My name's Laura Vesnic, and my life is really starting to suck at this point.
Two days ago, I was snatched out of a bookstore in Augusta, Maine, and hauled off to St. Paul, Minnesota. Why? I wish I knew. My "hosts" don't want to tell me anything, either.
So here I am, sitting in a cold, dismal cage (yeah, a real cage), and the only way I can even get out to stretch my legs is to duel my guard. If I lose, not only do I get tossed in a pit full of rats, but there's no hope that I'll escape – and at this point, I get the feeling not escaping will be hazardous to my health.
It's not all bad. I know there are two guys out in the city who are coming my way to get me out of here, so it's not like the entire city's against me…
But I've never counted on other people before, and I'm not doing it now!
Chapter Nine: Breakout
Normally, two men guarded the Darkness's prisoner – Father Young and Ogre, two of the "normal" servants of Degas and Alexander. At the moment, however, only one of them was on duty.
Father Young was out of the prison at the moment, and was currently standing on a street corner, holding his Bible under one arm. Even though few people were daring to leave their homes given the current state of St. Paul, he had still attracted a fairly good crowd.
The crowd hung onto his every word.
"My children," the preacher said, "the phrase may be overused, but the Lord does work in mysterious ways. He tests us in so many different ways, some so strange and confusing that they don't seem real. So it is with this city! This Darkness Infection is but one of His many tests of His children; only those with evil and hate in their hearts will be infected, while those who walk these streets like a true child of the Lord will be spared. This is no time to cower in fear, to hide from the outside world; this is a time to prove your faith in the Lord! Walk these streets without fear, my children, for God watches over us all!"
The crowd let out a joyful cry.
"Now let us pray…" Father Young said.
As the people around him bowed their heads, however, the preacher's mind was filled with unease.
God Almighty, what am I doing? he thought. Listen to me! I'm turning the word of God into a weapon for the Darkness! These people around me… they seek salvation, and what do I give them? I give them a handful of thorns and call it wheat; I give them a cup of vinegar and call it wine.
I have to do these foul deeds, I know – it must be done. The world is too cursed and twisted to be allowed to carry on like this. Darkness must scour it before Heaven can redeem it. After the Flood, the Lord vowed never to do such a thing again… but what the Lord cannot do, the Darkness will.
But… but that doesn't excuse my actions. I may try to justify it, but I'm condemning these people to the Darkness's mercy. I can't convince myself that the ends justify the means anymore.
Aloud, Father Young said, "Amen." The crowd collapsed, the Darkness Infection claiming them in their prayers.
Lord, forgive these children, for they know not what they do, Father Young thought to himself, bowing his head. But there shall be no forgiveness for me, for I know exactly what I do…
0000000
Laura Vesnic paced back and forth within her cell, hands behind her back and eyes shut. Her captors had at least had the decency to procure a few changes of clothes for her, and so she was now wearing a white turtleneck and light blue pants. Her long red hair had gone frizzy from lack of washing, and she was not in a good mood at all.
Outside of the cell, Ogre leaned back against his chair, watching her pace through the holes in his metal mask. The massive gun (likely to break the arms of any other man who tried to fire it) was up against one wall. His eyes followed the captive girl as she wandered the cell, until finally he yelled, "Stop with the pacing! I'm getting dizzy just watching you!"
"If I had something to do in here, I wouldn't have to pace!" Laura fired back. "Cripes, there are federal prisoners that have more to do than I do!"
Ogre paused. "Well, you're right about that, I guess," he admitted. "Still, why don't you work out again or something? Your pacing is gonna wear a hole in the friggin' cell floor."
Laura gestured to her living conditions. "Not a whole lot of room to work out in here, is there?" she said. "Maybe if you let me out for a moment…"
"Boss's orders," Ogre replied. "Couldn't if I wanted to, and I don't really want to anyway."
The girl seethed. "Can you at least tell me what your organization wants with me?"
"The bosses didn't tell me that," the muscleman said. "I can kinda understand that part, but they didn't tell Father Young, either, and they actually trust him. Must be something really big if they left both of us out of it." He then paused. "Then again, maybe it was a whim. I can never be sure with Alexander…"
"Something wrong with your employer?" Laura asked, prying for any information that could be useful.
Ogre grunted. "As far as I can tell, he hasn't done a damn thing for us the entire time," he said. "I can't help but think Degas is keeping him around just to have someone to talk to. Degas does all the work, as far as I can tell…" He shrugged. "I guess Alexander has to have some purpose – he's one of the bosses, after all – but I'm stumped as far as working out what that purpose is…"
Interesting, Laura thought. Just keep talking, musclehead – everything you tell me will make life easier once I'm out of this hellhole.
0000000
Outside of the building, Chad and Gerald were driving through the city at a crawl, looking for the mysterious symbol that would designate the proper building – the one Laura was currently occupying.
They'd traveled four miles worth of buildings and had yet to find it.
"Suddenly I understand why you sleep so much," Chad said as they passed yet another row of incorrect buildings. "If I wasn't driving I'd be asleep myself."
"It does pass the time, yes," Gerald replied. He was currently going through his deck one card at a time, stopping for a moment on Heaven's Sphere. After a second, he picked it up and gave it a closer look. "Chad, mind taking a look at this?"
Slowing the car, Chad replied, "All right…"
He reached for Heaven's Sphere, and then his hand passed right through it.
Chad nearly crashed the car out of pure shock.
As usual, however, Gerald had maintained his composure. He touched the artwork on the card, simply to make sure he could, and then reread the text. "'This card ceases to exist if it leaves your control or you are unconscious'… Oh, I understand now," he said.
"Mind explaining it to me?" Chad replied, taking a few deep breaths and regaining control of the vehicle.
"Simply put, nobody else can even touch this card," Gerald explained. "If it ever leaves my control – which apparently means my grip, as well – it ceases to be until I regain control. If my suspicion is correct, that means it will remove itself from the game if someone tries to steal it with Change of Heart, Snatch Steal, or the like. If that bit about unconsciousness means what I think it does, it won't exist when I'm asleep, either."
Chad thought about it for a moment. "Well… that's convenient. Not only is it powerful, but you're the only one who can use it."
Gerald nodded, and then saw something out his window. He rolled the window down, jabbed his hand out…
….and caught a small scrap of paper. He drew it in and, seeing that it was folded, opened it.
"Find something?" Chad asked.
"There's an address… and that's the same symbol that we're looking for. I think someone just gave us a heads-up." Gerald held up the paper. "Go there. And don't bother with the speed limits." He prudently closed his window.
The resulting acceleration broke at least three state laws.
Unseen by Gerald or Chad, a young man stepped out of a back alley, watching their car zoom by. He adjusted a chain around his neck.
"That's the first part of my atonement," Sol Kilkarn whispered to himself. "Now to find the next part…"
0000000
As the two men drove through the streets, Laura's patience, long since stretched to the breaking point, finally snapped. She studied her cage door, working out a few figures in her head.
If I kick it right there, she thought, I can open it. Of course, I still have to get past the meatbag over there…
"Hey!" she said aloud.
Ogre, who was busy loading his gun, looked in her direction. "What?"
Laura smirked and said, "I was wondering if I could make a little wager. You duel, right?"
"Of course," he said.
"Let's have a duel – you against me. If I win, you let me out of this cage for a few minutes, and I get some time to stretch out."
The muscleman gave it some thought, and then said, "On one condition. If you lose, I throw you into the rat pit."
Suddenly, Laura wasn't so sure of herself. "Rat pit?"
"We set it up when we established this place," Ogre replied. "In case you tried to break out and failed, we'd throw you into a massive pit filled with the biggest, filthiest rats we could find. Lose this duel, and I toss you into it. Refuse that condition, and we won't duel."
Swallowing hard, the girl said, "All right…"
Ogre went to a cabinet on one side, opened it, and took out Laura's deck. He took a Duel Disk from the other side, loaded the deck into it, and slid it through the cage bars. The girl picked it up and strapped it on.
Taking another Duel Disk out of the cabinet, he strapped it on his own arm and turned it on. "I hope you like rodents," he said.
"I don't, but since I'm not going in the pit, it doesn't matter," Laura answered as her own Duel Disk activated.
"We'll see!"
Both Life Point counters rose to 8,000.
"I'll start us out," said Ogre. "I summon one monster in Defense Mode and set a card facedown. That's my turn."
Laura drew her opening hand and smiled at what she had gotten. "I'll start with Sasuke Samurai in Attack Mode!" she declared.
A miniature samurai with an oversized head and large eyes rose into view, drawing a katana off of his hip. (500/800)
Ogre's eyes narrowed behind the holes in his mask. He knew what the monster could do.
"When this monster attacks a facedown monster, the monster thus attacked dies instantly," Laura noted. "Sasuke Samurai, attack with High-Velocity Wakazashi!"
The little samurai set one hand on his sword, and then blurred for a moment. A large pig-man with a boulder tied to a stick appeared for the briefest of moments, and then shattered into pieces. (2,000/500)
Laura's jaw dropped. "You actually played a Boar Soldier?"
"I have my reasons," Ogre grunted.
Shaking her head, the girl concluded, "I set two cards facedown and end my turn."
Ogre drew his next card, studied the field for a moment, and then said, "I summon Flash Assailant in Attack Mode!"
A one-eyed bandit with a knife dropped from the ceiling, flipping his weapon over in his hand. (2,000/2,000) Suddenly, he turned and glared at Ogre before sinking to his knees, breathing heavily. (2,000/2,000 – 400/400)
Once again, Laura shook her head. "Remember Flash Assailant's effect?" she said. "For each card in your hand, it loses 400 Attack and Defense Points. You have four cards in your hand, so your monster's helpless."
In response to this, Ogre merely chuckled. "Easily solved," he said. "I just have to set two cards facedown, and your little swordsman is in deep trouble…"
Two face-down cards shimmered into view, and the Flash Assailant grinned wickedly, lifting himself off the floor. (400/400 – 1,200/1,200)
"Flash Assailant, attack the Sasuke Samurai!" Ogre yelled. "Flash Blade!"
The Assailant leapt to one wall, stuck to it for a second, and then sprang at the Sasuke Samurai.
"I activate my trap," Laura countered, "Ready for Intercepting! This switches him to facedown Defense Mode!"
The Sasuke Samurai switched into Defense Mode,and was facedown forjust seconds beforethe Flash Assailant stabbed it in the throat.
"Bah," Ogre muttered. "I end my turn, then."
Laura drew and thought, I could steamroll his Flash Assailant, but that would be just begging for him to trip a facedown card. It's more likely he just wanted to shrink his hand and power the Assailant, but why risk it? "I summon Obnoxious Celtic Guardian in Attack Mode!" she announced.
The elven swordsman stepped out, checking his blade's edge under the dim light of the prison. (1,400/1,200)
"I'll set this facedown," she said, doing so, "and that'll be it for my turn."
Ogre drew, grunting as the Flash Assailant weakened by 400 points. (800/800) "I summon Susa Soldier in Attack Mode," he said.
A white-haired young man with a glowing sword materialized, bouncing it on his palm. (2,000/1,600)
"Now…" Ogre continued. "Since I know I can't kill that elf with either of my monsters, I'll use a Magic Card we call Brain Control. For 800 of my Life Points, I can brainwash your Obnoxious Celtic Guardian – and so I'll do so!"
Ogre's Life Points fell to 7,200, and a mysterious brain hovered over the field. It blasted the Obnoxious Celtic Guardian with electricity, and his eyes fogged over before he staggered to Ogre's field.
"And before we forget, my Flash Assailant gains a few more Attack Points from that move, too," he noted. Indeed, the fiendish bandit was licking his knife in anticipation. (1,600/1,600)
Finally, the muscleman yelled, "Get her!"
"Negate Attack!" Laura yelled back, frantically hitting a button on her Duel Disk.
An invisible shield flashed between the two duelists, and Ogre's monsters couldn't get past it.
Grunting once again, Ogre muttered, "All right, I end my turn, which sends the Susa Soldier back to my hand – it's a Spirit." As he said it, the soldier vanished in a jolt of lightning, weakening the Flash Assailant, and the Obnoxious Celtic Guardian returned to Laura's field, shaking his head. (FA: 1,200/1,200)
"Welcome back among the sane, OCG," Laura said, casting a snide glance in Ogre's direction as she drew. "Now I summon Marauding Captain, in Attack Mode!"
An old, scarred soldier marched onto Laura's field, crossing his swords in front of him and concentrating. (1,200/400)
Suddenly, to Ogre's surprise, the captain whistled. Next to him appeared a very strange man – he wore silvery armor and green fabric, and his whole head was hidden but for his eyes and blue topknot. He carried twin kunai. (1,800/1,000)
"When I summon the Marauding Captain," Laura explained, "he can summon out any othermonster of Level 4 or less I have in my hand. Ninja Grandmaster Sasuke fit that bill perfectly." She paused for a moment, biting into her lip, and then ordered, "Sasuke, attack the Flash Assailant with Shadow Clone Jutsu!"
The ninja weaved his fingers together and shut his eyes. Suddenly, there was ten of him on the field at once. The ten ninjas leapt into the air and came down on the Flash Assailant at once, slicing him to pieces. Once the job was done, all but the original Sasuke disappeared, and the original leapt back to Laura's field.
Ogre hissed as his Life Points sank to 6,600.
"Attack directly, Marauding Captain!" Laura then ordered.
In response, Ogre tripped one of his facedown cards. "Did you really think these were just bluffs? Activate Draining Shield, negating the attack and healing me for an amount of Life Points equal to that monster's Attack Points!"
A bizarre shell of light with a metal circle on the front surrounded the muscled duelist. The Marauding Captain's swords clashed on the circle, which then sucked in his blades and hands. As the warrior struggled, the machine sucked power out of him, washing Ogre in a brilliant light and raising his Life Points to 7,800.
Eventually, the shell released the Marauding Captain, who limped to Laura's side of the field, wincing somewhat.
I could nail him with my Obnoxious Celtic Guardian, Laura thought, but he's still got two facedown cards. Odds are good I wouldn't get away with just healing him… The girl just glared at Ogre as she huffed, "I end my turn."
Behind his metal mask, Ogre snickered as he drew his next card – a sound that was just plain wrong coming from a man of his size and physique. "I've almost got what I need to smash you into the ground," he said, "but first I need to play this Magic Card, Pot of Greed."
The evil-looking pot floated in front of Ogre as he drew two cards.
It was impossible for Laura to gauge whether her opponent was satisfied with his draws, given how his facial expression was concealed, but he didn't seem disappointed.
"Now I set a card facedown…" Ogre did so. "…and invoke the special ability of my Fusilier Dragon, the Dual-Mode Beast. By cutting its Attack and Defense points in half, I can summon it without a tribute, and so I will!"
A creation that appeared to be, for all intents and purposes, a giant tank in the form of a dragon rolled onto Ogre's field. It had two massive guns where a normal creature would have eyes, and two more stuck out on either side of its body in place of arms. It exhaled smoke. (2,800/2,000)
Suddenly, however, it retracted its guns and lowered its head. (2,800/2,000 – 1,400/1,000)
Laura just stared at it. "That thing won't stand a chance against any of my monsters now," she said.
"Oh?" Ogre replied. "Did you forget about the Marauding Captain? I'd have to attack it, so I will anyway! Fusilier Dragon, attack it with Shock Scream!"
The Dragon snapped its head out and let loose a loud cry, unleashing a sonic burst that tore the Marauding Captain to pieces. Laura's Life Points slipped to 7,800.
"That's my turn," Ogre concluded.
As soon as Laura drew her next card, she had a plan in mind. "I start with my Magic Card, the Warrior Returning Alive, to add Marauding Captain to my hand…"
For a moment, the Captain appeared, confused and disoriented. On recovering, he walked into Laura's hand.
"Next," she continued, "I'll summon him again in Attack Mode!"
The old soldier strode onto Laura's field again, swords over his shoulders, and let out a sigh. (1,200/400)
As before, he whistled, and another monster appeared. This one was a young woman in bright red clothing, wearing a red beret and black cape, with a golden sword on her hip. She knelt in Defense Mode. (1,200/1,900)
"Meet the Command Knight," Laura went on. "She gives all my Warrior-type monsters 400 extra Attack Points!" (1,200/400 – 1,600/400; 1,800/1,000 – 2,200/1,000; 1,400/1,200 – 1,800/1,200; 1,200/1,900 – 1,600/1,900)
Taking a deep breath, Laura ordered, "Marauding Captain, destroy the Dual-Mode Beast with Rampant Charge!"
The captain clashed his swords and charged across the field towards the weakened machine…
And then Ogre let out a loud, victorious laugh and said, "You stupid little bitch! I activate Skill Drain!"
The trap lifted, revealing a picture of the Dark Ruler Ha Des suffering from some form of disease. A massive shockwave rolled over the field, hitting every monster in play. The Marauding Captain stumbled over his own feet, but kept charging at the Fusilier Dragon…
…but behind him, the Command Knight had passed out. All of Laura's monsters were back to their original Attack Points.
Meanwhile, the Fusilier Dragon glowed with power, and its cannons emerged once again, locking onto the Marauding Captain. (1,400/1,000 – 2,800/2,000)
"Skill Drain?" Laura yelled. "Oh, no!"
Ogre laughed once again, saying, "You know exactly what to expect now, don't you? My Skill Drain saps all monsters in play of their effects, leaving your warriors as helpless as can be… but my Fusilier Dragon benefits from this arrangement, because its 'effect' actually weakens it! Skill Drain removes that and restores its power, all for a miniscule cost of 1,000 Life Points."
Ogre's Life Points sank to 6,800 as he said this.
"And in case you haven't noticed," the muscleman finished, "your monster's still attacking mine…"
The Marauding Captain finally reached Ogre's machine, and brought both of his swords down on it. They bounced off, not even leaving a scratch. The warrior grinned sheepishly.
The Fusilier Dragon apparently didn't find it funny, which would explain why it proceeded to let loose with its cannons and reduce the Marauding Captain to his component atoms.
Laura's jaw dropped as her Life Points hit 6,200. "I switch my Obnoxious Celtic Guardian and Ninja Grandmaster Sasuke to Defense Mode and end my turn," she said after a moment. Both monsters knelt.
"Huh," Ogre muttered "Allow me to explain the difference between 'effect' and 'drawback'. An effect is a power that makes a monster stronger – for example, all of your warriors would be useless without effects. A drawback, on the other hand, makes a monster less powerful – the Boar Soldier's a prime example of that; he has to be Special Summoned or Flip Summoned, and he's helpless with monsters on the opponent's field.
"Skill Drain is a godsend to monsters with drawbacks, and that's why I've got a deck full of them – when I've got Skill Drain out, they're so powerful it's almost broken!"
Laura then sighed and noted, "But without it, you're a sitting duck."
"Nothing's perfect unless you're cheating!" Ogre protested. "Besides, my Flash Assailant held you off for a while there, didn't he? I draw!" He did so. "I summon Susa Soldier in Attack Mode again!"
Once more, the white-haired soldier stood on the field, brandishing his glowing sword. The wave of energy from Skill Drain hit him, and he smiled evilly. (2,000/1,600)
"Thanks to my Skill Drain," Ogre continued, "not only does he stop coming back to my hand, but he deals his full Battle Damage instead of cutting it in half as usual. Susa Soldier, attack the Ninja Grandmaster!"
Lifting his sword, the soldier paused for a moment, and then zapped across the field, slicing the ninja's head off with one strike.
The muscleman then ordered, "Fusilier Dragon, destroy the Obnoxious Celtic Guardian! Dragon Barrage!"
Taking aim, the dragon tank fired all four cannons and blew the elf to pieces.
"I end my turn," Ogre concluded.
Laura drew and sighed. "I set one monster in Defense Mode and end my turn."
"Not so tough now, are you?" Ogre mocked, drawing a card. "You're gonna have so much fun in the rat pit…" He looked at his hand, and then held up what he'd just drawn. "You know, this is gonna cost me in the long run, but I can't help it. Come on out, Shadowknight Archfiend!"
A demon stepped down from above, clad in heavy metal armor and with a long blade extending from one gauntlet; the other exposed several jutting claws. A pulse of energy struck him from the Skill Drain, and he snarled. (2,000/1,600)
There was a stutter in Laura's voice as she asked, "D-do you still have to pay for its cost?"
"Unfortunately… yes." Ogre sighed through his mask. "There's a difference between a 'drawback' and a 'maintenance cost'. Shadowknight Archfiend loses his damage-cutting drawback, but I still have to pay for his upkeep – and he lost that nifty anti-targeting effect, too, which is why he's pissed at me." He shrugged. "Still, you're in deep trouble, because I activate Meteorain!"
One of Ogre's facedown cards flipped up, revealing the Enraged Battle Ox surrounded by falling meteorites.
"No!" Laura cried.
Ogre grunted, "Just accept the pain, girl. All my monsters will get at your Life Points this turn, because Meteorain lets them damage you through defense! Shadowknight Archfiend, attack her facedown monster with Diabolic Honor!"
The demon blurred out of existence, and then blurred back in on the other side of the facedown monster. A Blade Knight rose out of the card, let out a cry of pain, and fell to the ground, sliced in two. Laura's Life Points fell to 5,800.
"Susa Soldier," Ogre now ordered, "destroy the Command Knight!"
Again, the lightning spirit zapped past the Command Knight, beheading her. This time, however, he stopped to bounce her decapitated head on his blade before Ogre shot him a stern look. Humphing, he set the head down and skulked back to Ogre's field. Laura's Life Points were now at 5,700.
After a moment's pause, Ogre nodded. "Fusilier Dragon, blast her Life Points directly with Dragon's Barrage!"
All four of the cannons trained themselves on Laura. The girl looked for a place to hide, but she was still in the cage.
The four cannons let loose, and she went hurling into the back of the cage, her Life Points diving to 2,900. Laura didn't notice, however, as she was briefly knocked senseless when her head hit the wall.
"Game's almost over, you little bitch," Ogre growled, suddenly developing a sinister edge more suited to his frame. "Bet you're regretting your little wager now, huh?"
His target couldn't hear a word of it.
0000000
As the '87 Corolla GTS hurled its way through the streets of St. Paul, Chad glanced to Gerald. "I think we're almost there… Gerald?"
His companion had fallen asleep once more, which didn't surprise Chad in the least.
Glancing back to the road, the tall man muttered, "Sometimes I think you do more when you're sleeping than when you're awake…"
On top of Gerald's deck, Heaven's Sphere began to glow.
0000000
"Back on your feet."
Laura looked up, but her vision was still a little blurry due to whacking her head on the cage. "Why should I?"
Her conversational partner answered, "Because the duel's not over yet. I've only met you once, but you don't seem the type to give up so easily. I don't think I'm that bad a judge of character."
After a moment, the girl said, "You're not. I've never surrendered. I can't."
"See?" The other person offered a hand.
"I can get up on my own," Laura said, slapping the hand away.
The other person sighed. "Not anymore. You're in a situation where relying on just yourself isn't an option. Try to get up…"
Laura tried, and the floor crumbled around her hands, causing her to drop back down. "What's going on?" she asked.
"It's called illustrating my point." The other person offered a hand again. "Accepting assistance is not weakness – fighting it when there's no reason is. Now, shall we go out and deal with the masked fool?"
After a moment, Laura took the hand and rose to her feet. Her eyes cleared, and she could see her new companion. "Hey, aren't you…"
"We'll meet again outside of your mind soon enough." The person smiled, and then yawned.
The world returned to its usual state…
0000000
"Are you back among the living, or do I have to break out the damn smelling salts?" Ogre growled.
Laura shook her head, and the world snapped back into place around her. "Hey, I'm not used to ramming my head into hard, immobile objects," she shot back. "Give me a break."
Ogre lifted his mask only slightly, spat, and grunted, "My turn ends."
Taking a deep breath, Laura held it, drew her next card, and exhaled. She then looked at it and said, "I play Pot of Avarice! Now by shuffling these five monsters from the Graveyard back into my deck…" She slid the five monsters in her Graveyard out of it and back into her deck. "I draw two cards!" She did so.
"So?" Ogre asked. "It's just wasting our time."
"Not so!" Laura countered. "I summon Zombyra the Dark!"
A spotlight shined onto the field, and the inhuman superhero leapt down from nowhere, posing with a flourish in front of Laura. The Skill Drain pulsed, but he merely laughed. (2,100/500)
"You know, I've seen a lot of superheroes in my day," Ogre commented, "but that's gotta be the weirdest one I've ever heard of. I mean… well, come on! Look at him! I've got one in my deck and I still think he's weird!"
Laura grinned as she replied, "He has a nobler history than that. You see, Zombyra's one of my favorite monsters. He used to serve the Dark Master Zorc, drawing on his master's dark energy to fuel his power. But one day, he killed an innocent man at Zorc's orders and was suddenly overcome with remorse. Zombyra couldn't accept what he'd done, and turned his back on Zorc and his darkness."
"Is there a point to this story?" Ogre asked.
"The point," Laura continued, "is that without that dark energy, Zombyra's ultimately screwed. Every time he destroys an enemy, he loses 200 Attack Points. On top of that, the day he left Zorc's service, the Dark Master cursed him to never strike his true foe – he can't attack you directly. Or those would be the cases…"
Ogre suddenly yelled, "Argh! My damn Skill Drain works on him, too!"
Laura nodded. "Exactly. Zombyra, attack the Susa Soldier with Noble Fist!"
The hero charged forward and slugged the Susa Soldier hard in the stomach. A ripple of energy burst out from him, tearing the soldier in half and blowing him away. Ogre's Life Points fell to 6,700.
"I set a card facedown and end my turn," Laura finished.
Ogre let out a growl low in his throat, drawing a card and staring at it. Where the hell are my big guns?
The Shadowknight Archfiend suddenly growled and clenched his claws. Ogre choked as the demon turned and slammed his claws into his body, drawing out a red energy. "That would be the 900 Life Points I have to pay for my Archfiend…" he managed to mutter after a moment, his Life Points now at 5,800.
The muscleman then slid a card into his Duel Disk, saying, "I set a card facedown… and now, Fusilier Dragon, tear that hero a new one with Dragon's Barrage!"
The dragon tank trained its cannons on Zombyra…
"I activate my own Draining Shield!" Laura shouted, triggering her facedown card. "This turns your attack into extra Life Points, in case you forgot!"
A shell of light surrounded her and her monster, just like it had Ogre earlier in the duel. All four of the cannon's shots hit the metal circle, and Laura was bathed in an unearthly green light. Her Life Points rose to 5,700.
"You little slut!" Ogre roared, his composure long since gone. "I end my turn!"
"Calm down before you pop a blood vessel." Laura drew her next card. "I play my Pot of Greed, which lets me draw two cards…" She did so. "And now I'm going to break a certain rule about superheroes and weapons. I equip my Zombyra with the Axe of Despair!"
The superhero held out his hand, and the wicked axe fell into it. He tested its heft for a moment, and then grinned. (2,100/500 – 3,100/500)
"Before you can do anything," Ogre said, "I activate Threatening Roar, which prevents you from attacking!"
The Fusilier Dragon let out a high-pitched squeal that caused Zombyra to stumble to one knee, clutching where a normal human would have had ears.
"Fine, then. I end my turn," Laura said.
Ogre drew his next card and uttered a series of vile curses under his breath. Was I actually winning this duel a few turns ago?
As on the previous turn, the Shadowknight Archfiend spun around and gouged into his chest with his claws, sending Ogre's Life Points to 4,900.
"I switch both of my monsters into Defense Mode, and set another monster in Defense Mode" he grumbled. The Fusilier Dragon settled its head on the ground, and the Shadowknight Archfiend glared at him as he knelt; they were joined by a third, concealed monster. "That'll be my turn."
Laura drew, and then said, "I summon Gearfried the Iron Knight in Attack Mode!"
The armored knight stepped up to Zombyra's side and nodded. The dark hero nodded back, and then a pulse of energy from Ogre's Skill Drain struck Gearfried. He merely shrugged. (1,800/1,600)
"Now," Laura continued, "I equip him with every warrior's favorite weapon – the Fusion Sword Murasame Blade! And I don't think I need to tell you how Skill Drain benefits my Iron Knight…"
Instead of picking up a sword, both of the blades on Gearfried's arms grew to excessive lengths. (1,800/1,600 – 2,600/1,600)
"Now, Zombyra, attack Fusilier Dragon!" Laura ordered. "While I'm at it, Gearfried, Iron Edge the facedown monster!"
Pulling back his arm, Zombyra threw his axe across the field, causing it to slice the dragon tank in two. Even as it exploded, the Iron Knight dashed up to the facedown monster and chopped it (a Nuvia the Wicked) apart. Zombyra caught his axe again, and the two monsters grinned to each other.
"That'll be it for me," Laura said.
Ogre drew, and then let out a groan as Shadowknight Archfiend struck him with his claws once more, drawing out his energy and dropping his Life Points to 4,100. "Oh, man…" He then paused, looking at his cards, and chuckled slightly. "This'll do. I play Emergency Provisions, giving up my Skill Drain and my face-down Fairy Meteor Crush to gain 2,000 Life Points!"
The bizarre mouth appeared, destroying both of Ogre's cards and raising his Life Points to 6,100. A pulse of energy flew from his destroyed Skill Drain, causing all three monsters on the field to stagger and groan…
However, Gearfried's blades did not return to normal.
"What?" Ogre shouted. "Why didn't that tin can's Fusion Sword break? It destroys all equipping cards!"
"The Fusion Sword Murasame can't be destroyed," Laura calmly explained. "It's the one Equip Magic Card that Gearfried can use even with his drawback."
Oh, come on… Ogre groaned mentally. "Fine, then. I set one monster in Defense Mode and end my turn."
Laura drew, smirking slightly, and declared, "I summon another Sasuke Samurai in Attack Mode!"
Another miniature samurai strode out, drawing his blade. (500/800)
"Remember this guy's effect?" the girl said, gloating only slightly. "If you don't, you're about to. Attack his facedown monster, Sasuke Samurai!"
The samurai drew his blade, took a step forward, and vanished. A moment later, the facedown Big Shield Gardna on Ogre's field appeared and shattered. (100/2,600)
"Zombyra," Laura continued, "dispatch the Shadowknight Archfiend!"
The superhero tossed his weapon, cleaving the fiend in half lengthwise. Ogre began to sweat, even as Zombyra let out a groan and his Attack Points lowered to 2,900.
"Gearfried," Laura finally ordered, "attack his Life Points directly with Iron Edge!"
The iron-clad warrior charged forward and slammed both blades into Ogre's body, causing him to roar in pain as his Life Points dropped to 3,500.
"That's my turn," Laura concluded.
Ogre drew, taking a few deep breaths, and said, "I'm not dead just yet, bitch. I set a card facedown and a monster in Defense Mode. Try to get past that…" His cards appeared before him.
Even as Laura drew, she knew it was over. "I drew Ninja Grandmaster Sasuke again," she said, "so I summon him once more!"
Again, the heavily-concealed ninja stepped out, wielding his kunai. (1,800/1,000)
"Now, Zombyra," Laura ordered, "forgive me… destroy his facedown monster!"
Ogre gasped and thought, My plan is ruined! I'm so screwed! "Activate Widespread Ruin!"
Even as Zombyra wound up for the throw, he suddenly exploded.
With a sigh, Laura ordered, "Sasuke Samurai, you do it."
The miniature samurai swung his blade, cutting Ogre's Dark Elf in two. (2,000/800)
Finally, the girl commanded, "Ninja Grandmaster Sasuke, Gearfried, finish the duel!"
The two needed no prompting. First, Sasuke launched his ten selves into Ogre, dropping his Life Points to 1,700. Gearfried finished the job with one swing of his blades, plunging the muscleman's Life Points to zero.
After a moment, Ogre shut off his Duel Disk and took it off, taking a small key out of his pocket. "I suppose letting you out for a few minutes isn't too bad…" he said.
But as he neared the cell door, Laura counted off seconds in her head – and then kicked the door, hard. It swung out and slammed Ogre between the door and the cage wall.
As the door swung back, Ogre staggered forward, growling, "You backstabbing little bitch! I think I'll beat you unconscious and then throw you in the rat pit for that one!"
Before he could move much further, however, Laura was on him, and her attacks came faster than his eye could follow. It was as if she kicked him in the head, chest, and stomach simultaneously.
The muscleman staggered, whereupon Laura thrust a palm into his stomach. He gasped and recoiled, and Laura moved under him, lifting him over her head and slamming the masked man to the floor.
After that move, he made the smartest choice he'd ever made – he passed out.
"Never call me a bitch," Laura said, dusting off her hands. She stretched out and began to look for an exit.
After a few minutes, she found the one door out… but it was locked from the outside. Probably Father Young's doing, she thought. I searched Ogre's pockets, and all he had was my cell key. Damn it.
She pulled her leg back and was about to kick the door down when the sound of someone unlocking it from the outside caught her ear.
A second later, the door opened, and two men were standing in the doorway. One was tall, had brown hair, and was wearing an all-gray ensemble; he leaned against a wall. Laura knew she'd seen him before. The other was slightly taller, blonde, and was dressed like Humphrey Bogart.
"Please do not hit us," the one against the wall said. "We had thought you needed rescuing, but from the looks of things… not so much."
The taller one glanced to his companion and muttered, "Watch it, Gerald."
"Actually," Laura said, "thanks for opening the door. I kind of doubt I could kick it open. So… what's going on in this city?"
The one leaning against the wall, Gerald, yawned and said, "It's a very long story. Come back to the hotel with us and we'll explain it there."
Laura stopped to consider it. Sharing a hotel room with two guys sounded a little too much like the sort of movie that played after midnight on cable channels, but she didn't have anywhere to stay otherwise… and they had come to bust her out of her imprisonment…
…and then she recognized Gerald. It was the person she'd seen after hitting her head on the wall.
"All right, it's a deal," she answered.
Gerald smiled, said, "It's settled, then," and then shut his eyes. A moment later, to Laura's amazement, he fell asleep.
"Does he do that often?" she asked.
"All the time…" the taller man answered, a bead of sweat rolling down his forehead.
0000000
That evening, Ogre found himself in the heart of the Darkness's lair. However, he could not appreciate the sight; he was currently kneeling on the floor with his hands tied behind his back, and a very disappointed Degas stood in front of him.
"Thomas 'Ogre' Grunn," Degas began. "Ex-bodybuilder, ex-bouncer, currently employed as a servant to the Darkness. Your transgressions are many – ignoring orders, accepting an unauthorized challenge, using an unauthorized deck strategy – an interesting one, but unauthorized nonetheless…" He then swung his foot around, kicking Ogre in the stomach. "What in the name of the Darkness were you thinking, including an Archfiend in that deck?"
"I thought I could win before the damage got too much," the muscled man protested once he got his breath back.
"I doubt you thought at all," Degas muttered. He grabbed Ogre's mask and wrenched his servant's head up. "Most recently, you allowed our captive to escape. She was vital for one of our plans, and you let her get the drop on you. Now our plan is severely delayed, at best."
"How was I supposed to know she was trained in the martial arts?" Ogre complained.
Degas answered, "You could have asked – we know these things for a reason!" He then took a breath and continued, "Your most unforgivable offense, however, is the repeated questioning of and lack of faith in your masters. You keep voicing the opinion that Alexander has no role in our plans. That's just not allowed, Ogre."
Struggling against his bonds, Ogre asked, "Why didn't you just tell us what Alexander's purpose is? It's not like it can be that big a secret!"
"If the information fell into the hands of the Light, it may prove disastrous," Degas replied. "However, I will tell you just to silence your complaints…" He paused. "I can manipulate dark energies, but I cannot create them myself. Alexander is a Dark Conduit, a portal through which dark energy flows. When he is present, I have energy to work with. Without him, I would not have had the chance to create the Dancing Mad, the Darkness Infection, or any of our other weapons. He has… other powers, as well, but you need not know them."
Ogre fell silent.
"Not that it would matter, anyway," Degas concluded. He snapped his fingers. "Hanzaki!"
The air blurred, and the man with the concealed body emerged, bowing to Degas. "Yes, sir?"
As he stepped out of the room, Degas said, "Deal with him."
The room fell silent for a moment, and then Hanzaki reached into a concealed pocket, hidden behind the symbol on his chest. When he withdrew his hand, he was holding a handgun and was already undoing the safeties.
Ogre looked to it and muttered, "A Beretta 9000S Type F9… So, this is it. Can you really shoot a helpless man?"
Hanzaki pulled the Beretta's slide back, set it to Ogre's temple, and said simply, "Yes." He then pulled the trigger.
And before anyone asks, I know the "real" story of Zombyra. But 1) they called him "Zombire" in the manga, which could mean it's a different character, and 2) I prefer my version.
Coming next chapter: Gerald finally gets the answer to a question that's nagged at him since the beginning of his journey. At the same time, however, a new Pillar's hit the streets. Chad ends up dueling the first of this Pillar's creations, an utterly depressing figure whose deck doesn't care if its monsters die. Things get unpleasant in Chapter Ten, "Walking in Gloom"…