Chapter 121 – The End of 1991

Bonus Chapter

After his latest System upgrade, Alexander's life gradually settled back into something resembling a normal routine, at least, normal by his standards.

Every morning, he picked up Ginny before heading to Promethean Academy. He attended his classes, participated whenever his teachers required it, and spent lunch with Ginny and Chuck.

The routine was almost mundane.

Alexander still had to balance school with running Industrial Illusions, developing Duel Monsters, training his Spirit Energy, and occasionally dealing with problems that involved things most people didn't even know existed. Still, compared with the chaos surrounding the Duel Monsters Grand Prix, he wasn't complaining.

After lunch, Alexander returned to his remaining classes before heading to the school's Duel Monsters Club with Ginny and Chuck. The Inter-School Duel Monsters Championship was getting closer, and the club had become noticeably more competitive since the Grand Prix.

Alexander occasionally helped the students with their preparations, offering advice when asked and sometimes participating in practice Duels himself. At the same time, the constant exposure to Duel Monsters gave him another useful benefit: gathering Duel Energy and Duel Points, as even when he wasn't deliberately farming it, simply being involved with Duel Monsters-related activities allowed him to steadily accumulate more DE and DP.

It wasn't nearly as dramatic as the gains from the Grand Prix, but Alexander had no reason to complain about free resources.

Eventually, the school day ended, and Alexander, Ginny, and Chuck left the campus together before separating in the parking lot.

Chuck headed off to spend time with Julia, while Alexander drove Ginny home.

Once he had dropped her off, Alexander continued toward Industrial Illusions, where there were always things waiting for him there. Contracts. Meetings. Production. Distribution. The continuing expansion into Canada. And, whenever his schedule allowed, Alexander also spent some time with Phineas Mason and the rest of the R&D team.

Working directly with them was something Alexander genuinely enjoyed.

Alexander occasionally offered suggestions, and sometimes his knowledge allowed the team to solve a problem they had been struggling with; on top of that, it allowed him to figure out if there were significant gaps in the theoretical knowledge of the team that he could buy from the YGO System to speed up the process even more. An option that was much more within his means now that his speed of gathering DP and DE had got a massive boost.

Eventually, however, even Alexander had to leave, but rather than immediately returning home, he would stop at some random gathering spot where he could continue farming Duel Energy and Duel Points by having a few duels while in disguise; only after that would he return to the mansion.

His evenings followed another routine.

An hour of physical exercise, an hour spent working on his Ba and Spirit Energy control, then a shower and dinner.

Occasionally, his father, Hugh Jones, would join him for dinner, giving father and son some quiet time together away from the constant pressure surrounding Industrial Illusions.

Afterwards, Alexander would retreat to his study, and there, his work on Duel Monsters continued.

He would spend hours creating new prototype cards, often negotiating with the Duel Spirits connected to them, even if at times such negotiation took a more aggressive turn.

The weekends were considerably easier as most of them were spent simply having fun with Chuck, Ginny, and Julia.

They could forget about business meetings and tournaments for a while and simply enjoy being teenagers.

Of course, Alexander's supernatural responsibilities hadn't disappeared.

Every now and then, Blade and Hannibal King would receive information about a possible malicious rogue Duel Spirit, and whenever that happened, Alexander joined them.

Most of those reports turned out to be duds. Sometimes the supposed haunting had nothing to do with a Duel Spirit; other times there was simply no supernatural activity at all, but occasionally, the reports were genuine.

When they encountered an actual rogue Duel Spirit, Alexander dealt with it through a Shadow Duel.

Those encounters were usually far more dangerous than an ordinary Duel Monsters match, but fortunately, they were also relatively rare.

And so, with his days divided between school, Industrial Illusions, Duel Monsters, training, and his friends, the remaining weeks of November passed quickly, and winter was beginning to make its presence known.

The temperatures were dropping, and the frequent rain made Los Angeles feel considerably colder than Alexander was accustomed to.

At Promethean Academy, meanwhile, the atmosphere was becoming increasingly frantic as mid-term examinations were approaching once again and, for most students, that meant studying. For Alexander, it meant very little as he had already mastered the entire curriculum.

Ginny, Chuck, and Julia were also among the best students in their year, so while they still took the exams seriously, there was little reason for them to panic and instead, their conversations increasingly shifted toward the upcoming winter break.

Everyone was making plans, and before long, the exams arrived.

They passed without any real difficulty, and then winter break finally began.

~~~▽~~~

One weekend morning, Alexander was having breakfast with Roland when the television suddenly cut away from its regular programming.

A sharp tone sounded from the speakers, followed by the familiar red banner announcing BREAKING NEWS.

Both men looked up.

The anchorman appeared on the screen, his expression unusually grave. "Good morning. We interrupt our scheduled programming to bring you breaking news from the Kingdom of Latveria."

A graphic appeared beside him: a map of the small European nation, followed by images of smoke rising above a city Alexander didn't recognise.

"We are receiving reports of a dramatic and, until only hours ago, seemingly unthinkable change in Latveria’s government. According to multiple sources within the country, a popular uprising against the regime of King... Ehm...”

The anchorman paused, briefly consulting the papers in front of him before continuing, "...Vladimir Vassily Gonereo Tristian Mangegi Fortunov, Baron of Sabbat, Baron of Haasen, Baron of Krozi. has succeeded."

Roland lowered his fork.

The broadcast switched to footage from the streets of Latveria. Thousands of people filled the roads, waving flags and cheering as soldiers stood aside while the anchorman continued, "Overnight, citizens across the kingdom took to the streets in open revolt against the monarchy. Government buildings were seized, members of the royal guard reportedly defected to the rebels, and fighting continued in several locations throughout the capital."

Another image appeared.

The royal palace, or what remained of it.

"The former king is confirmed dead." Alexander's eyes narrowed as the anchorman continued. "Details surrounding his death remain unclear at this time. However, sources close to the provisional government have confirmed that the uprising has effectively ended the previous regime."

The screen changed again. This time, the image was of a familiar young man.

He stood before a crowd, dressed in black, his expression stern and utterly composed.

Roland stared as his eyes widened.

The anchorman seemed almost reluctant to say the next words, "And in what may be the most extraordinary development of this extraordinary story, the people of Latveria have chosen a new king to lead them."

The name appeared beneath the photograph.

VICTOR VON DOOM

"Victor Von Doom, seventeen years old, has been formally proclaimed King of Latveria."

For several seconds, neither Alexander nor Roland spoke.

The anchorman continued, his voice taking on the measured tone of someone attempting to make sense of something that defied explanation, "Despite his age, King Von Doom appears to have already assumed effective control of the country. In his first public address, delivered shortly after his coronation, the new monarch promised sweeping reforms aimed at improving living conditions throughout Latveria."

Footage played of Victor standing before a microphone.

"We will no longer accept hunger as the price of poverty," the boy declared. "We will no longer accept suffering as the price of weakness. Latveria belongs to its people, and it is my duty to ensure that every citizen has the opportunity to live and prosper with dignity."

The broadcast returned to the anchorman.

"Since that address, reports indicate that King Von Doom has ordered the immediate distribution of food and medical supplies, announced measures to reduce poverty, and promised significant investment in infrastructure and education."

The footage changed once more to the Latverian citizens gathered in a town square.

Cheering. Applauding. Some were crying. Others were holding photographs of their new king.

"Perhaps most remarkably," the anchorman said, "the response from the Latverian population has been overwhelmingly positive."

The screen showed another crowd.

Then another and another.

"Reports coming from across the kingdom describe widespread demonstrations of support for the young monarch. Citizens have been heard chanting his name in the streets, with many describing him as the man who has finally freed Latveria from generations of oppression."

The anchorman looked directly into the camera. "Whether King Victor Von Doom can maintain this level of popular support, and whether a seventeen-year-old monarch can successfully govern an entire nation, remains to be seen."

He paused before he added, "But for the moment, one thing appears certain."

The image of Victor filled the screen once more, "Latveria has a new king."

Roland slowly set his fork down as he stared at the television.

"A seventeen-year-old," he said quietly.

Alexander said nothing.

On the screen, thousands of people were cheering for their new king.

Love. Admiration. Loyalty.

Roland slowly turned his head toward Alexander and asked, "Isn't that your friend, Master Alexander...?"

Alexander remained silent for a moment.

He wasn't exactly surprised.

Victor had always been an extraordinary individual, and Alexander had suspected for some time that something like this might eventually happen.

So, he smiled wryly and said, "Yes, he is..."

Roland continued staring at him.

Alexander looked back toward the television and added, "And it means that my next Christmas gift must be something worthy of a King..."

~~~▽~~~

The rest of the winter break passed quickly.

Alexander spent most of it with his friends, enjoying the freedom from school.

He also spent quite a bit of time preparing Christmas gifts.

He had already decided what he wanted to give everyone, although Victor's sudden elevation to the throne had forced him to reconsider at least one of those gifts.

Eventually, only a few days remained before Christmas Eve.

Chuck and Julia announced that they planned to spend the upcoming Christmas Eve day together as a couple, and nobody found that particularly surprising; after all, they were dating for quite some time.

Once the two had left, Alexander drove Ginny home as usual.

The conversation between them was normal until they reached her house.

Ginny opened the car door.

She was about to get out when Alexander suddenly spoke, "Wait."

Ginny looked back at him.

Alexander hesitated, as he hadn't planned this, he hadn't calculated it, he hadn't prepared for it; The words simply came out, "Would you like to spend Christmas Eve with me?"

Ginny froze, and a moment later her face immediately turned red.

Alexander realised what he had just said.

His rational mind finally caught up with the impulse that had already escaped his mouth.

For a few seconds, neither of them spoke, then Ginny quietly accepted, "Okay."

She quickly stepped out of the car and hurried toward her house.

Alexander remained where he was.

He stared at the house for several seconds, then he finally muttered to himself before starting the car again.

His first date. He had just asked Ginny on his first date.

The next few days were considerably more stressful than Alexander would have liked to admit.

He had no experience with dating, and that meant Alexander did what he always did when confronted with something unfamiliar.

He prepared. He planned. He considered possible locations, activities, meals, transportation, timing, and numerous contingencies.

By the time he was finished, the plan had become almost absurdly detailed.

Roland watched the process with increasing amusement, but eventually, he pointed out that Alexander was overthinking it.

This wasn't a military operation; it was a date and, more importantly, it was Ginny's date too, so Alexander needed to consider what she wanted.

Leaving some options open would probably be better than trying to control every minute of the day.

Alexander reluctantly accepted the advice.

~~~▽~~~

Christmas Eve finally arrived.

Alexander had spent the morning telling himself not to overthink it, but that lasted until the moment he saw Ginny.

She was already waiting in front of her home when he arrived, standing beneath the glow of the Christmas lights, her hands tucked into the pockets of her coat. She looked up at the sound of his footsteps, and for a second, her expression brightened.

Then they both stopped.

"Hi."

"Hi."

They said it at almost exactly the same time.

Alexander smiled awkwardly while Ginny laughed, and somehow, that only made them both more aware of themselves.

They had known each other for a little more than a year. They had talked about practically everything. They had teased each other, argued over ridiculous things, shared secrets, and spent countless ordinary afternoons together; So why did standing next to her suddenly feel so difficult?

"How are you?" Alexander asked.

Ginny raised an eyebrow. "You know I've been waiting for you for five minutes, right?"

"I know."

"So you could have come up with something better than 'How are you?'"

"I panicked."

She laughed again, and some of the tension in his shoulders finally disappeared. "You're terrible at this."

"I know."

"Good."

They started walking.

For the first few minutes, their conversation was almost painfully careful. They talked about the weather, the crowds, the decorations, anything that didn't require them to acknowledge the obvious thing sitting between them, but slowly, naturally, they slipped back into familiar habits.

Ginny pointed out an absurdly decorated house and declared that whoever lived there had clearly misunderstood the concept of restraint.

Alexander disagreed, arguing that Christmas lights were supposed to be excessive.

"That's not excessive," Ginny said. "That's a cry for help."

"You've just insulted an entire family."

"They'll survive."

He laughed and just like that, it became easier.

They wandered through the streets without worrying quite so much about where they were supposed to go next. Alexander had planned the day carefully. He had a list of places they could visit, things they could do, and times they were supposed to be there.

Ginny discovered the list when he pulled it from his pocket.

She stared at it, then she stared at him and asked, "You made an itinerary?"

Alexander looked embarrassed. "It's not really an itinerary."

"There are times written next to everything and an absurd amount of details."

"I like being prepared."

"Alexander, you've scheduled hot chocolate."

"That's an important part of the day."

Ginny shook her head, smiling. "You're ridiculous."

"And yet you're still here."

She looked at him for a moment.

"Yeah," she said quietly. "I am."

Something about the way she said it made him look away.

They eventually abandoned most of the schedule.

They stopped somewhere because Ginny liked the window display. They lingered over drinks because neither of them wanted to leave. They wandered down a street neither of them had planned to visit simply because the Christmas lights looked pretty.

At some point, Alexander realised he had stopped checking the time, and he had also stopped worrying about whether the day was going well.

He was just enjoying his time with her as usual.

Later, when they found somewhere quieter to sit, Alexander remembered the gift, "I actually have something for you."

Ginny looked at him suspiciously. "For me?"

"Obviously."

"You didn't have to get me anything."

"I know."

He handed it to her.

She took it carefully, suddenly quieter than she had been a moment before.

Alexander watched as she opened it; it was a small cat-shaped pendant with small rubies as eyes.

Ginny kept looking at it, and for a second, she didn't say anything.

He immediately began worrying that he'd gotten it wrong. "You don't like it...?"

Ginny looked up. "What? No."

"I thought maybe—"

"I love it."

Her voice was softer now.

She looked at the gift again, turning it over in her hands as though she wanted to take in every detail before she muttered, "You remembered that I love cats..."

"Of course I remembered."

She smiled.

It was a small smile at first, but it slowly grew until Alexander couldn't help smiling too.

"Thank you," she said.

"You're welcome."

She looked at him again and repeated, "Really."

"I know."

"No, you don't."

Alexander laughed quietly. "Okay. You're welcome. Really."

She nudged his shoulder with hers. "Better."

They stayed there for a while.

Neither of them seemed particularly interested in deciding what came next.

Eventually, evening began to settle over the city. The lights seemed brighter against the darkening sky, and the crowds gradually thinned.

Alexander glanced at the time and suggested, "We should probably..."

He didn't finish.

Ginny followed his gaze and muttered, "Oh..."

Neither of them moved.

The realisation came quietly: the day was ending, and neither of them wanted it to.

They began walking again, slower this time. Their conversation became softer. There were longer pauses between their words, but the silence wasn't uncomfortable anymore.

When they finally reached the place where they had to part, a few meters away from her house, they stopped.

"Well," Ginny said.

"Well."

"That was nice."

"Yeah."

"Very romantic itinerary."

Alexander smiled. "You made fun of it."

"I did."

"You enjoyed it."

"I did."

Another pause.

Alexander could feel his heart beating faster.

He suddenly became aware of everything, the cold air, the Christmas lights reflected in the windows, the way Ginny was looking at him.

Neither of them seemed to know what they were supposed to do now.

"So..." Ginny began.

"Yeah."

She smiled nervously, and he smiled back.

For a moment, they simply stood there, then Alexander took a small step closer, and Ginny didn't move away.

That was enough.

He leaned in, hesitating at the last possible moment, giving her every chance to change her mind.

She didn't.

Their lips met.

It lasted only a moment.

Their first kiss was brief and slightly awkward, and when they pulled apart, both of them looked a little stunned.

Ginny's cheeks had turned pink, and Alexander wasn't sure whether his had, but he did feel that his face was suddenly very hot.

"Well," he said, because apparently his vocabulary had abandoned him.

Ginny laughed, "That was..."

"Yeah."

"Very smooth."

"I was nervous."

"I noticed."

He laughed, and she did too.

The awkwardness somehow made it better.

It wasn't perfect, and it didn't need to be.

Ginny looked at him for another moment before smiling, "Goodnight, Alexander."

"Goodnight, Ginny."

She took a few steps away, then turned back. "Merry Christmas."

He smiled, "Merry Christmas."

She continued walking until she reached her home and stepped inside, but not before giving him another glance.

Alexander watched her disappear behind the door before finally turning toward his car.

He drove the entire way with a smile he couldn't quite suppress.

For once, he didn't mind that his carefully planned Christmas Eve had gone completely off schedule.

Some things, he decided, were better when they weren't planned at all.

Christmas Day itself was considerably quieter as Alexander spent it with his father.

There were no tournaments, no business emergencies, no investigations.

Just father and son spending Christmas together.

~~~▽~~~

The day after Christmas, Alexander met up with his friends again.

Chuck and Julia already knew what happened between them, and the moment they saw Alexander and Ginny together, they exchanged a knowing smirk.

Alexander noticed. Ginny noticed, but neither said anything. Despite that, nothing else really changed. The four of them still joked around. They still talked about Duel Monsters. They still spent the day having fun.

Alexander and Ginny being a couple simply became another part of their group dynamic.

The remaining days of the year passed quickly.

Soon, New Year's Eve arrived and unfortunately for Alexander, that meant another appearance at Roxxon's annual charity gala alongside Hugh.

The event was exactly what he expected.

Wealthy businessmen. Corporate executives. Politicians. People dressed in expensive clothing. Endless conversations filled with compliments that often felt less than sincere.

Alexander endured it all with the patience he had developed through years of attending similar events.

Industrial Illusions had become too successful for him to remain unnoticed.

The company continued expanding. Duel Monsters continued spreading. And Alexander's reputation continued growing alongside both of them.

Naturally, that made him even more interesting to the people attending the gala.

Alexander did his best to survive the evening without becoming trapped in too many conversations or unleashing his Duel Spirit upon the most annoying people.

Eventually, however, the night reached its end.

As the final minutes of 1991 passed, Alexander looked around at the world he had helped change.

A year ago, Duel Monsters had been little more than the beginning of an idea, but now it was becoming an international phenomenon. Industrial Illusions was expanding beyond the United States. Victor Von Doom was King of Latveria. Alexander had found himself in more supernatural incidents than he'd like to admit. And somewhere in the middle of all of that, he had somehow found time to fall in love.

The clock reached midnight, and with that the year 1991 was over and a new year was beginning.