Chapter 7- A Lasting Impression
Cat: OMG! You guys are getting an early Christmas present!
Rena: Yay!
Cat: Yeah... I haven't been around for ages, sorry about that folks.
Rena: If your waiting for These Moments: Right Now chapter 2, that is currently being worked on and should be up in the next few days!
Cat: One more thing, MERRY CHRISTMAS AND A HAPPY NEW YEAR!
"I don't trust you!" Leo shouted, pointing his finger at Lester, who was reclining on the couch.
"All I did was ask for some pizza," Lester sighed, staring at the ceiling.
"No! Not the pizza! Your story!" Leo exclaimed. "I think it's a set up! You're a spy!"
"Not so loud, Leo, you'll wake Akiza…" Ashley hissed from the other side of the room, as she searched for her duel disk. Yusei had been interested to see it.
"See, somethin' is not right! Lester appears, Bruno comes back and Yusei trusts them!"
"Leo. I would ask kindly to be quiet but, seriously, shut your face," Crow groaned, slowly stomping down the stairs, scratching his ginger hair that looked like it had an electric current stuck through it.
"Good morning, Crow!" Luna beamed from the cooker. "I'm just making breakfast, can you hold on one minute?"
"See Leo? Instead of forcing your opinions on the world, which nobody cares about or will listen to them, how about you be more productive and make my breakfast, like your sister?"
"Sure, I'll make your breakfast, Crow-sama!" Leo snapped, trudging over to the fridge, opening a bottle of sour milk (it had gone out of date several weeks ago and Yusei had not bothered about it) and poured it all over Crow's bacon.
"Leo!" Luna cried.
"I'll kill you, you punk!" Crow shrieked, dragging a screwdriver out of Yusei's tool box and waving it.
"I'LL KILL YOU ALL!" Akiza screeched, flying down the stairs and bashing Crow on the head with a large hardback book.
"What was that for!?" Crow wailed, rubbing his head.
"Waking. Me. Up." She glowered.
"Uhhh… Sorry?" Crow said, earning another bash around the head.
"Good morning, everybody," Yusei called, sliding down the banister and landing with a flourish, earning a clap from Ashley and Luna. "Akiza, are you ok?"
"I'm fine." She sulked, brushing her hands through her hair, so it didn't look so unkempt.
"I'm trusting you're ok, Lester?" the head signer asked the cyborg, who just nodded in reply.
Luna sighed, scraping the ruined bacon into the bin and, for good measure, emptied the small quantity of the sour milk left over her twin's head. "That's what you get for ruining my hard work, Doofus!"
"I'm sorry…" Leo spluttered.
"What drama have I missed?" Bruno appeared on the landing, yawning.
"Well, you missed the celebration party for Team 5ds after the Arc Cradle was destroyed and Akiza moving to Germany and-" Leo began, ticking them off on his fingers.
"He means this morning, moron," Akiza grumbled, brutally shoving Lester's legs off the sofa and sitting down. The cyborg was smart enough to keep his mouth shut but glared at her none the less.
"What you looking at, outsider?" she questioned. "I have just been woken up and all you do is glare at me?"
"Well-" Lester began, only to be interrupted by the doorbell.
"Who's that?" Yusei asked.
"The landlady?" Ashley asked.
"If it's Zora, I'm doomed," Crow said, hiding behind the table. "I forgot to pay the last of my part of the home insurance!"
"So it was you!" Jack cried from the bathroom. "I knew it! I knew I had paid my bit but did you believe me?"
"Don't answer, Crow, it's a rhetorical question," Akiza sighed.
"It's not Zora; she tends to just walk in…" Yusei mused.
"Hey, isn't someone going to get the door?" Ashley asked awkwardly.
"Hey, it could be Marco, the boy who collects the recyclables!" Akiza pointed out.
"No, couldn't be Marco; he tends to just walk in…" Yusei scratched his chin.
"Well, how about we open the door and find out?" Ashley sighed.
"I know! It's probably some dude trying to sell PPI insurance!" Akiza grinned.
"No, it's not one of them; they tend to just walk in…" Yusei pondered.
"Yusei… I would have the locks sorted then…" Ashley groaned, walking to the door and answering it. "Oh, Lester, it's your pizza!"
"Finally…" he muttered, standing up from the sofa.
"That's ten please, miss," the delivery guy said.
"Oh, here," Luna handed him a banknote and thanked him.
"Wait! Fine, you take him in! Fine, you believe his story! Fine, you believe in his plan! But it is not fine to let him order pizza, on US!" Leo screamed.
"Leo… You order pizza and many other things off us…" Yusei smiled weakly.
"Well… Yeah… But I'm me! And he's… Well, I don't really know what he is, but I DON'T TRUST HIM!"
"YEAH, I GOT THAT LEO, NOW FOR THE MILLIONTH TIME, SHUT UP!" Akiza raged, standing up violently, her hair whipping around her in a sudden gust of wind.
"Fine! But don't blame me when you're all lying in a grave due to his treachery!" He shouted, running out the front door.
"All that over a pizza?" Yusei sighed.
Primo scowled as he stalked the streets. All of his efforts towards the Arc Cradle, to destroy Neo Domino and what was his reward?
The city simply rebuilding and growing, acting as though it never happened.
People walked, talked, ate, slept, and breathed the same as they had done before the Arc Cradle had been summoned. However, when the structure appeared in the sky, fear radiated from the city and its people.
That was what it was supposed to feel.
I would not like them all killed, Max had said. But leave a lasting impression on them, at least.
The streets became narrower, the sky darker, the hustle of the city centre disappearing and the noises faded. The outskirts of the famous city, where their most famous team stayed.
Slyly, he peered in the grime covered window. The room was completely deserted, with no sign of anyone. All the duel runners were gone and the lights were out.
Good, nobody in the house, Primo thought. This is a good way to leave a lasting impression.
Grabbing the handle, his eyes widened when he saw that the door was unlocked, inspecting it somewhat, he discovered that the lock was rusty and broken.
Scanning the room, a blue coat caught his eye. Lester's coat, covered in dried blood, hanging on a peg.
"Little traitor," Primo hissed, stalking to the other side of the room and pulling a half hidden petrol can out from under the coffee table. Uncapping it, he slowly poured the smelly liquid over many objects in the room, such as the sofa, the rug and the kitchen's grill.
In the middle of the room, he chucked the wooden kitchen chairs into a heap and poured the rest of the contents onto them. And, on top, he laid Lester's coat.
A lasting impression for 5ds and a lasting threat to Lester, Primo smirked. I must admit, I am proud of this handiwork.
He could barely contain his maniac laughter, as he pulled a lighter from his pocket, lit it, and dropped it on the pile. The wood went up in flames immediately, the flame following the line of petrol towards the sofa.
The poisonous gases began swirling the room with the smoke, the room becoming hotter and smokier. Then, the alarm sounded, whirring loudly.
Primo opened the door to leave, casting one more look over the burning room. Then, above him, he heard a scream and running footsteps. Lester burst onto the landing, shielding his eyes from the smoke.
"Primo! You-!" he shouted.
But, by that time, Primo was already gone.
"I do feel a bit stupid," Leo admitted to his girlfriend, hanging his head slightly.
"Well, just apologise to Lester and Luna later," Ashley smiled, squeezing his hand tighter. "I'm sure they'll understand."
"Yeah… But- Wait, do you smell smoke?" he asked her, sniffing the air.
"Now that you mention it… Maybe someone is having a barbeque? It is the summer, Leo, it is common…" she pointed out.
The heart signer scanned the skies. "N-No… It's too big to be a barbeque… Or a bonfire…"
"Leo, I think you're overreacting-" Ashley sighed, only to see Leo's eyes widen as he slowly sank to the ground, clutching his arm.
"M-my mark!" Leo gasped, suddenly staring at Ashley. "Luna! She's in trouble!"
Lester choked and spluttered as he desperately tried to get the fire out. However, the room was completely alight, burning away everything. The walls groaned and the house shook.
Then, the ceiling juddered.
It's going to collapse! Lester's head yelled. He ran for the door, only to hear an ear-piercing scream.
"Leo! Yusei! Someone! Help!" a feminine voice screamed from the top floor.
Luna.
The cyborg whipped around, looking back the way he had come, back to the first floor, where Luna had been napping. A beam that had been supporting the ceiling collapsed, bringing down part of the first floor ground and destroying the stairs- the only way up. The only way to Luna.
Lester stared up at the huge hole in the ceiling that had been created, letting the smoke swirl upwards. The room above was a light blue room, full of action figures and dirty clothes that had fallen through and were now burning. Leo was not going to be pleased.
However, right next to Leo's room was his twin sister's.
"Help!" Luna screamed. "Please, some-" But she was stopped because of coughing.
If she keeps on inhaling gases, she's going to die!
"…Ok, Akiza, you asked for it! My draw!" Yusei yelled.
Yusei LP: 2200 Akiza LP: 1800
Junk Warrior ATK: 2300 Black Rose Dragon DEF: 1800
Evil Thorn DEF: 300
"I summon Sonic Chick!" Yusei shouted, slapping the card in defence.
Sonic Chick DEF: 300
"And then i-" he threw his arm out, willing to shout for the attack, when a searing pain flooded his arm. He bit a shout, hearing Akiza screaming behind him.
"Our marks!" Crow cried from his runner. "Something's wrong!"
"Well, it's not us… So that limits it to only two people…" Jack pointed out.
"Leo and Luna!" Akiza cried. "We left Luna alone in the house! Yusei!"
"Guys! Quickly!" Yusei yelled, covering his deck, forfeiting the duel. The duel lane disappeared, and their speed counters vanished.
They sped along the road, going double the speed limit, keeping their eyes glued to the tarmac.
If they had looked upwards, they would have seen the smoke turning the sky grey.
This is crazy! Lester told himself as he ran back into the room. Staring up at the hole, he had realised that there was one way to get to Luna, even if only a maniac would attempt it.
From the large hole, the carpet was hanging through, in shreds. However, the carpet would be secured by the walls of the room. They were unlikely to rip under his weight.
Run, jump, grab, pull, run.
But the walls are weak, he reminded himself. They won't be supporting the carpet as strongly as you hope they are.
Shut up. He told himself. This is the only way!
He took off, charging across the room, dodging burning debris, then leapt as high as he could, grabbing the hanging pieces of carpet. Quickly he began to pull himself up.
Yes! Nearly there!
His heart froze as he heard an unmistakable tearing noise. The carpet he was clinging onto was ripping; the hole was getting further and further away.
"Oh no, you don't!" Lester hissed, through gritted teeth, grabbing for the jagged edged of the hole and pulling himself into the room.
He jumped to his feet and ran out the room, hearing more of Leo's floor crumble into the burning disaster.
Tread slowly! You could fall right through the floor!
"Luna?" he called, trying to open the pink door to her room.
"Lester?" she asked. "Oh, thank god! Are you alright?"
"I'm fine!" he said, throwing his weight at the door that was still not budging. "Stand away from the door, Luna!"
"I am!" she coughed. "Please, hurry!"
Taking a few steps back, Lester hurled himself at the door, shouldering it open, causing the frame to collapse after him. He squinted in the smoky room.
"Luna, are you ok?" he ran over to a cowering mass on the floor.
"Y-yeah…" she whispered. "But, I feel sick…"
"Well… It's…It's gonna be ok now!" Lester gave his most convincing smile.
"Oh… Ok…" she said hoarsely. "But… Lester?"
"Yes?" he asked.
"How are we going to get out?"
Ashley and Leo tore through the streets, shoving past many civilians who weren't paying them much attention because they were staring at the grey plume of smoke in the heavens.
"Leo… You… You don't think that…" Ashley gasped for breath, slowing to a stop.
"Come on, Ashley!" Leo yelled.
"I… I can't… You… Go… I'll catch up…" she wheezed.
He nodded, taking off. He didn't have time to wait for Ashley, and she understood that. Luna was in danger.
Suddenly, he heard a fast approaching noise. As he ran, he took a glance behind him to see a fire engine speed down the road. It caught up, and then overtook him.
"Don't turn right…" Leo begged, screeching to a halt, watching the emergency service. Then, the red machine indicated right.
"Oh no…"
"Yusei!" Akiza cried from her runner behind him. He slowed down and began racing beside her.
"What?" he asked, looking at the fellow signer who was staring at the sky, panicked.
"The… The sky…" she whispered. He followed her gaze to see black smoke rolling across the sky. "That's… Coming from the house!"
Breaking news, the radio cackled on Akiza's radio. A sudden fire has been started in the outskirts of the city. All duellists are advised to abandon their games and slow down, due to the thick smoke…
"Shit! We leave Luna and Lester alone for an hour and this happens!" Jack cried.
… Emergency services are already at the scene and believe that the incident was not an accident. Eye-witnesses have reported a silver-haired man running from the scene…
"On purpose?" Crow stared at Yusei.
"Silver hair?" Jack hissed.
… It is believed two people are in the building, trapped on the top floor…
"That must be Luna and Lester!" Akiza shouted, speeding up.
… But their status is unknown…
"Shit!" Jack cussed.
"Sir, would you please leave this area…" the police woman asked, blocking his way.
"My sister! My sister is in there!" he screamed, trying to sidestep her.
"Please would you let the fire brigade to their work, sir?" she said. "You will only get in their way…"
"Please! I have to get through!" Leo wailed.
"Leo!" Four runners drew up quickly.
"Yusei! Luna is trapped! Do something!" Leo shrieked, wiping his eyes.
"Is there not anything you can do?" Akiza asked the woman.
"I am sorry ma'am. Every wall is unstable. If we risked leaning a ladder against the wall to get them, it will crumble and crush them."
"Seriously!?" Akiza demanded. "What kind of lame excuse is that?"
"Akiza, leave it!" Crow snapped.
"When did it start?" Jack asked.
"It was estimated to have started around three quarters of an hour ago, sir," she said, pokerfaced.
"That's… bad!" Akiza screamed. "The oxygen levels will have dropped considerably!"
"So?" Crow asked.
"Well… In an ordinary place, air has twenty one percent of oxygen. In a fire, the oxygen burns, so the percentage drops. At seventeen percent, you lose your coordination… At twelve, you feel dizzy, nauseous and tired… At nine, you lose consciousness…"
"What happens below nine percent?" Jack asked.
Akiza blinked back tears. "The victim suffers a respiratory arrest and cardiac arrest."
The boys blinked.
Akiza's face crumpled in anger and despair. "Your lungs stop, your heart stops and they die!"
The room spun. She could hear people shouting outside, running footsteps and the fire crackling. It was so hot; it felt like they were being cooked in a crumbling oven.
She turned her head slightly and vomited on the floor. Lester's head was sagging as he lay on the ground next to her.
"Lester…" she whispered through her painful, cracked lips. "Please, stay awake…"
"I'm going onto my emergency oxygen supply…" Lester said weakly. "I'm sorry… Luna… We're not going… To last much longer…"
"Oh… Well…" she muttered, the corners of her vision darkening. Breathing was becoming extremely difficult.
"The fire is out of control!" a fire man shouted. "Call for backup from the west services!"
"We don't have time for that!" Akiza shouted. "What about the people on the top floor!?"
"I seriously doubt they are still alive…" another fireman muttered darkly. "I'm sorry…"
"Cut the crap!" Leo spat. "Get them out of there!"
Smash!
Everyone looked up to see Lester leaning out of the decorative circular window from Luna's room.
"Lester!" Leo screamed.
"Leo!" he shouted back. "Quickly! Get something that will catch Luna!"
"What!?" Leo screamed, running forwards. Yusei ran with him until he was standing underneath.
"Lester!" Yusei cried. "I'll catch her!"
Lester nodded, ducking back into the room. Then, Luna's head appeared out of the window. Then her shoulders and torso, Lester carefully trying not to cut her on the glass shards.
Then, Lester was holding her outside, his arms shaking uncontrollably.
"He's… Not serious…" Leo whispered.
"Catch!" Lester shouted, dropping her.
It was as if time slowed down. Leo watched in slow motion as his sister plummeted towards the earth, completely oblivious in her unconscious state. Yusei running backwards and forwards, trying to guess where she was going to land.
"Luna!" Leo screamed, as she got closer to the cobbled ground, turning his head and closing his eyes.
Everything was silent.
The seconds…
Were…
The…
Longest…
Seconds…
He…
Had…
Ever…
Waited…
…
…
…
"Gotcha!" Yusei yelled, as the teenage girl crashed into him, bringing him to the ground. He cradled her head with his hand, so it didn't touch the ground.
"Jesus… I can't believe that worked…" Akiza shouted.
Leo opened his eyes to see Yusei surrounded by medics, taking his sister onto a stretcher.
"She's alive!" a doctor shouted.
"Load her onto the ambulance! She needs treatment immediately!" another shouted.
Suddenly, an object crashed to the floor directly in front of Leo. Lester groaned, picking himself up.
"Lester… Your… Your head," Leo pointed at the cyborg that had an immense crater in the side of his forehead. Lester touched it and shrugged.
"I'll fix that later. I can bash my head with a rock on the other side and push it back out. I only have half of my brain, so..."
"Oh… Ok…" Leo said awkwardly. "I'm sorry, by the way…"
"For what?"
"Saying I didn't trust you…" Leo shuffled his feet.
"Well, if I was you, I probably wouldn't trust me either," Lester sighed. "Your sister needs you, Leo."
"Yeah, I know…" the twin brother took a few steps then turned. "I do trust you now, by the way…"
Cat: Please review! It gets me off my arse and makes me write stuff
Rena: If you think Cat's being lazy, PM her and tell her to get a move on. You are allowed.
