Okay, so I wasn't going to comment on these much, as I kinda hope that this one speaks for itself, but I can't help it. Firstly, Kimi and Rocky are sooo cute together. I mean I don't even have to try to make them cute together, they just are. Also, I love Prof. He may be my favorite out of all of the characters that I've written, because he's literally one misstep away from becoming a supervillain.
Chapter One
Journey to the Elite
It was late. At least I think it was. I was the only passenger aboard a small, run down jet that seemed likely to succumb to turbulence at any moment. The overhead lights flickered as the plane shook. I grabbed the back of the seat in front of me in an attempt to steady myself. When the shaking finally stopped, I let go, slumping back into my seat in a halfhearted attempt to relax.
I thought back to the previous night, the night after the Great Duel Force Tournament. I was busy packing my bag for this very trip. My closest friend among members of the Duel Force, Kimi, was with me. When she learned that I was leaving the next day, she decided that we had to hang out one more time. We had been spending a lot of time together, and leaving her behind would be the hardest part of what I was doing.
Kimi was sitting on my bed, leaning back against the head of my bed while I stuffed my bag full of clothes. “At least you finally found them,” Kimi said. “You’ve been trying to find the Duelists Elite for a while now.”
“Yeah,” I said, “it’s great that I found them, but my point is that they could’ve given me more time. It’s already midnight, and I have to be at the airport before eight A.M. to catch the plane.”
“Maybe they want to push you,” Kimi suggested, “to see how you handle yourself under stress.”
“Yeah,” I replied, “maybe.”
“I’m happy for you Robby,” said Kimi, “I really am. I just wish you were gonna be around longer. I was really hoping you’d be there to see me onto the plane to Japan this fall. Not to mention how boring it’s gonna be around here without you to keep me company.”
I smiled, “I’d stay if you asked me to. You know I would.”
Kimi smiled back, “Nah, go and find your destiny or whatever. You’re sweet though.” She leaned in and kissed me on the cheek. I felt myself blush.
Kimi and I had something. I was closer to her than anyone else, but I couldn’t stay with her. My future was calling, and I had to answer.
I gave Kimi a ride back to her house where she used her Soul of Light’s magic to sneak in while keeping her parents, who were actually in town for once, from noticing. Then I drove back home. By the time I made it to bed, it was already one twenty-three in the morning.
That was seventeen hours ago.
When did I start wanting this? I wondered, running through the sequence of events in my mind for the fifteenth time that day. This situation sucks. But I never thought that this would be an easy path, so on some level I must really like to put myself in difficult situations. I accept that. But I’m still confused as to how exactly I came up with such a stupid idea in the first place. Anyone else, they hear about a secret group that uses magic to fight evil, they say “cool”. I say “sign me up!”
I thought back on my life, on the life of Robert “Rocky” Stone. I’m a Duelist. I have been since I was seven. But unlike most Duelists, I didn’t start out playing Duel Monsters simply because I liked the game. I had an almost instinctual knowledge that Duel Monsters was connected to something dangerous. I learned to play Duel Monsters partially so that I would know how to one day protect others from that danger. It was just like how I learned martial arts so that I could protect people from assailants who know how to fight. I couldn’t help but defend others. It was in my blood. After all, my parents were the same way.
Then the Soul of Earth appeared to me, and I learned how the game of Duel Monsters was connected to something dangerous. I learned all about the Shadow Games, the Souls, and the Shadow Items. I met villainous person after villainous person who wanted to tap the magical forces linked to Duel Monsters and use them to further their own sinister purposes. And I learned of the Duelists of the Order of the Divine Cards, a secret society with the reach and the power to one day conquer, or even destroy, the world.
As a member of the Duel Force, I met the Order in battle a few times, but I never did anything to actively combat them. I considered ways to do so, but none seemed possible. Then John, the Duel Force leader and a good friend, came back from competing in the second Grand Championship. He told me about a group known as the Duelists Elite, a group that actively fought the Order. From that moment on I knew that it was my destiny to assist in that fight.
That’s why I was on that plane. I was on my way to a hidden installation where a member of the Elite would be waiting to test me. If I won, I would be allowed to join. Finally I’d be able to make myself into more. Finally I’d be saving lives.
It was less than an hour before the plane finally landed. That made it almost ten p.m. my local time, but it was light out, making it at least ten hours earlier or ten hours later wherever I was. I was out of my seat, bag in hand, and on my way off of the plane as soon it stopped. There were no attendants, so I was forced to open up the side hatch myself and unroll a rope ladder with which to climb down. It wasn’t until I was off of the plane that I realized that I was in the mountains. The runway on which the plane had landed was cut directly into the peak. I tugged on the tail of my survival vest and ran my fingers through my light brown, almost blond hair, and activated my Duel Disk. I was prepared to fight if the need arose, but I wanted to be ready to duel as well. I wanted to be ready for anything.
I looked around intently, surveying my surroundings. The blasting process that had made the chasm for the runway had left large stone cliffs to either side. From what I could tell, the chasm would be almost invisible from any but the exact right angle. The runway itself was in good shape, but the ground to either side of it was lined with uneven gravel. I didn’t see anything at first, but then I saw a door in the cliff wall about sixty feet away. I started toward it, but it wasn’t long before I noticed that there wasn’t any handle. The door was made of steel, so there was no chance of opening it.
I considered returning to the jet, but it seemed counterproductive, so I turned and looked up at the sky, exasperated. Then I cried out, “Hey! Is anyone here?!”
“It’s about time you showed up,” came a voice from behind me, “I was worried that you weren’t going to make it.”
I spun around and found myself face-to-face with a tall man wearing a lab coat, runner’s sweats, and a t-shirt. His hair was a bit unkempt, and he hadn’t shaved in a couple days. He watched me intently from behind square-rimmed glasses. It was the man from the stadium, the one who had approached me and invited me here to this place. The man I only knew as “Prof”, the Dueling Professor.
“I’m here,” I said. “What do I do now? You said there was some kind of test.”
“You bet there’s a test,” said Prof. “If you really want to be a member of the Duelists Elite, you’ll have to beat me in a duel, but I’m not gonna sugar coat it, it’s not gonna be easy.”
“And if I win, I’m in just like that?”
“Yep, just like that.”
“What if I lose?”
“You go home.”
I nodded my understanding, When Prof said I would only get one chance, he meant it.
“I’ll go first,” Prof announced almost gleefully. “I set a monster and two face-down cards, and I end my turn.”
“You’re not the only Duelist who knows how to defend,” I said. “In fact, I know more about defense than anyone. But first I play ‘Miracle Rupture’, discarding a Rock monster from my deck to draw a card.”
I fanned out my deck and chose and discarded ‘Stone Dragon’. Then I shuffled my deck, replaced it, and drew one card, adding it to my hand.
“Now,” I said, “I’ll take a page form your book, and I’ll set a monster and two cards. I end my turn.”
I took a slow, calming breath, I don’t know anything about this guy’s deck. It could be any type. I hope my strategy can handle it.
“Reveal,” Prof announced, “the Continuous Trap card ‘Ominous Fortunetelling’. Now, during each of my Standby Phases I choose a card from your hand and choose ‘Monster’, ‘Spell’, or ‘Trap’. You show it to me, and if I guessed right, you take seven hundred points of damage. I choose the middle card and I’ll call ‘Monster’.”
I scowled again, “You’re right.” I showed him ‘Destroyer Golem’. The hologram of his Trap glowed, hitting me with a pulse of light (8000-700=7300).
“I reveal ‘Mind Crush’,” Prof declared. “With this card, I can guess that you have a card in your hand, and if you do, you have to discard it. I choose ‘Destroyer Golem’.”
I had no choice but to send my monster to the Graveyard.
He’s good, I thought. Using ‘Ominous Fortunetelling’ he can see another card from my hand each turn. He’ll always have some idea of any coming threats.
“Moving on,” said Prof, “I play ‘Fiend Sanctuary’.” A small metallic creature made of several spheres stacked atop each other appeared, “I tribute my face-down ‘Ancient Brain’ along with my ‘Metal Fiend Token’ to summon ‘Brain Crusher’.”
A wicked fairy with purple wings, yellow skin, a horn, and a brain so large that it actually made up the top of its head appeared, carrying a staff. As quickly as the monster appeared, it and the small metallic creature disappeared and were replaced by a massive insect with four translucent wings, long arms ending in claws, four oversized legs, a burgundy-and-blue-tinted exoskeleton, and the posture of a dragon (ATK: 2400).
“My ‘Brain Crusher’ has a very special power,” Prof explained. “When he destroys a monster, he can revive that monster under my control. I attack with Psy-Wave!”
‘Brain Crusher’’s six eyes glowed green, and my hidden monster appeared, wreathed in a green light. It was the squat Aztec-style brick statue, ‘Stone Statue of the Aztecs’ (DEF: 2000).
“You’re monster is too weak to survive my monster’s attack,” said Prof.
“You don’t know me well,” I replied, “so I’ll excuse you ignorance. During the Damage Step, I reveal ‘The Reliable Guardian’, giving my monster a boost to its defense.”
‘Stone Statue’’s eyes glowed red and a red aura appeared around him, spreading out and dispelling the green one (DEF: 2700).
“And my monster has an effect too,” I said. “When he uses his Defense to repel an opponent’s attack, he deals double the recoil damage.”
‘Stone Statue’’s eyes glowed again, and Prof was burned by an aura of red light (8000-600=7400).
“Very good,” said Prof, his expression telling me that I’d impressed him, “but it won’t be enough. I set two more cards, and I pass.”
Alright, I thought, I’ve made my stand. But I won’t win against someone like this Prof guy by only defending. It’s time I went on the attack!
“I play ‘Graceful Charity’,” I declared, “to draw three cards and then discard ‘Hieracosphinx’ and ‘Criosphinx’. Next I tribute ‘Stone Statue of the Aztecs’ to set another monster.”
“To ‘Graceful Charity’,” Prof countered, “I chain ‘Soul Resurrection’ to summon ‘Ancient Brain’ back in defense mode, letting me activate ‘D.D. Trap Hole’. I destroy and remove from play my ‘Ancient Brain’ and you face-down monster.”
The dark fairy disappeared again, as did the hologram of my face-down monster. I picked ‘Guardian Sphinx’ up off of my Duel Disk and placed it in the deck box in my vest pocket, which I used as my Removed from Play Zone.
“I figured that you had some Traps ready,” I explained, “so to be safe, I set up a decoy monster to force you to spring them. My real attack begins now!”
The ground began to shake, and bits of earth rose up, hanging in the air, forming the shattered remains of the dinosaur-like ‘Stone Dragon’, the brick ‘Stone Statue’, the rocky-skinned bird-lion ‘Hieracosphinx’, and the rocky-skinned goat-lion ‘Criosphinx’.
“I remove four monsters from play,” I declared, the chunks of stone and rubble collided in midair, lumping together into a massive four-legged, dinosaur-like beast, “to summon the ‘Megarock Dragon’!”
My monster gnashed his teeth and swiped with his claws, letting out a fierce roar (ATK 2800).
“‘Megarock Dragon’,” I commanded, “destroy his monster.”
My dragon roared and stomped the ground. A massive chunk of stone tore loose from the ground beside him, shattering into sharp, jagged pieces of stone that hung in the air. My monster stomped again, and those jagged pieces of stone shot forward, tearing the ‘Brain Crusher’ apart (7400+2400-2800=7000).
“I’m not a very aggressive person,” I said, “but I’m strong, and I know how to fight. This duel is all that’s keeping me from my dream. I will not lose!”
Card of the Day:
Megarock Dragon
Played by: Rocky
Rocky's deck, which used to be entirely reactionary, has been leaning more toward a true balance between attacking and defending for a while now, and this monster is indicative of that. With this monster, the more his opponent breaks through his defenses, the more powerful his subsequent offense becomes.
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