Chapter 5: Walk on the Wild Side

"Unbelievable…" Kim rolled her eyes as she, Maxi and Kyle sat at their lunch table watching Amy be followed by the crowd of fanboys following after her. "Been at this school for 3 hours and she already has fanboys trailing after her."

"Well she is one of the top 50 A-ranks in the world." Maxi noted.

"So are we!" Kim replied.

"Well, in risk of my shoulder being dislocated, she is eye-candy."

Kim simply glared at Kyle, causing him to shrink back in fear. "I'm just saying."

Kim rolled her eyes. "So why aren't you two following her?"

"Why you ask? Simple: There's a pretty girl who needs our attention more than ever." Kyle smiled at her.

Kim noticed the smile and turned her blushing face away. "Where'd that come from?" She asked surprised.

"Haha, just messing with you." Kyle laughed, earning him a direct hit to the shin from the raven-haired duelist.

"But seriously though, what was up with your Brother yesterday?" Maxi mentioned.

"Your guess is as good as mine. This whole time I thought he was dead and suddenly he kidnaps me and you. I haven't seen him since, let alone know where he'd might be." Kim explained as she recovered from the embarrassment. "All I know is that he's changed a lot since the last time I've seen him."

"Hi guys." Amy sighed as she sat down at the table. "OK Guys that's enough autographs, for now please. I wanna spend some time with my friends okay?"

The group of freshman sighed in disappointment and set their sights on Kyle and Maxi before walking off.

"What did we do to get ten pairs of the evil-eye?" Kyle asked Maxi.

"Be friends with the Wind Princess." Maxi replied. "That's what we did."

"Amy I have a question." Kim said.

"What's up?" she asked laying her head on her crossed arms on the table. "Man, I'm used to having people follow me but a bunch of fourteen-year olds wanting to take me out is a new one. I don't think I like it."

"How do you know my brother?"

Her question made Amy sit up, grabbing the attention of the other two.

"I told you already; it's a long and complicated story." She replied, as if she didn't want to answer.

"You two aren't in some relationship, are you?"

"What? No of course not!" She replied.

"Then what's so complicated about it?" She asked again. "Tell me what you know about my brother!"

"Whoa Kim, calm down." Kyle stepped in.

"Calm down? For four years my brother's been gone out of my life. How do you expect me to calm down when I just found out that he's still alive and that she knows something about it?"

"Erm… got a point there."

"It's really hard to explain." Amy answered. "I can't tell you everything."

"You can tell me enough. How do you know my brother?"

Amy took a minute to collect her thoughts. "We met at a tournament about a year ago. We met in the finals and I managed to beat him but barely. Afterward he commended me on my skills and gave me an offer."

"An offer?" Kyle repeated.

Amy nodded. "Here's where it gets complicated. He told me that he—"

"OH MY GOD IT'S ROBBIE TASOGARE!"

The quartet looked up and watched as the army of swooning girls in the lunch room flew towards the doorway of the lunchroom as the star quarterback of the football teams walked in.

Kyle groaned and facepalmed himself. "Dear god why?"

"Something the matter Kyle?" Amy asked.

"Robbie Tasogare and Kyle have been bitter rivals since preschool." Maxi informed. "Everything from Video Games, to sports to even dueling those two have been trying to top one another."

"Even football?" Kim asked looking over her shoulder.

"He's kinda cute." Amy said, feeling an involuntary attraction to him.

"He was picked over me when we tried out for the team back in freshman year. Since then he's been a school celebrity. You should know Kim."

"Don't remind me. He asked me out a number of times in the past. Too bad for him I refuse to date arrogant airheads."

"Ladies, Ladies, please no autographs for now." He smiled, shaking off his white jacket. "There's one special lady I want to see."

The girls looked at one another, looking for the one girl that wasn't going after him at the moment. They then found themselves all staring at the sole populated table in the room with the only two girls left.

"There's fifty pair of evil-eyes pointed in my direction isn't there?" Kim asked, taking a sip of her iced tea Snapple bottle.

"Fifty-one." Maxi pointed to Amy, who was trying hard to resist giving in.

"Hello there, Kim-chan!" Robbie said strolling over to her, with the group of girls towing behind. "Did you miss me?"

"Get away from me." Kim turned her back.

"Aww Kim-chan, you're so cute when you pretend to ignore me." He said walking around her.

"I'm not pretending." She said turning her back in the other direction.

"Oh yes you are. After all, who can resist me?"

"A toothbrush for one." She snarled, causing Kyle to hold back in laughter.

"My breath is always smelling minty-fresh for you."

"Oh in that case it's probably you I'm smelling. When was the last time you took a shower?"

"Just came from gym, smelling great mind you." He corrected. "Of course because I wanted to make sure I was just perfect for my kim-chan." He smiled again.

"Oh man this is just too much." Kyle stepped in. "Come on dude, it's obvious she's not into you, just give it a rest."

Robbie looked over and smirked at Kyle. "Kyle-kun, what's up bro?"

"Nothing much. Watching you crash and burn for the 8th time this month." He replied shrugging his shoulder. "You?"

"Wearing her down with my charms, and following the news in the Dueling world. Heard that you guys are looking to enter the D-Fighters Tournament."

"Point being?"

"You guys will get eaten alive, that's my point."

Kyle leaned forward. "Is that right?"

Robbie nodded. "Dude, we've known each other since pre-school. And I've beaten you in everything, especially dueling. Trust me, if you can't beat me, then what shot do you have out in the big leagues?"

Axel materialized and hopped onto the table. "Don't underestimate us."

"Tatsurion the Unchained?" Robbie raised his eyebrow. "Nice find you got there. Still, that's not enough to beat me."

"Is that a challenge?" Kyle asked.

"Maybe…" a green energy stream traveled up to his shoulder transforming into a Tatsurion as well, but with a more ferocious and savage appearance. "That is, if you think you can stand up to My Bestial Rage Tatsurion."

"Axel and I can handle whatever you throw at us. Besides, this Tatsurion was a gift from Kim."

Robbie's once confident demeanor came to a sudden halt, shifting to a more shocked one. "A gift?"

Kim turned over to him. "What are you doing?!" she whispered.

"Yup, I was low on cash one day and she bought it for me, isn't that right, 'sweetheart?'" Kyle winked at her, causing his three teammates to all give him equal expressions of shock.

"Tech thinks Kyle has gone 100% coo coo for cocoa puffs." the reef prince said through Maxi's deck case.

Robbie cleared his throat and nodded. "I see. Well then, this makes things even more interesting. Tell you what. We'll duel tonight at TCG Towers at 7pm. You win, I'll do something for you. If I win…"

"I do something for you right?"

"More specific than that Kyle-kun. I want Kim."

"Kyle don't—"

"Deal!"

"Great, 7pm tonight. Make sure you bring your team with you. I intend on rubbing this in your face."

As he finished his sentence, the bell rung signaling the teens to report to their class. Robbie got up and walked off, the teen girls following after him.

"Well then. That went well." Kyle said proudly.

"Um Kyle…?" Amy spoke up. "There's two problems you might want to consider…"

"CRAP! My deck isn't done!" Kyle realized as he had the cards scattered all over his coffee table that afternoon after school.

"Forget your deck! What was up with that 'Sweetheart' stunt you pulled back there moron!?" Kim grabbed him by his shirt collar and was getting ready to shake him to death if not for Amy and Maxi getting between them.

"I'm sorry! It sorta was a spontaneous thing. You know, how like on TV main character pretends to be in a relationship with the love object of their rival to help the love object get out of the sights of the rival. So it sorta backfired… But I can fix it by beating him in a duel."

"With what deck genius?" Maxi yawned.

"With yours of course!"

"Say wha?"

"Come on Maxi, let me borrow your deck."

"Dude, you don't know how to use my deck."

"First time for anything."

"Why don't we just get Maxi to duel?" Amy suggested. "After all, if we do that, you can learn some more about both the Water and Light Civilizations."

"Besides, as your best friend I have to clean up whatever stupid mistakes you make." Maxi added. "Don't worry, I got this covered."

"Oh dude you rock! So glad that you're on my team!"

Maxi smiled at Kyle in response. "Just leave everything to me."

As the Sun began to set, Robbie sat on the bleachers in the school's football field, looking out at his teammates playing catch with one another. Practice was over and the young boy found himself in deep thought about the upcoming events.

"Yo Robbie! We're heading to Subway for some food, come on!" His teammates called out to him.

Robbie shook his head. "Sorry guys, gotta take a rain check."

"Oh yeah." The second of the four members replied. "You have that card game to play tonight with those geeks right?"

"Yeah that's right; what of it?"

"Aren't you a little old for that?"

"You're never too old for something you have a passion for." Robbie replied confidently. "I'd gladly give up my football dream to pursue a career as a Duelist, just as much as anyone of you would do anything to pursue a career in the NFL."

His teammates found it hilarious. "Whatever you say dude. We'll catch you tomorrow."

Robbie waved to his teammates as they walked out of the field. He then looked at his watch, reading 6:15pm on the digital read out. "Well then my old rival, it's time to get to it." He opened his deck case and pulled out the 40-card deck of cards, looking at the front of the deck. The front card was a Nature Evolution Creature, with the picture resembling a purple spiked beast with flaming spike shooting from its body. "Soon, after I prove myself… you'll just have to accept me… Kim-chan."

7pm rolled around and the Quartet walked inside the busy game store finding Robbie awaiting them at one of the nearby K-Terminals.

"Glad you could make it." He told them as they approached him. "Ready to do this?"

"Yeah about that…" Kyle began.

"We were working on a new deck for him to use but it's not ready yet." Maxi interrupted. "So instead, I'm going to duel in his place."

Robbie looked down at the slightly shorter than average teen and looked back at Kyle. "You're kidding right?"

"Dude do you want to make this happen or not?" Kyle asked him. "I'm sorry this was last minute but we ran out of options. Trust me though, Maxi's a much better duelist than I am."

"Is that right…?" he turned back to him. "Think you can provide me a challenge runt?"

"The question is can you?" Maxi replied adjusting his glasses.

Robbie smirked. "Well then, Kettou da!"

"Yoshi, I accept!" Maxi answered strapping on his white and blue glove, his hand sparking with Blue and Yellow Kaijudo Energy.

After seeing that faint glimpse of A-Rank potential, Robbie was more than interested to see what Maxi had to offer. More so than what he wanted to see from Kyle. The two of them went across from each other on both sides of the K-terminal and deployed their shields.

"WIZ KID: CONFIRMED!"

"SAVAGE STRIDER: CONFIRMED!"

Once they drew their hands, they took a deep breath and got ready to declare:

"DUEL START!"

Robbie went first, setting Nature mana and tapping it, generating the emerald mana crystal.

"I summon Prickleback!" he said as he set the card into the Battle Zone.

A blue porcupine-like humanoid with orange fur and purple spikes materialized in the battle zone.

Maxi drew and set water mana. "In that case… I'll go ahead and summon Cyber Sprite."

A small liquid humanoid with circuits going throughout its body materialized in the battle zone. Its blank eyes and white smile was accompanied with a light laughter that resembled a static version of Razorkinder's cackle.

"A blocker for an attacker… not bad." Robbie commented as he drew. He set more Nature mana and tapped two. "I cast Sprout and with it I add the top deck to my mana zone. With that I end my turn."

Robbie moved the top card of his deck and set it in mana, revealing it to be Moonhowler Tribe. Maxi drew and set Light mana afterward.

"I summon Chasm Entangler." Maxi said, setting the light blocker into his battle zone.

"You know, you won't be able to attack if you keep dropping blockers like that."

The topaz crystal materialized and reformed into a seahorse-shaped light creature with a gold armored head and green tentacle-like appendages extending from its tail. It hovered next to Cyber sprite, both creatures building a wall of defense for the sole prickleback on the opposing side.

Robbie drew his next card and once again set Nature mana. "Guess I should go on the offensive now." He then turned to Kyle. "Take notes Kyle-Kun. I evolve Prickleback into Bronze-arm Sabertooth!"

The four emerald crystals fused together reforming into an Evo Crystal. Prickle back grabbed onto it and absorbed its power, transforming into a creature twice its size. Bronze-arm Sabertooth was a tiger-like beast-man with four arms and a bright red cape. It roared as it landed into the Battle Zone, growling at this two prey: Sprite and Entangler.

"Bronze-Arm Sabertooth: Double Break!"

The Beast-man roared and launched itself on its hind paws, going after Maxi's shields.

"Chasm blocks!" Maxi countered, tapping his light blocker.

Chasm flew in front of the shields, extending its green tentacles, forming a shield which blocked the Beast, but ultimately made Chasm disperse into data.

"I end my turn." Robbie stated as Sabertooth landed back on his side.

"So that's Bronze-arm Sabertooth…" Kyle commented.

Amy nodded. "A Level 4 Double Breaker. It's 'One with Nature' Ability allows it to become mana when it's banished."

Maxi drew and set his 3rd mana. "I summon Aqua Senechal and end my turn."

Aqua Senechal materialized in place of chasm as Robbie drew his next card. He set his 5th mana and tapped four of them.

"I cast Reap and Sow; with it, I look at the top two cards of my deck. I add one to my hand, and send the other to my mana zone." He drew the two cards and studied both briefly, tossing the Bronze-Arm tribe into his mana zone. "Sabertooth, Double Break!"

Sabertooth roared and leaped forward for a second time, successfully smashing two shields.

The terminal shot both cards upward and Maxi swiped them both from the air. "Shield Blast: Crystal Memory! With this card I can search my deck for a card and add it to my hand."

Maxi picked his deck up and quickly skimmed it, choosing a card and setting it in his hand. After shuffling it, he set it back on the table.

"Wonder how much help that's going to do you."

Maxi drew and set mana. "We'll just see. I evolve Cyber Sprite into Emperor Neuron! Also, I'll go ahead and summon a second Sprite."

Cyber Sprite watched as the blue Evo Crystal descended upon it as it felt itself transform into a Blue humanoid creature with a massive right arm.

"Aqua Senechal, Attack ike! And with his 'Choten's Advisor' ability, whenever he attacks, I can draw a card."

Senechal dashed forward, its arms reforming into ice blades. It slashed one of the shields as it shattered, popping up into Robbie's hand.

"Emperor Neuron, Break his shield! With his 'Extract Data' ability, he allows me to draw a card as well."

Emperor Neuron held its massive arm into the air and generated a blue energy ball, which it then launched at one of Robbie's shields. Neither of the shields triggered and Maxi ended his turn, evening the score to 3-3."

"Nice one bro!" Kyle said.

Maxi smirked. "Told ya I got this covered."

"Don't get too happy. The worse is yet to come." Robbie said as he drew his next card. "I cast Breach the Veil. With it I can look at the top 5 cards of my deck, choose a creature and add it to my hand. Afterward, I send the remaining four cards to the bottom in any order." He explained as he drew the five cards. "I choose… Bestial Rage Tatsurion."

Maxi nodded, unfazed by the reveal.

Robbie added the card to his hand and sent the remaining cards on the bottom of the deck. "Sabertooth, Attack Neuron!"

"Sprite blocks!"

Sabertooth growled at the Evolved Cyber Lord and dashed ahead, but the smaller sprite intercepted the attack instead. Cyber Sprite dispersed, protecting its Emperor.

"One less blocker to worry about." Robbie said. "Your move."

Maxi drew and set mana. "I cast Predict. With this card, I can look and rearrange the top five cards of my deck." Maxi drew the five cards and reorganized them, setting them back on the deck. "Now with my remaining mana, I cast Recharge. This spell allows me to add the top card of my deck into my shields face-down." He then moved the top card next to his three remaining shields, as a new teal-colored shield materialized.

"Must admit, that was a clever move."

"They don't call me the 'Wiz Kid' for nothing." Maxi replied.

"That's not going to be enough to defend you I'm afraid."

"Wanna bet? Neuron, Break his shield Ike!" Maxi said, drawing a card.

Neuron charged another ball of energy and launched it at the shield.

"Senechal, Break another shield!" Maxi said, drawing one more card.

Senechal mimicked Neuron, by making a ball of energy and throwing it at the shield.

"Shield Blast: Root Trap. I send Neuron to your mana zone." Robbie revealed, as the vines broke from under Neuron and crushed it into two mana crystals.

"I end my turn." Maxi said calmly.

Robbie drew and set mana. "Alright Hulk; it's time to Smash. Roar the Savage Beast: Bestial Rage Tatsurion!"

The Tatsurion materialized and roared like a mad beast.

"Sabertooth, Attack Senechal!"

Sabertooth ran forward and sent a flurry of punches into Senechal, causing the Cyber lord to drop and disperse into data.

"There goes your draw power."

"Don't worry, I anticipated this." Maxi said confidently.

"You anticipated this?" Robbie raised an eyebrow.

Maxi nodded and drew. He set one of the other cards in his hand in mana and tapped all eight of his mana. "I summon Cyber Sprite, Chasm Entangler and Gran Gure Tower Keeper."

The two previous blockers materialized side by side, with the third, a Giant Spaceship of a creature flew overhead.

"Predict allowed me to rearrange the top five cards of my deck." Maxi began. "Recharge sent the first card to shields, and Neuron and Senechal sent the 2nd and 3rd to my hand. The fourth one, I just drew."

"So the first card was a Shield Blast, while the ladder three were blockers."

Maxi nodded. "I never said the first shield was a Blast."

"Well what else would you send there?"

"I don't know, maybe an evolution creature to turn the duel in my favor. Maybe I couldn't use it and I sent it to shields to by myself time for it to gain usefulness. Ever think of that?"

Robbie hesitated, not considering that factor.

"And just as according to plan, you sent my Neuron to my mana, giving me the extra push I needed."

"Wait, how'd you know I would do that?"

"Because, a 5000-powered Creature such as Neuron is a bigger threat than Senechal, a 2000-powered creature. Get rid of the bigger threat as soon as possible and then just get rid of the smaller one without effort. I'm right aren't I?"

"Told you he was a better duelist than me." Kyle told him. "Maxi's known to be three steps ahead of his opponent. Face it dude, he may look shy and timid, but when it comes to dueling, he reads his opponent like an open book. Think… Yugi from Yu-Gi-Oh! Only for Duel Masters."

"Well then, Tell me: did you see this one coming?" Robbie drew and set mana. "I summon Prickleback and evolve it into Flamespike Tatsurion!" he set Prickleback into the battle zone and threw the evolution creature on top of it.

A Green tornado stirred up within the K-terminal as the spiked Tatsurion broke from it, its body a light purple and red color, its spikes tipped with flames.

"Let's see your toy ship block this!" Robbie tapped Flamespike. "Double Break!"

Flame spike roared with all of it's might, curling itself into a flaming spike ball that shattered two of Maxi's shields.

"What's the matter? Not going to block?" Robbie arrogantly stated.

"Shield Blast: Helios Rings: I tap Bestial Rage and Sabertooth." Maxi revealed.

From the shield shards two rings, a red one and a blue one materialized and encircled the two creatures, binding them where they stood. No matter how much they struggled, they couldn't break free.

"There's no way…"

"Figured you'd blindly attack me." Maxi said. "Thanks, you actually gave me the card I need to finish this."

"You punk…" Robbie snarled.

Maxi drew and set mana, revealing his remaining two cards. "Chasm, Sprite, Evolve into Sparkblade Protector and Emperor Neuron respectively!"

Robbie was taken aback. "Two evolution Creatures?!"

"And to add insult to injury, Sparky's a double breaker."

Chasm wrapped its tentacles around the crystal as it evolved into an orange and white robotic-like creature, electricity connecting its spinning blade-like hands to the main body. It hovered with thruster-like feet next to the newly evolved Neuron.

"Spark, Double Break! Neuron Finish it, Todomeda!"

Spark and Neuron flew forward as Sparkblade unleashed its discs, shattering the final two shields, followed by Neuron smashing Robbie's side of the field, thus ending the duel.

"WINNER: WIZ KID!" The display showed as Robbie and Maxi collected their decks.

"Good Game." Maxi smiled, holding his hand out.

Robbie looked up, annoyed that he was out played so easily. "What was that shield?"

Maxi smiled and revealed the front of the deck. "Reef Prince-Glu-urrgle. At the time I sent it to shields because that would've messed up my whole strategy with predict. Had you going didn't I?"

"I see… I must say, you guys are better than I gave you credit for."

"Deal's a deal dude." Kyle chimed in. "Now then, for my request…"

Robbie nodded. "That's right."

"I want you to join our team."

"No thanks, I already am part of a team." Robbie rejected easily.

"Wha—oh come on bro!" Kyle said disappointed. "You'll be close to Kim this way."

"Do you ever shut up?!" Kim yelled at him pushing I'm away.

"That's fine, but I can't just leave my team. Call it an honor thing. Besides, I'd like to see how much more you guys grow. That way, we'll meet once again in the D-Fighter's tournament."

"Is that a challenge?" Kyle asked him.

"As always, Kyle-kun. I will give you this though. After all, a bet's a bet. Good luck on your new deck, I'm sure this guy will come in handy." Robbie reached into his pocket and tossed the card to him. "See you guys around…"

And with that, Robbie walked out of the store, leaving the quartet of Team VD staring at the card that Kyle acquired.

"This card…" Kyle was left speechless. "Evo-Fury Tatsurion…"

Kyle looked back up, watching Robbie through the window. Robbie turned his head and nodded, before continuing to walk off.

"Guys… Let's get to work." Kyle said with the upmost confidence…