What do you know? It's actually been a day. Mark your calendars, I'm updating a story when I said I would! XD Anyway, here's the next chapter. Once again, I thank you guys for your patience, and let's get to it. Even though I still don't own Yu-Gi-Oh! If I did, we'd totally see more interactions with the Rhodes siblings.
Chapter Twenty-Three: Sibling Shadows
Mana used her wand to bang on the wall of their room as the arguing between Syrus and Hassleberry bled through the wall. "Keep it down, guys!" she yelled. "Some of us are trying to practice here!"
"And I thought Hotshot and I were loud," Max commented while playing a handheld video game.
"Mana, that is not a good use of your wand," Dark Magician chastised her.
"Yeah, yeah," the magician-in-training rolled her eyes at him.
"I'm not fixing anything you blow up," Joan said from her bunk, not looking up from her sketching.
"Fine, I'll go shut them up myself," Mana grumbled and set her wand on her desk.
Outside the room, Chazz was in the other guys' doorway with a video camera. "There you have it folks," he said. "The dweeb in his natural habitat."
"Is that Max's camera?" Mana raised an eyebrow at the black-clad student.
"Maybe," he answered.
"Not maybe," Max stepped onto the balcony and spotted it. "That is my camera!"
"Guys, don't fight," Mana sighed and rubbed her temples.
"So what is with the camera?" Jaden asked.
"I'm filming my life as a reality star," Chazz turned off the device. "It's got a great premise. One talented young duelist forced to live in a dorm full of slackers. Talk about a ratings grabber." He clenched his fist as he imagined his success.
"And an ego inflator," Mana rolled her eyes.
"It'll make me a big star," he insisted.
"With a big head," Syrus laughed. Hassleberry chuckled behind him.
"You might be onto something, Chazz," Jaden grinned as he thought about it. "But I think your show needs a plot twist."
"What could be more interesting than watching me?" Chazz scoffed.
"Do you really want us to answer that?" Max muttered, his eyes following the camera in the second-year's hand.
"Am I interrupting?"
The group turned around to see Alexis with a duffel bag in her hands. "I think we found our plot twist, guys," Syrus commented.
"Jaden was right," Hassleberry smirked. "Your show just got a whole lot better."
"Still on my camera," Max took the opportunity to swipe the device from his roommate.
"What's up, Alexis?" Mana was suddenly glad for another girl in the conversation.
"I left my dorm for good," the blonde explained. "Do you guys have room for one more?"
"Yes!" Chazz answered before anyone else could. "I mean, my renovations are finished. There's plenty of room for you in there."
"Really?" Mana raised an eyebrow at him. "And you never invited us over?"
"It just finished," he grumbled. "And now I can finally escape my pain of a roommate."
"Who you calling a pain, Hotshot?" Max glared at him.
"Aaanywaay," Mana interrupted the two before they could start yelling again. "Alexis isn't staying with you." She slung an arm around the blonde. "We've got a cozy little girls' room right next door. It's nice and quiet, except when the guys start fighting. Or we decide to crank up the music."
"Guys, if you don't turn it down, I'm going to start cranking up my music," Joan stuck her head out of the door and narrowed her eyes at the group. "Hey, Alexis."
"Joan, do you mind if she crashes with us?" Mana asked her roommate.
"Sure," the freshman went back inside.
"But…" Chazz whimpered as Mana and Alexis led the way into the girls' room.
"Thanks, girls," Alexis set her bag down on the floor
"Why'd you leave your dorm anyway?" Jaden asked.
"Get this," the Obelisk took a poofy red dress out of her bag.
"That's a nice… uniform… ma'am," Hassleberry offered.
"Oh please," Alexis rolled her eyes. "This thing was all Crowler's idea. He actually wanted me to wear this thing and sing while I duel."
"Really?" Mana winced at the dress.
"No joke," the blonde grumbled. "Something about turning me into some dueling popstar. Can you picture me wearing this?"
Mana caught the red tinge on Chazz's face; she elbowed him. "Some of us apparently can."
"Who'd want to see you wear that thing?" Jaden spoke up. "Shouldn't you just wear what you want to duel?"
"Uh, thank you?" Alexis gave the Slifer an awkward smile.
"It's not about the dress," Mana said. "And as much as I like wearing dresses on occasion, I definitely wouldn't want to wear one during a duel."
"She's right," Chazz chimed in. "It's about Chancellor Crowler."
"Wait, Crowler's going to wear the dress?" Jaden asked.
Joan shuddered. "Thanks for the nightmare fuel," she grumbled.
"Now that Crowler's in charge, he's even more persistent," Alexis tossed the garment aside. "All he wants to do is further his career, and he's using us. And I've heard rumors he and Bonaparte want to close down Slifer. So we have to stop him."
"That's a small problem for us," Mana winced. "I mean, I want to stop him as much as anyone but…"
"Chancellor Crowler's boss is our honorary aunt," Joan explained. "It's a really thin line for us to cross. Even though our concerns are legitimate, there's still an impression of favoritism if we get intervention, if only because she hasn't interfered much before."
"But we can't just let Crowler manipulate us just so he can look good," Jaden clenched his fist. "And we can't let him close down our dorm. Who's in to stop him?"
"I am," Max smirked. "I say tell Crowler to bring it on. We can take him. You beat him in your entrance exam, right, J-man?"
"But we should be careful about it," Joan cautioned. "I for one don't want to get expelled."
"Same," Mana and Alexis said at the same time.
"Syrus!" Bastion's voice came outside.
Being closest to the door, Mana stuck her head out and saw the Ra running up the stairs to the balcony with Sterling right behind him. "In here, guys," she waved. They hurried to her door. "I didn't know you two knew each other."
"Uh, this is my roommate," Sterling pointed to the older Ra.
"Well, that saves time on introductions," she commented. "What's up?"
"Syrus has been challenged to a duel," Bastion answered.
The group moved to the cafeteria since the girls' room was not big enough for all ten of them. "Who am I dueling?" Syrus asked, his gray eyes wide behind his glasses.
"A girl in Obelisk Blue," Bastion explained. "Her name is Missy Underwood, and I hear she duels with a deck full of insect monsters."
"Missy?" Alexis repeated. "Okay, that girl totally creeps me out. But I've seen her duel, and she's really good."
"Atem told me about her, but I haven't met her," Mana added. "Insects run in the family; her dad is Weevil Underwood, and he was once considered one of the best duelists before Dad and Uncle Joey rose to fame. His career took a bit of a nosedive after that, especially since it came out he was a bit of a cheat. Missy also has an older brother who just graduated North Academy last year. Haga and Atem had a bit of a friendly rivalry." (1)
"How friendly?" Chazz raised an eyebrow at her.
"He was North Academy's rep the year Atem participated in the School Duel," she answered. "Before that, they faced at the national tournament right before they both started school. From what Atem said, Haga's cool. Missy, on the other hand, has a bit of a chip on her shoulder."
"What kind of chip?" Syrus asked.
"Well, again, this is just based on what Atem said," Mana continued, "but she doesn't like Mutos. Between Mr. Underwood blaming Dad for him falling into irrelevancy and Haga never actually beating Atem, it rubs her the wrong way. Plus she also had a major crush on Zane, which made things a little extra awkward."
"I guess," Joan chimed in. "Weren't Atem and Zane always hanging out?"
"Pretty much," Mana nodded. "Try asking out the person you like—who probably isn't interested in the first place—with the person you hate the most standing right there."
"Did they ever duel her?" Bastion asked.
"Not that he told me," the brunette shook her head. "Heck, I'd love to call him right now and ask him."
Syrus ducked his head at that. "Hey, Sy, this could be your big break," Jaden clapped him on the back. "You'll win and prove everyone wrong. They'll all see the brave Sy!"
"Jaden, one question," the blue-haired Slifer trembled even more. "When you find the brave Syrus, can you do me a favor and tell him the wimpy one is looking for him?" With that, Syrus bolted from the room.
"Syrus!" the group called after him.
"Where do you think you're going, son?" Hassleberry gave chase.
"Hold up, guys!" Max followed, leaving the rest of the group behind.
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Syrus raced away from the dorm, anything to get away from the duel with Missy. He couldn't take her on. She was a legacy, like Mana. There was no way Syrus could beat her.
His legs burning, he finally slowed down and grimaced at where he ended up. The beach by the cliffs, where a year ago Syrus had tried to flee the Academy on a raft so Jaden could have a better chance of not being expelled. It was almost fitting he'd end up here
"Geez, Sidecar," Max panted, placing his hands on his thighs as he caught his breath. Hassleberry was right behind him. "You sure are fast when you want to be. I might have to call you Racecar instead."
"Go away," Syrus turned away, his gaze falling on the waves lapping the shore. He didn't need to deal with either of them right now.
"Come on!" Hassleberry pulled the Slifer around to face the freshmen. "Listen up! Fear is your mortal enemy! And fear needs to be destroyed! Now fight that fear!"
"But I'm afraid to," Syrus whimpered and pulled away. What did Hassleberry know anyway? He couldn't understand Syrus's anxiety; he never even met Zane.
"Then you've already lost the war," the Ra stated. "Is that what you want?" Syrus looked to the ground, not saying anything. "No, I bet you want to win. And not just against this Missy girl, but against your own fear too. So what are you so afraid of, Truesdale?"
Syrus turned back to the water, still not answering. "Look, Sidecar, it's okay to be afraid," Max tousled the second-year's hair. "After all, courage isn't the absence of fear; it's doing things even through fear."
"Easy for you to say," Syrus grumbled, moving away. "You guys aren't afraid of anything."
"Not true," Max shook his head. "I mean, I can't speak for Dinoberry or J-man, but I ain't as fearless as you might think I am."
"You're just saying that," Syrus glared at him. "How many Obelisks have you beaten already?" Max couldn't get it. He'd been taking down Blues every time he just walked by the dorm.
"I don't know," the blond shrugged. "Yeah, I ain't intimidated by the blue doofuses, but my point is there are things that freak me out to."
"Like what?"
"Like letting down the people I care about," Max admitted, rubbing the back of his head. "Look, I duel because I want to have fun, but unfortunately, that ain't always the case. In some ways, it ain't as bad as what people expect from Atem or Mana, but unlike them I have two famous parents, both of which are at the top of the Pro League. Duel Monsters is literally how they make a living. Sometimes I doubt I'll ever be as good as them, especially when Airi gets the drop on me."
"Lieutenant Kaiba is a force to be reckoned with," Hassleberry agreed.
"But more than that," Max continued, "Syrus, I also know that if I don't face what's in front of me head-on, then I really will let people down. Because I do believe it's better to take action than just wait for someone else to step in. Especially when you got those you care about at your back."
Syrus recalled the conversation with Joan a couple of weeks ago. 'I just want to be able to stand on my own and not hide behind others.' Suddenly, he could see both sides of the cousins' stances. Joan hid behind her cousin because she was afraid, yet she wanted to conquer that fear. Max fought harder because he knew Joan was behind him, counting on him to protect her. He doesn't want to let her down, and she doesn't want to burden him.
"I see," Syrus sighed, caving to the pressure of the bigger freshman, both pushing him face his fear head on. Maybe they are onto something. But… He could still hear the whispers of the other students. They'd always praise Zane, commenting on how amazing he was with his Cyber Dragons, losing only to Atem. Their rivalry was so fierce and so close that they tied for top duelist even at the end.
And in the same breath, those students would question how someone related to Zane ended up as a lowly Slifer. Who tripped over his shoelaces on the way to the school or made a fool of himself in class. As he was, he'd stay the same failure while Jaden and everyone else moved onto better things in life. They'd all become famous duelists, climbing to the top of the Pro League, and Syrus would fall into the shadows of obscurity. They'd leave him behind.
"That's it!" Syrus said out loud, startling his two friends.
"What is?" Hassleberry asked, unaware of Syrus's train of thought.
"I think I figured out the root of my fear."
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Mana bit her lip as the duelists took their places in the arena. You can do it Syrus.
"Seriously, why are these duels mandatory?" Sterling groaned as he took a seat next to Joan. "Can't I just go do my homework?"
"Dude, you're probably the only person who would rather do homework than watch a duel," Max laughed and clapped him on the back. "But if you want to complain about being here, Airi would probably agree with you." He pointed to the white-haired Obelisk, stewing at the end of the row. Airi sat with her arms crossed, murder in her eyes. Her aura froze the area around her.
"That's not the reason she's mad," Joan rolled her eyes at her cousin.
"What happened?" Alexis asked.
"Mana beat her in a duel right before we got here," Max started laughing even harder. "Gosh, it was fun to watch."
"Pup, if you don't quit laughing, I will gut you like a fish!" Airi snapped, leveling her sapphire gaze at the blond Slifer.
"You can try, Dragon Girl," Max sneered.
"Guys, come on," Mana sighed. "Let's just support Syrus, okay?"
"Whatever," Airi grumbled and looked away.
"Fine," Max rolled his eyes and leaned back in this seat.
Chazz slid into the seat next to Jaden at that point. "Where were you?" Jaden asked.
"Nowhere," the black-clad student placed an envelope on the seat next to him.
Mana turned her attention back to the arena where the duelists were readying their duel disks. Missy Underwood wore her Obelisk uniform blazer partway open, revealing a low-cut black shirt underneath it, and she had black leggings under her blue skirt. She also wore light pink high heels with a gold anklet. Her maroon hair fell in twin tails behind her with a braid behind each ear and her bangs draped around her dark magenta eyes. Around her neck glittered a sliver pendant.
"So you're Zane's little brother?" Missy raised an eyebrow at him. "Don't take this too personally, hun, but you're not exactly what I expected. I mean, just look at him." She pressed on her pendant, opening it to show a picture Mana couldn't make out. "I guess the hottie genes skipped you."
"Does she seriously have a picture of Zane there?" Mana asked, looking to her friends. "That's kind of creepy."
"With the way everyone keeps talking about him, I feel like I missed out since I never met him," Max commented. "Is he really as good as Atem?"
"Yeah," Mana nodded. "The best Jaden here could get against Zane was a draw. And you know how hard it is to beat Atem. He said Zane pushed his limits every time they dueled."
"No wonder Syrus is so nervous whenever he gets mentioned," Max commented.
"Yeah, though I have to ask, what's the deal with that girl's hair?" Alexis commented on the maroon hairstyle the insect duelist wore.
"Who cares?" Jaden shrugged. "Syrus can take her, no problem."
"Look, I'm a girl who gets what she wants," Missy closed her locket. "And I'm not a pushover like my brother. This duel happens to be my ticket to the Pro League, and once I'm there, Zane will be mine. And Atem Muto will be crushed under my heel."
"So, if Syrus wins, he comes to Ra, but Missy wins, she gets to go pro?" Sterling asked.
"Looks that way," Joan nodded. "You were right about her hating Atem."
"Well they say love and hate are powerful emotions," Mana winced. "I might have to write Atem after this duel."
"Fine, what are we waiting for?" Syrus yelled. "Let's do this!" He powered up his duel disk.
Missy did the same. "Ladies first!" she drew. "I summon Prickle Fairy in defense mode." A green-skinned woman with long blonde hair knelt on the field. She wore a pink and purple dress with red stockings and purple heels, and her arms were vines of ivy.
"What a start," Hassleberry commented. "This Missy has put Truesdale in a tight spot."
"How so?" Sterling asked, looking to his fellow Ra.
"When Prickle Fairy is out, Syrus can't attack any of Missy's insect-type monsters," Mana explained. "However, Prickle Fairy is a plant-type, so she can't create an attack lock like I would with my Magicians' Valkyrias."
"Or a warrior duelist with Marauding Captain," Max added.
"So Missy summoning a second Prickle Fairy won't completely lock Syrus out of attacking," Alexis finished. She glanced to the insect duelist again. "Ugh, does she really think that outfit looks good?"
"Alexis, focus," Jaden nudged her.
"Alright, watch this!" Syrus drew his card. "I'll start with Shield Crush! So much for your big plan. 'Cause now I get to choose one monster that's in defense mode and destroy it! And guess who I pick?" Missy stepped back as she realized the only target he could pick. "That's right!" Syrus grinned as Prickle Fairy's hologram was destroyed.
"Way to go!" Mana cheered.
"Now for the fun part," Syrus pulled a card from his hand. "Check this out: I summon Steamroid (1800/1800)!" A red and black engine materialized on the field. It had wide dark grey eyes, and its front wheels extended from the rest of the engine to create a pair of arms. "All right, pal, full steam ahead!" Steamroid plowed forward and blew steam in Missy's face, knocking her down to 2200 LifePoints.
"Awesome!" Jaden pumped his fist in the air. "She just learned her lesson!"
"Yeah, don't duel in heels," Alexis smirked.
"Truesdale! Truesdale!" the other students started cheering.
"And Sidecar thought he didn't have any fans," Max commented.
"Ha! You hear that? The crowd loves me!" Syrus embraced the adoration.
"And it's gone to his head," Mana smacked her forehead. Don't get ahead of yourself, Syrus.
"He really shouldn't let his guard down," Joan added. "Missy looks ready to devour him."
"Big deal!" she scoffed. "That'll change once I go!" She drew her card. "I'll play Pinch Hopper (1000/1200) in attack mode!" A large, green grasshopper buzzed at Syrus.
"Too bad I'm not afraid of bugs," Syrus mocked it.
"He should be," Mana shuddered. "That thing is freaky. And is really bad news."
"It is?" Sterling asked.
"You bet," Max answered. "See, when it's sent to the graveyard, Missy can summon any insect monster from her hand."
"And if she has the Underwood signature card, Insect Queen, that'll be really bad for Syrus," Joan added. "Every monster Missy summons would then increase the overall strength of the Queen."
"Like that machine monster Gunnar used on you?" Sterling turned to his friend.
"Exactly," she answered.
"See? You are learning," Max clapped the Ra on the back. "We'll make you into a duelist yet."
"No thanks," Sterling pushed the Slifer away.
"I guess you won't mind this next move," Missy continued her turn, "because, it's been known to bug people out. I activate the spell card Multiplication of Ants! It replaces my Pinch Hopper with two Army Ant tokens (500/500)." The grasshopper dissolved, and two large ants crawled onto the field.
"Here it comes," Mana whispered.
"Those ants only have 500 points each," Syrus scoffed. "What were you thinking?"
"I was thinking I'd use Pinch Hopper's special effect," Missy answered. "Meet the diva of my deck! She's sweet; she's strong; she's Insect Princess (1900/1200)!" A green woman clad in purple with four arms flew onto the field. In place of hair, the back of her head was shaped like an insect's body with pink butterfly wings attached.
"Insect Princess?" Max repeated.
"Wasn't expecting that," Mana leaned forward to see it better. "But I guess it fits. In a way, Missy's the princess of the family."
"My princess gets 500 points for every insect she destroys," Missy gloated. "So if you think she's strong now, just wait."
"Uh, one problem with that," Syrus held up his duel disk. "My deck doesn't have any insects."
"That's all about to change!" The field spell slot slid out of Missy's duel disk. "I play my Insect Garden spell card!" The arena changed to a giant's garden, with the the stems as big as trees and the flowers blooming overhead. Bugs crawled along the stems, at home in their natural habitat. "Welcome to the jungle, dweeb." Her tokens flew over to Syrus's field.
"Wait, I see," Alexis watched, wide-eyed. "Syrus doesn't have any insects, so Missy's going to lend him some of hers."
"And that Princess will get more powerful with each one she destroys," Mana added. She shuddered. "This duel is reminding me why I hate bugs."
"Even paper ones?" Max laughed.
"Shut up, Max!" the brunette snapped at him. "Even you couldn't tell it was fake until you grabbed it!"
"Uh, what are you talking about?" Jaden asked.
"As revenge for a prank Mana pulled on him, Atem planted a fake bug under her lampshade," Joan explained as she readjusted her hair clip. "Ultimately, it resulted in a prank war that ended with Mr. Kaiba all wet."
The group fell silent as they imagined the wrath of Seto Kaiba in that instance. "Hey, I didn't mean to get Uncle Seto," Mana protested. "That was an accident."
"And yet you lived to fight another day," Hassleberry breathed.
"Still not scared of bugs, kid?" Missy's voice drew their attention back to the duel. "Just wait 'til I play this. I equip my Princess with Insect Pheromone! Now attack his Ant!" Insect Princess took to the air and flapped her wings, creating a gust of wind that blew away one of the Army Ant tokens. Syrus's LifePoints dropped to 2600. The princess landed in front of her mistress. "And don't forget Her Majesty's special effect; she gets stronger with every bug she stomps." The princess's attack rose to 2400. "But wait! You're not in the clear just yet! Now Insect Pheromone forces your other Ant and my Princess to battle as well!"
"Oh no," Syrus recoiled.
"I'm afraid so," Missy sneered. Insect Princess to the air again, blowing away the second token; Syrus's LifePoints fell to 700. Missy's ace monster rose to 2900 attack points.
"Please tell me you're done," the Slifer begged. "Pretty please?"
"Truesdale!" Hassleberry called to him. "You're never going to defeat your enemy unless you defeat your own fear!"
"Face it head on, Sidecar!" Max added.
"You're not good enough, dork, so just give up," Missy lorded over her opponent.
Syrus shook his head, clearing away his doubts. "Sorry, Missy; no dice!" he drew his card. "First I'll switch my Steamroid into defense mode." The train engine crossed its arms and lowered its head. "Then I'll summon Submarineroid (800/1800) in attack mode!" A dark blue water vessel with a light yellow underbelly rose onto the field, its dark blue eyes locked on the Obelisk. It held a blue and orange missile in its hands.
"Why would he play that in attack mode?" Sterling asked. "Shouldn't it be in defense mode so Missy doesn't take out the rest of his LifePoints?"
"Just watch," Mana told him. "Submarineroid has a special effect that will help Syrus out."
"Big deal," Missy waved a hand at the machine. "It's only got 800 points; it can't touch my Princess."
"I'm not aiming for your Princess," Syrus pointed out. "'Cause my submarine's special ability lets me attack you directly! Subterranean Sneak Attack!" Submarineroid burrowed under the earth and charged at the Obelisk. "Who's scared now? I'll give you a hint: she's the one with the submarine speeding towards her!" Sand flew up and covered Missy, knocking her down to 1400 LifePoints. "And now, thanks to Submarineroid's special ability, it switches to defense mode." The submarine crossed its arms and lowered itself.
"Way to play, Syrus!" Mana cheered for him.
"Not bad," Jaden smiled. "But what he really needs to play is his Power Bond card."
"Too bad he can't," Chazz held up the envelope he walked in with. "It's not in his deck." He handed it to Jaden.
"Power Bond?" Jaden's eyes widened at the card. "How could you?" He glared at Chazz.
"You better have a good explanation," Hassleberry whipped around to face the black-clad Slifer.
"Yeah," Alexis agreed, narrowing her eyes at Chazz.
"I didn't take it!" Chazz protested. "Syrus gave it to me to give to you!"
"He did?" Jaden repeated. "But why?"
Joan gasped, placing a hand to her mouth. "What is it, Joan?" Sterling asked.
"It might be because of what I said," she whispered. "I told him Atem refused to duel with Dark Magician so he wouldn't always be compared to Uncle Yugi."
"And Syrus is always being compared to Zane," Mana finished with a sigh.
"I'll play this card face-down and end my turn," Syrus finished his move.
"I have to win," Missy snarled, gripping her locket. "Hear me? It's the only way to prove myself to Zane and finally destroy Atem!" She drew her card. "Time for another insect: my Magical Longicorn (600/1600)!" A black beetle with purple markings and glowing yellow eyes skittered onto the field. "You like him? Well guess what, hun; you can have him, thanks to my Insect Garden." It crawled across the field to Syrus's side. Missy grinned. "Once that beetle bites the dust, it's good-bye dweeb and hello hunk." Insect Princess took to the air again.
"Oh no, you don't! Watch this!" Syrus revealed his face-down. "I play No Entry! Now all monsters in attack mode switch to defense mode!" Insect Princess landed and knelt with her arms crossed. "And No Entry! has another effect too! You have to get rid of one card from your hand!"
"Whatevs," Missy grumbled and discarded her last card. "Like I care."
"Good hustle, soldier," Hassleberry smirked.
"Check it out," Jaden grinned. "It's a whole new Sy. Way to go, bro!"
"Keep it up, Syrus!" Mana yelled to him.
"Lucky break," Missy scoffed. "But, hun, you don't win duels with luck. But on the other hand, I guess luck is all you've got."
"Oh yeah?" Syrus glared at her. "And what's that mean?"
"Face it, geek," Missy waved him off. "You can practice all you want, but you'll never be as good as Zane."
"Take that back!" Syrus yelled at her. "I've been in the shadow of my big brother my entire life. He's confident… he was always a star duelist… he got good grades… and then there's me, Zane's little brother." He clenched his fist as he tried to get his feelings out. "I was scared I'd never be that good. But you know what? I'm sick of always being scared! It's time I faced my fear!"
"Whoa," Jaden breathed.
"You can do it, Syrus," Mana whispered.
"Here goes something!" Syrus drew his card. "And to start, I play Vehicroid Connection Zone!" The spell appeared on the field.
"Nice try," Missy rolled her eyes. "You seem to have forgotten all about my Magical Longicorn. It devours your spell cards." The black and purple beetle pressed its antennae at the spell's hologram.
"Really?" Sterling turned to Mana.
"Not all of them," she answered.
A force pushed Magical Longicorn back. "Feeding time will have to wait," Syrus grinned. "Because my Vehicroid is immune to monster effects. So now I can sacrifice Drillroid, Steamroid, and Submarineroid and play Super Vehicroid Jumbo Drill (3000/2000)!" A pink and purple vehicle with large eyes and a larger silver drill drove onto the field.
"All right!" Max cheered. "Great move, Sidecar!"
"Jumbo Drill, attack Insect Princess!" Syrus commanded his monster. The Vehicroid burrowed into the ground. It came back up under the princess, shattering her hologram. "There's another twist you should know." He clenched his fist as he relished his move. "Even though Insect Princess was in defense mode, the difference between our two monsters' strength comes out of your LifePoints!" The drill charged Missy, taking out the rest of her LifePoints. The holograms faded, and Syrus stood holding out a V sign for the crowd to see.
"And the winner: Zane's little brother!" Crowler announced.
Syrus deflated with that. "Didn't he hear my speech?" he complained.
"Way to go, Syrus!" Mana raced to arena to congratulate him, flanked by the rest of the gang.
"You faced your fears head on," Max grabbed hold of the victor and gave him a noogie.
"Great job," Joan nodded, glad she wasn't the one receiving Max's affection at the moment.
"Hey, you played a good game too, Missy," Mana complimented the defeated duelist.
"Oh shut it!" the insect duelist snapped. "I don't need pity from a Muto!"
"Girl, chill," Max let go of Syrus to face her.
"Listen, here," Missy glared at all of them. "This isn't over. I'll take both of you dorks down. Count on it!"
Syrus squared his shoulders and faced her again. "Anytime," he said.
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Syrus glanced around his room, the weight of his promotion sinking in. He was really leaving the rank of Slifer behind.
"Smile, Syrus," Mana nudged him. "You earned this."
"I can't believe you get to move out, and I'm still stuck in this dump," Chazz grumbled.
"You did awesome, Syrus," Joan complimented him.
"Chin up, Sy," Jaden gave him a thumbs-up.
"It's just…" the words died in his throat as he looked at his best friend. How could he explain the conflict he felt at leaving his friends behind? Syrus would never have gotten where he was if it wasn't for Jaden and the others.
"I know how you feel Syrus," Jaden assured him. "But this is what you wanted. You're moving up in the world."
He's right. Syrus nodded, ready to face whatever came next.
"Also," Jaden held out a card to him, "Don't forget this."
Syrus took Power Bond from him. "You know, when my brother gave this to me, I thought I needed it to be as good as he is. I realize now I was wrong. Because now I know everything I need to be a winner is inside me."
"Nicely put," Mana grinned.
"And, hey, it's not like you can't come visit," Max pointed out.
"Yeah, sometimes I think Sterling only goes to his dorm to eat and sleep," Mana laughed.
"Hey, I study in my dorm too," Sterling protested, "… sometimes."
Syrus chuckled, accepting the point of his friends. Sterling was always coming over to Slifer, and Hassleberry and Alexis were crashing at the dorm.
Who said he really had to leave for good?
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Joan rolled her eyes as she put another batch of shrimp in the oil to fry. Syrus returned in his new yellow jacket determined to keep his room with Jaden and Hassleberry. And with that, the bickering between the dinosaur and vehicle duelists had resumed.
"Seriously, guys?" Mana yelled at the two going at it again.
"Yeah, I'm losing my appetite here," Chazz snapped.
"Really? Thanks, Chazz," Jaden replied. Knowing him, he was probably stealing Chazz's food.
"Drop that shrimp!" the black-haired duelist demanded.
"Who you calling a shrimp?" Syrus yelled.
"One battle at a time, son!" Hassleberry shouted.
"Hey, Jaden, that's mine!" Max's voice rang over dishes clashing.
"Okay, the next person who takes my food is getting blasted!" Mana threatened, likely waving her wand to back up her statement.
I better hurry with these shrimp. Joan mentally sighed and pulled them out of the oil.
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Mana filled out the assignment for Professor Stein's class, tempted to add extra embellishments to the story of Pharaoh Atem. "How do you know so much about this?" Alexis asked, working on the same assignment.
"Well, the Pharaoh is kind of like my uncle," Mana shrugged. "I grew up hearing stories about him. Sometimes we'd even play Pharaoh vs. Thief King using branches as swords."
"They always made me play Aknadin," Joan grumbled from her bunk, working on another design for Professor Bauman's class.
"Is that good or bad?" Sterling asked from his seat on the floor, sketching his own design.
Singing from outside the dorm interrupted the group's studying. They stepped out to the balcony to see Atticus dressed in his Hawaiian shirt. He floated towards them on a boat, playing his ukulele with a speaker on his head. "Hey, Sissy!" he greeted his sister when he saw her.
"Atticus?" Alexis gaped at her brother.
"What's going on?" Jaden asked, coming out his room flanked by Syrus, Hassleberry, and Bastion.
"Beats the heck out of me," Mana rolled her eyes. "I'm not privy to this scheme of his."
Atticus came ashore and anchored his boat. "What brings you to this side of campus?" Alexis asked when he made up the cliff to them. "Got another prank to run by Mana?"
"I thought you said we had to be on our best behavior?" Max raised an eyebrow at the second-year.
"I have been," she protested. "Joan keeps shooting our ideas down."
"Good," Alexis rolled her eyes. "So what's up, Atticus?"
"You know what's up," Atticus smirked. "Crowler's idea, remember?"
"You're joking," the blonde glared at him.
"Sounds pretty serious to me," Chancellor Crowler said as he scaled the cliff, clad in a black wetsuit. He carried a rowboat on his back. "Have you come to your senses, Alexis?"
"My senses," Alexis scoffed. "I'm not the one wearing a wetsuit with a boat strapped to my back."
At that moment, Crowler lost his balance, flailing backwards. He caught the edge of the cliff, but the boat crashed into the water. Atticus shrugged, ignoring the chaos. "Sis, can't you just give it a chance?"
"Wait, is it that singing duelist idea?" Jaden asked.
"Yep," the blonde answered, her face turning red. Mana wasn't sure if it was from embarrassment or anger. "Crowler wants Atticus and me to become a pop singing duo."
"What's so bad about that?" the chancellor asked, back on solid ground. "I get free publicity, you get a free dress; it's a win-win situation."
"Chancellor Crowler," Mana addressed the head of the school, "I mean this with the utmost respect, but that is one of the stupidest ideas I've ever heard. And this is coming from someone who once tried to replace Seto Kaiba's trench coat with Maleficient's cloak."
"Really?" Chazz raised an eyebrow at her.
"I did say it was a stupid idea," she shrugged. "And this idol thing is even stupider."
"Yeah, you guys know Alexis can't carry a tune," Bastion chimed in.
He was silenced by a slap to the face, courtesy of the subject of his comment. "You gotta learn when to hold, soldier," Hassleberry shook his head.
"I was trying to help," Bastion muttered, dazed by the smack.
"How did I not notice you were left-handed?" Mana asked.
"I'm ambidextrous," Alexis shrugged. (2)
"Nice," Max grinned. "Duel with the right hand, and swing with the left. I like it."
"Hey, I know!" Atticus perked up, as if struck with a brilliant idea. "You just need to meet your glitzed out alter-ego!" He held out a cut-out of Alexis dressed in a low-cut sleeveless red dress.
"You just don't get it!" his sister snapped, fury growing in her hazel eyes.
"Fine, go cas," the older Obelisk flipped the cutout around, showing her in a white t-shirt with bright orange overall-shorts.
"Just give it up," Alexis closed her eyes, her jaw tightening with her anger. "I'm staying."
"Man, you're as stubborn as ever, Sis," Atticus shook his head as Crowler folded up the cutout. "Come on, Chazzy? Mana? Jaayden? Talk some sense into her!"
"Me?" Chazz echoed.
"Yeah, tell her we'll take the pop charts by storm! We'll sell out arenas all around the world."
"But why?" Jaden asked. "Can't she just be a duelist if she wants?"
"Thanks, Jaden," Alexis smiled at him.
"So back off," Mana glared at the pressuring party. "I don't know if you've heard, Atticus, but we've come across rumors about our dorm facing a permanent shutdown. And honestly, that's far more pressing for us. Plus…" She marched closer to the two. "Alexis already said no. It's her decision, and you can't force her. Unless you intend to pull the same stunt you and Chazz pulled with the Spirit Keys."
"I didn't want to settle it with a duel, but it looks like we'll have too," Atticus met his sister's eye. "Just like when we were kids."
"Fine," Alexis spat, her tone as cold as ice. "If I win, you drop this whole thing."
"Perfect," Crowler rubbed his hands together. "I shall make the arrangements. We'll have all the students gather in the arena tomorrow."
"Fine," Alexis repeated herself, then turned around and marched away.
"Something tells me you two are going to regret this," Mana raised an eyebrow at Atticus and Crowler.
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The afternoon wore on, and Alexis had yet to return. Jaden couldn't help but worry about her. He didn't think he'd ever seen her that angry. Not even when that gambler guy taunted her with the scarf he'd stolen. Or when the tennis dude flipped out over them talking. What was that guy's problem anyway?
Jaden stepped out of the room, looking for any sign of the missing Obelisk. "Why don't you go talk to her?" Mana asked as she leaned on the balcony's railing outside her room.
"Why me?" he hesitated. Jaden wanted to go talk to Alexis. There were a lot of things he wished he could figure out how to say to her. But he'd probably mess it up somehow. If only it were as easy as dueling.
"Come on, Jaden," Mana rolled her eyes. "Even I can tell you want to."
"But I don't know how to talk to girls," he admitted. "Not in the way to make them feel better."
"What about that pep talk you gave me before the graduation matches?" she raised an eyebrow at him.
"Uh…," he paused, gauging her reaction. "Promise you won't smack me?"
"Why would I—okay fine, I promise."
"I sometimes forget you're a girl." Jaden took a step away from the brunette.
Her hand stopped mid-air. "I promised, I promised," she muttered. The hand dropped to her side. "What do you mean you forget I'm a girl?" she yelled at him, steam practically coming out of her ears.
"I think of you the same way I think of Sy and Chum and Hassleberry and the rest of the guys. And really not the same way as Alexis."
"What about Joan? Or Airi?"
"Airi's kind of mean," Jaden shrugged. "Even Hassleberry's intimidated by her."
"Fine, whatever," Mana crossed her arms and glared at him. "Just go talk to Alexis before I kill you."
"Will do," Jaden fled before the brunette decided to come after him.
Now where would Alexis be? Jaden circled the area around the dorm with no sign of her. She definitely wouldn't have gone back to Obelisk, and the rest of campus would be closing for the day pretty soon. Then it hit him.
The lighthouse.
He found Alexis sitting where she always hung out with Atem and Zane, her gaze locked on the horizon. "Go away, Jaden," she muttered and pulled her knees to her chest. "I'm not in the mood to talk."
"No can do," he sat down next to her. "I kind of ticked off Mana and need to hide out."
"What did you do?" Alexis narrowed her eyes at him.
"Not important," Jaden brushed it off and sat down next to her. He was supposed to make Alexis feel better. And Jaden got a sneaking suspicion that repeating what he said to Mana would probably land him in more hot water. "Are you still mad at Atticus?"
"Yeah," she grumbled. "Why does he have to be such a pain? Zane and Atem don't act like that! Why did I get the insane brother?"
"I couldn't tell you, Lex," Jaden leaned back on his hands. "The closest I came to having a sibling was my imaginary friend growing up."
"Oh?" Alexis raised an eyebrow at him.
"What?" he shrugged. "I was an only child, and I didn't have a lot of friends. Sue me."
"That's not what I meant," she gave him a half-smile. "I just didn't expect it from you. Though I guess every kid goes through that." She sighed, her gaze falling to her knees. "My friend would promise to help me make sense of Atticus's schemes."
"I used to imagine mine protecting from whatever scared me," Jaden admitted. "Man, I haven't thought about her in years."
"Her?"
"I guess some part of me wanted a big sister," he rolled his eyes. "I can't even remember what I called her. Ella or Bella maybe? I don't know."
"Well I think it's cute," Alexis chuckled. Her gaze fell to the ground again. "Honestly, this duel really worries me."
"Do you want to talk about it?" Jaden offered.
"I…" she sighed, closing her eyes. "Atticus and I had a similar fight just before he started at the Academy. He wanted me to co-star with him in this two-man play. I said no, and we ended up dueling to decide if I would."
"And you won?" he broached the subject.
"Nope," Alexis shook her head. "I lost, and so I was dragged into rehearsing with him non-stop. I hated it. I felt so stupid. Atticus was convinced it was just stage fright and kept pushing. Finally, a few days before he left for the Academy, I snapped and told him off. It didn't even faze him.
"So I ignored him until he left. I felt guilty not saying good-bye, but then a few weeks later, his first letter came." She clenched her fist. "He told me I'd better be practicing because he wanted to perform the show for the two friends he'd made at school. I didn't write back, and I started ignoring his letters.
"I wished he would just drop the stupid play. I wanted to talk to my brother honestly again, but the show had created this barrier between us. I finally decided that the next time he came home to visit, I would tell him honestly how I felt. I'd apologize for ignoring him, and we'd go back to how things were."
"But…" Jaden dreaded were her story was going.
"Atticus never came home," Alexis buried her face in her knees. "At the midterm break before the year ended, Zane came and told me what happened. I broke down right there. The last thing I said to my brother before he disappeared was 'I hate you.' What kind of sister does that?"
"Alexis," Jaden put an arm around her, unsure of what to say.
"And now we're right back to where we were," she buried her face in his shoulder. "Sure, this time it a singing duelist duo, but it's still something I don't want to do. I want to be taken seriously as a duelist. Duelists like Mai Valentine or Rebecca Hawkins never had to do anything like this, even with being outnumbered by the guys."
"I wouldn't have guessed they were the duelists you looked up to," Jaden said.
"I mean, I admire Yugi Muto like any other duelist," Alexis looked up at him with a wry smile. "But there aren't a lot of women duelists compared to the men. I think that's part of why Mai Valentine gets called the Harpie Queen of the Pro League." (3)
"You can probably talk to Max about that," Jaden grinned. "I bet he would introduce you to her if you asked."
"Maybe," she leaned against him. "But first I have to get through tomorrow."
"You'll do great, Alexis," he encouraged her. "And we'll be cheering for you."
"Thanks, Jaden, for making me feel better," Alexis smiled, at ease for the first time since he found her there.
"I'm not really sure what I did, but I'm glad I could help," he grinned at her. She definitely looked better with a smile. "I'd do anything to help you, Alexis."
"I know," she put her hand on top of his. "And I hope you'll let me do the same for you someday."
"Sure thing," he agreed, unsure what else to say. He wanted to follow through on what he almost admitted to Mana, but he didn't know how. And Alexis dealt with enough guys hitting on her as it was. Maybe… "Hey, Lex?"
"Yeah?"
"What does fiancée mean?"
She tensed at the word, her cheeks turning slightly pink. "I told you before. It means friend."
"I'm not that dense," Jaden looked her in the eye. "I know it means something more."
"Fine," she rolled her eyes. "A fiancée is someone you're going to marry."
Jaden felt his own face heat up. "Married?" Yeah, he liked Alexis. A lot. But he wasn't ready to think about marriage. They were sixteen!
"That's why I didn't tell you," she huffed. "That, and I wasn't thrilled about being a prize of that duel."
"I never thought of you as a prize," Jaden said, remembering the duel with Harrington. "I mean, yeah, I didn't like how worked up the guy was getting about us talking. You're your own person; you're allowed to talk to whomever you want. And I was honestly just glad to duel instead of those tennis workouts."
"How do you manage to say both the right and wrong things?" Alexis sighed.
"Talent?" he shrugged.
"Sure," she rolled her eyes and gave him a small smile. "I wish more guys thought like you did. But I appreciate you all the same for it. It's one of my favorite things about you."
"I do what I can," Jaden flicked his nose and grinned at her. "But I do seriously mean it. And I'm just glad you like talking to me."
Alexis laughed as a breeze blew past the two of them. She shivered. "It's getting cold."
"Here," Jaden slipped off his blazer and offered it to her. "They really should make your uniforms with sleeves too."
"Thanks," she wrapped the blazer around her shoulders. "And yeah, I wish they would. Jasmine, Mindy, and I are always freezing once it gets dark."
"Gee, if only we knew an aggressive girl who could protest the uniform style," Jaden smirked.
"Okay, a) I don't think I've ever seen Mana get cold," Alexis raised an eyebrow at him. "And b) aren't you already in trouble with her?"
"Define trouble," he shrugged. "She's probably been annoyed by Max at this point and is pelting him with socks." He sure hoped so. Jaden did like breathing.
"Sounds about right," she laughed. "But I suppose we should get back. I still need to modify my deck if I'm going to beat Atticus tomorrow."
"I'll help you," Jaden jumped to his feet and extended a hand to her.
"Wow, first a coat and now a hand," Alexis teased. "When did you become a gentleman?"
"When I found a reason to," Jaden grinned as she took his hand. He pulled her up, and together they walked hand in hand, not letting go until they came in sight of the Slifer dorm.
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Mana rooted for Alexis as she found a seat with the gang in the front row of the arena. The blonde had definitely looked better when she got back to their room; Mana guessed Jaden had done a good job of cheering her up.
"Attention, duelists!" Crowler's voice rang out over the sound system. "Today's duel shall prove that our school is not only home of the world's future dueling stars, it's also the place where pop music legends are made!"
"Chancellor Crowler really is an idiot," Airi grumbled from the end of the row.
"You know, I'm starting to think these mandatory duels are the only times we see you," Mana raised an eyebrow at the Obelisk.
"That's because I didn't bring the game equipment you're always mooching on," Airi rolled her eyes.
The lights went out, throwing the arena in darkness. "As you kids say, let's raise the roof off this joint. Now give it up for our first star: Atticus Rhodes!"
Atticus, dressed in a purple suit with white cravat, swung around the arena on a stage wire rig, eliciting cheers from the crowd, especially the girls. A spotlight followed him, keeping everyone's eyes on him.
"Gotta say that fellow know how to make an entrance," Hassleberry commented.
"He's certainly dramatic," Joan observed.
"I dedicate this duel to the ladies in the house," Atticus held up his hand as he spoke, generating more cheers from the girls. He dropped to his knee and held his hands up, making more of a show. "That's who loves you girls."
"I'd sooner kiss a dog," Airi scowled.
"I can arrange that," Max snickered.
"Try it, Pup, and you'll be whimpering back to the kennel," Airi glared at him.
"Now for his opponent," Crowler announced as the lights came back on, "and sister: Alexis Rhodes!"
Alexis, in her Obelisk uniform, strode into the arena without a word, cold fury on her face. "Before you know it," Atticus grinned at her, "we'll have a platinum album, be in every teen magazine, and have our own reality show."
"Slow down, hotshot," Alexis glared at her brother. "You have to win this first."
"I named our band," Atticus waved off her words. "We're going to be Bro-Bro and Sissy."
"So which one is him?" Hassleberry asked.
"That has got to be the worst name I've ever heard," Mana rolled her eyes. "Joan, please let me pull something on Atticus for this."
"No," the first-year crossed her arms. "And I suspect Alexis would say no as well."
"Fine," Mana grumbled.
"Game on!" Both duelists powered up their duel disks and drew their cards.
"All right, Sissy," Atticus made the first move. "I play Panther Warrior (2000/1600) in attack mode!" A purple feline stood on two legs. It had blue armor with gold trim and red jewels, and it wielded a matching shield and curved sword.
"Hey, that's Dad's monster," Max commented.
"Atem mentioned Atticus looked up to Uncle Joey more than any other duelist," Mana commented. "He even has a copy of Red-Eyes, though…" She trailed off, unsure if Atticus originally had the dragon in his deck or if he had gotten it while as Nightshroud.
"Next, a spell—one that's fit for a star," Atticus continued his turn. "It's called Spotlight!" Bright lights from above shined on his monster. "And with my Panther Warrior center stage, it gains 300 attack points. Now I'll play this face-down and hand the mic to you."
"I'm sensing a theme here," Alexis scowled, "and to be honest it's bugging me!" She drew her card. "So I'll change the scenery with my Ritual Sanctuary field spell!" The area around them transformed into the inside of a church. Wooden pews lined up on either side of them with a red carpet leading up to an altar behind Atticus.
"She played that for me!" Chazz grinned with hearts in his eyes. "Alexis!"
"When she shot you down," Mana smacked the back of his head.
"Wait, is she the Lexi you mutter about in your sleep?" Max turned to his roommate.
"Chazz, don't yell my name like that," Alexis glared at the gang in the audience.
"Lexi, get used to people shouting your name, 'cause that's what being a pop idol's all about," Atticus grinned.
"Oh gosh, it is," Max shuddered, the late-night mutterings clicking into place.
"Everyone will be shouting your name!" Atticus continued, clasping his hand in excitement. "After they're done shouting my name anyway. You see, we're going to conquer the world! And we'll do it one hit single at a time!"
"Bro Bro's got some issues," Hassleberry's eyes widened, not really sure what else to say.
"I'll say," Sterling agreed. "Makes me glad I'm an only child."
"Just let this go, Atticus," Alexis sighed. "Hopefully this move helps. I'll start by using my Sanctuary to discard a spell card and add Machine Angel Ritual to my hand."
"Machine Angel Ritual?" Sterling looked to the rest of the gang.
"Like the name suggests, it's a ritual spell," Max rolled his eyes.
"And it allows Alexis to summon any Cyber Angel ritual monster from her hand as long as she sacrifices monsters equal to the Cyber Angel's level," Bastion added.
"Now I'll play my Machine Angel Ritual!" Alexis continued her move. Steel coated every inch of the sanctuary. "I'll really hope you have a back-up career in mind, 'cause this whole pop star thing is over! Now good-bye, Cyber Prima," the warrior in the silver suit vanished in a halo of light, "and hello, Cyber Angel Idaten (1600/2000)!" A pink-skinned woman in a black knee-length body suit and red metal headdress and gauntlets materialized on the field.
"That whole big production just for her?" Atticus raised an eyebrow at the Cyber Angel. "Talk about a letdown, Sis. That card's only got 1600 attack points. My panther's way stronger." He grinned as an idea came to him. "Wait, I get what's going on. You're trying to lose."
"Bad move, Atticus," Jaden commented.
"You really think that's what I'm trying to do?" Alexis snapped. "Get over yourself! Idaten has a special ability—when she's summoned, I get to bring a spell back from my graveyard." She grabbed her desired spell. "And I chose my Ritual Weapon card!"
"Wait, how did that end up in the graveyard?" Sterling asked.
"Remember when she discarded a spell to grab her Machine Angel Ritual?" Mana reminded him.
"Oh, she planned that from the start," Jaden smirked. "Nice play, Alexis."
"My Ritual Weapon increases Idaten's strength by 1500," Alexis continued.
"You're kidding me!" Atticus recoiled. "Her strength almost doubled!"
"Now watch what she can do with it!" Alexis commanded. Idaten raced forward, eyes locked on the Panther Warrior.
"Now I reveal my face-down trap card: Cursed Ring!" Atticus smirked. A ring with a skull slid itself onto Idaten's middle finger. The Cyber Angel slid to a halt in front of his monster.
"Why'd she stop?" Alexis asked.
"You're the one who sent her down the aisle," Atticus shrugged. "Unfortunately, she's wearing Cursed Ring, so she's fallen in love with her enemy. And she'd never attack her new soulmate." Idaten looked at the ring, blushed, and returned to Alexis's side of the field. "You see, Sis? She came to her senses. Even your own monsters think it's best for you to lose." He place his hands over his heart as he continued. "And soon, they're all going to refuse to attack me."
"Not quite," Alexis kept her expression calm. "It's true that your panther is safe from her attack, but you sure aren't."
"What do you mean?" Atticus faltered.
"Show him!" she commanded her angel. Idaten slugged Atticus, knocking him down to 3200 LifePoints.
"Wait, so how was Idaten able to attack Atticus?" Syrus asked.
"Ditto," Sterling chimed in.
"Cursed Ring equips itself to a monster, and then that monster is unable to destroy other monsters by battle," Bastion explained. "However, Cursed Ring does not prevent battle damage from occurring."
"Like how we took down the Paradox Brothers' Dark Guardian last year," Jaden chimed in.
"Oh, that makes sense," Syrus adjusted his glasses.
"Sure," Sterling shrugged.
"Alright, folks, show time," Atticus drew his card. "I'll start with this card: Stray Lambs! It lets me summon two Lamb Tokens (0/0) in defense mode." Two fluffy creatures—one white and one pink—appeared on the field.
"They've got no points," Syrus observed.
"It don't matter," Hassleberry shook his head. "He's just going to sacrifice them."
"To summon a bigger monster?" Sterling asked. "That is how that works, right?"
"Normally, yes," Mana nodded. "But Stray Lambs does not let him summon any other monsters this turn. But it's more likely he summoned them for Panther Warrior's effect."
"You see, he has to sacrifice a few soldiers in his front line so he can attack," Hassleberry added.
"That's why when my dad uses him, he uses the Scapegoat card," Max chimed in.
"Not that it helps him much," Airi smirked.
"You want to say that again, Dragon Girl?" the blond glared at her.
"If Panther Warrior wants to shine in the spotlight, he's got to cut down a few friends," Atticus shrugged. "It's the reality of show business, Lexi. You want to get ahead? You've gotta step on a few friends first. Not everyone has what it takes to make it. It's a tough business; trust me."
"Enough with the showbiz analogies," Alexis glared at him.
"Get used to it," he smirked, "'cause soon we're going to be living it, Sis." He pulled a card from his hand. "Now watch this: I activate Path to Destiny!" Panther Warrior glowed with a faint blue aura. "When a beast-warrior is equipped with this, it can attack directly."
"That's not good," Joan commented.
"Ready?" Atticus continued. "I sacrifice one Lamb Token so my Panther Warrior can attack." The pink lamb dissolved, and a golden light flashed over the feline. "Time for your solo performance; Panther Warrior, attack!" The panther swiped his sword, creating a burst of energy that struck his adversary. Alexis's LifePoints fell to 1700.
"Leave Sissy alone!" Chazz protested.
"Chazz, if you call her that again, you're going to wake up in the infirmary," Mana glared at him. "And with only the faintest idea of how you got there."
"Mana," Joan sighed as she chastised her roommate.
"He may be strange, but the boy has some strong tactics," Hassleberry observed.
"Correct," Bastion agreed. "In fact, now that Zane and Atem are gone, Atticus is arguably our top student."
"And if he had graduated when he was supposed to, he likely would have been third in his class," Mana added. "I don't think he ever got a win on Atem or Zane, but the three of them were considered the top freshman their first year."
"That sounds about right," Syrus agreed. "Though watching Atticus now, I kind of wonder how he and my brother got along."
"I think everybody wonders that," Jaden leaned back in his seat, hands behind his head.
"I place this face-down," Atticus finished his move. "Take it away, Sis."
"Don't mind if I do," Alexis started her turn. "I play Pot of Greed! This spell card allows me to draw two new cards from my deck." She smirked at her draw. "Next I summon Cyber Petit Angel (300/200) in attack mode!" A metallic pink cherub with blue wings fluttered onto the field.
"Why would she play that?" Sterling asked. "With only 300 attack points, wouldn't she lose if Atticus attacked it?"
"Okay, you really need to get Bastion to start going over card effects with you," Mana sighed. "When Cyber Petite Angel is summoned, it lets Alexis grab another Machine Angel Ritual from her deck."
"So she'll summon another Idaten?"
"Dude, no," Max rolled his eyes. "Yeah, normally ritual spells only summon one ritual monster, but the Cyber Angels are different. They all use the same spell, which makes them easier to summon."
"So now we just have to see which one Alexis does use," Joan finished.
"I play Machine Angel Ritual!" Alexis activated the spell, coating the sanctuary in steel again. "I'll trade in my Petite Angel and my Cyber Angel in order to summon this: Cyber Angel Dakini (2700/2400)!" Her two monsters vanished in a storm of golden light, and a blue-skinned woman with four arms appeared. She wore orange and black armor, and two of her arms wielded swords while a third twirled a blue staff. "Now her special ability kicks in: when she takes the field, you're forced to destroy one of your own monsters! So which one's it going to be?"
"Come on," Atticus rolled his eyes. "Who do you think?" The white Lamb Token dissolved.
"That a girl!" Hassleberry cheered. "Without that Token, the Panther Warrior can't attack."
"Keep it up, Alexis!" Mana yelled to the blonde.
"Now, Dakini, destroy his Panther Warrior," Alexis commanded her monster. The Cyber Angel charged forward and slashed the feline with her swords, shattering his hologram and knocking Atticus down to 2800 LifePoints.
"Sorry, Sis," Atticus countered. "You just triggered my Miracle Moment trap card!" He revealed his face-down. "Oh well. When my Panther Warrior gets destroyed while equipped with Paths of Destiny, I can play this: go, Bronze Warrior (500/1800)!" A muscular, tanned warrior with red war paint around his eyes materialized on the field. He wore a reddish-orange kilt and long blue cape. He wielded double-bladed daggers in each hand.
"That's weird," Syrus observed. "He only has 500 attack points?"
"Don't underestimate him, soldier," Hassleberry stated.
"Yeah, but Alexis has got this," Jaden smirked. "She's not going to lose."
"Jaden's right," Mana agreed. "We need to have faith in her."
"So I'm guessing that warrior has a special ability too?" Sterling asked.
"Yep," Joan nodded. "Before that though, he'll become the new target of the Spotlight spell card, which will give it 300 more attack points.
Atticus drew his card. "Dress rehearsal's over, Sissy. But it's cool, 'cause you've got the best seats in the house for the real performance. Thanks to Bronze Warrior's special ability, I can move Indomitable Fighter Lei Lei (2300/0) to my hand and then summon him." A half-bear warrior appeared in a flash of golden light. His upper half was human with dark magenta armor covering his scarred muscles, and brown fur covered his bottom half. A tail swished back and forth behind him. "But wait—Bronze Warrior has another power as well. As long as he kicks it in attack mode, all of my beast-warriors get an extra 400 points."
"Check it out, guys," Syrus said. "His monster is equal to hers now."
"But I doubt he's done yet," Max commented.
"Who's ready for a field spell?" Atticus pulled a microphone from the side of the platform and yelled into it. "I said who's ready for a field spell?"
"Just play already, you twit!" Airi yelled at him.
Atticus stuck the card into his duel disk, shattering the Ritual Sanctuary. A large, glittering blue cape with even larger pink fairy wings wrapped itself around Bronze Warrior. "My Ultimate Stage Costume gives my monster an extra 3000 attack points." The warrior's strength rose to 3800.
"Now that's what I call a power boost," Sterling commented.
"Hang in there, Alexis!" Jaden yelled to her.
"It's been a real blast," Atticus smirked. "Now it's time for the grand finale! Take it away, Lei Lei!" The hybrid monster charged forward and tackled Dakini, shattering both of their holograms.
"It's a draw," Hassleberry stated.
"But now Atticus can attack directly, right?" Sterling asked.
"Encore time," Atticus pointed at his opponent. "My glitzed-out warrior attacks you directly; it's a real showstopper!"
"NO!" Chazz cried, his love's impending defeat too much for him to take.
Mana smacked him upside the head. "Would you chill out?"
"Yeah, it's not over yet," Jaden pointed to the Bronze Warrior struggling to move inside his get-up.
"I'm lost," Hassleberry shook his head.
"That's my line," Sterling shrugged.
"Idiots," Airi rolled her eyes. "The attack boost that field spell gave him doesn't apply to direct attacks. Star-dumb just misplayed big time."
Bronze Warrior finally freed himself from the costume, dropping back down to 800 attack points. "Oops," Atticus rubbed the back of his head, realizing his error. "My bad." The warrior smacked Alexis on the head, knocking her down to 900 LifePoints.
"It really was the uniform," Hassleberry shrugged. "I know I wouldn't want to attack dressed like that either." Bronze Warrior returned to the costume, disappointment all over his face.
"I don't think anybody would," Jaden agreed.
Alexis's eyebrow twitched as her brother kept laughing at his mistake. "Laugh it up, bro," she sighed as she drew her card, "'cause I'm about to have the last laugh." She smirked at her card. "I pay 800 LifePoints to activate the spell card Fulfillment of the Contract! You wanted a show? Well now you've got one." Her LifePoints fell to 100.
"Ummm," Sterling looked to the rest of the gang.
"It's a ritual resurrection card," Airi answered the unspoken question with an eye roll. "It lets her bring back one of her ritual monsters from the graveyard.
"Let's go, Idaten," Alexis called on the pink-skinned angel. "Time to activate your special ability so I can bring back my Ritual Sanctuary!" She grabbed the spell and played it, returning the field to the church altar. Bronze Warrior spun around as his costume dissolved, landing on his rear.
"Nice work," Mana grinned.
"Yeah, now that costume's gone, and Alexis can get another Machine Angel Ritual," Jaden nodded.
"Now I can sacrifice Idaten," Alexis continued her move, "and summon Cyber Angel Benten (1800/1500)!" The pink angel vanished in an aura of golden light, and a woman with long black hair emerged, clad in red, white, and black. She wielded a pair of red tessen fans in her hands; her mechanical green eyes locked onto her adversary. "All right, attack Bronze Warrior!" Benten slashed the monster with her fans, destroying him and knocking Atticus down to 1800 LifePoints.
"He's still got a lot of LifePoints left," Sterling observed.
"No, he doesn't," Joan shook her head.
"Now it's time for the real finale," Alexis narrowed her eyes at her brother. "'Cause my Benten has a little special ability of her own. The defense points of your Warrior come right out of your LifePoints."
"Hold on!" Atticus protested. "But he had 1800 defense points! So that means…"
"Show's over," Alexis smirked. Golden light erupted around her brother, eliminating the rest of his LifePoints.
"How could you throw our career away?" Atticus dropped to his knees. "We could have been huge!"
"I knew she could do it," Jaden grinned.
ΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩ
Alexis waited for her brother outside the Obelisk dorm. It was time they talked—really talked. She avoided bringing up the topic before, if only because Atticus didn't seem bothered by it, but they had to be straight with each other. No more beating around the bush.
"Hey, Sissy!" Atticus grinned when he saw her. "That was a great duel earlier."
"Thanks," she smiled. "But stop calling me Sissy."
"Fair enough," he shrugged. "Anyway, I want you to know that I did it for you. You're my little sister, and I just want what's best for you."
"And I get that," Alexis sighed. "But that stuff's not for me. Honestly, I figured that out the last time you tried to drag me into a show."
"What, you mean Parallel Rhodes?" Atticus's brown eyes lit up at the memory.
"Yeah," she rolled her eyes. "Don't you remember that fight we had?"
"What, the stage fright?"
"Atticus," Alexis covered her eyes with her hand, part in exasperation and part from the stress of the memory. "That fight was the last interaction we had before you disappeared. I didn't know if the last words you ever heard from me were 'I hate you.' How was I supposed to feel about that?"
"Lexi," Atticus pulled his sister into a hug. "You really think I'd let something said in the heat of the moment shatter our bond? We're siblings! Nothing can ever break us apart."
"Atticus," she hugged him tighter. "I love you. Even when you bug the heck out of me, I'll still love you."
"And I love you, little sis," Atticus smiled. "And I don't care if the world knows it."
"Just don't drag me onstage with you," Alexis rolled her eyes. "My place is strictly as a duelist with my friends."
"Fine," he conceded. "No more productions. At least until you're ready."
"I doubt that'll ever come," she hugged him again. "But I'm okay with that. And no more conspiring behind the other's back, got it? Like how you worked with Crowler."
"Sure," Atticus rolled his eyes. "And if something's bothering you, I'd better be the first one you come to."
"Only if you can keep from blabbing it to everyone," Alexis narrowed her eyes at him.
"Sure thing," he grinned. "Your secrets are safe with me."
What am I going to do with you? Alexis shook her head. "Good night, Atticus."
"Good night, Lexi."
1. I swear, one of these days I'm going to write that prequel series around Atem, Atticus, and Zane. Anyway, Haga Underwood is an OC of mine who appears in the plot of that story. And yes, I know canon Missy has no connection, but she does have no last name in the dub (I know she does in the sub), but the insect motif fits, and I don't plan on this being her last appearance.
2. Okay, so I'm basing this on the screenshot of Alexis smacking Bastion in the show—she uses her left hand to do so. Now, we've seen left-handed duelists in the show (mainly 5D's), and those duelists wear their duel disks on their right arm so they can draw the cards with their left. However, Alexis wears her duel disk right-handed. I don't know about you guys, but if I were to take a swing at someone, I'd use my dominant hand (right in my case). Now, I'm not saying someone can't use their other hand to hit, but I thought it was a neat trait to give Alexis based on the screenshot.
3. Yeah… so I looked at the Pro-League's page on the wiki, and wow, the girls are vastly outnumbered. Like, from Zexal to VRAINS (because there are none in GX or 5D's), there are only four, I repeat, FOUR females on the list, and one is literally listed as 'Finalist's friend.' And only one of those four could be considered a main character in her series. So, given that pathetically low number, I have granted Mai the title of best female in the Pro League as of GX (because she was already making her living off the card game). Long live the Harpie Queen.
In addition to that, I admit I'm not entirely sure how to go about surnames for the married ladies in regards to how the fans refer to them. Many were famous before they were married. I'm thinking Mai hyphenates her name to Valentine-Wheeler.
So this chapter had a few challenges to it. Admittedly, I was kind of trying to keep this at least somewhat consistent with my three-shot Transforming Truesdales, if only for universe consistency (though I suppose I could go edit that too *shrugs*). But I do really like Max and Hassleberry trying to help Syrus in this chapter.
Some of you may also be thinking 'Wasn't Alexis and Atticus's duel after Jaden faced Aster?' Yes. Yes it was. Admittedly, I got inspired and wrote a draft of Jaden and Alexis's scene without looking at my outline. I liked the potential of the scene too much, so I just moved it. There will be a duel in that space of the show, but for now, I just wanted to explore the sibling dynamics of the Rhodes.
Anyway, that's a wrap, guys. Let me know what you think, and I'll see you next time.