A/N: Hey everybody! Just a little note. This is AU. Very, very, AU. Even though it's GX, there are going to be Xyz, Links, you name it. I just can't write a duel without my favorite monsters XD. It's a story with a new world, a new academy, new monsters, and new characters. Of course, I'll do my absolute best to keep the GX character's decks similar to what they had in the show though. Deep down, I've always wanted to see Jaden use the Xtra Heroes. They are just too cool! This is my first ever fanfic. I hope you enjoy it!
2024 Update: Hello! Long time no see, guys! So...I sat on this for a long, long, long time. After taking a few classes on Udemy, learning some new things from some new friends, and so and so I came to realize that I hate hate HATED where this was going. I cringed so hard on a lot of things and how convoluted the plot (If there was any to begin with) was going. So I'm gonna try and redo this again.
So here are some changes I made.
1) Got rid of a lot of OCs. The cast was getting too big and some were doing next to nothing
2) No more ridiculous over-the-top villains and damsels in distress. The whole thing was ridiculous. Made me face-palm myself and wonder what the hell I was thinking. I deserved to be called out for that garbage writing. So thanks a lot!
Dear, Mom
Well, I did it. I was able to get my diploma and I'll be on my way to Duel Academy where I'll learn to be a pro duelist like Sara. I called her to tell her the news, but naturally, she's not responding. Too busy with the league I suppose.
I don't mind, I'm too happy to care if she answers or not. Obelisk Blue just like I promised. I wish dad were here to see this day, but I know deep down he's smiling at me from Heaven and cheering me on with that ridiculous song of his. Remember that bracelet he gave me for my birthday with my Sacred Phoenix cards? Don't worry, I didn't lose it. I carry it with me always. He said it would bring me good luck and so far it hasn't let me down. Earlier today, I decided to head to the Kaiba Dome to see the entrance exams. They say that lots of surprises happen there. Well, mom, surprised I was.
A boy came in really late. And I mean late. They were just about to close the exams. So as punishment for his tardiness he was challenged by that teacher Sara warned me about. The one who kept sucking up to her while she was studying at the academy. Dr. Crowler. Sara wasn't kidding when she said he was very scary-looking. She also says he's a gentleman when you get to know him, but I guess only time will tell. For now, he doesn't seem that way to me. From where I was, I could see the hatred in his eyes. He was so determined to take the boy out and keep him from coming to school.
He wanted to show all the new students what real dueling was all about by sticking it to the boy. Jaden was his name. In no time at all, Crowler summoned that legendary monster of his. Ancient Gear Golem. Mama! They weren't kidding about that new Solid Vision Technology the school has. My God, the creature was so real! You can see bits of metal fall from its arms, the machinations inside of him whirred, and he let out this horrible sound l can only describe as worse than what the Tripods in War of the Worlds sounded like!
You and those programmers do a scary job designing these things. That's just a little too real for me. It makes me nervous because I'm sure I might face so much worse once I'm at school.
Anyway, the duel didn't go in Crowler's favor. Jaden beat him with this super cool monster. First, he activated a field spell or something that transformed the arena into a city at night. Then he fusion summoned an Elemental HERO called Flame Wingman. The field gave the HERO an ATK point boost that gave him enough power to beat that horrible Ancient Gear Golem. I can see why Sammy likes them so much. I took lots of pictures for him. I'll be sure to send them to him before I go to bed. I have a big day tomorrow mom. I'll write to you every day and I can't wait to see you over Christmas Break. I'm sure I'll have lots of stories to tell. Tell Sammy I miss him a lot. Wish me luck
Love
Alice
Alice Fenix was awakened by a sudden jolt of turbulence. "Ouch!" She bumped her head against the window. Outside, the glass was splashed with raindrops and she saw nothing but storm clouds enveloping the Kaiba Corp luxury Osprey like a veil of smoke, curtaining the world in pastels of gray, white, and black. Flashes of lightning illuminated the clouds and were followed by a light clap of lightning, drowned out by the thick walls of the vehicle. Behind that little glass window was a world of chaos and mayhem. High-speed winds, freezing cold temperatures, and lighting zapping around. Hundreds of miles below were choppy seas with violent waves. Inside the Osprey, she and the other new Duel Academy students were nice, warm, and cozy. Despite how safe she was inside the Osprey a lightning storm was the last thing she needed right now.
"Not up here," she thought.
She pulled the blue curtain shut to avoid looking at the dreary sight and sunk into her seat. She checked her watch. It was twenty past one, meaning she had been asleep for four hours. She figured they were somewhere over the ocean by now and Duel Academy was close. Thunder rumbled outside again making her uneasy.
"Oh, why couldn't I have been asleep a little while longer?"
Another flash of lightning. This one was close. Alice gasped and slapped both hands over her ears, bracing for impact. BOOM! Thunder exploded close by, causing a few of the younger students to scream and a few others to whoop with delight. A little boy in the back was sobbing, crying for his mommy. Alice knew who he was. He was Evan (from Duel Links).
How he made it into Duel Academy was nothing short of a miracle. He dueled so poorly in his exam duel, summoning nothing but weak vanilla monsters from packs such as Metal Raiders and Spell Ruler. Had it not been for the Mirror Force card he played, he wouldn't have been able to save his monsters, which he later used as tributes to summon a powerful fairy named Wingweaver. Without her, he wouldn't have won.
Perhaps he had some skill, Alice thought after the duel. Only she later learned that the Mirror Force card was the only rare card he had in his deck and that it was given to him by his sister, who was rumored to be an Obelisk Blue student. No doubt the poor guy had some big shoes to fill if those rumors were true. Alice looked back at him from behind her seat. He was quivering as though he were out in the cold. And she spotted a very pitiful sight. The deck case he had strapped to his belt had a plastic gold plaque in the front of the deck. And it read...
Happy Birthday, Snookums!
Love Grandma!
Ouch. That had to be embarrassing. Well, if a newbie could beat a Duel Academy professor and his 3000 ATK monster, she supposed anything could happen in the exam duels.
The other students didn't seem to mind the storm at all. They were walking about despite the Osprey was shaking like crazy. Some were eating, others chatted away, already making friends and taking selfies with one another to show their followers the first day of their new life at the academy. Even though the rotors were loud, the sound of laughter and excited chatter could still be heard. Someone was playing pop music in the front seat. There was a group huddling around a young man's laptop watching the duel with Yugi Muto against a duelist named Diva during the unveiling of the new Generation 3 Duel Disks and the brand new Solid Vision Technology, which was going to enrichen the experience of the game.
"Did any of you guys hear about that kid who beat Crowler?"
"Yeah, I was there! His Elemental HERO was so beast!"
"Ha! He better watch out! I'm going to take him down no sweat!"
The Osprey cleared out of the clouds half an hour later and the sky turned blue as if by magic. The Osprey soared over an island with a multitude of biomes. Alice gasped in amazement as she soared over wetlands, fields of red flowers, fjords with dozens of windmills, dense jungles leading to lively estuaries, and snow-capped mountains. The Osprey lowered until it flew directly over the jungle. Alice pressed her face against the glass when she saw flamingos flying right beside her over a river down below. This was like no other place on earth, that's for sure. It was like a paradise.
Finally, the Osprey reached the northern tip of the island where the academy and the buildings to house the students were located. This was it. Alice was finally in her home away from home. Duel Academy.
When she saw the dozens of towers made of glass and steel, she began to grow puny and overwhelmed. Those were some mighty big facilities. School? This place looked like a city. She raised the carrying handle from her hard suitcase and pulled it toward a guard dressed in enough tactical gear to make him look like a soldier from Delta Force. His rifle was all dressed up with a variety of attachments as if he was about to go raid a warehouse full of bad guys.
Alice was intimidated by his presence, but she needed to know where to go. She stepped up to him and cleared her throat.
"Excuse me. Uh, do you know the way to the Obelisk Blue Girls..."
The guard pointed toward the mountains. "Into the forest, cross the lake, and make a left. Just follow the signs." His radio buzzed with com chatter.
"Uh...thank you." Alice was quite stunned by how rude he was. She power walked to get as far away from the soldier as she could. As she went towards the path into the jungle, she noticed more soldiers walking by, weapons drawn as if they were guarding a military base. Alice looked away from them and kept going, wondering why the academy needed so much security.
She noticed the holographic signs pointing the way towards the girls' dorm. It looked like she had a long way to go before she got there but if she followed the concrete path through the jungle, she had a feeling she would get there before the storm reached them. She heard something moving out in the trees. Monkeys. They hooted as they jumped from vine to vine. One even lept onto a branch and stood there watching Alice. She smiled at it and continued her journey to the dorms.
Moments later, she saw a path leading into a clearing in the jungle. There was some sort of commotion going on over there. Curious, Alice strayed off the main road and walked into the clearing. There were some duels going on there already. Wooden stands were packed with students, holding up handfuls of cash as they were making bets on who would win.
Oddly enough, the scared boy from the Osprey, Evan was in a duel. He was up against a boy from Obelisk Blue who had him in the ropes. Evan had 500 Life Points left and his Obelisk Blue opponent still had all 4000 of his. He didn't even take a hit. On his field, he had two warrior monsters called Knight of the Red Lotus and Valkyrian Knight.
All Evan had was an Axe Raider and a Battle Warrior. Vanilla monsters! Alice would have never thought anyone still used those. The crowd was getting restless. They taunted Evan and booed him, egging him on to make a play. But he was just too nervous.
"Well, Snookums, are you gonna make your move? Or are you just going to run back to mommy to have your diaper changed?"
"I...I can beat you!" Evan said. "Come on deck, I really need you to come through for me! I draw. Hey, I did it. I use the spell, Axe of Despair. Now my spell increases my Ax Raider's attack by 1000!"
Ax Raider's default ax switched for one that looked like it was forged in the realm of shadow. He growled as a dark aura flowed around his body. His points reached 2700, causing many in the crowd to gasp in awe.
"Awesome! He's more powerful than your knight! Go, Ax Raider! Attack his monster."
"You fell right for my trap, scrub! I activate Ring of Destruction! This card will destroy your monster and we take damage equal to his attack points. Correction, you just take the damage. With my spell card, Ring of Defense, my Life Points will be safe!"
"HEY!" Evan shouted.
Ax Raider tried his hardest to pull the Ring of Destruction off his neck, but it was too late. The pins on the grenades popped off and then they exploded, blasting Evan with incredible damage, reducing his Life Points to 0.
The Obelisk Blue laughed. "Aww, what wrong, baby? You gonna cry? That's what you get for thinking you could play with us here in the big leagues. Tell you what, why don't you have a duel against you, so that way when you lose, it'll be to yourself." He walked away with two giggling girls and disappeared into the jungle.
Alice was appalled by the other player's behavior. "Man, talk about no respect." She wanted to talk to Evan, but he was already sulking away to get his things and go to his dorm in the swamps with the other losers.
Just then an explosion from a nearby field got Alice's attention. She couldn't believe it. It was the boy who beat Crowler. He was in the middle of a duel too and it didn't look good for him.
The Dragonic Knight raised his sword and cut a monster named Elemental HERO Stratos in half. The attack dealt 1ooo points of damage to the boy named Jaden, who was in Slifer Red, the lowest ranking dorm in Duel Academy.
"Listen up, Jaden!" shouted Chazz, who was an Obelisk Blue student. "You don't have what it takes to be here. I've got the power of Dragonic Knight on my side. You've got nothing. You're just a stepping stone on my way to the top. After you're out of the way, there's no stopping me. I, Chazz Princeton, will be the Duel King!"
Chazz - 4000 LP
Jaden- 3000LP
Jaden let out a friendly laugh. "Well, Chazz, you're true to your reputation. You're good. But not good enough! I activate my face-down card! HERO Signal! Now, I special summon, Elemental HERO Avian!"
"Hmph!" Chazz snarled. "I set a card face-down and end my turn."
Jaden drew. "Sweet! I activate the spell card, Polymerization! Now, I fuse together Avian and Blazeman! Swirl up a storm! Elemental HERO Great Tornado!"
He fused his monsters together to create a hero in a green, black, and orange jumpsuit shrouded by a torn black cape.
Elemental HERO Great Tornado
ATK/2800 DEF/2200
Chazz sneered. "So? Our monsters are evenly matched!"
"Not for long they're not! Here's Great Tornado's special ability! Downburst! Now, your monster loses half of its attack points! Your Dragonic Knight is history, Chazz!"
Great Tornado flew up and raised his fist. He then rocketed towards Dragonic Knight and smashed him in the chest.
Chazz braced for impact. "ARRGH!" Solid Vision technology was too strong. Chazz rubbed his chest. The extra damage from Great Tornado's attack stung him awfully, but he dug the soles of his boots to the ground and stood calm, fighting through it.
His Life Points dropped to 2500.
Jaden balled his fist victoriously. "How'd you like that, Chazz?"
"Celebrating already? I don't think so, Jaden! I activate my trap, Reverse-Time! Now our monsters are returned to the way they were. Great Tornado is eliminated from the game instead of going to the Graveyard."
Jaden saw a portal rip open above Great Tornado. It swallowed him up and then Blazeman and Avian returned to the field as if they never fused together to make the powerful HERO who stood there earlier.
"No! Great Tornado is gone!" shouted Jaden.
"And my Dragonic Knight returns to do battle. Revive!"
Alice covered her open mouth with her hands. "Wow! His dragon is back. And he looks ready for action! Poor Jaden. His Great Tornado didn't stand a chance against him."
"My turn!" said Chazz. "I summon Alexandrite Dragon!" Chazz tapped on the holographic card projected in front of him. The card then soared to the field and turned into a tall dragon with pebbly skin. The thousands of precious gems embedded all over its body glimmered in the sunlight peering through the jungle canopy. The dragon reared up its head and shot out glittering white flames from its mouth to intimidate Jaden.
Dragonic Knight
ATK 2800
Alexandrite Dragon
ATK/2000
"ATTACK WITH TWO DRAGONS" Chazz shouted.
Dragonic Dragon slashed Elemental HERO Blazeman in half. Then, Alexandrite Dragon burned Elemental HERO Avian to crisp. The double attack left Jaden with a mere 400 Life Points.
When the dust settled, Jaden looked over his arm, which he used to shield his eyes from debris. "Arrgh!...He's...strong!"
Chazz crossed his arms and scoffed, proud of the carnage he inflicted on Jaden. "You just don't get it, Jaden. You were never supposed to be here. You fail to understand that Duelists use their cards for power and for strength. But you...heh! You still see them as mere toys. A soul mate if you wanna get in deep. Well, where are your soulmates now, Jaden? I'm just one attack away from winning this duel."
"Don't get too cocky, Chazz! My monsters are just itching to get at you!"
"Bring it on you Slifer Slacker! Show me what your pitiful resistance can do! There's nothing you have that can stand up to my Dragonic Knight or my Alexandrite Dragon! Come on, impress me!"
"With pleasure! I draw! I use Pot of Greed to draw two cards. Here it comes, Chazz. I summon Winged Kurirboh!"
"You dare insult me with that little furball? Dragonic Knight! Wipe him out."
"I don't think so, Chazz! I use the spell, Transcendent Wings! Evolving Winged Kuriboh to Level 10!"
"Level…T-t-ten!"
"Now, by sacrificing himself, Winged Kuriboh Level 10 destroys all monsters on the field and deals their ATK points right back to you as damage!"
"NOOOOO!" Chazz cried.
Suddenly the holograms shut down. Soldiers from campus security marched into the jungle arena and shouted at the students to leave and go find their dorms. Now was not a time to be playing Duel Monsters. Everyone groaned but did as they were told. But none was more distraught about this intrusion than Jaden.
"WHAT!? Oh, come on! I was about to win!"
Chazz scoffed, shouldered his duffle bag, and began to walk down the steps of the arena. "You lucked out, Slifer Slacker. We all know I would have won had it not been for these goons. Smell ya later."
"Aw, but I was winning!" Jaden cried. "Come on!"
"Beat it, kid!" shouted a security guard. "Now, before I go up there and bring you down myself."
One by one, the students began to leave the arena, hoping they would get to see more action tomorrow.
Alice was already ahead of them. She left as soon as she noticed the guards coming. Just as she was beginning to find her way a loud roar burst from the jungle causing Alice to freeze.
What was that?
There weren't lions or tigers on the island were there? That would be stupid.
Alice took a closer look at one of the tree trunks. It was moving. Then she heard a snarl. She looked up and saw a dinosaur glaring at her hungrily. She dropped her suitcase and screamed, running down the path. The trees collapsed as the prehistoric beast charged out to get her. Alice scurried up a tree like a frightened cat, hoping she could get high enough to escape the dinosaur.
She heard it snapping its jaws at her, forcing her to get up even higher and higher until she was finally at the top. It wasn't enough. The dinosaur's eyes and her eyes were locked on to one another. It looked awfully familiar. It hit her. This was no ordinary dinosaur. It was a weak Duel Monster called Tomozaurus. It was a Solid Vision hologram. Someone was playing a prank on her.
"Man, she ran away faster than the last one did," said a large-bodied boy with wild green and black hair and a round pink nose. He and his friends walked out of the jungle and gathered around Alice's suitcase. They were all wearing red uniforms with the depiction of a red dragon on their coat-of-arms. Slifer the Sky Dragon, Alice thought. Those boys were from the Slifer Red Dorm. But their accommodations were by the swamps. What were they doing all the way out here?
"I wonder what kind of cards she has in here," said the large boy.
One of his friends knelt down and tried to open it. "I guess we'll never find out, boss. This one is sealed tight with a luggage lock. We need to put in some kind of code."
"Aw, nuts! Is there any way we can break it open?"
"No worries, Boris. Once we take it back to my workshop, all her goodies will be as good as ours. Maybe we can sell them back to her."
"I don't think so!" Alice said. She was halfway down the tree. Suddenly the branch beneath her gave way and she fell down to the ground, landing hard on her butt. "Ow!"
Boris and his friends pointed and laughed at her. Alice moaned, rubbing her backside. She remembered she was being robbed and got up at once to confront the boys.
"Hey! That wasn't very nice!"
"So cry me a river girly."
One of Boris's friends sniggered. "Looks like she peed you a river, boss!"
Boris and the others burst out laughing. Alice looked at her legs and discovered she peed herself from fright. It didn't help at all that she was wearing a skirt. She gasped and crossed her legs, holding her arms down to cover her accident.
"Please, I need to change my clothes. Give me back my suitcase."
Boris flashed his large white teeth. "It's going to cost you two Ultra-Rare cards, girl."
"Why?"
"Because this here is our turf. You wanna cross through our jungle, you gotta pay up."
"I didn't know this was anybody's jungle! If anything, this is the pathway to the Obelisk Blue dorms. Why would Slifer Reds have any control here?"
"We're not just any group of Slifer Red losers!" said the shortest boy in the group. He had a tooth protruding from his upper lip. "We're the Red Crusaders."
"You've got to be kidding me?" Alice said with a blank expression on her face.
The short boy pointed at his face. "Does this look like someone who's kidding? My brother owns this part of the jungle cuz he's tough enough to deal with you stuck-up Obelisk Blues."
"I don't want to give you trouble, I really don't."
"Of course, you don't," sneered Boris. "Cuz I'm a threat, so you're showing me the respect I deserve. Now, are ya gonna hand over your two rarest cards, or are you gonna have to walk to the girl's dorm like that?"
"No, but..."
"No buts or yours is about to get kicked!" Boris said. He punched his palm. "Oh, and your bracelet. It looks expensive. We'll be taking that, too."
"What? No! Take my cards, but you're not taking my bracelet. Just take what's in the suitcase and leave me alone."
All of a sudden, a Black Luster Soldier - Soldier of Chaos jumped out from a fancy-looking glyph and killed Tomozaurus with his large sword. The boys jumped back in fear, falling to the ground. Soldier of Chaos walked towards them, pointing his sword at them as they backed up and huddled against one another.
A girl with strawberry blonde hair tied into a ponytail with a red bow ran down the path to Alice's aid. She wore an athletic red and black uniform consisting of a practice jacket and short shorts. The color on the jacket's lower half faded into white and then dark red with black curvy designs. She must have been part of a school team by the looks of her.
"What the hell did I tell you about showing yourself around here, Boris! Christ! The term hasn't even started and already you're making an ass of yourself!"
"Holy crap, Enora! You scared the crap out of us!" Boris shouted. "That's not a way a lady should act."
Alice stomped her foot on the ground. "You are such a hypocrite! But it was perfectly fine when you did it to me!"
"You're an Obelisk Blue! You deserve everything you get!" shouted the short boy.
Enora snapped her fingers and the Soldier of Chaos stepped closer and closer towards them. "I can't stand this kind of behavior. It's because of jackasses like you and Chazz that there's so much animosity between the dorms. Get out of here before I get my father! You guys wouldn't want the head of security to bust you before the first day, would you?"
"Yeah well, there's not much he can do to stop us. I made some friends with connections around here. Just you wait. I can't wait to finally settle things with you in the ring, Enora."
Enora wasn't scared. She stood where she was, poise and calm. She crossed her arms. "You're not worthy of my time. Now get out of here and don't ever come back!"
"Come on, guys, let's bounce."
"We'll be back!"
"This ain't over, Enora!"
Enora looked at Alice and smiled. She took off her jacket and wrapped it around Alice's waist. "Come on. You need to change your clothes. Follow me. The dorm isn't that far from here." She started walking then stopped. "I'm sorry this had to happen. I promise not all students are like Boris."
Alice stuck close to Enora. "No worries. Oh, I'm Alice by the way. Alice Fenix."
"Enora Lionheart. Nice to meet you, Alice."
Alice and Enora continued walking down the path. "Your uniform is quite different than the others. For a moment, I thought you were Slifer Red."
"Ha ha. No. I'm the captain of the academy's female Duel Monsters team. The Red Arrows."
"Oh, that sounds really cool. What does it take to be part of the team?"
Enora smiled. "You interested in joining?"
"Oh no, I was just wondering is all."
"Well, if you ever consider joining us, give me a text. I'll give you my number when we reach your dorm. To be part of the team, you need to have good grades. Maintain at least a 3.0 GPA and you're golden. Oh, and obviously you need to have exceptional dueling skills."
"I'll work hard on my dueling that's for sure. But I'm here to be a programmer for Kaiba Corp like my mom."
"Oh, you're going to have a hand making holograms and stuff, right?"
"That's right. My mom and dad want me to be a pro duelist like my older sister, but it's not a path I want to follow really. Still, it wouldn't hurt to bolster my skills, huh?"
Enora stopped. "Hold on. Fenix? Your sister wouldn't by any chance be Sara Fenix would she?"
Alice sighed. "Yes, yes. She is."
"Well, color me intrigued Alice...I...wow! That is something else indeed. You've got some pretty big shoes to fill, huh? Oh, sorry about your father. My uncle knew him. He was a good man."
"Thank you. But Sara's shoes are something I'd rather leave unfilled. Being a pro is not what I'm interested in. Still, I figured that if I become a decent duelist, my mom could get off my back."
"Well, if you ever have a mind for it, you should really consider becoming a Red Arrow, Alice. We're a pretty competitive team and we have programs that can you get scholarships for your dream school after you're done with this place."
"Thanks for the offer. I'll consider it."
Alice spotted the girls' dormitory up ahead. The building's architecture was awe-inspiring, with a chateau-like structure that was constructed around a lake where a waterfall flowed into it. One section of the building was erected over another, which cascaded down to the girls' bathing area below.
"This is incredible!"
"Hey, you worked hard to be here. You've earned it. Where's your room at?"
Alice fumbled around the pockets of her denim jacket. "Uh, let's see." She found it. "Room 2100."
"Ooh, you get the underwater suites."
"Underwater suites?"
"Yeah. You get a great view of the bottom of the lake. Or the ocean depending on what side of the island you're facing. Either way, there's lots of pretty fish living down there and the plant life is really colorful."
This, Alice couldn't wait to see. After getting registered, she followed Enora to an elevator that took them down to the rooms built at the bottom of the lake. Once the elevator doors opened they met a girl with long golden hair and brown eyes.
"Oh, Alexis!" Enora said. "This where you staying?"
Alexis smiled and dried her hair with the towel around her neck. "Yeah. Of course. Do you know what I had to do to get a room down here? Who's this? A friend of yours?"
"Oh, Alice? Yeah, she's all right. She had a little...accident when Boris and his boys gave her a scare on the way here. I'm here to help her find her room so she can freshen up."
Alexis looked at Alice and shook her head with sympathy. "Aww, I'm sorry to hear that. Yeah, I ran into him when I got here this morning. He wanted to take my rarest cards. But once he saw that Zane was by my side, oof, boy, he went running."
Enora rolled her eyes. "Typical. He talks big, but he's a coward deep down. See, Alice? Don't worry. They're all just pushovers."
"But as you improve, those Slifer gangs will eventually back off," said Alexis. "Show them you're a force to be reckoned with, and they'll reveal their true colors. Mostly they target scrubs and freshmen."
Alice nodded repeatedly. "I'll remember that. I want to make him pay for what he did to me. I'm not going to let that slide, trust me."
Alexis giggled. "Ooo, look at the fire in her eyes. I like this one. Can't wait to see what she's got."
Obelisk Blue Boys Dorm - Chazz's Room
The first night had fallen over the island. Even though most of the students were already tucked in their beds ready for their first day of school, Chazz was staring out into the jungle restlessly from the balcony of his two-story room. The neon blue RGB lights glowed along the walls. His gaming setup, consisting of a $10,000 custom PC and Samsung Odyssey G9 monitor was complete and ready for use. The menu for Dark Souls 3 was looping on the screen. He wanted to play but he just couldn't. The dark and eerie music of the game's main menu just filled him with anger, despair, and anxiety at what would have happened had the Campus Security guards not stopped the duel when they did.
Even though the match was a no-contest, everyone from Obelisk Blue, Ra Yellow, and even Slifer Red was talking about how close Jaden was to winning that match and beating Chazz. It was unacceptable. He was just mere seconds away from total embarrassment. It should never have gotten that close. To make matters worse, he saw Alice amongst the crowd, recognizing her at once since he went to the same prep school with her.
And he knew she was the little sister of Sara Fenix, a duelist from the pro leagues whom he admired for years. The memory of seeing her standing there watching their duel caused his muscles to tense up and the lump in his chest to feel heavier. He pictured her in her dorm room messaging Sara and telling him about that Obelisk Blue loser, Chazz Princeton, and how he almost lost to a Slifer Red slacker.
He looked over his shoulder to his duel disk. It rested next to the glowing wireless keyboard with an array of rare dragon cards scattered around it. He just stood there, leaning on the railing, listening to the crickets chirping and the wind lightly caressing his face. His duel with Jaden was still fresh on his mind. Even though he was too proud to admit it, he knew Jaden almost defeated him right there in front of the other freshman.
Jaden! Chazz thought as he stared into the dark jungle. You almost had me beat! Damn you and that Winged Kuriboh. I swear that next time we duel, things will be a lot different!
He got off the balcony and headed downstairs to get something to drink. His boots were thumping against the white-carpeted stairs loudly, announcing his presence to his friends.
which he shared with his friends. Two of them, his closest friends Raizou and Taiyou, sat in front of the central fireplace trading cards to improve their decks. Another two guys were downstairs playing a game of air hockey, yelling and smacking the puck loudly. One of the dorm supervisors knocked on the door, telling them to quiet down and turn out the lights in ten minutes.
"Chazz, there you are," Raizou said while handing Taiyou a Pendulum Monster from the new Tactical Masters booster set. He was surprised to see Chazz dressed up in his academy coat. "Where you headed this hour, boss? It's late."
"I can't sleep," Chazz grouched, marching to the fridge to get himself a bottle of water. "That duel against that Jaden kid. I'm too proud to admit it but he almost got me. That should never have happened."
"You thinking about settling the score with him tomorrow?" Taiyou asked.
Chazz took his drink out of the fridge. He shut the door with a slam, then stared at the ceiling for a moment. It felt like forever before he finally unscrewed the cap and took a long gulp. "Tomorrow can't come quick enough. I need to duel him now."
Someone knocked on the door to his room. "Who is it?" Chazz called.
The visitor laughed obnoxiously. "It's me. Zachary (Duel Links). From the prep school."
Chazz left his drink on the kitchen counter and went to the door. He opened it halfway and saw an obnoxious-looking blue-haired boy standing outside, arms crossed confidently. Chazz narrowed his eyes.
"Chazz, my boy," he said. "Once I heard you were here in Blue, I just had to come by and pay you a visit. How you been, man?"
"Meh. I've been better. Is there something you wanted? Or did you stop by for a nightcap?"
Zachary chuckled softly. "Okay, okay, you're in a mood. Of course, I don't blame you. I heard from one of the girls that you almost lost to a Slifer Red. Is that true? If it is, I feel so embarrassed for you." He rubbed his chin and looked up. "Although, he's no ordinary Slifer Red from what I hear. He's the kid who defeated Dr. Crowler and his legendary monster at the entrance exams. Jaden Yuki, right?"
Chazz bared his teeth. Just hearing the kid's name made him furious. Seeing Chazz quiver and snarl made Zachary laugh out loud. "I guess I struck a nerve. So aren't you going to do something about it?"
"What do you mean?"
"The Chazz Princeton I know won't settle for something like this. If you want your rematch, go get your rematch. You're a Princeton, remember? Don't you guys always get what you want?"
Chazz suddenly found himself smiling for once since the duel that afternoon.
Slifer Red Boy's Dorm - Jaden's Room
"Slifer Silver," Jaden said, admiring the badge that went along with his uniform. He polished it at least five times within the hour. It was very beautiful to look at. Slifer the Sky Dragon was carved into an elegant pose surrounded by scrollwork and his eyes were inlaid with red crystal. Silver was written underneath his long serpentine body in a banner.
"So there are ranks within ranks around here, huh?" he said.
Indeed there were. As if the Red, Yellow, and Blue rankings weren't bad enough, students had to push through each dorm with a gold, silver, and bronze ranking. And sometimes those rankings made all the difference in where you lived. In the other dorms, like Ra Yellow and Obelisk Blue, those meant little to nothing. But if you were bronze-ranked in Slifer Red, already deemed the lowest of the low, you were forced to live in a building that looked like a cheap motel in the swamps.
Jaden's poor grades almost got him sent to a less comfortable location. However, due to his exceptional win over Dr. Crowler, he was allowed to live in a more comfortable village. His dorm resembled a vacation cottage, with a pool overlooking the ocean. Despite being a low-ranked dorm, Slifer Red had some charming dorms.
"Man, this is the life," Jaden said. "Ain't it, Sye?"
"I guess," said Syrus, a short blue-haired boy with very small and round spectacles. He was sitting on the edge of his bed, looking at his blazer. "Slifer Reds are the lowest of the low around here, huh? Gosh, this is so embarrassing."
"Hey, don't feel bad, Sye. I think red is a pretty sweet color."
"But I thought I aced my written exams. I guess it doesn't really matter. Not with how I performed in my entrance exam. I almost lost that match."
Jaden laughed, hoping to brighten his spirits. "But you're in, man. Be happy about that." His PDA suddenly buzzed in his pocket. Jaden took it out. He got a video message from someone.
"From Chazz?" Jaden said.
Chazz appeared on screen with a malicious look on his face. The main campus was in the background. "Hey, Slifer Slacker! Don't think you're off the hook yet. At midnight tonight, we settle the score. Oh, and let's make this interesting. Whoever wins gets the other guy's best card." The video ended and Chazz's image faded into the Duel Academy logo.
"Sweet! Looks like we get to finish our duel after all."
Jaden grabbed his gear and hurried out of the dorm, running down the road that lead to the main campus. Syrus accompanied him, already moaning about how this wasn't such a good idea. Jaden didn't listen. Surprisingly, the automatic doors to the main campus were still on. They slid open to let Jaden and Syrus through. It was a long elevator ride up the arena where Chazz wanted to duel him. When the metal red doors slide open, Jaden peeked out cautiously to make sure no one was around. The halls were clear and the entrance ramp leading to the arena was clear. Lights shined down the tunnel, telling them someone was already there.
"Come on," Jaden whispered to Syrus.
"Jaden, this is not a good idea. What if this is a trap?"
Jaden didn't listen and pressed on. Chazz, Raizou, and Taiyou were already standing on top of the arena waiting for him. "Well, well, well. He shows."
"You better believe it, Chazz. There's no way I was going to back out of this." Jaden climbed up the arena, taking his place on the left side of the field.
Chazz's friends wished him luck and jumped down to give him the right side. "Time to see if you beating Dr. Crowler was nothing more than a fluke. I hope you have your best card ready to hand over when you lose."
They powered on the duel disks. The arena rumbled beneath their boots as the Solid Vision projectors turned on, ready to display the mayhem that was about to ensue.
Taiyou held out a coin and asked that they both shout out their calls. Chazz said heads and Jaden declared tails. Taiyou flipped the coin. He caught it and slapped it on the back of his hand. "Tails. The slacker goes first."
Turn 1
"I'm no slacker! Draw!" Jaden looked at his hands and grimaced. It was a terrible draw but there was one that could change everything. I activate Graceful Charity. Now, I draw three cards and discard two. Yes, now we're talking! I activate the spell, E - Emergency Call! This lets me add an Elemental HERO from my deck to my hand. And I choose Elemental HERO Clayman! And I'll set him in defense mode." A bulky earth-brown hero with a red dome for a head rose out of the ground. He got down on one knee and crossed his arms over his chest. With a DEF of 2000, Jaden hoped it would be enough to withstand the might of Chazz's dragon deck. "Now, I'm going to throw down two face-downs and end my turn!"
Turn 2
"Is that all you got, Slacker! Pathetic! I summon a monster in defense mode and end my turn. Your move."
Turn 3
Just one monster and no face-downs. It didn't seem like much but Jaden knew better than to laugh at Chazz's play. Jaden had two face-down cards and a monster with 2000 DEF on the field. But to Chazz that was nothing. And he wouldn't have thrown one monster down with no back row unless he had some kind of a plan. Whatever that thing was, it meant trouble. Thankfully, Jaden had one card that could save him in case the monster gave him any trouble.
"I draw! Sweet! I activate Polymerization! Now, I fuse Elemental HERO Clayman and Burstinatrix to fusion summon Elemental HERO Nova Master!"
Clayman and Burstinatrix jumped into a swirling vortex and came out as a regal-looking hero with armor designed to look like flames. A red cape fluttered behind him gracefully.
Elemental HERO Nova Master
ATK/2600 DEF/2100
"Go, Nova Master! Attack his face-down monster!"
Nova Master turned into a phoenix and took off into the air. He soared around the arena before diving down towards Chazz's monster, which was a little pink dragon with tiny wings. It squeaked when it was struck by Nova Master's attack and shattered into a thousand pieces.
"There goes your monster, Chazz! And when Nova Master attacks and destroys a monster, I get to draw a card."
Syrus jumped for joy. "Yes! Way to play, Jay!"
Alexis walked out of the shadows to join them. She had her arms crossed over her chest and a stern look on her face. "I wouldn't go celebrating just yet," she said.
"Alexis?" Syrus said with a gasp. "You're here too!"
"Yeah, I had to see this for myself. And that monster Jaden just destroyed was Kidmodo Dragon. Don't let its cute appearance deceive you. When it's destroyed, Chazz can summon any dragon he wants from his hand."
"Thanks for the play-by-play, Alexis!" Chazz said. "And so good of you to join us. Now you can see me trash this slacker! Yes. Kidmodo Dragon allows me to summon this from my hand! The mighty Tyrant Dragon!"
A column of flames burst in front of Chazz. Just as quickly as it appeared, it was gone, revealing a ten-meter tall dragon with brownish-gold skin and blue wings.
Tyrant Dragon
ATK/2900 DEF/2500
Jaden looked at the dragon and scoffed. "Is that supposed to scare me? I end my turn."
"Is this kid for real?" Andre said. "He must be bluffing. Just look at that dragon. He's got no chance against Chazz now."
Turn 4
"Oh, he doesn't scare you, huh?" Chazz said as he drew. "We'll just see about that! I draw! Now I summon Blackland Fire Dragon in attack mode!" His smaller green dragon burst into the field from a ball of fire. Its yellow eyes flashed at it reared its head up and roared.
Blackland Fire Dragon
ATK/1500 DEF/800
"My dragons don't scare you, huh? Well, let's see if my Tyrant Dragon can't change that! Go! Attack his Nova Master!"
Tyrant Dragon roared in response. He opened his mouth and fired a stream of white-hot flames.
"Don't think so, Chazz!" said Jaden. "I activate, HERO Barrier! If I have an Elemental HERO on the field, then my barrier will stop your dragon's attack!"
Despite the trap, Jaden braced himself for the excess flames as they bounced off the barrier, shooting in all directions.
Chazz merely laughed. "Your trap won't stop my dragon, Jaden! Tyrant Dragon can attack twice! This time your HERO is toast. Attack him again, my dragon!"
Tyrant Dragon fired again, this time burning Nova Master to cinders. Jaden formed an X with his arms and shielded his face from the flames. "Arrgh! Arrgh!" he growled, trying to stay on his feet. He took 300 damage from the attack bringing his Life Points to 3700.
Chazz sniggered, proud of the damage he inflicted. "Now prepare to feel the wrath of my Blackland Fire Dragon, slacker!"
Blackland Fire Dragon was ready to strike, but then a signal shined from out of the ground, shining on the dome roof of the arena.
Jaden chuckled. "Don't think so, Chazz! I activated HERO Signal! When you destroy an Elemental HERO, I can summon one from my deck. And I choose, Elemental HERO Heat!" Fire shot out of the ground. The flaming hero held out his arms, dispersing the flames.
Elemental HERO Heat
ATK/1600 DEF/1200
"My Elemental HERO gains 200 ATK for every HERO I have on the field, including himself! At 1800 points, he's far stronger than your Blackland Fire Dragon, Chazz. Oh, well. Guess you can't attack me directly now, can you?"
Chazz merely chortled in his throat. A minor setback but it wasn't enough to discourage him. He was in the lead after all and he had a powerful dragon on his side of the field. "Laugh it up, you Slifer Slacker! I'm only getting started!"
"And so am I! I've got plenty on monsters in my deck raring to slay your dragons where they stand! I draw!"
Turn 5
"That's quite a mess your friend is in," said Alexis.
"Yeah, but I know Jaden can pull out of this," Syrus said confidently. "If there's anyone around here who shut that bully up, it's Jaden."
"Thanks, Sye." Jaden gave him a thumbs up. "All right, Chazz. I summon, Elemental HERO Blazeman!"
Another flaming HERO flew down from the ceiling. He soared around Jaden leaving a trail of fire in the air. He gave Jaden a high-five and joined Elemental HERO Heat.
"Blazeman's effect activates! I can add Polymerization to my hand. Now I activate the field spell, Skyscraper!"
"Oh no!" Chazz cried out in disbelief as massive buildings rose out of the ground and turned the arena into an empty downtown plaza. "It's the card that helped the slacker beat Crowler!"
"You bet it is, Chazz. And now that Blazeman's on the field, Elemental HERO Heat's ATK will increase by another 200 points, raising him up to 2000. And since Skyscraper is in play, if my HEROES attack a monster with ATK higher than theirs, their strength goes up by a grand, making Heat's ATK go up to 3000! Now he's strong enough to take on your Tyrant Dragon!"
"Wow!" said Alexis. "That's impressive!"
"Slay that dragon, Jay!" Syrus cheered.
Elemental HERO Heat grew flaming wings out of his back. With his new strength, he flew across the field, lighting up the darkness as he sped by. He punched the green gem on Tyrant Dragon's head, cracking it like glass. Tyrant Dragon roared from the pain and exploded.
"NOOOOOO!" Chazz roared. He held his arm over his face and his coat swayed back and forth from the blast.
Elemental HERO Blazeman was next. Skyscraper increased his attack to 2200 and he punched Blackland Dragons' head off with ease. Chazz's Life Points were now at 3200. Jaden was in the lead now.
Turn 6
"You slacker!" Chazz mumbled. "You won that battle but the duel is far from over! I set a monster face-down and end my turn!"
Turn 7
"Things are looking up!" said Jaden. "Your Tyrant Dragon was a sweet card. Looks like I found the rare card I want from you."
"You want him, come get him!" Chazz sneered.
"Sure thing! I set a card face-down and I'll attack your monster with Elemental HERO Blazeman!"
Blazeman charged towards Chazz's field again, but he was stopped by what appeared to be a giant bearded wiseman with a body covered in dragon scales and four arms. He had 2100 ATK, making Jaden's Life Points go down to 2800.
Jaden couldn't believe he walked right into that. He was so keen on dealing heavy damage with Elemental HERO Heat that he failed to consider Chazz might have set a monster with high defense. "Aww, man! Not Keeper of the Shrine! Argh! How could I have been so stupid?"
"You really need to answer that?" laughed Taiyou. "You dumbass Slifers shouldn't even be here! And Chazz is gonna prove it! Starting with you, slacker!"
Jaden quickly turned his frown into a confident grin and laughed. "Yeah, well, I'm not going anywhere. I set a card face-down and end my turn."
Turn 8
"Draw!" Chazz yelled. He looked at his card and grinned, showing his teeth. "It's over for you, Slifer Slacker! I summon Keeper of Dragon Magic!" He summoned a knight in blue armor carrying a staff.
"Hey, I have that card!" said Jaden.
"Then I guess you know what it does! I discard a card to add Polymerization to my hand. And I'm gonna activate it! This is the end for you Jaden! I fuse together Keeper of Dragon Magic, Keeper of the Shrine on the field with Kidmodo Dragon, Gray Wing, and Flamvell Dragnov in my hand to create the all-powerful FIVE-HEADED DRAGON!"
Chazz's monsters combined to form a giant dragon with a golden body and five heads representing the elements. It had heads of fire, water, darkness, earth, and wind. All five of its heads glared at Jaden, each of them snarled and roared.
Five-Headed Dragon
ATK/5000 DEF/5000
"Oh no!" gasped Alexis.
"Jaden!" shrieked Syrus. "No!"
"You got that slacker now, boss!" Raizou cheered, holding up his fist in triumph.
"This is gonna kill you, Jaden!" Chazz hissed through his teeth. "I'm finally gonna prove that you beating Crowler was a giant farce! Five-Headed Dragon, attack Elemental HERO Hear and finish this duel!"
The dragon's heads shot out beams based on what element they were. Jaden saved himself with another HERO Barrier, angering Chazz to no belief. He stomped his foot on the ground and started cursing up a storm. His face was turning red and his veins bulged on his neck on his temple.
"I'm getting so sick of your traps, Jaden! But go ahead! Stall all you want! My monster is practically unbeatable!"
"He's right," said Alexis. "Five-Headed Dragon cannot be destroyed in battle by monsters with Dark, Fire, Earth, Water, or Wind elements. Unless Jaden has a super-powerful Light monster in his extra deck, I see this match going to Chazz."
Turn 9
"Don't count me out just yet!" said Jaden. "I draw! Nice! I activate Polymerization and fuse Elemental HERO Blazeman and Avion in my hand! Remember this guy, Chazz! Elemental HERO Great Tornado!"
"Rrrrgggh!" Chazz was at a loss for words and just watched as Jaden's 2800 ATK HERO made his appearance. He summoned three tornados around Five-Headed Dragon, sucking half his ATK points. Now the dragon was at 2500.
"Nice monster!" Alexis said. "Wow!"
"That's impressive," Andre said from above.
Jaden waited for the storm to die down before he continued his turn. "Even though your dragon can't be beaten in battle by anything other than a Light monster, that still won't stop me from inflicting damage to you, Chazz. First, Great Tornado will attack your dragon!"
Great Tornado punched Chazz's dragon in the chest, dealing 300 damage.
"Now, I'll attack with Elemental HERO Heat! And with Skyscraper still in play, his attack will increase to 3000!"
Heat also flew up and punched Five-Headed Dragon for another 500 points of damage, bringing Chazz to 2400 LP. Much to Jaden's shock, Chazz was laughing as he took bits of damage to his Life Points.
Turn 10
"Bring it on, Slacker! Your attacks are useless! Five-Headed Dragon may have been weakened, but he's still got enough power to destroy Heat! It's about time, too; he was starting to get on my nerves!"
"Oh no, I've got nothing to protect him. Sorry, Heat. You fought well, man."
Five-Headed Dragon attacked and destroyed Elemental HERO Heat with just the water head.
Jaden - 2300 LP
Chazz - 2400 LP
"Wow, look at the score!" said Syrus. "Jaden and Chazz are neck and neck."
"Seems so," said Alexis. "Those two are highly skilled. But which one of them is the best? It all rides on these next couple of turns."
Turn 11
"My turn," said Jaden. He drew and weighed his options. "I activate O Oversoul and bring back Clayman in defense mode. Next, I'll end my turn by attacking your dragon again with Great Tornado!"
Jaden's HERO punched the dragon in the gut again. The dragon reeled around hissing and snarling from the pain. Saliva oozed out of one of its heads.
Turn 12
Chazz looked at his dragon and spat. "Useless creature. I'll put you out of your misery for this! Your HERO isn't the only one who can swirl up storms, Jaden! I tribute Five-Headed Dragon to summon the mighty Strong Wind Dragon!"
The Five-Headed Dragon raised its head up and screeched before it started to glow and then shattered. A greenish-blue dragon with large wrinkly green wings and powerful muscles took his place.
Strong Wind Dragon
ATK/2400 DEF/1000
"Not good!" whined Syrus. "Chazz just doesn't let up."
"Damn right I don't!" said Chazz. "And when Strong Wind Dragon is summoned, he gains half of the original ATK points of the monster I used to sacrifice for his summon."
"Original attack?" Jaden asked. "Oh no! He gains twenty-five hundred attack points!"
"Bingo, loser! Now my dragon's attack increases to 4900! Your Great Tornado will be nothing but a fart in the wind compared to my dragon's power! Attack!"
Strong Wind Dragon raised his arms and summoned two cyclones that sucked up Jaden's HERO and tore him apart! The damage to Jaden's Life Points was catastrophic. He lost 2100 LP, bringing him down to his last 200.
"JADEN!" Syrus yelled.
"Are you starting to know your place here at the academy yet?" Chazz sneered. "You may have been somebody back home. But here in the big leagues, you're nothing but a pathetic little amateur! Slifer slime! I end my turn by setting a card. It's your move, slacker!"
Jaden's shoulders started quivering. It sounded like he was sobbing. "Awww!" jeered Chazz. "Wut wong? Baby gonna cwy?"
All of a sudden Jaden burst out laughing like a boy on a ride at the carnival. "No way! This is great!"
"What!?"
"It's just what I came here for. Man, the trash-talking. The action! What more can I guy ask for?"
Turn 13
Jaden drew, his smile growing bigger. "I activate Pot of Greed. Now let's see what these next two cards are. Yes!"
Lucky for all of them, Alexis turned her head to look at the hallway just in time. She saw lights dancing on the walls meaning one thing. "Uh oh! Guys! We need to go now!"
"What do you mean?"
"Campus Security is on the way! If they catch us here, we're going to be seriously busted."
"But why? We're students, right? Shouldn't we get to duel when we want?"
"Not after hours you can't. Everyone knows that. Chazz does too."
"Whatever," Chazz said. He placed his hand on his duel disk and shut it off. The Strong Wind Dragon snarled one last time before he vanished. Chazz turned around and walked out with his friends. "Looks like Campus Security saved your ass again, Jaden. You should consider yourself lucky."
"What!" Jaden yelled. "No, not again! I was winning! Why do these jarheads always show up when I'm winning!"
A squad of five soldiers stormed into the arena. "Freeze!" one of them shouted. But no one was there.