Chapter 32

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Joey scratched his head, looking over everything Yugi's grandpa had laid out on the kitchen table. It wasn't much… just packs upon packs of playing cards. Casino style, not trading card style. "So if I'm supposed ta learn about Duel Monsters… why aren't we even looking at our cards?"

Solomon merely shook his head. He hadn't taken on a student in years… Yugi honestly didn't count because he both loved the boy and his grandson was so very eager to learn it never felt like teaching but rather being given the gift of an eager ear and mind. But he had taught before. Not Duel Monsters. He'd shown people how to duel… Arthur had been utterly terrible at it and that was why he'd thrown the match to give the poor proud man the last of their water… but he had taught plenty of people games of chance. How to throw bones. How to understand the river and the flop and the turn. Why you never wasted money on a One-Armed Bandit and how horse races only made sense if you were the one in the saddle. All of those students had questioned him too which is why he didn't get upset at Joey for his.

"If you wish to understand a deck you need to understand what it is about. Effects aren't given at random… Pegasus is smarter than that. He loves history." Solomon sighed; he honestly wished the creator of Duel Monsters had just come to him and Yugi in friendship instead of desperation. That young man… he could have been such a good friend to the two of them if he'd only arrived with open hands rather than a clenched fist.

'But that is how it is with all the young people nowadays,' Solomon thought with a shake of his head. 'Demanding everything, giving up nothing. Never thinking.' There were so many that had disappointment him when it came to that. Pegasus… that man clearly had passion and skill but he had allowed grief to blind him and drive him into becoming someone who hated themselves. Seto Kaiba too. 'The moment I laid eyes on him I knew he'd never give up. That if I beat him he'd just keep challenging me. The way he obsesses over Yugi proves that!' Solomon had no need for rivals, not at his age. So he'd thrown the duel… and let Seto rip up his fake Blue Eyes, the real one safely locked away in the basement of the card shop since Kaiba had first come in trying to buy it. He did feel bad that Yugi thought Seto's duel with him had put him in the hospital but that was just age and horrible timing.

Now Joey was demanding things too. Not as rashly as Kaiba or Pegasus but still demanding. But while those two were far too entrenched in their desires and beliefs of how the world should work Solomon was rather hopeful that he could get Joey to see things differently, to help him become better. Because he honestly saw so much of himself in the reckless young man.

"Okay?" Joey said, confused.

"Take your Red-Eyes Black Dragon," Solomon stated. "Did you know that it and the Blue-Eyes White Dragon are two parts of a greater mythical group?"

"Well… I knew that they were counterparts that do different things," Joey said. "Blue-Eyes is all about Raw Power but Red-Eyes is Potential."

"Which is true. But the two are just part of The Seven Dragons of Sin."

"The Seven Dragons of Sin?" Joey repeated.

Solomon nodded, walking over and to the bookcase he kept in the living room. But rather than novels or encyclopedias the books here were his own writings; journals and tomes he'd personally kept concerning all his adventures. It hadn't all been casinos and women and drinking till dawn. The 'Legendary Gambler' had also explored the world searching out new thrills and in that time discovered quite a many secrets. He smirked, though Joey couldn't see it; he wondered how Yugi would react when Solomon finally did pass on and his grandson learned just HOW rich Solomon actually was. There were vaults… VAULTS!

Finding the journal he was looking for he ambled back to the table. "Now then… in the 8th century there rose a… well, they called themselves a religious sect but they were more of a cult… who represented the Seven Deadly Sins as seven great dragons. Each one representing a different vice that could lead to destruction." He flipped through the book till he found the sketches he was looking for. "Look familiar."

"Hey!" Joey said. "That's Kaiba's Blue-Eyes!"

"Indeed. Pegasus says he based Duel Monsters on Ancient Egypt and it appears the cult also based their teachings on images and beliefs they found there, only twisted to fit their desires. The Blue-Eyes White Dragon is the Dragon of Pride. Boastful. Sure. But also likely to rush in too quick believing that brute strength can win the day." He flipped past the Green-Eyes Orange Dragon of Greed to the next image. "The Red-Eyes Black Dragon is the Dragon of Wrath. Similar to Pride but this is born out of rage and looking backwards to the past rather than into only one's self."

"Hey, that's really neat!" Joey said before his smile fell. "But wait… ain't sins bad?"

"Is a sword bad?" Solomon asked. "Is a bat?" He picked up a lamp. "This provides light… or I could hit you on the head with it. Does that make the lamp bad?" He smiled and set it down. "The sins when used right are good things too. You should feel pride in yourself… that gives you confidence and drive. You should feel anger… it can lead to justice. The trick is to understand how to harness it. With Pride it is best when one uses it to make themselves better, like a bodybuilder who constantly trains. The Blue Eyes Ultimate Dragon represents this."

"I think I get ya. And Wrath can be good but only when you have others to keep ya from goin' too far… just like how my deck is best when I fuse my Red Eyes with other monsters!"

"Exactly Joey, exactly!" Solomon praised. "Now, to help expand your mind we are going to learn about my personal deck. That will help you come to understand more strategies and thus be ready when you duel other opponents. If you can figure out what their strategy is before they even attempt it-"

"Then you can counter'em before they even have a chance!" Joey finished.

"Exactly!" Solomon said. "Now, the Face Card Knights of the Court of Cards are based on a standard Poker deck. In poker there are the pip cards, which are numbered cards that go from 2 through 10 and the Ace card, and the court cards, which are Jack, Queen, and King. There are also Jokers, which can be included in the deck." He pulled out a Queen. "Normally a Queen will beat any pip card, so you'd think she, along with the other court cards, are the mightiest. But…" Solomon created two sets of 5 cards: the first had a queen, ten, eight, four, and three while the other had a nine, seven, five, and a pair of twos." He drew the twos away from their group and then the queen. "The pair of weakest cards can beat a single card all on its own."

"Just like how two Duel Monsters who are weak can work together to take out a stronger monster?"

"Exactly!" Solomon praised. "But a pair of Queens?" He selected another Queen. "They can defeat a pair of twos." He selected a 2, a 3, a 4, and 5, and a 6 card. "But even then there are things that will beat them. The Face Cards are at their strongest when together. Ten, Jack, Queen, King, and Ace… a Royal Straight Flush. The mightiest hand in Poker."

"Huh," Joey said, rubbing his chin. "So what you're saying is that for Court of Cards you want to have different monsters together that can combine together so they can roll over anything!"

"Exactly!" Solomon said, pleased that Joey was catching on. "Now… let us discuss the Joker…"

~MC~MC~MC~

"So I'm actually surprised with how okay with this you are."

"What do you mean?" I asked Mai as we followed after Tea and Johnny, who were heading towards the dueling arena the arcade had. It wasn't as massive as Pegasus' set up or the one Kaiba had but it still allowed for projections of the duel monsters, which was neat. Though I had to quietly admit I felt bad for the arcade as within a few years this entire structure, which was probably very expensive, would be obsolete. Seto would be releasing the Duel Discs soon and within a decade they would be like Nintendo Switches; everyone could get one.

…er, could AFFORD to get one, Switch-wise.

It was actually kind of ghoulish of me to be here in the arena. I was going to jump from a mere millionaire to a many times over multimillionaire when the Duel Discs took off. So it felt like I was a Texas Oil Tycoon visiting the widow of a man I'd run out of business. Just stopping by to see the corpse before it got cold.

Mai shrugged. "I figured you call this insanity, that settling a feud with Duel Monsters when it was about dancing was being stupid."

"…oh, I feel that way, sure," I said with a pleasant smile. "But sometimes you have to admit that you can't make the river change directions. The water is going to flow and you just need to move your house elsewhere." He looked behind us and picked up my pace. "Speaking of flow…"

Mai glanced back and her eyes went wide. "Eeesh, yeah. Let's move before we're trampled!" We picked up the pace as the crowd behind us continued to surge towards the small duel arena. Apparently Johnny was well known at the arcade. Half the people, from the way they were talking, wanted to cheer him on because they idolized him for… playing a dancing game ('People in this world are weird,' said the man who happily calls himself 'The Devil'), while the other half of the crowd hated his guts for being an arrogant prick and wanted to see Tea kick his ass ('Otherwise known as sane and rational people'). I honestly was kind of tempted to skip out on the duel because the lines for the games would be really short with most of the crowd watching the action. And since it looked like all the workers were also going I could go raid the gift shop.

Half of me scolded my brain for thinking that, as it was wrong to steal. The other half reminded me I once spent over a hundred bucks over the course of a year just to get enough tickets to buy a t-shirt.

Realizing they had a chance to make even more money one of the arcade attendance hurried to entrance of the Duel Arena and, after getting Tea and Johnny to pay to use it, began to demand money for the fans.

"Don't even think about it," Mai said coolly just as Yugi began to reach for some money, grabbing his wrist. "Not gonna happen."

"Listen lady," one snobby attendant said, glaring at Mai, "if we want to charge you-"

I allowed the power of the Millennium Key to flare within me, my eyes going black and gold.

"…if. If we want to. Which we don't. Heheh." She nervously motioned for us to enter, bowing in respect.

"I could get used to that," Mai said, grabbing my arm and resting her head on my shoulder. Yugi walked over to Tea to talk with her while Mai and I began to scan the area. "Huh… standing room only."

"Not quite," I said as a thought occurred to me. I wiggled free of her embrace, grabbing her hand and leaping onto the duel arena, running across it before arcing around a booth that was set up in the middle. "Oh, how I've always wanted to do this," I said, rubbing my hands together as I took a seat, Mai doing the same. The Key flashed and with a touch I unlocked all the equipment, the sound system coming on as the speakers blared dramatic and action-inspiring music before growing a bit more quiet as Mai and I grabbed the headsets that were sitting on the table. "Ladies and gentlemen," I said in my best Howard Cosell impression, "please take your seats as we prepare for a match that will surely be one for the ages. I am Edwin Chaos, 3rd ranked duelist in the world and runner up in Duelist Kingdom. Joining me today on commentary will be the lovely Mai Valentine, finalist at Duelist Kingdom and one of the Top Ten duelists in the world. How are you today Mai?"

"Better if you stop with that stupid voice."

I cleared my throat. "Fair enough," I said normally. "For those who don't know what is going on we have a match between two masters of the dance floor. They have decided to settle once and for all who is the best at shaking their groove thing-"

"What are you, 80?"

"-by playing a children's card game." I swore I heard someone in the audience squeal, "He said the thing!" but I was most likely just hearing stuff. "Mai, what do you think we have for today? What kind of duel should we expect?"

"One with utter passion," Mai said with a smile, getting into the swing of things. "I faced Tea Gardner in Duelist Kingdom and while she lacked the skills finalists would have she more than made up for it in determination. She was ready to give it her all and that is what I am expecting from this match. And Johnny Stepps seems to be just as passionate and hungry for battle. I think we are about to see a duel that isn't so much a clinic on the technical aspects of Duel Monsters but rather a rager of fire and grit."

"I couldn't have said it better myself!" I declared with a grin. "Now then, let's meet the competitors. And since I don't know a ton about Tea and nothing about Johnny I will happily make some bullshit up!"

"…why?" Mai asked but I was already rolling with it.

"In the left corner, weighing in at 198 pounds but I assume most of that his hair gel, hailing from the mystical lands of Dancotopia, Johnny Stepps!"

I paused.

"This is where you cheer, audience."

The crowd began to hoot and holler and Johnny, despite glowering at me for the hair gel comment, quickly began to wave to his fans with the casual acceptance yet also dismissive arrogance normally seen with the British Royal Family when forced to deal with brown people.

…American, bitches. Deal with it.

"And in the right corner, weighing whatever she wants me to say because Mama Chaos didn't raise no fool, the hometown hero of Domino, Tea Gardner!"

Tea was a lot more energetic in her greeting of her fans as they called out her name and egged her on to take Johnny down by about twenty notches. But once she'd finished waving to them her smile fell and Tea shifted to the grim determination that one only saw in the anime's theme song where she was staring dramatically at… something? Honestly I couldn't remember.

"There is still time to get out of this with only a little bit of embarrassment, you know!" Johnny called out.

"Oh, so you are willing to surrender now?" Tea asked with a sweet smile. "Thanks."

"Who taught Tea how to snark?" Mai said, eyeing me up.

"Hey! She hangs out with Joey and Tristan all the time! She was like that before I showed up."

"You really want me to believe you didn't corrupt her with your silver tongue and wow that came out more sexual than I expected."

I scoffed. "I think we've seen I'm one Devil that brings out the best in people, not the worse."

Mai considered that. "Fair enough."

"You can do it Tea!" Yugi cheered from the sidelines. As he did so the digital randomizer on the dueling platforms began to race back and forth, lights flashing on and off on each one until they slowed… then finally stopped… on Johnny's side of the field.

"Johnny Stepps has won the right to go first," Mai said.

"Let's start things off with something I know all too well! My fans are the best and it only serves they get represented in my deck! I summon Groupies of the King in attack mode!"

On the field a group of random humans appeared, waving posters that said "We love the King!" and cheering their little digital heads off. It was actually interesting because if you had shifted them into the crowd that was watching the duel you wouldn't have even been able to notice the difference between the two. A projection of their attack and defense points appeared. (1100/500)

"An interesting move for Johnny," Mai stated. "Groupies don't have that high of an attack and leaving them all alone on the field with no facedown spells or traps is just asking for trouble. Either Johnny doesn't know the game well or he is setting up for a dangerous combo next turn."

Tea merely arched an eyebrow before she drew, looking over her hand. "I'll start by playing The Agent of Creation- Venus in attack mode!" On the field the planet Venus appeared briefly before it began to glow, transforming into a long haired angel who landed gracefully onto the field. "Next I'll play 1500 lifepoints to summon three Mystical Shine Balls from my deck to the field!" (Tea-500)

The audience gasped at that and Yugi was staring at Tea in horror as Venus summoned the three quivering balls of light, allowing them to float around her. "Tea! That's nearly all your lifepoints!" Yugi cried out in a panic.

"A quick misstep by Tea," Mai said, shaking her head. "Putting herself in a massive hole early on."

"I don't think so," I said, leaning forward. "I think Tea is exactly where she wants to be."

"Edwin," Mai said, "lifepoints are the most important thing in Duel Monsters and Tea just gave up 3/4ths of hers for some jelly balls!"

"Lifepoints are a tool. No different than monsters, spells, or traps. If you use them right then you can spend them freely without fear. I think anyone in the audience who is thinking Tea is now done is going to be regretting those ill thoughts very soon!"

Johnny let out a laugh, clearly thinking like Yugi and Mai. "That was stupid of ya! You didn't even put your Shine Balls in attack mode! You summoned them in defense! What good are those globs anyway?"

"You'll see," Tea said with a smirk. "The Heavens don't do anything without reason. Now then, I attack your Groupies with my Agent of Creation! Venus, attack with Galilei's Bombardment!" Venus nodded, rising in the air and creating three more orbs, these ones though decidedly smaller and more volatile. They spun about her before she shot out her hand, causing the orbs to rocket at the Groupies, stopping inches from them. The digital fans blinked at that, lowering their signs… just as the orbs exploded all around them. (Johnny-1500)

"Hellzone Grenade!" I cheered.

"Heh… I wanted you to do that!" Johnny declared. "Everyone knows that Groupies would die for their idol… and I needed my Groupies to fall so I could summon from my deck the key to ending your game and sending you crawling out of this arcade in disgrace, forever shamed!"

"He did just say "This arcade" and "forever shamed" and wasn't referencing himself?" Mai asked.

"I do believe he did but let's see what Johnny has in store for us."

"When Groupies is destroyed I can summon from my deck the Musician Prodigy!" On the field a younger version of the Musician King that I remembered Johnny using in the anime during his duel with Yugi appeared. Shorter hair, not as wild of clothing, but same guitar and same arrogant attitude. The Prodigy strummed his guitar before unleashing a power cord that caused Johnny to spin on his platform and strike a pose. (1750/1500) "Oh yeah! Now that is the stuff! But what is a Musician without a place to perform? When my Prodigy is summoned to the field I can discard one card to activate from my deck the field spell The King's Stage!"

The Prodigy began to playing a power ballad as he rose up on a massive performance stage, lights swinging about and pyrotechnics exploding to his right and left in response to his guitar moves. The actual audience cheered and called for more, clearly forgetting the Prodigy was just a hologram who couldn't hear their requests for more music.

"I'll set one card and end my turn," Tea said, a downface card appearing in her Spell and Trap Zone.

"Tea is in serious trouble," Mai said. "She only as 500 lifepoints and Johnny currently has the strongest monster of the field! This duel may be over before it truly began."

"I don't know… Johnny certainly is pulling off some interesting combos but we haven't seen anything yet from Tea and I am willing to bet she has something planned." I doubted very much the knowledge Tea had been given by my evil counterpart would make her so sloppy that she'd make worse mistakes than Joey.

Johnny though was clearly under the assumption that Tea was some bimbo who didn't know her way around a deck. "Let me explain what's going to happen next, so you understand just how much trouble you are now in. The card I discarded to activate King's Stage was Can't Stop The Music!, which normally allows me to negate any effect that would prevent my monsters from attacking or using their own effects. But with it in the graveyard I can now use its second effect, removing it from play to add one Musical Fusion card from my deck to my hand. And I'll be activating it right now!" He tossed out the card with a bit of flare, revealing the standard Poyl Artwork only with musical notes and the Musician Prodigy. "But unlike with other fusions this card doesn't use monsters… it uses my Prodigy and spell and trap cards to create more powerful versions of the Musician Prodigy! So I'll send this Megamic to the graveyard along with my Prodigy to summon forth Musician King- Front Man to the field!"

The Prodigy grabbed hold of the mic and with a burst of light and a blare of guitar he was transformed into a retrained version of his older self. Longer hair, fancier clothes, and the guitar given a nice shine to truly make it sparkle. The audience was now screaming their heads off, with even those that had been rooting for Tea now beginning to root for Johnny lest they be shamed with her when she lost.

"Now that is an interesting way to get out a powerful monster," Mai said. "It requires you to have a specific monster and a specific spell on your field or in your hand. I don't know if I've ever seen anything like it."

"Certainly is rare, Mai, but rare doesn't make it good. Let's see if Johnny has what it takes to use his Musician King properly or if this is just a one-hit wonder."

"I'll now use Instant Attack to allow my fusion monster to attack your Venus! Sorry little lady… but the King only goes for the tastiest of fans and you ain't it!" Johnny did a spin. "Oh… and when he does attack… he'll deal effect damage equal to the battle damage!"

"The girl's done!" someone in the audience cried out.

"Tea!" Yugi exclaimed.

"I activate Hallowed Life Barrier!" Tea said, throwing a card into the graveyard just as the Musician King- Front Man hit a power cord on his guitar that caused Venus to clap her hands over her ears, crying out in pain and struggling to rise only to shatter into pieces. Tea smiled even as her field become emptier of one monster.

"For those that don't know," I said, "Hallowed Life Barrier protects from all damage this turn at the cost of a single card. A rather nice trap to have in your deck. And you can get that trap, and others, at the Kame Game Shop in West Domino. Tell Solomon that Edwin sent you and he won't give you any discounts because Solomon Muto doesn't believe in discounts."

"Did… did you just do a plug?" Mai said in surprise.

"I have to kill time somehow. They're just standing their staring blankly at the field." I gestured at the field as the Tea and Johnny just looked at the duel monsters. "You ever notice we all do that a lot?"

"Not really," Mai said.

"You've never noticed that a 10 minute duel takes 20 to 40 minutes because we all have inner monologues as we debate our next move?" I pressed.

"…I don't know, can we get back to commentary?" Mai asked, annoyed.

"You're just mad I revealed that everyone does monologues!"

"EDWIN!"

Tea held up a card. "I'll first activate Graceful Charity, allowing me to draw three cards and discard two." She did just that, considering her hand before sending two cards directly to the graveyard. "And now I think its time I made your little performance a World Tour… and its first stop is the Sanctuary in the Sky!"

The projectors hummed as on Tea's side of the field a great floating roman temple appeared, hovering in the air before them. The three shine balls zipped over and began to circle it, almost playfully chasing after each other as they moved through the archways and around the pillars.

"Next I summon The Agent of Judgment- Saturn!" The great ringed planet hung in the sky and the purplish-blue angel to form, landing on the Sanctuary and pointing right at the Musician King-Front Man. "Now Saturn… attack with Rings of Galileo!" Saturn nodded, forming a loop of pure holy energy, spinning it about his hands before hurling it at the Musician King-Front Man.

But just as it struck the Front Man Johnny threw out his hand.

"I think its time for a new act!" he declared and the attack halted. "I activate the effect of King's Stage. This allows me to return on Musician King fusion monster to my extra deck whe it is attacked and summon one Prodigy from my graveyard to the field and make that the new target while also adding one spell card from my graveyard to my hand. And because he was attacked Prodigy's effect activates, allowing me to activate my newly regained Musical Fusion for an encore performance! Only I think a twist is needed as I'll send Prodigy and Metalmorph to the graveyard to summon Musician King-Heavy Metal to the field in defense mode!"

The Musician Prodigy transformed again, his hair now dyed and spiked, piercings littering his body, and his clothing switched to a far darker and edgier look. Even the guitar changed to a sharp, angular instrument. He played a loud, bone rattling cord before settling into defense mode. (1050/2600)

The crowd gasped at that. "With that defense her monster can't defeat it!"

"That's right!" Johnny taunted. "And before you think about leaving this performance mid-show anyone that gets out of their seats trigger my monster's effect: if you don't battle my monster with at least one of your monsters then Heavy Metal destroys your entire field! And…" he snickered, "Any battle damage I do to your lifepoints is then done again as effect damage! You are done!"

Tea though… smirked.

"Ladies and gentlemen… you are about to see why it is important to know what cards your opponent has just as much as understanding your own," I said.

"Shine Ball," Tea said to the shock of everyone but myself, "attack Heavy Metal."

"Tea!" Yugi cried. "What are you-"

But the Shine Ball attacked, ramming into Heavy Metal only to be consumed by an explosion.

"And that is the end of the set!" Johnny declared… only to blink in surprise when he saw Tea's lifepoints hadn't gone down at all. "Wait… what trick is this?!?"

"No trick, Johnny," Tea said. "It's like Edwin said… you need to understand your opponents' cards just as much as your own. Weren't you at all curious what my Sanctuary in the Sky did? I mean I made such a big deal activating it but it didn't boost my attack or allow me to find a new monster… it did nothing." She smirked. "That's because the Sanctuary is exactly that: sanctuary. Any Fairy-Type monster that battles can be destroyed… by the Sanctuary has formed a barrier around my lifepoints, meaning that any damage you might have done goes down to zero."

"But… the effect damage…" Johnny gasped.

Tea shook her head. "Nope. You said it yourself. It is ALL based on battle damage. So if I take zero… no effect damage at all."

"Now THAT is a game changer!" Mai declared. "With that card she has eliminated Johnny's main strategy!"

"That's right Mai, for those in the audience who still don't understand, Johnny's deck is clearly built around fusion monsters that can deal different types of effect damage based on the battle damage they cause. But with Sanctuary In the Sky turning all battle damage to zero all he has is a bunch of colorful singers that can't do much at all."

"And Sanctuary is only protecting the Fairies," Mai added. "It isn't protecting Johnny's monsters."

Johnny seemed utterly stunned by this act. He stared at Tea, then down at his hand, and I could practically hear what he was thinking:

'I'm a big four-eyed lame-o. And I wear the same stupid sweater every day-'

No, that was how Homer Simpson though Ned Flanders thought.

It was clear that Johnny didn't know what to do. He thought he had a winning strategy but Tea had just torpedoed it with a single card. She now had control of the board. He finally just passed his turn, clearly thinking that if he just waited her out he would be able to win. Keep swapping monsters in and out, force her to attack, and maybe be able to summon something strong enough to take out her monsters and activate the 'You didn't attack so you lose' condition Pegasus had built into his rules.

"That was some move, Tea!" Yugi cheered.

The teen merely nodded in thanks before focusing on Johnny. "And I'm not done yet, Yugi! For my first move I'll summon The Agent of Mystery-Earth!" The Earth appeared on the field before glowing and shifting into a young angel, bubbly and happy and ready for battle. "And because Sanctuary in the Sky is on the field I am able to add one specific card from my deck to my hand." Tea held up the card, back turned towards Johnny so he couldn't see what it was. "Everything in our solar system, from the smallest stones in the asteroid belt to the mightiest planet, follow a path. Earth is not the center of our solar system, just like how you aren't the center of the universe."

"Oh this is gonna be good," I said with a grin.

"I banish my Agent of Creation-Venus from my graveyard in order to summon Master Hyperion!"

All of us were forced to shield our eyes as the sun itself appeared on the field, swirling and radiating the life giving yet also utterly destructive energy of a mighty star. It flared before consolidating into the mighty form of the commander of the agents, the Master of the Spheres himself, the great Hyperion! He toured over the rest of the field, so large that he barely fit in the arcade.

"Whoa," Mai whispered. "Where did she get that card?"

"You wouldn't believe me," I muttered. "But now do you see why she needed those Shine Balls? They flood her graveyard to allow her to use Hyperion's effect. Johnny's spells and traps are doomed."

"Now then, I use my Master Hyperion's special effect! By banishing another fairy, like my Shine Ball, from my graveyard I can destroy one card on the field. And I chose your King's Stage!" She thrust out her hand. "Master Hyperion, eliminate Johnny's field spell!"

The angel nodded his head before bringing his hands together, forming a ball of plasma that he hurled at the stage, the Musician King-Heavy Metal only able to kneel there in shook as the card was destroyed, leaving him with no protection.

"And now for your rocker! Master Hyperion, attack-"

Johnny grabbed his deck, though it wasn't because he was preparing for some new trick. No, he snatched his cards, the holograms deactivating as he began to walk away. "Whatever, I don't have time for this."

"…did he just give up?" Mai asked.

"I believe the term, ladies and gentlemen, is 'Rage Quit'."

The audience, clearly not happy with Johnny deciding to just storm off rather than finish the duel properly, began to boo and jeer him, calling out mocking comments about the Coward King and how he was all feet and no guts. And Tea… merely watched him go, shaking her head.

No grand speech about friendship or trying your best or being a better person. No telling him off for leaving the match without honor. No attempts to help Johnny grow and learn from what had happened.

She just stepped off the dueling platform and walked over to Yugi, who was watching Johnny go with a look a disappointment in his eyes.

'Jesus I've really fucked up canon, haven't I?' I thought as Mai and I caught up with the teens. "So…" I said slowly. "Whack A Mole?"

"I think I've had enough of the arcade, if that's alright," Yugi said. "I'd like to hit the museum."

"Fair enough," I said, motioning for the two to begin walking, Mai and I only a step behind, Renard keeping watch on us.

It was time for the Pharaoh to learn of his past.

~MC~MC~MC~

The museum wasn't terribly busy at all when the group finally made their way up the steps, Edwin fishing out his wallet to pay for the tickets. There were some people mingling about but the crowds had long disappeared once the sun had gone down. The children squealing as they ran from one exhibit to the next, the old people looking at the works of the masters, the students taking notes for their next project… all had long left and thus it was a nearly empty museum that greeted Yugi, Tea, Edwin, and Mai as they finally entered the main floor.

'This museum has to have some clues to help us learn more about the Spirit of the Millennium Puzzle,' Tea thought to herself as they made their way to the special Lost Egyptian Relics Exhibit. 'I feel so horrible for the Spirit… to have no memoryof who he is, what he did when he wasn't trapped in the puzzle. I don't know if I could handle that.' She glanced over at Edwin and Mai, who were looking at a golden mask but didn't seem to be truly paying attention to it. 'Still… is this just some wild goose chase? Me hoping for something that isn't going to come to pass? No… no, I can't think like that. I have to hold out hope that we will find the answers we seek!'

She stopped when she noticed that Yugi was no longer following her. She hoped for a moment that he had found something interesting but when she looked at him all she saw was him staring intently at a door.

"What's wrong?"

"I sense something. A powerful presence."

Tea swallowed. She knew at once that Yugi wasn't the one talking to her… the Spirit had taken over once more. "Down in the basement?"

"That never ends well in horror movies," Mai commented.

"Edwin," the Spirit said, "do you feel anything?"

"No," the older man admitted. "But the Key isn't really about sensing powers. It unlocks things and seals them up. Not for tracking."

"Either way I need to go down there," the Spirit said.

"Are you sure?"

"I am," was his only reply before he made his way down the stairs, the others hurrying after him. "Something down here is call out to me. I feel that the answers I seek… are near."

The four of them descended into the basement only to freeze at the sight of a great stone tablet that was enclosed with protective glass.

"That tablet… it has the Millennium Puzzle on it," the Spirit said.

"And those carvings… one of them looks like the Dark Magician," Mai said.

"No way!" Tea said, pressing her hand to her mouth. "And that one figure… he looks exactly like you… or Yugi… you know?"

"Yes, I do," the Spirit said. "It appears that the image is of two figures playing Duel Monsters."

"You and Kaiba," Edwin said, folding his arms over his chest. "That other one… he's wielding a big ol' dragon. Can't be anyone else."

"You're right!" Tea exclaimed. "Is this for real? It's freaking me out."

"It very much is real, Tea," the Spirit assured her. "This is the clue I was hoping for. Yet… there is still so much we don't know. I just wish I could understand what this all meant!"

"My Pharaoh, I have been expecting you."

The group turned quickly, staring down the new arrival. Renard tensed, ready to attack, only for Tea to take a step forward. "I remember seeing your picture in the paper," Tea said. "You're Ishizu Ishtar, the representative from the Egyptian Government!"

"I am many things, young one," Ishizu said only for Edwin to scoff.

"You're my friggin' age. Don't go acting like you're ancient." Under his breath he muttered, "Young one. You whipper snappers and your rap music…"

The Egyptian woman stared at Edwin for a moment, lips pressed together in a firm line, before turning away from him and focusing solely on the Spirit.

"I have uncovered many mysteries about you with the power of my Millennium Necklace."

"Another Item," the Spirit said.

"Like the Puzzle or Edwin's Key."

"The Key?" Ishizu said, a touch startled, her "I am calm and all knowing" attitude shaking slightly at that. She looked first to Tea, then Mai, before finally looking almost reluctantly at Edwin… who shrugged and willed his Millennium Key out. "That… that should not be possible. For you to wield-"

"Shadi didn't have much of a choice," Edwin said. "His time was limited. Some would say already gone."

"Very desperate then," Ishizu said, ignoring Edwin's glower at that insult before turning once more to the Spirit; though Tea didn't miss the dark look Mai sent the woman's way that spoke of barely hidden rage at the dismissing of her boyfriend. "With the power of my item I was able to gaze thousands of years into the past, when dark sorcerers attempted to use dark powers to take over the world." That made the Spirit gasp. "But… there was a brave king who used his power to save the world."

"And who was this king?"

"King Richard the Lionheart," Edwin snarked. "Who do you think?" He stepped forward and waved his hand towards the tablet. "She called you the Pharaoh, didn't she? Let's cut through the mystical bullshit: you must be the spirit of this Pharaoh who Ishizu believes saved the world."

"Believe? No. I know he saved the world."

Edwin though merely raised an eyebrow. "And considering you are one of the tomb keepers who were tasked with protecting the Millennium Items I am sure you aren't biased in the slightest."

"You know much you shouldn't, Edwin Chaos."

"I've led an interesting life."

"Indeed…" Ishizu said, touching her necklace… only to stutter slightly. "How-"

"Huh," Edwin said with a smirk. "Looks like you can't look at my past thanks to my Key locking down my mind and soul. Neat." He glowered at her. "We came seeking answers, not gushing from a fanatic. Now talk."

"Though his tone is improper… I find myself agreeing with Edwin," the Spirit… the Pharaoh… declared. "You hold the answers to my past. If you truly wish to help me you will reveal them to me."

Ishizu sighed. "I wish I could… but much of the past is shrouded in mystery. But this I do know: your arrival here was not by chance. You must save mankind once again."

"Save them? From what?"

"The events of the past are occurring again," Ishizu stated. "The return of the Millennium Items, your duel with Seto Kaiba…" she turned. "Even your arrival… Endymion."

That made Edwin stiffen before he glowered at her. "Edwin. Edwin Chaos."

"In this lifetime, perhaps," Ishizu said before gesturing towards another tablet, further down in the basement. The group walked forward, Ishizu still speaking behind them. "During the reign of the Nameless Pharaoh who saved mankind from darkness there came a traveler from the lands of Greece. A master sorcerer and mage who gathered unto him dedicated students. Like many he came to the Pharaoh's palace but unlike those that bowed before him this man instead met him in defiance."

There, upon the tablet, was the carved image of the pharaoh on a throne… and Endymion jabbing his finger at the Pharaoh, clearly enraged.

"It does look like you, Edwin," Tea said. "Without the beard and glasses…"

"Without my beard and glasses I look like 90 percent of the population," Edwin stated.

"But you also wield Endymion in your deck," the Pharaoh pointed out.

"Yeah and Tea has a sun god… does that make her Ra?" Edwin turned towards Ishizu. "And even if I was this Endymion the man I was and the man I am are two very different people. Fools look to the past and use it solely to determine what they should do. The present is what matters and right now I am wondering why you keep refusing to answer the Pharaoh's questions. You guarded the items, you know of him… talk."

"The past-"

"Is shrouded, blah blah blah. Just admit it, sister… you and your family failed." She winced at that and Tea realized Edwin had just hit the nail on the head. And he knew it too. "That's it, isn't it? You were supposed to guard the past but you all forgot it too and now you are scrambling. The world is in danger and if he doesn't save it then it isn't his fault… its yours. You and your pathetic forefathers who played games instead of doing your duty-" Mai placed a hand on Edwin's shoulder, getting him to back down.

Ishizu glared at him, defiant. "I am doing what I can to aid the Pharaoh."

"Then aid me," the Pharaoh said firmly. "Talk."

"I know you seek answers, my Pharaoh," Ishizu said. "Soon a Duel Monsters Tournament will be held. If you win it-"

Now it was Tea's turn to become angry. "You just told him that the world is threatened, that some evil he defeated once is coming again, and you refuse to tell him anything? Just that he needs to win a tournament?" She scoffed. "Edwin's right… you have failed and don't know anything."

"I know much," Ishizu declared. "Far more than you."

"Like the man that now comes after the Pharaoh and his friends," Edwin declared. "The leader of the Rare Hunters."

"How did you learn of them?" Ishizu asked, startled before narrowing her eyes. "You've dealt with them."

"Yeah. Their master tried to recruit me. He failed."

"Did he?"

"Watch it," Renard said coldly, reminding them all he was there. "My Captain is no traitor."

Edwin stepped forward. "Had a nice chat where I told their leader to fuck off. You know him as Marik Ishtar… your brother."

"Your brother?" the Pharaoh gasped.

"Indeed," Edwin said. "How about you tell us about him Ishizu? How Pegasus came to you with the Egyptian God Cards-" Ishizu actually stumbled back at that, "-but YOU lost them! Marik now holds two of the mightiest cards in all of Duel Monsters AND he has a Millennium Item as well!" he glanced at Tea. "One you personally know the power of."

"…the Millennium Rod," Tea whispered in horror, remembering just what Edwin's dark counterpart had been able to do with that Item. Terror filled her and Edwin suddenly reached out and grabbed her hand, giving it a squeeze.

"How… how do you…" Ishizu stammered.

"I've lived an interesting life. I know things… terrible things."

Ishizu glared at him, rallying. "You know nothing, Edwin Chaos."

"Fuck off Ygritte. I know that two cards, the Winged Dragon of Ra and Silfer the Sky Dragon are held by your brother. That he has sent his Rare Hunters to Domino to try and take the Millennium Puzzle. I don't know where the final god card is… but I can only assume since you haven't given it to your Pharaoh that you lost that one as well."

"It is in safe hands," was all Ishizu would say.

The Pharaoh stared her down. "I believe we are done. I have received answers… but far fewer than I had hoped." He looked right at Ishizu. "If what you say is right, that the world is in danger… your games are a wasteful distraction." With that he turned and began to walk away.

"Then allow me to share something with you, my Pharaoh! Endymion is NOT your ally!"

"Better the Devil you know," Edwin quipped… before Tea saw his eyes go black and gold. He never turned to look at her but Tea knew that was far worse than he had. "Your ancestors will not welcome you to the Field of Reeds, Ishizu Ishtar. They will curse your name. You have failed your Pharaoh and your family."

And with that Edwin left.

~MC~MC~MC~

Ishizu stood there, stunned. She had thought she knew how the meeting would go. That she would plant the seeds that would guide the Pharaoh towards the correct path to save the world… and her brother. That she would give him the false name of Yami to tide over his curiosity and would direct him towards the tournament, so he might prepare for the battle ahead.

But she had not seen Endymion interfering.

"How can this be?" she murmured. "How has he blocked himself from the gaze of my Millennium Necklace?"

"He didn't."

Ishizu froze, suddenly noticing that the entire basement had grown dark… save for a single illuminated being.

For where once was Mai Valentine, who had lingered behind the others… there was now Selene, Titan God of the Moon and the Lover of Endymion.

Ishizu couldn't even move before the goddess suddenly was on her, a burning hand that felt like dry ice pressed against her throat, lifting her easily into the air.

"You meddle in things you don't understand, thinking you are higher than even the gods. You aren't a champion of the immortals. You aren't even one of our oracles. You are a foolish girl born to a foolish man who thinks far too highly of your pathetic power." The goddess brought her in close. "Stand against my Endymion once more and I will destroy you… no." She smirked. "I will make you immortal, Ishizu Ishtar. Deny you even the hope of having your soul weighed. And you will be bond in chains and watch as I spend eternity torturing the last of your family… I will shred Marik's soul while all you can do is scream! You will know only his agony and realize it was your fault for hurting HE WHO IS MINE!"

And suddenly the lights were back on and Ishizu stumbled, finding herself alone…

…with a burn mark on her throat in the shape of a woman's hand.

~MC~MC~MC~

INTO THE CHAOSVERSE OMAKE

Earth 117

The alarms screeched and screamed and security raced through the halls. Normally they wouldn't have panicked, assuming that it was merely someone opening a fire door… but today was different. For these men weren't just on the payroll of the Shinobi Hospital. No, much of their wealth came from the "kindness" of the head of the Shie Hassaikai.

And today the Boss-Man's granddaughter had been born.

Skidding to a stop the head of security, Yuga, was burly man with a quirk that let him to turn his spit out a sticky glue that worked perfectly as a restraint, stopped before the nursery door; they'd cleared the entire wing earlier that day so only the Boss-Man's granddaughter was in there. A cloaked man had been spotted on the cameras going in and the guards were looking forward to getting a pound of flesh from the idiot that had snuck in… even if it was just a new father who wanted to sneak a peak at their child and ended up on the wrong floor. The security team honestly didn't care who they pounded in to so long as they could report it back to the Boss-Man. He was always willing to pay extra for them doing good work, even if they hadn't actually done anything of meaning.

Flashing three fingers Yuga counted down silently before slamming his shoulder into the door and rushing in, preparing to spit a glob of restraining goo at his target.

He never got a chance.

Instead he and the rest of the guards found themselves stiffen as a field of energy swirled around them, lifting their prone forms.

"Shhhh," the intruder said softly in English, cradling the Boss-Man's granddaughter in one arm while the other fired the beam at them, "the baby's sleeping."

He was like nothing any of them had seen before. From head to toe he was covered in gold and blue armor. On his head was a thick helm with glowing eyes and his hands were encased in thick gauntlets with twin barrels on each one. Yet as he moved it was with a quickness and speed that one in suck armor should not possess.

"Gentle, would you?" the armored figure asked and a second man, dressed in elegant evening wear, smiled as he stepped from the shadows and took baby Eri. This allowed the first man to pull out, of all things, a notebook, which he quickly began to write in before ripping out a page and tossing it out. The security team watched as the paper twisted and changed until it formed into five steel cords, each of which locked around their wrists and lead to… "Before you ask… yes, that is a bomb." The final cord wrapped around a pipe in the ceiling, ensuring the guards couldn't move.

"Who the hell do you think you are?" Yuga demanded.

"Me?" the armored man asked. "Chaosbringer. And I'm going to change the world."

And with that he and Gentle left, baby Eri cradled close.

Introducing the Mr. Chaos of Earth 117

Tomi Adohira aka Chaosbringer

Quirk: Writer's Gift. This quirk allows Tomi to transform an object into what he writes upon it. The more detailed the description the more powerful and strong the creation is. The item must exist in the real world.

Equipment: Chaosbringer Armor. Created using his quirk the Chaosbringer armor is bullet proof, made of the strongest alloys on earth, with flight boots and a Zero Point Restraint Beam built into the gauntlets.

Allies:

Danjuro Tobita aka Gentle. Edwin appeared in Japan…and 5 stories off the ground… before Danjuro, who saved him with his quirk. Edwin was the first person to call him a hero and earned Danjuro's eternal friendship and loyalty. As Gentle he is Chaosbringer's second in command.

Eri Adohira. Kidnapped from the hospital on the day of her birth, Tomi, Danjuro and their allies have raised her and helped her master her quirk, using quirk-suppressing jewelry to ensure she never harms a soul. Eri does not know that Tomi is not her birth father.

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