(Author's Note: I never thought I'd have to put one of these in my fic but consider this a trigger warning due a certain scene in the chapter)
A few hours had passed since the duel between Andreas and Marcus and most of the student body and the teachers were asleep by now, however the focus is not on the ship right now because the scene was now at the HQ of Santiago Industries, otherwise known as the hideout for the Orichalcos Duelists and in spite of the time zone differences between Japan and the US being ten hours that didn't mean the Orichalcos Duelists didn't want to get any sleep.
"This had better be good old man!" Jack grunted as he and Sara entered Dr. Schwartz laboratory, Sara had her hood up as always, but one could tell that she was tired just from her body language and Jack wasn't feeling much better. "I was having a great time with two hookers when you interrupted."
"And by that you mean "you jerked off to porn because not even the hookers want you by now"!" Sara responded, and Jack growled in response. "I'm just saying, whenever you've brought over company before there wasn't any saxophones playing!"
"That was mood music!" Jack responded with a frown and Sara scoffed.
"Since when did you care about setting the mood?!" Sara responded and before Jack could respond Dr. Schwartz cleared his throat. "I'm sorry doctor, you were saying?"
"Well, since you two have other matters to attend to I'll make this as quick as possible." Dr. Schwartz responded before motioning to the machine. "I've found a spirit willing to target the girl who wields Timaeus and the timing couldn't be more perfect, watch!" Dr. Schwartz added before turning on the screens and showing Lance and Chloe spooning in Lance's bed on the ship and whilst the bedsheets kept Chloe's cleavage and Lance's crotch hidden they were clearly naked.
"Err, why are you showing the aftermath of two teenagers losing their virginity?!" Jack asked with an uncomfortable look on his face and for once, Sara seemed to share his sentiments. "I may be a massive pervert but that doesn't mean there aren't lines that I won't cross! And for that matter, why do you have cameras installed in teenagers' bedrooms?!"
"As much as I loathe to admit it, Jack has a point." Sara responded with a disgusted tone of voice. "You have five minutes to explain how this is relevant to our efforts before I wake up Victor and have you arrested for Child Porn."
"Well for starters, they are both eighteen." Dr. Schwartz responded, and Sara frowned. "And last I checked, that was the age of consent in this state."
"Consent's the key word here, they clearly consented to having sex for the first time, what they didn't consent to is having their first sexual encounter taped by an old man!" Sara responded before her frown deepened. "And unless you either didn't film the act or filmed it and just deleted the explicit material I'm not even going to wait five minutes!"
"Unfortunately, it was inevitable that I would film that and besides, the camera is hidden so they wouldn't know either way." Dr. Schwartz responded before Sara span on her heel and started storming out of the laboratory. "But I did delete the explicit content once they had finished, I'll have an agent remove the camera once it is done."
"Once what is done?" Sara asked as she turned around. "I know you said something about a spirit but that got lost in everything that's happened since you turned those screens on." Sara added before frowning again. "Doctor, I swear to god, if you have cameras installed in every students' room including the underage students I won't need to call the police on you because they'll never find the body!"
"No, I only needed the cameras installed in Lance's room and Chloe's room since I had no way of knowing where their sexual encounter would take place." Dr. Schwartz added before clearing his throat. "Basically, the spirit I contacted can twist the dreams of its target, potentially driving them insane but for our purposes he will duel Chloe in a Shadow Duel which will be viewable through the machine, the spirit only specified that it had to be after Chloe's had sex with her boyfriend."
"Now you've got my attention." Sara responded, and Jack nodded in response before they walked up to the machine. "Just have to wait for my dear old sister to fall asleep." Sara muttered under her breath as she folded her arms.
"Did you say something?" Jack asked, and Sara ignored him.
*meanwhile back on the ship*
It was late at night on the ship and aside from the ship's captain who was busy making sure that the ship reached the mainland in one piece most of the passengers on board the ship was fast asleep in their rooms.
"Lance, are you still awake?" Chloe asked as she glanced over to her boyfriend, the couple had finished having sex for the first time a couple of hours ago and hadn't bunched from the spooning position they were currently in, Lance glanced up and nodded. "I thought we would've fallen asleep by now, at least that's the impression I got from those sex ed vids we watched back in Domino High."
"I never really paid much attention to those things." Lance responded with a yawn before feeling up his girlfriend. "Who needs sex ed when I've got such a vast porn collection anyway? Besides, if your having trouble getting to sleep why not have sex with me again?"
"Because I'm sore as hell from the first time." Chloe responded with a yawn and Lance chuckled. "Then again, are you sure you want to fall sleep on the arm you use for your duel disk?"
"Yeah, that's a good point." Lance responded with a nervous laugh before rolling onto his back and Chloe did likewise. "At least it wouldn't be to hard for you to find your clothes tomorrow morning considering how much smaller your clothes are than mine."
"You say that, but I can't even remember where I tossed my tank top and that was the first thing I took off!" Chloe responded with a grin before letting out a big yawn. "I'll worry about finding my clothes in the morning, though I will be getting changed into fresh clothes as soon as I get back to the room I'm sharing with Beth and Chelsea, then again they probably used my absence as an excuse to have sex with each other but hopefully they'll be dressed by the time I get back." Chloe added before letting out a huge sigh. "I'm just hoping that I don't get pregnant from this, hate to imagine my dad's reaction to that."
"At least warn me first so I have enough time to flee." Lance joked getting a laugh out of Chloe. "Seriously though, if I did impregnate you Chloe, you have nothing to worry about, mostly because I pulled out after I nutted."
"So that's why I'm so sticky." Chloe commented, and Lance laughed in response. "Okay, new plan, I'm using your shower first thing in the morning and no, you can't join me."
"Oh man." Lance pouted, and Chloe grinned before Lance put a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "Seriously though, if I waited too long to pull out and I do impregnate you, well, after all we've been through together I wouldn't abandon you because I got you knocked up."
"Really?" Chloe asked, and Lance nodded without hesitation. "I knew there was a reason I wanted you to be my first boyfriend, and hopefully my last." Chloe added before kissing her boyfriend, a few minutes later the couple were fast asleep.
*inside Chloe's dream*
"Why does this scene look so familiar to me?" Chloe thought to herself as she glanced around the dark, empty void that surrounded her, the New York Native looked down at her clothes and her frown deepened. "Same clothes I was wearing before I slept with Lance, I even have my Ra Yellow blazer tied around my waist like I did before the duel between Marcus and Andreas earlier, if this isn't setting up a dream duel then I'm inviting Marie to me and Lance's next makeout session!"
"That won't be necessary." Silent Magician's voice rang out as she appeared alongside her protégé. "I have sensed the same evil I felt when you and your friends have found yourselves in similar situations."
"Well, thanks for the conformation at least." Chloe responded before activating her duel disk. "Now if you excuse me, I have some spiritual ass to kick!"
"Just one thing Chloe, put the Eye of Timaeus in your main deck." Silent Magician responded, and Chloe looked at the magician strangely. "I have a theory about how we might deal with these dream duels permanently, if you're worried about the Orichalcos incident, don't be, enough time has passed since then to allow you to use Timaeus unimpeded."
"If your sure about this." Chloe thought before reaching into the pocket where she kept her side deck, shuffled through it and added her Legendary Dragon to her deck. "Okay, Mister Spirit, I know what your up too! Why don't you just skip the theatrics and just show yourself?" Chloe called out to the void and waited with her arms crossed before the scenery started to change showing the night that Marie kissed Chloe. "Well, so much for skipping the theatrics." Chloe thought with a frown as she watched the scene unfold, it proceeded like it did in real life up until the kiss.
"Consider that my good luck charm for the next time you use Timaeus, if you're willing to accept a kiss from another girl in public then using that card shouldn't be a problem." Marie added before she started to walk off, however unlike real life where the kiss left Chloe speechless dream Chloe called out to her.
"Wait!" Dream Chloe called out to the shorter girl and Marie stopped in her tracks. "You're a really good kisser and, well, I wouldn't mind more of that."
"What? More kissing?" Marie asked before grinning broadly. "Or do you want to fuck, right here, right now?" Marie asked, and Dream Chloe nodded without hesitation, Marie grinned before walking up the taller girl as they wrapped their hands around each other.
"Okay, so whoever this spirit is seems to be intent on making me feel uncomfortable as hell because this is pretty much how my wet dreams with Marie have been playing out since that kiss!" Chloe thought as she watched Marie and Dream Chloe have sex in the clearing. "Great, as if I didn't have enough confusing feels about other girls!" Chloe thought as she watched the two girls strip down to their underwear and get on their knees.
"CHLOE!" A voice that sounded like Lance's rang out breaking up the sex just as Chloe's bra was about to come off and they looked up, on the service it looked like Lance but upon closer inspection the figure had a more demonic look to him.
"Lance?!" Dream Chloe asked as she quickly did up her bra and Marie backed away from her. "It's not what it looks like!"
"What do you mean "it's not what it looks like?"?!" "Lance" demanded as he stormed up to the two girls.
"Lance, listen, it was just a one-off thing, honestly!" Marie pleaded with him as she frantically searched for her clothes. "I mean if you want to join in I won't complain but…." Marie never got to finish her sentence as with a simple hand gestor from "Lance" she was engulfed in flames, both Chloe's looked on in horror as she burned alive screaming in agony for a good few minutes before she stopped breathing and lay dead on the forest floor having been rendered unrecognizable due to the burns all over her body.
"What…what did you just do?!" Dream Chloe asked as "Lance" closed in on her. "Why are you doing this Lance?" Dream Chloe asked as she stood up. "Think of what your siblings might think! They…" Dream Chloe's pleas fell on deaf ears as she was smacked to the ground by "Lance" landing face first, when she looked up she saw Lance undoing his jeans and her eyes widened. "Lance, no!"
"What's the matter? You seemed horny a second ago!" "Lance" responded as he pulled out a pocket knife. "I'm just going to finish what she started, and your dad started for that matter!"
"Okay, this is going to far!" Chloe thought as she broke out of her traumatized stance and charged in just as "Lance" started cutting at Dream Chloe's underwear, before he could even get started however the real Chloe span him around before punching him right in the jaw shattering the illusion and leaving her with the spirit. "I've known Lance for years and I know that he'd never do any of the stuff you just did!" Chloe stated as she glared at him, the spirit hadn't been knocked down by the punch and just grinned sadistically.
"I was warned that you weren't as dumb as the other targets." "Lance" responded with a chuckle as he looked at Chloe. "Didn't think you'd punch me either, not many people hit me and live to tell the tail and if it was up to me I'd snap your neck right now and be done with it!" "Lance" added before a blood red duel disk appeared on his arm. "But I'm under strict orders to defeat you in a Shadow Duel, as for my name, just call me Lance, you had no problems calling out my name a couple of hours ago!"
"Yeah, no, not going to happen!" Chloe responded as her eyes narrowed. "That was with the man I love whilst we were having sex with each other for the first time, I refuse to call someone like you by his name!"
"Fine, just call me Demonic Inferno, or DI for short." DI responded before snapping his fingers and causing the scenery to change again. "Recognize this place?" DI asked and once more detail filled in Chloe recognized the area.
"This is at the school tournament where I first met Lance." Chloe realized as she looked around, she looked down at her duel disk and frowned when she realized that her clothing had changed too, namely to her old Domino High uniform. "Seriously?"
"What? I thought you'd appreciate the nostalgia." DI chuckled as he was now wearing the male Domino High uniform and Chloe frowned.
"Let's see, way too much pink for my liking, a skirt so short that it may as well not have been there at all, the fact that the school forced me to wear a skirt at all even though I hate those things and much prefer a pair of jeans, a random bow tie for no reason." Chloe listed off the reasons why she hated the uniform and DI frowned. "There's a reason why my old Domino High uniform hasn't come out of the closet since I graduated from there, only reason I haven't burnt it is because my parents are worried that I'd set fire to the house somehow." Chloe added before sighing. "But if I must duel in this, fine." Chloe added as DI activated his duel disk. "But you'll pay for messing with my dreams like that!"
"We'll see about that." DI responded as he drew his opening hand and Chloe did likewise. "For now, let's duel!"
*back at the Orichalcos Duelist HQ*
"Well, that explains a lot." Jack commented as he, Sara and Dr. Schwartz watched the scene unfold on the screens. "And here I thought that spirit we sent after her roommate was a piece of work."
"This research I've been conducting does lead me to some unsavory figures, yes." Dr. Schwartz nodded in response as they watched the conversation between Chloe and DI. "But DI assured me that he is an excellent duelist, this shouldn't be a problem for him."
"Didn't you say the same thing about the spirit we sent after Cunningham?" Sara asked, and Dr. Schwartz frowned in response. "Only for it to turn out that she had never played the game before and had to have a crash course in it before we sent her off?"
"Yes, but I did make sure to ask him for specifics, if anyone can deal with Chloe its DI." Dr. Schwartz responded, and Sara and Jack shared a look.
"$50 says he doesn't even make it past the first few turns without making a mistake." Jack whispered to Sara who nodded in response.
"Your on." Sara responded as the duel began.
*back at the duel*
"There is one other participant I want to bring in." DI said as Chloe glared at him from across the makeshift duel arena that Chloe and Lance had had their first duel on. "After all, we have one of the girls from the scene you interrupted, why not bring in the other one?"
"What are you?" Chloe asked before DI snapped his fingers and seconds later a surprised yelp followed by a thud was heard and Chloe glanced over her shoulder. "Marie?"
"Chloe?" Marie asked as she got to her knees and ran a hand through her hair. "Okay, two questions, one: what the hell is this about? Two: What the hell are you wearing? I've never seen you were that much pink!"
"In order: it's a dream duel and that spirit over there is my opponent." Chloe said as she pointed to DI and Marie got to her feet before nodding. "Second, this is the female school uniform for Domino High School, yeah, I don't know what the head was thinking either, basically if I lose I'm pretty sure he's going to burn me alive."
"Right, I had heard rumors of that during my time with the Orichalcos Duelists, but they were just that, rumors." Marie nodded in response as she glanced around. "And this is a dream duel? Funny, I was having a dream involving the two of us before it was interrupted…"
"And I'm going to stop you there." Chloe responded as a massive sweat-drop rolled down her head. "Then again, so was I, basically I was having a dream where our kiss almost turned into a full out sex scene until he interrupted, burned you alive and tried to rape my dream self until I broke it up by punching him."
"And it's not the first time she's had that dream either." DI added, and Chloe growled at him. "Well aside from my interruption, if anything it made it more interesting."
"Oh, did you know?" Marie asked with a grin on her face and Chloe ran a hand down hers. "I mean if you wanted to take it further you could've just asked, I wouldn't have complained…."
"We'll talk about that after I kick his ass!" Chloe interrupted her as she blushed furiously. "Speaking of which, I'm going first, unless civilly is dead…." Chloe trailed off before sweat-dropping. "Oh, right, you tried to force yourself on my dream self just to get my attention, I doubt you even know how to spell civilly,"
"I do, but I won't humor you." DI responded before looking over his hand. "I set two cards facedown and a monster in defense mode." DI announced as the three cards appeared on the field. "Do your worst." DI added, and Chloe took it as her cue to draw her card.
"Lance has run a fire deck ever since he got into the game and with a name like Demonic Inferno I'm willing to bet that he runs a fire deck as well." Chloe thought as she added her drawn card to her hand. "Then again, if its an exact copy of Lance's deck from back then I'll laugh my flat ass off! Neither me or Lance were good deck builders back when we had our first duel but I'm pretty sure Lance's deck building skills were worse than mine!" Chloe thought before picking up three cards. "I'll also set two cards facedown." Chloe announced as the two cards appeared on the field. "But unlike you, I'm starting things off offensively! I summon Gemini Elf!"
"That's it! Take the bait!" DI thought as the twin elves appeared on the field ready for battle (4/1900/900). "Before you attack I'll activate Backfire!"
"And that confirms that he's running a fire deck, seems to be an exact copy of Lance's deck before he discovered the Flamvell and Laval monsters." Chloe thought before pointing to the facedown monster. "I don't know what your game is but I'm going on the attack! Gemini Elf, attack his defense!" Chloe commanded as the elves fired their twin beams of light at the facedown monster, revealed to be UFO Turtle (4/1400/1200). "UFO Turtle? Why do I get the feeling that I know exactly what card you're playing next?" Chloe asked as the turtle was destroyed by the blast and Chloe's life-points dropped to 7500 thanks to Backfire, however she yelled out in pain and surprise as she felt something burning. "What the?" Chloe asked before glancing down and realizing her boots were on fire.
"A shadow game, why am I not surprised?" Marie asked with a sarcastic look on her face. "Ever heard of originality."
"You were the fifth duelist in Battle City using Exploder Dragonwing, don't talk to me about originality!" DI responded and Marie sweat-dropped in response. "Basically, every time you take damage the flames grow more intense, by the time you hit zero your entire body will be engulfed in flames, and thanks to this combo I'll be turning up the heat very quickly! I Special Summon Solar Flare Dragon through the effect of UFO Turtle!" DI announced as the dragon made of fire appeared on the field in defense mode (4/1500/1000). "But why stop at one?"
"I've been in enough Orichalcos duels to know that I'm not getting a choice in the matter." Chloe responded as she folded her arms. "Why would a shadow game be any different?"
"Your exactly right! I activate my other facedown card Inferno Reckless Summon!" DI played the card and Chloe frowned when he started inputting commands into his duel disk. "I can tell from the look on your face that you've figured out my strategy! I use Inferno Reckless Summon's effect to Special Summon Two more Solar Flare Dragons!" DI announced as two more Solar Flare Dragons appeared on the field. "Off course, the effect states that you must do the same with your elves."
"I know that." Chloe responded before two more of her elves appeared on the field. "Not that I'd be able to do much with them, the Solar Flare Dragon lock is one of the oldest in the game and for as long as he has three of those things out I won't be able to attack, I'm going to have to find another way to destroy those dragons, hopefully whilst dealing with Backfire in the process." Chloe thought before looking over her hand. "I end my turn."
"Suit yourself." DI responded before drawing his card. "But I wouldn't get to attached to your Elves, there is a reason why I let you summon so many monsters." DI added before holding up his card. "You might recognize this card." DI added before tossing it at Chloe, she grabbed it and when she took one look at it her eyes widened.
"I'm going to assume that's not a good thing." Marie commented as she looked at Chloe. "Just based on the look on your face off course!"
"You have a right to be worried because after I'm done with Chloe I'm coming after you next!" DI responded before turning to Chloe. "So, are you going to stare at that card all night or are you going to summon it!"
"Not like I have a choice." Chloe sighed before picking up the Gemini Elves that she had Special Summoned. "I tribute two of my elves to summon Lava Golem!" Chloe played the card and the two sets of elves found themselves consumed by magma as the massive golem made of magma appeared on the field (8/3000/2500) and as soon as it did the cage slammed down around Chloe. "If you have access to my memories and dreams then you should know that I've gotten over my fear of this card."
"You feared a Duel Monsters card?!" Marie asked with a skeptical look on her face and Chloe sighed.
"Long story short, my first non-practice duel was in a school tournament against Lance." Chloe responded as she glanced over her shoulder at Marie. "He didn't use this exact combo, but he got me in a similar lock and the experience was so bad that I almost quit the game entirely, my stepdad talked me into surrendering the duel and, well, obviously we made amends." Chloe explained, and Marie nodded in response. "I've gotten over it since then but its clear to me that this guy's trying to use that against me!"
"You may have gotten over your fear of this card but that won't stop me from defeating you." DI responded as he folded his arms. "I can't summon anything else on the turn that I summon Lava Golem, so I end my turn, which means the effects of my dragons kick in!" DI added as the three dragons breathed fire at Chloe bringing her life-points down to 6000.
"Unless I draw something good he'll be having me well done!" Chloe thought as she felt the heat intensify around her, she drew her card and Lava Golem's magma seeped down around her bringing her life-points down to five thousand.
"If you can't stand the heat, get out of the volcano!" DI commented bluntly, and Chloe glared at him.
"If your going to keep using fire puns then I'm going to enjoy kicking your ass!" Chloe responded as she wiped some sweat from her brow. "I know I added a card to my deck to counter Jack's deck after his duel against Tyler, whether I can draw it before I get burnt to a crisp is another issue." Chloe thought before playing the card she had drawn and subsequently played it. "I activate White Elephant's Gift, which I use to send my remaining Gemini Elf to the graveyard and draw two cards!" Chloe announced as the twin elves disappeared from the field and she drew two cards.
"Draw all the cards you want! It won't help you!" DI commented as Chloe sent her two cards to the graveyard. "My combination is unbeatable!"
"No combo is unbeatable, and I'll find a way out of this mess soon enough!" Chloe responded before looking at her drawn cards. "Easier said than done when my boots are not only on fire but its reached up to my lower thigh." Chloe thought as she glanced down at the flaming boots. "Pretty sure that if this was the real world I'd be lucky to have a second-degree burn, then again Nicola kept her wounds from her dream duel so maybe I won't be so lucky." Chloe thought with a gulp before playing a card. "I set a monster in defense mode and end my turn!"
"That's it? Hah, this duel will be even easier than I thought!" DI responded as he drew his card and like Chloe he wasted no time in playing it. "I activate Magic Planter, I have no further need for Backfire so I'm destroying it so I can draw two cards."
"Good, at least I won't have to worry about taking damage if I do manage to take out his dragons." Chloe thought as DI drew his two cards. "Unless of course, he has more than one copy of that card in his deck."
"And I'm not done destroying cards! Solar Flare Dragon, attack her defense monster!" DI commanded, and the first of the three dragons breathed fire at the monster, revealed to be A/D Changer (1/100/100) which was quickly incinerated. "Is that the best defense you can muster?"
"What do you expect me to do? I can't attack because of your stupid lock!" Chloe responded with a frown on her face and DI grinned.
"I expect you to suffer! I end my turn and you know what that means!" DI announced, and Chloe let out a yelp of pain as the three dragons breathed fire at her and the magma seeped from the golem atop her bringing her life-points down to 3500.
*meanwhile*
"Well, well, you actually managed to find a decent duelist." Sara commented as Jack muttered some choice words under his breath and handed her fifty bucks from losing the bet. "And he's going after one of those Redemption Seekers as well, I like him already!"
"Yeah, never really liked that Marie bitch." Jack commented as he put his wallet away. "Way to bitchy for my liking! Yet another reason why I'm glad that I was never chosen for the Battle City group."
"Yes, if everything goes to plan then we should deal with two of the biggest pests to our organization." Dr. Schwartz nodded in response before frowning. "However, I am concerned with the card Chloe added to her deck before the duel started, I have no idea what The Eye of Timaeus could do to this machine."
"It can't be that bad, right?" Jack asked with a nervous laugh and Sara turned to him.
"It's a Legendary Dragon, you know, the card created to combat the Orichalcos?" Sara asked, and Jack nodded in response. "We got lucky the last two times this machine was used as neither Chelsea nor Nicola have a Legendary Dragon, Chloe on the other hand? Not only was she the first to receive one but she has the most powerful one, the good doctor has every right to be concerned!" Sara added before they turned their attention back to the duel.
*back at the duel*
"Okay, this is bad!" Chloe thought as the flames intensified around her, she coughed a couple of times due to the smoke coming from her legs before drawing her card. "Unless I find a way out of this mess within the next two turns I'll lose, meaning I'll be roasted alive!" Chloe thought before sighing. "All the dreams I had growing up, getting married, having kids, having a successful career as a duelist, being a better parent than my biological dad could ever hope to be, all down the drain because of this asshole! I can't let him win!" Chloe thought before looking at her drawn card. "I activate Spellbook inside the Pot!"
"Fine by me!" DI responded with a smirk as they drew their three cards. "It doesn't matter how many cards you draw, I have you beat! You may as well surrender!"
"Ever since I joined this academy I've had my own little catchphrase, its been borrowed by other students since then but I still live by it." Chloe responded before wiping the sweat from her brow. "I won't surrender as long as I have life-points left! You may have a massive lead, but I still have over three thousand life-points and it's my move!" Chloe announced before looking at her drawn card and grinning. "And my determination has pulled off! I'm about to blow a massive hole in your strategy!"
"Thank god you said "hole"." Marie commented with a deadpan expression on her face. "I thought you were going to try to give him a blowjob to get out of this for a second there!"
"I wouldn't do that even if he was the last guy on Earth!" Chloe responded before playing a card. "I activate a Spell Card called Special Hurricane! By discarding one card from my hand I can destroy all Special Summoned monsters on the field, in other words Lava Golem and your three dragons!"
"WHAT?!" DI yelled out in shock as a hurricane washed over the field whipping up the four monsters and destroying them in the order that they were summoned in. "Did you forget about Backfire's effect!"
"No, but apparently you did!" Chloe responded as she folded her arms whilst trying desperately to ignore the flames licking at her lower legs. "Or did you forget that you destroyed that Trap Card for Magic Planter's effect?" Chloe asked, and DI's eyes widened when he realized his mistake. "But don't panic just yet, because the party's just getting started! First I activate my facedown card Birthright to bring back the first Gemini Elf I summoned!" Chloe announced as she played the card and Gemini Elf returned to the field. "Now I activate my other card, Level Resurrection!"
"Level what?" DI asked as the trap card flipped up depicting Silent Magician's hand coming out of a grave. "What does that do?"
"Set the stage for my comeback, that's what! If I send a monster with the word "Level" in its name to the graveyard this turn I can special summon it with its effects negated whilst ignoring its summoning conditions! And what do you know? I discarded a Level Monster for Special Hurricane's effect just now!" Chloe responded before playing the card. "I never got to use this card during my first duel against Lance but here she is! Silent Magician Level 8!" Chloe announced as her ace monster appeared on the field ready for battle (8/3500/1000).
"Chloe, don't worry about the burns on your legs, I'll deal with them after the duel." Silent Magician assured her, and Chloe nodded in response. "Instead, worry about what your going to do to him!"
"Gladly! Silent Magician, Gemini Elf, attack his life-points directly!" Chloe commanded, and the three female magicians fired their magical blasts at DI bringing his life points down to 2600. "And now you'll feel the burn!"
"Do you really think fire bothers me?" DI scoffed as the flames reached his upper thighs. "I was born of fire!"
"And that wins the award for cheesiest line I've ever heard in a duel!" Chloe responded with a facepalm. "And I was a fan of Jaden Yuki's growing up! Anyway, I set two cards facedown and end my turn." Chloe announced as the two facedown cards appeared on the field and DI drew his card.
"This isn't enough to bring down her magician, but it'll do, and I can use this as a back-up plan." DI thought before setting a card. "First, I set one card facedown, and then I remove one of my Solar Flare Dragons from the graveyard to Special Summon Inferno!" DI played the cards and the small flame that Chloe had seen in Lance's duels appeared on the field with its trademark angry face (4/1100/1900). "But I didn't bring him out just to serve as fodder for your magician! No, I tribute him to summon your boyfriend's favorite card, Thestalos, the Firestorm Monarch!"
"I knew it!" Chloe sighed as Inferno vanished from the field and was quickly replaced by the monarch of fire (6/2400/1000). "Go ahead and make your choice." Chloe added as she held up her hand.
"I chose the card on the far right!" DI decided, and Chloe winced as the fireball was thrown at it before holding it up and revealing Necro Guardna (3/600/1300) causing her life-points to drop to 3200 and the flames grew a little more intense. "And now for your twin elves! Thestalos, attack her monster!" DI commanded, and the firestorm monarch launched its fireball at the elves….
"Remember A/D Changer? Well I'm activating his effect to change Thestalos to defense mode!" Chloe announced as the monarch dropped his fireball and dropped to one knee. "I'm not losing my elves just yet!"
"We'll see about that! First, I switch Thestalos back to attack mode." DI announced as the monster stood up. "And I set three more cards facedown." DI announced as the three cards appeared on the field. "And I send two of them to the graveyard with Emergency Provisions." DI added as two of the cards vanished and his life-points increased to 4600. "And I end my turn."
"Why did he change his monster to attack mode? It makes no sense!" Marie thought with a frown on her face as Chloe drew her card before it hit her. "Unless he wants her to attack!" Marie realized before turning to Chloe. "Chloe, unless you have Mystical Space Typhoon or something similar, hold off on your attack!"
"Quiet you!" DI snapped at her before flipping up his other facedown card. "But before you attack I activate DNA Surgery which I use to change Thestalos from a Pyro Type Monster to a Fiend Type Monster!"
"Why would he do that? Its his loss!" Chloe thought before pointing to Thestalos. "Silent Magician, attack Thestalos!" Chloe commanded, and the magician pointed her staff at Thestalos…...
"You just sealed your doom! I activate Bark of Dark Ruler! Since you just targeted Thestalos for an attack I can pay as many life-points as I want to lower your magician's attack points, so I'll just pay the full 3500 life-points." DI added as his life-points dropped to 1100. "And your Magician's attack drops to zero!" DI added with a sinister laugh as Chloe's eyes widened as Silent Magician's attack points dropped to zero and Thestalos threw a fireball at her destroying the magician and sending Chloe's life-points down to 800 the shockwave from the fireball sending her flying backwards stopping inches from the edge of the stage.
"CHLOE!" Marie yelled out before rushing to the taller girl's side and noticing that the flames were now up past her skirt. "Say something!"
"Even if Silent Magician heals me, this is going to hurt like hell in the morning!" Chloe groaned as she sat up. "And I never noticed how lovely your eyes were!"
"Thanks, I think!" Marie responded with a laugh as Chloe got to her feet. "Any chance of a kiss to make you feel better?"
"Not really the time." Chloe responded as she returned to her original position. "Unless you want to catch on fire as well." Chloe added, and Marie laughed nervously at that prospect. "I switch Gemini Elf to defense mode and end my turn."
"Your last line of defense, how pathetic!" DI scoffed as he drew his card. "I activate my second Magic Planter to destroy DNA Surgery!" DI added as the trap card shattered and he drew his cards. "And now to win this duel, I summon Fire Princess!" DI played the card and the red-haired woman in the red dress surrounded by fire appeared on the field (4/1300/1500). "As tempting as it is to play a heal card, I don't have one, but I'll make do with wiping you out! Fire Princess, attack Gemini Elf" DI commanded, and Fire Princess launched flames at the two elves destroying them. "Burn in hell!" DI said simply as Thestalos prepared his fireball…...
"I activate the effect of Necro Guardna from my graveyard!" Chloe shouted out before retrieving the monster from her graveyard. "When this card is in my graveyard…." Chloe said before coughing due to the smoke. "I can banish it to negate one attack!" Chloe added as Thestalos threw his fireball only to be intercepted by the ghostly image of Necro Guardna destroying it in the process. "I said that I wouldn't surrender as long as I have life-points left and I still have eight hundred of them left!"
"I think you've run out of chances." DI grunted as he folded his arms. "You have hardly any cards in your hand, no cards on the field and your best monster is in your graveyard, how exactly do you plan on turning this around!?"
"He has a point, hell he doesn't even need attack me directly at this point." Chloe thought as she glanced towards DI's deck. "If he has Poison of the Old Man in his deck like Lance used to have then he can knock me down to exactly zero life-points using that card's burn effect, if I want to win this duel then I'll have to do it quickly!" Chloe thought before turning to DI. "Is it my turn yet?"
"Yes, it is." DI nodded, and Chloe coughed a bit before drawing her card.
"Then again, I'm just as likely to die from smoke inhalation if winning this duel doesn't get rid of the flames." Chloe thought before looking at her drawn card. "I activate Pot of Desires! I banish the top ten cards from my deck just, so I can draw two cards." Chloe announced as she took the ten cards and pocketed them before going to draw her two cards. "I just took a big risk, for all I know the Eye of Timaeus could be sitting in my pocket as we speak! Well, here goes nothing!" Chloe thought before drawing her cards. "This duel's over!"
"Finally come to your senses and surrendered, have you?" DI asked, and Chloe shook her head.
"You wish! I activate Dark Hole!" Chloe played the card and DI's eyes widened as a black hole opened up above the field sucking Fire Princess and Thestalos in. "Now I activate a card I've been holding onto for most of the duel! Level Modulation! Guess who's back?" Chloe asked rhetorically as she played the card and DI scoffed as Silent Magician Level 8 returned to the field.
"Aren't you forgetting something?" DI asked as he drew his cards. "Level Modulation's effect dictates that Silent Magician Level 8 can't attack the turn she's summoned through that effect!" DI added before looking at his drawn cards. "Perfect! I drew Poison of the Old Man! I don't even need to attack over her magician to win this duel!"
"For the first time since this duel began, I agree with you." Chloe responded, and DI blinked in confusion. "Silent Magician Level 8 can't attack…" Chloe added before coughing a bit. "But her upgraded form can! I activate the Eye of Timaeus!"
"NO!" DI yelled out as the Eye of Timaeus appeared on the field and started fusing with Silent Magician Level 8.
*meanwhile*
"What's going on?!" Back at the lab the machine had been going haywire ever since Chloe drew the Eye of Timaeus and Dr. Schwartz had been working tirelessly to figure out why. "It was working perfectly a few minutes ago!"
"I'm not the one to ask about these things!" Jack responded before hearing a whistle over by the door, he looked over and saw Sara standing by the open door with her arms crossed.
"If that machine is reacting that way to Timaeus being drawn and used, do you really want to stick around for the end of the duel?" Sara asked bluntly as she made her way out of the room, it took a few seconds for it to dawn on Jack and when it did he sprinted for the door.
"Don't leave me in here!" Jack called out before it burst through the door, Dr. Schwartz meanwhile stayed behind trying to fix the problem little realizing that his life was about to end.
*back at the duel*
"I summon Silent Dragon Rider Level 8!" Chloe played the card and from the fusion portal emerged the majestic looking dragon and atop it rode Silent Magician Level 8 though this time she was wielding a sword instead of a staff (8/3500/3000). "I could use her effect to destroy all your Spell/Trap Cards, but you don't have any and my life-points are low enough as it is! Silent Dragon Rider Level 8, finish this bastard off!"
"NO!" DI yelled out again as the dragon swooped down at him before Silent Magician slashed him with her sword bringing his life-points down to zero, he was soon enveloped by flames before being reduced to ash in seconds.
"Chloe, you did it!" Marie said with a massive grin on her face as Chloe plopped down onto the ground, much to Chloe's relief her victory had caused the flames to evaporate but her legs and clothing were severely burnt. "Shame about your legs and clothes though."
"I never liked this uniform anyway." Chloe sighed before Silent Magician Level 8 appeared before her. "Silent Magician?"
"Well done Chloe, you have eliminated the threat of the dream duels, whatever machine was making them possible was destroyed when the attack hit." Silent Magician added, and Chloe grinned broadly when she heard that. "And now for the damage that's been done." Silent Magician added before casting a spell over Chloe and once it washed over her she looked down again seeing that the burns had been healed and, much to her relief, she was back to wearing the outfit she was wearing at the start of the dream. "You only have a few minutes before the duel ends, if you two have anything you want to discuss without prying ears, now's the time." Silent Magician added before vanishing and Chloe turned to Marie.
"Marie, I know you've got a crush on me and all, but I have to tell you, even if I'm bi there's no way it would work out between us." Chloe explained and whilst Marie was clearly disappointed she nodded in understanding. "Don't get me wrong, you're a beautiful girl but my heart is with Lance but even if it wasn't you still have the stigma of being a former Orichalcos Duelist about you."
"Yeah, I knew it was going to be an uphill battle even before you started dating Lance." Marie sighed in response as she folded her arms. "I know I have a long way to go before we can even consider ourselves friends but it's a start, right? We could always be friends with benefits."
"You have an even bigger hill to climb before we get to that point Marie." Chloe sighed before grinning. "And as much as Lance would love a three way with us, I can tell that you've got two boys that are crazy about you already, Marcus and Jared."
"Pretty sure I must return Marcus's card before I can even ask him out, and Jared? He's a nice guy but I'm waiting for him to make the first move." Marie admitted before noticing the world collapsing around them. "I know you said that things couldn't work out between us but one last kiss?" Marie asked, and Chloe hopped off the stage before it disappeared and walked up to the shorter girl.
"Just the one." Chloe grinned before kissing Marie on the lips, the two girls kissed passionately for a few seconds even feeling each other up before Chloe broke it just as Marie's hands went under her tank top. "Start mending bridges with Marcus and the rest of my friends and maybe we'll go all the way in the real world."
"Deal." Marie nodded in response before a bright flash enveloped them.
*in the real world*
Chloe awoke with a startled yelp and took a few seconds to calm down before she looked around, she breathed a sigh of relief when she saw that she was back in Lance's room on the ship, still naked and judging by the light outside it was most likely around dawn.
"Is that really the end of the dream duels?" Chloe thought as she sat up glanced around using the bedsheet to cover up her cleavage as she did, the room was still messy from the early stages of her sex session with Lance and she glanced over at her boyfriend who was still fast asleep, "Not surprising, I remember him being a heavy sleeper from Battle City." Chloe thought before lying back down and resting her head on her boyfriend's chest. "I'll let him," and the others know what happened later, preferably on the ship but if we have to talk it out at my dad's home then I'm fine with that." Chloe thought before falling asleep.
*two hours later in LA*
"So, let me get this straight." Victor commented as he ran a hand down his face, the explosion had woken up everyone else in the building and the surrounding buildings as well, thankfully the police had brought his story of it being a lab explosion, they had long left by now and Victor was talking to Jack and Sarah in the remains of the lab. "Chloe used Silent Dragon Rider in an unauthorized dream duel and it blew up the machine, where is Dr. Schwartz?"
"Over there, boss." Jack said as he pointed to a spot on the ground. "And there." Jack said as he pointed to the ceiling. "And there." Jack said as he pointed to each of the walls. "What I'm saying is that the crazy bastard stayed behind to try to fix the machine and never made it out, when we returned to the room there was blood and guts everywhere, the most I can say is that his death was quick."
"Even if he did try to run, I doubt he would've made it." Sara sighed as she folded her arms. "He was pushing seventy and had arthritis in both of his hips, that was the main reason why he never took up dueling but that leaves us with a problem, he left no successors."
"His extended family is back home in Germany, he cared enough about them to have a will drawn up several years ago, so they'll be looked after, but I never heard him talking with his family in anything but German, I think its safe to say that they don't speak English." Jack added before motioning to the machine. "And I'm no tech expert but that looks fucked up beyond repair, I doubt even some brain head from MIT could fix that thing!"
"We'll deal with that in time, I have a PR shitstorm to contain in the meantime." Victor added as he started to walk off. "And as of right now, you and the other agents have my permission to start going after the students' families."
"Sir?" Sara asked with a look of surprise under her hood.
"We all knew that it would come to this one Summer Break began." Victor added as he started leaving the room. "But now that Chloe has the trust of Timaeus again we can't take chances."
"Good." Sara nodded with a smirk on her face. "And I know exactly who I want to go after!"