Leon
Crystal let out a soft coo of frustration when the bullying gusts of the ocean breeze blew her champagne-colored hair into her face. Her gem-encrusted butterfly hairpin almost falling off.
Leon Caldwell, sitting on the other side of the black wicker table laughed, stabbing a melon with his fork and plopping it into his mouth. The thunder of the waves crashing against the shore was music to his ears and seeing a beauty like Crystal brightened up his morning twofold. He peered from behind his sunglasses to admire her short, white summer dress crocheted around the shoulders and the hem over her thighs. Her diamond bracelet jingled as she tried to fix her hair.
Leon looked down at his deck. He put his index finger on the top card and started tracing the swirled design on the back of the card. As he did this, he looked at his lavish manor. Forests of palm trees. Aquatic gardens home to peacocks, and Koi swimming merrily in their sanctuary. He and Crystal were sitting next to a lit up pond where water streamed down a stone wall.
"Amazing, isn't it?" he said, slowly pulling up the card on the top of his deck. He marveled at the ultra-rare foil of his Curse of Dragon.
"What?" Crystal asked, battling the wind.
Leon gave a brazen but soft chuckle while he flicked his wrist to make the card shimmer in the sunlight. "That something so trivial such as these little playing cards could have brought me all of this." He held out his arms to show off all the riches he had. The private beach. The billion-dollar mansion.
Crystal dug through her scrambled eggs, now chilled thanks to the air. "The cards alone didn't bring you your success, Leon," she said. "It was mostly the genius of you and your father."
"True, but the real genius came from whoever invented this game. My father and I merely...made a few adjustments to spice it up. Not to say you didn't help either, my dear."
Crystal looked up at him, her heart-shaped face creased with confusion. "Huh? I thought Mr. Montgomery invented Duel Monsters."
Leon patted his mouth, disciplining himself for saying so much in front of her. "There was a lot of backdoor politics involved with the making of the game. I will not bore you on the matter. I will say that there's more about this game than you perceive."
"Like what?" Crystal asked, setting down her fork with a clink on her plate.
Leon stared at her. "God, you're so beautiful," he said, dodging the question. He took her hand and kissed it.
The wind blew again, knocking down the napkin dispenser and causing Crystal's hair to wave about violently.
"Aw, shit!" she cursed, catching handfuls of her hair.
Brett slowly made his way out of the beach-side mansion to join them for breakfast. He had a white wide-brimmed sunhat in his palm and forcefully placed it on Crystal's head, bending her neck forward. He was laughing at her misfortune.
"Don't hurt yourself, kid," Brett rudely declared.
Crystal eyed him furiously with pouted lips, cheeks glowing red, displaying a fiery countenance. She fixed her hat and crossed her arms in a fit.
"The Millennium Games, eh?" said Brett. "Leon, this tournament is an excellent idea. It's the perfect way to kick off the summer."
"You want to participate, Brett?" Crystal asked.
"I do," said Brett. "Hopefully little Yuri gets bumped out of the competition. I hope someone beats him bad."
Leon scoffed arrogantly, bringing his glass of orange juice to his lips. "You're obsessed with Yuri, Brett. If I didn't know any better, I'd say you're afraid of him."
That statement sure made Crystal smile. If there was one thing she loved more than her friends and Duel Monsters, it was seeing Brett get slapped in the face with the cold, hard hand of the truth. It must have been a powerful hand, because Brett looked like someone just whacked him in the solar plexus.
"I'm not afraid of Yuri, Leon. I can easily take him and that overgrown lizard in a duel!"
Leon shrugged, pretending he believed his statement, but his smug smile told Brett that he was far from convinced. "Sorry, Martinetti, but if you're that worked up about one guy, then I don't think this tournament is for you. It's only for the best of the best."
Brett glared at him for a moment. He turned to look at Crystal. "Darling, why don't you go play in the water? The men have to talk."
Crystal agreed without saying a word and got up, wanting nothing more than to get away from Brett. She tossed the sunhat away and stripped down to her white bikini. Brett grinned greedily and grabbed her by the waist. Crystal gasped as she was brought towards him. She rolled her eyes when she felt him kissing her curves. His lips were like sandpaper scratching away at her soft flesh.
"Have fun," he said. He brought her butt to closer to his face and kissed it. He patted her rump playfully, sending her away.
"You're so medieval!" Crystal growled before walking away.
"God, what a package," said Brett. "So, Leon, about this tournament."
"First off!" Leon declared loudly. "Don't you ever disrespect a woman in front of me like that again. Especially Crystal!"
"She's my girl, man." Brett arrogantly put his feet on the table. "I can do whatever what I want? I own her."
Leon swirled his glass to make the ice jingle. "Seems like the other way around from my point of view."
"How do you figure that?" Brett plopped a grape into his mouth.
"The only reason she's with a scumbag like you is because of your uncle and her mother. Without her, Brett, you'd be nothing!"
"Her contract belongs to me. Without me, there wouldn't be a Queen of Dragons. I made Crystal into what she is. She is who she is because of me!"
Leon leaned forward. "When last I checked, it was your uncle who was managing her career. It was his syndicate who gave her the cards needed to be who she is. It was Jacob Montgomery who showed her how to play, and it was Yuri who gave her that Chaos Emperor Dragon. All you did was act like some hotshot to make yourself look good to clear away the stains you left on the family name. If it wasn't for Crystal, Brett, the Martinetti Family would have done away with you a long time ago."
That made Brett's Italian blood boil. He clenched his fist in anger.
"You need Crystal a lot more than she needs you, Brett. She is surrounded by powerful friends who can easily take her away from you. That is why you're afraid to take on Yuri yourself. That's why you keep sending your goons after him and his friends, doing everything in your power to rid him from the brackets. Yuri can be the end of you, and you know that."
Brett pointed at Leon furiously. His hand was shaking while he tried to force words out of his mouth. "I'm not afraid of anyone, Caldwell, you understand me!"
"Then fight Yuri yourself is you're so tough. If not, you can go back to bullying old and weak immigrants to stroke your own ego."
"What..."
"I heard about what happened Brett. That Red-Eyes Black Dragon you have is extremely hard to come by. The only way you could have gotten it is because you've stolen it. But I know why you did. You need every edge you need against my half-brother. The night he first brought the Black Tyranno to the field, you felt something you never felt before. Fear. Know why? Because you're weak, Brett, and you always will be."
Yuri
"So what rank did you get?" Carter asked. "Did you earn enough stars to qualify?"
Feeling embarrassed, Yuri reached into his backpack and gave a print out of the ranking he received for the Millennium Tournament. Patty read the print out Yuri gave her.
Her face lit up. "Four stars? Not bad, Yuri. Not bad."
The friends were spending lunch on the rooftop of the school to get away from the prying eyes of obnoxious challengers who wanted nothing more to defeat Yuri and make a name for themselves just to boost up their rankings so they could qualify for the games this summer.
"I got three stars," said Carter.
Tyson playfully punched him in the arm. "Come on, man, you say it like it's a bad thing. You still qualify."
The look on Carter's face displayed his gratitude to Tyson for that comment. "Thank you, baby. I must admit, that deck Sergei gave me is really paying off."
Nick, however, was not too content this day. He stood next to Patty against the railing. The sight was gorgeous from their perch. Though the sun cast an irritating heat on the city, the wind was strong and graceful, for they were very close to the ocean. They could see it glowing turquoise behind the skyscrapers. He grumbled to himself, furiously stirring his cup of chicken soup.
Patty looked at him. Deep down, she knew he wanted the attention. She smirked from the corner of her mouth. "All right, what happened, Nick?" she asked with a tease in her tone.
"Oh, nothing," Nick answered irritably. The cup squeaked under the pressure of his grip. His lips parted like a pink curtain to reveal his yellowed teeth and white-splotched gums. "I just checked my ranking and I got two! TWO! TWO-FRIGGIN-STARS!"
Patty's face crinkled. "Ouch."
"Now, don't feel bad, Nick," said Yuri. "I heard Brett is co-founding the games It's clearly obvious that he's doing this to bug you."
"THAT SON OF A...!" Nick roared into the sky. "First he takes my sister's Red-Eyes Black Dragon, puts my mother in debt, and now he bars me from going to any of the games!"
"As if there wasn't enough to get this town excited," Patty said. "It's not even summer yet and already I'm getting challenged like crazy."
"It's not easy having a bounty on you, is it Patty?" Tyson said before taking a bite into his meatball sub.
"Someone put a bounty on you, baby?" Carter asked, chewing his potato fries.
Patty leaned her head to the right while giving her trademark eye roll. "Yeah, our old friend Randall was not too pleased I scared the shit out of him with my Fiends. Apparently, that Diabolos Mr. Montgomery gave me is not out in print yet. I'm the only one in the world who has it." The wind blew her hair into her face, now colored with rainbow highlights. She fixed her pink bow and brushed the hair behind her ear with her fingertips. Glittering stars made them twinkle. "Stupid wind!" she muttered.
"Wow!" said Nick, leaning against the wall while holding his plate. "So you've got a one-of-a-kind card, Pats! That's cool."
"No, it's not cool! Now every player on the island is after my cute little ass! It's always: 'Hey, you're the Fiend Girl, let's duel!' or 'Your Diabolos is as good as mine! I ranked really high in the generic-as-hell-tournament last year!' God, these past few days have been annoying."
The wind blew again, lifting the short sleeves of Patty's blouse. Yuri saw a splotch of purple on her shoulder. "What's that!?" Yuri pointed at the wound.
Patty grimaced and yanked her sleeve down. "It's nothing."
Yuri sighed. He dreaded asking the question, but he was just too concerned to let the topic go this time. "Did Mark beat you up again?" He asked, to which Patty froze and stared at the horizon, reminiscing about the beat down she received the night before. Her stomach still ached from where he kicked her.
Patty smiled to hide her sorrow. "It's no big deal. The man is so much of a drunk that his hits are getting lamer."
Tyson shook his head, wrapping up his sub. He lost his appetite just thinking about Patty getting hit by her father again. "Patty, just because he's a commander in RAPTOR doesn't mean he can treat you like shit! You know we can help you, right?"
"I'm tough," Patty declared while putting her foot down. "I can handle my dad. Stop worrying about me. I'm not a baby, geez. On a brighter note, who else is going to sign up for that Red Dragon Cup at Sergei's shop?"
"How can you think of Duel Monsters at a time like this?" said Carter. "Patty, you need help."
Patty stared at her friends with a wave of blazing anger glimmering in her green eyes. Her lips trembled as she tried to find the right words to use. "You guys need help. The fact that this doesn't bother me as much as you shows I've got more balls than all of you!"
"Touché," Nick grumbled in defeat. "Well, if you want to drop the subject so be it, just don't come crying to us should something happen to you, Patty."
Yuri put his hand on Patty's back, rubbing it sympathetically. "Well, you shouldn't be like that either, Nick. We're here for you if things get too rough."
Patty turned her head to look at Yuri. "Thanks, buddy, I appreciate that."
"This tournament sounds like a great idea," said Tyson. "But all of us are going except Nick."
"Not really," said Nick. "While I'm still agitated that Brett ranked me so low, I can still prove myself in the qualifier in Grossfield on Azalea Island. Mr. Montgomery gave me the opportunity and will personally drive me there himself."
Patty's face lit up. "Really? That's great, Nick."
"Well, uh, it would be," Nick said shyly while rubbing the back of his neck. "I'm going to need your help with something, Patty."
Patty
The following morning, Nick informed Patty of the favor he needed her to do.
"WHAT!" she shouted at the entrance of the restaurant. "You want me to babysit that little perv?"
Nick clasped his hands together and pleaded. He and Yuri were scheduled to leave this afternoon bound for Azalea Island, but Sam was not allowed to go, as no guests were allowed in the qualifier. Nick apologetically bowed, pleading with her over and over again. If Patty did not accept the job, Sam would be left alone, for Consuelo was away in Miami to comfort her daughter who was going through a divorce.
"Please, Patty. It's just for the weekend. You know how important this is for me."
Nick suddenly smiled, taking the time he had admiring the new rainbow highlights in Patty's hair. He wanted to compliment on her new look, but thought better of it, seeing how mad she was with him.
Patty looked at him like a venomous cobra being cornered by two mongooses. She clenched her fists with an uncontrollable rage and bared her fangs, almost hissing. And if she was the cobra, then Nick and Sam were the mongooses biting away at her neck. The last thing Patty wanted right now was to babysit Sam and his gang of little mutants, who were coming to celebrate Sam's eleventh birthday and stay over for the weekend.
Crystal somehow got involved with this matter and convinced Consuelo to let them stay at her beachside cottage. Despite having her own room all to herself, Patty was still furious about the job. Sam and his friends were very crafty kids, especially the brains of Sam's posy, Gordon, who was given the nickname Gizmo. But she let out a heavy breath in defeat, kicking the floor with the tip of her shoe. Nick would probably never get an opportunity like this again and Consuelo promised a reward even Patty would not refuse. If she did, she would let Consuelo down. It was a choice she dared not make. Nick's foster mother, was rather growing on her, becoming a far better influence in her life than her parents in the few weeks she had known her.
Patty looked at Sam. He was sitting at his favorite booth playing on a handheld gaming device. There was a horrible grin on his face. It was smug, devious, and joyful. A whole weekend all alone with his crush. And he knew she had no choice but to take the job for Consuelo's sake, which just added to her fury. She felt like yelling at him, but what good would that do? It was his birthday today, and even he deserved a good one.
Just then, Mr. Montgomery's Rolls-Royce Phantom stopped in front of the curb near the entrance of the restaurant. He honked three times to get Nick's attention. Yuri waved it him from the passenger seat. At that moment, Patty had no choice but to surrender to him.
"Okay, okay," she said sadly. "But you owe me BIG for this Nick!"
Nick smiled and placed both hands on Patty's shoulders. "I'll make it up to you, I promise." He kissed her forehead and then ran off, leaving Patty rooted to the spot.
He dove into the car. It took off and disappeared into the streets of Los Angeles Rojas. Patty remained where she was...and smiled. She had never been kissed so fondly before, not since she shared one final kiss with her girlfriend before watching her fly away to England and out of her life. She let out a soft chuckle. Perhaps Nick wasn't so bad. She could still feel the spot where his lips touched her forehead. It still burned like an opening that was transferring all of Nick's love into her heart.
"Bye," she said in a whisper.
"You like him I see," Sam said walking beside her.
Patty looked down at him with a pretty scowl on her face. "I beg your pardon."
"After a few days with me, those feelings will be all gone." Sam winked.
Patty continued to just glare at the child. "Yeah, and they're going to be filled with murderous intent instead," said she. "I'm going to be very clear with you Samuel. If you bother me in any way, not only am I going to tell Consuelo, but I will leave you stranded in the streets to fend for yourself. If I didn't love Consuelo and Nick a lot, I would NOT be doing this. Keep your paws to yourself. Eyes on everything else except me, and above all show me respect. Do. I. Make. Myself. Clear!"
Sam's arrogant grin faded, filling Patty with power. A power that warmed her core and she smiled with dominance backing up her lips. Sam saw that any love and compassion she had was rotted away by anger, frustration, and who knew what else that was swimming around in that black lagoon she called a heart. He did not want to be bossed around, especially on his birthday. Innocently, he agreed.
Her smile had warmed a little when he babbled in shock, but he raised his hand to slap her butt, though he stopped and gave a frightful gasp when he saw the yellow-green gaze of Zera the Mant flash before his eyes. A vicious snarl filled his little ears making his body quiver from the shock that surged through his body like a current.
"You okay?" Patty asked. "You look as though you're never going to be cheerful again."
Sam violently shook his head. "I-I don't know."
Patty smiled and ruffled his hair. "Maybe I was a little rough on you. But, I have feelings, kid. It bothers me when you act that way. If you promise to behave, I promise to make this a very happy birthday. Deal?"
She held out her hand. Her purple nail polish reflected the light of the early morning. "Deal," Sam said, shaking her hand, though he held two crossed fingers behind his back and crossed his toes.
Damn, right you're going to make this a happy birthday.
At eleven o'clock, Sam's friend arrived. Two brothers from Mexico named Miguel; the oldest at age eleven, and Manuel; the youngest in the group at only eight years old. They both came riding down the street on their bikes with large presents tucked inside their backpacks. Then, arrived the brains of Sam's group, Gizmo. He was dropped off by his older sister. He had a chemistry set as a gift for Sam. He had wild orange hair, horribly round glasses, and wore dirty overalls over a flannel shirt.
Finally came an African American named Devon. When he arrived he presented Sam with a box of cards called the Battle Pack.
Patty grimaced being surrounded by so many small boys. They were looking at her like vultures waiting for a sick deer to keel over for an easy meal. All except for Manuel, who looked at Patty shyly from behind his teddy bear. He bashfully looked her in the eyes and slowly waved his fingers up and down to greet here.
"Gee, you're very beautiful," Manuel said from behind his bear.
"Thank you, sweetie," said Patty. "Well, I guess that's all of us right?"
"Sure is, babe," said Devon. He turned to look at Sam. "Where are we going to go first, birthday boy?"
Sam put his hands behind his back and paced back and forth on the sidewalk. "First, we're going to the water park to swim. Is that cool, Patty?"
Patty shrugged. "You're the birthday boy, but I have to go back to my place to get a few things, seeing as how we're going to be spending the weekend at Crystal's cottage."
"That's fine," said Sam.
"What do you want to do after?" Patty asked.
Sam continued. "Chuck E. Cheeses for some games and pizza. And then we go to the Dueling Grounds to try out my new monsters against Patty. I think I can take on your ghouls and goblins this time."
Patty grinned, looking forward to the challenge. "All right then, sounds like a plan. "Okay, boys, out, out, out, out!"
She shooed them out of the restaurant. Patty locked the doors good and tight, then she lowered the steel security gate to barricade the store. The weight pulled her down with tremendous force, causing her to bend over. Sam and his friends gazed at the sight.
"Oh, mama!" whispered Devon.
"This is going to be the best day of my life," said Miguel.
"You say something, fellas?" Patty asked, raising herself up. She wiped off the dust and dirt from her hands on her jeans which were skin tight and bleached blue. The chain dangling by her hip jingled from the heavy belt where it hung. Her deck was heavily confined in her back pocket.
When Consuelo's restaurant was sealed, Patty led the kids to her car. As the others put their bags and backpacks in the trunk, Devon looked at the car disapprovingly. Being a youth from the Central Island, he had a very pampered and spoiled life, traveling in luxury cars; sports cars; private jets; and yachts, not the Hyundai he was about to ride in.
"Do you have any idea who I am?" he demanded.
"A spoiled brat," Patty sharply answered while she opened the door to the driver's seat.
Devon pouted even more. "Girl, I ride in Ferrari, Lamborghini, and Rolls-Royce. You can't expect me to go inside that piece of shit."
"Then you can walk." She waved at the boy. "Toodle-loo!"
Devon knew she was right and hesitantly got into the back of the car to join his friends. "My father is going to hear about this!"
Patty drove the kids to her home. She parked around the bend away from the entrance, in case her father began to yell at her with his hourly fits. "Be right back you guys," Patty said getting out. She left the air conditioning on to cool them from the summer sun which rose high in the noon sky casting the world in a wonderful blanket of blue with streaks of white puffy clouds.
Sam took off his seatbelt and peered back at his friends from the passenger seat. "What'd I tell you guys? Isn't she a dish?"
"Hell yeah, Sam!" Devon said locking hands with Sam's and sliding away.
Miguel looked at Sam. "So, when she said Crystal, does she mean Crystal Anderson the National Champion?"
Sam had a wide grin on his face and nodded in compliance. "Yeah, apparently, Crystal and my pal Yuri go way back. She and Patty have gotten very close, which is why she lent her the cottage."
"I'm a big fan of Crystal Anderson," said Gizmo. "Will we get to meet her?"
"Not likely," Sam replied. "But you never know. Crystal has a habit of showing up when you least expect it."
"It really sucks that Yuri had to go on that trip, too," said Devon. "I only saw that Black Tyranno in the papers. I would kill to see it in real life. You're lucky to have seen it so many times, Sam."
Sam feigned sincerity. "Yeah, I guess it pays when your older brother is friends with the creator of Duel Monsters."
Patty came out of the mansion moments later with two duffle bags and her backpack. She was clad in a white tank top and short denim cutoffs. She opened the trunk of her car, smooshing her belongings with the kids' things.
She got back into the car and drove the kids to the waterpark near the pier. Patty had a hard time finding parking, but thankfully there was a family leaving. She took the spot before someone else could and backed up into the free space. Before she could even apply the brakes, Sam and his friends opened the doors and ran to the line.
"You could at least close the doors you little creeps!" Patty scoffed, shutting the doors to her car. She went to the trunk to pick up her backpack. Her keys jingled in her fingers while she slipped the straps on her shoulders and put on her cap.
The torrents of the tall water slides and the delightful screams of the swimmers along with their splashing relaxed Patty's nerves. Hopefully, Sam and his friends would leave her alone while they tried to go on the rides. Mayhaps she would find some time to bathe in the sun or swim in the pool without being in the lustful eyes of those youngsters. It felt so awkward being preyed upon by youths who were ten or nine years younger than she was. But Yuri and Crystal coached her to be tough on them through text message. They couldn't have been more right. If Patty didn't show them who was boss, they would walk all over her the entire weekend.
"Come on, slowpoke!" shouted Devon. "We wanna swim!"
Patty walked to the booth and purchased the entries into the park via touchscreen. Hesitantly, she swiped her credit card and the armbands poured out. She made sure each of them put it on before walking them into the park. Patty sniffed the air. The scent of hotdogs, hamburgers, fries, funnel cakes, popcorn, pizza and other foods made her mouth wet and her tummy growl.
"Let's find a spot by the slide!" said Sam.
There was a place for all of them to lay. The boys went to the bathroom to change and left Patty alone until they came back.
"Cannonball!" someone cried out before dunking into the pool. The voice was oddly familiar.
"Hey, Patty!" Carter called out from the other side of the pool.
Patty felt relieved to see her friends in the water park as well. Tyson and Natalya swam towards Patty to greet her. She spotted Sergei sunbathing on his lounge chair by the gate to the beach.
"Small world, my friend," Natalya said, pushing her soaked hair back. "Come join us."
Patty sighed. "I will as soon as Sam and his goon squad comes back from the changing rooms."
"How have they been treating you?" Tyson asked, putting his arms on the side of the pool. Water dripped from his chin and shined brightly on his dark skin.
"So far so good," said Patty. "But this is only the first day."
"Well, they shouldn't be too bad," said Tyson. "They're just kids."
"The others I'm not worried about. It's that Sam who's got me on guard all the time."
"He's a sneaky one," Natalya agreed. "But they're just children as Tyson said. They don't know any better."
"If they don't I'll make them," Patty said, cracking her knuckles.
"That's the spirit," said Tyson. "Come on, Pats, the water's great." He dove back underwater.
Natalya said farewell before diving after him. Sam and his friends came back. They bought towels and water toys. Gizmo had a water gun in his hand and he sprayed Patty's shirt.
"HEY!" she yelped.
"Sorry," Gizmo said shyly. "I was just having some fun. I didn't mean to upset you."
Patty felt bad for yelling at him. "It's all right," she said. "Just warn me next time, I wasn't ready."
"Okay, I'm sorry."
"All right guys, at two-thirty we break for lunch, got it?"
"Okay," said the kids. They dove into the pool. Gizmo's fat body caused a bigger splash that wet Patty even more.
"Fuck!" she groaned. They soaked her phone a little. She saw that Sam hadn't gone in yet "Why are you still here?"
"Tyson's coming," he said.
Tyson pulled himself out of the pool. He marveled as Patty's torso slithered out of her tank top.
"What?" she asked with a giggle, seeing him admire her skimpy black two-piece trimmed in hot pink.
"Um...wow, girl! Have you been following that routine and diet Carter gave you? Cuz that body...DAMN!"
"Yeah, I have," Patty answered, unbuttoning her cutoffs. "Come on, I wanna do some laps with you."
"Hell yeah. Let's see if I can't beat you this time. Come on!" He took a leap and fell into the pool with a splash. He swam back up, spitting out the chlorine from his mouth and squeezing his nose to wipe out the snot. "Come on!"
"I'll be right there," she said, pulling her shorts down to her thighs. She stopped and looked to her left. Sam was gazing at her with wide eyes and an open mouth. "Don't look at me!" she commanded.
"Oh, of course not!" Sam said, running into the pool.
So far, Patty's afternoon in the pool was relaxing and without incident. The boys behaved themselves rather well and left her alone while she, Tyson, Carter, and Natalya were tossing the football at one another. At two, Patty bought Sam and his friends their lunch. They needed to rest an hour and played at the arcade while their food digested. After they were ready to go back in, they all begged for Patty to join them in the waterslide.
"I-I don't want to go," said Manuel.
"You sure?" Patty asked. "Why, sweetie?"
"It's too high."
Sam and his friends laughed at him. Manuel whimpered as tears of hurt welled up in his brown eyes.
"He's such a baby!" teased Sam. "Ahh-waa!"
Patty shot a poisonous look at Sam. She put an arm over Manuel's shoulder. "What are you talking about, Samuel? You still sleep with that Shining Friendship nightlight!"
Sam's face contorted to show his shock. His chubby cheeks turning beet red as his gang laughed at him.
"Oh man, that's even more pathetic!" said Devon.
"Let's just go!" Sam bellowed, grabbing a water ring and going up the stairs.
The others followed while Natalya stayed with Manuel below. The kids went down first, leaving Patty going down last. Little did she know, it was all a set up. Sam and his friends waited below at the bottom of the slide with many others to get splashed. Sam and his friends waited eagerly for Patty to get out. They silently jeered with joy, for the slide caused Patty's bikini bottom to ride up her butt. They merrily jumped up and down at the sight and began high-fiving one another as she walked away. Patty fixed her swimsuit and saw a crowd huddling by one of the deeper pools.
"What's going on over there?" she asked.
"They're going to have a duel!" shouted Devon.
"Who?" she wondered. Her pink lips curved into a delighted smile. Tyson and Carter were on top of water-themed dueling platforms with the deep end of the pool as the field. They waved to the crowd, ready to put on a show.
LP 4000
"You got cards from the new set, Carter?" said Tyson.
"Yeah, you?"
"You're just going to have to see. I summon Leogun, in attack mode!"
"Ah, ah, ah," Carter said wagging his finger. "You can't do that."
"Says who?" Tyson demanded.
"The new rules do," said Patty, walking up to Tyson's spot. She stood behind him. "The new format was applied the other day. Leogun is a Level Five monster which requires a tribute to be summoned. You're going to have to summon a Level Four or lower monster if you want to make a summon this turn."
"Ah, fuck!" Tyson curse silently. He heard some people laughing at him. "Aight' I summon Hyena in defense mode!"
ATK/1000 DEF/300
Hrrk! Hrrk! laughed the monstrous four-legged beast.
"This is going to be a cinch!" said Carter, drawing his first card. "I summon Flying Fish!"
With a great splash, the majestic fish took to the air. The sunlight caused its pink scales to glimmer in all the colors of the rainbow. Despite its beautiful look, It had sharp teeth and red eyes.
ATK/800 DEF/500
Patty felt someone grab her leg. "Huh?" she looked down to see who had her and gave a comforting smile when she spotted Manuel, whimpering with fright.
"They're real!" he cried, burying his face into her thigh.
Patty laughed and patted his head. "They're not real, kiddo. They're holograms. They won't hurt you."
"They're so scary!" he whined.
"Come on, sweetheart, you can sit with me."
Carter ended his turn when he launched his attack. As the fish sped towards Hyena, Patty walked to the nearest lounge chair and placed Manuel on her lap, much to the chagrin of Sam and his friends. Manuel shivered like a snake. The monsters in front of him may have been illusions, but they were so realistic he couldn't help but to be frightened.
"Thank you, Carter," Tyson said when his Hyena was destroyed. "When my Hyena is sent to the Graveyard, I can special summon another one to take his place."
Hrkk! Hrkk! laughed the replacement Hyena.
"And now I tribute my Hyena, to summon my Leogun!"
ATK/1750 DEF/1550 LV 5
Leogun came onto the field roaring loudly, causing Manuel to cry out in fear while covering his ears. He sobbed seeing the rhino-sized lion with black fur and a mane of gold. Leogun waited for flying fish to come out. When it did, he sliced it to ribbons with his claws. Carter groaned taking his 950 damage.
Carter-3050 LP
Tyson-4000 LP
"You don't sound as confident as before, bro," said Tyson.
Manuel wiped a tear from his face and laughed at the funny faces Carter was making when he took the damage. Tyson more than made up for his mistake earlier with his Hyena monsters, allowing for quick tribute fodder to properly bring out Leogun.
"See," Patty said, comforting Manuel. "This is fun."
"All right, whatever," said Carter. "Laugh it up while you can. Because I'm going to tribute my Warrior of Atlantis to add A Legendary Ocean to my hand. And I'll activate it."
There was a flash of light. Then all was still.
"What happened?" asked Manuel. "Did the hologram not work?"
Patty shook her head while she chuckled. "Come on, let's see for ourselves."
"No, no!" pleaded Manuel, holding tightly to Patty.
Patty soothed his fear with a comforting smile. "It's okay, baby, they're not going to hurt you, I promise."
Slowly, Patty took Manuel to the side of the pool. He gasped at what he saw. An entire sunken city was sitting hundreds of feet at the bottom of the pool. "WOW!" he gasped.
Carter waved to get Manuel's attention. "You think that was cool? Wait till you hear this. My Legendary Ocean field spell can reduce the levels of all WATER monsters by 1 and increase their attack and defense by 200 points. Now say hello to Terrorking Salmon!"
ATK/2400 DEF/1000
Because of the Legendary Ocean card, Terrorking Salmon was a level four monster, making it easier to summon. And, its attack was now 2600 and its defense 1200. The evil fish monster was as long as an SUV and had a black armored body with red sails. It splashed up and down and dove towards Leogun. There was great explosion followed by a great splash and Leogun was gone. Patty and Manuel were soaked. With Patty cradling him, Manuel was starting to grow less and less afraid of the monsters.
Sam and the others enjoyed the duel but seeing Patty holding Manuel so close bothered them. It made them wish they were him.
Carter-3050 LP
Tyson-3150 LP
"Nice attack, bro, but I'm still in the lead!"
Carter laughed. "Yeah for now! I place a card face-down and end my turn. Go!"
Tyson drew his card. He examined his options. "How do you like your salmon, Carter. Grilled or roasted?"
"Why do you ask?"
"'Cause I'm summonin' Bazoo the Soul Eater in attack mode!"
ATK/1600 DEF/900
A gigantic, obese baboon was rendered to the field by the projectors. It took them a while to render the beast, for it was horribly large. Lavender fur covered its entire body. Six blond tufts of hair protruded from its back and there were eight horns adorning its face. Though he was weaker than the Terrorking Salmon, he had a special ability that was going to save him. Tyson tributed 3 monsters from his Graveyard (Two Hyenas and the fallen Leogun). Their souls formed into a golden ball which rose out of the water and into Bazoo's hands. He slurped greedily and devoured the ball of souls. For each monster he surrendered to Bazoo, it was a bonus of 300 attack points, raising Bazoo's attack to 3100.
Tyson held up a spell card. "And next, I think I'll add this for good measure. Wild Nature's Release. This will force any of my Beast monsters into a berserk fury that will raise their attack points by their defense points. Meaning my Bazoo's attack increases to 4000!"
Bazoo pounded his chest. His eyes were glowing bright red and he screamed wildly.
"Wow," said Patty. "These new cards don't make Yuri's Black Tyranno so scary anymore. Just look at that thing. 1600 to 4000 so quickly? He's reached the top of the charts."
Bazoo sprinted towards the silhouette of Terrorking Salmon. Tyson began to sing once his berserk beast fished it out of the water by the tail.
The rock and pool
Is nice and cool,
Bazoo bit into the fish fiercely. Flaky fish meat plopped out the crazed baboon's mouth.
Our only wish,
To catch a fish,
So juicy-sweet!
Carter-1650 LP
Tyson-3150 LP
"Okay, Gollum, are you done yet!?" shouted Carter.
Tyson laughed waved his turn away. In doing so, Bazoo blew up and was gone. A side effect of the Wild Nature's Release card.
"My move! I play the Spell Card, Moray of Greed. I shuffle two water monsters from my hand to my deck. Shuffle. And draw three cards." He gave a satisfied look at Tyson, seeing the cards he drew. I place one card face down. And summon Ocean's Keeper in attack mode!"
An orange, yellow-finned fish jumped out of the water to reveal himself. It was carrying a trident as a weapon.
ATK/1500 DEF/1200
"That's it for me, Tyson."
"Draw!" Tyson picked up his card. "I summon, Leotaur in attack mode!"
He called forth a monster with the upper torso of a humanoid lion with a flowing fiery mane of white and gold. He was armored at the arms with pauldrons and arm plates styled in ancient Minoan design. He had the legs of a large lion. The golden fur armored at the shins and braided where the torso met the legs.
"No harm done," said Carter. "He and my fish are both equal in strength."
Tyson sniggered at his overconfidence. "So you say bro, but, my Leotaur has a special ability. When he attacks non-normal monsters, he gains an extra 500 attack points. You fish is gone, brother!"
Leotaur held his sword up in the air and roared. He galloped towards the fish, ready to stab it with his sword.
"No can do, Tyson, reveal my face-down card! Negate Attack!"
Tyson sucked on his teeth. "Ack! Well, there goes my battle phase. I place a card down and end my turn."
"And so begins mine," Carter said with a tease. "I summon Cyber Shark!"
ATK/2100 (2300) DEF/2000 (2200) LV 5 (4)
"Normally, I would use his effect, which activates if I have a water monster on my field. I can normal summon him no problem. But, since my Legendary Ocean is in play, his level is lowered by 1 anyway. But I'm not through yet, Carter. Because I sacrifice my Ocean's Keeper to summon Cranium Fish in attack mode!"
ATK/2400 (2600) DEF/2000(2200) LV 6(5)
"Now for my Cranium Fish's special ability. I discard a water monster and destroy one face-down card on the field."
The Cranium Fish rose out of the water. It was a large creature it a bright yellow blob on its head. Its body was bright orange and tinged to blue on the fins. Cranium Fish charged an electrical attack and blasted Tyson's face-down card. Mirror Force.
"Oh yes, did I forget to mention another newly added rule to the game?"
"Yeah, you did!" Tyson said gripping the edges of his platform. "What are you not telling me, Carter."
"You really should have read the new rulebook, Tyson," said Patty. "If you did, you probably would have figured that you can attack your opponent directly if they have no monsters on the field."
"Say what!" Tyson dropped his cards and braced himself. "Oh, man, this is gonna hurt!"
Cyber Shark and Cranium Fish rose out of the water and rammed Tyson for a devastating direct attack. His Life Points went to 0, ending the game. The holograms disappeared and the onlookers applauded them for a well-played game.
Patty checked her watch. She called her kids towards her to brief them on the schedule. "Okay, guys, it's time we headed out. It's starting to get dark. Go to the locker rooms and change."
"Chuck E. Cheeses!" proclaimed Manuel, thankful that the duel was over.
"Chuck E. Cheeses!" shouted Tyson. "Damn, it's been years since I went there. Why don't we tag along?"
The kids groaned. Patty shook her head no. "Sorry, Tyson. I think the boys would rather have this night to themselves. Although, I wouldn't mind you guys stopping by at Crystal's cottage later."
"We can do that," Carter said waddling towards her. He had gained more weight it seemed. It didn't show earlier because he was swimming. "We'll meet you there at eight."
They departed, leaving Patty alone with Sam and his friends again. She dried herself and dressed back into her top and shorts. She put on her cap and waited by the gate for the boys to come out.
They rushed towards her, begging to begin their night in the town. When it got late, Patty drove them to the coasts of the island where Crystal rented a cottage by the sea so they could retire for the night.
Yuri
"Look, I know you have your concerns, but Patty is my friend. There's nothing wrong with her!" Yuri shouted from inside the shower.
"You do not see it because you choose not to," Ser Norman said, leaning against the wall. Fortunately for him, Yuri's bathroom was like an art gallery. The ceiling was high up enough for him to stand up straight. The lights on the ceiling made his armor shine brightly. "
Ser Norman let out a heavy sigh. "I sense great darkness in her heart. Something that's not supposed to be in there. Your friend is under the control of a fell creature."
"You're just a figment of my imagination!" Yuri shouted over the water. "I don't even know why you won't go away. I'm going to see a doctor next week. Believe me, when they give me the stuff I need, you are going to be gone."
He turned the water off and walked out, wrapping a towel around his waist. "I've gone crazy is all. All these dreams and talks about being king."
"After I have proven myself to you, you still doubt me?"
"I can't doubt it, that's the problem," Yuri said, brushing his teeth. "You're real. But you can't be. This can't be real. I had to have dreamed of you picking me up. There's got to be a logical explanation for this."
"Just accept that this is real, Prince Yuri."
"JUST...Yuri..." Yuri said, spitting out the foam from his mouth. "I'm not royalty. Nor do I want to be royalty. If I'm being haunted by the ghost of a knight, so be it. I'll accept that. But all this talk about High King. Prince. Another world. You've got to be joking. It's just your delusions. There's no changing it, so I'll just let you pretend you're some long lost hero from another world if that's what makes you happy."
Ser Norman shook his head. "One of these days, Yuri. You're going to have to accept your destiny, Yuri."
"When pigs fly," Yuri rudely responded. "Just shut up and act like a normal ghost. Get some chains. Rattle them around."
"Now you're just being cynical," said Ser Norman.
Patty
Patty raised an eyebrow, for it seemed like an estate than a cottage. She opened the trunk to let the boys gather their things. They sprinted inside, wasting no time in hooking up the PlayStation 4 to Crystal's entertainment system.
Patty brought them a tray of cookies and milk. "Okay, guys, I'm going to have a look around. If you need anything, just holler."
"We got you a soda," said Gizmo. "Orange Fanta. We heard it's your favorite. Thanks for taking us everywhere tonight, Patty."
"Aw, thank you," Patty said. "You know, I thought you guys were a bunch of little creeps. But now, you're not so bad."
Devon shrugged. "I thought the same about you," he said. "I was worried you would be nothing but a bossy babysitter, which was why I was brusque with you earlier. But you know what, Patty? You're all right."
He held up his fist. Patty balled her hand into one and bumped it. "You guys are so sweet." She declared and drank her soda. "Well, I'm going to tuck Manuel into bed. I think I can kick your butts in a game of Call of Duty."
"Oh yeah!" sneered Miguel. "Bitch, I'm rank 100 prestige. Two of my weapon sets are diamond camos!"
"Not bad...for a rookie!" sneered Patty.
Miguel would not take that. "Huh, Rookie?"
"I'm level 1000 Prestige. I have Dark Matter on ALL my weapons. And I unlocked each Heroic skin for my operators. Took me two months to do it. FaZe and Optic_Gaming invited me to join their teams once. Still, want to take me on?"
"Whoa!" all the kids breathed. Miguel wanted to say something but sat back down. His pride was cut in half.
Patty giggled. "I didn't think so." She turned and left.
When she was gone, they paused the game and gathered around. Sam snickered uncontrollably. "So what do you have for us, Gizmo?"
Gizmo took out a walkie-talkie from his backpack. "While she was in her room changing, I managed to slip the other in the bathroom. With these babies, we can listen to Patty washing herself."
They all giggled, rubbing their hands together.
"That's it?" said Devon. "Just listen?"
"Just wait," said Gizmo. "That Fanta I gave her, was loaded with a top-of-the-line sleeping pill. She should be knocked out any moment now."
And so they waited. And they waited. And waited.
They heard Patty sulk about upstairs. Sam tiptoed up the marble stairwell with a waterfall that flowed into a pool in the center. The torrents muffled his footsteps. He peeked around the corner and saw Patty in a pink football jersey. She gave a monstrous yawn and went into her room.
"Come on you guys!" Sam called out.
"Is she out?" Gizmo asked.
"She looks like she's out of it!" said Sam. "What do you plan to do?"
"Just get a few shots," said Devon. "We can sell them online for good money. We can each get a structure deck with the dough we'll make."
"Who's going to want to pay for proactive pictures of Patty?" asked Miguel. "That's so stupid."
Sam walked to him. "Did you not hear? She beat Randall Lawson, the regional champ in a duel. Ever since word got out of her duel, she's been making top-tier friends, like Crystal. Patty's become one of the most sought after girls in Aquarius. And she's got this really cool dragon called Diabolos, King of the Abyss. I want that card!"
"And you'll get it!" said Gizmo. "Come on, guys."
They all stampeded up the stairs and down the hall. Devon got the camera on his gold plated phone ready. Miguel tried to open the door, but it was locked tight.
"Locked!" he growled.
"Don't worry," said Gizmo, taking out a screwdriver. "This lockpick I invented will do the trick."
"Gizmo, you are a miracle worker," said Sam.
But, just as Gizmo was about to pick the lock, the knob suddenly shook. Thunder bellowed in the sky, despite news that it was going to be nice all weekend. Rain began to splatter the windows and tap the rooftop. Shrugging off the weather and the sudden movement of the knob, Gizmo proceeded to open the lock. Again, the knob began to shake, and then it began to lose its shape.
The kids watched with horror as the knob on the door turned into the head of a fiendish Duel Monster.
"Zera the Mant?" gasped Sam.
"RAARRRR!" Zera shrieked like a low-pitched banshee.
The children screamed and ran down the hall and back to the den. They were breathing heavily. Their little hearts pounded as though someone was playing them like drums.
"Wh-what was that?" shrieked Devon. "Did Zera the fucking Mant just pop up from that doorknob?"
"It can't be!" said Gizmo. "That's scientifically impossible. There has to be a reasonable explanation for all of this. It could have been a hologram."
His hypothesis made them feel better. Sam often said that Patty was quite the prankster. He told Sam of the time Patty used Crystal's Duel Disk and summoned a Jirai Gumo spider monster to appear in Yuri's closet. No doubt the Zera the saw on the knob was just another of her well-schemed hoaxes.
The kids were so relieved that they even began to laugh a little bit.
"Well, if Patty set us up, she did a good job!" Devon forced out his humor.
"But what about this rain?" asked Miguel. "The weather was supposed to be clear all weekend. We were supposed to go to the beach tomorrow, guys."
"Well, you can't really predict tropical weather," Gizmo said with a shrug. "It could be sunny one hour and then rainy the next."
"So that's the way she wants to play, huh?" Sam said, balling his fists. "Come on guys, let's teach her a lesson."
He led his friends back upstairs. They marched down the hallway and stood outside of Patty's room.
Sam banged on the door. "All right, Patty! We know you were pranking us! Come on out right now!"
Silence. The rain was getting harsher outside. The thunder clapped with tremendous force and shook the house, relieving Sam and his friends of whatever courage they had. They huddled with one another and shivered. Suddenly, the lights went off.
"What's happening?" sobbed Miguel. "Fuck this, you guys. I'm calling my mom. I want to go home!"
"It's okay!" Gizmo assured them. "It's just a power outage. They happen all the time in rough storms like this."
"It's not okay you dork!" shouted Devon. "There's no power!"
Gizmo waved his hands, trying to calm them down. "Yeah, but with no power, Patty can't get us with another of her pranks."
"Right," they all agreed.
The door to Patty's room burst open, startling the children, starling them. Miguel jumped and screamed like a girl at a Justin Beiber concert, grabbing onto Devon's neck. Lightning revealed the inside of Patty's bedroom, showing all was normal. A little too normal. Then thunder shook the house again. Sam peered through the door frame. The boys huddled behind him, shivering and asking him what he saw.
But just as he made the first step into her room, something growled from under her bed. Sam stopped and felt a trickle of urine dripping down his pants when he saw lime green eyes staring at him from the darkness under Patty's bed. The creature seemed to have manifested from Sam's deepest darkest fears. Since a very young age, Sam had been afraid of monsters lurking under his bed or stalking him from within the closet. For the longest time, Consuelo, Nick, even Yuri assured him that monsters were not real.
Yet, there was one glaring at him with hungry eyes. A chuckle rang through the walls of the house. Sam's friends heard it and covered their ears. They started to cry and sob, wondering what fell being was tormenting them this night. Gizmo saw the eyes under Patty's bed and babbled with uncontrollable fright. The creature under the bed refused to move. It continued to stare into Sam and burn his innocence away with each passing second.
Sam slowly began to realize that the monster seemed more intent on guarding Patty than killing him, but he whispered a challenge into his brain.
You want her? Go ahead. She's right there. You're welcome to her. But...you will have to get through me. Do you think you can handle it?
"Who are you?" sobbed Sam.
Foolish boy. For the longest time, I have seen you upset my master. She has had enough of you. And so have I. If my master can't teach you to respect her or her feelings, then I am going to have to do it myself.
A shadow loomed from under the bed. Claws. They were reaching out for him.
His friends saw it, too. They yelled for Sam to get away, pleading for him to move. But Sam was so paralyzed with fear that he could not move. His heart was pounding inside. He was growing cold. Sweat poured down his face.
"I'll leave her alone, I promise," he whispered. "I'll never bother Patty or another girl again. I won't flirt until I'm older. I promise. I promise! Just don't kill me."
The shadowy creature rose up and raised its claws. Upon closer inspection, Sam saw that it was Patty's best monster. The creature bringing Sam's impending doom was Zera the Mant.
"Sam! Run!" shouted the boys. "Run Sam!"
Sam shut his eyes, ready for Zera's claws to cut him down to size.
"Sam!" they all shouted. "He's going to kill you, Sam! Sam! SAM!"
Yuri
Yuri pulled up his pajama pants and was ready to go to bed. His phone rang. "Who the hell calls at this time of the night?" he grumbled. He picked up his phone. It was Sam.
"What could he want now?" He answered the phone. "Hello?"
"YURI!" someone shouted.
"Sam? Sam is everything okay?"
"YURI! IT'S PATTY, MAN! SHE'S A MONSTER!"
Yuri groaned and shook his head. "What did you guys do to piss her off this time? Look, you're just going to have to deal with her yourself, guys. It's late and I've got..."
Yuri heard horrific screaming in the background. Someone was sobbing. Another cried for his mother.
"YURI, PLEASE! HELP US! PATTY IS OUT OF CONTROL! SHE'S BEEN POSSESSED BY A MONSTER!"
"What's going on over there?"
"YURI!"
Click!
"Hey! Hey! What's going on?"
Nothing. Nothing but static answered him. "Patty? Monster?"
"Your friends are in trouble," said Ser Norman. "We must go to them at once."
Yuri put on a hoodie and ran out of the house to the garage. He got into his car and drove to the island where Patty and Sam were going to spend the night, following the GPS on the dashboard. He saw the coast and then the beach, which was dotted with oceanside estates. At the end of the island, he saw the cottage. Something was not right. The lights were all out, save for a constant flashing coming from upstairs.
Yuri then noticed that a strange purple fog surrounded the cottage.
"Be careful, Yuri," said Ser Norman. "Evil resides in that house."
"Do you have to be so dramatic?" Yuri said, turning off the car. He opened the glove box and took out a pistol, a Beretta 90-Two. He ran for the house and slammed himself against the door. He knocked. Nothing. No one answered.
He tried to move the handle, but the door was locked. Yuri stepped back and kicked down the door. He jumped inside, turning on the flashlight mounted on the bottom of his pistol.
"Patty!" he called out. "Sam?" He moved forward into the house. It was pitch-black in there. The table in the sitting room was littered with snacks and soda bottles. Gaming controllers lay on the ground, their cables twisting over one another. "Anybody home!" Yuri shouted.
The wind howled through the windows. He heard thunder rumbling outside.
Yuri called out again. "Patty! Patty! Come on, baby, make some noise. What's going on?"
He heard someone laughing. A girl.
"Patty!"
Yuri...
Yuri gasped. His grip tightened on his pistol. "Patty? Patty, what's going on?"
Do you want to make love to me, Yuri?
"Is this some kind of joke?"
Do you find me sexy? Do you want me? Wanna ravish me? You can. The kids are gone.
"Where are they?" Yuri shouted. He was growing impatient and afraid. For a moment, thoughts about Patty murdering the children came to mind. "What did you do to them?"
Patty giggled. "They're trapped in the Shadow Realm, suffering forever for their perverse nature."
"The Shadow Realm?" Yuri whispered.
Yami spoke of the Shadow Realm in his dreams. How could Patty have known about it? That didn't matter. He was concerned for the children.
A monster slowly rose from behind the couch. A skeletal warrior, known in the game as Dark Assailant. Then another smashed out of the closet. A skeleton wearing teal-colored rags and wielding a rusty claymore. The 13th Grave.
Ooooooo, howled a creature called The Wandering Doomed, an alt-colored version of the monster called Skull Servant. It hovered behind the counter, spazzing about as though it were malfunctioning.
Yuri was scared, but he let out a nervous laugh. "Duel Monsters. These are holograms, aren't they? Guys, is this some kind of joke?"
"This is not a joke!" Ser Norman assured him. "Yuri, be careful. I don't think those monsters are holograms."
"Real monsters?" Yuri whispered. "No. No, that can't be."
"What happened to the kids, Patty? If you did anything to Sam or his friends...I...I won't hesitate to shoot you! I'm armed so don't you try anything. Come out with your hands up! Do it now before I call the police." He reached into his pocket and took out his phone. "I'm about to dial, Patty. Come out right now. NOW!"
He heard footsteps coming from upstairs. He pointed the pistol's light to the top of the stairs. Patty came walking out of the darkness, shaking her hips from side to side seductively.
"Hi, Yuri," she whispered, followed by infernal giggling. "Oooh, don't you know it's bad to play with guns?"
"Where are the kids, Patty?"
"I told you," she answered, sliding her hands across her breasts. "They're gone. So now it's just you and me."
"Did you kill them?" Yuri breathed.
"Don't you want to make love me?" Patty asked. "I'm wearing those panties you like. See?" Patty lifted her hoodie.
"That's not Patty," Ser Norman whispered.
"I know," Yuri reluctantly agreed.
Patty sniffed the air like an animal. "That scent. I haven't smelled it since...you." Patty let out an ear-piercing scream. "KILL HIM!" she shouted.
Dark Assailant, The Wandering Doomed, and the 13th Grave walked towards Yuri. The 13th Grave's rusty sword scratched the ground as he dragged it. Dark Assailant removed two rapiers from his back.
Yuri fired two rounds at Dark Assailant's head. Nothing. He shot at the 13th Grave. It didn't even phase him. He fired and fired until he no more bullets left in his pistol.
"I can't kill them."
"Of course, you can't," said Ser Norman. "They are already dead."
Yuri found himself emitting light.
Patty squealed and shielded her eyes with her arm. "NO!" she shouted. "Not the light!"
She lowered her arms and saw that a knight in platinum armor had taken Yuri's place. His brilliant, white, cape fluttered behind him. He raised his hand. A beautiful holy glyph appeared over his palm.
"You will not have control over her, Zera!" shouted Ser Norman. "You will release her, lest you wish to contend with me."
Zera's shadow loomed over Patty's body. "She is mine. She is mine! You will not take her from me. It is my sworn duty to be with her always."
"You cannot have this girl, Zera. I command you and your ilk to be gone!"
Holy light flooded the cottage. The three skeleton monsters screamed in agony as they turned to dust. Zera, however, chuckled. "That will not be enough," he said. "Patty will still be mine. This isn't over conqueror."
He vanished.
Later...
The shadowy creature rose up and raised its claws. Upon closer inspection, Sam saw that it was Patty's best monster. The creature bringing Sam's impending doom was Zera the Mant.
"Sam! Run!" shouted the boys. "Run Sam!"
Sam shut his eyes, ready for Zera's claws to cut him down to size.
"Sam!" they all shouted. "He's going to kill you, Sam! Sam! SAM!"
"What are you doing!" Patty said, standing over Sam with her hands on her hips.
Sam babbled in fright, confusion, and relief. He didn't know how, but Zera the Mant was ready to kill him. Was it a dream? He cared not. Zera's horrid gaze was replaced by the angelic heart-shaped face of Patty McKnight.
Patty saw the open door of her room and scowled the kid. "You little creeps! What do you think you're doing breaking into my room!"
She grabbed Sam by the shoulders and lifted him to his feet.
"YOU!" she said loudly. "Just what the hell were you planning to do, huh? When Consuelo gets back, she's going to hear about this!"
Sam wailed and hugged Patty around the waist. "I'm sorry, Patty!" he sobbed. "I was so focused on getting you to like me I didn't think of how you feel! I didn't know it bothered you so badly. I'm sorry! I'm sorry!"
Patty heaved with sympathy and patted his head. "It's okay, Sam. I know you've come to the age when girls start becoming an interest. Well, it may have come a little sooner for you, but I digress. You're not ready for girls, Sam. Especially not a girl my age. It's wrong for you to act this way."
Sam sniffed and wiped a tear off his eye with his sleeve. "I know, I know. I was such a creep to you. I can't believe it took Zera the Mant to tell me to see how much of jerk I was to you. I'm sorry I made you feel so bad, Patty. I really am. Do you still want to be my friend?"
"Of course I do," said Patty. She leaned down and kissed his cheek.
Sam saw hearts flying all around him. All the fear and sorrow he felt just seconds ago was replaced by sheer joy and warmth. Like the sun had come out and blessed him with golden light.
"Say, Patty, can we even things out with one on this side?" He pointed at his other cheek.
Patty let out a cheerful laugh and kissed it. "There you go, sweetie. Happy Birthday. Now if you don't mind, I need to catch up on my beauty sleep." She turned him around and gently pushed him away. "Out. Out, out, out, out." She paused as Sam walked out on his own. "Zera the Mant?" she whispered.
Sam rejoined his friends outside in the hall. Patty looked down at them and told them to go to bed. Suddenly, Manuel came sulking down the hall, clutching a yellow blanket and his teddy bear.
"Now look what you guys have done," she scorned the group. "You woke, Manuel."
"Patty, the storm is really scary!" he whined, rubbing a tired eye. "Can I stay with you? Please."
"Aww, of course, you can, sweetie." Patty smiled and picked him up, taking him to her room. Sam and his friends looked up at Manuel as he looked down at them from over her shoulder.
He winked at them and gave a thumbs-up as the door closed in front of their faces.
Yuri
"You're no ordinary ghost," said Yuri, driving home. He wanted to go back and check on Patty, but Ser Norman assured him it would be best if Patty and the kids, now saved from the Shadow Realm, did not know what had happened to them.
"No."
"Okay," Yuri said with a nod. "What do you want from me? What do you want me to do?"
Ser Norman, now in the Pendant of the Kings, lamented at his words. "I told you, I will explain more as you prove yourself to me. For the time being, all I want you to do is Duel."
"I'll Duel, but I expect answers," said Yuri. "Rare Hunters. A ghost of an ancient king. Yami. Cartoon characters in real life. And now monsters possessing my friends. I will admit there is something strange going on around here. However, if you want me to believe you, it's time you start coming clean, Ser Norman."
Ser Norman chuckled. "You called me by name? I think we're bonding now, aren't we?"
Yuri sighed heavily. "I don't know about that. But for now, I can safely say I trust you."
Stas
Even though Halloween had come and gone, Alexandra, Dancer, Evelyn, and Prince Stas were still sleeping in bed together. The warmth of their naked bodies underneath the sheets made them cozy and even lazy. None of them wanted to get up. Anna was with them as well, sleeping at the end of the bed, growling as if she were still a dragon. Stas finally got out of bed and walked to the bar at the end of his room so he could have himself a drink to wash out the unsavory taste of the morning in his mouth. He dressed into a burgundy robe hanging by a hook on the post of his bed and walked to the bar.
"Can you pour me one as well?" Alexandra cooed as she crawled over Evelyn gently, so as not to disturb her.
"Oh, did I wake you?"
"No, I've been awake for some time," Alexandra answered, sliding her finger down the line of Evelyn's back. She kissed her shoulder and patted it. "And you, My Lord. I have a question for you."
Stas laughed softly and took a goblet out of the cupboard. "And I may have an answer for it. Fire away."
"Your father is dead and you are the sole heir to the throne. You should be a king right now, yet you're still called a prince. I heard you took your crown off just a short time after your coronation. Why is that?"
"I don't wish to be named King until Yuri is."
"Is that all?"
"No. There's much more to it than that. I want to grow as a ruler. I want to learn things. And the War of the Golden Summer taught me that I have a long way to go before I am deemed a proper ruler."
"Stas, that wasn't your fault, love."
"Yes, it was. I failed to get help for my father. That mistake caused him to become a madman. And I was so lost in my lust for wine, women, song, and women, that I failed to see my brother plotting against me, causing half the country to side with him and forcing us into civil war. I'm not a king, Alexandra. It's a powerful title for one such as me. I disappointed Master Yugi with the way I acted. Yes, I still love the life I lead. Grand parties, sweet wine, warm flesh. But I have responsibilities now. I have a duty to serve as king and I love my country. I have much to learn and until then, I'm nothing but a drunk, licentious prince. Hopefully spending time with the other Princes when Yuri returns will help me grow a little."
"If you wish to grow, then grow, love. But don't stop being who you are. I kind of like this side of you."
"Not everyone thinks like you, Alexandra. I love this as well, but I love Termnnia even more. I want to see her healed from all these years of civil war. And if I have to give up my current lifestyle to make it so, I'll gladly do it. Did you know this will be the last time I host a party such as this?"
"What? Oh, what a shame."
"Look what I've done, Alexandra." He pointed at Anna, still sleeping at the foot of the bed. "I brought the future wife of Prince Yuri in here for an orgy. She was to remain pure and I defiled her. I broke my promise to Yugi. See! I'm no leader. It took me this past couple of days to realize I'm not going in the right direction if I continue on like this. If he saw the things I let you do to Anna, Master Yugi would have my head and I don't mean the one on my shoulders. I need control. And until I find it, I'm no leader. I'm no king. I don't even deserve to be called a prince. If she saw me right now...I'd lose her."
"Stas, don't be so hard on yourself. You're still young."
"So are my fellow princes, and they've been doing a far better job than me at ruling and defending their nations."
"Oh dear, this isn't the Stas I've come to know and love. What caused you to be so humble all of a sudden?"
"Not what. Who."
"So it's true! The girl with the dragon!"
"Yes. I've seen a True Dragon before."
"Tell me everything, Stas. Who was this lovely maiden I keep hearing about?"
"Get comfortable, Princess. It's a long story."