Okay, now we're on chapter three!
Disclaimer: I don't own Yu-gi-oh GX, Duel Monsters, or any elements that sound like Maximum Ride. I only own this idea and any original characters or cards I create.
When Jaden opened his eyes, he was surprised to find himself lying on a couch instead of a bed.
"Huh?" Sitting up to get a better look around, he was struck by a feeling of Deja Vu.
He was in a living room with a couch, a coffee table, a rug, and a small TV. Across the room was a dining table next to an open kitchen.
While the design and decor were generic, there was something familiar about the place.
Out of the corner of his eye, he caught movement on the other side of the window. Hoping to get answers, Jaden headed for the door.
When he grabbed the knob, he was shocked when his hand went through it.
"What the–?!" He gasped, pulling back.
Testing a theory, Jaden put his hand on the door itself and pushed. He stumbled off balance as he passed through the door, quickly regaining himself as he looked around.
The outside was part woods and part open field. Seeing mountains in the distance, it clicked on why this place felt so familiar.
"Is this…?"
"Woohoo!"
A joyful call from above startled Jaden into looking up. What he saw nearly caused him to stop breathing.
It was a younger version of him, probably in his pre-teens at the oldest. He was dressed in a black t-shirt with red flames, blue jeans, and black and red slip-on shoes.
He was currently in a power dive, wings tucked and quickly approaching the earth. Then, he snapped out his wings and pulled out the dive with all the grace of a real falcon.
"All right!" He cheered, pumping his fist in the air after pulling off the maneuver.
"Show off!" Another voice called, jokingly.
A girl came up behind him with long blond hair with magenta streaks and brown eyes. Her wings were built like a hawk, tan with brown spots, and her primary feathers were streaked black and white. She wore a pink top under a dark purple jacket, blue jeans with a black belt and silver buckles, and white tennis shoes with pink laces.
"Maria…" Jaden breathed, remembering the sky races they would have.
"Maria, don't be a sore loser~" Young Jaden teased her as they landed.
"Hey, I am not a sore loser!" Maria countered with a smirk. "To be a sore loser, I'd have to have actually lost something!"
Little Jaden laughed before looking over her shoulder. "Isa!"
Jaden followed their eyes and saw a woman approaching them from up the path to the house.
She was an adult compared to the young duo. She had long caramel-brown hair and dark blue eyes. She was wearing a pair of blue jeans, a green t-shirt, and brown hiking boots for clothing. She held some grocery bags, smiling when the kids ran up to her.
"Welcome back, Isa!" Maria smiled as she and Little Jaden hugged her.
"Hey, you two," She smiled back, returning the hug. "Give me a hand with these bags?"
"Okay!" They nodded, dividing the load.
"Who's up for homemade pizza tonight?"
"Me!"
Jaden watched the scene before him, remembering a time that had come to pass. The family and love he once knew.
As the memory played out, he felt his heart breaking into a thousand pieces, squeezing his eyes shut to fight the tears.
When heat started to creep through the cold mountain air, he opened his eyes and gasped in horror when he saw the house on fire. The whole structure was consumed in flames, eating away at the place he once called home.
Jaden knew this had already happened, but that didn't make it less upsetting as he watched the scene in pain.
His eyes snapped open as he shot upright. Breathing hard, he looked around, trying to remember where he was until he recalled yesterday's events.
He was at Duel Academy.
He was safe.
He was free.
He brought a hand to his face and realized he had been crying. Wiping away the tears still falling, he whispered, "Naive. Super naive…"
Nothing stays the same for long, especially with the kind of life they led. The past was going to catch up with them eventually.
He looked over at the clock and saw that it was now nine in the morning. "Well, may as well get up."
He noticed that Syrus and Chumley were gone, meaning they were most likely in class. He was probably going to run into at least one of them before his duel.
After showering and getting dressed, he went down to where the dining hall was. No one was in there, so Jaden decided to poke around in the kitchen for something to eat.
When he moved the curtain aside, he was met by a man with long black hair and glasses holding a plump-looking tabby cat in his arms.
"Oh, good morning, you must be Jaden." The man greeted him.
"Uh, yeah. Who are you?"
"My name's Professor Lyman Banner, I'm one of the teachers here at Duel Academy, and I look after the students in the Slifer dorm," He explained with a kind smile. "Since I don't have a class to teach for a while and your duel isn't until noon, I figured I'd get to know my future student."
He set the cat down and then grabbed two trays of food from the counter. "I didn't see you come down for breakfast, so I assumed Syrus and Chumley let you sleep in. I made extra for when you were awake."
Jaden stared for a moment before he followed the professor out to the dining area. "Thank you."
"You're quite welcome, Jaden. I wish you luck with your upcoming duel." Banner said kindly as they ate.
Jaden smiled a little when he saw it was fried shrimp. It was his favorite.
He started eating when he felt something rub against his leg. The cat from earlier was trying to get food out of him.
"Sorry, big fella, but this food's mine." He told him but picked him up and set him on his lap to pet him.
"You must be a special one, Jaden. Pharoah's never warmed up that quickly to anyone." Professor Banner commented.
'You have no idea.' Jaden thought dryly.
(At the Nurse's Office)
After breakfast, Jaden went to the main building to meet with the nurse.
"Oh, hello, Jaden. Please come in." He walked in and sat on one of the beds. "May I see your wounds, please?"
Jaden nodded.
He took off his jacket and shirt so that his torso was exposed. He stretched his wings a little, so the nurse could check those.
When Fontaine went to take a look, she was surprised by what she saw.
"Jaden… your injuries have almost completely healed." She said, not quite believing it.
Looking down, Jaden realized she was right. His scars were almost totally gone.
Taking a chance, he undid the wraps on his shoulder. While the bullet wound was still there, it was barely noticeable now.
Checking some of the others, the graze marks were completely gone. Even the redness from the burn had faded.
The brunette laughed nervously, knowing he would heal quickly but not this quick. "Well, what do you know?"
Ms. Fontaine looked at him, having heard the nervous chuckle, but let it go for now.
"All right, since these wounds will most likely be gone soon at the rate they're healing. I don't see a reason to come back again. So, I'll give you a clean bill of health and let you go work on your deck for your duel."
"Thank you," Jaden said, readjusting his clothes. He quickly left the room before she could ask any more questions.
Once outside, Jaden breathed a sigh of relief, knowing he won't have to go back in there again. Thank the powers that be, he healed fast when he had a full stomach and a decent night's sleep.
(Later that day)
After visiting the nurse, Jaden went back to his room and removed the rest of his bandages.
He was right; the rest of the injuries were gone.
As surprised as he was, he pushed the matter aside and decided to work on his deck. When it came time for his duel, Syrus came to get him and showed him where he was supposed to go.
The main arena was full of people, primarily students wearing red, yellow, or blue.
Naturally, word had gotten around about the mysterious new kid found literally on the Academy's doorstep. There was also the part where he would be dueling Dr. Crowler for the right to stay here.
Everyone wanted to come and see how this match would end.
Naturally, Bastion and Syrus were there, sitting up in one of the top rows. Sy didn't know where Chumley was.
Alexis was also there with another boy on the other side of the arena. He had blue hair and wore an Obelisk uniform with the colors inverted, showing he was a third-year student.
His name was Zane, the older brother of Syrus and the top duelist on campus. Alexis didn't know where her friends Jasmine and Mindy were.
There were also three guys sitting a couple of rows in front of her and Zane.
One was Chazz Princeton, a kid with spiky black hair and an Obelisk. The other two were his two "friends," Taiyou Maki and Raizou Goki.
"Man, this place is crowded," Jaden commented, looking around near Syrus and Bastion.
"Yeah," Syrus agreed. "They're probably just curious about what kind of deck you use."
"Or they're sizing you up as competition," Bastion added.
"Well, then," Jaden sighed before smirking, a competitive glint shining in his eyes. "Guess I better give them a show."
He adjusted his duel disk and headed down to the field.
"Wow, he seems so sure of himself," Syrus observed. "I wonder if he's really that good."
"He's going to need to be," Bastion responded, looking at the duel field. "Look who he's dueling."
Crowler was already down the field and prepped for the duel. His duel disk looked like it was attached to his uniform, at least the part that held the graveyard and deck did. The tray was held in his hands like a guitar.
Jaden walked onto the platform, looking wholly calm and collected.
At least on the outside. The nerves were all on the inside.
He'd never dueled in front of so many people before. It was always him and one of his siblings.
'Okay, no pressure, just dueling for the first time in a long time in front of dozens of people,' Jaden thought nervously before shaking his head. 'We've got this.'
"All right, test time!" Crowler said, looking at Jaden with confidence. "So, son, your name?"
"Jaden Yuki."
"Well, Jaden Yuki, I'm Dr. Vellian Crowler, Department Chair and Techniques Professor here at Duel Academy," Crowler introduced himself, pride dripping from his voice. "Are you ready?"
"Ready as I'll ever be," Jaden answered, activating his duel disk. "Let's go!"
"Duel!"
Crowler: 4000
Jaden: 4000
"I'm up first! Look out!" Jaden drew his first card.
He looked over his hand and smirked, already seeing the plan come to life in his mind.
"I summon Rogue Hero Skylar in defense mode!"
Placing the card on the tray, a sharp gust of wind shot through the room, making all who weren't expecting it jump. The air then began to bend, spinning into a mini-tornado, before a figure appeared from it.
The monster looked human, a teenage male around eighteen or nineteen with a muscled build only someone with a sense of taste could appreciate. He had light skin, ginger-orange medium-long hair, and brown eyes, and on his back were a pair of tawny-brown wings with specks of darker brown. He was dressed in a black punk leather jacket with silver studs, navy blue, and black biker boots. He also wore white wraps around his hands like a martial artist (1800/1400).
He moved into a defensive crouch, but it was different from other monsters. While most humanoid monsters got on one knee with their arms crossed over their chests, this one was kneeling in a crouch, weight resting on his left leg, right leg bent and pointing forward. It was a position that allowed for swift and unrestricted movement in any direction.
Everyone in the audience was staring at the monster with awe.
"'Rogue Heroes'?" Syrus wondered aloud. "I've never heard of them."
"Neither have I," Bastion said. "But I had heard of a contest a few years ago where the winner had their submitted designs turned into cards. Jaden must have been the winner of the contest."
"Have you ever heard of these cards, Chazz?" Taiyou asked the boy next to him.
"No, but let the kid play whatever he wants," Chazz responded haughtily. "It won't help him."
"Huh," The monster said, looking at their new surroundings. "This is new."
"This is the place Isa told us about," Jaden explained using his mind. "But to stay, we have to beat this guy."
"Then let's get the rest of the gang out here!"
"Now, I'll activate Skylar's special ability! When he's summoned, I can call out another Rogue Hero from my hand, deck, or graveyard!" The brunette explained, fanning his deck to make a selection. "I think I'll pick Rogue Hero Zephyr!"
Next to Skylar, another twister formed. Moments later, another new monster appeared from it and landed in a crouch similar to Sky.
Just like Skylar, this hero was human-looking, though slightly younger looking at sixteen, had a build like his, and brown eyes that were slightly darker. Unlike Skylar, Zephyr's skin was paler, and he had black hair shaved short all around the sides and left long on top in a cowlick with a single streak dyed light purple. He also had wings like Sky; only his were silvery-gray with white tips and pointed ears that indicated that he may not be a Warrior-Type.
Zephyr was dressed in street clothes like Sky, only his outfit had more of a rocker vibe. He wore a white and black layered shirt with a plunging v-neck that revealed parts of a black tattoo across his chest, dark gray jeans with rips in the knees, and dark blue and white sneakers (1400/800).
"Holy floodlights!" Zephyr exclaimed, looking around the arena. "Talk about a full house!"
"Well, anything's better than a cage."
"Now for Zephyr's effect! Once per turn, I can add one Spell or Trap Card to my hand!"
As he explained his ability, Jaden searched his deck once more before selecting. He then set that card in his hand and picked another card.
"Finally, I'll set a card face down and end my turn!" He finished up as a facedown card appeared by his feet. "You're up, Teach!"
"Yes, of course… don't tell me what to do!" Dr. Crowler responded, muttering the last part, taking his turn. 'After all, since I'm using my own personal deck, I'll be calling all the shots. I'll fail this nobody and send him back to wherever he came from.'
He grinned when he saw the cards in his hand. "I think I'll start off nice and easy by playing the spell card Confiscation!"
"Okay, so what's it do?" Jaden asked, tensing for what was coming.
"What it does is allow me to pay 1000 life points for a chance to peek at your hand and toss one of your cards into the graveyard."
As he was explaining, Jaden's hand started to glow, startling him. Then, holographic images of those cards appeared in front of Crowler.
Crowler: 3000
Jaden: 4000
"Oh, yes, I remember some of these from back when I was a naive rookie."
Jaden growled at his deck being insulted, but Crowler didn't notice.
"Hmm, now, which one shall I banish?" He looked at each card carefully before making a decision. "Monster Reborn, to the graveyard!"
The hologram shattered as Jaden sent his card to the discard pile.
"Next, I'll lay two cards face down on the field," Crowler continued, two facedowns appearing before he held up one more card. "And last but not least, I'll play Heavy Storm! This spell card destroys every other spell and trap card that's out on the field!"
Activating the spell caused a heavy wind to pick up, forcing Skylar, Zephyr, and Jaden to brace themselves. Jaden's face down, Draining Shield, was destroyed along with Crowler's two face downs.
"Well, that was a waste of a move. You just destroyed your own cards along with mine." Jaden said, wondering what the point of that was.
"Now, now, you mustn't speak out of turn, young man," Crowler chastised once the gale died down. After that, dark clouds began to form around his side of the field.
"Oh, this can't be good," The brunette muttered, getting nervous.
His monsters tensed, gripping their weapons tighter. They knew something was coming.
"You're right; it's not," Crowler responded before adding, "For you, anyway."
Just as he said that two golden dragon-worm-like creatures appeared before him.
The audience was amazed by the two creatures, but Syrus was confused. "Uh, could somebody tell me what's going on?"
"The two trap cards that Dr. Crowler had on the field were called Statue of the Wicked," Bastion explained as he observed the duel. "It's a special trap that creates a vicious token monster when it's destroyed. That's why he played Heavy Storm."
"Oh!"
"A card that strong couldn't be in one of the test decks; Crowler must be using his own!" Taiyou realized.
"Then this is over," Raizou concluded. "No one could beat the deck of an expert like Dr. Crowler!"
"Yeah, it's impossible, don't you think, Chazz?"
"Yeah. What do you think, Chazz?"
Chazz smirked. "I think I'm gonna enjoy watching Crowler mop the floor with our mouthy little friend down there. I only wish he treated all the other second-rate duelists who applied to this Academy the same way."
"What an elitist snob," Alexis muttered disapprovingly. "Bullying our mystery boy with his very best cards."
"You're too soft, Alexis," Zane spoke up, causing the other to look at him. "I just hope we get to see that legendary rare monster Crowler has stashed away in that deck of his."
"Hope this doesn't end too quickly," Alexis added, turning back to the duel. "I'd like to see more of those Rogue Heroes."
"Ready for your next lesson?" Crowler called over to Jaden.
Jaden didn't respond, keeping his gaze focused on the match.
Crowler regarded that negatively. "Not much of a talker, are we? All the same…."
His tokens started to glow and writhe in flames. "And now, I sacrifice my two Wicked Tokens… and summon the Ancient Gear Golem!"
Once the fire dispersed, in place of Crowler's tokens stood a giant robotic creature with the working gears clearly seen. Once again, the audience was amazed at the sight of the monster, more so by its stats (3000/3000).
"There it is! The legendary rare card!" Alexis gasped.
Even Zane's eyes widened a bit. "And I'd say we're about to find out just what makes it so legendary."
"Now, now, I hope you're not too scared of my legendary Ancient Gear Golem!" Crowler said sarcastically toward Jaden.
Jaden, however, wasn't intimidated. In fact, a hint of a smirk had appeared as he stared down the mechanical giant. "Not really. I actually like a challenge."
"Let's show this oversized hunk of scrap metal just how dangerous we are!" Skylar spoke up, smirking.
Zephyr agreed with a confident smirk of his own, itching for a fight.
The brunette's lack of fear shocked most of the audience, including Syrus. "Either Jaden's brave, or he's nuts!"
"He's staring down that legendary rare monster like he doesn't have a care in the world," Zane said incredulously. "I guess that youth and inexperience have their benefits after all, huh, Alexis?"
"Come on, give it a rest, Zane," Alexis said, getting tired of his attitude. "At least the kid's showing some backbone."
"There won't be much left of it to show after this."
Dr. Crowler cackled as he gave his orders. "Golem, attack! Mechanized Melee!"
His Ancient Gear Golem's single red eye glowed slightly before pulling back its fist, ready to strike the Fairy.
"Oh, this is gonna hurt!" Zephyr braced himself before he burst into pixels.
"Zephyr!" Jaden called as his friend was destroyed.
"Aw, man, Jaden's monster didn't stand a chance!" Syrus fretted as he watched the duel. "His defense points were way too low! This isn't looking good…."
"And it's about to look a lot worse," Bastion said as he remembered what he knew about Ancient Gear Golem. "When that Ancient Gear Golem attacks a monster in defense mode, the difference between its attack points and the defending monster's defense points gets dealt to the opponent as damage."
"But that would mean… Jaden's life points are gonna take a hit!" Syrus cried as he realized what was going to happen.
"And a big one, seeing how the Rogue Hero Zephyr's defense points were only 800."
A transparent version of Ancient Gear Golem's fist slammed through Jaden's body. Although he managed to stay on his feet, he couldn't hold back a grunt of pain that escaped.
Crowler: 3000
Jaden: 1800
"I believe I've done enough damage for now," Crowler concluded, satisfied.
"About time," Jaden muttered, recovering before taking his turn. "Now, let's get serious."
"Are you okay, Jaden?" Sky asked his duelist.
"I'm fine, but he's not going to be once I get the right cards."
He heard a faint' coo' sound as he was about to draw his card. Pausing for a minute before taking it, he smiled when he saw the card was Winged Kuriboh.
'Your special ability would come in handy, but only if you're willing to make a sacrifice play.' Winged Kuriboh gave his duelist a wink as reassurance.
Jaden glanced at Skylar, who nodded in understanding. "Okay, I summon Winged Kuriboh in defense mode."
A small, brown furball with green paws and little white wings appeared next to the Rogue Hero (300/200).
"And I'll place one card face down," He finished as a card appeared behind the little furball. "Your move."
Crowler laughed at his move. "Not bad, but you must understand I'm a master technician. A Kuriboh to me is rather pedestrian, even one with wings, you see. Its defense points are still no match for my Ancient Gear Golem. It's a textbook mistake, don't feel bad."
'Man, this guy's annoying.' Jaden's eyebrow twitched, trying to keep his cool. 'I can't wait to see the look on his face when he eats his words.'
"Now, let's proceed," He drew his next card. "With the legendary Ancient Gear Golem! Attack that Kuriboh with Mechanized Melee!"
Again, the giant robot pulled back its fist and punched the tiny creature to pieces, making Jaden cringe. 'Sorry, Wing…'
"He took one for the team, Jay," Skylar reminded him. "We all would have done the same thing. That's how deep this loyalty goes."
"I know," Jaden gave his spirit friend a gracious smile. "Thanks, Sky."
Dr. Crowler noticed that Jaden's life points didn't drop like they should've. "Check your gear; your life points haven't changed."
Jaden smirked at the older man. "My gear's fine. On the turn Winged Kuriboh is destroyed; I take zero damage."
The information actually got a reaction out of Crowler. Even some of the audience members were surprised by the turn of events.
"How about that," Alexis stated sarcastically. "A technique the good doctor didn't know."
"No one can be expected to know every technique, Alexis," Zane argued in a scolding tone. "Especially one as obscure as that."
"Yeah, well, that kid sure knew it." The blond countered with a slight smile.
"Fine, fine, I guess your lame little monster saved you there." Crowler taunted as Jaden put Winged Kuriboh in his graveyard.
"Hey, hey, hey!" The brunette snapped. "Just because you beat him doesn't give you the right to call him lame!"
"Oh, yes, I forget how attached you new duelists get to your monsters," The older man sneered. "I'm sorry."
"Not as sorry as you're gonna be!" Jaden growled slightly. "Because by attacking Winged Kuriboh, you set off my trap! Rogue Signal!"
His trap activated, causing a distress flare to fly towards the ceiling, exploding in the shape of an R.
"And that brings out my third Rogue Hero…." He pulled out a card from his deck and slapped it on the duel tray. "Aidan!"
A column of fire appeared on the field next to Skylar. From the flames came another Rogue Hero with wings.
He was younger than the last two, only fourteen, but still reasonably athletic. He had naturally tan skin, blue eyes, and medium-short messy brown hair. His wings were a speckled pattern similar to a barn owl. He was dressed like a typical teenager in a black zipper hoodie over a red shirt, gray cargo jeans, and red and white sneakers (1800/1200).
"Looks like we got ourselves a party!" The young hero smirked, ready for a fight. "So, let's turn up the heat!"
Jaden nodded as he started his turn. "My turn!"
Looking over his hand, he put the card he just drew in his hand and selected another card.
"Alright, let's get dangerous! I play Polymerization! Join Skylar and Aidan!"
"Let's go!" Sky called, taking flight.
"Alright, fusion time!" Aidan called, following his brother's example.
The two heroes swirled together as the card took effect. After the two monsters were done, a new monster appeared.
The new Rogue Hero broke the mold in comparison to the last three.
At about sixteen or seventeen years old, he was a young man who looked like a cross between a human and a dragon. He had medium-long caramel-blond hair with bangs falling over his left eye and a pair of black horns behind his ridgeline, violet eyes with reptilian slits, and pale skin.
He had red dragon wings and a tail with matching scales that covered his forearms, legs, and the areas around his eyes. More scales were visible on his chest, stomach, and sides. He also had talon-like claws in place of nails, pointed ears, and elongated canines.
As far as clothes, he was dressed in a black short-sleeve shirt with a hood and long blue shorts, both of which were beaten up, and he was barefoot (2100/1200).
"Meet the Rogue Hero Draco! I hope your Gear Golem is ready for a clash of the titans!"
Draco looked up at Ancient Gear Golem. "So, this is who we're fighting."
"Yep, and it's time to end this!" Jaden concluded.
The spirit nodded in agreement.
"So, Doc, what do you think?" Jaden asked Crowler with a smirk, knowing that the good professor had no idea what was coming.
"I think you're dueling very well for an amateur. But, next time, try playing a monster that has more attack points than what's already out," Crowler said like he was disappointed, but he really didn't see the monster as a threat.
"Huh? What's he mean?" Syrus asked, looking at Jaden's monster.
"He means that Draco's attack points are no match for his Golem's 3000." Bastion answered.
"Oh, man." Syrus moaned.
"All right, young scholar," Crowler said, trying to hide his impatience. "I don't mean to rush you, but I am a busy man…. Are you done yet?!"
"Not even close!" Jaden replied. "And, yes, I know Draco has fewer attack points than your Golem! That's why I have this!"
He placed a card in the slot on his disk for field spells. "Go, Lost City!"
There was a bright flash, and suddenly they were in the middle of a ruined city.
Windows were broken, the streets were cracked, and several skyscrapers had collapsed to their top five floors under a gray sky. It was a scene straight from a post-apocalypse movie.
Crowler's Ancient Gear Golem looked like a giant monster ready to finish the city off. At the same time, Draco stood on top of the tallest skyscraper still standing, ready to go on the offense.
"Alright, Draco," Jaden called out, pointing at the ancient robot. "Show that pile of bolts it's not welcome here! Attack!"
Draco spread his wings, thirteen feet in diameter, then jumped from his perch and dove toward Crowler's monster.
"Fine by me, bring him on!" Crowler said, not worried at all. "This silly little Lost City field card hasn't lowered my Golem's attack level by one point!"
Draco weaved in and out between buildings before landing in front of Ancient Gear Golem. He then leaped into the air again, his wings taking him to the sky.
"That wasn't the plan," Jaden revealed slyly. "It may not be much, but this is still home to the Rogues. Here, when a Rogue Hero goes into battle against a stronger opponent, they gain 1000 extra attack points!"
"Wait! Timeout!" Crowler cried.
"Go, Sky Dragon Attack!"
Once he reached the right height, Draco dove again at the Ancient Gear Golem, covered in flames as his power rose (2100-3100/1200). Crowler was freaking out as Jaden's monster slammed into his own, causing it to burst into pieces.
"This can't be! He was my very best card!" He cried in shock before being hit by a piece of debris.
"By the way, you should probably know about Draco's special ability," Jaden added as his monster landed back in front of him, smirking. "The attack points of that Golem are dealt straight to your life points!"
"No way!" Crowler muttered in horror.
As he said that, the remaining shell of Ancient Gear Golem started to crumble. Despite his efforts to escape, the robot collapsed on top of him, while his life points dropped to zero.
Jaden: 1800
Crowler: 0
Jaden pointed his index and middle fingers at Crowler in a salute he learned from Isa. It meant both victory and good sportsmanship.
"Looks like we get to live another day. Guess I passed, huh, teach?"
As the holograms faded, a lot of people were stunned. Jaden had beat a teacher, who was using his real deck, in a duel.
Crowler was particularly dumbfounded by the whole thing. He was defeated by an "amnesiac" amateur from nowhere.
"Impossible!" He seethed. "There's no way this delinquent could beat me!"
Up in the stands, Chazz and his flunkies were just as shocked.
"It must be dumb luck!" Chazz muttered through clenched teeth. "No way Crowler would lose to some flunky!"
Alexis, on the other hand, was smiling at Jaden's win. "That kid's got a future here! Wow!"
Zane just huffed and walked away, not saying anything.
Meanwhile, Syrus was cheering for Jaden. "All right! Yeah, Jaden!"
'Nice,' Bastion thought. 'I could use a little competition.'
Jaden was startled by everyone cheering for him, having been so focused on the duel he forgot they were there. He managed to smile and wave to them, though it was shy in nature.
He glanced over his shoulder when he sensed Winged Kuriboh's spirit appear.
"I think you played the biggest role in this duel, Wing," He said to the little spirit. "Thank you."
Wing winked at him before disappearing.
Jaden then turned to where Bastion and Syrus were sitting and smiled up at them. He was definitely going to make the most of this new start.
And chapter three is done!
Letting you guys know, I've set up another account on ao3 under the same name. I'm slowly posting current and new stories on that site, so keep an eye out.
So, like always, read, review, and stay tuned!
