Chapter 1: Blind Meets the Blind
"You heard the boss," Patrick walks through the door labeled D. Aldrich, Dark Zone Administrator toward the henchmen, who were holding Doctor Aldrich facedown onto his own desk.
"Please," Aldrich pleads. "Leave Cardfight University out of this. We've done nothing to interfere with your—operation."
"Operation, you say?" Patrick stepped closer. "Do you even know what this operation is?"
Aldrich remains silent.
"That's what I thought. Take him out to Falon," Patrick demands the henchmen. "He'll take it from there."
"Aye, sir."
The two henchmen grab Aldrich's arms and lead him toward the door as he struggles to set himself free. He kicks the doorframe on each side and flips himself out of the tight grasp of the henchmen.
"I'm not going down without a fight!" Aldrich yells at Patrick. He pulls a small box from the inside of his jacket and extends it toward the enemy. "I challenge you!"
"Suit yourself," Patrick rolls his eyes.
Patrick grins out of the left side of his mouth before pulling a single Cardfight card from his front jacket pocket. He begins to twirl the card around the fingers of his left hand, too quickly for Aldrich to make out the unit on it.
"Let's play a game," Patrick smiles. He tosses the card into the air, then kicks open a chest lying in the floor, causing more Cardfight cards to explode all over the room, flickering between the two in a thick fog of Amon's Followers, Silver Thorns, Nightmare Dolls, and any other Dark Zone card in between. He pops his face through them all before snatching a single card out of the air and peers in closely to Aldrich.
"But, first, tell me," Patrick grins once more. "Is this your avatar?"
He holds up a single Chronojet Dragon to Aldrich. Aldrich stands speechless before Patrick laughs at the disarray on his face. Patrick snaps a finger and the larger henchman hits Aldrich over the back of the head to knock him out. The henchmen then drag the administrator from the room.
Five minutes later in an empty hallway.
Lux moves his stick on the ground in front of himself cautiously, feeling around for any items on the floor as he walks toward the end of the hallway. He hears a loud voice over the intercom:
"Students and professors, this is not a drill. The university is going on lockdown. We need all students and professors to progress to the nearest classroom and lock the doors. Again, this is not a drill."
Lux sighs impatiently, then feels the wall in front of him with the stick. He moves the stick slightly to the left and feels an open doorway. He walks to the doorway then hears the spring above the door as it begins to close. Lux shoves his stick into the doorway just before the door reaches a close, then shoves the door open and leaps in, before slamming the door closed behind him.
"What do you think you're doing?" Lux hears a voice to his left. He pants for a second, but doesn't answer.
"What, are you deaf?" he hears again. "I'm talking to you."
"I was only looking for the Platinum Club," Lux answers.
"Well, you found us. Only students who have earned their way in are allowed in here."
Lux continues to stare straight ahead of himself through his sunglasses.
"Ah—and you are?" he asks.
The room grows silent.
"You don't know who I am?"
Lux shakes his head.
"I'm the President of the Platinum Club and the previous National Champion, so I suggest you pay your respects around me."
"Well, I apologize for intruding," Lux answers. "I was actually looking for you. My name is Lux Tomlin." He extends a hand to his left, a few feet away from the stranger.
"Orlando Wyatt."
Lux feels a warm hand shake his.
"I know who you are," Lux says. "I'm here to join your club."
Orlando laughs. "What makes you think you're worthy to join this club? How many national championships have you won?"
Lux steps back.
"Technically, I haven't won any either," Lux hears a female voice from across the room. "You've won the past three, Orlando."
"But you're the VP," Orlando answers. "I don't even know this guy."
"Then give him a chance," the girl replies.
"Do you know how many rookies come in this room on a daily basis, challenging me to fights like they've actually earned a shot against me?" Orlando groans. "I can't keep doing this, Kat."
Lux hears Kat's footsteps across the room approach him.
"But how many of them are blind?" Kat asks.
Lux winces. "How did you—?"
"The name's Katherine Rhodes," Kat touches Lux's hand with her own and shakes it. "I'm the brain around here. Orlando would love to accept your challenge."
"I never said that!" Orlando barks.
"Look," Kat turns to Orlando. "The school is under lockdown anyway. It wouldn't hurt you to play one game while we wait and see what's going on?"
Lux hesitates, then interrupts before Orlando can answer. "You don't have to if you don't want. I understand that you don't take challenges from just anyone. It's just—I just moved here from across the country. I wanted to face the most prestigious you guys had—" Lux grins. "But I guess if you're not man enough to take a challenge…"
"Man enough?" Orlando snaps. "Did you just say I'm not man enough?"
"You shouldn't have done that," Kat rolls her eyes.
"That's it!" Orlando pounds his fist on the nearest table. "I don't care if the lockdown lasts five minutes or five hours; you're going to fight me now. You have no choice."
"I hoped you'd say that," Lux takes off his bookbag and pulls out a small deck box. "I've waited for three years to finally challenge Orlando Wyatt, and I'm not about to waste it."
"I hope you've prepared yourself to be obliterated then," Orlando laughs as he steps onto a stool and pulls a small gold safe from the highest bookshelf. He unlocks it and pulls out a gold deck box. "Just like my father before me and his father before him, I am the greatest Cardfighter in the country, no—the world!"
"You know," Kat raises her finger. "You could stop saying that motto for forever, and I'd never miss it." She scans the room at all the posters of Orlando with the exact motto on the walls and sighs.
She pats Lux on the shoulder. "Good luck. You're going to need it."
Kat grabs a small table and sets it between Lux and Orlando and stands on the side as a judge.
"Thank you," Lux says as he pulls off his sunglasses, revealing his pale blue eyes beneath them. He sets the sunglasses on the table next to his deck box.
Orlando winces as he draws a starting hand, then pulls three cards before saying, "I'm sending three back."
Lux draws a hand. "No mulligan."
Orlando stops shuffling. "None? Are you sure? Kat, make sure he can see his cards correctly."
"You don't have to be a jerk," Kat snaps.
"No, it's fine," Lux answers. "I get that a lot. I take it as a compliment, considering snarky jokes are usually just a sign of intimidation."
"Snarky?" Orlando's face turns red.
Lux nods. "If you weren't intimidated by being challenged by a blind player, you wouldn't show it. But it's okay, I'll go easy on you."
Orlando scoffs. "Well, I won't go easy on you."
He draws his three cards and the two place their right hands on their starting vanguard before both yelling, "Stand up, Vanguard!"
"Neon Messiah!" Orlando yells.
"Fetter Creator, Van!"
A few buildings over in a classroom. The chalkboard reads: "How to Beat Time Leap 1101".
"Marlowe Banks," the professor reads from a clipboard.
"Here."
"Penelope Blake."
Penelope jumps from her slumber. "Here."
"Isaac Blaze."
Isaac jumps from his seat with hand raised high.
"Here, professor!"
"Thank you. You may take a seat, Isaac. I can clearly see you are here."
"Yes, ma'am!"
Isaac leans over and taps Penelope on the shoulder, who once again had her head laid into her arms.
"Penelope?"
She raises her head and squints at Isaac.
"What?"
"What do you think this lockdown is all about?"
"I don't care, Isaac. Let me go back to sleep."
"You should care. We've been trapped in this class for all of—"
"Ten minutes. We've been in here for ten minutes. We still have over an hour before the class is even scheduled to end."
"So what do we do? What if someone broke into the school? What if—?"
"Shut up! There's nothing we can do, except wait. So just shut up, and go to sleep like half the rest of us."
Isaac scans the room to see half the classroom lying their heads down onto the desks. The professor, who has just finished checking roll, sits at her desk and rolls the chair behind her computer. Isaac can barely see her playing Cardfight Vanguard on the screen. He sighs. "Do you want to have a card fight?"
"Didn't I just tell you to shut up?"
"Well, it's obvious we're not getting out of here for a while. That intercom said this is not a drill."
"…which gives us perfect time to fall asleep.
"Aren't you worried?"
"No."
"Why not?"
Penelope raises her head and sighs, "Clearly I'm not getting any sleep. Look, Isaac, I can take care of myself. I don't need this lockdown and I really don't care what comes after me. Whatever it is, I can handle it."
"Riiight." Isaac looks over and sees two students pull out a table and begin to play a game. "Are you sure you don't want to play?"
"You're not going to leave me alone until I do, are you?"
"Well, no, not really."
"Fine, if it'll shut you up."
Penelope stands up and grabs a small table with one hand, sliding off her backpack with the other. She pushes her desk to the side and then the table between herself and Isaac.
"Just remember, you asked for this," Penelope says.
Isaac nods. "I've never faced you before. What do you even play?"
"That's for me to know and you to find out."
The two pull out deck boxes and begin to shuffle their decks.
The professor peers across the room at the two and smiles before going back to her online game.
"Stand up, Vanguard!" the two yell.
"Lizard Soldier, Conroe!" Issac exclaims.
"Blue Wave Dragon, Dagger Master Dracokid!"
A few other students raise their heads and begin to saunter over toward the card fight.
Back at the Platinum club room. The damage is tied, 2-2. It is Orlando's turn.
"Ride!" Orlando exclaims. "Alter Ego Messiah. Call Blink Messiah in front of a Sacrifice. Blink attacks your vanguard for 11000 boosted."
Lux raises his hand to his face, studying. He lowers it back down and places his right hand over his grade 2 vanguard, Kotonoha.
"Guard," he answers as he places Gelgja onto guard circle.
Orlando winces. "Alter Ego attacks with a boost. I shove Blink Messiah into soul and draw a card. Alter Ego will attack for 21000!"
"No guard."
"Twin drive," Orlando starts. "First check: no trigger. Second check: Critical trigger! I give all effects to my vanguard."
"Damage check: heal trigger. I give all effects to my vanguard and heal a damage. Second damage: no trigger."
"I pass my turn."
"Stand and draw," Lux begins. He places his hand over his damage and feels three cards there, then nods. "I ride. Mythic Beast, Fenrir."
"How does he do this…?" Orlando mumbles.
"When you form a close enough connection to your cards, nothing can stop you from enjoying what you love," Lux continues, then holds up a second Fenrir before discarding it. "I stride: Beast-slayer Military Deity, Tyr!"
"But how do you know which card is which?" Orlando asks.
"They're not just cards," Lux frowns. "Each of them has its own individual vibe. Most of you are too shallow to understand. Only those of us who have learned to appreciate them ever will."
Orlando squints his eyebrows.
"I use Tyr's skill by soulblasting three to look at the top card of my deck, and put it on the top or bottom."
Lux places his hand on top of his deck and frowns. He picks up his deck and moves the card to the bottom.
"You didn't even look at it," Orlando stops him.
"I don't need to. I told you, each has its own vibe. If you must know, the card I placed on the bottom was a stand trigger."
"Uh-huh," Orlando replies.
Lux picks up his deck and reveals the bottom card, Dreaming Dragon, to Orlando.
"Do you believe me now?"
Orlando shakes his head. "Lucky guess."
"I suppose you could say that," Lux rests his vanguard. "I attack with Tyr, boosted by Van, for 31000."
"No guard."
"Drive check," Lux begins. "Critical trigger. I give all effects to my Vanguard. Second check: no trigger. I activate Tyr's skill and soulcharge three cards."
Orlando smirks.
"Then Van's skill triggers. When I drive check a normal unit, I may move him to the soul to draw a card," Lux continues. He smiles at the card he draws. "Third check: no trigger. Tyr activates once more to soulcharge three."
"Damage deck," Orlando begins. "Critical trigger. I give all effects to my vanguard. Second check: no trigger."
"I pass."
Orlando sighs as he looks at the field. Lux left no rear-guards on the field to lock.
"You disappoint me," Orlando states.
"I'm not surprised. This isn't the first time I've heard that before either."
"Stand and draw," Orlando continues. "I stride: Genesis Dragon, Basaltis Messiah. Then I use Alter Ego's skill to lock Neon Messiah. My vanguard gains 5000 power. Then I call Lady Battler of the Black Dwarf in front of Sacrifice, with an Arrestor Messiah to the other column."
Lux grins.
"Lady Battler attacks your vanguard for 16000 boosted."
"Guard."
"Lady Battler's skill. I will lock it to give Arrestor Messiah an additional 5000 power. Sacrifice's skill. Lock it to give Arrestor another 3000 and I countercharge one. Basaltis will attack next. His skill will unlock Lady Battler, then I draw a card."
"Guard me, Goddess of Fort, Kibitsuhime," Lux replies. "Revelation."
Lux places his hand on top of his deck and then flips the card to reveal Shackle Fetter, Gelgja and moves it to soul.
Orlando sighs, then places his hand on his deck.
"Triple drive. First: no trigger. Second: critical trigger. I give all effects to Arrestor Messiah. Third check: critical trigger. All effects to Lady Battler of the Black Dwarf."
"I see," Lux states. "You intend on attacking me with both rearguards for two critical."
"And you intend on intimidating me by playing around my lock," Orlando snarls. "It won't work."
"I beg to differ."
Orlando rests Lady Battler. "Lady Battler attacks your vanguard for 14000."
"Guard."
"I use the skill once more to give Arrestor Messiah an additional 5000!" Orlando clinches his fist. "Arrestor attacks for 29000 with an extra critical."
"No guard," Lux reaches for the top card of his deck. "First damage: no trigger. Second damage: no trigger."
"I end my turn by unlocking my four units. Neon Messiah will go into soul to search my deck for Alter Ego Messiah. Then I can soulblast four to draw four cards."
"Well, Orlando, I see why you're the champion," Lux begins calmly as he stands his vanguard and draws a card. "You've pushed me to five damage."
Orlando looks away proudly.
"I felt a bit of passion in your play," Lux continues. "Although I feel that you need a little more."
"Who are you to tell me what I need?" Orlando asks.
"Just a friend," Lux answers. "I stride. Mythical Hellsky Beast, Fenrir. I call Kotonoha to my left. Revelation."
Lux picks the top two cards off his deck and places one into soul immediately.
"Kotonoha gains 2000 power. I call another Kotonoha to my right. Revelation."
Lux again picks two cards from his deck, places one into soul without even appearing to pay attention to the cards.
"Are you actually…?"
"I can't express to you enough how I'm doing this," Lux answers. "You're witnessing it yet you still can't see it. Yet I'm the one who's blind."
Orlando scoffs. "You can call as many of those as you want. You'll never break through my hand."
"Probably not," Lux says. "But something about you tells me that you've been wrong before."
Meanwhile.
"I ride! Dragonic Blademaster!" Isaac yells. The other students in the classroom have begun to form a crowd around their game. "Then I stride: Divine Dragon Knight, Mustafa. I use Blademaster's skill to retire your Tidal Assault."
Penelope scowls.
"Mustafa's skill: I retire Blue Wave Marine General, Foivos. Then my Vanguard gains, the on hit skill to countercharge one. I'm going to finish this right now!" Isaac calls a full field, leaving himself with three cards in hand.
"You do realize I only have one damage, right?" Penelope asks.
"Don't worry, I can feel the power! Dragon nation decks never lose."
"Who told you that?"
"It's true. I can't lose as long as I play the best deck, and dragons are the best."
Penelope smirks.
"My left hand Blademaster attacks your vanguard for 18000 boosted."
"No guard."
"Mustafa attacks your vanguard for 31000!"
"No guard."
"Ha! I knew it!" Isaac exclaims. "Here comes the crits! Triple drive: no trigger… no trigger… third: no trigger! I just knew I'd hit more criticals."
"Damage check: no trigger," Penelope replies. "Looks like your deck forgot the memo."
Isaac sighs. "I attack with my right-hand Blademaster for 18000."
"Generation guard. No hit."
"I pass…" Isaac states as he frowns.
"Stand and draw. Stride: Blue Wave Marshal Dragon, Tetra-boil Dragon."
"What's this do?" Isaac asks.
"That's a good question," Penelope answers confidently. "Why don't you watch and see? I call Foivos to my left. Then I call Tidal Assault on the right and Supersonic Sailor. I use Supersonic Sailor to countercharge one. Dagger Master Dracokid's skill: I give my vanguard the ability to draw a card when it attacks, then if it attacks fifth, it gains a critical. Lastly, I call two Bright Shooters, one behind each rearguard."
"Fifth?" Isaac frowns. "How many times are you going to attack me?" He stares down at his six card hand, then looks to see he has four damage. He looks at Penelope's damage and sees three cards there.
"Foivos attacks your vanguard boosted for 16000."
"I guard with a critical trigger," Isaac hesitates.
"Tetra-boil will attack your vanguard next," Penelope continues. "With Anger-boil's skill, I stand both Foivos and its booster. Then, I draw a card. Finally, I'll activate Tetra-boil's skill."
"Generation guard… Denial Griffin!" Isaac exclaims. "Ha! You didn't attack with it fifth, so you don't gain a critical."
"You do realize that Denial Griffin doesn't retire an attacking vanguard, right?" Penelope stares at Isaac.
"Oh… well, in that case, I guard with two 5000 shields for a two to pass."
"Twin drive. Critical trigger…" Penelope scans her field. "I give all effects to my vanguard. Second check: no trigger."
"Phew," Isaac wipes his forehead. "You had me worried there."
Penelope looks up at Isaac out of the top of her eyes before resting Foivos. "Foivos attacks once more, this time unboosted. I use the skill to give it 2000 power and the ability to stand again. This will be 14000 at your vanguard."
"No guard. Damage check: no trigger."
"Foivos will attack again boosted for 24000. I use Tetra-boil's skill on the fourth battle to stand my vanguard."
"What?" Isaac groans. "I hate re-standing vanguards!" He throws down two more cards from his hand for 15000 shield.
"You had three triggers in your hand?" Penelope asks.
Isaac nods.
"Yet you wonder why you didn't hit a triple critical," Penelope shakes her head. "Were you even paying attention?"
"It's all about the cards, Penelope. I play the dragon empire deck, so I'm destined to win. I know it."
"If you say so," Penelope sighs. She rests her vanguard. "Tetra-boil attacks once more for 31000… three critical."
"Three critical?" the whole room bursts into an uproar.
"Oh no… this is the fifth battle," Issac mumbles. "No guard…."
"Twin drive… critical trigger. I give the critical to my vanguard and the power to Tidal Assault. Second check… no trigger."
"I have a chance!" Isaac yells. "I told you! Damage check: no trigger. That's all right… I'm just at five. Second check: heal trigger! I give all effects to my vanguard and stay at five! Third check: another heal! See? I told you I could survive. All I need is one more heal. Final damage…"
Isaac stares at the last card as he picks it up from the top of his deck. His glow turns into a frown slowly.
"Well…?" Penelope asks.
Isaac drops the card into his damage to reveal a perfect guard.
"I can't believe it," Isaac drops his head. "I thought dragon decks always won."
"Everyone has to lose at some point or another," Penelope answers.
"I'll have to admit, I didn't foresee both your Kotonoha gaining that much power," Orlando looks down at his hand, which consists of only four cards. He looks at Lux's field, at each rested Kotonoha and the stood Fenrir.
"So you admit I'm giving you a run for your money," Lux smiles.
"You forget that I still only have four damage, as opposed to your five."
"That can change in just an instant," Lux rests his vanguard. "Mythical Hellsky Beast, Fenrir attacks your vanguard!"
"I assume you stacked criticals on top of your deck with revelation," Orlando smiles. "You see, I'm not the only one who can pick apart the other's strategy. That's why I kept this perfect guard in my hand."
Orlando places his perfect guard into the guardian circle and discards a card.
"You're right," Lux answers. "I did place a critical on top of my deck. Drive check: critical trigger. I give all effects to the left hand Kotonoha. Second check: stand trigger. I give all effects to the same Kotonoha."
Orlando winces at the stood Kotonoha. He peers down at the two cards left in his hand, staring down at the stood rear-guard.
"Third check: stand trigger." Lux steps back for a second. "As tempted as I am to attack you twice, I'm not risking the defensive trigger. Also, if you had a heal in hand to use Lacus Carina, you would have used it before I attacked you with everything. So I know you won't be locking my backrow."
Orlando's face goes pale.
"You see, I'm not the only one reading into the other's strategy. The difference is… I read correctly," Lux states as he stands the booster behind the stood Kotonoha. "I give all effects to my left-hand booster."
Orlando stumbles backward a step or two.
"Kotonoha attacks your vanguard, this time for two critical!"
Orlando looks at the two cards in his hand, then at his field.
Even with a double intercept, his rearguard would still pass, Orlando thinks to himself. He sighs. "No guard."
"Damage check: heal trigger."
"You don't get to heal, since I'm at five," Lux remarks.
"Right… second check…" Orlando reveals the top card of his deck to find Arrestor Messiah.
"It's not a heal, is it?"
Orlando remains silent.
"I may be blind, but that doesn't mean I can't read my surroundings. That was a good game, Orlando." Lux puts his hand out across the table.
"What makes you think I want to shake your hand?"
"Admit it, Orlando, you've been bested," Lux answers. "Don't worry, this can just stay between the three of us in this room. I'm not interested in any sort of championship, so you don't have to think of me as competition. I only wanted to prove my worth to the best."
Orlando sighs. "I'll admit, I've never met someone as good as you."
"I'll take that as a compliment."
"Well, other than myself, that is," Orlando fixes his own collar.
"So, am I in?" Lux asks.
"I suppose you're in…" Orlando nods. "But only under the condition that you join my team."
"Your team?"
"Kat and I have a team. We used to have a third member… but she left earlier this year for the military. She went MIA after a month or two and she's presumed to be… well…"
"Say no more," Lux answers. "Although I did say I'm not interested in competition, I suppose I could join your team in honor of your friend."
"Thank you," Orlando takes Lux's hand thankfully.
"Don't thank me. Consider it a thank you to your friend. I'm sure she was noble."
Orlando and Kat look at each other and nod. Kat's eyes fill with tears.
"So, I must ask, why me?" Lux asks.
"You're the only person who's beaten me since she left," Orlando answers. "She was our team captain and leader. So far, I feel as though I could never fill the void she left."
"Sure you can," Lux replies. "I'm sure Kat and I can be there to help you all the way."
Orlando wipes his eye.
"Did I sense… a tear?" Lux turns in Orlando's direction.
"Of course not!"
Just then, the three hear a voice over the intercom.
"Students and professors, this is your Dean speaking. Doctor Aldrich, the administrator of the Dark Zone department, has been kidnapped. Campus is now officially on lockdown until he is found. You may now leave your classrooms, but be advised that no one is to enter, nor leave campus until further notice. Thank you for your cooperation and have a—hey wait! What are you—"
They hear static over the intercom before finally hearing:
"The best is yet to come…" followed by a laugh.
Kat and Orlando stare at the intercom intently, while Lux shivers as he bends his head toward the floor.
Author's Note:
Hey, everybody, thanks for reading the first chapter of my first ever publication on here :) please feel free to leave reviews or PM me questions or what you think so far. I'll try to update and publish a new chapter every week or two. I promise, "The best is yet to come."
Also, just my disclaimer: I do not own the rights to Cardfight Vanguard, nor any of the cards used in this story.
Thanks again! :)
-J.J. Wayne