Legend of the White Dragon

[MewMew3]

Duel 26 – Apprehension

 

Duelists watching TV everywhere see the broadcasting of a new product. Except this is no ordinary product! This is… THE. NEW. GAME. CHANGER. Matthew, clad in a motorcycle, rides out on an abandoned bridge into the sunrise. Everyone hears an omnipresent voice declare, “Hope. Miracles. A new dawn. A new evolution in Duel Monsters like you’ve never seen before.”

 

A duel disk is strapped to Matthew’s arm. – He visibly struggles to concentrate on dueling and the road at the same time. – “I summon my new TUNER monster JUNK SYNCHRON and use his effect to revive QUILTBOLT HEDGEHOG!” An energetic, short, and stumpy mechanic appears, as does a hedgehog with bolts in place of quills. “I have a Level 3 monster, a Level 2 monster, and another Level 3 monster, TUNE WARRIOR. Now, I take my TUNER monster and non-tuners and add their levels to Level 8.” Junk Synchron transforms into three green rings, the other monsters pass through them, turning into five stars, and then a flash! The portal is opened!

 

“SYNCHRO SUMMON STARDUST DRAGON!” Matthew slaps a white colored card, never seen before, on the duel disk. The blinding portal of light disappears and a pale blue and white dragon floats in its place. The dragon screeches for very first time. “Ride with me into the future! STARDUST DRAGON attack!” The dragon launches its cold, windy blast. Booster packs and starter decks galore burst on the screen. The omnipresent voice shouts, “Buy your new cards today for a limited time only! Free packs will be available at the American National Championship this June!”

 

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A future did not shine for JC. He could only see the grey wall in his cell. Without Dupre he had no lawyer to defend himself with and the court case was over fast. The judge and jury hardly bothered to look at the numerous accounts of extortion and violence he and his Dark Duelists committed. They just saw the color of his skin: another thug to lock away. He saw his three comrades, Jolene, Yukio, and Maya, testify against him in the jury. Jolene and Yukio almost gleefully detailed to the court his humiliating "sex tape". They would be nowhere where they are today without him! 

 

The guard knocked the door with his nightstick. “You have a visitor.”

 

JC was taken to a small, dim room, recognizing Dupre for his pompous air and pasty skin illuminated by the dull lights in an instant. He leapt for Dupre’s throat for an instant but the guards jerked him back, his wrists burning in the handcuffs.

 

Dupre continued cutting his nails with a small clipper as if nothing happened. He acted like he saw JC for the first time. “Please sit. Can’t we talk like civilized people for once?”

 

JC was forced in the seat by the guards. “You betrayed me and my Dark Duelists.” He hissed, the venom dripping in his voice. “You only cared about the profit we gave to Kaibacorp. We can’t talk like civilized people because you are a weasel.”

 

“Speaking of which, tell me, how is your father Tyrone doing in prison? He went out to Louisiana to work at a diploma mill only to get jailed in Angola. Did he really do it for the family or for greed?" Dupre could see the glowering light intensify in JC’s eyes. JC was a crime waiting to happen. “Enough small talk. I – we, Kaibacorp – are willing to give you one last chance. We’ll bail you out of prison and into the Nationals. You’ll have access to any cards you want. You don’t even have to win the Nationals, just break your former comrades on national television. Then we can make you and Matthew leaders of a new team of Crusaders, a team that exclusively represents Kaibacorp. How does it sound?”

 

JC hated Dupre and hated his desperation. If he was stronger, if he was smarter, unlike his mother and father, he wouldn’t be making the most humiliating decision of his life, but he had no choice. “I agree to your terms.”

 

“Excellent! You’ll be out of the orange jumpsuit in no time. Just don’t lose, or you're on your own in the street, kid. One more thing.” He handed JC a thin certificate with a seal on it. JC recognized it as a diploma. “You completed your final exams just before you were arrested. Glad to save another kid from the school to prison pipeline.” JC once more tried to lung at him but was restrained by the guards again. 

 

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“Congrats on graduating!” Our three heroes hugged each other. Jolene and Yukio gave each other passionate kisses on the lips.

 

Maya waived her diploma around in an odd way, like it was some strange artifact. It ostensibly had great importance but was really useless. Something else was on her mind though, and it kept bugging her over the past few weeks. “Guys, do you ever worry about JC?”

 

“What about him? He betrayed us and turned our dreams into a corporate shill. I say we keep him locked up in there.” Yukio scoffed.

 

Maya explained, “He may deserve it but I just don’t see him as a villain. As annoying and hypocritical as he was he was right about everything, about the dueling world that is. He probably had many demons and didn’t know how to deal with them.”

 

Yukio raised an eyebrow. “You have any evidence for this?”

 

Jolene chipped in, “He sometimes mentions his childhood in his ranting videos, and its never good. His dad was was imprisoned after running a diploma mill. He didn’t want to be like his dad and wanted to fight against all the bad dads out there. But don’t take my full word on it. I’m not a therapist.”

 

Maya took Jolene's words into account, the shrugged them off. Amateur psychology was a waste of time. “We need a game plan. A lot of new monsters just came out and they’re really expensive. Me and Yukio got accepted to the Nationals and we really need to get our hands on the best sycnchros out there and learn how to use them.”

 

“And how do we get this money?”

 

“I have an idea.”

 

The team, what was left of it, went all the way out into the Long Island suburbs one Saturday afternoon. The clear June wind swept the grass in a gentle, nostalgic breeze and the radiant sunlight painted the grass golden. Paradise on earth. Cristy opened the door. The team explained their situation and was allowed in. Cristy’s father, Officer Mourey, even made a pancake and sausage brunch for them.

 

“I thought you guys hated authority.” Mourey joked, seeing them happily eat his food. The gang complimenting him for his wonderful cooking with mouths full of food.

 

Cristy took out a large box in her room, filled with many of the newly released synchro monsters. “These were just released to the general public. I am willing to lend them to you as long as you pay me back in cash after the nationals.”

 

Yukio nodded. “The prize money is a quarter a million. We’ll be more than able to pay you back.”

 

Maya scrutinized the brand new cards in her hands. “Problem is the cards are just released. There is no metagame yet to study and counter.”

 

“Guess you'll have do something else than attack what you hate, like what JC would do.” Yukio winked at her wryly.

 

So they got to work, putting in differing synchros and toying with them so their decks could be as fast and powerful as possible. They even spent the night playing Dance Dance Revolution with Cristy. It was a great time while it lasted.

 

But all good things must come to an end. Maya had father to deal with. He was stone cold, duller now, vexing her less, and didn’t have as much energy. A mixture of guilt and fatigue swam in his haunting blue eyes. He promised Maya again he would never lay a hand on her and would support her college, but she long ago stopped believing him.

 

During the last morning before the Nationals she put her favorite books, sketchbooks, her hidden cards, and her hidden tournament winnings in a small suitcase. She tightly held an acceptance letter from New York University in her hand, another thing she kept hidden. If she won the tournament she would use the winnings to buy a comfortable apartment and pay for a few semesters. She had no intention of telling her father where she would live or even what college she would attend. She never wanted him to darken her doorway again.

 

The die was cast. She couldn’t afford to lose. Just before the early taxi came she wrote a small note.

 

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|   Going to Chicago for the Nationals. Don’t bother looking   |

|    for me. I won’t ever come back. I’ll make you proud.            |
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Matthew sat and brooded in his penthouse as he always did. One moment he stared at his collection of paintings, especially the majestic yet somber painting of his grandfather, and at the next moment he stared out at the full moon. Sometimes he glanced down at his acceptance ticket. He won the Nationals last year, and he had a full team to support him. Now he had nothing and everything was on the line. He couldn’t lose. He wouldn’t dare let low-skill dregs ruin his final year at the Academy.

 

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It is the first day of the Duel Monsters American National Championship! Traditional playing cards flew and twirled in the air on the screen before dancing into circle enclosing the event title in golden burning letters. “Welcome the 2005 National Championship!” Greeted a stalky, well-dressed man with bright orange hair and dazzling blue eyes. “I’m your first esteemed host Maximus from New York!”

 

“And I am Spartacus your second host right from Chicago!” A slightly larger but just as colorful and well-dressed man with short black, hair greeted in tune. “I’m sure most of you are dying to see the outcome of today’s tournament, especially with the brand new release of synchros.”

 

Maximus took the lead once more, “We really have no idea what these new monsters can since they were released so soon. In America at least to my knowledge chaos and monarch decks have dominated the game for the last five or so years but that may all chance.”

 

“Yeah, it’s a really volatile time for our duelists right now.” Spartacus rejoined. “And I can tell by the look on some of their faces like that of Pallas Athena (AKA Matthew Carter) they really don’t like the change.”

 

“True, but at the same time we can potentially see some fresh new blood in the Duel Monsters scene, which has been lacking for some time now.” Spartacus said. “Who knows, maybe we can even have our Yugi completely revamp the game.”

 

Out heroes unpacked at a Chicago hotel. Jolene tagged along with Yukio and shared the room with him. Maya would sleep alone. They went outside and wandered around the Soldier Field Stadium, the arena of the epic battles to come, and talked about what lay ahead. Maya and Yukio promised each other they would have a great duel. No pressure. No politics. No bullshit. Just a duel between friends.

 

Maya couldn’t fall asleep no matter how hard she tried. She was filled with constant noise, the beating of her heart, the beating of music. She was suspended somewhere between dreams and the "real" world. Rattling, discordant sounds, sudden flashes. The Ramses Abu Simbal temple, beckoning her down the long corridor to Duel Monster tablets inside. Writhing black water, chaos before sound, down in the sewers beneath city streets. Her first man when she was only sixteen, groping her breasts with large, sweaty hands, pumping her hard just above a clogged, unflushed toilet in a punk concert bathroom.

 

 

 

Maya couldn’t take it. She got up and wrote as many notes and words as she could; only seeing as much as the faint dawn allowed. She let the championship anxieties fall away and focused only on the ride, on the fun. “It’s all just a ride.” She said to herself, like trying to remind herself. “It’s all just a ride. It’s all just a ride.” She had no idea what piece of music the notes would become. She thought of a jazz or ragtime cycle of sorts, kind of like a Schubert song cycle, but modulating to distant keys of thirds.

 

Maya looked at herself in the bathroom mirror the same way she did just before she dueled Matthew. Her hair, even when wet, would still never behave itself. Jolene appeared in the mirror, “You were always beautiful. Work with yourself, not against yourself.”

 

She abandoned all attempts to straighten her hair. She made her natural curls thicker and finer, joining together into rich, seductive serpentine locks. She had to paint an image on her face, not only during battle. She out brown foundation to erase the red blemishes and bring out a healthy glow to her skin. To complement her full face she colored her full lips with red lipstick, careful not to put gloss. Her piercing, narrow brown eyes, burning with a rude, fiery energy, underscored her broad forehead. She complimented them with black eye shadow and eyeliner.  

 

As for clothes she donned on a black sleeveless shirt and a black skirt, outfitting her hands and feet with black-netted gloves and stockings and black boots. Finally, she put on a tight black jacket with a red flame on front, and draped the black hood over her head. The propaganda was complete.

 

She tentatively peeped through the door into Jolene and Yukio’s room. “How do I look?”

 

Jolene rushed in to embrace her. “You look amazing! You look like you just came out of Necropolis club. It’s a little heavy but if it suits you go for it.”

 

Yukio just arrived from the bathroom, fully dressed in studded leather pants and spikey black hair, like he just came out of a concert, and shook his head. “Girl leave the baby goth alone. Let's not have a threesome... yet”

 

“Look at you, metalhead wannabe!” Jolene retorted. “You look like Sid Vicious’ aborted cousin.”

 

“Ha ha very funny. Let’s go.” He pinched Jolene in the butt. “Out, out of here.”

 

The atrium of the stadium rang with the pandemonium of several thousand people in the audience. The thirty-two duelists however were all too easy to spot by their large duel disks on their arms and their extravagant costumes. It almost looked like a cosplay convention. And as usual corporate logos, especially of Kaibacorp, were everywhere.

 

The great commentator Maximus, now in a bright red vest shouted in a microphone above the crown. “Alright, everyone listen! The tournament will be conducted first in a Swiss system. After five rounds the top eight duelists will fight off in an elimination tournament tree until only one duelist is standing.” A large screen behind him showed them an expansive board. With a click of a button the judge made the names of all players appear and with another click all thirty-two duelists were instantly paired with each other.

 

Yukio got a duelist who dubbed himself The Undertaker. Origina.

 

And Maya got… JC! How did he get out of prison? “Well, this is interesting.” She said to herself. Either way, her first match would be a hard one.

 

“Be careful when you face him.” Yukio warned. “We all know what lengths he goes to for power.”

 

“Don't need to tell me."

 

“Please, listen to Yukio.” Jolene pleaded. “He betrayed all of us. Don’t let him hurt us again.”

 

"I won’t.”

 

But there was not much any of them could do at the moment. All they could do was sit and wait with climbing apprehension for the moment they would face their former leader.

[MewMew3]

Duel 27 – The Death of a Salesman

 

“Welcome back to the 2005 National Championship.” Maximus announced. I am Maximus and my friend over is Spartacus. Coming up next is the ninth round. Last duel was simply an epic fight between a Monarch deck with Frogs in it versus a kind of Junk Warrior deck. Unsurprisingly, the Monarchs won that one. That Junk Warrior deck was pretty interesting but the tried and true Monarchs were easier to use and simply had more staying power.“

 

Spartacus chimed on in cue, “That was a great match but I am still really looking forward to the next one, though I will admit, the next duel really has some big shoes to fill. Up next we have Zarathustra against DistressedDuelist. Now that should be an interesting match!”

 

“Pardon, Spartacus. I don’t think I, or anyone else for that matter, knows who they are. Why don’t you explain yourself to the audience?”

 

“Zarathustra and Distressed are native to New York. I think they started a certain Team Dark Duelists and wrecked a lot of havoc against other teams there – like out of nowhere. Just a year ago they didn’t exist and now they’re in the nationals! Zarathusta has last been seen using a Zombie Swarm deck while Distressed uses Gladiator Beasts. Both really like to go against the grain in their game play and refused to play the usual builds. Let’s see how they adapt and use the new synchros out there.”

 

Maximus resumed, “That’s enthusiastic of them but I can’t help but be skeptical. I doubt either of them could take on a proper Monarch of Chaos deck. Their wins must of have flukes.”

 

Maya tentatively stepped out from the darkness into the open light of the vast stadium. The crowd was silent but an electrical field crackled in the vacuum. She could almost hear it: a low hissing sound. JC lumbered up to her, wearing a large denim shirt and pants, glaring at her with his intense eyes like he was about to kill her. Maya returned the murderous stare in kind.

 

They folded their duel disks into place.

 

DistressedDuelist: 4000 || Zarathustra: 4000

 

DISTRESSED_DUELIST: “I activated Fire Formation Tenki to search for a beast-warrior, and then I summon it. Arise, Gladiator Beast Laquari!” A fiendish tiger of fiery orange leaps into action. “I set two cards.”

 

ZARATHUSTRA: “I set a monster and two cards. Go.”

 

DISTRESSED_DUELIST: “That’s it? This is the duelist who won the Regionals? You’re such a cowardly little b****. I should have won the Regionals.”

 

“Maybe it’s because you suck.” Zarathustra suggests mockingly. “Already you’re judging my field on appearances.”

 

Distressed scornfully shrugs the insult off. “Yeah, whatever. I summon Gladiator Beast Bestiari.” An armored man-bird joins its comrade. “Through their effects I return them into my deck to summon Gladiator Beast Gyzarus.” His two beast warriors liquefy into each other and mix together, then harden to form a formidable bird-like creature in juggernaut-sized armor –

 

Only to have it disappear. A blast of a horn as black as the night, the mighty creature shatters from the blow. Maya activated Black Horn of Heaven.

 

“But why didn’t it’s effect activate!?” Distressed cries, bewildered.

 

 “Gyzarus needs to be summoned to kick its effect off. Black Horn doesn’t just destroy it but negates its summon as well. No summon, no effect. No easy win.” Zarathustra explains.

 

“Fine.” Distressed grunts, “I activate Fire Formation Tensu, which allows me to normal summon an extra monster as long as it’s a beast-warrior type.” I summon Fire Fist – Bear.” A warrior monk formed, accompanied by a fiery bear anima. “I send Tenki to the graveyard to pop your monster.” Distressed’s card disintegrates into a fire ball and Bear hurls it at the card, burning it and the black bird in it to ashes.

 

“I activated Dump.” Zarathustra responds. “I send my other two Onmoraki to the grave.”

 

“But it won’t save you from this. Bear, direct attack!” The monk calls apon the fiery anima to charge Zarahtustra and douse her in painful flames. (Zarathustra LP: 4000 à 2300) “I set a card facedown. Let’s see you beat that!”

 

ZARATHUSTRA: “Challenge accepted. Graceful Charity!” She draws three and discards two. “I banish Destiny HERO – Malicious from my grave to summon another one from my deck.” The devilish costumed hero appears. “I summon Plaguespreader Zombie.” A short and round ghoul created from the sewn limbs of corpses materializes.

 

“I activate Discord!” Distressed shouts. Sound waves flow from the holographic card, as does a low dissonant sound. “We can’t synchro summon for three turns.”

 

To your credit, you play good antimeta. Gladiator Beast with Fire Formation tech-ins is pretty interesting. I expected worse.” Zarathustra admits. “That makes your betrayal hurt even more.”

 

“Betrayal? You, Yukio, and Jolene betrayed me!” Distressed points at himself violently. “Our team was just starting to get big and you ruined everything! I’ll never forgive you!”

 

“I don’t need your forgiveness. I set two cards.”

 

DISTRESSED_DUELIST: “You will now. Pot of Greed! I draw two! Then, Gladiator Beast’s Respite! I shuffle two gladiator beasts back into my deck and draw three! Next, I activate Foolish Burial, dumping a monster from my deck! I summon Gladiator Beast Laquari.” The tigerish fighter leaps on the field again. “Laquari, destroy Plaguespreader.” Flames burst from Laquari’s claws. It pounces and destroys the ghoul.” (Zarathustra LP: 2100 à 600) “Now Bear, destroy Malicious.”

 

“I play Pinpoint Guard to revive Onmoraki.” A giant fist erupts from the ground and hits the monk’s bear animus, scattering its flames. It opens and releases the black-winged crane. “Next, Infernal Reckless Summon.” Two new Onmoraki appeared. Zarathustra seized the advantage and draws three cards.

 

Distressed growls in frustration, “Bear, continue your attack. Kill malicious!” The conjured bear animus hits the superhero, burning it to ashes. “My Battle Phase ends. I return Laquari to my deck,” The tiger vanishes. “And summon Gladiator Beast Darius!” The horse-headed dasher gallops in play, and the familiar bird fighter appears with it. “It’s effect allows me to revive Gladiator Beast Bestiari.” Distressed snickers at his own genius.

 

“That you just dumped.” Zarathustra finished for him.

 

Distressed snaps, “You think your such a smart-ass, huh? Well stuff this up your c***! You and Jolene ruined everything! It’s because of you scheming c***s plotting behind my back why there is no Dark Duelists! I was even planning to kick out all women from the team! Women are scheming c***s and parasites! They can’t create or do anything original but only destroy the hard work men do!”

 

Zarathustra just about has it. “Are you done spouting little teapot? You just proved how right I was in every way, all the times Jolene and I mocked you behind your back. You said you wanted to eradicate oppression and bigotry, but the truth is you’re an oppressor and a bigot no different than Matthew is. Only difference is he had the spotlight and you didn’t, and that’s what you were really fighting for. Go f*** yourself!”

 

“After I f*** you up first! I merge Darius and Bestiari to summon another Gladiator Beast Gyzarus!” The two gladiator beasts form the formidable eagle-headed boulder of an animal. “And with it I pop two Onmoraki!” The monster beats its wings only once, blowing away the two cranes. “I get rid of Tensen to destroy your last one.” The last Fire Formation card vanishes as does the last crane. “Let’s see what you got, you scheming c***!”

 

ZARATHUSTRA: She looks visibly shaken, even though she tries to hide it. Sticks and stones may break my bones… but she balls her fist, controlling it and channeling it into white-hot anger, but her voice remains as level as it can. She scoffs, “You honestly think you’re a badass superstar? Think again. You’re just as ignorant and cowardly as the Crusaders we beat.”

 

She carries on, “Mystical Space Typhoon! Destroy Discord!” Distressed shouts in denial as the small charged cyclone erodes away his card. “I activate my Malicious, banishing it to summon a third Destiny HERO – Malicious!” The costumed devil reappears. “I summon Zombie Master!” A young sorcerer in tattered robes and a ghastly mask joins him. “I activate Master, discarding a card to bring back Plaguespreader Zombie.” The sorcerer strikes magical lightening on the ground and the Frankenstein ghoul crawls up from the ground.    

 

“I tune together Plaguespreader and Malicious to synchro summon Beelze of the Diabolic Dragons!” Something stunning happens. The stitched-together ghoul transforms into two glowing green rings. They encircle the costumed hero whose body also vanishes, replaced by six aligned stars, which burst into a pillar of light. It was as if a portal opened for when the light vanishes a huge, writhing serpent of black scales, crowned by two heads and a human torso on the top, replaces it and makes its dark presence known.

 

Distressed breathes heavily, his forehead condensing beats of sweat. This is bad news! “I smell your fear!” Zarathustra taunts, her voice loud, deep, course, and gleeful! “There’s more! I activate Book of Life, banishing your dead Gyzarus and bringing back Plaguespreader!” A silvery spirit waives away from Distressed’s graveyard slot and the ghoul reappears. “I tune Plaguespreader and Master to Synchro Summon Goyo Guaridan!” The ghoul forms two green rings again and encircles the sorcerer, who transforms into four aligned stars. The column of light opens and recedes, revealing a grapple-wielding warrior wearing colorful but frightening red face paint.

 

“Beelze, destroy Laquari!” The two serpent heads deluge a stream of fire, reverberating the sound of ten flamethrowers, vaporizing the tiger. (Distressed LP: 4000 à2800) “Goyo, destroy Gyzarus!” Distressed cries out as the warrior blunts the end of its hook on Gyzarus’ head. (Distressed LP: 2800 à 2400) Then something curious happens, Gyzarus appears on Zarathustra’s field, albeit crouched and defending. Not it’s effect!

 

“The turn’s not over yet, sweety! I return a card from my hand to the top of my deck to revive Plaguspreader!” The ghoul reappears again! “However, it is banished when I use it leaves the field, but that’s not something for you to worry about. I tune Plaguespreader and Gyzarus to syncrho summon Void Ogre Dragon!” The ghoul and heavyweight gladiator turn into two green rings and six stars, create a portal of light, and from it emerges a large black dragon with sharp and angular head and wings. “I set a card face down and my turn is done. Let’s see you wriggle out of this, you coward.”

 

DISTRESSED_DUELIST: “I can’t believe you took all my advantage in one turn, but I’m Rick James and it’s payback, b****. I activate Dark Hole!”

 

“Void Ogre Dragon activates!” Zarathustra retorts. “Since I have an empty hand, I can negate and destroy your spell.” The angular dark dragon sends thunderous bolts from its mouth to destroy the offending spell card.”

 

“I activate Raigeki! Gotcha’, b****!” Void Ogre Dragon wasted its effect, so there was nothing Zarathustra can do. Three dazzling bolts of lightning strike and kill her monsters – except one. The bolt simply bounced off of Beelze.

 

“It can’t be destroyed by card effects or battle.” She explains.

 

“How am I supposed to beat it then!” Distressed exhales in exasperation. “That’s broken!”

 

“Says the guy who played Raigeki and Dark Hole on the same turn.” Zarathustra retorts.

 

“I know you and Yukio are idealists but here’s the uncomfortable truth. He who dies with the most cards wins.”

 

“Big words from a guy with no field.” Zarathustra scoffs. “Tell me JC, does your dick feel smaller than usual?”

 

Distressed’s blood boils, ignited by the mental wound.“You’d better be glad we’re just dueling you c*** because I’d bust your nose and rape you!”

 

“I’d like to see you catch me first, fatass.”

 

Distressed continues with his turn, “I summon Mal Cat.” A small, clearly malicious black cat slinks into play. “I banish him to summon two Level 3 beast-warriors from my deck. I summon Fire Fist – Spirit and Fire Fist – Raven.” The black cat vaporizes into two pillars of flames that form into a red-armored monk with a fiery raven anima and a fighter whose entire body was made of purple armor. “I tune then to synchro summon Fire Fist – Hose Prince.” The spirit transfigures into three rings and the new monk into three stars. The bright column of light shines and out emerges a horse-tamer riding his lavender colored fiery steed.

 

“Since Raven was sent to the graveyard I will set a fire formation card from my deck face-down. I use Horse Prince’s effect to special summon a Fire Fist – Raven from my deck.” And another armored monk with a fiery raven anima appears.

 

ZARATHUSTRA: “Your defense is paltry at best and won’t last long. I summon Thunder King Rai-Oh.” A metallic blue armored robot levitated by its own electric magnetic field zaps into play. “Beelze, kill horse prince.” The dark dragon opens its deluge of flames. The horse rider is simply outclassed. “Thunder King, destroy Raven.” The robot shoots a discharge so fast the monk can’t react on time and is killed instantly.

 

Distressed sets a card from his deck face down because of Raven’s effect. Zarathustra can only let the effect take place, since the new card wasn’t added to his hand.

 

DISTRESSED_DUELIST: “Don’t think I can’t fight back. I’ll keep striking you until you die. I activate Fire Formation Tensu and Fire Formation Tenki. I search my deck for Gladiator Beast Laquari and summon it.” The tigerish beast warrior materializes yet again. “My continues spells boost its ATK to 2000. Laquari, attack Rai-Oh.” The tiger’s claws burn in fire and it lunges at the robot, crushing its body.” (Zarathustra LP: 600 à 500)

 

“My Battle Phase ended, so I return Laquari and summon Gladiator Beast Hoplomus.” A rhinoceros beast warrior, so heavy it bends on all fours, replaces the tiger. “And with its effect its DEF becomes 2400.”

 

ZARATHUSTRA: “Irrelevant. I summon Kuribandit.” A darker cousin of the legendary brown puffball monster comes forth. “Beelze, destroy Hoplomus.” The dark again sends its breath a blazin’, taking another victim. “Kuribandit, attack him directly.” The dark puffball leaps on and bites Distressed, who yelps and shakes it off. (Distressed LP: 2400 à 1400). On my End Phase, I tribute Kuribandit and look at my top 5 cards, and add Return from the Different Dimension to my hand.”

 

She concludes. “You’re beat, JC. You tried to get revenge on me but you lost. You completely lost control of the game. Not even three broken cards could save you. Stop humiliating yourself.”

 

“I won’t give up. A duel is not over until the last card is played!”

 

“Look who’s proselytizing now.”

 

DISTRESSED_DUELIST: “I play Card of Sanctity!” Zarathustra is genuinely surprised. “That’s right you scheming c***, I get six new cards!”

 

Zarathustra rolls her eyes. “Calling me a c*** is the best attack you ever made in this game. You do realize how sad that is.”

 

“I’ll show who’s really sad here after I beat you.”

 

“You won’t. It’s just a desperate last attempt to turn the game around. It’s not a miracle victory like in theanime. It’s a denial of defeat. You’ll just humiliate yourself on national television.”

 

“You wish! I activate Monster Reborn to revive Gladiator Beast Gyzarus. I summon Gladiator Beast Murmillo, and because of Tensen I summon Gladiator Beast Laquari.” All three monsters, the giant eagle, the armored fish, the fiery tiger yet again, came into play. “I fuse them all together into Gladiator Beast Heraklinos, my best monster!” They all liquefied and melded together into a towering warrior with a lion’s head, bearing armor gilded with gold and swinging a humongous axe.  “I equip Herklinos with Indomitable Gladiator Beast! It gains 500 ATK, just enough to defeat you.”

 

“Oh no, it doesn’t! Dark Bribe!” Zarathustra uses her card to negate and shatter Distressed’s. He does draw one card though.

 

“I set three cards. You’re move.” Distressed concludes.

 

ZARATHUSTRA: “I activate Book of Life to revive –“

 

“You’re not going anywhere.” Distressed retorts. “Imperial Order!” The holographic book of hieroglyphs falls limp and fades away.

 

Zarathustra is undeterred. “I summon Zombie Master.” The young masked wizard returns. “I discard 1 monster, Plaguespreader Zombie, to special summon it.” The wizard shoots magical lightning on the ground and the stitched-together ghoul crawls out. “I tune them to synchro summon Revived Ha Des.” Ghoul and sorcerer transform and align again. A fiendish emperor with a beastly face, large robes, and the pale skin of a cadaver, takes their place. “I activate Mezuki in my graveyard to revive Plaguespreader Zombie.” The ghoul takes the field again. “And I tune Plaguespreader again to Ha Des to summon Hot Red Dragon Archfiend.” Through the synchro summoning process are huge red dragon adorned with devilish horns is summoned. “Now I use its effect. Your monster is gone.”

 

Distressed counters, “Oh no, it isn’t. Gladiator Beast Warrior Chariot! Dragon Archfiend is negated and destroyed!” The dragon bursts into a fireball, the flames soaring in the air before decaying into smoke and gliding away in the wind.”

 

“I set four cards face down.” Zarathustra concludes. “Go.”

 

DISTRESSED_DUELIST: “The game’s over! I won! I sent Imperial Order to the graveyard. I activate Harpie’s Feather Duster!” The fierce storm of feathers gathers into a violent fury.

 

“I counter with Starlight Road.” Zarathustra shouts through the storm. The storm immediately dissipates, much to Distressed’s horror. “And I summon Stardust Dragon!” The archetypical synchro monster, a pearly white dragon with purple crests on its body, soared through the sky above them, leaving behind it an icy, sparkling trail, before it landed by Zarathustra’s side and took a defending stance.

 

“This isn’t over yet! Heraklinos attack Beelze!” The great lion-headed gladiator lunged to the dark dragon, lifting it’s axe for the killing blow. “And I activate Fire Formation Tensen! It increases the ATK of Heraklinos by 700 and of every beast warrior by 300. That’s 1000 life points lost! Game over!”

 

“Not if I can help it. Wiretap!” Zarathustra compulsively activates her trap with blinding speed. The indigo flames from JC’s trap retreat from the gladiator they should have consumed and burn out.

 

“I have one more card!” Distressed now clearly looks desperate. “Shrink!” The dark dragon condenses to half its size, and half its ATK. “Heraklinos, strike the killing blow!”

 

“Fiendish Chain!” Zarathustra controverts. “Your monster can’t attack and its effects are negated.” Thick, black chains burst from the card and slither towards the gladiator.

 

“I activate Heraklinos’s effect!” Distressed quickly reacts – but nothing happens. The chains seize the might gladiator. It fights will all its might but in vain. It suffocates under the burden of the chains and falls to the ground, struggling in its bondage. “B-BUT WHY!?” Distressed demands in outrage before noticing that he doesn’t have a hand to discard.

 

He collapses on his knees, and all he can hear is the crowd roaring, cheering, booing, cursing in excitement, groaning as a great beast convulsing in delirium. It was over. He lost.

 

ZARATHUSTRA: She seizes the turn. “If it makes you feel any better even if you negated Fiendish Chain I had another one. You wouldn’t have made it.”

 

Distressed groans, “After everything you did to me, you just have to drive the sword deeper with your taunt.”

 

“You still don’t get it. You never really cared for us. It was all about you, the self-appointed crusader for truth and justice. Jolene told me you once were bullied a lot as a kid because of your size. You are a nerd, an outcast, like us all. Our rebelliousness was all we had in a world that abused and ridiculed us. Everyone, classmates, teachers, the ‘establishment’ was out to get us and take our integrity away. We wanted to be just like the popular kids, for once, and we did, but your mind stayed the same. You were always the persecuted one. Everything bad that happened to you was from an outsider, the ‘establishment’, or a ‘scheming c***’ plotting to betray you. The source of evil was never you.”

 

“Just make your move.” Tears start to gather in his eyes. It was all over. The team, what chance he had for rebuilding his life, were all gone.

 

Zarathustra breathes deeply and continues with her turn. He lost. The rest is just a formality. “I activate Return from the Different Dimension.” (Zarathustra LP: 500 à 250) A stormy vortex gapes open and two Malicious and one Plaguspreader tumble out. “I tune Plaguespreader and Malicious to summon Scrap Dragon.” The ghoul and superhero align into rings and stars and open a portal where a dragon entirely made of spare parts comes out. “I use its effect. I target Beelze and destroy Heraklionos.” The two steam pipes dangling off the dragon’s body erect themselves and their fire steaming water, one at the serpentine, dark dragon, and the other at the gladiator in bondage. The dark dragon is unscathed but the gladiator dissolves into hot gas.

 

“Scrap Dragon, attack JC directly! It’s over!” The metal dragon fires its scorching steam from its nostrils right at Distressed. He cries out and shields himself with his hands as the game reaches its close. (Distressed LP: 600 à 0)    

 

DistressedDuelist: 0 || Zarathustra: 250

 

The crowd roared in approval for the new victor and duelist off the block. Maya never would’ve guessed that the majority would actually like her. It was actually a little worrying. Did she travel down the broad, well worn path all along?

 

“And there you have it!” Maximus announced. “That was an INTENSE duel between two less orthodox duelists but finally the zombie swarm user came through. I mean that Plaguespreader and Malicious combo really works. People will be netdecking her strategies in no time. Plus, gladiator beasts and fire fists? Interesting, very interesting.”

 

Spartacus chimed in on schedule. “Oh yes, but the big question is can these decks really take on the current format and come out victorious. You expressed your doubts there quit a bit Maximus.”

 

Of course they can! How many “real” meta decks do I need to destroy and shove in your face? Maya sneered at them in her thoughts.

 

JC got up to his feet, his legs shaking. Tears, tears rolling down his face, blinded his eyes. He glared at Maya, his eyes burning with intense hatred but gleaming such visceral, tangible pain it cut through Maya’s body and into her core. JC shook his fist at her, at the stadium, and at the world. “This isn’t over!” He screamed, and he fled from the arena.

 

Maya ran after him, panting, across the football stadium to reach him.

 

“Oh ho, look at this! We have quite a sore loser over here.” Maximus chortled obnoxiously. “And Zarathustra is running after him. Is she his GIRLFRIEND? Uh oh, trouble in paradise!”

 

Maya chased after JC into the atrium. “JC, wait up! Wait up, please! Don’t do this!”

 

Yukio caught her. She shouted and struggled against him, elbowing him in the chest, stomping on his feet, giving every ounce of strength she had, but in vain. Yukio stayed steady and held her like a vice. “It’s pointless, Maya. He won’t listen.” He said to her ear over and over until she finally got it.

 

Maya at last ceased struggling and let herself slide down on the floor. JC was lost to them, and lost in the world. He would be another statistic, another black man would fall into poverty and grinded under society. He was a young man, victim of cruel circumstances, so caught by his hatred and pain he let it devour him. He deserved better than this.

 

Maya couldn’t take it anymore. She broke down, sobbing uncontrollably. She covered her face with her hands and her body quivered from the force of her pathos. The people lounging in the atrium looked at her as if she was a freak. Yukio and Jolene hugged her tightly. Jolene whispered to her, “You could save me, but you can’t save everybody. He chose to run away rather than accept his loss. You can’t make people’s decisions for them.”

 

When Maya was finally stable enough to walk again, Yukio and Jolene helped her up and escorted her away to the hotel.         

[MewMew3]

Here are the created cards for the duel:

 

JC’s card:

 

 

Maya’s card:

 

[MewMew3]

Duel 28 - Circle of Friendship

 

Many months ago before the Nationals, right before the Regionals in fact, the team lounged in JC’s basement, an era before JC bought the warehouse. They asked each other which of them would get to go to the regionals. JC believed he would go, without a doubt. He was their leader after all.

 

Jolene was doubtful about herself, as was Maya, but Maya saw it as an advantage. She held her new deck, made from cards she pulled out from the well. She knew it would be best to keep her newfound strength a secret until it was the right time to strike. Yukio guessed nonchalantly that he might be picked. He rested his head to Jolene’s side, his girl receiving him with open, loving arms.

 

Maya picked up where she left off on JC’s mottled copy of Thus Spoke Zarathustra. She kept scribbling her notes into the book until her pen died, but her thoughts didn’t. She had no choice but to reach for a marker lying around and, because she couldn’t use it on her book, had to write on her arms instead.

 

Jolene took Maya’s marker from her. “You stole it from school, you bad girl. I have a better use for it. Let’s put our hands together out to make a special sign.” Jolene drew on their hands so when they put them together it formed a smiley face.

 

JC looked at the back of his hand with disgust. “You’ve got to be kidding me. The original friendship sign Yugi made."

 

“Anzu made.” Maya corrected.

 

“Whatever.”

 

Jolene joined their hands together again. “Listen guys. I know we don’t like what the Crusaders want Yugi to be but there's one thing we can really hold on to. The Crusaders forgot what Yugi was all about. We can be separated but no matter what happens, no one can get between our bond.”

 

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

Yukio was the last person with that bond Maya had to face. She readied herself, sharp as a sword for the upcoming match, then stepped up out the locker room toward the din of the stadium. The announcers Maximus and Spartacus kept their small talk. 

 

They shuffled each others decks in the middle of the stadium and shook each other’s hands. “Let’s duel to see who is worthy of facing Matthew, but more importantly let’s duel as friends.” Yukio said.

 

Maya threw back her hood, fully revealing her short, serpentine hair. "Let this be the best of duels." They shook each other’s hands and took their positions.

 

Yukio: 4000 || Maya: 4000

 

YUKIO'S TURN: It is time to make a wait and see approach, to see where she will slither. “I activate Reinforcement of the Army to search for Elemental HERO Shadow Mist and summon it.” A stringy masked man dressed in black leather crawls on stage. “And I set three. Go.”

 

MAYA'S TURN: She can’t attack him now. It’s obvious he has a trap waiting for her, so she’ll have to coax him a bit. See where he stands. “I summon Mezuki.” The familiar horse-headed Yokai brandishes its axe again. “And I set two. Your move.”

 

YUKIO'S TURN: “As you wish. You’re a worthy opponent Maya but the duel ends now. I summon Elemental HERO Ocean.” A blue, streamlined hero, with a fish-like body and carrying a trident swims into play. “I flip my facedown Mask Change, sending Shadow Mist to the grave to summon my fusion monster Masked HERO Acid!” Ocean puts on a plain white mask, which then molds into his face, changing shape into a new mask, until the hero transforms into a tall, purple armored, amphibious new hero. Acid draws his gun and fires sprays of acid on Maya’s side. “With it’s effect, it clears your entire back row.”

 

“Not yet. I flip Bottomless Trap Hole.” Maya parries, and the purple armored hero vanishes into a newly opened pit, falling forever.

 

“Not bad.” Yukio admits her skills in good sportsmanship. “But I can still attack you. Miracle Fusion! I banish Shadow Mist on the field and Ocean in my grace to summon Elemental HERO Absolute Zero.” The shady hero dissolves into bright light and joins the spectre of Ocean as it flies from Voltaire’s grave. They weld in white hot head, revealing a hero clad in white armor and donning a white cape, freezing everything near him into ice and crystals.

 

“Zero, attack Mezuki!” Yukio barks. The hero molds a spear made of ice in its hands and throws it as a javelin, impaling the unfortunate yokai. (Mayaa LP: 4000 à 2900) “And I set one face down.”

 

MAYA'S TURN: Since Mezuki is dead, now she has a plan. “I summon Zombie Master, ditch one card to revive it, Plaguespreader Zombie.” The boy wizard in tattered robes shoots lighting on the ground until the Frankenstein-esque ghoul comes out.  

 

“Sorry, but you won’t be swarming the field with synchros this duel." Yukio springs his own trap. "I activate my three cards. First card: Ojama Trio clogs your field with three weak tokens,” The ugly sideshow dwarves invade Maya field, and they can’t help but fart all the time. “Second card: Spatial Collapse makes you unable to use more than five zones, which are all filled by now. Third card: Discord stops you from sycnrho summoning.”

 

Maya almost freezes in shock, but then laughs as if she forgot everything weighing down on her. “That was an amazing play! I'd love to see Matthew's face if you did that to him! Wow, I thought you actually got me there. “

 

Yukio raises his eyebrows. "I didn't?"

 

"It would stop anyone else, but I’m different. I activate Ghost Fusion, banishing Plaguespreader on my field and a Zombie Master in my deck to summon Dragonecro Nethersoul Dragon.” The ghoul and another wizard dissolve into ghost and fall into a dark hole. Then, from the underworld itself, crawls out a sinister, serpentine dragon wearing the bones of slain enemies.

 

“The name is redundant but blame Pegasus. He is the camp bourgeois philistine, not me. Draconecro, attack Zero.” The dragon, strangely enough, doesn’t blow flames, but sucks in, the glowing life force of Zero escaping him until he collapses broken and shriveled. (Yukio LP: 4000 à 3400) “He isn’t destroyed, just has 0 ATK. I would have a token but my space is full. Zombie Master, destroy him!”

 

The wizard throws its bolts at hero, but before he can land the killing blow, the hero destroys himself. (Yukio LP: 3400 à 1600) The hero bursts into a violent snowstorm, crushing all of Maya's monsters under the blast. To add insult to injury, the Ojamas put up one last stink, making her Life drop by 300 each. (Maya LP: 2900 à 2000) "I activate Mezuki from my grave to revive Dragonecro.” A doorway to a mass graveyard rips open and the serpentine dragon slithers out. “And I set a card.”

 

YUKIO'S TURN: Unbelievable! His plan failed! Now he is in a tight spot! “Since I have monsters I can special summon Elemental HERO Bubbleman.” A stout hero in a baby blue costume with many round features appears. “And because I have nothing else in my field or hand, I draw two, and I activate Miracle Fusion, I banish Absolute Zero and Shadow Mist from my grave to –“

 

“Not going to happen.” Maya retorts. “Vanity’s Emptiness! No one can special summon anymore!”

 

The ghosts fly from Voltaire’s graveyard, trying to be become living angels but instead condemned to wander the field as nameless shades before vanishing.

 

MAYA'S TURN: “Dragonecro, attack Bubbleman.”

 

Before the dragon can even suck the living essence out of the hero, Yukio quickly flips his trap. “Dimensional Prison! Your dragon is banished!” The mighty dragon is sucked away into a dimensional vortex crackling with lightning.

 

Maya remarks, “The duel would end to soon with a worthy opponent. I set a monster.”

 

YUKIO'S TURN: “I feel the same way. I set another facedown.”

 

MAYA'S TURN: Since Dragonecro was banished, Vantiy’s Emptiness could stay. She could pull it off the plan she concocted but needed a little more time. “I set a card facedown.”

 

YUKIO'S TURN: “Here comes my counterattack! I equip HERO Blaster to Bubbleman. Once per turn, I can destroy a face up card on your field. Goodbye Vanity’s Emptiness!” The baby blue hero grabs what looks like a huge black rifle and fires a laser from it, shattering and vaporizing Maya's trap.“My turn continues. I activate my second Mask Change on Bubbleman so he becomes Masked HERO Vapor.” Bubbleman puts on the white mask, which contorts into an ocean blue spiked helmet. Bubbleman’s body follows suit, growing taller, and his armor morphs in a similar vein.

 

“Now to attack! Vapor, attack the facedown!” The new hero throws his golden spear at the giant card, skewering the tortoise carrying a pyramid on its back.”

 

“From Pyramid Turtle’s effect I summon Shutendoji.” Maya searches her deck for the demonic blond spirit and places it to defend in the turtles place.

 

Yukio reluctantly resigns himself, as the third End Phase passes, making Discord disintegrate.

 

MAYA'S TURN: “It’s my turn. I activate Shutendoji. I banish Zombie Master and Pyramid Turtle in my grave to draw a card. I activate Allure of Darkness.” She draws two and banishes a Krebons from her hand. “I set a monster and a facedown.”

 

“Interesting. You cornered me until I almost lost but I bounced back. Now it’s my game.” Yukio remarks.

 

“That may change.” Maya responds. “This is a really good game. Thank you. We’re playing for fun, like Duel Monsters was meant to be.”

 

YUKIO'S TURN: “I agree, but I can’t trust you. You’re kind words won’t distract me. Graceful Charity.” He draws three cards and discards two. “I activate my third Miracle Fusion. I banish Voltic and Bubbleman in my grave to summon Elemental HERO the Shining.” Two spirits flee from his grave and succeed into fusing together as angels. A bright white gate opens above from where a tall and staunch hero in white and gold slowly descends to the ground. “My hero gains 300 ATK for every banished hero.” Voltaire explains as holographic counter computes the new monster’s ATK, showing the new number, 4700!

 

“My heroes, destroy all her monsters!” The aquatic Vapor impaled the blonde demon yokai and the Shining hero fired a ray of light from its palm at the facedown monster, another turtle carrying a pyramid destroyed.

 

“I use Pyramid Turtle’s effect to special summon Goblin Zombie.” Maya plays her new monster. A decrepit undead beast with a conical head crudely wielding a scythe comes from the shadows. "I then activate Infernal Reckless Summon!” She searches her deck for two Goblin Zombie, and summons them both. “I now activate my trap Three of a Kind! I have three monsters with the same name on my field so I can destroy three cards you control!” The three Zombies glow red as lightning snarls, crackles, and binds them together. The Zombies can’t take it any more and the lightning bursts. Two bolts hit and break Shining and Spatial Collapse into pieces, but the third glances off of Vapor because of its effect.

 

Yukio grunts in frustration, still shielding himself from Zarathustra’s lightening. “That was a good play, I’ll give you that, but in vain. As I enter my End Phase, I activate Elemental HERO Hope Ray. I can banish it from my graveyard to revive a Hero that was destroyed this turn, so return to me Shining!” The ground beneath Yukio cracks with bright light and the holy hero bursts out. “You can’t escape my onslaught.”

 

MAYA'S TURN: She just drew the most amazing card! “I can pull god draws out of my ass too. I tribute all three of my Goblim Zombies to summon Destiny HERO – Plasma.” All three zombies shatter and a hero as black as night, with huge bat-like wings, takes their place.

 

“All three Goblin Zombies activate, so I search for two Zombie Masters and one Plaguespreader to add to my hand. Now, I normal summon Zombie Master.” A second young masked necromancer in tattered brown robes appears. “I discard my third Zombie Master in order to summon it.” Yet another necromancer manifests. “And I discard Plaguespreader Zombie in order to summon it.” Another ghoul crawls out of the ground.

 

“I tune my Plaguespreader to my two Masters. Go!” She orders, and the ghoul changes into two green rings and the Zombie Masters into eight stars total. The white beam of light shines again. “I summon Centipede Wurm.” The light clears to reveal a horrible dark monster, a chain of people bound so tightly they are literally stuck inside each other. “I activate Centipede’s effect, equipping four of my banished zombies to it.” Four new creatures attach themselves tightly at the end of the long centipede’s train.

 

Yukio is honestly grossed out. “Talk about having your head up your ass.”

 

“He’s a difficult coworker but he gets the job done. I activate the Centipede’s other effect. I can special summon a monster equipped to him, in this case Dragonecro.” One of the monsters attached to the centipede shatters and reforms in another place to reform Yukio's old nemesis.

 

“I activate Plasma. I absorb your Shining.” The dark hero spread its huge wings wide, chains of blood gushing forth and snaking their way to the hero of light. The noble hero struggles against the boiling red serpents wrapping themselves around him but he is too weak. The red serpents of blood roll him into the dark hero wings. They fold shut, dissolving him into the dark hero’s system. The dark hero cries in elation and victory as its ATK soars to 4400.

 

Maya waves her hand decisively. “Monsters, attack for game!” The centipede, dark hero, and serpentine dragon join forces together, dark energy rolling and crackling among them. It juts out into a volcanic eruption, slamming into the remaining hero Vapor as a hammer and hitting Voltaire dead in the chest, sending him flying and slamming the ground on his back.

 

Yukio: 0 || Maya: 2000

 

“And that ends the game!” Maximus closes the book as usual with his deep, booming voice. “Now by the looks of the database both duelists used to be on the same team. Well, that would explain a lot about them. Birds of feather flock together as they say. There was a lot of back and forth, strategies and counter-strategies, it was the most interesting duel in the whole tournament so far."

 

Now it was Spartacus’ turn. “I noticed in the duel a lot of ‘insider tactics’ as it were. They knew each other’s strengths and weaknesses so well they played all sorts of counterstrategies. The duel pretty much hinged on those aspects. Wouldn’t you agree?”

 

Maximus nodded eagerly. “Oh yes, oh yes indeed! It was a lot like that one duel a while ago between Adrian and Finn. They’re both on the same team. Adrian based his deck on Raiza The Storm Monarch while Finn based his deck on Thestolas the Fire Monarch. I saw the same attempts to outmaneuver each other."

 

“Well,” Spartacus continued where Maximus left off. “These duels really are changing the game as opposed to last year. I keep asking myself, can Matthew, the current National Champion, keep his title against such fierce new competitors? Can his challengers actually beat him this time? We’ll tell you after the break!”

 

Maya grabbed Yukio’s hand. “You OK?”

 

Yukio let Maya pull him up. “Yes. That was a great duel.”

 

“Thank you.” Maya said, and she meant it.  

 

“You beat the three of us. You are ready to face Matthew. Good luck.”

 

Maya hit him gently on the shoulder. “Thanks.” She heard a low, painful growl coming from her body. A pang hit her in the stomach. “I’m hungry.”

 

Yukio laughed at the good news. “I might be too! Forget Duel Monsters! Let’s eat! I heard there was a place that sold buffalo chicken pizza. Let's give it a shot.” And our three friends did.

[MewMew3]

[b]Created cards for the duel.

Yukio's cards.[/b]

 

 

 

[b]Maya's card.[/b]

 

[MewMew3]

Duel 29 – Crossroads

 

Midnight.

 

The last day of the Nationals just began. Maya lay in the hotel bed in complete blackness, waiting to fall asleep. Before she fell into blackness, she remembered one significant day...

 

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

The day before she left for Chicago, Maya wanted a whole day for herself and so dedicated it to meandered wanderings. She lied to her father when she said she was going to work. Anything to be outside, to enjoy the city, to be far away from home. She walked to the Barnes & Noble at Union Square, tracing her finger over a few books she wished she could afford. One book analyzed Beethoven's piano sonatas. Everything; their structure, best playing techniques, etc. She picked up a few booklets that condensed a thinker or school of thought into bite sized portions. She heard of this guy called Noam Chomsky, a little odd and esoteric with his theories of language but a great political thinker. He was worth a read.

 

She knew Karl Marx was. Oh God! How could she study Public Policy at NYU if she didn't read the greatest economist after Adam Smith! College kids gave him a lot of cred but hardly any of them read anything Marx wrote. And, of course, speaking of JC, there was more Nietzsche. Maya picked up a few books by Martha Nussbaum to balance the gender ratio a bit. Speaking of which, there was Angela Davis and Bell Hooks to read. So many books! So much to learn! But so little time and money!    

 

She wandered in the Central Park, toying with the idea of a serenade, one where the soprano, alto, tenor, and base saxophones would form the “strings”, the center of the orchestra, and write it in the jazz style. It was a sweet idea. She let herself get carried away in her wanderings, playing imaginary saxophones and clarinets. An old couple she passed by gaped their mouths and pointed at her like she was crazy, but she was oblivious to this.

 

She slithered her way to the Metropolitan Museum of Art. It was a lovely place, like a large palace of history and a labyrinth at the same time, a place she wished she saw more often, especially with Jolene. Xiaoyi sat at the lowest of the wide and shallow steps, painting on a canvas held firm by a wooden prop. Maya saw that the medium Xiaoyi used to translate ethereal thoughts into a physical reality was oil paint. Xiaoyi painted over the sketches of a skeleton and a mirror, the colors she used mostly cold except for one, the sharpest and darkest red.

 

Maya sat behind her to observe her work, out of sight, but Xiaoyi knew she was there. “How did your little war with the Crusaders turn out?” She tapped a space just next to her. “Sit by me.”

 

Maya sat by her. “We defeated the Crusaders but we self-imploded right after. JC betrayed us.”

 

“I’m surprised you didn’t see it a mile away."

 

“Actually,” Maya almost didn’t want to admit to herself. “I did see it coming, but I didn’t want to believe it. I had to deal with bullying, rejection, and being the weird one. We all did for being square pegs forced into round holes. For once I wanted to feel like there was somewhere I could belong too and that things could change. I wished JC would change. As I predicted, he didn’t. I hate it when I’m right.”

 

Xiaoyi kept a steady and focused hand on her painting. “I read from a book – I forgot the title, but doesn’t matter – about the Vietnam War. It said when soldiers die they don’t think at all about the slogans their leaders tell them to fight for. Liberty, democracy, and so forth are as empty as the skeleton I’m painting. They just care they’re not alive anymore. “

 

“We still didn’t learn our lessons.” Maya observed.

 

“Oh no, we didn’t, and we never will, but you can. Ideas and ideals are important only because of the people who believe in them. Their flesh and blood matter. Ideas are just ghosts.”

 

“I understand what you’re saying. I always wanted to live by ideals that empower people and help them live better lives. I thought those were good enough.”

 

“So what are your plans for the future, if I may ask such a generic question?”

 

Maya was ready to give Xiaoyi her answer. She wanted to win the National Championship, then study NYU for Public Policy while dueling to keep paying tuition. Then she could study law and get a government job or fight for civil rights. But something different came out. “Where else am I to go? I don’t want to live in poverty and violence like dad does and I don’t anyone else to have the same fate. You a starving artist too?"

 

Xiaoyi didn't seem to be paying attention. “You have to learn how to cope with the ugliness of life, Maya, and learn to be optimistic in your own weird way. If I took life seriously I would have lost my mind a long time ago.”

 

“Am I part of that ugliness?” Maya asked, vulnerable.

 

“Yes. Everyone is.” Xiaoyi said. “When you are young, enthusiastic, and foolish, you are easily seduced by profound things, but when you get older you realize there are no profound things. You will learn to play with profundities like toys. What are your plans for the future?”

 

“I already told you.” Maya replied sternly, her patience tested as usual.

 

“No. I mean, what and who do you want to really become? Will you grow up to be the cardboard gritty anti-hero who appears in every first-person shooter? Perhaps you’ll become a dark magical girl, with an oh so dark and traumatic past. Or maybe you’ll become the outspoken pop culture feminist, the self-appointed snark knight of your generation, praised in the Huffington Post and Jezebel. How about the rebellious rock star, yearning for excitement, freedom, and a deep meaning in life, only to be ensnared by your self-destructive nature."

 

Maya chose none of these archetypes. “I want to be a person.” By the time Maya answered Xiaoyi finished the skeleton and mirror in her painting. She only needed to color the wall behind the mirror.

 

“Why do you have a weird interest in me anyway?” Maya questioned. “What do you want me to learn from you?”

 

Xiaoyi laughed and shrugged her shoulders. “I don’t know. You’re just interesting. You remind me of a black snake I found while I journeyed from California to here. I think it was a black mamba even. It was in a filthy marsh but somehow she knew where she needed to go. “

 

“I want answers, not riddles.”

 

“There are no answers. Only riddles.”

 

Maya bit her lip in frustration. This was going nowhere, just like last time. “I see where you’re coming from.” Maya lied, eager to leave.

 

Xiaoyi nodded knowingly. “I thought so. We'll meet again when you are ready.”

 

It was starting to grow dark. The sun sank down in the west. Bright blue and yellow molded into orange, pink, and navy. Xiaoyi put the last touches on her painting. It was about a young woman putting on lipstick in front of a mirror, the viewer poised to see her reflection over her shoulder. In the mirror her reflection grinned back menacingly at her, not a flattery of her beauty but a skeleton, all white except a few thin red shades on its teeth where it tried to put lipstick on the nonexistent lips.   

 

Maya found it fascinating, beautiful, and sinister all at the same time. “What’s it called?”

 

“The female condition, the true female condition. How much do you think it would sell? Give me a price.”

 

Maya didn't answer. She got up and left for home to pack her bags.

[MewMew3]

Duel 30 – Fear is a Loss

 

 

A jolt. A deafening bang splintered Maya’s ears. Before Maya knew anything Michelle, Matthew’s dark-skinned bodyguard, was on top of her. He broke the door of the hotel room and yanked Maya out of the bed. Maya fell on the floor on her face, her ears ringing from the impact. Michelle tried to grab Maya’s waist but Maya kicked him in the groin.

 

Michelle twitched from the blows for a second while Maya wriggled herself near the table where her duel disk lay. With any luck she could bludgeon him in the head with it. But Michelle saw her trick and pinned her to the ground, forcing his knee on Maya’s abdomen until she gave in from the pain. Though her abdomen seared from the pain driving its way inside her like a nail, Maya grabbed the leg of another table, a coffee table, near by and shook it until a glass cup fell down.

 

Maya seize it and smashed it on Michelle’s face. The bodyguard screamed, letting go of her, covering his face now covered with glass cuts. Seizing her opportunity, Maya kicked him in the groin again and again until he gave in and rolled over. Maya grabbed her duel disk and bolted out the door – only to meet Matthew face to face. With a click of his gun, Matthew shot a Taser at Maya, who fell on the floor with a large thud, reduced to a twitching spasm of muscles and nerves.

 

Michelle rose, cursing. He put a black bag on Maya’s head per Matthew’s orders. The bag came off from Maya’s head. She noticed she was in an alley, deeply embedded in between two tall buildings, slouching against a brick wall next to Yukio and Jolene.

 

Matthew and his two goons towered over them. “I’m not a violent man. I deplore such crudeness, like fighting, stealing, blackmailing and the like. Things you guys do.” He mimicked a calm affectation as best as he could. “I’d rather do things in the Academy and tournaments, not the streets where scum like you belong."

 

Maya laughed ruefully. “Your Bond Villain act is as pathetic as it comes. We know you’re scared shitless of us.” She spat Matthew in the face.

 

Matthew wiped the spit from his face in disgust. Michelle grabbed Maya by the hair and pulled her up a few inches. “You wanna’ act like a man I’ll treat you like one!” He slammed his fist on her abdomen then shoved her against a metal backdoor. Drake, the other bodyguard, dealt with Yukio and Jolene in the same way.

 

“What do you want?” Yukio demanded angrily.

 

Matthew ordered Michelle to pull Maya by the hair again and he obliged. “Maya, look at me.” He opened a laptop in front of her, showing what looked like hundreds of nude, pornographic pictures of her. “You will forfeit the championship match to me or all of these nudes will go straight on the Internet. They will never go away. I suggest you choose wisely.”

 

“Don’t listen to him.” Yukio called out to her. “He’ll upload them anyway.”

 

Jolene was close to suggesting that Maya give in, but retracted at the last moment. She knew from experience that no one wins that game.

 

Matthew confirmed Yukio's suspicions. "It doesn’t matter if she posed nude or not. Many people hate her. They will use any excuse to tarnish her.

 

“Glad to see you in a rare moment of honesty. Bad shoop is still bad.” Maya spat on his face again.

 

Matthew sighed, his face twisted in displeasure once more. “Off them."

 

The two bodyguards delivered their devastating blows. Michelle pinned Maya to the door, pummeling her with his fists, causing a ringing din to easily be heard inside. Drake likewise threw Yukio and Jolene down on the floor where their battered comrade lay. Both bodyguard thens doubled down to continue their onslaught –

 

Someone banged hard on the red backdoor. A man with a loud and deep voice loaded a gun and shouted, “WHO’S THERE!”

 

Matthew and his bodyguards froze still.

 

“WHO THE grape’S THERE! YOU WANNA’ PLAY MAFIA, BOY! I’LL GIVE YOU A TASTE OF CHICAGO BEFORE I SEND YOU TO HELL YOU LITTLE BITCH!"

 

Matthew visibly trembled. “Let’s get out of here!” He fled, his bodyguards following after him.

 

Yukio, Jolene, and Maya were bruised and aching everywhere, but happy. They hugged each other, greatful to be alive.

 

The team got back to their hotel rooms to clean themselves up as much as they could before the final round. Maya also had to dress up in her dueling outfit to get “in character”. As they made their way to the stadium atrium, Maya faced them for the last time in the tournament. "I love you guys." She never thought she could say such a thing.

 

Jolene and Yukio both gave her a big hug. “Good luck. Wreck him.”

 

A mass of the audience in the stadium waved big, bold, mass-produced signs of Matthew, so unmistakable any camera could view it. A small faction created their own signs for Maya, waving them no less enthusiastically.  

 

The announcer Maximus, bloviated as usual, took on the bullhorn. “Welcome back! I am your host, Maximus and yes folks there’s a storm brewing! The final round of the Duel Monsters 2005 National Championship begins right here in Chicago! The spirited challenger Maya Brooks, who has only dueled competitively for a year, rivals against none other than Matthew Carter, the current king of America. He dueled competitively since he entered the US Duel Academy where he is the top grade student and duelist. This is quite a fight to see.”

 

Spartacus picked up his part as usual. “Yes indeed it is, maybe the best duel this year. The new duelist is bringing quite a lot of controversy to the game. Since  – what date was it exactly? – the year 2000, Duel Monsters has been heavily dominated by Chaos decks, with Monarchs emerging a year later, but now the pattern may break, especially if Maya wins the Nationals today.”

 

Maximus cast his doubts, “Sorry to burst your bubble Spartacus but it just doesn’t seem likely to me. Chaos is tried and true. It is strong, solid, and stable. How can you argue with 3000 ATK beat sticks with broken effects? No, the Zombie Swarm is too wild and unpredictable. The crowd may not like it either. It's too different. I honestly think Synchros should never have been released. Imagine if you could summon any Level 6 or 8 monster you wanted? It destroyed the game!”

 

Spartacus offered his refutation in good cheer. “Synchros, I think, put a lot of new strategies in the game since you have a more consistent army of monsters waiting for you in the Extra Deck! And look! Our duelists just entered the stadium! Let's give them both a big cheer!”

 

The crowd roared in a cacophony of noise. From one side emerged a broad, tan, well-proportioned young man, dressed in his Sunday best; his usual white and blue Academy regalia. The crowd swooned over him and he took his time to flirt with them in return. On the other side approached a black-haired woman wearing in black and red. The small part of the crowd dedicated to her enthusiastically shouted their encouragement. The woman gave them a thumbs up. It was all she needed to say.

 

Maximus grinned broadly, eagerly, “Oh things are just beginning. It’s time to dangle the shiny object in front of our two cats.” With a motion of his hand a man at the edge of the stadium unveiled a large trophy of solid gold with three platinum cards on top. Next to the trophy sat a large silver briefcase with the prize money, all two hundred thousand dollars. “Get the cameras in on that! That is one fine ass pimp cup right there!”  

 

Matthew and Maya approached each other and shuffled each other’s decks. This was it. The final match. How different everything was from when they faced each other in the Academy tryouts for the first time. Now they were equals, but not for long. Only one would walk out the victor.

 

Maximus tossed a coin. Matthew called heads. Maya called tails. Maya called right, so she chose to go first. The two duelists took their positions. Maximus shouted, “READY! DUEL!”

 

Maya: 4000 || Matthew: 4000

 

MAYA'S TURN: She throws away her jacket, revealing her black sleeveless shirt, and the many bruises on her arms and shoulders. “I summon Gozuki.” A bulky ox demon with a giant hammer mounts on stage. “I activate him to mill Onmoraki. Then I set two face downs.”

 

MATTHEW'S TURN: He grins to himself. The best chaos monsters were in his hand! The game was his! “I activate Foolish Burial to dump my Witch. Then, Graceful Charity, I draw three and discard two.”

 

Maya makes her move. “And now you suffer. Multiple Destruction! We discard our hands and draw five new cards!”

 

Matthew grimaces in shock. His Chaos monsters are dead! He reluctantly tosses away his best monsters, with Maya only paying a small price. (Maya LP: 4000 à 3200) “I’ll show you I’m more than a OneTurn Kill! You just scratched the surface of my game!” Matthew shouts.

 

"Doubtful," Maya retorts. "You'll try another OTK soon." 

 

“Thanks for giving me a big graveyard for me to use though. I banish Witch and Lyla to summon Lightpulsar Dragon!” A pale blue dragon illuminating a soft white light from its body ascends to the field. “I banish Chaos Sorceror and Lumina to summon Darkflare Dragon!” Another dragon, but with the contrasting colors of black and red, descends on the arena. “I activate Darkflare. I discard Judgment Dragon from my hand and mill a Lightpulsar to banish your Onmoraki from your grave.”

 

Maya has no choice but to comply.

 

“Now your draw engine trick is gone. I normal summon Plaguespreader Zombie.” The decrepit ghoul emerges form the dead once more. “Looks familiar? I tune Plaguespreader and Lightpulsar to synchro summon Crimson Blader!” From the tower of light explodes a warrior in a bright red outfit wielding two large blades. “I banish Plaguespreader and a Lightpulsar to summon another Lightpulsar Dragon!” The pale blue dragon once more takes flight. “Crimson Blader, sick her!” Matthew commands. The double-bladed warrior leaps for the ox demon, only for it to be blocked by a wall of mirror shards.

 

“I activate Mirror Wall, cutting Blader’s ATK in half. Gozuki, retaliate!” Maya commands. The Blader is already weakened, red lines of warning cutting through him like he was broken. With a swing of its hammer, Gozuki shatters him. (Matthew LP: 4000 à 3900)

 

Matthew can only set a card facedown.

 

MAYA'S TURN: " So you want to finish me off before we can even have a good fight. What a pathetic coward you are. And I once thought you were decent.”

 

“Time to dirty your fine uniform. I choose not to pay for Mirror Wall this turn, so it’s destroyed. Since I have an empty field I can summon Shindotome from my grave.” From the ground emerges a maiden in a dark red kimono, a maiden who looks fair but has deathly pale skin and bloody empty sockets instead of eyes. “And with it I activate Infernal Reckless Summon.” Two more dead maidens join her.

 

“I summon Deep Sea Diva, and I use its effect to summon another one.” Thus appear two fashionable mermaids a little too proud of their singing voices. “I tune my first Diva and Shindotome pair to synchro summon Stardust Dragon and tune my second pair to summon Scrap Dragon.” The pairs vanish in intense white light, replaced by a soaring white and blue dragon and another dragon made of spare metal parts.

 

“I activate Book of Life. I banish your Chaos Emperor Dragon to revive a Plaguespreader in my grave.” Maya's own ghoul is revived. “I tune it with the last Shindotome to synchro summon Beelze of the Diabolic Dragons.” The dark, serpentine dragon from hell materializes once more for the audience. “I activate Scrap Dragon, I ‘destroy’ Beelze to take out your back row.” The Scrap Dragon fires its two steam hoses at both targets. One shrugs the blast off with contempt. The other vaporizes under the heat. “I activate another Book of Life. I banish your precious Black Luster Soldier to revive Plaguspreader again.” The zombie rematerializes. “And I tune it with Scrap Dragon to synchro summon Leo, Keeper of the Sacred Tree.” This time a colorful, behemoth-sized lion with red mane takes the field.

 

Matthew gasps in horror. “My chaos monsters! I never got to use them!”

 

“Gone.” Maya declares with finality. “Beelze, destroy Lightpulsar.” The dark dragon shoots its black flames, burning the pale blue dragon to death. “Stardust, destroy dark flare.” The white and blue dragon fires a chilly blast of electric energy at Athena’s dark dragon, felling it. “Leo, sick him!” The giant lion hits Athena dead on with a pure white beam. (Matthew LP: 3900 à 200)        

 

The blast throws Matthew far away. He hits the ground with a hard thud, shattering the breath fromf his lungs, his immaculate uniform spoiled by dirt. His cheering audience boos Maya down as much as they can, but it’s as empty as Matthew's pride.

 

 

Maya sets a card facedown, then spits on the ground. “Weak.”

[MewMew3]

Duel 32 – The Beginning

 

It was such a bright afternoon today, a bright blue sky, free of all clouds, so different then the day Maya faced Matthew for the first time. Jolene and Yukio gave the biggest high fives out there. They jumped in celebration, even jumping on the hotel beds like little children. Jolene even brought her weed brownies, so they spent the evening watching TV, unwound and high.

 

Yukio suggested they go out to celebrate tomorrow, when there was more of the day, so they did. They went on their own little tour of Chicago. They went alongside the shoreline, taking a ferry, enjoying the fresh wind. Yukio said he loved the sea, because it was so wide and limitless, its depths unfathomable. To him, it was what playing music was, a journey into the unknown and boundless place called the Sublime. Yukio asked Maya what writing music was like. Maya agreed to Yukio’s metaphor. But her mind was on other things.

 

Next they headed out to the Shedd Aquarium. They got to see a billion different sea creatures, from the tiny seahorses in tanks to the giant fish, one of the aquarium’s best attractions. They even got to wave at a diver who fed the giant fish and did some maintenance. The sea show was lots of fun. The dolphins did plenty of circus tricks with balls and rings. They were lucky to pet one of the sweet animals, even give it some kisses.

 

A walk around the city followed next, where they even passed by the Opera Theatre. Maya didn’t expect Yukio to be interested in classical music but she underestimated him. She was actually impressed with the insights be provided for the genre. She was even more impressed when he told he was classily trained in his early years. His mother made him play the piano two hours a day, he said. It was terrible, but the knowledge he learned proved invaluable when he later picked up the guitar.

 

Maya did feel a twinge of disappointment for Jolene. Never in their friendship did she see Jolene have any real passion for anything. How could Jolene or anyone else live like that? She never felt from Jolene anything near the fire that was in Yukio, a burning sun that never died, that burned and tormented every waking hour, but was a delirium no strong person would ever want to be cured from.

 

This was the content of the conversations Maya and Yukio had with each other as they wandered through the city in their long walks. Jolene mocked them for being so pretentious and the two took her fun in good stride. She was right, after all. And in time they would outgrow even the weightiest, deepest of things and learn to tread lightly and freely again.

 

At nightfall they went to a bar. Yukio used a fake ID to order three drinks for themselves. After a few drinks, Jolene went to the bathroom, leaving Yukio and Maya alone. Maya heart quivered anxiously, because a door opened for her to tell him how she felt. - No. She wouldn’t betray Jolene. - Did Yukio feel the same thing?  

 

Maya had no idea what to do or say. She didn’t know the “rules” where men were persistent and women coy. So she blurted it out. “Yukio I like you.”

 

He looked at her, puzzled, as if she just wanted to mix coke with her beer to see how it tasted. “I’m glad you do, but, you know.” He pointed to the bathroom. “Girlfriend.”

 

“Do you like me at all?”

 

“A bit. You have a strong personality and dark looks, which gives you a certain allure. I like it but I have a girlfriend.”

 

Maya sipped the last of her beer, her cheeks blushing red. “Pretend I never asked.”

 

“Why?”

 

“You probably think I’m a terrible friend.”

 

“No, you’re just being honest with what you want.”

 

Jolene returned from her bathroom break. With the night in full reign they retired back to the hotel. “Look at this!” Jolene pointed to an online news article, the Duel Daily News

 

National Championships Come to a Fiery Close: Maya Brooks Defeats Matthew Carter

 

Newcomer Maya Brooks brutally defeats old champion Matthew Carter for the crown. In the worst sportsmanship imaginable she barrages him with his own monsters when he already lost and burned his best cards with a lighter. Maya used to duel in team Dark Duelists, a team that focused strongly on antimeta tactics to beat larger teams. Matthew was the leader of team Shining Crusaders, a team that strongly supported the current metagame.

 

The two duelists have a long rivalry. Maya was beaten by Matthew and rejected from entering Duel Academy, so she wanted to take revenge. The Shining Crusaders strongly believed in the duelists’ honor, bravery, and standing true to oneself. Team Dark Duelists focused on glory to the self no matter what the cost. Before the National Championships the Dark Duelists destroyed their team due to infighting...

 

Maya brushed it off. “We might as well take it as a compliment.”

 

The team then went to eat some nachos at the hotel bar before going to Yukio and Jolene’s room to play card games, which weren’t Duel Monsters for a change, and watch some movies. It was their last night so they made it count.

 

But it wasn’t over for Maya. She had one last thing to take care of; JC. Once Jolene and Yukio left back to New York, she spent the next two days searching everywhere in Chicago for him, worrying where he could be. She hoped he found a place to stay, a job to hold. On the second day she tracked his cell phone to the downtown area and noon she met him face to face.

 

He glared at her like he was ready to snap her neck. “What?”

 

“I wanted to see you were OK."

 

“Yes, I am.” He said to Maya coldly. “Don’t worry about me. Lil’ Rufus Jones be stayin’ off da' streets workin’ nine to five. He ain’t shootin’ it up in gangs and ain’t got no baby mama from outta’ wedlock none of dat bullshit.”

 

Maya accepted JC's burning sarcasm. "I never liked your guts and sometimes didn't like you as a person but I always saw you as a friend." She timidly prodded him with a crucial question. "Can you go back to New York?"

 

JC turned his pockets inside out. "I'm broke!" As if the gesture did not make it clear enough. “I now sell bong pipes and shitty Duel Monsters cards in the deli behind me.”  

 

An awkward silence filled the space between them as heavy and thick as the hot air. Maya broke the silence by offering him a smoke, which he grudgingly accepted.

 

“So what will you do with your future, hmm?” JC asked, his shrewd eyes scanning her as usual.

 

“I won the Nationals and was accepted to NYU. I hope dueling will help me pay tuition but I may need to take other jobs. My dad has no idea where I'll live. I don't plan on seeing him again any time soon.”

 

“Huh.” JC took a deep smoke. “Good luck. Don’t get killed out there.” 

 

“Touché.” Maya took a deep smoke of her own before throwing away her cigarette. She reached into her a black bag and took out $200,000. “Please take part of my winnings. I don’t you to fall down the school-to-prison pipeline. You may have flaws but you are one of the best duelists I’ve ever known. If you weren’t brave enough to create Team Dark Duelists I would never have won the Nationals just now. Please accept my offer and apologies.”

 

JC almost rejected her flat out. His pride, his noblest trait and greatest weakness, prevented him. But even he admitted the dire situation he was in. He weighed his options, then gave his answer. A definite no. "Actions have consequences. I will accept mine. Don't worry about me. I'll find my way."

 

Maya offered her hand. JC accepted it. They were not friends but they did give each other their final goodbyes. JC disappeared down the street for a moment to buy lunch, and Maya seized her chance. She went to the deli and squeezed her bag in a small cranny behind the seller’s counter, where only JC would find it. Maya left JC to his uncertain future in order to face hers. She would need her new skills, smarts, and resolve to conquer whatever new monsters lay ahead, no matter how difficult and frightening.