This story was done in collaboration between me, Jriddle41 (Sodormatchmaker on DeviantART), and DaveMan1000 (both here and on DeviantART), and we own the OCs that are used in the story. AaronCottrell97 (known as stevecottrell on DeviantART) provided the Duel Layouts and additional ideas. Everything else belongs to their respective owners:
Thomas and Friends (c) Hit Entertainment and Mattel
The Railway Series (c) Rev Wilbert Awdry
Yu-Gi-Oh! (c) Konami
Gundam SEED characters, Orb, Blue Cosmos, M1 Astray, Strike Rouge, Murasame (c) Sunrise
Character of Lisa Drake (c) DaveMan1000
Character of David Xadashi (c) DaveMan1000
WARNING: Once again, this story is rated T for violence, some blood, suggestive themes, and some language. Reader discretion is advised.
WARNING 2: If you haven't read "Yu-Gi-Oh! The Sodor Chronicles Season 2", "Yu-Gi-Oh! The Sodor Chronicles Season 4", "Yu-Gi-Oh! The Sodor Chronicles (Pyramid of Light", "David Xadashi", "Lisa Drake", or "Team 4D's", you might want to do so before reading this story
On a stage inside the Orb Duel School, five face-down cards were lined up on a large blackboard. On cue, David Xadashi and Lisa Drake both showed up and began speaking to the audience.
"It's that time again, everyone!" greeted David, "It's a segment of 'This week's noteworthy cards'!"
"Have we got a sweet set of cards to show all of you!" out in Lisa, before winking and snapping her fingers, "Let's get it on!"
The five face-down cards on the blackboard all automatically turned over and revealed themselves to be:
-'Blackwing Tamer - Obsidian Hawk Joe' (Synchro Monster Card)
-'Battlewasp - Arbalest the Rapidfire' (Effect Monster Card)
-'Battlewasp - Ballista the Armageddon' (Synchro Monster Card)
-'Black Feather Hope' (Trap Card)
-'Tuning Swarm' (Spell Card)
"That's another 'Battlewasp'-related monster, Lisa-chan!" cried David, looking at the middle card ('Battlewasp - Ballista the Armageddon'), "Do you think it's Shinji-san's strongest monster?"
"If this card is Special Summoned: You can banish all Insect monsters from your GY; all monsters your opponent currently controls lose 500 ATK/DEF for each of your banished Insect monsters," said Lisa, reading the card's first effect, "Yup, I can safely say it is his strongest monster."
"Hey! It can even inflict piercing damage when attacking," added David, before he resumed talking to the audience, "Anyway, the other cards we have here have great effects too, but we'll let the duelists show you those surprises!"
"Dang right! Whether it's a 'Blackwing' card or a 'Battlewasp' card, dueling is the only way to learn about cards and their possible effects," proclaimed Lisa, also talking to the audience once more. She waved goodbye, "Have a good night, everybody!"
The audience cheered and clapped in response.
Title: Common Ground
Opening up on the track inside Orb's Turbo Duel Stadium, the fierce Turbo Duel between James R. and his old friend Shinji was ongoing. Currently, the standings were as followed:
-James R. (LP: 1000): Controlled 'Assault Blackwing - Chidori the Rain Sprinkling' (Level: 7/ATK: 5000/DEF: 2000) and 'Blackwing Tamer - Obsidian Hawk Joe' (Level 7/ATK: 2600/DEF: 2000).
-Shinji (LP: 900): Controlled three copies of 'Battlewasp - Pin the Bullseye' (Level 1/ATK: 200/DEF: 300) x3, 'Battlewasp - Halberd the Charge' (Level: 6/ATK: 2500/DEF: 800), 'Battlewasp - Nest' (Continuous Trap), and a Set card.
"With another pair of 'Blackwing' monsters going into my GY, 'Chidori the Rain Sprinkling's' ATK goes up by another 300 each!" reminded James R., before 'Assault Blackwing - Chidori the Rain Sprinkling' grew stronger (ATK: 5000 → 5600), "He now has an ATK of 5600!" He then gestured the thumb of his right hand towards himself for a few seconds before motioning his right hand out, "However, I'm not done preparing for my victory! I use this opportunity to activate 'Obsidian Hawk Joe's' first effect!"
'Blackwing Tamer - Obsidian Hawk Joe' started doing a dance of some sorts.
"I can target 1 Level 5 or higher Winged Beast monster in my GY; I must Special Summon it," As James R., said that, 'Assault Blackwing - Raikiri the Rain Shower' found himself reappearing on the field (Level: 7/ATK: 2600/DEF: 2000), "Resurrect, 'Raikiri the Rain Shower'!"
With one less 'Blackwing' monster in James R.'s GY, 'Assault Blackwing - Chidori the Rain Sprinkling' lost some of that power (ATK: 5600 → 5300). Despite trying not to show it, more monsters to face gave Shinji something to actually worry about—although he could block one more attack using 'Battlewasp - Nest' before it was sent to the GY. But it was not meant to be, since one of James R.'s monsters had the ability to destroy the opponent's cards.
"Now I can finally get rid of your annoying Trap Card!" boasted James R., as 'Assault Blackwing - Raikiri the Rain Shower' took to the skies, "I activate 'Raikiri the Rain Shower's' second effect! Once per turn: I can target cards my opponent controls, up to the number of 'Blackwing' monsters I control; I must destroy them!"
'Assault Blackwing - Raikiri the Rain Shower', with three powerful slashes from his wings, sent three ripples across the track towards Shinji's field. Two copies of the 'Battlewasp - Pin the Bullseye' were hit and destroyed, and the face-up 'Battlewasp - Nest' Trap Card also met its destruction, eliminating Shinji's best defense against an inevitable attack. Despite the loss of his Trap Card, Shinji was not very concerned and instead…called out to the crowd.
"Don't be alarmed, everyone!" Shinji was saying, "James might have gotten rid of my Trap Card, but he's not severed the bonds of my monsters and I!"
"I haven't?" questioned James R..
"Nope!" To prove a point, Shinji went and pressed a button on his Duel Runner, "Observe!"
On cue a Set card materialized on the field before flipping face-up and revealing itself.
"Trap Card, 'Battlewasp - Vengeance', activate!" The voice of Shinji announced, then, as he explained how his activated card worked, it eventually started glowing, "If a 'Battlewasp' monster(s) I control is destroyed by an opponent's card, or if this Set card I control was destroyed by an opponent's card: I must target 1 'Battlewasp' monster in my GY; I must Special Summon it, and if I do, it cannot be destroyed by battle or card effects until the end of this turn."
"You gotta be kidding! Not 'that one' again!" whined James R., knowing what monster was returning.
Shinji grinned, "Yes, 'that one'," he confirmed, before holding his right hand upward, "Resurrect, 'Battlewasp - Sting the Poison'!"
Reappearing on the field was 'Battlewasp - Sting the Poison' (Level: 2/ATK: 400/DEF: 800). James R., as expected, was not thrilled to see that monster come back, since it gave him a hard time due to its effect. And, unfortunately, that effect was due to be used shortly after this one…
"I activate the first effect of 'Sting the Poison'!" declared Shinji, drawing a card ('Battlewasp - Arbalest the Rapidfire'), looking at it, and adding into his hand, "If this card is Normal or Special Summoned: I can add 1 'Battlewasp' monster from my Deck to my hand, except 'Battlewasp - Sting the Poison'," He then swung his right arm about, "Now, I'll activate my monster's second effect!"
"I knew it!" thought James R., very unamused, "He's gonna negate the effects of 'Chidori the Rain Sprinkling'!"
"By offering 'Pin the Bullseye' as a Tribute, one of your monsters will have its effects negated until the End Phase," recalled Shinji, holding out a card ('Battlewasp - Pin the Bullseye') before sending it to the GY, "The unfortunate monster to get his effects negated will be your 'Chidori the Rain Sprinkling'!"
James R. groaned dreadfully, all while 'Assault Blackwing - Chidori the Rain Sprinkling' lost all of that magnificent power gain (ATK: 5300 → 2600).
"Grr… Battle!" growled James R., entering the Battle Phase. As 'Blackwing Tamer - Obsidian Hawk Joe' charged, he announced his monster's attack name, "Go! Assault Claw!"
'Blackwing Tamer - Obsidian Hawk Joe' raised his claw-like hand, and slashed at 'Battlewasp - Halberd the Charge'. The attack's backlash caused Shinji to shout out as his LP dropped very slightly (LP: 900 → 800).
"But due to the second effect of 'Revival Swarm', 'Halberd the Charge's' destruction has been negated!" reminded Shinji, having recovered from the initial attack.
"I'm aware of that!" retorted James R., not being done with his Battle Phase, "It's your turn to attack, 'Raikiri the Rain Shower'!"
'Assault Blackwing - Raikiri the Rain Shower' obeyed, raising his sword before rushing forward and slashing 'Battlewasp - Halberd the Charge'—which still didn't destroy it. However, Shinji still ended up glowing red for a few seconds as he received 100 more damage from the attack (LP: 800 → 700).
"And the final attack!" boomed James R., "Shinji, this attack will open your eyes! 'Assault Blackwing - Chidori the Rain Sprinkling', attack 'Halberd the Charge'!" As 'Assault Blackwing - Chidori the Rain Sprinkling' raised its weapon and charged it up for an attack, he announced the attack name, "One Strike of Lightning - Lightning Slash!"
…and delivered it, slashing 'Battlewasp - Halberd the Charge' with a devastating electrical charge. It got to the point where Shinji got zapped by the stray electricity, causing him to scream as his LP dropped yet again (LP: 700 → 600).
"And now for the last move!" said James R., with two cards in-between the index and middle fingers of his right hand, "I Set two cards on the field!"
He placed the cards into his Duel Runner at the same time, which caused two Set cards to appear on the field in-front of Blackbird before fading away for later use. Plus, 'Assault Blackwing - Chidori the Rain Sprinkling' regained his effect and lost power (LP: 2600 → 5300). Both Duel Runners were neck-and-neck as they crossed the finish line and began yet another lap.
"So, you've held on this turn," commented James R., smirking, "That's okay, I can get you next time," He looked upward in the sky, where his three monsters ('Assault Blackwing - Raikiri the Rain Shower', 'Blackwing Tamer - Obsidian Hawk Joe', and especially 'Assault Blackwing - Chidori the Rain Sprinkling') flew above him and Blackbird, "I control three extremely powerful monsters, ready to end the duel on my next turn. I can't lose this easily!"
Shinji smirked back, "You know something, James?" he pressed, "You haven't changed at all in your dueling."
"What?" quizzed James R..
"I've seen many of your matches on TV while I've been out on the open road," continued Shinji, before faded stills of James R. either dueling in a Turbo Duel or Ground Duel loomed in the background, "However, while you are very talented and care a great deal for your cards, there's still something that's preventing you from becoming as good as Matt or Michael."
James R. was left very confused by those words, wondering what his old friend was talking about. Still, he had the advantage, and if Shinji wanted to catch up to him, he'd better make his final turn count.
"It's my turn!" declared Shinji, drawing a card.
With it being the sixth turn, both players gained a Speed Counter:
-James R.: 0 → 1
-Shinji: 4 → 5
Turn Six: Shinji Weber (LP: 600)
Deck: 48
Current Hand (2): "Battlewasp - Arbalest the Rapidfire" and "Tuning Swarm"(!)
Speed Counters: 5
Shinji saw that his drawn card was a Spell Card called 'Tuning Swarm', and by checking his Killer Wasp's monitor, he saw he finally had five Speed Counters. Having seen what James R. did with them on his last turn, Shinji was going to take advantage of his number.
"Just like you did, I'm gonna activate the effect of 'High Speed World'!" began Shinji, as the Speed Counter gauge on the monitor of Killer Wasp started depleting itself (SPC: 5 → 1), "Once per turn: I can remove 4 Speed Counters of my own, then reveal any number of Spell Cards in my hand; I must inflict 800 damage to my opponent for each card revealed!" He finally held up his drawn card ('Tuning Swarm'), "I reveal one Spell Card, which will inflict 800 damage to you, James!"
"Nuts…" groaned James R., before glowing red and grimacing from the LP loss (LP: 1000 → 200), "That wasn't a lot of fun…"
"You think that wasn't fun?" remarked Shinji, which caused James R. to worry even more, "Just wait; you haven't seen anything yet!" With that, he readied a card and placed it onto his Duel Runner, "I Summon a second 'Battlewasp - Arbalest the Rapidfire'!"
Appearing onto the field was another wasp-like monster with a purple body and yellow stripes (Level: 4/ATK: 1800/DEF: 800). In the stands…
"Does this mean Shinji's going to try bringing back 'Pin the Bullseye' one more time?" wondered Carlie.
"That's the likelihood," replied Matt, "With only 200 LP left, the effect will defeat James. Even if he didn't, 'Halberd the Charge's' first effect would make sure James would lose in just one attack."
Back on the track, Shinji made his next move.
"'Arbalest the Rapidfire's' first effect activates!" he proclaimed, just as 'Battlewasp - Pin the Bullseye' reappeared on the field (Level: 1/ATK: 200/DEF: 300), "When this card is Normal Summoned: I can target 1 Level 3 or lower Insect monster in my GY; I must Special Summon that monster in Defense Position."
"You've brought back 'Pin the Bullseye' again!" shivered James R..
"I sure have, old friend," confirmed Shinji, "You know what this means, right? It means I'm going to defeat you, right now!"
Once again, 'Battlewasp - Pin the Bullseye' faced Blackbird and fired a yellow stinger from its mouth, which looked poised to strike and finish off what remained of James R.'s LP.
"Sorry, James, but it's all over!" apologized Shinji.
"Not yet, it isn't!" interrupted James R..
"What?"
"Trap Card, open!" The brown-haired young man declared, as one of his Set cards materialized face-up on the field beside him (on his right), "'Chaos Life'! When a player's LP would become 0 by a card effect: That player gains LP equal to the amount of damage that they would have taken, instead."
Shinji snapped his fingers in disappointment at having failed to finish his opponent off, while James R. smirked and gained LP instead of losing LP (LP: 200 → 400).
"Man, that was crazy…" sighed Mayura.
"Just when we thought James would lose by card effect, he manages to save himself in the end," added Asagi.
"He's not out of danger yet," reminded Juri, "Shinji can still attack using 'Battlewasp - Halberd the Charge', and its first effect while battling will halve the ATK of the monster it's fighting."
Both Asagi and Mayura remembered that tidbit. Back on the track, Shinji went on with his turn.
"Once more, I'll activate the second effect of 'Battlewasp - Sting the Poison'," announced Shinji, as 'Battlewasp - Pin the Bullseye' dissolved into dust, "Once more, I'll Tribute 'Battlewasp - Pin the Bullseye' and negate the effects of 'Assault Blackwing - Chidori the Rain Sprinkling'!"
Once more, 'Assault Blackwing - Chidori the Rain Sprinkling' got weaker (ATK: 5300 → 2600).
"Knowing James, he's got a way to save 'Chidori the Rain Sprinkling'," thought Shinji, "So, I think I'll target another of his monsters instead… Like…" He spoke aloud and entered the Battle Phase, "Go forth, 'Halberd the Charge'! Your target is 'Blackwing Tamer - Obsidian Hawk Joe'!"
'Battlewasp - Halberd the Charge', flying towards 'Blackwing Tamer - Obsidian Hawk Joe'. As expected, James R. made a move—a move that caught Shinji by (slight) surprise.
"I activate the second effect of 'Obsidian Hawk Joe'!" proclaimed James R., as Shinji raised an eyebrow and listened carefully to the explanation, "When my opponent activates a card or effect that targets only this card, or when my opponent targets this card for an attack (Quick Effect): I can target 1 other 'Blackwing' monster I control that would be an appropriate target; that card/effect/attack now targets the new target," He then wagged the index finger of his right hand, "I knew you'd try attacking a monster other than 'Chidori the Rain Sprinkling', which is why…I want you to attack it!"
"What?! You want me to attack 'Chidori the Rain Sprinkling'?" gasped Shinji.
Before 'Battlewasp - Halberd the Charge' could strike 'Blackwing Tamer - Obsidian Hawk Joe' with its weapon, 'Assault Blackwing - Chidori the Rain Sprinkling' intercepted and blocked the attack with his sword. 'Battlewasp - Halberd the Charge' was eventually forced back, but Shinji was not done.
"Since you want me to attack 'Chidori the Rain Sprinkling', I'll give it to you!" accepted Shinji, just as 'Battlewasp - Halberd the Charge' fired another stinger and hit 'Assault Blackwing - Chidori the Rain Sprinkling', "The first effect of 'Halberd the Charge'! Once per battle, during damage calculation, if this card attacks an opponent's monster with equal or higher ATK (Quick Effect): I can halve the ATK of that opponent's monster, during that damage calculation only."
Having gotten hit by the stinger, 'Assault Blackwing - Chidori the Rain Sprinkling' got its ATK reduced by half (ATK: 2600 → 1300).
"And I'm going to save myself with this!" James R. went on, as another Set card materialized on the field in-front of Blackbird, flipped face-up, and revealed itself, "Trap Card, 'Black Feather Hope'!" Focus went towards the 'Black Feather Hope' Trap Card, "When a 'Blackwing' monster I control battles, during damage calculation: I must pay half my LP; I take no battle damage from this battle!" He then lost half of his LP (LP: 400 → 200), "There! Now I won't be taking any battle damage from this attack."
"But 'Chidori the Rain Sprinkling' will be destroyed," reminded Shinji.
'Battlewasp - Halberd the Charge' raised its weapon and brought it down, slashing 'Assault Blackwing - Chidori the Rain Sprinkling' and causing it to explode a few seconds later from its destruction through battle. Rather than get upset, James R. seemed to look glad that his best monster had met its end at the hands (or stinger) of 'Battlewasp - Halberd the Charge'.
"Good move, Shinji," complimented James R., "However, I 'wanted' you to destroy 'Chidori the Rain Sprinkling'!"
"You wanted your monster destroyed? Why's that?" asked Shinji.
"So that I can activate his third effect, that's what!" James R. answered, as just something happened on a nearby part of the track, "When this card is destroyed and sent to the GY: I can target 1 Winged Beast Synchro Monster in my GY, except 'Assault Blackwing - Chidori the Rain Sprinkling'; I must Special Summon it," He gave the command, "Resurrect, 'Blackwing - Nothung the Starlight'!"
On cue, 'Blackwing - Nothung the Starlight' reappeared on the field with a fighting pose (Level: 6/ATK: 2400/DEF: 1600).
"I've brought back 'Nothung the Starlight'," rejoiced James R., "This means I can activate his first effect!" As he explained his monster's effect, 'Blackwing - Nothung the Starlight' prepared to attack, "If this card is Special Summoned: I must inflict 800 damage to my opponent, then 1 face-up monster my opponent controls loses 800 ATK/DEF!" The brown-haired young man clenched his right hand into a fist as he prepared to settle things now, "With only 600 LP remaining, this attack will definitely defeat you! Homing Sword!"
'Blackwing - Nothung the Starlight' obeyed, readying his sword and hurling it with all his might like it was a boomerang towards Killer Wasp. Unlike last time, Shinji seemingly did nothing to try and stop it. The weapon collided with Killer Wasp and caused an explosion to ensue, causing the audience to believe that James R. had won the duel. The only one who didn't look worried about what happened to Shinji was Sherry; she merely kept her arms folded and had a stoic, knowing look on her face. Back on the track, James R. was initially surprised because he thought he defeated Shinji. Once the shock wore off, his surprise became excitement.
"I did it," murmured James R., "I actually defeated my old friend in a duel! I actually won!"
"Sorry, man, but I'm not out of the game just yet," The voice of Shinji cut in.
And, just as quickly, James R.'s excitement turned into confusion, and confusion turned into outright shock (the bad kind) when bursting out of the smoke came Shinji Weber, riding Killer Wasp, with his LP still intact (if barely).
"Well, man?" teased Shinji (LP: 600).
"That can't be!" protested James R., not thrilled over his opponent surviving the attack (effect), "My 'Nothung the Starlight's' effect should have finished you off! How were you able to survive it?"
Shinji smiled to himself as a flashback ensued.
FLASHBACK
'Blackwing - Nothung the Starlight' obeyed, readying his sword and hurling it with all his might like it was a boomerang towards Killer Wasp. Unlike last time, Flashback Shinji seemingly did nothing to try and stop it. At the last second, however, a card ('Battlewasp - Desperation') ejected from his GY as the spinning sword struck Killer Wasp and caused an explosion to cloud part of the track.
"That's because when you used 'Nothung the Starlight' to try and take me down," narrated Shinji, "I activated the second effect of the 'Battlewasp - Desperation' in my GY."
END FLASHBACK
The flashback ended.
"When my opponent activates a card or effect that would inflict damage while my LP are 1000 or less: I can banish this card from my GY; I take no effect damage from my opponent's card effects this turn," explained Shinji, as James R. listened with his mouth wide open, "That means my LP remain at 600, and your attempt to defeat me backfired like you wouldn't believe."
James R. grit his teeth in frustration, while in the stands a good number of audience members were surprised at how effective Shinji's cards were in preventing him from being defeated.
"It's like the cards are doing their part in protecting Shinji," said Matt thoughtfully, "No matter what James tries, he nearly always fails to finish Shinji off."
"Could this mean that Shinji is a stronger duelist than even James?" wondered Carlie.
Michael said nothing; he kept his focus entirely on the duel. Back on the track, James R. was still in disbelief over his attempt to win the duel failing. Shinji, meanwhile, remained very confident in his dueling ability.
"Hey, James!" called Shinji, "This duel's been a real blast, but all good things have to come to an end at some point—I'm going to win the duel on this turn."
"What?" gasped James R., "But, Shinji, you've already attacked! What else is there for you to try in order to win this turn?"
"The hurricane has arrived, and it's gonna be big and extraordinary!" declared Shinji, as he took the final card ('Tuning Swarm') from his hand and held it out for a few seconds before placing it into his Duel Runner, "Quick-Play Spell, 'Tuning Swarm', activate!"
The mentioned Spell Card materialized face-up on the field.
"This is it, James! This is the move that will finish the duel," began Shinji, as James R. listened on, "Immediately after this effect resolves, I must Synchro Summon 1 'Battlewasp' Synchro Monster using monsters I control, including a 'Battlewasp' monster that did not inflict battle damage this turn, and if I do, it gains this effect."
This was the extra effect written on the Spell Card in-question:
-"This card's effects cannot be negated."
James R. did not like the sound of that one little bit, but there wasn't anything he could do to cancel out the effect, and even if he had a card that could, he was not able to negate the activation of the 'Tuning Swarm' Spell Card.
"My Level 2 'Sting the Poison' tunes Level 6 'Halberd the Charge' and Level 4 'Arbalest the Rapidfire'!" declared Shinji.
'Battlewasp - Sting the Poison' turned itself into two Synchro Rings, which both 'Battlewasp - Halberd the Charge' and 'Battlewasp - Arbalest the Rapidfire' flew into both turning into ten orbs of light (six for 'Battlewasp - Halberd the Charge', and four for 'Battlewasp - Arbalest the Rapidfire') as a Summon Chant from Shinji followed.
"Let the power of solidarity's bonds spear through the walls of overwhelming, disdainful evil!" chanted Shinji, as the symbols 6 + 4 + 2 = 12 were shown briefly just before the ten orbs of light within the two Synchro Rings turned into a massive beam of light, "Synchro Summon! Appear, Level 12! 'Battlewasp - Ballista the Armageddon'!"
Appearing from the beam of light and flying in the sky above Killer Wasp, was a gigantic mechanical wasp littered with weaponry (Level: 12/ATK: 3000/DEF: 800). The sight of a rarely seen Level 12 Synchro Monster that was not 'Red Nova Dragon' caused the entire crowd to howl with cheers and applause.
"Level 12!" cried Asagi.
"And there's more!" recalled Juri, "Since 'Ballista the Armageddon' was Synchro Summoned using 'Tuning Swarm', its effects are not able to be negated by anything."
Back on the track…
"Nothing you do now will sever the bonds of my monsters!" shouted Shinji, before motioning his right arm upward, "I activate the first effect of 'Ballista the Armageddon'!" As he explained the card effect, eight familiar cards ('Battlewasp - Pin the Bullseye' x3, 'Battlewasp - Arbalest the Rapidfire' x2, 'Battlewasp - Dart the Hunter', 'Battlewasp - Halberd the Charge', and 'Battlewasp - Sting the Poison') started emerging from the darkness (GY) before dissolving into nothingness, "If this card is Special Summoned: I can banish all Insect monsters from my GY; all monsters my opponent currently controls lose 500 ATK/DEF for each of my banished Insect monsters!"
James R. gasped, recalling that eight 'Battlewasp' monsters were in Shinji's GY at the time, and that meant they all would be banished and all of his monsters would have their stats completely sapped.
"That's right!" continued Shinji, "By banishing the eight 'Battlewasp' monsters from my GY, all of your monsters will lose 4000 ATK and DEF!"
'Blackwing Tamer - Obsidian Hawk Joe' (ATK: 2600 → 0/DEF: 2000 → 0), 'Assault Blackwing - Raikiri the Rain Shower' (ATK: 2600 → 0/DEF: 2000 → 0), and 'Blackwing - Nothung the Starlight' (ATK: 2400 → 0/DEF: 1600 → 0) each had their ATK and DEF stats completely drained. It left all of them equally open to destruction and James R.'s defeat without anything to avert the inevitable outcome.
"My Battle Phase is ongoing!" Shinji pointed out, "My 'Ballista the Armageddon' will attack 'Obsidian Hawk Joe'!"
'Battlewasp - Ballista the Armageddon' obeyed, facing 'Blackwing Tamer - Obsidian Hawk Joe' and firing a large arrow bolt from its back. James R. watched helplessly as he started to recall the argument before the duel.
"James, am I correct to assume you have a dislike towards Sherry?" - Shinji
"What?! Do I dislike Sherry? No, I don't! The only thing I dislike about her is that she's been acting cold and ruthless towards others including my friends and I, and 'needed' to be called out for it." - James R.
"I see. Well, I'll agree with you that Sherry was partially to blame for upsetting Carlie to the point where her at the time unstable powers took effect and created a real-like monster. However… you seem to forget that the incident did traumatize Sherry." - Shinji
"I know that! But it's still no excuse to act like such a hostile bully towards other people!" - James R.
"In case you've forgotten, my stubborn friendly rival, childhood trauma is very delicate and difficult to overcome. And you seem to be giving off the impression that you're very insensitive towards people in that area. I know you're not really like that, but around Sherry, you kinda are insensitive." - Shinji
James R. closed his eyes and smiled a sad smile, just as the arrow bolt impaled 'Blackwing Tamer - Obsidian Hawk Joe' in the chest. This caused the once powerful 'Blackwing' monster to shatter into shards of glass as Blackbird stumbled back significantly from the attack's backlash and James R.'s LP gauge got fully depleted (LP: 200 → 0).
DUEL RESULTS: Shinji Weber wins!
Although the duel finally ended, nobody in the crowd, not even Discord nor Zack, cheered, clapped, or anything; they were still taking in the fact Shinji defeated James R. and were currently waiting to see what happened next. Speaking of whom, both Killer Wasp and Blackbird came to a stop near the finish line. James R. removed his helmet, stared at it, and let out a sigh of disappointment over his loss to his old friend.
"Yo! James!" The voice of Shinji called out, which got James R.'s attention. The purple and aqua-haired young man was walking over with his helmet tucked underneath his arm with a big smile on his face, "You fought really well. When do you think we can have another Turbo Duel?"
James R. said nothing back. This caused Shinji to lose his smile and believe that James R. was feeling down over the loss. Well, he would have none of that.
"James, do you know the reason why you lost the duel?" Shinji asked pointedly.
"Well…" replied James R., "I suppose it's because I was taking the duel far too seriously for my own good."
Shinji raised an eyebrow, "But aren't duels supposed to be fun?"
"I know they are," acknowledged James R., "But for this duel, I was taking it completely seriously because I wanted to beat you after being called out on what I said to Sherry."
"That's all?" said Shinji, looking surprised—but only for a second, "You were taking a Turbo Duel too seriously just to settle an argument we had?" Before James R. could respond, he smiled and continued, "Listen, you and I are still friends no matter how many times we argue," He then held his right hand out and winked, "Although here's a small tip for the future; next time you decide to go on a massive anger-fueled rant, like say towards a certain person, on TV, or any kind of large media output, maybe try to keep in mind that there's more of a chance that someone watching might try…" James R. listened to the rest of the slightly jolly sentence, "…to take what you said and twist it into you coming across as something you never intended for. Just food for thought, you might say."
James R., realizing that Shinji held no ill will towards him, finally smiled back and accepted the handshake, reassuring everyone in the crowd that things between both friends would be okay, which allowed said crowd to finally cheer not only for Shinji but also James R., too. Even Sherry was seen applauding for both duelists. Nearby, Zack and Discord both smiled to themselves.
"I think it's safe to say the test of 'High Speed World' was successful," remarked Zack.
"Quite," agreed Discord, "As of now, we will be spreading this dueling concept for Turbo duelists everywhere."
(outside…)
Outside the stadium an hour later, everyone was seen leaving the stadium. Amongst the first to leave was Sherry and Shinji. Before long, both friends started chatting about the duel.
"You didn't do half bad out there," began Sherry.
"I was expecting a bit more praise after beating one of the state's best duelists," chuckled Shinji, scratching the back of his neck.
Sherry smiled, "You're right… you do deserve just a bit more praise for that," She then finished that bit in slight amusement, "But not by much."
"I see now, Sherry," Shinji, chuckling again, as he embraced his best friend, "I see you're still as much of a troll as ever."
A few seconds later, Sherry LeBlanc and Shinji Weber shared a long, passionate kiss.
"O-Oh my!" The voice of Asagi cried out.
Sherry and Shinji stopped their kiss and looked nearby, seeing the members of Team 6D's along with the three Astray girls and Elsworth all looking rather surprised (with an exception for Elsworth). Despite being caught making out, Sherry and Shinji were looking pretty nonchalant about it.
"W-Well…" stammered Carlie, managing to recover, "Ahem! I've always known that you and Shinji were close in the past, Sherry, so I probably shouldn't be all that surprised to see you both as a couple."
Sherry closed her eyes, "You would be right about that, Carlie," she replied, before opening her eyes, "if we were actually in a relationship."
"Huh?" wondered Carlie.
"What do you mean about that?" came from Juri.
Very quickly, Lisa stepped forward and tried changing the subject at hand.
"You know, Shinji… You're more than welcome to stay at Orb for as long as you'd like," The pink-haired girl offered, "I'll see Headmaster Zimmerman about getting you a dorm. What do you say?"
"That's a kind offer, Lisa, but I think I'll pass on it," declined Shinji, with the wave of his left hand, "I'll actually be spending most of my time with Sherry and Elsworth wherever they're staying at."
All of a sudden, everyone heard Shinji's stomach growling loudly, causing him to clutch it and grin sheepishly from feeling very hungry.
"Um… do you at least know a good place for a meal?" he groaned, "I haven't eaten anything all day…"
Lisa, Asagi, Mayura, and Juri all smiled in response.
(inside…)
Inside one of Orb's cafeterias, the group had gathered at two separate tables in order to eat dinner. The following were at the first table:
-Shinji
-Sherry
-James R.
-Matt
-Asagi
-Carlie
The following were seated at the second table:
-Zack
-Michael
-Mayura
-Juri
-Lisa
-Elsworth
-Discord
"So, Shinji, you, James, and Sherry all have history, right?" pressed Matt, "How about telling us the story?"
"Well…" mused Shinji.
"I want to hear your story!" chirped Asagi brightly.
"Come on, Shinji-boy, tell us everything," requested Discord.
Shinji looked towards Sherry as though he was going to ask what she thought of it, but Sherry, without saying a word, simply nodded and allowed for it. With it being confirmed, the purple and aqua-haired young man decided to reveal the story.
"Alright, I'll tell you guys the story," accepted Shinji, "It started all the way back at the orphanage in California."
A long flashback ensued.
FLASHBACK
At the orphanage many years ago, Young Shinji, new to the place, was seen causing trouble around the area for his own amusement.
"Man, those were the days…" narrated Shinji fondly, "Even when I was a kid, I was always causing trouble. It continued until, one day, I met Sherry."
As Young Shinji turned over a garbage can and spilled its contents before laughing deviously, he noticed a nearby young girl with long blonde hair staring at him with curiousity.
"Huh? Who are you?" questioned Young Shinji.
Young Sherry said nothing, which caused Young Shinji a little bit of irritation for not having his question answered.
"Hey! Aren't you going to say something?" snapped Young Shinji, before uttering something else under his breath, "Stupid girl…"
"You know what you're doing is wrong, right?" said Young Sherry, after some silence.
"Aww, who asked you?" Young Shinji huffed in response, kicking at the metal garbage can in frustration, "It's just so boring at this crappy orphanage."
"For your information, there are plenty of things to do here," retorted Young Sherry, "We have board games, books, and a small playground," Then, to try and show some kindness to the new arrival, she held her right hand out, "If you'd like, I could show you around?"
Young Shinji scowled, but then looked into the eyes of the young French girl trying to befriend him. He noticed honesty within them, and, finally managing to smile, decided to give her a chance. Young Shinji took hold of Young Sherry's hand and accepted her offer.
(new scene…)
A montage of still clips of Young Shinji's time at the orphanage, ranging from playing games with the other kids, meeting (and pranking) Young James R., and being an overall rebellious goofball, ensued.
"After a rough start, I met Sherry and we became friends," continued Shinji, "I also took part in many games at the orphanage and became friends with James when we started interacting."
"Yeah, right after you pranked me with a whoopie cushion!" The voice of James R. grumbled.
In one scene, Young Sherry was shown winning a friendly game of snakes-and-ladders with a few of the orphans, and she got a little…boastful…with her victory.
"Anyway…" Shinji went on narrating, as Young Shinji just smiled over his friend winning, "Ever since we became friends, I discovered that Sherry was a little…boastful and competitive when she was playing games with the other orphans. Still, I became one of the few to get used to it, because she actually reminded me a bit of myself."
(new scene…)
One night, Young Shinji was asleep in bed when he suddenly woke up, sat up, and looked around sleepily at some of the other orphans still asleep. However, he noticed that one bed was not being occupied.
"Sherry?" uttered Young Shinji, getting out of bed.
(outside…)
Outside, sitting on a bench and looking up at the night sky, Young Sherry was sadly thinking about something when she heard a noise coming from behind her. She turned, finding Young Shinji coming outside.
"Sherry?" began Young Shinji, "What are you doing out here? Aren't you supposed to be in bed with the rest of us?"
"Oh, I couldn't sleep," said Young Sherry in a state of depression, "On a few nights like this, I sometimes come outside to do some thinking."
"Thinking?" repeated Young Shinji, sitting down beside Young Sherry, "Like what?"
Young Sherry looked down, trying her hardest to avoid bursting into tears. She then felt a hand touching her upper left arm and turned to see Young Shinji giving her a reassuring look, which appeared to indicate that he would listen to her story.
"The real reason I come out here on some nights like this, is because I often think about my Maman et Papa," confessed Young Sherry, before looking up at the night sky once more while finally allowing her tears to fall, "I'm not from this country… You see, my real home country is France," As she spoke on, Young Shinji just calmly listened, "While we were on vacation here in America, we were involved in an accident."
"Hold on, an accident?" gasped Young Shinji.
"Yes, accident," The voice of Young Sherry answered. She then remembered getting the bad news at the hospital, "When I got the news that my parents didn't make it, I was devastated. Without any choice, I had to leave my life in France behind and live here at this orphanage in another country altogether," Her hands started shaking in her lap, "I never want anyone to see weakness from me, hence why I tend to be so competitive and boastful in playing games with the other kids. You are the only one who's seeing the real me."
Young Shinji remained silent about Young Sherry's tragic story. In fact, he was actually starting to get a better understanding about the blonde-haired young French girl. Then, without thinking, Young Shinji moved his right hand and placed it on top of Young Sherry's hands on her lap, which caused her to look over while blinking through her tears.
"Now I get it," said Young Shinji seriously, "I understand why you're like who you are. Underneath your tough, prideful attitude, you're still hurting from the loss of your parents and old life," He then smiled, "But you can start a new life here in America, and you can also make new friends like you have been for the last while," As he came close to finishing his little speech, Young Sherry continued to hear him out, "There's Carlie, James, Mike, Zack, and even myself. We can all be there for you in your time of grieving," The young delinquent then placed both hands onto his new friend's shoulders, "Never forget that, Sherry."
After listening to the kind words from the usually rebellious Shinji Weber, Young Sherry was so touched by them that she finally allowed herself to embrace and cry onto his shoulder. This showed that despite being rebellious and a delinquent, Young Shinji still had a hidden heart of gold. It was also their heartwarming night under the stars that allowed for the two children to grow closer.
(new scene…)
During a sunny afternoon, Young Carlie and Young Sherry were playing Duel Monsters on a table on the playground. Duel Monsters had recently been released in the United States, and it proved to be a big hit. Shipments of Duel Monsters cards were sent to the orphanage, and several of the orphans (Young James, Young Michael, Young Carlie, Young Sherry, and Young Shinji) immediately took to the game.
"Soon, Duel Monsters was released and became a big hit," narrated Shinji, as his younger self was looking over some Duel Monsters cards before coming across Young Sherry and Young Carlie dueling, "Unfortunately, this came at a time where, how should I say it, Sherry got a little 'too' into her latest win against Carlie. It got to the point where Sherry unintentionally pissed Carlie off so badly that her dormant powers awakened. I happened to see that particular moment."
As the taunting from Young Sherry went on, Young Carlie eventually clenched her fists in frustration. It was this moment that she was sick and tired of Young Sherry's constant bragging. Suddenly, she felt her right forearm (with the unknown birthmark) beginning to glow. This was a sign her unstable powers were…beginning to kick in.
"What?!" cried Young Sherry, seeing what was going on.
"What the-?" gasped Young Shinji.
"I have had it!" roared Young Carlie viciously, not realizing what she was doing.
All of a sudden, the whole area started to quake itself to pieces, causing the nearby children to scream in terror, while the orphanage caretakers tried to keep everyone calm and seek shelter for the earthquake. Only Young Shinji remained in the quake. Nearby, Young Zack and Young Michael both saw what was going on with Young Carlie.
"What's Carlie doing?!" demanded Young Michael.
"Something tells me something's going wrong with her," answered Young Zack.
Over with Young Carlie, something started rising from the ground behind her. Young Sherry took a step back out of reflex. That something was the same 'Rose Tentacles' that Young Sherry destroyed in the duel. Too frightened to run away or even speak, Young Sherry could only shut her eyes and scream as 'Rose Tentacles' seemed to make a lung for her.
"Carlie! Stop!" The voice of Young James R. yelled.
Young Carlie's angry look softened when she heard her friend's voice, as the glowing birthmark on her right arm then ceased and 'Rose Tentacles' suddenly faded away. Almost immediately, the kids and orphanage caretakers all emerged from their hiding spots to see what had happened. Rather unfortunate, all eyes were on Young Carlie.
"You alright?" Young Zack asked, approaching Young Carlie, "That was really scary."
"S-Sherry…" stammered Young Carlie, realizing what she almost did, "Sherry, I… I didn't…"
Without saying a word, Young Sherry, terrified and traumatized from the experience, got back to her (Young Sherry) feet and, while in tears, raced as far away from Young Carlie as possible without saying anything back to her (Young Carlie). It would seem that this encounter had left a very nasty mental scar that would likely never heal itself. Judging from such a reaction, that was the end of Young Carlie and Young Sherry's friendship. Young Shinji, wanting to help his friend, ran after poor Young Sherry.
(elsewhere…)
It took him some time, but Young Shinji found Young Sherry in one of the bedrooms, laying on her bed with her face down on the pillow, and crying hard from what almost happened to her.
"Sherry…" whispered Young Shinji.
"How? How did she do that?" wept Young Sherry, "And why? Why did she try to hurt me? I thought Carlie and I were friends…?"
"C'mon, it's alright, it's all over now," comforted Young Shinji, sitting on the edge of the bed as he reached over and stroked Young Sherry's back, "Everything will be okay."
Unfortunately, the blonde-haired young French girl did not calm down so easily, so Young Shinji willingly stayed with her until she did finally calm down.
(new scene…)
At some point months later after the incident, Young Shinji was finally adopted by a nice couple. Young Sherry, not wanting her only friend to leave, ran towards the window and banged on it repeatedly while calling out Young Shinji's name.
(outside…)
Outside, Young Sherry tearfully kept banging on the window while calling out for her departing friend not to abandon her. Young Shinji turned to look at the orphanage, knowing he would miss it, his friends, and especially Young Sherry.
"Soon after that, I was finally adopted by a nice couple," Shinji went on, "However, Sherry was not happy about that, at all… I had been taken away from her after enduring a traumatic scare, and she believed that without me being around, she would never be the same again."
END FLASHBACK
The flashback came to an early end.
"After Shinji left the orphanage, Carlie and her friends were adopted by Discord J. Crawford," added Sherry, "With no friends left, I was all alone… But then I was adopted by Elsworth."
"My new life with my new family was actually pretty good," recalled Shinji, as faded images of his adopted parents getting killed and him getting out into the world were superimposed over him (one image at a time), "However, fate threw me another curveball when my adopted parents were killed in an accident. I was only 16 at that time. But rather than cry over it, I decided to drop out of high school and go out into the world in order to live on my own terms," He then grinned once more over his past, "I also had to make money on my own account."
"Whoa…" breathed Zack.
"Eventually, after I learned of the first Duel Runner, I saved up enough money working part time jobs to buy one. I had it modified and I named it after the wasp," Shinji said fondly, as still images of different wasps appeared around him in the dark backgrounf, "Many people are rightfully afraid of the insect—but not me. They share a bond that will attack anybody who disturbs them and their home," The roaming images stopped and the background returned to normal, as he went back on track, "Anyway, on with the story."
FLASHBACK
A few years later, Flashback Shinji, now 18-years old, was riding Killer Wasp through the city of Salt Lake City on his little adventure.
"My road trip took me all the way to the state of Utah," narrated Shinji, "While driving through Salt Lake City, I came across something going on in a skatepark."
Flashback Shinji stopped Killer Wasp outside a skatepark, where a bunch of rough-looking duelists had surrounded someone wearing a white motorcyclist suit with red accents that ran along the outside of his or her arms, down the outside of the legs, and wrapped around the calf area. He or she also wore a red undershirt. His or her uniform also consisted of gray shoulder, knee, elbow, and shin guards, while also wearing charcoal colored padding over the chest. The helmet was also red with gold accents near the crown that ran from front to back, while the open-mouthed mouth protector was gray, with an orange visor. The helmet appeared to conceal the identity of the person, so it was difficult to figure if the person was male or female.
"You sure picked a lousy day to come into our territory, scumbag!" Punk 1 threatened with malice, "Do you know what happens to punks like you who come in unannounced?"
"Allez vous faire foutre!" The masked person angrily retorted in French.
"Oh really?" growled Punk 2, understanding what was said in the foreign language, "That's what you want us to do?" He cracked his knuckles, "I guess we'll have to teach you a lesson for saying something so insulting!"
Watching the scene, Flashback Shinji threw his helmet off, got off Killer Wasp, and ran towards the impending fight.
"Hey!" hollered Flashback Shinji, before stopping beside the masked person, "You won't need to fight alone; I'll give you a helping hand."
"Whoever you are, stay out of my way!" demanded the masked person aggressively, speaking in a thick French accent, "I can handle these bastards!"
"And let you get beat to an inch of your life?" frowned Flashback Shinji, "No way! That's not my style."
"Enough talk!" roared Punk 1, "Get them, and get them good, everyone!"
A large brawl ensued. Both sides took some nasty blows, but Flashback Shinji and the masked person managed to defeat the enemy gang, with the remaining members turning and making a run for it. Flashback Shinji wiped some blood from his mouth before turning to smile at the person he managed to save.
"Hey, great job out there," Flashback Shinji started to say, "You're a really skilled fig-"
Before he could finish, he suddenly got punched in the face and thrown to the ground by the masked person, who, judging from the body language, was not at all happy over getting saved when he or she told Flashback Shinji to specifically stay out of the brawl.
"What the hell?!" snapped Flashback Shinji, sitting back up. The masked person listened, but didn't seem to care, "I help you out of a jam, and this is how you repay me?"
"I told you that wasn't your fight," hissed the masked person, "But you didn't seem to get the message. It looks like I will have to teach you that lesson—that way, you will never, ever forget!"
The two began to fight brutally. Although Flashback Shinji was a good fighter himself, the person he was now fighting against was very strong, very aggressive, and very relentless. Before long, Flashback Shinji got violently slammed back onto the ground, but not before he was able to get his hands on the helmet and yank it off. The masked person turned out to be a beautiful young woman with long blonde hair, but she also looked extremely angry and raised her right fist as though she was about to punch Flashback Shinji unconscious. Speaking of Flashback Shinji, he softened up when he saw the face of who he was fighting.
"S-Sherry LeBlanc?" mumbled Flashback Shinji.
The named blonde-haired young French woman, with gritted teeth, kept her shaking fist raised initially, but when she heard Flashback Shinji say her name in a weak tone, she lost her anger and got a closer look at his face—which was faintly familiar to her.
"Shinji…Weber?" whispered Flashback Sherry.
The two young adults stared at one another for what seemed like a long time, taking in the fact they were seeing each other for the first time in years. Eventually, Flashback Shinji broke the silence with the only possible question on his mind.
"Sherry, am I really seeing you? Or am I seeing things because of my aching head?" he asked groggily.
Finally realizing it was her best friend from the orphanage, Flashback Sherry carefully lowered her fist, returned to her feet, and smiled slightly.
"Hmph, toi idiot," replied Flashback Sherry in French, "It is me, Shinji," She then leaned over and held her right hand out, "And I'm seeing you, too."
Flashback Shinji gratefully accepted the hand back up.
"We saw each other for the first time in years," said Shinji pleasantly, before clips of Flashback Shinji and Flashback Sherry, after getting their injuries patched up, visiting a burger diner while talking happened, "While she claimed I had not changed much if at all, I learned she got adopted by Elsworth and has been suffering recurring nightmares from the incident with Carlie. And, based on when we dealt with those punks and our earlier fight, she had grown into a very ruthless, violent, and cold individual."
"You can say that again about the cold factor," The voice of Asagi agreed.
"Asagi!" The voice of Juri scolded.
Before long, Flashback Sherry took Flashback Shinji back to her home to introduce him to Flashback Elsworth, and he was warmly greeted by maids and other servants.
"But despite her coldness, she was clearly still an emotionally vulnerable individual," narrated Shinji, "The only two people she could properly open herself up to and show her true feelings, were her guardian, Elsworth, and myself."
"This also allowed for him to open up to me about how his adopted parents got killed," The voice of Sherry added in, as her flashback self enjoyed some lunch with Flashback Elsworth and Flashback Shinji in the dining chamber before the last had to leave but promised to return soon, "It allowed for us to establish a common ground between the both of us, and even though Shinji's desire to head back out on the open road would lead him to part ways with me a few times, he would still return as frequently as he could, and we would only continue to grow closer whenever we were together."
On the bedroom balcony of her home, roughly a year after they had been reunited, Flashback Sherry and Flashback Shinji stood the moon of the beautiful night. Since nobody else was around, the two young adults had already begun to share a long and passionate kiss that had quickly become a make out session between them, while their hands were starting to get a little frisky as they ran across each other's bodies, before they decided to take their business inside.
(new scene…)
Another year later, Flashback Shinji, now 20-years old, was staying at a hotel in Boston and watching the new Duel Monsters tournament hosted by the new governor of the state of New York on TV.
"Then came Governor Godwin's new Action Duel tournament," remembered Shinji, as his flashback self was cheering over Flashback Sherry's victory over Flashback Asagi, "I would have loved to attend had I been invited to duel."
"But, of course, you caught wind of my little rant, right?" The voice of James R. interrupted.
The scene then changed to the image of Flashback James R. on TV practically yelling at Flashback Sherry over her attitude problem after she lost to Flashback Lisa.
"Now listen, if you have even a 'shred' of dignity left in that thick skull of yours, you will go back where you came from, and 'never' come near us again!" ordered the image of Flashback James R. in anger, "Do you understand me, DO YOU?!"
At last, the television set was turned off, compliments of Flashback Shinji holding up the remote before lowering it and shaking his head in disappointment towards Flashback James R. for his own attitude towards Flashback Sherry. It was also then he made a decision on going to see his two old friends and set things right between them.
"Oh, big time, man," confirmed Shinji, "That's when I decided at that time to return to Sherry and, hopefully, run into you so that I could try to get you both to make up. I was lucky to learn from Sherry on the telephone that you and your friends were also in Hartford."
END FLASHBACK
The flashback ended.
"Since you mentioned Hartford, Shinji, Sherry actually came to help us fight Sergey Volkov," recalled Matt, before casting a glance towards Sherry as she pretended to not pay any attention, "Without her help, we likely would have failed to rescue this school from his control."
"You could say that James's harsh words towards her actually gave her a change of heart," put in Michael, before feeling a small nudge on his side from Elsworth, "Well, that and a pep-talk from Elsworth."
"Look, I'll say it again," sighed Sherry, turning to look at Michael firmly, "Elsworth and I are only staying in Hartford until it's time for Carlie and I to duel each other for real," As she finished her little sentence, both Elsworth and Michael listened, "Until we settle the score, don't even consider me to be a friend."
There was silence from both tables over that reminder. Carlie, however, had a few things she wanted to say, too, and it was about her former friend's relationship with Shinji.
"Sherry… you mentioned earlier how you and Shinji are not a couple, right?" she pressed.
"That's correct," nodded Sherry, "One thing simply led to another, and we haven't really looked back since."
"So, err…" blushed Carlie awkwardly, getting the general idea on what the relationship was like, "Does this mean you two are basically friends…with benefits?"
Asagi, Mayura, and Juri each also started blushing from hearing such a question being asked, while Lisa and James R.'s respective eyes widened instead. Discord and Zack also looked very surprised, while both Matt and Michael didn't seem to react at all, although they were likely thinking about it to themselves. As for Sherry and Shinji, they didn't look uncomfortable over the question, at all.
"Yes," The two young adults acknowledged at the same time.
There was another very long silence from both tables, while Sherry and Shinji simply finished their meals before the latter decided to say a little something.
"Hey, you guys asked, right?" Shinji pointed out.
"We are simply close friends who sleep together with each other's consent while taking the proper precautions, and that's all you guys need to know," said Sherry sternly, "So there shouldn't be any issue with this as far as you're concerned. Should there?"
Again, nobody else bothered to answer, which the blonde-haired young French woman accepted. Just then, Mr. Zimmerman walked up to the tables, mainly to speak to the special guest of the school.
"Oh, Mr. Weber," greeted Mr. Zimmerman, "How was the food?"
"It was pretty good," answered Shinji, as he and Sherry stood up, "Well, I guess this is where we have to leave. But don't worry, you guys will be seeing me plenty of times in Hartford. Oh, and James?"
"Yeah, man?" pondered James R..
"We should have another Turbo Duel in the future," suggested Shinji, "As I told you outside, it was a ton of fun."
"Maybe I should get a crack at fighting you," offered Mayura.
"Perhaps. But not anytime soon; for now, Sherry and I have lots of catching up to do."
With that said, Shinji, Sherry, and Elsworth all left the school, and Mr. Zimmerman left the cafeteria to return to his office. When they were alone, the group started having a discussion on what they learned about Sherry and Shinji.
"I said it before, and I'll say it again… Whoa," began Zack.
"Sherry and Shinji both are friends with benefits," added Juri, as Asagi and Mayura both nodded, "Those kinds of relationships tend to be pretty awkward from what I heard, but they seem completely okay with it."
"Well, if Sherry and Shinji are comfortable with their decision to partake in such a relationship, I can't really judge them for it," admitted Carlie, before adding something else as everyone else listened, "However, I do hope that they do get together in a proper romantic relationship one day, since they seem so perfect for each other."
That statement earned her a few nods from a few members of the group.
(outside…)
Outside the school, the sun was beginning to set as Team 6D's, Discord, Zack, and the Astray trio finally emerged.
"That sunset looks beautiful," commented Mayura.
"Yeah, it does," nodded Lisa, before suddenly changing the subject, "Oh man, I knew there was something I was forgetting!"
"What is it, Lisa?" asked Asagi.
"From all the excitement regarding Shinji and James's Turbo Duel, I completely forgot all about Dave and his arrival!" complained Lisa.
"He probably won't arrive today," figured Matt.
Lisa sighed, "Yeah, true," she agreed, reluctantly and dejectedly, "We probably won't see him for at least another day or two…"
"You won't see who for another day or so, Lisa-chan?" A familiar voice (male) responded.
Lisa's eyes widened with surprise when she heard the voice. Was her mind playing tricks on her? No, because everyone else was equally surprised by the familiar voice. Looking nearby, there, standing with his family and two best friends by his side, was none other than David Xadashi.
"Dave!" cried Lisa, running forward.
"DAVE!" Asagi, Mayura, and Juri each added, as they ran forth.
Very quickly, Matt, Michael, Carlie, James R., Zack, and Discord all followed. Pretty soon, a joyous reunion was happening, with the three Astray girls and Lisa all surrounding and hugging David tightly.
"You're finally back!" wailed Asagi.
"We missed you so much!" exclaimed Juri.
"Even though it's only been about a month!" acknowledged Mayura.
David chuckled, "Well, I'm back for the summer," he proclaimed, "And I'm very happy to see all of you."
"Same here," said Sean, looking towards Matt, "You guys are doing well."
"Yeah, we are," smiled Matt.
"And Orb looks better than ever before!" admired Janice, looking at the fully repaired and repainted building, "I can't believe we're actually staying here!"
Once the Astray trio finally let go of David, he found that Lisa was not letting go of him. The ongoing affectionate gesture made him blush a little bit.
"Lisa-chan? Can you please-?" David tried saying.
"Shut up, I missed you!" mumbled Lisa, trying to keep her tears back as David finally returned the hug and they both stood in their spot for quite some time, "You really have no idea!"
"And I missed you, as well," David replied, before adding in a mischievous tone, "But whatever became of the stone-willed individual who would never dream of exhibiting such great displays of affection in the company of others?" Lisa looked him in the eye with a baffled expression at what he had just said, but he wasn't done. "Honestly Lisa-chan, 'there is no need to be such a worrywart'."
The pink-haired girl couldn't help but scoff over David quoting the same remark she had said to him a month ago, and she pulled herself away and put her hands on her hips.
"Oh, I see. Right back at me, huh? You wise-ass," she replied in a sassy tone, "And besides, where did this attitude adjustment come from?"
"A very 'exclusive' source of mine," David answered with a smirk. As the two teenagers then softly broke into laughter before embracing again, he added in something else, "Still, it's great to be back."
"Like seriously, Dave," commented Asagi playfully, "When Lisa first heard you were coming back and first told me about it, I swear she couldn't stop crying over the phone."
Lisa instantly broke away from the hug and glared daggers at her friend, who just put her (Asagi) hands on her hips and smiled as though she said nothing wrong.
"I didn't cry!" protested Lisa, with her face red with embarrassment, "I was just happy to get to see him again! You guys know that!"
"Sure, you keep telling yourself that," joked Mayura.
She, Asagi, and Juri each giggled at their friend's reaction. Deciding to ignore the playful mockery by her own friends, Lisa turned back to David and tried to change the topic.
"So, anyway," she was now saying, "since the last time we saw each other, I've managed to graduate from high school!"
"Congratulations Lisa-chan," complimented David, "Sean-kun, Janice, and I also graduated."
"That's great all, Dave, but since you're finally back, I've something to tell you," cut in James R., which got the attention of both David and Lisa, while Sean and Janice both listened, too. He was grinning bit time, "You guys missed one heck of a day."
"Really?" asked Janice, as Sean scratched the back of his head.
James R. nodded, "Yup! In fact, I'll fill you in when we get back inside to get you guys a dorm to stay in."
"Basically, we all watched him get himself demolished in a Turbo Duel," interjected Michael, smirking slightly.
"H-Hey!" yelled James R., turning to face his slightly older friend in big time annoyance, "Who's side are you on, man?!"
This caused everyone else to burst into laughter at the expense of the poor brown-haired young man as he fumed. Well, it was official, the gang was back together again—for now, anyway. Plus, they met a new friend in Shinji Weber. What other possible adventures would they get into for this upcoming summer? Well, that was unknown at this time.
(elsewhere…)
Later that night inside the same hotel from this morning, Elsworth was currently outside on the balcony and enjoying a cup of tea under the stars. That left Shinji and Sherry both alone in the latter's half of the ajoining room behind the security of the locked door connecting them to Elsworth's room, so that they could fully enjoy their reunion in peace…through having sex. They just finished up when they decided to just lay under the covers and blanket (which covered their full nudity) for seemingly a long time. They really missed doing this. Even so, Shinji had an important question he wanted to bring up to Sherry.
"Sherry, I've been thinking," began Shinji, "Even though we've talked about it before in the past, do you ever see us actually settling down together in the future?"
Sherry closed her eyes and thought about it for no more than half a minute at most before giving her answer.
"I don't really know," responded Sherry, speaking in a not really annoyed manner, "We both value our independence and being free spirits. We've already agreed that neither of us are ready for such a commitment at this point in our lives, and we wouldn't set any unrealistic expectations as to where this is, or may be, going."
"Mmm…" mused Shinji, looking back at the ceiling, "I know I'm definitely not ready to be tied down yet, but, maybe at some point in the future, depending on how things go and if neither of us end up hooking up with someone else, then I wouldn't mind if we did end up together."
"Honestly, I wouldn't mind that either," admitted Sherry, before turning to look at her best friend, "However, for the time being, I'll just settle for us having this amazing sex."
Shinji grinned, "When you put it that way…" he said playfully, while turning over to look at Sherry, "So tell me, did I satisfy your needs after our time apart?"
"Hmhmhm…" giggled Sherry seductively, "I guess you did a very good job at it—but I'm not completely satisfied yet."
"You know what, neither am I."
(outside…)
Outside the hotel, the echoing soft moans from both friends were heard as they started going at it again. On the balcony outside his room, Elsworth simply sipped his cup of tea and thought about Sherry and her relationship with Shinji. Like Carlie, he remained hopeful that Sherry and Shinji would ultimately get together in a more proper relationship in the future, seeing as almost everything about Shinji made her happy despite the trauma continuing to eat away at her heart.