BEEP 7:30 BEEP
The clock chirped.
The morning came and Richard Cain stirred in his dorm room. The sun tickled his face until he couldn't take it. Walking like a zombie, he mumbled to himself and staggered towards the window over the sink. With authority and anger, he slammed it shut, and fell back in his bed.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Lisa had been awake since seven and couldn't sleep. Her little rendezvous with Cain was the only idea her brain could process. There was something about him that made her feel alive and vivid, like she could conquer the world. Looking through her closet repeatedly and scanning for an outfit to wear, she grabbed the remote and turned on the TV. As if fate itself were egging her and Cain on, an ad for the Akodia Entry-Level Duelist Tournament was on TV.
QUOTEBe the first champion of the Akodia City ELD Tournament! Open to all school children ages 10-18 and a young dragons tournament will be held for those ages 5-9! Expert duelists, stop by to check out the fresh and upcoming talent of the dueling world!
Looking to renew your memories of the first battle city? New this year to all of duel monsters, the new G.O.D Packs! These are special promo packs that contain powerful cards based on ancient mythology! See if fate has chosen you to receive one of the six new cards that contains powers beyond all other duel monsters/QUOTE
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Wow! That's awesome! I'm glad I saved up some money, maybe I'll get one of those cards!" Cain said with newfound excitement, as if he needed any more for his day ahead. It had been a long time since Cain felt this way towards anyone. Not even his mother was worthy of his devotion anymore.
Cain pulled out a pair of navy blue jeans. They were his favorite. They were cargo pants, which meant they had two huge pockets on the sides of both legs in addition to the standard pockets. These went on over his favorite pair of black work boots, which were laced with black laces to match the black boots. Cain then tossed on his white Battle City T-shirt. It was all white except for a small portion over the left chest area that read "Battle City Security." It was how he got into Duel Monsters.
Cain had been a youth security guard working for Kaiba Corp. when he was about sixteen. He got into watching the duels. He actually got fired for staring and not doing his duty patrolling the streets for illegal activity. He remembered seeing a boy playing a Summoned Skull and another counterattacking with a Dark Magician. It was so neat and new to him that he had to try it.
IEnough memory lane, I got to go meet Lisa/I Cain thought this to himself as he pulled out a black, flexi-fit hat that he liked to wear backwards. Lastly, he grabbed his suitcase with his cards and his wallet. Double-checking himself several times to make sure he had everything, he walked into the dormitory hallway and closed the door. As soon as he took one step, he laughed at himself and shook his head. He used his card to open the door and grabbed his deck off the counter in its small blue case.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Lisa stood at a fountain outside of the Card Center. The card center had to be one of the most unique structures in the entire country. It contained information on every card ever printed and galleries of cards to be observed and studied. There was also a theater that played famous duels like Yugi Moto versus Kaiba in the Battle City Semifinals of the first Battle City. It also contained countless books on dueling strategies, legendary duelists, and other random information. Anyone who played Duel Monsters made it a point to visit the place at least once a year. Not to mention, they sold a lot of cards, some of the rarest packs, too. It was the academy's easiest way to make money.
Lisa heard footsteps and saw Cain about fifty feet down the paved path, coming from the young men's dorms. He was in jeans and a t-shirt, a casual wear. Lisa had gone with a similar fashion. She wore light blue bell-bottoms and black midriff shirt and sneakers.
"Hey Lisa! What's up?" Cain asked. He was carrying a silver suitcase with him.
"Ready to go? I got us train tickets. Are those your cards?" She said pointing to his suitcase.
"Yeah, the more security, the better," Cain winked.
Lisa returned a smile and handed him a ticket for station 4, which was about a twenty minute walk from the school. She put on her backpack and motioned him to follow her.
They walked together, awkwardly silent for about ten minutes. They were outside school grounds now and were walking down a road lined with trees; the station was at the end of the road.
"So, have you lived in Akodia your whole life?" Cain said, breaking the silence.
"Yeah. I'm a local." Lisa responded. "Did you live in Coltworth up until now?' She asked.
"Well, it's a long story, but for the most part, yes." Cain said.
"Anything you can tell me? I want to hear," Lisa said.
"I appreciate it, but it's something I have to deal with," Cain responded coolly.
"Are you sure? It's feels like your holding something back that you need to say," Lisa commented.
"I am. And I'm going to keep it held back until the time is right," Cain said.
Lisa looked away and smiled.
The station was quiet for a Saturday, especially since there was a tournament to go to. Cain and Lisa punched their tickets in the machine and approached the waiting dock. The train arrived only two minutes after they checked in. They got on the train and looked around. Surprisingly, a few younger kids and the usual traveling businessmen only joined them.
"You ready for the dueling?" Cain questioned her as they both sat in a seat.
"Yeah, you?" Lisa replied.
"Of course," Cain answered.
Awkward silence
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
"A gathering like this is what we need. If we are to recruit anyone worth training, they'll be here," A voice came from the darkness of a dim room.
The man in the long red robe sighed.
"This will be fun. I cannot wait to rebuild what we lost. If we had only thought of this before, things would have been different," The man said. 'We won't fail this time. We will bring the light to the people. The Prophet will come, you'll see. This time, your master will come," The man stated.
"Yes, Captain Cloud," The shadowy voice said. " We believe in you," The voice reassured.
"Let the dueling begin, have our men report any strong duelists, we need names and cards for recruiting," Cloud said. "The prophet may even be a child, so look for anything strange," Cloud said to the cloaked man.
"I will sir." The man responded.
"Why are you wearing that cloak again? You look like some kind of rare hunter wannabe," Cloud questioned. The man was silent as the darkness hid his facial expression. No doubt the man was confused.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Cain sat in silence for a few minutes before he took out his deck and rifled through it. He seemed a bit nervous for someone who claimed he wasn't.
"What kind of deck are you playing?" Lisa asked innocently.
"Heh, I'm not even sure. It's really just a jumble of my favorite cards. It's worked for me, so I haven't changed it. Not to mention it makes it easier to confuse an opponent looking for a strategy," Cain explained.
"Neat, I remember my first deck was like that. I threw together a bunch of my favorite cards. But it sucked, a lot," Lisa said, laughing a bit.
"So what are you playing today?" Cain returned the question.
"Well, I always liked light monsters, so I have a light/warrior hybrid. I was ranked 31st out of 900 ranked students, so I'd say it works pretty well," Lisa said pulling her deck out of her pocket book.
It was interesting to see the differences and similarities between the two. Lisa had done an amazing job creating an unbelievably beautiful design of a warrior cradling what seemed to be an injured angel on her silver deck box. The two characters looked at each other with a longing desire, as if they were lovers who were forced to be apart.
The city was in sight through the left window now and Cain couldn't help but stare with fiery ambition. He wanted another tournament. It had been a long time since he could do much serious dueling. The city looked almost like a larger version of the school. It was sleek, white, and very futuristic. All it needed was flying cars and George Lucas to make it perfect.
"So just Cain? I can't call you Richard or even Rich?" Lisa asked flirtatiously.
"Heh, I like Rick or Cain. Whatever you want, just not Richard. That was my father's name," Cain responded.
At the mention of his father, Cain felt a little switch turn on in his head, as if he had tripped a mental wire. He saw a small boy in the corner of a cluttered house. Grime and dust gripped the young child's shirt and brow. He held onto a small doll as he stared into the kitchen with a look of true horror. His eyes trembled. He was a deer in headlights, stunned with the scene before him. Within a few moments, a woman screamed as she fired a gun. Blood dripped down her face and she cursed as loud as she could. The gun slid out of her hand as she fell to her knees. As if someone had heard the boy praying for solace, a tall and menacing figure in a long cloak approached from the shadows of the dim kitchen to where the woman had been shooting. The man lifted his hood as the little boy's eyes widened -
"Cain? Are you okay?" Lisa said.
Cain stumbled out of his mental stupor and looked around and then at his watch. It had been about five minutes. Perspiration grazed his face as Cain struggled to regain feeling in his upper body. He was paralyzed with fear.
"Did I fall asleep?" Cain questioned Lisa, the city behind Lisa was closer than ever.
"Yeah, but you kind of spazzed for a second and then you woke up," Lisa said.
"Well, I feel fine now," Cain said as he sat up, making sure he still had his card box.
"Cain, whose Mora?" Lisa asked. Her face was like when a young girl finally asks her parents where grandma went. It was solemn and unsure.
"I don't know, why?" Cain lied.
"You muttered her name once or twice," Lisa explained.
"I'm not totally sure, I saw a woman screaming. Just a bad dream I guess. I've had 'em before," Cain said.
"Well, please tell me if you want to talk. I don't care if it sounds corny, but you've got something hidden and I just want you to know you can talk to me," Lisa reassured.
Cain turned a light shade of red and nodded.
"Excuse me young man, can you help me?" A man in a suit said from behind Cain and Lisa.
"What do you want gramps?" Cain said coldly.
"I'm sorry to bother you, can you help me with my deck?" The gentleman said.
"Why would you ask me?" Cain said.
"Because you're Richard Cain. You've gained quite a bit of rumor since people heard you joined the Akodia Dueling Academy," He spoke.
"Do you have some kind of history I never heard of?" Lisa asked Cain.
"Long story, but yeah, sort of," Cain said. "Listen man, I don't help people who don't need it," Cain responded.
"What do you mean?" He replied confused.
"You're Hank Murray, one of the top ranked duelists in the veteran league," Cain said.
He sighed and turned red.
"Well, I didn't think you'd know me, but it was worth a try," Murray said.
"You wanted to see my deck. Damned cheater," Cain said standing.
"How dare you!" The man fumed. "Let's see if that deck actually packs some punch! I challenge you to a duel, Richard Cain!" The main shouted as he stood and strapped on his duel disk.
"Bring it on you old fart, I'll smack you around the way your mother should have," Cain said as he inserted his deck.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------