After her Duel with Mai, Alexis grew in confidence and tried once again to play in the performance center until it was time for the next event in the spring. Aster couldn't wait for the weather to get warm again. This winter was by far the worst Paradise City had ever seen. Yeah, it snowed from time to time but blizzards? No, Aster had enough. As did Alexis. Months went by. Hundreds of Duels were won. As she gained more and more victories, Aster started to grow more and more proud of her. In time, she was beginning to grow as the performance center's official poster girl. Tickets at the local events were sold out within minutes, for everyone wanted to see the 'Fallen Queen' rise again and take down the competition.

One night, Aster watched Alexis duel from the balcony seat of a very lavish arena lit with crystal chandeliers hanging from a domed ceiling made of wood and accented with leafy ornamentation. He was having a candlelit dinner with a few talent scouts from the Colosseum, all three of them very impressed with Alexis' progress in the performance center and the love she had been getting as a duelist since her duel with Mai.

A waitress poured wine into one of their cups while he watched Alexis summon Drytron Meteonis Draconids below. She stood atop an arena with a black-and-white-tiled marble floor veined with gold and surrounded by a moat with little fountains. Built on the sides of the arena were aquariums filled with colorful fish, swimming around in coral.

"Beautiful," Aster whispered. He looked at the scouts.

Alexis's Drytron and her opponent's Ko'aki Meiru Maximus roared at one another and started spiraling over the arena in mortal combat as Alexis and her opponent activated trap cards, powering up their dragons, or saving their dragons from annihilation. They were on par with one another in terms of skill. Her opponent, a talented young lady from Germany, was laughing with joy as both she and Alexis one-uped one another in the duel.

The audience, being the uppity wealthy folk they were, clapped softly as though they were watching a golf tournament. They sat all around the arena around tables draped in white cloth and lit with candles floating on water inside glass vases. Many of them were sipping wine or having steak dinners that cost more than the rent in Alexis's old apartment. Alexis could not believe she was here now. Dueling in such a high-class arena such as this.

The Angel Dome is what the pavilion was called. It was held for only the most famous, wealthy, and talented Duelists in the city. Before Aster took her in, Alexis would often give the building the finger or spit on the marble steps leading up the entrance. Some nights when she lost her cool, she walked to the fountain and pissed in it. But now that she was here, she felt honored to be dueling here. The memories of her desecrating and insulting the place made her feel rather guilty, especially after the staff here had been so helpful to make her stay comfortable. Before the match, she was pampered with a massage and spent an hour in the spa. Afterward, she was treated to dinner by the owner, who was most pleased to have her here. Her! The biggest memes in the Duel Monsters world.

"I Ritual Summon, Cyber Angel Vrash!" Alexis shouted, summoning her strongest Cyber Angel. When the mechanical angel loomed over the field, a wave of slow claps erupted around her. Vrash dashed across the field and destroyed the other girl's Ko'Aki Meiru Valafar. The girl saved herself with a trap card that reduced the damage she took from the attack and the duel was still on.

Aster looked at the agents and said: "Well? Any of you impressed?"

"I know I am," said one of the scouts. He wiped his mouth with a handkerchief. "She's got talent, charisma, powerful monsters, and...beauty. With a little hard work and some elbow grease, she could be our golden girl."

"She's started trending from what I understand," said the scout. "Amazing that she made it this far considering she was once the biggest joke in our little sport."

"Indeed," said another agent. "And let's not forget about the shit show she did a few months ago when she ran out of the arena because little Brandi summoned that Black Luster Soldier."

"Will we be expecting anything like that again?" asked another scout, cutting into his steak. He picked it up with his fork and chewed on it noisily. "I want to hire her," he said with his mouth full. "But I fear she'll lose her cool again and run. You know that could lose us a lot of money."

"That's all behind her," Aster assured him. "She knows better than that now. Any fear she had of the internet and...and of him is gone as well. She's more than redeemed herself after all this time. Trust me, gentlemen, she's ready for the Colosseum."

"Not so fast, Aster," said the second scout, a man with short hair and ruby-lensed sunglasses. "I do see a lot of promise in her, there's no doubt about that. But the Colosseum? I mean, that's a little too bold, is it not?"

"I don't think it's bold," said Aster. "It's what she deserves. She worked really hard to get to where she is now."

"So did a lot of promising players," said the scout with the sunglasses. "Are we just going to give your girl a free pass just because you endorse her? I'm afraid we're going to need a little more convincing, Aster. Any kid can come to the performance center and be a hit. I've seen it happen hundreds of times. They reach stardom in the minor leagues, but when they reach the top, they choke and fall over because of the haste in pushing them there. Alexis has a very colorful resume but after what I witnessed last time, I'm still on the fence about her. If you could get her to participate in one of the tournaments here in the city and win, we'll be more than happy to sit down with her and talk about her career."

"I agree," said the scout eating steak. He sat up and wiped his mouth. "I've invested a lot of money into potentials who ultimately wind up rolling the donut. Too long have we relied on internet fame and popularity. Our duelists in the Colosseum are the best of the best. The truly elite. Alexis needs to try her hand against equally as impressive players. Not just rising stars in the local talent."

"I can't think of any competitions at the moment," said Aster. "None that are solo anyway. There's the tag team tournament going on but..."

"The tag team tournament should be an ideal place for her to sharpen her skills a little more. However, she needs to show she can carry herself. If we see her relying on you too much, well, that will teach us everything we need to know about her."

"She won't need me to carry her," said Aster. "She'll prove it to you."

After the show was over, Aster walked into Alexis's dressing room with a big bouquet of roses from one of the scouts, congratulating her on a well-fought duel tonight. In the hallway, he ran into Chumley, once again scouting for talent in the league Syrus established years ago.

"Aster!" Chumley said. "You did a good job with Alexis. Nice work. You know, seeing her in action today with all those Cyber Angels, it made me think of our golden days at Duel Academy, you know?"

"Yeah, well, it's best not to mention those days to her," Aster said. "She's still very nostalgic. And most of all, she wants to find Jaden again. I thought...for a moment I thought she'd be happy with me." Aster slowly walked toward one of the windows in the hall and stared out into the cityscape. "I did everything I could, Chumley. I saved her from the gutter. I treated her nice. I rose her back to stardom. But Jaden is still on her mind. I guess what Jesse told me was true. I think...I think Jaden does have a special place in her heart. I thought for a moment that maybe…"

"Aster," Chumley said, joining him by the window. "If you really feel for Alexis the way you do, then it's time to nut up and talk to her. Think about it, man. She's getting famous; I mean she's really been rocking it out there these past few months. People are talking about her, Aster. She's like a phoenix rising from the ashes. And she's hot. Uh...career-wise, I mean. What if Jaden hears about her? What if he comes back?"

Aster bumped his forehead on the window and clutched the roses tightly in his grip. "Yeah...yeah, I understand. All my life I've been lectured about 'destiny' and all that shit. I've come to understand that some things are just meant to happen. Some things aren't. Maybe it's Alexis's destiny to be with Jaden. If that's the case I guess...I guess I'll be fine with that."

"I understand. That means you really care for her, dude. I'm glad. Well, I'll be seeing you. I've got some stuff to take care of in the auditorium."

"Yeah, we'll talk later," said Aster. "See you."

He went down the hall, passing aquariums, mirrored walls, and indoor waterfalls before he reached the dressing rooms where Alexis was.

He knocked on the door and waited for a response.

"Yeah?" Alexis answered.

"It's Aster."

"Oh, hey! It's open!" Alexis called out.

Aster opened the door, his nose was assaulted with strong perfumes. Alexis was already dressed back in her casual clothes. And to his surprise, Mai was sitting on the lit-up vanity, dressed up in a wine-red dress. On the desk were golden plates, a glass trophy, a gold medallion with rainbow hues on the glossy surface, and a prize card called Queen of Fater - Eternia. She won all those for winning the Grand Prix tonight. Aster breathed through his nose in disappointment, upset that the agents wanted more despite Alexis winning so many great prizes and holding her own against some stiff competition tonight.

"Aster!" said Mai. "Surprise, surprise."

"Caught us just in time," Alexis said, rubbing a towel over her hair. "We just got out of the shower."

Aster gulped. "You mean...you two...showered? Together?" Certain images flashed through his mind making him rather nervous.

Alexis shrugged and frowned at him. It was almost as if she could see those images in his eyes. "Yeah? So?"

"Nothing," Aster squeaked. He pulled on the collar of his shirt and loosened the tie. "Oof, is it getting hot in here? Well, Mai, this is an unexpected surprise. I didn't expect to see you here."

"Well, I just thought I'd come here and say hello to my golden girl," Mai said, kissing Alexis on the top of the head. "Didn't she kick butt out there? She was great, wasn't she?"

"Yeah, of course."

"Oh, are those flowers for Alexis?" Mai swooned. "Oh my, oh my. Aster, Alexis. I didn't know something was going on between you two."

"Oh...uh..." Aster chewed on his lower lip, wondering what to say to get out of this situation. The truth perhaps. "These are from one of the Colosseum's talent scouts. A token of his congratulations."

Mai didn't buy it. She crossed her arms over her chest slowly and with that cheeky, mischievous look that made Aster's stomach tie up in a knot. "Uh-huh. A likely story. A guy doesn't get a girl flowers like those and doesn't deliver them himself. And you'd think a talent agent from the Paradise City Colosseum would have the balls to hand those over himself. No, no, I think those are for her and you're chickening out."

"It's not like that!"

"Riiiight. And that's why you're all red in the face and stuttering. Should I leave the two of you alone, then?"

"It's not like that?" Aster repeated.

Alexis giggled. "Isn't he cute when he gets defensive?"

Aster had a mind to throw the flowers and run. "Aww, man! Two against one is not fair!"

Mai tilted her head toward Alexis's direction and sniggered. "Alexis, honey, you need to tell your boy to chill. He's going to have an ulcer one of these days."

"He's been working around the clock lately. I'm surprised he hasn't gotten one already."

Aster set the flowers down on a table near the door, which he closed behind him. "Well, sorry I have to work so hard. How else do you think I can pay for that penthouse. And to feed you."

"Is she a handful?" Mai asked.

"Don't you know it," Aster replied. He leaned against the door. "You won't believe how many toothbrushes she goes through in a week. All the food she eats. Damn! I sometimes wonder to myself how? How the hell does she stay so thin? I spent $3000 on cards just yesterday, and you don't even want to know how much she spends on toiletries."

"Hey, I've got to look my best," said Alexis.

"And it's working wonders," said Mai. "You've got those people eating out of the palm of your hand out there, honey. Keep this up and you'll be in the Colosseum in no time."

"Yeah, about that," said Aster. "Those agents who invited us here tonight. They were really impressed with Alexis but…"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah," Mai said, frowning at the word. "BUT! There's always gotta be a big BUT in the way. What the hell do they want this time, Aster?"

"Apparently dueling the local talent isn't good enough for them. They want her to go up against some real opponents in a tournament or something."

"But we're already in the middle of the tournament season," said Alexis. "All the brackets in each event are filled up right now. Does this mean I'm out of the prospect as a Colosseum duelist until next year?"

"Not exactly. There's always the tag team tournament that's coming up next week. There's still time to sign up for that one. But you just can't participate in that one. You have to actually win the competition."

"I'm ready," said Alexis. "I think I've more than proven myself. I can take on the tournament."

"That's my girl," Mai said, slapping her on the shoulder. "But you're going to need a partner."

"Should we get Brandi on the phone?" Aster asked. "You two kicked butt in the Tag Team Classic back in February."

"No thanks," said Alexis. "Besides, she's in Majorca modeling right now. I doubt she'll make it back before the tournament begins. Besides, I have picked just the right person for the job."

"Yeah? Who?" Aster asked.

"Well, you, of course," said Alexis.

"Me? You want me to be your partner?"

"Ahh," said Mai. "Interesting."

"That's right. Who better than the guy who helped pick me up from the dumps? I think it'll be a good way to show the world what you and I are capable of. What do you say?"

"Well, that's the thing, Alexis. I was about to ask if you wanted to team up with me and duel in the games."

"Then it's decided," said Mai. "You two best get ready. From what I understand, the tournament is coming up pretty soon, so you'd best prepare and practice."

"You don't want to help us practice, Mai?" Alexis asked.

Mai waved her hand around. "Nah, three's a crowd. You kids go on. I've got some stuff to do in the meantime." She placed both hands on Alexis's shoulders and gave her a long wet kiss on the cheek. "Take care of my girl, tonight Aster." Mai patted Alexis's shoulder.

"Yeah, I will. Don't worry."

"All right then. See ya'll later. And try not to have too much fun out there." She winked and blew them both a kiss before walking out the door and leaving them alone.

"Hallelujah," said Aster, relieved that Mai had finally left. "Hey, no kidding though, Alexis. You did…you did great out there. And this place. Dueling here is definitely going to look good on your resume. Only the cream of the crop can play in this place. You ought to be proud."

Alexis responded with a smile. "Well, I wouldn't be where I am without you. You're the one who took me out of that place, helped me overcome my fears. I got to meet my idol, who's now not only my mentor but one of my best friends. I owe you one, Aster. Thanks."

"Nah, think nothing of it. So, do you want to go anywhere tonight and celebrate your big victory?"

"I can't think of anything," said Alexis. She patted her belly. "And I'm stuffed. Do you know how much food they gave me tonight? I can't eat another bite."

"Yeah, but they're not Burger World super-special-awesome burger sliders, right?"

"Huh?"

Aster held up a coupon, earning him a free slider Smörgåsbord at any participating Burger World restaurant.

"You're not gonna make me eat all those alone, are you?"

Alexis looked up and placed her finger on her bottom lip. "Hmm, well….I guess I have a little room for something."

An hour later, Alexis found herself groaning in agony at their booth, all the way in the corner of the restaurant to give them privacy. "Oh my GOD! I can't eat another bite!"

"I should be careful," Aster said. "I wouldn't want you to lose that million-dollar figure."

Alexis smiled at him.

"Don't quote me on that. Mai said it. Not me."

"Still, kinda sexy hearing it coming from you. You know...I still haven't forgotten about how mean you were last Christmas."

"Mean? What did I do?"

"You, mister, didn't say a fucking thing when the flap to my pajamas was down giving you a clear window at my butt."

"Oh, so you finally figured it out, huh?"

"Well, duh! Do you think I wouldn't notice forever? The moment I went to the bathroom to change, I discovered it was open. And when it dawned on me that you didn't say anything and watched me the whole time, I was furious. Oooooh! You devious bastard."

"Sorry. I just thought it was funny."

"Funny, huh? Is that all?" Alexis picked up a plastic fork and started flinging the bouncy prongs with her fingers. "So….did you like what you saw?"

Aster almost spit out his soda. "Well...no...I mean...it's just..Don't get me wrong, you've got a cute butt and (Alexis raised an eyebrow and formed an even longer smirk) I mean what I meant was….Sorry, okay? I just found it funny."

Aster narrowed his eyes and frowned. He pointed at her and said: "Hey, wait a minute. Don't tell me you didn't at least feel a draft in that thing. Was it really down without you knowing or did you do that on purpose?"

Alexis rolled her eyes away from his gaze and mischievously tapped the table with her fingernails.

"Hey don't give me that look. You did it on purpose didn't you!?"

Alexis bit her bottom lip and giggled.

He slammed his palm on the table. "Awwww! You bitch!" Aster laughed. Alexis did as well. "Well, Alexis, if that's the case, allow me to give you a belated thanks for such a beautiful view."

"Har, har, har," said Alexis. "Just a little Christmas tease is all." She winked as she took a sip of her soda. "I've always wanted to do that exposed butt in the pajama pant prank."

Aster chuckled. "Man, I think you've been in the gutter for way too long, Alexis. Or maybe you've been hanging out with Mai and Brandi too much."

"Or it's just me wanting to unleash my libido. I know how contained and proper I was back at the academy, but you can't expect the animal in me to be contained for too long, huh?"

"The animal in you, huh? Ever let it loose since departing from school?"

"Nope. I've been holding back the beast. I'm only going to unleash it when I find the right guy."

"Beast? Or a tamed pussy cat?" Aster mocked her, to which Alexis tittered.

"I don't know," she said. "If I'm I ever lucky enough find the right guy, I guess we'll find out."

"So….just rhetorically speaking," Aster said leaning back against his seat. "What are the odds that guy is...well...you know? Me?"

"You?" Alexis said, rubbing her chin. "Well, I can't really answer that one."

"Humor me. I want nothing from you, Alexis. We're just talking."

The corner of Alexis's mouth twitched. "Yeah...just talking."

Aster could take it no more. He reached over and placed his hand on top of hers. "If that's all you want," he said. "If that's all you want to do, I'll understand."

Alexis went red. "Aster…"

"We've been with each other for a long time," said Aster, gripping Alexis's hand even tighter. "A really long time. I know we didn't talk much in school but I admired you since the first time I saw you. I didn't really say anything because I was young and playing that suave, elite duelist at school. You remember that time I beat Jaden?"

"Yeah."

"Well, I didn't only want to prove my HEROES were stronger than his. But I also wanted to impress you."

"You did?"

"Yeah. I saw how tight you were with Jaden and how you admired his Elemental HEROES. I thought maybe if you saw mine in action, I'd get a chance. But...it was just that one time. All the bullshit going on that year screwed me up."

"Don't remind me," said Alexis. "I can't believe I let Chazz dupe me into joining that stupid cult. God, I was so young and stupid."

"We all were," said Aster. "I've done a lot of things not many students found favorable when I was in school with you guys. But my biggest regret was not coming to you sooner. When we graduated and you sailed away to be a teacher, I thought I lost you. I'm no tarot card reader like Sartorius Kumar is, but I knew that I would never find a girl like you in my future again. But then I found you. All these years later."

"So...is that why you brought me in?" Alexis said. "Because you have...feelings for me?"

"No. Not only that. I wanted to see you succeed because I know you deserve better than that low-grade dueling league you played in. You deserve the best. I would have bankrupted myself if it meant giving you the best, Alexis." He let go of her hand. "Of course, if you don't want to I completely understand. You can give me any answer you want without fear of reprisal from me. No matter what your answer is, Alexis, I still want to keep you and help you make your life better. It's the least I can do to repay you for making my life better. And you did, Alexis. Even with all the fame. All the wealth. I was never happy. Ever since I brought you into my house, you've been the light of my life. I wake up every morning happy because I know I'm going to see your smiling face. My life is complete just knowing you're a part of it."

"I appreciate that, Aster," Alexis said, reaching over and clutching his hand. She brought his fingers to her lips and kissed them. "Nobody has ever shown me the kindness you have. Nobody wanted me. Not even my own parents because of how ashamed of me they were when that asshole ruined my life. But...I have feelings in my heart. Feelings for another. And I just can't find it within myself to let them go."

Aster freed his fingers from her grasp. "It's Jaden, isn't it?" He felt his hand quivering again.

"It's complicated. It's been years since Axel and Jesse told me he left. This affinity for Jaden that I kept since I first saw him beat Crowler in his exam duel never went away. I'm sorry, Aster."

"No, I understand completely. And if it means that much to you, I'll help you find him."

Alexis's lips trembled. She got off her seat and then wrapped her arms around his neck. "I love you," she said. "You're the best friend I never had."

"I'll do anything for you, Alexis," Aster said, stroking the back of her hair. "Hey, we should get going. I think they're about to close the restaurant."

Right as they went out the door, Alexis's phone buzzed in her pocket. "Oh, hey!"

"Who is it?" Aster asked.

"It's my friend, Vivian from the dumpster league you pulled me from. She says she's nearby and wants to meet up. Can we, Aster?"

"Hey, it's Friday night. We can do whatever you want. Where is she?"

"She just exited the metro over on Adam's Street. That's a ten-minute walk from here. Oh, it's been so long. Let's go see her. I don't know where I'd be if it wasn't for her."

"Hey, any friend of yours is a friend of mine. Let's go."

They walked to the spot where Vivian said she'd be waiting. As they got closer to the spot, Aster started to realize that there were hardly any people around. He started getting a bad feeling about this meet.

"Do you trust Vivian?" Aster asked.

"With my life!" Alexis replied as though she were offended by the question. "Why, what's gotten into you?"

"I don't like the looks of this place. This is a rough part of town for a girl."

"Don't worry about a thing, Aster. Oh, hey! There she is." Alexis waved at Vivian, who was standing right at the top of the stairwell to the metro. But she looked like she was about to burst into tears. "Vivian?" Alexis said. "What's wrong?"

"I'm so sorry," she sobbed.

Alexis and Aster were suddenly blinded by LED headlights. A car horn playing La Cucaracha sounded off. Though meant to be used for comedic purposes, it sounded awfully menacing considering the situation they were in.

A limo rolled up right next to them. When the back door opened, out came Alexis's former employer. Wade. He was dramatically chomping on a cigar. Typical. He always did crave the rich mobster kind of look because of all the power he had in his dueling league. Especially over the women.

"Baby there you are," he said. He puffed out a cloud of smoke. "I was beginning to miss you, girl. At first, I thought that check was going to suffice. But man did it burn out quick."

"That's your fault for being a bad businessman," said Aster. "Instead of investing in your product, I see you wasted the money I gave you on yourself. Don't tell me things are down in the dumps for you again?"

"They are, but she's going to make up for that."

"Alexis?" Aster asked.

"Damn straight. She was my star performer back in the good old days. A real money maker. And now I hear she's dueling in prestigious Angel Dome. When I heard she was playing cards there, I knew I just had to have her back."

"I'll never go back to you!" snapped Alexis. "Especially not now since I know you're about to be bankrupt. And I can easily be stabbed in the back." She glared at Vivian who hunched her shoulders and looked at the ground, twiddling her thumbs.

"You've got no choice in the matter. Aster, I'm taking her off your hands." He reached into his purple blazer and pulled out a checkbook. "How much you want for her?"

"She's not for sale. She's a human!"

Wade let out a villainous chuckle and puffed out another noxious cloud of smoke. "What? Going to start acting moral, Phoenix? Your desire to have her didn't stop you from shoving a check in my face and buying her off like a toy."

"I didn't buy her for my pleasure. I bought her freedom. Freedom from you. You piece of rat filth."

"Name-calling?" Wade placed both his hands on his chest. "Aster! I'm hurt. Here I thought you were a businessman."

"You don't have enough money to buy my friend off. I know those checks you're going to give me are worthless. Even if you did have the amount of wealth I do, I would never let you have Alexis."

"Well, that doesn't matter. I said I was going to TAKE her off your hands." He snapped his fingers. "Fellas."

A group of men jumped out of the darkness of a nearby ally. Another group came out of the limo and they turned on Duel Disks.

"This is not good," said Aster. "I didn't bring mine."

"No problem," said Wade. "You can have the loaner."

He went inside the limo and tossed Aster a black Duel Disk with red monster zones and accents. Once Aster strapped it on, he was trapped.

"What is this?" shouted Aster.

"It's a special Duel Disk," said Wade. "And you'll find out what it does soon enough. All right boys, it's time to duel. The guy who takes this punk's Life Points down to 0 first gets a pay raise and a night with my prize."

"You swine!" snarled Alexis. "Aster, be careful."

But Aster was in for more than he bargained for in this 1 vs 10 duel.

"I summon Destiny HERO - Drawhand!" Aster said, summoning a gentleman in a hat and white coat and gloves. "Next I set two cards face-down and end my turn."

"My turn!" said one of Wade's duelists. "I activate the spell, Hinotama!"

Fireballs fell from the sky and struck the ground around Aster. He took 500 damage because of the spell, and when he did, the Duel Disk started shocking him.

"ASTER!" Alexis cried out. "NO!"

"I activate Sparks!" said the second duelist, hitting Aster with another 200 points of damage.

"I activate Ookazi!" said the third, casting a fire spell that dealt 800 damage, shocking Aster again.

"WADE STOP!" Alexis shouted.

"You're killing him!" Vivian sobbed. "You said you were just going to scare him!"

Wade puffed smoke and started laughing. "Doesn't he looked scared?" He laughed again. "Hey, Aster! Isn't it cool?" he jeered. "It's a little toy I picked up in the underground dueling league. Those guys down there are hardcore, lemme tell ya. Every time you lose Life Points, you get shocked with a nasty amount of electricity. If you can't take the pain anymore and surrender, you lose. Of course, sometimes, I see people die after getting fried by one shock." He laughed maniacally. "So now you're in another dilemma, Aster. See, I've got the key that will unlock that machine and end your misery. You've got to ask yourself. Is Alexis really worth all this pain?"

Aster picked himself up. "Hurry up and start your turns, assholes!" he said weakly.

"I'm in!" said Alexis. "I want to help him!"

"No can do, babe."

"Ten against one!" shouted Alexis. "It isn't fair! Let me join him. If you do, I'll never leave your show again if he loses. Never."

"I don't plan on losing you again, honey. And the only Duel Disks I have are those shock ones. I don't want to put those on you. It would...damage the merchandise."

"I don't care!" shouted Alexis. "Let me duel with him!"

"All right, all right. If that's what you want. Here, you can use my own Duel Disk. It's custom." He handed her a Battle City Tournament Duel Disk colored black and adorned in gold leafy patterns. The monster zones on the blade were inlaid with real diamonds. And the Life Point counter was circled by handsome, sparkling, rubies.

"Aw, hell yeah. It looks good on ya, honey. Try not to damage it, will you?"

Alexis and Aster dueled their hardest until all ten of the duelists were taken out. Aster could barely stand. He was shocked so many times that he was getting dizzy. But the opponents didn't surrender. They shuffled their decks and drew a fresh hand, ready for another go.

"Wait a minute!" shouted Alexis. "You said you'd let me go if take your guys down!"

"Yeah. But you haven't taken them down, have you? They're back up and ready for more."

"Hey!" someone shouted from the darkness. It was Brandi. She was gowned in a sparkling gold dress with a black interior. Her high heels loudly clopped against the pavement. Miraculously, she had her Duel Disk already equipped. "This is some really messed up stuff!" she shouted. "I'm in. I'm teaming up with my friends."

Alexis felt as though the heavens opened and sent her an angel. It was so good to see a friendly face. "What are you doing here?"

"I was attending the premiere of A Song from the Divines," said Brandi. "Chumley was there earlier and said you two headed to the Burger World place. As soon as I got there, I saw you walking across the street. I saw what was going on. I would have joined you earlier, but I was calling for help."

"You mean help's on the way?" Alexis asked.

"Any minute now," said Brandi. "Let's hold these guys off until they get here."

"Hey! Now hold on a minute!" shouted Wade. "This doesn't concern you, girl. This is between me, Phoenix and Alexis."

"They're my friends, too!" said Brandi. "You want to tangle with them, then expect to involve me."

"Fine," said Wade. "But if you lose, you have to join my promotion. No questions asked."

"Considering our skill, I doubt that's going to happen," said Brandi. "Aster, sit this one out, man. We've got this."

"I don't think so!" said Aster. "I'm not about to let this guy and his goons soil Alexis's honor by treating her like this. "I'm still fighting."

And so they did. All of them summoning their signature monsters to the field. Brandi came equipped with monsters and spells that prevented Aster from taking damage, saving him from getting shocked by the Duel Disk.

"I banish Gaia the Polar Knight and Gaia the Mid-Knight Sun from the graveyard to special summon, Black Luster Soldier - Envoy of the Beginning! Now with his effect, I'll destroy both your monsters!"

Black Luster Soldier - Envoy of the Beginning sped toward her opponent's Puppet King and Sword Hunter.

"I activate Polymerization!" shouted Aster. "I fuse together Destiny HERO - Diamond Dude, Drawhand, and Drilldark to summon Vision HERO Trinity!"

The three monsters jumped into the fusion vortex and their bodies and souls were merged together to become a hero in big, bulky, red, and black armor.

"For the rest of this turn," Aster said. "His attack becomes double, so his attack points are now 5000! And he can attack three times! Go Trinity! Show 'em your stuff! Trinity Crush!"

Vision HERO Trinity raised both his fists, jumped up high, and slammed them on the ground, destroying three of his opponent's monsters.

Now it was Alexis's turn. "Draytron Metonis Draconids! Attack his monster now!" she cried. The mechanical dragon fired lasers from its wings and atomized a Gilford the Legend monster.

"Come on you losers!" shouted Wade. "Duel! What do I pay you for?"

That sure motivated them to get back on their feet and duel again.

"These guys don't give up!" shouted Brandi.

"Neither will we," said Alexis. "I'm not going back to him. Never!"

"Hey! Are we late to the party!" a young woman shouted from down the street.

Alexis felt overcome with a sense of familiarity when she heard that voice. It was very sweet and bubbly, coming from someone full of energy and joy. She looked toward the end of the street and saw two women heading right for her. One was tall with long, wavy, red hair, wearing a sparkling red evening gown. The other wore a short baby blue party dress and had long, curly, blue hair decorated with shiny silver stars.

The women got in front of Alexis and Aster and turned on heavily personalized Duel Disks.

"Sorry, Bradi," said the red-head. "Mindy went on a long bathroom break."

"Don't get mad at me, Jasmine. I had to hold it. That movie was like five hours long and I didn't want to miss the scene with Atticus naked."

Alexis couldn't believe the luck she was having right now. How could something so grim, so sinister, quickly turn into a moment of joy, happiness, and triumph.

"Jasmine? Mindy?" Alexis whispered. She couldn't believe these wealthy, gorgeous, young women were her two friends from Duel Academy. How much they have grown and changed since she last saw them both. "Girls? Is that you?"

"Long time no see, Alexis," said Jasmine.

"Yeah. Don't you look nice?" said Mindy. "Kind of wish we had our little reunion under better circumstances."

"How did you know where to find us?"

"Brandi told us you were in town," said Jasmine. "And you're one of the most talked-about duelists around. After the movie, we figured we'd go pay you a visit and see how you were. I guess you've had better days, huh?"

"Tell me about it," Alexis said. "We've got ourselves some thugs."

"Don't tell me. That want your pretty ass if you win?" said Mindy.

Alexis shrugged. "Yeah, what else is new right?"

Jasmine rolled her eyes. "Man, these guys need to find a newer reason for dueling you. This whole winning you as a prize thing is getting so old. How do you deal with it?"

"It's all part of the game, unfortunately," said Alexis.

"Sure as hell doesn't have to be," said Brandi. "But thankfully we've got you two ladies to help us even the odds. Now it's five on ten! And these suckers want to go at it again."

"All right, it's party time!" said Jasmine. "You wanna play rough, we'll play rough. Mind if I start things off?"

"Go ahead," said Alexis.

And off they went. Each of the opposing players was slowly getting one-uped by the team set up in front of them. Alexis and Brandi were like an aegis protecting Aster from effect damage to keep himself from getting shocked again and again.

"Time to end this!" shouted Mindy. "Let's see what this Yuri Structure Deck is capable of. First, I special summon Gilasaurus!" Mindy slapped her card down and summoned a brown raptor.

"Bad move, sweetheart!" said one of the players. "Now because of your dino, we get to special summon monsters too. Bring out your best, boys."

"You really think that's going to make a speck of difference?" said Mindy. "I now use the spell, Big Evolution Pill. I sacrifice Gilasaurus as the payment to activate this card. Now for the next three turns, I can summon high-level dinosaurs for no tribute. And I summon the star of a Song from the Divines. Come on out, Black Tyranno!"

She placed her card on the blade. The Duel Disk shook trying to project the massive creature who appeared out of a curtain of yellow and acid-green flames.

"And I'm not done yet! I activate the spell, Escutcheon of the Golden King. This card will transform Black Tyranno into the mighty Kaiser Black Tyranno!"

Black Tyranno was enveloped in massive, bulky, dark brown armor with gold trim, and Fleur de Lis emblems emblazoned on his massive shoulders and knee guards. There were ruby orbs on the shoulders and knees as well. His tail increased in length and grew a greatsword at the end with a jewel embedded on the blade, and its size increased twofold. Long silvery hair emerged from the back of its armored head. When he shook his head and roared, Black Tyranno's eyes started glowing ruby red.

ATK/3200 DEF/3000

"My monster's new makeover is more than just for aesthetics," taunted Mindy. "At the cost of half my Life Points, I can destroy all spell and trap cards on your backboards and switch all your monsters into face-down defense position."

"Mindy!" Alexis gasped. "Where'd you get a card that powerful!?"

"Structure Deck Yuri, baby!" she bragged. "They haven't even been released yet."

The turns went by and the group began to summon all their best monsters to pummel wade's goons again and again.

"Destiny END Dragoon!" shouted Aster. "Show them no mercy!"

"Go, Cyber Angel Dakini!" Alexis cried out, commanding her angel to attack a guy directly.

"Black Luster Soldier - Envoy of the Evening Twilight, finish them!" Brandi said.

"Take those guys out, First of the Dragons!" Jasmine commanded her gigantic beast, who showered her opponent in fire.

That was it. They could take it no more. The duelists powered down the Duel Disks and made a run for it so as to avoid hearing Wade's ranting. He stood where he was, shouting for his hired duelists to come back, but they were all gone. When he was all alone, he jumped back into the limo and ordered the driver to go. However, Brandi jumped on top of him and tried to hold him down. But he was too strong. He pushed her off and jumped into his limo, which sped off into the night.

Alexis went to tend to Aster, who kept insisiting that he was okay. He was numb and tingly in some parts and felt a stinging in his head, but otherwise, he was unharmed.

"Come back here!" Brandi shouted. "We're not done with you yet!"

"Forget it, Brandi," said Jasmine. "He's not worth it."

"What about the Duel Disk on Aster's arm?" said Mindy. "That Wade guy had the key."

"Oh, you mean THIS key?" Brandi said holding it from the rung by her finger.

"YEAH BRANDI!" Jasmine cheered.

As Brandi tended to Aster and freed him from the Duel Disk, Alexis came out of nowhere and embraced both Mindy and Jasmine in a tight hug. They wrapped their arms around her, too, and laughed with joy. Finally, after so many years, they were back together again.

"I missed you!" Alexis sobbed.

"Missed you more!" Mindy cried out, rubbing her thumb on Alexis's cheek to dry her tear. "How could you do this to us? No phone call? No text. You just left us."

"I'm never making that mistake again," said Alexis. "I was so messed up after the whole duel with Matthias Helge. I didn't think, I didn't…."

"We know, said Jasmine. "There was no need for that. You know we could have helped you any way we could We are married to some very wealthy duelists, you know. We've got cash to burn."

"Thank you. Thank you both so much." She remembered Vivian. "You!" she shouted at her. "I thought I could trust you! I thought you were my friend. I can't believe you would just sell me out like this."

"Alexis, please, I didn't have a choice. Business was growing poor — yeah, big surprise, right? — and Wade was growing into a mean streak. He started taking away my pay unless I did stupid things to appease the crowds. And when he wanted you back, I told him I didn't want to be a part of his plan. When I refused, he said he would fire me. As much as I hate that job, I can't quit. I can't lose my home. I'll have nowhere to go! But I know that's no excuse for what I did. If there was another way, I would have chosen that route, Alexis. I'm sorry. I'm sorry."

Alexis's anger quickly faded into sympathy. "Oh, Vivian," she said helping her off the ground. "Why didn't you call for help?"

"Nobody will listen to me," Vivian wept. "I'm a nobody."

"That's not true," said Jasmine. "We all have something special inside of us. Are you a duelist?"

"Yes. But that's not going to help me anymore. Knowing Wade, he's probably already fired me."

"I've got an even better place for you to go," said Jasmine. "My husband's a billionaire playboy. Yeah, I know it sounds rowdy, but he's a man with a golden heart. A real knight if I ever saw one. He set up an all-female dueling league called Radiance."

"I've heard of that!" said Vivian. "Wait...you mean! Your husband owns Radiance!"

"And mine co-owns it," said Mindy. "They're partners in crime." She laughed.

"That's right," Jasmine said. "And if you need work, his promotion is always looking for new talent. And don't worry about being treated as anything but eye candy. Radiance is more than just some all-female promotion. It celebrates the courage, brilliance, intelligence, and strength, of the female duelist."

"That's right!" said Mindy. "No need to worry about strip dueling or posing half-naked for trashy calenders. You'll be treated like a star. A true champion."

"She's a wonderful duelist," said Alexis. "If anyone deserves a promotion such as this, it's her."

"Oh, but…" Vivian said.

"Something wrong?" Brandi asked. "Don't tell me you're having second thoughts."

"Of course not," Vivian said, tears rolling down her cheeks. "It's just that Wade fired a lot of promising young girls from his show to save a buck. All of them were my dearest, closest, friends. And they were so, so, talented at the game. I can't accept this promotion and leave them behind."

"Nonsense," said Jasmine. "Just give us their contact info and our hubbies will give them a call."

"All of them?" Alexis asked.

"All of them," Mindy repeated. "Besides being treated right, I think you'll find our promotion's compensation and benefits package to be much more satisfying than whatever you were paid working for that slimeball."

"Hey, congratulations," said Aster.

"Is this really happening?" Vivian said, her shoulders quivering with emotion, which was out of her control.

"Of course," said Aster. "You've earned it. Now, say no more and go with these two. They're going to help you build your future."

Lighting flashed and a loud rumble of thunder suddenly shook the earth.

"Uh oh," said Brandi. "We need to get going. Vivian. Do you have a place to stay for the night?"

"I do. My apartment is just down…"

"No, now's not a good time for you to be alone," Brandi said. "You can stay with me at my place until this mess dies down and we can get a hold of the authorities."

"Sounds like a good idea," said Aster. "I suggest you do it. There's no telling what a guy like Wade can do if he gets his hands on you in his current mood."

"Need a ride, Brandi?" Jasmine asked.

"Yeah, I forgot I parked my car at the theatre. We should go back and get it."

"Why don't you come back to our place," said Mindy. "We'll be safe there. There's security on the ground floor and we live near the penthouse. Strictly VIP. No lowlifes can get in."

"Sounds good to me," said Brandi. "I like that idea. You down with that, Vivian."

"Oh, yes! Yes, I'd love to!"

"Wooo!" Jasmine cheered.

"Girl's night out, baby!" Mindy said. "What about you Alexis?"

Jasmine nodded. "Yeah, come on, join us."

"I'd love to, girls. But I think I'd like to spend some time with my own knight in shining armor." Alexis placed her hand on Aster's.

Just then a downpour started. They scattered in different directions and said goodbye as they traveled back home.

Aster lay in his bed, rubbing his hand up and down his right arm. It was horribly numb and had been that way since he got back into the penthouse. It wasn't painful, but it sure did irritate him. He moved his finger around. Thankfully he had feeling in those. He thought that maybe after a good night's sleep, his arm would feel better. The rain loudly tapped against his window, washing it with so much water that the cityscape outside was like a blur.

Just then the door slowly opened. Alexis walked in, wearing nothing but a pink hoodie. She closed the door and locked it before walking to Aster in his bed. She smiled at him, noticing his cards were scattered on the floor. He tried shuffling them earlier, but his numb arm caused them all to spill all over the ground, and he was too irritated by his pain to pick them up. Alexis did it for him, bending down provocatively as she gathered his cards and set them on the night table. She was about to turn off the light.

"Wait," Aster said. Alexis paused. Aster reached over, lifted her hoodie up, and smiled. "Hey, I recognize those," he said. "Isn't that the underwear I picked up at the mall that got you all mad and stuff?"

Alexis reared her head up and laughed. "Yeah, smooth move, man." She smacked his hand away and turned the light off.

"What are you doing?" Aster asked. All of a sudden, he felt as if someone clicked the mute button to his voice box. He watched in awe as Alexis unzipped the hoodie and peeled it off. It was dark, but the lights outside revealed just enough for Aster to see. Except for the panties he joked about, Alexis was wearing nothing else. He started to shiver and clenched his jaw to keep his teeth from chattering with excitement. Alexis slowly climbed on top of him and ran her fingers down his silvery hair.

"How do you feel?" she whispered. "Wade didn't hurt you too much, did he?"

"I'm all right now," he said.

Alexis leaned down and rubbed her nose against his before she kissed him briefly on the lips. She did it two more times, bit his lower lip, and then looked at him.

"What about...what about Jaden?"

Alexis shrugged her shoulders. "I did some thinking," she said softly, tracing her finger around his lip. "What you did for me was really brave, Aster. You truly are my hero. Nobody has ever stood up for me or helped me the way you have these past few months. Fuck it. I can't keep holding on for someone who is long gone. It's been years since he disappeared. I don't know where he is or if he'll ever come back. But I can't keep waiting for him to come back. Not when there are people like you out there. Thank you, Aster."

Aster gulped. "It was..." he trembled like he was out in the cold. "It was my pleasure."

Alexis giggled and rubbed her nose against his again. "I can't think of anyone better to have as a partner for the tag team tournament. I'm looking to win those games."

"And we will."

"I heard there's a grand prize," said Alexis. "You know what I want to do with that?"

"What?"

"I want us to go far away. Somewhere private. Just you and me. Someplace...tropical."

Aster twirled a lock of her hair around his finger. "Then we will."

Alexis responded with another beautiful smile and buried her mouth against his. Aster slid his hand up her thighs and rolled the waistband of her underwear around his thumbs before he pulled them off. Alexis wrapped the sheets over them both, then helped him take his shirt off. On and on they went, kissing and feeling each other until the dark purple skies faded into dawn's metallic blue. When they were exhausted, they cuddled and let the warmth of their entwined bodies lull them to sleep. Every now and then, Aster would feel Alexis kiss his pectoral muscle and slide her hand down his abs. He responded by sliding his hand up and down her body so he could feel her warm, sweaty, curves under his palm. The sun had come up and they were still naked in bed. Each time Aster wanted to get up, Alexis would hold him tight and tell him to stay longer until it was close to noon.

Alexis was still in the urge for more but knew Aster was exhausted. She got out of bed and put on her hoodie and underwear. She kissed his lips before going to the kitchen to make coffee and maybe a few pancakes if he was in the mood.

As they started sizzling in the pan, Aster approached, sulking in his saggy pajama pants and slippers that looked like E-HERO Avion.

"That was good," he said.

"That was really good," Alexis responded. She mischievously bit her lower lip and said: "Ready for round two? I've got syrup."

Aster laughed as he sat down at the table. "Girl, you're going to kill me."

Alexis giggled like a happy songbird before coming to Aster with a stack of pancakes. She set them on the table and gave him a long, strong, kiss that pushed his chair back.

Aster playfully slapped her butt with his right hand and gave it a squeeze. "Easy cowgirl. I've been injured."

"Eat up," said Alexis. She rubbed her nose against his and kissed it. "You'll feel better."

Just as Aster was about to dig into his pancakes, the doorbell rang. "I'll get it."

"Don't be gone too long," said Alexis. She sat down and started helping herself to some of the pancakes. Just then, Aster came back holding something in the palm of his hands. A teacup Maltese puppy.

"Aster!" Alexis squealed. "When did you get it?"

"Two days ago," he replied, handing Alexis the puppy. "Her name's Kayla. She's yours."

"Aww," Alexis said holding the puppy up to her face. The dog stretched her neck and started licking Alexis's nose. "She's so adorable! Thank you."

The doorbell rang again. "God damn it," said Aster. "Be right back, okay."

"That's okay," Alexis said, setting the puppy down on the floor. "I'm going to go take a shower. Are you going to be long? I don't want to be alone in there."

Aster chuckled and shook his head. "I'll be with you in a moment. You go freshen up."

Alexis sent him an air kiss before getting up and walking to the shower. Meanwhile Aster went to the door and answered it. "What the..." he said.

"Hey, Aster," the unexpected guest replied.

"Zane? What are you doing here?"