Episode 41: Part 1: Beat Down
EPISODE FORTY-ONE
The group on the camper were all fanning themselves, while Shining Armor held an icepack to his head.
“What a finish!” he sighed “But I guess Sunset wins.”
Everyone looked over at Luna thinking she’d be disappointed, but she wasn’t.
“My sister dueled well; the best I have ever seen.” she said “And besides, all is not lost anyway.”
She was right, seeing as both Sunset and Rainbow were now two that would go on to the next round in the finals.
Now it was Raven’s turn to duel, and that was where everyone began to feel a bit shaky, since Raven was going to be up against Masquerade!
Kori still hadn’t forgotten how she had lost to the creep before, and how he was so rude and pushy; the way he berated Jump City and their attempts to save it.
Robin placed his hand over Kori’s, trying to comfort her, “We’ve got to think positive. Who knows, maybe Raven will win?”
The others were not so optimistic, knowing how skilled Masquerade was.
Vic, once again, attempted to identify Masquerade, via: the camper’s visual scanners, but once again failed because the electrodes Masquerade had under his mask made him impervious to such things.
Vic angrily pounded the console. “Who is this guy, and what’s his beef with all things?”
“That’s something we’d all like to know.” said Cadance, “Do you think Raven’s ready to duel him?”
No one said a thing.
All this time, Raven had been sitting quietly on her bed in her suite, and meditating softly.
“Azarath, Metrion, Zinthos…
Azarath, Metrion, Zinthos…
Azarath, Metrion, Zinthos…”
She was interrupted by the suddenly pounding on her door, and Pinkie calling to her, “Hey Raven!”
Her eyes snapped open, and marched over to the door, not even opening it. “What is it?”
“You better come out,” Rainbow called “It’s almost time for your duel.”
Raven looked at the clock on the wall and realized it had been nearly two hours since the duels started. So it had to have been time for her match.
She reached into the pocket of her pants, pulled out her deck, and looked at it grimly. She still had some resentment to the game and how it was causing so much trouble for herself and her friends.
She took in a huge breath and opened the door, almost making the others jump at the sight of her and her expression.
“Are you feeling alright?” asked Rarity.
“I’m fine.” Raven said as she walked past her and the girls.
Rarity’s lips curled into a sneer, “How rude.”
“It was totally rude.” agreed Pinkie.
Much as Rainbow agreed with them, she couldn’t help but point out, “She’s probably focusing. Remember, she’s dueling against Masquerade. He’s not going to be easy.”
She reflected on all the past duels Masquerade had won, including her own two defeats against him. He was so ruthless, unpredictable.
“It means I get to put people like you in your place!
To me: there’s no greater thrill than weeding out those like you who think they’re so special and that you’ve got it made, only for me to show you that life is not all cupcakes and rainbows, and expose you as the frauds you are.”
Rainbow clenched her quivering fist, but still she knew that Masquerade was not to be taken lightly, especially when they all chased after him and he, mysteriously, yet skillfully managed to elude them.
“…There’s got to be a way to beat him, somehow.” Rainbow grumbled to herself.
Suddenly, she snapped out of her trance to see that’s he was standing by herself in the hallway.
“Rainbow, come on!” Pinkie called from way over by the elevator.
Rainbow jogged to catch up to her friends before the doors shut.
Once up on the duel platform, they found nearly everyone else was present and seated in the spectator area, except for Karle.
Terra also looked pretty grim too.
“Did you find her card?” asked Pinkie, but the expression on Terra’s face made it painfully obvious they hadn’t.
“We looked absolutely everywhere.” said Fluttershy.
“It’s okay.” Terra said “I guess I’ll just have to get another one, but…” she paused “…I just wish I knew what happened.”
Masquerade was standing in his place on the platform, slowly shuffling his deck; the very one he had prepared for no matter whom he’d be facing, and Raven was going to be no exception…!
…Yet, he was still unaware of the little extra addition inside, courtesy of Terra’s clumsiness.
Still, everyone couldn’t help but notice how tensed he seemed, rather enraged!
“What’s up with him?” asked Applejack “He looks like he’s ready for more than a duel…”
Sunset agreed, “He looks like he’s ready for a real fight.”
Suddenly, the doors to the elevator opened, and Raven stepped out, with her hood pulled over her head.
She quietly stepped up to the duel platform with her eyes narrowed at Masquerade, and he gazed back at her with the same expression under his mask, which people could feel more than see.
Raven took her position, and Masquerade, surprisingly said nothing to her, but just continued to glare at her as the cold winds softly fluttered the lower part of his overcoat like a cape, and Raven’s hood fluttered softly as well, but remained on her head.
The Prince Brothers could feel the deep-seated tension coming from the duelists, either this meant it would be a great duel, or something else entirely!
“Attention please!” called the referee “The final duel of the Quarter Finals will now commence! I repeat: This duel will end the Quarter Finals.
Raven Roth…!
Masqerade…!
…Prepare yourselves!”
Their duel disks were ready and activated, and the tension only seemed to worsen.
Then finally, Raven broke the silence, “…Who are you?” she sneered at Masquerade “Why do you wear that mask? Why are you such a jerk to people? Most importantly: What do you have against me and my friends?”
Masquerade clenched his fist, “I suggest you focus more on what’s coming to you, because it’s not going to be pretty!”
Raven did not like being threatened! She tried to read his mind, but it was no use, she was blocked out by the electrodes.
“You’re really a coward, you know that!” she sneered “You hide behind a mask, you act like you’re superior to everyone else around you, and you seem to enjoy being a prick to everyone!”
Masquerade snickered softly, “That’s a laugh coming from you, Ms. Wearing a hood over her face, hiding in the shadows, alienating herself from the world, and taking little to no interest in other people’s tastes.
…And you have the gall, the absolute NERVE… to call me a coward!”
Raven felt insulted, and enraged, but also a little concerned, as if Masquerade knew her personally more than just by reputation like most people in the world.
“Well,” hissed Masquerade, “…This is only going to make my victory against you all the sweeter, because not only will I have humiliated you in front of your flimsy friends, I’ll also have gotten something much greater…!”
Then he thought silently, “…Revenge!” not wanting anyone to hear it, fearing it may tell them too much.
Suddenly, he could hear the sounds of whapping, like somebody’s hand smacking, and he winced at each whap, and brought his hand to the side of his head.
“What’s with him?” wondered Rainbow.
None of the others could tell.
“Let’s go!” snapped Masquerade!”
“Bring it on!” growled Raven.
Masquerade LP: 8000
Raven LP: 8000
“Go, Raven!!” cheered Rainbow “Show this guy who’s boss!”
Pinkie and Rarity waved a couple of pompons cheering for her as well, but Raven hardly seemed to acknowledge it, preferring to stay focussed on the duel.
“QUIET!!!” bellowed Masquerade, and the girls all winced back into their seats, “How can anyone concentrate with you all leaping and shouting like a bunch of giddy and worthless school girls?!”
Now the girls felt angry!
“Worthless?!” snapped Rarity.
“School girls?!” growled Pinkie “…Well, we are technically school girls.”
Celestia put her hand on Pinkie’s shoulder cautioning her to sit. While she, too, was irritated with Masquerade’s attitude, she knew it best not to disturb either duelist either.
“Raven needs to concentrate on this duel.”
The some of the others agreed.
Then Fluttershy noticed, “Why isn’t Karle here?”
Twilight suddenly felt tense.
“…Doesn’t she want to watch this? She wants to duel Masquerade more than anything.”
“Um… I’m sure she’s… uh… watching from her room.” said Twilight.
Everyone else believed so and turned back to face the duel.
Masquerade was up first.
“To start off, I’ll place two cards facedown, and then I end my turn.”
Raven growled softly as her eyes narrowed.
“I know your strategy well.” Hissed Masquerade, “Since most of your monsters can only be summoned by card effects, it shouldn’t be too hard to keep you at bay.
Perhaps if you’d change your deck every so and so, like I do, it’d be a different story.”
“Are you finished?” asked Raven “Because it’s my move now.”
She drew a card, but really she was at a serious disadvantage, since she couldn’t play any monster she had.
“I’ll place a card facedown as well, and end my turn.”
“Fine then, I draw!” sneered Masquerade. “I’ll place another card facedown, and then summon a monster in defense-mode, and that will be all!”
Raven cringed angrily!
“Okay, this is getting boring.” said Cadance “I thought for sure that Masquerade would go all out on the first few turns.”
“He’s playing it smart.” said Robin “As long as he keeps stalling like this, Raven won’t be able to get her monsters out too easily, and that can put her in a serious spot.”
The others all agreed.
“My draw!” hissed Raven, and she looked down at her card “Aha!
Now I activate the Field Spell PSY-FRAME CIRCUIT”
The field began to warp, and changed into a field of flowing circuits that were pulsating with bright energy.
Fluttershy shuddered, “I remember this place!” she groaned “Raven used this card on me before, and now she’ll be able to Synchro Summon the minute she gets any monsters in play.”
“…That is if she even does get a monster in play.” Applejack pointed out.
Raven ended her turn with yet another facedown card, but thought quietly, “I still don’t know what he’s planning or what strategy he has, but I can’t let him see me sweat.”
Masquerade quietly drew his next card, and gave a soft snicker, “It’s time!” he hissed.
“I activate MYSTICAL SPACE TYPHOON, and I’ll use it to destroy your field spell!”
“Oh, no you won’t!” snapped Raven “Since you played a spell, and I have no monsters, I get to summon this from my hand…
…PSY-FRAMEGEAR DELTA!”
(Def: 0)
“This also lets me summon PSY-FRAME DRIVER from my deck!”
(Atk: 2500)
“And now, this means your spell is negated and destroyed!”
The image of the card was shattered.
“And now,” Raven declared “Thanks to my PSY-Frame Circuit, I will Synchro Summon using these two monsters that I--!”
“…You’ll do no such thing!”
“Huh?”
“You’re as predictable as I thought you’d be. That spell I played was just a ruse to get you to get your monsters in play, so now I can activate this trap; DISCORD!”
A powerful ray of light shot out from the image of the card, blasting at Raven’s Extra Deck.
“What is this?”
Masquerade snickered “Thanks to my trap card, for the next three turns, there will be no Synchro Summoning.”
Raven growled.
“No Syncrho Summoning?!” cried Fluttershy “But most of Raven’s powerful monsters are Synchro.”
“I’m not worried!” Raven hissed “Because I have a trap of my own; PSY-FRAME OVERLOAD!
Now I can banish one card on the field, and all I have to do is--!”
“…Stop right there!” snapped Masquerade “I have another trap to play myself; IMPERIAL IRON WALL!
As long as this card is in play, banishing cards is totally impossible!”
“Ah!”
The spectators couldn’t believe this.
“A perfect setup!” growled Twilight “He lures Raven into a false sense of action to summon her monsters, and then activates traps that disable vital keys to her strategy!”
She sounded really serious, almost infuriated even, then again, everyone else felt the same way.
Those on the camper were just as outraged.
“What’s with this guy?!” growled Vic “He’s putting Raven on the ropes!”
Kori glared at the screen “…He’s a better player than I remember.”
Masquerade snuffed, “Well, now… I think it’s safe enough to reveal my monster to you…
…CYBER JAR!”
Raven’s eyes widened.
“Not Cyber Jar!!” cried Pinkie “…What is Cyber Jar?”
Sunset knew of it, “When that monster is flipped up, all monsters that are on the field are instantly destroyed!”
Everyone gasped, and then looked up as Raven’s monsters were picked up by strong suction winds, dragging them into the jar, and then the jar itself exploded!
“And now,” shouted Masquerade “We both take the top five cards from our decks, show them, and any monsters level 4 or below get summoned to the field!”
Raven was finding it harder to maintain her cool, and her aura began to glow, but she calmly pushed it all down and did as she was told, and much to her chagrin, all the cards she drew were monsters.
“PSY-FRAMEGEAR ALPHA… BETA…DELTA… EPSILON… GAMMA…”
She had no choice but to play them all in facedown defense-mode.
“So, what did you get?” Raven asked.
Masquerade revealed his card, which were all monsters that neither Raven nor any of the spectators recognized.
“I play…
PSYCHIC ARMOR HEAD…” (Atk: 0)
“ACTIVE GUARD…” (Atk: 0)
“BURNING KNUCKLE…” (Atk: 0)
“TRAP BUSTER…” (Atk: 0)
“OVER BOOST…” (Atk: 0)
All five monsters seemed to resemble bits of pieces of a kind of cybernetic suit of armor-- helmet, torso, leggings, and two arms.
As unusual as they seemed, Raven pointed out “Um… you just summoned five monsters that all have no attack points. What are you up to?”
Masquerade snickered.
“Hey, Twilight… you ever seen these cards before?” asked Applejack.
“I have…” Twilight answered nervously “And trust me, they might look weak, but they sure have some nasty surprises!”
Nobody liked the sounds of that.
“Isn’t that nice,” hissed Masquerade “Looks like one of your friends studies.”
Raven gave a stern glare.
“…But even still, all the studying you or anyone has done won’t save you for what I’m about to give you!”
He stepped forward, and all of his armor pieces began to float over towards him, and actually equip themselves to him forming a perfect high-tech suit, like something out of a comic-book!
“Ha!”
Raven was officially astounded, as was everyone else.
“He actually donned the holograms?!” cried Rarity “What sort of trickery is this?”
“It’s incredible!” added Terra.
“Oh, it’s more than that,” replied Masquerade “Not only does this armor cling to me, but each piece has its own special abilities that can really rock your world.
Raven nervously asked “…And just what are they?”
Masquerade held up his right arm, clenching his fist, “Burning Knuckle here gains 200 attack points for each armor monsters I control, and since I control five, that makes his attack rise to 1000!”
(Atk: 0) -----> (Atk: 1000)
“And now, here I come…!”
He began to rush over towards Raven’s field himself, “Buster Knuckle, make a direct attack on her life points!”
“What?!” snapped Raven “But I have monsters in play!”
“Big deal…!” Masquerade sneered as he leapt high up, “Thanks to my Over Boost leggings, I can bypass your monsters and hit you instead!”
He came down hard, and socked Raven right in her arm, making her yelp and step back while clutching her arm!
Raven LP: 8000 -----> 7000
“Raven!!” cried Robin, almost forgetting she couldn’t hear him.
“I can’t believe that!” said Cadance “He just attacked her himself!”
The Equestrians and Terra were livid and shocked.
As for Raven, still clutching her arm thought “That hit almost felt real; like he had really punched me.”
Masquerade then leapt back over to his post, and he seemed to be panting-- in a good way-- as if he had taken pleasure in striking her.
“Lucky for you, none of my other Armor Monsters can attack this turn.” he called to her, “So I’ll place one card facedown, and end my turn.”
Suddenly, his armored leggings shattered and were gone.
“What happened?” asked Raven “Why did your Over Boost vanish?”
Masquerade snuffed “It’s an unfortunate side-effect: During the end of my turn, I had to send my leggings to the graveyard if I use their power to make a direct attack, but unlike you, I can afford to be without it. I still have plenty of armor left use.
This is only the beginning.”
He then thought, “The beginning of The Hurt… for you!” followed the sounds of that smacking again, and he seemed to feel each and every blow.
Raven was puzzled again, the way his emotions kept shifting around…!
“Make your move!” demanded Masquerade.
“Don’t rush me!” growled Raven, and she drew her next card and looked at it, and then contemplated long and hard.
“What’s Raven waiting for?” whined Pinkie “All the armor monsters have little to no attack points at all, and she’s got loads of monsters.”
“Yeah, but don’t forget,” Applejack pointed out “We still have no idea of what them armor bits can do. Masquerade sure seems content the way things are now.”
Both Rainbow and Twilight seemed to have the same expressions of anger and discontent for Masquerade, and both of them were silently cheering Raven on hoping she’d crush him!
Raven looked at the field, and since she had no knowledge of her opponent’s cards, she figured the best thing to do was walk into the traps instantly. Only then would she be able to learn about them more and be able to devise ways against them.
“I’m not going to let this jerk get to me the way he did others.” she thought.
She grabbed her card, “I’ll flip Epsilon into attack mode!”
(Atk: 1500)
“Hope you have that helmet on tight, because I’m going to knock it right off of your head for striking me before! Go Epsilon!”
Her monster levitated its way towards Masquerade.
“Nice try…” he hissed and raised his right arm, blocking the monster’s attack, though the piece was still destroyed.
(Atk: 1500) VS (Atk: 800)
Masquerade LP: 8000 -----> 7300
“I knew it!” said Raven “You were planning to block my attack.”
Masquerade nodded, “Looks like someone’s finally getting the message.
If you attack any part of my armor, I can deflect the attack to a different piece instead. It may have cost me my right arm, and some life points, but it was well worth it, especially now that I get to activate this…
…DAMAGE CONDESNER!
Since I took damage, I can discard one card from my hand, and then summon 1 monster from my deck with an attack lower than the damage I just took.
…I choose BUSTER KNUCKLE!”
A newer and more devious looking armored arm appeared and instantly attached itself to his right arm, and its attack points instantly rose.
(Atk: 0) -----> (Atk: 800)
Raven clenched her fist and thought, “He sacrificed one piece of armor and summoned another one, and I’ve got a feeling that his reasons were well worth it.”
“Well!” yelled Masquerade “Anything else you’d like to fail at?”
Raven bit her lower lip to contain her rage.
“Okay, this guy is really going too far now!” growled Terra.
The others agreed with her entirely!
“As a matter of fact… there is!” snapped Raven “I activate my face-down, TORENTIAL TRIBUTE!”
Masquerade grunted.
“…Since you summoned a monster, this trap will destroy all the creatures on the field!”
Raven raised her arm as if she was conducting the powerful, swirling vortex that warped in the sky and ready to obliterate all the monsters!
The strong winds blew all across, and the spectators all braced themselves.
“My hair!” cried Rarity “It’ll take ages to brush it properly again!”
Raven’s eyes were glowing brightly, and she brought down her arm, “…NOW!!” signaling for the monsters to go!
Suddenly, the great force began to veer away.
“What’s going on?!” cried Raven.
She followed the trail of the force all the way to other side of the field, where Masquerade was absorbing the force into his left arm.
“No…!” Raven cried.
The last of the force disappeared into the arm, “Oh, yes…!” hissed Masquerade “It’s called “Trap-Buster” for a reason: it negates your traps that try to destroy my armor, maybe if you used your head for something besides wearing that hood, you’d know that!”
Now Raven was really mad, and her body her aura was flowing around her. “Don’t make me send you to a distant dimension!”
“Ha! Not only will you not succeed, but even if you tried that would prove that you’re a heartless soul, just like the rest of the Titans.”
Raven was breathing softly but furiously in attempt to hold herself in, “For the last time… we are trying to save our city! We are trying to help people, which is more than anyone can say of you!
Have you helped anybody?
Have you tried to do any heroics?
What have you possibly done that affects people, other being a miserable jerk who keeps talking down to people and brags how much better he is than others?!”
The spectators felt every word Raven strike to him exactly what they all had been longing to say.
Masquerade seemed speechless and clenched his fist hard, “Funny, how you still preach about saving the city…” he paused and then yelled “…BUT YOU AND YOU AND YOUR FELLOW TITANS ARE PARTLY RESPONSIBLE FOR IT’S DECLINE… GOT IT?!!”
Raven winced angrily, but she couldn’t help but feel he was partially right, remembering that she and the other Titans did play roles in getting involved in all the businesses and developments and changes.
“You’re trying to SAVE Jump City? You can’t even save yourself from this duel, and I’m about to show you why!”
Seeing him now completely unreasonable, Raven angrily placed a card facedown, ending her turn.
“Bring it on!”
The spectators were all hot and sweaty by the dramatics.
“Boy! Raven really shook him up.” said Celestia “All this trash-talking isn’t healthy for either of them.”
Terra kept gazing up at Masquerade, catching on to every word he said, “He’s acting with such a grudge, and he seems to know the Titans better than most people.
I wonder… could he be from Jump City, and he’s fighting for revenge?”
“It’s my move now!” growled Masquerade, and he drew his next card, “And now I this spell card from my hand; recognize it?”
The card image appeared, and much to Raven’s horror “…It’s BERSERKER SOUL!”
“Good, you remember, now I just throw out my entire hand to the graveyard, and then I can draw cards, and for each monster I draw… my Buster Knuckle will be allowed to attack you again, and again each time until I draw a non-monster!”
Raven growled, “So you’re going to attack me directly again, huh?”
“Wrong!”
“Huh?”
“I think it’s time I did better than that, by getting rid of your other monsters, because you see, when Buster Knuckle attacks a defending monster, you get dealt piercing damage!”
Raven gasped softly.
“But all of Raven’s monsters have zero defense-points!” cried Pinkie.
“Here I go!!” shouted Masquerade, and he rushed over at Raven’s field.
POW!! He punched out one of the monsters with his natural attack, and Raven lost 800 points!
Raven LP: 7000 -----> 6200
“Now I draw!” sneered Masquerade, and he drew a monster, which allowed him to attack again!
Raven LP: 6200 -----> 5400
And again…!
Raven LP: 5400 -----> 4600
And a third time!
Raven LP: 4600 -----> 3800
Even though all of Raven defensive monsters were now gone, and Epsilon was too strong to attack head on, he still drew another monster.
“And now I’m coming for you, Rae-Rae, with a direct attack!!”
He leapt up high, and came crashing down.
Raven used her powers to put up a small dark plate of aura to defend her, but the duel holograms, as well as the electrodes under his mask, allowed Masquerade to go straight through and bash her hard in the face! And knocking her down!
Raven LP: 3800 -----> 3000
Masquerade was laughing deeply, “Face it! You’re no match for me and my armor, and you can bet, by the time this duel is over, you’ll rue the day you ever set foot in this tournament and crossed cards with me!
“Raven!!” shouted Terra.
“She’s getting creamed hard!” wailed Sunset.
Everyone else was starting to think the duel was getting way out of hand, especially with Masquerade, literally pushing Raven around and beating her up himself.
Rainbow yelled at the referee, “You’ve got to stop this! He’s doing something illegal here!”
The referee refused, “He is attacking his opponent directly, and it is technically the result of the shockwaves from the holograms. There is no rule violation and no misappropriation of conduct.
Please sit down.”
Rainbow looked ready to throw a fit of outraged, but Applejack and Fluttershy held her arms, telling her to cool it!
Masquerade loomed over Raven, laughing at her. “How someone like you could even pick up a deck is beyond me.
Raven quickly bolted upright onto her feet, and while she wanted nothing more than to give him a taste of the back of her hand. She wouldn’t’ succeed, and also she’d be disqualified and couldn’t give up while Jump City was depending on her.
“Well then…” hissed Masquerade “I still have to draw again, and let’s see if I get to continue beating you down like you so richly deserve!!”
He put his fingers onto his deck, while laughing like an evil madman!
“Raven…!!” cried Robin.
“Let’s hope he doesn’t draw a monster…!!” whimpered Shining Armor.
To Be Continued…
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I can bet he's gonna draw change of heart at some point.
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My guess is that's what he's gonna draw at the start of the next chapter
10233541
Yea u right.
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10233541
Remarkable intuitions...
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So we're right?