Author's Note: Hello everyone, and welcome to my newest FanFiction, "The Pursuit of Balance!" I'd like to thank you for even deciding to come read this fic, it shows I've captured your attention from the previous page. Now, here's to hoping I keep it. Make sure to utilize the 3 Rs: Relax, Read, and Review!
This fic is rated "T" for violence, language, and suggestive themes.
Disclaimer: I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh!: 5D's. Though I'm pretty sure that's common knowledge. I don't make money off the franchise or this story; the only thing I own are my OCs.
Chapter 1: Night Assailant
'Sure is quiet out here.'
Such were the thoughts of Raymond Collins, a 19-year-old cruising slowly through the streets on his pure white D-Wheel in the dark streets of the late hour. Stopping at a red light under a lamppost, one could clearly see the brown-skinned lad with unkempt, jet-black hair poking out from under his white helmet focusing his brown eyes on the screen of his vehicle. His outfit consisted of a blue, sleeveless jacket and a golden, short-sleeved shirt. White cloth wristbands on both of his wrists were embedded with a circle containing an arrow curving to the left in gold trim. White pants and shoes completed the ensemble.
As he sat waiting for the light to change (and keeping on the lookout for anybody who would attempt to waylay him for his bike), he thought back to 14 years ago, when the Zero Reverse had occurred. It was such a sight to behold; that weird column of light expanding from that high building caused the entire city to tremor. The man-made disaster destroyed a good part of Domino City, splitting it into two parts separated by water.
It was blatantly obvious to the eyes of many that Satellite, the newly christened island where the Zero Reverse occurred, would never be able to recover up to even a fraction of its glory. The Public Security Maintenance Bureau still took initiative to help them get back on their feet somehow, but with little to no success. The people who had nowhere to go, hardly any food to eat or clean water to drink, with their clothes in tatters and their spirits in similar condition, were mostly left to fend for themselves in a place that literally looked like a landfill if they couldn't move to Neo Domino at once. And not many people could.
Of course, with everyone in that dismal area wanting to advance their welfare quickly, crime in Satellite began to skyrocket. However, not many people in the thriving Neo Domino City seemed to care much. That was, until the crime began to spread into Neo Domino. Many people were shocked at this new increase in crime, especially in the parts closest to Satellite. Only when they pinpointed upon that fact did people begin to have a glimpse of what was going on. The people in Satellite were making their way here somehow over the water, most of them ill-mannered and with thoughts of greed, despair, and hatred.
Greed for the riches that were once theirs to share.
Despair for the seemingly hopelessness of their situation.
Hatred for the way that they've been left by the wayside as if they were trash.
Trash. With the rising crime rate in Neo Domino, that was exactly how the people of Satellite were perceived. The Public Security Maintenance Bureau, through Sector Security, took action and brought many of these offenders to justice. But yet they still kept pouring in. The PSMB decided to nip the problem in the bud: Satellite itself.
While officers took to the water to catch many of these would-be interlopers as there was no solid mass connecting the two areas (natural or manmade), a huge project went underway to provide the people of Satellite with a way to earn their keep. While a tunnel was being constructed underneath the water, officials with armed transports took to the air to land in that dreaded place. Right away, they noticed that the place looked so much like a garbage dump. Then the bright idea came: the Satellite residents would earn their keep by cleaning up the place. That way, the people there would be able to procure their basic needs through an income, and it would be a deterrent of sorts to keep people from bringing their filthy dreams to the utopia known as Neo Domino. Meanwhile, officers would patrol the whole of Satellite, chasing away gangs and ne'er-do-wells and bringing them to justice when necessary.
At one point, high-ranking officials in the PSMB worried about what would happen once everything got cleaned up. Would people try to infiltrate Neo Domino City again? A suggestion was made to increase their workload- by letting those in Satellite sort out Neo Domino's trash as well as their own. The people there would have to constantly work hard for a living rummaging through other people's refuse like beggars, which most of the higher ups thought fitted them perfectly.
'And look what's happening now,' thought Raymond. 'Did those executives really think that the Satellite residents would be content to wallow in their waste for the rest of their lives? I'm surprised that there hasn't been something of a mass invasion as of yet. Of course, it's near impossible for something like that to happen when everyone is trying to drag you down when you get a leg up, like crabs or something.'
Raymond was so engrossed in his thoughts that he forgot to look up at the light he had stopped at. As soon as he did, the green light rapidly disappeared as yellow took its place. Reacting quickly, he stepped on the gas and proceeded to return to his rounds on the deserted streets.
'It's 1:00 am now,' Raymond thought to himself. 'Seems like they decided not to take their chances. Huh. The three of them have some brains in their skulls after all. Suppose I'll call it a night and talk to Zack and Siren in the morning.' He swerved to the left onto Riverside Dr., taking in the scent of the nightly breeze as it wafted through the wind.
The next instant, he saw two other people coming from the opposite direction. One was on foot, and seemed to be running away from the other person, who was riding a pale blue D-Wheel, the streetlights giving it an even lighter coating. Raymond instantly knew something was wrong, not only because of what he was seeing, but even his deck sensed that something was amiss.
That alone meant he couldn't ignore what was happening.
Raymond sped toward the two unknowns, producing a can of root beer from a compartment in his D-Wheel, shaking it while determined to set the situation straight.
Wet.
Breathless.
Cold as hell.
Right now, Charlotte Wilde was all of these things and more.
To think, ten minutes ago, she was finally done with that grueling trip across the water to Neo Domino. That rowboat had definitely seen better days, in her opinion. With 18 hours of rowing and only a few breaks, she was surprised that she didn't get spotted by any of the authorities. Her outfit, a black dingy shirt exposing her midriff, black pants and shoes, didn't exactly blend in with her white rowboat. Her meager food supply ran out quickly, which made the need to get to Neo Domino from Satellite all the more urgent. She hated having to steal something as soon as she got there, but without proper rest, she wasn't going to last much longer to even do that.
That is, if she even managed to lose pursuit of the D-Wheel rapidly closing in on her. She didn't have anything left in reserve and she and her tormentor both knew it.
The pursuing D-Wheel suddenly shot by her and swerved in front of her, blocking any hope of escaping in that direction. Charlotte's panting was the only sound between them. The mysterious pursuer, still seated on the vehicle, gave her a sinister smile.
"I'm surprised you ran as long as you did," the person said. Charlotte was surprised; she couldn't look up as she was trying to catch her breath, but her pursuer sounded a lot like a woman. "But there's no way that none of you Satellite scum can hide from justice. We don't need anymore of you criminals fouling up our city. You're actually lucky that I found you sneaking in. Otherwise, you would've just blended in with nobody suspecting anything." A knife suddenly presented itself from the gauntlet worn on her left hand. "Do me a really big favor and don't scream, because nobody is around to help you. Even if they were, they'd probably assist me once I tell them the-"
Headlights. The mystery woman could tell because they were illuminating Charlotte's face. Both of them hoped with all their hearts that it wasn't Sector Security, albeit for different reasons. It turned out that wasn't the case as Raymond pulled up, analyzing the situation with root beer in hand. He looked at the girl from Satellite, wet with her clothes clinging to her body and still panting for breath. It seemed like she could drop at any second. Her left eye was a radiant golden color that complimented her pale skin; her long, black hair obscured her right eye. He could bet that she saw both D-Wheelers as a threat, and would fight them both at once if need be.
His gaze turned to the would-be assassin. The bright headlights revealed that the mystery woman was decked out in blue, the same color as her D-Wheel, with long brown hair flowing from underneath her helmet. Behind her visor, her green eyes stared back at him with curiosity. The blade in her gauntlet glistened in the light, and quickly drew his attention.
Raymond focused his gaze on her for a little longer, then looked back to Charlotte, and quickly deduced that the other woman was going to kill her. Over what, he didn't know. But he had a feeling that he was going to find out soon.
Either way, he knew what had to be done. He could save her, or at least give himself a fighting chance to.
With that in mind, he quickly aimed the root beer can and opened it, sending a brown, frothy geyser at the seated woman's face, mucking up her visor and causing her to sputter. Raymond loved this non-violent tactic of shaking cans of soda with intent to blind when dealing with his rivals outside of a duel.
He quickly turned to Charlotte. "Get on!" he commanded.
Wasting no time, Charlotte climbed onto Raymond's D-Wheel and wrapped her arms around his waist like her life depended on it (which it did, actually) as he revved the engine and sped off. When they were some distance away, Charlotte took the chance to thank the stranger who saved her.
"Hey listen!" she shouted as the wind picked up around them. "Thanks for saving my life back there!"
"Don't worry about it," replied Raymond. He turned around to look at her. "You look like hell, though. What were you doing out this late at night?"
"I… was out walking," she replied, hoping he didn't catch the uneasiness in her voice. "I-I wasn't up to no good, honest! When all of a sudden-"
"That woman was hunting you down, right?" Raymond finished. "Do you owe her money or something?"
"Of course not! That was the first time I've even seen her!" Charlotte exclaimed truthfully.
"So she was just trying to commit a random act of violence. Well, I don't know about you," said Raymond, "but I can't stand people who kill indiscriminately."
"I'm not a killer just yet!" said a voice behind them.
Charlotte looked back, while Raymond looked to his side mirror. They were both shocked to see the assassin following them.
"But she will be!" she continued. "Listen guy, you really are just better off letting me kill her! I'll forgive you for earlier if you at least send her to prison or something!"
"And why is that?" Raymond asked.
The assassin grinned, sure of the outcome of her next outburst. "I don't think you know this, but that bitch you have on your back… she's Satellite scum!"
Charlotte cringed. Now that she'd been found out, her savior would definitely turn her in and she'd have to do time in a correctional facility. Or she'd wind up dead tonight after all with that assassin's blade through her heart after all. She heard that the people of Neo Domino had absolutely no love for those residing in Satellite.
"…So?"
That one word spoken by Raymond caught both women by surprise.
Charlotte didn't think that anybody in this utopia would stand up for her. Why this guy, who didn't even know she existed until a minute ago? Perhaps it was because she had very good assets. A body like hers could make guys turn heads, and a few girls as well. Did he protect her simply to get that kind of reward afterward? She honestly hoped not… she didn't want to do anything like that as payback for a rescue, especially not on her first night here.
The assassin's face seemed frozen in shock. 'You mean to tell me that there are people in this city who actually side with them!' she shouted in her mind. That thought alone made her grit her teeth and harden her eyes.
"You scum lover! Why the hell would you want to help her?" She shouted.
"I think you're supposed to judge people on what they actually do, not where they come from," Raymond stated. "Has she actually done anything bad?"
"Uh… W-Well, she, uh, stole my wallet. Yeah! She's a pickpocket!" the woman lied.
Raymond shook his head. "You're pretty bad at lying, you know that?" he deadpanned.
If one could see the assassin's face, she would look like she would just explode from anger. In her rage, she punched a couple of buttons on her ride.
"Forced activation! Speed World, set on!"
Raymond's was confused until his monitor showed the crucial programmed Field Spell before a ring emitted from his and the irate assassin's D-Wheels, enshrouding everything around them in a purplish hue.
"Hey, only Sector Security vehicles can force a duel!" cried Raymond. "And yours isn't painted like it either. Am I to assume you stole some programming from one of them?"
"Yes, I stole it!" the woman cried, without thinking. "And I'll have you know that I used to be a member of Sector Security until yesterday! I got fired for too much aggression towards my superiors! They're not finding these Satellite scum fast enough! Especially the ones that…" she took a deep breath. Then a second, and a third, and she finally managed to calm down.
"Especially the ones that what?" demanded Charlotte.
"I don't have to explain anything to one of you," the woman retorted. To Raymond, she said, "Anyway, since I activated Speed World, and forced you to do so as well, we're gonna play this out with her life on the line. You win, I back off… for now. I win, she dies, and you have to live with the guilt that you couldn't protect your precious scum. If I decide not to kill you as well, that is."
"I agree to those terms," declared Raymond without thinking about it. "Not like I have a choice anyway; the Field Spell makes it so Ambrosia can't outrun you for now."
'Ambrosia?' thought Charlotte. 'Must be his D-Wheel's name. Cute.'
"So, lady- and I use that term loosely in your case- what's your name? It would feel weird just calling you whatever comes to mind," said Raymond.
"My name is Lynn," replied the brown-haired woman. "And who's the guy helping the future criminal?"
"Raymond."
"Humph. Well you, Raymond, are in the way of my personal vendetta against these Satellite scum! I'll eliminate the both of you so I can have my justice!"
Raymond turned to his backseat passenger, ignoring Lynn's rant. "You know, I never got your name either…"
"It's Charlotte," she told him.
"Pretty name," he complimented. "Charlotte, I always heard that Sector Security sucked when it came to dueling…"
"That is actually true, in fact," Charlotte confirmed. "There was once a rumor going around that an officer lost to a 5-year-old he was chasing for stolen candy."
"That's just sad," laughed Raymond. "Well, hang on tight, Charlotte. I may not be Allstate, but you're definitely in good hands."
That drew a small chuckle from Charlotte as Raymond and Lynn both drew 5 cards from their decks and placed them in their respective gauntlets.
"Duel!" the two duelists shouted.
Raymond (LP: 8,000; SPC: 0) vs. Lynn (LP: 8,000; SPC: 0)
"I'll start this off," Lynn declared as she drew her card. "First, I'll summon Marauding Captain in Attack Position! Heed the call!"
A portal appeared, and a blond-haired, middle-aged man in teal armor and a cape jumped out wielding two swords. He had a thin scar running from the bottom of his right eye to his right cheek (1,200 ATK). He ran alongside Lynn.
"When Marauding Captain is Normal Summoned, I can bring out another Monster whose Level is no more than 4. So I'll Special Summon…"
"Don't bother," Raymond replied.
"I don't see why not-" A bright, orange light caught Lynn's attention. She looked up to see a translucent orange crystal encased partly in spherical, winged armor.
"That's the Herald of Orange Light," clarified Raymond. "By discarding it and another Fairy-type from my hand, I can select one of your monsters on the field, negate its effect, and destroy it."
After he discarded the two cards, the orange Herald streaked towards Marauding Captain in a kamikaze attack, obliterating both monsters into shards of light. Charlotte was amazed. 'He countered her move and he didn't even have a turn yet! I've never seen anyone with a deck like that!'
Lynn just huffed at Raymond's move. "Temporary setback. I'll end my turn with a facedown card." An image of a facedown card appeared next to Lynn's D-Wheel before vanishing.
"My move then," said Raymond as he drew his card. His and Lynn's Speed Counters both increased by 1.
Raymond (LP: 8,000; SPC: 1) vs. Lynn (LP: 8,000; SPC: 1)
Raymond looked at his hand, then smiled. Charlotte peeked over his shoulder to see what card he drew, but didn't get to see what it was before he played it.
"Bountiful Artemis, let's go!"
Upon Raymond's call, a mechanical angel appeared. It had a fuchsia cape and in place of legs was a torso that narrowed down to a point, which was where its feet would be if it had any (1,600 ATK). If flew alongside Raymond.
"Attack her directly! Arrow Abundance!" Bountiful Artemis did a 180 to face Lynn, conjured up a bow, loaded a shining arrow, and fired. Multiple streaks of light came at Lynn from different angles.
"Trap, activate!" cried Lynn as her facedown card appeared and lifted. A clear barrier appeared in front of Lynn, and Artemis' attacks created miniature explosions upon contact. Minuscule green orbs spread out over Lynn from the point of impact, providing a refreshing feeling for her.
"Thanks to my Draining Shield," Lynn explained, "your monster's attack is negated, and I gain Life Points equal to its attack power!" (Lynn: 8,000 - 9,600 LP)
"Great," replied Charlotte. "Now it's gonna take a bit more to take her down."
"No worries," Raymond told her. To Lynn, he said, "I'll set two facedown cards and end my turn." A facedown card appeared on either side of Raymond and Charlotte before vanishing.
"Fine then. I draw!" cried Lynn.
"Activate trap!" One of Raymond's cards lifted. "Drastic Drop Off! Since you added at least one card from your deck to your hand just now, you have to discard one of those cards."
'Damn him!' thought Lynn. 'That was my second Marauding Captain!' She reluctantly discarded the card.
"Now, thanks to Artemis, I get to draw a card when a Counter Trap is activated." continued Raymond.
"This duel hasn't even been on long and I'm already getting tired of you doing stuff on my turn! Are you done!" Lynn asked, even more irate than she was before.
"Yeah, for now," Raymond responded as he drew. "Make your move." Both players' Speed Counters went up to 2.
Raymond (LP: 8,000; SPC: 2) vs. Lynn (LP: 9,600; SPC: 2)
"Now, I summon Zombyra the Dark! Heed the call!"
Another portal opened in front of Lynn. This one produced a warrior with a tan helmet and a tattered cape, looking much like a soldier from the underworld (2,100 ATK).
"Now Zombyra, attack Bountiful Artemis! Dark Buster!" Zombyra rushed towards Artemis, his left hand ablaze in purple flames.
"Trap, activate! Negate Attack!" cried Raymond. Zombyra's fist hit a swirling barrier that appeared in front of Artemis. "Zombyra's attack is negated and the Battle Phase ends! Also, I get to draw another card due to Artemis' effect."
"Ugh, this is getting irritating!" shouted Lynn as Zombyra slowed his pace to match hers. "I'll end with a face down."
"Alright, my turn!" said Raymond. He drew a card and both players' counters rose to 3.
Raymond (LP: 8,000; SPC: 3) vs. Lynn (LP: 9,600; SPC: 3)
"Hey Raymond," asked Charlotte, "you gonna start a real offensive against this bitch soon?"
"Don't worry, Charlotte. I got us covered." Raymond replied.
'Famous last words,' Charlotte woefully thought.
"OK, I'm going to sacrifice Artemis for someone with more attack power!" Artemis transformed into a glowing sphere. "I summon Tethys, Goddess of Light!"
The glowing sphere expanded and then vanished, revealing a blond angel dressed in a long, white robe that hugged her figure. Above the robe, she wore jewel-encrusted battle armor along with a ornate headdress. Majestic wings were attached to small orbs that hovered behind her back (2,400 ATK).
"Now Tethys will attack Zombyra! Divine Rain!" Tethys reached up high to the heavens…
…But a portal to another dimension opened up in front of her. A powerful force sucked her inside before she could react and closed as if it was never there.
"Tethys!" cried Raymond. He looked back at Lynn who had her no-longer-facedown card up in front of her.
"Since you were attacking, I activated Dimensional Prison to remove Tethys from play. And she's not coming back anytime soon."
'Damn, I just knew it,' thought Charlotte, 'Pride always comes before a fall. Raymond, if you lose this duel, I swear my spirit will haunt you until the end of time!'
"Not cool," said Raymond in response to Lynn's move. "It'll be okay, though. I'll just lay this facedown and call it a turn."
A facedown card appeared briefly on Raymond's side. Lynn drew a card to start her turn as both players' Speed Counters rose to 4.
Raymond (LP: 8,000; SPC: 4) vs. Lynn (LP: 9,600; SPC: 4)
"You can't fool me with that bluff! You're wide open!" declared Lynn as they made a left turn into a residential area. "Unfortunately, Zombyra can't attack a player directly.
"Fortunately, I just drew someone I can sacrifice him for!"
Zombyra shifted until it transformed into a glowing sphere like Artemis did before him.
"Now, I summon Freed the Matchless General! Heed the call!"
The sphere expanded, and a middle-aged man with long, blond hair and a mustache wearing silver polished armor brandishing a longsword leaped out of it (2,300 ATK).
"Get ready to feel some pain! Freed, attack that scum-lover directly!" commanded Lynn. "Expert Slash!" Freed readied his longsword…
"Not so fast, Lynn. I'm activating my so-called bluff!" cried Raymond as his only card on the field revealed itself. "Miraculous Descent! This lets me Special Summon one of my Fairies that's been removed from play!"
"Wait a minute. That means…"
"Exactly! Tethys, Goddess of Light makes a second appearance!" Raymond explained as Tethys descended seemingly from the heavens. "And she can take on your so-called Matchless General and win! But you're welcome prove me wrong…"
Lynn growled in annoyance. This guy was stopping her at every turn! "Freed! Stand down." The warrior lowered his sword. She looked at her hand. Damn, no other cards except monsters. I'm gonna eat some damage next turn. "There's nothing else I can do, so I end."
"Alright, then," confirmed Raymond as he drew his card to begin his turn. "I activate Tethys' effect! If I draw a Fairy-type monster while she's on the field, I can reveal it to you to draw another card!"
A card appeared on Lynn's screen: Majestic Mech- Ohka. "Six stars," she confirmed. "So, I'm guessing that you're going to sacrifice Tethys to summon it, right?"
"Nope!" replied Raymond as he drew another card. Speed Counters were now five apiece.
Raymond (LP: 8,000; SPC: 5) vs. Lynn (LP: 9,600; SPC: 5)
"Ohka can be Normal Summoned without a tribute," he explained. "Like so!"
He played the card, and in a burst of light, a white, mechanical wolf-like creature with wings and red lines along its body appeared running along the other side of Raymond's D-Wheel (2,400 ATK).
"Alright, Ohka! Attack Freed with Celestial Lunge!" Ohka made a u-turn and tackled Freed, who tried to parry with his sword but was pinned to the ground. He screamed as Ohka bit his jugular before he exploded into pixels. (Lynn: 9,600 - 9,500 LP)
"Now, Tethys will attack you directly! And without any interruptions this time!" Tethys raised her hands again, and this time rays of light rained down around Lynn, some of them hitting her D-Wheel. (Lynn: 9,500 - 7,100 LP; SPC: 5 - 3) She growled as she struggled to maintain her balance.
"I'm going to end my turn there," said Raymond. "Since I summoned Ohka without a tribute, he's destroyed now."
Ohka, who hadn't moved from his spot, shattered into pixels, surprising a young brother and sister looking out of their window.
Lynn drew. Her Speed counters rose to 4, while Raymond's increased to 6.
Raymond (LP: 8,000; SPC: 6) vs. Lynn (LP: 7,100; SPC: 4)
"I'm setting a monster and ending my turn there," she said as a facedown card appeared horizontally in front of her D-Wheel.
"Alright," confirmed Raymond as he drew.
Raymond (LP: 8,000; SPC: 7) vs. Lynn (LP: 7,100; SPC: 5)
"Tethys, attack her facedown monster!"
Tethys preformed her heavenly attack again. The facedown monster was a blond woman in a small green jacket with tape around her arms with a tattered brown cape and hat; she was obliterated by the rays.
"That was my Warrior Lady of the Wasteland," said Lynn. "Since you destroyed it by battle, I get to Special Summon a Warrior of the EARTH attribute from my deck, but it can't have more than 1,500 ATK. So I'll bring out my Amazoness Swords Woman."
A card slipped out of Lynn's deck and she played it. A muscular woman with wild brown hair wearing fur boots, a blue loincloth with fangs around the edges, and a bra with similar decorations appeared holding a curved sword (1,500 ATK).
"I suppose I'll end my turn there…" said Raymond.
Lynn drew her card, determined to inflict some damage.
Raymond (LP: 8,000; SPC: 8) vs. Lynn (LP: 7,100; SPC: 6)
"Now you're in for it!" she cried. "I summon my deck's mascot! Rose, Warrior of Revenge!"
A woman appeared in a tight black leather outfit with a green scarf around her neck. Her red hair was tied in a ponytail, which flew behind her as she readied her sword (1,600 ATK).
"Get this: Rose is a Level 4 Tuner!" Lynn explained.
"What?" shouted Charlotte. 'We don't have cards like that in Satellite.'
"Now, I'm tuning my Level 4 Rose to my Level 4 Swords Woman!"
Rose jumped up, and then split into 4 stars which turned into green rings. Amazoness Swords Woman jumped up through them, vanishing slowly into an outline of herself while Lynn chanted.
"Embodiment of fallen soldiers who collaborate for revenge! Grudges of the ill-fated shall manifest into a titan of might!
"Synchro Summon! The fist of vengeance, Colossal Fighter!"
A portal appeared, and a giant Warrior completely covered in a white armor suit appeared. A blue orb was embedded in each of his lower and upper arms, and another two were on his chest. A sleek green visor covered his eyes (2,800 ATK).
"Raymond… we're in trouble," said Charlotte.
"Damn right you are!" cried Lynn. "And by the way, that's only his base ATK power. Colossal Fighter gains an extra 100 ATK for every Warrior in both Graveyards."
The phantoms of the two Marauding Captains, Zombyra, Freed, Warrior Lady, Swords Woman, and Rose appeared above Colossal Fighter before dissolving. The hulking giant took on a green aura (2,800 - 3,500 ATK).
"Now to 'tenderize the meat,' so to speak. I activate Speed Spell - Half Size! This cuts Tethys's ATK in half and I gain Life Points equal to the same amount."
Tethys shrunk to half her size (2,400 - 1,200 ATK) while Lynn recovered LP. (Lynn: 7,100 -8,300 LP)
"Colossal Fighter, ground that angel! Mega Knuckle!"
Colossal Fighter leapt at the angel, his fist swirled in an orange vortex before it came down on Tethys. She hit the ground tumbling before exploding into pixels, the Miraculous Descent vanishing along with it. (Raymond: 8,000 - 5,600 LP; SPC: 8 - 6)
Lynn chuckled while Raymond struggled to maintain his balance from the shockwave that followed that attack… Not easy to do considering an extra passenger screaming in his ear. "I'm still not done yet! I activate Speed Spell - Sonic Buster! This deals damage equal to half the ATK of one of my monsters!"
The Speed Spell shot a large beam that hit Raymond and Charlotte, spinning them out of control again. (Raymond: 5,600 LP - 3,850 LP; SPC: 6 - 5)
Raymond's slower speed enabled Lynn to catch up to him and Charlotte. She turned to him and said, "There's plenty more where that came from next turn." Then she sped ahead.
Raymond drew his card… and grinned while the Speed Counters rose.
Raymond (LP: 3,850; SPC: 6) vs. Lynn (LP: 8,300; SPC: 7)
"Lynn!" cried Raymond. "You really think you're something, huh?"
"I know I'm something!" she beamed.
"She's a sadist with issues, that's what she is," muttered Charlotte to Raymond.
"…Maybe. But you know, you can't judge people on first glance."
"True," Charlotte confirmed. "But there's no second chance for a first impression. Now, take that big guy down so we can get out of here already!"
Raymond returned his focus on the duel at hand. "I'm removing two of my Light monsters in my Graveyard from play to Special Summon Soul of Purity and Light!"
Another angel materialized; she appeared to be translucent, bathed in a soft light. Her shoulder-length hair flowed behind her as she flew alongside Raymond (2,000 ATK).
"Next, I play Speed Spell - Vision Wind! Now I get to Special Summon a Monster from my Graveyard, as long as its Level isn't more than 2. So I'm Special Summoning Herald of Orange Light."
The armored, winged crystal appeared again, albeit more solid this time (300 ATK).
"It'll be destroyed at the end of my turn, but that's a non-issue. Now, I'm tuning my Level 2 Herald to my Level 6 Soul!" The orange Herald glowed before dissolving into 2 stars, which turned into green rings. Soul of Purity and Light flew in between them while Raymond started his own chant.
"When injustice befalls the earthly realm, the heavens send an elite warrior to rid the calamity from the hearts and thoughts of men!
"Synchro Summon! Avenging Knight Parshath, descend!"
From the sky, a grey, winged centaur with a halo on its back appeared. Charlotte noticed that, upon closer inspection, that there were 3 pairs of wings attached to the gold and aqua-colored armor it wore; a pair on both the front and back of the lower part and a pair on the upper part. Green orbs held the armor together as well as some of Parshath's own joints. He wielded a shield and sword (2,600 ATK).
"…That's it?" scoffed Lynn. "You'll have to do better than that! Colossal Fighter is way stronger than your knight!"
"That's true… on the offensive side. Parshath, do your thing!" Raymond commanded.
Artemis held his shield out in front of him. The green orb in the center glowed, and Colossal Fighter knelt on one knee and held its arms in a defensive stance (1,000 DEF).
"You made my monster switch positions?" said Lynn.
"That's right," said Raymond, "and that's only half of it. Avenging Knight Parshath inflicts piercing damage."
"…Oh, no…"
"Parshath, attack Colossal Fighter!"
The angelic being raised his sword…
"And I think I'll discard Honest from my hand while I'm at it." As he discarded the card, another angel with long, wavy hair dressed in a toga appeared behind Parshath.
"Now you get this: Honest boosts a Light monster's attack power by an amount equal to the attack of the monster it's battling until the end of the Battle Phase!"
Honest's hands glowed with an intense golden light, as did Parshath's sword (2,600 - 6,100 ATK).
"Oh, nice!" yelled Charlotte in amazement. Lynn couldn't look more terrified than she now was.
"Okay, Parshath. Now you may attack. Seraphim's Sever!"
As Honest disappeared, Parshath slashed his sword creating a massive golden shockwave that cleaved through Colossal Fighter and continued until it hit Lynn's D-Wheel, causing two fairly large explosions. Lynn wailed in pain. (Lynn: 8,300 - 3,200 LP; SPC: 7 - 2)
The collision sent Lynn flying off her bike, still screaming. She hit the ground rolling as her D-Wheel skidded on its side, sending sparks flying across the asphalt. After three seconds, she stopped, seemingly unconscious.
"Lynn!" cried Raymond as he skidded to a stop next to her. "Are you alright? Answer me!" Sure, she was an enemy as of now, but he didn't want to injure anyone through his dueling.
'Guess he made Parshath hit a little too hard,' surmised Charlotte, as Parshath went back to its base ATK. Truth be told, she was secretly wishing for Lynn to be okay as well.
"Colossal Fighter's effect… ugh…"
To their surprise, Lynn, who knew she would be feeling the effects of that hit for at least a week afterward, got up slowly. She limped towards her D-Wheel, and lightly inspected the damage before mounting it again. Raymond was astonished. She's not even thinking about her health, only the duel! She can't really finish in her condition… can she?
"When it falls in battle… a Warrior is revived… ow… from either Graveyard," she said while clutching her stomach.
"Lynn, stop this duel!" said Raymond. "You're obviously hurt badly, and-"
"I feel fine enough to finish this duel! This is… nothing," she countered before wincing. Physical pain, I can handle. It's what drives me that hurts the most in my heart. "Now, I could bring back Colossal Fighter himself... but I won't do that.
"I Special Summon Freed."
The general reappeared as Lynn righted her D-Wheel, lightly revving it (2,300 ATK). She took off, enduring the now bumpy part of her ride.
"Can you believe the audacity of that woman?" asked Charlotte. "So damn stubborn."
"Yeah," Raymond quietly agreed. He took off after Lynn.
"I assume you're done?" asked Lynn.
"Yeah, after I set this card." A facedown appeared next to Raymond before disappearing.
"I draw… No, wait. I give up my draw to activate Freed's effect," declared Lynn. "Now I can add a Warrior to my hand, but its Level can't be more than 4."
'I bet she's gonna get something that can take out Parshath,' thought Charlotte.
A card ejected from Lynn's deck. "Here it is," she smiled lightly as she placed the card on the gauntlet of her ride. "Exiled Force."
Her small grin turned into a deep scowl when Raymond's facedown lifted. "Another Drastic Drop Off!" she discarded her only card to the Graveyard.
Raymond (LP: 3,850; SPC: 7) vs. Lynn (LP: 3,200; SPC: 3)
Lynn sighed; she had no other cards to play. "Pass…"
Raymond drew to begin his turn.
Raymond (LP: 3,850; SPC: 8) vs. Lynn (LP: 3,200; SPC: 4)
"I activate the Speed Spell - Rapid Shot Wing!" he cried. "Parshath gains 100 ATK for every Speed Counter I have until the end of the turn."
Parshath's sword glowed again, but less intensely this time (2,600 - 3,400 ATK).
"Now, Parshath will switch Freed to Defense Position and attack!"
Freed knelt and held its sword to block Parshath's attack (1,700 DEF). The longsword broke as Parshath made contact and cut Freed, causing him to explode into pixels. (Lynn: 3,200 - 1,500; SPC: 4 - 3)
"I set a facedown," declared Raymond. "Next turn, I'm ending this."
Lynn drew. A glint of hope briefly appeared in her eyes.
Raymond (LP: 3,850; SPC: 9) vs. Lynn (LP: 1,500; SPC: 4)
"I activate Speed Spell - Angel Baton! I draw 2 cards and then discard one of them from my hand." She drew and looked hard at her options. If things went well, then she could make a comeback. Lynn discarded one card, her hopes soaring with it.
"I lay this facedown and end." A card briefly appeared next to her before Raymond drew.
Raymond (LP: 3,850; SPC: 10) vs. Lynn (LP: 1,500; SPC: 5)
"Time to finish this! That trap is probably something to get rid of Parshath, so I'll summon a second Bountiful Artemis for backup." He played a card, and another of the caped angels appeared (1,600 ATK).
"I can't believe you actually did what I needed you to do!" Lynn laughed. "I activate my facedown, Torrential Tribute!"
Between the two bikes, a giant watery vortex swallowed up Parshath and Artemis, sending them to the Graveyard.
"With your monsters gone, I could get back in this!" exclaimed Lynn.
Raymond smiled. To think, if he hadn't summoned Artemis, he'd be on the way home right now. Oh, well... A minute delay on his victory wouldn't hurt.
"You sure about that?" he asked Lynn, "I activate my facedown, Miraculous Descent! This time, I'm summoning Majestic Mech - Goryu!"
A white and golden serpent-like winged dragon materialized. Its body was segmented all the way to its tail.
"Where did that come from!" asked Lynn.
"Well, remember when I used Herald of Orange Light's effect early in the duel? It was the other monster I discarded for the effect," Raymond explained. "It was also one of the monsters I removed to summon Soul of Purity and Light.
"So far he's been something of a supporting cast. But now it's time in the limelight has come."
Goryu let out a massive roar (2,900 ATK)…
"No! It can't end like this!" shouted Lynn.
"Sorry, Lynn," said Raymond. "Put some ice on wherever it hurts and see a doctor when this is over. That fall was something else. Oh, and think about not judging people based on where they came from."
"You might have won this duel, but I will be back. I'm going to make it my mission to make your lives hell!" Lynn proclaimed.
"Well, seeing as I've lived in hell for 14 years," quipped Charlotte, "I seriously doubt whatever you could do would amount to much."
"Goryu, let's get Charlotte home so I can take care of her," said Raymond. "Attack Lynn with Celestial Blaze!" Golden flames poured out of Goryu's mouth, blanketing Lynn and her ride. She grunted with pain. (Lynn: 1,500 - 0 LP)
Final Score: Raymond (LP: 3,850; SPC: 10); Lynn (LP: 0; SPC: 5)
Lynn's D-Wheel was forced to stop. With smoke coming from her D-Wheel, she could only watch as the two adversaries raced on.
"He had almost everything planned during that whole duel! This sucks, I swear!" She took a deep breath, wincing again as the pain reminded her of its presence. "Raymond, huh?… I will come for you when I'm 100% I'm going to take you and that filthy rat down.
"That's a promise!"
It only took Raymond five minutes to get to his one-story house. He pressed a button attached to his keys, opening his garage door. After turning off his D-Wheel, he got off, supporting Charlotte with one arm over his shoulders as they ambled into his place."
"Well, this is where I live," said Raymond as he turned on the lights to his living room. Charlotte took in the walls that were painted a creamy white, a 40' inch TV that stood on top of a stand with a blue couch facing opposite it. A glass coffee table was set near the couch, two tins of Duel Monsters cards set on it. A loveseat sat near another wall, which led to the kitchen.
Raymond laid Charlotte on the couch gently. "Can I get you anything?" he offered.
"Sure," replied Charlotte groggily. "What's in the fridge?"
"There's a hamburger that I was going to eat for breakfast. You want it?"
Charlotte nodded. Raymond went into the kitchen fridge, placed the hamburger on a china plate, and warmed it up in the microwave. He took a glass from the cabinet and poured some water with a couple of ice cubes in it. 'I really wasn't expecting to have company over tonight. And it looks like it's going to be an overnight stay at that.'
After retrieving the burger, Raymond walked back into the living room to feed his guest. To his surprise, however, Charlotte had already passed out on the couch when he came in with the food and drink.
'She must really be exhausted. It'll have to wait then. Maybe I can get her story on how she got here tomorrow morning," Raymond thought as he gathered Charlotte in his arms and headed to the spare bedroom. He laid Charlotte down on the bed, ruffled through the closet for some covers, and spread them over Charlotte. Raymond walked to the door and, with one last look at her, gently closed the door behind him.
As he walked further back to his own room, he thought about the earlier events that led to him bringing a girl home. 'Man, what a day it's been. For once, I'll have a story for those guys tomorrow.'
Next chapter:
Raymond: The morning comes, and I check up on Charlotte. My two comrades-in-arms come over to discuss our plans for the remainder of the week, and I introduce Charlotte to them. I have myself a friendly duel with our leader, Zack, who claims that he's improved his deck.
"The 'A' Forces" are coming up next on: "The Pursuit of Balance!"