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

23. Where We Droppin' Boys?

Chapter 23: Where We Droppin' Boys?

(Erin Reid POV)

She got up early, as was her way. Unlike many of her peers, Erin didn't party to excess during the Spirit Day festival yesterday, and managed to get a decent amount of sleep so she could wake up with the sun.

Overall, the training session was wholly ordinary – a three mile run, alternating sets of pushups and ab exercises, and a hour long surf. Competition season was coming up, and Erin wanted to be ready. She always felt refreshed after her morning workout – as she grabbed her backpack, surfboard, and duel disk, she felt ready for the day.

Her walk back to the dorm took her by the harbor, her black and purple bodysuit wicking moisture and drying in the sea breeze. It was normally a pleasant trip, watching the ships go in and out. But today, something was amiss. No, many things were amiss.

The first thing she noticed was an Ancient Egyptian river boat docked amongst modern ferries and barges. "What on earth?" She approached the boat with pleased curiosity, still in a rather good mood and unsuspecting of any shadowy intent.

"How strange…it must have sailed quite a distance to get here, but it looks practically untouched. Like a museum piece. This thing couldn't possibly be seaworthy." She muttered to herself, twirling her braided brown hair in her fingers.

Moving to get a closer look, she leaned down from the edge of the dock to touch the boat.

Her hand passed right through it. Erin's navy blue eyes widened. She tried to touch it again, to no effect. "Okay…am I still drunk?"

"No, dear." A old man's voice, its pitch and tempo slightly altered by cybernetics. "Your understanding is merely incomplete."

Slowly, Erin turned around and laid eyes upon what might have been the strangest looking collection of people she had ever seen. There was an effeminate-looking duelist garbed in ancient Egyptian robes and jewelry, sporting a confident expression. There was a man cloaked in black and silver, with a grey mask obscuring the upper half of his face. Five goons clad in practical brown jackets and cargo pants leered at her menacingly. And in the center was an elderly man stuck inside a futuristic mobile healing tank. His vitals were improving by the moment – it was though he was aging in reverse. The old man was the one who spoke.

Erin recalled the details Jamie described at the meeting of the key keepers – a group that she wished to be a part of, but wasn't – of a man named Kagemaru, who was the leader of the Shadow Riders. This man appeared to match that description exactly. One thing was for sure – these people weren't ordinary tourists.

"N-no way! You're…" She sputtered.

"Yes, yes." The old man said impatiently. "I'm me. And you are…who are you exactly?"

Erin grit her teeth in most un-ladylike fashion. "I'm Erin Reid, future pro surfer and the most powerful female duelist at Central Duel Academy! Remember that name!"

"Oh…oh. Is she on the list?" Kagemaru asked the man with the mask.

Taking out a crumpled piece of paper from his pocket, the masked man shook his head. "Nope. Only female key keeper is Alexis Rhodes."

"Ah, that's right. Well then, would you be so kind as to point us in the direction of Alexis Rhodes? We have…a transaction we wish to discuss with her. While you're at it, I'd personally like to know the locations of Jaden Yuki and Jamie Lancaster. Thanks." Kagemaru demanded passive-aggressively.

Erin crossed her arms defiantly. "No way! I'm not telling you people anything! I know exactly what you are – shadow riders!"

"We also go by Seven Stars, or Shichisei if you're a weeaboo." One of the goons piped up.

"Well forgive me, but if you don't have a key, we're really not interested in you. If you refuse to tell us the names of the key keepers, we'll just be on our way." Kagemaru's tank began to scuttle away like a crab. "Fan out and begin searching the dorms. The scorpions will take the Ra Yellow dorm, while the rest of us will storm Obelisk Blue. That should lure Yuki right into our hands."

The Shadow Riders began to move out, but as they turned around, they saw Erin standing in their way, duel disk at the ready.

"Forget it! If you know what's good for you, you'll leave this island now and never return. I wasn't kidding about being the strongest woman at this school." Erin threatened.

"Do these people know one of their serving wenches is loose?" The Egyptian man asked conspiratorially.

"Abidos, it's the current year, you can't say stuff like that." An eyepatched man with silver hair quickly muttered, drawing a line across his throat with his index finger.

"I don't mean to insult you, but if you don't have a key and Alexis Rhodes does, then that implies that she is more capable of defending said key, and is therefore stronger. Catch my drift? Just tell us where the strong people are." Kagemaru reasoned.

Erin was pissed now. "You take that back! You'll regret saying that! You're just a crazy old man trapped inside a kid's action figure! And don't forget that action figures can be broken! I won't be fooled- you want to kill us all!" She ranted.

"This wench is really annoying. You know what we used to do with uppity wenches back in my day?" Abidos commented.

"What was that?!" Erin roared.

"Dude, just shut up. This is really bad optics." The eyepatched man shut him down.

"Well, this girl does exhibit a higher than average level of duel energy…in fact, this island is positively permeated with duel energy. It may assist with my revival…fine, I'll indulge you, girl." Kagemaru's machine prepared his duel disk. "It will be an opportunity to test a portion of my new powers as well."

"No way! I can take down the leader right here and now! I just have to play my cards right! Finally, a bit of glory!" Erin thought excitedly. "Let's fight, then! But don't think just because of your advanced age I'm gonna go easy on you!"

Kagemaru sighed in exasperation. "Once I'm done with absorbing her duel energy, I'll join up with you. Scorpions, Titan, Abidos – keep to your current assignments."

"Yes, sir!" Each of the remaining Shadow Riders fanned out, on the hunt for the key keepers.

As Kagemaru spoke, Erin quickly sent out a text to the key keeper group chat informing them of the situation. They would have minutes, precious minutes, to prepare, but it was better than nothing.

"I'll show them all that I deserved to be a key keeper!" She thought fiercely.

Kagemaru looked upon her with utter disinterest. "A little extra testing of my new deck is helpful, I suppose."

"Get ready! It's time to duel!" Erin declared confidently.

XXxXxXxXxXxxXxxxXX

(Jamie Lancaster (My) POV)

Never before had text on a screen alarmed and enraged me more. "What is she thinking, taking on Kagemaru on alone! We have no idea what he's capable of!" Erin was always impetuous and eager to prove herself…a trait that could easily lead to her death here. Kagemaru was obviously going to prepare his deck as best he could to fight my Melodious cards…the others wouldn't stand a damn chance if I didn't intervene right now!

"Jamie, I can sense a strange foreign power from the south, near the docks. That might be where they are!" Sonata was alarmed – this power was clearly no joke.

"Well, that's just great!" That was a long ways from here. "Let's go! There's no time to waste!" I threw on a blue hoodie and white shorts before rushing out of the dorm. "Take to the skies and look for any suspicious looking people. One of them should look like an Egyptian Pharaoh, another should be wearing heavy dark clothes with a silver mask. There's another group of five motherfuckers, each with a scorpion tattoo. You'll know em when you see em. Come back to me after you see where they're going and I'll notify the crew." I hastily explained to Sonata as I sprinted across the campus.

"Got it!" She nodded before ascending skyward. Luckily, Erin had the sense to at least send a group message about what was going on. That must've used up her supply of logic for the day or something. I shouldn't be so quick to blame her, they might have got the jump on her. But how would Kagemaru know who she was? And the wording of her message implied that she initiated the duel to some extent.

A few minutes later, Sonata had returned and was flying alongside me. "The gang of five is headed for the Ra Yellow dorm. The other two are on the way to the Obelisk Blue dorms. Take a side path to cut around them. It'll cost you a few extra minutes, but it'll be quicker than dealing with the henchmen." She quickly relayed.

I grunted, beginning to feel the burn from this impromptu sprint. I momentarily stopped to inform Bastion, Alexis, and Zane further. Wait…something was amiss. "Nothing is heading Jaden's way?" After sending the message, I started to run again, sweat beginning to dot my forehead.

"No. Perhaps they thought that none of the key keepers would be Slifers. It is the lowest ranked dorm, right?" The idol singer speculated.

"Kagemaru has files on us, he's had access to the school system's records for many years. He would know that Jaden is a Slifer Red. It's possible that he aims to go after Jaden himself." I guessed.

"If Jaden is unoccupied, you should go get him. Maybe you can team up against Kagemaru! That would surely improve your odds!" She suggested brightly.

I looked at her with wide eyes. "You know that means I won't be able to use the Divas, right?"

"Come on Jamie, just trust your friends. They won't think any differently of you if they know the truth." She suggested. "You might not be able to win if you use your cover deck."

"No way! They can never know. Ever!" I scowled and pushed forward. But no matter how hard I tried to suppress them, the memories came back again. They would always come back.

XxXxXxXxXxXXxXxXxXxXxXx

"Thanks for coming out here, I know it's late." She said, eyes twinkling. "I hope you don't have to work tomorrow."

"I do, but it's no problem." I responded. "I would do anything for you." I thought, caught in the throes of love for the first time in many years.

"I know one day, our hard work will pay off."

I scoffed at my best friend's corny words, but inwardly admired his sincerity and agreed. "Well, at least we can say that we did things our way. Those who have never had dreams wouldn't understand."

"You're selling all of your cards?"

"Yeah, just don't have the time to spend on Yu-Gi-Oh these days."

"That's a shame, I remember you used to really enjoy the game. What changed?"

"I can't be playing around with kids stuff anymore."

XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx

I hastily suppressed the memories, every fiber of my being burying those images deep. That was the furthest they've arisen in a long time…a really long time.

"I had so much I wanted to do with my life…It doesn't matter, I can't do anything about it now…" I muttered to myself over and over, even as a new well of volcanic rage opened within me.

"Jamie, what's the matter?" Sonata asked in concern.

"I was just thinking about the past. But this isn't the time for that. This time, things will be different. I swear it." She understood it. Sonata was the only one who knew the whole truth, and believe me, some parts of it were ugly beyond compare. I was so grateful that she listened and cared. But we both knew that it was of the utmost importance to focus on the mission now.

"I have a second chance now, to live a truly excellent life. And I refuse to let the past haunt today. They don't have to know."

"I understand where you're coming from, Jamie. But this is a different world. These are different people, they're not like the ones that-" She began.

"I'll decide when we get there. And I'll take your viewpoint into account, but this is no time to brood. This is the time to put some of that kids' stuff to good use, right?" The current goal of defeating Kagemaru kept the sadness at bay. The anger was going to put to good use, but the sadness would be locked away as it always was. She looked at me somberly, but nodded.

"Let's keep moving." We said simultaneously.

XxXxXxXxXxXxxXxXxXxXxXxXXx

(Bastion Misawa POV)

Bastion was eating breakfast with his girlfriend Jasmine when he got the message from Erin.

"Who is that texting you?" Jasmine tried not to seem overly curious, although in reality she was prepared to look through Bastion's DM's and photos the second he left his phone unlocked. Unfortunately for her, he was very prudent about keeping it out of her hands.

"It was Erin…" Bastion set his tea down in shock upon reading the message.

"Oh, you have her number? Why?" Jasmine started giving him drama, but Bastion had no time for it.

"I have to get my duel disk now! A shadow rider is on their way here!" Bastion rushed out of the dining hall to his room, leaving her confused. He very nearly caused a scene, but the Ra Yellow cafeteria was large enough that his words didn't carry fully.

"No way…how would Erin know about that? Why wouldn't she duel one of these Shadow Riders if she saw them? Must be because of the key." Jasmine surmised. In a minute, Bastion had returned with his duel disk affixed to his left arm.

"Jasmine, please wait here. I'm going to face this foe head-on, and I don't want any harm to come to you." He said, polite as ever.

"What? No way, you can't go face this enemy by yourself! You should contact Zane or…ugh, Lancaster, I suppose." She suggested, despite her dislike of Jamie.

"I'm afraid I cannot do that. I was chosen to wield a key as well. I've been spending long hours in the lab, and I refuse to let them go to waste. The fate of a sideline observer is not for me. I may be rational and scientific first and foremost, but I still have a duelist's pride!" Bastion pounded his fist into the table with uncharacteristic emotion. "It is my greatest hope that you would support me in this endeavor, but if not, then please stand clear."

Jasmine was utterly shocked at this change in demeanor. Standing on the sidelines for so long must have really grated on Bastion after a while. No one studied as hard as him, and yet he had to struggle to stay in the game while others like Jaden seemingly coasted their way to the top. Jasmine wasn't much of a duelist, but she could understand his frustration. And ultimately, she would support her man when the chips were down.

"Alright, alright. I'll be right behind you, babe. But just be careful, ok?" She relented, her voice soft and gentle.

Bastion smiled. "I always come prepared."

XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx

Bastion and Jasmine left the dining hall and waited on the walkway leading away from the Ra Yellow dorm. Bastion was searching through the six decks he brought with him. The common banter around campus was that Bastion looked like a bomber with his custom deck vest on – kids hardly cared for things like tact or taste when considering such jokes.

"We'll see who's laughing after this. Bastion Misawa is no side character. You're a main protagonist, damn it!" Bastion grinned, putting a spin on Jamie's "I'm not a harem protagonist, damn it!" catchphrase. Ever since his former roommate left Ra Yellow, Bastion worried that he was beginning to fall behind compared to his friends. This match would be a good opportunity to show how much he had improved.

In a few minutes, he saw them. Five people with matching black scorpion tattoos on their right shoulders and brown leather jackets stood in his path. In the back was a bald, burly strongman with a stitched wound running diagonally across his face. Ahead of him were two men. One wore spectacles, messy brown hair, and a calculating expression. The other was short, blond, and jittery, a comically large wooden hammer affixed to his back. Second in command was a sultry brunette with unnatural crimson eyes who eyed him with a devious smirk. In the front was the leader, a man with lank shoulder-length silver hair and an eye patch engraved with the Eye of Horus on his right eye. He held an easy expression compared to the others, as though this were just another day on the job.

"Wait a second, these people look familiar…" Bastion wondered aloud, before he put two and two together. "These people are cosplaying as the Dark Scorpion cards! Well I hate to break it to you, but Spirit Day was yesterday."

The red-eyed woman snickered. "Oh, he's right you know. Perhaps we should just take our leave and wait for next year…" Something in her tone made Bastion very uncomfortable.

"W-wait, really?" The blond pipsqueak asked hopefully.

"We'll go home soon, Chick. But first we gotta take care of our target. Let's see, slicked-back black hair, Ra Yellow, and a spirit key. That's the profile for Bastion Misawa, a key keeper. That your name, lad?" The eyepatched man asked with a chilled-out demeanor.

"It is. And you are Shadow Riders, I presume." Bastion said with a clipped voice, growing serious.

"And what if we are?" The bald bruiser spoke up.

"If you are, then you'd better hope your dueling abilities are as good as your cosplay skills. I never leave victory to chance, especially where my life and health is concerned." Bastion wasn't one for trash talk, but he knew how to stand his ground.

They chuckled again. "We're not cosplayers. We're the real deal – the Dark Scorpion Black Ops Unit! We've been taking on all sorts of missions in the Duel Monsters Spirit Realm before you were even a glimmer in your daddy's eye. If you know what's good for ya, you'll hand over that key." The bespectacled man polished a knife as he made his threats.

"Duel spirits…" Bastion, for all his skepticism, was forced to admit at this point that duel spirits were real – at this point, there was little use in denying it. But like any problem, he would handle it logically. "So what business do duel spirits have working for a human?"

"Kagemaru is no ordinary man – his ability to speak with spirits is far beyond all others. But most importantly, he's been paying us out the ass to move him around and conduct stealth operations. It's been easy work, and I don't expect that to change now. Now we're going to show you our teamwork! I'm Don Zaloog!" the silver-haired man boasted.

"Gorg the Strong!" The bald one grunted.

"C-chick the Yellow!" The blonde boy stammered.

"Meanae the Thorn!" The woman hissed.

"Cliff the Trap Remover!" The man with glasses grinned.

"And we're the Dark Scorpions!" Each of them struck a rather Sentai-esque pose – certainly not the sort of behavior Bastion would expect from a so-called military unit. Then again, duel spirits always seemed to be a little goofy one way or another.

Bastion and Jasmine sweatdropped. "Ah, I would've preferred if I got a more serious adversary…these people look like a quirky miniboss squad, if I had to put an arbitrary label to it." Bastion thought, bemused.

"Prepare for defeat, Misawa!" Don Zaloog stepped forward and activated an Academy-issued duel disk. Bastion wondered where he got it from, but something else sprung up in his mind at that moment.

"Wait a minute, there's no way I'm agreeing to a five-on-one match! You will have to choose among yourselves a representative." He sputtered, causing Jasmine to laugh.

"That's not a problem. Our teamwork will be shown through my deck!" Don Zaloog stepped forward and activated his duel disk. "Ever since we started relying on the power of friendship, we haven't lost a game! And keep in mind, we're playing a Dark Scorpion deck! If you think reason and logic will win the day, you haven't been paying attention, Misawa!"

"He may be on to something." Bastion thought ruefully, remembering Jaden's endless platitudes about friendship and the heart of the cards. "Be that as it may, I cannot turn my back on my style of dueling. Now let us begin."

"Very well!" Don Zaloog began. "I'll set a monster and a face-down to end my turn."

Bastion silently drew his first card, crunching numbers in his mind. "I summon the bull Yokai, Gozuki (1700/800)!" A black minotaur rose from the hearth, blue bangles hanging its meaty throat and an enormous spiked hammer in its oddly humanoid hands.

"Ah, so you're using that deck, eh Bastion?" Jasmine said. She had personally helped him develop this deck recipe, and she was glad to see it put to good use.

"What is this?" Don Zaloog quickly asked his entourage.

"We have data on this, boss." Cliff spoke up immediately. "This is Bastion Misawa's Yokai deck, based on zombies that activate their effects when they're summoned from the graveyard."

"So, they've been keeping tabs on us. Good thing I've made a few key adjustments just last night. Their data might not be so reliable as they think…" Bastion thought with a poker face worthy of Adam Sugihara.

"I activate Gozuki's effect." Bastion continued. "I can send a zombie type monster from my deck to the graveyard." Searching through his deck, Bastion decided to dump a monster card named Mezuki.

"Then, I'll launch an attack!" The bull leapt into the air, swinging its hammer down with tremendous force. Its attack was true, landing on Mystic Tomato (1400/1100). The giant fruit was squashed by the hammer, causing seeds and juice to fly everywhere.

"An attribute summoner…shoulda known." Bastion grumbled.

"That's right, Mystic Tomato lets me summon a dark monster with 1500 or less attack points from my deck." To Bastion's surprise, Don Zaloog himself stepped onto the field.

"Hmm? What's going on?" Bastion asked with a quirked eyebrow.

"I already told ya, we're the real deal. I am Don Zaloog (1400/1500) and I can fight my own battles!" The commander declared to cheers from his compatriots.

"I see…as admirable as fighting on the front lines is, a duelist is a general. And I'm a general who marshals his forces from the rear and keeps a cool head during battle. It will take more than this to unbalance me. I set a card and end my turn." Bastion frowned.

Zaloog and his crew concentrated intently for a moment before he drew his next card. "Why did he pause?" Bastion wondered.

The mercernary seemed pleased by his latest draw. "First, I activate Reinforcement of the Army, allowing me to add a level four or lower warrior to my hand."

"Next, I play Mustering of the Dark Scorpions! Since I am on the field, I can summon any number of Dark Scorpions from my hand, and I have four! Come forth, Chick the Yellow (1000/1000), Cliff the Trap Remover (1200/1000), Gorg the Strong (1800/1500) and Meanae the Thorn (1000/1800)!" The messy haired infiltration specialist, the burly strongman, and the red-eyes femme fatale immediately leapt to the side of their captain. After steeling his nerves, the blond boy jumped into the fray as well.

Just like that, Zaloog had five monsters on his field, the entirety of his crew. Bastion marveled at his luck – the likelihood of such an opening hand was surely low. Although he always wanted to assume that his opponents would have some sense of fair play, Bastion couldn't help but grow suspicious that Zaloog had stacked his deck. For now though, he remained content to watch his opponent's next move.

"Now, I activate my trap card, Dark Scorpion Combination! When the five Dark Scorpions are on the field, each of us can attack you directly for 400 points of damage each!" The squad then struck another series of silly poses. Sticking his ass out at Bastion, Zaloog peered at the Ra Yellow duelist from between his legs.

"Sic em!" Each of the Dark Scorpions rushed Bastion, striking him with each of their weapons. They each took a pass at him, leaving him on one knee. (Bastion 2000/Zaloog 4000)

"Oh no, Bastion!" Jasmine cried in worry.

"Damn…they didn't attack the Gozuki, so I couldn't use his effect…" Bastion thought ruefully, quickly returning to his feet. "How? How could you have opened with the exact cards you needed? That type of opening hand is one in a thousand!" He asked, baffled.

They each grinned at him cheesily, sneaky Cliff being the first one to speak up. "The boss already told you why, genius."

"Isn't he supposed to be some sort of prodigy? I guess Ra Yellow really is for the mediocre…" Meanae said viciously.

"I'll tell him one more time. Just make sure you're paying attention this time." Zaloog said with considerable smarm. "Our bond is our strength! Your logic can never defeat the power of friendship!"

"Oh no….what if he's right?" Bastion worried.

XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXXxXxXxXxXXxX

(Alexis Rhodes POV)

The Ice Queen of Obelisk Blue normally rose from bed with grace and poise, as befitting of her position. She had a reputation to maintain, and her girlfriends outwardly respected her unflappable demeanor while inwardly they fumed with jealousy and selfishness.

Today was not a normal day however, as she had a bit too much to drink at the festival last night. In very unladylike fashion, she rolled out of bed and threw on some sweats, not caring to do her hair or makeup for the moment.

"Ugggggggggggghhhhh." She mumbled, drinking a little water in an attempt to cure her headache. Ambling over to the curtains, she drew them back and allowed sunlight to shine through. Alexis knew that sitting on the balcony and getting some fresh air would be helpful, if only incrementally. The grounds were such a beautiful place to observe as well. They were always peaceful and quiet this time of day.

Because of this assumption, Alexis was very surprised to see what appeared to be a battalion of ancient Egyptian soldiers in full regalia marching towards the Obelisk Blue girls dorm, spears in hand. In the center of the formation was a sedan chair carried by four of the troops, its contents obscured by white linen curtains. Stereotypically Egyptian music was even playing from somewhere!

"Am I still drunk?" Alexis was sincerely wondering. The entourage came to a stop, setting the litter down with surprising gentleness. The curtains were opened, and the clear leader of the group touched down. He was so beautiful and slender that Alexis thought him a woman at first, black makeup accentuating exotic indigo eyes and dark skin. This man's regal presence and beauty nearly took Alexis' breath away.

Then, he opened his mouth. Taking out a modern megaphone that clashed hilariously with the rest of his aesthetic, the good-looking man shouted.

"ATTENTION, ALL WENCHES! I AM LORD ABIDOS III, MIGHTY PHARAOH OF EGYPT AND A TRUE SHADOW RIDER! IF YOU VALUE YOUR LIVES, YOU WILL BRING BEFORE ME ALEXIS RHODES OF OBELISK BLUE!"

Alexis felt any attraction fizzle quickly. "Did this pig just call us wenches?!" She muttered, feeling a vein throb in her temple. "I'm really not in the mood for this crap!"

"Oi, shut up down there! We had to deal with enough of you weird LARPers yesterday!" A voice sounded from the floor below her. Apparently, none of the Obelisk Blue girls felt very threatened by this so-called pharaoh.

"Wait a minute…a pharaoh named Abidos…why is that name familiar?" Alexis found herself wondering, her mind trying where she had heard of this guy before.

"I WILL CONTINUE TO PESTER YOU WITH THIS MEGAPHONE UNTIL MY REQUEST IS FULFILLED!" Abidos clearly had a winning strategy, because Alexis knew she didn't have a choice but to engage him. He seemed ridiculous and foolish, but he was still a Shadow Rider, and therefore dangerous in his own right.

"Besides, this one might finally have some knowledge about Atticus…" It frustrated Alexis to no end that her brother was still trapped in a coma. She felt as though no matter how hard she fought, her brother would never fully return to her. But she refused to give up hope. These supernatural forces were beyond her understanding, but instinctually she knew that there had to be some way to restore Atticus' sanity. And if this ostentatious fool had the answers, then she would fight like the devil to get those answers.

Forgetting the makeup, Alexis quickly tied her hair into a ponytail and rushed out of the Obelisk Blue complex with duel disk in hand. Standing outside the gates, Alexis gave Abidos a hard glare.

"So, you're a shadow rider, huh? Well you can put the megaphone down. I'm Alexis Rhodes, and I'm here to defeat you." She said in no-nonsense tone.

Abidos motioned for his boys to stand clear, and they formed a perimeter around the two duelists. The pharaoh gazed upon the key hanging from Alexis' pale neck, and he smiled confidently. "Good, I see you have a key. In that case, we will begin. I promise this will not take long." He retrieved his duel disk from inside of the caravan he rode in on. It was unlike the academy-issued duel disks, having black and gold assets that made it look like an artifact in itself.

Alexis couldn't help but smirk back. "Oh, really? And just what makes you so sure of yourself? You don't even know what you're dealing with. And what's with this ridiculous pharaoh getup? Spirit Day was yesterday!" She made the same joke Bastion did – it was rather an easy one to make, in all fairness.

"Wha-how dare you! I am no impostor! You should bend the knee now and beg for my forgiveness for such a slight! I am the most powerful duelist to ever live!" Abidos boasted frantically.

"Yeah, yeah, I hear that line every other week, and that's just from my fellow Obelisk Blue students. Kinda loses its effect after a while." Alexis brushed him off. Unlike Bastion's situation, no crowd formed around this duel. The other Obelisk Blue girls were spending the weekend sleeping in, and this affair did not particularly interest them.

Abidos fumed. The nerve of this wench! "You truly do not know my name? What are they teaching you whelps these days? The future is even more hopeless than I could of dared imagine!"

Then, Alexis remembered where she had heard his name before. "Wait a minute…Professor Drummond talked about you in class before! You're…the pharaoh who never lost a match!" She realized with dawning horror.

"Yes, now you remember." Abidos gestured to the eye of Horus that was engraved on his headdress. "And master Kagemaru revived me to assist in ruling over this world."

"How generic." She grumbled.

"Silence! Now you will learn the price of your impudence! Let us duel!" Abidos activated his duel disk while his men held the circle so that Alexis could not escape.

"Shit…this guy is supposed to be even stronger than the pharaoh Atem! How on earth am I supposed to win?" Alexis wasn't sure if she could do this, but if there was even a chance that this guy knew how to retrieve her brother's consciousness, then there was no choice but to fight. "Duel!" They shouted.

"I shall begin." Abidos declared, completely flouting any sort of fair or equitable way to determine turn order. "Prepare to witness power beyond compare!"

"Oh no…what if he has an Egyptian God?" Alexis panicked.

"I summon Pharaoh's Servant (900/0). A frail, mummified Egyptian soldier rose from the earth and took the field, a dusty spear in its hands. A gold tunic and headdress were the only remarkable thing about its appearance. In fact, it was just a weak normal monster with no real utility whatsoever.

"Hahahahaha! Well, what do you think of that, key keeper!" Abidos bragged as if he had just made some sort of 500-IQ play. "I'll set a card and end my turn."

"What the Nani?" was all Alexis could say.

XxXXxXxXxXxXxXxxxXxXx

(Erin Reid POV)

Erin huffed with effort – she was throwing everything she had at this guy and yet he still seemed unfazed! Her position seemed strong. On her left was a Spined Gillman (1700/0), a merman which boosted all of her fish, sea serpent, and aqua monsters. On her right was the Superancient Deepsea King Coelacanth (2800/2200 before boost, 3200/2200 after Spined Gillman boost), a powerful fish monster that swam through the air with a regal and majestic power, its dark purple scales shimmering in the reflection of the sea.

She had never seen any cards like the ones Kagemaru was now using. They were versatile in their effects, and unusually powerful compared to even the top meta cards she knew. But she knew that if she tried her best, she could still pull out the win with effort.

Kagemaru's expression was placid inside of his life support machine. "Ah, very good…your duel energy is invigorating. I can feel my own increasing exponentially as this fight goes on…I almost have enough. Yours will be enough."

Her light brown hair fluttered in the deceptively calm morning breeze. "I can't let this guy's crazy talk throw me off…."

"I set one card and end my turn." She slapped the card down impatiently. Despite her seeming advantage, something was amiss.

"Very well. During your end phase, I activate the quick-play spell Fires of Doomsday, allowing me to summon two Doomsday Tokens (0/0) to the field." Two sprites comprised of black flame with a single blue eye took the field silently. Erin eyed them warily, sure that they were setup for a larger play.

"My turn. Draw…." Kagemaru's pale eyes widened at his latest card. Despite the fact that his field was empty but for some weak tokens, he looked as though he was about to win.

"Oh, my dear…there is a whole universe of power out there beyond your understanding…I'm afraid you're just a small fish in a very big pond." His words were insulting, but his tone was conciliatory, as though he really did feel bad for her. "I was unaware of the full power of fusion summoning until recently, but now my eyes are open….I can see clearly in the darkness!"

"I activate Polymerization!" He chanted, vines and roots shooting up from the ground.

XxXxXxxxXxXxXxxXxxXxXxX

(Zane Truesdale POV)

Zane Truesdale had risen early that morning to visit his friend Atticus in the hospital wing. The two of them went way back, and it was through their childhood friendship at elementary school that Zane met Alexis. The pair of siblings were certainly different from each other, but in a complementary way. Thinking of Atticus' goofy sense of humor made Zane smile and think of the good times. Then, he got angry.

He hoped Lyman Banner was in agony, wherever he was. Dying was one thing, but being forced on the edge between oblivion and existence, your own body being used by a demon…Zane was normally cool and collected, but this was enough to well and truly stoke his rage. If Atticus were in his position and Zane were the one in the hospital bed, the elder Rhodes sibling would hunt day and night for the one responsible for putting Zane there, this he knew.

Zane cursed his impotence. He felt guilty, sifting through offers from the pro leagues while a sword of Damocles hung over his friend's head. Graduating and moving onto better things while Atticus wilted in a coma bothered him deeply. If there was any chance at all to make things better, to make them right…Zane would take it without hesitation.

"I've got class. I'll stop by later, Atticus." Zane said quietly, rising from the bedside seat. Moving the curtains out of the way, the Kaiser made to step out of the hospital wing.

Stuck in his brooding thoughts, Zane was utterly shocked to hear screaming from the front of the building. A moment later, the alarms sounded, turning the main lights off and bathing the hallways in a deep red hue. Zane hurried to the receptionist's desk, the alarm shrieking in his ears.

Three hospital staff lay slumped on the ground, shivering in pain. An unusually tall man clad in dark black coat and hat stood over the bodies, holding Professor Fontaine up by the neck with one hand. Something about that silver mask seemed somewhat familiar to Zane, but he couldn't be sure as to where. The Kaiser hid behind the corner of a wall, taking a moment to assess the situation.

"I'll ask once more, woman…you have two choices. Tell me where Atticus Rhodes is. Rest assured, I will tear this place apart if it means finding him regardless of your cooperation. But if you tell me, you and your staff will go unharmed." In his tirade, the masked man hadn't noticed Zane yet. "And while you're at it, you'll tell me where to find a key keeper if you know what's good for you."

"Z-Zane!" Fontaine struggled in the thug's grasp, but seeing the Kaiser with duel disk in hand was enough to give her some hope. Zane grimaced – this person must be a particularly violent Shadow Rider.

"Ah, yes, the Truesdale boy. That's a good start. Tell me where he is." The man's grip loosened so as to allow her to speak.

"I'm right here." Despite the din of the alarm, there was a certain menace in Zane's normally calm voice that commanded attention. "Now put her down."

The masked man turned his to the side, leering at the Kaiser. "A stroke of luck. I do hate games of cat and mouse." With a flick of his free hand, the invader destroyed the alarms with blasts of dark energy, sending shards of glass flying across the room. The noise was dimmed slightly, although the alarms were still ringing in other parts of the building.

"That's good, because I don't want to waste any time either." Zane was confident he could take this guy down. He just wondered if this brute was the only Shadow Rider on the island…and what was this man's business with Atticus anyways?

"Tell me how to restore Atticus' mind." Zane commanded, although he didn't really expect a helpful answer.

"If you want it so badly, then the way forward should be clear. I too demand something of you – that key. And there's only one way to get it." Casually, the thug threw Fontaine aside. The throw packed unusual strength – Fontaine collided with the wall with an uncomfortable crack.

"Professor Fontaine!" Zane rushed over to his gym teacher's side, although he didn't take his off of the enemy for a second. "Are you alright?"

She puckered in pain, but nodded stoically nonetheless. "I'll be fine, Zane. You already know what you need to do." She hissed. Zane set her down gently, knowing that she was right.

Glaring at his foe, Zane activated his duel disk. "Wait a minute – I remember now – Alexis told me about a hired goon with a silver mask that kidnapped her at the beginning of the year. Jaden and his boys managed to defeat this guy and save her. He might be connected to the abandoned dorm incident." He thought quickly.

"Well, if Jaden managed to beat you, then I feel a little better about my chances." Zane wasn't intentionally being arrogant, he was just stating what he thought to be the truth.

The masked man scowled. "Your information is outdated. I have gown leagues stronger since that day when that Slifer Red boy banished me to the shadows. My master has imbued me with tremendous power from the World of Darkness! And once I am done with you, this whole island will fear the name of Titan!"

"Oh boy, the usual villain rant." Although Zane didn't know it, his exasperation mirrored Alexis'. But he was a man of his word, and he just vowed that he would do everything in his power to win back Atticus' sanity.

"And beating this guy down is definitely within my power." Zane thought, glancing at his deck with a short smile. As long as he trusted in his deck and dueled with honor, he wouldn't go astray.

"Let the game of darkness begin!" Titan declared cruelly, standing across the ruined entryway from Zane.

XxXxXxXxXxxXxXxXXxXxXxXxX

"Let's hurry! An enormous power just appeared down by the docks!" Sonata pointed me in the right direction, sounding much more panicked than before.

"What the hell is it?" I asked impatiently. "Can you sense what it is specifically?"

"I'm trying, but this doesn't exactly match anything I've really sensed before. It's similar, but…not the same. I don't know." She confessed.

"It's fine, no matter what, I know the two of us can win." I said gruffly.

"Aww…" She cooed. "That was sweet, Jamie-kun."

"Thanks, but realistically speaking, there's really no possible way that Kagemaru should be able to beat us, unless he somehow got some cards from my timeline…oh shit." I started pouring on the speed, working up a sweat quickly.

I broke through the tree line and made my way to the southern coast. There, I saw a horrible sight.

Erin was sprawled on the sand, clearly in pain. Across the way, I saw my enemy; a dark green aura surrounded Kagemaru.

"Yes, that's it! The power…the power is mine!" Strangely, as Kagemaru cackled, his machine seemed to be coming apart at the seams, close to bursting.

"Somehow, he's absorbing her duel energy!" Sonata noted, and as I concentrated, I could see trails of energy leaving Erin's body and entering Kagemaru's – it looked a lot like chakra from Naruto, if I had to describe it. Hey, maybe Syrus could use this idea in his fanfiction! Erin's energy was crystal clear and blue, while Kagemaru's was a deep, mossy green.

Suddenly, a white dome of energy erupted around Kagemaru. It was hot and bright, a manifestion of pure duel energy. His life support machine blasted apart, pieces of it strewn carelessly in the sand and sea. The strobe-like flashing of light made my eyes hurt.

"HAAAAAAAHH!" Currents of electricity rippled across the beach, leaving scorch marks in the sand. I rushed in front of Erin, determined to keep her safe from any stray bolts. Well, I'd really be more of a meatshield, but yeah.

Through the hazy shield that surrounded him, I could see Kagemaru's form changing, growing like a flower in a time-lapse video. Muscles engorged, hair turned from white to black, wrinkles faded…it was a beautiful and horrible sight.

"Jamie…" Even through the peals of wind and the crackling of thunder, I heard Erin's contralto faintly reach out to me. I tore my eyes away from the transformation – there was nothing I could do to stop it anyhow.

I met Erin's deep blue eyes, eyes filled with regret and shame. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have rushed in like I did, but I just wanted to be useful…I didn't want to be left behind." She said weakly, taking my hand as I kneeled beside her.

She really shouldn't have, but now was not the time to vocalize that. "It's all right, I know you did your best. Just stay with me. Everything's going to be okay now, Erin!" I tried to reassure her, but I was never very good at being reassuring or inspirational.

"His cards…I've never seen cards like that before. It made my deck look like a complete joke." She looked away. Her tanned skin blemished and bruised from the battle, and her surf suit was frayed in places.

"What kind of cards were they?" I had to know the source of Kagemaru's power – he seemed utterly unlike how he was in canon.

"You've gotta get out of here, Jamie! Just forget about me, he's gonna kill everyone!" Her fear seemed to overtake her, but before I could press further about Kagemaru's cards, the wind and thunder suddenly stopped, replaced by a deafening silence.

The transformation was complete.

"Yes, I can feel it. All that I have ever imagined is now within my grasp. I have regained that which no one else ever could…youth, in all its glory."

Kagemaru stood on his own two feet, free of any need for a life support machine. Indeed, far from merely being ambulatory, he was extremely muscular and tall, probably around seven feet tall if I had to guess. He only wore the loincloth that he had inside his tank. Combined with the thick, long black hair he now sported, it made him look rather like Tarzan.

The biggest difference was the face. It was narrow and smooth, a manly square jawline jutting out. His dark brown eyes were marked with wisdom and cunning, contrasting greatly with his otherwise youthful appearance. The glare of the sun shone brightly on his arms, a duel disk still affixed to his right wrist.

He smiled, seeming truly pleased for the first time.

"I'm surprised she had so much power. These cards really can absorb duel energy…like a vine soaks up water."

I looked at Erin again, but she was unconscious, her eyes closed. Gently, I set her down, rage boiling within me. I fixed Kagemaru with a burning glare. "Looks like you found a different way to get your precious immortality."

"Hmm?" Kagemaru looked a bit surprised. Did he really not see me standing here for the past five minutes? Was he that enamored with his new body? "Ah, just the man I wanted to see. No, Lancaster, I am not immortal yet. My new cards have granted me the same body I had in my youth, but in order to become immortal I must obtain the Sacred Beasts. My operatives are currently spread out across this island taking your keys. It's only a matter of time now."

"Growing impatient, are we? Your shit-tier goons are finished and you know it." I counter. "You'll never be immortal."

He seemed unbothered. "I will not die."

"You're right to be afraid of death. It's a very painful experience. Well, at least mine was. Didn't get the chance to go gentle into that good night, if you catch my drift." I said viciously. "And neither will you, if you continue on this path."

"Painful, eh? That would explain your bad attitude, at least." Kagemaru replied confidently. "Tell me, why do you restrain yourself so? The sort of power you and I have could be used to rule the entire universe! And yet here you are, in an Obelisk Blue student uniform, wasting your days in a classroom. Do you enjoy being a big fish in such a little pond? But then, I suppose it is only natural a man on his second life would spend time frivolously." His words were as punishing as physical blows.

"It's not a waste." I thought of Jaden's carefree expression, and Zane's joy upon finding an equal opponent. I thought of Erin's eyes, and Alexis' smile. "But I don't expect you to understand that."

"You're right – the concept of wasted time will become irrelevant after I achieve my goal." He held his now muscular arms at his sides proudly. "As for you, maybe you'll just reincarnate again if the gods find you such a compelling plaything."

"Let's see this new power you speak of then. I won't hold back either." I said with the look of stoic resolve just before the battle charge. Sonata appeared by my side, staring down Kagemaru intently. The scene was set, dramatic and climatic.

"Ah, there you are!" A cheerful voice echoed from atop a hill. Jaden Yuki stood with one foot perched atop a rock, his brown hair fluttering in the wind. "Winged Kuriboh told me something was up, plus I got that message from Erin!"

Kagemaru's dark eyes glimmered. "You…you're the Supreme King of the Gentle Darkness, Jaden Yuki!"

"Ehh, I dunno about all of that. I'm just Jaden!" The boy with the red coat grinned, not really absorbing the meaning of the title. "Oh, hey Jamie! Say, have either of you seen a guy named Kagemaru around here? He's supposed to be the strongest enemy here."

I waved back awkwardly. This throws a wrench into things. Should I go all out with Jaden here? I don't think I have much of a choice if I want to beat Kagemaru's new deck, whatever it is. If we make it out of this alive, I can focus on what to do next. Maybe Jaden can keep a secret. After all, he is known for his discretion…yeah, I'm fucked either way, so I might as well go with the option that lets me live another day.

"Actually, Kagemaru's right here." I pointed at the foe in right of me.

"Huh?" Jaden ambled down the hill in chilled-out manner. "You said Kagemaru was some geezer hooked up to a machine. This guy makes Brock Lesnar look like Syrus in comparison. What's the deal?"

Kagemaru grumbled. "Geezer…how dare you?"

"He absorbed almost all of Erin's duel energy. Plus, there's something strange about his deck that seems to aid in restoring his youth." I quickly explained going off of what I knew. Just what did Kagemaru do to himself?

He smirked, his long black hair flowing as he seemingly predicted my thoughts. "I simply tapped into the power that you possess, only much more deeply. I made a contract with a duel spirit."

"Woah, that's pretty wild, bro. And what did this spirit want?" Jaden asked casually.

"In exchange for giving me back my youth, all this spirit wants is destruction, and lots of it. And that's something I can supply in excess if needs be!" Kagemaru's muscles rippled, a white aura forming around his body. The power forced Jaden and I back, our heels digging into the sand.

"And in the process of sinking this island into the sea, I'll rid the world of you two demons as well!" The immortal roared. Typhoons of sand whipped up around him, the beach rending itself in response to his new strength.

Jaden shielded his eyes by throwing up his arms, as did I. Sand flew everywhere, dusting our clothes. Then, Kagemaru settled himself, and carried an expression of deadly calm.

"Come. Attack me both together." He said placidly.

"Well, he's offering to let us team up. Could be fun, don't ya think?" Jaden grinned, nudging my arm. "By the way, did you always have a duel spirit?"

"Hiya!" Sonata waved cheerily. Winged Kuriboh returned the wave, looking at me somewhat suspiciously.

I sighed. Cat's out of the bag now. "I'll explain afterwards, but you have to promise to keep it a secret. I'm going to be using some different cards too."

"Hey, cool! I can't wait to see em." Jaden replied.

"Uh, yeah. So anyways, watch out for this guy, he defeated Erin. Don't worry, we can win this right here, right now if we're both fighting at our maximum capacities." I said seriously, activating my duel disk.

"Alright, let's take this guy down!" Jaden turned on his duel disk as well. We each turned to face our common foe, the lord and master of the Shadow Riders. Kagemaru's duel disk was already on, and he waited patiently as if he had all the time in the world.

"Duel!" The three of us shouted, beginning the game of darkness.

A/N

Hope you all enjoyed.

Sorry for the wait. Just been trying to make sure the writing quality has been good. Been a bit busy at work, blah blah blah. Thank you for your patience.

Anyways, we've got fights building up all over the place! Bastion's rationality is getting pitted against the power of friendship, only this time it's the villains who are using it! How will Bastion get out of this one – by normal Yu-Gi-Oh logic he should lose every time! Lol this duel's gonna be a lot of fun to write.

Meanwhile, Alexis got a rude awakening by an equally rude pharaoh. Something tells me that Abidos' "legendary" reputation is going to crumble pretty fast. If you guys like asskickings, tune in for that one.

On a more serious tack, Zane is fighting against a revived Titan to retrieve Atticus' memories. Thought it would be good to have Zane contribute to his best friend's recovery – it just seemed right when I was planning the story out.

And of course, the headliner fight is Jamie and Jaden vs Kagemaru. I really wanted to make Kagemaru a powerful threat in this story. What do you guys think his new cards are? I tried to hint it without being too obvious. He certainly seems confident in his skills after offscreening Erin. By the way, Erin's hubris and impetuousness will come up again as a part of her character development, but needless to say she's not too happy about getting destroyed by Kagemaru.

Jaden now at least knows that Jamie has a duel spirit and that Jamie has one of a kind cards. What do you guys think will come of this development?

Tune in next chapter for some badass, fun duels. It'll come soon, I swear haha! By the way, I posted two more character mixes in my profile for Adam and Erin if you care. Catch you on the flippity-flip!