Team Zero: Orichalcos

Chapter 32: Joe's Big Fight. Two vs One!

Shuffling his deck, Joe looked at his up turned deck, watching the cards faces go by. Him and Kevin decided that he should duel since Kevin was somewhat busy comforting Usami. Sighing, he dropped his hands down to his side. The ten minutes were almost up and it was about time for the finial match of round two.

Looking up, Joe noticed that the three members of Team Zone had walked up onto the field. Sighing, he pushed himself up and started to walk towards the stage.

"Wait!" Kevin yelled, catching Joe's attention. Turning his head, he grabbed a card that was shoved right in his face.

"What the...?" Joe almost stumbled back. Hesitating he reached out and grabbed the card out of Kevin's hand. "What is this for."

"We still have to win. Take care of it please." Kevin almost couldn't look, but his voice was very serious.

"Dude..." Joe was at a loss of words. Nodding, he slid the card on his deck and gave it another shuffle. "I will take the best of care of it, and thanks." Smiling, he walked up onto the stage and met the three team members standing before him.

The leader, Derek Gautier, wore his white T-shirt with light green and sky blue strips that crossed down it making an 'X'. He wore raggedy blue jeans and worn out tennis shoes. His team mates walked up behind him. His sister, Anna Gautier, who was in her black tank top with her equally faded blue jeans. The other one was Lance Magegear, he stood slightly behind Derek in his red and gray shirt.

"So what is going on, mate?" Derek asked in his Australian accent. Joe's answer came more in a whisper.

"That girl there." Joe said motioning to Usami, "is that guy that dueled last, sister. It is a long story." Putting some power behind his voice now, Joe talked normal again. "So I am here to duel you."

"I see, so you're standing up for your team." Derek said, giving a slight smirk.

"That I am, how do you want to do this?" Joe asked, holding up his duel disk. "What do you want to do."

"How 'bout me and Lance against you." Derek asked, taking full advantage of the situation.

"Alright, fine." Joe said quickly handing his deck out to the two boys. "So once I drop both of your life points down to zero I will win this duel and move on in the tournament."

"Yeah, so you think." Derek smirked, turning his head he looked at his sister. "Sorry Anna." Derek said taking the deck from Joe. "You don't mind sitting out do you?"

"Not at all." She smiled and walked back to the bench. "Just win."

"Will do." Derek said giving the thumbs up to his sister. The three decks found their way around all three of the competitors before returning to the owners. Turning, the three players got set up on the field, Joe standing alone on his side of the field facing Derek and Lance who's duel disk snapped into place in unison. Joe's duel disk snapped into place a second later and he pushed his deck of cards into the deck slot, in a swift movement they all snapped the top five cards from their deck.

Joe-4000 LP
Derek-4000 LP
Lance-4000 LP

"I'll start!" Joe yelled aloud as he held up his sixth card. Looking at it, a deep sinking feeling came over his heart as he looked at the hand he had. "Maybe taking on both of them at once wasn't the best idea." Taking in a deep breath, Joe moved to make his first maneuver. "I summon Life Serpent Knight (1000/800) in defense mode!" Slapping the said monster card horizontally on his duel disk, the said monster sprung to life on the field. The green scaly lizard was adorned with shiny silver armor, a single handed sword in its right hand, a thin silver shield over its left forearm. Crouching down on the field it took a defensive position. Growling, Joe lowered his hands to his side. "Turn end."

"I'll make the next move mates." Derek announced pulling his card for the turn. Grabbing a card, he slid it into his duel disk, then he grabbed another card from his hand and slapped it down. "I set one card and summon my Beaver Warrior (1200/1500) in defense mode!" A gray furred rat like monster appeared on the field, adorned in its blue armor. Crouching down, it held out its shield, which had a skull on it, and its sword. "Turn end." He smiled as his partner drew his next card.

"I'll start off offensively. Mechanicalchaser (1850/800), attack mode." A stream of light flowed off the ground, creating a pillar from where a yellow machine soon floated out from. Sticking out from its spherical body was a group of mechanical arms, each holding a different style of weapon at the end of each. From its back, two triangle like wings stuck out, jet engines at the bottom. "I'll set one card as well. Turn end." As the card appeared behind the small floating monster, the turn shifted to Joe.

"Draw!" He yelled as he snapped the top card from his deck. "That may work...for some support. But I'm still in hot water." Joe grimaced at the, still, poor hand he held. Grabbing the new card, he slipped it into his duel disk. "I set one card face down, and summon my Mystical Elf (800/2000) in defense mode!" With ripples of light, the holograms appeared on Joe's field. The brown back of the set card, and the blue skinned, blond haired elvish monster. "Turn end."

"Then it is my move." Derek smiled friendly, sliding the newly drawn card into his hand. "I'll activate my down card, Level Conversion Lab!" Grabbing a card from his hand, Derek flipped it over and showed Joe what it was. "Now I roll a die, and my Manticore of Darkness (2300/1000) will become the level on the die till the end of the turn. But if I am unlucky enough to roll a one, my monster goes to the grave."

Appearing on Derek's field, a large tube appeared with a large sleeping beast inside. The monster had pure black wings wrapped around its body, it lion like head tucked into its raven black feathers. On the bottom of the tube sat a metal device that held the tube up. From the middle of the metal platform, a small hatch opened and, in a clank of gears, a small white die flew out across the field. Bouncing about the field, the die finally came to a complete stop. The top of the die showed two black dots.

"Yes!" Derek jumped off the ground, when he landed he held out his hand, his index and middle fingers held up to show 'two'. "I've roll a two so my monster has become level two. Now I summon him, come out Manticore of Darkness in attack mode!" From inside the large, light blue tube, a low rumbling growl rolled out seconds before it burst open, the large beast stretching out its limbs, roaring towards the sky. It's tan body was very buff and gave the monster a fiercer image. "Manticore, attack his Elf!" Derek yelled, pointing to the blue skinned monster. Flapping its black feathered wings, the large monster flew over to the crouching elf in a matter of milliseconds. Bringing one large, powerful claw down, the monster was wiped off the field.

"Open trap card!" Joe yelled, his set card flipped up quickly in response. "Magical Family Connection!" Glowing bright yellow for a second, the light suddenly vanished leaving the card sitting motionless on the field. Pictured on the card was a group of robed figures standing around a stone table in a black and yellow blurred background.

"Huh?" Derek looked lost for a second as nothing happened in response to the trap card. It was Lance that responded to his team mates confusion.

"Its a trap card that activates when a spellcaster type monster is sent from the field to the grave due to a battle. When another spellcaster type monster is destroyed in battle he may pull a Dark Magician from his deck or graveyard and add it to his hand." Smirking slightly, Derek caught on to what his team mate had said.

"So, you trying to get some power going to that hand of yours. Must be pathetic then mate, oh well. Turn end."

"My move, draw!" Lance announced snapping a card from his deck. "Perfect. But before I use this card," Lance slipped the card into his hand and grabbed another card from his hand. Moving quickly he slapped it down onto his duel disk. "I summon my Blast Magician (1400/1700) in attack mode" Lance's red mage monster appeared next to the spherical monster. Its red armor and its black scythe like staff gleamed in the lights from above. Standing proudly for a few seconds, the monster finally lowered himself into a battle stance. "Now every time a magic card is played he will gain a counter. Once I have enough, I can remove them to destroy a monster on the field whose attack is equal to the number of counters times 700."

"If he destroys my Life Serpent Knight I won't be able to defend from any attacks." Joe bit his lip in fear from losing his only protections from the beasts on Derek's and Lances fields.

"And here you go." Lance said pointing to the set card on his field. "Open set card 7 completeted! I equip this to my Mechanicalchaser to increase his attack by 700 points (2550/800)!" As the holographic card flipped up, making the yellow spherical machine groan and creak as its power increased, the red armored magician glowed in a bright purple light as energy was added to him. "Just feel lucky I am out of magic cards at the moment. But I'll bet that by the time my turn comes again, I'll be able to destroy your lizard and you too." Lance laughed as he pointed to Joe. "Your move."

"Fine, draw!" Joe yelled, drawing his card and smiling at the yellow bordered card he saw. "I summon to the field my monster, Warrior Dai Grepher (1700/1600)!" In a flash of brilliant white light, the warrior appeared next to the silver armored lizard monster. He patted his black leather armor a few times before grabbing and swinging around his silver sword. Muscles bulging, the monster glared down its opponents. "Dai Grepher attack his Blast Magician! Sword Strike!" Yelling out the attack, the monster leapt across the field and cut the red armored monster in half. Groaning in inhuman pain, the magician monster broke apart into tiny data bits.

Joe-4000 LP
Derek-4000 LP
Lance-3700 LP

Looking down at his hand, Joe saw something that might help him yet. "I had to take a big risk to save my monster, but this will get me some benefit out of it." Joe grabbed a card and slid it into his duel disk. "I activate the magic card, Type Book! This card will change the monster equipped with it to whatever type I chose. I'll give it to my Dai Grepher, changing him to Spellcaster!" Sliding the said magic card into his duel disk, Joe watched as his warrior monster picked up a black covered book and began reading it. A faint, transparent, light blue aura surrounded his body. "Turn end."

"So, if he is destroyed you'll get your Dark Magician." Derek observed, "cleaver." Drawing his card, Derek picked up the Beaver Warrior card that had been sitting on his duel disk. "I sacrifice Beaver Warrior in order to summon my Rude Kaiser (1800/1600) in attack mode." As the hologram of the strange rat monster faded away, the large, armored green lizard monster appeared in its place. On its for arms sat two, large, gray axes. Eyes glowing red for a second, the monster let out a low rumbling growl.

"What next?" Joe asked, trying to prompt Derek to attack his monster.

"I'll end my turn." Derek smiled wide making Joe frown.

"Draw!" Lance snapped his fingers in the air before drawing his card. "I'll set this monster face down and have my Mechanicalchaser attack your Warrior!" As the horizontal card appeared representing a set monster, the yellow machine ball floated high into the air and launched one of its weapons, its spear, straight down at the monster. Screaming in pain, the monster grabbed the handle of the spear as it drove its way into his chest. Exploding into data bits, the ringing sound of Joe's life points dropping filled the air.

Joe-3150 LP
Derek-4000 LP
Lance-3700 LP

"Now I sacrifice my trap card, Magical Family Connection, to grab a Dark Magician from my deck and add it to my hand." Pulling his deck out of the slot, Joe flipped through the cards one at a time till he came to his purple clothed magician card. Giving the deck a quick shuffle he slid it back into his deck slot. As the deck latched into place the hologram of the card broke apart.

"So what?" Lance asked, grabbing a card in his hand he slid it into his duel disk. "I set one card face down to end my move."


Yugi smiled slightly to himself. "The Dark Magician has become quite the popular card."

("I would agree Yugi.") Yami replied from Yugi's mind. ("But even the power of the Dark Magician can't help this kid out enough. He is up against two proven powerful duelists. He is using his Life Serpent Knight alone as the only defense between them and his life points.")

"He isn't too bad off. He also proved in that first round that he is a powerful duelist himself." Yugi commented, getting a nod from the astro form of the spirit kneeling next to Yugi's chair. "Let's just see what happens shall we."


"My turn, draw!" Joe announced, sliding the next card into his hand. Joe's face didn't express the sinking feeling he felt inside. It felt like his heart had just fell down a deep hole as the card he drew wasn't anything good enough to help turn the situation around. "I'm getting nothing but crappy draws this game." Joe mentaly contemplated as he looked at his hand. "I summon Getsu Fuhma (1700/1200) in defense mode." On a horizontal representation of the said card, the red haired lady warrior appeared, crouching behind the long thin sword. Her silver armored gleamed in the light of the dome. "It would have been better if one of them played fiends or zombies...but Derek plays beasts and beast-warriors, while Lance appears to play machines and spellcasters." Joe growled at how useless his powerful monster seemed in the situation. "Turn end."

"Draw!" Derek yelled snapping the card off his deck and whipping it around so that the card was in front of his face. "He's trying to build up two monsters to sacrifice for his Dark Magician. Well I won't let him." Derek grinned and pointed to the red haired warrior. "Manticore of Darkness, attack the Getsu Fuhma now!" Just as before, with the command the large beast flew across the field. Crushing the monster under its powerful claw, the monster jolted back to Derek's field. "Turn end" Derek announced, deciding to let his partner take over.

"Then I will draw and," Lance began, drawing his card as he talked, "sacrifice Mechanicalchaser and my set monster to summon up my ultimate monster. Come out, Perfect Machine King (2700/1500)!" A huge blast sent waves of heat and dust flying all over the stage. Now, the only thing standing on Lances field was a large, red and white machine monster. Towering high above the other monsters, the large behemoth machine glared down at Joe and his serpentine warrior. "My Perfect Machine King will gain 500 attack points for every machine on the field except for himself." Lance smirked as his powerhouse monster made Joe show even a little fear.

"Hmm." Derek was also pleased with his partners move. "Now we have more of a lock on the field, and you," Derek pointed to Joe, "you are barely hiding behind your little monster. We will find a way around it."

"Derek." Lance broke into Derek's speech, "there is no need for that." Grabbing a card in his hand, Lance swiftly moved it into his duel disk. "We don't need to find a way, we have a way! I play the magic card; Stop Defense!" Yelling the card name sent the crowd into an uproar.

Joe felt that sinking feeling again, but this time he showed it on his face in complete shock and sadness. He painfully watched as his monster was forced to switch into attack mode. Standing straight up, the lizard took a fighting stance, shield up close to his chest, sword in a striking position.

"Perfect Machine King, attack Life Serpent Knight with Killer Missal Strike!" Clanking gears could be heard as two large flaps on the shoulders of the red and white machined opened. Small holes began to erupt with a spray of missals that whizzed thought air towards the helpless lizard. Exploding all around the monster, a huge fire ball consumed Joe's field as he shielded himself from the heat and smoke of the attack. His clothing whipped back from the shock wave of the attack on his beast.

Joe-1450 LP
Derek-4000 LP
Lance-3700 LP

Finally, as the smoke and fire started to fade away, Joe's lizard warrior knelt on the field, bracing himself up just by his sword. Panting hard, the lizard glared at the machine monster that had just blasted him. Snarling, the beast pulled himself back up to his feet, ready to fight again.

"Since your monster can't be destroyed, you get to keep him." Lance smirked at the little monster as it still was panting. "I'll end my turn, make your move."

"I will, draw!" Joe retorted, snapping a card off his deck and whipping it down in front of his face. "That's what I needed!" Joe felt a wave of relief as he looked at the green bordered card. "I activate Pot of Greed! This will allow me to draw two cards from my deck." Smiling, Joe quickly added two cards from his deck to his hand. "Not the best, but will do just fine for now." Feeling his heart pumping, Joe was really into this duel. Taking a quick glance over his shoulder he saw Usami sitting up now, her face red from crying but she was willing to put it aside to support her team mate. Kevin sat there two, smiling at Joe.

"You can do it dude." Kevin gave the thumbs up to Joe, who quickly smiled at the support.

Looking over, he saw Reku, Ronin, Sachiko, and Akina sitting on their bench, eyes locked on the dueling field with interest.

"JOE!" A guy's voice from behind him called out. Spinning around quickly, Joe found the source of the voice to be Lucien sitting with his team mates. "You can do it!" He yelled out, flashing a huge grin for the repayment of what he did for Aliya. Raoul and Aliya both waved to him, Aliya though had a glossy look to her eyes, like deep in though.

"Thanks." Joe smiled, giving the thumbs up to Lucien as well. Turning around he looked at his two newly drawn cards. "I first will switch my Life Serpent Knight into defense mode..."

"Thank you." Lance interrupted Joe in mid sentence. Pointing to his set card, it slowly flipped up to reveal a trap card.

"What does that do?" Joe questioned, as he watched his crouching armored lizard warrior exploded into data bits.

"It's called Tragedy and here's how it works. When you switched him from attack to defense mode you activated this trap, destroying all face up defense mode monsters on your side of the field." Lance smirked. "I told you I had a way to destroy your monster. Now you are wide open and this duel is about to end!"

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Sorry for the late update folks. I meant to update, then things would get in my way. Well, here it is now!

To J.G. the Game Master: Welcome to my newest reviewer. All I can tell you at this point is, she wouldn't make a very good bad guy/gal in my fics if she didn't have a kick ass deck to go along with her evilness.

To John: All those questions will not have answers in this chapter. So I guess not, except about the bets. Then maybe.

To Vyser Adept of Dragons: Yes, yes he is. As for my deck in a duel, well, I have more than one. A few of them made the basics of main character decks in my fics (hint hint)

To LucienShadowMaster: Well, good hunch. And we shall see how things work out here soon enough.

To Demon Fan: Alright, so we all know your idea. Not a bad guess, but again, I don't know.

To Dragon and Sword Master: Yup, lots of people knew that was going to happen. Just wait though, somthing interesting might still happen before I finish off this fic.
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