Heya, guys! I just realized something while talking to someone! I just can't simply do all the filler episodes of Yu-Gi-Oh GX, since that would take too long, so here's what I plan to do!
Replace those filler ones with filler chapters! *cricket sound*
It may sound...bad, but trust me, it'll be good! I'll only take a couple of the actual filler episodes, though.
Disclaimer: Mage of Hope doesn't own Yu-Gi-Oh GX series, only the OCs!
Luminating repeatedly, the small lighthouse shined its light over the sea. It was an foggy morning; the sun hasn't even risen yet, indicating it was still too early. Yesterday had been pouring cats and dogs, but the weather cleared up sometimes during the nighttime, but the fog replaced the rain instead, so it was hard to glance around one's surroundings during this time of day.
Alexis headed towards the lighthouse, wanting to get something out of her mind. She couldn't sleep, knowing her brother might be out there, possibly hurt or worse. She just needed some alone time, but she hadn't been expecting someone else to already arrive at the lighthouse.
"...Zane?"
Zane happened to be a young, tall, attractive student with dark blue hair and dark teal-colored eyes, wearing an older, senior version of the Obelisk Blues. He didn't seem to notice nor hear Alexis, as he was lost in thought; staring at the sea with his arms crossed.
"Hello?"
"..." The older Obelisk Blue boy finally noticed Alexis, but didn't say anything else but retain his gaze at the sea.
"What are you doing here?"
"...Nothing. I just thought of being alone."
Deciding upon a topic to discuss, Alexis said, "You knowm I thought once your brother enrolled here, you'd feel bad less. Not more."
"Well, maybe my brother shouldn't be here."
Later, that morning...
Driving towards the site of the Slifer Red dorms, a group of military-like people were all seated in a sort of military jeep, waiting for their arrival at their current destination. Once reaching there, they immediantly exited in an orderly fashion, marching and stomping on the flowers without a care in the world.
Hearing the strange stomping noises outside, Banner yawned and opened his bedroom door, rubbing his eyes. His clothing was a little wrinkled; having gotten up due to a huge commotion outside. Pharaoh was right besides him, letting out a sleepy meow.
A group of the military-based people ran up the stairs, ignoring any stares or commotions from the other Slifer Red students who had been hanging around by the dorms. They were wondering what those people were doing, who they were, and why they were here; the usual chit-chat and rumor parts.
"Oh no! The Disciplinary Action Squad! They only appear when a student's really in trouble!" gasped Banner. "And...it looks like they're heading for Jaden's room!"
Jaden and her roommates were still asleep like many other students were; all three sleeping comfortably and undisturbed. Today was a simple everyday Saturday; a normal Saturday where people sleep in, watch cartoons early in the morning, hang out, wake up late, or anything of the sort.
However, it wasn't every Saturday when the Disciplinary Action Squad came up to someone's door, knock violently, and threaten to knock the door down.
"Open up!" demanded a woman's voice. "Open up or we'll bust this door down!"
Groaning, Chumley was the first to awake, hearing a strict, feminine voice from the outside. Thinking that the person knocking might go away sooner or later if ignored, Chumley twisted his body to the side, placing the bedsheets over his head to muffle out the voice.
Rubbing her eyes, Jaden stretched her limbs and yawned softly, hoping not to wake up either Chumley or Syrus. Her tomboyish hair was a little truffled and tangled, but she easily cleared that problem away by combing her hair with her fingers, too tired to even get a brush.
"Oh yeah...?" Jaden yawned, standing up and sluggishly walked towards the door. "You, and what army...?"
"The Disciplinary Action Squad army!"
"H-huh?! Disciplinary Action Squad?!"
Her eyes went wide; knowing full well what that was. The Disciplinary Action Squad is a highly-stricted group of security agents that only appears if a student committed a serious crime! This was bad! Just what crime did she or any of her friends committed?!
Jaden ran towards the door, quickly opening it and facing a taller woman wearing a sort of military uniform that obviously came from her squadron. Two other identical men were right besides her, wearing the male version of the uniforms that came from the same squadron.
"Are you Jaden Yuki?" asked the woman.
"Why yes I am!" she spoke cheerfully, hoping to at least lift up the tension a little.
"Well, you're going to have to come with us, Jaden. And a boy named Syrus Truesdale will have to as well."
Syrus, annoyed by all of the commotion, especially with the wide open door and the brightness from outside, had his face planted in his own pillow with his back turned.
"Close the damn door. You're letting the cool air out," muttered Syrus; his voice too low and muffled for anyone to understand.
Jaden motioned for the woman to wait a moment before she scaled up the ladder, climbed into the middle bunk bed where Syrus was sleeping, and crawled up to him, shaking his body. As much as she wanted to just lay there and coo at Syrus's cute face all day, the lady and her two friends were watching and scaring her, and they just arrived!
"Syrus! Psst! Wake up!" whispered Jaden, gently shaking him.
Syrus moaned and pulled the covers over his head like Chumley did earlier. "Mom...No...Please let me sleep...Five minutes...Please...?"
'Aww...! Syrus thinks I'm his Mommy! How sweet! Welp, time for Plan B!' thought Jaden, inhaling a deep breath in as she prepared to do what she had been wanting to do to Chumley. It was truly a shame for Syrus...and possibly his ears.
"SYRUS WAKE UP! WAKE UP! WAKE UP! POLICE! POLICE! POLICE POLICE! POLICE! CROWLER'S HERE! CROWLER ISN'T A GUY! AAAAAAAHHHHHH!"
"AAAAAAAHHHHHH!"
Both Chumley and Syrus fell out of their beds; screaming when Jaden hollered random things. Half of those things weren't even true, and the other half...Well, Crowler was always strange from the beginning anyways.
What was worst was for wasn't the Disciplinary Action Squad at the moment; both boys not only crashed to the ground below, but Chumley was right on top of Syrus with the blue-haired boy below him. Both were in a...quite unusual position.
"Uh...oops!" said Jaden, giggling nervously as she peeked out of Syrus's bed. "Guys? Why are your faces red? Do you have fevers?"
"Grr...Jaden..." growled Chumley, vowing revenge on her later. Not only was he forced in this position, but it was right in front of the Disciplinary Action Squad!
Syrus quickly scrambled away before wiping the dust off his pajamas. He faced the woman in the front door and sputtered, "S-so, w-why are you h-here?"
"You and Jaden Yuki need to come with us, immediantly. You're both under campus arrest!"
"Huh? What'd we do?" asked Jaden, jumping off the bed with ease.
"That will be made more than apparent at the interrogation!"
Jaden and Syrus looked at each other worringly, wondering what sort of heap of trouble they had gotten themselves into. Whatever it was, it must have been deadly serious if it mean the Disciplinary Action Squad had to come pick them up.
"What?! Suspended?!" exclaimed both Syrus and Jaden in disbelief.
The two of them were gathered in a private interrogation room somewhere inside Duel Academy; having a private chat with the woman from earlier, Crowler, and Chancellor Sheppard himself. The three adults only communicated showing their faces in three big screens, confusing the two Slifer Reds why they couldn't talk face-to-face; not that it matter in this situation.
"That's what I suggested," said the woman. "You trespassed in the Abandoned Dorm. An unanimous letter from one of our faculty member confirms it. So, you must be punished to set an example for all the students."
"But what kind of example are we certain, that we are a bunch of hard-hearted tyrants?" pondered Crowler sarcastically. "I say we arrange more...sporting."
"Sporting? What do you mean by that?" murmured Jaden.
Crowler was more than happy to answer her question. "Well, Jaden! Off the top of my head, how about...you partner up with Syrus in a Tag Duel? Win, and you're cleared of all charges. Lose, and you're expelled."
"A Tag Duel?" gasped Jaden, happily ignoring the consequences. "That's sweet!"
Syrus looked at Jaden as if she had grown two heads. She was nuts to actually accept the terms! The stakes were way too high! Sure, winning was good, but if they lose, they'll get booted out of the academy for good!
"B-but Jaden! He said 'expelled!'" reminded Syrus distressingly, timidly gripping onto Jaden's jacket sleeve.
"Chancellor! I believe they have accepted the conditions!" said Crowler, turning his attention to the Chancellor.
"Fine. Then, I'll arrange some opponents."
"Oh now, Chancellor! Don't you fret about that! I'll take care of all the preparations for the event!"
Later that afternoon, inside Chancellor Sheppard's office...
"You wanted to see me, Chumley?"
Chumley gulped down, not wanting to be in this room anymore than he had to. Still, he had to do something! He couldn't let Jaden and Syrus be punished so unfairly, just like that! So, he's willing to make a risk!
"Y-yeah...I just wanted to tell you that...that I was at the Abandoned Dorm, too! And that...I should be the one to duel with Jaden!"
The senior boy's hands were shaking and sweating. Scratch that, his entire body was trembling, full of nervousness and fear. If he couldn't stop the Tag Duel, then the least he could do is take Syrus's place!
"No. It should be me."
The door were wide opened right when Alexis revealed her presence to both males. After learning about the Tag Duel, Alexis rushed up to the Chancellor's Office to have a little chat with the Chancellor. However, someone already beat her to it, and she wasn't going to let Chumley take the fall.
"Listen, they were at the dorm helping me," explained Alexis.
"Duh! That's bogus!" scoffed Chumley. "Alexis, it was so totally my fault! I lead them to the Abandoned Dorm cause I wanted them to check it out the um...abandoned cafeteria!"
While Chumley and Alexis were arguing amongst themselves and urging Chancellor Sheppard to change his mind on partners, Sheppard chuckled a little in amusement. Clearly, these two would be considered as true friends, since they were willing to expose themselves despite the risks for their friends.
"Fat chance, Chumley! Please, Chancellor, just let me be Jaden's partner."
"Look, I realize the stakes are high," began Sheppard, trying to calm the two down. "But the team up has been set. Syrus is Jaden's partner, and I'm sure he'll do fine."
Alexis and Chumley glanced at each other, troubled. How could they be alright with that decision? Not to offend Syrus, but if they were in Jaden's shoes, they'd never choose Syrus. All they could do now was hope those two succeed.
Later, in the Slifer Red dorms...
Syrus was pacing back and forth in his room, impatiently waiting for Chumley to come back. After Chumley offered to talk to the Chancellor, Syrus could only pin his hopes onto the older boy and hope at least one shred of good luck came out when he returned.
Hearing the front door open, Syrus could only assume it was Chumley, and his guess was correct. He rushed towards the bulky teen, hugging him around the waist tightly with the expression on his face justr begging for good news.
"So did he say yes?! Oh, please tell me that he said yes! If I'm Jaden's partner, I'll get us both expelled!"
Chumley's face fell with sorrow for the boy. "I tried, Syrus! I even lied and told the Chancellor that lead you to the dorm!"
Jaden, only half-listening to the conversation and staying calm, was organizing her cards. "Well, you did lead us to the cafeteria," pointed out Jaden, too focused on her cards, especially Winged Kuriboh. She couldn't help it; he was just so damn cute!
"Huh? Why aren't you worried, Jay?" asked Syrus, walking up to her. "Aren't you worried I might get us kicked out?"
"Nah. I wouldn't want any other partner," told Jaden, giving her little blue-haired friend an assuring smile.
Syrus could only gape at Jaden's calmness at the current situation, especially since there was a 90% chance of them getting expelled! "What are you, nuts?!"
"Look Syrus, we're gonna go out there, do our best, and win the match! Know why?"
The young Slifer Red shook his head, confused but also a little intrigued to what his best friend had to say. Even in the toughest of times, Jaden was the only one who didn't seem as glum as he was.
"'Cause you and I are gonna work out all our strategies right now! Now, go and grab your deck, buddy! 'Cause we're gonna duel!"
Syrus sighed; his face looking so morose and dispirited. Sure it was good to have some practice, but it was way too obvious that Jaden would beat him. Jaden's already defeated tough opponents like Chazz, Alexis, and Crowler, and they were all from Obelisk Blue! What chance did he have against the Elemental HERO wielder?
Seeing Syrus so blue, Jaden got an idea that might cheer him up. "Hey, Sy! If you beat me in a duel, I'll...I'll...I'll give you my Marshmallon plushie!"
Yanking the stuffed Duel Monster doll from her bed, Jaden placed it in front of Syrus's face, pulling on the face to show how squishy and soft it was. Truth be told, she never wanted to give it up. It was so soft and cuddly like her other plushies! But, if it would help cheer up her blue-haired friend, so be it!
Syrus was taken aback when Jaden practically shoved the thing in his face. Well, it was nice that Jaden was cheering him up, but he didn't want a plushie. Still, he might as well agree for Jaden's sake.
"O-okay then...? I guess I'll take the plushie if I win..."
"Yes!" Jaden stood up straight, happy that Syrus was willing to duel. "I promise to go easy on you, Syrus! Now, let's go outside! Hurry! Hurry! Come on! Or else I'll fine you!"
Having said that, Jaden zoomed out of the room faster than anyone could say, "Card Games on Motorcycles." Chumley and Syrus sweatdropped as Syrus went to gather his deck.
Oh well, at least Jaden's happy. Plus, she did say she was going to go easy on him, so that's a bit of a relief.
A few minutes later, Syrus and Jaden were way below the sea cliffs, standing on rocky ground as they faced each other from a distance. Chumley was standing on top on one of the sea cliffs, staring down and waiting for the duel to begin when he felt a sudden urge to spit.
"Chumley, I swear to God, if you spit on me, I will come up there and POP you, you little sprick!" threatened Jaden. Chumley gulped, forced to swallow his own spit, which was nasty.
"Y-yeah! Remember, this is just practice for your upcoming Tag Team match, so go easyl!" called Chumley, quick to change the subject.
Even though this was just a merely friendly duel, Syrus couldn't help but feel worried as waves crashed against the rocks and nearly splashed over him and his intended partner, who was soaking wet. Jaden didn't seem to mind being splashed on. Heck, she loved it, considering she was feeling a bit tad hot!
"Hahaha! Awesome!" said Jaden with a huge grin on her face as she shook the water from her brown hair. "I don't want to lose my cute Marshmallon plushie to you, Sy! So, I'm not holding back! I'm gonna do everything I can to protect him!"
"B-but you just said before that you would hold back!" exclaimed Syrus, shocked.
"Not if it involved my cute plushie being taken away!" growled Jaden, staring at Syrus with such fire in her eyes. "Get ready, Syrus! This is for your own good, plus for my plushie's sake!"
Syrus whimpered, activating his duel disk. Well, things already went downhill for him! He should have known! Whenever girls are possessive about cute things, they really get serious! Luckily, he had the cute looks, but this time, his looks sure weren't in his favor!
Overhearing Jaden, Chumley frowned. "Uh-oh. This isn't good. Looks like Jaden's not going to hold back. Poor Syrus."
"No, that's a good thing."
Startled, Chumley glanced behind his shoulder, spotting Alexis approaching him to watch the practice duel. She must have gotten the information from Banner, or maybe it was out of sheer luck.
"What do you mean?" wondered Chumley to the female Obelisk Blue member.
"It means that I know Dr. Crowler. And I know he's not going to be inviting any pushovers. Both Syrus and Jaden are going to have to be at their very best. 'Cause if they're not, they'll both be expelled."
"Alright, Syrus! Get your game on! And let's have some fun!" cheered Jaden throwing an air punch to the air.
However, her opponent didn't seem to share the same enthusiasm as she did. "Yeah...Fun...I guess we might as squeeze some in...Before we get kicked out of here," murmured Syrus dully.
"Uh...What was that, Sy?"
"O-oh! Uh...Nothing!"
"Then, let's duel!"
Syrus sighed, looking down at his duel disk with less confidence than Jaden. "Yeah, yeah...Let's duel."
- DUEL -
Jaden - 4000 LP
VS
Syrus - 4000 LP
"Here I come, Syrus!" said Jaden, drawing a card excitedly, wondering what sort of deck Syrus had. "Yay! I summon Ebon Magician Curran in Attack Mode!"
A little girl wearing a gothic lolita-like dress while sporting black bunny ears made her cute appearance, wielding a pink whip with a calm look on her face.
Ebon Magician Curran - (DARK/Spellcaster) - LV2 - (1200/0)
"Awww! She's so cute!~ Plus, her Attack Points are high, for now, so she's a good Monster!" the tomboyish girl squealed, fangirling all over her cute Monster. "Oh! And I'll throw down a facedown! Your move, Syrus!"
"Alright. Let's see..." Once Syrus drew his card, the dull and grey look on his eyes instantly brightened up as his luck quickly turned around.
'Ooh! If I combine this card with my Patroid, he might stand a chance against Jaden's Monster!' thought Syrus, looking over his cards to make sure he calculated the math right.
"Hey! What's that smile about? You got something?" called out Jaden, patiently waiting for Syrus to make his move. Well, her patience could only last for so long; seeing that she was eagered to learn what sort of Monsters Syrus had in his deck.
Snapping out of it, Syrus nodded to his opponent. "Y-yeah! I think so! Patroid, Attack Mode!"
An animated, typical, everyday black and white police car-like Monster stood on the field, feeling determined to deliver some justice. The first thing he was going to do was squash that little Monster on the other side, as soon as he was stronger, of course.
Patroid - (EARTH/Machine) - LV4 - (1200/1200)
"Wow! He looks so cool! He's like one of those talking cars from cartoons I watched as a kid!" exclaimed Jaden, amazed at his Monster's appearance.
Syrus nodded. "Yeah! But I'm not done yet! Next, I activate Black Pendant! This boosts my Patroid's power by 500!"
A pendant with magenta-colored beads and a black gem was hung over Patroid's neck. It may look strange on the Machine-type Monster, but the pendant made him stronger than before.
Patroid - (EARTH/Machine) - LV4 - (1700/1200)
"Go! Siren Smasher!" commanded Syrus, leaping back to allow his Monster to attack.
The now enlarged police car-like Monster charged towards Ebon Magician Curran, the red siren alerting very loudly to indicate danger and the fact that he was approaching very fast.
"Not so fast! I've got a Trap! Negate Attack!" said Jaden.
A spiral-like shield protected Curran entirely from head-to-toe, causing Patroid to screech to a halt and back away. As he slowly backed away, his energy was being sucked up by the shield, depleting a lot of his energy and leaving him exhausted for the rest of the turn.
"Aw man! I should have guessed that your facedown was a Trap!" complained Syrus, quickly losing his self-confidence.
"Duh! Sy walked right into that one!" said Chumley, sounding disappointed. "Huh?"
Out of affection and wanting attention, Pharaoh the cat started rubbing his face against Chumley's leg. Figuring that Pharaoh wanted to be picked up, Chumley scooped the cat up in his arms and stroked his head. Pharaoh responded by meowing and purring, leaning his head against his chest.
"This isn't a good sign," spoke Alexis, a frown written all over her face. "There's no way they'll stand a chance in a Tag Match if Syrus stays like this."
Uneased, Syrus was kneeling on the ground with his back turned. With his finger, he began drawing something in the dirt. He figured that he needed a little bit of time for planning a new strategy before his turn ended.
"Okay...Maybe if I use another Monster next turn...No wait, what if she Fusion Summons...? Then, if that happens..." Syrus was quietly talking to himself, making Jaden a little worried about him overreacting.
"Sy, don't crack up yet! You just made one mistake! That's all!" said Jaden, trying to cheer his spirits up.
"Yeah, coming to this school!" Syrus said, obviously discouraged as he stood up to face Jaden again.
"No, Sy! You just forgot to use Patroid's special power, that's all! He lets you check one of your opponent's facedown cards once per turn! You could have seen my Trap!" explained Jaden gently.
"Yeah...I know I'm no good! I don't belong here!" Syrus cried out, his tone increasing after closing his eyes and covering his ears with both hands. His small body was trembling, and he seemed stressed.
"Whoa! Slow down there!" said Jaden, taken aback. "I didn't mean anything like that!"
Realizing how harsh he may have sounded, Syrus managed to calm down, looking apologetic. "I-I know. I know you didn't mean that, Jaden. I'm sorry. I know you were just trying to help but...It's just that..."
"Nah! Look, you're right! I shouldn't have said anything that offended you," said Jaden, relaxing herself. "But, we're opponents right now! From here on out, we gotta act like it!"
Syrus nodded, feeling much better now. Okay, so Jaden wasn't going to hold back in this duel, but it was alright! As long as he's got a Monster with higher enough Attack Points, he should be safe!
"Right! Game on!" Jaden drew a card and decided what to play next. "Alright! My Curran's special ability activates! For each Monster you have on the field, you lose 300 Life Points each!"
"H-huh?!"
Jaden - 4000 LP
Syrus - 3700 LP
"Now, I'll summon Elemental Hero Sparkman and combine him with Fighting Spirit, increasing his Attack power by 300!"
The LIGHT Attribute HERO of lightning made a flashy appearance, standing right besides Curran; all firm and tall.
Elemental Hero Sparkman - (LIGHT/Warrior) - LV4 - (1900/1400)
"And now, I'll have my Sparkman attack Patroid!"
Knowing full well his orders, Sparkman charged up electricity from his palms before widening his arms, also increasing the length of his electricity as he did so. Quickly, he held the electrical formed javelin with one arm and threw it towards Patroid, who exploded afterwards.
Jaden - 4000 LP
Syrus - 3500 LP
"And now, Curran! Attack Sy!" said Jaden.
Raising her whip, Curran twirled it around like a lasso and swiftly striked Syrus, hitting him in the cheek like a sort of slap. Syrus cringed in pain as he stumbled back, rubbing the red mark on his cheek.
Jaden - 4000 LP
Syrus - 2300 LP
"Last, I'll throw down a facedown! That's it!" finished Jaden, looking quite serious. Her serious expression faded when she noticed how silent her opponent was. "Syrus? Are you okay?"
"Y-yeah!" said Syrus, laughing awkwardly. "Can I call it quits now? I just can't win against you!"
"Of course you can win, Syrus!" enlivened Alexis. "You just have to believe in yourself!"
"She's so right! Don't give up!" criticized Chumley, gritting his teeth in anger at seeing Syrus giving up easily. "Remember, if you don't work hard, you'll lose in the Tag Duel! Look sharp out there!"
"Yeah...Yeah!" Syrus nodded, looking fierce. "I can't give on this duel right now! Especially since I'm not dueling just for myself, but for Jaden as well! And the best thing I can do for her would be to take her down!"
Far above, Alexis and Chumley were both rooting for Syrus, giving him words of encouragment.
"Come on, Sy! You can do this!"
"Yeah, that's right! You just need to believe in yourself! Duh!"
Despite his rough words, Alexis was impressed by Chumley rallying up Syrus, even if she didn't know him that well. "You know, Chumley? You've really got a good way of showing encouragment."
"Huh?" Chumley smiled, touched by Alexis's own words of encouragment. "Y-yeah, thanks."
"No problem. But the question is, what's Syrus's next move?"
"Alright!" Syrus drew a card, and judging from his cards, he knew none of his Monsters stood a chance against Jaden. At least, not now. "I'm throwing down the Spell card, Pot of Greed! And now, I'll use its magic charm to draw two additional cards from my deck!"
Once he drew two cards, he was shocked to see a card he haven't expected to pull out from his deck; Power Bond.
Watching Syrus gasp and look shell-shocked, Jaden could only assume that whatever he just pulled out, would be a useful card indeed.
"Power Bond's like Polymerization...But better!" whispered Syrus to himself. "Whatever Machine-type Fusion I summon, its Attack Points are doubled! But...I'm not good enough to play this card! At least, according to my brother..."
Flashback...
A young, smaller version of Syrus was facing off in a duel against a taller, hefty boy in a playground. Syrus had challenged the boy, who happened to be a bully, to a duel, wanting to stand up for himself.
Syrus - 1600 LP
Bully - 1900 LP
"Alright! You're going down!" squeaked Syrus, drawing a card. He smiled enthusiastically, thinking, 'Awesome! Power Bond! The card my brother gave me! I'll win for sure, now!'
"Quit your stalling, you little dweeb! You're going to lose, so let's just get it over with!" shouted the bully impatiently.
"Yeah, that's what you think! This duel's mine!"
"Yeah, right! Next turn, you're history! That's for sure!"
"No way!" growled Syrus, trying to put on a fierce face, though it only turned out to be cute. "I'm done with all your bullying and threats! It's time you pay! And this is just the card to do it! I play-"
"Stop!"
The sharp and loud voice startled Syrus so badly, he shrilled as he tripped and fell facedown. He groaned from the pain, rubbing his forehead as he got up.
"Hey! Who said-Zane?" Syrus gasped, watching his older brother silently walking pass him towards the bully.
"This duel never happened, got it? Just take this, and walk away," Zane said, handing the bully a card.
"Nice card! You've got yourself a deal!" The bully snatched the card from Zane and walked away, fully satisfied. Sure, the duel never came to a conclusion, but at least he got a sweet card.
"Hey, what are you doing, Zane?!" wondered Syrus, angry at his big brother for interrupting his big moment. "I was about to win this duel with the card you gave me!"
"No, Syrus. You weren't." His next words were more harsh and cold than ever. "And I would have never given you that card had I known that you would misuse it and play it."
"W-what are you talking about? If I had played Power Bond, I could have fused my Monsters together, and their Attack Points would be huge! Strong enough to take out his Monster and win the duel!" protested Syrus, reminding him about the card effects.
"True, but your opponent had this facedown," said Zane, presenting the Spellbinding Circle card for Syrus to see.
"Spellbinding Circle?" gasped Syrus, knowing full well its effects. If his opponent truly played that...
"That's right! A very powerful Trap card! And when it's sprung, the Monster that it ensnares can neither attack nor change its position. So, you would have summoned your Fusion Monster with Power Bond, and his Attack Points would have doubled! But then, Spellbinding Circle would have prevented you from attacking! Even worse, you would have taken a hit to your Life Points at the End Phase due to Power Bond's other effect!"
Syrus looked down, feeling the sharp criticism from his brother's logic. He bit his lip; eyes watering as he whimpered softly to himself, trying desperately not to cry in front of his big brother.
"You weren't thinking, Syrus," continued Zane, his back still turned. "You didn't take account about the facedown card, and you didn't take account Power Bond's special effect! Sure, you may know how to use the card, but there's more to dueling than simply that!"
Unable to hold it in any longer, Syrus allowed the tears to crash down, not caring if his brother was there. He fell down on his knees, refusing to look up at Zane in shame. He feared that if he did, he would be staring at the cold gaze of his brother.
Syrus was a kinder person, unlike his brother, who was always more mature and smarter than him. The younger of the two was so simple-minded and fragile; so easy to break. It was too obvious he would break down easily, and his brother's criticizing words were proof of that.
"Using this card again gives me the chills," muttered Syrus, hesitant. "I want to play it...But what if I make the same mistake twice? I..."
The boy started quivering, his eyes closed as he tried to make a decision. If he did fuse his Monsters, sure he'll feel the sting of the after effect at the End Phase, but he'll still survive! But, there's a facedown on Jaden's side on the field! What if it was something to counterattack his Monster? What if it was Spellbinding Circle? This was all too tensed, even for a practice duel!
Seeing Syrus so anxious caused Jaden to be bothered by his unusual behavior. 'Syrus...what's wrong?' She wondered before deciding to call out to him. "Hey! You alright there, Sy?"
Shaking his head to get it in gear, Syrus looked serious again. Okay, if he wasn't going to use Power Bond, might as well use a card that doesn't have an after effect!
"Okay! I play the Spell, Polymerization! And I'll use it to fuse my Gyroid and Steamroid from my hand to summon Steam Gyroid!"
The two Fusion-Material Monsters showed up on the field for a brief moment before being sucked in a swirling portal. A few seconds later, a new, improved Monster that had the combined looks of a train and a helicopter took their places, sporting a grin.
Steam Gyroid - (EARTH/Fusion/Machine) - LV6 - (2200/1600)
"Alright, Steam Gyroid! Attack! Train Twister!"
Smoke emitted from his whistle as Steam Gyroid's propeller around his waist spun at a fast pace. The rapidly-spun propeller gained enough wind power to create a large tornado that twisted around and attacked Sparkman. Since he had his helmet on, he was safe from smoke inhalation, but he wasn't when Steam Gyroid smashed into him, utterly destroying him.
Jaden - 3700 LP
Syrus - 2300 LP
Jaden crashed down, feeling the impact from the attack even though the attacks are supposed to be harmless and holographic. She hadn't expected that attack at all! Looks like there was a trick up Syrus's deck after all!
Syrus smirked, his confidence returned. "How's that? Give up yet?"
Actually, rather than giving up, Jaden laughed heartily. "No way! I'm more pumped up ever since this duel started! You're good, Sy, but I'm not gonna give up just because of a little loss! Good thing you didn't target my cute Curran though, because she's like, the cutest Monster in the field right now!"
Curran puffed up her red cheeks, embarrassed as she glanced at Jaden quickly. She didn't like it when people called her cute; it embarrassed her! Still, she was glad Syrus didn't attack her.
"Remember, we're rivals! So, it's my go!" Jaden drew her card, smiling happily. "Now, my Curran's special ability kicks in, so you lose 300 Life Points!"
Jaden - 3700 LP
Syrus - 2000 LP
The glasses-wearing boy winched, seeing his Life Point gauge decreasing. Okay, next turn, he was using his Steam Gyroid to take out Ebon Magician Curran. He wouldn't last much longer with her around! Sure, she was cute, but she was making him lose!
"And next, I activate Polymerization!" declared Jaden, showing Avian and Burstinatrix to Syrus. "With these two, I can play Elemental Hero Flame Wingman!"
Both Elemental Hero Monsters arised up in a portal, mixing together and disappearing. A bright light blinded the two opponents for a moment, but vanished when a demon-like Monster with one wing appeared right by Jaden's side.
Elemental Hero Flame Wingman - (WIND/Fusion/Warrior) - LV6 - (2100/1200)
"Yay! Flame Wingman's so cool!" Jaden cheered, clapping her hands together. "But, what's even cooler is when I play Hero Dice! Now, depending on which number I roll, each number has a different effect!"
A humanoid Monster that had a dice as his body popped out of smoke. It jumped into the air and started spinning around before falling on the ground, revealing a number for everyone to see.
"A four? What does that number do?" asked Syrus.
"Sweetness! Now, one of your Monsters is destroyed!"
"Wait, what?!"
Before he could comprehend with the fact, Syrus covered himself with an arm to protect himself from Steam Gyroid exploding. Now, he was completely defenceless with no Monsters to protect him! Worst, Jaden had two Monsters that had more than enough Attack Points to wipe him out!
"Flame Wingman! Attack Syrus!" ordered Jaden before remembering how brutal her favorite Monster was towards boys. "Uh...actually, don't use fire on him! Use...Karate Chop! Yeah! Flame Wingman! Use Karate Chop on Syrus!"
The Fusion Summoned HERO growled in irritation, wanting to shoot fire at the whiny boy, even though he was Jaden's best friend. Then again, he didn't want to make his mistress upset, so he decided to hold back...a little.
Syrus gulped, watching Flame Wingman slowly flying towards him. What was wrong with him?! Knowing Flame Wingman, he usually takes out his enemies in a horrifying way: Shooting fire at their faces. Why was the Elemental HERO acting this way?! It was creeping him out!
The Slifer Red stumbled backwards, closing his eyes as he waited for the burning impact, even though it would be harmless and have no effect on his body physically. Instead, Flame Wingman merely hit him in the head and flew back to his mistress.
"H-huh?" Syrus glanced at his duel disk gauge, watching as it slowly decreased to 0.
Jaden - 3700 LP
Syrus - 0 LP
Winner: Jaden
"That's game!" said Jaden, pointing two fingers at Syrus and winking. "Nice duel, Sy!"
Syrus didn't seem too happy about his loss. "Yeah...But I didn't put up much of a fight, Jaden."
"What are you talking about?" Jaden asked, walking up to her friend. "Sure I won, but that was a tight match! I was pretty lucky my Hero Dice landed on a four! Any other number, and I would have been in HUGE trouble! You made some sweet moves! You oughta be proud!"
Even though she gave words of confidence, Syrus still didn't feel any better. "Yeah..."
"Although, I'm kinda curious about something," admitted Jaden. "What was that card you drew, but didn't play?"
Without asking, and practically snatching them, Jaden took Syrus's cards right out of his hand. She was surprised to see Power Bond, an extremely rare and powerful card within his previous hand.
"Power Bond? Why didn't you use it?" the female winner asked. "It would have doubled Steam Gyroid's Attack Points! You'd have one tough Monster! Well, for my sake, I'm sorta glad you didn't use it!"
"N-no! It's not mine!" lied Syrus, panicking. "S-someone put it...in there! I mean, I-I'm holding it for a friend! I-I-JADEN! WHY DON'T YOU MIND YOUR OWN BUSINESS?!"
Jaden jumped, alarmed by his loud voice. Not only that, but she grew concerned for him when she saw he was failing to hold back his tears.
"M-my brother told me I couldn't play this card...He even said I was stupid and wasn't thinking straight when I wanted to activate it..." whimpered Syrus, his lip quivering before he glared at Jaden with angry, yet sorrowful eyes. "A-and you don't know anything about me! I hate you! I wish I was never born! I-I DON'T DESERVE TO BE YOUR PARTNER!"
He gasped, covering his mouth with both hands when he realized what he told her. He thought he messed up; saying hurtful things to Jaden even though she never deserved it. Unsure what else to do, Syrus cried and ran off as fast as his feet could take him.
"Syrus!" yelled Jaden and Chumley. Chumley was the only one who tried to chase after Syrus, hoping to calm him down and have a soft counseling talk with him. Maybe what Syrus said was a little uncalled for, but this wasn't the time to criticize him on that. Finding Syrus was his top priority.
Alexis decided to greet Jaden below, who was concerned for Syrus and what he meant. Maybe a little talk with Jaden might make things better, even a little.
"Are you alright?" asked Alexis. "I...I guess both you and Syrus did a pretty good job, at least."
"..." Jaden grew silent, watching the waves splashing onto the wet rocks. "I just don't get it. Syrus is a cool kid. I just wish he could realize that the only thing holding him back is himself. I mean, he had this pretty cool card all ready to use, but he doesn't use it! Why? Because some jerkass brother of him told him not to! He even broke his confidence!"
Alexis gasped, her eyes widening when she realized who Jaden was referring to. Seeing her react like that made Jaden think she might know something.
"What is it, Alexis? Am I missing something here? You know who Sy's bro is?"
"Yeah..." Alexis looked down, unable to face her. "That brother of his goes to this school, and you've probably heard of him. His name's Zane Truesdale."
Jaden blinked; having no knowledge of the said student. "Who?"
"Hello! He's the top student of this school! 3rd year Obelisk Blue student, Zane Truesdale!"
"Yeah? Well, it doesn't sound like he treats his brother very well," said Jaden, thinking about Syrus's words. "But you know what? I'm gonna duel him! Then, I'm gonna force him to apologize to Sy!"
Alexis sighed; not even surprised that Jaden would take up a challenge like this. "Jaden, you're not even listening! Zane's really powerful! I just told you, he's the top student of this school!"
"So? I don't care! Anyone who hurts my friends, especially cute little Syrus, has to deal with me!" declared Jaden before running off. "Bye, Alexis! If you see Zane, tell him I'm kicking his ass!"
The Obelisk Blue girl waved back, sweatdropping on Jaden's last comment. Next time she sees Zane, she'll have to have a little talk with him about sibling relations.
Hey, guys! Normally, in this chapter, I wanted to continue all the way to Zane's duel with Jaden, but it'll be too long and I have to pack up stuff for upcoming school anyways!
Just a heads up! No hateful comments, please! I'm sure nobody wants them in their story! Sure, this story isn't completely perfect, but there's no need to pick on people! My friends help me out too, so if you post a hateful comment, you're not only hurting me, but my friends too! Plus, you'll probably be reported for that. If you don't like the story, don't read it then.
I took a couple of things from the abridged version because it's so damn funny! Hope they make more episodes!
For those wondering, "When is Alexis or Zane or anyone else gonna find out about Jaden's gender?" Well, you have to be patient! They'll come eventually!
From here on, I'm gonna be super busy! I have school coming up, so I have to prepare! I'm sorry guys, but updates will be very slow due to school. Damn school. Well, at least Jaden and Syrus are super cute this chapter!~
With that said, read and review and any ideas to the story would help!~