Staying in the Background

by Emblemfan1

Ren Cambell awakes in the GX universe. However, why should he get involved with the plot? Everything's going to be fine anyway if he stays away from the protagonists, right? He's just a background character in this world. He's got a second chance to live his best life. Become a pro duelist, get a girlfriend and get rich off card games. Wait... Who's that other guy? (Self-Insert/OC)

5. Chapter 5

Staying in the Background

Early Days - A Matter of Pride

"All written down on the pages I read. Look for nothing but a reason why. Hmm hmhm hm hm hmm hmmmm…"

I was in a good mood. As I walked through the academy corridors, singing what I could remember of a dubbed anime opening, I couldn't keep the smile from my face.

For the first time since coming to this academy, things were calm. It had been a week and a half since my duel with Logan and I hadn't been roped into any duels I didn't want. Sure, I'd played a few matches against some of my fellow Ras but none of them were canon characters so I could enjoy myself without worrying about doing something to disrupt the lives of the main characters.

I'd even taken up running in the evenings, with Professor Sartyr's written permission of course. He probably shouldn't allow a student to go out at night but for some reason, he seemed desperate to please any Ra under his care. I'm sure there was a canon reason for his behaviour, but I couldn't remember what it was. Eh, I got the chance to stay fit so I couldn't complain.

Today though, I was excited. I was finally going to go and see the card shop. Yes, I know that a week and a half is a long time not to go and visit one place but between hanging out with Dimitri, doing homework, and actively avoiding the main characters, my time was taken up. In fairness, at some point, I'm going to have to duel Jaden. There are only so many excuses a guy can make before you just come off as rude. Last weekend I told him I had to call home and check up on my cat. My family doesn't even own a cat.

But today, I was in the clear. Bastion was locked up in his room, working on a 'duel formula'. I'd heard the Slifer trio say they were going to be fishing, Dimitri was apparently doing research on someone new he wanted to emulate and, best of all, Logan was still off sulking somewhere and keeping out of trouble.

When sitting at lunch the other day, Syrus happened to pass by and decided to join me. Turns out the kid was quite the gossip. I'd barely said hello before he started telling me all about how, outside of lessons, Logan holed himself up in his room. His roommates were apparently freaked out by him. I'll admit, I was a little jealous. If he kept this up, he'd become a fully established background character. Maybe I should take a page from his book and hide in the Ra dorm at every opportunity? Nah, better not to be a hermit at fifteen.

Anyway, Logan had been refusing to hang out with the Slifer boys. That was the gist of what Syrus said. I suppose he was trying to avoid the mob of blue students who had taken to teasing him about how Zane had refused to duel him, and how he'd thrown a fit when our duel was inconclusive. Still, it felt like there was something more to it. Like I should be worried.

But there was time for that later. For now, I wanted my new card fix. I strolled up to the third floor where I'd heard the shop to be and was immediately welcomed by a quaint little with bright green walls and a polished hardwood floor, giving it a hard contrast to the metallic blue of the rest of the academy. Surprisingly enough, it seemed I was the only student here.

There wasn't much except for a long counter and a vending machine. To the right of the counter, there were lines of readymade sandwiches and various other snacks that students could purchase in their downtime. However, I was more interested in what was on the left. Card! So many different packs, some I knew and some I didn't, lined the cabinets. There were even a few lone cards on display. They cost a little more than the packs, but I noticed they were all either powerful monsters or cards that would provide good support in a tight situation.

"Are you just going to gawk, or are you going to buy something?"

The sudden voice made me jump, my head snapping around to the cashier who was now struggling to hold back her laughter.

"Sorry, didn't mean to scare you," she said in between her giggles. "You alright, tough guy?"

"Yeah," I said, feeling my heartbeat like a drum. "You shouldn't sneak up on someone like that."

"I've been here the entire time," the girl replied. "You were just making goo-goo eyes at the cards."

"Yes, well they are very pretty," I said, turning my head so that she couldn't see my burning face. I did take a quick peek at the cashier. She looked to be around my age, maybe a year older and was pretty cute. Her long brown hair was tied up in a ponytail whilst two bangs fell at the front, framing her face. She was wearing a pink shirt and a blue miniskirt that was held up by suspenders of all things. On her head, she wore an open cap with the Duel Academy logo on it. Her brown eyes drew me in, watching me with an amused curiosity. She looked familiar but I couldn't place her. Looking at her now though, I wished I paid more attention to the show.

"So, are you going to buy anything?" she asked again, her lips tugging up in a smirk.

"Yep," I answered far too quickly. God, I was such a creep. She knew I'd been checking her out. Although, she didn't seem that angry. "I'll take three packs of Dragon's Drive and Dark Revelation Vol 3. Also, could I buy that?" I asked, pointing to one of the cards on display.

The cashier looked over to where I was pointing, and her eyes widened. "Are you sure? That card is expensive. Plus, you may get lucky with the Dragon's Drive packs. It should be in there."

"Better to be safe than sorry," I replied. "Besides, I should just be able to cover it."

"Make sure you have enough for food," the girl warned. She took the packs regardless. "How will you be paying?"

"Can I do cash for the packs, and my duel points for the card?" I asked, feeling a little satisfaction when the girl nodded.

"That should be fine," she said with a smile.

One of the best things I'd discovered about Duel Academy was that were two ways of paying for things. You could use money, just like anywhere else, or you could use currency known as duel points (DP for short). It turns out our duel disks were linked to our PDAs. When we played a duel, the outcome was recorded to our devices and DP was handed out depending on the outcome (Just like the games!). I thought it was pretty clever. It could be hard to get cash as students on a remote island, so the academy had implemented this method to make up for it. It meant that in order to buy new cards to update your strategy, you had to earn them through duelling. You were literally forced to play the game and get better if you didn't want to fork over the cash you needed for the 'important' things in life. Ha, like anything was more important than trading cards. Hey, I'm not crying, you're crying!

Once I'd paid, the girl passed me my packs and new card. "If you want, there's an area over there where you can open your packs." She pointed over to a small partition I hadn't previously noticed. I saw several raised seats around a built-in platform in the wall.

"Cool, I'll do that," I said with a smile.

"I hope you get what you're looking for," the cashier said, flashing me her own charming smile.

"Thanks. You too." I paused, realising just what I had said. "No! I mean…"

Thankfully, she laughed again, apparently seeing the funny side of my slip up. "Don't worry, I do that all the time. I'll see you later."

"Yeah… See you later…"

In a bit of a daze, I headed over to the seating area and took a place close to the wall. I sat stock-still for a single moment before slamming my head onto the platform. 'That was so bad! I'm such a simp! I didn't even get her name!' I internally screamed. No, now was not the time to worry about a girl. I had children's trading card packs to open!

I opened the three Dragon's Drive without much luck. The cards were alright but nothing to call home about. I don't think I'll be that pack again. I was however very happy with the three packs of Revelations. I managed to score myself a copy of Divine Dragon Ragnarok, a card I'd been looking for, for a while. I also managed to get a few new spells and traps that would be useful and a certain level monster had me very excited. Perhaps I could order the others online to complete the set?

With my spoils, I set about updating my deck again. It seemed to be the thing I did most at this school. Then again, that was part of the curriculum. Duel; get cards; adapt deck; rinse and repeat. I made a mental note to return to the dorm later to retrieve a card from my trunk that I could now make use of.

"That should do it," I said with satisfaction, doing a quick practice draw to make sure the balance was right.

"Finally done?" Again, I jumped in my seat before turning to find the cashier was behind me with a cup of coffee in her hands.

"You've got a bad habit of sneaking up on people," I said, trying hard not to smile.

"You've got a bad habit of staring at your cards. You spent so long looking at that Buster Blader of yours I thought I might have to lend you the room," the girl said with a giggle.

I didn't justify that with a response. "Are you on break?"

"Not really. But there isn't anyone else here, so I thought I'd check up on you," she said before taking a sip of her drink. "What's your name anyway?"

"I'm Ren, it's nice to meet you."

"Likewise. I'm Sadie." she pointed to the nametag I had apparently missed on her shirt. Sadie! That was it. I knew I recognised her. She was normally with Dorothy in the show. Although I had thought she was older. She looked so young. "You must be a freshman," the girl continued, oblivious to my thoughts.

"Is it the youthful good looks?" I asked with a smirk.

"Nah, you just see a lot of faces working here. I haven't seen you around, so you were either a freshman or a transfer student. I took my shot." She shrugged her shoulders playfully.

"You hit the mark. Are you a… senior?" I asked.

"Ooph, so close. Sophomore."

"Damn. So how come you're working here?" I asked. I put away my cards and gestured for her to sit down next to me, which she did.

"Why else? Need the money. School doesn't pay for itself," she said a little wistfully. "Took the job during my first year and have been here ever since."

"The benefits must be good though. I bet you get some good discounts on cards," I said, nodding over to the counter.

Sadie chuckled before shaking her head. "I do, but I don't use it. I'm not really interested in Duel Monsters."

What? Someone in the Yu-Gi-Oh universe who wasn't obsessed with the game. Why did that seem like so much of a shock? I mean, it was natural not to like a game, but we're talking about a game that was seemingly beloved by all.

"But-?"

"But then why am I at a school focused around the game? I want to be a teacher. And despite its curriculum, the academy does open some pretty big doors into the field. The professors have said they would be happy to reference me if I find something after my final year. Plus, who doesn't want to live on a tropical island for three years and chill by the beach on the weekends?"

"I suppose so," I mused. "Why a teacher, if you don't mind me asking?"

Sadie smiled, looking away from me to something only she could see. "It's not anything big. I looked up to my teachers when I was a kid. They were kind and supported me. I want to be able to do that for other kids. Give back, y'know?"

"That's really admirable," I said, a little in awe of this girl in front of me. It was strange. She was a background character like me, and yet she was passionate about her own hopes and dreams. She was working hard to achieve them and was well on the way too. I knew there were so many people on this island with their own quirks that made them unique in the show but spending just five minutes talking to Sadie showed me just how normal she was. She was funny and had a quick wit, not to mention that seemed very down to earth. It was a refreshing turn of pace from what I'd already seen at this crazy school. I couldn't help but wonder if there were more people like her at the academy. I wanted to get to know more about her.

"Hey, I don't suppose-"

"Ahem."

We both paused and turned to see that someone else had come into the card shop. The uncrowned queen of Obelisk Blue was stood by the partition with an unamused look on her face and her arms crossed. I felt a cold chill run down my spine being caught in her gaze.

"Sorry to interrupt, but I was hoping to buy some cards," she said, her tone flat. Her eyes darted between me and Sadie questioningly.

For a moment, Sadie was frozen like a deer in headlights before she regained her composure. "I'll be right with you. Sorry about the wait." Before she left, she quickly turned back to me. "Until next time, see you soon."

Before I could reply, she was gone. Alexis stayed still for a couple of seconds. It looked like she wanted to say something. I gave a half-hearted wave, trying to be friendly, and her glare intensified.

"Hmph." Dismissively, the Obelisk Queen turned on her heel and approached the now manned counter.

"What the hell was that about?" I asked myself quietly. The way Alexis had acted there reminded me a little of her Society of Light persona. She had been strangely cold. This early in the canon, she should act nothing like that. Did her strange attitude have something to do with Logan? No, that didn't make sense. As far as knew anyway. She always seemed friendly towards others in the class. Maybe it was just me she didn't like. Couldn't think of why though.

Eh, I've never been very good with women. Seems like it was a trait I'd brought kicking and screaming from my previous life. Lucky me, I'm good at card games and suck when it comes to girls. Bring on the NEET lifestyle. No point in thinking about that now though.

There was nothing else for me to do here. With a heavy sigh, I got up and walked towards the door. Maybe I could persuade Dimitri to give me a duel.

---

Alexis watched from the corner of her eye as Cambell slunk out of the card shop, disappearing around the corner. Now that he was gone, she let out the breath she didn't know she'd been holding. She hadn't expected him to be at the card shop. When she'd felt the urge to try and improve her deck, he was the last person she wanted to run into.

"How can I help you today?" Sadie, the cashier today in Ms Dorothy's absence, looked at her with a friendly smile, as if Alexis hadn't just interrupted her conversation.

"Um, five packs of Dark Revelations please."

"Hmm, that's a popular pack today. That guy just bought the same." The brunette chuckled to herself as she went over to the display case to fetch the packs.

"Yeah… I'm sorry if I was a bit rude. You two were talking and-"

"Oh, that was no worry," Sadie interrupted, waving off the apology. "I should have been behind the counter anyway, so I'm more at fault than you."

"Still…" Alexis knew she was getting a reputation with the Obelisk girls for being an 'ice queen' due to the fact she didn't spend a lot of time with people outside of her immediate friendship group. She didn't really want to add any more fuel to those rumours.

"So, what's the story between you two?" Sadie asked suddenly asked.

"Excuse me?" Alexis asked, her eyes widening.

"Well, I've seen you a lot since the beginning of the year," she explained. "You're always really calm and polite. But it looked ready to tear that guy a new one. Just seems a little out of character for you."

Alexis eyed Sadie carefully. She'd seen her around the Obelisk Blue dorm and had also chatted to her a few times while she was working. They didn't know each other very well but they say it's easier to talk to strangers than it is with your friends.

"And I thought I was being subtle," she finally said, letting out a huff of air.

"You must spell 'subtle' in all caps," Sadie said with a laugh. "You know, I've heard a lot of people talking about him over the last few days. Talking about how he has all these rare cards and showed up that Slifer who defeated Dr Crowler in one move. I didn't realise it was him until I saw his Buster Blader. Everyone seems to think highly of him. But for some reason, you don't. So, what happened?"

"Nothing that I should let bother me. It was years ago," Alexis admitted with a huff. "It's weird. Whenever I see him, I just feel angry. Angry and frustrated." In truth, she couldn't quite place the feeling really. She just knew it was negative.

"Oh?" Sadie was curious but Alexis didn't want to go into the full story here in the card shop. It would just put her in a bad mood for the rest of the day. However, maybe she could paraphrase it.

"Let me ask you this. If you saw someone do something, and it contradicted with what you believed in, how would you feel?"

"Pretty pissed, I guess," Sadie replied, scanning the card packs Alexis had requested. For a moment, Alexis felt a little elated that someone agreed with her but then the shop clerk kept talking. "But you said this was years ago, right?"

"Yeah," the blonde said, unsure of where this was going.

"How many?"

"About five or six."

"Well, that's a long time." She placed the packs on the counter in a bag, ready to be taken away. "You were both kids. We change when we grow up. Did you even know him personally?"

"No," Alexis confessed.

"Then this seems more like something you're forcing yourself to hold on to. You may feel better if you talk to him. It certainly would make him feel less awkward if you weren't glaring at him all the time."

For the first time during the conversation, Alexis began to feel a little self-conscious. "I wasn't glaring…" she pouted.

"Girl, did you see the way he slunk out of here? He was like a puppy with a tail between his legs. You were glaring," Sadie said with a laugh. "Cash or Duel Points?"

"Duel Points." After tapping her PDA against the card reader, the Queen of Obelisk took the bag from the counter. "So, you think I should just talk to him about it?"

"It wouldn't hurt," Sadie replied, giving her a friendly, reassuring smile.

"Hmm… I'll think about it. I was actually thinking about challenging him to a duel… Him and someone else," Alexis said, a certain Slifer coming to her mind as she turned to leave.

"Hey, whatever floats your boat," Sadie said with a shrug. "Personally, I think talking would be more direct, but you do you. Have a good day. We hope to see you soon."

---

'I was so close,' I moped as half-heartedly listened to Crowler's lecture. It had been a day since my encounter with Alexis and I was still feeling down. Why did she have to arrive at that moment? I really wanted to talk more with Sadie.

"Ah!"

My head snapped round to Bastion, who had stepped on my foot to see him nod to the front of the class, where Crowler was shooting me an angry glare.

"Welcome back, Mr Cambell," Crowler said, making a few of the blues in the back laugh. "Now that you are paying attention, perhaps someone can tell me the different types of Duel Monster cards. Hmm… Alexis if you would please?"

"Yes Dr Crowler," the girl said, standing up from her seat. "Duel Monster cards can be grouped into normal monster cards, fusion monster cards, ritual monster cards…"

I watched Alexis as she stood and answered Dr Crowler's question. I was still trying to work out what her problem was with me. That morning, in my ponderings about Dimitri, I had almost run into her as I entered the classroom. I'll tell you, if looks could kill… brrr.

Initially, I thought she was just in a bad mood but as she greeted her friends, she was once again all smiles and politeness. For some reason, I was the only one getting the cold shoulder. Well, I probably shouldn't complain. I wanted to avoid the main cast after all. Shouldn't look a gift horse in the mouth. Still wonder what I did though to piss her off.

"Perfect!" Crowler chimed as Alexis finished her explanation. "Well done, Alexis. Of course, I wouldn't expect anything less from one of my blue Obelisks."

"Yes, Doctor Crowler," the girl said politely before sitting down. I noticed one of her friends whisper something to her and they shared a giggle. They were probably laughing about that joke of a question. Anyone at this academy should have known that.

'Wait a minute, why does this sound familiar?'

As I racked my brain, Crowler called on Syrus to answer what a field spell was to the class. The boy shot to his feet, desperately rattling of nonsense as he tried to remember the basic info. To his side, Jaden and Logan tried to encourage him.

'Wait, that's it! This is the lecture from the beginning of the third episode! Which means that any second…'

As the others in the class laughed, Crowler finally took pity on the boy and told him to take his seat. "Now, would someone please give me the answer? Preferably someone not wearing red, thank you." Again, the class laughed. Well, with the exception of myself, Bastion and Alexis. Even some of Syrus's fellow Slifers joined in. Blooming traitors.

From my seat, I could see that Syrus looked like he wanted to squirm deeper into his seat, probably wishing he could disappear into his seat. Thankfully, Jaden should be coming to his rescue in 3. 2. 1.

"Y'know Teach, you really shouldn't make fun of us Slifers like that," interrupted Logan.

'Oh, piss on you! That bastard is stealing Jaden's line!' I thought, positively fuming.

Thankfully, before the Lightsworn user could finish, the true protagonist let out a hearty laugh. "That's right, after all, we're slifers and we beat you," he said, putting a chummy arm around Logan's shoulders. "So, when you make fun of us, it's like you're making fun of yourself."

'Good on you, Jaden! Show him who the real protagonist is!'

Down below, Crowler was absolutely livid, his whole body shaking as he probably fought the urge to strangle his students and commit a felony. This was going to be the start of Crowler's career in making Jaden's, and now probably Logan's (Bleh!), school life a living nightmare.

I did take notice, with some satisfaction, that the Lightsworn duellist looked none too pleased with his fellow Slifer for stealing what he probably thought was 'his' moment to look cool in front of the class.

I cast a quick peek up to the obelisk section of the class and did notice that Alexis was staring down towards Jaden with an amused smile on her face. Good, at least her fascination with the hero duelist hadn't been changed. With any luck, tonight she would get her duel with Jaden. But then again, that probably meant that Logan was going to try and interfere, probably try and substitute himself. Oh, that's not going to happen.

I began to rack my brain, remembering every detail I could about the episode. Anything that could help in the event Logan did try to derail canon.

'This is going to be a long day.'

---

I set my plan into motion during P.E. As everyone else went off into the main gym, I asked Bastion to let Ms Fontaine know I was feeling a little ill and just needed the bathroom. Thankfully, Logan had gone with them, so he didn't plan on interrupting just yet. He would probably wait until he was sure Crowler had come by. I managed to find a hiding place in the washroom entrance and waited. It didn't take long.

The obelisk head came bursting into the changing rooms and began opening lockers until he came across the one with Jaden's shoes in, which happened to be in Syrus's locker. He dropped off the false love letter and was gone just as quickly.

A couple of minutes after that, I head the door from the main gym open and sure enough, Logan came in with a smug look on his face. How he'd timed his arrival I would never know but he'd probably made up the excuse of forgetting something to come back in. He was making a beeline for Syrus's locker.

Just before he could reach it, I emerged from the washroom, clutching my stomach, and groaning. Logan froze, caught in the act. When he saw me, his eyes narrowed. He was clearly still annoyed about our duel's lack of result.

"What are you still doing in here?" he hissed.

"Huh? Oh, Logan. What are you doing in here?" I asked, parroting his question whilst trying to sound as sick as possible.

"You answer my question first," he growled, his eyes darting between me and the locker.

"I'm not feeling so good," I lied. "I don't think my lunch agreed with me. I don't suppose you could help me to the nurse's office?"

His eyes widened, actively looking towards the locker and then the clock above the main door. "Can't you go by yourself?"

"I don't think so." To add to the effect, I pretended to dry heave. For the first time during this little exchange, Logan seemed genuinely worried.

"Okay, just give me a minute. I just need to grab-" I dry heaved again, this time falling to my knees for added effect. This finally did the trick. "Fine, fine! Let's go! Just don't puke over me."

He came draped my right arm over his shoulder. Good to know he had a conscience at least. As he escorted me out of the locker room, Syrus entered. He asked if I was alright when he saw us, bless him. Logan, looking very annoyed as he did so, asked Syrus to tell Ms Fontaine I was feeling ill and that he was taking me to the infirmary.

As the boy rushed inside, I felt proud in knowing that for now, I'd preserved the canon. Now for step two.

---

Logan had left me in the infirmary with the nurse on call. After a quick check-up, she sent me back to class, thinking from the symptoms I described I had a bad case of indigestion. It's a bit worrying the staff could be fooled that easily but that also explained how easy it was for people to sneak out of lessons later in the series.

By the dirty look Logan gave me when I got back and the absolute elation on Syrus's features, I took it the younger Truesdale had found the letter and just like in canon, assumed it was for him.

School progressed normally from there. After the final bell, I raced back to the Ra dorm to prepare. I wolfed down dinner and then went upstairs and changed into my running clothes, a black shirt and hoodie and some white shorts. I made sure my pass from Sartyr was with me too. Then I went out to the common area and waited by the window.

One of the things I had found out is that despite the fact we were living on a tropical island, there was only one central path that connected all the main buildings and dorms of the academy. If you were going to the girl's dorm, the fastest and safest route to take from the Slifer dorm was to go past the yellow dorm. And sure enough, a little around half nine, when the stars were beginning to shine, I spotted the short figure of Syrus rush past the window, moving as fast as his little legs could carry him. He was still wearing his uniform, making him stand out against the night.

Surprisingly, Logan passed by about ten minutes later. He moved through the night in a stylish grey jacket and dark jeans. He looked fairly dapper. Someone wanted to show off for the girls. His dark clothes made him harder to spot but I managed to see his shadow in the moonlight.

Honestly, I wasn't expecting him for a little while. I thought he'd come with Jaden to save Syrus. So, what was he doing now? I quickly made my way out of the dorm, following the path Logan had taken.

I managed to catch up to Logan at the lake that surrounded the Girls Dorm. Waiting in the shadow of a bush, I watched as he looked at the many boats that were tied to the small pier. I thought he'd take one, but then he turned and began walking down a path that led around the edge of the water.

With a raised brow, I followed, sticking to the shadow of the trees so that he wouldn't spot me. He stuck close to the lake edge, his head constantly shifting as he looked for something along the lakeshore. Eventually, he came to a small gap in the trees that offered a clear view of the lake and the back of the girls' dorm. He sat down close to a large bush that would probably obscure him from any onlookers. There, he produced from his pocket a small camera.

'Is he planning on peeking? What a creep! No, that wouldn't fit the whole 'noble protagonist' image he's trying to cultivate. So, what is it then?'

I continued to watch him from a little way away, anxious to see what his play was. After a few more minutes, I spotted four figures walking out onto the dorm's pier. While they were a bit far for me to clearly see, it didn't take a genius to realise they were Alexis, Jasmine and Mindy with the bound Syrus.

It was at this moment I noticed a boat moving across the boat, undoubtedly Jaden coming to save his roommate. However, it was then that Logan raised his camera, a mad grin on his face, and I realised what his plan was.

He was going to take a picture of Jaden at the girls' dorm! Proof that the Slifer had broken a rule that would result in expulsion. If he got Jaden expelled, then Logan could use his knowledge of the series to slip into his place, becoming the de facto protagonist! Okay, this may have been a jump in logic, but I wasn't taking any chances.

There was no time to think, had to act. Instincts don't let me down!

I pulled up my hood and ran forward. "Hey! What the hell are you doing here?" I cried. Thankfully, we were too far for the five canon characters to hear, but Logan looked ready to jump out of his skin. He turned and saw me. I'd lowered my voice, but my acting skills were terrible. I just hoped the combination of the dark and my hood obscured me enough that he wouldn't notice who I was.

"Who are you? Is that a camera? You pervert!" I continued, not giving the now pale Logan a chance to answer. "I'm calling campus security!" As I pulled out my PDA, Logan covered his face with his arms and bolted, running as fast he could back in the direction he'd come from. Hopefully, this would put a stop to any plans he had tonight, but I decided to stay on guard anyway.

Out on the lake, I watched as the duel between Alexis and Jaden commenced. It was thrilling to see Flame Wingman and Cyber Blader go at each other. I got so into it, I had to stop myself from cheering when Thundergiant took the field. I did have to wonder just how Alexis and Jaden were able to remain standing on those small boats. You would have thought the simplest shake would have sent them tumbling into the drink.

'Eh, I'll put it down to anime physics and call it a day.'

As the duel ended, the full moon came out. It was late now, almost 11:30. If I didn't get back to my dorm soon, people may wonder where I'd been so late. As Alexis and Jaden said goodbye to each other, I got up from my hiding spot and headed back. Nothing could go wrong tonight now.

---

"Yeah, you got game," Jaden said as he took his seat alongside Syrus in their own boat. "Later." With that, the hero duelist began to row back to shore, Syrus giving Alexis and her friends a nervous wave as they got further away.

Alexis merely smiled, having enjoyed her duel with the hero duelist greatly. She had never imagined him to be so strong. She was glad that such an opportunity had fallen into her lap. And besides, even if she had won their duel, there was no way she could turn in the two slifers. The school was a lot more interesting with them than without.

A tired yawn escaped her as she turned back to the red-headed Jasmine and the dark-haired Mindy. "Alright, girls let's finally get some sleep. I don't know about you but I'm exhausted."

"Yeah!" Mindy cheered. Jasmine, on the other hand, was squinting over at the far side of the lake.

"Jas, is everything alright?" Alexis asked.

"Yeah… I just thought I saw something move." Suddenly, she gasped. "There is! There's someone over there! I just saw him in the moonlight!"

Alexis's head snapped around. Was someone else trying to sneak into the girl dorm? What if they had seen Jaden? They could easily report him! "Let's go and take a look!" she said, sitting down and grabbing one of the oars.

"What? But shouldn't we call security this time?" Jasmine asked although she sat down too so that she wouldn't fall over the edge.

"No time!" Alexis barked as she and Mindy began to row. "We need to cut them off before they can get away."

---

"Well, that was surprisingly easy," I remarked to myself. "Stopped Logan from messing with canon. I got to see Jaden and Alexis in action, and I didn't get caught doing it. I've got this stealth thing nailed."

As I passed through the trees, I felt a stir in my chest. A pride that I'd managed to finally keep things on track. I was riding high. Hang on, why do I hear paddling water?

"Hey, you! Stop where you are!"

And the feeling was gone.

My head whipped round to see none other than Alexis, Jasmine and Mindy glaring at me from the lakeshore. They were still in their boat, but the blonde was stood up, pointing at me.

'Can I go one night without having some meaningful contact with a main character? Just one?'

I suppose I should have run. But guilty people run. I am not guilty. I stood my ground and put my hands up, watching as Alexis and Jasmine came to ashore and marched towards me.

"Can I help you, ladies?" I asked, trying to act as nonchalantly as possible. I lowered my hood; it was best to act like I had nothing to hide. However, the moment she saw my face, Alexis stiffened, and her eyes flared with anger. Seriously, what was her problem with me? "Can I help you with something?"

"We should be asking you that!" Jasmine interrupted. "Why are you trespassing in the girls' dorm?"

"Um… I'm not." I lowered my arms and pointed towards the dorm in question. "Your dorm is over there I believe."

"Oh, you're a smart guy, are you?" the bad-tempered Jasmine stepped forward but was stopped when Alexis stepped forward and placed her arm in her path.

"Why are you here?" she asked, suspicion etched in her tone.

"I was out on a run," I replied. "I try to fit one in every night before bed. It keeps me fit, y'know? Here, I have a pass from Professor Sartyr if that helps prove my innocence." I fished the pass from my pocket and handed it to the blonde. She looked it over, seeming somewhat unhappy, before handing it back.

"That may prove you have permission to be out here, but it's still suspicious your out this late and far from your dorm." A sly smirk quickly spread on her lips. "Tell you what, duel me. If you win, I'll believe your story. If not, we'll report you."

"Again?" Jasmine cried, looking at the blonde with disbelief.

Interesting, she wanted to duel me in the same way she duelled Jaden. Did she want to test my skills too? Not very original. There was only one thing to do in this situation.

I laughed in her face.

"You must be kidding me," I said through my laughter. "It's near enough midnight. I want to go home. I'm not duelling anyone."

The look on Alexis's face almost brought on another fit of laughter. Her eyes were wide and her mouth hanging. It was like my response hadn't even occurred to her. "But – but we'll report you. You'll be expelled."

"Please, I'm nowhere near the girls' dorm. Furthermore, you've already seen my pass. I'm in the clear. Couldn't say the same for you three. What exactly are you all doing in a boat, on the lake in the middle of the night?"

The three looked at each other. They knew I was right and had no response. At this point, I was the one in the right and they were the students breaking the rules. Still, Alexis persisted.

"You're a duelist though! You should meet any challenge." Her eyes were sharp. She was clearly growing frustrated with my unwillingness to accept her proposal. Was she worried I'd seen her duelling Jaden? Was she doing all this to protect him? Maybe she'd back down if I showed her I wasn't going to tell anyone about their late-night escapade.

"Not at this time of night. Besides, I don't even have my cards on me. I'm not going to duel you." I gave a tired and very real yawn as I stretched my back. "Look, I'm going to bed. I suggest you guys do the same or you'll be knackered tomorrow. I won't tell anyone I saw you, or anyone else, on the lake. If you still want to duel, hit me up with a duel request. I hope you all have a good night." Without waiting for her reply, I walked on past. I'd added that last bit knowing she wouldn't send the request. If she was only worried about Jaden, then my promise to keep quiet would pacify her and I could slip back into the background.

For now, I just wanted to sleep.

---

"So, can we go to bed now?" Mindy complained as Alexis and Jasmine re-joined her in the boat. Alexis barely listened, instead, she gazed off in the direction Cambell had gone. She was, to put it kindly, miffed. She'd finally gotten the chance to duel and confront him and he'd slipped through her fingers.

Duelling was supposed to help people understand each other. It brought people together. That's what Atticus had taught her. And yet Cambell had avoided it. Maybe he didn't have his cards on him, but he still could have offered to meet up on another occasion. Instead, he'd told her to send him a duel request. Something he could still reject. There was no pride in that. And to think, for a moment she thought he'd changed from the boy who'd sacrificed his pride because things were hard. He was just forcing her to jump through hoops. It was infuriating!

And she had been in such a good mood up until then too!

No! Ren Cambell would duel her. She'd play his game for now, but when they did face each other, she'd make him pay for spitting in the face of the principles she held so dear.

---

'Son of a bitch she actually did it!'

It was the next morning and I was just on my way to the academy when a message came in on my PDA. It was a duel request from Alexis, demanding I duel her after classes were up for the day in the obelisk blue arena. I immediately declined. I said it before, and I'll say it again. No more duelling main characters. I wasn't doing it. No more. Nope. Nada. I'll even say it in Spanish, no.

I continued on my way, managing to walk through the gates before my PDA dinged again. It was another duel request. "She's persistent, I'll give her that. Still a no though." Again, I declined and moved on. For a while, everything was silent.

And then it began.

Every ten minutes in class, she sent another of those blasted duel requests. At first, my ringer was on, so initially, the class was interrupted by the sound of my PDA letting me know I'd received a new message. After the second ring, I switched it so that the device only vibrated. But that just made it more awkward as those beside me could still hear it going off and would look at me with annoyance.

Now and again, I would turn to glance at the Obelisk Queen only to see her looking down at me with a proud smirk. Once she even gave a sarcastic wave. The message was clear. She was not going to stop until I accepted the request. Ha, so she was making this a battle of wills. She underestimated my tenacity. I turned off my phone. Her barrage of requests couldn't faze me now.

"Oh, and before we finish today, there is a duel request for you Mr Cambell," Professor Sartyr said, holding up a sheet of paper as he finished our second-period lecture.

'Oh, come on!'

I was forced to walk down from my place in the lecture hall to the bottom of the class and retrieve the written form, filled out in triplicate, and return to my seat, enduring the watching eyes of my peers. I noticed Logan, who had turned up today looking remarkably peeved, giving me the evil eye. Had he worked out it was me last night? Something to worry about later.

As our first break came around, I suddenly found myself assaulted by a barrage of questions by none other than everyone's favourite hero duelist.

"So, whose challenging you?" he asked excitedly. He'd come over as soon as the bell rang. It seemed he was just as thrilled watching duels as he was competing in them.

"It doesn't matter. I don't plan on accepting it anyway," I said dismissively.

"What? But you've got to. If someone's gone out of their way to challenge you, you should take them up on it. Trust me, I've seen those forms. They do not look fun to fill out."

"It's not that I don't want to take them up on the challenge," I lied, "It's just that I'm not feeling up to it. I'm just a bit tired, y'know? I want to head back my dorm and relax."

"But there's nothing more relaxing than a duel!" Jaden said cheerily. "C'mon, you've got to show me who's challenging you. If you don't duel them, then I will."

"Wait, Jaden no!"

Before I could stop him, he'd already snatched up the form and had read it over. "Wait, Alexis is the one who wants to duel?"

"Yeah…" I said dejectedly. I could already see where this conversation was going.

"You've got to take her up on it, man. She can play. I even had a match against her last…"

"Jaden!" Syrus, who had been standing next to his excitable roommate the entire time, suddenly cut Jaden off.

Remembering he wasn't supposed to talk about his duel on the lake, Jaden quickly amended his statement. "I mean, I had a match against her recently and it was really fun. She's got game. You really should give it a go."

An honest smile spread across my features. "I don't doubt it. I'm just not up for it today. Maybe another time." I took the form back and crumpled it. I planned on trashing it when Professor Sartyr called me asking for help moving some equipment to his next class.

"I'll be right there," I called before turning to Jaden. "Look man, could you please just chuck this for me. I'll see you in a bit."

Jaden took the paper hesitantly but nonetheless gave me a nod. "Sure. Hey, want to hang out after class today? I know you said you wanted to relax, well me and Sy are planning to watch a movie later." Beside him, I could have sworn that the smaller, blue-haired boy looked confused, but I dismissed it.

At that moment Sartyr called me again, forcing me to rush. A film couldn't hurt, right? "Uh… sure, a movie sounds good. I'll see you in a bit."

"Yeah man, catch you later!" Jaden called as he watched me leave.

---

After the break, I didn't receive another request. Thankfully, it seemed Alexis had given up. I was home free. So why did I feel a sense of dread setting in? During class, I cast a quick lookup to the Obelisk Queen to see she had a placid smile on her features. Had something happened that made her give up?

As soon as the day was over, Jaden, and by extension, Syrus and Chumley raced over to me. "C'mon man, let's go!" the hero duelist cheered.

"You're awfully excited about a movie," I said, finding his excitement charming.

"Yeah, well it's a good movie."

"Oh, what are we watching."

"You'll see," Jaden said as he literally dragged me from my seat and began guiding me out of the class. Holy crap the guy was strong!

"Jaden! Hey, wait!" the Slifer practically led me out of the class and down the corridor. Strangely enough, we passed the stairs leading to the front gates. "Um… we've gone past the stairs. You know… to leave…"

"Yeah… about that… Chumley!"

"On it!" The koala-like teen suddenly came up on the other side of me and grabbed my other arm, stopping any chance of escape. And at that moment, it clicked.

"No! You didn't!" I cried, trying desperately to squirm free.

"It's for your own good," Jaden chimed as Syrus ran up took the duel disk from my backpack and fixed it to my arm.

"No, it's not! You just want to watch a duel!" I wailed.

"Well, I won't lie, that is part of it," he said with a cheesy grin.

'Ah! Where are the teachers when you need them? Doctor Crowler! Save me!'

They pulled a sharp right and I was led into the Obelisk Blue duel arena. It was just as I remembered it from the anime. A large, risen stage surrounded by pews of seats so wide that could easily have fit a few hundred people. And standing on that risen stage was none other than Alexis, duel disk on her arm and ready to duel. Jasmine and Mindy had taken seats directly behind her and were shooting me smug grins.

"Jaden, one day, I hope you understand the level of anger I am feeling," I growled. I didn't actually hope that, knowing exactly what would happen when he did but I was feeling dramatic.

"Oh, don't be like that. You're going to have fun. Just get up there," the Slifer said as he and Chumley led me up to the platform before letting me go. "Break a leg," he said cheerily before he and Chumley headed over to the seats with Syrus.

"Oh, I'm going to be breaking someone's leg," I whispered under my breath before I turned to my apparent opponent. Alexis looked upon me with a victorious smirk. She had gotten exactly what she wanted.

"So, you finally showed up," she said all dramatic like.

"Classes ended about three minutes ago. Did you run here?" I asked, feeling snarky.

"Better than being strongarmed," she shot back.

"Look, I didn't accept your request. I don't want to duel you," I said, holding my arms up in surrender. However, this only seemed to anger the girl.

"Just what I should have expected. You don't have a drop of pride in you! I don't know why I bothered with this!"

"Hey, don't talk about me like you know me," I returned, my own anger flaring. "We hadn't talked before yesterday. I don't even know you and yet ever since the beginning of the year, you've been shooting me dirty looks. At first, I dismissed it because I didn't think it mattered, but now I want to know, just what is your problem with me?"

This seemed to momentarily stump her. She looked down, her expression unreadable. However, soon enough she once again met my gaze. "How about this, if you win, I'll leave you alone. If I win, you answer a question," she said, readying her duel disk.

"That's it? I'll do that now!" I cried but Alexis shook her head. Her damn pride not allowing her to accept the easy way out. A low growl escaped me before I raised my disk and inserted my deck. "Fine, have it your way."

"DUEL!" (Alexis: 4000LP/Ren: 4000LP)

"Finally! That took forever!" Jaden cried although we both ignored him.

"Ladies first," Alexis said as she drew her first card. "I'll summon Cyber Tutu (1000/800) and play two face downs." On her field landed a girl with short pink hair wearing a red and white bodysuit with pink ballet slippers. Over her head was a visor, protecting her eyes. It seemed the card shared its owner's animosity towards me as it sent a scowl towards me. Damn these holograms are emotive. "I'll end my turn with that."

"Then it's my go," I said, drawing my card.

"You had better not hold back," Alexis said, her eyes steely.

"I know better than to do that against you," I said without thinking. I didn't notice her stare change from anger to confusion, I was too focused on my cards. My hand wasn't great, it certainly allowed me to do some things, but it lacked protection for the monsters I could summon. But with my draw…

"Alright, hope you're listening as this is gonna get complicated. I'll start by summoning the Skilled White Magician (1700/1900)!" A man in a white robe and hood appeared. He held a long-orbed staff in his right hand and there were three blue jewels attached to his robe. "Now, I'll use the effect of the King of the Swamp in my hand, discarding it to add Polymerization from my deck to my hand. Which I'll then activate! From my hand, I fuse the Summoned Skull and a second King of the Swamp to form Black Skull Dragon (3200/2500)!"

Purple lightning struck the field as my dragon rose to the field, its black bone carapace just as terrifying as when I'd summoned it against Logan. As my dragon hit the field, one of the gems on my magician's robe began to glow. I had gotten lucky to have two King of the Swamps in my starting hand. Upon seeing my dragon, Alexis flinched, her gaze falling to one of her face downs which I could place money on being Doble Passe, her favourite trap at this point in the canon. It was such a bad card, but she knew how to make it work.

"Now, I'll activate Mystical Space Typhoon to destroy the set card on the right!" The card was exactly as I thought, and Doble Passe shattered. Again, another gem began to glow on my magician's robe.

"That was a strong start," Alexis admitted. "But you've almost used up your hand."

Her grin fell when she saw my smirk. "Good to know you think I'm careless. I play Card of Demise! I draw until I have five cards in my hand, but on my fifth standby phase after activation, I lose my entire hand." Thankfully, it had its anime effect so not only did I get good drawing power, but Alexis would take full damage. I drew my new cards and the final gem on my magician's robe started to shine. "Now, you're probably wondering why my magician has lit up like a Christmas tree. It's because three spell cards have been played, giving three counters."

"I know what the card does. I've been playing this game for a long time," Alexis deadpanned.

"Ah, okay then. In which case I'll just move along. I'll use his effect to tribute him to summon Buster Blader (2600/2300)!" From the ground burst my black armoured warrior, his sword slung over his back. Behind me, Jaden and the Slifers gave some cheers of encouragement.

"That was… a good move," Alexis said reluctantly. "In one turn you managed to get your strongest monsters on the field."

"You did tell me not to hold back," I said. "Now I'll show you why that was a mistake. Black Skull Dragon, attack Cyber Tutu!" My dragon opened its maw and fired off a blast of electrified plasma towards the panicking girl.

"I activate my face down! Negate Attack!" Alexis cried as a barrier of energy formed around her monster, stopping my dragon's attack instantly. "I'm sure you know, but it not only stops your attack but also your battle phase."

"I'm aware. I'll also set two cards and end my turn." I slapped the two cards down. I could have won there and then. If I had gone for the other face down with MST, this would already be over. I'd let myself be drawn into taking out Doble Passe. It was a mistake I wouldn't let happen again.

Alexis drew her next card and smirked. "I play Pot of Greed!" she drew two cards, and her grin grew. "Now let me show you a real fusion monster, I play my own Polymerization! I fuse the Blade Skater and Etoile Cyber in my hand to summon Cyber Blader (2100/ 800)!" On Alexis's field appeared a beautiful woman in a purple and red leotard with ice skates on her feet. She had long purple hair and a red visor over her eyes that obscured them from view. Behind Alexis, her friends cheered now that she had her ace monster at her side. Jaden also let out a cheer for he was truly neutral in this fight.

I grit my teeth knowing exactly what this card could do.

"Now, my Blader's effect depends on the number of monsters on your field," Alexis explained. "Since you have two, her attack points double!" Cyber Blader let out a cry as a red aura surrounded her, boosting her points (2100-4200 ATK). "Now go Blader, attack that dragon!" Cyber Blader charged forward, bringing up her leg in preparation to use her skates to slice my monster apart.

"I activate Kunai with Chain!"

"What?"

"My trap changes your Blader to defence mode, and then I can equip it to my Buster Blader and boost his attack by 500! (2600-3100 ATK)"

Suddenly, a three-pointed blade attached to… well a chain, appeared around my Buster Blader's arm. Before Alexis's monster could destroy my dragon, he threw out his new weapon, wrapping it around Cyber Blader's leg. Using all his strength, Buster Blader tossed Alexis's ace back over to her side of the field, where she changed to defence mode.

However, despite her failed attack, Alexis did not falter. "I use Cyber Tutu's effect. Since your monsters have a higher attack than her, she can attack you directly!"

Her tutu moved gracefully across the field, easily dodging around my monsters before appearing before me and delivering a kick to my chest. I let out a grunt as I took the damage. (Ren: 3000LP)

"Is that all you've got?" I asked, standing back up straight.

Alexis chuckled ominously. "Unfortunately, not. I need to take something from you after all. I normal summon Cyber Gymnast (800/1800)!" A well-muscled woman wearing a white mask jumped onto the field. She had a long blonde ponytail and wore a sleek indigo bodysuit that lacked sleeves. "And I'll use her effect," Alexis continued. "I discard a card and destroy your dragon."

"Nani?"

Her gymnast jumped back for a running start before racing forward and performed a series of jumps, twirls and cartwheels that would have won Olympic gold before leaping feet first at Black Skull Dragon. The moment they collided; my dragon shattered into pixels.

"With only one monster, my Blader's attack goes back to normal, but now she can't be destroyed by battle (4200-2100 ATK). Now I'm done," she said.

"Bit of a hypocrite aren't you," I said with a grin. "You just used up your entire hand."

Alexis's face flushed before she turned her head away. "Yes, well, sometimes you have to do what you have to in order to win. I have pride in my duelling, and I want to win."

"Are you saying I don't?" I growled.

"I don't know," she answered, looking back to me now that she'd calmed down. "You haven't in the past."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

She shook her head disappointedly. "It doesn't matter."

"No, I think it does." I was getting tired of her treading around whatever issue she had with me. She had this issue in the canon as well, never able to say what she truly felt. It was why she failed to confess to Jaden in season 4 and it was why I had been forced into this duel now. "You've got an issue with me, clearly. However, this duel is just a charade. You think that by winning against me, it'll solve your problems. It won't. Talk to me. I want to know so that maybe, we can move past it and get on with our lives."

Her eyes widened in shock, my words managing to silence her. She seemed conflicted, looking down at her own cards. I waited, begging that she would take me up on the offer. Alas, she finally looked up, her expression once again determined.

"It's your move."

A heavy sigh escaped me. It seemed I lacked Jaden's knack for changing hearts with speeches. Fine, I'd let my actions speak for me. "Draw!" The card I drew was one of the icons of Jaden's deck, A Hero Emerges. If I drew a strong enough monster, it could be useful later. "I set a card and then I'll have my Blader attack your Gymnast!" My warrior leapt forward, slashing her own monster in two (Alexis: 1700 LP).

Alexis gasped as her life points were cut by more than half. She'd taken a risky play, but she couldn't afford to lose her Cyber Blader or Tutu. If she hadn't destroyed my dragon last turn, she would have lost both. Gymnast had been bait I was forced to take or I would lose more monsters.

"I end my turn there," I said solemnly.

"I draw!" Alexis declared. "I change Tutu to defence mode and set a card. I end my turn." A lacklustre move but it may have been the best she could do.

I drew my next card and frowned. It wasn't the best card, but it would do for now. I was running out of time. In three turns, I'd be losing my hand. I needed to make sure I had the field advantage. "I set a monster, so your Blader's attack points double again, but it's no longer indestructible (2100-4200 ATK). However, all those attack points mean nothing since it's in defence mode! Attack Buster Blader!"

Alexis's grin returned as she activated her face down. "I use Compulsory Evacuation Device to return your Blader to your hand. A round device suddenly fell on top of my monster. It began to whir and beep before Buster Blader was launched back to my hand. With only one monster, Cyber Blader's attack fell again (4200-2100 ATK). Again, Jasmine and Mindy cheered, crying out their admiration for Alexis to be able to 'defeat' my ace monster, despite the fact I still had the clear life point advantage.

"So much for your ace," Alexis jeered. "It was clever using my monster's effect against her though."

"Thanks, it doesn't feel so clever at the minute," I growled.

"Yes, well, we all make mistakes."

"I end my turn."

"Good, I draw!" she drew her card dramatically before looking at it and grinning. "I summon a second copy of my Blade Skater (1400/1500)!" A second ice skater appeared on Alexis's field. She wore a purple and silver leotard and possessed no hair at all. What she did have, were two, large, mincing blades attached to her arms, ready to slice my monster apart. "With only 3000 life points left, when my Skater destroys your monster, my other two can finish you off," the Obelisk Queen declared confidently. "This duel is over!"

I said nothing, not allowing her to take any satisfaction. Jasmine and Mindy began to jeer at me, telling me how it was inevitable I would lose to Alexis whilst Jaden, Syrus and Chumley all tried to be as encouraging as possible, however from the lack of enthusiasm, it seemed they thought I would lose too. No one seemed to care what my two face downs were.

"Go Skater, attack his last monster!" Alexis declared, dramatically pointing towards my set card. Her warrior slid forward, her blades raised and ready. Alexis's other monsters were close behind, all too ready to land me the finishing blows.

However, the moment Blade Skater's slashed forward, there was the grating sound of steel meeting steel. The monster that had emerged from my set card was a small reaper in purple cloth. Its scythe clashed with her Blade Skater's weapons, keeping not only her at bay but also Alexis's other monsters.

"What?" Alexis gasped, whilst her onlookers let out cries of outrage.

"I'm sorry, but my defeat will have to be put on hold. The monster you attacked is called Spirit Reaper (300/200). It can't be destroyed by battle. So, I think your monsters should back off." Reluctantly, her monsters returned to her side of the field.

---

"Man, this is a sweet duel!" Jaden cried happily. "Neither of them is giving an inch."

"Yeah, but it seems like there's something more going on, Jaden," Syrus said. Ren's words had resonated with him. The way Alexis was duelling was different from their encounter the previous night. It was a lot more aggressive and she was making mistakes that she would have seen through if she were keeping a level head.

"That may be, Sy, but like I said before. There's no better way to communicate your feelings than with a duel. If there's something you can't say, let your cards do the talking."

That didn't seem right to the younger Truesdale, but he supposed that was the world they lived in. As he settled back to keep watching the duel, he noticed someone standing by the entrance of the duel arena, just out of sight to anyone who wasn't at his angle. His eyes widened when he recognised the person.

'What's Zane doing here?'

---

Alexis ended her turn, so I drew my next card. Finally, a plan was beginning to form. I had two turns left before I suffered from Card of Demise's cost. I needed to prepare. Thankfully, I still had two face downs and my Reaper to defend me. However, I still wanted to see if I could talk to Alexis, sort out whatever issue she had with me. It may just be my logic from my old world, but it was better than doing nothing.

The way she had been talking, it was like we had met before, but I know we haven't because I'd taken every step to avoid that. So there had to be something else.

"Alexis, if you don't mind, can I ask you something?" I asked, trying hard to be civil. She looked momentarily surprised before nodding her head. "Have we met before? Like, before the academy."

"No." Her answer was definitive.

"But you've seen me before?"

"Yes. Just once."

Once, huh? So where was it? We didn't go to the same school. We didn't meet randomly; I would have remembered the panic attack. My mind raced, trying to find an answer. One encounter and she suddenly has a grudge against me that has probably lasted for years. It seemed I hadn't been as careful as I thought. First Dimitri and now-

Dimitri! That was it! He'd seen me before the academy too.

"It was at the Junior Tournament, wasn't it?" I asked. "The one where the school scouts were present."

Again, her eyes widened, surprised I'd managed to work it out. "Yes. I was there with… with someone close to me. We saw all your duels. We were rooting for you. You were good." Her tone was softer now like she was remembering something sad. That someone close, it had to be Atticus. Her brother who at this point in the canon was missing, presumed dead. "We went there so that I could see all the duels. He thought that the experience would help my own skills. We watched all the duels, but yours were special. You were my age and yet you played like you'd been doing so far longer. When you made it to the final round, I was really excited. I was told that there were scouts for the duel prep school I would be attending in the audience. I was looking forward to challenging you at school. I'd been nervous because I didn't know anyone and thought we could have been friends. But then when the final match started, it was like you fell apart. You misplayed; you fell into obvious traps. It was like you'd just given up. I managed to get close, and I saw what was in your hand." Her right hand balled into a fist as she began to shake, her anger bubbling over. "You had just the cards you needed to win! You didn't even have a bad draw. You just weren't trying! I'd always been told to have pride in my cards, to always try. But it was like you couldn't be bothered. When I saw that, I ran, I didn't want to see the rest. We went home, the day ruined for me. It was supposed to have been a special day with him, a happy memory. And now when I think back on it, I feel none of that happiness. Only disappointment."

Silence fell on the arena as Alexis professed everything that she'd probably been bottling up for the last few years. I had had no idea she had been in the audience that day. How close I'd been to meeting her. She was right of course, I did give up, but ironically enough, it was so that I could avoid meeting her before the academy. I guess I had succeeded in that.

Now that I thought about it, while I was the outlying factor, this probably had more to do with the fact I'd ruined a precious memory she had had with Atticus. Now that he had disappeared, she must try to look to every positive memory she had with him for comfort. To have what should have been precious spoiled by disappointment… well, it was no wonder she was so angry.

"I'm… I'm sorry." It was all I could think of to say.

"You're sorry?" Alexis repeated, her voice low and dangerous. "That's not what I want to hear from you!" she cried, her demeanour reminding me too much of the Society of Light version of her. "This is a duel! And I'm going to show you what you should have done that day and beat you by putting my all into it! Now make your move!"

I was stunned into silence. I honestly didn't know what to do. The thought of just ending it now, surrendering, and walking away occurred to me, but that wouldn't do anything to help Alexis. This anger she was feeling, it was my fault. My very existence in this world had brought her pain, and I couldn't bear it. This was why I wanted to stay away from the main characters in the first place. No one would get hurt.

Fine then. Just this once, I'd follow this world's rules. Duels were supposed to help people understand each other, to help them heal, then I'd start taking this seriously. For her. "I set a monster and end my turn," I said. It was a simple move but one that should hopefully define this duel.

"All that talking for that. I should have known you were just stalling," Alexis growled as she drew her next card. A small grin appeared on her face. "I activate Shield Crush! It destroys a defence position monster like your reaper!" A green beam of energy shot out from the card, piercing my reaper in the chest and destroying him. He would have been destroyed anyway due to being targeted but the energy beam looked cooler. "Now Blade Skater attack!"

Again, her monster rushed forward with its arm blades primed.

"I activate my own Negate Attack!" I declared, activating the trap I'd had since my first turn. "As you so aptly put earlier, it not only stops your attack but ends your battle phase." Alexis clicked her tongue in annoyance as her monster leapt back to her side of the field.

With no cards in her hand, Alexis had no choice. "I end my turn," she said despondently.

I nodded and drew my next card. When I saw what it was, I paused. It was the second card my father had given me on the day of the exam. It was also one of my favourites. However, I never wanted to use it in front of Alexis. Not for a good reason. It was just because it was so cliché. However, with the way things were going, I may not have had a choice. The heart of the cards is bullshit I'm telling you. It just seems to want to embarrass me.

"I'll start by flip summoning my set monster! Come Magician of Faith (300/400)!" The robed magician rose from her card and raised her wand high in the air. "When she's flipped, I get to add a spell from my grave back to my hand. I choose Card of Demise." Alexis's eyes narrowed as the card returned from the grave and I shuffled it into my hand. "I'll end my turn with three face downs." The only cards in my hand now were Buster Blader and the card I had drawn.

"My turn!" Alexis drew her card and paused, looking over at my field, her eyes narrowing. After a few moments, she finally made her move. "I play Mystical Space Typhoon!"

'Does everyone have that stupid card?'

She paused again, probably trying to work out which of my set cards was Card of Demise. Little did she know, she could win this turn if she went after the card, I'd set a few turns before. But she must have believed me regaining my hand was more of a threat. "Destroy the card on the far right." The blue typhoon ripped through my field, sucking up my facedown and raising it into the air. Everyone hung on with bated breath as the card was revealed.

"No!" Alexis cried.

The card she destroyed was my Summoner's Art. A completely useless card in the situation but one that had made a good target.

The Obelisk Queen quickly shook off her disappointment. "It doesn't matter, I can still attack. Go Cyber Blader, attack his magician!" Her fusion monster charged forward, and kicked my monster back, shattering her. (Ren: 1200LP)

Having finally taken the lead in life points, Alexis grinned. "It seems the rest of your cards were decoys then. I guess this is my win. My monsters attack!" Blade Skater and Cyber Tutu charged forward, ready to pummel me.

"Not so fast, I activate my face down, A Hero Emerges!" Behind me, Jaden let out a cheer. "Now, you choose a card in my hand, and if it's a monster, I get to summon it." I raised my cards.

'Choose the left one. Choose the left one. Please, please choose the left one," I begged.

Alexis took a moment before pointing. "The right one."

'Fuck it.'

"Unfortunately for you, it was a monster," I said unenthusiastically. "Come forth, Red-Eyes Black Dragon (2400/2000)!" There was a round of gasps as Joey Wheeler's ace monster took the field. The legendary black dragon appeared from a portal, it's skeletal black body a stark contrast against the white walls of the arena. Its glowing blood-red eyes glared down on the shocked Alexis and her monsters. It was giant compared to me, easily towering over me as it hovered above.

For a moment I waited for the inevitable, 'Where did you get that card?' or 'You have that too?' but they never came. As I looked over to Alexis, she seemed stunned, yes. But not emotional.

"Just how many legendary monsters do you have?" she finally asked.

"Uh… probably one more but I don't plan on using it for a long time. Umm… are you okay?"

"Why wouldn't I be?" she asked.

"Well, the dragon…"

"What about it? Sure, it's a legendary card, but you also have Buster Blader and the Summoned Skull. At this point, I wouldn't be surprised if you pulled out the Dark Magician."

"Well, I definitely don't have him, but doesn't this card…mean something to you?"

"No," she said with confusion. "What, did you throw a duel using him too?"

"No, no. Just curious."

That's odd. I thought Atticus's ace was Red-Eyes? Maybe in this world, he used his manga deck? Or maybe the theorists were wrong, and he never used Red-Eyes before he became Nightshroud, instead merely adopting the deck when he removed Red-Eyes Darkness and Darkness Metal Dragon. Well, that makes my life easier.

"With your dragon there, I can't attack," Alexis said regretfully. "I switch Cyber Tutu to defence mode and end my turn." As the ballerina hadn't yet attacked, only she could change modes, leaving Blade Skater and Cyber Blader up for attack. In fairness, I couldn't believe that little monster had managed to survive the entire duel, but there we go.

I drew my card and as it went into the standby phase, my cards began to glow. "Due to Card of Demise's effect, since it's been five turns, I must discard my hand." I sent Buster Blader and my drawn card to the grave. As I did so, a low chuckle escaped me.

"Are you laughing?" Alexis asked.

"Yeah," I said with a nod. "It's just that, Jaden was right. Through this duel, I do think I've come to understand you a little better. And… believe it or not… I've had fun. Dramatic emotions aside, you are a really good duellist."

"Thanks, but flattery will get you nowhere," Alexis said, although the hostility was no longer in her tone. "You have Card of Demise again. No cards in your hand and one monster on the field to my three. Do you think you can turn this around?"

"I don't know," I said with an honest smile. "But I have a lot to make up for with you. I suppose I can start with this duel. I activate Card of Demise once more!" From the left side of my field, the card rose, and I drew five new cards. Looking at them, I laughed again. Two of them were Marshmallon and Mirror Force. They would have been useful before. Oh well.

"I activate Monster Reborn! Revive, Buster Blader!" My warrior burst from the ground, coming to stand next to my dragon."

"That was unwise," Alexis said with a smile. "With two monsters on your field, my Blader's attack points rise again." Cyber Blader let out a cry as her power doubled. (2100-4200 ATK)

"That's true, at it makes her very formidable. If it weren't for this. I activate United We Stand! I equip it to my Red-Eyes. Now his attack rises by 800 for every monster on my field." Red-Eyes let out a roar as his attack power soared. (2400-4000 ATK).

"And to finish this off, I summon Lancer Lindwurm (1800/1200) in attack mode." The green, javelin wielding dragon flew onto my field, further strengthening my dragon. (4000-4800 ATK) "And with another monster on my field, your Cyber Blader loses its strength." The monster in question let out a grunt as her attack power changed for a final time. (4200 – 2100 ATK) Even in the face of defeat, Alexis remained strong, standing tall and proud. I'll admit, I admired her for that.

"With three monsters on your field, Cyber Blader negates all face-up effects," she said. It was a technicality. The battle had already been won. Red-Eyes' attack power instantly fell. (4800-2400 ATK)

"Battle," I declared. "Buster Blader, attack Cyber Blader! Destruction Sword Flash!" As one, both our bladers charged to meet each other. Cyber Blader tried to strike out with her skates, parrying Buster Blader's sword, however, ultimately the attempt was pointless. Swiping away the blow with his free hand, Buster Blader proceeded to slash Cyber Blader in two. (Alexis: 1200LP)

"And with your Cyber Blader gone, my spell is once again in full effect." Red-Eyes let out a ferocious roar as his attack power once again rose. (2400-4800ATK) "Now go Red-Eyes, attack her Blade Skater with Inferno Fire Blast!" My dragon flew higher into the air and unleashed a blood-red blast that incinerated Alexis's monster and caused an explosion that sent out a shockwave, blowing everyone's hair back. (Alexis: 0 LP. Ren wins)

---

As the holograms faded, Alexis remained standing tall with a sad smile on her face. She had put everything on the line. It was difficult for her to speak her thoughts sometimes, but she was somewhat glad she'd finally been able to confront Ren with what had happened.

And some reason, the frustration she had felt withered ever so slightly. At that moment, Ren walked over and offered her his hand. She looked at it for a moment, unsure whether to take it or not. Ultimately, she reached out and shook his hand.

"That was a good duel," he said, his face betraying no deception. "You have some serious skill."

"Thank you," she said with a smile. "You're pretty good too. When you're playing seriously. I guess since you won, I'll adhere to my word and leave you alone. I'm sorry for bothering you." She turned to leave when she felt Ren grab her arm. She turned to tell him off but saw the sad smile on his face and paused.

"You don't have to do that," he said. "Look, neither one of us has handled this situation well. But no matter what happened in the past, we can still be civil with each other."

"Oh…" she didn't know what else to say. He was offering the olive branch after she had yelled at him in the duel. Maybe he was a better person than she thought. Thankfully, Ren continued so she didn't have to say anything.

"You said you had a question for me. I know I won, but I'll still answer it for you if I can."

Again, she was taken aback. She hadn't expected him to make the offer. Nonetheless, she wasn't going to lose this chance. "Why did you do it? Why did you throw the match?"

He paused, seemingly considering his answer. Alexis waited, her heart thumping.

"It was because that kid from back then, my opponent, he wanted the win more," he finally replied, only serving to make Alexis more confused. Thankfully, Ren continued with his explanation. "Back then, I was just a kid and didn't know what I wanted. When my dad told me there were scouts, I got worried. Maybe I wasn't good enough. And then, I ended up talking to that kid before the match. He was so excited about the chance to go to a duelling school. I couldn't take that away from him when I was still so indecisive. So, I let him win."

"Oh…" Alexis once again didn't know what to say. She had been expecting something more selfish like he had gotten bored, just as he had done during his match with Logan Evans. This, however, seemed far nobler. Maybe stupid, but noble. It honestly shattered her image of him. He wasn't the prideless fighter she'd imagined him to be. Now she had no idea what to think of him.

Ren seemed to take her silence as the end of the conversation. With a half-hearted smile, he gave a wave. "I hope that helped. I'll see you around. Hopefully on better terms." Not giving her a chance to reply, he turned and walked over to the Slifer boys who were waiting for him. Alexis watched them as they congratulated him on the win.

Out of the corner of her eye, she spotted someone in the entrance of the duel arena walk away, catching the brief sight of white tailcoats catching the air. She couldn't help but smile. It seemed he was still looking out for her in his place. As she turned back to Jasmine and Mindy, who had both already started to try and console her, not to mention bad talk Ren, she felt a little lighter. She didn't exactly feel better, but it was a start.

Huh… Jaden Yuki and Ren Cambell. Two duellists who seemed like opposite sides of a coin. One wore his heart on his sleeve, the other kept his close to the vest. She couldn't help but wonder what would happen when they clashed.

---

Okay, so I told a small fib to Alexis, but most of it was true. I really had talked the kid back at the Junior Tournament, but I certainly didn't lose just because he wanted to win it more. Truth be told that kid was a gobby shit. Very rude and condescending. But I couldn't tell her that. Hopefully, what I had said would bring her some piece. And now that I was in the clear with her, I could get back to my background life in peace. Maybe. Hopefully. Yeah…

The Slifer's dragged me once more to their dorm where we did in fact finally watch a movie entitled, 'Kaibaman Begins'. It was surprisingly good. Apparently, there were two sequels in the works too. Might be something to invest in later.

However, about halfway through the film, there was a knock on the door which Jaden answered. It was a fellow Slifer with long swept to the side brown hair.

"Hey Jaden, I don't suppose you've seen Logan anywhere?" I heard him ask.

"Nah, sorry man. Has he not come back from the academy yet?" the hero duelist asked.

"I don't think so. Hmm… maybe he's just hanging out with someone else. Oh well, thanks anyway." With that, he left, and Jaden returned to play the movie.

I stayed quiet at the time, but my mind was abuzz with worry. I couldn't worry. Logan was becoming something of a wild card for me. He went from trying to be a part of the plot to trying to get rid of the protagonist so he could take his place. Just what was he doing now?"

---

"Judgment Dragon, end him!"

Logan dragon fired off a beam of energy, knocking down his opponent and reducing their life points to zero. "I'm sorry, but it was unwise to challenge me. I'm not in a particularly good mood." As he walked away from the Obelisk student he had defeated, Logan thought back to the night before. He couldn't believe he'd been caught by that randomer. If he just had a few seconds more, he would have had the evidence needed to get rid of Jaden and take his place. It's not that he had anything against his fellow Slifer, but he'd come to realise that this world was too big for two protagonists. He needed to take over if he wanted any chance of achieving his goal.

Now, he was just wandering around the school, challenging or taking the challenge of anyone who he came across. Recently, a lot of the blue students had been hounding him, thinking him weak for all that had happened the week prior.

His frown intensified when he thought of that other mob character, the one who he should have defeated. He seemed to be getting awfully chummy with the main cast. Logan couldn't help but wonder if his actions had disrupted the canon enough to move that guy towards the main group? Or maybe fate was just trying to intervene. Fate in this universe had a will of its own, didn't it?

Either way, at the moment he had to try and get himself out of the hole he'd dug for himself. Okay, challenging Zane in the way he had, had been a bad idea. He must be more like the Spirit Caller version of himself where you can only duel him after a certain point. In which case he should focus on triggering other flags. The school promotion duels would be up soon. And then after that, it was Titan. He was certain if he saved Alexis from the con man, she would look upon him more favourably. Sure, he could talk to them, but actions spoke louder than words in the Yu-Gi-Oh universe.

As he looked up at the stars as they began to shine, Logan re-swore his oath to get everything in this world that was denied to him in his old one. He would be the hero who would save everyone.

Little did he know, that in the darkness, he was being watched.

---

Hello everyone! So this was a bit of a long chapter but it was not only plot here, but also set up for a lot of things to come. Believe it or not, it was actually longer. I had to remove 1000 odd words. This should definitely be the longest chapter for a while though. There was just a lot to cover.

Now, before I go further, I want to say a massive thank you to everyone who has read and reviewed the story up to this point. I was not expecting so many people so quickly. It really makes me happy to see that you are all enjoying it, so once again THANK YOU!

Now to answer a few questions from the reviews (Some I've already replied to via messaging):

To larhalt1210: Ren will be receiving upgrades to his deck over time. There may be some more Buster Blader support in there but it depends on how the vote from the poll I set up goes. A few of the Buster Blader support either shows off Buster Dragon or rely on his Tuner monsters for support. However, as you can see, I'm not neglecting the classics like Skilled White Magician and he also has Emblem of the Dragon Destroyer in his deck currently.

To RoyalTwinFangs: I can neither confirm nor deny the involvement of Buster Blader, the Dragon Destroyer Swordsman at this time as I'm still having words with his publicist. All jokes aside, it's a bit difficult to feature that card without access to the modern cards as he is technically a fusion between Buster Blader and Buster Whelp of the Destruction Swordsman and I would love to explore that dynamic given the chance, but I'm waiting for the poll results.

Once again, if anyone has any questions about the story, feel free to ask. I'll try to answer in a way that won't spoil the story for you.

Please don't forget to fav, follow and leave a review. And if you haven't already, don't forget to vote on the poll as to whether you would like to see Synchros, XYZ and other modern cards in the story. I've got plans for both eventualities so I'm more leaving it up to you guys. I'll be leaving the poll up for a few more weeks so that new readers can vote if they want and also because it'll be a while before I need to know.

Anyway, hope you are all staying safe and wishing you the best day.

I'll see you all soon.