State of the Meta

by Yung Warrior

A self-insert in which a competitive player from 2016 finds himself warped into the world of GX. Between adjusting his deck to make up for the inverted power creep, making grades, and saving the world, there's much to do, but all good players know how to adapt to their circumstances. SI-OC, 1st Person POV

14. Aku Soku Zan

Chapter 14: Aku Soku Zan

The break passed in painfully long periods of time, only to accelerate in the final days as the dread of what awaited me when I returned to Duel Academy set in. It seemed like a trance, as though I was a visitor in someone else's dream. From a certain point of view, I supposed I was. The only difference was that I never woke up and returned to my own life.

The holidays were absolutely painful. As soon as I got home, I frantically looked through the family yearbooks and photo albums, trying to learn as much as I could about these people – my family. It was like studying for a big exam, matching faces to names. And yet, there was urgency in this endeavor that studying for an exam lacked- with one wrong word, I really would be carted off to the asylum, or worse, revealed for the imposter I actually was.

The guilt I felt on Christmas Day when my distant relatives came to visit was indescribable.

"Jamie, remember when we went hiking and you got scared of that rattlesnake? Good times!"

I nodded and gave a nervous chuckle

"You used to love this show when you were a kid, don't you remember Jamie?"

I nodded and gave a nervous chuckle.

"It's so good to see you again, Jamie! You've grown so tall!"

It was too much to bear. They didn't know there was an imposter in their midst, and the love shared amongst the Lancaster family was completely lost to me. A second life didn't seem like such a precious gift now, when I sat amongst strangers called mother and father. I coasted through dinners and gift openings, acting as a grotesque parody of Jamie Lancaster. I wanted to love these people, but this was impossible. I was not a son, a cousin, a nephew. I didn't even feel like a real human being- rather, I was a ghost in a human's body.

At Duel Academy, I was a real person. The bonds I forged there were my own, my status in Obelisk Blue forged with my own two hands. Exchanging text messages and emails with my friends made me realize that these people were family, the family I chose.

I was beyond glad when the day came to return to the island, even as I acknowledged the darkness that was coming. The Shadow Riders would soon descend on the island. I imagined I would be a key keeper, due to my high standing in the student body. If things went right, then none of the keys would be taken. Since the seven keys would never be put together, the Sacred Beasts would not be unearthed from the island, meaning that protecting them from Yubel and Adrian should be easier. Hopefully without the Sacred Beasts to grant him immortality, Kagemaru would die and save us a headache. In the meantime, I needed to do everything I could to undermine his position as the superintendent of central academy.

"Just put one foot in front of the other." I thought numbly as I said goodbye to mother and father again. God, even calling them by those empty titles left the taste of ashes on my tongue. This had been the worst three weeks I had experienced in recent memory, as angsty as that sounded.

XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxX

"So, how was your break?" Bastion asked as we both took our seats. We had just arrived at our first class of the semester, World History 103 with Vector Drummond.

"Fine. How about yours?" I said neutrally as I pulled out a notebook form my backpack. It felt good to be back in my Obelisk Blue uniform. My hair had grown slightly longer, but it was hardly noticeable. Unlike Adam, I tended to avoid any fancy hairstyles, preferring to keep my brown locks short, messy, and textured. Bastion, on the other hand, seemed to gel his hair- he had to get it to point straight back like that.

"It was fantastic! I caught up on some light philosophy and pure math reading. My family and I visited plenty of museums as well! It was truly invigorating." He gushed. "But really, I'm just excited to get back to school."

"You and me both, brother." I respond in kind.

Shooting a wry glance, Bastion asked, "Oh really? You suddenly find academia interesting? You barely even made it to any classes by the end of last semester."

"We both have our reasons." I said cryptically. He didn't need to know why. He would never need to know why. The bell rung and signaled the beginning of instruction.

Vector Drummond stood at the bottom of the lecture bowl, his notes messily strewn about his desk. I had a feeling that although he looked unorganized, there was probably a method to his madness, so to speak. After class, I planned to approach him about our duel.

"Alright class, welcome to World History 103, my name is Vector Drummond, and I'll be your instructor for this course. In here, we shall be taking a break from tedious card games and focusing on some real academic discipline…namely the study of humanity's history itself." He started off, sounding rather bored as he usually did. Interestingly, it seemed he didn't like dueling all that much, at least as a class subject.

"Now then, I'd like to start off with-" Suddenly, the professor found himself cut off by an announcement from the loudspeaker near the ceiling.

"Ahem, is this thing on? Yes, hello everyone! This is Headmaster Sheppard here! I hope the semester is off to a great start!" A chortling voice rang out form the speaker.

"It WAS off to a fine start until you literally interrupted me in the first five minutes, you bloody oaf." I heard Drummond mutter, his British accent slipping ever so slightly.

"Anyways, I would like Jaden Yuki, Zane Truesdale, Jamie Lancaster, Bastion Misawa, Alexis Rhodes, Erin Reid, Professor Crowler, and Professor Banner to report to my office immediately. All other classes are to proceed normally. Thank you!" With that, the speaker cut out.

So, it was time at last. The call to adventure has come for the heroes, and myself. Wait a minute, I'm pretty sure Sheppard just listed off eight names. Something is up. I suppose it was only fitting that I take Chazz's position in canon, but why would he call eight people to guard seven keys?

Bastion looked at me with an arched eyebrow, and the confusion on my face genuinely matched his, albeit for different reasons. Something was goofy here. Come to think of it, why didn't he just contact us outside of class instead of interrupting all classes and outright cancelling Crowler and Banner's periods?

"Our sincerest apologies, Professor Drummond. I assure you, this summons is wholly unexpected." Bastion covered for us both.

"It's fine." Drummond sighed tiredly, and I felt like this really wasn't fine, but he was too worn down to protest. I feel that, brother. "Just grab a syllabus on your way out. I know no one actually reads the damn things, but it's the principle that counts."

XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx

Bastion and I trekked up the stairs from the first to Sheppard's office, silent the whole way. We had a fair distance to go to reach the office, having to go up two flights of stairs and across a hallway before getting to Sheppard's study. Because of this, Bastion and I were the last to arrive.

Despite it being mid-morning, the lights were on in the office. Storms were heading our way, and thick grey clouds already darkened the sky. How dramatically appropriate. Inside, we saw Sheppard sitting at his desk, staring out of the window upon the campus. The chosen duelists stood awkwardly, making small talk about what they did over the vacation.

Upon hearing the door open, Sheppard turned around in his office chair. "Ah, so everyone is here. In that case, we may begin." He said ominously.

"How's it going, you guys?" Jaden waved cheerfully, and the rest of the group greeted us accordingly. Funnily enough, Jaden was eating out of a bento box as he spoke, shrimp crumbs flying out of his mouth as he spoke. However, at Sheppard's grim countenance, none of us exchanged pleasantries for very long, as we wanted to get to the bottom of this business.

"There's no point in mincing words, so I'll get right to it. What I ask of you all today is not an easy thing- I ask you defend your people and this island from a great evil." Sheppard said, looking older than he was.

"A great evil? Just what is this about?" Erin asked.

"They go by many names- the Shichisei, the Seven Stars, the Shadow Riders. They are seven rogue duelists who I have been informed will be attacking this island soon. They are after the three Sacred Beast cards."

"What are these cards? And why are these Shadow Riders are going after them?" Zane questioned.

"The Sacred Beasts are monster cards of incredible power, strong enough to even rival the Egyptian Gods themselves. They were sealed beneath this island before the school was built because their power was destructive enough to destroy islands, and much more. They were too dangerous to be kept around." Sheppard explained heavily.

The more he spoke, the more questions arose in my head. What gave the Sacred Beasts their inherent power? Were they connected to an ancient religion like the Egyptian Gods? Were they discovered on the island, or somewhere else? I take it they were discovered by Kaiba- did he find them on accident, or were they a part of some experiment to recreate the Egyptian Gods? That would explain why they looked so similar, at least, at I wouldn't put it past Kaiba to try and remake the gods in his own design. Then, perhaps Pegasus had a hand in this, since he was alive in this timeline. Apparently Bakura didn't feel the need to kill the man after stealing his eye. Kind of dumb, but whatever. Perhaps I would ask Kaiba or Pegasus about this if I had the opportunity. It would soon be time for Bastion and I to apply for our internships at KaibaCorp, after all. It would be great to work together and get some money, but we had to secure our immediate survival first.

Of course, for all the hyperbole surrounding them, the Sacred Beasts were practically unplayable as cards. They had no synergy with each other, and all three of them had difficult summoning conditions in exchange for relatively lackluster effects and no destruction immunity. I considered taking them for myself, but it really wasn't worth it. Of course, if they really had the power to destroy everything just by existing like Sheppard said, their actual playability was irrelevant. There's no way I could let these Shadow Riders have their what they wanted.

Again, I looked upon Banner with ill-disguised contempt. Soon, very soon, he would be the first of these villains to fall. Tonight, I would strike. Seeing that placid smile on his face was nearly unbearable, but somehow I held back from challenging to a match this very instant. Hey, the aggressive approach has its flaws, but when it comes to getting shit done, there's nothing better.

"I have direct orders from Seto Kaiba to protect this school to the best of my ability, and in doing so, I would ask that you protect the academy with equal fervor. I have no idea why the Shadow Riders want the Sacred Beasts, but we cannot let them have what they desire!" Sheppard said, impassioned. Reaching underneath his desk, he withdrew a small black box.

"In order to undo the seals that keep the Sacred Beasts locked away, one requires these seven keys. However, simply using the keys are not enough. They must be infused with duel energy in order to break the ancient spirit gates. I would ask each of you to protect a key. You all are the strongest duelists this academy has to offer- none are better suited for the job. But be warned- these keys will make you guaranteed targets for the Shadow Riders. In accepting this responsibility, your lives will certainly be endangered. To lose against these dark duelists is a death sentence." Sheppard continued.

"Again, I do not ask this of you lightly. If any of you wish to back out, please speak at this time." Sheppard opened the box, revealing the keys inside. Beige in color, they were hewn from sanded wood and inscribed with black runes. No one spoke up- everyone was prepared to undertake this task.

"If there are only seven keys, why did you call eight of us here? If my calculations are correct, eight is more than seven." Bastion took the words right out of my mouth.

"Yes, well, I called eight of you in case someone wished to refuse the call. But seeing as you all wish to participate, you've forced my hand, so to speak. I selected Professors Banner and Crowler for this task because of their extensive accreditation and experience, but I chose you students based on a variety of criteria. Grades, duel records, and personalities were taken into account, and it was no easy decision. Based on these factors, I believe the current five strongest duelists at the academy are respectively Zane Truesdale, Jamie Lancaster, Jaden Yuki, Alexis Rhodes, and Bastion Misawa."

A moment passed before Erin registered the ramifications of this statement. "What? How dare you! I want to help as well! There's no way I'm gonna be content with playing second string!" She yelled, her dark blues alight with indignation. Oh, brother. Erin was too obstinate to take this as anything but a slight.

"I apologize, Miss Reid, but the choice has been made. It was a difficult decision, but sixth rank amongst the student body is nothing to be ashamed of. Please understand." Sheppard said calmly.

"If you really want to know who the best is, you should let me and Rhodes duel for the key!" Oh great, now she was using this as a way of getting back at Alexis. Not exactly a barrel of laughs. For her part, Alexis looked coolly dismissive of the whole thing.

"Miss Reid, enough of this boorish behavior!" Crowler, always concerned about image, reprimanded.

"There will be no dueling. If a duel is conducted now, the keys may unlock the gates. This is my final decision, Miss Reid." Sheppard shook his head wearily.

There a harsh, loud pause, in which I couldn't move a muscle. "Then our business here is finished." Erin said haughtily before turning around and slamming the door, leaving the rest of us in stunned silence.

"Uh…so do we just grab the keys, or…?" Jaden attempted to break the ice.

"I think so. Look, I should probably head after her. I apologize, Headmaster." I quickly grabbed a key and ran out. I took a last look at Banner. There might be a chance for Erin to get a key yet, if we can take him out.

I always knew Erin was an intense person, but I had no idea she would react so strongly to something like this. Then again, I wasn't stupid. "She wants an opportunity to fight alongside me as well…she must think that Alexis is her love rival or something…god damn it, I'm not a harem protagonist!" I repeated the mantra to myself.

XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxX

I lost track of her after I left the main academy building. "She always was a lot faster than me." I thought fondly, remembering the mornings we would spend together running, or should I say she forced me to go running with her. I sucked terribly at it in the beginning, but her relentless drive kept me going, kept me from giving up. It was good to have someone in my life to push me like that. In light of my horrible winter break, I was more grateful than ever to have people like Erin in my life. They were all I had.

It was this gratitude that spurred me on after her. She had to understand that these keys were not a gift granted to the strongest- they are burdens that carry grave responsibility with them. Hell, when I thought of Camula's Phantom Gate, or Nightshroud's dragons, or Tania's abs, I wasn't exactly jumping for joy that I was chosen. Those were all serious threats!

She should be able to enjoy her life without worrying about the evils that lurk in the dark corners of this universe. It was bad enough that my other friends' lives were in danger now.

I lost track of her, and eventually stopped running. Catching my breath, it didn't take me long to guess where she might have run off to. Turning my eyes to the shore, I picked up the pace once more.

Sure enough, I saw her, a dark silhouette amongst the bright blue waters. Her black surfboard sliced through the waves, her footwork and positioning flawless. Her discarded Obelisk Blue uniform laid in the sand, leaving her in only in a black and purple striped wetsuit.

I waited on the beach for her, content to watch for a little bit. After about fifteen minutes, she finally rode back inland, leaping off her board before laying it down in the sand in one swift motion. Like the sky above us, her eyes were stormy.

"Hey." I said lamely.

"Should have figured you would come after me." Erin sighed. "I'm sorry about what happened back there. I was being immature."

"Yeah..." I replied succinctly. I mean, it's true.

"I just wanted to stand beside you guys…to receive some sort of validation for my efforts. All my life I've worked towards my goals, but when it comes to people like you and Zane…and Alexis…I feel like I can't keep up." She confided.

I found that for once I had little to say- I only hoped that my few words could communicate what I felt.

"You're strong enough. Besides, there's so much more to this life than power…love and laughter and music. We all must find something to push us on, something to protect, because pride alone is insufficient. All the power in the world cannot compare to what's really important. I know that sounds cheesy, but…"

Chazz was so wrong when he said that strength is the only thing that matters in this world. I used to think the same way, believe it or not. But as cheesy as it sounds, real strength comes from having something to fight for. The will is distinct from the desire- stronger too.

My philosophical musings were cut short, however, by the feelings of lips pressed against mine. I sank into the moment, but she pulled away before I could really kiss back. "I didn't think you had it in you to be this romantic…it seems like you're always full of surprises. It's maddening! But I still want strength to fight alongside you."

As we embraced, I knew that I was in deep. "You're in luck, then. After tonight, there might be an extra spirit key in need of an owner." I said audaciously. I was risking my position greatly at the moment, but I needed Banner dealt with. Besides, I already thought of an excuse in case anyone looked into how I acquired this knowledge.

She froze, my words having a much more ominous meaning than I intended. "That intuition of mine has struck again. I've found out that Professor Banner isn't exactly a friend of our cause. In fact, it's quite the opposite. He is one of the Shadow Riders."

She separated from me. "No way…how is this possible? How do you know about this?"

"I overheard him speaking with the academy superintendent, Kagemaru. They spoke of ascertaining the location of the spirit keys to get the Sacred Beasts. He might not be a Shadow Rider per se, but he's definitely at least a sympathizer. I won't let him do what he wants. Tonight, we're taking him down." I explain heavily. This was going to be a very delicate operation- if things go wrong, they'll go really wrong. At the same time, Banner was the strongest of the Shadow Riders. Once he's defeated, the rest should fall soon enough. But one thing's for sure- the time for being idle is over. We're going to strike hard and fast, and wipe them all out.

"Are you absolutely sure?" She whispered, despite us being quite alone.

"I'm damn sure. There's no room for error here. I'm gonna contact the rest of the key keepers and we'll formulate an official strategy. We're gonna meet at the Ra Yellow dorm at seven o' clock tonight sharp. The longer we wait, the more time Banner has to escape or scheme. He's a difficult one to pin down- we probably can't win in a battle of wits and cunning. But that doesn't matter- we have the perfect opportunity to take him down right here, right now!" I said intensely.

There was silence for what seemed like a long time, until finally she replied. "I haven't had reason to doubt you before…you better not give me a reason now!"

"So you're in, then?" I asked.

Her anger was somewhat mitigated by the fact that she was nervously playing with her hair, brown tresses curling between her fingers. The cat was pretty much out of the bag now- she had to be thinking about why I knew this, and how I came across my knowledge. I hoped that she would at least not vocalize her suspicions, but no such luck.

"Hmm…fine. But if you are right about this, you're going to tell me the source of your knowledge." She said, glaring at me.

I froze again. No. I couldn't do that, Erin. I could never do that. You would never believe me, and things might actually be worse if you did. But for now, we had a job to do. This little issue would be resolved after Banner was taken down.

"I appreciate your help. I promise that this is no trick….all our lives are at stake now." I replied cryptically.

XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx

After that, I went to the rest of my classes, which were mainly rundowns of course expectations and syllabus distribution. I didn't remember a single word that came out of any teacher's mouth- my focus was wholly devoted on the delicate task before me.

I individually texted all of the key keepers with the exceptions of Crowler and obviously Banner. As I did not have Crowler's phone number, I simply approached him after class to deliver my message.

"Excuse me, professor, may I have a quick word?" I said as Crowler quickly packed up his various lesson tools.

Although Crowler initially looked annoyed, once he remembered that I was a key keeper, his features became neutral. "Ah, yes. Perhaps in my office, Signore Jamie?"

"That would be wise." I nodded and we both silently walked out of the lecture bowl. Going up a flight of stairs, it was a short trek to Crowler's study. He set his disparate folders, textbooks, and worksheets on his polished oak desk before taking a seat behind it. "I take it you wish to speak of the impending conflicts with the Shadow Riders." Crowler said soberly, not bothering with any preamble.

"Right in one, Professor. If you have any time, I would like to gather all of us key keepers tonight to discuss a strategy going forward. Due to our separate academic obligations today, we couldn't do so earlier. There are many questions I'd like to field to our little band, and I believe your presence would be invaluable in this regard." I spoke formally in his presence.

Pursing his lips, Crowler held his chin in one finely manicured hand. "Hmm…have you already asked the others?" He questioned.

"Yes. All of the other key keepers know." I lied. "You are the last one I've talked to, mainly because I don't have your phone number."

"Ah, I see. What about Professor Banner?" Crowler asked, seemingly innocuously.

"I had Jaden talk to him earlier. He knows." I lie again. "I was hoping we would all meet at the Slifer Red dorms at ten tonight."

"Why so late? And furthermore, why such an unsightly location?" The professor asked imperiously.

I nearly ticked in annoyance. His vanity was very irritating at times. "I thought that it would be a discreet location where we stand at relatively little risk of being overheard. The last thing we need are ordinary students asking questions, and for better or worse, any talk by a Slifer Red will be dismissed easily compared to an account from a Ra or Obelisk. The lateness of the hour will also keep things under wraps, for the most part."

The real reason why we were going to meet at the Slifer dorm is because that's where Banner was already going to be. If he was inside the building and unaware of my plans, then the other key keepers should be able to surround him and cut off any avenues of escape. Of course, this is contingent on them believing my words. From there, either myself, Jaden, or Zane would duel and defeat him. We'd take the key, watch him crumble, and that would be the end of one Shadow Rider. No muss, no fuss. I know I'm supposed to have some sympathy for Banner as he was depicted in the show, but it wasn't so easy when your own life was at risk. Frankly, as much as it'd be nice for Banner to have immortality, I'd rather my friends and I not die. Call me selfish, but that's where I am right now. Besides, something tells me Banner wouldn't be wringing his hands over killing the lot of us if it meant accomplishing his ends.

After a while, Crowler nodded. "Tonight, then. We Obelisks should meet by the lake and depart as a group, in case a Shadow Rider ambushes us." Crowler suggested.

Hey, that's actually pretty smart. "Sounds like a plan. I'll inform the others. Thank you, professor. This should be a productive meeting."

XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxX

I was useless the rest of the day- I stayed in my room, thinking myself into a frenzy. During times like these, I was really glad I wasn't born into a series that required a lot of complex planning and scheming. I probably would've got killed within a week in a Game of Thrones or Naruto self-insert- what a story that would be!

And yet, even as I worried, I had to laugh. We were going to play a children's card game that will decide the fate of the universe. It was just ridiculous when viewed through the lens of a screen or a manga, but as someone living in this world, there was a distinctly macabre humor to it all. Hail to the great heroes of Yu-Gi-Oh! They play card games really well!

When the clock struck 9:30, I practically skipped down to the lakefront. I waited there for a few minutes, pacing by the water, until finally Zane, Alexis, Erin and Crowler showed up.

"Let's go." Zane said without preamble, and so we departed. The mood was serious- we scarcely spoke on the way to the Slifer Red dorm. Soon enough, we made it to the shed. The ground was dappled in silver moonlight from the full moon. I was never one for astrology or any of that bullshit- just wait until next season- but there seemed something significant about the round moon fixed over our heads. Dark clouds encircled the moon, steadily closing in and darkening the night over time. Before long, it would begin to storm.

By the sea, we saw Jaden, Bastion, and…Banner. Go figure. I took a haggard breath of frustration as we approached. Well, there go all of the complex plans.

"Hi everyone." I said drolly. "Thank you all for meeting here. What we discuss here tonight could save all of our lives going forward. And I see you all brought your duel disks as well. Perfect…"

"Hey, no problem!" Jaden waved goofily. "I brought Professor Banner. I guess your text to him didn't go through or something, because he said he wasn't invited."

I groaned- Jaden was too naïve for his own good sometimes.

"Ah, it's quite alright." Banner said in self-effacing fashion. "I'm sure it was an honest mistake. It's probably hard to imagine me dueling alongside all of you!" He added with a nervous chuckle. Did he know?

"It's not hard to imagine at all." I said coolly. Well, here we go! "And your exclusion was completely intentional. But since you're here now, we might as well get this over with."

"What?!" Everyone exclaimed in confusion.

"The game is up. I understand the truth now. Reveal yourself, Amnael." I pointed directly at Banner, and the ever-present smile finally drooped from his face. The mood darkened as everyone gazed upon both Banner and myself suspiciously.

"The truth, you say…" Banner said calmly. "What would you know of the word? Explain the rationale behind this accusation."

"Cut the crap! You know exactly what I'm talking about!" I bellowed. "If you won't admit it, then give me your key and leave this island, never to return! I won't allow any risks!"

"Jamie, what on Earth are you talking about? Surely you must have some reason for making these claims." Zane asked, alarmed.

"He desires the spirit keys. I don't know why." I lied. "I overheard him speaking with someone, and old man by the sound of it, about obtaining the keys to obtain immortality. I don't know if he's a Shadow Rider, I just want an explanation for that before we continue." I said. It disturbed me how smoothly the lies spewed from my mouth- I felt unclean. But this was necessary, I told myself, a minor evil necessary to defeat a great one. This story was the most plausible one I could have thought of.

"I heard him referred to by the name Amnael, so he isn't who he says he is." The riskiest part of this was that I had to hope that Banner actually had a conversation with Kagemaru similar to this. Luckily for me, the surprise that flit across Banner's face was proof enough that I was on the right track.

"How did you know of this?" Banner asked, still very much calm.

"I overheard it when I was going on an evening run. I passed by your study and I overheard talk of immortality and the Sacred Beasts. I had no idea what it meant at the time, but with the news Sheppard told us today, the pieces are starting to fit together." I said. This seemed a palatable explanation to my friends, because now their glares were mostly off of me and affixed firmly towards Banner.

"You didn't step forward before? A curious choice." Banner replied, as thought we were simply engaging in a classroom debate.

"Like I said, I didn't know what any of it meant at the time, and I was willing to trust you at the time. Things have changed." I thundered.

"So they have." Banner summarized. "Your intuition is notable, Jamie. It makes me wonder just what the extent of your knowledge really is…" Chills ran through me when he said that. Were my own lies about to be exposed?

"Sounds to me that he was in the right place at the right time. Don't try to distract us." Zane cut in coolly. Wew, thanks for covering my ass, bro! If I was lucky, I might get out of this with a semblance of normalcy. This situation was a cold reminder; I wasn't just a normal kid like those around me, and I never would be. Still, to live publically as this oddity of nature, a dimension-hopper, would be unbearable, All of my bonds would wither away if my knowledge was revealed. A wise man once said that people should try to tell the truth, because the alternative is much worse; I had a feeling I was going to see just what that alternative is.

"Astute as always, mister Truesdale. The future is in good hands with students such as these- wouldn't you agree, doctor Crowler?" Banner opened one startling red eye, and we all felt paralyzed.

"Lyman…what is the meaning of this? Have you been lying this entire time?" Crowler said, hurt and disappointment plain in his voice. With another chill, I realized that such reactions would no doubt be the same if I revealed my secrets.

"No…not all. It is my fondness for you all that compels me to tell the truth now. You all remember that although I am a chemistry teacher primarily, I have always had a fascination with alchemy, and that is why I often infuse elements of alchemy into my lessons." Banner began to explain.

"You got in such trouble with the school board when they found out about that. I remember they said that alchemy wasn't a real science. I don't think I had ever seen you so passionate before." Crowler said, seemingly recalling a fond memory.

"They couldn't have been more wrong." Banner said, remembering that day as well. "The reason I am alive today, if only barely, is because of alchemy. It is more real than most anything else. It is the truth of this world."

"What do you mean?" Erin asked, dumbstruck. In the face of this rapidly upended reality, simple questions like these only revealed how far the central academy students were out of their depth. Hell, I knew about all this beforehand and it still felt surreal.

"All matter in the universe is neither created nor destroyed- it is converted through different mediums into different forms, different substances. There is only one exception to this otherwise axiomatic rule. The soul is created as an individual grows and learns, and it can live on past the decay of the physical body. But the physical body is the medium through which the soul exercises its will- without a body, the soul is scattered, and eventually destroyed completely." Banner said cryptically.

"What…? This doesn't make any sense!" Bastion exclaimed.

"I'm sure it is difficult to fathom for a purely scientific mind like yours, mister Misawa. Alchemy is beyond the scope of normal science- it is an art that makes the impossible possible. When I was a young man, I was interested in the fields that we now consider part and parcel of modern science- biology, archaeology, and astrophysics. But as you can clearly see, I did not become a normal scientist." Banner paused, seeming reflective for a moment, before pressing on.

"But then I began to notice patterns, as any true scientist does. My quest for knowledge led me to the seemingly innocuous game of Duel Monsters. I saw how easily Maximillion Pegasus predicted the moves of his opponents when he dueled. I saw the Egyptian God cards come to life during the Battle City tournament, and I saw the dark powers wielded by the holders of the Millennium Items. Then, I knew that there was much more to this world than I ever could have imagined."

"What did you mean when you said that Alchemy saved your life?" Alexis asked.

"During my travels, I began to contract a terminal illness beyond the powers of modern medicine to cure. I myself am still unsure whether it was my dabbling in the dark arts that caused this disease or whether it was of purely natural causes. Either way, I was going to die. Since the modern world failed me, I put my faith in the ancient art of alchemy…and I was rewarded. In time, I crafted a homunculus, an artificial body to house my soul." Banner exposited.

"But the artificial body has its limits…that must be why you were talking about immortality." I concluded, adhering to my cover story.

"Precisely. I had already owed much to the man who had secretly funded my research projects…I agreed to give him the Sacred Beasts using any means at my disposal. I apologize for this…but there is no other way but to dive into darkness if I am to live." Banner said, and his ruefulness seemed somewhat genuine.

He feared death greatly, that much was certain. I had a unique perspective on the matter, considering I had actually died before. My sense of self-preservation was certainly as acute as ever even as my second life continued. But the fact still remained that we were all putting our lives on the line for this. And if the Sacred Beasts truly were released, than untold innocents would die as well. Banner's desire could not be abided. "He has to die." I decided with a heavy heart. What fun it is, to be reborn in an anime about children's card games! I didn't want to do this; Banner was alone in his suffering and looking for a way out of it. Sadly, his way out of it went straight through us, and to step aside meekly would cost us our lives.

"Professor…I'm sorry, but we cannot allow this. Our lives and the lives of many others are at stake. The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few." Zane said firmly, quoting Spock as he did so.

"It is not with joy in my heart that I demand this, but please, give up the key and leave this island. Live out the rest of your days in peace." I said soberly. I knew of Banner's backstory before, but hearing him say it had a powerful effect on me- like heavy stones, it smothered and quelled the fires of my rage.

"Peace? There is no peace. Out there-" Banner pointed upwards at the cloudy night sky. "-forces beyond our comprehension wage war. On this planet alone, evil festers everywhere one looks. The secrets of the universe must be discovered, or else my entire life's pursuit's will go to waste. No, this is the path I have chosen, and if I must defeat you all to achieve immortality, then so be it." He said with grim determination.

"So let it be done." I said, outwardly cool and unemotional, as I activated my duel disk. The key keepers all stepped back instinctively. "Let's do this, right now."

"You?" Banner said incredulously, and the noise he made was a cross between a laugh and a wheeze. "No. I have no desire to duel you, at least not yet. You are a man of bold words and bolder actions- in truth, if anyone would discover my secrets, it's little surprise that it would be you. You are relentless when you put your mind to something, Jamie Lancaster. But you are a common man, driven by worldly pursuits and successes. You are too shortsighted to be a worthy foe for me. I am more interested in someone with deeper powers…" Banner dismissed me at hand.

My pride wanted to scream at him for his ignorant scorn. But at the same time, it was good that he did not suspect that I wasn't really a common man at all. Well, perhaps I was, and it was merely my circumstances that were unusual. Either way, he didn't know about my secrets, and for that I was relieved.

"Jaden…you are the one who has captured my interest."

Everyone's eyes swiveled onto Jaden. The Slifer, dumbfounded, pointed at himself. "Who, me?"

"Yes, you." Banner's tone brooked no argument. "From the beginning, I have sensed that you had the potential to be a greater threat than all of the others. Despite your carefree ways, you have captured my interest. I wish to see the depths of your talents."

"What? I'm not so great…I lost to Chazz during the school duel, after all! Why me?" Jaden was baffled. He certainly didn't feel like a great threat to anyone- in fact, Jaden didn't feel as though he even fully deserved his spirit key right now. One way or another, it seemed his worthiness was about to be to the test.

"Even you are unaware of the power that sleeps within you…it appears that in order to make you understand, I must draw that power out by force!" Banner activated his duel disk. The formerly meek professor was gone; this man's movements were forceful and swift, his expression challenging.

I stood back; it seemed that Banner was hell-bent on facing Jaden. Normally, I would've been fine with this, as Jaden did beat him in canon. However, Jaden also beat Chazz in canon- that knowledge was not necessarily congruent with my current circumstances. There's no telling what would happen now. I should take care of this myself.

I took a step forward and opened my mouth, but I was interrupted by an unlikely source. "There's no way I'm letting you put any of my students at risk!"

Crowler had stepped in front of Jaden, his rather cumbersome personal duel disk at the ready. "Hey, what are you doing, teach?" Jaden questioned, legitimately confused as to why Crowler was taking a risk for his sake. As far as everyone knew, Crowler hated Jaden.

"There's no way I can stand by and allow my students to endanger their lives, especially when it is another teacher than means to do them harm! Children shouldn't have to concern themselves with these things- I'll handle this Shadow Rider! Prepare for battle, Lyman!" Crowler pointed a finely manicured index finger at Banner, who looked distinctly unamused.

"An honorable gesture, doctor. But I'm afraid I must insist on facing Jaden. There's little time for anything else." Banner voice was deadly cool and sibilant.

"You'll have to make time then! This is not negotiable!" Crowler declared. The other key keepers seemed to look upon him with newfound respect for his determination. Banner's strength was not quantifiable by any means, and yet Crowler protected his student anyway, and a student he rather despised at that. Part of me wished to let Crowler prove his bravery, but nothing could be left to chance. I adjusted my deck to take down Banner's- I felt I had the best shot at a victory. I placed my hand in the back of my jeans pocket, where the Melodious deck sat in a black box. Now was the time to use them.

And again, I was interrupted. The confrontation was halted rather unexpectedly by the sound of a tower of flame bursting from the ground. Ok, what the frig is this?! Shadows danced along the ground and we found ourselves bathed in orange light. The heat from the flame was staggering- unusually so. This was no ordinary fire.

"Well, well, this is unexpected. Looks like your perfect disguise was foiled, Amnael. I'm just glad you sent out the backup signal when you did." A smug voice sounded from inside the fire. In the air, a large rune made form hard light appeared, taking the shape of a dot surrounded by a not quite completed larger circle.

A silhouette of a man stood against the backdrop of the raging inferno. "These schoolchildren must be harder to put down than they appear." He snapped his fingers and instantly the fire disappeared, as though he had flipped a light switch. Nary an ash remained to mark its presence; the grass remained unburned. Slowly, the Mark of Amnael flickered and faded.

It took my eyes a moment to adjust to the sudden return of the darkness, but soon enough I saw that yet another foe had seemingly dropped out of thin air. That bastard Banner used some magic to get reinforcements! Ra damn it!

Banner's expression was not relieved, per se- but he was calmer. "Ah, Nightshroud. Good of you to show up when you did. Putting down the key keepers should go much faster now. Is anyone else with you?"

"I'm all that's needed. We shall end this war in one fell stroke." Nightshroud replied. He was dressed in all black coat, trousers, and boots, with the exception of a singular red stripe running down the side of his jacket. A small, masquerade ball-style mask obscured his eyes and nose. Dark brown hair ran down his shoulders, stopping in the gap between his shoulder blades.

"Well, this is fucking bad." I said dumbly, my composure nowhere to be found.

"No way, two shadow riders!" Erin yelled. Everyone activated their duel disks simultaneously, the machines emitted a low whine as they turned on. Nightshroud turned to us, a smirk on his lips.

"Jaden is mine. You may take your pick of the others." Banner directed.

"Hmph! Very well then, looks like it's my lucky day. I get my pick of the litter…for the most part, anyways." Through the mask, his eyes judged us all. Before he could make his choice, I stepped forward once more, trying to get things under control.

"I'll take you on!" I shouted, loading my deck into the duel disk.

"Ah, Jamie Lancaster. You have a reputation for being a bit of loud mouth- as well as having a certain stubborn streak. Looks like that reputation is well-earned. As much as I would enjoy putting you in your place first, my master told me to put Alexis Rhodes and Jaden Yuki on high priority. Since Jaden is taken…well, it doesn't take a genius to figure out who I wanna fight." He snickered wickedly.

All eyes were now on Alexis, who was frozen in shock. "Wha…why do you look like…." She began, but suddenly, a translucent blue sphere of hard light encased her body, and we could no longer hear her words. Nightshroud extended his palm, forming the sphere seemingly without effort on his part.

"Ah ah ah…there's no need for words now. Some things should remain unsaid. When I'm finished here, none of you will speak again!" Nightshroud cackled, throwing his head back in laughter.

I don't know if it was the way this situation spiraled out of control so easily, or the way he so casually threatened Alexis, but an irrepressible rage fired up within me. Furiously, I charged towards Nightshroud. "You little shit! You better let her go right now or you're dead!"

"Jamie, calm down!" Zane's words rung dully in my head, and I paid him no heed as I reared a fist back. Forgoing the silly cards, I let my right hook fly. I didn't even care that I would be harming Atticus' body- all I wanted was to pound this guy into the pavement.

Effortlessly, Nightshroud caught the punch, his fingers clamping over my knuckles. "Well, well, I didn't think you had that kinda rage in ya…just for that, I'm gonna give you a front row seat as I pick apart blondie over there. Then, you'll get the chance to avenge her! Sound like a deal?" The unbearably smarmy Shadow Rider taunted.

Immediately, I threw a punch with my left hand, but before I could reach him, I found myself suspended in a light blue bubble, exactly like Alexis was. I yelled and screamed, but the bubble was clearly soundproof judging by the lack of noise emanating from the outside world. Through the haze, I saw Banner nodding approvingly at Nightshroud.

Zane, Erin, Bastion, and Jaden banged their fists on the outside of the bubble in an attempt to free us, but to no avail. Alexis and I were utterly at the mercy of this dark figure. Our eyes met, and I expected to find fear, abject terror, in her hazel irises.

Instead, I saw only confusion, as though this was some sort of bizarre dream. Did she recognize her brother? Yeah, I bet Nightshroud is trying to take advantage of the fact that he's inhabiting Atticus' body in order to throw her off her game! I had to stop this somehow!

Before I could think of a plan, Alexis and I were whisked away by some sort of unearthly power, beyond the reach of our friends. As we shot high into the sky, I ruefully realized that Jaden and the others were on their own against Banner. I could only hope that this time, Jaden could pull out the win. Crowler seemed intent on stepping forward to protect his students- an admirable gesture, but who knows if he would be strong enough to handle Banner's mysterious deck.

We approached the volcano where Nightshroud and Jaden had their duel- how very dramatic. It didn't matter if I fell here, but if Alexis died here and I didn't do everything in my power to save her…let's not finish that thought. I had my Melodious Diva deck in my back pocket- now was the time to finally use them, damned be the consequences. I just hoped I would have the opportunity before Alexis' life was endangered.

XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx

Vellian Crowler POV

"You…one of your men just kidnapped two of my precious Obelisks…" Crowler hissed dangerously.

"So it would appear." Banner said blandly. The wind whistled through the field, causing the grass to blow in waves. "It's rather a load off of my back, to be honest."

"You dishonor the title of Professor with your behavior, and I won't stand for it any longer!" Crowler loaded his deck into his duel disk. "My students, please stand back!"

"Are you sure, Teach? You don't have to do this!" Jaden protested. "If he wants to fight me, then I say let him! I don't wanna risk any of your lives!"

"I know you're not very good at listening in my class, but I've told you why I must do this! Now stand back!" Crowler repeated boldly.

Jaden moved to reply, but Zane put a hand on his shoulder. "Jaden… let Crowler do this. It's a matter of pride."

"Besides, it's not the end if Crowler falls- Banner's gonna have to deal with all of us if he wants his precious immortality so badly. I'm not a key keeper, but I'll do what it takes to protect this island." Erin added, crossing her arms. Bastion stood silently, hoping to take any calculations he possibly could from this match just in case.

Banner fixed Crowler with a seemingly gentle smile. "I do not relish relying on force, but I will do whatever in necessary to live on." Activating his duel disk, he opened his eyes again, the blood red irises no less frightening than before. Crowler gulped, but did not back down.

"Duel!" Banner and Crowler shouted simultaneously.

XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx

I could barely contain my fear as we dove into the center of the volcano, the bright magma sizzling at the bottom of the basin. It blinded me with its brightness, and even within my spherical prison I could feel the heat coming in waves.

Before we were to hit the lava and die, a platform made of that mysterious hard light halted our descent. We slowed to a stop and settled onto the platform. The light emanating from the floor was harsh and blinding. Combined with the orange glow of the lava, this place was like a bad nightclub mixed with an interrogation chamber.

Alexis was released from her bubble, landing rather ungracefully on her heinie. I was not so lucky (or unlucky, depending on your perspective). I remained trapped within the sphere, unable to communicate with her and yet somehow now able to hear everything happening on the outside. I banged my fists on the bubble some more, but eventually my rage subsided and was replaced with a sick feeling of helplessness.

"Jamie!" Alexis ran towards me, our hands separated only by the thin, yet impenetrable surface of the sphere. I tried to speak, just to see if she could hear me, but she shook her head sadly.

"I'll find some way to get you out, I promise!" She said, trying to hide her fear.

"Poor choice of words, blondie." Nightshroud appeared in a column of black energy. With a swift thrust of his hand, I shot out beyond the area of the platform and hovered over the lava. From the fiery drink, dragons comprised of hot magma surged over and under the platform, roaring at Alexis and I.

"Still want me to let him out?" He taunted viciously. Alexis glared daggers at him, but refused to engage in verbal combat. "Don't worry, I can't just drop him the lava, as much as I'd like to. I still need his key, and for that, I have to duel him after I'm finished with you. I think I'll keep him in the sphere, though. His loud mouth was getting tiresome. In the interests of time, we might as well get started." Nightshroud activated his duel disk, but Alexis did not do the same.

"You're not him…Atticus would never do something like this! Tell me what you've done with my brother, monster!" She cried, finally having the chance to learn something about her beloved brother's whereabouts.

He chuckled sinisterly. "You call me monster? I'm afraid I'm too overqualified for such a paltry title. Anyways, you should not worry about such things as your bonds. They will only lead you astray…and cause further suffering."

"What the hell are you talking about!? Answer my question, Nightshroud!" Alexis yelled back tearfully.

"Your brother's body is my host, and his mind has been completely sublimated by my will." Nightshroud held up his half of the shadow charm, the red orb in the center glowing brightly. "His identity has been nullified, and thus he is at peace. Is that what you wanted to hear, Alexis Rhodes? That he rests?" He questioned calmly.

"So he's still in there, somewhere…maybe if I win this duel, I send you back to whatever hell you crawled out of and get my brother back!" She declared with uncharacteristically raw emotion. She started up her duel disk as well.

'There is not a force in the universe that can truly kill me, least of all the will of one duelist. I can snuff out that will like a candle!" Nightshroud intoned, holding up two blank Duel Monsters cards. "Once I am done here, both of your souls will be trapped within these cards for all time!"

I shivered- we were looking upon the final antagonist of the series, the spiritual incarnation of Darkness as a concept. I hoped that Alexis could prevail as Jaden did in canon, but I was starting to doubt my own capabilities when confronted with this timeless entity.

"Duel!" Alexis and Nightshroud shouted, signaling the beginning of their fateful match.

A/N

Hope you all enjoyed.

A more dramatic/angsty chapter this time, wanted to depict the shadow riders as more serious villains here. It seems Jamie's outing of Banner worked, but the situation has rapidly spiraled out of control, with duels on two fronts with Banner and Nightshroud. Best believe that Jamie will pull out the Melodious Divas at the first opportunity.

Hope you all found this unveiling of Banner's motives plausible. He is an intelligent guy, but being called out like this was completely unexpected and sudden. However, this also has a double effect of casting Jamie in a suspicious light as well- some of his fellow students don't completely buy the explanations he gives.

I considered including more material about Jamie's winter break, but in the end I decided to dive right into this arc. Not a lot of holiday fuzzies coming from Jamie, but I think that standing amongst a group of strangers and having to pretend that they're family while also affecting a false personality would be a deeply uncomfortable experience. The fact that he's deceiving them practically by existing probably doesn't help. I hope you all can understand where I'm coming from. I imagine avoiding this issue is part of why most SI's reincarnate at birth, rather than the personality takeover that has happened here. IDK, I actually haven't read that many SI's. If anyone has any recs, feel free to let me know.

Anyways, I do plan to include some more character interaction with Jamie's "family" over the summer between seasons. My plan is to include some more worldbuilding stuff over these interims while dealing with the business of the plot during the school years, although assuredly the plot will resemble canon less and less over time.

By the way, I saw that if one filters the archive by follows, we're on the front page! I think that's amazing considering we've only been around for about four months. I don't like to fret too much about internet points, but the support of you all is bolstering and inspiring! Thank you!

Next chapter will show the duel between Crowler and Banner. Place your bets!