Hey guys! Sorry this took so long! Enough with the chit-chat! Let Chapter 10 commence!
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Chapter 10
A boy smirked at a ropebound Dr. Faker and Mr. Heartland. The adults were tied together and their mouths were covered by scarves. Both men were exhausted, hurt, and beaten. Not long ago, the same boy infiltrated their office. He had beaten up both of them and tied them up. The boy smiled evilly at the adults, carefully slipping his hand into his right back pants pocket. He then stood in front of Mr. Heartland. The teen lowered himself to Mr. H's eye view so he could make eye contact. The boy lowered the scarf covering Mr. H's mouth so the green-headed man could speak.
"Ah, if it isn't Mr. H and Dr. Faker," said the boy smoothly, "I've heard that you have a rare treasure in your possession, am I wrong?"
Mr. H tried to wriggle his wrists out of the rope while he spoke, "Yuma, what the hell are you talking about? Let us go this instant!"
"What is he even talking about?" said Dr. Faker.
Kurai grinned evilly, "Yes, do tell, why don't you?"
Mr. Heartland kept loosening his rope-bound wrists as he glared at Yuma. "You think I would tell a little brat like YOU?"
Kurai sighed cooly. He spun around to be face-to-face with Mr. Heartland. "Ah, Mr. Heartland, you say Number cards are valuable to you and Dr. Faker. However, I believe that those Numbers will all be gone."
"What do you mean, by gone?" spat the man. "These Numbers aren't going anywhere!"
"Oh, that's what you think."
Kurai walked over to the machine containing Number Cards casually. He curiously started at all of the Numbers. He placed his hand on the machine and the bubble holding all of the Numbers disintegrated.
"What do you think you're doing, boy? Keep your lousy hands off of those Numbers!" said Dr. Faker, struggling to speak through the scarf around his mouth.
The man should've stayed quiet, because, at that moment, Kurai whipped out a lighter. The boy smirked as he turned on the lighter. He proceeded to pick up a Number card as he held it a few inches away from the lighter's flame. Both men's eyes grew wide at the sight of the fire. Kurai saw the looks on their faces and simply smiled evilly.
"Now then, why don't we try this again? Give me Heartland City's rare treasure, or else-" said Kurai.
"Or else what?" interrupted Dr. Faker.
Kurai gazed towards the Number Cards. "I'll burn each and every one of your precious Number Cards," he hissed. The boy then spat, "Unless you want your Numbers gone, I suggest you tell me where Heartland's treasure is at!"
Mr. Heartland gulped uneasily. The thought of all of his and Dr. Faker's Numbers being destroyed would cost him. Those cards were not easy to get especially since he and Faker had Kaito retrieve the Numbers for them. It was either risk it all or get beaten even more. He turned towards Dr. Faker with an expression of retreat. The blond-haired scientist looked back solemnly. Faker reluctantly shook his head in approval.
The mayor of Heartland City shifted towards Kurai and said, "Fine, you can have the artifact, just leave the Numbers alone!"
"Heh, I knew you would talk eventually," said Kurai. He turned off his lighter and put it away before asking, "By the way, don't even think of trying to escape. You are going to tell me where exactly the artifact is. If I untie you, you're simply jut going to make a run for it. Did you really think I'd be stupid enough to untie you to show me the artifact? I don't think so."
"Curses!" Dr. Faker whispered to Mr. H, "that Tsukumo boy is smarter than we had thought!"
Mr. Heartland gazed at Kurai. "Yuma, if you want Heartland City's artifact, look in that safe over there in that device," he said, indicating the Number Card machine.
Kurai smiled in success mischievously. He turned towards the device and carefully prayed it open. In front of him laid a steel safe. Of course, it was locked. None the less, Kurai simply stated, "Do you think a puny lock can stop me? Well, it's a good thing I never go anywhere without this baby."
He quickly whipped out a blade, which slightly intimidated Mr. H and Faker, due to the blade's sharpness. He carefully wedged the tip of the blade around the lock and started to pick behind it. Suddenly, the all familiar "click" souks could be heard from the safe. Kurai pried the door open and tore it off of the hinges. He stared at the treasure inside in awe. A beautiful diamond encrusted scepter with a heart-shaped gem shone luminously in the room. It sat on a petite pillow, since it was Heartland City's rarest possession. A plaque was engraved above it. It read, "The Diamond Heart." The jewel was the symbol of the leader of Heartland City, and it was now in Kurai's hands.
Kurai snagged the Diamond Heart out of the safe. He held it tightly as he turned towards the ropebound Faker and Mr. H. He stood in front of both men and stooped down to their eye level. "Now then, since you both were so cooperative, I think you two will have some 'fun' with some other idiots like you!" The boy dashed over to the door leading to the hallway. He quickly dragged in a ropebound Droite and Gauche. Both the man and the woman were unconscious. Mr. Heartland and Faker watched intensely as 'Yuma' approached them and yanked them by the end of a rope towards the other group.
"You're next," said Kurai menacingly.
Dr. Faker and Mr. Heartland stated at what 'Yuma' had whipped out in horror. The boy was holding a syringe, and they could see a liquid-type drug inside it. Both men braced themselves as 'Yuma' casually approached them with a syringe in his hand.
"Nighty-night, I hope you enjoyed ruling Heartland City because it's mine now!" shouted Kurai.
With that, Kurai revealed another syringe. He jammed both syringes into Dr. Faker and Mr. H's necks. He held both adults down by the head they struggled to free themselves. However, Kurai was stronger than the men, so he was able to keep them down. Finally, Dr. Faker and Mr. H felt themselves getting extremely tired, their bodies started to slow down, and they blacked out. The boy carefully laid their heads down onto the ground as they fell unconscious. He ejected the syringes from their necks carefully.
Kurai stared at his captives all on the ground: Droite, Gauche, Mr. H, and Faker. He sneered, "All too easy, these lowly worms don't stand a chance against me. Did they really think that they could stop me? How pathetic are these losers?"
Once again, Kurai ended up having to drag four ropebound adults and a sack with a 'mysterious shape'* down the hallway to the elevator. He swore that they were so heavy, his arms could fall off. He then reached the elevator, and ascended to the very top of Heartland Tower.
The sky was dark as the sun had gone down, and the moon's light shone all over Heartland City. The inhabitants below were out having their own fun and various activities. Little did they know that their time of happiness would be halted. Kurai loomed over the entire city of Heartland as he stood on the top of Heartland Tower. He looked around his surroundings as he watched the people below.
"Heh, enjoy your happy times, Heartland City, 'cause this king's got bigger plans for this world!" declared Kurai.
Droite heard groaning, and it was not pleasant. The Butterfly-deck user slowly opened her eyes as she came to. At first, all she could see we're three figures, but they were blurry for some reason. The only blurry figure she could recognize was a familiar man because of his pure red hair. The man gazed towards her on response.
"Droite?" he said in surprise. "You're alright!"
"G-G… Gauche?" sputtered the said woman. "What happened?….. The last thing I remember was a boy…"
"That's enough, Droite!" snapped Faker. "Take a look what that brat Yuma placed us into!"
Mr. Heartland slowly crawled over to the cage sides to find himself… dangling? What? How can that be? Unless…..
Mr. Heartland placed his hands around steel bars. He looked through the bars to only face the dark sky and part of Heartland City below him. He easily gulped, due to his slight fear of heights.
It all added up. The group was held for dead inside a dangling cage. The metal prison was shaped like a rectangle. It easily swung side to side.
"What the hell? What did you do this time, Faker?" shouted a shocked Mr. H.
"You moron! That idiot Yuma Tsukumo must have drugged us and threw us in this cage with these two buffoons!" snapped Dr. Faker, pointing towards Droite and Gauche. He then took a moment to study the cage surroundings. "Judging by the looks of this dangling cage, it could collapse since it has a lot of weight, and I mean us, inside it!"
"But where exactly is this cage hanging from?" piped up Gauche.
Mr. Heartland pointed outside the hard on his side. "Yuma left us here to hang on Heartland Tower to die! When I get out of here, I am going to hurt him so much, I swear-"
SLAP!
Mr. H felt his cheek stinging as he watched Droite carefully stand in front of the greenette. Droite looked even angrier than usual.
"Look, Mr. Heartland, either we get out of here, or we die. Your descicion," hissed Droite.
Kurai carefully untied the ribbon around his sack. Slowly, he lowered the sack to reveal a sleeping Kotori inside. The girl was sound asleep, and she had her arms laid across her chest. Kurai carefully stroked Kotori's shoulders. She was so beautiful, he knew that she would be the perfect queen for him. "You are such an angel, only if all other girls could be like you," he said smoothly.
Suddenly, Kotori's eyes started to open. She moaned as she sat up. The last thing she remembered was that she was at home, then this awful stench came into her room, and that was all she could think of. The surroundings became familiar to her. Heartland City shone below her as she looked over the side of Heartland Tower. Her eyes stared at the blurry figure holding her. Her mind processed who that boy was.
Suddenly, realization hit Kotori. Yuma's shape matched the same shape at her bedroom window! HE must have been the one that sprayed that awful odor in her face!
"Yuma!" hissed Kotori, "what the hell did you do? Why did you even bring me here?"
'Yuma' gazed at Kotori, but in a way that made Kotori feel uncomfortable.
"Oh, Kotori, you are so clueless. You still think that I'm Yuma?" said Kurai. He placed his thumb under Kotori's chin.
Kotori pushed away Kurai's hand and she crossed her arms. "What the heck is that supposed to mean, Yuma? Make up your mind!"
"Babe, I'm just gonna cut to the chase. You and your friends are so stupid enough to think that I'm Yuma. You all fell for it," said Kurai.
Kurai took off his jacket and let it drop to the ground. He closed his eyes and shouted loud enough for Heartland City to her.
"ALL HAIL THE KING, BABY!"
Kurai ripped his shirt off, and his chest was revealed, showing his chest scars and Number tattoo. Yuma's Key hung around his neck as it swung from side to side. Kurai's Number tattoo began to glow a dark purple on his abdomen.
Kotori stared at Kurai in complete shock. She immediately realized that this boy was clearly NOT Yuma. His general appearance differed greatly from Yuma. She stared at Kurai's chest scars. An all familiar symbol rested below his scars, much to Kotori's surprise: A dark purple Number"96." The boy's eyes appeared to have an "evil" look to them. Some of Kurai's teeth became sharp as well.
Kurai turned towards Kotori as he raised the Diamond Heart. His Number Tattoo glowed even brighter as he in the luminous moonlight.
"I never introduced myself. I am Kurai Tsukumo, king of Heartland City!"
What does Kurai have up his sleeves? Will Yuma arrive in time to stop Kurai? What has happened to Astral? Stay tuned next time for The Shadow of Yuma!