"You ready, Mario?" asked Roll.
The boy was shown in his room as he packed the last bit of his stuff into his suitcase. With Spring Break starting, the pair already had plans. That included being present for their father's PLE duel in Vegas. The two were scheduled to fly out in just a few hours to arrive at their destination, where Juniper would pick them up and take them to the hotel where their parents would be waiting. However… the siblings weren't just flying by themselves.
"Mario!"
"All set!" called the boy as he walked down the stairs with his luggage in hand and backpack on.
The door to their dorm was heard as Roll approached it. The girl opened it and standing there were their friends.
"Who's ready for the best road trip?!" exclaimed Izzy as she had her own backpack on.
That's right… the rest of their friends were also going to Las Vegas as their father had also told his children to invite their friends to attend the massive PLE in person. It didn't take long for them to say yes, as the group was to attend such a big event that only occurred once a year.
A plane flew through the air as the group looked out of the windows to see how high they were.
"This is going to be the best Spring Break ever!" squealed Sunny as she couldn't contain her inner excitement.
"I've never been to Las Vegas before; oh, I'm so excited! Imagine the content waiting for me!" exclaimed Pipp with sparkles in her eyes.
"Thanks for inviting us," said Hitch.
"No problem, sheriff!" responded Roll as she gave a playful punch to her friend's shoulder.
In the hotel, Isaac had a sheet of paper in front of him. The paper was essential as it was the literal match card of the PLE. The World Champion was reviewing the match order that had been put together. The main event was obviously him and Aj, as it was locked. As for the rest of the matches, he was looking them over and finalizing them. He soon leaned back as he brought a hand up to rub his neck; the World Champion had a lot on his mind, along with the intense media schedule he'd been doing the past few weeks to promote this event.
"Tired?" asked Twilight as she came behind her husband to put her arms around him before kissing his lips.
"No, just… taking a break," sighed Isaac as Twilight sensed some stress in her husband and began to massage his shoulders.
"Just tell Juniper to cancel all your media appearances tomorrow. You've done a lot to promote this event. Besides, everybody else on that card can handle promoting it."
"I'm the World Champion, honey. It's my job and responsibility to be the guy to appear. I'm the one they call when an interview needs to happen. When they need a charity appearance, who do they call? Me. I'm the one they count on." said Isaac.
"I get it. But I'm sure everyone can afford a day when you're not doing it. They owe it to you for all you've done for them. I'm sure the fans can wait to see you on TV." said Twilight as she looked at her husband.
The World Champion struggled to say no to his wife, as he knew that once she set her mind on something, it was useless to change it.
"Alright. I'll take the day off tomorrow."
Twilight smiled as she gave another kiss to her husband before heading for the bed. The World Champion pulled out his phone and texted Juniper, telling her to cancel all his appointments. The agent responded to her client by sending him a text about something. Twilight noticed her husband's expression when he read the text Juniper sent him.
"What is it, honey?"
"The kids are arriving," smiled Isaac.
At that moment, the plane carrying the teens was shown as it touched the runway. Doors opened, and out came Roll and Mario, as behind them were their friends. They grabbed their baggage claim luggage as they entered the airport parking lot. A massive bus awaited them as Juniper stood outside with a sign with the two siblings' names.
"Welcome to Sin City, kids," said Juniper as she saw her client's children and their friends.
The bus ride from Las Vegas International Airport went down the Strip, past all the mammoth hotels and mega-resorts, including a six-hundred-fifty-million-dollar trip into fantasy, a massive black glass pyramid that would have made the Egyptians feel right at home the emerald-green Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) Grand, its main building stretching the width of four football fields; a sex-charged rock club, a bright red volcano that spat lava into the sky after dark, and Manhattan if it had been reimagined by Dalton Whinne, with buxom cocktail waitresses instead of college kids in Wilhelm Wombat and Elmer Eagle costumes—the results of Las Vegas being in an almost constant state of boom for the past four decades.
"This is it, everybody- The Sky Resort," Juniper said as the bus stopped.
The teens stared in awe at the huge, 31-story casino hotel. With its colossal water fountain, extravagant double doors and revolving doors, and flashy neon signs, the exterior alone was impressive. The group spilled out of the bus and retrieved their suitcases from the luggage hold. The hotel lobby's main doors (a pair of tall, golden double doors) were flanked by a pair of doormen like two proud sentinels. The kids peered through the windows and saw many people, everyone from a janitor mopping the floor to a young woman behind the front desk. The resort's interior was modern and stylish, decorated like a tropical jungle, with palm trees, rainforest flora, rumbling brooks, and even the odd waterfall. Unlike the dry desert air outside, the air seemed misty, and the entire place smelled authentic. A giant gold statue of the owner dominated the lobby's center; a 53-foot by eight-foot aquarium stretched behind the registration desk.
While everybody was admiring the place, Juniper then made her way to the registration desk, where she checked in with herself and the entire group. A couple of bellhops came to get their bags, loading them onto a cart and carrying some in their arms as they entered the elevator to drop off their bags in each person's room. With that, the whole group approached Juniper, and the women told her how to enter their room.
"Now, in order to get to your rooms, you'll have to take the gold elevators," The women told them. "To get to them, you must go through the casino and veer to the left. Then, take a right at the first palm tree. You'll see the blackjack tables. Not baccarat, not craps, blackjack. Take another right and wind around left. You've gone too far if you get to the indoor pools."
"Gold elevators, through the casino, left, right at the first palm, past the blackjack tables, right again, and then left, pool, too far, got it!" Mario replied as he just walked off on his own.
The woman smiled and said, "Enjoy your stay."
"Here are your room keys, kids!" said Juniper as she held the cards. "Their father paid no expenses but the most!"
"Sweet!" said Zipp.
After that, they each grabbed their room keys and hopped into the elevator. They stopped on the 31st floor, as they all had their rooms on the same floor. Then, they split up as each person entered their room.
"Luxury!" said Pipp as she jumped onto her bed and sighed. The mattress felt so nice.
"What a view!" Sunny exclaimed as she took in the massive view of the entire Strip and the garden arena, where the PLE would be taking place in just a few short days.
While their friends were enjoying the luxury of their rooms, Juniper led Roll and Mario down the hall to their parents' room. They came to a door, and she knocked on it; the door opened, and there was Twilight.
"As you requested, Twilight," said Juniper as she stood to the side and allowed the card designer to see her kids.
"Hi, Mom!" said Roll as she entered the room and immediately hugged her mother.
"It's good to see you, sweetie!" said Twilight as she hugged her daughter. "Mario… my little boy."
"Hey, Mom," responded the teen as he tried his best not to show too much emotion. The boy's mother then came to her son and gave him a hug as he put his arms around her.
"Where's Dad?" asked Roll.
"I'm right here, sweetie!"
The girl turned as there stood her father. Roll went toward her dad as he bent down and hugged his daughter before picking her up and putting the girl on his shoulders. Isaac smiled before looking at Mario, who was still beside his mother.
"Hey, son."
"I'm going to my room!" said Mario, turning and walking back down the hall. He didn't want to be with his family at the moment.
Twilight and Isaac watched their son leave, and their expressions were similar. The boy's attitude was as clear as day, and it made them a bit worried.
"I see there are still some lingering issues," said Juniper to both her client and his wife. "If you'll excuse me, you two, I need to get things ready for the kids for tonight's activities."
"Thank you, Juniper," said Isaac as the woman left.
"Oh, Mario," sighed Twilight, thinking about her son and his demeanor toward her husband.
After Mario returned to his room, he simply decided to take a nap to escape reality. The boy later awoke as he could see the sun starting to set from his window, which showed that some time had passed. He looked at his phone as he received some texts from his sister saying that their parents and Juniper had put together a list of activities that they could do in the hotel during their stay. The boy looked at the checklist and saw that his parents had put together a get-together dinner and rented out a restaurant for the evening just for them.
Downstairs, Sunny and the others were gathered, excited to see what the World Champion and his wife had planned for them. The doors to the elevators opened, and out stepped Mario, getting the attention of the others.
"You decided to join us?" asked Roll.
"I'm just hungry," responded Mario, as that was the only reason he left his room to come down.
The seven then began to walk down the hall, soon arriving at the place where dinner was to be served. It was safe to say Isaac did not disappoint when it came to wowing his kids' friends. A long buffet table with several plates and food was shown. Several of the hotel's staff were standing around the table, serving drinks for the teens.
"Holy cow! Look at all the food!" said Hitch as he couldn't believe what he saw.
"Ooh, chocolate-covered strawberries!" said Izzy as she instinctively grabbed one and popped it into her mouth.
"There you go again, Dad. Always throwing money around to impress people," scoffed Mario, as he wasn't amused by his father's effort to get everything set up for them.
"Good. You're all here!" said Juniper as she made her presence known. "Take a seat, kids."
"Thanks for inviting us here," said Sunny to the World Champion's agent.
"You're too kind, Ms. Starscout. But it was my client's idea. He organized everything, and I just signed off and finalized everything. You should thank him personally."
"Speaking of which, will he be here?" asked Pipp.
"Mr. Isaac will be joining us soon. For now, he said, dig in!" stated Juniper as she snapped her fingers.
The staff began to set some glasses and poured the teens' desired drink before leaving the pitchers on the table. Juniper then spun the table as it moved the many plates of food around so that the teens could choose what they wanted to add to their plates. As the kids were putting, Juniper snapped her fingers, and behind her, curtains pulled back to reveal a stage. Soon, some acrobats began to appear, and they were asked to put on a show for the kids. It got the attention of the teens as they were being treated to a full package. At that moment, someone appeared behind Roll as they touched her shoulder.
"Having fun?" asked Twilight as she stood beside her husband.
"Yeah. Thanks, Mom and Dad!" Roll said as she got up and hugged her parents to thank them for doing this for them.
"No way… You're… you're… Twilight Sparkle," Sunny said as she overheard Roll and turned to see the girl hugging her mother.
At that moment, the others turned as they saw the World Champion and his wife. Juniper smiled as she looked at one of the hotel staff, as he knew what that meant. He signaled to the acrobats to take a break while his coworkers brought a plate and chair for the two VIPs.
"Apologies for the delay, everyone. Had some important business to attend to," said Isaac as he sat down with Twilight seated next to him. "Zipp, Pipp. Nice to see you girls again."
The two daughters of his sponsorship smiled as they were ecstatic to see the World Champion since their stay-in during Winter Break.
"As for the rest of you. It's nice to see you all again. But, I haven't introduced you to someone," said Isaac, looking over at his wife and holding her hand. "This here is my wife. Twi-"
"Twilight Sparkle!" shouted Sunny abruptly as she immediately covered up her mouth.
The girl now had all eyes and faces looking at her as she realized how awkward of a situation she put herself in. Sunny blushed red from embarrassment and slumped back in her seat as she tried to make herself small.
"I'm sorry," Sunny said softly, interrupting Isaac on introducing his wife to them.
"It's alright," said Twilight, smiling at the girl. She could tell she was excited based on the wide smile on her face and the constant talk from her daughter about how much of a fan Sunny was of her work.
"Well, since that's out of the way. I'm hungry. Let's eat!" said Isaac as his stomach was immensely growling.
Almost immediately, Twilight began to grab for the many burgers that were piled on before her. The woman dove right in and began to chomp on the things with a loud munch; she let out some moans as it caught the attention of the kids' friends. To think that Twilight, someone who had an important job and was a businesswoman, was devouring everything on her plate as if she were a child and chucking down more than three smoothies.
"Um, no disrespect, Roll, but she's your mother?" asked Hitch, as he didn't expect Twilight to act like what he was seeing.
"Eh," said the girl, shrugging at her friend's confusion.
Twilight then wiped the ketchup out of her mouth with another burger before eating it whole; her cheeks puffed up as she mumbled in bliss. Isaac just looked at his wife, and he couldn't help but smile. Despite her eating habits at times, the World Champion still loved that about his amazing woman as it added to her charm. Twilight then swallowed her burger and gave a slight burp before giving a sheepish chuckle.
"Hehe, sorry, everyone. It's been a while since I've had any burgers," said Twilight with a slight blush.
"I love you, honey," said Isaac as he couldn't take his eyes off his wife and leaned in for a kiss.
"Aw," said Pipp and Izzy as the display of affection between Isaac and Twilight was cute.
"Ugh!" shuddered Zipp as she stuck her tongue out, showcasing her not liking this lovey-dovey display.
"Um, Ms. Sparkle…"
"No need to be formal, Sunny. Just call me Twilight."
"Okay. Ms. Twilight- Can I ask you something?" said Sunny, looking a bit excited.
"What is it?"
"Can I have your autograph?" Sunny pulled her small journal from her red jacket and approached Roll's mother. The girl squealed with her eyes twinkling.
Twilight was surprised as she turned to her husband, who merely chuckled. "She did the same thing to me when we first met."
"Oh, shoot! I forgot!" said Sunny as she gasped, realizing what Isaac meant. "I never got it! Please sign it, too?" The girl walked around to the World Champion's side as she held out her journal.
The two adults looked at each other and smiled before laughing. Sunny realized that her fan side was coming out of her, which made her blush sheepish.
"Sure," said Twilight as Isaac took the girl's journal and pulled a pen from her satchel.
The two then began to put their signatures on the blank page of Sunny's journal before the World Champion handed it back to the girl. Sunny looked at the two signatures, squealing as if their writing was some sacred treasure. She returned to her seat as her excitement was through the roof.
"So, before I say what I wanted to say. I want to ask you kids something. Are you all excited to be here and attend the Super Showdown PLE live?" smiled Isaac.
"Damn right!"
"Zipp!" said Pipp as she glared at her older sister for saying that language in front of someone like Isaac.
"What?" responded the heiress, as she didn't see a problem with what she said.
"I'm pumped!" said Izzy as she had a big smile and eyes on her face.
"She reminds me so much of Pinkie," muttered Twilight to her husband as he smiled, agreeing with his wife's opinion about Izzy.
"Anyway, I hope you all are looking forward to it. I guarantee you, this will be different from the time you all saw me compete in Canterlot City. For one, I got you all front-row seats." said Isaac as he snapped his fingers and made tickets appear.
The kids were stunned by what they saw the World Champion holding as he threw them out. The tickets traveled through the air as the kids caught and looked at them. Sunny was almost ready to blow her top as she would be in the front row, watching Isaac compete on the grandest stage in the world of Duel Monsters. It was like her birthday had come early.
"Thanks," said Hitch.
"Think nothing of it. Now then… I want to talk to you all about something serious. My kids, as well as Ms. Pipp and Zipp, know what I'm about to say. But as for you three," said Isaac as he looked at Izzy, Hitch, and Sunny. "You all don't know… until what recently happened."
"You mean the parking lot incident?" asked Hitch as Isaac smiled.
"Tell me, Hitch. What happened?" asked the World Champion.
"Well, I faced off against this robed person in what was an insane duel," stated the boy.
"Insane like- damage being real."
"Y-Yeah. How did you-"
"Because I've had a similar encounter to yours. My kids, Ms. Petals and Ms. Storm, all have," said Isaac as the four just put their heads down for a moment.
"You never told us," said Sunny as she looked over at Mario and Roll.
"We weren't supposed to," responded the girl.
"Why?"
"Because we told them not to!" said Twilight. "You see, kids, those Shadow Duelists belong to an evil group that is hell-bent on bringing about chaos and destruction to our world. And they plan to use evil Shadow magic to do so."
"Is there any way they can be stopped?" asked Izzy.
"At the moment, we don't know. I'm working on trying to understand all this," said Twilight. "But what I do know is this: they are dangerous as they are deadly. You kids are lucky that you could pull through in your respective duels."
"So, what about the marks on our arms?" asked Zipp.
"Right. Roll mentioned something about that. She said you five had red glowing marks on your arms," said Isaac as he looked at the kids. Hitch, Zipp, and Pipp all nodded, which confirmed what Isaac had heard from his daughter.
"Do you remember what the marks looked like?" asked Twilight.
"Well… mine was like a circle," said Hitch.
"I had a mark that looked like some kind of unicorn horn in the shape of a crystal," said Roll.
"Me and Pipp, and… I guess Mario, for that same matter," said Zipp as she eyed the boy, who had a stern look. "Had marks that looked like a set of wings."
"Mmm. Interesting," said Twilight as she leaned back and brought a hand to her chin. Her mind was beginning to think, following what the kids said.
"I think it's best to leave it there for now," said Isaac, as he and his wife had to work through the information the kids had given them. "It's getting late. You kids better get to bed since I have a special morning plan. Juniper."
"Come with me, kids," said the woman, leading the teens back to their rooms.
Isaac and Twilight were back in their room, and following dinner, they began to go over the new info the kids had given them. Twilight was on her laptop while wearing her nightgown and looking over some of the research she'd been digging into during her spare time. Meanwhile, her husband was shown in the bathroom as he was making himself look presentable.
"Strange red glowing marks… I'm not getting anything," said the card designer as all her searches led to a dead end.
"Don't try to overthink it too much, honey!" said Isaac from the bathroom. The World Champion stepped out, put on his cap, and adjusted his unzipped hoodie. "It's already getting late. You won't be able to solve this mystery if you don't get some sleep."
"Maybe you're right. We've been at this for two hours," said Twilight as she yawned and removed her glasses to rub her eyes. "Where are you going?"
"To casino for a bit. I'm feeling lucky," smiled Isaac as he approached his wife and got down onto a knee.
"Don't stay out too late, you hear," said Twilight seductively as she put her arms around her husband. "Just remember, you got the jackpot waiting for you right here."
"I can't wait to scratch that," responded Isaac as Twilight felt a bit turned on by her husband's remark; he brought her in for a passionate kiss that lasted for a few seconds. "Don't wait up for me."
Twilight smiled as she released her hold of her man, and he exited the room. She let out another yawn as she prepared to head to bed herself. Zipp was in her room doing her own research. The girl wasn't having any further luck than Twilight as she couldn't put together the pieces regarding the Shadow Duelists and the strange marks that appeared on their arms.
"There's got to be something. But what?" said the heiress as she laid back on her bed.
At that moment, she heard something outside of her door. The girl opened it and peered her head out of the hall. At the last second, she saw Isaac enter the elevator before it closed. The heiress was curious about why he would be out and where he was going.
Isaac made his way to the casino floor, as it was densely packed. An equal part of tourists wandering in from off the Strip and weekend warriors from places like Manehattan, with a few in suits and ties. The atmosphere was luxurious, and the décor was colorful. Huge crystal chandeliers hung from the cavernous ceiling. Gaming tables, widely spaced, were scattered around the huge room, and slot machines fanned out on all sides. Poker games were in progress at three, a spirited game of Pedro at the fourth, a quiet game of whist at one isolated in the corner, and near the center of the room stood a Roulette table with a solid platinum Roulette wheel and half a dozen players watching the croupier as he dexterously set the ball clinking onto the spinning wheel's cone. The World Champion lowered his cap to hide his eyes from anyone who could recognize him as he approached a horseshoe table.
Zipp was peeking out from behind a roulette table as the heiress was just a few meters away from where the World Champion was seated. The heiress knew they were in Las Vegas, which meant it was a prime center for gambling and other stuff, but she never thought someone as well-respected as Isaac would partake in something that didn't suit his style, especially since he was well-financed.
"Why did you drag me along?" asked Mario as he was near the girl.
"Shh!" said the heiress, as they weren't allowed to be in the casino after hours, given their age.
There were two people at the table Isaac was at. A prim, beautiful woman dressed in red, with high, platinum blonde hair and green eyes, and a tall, strongly built man, with green eyes, wearing an amber suit coat, a bolo tie, and a white ten-gallon hat, were already seated at it. These two were big spenders, as the World Champion could tell. The man in the bolo tie and cowboy hat played smoothly, making small talk with the dealer, barely looking at his cards, and making some of the strangest plays Isaac had ever seen. He kept hitting like a madman, for the most part, taking as many cards as he could—even busting with four cards after hitting on a seventeen. He never celebrated when he won and never complained when he lost. He didn't seem that interested in the game at all. Isaac watched him and the lady in red for a few more minutes before he approached, taking note of the sign that said that the table's minimum bet was ten dollars and the maximum was five thousand.
"Trying your luck, handsome?" said the dealer as she saw Isaac in disguise but not his face.
"Why not?" responded the World Champion, lifting his face to look at the woman dealing.
The dealer shuffled the cards as she prepared to deal the World Champion his cards. The cowboy turned to see the World Champion as he smiled at the secretive man.
"You new around here?" asked the man.
"Been here once or twice before," said Isaac, keeping his cap down at a moderate degree as before the card game started; it was a battle in itself.
With that, the game began. Blackjack, also known as 21 (the number that defined the game's object), was the most widely played banking game in the world—a card game where the players played against the dealer rather than each other. It was also the only card game where a smart player had a mathematical advantage over the house, which always had an edge at the table.
But that was the nature of the game—and it was no different than any other business. One didn't open a theater and let people in for free. They were charged for admission to the entertainment. That's what Las Vegas did. And the house's edge was like the price of the ticket. Whenever people sat down to play a game or pull a lever, the casino provided them with an entertainment service. They paid for that service by losing more than winning. But the house didn't always have an edge (except with the cheaters and the card counters); card counters did not alter the natural outcome of the game, nor did proficient counters employ devices to help them beat the house. But Isaac was different. He knew how to get his entertainment for free—and then some.
Isaac knew how Blackjack was played. The dealer dealt each player two cards; they added them together and tried to get closest to twenty-one without going over. If a player wanted another card, they pointed to the table (or said "Hit me"), and if they wanted to stand, they waved their hand (or said "I'll stay").
The game's object was to beat the dealer one of three ways: get 21 points on the first two cards, reach a final score higher than the dealer without going over 21, or let the dealer draw additional cards until their hand exceeded 21. And if the player hit twenty-one on their first two cards, the casino paid them one and a half times their bet.
The rules were fairly simple as card games went, but the strategy was tricky, and Isaac was no expert. The players went first, the dealer second. The dealer's play depended on the casino, but they usually hit until their cards added up to seventeen—or until they busted. If a player got pairs of the same card, they could split them and have two bets going on separate hands, and (depending on the casino) they could double their bet—double down—on the first two cards, taking a single card (a Face Card) in the hopes of beating the dealer for more money. That allowed people to increase their odds but doubled the risk. The only proper time to split pairs was when the dealer's hand would be weaker than the players' two new hands.
Picture Cards, also known as Face Cards (Kings, Queens, and Jacks), were worth ten points, while Aces were worth either one or eleven (depending on the rules of the house), and all the other cards (2-10) were worth their pip value.
"Run 'em," said the cowboy. "Make 'em nice and friendly 'cause ain't no bread in the house."
"Place your bets," the dealer told them.
The lady in red placed a single green chip, worth $25, on the betting circle; her man wagered two black chips, each worth $100; and Isaac bet one of the complimentary chips that the receptionist had given him at the front desk; a yellow chip worth $1,000.
"Gees, I know your father has balls. But that really is a gamble," said Zipp as she was surprised to see the World Champion already betting so much money on his first hand.
The dealer's hands moved gracefully as she dealt them two cards face down, then two for herself. Then she flipped over one of her cards, revealing the Queen of Clubs.
Contrary to what many novices believed, the goal of blackjack was not to get the best hand possible; it was to beat the dealer's hand. The key was to understand that the dealer's advantage was based entirely on the fact that they drew after the players. The dealers were constrained by the house rules, meaning they were usually forced to hit until they reached seventeen or busted. Therefore, the players' strategy was to try to calculate what the dealer's most likely hand was going to be and then draw until their own hands were higher. If the dealer was most likely to bust (and they did about 28 percent of the time), the players simply needed to stand on any two cards over eleven.
The players' calculations were based on what the dealer was showing. If the dealer had a strong card—like a ten or an ace (which she did)—then the odds were high that the dealer had a good hand and wouldn't need to take a third card from the deck. That meant the players had to keep hitting until they had a strong hand. If the dealer showed a weak card—like a five or a six—they would most likely take that third card, and the players could usually stick with their first two cards. Therefore, the odds of busting were high, and standing made sense.
The lady in red looked at her cards. She had the Ten of Diamonds and the Five of Clubs. She paused, deciding whether to stand or take the next card.
"Now, honey, you've got fifteen, and the dealer's showing ten," the cowboy said to her.
"Do I hit, or do I stand?" she asked.
"If you wanna win, you've gotta hit,"
Isaac was surprised that the cowboy was so quick to offer advice... and that the lady was so quick to ask for it. Then again, they were both playing against the house and (in a way) had a common foe in the dealer.
She didn't seem to mind.
"Hit me," she told the dealer.
She gave the woman another card: the King of Clubs. That put her at 25.
"Player busts," the dealer said.
"Damn!" cursed the lady in the dress
The cowboy looked at his cards: the Three of Spades and the Nine of Spades. He smiled at the dealer and said, "Hit me."
She dealt him another card—the Nine of Clubs.
"Twenty-one," the dealer said.
Isaac looked at his cards and said, "Hit me."
The Three of Clubs.
"Hit me,"
The Two of Hearts.
"One more,"
"Boy, you've got brass!" the cowboy stated. "Do you know what the odds are on a five-card Charlie? Tartarus, you're just throwing your money away!"
"If the object of the game is to get a total of 21, I will definitely need another card," Isaac replied. He looked at the dealer again and said, "Hit me."
She dealt him one more card—the Nine of Hearts—that, plus the previous two, put Isaac at fourteen. Then he revealed the first two cards she had dealt him: the Two of Clubs and the Five of Hearts.
"Twenty-one," the dealer said.
Even with the final Nine, the two Twos, the Three and the Five, prevented Isaac from going bust.
"How'd you-?" The man began. "Well, shut my mouth!"
The dealer flipped over her second card, revealing the Nine of Diamonds.
"Dealer has nineteen. Good start," she told them as she collected their cards and shuffled them back into the deck.
Isaac just shrugged his shoulders, "Beginner's luck."
"How did he do that?" Zipp said softly.
"Say, you're not one of them card counters, are ya?" the man asked.
The dealer fumbled with the deck as she shuffled but quickly recovered. She thought the man had directed the question at her, but she saw that he had been talking to Isaac.
"The number of the cards and their values remain quite constant," Isaac told the cowboy. "What would be the purpose of counting them?"
He and his ladyfriend nodded before Isaac said, "Deal 'em up."
The dealer finished shuffling as they placed their bets. The woman put down four green chips ($100), he wagered two black chips ($200) as he had before, and Isaac bet two yellow chips ($2,000).
The dealer dealt them each two cards and then two for herself. Then she flipped over one of hers, and it showed the Queen of Spades.
The lady in the dress had the Ten of Hearts and the Two of Diamonds. She needed Nine to make 21.
"Hit me," she said.
The dealer dealt her the King of Clubs, putting her over at 22.
The cowboy had the Six of Clubs and the Seven of Spades—Thirteen.
"Hit me," he said.
She dealt him the Six of Hearts. That put him at nineteen, and he stayed.
Isaac looked at his cards, the Eight of Clubs and the Eight of Spades. He said, "Hit me," and got the Five of Spades—Twenty-One.
The dealer flipped over her other card: the Jack of Spades. That put her at twenty. Everyone made the same bets again. Then she dealt the cards and flipped over one of hers, showing the Ten of Spades.
The woman in the dress glanced at her cards. She had the Queen of Diamonds and the Six of Spades (Sixteen); now she needed a Five to make 21.
"Hit me," she said.
The Six of Diamonds—that put her at 22.
"Shoot!" she exclaimed.
The cowboy looked at his cards, the King of Spades and the Five of Diamonds, and said, "Hit me."
The Six of Clubs.
"Twenty-one," the dealer said.
Isaac got the Ten of Hearts and the Five of Clubs. He hit twice, getting the Two of Diamonds and the Four of Spades—Twenty-one. The dealer turned over her second card, revealing the Ten of Diamonds—twenty again.
As the dealer changed the decks, Isaac put all the chips/money he won and pushed it toward the dealer. "I was thinking of betting everything this time. Is that all right?" he asked.
The two other players went dead silent while everyone else within 15 feet of the table gasped and crowded around them. Even Zipp was stunned at what Isaac was suggesting.
"Everything?" muttered the heiress as she thought Mario's father was crazy.
"Big bet for a big man!" said another.
"What do you think that sign's there for, to hold down the table?"
"I like your spirit," the cowboy told Isaac, "but don't you think you've won enough already?"
The dealer opened her mouth to speak, and the pit boss, a tall, thin, auburn-haired beauty, approached the table. "Sure, you don't want to save a few bucks for the buffet?" she asked.
"I want to see how well I do against three hands," Isaac replied.
"Whoa, dude! You've already established that you're a risk-taker," the cowboy said, "but I didn't think you'd live on the edge!"
"Oh?" Isaac replied.
The pit boss nodded to the dealer.
"Let him play," she said.
"Another kid doing something stupid," she thought. "This'll be sweet."
The two others decided to sit this one out. Isaac looked at his cards, being careful not to show them to anyone, and said, "I'll stay."
The dealer flipped over the second cards for her three hands.
Her first pair was the Nine of Clubs and the Ten of Diamonds.
Her second pair was the Queen of Hearts and the Jack of Spades.
The third pair was the King of Clubs and the King of Diamonds.
Nineteen and two twenties.
Isaac smirked as he showed the King of Hearts and the Ace of Spades.
"Blackjack," he said.
He won against all three of her hands.
"Boy, you are on fire!" the cowboy exclaimed.
"He's good," one of the patrons said. "He is good."
"Are you a professional?" asked the woman in the dress.
Isaac told them that he wasn't, but they were beginning to suspect, at least from his play, that he was a serious gambler. The World Champion organized and restacked the chips in front of him. He reached for them and shoved them toward the dealer.
The dealer had the Queen of Spades and the Ten of Hearts.
Isaac got the Jack of Spades and the Ace of Diamonds.
"Blackjack again," he said. "I think I'll cash out before you run out."
"Is something wrong?" the dealer asked. "Don't tell me you're suddenly getting cold feet."
"Not really," Isaac replied. "In fact, it was just starting to get interesting."
Even half of the money that Isaac had just won was more than enough to make any man's hands tremble. Isaac paused. Then he took his seat again after a moment of thought.
"How would you feel about letting me play one more game?" he asked.
The lady in the dress gasped and said, "No! Don't do it!"
What an idiot!
"How much?" smirked the dealer as she felt like the World Champion was pushing his luck to the max.
"I was thinking… everything," Isaac smirked, pushing all the chips he won into the center.
"Seriously? That's crazy!" said Zipp, unable to believe what she heard and saw from Mario's father.
"Don't tell me you're suddenly getting cold feet," Isaac echoed. "Then again, after losing to me that many times in a row, I don't blame you."
You stupid, arrogant, cocky son of a bitch! The dealer cursed in her thoughts. How dare you underestimate me! Damn you, acting like this is nothing! Not that it matters. I'm going to win anyway!
After she shuffled the deck, Isaac cut it with one hand.
How the hell is he so calm? He doesn't think he can actually beat me, does he? No! There's no way! It's impossible! He doesn't know what cards I'm going to draw! There's no way he can beat me! I'm going to deal myself 20, then I'm going to win, and he'll end up with no way to win it back!
The dealer dealt the cards and flipped over one of her own: the Ten of Spades. Isaac looked at his cards, the Three of Hearts and the Nine of Diamonds, and placed them face down on the table. He looked at the dealer and smiled again.
Why I ought to- she thought furiously.
"Hit me," Isaac told her.
That's it! You're dead!
And she dealt him another card: the King of Diamonds.
That, plus the Nine and the Three, put Isaac over at 22.
The dealer flipped over her second card, the Queen of Spades, which put her at 20. She smiled.
Isaac flipped his own cards over, revealing the Three of Hearts and the Eight of Diamonds. Those two, plus the King, put him at...
"Twenty-one," he said. "Lucky me." Isaac gave a wink at the woman.
"Who are you?" growled the dealer as she looked at Isaac.
The World Champ lifted his head a bit to reveal her eyes as the dealer now realized who exactly she was playing against, with Isaac giving her a smirk smile. Her jaw dropped as Isaac swept up his winnings. He stuffed the chips into his pockets. Then he tossed her a single red poker chip (worth only $5) as a tip as he walked away, and she angrily crushed it between her fingers.
"Well, I've already found one of the cheaters in this building," he whispered as he walked. "I'll be sure to let the owners know."
"Hey, what are you two doing?"
A voice caught the attention of nearly everyone, including Isaac. They turned to see some security guards holding Zipp and Mario in their arms.
"No kids allowed on the casino after hours! Escort them out of the building!" said the head of security.
"Hey, let go!" shouted Zipp as she tried to fight back to free herself.
Isaac saw his sponsor's daughter and his own son as he signed while shaking his head disapprovingly. He then began to walk toward them as the head of security spotted him.
"Sorry, sir, but…"
"It's okay. They're with me," said Isaac as he looked the security head in the eyes; he instantly knew Isaac was the World Champion and was staying in their hotel.
The World Champion looked at the two teens who got caught, and he gave them a disapproving look while Mario scoffed at his father.
"I'll take them off your hands. Come on, you two!" shouted Isaac as he grabbed the kids by their wrists and dragged them out.
Once they exited the casino and past the chip counter, Isaac looked at the two kids.
"Thanks," said Zipp, expecting Isaac to back her up, but his expression told the whole story.
"Why are you two up so late?" asked the World Champion as he crossed his arms and stared down the heiress.
"Does it matter," scoffed Mario as he didn't want to look at his father.
"I'll let your mother deal with you," said Isaac before bending down to a knee and looking at Zipp. "Why are you up?"
"I just… I couldn't sleep following dinner. I wanted to see if there was any connection between what we discussed, and then I got frustrated and bored. Then I overheard something out my door, and I saw you leaving. I wanted to know where you were going. My bad." apologized the heiress, as she didn't mean to get Isaac in trouble with security or even get caught.
The World Champion sighed, seeing just why this girl was friends with her son. In a way, she was like him—an heir to a rich lifestyle and a rebel at heart. He soon looked at the girl, producing a small smile.
"It's late. Let's get to bed," said the World Champion as he got up and began to walk toward the elevator.
The two teens followed him as they got in and rode it back to their floor. As the two were about to enter their respective rooms simultaneously, Isaac spoke to Zipp.
"Zipp. You know I'm gonna have to tell your mother about this. I'm responsible for you while you're in my care."
"Yeah. I know," sighed the heiress as she could already hear the earful she would get from her own mother.
"Also, if you're interested. Want to come with me and my wife to the gym in the morning?" asked Isaac.
"Serious?" said the heiress, as she didn't expect the World Champion to ask her to join him during his morning workout after what had happened.
"She won't mind if an extra person tags along. Same with me, son," said Isaac as he looked at Mario.
"Whatever," the boy said as he entered his room and shut it behind him.
"Well," said Isaac as he turned to look back at the girl.
"Yeah, I'd be down," responded Zipp.
"See you at 5:30," said Isaac as he began to walk toward his room.
Zipp smiled as she entered her room and closed it. Isaac approached his room as he opened it, and was welcomed to a room of darkness. Twilight was on the bed, as she'd been sleeping for quite a while. Isaac chuckled as he removed his shoes and put his cap on the table beside their bed. He hugged his wife from behind and kissed her neck and ear. Twilight felt it as she smiled before holding onto her husband's hands wrapped around her. The World Champion smiled as he soon felt his eyes getting heavy as he fell asleep.
Author's Note: The start of Spring Break and it seems the group has arrived in Las Vegas for the upcoming PLE event for Mario and Roll's father. And on that note, it seems Isaac is not just good at Duel Monsters as he was able to rake in so much cash and showcase his gambling skills. Though, the concern about this evil group is still at large and hopefully, our cast can find some answers.