Episode 27: Best Served Cold

Yuni is sitting at the kitchen table of his house, looking at the Chronos, the Temporal Lord card. In the next room his grandpa is watching the Holo-News. The newscaster says, "No one is sure how this damage was caused. There has been some reports of random, localized earthquakes and thunder storms. Also there are several unconfirmed reports of giant Duel Monsters seen by witnesses without an AR Viewer implant. More on this story as it comes."

There is a knock on the door. Yuni's grandpa gets up and answers the door. He says, "Ah, welcome Brutus, good to see you again. And you must be Tori!"

Tori responds, "Yes sir, it's a pleasure to meet you."

Yuni's grandpa responds, "Oh no, the pleasure is all mine. Yuni is in the kitchen."

Tori and Brutus walk into the kitchen and sit down next to Yuni. Yuni asks, "So did you figure out anything Tori?"

Tori pulls out a small device and says, "Yeah, I spent this morning going through the holo-archives and I found this." Tori presses a button on the device and a hologram of a red serpent appears above it.

Yugi exclaims, That's Slifer the Sky Dragon!

Tori asks, "You know what this card is, right?"

Brutus says, "Of course he does! That's Slifer the Sky Dragon, one of the Egyptian God Cards!"

Tori says, "I searched through the archives for records of monsters that caused real damage and thunder storms. When I found this I realized that your Chronos is a Divine attribute and a Divine-Beast type monster, which it was thought that the God

Cards were the only monsters with that typing, but it turns out there's another. Not to mention both Slifer and Chronos are serpents and their attack and defense points are X000. You said that you and Yugi felt a connection to that card, do you think it might be because of Yugi's connection to Slifer?"

Yuni thinks for a second, and then asks Yugi, What do you think? Is that why it felt familiar?

Yugi responds, I don't know, that card is definitely related to Slifer in some way, but this goes beyond that. I think I would know if I was just thinking about Slifer.

Yuni thinks, I agree, and also I know for a fact that the feeling of familiarity came from me, not you. Yuni says out loud, "Yugi and I agree that it was something beyond it being similar to Slifer, we think it's bigger than that."

Tori looks puzzled. "Alright, I'll keep on looking and see if I can find anything about Chronos."

Brutus, having stayed silent for long enough, exclaims, "Come on, let's not worry about that right now! It's the second day of a brand new tournament, and I haven't dueled anyone yet! Let's go find someone to duel!"

Yuni puts away Chronos, smiles, and says, "Alright Brutus, let's get some dueling done."

Tori says, "If you don't mind, I want to keep on searching the archives, I'm sure I can find something."

Yuni says, "Alright, let's go."

The three head out the door. Yuni's Grandpa says, "You kids be careful, there's some crazed duelist out there summoning up real monsters."

Yuni laughs and says, "Alright Grandpa, we'll be careful."

Yuni and Brutus are riding an automatic sidewalk downtown. Brutus shouts, "Hey, there's a lot of people, let's get off here!" Brutus jumps off the auto sidewalk and runs towards a crowd of people. He zips from person to person, apparently asking each one to duel.

Yuni smiles and shakes his head, Oh Brutus, too much energy for his own good. Yuni steps off the auto sidewalk and watches Brutus embarrass himself.

A voice comes from behind Yuni and says, "Well, if it isn't my old dueling partner, Yuni."

Yuni turns around and at first sees nothing, but then he looks down and sees Sly. Yuni says with disgust, "Sly, what are you doing here?"

Sly innocently, "It sounds like your not happy to see me Yuni, what's wrong?"

"What do you think is wrong? You cheated the last time we dueled and nearly made me lose the Duel Sanctuary tournament."

"Yuni, that was then, besides, you won that duel and the entire tournament. If anything, you should be thanking me. Anyways, that's why I'm here. I want to make it up to you and duel you fair and square."

Just then Brutus runs up and says angrily, "What's this little sneak doing here!"

Sly says sadly, "Why does everyone think so low of me? All I want is to show Yuni I'm sorry by dueling him again. Is that too much to ask for?"

Yuni says, "Alright fine, let's-"

Brutus steps forward and interrupts, "No, I'll duel him. He's cheated you enough. Let me do this Yuni." Yuni nods. Brutus looks down at Sly. "If you want to duel, you'll have to duel me!"

A look of frustration crosses Sly's face and he thinks, Argh! This isn't according to plan! My program will launch automatically against the next person I duel, and I can't use it again at risk of being discovered. This could ruin my revenge. Then again, this is Yuni's best friend. If I can beat him, that might just be revenge enough. He says out loud, "Alright Brutus, I'll duel you."

Brutus shouts, "Alright, let's do this!"

Brutus and Sly both take positions to duel. They activate their Duel Gauntlets. The computer says, "Official World of Duel Tournament duel now commencing. Brutus Marc: 0 points vs. Sly: 0 points." The visual display of each player's deck suddenly glitches. "Sca…scan…scanning decks…," the visual returns to normal, "decks accepted. Commence dueling."

Sly thinks, Program launched. Let's do this. He then says out loud, "To show that I'm sincere, I'll let you take the first move."

Brutus draws a card and says, "And I'll gladly take it. I summon The Great Terror (Dark/Level 4/Fiend/Effect/ATK 2200/DEF 0)!" Brutus summons a massive fiend wielding a giant broadsword. "Then I'll set two cards and end my turn (Brutus' hand: 3)."

Sly draws a card. "In order to truly show that I'm a new person, I even changed my deck. Why don't I show you? I summon Sub-Zero Falcon (Water/Level 4/Winged-Beast/ATK 1400/DEF 1400)." In a flurry of snow, a flacon made of ice appears on the field. "When I summon Falcon, I can special summon another Sub-Zero monster from my hand. I special summon Sub-Zero Rex (Water/Level 5/Dinosaur/Effect/ATK 2000/DEF 2000)." Another flurry of snow brings a T. Rex made out of ice. "The effect of my Rex allows me to take control of a monster you control with zero attack."

Brutus says snidely, "Well I guess it's a good thing that I don't have any monsters with zero attack."

"I wasn't finished yet, I activate my spell, Sub-Zero Zero. This card allows me to reduce the attack of one of your monsters to zero (Great Terror's ATK: 0). Now my Rex can take control of it." Brutus' monster is turned into an ice statue version of itself and is pulled towards Sly's side of the field. "Now, Sub-Zero Rex, attack Brutus directly!" Rex charges at Brutus.

Brutus declares, "I activate Negate Attack, in order to negate your attack and end the battle phase!"

"Alright then. I'll activate Rex's second effect which allows me to return the attack of all monsters I control to their original attack during the end phase, returning the Great Terror to 2200 attack. I end my turn (Sly's hand: 3)."

Brutus draws. "You may have taken my monster, but I'm not helpless without it. I summon Goblin Attack Force (Earth/Level 4/Warrior/Effect/ATK 2300/DEF 0). I also activate my spell card, Troop Trumpet! Now if the battle position of a monster I control is changed, I can change it again. Now, go Goblin Attack Force, attack his Sub-Zero Rex!" The Goblin Attack Force charges at Sly's monster and starts bashing it with their clubs. Sub-Zero Rex shatters into ice shards (Sly's LP: 3700). After finishing the attack, the entire attack force falls asleep. "After attacking, my Goblin Attack Force switches to defense mode. Now, go Troop Trumpet!" A goblin playing a trumpet comes out of Brutus' card and plays an upbeat tune, waking up the sleeping goblins. "That wraps up my turn (Brutus' hand: 2)."

Sly draws. He looks at his card and thinks, Alright, it's time to kick things up a notch. Let's bring out my program. He says out loud, "I activate Sub-Zero Calling. This card allows me to declare the name of a continuous spell card. If either of us have that card in our decks, we automatically play it. I declare the card, Sub-Zero Total Freeze." Nothing happens on Sly's side of the field.

Brutus says, "Looks like you don't have that card in your deck. Did someone make a mistake?"

Sly says innocently, "Whoops, it looks like you're right. What was I thinking. Oh wait, what's this?" A card appears on Brutus' field and his Goblin Attack Force is frozen and its attack is reduced to zero (ATK: 0).

Brutus looks awestruck. "What is this!? I don't have any card like that! What gives!"

Sly says, "Whoops, I think I declared the wrong card. I took Sub-Zero Total Freeze out of my deck because its effect causes all monsters its owner controls to have zero attack when its played. I meant to declare Sub-Zero Complete Freeze. But why do you have such a card in your deck?"

"I don't! I have no clue why this card is…" A look of realization hits Brutus. "You did this! You put that card in my deck!"

Sly shows what looks like an overacted face of offense. "Why Brutus, I'm offended. I told you, I'm past doing that sort of thing. It must be some kind of computer glitch.

Brutus says sarcastically, "Right, a computer glitch."

Sly says, "I'm sorry that you're the victim of a computer glitch, but the duel must go on. And it will. I tribute Sub-Zero Falcon and the Great Terror in order to summon Sub-Zero King (Water/Level 8/Aqua/Effect/ATK 2800/DEF 2800)." A regal looking, living ice sculpture emerges. "When I summon Sub-Zero King, he gains 200 attack and defense for every monster with zero attack on the field (ATK and DEF 3000). Now my King, attack Goblin Attack Force with Sub-Zero Subjugation!" Sly's monster holds up its arm and summons a massive blizzard.

Brutus shouts, "Activate trap card, Zero Guard! I never thought I'd used this card on a zero attack point monster, but if you attack a monster in attack mode with zero attack, or a monster in defense mode with zero defense, it halves all battle damage I take, and the monster that was attacked can't be destroyed by battle this turn." As the attack flies at Goblin Attack Force, it shrinks in size and hits them. Some of the blizzard slips past the monster and hits Brutus (Brutus' LP: 2500).

Sly says, "You got lucky, when my King destroys a monster with zero attack, I get to summon that monster to my side of the field. I guess I'll just end my turn (Sly's hand: 2)."

On the sidelines, Yuni thinks, There's no way this was a random computer glitch. Looks like Sly is up to his old antics again. You better pull through Brutus.

Brutus draws a card. He says, "I don't care if you cheated, or if this is a random glitch, but it doesn't matter, either way I will beat you! I summon Legendary Lancer (Light/Level 4/Warrior/Effect/ATK 2400/DEF 0)." The moment Brutus' golden knight hit's the field it freezes over (ATK: 0). Brutus looks shocked. "What just happened!?"

Sly quietly chuckles. He then says innocently, "Whoops, did I forget to mention, any monster you normal summon has its attack reduced to zero also. I'm sorry."

Brutus says sarcastically, "Right." Brutus thinks to himself, This card is messing up my deck. There isn't anything major riding on this duel, but after what this guy did to Yuni, there's no way I can let him win by cheating. What can I do? Brutus looks at his field. That's it! The new card that I got! I nearly forgot that I had it. Brutus says out loud, "You said that Sub-Zero Total Freeze only activates when I normal summon a monster, right?"

Sly looks confused and says, "Yeah, but what does that matter?"

"I'll tell you why it matters. I overlay my two level four monsters and build the Overlay Network! I Xyz Summon Power Golem (Dark/Rank 4/Rock/Xyz/ATK 3100/DEF 0)!" A massive golem made from loosely cobbled together stones emerges from the Overlay Network.

Yuni looks annoyed and Yugi asks, What's wrong?

Yuni answers, That monster. Brutus got it a while ago and I warned him about using it. That card can get pretty nasty pretty quick.

Brutus says, "Since I Xyz Summoned this monster, its attack doesn't reduce to zero. Now in order to attack, I first have to remove an overlay unit." Power Golem grabs an overlay unit out of the air and crushes it in its hand. "Go Power Golem, Power Pummel!" Power Golem rips a boulder off of its body and hurls it at Sub-Zero King, destroying it (Sly's LP: 3600). "Now at the end of the turn I take 1000 damage, that is unless I remove an overlay unit." The golem grabs and smashes another overlay unit. Brutus looks pretty confident in himself and says, "And now that that's that, I end my turn (Brutus' hand: 2)."

Sly laughs. "You might have defeated my Sub-Zero King, but I can see a major flaw in your plan. Allow me to demonstrate." Sly draws a card. "By banishing a Sub-Zero King in my graveyard, I can special summon my ultimate monster, Sub-Zero Frost Lord (Water/Level 10/Beast-Warrior/ATK 3300/DEF 3300)!" A tornado of snow and ice swirls around on Sly's field. It slowly disappears and reveals an abominable snowman-like monster. "Once per turn, I can make the attack of all monsters you control become zero. Go Frost Force!" Frost Lord sends out a wave of ice and snow. It hits Power Golem and freezes it (ATK: 0). "Now my Frost Lord isn't allowed to attack the turn it activates its effect, so that will be my turn for now (Sly's hand: 3)." Sly thinks, He may have found one way out, but I have now assured that the card he thought would save him, will now be his downfall.

Brutus draws. He thinks, Shoot, Power Golem was the only way I could think of getting around Sub-Zero Total Freeze. I'll have to play, Brutus shivers, defensively. He says out loud, "Let's try this out. I switch Power Golem to defense mode, then I summon Chainsaw Insect in defense mode (Earth/Level 4/Insect/Effect/ATK 2400/DEF 0)." As soon as the new monster hits the field it is frozen over (ATK: 0).

Yuni thinks, How interesting. I don't think I've ever seen Brutus play a monster in defense mode purposefully before. He really has his back against the wall.

Brutus says, "I end my turn."

Sly objects, "I don't think so. You still have to deal with the effect of Power Golem."

Brutus looks confused and questions, "What?" Brutus slowly looks up at his monster and sees it start to crumble. A massive builder breaks off and hits Brutus (Brutus' LP: 1500). "Darn it, I forgot that I'm out of overlay units, so now I take 1000 point of damage during the end phase. Fine, now I end my turn (Brutus' hand: 2)."

Sly draws. "I summon Sub-Zero Striker (Water/Level 2/Aqua/Effect/ATK 0/DEF 0) in defense mode. Now, Sub-Zero Frost Lord, attack Chainsaw Insect with Blizzard Force!" Frost Lord sends a shockwave of ice at Brutus' monster and destroys it. "When I destroy a monster with zero attack by battle, my Sub-Zero Striker inflicts 1000 points of damage to you." Striker shoots several icicles at Brutus (Brutus' LP: 500). "Now I end my turn (Sly's hand: 3). The way I see it, even if you don't lose to your own monster's effect this turn, there isn't much you can do. I'd say no matter what, this is your last turn."

Brutus draws. "We'll see about that." He thinks, He might just be right. The three cards I have in my hand are Fairy Meteor Crush, Back to the Basics, and Spirited Rally, three spell cards that can't do much at all for me. I have to think. Brutus pauses for a moment and thinks, This entire duel, in order to survive, I've had to think in ways I'm not used to, and use cards in ways that I never had before. Hmmm. Brutus focus on his card, Back to the Basics. He then exclaims, "That's it, I never thought of using that card like this before! Alright Sly, you're going down. I switch my Power Golem to attack mode."

Sly laughs and says, "You must be desperate. Are you going to suicide attack to make this duel end sooner?"

"Not even close. I equip Power Golem with Back to the Basics! Normally I would equip this card to one of your monsters in order to reduce its attack to its normal amount and negate its effect, but I realized that I can use it on myself to return my monsters attack to full!" Brutus' monster thaws out (ATK: 3100). "Also, since its effects are negated, I'm allowed to attack without any overlay units. Now I also equip him with Fairy Meteor Crush, giving it a piercing effect. To top it all off, I activate Spirited Rally! By paying half of my life points, I can double my Power Golem's attack points (Brutus' LP: 250) (ATK 6200). Now go, attack Sub-Zero Striker with Power Pummel!" Power Giant throws a giant rock at Sly's monster. The rock hits the monster and keeps on flying at Sly, hitting him (Sly's LP: 0).

Sly shouts, "No, not again! This isn't possible!"

Brutus asks mockingly, "What do you mean by 'again?'"

The duel computer says, "Brutus Marc is the winner. Brutus has been awarded with 701 duel points for winning a duel, despite his opponent cheating for a total of 701 points. Sly has been awarded 0 points and has been disqualified from the World of Duel Tournament for cheating."

Sly looks absolutely shocked. He stammers, "Wh…what!? How could they know!?"

Brutus says mockingly, "Wait, so you were cheating? Sly, I'm ashamed." Brutus laughs and walks over to Yuni.

Sly falls onto his knees and starts pounding the ground shouting, "Why, why, why!? This isn't fair! Why does this always happen to me!?"

Brutus and Yuni start to walk off and Brutus says, "I sure showed him, didn't I? And how about that Power Golem? You told me not to use that card."

Yuni says, "Might I remind you that that card almost caused you to lose."

"But it didn't."

Yuni play punches Brutus in the side and says, "You just got lucky, that's all."

Brutus says jokingly, "By the way, I got 700 points, you only got 600. I'm beating you."

Yuni punches Brutus again.