Chapter 3: Time

Author's note: Thank you for reading! I am really enjoying myself with this first fanfic. If you have questions, just PM me, and I will answer, unless it's spoiler territory. Concerning the time, the story begins December 2002, as the original Duel Monsters ended early 2002. This happens between DM and GX. As such, making cohesive decks with DM cards are a bit hard.

Please enjoy the ride!

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Location: Neo-Domino City

Year 2037

"Yusei!"

The Signers felt their marks leave their bodies and transfer onto Yusei. The overwhelming surge of power in the surroundings whipped up gigantic tornadoes that fell massive buildings that once stood tall and strong.

Yusei, Jack, and Crow were on their D-Wheels, riding close to the epicenter of the storm-like entity, while Aki on her own D-Wheel, rode further while guiding Ruka and Rua on their D-Boards.

A shining black entity in stood at the center of Neo-Domino City, towering over it all. Beside it was an old man with a long beard as white as snow. His face couldn't be seen amidst the tempest, but he held a sword and shield that acted as a Duel Disk.

Yusei was the last of the Signers with life points, his at 500. Bruises and cuts can be seen on all of them. Mina and Tetsu followed them on the Starlight Road on their helicopter, but they were slowly being sucked in by the tempest. Yusei looks at his Speed Counters, and sees six. His D-Wheel buckles from the damage it took but still continued to run.

The old man inside the storm spoke, and his voice sounded as if it came from Heaven.

"It is futile. There is no future for you."

Location: Covex Town

Year: 2002

May and Drake walked through the town, slowly but surely seeing a slowly accumulating change with the surroundings. Patched up houses turned to brick and stone, bland grey and orange rust became vibrant matte colors. Drake had a one-floor house among those near the center of town, its walls white with a bluish green roof.

He knocked on the wooden door.

"Who is it?" A feminine voice asked from inside.

"It's me, mom."

After a few audible steps, the door opens to reveal a woman in her mid-thirties. Her black hair was short, barely reaching her neck, and was covered in a hair net. She was just a little tall, almost 5'3", but her vertical striped apron made her look a bit taller. Her eyes flitted between her son and May.

"Oh, who's this?"

The girl spoke up. "I'm May, ma'am."

"She's my friend."

"Oh, really? Then come in! I was just making spring rolls."

The two of them went inside. Just the living room was bigger than May's own house. This was the first time she ever went to Drake's house, mostly because she didn't need to. The playground was enough. Drake's mom went back to the kitchen while they layed out the cards they have on the coffee table.

"You're putting Jinzo in your deck?"

"Yeah. It does have a unique foil finish. Besides, It's special. How about you?"

"You'll have to duel me to find out."

Drake's mom came back into the room and served them a plate of spring rolls while the two of them constructed their decks. She sat down and watched them work.

"So, May, where are you from?"

"From down town."

"From the satellite part of town?"

The word satellite rang in May's ears, but much like the headache from earlier, she paid it no mind.

"Yes."

Drake's mom seemed to engage in a deep type of thought.

"Well, that's fine to me, but your father…"

"I won't tell him."

May looked at Drake. "Why?"

"Well, here in this upper area, people don't like others from the satellite part of town. They are seen as bad."

"Oh, I see…"

They continued that way in silence until a knock on the door reminded them the it was almost nightfall. A big man came into the house in a brown police officer uniform. He hung his coat and appeared in the living room.

"Look at that, my boy's got a friend."

"Hi dad!"

"Well, don't mind me, just gonna rest my legs after a day of disciplining those satellite scum."

May dropped her deck, but hastened to pick it up. She put it and all of her other cards into a paper bag. She stood up and straightened her clothes.

"I'll be going now. Thank you for your hospitality."

Drake's mom peeked from the kitchen.

"You're not staying for dinner?"

"No thank you."

"Drake, my boy, don't just sit there, escort her back to her house."

"Ok."

"There's no need-"

"I'll take her home."

"But there's really no-"

"BYE!"

Drake pulled her arm and they both went out the door.

"Sorry for my dad. He's an officer stationed near your house and, well, he doesn't like the environment."

"It's ok. I'm going now."

She walked away, and Drake stood where he was and just looked at her for too long. Soon, she was swallowed by the small rush of people going home.

May never felt like this but now, she can't block out anything related to the satellite part of town. She was hearing rumors, killings, kidnappings. It was as if the people don't know anything about where she lived, and as if there was no peace to be found there.

People discriminate over the tiniest things. Finance, color of your skin, what you believe. Such is humanity. The cruelest part is to be at the receiving end. May felt this way. Without anyone to distract her, and her eyes open. She bumped into someone.

Three boys blocked May's way. The three of them were taller than her, and older, looking to be 16. She doesn't know them, but they recognize her.

"It's the satellite girl who was protected by the big boss man."

They surrounded her. She held her duel disk close.

"How did she get a duel disk?"

"She probably stole it."

"No, I didn't! My mom gave it to me!"

"So your mom stole it?"

"No she didn't!"

"Are you sure?"

"I-" She stopped. She wasn't. She knew her father worked a low paying job. Her mom… Her mom just leaves and comes back before her father did. She didn't know where she went.

"Well?"

But she refused to believe such things. "She didn't!"

The boys laughed at her.

"This girl is so easy. Say, let me have a look at your deck."

"No!"

"I wasn't asking."

The two other boys tugged at her disk and her paper bag. She tried with all her strength to hold on, but she couldn't match their strength. The paper bag ended up tearing, spoiling cards onto the pavement, while the boys got her duel disk.

"Give it back!"

"You don't deserve to duel. Not you, or anyone in satellite. You're just leftover freeloaders on this town."

One of the boys raised the disk high, his knee positioned towards it. May's eyes widened as she realized what was going to happen.

"NO!"

"You don't deserve this-"

He was cut short when another duel disk hit him square in the head. May broke free and caught hers in mid-air.

"Pick on someone your own size."

May looked up to see her mom crackling her knuckles. She was wearing a red t-shirt, black pants, and her hair was tied back. Her duel disk was more worn out than May's, and it was an older model. In other words…

"Mom?! You look like an original Duelist!" May ran up to her and embraced her. To her, she was beautiful, even more so now than ever.

"Well, that's how I help your father. He goes to jobs, I duel in the underground."

The boy who fell down felt a bump on his head. He gritted his teeth and bared his duel disk.

"You're gonna get it, lady?"

"Is that how you talk to someone older than you?" She put her hands on her hips.

"You're satellite trash so I can say whatever I want, hag!"

"The name's Maria Helenst, children." She pulled out a handcuff-like device, and threw it at the boy's duel disk, instantly connecting both. "And here's a taste of a real duel. The loser loses their right to duel."

"Grr… Fine!"

DUEL!

Life Points Counter:

Maria: 4000

Ray Bastion: 4000

Turn 1 and 2

"Your name's Ray, huh?" Her duel disk displayed the information clearly. "Draw."

"I set one monster and set three cards face down. Turn end"

"That's it?" Ray laughed. "Let me show you power, lady. Draw!"

He looked at his hand and smirked.

"I summon La Jinn the Mystical Genie in attack position!"

The green gaseous monster appeared shortly after its lamp did.

"I equip Axe of Despair! La Jinn's attack rises to two-thousand eight hundred. Attack her defender!"

Maria grinned. "Marshmallon, block it."

The giant marshmallow blob took the djinn's axe and was split in half. The blob splashed some of its insides towards the other player. His life points took a dip.

"When a monster attacks a face down Marshmallon, the player receives one thousand damage."

Life Point Counter:

Maria: 4000

Ray: 3000

Turn 3 and 4

"You are one lucky boy to survive this long."

"What?"

"It ends now. Draw! I summon Cannon Soldier in attack position."

The mechanical monster poised itself with its two Cannon arms ready.

"I can Tribute a monster to inflict five hundred damage to you. I Tribute Marshmallon."

Marshmallon turned into a beam of energy that loaded onto Cannon Soldier and was fired directly at Ray.

"Quick-Play spell card! Scapegoat! I special summon four Goat Tokens. I use them all as Cannon Tributes!"

"This isn't fair!" Ray covered his face from the oncoming onslaught.

"I activate Snatch Steal, to Steal La Jinn. Attack!"

La Jinn raised his axe and slammed it into Ray's duel disk, making the gadget spark and burn out. The holograms disappeared as the boy's life points inevitably counted down to zero.

Life Point Counter:

Maria: 4000

Ray: 0

Winner: Maria

The boys quickly ran away after the fight, but Ray took a moment to glare at the mother and daughter before taking off, leaving his broken duel disk behind. Maria picked it up and dusted it off.

"He even left his deck. I can fix this disk and…"

May was starry-eyed at her mother.

"Teach me how to duel like that!"

She began running towards her mother, who grabbed her by the arm.

"Later. Dueling in public is not allowed here."

Location: Covex Town

Year: 2003

The months quickly passed by, and the Tournament is finally at hand. Drake stood outside May's door. He was wearing a white undershirt and a blue blazer. He had a big backpack with a Kaiba Corp. Logo, and his duel disk was snuggly fit in his left arm.

May kissed her parents goodbye. Her mother wasn't entering, saying: "Your father isn't reliable enough to be left alone," to which the couple exchanged a few teasing words. She herself was wearing a plain red shirt and black pants, and her bag was a small, but it held her every possession.

They hired a truck driver who was also to go to Domino City so they can hitch a ride there. The drive took 4 hours, but the scenery in the city was far different that in their little town. It was… breathtaking.

"Let's go find a place to stay."

Drake nodded, but out of the corner of his eye, he spotted a very familiar object, held by a chain. He shook it of and followed May to the commercial area to find hotels within their budget.

Author's Note: Well, the first arc starts here. Hope you are enjoying so far. With school and research, I can pump out at most one chapter a week, but it's a very fun ride.

If you have requests, and questions, I would be happy to answer, as long as it's not going to interrupt the story flow.

Ciao.