Yusei: 1800
Kalin: 4000
"It looks like your precious duel runner is about to give up on you, Yusei!" Kalin noticed with manic glee.
Yusei's front wheel wobbled dangerously. It wasn't going to hold out for much longer.
"It's my turn!" Yusei declared, drawing his card. I've only got one way to throw him off his strategy. It's a long shot but I gotta try something! "All right, Kalin, since you've got monsters on your field, and my field is empty, I'm able to special summon this next card as a level four monster! I summon Level Warrior!"
(Level Warrior: Atk: 300 Def: 600)
"Next I'll bring out Hyper Synchron to the field in attack mode!"
"I'm shaking," Kalin mocked.
"And now I'll use the power of my Hyper Synchron to tune with my Level Warrior so I can summon out your destruction! Stardust Dragon, let's rev it up!"
"Busting out your deck's top performer,eh? I was worried you weren't taking me seriously. I guess, in a way, I should be flattered."
"Well this next move will really make you feel special," Yusei half-joked as he continued his move. "See, when Hyper Synchron is used to summon a synchro monster, the summoned monster then gets a power boost."
"I don't like this," Lise decided darkly.
Fish looked at her like she was crazy. "Why? Your boyfriend's winning."
"He's NOT my boyfriend, and it just seems too easy to me."
"Stardust Dragon, attack!" A ray of stardust erupted out of the dragon's mouth, heading straight for Kalin's beast.
"Attack all you want, because now my One Hundred Eyed Dragon gains the special ability of Infernity Guardian!" Kalin countered. "And thanks to this power my dragon can't be destroyed in battle!"
"That may be, but your lifepoints are still gonna take some damage!" Yusei told him, finally able to make a worthwhile move.
Yusei: 1800
Kalin: 3700
"It's good to see you finally hitting back! I know that's not all you've got Yusei! What's next huh?" Kalin didn't seem to be fazed at all.
"Since Stardust Dragon managed to successfully deal battle damage, the Shard of Hope trap card automatically activates! Which means I can now draw one card from my deck, and if that card is a trap card, then I can activate it by destroying Shard of Hope!" Yusei put his hand on his deck. "It all comes down to this…" A quick peek at the card… and… "Nice! Here goes everything! I'm destroying the card Shard of Hope so that I can activate the power of my Miracle Locus trap! This trap forces you to draw a card, and gives Stardust Dragon a thousand more attack points and the ability to attack for a second time this turn! So add a card to your hand, Kalin!"
"With pleasure," Kalin's smirk seemed out of place considering the circumstances.
Yusei continued, "Stardust Dragon, time to inflict another dose of damage; attack!"
And again Yusei's dragon fired at Hundred Eyed Dragon, sending it packing along with a chunk of Kalin's lifepoints.
Yusei: 1800
Kalin: 2400
"Thanks for the help, Yusei. Now that your monster destroyed my mighty beast, I can select one card in my deck and add it to my hand!"
"It won't matter, cuz now I activate my trap Synchro Destructor! Now when my dragon destroys your monster in battle, you take damage equal to half that monster's attack points! And then, if the monster I destroyed was a synchro monster, you get hit again for the same amount of damage!" Yusei quipped, and things looked it was going to be a good outcome.
In the meantime, Crow had been joined by Blitz, Rally, Tank, and Nervin.
"So Kalin's basically getting served his own dragon's attack points, so that's what; like three thousand? If this move is successful-"
"-Yusei wins this thing!" Tank said cheerfully.
"I've never seen a combo so perfectly executed," Nervin admired.
Rally's grin was the biggest of all. "He's the best! Nothing can stop him now!"
"This can't be! I'm done for!" Kalin whined, pretending. He shook his head. "But seriously folks, I activate the Damage Translation trap! This halves the harm I take from a card effect!"
Yusei: 1800
Kalin: 900
Kalin bowed his head and came back up laughing. He was enjoying every second of this. "Impressive string of attacks, Yusei, but look who's still standing!"
"Ya know, I never liked him," Tank said.
"He may have managed to survive that attack but he's finished," Blitz said confidently. "He's got no monsters on his field and Yusei's got Stardust Dragon!"
"And I bet a salami sandwich that facedown card of Yusei's is Scrap Iron Scarecrow, so if Kalin summons a new monster, Yusei can negate the attack," Nervin agreed.
"Yusei's biggest mistake will be thinking he's got this one wrapped up," Jack had a very opposite opinion to those on the ground. "That card Kalin added to his hand earlier, it's gotta be something powerful."
"That was so close, damnit!" Fish complained.
Lise cocked an eyebrow. "But you don't like Yusei."
"You do, and I'm sorry but I am terrible at mending broken hearts."
If I can hold Kalin off till next turn, my speed counters will be at eight, and I can activate the Final Attack speed spell, which will double Stardust's attack points. That'll finish him off! "I end my tu-"
"Not yet; I'm not done," Kalin interrupted. "See, my Damage Translation's other effect activates during the end phase! And since I took damage from card effects twice, I can summon two Ghost Tokens to my field!"
"This can't be good," Yusei mused. He watched as two little black ghosts popped up near Kalin.
Kalin laughed like a maniac then.
"What's so funny?" Yusei demanded.
"The irony is so delicious!" Kalin replied. "You did all that work to force me to add a card to my hand. Did you ever stop to think that the card I'd end up adding to my hand would be my most powerful?"
"What is it?"
"The big finale! Come on out everybody!" At Kalin's words, black hooded people appeared, flickering, in the purple flames of the Giant's lines.
"What is this?" Yusei asked, nervously looking from person to person. "Huh? Kalin, who are they?"
"Ya see that?" Rally looked down into the flames instead of Crow's runner. "It looks like there's people in the purple mist!"
"Where did they come from?" Tank questioned.
"Your guess is as good as mine Tank," Nervin admitted anxiously.
"Maybe they're the same people that were taken in by that weird group and went underground."
All heads turned to Crow.
"I had a feeling it was you Dark Signers who'd been taking people," Yusei stated fiercely. "What're you gonna do to them?"
"It's my turn now," Kalin said, throwing away the question. "But because of Power Baton, I can't draw another card."
"Answer me, Kalin!" Yusei demanded, pulling up alongside the Dark Signer. "What're you doing with these people?!"
"What do you think, Yusei? I am going to channel their spirits into this card!" Kalin declared, relishing the evil of the act.
"You're gonna do what?!"
"Their combined energy is going to give this card unbelievable power! By releasing the two Ghost Tokens from my field, I banish all these people and take them as an offering to the Earthbound Immortal Ccapac Apu!"
The captured souls standing in the flames screamed in agony. Each one was transformed into a purple glowing orb and sucked into what looked like a giant brown heart. The more souls it absorbed, the more it beat and pulsed with dark energy.
"What's happening?!" Yusei shouted, completely at a loss.
"Their energy has been assimilated…" Kalin grinned wickedly. "And now Ccapac Apu will descend upon this world!"
A huge ray of light engulfed the dark heart. It vanished in seconds, and from the Earth climbed a monster that was large enough to touch the blades on Jack's helicopter!
(Ccapac Apu: Atk: 3000 Def: 2500)
"Holy shit," Fish whispered breathlessly. She and Lise were only at the thing's elbow!
Lise groaned from the pain of a splitting headache. Her markings' glow grew even brighter as if they were trying to cancel out all the darkness from the creature. She leaned heavily on the barrier. "It's the Giant. One of the Earthbound Immortals from the battle five thousand years ago."
Kalin laughed triumphantly.
"Okay, how come Goodwin didn't warn me about this?" Yusei tried to stay calm, but it wasn't really working.
"Get ready to join the rest of the taken in the shadows of the Netherworld! Earthbound Immortal Ccapac Apu, pound this pathetic Signer into the darkness!" Kalin ordered.
The enormous Immortal reached slowly for Yusei.
"Stardust Dragon, attack," Yusei tried weakly, but the dragon flew right through the monster's hand! "Well, at least I got Scrap Iron Scarecrow!"
"Come on, Yusei," Kalin ridiculed, his smile growing ever wider. "Do you seriously think a little trap like that can stand up against the power of an immortal?" At Kalin's words the little scarecrow was pulled back into its trap and left Yusei wide open!
"NO!" Lise screamed. She threw her backpack at Fish, and pounded her fists into the force field. She turned her hands, digging into the invisible surface with her nails. "I will not just sit here and let him die!"
"Lise, stop! You can't do anything!" Fish pleaded, helpless to stop her friend.
"Yes. I. CAN!" Red energy welled up in Lise's body.
There's nothing I can do! Yusei realized; a sinking feeling in his stomach, and a chill running down his spine. The Immortal's hand came closer and closer. I can't stop this attack!
"It's lights out!" Kalin laughed.
Suddenly there was a burst of light like a red star and Lise appeared out of nowhere. She threw herself in front of Ccapac Apu's attack. The attack hit her, instead of Yusei, head on. Lise doubled over like a bowstring, her body open and bleeding in multiple places, and she was thrown backwards. She landed hard and fast a short distance away, facedown, and she wasn't moving.
"Lise!" Yusei shouted. Next second his runner spit out smoke. He lost speed and was tossed backwards as well. Separated from his runner, both he and the machine rolled backwards painfully for quite some time.
The glow from Luna's mark faded. Leo and the others stared, upset, at her arm.
"Why'd it stop glowing?" Leo wondered worriedly. "What's that mean? Did something bad just happen to Yusei and Lise?"
"I'm not sure, but I think they're hurt," Luna answered quietly. Her brow was furrowed in exactly the same way her brother's was.
Akiza watched the glow from her mark ebb out. She looked back out at the city, towards the Satellite. My friends are in danger. I wish there was something I could do!
Ccapac Apu dominated Goodwin's monitor. He had been watching the entire time. It looks as if the Dark Signers are stronger than I thought.
Finally, Yusei stopped rolling. His side burned with pain. Lise still hadn't moved.
Kalin pulled up next to Yusei. "And at the moment all hope is lost, our little sister jumps in to save the day, and Yusei's crummy duel runner breaks! Officially ending the duel before the duel can end him!" The Dark Signer laughed at Yusei's pain. "Just look at you! You're so pathetic! You may have managed to survive this little encounter, but I'm afraid you can't fight your fate! You can't stop the Satellite from being obliterated! And you can't save yourself or the person you care about most…" He held up the Immortal's card. "Earthbound Immortal Ccapac Apu, come back to me now!" The monster disappeared and the Giant's lines started to vanish as well. "What was it that tournament MC started calling you? Satellite's shooting star? More like Satellite's falling star! See ya round, Yusei." Without another word, Kalin drove off.
Fish was the first to arrive on the scene. She hopped off her surfboard and ran to her best friend. "You idiot. I knew this would happen! I knew this was a bad idea," she knelt by Lise and shook her shoulders. "Wake up, damnit, wake up!"
Slowly, Lise's eyes fluttered open. "Fish?" she croaked.
"Remind me to kill Yusei later," Fish swallowed, relieved, and helped Lise sit up. "Oh, and you missed one of the worst puns I've heard in a long time. Your old friends suck at this!"
"Is Yusei all right?" Lise's asked quietly.
"Um…"
"Yusei!" Rally shouted, running up with everyone else in tow.
"Yusei!"
"You okay?"
"Hey man, you still with us?" Blitz asked and gently turned Yusei over onto his back.
A jagged piece of metal jutted out from Yusei's abdomen. If it was removed, there would be no doubt he would bleed to death.
"Oh man," Rally stared at it wide-eyed. "Hey Yusei, can ya hear me?"
Tank pointed a small ways in front of them. "Look, it's Lise! I knew I saw her down there for a second!"
"Lise, are you okay?" Nervin asked, running up to her and Fish.
"I've been better," the dragon girl admitted, leaning heavily on Fish. She did manage to smile weakly, but it fell away quickly.
"What do we do about Yusei?" Rally panicked.
"Don't touch him!" Crow instructed. He rode down the garbage pile and pulled over beside Yusei.
"Crow!"
"I'll take him to Martha's place," Crow told the others.
"Good idea. Is she still in the Notting District?" Nervin questioned. Tank and Blitz took Yusei by the arms and draped him over the back of Crow's runner.
"Yep," Crow answered gravely. He turned to Fish and Lise. "Can you get there okay on your own?"
Lise nodded. "I know where to go. I'll meet you there."
"And I'll make sure she gets there in one piece," Fish promised. "Might as well pick up Stupid on the way."
"All right then," Crow yelled back at them as he raced out of there.
"I hope he's okay," Rally wished.
"I do too, Rally," Lise whispered hoarsely. Her eyes shone with unshed tears.
"Well, we need to get you outta here then," Fish created a surfboard and hopped on. "For now this way is safer." She pulled Lise on board with her.
"We'll meet you at Martha's and I'll let you know the details, okay, Rally?" Lise said, sounding like she was trying to comfort herself more than the young boy.
"Okay, we'll get there as soon as possible."
"What're you waiting for?" Jack said angrily, roughly grabbing the pilot's shoulder. "I've gotta catch that creep! Put this bird on the ground!"
"No, don't," Meena instructed. "We have to get back to the city right away."
Jack glared at her. "What're you talking about?! Are you suggesting that we let Kalin just escape?"
"I know you're upset, Jack, but right now without your duel runner with you there isn't anything that you can do," Meena explained to him patiently.
Angrily, Jack sat back in his seat. The pilot directed the helicopter back to the city in silence.
Fish gently landed right in front of Martha' house. The place might have looked old, but it was a well-taken care of home for orphans.
"Martha!" Lise shouted, still using Fish as a temporary crutch. "Martha!"
"Allow me," Fish offered and pounded heavily on the door.
"It's the middle of the night, Lise," a woman's voice said from inside. The door opened to reveal a dark skinned woman with dark brown hair and eyes. She wore a plain dress and carried a candle. "This had better be good."
"I'm afraid we're pretty much out of good right now," Fish commented sarcastically.
"You're covered in blood again!" Martha gasped. "Inside, inside now."
The girls quickly walked indoors, Martha stepping to the side for them. The older woman closed the front door and lead Fish and Lise to the room right across from the front door. She used that as her medical room.
In the medical room, there were obviously medical tools along with three beds for people to spend the night if they needed to. Martha pulled Lise over to the bed closest to the window.
"How did this happen?" Martha demanded as she helped pull Lise's clothes off to bandage her up.
"I'll explain everything later, but I'm not who you should be concerned with right now," Lise talked fast and desperately. "Crow's coming too and he's bringing Yusei. He was hurt REALLY bad! You've gotta do something!"
"I can finish her up," Fish offered, taking the bandages and other supplies from Martha. "I'll have it done quickly so you can focus on more pressing matters."
Martha's dark eyes stared at Fish coolly. She finally gave and nodded. "All right. I'm going to wake up the doctor who lives here. We'll get everything ready to treat Yusei."
"How's it look doctor?" Martha asked solemnly. She and the doctor wore masks as they worked on Yusei.
Lise had refused to leave, and Fish wanted to stay by her side. She stayed in the operation room, even though she looked sick every time a shard of glass was removed from Yusei's body. At one point, she even started gagging.
"He's got some internal bruising on the right side of his abdomen," the doctor answered.
"Is he going to be all right?"
"It's a long shot."
"Come on, Yusei, be strong…"