The Shadow Duelist, Part 1

Michael was sitting at his desk and was waiting for it to finish decrypting the data. It finished its work and Michael started to look through it. 
"Time to see what we can find out about the missing students." He said to himself. He pulled up the necessary file and saw something that piqued his interest. 
"An abandoned dorm in the middle of the woods. Seems like a good place to start looking." He said before he prepared to go out. He downloaded a map to his PDA and set off to find it. When he arrived, he saw Alexis and Lily standing outside the dorm and saw Alexis set a rose in front of the dorm.
'Alexis and Lily? What are they doing here?' He thought to himself as he tried to get closer. He accidentally stepped on a twig and alerted them to his presence. 
"I know you're there, so come out!" Alexis shouted. He decided it would be better to do as she said and stepped out. 
"Michael? What are you doing here?" Lily asked. 
"I heard about the abandoned dorm and decided to check it out." He answered. 
"You shouldn't be here." Alexis responded. 
"You miss him, don't you? Atticus, I mean." He said as he walked up to her. 
"So you know about that?" she asked. He just nodded in response.
"Michael, I want to know something. Why are you at Duel Academy? You're a better duelist than most of the staff, so why come here?" Alexis asked. 
"Well, I suppose this was bound to come up sooner or later. I'll tell you, but this has to stay between the three of us, promise?" He asked. Alexis and Lily nodded in agreement. 
"I'm here on behalf of my parents and the parents of the missing students, including yours. As you know, my family runs numerous businesses and corporations, including a private investigation company." Michael answered.
"And so they sent their own son to investigate?" Alexis asked. 
"Duel Academy's superintendent has kept blocking investigations, so my parents thought it would be better to send someone who could gather information discreetly. I'm also here because word got to my parents that the Slifer dorm was in terrible condition in spite of the money they provide the school." Michael answered. 
"Why do you think that is?" Lily asked. 
"I think one of the staff members is stealing funds from the school. I'm not sure who, but when I find out, they're going to be in a lot of trouble." Michael said. 
"Well, considering your family, I believe you. And I promise to keep your secret." Alexis said. 
"Same." Lily added. 
"Thank you. And I promise I'm going to do everything I can to find your brother and the other missing students." Michael responded. 
"Thank you. I'll help you any way I can." Alexis replied.
"But then why are you here Lily?" Michael asked. 
"Alexis and I are cousins, and I wanted to be here for emotional support, that and I miss Atticus as well." she answered. 
"I see." Michael said before he looked at his watch. 
"It's getting late, we should all head back." He said. Alexis and Lily agreed, and they all returned to the dorm. Little did they know that someone they all knew had been listening in on them. 
'Rats, that little punk is on to me. If I don't get rid of him soon, everyone will find out I've been stealing from the school, and I'll be ruined.' Maxwell thought to himself as he began to hatch a plan to get rid of Michael.
Meanwhile in the Slifer dorm, Jaden, Syrus, and Chumley were telling scary stories based on the level of the monsters they drew. The higher the level, the scarier the story. It was currently Syrus' turn. 
"And underneath the full moon, I see a path to a cavern that seems abandoned." He said. 
"Then what?" Jaden asked. 
"At the back of the cavern, I see a mysterious lake. I go in to look closely, and under just the right angle of light, I see a rare and powerful card close to the water's edge. I go to reach for it, but just when it's almost in my grasp, an arm shoots out of the water, grabs a hold of me, and drags me into the lake! Not the water, anything but the water!" Syrus screamed.
"Oh, water's not so scary." Jaden responded. 
"Dirty swamp water? Oh you're right, only a chump would be scared of that story." Syrus said. Unknown to him, Chumley was cowering in the corner. 
"Still, good story. Mid-level scares for a mid-level card, but I hope I get a high level." Jaden said. He looked at the card and saw he drew a level 1 monster. 
"You lucked out. You hardly have to scare us at all with that card." Syrus said relieved. 
"Well, I think I have a story that'll do the trick. It's more of a memory really." Jaden said as he began to tell them about his childhood.
"Back when I was a little kid, I used to hear strange noises, but only very late at night. I always thought I was just dreaming, but then I'd realize I was awake. They sounded like voices, but none that I recognized. I'd go to check it out, but every time I did, there'd be nothing there. Nothing, except my cards." He said. 
"And?" Syrus asked. 
"And that's the end of the story," Jaden responded. 
"That's it?" Syrus and Chumley asked in unison. 
"But you wanna hear something weird? Lately, I've started hearing them again." Jaden said.
"Mind if I join in on the fright fest?" Banner asked, seemingly having appeared out of nowhere, scaring the three of them half to death. "You just did," Syrus responded from the floor, having fallen out of his chair. 
"We're kinda on the edge of our seats here." Jaden said. 
"At least we were." Syrus added. Chumley meanwhile had returned to the corner. 
"But since you're here now, why don't you draw a card? The higher the level, the scarier the story." Syrus explained. 
"Well that certainly sounds easy enough. Let's see here." Banner said before he drew a card. He showed the others what it was, a Five-Headed Dragon.
"That's a level 12 monster," Jaden said. "I think I'm gonna go to bed now." Syrus said, not wanting to have nightmares. 
"What's wrong? Don't you want to hear about the abandoned dorm at the end of the island?" Banner asked. 
"An abandoned dorm?" Jaden asked. 
"Yes. No one talks about it, but there was once a special dorm set at the edge of the forest. It was shut down after several students mysteriously went missing." Banner explained. 
"Where'd they all go?" Syrus asked. 
"Well that's the mystery of it. The rumor was that it had something to do with shadow games." Banner replied. 
"Thanks, you can stop now." Chumley said.
"You see kids, shadow games are duels played with powerful mystical items," Banner explained. 
"The Millennium Items, right? I've heard about this, but it's not true." Jaden said. 
"Yes, that is what most people say. But I find that most stories, well they have to come from somewhere. Well, I'll see you all in class tomorrow." Banner responded. 
"Later." Syrus and Jaden said I unison. 
"You know, I did see this creepy building in the forest the other day." Syrus said once Banner had left. 
"Sweet. Then you can lead the way for us tomorrow night." Jaden said. 
"Wait, what do you mean 'us'?" Chumley asked. 
"It'll be fun. I'll even invite Michael to tag along with us." Jaden said.
Little did they know that Crowler was standing outside the room and had overheard their conversation. 
"This is just the opportunity I've been waiting for." He said to himself before pulling out his phone. 
"What do you want Crowler?" Maxwell asked on the other end of the line. 
"Maxwell, I believe I've found a way to get rid of the thorns in our side." Crowler said. 
"I'm listening." Maxwell responded. A few minutes later in Domino City, a man in a trench coat and an iron mask was dueling someone in a back alley. 
"Okay, you won, just take what you want and leave me alone!" his opponent shouted. 
"What I want is your soul." the man said as he held up a strange pendant. It emitted a bright flash and the one who lost the duel collapsed. Suddenly, his phone went off. 
"Speak." The man said. 
"Duel Academy tomorrow night? I'll be there." He said before hanging up.
The night passed and everyone found themselves in Professor Banner's class. 
"The philosophy of dueling went through a second renaissance with the rise of what some historians dub, virtual dueling," Banner said as he gave his lecture. The day passed and Crowler and Maxwell met with the man Crowler had called the previous night at the docks. "So you're the shadow duelist?" Crowler asked. 
"My opponents call me many things, most of which are hard to understand because of their screams of fear. But enough small talk, what's the job?" the man asked. 
"We want you to find these two, and scare them off the island for good." Maxwell said as he showed him pictures of Jaden and Michael. 
"Up to the challenge?" Crowler asked. 
"Of course, I never turn my back on a challenge." The duelist said.
"But I'll do more than just scare them, I'll send them to the Shadow Realm." He added before leaving. 
"Well alright, if you insist." Crowler said. 
'Good, once he gets rid of Michael, I'll be able to keep taking the funds from the Slifer dorm for myself. It's such a shame to have to get rid of such a talented duelist.' Maxwell thought to himself. Meanwhile in the forest, Michael was leading Jaden, Syrus, and Chumley to the abandoned dorm. 
"I'm telling you guys, this is a bad idea." Michael said. 
"If it's such a bad idea, then why come with us?" Jaden asked. 
"I was going to try and talk you out of it, but seeing as that isn't going to happen, I might as well tag along to keep you out of trouble." Michael responded. 
"So how do you know the way to the abandoned dorm?" Syrus asked. 
"I found it by accident when I was taking a walk." Michael lied.
They arrived and the rose Alexis had left the previous night was still there. 
"It's the abandoned dorm." Syrus said. 
"And it's probably full of ghosts." Chumley said. 
"Relax you guys, there's no one else here." Jaden said. They heard a twig snap, causing Syrus and Chumley to jump. 
"Calm down guys, it's just Alexis and Lily." Michael said. 
"What are you guys doing here?" Lily asked. 
"They got the idea in their heads to check out the abandoned dorm, and since I couldn't talk them out of it, I decided I should go with them to keep them out of trouble." Michael explained.
"Well, you guys should leave. Don't you know that people have a way of disappearing around here?" Alexis asked. 
"Oh, come on, that's just a rumor." Jaden said. 
"No, it's not. Believe me, I know. Why else would the academy make this place completely forbidden? If they catch you here, you'll be expelled," Alexis said. 
"Okay, then why are the both of you here?" Jaden asked.
"We have our reasons, that's why!" Alexis snapped. 
"Alexis, it's okay, he doesn't know." Michael said as he put his hand on her shoulder.
"Don't know about what?" Jaden asked. Michael turned to Lily and Alexis who nodded to let him know he could tell them. 
"One of the students who went missing was Alexis' brother, who is also Lily's cousin." He explained. 
'That explains the rose.' Jaden thought to himself. 
"If Alexis' brother really disappeared here, then that means the rumors are true. I say we should go back Jaden." Syrus said. 
"I say we go in." Jaden responded before he, Chumley, and Michael went inside. 
"See you in a few Syrus. Don't disappear on us." Jaden joked, prompting him to join the rest of them.
"I hope they know what they're doing." Lily said. 
"So do I." Alexis said before they turned to leave. Before they could, however, they were confronted by the man that Crowler had hired. Meanwhile, the four boys were looking around. 
"It looks like this dorm was created to study the Millennium Items." Michael said as he shined his flashlight on the carvings on the wall. 
"Who's that?" Jaden asked as he shined his flashlight on a framed picture. Michael looked at the picture in question, and although the person was quite older than when he had last seen him, Michael recognized him instantly. 
"That's Alexis' brother Atticus." he said as he walked over to the picture before carefully putting it in his bag. Suddenly, two female voices could be heard screaming out.
"That was Alexis and Lily!" Michael shouted before he ran off in the direction their voices came from. 
"Wait up!" Jaden shouted before running after them. When they caught up with Michael, he was kneeling down and holding 2 cards in his hand. 
"It's Etoile Cyber and Queen's Knight," he said. He looked up and saw a tunnel in front of him. 
"Come on!" he shouted before running down it all full tilt. "Alexis!" Jaden shouted while Michael called out to Lily. Please let her be okay. I'll never forgive myself if something happens to her because I wasn't there, he mentally berated himself.
The arrived in a strange chamber and saw Alexis and Lily tied up in two coffins at the other end of the room. 
"Alexis!" Jaden shouted. "Lily!" Michael called out before he began to run to her. 
"They can't hear you, they're locked away, in the Shadow Realm." A deep voice called out. A thick fog came out of nowhere before a figure emerged. 
"What have you done to them?!" Michael asked, very clearly enraged. 
"Oh boy, Michael does not look happy right now." Syrus said, unsure if he should be more afraid of his friend or the man across the room.
"Face me in a duel." The shorter one said. 
"Release them or so help me I'll pulverize you!" Michael threatened. 
"The only way I will free them is if you defeat me in a shadow game." the man said. 
'Wait, Shadow Game?' Michael thought before it clicked who they were facing. 
"You're Titan." He said. "You know who he is?" Jaden asked. 
"He's a shadow duelist for hire," Michael explained. 
"I don't care who he is, he's not gonna hurt our friends." Jaden said as he slipped on a duel disk. 
"No Jaden." Michael said. 
"What? Why not?" Jaden asked. 
"This duel is mine. And I don't want anyone in my way." Michael said. 
"Michael, are you sure you wanna go through with this?" Jaden asked. 
"Positive, now stay out of this Jaden, I won't say it again." Michael warned.
"My my, someone sure is confident." Titan said. Michael pulled off his backpack and pulled out a small box. 
"What's that for?" Jaden asked. Michael didn't answer and simply pulled a key from a chain around his neck before opening the box to reveal a deck inside. 
"A deck?" Syrus asked in confusion. 
"Michael, you're really going to use those cards?" Ceruli asked. 
"Absolutely. I'll make him rue the day he decided to hurt my friends." Michael responded.
Both: "Let's duel!"
Michael: 4000 LP
Titan: 4000 LP
"I'll go first, and I summon Infernalqueen Archfiend." Titan said.
Level 4/FIRE/Fiend
ATK 900/DEF 1500
"An Archfiend deck?" Jaden asked. 
"Yes, and as long as this monster is in play, all Archfiend monsters gain 1000 attack points." Titan explained.
Infernalqueen: 900-1900 ATK
"If you think that's supposed to scare me, think again." Michael said. 
"Maybe this will change your tune. I activate the Pandemonium field spell. With it, I don't have to pay life points for my Archfiend monsters, and if one of them is destroyed by an effect, I can add an Archfiend with a lower level from my deck to my hand." Titan explained. 
"And with this, your friends' fates are all but sealed." He added. Just then, giant skeletal hands rose up out of the floor and closed Lily's and Alexis' coffins before pulling them underground. 
"If you've hurt them, so help me I'll-" Michael began to threaten. 
"You'll do nothing but lose." Titan said. 
"We'll see. I summon the monster Film Magician in attack mode." Michael said.
Level 1/LIGHT/Spellcaster
ATK&DEF 0
"I place 1 card face-down and end my turn." He continued. 
"You summoned a monster with no attack points in attack mode? What a fool. I draw," Titan said. 
"It's obvious you're trying to lure me into attacking. I play the Mystical Space Typhoon spell card. With it, I can destroy one spell or trap card on the field," he said as Michael's card was destroyed. 
"I was hoping you'd do that. You just triggered the effect of the card you destroyed. That trap card was Kozaky's Self Destruct Button, and since you destroyed it, you take 1000 points of damage." Michael explained.
Titan: 3000 LP
Parts of Titan's body faded away. "Fine, then I summon my Terrorking Archfiend in attack mode," the shadow duelist said.
Level 4/DARK/Fiend
ATK 2000/DEF 1500
"And due to the effect of the Infernalqueen, Terrorking gains an additional 1000 attack points," Titan pointed out.
Terrorking: 2000-3000 ATK
"3000 attack points?!" Jaden exclaimed. 
"That's right, and now I'm going to put them to work. Attack Film Magician!" Titan shouted. 
"You fool. Did you honestly think I would leave such a weak monster in attack mode unless it had some sort of special ability?" Michael asked. 
"What?" Titan asked.
Film Magician: 0-3000 ATK
"It's attack points became 3000?!" He exclaimed. 
"When Film Magician is attacked, its attack and defense points become the same as the monster that attacked it, for that battle only." Michael explained. 
"Then they'll both be destroyed." Titan said. 
"Or not. Film Magician can't be destroyed in battle." Michael explained. 
"So it can't be destroyed, but any monster that attacks it will be!" Syrus shouted. Film Magician struck Titan's monster, destroying it. 
"I activate the effect of Desrook Archfiend in my hand. When Terrorking is destroyed, I can discard this monster to revive him," Titan explained as his monster was revived. 
"Oh man, just when he got rid of it, it came back again." Syrus complained.
"Then I'll just have to get rid of it again." Michael said. 
'He thinks he can fool me? He's nothing but a charlatan, pretending to have control over the shadows. Well I'll show him the true power of darkness.' He thought to himself. 
"It's my move. I set a monster face-down and end my turn." Michael said. 
'What is Michael doing? If he doesn't make a better move than that, we may never get our friends back.' Chumley thought to himself. 
"Just a single face-down monster? How is Michael supposed to win with that?" Syrus asked. 
"I don't know. Michael doesn't seem worried. It's almost like he's waiting for something." Jaden said. 
"If that's the best you can do, then you might as well surrender the duel here and now." Titan mocked. 
'Oh you'll see the best I can do. And when I unleash it, you won't be laughing.' Michael thought to himself.