"You have [Aitsu] deal with it," That's what I said when Jayden asked for help with the Duel Giant.
"But Mira I don't want to wait till midnight to duel him," He said with his hands slammed down on our desk.
"And how does me being with you help?" I asked in the most deadpan stare possible.
"[Aitsu] said it is someone from the Ra dorms, but they can't say who," I nodded and then turned to Bastion, "Who's that big guy in your dorms?"
"You mean Beauregard? Oh please, he is a game maker, not a player," I gave him the stink eye, "He is your target now go and corner him."
"You sure?" Bastion looked very sceptical.
"Trust me, but he will probably not admit to it, so you have two options: One, raid his room, find the cards and get him expelled. Two, wait for him outside his room in the dorms and convince him to give the cards back, likely through a duel," I turned to Alexis, "What do you say?"
"Follow the second plan, but if Bastion is right and he often is, there might be someone else too, keep an eye on that," She added as she pulled out a lip cream and offered it to me too.
"True," I admitted and said, "Now scram."
"See? That's why I came to you two," Jayden said with a smile.
I took the cream and nodded.
—————————————————————
"Well, I guess the luck of the draw didn't favour you," Syrus said to a slumped-down Jayden.
And Alexis from beside me announced our presence, "Better a bad draw here than in a duel," She said, holding onto two sandwiches.
"So you took the egg sandwich to have lunch with me, Alexis?" Jayden quickly stood up and retorted.
"In your dreams," Alexis scoffed and smashed her second sandwich into me, "This one is for Mira. And for your information, I did not draw the egg sandwich."
"Sure you haven't," He teased but was stopped by Miss Dorothy, "It's true Jayden, she has not. No one has for the past five weeks. Someone has been coming and stealing them!"
"Someone's stealing the sandwich!? We gotta do something about it!" Jayden turned to us, probably expecting us to agree.
I just turned, "Good luck!" and ran out.
"Hey wait!"
—————————————————————
"So, you guys fought a Tarzan rip-off?" I asked as the smell of the cafeteria food thickened.
"Essentially, you know sometimes I hate your foresight," Alexis swiped at me with her elbow which I caught, again.
As we arrived we saw the whole room bursting with spectators, watching a duel and Jayden's voice in the middle of it, "Why am I not surprised that he's involved?" I wondered out loud as Bastion turned to us, "So you two are here too?" I nodded, "For some cold drinks."
"So, whoever wins gets the last ticket?" He asked a little deflated.
"Yeah, can you imagine a better prize?" Dorothy commented from the counter.
Jayden's mouth shrunk, "Yeah one with two tickets?"
"Why Jayden? Want to bring a third person? I already have my ticket," Syrus said.
Jayden's face instantly lit up, "You duelling for me Sy??"
And he nodded, "Of course, Jayden. And I'm gonna win!" Syrus stepped away from Jayden and back into the game.
"Let's finish this!" Sydale said.
"Alright, draw! And I play [heavy storms]! And that young scholar will destroy every spell and trap card on the field!" The dementor said? Wait, wrong franchise.
"Hey, that looks familiar," Jayden observed, and Bastion confirmed, "It should be. Dr Crowler used the same move on you."
"Oh yeah, what a coincidence," Jayden said and I tapped on his shoulder, he jumped and turned to us, "Oh hey Mira and Alexis."
"Hey," I said blandly, pulled out my duel book and started recording.
"And now I will sacrifice the two [Wicked tokens] that were created to summon forth the legendary, [Ancient Gear Golem]!" He shouted. This was gonna be funny when I sent it to Crowler.
"This is a total Déjàvu," Jayden said and I asked, "Hey Bastion what's the kid's name?"
"Who? Oh, Mira, it's Dimitry," Then I looked back at the game.
"Now go attack my [Ancient Gear Golem, mechanised melee!"
"Not so fast! When [Jetroid]'s attacked he lets me play a trap from my hand! Like this! [Magic Cylinder]! It takes 'mechanised melee' and puts it in reverse!"
"No time out!"
Dimitry-1000-3000=0
(A/N: This is what happens in the anime. Even though by [Gear Golem]'s effect, Syrus should not be able to play the trap.)
"Yeah! And that's how you duel," Syrus cheered and Jayden jumped to his friend, "Sweet moves Sy."
"Nah, Jayden," Syrus shied away, "Since you already beat Crowler and Dimitry copied his deck, it was easy to figure out,"
"Almost forgot! The ticket," Just as Syrus collected his prize, Dorothy clapped her hands, "Alright everyone, the show's over! Now back to class."
The people around us started dispersing, but not before leaving their comments, "Another great performance with Dimitry."
"Guess copying great duelists and being one are two different things…"
"He lost to a Slifer that's not Jayden, what a joke!"
"Really why is he even here?"
As the crowd dispersed, Bastion smiled, "Well then, that's about the worst of it," clearly not giving any value to the words of the crowd.
"Sure! Until the next time I lose." He stood and ran away. Like a little bitch who can't tolerate losing in card games.
"So, you know the guy Bastion?" I asked and he nodded but refused to comment.
"Now onto the real question Mira, how will we get to the exhibition for Yugi's deck?" Alexis asked me as we turned to wait for our 'friends.'
"I bet if we ask Crowler nicely we will get not just the tickets but the VIP pass," I said and she smiled, "True," Agreeing at the end.
———
——
—
"Alright Mr Crowler," The guard said, "Doctor," Crowler corrected, "Doctor Crowler, we are finished setting up, here's the key to the case and the hall. And thanks for letting us off early but is it a good idea to let them see it early?" The guard said as he handed the keys to the good doctor.
"Mira and Alexis are my star students, if not them then who?" Crowler sent us a smile and said it as if it were obvious.
One was going to say something but the other cut him off, "Thanks, doctor we will see you bright and early tomorrow morning."
"Get ready girls," He said as he opened the display room, "We are about to be in the presence of one of the duelling's greatest decks…"
As he opened the door we saw the case. It was broken like someone had taken a chair to the glass.
Oh shit, this was the deck-stealing one that allowed Jayden to duel Yugi without actually duelling! Fuck's sake I should probably write this shit down. But there is so much filler that I don't even remember! Fuck's sake GX.
"Well, the deck isn't there," I shrugged to the great horror of Alexis and the Doctor.
"This isn't a joke Mira!" Alexis tore into my ear, "We need to find who did it!"
Again I shrugged and moved closer to the damage.
Then through the door, four familiar figures ran in, before we could even say anything they started shouting, "The case! It's broken! Mira, Alexis? Did you steal?"
They didn't even let us speak as accusations started flying.
"Crowler must have blackmailed them!"
"Yeah! Mira and Alexis would never…"
"Let's get the Chancellor…"
I could see the panic set in Crowler and Alexis, as they started shouting back.
"Shut the fuck up it was Dimitry," My voice quietened the room.
"What?" Bastion asked as he came to a standstill.
And Crowler blew a gasket, "What? That two-bit copycat that you sent me a video of Mira?"
"Yep. He has copied Kaiba, Pegasus, Me, Jayden and Zane but he still never wins so he broke in and stole the beat deck around," I said with iron confidence.
"But Mira, how are you sure?" I shrugged, "Can't tell you my sources but we have to find him before dawn or Me, Alexis and the Doctor are in trouble. And besides, we had the key to the case. We didn't even need to break it to steal."
"Fine. I trust Mira and Alexis! Let's go find Yugi's deck!" Jayden shouted into the room and we all agreed.
———
——
—
Following [Aitsu]'s intel we rushed over to the lighthouse and as we reached there, he was there in all his creepy glory, "Hey! Dimitry! Give Yugi's deck back!" I shouted as I ran up the rocks.
He turned to me, "Ah but you are mistaken, Dimitri is just some child who copies other people's decks and studies them, with these cards I am not copying the king of games! I am the king of games, and if you want this deck back you will have to prove I am not," He said as he pulled out a duel disk and tossed it to me.
"Well Mira was right I see," Crowler commented, "Dimitry I will have you expelled—" I cut Crowler off, "Don't agitate him." I barked and he clamped up quickly.
"Fine then King of Frauds, let's duel. Me Vs You."
"Hah! Frauds? It is your deck that's the fraud. Let's go!"
"Get ready to be crushed!" I shouted over the rock side.
"It's time to Duel!" He copied Yugi.
(A/N: Dimitry will get the cards he got in the anime since I don't have an exact decklist from the anime. Mira's draws are legit though.)
Mira-4000
Dimitry-4000
"First you fraud," I said and he smirked, "You will regret it, Mira!"
"Draw! Huh. I fuse [Gazelle the King of Mythical beasts] and [Berfomet] to make [Chimaera the flying Mythical Beast(2100 atk)]! And end my turn."
I started laughing. "That's it? [Chimera] this must be his…oh, this is his Kingdom deck and early Battle City deck isn't it?"
Alright then, I looked at my hand.
[Pot of Greed] [Sonic Bird] [Black illusion ritual] [Witch of the black forest] [Sangan] and "Draw!"
[Monster Reborn]
"I play [Pot of Greed]. Two cards." [Solemn Judgement, [Relinquished].
"Then I summon [Sonic Bird(1400 atk)] attack mode. And don't open your mouth. By his effect
I get to draw a ritual spell, and since you have copied my deck in the past you know what card. [Black Illusion Ritual]."
"Shit!" Dimitry cursed and I nodded, "Yep should have laid some trap instead of blitzing it out!"
"I activate [Black Illusion ritual] by sending my [Sangan] into the grave, I summon [Relinquished]. And Relinquished eats your [Chimera," And so his only monster was gone.
"Go, [Relinquished(2100 atk)] and [Sonic Bird(1400 atk)] all-out assault!"
Dimitry-4000-2100-1400=500
Mira-4000
"One card face down and I end my turn." [Solemn Judgement]
"This is giving me déjàvu," Bastion commented.
I shrugged, "Every game I play must give you déjàvu then?"
"Keep your head in the game, Mira, you got him cornered but it's still Yugi's deck!" Jayden shouted from the back, "True."
"Don't you dare doubt my deck or the heart of the cards, I play [Pot of Greed]." He drew two cards and smiled, and then I play [Monster Reincarnation] It allows me to get one card back from my grave at the cost of a discard. And [Gazelle] returns! And I activate [Swords of Revealing] light."
I could end the duel right here with [Judgement] but that would be too easy, I can't make Yugi's deck look easy. No way. Even if it is an old decrepit deck, I have to make it look challenging.
"Man! That deck has a play for everything," Jayden shouted.
"You see Jayden, every deck has a formula and from all of Yugi's duels, I have concluded that it either has no formula or it is very very difficult to find," Bastion blabbered and I ignored him.
"See? My deck never betrays me!" I nodded, but I did not play my [Solemn Judgement] see, I remember the copycat had summoned [Dark Magician] and he still had one card in his hand. I was waiting for that, "I set a card face down and end my turn." I smiled, I was going to crush you, Dimitry.
"I draw!" [Mirror Force, "And I place a card down and end my turn!"
"Huh, that's all? I will show you now! I play my face down! [Dark Renewal] it allows me to tribute two monster cards on the field, one mine and one yours to summon a Dark Spellcaster type monster from my graveyard," I smiled deeper.
"But you don't have any!" Jayden shouted from behind and Dimitry laughed, "I do! Remember [Monster Reincarnation]? So I tribute [Relinquished] come on out…"
I cut him off, "I play my trap [Solemn JudgementM]! To negate the summon and destroy the card. Get. Fucked. Fraud."
Mir-4000/2-2000
"Go, Mira!" "Licious!" Syrus and Chumlee cheered but the faces of the other four looked grim. They caught the 'misplay' didn't they? Well, fuck.
"You! I am not a fraud. I end my turn."
"Alright, I draw." [Pot of Greed].
"Alright, I play [Pot of Greed]. Same as before, draw two."
[Manju] [Black Lustre Soldier: Envoy]
Well, this duel is over.
"Well, time to address one thing despite the cheer that went through two of our Slifers, I made a mistake that every one of our spectators seemed to have caught well other than the two Slifers." Dimity looked utterly confused too, perhaps he missed it in the heat of the duel.
"You saw which face down I activated right? It was the card I had down since my first turn. [Solemn Judgement] had I played this when you did [Swords] we would have been done. Well, the answer as to why I didn't do the play that is practically my signature move is that I was too worried about your fucking deck. Jesus, why even. You have lost once already. Now let me give you your second."
Dimitry hardened his expression as if readying for anything.
"Don't worry Mira! If I was fighting Yugi's deck I would be triple thinking my every move too," Bastion comforted.
"Yeah, Mira! You can beat him handily," Alexis added. Now she did not look like she was watching her lover go to war.
"I play [Manju of Ten thousand hands] In attack mode. But he won't be staying because then I get to add a card [Relinquished, yes, please."
"Sweet, another [Relinquished," Jayden commented.
"Now that he is here, I activate my [Black Illusion Ritual]—Yes I had a copy in my hand from the game's start—to sacrifice [Manju] and now my second [Relinquished]. Now, who eats your [Gazelle]? Yes, my [Relinquished] eats your [Gazelle]."
"Just one more problem and we are home free!" Crowler jumped.
"Now to bring it all home!" I shouted, "By banishing my [Manju] a light monster and [Sanagan] a dark monster from my grave. I can play this [Black Lustre Soldier: Envoy of the Beginning] whose special effect activities and I can banish one card and not be able to attack this turn. I am sure you are familiar with him after all he is one of Yugi's prized monsters," Huh, I took a breath, "My turns go for fucking long. And I choose to banish your [Swords.]"
The field cleared up, and the small star-like blades blinked out of existence.
"Now, my cute [Relinquished]s end this game. I want to go home."
Dimitry-0
"There go your life points along with all your hopes and dreams," I shrugged.
"Mira!"I stumbled when a rock hit my back, I turned back to an angry Alexis juggling more in her hand, "Ow! What was that for?"
"Don't say stuff like that! Got. It?" Oh, you bitch! I glared at her but as another rock swivelled by me I meekly nodded, "Fine."
"Even with the best deck…how?" I turned about to the sight of a copycat banging his hands on the rock, "How! How! How! What am I supposed to do!?"
"Look at the loser, he stole Yugi's deck and still lost!
What? I turned to look at the source of the voice, students, hundreds gathered on the cliffside overlooking the duel. This was feeling like déjà vu.
"Looser! Why are you even in school?"
"Suck it loser!"
Dimitri's body was starting to shake, his face was heating up. Shit, I had a bad feeling, I had to save the cards! Otherwise, I might get punished along with Crowler because it was due to our request that the security was removed.
I jumped from my position onto his, as I shelved my cards in my holster and tossed it towards Alexis.
As I landed near Dimitry, he started curling up like an animal retreating away towards the edge, on the other side was the ocean. Just as I touched down I jammed my hands around the disk, he pulled back, but I managed to reach for the release latch and pulled. The disk dislocated along with all the cards. But he still had one in his hands. I kneed him in the stomach, and he instinctively let the card go. With the disk and all the cards with me, I fled.
In two jumps I was back on the hard concrete embankment, Alexis reached for me, but I ignored her and walked to Crowler, "There, all the cards, please make sure I and Alexis don't get in trouble for this."
He thought for a second and nodded, "Why would you two? You pulled in more effort than any would expect from a student to save a piece of history being lost due to a moron that I am ashamed to call my student."
I bowed deeply to him, "Thank you, Doctor Crowler."
"Wow! That was awesome! Did you see that? Mira was amazing!"
"Hell yeah! She was insane! Did you see how she dominated!?"
"Man, I want her to step on…" What?
Crowler looked at my relieved face and nodded, "Good now go rest." I nodded and turned but froze, from the side of my eye I caught Bastion's horrified expression. Shit. "Doctor."
Crowler looked at me, "Yes?"
"What's going to happen to Dimitry?" I asked with a timid face as I moved my eyes to the booing crowd and the boy in the foetal position. Ugh, trash.
"Expulsion…" He cut me off, "Fine. Mira, I will see what I can do. Now go. Your friend looks mighty worried."
I nodded and walked to where Alexis was standing with my deck, I reached for it, but she grabbed my hand and pulled me into a hug.
"Don't worry Mira. Everything will be alright. Everything will be alright."
"Sorry, Alexis you told me to not hurt him but I hit him, cracked my knee on him. It's just…" I broke the hug, "I had a really bad feeling as if something happened to the deck…we both could have been expelled…" I turned my eyes up, pulled my lips closer and furrowed my burrows, "And When I saw it was either him or you, I chose you."
She blushed, she blushed hard, and her face went red. Tomato red. Shit. I might have made spaghetti wet.
Ignoring all the implications I turned to Bastion, "Sorry, I…"
"No, no need to apologise, it was understandable. He had stolen and he paid. Much like Chazz, I just wish we could have done it…" Bastion's words were completed by Jayden, "Done something differently?"
Bastion nodded, "Yes. Something that won't leave his fate in the balance."
Alexis' whose blush had now retreated—thank god—added, "Yeah, maybe something different."