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)

12. Chapter 12

I'm back! Hey everyone! It's great to see you! Here's chapter 12 of Staying in the Background! I hope you enjoy! Since no one had any qualms with me answering guest reviews here, I'll do so again and then do my main messages at the bottom.

To E: Thank you for your review! Lumina will be getting character development like everyone else in the story so we shall see how she proceeds. Ren's opponents finally make their appearance in this chapter so we'll see if you are right.

To Blackdrake: Don't worry, I am trying to be careful with power levels. I know that Ren hasn't lost a shown duel yet. Things are still in their early days and the main characters of the show haven't started to reach their true potential just yet. That was mainly why I had Ren win that duel. Things will be getting more balanced soon. Thank you for liking the choice in Ren's partner. I did think that Bastion would be the best choice as he would help adapt his deck and Ren's deck for the best combination of both and make things easier for both of them.

To Peter Kim: You made some pretty cool suggestions for opponents. I honestly forgot about Orlando and he would have actually been a fantastic choice. I have unfortunately gone with other people mostly because I wanted to use people I could add emotional depth to, but I did like your suggestions.

To JustaRandomGuy: Thank you very much for your review and I loved the SAO Abridged reference. It really made me laugh. I'm glad you're liking the development of Ren and the reactions of Dimitri and Jaden. I'm really trying to sell the realism of the story and to hear it is going well is a blessing. You're right about Alexis and while it won't be mentioned in this chapter, Logan will be finding out that Alexis and Ren are talking fairly soon, a reaction I'm looking forward to writing. I also love your analysis about Yu-Gi-Oh Duel Monsters and Yu-Gi-Oh GX. You are right in your assessment that one is about growing up and the other is about keeping things, a very prudent analysis. On to pitch time! 1: I remember that episode, it was one of my favourites as we got to see a god card in action. I wasn't actually planning on including it in this story but now that you mention Marik and the Ishtars, it would be something really cool to see. Definitely something to think about. 2: Oh, the Cyberdark archetype is something I'm looking forward to writing. I agree with you that on the surface, nothing seems wrong with it but then I think about season 4 where it's revealed, they have their own will and want to evolve and I suspect that's what made them dangerous, the spirits of the card shocked the user if they didn't allow the deck to evolve. Zane received a shock each time he drew as he always used them the same way and his style became stagnant. 3 and 4: More magic is going to be included in the story later on but I like the idea of including magic from different cultures. It would be a really nice way to diversify things.

To Bob: Can't say much without spoilers but you're definitely on the right track. He'll be getting the final cards he needs soon so we shall see.

To A Synchro Fan: Got to admit, I love the way you are responding to Logan and Dimitri. Logan is written to be completely unlikable at this point in time so to hear you and so many others are responding in this way is fantastic for me. As for Dimitri, I really agree. To paraphrase one of my favourite Marvel characters, the sun will shine on him again. He will have his time. I'm also happy that you liked the moment with Bastion and Sadie. They are written to be Ren's 'rocks' to normalcy and fuel his connection to this world so I'm glad you're liking the dynamic. Now, you really seemed to have seen what I was going for with Jaden which makes me ecstatic. I don't want him to just be a one dimensional character who moves from fight to fight with no thought. He needs to have growth and show an emotion outside of excitement. He is just a kid after all at this point. He's not going to shake things off so easily. Can't say too much about Alexis without spoilers but I'm glad you liked the moment at the end. I thought it would be good to get an outside perspective on the matter and she seemed like the right person for it to be. And finally, thank you so much for your kind words! It really meant a lot to hear your praise at the end. I hope I can continue to keep up with your expectations :)

To Malguss123: Thank you very much! I'm glad you enjoyed it!

To West: No need to apologise, I'm just happy you enjoyed the chapter :) I am so glad you are responding to Dimitri, Alexis, Bastion and Saide in the way you have as you really seem to be understanding what I want to do with them in the story, which thrills me as a writer. I will also say you have stumbled upon something I want to portray regarding Jaden's relationship with Ren and with Logan which is going to be a focal point in chapters once the coming duel is finished. I love that you are noticing all these little things as well because it shows just how much you are engaging with the story. It is also why it surprises me with how accurate your predictions are. I really want to say more but I can't without going into spoilers and that really kills me inside because I do want to say more. Either way, as always, I love reading your reviews and I hope you enjoy this chapter!

To the Guest who said this story is hard to read: While I doubt you read this far, in case you have I'm sorry the story didn't meet your expectations. If you have read this far, I hope you enjoyed the progression.

To the Guest who can't wait to see the Mokey Mokey chad: I have got something fun planned for that and I'm going to have a lot of fun writing it :D

To Evan: I try to update at least once a week, depending on what life events are going on or if I have time.

To GuestWithIdeas: I'm really glad you enjoyed it! You are right about Logan crossing a line. He will face his comeuppance at some point. As for Alexis, that is definitely going through her mind and she also hasn't forgotten she was in that situation because of Logan. That will be coming up in a future chapter fairly soon. Ren is certainly lucky to have Bastion and Sadie. They look out for him no matter the situation, even if he didn't initially expect them to be there. I checked out that YouTube video and it was definitely interesting. I do love Red-Eyes but I know it's overdone in Yu-Gi-Oh stories. The fusion monsters would be fun to do though. I'm really glad you liked the duel. I wanted to make it special as it was a protagonist vs protagonist fight. There will be more duels like that in future as they are fun to write. I can't say too much about Buster Blader without spoilers but you can probably tell where I'm going with the small hints I leave smattered about the chapters. This certainly did help me as well so as always, thank you for your review!

To Middernacht: We'll see what happens...

To xyz10: Thank you very much and thank you for pointing out my mistake. I have already made the correction :) You are right about the duels and I will try to correct that in future.

To the guest who thought it would be hilarious to see Twilightsworn be used against Logan: It certainly would be funny to see that. Can't say more than that unfortunately as it branches into spoiler territory.

On to the chapter! Hope you guys enjoy it!

I'm going to say sorry now.

---

Staying in the Background

Clash of Ideals – The Best Laid Plans

"So, if we use this here… and combine it with this… we'll be able to deliver a simultaneous attack to deliver massive damage."

"True, but by using this, we can not still do damage, but also build up our defence at the same time. Sure, it's not as much but it prevents the opportunity of counter-attacking."

"You two are such nerds."

Bastion and I looked round to find Sadie standing over us with an amused smile. She placed two paper cups down on the table. "One coffee and one hot chocolate," she said. "So how goes it with the duel prep?"

"Pretty well," I said with a smile. "I'd say we've got a few good strategies."

"Indeed. It would seem his cards have the most synergy with my water deck," Bastion said before taking a small sip of his coffee.

Over the last three days, as soon a class ended, we tested each other's strategies. Because of this, I'd learned about each of Bastion's different decks. Obviously, his Earth deck was based around his Magnet Warriors. Then there was his aforementioned water deck, which allowed him to swarm the field or call out Water Dragon for some serious damage. His fire deck was focused on burn damage, similar to Sadie's. His Light deck specialised in negating special summons and destroying monsters through effects. His wind deck worked by crippling his opponent's back row, leaving their monsters defenceless. Finally, there was his dark deck, which from what I had seen, resembled his deck from the manga and used zombies to swarm the field.

After multiple duels and test runs, we found that my deck and his water deck worked best together. His Hydrogeddon's ability to swarm the field easily allowed me to summon my higher-level monsters. Not to mention that Bastion had filled it to the brim with back row protection and monster traps that would bounce the opponents' cards back to hand for easy direct attacks. All in all, I felt we had a good chance against any opponent Crowler could throw at us.

"Well, I'm glad you two have a plan. I'm looking forward to watching you guys. I have to help out in the store in the morning, but I should be able to make it to the match," she said. "Have to say though Bastion, I knew Ren liked looking at that Blader of his but I had no idea you spent just as much time looking at your Water Dragon. I swear, you boys truly are something." It was clear what she was getting at but from the confused look on the teen genius's face, it seemed to have gone over his head.

"Yes… well, it is a very useful card. I've spent a long time working out the best possible ways to utilise it."

Sadie's lips curled into a thin but entertained smile before heading back to the counter. As she moved by, I could smell the intoxicating citrus scent of her perfume. I watched her until she was back at the till before turning back to Bastion. "You know, I think she was trying to imply something," I said with a smirk.

"Hmm? Imply what?"

I shook my head, waving off the conversation. "Nothing. Don't worry about it. We have more important things to worry about." We went back to strategizing. It was pretty much all we had done for the last few days. We came here after each class looking for opponents. It had taken up most of our time. In fact, from what I'd heard, I'd missed out on the filler episode involving Chumley's dad. Got to admit, I was a little disappointed about that. I really wanted to find out if he was a hot sauce connoisseur like in the dub or if he owned his own sake company like in the original Japanese. Man, I really hope it was the latter. And not just because the hot sauce thing is just stupid.

After another hour, and a duel against a couple of Ra students who were happy to give us a training match, we decided to head back to our dorms. Bastion went on ahead because I wanted to buy some more cards.

Okay, fine, I'm obsessed. But I still haven't found the last cards I'm looking for! Sue me!

"You finished for the day?" Sadie asked as I approached the counter. She was manning the till while Ms Dorothy prepped the food for the next day's sandwich draws. They were quite the staple in the GX and Tag force mythos. I had to remember to give it a try at some point. If the Golden Egg Sandwich was as good as everyone made it out to be, then it would be worth it.

"Almost. Just wanted to get some more card packs."

"And here I thought you just wanted to flirt with the staff," she said with a fake pout.

"Well, I'll admit that was part of it. Alas, it seems Ms Dorothy is nowhere to be seen," I said in mock dismay.

"Heh, I know you're saying that as a joke, but she actually does have her admirers," she laughed. "So, what will your poison be today? More Dark Revolution 3?"

"Actually, today, Sadie, I think I'll take some Soul of the Duellist packs."

"Oh, branching out. Unfortunately, we don't have too many of those packs left. We'll have a new shipment coming in on Sunday. But if you need them immediately…"

"That could be too late," I finished for her. We both knew my match was on Saturday. If I wanted to find the card I was looking for. This could be one of the last chances I'd get to find it.

"We have five packs left," she told me, bringing up the booster packs onto the counter.

"I'll take the lot," I said. "

"That'll be 1500 duel points," she told me. She knew I always paid DP for card packs. "I hope you get what you're looking for." She seemed genuinely worried.

"Yeah, I do too," I said, flashing a small smile in an effort to try and reassure her.

I handed over my PDA and the points were taken from my account. As I took the packs from the counter, my hand lightly brushed Sadie's and we both froze. Things had been a little awkward over the last few days after the day on by the sea. I could feel this magnetism between us. I just hope she felt it too.

"Um… once this is over. And if things go well. I don't suppose that offer to-?"

"I'd like that," she cut me off with a smile that would have made any man's heart flutter. We stood there for a moment, both of us smiling like idiots. Her cheeks as red as mine were hot. Finally, I, reluctantly, turned away.

"I'll catch you in a bit," I said with a wave.

"You had better," she laughed. "See you later, Ren."

I made my way back to the Obelisk dorm, a skip in my step. I was finally riding high. Ever since my duel with Jaden, I had just been in a good mood. I couldn't explain it. Was this the effect an actual protagonist had on people? I should hang out with Jaden more often.

That high feeling carried me all the way back to my room where it shattered into a thousand pieces. In front of my door was none other than Chazz Princeton. He leaned against the wood with his arms crossed, right foot against it and the left digging into the carpet, keeping him into place. When he saw me coming, his lips twisted into a cold smirk. I noticed that he had his duel disk attached to his arm.

"About time you came back," he said, just as haughtily as ever. "You've kept me waiting quite a while."

"And I'll keep you waiting longer still. Can you move? I'd like to get into my room." I kept my tone monotonous. I was hoping he'd take the hint to scoot. Unfortunately, he just planted his second leg firmly in the ground.

"Listen, Scrub. Ever since you got into this dorm, you've been a problem. Everyone knows about your upcoming duel. I think that someone should put you in place for being such an embarrassment to this house. Someone with real power."

"Do you?" I clicked my tongue, turning my head towards the door. "Well let me know when 'real power' gets here. Until then, I've got card packs to open." Before I could reach the handle, Chazz slammed his hand against the door. When he did, four obelisk boys stepped out from around the corners, two behind me and two in front of Chazz. I recognised the boys behind me as being the cronies from the anime and Spirit Caller games. Couldn't remember their names. I'll just call them Square Chin and Blue Hair.

"You don't seem to understand. We're going to duel, upstart. And I'm going to put you in your place."

"Or what? You and your goons are going to beat me up?" I asked. "We both know the school's rules on violence. And I'm pretty sure they won't give you guys a chance to redeem yourselves if you get caught." The two obelisks at the end of the hall, the ones I didn't recognise at all, looked nervously at each other, both taking a step back. However, despite my threat, Chazz's smirk grew.

"I'm not worried. My family contributes enough to this school that we'll get off with light slap on the wrist."

"Uh-huh. And what about you guys?" I called out to the four boys. "Can you say the same? Is this worth it to satisfy Chazz's ego?" The two at the end shared another look before turning and quickly walking back around the corner. Chazz's eyes narrowed when he saw that, undoubtedly remembering who they were so he could go after them later. Square Chin and Blue Hair also looked nervous but before they could book it, Chazz rounded on them.

"Don't you two move! He's just being cocky because he's scared!" They immediately stiffened, maintaining their position. However, in Chazz's haste to stop them, he had given me enough room to open my door and slip in, slamming the door in the surprised Obelisk's face. I quickly locked it just as he began to slam his fist against the door.

"Hey! We're not done! Get back out here you coward!"

"Sorry Chazz, you're just not worth it. Besides, I've got bags I still haven't unpacked. You should just go bye-bye." Oh, it almost made me laugh to turn one of his catchphrases back on him. Even if he hadn't started saying it yet.

"You're pathetic!" Chazz cried through the door. "Even more pathetic than your pal Dimitri!"

I froze.

"I bet that he went home and cried after I beat him. Haven't seen him around recently either. He must be trying to hide after such a humiliating defeat."

A deep heat ran through me. It felt like my eyes were burning. My clenched right hand was trembling. In my heart, there was something compelling me to open the door and confront him. To take out this anger. I pushed it down, taking deep and calming breaths.

Don't rise to it. He's trying to rile you. Don't rise to it. He's just like every other bully from your previous life. Ignore him and he'll go away.

"You know, once your gone, I think I'll go see him again. He can duel in your place again, and this time, when I beat him, and we both know I will, I'll grind him into the dirt like the fourth-rate duelist he really is!"

Fuck it.

I threw the door open, getting right into the grinning Obelisk's face. "You want a duel? If it will shut you up, fine. Let's take this outside."

---

The sun was beginning to set over the island as Alexis walked back from the main academy building. She had been spending time in the library looking at any books about the academy's history. From its founding to the present day, she had found it all fascinating. While the academy had been set up and bankrolled by Seto Kaiba, he had very little to do with the actual running. According to the books, he paid for the facilities and organised the curriculum, or rather he got other people to do it for him

However, the location of the academy itself had been decided by a third party who had helped with contributions to dorm facilities. That third party was not named but they had been very specific about this island in particular apparently believing it would provide students with not only a fun place to study and live but also an experience of living in a different environment.

Frustratingly, while there were sections detailing the Obelisk dorm, it only talked about alumni and the current blue accommodations. There was no mention of the Abandoned Dorm anywhere, almost like someone had purposely removed it from the records. Not even the dorm's head of house was mentioned. Once again, she had come upon another dead end. Just what was it going to take?

After the events at the abandoned dorm, she thought that she might finally have some answers about what happened to her brother. Instead, all she had was more questions. She had hoped that the girl recovered from the Shadow Realm might illuminate some things, but she had still yet to regain consciousness.

"Just where are you, Atticus…?" she muttered to herself.

She had felt compelled to take the long route back to the girls' dorm tonight. She wanted to take the time to clear her head walking along the clear lake that separated the girl dorm from the male.

This unfortunately meant she would have to pass the dorm in question. She just hoped there was no one around. While there were plenty of nice Obelisk blue students, there were stereotypes about the dorm for a reason and she was in no mood to be catcalled today.

That hope was dashed as she got closer to the dorm and heard the sounds of explosions and cheering. She soon spotted a crowd had formed around the dorm's entrance. Above the people, she could see the monster XYZ – Dragon Cannon. It was a large machine fusion monster that was effectively three different monsters stacked on top of the other. A blue, blocky, humanoid body with large cannons in the shoulders sat on top of a red, wingless dragon which itself was on top of a yellow tank.

Its cannons powered up to fire. As far as she knew, only one person on the island had a card that rare. Chazz. He had been fairly forward about his attraction for her, and she could honestly say she wasn't interested. Chazz only seemed focused on one aspect of her and refused to look past the surface.

"Dragon Cannon, attack that fool directly and end this!" she heard Chazz cry, his voice a little mad.

From what she had heard, Chazz had been going on a bit of a duel streak recently, trying to reclaim his lost reputation after losing to Jaden. She felt bad for whoever he had set his sights on this time. She would have moved on, going unnoticed by the crowd and headed straight for home. That was when she heard a familiar shout.

"Not a chance! I activate Scapegoat!"

"Hang on, is that…?" She edged closer to the crowd, grateful that she was tall. There, at the centre of the crowd was Ren Cambell. Unlike the last time she had seen him when he had been happy, he seemed angry, his features drawn taut and his eyes sharp and dangerous. "Oh, what have you got yourself into now?"

---

The four sheep tokens appeared on the field just in time to intercept Chazz's Dragon Cannon's attack. Despite the fact new monsters had appeared, it didn't deter it and one of my tokens was incinerated upon contact with the beam.

The duel had been short so far but had still managed to attract a crowd. I had taken the first move and used Future Fusion to prep summoning Black Skull Dragon. I'd also set Magic Cylinder and had Marshmallon to defend myself. Unfortunately, Chazz had made short work of them. He'd managed to summon his XYZ – Dragon Cannon (2800/2600) Using a combination of Unexpected Dai and Frontline Base to get out the required material on his own first turn. He then used its effect and discard the remainder of his hand to wipe out all my cards except for Future Fusion and got a direct attack in.

On my next turn, I'd used Pot of Greed and then set two cards face down but Chazz had just used his next draw to wipe out my Mirror Force, leaving me Scapegoat to my build my defences. However, my three remaining tokens each had zero attack and defence points and Future Fusion wouldn't call out Black Skull Dragon for another turn. However, I already had all that I needed.

"You got lucky, but I'll eventually break you down, and then I'll leave you snivelling just like your friend in Ra!" Chazz taunted, clearly already certain of his victory.

My eyes narrowed as I waited for him. I listened to all of Chazz's mocking, my hands twitching in anticipation. Each taunt, each insult only fueled the fire inside. Finally, he said the sweet words, 'I end my turn' and I drew my card without hesitation. This had already been a waste of my time.

Turn 5: Ren – 1200LP – 3 cards in hand – Three monsters on the field, one continuous Spell active

"I activate the equip spell, United We Stand! With this, for each monster on my field, another gains 800 attack and defence points."

"So, you're going to use it on one of those fluff balls? Big deal. With three monsters, they'd only get a total of 2400. Not enough to destroy my Cannon," Chazz sneered.

"Oh no. In fact, your Dragon Cannon is the monster I'm equipping it to!" I cried.

"What?" Chazz looked in bewilderment as a golden aura surrounded his monster, boosting its power (2800-5200 ATK/2600-5000 DEF). "Why would you do that?"

I didn't bother answering and continued with my move. "I now switch my yellow Sheep Token to attack mode and activate the spell card, Creature Swap!" Chazz's eyes went wide as the crowd gasped in a mixture of shock, outrage and delight. Looked like some people had been taking bets. "As I'm sure you know, with this card, we both choose a monster and swap it with each other. So, you get my token, and I'm taking your cannon."

I walked out to the middle of the field and waited for Chazz. A bead of sweat falling down his brow, he gingerly came over reluctantly handed over his XYZ – Dragon Cannon whilst I gave him my token. The holograms then exchanged sides, his Cannon taking its place beside me, while my token floated peacefully in front of him.

Chazz began to walk back but I stopped him. "May as well stay here. This won't take long. XYZ – Dragon Cannon, attack." I stood stock-still as the machine powered up its cannons. There was a high-pitched squeal as it sent out a single shot, wiping out the token in a massive explosion of dirt and fire. Chazz let out a deafening roar of 'no' as all his life points dropped from a single attack. (Chazz: 0LP, Ren wins)

His posture slouched as those around us began to murmur.

"I can't believe he lost again."

"Isn't he supposed to be the top Obelisk freshman?"

"Certainly, doesn't feel like it."

As Chazz listened to these murmurs, he began to shake. "Shut up!" he screamed at the crowd. "I am strong! Don't you dare look down on me!"

However, despite his cries, the murmurs continued. So was the law of this school. If you lost, especially as humiliatingly as this, you were viewed as weak. Something that I knew Chazz couldn't abide. He had his own mission at this academy, pressured by his brothers to become the best for some kind of corporate 'world domination' scheme. He had to be strong because it was for his family. Unfortunately, at this point in time, he was a slave to his brothers' ambitions. I felt bad for him, but this was a part of his journey. That, and after all that he had said about Dimitri, I wanted to help bring him down a peg.

Chazz's panicked eyes flicked across the crowd before rounding on me. "This isn't over," he growled.

"Yes, it is," I said with as much finality as I could. "Here's your card." I held out his monster and he snatched it back. With one more angry glance, he retreated to the safety of the dorm, probably to head straight to his room. Chazz's days were numbered at the academy. Soon after the expulsion duels, he would run away after losing his position in Obelisk Blue. He'd go to North Academy where he would finally start the path to becoming a better man. I hoped that when he figured himself out, we could have another duel on friendlier terms when he was at his peak.

With their source of entertainment gone, the crowd dispersed and went back into the dorm as well. I waited for them to leave before taking out a calming breath, letting my anger ebb away. That was the angriest I had been in a long time. It felt weird how focused it had made me. I suppose it had been the way Chazz had targeted Dimitri. It was a sore spot for me. A lesson of what I should have done from the get-go. Something I refused to have a need to repeat.

"That's quite the frown. Did Chazz really deserve that?"

My head snapped up to see Alexis standing nearby with her arms crossed. She looked at me with wary eyes, her head cocked slightly to the side. "How much did you see?" I asked.

"Just the ending. I get that Chazz is a jerk, but was it necessary to beat him like that? It's generally seen as poor taste to defeat your opponent with their own card around here."

"A bit of a silly notion," I mused. "Sometimes it may be your only option."

"You're dodging the question," she said so bluntly that it almost made me wince.

"Maybe not, but in getting me to duel him, he pushed all the wrong buttons. Some people just don't have enough manners to send me thirty-odd duel requests first." Her eyes narrowed. "Sorry. Just in a bit of a snarky mood."

"When are you not?" she said, the ghost of a smirk on her face. "What did Chazz say to get you that riled up?"

"It doesn't matter." I wasn't all that close with Alexis, even with what happened at the dorm. I didn't want to have her listen to my issues. She frowned but let the matter slide, probably able to tell that I wasn't ready to talk about it yet.

"Fair enough. In which case, if you're free, can we talk about what happened that night You did say you wouldn't run the next time I brought it up."

Whatever excuse I could have made up died in my throat. "You're right. I did promise. And who knows, this may be our only chance. But maybe we shouldn't talk about it out in the open." While it was unlikely, I didn't even want the chance of anyone overhearing a conversation about magic. I was certain the teachers wouldn't want that either.

Alexis looked towards the blue dorm and nodded. "There are a few benches at the halfway point between our dorms. We should be fine to speak there."

"Sounds good. Do you mind if I just quickly put my disk up in my room? I don't really want to lug it around."

She nodded again and I quickly hurried back to my room. In fairness, I hadn't been completely honest with her. I was going to return my duel disk, but I also wanted to grab the picture from the abandoned dorm. For all I knew, I could be leaving on Sunday and Alexis needed to know her brother had been at the dorm. To give her some hope if nothing else. It wasn't exactly the ideal time, but I'd missed my window to ask Jaden to give it to her. It'd just open a whole can of worms about why I hadn't done it myself.

Once back in the room, I plugged my disk into charge and grabbed the picture from my dresser drawer and stuffed it in my pocket. Once I made sure my door was locked, I made my way back outside, finding Alexis leaning against the wall.

"Sorry about that. Let's go."

She nodded and we began the walk. Despite Alexis's wish to talk, we both remained relatively quiet. On my part, I was trying to work out exactly how much I could reveal without sounding like a crazy person or giving away so much that I'd be questioned on my knowledge later on. As for Alexis, she kept her eyes forward, her expression as unreadable as ever.

After a few minutes, we came to the midway point between the dorms. Sure enough, there were a few benches and tables that were spread out. I could see this being a meetup area for the Obelisk students. However, considering how close it was to nightfall, the area was deserted. We took a seat on either side of a picnic table by the water. The whole situation felt very business-like. Alexis sat with her hands intertwined on the table and her legs crossed whereas I had my arms folded and lightly tapped my right foot against the ground.

"So where do you want to start?" I asked.

"What do you actually know about the abandoned dorm?" she asked without hesitation.

"About as much as you I imagine," I lied. "I know that it's forbidden to enter for reasons that no one knows. I also know that it isn't mentioned anywhere in the student handbook and that the teachers like to pretend it doesn't exist. I also know that despite its run-down state, the academy refuses to knock it down."

"And why do you think that is?" she asked. She was letting very little away. Testing the waters with me.

"A few weeks ago, I couldn't have fathomed a guess," I replied. "But after what happened… well I have some ideas now."

Alexis nodded and looked down. She lightly bit her bottom lip, seemingly struggling with whatever she wanted to say next. "Out of interest, do you know anything about the students that have gone missing at this academy?"

Yes.

"I'm afraid not."

"A few years ago, several students from the academy went missing. The official story is that they are on some kind of trip overseas, but in reality, no one knows where they are. After everything that happened, I think that… no… I'm almost certain it had something to do with that dorm."

"How do you know?" I asked. "That the people who disappeared are missing I mean?"

She looked down, not meeting my eye. I suddenly felt extremely guilty. I knew how she knew but I couldn't just accept her words without some hesitation. That would be too suspicious. Still, it was clear she wasn't quite ready to talk about it. Still, after a moment, she regained her will and looked back to meet my eye. "I know because my brother was one of the people who went missing. He's been gone for two years now… and it's been tough for my family not having him around. Admittedly, one of the reasons I came to this academy was so that I could find some closure because on a level… well… I didn't think he was coming back."

"I… I had… I'm sorry Alexis. I'm sorry that happened to your family." That was probably the first honest thing I'd said in this conversation. I should probably be more worried about how easy it was becoming to lie.

"Don't be," she said, her voice suddenly filled with determination. "Because I meant what I said. I think the abandoned dorm had something to do with my brother's disappearance. That place, the shadow realm, was real. What if Atticus and all those others are trapped there?"

"It's possible. But Alexis, that is a big 'if'."

"I know…" Her posture slumped, her eyes once again falling. "And even then… if he's like that girl…"

My mind drifted to Nightshroud, the piece of him that had possessed Atticus's body in the canon. In time, Atticus would be free of his corruption and back with his sister. At least that should be the case. My knowledge of the future was now blurred. There should never have been a third Nightshroud. The woman currently lying in the academy infirmary was an aberration to me. For all I knew, she was just like me and had reincarnated here. Or maybe my actions, or Logan's, had in some way affected her life so that she was taken instead of/with Atticus. Either way, I could no longer be sure of Atticus's safety. And now here I was, sat in front of his sister, who looked close to having a breakdown. I had answers for her. The knowledge that could put her mind at ease, and I couldn't tell her. This was partially why I hadn't wanted to interact with Alexis. Knowledge was cruel.

"I just wish I knew if that girl had even been a student," Alexis continued, unwittingly giving me the opening I had been waiting for.

"She was." Her eyes snapped to me. I answered her silent question by reaching into my pocket and pulling out the folded picture. "I found this inside the dorm. She was a student here. And when I was in the infirmary, Nurse Fontaine told me that her name was Eve Pechman so she clearly knew her. I don't know who the other guy in the picture is though."

I slid the picture across the table and Alexis took it. As she opened it, her breath hitched in her throat, letting out a sharp gasp. She visibly tensed and her hand began to shake. "That boy, he's my brother…" she murmured, her eyes becoming a little shiny. "This is the first trace of him I've seen in years…"

"You don't say…" I mumbled. I watched Alexis closely as she placed her hand up to the picture. Despite what was probably a hurricane of emotions running through her head she didn't cry or whimper. She smiled, a small half-hearted chuckle escaping her. "He looked happy."

"The two of them look close," I said. "Did he ever mention a girlfriend?"

She shook her head. "He said he'd met someone who reminded him of his passion for duelling, but nothing about who they were. But if that girl… if Eve has been found then there's still hope Atticus can come back."

Shame. While it was unlikely, I had been hoping Alexis might be able to give me some more information on Eve. Anything that I might be able to use to work She made to hand back the picture, but I shook my head.

"You keep it. I think it'll do you more good than me." Her eyes widened and she withdrew her hand.

"Th-Thank you," she said, quickly putting the picture into her uniform pocket.

"No problem. I'm sorry it's not something more concrete."

"You shouldn't be. You actually have no idea how much this helps," she said happily. It was nice seeing her like this; hopeful. Up until now, she had always been fairly negative with me. That smile soon fell. "By the way, I'm sorry for what's happened to you. With the chance of expulsion. You only went in to help and now…"

"I'll admit, it does suck but there were obvious risks," I dismissed.

"Chumley and I tried to appeal to the Chancellor the other day," she went on. "We were hoping to appeal both your punishment and Jaden and Syrus's. Unfortunately, he didn't change his decision."

My eyes widened. She had done that? I mean, I knew that she tried to protect Jaden in the canon but I hadn't expected her to appeal for me as well. I suppose she felt guilty for having to be saved. Alexis was a very prideful person after all. "You didn't have to do that."

"Yes I did. I owed you. You've only got a few days left, have you found yourself a tag partner?"

"Yeah, Bastion Misawa has said he'll help me out. We've been working fairly hard the last few days to make sure our strategy is ready."

"I'm glad," she said, her posture relaxing a little. "Truth be told, I was worried you hadn't found one yet."

"Oh, and what makes you say that?"

"Your natural ability to infuriate people."

What cheek! Is that really what she thought of me?

"My, my, was that supposed to be a joke?" I asked, my brow cocked.

"Maybe."

We both chuckled before a gentle silence fell over us. It was at that point I remembered I still had card packs in my pocket and in truth, there wasn't much else I could tell Alexis. It was probably about the time for me to make my exit.

"Is there anything else you want to know? Bear in mind, I probably can't tell you much."

She shook her head. "No. You've actually been really helpful. Thank you for talking to me."

"Anytime," I replied. "In which case, I'm gonna head back to the dorm. I've got some card packs that are burning a hole in my pocket and there's a certain monster I've got my eye on."

"Another Yugi card?" she smirked.

"They're not Yugi cards," I sighed.

"Summoned Skull, Buster Blader, Dark Paladin," she listed off using her fingers.

"Well jokes on you, I just changed up my deck recently."

"Are those still in there?"

"…Yes…"

She stifled a chuckle, and I couldn't help but join in. Once our laughter died down, I finally stood up. "Good night, Alexis. Hopefully, I'll see you soon."

"Night." I gave her a nod and made to leave when she called out for me again. "Hey Ren, there is actually something else."

"Hmm?"

"If you win on Sunday, can you help me look into the dorm? This whole thing, it might be a little big for me to do alone."

The offer made me pause. Why was she asking me? This seemed like it should be something she should be asking Jaden to do. Maybe it was the fact we had confronted Nightshroud together, so I knew some of the circumstances of the situation? I probably should have said no, but as I looked back to her, the moonlight shining against her pale skin, her hazel eyes almost shining, I just couldn't.

"Yeah. Of course."

Simp.

Her smile grew. "Thank you. Remember, no running."

"No running," I repeated. "Good night." I turned and quickly made my way back to the blue dorm, wondering just what I had gotten myself into. To make matters worse, when I opened the packs, I still didn't get the card I was looking for.

---

"Have you been watching him?" Logan asked as he stood out on the metal walkway that was the second floor of the Slifer Dorm, or the tool shed as other people called it. He kept his voice down, not wanting any of the other residents to his conversation.

Lumina was at his side, sitting atop the railing without fear of falling off. "He has partnered up with the Ra, Misawa," she told him. "The two of them have spent the majority of their time practising." She spoke quietly as well, just in case Jaden was still awake. They didn't want him learning of her existence just yet. "It would seem The Other is putting his all into this fight. As convoluted as your plan is, it seems to be working. I don't believe he has completely given up his stance on non-interference, but he has started taking a more active interest in the events happening on the island."

"Good, I'm glad," Logan said, letting out a sigh of relief. After his conversation with Ren the other day, he had asked Lumina to keep tabs on him, just in case he did something unexpected. Thankfully, it seemed Ren was going with the option that Logan found the most favourable. "After this is over, I'll approach him again and try and see if we can work together."

"That could work," Lumina said. "However, I can't help but wonder if the better course of action would have been to offer your assistance from the beginning."

"Hmm? What do you mean?"

"Forgive my brashness, My Saviour, but if you truly wanted to work together, I believe the correct step would have been to avoid revealing your hand in the scheme and offer to be his tag partner. He may not have accepted but you would have planted the seed that you wanted co-operation."

"He wouldn't have agreed to that," Logan dismissed.

"Maybe, but now we'll never know," Lumina said, looking away.

"Never know, huh? Hmm?"

Was that really true? Had he gone about this the wrong way? It had seemed simple at first. In Logan's mind, if Ren won alone, he would prove his strength and be forced to get involved with the plot. If he won with a partner, he'd show that he was willing to risk canon characters for his own ends. In either of those scenarios, Ren would have to follow Logan's own philosophies about how to approach future events. If Ren lost and was expelled, then Logan could follow his own ambitions freely. In any scenario, he won something. But to have Lumina easily point out the flaw struck a chord with him.

"Do you really think I should have done this differently?"

"That is not up to me to say, My Saviour. I merely act as your guide," she replied coolly.

"I see. Is there anything else you need to tell me? Has he been talking to anyone else?" She paused and looked down towards the ground.

"There is nothing that needs trouble you."

"Okay. Thank you, Lumina. I appreciate it." She nodded before fading away with the night breeze. Once he was sure she was gone, Logan turned back and looked towards the main academy in the distance. "Be his tag partner, huh?"

---

The next few days passed quickly. It felt like Friday came along in the blink of an eye. That night, I practically fell into my room after a rather intense training session with Bastion. We'd gone down to the card shop and challenged anyone and everyone who was willing to throw down. Managed to rack up a fair amount of DP as well. Could certainly make use of that if all things went well. Some of them had been all too happy to help us train. In classic anime school lifestyle, the expulsion matches had been announced to the entire school, so everyone knew what was going to happen. Figures that duels that affect a peoples' future would be turned into a spectacle. In fairness, this was a world of an anime but it still seemed remarkably unprofessional.

Either way, after a day of duelling, I was exhausted and just wanted a hot bath and to relax. I started to get changed, but just as I'd removed my jacket, there was a knock at the door.

"Who could that be?" I grumbled. When I opened the door, I found none other than Torrey standing there with a letter in his hands. I hadn't spoken to the guy since I'd arrived, so it felt weird to have him appear so suddenly. "Hey there, Torrey. Everything alright?"

"A Ra just dropped this off for you," he said friendlily. I held out the letter and I took it cautiously.

"Do you know who?"

"Sorry, I haven't seen the guy before."

"Alright. Thanks for bringing it up."

"No problem. I happened to run into him on my way in anyway. Good luck tomorrow."

"Thanks," I mumbled. His task done; Torrey went off on his way and I headed back inside. "Now who could have sent this," I mumbled as I turned over the envelope. I doubted it was a prank. Torrey seemed like one of the better Obelisks in the dorm. The lip was loose and inside was a Duel Monster card and note. It read, 'Good luck tomorrow. It's not much, but I hope this helps you win.'

The card itself was a low-level effect monster that could potentially be extremely useful with my main deck. It was also a monster I had seen a certain someone use on the day of the entrance exams. It didn't take a genius to work out who had left it. "Would have been nice if he had given it to me face to face," I mumbled. "Still, I suppose this was progress if Dimitri came here personally to deliver it. Just wish he had stuck around." I went over to my main deck and shuffled the card in. And then I realised my mistake.

"Shit, my extra deck was on top," I grumbled, setting about retrieving my fusion monsters from the main body of cards. Once I'd reorganised them, I went back to getting ready for bed. The plan was for me and Bastion to meet at the academy after he was done with his morning exercises.

If all things went well this time tomorrow, Bastion, Sadie and I would be celebrating. Yeah, I could just imagine it now… Yeah, it's good to stay positive. Tomorrow would be a good day.

---

The Next Day

"One, two…draw! One, two… draw! One, two… draw! One, two… draw! One, two… draw."

Bastion stood by the crashing morning waves, going through his exercises. Each morning he would come down to this spot and draw cards from his deck. It wasn't an exercise for his physique. Bastion performed this ritual to enhance his own mental fortitude and resilience. He viewed it as a show of his determination and dedication to the game. Something to remind him about his own goals.

He had been in that spot for the last hour, psyching himself up for the match that was to come. He'd be lying if he said he wasn't a little nervous. The chances are that Crowler would call in tough opponents. Even with their diligent training, if he and Ren weren't careful, things could quickly go out of control.

As he drew the final card from his duel disk, Bastion let out a calming breath. "That should do it for today," he mused. Taking out his PDA, he saw it was a little past eight. He had a couple of hours before the expulsion matches began. He and Ren had agreed to meet after his exercises to go over strategy one more time.

"Best not to keep the chap waiting any longer," Bastion said as he began the climb back up the hill. It was a walk he had made at least a hundred times since coming to the academy. While it was steep, it was not dangerous if you were careful. But on that morning, just as Bastion was approaching the steepest part of the climb, he was suddenly blinded by an immense golden light. It came on so suddenly, Bastion was forced to hold up both arms in order to protect his eyes.

"What on earth?" he gasped, taking an involuntary step back. However, at that moment his foot slipped, and Bastion fell back feeling a sharp pain in his foot. He tumbled back a short way, his torso taking the brunt of the impact. He managed to stop himself about halfway up the hill. "That was too close," he mumbled to himself. He looked back to where the light had been, but it was gone.

"How strange? Was that the sun? No, it's couldn't have been. It was far too– ARGH!" The moment Bastion had tried to put pressure on his right foot, he immediately collapsed. Placing his hand down to the appendage, he found that it was tender to the touch and sent pain coursing through him. From all the medical journals he had read, he did not believe it to be broken, but he certainly couldn't move freely now. He was stuck!

His eyes darted to the top of the hill. It seemed only a short distance away and yet he wasn't going to be able to make it alone. He definitely wasn't in a fit state to duel. "Ren's going to have to fight alone…" he realised, his voice utterly disheartened. He reached for his PDA only to find the screen was cracked and utterly unusable. He couldn't even call anyone for help!

Slowly, he scooted over to the side of the path and pressed himself up against the rock wall, hoping to find some leverage so that he wouldn't fall further down the hill. His mind raced for a way that he could use to signal someone.

"Why did this have to happen now of all times?" he groaned.

---

My foot tapped rapidly against the floor as I stole another look at my watch and then to the main door of the Academy building. Bastion was late. He'd told me he'd finish his morning routine around 8. It was now 8:45. Now I know that people could take their time but this was Bastion we were talking about. He was punctual. He turned up to class each day fifteen minutes before it began and only left at the end of the day once he'd spent ten minutes reviewing his notes. I hadn't even received a message from him. This was not like him. Something was wrong.

The expulsion matches began at 10 am. It was early but with two duels scheduled, it was better to start as soon as possible. I had to find him quickly. As fast as I could, I headed out the gates and made a break for the Ra dorm. I ran as fast as I could, earning myself some very strange looks from the people I met on the path.

I didn't stop until I was standing in front of the yellow dorm's door. Wheezing for air and feeling a stitch in my side, I pounded my fist against the door, hoping someone would answer. Now that I was no longer in the dorm, my key wouldn't unlock it.

Thankfully, someone must have been close and opened the door. "Calm down! You'll break down the - Oh, Señor Cambell. What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be at the Academy?" The one who came out was Professor Sartyr. Unfortunately, I didn't have time for pleasantries.

"Professor, is Bastion here? We agreed to meet a while ago but he never turned up."

"Bastion? I saw him leave this morning as I prepared breakfast. He said he was going to do his morning exercise. I haven't seen him come back though."

So, he had left the dorm. That meant the next place I should check was the hill. "Thank you, sir." I was about to run off when the professor placed a hand on my shoulder.

"Do you believe he could be in trouble?"

"Possibly. It's not like him to go missing without a message."

Sartyr nodded, bringing his hand up to his chin. "I shall come with you. It is better to be safe than sorry. Besides, Señor Misawa is a part of my dorm. If something has happened, I must help."

That surprised me. Sartyr didn't seem like the kind of man to take action. Either way, two heads were better than one. "He always does his routine by the hill near the dorm," I told him.

"Then we start our search there," the professor proclaimed with unusual resolution. Either his care for his students was greater than I thought, or he was just happy to be useful for once. Together, we hurried to the cliffside. We crossed the path towards a small field of greenage that obscured the cliff. "This is fairly well hidden from the path. I'm surprised Señor found this place."

"Bastion is pretty resourceful. When he sets his mind to something, he rarely fails."

Rarely…

As we got closer to the cliffside, we suddenly heard a deep and powerful roar. Sartyr and I shared a look before rushing to the edge. Down below we saw a serpentine monster made from surging water. It thrashed around the rocks, shooting out surges of water. Even though I knew it to be a hologram, there was no way I couldn't be intimidated by the scene of a raging sea serpent. It was Water Dragon, one of Bastion's ace monsters. And since it was here, that meant he was here too.

"Bastion is here," I said, rushing over to the path that led to the bottom of the hill. Sartyr was behind me, shouting out for me to be careful but I didn't listen. "Bastion!" I called, reaching the top. Looking down, I saw the Ra almost halfway down the steep hill, his back pressed against the wall and had his right leg extended out whilst his left was dug into the ground. His duel disk was active on his arm. I was sure Water Dragon was on it but that didn't matter.

I carefully hurried down the hill, coming to kneel down in front of him. Bastion was breathing heavily, his face contorted in pain. Despite this, when he saw me, he gave me a tired smile. "About time," he said quietly. "I wondered when you would come looking. I just thought you'd figure it out after ten minutes."

"I was willing to give you the benefit of the doubt," I said with a solemn laugh. "What happened?"

His head fell back against the rocks, his expression darkening. "I was on my way back and there was this light. This blinding, golden light. I couldn't see and in my foolishness, I took a bad step back and... I think I've twisted my ankle. I'm sorry Ren. If I had been more careful…"

His face was going red. I shook my head. "Don't worry about me when you're the one hurt."

"But the match-"

"Is just a match. We need to get you to the infirmary."

At that moment, Professor Sartyr reached us. He had been more careful than I was coming down as he was not used to the climb. He sat down next to Bastion and winced. "It looks like you have had quite the fall, Señor Misawa. I have already contacted the academy and they are sending a vehicle. You will be fine."

"Thank you, Professor," Bastion said sadly. "I just can't believe it came to this. All that training."

"Hey, you'll get your chance to shine. Trust me," I said, trying to reassure him. Again, he shook his head.

"It is not me I am worried about. There is no way I can duel, Ren. Look at my leg." I did, it was swollen and red. The very look of it made me wince. "You no longer have a partner. You are going to have to fight alone." It was true, I was alone again. However, I put on my best brave face. Doing so otherwise would only make him worry more.

"It'll be fine. You have no idea how much you've helped me this week. You've really helped me polish up my strategies. Everything will go fine and by this time tonight, we'll be laughing."

He didn't look convinced. Sartyr didn't look convinced. I didn't even sound convincing to myself. But there was no time. Nonetheless, Sartyr patted my arm. "There will be people at the academy now. You should go, Ren. There is still a little time."

"But Bastion-"

"I shall stay with him. As long as he is a member of the Ra dorm, it is my duty to watch out for him. Go."

I looked to Bastion, almost requesting his permission and the boy nodded. "He is right. You need to find someone else. I'm just sorry I can't do more." He turned his head towards the ocean. I didn't know what he was imagining but his expression was so solemn and wistful that it near broke my heart. Bastion had been looking forward to this. Fighting a true challenge against powerful opponents. In an ideal world, we would be fighting side by side. Unfortunately, this was our reality, and reality is often cruel.

"You've done more than enough," I mumbled.

Despite it all, Bastion turned to me and gave me his best smile. Despite its sadness, it was honest to a fault. "Go, Ren. I'll be cheering for you. I know you can win."

I was near speechless. After his fall, after getting hurt, all he cared about was that kept a level head for the match. He was truly too good a friend. "Thank you. I'll make sure to put on a show."

"I'm sure you will," he said with another pained smile. He reached out his hand and I grasped it in my own. We both nodded before I reluctantly let go. I gave my thanks to Professor Sartyr before I turned and rushed back to the academy.

The first person that came to mind when I thought of a secondary partner was Sadie. She had seen Bastion and my training sessions. She knew my strategies and I knew hers. It was ideal. As I ran, I pulled out my PDA and dialled her number. Unfortunately, it went straight to voicemail. She must have already started work and turned the damn thing off.

'Even with my nightly runs, this is exhausting!' I mentally screamed as I pushed myself further. It was 9:15 by the time I got back to the main building and even then, I had to push myself to make it up all the stairs to the card shop. By the time I was there, I was ready to collapse. I stood in the entrance, doubled over and once again taking deep breaths.

"Lesson… learned. Don't… sprint… everywhere," I wheezed before taking slow steps towards the counter. No one was there but I rang the bell that was by the till.

"Sorry, we're not open yet," I heard Sadie call from the back. I tried to talk but my voice escaped me. Thankfully, the second year poked her head out from the back room. "Ren? What are you doing here? You and Bastion should be preparing for the match!" Again, I tried to speak but it came out as a half-garbled gasp. "What?" Sadie asked, utterly confused.

Rolling my eyes, I quickly went over to a shelf filled with drinks that were by the till and grabbed a bottle of water and fished some coins out of my wallet. Slamming the money on the counter, I opened the bottle and downed the contents. Sadie took the coins in bewilderment, completing the purchase on the computer.

Once I drank every last drop, I placed the bottle down and took a final deep breath. "Ah, that's better. Water has never tasted so good."

"Ren, focus!" Sadie cried. My little display had made her worry if the look on her face was anything to go by.

"Have you got your deck and duel disk on you?" I asked desperately.

"Uh… no. They're back at the dorm. I don't normally bring them with me to work." My shoulders slumped. The girls' dorm was about a twenty-minute walk each way from the academy. There was no way she would make it there and back in time. And that would also mean she'd have to leave her job. I didn't want her to get into trouble because of me. "Ren? What's wrong?" Sadie asked, snapping me from my stupor.

"Bastion's gotten hurt," I told her, not beating around the bush. "He's not going to be able to duel." She let out a gasp before looking around at the shop.

"I can ask Ms Dorothy if I can help. I can run back to the dorm and-"

"There's not enough time," I groaned. "And even if we bought cards from here, it won't be good for you to use cards you're not familiar with. Not to mention that without a duel disk…" We both looked down, glum at my prospects. But now wasn't time to be depressed. "I'll keep looking around," I said. "Everything will be fine. Thanks anyway, Sadie. I'll catch you in a bit." I quickly turned and ran, or half jogged, out of the shop to continue my search for a partner. There had to be more people around who'd be willing to help. Time was running out.

---

Sadie watched Ren run from the shop with a heavy heart. She wanted to help but he was right, without her own cards, she could potentially be a liability in the duel. It was always possible the academy would lend her a spare duel disk to duel with, but it wouldn't do anything to help with an unfamiliar deck.

She racked her brain for a way she could help, however with such a short time, there wasn't much she could do. The main issue was that Ren needed someone who not only knew him but also knew his deck and how he played. During their training sessions, in describing the way he played to Bastion and Sadie, he'd told them about some of his duels at the academy. Maybe one of his old opponents…

And then it hit her. An idea that could work but she knew that Ren would hate. But he could be annoyed later. For now, he needed a tag partner. Returning to the back room, she quickly took out her PDA and turned it on. She went to her messages and searched for a specific person. "Please pick up," she begged as she dialled the person's PDA.

---

I went to the Obelisk Arena with my head held low. There had been a few people already at the academy I knew, but when I asked them, they had been unwilling to help me. Thanks to the academy announcing the duels and punishments, the majority of the student body knew of my plight and none of them was willing to stick out their necks in the face of a possible suspension. I couldn't really blame them. It did make me appreciate how quick Bastion and Sadie had been to volunteer themselves all the more though. They truly were fantastic friends.

In truth, I had tried contacting Dimitri as well, but he didn't pick up and my call went straight to voicemail. I didn't know if his PDA was off or if he just didn't answer my call, but either way, I hadn't been able to ask him. Oh well… At least I had hoped I'd get another chance to talk to him.

The seats were already packed when I entered the arena. It seemed people had swarmed once they had found out. People from every dorm were here, anxious to see the duels that would take place. I was sure more than one of them were here in the hopes Jaden would lose too. As a Slifer, he'd become infamous for upsetting the status quo of the academy infrastructure. Those here to watch were probably here out of spite.

Speaking of Slifer, Jaden and Syrus were sat off to the side in foldable chairs. The Disciplinary Committee, Doctor Crowler and Chancellor Sheppard were standing by them as if guarding them. Jaden's posture was relaxed, a giddy smile on his face as he probably imagined the fight he was in for. Syrus was a lot more solemn, his head down and squirming. He kept looking up into the crowd and I followed his gaze to see Zane standing at the top of the bleachers. The older Truesdale's arms were folded, and he stood as straight as a pencil, his expression unreadable.

I didn't have time to scan the crowd, but I was sure Logan was here as well. There was no way he'd miss this opportunity. He wanted to see how this would go. The thought that he may accomplish something today made me angrier than I already was. But I couldn't focus on that now.

I made my way over to the Disciplinary Committee and the Chancellor. As I approached, Sheppard turned to me. This was my first time seeing him in the flesh. He gave off the aura of a caring man at the minute. "Mr Cambell, I have heard from Professor Sartyr what happened to Mr Misawa. I am truly sorry events have turned out this way, but we cannot allow you any special treatment. Despite appearances, this is a punishment." He said the last bit with some disapproval as he turned to look at the crowd. It seemed he wasn't fond of the idea that this would be a public event. It seemed odd that he didn't stop it as Chancellor but who was I to question him? In the canon, Sheppard had been portrayed as a bit of a bumbler, constantly making mistakes and allowing things to happen that endangered the school. I shouldn't be surprised things had turned out this way.

"I understand Chancellor," I said quietly before taking my seat next to Jaden and Syrus. The two of them shot me concerned looks but I shook my head and tried to reassure them with one of my patented fake smiles. The two of them shared a look and it seemed like they wanted to say more, but before they could, Crower took the stage.

"Ladies and gentlemen, we are gathered here today for the punishment of Jaden Yuki, Syrus Truesdale and Ren Cambell. They will be participating in tag team matches to decide their fate at this academy. If they win, they stay. If they lose, they are expelled." Crowler spoke dramatically and theatrically. Had to hand it to the guy, when on a stage he had a way of capturing your attention. "There will be two duels against different opponents. Ren Cambell, step forward."

It seemed I was to be the first to be thrown into the frying pan. Jaden and Syrus both shot me encouraging smiles as I got up from my seat and made my way up to the duel stage. Crowler eyed me strangely, his expression grim.

"Were you unable to find a partner?" he asked.

Before I could answer, a new voice suddenly called out as someone took their place beside me.

"I'll be duelling with him."

I whipped around to see none other than Alexis at my side, her duel disk at the ready. The sight of seeing the Obelisk Queen standing ready in a duel with such high stakes sent the crowd into an uproar. People cried put in protest, begging for her not to duel. Some support I had…

Crowler had also gone pale. "Ms Rhodes, you do know the stakes in this duel?"

She nodded. "I do. It doesn't change anything."

Crowler looked to me, his expression grave. "Is she really your tag partner?" he asked.

I turned to Alexis. As always, her expression was near unreadable, but she eyed me with a sharp gaze, one that said, 'Just go along with it.'

"It appears so," I said.

Forced to accept it, Crowler turned to the audience and continued taking but I was uninterested at this point.

"What are you doing here?" I whispered loud enough so that only Alexis could hear me.

"I got a message from Sadie telling me what happened," she replied matter-of-factly. "She asked if I could step in. She said that she'll be here after she checks on Bastion. She'll make sure he's here."

"Oh." So, Sadie was responsible for this. Had to make sure I properly thanked her later.

"I'm surprised you didn't message me actually."

"Hmm?"

"I know we've had our differences, but did you really think that after everything, you would have to do anything but ask. You've got people who care about you Ren. Lean on us more."

Wow... why was it that every damn character at this knew how to leave me shell shocked? Why I didn't message her in the first place escaped me. I suppose in my panic, I hadn't really thought about it. Maybe I just subconsciously didn't want to risk her position at the academy? Seems she wouldn't have cared. Oh well, we were here now. Even so, I was worried. While I had duelled against Alexis and she knew some of my strategies, we had never duelled together. At this point in the timeline, I didn't even know if her deck contained the Cyber Angels. This was likely to go terribly wrong. Either way, Alexis was here now when I needed help. I should be grateful.

"Thank you."

"No problem," she smiled. "Besides, we have a deal. I'm not letting you run from it on a technicality."

"Heh, figures." It almost made me laugh. I looked again into the crowd in search of Logan. I wanted to see his expression. He must be shitting a brick right now. Bet he never expected Alexis would come to my rescue.

At this point, Crowler finished his grandstanding and directed his hand to the entrance of the arena. "Now for their opponents. They retired from duelling six years ago but are looking to re-enter the ring. They partook in prestigious tournaments such as Duellist Kingdom and Battle City before banding together to become a fierce tag duelling team. I give you, Weevil Underwood and Rex Raptor!"

My eyes went wide as the two stepped into the Obelisk Arena. The crowd applauded but I was transfixed as the Beavis and Butthead of the Yu-Gi-Oh community walked out, waving to the crowd. However, they looked nothing like I remembered them from the show. Ten years had been kind to Rex. He had grown a fair bit, now standing at roughly 5'9. He had kept his feral rat nest of brown hair and his signature red beanie. His facial features were softer though and he looked calmer. He wore a long, dark green jacket that came down to the back of his knees over a stylish black shirt.

Weevil on the other hand seemed to have taken more of a turn for the worse. His cyan hair that had once been a bowl cut had grown down to his chin. Unlike Rex, he hadn't gained much in the way of height. Rather it seemed to have gone to… other aspects… of his figure. He now somewhat resembled a bloated tick. He still wore his yellow glasses with a scarab beetle connecting the frame. He had actually dressed up for the occasion. He wore a gaudy, shiny green suit with silver beetle cufflinks. Each of them had an academy style duel disk on their arm.

Now I hadn't been idle the last ten years. I had followed duelling media and somewhat kept track of the characters from the original series. Weevil and Rex were always presented as half-rate villains in the original show. However, once the characters had moved on with their lives, the two of them once again tried to get into the pro circuit and did poorly. They just couldn't hack the competition and fell completely off the map.

Then, a couple of years later, they came back. Together, they entered a nation tag team tournament and dominated it! They were like two completely different people. They were alert, controlled and watched each other's back. The media had called it their second reign. But this was Rex and Weevil. It all went wrong. Rex seemed to have actually turned over a new leaf and from what I heard was involved in a number of charities and even volunteered at a few museums. But Weevil; having once again found success, gave into his vices once more. He got cocky and was seen at various parties, indulging in drugs, alcohol, beautiful women and all the other 'sinful' perks of being a celebrity. One night, he got drunk and ended up in a car crash that severely injured his passenger. I won't even mention what they were up to.

Nevertheless, Weevil was taken to court and was forced to pay for his crime. He faced prison time and had to go to rehab. According to the news, Rex visited him once and it was only so that he could end their partnership face to face. They didn't meet again for years. But if what Crowler had said was true, it seemed someone had extended an olive branch and they were starting over. And unfortunately, it appeared that they had taken this job to get the ball rolling.

Even with their reputation, it seemed that they had a cult following among the students of the academy, especially the Obelisks, as they cheered for them as they took the stage. "So, you are our opponents?" Rex asked, looking us over. "Good to meet 'cha I guess." He sounded tired. "I'm looking forward to seeing how you academy kids duel."

"Don't be too disheartened when we win," Weevil interjected, his classic grin spreading over his face. His voice was just as whiny and unpleasant as I remembered. "We don't want any tears."

"Hey, what did we talk about?" Rex said quietly, gently nudging his partner.

To his credit, Weevil did look a little bashful. "Right, sorry. Don't worry, I'm calm." Rex did not seem convinced but turned his attention back to us.

"We're ready whenever you guys are."

"It's an honour to go up against you," Alexis said, giving a small bow. She seemed to respect the two as duellists. However, her eyes narrowed when she looked at Weevil. It appeared she was not a member of the fan club.

"I look forward to the challenge," I said, choosing to nod rather than bow.

With our greetings done, Crowler took his place in the middle of the stage. "Now here are the rules. Both teams will share 8000 life points. No one can attack on their first turn and a direct attack cannot be made on a player if their teammate has a monster on the field. Teammates also cannot discuss strategy or reveal to their partner the cards in their hand. You share a field and a graveyard. Are the rules understood?"

"Yes," we all said in unison.

"Very well. Let the match begin!" Crowler cried, waving his arm.

"DUEL!"

"I'll start!" I cried, drawing my first card.

Turn 1: Ren – 8000LP – 6 cards in hand – 0 cards on the field

"Here's something new. I summon Keeper of Dragon Magic (1800/1300) in attack mode." On the field emerged a warrior draped from head to toe in light blue armour reminiscent of a dragon. Platinum hair flowed from the back of his helmet and a long spear was in his right hand. "When this guy is summoned, I can discard a card and then add Polymerization from my deck to my hand." I discarded and retrieved the card from my deck. Taking another peek, I thought it best to conserve recourses. "I'll set a card and end my turn."

"A solid opening move," Weevil said, although he didn't sound sincere. "I'll go next." He drew his next card with a flourish.

Turn 2: Weevil – 8000LP – 6 cards in hand – 0 cards on the field

His grin grew when he looked at his card. "I'll set a monster and play two cards face down. I'll then activate the continuous spell, Insect Barrier. With this out, insect monsters you control cannot attack us. I end my turn."

Very succinctly, he made his move, not engaging in any taunts or grandstanding. It was very unlike the villain I'd seen from the show. However, his spell had given me insight into what one of his face downs was. One of them had to be DNA Surgery. The moment we attacked, he'd activate it and change all monsters on the field into insects and his barrier would stop them. We needed to find a way to get destroy it. Either way, with his turn finished, Alexis was free to draw her card.

Turn 3: Alexis – 8000LP – 6 cards in hand – 0 cards on field (1 monster and facedown shared with Ren)

Before making her move, Alexis checked her duel disk. The blue orb in the centre of the disk displayed more than just our life points. It could also be used to check the current cards on the field and their effects, and what was in the graveyard. Her posture and demeanour were once again cold. She was entirely focused on the duel and I was entirely grateful for that. After a few seconds, she proceeded.

"I'll summon Blade Skater (1400/400) in attack mode." The female ice skater slid onto the field, taking up her place in front of the Obelisk Queen. "I'll then activate Mystical Space Typhoon to blow apart your barrier!"

"Good move!" I couldn't help but cheer. Now we'd be able to attack freely.

"Oh, I don't think so. I activate the trap, Dark Bribe!" Weevil cackled. "With this, I negate the activation of your little breeze. You get to draw a card, but it doesn't matter."

As Weevil's trap took effect, the hologram of Alexis's spell went dark and promptly disintegrated. Alexis frowned as she drew her consolation before taking another card from her hand. "I'll end with a face down." It was a good try, but it seemed Weevil was playing defensively.

Finally, Rex took his turn. Immediately, his attitude changed. He took a calming breath before his eyes turned sharp and determined. In a moment, he had become a lot more intimidating than the canon.

"My draw!" he cried.

Turn 4: Rex – 8000LP – 6 cards in hand – 0 on the field (1 set monster and two face downs shared with Weevil)

"I'll start by special summoning Gilasaurus (1400/400)," he declared, the little brown raptor emerging onto his field. "I can do this due to its effect."

"True," Alexis said with a smirk. "But that means we also get to revive a monster from our graveyard, right Ren?"

I smiled. "Yes, it does." The card I had discarded earlier slid out from my graveyard slot. "Revive, Darkblaze Dragon (1200/1000)!" Flames burst from the ground behind me as my black, four-winged dragon took to the field, its eyes locked on our opponents. "My dragon's effect activates when it's summoned from the grave, doubling its stats!" Darkblaze let out a roar as its power surged. (1200-2400 ATK/1000-2000 DEF)

However, despite the new dragon in their path, our opponent's seemed unfazed. "That is quite the monster," Rex said. "But wait till you get a load of this. I activate the spell, Big Evolution Pill. First of all, I have to tribute a dino, so Gilasaurus goes to the grave." His velociraptor dissolved into particles as the spell appeared on the field. "This card stays on the field for three turns. But while it's here, I can summon my level five and higher dinosaurs without a tribute."

Oh, that's not good…

"I normal summon Super Conductor Tyranno (3300/1400)!" Much like Darkblaze Dragon, Rex's monster burst out of the ground, easily towering over every other monster on the field. It was a green-skinned tyrannosaurus fused with machinery. Bulbous purple orbs were built embedded within its tail, back and torso and it let out a terrifying roar as it came to rest. Seeing this beast, my sense of dread grew. Back when Rex and Weevil had been a team, this card had become one of Rex's aces. The crowd went wild seeing that monster, raining down applause on the play. I noticed Weevil grimace as the students cheered.

A small smile crossed Rex's face, but he didn't seem to let the praise get to his head. Instead, he merely continued. "I end my turn with that," he said.

Hmm? Why didn't he activate Tyranno's effect? He could have tributed Weevil's monster and inflicted us with a thousand points of damage. What was he planning?

"It's your move, kid," Weevil called impatiently. "We're waiting on you."

I suddenly became aware of the looks the crowd were giving me and quickly drew my card. Now that we had each taken a turn, we could go on the offensive. But with Rex's Tyranno on the field, I would have to make sure to build up our defences. I was certain Weevil's other face down was DNA Surgery as well so I wouldn't be able to attack even if I wanted to. Thankfully, my new card would allow me to work on some prep.

Turn 5: Ren – 8000LP- 5 cards in hand – 2 monsters on the field, 1 facedown (Shares 1 other monster and 1 facedown with Alexis)

"I'm starting this off by activating Future Fusion! I now show you a fusion monster from my extra deck. I then send the required material from my deck to the grave and in two turns, I get to summon it. So, here's Five-Headed Dragon." I showed them the monster and took a little relief in seeing their bodies tense. It seemed I'd made them nervous. Smiling, I removed my deck from the disk and took out five dragons, quickly slotting them into the grave. "I'll send these guys to the graveyard," I said, shuffling my cards and re-slotting them. I then looked over to Alexis. "Do you mind if I borrow your Skater?" She nodded and my smirk grew. "I now activate Keeper of Dragon Magic's second effect. I once again show you a fusion monster, and then I can revive one of its materials from my grave in face-down defence mode. So, I'll show you King Dragun, and revive the Divine Dragon Ragnarok I just sent to the grave."

My monster slammed his spear against the ground and a portal opened up. The spectral white dragon rose from the depths before kneeling down, turning into a set card.

"Now, I activate Polymerization! The requirements are two normal monsters, so I fuse Alexis's Blade Skater with my Divine Dragon to call forth something new. I fusion summon, First of the Dragons (2700/2000)!"

The two cards disappeared into the swirling portal. After a moment, a titanic beast emerged. It was an extremely long serpentine, blue dragon. It possessed two large wings and its body was encompassed with sharp horns and thorns. It flew around the arena before coming to a stop behind me and Alexis and wrapped the bottom of its tail around us protectively.

I'd gotten this card recently from the card shop. I had seen it on display and just knew I had to have it. I'd spent a fair amount of DP that day, but I was glad I had. This card's effect was amazing. It couldn't be destroyed by battle unless it was with a normal monster, and it was unaffected by monster effects. It made it the ideal shield, which was why I had played it in defence mode. I was honestly surprised it existed in this period, but I wasn't about to look a gift horse in the mouth. Not when I was up against a 3300-attack point dinosaur.

"Those are some quite impressive cards you just used," Rex said, his eyes wide. "I'm surprised an academy kid like you has them." It didn't sound like he was insulting me.

"I'm just a bit of a collector," I said with a smile. Beside me, Alexis rolled her eyes. "Anyway, I'll continue by switching Keeper and Darkblaze to defence mode and activate the spell card, Swords of Revealing Light!"

Three glowing swords made of light rained down, embedding themselves in the ground before Rex and Weevil. It was a bit of an extra precaution, but I didn't want them getting the chance to destroy my monsters, not when Alexis may be able to make use of them.

"I'll end my turn with that."

"That's it?" Weevil questioned disappointedly. "I thought you academy kids were tough? What's the point of having a strong monster if you're just going to squander it?"

"Weevil! C'mon!" Rex suddenly shouted, shooting his partner a dirty look.

"Fine," Weevil said, shaking his head. "I'll show them how someone goes for the win. My draw!"

Turn 6: Weevil – 8000LP – 3 cards in hand – 1 set monster and 1 face down on the field (1 other monster and one face-up spell shared with Rex)

"I had been hoping you'd set this off, but I'll have to do it myself. I activate the continuous trap, DNA Surgery!"

Called it.

"With this, I can change the type of every monster on the field. And I'll make them all insects!" At once, all the monsters on the field underwent a change, becoming more insect-like. My dragons' scales became an exoskeleton and fly-like wings burst from Keeper of Dragon Magic's back. Rex's Tyranno also changed, becoming more insect-like. Its eyes became big and bulbous, and a hard exoskeletal shell burst grew on its back. It looked horrifying but not as bad as Insect Knight. I still had bad dreams about that monstrosity. While this happened, Weevil just laughed. "Now that you're monsters are insects, they can't attack thanks to my barrier!"

"Uh-huh, got it," I deadpanned.

"Is that all?" Alexis asked, equally unimpressed.

Weevil looked between the two of us, his face turning red. "Not even close! I activate the spell, Multiplication of Ants! I tribute an insect on my field, like my set monster, and special summon two Army Ant Tokens (500/1200)!" The set card disappeared and, in its place, appeared two giant ants. There were unremarkable. "And I'm not done. The monster I tributed was Pinch Hopper!" Weevil declared, showing us the card. "When this card is sent to the grave, I can special summon an insect monster from my hand. And I'm calling one of my favourites. My Metamorphosed Insect Queen (2800/2400)!"

A pillar of green light emerged in front of Weevil as a hole opened up in the ground. From it crawled forth a monster that frightened me down to my very core. It was an abomination. It had a swollen body with a blood-red and cobalt blue carapace with weak, film-like wings that looked flimsy and useless. Its upper was more humanoid and feminine but was hideous and had multiple mandibles and pincers that would no doubt take haunt me in any nightmares going forward. As it finally crawled its way up, it let out a shrill cry that hurt the eardrums and made me feel sick. Even Alexis was disturbed by the horrendous creature that was now before us. Her nose was wrinkled, and she seemed to be trying to avoid eye contact with it.

"That thing makes me sick," I near gagged.

"Watch your tongue!" Weevil suddenly snapped. "She is beautiful! With her and another insect on my field, you cannot target or destroy my monsters with card effects! And while she may not be able to attack yet thanks to your spell, I can still activate Rex's Tyranno's effect!" The former dinosaur let out a roar in agreement. "By tributing one of our monsters, we can inflict you with a thousand points of damage!"

One of Weevil's Army Ant Tokens disappeared and the purple orbs on Super Conductor Tyranno's body began to flash. It opened its jaw, now a mess of mandibles, and fired off a purple laser that struck the ground in between Alexis and me, pausing a small explosion forcing us both to shield our faces. (Ren and Alexis: 7000LP)

All the while, Weevil laughed. "How does it feel to be losing to legendary duellists such as us?"

"Weevil! Stop showboating!" Rex cried angrily, glaring at his partner.

"It's all a part of the performance, Rex. You know how it is. Besides, we make the perfect team. You go provide the attack, whilst I act as the shield, protecting us from harm. Haven't you missed this?"

"Not this part. Not this toxicity," he snapped.

"Pfff, don't worry. I'm just providing for the crowd. It's all an act."

"Um, sorry to interrupt your squabble," I called out, earning both of their attention. "Don't be so sure of your victory. This is still early game."

"And we've both faced worse than this," Alexis interjected, standing tall and determined.

Weevil's eyes narrowed. "Are you sure? When I end my turn, my Queen will create an Insect Monster Token. Do you know what that means? Our Tyranno will have an unlimited supply of monsters to tribute to reduce your life points to nothing! This was over before it even started!"

I wanted to disagree, but he did have a point. At this point, their defence was perfect. While they were insects, they wouldn't be able to attack. And, with their monster effects, they did have a constant supply of tribute fodder to keep damaging us. Things were certainly bleak.

"Hey, don't frown like that." Alexis's voice snapped me from my stupor. Despite the situation, she was smiling. "This duel isn't over just yet. We still have time."

"That's strangely optimistic of you," I mused, a wry smile of my own spreading.

"One of us has to be in this situation," she said. "And besides, things can turn around with a single card."

"Oh really?" Weevil called, having heard our conversation. "Well prove it. I end my turn."

As he said that, his queen let out a cry as she, rather disgustingly, laid a veiny black egg on the field. I suppose that was an Insect Monster Token (100/100). At the same time, one of the swords blocking Rex and Weevil's field faded. Only two were left now.

Alexis looked at all of this with indifference as she reached for her next card. "I've been preparing for the chance to fight pros most of my life. No matter the circumstances, I won't let this chance slip by. I will win. It's my draw!"

---

And there we have it. I left this on a cliffhanger because I was about to hit the word limit I set myself and also because I really want to use the next chapter to explore aspects of the characters involved in these events.

Now, before I read the comments and receive a harsh scolding for my cliche choice of changing Ren's partner to Alexis at the last minute, I do actually have my reasons and they are all story related.

1. Bastion was easily the best choice for Ren's partner. He would have made things easier, more hard-hitting and would have had served to help destroy the back row safe attack freedom. They also had a week of practice and knew each other's strategies. He was the right and the smart choice. Which is why I needed to go with someone else. We have all seen what happens when characters have the time to strategize before a match. In this duel, I wanted the combatants to go in blind against people who have worked together for years and know how the other works and thought it would be an interesting dynamic. Bastion will get his chance to shine. In fact, he's going to have a fairly important duel two chapters from now. I just needed someone else for this.

2. The theme for this duel is friendship *Bleh, cliche* and I wanted to show people coming together on short notice. Ren hasn't tried to interact with the protagonists up to this point and yet he has undeniably built himself up this network he hadn't expected. I needed to show what happens when someone falls and he is in need.

3. Could have gone with Dimitri but I have future plans for why Alexis was needed for this one. As I mentioned at the top, Dimitri is going to get his chance to shine, and so will everyone else.

4. Just really wanted to piss Logan and Chazz off. You'll be seeing their reactions in the next chapter.

On another note, I hope you guys liked the return of Rex and Weevil. I spent a lot of time working out what their backstories would be for the ten-year time skip. I did take inspiration from JustaRandomGuy's review of chapter 10 so a massive shout out to you! Thank you for the idea and I hope liked Rex's development.

Also, for anyone who hasn't heard, Yu-Gi-Oh Master Duel is now out and is honestly a lot of fun! Already remade my Dragonmaid deck on it and I'm currently working on a Blue-Eyes, Red-Eyes, Pendulum Dragon and Buster Blader deck. Want to try making a World Chalice deck as well as a Beetrooper deck to give a go (Thanks for the suggestion Zeromk7!)

As always, please leave a fav, follow and a review! I look forward to reading those for this stunt. Love ya all and seriously, a massive thank you to everyone who has supported the story. It wouldn't be what it is without all of you!