Back On The Board Now

I ran into the Jokers in a park a while ago.

“Hello, Kallaway,” the Black Joker said. “It's time for you to return.”

“Not interested,” I said. “I'm getting sick of all of you.”

“You'd rather stay here, where you're wanted for countless cases of murder?” he asked.

“You have a point, but I'd rather not go to the Board,” I said.

“Tell you what,” the Red Joker said. “Play a game with us. If you win, you can have a few more days off. If we win, you come with us.”

“A few days?” I asked. “That's not much of a prize. What game are you guys thinking?”

They both summoned duel disks. “This one,” the Black Joker said.

“You're joking, right?” I asked, which seems a little redundant, now that I think about who I was talking to.

“Come on, you know you had a thrill when you dueled with Gordon,” he said.

“Is it even possible to play with three people?” I asked.

“My partner and I will share our card zones and life points,” the Red Joker said. “I will go first, you will go next, then the Black Joker will have his turn, then you will have another turn before I go ahead.”

“Sounds complicated,” I said. “Fine, I'll take you two on.”

“Very well,” she said, drawing. “I'll start by summoning Convocation Sparrow from my hand!”

A bird appeared on her side of the field.

“Using Sparrow's effect, I can special summon Convocation Raven!” she said. Another bird. “Since Raven was summoned from my hand, I can bring out another one from my deck.”

She now controlled 3 Convocation cards, each of which was level 3.

“I build the overlay network with these 3 level 3 monsters!” she said. “Come forth, Convocation Nest- The Crow!”

I'd recognize this guy anywhere. Wasn't expecting him to have a card. It had 2200 attack points.

“I end my turn,” she said.

“I draw,” I said. “I summon SlenderProxy Grinning Reaper in attack mode!”

A woman wearing a skull mask appeared. She was wielding a scythe that burns closed any wounds it inflicts. The perfect weapon against Nests. She was level 4 with 1600 attack and 1400 defense.

“Grinning Reaper's attack doubles when she attacks a card with Nest in its name,” I said. “Now, destroy her Crow!”

I know it wasn't really him, but it felt satisfying to see him getting slashed with a burning scythe. They lost 1000 life points from that attack.

“I set a card face down and end my turn,” I said.

“My turn,” The Black Joker said. “I'll start by playing Foolish Burial. This card allows me to send OathBreaker Night Surgeon from my deck to the graveyard. Next, I summon OathBreaker Shadow Stitcher, and by switching him to defense position, I can resurrect my Night Surgeon!”

He now had 2 level 4 Oath Breakers on his field. One was using a Plague Doctor themed deck, and the other was using Convocation cards.

“I activate Night Surgeon's effect,” he said. “Now, I can put a plague counter on your monster. Then, I build an overlay network with my two level 4 monsters to xyz summon OathBreaker Syringe Keeper in attack mode!”

His new monster had 1900 attack, and was armed with several syringes.

“I use Syringe Keeper's effect,” he said. “By detaching an overlay unit, I can place 2 overlay units on one of your monsters.”

One of the overlay units, which orbited his monster in the form of glowing orbs, was absorbed into his monster. It grabbed a couple of syringes and threw them at my Grinning Reaper.

“Shit,” I said out loud. My monster had 3 plague counters, bringing her down to 700 attack.

“Attack,” he ordered. My monster was destroyed and I lost 1200 life points.

“I activate the trap card Proxy Revenge,” I said. “Since one of my Slender Proxies was just destroyed, you take 500 damage.”

“I end my turn,” he said.

“I draw,” I said. “I normal summon SlenderProxy Guardian.”

A monster with 0 attack and 2200 defense appeared. It was carrying a large, makeshift shield.

“Since I just summoned a SlenderProxy card, I can special summon SlenderProxy Thug,” I said. “And by overlaying these 2 level 4 SlenderProxy cards, I can xyz summon SlenderProxy Enhanced!”

This new monster was a muscular looking guy with 2000 attack and 1800 defense.

“I detach one of his overlay units to increase his attack by 1000 until the end phase,” I said. “Now, destroy his OathBreaker!”

My monster destroyed his and they lost 1100 life point. They were now at 5400.

“I activate Syringe Keeper's effect,” he said. “Since he was destroyed in battle, your monster gains 3 plague counters.”

“I end my turn,” I said.

“My turn,” the Red Joker said. “I summon Convocation Hummingbird, and with it's effect I summon Convocation Kestrel. And when Kestrel is special summoned, its level increases by 1.”

She now had a level 1 monster and a level 4 monster.

“I tune level 1 Convocation Hummingbird to my level 4 Convocation Kestrel!” she said. “With these two monsters I synchro summon my level 5 Convocation Frostwing Falcon!”

A large white falcon appeared. The air grew increasingly cold once it appeared. It had 2200 attack and 1200 defense.

“Once per turn, I can have my Falcon reduce the attack of a monster you control by 500,” she said. My Enhanced was suddenly coated in ice. That, and the plague counters, brought it down to 600 attack points. “Attack his monster!” she ordered. I lost 1600, bringing me down to 5200. “I end my turn.”

I drew my card. “I activate Fear Arises! At the cost of half my life points, I can special summon Slender Man from my hand!”

I had the edge now.

“I activate the equip spell Dark Demotion,” I said. “And I'll equip it to your Falcon, reducing its level by 2. Now, Slender Man, attack!”

Her monster was destroyed and they lost 300 life points.

“I activate Slender Man's effect,” I said. “Since he just destroyed a level 4 or lower monster, It becomes a SlenderProxy Hallowed, and I gain control of it. Now, I'll attack you directly with your own monster!”

The falcon hit her, and their life points went down to 2900.

“I set a card face down and end my turn,” I said.

“I draw,” The Black Joker said. “I activate the spell card Fear Summoning. I banish OathBreaker Shadow Stitcher and Night Surgeon to normal summon my Plague Doctor without tributing!”

Flashback. This totally reminded my of that time I dueled against Gordon.

“I activate his effect,” he said. “Now each of your monsters gains a plague counter, and he gains 100 attack for each of them.”

So his monster had 2400 attack, and mine had 2200 and 1900.

“Attack his Slender Man!” he said.

“I activate the trap card Hallowed Interception!” I said. “Now my SlenderProxy Hallowed can take the hit for Slender man, and I get to draw a card.”

I lost 500 life points, and the Falcon was destroyed. But I had protected my most powerful monster.

“I set a card face down and end my turn,” he said.

“My move,” I said, drawing. “I summon SlenderProxy Hacker, and I'll use his effect to revive SlenderProxy Thug.”

“What's the point to that?” he asked.

“I use the spell card Slender Man's Gift,” I said. “I pay 500 life points, then I can draw one card for each card I control with Slender or SlenderProxy in its name. That adds up to 3.”

I drew 3 cards from my deck.

“Next, I tune level 1 SlenderProxy Hacker to my level 4 SlenderProxy Thug to synchro summon my SlenderProxy Supporter!”

A man appeared on my side of the field, with 2000 attack and 1300 defense.

“I use his effect,” I said. “Now my Slender Man gains 1200 attack this turn, and I'll have him attack your Plague Doctor.”

The attack hit and he lost 1100 life points.

“I can't attack with Supporter this turn, so I'll set a card and end my turn,” I said.

“I draw,” the Red joker said. “I activate the effect of the Convocation Herin in my hand. Since you control 2 more monsters than I do, I can special summon it!”

Another bird appeared. It was level 5, with 1800 attack points.

“Next, I normal summon Convocation Quail,” she said.

This one was level 4, with 1300 attack.

“I use Quail's effect,” she said. “Now, I can reduce Herin's level by 1. And I'll build the overlay network with these two level 4 Convocation cards to xyz summon Convocation Nest- The Faceless Bastard!”

I've heard of this guy. An insane Nest, who shows no mercy.

“I'm not finished yet,” she said. “Since my life points are less then 2000, I can build a new overlay network using the Faceless Bastard, turning him and his overlay units into the overlay units for a new monster! Come forth, Deadly Nest- Ashen Phoenix!!!”

This new monster wore a different mask, and was wielding the same burning scythe that the Grinning Reaper used. And its overlay units took the shape of flaming birds instead of the usual glowing orbs. He had 2500 attack.

“I activate the spell card Overlay Regen,” she said. “Now I can add this spell card to Ashen Phoenix as an additional overlay unit. And by removing all of his overlay units, I can have him gain 500 attack for each of them until the end phase.”

Shit. 4500 attack points. I was in trouble.

“I attack your SlenderProxy with my Ashen Phoenix!” she said.

“I activate the effect of SlenderProxy Medic!” I said. “By discarding it, I can prevent any damage I would take from this battle!”

“Too bad for you, Ashen Phoenix is allowed to attack all of your monsters!” she said. “Attack his Slender Man!”

“I activate the trap card Fear Fury!” I said. “Now, a Fear monster I control gain attack equal to its level times 200. No my Slender Man had 3800 attack.”

My life points became 900. I barely survived that. Since Slender Man's a Fear, he managed to survive too.

“I set a card face down and end my turn,” she said.

“I draw,” I said. “I activate Pot Of Avarice, allowing me to return My Hacker, Thug, Medic, Supporter, and Enhanced to my deck and extra deck in order to draw 2 cards. Then, I use monster reborn to bring back Grinning Reaper. And I'll have her attack Ashen Phoenix! Since he's a Nest, she gains a power bonus.”

3200 attack point Proxy vs. a 2500 attack point Nest. I won, and they went down to 1100 life points.

“I activate Ashen Phoenix's effect,” she said. “When he's destroyed, I can special summon Convocation Phoenix!”

Damn. Wasn't expecting that to happen.

“I set a card face down and end my turn,” I said.

“My turn,” the Black Joker said. “From my hand, I use the spell card fissure, allowing my to destroy your Grinning Reaper!”

“Then I use the trap card Call Of The Haunted!” the Red Joker said. “With it, I bring back the Plague Doctor!”

“And I'll use the trap card Medicine Of Broken Oaths,” he said. “I discard an OathBreaker card and gain life points equal to its attack. I discard OathBreaker Plague Master to gain 3000 life points. Then I use Plague Doctor's effect to place another counter on Slender Man,” he said. “Now, I'll attack with both our monsters!”

“I activate Negate Attack!” I said.

“Congratulations,” he said. “You've bought yourself another turn. But do you really think you can win? Your Slender Man is weakened, and we control 2 Fears. You're powerless.”

“Shut up!” I yelled at him. “I'm sick of both of you! I'm an Enhanced! I don't back down, even when I'm obviously overpowered! I won't surrender, and I sure as hell won't lose!”

Then something really weird happened. My deck started glowing for a few seconds, then stopped.

“I end my turn,” he said.

“I draw!” I said. I looked at the card, and realized that it was a new card. It had never been in this deck before.

“If I control Slender Man, I can bring out this new guy!” I said. “Come forth, Slender Dragon!”

A huge, yet thin dragon appeared. It was pitch black from the shoulders down, and its white head had no facial features at all. Its black wings where paper thin and torn in places. It was level 10 with 3000 attack and 2500 defense.

“I activate the spell card Tune Down!” I announced. “Now, Slender Dragon has its level reduced by two, and any monster I synchro summon or xyz summon with it gains 600 attack points. Now, I build the overlay network with these two level 8 monsters to xyz summon Chaos Slender Man!”

I felt the universe quake as I summoned it. A towering abomination, with uncountable tentacles and arms. The Jokers fell back in terror at its presence. It was powerful, with 3300 attack, which went up to 3900 due to Tune Down's effect.

“I use his effect!” I said. “By detaching one of his overlay units, I can convert Convocation Phoenix into a SlenderProxy Hallowed and gain control of it!”

The tentacles entangled the Phoenix, pumping full of dark energy and dragging it to my side of the field.

“Now, I'll have the Phoenix attack the Plague Doctor!” I said. They went down to 3500. “I attack directly with Chaos Slender Man!” I said. The tentacles lashed out, striking them both and reducing their life points to 0.

The battle field cleared and they approached me.

“Good job,” the Black Joker said.

“I don't get something,” I said, holding the Slender Dragon card in my hand. “Where did this card come from? Where did any of these cards come from? Why do these Fear themed Yu-Gi-Oh cards exist?”

Suddenly, a blade of energy stabbed me from behind, going straight through my chest, and a voice I recognized as Jack's whispered in my ear, saying “You can blame me for that.”

I blacked out, and when I came too, I was back on the Board. The Ace Of Hearts had treated my wound as best as she could, but since it was inflicted by Jack's Blade, it had taken a while. I had been unconscious for days, apparently.

Anyway, I met the Scientist. He's an old, creepy guy, and I have an assignment with him soon. Great.