My characters, my plot…enough said

My characters, my plot…enough said.

I feel really alone right now… (Sighs) Not much attention over on the review side…don't talk to my online friends much…I mean, if I didn't get pep talk from Bri, I'd have called it quits a long time ago…

Here's to whoever's reading this:

Thanks a lot for stickin' with me. It means a lot.

o.O.o

Tokyo City, Japan

10: 35 A.M.

o.O.o

Mark wasn't the kind of guy to get scared easily. With the multitudes of blood and zombie filled video games that he played to the point of winning last year's Cyber Games, this was a blatant and obvious point of that. As far as he knew, he had no fears. He absently went through a list of common fears in his mind out of sheer boredom to prove it. Is it fear of heights? No, when he, his dad and his sister strayed out of their country, like now, they'd stay on the highest penthouse suite the hotel could offer, and he would always have the window seat on the plane to look out at the awesome view of the clouds. Was it fear of needles? No, he'd been to a few acupuncture sessions on the demand of his sister, yes they were uncomfortable, but he wasn't scared. Fear of wild animals? No, he enjoyed the African safaris that he went to, watching the wild animals hunt down prey.

Perhaps there was one fear that he had…

"Kasi, send him in."

"Yes, sir."

The fear of screwing up in the eyes of the Cyber Games Director.

The CEO of the Cyber Games Association, or as he preferred to be called, 'The Director', had it in his own obligation to personally speak to the Cyber Games' Champion about tactics for the next one, and he would always support his champion until he was defeated. Of course, he would never purposely make so that the Champion would win, but he does control everything about the Cyber Games, from the venue, to the equipment, and to the games themselves. But no, this wasn't the only reason why he was scared of the Director. He is also a very enigmatic man. He had a perpetual smile that seemed to say that there was something going on behind his grey-blue eyes that he was to find out when the time was right. And, during his meetings with him several times in the past, whenever he would ask something about the next tournament or the Titan, he would always look him straight in the eye, unblinkingly, and look away, grinning. "We'll see…" he would always answer.

Mark shivered. Yes, the director creeped him out, but Mark also respected him above all other people he knew. Not only was it because he was the Cyber Games Champion and that the Director was the reason there was a Cyber Games in the first place. It was also because he is the onlyperson in the world to know the true identity of the Titan.

Mark approached the double oak doors that separated him from the director. He had arrived from his home in Las Vegas at his call, saying that there was a very abrupt change in plans and that the Cyber Games was starting earlier than usual. He brushed the silver-blonde bangs away from his lavender eyes. What was so urgent that he needed to see him?

'One way to find out…' he thought and opened the door.

"Director?"

"Come in Mark, I need to have a word with you…" The director called in his accented English.

Mark walked in and stifled a yawn. "Sorry, I'm still a little jet lagged." He plopped down into his usual seat in front of the black desk with the Cyber Games Logo emblazoned in brass. The Director, as usual was seated behind it, hands on the desk in a serious manner.

"That's fine."

"What did you want to tell me in person, sir?"

At this, the director stood up and moved towards the window, looking out it. "I'm sorry for calling you over from the United States; it is just that I need to start the Cyber Games prematurely."

Mark nodded, he had heard of this on the phone. "I know…why?"

At this, the director turned around and flashed his mysterious smile. "He's back." He said simply.

Mark was stumped. Furrowing his brow, it took him a minute to register the message. "No. Way." He breathed, shock on his face.

"I'm not lying. The Prodigal King has returned to claim his throne."

"The Titan…back?!" Mark exclaimed, leaping from his seat.

"Yes, he's going to enter this year's Cyber Games…and this time…he has brought reinforcements."

Mark was still shocked to hear that the Titan was returning, there were long pauses before every reply. "Come again?"

"This year's Cyber Games is a team competition. The team minimum is four…and he has found three very capable allies."

Mark didn't speak; he just stared at the Director, who decided to continue.

"I still can't tell you who he is. But here is the real reason I called you here. As far as I know, you don't have a team yet. I suggest that you—"

"Of courseI'll team up with the Titan!" Mark exclaimed, even louder than before. "Is he here in Japan? Can I go see him? Will I get to fight him?"

The current Champion continued to babble questions, and the Director raised a hand to silence him. "I didn't say you were going to team up with him; that would be hisdecision. I suggest that you go to his hometown and try to persuade him to let you on his team."

"Oh…okay, then I'll try!" Mark was halfway to the door when the stopped and turned around. "But what about my…"

"Don't' worry, I've spoken with your father, he has given your permission. My personal copter will take you to a hotel room I put up for you in Domino."

Mark's blank expression slowly grew into a wide grin. "Thank you so much, Director! You won't regret this!" He started toward the door, when the Director stopped him again.

"Oh, and while you're there…tell my nephew I said hello."

Mark blinked, nodded, and left the office.

The Director returned to his seat, and opened a drawer, revealing a letter from Kageyama.

"So, Prodigal King…I suppose you did miss ruling the world. I guess the draw of your birthright was too strong…" He took out the letter and scanned through it, smiling his mysterious smile, his messy black hair shielding his grey-blue eyes.

"The world is different without you…It's about time you came back…the three years before made me relive my times with nii-sama…"

o.O.o

Domino City Japan

4:30 P.M.

o.O.o

The grounds outside the school were as loud as usual, with the ever-present chatter of the students clustered there. Kabuto and Riku both were somewhere in the midst of it, talking about the abrupt change of schedule they heard yesterday.

"Why do you think though?" Riku was asking. He was on the school bench, lying down on it staring up at the leaves of the tree that Kabuto was leaning on, his books scattered around him, most written on with small additional notes in the margins.

"Who knows…I've heard that the Cyber Games Director is a crazed up fruit loop." Kabuto replied, jotting down another answer into his Science homework. "Maybe he switched the dates just for the heck of it."

"Shows what you know." Said a gruff voice from somewhere above him. Both boys looked up at saw Yuuhi staring down at them. "The Director may be hard to figure out, but he's a genius…one of the best people out there."

Before they could get a word in edgewise, Yuuhi turned on his heel and walked into the crowd.

"What was that about…?" Riku asked, pushing himself up.

Kabuto closed his book. "I'm not sure…but it sounded like he knew the Director…"

"How do you figure…?"

"The tone of his voice, it was one of speaking of experience."

At this moment, Riku recalled something. "By the way, when I checked my games in the com lab, someone beat out your top scores, Kabu…"

The aforementioned blond's head snapped to his friend. "What? How's that possible? They were all at the 9 million score mark!"

The white-haired boy nodded. "I know…but someone topped it out to the most sought after score ever: the Line of Nines." (1)

Kabuto's eyes seemed to bug out behind his glasses. "The Line of Nines? Not even I got that high!"

Riku put his hands on Kabuto's shoulders. "I know Kabu, don't go crazy on me. But here's the thing: before I found out, I noticed Yuuhi coming out of the Com lab just before I went in. Now, when I got in there after he got out, there was no one else in there…and the scores were all at the Line of Nines."

Kabuto's brow furrowed as he pushed up his glasses. His long blond locks curtained over his eyes as he bowed his head.

"Well, Kabu? What's in your head?"

As the blond looked up at Riku, his eyes sparked of discovery. "It may be a long shot…but I think Yuuhi is the long lost Titan."

Before Riku could reply, there was a loud thud and someone yelping. Kabuto snapped to the spot under the tree where he left all his books, and sure enough, someone was on the ground nearby them.

Now, this someone was quite odd in this area. For one, he was wearing civilian clothes, what more, the clothes he was wearing were quite peculiar for a country like Japan. He wore a bright purple hoodie jacket with long sleeves, with the hood over his head and shielding his eyes. His pants were a little baggy, and of white denim, blotched with faux dirt stains. Another was that from what skin they could see (his hands and ankles) he had a deep brown tan.

"Ow…who left the ground here…?" he muttered in English.

Not thinking twice, Kabuto knelt down and helped him up. "You okay?" He asked in English.

The hooded man raised his head to him. Only the lower half of his face was showing, but there was a little sliver of silver-blond hair peeking out from the hood. "Finally, someone here who can speak my language!" He said, smiling.

'Where have I heard that voice before…?' Kabuto asked himself as he helped the hooded man up, but in doing so, he accidentally raised the hood to reveal a bit of the man's face. The blond stared at the man's face, in shock.

"Whoa...Mark Ishtar?"

Before he could say anything else, Mark held Kabuto in a headlock, his hand slapped over his mouth. "Shh!" He hissed. "I have no idea how to talk my way out of a horde of Japanese reporters!"

"You should worry about the fans…" Riku commented in Japanese, sniggering at Kabuto's position.

Kabuto nodded hastily, and Mark let him go. The blond ran a hand through his hair and straightened his glasses. "I wasn't going to say anything…" He said. "But…what is the Cyber Games Champion doing here…?"

Mark put the hood up over his head and gestured them to come closer.

"I was told to head for Japan because the Director said that the Titan was in this town, and he's got a team ready to storm this year's Cyber Games."

Kabuto nodded. "Sounds reasonable…but why here?"

"The Director says this is his school…"

Kabuto and Riku looked to each other. Mark caught their looks and raised a brow. "What's up?"

Riku nodded to Kabuto, and then turned to the tanned Champion.

"We think we know who the Titan is…"

o.O.o

In the shed hidden in the school grounds, Yuuhi leaned against Black Blaze, looking up at the ceiling. He had taken off his jacket, and draped it over a small window to shield him from view. He had a can of soda in one hand, and a rag in the other.

"Should I even do this?" He asked himself, looking to his left arm again. The handkerchief he wrapped around it was half-soaked with blood, but the blood had dried a long while ago.

He let out a sigh and turned on an old battery radio on the ground next to the wall. Taking a breath, he picked up the rag and started to shine his bike, letting the song blend into the background.

"I used to rule the world…
Seas would rise when I gave the word…
Now in the morning I sleep alone,
Sweep the streets I used to own…

I used to roll the dice,
Feel the fear in my enemies eyes…
Listen as the crowd would sing:
'Now the old king is dead! Long live the king!'

One minute I held the key
Next the walls were closed on me…
And I discovered that my castles stand…
Upon pillars of salt and pillars of sand…"

The radio began to buzz out the song. Disgruntled, Yuuhi got up and hit the radio with a wrench, which fixed the buzzing out after a moment.


"It was the wicked and wild wind
Blew down the doors to let me in.
Shattered windows and the sound of drums
People could not believe what I'd become…


Revolutionaries wait…
for my head on a silver plate.
Just a puppet on a lonely string…
Oh, who would ever want to be king?"

o.O.o

(1) Line of Nines: when a video game's number range is at its maximum, it would show a line of the number nines. Its length depends on how many digits there are. (99, 999, 99,999 or 999,999,999)

Hope you enjoy this!