Courting Madison

At the Duel Academy Tennis Courts, it was Slifers against the Obelisks.

"Alright class, get your game on! Tennis game that is." Ms. Fontaine said as Jaden and Syrus faced off against Jasmine and Mindy.

"Come on, would someone please tell me what Tennis has to do with dueling?" Jaden asks.

"Everything: taking turns, thinking on your feet and the harder you play the better you do." Mindy said hitting the ball towards him.

"Well in that case." Jaden jumps in the air and whacks the ball with all his might but the ball swerves towards Madison who was teamed up with Seika facing Takeru and Alexis. "Madison! Heads up!"

Madison turns to see the ball flying towards her when suddenly a figure jumps in and whacks the ball causing it to fly towards Dr. Crowler and hit him in the face.

"Thanks." Madison said as Seika and Alexis ran over.

"Madison are you alright?" Alexis asks.

"That was a close call." Seika said.

Turning around Madison's savior was a teenage boy with long brown hair. This was Harrington.

"Yeah want me to carry you to the nurse?" Harrington smirks.

"Uh no thanks." Madison narrows her eyes.

As Harrington looks at her a blush forms on his face. 'So that's Madison.'

"Uh do you need me to carry you to the nurse?" Madison asks.

"Uh no it's just I've seen you around from Obelisk Blue. Although I never had the pleasure of talking to you. Anyway I gotta get back to my match." Harrington said laughing uncomfortably.

"Weird guy." Takeru said as he and Jaden walked over.

"Agreed." Jaden said.

"YOU!" Turning around they saw Crowler with a giant black eye.

Struggling to hold back his laughter Takeru bit his hand.

"You are in big trouble slacker!" Crowler said looking at Jaden.

"What? But I didn't do anything." Jaden said.

"Save you excuses for later. Come with me." Crolwer said dragging Jaden away.

"Oh man that's just not fair." Takeru said.

At the nurse's office Jaden was apologizing to Dr. Crowler while Ms. Fontaine was treating him.

"I'm really, really, really sorry. Is that enough?" Jaden asks.

"No, not even close." Crowler said.

"You know Dr. Crowler I was there and technically Jaden wasn't even the one who hit you with that ball. If you don't mind me saying." Ms. Fontaine said putting some ice on his face.

"Well I do mind because Jaden was the one that started it. I saw the whole thing with my own two eyes…well one eye." Crowler said as Ms. Fontaine sweatdrops.

"Cyclops." Jaden coughs.

"Care to repeat that you Slifer Sludge?" Crowler asks.

"Look if you're going to punish me how about I just quit playing Tennis, I don't even like it." Jaden said.

"Oh really? In that case I can think of no better punishment. I'll make you play, and you'll learn under the tutelage of our school captain." Crowler said.

"Aw come on. I said I was sorry." Jaden said.

"Oh you will be." Crowler growls.

In the girls locker room, Madison was putting away her gym uniform after changing back into her regular uniform.

"Hey Madison, we found out who that Tennis guy is for you." Mindy said as she and Jasmine walk over.

"I don't recall asking you girls to do that for me." Madison raises an eyebrow.

"Well turns out his name is Harrington Rosewood, heir to Rosewood Sporting Goods and he's a 3rd year Obelisk Blue. You should totally ask him out." Jasmine said.

"Pass." Madison said walking to the door.

"Really? You would pass on a guy like that?" Mindy asks.

"I think what Madison is trying to say is Harrington's not her type." Alexis said walking over.

"Exactly." Madison said as the four of them walked out to see Syrus pulling Takeru down the hall by his arm.

"Syrus slow down!" Takeru said trying to keep up.

"Oh man, where's the lousy Tennis Team?" Syrus panics.

"Hey Alexis do any of you know where the Tennis team meets?" Takeru asks.

"Out on the court Takeru, what's going on?" Alexis asks.

"The most unfair thing. Dr. Crowler's making the Tennis Captain boss Jaden around for hitting him with that ball." Syrus said.

"But Jaden didn't even hit him." Madison said.

"Yeah the captain was the one who hit him with that ball." Syrus said as he and Takeru ran to the court.

At the Tennis Court, Harrington was serving tennis balls at rocket pace and Jaden was struggling to keep up.

"I thought we were doing Tennis, not speed drills." Jaden pants as Harrington serves the ball and knocks Jaden to the ground.

"Come on Jaden. No pain no gain. You gotta hustle to build that muscle. Pick up the pace to win the race." Harrington said.

"Alright I get it, lay off the sports clichés." Jaden said.

"Hey there's no I in the word team. That's the first rule of tennis." Harrington said.

"Really? Even when you're playing singles?" Jaden asks.

"Moving on, time to work on your forehand and backhand. I'd say 1000 strokes will make tennis more your racket, get it?" Harrington jokes as Syrus, Takeru, Mindy and Jasmine watch from behind.

"Oh I get it, this guy is nuts." Syrus said.

"Seriously between the clichés and all the practicing." Takeru sweatdrops.

"He is a bit obsessive." Jasmine agrees.

"Maybe he's not boyfriend material after all." Mindy said.

After the first 10 strokes Jaden collapses again from exhaustion when the ball rolls over to Madison and Alexis.

"Alexis?" Takeru said

"Hey Madison." Mindy said getting Harrington's attention.

"Oh hey Madison, sorry I'm sweating so much I've just been kicking this guy—" Harrington started but Madison ignores him and walks to Jaden.

"Here." Madison said handing him a bottle of water. "You look like you're about to collapse."

"Thank you." Jaden said gulping it down while Harrington was literally spewing flames.

"That should be me who's drinking that water. Time to run some interference. Hey!" Harrington yells getting their attention. "You can't talk to a first round pick like Madison. You can't even return a tennis ball so stay away from my little Obelisk Pixie!"

"Obelisk Pixie?" Syrus said confused.

"That just sound weird." Takeru said.

"I'm warning you Jaden, step away from the beautiful girl!" Harrington glares.

"Whoa take it easy man, Madison was just being a good friend." Jaden said.

"Good friend!" Harrington said getting in his face. "No way! Huddle's over!"

"Good then beat it." Jaden said.

"No way, when a huddle's over you gotta battle." Harrington said.

"So you want a Tennis match?" Jaden assumes.

"No, I want to duel you. Winner becomes Madison's fiancé." Harrington said shocking her.

"What?!" Madison said in anger.

"Uh is this guy serious?" Takeru asks.

"I love weddings, but this is just crazy." Jasmine said.

"Well I don't know about the stakes, but I'll duel you. Let's throw down." Jaden grins.

"Oh boy." Alexis rolls her eyes.

"If this guy duels as well as he plays Tennis then Jaden's in trouble." Syrus said as they grabbed their duel disks.

"Ready. Let's duel." Harrington said.

"Get your game on Harrington." Jaden declares.

Jaden: 4000

Harrington: 4000

"Wow Madison, two guys fighting for your hand in marriage, how do you feel?" Mindy asks.

"Like I want to punch someone." Madison growls causing Mindy to step back towards Takeru.

"I hear this guy is almost as good as Zane." Alexis said surprising Syrus.

'Those are the rumors? If he duels as well as my big brother, then he must duel even better than he plays tennis.' Syrus thought.

"Service first! I activate the spell card Service Ace!" Harrington said activating a spell card. "Here's how it works: I pick a card from my hand and you guess if it's a spell, trap or monster card and if you guess right, you're fine, but if guess wrong you lose 1500 points."

"Alright I pick Spell." Jaden said.

"Are you sure? You can still change your mind." Harrington teases.

"Uh then I pick Trap." Jaden said.

"Monster." Harrington reveals his card to be Mega Thunderball. "Looks like we found another thing you're bad at."

Service Ace activates and a blast hits Jaden.

Jaden: 2500

Harrington: 4000

"And with one facedown I'll end my turn." Harrington said.

"My move." Jaden draws. "I summon Elemental Hero Avian!"

Avian: 1000/1000

"Now show Harrington why you're the real king of the court! Quill Cascade!" Jaden said as Avian releases a storm of feathers at Harrington.

"I don't think so! I activate Receive Ace! This trap negates your attack and you receive 1500 points of damage! Good luck feathering this storm." Harrington said as the feathers rebounded back towards Jaden.

Jaden: 1000

Harrington: 4000

"That's 30-Luv. Though I do have to pay 3 cards because of the trap I played." Harrington said taking 3 cards from his deck to the graveyard.

"I play one card facedown and end my turn." Jaden said.

"Boy you are lazy, makes it a lot easier for me! I play Smash Ace! It lets me flip the top card of my deck and if it's a monster." Harrington starts.

"Don't tell me. I get nailed." Jaden groans.

"Hey you're starting to get the swing of this." Harrington drew a card and reveals it to be Mystical Shine Ball.

"Lady Luck hates me." Jaden groans.

"Well she loves me. Of course, most girls do and now get ready!" Harrington said as another blast flew towards him.

"I don't think so! I activate my trap Feather Wind! Ever heard of it? Or should I say ever caught wind of it?" Avian blows his wings causing the blast to fly out of bounds towards the others.

"Incoming!" Takeru yells as the blast explodes.

"Sorry but your ace just got blown out of bounds." Jaden smirks.

"Well you know what they say: you win some you lose some. Sometimes you gotta take hits to give them." Harrington laughs.

"Oh great, more clichés. Well here's mine: he who laughs last laughs hardest." Jaden said as he started laughing too.

"This is pathetic." Syrus said.

"Now they're seeing who can laugh the longest." Jasmine said.

"Will you two knock it off!" Madison yells snapping both of them out of it. "Jaden take your turn!" She said annoyed by all this.

"Uh right." Jaden said as he drew. "I play Polymerization! Fuse Clayman and Burstinatrix into Elemental Hero Rampart Blaster!" Jaden said as the heavy artillery hero appeared.

Rampart Blaster: 2000/2500

"Now Avian attack with Electric Orb!" Avian created an orb of energy and threw it at Harrington. "Rampart Blaster, follow up with Rampart Barrage!" Not giving him a moment to breathe Rampart Blaster fires multiple missiles.

Jaden: 1000

Harrington: 1000

"Nice one." Takeru said.

"Well at least they stopped laughing." Alexis said.

"All tied up. Got anymore clichés?" Jaden asks.

"I do." Harrington drew. "But I think I'll let my cards do the talking for me. I play deuce! I can only activate it when we both have 1000 life points. From now on each of us can only attack with one monster and life points don't matter. You win by being able to damage your opponent twice in a row." Harrington explains.

"So it's just a straight up head to head match?" Jaden asks.

"That's right, I told you it explained itself. I summon the Big Server!" Harrington said as a cyborg looking man with a tennis racket appeared.

Big Server: 300/ 300

"And the reason his serve is so big is because he can attack you directly. Go Spike Serve!" Big Server whacks a spike ball towards Jaden which explodes creating a cloud of smoke.

Jaden: 700

Harrington: 1000

"Advantage Harrington. One more strike and you're finished, the duel will be over and Madison will be mine." Harrington said causing Jaden to growl. "By the way, the Big Server has a special ability that lets me take Service Ace and add it to my hand. You get a new card too, but let's be honest it won't matter there's no way it'll be as good as this." Harrington said as Jaden drew. "Now I activate Service Ace and I'm sure you remember what it does?"

"How could I forget?" Jaden said as Harrington held up a card. "I guess Monster." Jaden said surprising him.

"You got it." Harrington said revealing another Mega Thunderball causing everyone to smile.

"Yes! We're still in this!" Syrus cheers while Madison breathes in relief.

"Oh yeah well let's see if you're still in it after this! I play the Giant Racket and equip it to Big Server!" Harrington said as a giant tennis racket appeared on Big Servers' back. "So, still think you're in it?"

"To win it, I can take that Server guy down easy." Jaden said.

"Maybe but not on your first try. You see when a monster is equipped with this card he can't be destroyed in battle once and I don't take any damage." Harrington smirks.

"And since your Deuce only allows me to attack with one monster per turn. I won't be able to destroy him." Jaden realized.

"Exactly. You're not in it, you're not all over it, you're about to lose it." Harrington mocks.

'Not as long as there are still cards in my deck.' Jaden drew and grins. "Alright! The ball's in my court now! I activate De-Fusion and defuse Rampart Blaster in Clayman and Burstinatrix. Now I have 3 monsters so even if you block my first attack I still have two more." Jaden said causing Harrington to laugh.

"I'm starting to see why you're a Slifer, you don't listen. As long as my spell is active only one monster can attack." Harrington said.

"I'm starting to see why you're a snobby Obelisk, because you underestimate your opponent. I activate the spell Feather Shot! It allows Avian to attack as many times as there are monsters on my field. I drew this when you activated the Big Server's ability. Well guess what, it mattered! Go Avian!"

Flying high in the air Avian used Quill Cascade 3 times to destroy Big Server and damage Harrington winning him the match.

"This can't be." Harrington said in shock.

"That's game!" Jaden said doing his signature pose.

"But she was my first draft, my soulmate, my marquis girlfriend!" Harrington whines as Madison walks up to him.

"Well Harrington even though you lost I will give you something." Madison said getting him to smile. Leaning in he thought he was about to get a kiss but instead Madison kicks him where the sun don't shine causing Jaden, Takeru and Syrus to cringe.

"Ooh that's gotta hurt." Takeru groans.

"I am not some prize to be won." Madison glares before walking away.

"Well Madison I guess I'm your fiancé now." Jaden said walking up to her. "So what does fiancé mean anyhow?" Jaden asks causing everyone else to fall to the ground.

"Sorry Jaden, that's my little secret." Madison said before walking away with a blush on her face.

"That's just sad." Takeru said.

"Seriously, how does he not know what a fiancé is?" Alexis asks.

"One thing for sure if I get a fiancé it won't be because I won her in a duel." Takeru said walking away.

'Oh so he is interested in having one.' Alexis thought with interest.