"I'll summon out my Smoke Raven!" Lise declared. Her small, shadowy bird alighted on her shoulder. "He's not a level four or above monster, so he doesn't have to switch into defense mode. Smoke Raven, attack his lifepoints directly!" The small bird took to the air and swooped towards the robot. "My raven has a special ability that doubles his attack points when he attacks directly! So instead of just 800 damage, you get 1600!"
"Then I'll play my facedown card Graceful Revival! This trap allows me to special summon a level two or below monster from my graveyard, so I'll bring back Speed Warrior!"
While Lise's Smoke Raven had been attacking, the robot made no move. Once Yusei had played his trap, the robot's eyes lit up again. "Probability of special summoning a monster than can attack through Level Limit Area B… are 98 percent." The eyes flashed 98%, just like they had before with 40%."
"Uh oh."
"At this time, Counter Trap, Malfunction, activates. By paying 500 lifepoints, the opponent's trap is negated, and reset on the field."
At the bot's words, Speed Warrior was dragged back into the card, where it then lay flat again.
"So much for Speed Warrior," Lise said, laughing a tad.
"Next, after countering the opponent's card, Lock Dragon is special summoned in defense position."
Robot: 3500
Lise: 4000
Yusei: 4000
The robot's little dragon had a creepy smile, bug eyes, tiny wings, and nose shaped like an unusual key. It didn't look like much, but it had a strong enough defense to knock Lise's Smoke Raven back.
Robot: 3500
Lise: 3600
Yusei: 4000
(Lock Dragon: Atk: 0 Def: 2000)
"You okay?"
"Yeah," Lise answered grudgingly. This is bad. That bot managed to counter both of our moves with just one card.
"Lock Dragon can be special summoned when a counter trap negates an opponent's card," the robot was explaining. "And as long as it remains on the field in defense mode, special summoning is not allowed."
So no synchro summons at all!
I'm thinking that's what its analysis was about earlier. It's completely reading our moves.
Okay, but why? What's the point of this thing in the first place?
"Continuing on, this card is also activated."
"What?!" Yusei gasped.
"You mean, you're not done!" Lise cried.
"The continuous trap Counter Force. Counter Force gains one counter when a counter trap is activated. By removing this card from play, a thousand points of damage will be inflicted for each counter."
/
"Damnit!" Crow pounded on the closed garage door. "What's going on? We were all supposed to meet back here by now!"
"Are you sure you got the time right?" Jack asked.
"Yes!" Crow grumbled to himself, and checked his phone for what felt like the hundredth time. "Still no signal. I can't reach Lise or Yusei or Bruno."
"Well, we can't be of any help out here. Besides, we didn't even find the program. It couldn't hurt to take another look," Jack scowled at the warehouse. Something was giving him a bad feeling. If their friends were in trouble, wouldn't they have tried to say so.
"I'm in if you are," Crow pocketed his phone.
Jack nodded and they raced back inside.
/
Placido surveyed his army of dueling robots. Sure, they were just cold, unfeeling machines, but he was their commander. Their king, so to speak. Forget the other Emperor's. He was tired of waiting. The circuit would be finished sooner rather than later.
A security camera feed popped up. It showed Lise and Yusei trapped with the dueling robot, Jack and Crow back inside, and Bruno still unconscious on the floor.
Placido smirked. "So, the rats were able to discover that stupid clown. It matters little now. They can't stop me."
/
"I'm placing one card face down and ending my turn," Yusei said. I just hope we can keep it distracted long enough to get the hell outta here.
You're telling me. I'm almost afraid to try anything.
"It's my turn," the robot said. "I activate the continuous spell card Summon Pass. Summon Pass allows all players to draw a card when an opponent summons a monster, and the type of card is guessed. If the opponent's drawn card is different from the type of card guessed, the summoned monster is destroyed. The chance of you two summoning a monster… decreases further by 15 percent."
"I never thought I'd hate robots so much," Lise muttered.
"I set a card face down and end my turn."
Lise's fingers paused over her deck. Okay so, before I do anything, and because I'm massively sleep deprived, what're we looking at?
For starters, it has five spell and trap cards on the field, face down and up.
With the goal of locking our moves, and gaining more Counter Force tokens. Maybe we shouldn't try to break our way through as fast as possible.
"All right, let's see how this monster summoning mess of yours works," Lise decided. "I summon my Flame Enchantress to the field in attack mode!"
"Due to the effect of Summon Pass, I draw a card," the robot said. "If you guess wrong, your Enchantress is destroyed."
Lise bit her lip and surveyed the field. Okay, let's see. It has one monster, and all the spell and trap card zones are full. I think the bot's ultimate goal is get more counters for that Counter Trap combo he has, which means… "I say it's a trap."
Question marks lit up in the robot's eyes. "Correct, but how."
Lise shrugged. "I mean, it doesn't take a rocket scientist. You've got one monster, and like a billion spells and traps on your field." She smiled. "Which means I get to keep my Enchantress. She comes with a little bonus too. She has two abilities, one of them is halving her attack points to attack you directly, but I think I'll use the other one, which is destroying one spell or trap card you have in play, and I think I'll destroy your Summon Pass card!"
"All right!" Yusei smiled.
"I thought about going after your Level Limit B, but that's something you have to protect. Otherwise, our synchro monsters can attack."
"Understood," the bot said. "Analyzing counter measures."
Lise scowled. "Okay, guess I'll play it safe and end my turn with a couple face down cards."
"It's my turn then," Yusei drew his card. I think you've got the right idea. We've gotta get through his defenses however we can. "I change the defense position Level Eater to attack mode. Next, from my hand, I activate Synchro Gift! By lowering a Synchro Monster's attack points on my field to zero, I can give its original attack points to Level Eater!"
"Twenty-nine hundred attack points! That's what I'm talking about!" Lise cheered.
"Level Eater, attack Lock Dragon!"
"Counter trap activate: Negate Attack."
"What?"
"This card negates an opponent's attack and ends the battle phase. Since Negate Attack activated, Counter Force's effect activates. When a counter trap activates, this card's counter increases by one."
"Great, now it has two," Yusei growled. "Synchro Gift's effect ends, and Level Eater's attack returns to normal."
The bot seemed unconcerned. "My turn. I set a card face down and end my turn."
Another facedown? Lise, I've got a facedown that needs to be played. I can't let that thing negate it. What about your cards?
Lise shook her head. They're both in case it attacks. I'm getting crap right now. All I can do is try to attack directly with my Enchantress. No doubt his two facedowns will try to stop her from destroying anything else.
Definitely. I don't think we can risk that strategy again.
"My turn, so I'll draw," Lise said. "I'll have Enchantress use her second ability! She can half her attack points to attack you directly!"
Robot: 3000
Lise: 3600
Yusei: 4000
/
Placido chuckled to himself as he watched the footage. "Looks like you two are in a tight spot."
"Placido," the face of the head Emperor, Joel, appeared in a new holo-message. It was a tad difficult to discern because his mask, hair, and robe covered most of his face, but he did not look happy.
"What do you want?"
"Just what exactly are you planning?"
"I'm carrying out my plan," Placido replied simply. "I'd appreciate it if you stopped watching me."
"If you keep doing whatever you want, my plan will fall apart!" Joel's one visible eye narrowed dangerously.
Placido's expression darkened. "I don't care about your plans. I'll do what I want."
"Wait, Placido!"
Too late. Placido had already put out his hand to dismiss Joel's holo-message.
Placido smirked and raised his arms dramatically. "The Diablo, my Riding Roids with newfound power! Go out into the city and wreak havoc!"
At Placido's words, the eyes of each of the robots glowed white. Their hangar door opened, and one by one they all drove out into the city.
/
Joel shook his head. He and Luciano sat in their nebulous throne room. Stars danced in figure eight patterns, and raced across the midnight blue sky. The pocket dimension they had created in the Director's office was beautiful, and only accessible to the three of them. However, it was the two of them that watched the chaos Placido's deviation had wrought in their holo-sphere suspended between their three thrones.
"What is Placido thinking?" Joel sat back wearily in his throne.
"He's being immature," Luciano said bluntly. "Weren't you like that too?" He snickered at his own joke.
If not for the mask, Luciano could have sworn Joel was pouting. "I stopped acting like that a long time ago."
Luciano shrugged. Placido was just another stupid adult. Why should he be concerned? "Placido isn't interested in your method of using the Signers for the Circuit. He's trying to force the Circuit with his own plan."
"Using the Riding Roid army, huh? But how did Placido know that the Signers were developing a new engine program?"
"Are you interested?"
"What?"
"It's not complicated," Luciano smirked. "He had the clown bug their home the second he learned where the Signers lived. However, our motive is to complete the Circuit, but there's no right or wrong way to reach that goal, right?"
Joel made a skeptical sound in his throat. "It's foolish to change plans when we're already so close!"
"It'll be fine! To think, that after I grow up I'd end up like you two? I'd rather not grow up at all," Luciano snickered again, content to watch how things turned out.
"What a troublesome brat," Joel muttered.
/
Bruno was just coming to. The noise of so many duel runners driving past was something almost no one would be able to sleep through.
/
Placido stepped leisurely down towards the warehouse's main control station. The last of his Riding Roids were leaving.
"Time's up," Placido smirked at the video monitor's recording every angle of Lise and Yusei's duel with the robot. "I won't let myself become a mere follower of Joel's plans. A shame all the Signers aren't here, but at least I won't be needing this factory again."
He raised his hand over the keyboard. The controls responded like they were supposed to be fireworks for the New Orleans Mardi Gras celebration. When the technicolor lights settled down, Placido had initiated the countdown to self destruct.
/
"This is an emergency announcement. This factory will self-destruct in ten minutes. Please stop what you are doing and evacuate immediately."
The alarm began sounding in every room of the warehouse.
Two loud noises in a row, and Bruno was finally getting to his feet. His head felt like he'd dipped it in liquid nitrogen and lava a billion times, but other than that he felt okay.
He peeked into the room he'd opened the door for earlier. The control panel glowed a soft green, but something small glowed red.
"The program!" Bruno dashed in and swiped it. He put the program in a secure pocket of his coat and zipped it shut. "Now to find everyone."
/
"Hopefully you'll all die here," Placido turned away from the screens.
Sword in hand, he sliced it in a downward arc. The blade tore through the air, creating another portal. Placido stepped through, leaving the doomed warehouse without looking back.
/
"Oh fuck, this day just keeps getting better and better," Lise groaned.
A digital countdown clock had sprouted above their heads, just past the robot's shoulder.
"I guess we don't have all the time in the world," Yusei grumbled.
/
"Just when I thought it couldn't get any worse!" Crow complained, running down the hallway with Jack right beside him.
"Don't ever say that!" Jack shouted.
Crow skidded to a halt when the hallway forked off to the right. He'd spotted someone. "Hey, Bruno!"
"Crow!"
"What happened? Where are Lise and Yusei?"
"We got separated in a hallway," Bruno hung his head miserably.
"Damn it! Where did they go?!"
Jack frowned and looked around. He pointed upwards. "There, that looks like the main control room. If we go there, we might find out where they are."
"All right, let's go!"
The three boys raced into the control room in no time. The threat of the explosion looming over their heads was motivation enough.
"Okay, here we go!" Bruno relaxed a little bit. The machines he could deal with, but the threat of death not so much.
"I hoped that was just a malfunction," Jack pointed solemnly to the countdown clock. "We've got less than ten minutes now."
Bruno got to work immediate3ly, typing like a madman across the keyboard. Sweat broke out on his forehead.
"Can you stop it?" Jack asked.
"I'm trying, but it's no good! The controls aren't responding!"
The holo-screens Placido had been watching before he left suddenly popped up. Crow, Jack, and Bruno had three angles of their friends in mortal danger in high definition.
"It's Lise and Yusei!" Crow gasped. "Are they dueling that robot?" He looked around and then leaned down when he found what he was looking for; a microphone. "Hey, Lise, Yusei! Can you hear me?"
"Are you okay?"
"What happened?"
"Jack?"
"Crow?"
"Bruno?"
"Is that you?"
"Of course it's us!" Jack yelled irritably. "What're you standing around for? Hurry up and get outta here! This place is gonna explode!"
"God fucking damnit!" Lise swore. "What kind of warehouse has a self destruct option? What, were they shopping at Evil Villain Supplies dot com? Motherfucker!"
Yusei winced as Lise continued her tirade at a lower volume. "We can't leave! Unless we win, the door won't open!"
"What?!"
"That can't be…" Bruno whispered, his eyes wide.
"Then stop wasting time and win already!" Jack shouted.
"Gee, why didn't I think of that?" Lise said sarcastically, rolling her eyes. "Oh wait, I did."
"Look, you three need to get out of here. We'll join you as soon as we win," Yusei said. He looked directly into the camera above them.
"What?"
"We can't do that!"
"Don't worry," Yusei cracked the tiniest of smiles. "I have a plan."
"And I have a backup plan, just in case," Lise added.
"Everyone go! We'll be okay!" Yusei insisted.
"Yusei…"
Jack clenched his hands into fists and then slowly unclenched them. He turned to his friends. "I understand. We're leaving, Crow, Bruno."
Bruno gasped in horror. "I won't leave them here! If you're gonna leave, leave by your-"
Jack cut him off by punching Bruno in the face. He went sprawling against the computer.
"What're you doing?"
"If you won't run, then I'll drag you by force!" Jack growled. His fists were still cocked.
"What?"
"You're not the only one that doesn't like this," Crow said softly. His lips and brow were trembling with the effort it took to force himself to leave.
"Crow? Jack?" Bruno bit his lip and steeled his resolve. He stood to go. "I understand."
"We'll be waiting for you guys!" Crow called back as they left.
"I won't forgive you if you die in a place like this!" Jack shouted at them before he lead the way back out of the control room.
"Good luck," Bruno said.
"Go!"
"Right!"
Jack hmphed loudly as he ran. "You don't understand them at all. They don't want us to worry, so we can escape with our lives."
"But we're not giving up," Crow forced a smile onto his face.
"Even if there's no chance of winning, they'll make it out alive. One way or another."
/
"Goddamnit. I just wanted to sleep today," Lise whined, looking like she was going to crumple into a puddle.
"Lise, I know you're scared. I'm scared too, but we're gonna make it out. I promise," Yusei offered her a small smile.
Lise took a deep breath. "I know. I'm prepared no matter what. It just pisses me off is all."
"Good. Use it to win the duel if I can't."
"That's not comforting."
"Sorry, I think it's my turn!" Yusei drew a card. "I summon Drill Synchron! Then I play the spell card Assassin's Strike! Until this turn's end phase, one monster gains the defense points of an opponent's monster as attack points."
"Trap activate," the robot countered. "Magic Jammer."
"What?"
"By discarding one card, the activation of a spell card is negated, and destroyed. Then I activate Counter Force's effect. When a counter trap is activated, the counters on Counter Force increase by one.
Now it's my turn. I draw. From my hand, I activate the continuous spell Messenger of Peace. Both players cannot attack with monsters with 1500 or more attack points."
"All it knows how to play is defense," Lise frowned.
"The probability of you two losing on my next turn is 90 percent."
"See, this is why I hate math," Lise joked. "Oh, and would you look at that; only two minutes to spare."
The time limit is just a distraction. Just stay calm and power on through.
Couldn't have said it better myself.
Lise took a deep breath. "It's my…turn!" She peeked hopefully at her card. "All right! I play Giant Trunade! This card returns all our spells and traps to our hands!"
"Counter trap activate!" The robot said immediately. "God's Declaration! In exchange for half my lifepoints, this card negates the activation and effect of a spell, trap, or monster summon, and destroys it."
Lise's spell went up in a burst of golden sparks. "So much for that plan."
Robot: 1500
Lise: 3600
Yusei: 4000
"Next, I activate Counter Force's effect. Now Counter Force has four counters. Defeat for Yusei Fudo and Elizabeth Kururugi is now at 100 percent."
"Then I guess my turn is over," Lise said.
"I wouldn't say we've lost yet," Yusei smiled minusculy.
Lise's eyes darted between Yusei and the robot. "We haven't?"
"What?" The robot's eyes turned into question marks.
Yusei's smile grew. "You made a mistake in your calculations."
"I do not make mistakes."
"You're right, there are no mistakes in your calculations," Yusei said.
"Okay, I'm thoroughly confused," Lise groaned.
"See, if the bot uses Counter Force's effect, it'll win, so it went out of its way to protect Counter Force using God's Declaration. Now its lifepoints are halved, so, especially now that you've ended your turn, I have an opening for a reversal."
"Oh awesome!"
"Unable to understand," the robot said.
"It's my turn! I release Level Stealer to summon Earthquake Giant!"
(Earthquake Giant: Atk: 1600 Def: 2100)
"Through Level Limit Area B's effect, all level four or higher monsters on the field are changed to defense position."
"But now I can activate Earthquake Giant's effect," Yusei said. "When Earthquake Giant is switched from attack to defense mode, I change the position of one of my opponent's monsters."
"All right!" Lise cheered with a grin. "Lock Dragon has zero attack points!"
"Now for our victory! I play the trap Panic Wave! This card destroys a card on my field, and all the face up cards on the field have their effects negated for this turn! Now I'm tuning my level five Junk Warrior and level three Drill Synchron to synchro summon…Stardust Dragon!"
"Total reversal percentage: 100 percent!"
"Go Stardust Dragon, attack!"
Robot: 0000
Lise: 3600
Yusei: 4000
"Lock is being released," the robot stuttered out. Steam drifted out of the bot's joints. "Lock is being released."
The garage door rose behind the robot.
Lise was immediately dashing for the exit beyond the door. "Move it or lose it!"
"Right behind you!"
"Ten seconds remaining. Nine…"
We're not gonna make it! Lise ground her teeth together in frustration as she ran. Unless… She reached out with her hand.
"Eight… Seven… Six… Five…"
Yusei wasn't sure what Lise was doing. Holding hands before they exploded seemed kinda nice, but he much preferred living to be able to do that any other day. Nevertheless, he still clasped her hand firmly in his. "Whoa!"
"Four… Three… Two… One…"
/
Crow, Jack, and Bruno had just exited the building. They had gained enough ground to be safe from the worst of the blast.
The warehouse went up in a blaze of black and orange smoke. The three boys lay still as debris rained around them, protecting their heads the best they could.
"Oh no…" Crow was the first to move.
"Are they…?"
"They'd better not be dead," Jack said, his voice unusually husky.
They couldn't make out anything through all the smoke and flames. Then something slowly came into view.
"Lise and Yusei!" Crow sighed with relief.
"They're okay!" Bruno smiled with tears in his eyes. "Jack was right!"
"Of course I was! Let's go get them."
/
Lise held Yusei's hand tightly as she flew. She didn't really fly often with passengers, so it was taking everything she had to keep it together. Sure, she'd flown with Leo once, but he was like a feather in comparison.
"Nice quick thinking back there," Yusei was saying. His cheeks were a little red. "For a second there I thought we were goners."
Lise smiled down at him. "I told you I had a backup plan, one way or another."
She set Yusei down on the grassy field they came across. It was far away from the warehouse's fiery explosion.
Lise landed beside him to catch her breath. "I'm so tired," she sighed. "Sorry I wasn't much help."
"No," Yusei took her hand. "You're why we're both still alive. I'm sorry your first day back was… not so great. I'm glad to have you back in the city."
Lise's face turned pink. "Thanks. It's good to be back."
"Lise!"
"Yusei!"
Bruno, Crow, and Jack were running up the hill to meet them. Lise was confused to see Crow throw a wadded bill at Jack, which he collected happily.
"They have an ongoing bet now," Yusei whispered in Lise's ear. "I don't know all the details, but I think it has to do with us making out."
"Oh gods," Lise rolled her eyes, but she was smiling.
The three boys tackled them in a hug.
"You're okay!"