Chapter 10; duel at midnight
Rouge was walking in a dark street with only the moon to light the way. She read the message she found in her bag again.
WE DUEL. MIDNIGHT. ABANDONED DUELING FIELD NEXT TO THE DUEL DOME. AND DON'T BE LATE.
The only explanation was that someone put that in her bag during her and Sonic's gang's visit at that burger restaurant. Who of all could do something like this? Sonic was not such a guy it was obvious. Knuckles was obviously also not like this, it was clear during their duel, Jet and Shadow were too obsessed trying to find out who was really a one shotter. Wave was simply too good to do such a thing, she was really quiet person. Storm could be the one but he liked Amy and had just accepted the fact that she didn't like him.
Then Rouge facepalmed. It was just obvious who it was. She remembered Amy's cold tone when they first met. And at a time in the restaurant she sat next to her. Coincidence? No way. It was Amy. Although her motives were still a mystery to Rouge.
She reached outside the field. Nobody was outside waiting. She went inside. It was dark. But a shadow could clearly be seen in the darkness waiting.
"I'm here as you told me. Now why don't you come out of the shadows and tell me why I am here? Amy rose?"
Steps echoed in the empty field Amy's face appeared under the moonlight. Her face was a mask of rage.
"You're here so we can settle the score." Amy said angry
"What score? We briefly even talked yesterday."
"Don't play dumb. I completely saw through your plan."
"Mind telling me as well? Cause I have no idea what you're talking about."
"Hmph. Not gonna admit it huh? Fine then let's do this." Amy said activating her duel disc.
"As you wish." Rouge replied.
"LET'S DUEL!"
"I'll start this" Amy declared " I draw. I summon botanical girl in attack mode. Then I set one card. I end my turn."
"Fine then it's my turn. I special summon tg striker in attack mode. Then by discarding quillbolt hedgehog from my hand to the graveyard I special summon the tricky from my hand. Next I summon tuningware. And I tune my level 2 tg striker with my level 5 non tuner the tricky and level 1 non tuner tuningware to synchro summon the level 8 crimson blader! Next I activate my tuningware's effect. Since it has been used as a synchro material I draw a card. And what a card. I activate the spell synchro assault. For this turn you can't play spell or traps against the attack of a level 7 or above synchro. Now crimson blader attack botanical girl!"
"AAAH" (Amy LP 6500)
"I set a card. My turn's over."
In the meantime Knuckles informed Sonic about Rouge going to the dueling field and that Rouge told him to come. When he arrived he saw nobody outside. He entered and saw Rouge and Amy dueling. He immediately called Sonic.
"It was Amy then that wrote the message Rouge told me about."
"Why would Amy do that?" Sonic asked through the phone
"I don't know. I will observe their duel and try to listen."
"ok I'll be there soon." Sonic said and closed.
Knuckles returned then to observing.
Amy's face was filled with rage.
"Alright you skimpy duelist. I'll show you how a real duel is done. I activate my botanical girl's effect. When it is destroyed I add a monster with 1000 or less defense like lord poison from my deck to my hand."
"Hmph he is full with poison. But why are you so poisonous against me?" Rouge asked.
"You should know that better than anyone."
"You're nuts I don't know why you called me here. I came here so I could learn why."
"You're a really good actress. To play dumb for so long and even believe it. Fine my cards will make you talk. I draw. I summon lord poison in attack mode. Next I place one card face down and activate the spell annoying thorn. If I control a plant type it special summon evil thorn from my deck. But when it is summoned its effect activates. I tribute it so you lose 300 LP and I summon 2 of these on my field."
"Hmph" (Rouge LP 7700) "So what you can't summon level 5 or above monsters until the end of my turn. But when crimson blader attacks again this effect will be renewed. You're outnumbered."
"No. you really thought I would leave myself defenseless to the likes of you? I activate closed plant gate. Because I control 2 plants with the same name you can't attack for one turn."
"Oh no!"
"Oh yes. I set one card and end my turn."
"Darn. Ok. My turn. I draw. I can't do anything this turn. Go on."
"My turn. I tribute both my evil thorns to summon forth tytanial princess of camellias. And I equip it with black pendant to increase her attack by 500. Take out the crimson blader!"
"How naïve. I activate the trap synchro deflector. You attacked a synchro monster so your monster is automatically destroyed and her effect to tribute lord poison and negate it can't work since I'm not targeting her."
"No! She will take the blader down with her. I have the trap michizure. It activates when a monster of mine is destroyed. It takes one of your monster's with it. And because black pendant was sent from the field to the graveyard you take 500 damage."
"Hmph you need to do better" (Rouge LP 7200)
" You want better you wimpy chick? Here it is. Lord poison direct attack!"
"AAh" (Rouge LP 5700)
"I set one card. My turn's over."
"Good. You are a duelist of an incredible caliber. So why did you have to call me in a dark place with a message full of hostility in order to duel me when you can just challenge me anytime?"
"Because I want you away from the gang. I don't like your style Rouge. The way you can control people. There's no way I'll let the chance that you will affect Sonic like this exist. I'll erase it with you!"
"You think I entered your gang so I could approach Sonic? How foolish. All I wanted was some advice for synchro decks. I'm not interested in Sonic at all."
"Oh yeah? From what I saw you were delighted to be next to him. And he seemed to find you pretty interesting. I'm not letting you anywhere near him ever again!"
"You like him so much that you will try to erase all women on the planet so no one will talk to him? You're so lost." Rouge said laughing " if you want Sonic all you gotta do is make him want you. Erasing other women so that Sonic won't meet anyone will only backfire. He will start roaming around with chicks until he finds a good one and he'll totally forget about you."
Amy's eyes widened in shock when Rouge read through her darkest thoughts as if they were written with big letters above her head. Indeed. She was afraid any moment that Sonic would fall in love before she could get a chance to make him hers.
"N.. no! I don't like Sonic. He is just my friend. But I won't him to be happy in his life. Not to be trapped by a skimpy chick bitch like you!"
"I'll ignore what you just said because you're very immature."
"I am what? How can you say I am immature?"
" Cause you act as if Sonic is an naïve guy who will fall victim of the first chick who will want nothing but to take advantage of him. But Sonic is a matured man. He knows a trap like this when he sees one. So if you plan to protect him, you will only lead him to another girl. Is this what you want?"
Amy's heart blew up. That was exactly what she didn't want. "Could I really have misunderstood Rouge's intentions? Could she be different inside?" she thought
"Yes." She admitted in the end " I want Sonic for myself. I saw you as a threat. But are my ways really wrong?"
"Yes. But I can help you. I can provide you with a 100% successful method to make him yours."
"Really?" Amy saying while feeling her heart would stop. "What way?"
"I'll tell you. If you can beat me of course."
"Then get on with the duel."
"All right then. My turn. I draw. I summon forth junk synchron. Due to its effect tuningware returns. Also my quillbolt hedgehog will emerge from the graveyard because I control a tuner. Now all 3 will tune together into goyo guardian! Attack lord poison!"
"I activate a trap wall of thorns. It works like mirror force when you attack a plant monster. Your guardian bites the dust!"
"So what? I play the trap synchro legacy. It special summons a synchro monster from my extra deck during the end phase. Of course its effects are negated and we both take damage equal to its attack points. I set one card and special summon lightning warrior"
"AAAH" (Both) (Rouge LP 3300 Amy LP 4100)
"My turn. All right Rouge. Prepare for my ace. I activate two spell cards. Foolish burial and star changer now I make lord poison level 5 and with the burial I send spore to the graveyard. Spore's effect will banish evil thorn from the graveyard to special summon spore making it level 2. Now I tune the level 2 tuner spore and level 5 non tuner lord poison to synchro summon the almighty Black Rose Dragon!"
"Impressive."
" Now I equip black rose dragon with thorn of malice to increase its attack by 600 and when it battles your monster it is not destroyed and instead loses 600 attack points with every attack! And I have finally the spell card charge. It allows one monster on my field to attack twice during the turn it was summoned. The first time!"
"AAAH" (Rouge LP 2700)
"And the second!"
"AAAH" (Rouge LP 1500)
"I end my turn."
"Very good. But equipping the thorn of malice to your dragon was a fatal mistake. I draw. I play foolish burial to send glow up bulb to my graveyard. And with her effect I send the top card of my deck to the graveyard to summon it back. And the card I send was another quillbolt hedgehog. So it is summoned as well. And because a monster was special summoned from the graveyard I activate the effect of my doppelwarrior from my hand to special summon it. Now I tune my 3 monsters together to synchro summon accel synchron"
"A synchro tuner!" Amy said scared
"Exactly now I activate limit overdrive. I send my synchro tuner and my synchro non tuner to the graveyard to synchro summon MY ace. TG halberd Cannon!"
"Uh oh. I'm screwed."
"Yes you are dear. Halberd cannon destroy black rose!"
"I activate the trap invinsible synchro. Now my monster is indestructible for one turn and I don't take battle damage. But I have to pay half my life points in exchange. (Amy LP 2050)
" I activate the quick play spell stubborn's pain. Because I couldn't destroy your monster you lose half your monster's attack points!"
"AAAAH" (Amy LP 850)
"I end my turn"
"Ok" Amy thought " only one card in my deck can save me now. I need to draw it. Or Sonic…" she didn't complete her phrase " But as he thought me I have to believe in my deck. And I do believe in it. Let's do this."
Rouge then noticed that when Amy touched the top card of her deck her mark shined. But Amy's eyes were closed so she didn't notice it
"My turn. Draw." She looked at her card… and her face turned to a mask of happiness
"I drew it" she screamed "BOOK OF MOON!"
"No way!" Rouge said surprised
"Your cannon goes to defense mode!"
"Did she just manipulate her deck to her will?" Rouge thought trying to explain what she just witnessed.
"Now black rose dragon. Remove lord poison from the graveyard to flip over that cannon and make its attack 0"
"Hmph looks like you win"
"Good game Rouge. Attack with vengeance thorn stream!"
Rouge closed her eyes and smiled as the attack took away the rest of her life points.
"You're a lot different than you look Rouge. I am sorry for being so rude."
"It's ok. Come on. I think we no longer have any business being here."
They left without noticing Knuckles and Sonic who had arrived some minutes earlier.
"What was that all about?" Sonic asked Knuckles
Knuckles hesitated to reveal what he heard Amy admitting to Rouge. He decided it was up to Amy to reveal it to Sonic.
"You know. About that hostility Amy had against Rouge. But they finally reconciled."
"About time. It was getting annoying. Well good night Knucks. I'm beat." He said and rode his runner going home. Knuckles left right away as well. He couldn't wait to share what he learned with Jet and Shadow the next day.
