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

51. White Chicks

Chapter 51: White Chicks

(Mokuba Kaiba POV)

The car screeched to a stop outside Kame Game. Roland kept it running while Mokuba stepped inside unannounced, a stormy look on his face.

Yugi came down the stairs, bleary-eyed and a bit confused. "Mokuba! Is everything alright?"

"No, I'm afraid it isn't." This rather reminded Mokuba of the time he asked Yugi and his friends to help him save Kaiba from the clutches of the Big Five. Seto allowed them to trap him inside a video game – it was one of the more idiotic decisions his brother had ever made. Perhaps coming fresh off being trapped in a card, courtesy of Pegasus, had addled Seto's senses. Regardless, Mokuba teamed up with Yugi and his annoying friends to save Seto. It appeared such measures were necessary again.

"Tea and Grandpa are sleeping upstairs. Let's talk outside." Yugi suggested, and Mokuba filled him in under the shop lights. Yugi's expression grew grim as Mokuba spoke – it reminded him of the pharaoh.

"I see. Our first order of business should be ensuring the safety of the students. Once they are taken care of, I will fight Kaiba and this Sartorius myself. I should have been more active in this matter. Now it's spiraled out of control." Yugi lamented.

"It was a lot of things that went wrong. We underestimated the power of Sartorius' magic, you had to look after your grandfather, those monarchs distracted and divided our efforts, and my brother's damnable pride would have kept him from teaming up with you anyways. What matters now is moving forward. I'll fight with you, when the time comes." Mokuba said fiercely.

Yugi looked a bit surprised. "Are you sure? I don't mean this as an insult, but these battles can get really dangerous. If something happened to you, KaibaCorp may suffer for it."

"I've been training with you and Seto, haven't I? I can handle it. Besides, I won't have it said that others fight my battles for me. Seto is my brother, and I will have my vengeance for what Sartorius has done to him." Mokuba responded.

"Vengeance." Yugi echoed. "What we seek is justice, not vengeance."

"Call it what you want, it comes down to battle at the end of the day anyways." Mokuba thought, annoyed at Yugi's self-righteousness. "Sure. Justice then. Well, let's go to the student's hotel and arrange for the soonest ferry back. The field trip will have to wait. Tomorrow I will be holding a conference with the company's primary shareholders. In the meantime, do you have any contacts that may come in handy? I don't know how many fighters Sartorius still has in reserve. Perhaps the Ishtars will help us?"

"I doubt they will want to leave the crypts unattended knowing that their cousin could strike again at a moment's notice. Now that the seals have been weakened, it's more important than ever to keep the Egyptian Gods under strict guard. The same blood flows through Hank's veins as does Marik and Ishizu – he could wield the god cards if he so chose, and he already has Raviel to boot. Has there been any progress on locating Uria?" Yugi countered.

"No. Whoever has the card has been moving very quietly. Right now, it's the least of my concerns." Mokuba sighed. "Do you believe Hank will strike again soon?"

"I don't know, but the last thing we need is battle on two fronts. I have heard tell of a war in the Dark Dimension between Brron the Mad King and some creature called Yubel. They're both insane, but Yubel has designs on the human world while the Mad King couldn't care less about us. If Hank has made common cause with this Yubel…that would be troublesome. But we'll cross that bridge when we come to it. At any rate, I have friends who may be able to lend their talents. I believe you already know some of them." Yugi smiled.

"Yubel…why does that name sound familiar?" Mokuba could have sworn there was a card named Yubel at one point, but if there was it was exceedingly rare. "Didn't some kid who won one of KaibaCorp's sweepstakes have that card?" It would have been a long time ago. Besides, if the card was any good, Seto would have hoarded its power for himself. If Seto didn't think the card was strong, that was good enough for Mokuba.

"There's no way this Yubel is a significant threat." Mokuba thought, putting the matter from his mind.

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(?)

"Ah, what a lovely day!" Yubel said cheerily.

The battlefield rang with the clash of demons, blood staining the sand and screams echoing in the air. Duels were happening by the dozen, her bloodthirsty forces defeating the Mad King's knights before feasting on the flesh of the slain. The forces under Yubel's direct command had fasted for the previous day so that they would be especially hungry when the fighting started.

Blade Knight, who observed the battlefield to her right, did not agree with this decision, keeping his marshals as well-fed as possible. And with regular food, no less! Fruits, vegetables, and animal meat! Yubel couldn't believe how soft he was, but the knight was a hell of a duelist, so she supposed she could forgive such idiosyncrasies. The other platoons were under the command of her inner circle – Chaos Sorcerer, Mr. Volcano, and Jinzo. They were fighting on the ground while her and Blade Knight kept a birds-eye view of the battle. Yubel did not like this – she much preferred to be spattered in the enemy's blood, taking their lives and sating her thirsts personally, but Blade Knight was able to convince her of high command's merits.

"It appears Mr. Volcano and Chaos Sorcerer have their fronts well in hand. Jinzo's force is meeting stronger resistance, on the north side." Blade Knight said calmly, his hands resting atop his sheathed sword, which was being used as a scepter of sorts. Appraising the battle below, he added, "the Mad King's strongest fighters have been brought inside the walls of the capital city."

They were in the fields outside of the Dark World's capital, the sharp shadows of Brron's castle looming over them. Yubel's army of spirits had been picking up momentum as they marched towards the city, picking up mercenaries and rogues to swell the ranks along the way. Although they had seen some minor losses at the hands of Generals Goldd and Silva, Yubel was overall quite pleased with the campaign.

While Blade Knight's posture was still and composed, Yubel squirmed and paced like a rabid wolf, barely resisting her urge to fly down and fight herself. It was imperative that the two of them remain fresh for the battles ahead, especially since they had no idea how long the siege might be.

After another thirty minutes, Blade Knight spoke again. "Jinzo is being pushed back even further. I'll send some of our auxiliary forces to reinforce them."

Her patience running thin, Yubel snapped, "I'll handle it myself!" With a childish cackle, she spread her wings and flew north across the field, leaving Blade Knight at the top of the hill. Glancing one last time at the battlefield, Blade Knight temporarily left his watch and went to the campsite.

Entering a large black tent with violet trim, he saw Hank Ishtar (or the Vagabond, as he liked to style himself) at a desk, looking over his deck of cards. Not wearing his red hat, Marik's cousin wore his sandy white hair in a man bun, stray tresses framing his unimpressive jawline.

"How fares the battle? Will my assistance be needed?" Hank always spoke cautiously around Blade Knight. The knight knew that Hank despised his current situation. When the Sacred Beast was bequeathed to him in a stroke of fortune, he risked everything to rebel against the Ishtar clan. Against all odds, he nimbly escaped the wrath of Marik and Kaiba, even defeating Odion. And yet, he was enlisted into another sort of servitude for his efforts, this time in the hands of masters far less kind than Marik and Ishizu. Luckily, he had not run afoul of Yubel or the rest of the inner circle yet.

"No, I don't believe so." Blade Knight tried his best to be courteous to the man. If it weren't for his blood, he would have happily let Hank be. But as a member of the Ishtar clan, he could do things that no one else could. He knew the secrets of the crypts, and what was inside them. With his lineage, he could even wield the Egyptian Gods, should they ever come unsealed. "You have a purpose far greater than fighting for Yubel's sorry cause. How fares your research?"

"You don't have to blow smoke up my ass. I know that I'm a slave, working for you. So you don't have to bother with the polite inquiry." Hank said snappishly.

"A man should be judged not by how he treats his equals, but how he treats his inferiors."

Hank squinted at him, purple eyes sharp and discerning. "That's a famous quote from the human world. Paraphrased, but even still…how do you know it?"

"We duel spirits have thinkers as well. Humans do not have a monopoly on such sentiments. Now then, your research." Blade Knight hastily diverted the subject.

"I believe I have studied the sealing arts as well as I possibly could without having anything to practice on. When we will move in?" Hank asked, his qualm subsiding.

"Yubel will not allow anyone to leave the front now that we're laying siege to the city. To leave beforehand would have looked suspicious. We have no choice but to wait until the war is done here. We will most likely only have a small force with us on the mission, so be prepared to fight."

"I want no harm to befall my clansmen. Especially to Marik, Ishizu, or Odion." Hank voiced.

"I do not want unneeded bloodshed either. If we are effective and stealthy in carrying out our mission, then no battle should be required." Blade Knight vowed.

Hank looked long upon him, not seeming to believe the words.

Blade Knight nodded. "I cannot be gone for long, or my absence will be noticed. Keep working. I'll keep you updated as we move forward."

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(Aster Phoenix POV)

"Woah dude, that one was totally righteous. I'm hitting levels of mind expansion that, like, shouldn't even be possible." Jaden laughed. If only Belowski could see him now!

"Yeah, I know right?! Ready for another hit?" Aster bid.

Jaden and Aster were both giggling uncontrollably as they lay spread-eagled on the ground of the empty construction yard. They had spent the last several hours experiencing trippy visions and hallucinations caused by Jaden's dark powers, despite the fact that they were supposed to be escaping from Sartorius.

"Nah, I'm starting to feel a little weird. Should probably go to sleep soon." Jaden yawned as he looked up at the early morning sky. The stars were slowly going out as the velvety midnight was giving way to the pale dawn.

"Definitely feeling a bit weird, bro. Holy fuck bro, I think it's like, almost morning." Aster normally didn't swear, but since he was tripping balls on duel energy-induced visions, it was safe to say he was acting a bit unusual in more ways than one. Jaden and Aster glanced at each other before strange laughing and wheezing noises rose from their lips.

"Oh man," Jaden said in between chuckles, "we should probably get back to the hotel before they get worried. I need to crash, bro." Jaden then started doing snow angels in the dirt, which would make them dirt angels I suppose.

"Yeah, it's been a weird night. I didn't think it would go like this, that's for sure." Aster remarked as he finally calmed down, though he was still sweating from the recent trip.

"I can't believe Kaiba and that other guy haven't found us. We're like, super spy masters or something." Jaden stood up, and the two of them clumsily fell over the paltry fence guarding the construction site. It would be two hours or so before the crew showed up for work. In the distance, they could hear the loud rips of motorcycles.

"That is loud as fuck. Who is riding bike this early in the day? Or this late at night, I guess." Aster wondered. They stumbling towards the hotel Jaden knew that his fellow students were at, certainly not breaking any records with regards to speed.

The motorcycles were getting closer. In fact, he could hear them rolling up from behind, blasting 80's hair metal from their speakers. "Woah, now there's a familiar face!" Jaden grinned oafishly.

At the front of the pack, Aster saw a man with messily arranged black hair, a grimy dark trenchcoat, and an annoyed expression. Tucked under his shoulder was a helmet. Behind him, the gang numbered around fifty, each of them wearing helmets and similar brown leather duds.

"How's it going, Chazz?" Jaden grinned at the man as if they were old friends. Chazz did not seem to feel the same way, as his pinched expression deepened into a snarl.

"Wait, Chazz? As in Chazz Princeton?" Aster knew the name. He had passing familiarity with the Princeton Group, but had never met the youngest brother of the clan. Word traveled in the pro circuit, however, and he had heard tales of the North's unexpected victory over Central Academy in the School Duel.

"That's THE Chazz to you. And by the looks of it, I'm doing better than you, Yuki. You look like hammered shit." Chazz said with his usual tact. Behind him, another northerner shed his helmet, revealing bushy teal hair and an effeminate, androgynous beauty. His sea-green eyes were locked on Jaden, his lips slightly parted.

"Heh, it's been a long night." Jaden said with good humor. "Been dueling and whatnot. I beat Aster over there, but it's cool! We're buds now."

Aster bristled at the casual address. Chazz and the boy behind him gave appraising looks. "Wow, you really are Aster Phoenix. I see you on television all the time. How on earth did you let Jaden beat you, after you took down the Kaiser on the pro circuit? Were you high? Sure looks like it." Chazz let out a barking laugh that was echoed by his supporters.

Aster wanted to put this cocky little shit in his place, but he was in no shape to duel at the moment, and if Chazz beat Jaden, then he surely wasn't an opponent to be trifled with in any case. "I just had an off day, that's all. If you'd care to try your luck, you're more than welcome." He said, hoping Chazz wouldn't call the bluff.

Chazz's dark eyes narrowed, and he stared down Aster for a long moment before scoffing. "I would, but we're on a mission. I'm on orders to get Jaden safely away from Sartorius, and to deal with you. But if you're not hostile, then I suppose there's no point in fighting right now." Chazz bared his teeth, wishing he had an excuse to test his mettle against Aster.

"I guess not. Lucky for you." Aster countered.

Chazz smiled angrily. "You guys are so lucky we have orders not to engage you. Just give me an excuse and it's on!" Jesse looked uncomfortable at Chazz's hostility, but said nothing.

"What orders? Who are you working with?" Jaden questioned, trying to defuse the tension.

"Maximillion Pegasus." Chazz rasped. Jaden and Aster's eyes widened.

"What need does Pegasus have for the likes of you?" Aster asked mockingly.

"We don't serve him. This is part of a business deal, the particulars of which we can discuss once we're out of this damn city. You two look stoned, so you can ride with somebody. Jaden, you can sit in Jesse's sidecar while Aster can go with Sergei." Chazz commanded.

"Wait a second, why should we go anywhere with you? How do we know you aren't an enemy as well? I want some proof that you're really working with Pegasus!" Aster wasn't keen on the idea.

"We'll give him a call once we're on the ship. You'll get a chance to talk to him then." Jesse said. At Aster's disbelieving look, he added, "We aren't trying to trick you. All we want is to take care of this here Light of Destruction problem and be on our way. I'd swear it on my honor as a northerner." The teal-haired boy spoke up, his voice a pleasant, buttery southern drawl, despite the fact that he went to school in northern Russia and originally hailed from Scandinavia.

"Don't sweat it bro. Chazz ain't such a bad guy." Jaden said with relaxed poise.

Aster thought otherwise, but voicing his opinion wasn't worth the potential trouble, especially with Chazz in an overwhelmingly superior position at the moment. "So, if you are guys are here on business for Pegasus, you must want something with Kaiba."

"Many things." Jesse cryptically corrected.

"Well, it's not a good time to talk to him right now. He dueled Sartorius and lost." Aster said with a sneer, enjoying the look of surprise on Chazz and Jesse's faces as they realized how thoroughly fucked the situation was.

"What?! How could Kaiba have lost?" Chazz hissed between clenched teeth.

"Wait a second, how do you guys even know who Sartorius is?" Jaden wondered exactly how much these newcomers knew about the situation.

"Pegasus filled us in on the relevant details. We must have been at sea when this happened. Tell us more." Jesse coaxed.

"Sartorius used Light magic to influence the game. Many of his cards revolve around coin flips, the odds of which he adjusted favorably. It looked like he was able to influence Kaiba's draws as well." Jaden explained with a grimace. "He's no ordinary duelist. After the battle, he put Kaiba under some kind of mind control."

"Hmph. Well, ain't that a kick in the teeth. We'll have to adjust our plans accordingly." Chazz said, scheming.

"We'll talk further once we're in a safe place. Now let's go!" Jesse bid. Having little other options, Aster and Jaden awkwardly clambered into the sidecars of two of the motorcycles.

Jesse peered down at Jaden. "Hey, uh, I'm Jesse. Jesse Anderson. Nice to meetcha." Jesse waved, feeling awkward all of the sudden.

"Nice to meet you too, pal. I'm Jaden Yuki!" Jaden greeted with his usual smile. Looking over at Chazz, he added, "Hey Chazz, it's good to see you again. I'm glad we're on the same side. You might not believe that, but I just wanted to say it." He was painfully sincere.

Chazz said nothing, but for that moment, his expression was one of deep regret. Collecting himself, he roughly commanded, "There's no time. Let's go." The bikes revved to life and they took off, a chorus of engines.

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(Sartorius POV)

"Father Sartorius, I cannot access any of KaibaCorp's databases. It appears I have been locked out of my account by a third party." Seto noted. Sartorius was driving out of downtown while Seto sat passenger, typing furiously on his phone. "It must be the work of Mokuba."

"It is nothing to worry about, my son. It is your great strength I have need of, not these instruments of capital. Let us withdraw and rest for now, to plan our next great work. Judgment day, along with deliverance from this sinful world, approaches." Sartorius said with perfect confidence. "Jasmine will prepare the greeting for us, on Academy Island.

"The morning comes, and with it light and life." Seto recited as the city drew further and further from their view. "Father, would it not have been prudent to continue our search for Aster and Jaden."

"Destiny has other plans for them. I still pray that Aster may be redeemed, in my heart. For Jaden, and the heathens Lancaster and Mackenzie, all roads lead to death. That is the wage of sin such as theirs." Sartorius reassured his new disciple as they made to regroup.

XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxx

(Jamie Lancaster POV)

I woke up after a whopping six hours of sleep, un-refreshed and harried. I couldn't stop pacing after seeing the message Mokuba left, updating me on the situation. Kaiba lost to Sartorius and was now possessed. Chazz, Jesse, and North Academy students in the city. Aster was now considered an ally, although how much of one I didn't know. Could I count on him when the chips were down? Hopefully I wouldn't be in a position where my life depended on his help.

The second message was a mass message sent by Crowler to all of the students, describing in vague terms why the trip was being cut short. After a short breakfast, we were to head out to what had to be an expensive, hastily arranged ship.

When I got to the hotel's dining hall, I saw drowsy hordes of students downing coffee and nibbling on breakfast, hurried along by the teachers. Luggage was lined up along the walls. The northerners were sitting at their own table, while the three houses of Central Academy ate with their respective groups. The only area that had any variance was where my friends sat. They all looked overjoyed to have Jaden back, and Aster even looked to be making polite small talk with most of them. As I made my way over to them, I was accosted by Mokuba and Crowler. Oddly enough, Jesse was with them as well.

"We need to discuss the plan moving forward. Privately." The younger brother said urgently. Crowler nodded hastily, deferent. I swallowed. "Alright. Let's go to my room. I still need to grab my luggage."

Once we got there, I quickly got my things ready while Mokuba texted someone. "Yugi will be meeting us in a few minutes, so we'll wait until then." It was still strange to hear about Yugi so casually.

After a few minutes, the king of games was here as well, and he did not look pleased. "I'm sorry this happened. I should have been more vigilant, more involved. I was being selfish." He said.

"It's fine. Many things went wrong, and there's nothing we can do about it now. What we can do is plan for our next move. Seto was planning on holding a tournament on the island in the coming weeks, inviting students from each of the great academies to compete. I would like to hear your thoughts on whether it should still be held." Mokuba spoke commandingly, although he was clearly not at ease in a position of leadership. He must have been talking about the Genex tournament, although the other schools weren't invited to it in canon…odd.

"I don't believe that to be wise. The last thing the students need is another distraction. They need to return to a sense of normalcy while we deal with this threat as quietly as possible." Crowler voiced.

"I agree. Maybe afterwards, but for now the tournament should be put on hold." Yugi said.

Mokuba then looked to Jesse and I. I was surprised he even wanted our input. I suppose we were representatives of our student bodies in this matter, although if that was true I would have expected Chazz to be here and not Jesse. Perhaps Chazz delegated this task to Jesse. They seemed to trust each other. It was beneficial for the rest of us as well, since Jesse was much less of a pain in the ass than Chazz was.

"I'd prefer to schedule it to a later date, if it's even to be held at all." I said, and Jesse hummed in assent. Mokuba sharply nodded.

"Very well. Now then, the main order of business…they have my brother." I could feel the depth of Mokuba's rage, and for once the guy was actually somewhat intimidating as he spoke of the injustice done to his family. "I will kill Sartorius myself for this crime."

I was impressed with Mokuba's determination, but he was missing parts of the story. "Mister Mokuba, after I fought Sartorius' sister Sarina, she told me that Sartorius was under the forcible possession of the Light of Destruction. I vowed to find a way to save his life while breaking him of the mind control." I spoke up.

Mokuba gave me a withering look. "How very convenient. Lancaster, why would you believe the word of an enemy at face value? She probably just said to save her brother's worthless life. I have no intenti-" His rant was cut off by Yugi.

"Mokuba, do you realize what you're saying? We've dealt with cases of possession many times before. Marik and Yako Tenma were the same to some extent, and in exchange for mercy we gained strong allies. Don't let your anger cloud your good sense! We are not butchers." Yugi could have also brought up the fact that he extended the same mercy to both Kaiba brothers on multiple instances, but he didn't for the sake of sparing Mokuba's pride.

Mokuba clearly had more to say to Yugi, but kept a lid on it. "Fine, Yugi." He muttered. An awkward silence fell over the room until Jesse leaned forward. "I know it's a trying time, mister Mokuba, and you have my fullest sympathies." I wondered why he was still bothering with the southern drawl when it was just us here. I haven't heard such a fake accent since the last time I spoke to Bastion!

"You may keep your sympathies, is your powers as duelists I want. And I suspect that will be harder to earn." Mokuba sniped.

Jesse cleared his throat. "Uh, yes. North Academy understands the threat of the Light of Destruction, as well as the Duel Spirit Armies of the Dark Dimension. Mister Pegasus impressed upon us the importance of an alliance between the North and the Island. That being said, Chazz has a few terms that will need to be met before moving forward."

He had balls, considering that not only would the planet Earth be destroyed if our enemies won, but the entire universe at large would suffer. Sometimes I had to wonder if having Pegasus and now Chazz as allies was really preferable to having them as enemies. Pegasus was staying in the shadows for some reason, but his presence could be felt as if he were standing in this very room.

"Name them." Mokuba said dismissively.

"Uh, yes." Jesse whipped out his phone and read from a note. "Firstly, North Academy will enjoy increased endowments and donations from Seto Kaiba, KaibaCorp, and all of its subsidiaries for a minimum of five years. The money will go towards improving the school's infrastructure, the teaching staff, and school supplies so that North Academy may be taken more seriously as a great school of dueling, and be more enticing to future prospects as a result. Chazz was hoping to discuss the exact terms with mister Seto –" Jesse was interrupted.

"You keep saying Chazz and not the Princeton Group. Surely Slade and Jagger are actively interested in this matter, aren't they?" Mokuba said dismissively.

"Actually, they aren't." Jesse replied, and Mokuba looked momentarily surprised.

"Oh? Chazz is pushing forward with this deal independently of them?" Mokuba said, and Jesse nodded.

"I admit, I've never met Chazz, but I have met Slade and Jagger. The Princeton Group is a major shareholder in KaibaCorp. Their money is nice, but in my experience both brothers are basically pieces of shit. Does anyone have any notions otherwise?" Mokuba tabled the question.

"No, sir. I think you're pretty much right on." I immediately assented, as did Crowler and Jesse. Yugi looked rather uninterested in the conversation. "I see. And Chazz is a friend of yours, eh Anderson?" Mokuba said.

"Yeah. Listen, I know he can come off as arrogant and delusional, but Chazz isn't a bad guy. He's a great leader. He may have won first seat at North Academy through strength, but its his charisma that's really carried him this far. And I've never seen him go back on his word." Jesse defended.

I spoke up. "Chazz and I were enemies when he attended Central, but I think he would make a fine ally. I imagine he's using this opportunity to attach himself to KaibaCorp and Industrial Illusions so he can go independent from his brothers. If the Princeton Group is weakened, their potential influence over KaibaCorp will wane accordingly." I suggested.

"Chazz also had exemplary grades in prep school, with several junior division tournament victories under his belt. I too believe he will make a solid ally." Crowler put in his two cents.

Everyone looked to Yugi. He furrowed his brow. "I wish to see him duel. In battle, I will be able to discern his true character. But for now, I will place my trust in your judgment."

Mokuba bit the inside of his cheek. "Very well. I will accept the terms of this alliance for the time being. Under one condition." The proclamation served to stifle Jesse's effusive thanks. "Once Seto is broken of this mind control and fit to run KaibaCorp once more, he will regain all of his rights as CEO. I want him to have the ability to choose how the alliance will continue and state his own terms."

"Erm, sure, I can let Chazz know about that. I think he'll be alright with it." Jesse scratched his head with an easygoing smile. He looked relieved to be through with this – this type of thing wasn't his forte.

"Hmm. He will contact me directly about his response." Mokuba was putting on a pretty good front as the cold CEO, although it was clearly a bit of an act. "Alright, that's all I need from you, Jesse. Please go tell your buddy Chazz about this and get ready to board the ship. We will make arrangements to have you study at Central Academy for a temporary period. I will be staying there as well, for additional security. If we are all there, Sartorius and Seto will have to seek us out."

Once Jesse left, Mokuba let out a sigh of relief. "Man, I don't know how Seto does this all the time." He leaned against the desk.

"Hey, you did great. I think having more friends on our side could make all the difference." Yugi said supportively. "Anyways, I suppose we should talk about how to deal with Kaiba."

"Right." Mokuba grimaced. Nodding to Crowler and I, he dismissed us as well, and we made for the boat. I couldn't wait to get back to the island. This damn city has been a pain in the ass.

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The sea was always beautiful to look at, regardless of my mood or what was going on – I suppose you could really see anything you wanted to see in the writhing waters. It was comforting and relaxing, but also deeply impersonal. Nature doesn't care about any of this – it will go on and on, unless it is destroyed in the coming battles.

"Hey, Jamie." Jaden's voice, normally exuberant, was even-keeled and subdued as he stood next to me, looking out at the sunset.

I smiled briefly at him. "I see your rematch with Aster went well enough. We haven't had the chance to catch up in a while." It was a bit of a gamble, especially since their first battle altered the very makeup of reality. Anything could have potentially happened in their second fight, but luckily for me Jaden managed to emerge victorious without fucking up the universe in any perceivable way.

"Yeah…Aster's a better guy than I thought. Just misguided. I think for the time being we can count on him." Jaden murmured. "I'm lucky to have friends that I can trust. I didn't have too many before coming here."

"Oh, yeah?" I knew that Jaden had a fairly lonely childhood due to Yubel's manipulations, but I hardly recall him bringing this up very often. "Why is that? You're a pretty outgoing guy."

"I dunno. Usually people were pretty happy to hang out with me, but for some reason, after I dueled them, they always went away for one reason or another. Never thought about it too much, but I guess it's kinda weird now that I do." Jaden shrugged, always sounding eerily casual no matter what the subject was.

"Yeah, it is a bit weird." I tended to forget about it, but Yubel's actions combined with the whole reincarnation business must really have screwed with Jaden's mind, to the point where he's really not a normal human being in terms of mindset and what he wants out of life. It's kinda crazy.

"That Jesse guy is really cool." Jaden said with a big grin. "I think he understands dueling in the same way I do, and he can talk to duel spirits too!"

"I've met him." So, those two ended up meeting after all. Caution would be necessary, lest Yubel take advantage of this relationship like she did in canon.

"Yeah, really cool guy." Jaden trailed off, and I wondered if he came here to say something in particular. He sounded different, somehow. The cooled tone, the introspective tone…Jaden reminded me a bit of his season four persona, after he fused with Yubel. I suppose seeing as much of the universe as he did during his training changed his already-skewed perspective somewhat.

I cleared my throat. "Hey, I appreciate your help with Aster. Turns out there were several fires to put out, and he wasn't listening to me anyways."

"Hey, no sweat man. I had a score to settle with that guy anyways. He's staying on the island now, on some big cruiser. Pro duelists make some crazy money." After a pause, he continued, "It's easier for me to understand people through dueling. I know people talk bad about ya because of the way you duel, but I admire it. People are too stuck in their old ways. Especially the Blues."

"You're telling me."

"Yeah…say, that's why…I really like Slifer Red, it's my favorite color and all…but maybe, once all of this is done and over with, I'll join Obelisk Blue." Jaden said.

I cocked my side. "What? Why? Not that I mind, but…"

"I dunno, feels like the place to be. You're really helping them get stronger. I can't believe how good Jasmine is now! I bet if I joined, it would be a great challenge. Bastion is thinking about finally moving up as well, and I'm sure Syrus will make it in time as well. Wouldn't it be great? All of us in the same dorm. A brotherhood." Jaden suggested.

I couldn't imagine him wearing blue, but the sentiment broght me great happiness. "Th…that would be great. I look forward to that day. After this battle is done." We bumped fists as the sun began to set.

XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx

(Jasmine Makurada POV)

After everyone had settled back into their dorms, Jasmine made a plan. She would have to move carefully and quietly, but if she did this right, it would make all the difference. "Everyone has their part to play." She thought with a smile. "This is mine. I will be honored above all others for this."

She walked the halls of the Obelisk girl's dorm with purpose and conviction, soon reaching the door of her best friend. Knocking on the door, she hoped for a response.

Mindy answered, her charcoal black hair let down. Out of her uniform, she was dressed in casual clothing, an overlarge white t-shirt paired with black sweatpants. "Oh, hey Jazz. I'm surprised you're not asleep. How's it going?" The two friends had been talking less and less as of late, Jasmine spending most of her nights with Bastion and most of her days engrossed in dueling. It felt like they didn't have as much in common anymore. Still, they went way back and had a strong bond.

"Hi, Mindy!" Jasmine smiled. "I just wanted to catch up a bit. Do you mind if I come in?"

"Oh, sure." Mindy thought Jasmine seemed a bit more cheerful than usual, but it was a welcome change. The two friends sat down on large, cushy beanbags in front of the television. Mindy's room was extensively decorated with posters of K-Pop boys and Shoujo anime. Her desk was a bit messy, but much better organized than most of the boys, having folders for each subject as well as an impressive selection of makeup. Even for Jasmine, the room was a bit girly.

They made small talk for a time, until Jasmine pulled out a deck box from her purse. Mindy groaned playfully. "Let me guess, you want to duel? Girl, you're even worse than Jaden nowadays!"

"Sorry, Mindy. I just want one quick practice match. I think it will really help me achieve my goals." Jasmine couldn't help but indulge in some layered wordplay.

"Alright, but just one game, okay?" Mindy pleaded.

Jasmine smirked. "Just one game is all I need."

XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxX

Jasmine won rather handily, the victory having some rather unforeseen consequences for Mindy, such as the loss of her individuality and her subsequent assimilation into the Light's will. When the match was over, Mindy's lifeless, subdued eyes stared into Jasmine's own. "What is the plan now, sister Jasmine? Does Father Sartorius wish for us to assimilate Obelisk Blue? If we do, then the other two dorms will quickly fall, and the island will be ours."

"No." Jasmine said heavily. "Under the lion's tutelage, the Obelisks have grown too strong. Engaging them could bring great rewards, but they could also stop us in our tracks, especially if we come across the other officers of the Obelisk Force. Not to mention that Chazz Princeton, Jesse Anderson and Mokuba Kaiba are currently housed in the Obelisk dorm as well. It is too risky."

"Too risky? We have divine providence on our side! Surely this level of caution is unneeded?" Mindy exclaimed.

"Aster commanded the light's powers as well, and Jaden was able to defeat him. The lord's fire grants us strength, but we are not invincible. Instead, we will overwhelm them with numbers. Think about it – how many students are in each dorm?"

"Well, there are about 200 in Obelisk, counting both boys and girls." Mindy recited. "And in Slifer, there are about 250, but just about all of them are terrible duelists. In Ra, there are nearly 800." Her eyes dawned in comprehension.

"Yes." Jasmine beamed. "800 Ra Yellows. Think about it. Most of them are merely average duelists, but if we won them to our side, the 198 Obelisks would have to win over four games each to defeat us all. And how likely is that? Eventually, they will submit. But we must strike quickly, before we arouse suspicion."

"You're right. In public, we should act as normal as possible. Then, while our enemies are lulled into false security, we will prepare an army for Father Sartorius! He will be so proud of us!" Mindy gushed.

"Indeed. The lord will bless us for this good deed. And I know which Ra Yellow we should start with." Jasmine said deviously. "A weak-willed little wretch who is barely one step above a Slifer."

"You're so smart, Jasmine! I can't wait to punish that little perv!"

(A/N)

Hope you all enjoyed!

If anyone's actually seen that movie White Chicks, you have my sympathies. I swear to god if Marlon Wayans can make it in Hollywood, anyone can make it.

Now that the Domino City mini-arc is finished, we have two big battles coming up – Sartorius vs Duel Academy and Yubel vs Brron. Jasmine is quite hard-working and plans to handle things in a more subtle way than Chazz did in canon. Of course, Chazz is arrogant and ostentatious, so it's understandable that he would screech about the Light and go for the whole Obelisk White thing. Jasmine, out of necessity, is forced to be more practical. I have no actual source for the numbers on the ratios of Duel Academy students (Yugioh does not have guidebooks for this sort of extraneous information like Star Wars and Naruto do) but it makes sense to me that Ra would have the most students by far. After all, Obelisk is theoretically for exceptionally skilled duelists while Slifer is for exceptionally shitty duelists, so anyone is not in those extreme categories would be in Ra.

Otherwise, hope you liked the character interaction. No duel this time, just wasn't needed. I gotta say, adapting this arc has been a big challenge with regards to pacing, especially since it is jam-packed with filler in canon. I hope the pacing of the story is working for you and if not, I'd appreciate some feedback as to why. I will say that this arc is reaching its final stages at this point.

Hope you all had a great thanksgiving and I'll see you next time. I'm making preparations for some new work-related opportunities so I'm looking forward to possibly having a bit more time to write. Anyways, peace!