For The Sake of Syrus

Jaden was sitting down in the card shack filling out a duel request form to challenge Zane.

"I can't believe Zane. I mean it's no wonder Syrus has zero confidence. If my big brother told me I wasn't good enough to use some card, I'd be insecure too. Well, that's all about to change." Jaden said.

"Man, these duel request forms are such a drag." He said to himself. Just then, Dr. Maxwell walked up behind Jaden and snatched the form.

"Hey!" Jaden shouted.

"Planning a duel? Against whom?" The professor asked before his eyes landed on the name of who Jaden was challenging.

"You must be joking. You're going to challenge Zane Truesdale?" he asked.

"You bet I am. I'm taking Zane on to help Syrus get over his confidence problem," Jaden said.

"Well allow me to do you a favor." Maxwell said before he proceeded to tear the form up.

"Hey! Why'd you do that?!" Jaden asked angrily.

"Simple, you don't stand a chance against Zane, not in a million years." Maxwell said before walking off. Meanwhile in the Slifer dorm, Syrus was sitting in his bed staring at the Power Bond card his brother gave him when they were kids. Suddenly, Syrus could hear everything his brother said to him the last time he tried to use it.

"I don't know anything about duel monsters. I shouldn't even be here." Syrus said to himself. While Syrus was doubting himself, Jaden was walking back to the Slifer dorm.

"That jerk Dr. Maxwell. Where in the academy rule book does it say the duel request forms have to be filled out in triplicate? And with a number 8 pencil?" He asked himself aloud. Suddenly, a bunch of cards rained down on him.

"What is that?" He asked before looking up to see one of his roommates hanging from a tree limb.

"It's either a giant tree sloth, or it's Chumley." Jaden said.

"Hey. What up?" Chumley asked.

"You by the look of it." Jaden said before he bent down to pick up Chumley's cards.

"Wow Chumley. There's like a zillion koala cards down here." Jaden said.

"Yeah, they're so cool. Wanna have a pickup duel against them?" Chumley asked.

"Hey. A pickup duel, why didn't I think of that?" Jaden asked before he turned around and ran off.

"Wait, where are you off to?" Chumley asked.

"The Obelisk Blue dorm." Jaden answered.

"Why are you going there?" Chumley asked.

"For a pickup duel against Zane." Jaden answered.

"The Zane?!" Chumley asked in shock before he lost his grip and fell to the ground.

Jaden arrived at the Obelisk dorm, but before he could find Zane, two Obelisk students shoved him to the ground.

"What's your problem?" Jaden asked.

"I ain't got no problem, but you sure will if you don't beat it," one of them said.

"Yeah. Zane wouldn't waste his time with you, you're probably still wet behind the ears from pre-duel school," the other added.

"I am not!" Jaden shouted. One of them then threw a bucket of water on him, soaking his clothes.

"Now you are." the one who threw the water said.

He and his friend didn't get to enjoy the moment long, because they were doused with a large amount of water from one of the windows of the dorm.

"Hey! Who did that?!" One of them asked in anger.

"I did." Michael answered from his window.

"What's your problem?" One of the boys asked.

"Snobby kids like you who pick on my friends, now leave him alone." Michael said.

"Fine, but we'll get you back for this." One of them said before he and his friend left.

"You alright Jaden?" Michael asked.

"I'll feel better when I get my duel with Zane." Jaden responded.

"Well, take this so you can dry off." Michael said before he tossed Jaden a towel.

Jaden left and walked back to the Slifer dorm, meeting up with Chumley on his way there.

"So what are you gonna do?" Chumley asked.

"I'm not gonna give up, that's for sure. I'll get Zane to duel me one way or another." Jaden responded as he finished drying himself off. They arrived at their room and saw Syrus was still in his bed.

"Sy, you're still in bed? Look, I know you're down, but that's no excuse to act like some lazy slug, I mean even Chumley got out of bed today." Jaden said as he walked over to his best friend.

"Yeah, lousy bladder." Chumley said.

Jaden pulled back the covers only to reveal that Syrus wasn't there.

"Where is he?" He asked.

"He left a note." Chumley said.

"What's it say?" Jaden asked.

"Dear Jaden, I'm leaving Duel Academy. Don't try and stop me, it's for the best. I would only hold you back if I stayed." Chumley read.

"Sy's not going anywhere." Jaden said as he grabbed the letter and crumpled it in his fist.

"Yeah, let's go stop him. After dinner." Chumley said.

"No, right now." Jaden responded.

"But today is grilled cheese day," Chumley complained.

"If we don't hurry, it'll be Syrus' last day," Jaden said before he grabbed Chumley's arm and dragged him along.

"Syrus!" Jaden called out. He ran down to the shore to try and find Syrus when Winged Kuriboh appeared.

"Do you know where he is?" Jaden asked. The spirit nodded and lead Jaden in the right direction. Meanwhile, Zane was standing at the pier and was looking out the academy bridge that connected the main island with the docks and Slifer Dorm. He turned his head to the side and saw Alexis and Michael walking up to him.

"So, I finally get to meet the top freshman duelist face to face." Zane said.

"I'd like to say it's an honor to meet you, but after the way I've heard you treat Syrus, I can't," Michael said.

"How I treat Syrus is none of your business." Zane said.

"He's your brother, and you treat him like garbage. I may be an only child Zane, but even I know that brothers are supposed to care about each other and support them. Did you ever stop and think about how the way you treat Syrus affects him?" Michael asked.

"Sure I have. And maybe you need to stay out of my business." Zane said.

"Well, I'm not the only one with a bone to pick with you over this." Michael responded.

"Is that so?" Zane asked.

"Yeah, Jaden's been trying to challenge you to a duel for a while." Alexis informed.

"Stay back Jaden!" Syrus' voice called out. The three of them turned their heads and saw the young duelist was about to board a raft and leave the island.

"I hope you're proud of yourself Zane. Because of you, Syrus is about to leave Duel Academy." Michael said. Meanwhile, Jaden ran towards Syrus and jumped onto his raft, causing it to break apart.

"Help me, I can't swim!" Syrus called out.

"And you were about to raft out into the ocean? That makes sense," Jaden responded.

"Hang on guys!" Chumley shouted before jumping into the water, only to find himself waist deep.

"It's shallow." He said. Jaden and Syrus then got to their feet, soaked, but okay.

"Why are you trying to stop me Jaden? I'm a terrible duelist, you should just forget about me and move on." Syrus said.

"Syrus, that's your brother talking, you've gotta believe in yourself." Jaden said.

"You gotta believe me, I'm a lost cause." Syrus responded.

"He is right you know." Zane said from above them, drawing the three Slifer duelists' attention to him. They looked up and saw Zane, Michael, and Alexis standing there.

"You dropping out?" Zane asked.

"Kinda." Syrus answered.

"Well, it's about time." His brother responded. Michael balled his fist and was about two seconds from decking Zane right then and there, but Alexis grabbed his arm and shook her head.

"He's wrong about you Syrus." Jaden said as he turned to his friend, who had started crying.

"You're his big brother. How could you say something like that to him?" Jaden asked.

"Because I know him." Zane responded.

"Yeah, I bet you think you know it all, but guess what, you don't. And I'm gonna prove it right now, let's duel." Jaden said.

"Jaden, don't do it!" Syrus said as he turned to face his friend.

"Duel a Slifer? Why not, been a while since I went slumming." Zane said.

"Then get your game on." Jaden responded.

"Jaden, he's good." Syrus said.

"I'm sure he is." Jaden responded.

'And I'm sure this duel will solve Sy's confidence problem, without hurting mine.' He thought to himself. They made their way to the docks and Jaden and Zane got ready to duel.

Both: "Duel"

Zane: 4000 LP

Jaden: 4000 LP

"Oh man, my big brother taking on my best friend? There's no way this can end well." Syrus said.

"Alright, now we find out what's going on between Syrus and Zane, and I find out how I rank with the best." Jaden said.

"First, I summon Elemental Hero Avian in defense mode. I place a card face-down and end my turn." Jaden said.

"That all? For my first move, I summon Cyber Dragon in attack mode." Zane said.

Level 5/Light/Machine

ATK 2100/DEF 1600

"What? How did you bring out a level 5 monster without a sacrifice?" Jaden asked.

"Due to Cyber Dragon's special ability, if there monsters on your field, but none on mine, I can special summon it straight from my hand. And now I play Mystical Space Typhoon to destroy your face-down card." Zane declared.

"That was fast." Jaden said. "Not as fast as your monster will vanish. Cyber Dragon, attack with Strident Blast." Zane ordered. His monster fired a laser beam at Avian, destroying him.

"Next I activate the spell card Different Dimension Capsule. With it, I can pick any card from my deck, put it inside the capsule, and then in two turns, I get to take it out and put it in my hand." Zane explained.

"That's gotta be the strongest card in his deck. I can't wait to see what it is." Jaden said.

'Well I can, because it's not gonna be pretty.' Syrus thought.

"It's your move Jaden." Zane said.

'Yeah, and I'd better make it count, because I'm starting to get the feeling that not only is Zane as good as everyone says he is, he might be even better. But that doesn't mean I can't beat him.' Jaden thought to himself.

"Round two. And first I'll rock Polymerization, so that I can roll out my Elemental Hero Thunder Giant. And due to his special ability, when he's summoned, he instantly destroys one of your monsters that less attack points than he does, so your Cyber Dragon is headed for the scrap heap," Jaden said as Zane's monster got zapped.

"Looks like Thunder Giant just made the big man on campus get a little bit smaller. Now Thunder Giant, attack Zane directly." Jaden said. Thunder Giant launched a bolt of lightning at Zane, who didn't move from the spot or even blink.

Zane: 1600 LP

"I place one card face-down and end my turn." Jaden declared.

"Nice moves kid. Of course, now that my field is empty again, I can summon another Cyber Dragon." Zane said as he summoned his monster.

"Next I play the spell card Monster Reborn to summon the Cyber Dragon you destroyed last turn." He continued.

"But neither will be here for long. In present form at least." Zane said as he activated Polymerization.

"I fuse my two Cyber Dragons to summon Cyber Twin Dragon in attack mode." He said.

Level 8/Light/Machine

ATK 2800/DEF 2100

"And due to his special ability, he can attack twice each round, which means double trouble for your monster and your life points." Zane said.

"Not so fast, I play the trap card A Hero Emerges. Now you have to pick a random card in my hand, and if it's a monster card, I can play it. But since I only have one card in my hand, I can summon Wroughtweiler in defense mode." Jaden said as a mechanical hound appeared on his field.

Level 3/EARTH/Machine

ATK 800/DEF 1200

"You'll need him. Cyber Twin Dragon, attack with Double Strident Blast." Zane ordered. His monster fried twin laser beams at Jaden's monsters, destroying them both.

Jaden: 3600 LP

"But due to Wroughtweiler's special ability, when he's destroyed, I can add an Elemental Hero and a Polymerization from my graveyard to my hand. And just when you thought you could stop worrying about them, huh Zane?" Jaden asked.

"I don't worry." the Obelisk responded.

"Man, you're chill. Not worrying, not even flinching, you are good." Jaden complimented.

"You too Jaden," Zane replied.

'Woah. Since when does Zane give props?' Syrus asked himself.

"It's my move, and I summon Elemental Hero Bubbleman in attack mode, and due to his special ability, since there are no other cards on my field, I can draw 2 new ones from my deck." Jaden explained.

'It's Transcendent Wings and Winged Kuriboh! I can use these to destroy Cyber Twin Dragon and win the duel. But since I normal summoned Bubbleman already, I'll have to wait to use them, but I can still do this.' He thought to himself.

"I play Polymerization to fuse Elemental Hero Bubbleman with Elemental Hero Clayman to summon Elemental Hero Mudballman in defense mode." He said.

Level 6/Earth/Warrior

ATK 1900/DEF 3000

"With 3000 defense points, Cyber Twin Dragon can't beat him, meaning Jaden is safe for now," Chumley said. I don't believe it. Jaden might actually win, Syrus thought to himself.

"Now give me your best shot Zane." Jaden said.

"My best shot? You got it." The Obelisk duelist responded. Just then his Different Dimension Capsule emerged from the ground.

"The capsule." Jaden said.

"That's right Jaden. It's been two turns since I played Different Dimension Capsule, which means the card I put in it is now added to my hand." Zane explained.

"You played well Jaden, but not well enough." He said.

"Give me what you got. I'm ready for it." Jaden replied.

"I'm sure you are. A good duelist is ready for anything, and that means not just knowing how to use all of their cards, but knowing how to play them too. And you play your cards well Jaden." Zane complimented. That's a nice compliment, but even better advice. I hope Syrus heard that, Jaden thought to himself. Of course, knowing how to use a card and knowing when to play it are two different things. That's what Zane was trying to tell me all those years ago, Syrus thought to himself.

'He wanted Syrus to hear that. I guess he's not so bad a brother after all.' Michael thought to himself with a smile.

"First I activate the spell card De-Fusion, which will allow me to return Cyber Twin Dragon to my Extra Deck in order to bring my two Cyber Dragons back." Zane explained.

"With them back, I can activate the spell card Power Bond. This card allows me to summon a machine type fusion monster using monsters from my hand or field as fusion materials, so I merge the two Cyber Dragons on my field with the Cyber Dragon in my hand in order to summon the Cyber End Dragon." He said.

Level 10/Light/Machine

ATK 4000/DEF 2800

"And due to the effect of Power Bond, his original attack points double." He explained.

Cyber End: 4000-8000 ATK

"8000 attack points?!" Chumley exclaimed.

"And remember, when Cyber End Dragon attacks a monster in defense mode, the difference between his attack and your monster's defense is dealt to you as damage. And with no face-downs to protect you, can guess how this duel will end." Zane said.

"With Jaden losing." Michael said.

"Cyber End Dragon, attack Mudballman with Super Strident Blaze!" Zane ordered.

Jaden: 0 LP

Winner: Zane

"Thanks for a great duel Zane." Jaden said. Zane turned around and walked away, with Michael and Alexis following behind him.

"I think I misjudged you Zane. You have my respect." Michael said.

"And you have mine," Zane responded.

"So Zane, what do you think of Jaden?" Alexis asked.

"I think Syrus made a great friend." Zane answered.

"Your brother's got mad skills." Jaden said.

"At least I got the looks." Syrus said before Jaden started laughing.

"What's so funny?" Syrus asked.