It's been quite awhile since I've updated this story, and after all this time working on other stories I see the faults with my earlier chapters. I made a lot of mistakes which I intend to correct. Don't worry, this story isn't getting the Redux treatment, but I am going to go back to correct the previous chapters. Here's hoping I write more chapters for this story.

Obelisk Dorm

Syrus was going over his deck extensively while a small stack of GX medals sat off to the side. "Zane, I heard about your victory over Jackson Kaiba. Rest assured you aren't going to get many more like it because I will defeat you. That's a promise."

The Obelisk just finished his deck when Bastion entered. "Syrus, what are you doing in the cafeteria?"

Syrus had put his medals away on his person, stood, and put his deck in his duel disk. "My brother is on the island Bastion, and no matter how much he may have changed, I know where he's likely to spend most of his time. I'm going to duel him."

Bastion walked over. "Syrus, I honestly think you have a good chance of beating him, but only if you duel with everything you have. If you can't do that, you might as well leave it to me. So, can you duel Zane with everything you have?"

Syrus clenched his fist before sighing. "Bastion, my brother didn't show it, but this dorm meant everything to him. The year he leaves I join, but I couldn't defend it like he would have. If Zane had been here, there's no doubt in my mind he'd have kept everyone safe.

The way he duels now shows that Zane's lost all his respect and pride. It's been replaced by a darkness that I intend to pull him out of. I know most people don't think he was the best big brother, but he's always protected me. Now, it's my turn. I can duel him."

Bastion nodded before coming to stand behind his friend and patted his shoulder. "You have my support, and if you will allow it, I would like to accompany you to offer my support."

"Thank you, Bastion." Syrus started walking. "Let's go."

Light House

Syrus arrived at the light house with Bastion, and they found Zane staring out over the ocean as he had many times the year prior.

"Zane!" Syrus shouted.

"I didn't think all those confidence lessons I gave Syrus worked this well." Bastion smiled. "He could very well beat Zane given he has the skill to boot."

Zane turned to looked at them. "If it isn't my weakling little brother and his friend the pathetic duelist. Obelisk's standards must have fallen if you two got in." He shrugged. "Then again, everyone there have always been worthless maggots."

Syrus showed his duel disk determined not to back down. "I'm here to challenge you Zane."

"You aren't worth my time." Zane stated. "I'm here to challenge the best, and you aren't it."

"Are you here to get revenge on Aster then?" Bastion question.

"Revenge?" Zane laughed. "I could care less about some revenge especially since that defeat led me down my current path. I should honestly thank Phoenix, but I won't. That said, he's one of the people I've been keeping an eye out for. Now, why don't you two run along?"

"I refuse!" Syrus declared. "You and I are dueling."

Zane put his hands in his pocket. "Well, seems you're as annoying as ever Syrus." He looked at his brother. "How about we cut a deal baby brother?"

Syrus raised an eyebrow. "What kind of deal?"

"I know you Syrus." Zane stated. "You haven't gone up against any of the pros. If you're still in the tournament, it's because you've been working your way through the student body." Zane pulled out a hand and held up three fingers.

"I've been crushing pros with none of them being particularly challenging. That's why my next three, or others on my list, will be the ones you challenge. If you beat them, I will be inclined to duel you. Sound fair?"

"If that's what it takes to duel you Zane, I'll take on as many pros as it takes." Syrus stated.

"Good." Zane put his hand back in his pocket and walked by the duo. "I'll be in touch concerning your opponents. Keep your PDA on you baby brother. I'll contact you soon with your first opponent."

Zane was gone.

"I will complete your assigned duels Zane." Syrus clenched both his first firmly. "After I've defeated them, I'll bring back your respect and pride as a duelist."

"Syrus, I know you just went over your deck, but deck construction is still a hobby of mine." Bastion stated. "Why don't we take a look at your roids and ensure they're ready?"

Syrus nodded. "Sounds like a good idea."

Duel Academy

Jasmine and Mindy were currently facing off with two Ra Yellows in a tag duel. The field was empty, and the Ras and Mindy had no cards in their hands while Jasmine had 1 card in her hand having just drawn.

(Jasmine & Mindy 4500/Ra 1 & 2 1000)

"Alright Jas!" Mindy smiled. "If you drew a monster with enough ATK, we got this."

Jasmine smiled. "Not to worry Mindy because I drew just that."

Ra 1 said, "I told you we shouldn't have challenged them."

"No, you didn't!" Ra 2 declared. "You were with me because we thought they were weak."

"Sorry boys, but we're not as weak as we once were." Jasmine smirked. "I summon Alpha the Magnet Warrior(LV 4/1400/1700)." A bulky, gray metal warrior appeared on the field. "Alpha, finish this with a direct attack (Jasmine & Mindy 4500/Ra 1 & 2 0)."

Ra 1 collected his friend's medals and approached the girls. "Here, you won these fair and square."

Ra 2 said, "We need to get better at picking opponents." He walked off with his fellow Ra following. "We barely had any medals to begin with."

After they left, Mindy and Jasmine divided the medals between them.

"That makes 14 for me and 32 for you." Mindy smiled. "Who should we duel next?"

Jasmine noticed a figure which had been watching them duel before moving on. The figure was a man with dark skin, green eyes, and a large, long black ponytail coming out of the very back of his head.

Golden earrings which resemble an ankh were on his ears, and he had a carving of hieroglyphics on the left side of his face. He wore a purple hooded cape with the Eye of Anubis on the hood and a gold chain around his neck.

"Hey Mindy, does that guy look familiar to you?" Mindy asked. "I can't quite place where I've seen him before."

"We got to go after him Mindy." Jasmine started running.

"What's going on?" Mindy asked. "Why are we running?"

"That's Odion Ishtar from the Quarter Finals of Battle City." Jasmine stated. "He pretended to be another competitor and dueled Joey Wheeler. Ring any bells?"

"Odion Ishtar?" Mindy questioned. "Hasn't he rarely been seen since Battle City?"

"Exactly." Jasmine stated. "That's why we can't miss our chance to duel him."

"Are you sure we can beat him?" Mindy asked.

Jasmine retorted. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"I'm just saying." Mindy stated. "Yeah, we're better than when we started, but I don't think we're good enough to duel even a Quarter Finalist."

"We won't know unless we try Mindy." Jasmine stated. "We can't give up before the first card is drawn."

Clearing

Joey, dressed in his blue jeans and red shirt, stumbled into a clearing before collapsing to the ground. "Man, I'm so hungry. How in the world did I get turned around? Damn it, if Mai hears about this, she'll put Max and I into a map reading class again."

"You're the same as ever, huh Joey?" A voice stated.

Joey blinked. "I recognize that voice." He looked up. "Marik!"

Joey stared up at a young man with dark skin, purple eyes, and white-gold hair. His attire consisted of a steel blue shirt with a black vest over it, two black and gold bracelets, light gray pants, and black shoes.

Marik sighed. "I overheard your need for food." He walked back to his campsite before sitting on a log by the fire. "I just finished some stew for my siblings, and I can spare a bowl or two."

Joey sniffed the air and rushed over. "If you insist, serve it up."

Marik rolled his eyes before serving Joey a bowl. "I should have assumed you'd compete in a tournament like this. Where are Mai and Max?"

Joey took the bowl. "I'd like to have them here; however, I can't go pulling Max out of school for every tournament that comes up, and he is too young to stay alone. That said, I know they'll be supporting me back home. My participation was inevitable, but I'm surprised you're here."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Marik asked.

"After everything that went down in Battle City, I assumed you and your siblings were done with dueling." Joey stated. "Despite my feelings towards that situation, I wouldn't have blamed you if your three never picked up a deck again."

"For years, I was content to leave it that way." Marik stated. "The tomb collapsing freed my clan, and while we've still made our home in Egypt, I've enjoyed traveling with my siblings. Eventually, the urge to duel enticed me.

Nothing Pro-Duelist related as I've grown content to play for what I couldn't before. Fun. Then, Kaiba came to my siblings and I inviting us to this tournament. Honestly, I wouldn't have agreed if not for my sister."

"Ishizu?" Joey asked. "What does she have to do with your decision to duel in this tournament?"

"She feels the same way for Kaiba that you feel for Mai." Marik casually stated.

"What!?" Joey shook his head. "There's no way she could love a guy like Kaiba. The only people that guy cares about are Mokuba, Jackson, and the children."

"You and I agree on that, but we all must make our own way in the world." Marik stated. "Those around us can guide, even stand in the way, but in the end, it ultimately falls to the individual to make that change." He stared at the fire. "I learned that better than most."

"I suppose you did." Joey decided to switch topics. "You know, I can't really see you using your previous deck considering its missing a crucial piece."

"You are right." Marik stated. "In fact, I put my previous deck to rest and found another that suits me. As not to leave me alone in this, my siblings did the same. With Pegasus coming out with newer ritual monsters, it was rather easy to choose some new decks."

"I see." Joey stated. "Where are Odion and Ishizu anyways?"

"Somewhere on the island acquiring GX medals." Marik stated. "This is merely our base while the three of us head out any time we wish. Together, in pairs, or alone."

Joey nodded. "Would you mind if I hung around and rested a bit? At least until your family returns."

"You can stay, but I want a rematch, from all those years ago, in return." Marik stated.

"Really?" Joey asked before smirking. "Are you going to use a Shadow Game to win again?"

"Even if I could still use Dark Magic, I wouldn't." Marik stated. "By all rights, you had me beat. Now, I want to see how I stack up to you."

"You do realize that one of us will be booted from the competition, right?" Joey asked.

"As I've made apparent, I'm no pro duelist." Marik stated.

Joey smiled. "Alright, I'll take you on."

The two moved apart and stood across from each other. "Let's Duel!"

(Joey 4000/Marik 4000)

"If it's alright with you, I'll take the first turn." Joey stated.

"Go for it." Marik stated.

"I'll start by setting one monster face down followed by a set card." Joey declared. "You're move Marik."

"A simple move, but even the simplest moves can be strong." Marik drew. "I activate the effect of one of my aces. By sending a spell/trap and Eldlich the Golden Lord to my grave, I can send a card you control to the grave.

I'll target your set spell/trap. Next, I'll activate Eldlixir of White Destiny allowing me to special summon a Zombie monster from my deck or grave. If I control no Eldlich monster, then I can only summon Eldlich monsters."

"Let me guess, your deck is just chalk full of Eldlich monsters." Joey stated.

"In a way; however, the only one who is an Eldlich in name is Eldlich the Golden Lord(LV 10/2500/2800) so I'll bring him back from my graveyard to the field." A zombie in golden armor appeared on Marik's field. He shall attack your face down monster."

"Not bad Marik, but monsters can have effects as well." Joey declared. "You may destroy the monster you're attacking, but first it is flipped revealing Cyber Jar(LV 3/900/900)." A cybernetic jar appeared before being destroyed.

"Now, every monster on the field is destroyed. That's not all as we reveal the top five cards from our deck, special summon any level 4 or lower monsters from those revealed, and add the rest to our hands.

Since you destroyed my monster, I'll go first." Joey drew his next five cards. "I special summon Swordsman of Landstar(LV 3/500/1200), Panther Warrior(LV 4/2000/1600), and Axe Raider(LV 4/1700/1150) in defense position."

A squishy warrior in leather armor, a purple panther in green armor, and a warrior in gold armor appeared kneeling before Joey.

"Cyber Jar?" Marik questioned. "What could Joey be planning with such a card this early in the duel? Especially with no guarantee of keeping them around since this is still my Battle Phase. Well, it doesn't matter since all I need are monsters stronger than his DEF."

Marik nodded before drawing his 5 cards. "I special summon Mezuki(LV 4/1700/800), Gozuki(LV 4/1700/800), Zombie Master(LV 4/1800/0), and Vendread Revenants(LV 4/1800/200) in ATK mode."

Two bipedal bulls, one black and one brown, a child in decayed clothing, and a squad of zombies appeared.

"I was hoping you wouldn't draw more monsters than I did." Joey stated.

"I drew more than enough, so Mezuki, Gokzuki, and Zombie Master will destroy your defensive line." Marik declared. "Now, my Revenants will attack you directly (Joey 2200/Marik 4000). I activate the ritual Revendread Origin.

Using it, I'll tribute Gozuki and Mezuki to fulfill the requirements for Revendread Executor(LV 8/3000/0)." A zombie wearing armor formed from another zombie appeared. "I'll set one card."

"It's my move!" Joey drew and smiled. "Alright, it's the missing piece. I activate Polymerization. With it, I combine Time Wizard with Maximum Six to Fusion Summon Time Magnus(LV 5/2000/1900)." A more decked out Time Wizard appeared.

"Time Magnus?" Marik questioned. "It looks like Time Wizard."

"This fusion card is very much the evolution of my faithful card." Joey declared. "Like Time Wizard, he has a time roulette. The difference is that should he destroy your monsters, you'll take damage equal to half their combined, original ATK."

"That's a bit troubling." Marik stated. "Go on then and show me your luck."

"You got it." Joey stated. "Time Roulette go!" The arrow on Magnus' scepter spun with it eventually stopping on one of the time machines. "Oh yeah! Every monster on your field is wiped out and you're about to take a heap of damage."

"Not as much as you think." Marik stated. "I activate the effect of my Revendread Origin from my grave. By banishing it, I can prevent the destruction of Revendread Slayer from battle or card effect."

"Revendread Slayer?" Joey questioned. "All you control is Revendread Executioner."

"Executioner counts itself as Revendread Slayer." Marik declared as Zombie Master and Vendread Revenants were destroyed (Joey 2200/Marik 2400).

"That's an impressive effect Marik, but I got some cards in my hand to help ensure your field is cleared." Joey declared. "I activate Extra Boost allowing me to target Time Magnus(LV 5/2950/950 effect) halving his DEF and adding that to his ATK."

"You're 50 ATK short to tie my Executioner." Marik declared.

"I did say cards Marik." Joey smiled. "I haven't used my Normal summon, so come Rocket Warrior(LV 4/1500/1300)." A small warrior dressed in green armor appeared. "He will attack Executioner. During my Battle Phase, he can't be destroyed by battle.

Also, I take no damage from this attack, and your Executioner loses 500 ATK until the end of the turn." Revendread Executor(LV 8/2500/0 effect). Now, Magnus will destroy Executioner (Joey 2200/Marik 1950). I end my turn with a face down."

"I'm ending this duel now." Marik drew. "I activate Mezuki banishing him from my grave to special summon Eldlich the Golden Lord(LV 10/2500/2800) back to the field. Then, I activate my face down Conquistador of the Golden Land(LV 5/500/1800)."

A zombie atop a steed appeared. "Since I control Eldlich, I can destroy a face up card on your field like Rocket Warrior. Now, I activate Revendread Evolution to send Conquistador of the Golden Land to the grave to Ritual summon Vendread Chimera(LV 5/2300/0)."

An amalgamated zombie appeared.

"I know you intend to attack me, so I'll activate my face down Skull Dice." Joey declared. "This card rolls a six-sided dice and whatever it lands on is the number which will be used to divide your face-up monster's attacks until the end of the turn."

"Of course." Marik smiled. "Let's see what you get then."

Joey smiled back "Roll my dice!" The dice rolled and landed on a 4. "That's a four!"

Eldlich the Golden Lord(LV 10/625/2800 effect) and Vendread Chimera(LV 5/575/0 effect).

"It still won't stop me from attacking you with my monsters (Joey 1000/Marik 1950)." Marik declared. "I end my turn." Eldlich the Golden Lord(LV 10/2500/2800) and Vendread Chimera(LV 5/2300/0)

"My move!" Joey drew. "I activate Roll of Fate to roll a dice, draw cards equal to the number I roll, and send an equal number of cards from the top of my deck to the grave. Roll my dice!" The dice rolled landing on 2. "Alright, that's two cards to my hand and two to the grave."

"I hope those cards you drew are worth it." Marik stated.

"Trust me when I say it was worth it because these cards will seal my victory." Joey smiled. "I activate the effect of my Red-Eyes Alternative Black Dragon(LV 7/2400/2000). By tributing Red-Eyes B. Dragon from my hand, I can special summon him to the field."

A menacing, black dragon with Red-Eyes appeared.

"What can that card achieve as it's either too weak to beat Eldlich or not strong enough to deplete my life points through Chimera's destruction." Marik declared.

"You are right, but this dragon has another effect." Joey stated. "Alternative Dragon, attack Eldlich the Golden Lord (Joey 900/Marik 1950). Since Alternative Dragon was destroyed, I can special summon a Red-Eyes monster from my grave.

Since Red-Eyes B. Dragon(LV 7/4800/2000 effect) is my only Red-Eyes monster it's the one brought back and it's ATK is doubled." A black dragon with red eyes appeared as it was surrounded by crimson energy.

"Looks like I lost." Marik smiled. "Finish this."

"As you wish Marik." Joey stated. "Red-Eyes B. Dragon destroy Eldlich the Golden Lord (Joey 900/Marik 0)."

Marik deactivated his duel disk, approached Joey, and pulled out his GX medals before giving them up. "You won these Joey. Congratulations."

"Thanks, Marik." Joey accepted the medals. "I won't lie. It's rather nice to win rather than lose by passing out."

"Even though I lost, it is good to have genuinely lost rather than win by technicality." Marik stated before looking around. "Hm, seems as though Odion and Ishizu haven't returned."

"Well, rich boy hasn't announced anything like that one day, so I'm certain they're held up by a duel." Joey smiled. "On that note, can I have seconds while we wait."

"Why not." Marik stated. "I may as well eat to."

Road

Odion approached Ishizu who was a woman with long, straight black hair that trails just below her shoulders. She has a slender build and tan skin. Her attire consists of a cream-colored sleeveless one-piece dress.

"Hello Odion." Ishizu smiled. "I assume you have earned a few more medals."

"I have; however, I also attracted the attention of two students." Odion stated. "They're intent on dueling. One has the drive to duel, but their eyes betray an inexperience in an area."

"Do tell." Ishizu stated.

At that moment, Jasmine and Mindy had caught up to them.

"Oh, since that guy is Odion, that must be Ishizu." Mindy stated. "Wasn't she a Quarter Finalist to?"

"That's right Mindy." Jasmine smiled. "Now, we each have an opponent to face." She stepped forward. "Mindy and I challenge you two to a tag duel for your GX medals."

"I see what you mean Odion." Ishizu stated. "What do you wish to do?"

"I don't want to leave them this way, so let's accept to teach them a lesson they can carry with them as duelist." Odion looked at Ishizu. "Will you duel with me sister?"

Ishizu nodded. "Of course, Odion."

Odion turned to the girls. "We accept your challenge."

"Alright, let's take them down Mindy." Jasmine stated confidently.

Mindy was uncertain, but she readied herself. "Uh, alright. If your certain, we'll do this."

The four of them got ready to duel.

MAJORMATT1234: Enjoyed seeing Rex, he actually had some sympathy back in the OG yugioh, unlike Weevile who just enjoyed being a j***. You portrayed that well.

Quillion9000: Glad I did potray it well. I always felt Rex could have a more concrete character arc than always being paired with Weevil. If only Rex had the chance to grow, but I'm glad I could give him something, even though it was brief, in this story.

sasuke indra: amazing duels as always.

Quillion9000: Thank you

TheGrizz1982: Definitely didn't expect Weevil and Rex of all people. And I like what you did with Rex's character.

Quillion9000: Thank you. I just felt he could be so much more.

KingKaz(9): What? He lost to Jaden when even in the series ; Baden always because of luck rather than skills

Quillion9000: Jaden is still a protagonist of canon and a strong duelist. I respect that about him and wanted to give him his time of being the best before steadily shifting Zack into the role of strongest. If Zack could beat Jaden at this point, there aren't many people he could have reasonable lost to like he did.