Once again, I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh! If I did, Alexis would kick more guys' butts.
Chapter Fifteen: Don't Mess with Alexis
Atem walked to the infirmary to check on the Rhodes siblings, glancing at his PDA for the umpteenth time. He told Alexis to message him earlier so he could take a turn watching over Atticus. Atem knew she was barely sleeping as it was, remembering their conversation from earlier.
"You need to take a break," he said. "You'll wear yourself out if you keep this up.
"I have to stay," Alexis insisted. "He's my brother, and I have to help him."
"You won't help him if you're too exhausted to even keep your eyes open," Atem countered. "I'll stay with him. So will Zane."
"You didn't let anyone stay when your sister was in trouble," she argued.
"True," he admitted, "but she was better after a day. Atticus has been here almost three weeks. You can't keep that up, and you still need your strength in case another Shadow Rider comes calling. You still have a Spirit Key to protect."
"Fine," she relented. "I'll switch out with you tonight. I'll message you when I'm ready to leave."
That message never came. It wasn't like Alexis to go back on her word. Even if she'd decided to stay, she would have at least told him. It was dark by this point, but Atem had no trouble navigating the corridors of the building.
He blood ran cold when he entered the infirmary. There was no sign of Alexis, and Atticus was collapsed on the floor. "Atticus," he propped up his friend. Atem pulled Kuriboh from his deck and summoned the creature, having finally learned how to without his duel disk. "Find Zane and the others," he commanded them. "Multiply if you have to, but bring them here as fast as you can." The creature nodded and bounced out of the room, multiplying as it went down the hall.
"It… was…Titan," Atticus gasped.
"Easy," Atem steadied him. "Who's Titan?"
"Another Shadow Rider," Atticus panted. "Rescued from the Shadow Realm. His Shadow Charm keeps him… from being pulled back in."
Someone forced out of the Shadow Realm? But who would want to target Alexis? She doesn't have any enemies in the Shadow Realm. Atem's eyes widened. There was one person in the Shadow Realm who knew Alexis. Someone Atem had sent there himself.
"Atem, what's going on?" Zane burst into the room, three Kuribohs hanging onto him. He was followed by Dr. Crowler and his sister and friends, each sporting multiple furballs clinging to them.
"And what's with the hairballs?" Chazz tried to shove a Kuriboh off his arm. He had three more hanging off the spikes in his hair.
"Trouble," Atem explained, calling the Kuribohs back into his card. He explained what Atticus told him as he and Zane helped Atticus back onto the bed.
"We have to go help her," Jaden said.
"I'm coming with you," Atticus struggled to get up.
"You're not in any shape to go anywhere," Atem told him.
"I'm going," he insisted. "It's my sister out there. We both know if it were Mana, you'd do the same."
Great, both of them played the sibling card on me. Atem looked to Zane. The navy-haired student nodded, and they each slung one of Atticus's arms over their shoulder, helping him walk.
Mana's wand materialized in her hand. The orb on the end glowed, and Dark Magician Girl appeared next to her. "Partner, can you sense any shadow magic."
The blonde spellcaster closed her eyes and held her wand in front of her. "Yes. The Abandoned Dorm. We must hurry."
Mana and her spirit partner led the way. Atem only hoped they wouldn't be too late to help Alexis.
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Alexis blinked. What happened? She was supposed to be in the infirmary with Atticus. Not some underground arena. Then it came back to her. The voice. The promise to restore Atticus's memories if she won a duel. She turned to face the only other person in the room. A large man with a long black trench coat and hat, a silver mask covering his features. I know that guy. He's the one who grabbed me the night Mana and the guys went to the Abandoned Dorm. This must be where he and Atem dueled.
She glanced around the area. Atem had told her the duelist himself was a fake, but shadow magic in the dorm itself turned the duel into a Shadow Game. This guy was supposed to be trapped in the Shadow Realm because he lost. How did he get out? And why would he be interested in dueling her or restoring her brother's memories.
Atticus. She clenched her hand into a fist. If there was even the slimmest chance this could work, Alexis had to take it. Atticus would do the same for her. "All right," she eyed her opponent. "So we duel. And if I win, you restore my brother's memory! That's the deal!"
"Your end of it, at least," the duelist answered. "But if I win, I get something too. Your Spirit Key and your soul to take back with me to the Shadow Realm. You see, dear, when you and first met up, I was but a charlatan of the shadows. But since being taken in by them, I am now the real deal. An authentic Shadow Rider!" He slid a duel disk to her. It spun as it moved across the floor, coming to a stop at her feet.
So he is a Shadow Rider now. Then it's time for my first Shadow Game. Alexis braced herself as she strapped the duel disk on and inserted her deck.
"There they are!" she heard Syrus's voice. She turned. Jaden led her friends' charge into the arena, Dark Magician Girl hovering above them. At the side of the group, Atticus was supported by Zane and Atem. I should have known those guys would come for me. This one's for you, Atticus.
"We're here for you, Alexis!" Jaden called to her, bringing a smile to her face. "Now beat this creep!" She nodded.
"Alexis, be careful," Atem warned her. "Titan will use the Shadow Game to put things in his favor. It's what he did to me before."
And this time it won't be just an illusion. The duelist started off with Picador Fiend (1600/1200) in attack mode and set a card. Alexis brought out her Cyber Tutu (1000/800). The dancer held a rose as she twirled onto the field.
"I thought we were dueling, not playing dollies," Titan mocked her.
"Yeah, will this so-called dolly is about to play havoc with your LifePoints," Alexis glared at him. Something's not right; he's too calm to face the damage I can inflict. She eyed his face-down. That had to be a trap. "I play Allegro Toile!" she played a spell. "It gives my ballerina a little extra kick by destroying one trap or spell on the field." Cyber Tutu spun around, slamming her foot into the face-down card. The hologram shattered, and Alexis was free to attack Titan directly with Cyber Tutu's effect. Titan knelt on the ground as his LifePoints fell to 3000. Alexis ended her turn with a face-down.
Titan ordered Picador Fiend to attack, but Alexis countered with Doble Passe. It may cost her the full damage of the fiend's attack, but Cyber Tutu was spared and she could launch an attack at Titan as well. Alexis gasped with the pain of the attack, but she stood in the lead with 2400 LifePoints to the Shadow Rider's 2000.
"All right!" Jaden cheered for her. "You show him, Alexis! She's kicking butt!"
"It's a long duel, Jaden," Zane warned him. "Don't start celebrating yet."
"Yeah, just what you trying to do, jinx her or something," Chazz added.
"Sorry," Jaden looked between the two guys.
"It's okay, Jaden," Atem told him. "Alexis knows we're here for her. That'll go a long in helping her win this."
Alexis smiled. It figured Jaden would see the positive side of the duel. If she could keep up her lead, Atticus would be back to normal no problem. So far, so good.
The duelist began to chuckle. "Now what?" Alexis snapped.
"Oh, I'm just remembering our first encounter," Titan grinned. "My, how the tables have turned."
"Yeah, you got that right," she narrowed her eyes at him. "This time I'm not just some victim that got kidnapped and stuffed in a coffin! Now I can fight back!"
"No, dear," the Shadow Rider shot her down. "I mean, before you were the bait luring my prey to me, even if I caught someone unexpected." His gaze shifted to the group before returning to her. "But now you're the one who's my quarry—my target." He held up the card for his next play. "And now dear, I'm going to treat you as such." He activated Ritual of the Matador, sacrificing his Summoned Skull to summon Matador Fiend (0/0). A humanoid-shaped creature with long wings extending from its arms materialized on his field.
"A monster with zero attack and defense points?" Alexis raised an eyebrow at it. "Something tells me there's more to him than meets the eye."
"Oh, there is," Titan grinned. "So keep a sharp lookout. Though, that may be difficult to do after I play this. Difficult for you, that is." His silver mask glowed gold. "I activate Dark Arena!" Shadows covered the field completely cutting Alexis off from her friends and even from Titan. She could no longer see what was on his field.
How can I fight if I can't make out my enemies? She narrowed her eyes at where Titan's monsters should be. His laugh echoed throughout the arena. "You're move," he said. He can probably still see me just fine. "How about I shed some light on the situation? In the Dark Arena, your monsters in attack mode must attack. But since they can't see I am allowed to choose their target for them."
"Well then that's a case of the blind leading the blind," Alexis said. "After all, just because my monsters and I can't see doesn't mean we can't win! I'll just need someone who really packs a powerful punch!" She drew her card and played Polymerization, fusing Etoile Cyber and Blade Skater into Cyber Blader (2100/800). And since Titan had two monsters out, Cyber Blader's attack points doubled. Alexis sent Blader in to attack.
The Matador Fiend emerged from the Shadows. Cyber Blader's foot slammed into the fiend but did not destroy it. The horn on the fiend's head glowed green and blasted Blader, destroying her. "What?" Alexis watched, stunned, and her monster's hologram was shattered. "My Cyber Blader is so much stronger than that Matador Fiend. She should win. What's going on?"
"Oh, I'm sorry. Didn't you know?" Titan laughed. "Matador Fiend cannot be destroyed in battle, and it also doesn't take damage. Although… the monster that battles it is destroyed. And there's more. Just like I said before, every monster that's in attack mode here must now battle each other." Cyber Tutu started forward, pulled into battle against the Picador Fiend. Alexis's LifePoints fell to 1800, and she dropped to her knees.
So this is what a Shadow Game feels like. Alexis bit her lip and staggered to her feet, glaring daggers at her opponent.
"Don't worry, Alexis," Titan sneered. "At least your brother won't remember that you failed him."
"I'm not going to fail him," she insisted, summoning Cyber Gymnast (1000/1800) in defense mode. "Give me your best shot."
"Dear, if you actually knew my best was, I doubt that you would be so eager for it."
"Oh, really?"
"Haven't you realized it yet? I'm not the same duelist you knew from before!" Titan shouted. "I changed when the shadows took me in." Veins started to bulge from his body as he explained he met a stranger who gave him his mask and freedom in exchange for obtaining the Spirit Keys. "So you see, now I'm more powerful than ever!"
Like I even knew his strength before. I didn't even see his duel with Atem, and he's the reason I didn't. Alexis scowled at her opponent. "I got news for you," she said. "True dueling power doesn't come from some Shadow Charm. It comes from the reasons why you duel." Atticus lesson to her from all those years ago flashed across her mind. She needed more than power—she needed her own reason to win. And right now, that was Atticus. "And that's why you're going to lose this! Got it?" Alexis snapped.
"The reasons why you duel?" the Shadow Rider scoffed. "Where did you get that from? Surely not from your beloved brother. After all, the whole reason he became a Shadow Rider was to gain power."
"That's not true!" Alexis yelled at him. Atticus was controlled by that other presence, the one calling himself Nightshroud. Her Atticus was never interested in power. "You're a liar!"
Titan smirked. "I'm sorry, but it's a fact. But if you still don't believe me, just wait." He drew his card. "After all, once I banish you to the shadows, you'll see what I mean. And you'll see soon because the Picador Fiend attacks you directly!" The fiend fired green energy at her, knocking her down to 200 LifePoints.
Alexis knelt on the ground, hugging herself until the pain of the attack passed.
Her opponent continued to laugh. "The end is near; the shadows beckon. You squirm but they still close in. It is simply a matter of time now."
Tell me about it. Alexis weighed her options. Her Cyber Gymnast could help her on the next turn. Titan shot down that idea by summoning Banderillero Fiend (900/1600) in attack mode. The new fiend's effect destroyed Cyber Gymnast as soon as it appeared on the field.
"Get up," Titan commanded her. "Or are your reasons for dueling not enough anymore?"
Maybe he's right. As much as I want to win this, I just don't have the strength. It's over… my Key… my brother… my soul. She fell forward, darkness swarming her vision as she hit the ground.
"That's right. Stay down," Titan laughed. "You can't win! After all, the reasons you fight aren't nearly as strong as the shadows!"
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Atem felt Atticus tense next to him as their view of Alexis was cut off. "I can't see her," Syrus said.
"Someone should go in there. And by someone, I mean someone other than me," Dr. Crowler said.
"Atem, you fought him before, right?" Chazz asked. "Can't you tell her how to beat him?"
"It's not that simple," Atem answered. "His powers were fake. Now he's using real magic. And I'm no expert on his deck. Last time he used Archfiends with effects that could negate any effect targeting them. I'm not familiar with the Matador Fiend, but I'm willing to bet his effect more than makes up for the lack of attack points." This must be what Mom felt like when Dad dueled Pegasus.
The shadow dome sparked with purple lightning. Jaden's Shadow Charm glowed, reacting to the power in the arena. "Man, I hope Alexis is okay in there," he said, gripping the charm.
"She will be," Mana looked to Dark Magician Girl. The blonde nodded and moved closer to the dome. Cautiously she reached a hand to the barrier. When her hand made contact, the spot sparked shocking her hand. Dark Magician Girl recoiled in pain. Mana flinched and rubbed her own hand. "Okay, that is a solid barrier."
"Are you okay," Atem asked the two magicians. They nodded.
The dome sparked again, with more energy this time. Atticus reached his hand out. "She'll be okay, Atticus," Zane told him.
"Yeah, we just gotta believe in her," Jaden added.
"Kick his butt, Alexis!" Mana yelled as loud she could, waving her wand as she did. "We believe in you!"
The purple sparks grew more intense. "Alexis!" Atticus called to her. "Don't give up! You can do this!" His legs buckled; Atem and Zane steadied him, each taking more of his weight.
"Easy," Atem told him.
"Lexi," Atticus kept his eyes on the dome, willing his sister to win.
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"Alexis!" Was that Atticus? "Don't give up! You can do this!"
"Bro," Alexis lifted her head, looking around the area.
"Lexi." That was definitely her brother's voice.
"Can't stop," Alexis shoved herself off the ground. This is it. My last chance.
"What's this?" Titan stepped back, shocked.
"This is my turn," she announced as she drew her card: Pot of Greed. Two more cards could be just what she needed to pull through. The Warrior Returning Alive and Fusion Recovery. Perfect. "I play the Warrior Returning Alive to bring back Blade Skater to my hand. Then I'll activate the spell card Fusion Recovery. It allows me to bring back Polymerization and Etoile Cyber from my Graveyard." With her cards back, she could refuse Cyber Blader. "You remember her? Well now she's back and ready to get some sweet revenge! This is over! Your shadow powers have failed you! You've lost the duel!"
"Heh, you're delirious. I still have three monsters out," Titan scoffed. "And you are still in the dark."
"Yeah, maybe, not for long," Alexis said. "Because my Cyber Blader's about to light up your world. Since you have three monsters on the field, Blader's special ability—Shining Cyber Light—activates canceling any and all effects you have out!" the arena and shadows disintegrated, revealing her friends right where she left them.
"Alexis!" Jaden called out to her. "You're okay.
She smirked. "And there's more. Matador Fiend's ability to negate battle damage is negated too! Go, Cyber Blader! Attack with Six Blade Slash!" This time when her monster kicked the fiend, it shattered and dealt the damage to Titan. Cyber Blader finished Titan with another kick to the Shadow Rider, wiping out the rest of his LifePoints.
As the monsters faded from the field, black, slimy creatures materialized on the floor. Dark Magician Girl moved next to Alexis, her wand pointed at the creatures should they come closer. They didn't seem interested in the blondes however, and began smothering Titan, pulling him back to the Shadow Realm he came from, leaving nothing but his mask behind.
Alexis turned to face her friends, all grinning at her. She ran to them and threw her arms around her brother. He let go of Zane and Atem and returned the hug. "Addy, welcome back."
"Thanks, Lex," he said, "for everything."
"But we still have so many unanswered questions," she pulled away to meet his eyes. "Like how you ended up in the Shadow Realm. Titan said you did it for the power."
"Believe me, Lexi, I never did it for the power," Atticus answered. "I never chose to go. Rumors started popping up that strange things were happening in the Slifer and Ra girls' dorm. Then a few of us were told to meet in the basement. Those who believed the rumors thought we might be some kind of heroes to deal with the weird stuff. The rest of us believed what we were told—it was some kind of exam. I admit I kind of liked the idea of being the hero. But when we got there… well… it happened. " He closed eyes. Alexis could only imagine the horrors her brother went through. "Instead of a duel test, we found hundreds of those little shadow fiends. I couldn't escape." He held her tighter. "I was then brought to the Shadow Realm… and kept. For months they brainwashed me. Until I became this thing called Nightshroud." (1)
"But who?" Alexis pressed for answers. "Who was it that brainwashed you?"
"I never did figure that out," he said. "However…" It seemed some bits of his memory were still foggy. "The person who called me to the dorm was… Professor Banner."
"Our Professor Banner?" Jaden repeated.
"But why would he?" Mana asked.
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Mana watched as the Obelisks arrived at the edge of Slifer territory. They'd spent the entire day looking for Professor Banner with no sign of him. Now that Atticus remembered most of what happened, they needed Banner to give them answers. But it seemed the professor was less inclined to provide them.
"So Professor Banner's really gone missing?" Jaden asked. "That sure is strange."
"No kidding," Alexis said. "Especially after what you told us about him, Atticus."
"I wish it weren't true," Atticus sighed.
"Same," Mana added. "Professor Banner was always so nice to us. I can't believe he'd hurt a fly."
"But it is true," Bastion reminded them. "He's the one who led Atticus and the others to the Abandoned Dorm, the one who lured them to the shadows."
"That may be," Zane said. "But the question we need to answer is why.
"And how they're able to control the shadows in the first place," Atem added. "I bet that's where the Shadow Charms come in. I just hope the process of making them isn't as grisly as what made the Millennium Items."
"Yeah, we don't need another Bakura coming after us," Mana chimed in. "There's only one Shadow Rider left. Do you guys think it could be Professor Banner? I mean, I haven't sensed anything, but…"
"Who knows how long he's been at it if he was one," Atem said. "You wouldn't have sensed a change if he's been one from the start. Which is the really concerning part."
"By the way, what's Chazz doing?" Jaden interrupted and pointed to the black-haired student.
He waved a switch with a large fuzzy thing on the end of it. "Yoo-hoo! Come on! Where are you?"
"Where is what, Chazz?" Jaden asked.
"His mind, Jay," Bastion answered. "Clearly he's lost it." Mana snickered at his comment.
"No, I'm looking for Banner's cat," Chazz told them. "'Cause if we find him, we'll find Banner, b-duh!" He walked off, continuing his search for the wayward Pharaoh.
"B-duh? Has Chazz lost his mind again?" Syrus walked by on the way back to the dorm.
"Not yet, but I'm sure if he does, it'll be hanging around the Ojamas," Mana answered. "Anyway, you were saying, Prince?"
"Banner was supposed to help us protect the Spirit Keys," Atem voiced his suspicions. "But looking back, he may have been working for the other side at times."
"You mean like with the Dark Scorpions," Mana said.
"That's my main suspicion," he answered. "Professor Banner knew the Keys couldn't be stolen, and yet he hired that detective to convince us to leave them unprotected. Then by dueling for all of them at once against Chazz, the Sacred Beasts could have been freed.
"That is scary when you think about it," Syrus said.
"And it was on his field trip we wound up at the Gravekeepers' temple," Alexis added, following Atem's suspicions. "Pharaoh nosed around in something, activating the ritual that sent us there."
"Pharaoh is a pretty smart cat," Mana said. "I wouldn't be surprised if Banner trained him to do some assortment of tricks. If I wasn't concerned with Banner possibly being a Shadow Rider, I'd find it really adorable."
"You and your fuzzy animals," Atem rolled his eyes.
Mana stuck her tongue out at him. "Chazz does have a good point about finding Pharaoh. The cat probably knows exactly where Professor Banner is."
"Until then, we keep our eyes open," Zane told them. "Banner can't hide forever."
The group dispersed. Mana started to head back to her dorm when someone threw an arm around her and pulled her close. She looked up to see Atticus grinning at her. "So, you're Atem's sister. I've heard a lot about you."
Atem peeled his arm off her. "Atticus, don't get any ideas," he warned his friend.
"What ideas?" he gave an innocent smile.
"I don't need to go over all mischief you got me and Zane into freshman year," Atem said. "Including rigging the stereo and intercom systems over the school."
"You guys did that?" Mana looked between her brother and his friend.
"He did," Atem said. "Zane and I had nothing to do with it. We just had to deal with the fallout of it."
Mana laughed. "You so should show me how you did that."
"I knew you were going to be fun," Atticus grinned.
"No," Atem stepped in between them. "I am not going to let you two TP Dr. Crowler's office."
Mana smothered another laugh. "Okay, Prince. I promise we won't do anything that we'll regret later."
He gave her a suspicious look and let it drop. When he was farther away, Mana turned back to Attics. "Did you ever prank him?" she asked.
"All the time," Atticus answered. "I'll show you some really great tricks."
"Looking forward to it," Mana grinned.
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Alexis found Jaden sitting at the cliff, watching the ocean. "Sy told me you'd be here," she announced her presence to the Slifer. "So what's up? Or am I interrupting? I mean… if you're busy." Oh, what was she doing? She just wanted to spend some time with him, but she never knew what to say when they were alone. If only she knew for sure how he felt about her. Granted, they were friends, and she could always count on him to save the day, but sometimes she wanted something more. Heck, Alexis envied Mana at times for being so close with him even though she knew the brunette wasn't interested. But Jaden remained clueless; he still hadn't figured out the real meaning of the word fiancée.
"You know, I could use a friendly face, Lex," he told her, staring off into the horizon. "I just thought it might be nice to take a breather with all this saving the world and Shadow Rider stuff that's going on."
Alexis knelt next to him. "It'll be okay," she assured him. "I'm no expert on these things, but from what At—" she cut herself off. Jasmine and Mindy rule #4: never talk about another guy in front of the one you're interested in. "Mana has told us," she amended, figuring the Mutos had the same database of knowledge, "battles like can't go on forever. And we're not likely to have to do something like this again. One more Shadow Rider, and we're done." Her words didn't seem to really help him. "But if you ever need… what I mean is…" The words died in her throat. Why? She'd been doing so well, but she couldn't make herself say how she felt, even something as simple as telling Jaden to rely on her. "Never mind. Has there been any news about Professor Banner?"
"None that I've heard," Jaden answered. "Unless that's him now."
He pointed to a speed boat heading for the beach. It was hard to make out the figure in the dark, but for a moment, Alexis thought she recognized him. "We'd better tell Chancellor Sheppard about this," she said. Jaden nodded, and they ran to his office.
Several Slifers had beaten them there, including Mana, Syrus, and Chumley. "Hey, guys. What's this? Dorm meeting?" Jaden asked.
They quickly shushed him. "Can't you tell?" Syrus chastised him. "We're trying to spy in there?"
The two newcomers shared a look of confusion. "Some weird guy showed up," Mana explained. "He went straight for the chancellor's office, and I don't like it. I think he's up to something."
"He called her ma fleur on his way in," Syrus explained "Though I have no idea what it means."
"It means my flower," Mana rolled her eyes. "And that's not even close to the one French thing I'm allowed to be called."
Alexis smirked at her friend's reaction. Mana had proven multiple times to hate cheesy pick-up lines or fake compliments. "Well let's see who we're spying on," Alexis suggested. She and Jaden each stood in front of the door to trigger the sensor and then moved to the sides. Before the door closed, Alexis got a good look at the stranger in the white suit with brown hair and glasses over his gray eyes. And the red cloth sticking out of the breast pocket of his blazer. So after all this time, I finally see him again.
"Hey, Lex," Jaden whispered to her. "What's the matter? Lex?"
Steeling herself to face him again, Alexis turned and walked into the room, the Slifers quietly protesting behind her. The guy had trashed the Disciplinary Action Squad and now sat on Sheppard's desk, threatening him. "Well you haven't grown up too much," she spat.
"My…" the guy turned to stare at her, speaking with a thick French accent. "You have."
"Quit the compliments, Pierre," she snapped. "You're here because you want something, probably whatever I value most. Like this Spirit Key," She pulled her Key from under her blazer to prove her point. "Or maybe my duel deck? Well, no thanks. You don't have anything that I want."
"Oh, but you know that I do," Pierre smirked, sending a wave of rage coursing through Alexis. "It belonged to you."
"Before you stole it from me!" she corrected him, clenching her fist to keep her anger in check. "Remember?" She heard the Slifers outside the door questioning what they meant. Now wasn't the time to explain.
"You know you want it," Pierre answered, tucking the red cloth back into his pocket. He probably left that out so she could see it, knowing it would egg her on. "And I know that you will duel for it."
Alexis forced herself to take a breath and calm down. "Fine. We'll duel. But the stakes will be the same as before. And you better keep your word this time. Otherwise I won't be the only one who has beef with you." She glanced to the doorway where Mana gave her a mischievous grin. Mana would help make sure what happened before wouldn't happen again. The brunette already didn't like Pierre.
She led the way to the dueling arena and took her place opposite Pierre. "So who is this stiff?" Jaden asked from the side of the arena. "And why's he got it in for Alexis?"
"More like what did this jerk do?" Mana twirled her wand in her hand. "From what she said, I bet this guy isn't completely honest. Luckily I have a solution for that if he turns."
"Shall we, mon chére?" Pierre asked as he loaded his deck into the duel disk.
"Bring it!" Alexis stopped listening to her friends and focused on her opponent.
She clamped down on her rage as Pierre fiddle with the red cloth again before making his move. He summoned Gamble Angel Bunny (1200/1200) in attack mode.
"Look at her!" Syrus stared at the girl in the revealing leotard, bowtie, and bunny ears.
"Knock it off, Syrus," Mana smacked him upside the head.
Pierre continued his move by setting a card and activating the bunny's effect. He tossed a coin and called it. If he was correct, Alexis lost 1000 LifePoints, but if he was wrong, Pierre lost the points. "Tell me, do you feel lucky, Alexis?" he kissed the coin and tossed it. "It's tails." The coin landed heads. Unfazed, he smirked. "I think I'll go again," he declared, activating his face-down Second Coin Toss. Now he could redo the coin toss. "And I choose tails." This time he was correct. "I win. And now my Bunny's ability activates!" She threw coins on the blonde, knocking her down to 3000 LifePoints. Pierre ended his turn with a face-down.
"This guy plays more with chance than Uncle Joey in duels," Mana said.
Okay, Alexis. Pull it together. She drew her card. "I play Cyber Tutu (1000/800) in attack mode!" Her ballerina materialized on her field. "Check this out. If you don't have any monsters with fewer attack points than my little dancer here, she gets to pull a pirouette on your face!" She sent Cyber Tutu in to attack. Pierre countered with his Fairy Box. By flipping a coin, if he called it right, her damage would be negated. He called wrong, but Second Coin Toss gave him a do-over. This time he was right. Alexis frowned, setting a card to finish her move.
"You haven't changed, have you?" she asked.
"You watch your tongue!" Pierre snapped, bringing a smirk to Alexis's face.
"I look at you, and I see the same scared boy from school!"
"What? I'm not scared! I am a winner! Remember? I never lost a game in school! Except to you!"
"Guys? Care to fill in the peanut gallery here?" Jaden asked.
Alexis glanced to them. She knew they would ask eventually. "With pleasure," she said, glad to finally release some of the tension she'd been feeling since Pierre showed up. "It started when we were both really young." She kept her eye on her opponent. "You were the new student. No friend, no clue, just a cute smile. But we all pitched in and made you feel welcome. We were your new family. And how did you treat all your brothers and sisters? You ripped us off, one by one!" Alexis's hand shook with her barely contained rage, eyeing the red scarf in Pierre's pocket. The scarf her mother gave her. "You just had so much money and so many toys, that you'd keep gambling and gambling and gambling until they finally lost. You ended up taking everything from everybody! And I wasn't going to let you get away with it." She had challenged him to Duel Monsters and beat him repeatedly. He accused her of cheating, and he stole her mother's favorite scarf. He could never admit defeat and just took what he wanted. That was the last time she had seen him. "You're not a gambler; you're a thief. And like all crooks, you're going down!"
"Ha, tres bon," Pierre scoffed. "Of course, you're scarf's become my favorite lucky charm." He took it out and kissed it, accentuating his point before returning it to his pocket.
Don't let him see how much it bothers me. "Oh, really," she narrowed her eyes at him.
"No matter though," he smirked. "I don't need luck." He paid 500 LifePoints to keep his Fairy Box in play.
"Take him down, Alexis!" Mana yelled at him, held back by Jaden and Syrus. Alexis chuckled. It seemed Mana was just as angry at Pierre for what he did as Alexis was. Typical Mana, always ready to jump in and attack those who hurt her friends.
Pierre used his Bunny's effect, after yet another do-over, to deal another 1000 points of damage to Alexis. Then he summoned a second Bunny in attack mode. He ordered one of the Bunny's to attack Cyber Tutu.
He's not using her special ability. She eyed the Second Coin Toss. Of course. Just like then, he can't win without a redo. "Not so fast!" Alexis countered. "I play my face-down! Check it out. Doble Passe sends all that damage to me instead! And now you take damage equal to Cyber Tutu's attack points! So how do you like that?" The cards from the Bunny's effect redirected themselves to Alexis, knocking her LifePoints down to 800. "Get him!" Alexis commanded Cyber Tutu. The ballerina twirled and slammed her foot into Pierre. His LifePoints fell to 2500.
"I am far from finished!" Pierre declared. "My other Bunny attacks your dancing doll!" The second Bunny threw more cards at Tutu, shattering her hologram. Alexis's LifePoints dropped to 600.
It all comes down to this. She drew. "First I'll lay down a face-down. Next I'll play my spell Scapegoat! This lets me summon four sheep tokens in defense mode. Try topping that." She ended her turn.
"You're only extending your pain, mon chére, and not even by that long," Pierre scoffed. "Now let's dance." He paid 500 points to keep Fairy Box on the field. "And now I'll summon Sand Gambler (300/1600) in attack mode!" The man in a white dress shirt, black pants, and black vest tossed a few coins in his hand. Alexis narrowed her eyes; Sand Gambler had a strong resemblance to Pierre. "You see, I get to toss this coin, and if it comes up heads three times in a row, all your monsters are finis. But if I get tails, my monsters will bid you a swift au revoir. Shall we?" He flipped the coin. "Heads. And if I get two more, you're beasts go bye."
Alexis scowled. "Just flip!"
He complied. Tails. "Hold on. Don't you forget my card: Second Coin Toss. I now get to flip again." This time it landed heads. "That makes two." He kissed her scarf before tossing the coin another time. Alexis smothered her anger at him again. The coin landed heads. "Who's the lucky one?"
"Not Lex," Jaden watched as the Sand Gambler destroyed her sheep tokens.
"I love it when a plan comes together," Pierre gloated. "Look at me! I'm unbeatable!"
We'll see about that. Alexis glared at him. "I reveal my face-down card: Hallowed Life Barrier! If I discard just one card, all damage I take goes to zero for this turn."
"Sweet! That's the Alexis I know!" Jaden cheered.
Alexis smiled. Having Jaden and the others supporting her meant so much. It helped her keep her cool against the anger she felt at Pierre. It was time to settle things once and for all. I tried to be your friend, Pierre. I tried to teach you the game I love. But you just used it to be a thief! Well now you're about to get a lesson that's long overdue!
She drew her card. "I activate the spell card The Warrior Returning Alive! I get to call up one warrior monster from my graveyard. Welcome back, Cyber Tutu!" Her ballerina materialized on her field. "That's not all. I activate the spell card Prima Light and sacrifice Tutu so I can summon Cyber Prima (2300/1600) in attack mode!" The female warrior took Tutu's place on the field. "And when she's summoned, her special ability destroys every spell card on the field." Second Coin Toss was shattered. "And with only your Sand Gambler hanging around to defend you, if I decide to attack you, it'll finally be my turn to say au revoir.
"Excuse!" Pierre said. "I have my trap card! Or did you forget? If I choose my coin toss right one more time, you do no damage, and my Gambler destroys you!"
"It comes to this," Alexis smirked. "A single coin toss, 'cause after all, your Second Coin Toss was destroyed. It didn't take me long to figure out why you didn't use your second Angel Bunny's coin toss special ability. It was clear you couldn't risk it. Without your Second Coin Toss, you'd have lost every time!"
"Don't say that!" Pierre yelled.
"You're not a winner!" Alexis shot back. "Pierre, you're not even a gambler! You're just a scared kid back in school." She was done. Time to finally put Pierre in his place. "Cyber Prima, attack his gambler!"
"It all comes down to one coin toss!" Pierre flipped his coin. "Tails, please!"
"Sorry!" Alexis continued her attack. "Play too much and the house will win!" Pierre revealed the coin: heads. "Now finish him off!" Cyber Prima destroyed the Sand Gambler, wiping out the rest of Pierre's LifePoints.
"Nice job, Lex!" Jaden cheered for her.
"Way to kick his butt!" Mana yelled.
"I don't care!" Pierre scowled as he got to his feet. "You just got lucky! Femme fatal!"
"Pierre," Alexis lowered her duel disk. "I beat you because I don't believe in luck! I work hard, and I play even harder! That's why I won. Luck is a loser's excuse." She turned to leave the arena.
"What she said," Mana added. "If you want to see really gambling skills in a duel, check out Joey Wheeler. He really takes the risks in dueling."
Pierre sighed. "Je suis désolé. I'm sorry. The only reason I wanted to duel was… because I loved you." He took out her scarf. What? "I thought if I won, that maybe you would fall in love with me, Alexis." He tossed the scarf to her.
She turned back to catch it, gripping it tightly. After all this time, she finally had it back. Now she had no reason to hold a grudge against him. But there was no way she could ever return his feelings. Nor anyone who thought they could win her heart with a duel. Alexis glanced at her friends, her eyes resting on Jaden. Jaden would never play with her like that. He would never do anything to hurt her. Even if he was completely dense about how she felt. "Good-bye, Pierre."
Pierre's expression saddened as he turned to leave the arena. "Great game, Alexis," Jaden congratulated her. "You too, Pierre!" Pierre looked back, sighed, and left the arena. I hope you finally got what I've been telling you through your thick head. Alexis rolled her eyes. And I hope other guys finally learn too. I'm not some prize to be won in a duel. That's not going to change any time soon.
1. The timeline on the missing students I've got is going to vary from the canon a little bit, mainly because it contradicts itself later down the road when they talk about the Abandoned Dorm again (at least in my opinion). I think I've got what happened nailed down, but you'll have to wait for the surprises down the road.
I know, a very Alexis-centered chapter. And Spirit Day was supposed to happen in between these, but that ended up being a full chapter on its own. It's pretty much finished, and that'll probably be out either later tonight or tomorrow. I have one last scene to write and then a round of editing. Again, a thank you to LoveGlutton for helping me flesh out the dynamic between Atem, Zane, and Atticus. Apparently it is possible for these three to find trouble. Especially if Atticus is leading the way.
Anyway, thank you for reading!