Disclaimer: No I don't own Yuugiou or Yuugiou: Duel Monsters or Yuugiou: Duel Monsters Genex or anything related except for a few stories I wrote and so cards I made up. Glad we're clear on that.
Chapter 2: Julie and the Duel
"Uhg, did I get hit by a truck?"
"No, you passed out in the doorway. You've been asleep for about an hour."
Jounouchi sat bolt upright and realized he was still in Dr. Heisi's office. "Oh no. Gomen, gomen nasai. You've probably got other appointments. I'll just be going."
He started to get off the couch he'd been laying on but stopped when Dr. Heisi walked over to him and placed a hand on his shoulder, pushing him gently back onto the couch.
"Calm down Jou-kun, its okay. Drink some water," she suggested, handing him a Styrofoam cup.
"Arigatou," Jou said, accepting the cup and taking a small drink.
Dr. Heisi walked back to her chair and sat down. She took a pen and notepad off her desk before turning to him. "While you were asleep, you said some interesting things. One thing that caught my attention was the name 'Julie'."
Jounouchi blushed a little and stared at the now empty cup. He wished someone had told him he talked in his sleep.
"I've canceled all my other appointments for today," Dr. Heisi went on, "because I believe there's more you want to say than you're letting on. I want you to tell me everything. Start with your meeting with Julie."
Jou continued looking into his cup a moment before starting his story. "It all started one day at school. Yugi and I were playing Duel Monsters..."
(FLASHBACK)
"I sacrifice 'Sangan' (1000/600) and 'Gamma the Magnet Warrior' (1500/1800) to summon 'Black Magician' (2500/2100). And thanks to 'Sangan's' effect, I can add a monster with up to 1500 ATK to my hand." Yugi picked up his deck and searched through until he found the desired card. "I choose 'Big Shield Guardna' (100/2600)." He put the card in his hand, shuffled his deck, and continued. "Then I'll play 'Monster Reborn' to revive my 'Black Magician Girl' (2000/1700)." He grabbed the card from the graveyard and moved it to the field. "I'll use 'Black Magician Girl' to attack Jounouchi-kun's 'Axe Raider' (1700/1150), reducing your LPs to 700. Then 'Black Magician' will attack directly for game."
"Ah, not again," Jou sighed, "I just can beat you Yugi-kun."
"You did good Jou-kun," Yugi said cheerfully, "take a look." He held up his dueling calculator to reveal the number 1400. "That's more than half my LPs."
"But in the end, it's just not enough," Honda teased.
"I'd like to see you beat me," Jou challenged.
"You're on. Move over Yugi."
Yugi got up and moved so Honda could sit down. He was just pulling his deck out when the sensei walked in.
"That's enough, everyone take your seats," he called over the noise.
"I'll take you on at lunch," Honda said as he and the rest of the class moved to their seats.
"Now listen up everyone," the sensei continued, "we're going to be having a new student join our class today, so please be polite to her." He turned and motioned to the door. "Come on in dear."
The classroom door slid open and in walked a girl with dark, bluish hair and pale skin. She kept her head bowed until she got to the front of the room. She looked up and smiled brightly at the class.
"My name is Julie Knollmen. I just moved here from America and I'm very much looking forward to studying with you all," she said cheerfully.
Most of the class just saw her as another student from America. But Jounouchi was one exception. He was entranced by her eyes, which were a deep, purplish-blue that matched her hair. Even though she wore a bright smile on her face, those eyes didn't reflect that happiness. They were wide, and looked like they had seen many tears and hardships. Jounouchi couldn't help but watch her every move as she walked from the front of the room to take her seat two rows away. The blonde, honey-eyed teen felt the irresistible urge to wrap his arms around her, to protect her like he might protect his own younger sister. But he decided he'd better not, not during class anyway.
He didn't hear a word as the sensei began to lecture. He just spent the whole time staring at the new student that held him in awe.
(At Lunch)
Jounouchi couldn't tear his eyes away from Julie for more than two seconds. He didn't even notice that Honda had managed to summon his 'Launcher Spider' (2200/2500) and wipe out the rest of his LPs.
"Yeah, looks like its not just Yugi-kun. Anyone can beat this moron," Honda exclaimed, celebrating his easy victory.
"Hey Jou-kun, are you okay?" Yugi asked.
"Hello, earth to Katsuya. Wake up!" Anzu called to him, snapping her fingers in front of his face.
Jou blinked a few times before returning back to reality. "Huh, what? What's going on?"
"You just lost a duel to Honda-kun," Anzu informed him.
"What, no way? How could I loose to an amateur like you?"
"You shouldn't talk about amateur duelists Jounouchi. You're not even to that level," came a cold and taunting voice.
Seto Kaiba had overheard Jou as he walked by. He didn't even stop to insult Jou, although he made sure to brush roughly against him.
Jou shot up from his seat and turned to yell after him. "That's it Kaiba, I've had it! Let's go, right now, you and me."
Kaiba stopped in his tracks and turned to face Jou, that evil smirk plastered on his face. "You've never beaten me before Jounouchi, not at Duelist Kingdom, not in Battle City what makes you think you can now?"
"Because I've seen you duel enough times to know your strategies by now. And I've figured out how to counter them all." Jou had raised his voice pretty high. He hadn't noticed the large crowd gathering, hoping to see two of the worlds top duelists go at it. Even Julie had come over to see the excitement.
Kaiba closed his eyes and shook his head at the blonde, that dark smirk still plastered on his face. "Fine, if you really want to lose, then how can I deny you? Be in the park after school, and have your Duel Disk."
The class began to disperse back to what they'd been doing, their hopes of seeing a world-class duel shattered. Until Jou spoke again that is.
"You're not getting off that easy Kaiba. Let's forget the high-tech stuff and duel the proper way." Jou gestured to the two dueling mats set up on his desk. "That is, unless you don't think you can win without your fancy holograms."
"That desperate to lose huh?" Kaiba asked. "Well then, let's see you put your money where your mouth is." He walked over to the desks, set his silver briefcase on the floor, pulled out his deck, and set it on the desk. "Well, are we gonna duel or not?"
"Yeah we are," Jou retorted, getting back in his seat.
They shuffled their decks; then traded, cut each other's, and returned them. Each drew 5 cards and said loudly, "Let's duel!"
"I'll take the first move," Kaiba (4000) proclaimed.
"Fine with me," Jou (4000) agreed.
"Before we begin," Kaiba said, "I want to make it very clear that Yugi cannot help in anyway."
This was directed more to Yugi than Jou. But Yugi just nodded, and so did Jou. He didn't want to win by Yugi's strength all the time.
"Good," Kaiba went on, "then let's begin." He drew. "I cover one card on the field and summon 'Giant Germ' (1000/100). That ends my turn."
Jou drew, "I've seen this strategy. That's the 'Crush Card' you're hiding there. But I'm not falling for it. I play 'Nobleman of Extermination'. This card can remove one facedown Magic or Trap card from the game. And I choose yours."
Kaiba flipped the card over. It turned out to be the pink-bordered trap called the 'Crush Card'. "So you have been studying," Kaiba said as he moved the card to the zone above his graveyard to represent it was out of play.
"And that's not all. I summon 'Marauding Captain' (1200/400) in attack mode. And thanks to his effect, I can summon another monster level 4 from my hand. So I summon 'Gearfried the Iron Knight' (1800/1600). 'Gearfried', attack his germ."
Kaiba's nostrils flared as he moved the card to the graveyard and subtracted 800 (3200) from his LPs. "You've activated my germ's effects. First, you loose 500 LPs."
Jou subtracted the 500 (3500) on his calculator.
"Then," Kaiba continued, "I can Special Summon two more 'Giant Germs' to the field in attack mode directly from my deck." He picked up his deck and searched until he found one and placed it on the field. He continued until he found another to summon. Once the monsters were out he reshuffled his deck and set it back down.
"All right, I'll use my 'Captain' to attack another 'Germ'. So you loose 200 more LPs Kaiba."
"Yes, but you loose another 500," Kaiba (3000) informed.
"Big deal," Jou (3000) said. "That just means we're even."
"Good going Jou-kun," Yugi complemented, "You've got a pretty good lead over Kaiba-kun."
"Thanks Yug. I'll cover one card and end my turn."
Kaiba drew. "I'll sacrifice 'Giant Germ' to summon 'Vampire Lord' (2000/1500) in attack mode. And I'll cover another card. 'Vampire Lord', attack 'Marauding Captain'."
"I don't think so Kaiba. Reveal facedown card," Jou said, turning his card over. "'Kunai with Chain'. This card will switch your vampire into defense mode and increase my captain's ATK by 500 (1700)."
Kaiba didn't say a word. He switched his vampire to defense mode and waved a hand at Jou to symbolize he was done.
Jou drew. "I summon 'Little-Winguard' (1400/1800) in attack mode. And then play 'Fairy Meteor Crush' on my captain. Now, if he destroys a monster in defense mode, my opponent still looses LPs. So 'Marauding Captain', attack his vampire."
Kaiba placed his vampire in the graveyard and took off another 200 LPs (2800).
Jou, "Then 'Gearfried' and 'Winguard' can attack directly."
"Not so fast," Kaiba cut in, "I activate my facedown card." He turned over another pink trap. This one had the picture of a graveyard on it. "I'll use this 'Call of the Haunted' trap to revive 'Vampire Lord' in attack mode. However, since a new monster has appeared, you're allowed a replay."
"Kaiba," Jou growled, "I'll switch 'Gearfried' into defense mode and end my turn. And thanks to the effect of my 'Little-Winguard', I can put him in defense mode during my End Phase. Your move Kaiba."
Kaiba drew. "I'll play a monster in defense mode. Then have 'Vampire Lord' attack 'Marauding Captain'. And since my vampire damaged your LPs, I can name a type of card and then you have to send one card of that type from your deck to the graveyard. I choose monster."
Jou (2700) searched his deck until he found 'Swordsman of Landstar' (500/1200), the weakest monster in his deck, and sent it to the graveyard.
"My turn's over," Kaiba said.
Jou drew. "Yes, this is just what I needed. Get ready Kaiba. First, I summon 'Alligator's Sword' (1500/1200) in attack mode. Then switch my other two monsters to attack mode."
"You're crazy," Kaiba chuckled, "What card could you have possibly drawn to save you from me?"
"This," Jou replied, holding up a green card with a picture of a man with a sword standing near a bunch of peasant-looking people. "'The A. Forces'. This continuous Magic card will give all my Warrior monsters 200 ATK for every Warrior and Spellcaster I have face-up on the field. And since I have 'Gearfried' and 'Little-Winguard', they each gain 400 ATK, putting 'Gearfried' at 2200 and 'Little-Winguard' at 1800."
"All right Jou-kun," Honda said excitedly. "You managed to power up your monsters. Now hit him hard."
"I plan too. 'Gearfried' attack 'Vampire Lord'."
Kaiba sneered as he put his vampire back in the grave and reduced his LPs to 2600.
"Then," Jou continued, "'Little-Winguard' will attack your facedown monster."
Kaiba smirked at him. "Baka. You fall right into my trap."
"What, but there aren't any Trap cards out," Jou observed.
"I said you fell into a trap, not a Trap card." Kaiba turned the monster over to reveal an orange card with the picture of a golden lamp on it. "See? The monster you attacked was the 'Magic Lamp' (900/1400)."
"So what, it only has 1400 DEF. 'Little-Winguard' can crush it now that I powered him up," Jou argued.
"True, your monster's ATK is higher than my monster's DEF. But there's more to monster cards than just ATK and DEF," Kaiba said.
"You mean?"
Kaiba's smirk widened into an evil grin. "That's right. My lamp has effects. And you've activated one of them. When it's attacked while facedown, I can redirect the attack to one of your monsters. And I choose 'Alligator's Sword'. So you lost a monster, and 300 LPs."
"Kuso...Kaiba," Jou growled, "I end my turn and switch 'Winguard' to defense mode."
Kaiba drew. "I'll use the second effect of my lamp to Special Summon 'Lamp Genie La Jinn' (1800/1000) in attack mode."
"So, my monsters can handle that."
"But can they handle this? Since 'La Jinn' was a Special Summon, I can still perform a Normal Summon too."
"W-wait. N-not that m-mon-monster," Jou stuttered out.
"I see you quiver inu," Kaiba laughed, "And you should. Because I'm sacrificing 'La Jinn' and his lamp to summon my "Blue-Eyes White Dragon' (3000/2500)."
Jou had for the most part zoned out at the site of the yellow card with the light-blue dragon on it. He thought that it mocked him. He'd fallen to this card many times that it haunted him.
He could hear various remarks from the spectator students like, "Jou-kun's screwed," and "Only Yugi-kun can beat a Blue-Eyes."
He glanced around the room in despair. It looked like the only people in the class behind him were his friends. But then he saw Julie. Her eyes reminded him of the eyes on the dragon he now faced. But he didn't find fear in those eyes. He, instead, found comfort. And that comfort gave him strength to go on.
Kaiba, sensing Jou was gathering courage, decided it was time to strike. "Blue-Eyes White Dragon', attack 'Gearfried the Iron Knight'. 'Destructive Burst Stream'."
Jou placed the monster in the graveyard and reduced his LPs to 1600, then looked Kaiba directly in the eye and said in his most confident voice, "Kaiba, this duel's not over yet."