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

50. Lightning Only Strikes Twice

Chapter 50: Lightning Only Strikes Twice

(Jasmine Makurada POV)

"Guys…guys! Where are you?!"

What on earth just happened? One moment she was with Kenzan, Atticus, and Mackenzie, and the next she was tumbling through a hall of mirrors, completely against her will. That weird lady they came across must have used some magic to do this.

Jasmine looked around, leaning against a wall to get out of the way of the passersby. The corner of 35th street and Maki avenue…she was only a few blocks away from where they were before. "That's odd…why would she bother with moving me such a small distance?" Jasmine thought. It frustrated her to no end how she seemed to be merely a pawn in the games of others. Jasmine wanted to be a player in the great game, not merely another piece. That was part of the reason she wanted to be a strong duelist – once she really started putting in effort, the returns she saw were intoxicating.

"That's something the others couldn't understand!" The likes of Jaden and Jamie were a different breed – everything seemed to come easy for them. They were born to be true players of the game, people with natural talent and supernatural power. There's no way they could understand the work she's put in to be better, the hours and hours of practice compressed into little more than a year. She could be as good as any of them, as long as she tried hard enough! But she was getting carried away again – focus.

"I'll just call Atticus." She took out her cell phone and quickly began dialing. The call went to voicemail. "Damn it! I hope they're alright. Maybe he's just in a duel or something." This night was getting weirder by the second. It was as if the veneer of normalcy was slowly peeling away to unveil a state of nature, the savage nature that didn't care if you lived or died.

"Excuse us, young lady – may we have a word?" A serene voice made itself known over the din of the city. Jasmine felt a cold pit in her stomach as she laid eyes upon Seto Kaiba himself, along with an odd-looking man in a white suit, his strange azure hair tied into a ponytail. The man's eyes were clear blue and still, like a mountain lake.

"Oh! Uhm…sorry, I didn't see you there, mister Kaiba!" As an Obelisk Blue student, Jasmine knew to be respectful to Seto Kaiba. During the incident with Wheeler, she knew better than most how mercurial and temperamental the CEO could be. But something seemed off. Kaiba's posture was slouched and deferential to this other man, who Jasmine did not recognize. His gaze was dull and unfocused, as if he were drunk.

"Jasmine Makurada, isn't that right?" The other man queried lazily.

"…Yes…ranked fifth in Obelisk…" Kaiba ground his words out, suddenly tense, like he was resisting some invisible force.

"Easy, mister Kaiba. I know you feel protective of your students, but think of it this way – it will be easier to protect the children when they are all united in the light." The blue-haired man said softly.

"Grr….don't touch my students…bastard!" Kaiba jerkily lunged at Sartorius before stopping mid-motion.

Sartorius intently directed his gaze at Kaiba, his eyes wide as could be. "You are a difficult one to suppress indeed…it appears a finer control will be required after all." Clenching his right hand, Sartorius seemingly paralyzed Kaiba for a moment before letting him go. The CEO fell back into line, staring blankly ahead.

The scene horrified Jasmine. "What the hell is going on here? What have you done to mister Kaiba?!"

"I'm sorry you had to see that. Kaiba is a prideful man, as I'm sure you can imagine. It is in his nature to make things difficult. But soon he will submit completely to the true god. Forgive me, I haven't introduced myself. I am Sartorius, prophet of the Lord of Light. We require some assistance finding Jaden Yuki, as well as my wayward disciple Aster. Do you know where they might have escaped to?" Sartorius asked unctuously.

"Aster and Jaden are running from this guy?" Not only was she surprised that those two would be working together, but she was shocked that they would rather run than fight. And Kaiba…she didn't know the exact nature of what happened, but she figured that somehow this guy must have defeated him. But to defeat Kaiba…he would have to be one of the most powerful duelists in history to accomplish that!

Jasmine knew that fighting would be a fool's errand – even if she beat Sartorius somehow, Kaiba might still be under his mind control afterwards, and she knew she wouldn't stand a chance against him. "I need to get out of here!"

Suddenly, she fled, never looking back at the two assailants as she ran. Jasmine ran three blocks, weaving through throngs of uncaring passersby before ducking into an empty alley. She hid behind a dumpster, drawing her shirt over her nose to hide the smell. Even as her lungs burned, she tried to keep her breathing quiet so as not to draw attention.

"Really Jasmine, there's no need for that. Your clothes will get dirty if you hide there." Sartorius had somehow gotten ahead of her, staring directly at her hiding place. "And cleanliness is next to godliness, after all."

Jasmine got up and tried to escape the way she came. However, directly in her path was Kaiba, who moved mechanically to block her. She pushed, shoved, and punched at him, but Kaiba didn't react at all – it was like he didn't even feel the blows.

"I know it's a bit much to process, but it appears fate has brought us together. You will be the Light's Prophet to the young lambs, destined to guide the other students into paradise! Yes, Jasmine, you will be the one!" Sartorius spoke like he was coming to realize something that had only existed as a murky concept before.

Jasmine turned to stare at him in complete defiance. "Fuck you! I'm not going to be part of your twisted game!"

"Now now, you can't be using language like that, my dear. Why resist? In the light, you will be part of a clean world! Your life's true meaning will be revealed! Truly, giving the light's gift to others is more important than anything your pitiful existence could have accomplished on its own. And the strength! You will have power immeasurable! You will be the tallest and most beautiful flower in heaven's garden!" Sartorius trotted out the sermon.

"The tallest and most beautiful flower in the garden…" She thought of Jamie's seemingly effortless victories and Jaden's improbable luck. But it was a fleeting fantasy – she knew that joining with this freak would only lead to ruin. "No chance! I'm not going to let you get your way!"

"I'm afraid your treasured choice is only an illusion." Sartorius activated his duel disk.

She stared at her own cards. There was no escaping now. Wasn't this what all the training was for? "No choice…" She turned on her duel disk and bravely faced destiny.

XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx

(Chazz Princeton POV)

To the cheers of his schoolmates, Chazz drew his first card. It buoyed him like nothing else, having real support from people who appreciated his talents. He thought they would sneer down at him after his loss to Makcenzie, but the North Academy students stood behind him like they always did. Jesse stood behind him too, always understanding.

"If it were up to me, I'd have nothing to do with those clowns from Central Academy." Chazz thought, even as he suppressed the sadness he felt at being rejected by them. "But business is business. Once we can get Kaiba in our debt…our initial demands will only be the beginning. But first I need to deal with this guy."

"Take your turn." Zaborg the Thunder Monarch said, his voice a deep, thunderous rumble.

"Oh, I will! But don't think I'm going to give you a chance to warm up! I'll take you down and push through your stupid barrier! My draw!" Chazz's voice was like electricity too – sort of an annoying, buzzing static. "I'll start by activating the continuous spell Ground Collapse! This will render two of your monster zones unusable!" As Chazz spoke, two big red X marks were printed on the ground, near Zaborg's feet.

"Then, I'll set two cards face-down and summon Armed Dragon LVL 3 (1200/900) to the field." The paunchy orange beast waved its arms like a boxer at the monarch. "That ends my turn."

"That's all, hmm. Well, I'd keep the bikes running if that's the extent of your first turn. I draw!' Zaborg arrogantly declared.

"During your standby phase, I activate my trap card! Ojama Trio!" The three gremlins, yellow and black and green, each took the field with a loud YOINK.

"Oh, not these little bastards!" Zaborg raised his voice, evidently familiar with the Ojama's brand of trickery.

"Karma's a real bitch sometimes, eh Zaborg?" Ojama Yellow jeered, causing Chazz's expression to turn quizzical. Apparently the Ojamas knew this guy from somewhere. Might be an interesting story, when they had a moment to breathe.

"You guys will have plenty of time to catch up. You see, this trap lets me summon three Ojama Tokens (0/1000) to your side of the field. When one of them is destroyed, you take 300 points of damage. And you might find this a bit of a disappointment, but they can't be used for tribute summons. Which means, if I'm not mistaken, that all five of your monster zones are pretty much filled. Oh well, I'm sure you can still win without summoning any monsters, right?!" Chazz cackled as the cheers from the Northern students grew.

Jesse whistled lowly. "Well I'll be…he never showed that little trick in our practice games. I'll bet that just about wraps it up. There's no way to get rid of the tokens. They could be used for synchro summons, but there's no way for Zaborg to get a tuner on the field." He spoke to Sergei, the former czar of North Academy, who silently agreed with burly arms crossed.

Indeed, Zaborg looked pretty much completely stymied at the moment. "I'll set two cards face-down and end my turn." He groused.

"Heh, perfect." Chazz thought. "It's my turn! And since a turn has passed, my Armed Dragon evolves to level five!" The orange dragon's hide turned red, and its spikes elongated and sharpened. The beer belly was still present, but the Armed Dragon LVL 5 (2400/1700) was easily capable of putting in work. "And now, I'll cast the spell Level Up, allowing me to upgrade my monster to level seven!"

A dusky orange sphere, embossed with a hexagonal lattice design, encased the dragon. After a moment, the sphere enlarged before disappearing, revealing the next stage of the Armed Dragon's power. It was now nearly covered in silver blades, its form lean and dangerous compared to the fat of before. Armed Dragon LVL 7 (2800/1000) seemed to snicker at the sight of the three Ojama Tokens on the opponent's field. "That ends my turn."

"Once I have enough firepower on the field, I can use Armed Dragon's effect to destroy the Ojama Tokens. He'll take 900 from that. Then, when his field is clear, I can attack directly with Armed Dragon and another monster to close out the game. Easy peasy lemon squeezy." Chazz schemed. However, we would need another monster to deal enough damage, which he currently did not have. "Oh well, I can wait another turn. It's not like he's going to summon anything. He certainly won't play a card that destroys his own monsters. All I have to worry about is spell removal, and he didn't have any last turn. The only way he can get out of this is if he blind draws MST and what are the chances of that?!"

"My turn!" Zaborg looked remarkably relieved about his draw. "I activate Mystical Space Typhoon to destroy your Ground Collapse!"

Chazz sharply inhaled through his nose before letting out a long sigh. "This card game is a load of bollocks."

"The heart of the cards works for me just like it does for anyone else, I'm afraid! And now, I'll cast the spell Double Summon! With my first normal summon, I'll play Mithra the Thunder Vassel (800/1000)!" The jester's stormy purple garb was accented with bright yellow gauntlets and a kilt.

"With my second summon, I'll offer up the vassal for his liege lord! I tribute summon Zaborg the Thunder Monarch (2400/1000)!" The green-plated monarch stepped onto the field, energy slowly causing his hands to glow. "And when I am tribute summoned, I can destroy one monster on the field! Now, your Armed Dragon will taste true lightning!"

Thrusting his palms out, the monarch let loose a devastating peal of electricity, reflecting brightly off of the Armed Dragon's shining blades before the blast hit, reducing the dragon to ash. "And beyond that, I still have my attack during the battle phase!" Before Chazz could react, another clap of thunder struck him, knocking the wind out of him and sending him to the ground. (Chazz 1600/Zaborg 4000)

"Hey, are you alright?" Jesse asked in worry, but Chazz waved him away.

"Bah! It's one of those damn shadow games…" Chazz felt twitchy from the overbearing electricity, and smoke unmistakably rose from his grungy black jacket. "Heh, I didn't expect the nickname "Black Thunderbolt" to be this literal…"

It was a lame joke, but the northern students laughed anyways, assured that their champion still had the situation under control. "You may make all the smart-aleck jokes you like, you will not get past this barrier. Our orders are absolute, and I will not fail my mission!"

"As it happens, we're here on a mission, and our orders are absolute as well, so I'm pushing through and that's that!" Chazz drew. "I activate the field spell Union Hanger!"

The sights and sounds of the docks were replaced with a bustling workshop, various machines and mechs being built by automated processes all around them. The completed products were being shipped off in orange crates, moved on a track near the tall ceiling high above their heads. The smells of welding and steel filled the air. "When this card is activated, I can add a Light Machine monster from deck to hand. Then, I'll summon A-Assault Core (1900/200) to the field!" An orange mech with a scorpion body took the field, clearly only a base for a much larger construct. It had two treads on either side of the base, with a laser mounted to its flexible tail.

"I still can't get over that monarch, but if I can survive long enough to get my pieces in play, I can still win!" Chazz thought, a bit frantic. "I'll attack one of the Ojama tokens with Assault Core!"

From one of the orange crates, another machine emerged, the pieces flying towards Chazz's base. "When a Light Machine attacks, my Union Hanger can equip another Light Machine from my deck to that monster on the field! I'll equip B-Buster Drake (1500/1800)!" The attaching monster was a green-armored dragon mech, two prominent shoulder cannons pointed at the enemy as it latched on top of the Assault Core. "While this is equipped to a monster, it's unaffected by spell effects!"

The attack went through, zapping the squealing Ojama Yellow. Zaborg grunted, flinching a little at the damage. (Chazz 1600/Zaborg 3700)

"I set a card and end my turn." Chazz finished, hoping he could weather the storm for another turn.

"Draw!" Zaborg bellowed. "I know you're planning on fusion summoning with those toys of yours, but I won't allow it! I sacrifice Zaborg to tribute summon Zaborg the Mega Monarch (2800/1000)!" He grew several feet in size and width, the monarch's armor transforming in the process as well. It became solid white, with crimson shoulder guards in the shape of bull's horns.

"When I summon my mega evolution, I can destroy a monster on the field, and if it's a Light monster, both of us send cards from our extra deck to the graveyard equal to the level of the destroyed monster. And to sweeten the deal, I get to choose which cards you have to send! So if I destroy myself…I get to send eight monsters from your extra deck to the graveyard!" A heavy thundercloud formed above Zaborg's head, preparing to loose a thunderbolt upon the Mega Monarch.

Chazz couldn't afford to lose the cards in his extra deck, even if it meant Zaborg losing a powerful monster. "I activate my trap card, Infinite Impermenance! This negates your monster's effect for the rest of the turn!" Chazz let out a sigh of relief as an energy shield ensconced the monarch. The lightning from above came down, only to slough off the barrier, leaving Zaborg unharmed. The remaining two Ojama tokens jumped around to avoid the static.

"Well met." Zaborg allowed. "But I still have my battle phase available. With it, I'll attack your Assault Core!" A furious thunder wave erupted from Zaborg's fingertips, far surpassing the might of his previous form. The thunder overwhelmed Chazz's machine. However, only the Buster Drake attachment was destroyed, its effect protecting the Assault Core. Still, Chazz took significant damage from the exchange, putting him in the red zone. The king in the north coughed as the electricity wracked his slim frame. (Chazz 700/Zaborg 3700)

"Let's go, Chazz! Quit messing around!" A ballsy Northman called out. Jesse glanced at him reproachfully.

"They won't tolerate another failure." The teal-haired boy murmured. "It's bad enough he lost to that American lady, but if a loss here prevented our mission from being accomplished…well, there'd be a lot of drama, that's for sure…" Not only that, but Jesse would probably find himself launched into Chazz's leadership position. Such a thing would not be ideal for him – not only would he surely earn Chazz's resentment by virtue of replacing him, he would be forced to attend the banal duties expected of the student body's leader. Jesse wasn't a leader by nature – he was a free spirit who preferred freedom over responsibility.

Chazz let the slight stoke the fire within him, the raging flame that kept him going in the cold wastes of the North. He burned to prove Central Academy wrong for rejecting him, to prove his brothers wrong for looking down on him. That was why he couldn't lose here. There were still too many scores to settle!

The cool, mocking looks of Reggie Mackenzie and Jamie Lancaster were never far from his mind, and they resurfaced here, swimming before him. "I will not be left behind! I'll show all of them who the true heir to the King of Games title is! And when it's all said and done, it is my name that will rise above, not theirs!"

Chazz focused deeply, trying to draw out deeper emotions. "Power comes in response to trust. My cards respond to trust. If I show more faith in my deck than my opponent does in his, I cannot lose!"

"I draw!" Chazz found his faith rewarded. "I summon C – Crush Wyvern (1200/2000)!" This machine was a winged griffin-like design, with deep violet plating. "And now, I have all three pieces in place!"

"I can banish parts A, B, and C from my field or graveyard to combine them together!" The Assault Core base was on the bottom, while Buster Drake made up most of the main body, forming the head and the primary cannons. Finally, the wings of Crush Wyvern smoothly attached to the shoulders of Buster Drake, its head positioned behind Buster Drake's. "I summon ABC – Dragon Buster (3000/2800)!" Like XYZ- Dragon Cannon, the machine was a fusion monster that could be summoned without Polymerization. It was not quite as large as Zaborg or XYZ - Dragon Cannon, but this had far more utility than both, not to mention attack power.

"So, this is the new form of union monsters…" Zaborg grimaced, but did not back down.

Jesse nodded with pride. "Get em, Chazz!"

"Now, I'll use Dragon Buster's effect! By discarding a card, I can banish a card on the field!" The dragon buster smoked one of Zaborg's face-downs. "And furthermore, the card I discarded was Ojamagic! This spell lets me add Ojama's Green, Black, and Yellow to my hand when it's discarded!" Nuisances though they were, the Ojamas had plenty of potential applications. All that was needed was the right duelist in the pilot's seat.

"Now, I'll attack you, Mega Zaborg!" Dragon Buster's next volley of laser beams brought down the titan, returning Zaborg to his regular and taking him off the field, relegated back to the role of duelist. (Chazz 700/Zaborg 3500)

"Hmph! This is your full power?!" Zaborg mocked imperiously.

"Bold words for a guy with only two Ojama tokens on his field. Hurry up and take your turn. We don't have all day, and we need to get gas for our motorcycles." Chazz rasped.

"It'd sure be more efficient if we could duel while riding our motorcycles. Too bad dueling while driving is a felony in Japan." Jesse mused. "Maybe if some sort of auto-pilot was developed…"

Chazz and a smattering of northerners chuckled at the silly idea, while Zaborg fumed that he wasn't being taken seriously. "You won't get the chance to try it! I draw! First, I'll activate Pantheism of the Monarchs, sending March of the Monarchs from my hand to the grave to draw two cards! Then, I'll flip over my face-down, the trap monster The First Monarch (1000/2400)!" A shadowy silhouette took the field, its form vaguely humanoid but ever shifting beyond those basic identifiers.

"Then, I'll sacrifice it-" Zaborg began, but was cut off by Chazz. "Not a chance. You see, I can use Dragon Buster's effect on your turn too! And I think I'll discard Ojama Black in my hand to destroy your First Monarch!" The dark-skinned little troll took the field, climbing into Dragon Buster's cannon. With a cartoonish puff of smoke, Ojama Black was launched into the formless monarch, scattering the darkness to the four winds.

Zaborg paused, the wind clearly taken out of his sails. "Very well then, I set a card and end my turn. At least I'll have another chance, due to the Ojama tokens protecting my life points."

"Ha! I doubt it! Draw!" The momentum had shifted completely, and the end of the match was closer than Zaborg realized. "I activate the spell card Ojamassimilation! First, I reveal a Light Machine fusion monster from my extra deck!" Chazz revealed his XYZ-Dragon Cannon. "Then, I can banish Ojama monsters from my hand or graveyard. For each Ojama I banish, I can summon one of the fusion materials listed on XYZ-Dragon Cannon! So by banishing Ojama Black from my grave, Ojama Yellow and Ojama Green from my hand, I can summon each of XYZ-Dragon Cannon's materials from my deck!"

Three more orange crates fell from the Union Hanger's central pulley, three more fully completed mechs busting out of their shells. "I summon X-Head Cannon (1800/1500)!" A blue humanoid mech with two massive shoulder cannons took the field.

"I summon Y-Dragon Head (1500/1600)!" The red-plated dragon screeched mechanically, flapping its great wings.

"And finally, here's Z-Metal Tank (1500/1300)!" A yellow tank base with a cyclopean eye laser between its treads rumbled onto the field, its engine at a high-pitched whir.

The three machines gathered around the larger ABC-Dragon Buster, their crimson eyes peering menacingly at their opponent. "Let's teach this guy the alphabet!" Chazz had been waiting a long time to use that line.

X-Head Cannon blasted away the first Ojama token, while Z-Metal Tank rolled over the sole remaining one, dealing 300 points of damage for each. (Chazz 700/Zaborg 2900)

"ABC-Dragon Buster, attack directly with the true lightning!" The fused machine unloaded a salvo of lasers, barraging the monarch and forcing him on his knees. The volley focused not only on the enemy duelist, but it also tore down the barrier wall, cracking apart the mass of duel energy until shards of it fell like glass into the watery depths. (Chazz 700/Zaborg 0)

"I told you that new combo would work, boss!" the spirit of Ojama Green wagged his tongue. The other two Ojamas smugly smiled behind him.

"Hmph, you guys did well…for a change!" Chazz barked.

"Urgh…I didn't realize you controlled duel spirits as well. Tell me, Ojamas, are you truly content to serve under this man?" Zaborg insinuated.

"Wait, they're supposed to serve me? No one ever told me that! Right now, they're more like annoying relatives who won't leave the damn house!" Chazz protested as Ojama Yellow pulled on his cheek.

"We call him the boss, but really, we're friends! Ain't that right, Chazz?" Ojama Black grinned sloppily.

"Don't push your luck!" Chazz replied.

"And we're on our way to save our other friend, the Light and Darkness Dragon, among other things. So don't get the wrong idea. Chazz might put on airs, but he's really a big softie." Ojama Yellow spoke in Chazz's defense, although in typical Ojama fashion he did while also annoying the King in the North.

"That's right. Now, as we agreed, you get out of our way." Chazz commanded, trying to regain control of the situation.

"Very well. I haven't the energy to oppose your group anyways. I admit, between you and what I've sensed of that teal-haired boy, I've never seen humans get along so well with duel spirits. Perhaps peace between our kind is not such a far-off dream after all…" Zaborg inclined his head, his form beginning to glow as he prepared to leave the human realm.

Honoring his word, the monarch vanished in a flash of static, presumably back to the spirit realm. Upon defeat, it seemed his contract with Sarina was voided somehow – Chazz didn't particularly care for the specifics.

"Well fought, Chazz." Jesse smiled, giving him a pat on the back. "Let's ride, boys!"

The bikes hummed to life, rising to a high pitch as the Northern contingent entered the city.

XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx

(Jamie Lancaster POV)

Despite our dramatic entrance into the portal, our exit was less than graceful. Kenzan, Atticus, Mackenzie and I tumbled out onto the street in front of our hotel, slowly rising to our feet as we reacquainted with the real world.

"Ah, well that was an adventure. Now, time to get some much-needed rest." Atticus yawned.

"To the barracks!" Kenzan agreed.

"Yeah, you said it. Let's go to sleep-" I paused as I actually registered what was happening in front of the hotel.

It was complete disorder. Unorganized masses of students were out of bed, watching what appeared to be two duels going on. The professors, mainly Fontaine and Hibiki, were attempting to corral the kids back inside, but it was a half-hearted effort, for they were watching the fights themselves. As usual, the students were total fight junkies.

In the center of the ring, Alexis and Erin were squaring off against two Monarch duel spirits, one with chilly white and blue armor while the other donned burnished red. These must be the spirits of Mobius the Frost Monarch and Thestalos the Firestorm Monarch. Oh joy.

They appeared to be battling separately, rather than in a tag duel. That made sense to me – Erin was civil and friendly to Alexis, but I knew that she still harbored a rivalry with her, and would prefer to fight alone. The tanned surfer was facing off against Thestalos, while Alexis was fighting Mobius.

"What is the purpose of this? Sarina has withdrawn. Shouldn't the monarchs have left with her?" I questioned aloud.

"Perhaps the monarchs are not truly acting under Sarina's orders after all. So far, they look to be an annoying distraction from the true threats." Mackenzie replied.

"Let's get to the front of the pack here. Kenzan, maybe you could push us through?" Atticus asked.

"With gusto." We stood behind the burly Ra Yellow as he effortlessly elbowed his way through the throng of students. I had to get on this guy's workout program – sixteen years old and he looked like a younger version of Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson! Seriously, where are this guy's fangirls?! I guess they prefer the bishonen look. But I digress.

We were closer to Erin's duel, Alexis on her other side. On Erin's field was a face-down card, with her life points at 1200. Meanwhile, on the Fire Monarch's side was Thestalos the Mega Monarch, a tremendous monster with spiked copper plating and a flaming crimson cape. Along with a face-down, he also had the continuous spell March of the Monarchs up, preventing his monarch from being targeted by card effects. He was at 2000 life points.

"Your move, duelist. I must admit, I expected more from a member of the Obelisk Force." Thestalos' voice was an intense, crackling flame.

"Where did you hear about the Obelisk Force?" Erin said suspiciously. She threw on jeans and a dull orange windbreaker, having evidently rushed outside to face the attackers. She did not look particularly worried, to my relief. Sometimes I felt a little awkward around her, due to what happened over the course of freshman year. But I still treasured her as a friend and trusted her as a comrade in battle.

"Oh, there you guys are!" She took notice of us at the front of the pack. "I'm surprised you're back so soon. Is Jaden with you?"

"No, ma'am. Our squadron was intercepted by an enemy." Kenzan stood with feet together and saluted Erin.

"Kenzan…sweetie…I told you not to call me ma'am." Erin replied with the exasperation of someone who has had to repeat themselves dozens of times.

"Yes, ma'am! Sorry, ma'am!" Kenzan reflexively apologized before realizing his mistake. Once he did, he clapped his hand over his mouth.

"Jamie and I defeated our foe, but we couldn't find Jaden. It's unfortunate – there was a certain matter I wished to speak with him about." Mackenzie said slyly. I gave her a burning stare – she clearly did not think I was serious about the threat from earlier. I wondered if I would have to make good on it after all.

"We can figure it out after I finish this up. These guys showed up soon after you left. By the way, shouldn't Jasmine be with you?" Erin noticed Jasmine's absence.

"I thought she would be with you guys. We got separated by some weird magic." Atticus said slowly, worried. I didn't like the sound of that. Jasmine was probably out in the city alone. All sorts of bad could be happening.

"We need to round everyone up and get back to the island. This city has been a death trap at every turn." I was certain Crowler would agree with me…where is he? I asked Erin about it.

"Crowler and Bastion went to sleep. They both dueled two of these monarchs earlier and came out victorious, but they were gassed something fierce afterwards." She explained.

Good. I figured Bastion could be relied upon in a fight, but for Crowler to step up…I was proud of him, even though he was older than me. I was lucky to have people I could trust and rely on, especially considering how I died the first time around…but that's another story.

"Excuse me! I don't appreciate being put on the back burner for the sake of a data dump!" Thestalos protested, making an unintentional pun in the process.

"Oh, right, sorry." Erin said with tongue in cheek. "Hope I'm not getting you too fired up, pal." We all groaned at her pun, which in comparison was surely intentional.

"Don't these guys know that fire types are weak to water? They should have had Thestalos go up against Alexis, since she's an ice-type." Syrus piped up.

"…Where the hell did you come from?" I sincerely had no idea; the little guy was slippery like that.

"I've been here the whole time!" Syrus protested. "I was with Adam, but he went to the bathroom."

I laughed, knowing it was perfectly in my friend's nature to be so nonchalant, so long as he wasn't the one fighting. Atticus gave Syrus a quirk of the eyebrow. "Do you usually classify people as Pokemon types?"

"You guys don't?" was Syrus' response.

"Take your turn, duelist! With only another turn, I'll be able to finish this!" Thestalos beckoned further.

"Alright, you asked for it! I'll start by playing the spell card Moray of Greed, letting me return two water monsters from my hand to the deck in order to draw three cards. Then, I'll play Mystical Space Typhoon to destroy your continuous spell." Erin quickly shuffled the cards back and replenished her hand. "Next, I'll cast the spell Surface, letting me summon a level three or lower fish, aqua, or sea serpent monster from my grave to the field. I'll choose White Moray (600/200)." She summoned a thick eel with light blue feelers sprouting from its slick, pale hide.

"Then, I'll summon the level four tuner monster Royal Swamp Eel (1700/1200)." This was another white serpent, only it had red feelers instead of blue, and vestigial crowning in the fashion of a king's to boot. "Then, I'll tune the level four swamp eel with the level two White Moray for a level six synchro summon!"

She raised a hand into the air as smooth, liquid energy swirled around her. "I summon White Aura Dolphin (2400/1000)!" Erin's synchro monster was sleek and fast, its hide clean and shiny as it swam through the air.

"Now, I'll activate its effect, letting me cut one of your monster's attack points in half!" The white dolphin shot a stream of bubbles at Mega Thestalos, apparently more dangerous than they looked.

The adversary didn't appreciate the creature's looks, however. "I activate Traptrix Trap Hole Nightmare! This negates your monster's effect and destroys it!" The ground rose up to swallow Erin's dolphin, immediately taking the synchro monster out of the picture…seemingly.

"That's fine." Erin smiled. "I activate White Aura Dolphin's secondary effect. When it's destroyed, I can banish a water monster from my graveyard to bring it back! I like to call this trick Reincarnation Synchro!"

The ground broke apart as the dolphin rose again, looking as though nothing had happened at all. Furthermore, it had an odd glow about it now, a subtle alteration in its powers. "And when it's summoned from the grave this way, White Aura Dolphin becomes a level six tuner monster." Erin explained.

"That's fine." Thestalos mockingly echoed her. "That damned dolphin can only use its attack reduction effect once per turn. All I need do is destroy it again on my turn and reduce your life points to zero before you can bring it back."

"Don't you know that explaining a plan to an enemy means that it won't work? Bloody hell, if this is what passes for a monarch in the spirit realm I might as well pick up my crown now." That little remark was clearly for the crowd, and sure enough they cheered for her raucously. Of course, Erin already had little trouble attaining popularity due to her spunky attitude and physical fitness, but the audience liked a little wit as well. Now that I think about it, a lot of duelists could work as pro wrestlers if the game's popularity ever went south. Perhaps when hell freezes over.

"I still have two cards in my hand. By discarding a water monster, I can special summon White Stingray (1400/1000)." As one might expect, the ensuing manta ray was just as blindingly white as the rest of the monsters in Erin's newfound archetype.

"Now, I'll perform a level ten synchro summon, using the level four stingray and the level six dolphin to summon White Aura Bihamut (3300/3000)!" The upgraded fish monster was far larger than the dolphin – this was a twin-headed hydra with deep green pincers and a split tail.

"When this monster is summoned, I can summon a Divine Dragon Token with the same attack and defense points as the Bihamut!" A translucent, watery clone of the hydra immediately formed from the shadow of the levitating beast. "Now, attack!" Erin commanded, no longer in the mood for playing around. The token clone was able to successfully destroy the Mega Monarch, while the true synchro monster defeated the adversary with a watery blue blast. (Erin 1200/Thestalos 0)

The throng of students got rowdy, pushing and shoving in celebration of the victory. Two victories, judging by how Alexis seemed to be faring. I couldn't quite see the specifics from where I was standing, but it appeared she was dealing the finishing blow to Mobius the Frost Monarch with Cyber Angel Vrash.

"Nice work!" I called out to Erin, who heard me but couldn't quite make out the words. She gave a somewhat confused smile and a thumbs-up before turning to her fallen opponent. The students quieted gradually as the question reared its head – what was to be done with these spirits?

Mobius and Thestalos were both on one knee, seemingly the standard defeat pose amongst most duelists in this universe, a custom of sorts. Alexis cut across the clearing to stand next to Erin. She gave our group a serious nod, catching her breath from the battle. "It's done. Are there any more of you in this city, or are you the last of them?" She said coldly.

The monarchs were not forthcoming with their answers at first, but under Alexis' glacial stare they eventually relented. "Zaborg the Thunder Monarch should be upholding the four-sided barrier preventing exit or entry." Mobius admitted.

"We still have fresh duelists who can deal with him." Erin cut in. "He'd be better off getting out while he's behind. You guys duel too predictably, building decks around yourselves. It's self-absorbed!" She chastised.

"Said the surfer who plays a water deck…" I thought, my lips quirking. The people of this world were only a mite less predictable than these duel spirits, but luckily that extra bit of guile was enough to win the day in this case.

"Zaborg won't be helping them. I just sensed his energy fade, although I don't believe he died. Either he retreated voluntarily to the spirit world or was forced to by another duelist defeating him." Sonata updated me.

"Ah. Mokuba or Yugi must have taken care of him." I assumed. "That reminds me, I should probably give Kaiba and Jaden a call and see how things are going on that front."

"The overwhelming light and darkness energy makes it hard for me to sense around that area. It's a whole different level of power than what I'm used to. But I don't think it was Mokuba who defeated Zaborg. I'm reading human and duel spirit signatures, but I'm not very familiar with them. The duel spirit signatures are very weak, but the duelist is quite strong, and they have formidable companions with them as well." Sonata's energy sensing ability wasn't as well-developed as her other powers, but it was enough information that I could fill in the blanks.

"I think I know who you're talking about. What is that fuckhead doing here?" I grumbled.

"They aren't allies?"

"Well…maybe. Maybe not. I expect Chazz will find a way to be a pain in my ass regardless of his motives. It's one of those constants in life."

"Oh, it's the Ojama boy!" Sonata flicked her green hair. "He must have Jesse Anderson, the crystal beast user with him as well. They'd make for strong allies."

"I guess it depends on what has happened to Sartorius and Aster. Hopefully they've been taken care of one way or another. I can't say I'm excited about this new development, though. Chazz isn't my biggest fan, to say the least."

"We'll deal with it as it comes." She said soothingly as we returned to the matter at hand.

"So, what was the point of this little exercise, unless you were just fighting us on a lark?" Erin continued to question them, always a little more aggressive than Alexis.

"We received inconsistent orders from Sartorius and Sarina, though they worked together to recruit us to their cause." Thestalos said. I'm guessing said recruitment consisted of Sartorius and Sarina beating them in a duel and recruiting them by force, rather like what most shonen heroes do to their foes. "Sartorius wanted us to recruit students to some Society of Light thing, a religious order of sorts, while Sarina merely wanted us to test your fighting ability, though for what purpose I don't know."

"Odd. Do you guys know where this Sarina is?" Alexis turned to my group.

"We beat a digital projection of her in a tag duel. I don't think her real form is here, but she's not a threat to us any more." I explained quickly.

"Yeah, Mackenzie and Jamie beat her in a tag duel!" Atticus added. Alexis glanced between the two of us for a moment before turning back to the monarchs.

"Well, it appears your mission is complete. Our abilities are tested, for what that's worth. What a pointless endeavor." Alexis yawned, her patience clearly at a premium.

"A-are you going to kill us?" Thestalos quivered.

"No, that's not how I operate." Alexis said decisively, although it looked like Erin was going to voice an opinion to the contrary. "Whatever contract you made with Sartorius is over. Return to the spirit world and leave us in peace."

"We thank you for your mercy." Knowing not look a gift horse in the mouth, the two monarchs used some of their remaining energy to vanish from the human world, presumably back to the duel monsters spirit realm.

"It's gotten easier for them to do that since the blast." Mackenzie muttered, and I agreed. And it was mainly because of me that the blast even happened…I couldn't think about it, couldn't acknowledge how much my presence changed this world for the worse.

I looked long at Alexis. She's had to be stronger because of me – I've made her life harder, not easier. The same went for all of my friends. Their enemies would be weaker if I wasn't around. My hands shook momentarily as I banished the thoughts to the recesses of my mind.

"Students! Get back to bed!" Professor Hibiki began to rally the wayward kids back inside, with the assistance of Sartyr and Fontaine.

Finally relaxing, Alexis smiled at Erin. "Well done. I knew you could do it!"

"Thanks, same to you." Erin responded, and they fist bumped before turning to Mackenzie, Atticus, Kenzan and I. Alexis smirked and put her hands on her hips. "Sounds like you guys had a bit of an adventure."

"We'll tell you about it in the morning. I think we can all use some sleep. Jasmine and Jaden should be on their way back." I suggested to general agreement.

"Hey, guys!" Speak of the devil – there was Jasmine now. And she looked happy! That already made me suspicious. She waved with a smile, running to meet us. "I'm glad you all made it back. I was so worried when I got separated from you."

"We were worried too, soldier! Where were you?" Kenzan asked.

"That weird lady with the mirrors sent me to another part of the city, near the Kaibacorp building. I was able to get my bearings and find a way back pretty quickly though."

"That's a relief. I knew you could handle yourself out there." Alexis said gently.

"Yeah…" I trailed off. "Did you happen to encounter anyone while you were out there?" Something about her cheery attitude was really ringing my alarm bells. "Is her energy any different than normal?" I asked Sonata.

"It appears no different than usual." Sonata squinted, sharing my feelings on the matter.

"Nope! I didn't really see anyone. I just hope Jaden's alright!" Jasmine replied quickly before giving an exaggerated yawn. "Man, I'm exhausted. Let's get to bed, you guys. We can regroup in the morning."

"Right…" I had a really bad feeling about this.

XxXxXxXxXxXxXx

(LATER)

(Mokuba Kaiba POV)

"Alright, I'm going in. Do you want anything?"

"A pack of smokes would be welcome, sir. Menthols. It's been a long day."

"Sure thing." Mokuba exited the limo and entered the liquor store, credit card at the ready. He and Roland had been driving around for a few hours now, combing the city for any of the monarch duel spirits, along with Aster Phoenix and Sartorius. Seto's orders were to engage any enemies and spare no mercy unless it was expedient to do so, but so far Mokuba and Roland hadn't found anything. They decided to stop for some supplies, the college student bored senseless.

Mokuba picked up two 40s of King Cobra, a 24-pack of Ronas, and some cigarettes for Roland. They each leaned against the car in the nearly empty parking lot, taking long drags and watching traffic go by. "If we haven't found any, it must mean the others are fighting right now." Mokuba sighed. "Seto and Yugi should be able to handle them. I just hope the students are alright. I mean for fuck's sake, it's bad enough they had to deal with that Shadow Rider bullshit last year, but this too? I'm surprised the parents haven't come for Seto's head yet."

"I concur." was Roland's succinct reply. Even though it was well past midnight, Roland still wore his narrow, tinted sunglasses. Mokuba often wondered if he ever took them off, even in the shower. Roland had never given him an answer – it was his little joke. "I expect mister Seto is in battle as we speak. Once he wins, he'll contact us and we'll move forward." Roland dared to use Kaiba's first name only when it was just him and Mokuba. Besides, it would be a bit weird to say "mister Kaiba" to another Kaiba.

"Yes…move forward. Forward into a new age!" A distinctive, somewhat nasally voice sounded behind them. Like a napping cat, Mokuba lazily straightened up and turned around, peering over the car. Roland was more vigilant and recognized the newcomer immediately.

"Mister Seto." Roland inclined his head sharply at Seto, who walked towards them with a big and friendly smile on his face. "I did not expect you to walk here." It made sense that he knew where they were – Kaiba kept GPS tracking devices on all company vehicles, and that included the limo. What didn't make sense was Kaiba's look – neither Mokuba nor Roland could recall the last time he smiled like that at any one.

"Seto!" Mokuba still greeted his brother enthusiastically. "How's it going? Did you kick that Sartorius guy's ass or what?!" Grinning, Mokuba offered Seto a cigarette. "Tell us all about it! I got some booze in the car!"

"No thank you, Mokuba. Smoking is a filthy habit. As is drinking." Seto tut-tutted. "A sinful vice."

"The fuck're you talking about?" Mokuba laughed in confusion. "Seto, the three of us crushed a pack of Cubans just last Saturday. I didn't know you had jokes like that."

Seto cringed at Mokuba saying the word fuck. "Please, don't swear! Let there be neither filthiness nor obscene jesting. There should instead be giving of thanks, for the Lord's Light has shone upon my once-blackened soul."

Mokuba's laughter froze in his throat. "Seto," He ventured cautiously, "What's going on? You did defeat Sartorius and Aster Phoenix, right? Is Lancaster with you?"

"I do not know where my wayward intern has gone, but I hope to reunite with him soon. I am searching for Aster Phoenix at this very moment, along with Jaden Yuki, who has returned to the human realm." The elder brother explained in a strangely peaceful, placid tone. Normally, Seto would furious if an enemy managed to escape, but right now he seemed perfectly assured, as if he knew everything would work out in due time. "Have you seen where either of them might have gone?"

"Why would Jaden and Aster be working together?" Mokuba asked. "Has Jaden betrayed us?"

"No, no. Jaden has not betrayed us, for he has always been a loathsome creature of darkness. My Blue-Eyes White Dragon will destroy the darkness! And Aster…he has merely lost his way. He is a prodigal son who must return to his family, his true family." Seto's conviction was unbreakable, and as he turned his fiery gaze on Mokuba, he added, "the same goes for you two."

Mokuba froze. "Roland, start the car."

"Starting the car, sir." Roland was a consummate professional, but there was no mistaking the note of fear in his voice. He slipped into the driver's seat while Mokuba stood between the limo and Seto.

"You balk, but I have never felt so content, so at peace as I am now, a child of the Light!" Kaiba preached, his eyes bulging wide.

"How did this happen?" Mokuba thought back to the battles of his childhood. "He must have cheated. Sartorius must have done some trickery to mind control you!"

Seto smiled and shook his head. "The hows and the whys do not matter. All that counts is that Sartorius has shown me the truth, and I couldn't be more thankful. I want to show you the truth as well, so we may be true brothers once more."

Mokuba's shock was giving way to a primal anger that he didn't know he had. He dropped the cigarette and smashed it under his shoe. "I see how it is."

"Please, open your heart to the light. I don't want us to be enemies, Mokuba." Seto's sincerity seemed almost real – his voice was more emotional than Mokuba had even heard it, and it made him angry.

"You'll never be my enemy, Seto." Mokuba said, his gaze focusing on another figure, approaching behind Seto. Sartorius' pale blue eyes bored into Mokuba, but the young dragon refused to be intimidated. He returned the wide-eyed stare viciously, feeling something vicious awaken in him.

"Come join him, Mokuba. You could never stand on your own anyways. You're less than half the man your brother is…as you are now. In the light, you could become something greater. Seto could protect you again, like he always has. But he can't protect you now. Not while your soul is stained with sin." Sartorius' voice was heavy, portentous.

"You're insane." Mokuba growled.

"Look at Seto! He's never been happier!" Sartorius said, and Kaiba's expression contorted into a bizarre, unnatural smile.

Mokuba wanted badly to kill the puppet master, but he knew fighting would be foolish. The same magic trickery that took down Seto would certainly work on him. It pained him to admit it, but he still wasn't anywhere near his brother's caliber as a duelist.

There was also another matter. Now that Seto was under the yoke of Sartorius, it was imperative to freeze his access to the company at every level. After the battles of Duelist Kingdom, Seto and Mokuba each exchanged codes that would lock the other out of the KaibaCorp network in the event of mind control or some other compromising circumstance. It appeared the time to use the code was now. "I will find a way to get you back, my brother." Mokuba thought with a pang of sorrow. But Mokuba wondered if he would have time to find a way – Sartorius might not give him a choice but to fight.

As if reading his thoughts, or perhaps his body language, Sartorius spoke up, "You may run, or fight. It does not matter. Destiny will still arrive on schedule. It always does. I have already completed my objective in this city."

Mokuba bolted, but the two made no attempt to chase him. The younger brother ran around the car and hopped into the passenger seat. "Shall we depart, sir?" Roland asked politely.

"In a moment. Roll down the window, please." Mokuba asked with equal courtesy. Once the driver's seat window was down, Mokuba leaned over to meet the idle Sartorius' gaze.

"Hey, if I were you I wouldn't bother trying to access any of KaibaCorp's data, but you do you. Oh, and by the way, Sartorius…"

"Yes?" Sartorius prodded mockingly.

"You're gonna die." Mokuba's stare didn't leave Sartorius, even as the car peeled out of the liquor store parking lot.

"I'm enacting a code black. Seto is now locked out of all of our systems, databases, and properties. All passwords have been changed, I'll tell you the new one when we stop. I'm now the head administrator and moderator of all KaibaCorp data." Mokuba informed Roland as he entered in a code on a proprietary phone app.

"Very good, sir. Where to next?" Roland kept a stiff upper lip and rolled with the punches, heavy though they were.

"We're picking up Yugi and then we're getting the students out of the city. This entire operation has been a disaster. Sartorius' power has been greater than any of us could have predicted. From there, I guess we'll have to arrange a meeting with the primary shareholders and tell them what's going on. I'm sure that will be a fun conversation." Mokuba snapped.

"The burdens of leadership are many, sir. Many like to believe that Seto puts his feet up on his desk and barks orders all day, but you know as well as I that isn't the truth. But I'm sure you will be able to handle them, until your brother has returned to us." Roland counseled.

"They have my brother…I wasn't kidding when I said that earlier. I don't care what Yugi says. Sartorius must die for this injustice. For making a proud dragon into a slave. A dragon is not a slave!" Mokuba felt the rage fester within him, the rage of a warrior.

"It will be done, sir. For the family." Said Roland.

A/N

Hope you all enjoyed.

It was great to write a Chazz duel again, he's a fun character to write for both in duels and in dialogue. I believe this has been his first duel since Chapter 28.

The monarchs have been defeated, but they were only a distraction for Sartorius' true mission, to brainwash Kaiba and get a foothold in the student body, which he has succeeded with by converting Jasmine. Sartorius is only a pawn of the Light as well at the end of the day, but I enjoy writing him with a certain griminess that only cult leaders can achieve. The thing about cults is that you make more money as a leader but have more fun as a follower. Of course, with Obelisk toughened up in this timeline Sartorius may have a hard time converting the Blues.

I was going to show Alexis and Erin's duels completely, but for the sake of pacing I ended up not doing so. They'll have a lot of chances to duel in the future and we'll see them then. Mokuba will also have a lot of development in the next few chapters as he has not only has to step out of brother's shadow for the first time in his life, but he has to deal with potentially fighting him. I'm really excited to develop this character! Mokuba is obviously very underwritten in the original series so I love this opportunity to give him some shine! As for what deck he'll be playing, there are really only a few plausible options but we know that all three Blue-Eyes are with Seto so he won't have the chance to use those.

Next chapter, the Domino City mini-arc will be coming to a close and we'll also catch up a bit with Yubel's camp. It'll be a bit of a thanksgiving present. By the way I love some of the new legacy support the original series and GX have gotten lately and I will def be using it in the story. Thanks for following the story to its 50th chapter and I'll catch ya next time!