Chapter 22: Shaky Alliances

Countless amounts of students got off the ferry after it arrived at the harbor. Some were lamenting that Winter Break was over and school began again. Others were excited about coming back to Duel Academy.

Damian, Scott, and Ghassan walked down the ramp, their bags in tow. Scott and Ghassan were wearing their respective dorm uniforms, while Damian was wearing an Obelisk Blue uniform. "Well, we're here." Damian said.

Scott stretched his arms. "Second semester of Duel Academy. You guys ready for this?"

"Ready as I'll ever be I guess." Ghassan replied.

A familiar voice called out to them from the ship. "Yo! Damian! Scott! Ghassan!" The three turned and saw a familiar brown haired boy walk down the ship ramp. "Long time no see guys."

"Jaden!" Damian ran up to Jaden and have him a high-five. "Good to see you man. Where's Syrus?"

"He texted me saying that he already arrived last night. Can't wait to see him and Chumley again. So, any cool things I missed after me and Sy got suspended?"

As Damian chatted with Jaden, Scott and Ghassan felt a bit annoyed. Seeing Jaden return to Duel Academy reminded them that, despite the several months of planning and gaining people's trust, the trio didn't accomplish much last semester. Jaden's back after his suspension, The Light hasn't regained much power, and they have to worry about both Banner and Pegasus getting in the way of their plans. The trio's mistake was only thinking about getting Jaden kicked from the school. Now, they have to think more in the long-term.

"NO WAY!" Jaden turned to Ghassan. "You really got to duel against Kaiba?!"

Ghassan nodded. "I lost, but I got him to use several of his Blue-Eyes cards against me, so that was kinda cool."

"What do you mean 'kinda'? That's one of the coolest things that could ever happen! Aww man! Of all the times to have been suspended!"

"By the way, did you hear that Chazz went missing?" Scott asked.

Jaden nodded. "Yeah...Alexis messaged me and told me that about two months ago. I hope he's ok."

"Why do you care? Chazz treated you like shit." Ghassan pointed out.

"Yeah, but that doesn't mean I want him to be in danger or anything. Besides, he was really fun to duel against, so I'd be all for dueling him again." Jaden started to walk towards the Slifer Red dorm, Damian, Ghassan, and Scott following. "By the way, I heard Bastion got promoted to Obelisk Blue, right?"

"Yup. He was thinking about staying in Ra Yellow, but I convinced him he should go for it." Scott answered.

"So, did you finish your essay over your suspension J?" Damian asked.

"Yup. Got it all done the day after I arrived home."

"Seriously? Pretty sure even somebody who wasn't a total slacker would have took a few days to write a 10 page essay." Scott said.

Jaden chuckled. "I found a loophole. Sheppard said I had to write 10 pages about what I learned. He didn't say that the paper had to be high-quality. So I just wrote that I learned how breaking school rules is very bad and that teamwork in a tag duel is really important."

"That's...not even close to 10 pages though." Ghassan pointed out.

"It is when you repeat 'very' and 'really' enough to take up 5 pages each." Jaden smiled.

"Something tells me they're not gonna accept that essay." Damian said.

"Why not? It fits the requirements exactly."

Damian smiled. He knew that Jaden was essentially an enemy of theirs, but he'd be lying if he said Jaden wasn't a fun person to hang out with. His friendly and laid back attitude was basically a relaxing aura, so it was good to see him again.

The four soon reached the Slifer Red dorm. Outside the dorm, Syrus and Chumley were already there, dueling each other. They must have been passing the time while waiting for Jaden. Syrus had Submarineroid in defense position, while Chumley had Big Koala in attack position. "Syrus! Chumley!" Jaden called out.

Syrus and Chumley turned their heads. "Jaden!" They yelled in joy. They deactivated their duel disks, ran up to Jaden and hugged him.

"Heh heh! It's been way too long guys!"

"You're telling me!" Syrus replied. He, Chumley, and Jaden broke the hug. "I've been waiting to see you again all suspension!"

"It's good to see you boys reunited." All six of them turned their heads and saw Professor Banner walk up to them. "When you three aren't together, the Slifer Red dorm isn't quite as lively as usual."

"Well you can count on things being as hectic as they were before now." Jaden laughed.

Banner laughed as well. "Well, that's good to hear." He then turned to Ghassan, Scott, and Damian. "It's good to see you three back as well. Damian, your mid-term field exam was pushed back correct? In about an hour, you'll be facing your opponent in the gymnasium." The trio could tell that Banner thought it was anything but 'good' to see them. Though they had to admit, Banner did a damn good job at hiding his disdain towards them.

Damian nodded. "Awesome. Thanks for letting me know."

"By the way, Professor. The three of us wanted to ask you something in private. That cool with you?" Scott asked.

Banner paused. "Actually, I had something to speak with you three about as well." Banner started to walk towards one of the lower doors in the dorm. "Let's go into my quarters."

"Well, we'll catch you guys later." Jaden said.

"Later man." Scott said. He, Damian, and Ghassan began to walk towards Banner's office.

"He wants to speak with us too huh? Think it's a trap?" Damian whispered.

"Might be. Be ready guys. And remember our cover if he asks who we are." Ghassan whispered back.


Banner opened the door and walked in, the three following. They saw that Banner's room wasn't any bigger than the Slifer students. In fact, it was smaller. There was a desk with a computer on it, a few bookshelves, a small table in the center, and a futon. It made the room feel cramped. Banner's cat, Pharaoh, wandered around the room.

"Now, let's discuss." Banner walked towards one end of the table and sat down. Damian, Scott, and Ghassan sat on the other end. "So, what did you three wish to discuss with me about?"

Damian opened his mouth, but Ghassan put a hand on his shoulder. "You had something to tell us as well, right? You go first." Ghassan said.

"Trying to get me to reveal information first eh?" Banner asked. The three said nothing. "Very well then. I'd like you three to do a favor for me."

"What's the favor?" Scott asked.

"Do you know about Duel Spirits?"

"We heard of them yeah." Ghassan replied. "Spirits of Duel Monsters that live in the Spirit World, right?"

"More or less. I've been experimenting with summoning of duel spirits for a while. But unfortunately, I never yielded much results. However, my research has led me to believe that one summoner isn't enough."

"I get it. You want the three of us to summon a Duel Spirit with you." Scott asked.

"Correct."

"Why would we help you with that? You pretty declared yourself to be our enemy after the tag duel, remember?" Damian pointed out.

"Well if you want me to stay quiet about you setting up the tag duel to get Jaden and Syrus expelled, or for you being responsible for the surge of mysterious new Duel Monsters cards, you'll do what I say."

"How'd you find out about that last one?" Scott asked.

"I asked Kaibacorp a few questions. When I heard that Kaiba made a special request to duel Ghassan, I was interested in what the reason was."

Ghassan smiled. "Sorry to say that you're too slow to blackmail us Banner. Kaiba and Pegasus already know we're responsible and let us go. And Chazz told Jaden and the others that he was the one who recommended Damian and Scott to Crowler."

"I can simply get Crowler to tell them the truth for that last part you know." Banner pointed out. "His word in regards to who convinced him would hold the most water, don't you think?"

"As if he'll do any favors for you. YOU'RE the reason the plan to get Jaden expelled failed after all. Besides, Crowler knows that telling the others we set up the tag duel will make it harder for us to expel Jaden for good. I highly doubt he's gonna risk that." Ghassan replied as he put his left hand in one of his pockets.

As Banner sighed, the three felt a bit of hope. Banner didn't have ammo they could use against them. Meanwhile, they had some they could use on him.

"Now, time for our question. Does the name Atticus Rhodes ring any bells?" Scott asked.

"Yes. He was a second year Obelisk Blue who disappeared at the Abandoned Dorm."

"You mean, you made him disappear right? After all, they were taken to that dorm for the sake of one of your classes."

Banner reeled back in shock. 'Kagemaru covered that up. Even Sheppard doesn't know I'm responsible. How did these boys know that?' "How dare you accuse me of that?!"

"Enough playing dumb Banner." Damian said. "We know you're a member of the Shadow Riders. And we know that you're after the Sacred Beasts. If you want us to keep your secret safe, you'll have to do a few favors for us."

Banner was shocked even further. 'The Sacred Beasts? How do they know about that?' Banner took a breath. "I have no idea what you're talking about." He calmly answered. He then turned to Ghassan. "And I'd appreciate if you don't try to tape record our conversation."

Ghassan gritted his teeth, and pulled out the tape recorder from his pocket. "You knew?"

"It's how you blackmailed Crowler into having Damian and Scott duel against Jaden and Syrus after all. Now, like I said. Turn it off."

Ghassan sighed and turned off the tape recorder. It seemed like they unfortunately didn't have anything to blackmail Banner with either. The plan to become Shadow Riders was a bust. "Well I guess we'll-"

"Now, what favors were you referring to?" Banner asked.

The trio were surprised. Despite him distrusting them, it looked like Banner was willing to negotiate with them after all. "Well first of all, we want to know about Duel Energy." Ghassan answered. "We also want to know how you intend to awaken the Sacred Beasts."

"Considering that you know about the Sacred Beasts, the Shadow Riders, and how we intend to awaken them, I suspect that you know how the beasts are buried underneath the academy as well?"

"Yup." Damian answered. "Anyway, about the question..."

"Duel Energy is what it sounds like. It's the energy that's released from duels. The more passionate the duelists are, the more energy is released. This is in direct correlation with the Sacred Beasts. Duel Energy is needed to awaken them from their slumber." Banner answered.

"So what about the Spirit Keys? Are they pointless to the Shadow Riders?" Ghassan asked.

"You know of the Spirit Keys too I see. As for the answer, it's not accurate to say they serve no use. The spirit keys also play a role in the awakening of the beasts. The Sacred Beasts are held within gates deep below Duel Academy. To open the gates, a large amount of dueling spirit is required."

"Ok, but what does that have to do with the keys?" Scott asked. He knew the answer from Damian, but he figured it would be best if the trio came off as at least slightly ignorant towards Banner.

"In time, Sheppard will find out that the Shadow Riders will make their move, and have duelists protect the Spirit Keys. He's under the impression that winning the Spirit Keys in duels is what's needed to unlock the power of the Sacred Beasts. The primary purpose of the keys is to get the protectors to emit more dueling energy. They'll be more passionate about the duel when they're under the impression that they're what's between the Shadow Riders and the Sacred Beasts. However in fairness, the Spirit Keys can open the Gates as well. But that won't awaken the power of the Sacred Beasts."

Damian punched the palm of his hand, pretending he just came to a realization. "That's why you wanted Jaden to stay at Duel Academy. He's so passionate when it comes to dueling that the Sacred Beasts will awaken far faster than usual."

Banner nodded. "So, I take it the Sacred Beasts was your reasoning for why you wanted to get Jaden expelled?"

Ghassan nodded. "We could tell how skilled of a duelist Jaden was, so we figured it would be best to get him out of the picture so he wouldn't interfere."

"Well don't. Not yet anyway. Jaden plays a key role in the Sacred Beasts awakening."

"He's just one guy though. Sure he's passionate, but with the hundreds of passionate duelists on the island, I'm sure it won't be too hard to revive the Sacred Beasts." Scott said.

Banner shook his head. "We have our reasons for wanting the Sacred Beasts revived this year."

Scott shrugged. "And after the Sacred Beasts awaken, they'll grant the wish of the one who freed them right?"

Banner nodded. "Now, I have some questions of my own. How did you know about the Shadow Riders?"

"Our information's second-hand. Our boss told us about the group back in America. We've been sent to the academy to retrieve them for her." Scott lied. "She believed it would be best to tell you this so that we could ally up."

"And how you knew about Atticus Rhodes?"

"An investigator our boss hired last year found out that him and several other students disappeared at the abandoned dorm during a class that you held." Damian answered. He hid the urge to smile. It was good enough that they were in the Yu-Gi-Oh world. Now they're acting like spies for a mysterious employer under his own idea. Being in the world of Yu-Gi-Oh proved to be more and more fun.

"And who is this employer of yours?"

"That's classified."

"What does she want the Sacred Beasts for?"

"No clue. We're only hired to retrieve them." Scott replied. "That said, she's willing to allow you and your boss to use the Sacred Beasts first, so long as we get her the cards afterwards."

"May I speak with her at some point?"

"And risk you tracking her voice and exposing her? She doesn't want to take that risk." Ghassan answered.

Banner sighed. "You know, the reason I was so willing to answer your questions was to show you that I was willing to trust you. The least you could so is offer that trust to me."

"Hey man, we're just the footwork. We don't call the shots." Scott replied.

Banner shrugged. "Fair enough. Well I suppose that's all the questions I have for you three."

Ghassan nodded. "So, about us being Shadow Riders..."

"I'm willing to accept at least one of you being a Shadow Rider, however you'll need to be able to disguise yourselves so that you won't be recognized."

"Naturally." Scott stated. "And as for us getting the Sacred Beasts when they're awakened."

Pharaoh walked up to Banner, who picked up the cat. "Remember me mentioning before that I could use the help of you three to summon a spirit?"

"I get it. Summon a duel spirit, and we get the cards." Damian said. Banner nodded. Damian turned to Ghassan and Scott. "I think that's a reasonable request."

"Alright. But only after the Sacred Beasts are awakened." Ghassan stated.

Banner stroked his chin. "Well...depending on the circumstances I might request you three summon it earlier than that." Banner looked at the trio's skeptical faces. "Look, there's no need to worry. Even after you summon the spirit, I won't cut ties with you. You three boys have proven to be exceptionally skilled duelists. What reason would I have to throw you away when I'd still have use for you?"

Damian sighed, and looked at Ghassan and Scott again. "I guess that's fair."

"Fine Banner. We have a deal." Ghassan said.

Banner smiled. "I'm glad we're in agreement. So long as you find ways to disguise yourselves, I'm more than happy to enlist you boys as Shadow Riders."

Damian smiled as well. "I'm glad that we trust each other Professor."


"We absolutely can not trust him." Damian whispered to Ghassan and Scott. The three were on their way to the main building. Damian's field exam that was delayed last semester was about to begin in 15 minutes.

"You're convinced that he'll cut ties with us after summoning the duel spirit?" Ghassan whispered back.

"Summoning the duel spirit is gonna be HOW he cuts ties with us. You guys remember the episode of GX where Jaden duels Jinzo?" Damian asked. Scott shook his head, while Ghassan made a 'so-so' gesture. "Three students summon Jinzo after learning about it in Banner's class. Jinzo asks for three sacrifices to be summoned, and the students agree thinking Jinzo meant cards. Turned out that Jinzo actually meant souls, and absorbs the souls of two of them, and nearly the third. Jaden duels Jinzo where he offers his own soul if he loses but Jinzo frees the student if Jinzo wins, and naturally Jaden wins the duel."

"I get it. He's gonna trick us into offering our souls to Jinzo as his way of getting rid of us." Scott said.

"Bingo."

"So, are we just gonna have to refuse to summon the spirit when he asks us to then? Because if we do, I'm pretty sure we're out of the Shadow Riders."

"Not necessarily." Ghassan said. "Damian, Banner's not the leader of the Shadow Riders right?"

Damian nodded. "His name was Kage...something."

"So, when you two become Shadow Riders, you guys just have to prove your worth. Kagewhatever will believe you two are incredibly useful to his plans and forbid Banner from getting Jinzo to steal your souls."

"Wait, only me and Scott?" Damian asked.

"Yeah, you're the ones who are gonna be Shadow Riders. I only have one deck Damian. People will put two and two together if I'm a Shadow Rider."

"Fair enough I guess."

"Hold on, what if Banner only allows one of us to be a Shadow Rider?" Scott asked.

"Oh, I'll convince him to drop the pharaoh in exchange for both of us being Shadow Riders. As soon as they find out that all his victories were handed to him by his servants, Banner and the leader of the Shadow Riders will be begging the other one of us to replace him."

Ghassan nodded. "Which means you two will be replacing Titan, and the pharaoh guy as Shadow Riders."

"Alright. So, anything else you know about the Shadow Rider's plans that Banner didn't tell us about?" Scott asked Damian.

"Their second reason for needing Jaden. He has a power over Duel Spirits, The Gentle Darkness. Kageguy wanted to absorb Jaden's soul and gain that power. That would allow him full control over the Sacred Beasts."

"Hold on, so even if we awaken the Sacred Beasts, we'll need Jaden's power to actually get them to grant our wish?" Ghassan asked.

"Nah. Kage got his youth restored, albeit temporarily, even while his duel with Jaden was still going. I'm pretty sure he wanted Jaden's power to control the Sacred Beasts and use them outside of the academy. Ruling the world and all that."

Ghassan nodded. "Alright. So here's how it'll go. You two will gather duel energy as Shadow Riders, awaken the Sacred Beasts, with or without the Spirit Keys, and we'll use them to restore the Light of Destruction to it's original power. Then we get rid of Jaden Yuki, and get back home."

"What about Banner and Kage?" Damian asked.

"We'll have Jaden take care of Banner like in canon. As for the leader of the Shadow Riders, we gotta get him out of the picture before the Sacred Beasts awaken."

Scott nodded. "And that way, we'll be the only Shadow Riders left when the Sacred Beasts reawaken."

"Ok, but how are we gonna take out Kageguy? We don't even know where he is." Damian pointed out.

"You guys will just have to gain his trust I guess." Ghassan stated. "I'm sure Banner isn't the only Shadow Rider he talks too." Ghassan turned to Damian for confirmation.

"I dunno, maybe. My memory on the Shadow Riders arc is hazier than the others."

Eventually the three reached the main building. Standing in front of there was Dr Crowler. "Ah, Damian Abunura." He smiled widely. "I'm glad you made it. Your opponent is ready for you in the gymnasium. Come along now." Crowler turned around and practically skipped in joy to the gym.

"...Considering Crowler's attitude, I think it's safe to assume he has something planned for me." Damian said.

"Wait, why's that?" Ghassan asked.

"Crowler hates Damian almost as much as he hates Jaden. Damian's been mocking the Obelisk Blues and getting them to wear Slifer Red jackets since he came to Duel Academy, remember?" Scott replied.

"Yeah. That and during one of his classes, I kinda humiliated him and every Obelisk Blue student in there. He doesn't like me too much." Damian stated. The three followed Crowler. "So I take it my opponent's gonna be Zane Truesdale. You pulled some strings to try and get him to humiliate me, right?"

"Well, that was the initial plan, but due to Seto Kaiba's unexpected arrival, I didn't have time. No no, you'll be facing a new transfer student, who I'm sure will be talented enough to defeat you. He made a special request to duel you."

Damian raised an eyebrow. "Wait, a transfer student? What about the student who I was supposed to duel against?"

"Your initial opponent, Brier, will be dueling against Professor Sartyr in private."

Damian was curious. A transfer student who Crowler was convinced would beat him? The only students he recalled who transferred during the first season in canon were Blair, and one of Don Zaloog's minions. He highly doubted either of those two would give much of a challenge.

As the four approached the gymnasium, they saw Bastion, Sartyr, and two Ra Yellows in front of the entrance. One was very short and had spiky green hair. The other was incredibly tall, very muscular, and had short black hair. "You did a splendid job Brier. It's not often a student defeats one of their professors." Sartyr complimented.

Bastion smiled. "You see? I told you that you were a talented duelist. You just need to overcome your stage fright, and you'll be winning duels far more often."

The short boy, Brier, nodded. "Th-thank you." He then turned to his massive companion. "Let's go Beauregard."

The large Ra Yellow nodded. "Congratulations Brier." He hoisted his friend on his shoulders and walked out of the building.

"Hey Bastion. How you doing man?" Scott asked.

"Ah. Ghassan, Scott, Damian. It's good to see you three again. I trust that you had a good winter break?" Bastion asked.

Damian nodded. "It was a blast."

"Well, that's good to hear. I enjoyed my break as well."

"So, if you don't mind me asking, who were those two?" Ghassan asked.

"Brier and Beauregard. I knew them back when I was still in the Ra Yellow dorm. Brier gets stage fright which affects his dueling, so I suggested he has his field exam in private, with only me and Beauregard watching."

"Looking out for your former dorm mates eh? Maybe you could do my homework for me this semester then." Damian smiled.

Bastion chuckled. "Your grades are good enough to do your work on your own."

"Yes yes, it's good to for friends to see each other again." Crowler said. "But need I remind you that your opponent is waiting for you Damian? Come along now."

"So wait, despite being a transfer student, he's taking the mid-term from last semester?" Ghassan asked.

"Yes. He didn't want to be in the Slifer Red dorm due to being a transfer student, so he asked to take all the written exams from the first semester in addition to this field exam." Crowler replied. "With the exception of Mr Misawa here, he's the only student at this academy to have a perfect score on every single one of them. Take into account how he was the number one student at East Academy despite only being there for one semester so far, and I'm sure he'll make a fine addition to Duel Academy. Even if he loses to you, he's surely going to be promoted to at least Ra Yellow."

Damian's eyes widened. "Wait, number one student of East Academy?" Damian immediately opened the doors and ran inside the gymnasium. 'It can't be...I thought he wasn't interested in what we do.' As Damian entered the gymnnasium, he saw a handful of students on the upper stands, primarily Obelisk Blue students. They must have been wanting to watch the duel in hopes that Damian would lose. But what really caught his eye was the familiar looking young man with red hair standing on one of the duel fields.

"About time you got here." Adiran stated. "I was getting tired of waiting for my first duel as a student here."


The trio have made an alliance with Professor Banner and Damian and Scott are well on the way to becoming Shadow Riders. Though as noticed by Damian, Banner's planning on betraying the three the first chance he gets. And to add to that, Adrian Gecko's transferred to Central Duel Academy. Is it to help our protagonists, or is it to betray them? Only time will tell.

Sorry for the wait guys. The last few months of a college year eats up at free time a lot more than anticipated. Hopefully around May, I can get chapters out at a quicker rate. Hope you guys enjoyed the chapter and are looking forward to the next one!