Chapter Text
This was it! Dan kuso and Masquerade [no last name] were at it again!!
It was 5PM and closing time at the Cafe. Marucho, Julie, Joe, and Shun all watched as the boys shuffled their cards for one last game. The hands that once held Bakugan cards now delt trading cards. Actually, the Bakugan event was becoming a distant memory for most people on earth, but not for the Battle Brawlers and the children who fought along side them. The Bakugan went back to their home about seven months ago, Dan missed Drago and others to no end, but it was for the best. The Bakugan were at peace. Not too long ago, the Brawlers went to visit Alice’s place up in Moscow and found Masquerade sipping cocoa by the fire. It was surprising at first, but Alice spoke about him so warmly that everyone settled down, and Dan was more than happy to get his competitive rival back. They each took 5 cards out of their 40-card deck and stared each other down. You could snip the tension with scissors! They treated this like a game of Bakugan. Runo scolded them often for treating a fun card game like this (though when did boys ever listen to girls?).
Dan sneered that his prized sunglasses were now tucked into the front of Masquerade’s hair. They looked so bad sitting on top of his mask. "Hears what’s gunna happen tonight, I’m winning my sunglasses back, ya’ masked freak!" Dan announced as his opponent lade a Trap Card face down on the table. He lost them yesterday and going to school tomorrow without them was not an option. “I don’t even know why you’re wearing them. Green does not go with blonde, your fashion is even worse now!” Masquerade shrugged.
"You say that like I care. You move.” Shun leaned in and spoke up
“This time don’t betting your shirt, Dan..." The others nodded. Runo looked up from busting tables to roll her eyes. That’s how he got in this situation to begin with.
"Hey, Shun, I’ll have you know I lost because I couldn’t see though his bluff card.” Dan propped up his face with his hand and frowned. “It’s kind of hard play without seeing someone’s poker face, ya know?”
Marucho pushed up his anime glasses.
“Sounds like a skill issue you need to overcome. Masquerade is probably using that to his advantage.” Masquerade suddenly smacked both hands on the table with a sly smile.
“OK. I’ll play ball, can’t have this match be too boring.” Joe felt a lump forming in his throat as the blond reached for his mask. He removed it from his face and swooshed the falling blond hair aside. Dan remained stunned as he watched the half-transformed Masquerade tuck the half blond & orange bangs behind his ears and set his mask down. The face of Alice in Masquerade’s clothes was staring him down. “Your move, Dan” He spoke in her sweet voice after placing a Monster Card on the table “I have given what you wanted. Well, not quite. He adjusted the shades on his head.
“Freaky!" squealed Julie. “Are you still in there, Masky, or am I talking to Alice now?” Marucho echoed the same question.
“Nothing has changed, I just slightly changed into Alice’s body.” Runo shuddered a bit at the sight and marched her dishes into the kitchen. Dan smiled
“Well, that’s a bit weird. But I will take it.” He looked down at the playing field on the table.
OK, he has a low attack point Monster Card face up and is trying to goat into springing that Trap Card…
"I draw. First, I activate the Spell Card ‘Double Call’ so I can summon both my Lighting Bat and Roaring Dragon from my hand to the field. I think I’ll keep my Dragon in Defense Mode for now. I end my turn.”
“A good start, yes” his opponent drew a new card from the deck. “I set Aqua Madoor in Defense Mode and lay a face down. I end my turn.” Dan frowns
“Trying to pull off a bluff? You can do better than that.” Dan drew a card then set it on the field face up. “I play the Spell Card ‘De-Spell’ to remove your face down card.” Masquerade spread his (?) hands over the field.
“Take you pick.” Dan’s frown deepened, that smile, those big eyes…Masquerade too confident on this game. He needed to make this card count.
“Remove the first one you set down.” The half blond complied and lifted the card off the field and set it in the used pile. Shun leaned in close to see the card, was that a good move?
“What card did Dan take out?” Julie whispered to Joe.
“He got Masquerade’s ‘Robbin’ Goblin’ Trap Card.” He replied “If that had stayed on the field, Masquerade would have made Dan lose a card for each time his monsters attacked him.”
Lucky move.
Thought Marucho.
“I’m still not jumping in headfirst, Joe. My Lighting Bat attacks you’re Aqua Madoor!”
“Negate Attack.” he flipped the remaining Trap Card face up. Dan sighed.
And to think if I picked that card over Robbin’ Goblin…
“By my analysis, he’s playing the long game.” said Marucho, who leaned in to see the table better “Something is a foot.”
“Just wait till I get my Raigeki card, you poser.” Dan muttered between his teeth as Masquerade ended his turn by setting a new Monster and a face down card to the field. “I play Salamandra to give my Roaring Dragon an attack boost and set it and Blazing Inpachi in Attack Mode!” Dan lined up his cardboard on the table and staired down an innocent-looking Masquerade. “Can you Trap Card stand up to this?”
“You know, you never did say what you’re betting with. You can leave with your dignity intact or-” Runo suddenly interrupted Masquerade by loudly slurping a strawed drink then went back to her dishes. She had no quarrel with Masquerade, but using Alice’s image for basically gambling was a no in her book. Shun then got and walked his teacup to the kitchen for her to clean.
"Don’t forget about school tomorrow. I’ll see you guys later.” He walked to the door and half opened it. “Take the win, Dan.” he said on the way out and waved. The others called out their good-byes. There was a long silence but the boys (?) continued.
"My attack!"
"And my trap, Devour Depth Whirlpool" he flipped the card face up. Dan gasped as did the others.
"This is bad, Masquerade can sacrifice all the monsters on the field and summon anything powerful from his hand." Joe said nervously
"No! Now Dan has no monsters to save himself!” Julie screams. Dan regrettably collected his cards and put them in the used pile, Masquerade did the same,
"True that each cost us Life Points from that blow, and I half to discard all cards I draw for the next five turns, but it’s worth it to bring out my Lernaean Hydra." Dan grows as Masquerade set his ace on the table. Hydra requires five monster cards to be sacrificed (one card for each head) for it to be summed. Dan’s eyes shrink as the beast is set on the table "It’s your move” Dan gulped at its power level.
Oh great, the 5 headed thing out, my Life Points might as well be supper…
“You can do it Danny!” cheered Julie.
“Dan,” Runo called out from the kitchen “you got this.” She winked. Dan flashed a thumbs up.
My friends are right; I have been in worse jams than this!
Masquerade drummed his (?) nails on the table as Dan reached for his deck.
Let’s see, Dan’s deck does have a few monsters that could get over my Lernaean Hydra, but can he draw them?
Dan lifted the card up to his face. “Your dragon’s on ice. BAM!” he slammed the cardboard onto the table with a thwap! “My swords of Revealing Light!"
"Yay Dan!" the others cheer
"Masquerade can’t attack for 3 full turns!" Marucho triumphantly explains
“Oh I knew he could do it!” Julie shook Marucho back and forth with excitement.
“Thank you, Heart of the Cards!” Dan tipped the chair as he leaned back.
“Imp- impressive…” stuttered Masquerade. Suddenly Dan’s Bakupod began ringing.
"Oh shoot! It’s my mom!" he bolted out of the chair and to the door. Joe looked up to the clock hanging on the nearby wall.
"It’s 20 minutes ‘till 6, is that why she’s calling?"
Dan stuck his head out and answered the call. "Hey mom. Yup, I’m walking home as we speak. It’s really nice out tonight. No I haven’t found my shades yet. OK. Yea I’ll see you soon." he ended the call and shuffled back is side, face red "Mom,home,school,sunglasses,tomrow!" he gestures around the room.
"I should head home too, bye everyone" Joe waved and stood up.
"I’m bunking at Marucho’s house again so whenever he’s ready to head out.”
Marucho nodded "Just a moment, Julie I will call Kato to come pick us up.” As the gamers cleaned up their cards, Dan felt something placed on his head
"Wa-? My sunglasses! But I didn’t win them back from you."
"I have no use for it,” said Masquerade "besides, I might lose it during the week." Dan rolled his eyes with aa smile.
“That’s busy, ay?”
“You wouldn’t believe.” Masquerade suddenly smiled and threw his arms around him. “You take care this week!” Dan blushed too hard to notice the hair color had turned fully red. Alice let him go and smiled again. “Let’s try to have a rematch later.” Dan nodded and thanked her. Then headed home after collecting his card deck. “Well that was fun. You still here, Runo?” the twin ponytailed teen stepped out from behind the counter.
“Just cleaning up the last few dishes. Do you remember anything that happened?”
“Most of it. I let Masquerade have his personal alone time, but they were getting so heated up, I had to watch them play it out.”
“So,” Runo began to remove her white server apron. “you think Dan could have one that card game?"
"Too early to say, but he would have needed a good plan" Alice held Masquerade’s deck up and showed Lernaean Hydra to her. “I find it kind of funny how nothing has changed between these two. They sure do love dragons. I’ll try to drop in on you guys this weekend. Goodnight, Runo.” She nodded and watches her transport away.
I disagree, Alice, Masquerade has changed a lot. For the better
Runo tuned off the light and went up stars for bed. Back at home, Dan tucks his deck into a desk drawer, with plans to sneak in a planning session before school.