I ended up getting back super late on Monday so I couldn't upload anything. But here I am with a chapter for today!

Usual reminders:

Italics are thoughts or word emphasis. Bold is Malekos' speech or thought emphasis.

I do not claim to own Yu-Gi-Oh or its characters. I only own Jessica and Malekos.

"Our analysis shows your chances of escape are zero percent and falling sharply. In other words, you kids are finished!"

"Well put, Crump. It's only a matter of time before the five of us are set free from this virtual prison."

"Let's start this party! You five stiffs are going down," Joey exclaimed with a clenched fist.

"Who's going down?" As one of the men spoke, a hole opened up underneath Joey and he was sent plummeting to who-knows-where below. The hole was then closed back up as Téa and Serenity ran to it. "As you can see, before the virtual dueling begins, we plan to separate all of you. Tata!"

And one by one, each of the group was sent plummeting into their own holes that opened up beneath them. Jessica and Yugi immediately hugged each other as a way to combat what they were just told. The ground gave way beneath them and they were falling into a tunnel with a shout.

"Hang on!" Yugi exclaimed as he held her in his protective embrace, keeping his arms tightly wrapped around her waist.

Jessica's only response was to clutch the back of his jacket tighter in her fists and bury her face into his chest. She closed her eyes and just listened to the sound of the wind, or maybe the virtual world, rushing past them as they fell. And it wasn't long until they woke up in a heap. She blinked open her eyes and found herself face to face with a blushing Yugi who tried to keep a concerned look on his face.

"Jess, are you okay?" He asked, his voice a little squeaky.

And it was then that she realized the position that they were in. She was on top of him, practically straddling him with their legs somewhat tangled together. Blushing red and only managing a nod, she was quick to disassemble their limbs and get up with his help, brushing herself off. She glanced around and her blush immediately faded, staring at the forest that surrounded them. "Uh… Where are we?"

"I think we're in that virtual world that the Big Five were talking about. And I don't see any of our friends anywhere," Yugi told her, looking around as well.

Jessica frowned and she grasped Yugi's hand, making him glance at her once more. "Well, I don't want to lose you too. So if you don't mind…"

He smiled and nodded, "I was thinking the same thing." He laced their fingers together before giving her hand a reassuring squeeze. "Let's look for our friends together."

She nodded and they started walking in a random direction. And it wasn't long before they came upon a pond area, and they stopped to take in the view and think.

"All this stuff looks pretty real," Yugi noted as he looked around, and Jessica gazed across the water. A light fog dusted the air above the pond's surface, and she couldn't help but agree. Every detail in the frond leaves that surrounded the water's edge made it look all the more realistic. "It's hard to believe that everything here is virtual."

"Well, you'd better get used to this place because I'm going to make sure you never leave!" The two tightened their grip on their hands instinctively and they stepped closer together as bubbles appeared in the pond. There was a big splash and up rose what looked like a monster with water-based armor, large fins splaying out from its shoulders and scales adorning the torso, arms, and legs. "Are you familiar with the phrase 'it's time to duel'? Well, this is the last time you're ever going to hear it! Why, you look as though you don't recognize me. You've gone and hurt my feelings!" She couldn't help but roll her eyes at that. "I'm Gansley, former vice president of business strategy at KaibaCorp and a proud founding member of the Big Five. But for now I've taken the form of the Deep Sea Warrior."

"Big deal, Gansley," Yugi said as he narrowed his eyes. "You don't scare us. I know that behind your virtual disguise is nothing but a feeble old man! You wouldn't stand a chance in a duel against me if your life depended on it!" Jessica couldn't help but be proud of him. He had gotten so much more confident ever since she first met him and she loved it.

"Did you say my life, Yugi? Once I defeat you both I'll finally have a life again!" Jessica bit her lip. Was she really going to duel so soon?

"What? What are you saying?" Yugi asked, wanting clarification.

"Don't tell me you've forgotten the rules of our competition already? If you win, which you won't, you're free to go. And if I win, I get to return to the real world in your body! I can't wait to be young again, but I will have to change that haircut of yours!" He chuckled and it made Jessica frown. She liked his hairstyle just fine! "But I'm sure your girlfriend and your friends will be a perfect fit for the rest of the Big Five."

Jessica growled to herself. How was she supposed to win in a duel against someone who might have been training for this very moment since he met Noah? She had practically zero experience in Duel Monsters because just watching them from the sidelines didn't count. She only had five cards to her name and she had left them back in her room at the game shop.

I'm back, a familiar deep voice spoke at the forefront of her mind. Miss me?

You have no idea how much I've missed you. So much has happened since you've been gone. She was honestly relieved to feel his familiar presence in her mind, and she welcomed it with a soft hum.

So I see. Looks like you've gotten yourself in a bind.

You could say that again… We're dueling to keep our own bodies against five old business creeps.

The light squeeze of Yugi's hand brought her out of her thoughts and she glanced over, seeing the change as Yugi switched places with Yami. He stared at Gansley as he spoke, never letting go of her hand. "Listen, Gansley. You and your partners won't succeed in trapping my friends here. Mark my words!" He finished off with a clenched fist, holding hers in a gentle yet firm grasp.

"Really? That's if you can keep up with the new rules," he said with a smirk.

"Just try me!"

"Very well! You remember the demonstration of our patented deck master system of our duel, don't you? It begins with each of us picking a monster to serve as our deck master for the duration of the duel," Gansley explained. "And since I've already taken the form of a monster, lucky me, I will serve as both the duelist and the deck master. Now, it's time for you two to build your virtual decks."

"With what?" Yami asked.

"With these." Rows of cards materialized in front of both Yami and Jessica, making them both stare at them in surprise. "Your cards aren't valid in this world. So you'll have to build a new deck from our card database. When you see a card you desire, simply touch it."

Jessica glanced over at Yami and saw him touch a card with familiar patterning, the Dark Magician. She bit her lip and looked at the cards scrolling in front of her face. This was it. She was about to duel at the risk of her life, and all she had to do was build a deck under pressure. She didn't see any cards she outright recognized and she could feel Malekos' presence in her mind attempting to soothe her nerves, and she took a deep breath. She instead focused on what little she knew about the game from what she watched and from what both Yugi and Yami taught her. She would have to pick a set number of monsters, traps, and spells in order to build a balanced deck. She began to touch any card that caught her eye or looked interesting, keeping in mind the star amounts of some of the monsters. She couldn't have too many high leveled monsters without weaker monsters to summon them. She had just pressed what seemed like her fortieth card when the rows disappeared, making her gasp.

"Alright, let's begin this duel." Yami raised his duel disk arm and his deck materialized into its place in the duel disk.

As a duel disk and her new deck materialized on her left arm, she couldn't help but glance worriedly at Yami. He caught her gaze and she opened her mouth to speak. "I've never dueled in my life. I've just made a deck under pressure and I'm about to risk my life on what I hope is an adequate deck from what little I know about Duel Monsters. I think I'm screwed," she told him as she scrunched up her face.

He gave her a reassuring smile as he gave her hand a quick squeeze. "As long as you believe in yourself and the Heart of the Cards, you'll do just fine. And I will be here every step of the way."

And I'll be here to make sure you don't screw anything up.

Thanks, she sarcastically shot at Malekos, who only huffed at her in response. She gave a tiny smile to Yami and nodded, and they let go of each other's hands. They would need both their hands for this duel.

"How touching. You still need to choose your deck master," Gansley cut in, making Jessica frown again. "Each monster card has its own deck master ability under our new system. Of course, I won't tell you what those abilities are. You'll have to figure that out for yourself!"

Following Yami's lead, she took her deck out of her duel disk and shuffled through her cards. She splayed them out between her hands as she glanced over each monster card, wondering just who she should pick. With Gansley being no help at all, she wasn't sure what monster to choose from. She took a brief moment to watch as Kuriboh bounced out of the deck in Yami's hand and he had to explain that he didn't choose it, but Kuriboh looked like it wanted to help so Yami allowed it to stay. She turned her attention back to her cards and she allowed her gut to guide her fingers to a card.

"Bujingi Wolf will be my Deck Master," she announced as the card flashed and out popped a life-sized Bujingi Wolf, which howled at her side. She placed her deck back in her duel disk. She exchanged a glance with Yami and they nodded before turning their attention back to Gansley.

"Suit yourself. As you know, I've chosen Deep Sea Warrior," Gansley explained. "He's powerful and ruthless like me. But enough chatting. Let's get down to business!" They activated their duel disks and their life counters started off at 4000. "I think I'll go first if you don't mind." He drew his first five cards and summoned one face-down in defense mode before ending his turn. "What fun would it be if I wiped out everything you own so soon? It's your move, Yugi. But it's only a matter of time before I wipe out all your life points."

Jessica listened as Gansley and Yami bickered about corporate speeches and Duel Monsters before Yami was urged to make his first move. He drew his first five cards and summoned one to the field in attack mode, and out popped his Obnoxious Celtic Guardian. He placed another card face-down and she was curious about what he was hiding, but she knew she wouldn't be able to ask. She just hoped she would be able to work together with his strategy without ruining things for the both of them in the process. She watched as he sent his monster to attack Gansley's, and it was easily destroyed. But Gansley didn't seem all that worried as he smirked. With his card gone, he explained that the attacker has to discard one card while he places another monster face-down in defense mode.

And it was her turn now. She took in a deep breath and let it out slowly as she drew her first five cards. She glanced through them briefly, reading their descriptions as fast as she could as she felt the pressure of both Yami and Gansley's stares boring into her skull. She had drawn Umbramirage the Elemental Lord, Black Pendant, Kunai with Chain, Beast King Barbaros, and Lunalight White Rabbit. Out of the three monsters she had drawn, only one of them was a low enough level to summon without a sacrifice. She needed a defense to keep herself from losing life points, so she had no choice but to give up using one of the monster's effects. She could use its second effect later.

"I summon a monster face-down in defense and place another card face-down. And end my turn," she announced, watching as both the cards she had placed down materialized in front of her on the field. She just hoped she could hold out long enough.

And the duel begins. Some of the cards you may recognize as Naomi's cards from my other story Feathers of the Raven, I just decided to use her deck here lol.

As an apology for the long wait, I will upload the rest of the duel along with this chapter.