Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's: The Guardian Signer

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*Disclaimer: This story is a work of creative expression. I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh!, Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's, Konami, or any of it's affiliates. The use of their intellectual property in this work is purely for the purpose of personal creative expression and not for financial gain in any capacity. As a work of my own creative expression, this story is considered to take place in an ALTERNATIVE UNIVERSE (AU) that, while most of the time attempts to follow the canon story as closely as possible, often incorporates creative changes and deviations to suit the needs of the author. I do my best to explain all concepts of the story, though it is assumed that the reader has at least minor knowledge of the Yu-Gi-Oh! card game and the Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's universe. This work contains acts of violence, blood, death, and occasional minor profanity. Thank you for reading! There is literally no need for me to have this disclaimer here, but guess what, I wrote it anyway... and you are reading it anyway. I really don't know why, because this story is long enough as it is... so go on, read it already! But seriously, thanks for reading!

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Chapter One: Ground Zero - Part One

The Satellite was what they called it - A broken, desolate place where every day was a struggle and dreams never seemed to come true felt like a cruel joke compared to its namesake. To Oliver Flynn, a satellite was supposed to be something that could soar so high that it left the atmosphere, looking down on the world, distant from all it's problems. Poverty, Starvation, Disease; many people in the Satellite suffered from these problems and many more. Still, the citizens of Satellite were tough, and had grown to adapt to the cruel environment.

Despite the struggle that pushed them down, many people of the Satellite had found ways to push back and survive under it's harsh conditions. Some Satellites, as it's citizens were referred to, resorted to more primal reasoning. Theft, violence, and chaos was rampant in the Satellite. In the struggle for survival, sometimes the worst was brought out in people. But like any group of people with a bad reputation, the actions of a few do not speak for the whole. There were plenty of good people in Satellite who simply had the misfortune of being in the wrong place at the wrong time. The Flynn family was one of these exceptions.

Oliver Flynn was born to Frank and Lydia Flynn in the heart of the Satellite. Oliver was their only child and so was treated with exceptional love and kindness. His parents always worked hard to make life as easy as they could for Oliver. When there wasn't enough food, they made sure he ate, and when the weather was cold, they made sure that he was warm, even if they had to bear the cold themselves. It was clear for anyone to see that the Flynn's treasured their son even above themselves.

As Oliver grew older, he developed an interest in a game that was an important part of the world they lived in - Duel Monsters. The card game was known to all, and was an extremely versatile concept. The game had evolved not only as a form of entertainment but as a way to settle arguments and bring about peace. Even someone from the lowest tier of society could use Duel Monsters to work their way up to the top.

The most popular form of the game was now played on vehicles known as D-Wheels - Motorized bikes that zoomed around at high speeds while the players battled. These Turbo Duels were the ultimate form of entertainment as well as a symbol of freedom.

Oliver's greatest dream was to become a turbo-duelist one day.

But such dreams as leaving the Satellite and becoming famous were much easier said than done. People in the Satellite weren't allowed to have decks of cards, let alone D-wheels of their own. The ever vigilant security team kept a watchful eye on the citizens of Satellite. Yet there were some who resisted. There were those who were able to fool security, in fact many people had at least a few cards of their own which they treasured above all else, and those who were extremely daring even had D-Wheels of their own. These people were marked as criminals and severely punished if they managed to get caught.

Oliver's father was one such "criminal."

Although Frank was one of the kindest people in the Satellite, he was also labelled a criminal by the authorities. He had his very own D-Wheel and a complete deck of Duel Monsters cards which he used on a daily basis in order to survive and protect his family. Oliver learned very quickly that just because the law stated something, didn't mean it was right. His father taught him that all people, even those from the Satellite deserved a chance to prove themselves and that it was wrong for security to deprive them of their own decks and D-Wheels.

Oliver looked up to his father a lot, and in many ways, he was everything Oliver strived to be as a man, a father, and a duelist.

On Oliver's eighth birthday, his mother and father gave him his first Duel Monsters card. It was a very rare and powerful monster card and Oliver could not imagine what it took for them to come across such a valuable card. The very fact that they were giving it to him was a reminder of how much they cared for him.  

"Oliver," His father said as he handed the card to his son. "Come with me, please."

Frank led his son out to the front porch of their house. It wasn't much more than a ruined building with vines struggling to reclaim it, but to Oliver and his family it was home. An old wooden bench sat out on the cracked concrete patio and Oliver and his father wandered over to it, taking a seat. The sun was shining and even a place as run-down as Satellite looked almost Beautiful that day. It was a day that would stay with Oliver for the rest of his life.

As he and his father sat on the old bench, Oliver held the card that he'd received for his birthday like a trophy before him, admiring it with wide eyes and a bright smile. As his father watched him admire the card, a soft bittersweet smile covered his face.

"Oliver, that card is very special, you know?" He explained to the young black-haired boy.

Oliver looked up with large Emerald eyes at his father.

"Of course, I've never seen a monster card like this!"* He said with a fresh excitement in his voice.

Oliver looked down once more at the monster card. Depicted on the card was a fierce dragon with Clear wings. While most monster cards had tan or yellow frames, this one had a silvery-white frame.

"That's because it's a very rare type of monster known as a Synchro monster." His father explained. "Synchro monsters are a very special type of Monster that can only be summoned under certain conditions."

"What kinds of conditions?" Oliver asked, fascinated by his father's words.

"Well, do you see those stars at the top of the card, right beneath the name?" Frank asked his son, pointing to the small red circles inlayed with Yellow stars. "A Synchro monster can only be specially summoned from the Extra Deck when it's tuned by something called a Tuner Monster. That Tuner Monster's level - or number of stars - needs to be added to another monsters level in order to equal the level of the Synchro monster."

Oliver knew what the Extra deck was. It was a small deck separate from a duelists main deck that held extra special cards that required certain conditions to be met before they were summoned.

"Extra deck.. like fusion monsters." Oliver said, recalling what he knew about Fusion summoning. Fusion summoning required the duelist to have a card known as Fusion or Polymerization as well as the specific Monsters that needed to be fused together in order to create the Fusion Monster.

"But Dad," Oliver said, looking back up into his father's eyes. "What's a Tuner Monster?"

Frank smiled down at his son, it always filled him with pride to see how interested Oliver was in his favorite game. Frank reached for the box that he kept clipped to his belt and withdrew from it his own dueling deck. He shuffled through the cards for a moment, searching for a specific one. When he found the card he was looking for, he revealed it to his son. The card depicted a small green bird.

"This is a tuner monster." He explained, handing the card to Oliver.

As Oliver inspected the card, he saw the word "Tuner" clearly marked on the card.

"Let's see, so your new Synchro monster is level seven." Frank began to explain. "That means this little guy, who is level three, would need to be tuned with a level four non-tuner monster in order to summon him."

It was a simple enough concept for Oliver to understand. He was already imagining himself doing it.

"Additionally, As long as you have at least one Tuner Monster, you can use as many other non-Tuner monsters as you like." Frank continued to explain. "For example, you could tune this Tuner Monster with two level two non-Tuner Monsters..."

"Or with a level three and a level one Monster?" Oliver added with a bright smile.

Frank chuckled. "Or a level two and two level one monsters!"

"Or four level one monsters!" Oliver said excitedly, to which both he and his father chuckled.

It seemed as though Oliver could spend the whole day just sitting outside with his father talking about Duel Monsters together. Frank spent several hours with his son explaining the rules, and talking about Duel monsters with his son. It was a day Oliver would never forget.

"Son," Frank said eventually with a more serious tone than usual.

Oliver took notice of this shift in tone and looked up questioningly at his father.

"Being a turbo-duelist is an extremely freeing experience. The road that lies ahead can be one of design, or one that you make on your own. Anything is possible through dueling, but you must remember that there is nothing more important than protecting the people you love. Dueling should never be used to hurt others unnecessarily, though sometimes we must do what is necessary to fight for what we believe in." Frank said to his son.

The words resonated deeply with Oliver, and he suddenly wanted nothing more than to become a great turbo-duelist like his father.

"It's not right for Security to treat the people of Satellite like vermin. There are good people here, and everyone deserves a chance to prove themselves through dueling." Frank continued. He placed a hand gently on Oliver's shoulder. "You deserve a better life than this, my son. One day, you will become a great Duelist, and I believe that you will find the strength to escape from here."

Oliver looked up at his father and considered what he was saying. Dueling was something he always dreamed of doing, but the thought of leaving his family behind was never something he considered.

Oliver suddenly threw his arms around his father. "But I don't want to leave the Satellite... I can't leave you and mom behind."

Frank had not quite expected an answer like that from his son, and was unsure how to react. Oliver's words were both heartwarming and troublesome at the same time. Frank slowly put a comforting arm around his son as they sat in Silence for a moment. He couldn't bear to tell the boy that he and his mother may not always be around to take care of him. Instead he would have to do everything in his power to make sure Oliver was prepared for when that day came.

And that day would come much sooner than any of them expected.

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Two years passed.

Oliver, now ten years old stood outside with an assortment of other children his age.

"Come on, Oliver show it to us again!" Said a small girl with short brown hair pulled up into pigtails.

The rest of the children gathered around Oliver like moths to a flame. With a look of pride, Oliver reached into his pocket and pulled out his most treasured card. As he held it out for the children to see, a chorus of "oohs" and "aahs" washed over him.

"Clear Wing Synchro Dragon." Oliver said, stating the name of the monster for the other children. "It's a Synchro Monster with a super-powered attack strength."

"It's so cool!" The girl with pigtails stated as she looked down at the card with shimmering eyes. Most children didn't have Duel Monsters cards in the Satellite, and even if they did none were as powerful as Oliver's card.

"It sure is, my dad gave it to me and he said that with this card, I'll be the strongest duelist Satellite has ever seen... I might even make my way to Neo-Domino City!" Oliver said, the sense of pride he felt for owning the card feeding his ego.

The children that had gathered around all voiced their excitement at Oliver's story. No one had ever left the Satellite before, even though they had all heard the bedtime stories of the hero who had escaped on the Daedalus bridge - a bridge that he never even finished. But most children grew out of that story and realized that leaving the Satellite wasn't really an option for them. It was just one of those dreams that kept you going even if you knew it wasn't something you could achieve. Still, Satellites had to take what hope they could get even if that hope was false.

"Oliver, you really think you could make it to Neo-Domino City?" The young girl asked, hope in her eyes.

"I sure can!" Oliver answered. "And Clear Wing Synchro Dragon will lead the way!"

"Wow!" The young girl giggled with excitement. "If you did that you'd be like the hero of Satellite!"

Oliver beamed at the young girl as the rest of the children began talking among themselves. Their words inspired him and contributed to his sense of pride. At the moment it seemed as though nothing could bring him down, until he heard an unfamiliar voice break over the dull roar of the nearby children.

"More like the zero of Satellite." Said a mocking voice in the distance.

As if at once, all heads turned in the direction of the voice as silence hushed over the small alley in which the children had gathered. Walking down the alley towards them was an older kid, likely in his early teens. Although they had never encountered him personally before, most of the neighborhood kids knew who he was.

His name was Jasper, but all anyone ever needed to know was that he was a bully. He stood a good six inches taller than any other kid there and had medium-length orange hair that parted down the center. he wore a small set of round-framed glasses and was never seen without a toothpick hanging out the side of his mouth. Everything about him screamed bad news.

Oliver furrowed his brow and frowned, the sense of elation he'd felt seconds ago now replaced with annoyance.

"What do you want, Jasper?" He asked, defiantly.

As the rest of the children stood silently around him, he felt a sense of leadership in the situation, as if all eyes were now on him to do something about this intruder, this violator of their sacred space.

Jasper's eyes had already been on Oliver from the start. It was obvious why he was here, but Oliver wasn't going to let that scare him.

"I'm here for that lovely dragon of yours , mate, the one with the clear wings you've been braggin' about all over Satellite. Not a very smart move, mate. come on then," He said extending his palm authoritatively. "Let's have it."

Oliver could feel his heart pounding in his chest. Jasper was much bigger than him and could easily overwhelm him in a fight, but there was no way he would just hand over his prized card like that.

Oliver swallowed hard and took a deep breath before firmly replying, "No."

Alarms started to ring in his ears. Oliver had no idea how to back himself up now that he had put his foot down and stood up to Jasper. He knew that he might very well get himself beaten but he was determined not to let the card his parent's had given him fall into this boys hands.

Jasper's brow wrinkled in irritation as he eyeballed the small kid that stood before him in rebellion.

"Listen, kid," Jasper began to say as he took a few steps closer to Oliver. "That's no way to talk to your superiors. Now I've asked you nicely this time, but if I have to ask again it's not going to be so politely."

Oliver was now very aware of how quiet it was. Time seemed to stretch on for an eternity as he struggled to muster up the courage to stand up for himself. He took yet another deep breath.

"This card doesn't belong to you. I won't let you have it." He said firmly, with only a slight quiver in his voice.

His bravery must have inspired the young girl because she, too, now stood with him, facing Jasper defiantly.

"It's not your card, it belongs to Oliver!" She shouted.

Jasper seemed a little taken aback by their actions, and even a little amused.

"Who's this, Zero? Your girlfriend?" Jasper asked mockingly.

Neither of them answered, but both stood their ground as Jasper cackled with ironic laughter. Once he stopped he knelt down in front of the girl, pressing his palm to her forehead and shoving her backwards. She stumbled and fell, landing on her bottom in the dirt of the alleyway. This seemed to ignite a fire in Oliver as he lurched forward and shoved Jasper as hard as he could. In the position Jasper was kneeling, it didn't take much to knock him off balance. The boy toppled backwards and onto his back, his eyes now piercing through Oliver with a deadly gaze. He got up much quicker than Oliver anticipated and snatched the card from his hands with a smug look. Oliver was surprised at how easily he had let it go and rationalized that if he had kept a grip on it he may have accidentally ripped it.

"Tough break mate, but I'll give you points for tryin'." Jasper said as he grabbed hold of Oliver's hair, pulling him forward by it.

Oliver tensed up at the pain and walked unwillingly in the direction he was being pulled. Jasper tossed him towards the nearby buildings and the momentum carried Oliver straight into the wall. His face smashed against the concrete and he could feel the painful sting of scraped skin on his cheek.

Jasper walked toward Oliver once more and threw a punch at him, which landed squarely on the underside of his jaw, knocking him aside as he fell to the dirt below. Oliver reeled from the pain in his jaw and as he tried to push himself back up he felt the boot of his enemy press firmly against the small of his back. Jasper knelt down and spoke to him in little more than a whisper.

"A weakling like you doesn't deserve a card like this. If anyone deserves to be the hero of Satellite it's someone strong, like me." he said spitefully.

With that, he kicked Oliver in the ribs, knocking him aside once again. Oliver rolled onto his back and let out a grunt of pain as Jasper left the alley with Oliver's prized card and his pride as well.

With the danger gone, the other kids began to gather around him and ask if he was okay. No one had ever stood up to Jasper like that before and they had all been terrified to help. Oliver understood and didn't hold a grudge for their lack of interference. He pushed himself up and looked over to the girl who had been pushed. She had a friend helping her up already and looked to be okay. Oliver managed to stand and slowly walked over to her.

"You were pretty brave back there.. you're pretty tough." he said, praising her. "What's your name?"

"Jade." She said softly, looking up at Oliver, the hint of tears forming in her eyes.

"Well, thank you, Jade, you did a great job." Oliver told her.

The pain he was feeling at the moment was getting to him, as was the embarrassment. Mere moments ago he had been the star of the neighborhood and now his prized possession had been taken from him. He had to get it back somehow. He didn't feel like he could face his father if he just let someone take that card away from him so easily. He owed it to his dad to try and get the card back.

"Where do you suppose he's headed?" Oliver asked.

One of the other kids answered.

"You're not seriously going after him like that, are you?" The kid asked incredulously.

Oliver knew it sounded crazy, but there was no way he was going to let his resolve waver. That card meant too much to him and he was going to get it back no matter what he had to do.

"That's exactly what I'm gonna do." he affirmed the kid as he began to walk off in the direction Jasper had left.

Oliver was determined and even if no one wanted to help him, he would just have to find that thief on his own. But just before he rounded the corner, he heard one of the other kids speak up.

"I sometimes see him at the old fuel station across town... I think he hangs out there." said one of the boys.

"Then that's where I'm headed." Oliver said without so much as a glance back at the small crowd of children.


It was a long walk, but eventually Oliver had found his way to the old fuel station where it was said that Jasper liked to hang out. Perched behind some fallen rubble, Oliver kept a watchful eye on the place. It seemed that Jasper hadn't shown up yet, but perhaps he decided to make some other stop on the way here. Either that or this wasn't the place he hung out at all. Oliver didn't care either way, He would get his card back no matter how long he had to wait. If Jasper didn't show up within the next hour or so he would simply start looking elsewhere.

It was quiet out here. Not many people seemed to wander to this part of Satellite and Oliver could see why it might make a good hiding spot. He wondered if he should risk moving in closer or even trying to investigate the place. He didn't want to be caught by surprise again, otherwise he could very well experience a repeat of his encounter with Jasper earlier. As Oliver took a few cautious steps closer, he realized that he didn't really have a plan for if Jasper showed up. Without a dueling deck of his own, there was no way for him to be able to hold his own in a fight against a much larger opponent. Perhaps his only chance was to rely on stealth.

Oliver moved silently towards the abandoned building, careful to draw the minimum amount of attention to himself in case anyone was keeping watch. Suddenly, as he approached what he reckoned to be the halfway point between his hiding spot and the building, he heard a noise behind him. His heart rate spiked as he whipped his head around in the direction of the noise. It sounded as though someone had stepped on a bit of loose gravel. As he glanced behind him he saw with a slight relief and mild surprise that the sound had been made by Jade. The young girl looked frozen in time for a moment as she realized her presence had been discovered.

"Jade, what are you doing here?" Oliver whispered frantically.

"I wanted to help get your card back." She answered with a slight blush.

Oliver appreciated her concern and determination, but this place wasn't safe for her and he didn't want to be responsible if she got hurt.

"You shouldn't have come here, it's dangerous!" Oliver whispered as Jade was sneaking closer to him.

"I'll be careful, I promise!" she argued.

Oliver supposed there was little he could do about the situation now. They were right in the thick of Jasper's territory and at any moment he could show up. Oliver tried to think of the best solution for the time being.

"Alright," He finally reasoned. "But at the first sign of trouble you hide yourself and as soon as you get a chance, run away and get help."

Jade gave him a confident nod. Oliver hoped it wouldn't come to that, but he at least felt a little bit better. In the worst case scenario he figured he could cause a distraction long enough for her to get away.

The two kids continued sneaking towards the building until they finally managed to reach the entrance. The place was well lit due to the amount of holes in the walls and the lack of ceiling in some parts, but in the Satellite a place like this was still a prime location for a hang out or even a shelter. There was debris everywhere and plant-life growing up through the floor in places. There was a mattress thrown in the corner with a few blankets laying on it and a ratty old pillow. This must have been where Jasper slept.

Jade stayed close behind Oliver as they slowly crept through the hideout. Eventually, something glinting in the sunlight caught Oliver's attention. He made his way over to the makeshift table. It was little more than a piece of wooden board propped up on cinder blocks. On top of it was a pile of cards, likely cards that Jasper had stolen from other kids. Oliver was in awe of the collection - he had never seen so many cards together at once except for his dad's own dueling deck. Jasper was apparently working on building his own deck, and from the looks of things, he was nearly finished completing it.

For a moment Oliver couldn't help but consider the Idea of taking these cards. The allure of nearly having his own deck was tempting him, but it quickly subsided as he realized the cards wouldn't rightfully be his anymore than they belonged to Jasper. He wished there was an easy way of figuring out who each card belonged to, then maybe he could at least try to give them back.

Before he could finish any of these thoughts a voice broke the silence.

"Impressive, isn't it." Jasper's voice interrupted Oliver's concentration and he whipped around in a panic, instinctively moving Jade behind him with his right arm. Her safety was his primary concern at the moment.

Jasper was smirking as though he had just discovered that someone had left him a free meal.

"Looking for this?" He asked, brandishing Oliver's dragon card. "I gotta admit, kid, you've got guts coming here."

"I came to get my card back." Oliver said trying to sound braver than he was feeling.

Jasper chuckled coldly. "You're a riot, kid, but I'll tell you what, I'll give you your card back if you can beat me in a duel."

Oliver's heart sank. There was no way he could duel if he didn't have a deck.

"I don't have a deck, so why don't you just give it back?" He asked.

Jasper motioned the the cards scattered on the makeshift table.

"Well then, I guess you can use that deck." He offered.

Oliver was confused. He thought that those cards were supposed to make up Jasper's deck, but as he took a closer look, it seemed that Jasper had a deck of his own already strapped to his belt. So Jasper had even more cards than Oliver originally thought. What lengths must he have gone to to accumulate such a collection?

Jasper didn't wait for an answer. Instead he stepped forward, taking advantage of Oliver's distraction with the cards and grabbed Jade by the upper arm. She squealed out in protest.

"You take your time putting that deck together, mate. This little brat is coming with me for now. If you want to get her back, meet me outside in five minutes." Jasper said as he dragged Jade with him out the exit. "I'll be waiting."

Oliver cursed himself for not keeping a closer watch on Jade. Now she was in danger and he had gotten her caught up in all this.

Oliver wasted no time in gathering up the scattered card. He looked them over briefly, trying to recall everything he knew about dueling. All of the advice his father had given him in recent years began echoing in the back of his mind.

With a sinking heart, Oliver began to notice that these monsters were not the most powerful. They were perhaps nothing but the discarded remains of Jasper's true deck - cards that didn't make the cut. Oliver had no choice. He remembered his Dad telling him "No card is useless - each one, no matter how deceptively weak it may seem, has it's purpose."

His father's words seemed to echo tangibly in his head as he gathered up the last of the cards and rushed out into the cleared area surrounding the building.

Jasper was waiting with an old, beat-up duel disk on his arm. There was a second duel disk sitting across from him where Oliver was meant to stand. It looked to be in even worse condition than Jasper's and as though it might not even function properly. Still, as Oliver placed it on his arm he felt a sense of exhilaration.

Jade was sitting behind Jasper, he had tied a rope around her left wrist, tethering her to a nearby pipe. Oliver scowled at him from across the field, but the only response he got was a smirk.

"Alright, kid, I'm about to teach you a lesson for messing with me." Jasper said as he turned on his duel disk.

Oliver activated his duel disk as well, sliding the amalgamation of cards he collected into the deck slot. The number 4OOO flashed on his life point counter. Oliver's heart was racing, but no longer out of fear. Despite the circumstances, he could not help but feel a rush of excitement to finally be dueling.

"In case a dumb little kid like you doesn't know how to duel, we both draw five cards." Jasper explained as he pulled five cards from the top of his deck.

Oliver remembered his father telling him that once. He reached for the deck of cards, pulling five of them from the top and looking at them. He'd gotten three monster cards, a spell card, and a trap card. They all looked familiar to him from the time his dad had explained all the card types to him. Traps had a magenta border, Spells had green, and Monsters either had a rusty brown or yellow color depending on whether they carried effects or not.

Jasper was glancing at his cards with delight before he looked up and met Oliver's gaze once again.

"You're doomed kid, so I may as well at least let you go first." Jasper chuckled.

Oliver wasn't going to complain. He immediately began thinking about what he should do. All his monsters had pretty low attack points.

"By the way you're supposed to draw a card on your turn, moron." Jasper reminded him.

Of course, how could he have forgotten. Oliver reached for the top card of his deck and and added it to his hand. It was a spell card - now he had two of those. He quickly reached for the monster with the highest attack points. and decided to summon it.

"I summon Water Girl (Normal/LVL 4/ATK 125O/DEF 1OOO) in attack mode!" Oliver declared as he set the card on the monster zone of his duel disk.

Before him, the hologram system of the duel disk began to come to life as a mysterious looking girl appeared. This was how the duel disk worked. The monsters on the cards seemed to come to life right before their eyes. This was what made dueling such an incredible experience.

Jasper cackled at the sight of Oliver's monster.

"That thing doesn't stand a chance against my monsters." he said smugly.

Oliver didn't have much else to do, he knew he couldn't attack on the first turn, so he decided to place his trap card face down and end his turn.

"Now watch a real duelist in action, mate." Jasper said, drawing the top card from his deck and adding it to his hand.

"I summon Efflorescent Knight  (Effect/LVL 4/ATK 2OOO/DEF 2OO) in attack mode!" Jasper shouted as a large rock-monster with silver protrusions appeared on the field opposite Oliver's monster.

"This monsters got way more attack points than your pathetic water girl. Now Efflorescent Knight, let's show this kid who the real duelist is here, crush that weakling monster of his!" Jasper shouted, commanding his monster to attack.

Oliver's monster wouldn't stand a chance... unless -

"I activate my trap card, Intrigue Shield!" He shouted, just in time to halt the incoming attack. "Intrigue shield can be equipped to my monster and prevent it from being destroyed -plus I won't take any battle damage!"

Jasper scoffed, but then realized he had an answer to the problem.

"No worries then, mate, I activate from my hand the quick-spell card Mystical Space Typhoon and destroy your precious trap card!" He shouted as a sudden tornado shot forth from Jasper's card and destroyed Oliver's trap.

The battle continued and now, without Intrigue Shield to protect her, Water Girl was destroyed and Oliver took a massive hit to his life points. The force of the attack knocked him backwards and as he glanced at his life point counter which now read 325O. Oliver pushed himself back up and stood waiting for Jasper to finish his turn.

"I'll set a card face-down and end my turn. Follow that, kid." Jasper said.
Just then, the attack points of Jasper's monster suddenly dropped from 2OOO to 14OO.

"Hey, what's the big Idea? what happened to my monster's attack strength?" Jasper shouted angrily.

Oliver checked the monster again and realized that it had an effect that lowered it's attack points every turn.

"Efflorescent Knight loses 6OO attack points at the end of your turn." Oliver read the card text to Jasper.

Jasper wasn't too happy about this, but there was nothing he could do about it. Oliver decided to use it to his advantage.

"My turn, I draw." He said as he added yet another card to his hand.

It was another Monster card, but even though it's attack points were the highest of any other card in his hand it still didn't have enough points to beat Jasper's monster. Oliver figured he might have to wait until Efflorescent Knight's attack points drop again, but he had already taken some damage and if he didn't do something quick they would go down even more on his next turn. That was when he remembered his father telling him that Spell cards can sometimes be combined with Monster cards to make them stronger. After another check of the cards in his hand, Oliver knew what he had to do.

"First I summon Moon Envoy (Normal/LVL 4/ATK 11OO/DEF 1OOO) in attack mode." Oliver declared, inciting a sneer from Jasper.

"That card is too weak to take on my Efflorescent Knight even after it's attack points were lowered." Jasper laughed confidently.
Oliver wasn't going to let Jasper's words get to him, he had a plan after all.

"It might not be strong on it's own, but when I combine it with the Sword of Deep-Seated it's attack points will increase to 16OO!" Oliver explained as he placed the equip spell in the duel disk, equipping it to Moon Envoy.

Jasper didn't look so confident now, but Oliver was confident enough that he was going to declare an attack.

"Alright Moon Envoy, attack Efflorescent knight!" Oliver commanded as his monster leaped forward and slashed through the enemy monster.

Jasper grunted in response to the force of the attack, his life points dropping to 38OO in the process.

"Alright, so you managed to do a tiny bit of damage and destroy one monster, big deal. I wouldn't celebrate too much because now I get to activate my trap - Michizure!" Jasper shouted as the ground seemed to open up beneath Moon Envoy and Efflorescent knight's arm reach up and pulled moon envoy down with it.

"If my monster is going down, Michizure makes sure your monster does, too!" Jasper explained.

Oliver grunted.. he had just managed to get a powerful monster on the field and now it was gone.

Due to the effect of Sword of Deep-Seated, the card returned to the top of Oliver's deck when it was destroyed. That meant there was no chance of being able to add a stronger monster to his hand next turn. If Jasper summoned another strong monster, he was going to be in for a rough time. Additionally, his field was now empty, leaving him wide open for a direct attack.

"Too bad, kid, looks like you won't be getting your Synchro card back after all." Jasper taunted him.

"Now," Jasper announced as he drew his next card. "I summon to the field Zombyra the Dark (Effect/LVL 4/ATK 21OO/DEF 5OO)!"

A caped monster appeared on Jasper's field with massive attack power. Oliver had no chance of defending himself against something like that.

"Lucky for you, mate, this guy can't attack you until you have a monster on the field, so it looks like you get to suffer a bit longer." Jasper explained.

Oliver felt a momentary relief, but it was short lived as he realized it was only a matter of time before that monster managed to wipe out his life points. He pulled the next card off the top of his deck, which of course was the Sword of Deep-Seated. The strongest monster in his hand, even with this equip card, wouldn't come anywhere near the attack power of Zombyra the Dark. The best thing he could do in this scenario was to place a monster in defense position. At least that way, when it was destroyed, he wouldn't lose any life points.

"I summon Protector of the Throne (Normal/LVL 4/ATK 8OO/DEF 15OO) in defense mode and end my turn." Oliver said, feeling slightly disappointed that he could do no better than that.

"With moves like that, kid, you're never gonna save your little girlfriend here or get your card back." Jasper said with a chuckle as he drew his next card.

"It was a nice try, but unfortunately I just drew the spell card Stop Defense, and I think I'll activate it." Jasper explained as Oliver's monster was forced into attack mode. Inevitably, Jasper ordered his monster to attack and with such a low attack strength, Protector of the Throne was destroyed and Oliver took yet another massive hit to his life points.

Oliver was pushed backwards by the force of the battle and fell onto his back. He pushed himself up yet again to check his life point counter - it read 195O. He had less than half his life points left and so far he'd only managed to make a 2OO point dent in Jasper's life points. Something was going to have to change, and fast. Oliver could hear his father's words echoing in the back of his mind. "No matter how desperate things seem, a single card can change the entire course of the game."

Oliver stood up, still determined to put up a fight. Zombyra the Dark's attack points now dropped to 19OO due to it's effect, which didn't seem to make Jasper very happy. Oliver wasn't sure that this would help him much unless he managed to get a really powerful monster on the field. He had to trust in his fathers advice and make whatever card he drew next count.

"My turn..." Oliver said, really feeling the sting from his earlier beating as well as the damage he had taken in this duel. He reached for the top card of his deck, trying to concentrate as if to will the next card he drew to be a game changer. He just had to win if he wanted to save Jade and to get his prized card back. Slowly he drew the next card and added it to his hand. As he looked at the card his eyes widened in disbelief. Woah! I did it! he thought to himself as he suddenly felt energized once again.

"What are you looking so confident about, there's no way you'll be able to defeat me, kid." Jasper said, arrogantly.

"Watch and learn cause I'm about to turn the tide of this duel!" Oliver shouted.

Oliver noticed that the slightest hint of concern flashed on Jasper's face.

"You're bluffing, those cards are nothing but weaklings that didn't deserve a spot in my deck - they're useless!" Jasper shouted, the irritation in his voice apparent.

"No card is useless." Oliver said, repeating the words his father had taught him. "Now get ready!"

Jasper grunted with obvious agitation as Oliver began to explain.

"First of all, I should thank you for destroying my monsters, because now that they are in the graveyard all the conditions have been met in order for me to summon a more powerful monster!" Oliver explained.

"No way, you're telling me that you're happy I destroyed your monsters? And now you think that because of that you can summon a powerful monster from that reject deck of yours?" Jasper asked, his tone full of doubt.

"That's exactly right," Oliver verified. "Let me show you - see, since I now have three normal monsters in my graveyard, I can remove two of them from play in order to special summon Knight of the Red Lotus (Effect/LVL 6/ATK 21OO/DEF 18OO) in attack mode!"

Jasper seemed taken aback at the sight of the powerful monster.

"I forgot all about that card," Jasper explained. "I don't use any normal monsters...."

"What's more is that I can use Knight of the Red Lotus's effect to special summon a normal monster from my graveyard, so Water Girl is returning to my field!" Oliver explained as Water Girl appeared alongside his Knight.

"But wait, there's more! I can attach my equip card, Sword of Deep-Seated to Water Girl and raise her attack points by 5OO!" Oliver stated as Water Girl's attack points increased to 175O.

Jasper didn't look so confident any more. It was now time for Oliver to unleash his monster's fury.

"Here we go! First, Knight of the Red Lotus attacks Zombyra the Dark!" Oliver declared, feeling a rush of excitement as his monster attacked the enemy, smashing it into bits as Jasper's life points dropped to 36OO.

"And now that your monster is out of the way, Water Girl can attack you directly!" Oliver announced as Water Girl sprung forward, brandishing her equipped sword and slashing at Jasper, dealing a massive amount of damage.

Jasper fell to his knees from the blow and his life points once again dropped - this time to 185O.

Oliver felt extremely proud of himself. He was actually doing it - he was participating in a real duel, and he was winning. It may have only been by the skin of his teeth, but he was actually ahead by 1OO life points and he had two relatively powerful monsters on the field while his opponent had none. But just as easily as he was able to turn the tide of this battle, Jasper's chances were just as equal, if not more likely than his own. Oliver couldn't rule out the fact that Jasper had built his deck from the absolute best cards he had collected, and for every powerful monster there was in Oliver's deck, he was sure Jasper had a more powerful one to match it.

"You're an annoying little brat, you know that?" Jasper said through gritted teeth as he wiped the dirt from his face with his sleeve.

Oliver just stood his ground and waited to see what Jasper's next move would be. He didn't have a trap card to protect himself or his monsters this time, and he was sure that Jasper's next move would be a big one.

"It's time I finished you off." Jasper threatened as he drew his next card.

"First I summon Trident Warrior (Effect/LVL 4/ATK 18OO/DEF 12OO) in attack mode, and due to it's effect, when it's summoned normally I can special summon a level three monster from my hand." Jasper explained.

This was bad news for Oliver already. His monster had higher attack points than Water Girl, even with the equip card, but just barely. He would take a few points of damage, but Sword of Deep-Seated would return to the top of his deck and he could always equip it to Knight of the Red Lotus next turn. But what worried Oliver the most was the fact that Jasper was summoning another monster. If it was only level three it couldn't be that powerful, so he hoped maybe he was just being paranoid.

"The monster I Special Summon is Sword Master (Effect/Tuner/LVL 3/ATK 12OO/DEF/O)!" Jasper declared.

Oliver's eyes suddenly widened in shock.

"A tuner monster!?" He spat out incredulously.

To think that a kid like Jasper had a tuner monster in his deck was unsettling to say the least, especially because Oliver remembered exactly how Tuner monsters worked. He could remember his father's every word as he had described how they were used. Jasper had a level four monster and a level three tuner - that added up to seven levels total which meant that he could now Synchro summon a level seven monster - and there was only one level seven Synchro monster that Oliver was sure he had in his possession. A mixture of anger and fear began stirring inside Oliver as he anticipated what was coming.

"How suiting it will be when I finish you off with your own card!" Jasper shouted with a maniacal laugh.

"I tune the level four Trident Warrior to the level three Sword Master!" He continued as the monsters on his field began to glow.

A series of glowing green rings appeared to encircle the monsters as they passed through it and suddenly, Oliver's fears were confirmed.

"I Synchro summon!" Jasper declared with a crazed look in his eye. "Appear now, level seven, Clear Wing Synchro Dragon!"

TO BE CONTINUED...