I told you all I be back with the next chapter as soon as I could! And here it is, ready for you all to feast your eyes on~! Alright, I know I just sounded creepy there, and I really don't want to scare you guys away. Oh, and just to make sure you guys are informed, I won't be showing the Duels between Leo and Greiger, Akiyuiki and Prof. Frank, and Akiyuki and Sir Randsborg. I may show a little of the Luna and Commander Koda Duel, though that still is still in the 'maybe' category. Thanks to all of you for the reviews! Enjoy the new chapter, and lets get this chapter rolling!
Disclaimer: Kazuki Takahashi owns this. Not me.
~Chapter Nine: Fortune Cup- Part One: Scrapheap Schemes~
(Lounge 1A, Fortune Cup Stadium, Western New Domino City, 9:00 AM)
Yusei blinked. Then blinked again, unsure of what she was looking at.
"Well, what do you think? How do I look, guys?" Asked Leo, his hair tied into two pigtails with blush covering his cheeks and lipstick glossed over his lips. He also wore his sister's clothing. From a good distance, he almost looked like Luna. Almost.
"Leo, you're as good a Luna as Luna is!" Praised Yanagi. Leo jumped into the air, elated.
"Yahoo!" He cried, only to cry again when his sister kicked him in the shin. "Ow!"
"Don't embarrass me!" Yelled the female twin, blushing angrily and dressed in a long yellow coat and her hair undone with a baseball cap on her head. Destiny giggled nervously behind her hand. The brown-haired girl wasn't sure if she could look at Leo the same, ever again. Leo patted his sister's shoulder carelessly.
"Don't worry, I'm about to make you a Dueling legend!" He promised, Luna only puffing her cheeks at him. Laughing, Leo walked over to Yusei, giving a fake, high-pitched giggle. "Whada' ya say, Miss. Amnesia Girl? Are you ready?" he asked, looking a little flirtatious. Yusei spared him a smile as they began to walk to where they would be ready with the other competitors.
"Yep, but I think the make-up should go." She said, patting his head. Nodding excitedly, Leo grabbed her hand and threw a fist in the air.
"OK, but only if you tell me your name." He said, mentally praising himself for being so close with her. Yusei gave a quiet laugh.
"You'll find out soon enough." She promised. Leo continued to cheer all the way, all the while holding onto Yusei's arm.
"Awesome! I bet it's really cool, and cute, too!"
"It's not that much of a name . . ."
Their voices trailed away as they walked away, their group of friends standing where they were as the duo walked away. Tanner looked at Yusei and sighed.
'There's something up with this whole Fortune Cup thing. Be careful, Yusei. And watch your back.'
(Fortune Track, Fortune Cup Stadium, Western New Domino City, 10:00 AM)
The asphalt of the Turbo track was hard and ready to be raced by heavy-duty motorcycle tires. The entire dome was lined up by millions of people, racing fans of all shapes and sizes ready to witness the greatest moments in Duelist History. A bombard of fireworks were shot into the air, camera crews from every area filming as the MC, the same man who had interview Jack weeks ago, stepped up onto his spot on the alter of the arena.
"Everybody listen! Duelists young and old, professional and amateur alike, put your hands together for the master of ceremonies, Director Rex Goodwin!" He yelled into his mic, the director himself sitting on his chair on the alter, folding his hands in his lap.
A group of cheerleaders lined near the alter waved their pom-poms in the air, bubbly and bouncy.
"R-E-X G-O-O-D-W-I-N!"
They all gave cries of fright as the wind picked up and blew around the whole area. Smoke washed over the area, but it was gushed away as torn-feathered and ruined wings with black and red scales span into the air.
"Ladies and gentlemen, Red Dragon Archfiend has taken to the skies! You know what that means!" Yelling with great vigor, the MC pointed to the terrifying beast as it flew above the spectators, the Wheel of Fortune racing forward and launching itself into the air off a ramp as the red and black dragon flew over it. "Let's give it up for the reigning champion! The King of the Cards! The one man who rules the Duels! The Master of Faster himself, Jack Atlas!"
The next second, the hologram dragon landed on time with Jack on the podium, disappearing as his owner, Jack, pulled off his helmet and got of his motorbike. He raised one finger in the air, looking down at everyone with pride.
"New Domino City! What say we kick this tournament into overdrive?!" He called, his fans answering with cries of joy, ready for the event to begin.
"JACK ATLAS! JACK ATLAS! JACK ATLAS!" Cried his fans, Jack smirking the whole time.
"Lets get this started, then!"
With that signal, the MC threw his arm to the rising platform that came from beneath the alter, eight people on it.
"It's time to meet the lucky Duelists who were chosen to compete for the chance to go head-to-head with Mr. Atlas: The Fortune Eight!" The MC shouted. All of the cameras roved off everywhere as they presented the contestants.
"Now introducing, the always-mysterious Shira! The Great Greiger! Commander Koda! The Professor! Mr. Akiyuki Izayoi! Sir Gill de Randsborg! Little-Miss. Luna! And Miss. Yusei Fudo!" He shouted, all eight people showed in the order they were announced, the last ending on Yusei.
And just like Blister had said, shit had already hit the fan. Now it was spreading and making things worse.
"Hey! That bitch has a criminal mark!"
"What's a Satellite-slut doing here?"
"Just who is that trash-chick?"
"I just bet she slept with someone to get her invitation!"
The angry insults came more and more, yet Yusei seemed unmoved by this, keeping her arms at her sides as they shot at her more and more. Leo worriedly looked around, upset that they were calling Yusei such terrible names. He looked over to her, glad to see that she didn't look hurt and angry.
"So your name's Yusei?" He asked nervously. Yusei didn't make any movement, but she did speak.
"Yep, now don't wear it out." She said calmly, eyes looking straight ahead. Leo smiled, glad to see that she was alright. Though there was thing that was bothering him.
"That doesn't sound like a superhero or an angel's name, is it?"
"Super. . . Angel. . . What?"
"Never mind."
The MC looked around, worriedly knowing that if this went on, a riot could go on. He looked at all of the others, seeing that none of them were making a move to do something. Goodwin was only closing his eyes, looking as if he didn't care. The MC was starting to freak out as Yusei looked like she wasn't going to do anything either, but the mic was suddenly swiped from him and it was now in the hands of a tall and muscular man with dark skin and long raven black hair. He dressed in what could be a mix of modern meets Aztec meets racer.
"I have to say something!" he shouted, his voice silencing the whole arena. "My name is Greiger Bommer! I know things are different in this city, but where I come from, you judge a guy on his spirit! The same principle follow if you're a woman, too!" He pointed his large finger to Yusei, the cameras filming different points on the both of them. "This young lady may have been branded by your people as a no-good, someone who would never make it out there because she grew up in a bad part of town and the fact she is Dueling in a male-dominate world, but when I look at her, all I see is a Duelist! Not a Satellite Not a young woman! But a Duelist! And being a Duelist myself, I have to respect her until she give me a reason not to! A Duelist isn't judged on where they come from, who their family is or how much money they have. . . That isn't what matters!"
"He's. So. Cool!" Whispered Leo, tears of happiness springing from his eyes. Yusei only stared at Greiger, their eyes meeting in mutual respect. A man in a cloak scowled. A man dressed in golden armor frowned. A man in blue-grey clothing smiled mysteriously. A scientist merely pushed his glasses up. A young man with red hair and brown eyes raised his eyebrow.
"Here's you mic." Muttered Greiger, tossing back the mic and walking back to his spot, the MC blinking in shock.
"Uh . . . Thank you!"
A slow clapping was heard, the frame of the TV coverage now focusing on Goodwin, standing and clapping. It only took a few moments for the rest of the Fortune Cup to clap and applauded. A fanfare of trumpets was played, and the silver-haired director held his hands to silence the spectators.
"I thank Greiger for his well-chosen and heartfelt words," he said, stormy eyes glancing at the Fortune Eight. "In our world, social status and personal wealth draw a line between us and our fellow men. I had a vision of a tournament that could, even for a fleeting moment, remove that line. A tournament separate from the competition of life. Where the haves and have-nots can meet each other on a level playing field and prove themselves to each other and the world." His gaze landed on Yusei, staring into her's before he gave a proud look. "Welcome to the Fortune Cup." Despite the thunderous cheer of the crowd, Yusei almost suspected that the last part was meant for her, Goodwin's way of trying to make her feel welcome.
Yeah, welcomed.
With the gusto he had before, the MC threw his hand to one of the large screens of the arena.
"And now, let's turn to the bracket-shuffler, and reveal who will Duel against who in the preliminaries!" The pictures of the eight competitors were shuffled and mixed, four on either side of the screen with lines connecting them to a opponent.
Luna vs. Greiger
Akiyuki vs. Sir Randsborg
Yusei vs. Shira
Commander Coda vs. Professor Frank
"Look! I'm dueling Greiger in the very first duel!" Cheered Leo, Yusei shaking her head but smiling slightly at his happiness. The tool-deck using child looked to Greiger, grinning wildly.
'I can beat him! I know I can!'
(Lounge 1A, Fortune Cup Stadium, Western New Domino City, 11:00 AM)
'I can't believe I lost to him!'
Leo's Duel with Geiger had not had gone well. After a few moves had been taken, Leo was out and finished. He had met his sister and Destiny by the lounge they were in earlier, the male twin frowning.
"Hey, try and cheer up, Leo. It's not like everyone saw you lose." His sister tried to cheer him up. Destiny nodded along with her.
"Yeah, she's right. I bet it was only fourteen, fifteen million tops." She said cheerily. A golden-amber glare was sent her way and she shrank her shoulders in fright.
"Thanks." He said, a sarcastic tone hanging off his words.
"It's not a lost if you learn something," The three turned and Yusei walked over to them, her kind smile causing Leo to go hot in the cheeks. "Now you know more than you did before. Right, Leo?" She asked. Leo smiled wildly, Yusei's kind words brightening up his mood.
"Yeah, more about losing. I just can't wait to use that in my next duel-"
"Hey, you're in my way." A tall shadow loomed over the three children, all of them turning. Leo and Destiny yelped, running behind Yusei while Luna took a step to the side, a confused look on her face.
The tall, young man in front of them was pale and boyish, though he was beginning to look handsome with his chocolate-brown eyes and pale and thin lips. His long, magenta-red hair was styled and brushed to his neck, two long pieces of it framing his face with a silver ornament pinned at the top of his head. He was dressed head to toe in red, black, and white, a duster jacket, dress shirt, torn jeans, and boots in that color coordination Around his neck was was a golden pendant with a emerald logged in it.
His eyes met Yusei's, something sparking between them, before the young man gave a dry 'hmph!' and walked away.
"What's his problem?" Leo asked, glaring as the man walked away.
"What was his name again . . ." Destiny placed her fingers to her lips, before snapping them. "Oh yeah! Akiyuki Izayoi! He won the last two rounds. Man, he was brutal!" She looked at Luna, the other girl's bottom lip quivering. "What's wrong, Luna?"
"His deck. . . It was so sad, and in pain!" She cried, shaking her head. As Leo tried to comfort his sister, Yusei watched Akiyuki's retreating form, dark blue eyes curious and cautious.
"Yusei!" Leo grabbed onto the raven-haired's hand, tugging it with worry on his face. "You're Duel with Shira is gonna start soon! You gotta get to the participants garages and get your D-Wheel ready! C'mon!"
"You are going to be late. Yusei?" Luna gave a questioning look at the way Yusei stood still, her eyes still locked on the hallway Akiyuki had taken. The latter then shook her head and looked back to the children.
"Yeah, lets get going." She said, not minding as Leo tugged her all the way there with Luna and Destiny trailing after them.
(Participants Garages, Fortune Cup Stadium, Western New Domino City, 11:30AM)
Yusei gave her Runner one last tug at its handle, satisfied when the red machine gave a growl of horse-power. The garage was built with everything she needed to give her Runner a last few touches. Anything from an oil change to a loose bolt could be fixed there. On the other side of D-Wheel, Tanner gave a whistle impressed.
"Damn, you must've nearly broke your neck to get it like this." He said, checking the keypad of the mainframe and nodding as everything seem to be in check. Yusei moved over and typed a few buttons as well, uploading the free web-page of the Fortune Cup and searching over to Shira's picture on the contestant list.
"What do you know about this Shira?" She asked, eyes quizzedly looking over the dark profile.
"A couple of fellas I know had some run-ins with the guy a few years ago, in the Underground Duels, "Tanner gave a scowl at the picture. "According to them, he wasn't exactly a fan of playing nice. Back then, he used to call himself the 'Shinigami Reborn'.Apparently he never takes off those creepy robes of his." He gave a brief shudder.
Yusei flipped off the site and she reached into her pocket, pulling out Stardust Dragon and staring at the gorgeous dragon.
"So are you planning on using Stardust Dragon?" Asked her companion, looking over her shoulder at the site of the dazzling card. Yusei turned and shook her head, mouth set in a determined line.
"I'm saving Stardust for my Duel against Jack when I face him. He's gonna wish he never gave it back to me." She muttered, a flare of confidence rushing through her system. Tanner gave a rough sigh, looking at the younger girl with little concern on his face.
"Listen Yuse, I'm not saying not to go all out, but just be careful. Even if you're the toughest chick I know, you're still human." He reached forward and gave Yusei's shoulder a squeeze. "Get me? For everyone's sake, don't loose it."
Yusei placed her hand on his, smiling a little before taking his large hand in both of her own and nodding.
"I know. And thanks, Tanner. I mean it. Thanks for everything." She said, the warm words causing the big brute to look away and go red.
"Keep saying stuff like that, and I ain't teaching you any more pro-secrets. Get it?!" He said somewhat roughly, causing Yusei to laugh a little.
"Got it."
(Box Seats 3D, Fortune Track, Fortune Cup Stadium, Western New Domino City, 11: 50 AM)
Yusei's friends sat in they're awaiting seats, the tournament about to begin in the next ten minutes. Leo fidgeted in his seat and looked around a little.
"Let's go get some cotton candy or something." He said.
"The Duel is about to start." Piped in Destiny, Luna only giggling behind her hand as her brother and best friend argued like an old couple.
"I can't wait to see Yusei duel!" Beamed Yanagi, Alex nodding in agreement as he bounced in his own seat. Tanner looked around the track one more time (He had arrived a few minutes ago) before he leaned back in his seat.
'I wonder what Goodwin wants with Yusei. First he lets her out of the Facility, then he invites her to this tournament. Some kind of shit is going on here . . .'
(Fortune Track, Fortune Cup Stadium, Western New Domino City, 12:00 PM)
"Alright everybody, are you ready?" Announcing this, the MC threw his hand into the air as colorful splashes of fireworks lit up the pale-blue skies behind him. "It's time for the Fortune Cup's first Turbo Duel! She's the princess of Scrapheat, who gets down with the dogs and chooses tanks and jeans over dresses and skirts! She's the little Satellite who could. . ."
A burst of smoke a lit the entrance Yusei came out of as she raced onto the field on her prize Runner, obsidian-streaked-with-amber-hair poking out of her red and white helmet as she rode a lap on her D-Wheel.
"I give you, YUSEI FUDO!"
Insults were fired into the air, Yusei ignoring them by the roar of her engine.
"Go back to the Satellite, bitch!"
"You're way out of your league, slut!"
Jack himself could hear the words. A small part of him was annoyed. Half that Yusei was getting attention, and the other half was that Yusei was getting this type of attention.
He shook his head, declaring that the people here today were ignorant.
'Let's see if you can make it past your first Duel.'
"Dueling her is Shira, 'The Shinigami Reborn'!" Just like Yusei's entrance, Shria came charging forth from his entrance as smoke danced around his D-Wheel, people cheering him on as he raced to the starting point.
"Don't let us down, Shira!"
"Show that cunt she ain't welcomed!"
Trying to shake off the bad tension that was flying everywhere, the MC pointed to the two Duelists, cameras angeling at them as the Duel was about to start.
"With both Duelists at the starting line, there's just one thing left to do . . ."
A slow breath swept across the area
" . . . Activate Speed World!"Yelled the balc-haired man, Shira and Yusei pulling out their speed-spell cards. They placed them in their card slots, their decks shuffeling as the purple light flashed around the arean, also activating Yusei's vizor.
*DUEL MODE ENGAGED; AUTOPIOLT STANDING BY.*
The MC lowered his voice to bring in the thrill, the chilling silence of awe making everyone shake in their seats.
"This is the point-of-no-return! Both Duelists activated their Speed World field-spell! Now the only spells they can use are speed-spells!" He cried, the duelists powering-up their D-Wheels with gas-power.
"Speed World activated. Ready . . ."
The quiet rumbles and the light murmers of the crowd were all that could be heard.
"Set…"
A rising red-light stood before the two. Slowly turning, it went from red, to light red, to light blue, to light green.
"Duel!"
Just as the two Duelists flew across the black and harden road, Shira tossed away his black robes. Everyone gasping at the sudden movement and the person on the dark Runner.
"Surprise, surprise! Didn't expect to see me out her, did ya?" Yelled with a Texan-accent, a man with flaming-orange hair and black glasses was the one riding the D-Wheel, crying in crazed and burning energy as he raced neck-and-neck with Yusei.
"This is the mother of all surprises! That's not Shira, that's the former champion! The Mad Biker, the Phantom of Fire, it's-" The MC almost chocked on his own surprised words. "It's Hunter Pace!"
Said man laughed and looked over at Yusei, his opponent looking not the least surprised. He laughed, glad to see she wasn't fretting or panicking over this like all other female Duelists would. This girl was different.
"Are you gonna accept my challenge or are you gonna back down in front of all these people and go home runnin' to your mama?" He only laughed harder as Yusei still didn't look bothered. He liked this girl. "So you wanna Duel Hunter Pace, girlie? Trust me, you don't wanna duel Shira, and he's a real bore!"
Yusei looked at him with a raise brow, her black bangs almost obscuring her blue eyes. But slowly, a smile cracked over her straight line of a mouth.
"Let's do this!"
"Alright!" Hunter threw his head back, laughing up a storm.
"Uh. . . I'm not sure if this is, uh. . ." The MC bit his lip, looking around to see if any of the officials were going to call this a default or something. The screen next to him suddenly turned on, a shot of Goodwin giving him a stern look making him jump.
"If you're waiting for my approval, well then. . ." He trailed off with a mysterious smile, the nod of the head, and the screen turning off. The MC nodded and shouted out with thunder.
"Director Goodwin has green-lit Hunter's challenge! It's A-go! The Duel is on!"
With that challenge accepted, Yusei and Hunter broke the force of their casual speed and started.
"Lets Duel!"
Yusei: 4000 (SPC:0)
Hunter: 4000 (SPC:0)
"First move's mine!" Calling this, Hunter drew a card. "I draw! And from my hand, I summon Burning Skull Head (LV:3/ATK:1000/DEF800) in attack mode! Then I end my turn by placing three cards face-down!" A skull on fire was summoned to the field, three cards disappearing as they were placed on face-down.
"I'm up then," Said Yusei as she drew her turn, looking over her cards. "And I summon Speed Warrior (LV:2/ATK:900/400) in attack mode!" She yelled, her monster of speed skating his way next to her from his entrance.
Noting in the commentary, the MC took his spot.
"Looks like Yusei's not gonna waste any time getting on the offensives! Speed Warrior's attack points double during its Battle Phase!"
Speed Warrior (ATK: 1800)
"Speed Warrior, attack him with Hyper Sonic Slash!" Ordered Yusei, her monster ready to strut with it's powerful kick.
"Sorry, but my Zero Guard trap card's putting the brakes on your Speed Warrior!" Hunter's skull was suddenly inflamed in a mythical fire, Speed's kick rebounded and aimed right at Hunter. The kick caught him in the face, but the former champion only laughed crazily.
Burning Skull Head: (ATK: 0)
"See, by taking away all of my Burning Skull Head's attack points, I can make it advantage to attack. So you can't destroy it in battle!"
Yusei: 4000 (SPC:2)
Hunter: 2200 (SPC:2)
"Whoa! Talk about a turn of events! He saved his monster, but Hunter got slammed with 1800 points of damage!" Yelled the MC, the stands throwing comments everywhere.
"Why would he willingly take such a big hit?" asked Yanagi.
"Hunter must have some sort of reason for having that skull around." Muttered Alex, resting his chin on his propped hands.
"After taking that much damage at once, his speed-counter should drop, right? So how come they haven't gone down?" asked Leo, looking at both Destiny and his sister, the both of them unsure.
"I give you the Doom Accelerator trap!" Hunter threw one hand in the air, one of his face-downs revealing itself. "Thanks to this puppy, I'll be gaining one speed counter for every five-hundred points of damage I take in battle," The screen next to him went a lit with speed-counters.
Yusei: 4000 (SPC:2)
Hunter: 2200 (SPC:5)
"Aw yeah! That's your first taste of a new Speed Acceleration Deck, custom made by yours truly " Cheered Hunter, looking at his best. Yusei gave a slight smile, but also shrugged off the proclaim.
"Not a bad play, Hunter, but it'll take more than that to shake me down. For now, I'll place two cards face-down and end my turn," She said, ending her turn with that.
"My turn then," Smirked hunter, a lap completed by the two."I draw! I'm cranking this Duel up a notch, with the Summon Speeder spell!" Hunter played a spell card onto his console, "Since I have at least four speed counters, I can use Summon Speeder to bust out a new monster!" He threw his hand out as a blue portal was made. "So say hello to Skull Vase (LV:3/ATK:800/DEF:600)!" Out of the portal came a gold and light blue chalice dipped with a skeleton in the crystal-blue water. "Next, by kicking Burning Skull Head and Skull Vase to the curb, I can Advance-Summon," The two monster merged as something bigger was brought to Hunter's motorbike," Skull Flame (LV:8/ATK:2600/DEF2000)!" Garbed in purple robes and a dark red cape, the skeleton of a mage appeared, wild flames of hair veiling it as it flew with glowing eyes of death. The Texan man threw a smug look Yusei's way, trying to make her squeal in fright.
"Sorry, kid! I came here to Duel Jack Atlas again and regain my title! And well, Yusei, you're blocking my way!" He grinned and threw his hand her way. "See, you gotta fall! Skull Flame, burn up her Life-Points!" Forming a ball of white-hall frames in its bony hands, Skull Flame threw the ball of fire at Yusei, the fires spreading and taking over Yusei. The female racer only gave a light short, shutting one eye and panting as the flames took away the oxygen around her.
Yusei: 2300 (SPC:1)
Hunter: 2200 (SPC:5)
"Yusei may have kick-started this duel with a powerful attack, but the former turbo champion had just unleashed a blistering combo, and almost evened up the score! He's planning to burn her away from this Duel, folks! Yusei might be toast by the end of this Duel!" Yelled the MC.
"Man, Hunter's on fire!"
"Burn that witch, Hunter!"
"And I'm just getting warmed up! Prepare to taste the real heat as I activate the Speed Booster trap card!" Hunter flew ahead as another one of his face-down was bought up. "Welcome to the real world of Turbo Dueling, pretty gal! If you can't keep up, then you're gonna get left behind I came here to burn rubber and take names, Yusei! And no one's gonna stop me from winning the chance to reclaim my title! Not even some little girl like you! See, when I was the number one ranked turbo duelist in the world, I learned to defend my title by repeatedly deflecting attacks from all directions, just like my monsters! But I also learned that to stay at the top, you gotta dish out damage hard and fast! So get ready to feel the heat, girlie!"
"Talks a lot, doesn't he?"Asked Yanagi.
"So does this guy." Tanner pointed at Alex, who threw him the finger. The blue-haired, former pro-Duelist ignored him, looking back as it seemed that Yusei was trailing yards away from Hunter. "Unfortunately, he's learned to put his money where his mouth is in this case, 'cause he earned a big advantage."
Leo jumped out of his seat, pointing at one of the giant screen on the field.
"Did Yusei just smile?" He asked, the screen now showing a close-up on Yusei, the ghost of a smile on her lips.
"I didn't see that! Did you see her smile? Why would Yusei smile?" Asked Yanagi, everyone trying to look at what that look meant. Tanner only gave a smirk.
"Why are you smiling?!"
"And to turn up the heat, baby-face, I initiate Speed Booster's special attack, dealing a hundred points of damage due to the difference in speed-counters!" As his attack was called, missiles were launched Yusei's way, striking her causing her to cough from the explosion smoke.
Yusei: 1900 (SPC:1)
Hunter: 2200 (SPC:5)
The MC wiped his brow, taking in what was going on.
"Ladies and Gentlemen, this is a whole new Hunter Pace we're seeing! He's totally reinvented himself!" He yelled.
Hunter seemed to agree with him.
"I'm on the fast track to glory! No one can stop me! Don't blink or you'll miss me!" As he threw down a face-down, calling out the shots. "I'm bringing a whole new intensity into Dueling! I'm gonna leave the entire world in my dust! I'm gonna" A wind whipped him in the face, the next sight in front of him almost making his sunglasses falling off the bridge of his nose."
HUH!?"
"You're gonna what?" Asked Yusei, giving a slight look as she raced right next to him.
"How are you keeping up with me-Slip stream!?" Hunter threw his head back and almost whined. "Aw man, you gotta be kidding me!" Behind Yusei's D-Wheel was a trail of oil, the ability giving her the chance to catch up.
"Is that why she's smiling?" asked Yanagi.
"Sure is. And with that card in play, Yusei might be smiling all the way to the finish line!" whooped Alex, jumping from his seat and throwing both his hands in the air.
"You see, Yanagi, since Hunter played a speed-spell last round, and Yusei had fewer speed counters than her, Yusei's speed-counters catch up to where Hunter's are." Explained Tanner. Leo jumped on his seat as well, grinning ear to ear.
"Yusei rules!"
"Let's just hope she can make use of that position." Prayed Destiny.
Hunter, for the very first time since this Duel started, glared at the girl keeping up with him.
"You think you're slicker that slick, don't ya, lil' doll? So I heard say you were good, Yusei. I heard you were different from other girl Duelist and all that bull-shit that people were spewing. But I'm afraid you're just not good enough to keep up with me. I activate the trap, Acceleration Zone!" The words were said in a instant as speed demon broke the limit.
"YEEEEEEE-HAAAAWWWW!"
Yusei: 1900 (SPC:6)
Hunter: 2200 (SPC:12)
"Incredible! Hunter Pace's speed-counters have rocketed all the way to twelve! He doesn't get any faster that twelve speed counters!" Yelled the MC, eyes almost popping out of his own skull.
"You may think you outsmarted me by slipping in your Slip Stream last round, but my deck is so fast that no matter what card you make or move you make, you'll always be a step behind! And that's something you Satellites have to come to expect, isn't it?" Taunted the champion, expecting a shrill scream of anger. Yusei only kept a calm look, eyes sharp and only looking interested.
"Well, I wonder if you expected me to play this: the Summon Speeder spell!" She yelled, throwing her hand outward.
"Whoa, Yusei met Hunter Pace's challenge with a direct counter!" Yelled the MC, eyes going back and forth, and unsure of which Duelists to focus on. The Speed Demon King or the Scrapheap Princess.
"Now with the power of Summon Speeder, I summon Quilbolt Hedgehog (LV:2/ATK:800/800) in defense mode, and Junk Synchron (LV:3/ATK:1300/DEF:500) in attack mode!" Two portals swirled and out came the mechanical messenger boy and the hedgehog with screes on its back. "And thanks to Junk Synchron's special ability, I can summon another monster from my graveyard. So I'm bringing back Speed Warrior!" Speed flipped in and charged next to the hedgehog and robot.
"And now, I tune my Junk Synchron with my Quilbolt Hedgehog-" The Two monsters jumped into the air and swirled with one another. "-to Synchro-Summon-" Her voice rose and amplified as the green lights glowed and sparkled, a new monster bought forth by Yusie's voice. "From the junk pile to the skies, let him be known as the king of the defeated! Let the wishes of the fallen be saved by him! Lets give it up for Junk Warrior (LV:5/ATK: 2300/DEF:1300)!"
Ready to defend and attack for his owner, Junk Warrior gave a battle cry as he fliped onto the race tarck, posing with a lethal fist.
"Alright!" Cried Leo, high-fiving Destiny.
"I guess you can say she's keeping pace with Hunter." Smiled Yanagi, the others agreeing.
"But before I attack, since Speed Warrior isa level two, Junk Warrior can absorb his attack points. Go, Power of Fellows!" Jumping over to his fellow monster, Junk and Speed performed a complicated high-five that caused Junk to glow and power up. With his new boost of power, the Warrior of Junk launched himself forward and attacked the skull, a barrier deflecting him and causing Hunter to give a throaty laugh.
Junk Warrior (ATK:3200)
"Heh, forget about my Speed Booster already?" He laughed and asked, watching the warrior fly back.
"Oh dear." Frowned Yanagi.
"Remember, with that Speed Booster trap card, Hunter can block one attack per round as long as he has the lead in speed-counters."
"C'mon, you can do this, sis." Gritted Alex, fisting his hands in his lap.
'I gotta find a way to push through this. . .' Thought Yusei, placing one face-down.
"Yeah, that's what I thought. I draw!" Laughed Hunter, beginning another speech. "See, after Jack took my title and I failed to snatch it back, I went into hiding to under-go some serious re-training. And I realized that if I was gonna rule the turbo duels again, I have to put speed first. You're good as done in a turbo duel if you can't fearlessly harness the power of true speed! It's not what you do, it's how fast you do it, which I will now demonstrate by activating the Acceleration Draw speed-spell! This lets me draw two cards from my deck," Hunter drew, smirking more wildly than before. "Aw yeah! It's in my hand! The End of Storm spell card!"
From his seat, Jack stood up with wide eyes.
"What!?" He barked.
On the field, Yusei let out a gasp.
"He has the spell card, End of Storm!?"
"You should've stayed indoors today, Yusei! The local forecast calls for some hardcore schooling, and a whole lotta' let-down!" Hunter was crackling with might. "With a slight chance of annihilation! But it's too late for ya' now! I activate End of Storm!" A thunderous storm roared with his words, black clouds appearing and lightning bolts bursting everywhere. "From what I understand, you and Jack had some history! So, I'm sure you know what this means! The storm destroys every monster on the field and then, we take three-hundred points of damage for every monster we had!" Lightening bolts struck and took every monster it caught Yusei screaming and Hunter yelling as the damage felt like a powerful blow to the head.
Yusei: 1300 (SPC:7)
Hunter: 1900 (SPC:12)
"Now Hunter Pace has managed to nail Yusei for six-hundred points of damage! But in doing so, he had to obliterate his own monster! He can't attack now! What's he gonna do?" Yelled the MC, shocked as everyone else.
"Ha! Now that the storm's blown over, I get to remove one Skull Flame from my Graveyard from play. By doing so, I can summon the incredible, Supersonic Skull Flame(LV:10/ATK:2600/DEF:2000) to the field in attack mode!" Similar to the mage, the skeleton of a powerful Centaur galloped onto the field with his robe sewed with gold silk and his flames of hair more wilder than before.
The MC was grinning largely, jumping in place.
"Not only did Hunter destroyed every monster on the field and deal damage to Yusei, but he's managed to summon an incredibly powerful new monster! What a stupendous string of moves! This could be the end of the duel right here! Hunter may be moving on to the tournament! And Jack Atlas may be getting a little scared right about now!"
From his seat, Jack made a mental note to make sure that the next tournament he would be in would get a different MC.
Yusei: 1300 (SPC:7)
Hunter: 1900 (SPC:12)
"This Duel is over, Yusei, 'cause my Supersonic Skull Flame's gonna attack you directly!" skeleton of flames made a a run to headbutt one of the two females of the Fortune Eight.
"Well, my Scrap-iron Scarecrow should extinguish his attack!" Yelled the Satellite, throwing up her face-down and bring up her scarecrow, the attack deflected and herself protected.
"Yusei has shielded herself from Hunter's Skull Flame!" Cried the black and red announcer.
"Let's see what you do when I activate Speed Booster!" The bombs reigned upon Yusei, almost making her loose her balance a little.
Yusei: 800 (SPC:7)
Hunter: 1900 (SPC:12)
"And now I activate Supersonic's special ability. So for every Burning Skull Head in my Graveyard, you take four-hundred points of damage!" Supersonic Skull Flame glowed with dark purple and light blue flames, images of flamed skulls appearing and said skulls fired at Yusei. The Junk Duelist gave a cry as she was fired at, her Life Points dropping.
Yusei: 400 (SPC:7)
Hunter: 1900 (SPC:12)
"Yusei is barely holding on with a measly four-hundred life points! Can this Satellite-wipe-out survive?" Asked the MC, the whole crowd finding themselves in in a state of silence.
Goodwin kept his cloudy eyes locked on Yusei form from the a large screen, fingers twitching as her body wracked with coughs from the attack. Her moves were becoming a little swayed, her eyes nearly squinting.
'Yusei. . . Show me that Mark of the Dragon. You are not some Satellite-reject or a average young lady. Show your true potential!'
"If we confirm that Yusei is a Signer, shall I have her brought to you, Director?" asked Lazar, looking at the Satellite girl with disinterest.
Jack payed little attention to the conversation, his amethyst-colored eyes glaring harshly at the red-and-white D-Wheel racer.
'Quit acting like a damn weakling. A child wouldn't fall for this pitiful act your displaying.'
"It's my turn," Silencing her coughs, the amber-streaked girl drew her next card. "And first, I'm gonna slow this Duel down a little bit, with Shift Down!"
Yusei (SPC:1)
Everyone let out a odd look, the MC calling what just went down.
Yusei has intentionally decreased her speed-counters! What could she be thinking!?"
"Maybe she isn't thinking!" Yanagi looked at the score board worriedly.
"She must be begging on her deck right now." Betting this, Tanner's dark eyes shined with something. Something he knew.
"Begging on her deck?" Asked Alex, looking over. Tanner nodded, holding one finger up.
"That's right. See, Shift Down may forcibly lower your speed counters by six, but the upside is that it lets you draw two card from the top of your deck." explained Tanner, Leo tapping his palm with his fist.
"I get it! She's hoping to bust out a game-changer!"
Tanner nodded, grinning proudly at Yusei's driving form.
"Exactly. Our friend Yusei never stops believing in her cards," His smile widen a bit. "She really does got the balls to do it."
"Dude, that just sounded much more wrong than the first time you said it." Blenched Alex.
Yusei: 400 (SPC:2)
Hunter: 1900 (SPC:12)
"Now that my speed is decreased, I get to draw two more cards." The female competitor bought two cards to her hand. "And next I summon Nitro Synchron (LV:2/ATK:300/DEF:100)!" The adorable tuner monster pranced onto the field, spinning and giggling. "Now that I got a tuner monster on my field, I can bring back Quilbolt Hedgehog back from my Graveyard!" The equally cute hedgehog scurried next to the gas-tank monster. "With that done, I'm activating the Give and Take trap card! So now I'm gonna give your defense a little boost, and take advantage of the power that beast possesses." Yusei flipped her face-down, blue lights flashing everywhere.
Junk Warrior (DEF: 500)
"The Hell you just do!?" Shouted Hunter, the junk fighter floating next to him.
"Now Quilbolt's level increases for each level Junk Synchron has!" shouted Yusei, Quilbolt becoming wrapped in a golden light.
Quilbolt Hedgehog (Level 5)
"You may have been at the top of the rank back in the day, Hunter, but that's only bacause you've never faced beasts with abilities like these." Declared Yusei, smiling the slightest.
Destiny placed her finger on her chin.
"So with Quilbolt Hedgehog bumped up to to level five, and Nitro Synchron already at level five, then she-"
"Can Synchro-Summon a level seven monster!" Finished Leo, calling out with glee.
"Now you get it." Sigh Luna with a smile.
"Now I tune my Nitro Synchron with my Quilbolt Hedgehog to Synchro-Summon . . ." Yusei started on another chant, bringing out a familial monster.
"A beast that can never be stopped! The light of a warrior's brave heart and with clear thoughts in mind! Synchro Summon! Give a warm welcome to Nitro Warrior!" She cried, toned and power-ready Nitro flexing next to her.
Nitro Warrior (LV:7/ATK:2800/DEF:1800)
"Pretty cool monster," The had-been champion didn't look as impressed as his words were. "But I can deflect you attack with Speed Booster! So there's no point in summoning that thing!"
"I wonder if Hunter know Synchro-Summoning with Nitro Synchron has enabled Yusei to draw another card from the top of her deck?" Asked Tanner, scratching the back of his head.
"Is that why Yusei summoned it?" Asked Yanagi.
"You got it, grandpa. She's trying to get to a certain card." Mused Alex.
"Check it out, Yusei! I'm so much faster, I'm about to out-lap you! Getting scared yet, chicky? Want ol' Hunter to stop?" Laughed Hunter, trying to get something. This whole Duel would be much more interesting if Yusei at least cracked a wimper or shed a tear.
The blue-eyed Duelist ignored him, however, her eyes closed as she thought of her next move with her crimson D-Wheel on auto-pilot. She had a powerful monster. She was also low on Life Points. She needed some way to pull this through.
'Just what I needed!' The sudden thought struck her like a frying pan to the face, so plain and obvious.
"I activate the speed-spell, Gap Storm!" The churning winds blew and howled, almost making Yusei and Hunter's jackets fly off them.
"What is this?" Asked Hunter, the cold winds biting and stinging his cheeks, even past his helmet.
"I can only activate Gap Storm when the difference in our speed counters is 10 or more," Explained Yusei, the hair framing her face flying everywhere. "That's why I slowed down. Now I can destroy every trap and spell card on the field!" Hunter balked.
"Oh, no! Then that means-!"
"Say goodbye to your Speed Booster!" In a turning burst of weightless air, every card marked green or purple was wiped out, digital bits flying.
"Now, talk about a big-time work actually paying off!" Cheered Leo. Destiny nodded just as happily.
"How ironic! She can actually win a game of speed by slowing down!" She almost laughed, surprised.
"No way! This ain't over! I ain't losing to a chick!" Yelled Hunter as the winds went away.
"You might, once Nitro's special ability kicks in!" Yusei promised, pointing one finger up. "And because I activated a spell card on my own turn, my Nitro Warrior gets hooked up with a thousand attack points!" The green-skinned warrior flexed his muscles, powering up.
Nitro Warrior (ATK: 3800)
"Nitro, attack with Dynamite Crunch!" Ordered Yusei, Nitro growling and ramming into the skeleton centaur, destrying it to bits and taking away a load of Hunter's points.
Yusei: 400 (SPC:2)
Hunter: 700 (SPC:11)
"I'm still ahead!" Yelled Hunter, not ready to give up on all he worked for up to this point.
"Not for long. You see, Hunter, even though you had the lead for most of the Duel, your Life Points are about to run out of gas, forgive the pun. And it's all because of my Nitro Warrior's special ability."
"Wait! Now Junk Synchron gets switched to attack mode? But that means it can't protect me!" Yelled Hunter in dismay, his lent monster switching to attack mode.
Junk Warrior (ATK:1300)
"Nitro, attack!" Yelled Yusei, her monster ready for a heavy attack of Dynamite Crunch.
"Yusei's about to pull off a come-from-behind victory!" Yelled the MC, looking like his jaw was about to burst. Hunter was beginning to fail, almost loosing his balance.
"Can't we just call this off and I'll take ya on a date!?"
His begging was reduce to a yell of defeat as the attack hit him, his engine dying down and Hunter himself almost flying out of his seat. Had he not been holding extra tight to his handle bars. His head hung with defeat as his Life Points were gone.
Yusei: 400 (SPC:2)
Hunter: 0 (SPC:10)
A collective gasp was made from every patron watching the Duel, the MC shocked yet excited, not able to believe what he was seeing but having the voice to shout.
"It's over! There's just no luck for the one-time champion these days! His dreams go up in smoke again!"
"Yusei did it! I just know she could do it!" Cried Leo, happy dancing with Destiny.
"Alright! Good doing, sis!" Cheered Alex, whooping with all his might.
"That was incredible!" Yelled Yanagi, looking ready to cry. Luna smiled secretly and Tanner could only laugh with pride for the ravenette.
Yusei pulled her Runner to a stop, watching as Hunter climbed off his own and sigh. The girl bit her lip, she hoped he wasn't too upset. Even though he snuck in, it looked like he really wanted to try and Duel Jack again. She knew that feeling.
"Hunter-"
"Oh, yeah!" Yusei jumped at the laughter, the redhead laughing with sinkers as he pulled off his helmet and his glasses, dark brown eyes looking happier than expected. He walked over, smiling at his opponent. "Damn, missy! You sure know how to kick ass!" He laughed. Yusei took in the compliment slowly, before smiling a little.
"That was a really great duel, Hunter." She said, only to yelp as her hand was grabbed and her body was bought up in one swoop, her helmet flown off her and her nose met with a hard chest. Something was slipped into her gloved hand.
"Don't think I'll take this loss sitting down, Yusei. One of these days, we'll Duel again." Hunter promised. He then pushed her a little away, still close, and he gave a grin and wink. "Call me some time, babe. May have lost, but that date I said earlier wasn't a lie." He swiftly kissed her cheek and ran to his Runner before she could do anything, laughing as he raced away.
"Yeeeeeeeeeeee-doggie! I think I'm in love!"
Yusei stared as he raced away, wiping her cheek a little and looking at the paper in her hand. It was phone number. Hunter's phone number.
Even after all that just happened now, Yusei could only laugh, shaking her head.
Goodwin shook his head as he watched Yusei performed her victory lap, knowing that things might've turned out this way.
"Hunter was too weak to bring out Yusei's mark. However, that little display of his did boost the network ratings of this broadcast " So, there was a dark and bright side to the situation.
"Her next opponent should try breaking her instead of bending her!" Laughed Lazar, smirking all the while and beady eyes flashing to Jack. Was there a hint of jealousy in those dark eyes?
Jack sure had a way to hide it.
"This isn't just about winning the chance to Duel me, is is?" He demanded, standing up and glaring questionably at his promoter "What's really going on here? What do you need Yusei to help you do, anyway?"
"All in due time, Jack," Promising this, Goodwin gave his smile. "All in due time. . ."
(Lounge 1A, Fortune Cup Stadium, Western New Domino City, 2:00 PM)
As Yusei walked back, her legs were tackled by a force of a light blue blur.
"You won! YOU WON, YOU ACTUALLY WON! I didn't doubt you, Yusei! Not one bit!" Yelled Leo, hugging her legs and laughing.
"Leo, don't act so silly," Said Luna, walking over. "He's over-reacting, right Dest'? . . . Dest'?"
Destiny was only jumping next to Yusei, looking excited.
"Y-U, S-E-I! Yusei won without a try! F-U, D-O! She'll take you down in a single go! Goooooo, Yusei!" She cheered, causing Luna to sweatdrop.
"You really did do awesome, sis!" Alex ran over with Tanner and Yanagi, helping Yusei up. "You're moving on to the next round, too!"
"I'm proud of you, Dolly! So very proud!" Praised Yanagi, his gold teeth shinning as he grinned.
"Jack doesn't stand a chance." Said Tanner, patting Yusei on the back. Said Duelist smiled back.
"Thanks, guys."
"Hey, what's that, sis?" Alex snatched the paper from Yusei's hand and he went red, some with shock and with a whole lot of anger, waving the paper at Yusei. "The Hell!? That creep gave you his number!? What's that chump thinking! He ain't good enough for you, sis!"
"Yeah, he needs to know his place! I wanna rip up the paper! Gimme!" Yelled Leo, just as mad. He and Alex ranted about ways to destroy the number.
"Give me that, please." Sighed Yusei, taking the paper back.
"B-But, Yuseeeeeiiiii!" Whined Leo.
"Y-You're not actually gonna call that bastard, are ya sis?" Alex paled at the thought. Yusei tucked the number back into her pocket, giving the two a deadpanned look.
"As if I have time for that stuff. Believe me, the last thing I want now is a boyfriend," Saying this, Yusei turned and made a beeline for the rest room, wanting to wash off some dirt off her face. She stopped and looked back at the group, smiling her crocked smile. "Besides, Hunter's not my type." With that, she began her search for the restroom.
It only took one minute, before Leo started chasing after her.
"Y-You have a type?! Tell me! I-I can help you keep away the guys who aren't your type!"
"Y-Yeah!" Alex was keeping up with him. "You never know! I- I mean, we can protect ya! C'mon, spill, sis!"
As the duo chased, Everyone else sighed. Luna shook her head.
"Boys."
(Lounge 6F, Fortune Cup Stadium, Western New Domino City, 2:30 PM)
From his reserved lounge, Akiyuki had re-watched the whole Duel between Yusei and Hunter, shaking his head as the last move was made. His brooding eyes watched as Yusei made a lap, his thoughts flying over his head.
"I might face her. . . She's something else."
"Akiyuki, are you here?"
Standing up, the redhead made a move to turn off the TV, but another man stepped into the room, his brown trench rippling around his ankles. His hair color matched the young man's, but it was styled differently and his eyes were a sickly-green color. Said eyes looked to the rewind Duel and they looked back to Akiyuki.
"Taking note of the enemy's down points?" He smirked and nodded. "Good boy, Akiyuki. We wouldn't want you loosing to some girl from the B.A.D district."
Akiyuki nodded his head obediently, unable to look up. Placing one hand on his shoulder, the older man led him away.
"Lets get you some rest." Said the elder, squeezing the younger's shoulder. Akiyuki nodded, head still bowed.
"Yes, Sayer." He whispered.
To Be Continued…
And that's another chapter for you guys, brought to you by none other than me! I really do hope you enjoy it and I really do hope you review. You guys are the reason why I wanted to move on with this! :D New stuff is brewing up here, and just who knows what will go on next! That's for me to know, and for you guys to find out! So please, be ready for the next chapter! Lets see if I can get it done by next week! Cheers to all of you and remember, review and spread the word about this fic! Be seeing you!
This is me saying, Peace!
