Order Through Chaos III: The Unbroken Harmony

by Medigo

The war is over, the Numbers have won. Mankind has accepted their power and made the world a better place to live in. Yet this coexistence is founded on one great lie. Not all is as it seems to be, and only one who has been through the eyes of Chaos and Order can see the truth for what it is..

21. (Cipher 186): Stitched Together

(Cipher 186) 20: Stitched Together

At agency headquarters, four of the Seven assessed the damage. Two of their own had joined Azars side. Subito was still out there scouring Neo Avalon and hunting the man who had taken his brother. "The way she looked at me, its like she did not even recognize me." Claud still could not get that glare of Rita out of his head. Ariel was too distraught to speak. "They have Rita, and Dakar. They could be anywhere now." Xander surmised that things could not get much worse. Rita's Number worked best against the illusions Dakar's Number could cast. "Can we not break through his masks with another Number, like some sort of see-all card?" Ion asked, figuring there had to be one Number with a power like that. "Unfortunately no Number can overpower an Overhundred Numbers power. Kapha specifically designed them that way." Darcy shot that hope down. "He also says it is no use hunting them now and I agree. You need to rest, the agents will monitor our friends. Kapha promises that he is working on a new method to counter Chaos.."

They had have to make due with those promises, as Darcy left them alone. While Claud slinked away, Ariel lingered in the control room. "He took Dakar..again." On the screen she could monitor Subito's progress. "I should be with him." Subito had not found any sign of Chaos so far, and there was no saying if he ever would. "Ut omnia operatur" She heard Xander say suddenly. "What was that?" The words she did not understand. "Just a saying I like to tell myself when in college, its latin for 'everything will work out'." He chuckled. Latin made everything sound more profound. "You think that?" Ariel wishes she could share his optimism. "If your brother is half as a good at masking himself, as you always said he was; looking for him wont do you any good. But Dakar will come for us, and for you. That is certain. We just need to wait and be patient... Time is on our side, not theirs."

...

Where Darcy was going, no other human had ventured freely. Far from the main building, yet connected by a long series of elevators, stairs and subway tunnels, was an underground level. It lied even lower then the healing chambers, hidden behind many seals. The second-to-last room in the sequence was a wide open chamber, lined up with rows and rows of black blocks. They were hard drives. Each of them had a wire running upwards and into the ground. There was one other door on the other side of the room, and Darcy was about to unlock it.. "Oh. Of course." But she stopped herself, and turned around. "The one place where I can not bring the Seven. This is where you are going to ambush me.." She spoke to someone she could not see, but could feel.

"How...did you know?" Azar, Dakar, Korose, Necara and Shin stepped out of the invisible dome. There was no point in hiding anymore. "It's just the five of you? I was hoping to see you all." Rita and Ruby were not there because they had formed the backup line. If they needed to, they would bail them out. "I knew you'd try to find me, because Rita would have told you about me.. Well, you have me. Ask me anything, and I will see what I can do."

"Darcy. Why are you here, why are you working for the agency.. " Azar simply went straight for the big question. "Oh we do not have to pretend here, you and I both know the agency is not who I am working for." She in turn was surprisingly forthcoming. "You know? You know Kapha really is Pandora? Then.." Dakar looked around the room. "Is this..the new quantum computer? Is this where 'she' now lives?" The one at Kapha's old hive that had been decommissioned seemed to be the same size as this collection of drives seemed. "Actually, Kapha is still with us. But yes I know about her. I know what she did and is going to do. No, she is not in there. This is just collected data." Darcy said tapping one of the hard drives. "Is she in you then? Has she taken you over!?" Shin yelled. "That's not it either, Shin." She responded as she placed her hand on her chest. "This is still my body. Pandora does not need to be physical anymore, she is pure thought. She does not just see what we see, she lives our lives. You should realize that you are fighting something you can not defeat. You can not go against her unless you 'free' every last person."

"You knew, and you helped her still? I do not understand why you would to this." Korose may not have known Darcy that well, but he could not imagine her willingly betraying her friends. Pandora had to be influencing her. "Loyalty, for me, is not a matter of what you believe. It's what you can feel and touch." Darcy cracked her knuckles. "I know this feels right, this world feels right. I want to make sure it stays that way. So.." Darcy suddenly jumped on top of one of the blocks. "You are going to have to convince me the other way, if you want to go beyond this chamber." She took out a D-pad. "A duel? Why?" Necara did not see why they'd need her permission when they could just teleport to the next room. Except.. "You felt it when you came inside, didn't you? You can't get deeper down than this."

"She is right. I tried.." Azar had wanted to warp further, but couldn't. "There must be some form of barrier." Whatever it was, it was stronger than Xanders own forcefields, which he already had trouble breaking through. "Then we could get the 103rd." Necara suggested. "That wont do, Ann. These barriers were designed to counteract even Rita's powers." Darcy dashed that idea, much to Necara's irritation. "My name is Necara." She corrected her. "Oh. I am sorry, Necara. Still, I will let you play with me.. But I will choose my opponent. Hmmm, you!" Darcy pointed at Shin "Me?" He gasped. "If Azar, Dakar or Necara happen to defeat me, they could purify my Number. I do not want that. But if you do it, I promise I will let everyone inside the last chamber. That is the least I can do.." Darcy slowly shuffled her cards, waiting for the answer. "Okay then!" Shin responded without hesitation and climbed his way on top of another hard drive. "Azar, guys, leave it to me!" Shin activated his D-pad. "You can do it, Shin." Azar nodded.

Shins LP: 8000 Darcy's LP: 8000

"I am glad that now I get to say I've dueled both Artegas. Though I am curious, why did you come with Azar, Shin? This is a dangerous place." Darcy let Shin have the first turn. "Because Pandora brainwashed my friends and family; that's why! And... because my dad knows something and I can't ask him about it. But I can ask you!" Shin summoned Gagaga Gardna(4/1500/2000) in attack mode and placed two cards in his spell/trap zones. That was it for his turn. "Oh yes. Mister Artega, he was doing work for us. A lot of people were." Darcy smiled and drew her card. "Work? Working on what?" Shin inquired loudly. Darcy just flicked her finger. "Not telling." She placed two trap cards down and summoned her monster; a furry critter(3/1000/700) with a pirate bandana and eyepatch. "This is Kuribandit. I can tribute it to see the top 5 cards of my deck during the endphase. One I can keep and the rest are discarded." Darcy proceeded to end her turn, and the Kuriboh pirate checked the contents of her deck. Four cards (Zombowwow, 2 Porcelain Dolls and Bone Temple Block) were discarded while a Photon Veil was added to her hand.

"That was..your turn?" She had left herself defenseless. If Shin had enough firepower, he could defeat her right now. "I summon Star Drawing! So I can overlay him with Gagaga Gardna." An imp-sized spellcaster(4/1600/1000) jumped down on the boxes and waved its wand around. It and the shieldbearing Gardna attached to each other and formed Shins latest Xyz-monster. "I Xyz-summon Gagaga Samurai!" It was a duel-wielding samurai wearing an orange scarf and red/black robes. "Gagaga Samurai can let a Gagaga monster attack twice in one turn!" Azar detached Gagaga Gardna and let the Samurai target itself. It took out two swords. "Also.. When Star Drawing is used an Xyz-material, I can draw one card!" Shin drew a spell card from his deck. "Excellent!"

"I activate Gagagawind! I can special summon another Gagaga monster from my hand, if I already have on on the field." Azars spell used the presence of Gagaga Samurai to call a female Gagaga. "Gagaga Mancer!" This necromancer(4/100/100) donned a red cape and golden visor mask. "Gagaga Mancer can use her necromancy to summon a Gagaga monster from the graveyard." The Mancer stabbed the virtual graveyard with her ankh-hilted sword, and dug out Gagaga Gardna. The guarder returned in attack position. "I can not special summon any monsters besides Gagaga monsters during the turn this effect is used. So I wont Xyz-summon again. But.." Shin swept his arm forward, directing his Gagaga army towards Darcy. "I can declare a triple direct attack!" Gagaga Gardna charged in first.

"Trap card. Limit Reverse." And Darcy defended herself. "I summon a monster with 1000 attackpoints or less from my graveyard, in attack position." One of her discarded monsters; a stitched-up zombie puppy(2/1000/1000), was placed before the Gagagas, "Shin! Be careful! If you destroy that thing.." Azar could not help but warn Shin. "I know already, that monster is Zombowwow!" But Shin was one step ahead. He had the Samurai smash the zombie dog. Its destruction triggered its effect. "Now it summons a monster with 0 defense and attackpoints from the deck, right?" He did not need his visor to tell this. "You've been studying, Shin." Darcy used Zombowwow's effect to special summon a Box of Friends(1/0/0) in defense position. Its effects were negated by Zombowwow, but only while it stayed on the field.

Darcy: 7100

"I studied every card that legally exists, Darcy!" Shin smirked and sent Gagaga Mancer to stab through the gift box monster. Weak the Necromancer might have been, but she could at least kill that box. "Very nice." Darcy in turn activated the effect of Box of Friends from her graveyard. It special summoned two normal monsters with different names and 0 defense points from her deck. A fragile Porcelain girl doll(2/100/0) and a broken dollhead Doll Part Blue(2/0/0) were spat out in defense mode by the box. "Thank you." Shin took the compliment and used Gagaga Samurai's remaining attack to smash the summoned dolls along with Gagaga Gardna.

Porcelain Doll, 1/100/0 Light/Fiend/Normal
A fragile doll made from the purest bisque porcelain. One wrong touch could shatter her into a thousand pieces.

Doll Part Blue, 2/0/0 Dark/Fiend/Normal
Broken Doll Head

"You are welcome, Shin. There is no reason we can't still be friends just because we see things differently." It was Darcy's turn again, Shin had run out of attacks and cards to play. "And thank you, for preparing my cemetery." She activated her second trap card. "Backup Soldier; as my graveyard holds more than 5 monsters, I can take back 3 monsters that have no effects." She backed up her hand by taking three Porcelain Dolls out of the graveyard. "Not so fast, Darcy!" Shin activated his set card as well. "Quickplay spell card: Shared Ride! Every time you add cards to your hand, outside of drawing them, I can draw one card!" This effect would last the entire turn, so Shin could already draw once. "I see. Well then, this should make you happy." Darcy activated the Photon Veil spell card in her hand. "Photon Veil returns three light monsters to my deck, and adds three new light monsters with the same name to my hand." Darcy reshuffled the Porcelain Doll cards into her deck, trading them for three Toy Knight cards. Meanwhile Shin could draw again due to Shared Ride.

"Toy Knights?" Shin heard of those cards too. "Aye. If a player controls no monsters, they can summon one Toy Knight from their hand." Darcy placed the first knight(4/200/1200) made from lego-like blocks on the field. "And when one Toy Knight is special summoned, they can summon another from a players hand." The first Knight set off a series of fireworks, announcing the summoning of its second copy(4/200/1200). That second Knight's effect activated likewise, and brought out her third Knight(2/200/1200). "I suppose I have never outgrown toys; dolls or blocks.." Darcy let out a satisfied sigh, before moving on to the next phase of her plan. "I overlay two of my Knights to Xyz-summon Princess Cologne." The block warriors were taken apart and converted to matter and energy that crafted a new toy; a gothic-styled princess doll(500/2200). "Remember her?" This card was quite rare, but Shin did not look disconcerted.

"I do. She summons Box of Friends from the graveyard when she is summoned." He knew the effects of the card well enough. "That is right." Darcy brought the Box of Friends back in attack-position.. Only to immediately send it back. "For my turns normal summon, I will tribute Box of Friends and the last Toy Knight. I tribute summon Mindless, the Doll of Delirium!" The Knight and Box disappeared under a new toy, a musical box with a spinning ballerina(8/2600/2700) on top. Only this ballerina had the smile of a maniac. "Mindless can summon another like her to my field, whenever she is summoned." The music box started playing a cacaphonous disjointed tune, and the ballerina began to dance on it. During that dance a second Doll of Delirium appeared.

Mindless - Doll of Delirium, 8/2600/2700 Dark/Fiend
When this card is summoned: you can special summon 1 "Mindless - Doll of Delirium" monster from your hand or deck.
A monster that was summoned using this card as a Fusion/Synchro or Xyz Material is treated as a normal monster and has it effect(s) negated.

"Two level 8 dark monsters?" Korose recognized these kinds of materials. "You are going to summon Number 22." The card that Rita and Claud had taken from her.. was of course the one she had now. "I am. I overlay the two Mindless Dolls!" Delirium joined together into one mass of twistedness. "Come out, come out! Come Number 22!" A grotesque frankenstein-esque giant(8/4500/1000) was placed on top of them. "Zombiestein!" Shin braced himself as he saw the Number that Subito had forfeited against all that time ago. "Zombiestein.. attack Gagaga Mancer." The shrouded monster stomped towards Shins necromancer and raised a fist. "I activate Gagaga Samurai's effect!" Fortunately for Gagagamancer, the Samurai jumped in between the path of Zombiesteins punch. "It can redirect any attack towards itself and switch itself to defense position!" Gagaga Samurai crossed its swords and took the blow. Number 22's fist shattered both his blades and knocked him into the ground. "My my, that was cutting it close, wasn't it?" Darcy said and ended this turn.

"Too close. He has no Number. How can he beat something like that?" Dakar did not like Shins chances. Shin could not summon his own Number. "Its effect is negated." Necara saw an opening, but only one. "Hey, I can hear you!" Shin shouted towards the sidelines. "I am already on top of things! I have one or two ideas! Crazy ideas!" Shin reactivated Gagaga Mancers effect. This time she brought Gagaga Samurai back to life, in attack position. "I am going to xyz-summon Gagaga Cowboy!" Gagaga Gardna and Gagaga Mancer were attached to the second Gagaga-Xyz monster in his extra deck; the gunslinging Gagaga(4/1500/2400). "That one? Where is this going, Shin?" Darcy looked intrigued. "Wait and see. This is a magic show after all!" Shin followed it up with a spell card. "Gagagatag! Until my next turn; all Gagaga monsters will gain 500 attackpoints for each Gagaga monster on my field!" The card powered both the shooter(2500/2400) and swordsman(2900/1600), adding 500 points twice. "Is that enough?"

"It is, Darcy!" Shin entered the battle phase. "I will tell you why. When Gagaga Cowboy is in attack position, it can take 500 attackpoints from a monster it attacks.. and give 1000 attackpoints to itself!" The Gunner shot Zombiestein(4000/1000) to weaken it, and grabbed a second gun to boost his(3500/1000) own powers. It detached Gagaga Mancer as a cost for this effect. "And when Gagaga Mancer is detached from a Gagaga-Xyz monster, she can give that monster 500 more attackpoints!" The necromancers spiritual energy was added to the Cowboy(4000/2400)during its assault. "You are aiming for mutual destruction!" Korose understood the plan now: Zombiestein and Gagaga Cowboy had the same attackpoints. Shin and Darcy's Xyz monsters killed each other as their fists and guns met.

"Well done, Shin. You overcame my Number. I think you earned one answer." Darcy made another leap, landing on the block closest to the doorway. "One answer?" He followed her and so did Gagaga Samurai. "Take your time, think of a good question." In the mean time Darcy used Cologne's second ability. As Zombiestein had been a normal monster when it died, the Princess could detach one material and summon a new normal monster from the deck. She summoned a Doll Part Pink(2/800/0) to the field. "I am thinking!" Gagaga Samurai attacked and destroyed the broken doll torso instead. Princess Cologne could only be attacked if she was the only monster on Darcy's field. "Well in the mean time. I will take my turn." Princess Cologne detached her second and last material to summon a second Doll Part Pink(2/800/0) in defense mode, after the first one was killed.

Doll Part Pink, 2/0/800 Dark/Fiend/Normal
Broken Doll Body

"No. I have got it! Darcy, what is my dads connection with the ISA?" Shin asked her as his turn ended. "I expected something to that effect." Darcy drew her card and placed it on her lips. "I can tell you. Its not like you can not go after him right now."

"!? We can not?" Azar realized the meaning behind her words too late. He and Dakar could not teleport out of this room, not anymore. Yet it did not feel like a simple shield. "Of course. Pandora can not let the Seven see this place.. That does not mean it is unprotected. Shin... I will give you two answers for the prize of one." Darcy activated a spell card, Mimiclay. It mimicked one lowlevel defensive monster on the field, summoning a copy of it from the deck. The third and final Doll Part Pink(2/800/0) was summoned. 'Your father is stationed at an ISA science center, to assist the latest space project with his expertise in hardware design." That was one answer, a verbal one. "And this.. is what is keeping you here." Darcy overlayed the two pink torso parts. "Number 43: Manipulator of Souls!" The shadows below converged, spawning three puppet-like claws and one horned mask. It(2/0/0) was a Number, a puppetmaster holding strings in its hands. And those strings were attached to another monster, to Zombiestein. "Liliths first Number. Its power manipulates every body it sees..."

(To be Continued in Cipher 21: An Empire of Dolls)

New Cards used by Shin Artega
Gagaga Samurai
Gagaga Mancer

New Cards used by Darcy Lawless
Kuribandit
Zowbowwow
Porcelain Doll
Toy Knight
Mindless - Doll of Delirium
Number 43: Manipulator of Souls

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Photon Veil
Mimiclay

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Limit Reverse
Backup Soldier