing tears, "Alice that's the nicest thing anyone's ever said to me" he said as he tried to wipe his face on his sleeve, but still bursting with tears "Forget the flip side! Life can be pretty great when you just take something at face value" Flip sniffs, rubs his face on his sleeve, then smiles brightly at Alice, tears gone instantly "So I'm turning over a new leaf, right now! You keep the card" he said "Are you sure" she asked Flip nods, Tears showing at the corners of his eyes "like you said before, Flip, this card can be a symbol of our friendship" she said "Sounds good" Flip replied As Astral made his next observation 'observation three... Glasses are hip'.