Going fast makes me feel alive! My heart beats in hyperdrive!

Do you think you can win only if I lose? Just let destiny choose!

I can … hear you breathing! I can … see you coming! I can … feel the wind, it's blowing me around!

Take a shot at me running side-by-side! It's a blur … as I go by!

I can … hear you breathing! I can … see you coming! I can … feel the wind, it's blowing me around!

See the sun arisin', fire in the sky!

Greatness thrusts itself … into our lives!

Chapter 2 - The Subway Gang

She woke up with hazy vision.

Small dim lights surrounded her gently and the presence of small whispers from people surrounding her had alerted her defensive mechanisms. She leaned up quickly, but that was a bad decision. Her equilibrium had yet to be re-established and the consequence was a bout of dizziness that completely knocked the wind out of her.

"Whoa!" said a masculine voice as arms captured her in time. Kiara blinked rapidly, trying to move past the blurriness in her eyes to look upon her savior.

"Easy there," the voice spoke again. "You don't want to start doing too much right now. You're still a little weak." He soothed.

Kiara nodded firmly, heeding his words and allowed him to help her situate herself upright. When the fogginess of her eyes finally cleared; she blinked a couple of times and took a look at her surroundings. To her surprise: it wasn't just one person; but instead there were four other guys and one little girl watching her carefully.

Kiara turned her head left and right and noticed that the scenery had also changed.

"Where am I?" She asked warily.

"It's alright, you're safe." said the voice. She turned to make eye contact with it and was surprised to see a handsome young man, with smooth tan skin, cerulean blue eyes, jet black hair and yellow highlights, talking to her. What was a handsome chap like him doing in a dark place like here?

"Who … who are you?" She asked.

"My name's Yusei Fudo." He introduced himself carefully. Then, he turned to the group behind him. "These are my friends. Rally, Blitz, Tank and Nervin."

Rally, the short little girl with red hair, ran up to Yusei and Kiara. "How do you feel, Miss?"

Kiara grunted softly as she adjusted herself. "A little … disoriented, but … okay." She scratched her head. "I assume one of you brought me here?"

"It was Yusei!" Rally said happily. "He saved you from a bunch of thugs!"

"Actually, Rally; she saved herself." He corrected and glanced at Kiara. "I saw you duel against the Red Vipers." The three other boys and Rally gasped.

"You dueled the Red Vipers?!" They said in unison. Kiara blushed suddenly.

"I … I wasn't trying to pick a fight with them. Apparently; I was trespassing on their territory and got forced into a duel and then—" She paused midway as a memory surfaced. The garage, tools, fixing something. The pain followed soon after as it closed in on her mind. Kiara hissed at the stinging memory.

"Are you okay?" Yusei asked.

"Yeah … I … I'm fine. Just getting my bearings together." She replied. Then, she looked up to make eye contact with the young man. "Thanks for getting me out of there, Yusei."

"Don't mention it." He answered and then stood up, heading towards his D-Wheel.

"Where ya going, Yuse?" Tank, the chubbiest one, asked.

"Just gonna make a trip around the old highway again. Maybe even visit Jack along the way so he can see all the hard work we put in on this D-Wheel."

"What about Crow?" Rally asked. At the sound of that name; Yusei frowned.

"I think Crow … is busy with his own thing, Rally." He deadpanned before leaving on the spirited bike. Rally frowned at his response, but shrugged it off and shifted her focus to the other girl.

"I can't tell ya how excited I am to have another girl duelist around!" She beamed. Kiara smiled lightly.

"Oh please," Nervin interjected. "You can barely call yourself a duelist, Rally. You lose every single time."

The tiny girl scowled. "Hey! I don't always lose! And you lose twice as much as I do, Nervin!" She huffs and looks away. "Besides; the only one of us who can actually throw down is Yusei. But now with—uh, Miss …"

"Kiara," she finished.

Rally grinned. "I bet Kiara here is just as good as Yusei! I mean—you'd have to be if you can beat the Red Vipers!"

"Or maybe Yusei just said all that to be polite." Blitz, the boldest member of the Subway gang, said openly. "I mean; the guy is a gentleman to everyone he meets. I wouldn't be surprised if she can't beat a Kuriboh."

Kiara smirked at his subtle challenge. "Well then, why don't you try me out? See if I'm really all that, tough guy."

Blitz smirked to himself. "Alright, I'm game."

"Uhh … is this a smart idea?" Nervin added.

"Of course it is!" Rally cheered. "I wanna see what kind of deck Kaiara uses! Not to mention it's been ages since we all had or even saw a good duel." Blitz ducked inside their hideout tent and grabbed one of the two generic duel disks they all shared and placed his deck inside the holding compartment. Kiara reactivated the duel disk on her arm and then inserted her deck at the same time.

"Ready?" She asked.

"Hell yeah." Blitz answered.

"DUEL!"

Kiara: 4000 LP

Blitz: 4000 LP

"I'm taking the first turn," Kiara began and drew a Monster card, switching it out hastily for two Trap cards.

"First I set two cards facedown," She said and then took hold of the drawn Monster card in her hand. "And then: I'll summon an old friend of mine." She places the card face-up onto its respective zone. "Etoile Cyber—rise!"

A summon portal opened and out of it emerged a beautiful scarlett haired woman dressed in a leotard who danced gracefully to the frontline.

Etoile Cyber: LVL 4 | 1200 ATK | 1600 DEF

"Bring it on, Blitz."

The street smart young man just smirked. "My draw!" He thinks for a moment before placing the Monster card on its card zone.

"I play Robotic Knight!" A new portal on his side of the field opens and calls on a mechanical knight to stand by his side.

Robotic Knight: LVL 4 | 1600 ATK | 1800 DEF

"And then I'll equip him with these two spell cards!" He declared, inserting both into their card zones. Everyone watched as the materialized cards flipped face forward.

"Lucky Iron Axe boosts my monsters attack points by 500."

Robotic Knight: (+500) = 2100 ATK

"What about the other Spell card?" Kiara asked. Blitz just grinned.

"You'll have to wait and find out …, but in the meantime—I'm launching a direct attack on your Etoile Cyber!" At the duelist's command—Robotic Knight charged forward and delivered an electric wave that zoomed in on the slim dancer.

Kiara reacted and pressed a button on her duel disk. "My trap card activates! Go, Doble Passé!" She said as the static wave moved around her monster and struck Kiara in the chest. She closed her eyes and waited for the faint holographic shock to finish.

Kiara: (-2100) = 1900 LP

Blitz frowned, but wasn't too displeased about the change in events. "Care to explain that little maneuver?"

"When Doble Passé activates—it changes your attack on my monster into a direct attack," she explained before smiling. "But the best part is that because my monster was spared: she now gains access to attack you directly!"

"Slick move." He commented. At the same time, Blotz braced himself as the dancer sidestepped his monster and went straight for him.

"Oh and by the way; when Etoile Cyber attacks directly—her power increases by 500 during damage calculation."

Etoile Cyber: (+500) = 1700 ATK

"Whoa! That's awesome!" Rally cheered. Etoile Cyber completed a complex routine before landing a harsh kick against Blitz's thigh. He frowned at the loss of life points.

Blitz: (-1700) = 2300 LP

"Not bad, I'll give you that much." He shrugged. "I end my turn with two facedowns."

"I'm up." Kiara drew her new card and then immediately showed it out to her audience. "And I'm sacrificing my Cyber Girl in order to tribute summon Cyber Prima!"

A rainbow colored orb of light consumed Etoile Cyber and from it, jumped out the bravest, fiercest and oldest dancer in Kiara's deck.

Cyber Prima: LVL 6 | 2300 ATK | 1600 DEF

She suddenly placed a spell card into her card zone and watched it materialize on the field. "Go, Allegro Toile!"

Rally and the boys watched as the card shined and allowed a long dagger with ribbons to shoot out and stab the facedown on Blitz's left and destroy it on sight.

"What the hell?" He gasped.

"Allegro Toile destroys one spell or trap on your field as long as I make sure to summon a monster this turn."

"I've never heard of that card before. Interesting." Nervin commented.

"She's so cool!" The young girl beamed with admiration.

"She ain't all that, Rally. Having a couple of tricks up your sleeves doesn't make you a pro Duelist." Rally stuck her tongue out. Kiara giggled.

I better be careful of that other facedown he's got.

"Alright then! I attack your knight with Cyber Prima! Reverence of the End!" She declared. Blitz remained composed as the two monsters collided in a short battle where Cyber Prima emerged victorious.

Blitz: (-200) = 2100 LP

"Thanks to you, my equip spells' effects are now activated. Now because you destroyed my equipped monster: both cards allow me to draw one card from my deck." Blitz explained and drew his two cards.

"You done?" He asked.

"Looks like it." Kiara replied.

"Then get ready!" said Blitz, adding another new card to his hand.

Kiara: 1900 LP

Blitz: 2100 LP

"I summon Axe Raider in attack mode." said Blitz, as a new card entered the battlefield as a muscular gladiator.

Axe Raider: LVL 4 | 1700 ATK | 1150 DEF

Blitz then inserted a card into his Spell/Trap card zone. "I'm using the spell card: Share the Pain, which forces us both to get rid of one monster on the field."

"What?" Kiara gasped and then reluctantly—sent her card to the Graveyard compartment. But why would he risk making himself vulnerable too?

"Next; I'm activating my trap card Birthright, to re-summon Robotic Knight."

"Wait a second—what is Blitz doing? Axe Raider had more attack points than Robotic Knight. Why would he special summon a monster that's weaker?" Rally inquired.

'Good question', Kiara thought. 'He's up to something.'

Robotic Knight: LVL 4 | 1600 ATK | 1800 DEF

Then, the Equip Duelist revealed a key card in his hand. "Activate now! Symbols of Duty!" He declared as the card glowed in his hand.

'Crap!'

The ground rumbled below them momentarily and suddenly Robotic Knight became a tornado of sand and dust that swirled powerfully in front of the two duelists. Then, when it dissipated—Kiara's Cyber Prima stood in place on his field.

Cyber Prima: LVL 6 | 2300 ATK | 1600 DEF

"It's been fun dueling with ya," Blitz smirked. "But I'm afraid we gotta end it here. So go, Cyber Prima! Attack your master directly!" He commanded as the warrior woman charged at a remarkable rate, closing in on Kiara's field.

"Go trap card! Counter Gate!" Kiara announced as Cyber Prima halted merely inches away. "Because you ordered a direct attack on me—it's now negated and as a bonus, I get to draw a card and if it happens to be a monster; then I can summon it too." The Cyber Girl Duelist drew her card and immediately presented it to her viewers.

"I summon Blade Skater!" She placed the card vertically on her duel disk and an icy vortex of wind emerged on her left side briefly, opening to reveal a lilac colored woman in ice skating gear and attire.

Blade Skater: LVL 4 | 1400 ATK | 1500 DEF

"That was a close call," said Tank with a relieved smile.

"Hey, who's side are you on?" Nervin frowned.

"Both sides, buddy. I mean—you gotta admit: she's got real skill! It's no wonder she could beat the Vipers and as for Blitz; I mean we've been buddies for years and in all that time—I've never seen him smile this much before. Especially in a duel."

"Nice comeback." Blitz said, crossing his arms. "Maybe you're half as good as Yusei says."

"I'll take that compliment, Blitz." Kiara winked and then drew her new card. She smiled upon inspection.

"This duel is about to get interesting." She stated and then inserted a card into her duel disk. "I play the spell card: Pot of Greed, and draw two extra cards from my deck." She inspected both cards, but one had a particular effect on her psyche. Her mind flooded with white light and a new flashback emerged. The scenery was moving, the skies were blue, the scent of fast food floating in the air nearby—all of her senses heightened with the faint noise of an engine. Kiara looked down.

She was riding a D-Wheel.

" … ey … Ey … Hey!" someone said, breaking her from the memory. Blitz looked over with concern.

"You okay?" He asked. Nervously, Kiara looked at her hand again. This particular card was different from the rest. It looked like a spell card, but it was designed differently with a familiar looking symbol at the corner. She shook her head.

'Pull yourself together! Focus!' She chastised.

"Yeah! I'm fine!" She reassured and continued with her turn. "From my hand—I activate the card: The Warrior Returning Alive, to bring back a great ally of mine." She said and showed the returned card. "I choose Etoile Cyber!"

"Somehow I get the feeling things are about to get ugly." Blitz remarked. Kiara smiled.

"You got that right! Because I'm also activating this! Go, Polymerization!" The card was inserted into her Spell zone and then the spirits of Blade Skater and Etoile Cyber floated in the air briefly as she explained.

"I fuse together Etoile Cyber and Blade Skater to bring out my top performer!" The monster spirits then joined hands and twirled together, joining in a rainbow of color that opened the door to a whirlwind that graced the field.

"Front and center! Cyber Blader!" Kiara placed the card onto her Monster zone and watched as her warrior skater appeared from the vortex, completing a figure eight on the field.

Cyber Blader: LVL 7 | Fusion | 2100 ATK | 800 DEF

"Well, damn," said Blitz. "I can't remember the last time I saw a duelist use fusion monsters. Ever since Synchros became a major thing—seemed like the other styles of dueling became pointless. You're just full of surprises, aren't ya?"

Kiara just grinned and placed a card in her Spell/Trap zone, waiting for it to materialize before ending her turn.

"Alright, Kiara," Blitz began with a new draw from his deck. "I'm going into straight offense, so get ready because your Cyber Prima's about to out-dance your monster!" Both duelists watched as Cyber Blader and Cyber Prima collided with fearsome strikes against each other that created a huge ball of smoke that lasted for only a few seconds. When it dissolved; Blitz, Rally and the boys were surprised to see Cyber Blader still there.

"Now what?" Blitz groaned.

Kiara: (-200) = 1700 LP

"Whoops, did I forgot to mention that Cyber Blader comes equipped with an awesome special ability in which she can't be destroyed by battle?"

Blitz rolled his eyes playfully. "Yeah, I guess it slipped your mind." The young man then sighed. "Guess I'll end the Battle Phase, but—" He picked the monster card in his hand and placed it horizontally on the duel disk. "I'll put Prevent Rat in defense mode and end my turn."

Prevent Rat: LVL 4 | 500 ATK | 2000 DEF

Kiara drew her next card and resigned with the fact that the duel was pretty over now.

"Well Blitz; looks like this is game." She said.

The street styled Duelist frowned. "It ain't over until the fat lady sings."

"Well, she's definitely singing a tune right now because I've got this!" Kiara's card was inserted and flipped forward on the field with a glow. "I equip Cyber Blader with the Angel Wing equip spell!"

"What does that do?" He asked.

"You'll see after Cyber Blader demolishes Cyber Prima!"

"Do the math, Kiara. Your monster is still weaker than Cyber Prima." At this, the Cyber Girl Duelist smirked.

"I think you're the one who's math is incorrect, Blitz. You might wanna check again."

He grimaced and looked between the two monsters and what he saw, completely knocked the wind out of him. A drastic shift had occurred on Kiara's side with Cyber Blader, who was once at 2100 attack power, was now at a whopping 4200!

"How the hell did she get so strong?!"

"Simple. You added a second monster on your side last round which changes Cyber Blader's effect and makes her attack points doubled."

Cyber Blader: (+2100) = 4200 ATK

"Holy shit." Blitz gasped.

"Go Cyber Blader! Whirlwind Rage!" Kiara ordered as her monster skated around the field briefly before delivering a powerful, yet beautiful spinning kick against the bulkier dancer and destroying her instantly. Blitz grunted and braced himself against the minimal impact.

Blitz: (-1900) = 200 LP

"And now the effect of the Angel Wing equip spell kicks in, which deals you an extra 300 points of damage for your destroyed monster!" Blitz, completely shocked, held his arms up as a Cyber Blader—now with angelic wings, rose to the air and unleashed a powerful wave of harmonic wind that blew out the remaining life points he held.

Blitz: (-300) = 0 LP

"She won! She beat Blitz!" Rally cheered and ran over to Kiara, grasping hold of her waist.

"A remarkable duel, I'd say." Nervin added. Tank nodded in agreement while Blitz shuffled over with a cocky grin.

"Not bad. Maybe you are good." Kiara rolled her eyes teasingly and, in good sportsmanship, shook his hand.

"I'm so glad you won, Kiara! You really had me worried there for a minute when you froze up suddenly." At Rally's words—chills went down Kiara's spine as she remembered the card in her hand that haunted her mind. Instinctively, she pulled it out for everyone to see. Nervin's eyes widened so much that he had to readjust his glasses!

"Is that … what I think that is?" He gasped.

"Kiara … how do you have a Speed Spell?" Blitz asked.

"That can't be no coincidence or accident!" Tank said. "Speed Spells are only used or given to Turbo Duelists and if you have one then that must mean—"

"Kiara's a Turbo Duelist!" Rally proclaimed.

Peace & Love

xGhostReaderx