Yu-Gi-Oh!! ENDGAME. ARC ONE: The Beginning Of The End

“Finally! School’s out!” Penny yelled.

“Yeah, we’re finally done!” Sudsy shook my shoulder. “Can you believe it?”

I adjusted my headset and shrugged him off. “You guys hate school that much, huh?”

“Of course, we do,” a voice came from behind.

We turned to see Red grinning as he jogged over to us.

“Well, well, well… if it isn’t Mr. Popular,” Sudsy teased.

Red slung an arm across each of Penny and Sudsy’s shoulders. “C’mon guys, cut it out.”

“Red! How’d you manage to slip away from your eager fans?” Penny nudged him.

He pointed at me. “I told them Cole was waiting for me,” Red said.

I frowned. “Why would you—”

“Ha!” Sudsy cut me off. “That’s a good one. No one wants to be near this guy anyway!”

I glared at Sudsy as their laughter bounced off the lockers.

“Alright, enough messing around,” Red said, swinging his backpack over one shoulder. “Let’s get outta here before the commotion starts.”

Penny stretched with a loud yawn. “Ugh, I swear if I had to sit through one more class, I’d drop dead.”

“I know right,” Sudsy said, giving her a playful nudge. “I’d rather duel all day than sit still.”

“Same.” Red looked at him. “I can’t believe we’re about to graduate from Duel Academy."

“That’s right!” Penny grinned. “So, how did you guys fare in the online exams?”

“I think I did pretty well," Sudsy smirked. “Sixty-five.”

“That’s good?” I eyed him. “Sixty-five isn’t ‘pretty good'; it’s average.”

“Why I ought to—" Sudsy shook his fist in my face. “Penny, Red, what about you guys?”

“I bagged an eighty-six.” Red smiled.

“Eighty-two.” Penny made a peace sign with her right hand.

“I can’t believe this…” Sudsy groaned, dragging his feet. “All my friends are geniuses. I’m the dumb one…”

“I think that’s already been established a bunch of times,” I called over my shoulder.

“Grr. Let me guess—you got a hundred?”

“Nah.” I turned to him, tugging at my headset. “Ninety-nine.”

“Guh!!” He clutched his chest like I’d just stabbed him.

“Really?” Red blinked, almost impressed.

Penny grinned and nodded. “He told me he wasn’t going to get a hundred this time.”

“Why not?” Red asked.

She jabbed her thumb at Sudsy, who was still whining. “Because of that.”

“Oh…” Red smiled.

“I don’t get it!” Sudsy groaned. “That test was brutal. How’d you pull that off?”

“Meh.” I shrugged, fiddling with the side of my headset.

Sudsy’s sulking didn’t last long, though. His head shot up with a grin. “Alright then, Penny! Duel me right now. I need to beat someone today.”

I groaned. “Seriously? We just left class…”

“Oh c’mon, Cole,” Penny said, already cracking her knuckles like she was ready for it.

Red smirked. “Yeah, why not? We’ve got time.”

I was irked. “Are you guys serious? We’re outside; can’t we wait?”

Red raised a brow. “Bro, look around.”

I turned and saw lots of people lost in duels of their own. The sound of duel disks, people yelling and whatnot. “Doesn’t mean we have to be like them.”

“C’mon.” Penny had already removed her backpack. She tossed it to me. “Hold this.”

“Red, do something!” I turned to him.

“Don’t be a killjoy, Cole. Enjoy the show.” Penny reached for her deck in her back pocket.

“Yeah!!” Sudsy took his deck out and wore his duel disk on his right hand.

“You’re going to lose and then bawl your eyes out.” I rolled my eyes as Red dragged me to the side.

Sudsy stopped. “You don’t know that!”

I looked at Red, who was holding in his laugh. Then at Penny, who was grinning madly. Then they burst into laughter.

“Yeah, yeah, laugh all you want.” Sudsy frowned. “At least I beat you every time!!" He pointed at me.

I stopped chuckling.

“Yeah, cats got your tongue?” Sudsy smirked. “You’ve never defeated me, Cole.”

“Ooh.” Red turned to me. “He’s got you there, Cole.”

“The great and mighty Cole can’t beat an ‘average’ guy like me.”

“Haha!!” Penny pointed at me. “He’s got your number, Cole!! Every time!!"

I bit my lip. “Alright then. If it’s a duel you want, I’ll give it to you.”

Sudsy smiled. “Fine then. After Penny, I’ll duel you. I know you love losing to me anyway.”

My jaw tightened. “I don’t—”

“Sounds like someone’s scared,” Red cut in, smirking.

“Totally scared,” Penny echoed.

Sudsy leaned in, grinning ear to ear. “What’s the matter, Cole? Afraid I’ll crush you again?”

I sighed, pulling my hood lower. They weren’t going to drop it. “...Fine.”

“Ha!” Sudsy pumped a fist. “You’re on!”

Red chuckled. “This is going to be good.”

Penny activated her duel disk, shuffling her deck before slotting it in. Sudsy did likewise.

Red and I walked a few paces backwards to give them space, then he called out to them, “Ready?”

They both nodded.

“You both start at 4000. Go!”

“DUEL!!”