This is an idea that was inspired by two friends duelling using decks based off, who else, JACK and Z-One and the lulzy result. I approached this expecting to write an over-the-top outlandish fic involving lots of manly shouting and BANNINGU SORUs, but kept writing scenes as I would a normal work, so I dunno, to me the result seems a bit half-and-half. I hope you are able to enjoy it regardless. Thanks for reading, and I look forward to hearing from any of you ^^
Dedicated to Daniel Pedro, the real-life King of D-Wheelers.
Aporia lay dead before them.
The six Signers and Sherry had finally gathered at Z-One's location, ready to overthrow the twisted king of the Ark Cradle. Memories of the lost Bruno still sour in Yusei's mouth, there was no mistaking Yusei would be the one to run in head first to defeat Z-One. Yet when they arrived, their goal to do away with Z-One as fast as possible had been halted. Their former enemy Aporia had returned to do battle with Z-One, instilled with a new sense of hope.
Now he was in tatters beside the weeping Rua, his body damaged beyond repair (for the third time no less). His parting gift; granting Yusei's D-Wheel the power of flight. Z-One had taken to giant holographic screens before the battle took place. The citizens of Neo-Domino stared up in terror at the masked villain who was trying to destroy their home. Hatred surged through their veins, but it was too late, they were already evacuating and any attempts to stop him would probably be useless.
"I am Z-One" he boomed "Neo-Domino will soon be destroyed by Ark Cradle and a new future will be born. Citizens, please prepare fully for your imminent death".
The city fell silent. Z-One's threat was definitely not a hollow one. His henchmen had created cataclysmic storms that brought the city to a halt during the WRGP, but nothing as massive as the Ark Cradle now looming over them. His message delivered, Z-One turned back to the Signers.
"The duel field shall be the sky" he instructed "Now, let us battle, Yusei Fudo, fight me with the D-Wheel that Aporia upgraded".
"Eh? They're fighting in the sky?" Ruka gasped, turning to her twin brother as if to make sure she had not misheard.
"If Z-One isn't defeated, Ark Cradle won't stop and will crash into Neo Domino" Aki murmured, a twang of nervousness in her voice.
"Take that guy down so we can reach out future!" Crow added, triumphantly raising his fist.
"Got it" replied Yusei, brimming with confidence. This was it, the final battle he had prepared for. After defeating the Dark Signers, he and his friends had set the path of Neo-Domino in motion and he was determined to see it to the end. He could never accept the hopeless future Z-One and his group had came from. Nothing, not Z-One, not his Temporal Machine God deck, nor his wretched Ark Cradle would stop him.
"Yusei" a stern voice interjected from behind. Yusei turned to see JACK slowly approaching him. The two rivals and friends stared each other down, an unspoken agreement between them. "Take this" said JACK. Yusei, expecting to be given a token of their understanding, held out his hand and was suprised when JACK gave unto him...
...a colossal smack in the face.
JACK's punch came out of nowhere. Lightning fast, he buried his large fist into Yusei's cheek, heaving his smaller friend up through the air with all his might. Yusei twirled majestically through the air, the other Signers gawking as they followed his trajectory into one of Z-One's junk piles.
Yusei heaved himself out of the pile, wincing in agony all the while.
"What the crap JACK?" he shouted.
"Sorry Yusei" JACK apologised, semi-sincerely "But I can't let this fly".
"What're you talking about?" Yusei groaned, trying to free himself from the garbage.
"This guy stamping all over our hope like that" JACK explained, pointing squarely at the hovering Z-One, who was lightly chuckling behind his mask. "His talking about how powerless we are is really pissing me off, saying how we're doomed because our power is hope. Like hell! Power IS our hope! We've striven to reach new heights, and we've done it. Yusei, I know you feel the same way, we fought tooth and nail all this time to empower ourselves in order to change the world. With that power we can do anything, even change the future! You achieved Clear Mind, and I awakened my Burning Soul, but I for one would never have done it without you saving me back when I was a false King".
"JACK..."
"So please Yusei, right now, believe in the power I was able to gain thanks to you!" continued JACK "You've done enough, now let me repay my debt by kicking this tin can man to the curb!".
"I understand.." Yusei replied, fighting to stay strong. Despite an undeniable sense of idiocy about it, what JACK was saying rang true. Besides that, JACK unleashing a torrent of arsekicking against Z-One was something Yusei totally wanted to see. "I'll leave it to you!" he hollered in encouragement.
JACK flashed him a thumbs up and proceeded to board Wheel of Fortune. The D-Wheel had carried him along his journey, it and Red Demons Dragon were the symbols of his growth as a duellist and a human being. Slowly, it revved into life.
"Good luck JACK!" Aki shouted.
"Give him the goods JACK!" Rua boisterously cheered, pumping his fist at the speed of light.
"JACK, don't you dare lose" Yusei smirked.
"Of course!" JACK gruffly huffed "If I lose here my name isn't JACK ATLAS!"
"Very well, if you are all done with this farce, I shall do away with you before facing Yusei Fudo" Z-One cackled, his vessel slowly floating up into the skies of Neo-Domino. The Wheel of Fortune blasted off, speeding along the ground of the junkyard. JACK fixated his gaze on Z-One, chasing after his opponent along the ground. As he began to speed up, the edge of the fortress reared itself.
"H-He's gonna fall off!" gasped Crow, biting his fist in anticipation.
"BURNING...SOUL!" bellowed JACK, closing his right fist, setting off the flames of his soul. The Dragon's Wings birthmark began to glow a deeper crimson than it had ever before. Ethereal flames surrounded Wheel of Fortune, encasing it in a shell of red. Two broad wings shot out of the sides and slowly, the D-Wheel took to the skies, leaving a trail of fire behind it.
"H-HE'S FLYING!" Ruka gasped, prompting an eruption of cheers from the Signers group. Down below, the sight of JACK taking to the skies had caught the eyes of the citizens, to whom it looked like a dragon had suddenly flown out of the Ark Cradle to do battle with Z-One.
"W-What is that? Is that a dragon?" one of them asked, directing everyone's attention to the strange red shape in the sky.
"No way!" an ecstatic Carly Nagisa replied "It's JACK! Yay JACK~!".
"I'm suprised.." Z-One mused "To think you were able to summon the power of flight through your will alone""It's not just my will!" JACK snapped back "It's the will of a power that was called forth thanks to the bonds of those people down there. I might not always agree on them prattling on about it, but I can't deny I'm a lot better off for having them by my side!"
"That is merely a false hope you are clinging to" Z-One lectured "Try to justify your 'bonds' however you like. No matter how many of you gather, humans will just force themselves too far, and the darkness gathering from their hearts will awaken a cataclysm".
"How do you figure?"
"Bonds can never last, in the face of the ugly side of a human's heart they will be smashed apart and discarded" Z-One noted "JACK ATLAS, I'm aware of who you are, and I know that this sounds all too familiar to you doesn't it."
JACK kept silent.
"You once did the same, stamping all over your ties of friendship out of selfishness" continued Z-One "You know more than anyone that when push comes to shove, bonds are just a feeble hope that humans cling to, desperately trying to create hope where none exists. I too, know of the fragility of bonds. My friends were all too quick to perish at the world's end, and only I was left. Foolishly clinging to bonds I created these replicas and brought them back with me, but look what happened. Antinomy and Aporia both stabbed me in the back and Paradox ran off to carry out his own plan. Our bonds truly could never stand the test of time. JACK, back then you understood the same! In the end we are all alone against this cruel world. So why do you keep prattling on about bonds as though you believe in them?"
"Let me ask you Z-One, do I look like the JACK ATLAS from back then?" answered JACK.
"What do you mean?"
"After throwing off my bonds nothing good came of it, I was spoon-fed lies and grew complacent! Whatever power I may have had in my impoverish past was eradicated the moment I cut my ties" JACK retorted "But even then, even if a person throws off their bonds, it doesn't mean other people will throw away their bonds in return!"
"...JACK" Yusei whispered softly, realising what JACK was talking about.
"Even when I committed an unforgivable betrayal, my friends still kept true to me. They reached out and once I embraced those bonds once more, a new world of possibility opened up!" he continued "He without bonds has no power! Z-One, you think we're alike? Too right! Without our friends we would never have gotten anywhere! Without Antinomy, Paradox, or Aporia, you would have never been able to set this plan of yours into motion, and without MY friends, I wouldn't be here ready to stop you!".
"Very well JACK ATLAS" sighed Z-One "It seems there is no reasoning with you here. Let us battle it out then. We shall see whether your 'bonds' can overcome the dark despair of people's hearts!"
"Speed World 2, set!"
"RIDING DUEL! ACCELERATION"
JACK ATLAS: 4000
Z-One: 4000
"I go first!" JACK bellowed, picking up his first card. He flipped it over for a closer look and saw he had drawn Speed Spell - The End of Storm. "10 Speed Counters?" he mused "Like this'll take that long..". He placed it amongst his opening hand and grabbed another card, quickly throwing it onto the duel disk.
"I summon Vice Berserker in defense mode! (1000def)"
JACK's monster materialized in the air in front of him, spreading it's bat-like wings out so that it would fly alongside it's master. The monster turned blue to signify it's battle position, raising it's large claw hands in front of it's face to shield from incoming attacks.
"I set one card face-down and end my turn!" continued JACK, placing another card from his hand into the back row. With that, it was now Z-One's turn. Down below, everyone trembled, remembering the monsters that devastated Aporia, leaving him in the heap of junk that now stood behind them. Would JACK really be okay against someone with the powers of a God?
"It is then my turn!" Z-One declared, using it's gigantic robotic arms to draw his equally gigantic card. Both player's Speed Counters shifted into gear, moving them to 1 a piece. Beneath his hardened armor, a smile broke across his face. The monster he had drawn, Temporal Machine God Sandaion could prevent Spells and Traps activating when it attacked, and at the end of the Battle Phase, if it battled, which it was guaranteed to do, the opponent would take 4000 points of damage. This card alone could finish the worthless peon he was facing off and let him get onto his REAL battle with Yusei Fudo, or so Z-One thought.
"Because my field is empty I shall Special Summon Temporal Machine Priestess from my hand! (0atk)" he said, taking another card from his hand out. A small robotic angel appeared in front of his shell, flipping around and flying into the fray. Everyone could tell that this monster would be a stepping stone on Z-One's way to summoning one of his dreaded Temporal Machine Gods, however for JACK, this was all too perfect.
"I've been waiting for this!" he bellowed at the top of his lungs.
"W-What?" Z-One gulped, shaken by the brutal confidence in JACK's voice.
"When my opponent Special Summons a monster, I can Special Summon Extra Veiler from my hand! (200def)" JACK explained. A matador-like creature suddenly appeared alongside Vice Berserker, springing itself onto the battlefield as quick, if not quicker, than Z-One's monster.
"I see!" Crow cheered down in the peanut gallery "Extra Veiler can reflect damage during the turn in which he's Special Summoned!"
"JACK was betting on Z-One playing something like that Metaion card huh?" Yusei grinned.
Z-One cursed under his breath, quickly re-analyzing the situation. Out of the cards in his hand, there were a further 3 monsters, the Sandaion he had just drawn, Temporal Machine God Metaion, and Temporal Machine God Tzafion. Sandaion would result in Z-One one-turn killing himself, Metaion would allow JACK the opportunity to reuse Extra Veiler, and so the only option was for Z-One to choose Tzafion, using it's ability to eradicate JACK's backrow support.
"My Temporal Machine Priestess can be treated as a double-tribute if I summon a Temporal Machine God with it" Z-One explained, removing his monster from the field in a technicolor flash "Come forth, Temporal Machine God Tzafion! (0atk)!". Z-One's robotic angel was replaced with an even bigger robotic angel. This one was about the size of a building and was emblazoned with a gigantic mirror that one might say made it resemble some kind of badass Teletubby. An unnerving female face appeared within it, gazing down on JACK with an almost pitiful expression that made his skin crawl and his blood boil.
"When Temporal Machine God Tzafion battles, it will return it's opponent's Spells and Traps to the deck" Z-One added "Thus I have Tzafion attack your Vice Berserker!". Tzafion's mechanical arms created a prayer-like gesture in front of it's creepy face, they parted, preparing to unleash a swirling torrent against JACK's monster.
"Just who do you think you're dealing with!" JACK furiously roared, as though he had someone been offended by Z-One attacking him outright "Trap card activate! Fiendish Chain!"
"W-Wait, this can't be..." Z-One whimpered, recalling the effect of that card.
"This Trap seals your monster, preventing the use of it's attack or abilities!" said JACK, unleashing a long-winding chain that wrapped around Z-One's angel. It tightened around it, trapping it's arms against it's chest.
"N-No, this cannot be..." growled Z-One in reply. If he could have moved his arms he would have been slamming them in despair at this moment in time. "I-I set one card face-down and end my turn..." he added, placing his Zero Machine Ain face-down behind him, next turn it would give him the edge he needed, but right now he was questioning whether he would actually GET a next turn.
JACK moved his D-Wheel closer to Z-One until Vice Berserker and Extra Veiler were flying perilously close to Tzafion, that is, perilous if not for the chain binding the monster.
"Z-One, you say that people's hearts that strive for evolution will only lead to destruction, but that's just plain naive!" JACK ATLAS blazing heartedly told his opponent, throwing a pointer finger into his face. "The road of evolution that we humans walk leads to new power. You say that's fundamentally wrong? What crap! What's wrong is those who would seek that power selfishly".
"JACK ATLAS..." said Z-One. He really had no other reply.
"I was once a person like that. I sought to become a King to satisfy my own selfish desires, but I was never a King, I bypassed evolution and paid the price. Although I had reached what was supposed to be the top I had not evolved at all, I was the same I always was, and I was powerless in my throne. But then someone showed me the road of evolution, walking me down it.."
Across the other side of the city, slowly making her way to safety was Carly Nagisa, who was beginning to blush without realizing why. Like a speeding train, flashes of images she had long forgotten burst through her mind. Her face turned pale as she remembered her time as a Dark Signer. The color quickly returned to her face as she recalled having said the words "I love you" and having had the same said back.
"Oooooooh JAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAACK~" she giggled.
"She had one wish for me, to begin a real King, who would guide the hearts of his people!" JACK continued high above "And so I will honor that wish! PEOPLE OF NEO-DOMINO!". Every single person for miles around quickly turned to look as JACK bellowed out into the cold night's air. "We must continue down this road of evolution together as one! We should strive for power, not for the individual, but so that he can aid each other, and share that power with one another! That charitable power that belongs to no one man, that shall be the proof of our evolution! THE PROOF OF OUR BURNING SOULS! THE BONDS OF OUR POWER! Lend me that power now, and let's send this mad roboshrimp packing!"
"J-JACK's right!" the people began to cry "If we combine our strength we can do anything! We can do anything!".
"That's right! Our burning souls will create a world powered by all of us!"
"Go JACK! Kick Z-One's ass!"
"JACK, show him not to mess with Neo-Domino!"
"You can do it JACK!"
"KING JACK ATLAS!"
All at once, several million beams of light rose up from the city, powered by the Momentum in people's hearts. They hit a zenith and began to curve down towards JACK. At the same time, all of the light from the Signer's birthmarks disappeared, collecting on JACK's back. The lights from people's hearts surged down onto him, collecting inside his own Dragon's Wings.
"Z-ONE!" he cried out "BEAR WITNESS TO OUR CREATION-SHAKING POWER!".
With that battle cry, a crimson light burst out of JACK's back, flickering wildly on the winds, stabbing out at everything in JACK's immediate area, eventually resting into the form of six large wings. His hand set alight with magical flames as he drew his card.
"IT'S MY TUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUURN!"
The Speed Counters went to 2. They would not rise again.
"I summon the Tuner monster, Dread Dragon! (1100atk)" declared JACK, throwing his monster out onto the field. "I'm tuning my Level 2 Dread Dragon to my Level 2 Extra Veiler and Level 4 Vice Berserker!". JACK's 3 monsters launched into the air above him, turning into a set of Synchro rings and level stars.
"Ouja no kodou, ima koko ni retsu o nasu! Tenchi meidou no chikara o mirugaii! SHINKURO SHOKAN! ORE-TACHI NO TAMASHII, REDDO DEMONZU DORAGON! (3000atk)"
In a flash of intense fire, Red Demons Dragon spread it's wings, soaring majestically through the sky of Neo-Domino besides it's master. It was no longer JACK's signature card, it was everyone's. Upon his dragon's wings, JACK would oust the future Z-One wanted to impose on them.
"Vice Berserker's monster effect activates! When it's sent to the Graveyard as a Synchro Material I take 2000 damage and jack up the Synchro monster's attack by 2000!" JACK continued, the flames continuously erupting out of his body. They transformed into a set of ethereal tentacles rising up, engrossing Red Demons within their grasp. A furious light flashed on and off as energy from JACK was pumped into Red Demons. (5000atk)
JACK: 2000
"F-FIVE THOUSAND ATTACK POINTS?" gasped Z-One.
"TAKE THIS Z-ONE! OUR BONDS OF POWER! RED DEMONS DRAGON ATTACKS TEMPORAL MACHINE GOD TZAFION!" Flames engulfed Red Demons fist as it fly towards the captured Machine God, aiming the path of it's powerful punch at the centre of it's face.
"B-but wait, I didn't tell you my story!" Z-One desperately interjected "I'm a scientist from the future who.."
"TOO LATE. DON'T CARE! ABSOLUTE POWERFOOOOOOOORCE!"
Tzafion exploded in the most overdone fashion it could have. Shards of Temporal Machine God shot out in every direction as an insane explosion spread across the air beside Z-One. Red Demons Dragon, still clutching a small piece of it's foe, threw it upwards, guiding the blast towards Z-One. He howled out in pain, violently propelled towards the centre of the Ark Cradle. He was launched through wall after wall, parts of his life-support machine flying off and exploding within the structure.
Deep in the core of the castle, Z-One's battered shell flew up through the ground and into the heart of his Momentum reactor. The Momentum of his device began to slowly resonate, and the rotation reversed. Through his crumbling device, he opened his eye for one last time. Realising death was imminent he thought back to his companions.
"Why... why couldn't I... in the end, was I defeated because my bonds were discarded so easily?"
"Your bonds were never discarded" a nostalgic voice whispered. Somewhere in the light, Z-One could hear it calling to him, beckoning him.
"Antinomy..."
"We never betrayed you Z-One, all we ever wanted was to save you"
"He's right, until the end, we wanted to return the hope that you gave us" another voice added.
"Aporia too? What... hope?"
"You were the one who gathered us, and stopped our loneliness, if only for a little while.." a third voice told him.
"...Paradox.."
"Team 5D's reminded us of the bonds we had back then, and we just wanted to revive them in your heart, like Yusei did for JACK"
"I see... Antinomy, Aporia, Paradox... thank you for trying to give me hope. I think in the end... you have, and that hope is the bonds of power that Team 5D's... no... all humans now share. With this I can finally join you all..."
And with that, Z-One was gone.
The descent stopped, keeping the Ark Cradle hovering in mid-air.
A wave of silence crept over Neo-Domino as the Cradle slowly began to rise back up into the sky, parts of it disappearing back into the time stream. The moment of revering awe was replaced by the uplifting cries of the citizens of Neo-Domino City. Their cheers echoed up to the Signers, still standing on the Ark Cradle, and becoming increasing worried about the quickly disappearing vessel.
"Ah, w-what do we do?" gulped Aki.
"This ain't good!" added Crow.
The light from their birthmarks turned to them, leaving JACK's being. As they look set to be dropped on top of the city they had just saved, they heard a familiar roar.
"The Crimson Dragon!" they all gasped.
The namesake of their birthmarks had materialised upon the Ark Cradle and was headed towards them. As had been the case once before, the dragon swallowed Sherry and the Signers whole, taking them into it's body and carrying them to safety. It slowly descended upon a nearby hill, with JACK ATLAS following in his Wheel of Fortune all the way.
The Crimson Dragon gently released the Signers from it's spirit, placing them and their D-Wheels on the asphalt at the side of the hill. It's divine crimson faded out, replacing by JACK's crimson D-Wheel making it's final descent. It screeched down the hill, leaving flames burning up the road behind it. Everyone dived out the way off the superpowered machine. It eventually stopped just shy of where the group had been standing. The dancing flames faded away and JACK's hyperactive birthmark returned to it's neutral state. As smoke billowed on the calm winds of the new dawn, JACK ATLAS stood down, removing his helmet and rocking back on his seat. The citizens' cheers were still chorusing up from the streets, ushering in a new future. A light smirk came across JACK's face.
"JACK..." Yusei finally said with a gentle smile. JACK thought of a response that would suit the moment best.
"THE F*** YOU LOOKIN' AT CRABHEAD!" he bellowed, his still pumping testosterone getting the better of him.
"Eh-heh-heh... n-nothing" he answered.
And JACK was King forever.
FIN~