Chapter 2: A Summer Breeze, a Wind of Change
These bright yellow jackets are really not very flattering. The color was brighter than it seemed in canon- it made us Ra Yellow students look more like air traffic controllers than duelists. All we needed were those glowsticks they used and we could make our way through airport security without issue. Even the red blazers looked better. Oh well, all the reason to get promoted as soon as possible.
This is not to say that I disliked being a Ra Yellow in totality. On the contrary, the place was well-kept, clean, and full of highly sociable and good people. The cafeteria was always stocked with healthy food, and the rooms were comfortable. Four walls, a good mattress, a decent closet, cable, and internet access. To be honest, the place was just like a dorm at any average state college from my homeworld, even down to the fact that some Ra Yellows had roommates. Since Ra Yellow is where around 80% of the school's population resides at any given time, it was always bustling with social activity and events. I greatly enjoyed getting out and about during the first few days of school, meeting my fellow students, getting some digits from girls, and engaging in a few duels along the way.
Unfortunately, my roommate was not nearly so outgoing. "Hey Bastion, there's a party out by the lake tonight. You down?" I asked my roommate as I ditched my Ra Yellow fatigues for a faded white t-shirt and some Chino slacks.
Bastion Misawa looked up from the book he was reading- an astronomy text- and regarded me quizzically. "I don't believe freshman are often let into those parties."
"Well, the girls are." I replied.
"Yes, well, we both know why that is. What I mean is that freshman men tend to have a harder time getting in. How do you propose on attending?" Bastion argued. He loved to debate- he seemed to think of it as an exercise, a way of keeping his mind sharp. He and I both knew there no real underlying skepticism or malice behind his words- it was simply in his nature to be inquisitive.
"We could always duel them, assuming they don't just decide to kick our asses the regular way first."
Bastion scoffed. "I'm afraid that doesn't sound like a good time to me. But still, I hope you have fun. I'll keep the door unlocked for you. Just keep in mind that I have class early tomorrow. Should I inform Miss Fontaine that an injured student will be coming by later?"
I chuckled, "No need. If I send someone there, I'll let her know myself." I bid him goodbye, grabbed a bottle of water, and went out into the hallway. I figured Bastion wouldn't come with. He probably thought himself above partaking in such mindless frivolity, even for a little while. I noticed that when he spoke to me, he seemed to assume I wouldn't understand the topics he was talking about. At times, I noticed he also used needlessly advanced vocabulary and jargon to make himself sound smarter. Still, Bastion was a good guy. There were certainly worse roommates to be had.
I walked leisurely across the island to the Obelisk Blue Girl's Dorm, which was right by the lake. I planned to invest in a bicycle in the future- this place was way too large to efficiently walk across on a daily basis. Good cardio, I guess, although that doesn't explain how Chumley stayed so fat.
I hadn't seen too much of the infamous Slifer Red trio yet, although I imagine that Jaden had already had his nighttime match with Chazz, who at this point was still the coddled Obelisk Blue elite that seemed to base his life around irritating Jaden for some reason. That kid needed a hobby- or a good shagging, but who am I to say? He certainly won't have any luck with Alexis. Me, on the other hand...that might be a different story.
After around a twenty-minute walk, I made it to the party, which was just starting as the sky turned from a soft velvet dark blue to star-spotted black. I saw a decent crowd of around fifty people mulling around the lake shore. Some music was playing, and a grill was cooking some burgers and hot dogs for the people. A few were dueling, but must were either tossing around a volleyball or conversing near the water.
It looked like a fun time, arranged by the "popular kids" of the school. Sure enough, a few goons were standing perimeter, their muscled arms crossed and their scowls tight. Ugh, I always hated interacting with these power-tripping thugs back in my old life, and I doubted that I would enjoy dealing with them here, especially with the body of this scrawny fifteen year old.
"Excuse me fellas, is this an open party?" I ask as casually as possible- being at ease is the quickest way to annoy these guys, since they're always spoiling for a fight.
"Are you in Obelisk Blue?" One of the three bouncers asked with rather tiresome aggression.
"Not yet." I replied, and one of the guys moved into my personal bubble, giving me the standard stare-down. "Are you on the list?" He growled.
"My name's Jamie Lancaster, so…you tell me." I replied, trying to keep my nerves to a minimum. The third guy whipped out the guest list and quickly read through it.
"You're not on there, buddy. Since you're not on the list, you have to bring two girls with you to maintain ratio. Or you could go fuck yourself, either option works for us." The guy with the list said while cracking his knuckles.
Most of the girls I had met so far were rather bookish, and only a few of them were hot, so I doubted I had the ability to maintain ratio, which they seemed very concerned about. I wonder how little self-awareness it took to be concerned with such things. However, I wasn't interested in fucking myself either, so that only left one choice.
"Alright then, how about I duel one of you? If I win, I get to pass. If you win, you get to kick my ass. Sound good?" Hey, this was how Jaden solved all of his problems in the show. Maybe this would work for me!
Their scowls deepened. "Yeah, that sounds good. I just have one question for you…" He stepped even closer, leering down at me all the while, "What's stopping us from kicking your ass right now?" He clapped a meaty hand on my shoulder, and I began feeling a unique cocktail of fear tinged with a shot of despair. I'll definitely be feeling this particular beatdown in the morning.
"Let him go, boys." A voice, as cool and smooth as liquid nitrogen, interjected. Immediately, the goons released me and took exactly three steps back, allowing me a good look at my rescuer.
I didn't recognize her at first because she was not wearing her Obelisk Blue uniform, but rather a periwinkle hoodie with some yoga pants on a dancer's body. Still, her dishwater blonde hair and clever eyes gave her away as Alexis Rhodes, who was apparently the queen of Obelisk Blue despite being a freshman like myself. She really was extraordinarily beautiful. I couldn't believe Jaden passed up on this girl for a hermaphroditic demon with abandonment issues, but to each his own I guess. Frankly, I had no idea how I was going to handle Yubel, but that was something to deal with later. For now, I tried my best not to look like I was about to get wrecked.
"Alexis? Do you know this punk?" One of the thugs asked.
"Don't worry, he's with me. Chill out and get back to your posts." She commanded coldly to the bouncers, all of whom nodded deferentially and left us in short order. We turned to each other at the same time, wearing identical smirks.
"Thanks for bailing me out, but I had those guys handled." I said, attempting to both save face and bring some humor into the situation. She was taller than me, and I had to steel myself in order to maintain my outward calm.
"I'm sure you did, and you beat Seto Kaiba in a duel before you got here, right?" She rolled her eyes.
"Actually, I beat Yugi and Kaiba in a two-on-one. First threesome I've ever come out on top in. Anyhow, what's your name? You must be an upperclassmen to keep such a tight leash on those dogs of yours."
She blinked, seeming somewhat surprised. "I'm surprised, you're the first guy who doesn't know my name. I'm Alexis Rhodes, and I'm a freshman like you, actually."
"How do you know I'm a freshman?" I asked. This whole "asking questions that I already know the answer to" song and dance is getting tiresome, but the prospect of screwing with these characters is too sweet to resist.
"I saw your duel with Professor Drummond in the entrance exams. It was well-played, but not very exciting. Marshmallon's a particularly hated card around here." She said in response.
"That duel was strictly business- I like to have fun and make flashy combos too, but I couldn't afford to spare any advantage when rank is on the line. Marshmallon is a good companion in that sense." I replied.
"I take it you're hoping to get into Obelisk Blue someday." She assumed.
"Hey, what can I say? I enjoy the finer things in life. Sumptuous food, soft sheets, beautiful women…not to mention the best duelists, of course. I hear there's even brass towel racks in some of the rooms. Ra Yellow has its charms, but it is too…average. I have no interest in being average. But enough about me, you must be really good to get into Obelisk Blue as a freshman." I smirked again.
"Well, a good prep school helps, not to mention that my proctor was a complete joke of a fighter. It's been a while since I've seen a good duel." And the challenging glint in her eye told a story all its own.
"In that case, we should have a match. I have no doubt that I could give you a good duel. It's the least I could do to thank you for saving my ass back there." I leaned in closer, and I could tell that I was making some headway by the faint color on her normally pale, porcelain cheeks. For a moment, her gaze was transfixed on me.
Then, her eyes narrowed once more. Taking a step back, she said, "Maybe later…I'm looking for my friends. I have to admit, you're interesting to me. What's your name?"
"Jamie Lancaster, and your friends are over there." I pointed towards the ones I recognized as Mindy and Jasmine, who were standing by a bonfire. Alexis glanced over to them while I whipped out my phone. Quickly opening the contact page, I set up a new slot for her to put her number in. Getting a girl's number doesn't really mean much (girls like Alexis probably have dozens of dating prospects on call at any given time), but it is a necessary thing.
She was surprised that I was being so forward, but she put her number. I sent her a text with my name in it (I nearly typed in my original name in before correcting myself).
"I look forward to our match, Alexis. Have a good night." I said with an enigmatic grin as I walked away to talk to the other denizens of the party. As I walked, I felt someone's eyes on my back. Turning around, I saw someone leaning against a tree talking to two upperclassmen girls. His cobalt blue eyes were boring into me, even as he was taking to his companions. I immediately met his stare in kind.
I wasn't sure what to make of Zane Truesdale's gaze, so I decided not to get overly nervous for it. He seems to be rather interested in me for some reason though, and I doubt I could beat him with my current deck. I don't want to break out the Melodious monsters so soon, but if I want to beat him, I might have to.
Turning away from him, I made some small talk with some other students, ate a little food, and even danced, albeit poorly. I shouldn't have even been here, so I decided to enjoy it as much as possible. The end of the night approached too soon, and I was off to the yellow barracks once more. I hoped I didn't wake up Bastion when I got back.
However, once I got to the dorm, I kept on walking, After a few frustrating minutes untangling the headphones in my pocket, I decided to walk along the island shore while listening to some music. In a strange serendipity, most of the music that was produced in my original world had also been made here, which was really quite nice. It was always a curious disappointment when I found out a song that did exist in my old world didn't exist in this one.
It made wonder about just how different this universe and mine were, besides the obvious focus on dueling in this one. Maybe, just maybe some of my old friends and family were alive here as well. A sobering thought occurred: even if I did find them, there's no way they would be able to recognize me or remember me at all. A crushing weight of loneliness settled in anew. This was perhaps the curse that came with ultimate freedom, this blank slate I now found myself upon. There is nothing left but to paint upon this canvas, lest I myself become nothing.
I had to shake it off. There's no use wishing for what once was or what could never be. I had an opportunity that no else, at least to my knowledge, ever has. I had to use that opportunity to bring about positive change. These were the mantras I repeated in my head on the way back to the dorm, my mood greatly soured.
Bastion was fast asleep, his breathing a calm rise and fall. I quickly stripped and crawled into my bed, staring up at the unfamiliar ceiling. Sleep eluded me, but when I finally dreamt, it was of my old life, of the memories made with past friends, lovers, family. At first, it was a series of nightmares, going over in detail the worst days and moments in my old life. Pain and loss and indignities suffered were drudged up from the repressed depths of my subconscious. But then, just when I thought I couldn't stand the pain any more, the darkness faded into light. I relived my life's most wonderful moments all over again with a renewed freshness. It was a greatest hits compilation, the soaring heights that I had managed to achieve with none of the pits and valleys. When it was nearly time to wake up once again, I did so with a greatly relieved heart and a renewed sense of purpose.
I don't know why, but some force beyond my control placed me here. Why exactly my consciousness was needed on this idyllic island paradise, I would never know. It didn't matter either. What did matter was how I was going to take advantage of this new lease on life.
Every game has rules. Some choose to play by rules their parents or society laid out for them- others make their moves based on fleeting whims and wishes. Neither of those were my style. I was intent to play this game by my rules alone.
"Bastion, I'm going to duel Zane Truesdale. Do you have his number by any chance?" I asked my roommate sardonically while we were both brushing our teeth. He twitched in annoyance as my speech caused flecks of toothpaste to land on the bathroom mirror.
"Nice joke. I'm afraid I don't, but tell me if he actually agrees to fight you. I could always use entertainment." He responded in his usually droll way.
"Seeing him defeated would be entertaining, right?" Playing dumb always annoyed Bastion; he always hated the idea that his wit was lost on someone.
"What do you have against him anyways? I'm not even going to mention that beating him in a duel is about as likely as getting struck by lightning three times in a row." He asked.
"Well, he's the best guy here, right?" I respond, screwing the cap on my toothpaste.
"Doubtlessly." Bastion responded succinctly.
"And why is that? Just because he has some good cards? Because he draws what he needs when he needs it? Anyone can be considered a good duelist because of that. Why is he really considered the best?" I ask, suddenly aggressive.
Bastion looked at me strangely. "Because he is a keen and intelligent strategist? Frankly, it's also because his peers have built up an immense reputation around him. He's a mythic figure. He hasn't lost since he first set foot on this island two years ago." He explained in encyclopediac fashion.
I smiled. "I believe you're right. Reputation is everything. Actual power is another matter entirely. Everyone kisses Zane's ass because they're told to. They don't challenge him because they're told to. They call him Kaiser because the elites willfully spread the nickname around campus. I only want to see if he lives up to this ridiculous hype." As I spoke, a fire burned within, and I couldn't contain my excitement. "Doesn't the prospect of taking down the strong excite you, Bastion!?" I grinned wildly. He regarded me with a bit of amusement.
"Fighting to me is simply the application of formula- I do not wish to be influenced by passions. Being clear and calm is imperative to my style of dueling." Bastion explained, and I nodded respectfully.
And how well did that work out for him in the anime? Bastion became a completely irrelevant character after the first season! Hell, the guy spent the last half of the series camped out in a different dimension getting shagged by a crazy tiger lady! I shouldn't be taking his advice if I wanted to be successful in this world. Then again, I couldn't help but think things were going to be different from the anime from now on. The anime of Yu-Gi-Oh GX was governed by show writers and directors- everything served a greater plot. As far as I could tell, this universe was governed by the same rules as my old one- which is to say none in particular. This was the jungle, and I had no intention of being another meal for the apex predators.
In my old world, Bastion would be one of the most formidable duelists of all. He has his game plan mathematically organized, for god's sake! A guy like that is not going to lose often. I fully believed that he would be winning duels in this universe that he would not have won in the anime series. We were no longer following a scripted plot- these games were decided by luck and skill, nothing more. Taking this into account, I chose to heed Bastion's words to some extent. Still, I fully intended on challenging Zane regardless of what Bastion said. I just had to see if I could topple him, otherwise the hunger in me would never be satisfied. It wasn't anything against the guy personally.
"How are you going to challenge him? Zane only talks to those in his inner social circle. You'll have to get through them to get to him." Bastion pointed out.
"That's ok, I'll just talk to Alexis about it." I said with a grin. Bastion's eyes widened.
"You know Alexis Rhodes? How? Did you meet her at a party?" He now looked like he was regretting his decision not to join me that night.
"I did, got her number too. Unfortunately, she doesn't seem too interested in me, but I have a feeling that's going to change soon."
"Then I wish you luck. Tell when you're going to challenge the Kaiser. I could always use an opportunity to study a duel between two powerful fighters. Besides, seeing that arrogant smirk wiped off your face could provide some amusement." Bastion said in his snarky manner. Honestly, I could imagine why some would tire of him quickly. But I knew that underneath it all was a fundamentally good person who didn't deserve the treatment he got in the series. If I had it my way, he wouldn't be spending the rest of his life camped out in an alternate dimension.
So often, good people never get the credit they deserve. I had the power to see that acknowledgement given. At last, I was beginning to see the appeal of the self-insert.
"I will. And thank you for wishing me luck. I know this seems crazy to you, but it's something I have to do." I say with conviction.
Bastion Misawa nods and looks away. "I understand. Everyone has something like that, something that they have to do. It's patently illogical, of course, but so is life."
Alexis Rhodes POV
"Hey could you give me Zane Truesdale's number" Alexis Rhodes read the text, sent during class at 11:05 AM. Discreetly under her desk, her phone laid atop her right thigh.
Her hazel eyes darted to the upper right corner of the room, where the sender sat with a bored, yet amused, expression on his face. Jamie Lancaster was forgoing discretion altogether, his phone on his desk next to a blank notebook. At the bottom of the lecture hall, Crowler lectured on the key differences between field spells and continuous spells.
"He always seems amused about something." She thought with a raised eyebrow. She fought down a yawn- she hadn't gotten nearly enough sleep last night. Of course, a late-night match with the boisterous Jaden Yuki might have something to do with that. She couldn't officially say. Jaden was sleeping right at the front of the class right now, a display that Crowler attempted to ignore with obvious annoyance. Perhaps Jaden had the better idea.
Jaden and Jamie- two interesting freshman boys in their own ways. Jaden, well, she could read him like an open book. He wore his heart on his sleeve. His highly expressive face was always smiling, and it was clear the Slifer Red enjoyed little more in life than food, friends, and fighting. His exuberance was infectious, and he was rather cute too, although she would never tell anyone else of such a thought.
Jamie…he was a different beast altogether. From the way he acted at the party, it was clear that he was interested in more than friendship with her. "Just like every other boy in this academy…" she thought bitterly. And yet there was something fascinating about him as well. Unlike Jaden, he was aloof- she often saw him taking walks and eating alone, his only company those headphones of his. He was witty, but oddly polite as well, with a smile that cut like a knife. He seemingly walked around with an easy spirit, unbothered by what was occurring around him. And yet, those sea-green eyes of his told the truth; there was wisdom there, and a fair amount of weariness as well. What hid behind those eyes? She had never seen him duel, but as a Ra Yellow, surely he couldn't be that good, could he?
Then again, Jaden is a Slifer, and she lost to him. She would not make the same mistake with Jamie, if she decided to duel him in the future. For now though, she tried to process this seemingly random request.
"Why do you want it?" She quickly texted back.
"Idk I was just wondering if he's single" Came the quick reply.
"You want to duel him. Why." She asked, cutting straight through his attempt at humor. As she typed, she kept her eyes trained on Crowler to avert any suspicion.
"Too good a challenge to ignore, you feel me? I wanna see how good he is" She was surprised that his reason was so simple. Zane didn't receive too many challengers because of his feared reputation, but it seemed that Jamie was the only one of the new freshman so far who wished to test that reputation.
"I don't think that's a good enough reason, but I'll put in a word with him"
"Well, that's all I can ask for. By the way, I never repaid you for that night at the party. A cup of coffee ought to suffice, don't you think? We'll talk more at the Blue-Eyes Café at four."
Bold, this one. Bolder than most, at any rate. In truth, Jamie wasn't bad to look at either. But she felt an inescapable gravitation towards Jaden…he was like a typhoon that caught up everything in its path. Still, she would gladly let Jamie repay his debt. She would be getting out of class right at four too.
"See you there" she quickly replied before putting away her phone. Jamie Lancaster…what was his aim?
Jamie Lancaster (My) POV
At 3:45, I went to Blue-Eyes Café, the big coffee house on campus. It was a good-looking building, decorated with a blue, white, and chrome color scheme. Everything was well-cleaned and futuristic in design- I always appreciated such quality craftsmanship. On the top of the building, a small statue of Kaiba's famous dragon stood, its maw gaping at all prospective customers.
I laughed when I saw that there was indeed a drink called "Blue-Eyes Mountain". Unfortunately, I was not as rich as Jack Atlas, and did not feel like emptying my coffers on such a brew. Instead, I ordered a small latte.
Alexis arrived at five minutes after four. "You shouldn't text in class, you know." She reprimanded playfully.
"I'll keep that in mind the next time I mix up a field spell and a continuous spell." We both laughed, knowing that Crowler's class was an absolute joke. She ordered her own coffee and we sat down properly at one of the corner tables.
"So what makes you want to duel Zane so badly anyways?"
"He's supposed to be the most powerful duelist on campus. I hear he's annihilated his opponents in a single turn with those Cyber Dragons of his. They call him the Kaiser of Central Duel Academy. Wouldn't anyone be excited to challenge such a man?" I replied with a cheeky swig of my coffee.
"It inspires fear in most rational people. You and Jaden seem to be irrational in this respect." She said with fake exasperation. "You shouldn't be so eager to duel him. You won't want to be publically humiliated so early in the semester."
I scoffed loudly. "Oh please. I'm not scared of him. No one should be. This game is based on luck first and foremost. Having good cards helps, but anyone can draw a brick opening hand. My deck has ways of dealing with him, and I'm sure yours does too. No one is invincible."
She looked highly surprised at this; I take it she asked Jaden the same question with a decidedly different answer. I didn't intend for my words to be so harsh, but that was how they came out. No use regretting them.
"You must really have it out for him." She said accusingly.
"It's not a personal matter. I just want to see how I stack up. Surely you can understand the need to prove oneself." I responded simply.
A slight look of confusion flit across her face. Apparently, she was not familiar with this feeling I was describing. "I suppose I can let him know about you. Just don't get so heated if and when you finally meet him. I like you, but Zane is my friend. I wouldn't appreciate any undue hostility."
I didn't even think about this from her perspective. I supposed part of me still thought of her as a fictional character. "I know. Thank you for doing this for me." I said, my voice decidedly softer.
She briefly smiled at me. "I can understand what you feel. I actually have someone I'd really like to duel as well."
I smiled. "And who would that be?"
"Jaden Yuki. You know, that kid who's always sleeping in Crowler's class?" She prompted.
"Hmm? You'll have to be more specific." I played a bit.
"You're right. He's the one who beat Crowler. The Elemental Hero duelist. Does that ring any bells?"
"As a matter of fact, it does. You're right to keep an eye on him. Since he wears red, many will underestimate him as he climbs the ladder here. I won't make that mistake. You said he was a Hero duelist, right?" I said quickly.
"Yeah. The only one on campus, I think." She replied.
"Heroes are reliant on fusion summoning. In case we ever duel him, we should use cards like Gravity Bind or Level Limit Area B to lock him down." I offered a bit of unsolicited advice- a nasty habit that I had never outgrown.
She chuckled. "Most duelists here fuse in one way or another, including me. I wouldn't be able to use those cards without limiting myself as well."
"In that case, you have two options- you either beat everyone else at their game, or you beat them at yours." I paused for a moment. "Anyways, thank you for passing on my message. If you're ever down for grabbing a cup of coffee, let me know." I rose from a chair and slung my backpack over my shoulder.
She smiled at me before rising as well. "I will. You interest me as well, Jamie Lancaster. I look forward to seeing you duel soon."
"Same to you, Alexis Rhodes."
A full week passed before I heard back from her. In that time, I was sure that Jaden and his merry band already fought Titan in the abandoned dorm. I had no way of knowing when exactly that event took place though, so there was no way I could have affected it. Luckily, Titan, the charlatan that he was, was no threat. Even as a Shadow Rider, I had no doubt that any of the key keepers could have beaten him.
Meanwhile, I finally saw Bastion's famous six decks, one for each attribute. Frankly, I thought his Dark deck was the best among them- my roommate even managed to get a copy of Dark Armed Dragon in there. He should've used that one in canon- imagine Chazz's shock when he finds a dark mirror of his ace monster staring back at him on the battlefield!
His other decks were fascinating as well. His Light deck was a fairly rudimentary, but effective Lightsworn engine. His fire deck was a burn/stall build revolving around the Solar Flare Dragon lock and triple set Backfire. His Water deck reminded me of that one structure deck with A Legendary Ocean and Levia-Dragon Daedalus. The Earth deck was the Magnet Warriors he displayed to no great effect in canon. Finally, his Wind deck was a sort of proto-Harpie build with mass spell and trap removal. Fascinating stuff all around, but I digress. With a start, I heard my phone vibrate in my pocket.
"Zane will be meeting you by the Slifer Red dorm at four this afternoon." Was all her message consisted of.
I threw on my bright yellow blazer and moved out, wondering why Zane wanted to meet at that stinking tool shed. I didn't bother texting her back, instead going to eat at the dining hall with some friends from Banner's class.
I ended up being five minutes late, finding myself highly irritated at Zane. I loved Zane's story in canon, and I think that he was one of the best-written characters in the series. But in real life dealings, the guy was a typically proud elite, at least at this point in his life. I had to wonder how hungry he was, because I had a full serving of humble pie fresh out of the oven for him.
I saw him there with Alexis, both of them intensely staring out at the sea. To my surprise, Jaden, Syrus, and a portly Slifer I recognized as Chumley Huffington were standing with them. Jaden looked very bored, his hands lazily resting behind his head as he paced around. Syrus and Chumley were stock still, clearly nervous about potentially disturbing Zane and Alexis.
My tread was heavy and loud. I puffed out my shoulders, narrowing my emerald eyes as I did so. I approached them in silence, waiting for Zane to acknowledge me. I waited a long time, but he eventually caved.
"So, this is the one who wishes to challenge me so badly." Zane turned around slowly, his arms tightly crossed. "I must admit, it's been a while since a challenger has pursued me so…aggressively."
"Yes, Zane Truesdale. My name is Jamie Lancaster. I'd like to challenge you to a duel, if you'd be kind enough to agree." I said loudly and forcefully.
"Why on Earth should I do that? I have no need to condescend to your challenge." Zane replied icily.
"Because I'm going to be the next one to rise to Obelisk Blue. Don't you think you should know your peers?" I said with a crooked smirk.
Zane's expression did not change a whit. "I see. Well, you have the arrogance of many an Obelisk Blue, to be sure. But do you have their skill?"
"Of course I do. I never challenge an opponent I don't think I can beat." I said, my hands rapidly clenching and unclenching.
"And why are you so fixated on facing me? No one has ever so fervently sought me out before. Have I offended you in some way?" Zane asked, sounding somewhat curious for the first time.
I shook my head simply. "No. I just want to see how good I am. It's nothing personal at all, I just want to see how I measure compared to you. What do you think?" I asked. Throughout this conversation, I had looked only at Zane, not acknowledging anyone else.
Zane closed his eyes briefly, seemingly attempting to recall a long-forgotten memory. "As a matter of fact, I have a proposition for you. You will show me your skill by dueling these two Slifers right now." Zane pointed at Jaden and Syrus, both of them snapping to attention. "You will be challenging them in a two-on-one match. If you can beat them, then you can fight me. If you lose, then you wait for another day."
What an insult to Jaden and Syrus! The blue-haired boy was openly shaking, and there was a slight disturbance in the Hero duelist's normally relaxed demeanor. Was Jaden possibly angry? I gave him an apologetic look.
"Why should they be dragged into this?" I asked with a tinge of annoyance. Surprisingly, it was Alexis who answered me.
"I'll give you the full story later, but Jaden and Syrus are facing expulsion from the academy. They will be competing in a tag duel this next Saturday against the Paradox Brothers. Facing off against you is meant to be practice for them."
"Expulsion?" I scoffed. Inwardly, I couldn't believe we were already at this point in the GX canon. I needed to keep a closer eye on things in the future. "What could these two have possibly done to merit expulsion?"
"They were caught out after curfew in the abandoned dorm." Zane responded stonily.
I laughed, loud and long. "Oh please, if they expelled students for sneaking out after hours, this school wouldn't have any students left. I take it Crowler's holding a grudge." Jaden and Syrus nodded silently at this.
"This could be fun! I haven't seen you duel yet, so I can't wait to see how strong you are!" Jaden exclaimed exuberantly.
"I feel the same way, Jaden. You shouldn't be in red, man, I can tell you're a lot better than that." I responded in a much more relaxed tone.
"Nah, I like it in Slifer Red. A house by the sea with some good friends as roommates- what else could I ask for?" Jaden said happily. I already admired the simple and pure joy Jaden seemed to get from life. The guy was so happy to be here, I couldn't help but respect him.
"Alright, I can respect that. Now then, let's get started. Are you both ready?" I rubbed my hands excitedly before striding over to the seaside cliff below the Slifer Red barracks.
Jaden and Syrus stood opposite me, the blue-haired craven to my left and the Hero duelist to my right. Our duel disks were ready, and our hands were drawn- it was time for the duel to begin.
Jaden and Syrus would be sharing a life point meter, while I would be holding my own, of course. I stayed at 4000 life points, which somewhat annoyed me at first. Jaden would be taking first turn, followed by me, then Syrus, then me, then Jaden. None of us could attack on the first turn. Jaden and Syrus were allowed to use each other's face-downs and monster effects on the field and graveyard, but were not allowed to look at each other's hands.
"Okay, here we go! I'll start by setting a monster and another card face-down!" Jaden opened up with the classic 'T-Set". 'That's it for me."
"Very well." My manner had turned cold with the beginning of the fight. I could not replicate Jaden's easygoing attitude in the middle of a duel. "I'll T-Set as well." I said blandly, copying Jaden's opening move.
"My turn!" Syrus squeaked. "I'll start by summoning Patroid (1200/1200) in attack mode!" A cartoonish police car with wide eyes beeped around on the field. "And I'll use his special ability to look at one of your set cards! Let's see what that monster is!"
With an annoyed tick, I revealed my reversed monster, Marshmallon (300/500). So much for some easy burn damage. I never imagined that I would find my strategy circumvented by a fucking Patroid, of all things.
"Wait, what does that card do?" Syrus asked Jaden with a nervous chuckle. Yes! Maybe he would attack anyways!
"Don't attack, Syrus. That thing can't be destroyed by battle, and if we attack it, we'll take 1000 points of damage. Better to leave it alone." Jaden jumped in there, his explanation slightly on edge. I sighed before flipping Marshmallon face-down again.
"Okay, Jaden. I'll set a card and end my turn." Syrus finished shakily.
"Back to me then." I drew quickly. Now that I could attack, I had the perfect way to start taking away their resources while doing some damage.
"Jaden, I hear you're quite fond of this card- Polymerization!" I said as I activated the iconic spell.
Jaden laughed and nodded. "Let's see what kind of fusion you got, man!" He chuckled.
"I'll fuse the Spirit Reaper and the Nightmare Horse in my hand to fusion summon! From the depths of hell, my emissary rides forth with the devil's tidings! His omens predict death and plague for all! Come forth, Reaper on the Nightmare (800/600)!" For dramatic effect, I wrote up my own summoning chant for my deck's only fusion monster. Memorizing it was tedious work, but the shivers fear emanating from Syrus were well worth it.
The sky darkened, and from the bowels of the earth, my creature burst forth. Riding on a hellish horse comprised of blue flame with a purple-cloaked skeleton riding on its back. The demon whipped a silver scythe above its head as it cackled, its laughter a chilling elegy that promised eternal pain.
Syrus looked green in the face, but Jaden was far less impressed, a quiet and confident expression in his chocolate brown eyes. Briefly, I saw flecks of gold in those eyes, caught by the sunlight. Suppressing a shudder, I continued with my move.
"This card can attack you directly, even if you have monsters on the field! Go now, my horseman!" The reaper galloped forth, the horse unleashing an unearthly cry as its rider slashed Jaden and Syrus with its scythe. (Jamie 4000/Jaden-Syrus 3200)
"Since I've successfully attacked directly, I can force one of you to discard a card from your hands. Jaden, pitch a card." I was going to concentrate almost all of my efforts upon the Hero user- Syrus was no threat without Jaden holding his hand every step of the way.
Jaden discarded a copy of Mirror Force from his hand, to my relief. "I'll end my turn with that. Show me what you've got!"
"You've got it!" Jaden drew with a flourish. "Come on you guys! I'll buy ya a grilled cheese if you win this!" Chumley shouted from the top of the cliff. I looked at him and smiled before directing my gaze to the Obelisks.
Both of them wore calculating expressions- it was clear that they were evaluating my every move. Better not disappoint.
"I'll summon Elemental Hero Sparkman (1600/1400) in attack mode!" A blue and gold-plated warrior, faceless beneath its mask, arrived at the battlefield in a blue flash of lightning. "Next, I'll use Patroid's effect to look at your other face-down card!"
My set card was a Mystical Space Typhoon, which I chained to his effect activation. I managed to successfully destroy Jaden's set trap Mirror Gate.
"Nice move, but you didn't account for how weak your reaper is! It can't be destroyed, but you're still gonna take some damage from this! Sparkman and Patroid, attack him now!" Jaden called.
I frowned as my reaper took some strong attacks from the red duo's monsters. This level of damage was unsustainable- I was going to have to go on the offensive soon. (Jamie 2800/Jaden-Syrus 3200)
"I'll end there. Syrus will be dealing some real damage soon, so watch out!" Jaden said playfully. Syrus nervously nodded again. With my arms crossed, I lazily stared at him for a moment before starting my turn.
"I summon Blade Knight (1600/1000) in attack mode!" A noble knight in gleaming silver plate stepped forward unto the battlefield, his broadsword raised.
Jaden looked increasingly uncertain- it was beginning to dawn on him that my deck has no unifying theme to it at all. I'm sure it's more unpredictable than he would have liked.
Since I had two cards in my hand still, Blade Knight's attack points remained unaffected. Luckily, he was still strong enough to take down Syrus' monster. "Fuck the police!" I shouted, trying not to laugh. "My reaper and my knight attack!"
My knight slashed the cop car apart with the greatest of ease. Meanwhile, the demonic horseman struck again, discarding another card from Jaden's hand. (Jamie 3200/Jaden-Syrus 2000)
"Ah, I see. He's trying to deplete Jaden's resources exclusively while basically ignoring Syrus. Smart." Alexis commented from atop the rock.
"A deduction anyone could make. You shouldn't shower him with faint praise. That Reaper on the Nightmare is a highly flawed card- it certainly won't work on me." Zane drawled.
"Yeah, cause you'd be able to just attack the reaper for game with those Cyber Dragons of yours. I wonder if Jamie teched that reaper in just for Jaden. After all, he would probably have an inkling about facing him since we invited him to the red dorm." Alexis wondered absentmindedly. I overheard their conversation, and unfortunately, Alexis was placing too much faith in me. I didn't put in this card specifically for Jaden, but just to see how it played.
"I'll end with that." My face was schooled into a strict frown. "I don't know what happened in the abandoned dorm, and I don't care. The fact still remains that you guys are gonna have to polish up your team strategies if you wanna beat the Paradox Brothers." I said, trying not to be harsh.
"We're trying our best, ok? Don't be so mean!" Syrus piped up. Well, fuck me then.
"Look, I'm not trying to be an asshole, but you guys are going to be facing a set of identical twins- these Paradox Brothers have practically been tag dueling partners since the womb. They are going to know what the other is going to do at all times. If you aren't at that level, then you won't be able to beat them. Your decks should be working in perfect synergy, where one of you sets up the dominos for the other to knock down. It's that simple. Now come at me as a team, rather than two individuals!" I encouraged, my voice growing louder and louder as my speech progressed. I don't know why I was bothering with this, really. Jaden and Syrus won their duel against the Paradox Brothers without my help in the show. But this wasn't the show, I reminded myself. At least I hoped it wasn't- I could not abide being guided by an invisible writer's hand for the amusement of anime watchers. For all my knowledge, nothing was certain.
To my surprise, Jaden continued to smile. "He's right, Syrus. Now, I think you know what to do. Let's show him just how good of a team we are!"
Syrus looked over at his roommate and grinned back. "R-right! My turn!" He carefully considered his cards. He and Jaden must have already worked out a team combo. I'm guessing it was UFOroid fighter again- I still can't believe Syrus uses a card like UFOroid to begin with, no wonder the guy didn't win very much.
"Activate Polymerization! I'll fuse the UFOroid in my hand with Jaden's Elemental Hero Sparkman to summon a new fusion monster, one that combines each of our powers as duelists! Come forth, UFOroid Fighter (?/?)!"
It was a rather plain fusion, all things considered. All that occurred was Sparkman jumping onto a hovering mechanical platform. Still, its attack points were nothing to sneeze at. Since its attack points were the sum total of UFOroid's and Sparkman's, it stood at a beefy 2800.
"Our monster has the combined attack power of its fusion materials, giving it more than enough power to run over your field! Attack his reaper now with Sonic Shockwave!" Both red duelists cried. Azure volts of power charged in both of Sparkman's palms. He brought together his hands before firing off a single bolt of electricity at my reaper. Although my monster would emerge unscathed from the attack, my life points would not. (Jamie 1200/Jaden-Syrus 2000)
I huffed, not liking how this was going. I didn't expect them to take my advice to heart so soon. Wiping the corner of my mouth, I stood up straight-backed. "A good tactic- my reaper is an obvious way to inflict damage on me even though you can't get at my life points directly. Smart stuff, boys." I complimented them.
"Yeah, and we still have enough life points to take two more attacks from your reaper, which should be more than enough to launch another attack and finish you off!" Jaden grinned wildly again.
A small smile had worked its way up Zane's lips- or rather, an undoing of the constant scowl he always wore. Alexis was full-on smiling, a bright expression. "They really are starting to learn teamwork. Looks like Jamie might not get his match with you after all. Poor baby…" She cooed mockingly.
"This fight is far from done!" I growled, wondering if my advice was ill-timed. "I draw." Unfortunately, I had no way of doing any damage to them without leaving myself open for a game-ending counterattack. Better to just curl up for now and try to consolidate some resources. I doubted they would be able to get over both the reaper and my face-down Marshmallon, which still had yet to activate its burn effect. I was still sure that I could win, especially if I could draw into Black Luster Soldier.
"I switch Reaper on the Nightmare and my Blade Knight into defense mode. That ends my turn." I grumbled, accepting that my position as it was could not be sustained. "Your monster is powerful, but far from unbeatable. Surely this isn't the trump card you had planned for the Paradox Brothers?"
Alright, now I was just being a dick.
"As a matter of fact, it is. We still have yet to show you its full power, that's all. Once we do, we're sure to win." Jaden said as he drew his next card. "And we still have a way of getting past your defenses as well! Since both you and Syrus have already fused, I think it's only fair I do as well! I'll activate Polymerization, fusing the Elemental Hero Clayman set on my field with the Elemental Hero Burstinatrix in my hand to specially summon Elemental Hero Rampart Blaster (2000/2500)
Of course, I recognized Jaden's stalwart fusion monster. It was a butch female soldier clad in heavy iron armor. Its right hand was covered with a fully loaded missile cannon while its left hand was adorned with a bright vermillion shield.
"This hero can attack you directly, even while you have monsters on the field and even while it is in defense mode! If I do this though, its attack points are halved. Now, attack him with rampart shell!" Jaden thrust his hand forward as his hero unleashed a full salvo of missiles upon me. A flume of smoke erupted around me, briefly obscuring my body before the sea breeze blew it apart. (Jamie 200/Jaden-Syrus 2000)
"Way to play, Jay! One more of those and its over!" Syrus threw a fist in the air, but I wasn't looking at him. I had my peripheral vision trained on the cliff above, where Zane, Alexis, and I suppose Chumley were watching expectantly. They wanted sorely for me to fail, to be humiliated. I was the arrogant upstart who had bitten off more than he could chew. I wasn't ready to play in the big leagues, and now I was going to be taught a lesson for attempting to rise above my station in life. I would lose to Jaden, just as everyone else did, then I would take my seat on the sidelines where I belonged.
I would show them.
"Draw." I growled, a sudden anger threatening to overtake me. I badly wanted to take out my anger on these two happy, unwitting Slifer Red students, but the last thread of control I had held firm.
"I sacrifice Blade Knight to summon Beast of Talwar (2450/1950)!" I don't have a copy of Summoned Skull (a card that went from one of the best in the game at one point to basically an artifact fixture in Red-Eyes decks in 2016) so I had to make do with this thing. A green-skinned muscular demon with twin silver scimitars, sharpened and clean, descended to the field with a shriek. However, he was not the culmination of my combo.
"Now, I finally have a light and a dark monster in grave, and you know what that means, boys! I banish Spirit Reaper and Blade Knight to special summon the greatest creature to ever walk upon Ra's green Earth!" I nearly laughed at my made-up summoning chant, and god I just wanted to duel Zane at this point. Time to finish this up.
"No way, he has that card! He must be loaded to have one of those!" Alexis gaped while Zane's eyes narrowed in scrutiny.
"Come forth, Black Luster Soldier-Envoy of the Beginning (3000/2500)!" In glorious gold and blue plate came the knight himself, surrounded in a halo of orange light. Oh baby, just looking at him gave me a semi. I swear I could hear a slow, dramatic pan flute playing as the soldier walked slowly onto the field.
I broke into a wild grin. "Sorry, lads. You put up an amazing fight. You're more than ready to team up on Saturday against the Paradox Brothers. I assure you, they won't have anything as strong as this."
Jaden and Syrus were agape at seeing the legendary monster on display right in front of them. "How on earth did you get your hands on one of those? That card is nearly as rare as a Blue-Eyes!" Syrus yelled in fear.
Wait, really? If that was indeed true, and there were less than ten copies of Black Luster Soldier in this universe, how did the random kid whose body I am currently inhabiting come to be in the possession of one? I would have to do some research later if I could once semester break rolled around. For now, it was time to move on with this farce and get to Zane.
"This card is not so rare, if you know where to look." I bluffed. "But never mind that, it's time to see what your defenses are made of! Black Luster Soldier, attack the Rampart Blaster with chaos slash!"
The twilight knight rushed forward in a streak of dusky orange, slicing Jaden's fused hero apart. The sword sliced through the armor as if there was nothing there at all. Jaden looked thunderstruck, his avenue for victory circumvented. Syrus looked fearfully at his UFOroid Fighter.
"As you know, when my soldier destroys a monster by battle, it can attack once more! Go forth and strike down his UFOroid Fighter!" With a diagonal swipe, the airborne UFOroid Figther was downed by the Black Luster Soldier, who swiftly made his way back onto my side of the field. (Jamie 200/Jaden-Syrus 1800)
"Haha, shoot…looks like we lost this one, Sy." Jaden said with good humor. It definitely takes a lot to rattle that guy. I had to admit, I was impressed. I don't remember being such a gracious loser at age 15. Hell, I don't remember being such a gracious loser at any point in my life.
"No…we were so close! We need to be do better than this, or else, we're going to get kicked out of here!" Syrus grimaced, closing his eyes in shame. Man, that kid really needed to grow a spine. Then again, whose fault was it that Syrus had such a crippling lack of self-esteem in the first place? My urge to defeat Zane only grew at this realization.
"Beast of Talwar, attack Syrus directly." And bring this duel to its merciful end while you're at it. The green and black demon lunged forward with its twin swords, cleaving at Syrus and knocking the kid over. (Jamie 200/Jaden-Syrus 0)
Deactivating my duel disk, I walked over to help Syrus up and to give respects to Jaden for a well-played game. He really is one to watch out for. I played competitively in my old life, and I wrongfully assumed that the duelists here would be easy pickings because of the comparatively limited card pool. When I was bound by the same rules, though, it was a different story.
"Man, that was tight! Good game. You might even be able to beat Zane! I tried facing him, and I got pretty far. Those Cyber Dragons were just too much in the end though." Jaden said companionably.
"I'll keep that in mind, man. Thanks for the good duel. You and Syrus will do just fine on Saturday, believe me. Now, let's see just how good this Zane guy is." I said in equally friendly fashion, chuckling a little at the end. I should hang out with Jaden more often, the guy's positivity was contagious.
"You should laugh while you can…" Syrus muttered from one knee, slowly rising to full height. "Zane's gonna wipe the floor with you, you know. No one has beaten him since he first stepped foot on this island three years ago."
"A fact everyone loves reminding me of. You must really love your brother, to be supporting him so. But let me face him firsthand before you judge my dueling skill. I'm sure it will be a valuable learning experience for us all." I responded with cold politeness, despite wanting nothing more than to verbally rip this kid apart. I knew Syrus was a bit irritating in the show's beginning, but damn, this was getting extremely grating!
After a brief, yet mighty struggle, I ignored him and turned my attention upon Zane. That thrill rose inside me again, that spike of excitement that I only ever felt when confronted with a real fight. It was the same way in my old life as well. Oh, if only I could take this guy down with the Melodious Diva deck that currently resided in my belt pocket. I could only imagine the look on his face when his precious Cyber End Dragon was destroyed by a fucking Bloom Diva of all things.
For now though, this would be a test of how well I could handle myself using this more primitive deck. I fully expected to win as long as I could get some monster removal in my hand on the first turn. One way or another, this duel would be a short one.
"Come on, then." Zane said before turning about-face, stiffly walking away and expecting me to follow.
I followed without delay.
A/N
I should have mentioned it last chapter, but naming my OC after an ASOIAF character was inspired by Umodin's excellent Pokemon SI fic Y'Know Nothing, Jon Snow. If you guys are into Pokemon I recommend the fic highly.
We're moving through the early episodes pretty quickly. I figure you all know the story, no need to go over the elements of the plot that are unaffected by Jamie's presence. Jaden and Syrus still went to the abandoned dorm, and will still be dueling the Paradox brothers. The events in this chapter take place between episode 8 and 9 of the anime. Also, the chapters will probably not be this long in the future, but they will be decently beefy- most likely between 5k-8k words. Hope that isn't a problem for any readers.
Next chapter will detail the duel between Jamie and Zane, among other things. Can't wait to see you there!