One word my friends: Plot. Need I say more?
DISCLAIMER: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh or Yu-Gi-Oh GX, because if I did, there would be a lot more scenes of Zane and Bakura in the shower.
The next few days passed by agonizingly slowly. Claire was angry with me. There was more talk of Aster's heavy drinking. And all three of us were miserable. Alexis left the hotel to stay with some friends outside of the city. She wasn't going to sit around here if she wasn't with someone. When Atticus lost it was only a matter of time before she would find no reason to stay. She'd probably be back for the finals, she had never missed a good duel, even if it was between two people that she loathed. I had made it pretty clear that I was done with her. It was a relief to stop lying to her, but I did wish that it had ended better. I was hoping that I wouldn't lose Alexis and Atticus as friends, but I did. It didn't seem like anyone was to pleased with me right now, I screwed up pretty bad.
A few days later Claire dueled Jaden to get to the finals. It was no competition. Claire had a new desire to win, a new drive. She fought hard, sparing nothing. She seemed to have lost her whimsicalness while she dueled. It was all or nothing for her. I guess that since I had betrayed her and she no longer had Aster she had nothing to lose.
She had her Ocean Dragon Lord Neo-Dadelous attack Jaden directly to win.
He fell over.
She just walked away.
--
The night before the final duel I got a phone call.
"Is this Zane Truesdale?" An unfamiliar voice asked me. I looked at the number quickly, it was private.
"Yes." I said, waiting for the stranger to explain himself.
"I don't have time to explain myself." The stranger said as I rolled my eyes. I tried to figure out who he was. He had a slight accent, German or something Northern European. I knew I had heard someone speak like that before, but I couldn't place who it was in my mind. "But you need to find your dueling opponent, Claire Rodgers. Don't let her see you, but make sure that she doesn't get out of your sight. If you see anything strange find a way to get her out of there. She's just leaving the hotel. She can be saved." Click.
I stared at the phone for a moment.
What. The. Fuck.
How come all these plots happened at this tournaments? Why can't there just be one time where we can all enjoy a tournament without the death and doom of the world on our hands? Why were duelists so unlucky?
Then, despite my better judgment, I got on an elevator to follow Claire. She can be saved. That's what the person told me. But saved from what? Then I remembered the phone call that she made after that first duel, and her face after I threatened to tell Aster about it.
She probably had to be saved from that, whatever it was.
I grew impatient in the elevator. If Claire was just leaving the hotel when the stranger called, then she must have been outside already. I got off the elevator, and to my relief Claire was signing an autograph for a tall blonde boy. I stood far enough away that I could hear their conversation, but so Claire couldn't see me. I guess it was lucky that the lobby of the hotel was pretty crowded.
"… great duelist. I really hope that you win the finals." Said the blonde boy, whose German accent was playing out as he spoke. The boy on the phone! I thought. He must be stalling her so I could come.
"Thanks." Claire said with a somewhat forced smile.
"Please," the boy said with a brilliant smile. "come with me out to dinner. I would love to get a few tips. Besides, lately it looks as if you could use some cheering up." Claire smiled, and looked as if she were about to say no, but her eyes caught sight of Aster walking determinedly across the lobby, and her expression exchanged momentarily. She then looked back at the blonde boy and smiled.
"Sure. That would be great. What was your name again?" The blonde held out his arm for Claire, which caused her to giggle, but she closed hers around it and they began to move forward.
"You can call me Toon Multie." Claire smiled and formally introduced herself while Toon nodded and smiled in return. I followed them outside. I knew that Toon wanted me there, because he made sure to look me in the eyes as they walked out.
The two of them smiled and chatted down the street. They ended up in a little Italian mom and pop joint, it wasn't romantic or anything. They sat at a table with a family of four, a mom, dad, an eight year-old boy and a bored looking tween girl and an old married couple celebrating an anniversary. I waited ten minutes before walking in, hoping that Claire wouldn't notice and I'd be seated far away from them. But. it was just my luck that there was one seat left at their table.
--
Claire was actually laughing when I was seated. I hadn't seen her laugh in a long, long time. She was so engrossed in her conversation with Toon that she didn't notice when I sat down. I guessed that it was a good sign. Hopefully this Toon guy could keep her entertained for a while, it certainly made me happy to see her enjoying herself.
Even if it was with another man.
The waitress came around to take our orders. The old married couple ordered without looking at the menu. They apparently ordered the same thing every time the came here because it was what they were eating when he asked her to marry him. How sweet. I felt sick. Claire and Toon had spent so much time laughing that neither of them really looked at the menu. They both ordered the first thing on it, mushroom ravioli, and both laughed because they found that neither of them actually liked the dish. The family all ordered different things, the mom ordered a salad, she was apparently watching her weight, with a glass of wine, the dad ordered a steak, the son tried to order the same thing as his dad, but was forced to order off of the kids menu and the tween ordered a plate of spaghetti, but she spent so long asking questions and making special requests that it was almost a full five minutes before I had to order.
The waitress, Melissa, according to her name tag, gave me an once-over and smiled in a flirtatious way.
"Can I get you something… special hon?" she asked me, chewing the end of her pen in the corner of her mouth, probably trying to be seductive, but only looking stupid.
"I'll have a salad, house dressing on the side." I said as quickly as possible, while handing her the menu.
She pouted slightly, but regained her composure. "Would you like something to… drink?" She asked me with a wink.
I didn't change my expression as I answered her question by pointing to my glass of water, already at the table. She gave a small huff and walked away.
I contented myself by looking at the walls of the restaurant. They were hand-painted murals of the Italian countryside. They were beautiful. Detailed and realistic, it was almost as if you were standing in a field next to the scene, not in a crappy restaurant in Domino City.
While I was lost in the artwork I heard my name being said a few seats away.
"ZANE TRUESDALE?!" The tween girl shouted in an annoyingly high-pitched voice. It immediately snapped me out of my trance. "OH MI GOD! IT IS YOU!" She screamed as she started to pull herself onto the table to get a closer look. "Ma! Get out your phone. I want a picture!" While being prodded around by the annoying child, Victoria, I learned her name was, I managed to get a look at Claire, who was fuming with rage. Victoria stuck a notebook in my face and ordered me to sign it. I unwillingly obliged.
Go Away.
-Zane Truesdale
The formerly excited girl read over my signature and got tears in her eyes. She showed her notebook to her parents in order to get them to do something about my terrible behavior. They both glared at me, but they knew that their daughter was the one who was really acting rudely, so they stayed silent. From behind me I felt a tap on my shoulder.
"Zane." Claire said, a flash of red going across her eyes. "Could we have a little chat outside?" I nodded and got up out of my seat. As I walked out I saw Toon chuckling to himself. The bastard.
When we got outside Claire turned on me.
"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING HERE?!" She yelled me.
"Having dinner." I told her without changing the expression on my face. I was just lucky that I had been mastering my poker face since I was a child, Claire was really terrifying at the moment.
"It's not bad enough that you've ruined everything for me, but now you're stalking me too?! What's your problem Zane?!" She was red with anger. At least it was better than seeing her cry like usual.
"It doesn't seem like I've ruined everything, you seemed to be having fun with that guy in there." I didn't say it in an accusatory tone, but she took it like I did.
"Toon is in a very committed relationship. He isn't looking for that and neither am I. He just wanted to make me feel better, which is a very sweet thing to do for a complete stranger. Not that you would know what a sweet thing to do is!" I stood silent for a moment as Claire regained her breath. I was about to say something in response to her when Toon walked outside.
The closer I looked at him and heard him speak, I knew that he was the one who had been on the phone earlier.
"Claire." He said sweetly. "Come back inside. And we should invite Zane to eat with us. The more the merrier!"
"No thank you." I told him, again with an unchanging expression. "You see, I'm already at the same table as you two, but you didn't seem to notice me. But I don't mind. I wanted to eat alone." Claire rolled her eyes and beckoned for Toon to follow her inside. He stuck his finger up, telling her to wait a minute.
"Claire," he said still looking at me. "Go back inside, I'm going to have a word with Zane." Claire shrugged and went back inside while Toon took me over away from the door.
"What's this all about?" I asked him.
"We don't have much time. I've got her covered until we reach the hotel again tonight. Aster Phoenix will be watching her tomorrow morning, even though I think that she'd be safe before the duel. But tonight, you have to find a way to stay near her, preferably inside her room."
I was getting irritated. "Excuse me, but WHAT is this about?"
Toon sighed and shook his head.
"Alas Zane, not even I know. All I know is that my brother and father are planning something, and it involves Claire. I know they've been tricking her thus far, saying things about her father's death and pinning it on her, even when it's not true. But my father… he's very persuasive."
"Who is your father?" I asked while trying to register all this information.
"My father is Ivo Multov. And you would probably want to know who I am. My name is Anton Multov." It took me a minute to register the name… Multov… Multov…
"Wait, do you mean that Dieter is your brother?" Anton nodded his head solemnly.
"Yes. I regret to say that yes, Dieter is my brother. And yes, he is one of the ones planning to hurt Claire." I was in shock. Dieter didn't seem like the type, but when did they ever?
"And why should I trust you?" I asked him. Anton seemed to think for a minute, unsure of what to say.
"I guess you shouldn't. I've done nothing to prove anything. But I do want to keep Claire safe. It is… unfair for her to die for whatever my family is planning. I refuse to let her fall victim. My family… is not good. I guess. And I want to be the one to change that." I stared at Anton for a moment. He didn't appear to be lying. But why would someone do that? It was unusual for someone to be a decently good person nowadays. Especially in the flifth hole of Domino City.
"But why me?" I asked. "You realize that Claire hates me, right?"
"I could only tell a few about the plans of my family. I chose you because you love her. Plain and simple as that. Aster, on the other hand, came to me. His physic friend apparently saw this coming, before I did even. He also loves her and wants to protect her. I told one other of the plans, and when the time comes he may be able to help. But until then, he wished to remain anonymous. And then there's me, the one who just wanted to protect the innocent." He looked at me with a studied eye. "And that is all I have to say. I must go back to my date now."
He went back inside before I could thank him.
Well here it is! The plot! YAY! Isn't it exciting? And suspenseful? Woo-hoo! It only took fourteen freaking chapters!
Aster- Yeah it's about time.
Me- Shut up, I try my best.
Zane- Maybe you should get ready for a life as a hobo.
Me- Review before I end up killing one of these two.
Me- And I'm sorry that I had nothing clever to say here today.