Chapter 1: The Question Of The Card
A single spell card that depicts a portal streaming light spins from a dark void. "It was because of one card that my life was turned upside-down. That my mother and father lost everything. That I was forced to run for my life!" Sherry says, in voice-over. The card flips closer and closer, and then is held by her, still against the backdrop of the dark void, looking fiercely angry. Sherry whips it around, as though ready to play it. "It was because of one card that everything was ruined, but it will be through that same one card that everything will soon be fixed!" Says Sherry, in voice-over.
It's a scene of chaos in a plush, fancy room somewhere in one of New Domino's skyscrapers. Several men in suits sprawl on the floor incapacitated, and the furniture is knocked over and upended.
In the center of the room, one kind of chubby man, gray-haired, in a business suit, stands cornered by Sherry. "Whaddayou want? W-why have you come here?" Sherry walks a step forward and grabs the front of his shirt. "I've come here for answers." Sherry says. She keeps gripping his shirt with one hand, and with the other shows him the card with the bright portal. "This card. I want to know why it's so important!" Says Sherry. "I... don't know...!" Wrong answer. He is shoved out the door to the railed patio, half of whose windows have already been smashed through. Sherry strides after and backs him against the railing. "Don't know? You've been chasing me for it for weeks!" Sherry says. She grabs him by the front of his shirt again. "Now, I want to know why." Says Sherry. "Yes... fine... you're right... I have been after that card... but only because I got an order from someone to snatch it! I would tell you who the someone was, but he..." The man's loafered feet now dangle a few inches above the ground. "Gggh, he never gave me a name, I swear!" The tips of his toes rest on the ground. "I don't believe you!" Sherry says. "No... please... I'm not lying, this man is a mystery! He operates in the shadows...! Gaaah..!" "Shadows? He'll need more than shadows to hide from me! Vengeance will be mine!" Says Sherry. She lifts the man up again and his feet dangle helplessly a few inches above the patio... "No, stop! Don't!"
And he's thrown against a wall inside, knocked out.
Sherry regards him, arms crossed, with Ellsworth. "It's as I feared. To get some answers, we're going to need to do it with tech power, not muscle power." Sherry says. "With tech? And what tech might that be?" Asks Ellsworth.
Behind Sherry, the blinking red lights of the antennas atop the Public Security Bureau building are visible.
"What else? The city's most advanced comp grid, the Public Security Bureau's Super Mainframe." Sherry says. With that, she looks behind her out the window toward Security Headquarters. Ellsworth follows her gaze. "Ah, but of course. Question is, how do we access it?" Asks Ellsworth.
The following day. Minako, Trudge, Skylara and Bruno are seated together next to a floor-to-ceiling plate glass window, in a café somewhere in Domino. The china on the table suggests maybe they're meeting over coffee around mid-day. Chibi Chibi is seated on Skylara's lap, she's keeping herself occupied by playing with the latter's hair. "So, then. You still haven't regained your memory?" Trudge asks, addressing Bruno. "No. It's all still one big haze." Says Bruno. "Has Sector Security found any leads on Bruno's I.D.? Or Chibi Chibi's?" Skylara asks. Minako pulls out two documents. "Well, we ran their prints and did a face-scan down in the Super Mainframe, but no matches. And there hasn't been any missing child reports." Says Minako. The documents have pictures of Bruno and Chibi Chibi, and a big red circle with a slash through it printed across it. "Really? Nothing?" Bruno asks. "Don't worry, Bruno. We're going to keep at this. Skylara, would it be okay if he and Chibi Chibi shacked up over at your place for a little bit longer?" Asks Trudge. "Yes, of course." Skylara says.
Same time, outside the Public Security Bureau Headquarters. Two individuals in gray uniforms, one a woman with a tight blonde bun, the other a huge man carrying a metal suitcase, approach the building.
Skylara, Bruno and Chibi Chibi take the elevator back down to the ground floor after their meeting. Chibi Chibi is now running and jumping around. Bruno gazes out the window in the wall of the elevator, solemnly, the buildings beyond seem to get taller as they descend. "Are you alright, Bruno?" Asks Skylara. "Yeah. It's just-I have this weird feeling that someone out there is waiting for me. I dunno, that probably doesn't make any sense, does it?" Bruno asks. "Of course it does. Don't you worry, Bruno. We are going to find out who you and Chibi Chibi are." Says Skylara. "Yeah, I sure hope so. I feel so lost." Bruno says. Chibi Chibi runs up to Skylara and stands before her, looking up at her. "Mama." Says Chibi Chibi, innocently and cutely. Skylara kneels down to her level and places one of her hands on top of her head. "You must really miss your mother and father. Don't worry, Chibi Chibi. We are going to find them." Skylara says. "Chibi." Says Chibi Chibi. She runs into Skylara's arms. "Mama." Chibi Chibi says, smiling up at Skylara. "I don't know what it is. Ever since she met you and Jack, she's been calling you 'mama' and him 'dada'. It's as if she really does believe you and Jack are her parents." Says Bruno. Skylara stands up and Chibi Chibi goes back to running and jumping around the floor of the elevator. "Yes, I know. However, it isn't possible." Skylara says.
A busy day in the office at Security Headquarters. A female announcer on a large screen overlaps with urgent business chatter. "Attention, all Sector Security personnel…" "Trudge? You got a call on line fourteen!"
At the end of a row of busy phone operators, Trudge picks up a handset. "Yeah, ya got Trudge here..." "…We need to evacuate…" "Who is this?!" Asks Trudge. "The building operator! I just got a call saying that the place was completely rigged!" Trudge is thunderstruck. "Huh! Completely rigged with what?" Trudge asks. "Whaddaya think, with explosives! So everyone needs to evacu…" The phone conversation is cut off, with a crackle of static. "Hello?! Hello! Hey, are you there?!" Asks Trudge. He is really starting to panic.
Minako looks up from reading papers at her desk nearby, the uniformed young lady who brought her coffee is just as startled. Then the audio of the big screen cuts out and a loud microphone feedback whine interrupts all business in the room. The operators look up from their desks, bewildered. "What's going on?" Trudge asks. A menacing voice comes over the speakers. "Hmhmhmhm. He's not, but I am." Trudge stands, still holding the phone set to his ear. "Who is this?!" Asks Trudge. "This is someone with a great many lives in their hands." "Yeah, right… I'm callin' your bluff, pal!" Trudge says. "Very well, I'll prove it." Trudge and Minako gasp, horror-stricken.
A moment later, a spot on the side of the PSB Building explodes, billowing dark smoke.
The room rocks, and the ceiling lights go out. A dial tone can be heard on Trudge's phone, the mystery bomber hung up already.
Minako stands up, taking charge, though her voice wavers slightly. "Code Red!" Says Minako.
Trudge gasps, brought back to the situation by her words, then goes into action. "You heard her, everyone evacuate!" Trudge says.
The phone operators clear from the room, quickly.
Skylara, Bruno and Chibi Chibi are stuck in the elevator, which apparently stopped when the lights went out, listening to a computer voice over the building's public address speakers with alarm. "Code Red. Repeat, Code Red. Please evacuate immediately." Says the computer. "Evacuate?" Skylara asks. "And we're stuck in here?" Asks Bruno.
In front of the PSB Building, people stream from the open front doors, some with cell phones or other gizmos.
Minako's holding a small handheld holographic screen.
Trudge hurries up to her. "Chief, our division is all out of the building." Trudge says. "That's good." Says Minako.
The Deputy Director is a bulky man in a dark red suit, bald on top with brown hair around the back of his head and a bushy brown mustache. He calls to them from nearby. "Does anybody know who was on the phone?"
"We aren't sure." Minako says.
"Deputy Director, there are no reported injuries!" "Deputy Director, the press is demanding that you make a comment!"
Trudge and Minako watch form a distance, a few men nearby are kneeling on the sidewalk with their laptops, and officers in uniforms and business suits are milling around, frantically.
A crowd of half a dozen clusters around the Deputy Director, all speaking at once. "Deputy Director!" "Deputy Director!" "Deputy…"
"The poor guy, I feel sorry for 'im. After all, he didn't sign up for this, the real Directors can't be located and Vice-Director Lazar is away to who-knows-where on some extended vacation. Now, there's practically no one left to run this place." Says Trudge.
Just then, the building's metal shutters rattle closed, sealing every entrance. Security has just been locked out of their own building.
"What gives! Why is the building locking itself?!" Trudge asks. "I'm not sure. That's not protocol." Says Minako. She consults her screen.
In an endless blue room, little yellow lights drift in figure-eight patterns around four pillars, atop each of which is a throne. Geometric designs in strict right angles weave across the ceiling. Below the four thrones is an ellipsoid window, showing the scene outside Security Headquarters. The four Directors-General watch from their thrones.
"It seems the flies are doing quite a bit of buzzing these days! Oh, how I like to watch. I find it so amusing seeing them search for answers. Eheheheheheheheh!" Lester says.
"That clown Lazar is still on the run, which means..." Says Primo.
"Which means we do nothing and let these fools destroy themselves!" Galaxia says.
The two mysterious individuals in grey uniforms who approached the building earlier hurry down a flight of stairs inside the darkened Security building, tossing off their sunglasses and flinging off their nondescript hats, it's Sherry and Ellsworth.
"This should do it." Says Skylara. Some skillful tinkering with a screwdriver has finally allowed her and Bruno to pry apart the doors of the elevator. "Nice going, Skylara." Bruno says. "Thank you. Now, let's get ou…" Says Skylara. As they emerge from the elevator, they catch sight of Sherry and Ellsworth, as they reach the bottom of the flight of stairs and turn the corner to descend another level. "What in the world?" Skylara asks. "D'you know them?" Asks Bruno. "Yes. However, where are they going!" Skylara says. She takes off running after them.
Bruno hesitates before following. "Hey, d'j'you forget? We're supposed to be evacuating!" Says Bruno. Chibichibi then takes off, running after Skylara. "Mama!" Chibi Chibi says.
"Chibi Chibi, come back here!" Says Bruno. He goes running after her.
After a moment of typing on a control console keyboard, the screen displays an icon that depicts a lock with a circle and slash across it. "There. We now have complete access to the Super Mainframe! Come on!" Sherry says. She turns to descend the stairs from the control panel platform, and Ellsworth follows.
Skylara is waiting to intercept them, Bruno and Chibi Chibi right behind her. Chibi Chibi, a little scared of the dark, clings to Skylara's leg. "Sherry." Says Skylara.
Sherry and Ellsworth stop in their tracks. "Skylara. Long time, no see. What's happening? You smarten up and decide to join my team yet?" Sherry asks.
"Now is not the time to talk about that." Says Skylara. "We all have to get out of here! It's not safe to be in this building right now!" Bruno says. "Chibi." Says Chibi Chibi, as if in agreement.
"Heheheheh. Actually, yes it is. We just rigged one blast for effect!" Sherry says.
"Wait, then you are behind this? But why?" Asks Skylara.
Sherry turns to leave through the large door at the opposite end of the room. "Sorry, but that's simply none of your business. Au revoir!" Sherry says.
"Wait!" Says Skylara.
Ellsworth blocks her path. "Let me through! You two won't get away with this!" Skylara says.
"Try and stop me." Says Sherry. She turns, and disappears into the dark area beyond. The door begins to shutter closed behind her.
"Sherry!" Skylara says. She lunges forward and Ellsworth heads her off. "Agh!" Says Skylara.
Bruno grabs Chibi Chibi, takes her into his arms and gets around Ellsworth, while his attention is on her and runs for the door. Ellsworth whirls and throws a tool, catching Bruno on the ankle and tripping him. Bruno tightens his hold on Chibi Chibi, securing her close to his chest. Bruno rolls, hits the ground on his tailbone, and slides right under the door as it closes. "Whoa!" Bruno says.
"Lucky punk." Says Ellsworth. He is still blocking Skylara. "Bruno, you have to stop Sherry!" Skylara says, calling over Ellsworth's shoulder toward the door.
"You can count on me, Skylara!" Says Bruno.
"No, you can't." Ellsworth says, addressing Skylara. He turns and walks toward the sealed door. "You know he's no match for Sherry. But, you might be. Therefore, I cannot allow you to pass." Says Ellsworth. He smashes a glass panel beside the door with his fist, and reveals two slender coated wires, one green and one blue. A panel on the back of his duel disk slides open and he plugs these into two matching ports. His duel disk lights up with a lifepoint count of 4000. "Shall we?" Ellsworth asks. He activates his duel disk. Two lights on the wall beep and light up red, and a screen on the wall next to where the blue and green wires are attached to it similarly reads 4000 lifepoints.
"Are you saying that the only way that door is going to open is if I beat you in a duel?" Asks Skylara.
"That's right." Ellsworth says.
Skylara walks to the other end of a dueling distance. "Very well, if that is what it is going to take. I may not know what Sherry is up to. However, I plan to stop it here and now." Says Skylara.
"Then you'll have to get through me! From my hand, I summon Spirit Summit Warrior!" Ellsworth says. Spirit Summit Warrior has 1200 attack points and is a level 4 monster. "Next, I activate Spirit Summit Warrior's ability. It lets me summon one level-three-or-below warrior-type monster from my hand. And the monster I choose is the Liberated Rear Warrior!" Says Ellsworth. Liberated Rear Warrior has 0 attack points and is a level 3 monster. As Ellsworth speaks, the two monsters are already beginning a synchro-summon. Liberated Rear Warrior slashes his naginata and dissolves into three stars. "Now, both of these battle-hardened heroes will tune together and create a champion even more powerful! Behold the power of two warriors working as one! Behold the power of a synchro-summoning. Rise and conquer, Driven Daredevil!" Ellsworth says. Driven Daredevil has 2400 attack points, 2100 defense points, is a level 7 monster and is an earth type monster.
When Driven Daredevil is attacked by a monster with more attack points, it survives, and the attacking monster is destroyed.
"With that, I end my turn, with two face downs." Says Ellsworth.
"My draw! And first, I shall send Wrecking Ball in my hand to the grave, to summon, Wham-Shell!" Skylara says. Wham-Shell has 700 attack points and is a level 5 monster. "And now, because there is already a tuner monster out on my field, Wrecking Ball in my grave is summoned to join him!" Says Skylara. Wrecking Ball has 800 attack points and is a level 2 monster. "Now, level-five Wham-Shell, tune with level-two Wrecking Ball and take aim to make an even mightier beast!" Skylara says. A gold mace whirls in the air, Wham-Shell smashes his mace into the ground making water form at his feet. Wrecking Ball soars through the aligning five rings. "Put together all of your powers, and merge all of your might! I synchro-summon, Sunburn!" Says Skylara. Sunburn has 2800 attack points, is a level 7 monster and is a fire type monster.
"Ggghh!" Ellsworth growls under his breath.
"Now, Sunburn, attack Driven Daredevil! Go, Infinite Flame!" Skylara says.
Daredevil faces down the attack, catching it on his crossed blades. Ellsworth's lifepoints decrease to 3600. "I'm not letting you through that door! I play Daredevil's special ability, Determined Will!" Says Ellsworth. Daredevil uncrosses his swords in a double slash, and a strong wind begins to blow through the room.
"What is this?!" Skylara asks.
"This, I'm afraid, is the end of the road for your Sunburn, Skylara Galatea!" Says Ellsworth.
Daredevil expertly crosses his glowing swords in a T, then leaps skyward and slashes down on Sunburn's chest with both swords, leaving two deep gashes. Daredevil's eyes glint bright white.
"Next, I play "Master and Servant's Resolve". From now on, if a monster is destroyed in battle due to another monster's ability!" Ellsworth says. A glowing knife shoots from the card, straight toward Skylara! "The destroyed monster's attack points are dealt as damage!" Says Ellsworth.
The glowing dart stabs right into Skylara's stomach, she grips it with both hands. This brings her all the way down to 1200 lifepoints, but she doesn't make a sound.
"However, in order to keep this continuous trap in play, I must take one thousand points of damage every turn." Ellsworth says.
"That means, you shall only last in this duel for four turns at the very max!" Says Skylara.
"Four turns is all that I will need, and my Driven Daredevil will see to that!" Ellsworth says. With him and Driven Daredevil looming over her, Skylara is up against quite a challenge.
Skylara's vivid emerald green eyes are blazing. "Well then, it is time to take this duel up a notch!" Says Skylara.
Outside the shuttered entrance to the Security Building, Trudge impatiently watches a crew cut through the metal with welding torches. "The only way the security screens would activate is if someone on the inside activated them. I'm starting to smell a rat here!" Trudge thinks to himself. "Trudge!" Minako says. "Huh?" Asks Trudge. Minako shows him her little screen. "Remote feeds indicate someone's trying to access the Super Mainframe!" Minako says. "What? The Mainframe?! But, that would give them access to the city database, which would mean…" Says Trudge. He then wails. "Aaaahhh!" "Right. All kinds of bad things. Pick up the pace, men!" Minako says. "The ones we want are inside!" Says Trudge.
Sector Security's Super Mainframe is topped with a colorful array of lights. It's a really big supercomputer. Sherry stands before the console on the front of it. She holds the mysterious card with the bright portal before her. "At last, the truth will finally be mine." Sherry says.
Bruno runs into the room after her, one arm outstretched, the other arm holding Chibi Chibi securely close to his chest, in a protective manner. "Stop! Don't even take another step! It's over!" Says Bruno. "Chibi!" Chibi Chibi says.
Sherry whirls, and Bruno can barely yelp before being felled by a kick to the head. Sherry faces him, ready to attack again, and Bruno cowers on the ground.
Chibi Chibi stumbles out of Bruno's arm and runs underneath the Mainframe table, hiding underneath there, trembling with fear.
"Wait-no-stop-please don't hurt me!" Says Bruno. Sherry answers with another flying kick, he barely manages to scramble out of the way.
Skylara and Ellsworth face off across the room outside the Super Mainframe.
"I summon Eruptor in defense mode." Skylara says. Eruptor has 300 defense points and is a level 3 monster. "I then end my turn with a face down." Says Skylara.
"My draw then. In order to keep 'Master and Servant's Resolve' activated." Ellsworth says. Another glowing dagger flies from the continuous trap and plunges into his own stomach. He grips it with both hands, face strained and intense. "I take one thousand points of damage!" Says Ellsworth. This leaves him with 2600 lifepoints.
Skylara is watching carefully, this is where Ellsworth's style speaks volumes.
"Now, Driven Daredevil will attack Eruptor!" Ellsworth says.
Daredevil destroys Eruptor.
"And since you did, and Eruptor was destroyed, I can now summon Ignitor out from my deck!" Says Skylara. Ignitor has 200 attack points and is a level 2 monster.
"In that case, I play 'Reversal Sword'. Due to this trap, when your monster is destroyed in battle, a monster with a level lower than that monster is also destroyed!" Ellsworth says.
A sword shoots from the card and slashes Ignitor, then shatters, Skylara shields her face from the shards of steel. She's down to 1000 lifepoints.
"And then, both players take damage equal to that destroyed monster's attack points." Says Ellsworth. He also takes 200 points of damage, leaving him with 2400.
"I shall now end my turn with a face down." Skylara says. "And end any chance I have to do damage this round! Every monster I play, he pulverizes a moment later!" Skylara thinks to herself.
A holographic screen appears in the air above the duel, it shows the front of the building, just as Security troops rush through the new doorway they made. Trudge and another higher-ranked officer in a brown coat lead the charge. "All right, men, sweep the place!" "You three, follow me! We're goin' to the Mainframe!" Says Trudge, via-screen.
"This isn't good." Ellsworth says.
Meanwhile, Sherry kicks at Bruno again and he leans back, just barely evading her.
Chibi Chibi is watching all of this from underneath the Mainframe table.
"Whoa-please-let's just talk!" Says Bruno. Sherry whirls and kicks again, and he lands on the floor on his rear. Almost before he can recover, she runs at him and punches down, he rolls out of the way. Her punch hits the floor. Then her cell phone rings, leaving Bruno coughing on the floor, she answers it. "What's up?" Sherry asks. "Sector Security has entered the building. There's not much time, have you found what you're looking for?" Asks Ellsworth, via-phone. "No. There's been an unexpected delay." Sherry says. Bruno catches his breath on the floor, listening. "I need more time." Says Sherry. "But, Sherry…" Ellsworth says, via-phone. "No buts!" Says Sherry.
"I'm not leaving until I find the answers I need!" Sherry says, via-phone. "Very well." Says Ellsworth. He hangs up and puts his cell phone away.
"So, you plan to continue this duel? Don't you see, it is only a matter of time before you get captured." Skylara says.
"What happens to me doesn't matter. Sherry must be allowed to solve the mystery of that card no matter what the cost may be!" Says Ellsworth.
"What card?" Skylara asks.
"The card that's determined the course of her life." Says Ellsworth.
Back in the Mainframe room, Sherry advances on Bruno again. "Please… please, no more..." Bruno says. Sherry grabs the front of his shirt and pulls him up. "Why don't you just leave now before you get caught?" Asks Bruno. "Because I'm willing to risk my freedom and more for the information I'm looking for!" Sherry says. "Why? What's this info?" Asks Bruno. "It all has to do with one card, where it came from, who handled it, everything! Once I find that out, I can find out who took my parents from me, and finally get my revenge!" Sherry says. "Wha...?" Asks Bruno. Sherry's duel disk unfolds its field spell zone, then another cap folds off the end of that, revealing two metal prongs, crackling with electricity. These might normally allow a duel disk to plug into something, but she clearly intends to use them as a weapon. "That's why no one will interfere!" Sherry says. She lunges forward, stabbing toward Bruno's face with the crackling prongs. Bruno is frozen, too slow to get out of the way, the menacing crackle of electricity reflects in his blank, slate-blue eyes.
Then, at the last moment, they light up bright, sparkling red. Before Sherry knows what hit her, Bruno has just done an impossible somersaulting scissor-kick, balancing on his fingertips, fending her off and gracefully putting distance between them, something mild-mannered Bruno would never have been able to pull off alone. His eyes are still shining like bright red stars. Sherry hits the ground at a crouch and springboards off of it, whirling through the air for another kick. Bruno, or whatever has possessed him, halts her kick less than an inch from his face, gripping her ankle and keeping her off-balance, then casually swinging her around by the ankle and flinging her into the wall. Sherry spins around in midair, keeping her opponent in sight, ready to come back again, but just as she turns, he catches her by the throat and holds her at arm's length, his other fist at the ready. The card with the glowing portal slips from inside the lapel of her disguise, and he takes it from her, examining it closer. "No… that card...! It's the only clue-that I have to help me set my life straight again...!" Says Sherry, protesting weakly. "Set-my life-straight-again...!" Bruno says. The scary red glow fades from his eyes.
Bruno releases Sherry, leaving her on the floor coughing, and walks over to the computer console. Bruno places the card on a small, round scanner on the console and holds down a big red button next to it.
Sherry walks over to Bruno, suspiciously, as he starts typing. "What are you doing?" Asks Sherry, hoarsely. "Solving the mystery. This computer is highly advanced, I'll operate it for you." Bruno says. "Why are you helping me?" Asks Sherry. "I know what it's like to have questions about the past. And if this is your one chance to get some real answers, and I can help..." Bruno says. He turns. "…well then, why not." Says Bruno.
"Wait, so, this is all about Yliaster? And getting revenge?" Skylara asks.
"Correct, Skylara. And Sherry will not be denied that revenge." Says Ellsworth.
"Even if she ends up being taken like her parents?! Does she have any clue what kind of trouble she is stirring up?!" Skylara asks.
"She knows what she's doing. It's not my place to try and stop her." Says Ellsworth.
"In that case, I guess the job falls to me! It is my turn!" Skylara says. "Perfect!" Skylara thinks to herself. "I summon to the field Double Trouble!" Says Skylara. Double Trouble has 1000 attack points, is a level 4 monster and is a magic type monster. "Now, due to Double Trouble's ability, I can summon a monster with five hundred or less attack points from my grave! So, welcome back, Eruptor!" Skylara says. Eruptor has 300 attack points, is a level 3 monster and is a fire type monster. "However, there is more, because on a turn that I'm able to successfully summon a monster, I can summon out Reptilianne Viper, as well!" Says Skylara. Reptilianne Viper has 0 attack points, is a level 2 monster and is a dark type monster. "And now the stage is set! Level-four Double Trouble, tune with level-two Reptilianne Viper, and level-three Eruptor!" Skylara says. Double Trouble's four stars shoot into the sky and float back down as green rings. Eruptor and Reptilianne Viper soar into them. "Out of three will come one, and out of one will come great cosmic might! I synchro-summon, Cynder the Black Dragon!" Says Skylara. Her mightiest monster soars forth, filling the air with darkness. Cynder the Black Dragon has 2900 attack points and is a level 8 monster.
"Cynder the Black Dragon! But, that means..." Ellsworth says.
"It means, I can negate an effect that destroys cards and get rid of the card it came from. Of course if I do, then Cynder the Black Dragon must pay the ultimate price..." Says Skylara.
Vision. As she speaks, she envisions a possible end of the duel, in monochromatic blue tones. Cynder the Black Dragon is crying out, in pain, red glowing cracks shattering her chest and wings. She darkens, and evaporates from the field. "...And be banished to the graveyard. However, it is a price well worth paying, since the card I'm choosing to get rid of is Driven Daredevil!" Skylara says, in voice-over.
Across the field, Cynder's dissolving fire reaches over and strikes Driven Daredevil from the field. Another glowing dagger emerges from Ellsworth's continuous trap, and plunges into his stomach. "Now, due to the effect of 'Master and Servant's Resolve', you shall take damage equal to his attack points, and that is twenty-four-hundred points, which means…" Says Skylara, in voice-over. The vision ends.
Back to the present. "It shall be game over for you." Skylara says.
"Are you sure about that, Skylara? If I prevent Cynder the Black Dragon's ability, using my face down..." Says Ellsworth.
Vision. Ellsworth's potential end to the duel plays out, in green monochrome. Driven Daredevil slashes Cynder the Black Dragon across the nose, and Skylara takes a glowing dagger to the stomach. "And then destroy 'er using my Daredevil, then you'll take the effect of 'Master and Servant's Resolve'." Ellsworth says, in voice-over. The vision ends.
"And your lifepoints will be gone." Says Ellsworth.
"Very well, then. I guess, it all comes down to this next move." Skylara says.
"I guess so." Says Ellsworth.
"Well, then! Let's get to it!" Skylara says.
Daredevil's swords flash, Cynder shrieks. Both have just declared they'll win in the next turn, and neither is backing down.
"Cynder the Black Dragon! Attack with Dark Shadow Flame!" Says Skylara.
"I activate the trap 'Standoff'!" Ellsworth says. Daredevil withstands the blast, as does he, his lifepoints decrease to 2300. "Next, I'll play my Daredevil's ability!" Says Ellsworth. Daredevil slashes across her chest with both swords, and dissipates Cynder's blast. "Now, since Daredevil has the least attack points in this battle, he survives and your monster is destroyed!" Ellsworth says.
"Not so fast, I'm releasing Cynder the Black Dragon! So, that ability is negated!" Says Skylara. Cynder screeches dramatically, and starts to go dark.
"I don't think so. Due to 'Standoff', you can't release Cynder the Black Dragon." Ellsworth says. A glowing yellow band flies out of the card and wraps itself around Cynder the Black Dragon, binding her wings to her sides. She abruptly stops darkening. "Now, go lay waste! Finish Cynder off, Daredevil!" Says Ellsworth. Daredevil slashes, his double swords grating against the ring that binds Cynder, then sliding right through it. "But how?!" Ellsworth asks.
Cynder evaporates from inside the imprisoning ring, leaving Daredevil slashing at nothing. The empty hoop falls to the floor, with a hollow clink and shatters. Then, the air begins to shadow in darkness, Cynder has returned in ghostly form. "I can tell you how, with the trap 'Space Jump'! Now, I remove Cynder the Black Dragon from play, and you take damage equal to her attack points!" Says Skylara.
Ellsworth doesn't flinch, or blink, even facing down a huge, dazzling fireball of black and purple power. By the time his lifepoints sink to zero, the room is dark again. The lifepoint counter on the door drops to match, and the door slides open. Ellsworth stands beside it, defeated, and bows decorously. "You've earned your passage. And please, tell her I'm sorry." Ellsworth says.
Skylara has walked past him, but pauses without turning around. "For what? We both want the same thing, to help Sherry." Says Skylara. "What?" Ellsworth asks. Skylara looks over her shoulder, and smiles. "Come on, we shall have a better chance if we work together!" Says Skylara. "Hmm." Ellsworth says.
Back at the Mainframe, the card scanner blinks. Sherry looks over Bruno's shoulder at the glowing red computer screen, anxiously. Chibi Chibi is sitting on Bruno's lap, unaware of what's going on. "Analysis complete." Says the computer. "All right. There ya have it. Guess, that's that." Bruno says. "No way! There's no way that this is right! This card has answers! It has to!" Says Sherry.
Just then, the card itself starts to light up, throwing out a halo of prismatic light before several beams of golden light shine from its center, as though through the image of the portal. Sherry and Bruno flinch back, shielding their eyes from the light.
Above the Security building, the sky grows dark and scary, several concentric layers of purple clouds blossom from above the rooftop satellite dish, as though the sky has just opened up a spontaneous black hole. Purple lightning strikes through the heavens. The wind has begun to blow.
Minako looks up at the phenomenon from the sidewalk below, with an alarmed gasp. "What's going on?!" Minako asks.
Around her, several other officers are also staring at the strange occurrence.
The purple lightning strikes more, and closer to the ground than before, and bolts strike at the top of the building again and again, seemingly without any damage to the architecture.
Skylara and Ellsworth run into the Mainframe room to find a windy storm of random dust and bolts of energy. "Sherry! Bruno!" Says Skylara. She runs a few steps, but stops short, guarding her face with a hand as she peers toward the center of the room. "What is happening?!" Skylara asks.
She then suddenly feels something against her lower leg and looks down. "Chibi Chibi." Says Skylara. Chibi Chibi looks up at her, with her innocent blue eyes and smiles, seeing who it is. "Mama!" Chibi Chibi says. She reaches her arms up towards Skylara. Skylara picks Chibi Chibi up and holds her in her arms. Chibi Chibi presses herself against Skylara's chest, trying to block the brightness from her eyes, as the latter continues trying to walk further towards it.
Sherry and Bruno haven't moved from the brightly-shining computer console, which only shines brighter and brighter as they struggle to stay standing. The mysterious card on the scanner is glimmering with shadowy purple lights.
Skylara again fights toward the center of the storm, just as the card glows white, and the light spreads from it like the blast of a bomb, encompassing first Sherry and Bruno, then Chibi Chibi and Skylara, and finally Ellsworth. "Sherry, no!" Says Ellsworth.
When the white light fades, it doesn't fade much, because Skylara, Chibi Chibi, who's still being held in her arms, Bruno and Sherry now find themselves standing in a void of white tiles, the floor under their feet is tiled in pure, reflective white, as is the ceiling several feet above them, and the walls are infinitely far away, if they even exist at all, surrounding the whole space with bright, reflected white light. "Where are we?" Skylara asks. "And how did we get here?" Asks Bruno. The three of them look around, oblivious to their being mapped on a grid, or watched. A camera lens zooms in on Skylara's face, and superimposes a grid of rectangles over the image.
Skylara glances over, as though presciently aware of the scrutiny. She has noticed something else in this empty white void, rotating benignly some distance away. "What is that?" Skylara asks. Bruno and Sherry turn around. Chibi Chibi's eyes and face show complete fear, as if she's seen what it is before. Chibi Chibi starts tearing up and presses her face and hands against Skylara's chest, hiding herself with the latter's hair, or trying to anyway. Skylara looks down at her, concerned, and so do Bruno and Sherry, both of them looking down at her over either of her shoulders. "Hey, what is the matter?" Asks Skylara. "Mama." Chibi Chibi says. She doesn't look up at her, tears are still running down her cheeks, as a glowing crimson red outline forms around her. Chibi Chibi's dark pink hair suddenly flares crimson red, similar to how the red gradation portion of Skylara's hair does. Skylara gasps. "She has traces of the Crimson Dragon's powers." Skylara thinks to herself. She soon has a glowing crimson red outline to her, too. Skylara's Sign, additional markings, symbolic designs, Seal of the Crimson Dragon, the red gradation portion of her hair and eyes have all lit up, as well. Chibi Chibi looks up at Skylara, with tears still streaming down her face and her eyes are also glowing crimson red. "Who are you really, Chibi Chibi?" Skylara thinks to herself. Chibi Chibi touches her face.
As soon as she does, visions flash before Skylara's eyes.
The visions soon stop, and the glowing outline around them vanishes. Skylara's Sign, Seal of the Crimson Dragon, symbolic designs and additional markings all go dim. The red gradation portion of Skylara's hair soon goes out, and Chibi Chibi's hair returns to its normal dark pink color. Both Chibi Chibi and Skylara's eyes cease glowing and return to their normal blue and emerald green hues, respectively. "What just happened?" Asks Sherry. "I'm not sure. However, I just found out who Chibi Chibi's parents are." Skylara says. "That's great, who are they and where are they?" Asks Bruno. "One of them is in this room right now." Skylara says. "What do you mean?" Asks Sherry. "I know how crazy this must sound. However, she is my daughter." Skylara says. "What?!" Asks both Bruno and Sherry. "It is true, she is mine and Jack's future daughter. However, she wound up coming here from her own time." Skylara says. "That's impossible." Says Sherry. "But, it does make sense why she's been calling you and Jack 'mama' and 'dada'. Only, how did she get here and why did she come here in the first place?" Bruno asks. "I don't know. That is the one thing she wasn't able to get through to me." Says Skylara. She, Bruno and Sherry then look back up at the object.
The object is white and metallic silver, roughly the shape of a comma, with a round top and a pointy bottom, which it balances on unnaturally as it rotates. Apparently, it's a robot of some kind. But, as it turns to face them head-on, a gruff and sinister royal blue eye can be glimpsed through the casing. The sight of it is a shock…
All three cry out, shaken to the core. "Huaahhh...!" Skylara says. "Aaaoooww...!" Says Bruno. "Ohhh...!" Sherry says.
The unnerving observer zooms in close on someone's eye, and scans it, rapidly sifting data...
Trudge runs into the room that houses the Super Mainframe, with four or five officers at his back. "Whoa! That's bad!" Says Trudge. The towering tip of the Mainframe computer that glittered with LED lights has snapped and come crashing down before it, what's left of the Mainframe computer has seen better days as well, sparking with electricity, the metal ripped apart. "The Mainframe's shorting out!" Trudge says.
Skylara opens her eyes, wincing, and sits up, Chibi Chibi is lying asleep in her arms, with dry tear trails down her cheeks.
Bruno has been unconscious next to her and awoken at the same time. "Whoa, is that...?!" Asks Bruno.
Ellsworth is standing beside them, he holds Sherry, still unconscious, cradled in his arms. They're on a nondescript patch of hard ground, looking across the night-dark sea toward the multicolored lights in the distance. "New Domino City, yes." Ellsworth says.
Skylara and Bruno, with a hand to his head as though it aches, stand up. Chibi Chibi is very much asleep, being gently cradled in Skylara's arms, her head and hands lying peacefully against her chest. "Ellsworth, please tell me that you know what is going on." Says Skylara. "No. There was a blast back at the lab, and I was knocked out. When I came to, we were all just lying here." Ellsworth says. He looks down at Sherry, protectively. "Thank you for your help. If we didn't go after Sherry when we did, who knows how worse things could've turned out." Says Ellsworth. He inclines his head courteously to both of them, and walks away, carrying Sherry.
"This is strange. How did we get away from whatever that creature was back in that weird room?" Skylara asks. "I dunno. But, I'd say the most important thing is that we did manage to escape from 'im." Says Bruno. "Him?" Skylara asks. She looks out toward the City on the other side of the water, and Bruno follows her gaze.
The bright, opulent city lights diffusing across the dark ocean give the scene a soft, unreal quality to it.
The two stand alone before a daunting challenge. "Sherry came here looking for answers, answers about Yliaster. However, it seems all she found were more questions. Well, now it is our turn to take a crack at answering them!" Skylara thinks to herself.