Two children were playing in a park with their mother watching them. They were having fun with the innocence of their lives. Suddenly, five men with rifles appeared and started shooting. After the shooting stopped, you could see the silhouette of a man standing behind the five shooters. He was laughing at the sight of the dead bodies of the two children and their mother.

Max awoke with a start, breathing heavily and sweating. He looked down at his glove hand. "That nightmare again," Max spoke silently. "I hate when it haunts me, but at least it is just a dream." Max looked up at the stars in the sky, in deep thought. "I wonder." he began, but drifted back to sleep.

Little did Max know, both Kurt and Hope overheard what he said to himself.

What kind of nightmare could haunt him so badly? Hope wondered.

A nightmare? Kurt thought. No, your nightmare will be coming a reality soon enough.

Chapter 12

Shadow from a tortured past

*Author's note* I need pre-chapter banter to provide a little background. *End Author's note*

Dawn had come to the virtual world. Ryo, who was sleeping on a tree branch rolled over and fell off to the ground, causing the others to wake up.

"OWWWW!" Ryo screamed out, who had landed on his head.

"That had to hurt," Kurt said laughing at Ryo.

"Don't make understaments," Will quickly responded.

Max just looked very depressed as he woke up, the nightmare last night had caused him to feel bad.

"You okay?" Hope asked, noticing his mood.

"Fine...."Max lied. He felt like telling somebody, but he was afraid that the others would turn their backs on him if he did.

"Max," Kurt began to say. "Thanks for the speech yesterday."

"No problem," Max responded.

Kurt, Ryo, and Will also picked up in the depression in his voice.

"Something wrong with you buddy?" Ryo asked. Max only responded with silence.

"I guess the speech must have hit a nerve or something," Will said while shrugging. "Why else would he acting like this now?"

Kurt began to think back, and suddenly remember something of importance. "Max! I just remembered! According to the second round Judge roster, the boss posted you're next to duel!"

"Who am I up against?" Max asked quickly.

"Someone named..." Kurt failed to get the last word out when a beam of light smacked into the side of his face, sending him flying. Hope and Will ran to help Kurt, while Max and Ryo turned to face the person who launched the attack.

A black cloaked figure stood there, an orb of light in their hand. Suddenly, the person released it. It took the form of an Arrow and slamming into Ryo's chest, sending him flying backwards.

"Who are you?" Max asked.

All the person did to respond was unleash another Arrow at Max, but Max merely lifted his hand, which hand been covered in rings and stuff, which destroyed the arrow.

"A Magic Effect Arrow vs. Imperial Decree? How fun," Max said sarcastically.

The cloaked figure pulled out a blue wand with a brown tip that almost looked like a snail shell, and then made a mocking gesture with the free left hand.

A giant blue sword appeared in Max's hand. "Bring it on!"

Max and the cloaked figure charged for each other and clashed weapons. The stalemate caused an impact crater. They soon began to exchange blows with each other and took turns attacking and defending.

Will, who had helped Ryo get back up, took time to look over at the fight, and noticed the strangers weapon of choice was very familiar. "Wait a minute." He began to look through his deck.

"What is it?" Hope asked, pulling Kurt upright.

Will held up a card. It was his Black Magician Girl card. "Notice something?" he asked, pointing to the fight and then pointing at the staff the female magician was holding in the picture.

"Yeah," Ryo said. "So? Is it rare to see someone using a Black Magician Girl card or something?"

"No," Will replied. "Just pointing out the noticeable."

"Captain Obvious strikes again," Kurt said weakly.

Max and cloaked figure had been fighting very hard; both were exhausted, but neither wanted to give in.

Who is this guy? Max thought. That person is good!

The person pulled a knife out and threw it at Max. At first Max though nothing of this, until the knife spilt into many. "Thousand Knives?" he said in shock, then responded with a Thunderbolt. The cloaked figure had changed staffs. This time it was much larger and black.

"Black Magician of Chaos," Will said, looking at his cards again.

"Or is it?" Kurt asked.

The robed figure charged at Max, who had changed his Battle Summon to Invader of Darkness and was clashing his bare knuckle against the staff. Another stalemate occured, but Max quickly ended it. His free hand grew into the hand of Death Guardius and punched the person in the stomach, which sent the person flying backwards.

"Who are you?" Max managed to ask over his heavy breathing. "And what do you want with me?"

"Very well," a female voice replied from under the cloak, also worn out. She removed the hood of the cloak revealing a white girl with light blue eyes that could almost gaze into your soul. She also had light blond hair tied back into a ponytail. "I believe introductions aren't needed," she said.

Max stood there in total shock. "Y... y... you?!" he said franticly.

"What is it?" Hope asked.

"This person," Kurt began to say. "She wanted to fight Max more than anyone at the initial gathering of Judges. I finally remembered why she wanted to fight him so badly."

"What was the reason?" Ryo asked in a stern voice.

"Revenge," Kurt managed to say before collapsing before he could tell anymore.

"Answer my question god damn it! "Max yelled at her, as anger raged through. "What are you doing here?!"

"And who are you?" Hope asked.

"My name is Brandi. I am a Judge, but most importantly." She paused. "I'm his sister."

Time seemed to freeze at that moment. Hope Ryo, and Will were in shock, but the only thing Max felt was anger.

"That bastard sent you here to kill me, didn't he?" Max asked, trying not to let his rage control him.

"None of your business," Brandi said, tossing away her cloak, revealing a black, sleeveless shirt, white vest, and blue skirt that she was wearing. "But, I'm here to kill you."

"Don't make me laugh! You could never beat me at dueling when we were children! What makes you think you could possibly win against me now?"

"Times have changed. But, I'm curious. Remove your cloak and sombrero," Brandi said to him.

Max did so revealing is cold brown eyes, and short brown hair. You could also see that he was taller than he looked with to cloak on. "Better?" he asked in a mocking tone.

"Ten years can change a person," Brandi said, looking at him intently.

"Likewise," Max replied while giving Brandi the same scrutinizing stare.

"Stop looking at me like that!" she complained, crossing her arms.

"Sorry. I thought I would try to act like Ryo for a change," Max laughed.

"I didn't come here to talk! I came here to get my revenge!" Brandi yelled at him. "I choose Black Magician Girl as my Deck Master!" The female magician took form around Brandi.

Could she be. nah. "I choose to duel without my Invader of Darkness."

Idiot, Brandi thought. That choice will cost you your life.

(Brandi: 8000 Max: 8000)

"I'll start," Brandi said. "I set one monster facedown and end my turn."

"I summon Demon Soldier! (1900/1500)"

"Demon Solider? You have changed a lot Max."

"Shut up! I attack your facedown monster!"

"My Skilled Black Magician (1900/1700) was destroyed."

"You have a lot of nerve using that deck against me," Max said in pissed off tone.

"Why?" Hope asked.

"Because..." Max's voice drifted off.

"He built it." Brandi finished what Max said. "This is his old deck. before he ran away."

"Ran away? Old deck? What the hell is going on here?" Ryo complained.

"Shut up!" Max yelled at Ryo.

"I play Sealing Swords of Light and set one monster. Your turn," Brandi said.

"I summon Giant Orc (2200/0) and end my turn."

"I set another monster and end my turn."

"I summon Gil Gars, (1800/1200) place one card facedown, and end my turn."

"This is getting boring," Brandi said. "I'm done for this turn."

"I set one more monster end my turn," Max said. "And now your swords are gone."

"So? It won't matter. I sacrifice my facedown Holy Elf and Gemini Elf to summon Black Magician! (2500/2100)"

"Wait a minute. oh shit!" Max realized Brandi's plan.

"Now I play Diffusion Wave! I pay 1000 life points to allow one of my level 7 or higher Magic User Sub Type monsters to attack all of your monsters. No effects are activated by the attack, but that is the only monster I can attack with for the turn," Brandi said. "Now, Black Magician! Attack!"

The Magician created a nexus of energy and unleashed it on Max's side of the field, killing all of his monsters. Max held up his arms to protect himself from the sheer power of the attack.

(Brandi: 7000 Max: 6400)

Brandi looked at what Max had face down. "Your Nyudoryua is destroyed without having the effect activated."

"No shit Sherlock," Max said to Brandi. "My turn. I set another monster facedown and end my turn."

"What is the matter Max? My Black Magician got you beat?" Brandi teased him. "Well, prepare for much worse than that."

"Why are you doing this?" Will demanded.

"Because of what Max did to me," she replied.

"What did he do?" Kurt inquired.

"I'll tell you. He ran away from home and left me and our mother with our abusive step-father. He told me when we were little kids that he would always be there for me," Brandi started to say. "But you left me behind because you didn't like our step father. You selfish bastard!" she screamed at Max. "The last 10 years of my life have been hell all because of you!"

"Is that all?" Max said coldly. "Because if that is all you have to say to me, you're pathetic."

"Shut up!" Brandi screamed at. She was crying uncontrollably now. The painful memories had come back, and now she wanted to beat Max even more. "I play Dimension Magic! This card lets me sacrifice one of my Magic Users from the field and lets me summon one from my deck! I sacrifice Black Magician to summon Black Magician!" she yelled as the purple robed magician was replaced with one in blue armor. "And Dimension Magic also lets me destroy one of your monsters! Now, attack directly!"

(Brandi: 7000 Max: 3900)

"Now I play another Dimension Magic!" Brandi exclaimed.

"It is an Instant Magic card?!" Max said in horror. He realized that not choosing a Deck Master had been a fatal mistake.

"I summon another Black Magician from my deck!" A red version replaced the blue one. "Now I attack directly!"

(Brandi: 7000 Max: 1400)

"I end my turn," Brandi said, looking at her badly burned brother.

"I... I set one monster facedown... place one card facedown... and end my turn," Max said weakly.

Brandi drew her card and laughed. "This duel is over! I play my last Dimension Magic! I summon Black Magician Girl (2000/1700) from my deck and destroy your last defense! And, Black Magician Girl gets 300 extra attack points for every Black Magician in the cemetery! (2900)"

"Go ahead..." Max weakly said. "Attack me."

"Not so fast," Brandi said. "I want torture you first. I play Jar of Greed to draw two cards, and then I play Hand Obliteration." She showed Max her hand, which only held Magician of Black Chaos cards. "I draw three cards (3800) and you draw your cards."

Max was waiting for his sister to attack; he knew she couldn't resist.

"Now, Black Magician Girl! Attack and finished him off!"

"Reveal... Magic Cylinder," Max weakly said, revealing his trap.

"What!? No!" Brandi screamed as her monster's attack came back and smashed into her. She let out a cry of pain as the attack burned her.

(Brandi: 3200 Max: 1400)

"Now, it is my turn!" Max said with new strength. "I activate Cry of the Living Dead to bring back Demon Soldier!"

"What good will that do you?" Brandi asked while wincing in pain.

"I'm not done yet! I play the Magic Card Enemy Controller! I sacrifice my Demon to gain control of your Black Magician Girl until the end of your turn!"

"NO!" Brandi screamed out.

"Black Magician Girl, attack! Black Burning!"

Black Magician Girl's attack sent Brandi flying backwards in pain

(Brandi: 0 Max: 1400)

"Looks like I win," Max said, walking over to his sister. "I'll take my Ante Card now." Looking through his old deck, he took Brandi's Double Magic card.

Brandi was on her knees crying, feeling sad that she had failed. "Why... why did you leave me all those years ago?" she asked.

Max sighed heavily. "Fine; I will tell you. It all started a few months before my sixth birthday. Dad and I were out watching a baseball game. On the way home, he stopped at an ATM to get money. A robber approached. Dad refused to empty his bank account like the robber demanded so he shot him."

"I remember this much," Brandi said. "But why did you leave?"

"I'm getting to that," Max said. "But, the others deserve to hear the entire story. A few days after that accident, our mom met my step father. They fell in love and were married soon after. Our step father tried to make me accept him very hard, but every attempt failed. A few days later, the police caught the robber and wanted me to ID him. And sure enough, it was him."

"And then what?" Hope asked.

"He was sentenced to death of his choosing." Max paused. "Our step father made a deal that if he took death by a firing squad, his family would be heavily compensated. And since that man's family was poor, he gladly accepted those terms."

"Are we getting to the point yet?" Ryo asked impatiently.

"On my sixth birthday, he took me to witness the execution under false pretenses. I remember it like it was yesterday."

Everyone was in shock.

"My step father held open my eyes and forced me to watch them shoot him. And afterwards, he said to me, "It is all your fault." I was scarred for life. I felt responsible for the death of that man, so I ran away."

Brandi was crying now; she felt extremely selfish.

"And for the past 10 years of my life, I have lived out on my own."

"Oh... my... god," Hope managed to say. "Your life has been horrible!"

"That is why I didn't want Kurt to get upset over killing Locust." Max paused. "I didn't want him to end up like me."

"Max... I'm sorry," Brandi manage to say while crying. "I came here for selfish reasons. All I wanted to do is get back at you for abandoning me, and it turns out you have had a worse life then I have."

Max kneeled down and hugged his sister. "It's okay. I forgive you." Max helped her stand up, and then placed his cloak and sombrero back on.

"Looks like we have another traitor with us," Kurt teased.

"Shut up," Brandi said.

"Well, I guess we spilt up again," Max said. "I'm going with Brandi." He smiled genuinely. "We have some catching up to do."

"I'll go with Will and Kurt," Ryo said.

"And looks like I'm stuck traveling with Max again," Hope said smiling.

"Well ,good luck," Brandi said while waving, and the two groups walked off in different directions.

End chapter