Eyes flashing like giant torches!

Teeth! All those golden teeth!

Flames crackle inside of its mouth like a furnace from hades itself!

Ten! Ten! Ten! Ten!

Flames swirling all around her, burning her like a damned soul!

Ten! Ten! Ten! Ten!

"AAAAHHHH!" Alexis bolted upright, kicking wildly, her knees smashing into Aster's shin.

"Ow! Hey! What the hell?" he shouted.

Alexis backed all the way against the couch and breathed as though she had run a marathon. Her eyes were wide with fear and sparkling with tears in the light of the fire. She looked around at her surroundings like a curious fox peering out of its den.

"What happened?" Aster asked.

Alexis rubbed her eyes and shook her head. "Nothing."

"Don't screw with me, Alexis, that wasn't nothing."

"No, no, no. It was." She forced herself into a chuckle. "You know that weird feeling when it feels like your body is falling down in your sleep? Yeah, that's what that was."

"A flight or fight response," said Aster.

"Yeah," Alexis said.

"You know that's your body's way of dealing with anxiety and stress. Is there something you want to talk about?"

A plane soared overhead, causing the stillness of the night to rumble. Alexis rubbed her shoulders and, again, shook her head no. "I'm fine."

"I can't help you unless you talk to me, you know."

"What are you some kind of psychiatrist?"

"Well..."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, your PhDs. I don't need to get reminded of those again. Humor me, Aster, why the hell did you go back to a high school for dueling if you had those?"

Aster shrugged. "I have my reasons."

"Such as?"

"I'm not going to talk about it."

"Why?"

"Well, you don't want to talk about your issues. So why should I talk about mine?"

"Reverse psychology, huh?"

Aster shrugged again but this time with a confident smirk. He rolled his legs over the edge of the couch and sat up. "This partnership isn't going to get anywhere without communication." He fumbled over candy wrappers and empty cans of soda in search of the remote. "If you want to make it to the Colosseum, you need to be real with me."

"There's nothing to talk about, Aster, I promise."

Aster found the remote and turned off the TV. "If you insist, Rhodes. Just so you know, this isn't the first time I heard you screaming in your sleep." Alexis blinked quickly and swayed her head from side to side as if to tell him he was wrong. "No, no, no, I heard you the first night you were here. If there are any monsters in your closet that you need bringing out, now's the time to talk about it."

"I swear, Aster, nothing's wrong."

Aster gave a nod and chugged down the last of his soda. He cringed, for it lost its fizz. "Ugh, that's nasty. All right, off to bed now. Let's go."

"Aww, I kind of like being here on the couch."

"Not me, kid, I need my bed. I'll see you in the morning."

The days passed and the snow melted. Once the sun shined down on Paradise City and cleared the snow with its warmth, the city exploded with life. Everyone rushed out of their homes to get to where they needed to be. Well...all except for one. Alexis was still fast asleep in her room. Drool oozed from the side of her mouth and soaked her pillow. Her hair was a wild mess; it looked like there was a golden Kuriboh sitting on her head.

Aster marched into her room and dumped her dueling costume right beside her, startling her. "Huh?" she said stupidly. Aster rushed to the window and opened the blinds, blinding Alexis with sunlight. She still didn't get up. But then...she heard something snarling at her. Something big. Alexis opened her eyes and was face to face with Destiny HERO - Double Dude's monstrous side. Both Alexis and the monster looked at each other for a moment. Alexis gasped and the monster snarled, flashing its teeth at her before it leaned forward and roared in her face. The room shook violently. The fishes in the aquarium over her bed scattered around in fear and a vase fell from one of the glass shelves on the wall.

"Ayeee!" Alexis shouted, crawling backward in her bed until she fell off, her legs sticking up over the edge and flailing wildly. Alexis fell flat on her stomach and escaped from the confines of her sheets. She saw Aster standing over her with his arms crossed. "What gives?" she shouted.

"You were supposed to be up an hour ago!" Aster said, his voice quaking with anger. "I told you to be ready."

Alexis pulled locks of hair off her face and sat up on the floor. "The training! That was today? Oh, God, Aster, I'm sorry."

"Don't give me that shit! When I tell you to get up at eight o'clock, you get up at eight o'clock! And not a minute later, am I understood?"

"All right, all right, I'm sorry."

Yes, the days of sitting around by the fire and having breakfast close to noon were over. The snow had melted and so did Aster's warmth. He seemed so strict now. Dare she say...a little colder. He wasn't wearing pajamas anymore. He was now clad in a silver blazer with his Duel Disk mounted on his arm. He meant business now and it looked like he would have no qualms about kicking her out back on the streets if she failed him in any way. His eyes, once sparkling like a warm fireplace, looked like a blizzard in the night.

Wasting no time, Alexis hurried to the bathroom to wash and dress in her uniform. She inserted her deck into the drive recognizer, causing the RGB lights to flash. Aster was leaning against the doorframe of Alexis's room and admired her gear.

"Where did you get that?" he asked.

"It's my academy uniform," Alexis replied. "I just made a few...additions."

"Uh-huh. Looks expensive."

"It was. I had to use whatever I had left in my bank account to get a friend of mine to personalize it. I wanted it to look like the gear Seto Kaiba had when he Dueled Yugi to demonstrate the power of his new tech."

"You look like a Christmas tree," Aster said, trying his best not to laugh.

"Har, har, har," Alexis said, smacking her fists against her hips. "Well, we had somewhere we needed to be so let's get going."

After a quick breakfast, the pair arrived at a tall building by the ocean shaped like a double helix. The steel and glass were outlined with glowing blue lines. There was a fountain outside with a Christmas tree placed on a small island at the center. The Kaiba Corp Performance Center was written above the entrance of the building in big gold letters.

"What the hell?" said Alexis. "If Kaiba has places like these up and about, doesn't that make Duel Academy...I don't know, seem irrelevant?"

"Hey, so long as there are kids out there running around thinking they're going to be the next King of Games, Duel Academy will never be irrelevant. Besides, it looks good on a resume if you're interested in a career in Duel Monsters."

"Bullshit," Alexis said. She pointed at her gold medal.

"Well, not everyone had a fallout like you did. I'd like to learn more about it if you don't mind, Alexis."

"Maybe we will someday," Alexis said. Aster stopped. Alexis kept going and then stopped as well. She looked over her shoulder. "What?" She said, her breath clinging in the frosty air.

"Why not now?"

"Forget it! I promise it's nothing to be concerned about. Now let's get inside. I'm freezing my butt off."

"Well, you're in a Duel Academy skirt," Aster laughed as he walked by her. "So you're not giving your butt much protection."

"Seriously," Alexis said, following after him. "Whoever designed these for the girls was a damn pervert. And screw Seto Kaiba for approving of this."

"Yet you still wear it proudly," Aster said.

They crossed through the gold sliding doors and were blessed with warmth as they entered the atrium.

"I don't, actually," said Alexis, freezing on the spot to get used to the warmth. "Oof, that feels good. No, in the trashy league you found me in, this bitch helped pay the bills."

"Well, that's in the past," said Aster. He showed her the vastness of the place. There were cherry blossom trees lining down the halls. Water flowed through the indoor rivers and into aquatic gardens where Koi fish swam around peacefully. "The people here are talented and very professional. They're going to take care of you, I promise. No need to wear this rag anymore. There should be no need for a girl to objectify herself for a buck."

Alexis looked around and smiled. "Thank you...Aster."

"Oh, hey!" Aster called out to someone large who walked by them.

Alexis almost burst into tears when she saw the man turn, revealing the friendly face of Chumley Huffington. He was much taller now and leaner. He had a thin beard and the tufts of hair on his head that once formed koala ears were almost completely gone. He wore an expensive suit and tie and carried a steel briefcase in his massive grip. A gold ring with a ruby flashed on his index finger.

"Hey, Aster," Chumley said. He saw Alexis and smiled. "Aww! Alexis? No way! Is that you?"

"CHUMLEY!" Alexis shouted. She embraced him in a hug and sniffled against his chest.

Chumley felt awkward and bewildered by the sudden embrace. "Uh...nice to see you, too, Alexis." He patted her head. "How have you been?"

"You don't want to know," Alexis said backing away and wiping the tears from her eyes. "It's been so long, buddy. How are you? What are you doing in Paradise City?"

"Nothing much. Just checking out the local talent for Syrus's new dueling league."

"What happened to your job as a card designer for Industrial Illusions?"

"Ha!" He boastfully placed his hand on his chest. "I'm not just an artist there anymore. I'm the very head of the art department of Industrial Illusions."

"Wow! I bet that pays good money, huh?"

"Yeah. Pegasus pays more than six figures a year for my work. And uh...well...I'm sorry to say I designed the card that guy used to..."

"Shh!" Alexis said. She quickly clasped her hand against his mouth. "Shh! Shh! Let's not speak of that."

Aster placed his hands in his jacket said nothing. He waited for Chumley to say something, but he could tell he respected Alexis's feelings. He just looked at Aster and swallowed nervously before he said: "Well, uh, how have you been since then?"

Alexis blinked to keep the tears from welling up. She sniffed suddenly but hid it with a fake giggle. "Not good. I've been down in the dumps since it happened. But I've managed to pull through."

"You mean climb your way through ham and shit?" Chumley said.

"Yeah," Alexis sighed and looked away from his gaze. The air was perfumed with his strong cologne, making her feel rather jealous of him. It made him seem very distinguished and business-like. Hard to believe he was that lazy Slifer Red student who slept all day and ate grilled cheese. Huh. What made the moment even awkward was the fact that despite his grades being poor and being assigned to the lowest-ranked dorm on the island, he was in a much better position than Alexis was. For just a moment Alexis felt her heart getting tied up in a knot. It wasn't fair.

Chumley placed his thick hands on Alexis' shoulders. "Well, if there's anything I can do to help you, just let me know, Alexis. It wasn't right what happened to you."

Alexis beamed back at him. "I appreciate it, Chumley." She stood on her toes and planted a kiss on his cheek. "I really do. But Aster's helping me get back up on my feet. I don't want to burden you with my problems, either."

Chumley slid his palm across the air and chuckled. "Nonsense. I'll get Sye on the horn, too. Maybe there's something we both can do."

"No, no, it's fine. All I want to know is if you've heard from the others?"

"The gang from school? No, I haven't kept in touch with them since you guys graduated. Syrus is the only one I've been keeping close contact with. I saw Jesse a while ago when he was helping promote Syrus's show. And every now and then I see Blair kicking ass as champion in that all-female hardcore Dueling show Combat Zone Dueling."

"Blair in CZD?" Alexis laughed. "Oh, man. Such a vicious league for such a small thing."

"She ain't small no more," Chumley said. "She smashing chairs on people's heads, having her monsters crush her opponent's against a steel cage. Oof. Remind me not to piss her off."

"Anyone else?"

"Sorry. But I do know Chazz is dueling with Aster in the Colosseum, so he's around town."

"What about..." Alexis gulped, hoping, praying, that Chumley would give her the answer she wanted. "What about Jaden?"

Chumley shook his head. "Sorry, Alexis. No one has seen him. I read in the papers that he Dueled Joey Wheeler in New York. After that, Jaden dropped off the face of the earth. I really wish I knew more."

"Yeah, me, too."

"Hey, Chumley," Aster said. "It was good seeing you, but we need to get going. I've got to get Alexis enrolled in the performance center."

"Her? But she's such a good Duelist. I don't think she needs to train here."

"The game has changed since she last played, Chumley. Alexis has spent most of her Dueling career playing against noobs with unga-bunga decks. The last guy she Dueled played Mushroom Man."

Chumley's brow creased in anguish. "Mushroom man?"

Aster nodded. "Mushroom man."

Chumley looked at Alexis in dismay and rubbed the back of his head, wondering where in the hell Alexis had been playing this whole time. "Geez, that loss hit you harder than I thought. Well, I'm sure you'll get the kick you need here, Alexis. See you."

Alexis and Chumley hugged. "See you, Chumley. It was good seeing you."

Chumley patted her back. "It was good seeing you, too. I'm glad you're working to get back on your feet. Remember, you only truly fail if you give up. And I'm glad you haven't given up."

Alexis looked up at him and smiled, trying her best to keep the tears contained. "Me, too, Chumley. Me, too."

Chumley hugged Alexis one last time then made his way out of the building. Alexis then followed Aster to a domed facility with six dueling arenas bustling with activity. A Karbonola Warrior leaped across one of the fields and slashed a Flying Kamikiri #2 in half. The blast caused a youngster to fall flat on his back as his Life Points sank closer and closer to 0. On another field, a young man with flaming red hair that was spiked and pointed tributed two special summoned monsters to call upon his Tri-Horned Dragon.

"I attack!"

"Wait!" said his opponent. "Doesn't your monster get summoning sickness? He can't attack me on the turn he's summoned."

"Wrong game, dweeb! Welcome to the big leagues! Tri-Horned Dragon! Shut him down!"

The stubby horned dragon stampeded across the arena and impaled the opponent's M-Warrior #2 with his long, thick, claws. When his opponent's life points hit 0, the red-haired duelist jumped down from the arena to join his buddies at the concession stand to get his lunch. As he chugged down a bottle of water, he saw Alexis and Aster walking by and sort of...paused.

"Is that Aster Phoenix?" the red-haired duelist asked.

"Yeah, that's him alright," said his friend.

"Who is she? That girl beside him?" the red-haired duelist asked again.

"Dunno. Figures the Arena Grand Champion would hang out with a pretty girl," said another of his friends.

The red-haired duelist rubbed his chin. "Hmm. She sure looks familiar."

Alexis clung close to Aster like a little child would their mother at the mall to keep from getting lost. Monsters she had never seen or heard of before popped up in the arenas all around her. One of them was a Black Luster Soldier in white and gold armor that was summoned by a yellow-haired young lady whom Aster waved down. The yellow-haired girl waved back at him and used the flashy Black Luster Soldier to attack her opponent's monster, Shinato King of a Higher Plane, who was weakened thanks to a Riryouku spell. He slashed the angelic being across the chest with lightning speed; Alexis blinked and the attack was over. Shinato groaned, slowly falling toward the ground. Before he could touch the arena floor, he exploded and dealt the last bit of damage to his master, a girl with pink hair and braided pigtails.

The blast knocked her fell on her bottom. "Oof!" she cried. She smacked the ground with her fist and pouted. "Aww, I can't believe I lost again. I guess I'm not gonna make it to the show this week."

The girl with the Black Luster Soldier walked towards her fallen opponent and helped her back up on her feet. "Don't worry, Jeannie. You made it last week. I know you can do better. You just got to give your monsters more protection. Your backboard was empty. Did you get any of the traps I told you about."

Jeannie looked away from her and rubbed her shoulder. "Well, yeah, of course, I did."

Knowing her friend was lying, the girl held up her hand and bent her fingers toward herself, demanding Jeannie hand over the deck so she could see. Jeannie reached into her Duel Disk and took it out. The yellow-haired girl shook her head in disappointment, her long, curved bangs waved fiercely over her spring-green eyes. "I see nothing but more high-level monsters and power-up spells. Jeannie, you promised me."

"I know, Brandi, I know, but those monsters are just soooo cool! I just have to use them."

"What good does an Ultimate Obedient Fiend do your deck? Unless you have the right cards to keep him on the field, he's nothing more than just a giant paperweight on your side of the field. If you keep filling your deck up with these throw-away monsters, you'll be stuck in the performance center forever. This is the last time I'm helping you out with this, Jeannie. Fill your deck with any more crap, and I'm done with you, understand."

"Yes, ma'am, I'll do better next time. I promise."

Brandi handed Jeannie back her deck and gave her a hug and a pat on the back before seeing her off. "Aster," she said. "And who is this pretty young thing?"

"This is Alexis Rhodes," Aster said stepping back and extending his hand toward her. "A friend of mine from school. I just got her enrolled here."

Brandi's eyes widened. "Whoa! Alexis Rhodes! Aren't you the girl who got trounced by..."

"Yeah!" Alexis said at once. "We're not going to speak of that, please. It's something I want to move forward from."

"Understandable," Brandi said. "I respect your wishes, Alexis. And I'm glad you're working to make yourself stronger. Most people would just up and quit after something as devastating as that."

Aster couldn't take it anymore. "All right, what happened? It seems everybody knows about what happened to Alexis except me."

Brandi looked at Alexis who waved her head from side to side over and over again as if pleading her not to tell Aster. "Well, Aster, you're just going to have to figure that out for yourself. Not my fault you can't bother to look outside your own life every once in a while. So, I take it you're going to help Alexis get back in the game, huh?"

"Yeah. She's staying with me until she does."

"Oooo," Brandi said shaking her hips. "Anything lovely going on between you two?"

Both Aster and Alexis went red. "What!" they both said. "No!"

"Uh..." Aster grunted. "It's not like that..."

Brandi reared her head back and laughed. "Seriously? You think anyone is going to fall for that? Come on, Aster. No hotels? Nothing? You got a beautiful girl like Alexis sleeping at your place as you help her climb her way back to the top. Did Alexis wrap you around her little finger to get you to bring her in?"

Alexis gasped, clearly offended by what the girl said. "Excuse me! What are you saying?"

"Nothing, nothing," Brandi said, waving both her hands to calm her. "So, tell me, Aster. Do you grab her ass at night or do you smack it."

Alexis clapped both her hands over her mouth. "Oh my!"

Meanwhile, Aster stomped his foot on the ground. It looked like steam was about to come out of his ears. "It's not like that, Brandi! God! Why is your head always in the gutter, woman!"

"Wow, both of you need to chill out. I was just joshing you for goodness sakes, lighten up. So, Aster, Alexis, what can I do for you?"

"I want you to be Alexis's opponent in the show tonight," Aster said.

Both girls looked at him. "What?"