Renegades: A New Dawn: Approaching Menace
Chapter XXIX- Fighting the Shadows/Journey to the Centre of the Shadows
Point of View- Hannah
When we got to the airport, Kelly, Taylor, Ashley, Sakura, and Ally were already on the plane. When we got on, Ally ran up to Blair while Taylor came up to me and Phil. 'Thanks for looking after Ally.' 'No problem- we're glad to help. And it's been quite fun as well.' 'No seriously- thank you. It's nice to have you and Ashley back with us.'
'Thank you- we're glad to be back. Got no tours for ages now. So we'll be coming every tournament. By the way, what's the deal with Rob?' 'He's on strike until we pay him- he's owed nearly a grand.' 'I'll sort out the payment.' 'Thanks. It's just that we're broke at the moment, me and Phil.' 'We understand that. Let us take care of wages until you're back on your feet.'
She then went over to Jack. 'Hey Taylor.' 'Hi there Jack. Just wanted to ask how much you're owed in wages?' 'I don't keep track- probably around 800 quid.' 'How about you give me your bank details and by the time we next see you, you'll have a grand in your bank- the wages you're owed, plus a little more to thank you for being patient.'
'Thanks- I don't mind waiting, but if you could, I'd be honoured.' 'Sure. Anyway- let's fly off.' After Ally sat down, we flew off. 'Hey Ally- excited about watching duelling live for the first time?' 'Yeah!' 'Fancy coming out with me Phil and Rio?' 'Yeah! Thanks sis!' 'You're welcome.' It was quite a short flight, which meant we were in Finland within a couple of hours.
When we got off, Halldor met us. 'Astrid, how's your neck?' 'I'm fine- just need a couple of weeks off. Had a minor surgery on it to fix a long standing issue.' 'Caused by Claude?' 'No- he just made it worse. I've had the issue for a couple of years- it's just a natural thing probably.' 'Fair enough. Halldor, this is Ally- Blair's cousin. Ally, this is Halldor- my cousin.' 'Hi Mr. Halldor.' 'Hi Ally, nice to meet you.'
We then went to the stadium. Straight away, Phil, Rio, Blair, and Ally went out to start the show, to Phil's music. Phil took a mic and then made his announcement. 'Cut my music- I have something to say. We lost the tag titles recently to Kari and Radley, representing the most stupid army ever. Because they have forgotten something. Kari, Radley, I think you should be out here to hear this. So I'm inviting you out.'
The whole of the corps minus Hassleberry then came out. "We are the tag-team champions, the titles you" 'Shhh- grown-up speaking. We thank you for keeping the belts nice and shiny for us. But we'll have them back- we have a rematch clause stating that you have to give us a rematch when we choose. We could have cashed in after a title defence, but we're upstanding members of society and we do things properly.'
Phil and Blair then got their duel disks out. 'Who's the little brat?' 'Ally- Blair's cousin.' 'What is it- take a child to work day?' 'No- we fancied a bit of extra noise.' 'Shouldn't Rio be defending with you?' 'No- we were defending under the freebird rule technically, which means that we can challenge with any two of us.'
Radley and Kari then stepped up, activating their duel disks. "You are never, ever" 'Going to lose? Yeah- I am aware of that.'
WDC Tag-Team Titles: Frozen Diamonds ([7] Phil Robinson-Cummings + [1] Blair Flannigan) LP:4000 vs. No Remorse Corps ([19] Radley + [34] Kari Tsukumo) LP:4000
Turn 1- Phil- 'Let's get going. I summon Cyber Phoenix (Atk:1200). I end my turn with a face-down.'
Kari- "I draw. I summon out Tasuke Knight (Atk:1700). Attack Cyber Phoenix with Power Push.' Tasuke Knight came running in full-pelt at Cyber Phoenix, destroying it (FD LP:4000-3500). "Uh, ok then- I end my turn."
Blair- 'My turn now. You're going to regret ever taking those tag titles, because I summon Crystal Beast Sapphire Pegasus (Atk:1800). I now equip him with Horn of the Unicorn!' Sapphire Pegasus then gained a massive gold horn on it's head. 'This horn gives my Pegasus 700 more Attack points (Atk:1800-2500).'
'Sapphire Pegasus, destroy Tasuke Knight. Go- Sapphire Horn!' Sapphire Pegasus speared Tasuke Knight with its horn, destroying it (NRC LP:4000-3200). 'I now activate Fusion Gate. This lets me banish Gem-Knights Emerald, Iolite, and Sapphire, to Fusion summon Gem-Knight Master Diamond (Atk:2900). I end my turn.'
Radley- "I draw. I set a monster face-down in Defence mode and end my turn with a face-down."
Phil- 'My go, I draw. I summon Cyber Kirin (Atk:300).' "Why Kirin?" 'Because of what I'm activating next- Power Bond. This fuses together two Proto-Cyber Dragons to Fusion summon Cyber Twin Dragon (Atk:2800). Now you're probably acutely aware of the effect of my Power Bond, doubling the Attack of my Twin Dragon as long as we take 2800 points of damage at the end of the turn (Atk:2800-5600).'
'I now activate the ability of Cyber Kirin. It lets me tribute this little guy to reduce all effect damage I take this turn to 0. Which means that come turn's end, Cyber Twin Dragon won't cost me any Life points.' "You'e planned this all out." 'What do you expect? Blair, you mind if I use your monster?' 'My cards are your cards.'
'Sounds good. Sapphire Pegasus, destroy Radley's face-down monster with Sapphire Horn.' Sapphire Pegasus flew into the sky, and unleashed a blast of light straight at Radley's monster. 'I activate Scrubbed Raid. This allows me to discard 1 card and end the Battle phase.' The light just bounced away harmlessly, leaving the face-down monster unscathed. 'I end my turn with a face-down.'
Kari- "I draw." 'I activate Drop Off. This makes you discard the card you just drew.' Kari then discarded her card. "I activate the Spell card Gagaga Emergency Support Network. At the cost of not being able to Special summon a non-Xyz monster again this turn, I can summon Gagaga Magician (Atk:1500). Next, I summon Gagaga Mancer (Atk:100)."
"I now overlay Level 4 Gagaga Magician and Gagaga Mancer to build the overlay network and summon Number 39- Utopia (Atk:2500)." 'I hate to rain on your parade, but have you seen our line-up? Utopia doesn't stand a chance.' "I activate Rank-up Magic Limited Barian's Force. This lets me Rank-up Number 39 into a Chaos Xyz monster. Go- Chaos Xyz Evolution! I summon Chaos Number 39- Utopia Ray V (Atk:2600)."
'I see Vector's babysitting you then.' "What do you mean by that." 'You think I don't know this is Vector's card? I've spent enough time fleeing from him to know about his cards.' "Who cares- this is over the moment I activate the ability of my Utopia Ray V. It detaches 1 Chaos overlay unit to destroy your Cyber Twin Dragon and deal you damage equal to its Attack points.'
Just as the ability of Utopia Ray V activated, Rio shouted at Blair. 'Now Blair!' 'Got it! I activate Curse Reflection Doll. You remember that time when we were young, playing with dolls? Well I don't because I was too busy with carburettors and camshafts, but anyway- this doll is nothing like that. This doll reflects damage back at you. So we'll have our titles back.'
Vector then came out. "Boy do I have a surprise for you? You see, I always had a little back-up plan just in case this kind of thing happened. Come out surprise.' Rob then came out, and walked over to Phil, punching him in the skull with his metal fist, knocking Phil out cold. 'Your winners as a result of a disqualification- the Frozen Diamonds. Still WDC Tag-Team Champions, the No Remorse Corps.' Rob then looked up at me and headed backstage. 'Where are you going Hannah?' 'I need a word with him.'
I caught up with him quickly. 'What was that about?' 'I did what I needed to do.' 'Excuse me?' 'Hannah, I'm not going to play around- I'm in love with you.' 'Rob' 'No words needed. I just want you to say yes- I'm moving to New Zealand to start a new life, and I want you to go with me.' 'You know why I can't.'
'You really love him though?' 'Yeah.' 'You were repulsed by the idea in school.' 'That was 8 years ago. I'm in love with him more than I ever have been.' 'He brainwashed' 'Yeah, I keep hearing about it. I'm not under his spell now- I am in love with him because that is my true feelings. You're not breaking that up- nobody is.'
He then leant over to kiss me, but Rio and Blair pulled him away. 'Do the honourable thing and walk away. Go to New Zealand and forget about me.' 'I'll always love you.' 'I don't know what made you turn but' 'It wasn't just love- Claude paid me 50 grand to make sure you didn't retain the titles. I was supposed to attack you before the duel but we were caught out by the duel starting straight away.'
'So that's how much our relationship was worth to you- 15 years of friendship, a lifetime of memories, you can put a price on that? Be a man and accept defeat. And who knows- maybe one day we can be friends again.' 'One day' Rob then left. 'You ok Hannah?' 'Fine. How's Phil?' 'Absolutely furious.'
Just then, a video played on the moniter of Phil punching a locker, denting it. Justin Pipe then walked in whistling. "I hope you're going to pay for that." Phil responded by throwing him head-first into a wall, before Biel Throwing him into the locker. Phil then stamped on him and left. 'Phil's scary when he's angry.' 'Don't I know it. Trust me- he can do worse than that.'
Shortly afterwards, it was time for Jaden to duel. Just before he went, Maddy stopped him. 'Remember- 10 points if you win with over 3000 Life points left. So make sure yyou beat him badly.' 'I will mistress- I will not let you down.' 'I know you won't.' He then came out, to brand new music (Final Masquerade by Linkin Park).
'The following duel is in the Baltic Championships Super 8s. Introducing first, representing the Renegades, from New Orleans, Louisiana, Jaden Yuki.' Jaden came straight out, and walked straight down to the duelling zone. When he got there, he waited for Radley.
Radley then came out to the Corps' music. 'Introducing his opponent, from Muscle Beach, California, he is Radley.' Radley came out, showing off his tag title as he walked down. When he got there, he lifted the title as the crowd started booing him. Radley then put his title around his waist and activated his duel disk, followed by Jaden. Meanwhile, I was getting increasingly concerned that there was no sign of Phil.
Baltic Championships Super 8s: Radley (48pts) LP:4000 vs. Jaden Yuki (40pts) LP:4000
Turn 1- Radley- "I'll start. I draw. I set a monster in Defence mode and end my turn with a pair of face-downs."
Jaden- 'Draw. I summon Elemental Hero Wildheart (Atk:1500). Wildheart, attack his face-down monster.' "I activate Negate Attack. This negates the attack." 'Trap cards have no effect on Wildheart.' Wildheart then attacked anyway, slicing up Radley's face-down monster (Gatling Ogre Def.:800), destroying it.
'I now activate Polymerisation, fusing together Wildheart with the Elemental Hero Avian in my hand to summon Elemental Hero Wild Wingman (Atk:1900). Wild Wingman, I'm activating your special ability to discard one card and destroy Negate Attack.' Jaden's Wingman whipped up a whirlwind, blowing away Negate Attack. 'I end my turn.'
Radley- "I draw. I activate Monster Reincarnation. This lets me discard 1 card to bring Gatling Ogre back to my hand. I now summon Gatling Ogre (Atk:800). I now activate Tribute Salute. This lets me Tribute summon, because I've normal summoned a monster that was previously destroyed. I tribute Gatling Ogre to summon Big Cannon Ogre (Atk:2400)."
"Now you'll probably be wondering "Oh, I wonder how that amazing tag champion Radley summoned a 7 star monster with 1 tribute"." 'Not really, but I'm sure you'll say anyway.' "Too right. You see, I had a card" 'Can you tell us today?' "I had a card called Full Armor Ogre in my' 'In your graveyard and you then used the ability of your Big Cannon Ogre. I know- I've faced it before.'
"You're a disrespectful little" 'Just duel.' "Big Cannon Ogre, destroy his Wild Wingman." 'I activate Magic Cylinder. This reverses your attack.' Big Cannon Ogre's cannonball was fired, but the Magic Cylinder swallowed it up, and fired the cannonball straight back at Radley (Radley LP:4000-1600). "I end my turn."
Jaden- 'I draw.' Jaden's eyes then glazed over as he slipped into his Supreme King power. 'I activate Dark Fusion. This lets me fuse together Elemental Heroes Sparkman and Clayman to Fusion summon Evil Hero Lightning Golem (Atk:2400).' "Deuce." 'Not for long. Lightning Golem's ability activates.' Lightning Golem then zapped Big Cannon Ogre, obliterating it.
'Lightning Golem, destroy.' Lightning Golem created a ball of electricity, throwing it at Radley to end the duel (Radley LP:1600-0000). After the duel, Jaden just raised his fist (Jaden Pts: 40-50). He then came back, as Phil came back out. He just stared Radley down, and then kicked him in the face, before spraypainting M18 and Ouch! on his stomach and picking up Radley's title to a big response. He then put a clamp saying M18 on it and grabbed a mic. 'Until such time as we receive a fair rematch, this clamp is staying firmly on the title belt.'
He then came back up. 'Sorry about that, I feel much better now. Hope I didn't scare you too much.' 'You didn't scare me, no. You scared these two though.' He then sat in between Rio and Blair. 'Will you two forgive me if I let you duel together for the next tag title shot?' 'Nope. We'll only forgive you if you let us come out with you at In the Shadows.'
'No- you've seen the damage I can do.' 'Don't be hard on yourself.' 'I'm not being. Listen- when I'm angry, people get hurt. Vector has pushed me to my wits end, and that ain't a good thing. I don't want to beat him, I want to eliminate him. Make him never come back.' 'We'll take the risk.' 'Please- don't. If you got hurt over my temper, I'd never be able to forgive myself. You really want that to happen?'
'I guess you're right.' Just then, Rio got up. 'Oh yeah- your duel. I forgot to talk to you about tactics.' 'I have one- straight in and straight out. I don't want to wait- I'm going to finish this early.' Rio then went out for her duel, with Blair. When she got to the duelling zone, she waited patiently for her opponent.
Saeed then came out, to some scriptures being recited. 'Intorducing her opponent, accompanied by Khoya, from Lebanon, he is the Middle Eastern Nightmare- Saeed Ul-Habarak.' Saeed came out in his usual gear, but with a new, khaki puffer jacket. When he got to the duelling zone, he got on his knees and started praying to Allah. Both of them then activated their duel disks. 'I speak with Allah- he tells me I will win." Rio stayed completely silent.
Baltic Championships: Saeed Ul-Habarak (Pts:29) LP:4000 vs. Rio Kastle (Pts:47) LP:4000
Turn 1- Saeed- "I start. Come Noble Knight Peredur (Atk:1900). Next I activate Noble Arms- Galatin. Peredur's new sword grants it much power (Atk:1900-2900). When Peredur has his sword, his soul becomes tainted, turning him dark and increasing his Level (Level:4-5). I shall end my turn."
Rio- 'Unlike you, I don't speak in rhymes. I draw. I summon Blizzard Falcon (Atk:1500). I now activate Solid Overlay. This acts as a Level 4 monster when I Xyz summon. I overlay Level 4 Solid Overlay and Blizzard Falcon to build the overlay network. Barian's power, born of chaos,' "It comes." 'Go to hell with your curse. I summon out Ice Beast Zerofyne (Atk:2000).'
'Why did she do that?' 'I have no idea. I'll tell you something- she had me fooled there. Mind games aren't Rio's style at all.' Astrid then came in. 'She's trying to send a message to Nash.' 'How do you know that?' 'She told me her plan while I was helping her with her reading and writing yesterday.' 'Why didn't you say anything?'
'I thought she was gonna tell you herself.' 'By the way Astrid, I need to tell you something.' Blair then went over and hugged Astrid. 'Thank you for helping Rio. She's improved so much since you started helping her.' 'I'd actually been helping her on an occasional basis since we officially split with BRI- it gave me chance to settle in better as well. She's been telling me stories about her joining.'
'Zerofyne, I activate your special ability. This negates the effects of every face-up card you have. Go- Perfect Freeze.' Zerofyne unleashed blasts of ice, which froze up both of Saeed's cards (Peredur Atk:2900-1900, Level:5-4). 'Now Zerofyne gains 300 extra Attack points for every card which is face-up on the field other than herself until my next Standby Phase (Atk:2000-2600).'
Phil then started musing about something. 'What are you thinking?' 'Just thinking about Zerofyne's ability- I've thought of a great way to extend it.' 'Go on.' 'Solomon's Lawbook.' 'The card you said was no good?' 'I didn't say it was no good, I said it wasn't my type of card. But it works well.' 'Just take it easy Phil.' 'Thanks- I will do after I beat Vector.'
He then left. 'Where's he gone?' 'I don't know.' Rio then continued with her turn. 'Zerofyne, cru… cru… just destroy his bloody monster.' Zerofyne shot icicles straight into Peredur, destroying it (Saeed LP:4000-3300). 'I end my turn.'
Saeed- "Stumbling over your words shall soon be the least of your worries. I draw. I call upon thee, Merlin, the sorcerer of the round table (Atk:1400). His act is most unique- he sacrifices himself for the good of all Noble Knights, calling one to arms from my deck. Come Noble Knight Peredur (Atk:1900)."
"Next I activate the Spell Double Summon. The power of this calls upon the mystical Lady of the Lake (Atk:100). Lady of the Lake, tune your power with the Noble Knight Peredur so I may call upon the cursed Ignoble Knight of High Laundsallyn (Atk:2100). When Laundsallyn comes to the forth, he brings himself a weapon from my deck. I choose Noble Arms – Caliburn. This gives Laundsallyn 500 Attack points, and lets me gain 500 Life points once every turn (Atk:2100-2600). I shall take my prize now.'
High Laundsallyn pointed it's sword at Saeed, and the sword glowed faintly, restoring his Life points (Atk:3300-3800). "I shall activate The Dark Door. Now only one may pass each turn. I end my turn there."
Rio- 'I draw. The Attack boost of Zerofyne wears off now (Atk:2600-2000). Here we go- I activate Rank-up Magic Renegades Unite! This lets me summon Ice Princess Zereort (Atk:2500). Next I'll deal you with 1000 points of damage. Go- Renegade Flash!' Renegades Unite unleashed a burst of blue energy, and Zereort fired some ice with it, hitting Saeed (Saeed LP:3800-2800).
'Time to make things big. I equip Zereort with Xyz Unit. This gives her 1000 more Attack points (Atk:2500-3500). I now activate the ability of Zerofyne. By detaching her last overlay unit, she can negate all of your cards for the rest of the turn. Go- Perfect Freeze.' Zerofyne unleashed a blast of ice,which froze up Saeed's cards. 'Zerofyne now gains 300 Attack points for every card on the field other than herself. I count 6, meaning she gains 1800 Attack points (Atk:2000-3800).'
'Next I activate Zereort's ability, to detach Xyz Unit and reduce the Attack points of your monster to zero.' Zereort froze High Laundsallyn solid, reducing it's Attack points (Atk:2500-0000). 'Let's finish this off Zerofyne. Take him down with Icicle Storm!' Zerofyne fired icicles down, destroying High Lauyndsallyn, and ending the duel (Saeed LP:2800-0000).
After the duel, Rio stood and made the Renegades Salute (Rio Pts:47-57). Claude then came out and pushed Rio to one side, before brutalising Saeed, throwing him into the air before punching him on the way down several times. He then stared at Rio, and just laughed, before taunting Rio about the tag title win for Kari and Radley, and leaving.
Rio then came back. 'You ok Rio?' 'I'm fine. Saeed doesn't look so good though.'
Next up was an unscheduled duel between Lydia and Freja and Powerplay in a non-title duel. 'What's brought this on then?' 'Powerplay attacked the Brown Brothers a few weeks ago and have since been claiming their dominance over the whole of tag-team duelling. Which kinda didn't sit well with us.' 'We're going to teach them a lesson today.'
Powerplay were out first, to Birchall's music. 'The following is a non-title duel. Introducing first, representing the Brave Bones, from The Bowery, New York, the team of Da Brooks Kid and David Marshall- Powerplay.' Powerplay came out in grunge-inspired outfits and came straight down to the duelling zone. When they got there, Marshall spat his chewing gum at someone in the crowd, and Brooks started making obcene gestures at the crowd.
Lydia and Freja then came out, with Taylor and Ashley in full view singing. 'Introducing their opponents, representing the Renegades, from Manchester, England, they are the team of Lydia and Freja Mckinna- the Shapesisters.' Lydia and Freja came out in their black lycra, and did their normal entrance with their titles. When they got to the duelling zone, they held their titles up in front of Powerplay. They then activated their duel disks and began the duel.
Non-Title Duel: Shapesisters (Freja and Lydia Mckinna) LP:4000 vs. Powerplay (David Marshall and Da Brooks Kid) LP:4000
Turn 1- Lydia- 'I'll lead off. I activate Polymerisation, fusing together The Forgiving Maiden and Marie the Fallen One to summon St. Joan (Atk:2800). I end my turn with a face-down.'
Marshall- "My turn. I activate Hand Destruction, letting all of us discard 2 cards and draw 2 cards. Next I banish Summoner Monk from my graveyard to summon Ghost Ship (Atk:1900). Next I summon Vylon Cube (Atk:800). I now tune Level 5 Ghost Ship and Level 3 Vylon Cube to summon Level 8 Vylon Epsilon (Atk:2800)."
"When Cube is used to Synchro summon, I can add an Equip spell to my hand. I equip Epsilon with Butterfly Dagger- Elma. This gives it 300 more Attack points (Atk:2800-3100). I now activate the ability of Epsilon to send Butterfly Dagger to my graveyard and destroy your monster.' Epsilon threw its Butterfly Dagger at St. Joan, destroying her.
"When Butterfly Dagger's sent to the graveyard, it comes back to my hand to re-equip (Atk:2800-3100). Attack them directly now." 'I activate A Hero Emerges. This makes you pick a random card in my hand. If it's a monster, I can summon it.' "I pick the far left." 'Thanks. I summon out Shining Angel (Def.:800).' "Keep up the attack." Shining Angel was blasted into oblivion by Epsilon. 'When you destroy Shining Angel in battle, I can summon any monster from my deck that is Light-attribute and has 1500 Attack points or less. I choose this one- another Shining Angel (Atk:1400).'
"I end my turn with a face-down."
Freja- 'I draw. Marie the Fallen One's ability activates. Every Standby phase of ours, we regain 200 Life points (Shapesisters LP:4000-4200). I summon my own Shining Angel (Atk:1400). Now I can activate the Field spell The Sancturary in the Sky.' The field then changed to a mystical temple in the clouds. 'Shining Angel, attack his Epsilon.' "And you call us stupid." Shining Angel shot some light towards Epsilon, but it was reflected back, destroying Shining Angel.
"You should have taken damage." 'Coulda Woulda Shoulda. Sadly for you though, I activated the effect of my Sancturary. All Battle damage to us when a Fairy of ours battles is reduced to zero. Shining Angel lets me summon another Shining Angel (Atk:1400). My next Shining Angel will attack now.'
The second Shining Angel attacked, with the same result. 'I summon out another Shining Angel (Atk:1400). The third one now attacks.' The third one attacked with the same result again. 'I summon out The Agent of Wisdom- Mercury (Atk:0000). The final Shining Angel now attacks.' The last Shining Angel attacked, with it once again being taken down by Epsilon.
'I summon Arcana Force IV- The Emperor (Atk:1400). His ability will be determined by the toss of a coin.' She then tossed her coin. 'Tails- that means all Arcana Force monsters on my field lose 500 Attack points (Atk:1400-900).' "DIdn't work out." 'Like I care. I now overlay Level 4 Arcana Force IV and Mercury to buid the overlay network and summon out Fairy Cheer Girl (Atk:1900).'
'What is she playing at?' 'Astrid, I've known them going on for 20 years and I don't have a clue. It's all well and good putting together a combo, but you need to capitalise on it.' 'Any idea what deck you're using to take on Vector?' Phil then looked over at me and winked. 'I have an idea.' 'Go on then.' 'Vector's up against Time and Space. The two most innocent celestial forces can also be the most brutal.'
'Plans then?' 'Vector's bound to try and catch me out early. I'm going to let him do that- do enough to survive, then launch my plan.' 'Could you teach me about tactics over the mid-season break?' 'Depends when exactly- I'm going to be taking Rio to Thai Boxing on a Monday and Wednesday evening, and I need to fit in some 1-1 training with Blair and some Snooker with Maddy. But sure- I'll be able to fit you in somewhere.'
'Fairy Cheer Girl, I'm activating your Special ability, to use up an Overlay Unit and draw a card.' Freja then took her card. 'It'll do. I end my turn with a face-down.'
Brooks- "I draw. I banish Vylon Cube from my graveyard to summon Ghost Ship (Atk:1900). Next I summon Vylon Prism (Atk:1500). I now tune Level 5 Ghost Ship with Level 4 Prism. You ain't from Manchester, you're a disgrace. We're here to take care of business, and take out you and all your poxy gang. I summon Vylon Alpha (Atk:2200)."
"Prism's ability activates, letting us pay 500 Life points (LP:4000-3500), and equip Prism to Alpha. When Alpha attacks, it gains 1000 Attack points now. Next Alpha's ability lets me equip Vylon Segment to it. Now you can't target it with Monster or Trap effects. I also have Mystical Space Typhoon to rip apart your Sancturary.'
Sancturary In The Sky was destroyed in double quick time by Mystical Space Typhoon. 'I'll finish you off with the ability of Epsilon. By ditching it's Butterfly Dagger (Atk:3100-2800), it can get rid of Fairy Cheer Girl.' Fairy Cheer Girl was annialated by the blast from Epsilon, destroying it. 'Both of you attack directly.'
Both Alpha and Epsilon shot out blasts of light, ending the duel in a shock non-title win for Powerplay (Shapesisters LP:4200-0000). After the duel, Powerplay celebrated their non-title win by picking up Lydia. They were soon distracted though by the arrival of the Brown Brothers (Rodney had his left knee heavily taped). Powerplay decided to run away. But they were followed by the Brown Brothers into the backstage area.
While the Loony Tunes were having their way in the back, Vector made an appearance for the scheduled contract signing between him and Phil. "Oh Phil, we have a date with destiny soon. And she's very fond of me. So let's get signing shall we?' Phil just stood up. "Come on then." 'No.' "Pardon?"
'A contract means rules. The only rule I'm interested in is Loser Leaves WDC.' "Sounds good- having you out of the way." 'Trust me- where you're going, nobody will be in your way. Because I'm sending you into the 7th dimension. Oh- don't forget about the main event by the way- us 3 against you, Spica, and Birchall.'
"Me and Spica have talked about that." 'And' "We're not turning up- it can be 3-1 for all we care." Birchall then came out, steaming. "You think this is funny huh?" "Yeah. Face up to facts- you have no allies, no help, no hope, no future." "Rubbish." 'It's not really- why else would you have no help.' I then went down as well.
"Not you as well." How does it feel being alone?' "I have no idea what you mean." 'Unwanted, not needed. You used to have an army- lots of people willing to follow you to the ends of the earth. Where are they now?' "I pushed them to the wayside because I didn't need them." 'More like they quit because they no longer respected you.'
"Where's your army then?" 'It was never my army- it was always our army. And they're still up there. Looking a bit different to what they did, but they're there nonetheless. What do you have? Because I'll tell you something- if this is the last ever singles duel I have, I want to go out on a high, by finally eliminating the opposition to our marriage. Bring Damien with you, bring Segolia with you, I don't care- I can take it. So bring it on bitch!'
Birchall and myself then went face-to-face. 'Oh, by the way Vector- you know your duel against Phil?' "Yeah." 'If Phil's team wins this tag duel tonight, then you will not face him in a Shadow Duel, you'll face him in the torture chamber. Just a little something for you to think about.' We then left, only to be confronted by Kincade of Segolia.
"Where is she?" 'Who?' "You know who- where's Maddy." 'She's in Britain.' "I don't believe you. Bring her to us by the end of the night or we will take the specimen ourselves." 'She isn't a specimen- she's our daughter.' "She's a wild and feral animal that must be tamed, have the wildness removed." 'No- that's not true.'
"You're not going to remove anything from Maddy." 'And why's that Spica?" "Because once I've beaten her, I'm going to make her a Barian just like I am. Then I'll be the puppet master." This brought Kelly, Taylor, and Ashley out. 'Isn't this fun- us 5, a loser, a bitch, and a load of maniacs. Hey Kelly, Ashley, aren't you excited?'
'Come on Birchall- hit me if you dare. Because you know what happens if you lay a finger on me, Maddy, or Phil. This is our world, not yours.' "By the way Kelly, I've not forgotten how you screwed me over in Texas." 'Really? Good- I wouldn't want you to. Now how about you leave before we get nasty. You've already seen what we can do when we're nasty.'
Phil then stunned Kincade with a brutal superkick, knocking one of Kincade's teeth out in the process. Birchall then got right in Phil's face, and Phil just stared a hole through him. Geoff Maltby then came out. 'Ladies and Gentlemen, while Bolton is off nursing a few injuries, I am in charge here. And when I say I am in charge, I mean that Michael Grey Adams and the Board of Directors have told me to excercise my authority. So I'm gonna do that right now. We're going to have a bonus duel at In the Shadows- we're going to have a 6 person duel- Taylor and the Shapesisters against Kincade and Powerplay for the All-American Tag-Team Championships.'
'In addition, I'm changing the rules slightly for tonight. If Vector and Spica don't show up, then Phil's team will win by DQ automatically. And that would mean Phil and Vector in the Torture Chamber as Phil suggested. Now if everyone wouldn't mind leaving, I have a show to run.'
All of us then left. 'I have something to announce- at In the Shadows, we will indeed be seeing Nash vs. Rio Kastle. I wanted to add a couple of stipulations to it- firstly, it will be No Holds Barred, and secondly, the winner of this duel will become the #1 contender to the WDC Championship for the first tournament back after the mid-season break, when for the first ever time, the WDC set foot in… India! Also at In the Shadows, Rhydian Morris has agreed to defend the WDC title against his close friend and tag-team partner Kieran Byrne. The winner of that will face Rio or Nash at WDC World Tour: India. One final piece of news for In the Shadows- we are having a 20 duellist gauntlet to crown a brand new #1 contender to Maddy's WDC Young Gun Title. The winner will face Maddy on Day 2 of In the Shadows, should she be medically cleared to duel.'
'It's going to be a jam-packed show, and just before it on the Duellist Network, there will be Episode 3 of my personal favourite show on there- Honey and the Hatchet with Fearless Astrid Hofferson. The guests are going to be Jodi Allen, Alito, Woodrow Stratus, and Duellist Network move-by-move announcers Jordan Alexander and Lorenzo Castellano. Among the topics being discussed will be the need for a mid-season break, reviewing the first half of the season, and previewing In the Shadows with full discussions and predictions. That's 8pm on Thursday, don't miss it.'
Just then, Lukas came out. "Surely if Astrid cannot duel tonight, that means that I gain 10 points for a forfeit win." 'No- not strictly true. While Astrid cannot duel tonight, she will be able to duel at the next Baltic Championships event, back here in Kemi, Finland. So she has agreed to do double duty on that night, duelling yourself as well as Typhus Markars. And besides- a forfeit win would only gain you 5 points, not 10.'
Astrid then put her big neck brace on, and went out to a huge response. "What do you want?" 'Honestly, I want to duel. But I'm not allowed. I wanted to invite you onto my show this week to talk about how Akiza abandoned the person she was supposed to be helping.' 'She wasn't helping you with anything."
'Not me, Rio. You know, the one with the different shades of blue in her hair, the awesome one.' "Oh her- that's got nothing to do with me." 'If you support her decision, then that makes it your business.' "What makes it your business?" 'She's my friend, my ally, and when I joined the Renegades, she was one of the few people who gave a damn. Maybe I'm just looking out for a mate. Maybe, just maybe, I'm doing what I always should have been doing- what I like.'
"So why are you telling me this?" 'You know what, some people think its fun to mess with lives- that ain't on.' "Isn't that exactly what you've done with Nash?" 'He did that- he did that the moment he decided to kidnap his own sister.' Nash then came out, as did Kari and Radley. Nash just watched on as the tag champs started to beat down Astrid.
Kari then picked Astrid up onto her shoulders, but Astrid fought off and hit an impressive double roundhouse, dazing Radley and knocking Kari down. She then followed up by dropkicking Radley's left knee from under him, and sharing words with Nash and Lukas as she came back to us. Maltby then came back out.
'I would like to make an announcement. I have just received word from the WDC's Board of Directors that owing to possible involvement in the attack on Blair and Astrid along with several members of WDC staff in Canada, they have decided to suspend Claude W. Duane indefinetly. Thefore, he will no be duelling tonight and will not be entitled to appear at In the Shadows. He may purchase a ticket to watch the show from the crowd, but if he steps foot forward of the fan barrier, security will remove him.'
Astrid then got back into the box. 'You ok?' 'I'm fine.' 'Your neck?' 'Hurts about as much as it did. I was looking forward to duelling here as well- it's the 3rd year in a row I've been unable to duel in Finland.' 'Really?' 'Yeah- last year I was still recovering from a broken leg, and 2 years ago, I came down with Food Poisoning the day before I was due to set off from Norway meaning I was stuck there.'
'Sorry to hear it.' 'Not your fault.' 'Hey Astrid, I know you're teaming with Kalin at In the Shadows if you can compete, but why don't you also enter the gauntlet?' 'Nice one, yeah. I'd wait for my title shot until you were healed up though.' 'Thanks.' 'Don't want it to be too easy now.' Meanwhile, Blair seemed to be getting increasingly fed-up with Ally.
'What's up Blair?' 'Nothing.' She then whispered down my ear. 'She has not shut up! I cannot cope with this much longer- she's doing my head in!' 'Ally, I've got something to show you.' 'I'm not coming without Blair.' 'It's something for Blair.' 'NO! I'm not coming without Blair. Because I'm going to be a Renegade as well!'
Blair and Maddy then have a conversation. 'You do know she can't join until she's 16.' 'I've tried telling her that. Trust me- I don't want her to.' 'What do we do then?' 'I wish I knew.' Ally then started kicking Blair's leg. 'Stop that now.' 'No- I can do whatever I want, that's what Mum told me.' 'The same Mum who's on holiday and left you here for 3 weeks?'
'What?' 'Something you need to know- I was happy to have you, but I was told at the last minute you were staying for 3 weeks because they wanted to go on holiday to Spain. The thing is though, it isn't safe for you to be here for 3 weeks with a load of people who barely know you.' 'Why?' 'It just isn't. You'll understand this better when you're older Ally, but there's people in this world who would like to harm you. I don't know we'd be able to look after you as much as you need.'
'But I can still join the club, right?' Astrid then gave it a go. 'Yeah, sure- you can be our International agent- you can walk around back in America, telling people that your cousin is an amazing duellist, and spread our word. But we don't want you to do that here because people don't know you as well over here- they'll listen more when you go back.'
'Will I get a badge like yours?' 'No- you don't need a badge. All you need is your voice and your brain to spread our word. If you had a badge like ours, you'd be a target for really bad people. People who would harm you to get to us. Like that nasty Claude from earlier- he'd do that kind of thing to you.' 'Wouldn't you protect me?'
'Even better than protecting you is not letting it happen in the first place. How about we go and get some Ice-Cream: I hear that the stuff here is made by Santa.' 'Santa!' They then left. 'That was a bit surreal.' 'Yeah- never knew Astrid was so good with kids.' 'She definetly has a maternal instinct.' 'True.'
Phil then left. 'Where's he going?' 'Toilet probably.' We found out a couple of minutes later, when a camera in one of the locker rooms saw Phil picking up Lukas, and ramming him head-first into a locker. Another camera outside then caught Rob walking towards his car, when Phil speared him into his car, and then kicked him. He then looked down at Rob, and looked into the camera. 'Vector, you see this? This is what you've done.'
Vector, if I can do this to a friend, imagine what I could do to you.' He then closed his eyes and smiled, before stamping on Rob again. He then teased a return for the Lord of Darkness. 'When you're at your lowest, at your most desperate, that's when the shadows are at their deepest. We're going into the shadows Vector, but only one of us is walking out again. And guess what- it ain't you.'
Then it was time for the main event. Vector and Spica were first out, without Birchall. Spica had a mic as well. "Ladies and Gentlemen… and Finland, we have decided not to duel tonight. Vector is happy to be in the Torture Chamber, where he will defeat Phil. I know I doubted him, but I now realise that Vector can actually concentrate on the duelling."
Phil then came out to no music. 'You know, I'm disappointed- I was really looking forward to this. Looks like I'll have to wait 8 more days then. But be warned- your destruction is rapidly approaching Vector. Everything I've said, everything I've done, I meant it all.' "How are you feeling after the betrayal earlier then?"
'Never better. Because now I have an excuse to say this: Renegades Unite!' The lights then went out, and when they came back on, Vector and Spica were surrounded by Astrid, Blair, Rio, Jodi, Jaden, and Maddy. Spica tried to go after Maddy, but they were quickly overwhelmed by the numbers game that had been excecuted by Phil so many times before.
Blair then threw Vector into the air, and Phil took a swing with his Kendo Stick, hitting Vector right in the ribcage. Phil then stood in the centre of the circle right above Vector, and they all made the salute. The show ended with Vector and Spica slowly recovering.
We met outside. 'Hi Hannah. You going to ask me about the stuff with Rob?' 'You were right to. If he can't accept that I belong to you, he has no role within my life. It's you over everything.' We then kissed. 'Right- who fancies going home?' Everyone put their hands up. 'Right then- let's go. Astrid, you can choose what's for tea tonight.'
'Why me?' 'Because you've not chosen recently.' 'Jodi hasn't either.' 'She's previously said she doesn't mind.' 'What about that stew Hannah makes?' 'Sure- I'll make that for you.' 'No- she said the stew that I make.' 'Ok, fair enough, Hannah will make that for you.' We then left for the airport. When we got there, Jack was waiting for us.
'Saw what Rob did to you man- that wasn't on.' 'No worries- got revenge on him later on. I know that Maltby's a decent guy- we'll most likely be granted a rematch due to the controversy.' 'Probably.' I then got a call from Maltby. 'Hi Geoff.' 'Hannah- I've been speaking to the Board about a rematch for Phil, Rio, and Blair.'
'And…' 'They've said that they won't give them another automatic rematch. But what they will do is put them in a #1 contender's duel for the titles. Against Dumon and Mizar, and Kieran and Rhydian. Not sure when yet though.' 'Phil, Geoff's on the phone- the BOD have said that they won't give you an automatic rematch, but put you in a #1 contender's duel against Dumon and Mizar, and Kieran and Rhydian.'
'What do you think girls?' 'Accept I'd say.' 'Any chance is better than none.' 'Fine- we accept.' 'They accept.' 'Thanks- I'll let the Board know. By the way, could you ask Astrid if I can appear on her show?' 'You're already booked in- next week's episode do you?' 'Sure- thank you.' 'It's ok- you're booked in for the review of In the Shadows and the first half of the season.'
'Nice one. Also, I'm booked in for Wild Card Warriors for whenever Bolton returns. It is me and Blair.' 'Great.' We then left for Manchester. While Phil was sleeping, Astrid took the opportunity to chat with me. 'Hannah, why did you say it was Phil over everything?' 'Because it is. Seriously, Phil isn't perfect, but he's always got my best interests at heart and that's all I could really ask for. As long as he continues to love me, I'll continue to love him.'
'Do you not miss all your mates though?' 'I still have a lot- the reason I don't see them much is because they're all busy with their lives. For example, Jess is trying to make herself a career as a TV host in Australia. And Faisal and Robynne are dating, and living in London. As for Caprice, well the last time I heard from Caprice was 3 months ago- she was delighted to hear I was pregnant. She's been burning it up in the Amateur duelling leagues. Lives back in her native Cape Town.'
'Sorry- I didn't know.' 'It's ok Astrid- just don't apologise.' 'Ok, thanks. I just wanted to know.' 'There isn't a problem with a thirst for knowledge.' 'Do you think that Maddy still wants to be in a team with me?' 'Astrid, I was speaking to Maddy about that the other day. She's enjoying teaming with you at the moment- she really is. In fact, the main reason she's so annoyed about not being well is because she was hoping to go after the WDC tag titles with you.'
'I had no idea.' 'She was hoping to try and forge a rule where she could hold both the Tag-Title and the Young-Gun title at the same time. She was going to tell you about it, but she probably forgot.' 'Yeah- probably.' We then landed in Manchester. 'Cheers Jack.' 'No problem man. Listen- I'll be there, you know in London? I'll be there man- watching it all from the crowd.' 'Thanks Jack.' 'Not a problem.'
Point of View- Phil
The next day, me and Rio were taking the exam in the Arena course. 'Phil, I'll go now- I need to pick up Blair from football practice.' 'Thanks Hannah.' 'Don't worry- I'll be back to help mark.' 'Thanks. Don't forget your glasses again.' 'Won't do- thank you baby.' We then kissed and she left, just as Astrid came over.
'What was that about glasses?' 'Hannah has reading glasses- she's longsighted. If she tries to read something close up without them, she gets dreadful migranes.' 'Never knew that.' 'There's always more to learn Astrid. Now I have some business to do.' I then left for the Arena, where all the Students were waiting, with the exception of Myka.
When we got in, Belle came up to me. 'Hi, just to let you know that Myka's going to be late- she's getting a taxi here but it's stuck in traffic.' 'How late do you know?' '5-10 minutes.' 'Ok, thanks. It's nice to have a full house today. Now as you know, there's an exam today. Just to recap, anybody who garners 70% or above will be entitled to come to In the Shadows as part of an educational trip. Now I will go through the rules as Rio has a throat issue.'
'I'm fine- just slightly croaky. Right- this test is written, and will last for 75 minutes. You are expected to answer every question to the best of your ability. Kenzie struggles with reading, therefore will be listening to the questions using earplugs. There will be absolutely no talking, absolutely no leaning over, and if you need anything, you put your hand up and then one of us will come over so you can ask quietly.'
'You may have noticed Renegades Security here. They are acting as invigilators, and if there is any cheating, you will be removed from the exam and be credited with 0%. There is no trick questions, all the questions are either on things you have been taught, or things all duellists should know. If you are stuck on a question, come back to it later on. Having a go is better than not trying. Should you wish to take a toilet break, you may do, but the timer will not be stopped.'
'You may have drinks on your desk, but at your own peril. If you require a new exam paper due to spillage, you may have one, but only once. Most of all, please make your work readable- for our own ease as much as anything.' Just then, Myka came in. 'Myka, I understand you were late because of traffic- is this right?'
'Yeah- I asked Belle to let you know.' 'She did thanks. Here is a copy of the exam rules. Anybody require a pen?' Denzil and Donny put their hands up. 'Right- Dylar will pass you both a spare pen. We want these to return to us after the exam. Please note- we expect them to be returned in a reasonable condition. If you do not, you may be docked marks.'
'Now the 75 minutes will begin when we say. On Wednesday, we will expect you to come in at 1pm to receive your results. Now the papers will be handed out. Put your name on, do not open the paper though.' The papers were then given out by Dylar and Bornos. 'Thank you. Now we do have an alarm that will go off on 75 minutes. Open your papers and begin now.'
They then opened the papers and started, while we were watching over them. 'I have a problem.' Rio then went over. 'Denzil, what did we say about having your hand up quietly?' 'This paper doesn't look right- I can't understand what it says.' Rio then turned the paper around. 'It was upside-down. By the way, that's not one of the questions.' 'Thanks.'
A little over an hour later, the exam was finished. 'Right- the exam is finished, no more writing. Dylar and Bornos will collect your papers in and you can then go.' The papers were then collected in. 'See you for the results on Wednesday. Class dismissed.' They then all left. 'You sure you're ok Rio?' 'I'm fine- just because I've got a sore throat doesn't mean I'm not ok.' 'Good. I'll do the marking, then go home to do some hard cardio.' 'You've been doing that all week.'
I then left. When I got home, I found Astrid and Kris in the garage, with Kris having a work-out. 'Sorry, we were expecting you not to be back for a while.' 'Yeah- the marking can wait for later. Move over- we can work out together.' We then started working out together.
The next day, we (when I say we, I mean Hannah and Rio mainly) finished the marking. Everyone from the arena was there on time, except for Kenzie. 'Come in. Anybody know where Kenzie is?' 'Toilet. And she needed to buy some new earplugs- hers have stopped working properly.' 'Thanks Jade.'
Just then, Kenzie came in. 'Sorry I'm late.' 'No problem- you're barely a minute late.' 'Thanks.' 'No problem. Now who's wondering whether or not they passed?' They all put their hands up. 'Right- I'll announce the results in descending order from highest mark to lowest. Just a reminder, 70% was required. Rio will read them out because I got in trouble yesterday for not letting her do enough.'
'Thank you. Top with an astounding 91%, Belle Draper. Belle, come up here to collect your pass.' Belle then got up and took her pass. 'Well done. Second place, with 88%, Brooke Angharad.' Brooke then got up and took her pass. 'Good job Brooke. Third with 87%, now I am surprised about this- Denzil Davis.'
Denzil then fist-pumped the air, and took his pass. 'Here you go Denzil. Right- 4th, with 85%, Jade Goocheneyad.' Jade got up, and hugged Rio, before taking her pass. 'Well done. 5th, with 81%, Donny Anderson.' Donny got up, and took off his sunglasses, before taking his pass. '6th, with 80%, Myka Grainger.'
Myka smiled, and took her pass, standing with the other 5. Mike was still sat staring a hole in me (not literally), Kenzie had her head in her hands, Fleur had her eyes closed and her fingers crossed, and Emma was focused on us. '7th, with 78%, Mike.' Mike got up and shook mine and Rio's hands, before taking his pass.
'8th with 76%, Emma.' Emma wiped the sweat of her forehead, and hugged me, before taking the 8th pass. By now, Kenzie looked to be nearly in tears. '9th, cutting it very close with 71%, Joey Daniels.' Joey applauded, before taking his pass. '10th, and cutting it amazingly close with 70.5%, Kenzie Calhoun.' Kenzie just burst into tears, and kissed me on the cheek, before taking the pass. 'And that leaves just you Fleur. Fleur, you got 67%. However, me, Hannah, and Rio have had a chat, and decided that because you missed a session, and some of your wrong answers weren't bad at all, we'll give you a chance and let you have your pass as well.'
Fleur then got up. 'Thank you.' She then took her pass and stood with everyone else. 'Right- arrangements for Thursday. We meet here at 11am- you will be allowed to come in from 10:20 onwards. You must remember your pass, otherwise Security will not allow you in. At 11.15am on the dot, you will board a mini-bus headed for the O2 arena.'
'Anyone who is late will not be coming. When we get to the arena, you will be in the crowd, accompanied by Jodi and Kris. When Jodi tells you to go, it is time for my pre-duel interview. During which, you will all be stood behind me. I will then give you chance to introduce yourselves briefly. You will also be part of my entrance. Now I asked you to think of an idea between all of you. Have you done that yet?'
Belle put her hand up. 'Yes we have- we have detailed our idea in this plan. We all had our roles- Jade and myself were the ones who had the initial ideas, Kenzie came up with the music, Joey and Donny filled the ideas out a bit, Denzil did the illustrations, Mike provided all the paper we went through, and the rest of us just chipped in with minor details here and there. We all pulled together though.'
I then took the sheet. 'I like it- good job all of you. Any questions about Thursday?' Several hands went up. 'Jade.' 'Will we have to bring our own lunch?' 'It's not a requirement, but food is terribly expensive there, so I'd recommend it. Let's see- someone I don't hear much from. Donny.' 'Are we allowed to go out into London for a while?' 'You are, but you are on a strict timeframe, and you must be wearing your passes at all times. Also, don't get into trouble, we want here to get a good reputation. Denzil.'
'Yo, will we be duelling at In the Shadows?' 'No- this is purely an experience of how a show actually works. You will not be duelling there.' 'So we don't need our decks then?' 'No, but if you want to bring them anyway, we'll let you. Emma.' 'Are you going to pay for anything for us there?' 'No- because I personally am in a bad position financially, and because we are not a bank. We recommend you bring spending money of your own if you want to buy anything. Emma.'
'Is it going to be an overnight stay?' 'Depends when the show finishes. It probably won't be, but it's best to take overnight provisions anyway.' That was the last of the questions. 'Right- see you lot on Thursday. Remember- it's all to help you.' They then left, other than Kenzie. 'Yes Kenzie.' 'Sorry I got emotional back there' 'It's ok. I'm not supposed to tell people where exactly they went wrong yet, but I'll let you into a secret- if the marking hadn't included the last section on Chains, only Belle would have beaten you- you would have had 90%. But you didn't get a single mark on the whole of the Chains section, and that is a big section, so that's what you need to work on.'
'Thanks.' 'Isn't a problem. Now remember when you need to be in on Thursday.' 'I'll be in early.' 'And don't forget your pass.' 'Understood.' 'Actually Kenzie, could you stay a minute?' 'Sure, why?' 'Got a new delivery of cards the other day, and found that one I've been waiting to give you- Enchanted Fitting Room.'
'Oh yeah, thanks. Why are you helping me so much?' 'I'm helping everyone- it's our job.' 'Thank you.' Kenzie then took the card and left. 'I think that went quite well.' 'Yeah- it did. Still on for that Mu… Mu…' 'Thai Boxing?' 'Yeah- that.' 'Sure. How's your reading coming on?' 'Not bad thanks- slow progress though.' 'I understand. Chin up though.'
Point of View- Rio
A couple of days later, In the Shadows was upon us. Kenzie was first in, just after 10:20. 'You're here early.' 'Didn't want to be late. Couldn't sleep last night.' 'What's this entrance going to be like for Phil then?' 'Dunno- I've not seen the final design. It's supposed to be a really dark and mysterious entrance though.'
Shortly afterwards, Jade and Belle turned up. 'Would have been here sooner, but Jade ran out of chewing gum, and I needed to buy some breakfast because I forgot to get any this morning. You're in early Kenzie.' 'Couldn't sleep much.' 'I'm excited about today as well- should be good.' Denzil was next to turn up, with a massive bag.
'Denzil, we said overnight provisions, not moving house.' 'This is overnight provisions- food, drinks, and my Ps3.' 'If your Ps3 gets damaged, don't blame us.' 'No man- I wouldn't do that. If it doesn't work any more, I'll flog it to ma mate for 100 quid- he'll get it working in no time and sell it on.' 'Thanks for that Denzil.'
Donny then came in, in sunglasses and biker leathers, with his identical looking mates Joey and Mike behind him. 'Oh look- it's the hell's angels. Tell me- are all bikers keen duellists or is it just you lovable rogues.' I then heard Hannah's voice. 'Rio, stop flirting with the students please. If you're feeling horny, keep it to yourself.'
'Nice that you're up.' 'I've been up ages- its Phil who can't get his arse into gear.' 'Why aren't you helping me then?' 'I'm adjusting my deck. Have you done any prep on your deck?' 'Yeah- me and Phil went through it yesterday.' 'Good.' Hannah then came round to us. 'So, everyone here yet?' 'No- Myka, Emma, Fleur, and Brooke aren't here.'
Just as I said that, Booke and Emma arrived. 'Sorry we're later than intended.' 'We've got 20 minutes before we need to go.' 'Fleur's outside by the way- she's just fixing one of her bag straps. Snapped on the way here apparently.' 'Anything heard from Myka?' 'No.' 'Sorry- not spoken to her today.' 'Fair enough.'
20 minutes passed, and no sign of Myka or Phil. Just as we were about to let everyone on the bus, Myka came running up. 'You're cutting it fine.' 'Sorry, Phil and Maddy picked me up from my flat- I was gonna get a taxi but purse went missing.' 'Where are they?' 'In the car still.' 'How's Maddy?' 'Seems fine.'
I then went over to the Rolls-Royce where Phil and Maddy supposedly. When I got there, Maddy was brushing her hair. 'Could you not do that outside?' 'Hi Rio- sorry I'm late. Dad's driving is terrible.' 'You were the one refusing to go until you'd had breakfast even though I said we could have it in the car.'
'I had to take those painkillers.' 'What painkillers?' 'Did nobody tell you Rio? Sakura's given me painkillers to deal with my injury.' 'With your history?' 'Trust me- I know what I'm doing. And it's only to get me through the next few days- I'll be having surgery afterwards.' 'If you insist.' 'Trust me Rio. I'll never let myself get like that again. Where's Blair again?'
'Toilet- I'm amazed you didn't see her. She's going on the minibus to be with Jade.' 'Can I come in here?' 'Jump in. Hannah's going to be coming in here as well- Jodi and Kris are keeping an eye on the Arena kids.' Just as we were all set to leave, someone came running up.
To be continued:
Next up, Renegades: A New Dawn Chapter XXX- In The Shadowsp. '000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000
