And we present the next chapter!
Chapter One: Rose Witch
Once upon a time, as all good stories start off with... there was a dragon.
This dragon wandered the galaxies, destroying everything in its path. Within a short time, its legend had spread throughout, creating fear in the heart of any being intelligent enough to know it. There were greater threats, of course, but those were understood; the dragon was not.
Then, in the eyes of those of Apokolips, their dictator Darkseid had redeemed himself, if however slightly, in destroying the dragon, however much power he expended to do so. The dragon was a force to be reckoned with, feeding upon the doubt and despair of sentient beings to increase its power, its ability to bestow power to the desperate what led to what would be called in Apokolips as Götterdämmerung.
This dragon's name... none would speak of it. Like the devil, they seemed to think, speak of it and it shall appear... and some say... that even the dark dictator never wanted to face the dragon ever again.
"These wounds were designed to incapacitate, not to kill," Shayera Hol, the Hawkgirl, stated. "We'll apply first aid for now, and then let the professionals at him. What happened?"
"We saw a pink dome, then the dome collapsed, and before we arrived at the site we heard a sound," the Marine in John Stewart made an appearance. "When we came to the site of the sound, he was sliding off a brick wall."
"Someone capable of evading even the Flash, the so-called fastest man alive," Shayera sceptically stated.
"Hey!" said speedster protested.
"Nevertheless, someone capable of defeating a Green Lantern is someone dangerous," Lantern cut off further protest. "Presumably, Kilowog was injured by the perp resisting arrest."
"Perp?" Hawkgirl nodded. "Who, then?"
"Someone apparently responsible for the destruction of over thirty planets," Green Lantern's voice had dropped to a whisper. "The Guardians discuss it amongst themselves, but never say its name. The Corps have been trying to trace it for eight Earth years, but somehow the thing escapes us or defeats us. We don't even know its name, only that it occasionally appears and destroys planets and civilisations alike in one go."
"Still, anything with power enough to fight a Green Lantern makes it dangerous," Shayera analysed. "What is it, exactly?"
"I don't know," he replied. "Katma Tui spoke of it once. She called it Das Traurig Drachen. The Sorrowful Dragon."
"Hang on... so, a being capable of gleefully destroying planets on a whim... is on Earth." Flash spoke out loud. "Bugger. There goes my weekend plans."
Shayera was more rational. "Still, if it was there, why didn't it kill Kilowog?"
Silence met her question.
"I don't know," was his honest reply.
Compulsory Evacuation Device was a rather unique Trap amongst those capable of tapping the Heart of the Cards. It enabled travelling Duellists to evacuate to the nearest safe place away from wild cards or rogue Duellists. 'Safe', of course, was a wild definition, hence it was up to the Duellist's strength of will to decide the location and degree of accuracy. Judai's own use of the card always took him to Norway, right outside the seaside cabin that was the current residence of one Johan Andersen.
"Ow!" Judai stood from where the card had landed him on his arse right outside the cabin, rubbing a sore arse. "Well, this puts a damper on travelling."
Shut up and get indoors, Yubel chided.
"Hmph," Judai grunted in response. "Er... it's night."
Either knock or sleep outside in the cold, Yubel pointed out.
Almost on cue, a cold north wind howled.
"I hate you sometimes," Judai reached out to knock on the wood door.
A light appeared in the previously dim window, and before Judai's fist could land the oak portal opened to reveal a sleepy Johan Andersen, blue hair tousled, rubbing tired teal eyes. "My Judai senses tingled. Thought so," the Scandinavian murmured.
"You know me so well, it's almost scary sometimes," Judai quipped. "Can I come in?"
"No coffee for you 'n th' morn'ng," Johan sleepily replied, stepping to the side to let his friend in.
"None?" Judai took up a mocking tone of hurt.
"None," Johan yawned. "Extra 'ggs, though."
"Well, that's okay, I guess," Judai shrugged. He could, and had, gone without before. "I just need a place to kip and hide out."
"Oh?" Johan yawned.
"Yeah. Apparently some intergalactic police came to arrest Yubel."
It was a surprising testament to Johan's tolerance, or his lethargy, or a combination of both, or it was the general existence of Duel Spirits and all associated craziness that had immunised him, that the blue-haired Gem Beast Duellist did nothing but yawn in response to the declaration. "That's nice. Take the couch. Everyone except Ruby is in my bed due to a cold. We've been nursing all day, and me and Ruby are just about tired. Can Duel spirits even get sick? At least Rainbow Dragon haven't fallen yet. I mean, how d'you nurse a dragon?"
"We'll find a way," Judai yawned as the after-effects of adrenaline faded to give way to weariness. "But for now, sleep is the best proposition I've heard for a long time."
"Until the next crazy thing," Johan agreed, turning off the lights. "You can see in the dark, you'll be fine."
Two bodies collided in the ensuing darkness.
"No permanent injuries," the infirmary doctor noted. "It's as if whatever attacked him knew his physiology enough to incapacitate, but not permanently. He'll be fine."
Kilowog was laid out on a gurney, the doctor on one side and Lantern, accompanied by Flash, on the other side. The infirmary was, on a whole, the place most of the Watchtower staff avoided unless absolutely necessary, due to it being a reminder of the perils of hero work. A thankless endeavour with high mortality rate at best, the infirmary and associated rooms were a harsh reminder to heroes of their mortality. No one likes the idea of dying, and man being the creatures of denial they were often avoided hospitals on a whole unless necessary, and even then got the unpleasant visit over with quickly, hence there were relatively few people milling about.
Bleary eyes opened. "What the... where?"
"Kilowog," Lantern replied.
"Ah, John." the pink alien sighed in reply before his eyes snapped open to full awareness. "Traurig Drachen!" He shouted, getting up and wincing in pain. "It's here on Earth! The Destroyer of Worlds is here! John, we have to find it and bring it to Oa for trial, no matter what!"
"Whoa, calm down," Flash reasonably replied. "Well, neither of us know how this Traury Drache looks like, so we need a description–"
"The boy..." Kilowog whispered, already wondering.
"Sorry?" Flash stopped mid-word.
"There was a boy with it," Kilowog whispered. "Yes, a boy, who called a warrior powerful enough to match the power of the ring. The warrior was named Neos. The boy and the Destroyer are related somehow, I know now."
"So can you describe this boy?" John patiently asked.
"Brown hair, brown eyes that glowed, one blue, one orange," Kilowog rattled off. "Red jacket, blue jeans, red sneakers. There was a device on his left arm. Some sort of plate connected to a central piece. It glowed of many colours."
"Right..." John nodded. "That helps us precisely nothing. Many humans look like that. A name would have been more useful."
"Name... Judai Yuuki." Kilowog stated after a while of frowning. "He introduced himself before I saw the Traurig Drachen."
"We'll find him," Lantern awkwardly patted Kilowog's shoulder. "Recover first. We'll take it from here."
"I understand that you value your privacy, but please calm down."
Not for the first time, the Batman wondered if it were possible to manage to land a punch on a Martian without them phasing through it. Electric knuckle-dusters, maybe?
Somewhere next to him, a voice chuckled, and even though he knew it was technically in his mind, the sound was still so real.
"Let us try again," J'onn slowly said as the Martian's palm wandered ever closer to Batman's temples. "Such a mental intrusion can hardly be healthy for anyone. Please put up with the discomfort for a moment."
There was a flash of black in Batman's vision, and when he finally recovered, the green Martian was laid out, eyes wide and blank.
"J'onn?"
"I am fine," the Martian mechanically replied, still lying prostrate. "For an extra-dimensional spirit, it put up quite a fight."
"At least you believe me," Batman grumbled as he started to stand. "Kal is beginning to think that I'm losing my marbles. Sometimes I wonder if I've already lost it."
"How is your investigation into a cure going?" J'onn changed the subject, being unable to cope with a depressed Batman.
"Not well," Batman admitted to himself. "As Batman, I get precisely nothing when I bust caps and heads. As Bruce Wayne, I'm too readily identifiable. It doesn't help that I have a spirit around me that only I and those I'm investigating can see."
"Perhaps you could try to destroy its vessel?" J'onn suggested.
Batman snorted. "The card, that is, the vessel, is missing. That's why the spirit keeps hanging around me. I don't even understand anymore, if it's a supernatural thing or a figment of my imagination. Etrigan knows nothing, and Zatanna can't tell me, because she doesn't know."
There was a moment of uncomfortable silence before there was a knock on the door.
"Batman?" Green Lantern walked in. "The Green Lantern Corps have sent an emissary after an inter-galactic wanted criminal who has been traced to Earth. This inter-galactic criminal has been traced to Earth and seems to have connections with humans. We need help in tracing a certain human."
"Run the name and features through the database," Batman growled in reply. "I'm busy."
"This one has destroyed planets and is on Earth," Lantern tartly replied. "Please."
A beat of silence followed as Batman considered.
"Who is this criminal?" J'onn asked.
"The Green Lantern Corps call it Traurig Drachen." Lantern replied. "So far, it has been confirmed responsible for the destruction of thirty civilised planets and a few more may be its work, but who knows how many go unaccounted for."
"Surprising that you do not know of it," J'onn blinked in surprise. "You have seen it before, have you not?"
Shocked silence followed J'onn's declaration.
"Excuse me?" Lantern finally found his voice.
"There was a tournament. A young boy entered the Metro Tower alone, with more companions after," J'onn recalled. "What you call Traurig Drachen, I have named before. Amongst my people, we call it Yubel the Terrible. It is the terrible one that had injured Superman before this."
"Pink skin, eyes in blue and orange, hair colour in two tones, claws, three eyes, thorns poke out on it," Batman recalled. "Yubel... Duel Monsters."
"That crazy card game?" Green Lantern asked sharply. "The one with monsters which nearly killed people? That one?"
"Right," Batman stood up. "I'll help. Do we have a description or a name?"
"Judai Yuuki," Batman conjured out a name easily, complete with picture and file before Kilowog.
"That is the boy," Kilowog nodded affirmatively. "Everything, down to the red jacket and the brown hair."
"Judai Yuuki, Japanese descent, born to an ordinary middle-class family, went to an average elementary, middle and high school... high school, Central Duel Academia? Sponsored by Kaiba Corporation, intended to train... Duellists in Duel Monsters," Batman grimaced. "Throughout four years of schooling, strange accidents and incidents of monsters and dimensions have been reported, but never investigated. Started out with an Elemental Heroes Deck and later developed to other patterns which are never specified. Some of his monsters are noted... here." he tossed down a few Polaroids. "It's difficult to find any mention of these cards, but here are some of them."
Kilowog shifted through the pictures of fighting Duel Monsters, perplexed until one caught his eye. "This one was the one who defeated me!"
The heroes bent down to see the white-suited being where azure filled in its eyeholes and red and blue streaked its costume.
"Looks ridiculous," Lantern commented.
"It beat me," Kilowog growled. "Is the boy's current location on Earth found? I can sense that the Traurig Drachen has not left the planet, hence the boy must still be here somewhere."
"How do you know?" Batman enquired coolly.
Kilowog's face twisted. "The Traurig Drachen landed on my planet a long time ago. The waste it laid before it flew off on another whim was horrible. The despair and hatred of one young Bolovax unleashed upon the planet a terrible dragon that laid destruction on whim until the boy died from too much power, and then it flew off to another. The Traurig Drachen, it preys upon the despairing and dark moods of sentient beings to manifest itself, soon turning into its true form to unleash vengeance on behalf of its host. The result was the tragedy of Bolovax Vik, amongst many, with far-reaching consequences. No one who survived it could mistake the feeling of its presence as anything else."
"Traurig Drachen, the Sorrowful Dragon," Batman translated, grimacing further, if that were possible. "Judai Yuuki is a traveller, as his current location is unknown. The last time he appeared on official records was in the Sixth Battle City tournament, in Metropolis. We all saw him then. Now, his current locale would be known only to his associates, which would mean that we have to pay them a visit."
"Them?" Kilowog echoed.
Batman's lips thinned. "His associates. Duellists."
The Bat's foreboding air was like a heavy stone in the hearts of the two Lanterns.
"At least they're recovering," Johan sighed as he slumped into a chair. "I can't find any medicine for Duel spirits. Speaking of Duel spirits, Judai, there's no trouble yet?"
"Yet," Judai confirmed. "But someone's after Yubel, so we'll just have to keep our fingers crossed."
"They can probably trace you, Judai," Johan sighed, face-palming. "Sometimes I wonder how do you survive. So who did you offend this time?"
"Hey!" Judai protested. "I don't offend people all the time!"
"Chronos," Johan sceptically ticked off. "Manjoume. Marufuji Ryou. Dark World. Need I say more?"
"Not all the time," Judai pouted at him.
"Right," Johan slowly nodded. "So, how long will you be staying? My nest egg might not be able to survive your bottomless pit of a stomach."
"Oi! I don't eat that much!"
"... sure you don't..."
"Johan~!"
Domino City was not high on Batman's list of favourite places.
Sure, it was clean, and peaceful, unlike Gotham, but underneath the facade there was an undercurrent of darkness so strong that the Bat could taste it. All his fighting instincts came out in full fore here, even as he walked up the tiled path towards the yellow-walled building with the lime-green roof and the pink letters overhead.
It was a bright, cheerful and altogether jarring reminder of never judging a book by its cover to him.
The bell overhead clinked as he walked into the game-shop, Green Lantern following behind carefully.
"Irashaimasen," the man at the counter, with blond hair and dressed in casual chic greeted. "Welcome to the Kame Game. How may I help you?"
Batman paused. "I thought Yuugi Mutou owned the shop."
"He does. He and Yami are on holiday," the blond shopkeeper waved a casual hand, the other remaining below the counter. "I'm just watching the shop. Grandpa Sugoroku taught me enough to know almost every game here, so I'm here while Yuugi's out. Though I can only play a few to save my life." He laughed. "So, what can I do for the Batman?"
"I wanted to ask him about Judai Yuuki," Batman sighed.
"I wouldn't know about that," he shrugged. "But is he a Duellist? 'Cause Kaiba puts GPS locators on almost every single one of the tournament-approved DuelDisks. Not that you can find out from him. The man's more tight-lipped than anyone else I know."
"I see," Batman nodded. "Thank you."
"You know, I thought you'd be more... violent," Green Lantern finally said as they exited the building.
"You can't see them, can you?" Batman half-smirked. "The man had a deck, and Katsuya Jounochi, one of the top Duellists in the world, can probably play too. Will you show him?" The last was pronounced loudly and definitely not aimed at the Lantern.
Lantern jumped as a long scratch, like a claw, ran through the concrete tiling and stopped just shy of Green Lantern's foot.
"I don't fight dragons if I can't win," Batman replied as he walked off. "KaibaCorp next."
"They should put up a sign, 'here there be dragons'," Lantern heard the Bat mutter as they sneaked in.
"Do I want to know why?" Lantern asked with some trepidation.
"The chairman, Seto Kaiba, plays as well," Batman replied after a while. "From what I managed to glean from temporarily listening to their communications back at the Showdown of Hero City, he is one of the main forces behind some secret anti-terrorism incidents across the globe in the last three years. I can't find concrete proof, though, and Kaiba's finances are clean enough. There are dragons here too, and I think even Kal El would have some issue with them."
"And if we walked right in?" Green Lantern suggested.
"Best case scenario, security escorts us out," Batman tersely replied. "Worst case scenario, eaten by dragons. And I don't want to see how the power ring stands up against a dragon."
"The best case scenario we can deal with," Green Lantern thought out loud.
"The best case scenario means dealing with people like Kaiba," Batman growled as they arrived at the top floor. "Any moment..."
Chains snapped out of thin air and tied both of them up, Lantern struggling as green light flared in his eyes to be extinguished.
"Shadow Spell," a female voice echoed as its owner walked down the hallway towards the two. "Continuous Trap card. The monster targeted by it cannot attack or change its battle position, and its attack points decreases by seven hundred points. State your name so that I know what to write on your headstone when you are dead."
"Diana Hunter," Batman vaguely recognised the woman. "White really doesn't suit you."
Diana, in a white halter top, shrugged. "Chosen of Zera, three destinies open up before you."
There was a moment's pause. "Which destiny I walk will be my choice and mine alone."
Diana slowly nodded. "And your associate? I must make sure that he does not attack if I release you."
"He won't," Batman assured. "He doesn't hit girls."
"Hey!"
There was a moment's silence before the chains receded and the heroes were freed.
"Kaichou is busy at the moment," Diana said as the pair stood up. "Please wait, unless it is a question that can be addressed by I."
"The location of one Judai Yuuki," Batman gave.
"Judai... Fusion, Herald," Diana consulted her Blackberry, unwrapping a lollipop with the other hand and sticking it into her mouth. "He was travelling in India until approximately two hundred thirty hours India time. Currently, the location is subject to change, although close proximity to Jewel Beast is indicated. The two of them have always been too close for words."
"And where is Jewel Beast?" Batman patiently asked. "Rather, who is Jewel Beast?"
"Scary, scary," Diana murmured, eyes still on her Blackberry as she sucked the sweet. "Johan and Edo are always Judai's top places to hide when things go pear-shaped first. Johan has a nice place north, I think. Norway is nice at this time of the summer, isn't it? Andersen Kun just loves his little cabin hidden away on the islands. Him and his family all alone, away from the rest who would scorn them."
Hearing her words, Green Lantern could not help but shiver in foreboding.
"Thank you," Batman said after a moment's pause. "I think that's all we need. Unless you're charitable enough to tell us what to look out for?"
"I do not possess futuresight," Diana crisply replied. "Though you do well to be wary. We would hate to lose a potential like yourself."
"The game is a bit too arbitrary for me," Batman shook his head. "Besides, I'm completely different from you people."
"Perhaps not always," Diana softly replied as both heroes turned to leave. "Turn right instead of left when you leave. Kaichou is taking Kisara out, and you can always change your mind. We have time."
Batman froze momentarily, before marginally relaxing. "Got it."
The two heroes descended in silence, Green Lantern feeling more and more confused as they approached ground floor.
"Kisara?" Lantern finally deigned to ask when sea level was reached.
The roar of what could only be a dragon answered both of them.
"That," Batman stated. By all rights, his teammates' shock should not be so satisfying, but no one ever said that Batman was much of a team player. "Somewhere in Norway should be easy to find if we run a property search."
"And you trust them that easily?" Lantern asked. "They could just as easily mislead us."
"In a way, they did," Batman admitted. "They neglected to mention that Johan Andersen is heavily guarded and it's a literal deathtrap waiting. But that's all we can go on, and it's a valid clue. Furthermore, if we went by normal sources, it would take time we don't have."
I salute you on spotting that, the voice chuckled. Light can mislead with its illusions weaved, as can darkness with its seductive shadow. Good of you, my chosen.
"So, next stop, Norway?" Lantern asked.
The two heroes next materialised outside a wooden cabin, on a rocky island somewhere by the Norwegian coast. Waves crashed by the rocky, salt-ridden outcrop as a cool breeze blew.
"It looks empty," Lantern conversationally started. "No one home."
The cabin door opened as two boys ran out. "Judai, give that back!" the second boy, blue hair waving in the breeze, yelled at the first boy in a red jacket and carrying what looked like a cold ham.
"Nya nya, catch me first, Johan!" the first boy, brown hair bobbing, shook his head as he ran away towards the heroes. The boy, Judai, stopped upon seeing them, brown eyes widening.
"Judai?" Johan caught up and snatched away the ham in his hand. "What's up?"
"Judai Yuuki," Lantern authoritatively began. "Your assistance would be greatly valued by the Justice League in investigating a matter of some sensitive nature."
Blink. Blink. Silence...
"It means you come with us," Green Lantern amended. "It's about you being seen in India last night with a maximum-security wanted intergalactic criminal."
The boy slowly nodded. "I don't see how I can have anything to do with this, but it's fine, I guess."
"Wait, Judai," Johan piped up. "What if these people aren't what they seem? Anyone can don spandex and weapons and put on a light show. Honestly, what did your parents teach you?"
"Johan, don't be such a mother hen," Judai yawned. "Besides, I can tell. You can't really call heroes strangers, right?"
"Judai..." Johan groaned. "If you say so, I can't really stop you, but..."
"Shall we?" Batman asked.
"After lunch," Judai amended. "I have a lot to catch up with Johan."
"We don't have time!" Lantern protested. "The planet can be destroyed by Traurig Drachen any moment. Now."
"If this is about Yubel, the situation is under control," Judai sighed. "After lunch."
"Where is Yubel, then? What's your connection to the Destroyer of Planets?" Lantern shot at him, beginning to glow green. In response, Judai's own eyes lightened to gold as the device Batman recognised as a DuelDisk unfolded almost on command.
"If you want a fight I'll oblige you," Judai hissed, no longer warm and welcoming. The Dark Knight internally shivered as the skies seemed to darken and shadows seemed to waver and take on forms, reaching out to the Green Lantern, tendrils of shadows cold yet inviting.
The Mexican stand-off was interrupted as the cold ham landed in Judai's face. "Lunch is ready," Johan sighed, still holding onto the ham. "Do you want any?"
Batman was about to refuse when he spotted the pink panther, the white tiger, the sapphire unicorn with sharp horn, the woolly mammoth, a tortoise with a huge raw emerald for a shell, a blue cat, and an eagle with cobalt along its wings, all glaring at him ready to pounce. Over the boy hovered a white dragon, baring its teeth at him.
Self-preservation reigned. "Yes, please."
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