So I was supposed to be working on something else, but here we are. I got distracted with watching most of the second season of 5D's on YouTube. After some fantasy scenarios over several fic ideas, some landed in what-ifs. With that in mind, I'll tackle some minor stuff with duelists. What if the result of a duel changed? What if there were a different duelist altogether?
There is a certain chap I'll try and tackle last, mainly to try and do both characters justice. Until then, any suggestions you may have for what-if scenarios for Duel Monsters, GX and 5D's (other generations maybe, a matter if I can do the ideas justice), feel free to put them in the reviews and PMs, as well as any feedback. Without further ado, let's begin!
EDIT: CORRECTED ON DEC. 30TH 2023 (ISSUE REGARDING REMAINING LP IN THE DUEL FIXED)
User: Bastion Misawa
Project Barleycorn
Entry Log 001
This is Bastion Misawa. I would be in Year 3 by now when it comes to my time with my friends. Syrus is now an Obelisk, an amazing senior student alongside Alexis and Chazz. Hassleberry is still a Ra Yellow, but has earned a solid spot among his fellow students, let alone a certain favor from my formerly elusive head of the Ra Yellow dorm. While the students from the other schools returned to their respective academies, Jaden never came back. It concerns me, seeing the shift from the somewhat aloof yet strong duelist go down a dark path was frightening.
After seeing what happened to him, I couldn't help but feel a sense of sympathy. There was so much that he was affected by ever since he was a boy, and he had forgotten it through means that to this day I still can't find. And so, I began working on a much more stable bridge between Earth and the Twelve Dimensions. While I do this to try and find Jaden once more, I also plan on returning to Tania's embrace, no matter how silly it may be at first sight. Eisenstein doesn't mind, something about visiting the Twelve Dimensions and sharing his findings before his time comes to an end.
I don't know how I acquired the knowledge to do so in a much more fluid fashion, one that feels less crude than the last few attempts. In my defense, we have more time to work with unlike whatever happened during the first semester of Year 3. Bit by bit, the machine is a work of art, no part seemingly out of place. One errant part will undo the delicate balance of the machine that is my personal creation (with a helping hand from my mentor, of course!). The only thing missing is a sizable amount of Duel Energy, courtesy of my friends. While I forward an email to them, my mind starts thinking on the possibilities of space-time and things going wrong this time around. How we might not be the only ones out there... no, such thoughts would only tamper with my results, but I could definitely work on a few failsafes in the meantime.
This is Bastion Misawa, signing out.
Entry Log 001, END.
Several hours later...
User: Bastion Misawa
Project Barleycorn
Entry Log 002
The machine was a success, but also a failure. The group that was united was in an odd place. Syrus was trying to have this strong front, but I could see a sense of conflict within him. Chazz was as brash as ever, yet seemed to be against this... as for how they managed to bring him here is beyond me. Zane is much quieter than when I saw him during my first year in Duel Academy, something about recovering from his death and eventual revival due to constant use of the duel chokers. Jesse, Axel and Jim were their usual selves, somewhat neutral on the matter alongside Atticus, but Alexis... she looked torn to say the least.
Losing Jaden clearly took a toll on her, and yet the reason why was of concern. Was it due to his descent into madness courtesy of Haou? His abrupt disappearance? There was so much to consider and yet, we all continued. After gathering the Duel Energy needed and powering up the machine, it eventually opened a portal. The portal looked different, but we didn't pay it much mind. The true problem came when some portals opened beneath a few of the people in the room. As we would get the report time later, some portals opened in Duel Academy and perhaps other places. I will provide an update here once I gather more information on the matter.
This is Bastion Misawa, signing out.
Entry Log 002, END.
Location: Neo Domino City
Year: ?
Subject: Chazz Princeton
WHAT IF... Chazz Princeton dueled Rudolph Heitmann in Neo Domino's Duel Academy?
Chazz's P.O.V.
There is something wrong about all this. First, I'm chilling on the weekend, free from any threats to the school. Then, I get an email from Bastion requesting we help him power up his new invention, something about a portal to 'The 12'. Finally, I'm forced to join despite everything we've been through? Ain't that a kick in the ass! I get that the slacker's gone, but he should be fine with that Yubel thing, no? I don't know if they're a fiend, dragon, monster or whatever, but last I remember they were now bound together.
It's not my fault things turned out the way they did, but then again, there was so much going on, with things that happened in their first year, second year... I just want a break for crying out loud! Damn slacker, getting us in trouble. Where was I? Ah yes, everything going south. So for some reason, as always, things go south and I'm no longer in Duel Academy. Instead, I'm in... another Duel Academy. This time, it wasn't on an island but rather the mainland, and this one was surprisingly big. Everyone looks surprisingly friendly, I'm out of my element. Gets worse knowing how the girls were Slifer Red while the boys were Obelisk Blue. No hostility but still, gets me thinking how far into the future this is.
While I'm surprised I haven't been pulled aside by possible security or faculty, it's probably a sign of how lax things have gotten. There was a damn Disciplinary Action Squad and a fair share of guards back on Academy Island for crying out loud, I guess the Sacred Beast cards and Spirit Keys were lost in the process! Good riddance, the less crap we see the better. Despite the sight seeing in this academy, I need to gather more info unless-
"Hey boss, can you hear us?"
That pesky yellow slimeball that's been with me since my trip to North Academy is talking to me, great. Ojama Yellow's a stubborn ugly thing with brothers that are just as ugly, but I'll be damned if I deny the amount of pickles they've gotten me out of.
"Yes, I can hear you. I need to get some intel, dweebs. Care to help me out?"
"Of course!" Green and Black appeared, ready for duty. As they floated their respective ways, I began to wait. Despite the change in uniforms, it started to dawn on me: Where's Alexis? Where's everybody else? What's with the uniforms? What happened to the original Duel Academy? My thoughts were interrupted by the Three Stooges I see on a daily basis.
"Hey boss, we're back!" Yellow said.
"We saw some interesting things, students looked like they were from Prep School!" Black added.
"Way I see it, they joined both schools so they're on the same campus! No pun intended, nyuk nyuk nyuk!" Green tittered.
"And get this: there's no longer a King of Games, but rather a King of Turbo Du-" Black was interrupted by a kid who was running off with a card in his hand.
"Come back!" a guy with crab-like hair shouted, running towards the kid. Hair aside, what caught my eye was the golden mark on his face. Odd, and I had only seen that kind of stuff on a couple people while on campus. Now was a perfect time to enter the building and go for a more direct approach on the matter.
As I enter the building, I hear the students and teachers, the place felt a bit more lively. How much had changed? Despite double the years covered compared to the 3 I was familiar with, the air felt different compared to the island. As I walked down the halls, I heard a very loud and obnoxious voice doing some scolding. Making my way to the source, I look into the class, being careful to not trigger the sensor.
"How can you call yourself a teacher when you're willing to give up on the students you're supposed to be teaching? If you're going to kick out this entire class because you don't think they're good enough, then whatever! If they go, I go with them!" a red-haired student asked. No, scratch that... it was a darker red, burgundy maybe?
"Do you think that will stop me? This academy can't indulge the whims of every student who are what they play: low-level nimrods that aren't worth the foil on my booster packs!" A loud man with green hair and a tacky red suit shouted. He brought up a hologram with a few students' faces and several cards. None of these were stronger than 1000 ATK.
"All in all, they can't handle real monsters, which means a lack of real dueling skills and abilities!"
"Boss, do you think the same of us?" Ojama Yellow asked, which in turn got a green-haired girl to look at me. Ah crap. It got worse seeing how she got up and went for the door, opening it.
"Is that an Ojama Yellow?" she asked, looking at the dweeb before looking at me.
"You can see him?"
"Yes, but I think you walked in on a wrong time," she answered, looking at the professor.
"And who are YOU to be interrupting us?" the obnoxious guy asked.
"Just The Chazz, and I don't like your tone."
"Ah, so you agree with these pathetic, no-talented students? As expected from a delinquent, it wouldn't be a surprise if you were on a list for the Facility."
'Great, he's making Crowler look tame. Oh well, it's go time. If someone's going to tear into a slacker, it's going to be me.'
"It's a matter of perspective: I've seen my fair share of duels, and I'd like to think that it's one part monsters, two parts skill."
"I don't see how you can influence the matter."
"Well I do: a duel. I win, these twerps get another chance. I lose, I'll be out of your hair along with 'em! Sure, you can refuse, but who would take a coward seriously?" I ask, throwing in a laugh along with the gauntlet.
"Oh that does it, I'll see you at the Battle Dome in 10!"
"Make it an hour, I'm a bit rusty, and I'm not too familiar with the place." I answered.
"You're only delaying the inevitable."
"Then you shouldn't have a problem waiting, right?"
"An hour it is then. Until then children, prepare yourselves," he said, getting ready to leave the classroom.
"Hold up, before you leave: let's sweeten the pot. If I win, you throw in some cash for the Chazz, but I won't use monsters with more than 500 Attack Points."
"Those are fighting words, I accept the new terms." This left me with a concerned group of students and a teacher. All of a sudden, all Hell broke loose. With an array of complaints and the likes, I was quickly pulled outside by the girl from earlier, who was quickly followed by someone who looked like her brother, as well as the red-haired girl from earlier.
"You said your name was Chazz, right?" the girl asked.
"The one and only."
"Oh. I'm Luna."
"And I'm Leo, Luna's best brother!" the boy answered.
"You are my only brother, Leo."
Looking at these two has me feeling jealous, but I'm also relieved seeing them get along. When was the last time I got along with my siblings that way? Last time I remembered was... wait, no.
"I'm Akiza, a friend of theirs." the redhead said. Her uniform was a bit different to the others', and she seemed to have a necklace that held a card on it.
'Could it be an ID, or a Duel Monsters card? Hmm...' I thought to myself, before I spoke.
"Ok ok, what year is it?"
"Year? What do you mean?"
"You heard me, what year is it?"
"Well... it's roughly 18 years after the Zero Reverse?"
"Do I even want to know?"
"No."
"I see... just, what's changed in the last, I dunno, 30 years in dueling?"
"You must be super old!" the kid named Leo said.
"Don't ask, what've we got?"
"Well, they have turbo duels, Synchro Monsters-"
"Synchro what?"
"Synchro Monsters! You add levels, summon them from your Extra Deck..."
"Extra Deck?"
"You know, same deck you put your Fusion Monsters in..."
"Wow. I need some time to process this. Can I come in?"
"Of course, let me just..." Akiza said, opening the door for us before we got in. A lot has changed, and something tells me I need some updates.
"So sir, do you think you can save the class?" a girl with yellow hair asked.
"Sure I can umm..."
"It's Patty."
"Patty, yeah. I just need to... ahh crap. No, no, I can work with this." I answered, removing several monsters from my deck. 'Goodbye to the Armed Dragon and V-to-Z cards for now,' I thought.
"Listen, I need to ask you all a favor: can you guys let me see your spare cards, or is there a card shop nearby? I hate to admit it, but I'm going to need all the help I can get," I said. This made the kids excited, and the teacher quickly excused herself. We spent the time by checking the spare cards, lost and found bin, and even a few booster packs courtesy of the teacher. Teacher's name was Miss Bartlet, it was obvious she wanted what was best for the kids. Can't blame her, they're too young for this kind of crap.
Ah well, I can safely say that my deck is now in a good spot, now all I need is a Duel Disk and the rest will explain itself.
Duel Academy's Battle Dome
1 hour later...
3rd Person P.O.V.
The time had come for Chazz and Rudolph Heitmann to duel, and the students were nervous.
"Have you seen Yusei?" Akiza asked.
"No, what's the matter? Trying to make a move on him?" the teacher countered, teasing a bit. This in turn got the other students to start a commotion.
"Silence, you imprudent students! I will wipe the floor with this insolent clod and be free before lunch! Prepare yourselves!" He said, as the duel disks were brought to life, the decks shuffled and ready for use.
"DUEL!"
1. Chazz
"I'll kick things off!" Princeton said, drawing a card and looking at it briefly. 'It's not the best start, but the only thing I can do for now is play defense. I'm going to need some monsters on his side, but until then...
"I'll play 'Ojama Blue' in Defense Mode (1000 DEF)!" he said, as a small blue beast got in a kneeling position.
"Hey boss, Yellow and the gang told me all about you!" the now identified Ojama Blue said. 'Great, now there's four of you!'
"A weak monster, as expected from an ill-mannered clown!"
"How about you wait for my turn to finish before you start trashing my deck? Thank you. I'll end my turn." Chazz said.
Chazz: 4000 - Heitmann: 4000
2. Rudolph
"Good, it's my turn! I'll start by reinvigorating my starting hand with 'Magical Mallet'! By sending however many cards from my hand to my Deck, I can shuffle and then draw an equal amount! I'll be sending these two and draw two more," Heitmann said, leaving him with three cards in his hand. It eventually returned to five cards once the deck was shuffled.
"Now, I'll summon 'Ancient Gear Statue' in Attack Mode (500 ATK)!" What seemed like the head of an 'Ancient Gear Golem' propped on an odd altar of sorts appeared.
"There's nothing wrong with company if it's the right kind, which is why I'll activate 'Machine Duplication'! I can select a Machine-type monster on my side of the field and summon two more copies from my Deck! Sure, the monster I pick must have 500 Attack Points or less, but it won't be a problem for the great Heitmann!"
'Now he's talking in third person! Great...' Chazz thought to himself.
"Now, I'll activate 'Ancient Gear Castle', which will give my Ancient Gear monsters a 300-point Attack bonus. (Ancient Gear Statue x3: 500 + 300 = 800 ATK) I will however be giving up one of these statues to summon one of my heaviest hitters to dispose of that puny monster. Go, Ancient Gear Golem, in Attack Mode (3000 + 300 by 'Ancient Gear Castle' = 3300 ATK)!" With the altar slowly sinking into the ground, the helm was the only part visible. It would then re-emerge, this time with a full body.
"That's Crowler's monster!" Chazz exclaimed.
"Ah yes, Vellian. I do recall his teaching skills being better than his dueling skills, which is why I elevated what he offered. The very same offerings that will obliterate your monster and your life points! Now my Golem, thoroughly pummel this buffoon with 'Mechanized Melee'!" the vice-chancellor ordered, the Golem delivering a sizable blow to Ojama Blue and then Chazz (Chazz: 4000 LP - 2300 = 1700 LP)
"Agh!" the Obelisk Blue student exclaimed. "Check this out: when 'Ojama Blue' is destroyed by battle and sent to the Graveyard, I can add 2 'Ojama' cards from my deck to my hand!" he added, drawing 'Ojama Green' and 'Ojama Black' to his hand.
"Add as many of those weak monsters you want, but it won't stop the onslaught of my Statues! Now go and push him and the class closer to expulsion!" The two statues charged and attacked, reducing his Life Points even further.
"I'll end my turn, make your last turn count, though it won't be for much compared to what my mechanized militia offers!"
Chazz: 100 - Heitmann: 4000
3. Chazz
"Ask and you shall receive. Here goes!" Princeton exclaimed, drawing a card and smirking. "I'll start by activating the 'Mystical Space Typhoon', destroying your Castle!" he exclaimed, watching Rudolph's monsters lose their bonus (Ancient Gear Statue x2: 500 ATK, Ancient Gear Golem: 3000 ATK).
"A small hindrance compared to the grand scheme of your defeat!"
"Allow me to continue, then. I'll activate 'One for One' and discard 'Ojama Green' to summon a new monster from my deck: Tuningware, in Defense Mode (300 DEF)!" A small yellow robot appeared on the field, with a wok as a helmet. "I'll continue by summoning 'Turbo Rocket' in Attack Mode (0 ATK), but they won't be sticking around for long, because it's time for a Synchro Summon! I didn't think I'd be doing this kind of summon anytime soon, but here we are, 2 and 1 become 3 and summon... Turbo Cannon, in Attack Mode (0 ATK)!"
From the merging of stars and green rings came a white and yellow machine with blue details on it.
"Before I continue, I'll activate Tuningware's effect: since it was sent to the Graveyard as material for a Synchro Summon, I get to draw one card! Now, I'll be using Turbo Cannon's special effect to destroy a monster on the field and get that card's controller to take damage equal to half the attack... and one of your Statues will do the trick!" Chazz said, his Machine Synchro loading up a shot and firing at a Statue, which in turn got Rudolph to take some damage from the shrapnel.
Rudolph: 4000 - 250 = 3750.
"That was a foolish move, you pathetic, insolent, boorish buffoon! Why go for a Statue when you can go for my Golem?"
"Because he's next... you prattle on and on about big monsters, but power's useless if you're an idiot, and I'm more than glad to show you. Watch this!" he said, showing a Spell Card. "It's called 'Black Illusion Ritual', and all I need is a monster to cover the cost! By sending the Ojama Black you helped me get earlier, I can Ritual Summon from my hand a monster you'll all know as 'Relinquished', in Attack Mode (0 ATK)!" he answered, Ojama Black vanishing, and in his place a somewhat nightmarish creature that was an off-shade of blue.
"In case you don't know what happens next, I'll teach ya: I get to pick one monster on your side of the field and equip it to my monster. While equipped with a monster, Relinquished's attack and defense become equal to the equipped monster's, so that's three grand for The Chazz!" he said, watching the Ritual Monster absorb the Ancient Gear Golem and make the machine a part of it (3000 ATK).
"And don't think I'm done, 'teach'! You see, I got a little something earlier thanks to Tuningware, the key to your defeat! Read it and weep, 'United We Stand'! I'll equip this to Relinquished, who'll get an 800-point attack bonus for each monster on my field, and with it's attack now being 4600, that means-"
"It's more than enough to destroy me!"
"Couldn't have said it better. Now 'Relinquished', attack that statue with Pilfered Power Attack!" With an ominous beam shot at the remaining Statue, Rudolph felt himself getting a good amount of the shrapnel to phase through him, the damage very much felt as his Life Points became none. (Heitmann: 3750 LP - 4100 = 0 LP)
WINNER: Chazz
"Let's give it up for Chazz!" one of the students said, before everyone ran onto the Duel Field and cheered for him, eventually asking quite a few questions.
"Get in line, I'm more than willing to answer your questions once Akiza and friends answer-" all of a sudden, Yusei walked in, with a lonely-looking student beside him.
"Hey, sorry for the delay. I had a talk with Sly over here," the Shooting Star of the Satellite said, looking at the now identified Sly before he looked away.
"It isn't a problem, Yusei," Akiza said, stopping before him and smiling softly.
"Got it. By the way, do you guys know a such 'Heitmann'? I heard they had a few loose screws," the Satellite said, only getting a few laughs from the people.
"I think that's your guy," Chazz said, pointing at the dejected duelist.
"Oh, looks like I'm not needed anymore. Name's Yusei," he said, extending his hand towards Chazz, the handshake being reciprocated.
"Chazz Princeton."
"Wait, Princeton? I heard they were a business based in America!" one of the kids said.
"What? We're based here in Japan..."
"Oh, it has been a while. Was this the person you were telling me about, Luna?" Yusei asked, looking at the Signer.
"Yes, we thought you could help."
"Sure I can... hopefully. How did you get here?"
"Big weird void, ended up flung in what looks like the future, looking for a slacker."
"A slacker?"
"Yeah: around my height, red blazer, hair looks like a Kuriboh, goes by Jaden."
"Wait, 'Jaden'?"
"Yeah, Jaden Yuki. Ring a bell?"
"Not quite... I do think I know a person," Yusei said, popping up a device and beginning a call. "Hey Blister, how are you?"
"Hey Yusei, long time no see. Well, long time according to Martha," a rugged man said. "What's been going on over in Neo Domino?"
"Just the same old same old, but I get the feeling that something big might be happening soon."
"Yusei..."
"I know I know, 'don't be so much of a worrywart'. Point is, I need a favor, some info actually. Chazz?" With the description now given to Blister, he tapped his chin a few times.
"I think I've heard the name a couple of times, but I need to double-check that. I'll get to work once I'm off the clock, should be done by nightfall, hopefully it isn't big."
"Got it, say 'hi' to Martha for me."
"I rather you tell her yourself, along with the others," Blister said, smiling and giving a wave before ending the call.
"Let's get something to eat, we'll figure things out in the meantime," the teacher said, leading everyone to the cafeteria. As he walked, Chazz began to process things: how long would he be stuck here? Was this really Domino City 18 years in the future? Was it actually more? What exactly happened?
His mind however went to Akiza, who he swore had a card on her pendant that resembled Dandylion...
And that's it! I've been at it for 5-6 hours, and I should be asleep by now! The next chapter will feature a what-if scenario for Yusei. As stated before, if you have any ideas for fantasy duels such as I dunno, if Joey Wheeler dueled Leo, my reviews are open along with PMs. Feedback is welcome to improve my writing skills as well as handling duels. Until then, this is Azrael Voorhees wishing you a wonderful day!
Oh, generations I'm handling for now are Duel Monsters, GX and 5D's, but I could be convinced to handle other generations... it's a matter of if I can do them justice or not. Stay safe!