Note: Sorry it took so long. But I finally managed to upload the newest chapter of Plasmashock! The Arcadia adventure continues, and a shocking secret about Yugi is revealed! Enjoy the story!
Chapter 25: Paradise Killed
In the early morning, there was an excited whale call bellowing from right outside the Eden Safehouse. "That's right Beta! We're back!" Anzu greeted happily. The Hunter that was Beta reached out and gave Anzu a big hug, the green light flashing in his helmet. "Ready to go out and kick some splicer butt?" The Rosie nodded enthusiastically.
"I don't know about you," Jonouchi stated, "but I've been ready to equip this Human Torch gene tonic since yesterday! Can I equip it now? Pretty pleeeeease?"
"Yes Jonouchi, you can equip it now." Atem replied.
"ALL RIGHT!" cheered the sandy blonde, and right away he took his gene tonic from out of his pouch and prepared the syringe.
Raphael, Amelda and Varon stood near the team, smirking with anticipation. "You sure you want to come with us?" Honda asked them.
"Of course." Raphael answered, "We figured you might use an extra set of hands for fighting splicers."
"True, we may not use plasmids ourselves, but we got some weapons to make up for it. Like this beauty right here!" Varon added, lifting up what the team figured to be a flame-thrower. Honda simply nodded.
Mai turned towards Stephen, Emily and Coral, who were standing by the door leading to the Safehouse. "What about you guys? Are you coming too?"
"As much as we want to go, I afraid we can't… at least not today anyway." Stephen replied, "We got some stuff to do in the Benzaiten Safehouse and it's real important."
"That's right." Coral stated, "My boyfriend needs us to make it all work."
"No problem. We'll just meet you later." Mai replied with a wink.
"Sure! Good luck everyone!" Emily cheered, and with that she and her friends rushed back into the Safehouse. It was at that moment Jonouchi stuck the needle into his wrist and made the injection. He gasped as a surge of power flooded over him. He reactivated his Blaze plasmid, and found that the coals covering his skin had become brighter. As he looked at himself, his mouth widened in a grin.
"AW YEAH!" Jonouchi exclaimed enthusiastically, "Eat your heart out Human Torch!" Atem couldn't help but smile at his friend.
"All right Agents," Yugi announced to his fellows, "You know the drill: cover your mermaid brooches. Make sure no part of them is sticking out."
"Got it!" Anzu replied. Raphael, Amelda and Varon simply nodded. With that, each of the Agents proceeded to maneuver pieces of their clothing so that their brooches were out of sight.
"I don't understand. You told me that Mutou and Raiden are both unaware of the Mermaid League's existence." noted Atem as he watched this action, "Why do you need to hide your symbol?"
"It's a precaution we Mermaid Agents take whenever we go outside the Safehouses." Yugi answered as he hid his mermaid brooch, "Our enemies are hostile enough as they are, no matter what side they're fighting on. But if any one of them happens to discover the presence and significance of the Mermaid League, there will really be a price on our heads! So even if it seems that no one knows, we still have to conceal our brooches… just in case."
"Ah, I see!" Atem replied.
"Well now that you're all prepared, let's get on with it shall we?" suggested Pegasus and he lifted Blossom up in front of him. "Time to bring out the map and go to radar mode!"
"Okie Dokie Master!" Blossom squeaked, "The map to Arcadia is downloading… now!"
"Oh c'mon, seriously! You guys know you can't leave without me!" A familiar voice suddenly called out from ahead of them. Everyone looked up toward the voice to find a certain Splicer Killer standing proudly before them.
Yugi's eyes widened in astonishment. "Kaiba! It's you! I haven't seen you since the start of the First Kyoki War!"
Kaiba couldn't help but shudder a little at the sight of the League Leader. "Long time, no see Yugi."
"SAY WHAT?" Jonouchi exclaimed in utter disbelief, pointing at the Splicer Killer, "Y-YUGI! You mean to say YOU KNOW THAT GUY?"
"…I take it you've met him recently." Yugi stated to the sandy blonde.
"Look Mutt," Kaiba replied, "it's nice to see that you've made the connection between me and Yugi, but as for how we're connected, we'll explain later." Jonouchi, as usual, growled at the Splicer Killer for the 'Mutt' label as the latter turned his attention toward the diplomatic protector. "Anzu, did you get that Restoration plasmid?"
"Of course." Anzu replied, taking out a bottle containing the plasmid in question. "Grandma just sent it to me this morning. Two doses of it in fact. You can have this dose."
"You have my gratitude." Stated the Splicer Killer, and he once more undid the machine and armband on his right arm and unrolled the sleeve. As Kaiba prepared the syringe, Atem couldn't help but notice a familiar tattoo marked on the right wrist below the Splicer Killer's palm.
Look Yugi! he noted to the doppelganger with his telepathy, He's got the same tattoo I have!
Tattoo? Yugi asked in confusion. The Bolt wielder then revealed his own golden chain tattoo, which rested on his own left wrist. Yugi stared at it, then at the Kaiba's tattoo. His eyes widened in shock as he gazed back at the first. No way!
"Anyway," Kaiba continued as he injected the Restoration plasmid, "You remember asking me to help you last night? Well, I've just got word from Raiden that you and your friends are on the warpath to Ryu Mutou."
"Raiden?" Anzu asked in surprise, gaining everyone's attention. Only a few seconds passed before she gave him a glare. "Hey wait! You're telling us you work for Raiden?"
"Yeah, but it's not because I want to. You can be thankful for that part." Kaiba admitted, and he removed the syringe, and redid the garb and equipment on his arm. "Anyway, he told me to aid you somewhat with the assassination, so I guess our little arrangement from before seemed to work out nicely."
Anzu's glared vanished from her face. "Well, in either case, I'm just glad you're here to help us."
"That's right." Yugi agreed, "If you're willing to help us rescue the Scavengers on the way, we'll be more than happy to accept your assistance."
"I got the map!" Blossom announced.
"Good! Let go to the Gatherer's Garden store first and stock up on some extra supplies." Pegasus suggested.
"Good call Pegasus." Atem stated, and he reactivated his own Bolt plasmid. He looked over at Kaiba and Jonouchi. Incredible. He thought, The three B's… the three most powerful elemental plasmids, all together in one group. No doubt we'll take down Mutou in an instant! Beta moaned and motioned for everyone to come. Atem nodded. "Let move on out!"
In the depths of Arcadia, the screen of a high definition TV hanging on a beam flashed an ad praising Raiden loud and clear even as the songs of the Gatherer's Garden dolls filled the hall. "Hmmm… How much does this plasmid cost?" Mai asked.
"Exactly 80 Nagi Miss Mai." Pegasus replied.
"Here, take some of mine." Atem offered.
"You truly are a considerate man Atem." Mai complimented and went on to make her payment.
"And while you're at it, I'll take that gene tonic over there, the one called 'Sub-Zero'."
"Do you hear that, Blossom?" Pegasus stated happily to his doll, "Business is booming for us today!"
"Boom, boom!" Blossom squealed.
While all that commotion was going on, Atem stepped away to stare at the posters of his guide. "So what are you going to do now?" Yugi asked.
"Wait for Raiden to call." Atem answered, "And when he does, I'm going to confront him about all the things he's done."
"Are you sure that's a good idea Atem?" Jonouchi asked. "I know he's not the good guy he claims to be, but that seems a little risky."
"It's a risk I'm willing to take." Atem responded. Sure enough, his Video Phone emitted its signal and when he picked it up, a certain guide appeared on screen.
"Hey there!" Raiden greeted, "Did you take a rest at the Eden Safehouse or something? I've tried to call you since yesterday. Anyway, it's good to see you're still safe-"
"Save it Raiden." Atem growled, "If you said my friends and I went to the Safehouse for some rest, you're absolutely right! And while we were there, I heard through the grapevine that you actually caused more pain than you healed." Raiden gaped in surprise as the Bolt wielder continued, "I also heard that you were the one who was behind the 2006 New Years Attack, that half of Kyoki's population was slain by the hand of your followers at your command! Is it true? Answer me!"
The guide lowered his head, as though in shame. "You were right to accuse me of all those things Atem… for I am indeed guilty as charged." He lifted his head. "But please, let me explain. I'm sure you've heard a lot of things about me by now. Seen my name about in posters, seen my face on TV. There was a time when I cared about politics. But I see now that politics are just an excuse for men to kill one another. I'm finished with that… I just wanted to see the sunlight again."
The sunlight… Atem thought to himself. Although he didn't believe the majority of Raiden's explanation, he quietly agreed on one thing: he missed the sunlight. He missed the surface. And he wanted to go back.
"Anyway…" Raiden continued, "Is that… Yugi standing by you? I haven't seen him since… oh, what the hey! He'll be a very big help for your team. When you're done with whatever you're doing, hurry over to Rolling Hills."
"Right." Atem answered. After the call ended, he soon heard the agonized screams of a certain violet-eyed shutterbug. He and his two friends turned around to find Raphael and Beta applying some needed pressure on Mai, who had finished equipping her plasmid for the first time. Halos of misty wind were beginning to materialize over her body, wrapping around her forehead, biceps, wrists, waist, thighs and forelegs.
"Mai!" Jonouchi shouted and ran over to her.
"It's all right Jonouchi!" Honda reassured, "She can handle the modification."
"I know that Honda! I just don't want her to pass out!"
Mai took a deep breath, letting her head drop down. Then, although she was shaking a little, she slowly lifted her head and smirked playfully. "No need to worry everyone. I'm doing fine." Once they were certain that she could stand on her own, Raphael and Beta released their grip on her. "Thanks for the help boys."
"My pleasure." Raphael replied, and Beta moaned his whale call cheerfully. The violet-eyed shutterbug stepped forward, with her halos of wind all around her.
"Whoa! That plasmid really suits you!" Anzu complimented.
"Thanks Anzu." Mai replied, striking a pose. "And it's bound to come in handy."
"Do you mind telling me about that plasmid you just equipped? What does it do?" Atem asked.
"I was figuring you'd be asking that question Atem!" Mai answered with a wink, "This is the 'Cyclone' plasmid. I've often read about it in magazines and seen it on TV. With this, I can create gusts of wind that can send enemies flying to the ceiling." No sooner than she finished that sentence that the whole group heard the angry scream of a splicer coming from the other side of the room.
"AIEEE! WARNING! WARNING!" shrieked Blossom, "INCOMING SPLICER!"
"Well, what a coincidence! I think it's time to put this thing to the test!" She lifted her hand, sticking out her two fingers so that a small ring of misty wind formed around them. Then she thrust them like a pistol toward the ground. Instantly a small, and seemingly weak, cyclone rose up from the ground, never moving from its spot.
"That's it? A puny whirlwind?" Jonouchi asked, looking a little skeptical.
"Just wait a minute." Mai stated confidently. A few seconds later, the angry splicer came running toward them, waving his wrench wildly. No sooner than he stepped on the cyclone center than its wind suddenly grew in a burst of strength. It sent the monster flying into the air, and he hit the ceiling before plummeting dead to the ground. The violet-eyed shutterbug smirked in satisfaction, happy to know that her new plasmid worked so perfectly. "Not so puny now, is it?"
Jonouchi just gawked in front of the whole scene. "I stand corrected!"
"In its normal state, Cyclone is a defensive plasmid." Pegasus explained, "When used against enemies, they serve as traps for deadly ambushes. Keep in mind the fact that its doesn't work on larger foes."
"It's also a useful tool to help allies." Mai added, "If there's a particularly high place where you can't reach, my Cyclone plasmid can give you a boost to get you there. Think of it as an instant elevator."
"Amazing!" Atem stated, "I can only wonder what its Overdrive Ability can do."
Kaiba let out a stuttering gasp as he finished equipping his Sub-Zero gene tonic. "Whoa, check it out!" Honda gasped as he and the others watched the upgrade in action. The film of frost, which covered Kaiba's skin, became even glossier in appearance, making him look even more like living ice. Once the transformation was complete, the Splicer Killer let out a deep breath. The breath in question solidified momentarily as if formed by freezing cold air.
Before long, his lips curved into a smirk. "Bring it on splicers… I'm ready!"
"Well then mates! Now that we got what we needed, let's head over to Rolling Hill, shall we?" Varon suggested. Suddenly Atem fell to his knees, clutching his head in pain.
"Atem! What's wrong." Yugi shouted, as the Bolt wielder lifted his head. The words coming out of lips surprised everyone.
"Rolling Hills… Head north from the Tea Garden. The entrance is past the main forest."
Blossom gasped, "Hey! I'm not even on radar mode yet! But that's exactly what it says on the map!"
"Are you sure you've never been to this place before Atem?" Yugi asked, "Because you seem to know exactly where to go and that's starting to freak me out!"
"I don't know how I know the directions of certain places… but for some reason I know! And that's what scares me!" Atem muttered as he slowly stood up.
"First the Wharf Master's Office and now this?" Honda noted, "Something's going on here!"
"If that's the case, we'll follow you Rolling Hills." Amelda stated to the Bolt wielder, "And Blossom will keep us from straying." Beta moaned in agreement. Though he was still startled by what was happening, Atem nodded in agreement.
Minutes later, the whole team was traveling down the hall beyond the main forest, with Atem leading the way. It was not long before he stopped. "There! The entrance to Rolling Hills!" Sure enough, the door to their destination was right before them, displaying the name in a bold neon sign. Atem's Video Phone signaled its call, and Raiden appeared on the screen.
"Great job!" Raiden praised, "The main bathysphere of the Kyoki Metro is not far off. And from there, it's straight on to Mutou. Just be careful."
"We will Raiden." Atem answered before ending the call.
Raphael lifted his shotgun. "If the rumors are correct, it's straight on to the Ace in the Hole as well."
"Then what are we waiting for?" Jonouchi shouted impatiently, "We've got a bathysphere to catch!" And with that, the team forged ahead. Rolling Hills composed of a hilly grassy plain dotted with trees suited for temperate climates, likes oaks, elms and the like. They were at the center of the plain when a low growl pierced the silence. They stood rigid on the spot, and some began to look around.
"Uh guys?" Anzu asked, "Am I the only one who's got a feeling we're being watched? And I'm not talking about the security cameras." No sooner than she finished that sentence that a splicer resembling a rhinoceros charged toward them at top speed, distorted with tumors and open sores along with twisted limbs and bone exposed way below its horn. Luckily, Beta was even faster to respond. The green light in his helmet turned blue and he punched the beast on the side of its face, then shot it dead with his rivet gun when it was down. The others peered down at their fallen attacker.
"A splicer rhino?" Pegasus muttered, "Now that's a new one for me."
"Thanks again Beta!" Anzu stated and Beta moaned as if to say, 'No problem!'
"Damn, there's no end to these mutated animals!" Kaiba growled in disgust, "Last night I had to deal with an elephant splicer."
"Never mind that." Yugi stated, "Let's get out of here while we still can." Everyone sped toward the stairway leading below. At the bottom there was a station labeled, 'Langford Laboratory'.
"There's the place where Aunt Julie works, with the help of her assistants." Honda noted. And he faced the end of the hall. "And there's the doorway to the Kyoki Metro!"
"You're right! There it is!" Mai gasped.
"Shall we head out then?" Pegasus suggested.
"Good idea." Raphael agreed. The team started on their way, but they didn't go far; they saw that Atem and Yugi were very hesitant.
"What's wrong?" Amelda asked.
"I don't think we're home free just yet." Atem answered.
"C'mon! The door's unlocked and there's nothing to hold us back!" Jonouchi assured. "What could possibly go wrong?"
No sooner than he finished than Atem's Video Phone signaled a call. The Bolt wielder answered it, and another familiar face appeared on screen—a face no one wanted to see.
"I cannot help but be impressed by your tenacity, Boy." Ryu Mutou stated.
"You again?" Atem bellowed in rage.
"Goddammit Mutou!" Jonouchi likewise roared, "Why do you always have to butt in like that?"
"Heh… Bold words for a couple of weeds." Mutou noted, "How many trees have you planted up to this point?" There was no reply from the team, only a glare on all sides. "Exactly. Many years ago on the surface, when I was a teenager like most of you, I was the youngest self-made billionaire in Japan. At the time I came up with the plan to build Kyoki, the parasites went about seeking a personal wildlife sanctuary I owned and turn it into a public zoo. Why? So the tyrants can wallow in the shades of trees among birds and beasts of every environment, like it was paradise earned. When the Japanese government moved in to nationalize my wildlife sanctuary, I released all the animals and returned them to their natural habitats. And once the sanctuary was empty of all its residents, I burned it to the ground. The gods and goddesses of the world have created many things, but they certainly did not create this Arcadia! I did!"
By now, Yugi could no longer control his own rage. Before anyone else could react, he snatched Atem's Video Phone and faced the screen. There was venom in the tone of his voice. "Oh, how inspiring… COMING FROM THE MAN WHO NATIONALIZED ORICHALCOS FUTURISTICS!"
"YUGI MUTOU!" Roared the self-proclaimed King of Kyoki when he laid eyes on the League leader.
"Mutou?" Atem gasped in shock.
"It is frustrating enough to get you to follow in my footsteps!" Mutou continued, "Do you really have to go as far as to betray Kyoki as well?"
"If anyone has ever betrayed Kyoki, IT'S YOU, FATHER!" Yugi bellowed back.
"Father?" Jonouchi exclaimed in a hushed tone.
"Don't you go speaking to me with that tone of voice young man!" Mutou scolded harshly, "As long as you live in my city, you obey my rules!"
"Since when does Kyoki have rules?" Yugi retorted, "As I recall, this city was built to escape the rules of tyrants everywhere! You said yourself that free will is the cornerstone of this society or have you forgotten?"
"ENOUGH!" Mutou barked, "I will get through to you one way or another, Yugi—even if it means cutting off the city's oxygen to suffocate your parasite friends!"
"You wouldn't DARE!"
"Just watch me!" There was the sound of a button pushed from Mutou's office right before he ended the call, and in a matter of seconds, clouds of noxious green clouds burst out from several pipes and began to spread all over Arcadia. The door to the Kyoki Metro shut tight immediately.
"Oh no!" Mai shouted in horror before she began to cough.
"What's going on? The air is being poisoned!" Anzu exclaimed, finding herself struggling to breathe.
"And that's not all!" Honda panicked, "Look!" The team looked and all around them all the trees started sagging, and leaves were shriveling up and turning a dead brown. Even the grass under their feet was feeling the effects.
"Unbelievable!" Pegasus gasped, "Arcadia's plant life is wilting!"
"Damn Ryu Mutou! Ever since the Shootout he never plays fair!" Kaiba barked in anger before going into a coughing fit.
"Yugi!" Varon strained to plead as he, Raphael and Amelda fell to their knees clutching their throats, "Do something! This poison cloud is gonna kill us!"
"Hang in there guys!" Yugi coughed, "I got something just for this situation!" He quickly took out some small oxygen tanks the size of large soda bottles, complete with oxygen masks that look like those seen in the hospital. He strapped the tank onto his back and put on one of the masks and when he pushed the button mists of clean air spewed from two tiny valves on opposite side of the tank's cap, thereby expelling the poison cloud from the inside of the mask. "Here!" he instructed hastily, giving one of them to a choking Atem, "Put these on!" Atem strapped on the life-saving equipment and activated the tank so that all he can breathe in was clean air. The doppelganger then handed out the oxygen tanks to other members of team, and they quickly put it to good use. Thankfully, Beta had no need for these oxygen supplies; it was built into his suit. Blossom didn't have to worry about the supplies either, because she was a robot doll. Finally only Kaiba remained, and Yugi approached him. "C'mon Kaiba, you get some oxygen too!" But the Splicer Killer was more hesitant; in fact, he just stared at him, stiff with fear even as the poison cloud was choking him.
"Seriously! What's the matter with him?" Amelda asked standing up along with the other agents, "It's like he's seen a ghost!"
"I'll handle this." Atem suggested.
"Please do! " Yugi replied, and immediately handed over the tank and mask. The Bolt Wielder stepped forward. Kaiba's eyes widened further with fear and he inched away slightly.
"Kaiba!" Atem insisted, "You have to take the oxygen tank or else you'll die! Think of your little brother!"
At first, Kaiba did nothing but stare. But slowly, he took the tank and the mask and expelled the poison from his airway. Once that was done, he spoke. "I don't get it… Atem… I shouldn't be afraid of you! Or Yugi, to a lesser extent! But for some reason I am!"
But Atem wasn't paying attention. He and Jonouchi were more focused on Yugi—mainly for the shocking revelation that just unfolded. "Yugi! What you just said right now! Is it true? Is Ryu Mutou really your…?"
Yugi glared but remained calm. "As much as I hate to admit it, yes. That son of a bitch is my father."
"Damn… This is crazy! Your father is the man who made a nightmare out of Kyoki! The same man who is trying to kill us!" Jonouchi stated, "Why did you try to hide it from us?"
"He wasn't hiding." Mai answered, "Every citizen of Kyoki knows that he is the son of Ryu Mutou—and that over time he rebelled against him."
"Even though I've been friends with Yugi for a long time, I still don't know the details of his background since I spent most of my time helping out Aunt Julie." Honda added, "But like everyone else who's not a splicer, I know this much: He's basically an apple that didn't fall far from the tree… until the tree started rotting!"
Atem and Jonouchi stared in amazement before they looked toward the Prince of Kyoki. "Unbelievable!" Atem stated to his doppelganger, "When you said your grudge against Mutou was personal, I never thought it was that personal!"
Jonouchi mused, "I guess it all makes sense. Mutou has fallen so far from grace, even his own son hates his guts! Not that I blame you Yugi, I feel the same way about my dad." He then looked at his surroundings, as did everyone else. "Speaking of rotting trees, we sure got a lot of dead wood in this place."
Atem Video Phone signaled a call and Raiden appeared onscreen. "I knew it! Listen everyone, I may not be a botanist like that betty, Langford, but I have a feeling that Mutou had just killed Arcadia."
"You got that right mate," Varon explained, "He just released some poison clouds into the air, and the next thing you know all the trees, grass and flowers just died."
"And I presume the results will be devastating, right Varon?" Atem asked.
"More than devastating Atem! Remember! We're at the bottom of the ocean, and you know as much as I do that we can't breathe underwater! So all of our oxygen comes from the trees! No trees, no oxygen!"
"Give me some time to think then…" Raiden suggested. He was about to end the call when Honda's Video Phone signaled a call. And a certain scientist appeared onscreen.
"My trees!" exclaimed Julie, "Honda! You didn't defoliate the forests, did you?"
"N-No, I didn't!" Honda barked in a panic.
"Well then who did?"
Atem stepped up to face her and answered, "A certain unemployed hypocrite."
"…Mutou!" she growled. "You're in luck everyone, and from my perspective the timing couldn't be any more perfect. I have a Vector that can… oh, what am I saying? Honda, you remember the Rosa Gallica at the Waterfall Grotto, don't you?"
Honda blinked in confusion before he gasped. "The Rosa Gallica… Y-yeah Aunt Julie, I remember!"
"Well, now's the time to retrieve the sample!" Julie replied, "If the final Lazarus test is successful, the Rosa Gallica will be the only source of oxygen left that's keeping us alive and you might not need those oxygen supplies!"
"Sure thing Aunt Julie!" Honda replied, and his aunt ended her call.
"Seems like Langford has a way to get you out of this mess." Raiden noted, "Do as she tells you and hurry!" With that, Raiden ended his call.
"Uh, I don't get what she's talking about." Jonouchi stated.
"She's talking about her latest invention." Honda explained, "Rosa Gallica is a scientific word for 'rose', and it's the main test subject for that invention. Sometimes I don't know exactly what she's talking about, but that's because I haven't equipped the Clever Inventor gene tonic yet. But I've always wanted to be an inventor just like my parents. One day, four years ago, I walked in as she was setting plans for her invention, to which I still don't know the name…"
Julie Langford was busy writing down the thesis and recreating it on her computer, when a thirteen-year old Honda came through the door of the lab. "Hi Aunt Julie! Mom and Dad need an extra hand to… Aunt Julie? What are you doing?"
Julie looked behind her to meet her nephew. "Honda! What are you doing here? Would you wait for a minute? I'm busy right now!" She went straight back to work.
"Busy with what?" Honda asked, stepping toward the desk. Peeking over her shoulder, he could see the formulas and thesis documents. But he couldn't understand what they meant. "Are you planning to… build something?" For a second time, Julie paused. After a while she looked at her nephew straight in the eye.
"You really want to find out what I'm doing?"
"Yeah."
"Then you'll have to promise you'll help me with this. It's a top secret invention."
"Sure! I'll help out! Besides, I've wanted to invent something all my life! What does it do?"
"Heh heh heh, who says you can't teach an old dog new tricks? Honda, this baffy plant woman here comes from a family that has spent many years coming up with ways to defoliate trees for various reasons, from scaring the Congs to strengthening the health of forests in Berkley's National Parks. And now here I am under the sea, trying to fulfil the dream of doing the same thing in reverse! Nagi, Adam, Nagi, Adam… Whatever name it goes by, it's homemade Vodka, times the atomic bomb, times Eve with the serpent… or in the case of Japanese kids like you, Izanami with the food of Yomi." Julie gave a confident smirk, "Let's go see what it can do, shall we Sweet Cheeks?"
/
Two years later, Honda was with his aunt at the Waterfall Grotto. Julie was kneeling down and examining a dead rosebush at the very bottom, and the Telekinesis wielder was beginning to panic. "Yes Honda, I know about my lockdown mechanism! It's insane! Just give me a minute over here!"
"But Aunt Julie-"
"Just look at it Honda!" she interrupted pointing to a select bunch of new rosebuds. "The early Lazarus tests are very promising! The time has come to put this baby to the final test!" She sprayed a blue mist onto the entire rose bush. "If the Rosa Gallica blooms, then by God I know we're finally in business!"
"That's great Aunt Julie and I'm proud of our accomplishment on… whatever the hell that is, but we have to hurry back to the lab!" Honda looked back briefly. "The lockdown will activate within 60 seconds, and if we don't get there in time, we'll be locked out of the lab! And you know we left the keys inside!" Hastily, a frustrated Julie stood up and rushed upstairs.
"All right, ALL RIGHT, WE'RE LEAVING!" When she reached the top she pointed her finger right on to Honda's chest. "But when the time comes, you'll have to come back and check on those samples! They're very important!"
"Yes Aunt Julie I know!" Honda answered, "I'll go get them! You can count on me, just let me know when it's time!"
"… And now the time has finally come to retrieve the rose samples." Honda finished. "Maybe now she can let me in on what that invention is. All those years I've helped her out, and she still hasn't told me what she's cooking up."
"Then let's head over to the Waterfall Grotto and get the samples!" Pegasus suggested.
"Yay! Roses!" Blossom squeaked happily.
"There's just one problem…" Honda noted, "The Waterfall Grotto is located just beyond this cave, and it's used as the shrine for the Xibalbites!"
"If that's the only way to get there, we've got no other choice." Atem reasoned.
"POISON!" screamed an angry distorted voice from behind the team. Many other angry voices followed and a mob of splicers carrying wrenches, swords, spears, lead pipes and axes all came charging toward them from the other side of the hall.
"INCOMING SPLICERS!" Blossom cried, ducking behind Pegasus' shoulder.
"THIS IS OUR HOME!" bellowed a male splicer rushing over to strike their targets. Varon and Raphael, who were in front of their friends, managed to jump out of the way so that the splicer's wrench only struck the ground. Sensing the battle about to unfold, Mai quickly lifted her digital research camera and took a needed snapshot from the back.
"Damn splicers! They're so stupid, they blame us for Arcadia's destruction!" Varon shouted, and he activated his flame-thrower, incinerating the several splicers in the mob. Raphael took out his own shotgun and blasted a few more on the head. Amelda finished of the rest of them with the help of Beta, throwing grenades into the midst.
"Let's move out everyone!" Raphael shouted. "Mutou's bound to send reinforcements after us, so we gotta get to the Grotto before that happens!" The rest of the team agreed, and rushed into the flooded cave.
Once inside, they took time to survey their surroundings. It was dim, lit by several torches. Upon closer inspection, they realized that the torches were actually large straw dolls held up on iron bars. The walls were covered with glowing runes in strange patterns, and at the center of a small mossy island there stood what looked like a crude altar, surrounded by a great deal of 'offerings'. At first, not much was said among the team, save only Beta's whale moans as they navigated the cave. "I must say I'm impressed." Kaiba finally commented to Raphael with a smirk. "You and your friends over there slaughtered those splicers with nearly just as much passion as I have. And I mean nearly."
"We do the best we can." Raphael replied.
Amelda approached the Splicer Killer, with a certain question in mind. "So Kaiba… I heard that you have a little brother… one that was converted into a Scavenger. Is he the reason you hunt splicers?"
"Yeah." Kaiba answered. "Whenever I find him, I have to keep them from harvesting him. Is that a good enough explanation for you?"
The androgynous Agent let out a thoughtful sigh. "I know exactly what you're going through."
"Bullshit. How could you possibly know?"
"… I also had a little brother who was converted into a Scavenger. But he's dead now."
Kaiba stared at Amelda in shock. Soon shock gave way to sympathy. "He was harvested?"
Amelda nodded sadly. "Along with Raphael and Varon, I used to work for Raiden. One day we were participating in a raid when I found my brother and two other Scavengers walking down the halls, each with a Big Daddy by their side. Raiden tempted us to go kill the brutes and harvest all three Scavengers. When we naturally refused, he commanded his splicers to do the deed instead. We tried to stop them, but they held us back. In the end, we were all forced to watch as the splicers ripped the slugs out of their little bodies, killing them instantly. After that, we all left Raiden and his band of thieves. We've been fighting against him ever since."
"Who were the other two Scavengers that were with your brother?" Kaiba asked.
It was Raphael who gave the answer. "They were my siblings: a brother and a sister to be exact. Long before the Kyoki Wars began, my parents were executed in Amaterasu Square when Mutou was turning evil. Right after the New Years Attack, my siblings were taken and converted into Scavengers. By now, you know their sad fate."
Atem and Yugi were listening intently on the conversation as they traveled. Heartbreaking, isn't it? Yugi noted telepathically.
Yes. And that's why I'm happy I got that Restoration plasmid from Anzu. No one should ever have to go through this tragedy.
"Does anybody else here think this cave looks creepy?" Jonouchi asked, staring at the altar ahead.
"Wait!" Honda gasped, "What's that over there?" He stretched his hand toward the crude altar and used his Telekinesis to retrieve a certain flask of green liquid. "It's another flask of chlorophyll! And there's two more over there!"
"Oooo lookie!" Blossom squealed from Pegasus shoulder, "Porno magazines!"
"GAH!" Honda exclaimed, and quickly retrieved the offending stack telekinetically from the shrine. "Let's just pretend you didn't see that!"
His Video Phone suddenly turned on, revealing the face of his aunt. "Honda, are you at the grotto yet?"
"Not yet Aunt Julie, but we're almost there."
"Well hurry up already! And while you're at it, bring all the chlorophyll you find back to the lab as well. It's a vital part of this invention!"
"Got it!" Once the scientist cancelled the call, the Telekinesis wielder proceeded to take the flasks, this time by hand. He had just added them to his stash when a strange ripping noise echoed in the damp cave.
"Did you hear that?" Mai gasped, taking up her camera.
"Not again!" Blossom whimpered, and for good reason. It was not long before a pair of different colored smoke materialized from two different directions, one red and one blue, traveling at top speed toward the center.
"SPLICERS!" Kaiba shouted, and he jumped up to the ceiling using his blade gauntlets and blade boots to latch on. As the rest of the team readied themselves for battle, the first mage splicer appeared and set more straw totems on fire.
"POISON! YOU DEFILE THIS PLACE!" the splicer roared and shot fireballs toward the team. They barely had enough time to dodge the attack before their opponent began to teleport in a puff of red smoke.
"Don't lose sight of her!" Raphael warned as he tracked the fast-flying smoke cloud. It wasn't long before the fire mage splicer materialized again—right behind Anzu to be exact!
"ANZU! BEHIND YOU!" Yugi exclaimed just as the splicer jumped up from the water began to shoot toward her like a human meteor. With a surprised shout, Anzu jumped to the side. Angered at the near miss, the fire mage landed back in the water with a splash. That was when it dawned on the Bolt wielder.
"Yugi!" Atem shouted, "Do whatever it takes to keep that splicer in the water!"
It didn't take long for the Prince of Kyoki to piece together his friend's plan. "Right!" he replied, then threw his cards on the enemy before she could teleport again. She spun around to face him… and behind the crude mask her anger quickly turned into horror.
She stuttered, "The… t-the son of…M-M-Mutou…!"
"Get out of the water, NOW!" Atem commanded his companions, charging his quarterstaff pipe with the power of his Bolt plasmid. Once the others were safely out of the pool, the Bolt wielder slammed his weapon downward. Instantly the pool was crackling with electricity, and the fire mage screamed in agony. "Kaiba! Finish her off!" The Splicer Killer, who was still crawling on the ceiling, did not hesitate to dive down and thrust his ice-coated gauntlet blades into the splicer's back. She was immediately frozen in place and shattered to pieces when he pulled out his weapon. Just then the blue cloud of smoke flew to the center before materializing into the second mage splicer. This one had a similar 'cultist' garb to that of his fallen companion, but his skin was coated in a sheet of ice. Seeing this, Mai quickly snapped a digital photo.
"YOU FIEND!" roared the splicer to Kaiba, "YOU SHALL PAY FOR DESECRATING THIS HOLY PLACE!" Immediately Kaiba activated his Blizzard plasmid, unleashing a barrage of ice spikes. However, the ice did nothing to harm his opponent: in fact, it seemed to invigorate him!
"SHIT!" Kaiba cursed, "I forgot! My plasmid doesn't work on the likes of him!" The splicer then unleashed a barrage of his own ice spikes, which struck Kaiba on the shoulder as he tried to dodge. Since he had the Blizzard plasmid himself, the attack didn't freeze him in place, but it did wound him.
"That's splicer's different from the fire mage!" Jonouchi gasped. "He's just about as cold as Kaiba!"
"And here's why!" Mai responded, showing the sandy blonde the data on her digital research camera.
Ice Mage Splicer
This mage splicer wields the power of the Blizzard plasmid. In lower levels their attack patterns are somewhat similar to the fire mage, except that they use the powers of ice and frost. At higher levels however, the ice mage can summon tidal waves of liquid nitrogen and mists that can freeze enemies in their tracks. Because they are highly attuned to their Blizzard plasmid, they are immune to ice, but are extremely vulnerable to fire and lightning as well as antipersonnel rounds.
"An ice mage huh?" Jonouchi mused, "Sounds like the kind of mage splicer I can handle!" At that moment, the ice mage once again unleashed a barrage of ice spikes.
"Varon! Amelda!" Raphael shouted, and the two Agents spun around to face their enemy. But they had barely lifted their weapons when the ice spikes struck them, and froze them solid.
"Oh no!" Honda gasped.
"Now to finish you off!" bellowed the splicer. He quickly became like a statue of living ice and shot towards his frozen targets, surrounded by a mist of snow. Where the snow touched, the surface of the water froze into a sheet of ice.
"Not if I can help it!" Anzu declared, raising her boomerang and pointing toward the enemy. "GET HIM BETA!" Beta bellowed in reply, the blue light in his helm flashing. Quickly he stepped in front of the other two Agents and punched the incoming mage splicer. The Hunter was frozen for only a few seconds before the ice melted away, and he didn't hesitate to open fire.
The ice mage splicer stood up even as the bullets started flying. "Ugh, you think you're so tough eh?" Again he shot out a barrage of ice spikes. The Rosie was momentarily knocked off balance.
"Atem! That splicer's weak against fire and lightning!" Jonouchi stated, "Let's give him the combo before he does damage to Big Daddy Beta!"
"Right!" Atem agreed and the two friend charged up their plasmids. They didn't get a chance to activate them before the splicer teleported again to escape the bullets. "GRR! We have to keep him still!"
"I'll help you with that!" Yugi replied, and activated his Illusional Clone plasmid, sending the ghostly clone right in front of the enemy's path. The ice mage stopped in his tracks, canceling his teleportation. Like their first opponent, he was stiff with fear.
"Now Jonouchi!" Atem commended and he unleashed his Bolt. The sandy blonde followed in suit with a more powerful version of his Blaze. The splicer screamed in agony as he was being burned by fire and lightning.
"Time to finish you off!" Anzu exclaimed and threw her boomerang, slicing off their opponent's blazing head in one stroke before returning to its owner.
"That was too close!" Pegasus sighed.
"Nice work you two!" Raphael complimented, "Now help me defrost Varon and Amelda!"
"Sure thing!" Jonouchi agreed and shot the fire of his Blaze toward the still-frozen Mermaid Agents, melting the ice and setting them free.
"Whew! Thanks Mate!" Varon replied.
Honda picked up the fifth chlorophyll flask that was floating in the water not far away from the shattered corpse of the fire mage splicer. "In any case let's hurry over to the Waterfall Grotto." He stated as he went over to search the dead ice mage. "Just like those Xibalbite cultist to hide chlorophyll on their persons." he muttered under his breath as he retrieved yet another flask.
"Master! There's a sweet smell coming from that tunnel!" Blossom announced excitedly, pointing to the other side of the cave. "It seems to coming from some roses!"
"That means the Grotto's not very far from here." Pegasus reasoned, "If those roses are really alive then I can't wait to remove this oxygen mask!" With that the team forged ahead toward the dark tunnel.
"Yugi…" Atem stated to the Prince of Kyoki as they traveled, "While we were battling those splicers, I've noticed that they stopped attacking when they faced you. It's like they were actually trying to avoid hurting you."
"Even I don't know why some of them do it." Yugi answered, "If I have to guess, it may have something to do with the fact that they work for my father. But that doesn't mean I can let my guard down; some of my father's splicers go out and attack me anyway."
It was not long before they saw a soft pink light shining from the other side. Before the team even knew it, they were at the other side. The Waterfall Grotto was a deep cavern lit up with pink lanterns, and there were cascading waterfalls that filled the grotto with peaceful music. And at the very bottom of the cavern…
"Wow!" Anzu gasped, "There it is! It's so beautiful!" The large rose bush stood in the center of the large pool like a large jewel, bursting with beautiful red roses and green leaves. Honda was the first to remove his oxygen mask.
"And since it's still alive, that means Aunt Julie's invention actually works!" he stated with excitement. One by one, the rest of the team followed suit and removed their own oxygen masks, breathing in the clean air.
"So now what do we do?" Jonouchi asked.
"We retrieve the sample, that's what." Atem replied. He took a step on to the metal staircase—then quickly withdrew when he felt it shake. It shook for quite a bit before it was still again.
"Hmmm… Seems like the stairs are unstable." Amelda noted, "I suppose we have no choice but to jump down."
"But if we can't use the stairs, how are we gonna get back up?" Jonouchi asked.
"I'll assist you on that one." Mai answered with a wink, lifting her Cyclone-adorned fingers. "And while I'm at it, I can set up a couple of traps in case any splicers happen to come by."
"Great!" Honda replied, "I'll get the rose sample. Atem, Jonouchi, Yugi, you guys come with me to watch me back. The rest of you stay on the lookout from above."
"You got it." Raphael agreed, and turned toward the others as the Telekinesis wielder and his four friends leapt down. "If you happen to find any security cameras or turrets in the area, shoot them down." The others nodded and took their positions. Mai wasted no time preparing some traps with the help of her Cyclone plasmid. Kaiba took advantage of his own gauntlet blades and blade boots to survey the Grotto from the ceiling.
"Aha! I see you up there!" Pegasus stated mockingly at a security camera he spotted on the corner, and made quick work of it with his machine gun. Meanwhile at the bottom of the grotto, Yugi, Atem, Honda and Jonouchi were stepping toward the rose bush, when the League leader noticed something tangled up in the vines. He stepped over to investigate.
"What did you find Yugi?" Honda asked. Yugi gave no reply as he knelt down and carefully pulled out what happened to be a video diary. He pushed play, and the screen flickered on to reveal a slightly distorted woman with strawberry blonde hair. Atem and Jonouchi, who had stepped up for a closer look, recognized her immediately.
"It's that woman again!" Atem gasped, "Diane McClintock!"
Indeed Diane seemed to be troubled, and she began to speak. "It's been almost a year since the Attack… I just can't believe how much things have changed since I left Dr. Steinman's office…" The screen shifted to a horrifying scene, zooming in on crumbling architecture and splicers fighting one another. "I mean, it's like I don't even recognize Kyoki anymore!" The camera zoomed back to Diane, and there were tears streaming down her stitched-up cheeks. "I heard that they're rounding people up in Amaterasu Square… to be hanged. I confronted Mutou and I asked him… 'How could you do such terrible things to innocent people?' He said, 'Innocent people? Only small children are innocent; I shed a river of tears for those I couldn't protect… and indeed there are many of them who perished in this war. But the people you speak of are anything but innocent. If they haven't chosen to defend Kyoki and its people, they've chosen to fight for Raiden and his band of thieves. So with the exception of small children like the poor pitiful Scavengers in my care, there are no innocent people: there are heroes and there are criminals.' An hour later, I told Yugi these exact words. Needless to say… he was shocked, if not angry. He said to me, 'My father is wrong. In this war there are no heroes: there are villains and there are victims… With the Second Kyoki War just starting, I think it's time I did something about it.' At least he understands." The screen flickered off, signaling that the entry was over. Atem looked up to his doppelganger and found that he had been crying.
"Diane…" he whispered.
"… You care about her, don't ya?" Jonouchi noted.
Yugi nodded. "I still do."
"You can talk about it later Yugi." Honda replied, "Right now we have to get that sample!" The Prince of Kyoki wiped away the remaining tears and stood up to watch as the Telekinesis wielder approached the rose bush. His eyes scanned the many flowers before him. "Now let's see, which one should I get for my Aunt? Hmmmm…" Finally, he spotted a particularly large and gorgeous red rose. "Ah! Perfect!" Quickly he plucked the rose, careful not to lose a single petal. Then he lifted his Video Phone and entered the code to call his aunt. "Aunt Julie! I got it!" he stated once the pretty scientist appeared onscreen, "I got the Rosa Gallica!"
"You did?" Julie gasped, "Well what are you waiting for? Hurry back to my lab and send it through the pneumo!"
"Got it!" Honda replied, ending the call. Suddenly, Blossom shrieked in terror and clung to her master in a fetal position.
"Oh! Dear Blossom!" Pegasus stated, petting his precious robot doll. "Easy now, we won't let them hurt you." Beta bellowed a whale call to give a similar warning.
"This doesn't sound good!" Anzu muttered, "By the way Blossom is acting, the splicers must have caught up with us!"
"Mai, do you have any more data on that camera of yours?" Varon asked.
"Sure do, look at this!" Mai answered, once again showing the contents of her digital research camera, "It talks about the thug splicer!"
Thug Splicer
The thug splicer is the melee fighter of splicerkind, due to the fact that they are unable to make use of ranged weapons. Some use no weapons at all. The common thug splicer is the weakest of their kind, and to an extent, the weakest of all splicers. But do not underestimate them. They are still a force to be reckoned with, especially in large groups.
"THERE!" bellowed a voice from a cave. Everyone turned toward the source and found a large group of thug splicers at the mouth of the many caves. One of them pointed toward the team. "THEY ARE THE POISON!"
"KILL THEM!" shouted another splicer, waving his lead pipe, "KILL THE POISON!" With that, the mob rushed down toward the friends by the rose bush, waving their weapons wildly. Mai's Cyclone traps were well placed, and many splicers were sent flying by powerful winds. But even so, the mob continued to multiply.
"Why are you just standing there?" Kaiba shouted, "Let's take them down!"
"No! We don't have time to fight them all!" Atem retorted.
"Allow me to distract them!" Yugi suggested, and took his fighter's stance. "MULTIPLE CLONE!" Six illusional duplicates of himself materialized in a flash and with card weapons in hand, they sprung to action.
"So that's Yugi's Overdrive Ability! Not too shabby!" mused a highly impressed Jonouchi.
"This is not the time to admire plasmids!" Mai exclaimed, "Hurry back up so we can get out of here!" Quickly, she activated her Cyclone plasmid to create four whirlwinds.
"After you buddy!" Jonouchi stated to Atem, and although he was unsure about what would happen, the Bolt wielder stepped onto one of the small cyclones. The cyclone under his feet powered up instantly, but in comparison to its trap mode, it wasn't a sudden burst. Soon the wind became strong enough to lift him upward like an elevator. Atem couldn't help but be amazed by this plasmid. Once the Bolt wielder was safely on high ground, Yugi sped over and took his turn boarding the tornado 'elevator'. When Jonouchi activated his tornado Honda noticed that some of the League leader's clones were quickly vanishing. Then he saw something worse.
"Don't look now, but I think the splicers are starting to take the stairs, and taking it fast!" Honda warned. He rushed over to his 'elevator', but a thug splicer wielding a dagger leapt up toward him from behind. The Telekinesis wielder dodged the attack just in time, but the dagger struck his oxygen tank, creating a scratch on its surface as he went up. Half of the mob was halfway up the unstable stairway when Honda reached his friends, and he was ready. "TITAN MIND GRIP!" In a flash, he used his Overdrive Ability to detach the suspended stairway and fling it backward, sending several splicer crashing back into the ground. Angry shouts echoed from the bottom of the Waterfall Grotto, but now the thug mob had nowhere to go.
"Honda!" Amelda gasped, "Are you all right?"
"I'm fine." Honda replied, "One of them got my oxygen tank, but I don't think the damage is that significant. Let's get out of here!"
"C'mon Kaiba!" Raphael shouted, "These splicers aren't worth your time!" Growling in frustration, Kaiba joined the rest of the team and together they sped back to the laboratory.
Once they reached the outside of Langford Laboratory, Honda busied himself carefully packing his rose sample. "C'mon Mate, hurry up!" Varon whined impatiently, "The lab is on lockdown and if you don't send that rose soon we'll never get in!"
"Chill! I'm trying to set this up so the pneumo doesn't harm the sample." Honda explained, "This rose is a beauty after all, and if it's damaged in any way my aunt would have a fit!" Finally he secured his prized in a durable capsule. "Well, here goes." Carefully, he sent the sample through the pneumo. Since he was outside his aunt's lab, he had no need for his Video Phone. Her face appeared on TV screens hanging above the door. "Aunt Julie! We're back, and I've sent the sample through the pneumo just like you asked me!"
"About time!" Julie replied enthusiastically. She retrieved the capsule and opened it up. The moment she saw the rose, her face lit up with excitement. "Yes… this is perfect! Hold on just a minute!" The screen flickered off immediately. After a moment of waiting, the metal door began to slide upward. Before long, Julie Langford was standing right in front of them with a confident smirk. "Welcome to the Langford Laboratory! C'mon in and make yourselves at home. Bring your Big Daddy too, he's always welcome here."
"Thanks for helping us out Aunt Julie." Honda stated, giving his aunt a big hug.
"Just doing you a big favor." Julie replied with a wink when she broke the embrace. Honda turned around to face his friends.
"Come on in guys! I'll show you around!" The team stepped inside the lab. The office was a cozy space compared to the rest of the city, a fact that Atem and Jonouchi found refreshing.
"Nice place you got there Julie." Jonouchi complemented.
"Thanks," Julie answered, "I've worked hard to keep those splicer idiots from barging in. Sure, it's got a huge leak in one room, but the barrier is stable enough to keep out the overall seawater." She pushed a button to open yet another door. Inside, The laboratory was dotted with flasks and beakers filled with chemicals, and there were even ferns and other plants. Everyone was relieved to see that those plants escaped the poison cloud as well. There were also turrets in several corners, as well as some other scientists and biologists busy with their stations. Surveying the lab was a certain old professor and his granddaughter.
"Dr. Langford!" Hawkins greeted, "I see you've brought some guests to the Lab!"
"Nice to see you again Professor Hawkins." Atem replied.
The old professor smiled. "Same to you!"
"Grandpa!" Rebecca squealed, "Look who's here!" And she ran over to Yugi and gave him a big hug. The Prince of Kyoki blushed profusely, and Anzu was glaring in… is it jealously? Hawkins gasped in amazement.
"Well I'll be!" he gasped, and he began to laugh heartily. "If it isn't the rebellious son of Ryu Mutou!" Once again, he faced Atem. "Now that I think about, there is a strong resemblance between the two of you."
"I wish we could do some idle chat Professor, but right now we got some serious business to conduct." Julie stated.
"Oh right! Your assistants told me about what happened to Arcadia! I presume these heroes are here to save it, correct?"
"That right… but they won't do it without my help." Julie turned her attention to the team. Some of them are eyeing the turrets warily. "You don't have to worry about those turrets: they work for the lab. But security aside, I want you to pay attention. I know just the thing that can revive those trees and therefore save Kyoki and the Safehouses from what will become the ultimate disaster. On the surface, my family has a reputation of killing trees since the 20th century, and all for many different reasons, whether it's to keep the national parks in overall good health or to scare enemy lines in Vietnam. But it's my lifelong dream to actually bring trees back from grave! And now I've finally did it! Soon I'm going to build my first damn Frankentree!"
"But how?" Anzu asked.
Again Julie winked. "With the top secret invention that is my pride and joy! When I first thought it up I was hoping that it would bring my career back from the dead as well, but you know about necessity! I call this baby… the Lazarus Vector!"
Honda had a look of confusion written all over his face. "Lazzer-what?"
"Lazarus Vector, you nimrod!" Julie scolded her nephew, "Seriously, you need that Clever Inventor gene tonic… Anyway, come with me to the main office. I have some top secret information I want to share with you."
"S-sure." Honda replied and turned to his friends. "I'll be right back everyone." With that the Telekinesis wielder followed his aunt down the hallway to a separate laboratory with a window that gives a view from the inside. This lab had a large tube-like device in front of another window, revealing the view of Arcadia and its now-dead trees. By it was a machine on the wall with the label, 'U-Invent'. "All right Aunt Julie, tell me about the Vector. If we're to save Arcadia I need to know its progress."
Julie sighed happily. "It's times like this that I'm glad that there are survivors in this city that have retained their sanity. I mean, what's the point of being a goddamn genius if the only people around the appreciate it are a bunch of spliced up morons! As of today, I have cracked the Vector! Or at least I was 99 percent certain I have. That's why I needed the Rosa Gallica to confirm my analysis! And thanks to you Honda, my certainty is now 100 percent!"
"That's great! Let's get this thing set up!"
"Not so fast! We still have to gather the main ingredients."
"Ingredients?" Honda gasped in surprise, "What are the ingredients?"
"I'll tell you. This is really important, so pay attention. The Lazarus Vector consists of three main ingredients: distilled water, a bit of chlorophyll, and enzymes extracted from the Apis Mellifera."
"Apis Melli—hey, wait a minute! You mean-"
"That's right Sweet Cheeks, honeybee spit!"
"How much of these ingredients do we need?" Honda asked.
"The exact amount needed to make the Vector depends on the size and number of the plant life involved. And since we're dealing with an entire forest,"—she held up a palm and two fingers—"seven is the lucky number! We need seven bottles of distilled water, seven eye-drops containing the enzymes, and seven flasks of chlorophyll!"
Honda paused for a minute. "You know, I was wondering why you told me to get the chlorophyll when we were in that cave, but now it just made sense!"
"Exactly! How many flasks of chlorophyll did you find?"
"Six. I only got one more to find."
"Good job Sweet Cheeks!" Julie praised, "But retrieving the other two ingredients won't be easy. They're not even located in Arcadia! There's a safe in this laboratory that contains the list of ingredients as well as the key to the old Farmer's Market. The combination is-" Suddenly there was a noise echoing in the whole lab, sounding like a microphone being set up. Soon a familiar voice began to speak.
"Julie… we made a business deal, you and I."
"You!" Julie barked in rage.
"Did money and family change all that? Let me tell you the terms of the agreement we drew up." The team and the scientists all froze on the spot when they heard that voice.
"It's my father!" Yugi gasped.
"Damn it! How did he get on?" Kaiba barked.
"Well one thing's for sure: Julie and Honda are in trouble!" Yugi replied hurriedly, "We have to hurry!" He sped ahead of the team as fast as his legs could carry him. The others were not so far behind.
"Section 3, Subsection 4… Mutou Industries maintains exclusive rights to the creation, use and exploitation of the Lazarus Vector."
"What the hell is he talking about?" Honda demanded.
"That's why this invention had to be kept top secret Honda!" Julie explained hurriedly, "In order for this invention to go underway, I had to strike a bargain with that bastard Mutou and sell the patent!"
"WHAT?" Honda exclaimed in shock.
"Ownership is civilization Julie…" Mutou stated from the microphone, "Without it, we'd be nothing more than… primitive Neanderthals."
"Honda! Julie!" Yugi shouted from the hallway.
"Oh no you don't!" Mutou stated, and locked the door to the laboratory shut before his son could reach it.
"NOO! FATHER, OPEN THAT DOOR!" Yugi screamed as he slammed the metal door in front of him.
"I will not let you interfere with me this time Yugi!" Mutou replied with distain in his voice. "Let this be a lesson to you!" Suddenly the lab within began to fill up with a green cloud of poison gas! And it was filling up fast!
"Damn it!" Julie shouted, "Honda, get the oxygen ready!" Immediately the pretty scientist went over to retrieve her tank of emergency oxygen. Honda put the oxygen mask back over his mouth, but when he pushed the button to bring in the oxygen, his tank suddenly exploded, releasing all the unused oxygen and dispersing it into the toxic air.
"NO!" Honda exclaimed. It wasn't long before he began a coughing fit.
"HONDA!" Yugi screamed before the window fogged up with a green mist.
Already the Telekinesis wielder began to grow weak from the poison air. Suddenly, Julie removed the destroyed oxygen tank from Honda's back. "Here! Take mine!" she coughed, strapping her own oxygen tank onto her nephew and pulling of the mask.
Honda's eyes widened with horror. "But Aunt Julie! Cough, cough! Without your tank, the poison gas will kill you!"
"I don't care! Cough!" Julie strained to reply, "That bastard has already taken my precious trees! I won't let him take you too!"
"Aunt Julie!" Honda protested before his aunt shoved the oxygen mask into his face and pushed the button. Mists of clean air spewed from the valve, allowing the mask to filtrate the air that her nephew was breathing. When that was done the pretty scientist collapsed onto the floor, the poison gas overwhelming her. She crawled over to the window. "Aunt Julie!" Honda repeated in horror as Julie struggled to pull herself to the window. Then she began to write something on the fogged window with her finger.
"Look here…" she instructed even as she was weakening, "this is… the combination that unlocks the safe." As she continued to write, the numbers soon became clear: 9457. "It's up to you now Honda… create the Lazarus Vector in my place… save Arcadia… save Kyoki… cough, cough… so that my death… will not be…cough… in vain…!" And as she finished writing the last number on the window, she dropped to the floor and breathed her last. Tears misted in Honda's terrified eyes.
"AUNT JUULIEEEEEEE!"
Note: Oh no! Julie Langford is dead! Now it's up to Honda and his friends to retrieve the ingredients of the Lazarus Vector! Will they succeed? Find out on the next chapter of Plasmashock! BTW, remember when I told you about replacing Andrew Ryan with 'Ryu Mutou' because of a certain twist in the story? Well, now you know the twist! And his name is Yugi Mutou! But the twists don't end here, so stay tuned! Until next time!