Chapter 3: Opening Ceremony
The night before the Duel, with Lincoln…
Lincoln was staring at his deck, a look of pride on his face, "This may very well be the most powerful Deck I've ever built," he commented, looking through the cards he selected. He then looked out the window of the room he was in, 'Lynn still hasn't made a public apology. Guess her pride is too big for her to swallow after all. Well, at least I can feel less guilty about doing this to them, but they got to learn their actions have consequences,' Lincoln thought to himself. Just then, some knocking came from the door, "Yes?" Lincoln called, as the door opened to reveal Ross.
"Hey Links, is everything alright?" Ross asked.
"Yep. I just got done checking my Deck, and I'm more than prepared for tomorrow," Lincoln replied, placing his Deck inside a Deck Box.
"I see. I know this is kind of out of my place to ask this, but have you considered forgiving your sisters, regardless of the arrangement?" Ross asked.
"I have, but each time I do, I think about the time they've taken me, our parents, and each other for granted, which shoots down the very idea," Lincoln replied.
"I see. Well, I'll drop that subject now," Ross said.
"So, have my friends said anything about them being ready?" Lincoln asked.
"They said that apart from Lynn, they're about as ready as they'll ever be," Ross replied.
"Well, I'm not surprised about Lynn. From what I heard from Clyde, she's bound to be the weakest link in the team," Lincoln said.
"Well, in any case, we should get some sleep. We have a big day tomorrow," Ross said.
"Right. I'm fixing to crawl into bed now," Lincoln said, getting up from his desk.
"Alright. Have a good night, Lincoln," Ross said.
"You as well, Uncle Ross," Lincoln said, as his uncle left him to take care of his nightly rituals.
Meanwhile, with the Loud Sisters…
The Loud Sisters, minus Lynn, were all going over their final plans for taking on Lincoln, "And that should do it for our countermeasures," Lisa said.
"After this, we'll finally get a whole summer away from that no-good homewrecker!" Lola exclaimed.
"Granted, we will be at either Boot Camp or the Facility," Lisa reminded, which caused the rest of her sisters to groan.
"But remember the terms of the Duel; for each round we win, our punishment is reduced by a month," Luna added.
"Win or lose, we're going to be made to carry out our assigned punishments," Lori replied.
"Hey, what's going on in here?" Lynn Jr asked, as she barged into the room.
"Well, look who actually decided to come to our strategy review," Lori coldly said.
"'Strategy review'? We don't need any strategy! With ME as the team leader, Stinkcoln can't possibly win!" Lynn Jr boasted.
"Well, we need a plan to ensure our victory, because from what Lincoln's friends told us, we may be in for the fight of our lives," Lisa countered.
"He's a loser and a jinx! There's no need to make plans or strategies!" Lynn Jr countered.
"I think I speak for the rest of us when I say that we're sick of hearing your preaching about luck Lynn. It's high time you swallowed your pride, and realized that luck doesn't win games!" Luna yelled.
"But what about..." Lynn Jr got cut off when Luna grabbed her by the collar of her jersey.
"We're so sick of hearing about your game against the Lions! Did it ever occur to you that what Riku said could be right?! That your teammates only paid off the opposition because of how much of a slacker you are, or that your opponents only throw the games because they feel sorry for your teammates?!" Lori yelled.
"Don't... Ever... Question MY SKILLS AT SPORTS LIKE THAT AGAIN!" Lynn Jr screamed, karate chopping Luna's arm, causing the rocker to release the athlete, "I can win against that geeky loser with or without any of you!" Lynn Jr yelled.
"We were thinking the same thing!" Lola yelled.
"Good! You're ALL off the team!" Lynn declared, as she left the room.
"Is us being off the team any different than us kicking her off?" Leni asked.
"It's pretty much the same thing, Leni. She's all on her own with the Tournament tomorrow," Lori replied.
"In any case, we have our strategy planned out, and now all we can do is hope it'll work," Lisa said.
"What do you mean 'hope'?" Lola asked.
"I'm approximately 75% sure that this plan will work, but as they say, 'the proof is in the pie'," Lisa replied.
"I hope it's cherry!" Leni exclaimed.
"You're adorable, Leni, but for now, let's get some sleep," Lori said, as the meeting adjourned.
(Play Yu-Gi-Oh Zexal: Halfway to Forever)
The intro starts with Lincoln putting on activating his Duel Disk, before he runs towards the scene.
Still together as one;
Cuz divided we're none;
Ready to go, we feel the flow!
The scene changed to Lincoln drawing a card and summoning his Elemental HEROS behind him, as Winged Kuriboh was right next to him.
So don't stand in our way;
You know we ain't afraid;
This is our time, we're in control!
The scene then changed and showed Noah summoning his Sword and Mio with her Moonblades, with their Ouroboros forms appearing behind them.
If I trip up today;
You just wipe it away;
All of my fears are gone, erased!
The scene then changed and showed Eunie holding her Ether Rifle and aiming it while Taion summoned his Mondo while they surrounded him, with their Ouroboros forms appearing behind them.
Let us tear down the walls
'Til the final night falls
The bonds of our souls can't be replaced!
The scene then changed and showed Lanz piercing his Shield Blade into the ground while Sena hit the ground with her giant hammer before the two fist bump each other, with their Ouroboros forms appearing behind them.
Let us fight together;
Regret it never;
Our dreams will be…!
The scene changed to Lincoln and his friends, including Riku and Manana, as Lincoln held up a card as it shined brightly with the Ouroboros Ring.
Halfway to,
Forever;
Our light comes shining through!
The shadow of Z appeared over the Loud Sisters as X and Y appeared and charged in, morphing into their Moebius forms.
Reach down deep;
Beat defeat;
Do all that we can do!
Lincoln then jumped in and summoned his monsters as his friends came and merged into their Ouroboros forms and charged in, before they and Moebius attacked each other.
Halfway to,
Forever;
We've got nothing to lose!
Noah then pulled out his sword from the core of his chest, as he slashed through the Moebius, before looking at the shadow of Z.
Keep breathing;
Believing;
Halfway to forever-rrrrrr!
Everyone then charged at Z, as Lincoln drew a card from his deck, as the Ouroboros Ring shined brightly once more, as the title then appeared below everyone.
Yu-Gi-Oh: Ouroboros
(End Yu-Gi-Oh Zexal: Halfway to Forever)
Lincoln, Riku, Manana and the rest of the Top eight, except Lanz, arrived early so they and their families could get some good seats. "Three hours left for Lynn to make that public apology," Lincoln said, looking at the clock. All around the arena, they saw camera crews setting up, and spectators were piling into the stands. He also saw in one of the box seats his "parents", who were in orange jumpsuits and in shackles.
"Lincoln, I know that neither I or anyone else should say this, but have you considered just standing up and forgiving your sisters?" Mio asked.
"Uncle Ross asked the same question last night, and I said that I have considered, but I think about everything else that's on par with this, and any thought of forgiving them goes right out the window," Lincoln replied.
"Okay, we'll drop the subject now," Mio said, when they saw Lanz walking up to the group.
"Sorry I'm late." Lanz said, yawning. "I overslept and didn't want to get up."
"Friends fault for staying up late." Riku stated.
"And whose fault was it I couldn't sleep?" Lanz asked, glaring at the green Nopon. "I asked you to do the maintenance on my power frame, but you totally messed up my settings!"
"Oho? Ahh…" Riku said nervously, trying to come up with an excuse. "That probably different frame. Riku is popular guypon, crushed by weight of fans asking to do favors. Sometimes mix up orders. If configs bamboozle, why not fix by self?"
"That's why I didn't get any sleep, fur ball!" Lanz snapped.
"That's enough, you two. Save it for the Tournament!" Ghonder interrupted their argument by walking between them, raising her voice slightly.
Just then, they saw someone enter the arena. And it turned out to be none other than...
"Lynn? What's she doing here?" Sena wondered.
"I don't know, but I'm sure we're going to find out," Lincoln said, as Lynn Jr stormed right over to them.
"Alright Stinkcoln, let's get this started!" Lynn Jr exclaimed, attaching her Duel Disk.
"Hate to burst your bubble Lynn, but the Tournament isn't set to start until Noon Besides, the rest of your team isn't here yet," Lincoln replied.
"I kicked them ALL off the team! They questioned MY greatness, and I won't work with anyone who won't cooperate!" Lynn Jr yelled.
"So basically, you just quit the team, and wanted to take all the credit for yourself, am I right?" Lincoln asked.
"All apart from the part about me quitting... I'm the one who kicked THEM all off the team! And defeating you here will help me restore my honor, and get me back in good graces with ALL my sports teams!" Lynn Jr boasted.
"Even so, the tournament won't start until noon," Noah said.
"Hold up, Noah," Lincoln said, as he leapt down into the arena. Lynn backed away from her brother, seeing him as a disease ridden pest, "Let's say that I do agree to have a one-on-one match against you, right here and now... Why should I agree to this?" he asked.
"Because I want to win and get this dorky game done and over with, so I can get back to my original plans for enjoying summer; without a rotten jinx like you screwing everything up!" Lynn Jr replied.
"Hate to burst your bubble, but the only plans you have laid out for you is a three month stay at the Juvenile Facility. Even I'm unable to negotiate a way out of that for you and the others, even if I wanted to," Lincoln replied.
"Even so, I still intend to get my sporting career back, and gain the respect I deserve from everyone in Royal Woods!" Lynn Jr proclaimed.
"Respect is a privilege, not a right, you spoon! You have to actually do something that people will WANT to respect you for," Eunie called out.
"I tell you what Lynn; I'll accept your challenge. If you win, not only will your sentence be shortened, in accordance with the court order, but I'll try to negotiate your return back to your sports teams. I can't and won't guarantee what position you'll be placed in. But if I win, then, as per what Riku had told me, then you'll have to give up sports completely until I decide to let you out of it," Lincoln said.
"Which you won't have to bother doing, because losing to you is the worst kind of loss someone can endure! I won't be able to show my face, ever again if, and that's the biggest 'if' in the history of the world, if you win," Lynn Jr said.
"Before we begin, this is your last chance to make a public apology. And this would be the best time to do so, since the tournament is going to be televised all over the world, and if we go through with this Duel now, then you automatically waive that way out of this predicament," Lincoln replied.
"Apologies are only meant to be given by people who are in the wrong for something. If anything, YOU should be apologizing to ME for ruining my game! Not that I'll ever forgive you for it," Lynn Jr refused.
"Suit yourself," Lincoln said, about to attach his Duel Disk to his arm.
"Hold on! There's one more condition that needs to be addressed!" Lynn Jr proclaimed.
"Have you already been frisked for your good luck charms?" Lincoln asked.
"Unfortunately, yes, which is stupid. But what I was about to say is that during the Duel, you're not allowed to use any of those illegal Spell or Trap Cards!" Lynn Jr proclaimed.
"This again?! Lynn, we've been over this! Spell and Trap cards ARE legit!" Clyde yelled.
"Not to ME, they aren't!" Lynn Jr snapped back.
"There's no way Lincoln would agree to such a stupid request!" Lanz stated.
"Hold on there, Lanz. There may be some merit to accepting these terms," Lincoln replied, surprising his friends, "Think about it; if I defeat Lynn here and now, playing by HER rules, then it'll show her that I can be just as formidable an opponent as I would be with a Deck with the normal Monster : Spell / Trap Card ratio," he explained.
"Can we get this show on the road sometime this century?! I have better places to be, better things to do!" Lynn Jr called out.
"Alright Lynn, but I got to build an E Deck to conform with your demands. After all, the Deck I originally built for today's Duel is full of Spell and Trap Card combos that you aren't worthy of facing," Lincoln said, as began to quickly build an E Deck.
"By the way, is there a way to prevent any outside interference? I don't want those sisters of mine barging in and ruining my mojo," Lynn Jr questioned.
"Ah, so you want to use Cage Match rules, right?" Lincoln asked, as he finished assembling his Deck.
"Sounds good to me!" Lynn Jr said.
"Very well," Lincoln said, as he turned back to his friends, and nodded. Taion then pressed a button, which raised several poles at each of the corners of the battlefield. An energy barrier then began to form all around them, "Alright Lynn, Cage Match Rules are now in effect. Neither of us can leave till the other is defeated, and no one can enter. And surrender is not an option either of us can take," Lincoln explained, attaching his Duel Disk to his arm.
"Alright guys, it's showtime! And what better Action Field to play than the Dark Performing Arts Stage?" Ronnie Anne said, as she played an Action Field Spell.
"Augmented Reality Combat system online. Generating Action Field." A computerized voice said as it formed a stage around the two feuding siblings. The set on the stage looked like something out of a horror play.
"Alright, let's do this!" Lincoln said, as he drew his first hand of E-Cards.
"I was about to say the same thing!" Lynn Jr said, drawing her own hand of E-Cards.
Lincoln: LP: 8000 Hand: 5
Lynn Jr. LP: 8000 Hand: 5
"Time for the coin toss, and I'm calling heads!" Lincoln said, as the coin was tossed into the air. It landed Tails side up, "Ah well, can't get the first turn all the time," he said passively.
"Alright, it's my move first!" Lynn Jr exclaimed, "I summon Battle Ox in Attack Mode!" she said, summoning a Minotaur Barbarian.
Battle Ox
Attribute: EARTH
Monster Type: Beast-Warrior
Level: 4
ATK/DEF: 1700/1000
"Because of that rule about going first, I can't attack, so I have to end my turn here," Lynn Jr said.
Lynn Jr: Hand: 4
"Alright, now it's my turn! I draw!" Lincoln said, drawing a card. He then examined his hand, "Ok, since you have a Monster on your side of the Field, and I don't, I can automatically summon the Cyber Dragon in Attack Mode!" Lincoln said, as he summoned a mechanical Dragon Monster.
Cyber Dragon
Attribute: LIGHT
Monster Type: Machine
Level: 5
ATK/DEF: 2100/1600
"Since Cyber Dragon was Summoned by its own Special Ability, I can still summon one more Monster this turn, like my Alexandrite Dragon!" Lincoln said, as he summoned a Dragon Monster that looked to have scales made of jewels.
Alexandrite Dragon
Attribute: LIGHT
Monster Type: Dragon
Level: 4
ATK/DEF: 2000/100
"Oh great, I forgot about Special Abilities!" Lynn Jr exclaimed.
'She really is a special kind of stupid,' Lincoln's friends all thought.
"And it's about to get worse! For you that is, because now I banish Alexandrite Dragon, in order to Special Summon Red Eyes Darkness Metal Dragon!" Lincoln exclaimed, as Alexandrite Dragon began engulfed in flames, and was replaced with a large, black metal dragon.
Red Eyes Darkness Metal Dragon
Attribute: DARK
Monster Type: Dragon
Level: 10
ATK/DEF: 2800/2400
"Oh come on!" Lynn Jr exclaimed.
"And it's going to keep getting worse for you, because now I use my Dragon's Special Ability! See, once per turn, during my Main Phase, I can Special Summon one additional Dragon Monster from either my Hand or Graveyard, as long as it's not the same as my Darkness Metal Dragon. And the Dragon I think I'll summon is the Blue Eye White Dragon!" Lincoln exclaimed, as he then summoned a bright, white Dragon with noticeably blue eyes.
Blue Eyes White Dragon
Attribute: LIGHT
Monster Type: Dragon
Level: 8
ATK/DEF: 3000/2500
"This is so not fair! You got to summon 3 monsters in one turn, while I can only summon one at a time!" Lynn Jr yelled.
"All's fair in love, war, and Duel Monsters. Besides, you know if you have Pendulum Monsters, you can summon more than one per turn," Lincoln said.
"Yeah right! They're treated as Spell Cards when in the Pendulum Zones, and I refuse to ever use Spell Cards!" Lynn Jr stubbornly proclaimed.
"Suit yourself, but for now, my Dragons will all go on the attack! First, Cyber Dragon will take out your Battle Ox!" Lincoln said, as his Cyber Dragon fired a stream of fire at Battle Ox, destroying it completely.
Lynn Jr: LP: 8000 – 400 = 7600 LP
"And now both of my remaining Dragons can now Attack your LP Directly!" Lincoln said, as his two remaining Dragons blasted Lynn Jr directly.
Lynn Jr: LP: 7600 – 5800 = 1800 LP
"That'll do for now," Lincoln said, ending his turn.
Lincoln: Hand: 2
It was then that the rest of the Loud Sisters arrived on the scene, as they saw how the battle was progressing disastrously for their sister.
"No way... Lincoln wiped out almost ALL of Lynn's LP, and it's just his first turn!" Luna exclaimed.
"My turn!" Lynn Jr yelled, drawing a card, "Tch, I don't have anything that I can summon to take those three on, so I guess I can safeguard my LP a little bit with this Winged Kuriboh," Lynn Jr said, summoning a little brown puffball with wings.
Winged Kuriboh
Attribute: LIGHT
Monster Type: Fairy
Level: 1
ATK/DEF: 300/200
'Out of all the cards, it had to be Winged Kuriboh?' Lincoln thought, as the spirit of Winged Kuriboh appeared next to him and cooed. 'You're right. That's not actually you. I can do this' He then turned back to Lynn Jr. "It's now my turn! I draw!" Lincoln said, drawing a card, "I'll continue to bolster my forces with Luster Dragon! And with my Darkness Metal Dragon's effect, I can also bring out Luster Dragon #2!" he said, as he summoned two different Dragon Monsters. The smaller of the two was blue, while the larger one looked green, and had wood like horns.
Luster Dragon
Attribute: WIND
Monster Type: Dragon
Level: 4
ATK/DEF: 1900/1600
Luster Dragon #2
Attribute: WIND
Monster Type: Dragon
Level: 6
ATK/DEF: 2400/1400
"Destroying your Kuriboh won't affect your LP for the rest of this turn, but I'll do it anyway, just weaken your defenses! Now go, Luster Dragon #2!" Lincoln said, as his Dragon Monster blasted Winged Kuriboh off of the field, "I end my turn," he said.
Lincoln: Hand: 1
"Hold on, Lincoln had the rest of those Dragons he could've attacked with, so why didn't he?" Leni asked.
"He said something about how destroying Winged Kuriboh won't affect her LP for this turn. My guess is that even if he unleashed all of them on her, it would do nothing to Lynn's LP," Lisa theorized.
"My turn again! I draw!" Lynn Jr said, drawing her next card, then examined it, "Huh, I don't remember having this card in my E Deck, but maybe I can use it in a way with my other cards," Lynn said to herself, as she examined the rest of her hand, "Alright, first I'm discarding one card from my hand to summon The Tricky!" Lynn said, as she discarded one card, and summoned a humanoid monster that looked like a jester with question marks on its face and torso.
The Tricky
Attribute: WIND
Monster Type: Spellcaster
Level: 5
ATK/DEF: 2000/1200
"Next I'll bring out my Junk Synchron!" Lynn Jr said, as she then summoned a small, machine looking creature.
Junk Synchron
Attribute: DARK
Monster Type: Warrior
Level: 3
ATK/DEF: 1300/500
"Oh! Well this should be interesting," Lincoln commented.
"I now use Junk Synchron's Ability to bring back Winged Kuriboh! I feel I may need his Special Ability again," Lynn commented, as Junk Synchron brought Winged Kuriboh back from the Graveyard, "Now, Level 3 Junk Synchron will Tune with Level 5 The Tricky so that I can Synchro Summon the Crimson Blader in Attack Mode!" Lynn Jr exclaimed, as her two monsters combined, and formed a humanoid Monster that was dressed as a matador, wielding two swords.
Crimson Blader
Attribute: FIRE
Monster Type: Warrior
Level: 8
ATK/DEF: 2800/2600
"A monster like that is powerful enough to take out all of Lincoln's monsters, apart from his Blue Eyes," Noah commented.
"Guess Lynn really did learn something," Lanz commented.
"Now, I'll attack Luster Dragon with Crimson Blader!" Lynn Jr exclaimed, as her monster slashed and destroyed Lincoln's Dragon Monster.
Lincoln: LP: 8000 – 900 = 7100 LP
"Due to your Monster's effect, I can't summon any Monsters with a Level equal to or higher than 5 on my next turn," Lincoln stated.
"Aww, yeah! Lynnsanity is back in business!" Lynn Jr said, doing her typical showboating dance.
"That's just like you Lynn; you manage to lay some damage on my Life Points, then take it upon yourself to celebrate a victory you have yet to attain," Lincoln stated.
"Whatever! Get your turn over with, so I can win this thing!" Lynn Jr said, ending her turn.
Lynn Jr: Hand: 2
"Very well. It's my move now, and I draw!" Lincoln said, drawing his next card:
Lincoln: Hand: 2
"I don't think I need to summon anymore Monsters this turn, so I'll have my Blue Eyes destroy Crimson Blader!" Lincoln said, as his White Dragon blasted Lynn Jr's Synchro Monster off the battlefield. The shock-wave caused her to be sent flying a few feet.
Lynn Jr: LP: 1800 – 200 = 1600 LP
"And like before, I'll take out that Kuriboh with my Darkness Metal Dragon!" Lincoln exclaimed, as his Dark Dragon blasted Winged Kuriboh off of the battlefield again, "And once again, I end my turn!" Lincoln said.
"My move, and I draw!" Lynn Jr said, as she looked at her hand. As soon as she did, she felt so much despair, "None of these monsters are nearly strong enough to take any of those Dragons! And because of that stupid Tribute rule, I can't summon anything!" Lynn wailed.
"I suppose this means you're going to pass on your turn?" Lincoln asked.
"I don't have any other choice!" Lynn Jr felt sick to her stomach for admitting that.
"Then it's my turn! I draw!" Lincoln said, drawing a card.
Lincoln: Hand: 3
"Your only best move was that Synchro Summon you did, but now, you're just a joke of a Duelist. I attack with ALL 4 of my Dragons!" Lincoln exclaimed.
"But Lincoln just needs to use one of them to win this Duel!" Lola exclaimed.
"The rules the Judge gave us states that I am forbidden to hold back at all. This means I go all out, even if my Monster's total attack strength is far greater than my Opponent's LP! Now my beasts, ATTACK LYNN DIRECTLY, AND END THIS DUEL!" Lincoln ordered, as all four Dragons blasted Lynn Jr directly.
Lynn Jr.: LP: 1600 – 10,300 = 0 LP
Winner: Lincoln
"Whoa, Lincoln just won, while hardly losing any LP at all!" Luna exclaimed, as the Action Field began to disappear
"This really will be tougher than we thought," Lisa commented.
"No... I REFUSE TO ACCEPT THIS!" Lynn Jr yelled, lunging at her brother, only to be held back by some shackles that flew out of nowhere, and latched onto her wrists and ankles, and dragged her into what looked to be a containment suit, "LET ME GO! I MUST MAKE HIM PAY FOR HUMILIATING ME!" Lynn Jr screamed, thrashing violently, trying to free herself, but to no avail.
"Give it up, Lynn! That's one of the nine Iron Maiden Suits provided by the Facility. They're only brought into action against criminals that prove to be more trouble than they're worth," Lincoln said.
"Lincoln! What is going on?!" Lori yelled, as the rest of the Loud Sisters came down to the gates leading into the arena.
"Don't act so surprised, Lori. This is what will happen when one of you is defeated in our Duel. Lynn arrogantly thought she could take me on by herself."
"Lincoln, just forgive Lynn, and be done with this already!" Lori ordered.
"Not how it works. Lynn HAD to make a public apology for me to drop the charges on you girls, and since she dove right into a Duel against me BEFORE the scheduled time, she technically waived that way out. So, no, I'm not going to drop even one charge against any of you," Lincoln said, as he went to the other side of the stadium.
"Come with us, girls," one of the security personnel said, as a small platoon of them approached them.
"Where are you taking us?" Lori asked, as they were all being forcibly ushered away.
"To your waiting room. Once it is time, we'll bring you out," the head security personnel said, as they continued to walk. All the while, the few people who were there were booing and jeering the Loud Sisters.
"YOU ALL SHOULD BE ASHAMED OF YOURSELVES!"
"YOU HAVE NO RIGHT TALKING ABOUT OR CALLING YOURSELVES A FAMILY!"
"LINCOLN'S VICTORY IS A SURE FIRE THING!"
"Man, looks like everyone in town is turned against us," Lana commented.
"Seeing as how we broke a major law for such a ridiculous reason, it should come as no surprise," Lisa replied, as a rather intimidating man and woman walked up to Lincoln.
"Is she one of the girls that are headed for the Juvenile Facility?" the man asked.
"She is, Warden Venomous," Lincoln replied.
"And we get the famous, Lynn Loud Jr. to boot! I'm going to enjoy breaking her ego and reforming her," the woman said, a vindictive grin on her face.
"Patience, Lila. All good things come to those who wait," Warden Venomous replied, as some Prison Guards came in and wheeled out the containment suit, and put her in one of five armored trucks.
"So why are they being sent to the facility separately again?" Clyde asked.
"Safety precautions." Taion explained. "The Facility needs to separate Lincoln's sisters during transport, so if one tries and successfully escapes, which I doubt will happen, the others will still be contained."
"I see, so that way they all can't escape at once, which would be more difficult." Clyde nodded.
"Still, this must be hard on you, Lincoln, seeing your sisters wheeled off like this," Sena said to her best friend.
"Kind of. Like everyone's been saying, she deserves her punishment. Besides, hopefully she'll change for the better, and think less of herself and more about the family," Lincoln replied as they all left, intent on doing final preparations.
In the Loud Sister's waiting room,15 minutes until the Tournament begins…
The Loud Sisters were all going through their E-Decks, making sure they had all the cards they thought they would need for the Tournament.
"Guys, are we sure we're doing the right thing by being mad at Lincoln?" Leni asked.
"What kind of a question is that? Of course we're in the right for being mad at him! When has a boy ever been in the right for being mad at a girl?" Lori questioned.
"Well, looking at it statistically, the chances of a male being in the right for being mad at a female is much higher than one would think," Lisa replied.
"And how many of those figures factor into a lone son/brother?" Lori asked.
"About 33%, give or take," Lisa replied.
"I don't care about numbers, or whatever! If I want to be mad at Lincoln for any reason, then I'll be mad at him! And anyone who tries to tell me otherwise is wrong!" Lola yelled.
"You see, that RIGHT THERE IS WHY YOU GIRLS GOT INTO THIS MUCH TROUBLE!" the stern voice of their Grandfather, Albert, said, as he, and their Uncles, Aunt Rachel, and a second woman, dressed as a military drill sergeant, walked into the room.
"Pop-pop, what are you doing here?" Lori asked.
"I'm here to support Lincoln with the rest of my sons and daughters, and to give you girls a serious earful about this whole 'bad luck' garbage you all willingly went along with!" Albert said.
"Well, none of this would've happened if Lincoln just came to all of our events without any hassle! We're a family, and we have to support each other, even if we don't want to," Lori argued.
"And why is it so hard to just allow someone to have some time off from supporting their family?" Albert asked.
"That may be the way with other families, but not OUR family. We support each other through thick and thin, rain or shine," Lola replied, getting irritated.
"I can't believe your parents did such a terrible job raising you girls, Junior especially. They should've taught her that winning isn't everything, and that games, whether they be sports or at home board games, are meant to have fun, not be won," Albert said, shaking his head.
"Pop-Pop does raise a valid point. Lynn has been acting like her life literally depended on HER winning, instead of any us," Luan pointed out.
"But Junior isn't the only one at fault here. Isn't that right, Lisa?" the militant woman said, singling out the family's resident genius.
"Correct, Aunt Rhonda. I should have prioritized stopping this whole superstitious ordeal before it escalated out of control instead of focusing on my experiment," Lisa said, sounding dejected.
"That's right, you SHOULD HAVE, but you didn't! Not a single one of you girls once thought that Bad Luck is just a bunch of crap invented by superstitious nuts as an excuse when things don't go their way!" Ross yelled. The sheer volume caused the Sisters to flinch.
"In any case, while it may be in poor taste to choose sides in scenarios like this, we're going to be supporting Lincoln through the Tournament, since he's clearly never had ENOUGH support!" Rachel said.
"But that's not fair! Why should he get all the support when we're left with nothing!?" Lola screeched.
"Because it's clear that you girls have had too much support and not enough discipline, while the reverse is true for Lincoln, having too much discipline and not enough support," Rhonda replied.
"Besides, now you girls can know how your brother feels, being left with only the scraps while the better rewards go to someone else," Randy said. Just then, one of the staff members came in.
"Uh, pardon me, but it's almost time," she said.
"Ok, we'll head back to the stands, but I want you girls to seriously think about everything you've done," Albert said, as he and the other adults left the girls in the room.
Meanwhile, at the Juvenile Facility...
The armored truck carrying Lynn Jr was driving for a long time, before it finally reached its destination. After a few more minutes, the truck finally stopped. The doors opened up, with the guards standing outside, "Alright, everyone out!" one of them yelled. One by one, the passengers in the back of the truck filed out, "Lynn Loud Jr., you're staying the entire summer for charges of willingly being accomplices to the crime of child abuse, several counts contempt of court, and many other charges. Heh, I guess you don't feel too lucky now, huh?" the guard asked unsympathetically.
"Don't get used to me being here! I'm just going to try and escape," Lynn Jr declared.
"And where exactly would you go? Something you should know about the Juvenile Facility is that it's situated on an island, just off the shore of Lake Michigan. The only way to get back to dry land is across the bridge, and we have a drawbridge at least half a mile long, and we pull it back up so no unauthorized vehicles can get in and no inmates can get out. Besides, you wouldn't be able to get to the gates leading to the bridge anyhow, since the gates are carefully monitored 24/7," the guard explained the layout of the Facility.
"Don't waste your breath on her, Perkins. Her parents raised them to be lost causes. With the cell she's getting, escape is nothing more than a pipe dream," the guard's partner said.
"True. Alright, get moving!" Perkins said, as Lynn Jr, along with the rest of the new inmates, were all ushered into the building. Lynn Jr saw some sort of line, leading into a room, where the other new inmates were being ushered into. Soon, it was her turn. She went in, and was strapped to a chair, restraining her arms, legs, and head, to keep her from moving. A machine was brought down towards her.
"What is that?" Lynn Jr asked, a bit nervously, as the machine sprayed some kind of yellow stuff on her cheek.
"Alright, you're done. Go get fitted for a prison jumpsuit," the guards said, pushing the Loud out of the room, through a second door in the back. Lynn Jr. then saw her reflection in the glass, leading to the office where she was to receive her jumpsuit, and saw a yellow mark.
"What's with the tattoo?" Lynn angry said.
"Every inmate gets marked when they get sent here. Be fortunate that the mark isn't permanently staying on you," one of the guards said harshly, as she was ushered in. The athletic sister was guided by the guards to a big courtyard, where Warden Venomous and Lila were on a big stage, looking out at the massive crowd of inmates.
"Alright, listen up! For those of you who don't know who we are, I am Warden Alastor Venomous, and this is my lovely wife, Lila. We run things here in the Michigan Juvenile Facility. On the outside world, you all may have had names that made you famous in some fashion or another, for better or for worse, but here, you all are nothing special! You've all had a hand in committing serious crimes in some fashion or another, and have been brought here so that we can reform your behavior, using any and all methods necessary. And if any of you has any ideas about escaping here, then forget it! Every wall in the entire Facility is made of reinforced steel, so tunneling out is out of the question. And all the air vents can only be accessed through certain areas that none of you will be allowed access to. And even if someone did manage to escape, the marks you received upon arrival here will immediately notify the guard room, dispatching a squad to come and bring you back in. If you fail to cooperate and try to resist capture, then Lila and I have full authority to make your stay here even longer as we see fit!" Alastor explained.
"Given that there are boys and girls among all of you, the Facility is divided into two sections. Alastor keeps watch on the west side of the Facility, where all the boys are held, while I handle things on the east side, which is where all the girls will be held. Because of this divide, interactions between boy and girl inmates are strictly limited. Furthermore, any unruly behavior by ANY inmate will be punished with time in the Box!" Lila said.
"You all will be assigned a cell as soon as you're divided. The guards will escort each of you to your respective sides," Alastor said, as the speech concluded. Lynn Jr was ushered along with the rest of the female inmates.
"This is ridiculous! I did nothing wrong, and now I'm paying for Stinkcoln's mistakes yet again!" Lynn Jr seethed. Despite everything that's been happening to her, she still believed herself to be in the right.
"Alright, Lynn Jr. Loud, you will be assigned to *chuckle* Cell 13. Now get moving!" one of the guards said, as one of them took Lynn Jr. to their respective cell.
"No way! I'm not going anywhere near anything with the number 13!" Lynn Jr said, refusing to get into her cell, holding onto the door frames. This forced the guard to use a stun gun to get her to lose her grip, and was forced inside.
"Well, lookie and what we got here!" one of the Cell 13 inmates said, as she and the other Cell Mates eyed Lynn Jr like vultures, "The Lucky, Lynn Loud Jr.!" she said. There were about 7 other girls in the cell with Lynn Jr.
"Careful Stacy! You don't want to try boosting her ego any more. It's already stuffy in here with only one window, we don't need any more hot air," another inmate said.
"There's no harm in calling her 'lucky'. After all, that's all she is! All luck, no skill!" the rest of the Cell 13 girls laughed, as Lynn got back onto her feet.
"Dang it, I didn't want to get stuck in here!" Lynn Jr complained.
"Well you're not the only one, Loud. We don't want to be in the Facility anymore than you or your sister do, but this is the fate that befalls anyone who breaks major laws," the first inmate said.
"It's not the Facility I'm worried about. It's this cell! It's number 13! That's the unluckiest number in the world!" Lynn Jr exclaimed.
"Well girls, I think it's high time we taught a newbie here a little lesson!" the first girl said, as two of the other Cell 13 girls held down Lynn Jr.
"Hey, let me go!" Lynn Jr exclaimed, trying to break free, but the two girls proved far stronger than Lynn Jr, which was something the sporty sister was unable to fathom. A punch to her gut broke her thoughts, as the other inmates in the room began beating her up.
"Here's how things work around here, Loud. For the first week, all newbies are forced to sleep on the floor, instead of their bunk! Secondly, the one who's been here longest gets to make all the calls. Thirdly, don't even think of trying to assert yourself while you're here," the lead cellmate said, as Lynn Jr was thrown onto the floor. "But since the Duel Monsters Championship is gonna be live any minute, we're gonna be generous and leave you alone for a while."
"Boss, the Opening Ceremony is about to start!" One of the cellmates said, as everyone, except Lynn Jr, sat down in front of the TV in the room.
"Welcome, one and all, to the Duel Monster World Championship!" the announcer said, as the audience erupted in cheer. "These next four days will be something truly spectacular, as Royal Woods has been chosen to host the Championship Tournament, featuring the strongest of the strongest Duelists from around the world, most of which from the City of Ouroboros! Now, introducing two very special quests, we have the Kevesi and Agnian Queens themselves, Queen Melia Antique and Queen Nia Huw!" Just then, the two said queens came out, waving at the cheering audience, before sitting down on two thrones.
For the Queen of Keves, Melia had long silver hair and wore a black and gray dress. The dress had ropes on its skirt along with a feather. It had metallic, black stars embedded across the dress, and she wore long, black gloves. She also had what appeared to resemble wings behind her.
As the Queen of Agnus, Nia wore long, hooded white robes with red accents resembling a kimono, with a large white bow on the back. Her dress was decorated with various golden accessories reminiscent of her Blade form. Her hair came down only to her shoulders. She had her long pointed ears which were attached to a white crown with golden accents and three light blue jewels coming down the front. Her crimson and aqua diamond Core Crystal was visible on her chest. Unlike most people, her eyes are distinctly more pointed.
"And now, let's introduce the duelists competing for the title!" the announcer bellowed, as smoke filled the arena stage.
"First up, though she is small, she has a great sense of combat and fights with her fists. She is a very brave person who is never intimidated by huge enemies and almost never loses. And while her cynicism and brutal honesty make it difficult for her to get along with others, she does genuinely care for her friends and family despite trying to act harshly towards them. Please welcome the Number 8 Duelist in the world, Ghonder Vandham!" the announcer said, as Ghonder came in and gave a few punches.
"Let's get this party started." Ghonder smirked, before dismissing her gauntlets.
"Next up is our Number 7 Duelist! In the past, he had to hide his identity to keep his family from knowing who he was, but now, here he is, having defeated one of his sisters in a completely one sided match, Royal Woods' ace Duelist, the Man with the Plan, Lincoln Loud!" the announcer said.
"Here we go!" Lincoln said, dashing out into the Duel Arena. The stadium erupted into cheers as the white haired lad made his way out. Looking out at the stands, Lincoln could see many familiar faces, some he was surprised to see, such as Flip, Mr. Grouse, Hank and Hawk, Ms. DiMartino, Ms. Johnson, Coach Pakowski, Hugh, and the Yates Family.
"Dang, never thought I would see the day you would be here without that stupid mask!" Ghonder smirked.
"Well, things change, Ghonder." Lincoln said, fist bumping with her.
"Number 6 on our countdown, though he can be reckless and frequently acts without thinking, he is remarkably supportive towards people he recognizes as being younger than himself. Ladies and Gentlemen, Lanz Bardoe!" the announcer declared, as Lanz ran in.
"Let's get stuck in!"
"And now, our Number 5 Duelist has a strong sense of responsibility to her friends above all else. She is easily swayed by her emotions, often causing her to act without thinking. Despite her headstrong and brash attitude, she is rather good at academics. Please give applause for Eunie Archer!" The announcer said, as Eunie then came out.
"Be ready guys, because I'm gonna rearrange your faces when I'm through with you." Eunie smirked.
"We will see about that, Eunie." Lincoln confidently replied.
"Up next, Number 4 in the race for first, enjoys training and has a cheerful and energetic personality, it's Sena LaChance!" Sena then ran out, with a cheerful attitude.
"I'm ready when you are!" She said, ready for action.
"Moving on, though she is gentle, her dueling gets serious if necessary, we have Mio Edwards, the Number 3 Duelist!" the announcer said, as Mio came out, as she looked at Queen Nia, who was smiling at her, before joining the rest of the duelists.
"Next up is our Number 2 Duelist, a tactician of surpassing skill who supports his allies. On one hand, he has a cheeky personality, but on the other, he is sometimes too cautious, getting easily annoyed and impatient when he does not understand something. Though quick to point out his strategic acumen, it is one of the few things about himself that he has any confidence in. Give it up for Taion Huband!" The announcer said, as Taion casually walked out.
"And now finally, our Number 1 Duelist in the world! While brave and willing to risk his Life Points for the sake of his friends, this duelist is fundamentally kindhearted and dislikes having to fight others unless he has no choice. However, his kindness still has its limits and he will show no mercy to those who commit especially grave personal offenses against him or his allies. Please welcome, Noah McEntire!"
The crowd burst into more applause than before, as Noah came out, with a smile on his face.
"This reminds me of the day where we all first met," Noah commented, his expression never once changing as he reached the group.
"Alright guys, may the best Duelist win!" Lincoln exclaimed as everyone else cheered.
"And now, let's introduce our other 8 Competitors. Having been found guilty of numerous acts of cruelty towards our Number 7 Duelist, a group of girls who have to hope that Luck is on their side one last time, we have Lori, Leni, Luna, Luan, Lucy, Lana, Lola, and Lisa Loud!" the announcer said, as the sisters made their way in. The moment they walked in, everyone started booing them.
"I can't believe we aren't being greeted the same as Lincoln! If he gets a warm welcome, then we should too!" Lola complained.
"Easy there, Lola. Our objective in this match is not to turn public opinion of us around, it's to get further in the tournament, and win back a good chunk of our summer," Lisa replied, as they stood across from the Top 8.
"Too bad for you girls that Lynn decided to challenge me ahead of the scheduled time of our Duel. Now it's too late for her to apologize," Lincoln said.
"Lincoln, not only are we going to win this, but we intend to make certain that you're given just as harsh a punishment as we are!" Lori said.
"I'd like to see you try," Lincoln replied.
"And now, for the tournament to get underway, we'll now randomly select the match-ups for the Tournament!" the announcer declared, as 16 cards appeared on screen, 8 being blue, while 8 were red. "Due to a court order, each of the Loud Sisters will have to face one of the Top 8 in the first round, so let's see who duels who!" The cards on the screen began to shuffle with one other, in their respective colors of course. "And stop!" the announcer said, as the shuffling stopped, showing the match ups, with each one containing a blue and red card, before they began to flip over, revealing the competitor's faces.
"The first duel will be Lori VS Ghonder!"
"The second duel is Leni VS Taion!"
"The third duel is Lana VS Lincoln!"
"The fourth duel and final duel for Day 1 will be Luna VS Sena!"
"The start of Day 2 will begin our fifth duel, which is Lucy VS Noah!"
"Afterwards will be the sixth duel, Lola VS Mio!"
"The seventh duel will be Luan VS Eunie!"
"The Final duel for Day 2 and Round 1 will be Lisa VS Lanz!"
"Now, if all other Duelists will vacate the arena floor, the first match-up will now get underway!" the announcer said, as everyone, apart from Lori and Ghonder left the arena.
"I can't say I feel bad for doing this, because you all deserve to be punished!" Ghonder commented.
"Stay out of this, kid! You and your friends have nothing to do with our family" Lori yelled.
"We'll see about that." Ghonder smirked.
"And now, the computer will now randomly select the Action Field! And it has chosen The Misty Forest!" the announcer proclaimed.
"Augmented Reality Combat system online. Generating Action Field." A computerized voice said, as the ARC System generated a Dark Forest with a soft mist. It was then both Lori and Ghonder both activated their duel disks.
"LET'S DUEL!" they said.
TO BE CONTINUED…
Author's Note:
In case anyone is wondering, the match-ups were completely random. The members of Ouroboros's last names are actually the last names of their English Voice Actors, since they don't actually have last names. Also, the reason why Lynn got shipped out to the Facility early is for future plot points.
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