Chapter 20: Duel Off Part 2

Hey everyone I'm back with a new chapter. Sorry about the wait I made quite a few changes to the duel but I think you'll enjoy what I have in store. Please Review and Enjoy.

After the excitement from Takeru's match, everyone was even more pumped for the next match.

"Hey have they started yet?" Takeru asks as he and Alexis walked in.

"Hey there he is." Chumley smiles.

"You were awesome out there." Syrus said.

"I'll say." Mindy said giving him a congratulations kiss before noticing Alexis sitting across from him and smiles seeing he got her too.

"Guys, here they come." Madison said getting their attention as Jaden and Bastion stepped onto the field.

"It'll be instincts vs intelligence for this round." Zane said.

"Alright folks, time for the second match! Who will join Takeru in representing us in the School Duel?!" Crowler asks. "In this corner, from Ra Yellow Bastion Misawa! And in this corner, from Slifer…some kid."

"Seriously?" Takeru sweatdrops.

"He really hates him." Syrus said.

"Here we go, good luck pal." Jaden said.

"I appreciate the sentiment but with the deck I've prepared I don't need it." Bastion said.

"Whoever wins this will be my teammate." Takeru said.

"Personally between either one you got a good partner." Alexis said.

"Agreed." Chumley said.

"Now without further ado!" Crowler announced.

"Get your game on!" Jaden said.

"Let's Duel!" They both said.

Jaden: 4000

Bastion: 4000

"I go first!" Bastion drew. "I summon Carboneddon in defense mode!" Appearing on his field was a small metal dinosaur monster.

Carboneddon: 800/ 600

"That's all for now." Bastion said.

"A brand-new deck and that's all you bust out? Whatever." Jaden drew. "I play Burstinatrix in attack mode!" Jaden said as his female hero appeared.

Burstinatrix: 1200/ 800

'Impressive, in just one turn Jaden already has half the equation to make his favorite monster, the Flame Wingman.' Bastion thought. "Off to a good start?"

"Oh yeah and it only gets better! Burstinatrix attack!" Jaden said as Burstinatrix struck Carboneddon down destroying it. "And I'll end my turn with one facedown."

"You don't waste time. I like that." Bastion drew and grins. "I summon Oxygeddon in attack mode!" Appearing on his field was the oxygen-based pterodactyl monster.

Oxygeddon: 1800/ 800

"Attack!" Bastion orders.

"I don't think so! Go Hero Barrier! With this I can negate your attack, sorry Bastion but I'm not done yet." Jaden said.

"Neither am I. I place this card facedown and end my turn." Bastion said placing one card. 'With this card, my victory is assured.'

"I summon Elemental Hero Sparkman!" Jaden said as the electric hero appeared on his field.

Sparkman: 1600/ 1400

"Next I play Spark Blaster, with this I can change the battle position of any monster on the field!" Jaden said as a blaster appeared in Sparkman's hand. "And I choose Oxygeddon!"

Sparkman fires a blast at Oxygeddon forcing it into defense mode.

"Now Burstinatrix take him out! Magma Comet!" Jaden said as Burstinatix threw a fireball at Oxygeddon.

"Whoops. Looks like you forgot your chemistry." Bastion smirks. "Fire and Oxygen don't mix. When Oxygeddon is destroyed by a Fire Type monster we both take 800 points of damage!" Bastion said as Oxygeddon explodes.

Jaden: 3200

Bastion: 3200

"Good move, but I would do it all over again because now you're wide open! Go Sparkman!" Jaden said as Sparkman zapped Bastion.

Jaden: 3200

Bastion: 1600

"Zane was right about those boys. Both Jaden and Takeru are amazing." Sheppard said.

"Yes we teach those Slifers well, when they don't ditch class." Banner nods while Crowler was sweating.

'Why did I open my big mouth and nominate Bastion?! He's getting creamed, I'm getting humiliated and Jaden is looking better than ever!' Crowler panics.

"Sorry Bastion looks like it's back to the drawing board." Jaden said.

"Hardly, I've already beaten your deck. Now I just need to show my work. My turn." Bastion drew. "I summon Hydrogeddon in attack mode!"

Hydrogeddon: 1600/ 1000

"Attack Burstinatrix!" Bastion orders as his monster blasts her.

Jaden: 2800

Bastion: 1600

"And thanks to its ability when it destroys a monster, I can summon another one from my deck!" Bastion said as another Hydrogeddon appeared.

"Bastion's not going down without a fight." Madison said.

"He may have fewer lifepoints but he's far from done." Takeru said.

"Next I play Living Fossil which lets me summon one monster from my graveyard, sure its attack points are lowered and its effect is negated, but it's worth it to bring back Oxygeddon!" Bastion said as his monster returned.

Oxygeddon: 800

"This isn't good." Zane said remembering this combo from Bastion's duel with Chazz.

"Now I play Bonding H2O. When I have 2 Hydrogeddons and 1 Oxygeddon they do the same as 2 Hydrogen and Oxygen atoms do, they become Water or in this case Water Dragon!" Bastion said as his dragon appeared.

Water Dragon: 2800/ 2600

"That's not good." Jaden gulps.

"Incredible." Syrus said.

"He beat Chazz with that card." Takeru said.

"And I thought your duel was intense." Mindy said.

"I knew it was a good idea to recommend Bastion." Crowler said completely changing his mood from earlier.

"It's your move Jaden." Bastion said. 'And if you want to beat my Water Dragon there's only one move you can make.'

"How is Jaden supposed to take that down?" Syrus asks.

"He just needs the right card." Takeru said as Madison hoped he would draw the one she slipped into his deck.

"My turn." Jaden drew and grinned. "Sweet. You got one of your best monsters out so I should play one of mine! I take Avian, Sparkman and Bubbleman and when I use Polymerization, I can create the Elemental Hero Tempest!"

"I don't think so Jaden!" Bastion said activating his trap surprising him. "Go Cursed Seal of the Forbidden Spell! By discarding one spell card from my hand I can negate your spell card and destroy it." Bastion said discarding a card and destroying Polymerization. "And you can no longer use the card I just destroyed for the remainder of the duel!"

"Wait I can't use Polymerization anymore?!" Jaden gasps.

"That's right which also means no Fusion Monsters either. No Flame Wingman, no Thunder Giant, none of them." Bastion states.

"No Fusions? But that's how Jaden wins all his duels." Syrus gasps.

"And just like that, this duel just got a million times harder for Jaden." Takeru said.

In the Duel Academy Library, Gerard had finally hacked the password and opened it to see several student files.

"Wait a minute. Atticus Rhodes? Studying abroad. Wait so is this student, and this one, and this one, but none of them have any forwarding address. I don't buy it. These must be the missing students and the Academy is trying to cover it up. I smell a front-page scoop and a giant payday for me." Gerard grins.

Back at the duel, Jaden summons Avian to the field in defense mode.

"Face it Jaden, without your fusions out of the game and my Water Dragon on the field you're all washed up." Bastion said.

"Well perhaps we've underestimated Bastion. He's playing this like a pro. With one card he's all but crippled Jaden's deck." Zane said.

"All he did was take away Jaden's ability to make Fusion monsters." Alexis said.

"But that might be enough, after all that's how Jaden wins all his duels." Zane said.

"He can still make a comeback from this." Takeru said.

"Yeah…I hope." Madison said.

"That's it Bastion so this Slifer Slacking Sludge who's boss. Show him he doesn't belong in the School Duel." Crowler said.

"I change Sparkman to Defense mode and end my turn." Jaden said as Sparkman took a knee next to Avian.

"Not much to do when you've been stripped of your ability to use your favorite monsters, huh Jaden?" Bastion asks.

"Wrong. There are loads to do like find a new plan. It's not gonna be easy but I know I can pull it off." Jaden said.

"Well we're nothing without our dreams. My turn." Bastion drew. "I summon Mathematician in attack mode!" Bastion said as a professor like monster with glasses, a staff and long beard appeared.

Mathematician: 1500/ 500

"And thanks to his ability when this card is summoned I must send a card from my deck to the graveyard, but should he be destroyed I get to add one card from my deck to my hand. But for now, my Water Dragon will attack your Sparkman!" Bastion said as Water Dragon released a giant tidal wave destroying Sparkman. "Now my Mathematican will attack your Avian! Number Cruncher!" Firing a beam of numbers Avian is destroyed.

"Just when we thought it couldn't get worse." Syrus cringed.

Down the hall, Gerard was walking down with a smile on his face eager to sell this story and make a fortune, but for some reason he couldn't get hanging out with Jaden out of his head.

"Ugh why can't I forget about that kid?" Gerard asks when he passed by the arena.

Walking inside, he saw Jaden and Bastion dueling.

"Hey it's the duel those Slifers wanted me to come and see. The one that's supposed to change my life, but it looks like Jaden is losing." Gerard smirks.

"Well Jaden I end my turn. If you plan to win you best do your worst." Bastion said.

"Believe me I will. I'm not giving up, not even for a second." Jaden drew.

"There's the Jaden we all know and love." Takeru said.

"First I summon Elemental Hero Bubbleman in attack mode!" Jaden said as his blue hero appeared. "And since he's on the field alone I can draw two cards." When Jaden drew them he gasps noticing one of them. "Wait a minute." Turning the stands he looks over at Madison and smiles softly. "Next I play Bubble Blaster which raises his attack points by 800."

Bubbleman: 1600/ 1200

"Now take out his Mathematician!" Jaden said as Bubbleman fired a blast of water destroying it.

Jaden: 2800

Bastion: 1500

"Not bad, but thanks to his ability I am now able to draw one card." Bastion said drawing a card.

"But I'm not done. I play two cards facedown and activate Mirage of Nightmare. You can take away my fusions Bastion but I won't stop until the last card is played." Jaden declared.

"Even so your best cards will never be played. My draw!" Bastion drew.

"And with it, my spell Mirage of Nightmare activates which lets me draw until I have 4 cards. Now I activate Emergency Provisions! By ditching my spell card I gain 1000 life points!" Jaden said as he drew.

Jaden: 3800

Bastion: 1500

"Very impressive, he uses Mirage's effect and ditches it before it hurts him." Gerard said impressed before realizing what he just said. "Not that I care or anything."

"You're simply postponing the inevitable. Your deck is a problem that's already been solved." Bastion said.

"You're wrong." Jaden said.

"Then maybe this will convince you!" Bastion drew. "I play Pot of Greed which lets me draw two cards. Furthermore, there are now 10 cards stacked above Carboneddon in the graveyard. But he can handle the pressure, in fact he thrives on it. Because thanks to the pressure he changes into diamond and allows me to remove him from play so I can summon Hyozanryu the diamond dragon!" Bastion said as another dragon appeared on his field.

Hyozanryu: 2100/ 2800

"Now Hyozanryu attack Bubbleman with Diamond Devastator!" Bastion said as Hyonzanryu destroys Bubble Blaster.

"Sorry Bastion, but when Bubble Blaster is equipped it gets destroyed instead and I take no damage." Jaden said.

"Even so now there's nothing that can stop my Water Dragon!" Bastion said as Water Dragon fired a powerful blast of water.

"Wrong! I activate Scrap Iron Scarecrow!" Jaden said revealing the metal scarecrow that leaped in front of Bubbleman absorbing the attack surprising everyone.

"What? You never had a card like that in your deck before." Bastion said.

"You're right I didn't. Apparently, someone snuck it in when I wasn't looking." Jaden smirks looking over at Madison who smiles.

"Madison you helped Jaden?" Syrus said.

"Wow that was real nice of you. I mean really nice." Chumley said.

"Oh shut up." Madison said looking away.

"And thanks to its effect my Scarecrow goes back to being a facedown to use again. Sorry Bastion you'll have to do better than that." Jaden said.

"You just don't give up, do you?" Bastion smirks. "I place one card facedown and end my turn."

"Not a chance! My move!" Jaden drew. "Next I summon Elemental Hero Wildheart in attack mode!" Jaden said as a tribal warrior appeared with a huge sword strapped to his back.

Wildheart: 1500/ 1600

"Wow I forgot how much fun dueling can be." Gerard smiles.

"Next I activate the spell Bubble Shuffle! With this, I can switch Bubbleman and your Water Dragon to defense mode and since I used this card I can sacrifice Bubbleman to summon an Elemental Hero monster from my hand. Like my Elemental Hero Bladedge!"

Bladedge: 2600/ 1800

"Those Fusion Monsters may be Jaden's best but that thing is a close second." Zane said.

"Wow Madison your card was just what Jaden needed to make his comeback." Takeru said.

"Oh yeah." Madison nods.

"What do you mean? He only has 2600 attack points. That's not enough." Syrus said.

"It will be, after I play Skyscraper!" Jaden said inserting his field spell and buildings shot up all over the field.

Seeing his old card in play Gerard gasps as he remembers his old days as a duelist.

"And now when an Elemental Hero battles a monster with more attack points it gets 1000 more. Bladedge attack Water Dragon with Slice and Dice attack!" Jaden said as Bladedge sliced Water Dragon in half. "And when Bladedge destroys a monster in defense mode the difference comes out of your lifepoints."

Jaden: 3800

Bastion: 500

"Well my dragon has a special ability as well. It allows me to summon two Hyrdrogeddons and one Oxygeddon from my graveyard. But I'm not done. I activate Last Magnet. When a Monster on my field is destroyed in battle this magnet equips onto the card that destroyed it and it loses 800 points.

Bladedge: 1800

"Well I still have Wildheart in play and he's about to go wild on your monster! Attack Hyozanryu!" Jaden said as Wildheart leaped in and slashed Hyozanryu across the chest destroying it.

Jaden: 3800

Bastion: 100

"Almost there." Alexis said.

"Man this duel is intense." Syrus said.

"My turn." Bastion drew. "I play Litmus Doom Ritual and by sacrificing my two Hyrdrogeddons I can summon Litmus Doom Swordsman!" Bastion said as a warrior appeared on his field.

Lithmus Doom Swordsman: 0000/ 0000

"But that card has zero attack points." Syrus said.

"Doom Swordsman isn't effected by traps nor can he be destroyed in battle so not even your Scrape Iron Scarecrow can stop him. Also if there is a faceup trap on the field his attack points become 3000." Bastion said as his swordsman glowed.

Litmus Doom Swordsman: 3000/ 3000

"But I'm not done. I summon the tuner monster Tune Warrior!" Bastion said as a red monster with antenna for hands appeared.

Tune Warrior: 1600/ 200

"A tuner monster? This isn't good." Jaden gulps.

"Next I switch my Oxygeddon to attack mode and now Swordsman give that Bladedge a taste of your steel!" Bastion said as Litmus Doom Swordsman leaps in and slashes Bladedge.

Jaden: 2600

Bastion: 100

"Now Tune Warrior attack Ocean!" Bastion said as Tune Warrior released sonic waves destroying Wildheart.

Jaden: 2500

Bastion: 100

"Now Oxygeddon attack Jaden directly!" Bastion said.

"Oh no you don't Scrap Iron Scarecrow stop him!" Jaden said activating it again.

"Thank you Jaden, I was hoping you would do that. Now I activate my trap Urgent Tuning! With this card I can synchro summon during the battle phase to tune my level 3 Tune Warrior and level 4 Oxygeddon to synchro summon Lightning Warrior!" Bastion said as both monsters created a monster with blonde hair and a white armor.

Lightning Warrior: 2400/ 1200

"Now attack! Lighting Fist!" Bastion said as Lighting Warrior zapped Jaden making him fall to the ground.

Jaden: 100

Bastion: 100

"Now I play Heavy Storm to destroy your Skyscraper and Scarecrow!" Bastion said as a tornado demolished all the buildings. "Finally I place one card facedown and end my turn."

"Oh no now Jaden has nothing to protect himself with." Syrus gasps.

"Not to mention he's staring down two powerful monsters." Takeru said.

"Wow Bastion this duel is intense. I'm having lots of fun." Jaden smiles.

"I've enjoyed it as well, but I'll enjoy it even more when I beat you." Bastion said.

"This duel isn't over yet." Jaden drew. "Bastion I've had a fun duel but this time it's over. I play Elemental Hero Lady Heat!" Appearing on Jaden's field was a female hero with orange hair.

Elemental Hero Lady Heat: 1300/ 1000

"Well she is pretty but she's not very strong." Syrus said.

"That's because Jaden's not gonna attack with her." Takeru smiles.

"When I end my turn Lady Heat's ability activates and you take 200 points for each Hero on my side of the field." Jaden said.

"I see, very smart." Bastion said.

"I end my turn." Jaden smiles as Lady Heat threw a fireball right past Bastion's monsters hitting him in the chest.

Jaden: 100

Bastion: 0000

"He won!" Syrus cheered.

"I guess when it came to Jaden Yuki, Bastion miscalculated." Zane smiles.

"Or maybe there are some strategies you just can't solve." Takeru said.

"He did it! Way to go Jaden!" Looking over Takeru and Alexis saw Gerard cheering for him. "Thanks Jaden." Gerard said before walking away.

"Hey Alexis." Takeru said as the two of them ran out.

"Does this slacker ever lose?" Crowler wins.

"And our second representative for the School Duel is Jaden Yuki!" Sheppard declares causing everyone to cheer.

Jaden smiles as Syrus and Chumley walked over to him.

"Way to play." Syrus smiles.

"Good job." Chumley smiles.

"Yes good job. You beat me or rather you beat this deck, but rest assured there will be another." Bastion said.

"And another duel." Jaden smiles when he noticed Madison walking over. Reaching to his disk he took out Scrape Iron Scarecrow. "Your card really saved my butt back there. I don't know if I would have won without it."

"Probably not, but I'm glad I could help." Madison said taking it back when Jaden gave her a quick hug surprising her.

"Thanks Madison, you're the best. I'll make this up to you I promise." Jaden smiles letting go.

"Uh well…I'm sure I'll figure out a way." Madison said clearing her throat to hide her blush.

In the hallway, Takeru and Alexis were running after Gerard.

"Hey you!" Alexis said getting his attention.

"You're the guy from the Abandoned Dorm. What are you doing here?" Takeru asks.

"Not what I originally thought." Gerard said confusing them. "You see I came here looking for a story, but I found something very different. I found the duelist inside of me, the one I thought was long gone. You see I'm a reporter, a sleazy one. I make a living digging up dirt. But I wasn't always this way. I took up dueling like you guys but I wasn't very good. It was awful, but seeing today's match I remembered what it was all about. I found a scoop that would have ruined this place, but now I don't want to. I want to help find all the missing students including your brother Alexis." Gerard said.

"Wow really?" Takeru said as Gerard reached into his pocket.

"Hey do me a solid? When you see Jaden give this to him. My deck is long gone but I always held onto this card. It was my favorite. He might have a better use for it than I did." Gerard reached into his pocket and pulled out a card handing it to Takeru.

"I'll make sure he gets it." Takeru said.

"See ya round." Gerard said leaving.

"So I guess this means you and Jaden will be in the School Duel matches." Alexis said.

"Oh yeah I better start preparing." Takeru said.

"Well the School Duel is a little bit away maybe we can squeeze in some time just you and me?" Alexis offers.

"I'd like that." Takeru smiles as Jaden, Syrus and Chumley came over.

"Hey guys. What are you doing out here?" Jaden asks.

"Well this guy Gerard told us he had to leave." Takeru said.

"What? He left already?" Syrus asks.

"Not lishous man." Chumley said.

"Did he at least see my match?" Jaden asks.

"He did and he wanted me to give you something for being such a good friend." Takeru said handing him the card.

"Wow Elemental Hero Absolute Zero." Jaden smiles.

"That's a really rare card." Chumley said.

"Gerard must've been impressed." Syrus said.

"Well wherever he goes. I hope he doesn't forget about us." Jaden said putting his new monster in his deck.

"Wow Gerard must've been really impressed to give you a card like that." Syrus said.

"Yeah he probably was." Takeru smiles.

"Alright Takeru looks like whoever North Academy is using they'll have to deal with you and me." Jaden said.

"And we're gonna win." Takeru said as they high fived.