Chapter 38: The Lucky One
"Is this a good time to call, mister Kaiba?"
"Yeah, I'm just flying back into Domino right now. You caught me at a fine time, Lancaster."
It was about eleven at night, and I had just gotten back from an Obelisk Force meeting. This secondary meeting was meant to establish position holders. Taking into account grades, dueling performance, improvement, and extracurricular involvement, we elected myself, Alexis, Erin, Atticus, and surprisingly Jasmine as officers. We didn't necessarily have supreme authority over the other members, but we would generally work together to decide what to do at meetings. We would also act as club representatives to the school at large, specifically for activities like the Club Fair and Duel Monsters Spirit Day. Since the officers positions were decided by the abovementioned factors, they were going to be constantly competed for. In that sense, they served as an incentive for members to improve their skills. Apart from that, I spent the meeting in practice matches with my peers while my fellow officers either worked on homework or watched pro matches.
"That sounds like a rather productive exercise." Kaiba rasped through the phone after I told him this. "No surprise that Crowler approved it so fast, considering how much of a boner he has for his precious Obelisk Blues."
"I do not need to hear the words Crowler and boner in the same sentence, ever. Sir." I cut in, daring to make a joke.
Kaiba cough-laughed. "Well, too bad. Yugi gave me a lot of backtalk about my mouth back in the day, I don't need to hear it from you too. Now then, what's this I hear about Aster Phoenix making a trip to Academy Island?"
"From what I understand, he desired a match against Jaden Yuki. However, he decided to draft a deck from eight packs of Ancient Sanctuary instead of using his real deck. He was clearly sandbagging for some reason. Jaden beat him rather handily, and then the guy just left. I never even saw his face." It was a carefully played game, trying to decide how much confusion to show, how much to tell him while trying to predict his responses. Any conversation with Kaiba was like fencing on a tightrope, trying not to fall while parrying your opponent.
"There is clearly some sort of plot at work here. Aster Phoenix should have neither the time nor the desire to come to my island. And what's with all the drama around this Jaden Yuki guy? I swear I hear that kid's name more and more as time goes on. He's the guy who helped you fight Kagemaru, right?" Kaiba said impatiently.
"Yeah. Not sure what Phoenix would want with him. It's possible he might be scouting Jaden." I suggest, playing dumb.
"Pros don't do the scouting, and scouting is generally not done in such an obvious way. He has some ulterior purpose, I'm sure of it. My people will keep a closer eye on his movements in the future. Speaking of Aster Phoenix, he'll be fighting your buddy Zane Truesdale next Friday in Tokyo. You want to go?"
The offer shocked me. "Thank you, sir." This upcoming match would be critical for Zane. If he loses, as he did in canon, then he could start on the cursed path that eventually claimed his life in canon. If I was around, perhaps I could talk things out with him. Besides, he was more used to losing – he had lost to me several times during our practice matches, and I to him. An additional loss shouldn't affect him too drastically, should it? There was no way of knowing.
And yet, if I leave the island, then Sartorius or Mackenzie may make a move. If the former succeeds in brainwashing even a single student, then my problems are going to compound exponentially. And who the hell knows what Mackenzie's plan was? And someone will need to handle the Obelisk Force meetings as well. The more I thought about it, the more staying put seemed the right option.
"I appreciate it, but I don't think it's a good idea to leave the island now. I want to be able to keep you informed." By framing my rationale in a way that emphasized its benefit for Kaiba, I hope he would find my refusal easier to swallow.
"I see. That is probably wise. In any case, I have an extra spot in my suite, since I will be unable to attend due to a conference call. Do you think one of your friends may like to go instead? It makes no difference to me." Kaiba replied. He must have been in a good mood or something.
"…I'm sure one of them will." I had one person in mind, particularly. "If that's all, sir, I'll call you back tomorrow, once I've found someone." This conversations were meant to be brief, so I tried to think of the most important points beforehand.
"Try and call at night again if you can. And when you can, try and duel Reggie Mackenzie. I want to see how she stacks up to you." Kaiba added on. "Your pay will be directly deposited tomorrow morning once the banks open."
"Thank you, sir." With that, he wordlessly hung up. I rested on my back, gazing out of the open window from my bed. A light nighttime breeze caused the drapes to flutter softly, and for a while I fixed my eyes on them.
I was essentially being paid to be Kaiba's hall monitor on the island. Of course, it was in the name of keeping the island safer, but the secrecy of it all bothered me. I guess it was better than working at Rosewood Sporting Goods at any rate. God damn, it felt good to quit that shit. Although Harry probably would have found a way to fire me anyways, considering how badly I beat his ass in front of most of the dorm. "I suppose at least this has a purpose to it…" I murmured. But even then, there was a balancing element to working at that shop with Adam, complaining about Harry and catching a spot on the beach after the end of a long work day. Everything was growing more tangled up as time went on.
"Bah, I'm getting too caught up in my own thoughts again…" I forcibly shook my head and turned off the lights, rolling into a disturbed sleep.
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"So, what do you say, Atticus?"
"What do I say? I accept, of course! This is awesome!" Atticus gushed as I offered him the pass to Kaiba's suite on the night of the match between Aster and Zane. Although he was one of my five officers, I felt Atticus was the best choice for this. He and Zane went way back – if the Kaiser found himself in a bad way after losing (assuming he still loses), then I trusted Atticus would be able to bring him back from the edge.
"But I gotta ask – why aren't you going? I bet Zane would love to see ya. He's always going on about wanting another all-out duel with you someday." Atticus asked. We were in the main academy duel arena, watching Jasmine and Erin have a practice match over lunch. Atticus and I were eating some sandwiches as we talked.
"I feel the same." I said with a smile. Hopefully the next time Zane and I really go full force in a duel, it'll be as friends. "But I don't have time to head to back to the mainland. I don't want to get behind on schoolwork." It was a lame excuse, and he called me on it.
"Really, man?" Atticus raised an eyebrow.
"I just don't want to leave the island for now, that's all. So do me a solid and go instead." I said in a tone that brooked no further argument.
"Alright, whatever. If you don't want to tell me why, that's your business. Like I said, I'm not gonna pass up on this! Thanks a lot, Jamie!"
"No problem, enjoy yourself." As we spoke, Erin finished off Jasmine rather handily. Jasmine was playing a Six Samurai variant again. I think she was really growing fond of that deck, having co-opted it somewhat from Bastion. She was improving rapidly too – it was quite a relief, in all honesty. I could tell she still didn't like me, but at least she was taking things seriously now. If only the same could be said for Mindy. She was not taking well to the idea of the Obelisk Force, often showing up late to meetings and shirking out of practice games. But that was a problem for another time. Right now, it was nice to see Jasmine actually train.
Today, however, Erin got the better of Jasmine. "That was a good game." The water duelist said encouragingly to Jasmine. "But you overextended too much, and didn't play around my backrow at all. Try to study up some common backrow and then you'll be able to move around them."
"Right! I can get too aggressive at times…thank you for the advice." Jasmine nodded appreciatively.
"Hey, don't worry about it. You'll get a chance to rematch me at the next meeting. Just think of it this way – even now, you're the fifth best duelist in Obelisk Blue! Just think how good you'll get as time goes on!" Erin responded with a toothy smile.
I hate to be a negative nancy, but the fact that Jasmine is the fifth strongest in Obelisk Blue spoke more to the overall weakness of the house then it did our strength. Jasmine was decent, but she was still prone to amateur mistakes in both deckbuilding and execution. We needed to get a lot better and fast before that fucker Sartorius started moving, or else not only were my friends and peers going to be enslaved, but this entire planet is getting destroyed. Time waits for no man.
The rest of the afternoon went slowly, everyone feeling the effects of the infamous post-lunch haze combined with the island's sweltering heat this time of year. I shared the last class of the day (Drummond's world history) with Jaden, Syrus, and Mackenzie. Today, however, there was a new face. New, yet familiar.
Wearing a sleeveless variant of the Ra Yellow uniform, Jaden's new companion was a tall, dark-skinned young man with some seriously insane muscles for a fifteen year old. His thick dreadlocks were covered by a brown and yellow bandanna with a dinosaur design on it. No doubt about it – this must be Tyranno Hasselberry. Please for the love of god, tell me that isn't his actual name. It has to be a nickname or something, right?
An army brat obsessed with dinosaurs, and the source of the infamous "Dino DNA" meme – not that I have a problem with that. Any ally is welcome, and it's not like the rest of us aren't a little goofy in some way. He became a friend of Jaden's in canon after the latter beat him in a duel – kinda like everyone else, except Zane and I of course. Then, Tyranno seemed to get the idea that Jaden was his new commanding officer or something like that. Like I said, weird guy. After class, I made my way over to Jaden's group to introduce myself.
"Oh, hey Jamie! What's up!" Jaden greeted cheerily. "This is a new buddy of mine, Tyranno Kenzan!"
Kenzan? I thought his English dub name was Hasselberry. "Hey, what's up man? My name is Jamie Lancaster."
Kenzan shook my hand firmly. "Hey, I've heard of ya! You started out as a Ra Yellow last year, isn't that right?"
"Yeah, I was Bastion Misawa's roommate." I chuckled. "But I made it into Obelisk Blue after beating Chazz Princeton in a promotion match."
"Heh, well it's good to hear that not everyone in that place is a pampered little prince or princess, respectively." Kenzan grumbled, but there was no true malice in his tone. "I had high enough scores on the entrance exam to make it in, but since I didn't come from a prep school, they stuck me in the yellow barracks."
"Believe me, Obelisk Blue is gonna be a different place very soon. I grew tired of the pampered princes and princesses myself. Nothing wrong at all with Ra Yellow." I said.
"Mister Lancaster has started a new club for Obelisk Blue students to practice their dueling skills. It's a study club as well." Mackenzie chimed in cutely while Syrus snuck a peek at her ass. "I didn't join myself, but I think it's a great idea for those who need improvement!" Her cheerful tone nearly made me sick – no matter what, I couldn't forget who she is and what she was about.
"Hey, that's pretty sweet! Reminds me of that Fight Club movie I watched as a kid." Jaden laughed. Wait a minute, Jaden watched Fight Club as a kid? What the fuck? His parents must have been hands-off to the extreme. "Maybe Yubel got a kick out of it or something…" I thought with a chill.
"It's just a shame that we Slifers and Ras can't join. I really need to get some training in, and soon!" Syrus piped up.
"Why's that?" I asked as we walked out of the main school building. In silent agreement, we all started to amble towards the Blue-Eyes Café.
"Syrus retook some classes over the summer in order to bring up his GPA. Now, he's met the academic prerequisites for advancement to Ra Yellow!" Jaden ruffled his best friend's hair, and the little guy flushed under the attention. Syrus may have been annoying at times, but I still really liked the guy and wanted him to succeed.
"That's awesome! When is your promotion exam?" Of course this would happen soon, Syrus was promoted to Ra Yellow in canon very soon after the start of his second year.
"Next Friday at three – the same day of my brother's pro match against Aster Phoenix." Syrus said with resolve. "Here's hoping for a Truesdale victory on both counts!"
"You'll kick ass, I'm sure of it. But just in case you want some extra help, I can give you a special pass to the Obelisk Force meetings. There are three between now and your match – this Thursday, next Monday, and the following Thursday. I'd be happy to help you out." I offered.
"That would be great, Jamie. I really appreciate it." Syrus said humbly. "But I'm afraid I'm going to have to turn you down."
"If any of my housemates give you trouble, I'll – huh? You refuse?" I nearly did a double take, not expecting this answer from Syrus at all.
"That's right. Don't get me wrong, it's not like I'm not grateful for the offer, I really am. But this is something I should do by myself. I want to prepare for this challenge and pass it on my own merits. I don't want to keep relying on you guys forever, especially if I want to be like my brother." Syrus' fingers coiled into a fist. "That's what I've decided!"
His resolve surprised me. Did something happen to make him so motivated? I couldn't say what exactly. "Alrighty then, cool. If you change your mind, let me know. Jaden, Kenzan, I could probably get you guys in if you want…"
"Don't worry about it, man. I'm pretty confident in my skills." Jaden said. Unsurprisingly, Kenzan decided to ape him and said the same thing. Then, Jaden looked to Syrus again. "I'm not gonna lie, it's gonna be a bit weird not to have a roommate, especially since there were three of us last year. Not that I'm complaining."
Syrus sheepishly spoke up. "Let's not get ahead of ourselves, Jay. I'm not even sure who my opponent is going to be. It could be an Obelisk Blue for all I know!"
It is a bit strange that the duelist for these promotion exams is chosen randomly (or at least it was supposed to be random – I had a feeling Crowler pulled strings when he felt like it). Hell, I could be Syrus' opponent in theory, although I would use my influence with Crowler to avoid that eventuality. It would make sense for Syrus to fight a Ra Yellow since he would be promoted to Ra Yellow upon victory, but in canon he fought some fodder Obelisk Blue girl, if memory serves.
Oh, shit! If Syrus faces an Obelisk Blue, regardless of who specifically, if that person was part of the Obelisk Force, they would be stronger than they would be in canon. That could be a problem, but only time will tell for sure.
We arrived at the crossroads between the café and the Slifer Red dorm. Jaden, Syrus, and Kenzan began to taper off from Mackenzie and I. "You guys want to get coffee?" Mackenzie asked.
"Nah, I'm good. We might hit the gym or something." Jaden shrugged, his two henchmen shrugging along with him.
"Thanks again for the offer, Jamie." Syrus gave me a thumbs up, which I returned. Kenzan nodded at me silently, sizing me up a little as he walked away. He was probably wondering about how I dueled – I shouldn't be surprised if he asks for a match sometime soon. Before I could think on that further though, I realized I was now alone with Reggie Mackenzie.
"Well, shall we?" She gestured her head towards the coffee shop. I couldn't refuse, since I literally just asked Jaden's group if they wanted to accompany me. "Sure, why not." I assented awkwardly.
As we walked, it occurred to me that Mackenzie and I were rather similar. We were both actors, carrying dark secrets under pleasant, normal facades. Both of us were plotting in secret, with the ultimate goal of defeating the other. She didn't know it yet, but I would soon become one of her more annoying obstacles. And for all I knew, she could become one of my greatest enemies, assuming I managed to stop Sartorius. But for the moment, we were both playing our roles.
"I'm surprised you're getting along so well with Jaden. Most of the Obelisks despise him." I probed. They mainly despised him because he was a living reminder of how meaningless their elite status was. I was certain Jaden could eviscerate 95% of Obelisk Blue if the whim so occurred to him.
"If you don't mind me saying so, most of your housemates don't seem to know very much about anything. So I figure if I do the opposite of them, I'll do just fine." Mackenzie met my eyes as we entered the café and got in line. "I've learned that the persona most people project tends to be quite contrary to their true selves."
"That's very perceptive. I've learned that fact as well. For example, did you know that some of Atticus Rhodes' pickup lines actually work on some girls? I never would have guessed that when I first met him." I guided the conversation into more humorous, shallow waters, despite her desire to jump into the deep end.
Mackenzie laughed politely. "Oh, I'm sure they do. He is handsome, if nothing else. But I can tell that there is a certain weight to him…he has experienced darkness in the past, I am sure of it."
"Hmm, I guess I don't know. How can you tell?" I was relieved when the time came to place my order. This reminded me rather unpleasantly of my conversation with Alexis last year in this very same coffee shop, where I arrogantly demanded her to ask Zane for a duel. I wasn't in a good place back again – I was still grappling with my new reality in this world. My assumption that I could control and guide the events of a once-fictional universe caused me to act recklessly. To act recklessly here, with this woman, would be suicidal.
"Why, thank you. But really, I just find people fascinating, so I pick up on these things. Studying on this island will give me many opportunities to meet interesting people. People with special qualities." She said ominously. Was she trying to creep me out? Even if I didn't know her true mission, this was getting a bit obvious. Why let the mask slip already?
"Well, we've got plenty of amazing people here! I've met so many new friends, for whom I am very grateful. I hope we can get along as well." I cheerily quipped as we sat down.
"I hope so as well. Your idea regarding the Obelisk Force was very interesting, in my opinion. It must be disappointing to see so many of your peers wallowing in mediocrity, and taking pride in it no less." Her statement demanded some sort of expository response.
"Well, I think most of them just do what is necessary to keep their positions. After all, even if someone graduates at the bottom of their class in Obelisk Blue, they are still an Obelisk Blue." I said evasively.
"It is much the same in America. We do not have dorm rankings like you do, so our situation is even worse. There are only a few students who are really pushing their limits and getting stronger at any time. Otherwise, most do not take their schooling very seriously." Mackenzie replied, sipping a cinnamon dolce. "Your attitude is quite refreshing, in truth. But I wonder – why are so insistent on them growing more powerful? Aren't you afraid of someone surpassing you in rank?"
"Well, I'll make sure to keep up with my training as well." I nervously chuckled as I took a long swig of my Americano. "But ultimately, I just want to restore the name of Obelisk."
She nodded silently, not overtly accepting that explanation. Our eyes were constantly searching for a crack in the other's armor. Looking underneath the underneath. Her gaze was fucking intense, possessed by a demented energy, unrelenting in its pursuit of knowledge.
"What is it you really want?" Both of us wondered, not sure who was playing whom.
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(Aster Phoenix POV)
The night came, and so he went.
Good and evil exist in this world, of this he is certain. Furthermore, the quantity of each in a human being is unchangeable. The moral character of man is set, fixed until death. Yes, there are good people, and there are evil people. An apple that is half rotten is no different than an apple that is completely rotten – both are judged equally by the beholder.
Aster Phoenix believes it his duty to throw away the rotten apple cores that pile up on these streets. They all came from the same seed, the same malice and arrogance that senselessly ripped his father away ten years ago.
So Aster made it his mission to hunt down criminals, in the hope that one day, he would eventually find the man that ripped his parents from him. Or at least, this was his rationale. As time slipped further and further into the future, Aster doubted his parent's killer was even still alive, much less at large. Still, he hunted, if only to temporarily quell the rage frozen deep in his heart. Most of the time, he apprehended them non-lethally. Most of the time.
Then, the next morning, he got up and performed his duties as a pro duelist. As a boy, dueling was what made Aster's heart stir more than anything else. It was his dream to become a great man through dueling, like Seto Kaiba or Maximillion Pegasus. But since the death of his parents, dueling was only a way to honor their memories – Aster took no pleasure from the game. He couldn't let himself love the game, because then something would eclipse the hatred he felt, and that would be the nadir of dishonor.
It's easy to forget that most personal change does not occur in a single moment in time, but rather as a long, gradual shifting. It's like grains of sand being pushed around by the tide, forming new contours and shapes. The boy Aster used would burst into tears if he saw what he had become now. But Aster, devoted to his mission, would never think of such things.
He wasn't sure at first, but after the night's work, Aster felt the hands of destiny guiding him along its winding river. After his foretold victory against the Kaiser, he would return to Duel Academy. There, he would defeat Jaden Yuki. No, not just defeat – Aster would crush him utterly, and prove his superiority beyond a shadow of a doubt. The way Jaden threw around the word Hero so casually, the carefree spirit he embodied so effortlessly – it was an affront that could not be tolerated!
"Hero…that word has been sullied by his like for far too long! I will reclaim it, so there can be no doubt of its true meaning." Aster brooded as he gazed down at the city from an apartment rooftop. Sharp blue eyes searching, the vigilante caught sight of some excitement. A large, muscled thug was beating up someone else in the alleyway. Aster deftly made his way to the apartment complex's fire escape, unsure of the altercation's cause. Straining his ears, he was able to make out harsh, guttural words.
"That's what you get for trying to be a hero. Fucking pussy. Now, we can keep doing this, or you can cough up everything else you've got." The larger man, now revealed to be a mugger, was beating the absolute hell out of what appeared to be a scrawny teenage boy.
Well, that made his decision rather easy. Aster leapt down from the rooftop and went to work.
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(Jamie Lancaster POV)
I was in my room, brooding sexily (yeah, I wish) over my odd conversation with Mackenzie. Definitely one of the weirder dates I've been on in my life. Actually, maybe I shouldn't call it that. It was just a guy and a girl getting to know each other (while also playing verbal games and employing strategic misdirection) one-on-one over coffee. That's nothing like a date!
One thing they never tell you in those harem anime that Syrus likes (he's gotten a lot more brazen about his tastes ever since Zane left the island – apparently he's binged two seasons of Date A Live over the past five days somehow) is that having the attention of more girls only makes your life more complicated, not less. Then again, I'm pretty sure Mackenzie's interests were limited only towards killing me, so at least there's that.
On that thought, Alexis let herself into my room without knocking, carrying a larger than usual bag with her. I wasn't sure whether to be scared or excited.
"Ugh, would you get a load of this, Jamie?" She growled, unzipping the bag without preamble.
"Uh, sure…" I had no choice but to agree.
She pulled out a rather risqué lipstick red dress with a plunging neckline and a hem that couldn't have reached further than mid-thigh. Today was getting better already!
"Wow, changing up your style, huh? No complaints here." I smirked.
"Oh please – this was all Crowler's idea."
"You don't say? Well, I suppose that puts the matter of his sexuality to bed after all, metaphorically speaking. And would I be wrong in assuming that your brother is involved in some way as well?"
"I see the summer hasn't dulled your wit any." Alexis rolled her eyes. "Your assumption is correct. Atticus seems to have put it in Crowler's head that I should be some sort of dueling idol singer. And now Crowler's running with it. I think that the fumes in the headmaster's office are getting him high."
"It's a distinct possibility, I always did notice an odd smell in there." This whole subplot really was giving me a weird vibe. Atticus seemed a little too focused on getting his younger sister in these skimpy Hatsune Miku outfits if you ask me… "If you'd like, I can talk to Crowler."
"We'll see where it goes. I know you already have a lot on your plate, so I don't want to ask you to do anything just for my sake. Hopefully they get the hint and leave me alone, but if not…I'd really appreciate it." Alexis always seems to have problems saying how she really feels.
Moments like these always remind of when Jaden walked away from Alexis in canon in season four after their tag duel. Even after everything those two went through, she couldn't bring herself to confess her feelings for him…not that Jaden would have returned them anyways. Of course, I'm the last person who should be judging anyone for not being open.
"Hey," I stood up and walked over to her. This needed to be said in no uncertain terms, fuck the poetry. "What you want matters. Your feelings matter. And it's okay to do things just for your sake. I don't need another reason, and neither do you. It's okay to refuse people if they're trying to make you do something you don't want to do. You don't have to meet all of their expectations."
She started to look sad, so I added, "For example, if I asked you to put on that dress for me, you wouldn't have to say yes. But it would be nice."
"Oh my god, you're a goofball." She punched my arm. "But I appreciate you saying that. I'll let you know if Crowler or Atticus keep bothering me."
I mentally breathed a sigh of relief. Thank god, that was one problem put on the back burner for now. Its just been coming in waves lately – I only have energy for so much, and she deserves as much as I can give.
"By the way," Alexis suddenly smirked deviously. "Giving Atticus that ticket was a good idea."
"Hmm?" I arched an eyebrow. "I figured he would enjoy it, that's all."
"Oh, I'm sure he will." She leaned in closer. "And since he's not going to be around for three days, we're going to enjoy ourselves as well…"
Then, she showed me how good of an idea it really was.
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Atticus got on a plane sent on Kaiba's behalf on Friday morning. I hoped that his presence could keep Zane from going flying off the slippery slope like he did in canon, but only time would tell. Later that afternoon, Syrus was to take his promotion exam. However, it appeared that his opponent was not that one girl from the canon episode (you'd think I'd remember her name since we're housemates), but someone a bit more familiar, at least to me.
"Well, best of luck, Truesdale. As much as some like to boast before a duel, I honestly have no idea how this is going to turn out." Adam Sugihara said carelessly. A crowd of about twenty had gathered in the main exam arena – Ra Yellow promotions didn't carry nearly as much interest as Obelisk Blue promotions did.
Adam's stance was decidedly casual, his shoulders slouched and his Ra Yellow uniform unbuttoned to show his black t-shirt underneath. His hairstyle was different now – he cut his black locks short and faded the sides, leaving the top high. I never noticed it before, since his hair was so long, but he had pierced ears. I know he hated the mustard yellow uniform, and watching him grimace through it for the sake of ceremony was rather amusing. He seemed more tanned as well – I wonder how a summer of working in his father's casino treated him.
Syrus, on the other hand, was ramrod straight, obviously nervous, and he had been shuffling his deck for the past minute and a half. "I – I never pictured I'd being up against you, Sugihara."
"Really? I mean, a Ra Yellow student was picked at random for this, so surely the possibility must have entered your head at some point." Adam yawned. "Either way, I didn't have much of a choice in the matter."
"This is actually kinda lucky for Syrus." Erin said. I sat with her while Jaden, Kenzan, Bastion, Jasmine, and Alexis were still on their way here from class. "I mean, it's not like Adam is going to give a shit about winning or anything."
"Heh," I chuckled. This was quite the amusing matchup, in all honesty. "Syrus will probably try and overthink things, while Adam is just going to swag out and go for the flashiest plays possible because like you said, he doesn't even give a shit. If Syrus plays smart, he should have this in the bag."
"I guess it all comes to down the winds of fortune…" Erin shrugged.
The proctor for the match was the soft-spoken and oft-overlooked professor Sartyr. He was the head of Ra Yellow, as well as the director of the Art department. That included the culinary arts – his fandom for Gordon Ramsey rivaled Zane's, and Sartyr unquestionably cooked the best quiche on the island – so at least he had that going for him.
"Ahem…AHEM…if you all will quiet down…" He asked feebly. No one quieted down. Sartyr had none of Crowler's foppish charisma – the headmaster couldn't be bothered to referee a promotion match between a Slifer and a Ra. "Eh, whatever…the promotion match between Syrus Truesdale and Adam Sugihara will begin now! If mister Truesdale wins, he will earn a spot in Ra Yellow! If mister Sugihara wins…well, then the status quo continues, I guess. Begin!"
As I might have guessed, Adam won the coin toss. Man, sometimes I wondered if that guy had some kind of ability to manipulate coin flips, like some shit Yugi would do. Wait a minute…Adam relies on luck-based cards…so does Sartorius. I wonder what would happen if the two were to duel? Of course, Sartorius could just make the winds of fortune blow in his favor…couldn't he?
Adam chose to go second, and Syrus started off with a frantic energy. "I'll summon Gyroid (1000/1000)!" The cartoonish blue helicopter took the field, giving Syrus some solid defense. "Then, I'll set a card and end my turn."
"Alright." Adam said nonchalantly. "I draw. Then, I'll summon Twin Barrel Dragon (1700/1200)!" His first creature was a blue-paneled machine as well, but it couldn't be more different than Syrus' soft, cheery Gyroid. The Twin Barrel Dragon was sharp, fierce, designed to be lethal. Its head was a gun for fuck's sake!
"As you know, when this monster is summoned, I can target a monster on the field, then flip two coins. If both are heads, then that card is destroyed. I'm putting Gyroid in my sights!" Adam said with a lopsided grin while an electronic cursor settled on Syrus' vehicroid.
I leaned forward in my seat, finding myself very interested in the result of this coin toss. Many resentful Ra Yellows gossiped that Adam somehow hacked the duel disks, or cheated in some way as an explanation for his prodigious luck. For some reason, the many people who beat Adam in the past never voiced this complaint. But still, the coin flips did seem to go his way more often than not. Could it be that there was some sort of power there my eyes could not see? As I looked upon Adam, I didn't even realize that I was seized by the same curiosity that Erin had when she looked at me.
Sartyr procured two coins from his shirt pocket – it was customary for the proctor or referee to have coins, dice, or some sort of token on his person in official matches, due to instances of cheating in the past. The duel disks had no way of knowing whether a coin or dice was legit, so most duelists developed a keen eye for fake ones in the course of their careers.
The first coin came up heads. I leaned another inch forward.
The second coin landed tails up, or rather, tits up for Adam. "Aw, shoot." The gambler shrugged, while Syrus breathed a sigh of relief. I suddenly slipped from my seat, due to how forward I was leaning.
I cursed under my breath and rubbed my back before returning to my seat. "Wow, Lancaster, are you good?" Jasmine snarked from my right side. Of course the rest of them showed up at that moment. Erin chuckled before hoisting me up into my seat effortlessly – good lord, she was strong!
"How's it going here?" Jaden asked.
"You haven't missed anything, it's turn two. Jamie was just surprised that Adam's coin flip missed, apparently." Erin said jokingly.
She jested, but it was kind of weird how hung up I got on that. Maybe I'm starting to get paranoid? Paranoider? Whatever. I focused back on the duel.
"In that case, I'll attack." Twin Barrel Dragon lined up a shot and took it, heedless of Syrus' face-down.
"I activate my reverse card, Supercharge! This lets me draw two cards when a Vehecroid is attacked!" Of course, it did nothing to stop the attack, but it granted Syrus some nice card advantage. Besides, Gyroid's effect prevented it from being destroyed by battle once per turn. The gun shot bounced off of the helicopter's chassis, glancing off Syrus for some early damage (Syrus 3300/Adam 4000).
"I set two cards and end my turn." Adam finished.
"Man, if I were Syrus I'd be on edge like nobody's business. There's no way to determine how Adam's plays are going to turn out – either he's going to pop off, or fall short." Jasmine voiced.
"Indeed. The randomness is quite frustrating." Bastion said with the grumble of someone familiar with the problem in question.
Syrus methodically looked over his cards. I wondered if he was overthinking things – the guy was a bundle of nerves already, and getting psyched out would surely cost him the game. "I summon Submarineroid (800/1800) in attack mode." A blue and yellow submarined materialized in a shower of sparks, hovering strangely in midair.
"Now, I'll use Submarineroid's effect to bypass your monster and attack directly!" The roving machine let loose a missile past the Twin Barrel Dragon and at Adam, who threw his hands up to shield himself, despite the purely holographic nature of the attack. (Syrus 3300/Adam 3200)
"And since I was able to attack successfully with Submarineroid, I get to switch it to defense mode right after the battle!" During the main phase two, Syrus also switched his Gyroid to defense mode, providing a solid defense against battles from Adam's low-level monsters.
"Syrus is already playing better than he did against the Dark Magician Girl last spring. I have to admit, the little perv has some game." Jasmine commented.
"I still remember how pissed you were that night he sailed over to the girls dorm, remember?" Alexis said fondly. "That already seems like a lifetime ago."
"Yeah, and you and I got a sweet duel out of it, Lex!" Jaden added buoyantly. I said nothing, but inwardly I found it hard to believe that it had only been a year since then. Kenzan gave Jaden a look of confusion, so the Hero duelist began to regale the story to his new friend.
"I believe he's taken much influence from his brother's pro games. I have no doubt Syrus has been seeing Zane battle against high-level opponents all summer, and that's doubtlessly influenced his own style." Bastion deduced.
"We're all improving in our own ways. It's exciting!" Erin grinned.
"Trying to shore up your defenses won't work against me, Syrus. My deck is all or nothing, I don't play the grind game. Now, you'll see!" Adam said with the slightest hint of cockiness in his voice as he drew.
'First, I'll play the spell card Cup of Ace. This card lets me flip a coin, and if it lands heads, then I get to draw two cards. If it lands tails, then you get to draw two." Sartyr sent his coin skywards. It was a reckless move – giving your opponent two extra cards was usually a death sentence. But if landed heads…
It did, and Adam got to play Pot of Greed, essentially. "Awesome! Now, I summon Snipe Hunter (1500/600)!" A purple-skinned goblin hopped onto Adam's field, wielding a strange item that seemed to be a gun fused with a roulette wheel.
"Oh man, not this guy…" Syrus groaned.
"That's right, it's your turn to play the wheel of fortune, Syrus! Snipe Hunter's effect lets me roll a dice. If it's anything but a one or a six, then I get to blow up one of your cards! And the best part is, this effect can be activated as long as I have cards in my hand! With three cards in my hand, your whole field's getting sniped if fortune is on my side!" Adam explained, discarding a card to send the roulette spinning. Somewhat less dramatically, Sartyr began fishing a die out of his pants pocket.
"I'm not gonna take that chance – activate reverse card, Divine Wrath! By discarding a card, I can negate your monster's effect and destroy it!" Syrus countered. Suddenly, a bolt of holy lightning roasted the little demon, blowing the roulette gun to pieces. Sarytr yawned and ceased his searching, while Adam shrugged and pressed on.
"That's alright, because I succeeded in getting the card I needed into the graveyard. I play my trap, Call of the Haunted, to summon Desperado Barrel Dragon (2800/2200) to the field!"
From nothingness, a fairly large mecha dragon began to materialize from black and purple smoke. Like the smaller Twin Barrel Dragon, this beast had a bizarre gun-head, though its was more in the fashion of an old-school six shooter than anything else. It had smaller revolvers where its claws would normally be, and its entire body was covered in hard, old steel.
What the hell? This card should exist in this time and place. This card only came out recently in my time! I mean, its not like its overpowered or anything, after all it is a coin flip card, but it was still a marked improvement over the original Barrel Dragon. How did he get that card?
No way…could it be that this was another byproduct of the walls between dimensions and timelines weakening? But the others haven't upgraded their decks, at least to my knowledge. No one in Obelisk Blue has, at the very least. So why are some getting these modern cards and not others? And why is no one making a big deal about this?
"Wow, that must be a new card! Neato." Jaden said simply. I rolled my eyes. I suppose its getting noticed at least. Good lord, sometimes these people had the curiosity of dead plants. Then again, it was probably better this way rather than having a dozen Erins on my case.
"He probably won it in a bet or something…" Alexis said with disapproval. With her generally clean-cut approach to life, I doubt she and Adam had much in common. I'd rather like to see a duel between them sometime as well.
The robotic dragon suddenly roared at the Syrus at the pitch and keel of a gunshot, causing the blue-haired boy to nearly trip over himself. "C'mon Syrus, if you can't handle this much then how are you ever going to be a Ra? Now, see if you can stand up to this! I enter my battle phase!" Adam said with an uncharacteristic burst of passion.
The Barrel Dragon trained all three of its heads on Syrus' monsters. "During my battle phase, instead of attacking with Desperado Barrel Dragon, I can use its special effect. I can toss three coins, and destroy monsters on the field equal to the number of heads – no more, no less!"
As Sartyr fished out three coins, taking an additional two from his wallet to use, Bastion commented, "The effect is worded in such a way that if he flips three heads, he'll have no choice but to destroy one of his own monsters alongside Syrus'. Such a fool."
"That's just how he gets his kicks, I guess. Besides, the chances of that are pretty low." I drawled. Sure enough, Adam only got one head, which he used to destroy Syrus' Gyroid. A earsplitting crack and an equally loud explosion heralded the helicopter's destruction. Getting two good coin flips would have been much more helpful, as he couldn't destroy Submarineroid with Twin Barrel Dragon.
"I'll end my turn with that." Adam said, returning to his poker face.
"Alright, Syrus, calm down…" Syrus clutched his fists and tried to steady himself. He couldn't help being so shaken up, no matter how hard he tried. His shyness was not some cute, but otherwise meaningless personality quirk – it was a real shackle that hindered his potential every day. I was truly lucky that I didn't have to worry about that.
"My draw!" Syrus hesitated for a moment, and I wondered if he drew the dreaded Power Bond. I knew he was still afraid of playing that goddamn card. I advised him to just take the thing out of his deck if he had such a big psychological hangup on it, but he refused to toss it aside. I had no idea why he was so fixated on it. It appeared my initial assumption was wrong, though.
"I play the continuous spell Future Fusion! This lets me send fusion materials from my deck to my graveyard, and in two turns, I can special summon the fusion monster to the field!" Surprisingly, Syrus send five Vehicroid monsters from his deck to the graveyard. What did that summon? I couldn't remember.
Adam raised his eyes as well. "We'll see if it last that long. If I'm lucky, I can destroy that Future Fusion before that time comes."
"If you're lucky." Syrus said with surprising audacity.
Adam raised an eyebrow. "There you go, Truesdale. Nothing like some good banter, eh?"
But Syrus was back to business. "I'll switch Submarineroid's battle position in order to attack you directly again!" Bypassing the Barrel Dragons, Syrus successfully took another chunk of life off of Adam. (Syrus 3300/Adam 2400)
"I'll set a card and end my turn." Syrus ended. He was really in it for the grind game, but one good draw, one good gamble from Adam could send it all tumbling down.
Adam grew serious again as well. "That submarineroid could be a problem. I probably shouldn't take any more chances with it. First, I'll play the field spell Heavy Metal Raiders!" The projectors set up all around the Ra Duel Arena began to flicker to life, transporting us all to a strange, cyberpunk-esque landscape of factories, casinos, and red light districts.
"While this card is on the field, my dark machine monsters need to be destroyed twice by battle. This first time per turn they would be destroyed by battle, they aren't, meaning you have to attack the same monster twice to destroy it for good. Furthermore, when one of my dark machines destroys one of your cards, I get to summon another dark machine from my hand!" Adam explained at length.
Wait a minute, a lengthy, complex effect with tons of different applications! This has to be another modern card as well, I remember it now! What the hell!
"Oh wow, that must be another new card too! Tubular!" Jaden voiced out loud again. Is he reading my mind or something?!
"Are you good, Lancaster? You look like you need a smoke break or something." Kenzan laughed gruffly.
"Oh, uh, just thinking about stuff and…things." I replied dimly.
"Now, I'll destroy that annoying Submarine with Desperado Barrel Dragon!" Adam declared, and the big guns were promptly fired. The submarine was ripped to shreds, Syrus falling over from the shock, despite the lack of any real impact.
"And then, my Twin-Barrel Dragon will attack directly!" the smaller mecha dragon launched two laser beams at Syrus, taking out a significant chunk of life points. "That's all." (Syrus 1600/Adam 2400)
To his credit, Syrus quickly rebounded to his feet, a determined expression on his face. "Zane wouldn't show weakness like this!" He muttered, thinking of how his older brother was utterly unflinching in the face of Jaden and Jamie's attacks during their duels.
"It's my turn!" One turn still remained until Syrus could activate his Future Fusion. Somehow, he had to last until then. "I'll…I'll set a monster and end my turn." He said lamely, having few other options.
Adam looked somewhat disappointed before starting his turn. "Time to finish this, I guess. First, I'll summon BM-4 Blast Spider (1400/2200)
The Bandit Keith vibes grew even stronger – were non-Americans even allowed to play these cards? – as a compact, robotic spider clanked onto the field, its back loaded with two six-slot rocket launchers.
"Now, I'll attack your face-down monster with Twin-Barrel Dragon!" The dragon's gun barrels heated up as it prepared to fire off another round.
"In response, I play the trap No Entry!" Syrus hastily interjected before the dragon could fire. "This trap switches all attacking monsters to defense position!"
I mean, I don't know why he doesn't just play Mirror Force, but sure, this works. Amusingly, I heard the safety click on the Barrel Dragons' guns before they took a knee along with the blast spider. Adam huffed, having no choice but to end his battle phase. During his main phase two, he changed his two Barrel Dragons back into attack mode, while keeping his bomb spider curled up.
"Well, now we'll see what the little squirt has in store with that future fusion." Kenzan gruffly commented.
"It needs to be something crazy. He's going up against three pretty tough monsters, and Adam's got a face-down as well." Alexis began to worry.
Syrus stared down the fearsome cadre of guns in front of him, standing tall. "It's been two turns, so now I can summon a fusion monster using the power of Future Fusion!" A portal of light opened in the space between the two duelists, multicolored rays of light pouring from the opening.
Syrus tightly clenched his hands together, fingers interlocked. "Just as I am one of the next generation, this monster comes from the future, a future where I carry the Truesdale name into legend alongside my brother. From now on, I will become my own man, not just Zane's little brother! Not as some weird little perv that's always reading harem series! But as a duelist worthy of standing with the legends of Generation Next!"
A sudden gale of wind sent Adam's hair and clothes rippling, but he stood unfazed, pivoted away from Syrus defiantly. "Let's see it, then!"
"Fusion Summon! Barbaroid, the Ultimate Battle Machine (4000/4000)!" From the gate descended a truly gigantic red mech, easily three times the size of the Desperado Barrel Dragon. Its shape was bizarre, more akin to a valve than anything else. Even so, it rivaled the Cyber End Dragon in power, size, and looks.
The audience seemed surprised that Syrus had something like this in his deck, despite the fact that it fit his overall theme well. I auppose the power and intimidation factor was what seemed different – this was certainly a far cry from the silly, childish vehicroids of earlier.
"It is strong, but you have to play around Heavy Metal Raiders, alongside my face-down. Do you really feel comfortable doing that?" Adam jabbed.
"There are risks no matter what I do. No matter where I go, there is always the chance things won't work out. That's why I get so nervous. But in a duel, I have no choice but to work with what I've got, and this is it! So first, I'll play Mystical Space Typhoon to destroy Heavy Metal Raiders!"
The dystopian landscape was blown away cleanly, returning us to the Ra Duel Arena. "Now, I attack your Desperado Barrel Dragon!"
"That doesn't matter! My Desperado Barrel Dragon's effect can be used during either player's battle phase! I get to flip three coins again, and if I get even one heads, your ultimate battle machine gets to be broken down into spare parts!" Adam called out, signaling his dragon to use its special ability. However, the Barrel only turned around and shrugged helplessly at Adam, who sweatdropped.
"Eh…are you good, Barrel Dragon?" Adam looked genuinely thrown off.
"If Barbaroid attacks an opponent's monster, that monster's effects are negated, even in the graveyard. It's intimidating like that!" Syrus grinned – in that moment, he almost looked like Jaden, he was enjoying himself so much.
"That's really something. But I've got one more trick up my sleeve, though! Activate, Fairy Box!" Suddenly, all three of Adam's monsters were inside a giant Whack-A-Mole machine, and that is honestly the best way I could describe it. This game must look bloody bizarre to onlookers who don't know the rules. Hell, I even lose track from time to time.
"Your Barbaroid can't negate trap effects, eh? Tough break, because now you have to take a chance. If you still choose to attack, I flip a coin, and if I call it right, your monster's battle powers becomes a fat donut." At the look of confusion from Syrus, Adam added, "it becomes zero, is what I meant to say. Sorry, I'm a bit hungry. Anyways, if I call it wrong, your attack continues."
"So let me ask you – do you feel lucky, punk?"
"Syrus should just call it off." Jasmine sneered. "Even if the attack goes through, it isn't going to be enough damage to win."
"Well, that Barbaroid can attack twice a turn on monsters. Furthermore, if it destroys a monster by battle, it deals 1000 points of burn damage to Adam. So all he has to do is attack once, and he'll do 2400 damage, which is just enough to win." I explained. For some reason, Jasmine just completely ignored me, but whatever.
"Hey, this is cool! An ultimate test of daring!" Jaden grinned.
"Syrus should attack, otherwise the Barrel Dragon will most likely destroy his big boss monster next turn. It all rides on this." Erin's arms were crossed tightly.
Syrus gulped. "Backing down is not an option or me! I choose to attack!"
Adam laughed. "A coin flip to decide everything, then!"
Sartyr nervously retrieved his coin again (why was he losing it all the time? Shouldn't he have it at the ready in a match like this?) as the crowd's eyes settled on him. He dropped it once, causing the place to start before he flipped it for real.
"Tails never fails!" Adam declared. Sartyr nodded before sending the quarter skyward. It fell on the ground, rattling for a few seconds.
Syrus looked like he was about to fall to pieces, while Adam was having the time of his life. Sartyr squinted before calling out, "HEADS!"
While others would have raged against the heavens at this turn of fortune, Adam only shrugged again. "That's how it goes sometimes…"
Tears were leaking from Syrus' wide gray eyes. "Ha….ha…no way! I DID IT! I DID IT!"
Barbaroid's mechanical receptors easily discerned which hold the Desperado Barrel Dragon was hiding in. Firing a focused, intense red laser beam, Syrus' futuristic machine shredded the old-school revolvers, and it was the Barrel Dragon that was broken down to spare parts, creating a mountain of scrap that would lead to Syrus' ascendance. (Syrus 1600/Adam 0)
"Syrus Truesdale is the winner! As of this moment, he will be acknowledged as a Ra Yellow!"
"That's my best buddy for ya!" Jaden cheered. "Way to go, man!"
"He's got guts, that's for sure." Erin grinned.
"Zane…your little brother's really something." Alexis smiled fondly, remember her childhood days with the Truesdale brothers.
On that day, Syrus Truesdale triumphed on his own, small battlefield.
A/N
Hope you all enjoyed.
I really wanted to give Syrus some good growth here, after all his promotion to Ra Yellow is a fairly big moment for him in canon as well. The main reasoning I have for increasing his confidence (somewhat) at this point is due to the fact that Zane and Jaden aren't quite as invincible as they are in canon. Since they have more legitimate rivals and are losing games more, Syrus doesn't see them as these unshakable pillars that he can never hope to match in skill. Basically, Syrus views himself as being able to reach their levels moreso than he did in canon at this point. Some people in the past have accused me of not liking Syrus for some reason, probably because he's the butt of some comic relief scenes, so I hope that those concerns can be put to rest. I really don't hate any of the characters in GX who have any importance (except for those like Napoleon), they all have some sort of useful role in the story and generally have some sort of depth to them, so they're pretty much all fine in my book. I try to write them in my own way, with some different traits to them, but I don't intend to bash any of them. Hope we're clear on that.
Also, I's like to announce now that story updates are going to be a bit thin on the ground these next few months (this chapter came out later than I'd like too). I've been working some increased hours at my job (around 60 a week), and I anticipate those long hours to continue until Tax day, since I do tax prep. I hate to make excuses, but it's just been hard lately man. I'm still going to write a little very day, and we'll update when we can. Believe me, I love writing this story, and it's grown to mean a lot to me. It's truly a passion, and I will not stop until it is finished. I'd like to think that this story has done something for this archive as well, after all thanks to your support we've become the number one story in favorites and follows, which is something I'm so thankful for. But for the next few months, its going to be harder to write. Thank you for understanding.
On that note, I'd also like to say now that I will not be taking requests for OCs in this story at all. We have the plot fairly well outlined, and there are already a lot of moving parts and characters at play. I also cannot really beta read any stories at this point either, as I'm having enough difficulty trying to write my own story. Also, I generally do not co-author either, although I will not rule it out completely. Again, I do not mean this to be hurtful in any way. In fact I should have made this clear from the beginning, so my apologies for creating any faulty understanding. With that being said, I encourage others to write their own stories - do not be afraid to do so! Writing can be a very fulfilling thing, it's good for the soul.
Man, this has been a bit of a downer, huh? Sorry, just want to communicate clearly. Thank you all for reading and I'll see you in the next chapter.