" ": You talking

' ': You thinking

* *: Narrator/Voice-off

Your POV:

???: Is it true the boss is finally coming ?

???: It's finally time for us to take action.

???: Do not kill anyone, do not hurt anyone, do not steal from the poor.

???: We obey the three laws of thieves.

All four: This is how act the Dark Scorpions !

Sailor: Land ahoy, Detective ! This is Academy Island.

???: Academy island, huh... Time to get to work.

Alexis: ... ... ... ... ...

"Still no progress from Atticus ?"

Alexis: He gets up on his own from time to time... But it doesn't seem like he remembers anything.

"... I keep feeling guilty for that. I mean, I kinda deep-fried his brain during that Shadow Game."

Alexis: It's not you, it's those Shadow Riders... Why are you here ?

Banner: Well, we wanted to discuss something with you.

Detective: Good afternoon ma'am. I'm detective Zaloog.

Alexis: ... A detective ?

Banner: You see. The Shadow Riders already got their hands on two of the seven keys. So I talked to the chancellor, and we decided to hire more security agents.

"Seems reasonable... Alexis, where do you keep your key ?"

Alexis: Mine is...

Chazz: ... ... ... ... Hr-hm.

"You... You could just tell us, you know."

Alexis: Right, I... I keep it around my neck...

Chazz: Same with me...

"And here too..."

Zaloog: It's true that keeping a valuable object on self seems like the best choice. But it's like advertising where it is.

Banner: So his idea is to put all your keys in a safer spot.

Pharaoh: Meow. 'Praaaaah. Then why didn't you let me hide your key safely in my kitty litter box ? No one would search it there ! Not even me ! Prah.'

Chazz: I'll hide mine in here.

Zaloog: I see. The underneath of a sink is an unexpected hiding spot... Hey, who's there ?!

"That's Gorg. He's a janitor here."

Alexis: I'll put mine in my jewel box.

Zaloog: A safe spot, for sure.

???: Everyone ? I'm sorry, but boys aren't allowed to enter this dorm.

Zaloog: Who's that ?!

Alexis: She's one of the nurses in the academy, Dr. Meanae.

Banner: Well, my key will be here.

Chazz: it's certainly safe in... This safe. Only employees have the key.

Zaloog: ... Huh ? A suspicious intruder !

Banner: That's Cliff of security. I feel reassured when he's here.

Zaloog: very well.

"Dr.Crowler, this is something important !"

Crowler: For the last time, I am not letting my key unattended ! I will keep it on me at all time, as it is the safest place !

"For pity's... Fine..."

"And lastly... Well, I might have gotten a bit overboard with it..."

Banner: Are those... Did you make copies of your key ?!

"i'll just hide them all over the place, obviously or not."

Zaloog: A good stratagem. It'll send them on a false lead.

"i'll also keep this one on me at all time, just to confuse things a bit more. But... This one ain't the real one either."

Zaloog: How so ?

"By hiding other in plain sight, they'll think I have the real one. But... I discovered recently, that it you remove the mattress, and slightly dislodge the bedpost like that... You get a slight space, just big enough to hold the key and hide it from view."

Alexis: Well, isn't that thinking ahead...

"if anything, you can't find it just by looking around. You either have to live in here or simply know it's here..."

*Knock knock*

Zaloog: Who's there ?!

???: Ahhh !

"... Chick, your room is the next one, for the 45th time."

Chick: R- Right !

Chumley: he's a Slifer student, like us. But he's a bit slow around the edges.

Zaloog: Good. All the keys are well hidden. In that case, I will be in the night watchman cabin, with professor Banner.

???: Finally, the Seven spirit keys are ours !

???: But, why is nothing happening...

???: The treasure won't be our until we open the door.

???: Maybe there's something to do beside gathering the keys... ?

???: Tch. For the time being, let's get back.

Alexis: ...up... Wake up... Y/n ! Wake up !

"... Grmbl... Alexis, it's Sunday, what's so important... And how did you get here... Also... Why was I sleeping on the floor ?"

Alexis: The keys ! Our spirit keys ! They were stolen !!

"... Stolen ? ... Is Chazz awake ?"

Alexis: Not yet...

"... 3... 2... 1..."

Chazz: GAH ! MY DOOR ! WHO DID THAT ?!

"Knew it. In that case, we better fetch the others."

Chazz: So, why is this reunion taking place in my room out of all places ?

Banner: How horrible...

Chazz: I asked you what you were all doing here !

Zaloog: It truly is a terrible situation.

"Detective Zaloog... And, folks... ?"

Zaloog: I rounded up some suspects. I will now proceed to interrogate you all in different rooms.

"... isn't someone mission, though ? Where is Crowler ?"

Banner: We found him bound, gagged and tossed in a locker somewhere on campus...

"Figures... Then, let's find the culprits."

Chazz: No need to. Nobody's moving. Because the one who stole the keys... Is in this very room ! I swear I will solve that case, or my name isn't the Detective Chazz Princeton !

"... It isn't..."

Chazz: Can it ! Before you all arrived, I examined each crime scene.

Syrus: That's good, you can find lots of evidences on a crime scene !

Alexis: Now that you mention it... There was something like a fake nail on my bedroom's floor...

Meanae: H- Huh ?!

Chazz: Alexis, you should really clean your roommore often.

Alexis: I- I do it ! Every day.

Chazz: I threw away that thing.

Banner: About that... there was a set of footprints near the safe in the conference room...

Cliff: Ah ?!

Chazz: The school is filled with muddy footprints ! You lot really need to wear slippers. I already wiped the floor clean.

Banner: I- I'm very sorry...

"Well, if anything... We've got proof the thieves were kinda slow around the edges..."

Chick: H- Huh...

"Because they fell for my trick. The key under my bed wasn't even the real one. I lied to all of you and kept the real one on me."

Chazz: So we know the thieves knew about the hiding spot.

Banner: but then, who's the culprit ?

Chazz: Hmph. It's you ! You ! You ! And you !

Chick/Cliff/Gorg/Meanae: Huh ?!

Chick: ... Wh- Where are your proofs ?

Meanae: That's right ! If you're gonna treat us like criminals, at least bring some evidences !

Chazz: ... I've got evidences.

Zaloog: What ? But... You cleaned up anything that looked like it...

Chazz: My proofs... Are here !

Ojamas: Hehehehehe !!

Chazz: See, when we hid those keys, I made sure to hide one of them with each one of them. And in my room... There are countless eyewitnesses ! My entire deck ! And they were witnesses of your crimes !

Black: No doubt about it !

Green: It was these guys !

Yellow: We saw them !

Zaloog: Witnesses ?

Meanae: I don't see anything like that...

yellow: Oh oh, you don't see my weapon ?

Black: My cherry-blossoming flowers ?

Green: My emblem ?

Suspects: We don't see anyone or anything like that !

"... Why don't you stop playing dumb and come out, Detective Zaloog of the Shadow Riders ?"

Zaloog: What ?!

"Little tip for you all. When you're part of an evil, secret organization planning to take over the world... MAKE SURE NOT TO WEAR THEIR GOD DAMN SIGIL DIRECTLY ON YOUR FACE !!"

Syrus: What ?!

"Every single Shadow rider until now had that eye-themed piece somewhere on them, and now that schmuck comes in wearing it as an eye-patch ! Was the one who recruited you really like 'No one will suspect a thing' ? They've got to be the dumbest fellow I've ever seen !"

Zaloog: Hmph... Looks like there were two self-proclaimed "great detectives" here. Your methods are questionable, but you are right on point. It's true ! Our real identity is...

Scorpions: the Dark Scorpions !

All: Never heard of them.

Zaloog: Several years ago, I was tasked with stealing the Seven Spirit keys, to open the Seven Spirit gates. So I sent my subordinate to infiltrate this island.

Scorpions: That's how the Dark Scorpions act !

Chazz: Considering the time you put into it, it's a remarkably lame job you did.

Scorpions: That's how the Dark Scorpions work !

"These clowns are a nice break after Camula and Tanya."

Syrus: yeah...

Scorpions: That's how the Dark Scorpions work !

Alexis: But you can't open the spirit gates just by collecting the keys. I suppose they were a bit absentminded.

Scorpions: That's how the Dark Scorpions work !

Zaloog: then ? How do we open them ?!

"You... You're one of the Shadow riders, and you don't even know... ? More important, do you really believe we'll just tell you ?"

Chazz: I'll tell you. If you beat me in a duel, the door will open !

"First off, could your dumb ass not give these information to the enemy ? Second, what about the rest of us ?"

Alexis: that's right, i'm here too.

Syrus: And professor Banner too.

Banner: N- No, I'll pass...

Zaloog: A... Duel... ? That's right, they gave us these Duel disc things when we got recruited !

"... ... ... I want to meet him. I want to meet the guy who recruited you. That level of incompetence was never seen before."

Zaloog: Then let's duel !

Chazz: Anytime ! Come at me, Dark Scorpions !

Both: DUEL !!

*4000/4000*

Zaloog: I start, draw ! I summon Golem sentry, in defense mode !

Zaloog: I place one card face down and end my turn.

Chazz: My turn ! I play the spell card Fiends Sanctuary !

'... So Yugi did trade away this card in the end...'

Chazz: This card special summons a "Metal fiend Token" to the field ! I will then tribute that token, to summon Armed Dragon, LV5 !

Chazz: Armed Dragon, destroy his monster ! ARMED BUSTER !!

*SCHBROOOOOOOOM*

Chazz: I will then set two cards face down and activate the effect of Armed Dragon ! During the turn when this card destroys a monster by battle, I can send it to the graveyard, and special summon Armed Dragon; level 7 !

Zaloog: You have a good monster. I draw ! And I activate Pot of Greed ! Next... I will summon my own card, Don Zaloog !

Zaloog: Since the stakes are this high, I will enter the battlefield myself !

Syrus: What ? He is...

"Getting Gravekeepers flashbacks here..."

Zaloog: I also activate my spell card, mustering of the Dark Scorpions !

Zaloog: if Don Zaloog is on the field, I can special summon from my hand one of each "Dark Scorpion" members ! Come forth ! Let's get to work !

Gorg: I am the muscles of the Dark Scorpions ! Gorg the strong !

Meanae: I am the Lady of the Dark Scorpions... Meanae the Thorn !

Cliff: Traps are under my control... Cliff, the trap remover !

Chick: I take the treasure and I run away... Chick the Yellow !

Scorpions: We are the Dark Scorpions !

Zaloog: I activate my trap ! If all of the dark Scorpions are on the field all at once, each of them can attack you directly, for 400 points of damage each ! So let's roll ! Dark Scorpions Combination !!

Meanae: take this ! Thorn Whip !

Zaloog: Double revolver !

Cliff: Trap Knife !

Chick: Energy Mallet !

Gorg: Hammer of the strong !

Chazz: Garg- !

*4000→2000*

Zaloog: Hehehe. It's not just your points. You already received damage with all of our effects !

Chazz: What ?!

Gorg: The strongest monster on your field goes back to the top of your deck !

Chick: A card on your field goes back to your hand !

Cliff: Two cards from the top of your deck are sent to the Graveyard !

Zaloog: Next, a card from your hand also goes to the grave.

Meanae: And finally, we add a "Dark Scorpion card, from our graveyard to our Hand.

Zaloog: I will take back this one. Our unstoppable combo, Dark Scorpions Combination !

Banner: What a scary combo...

Syrus: Can Chazz really survive against that ?

Alexis: there's no way to go back up after that...

Zaloog: That's right. Any deck and hand of an ordinary opponent would be in shreds after that kind of attack.

"Oh. Well, I guess that's fine. Chazz is far from being an 'ordinary opponent' after all."

Chazz: I don't need your encouragement ! This combo didn't even make me falter. I play Level Modulation !

Chazz: It makes you draw two cards, and lets me special summon a LV monster from my grave, ignoring its conditions ! Come back, Armed Dragon LV7 !!

Zaloog: Kh. You're stubborn. I place two cards face down and end my turn.

Syrus: he only has half his life points left...

"He'll win. I know it."

Chazz: My turn ! I draw I activate Armed dragon's effect ! By discarding a monster from my hand, all monsters with a lower or equal attack are destroyed ! So I discard Despair from The dark !

Zaloog: Not so fast ! I activate a trap, retreat of the Dark Scorpions ! Now all Dark Scorpions member on my field return to my hand !

Chazz: ... Then I'll attack you directly ! ARMED PUNISH !!

Zaloog: GAAAAAAAAHH !!

*4000→1200*

Cliff: Boss ! You protected us...

Meanae: You pay for this !

Chazz: I place one card face down and end my turn.

Zaloog: ... That was a nice hit... But my victory is assured ! My turn ! I summon myself once again ! And I'll activate the Mustering of the Dark Scorpions yet again. My troop, assemble !

Scorpions: Yes !!

Chazz: I don't think so. I activate a trap ! Ojama Trio !

Scorpions: Huh ?! These things... there's no space for us !

Chazz: This card summons Ojama tokens son your field. Also, when an Ojama token is destroyed, you take 300 points of damage.

Zaloog: Kh- !

Black: Sorry, sorry.

Green: We know it's your side of the field.

Yellow: But we're really intruding.

Chick: they're really taking up the space...

Meanae: In that case... bring me out, boss ! Do what you must !

Zaloog: Meanae, I'm putting my life between your hands... I activate the spell Dark Scorpion tragedy of love !

Zaloog: When Zaloog and Meanae the Thorn are on the field, I can send her to the graveyard to destroy all of your monsters !

*SCHBROOOOOOOOM*

Meanae: i'm leaving the rest to you, boss ! Avenge me !

Zaloog: To avenge, Meanae, i'm attacking you directly ! Double revolver !

*BANG BANG*

*2000→600*

Zaloog: And with this attack, my effect activates ! You discard a random card from your hand !

Chazz: ... Looks like Lady luck wasn't looking the other side. The only card in my hand is Ojamagic !

Chazz: When this card is sent from my hand or field to the grave, I can add one of each Ojama brothers to my hand !

Zaloog: And what is the use of these little twerps ?

Chazz: I'll show you what's small, I draw ! And I activate Pot of greed ! Next up... Polymerization !

Zaloog: What ?

Chazz: Let's go... Ojame Black ! Ojama Green ! Ojama Yellow !

Yellow: Let's go !

Black: the ultimate coalition of Ojamas !

Green: Here he comes !

Ojama: The king ! The king ! The king is here !!

Chazz: Now, I play the spell card Ojamuscle !

King: Ojama Tokens, come to daddy !

Chazz: Ojamuscles destroys all monsters with Ojama in their name, and raises the king's attack by 1000 each ! Furthermore, you lose 300 life points for each destroyed token ! Let's go, Ojama King !! Drop attack Ojamuscle !!

King: MMMNGMMM... OJAMUSCLE !!

*SCHBROOOOOOOOOOOOOOM*

"That's our Chazz ! You chazzed them up real good !"

Chazz: They go bye-bye.

Zaloog: S... Sorry... Everyone...

Scorpions: Boss !

*POOF*

Syrus: Did they... Turn into cards ?

Chaz: So that's it... I thought they were just thieves, but...

"The Shadow Charm brought them to life..."

banner: In any case, i'm glad we got the keys back.

Alexis: This was a Shadow game, and we weren't even aware of it...

"losing meant being sealed in a card... That was a close call..."

Chazz: ... ... ...

Chazz: ... ... ...

Zaloog: Ya sure know how to throw a good party, Ojama yellow !

Yellow: And we're going all night !

Meanae: isn't that the good life, boss ?

Zaloog: Yeah ! By the way, where's Ojama King ?

Yellow: He comes late. Likes to make a biiig entrance !

Scorpions: That's how the Dark Scorpions act !!