Day 22 (July 28th): Tech Genius

The android with a supercomputer for a brain, Bruno stole our hearts as Antimony, and continued until the bitter end. Today's prompt is all about Bruno, Antimony, or Dark Glass/Vizor.

In Search of an Eternal Sky

It swallowed the sky.

The day it appeared, he was horrified and didn't show it. His head mark gleamed like a bloody scar. The Crimson Dragon himself seemed to cringe away from the sight. He couldn't look away, though.

The Ark Cradle, the Emperors of Yliaster had called it. How could an object that ate the sun and rained dread be deemed an Ark? The original ark he knew was a symbol of hope, of resetting the world.

Could their views be twisted enough to see that thing as their Ark?

The City and the Satellite… all the people he loved would be-

A hand on his shoulder stole his attention. Gray eyes drew his focus away from the black mass. Bruno's smile had a constant joy. Yusei had spent an embarrassing amount of time both trying to learn how he managed it and attempting to copy it.

Hadn't worked since it appeared.

"Hey, Yusei!" His chipper tone made him sick with jealousy. "I've finished maintenance from the Ragnarok duel. The three of you are tuned up for as many test runs as you want between now and next week's New World duel!"

One week. He gazed at the Ark Cradle, at the "new world," at the responsibilities being thrust onto his shoulders once again. For a moment, his lungs felt shriveled. A touch between his shoulder blades reminded him to breathe.

"Yusei?" His volume lowered, which was rare. "You're quiet. If there's anything you need to say, understand I also function as a listening ear besides being a mechanic! I am quite handy that way."

Under normal circumstances, he might have laughed, rolled his eyes, reacted at all. There was a cage around his mind locking his thoughts in on it. He swore it was growing by the day, too, and soon the sky would be no more than a memory.

"Is it what the Directors mentioned?" Bruno said. "Ark Candle? I can't see it, but I imagine it can't look comforting! I have an idea. You're tuned up and fueled up, Yusei. You should drive until you can no longer see it."

"How?" he asked, his voice trembling.

"Ah, well you see, the Earth is a sphere. This means that so long as enough distance is put between you and this sky it will be no longer visible to you due to the curvature-"

"No, I meant- even if there are a million miles between me and the Ark Cradle, I'll still see it. I see it in my nightmares. I see it when I eat breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and not because a glass of water reflects it. It's in my head all the time."

Bruno slammed his fist into his own open palm. "That must be what they want! Their strategy is psychological. Typical of Primo from what we've learned of him, and the other two are likely no different. We can't let this beat you! Yusei! For the sake of the team and the world, you are mandated to take a break!"

"Take a- what?"

Bruno's grip on Yusei's forearm was surprisingly strong. He dragged him to Yusei's runner and threw him onto the seat. "You stay right there!"

He was too interested in where this was going to stop Bruno, who flew into Yusei's room. He emerged with a packed duffel bag. Bruno tossed it into Yusei's arms and motioned for him to scoot back.

The pair fit comfortably on Yusei's runner. Bruno clicked the side of Yusei's helmet, and the dark visor slashed down. He borrowed Jack's helmet from the workbench. The plates had some dents and scars from the war with gods. The teal tint of the eye guard shifted Bruno's eyes to the color of a stormy sea.

"Hold on tight!" he hollered.

He floored the accelerator, and they rocketed out of the garage and through the Fountain Plaza. Bruno angled them away from the bridge and weaved through traffic. Pointy objects in the duffel bag stabbed Yusei as he wrapped his forearms around Bruno's chest. The curvature of the back of the seat left his knees angling upwards, so his lone method of hanging tight was clenching his thighs to Bruno's.

And, well, if anything could make him forget the Ark Candle… wait, what was it called?

Bruno raised his face to the sunless sky and let out a booming whoop. Yusei finally laughed and followed suit. They reached the next horizon on the opposite side of the continent in a matter of wind-screaming hours.

The taste of salt mingled with the gentle breeze. Yusei removed his helmet and tossed his hair. Sweat plastered the locks to his temples. Grains of ivory sand stuck in his bangs. He shook out his hair, shielded his eyes with a flat hand, and gazed at the horizon.

Turquoise waves lapped at pearl beaches. Dots of pastel umbrellas went on for miles and miles. Happy squeals of children blended with the song of the tide. The landscape lay awash in unblocked sunshine.

And the sky? Forever blue.

A blur rushed past him. The duffel bag flopped up and down by Bruno's sprint. "I'm getting there first!"

"Hey!" Yusei yelled. "You have to announce a race first-"

He broke into a determined run. Without a bag weighing him down, he passed Bruno and skidded through sand. Sweat made his skin slimy beneath his leather clothes. Bruno laughed and doubled over. "You win! Let's see what you get!"

He zipped open the bag. More than ten bottles of suntan lotion and oil filled the space. A couple pairs of oversized swimming trunks were stuffed in there, too, probably stolen from Crow's band's beach shows.

Yusei blinked. "Where do we change?"

"Hmm. Nobody's around right now!" Bruno covered his eyes. "Won't look. Promise."

Yusei didn't believe him for a second, so he returned to his runner and changed with it as workable cover. Bruno did the same, and the pair started towards the towel and umbrella rental.

"Did you bring your wallet?" Bruno asked.

"Me? You're the one who forced me on a vacation!"

He just laughed – all smiles. He unturned his empty pockets. "You know I don't have any money!"

As was natural of amnesiacs, he supposed.

"If you have any left over," Bruno added, "we should grab pairs of sunglasses. We'd rock them. Hey. Hey! Did I use that right? 'Rock them?' Crow says it means when you wear something and it looks great-"

"Yeah," Yusei interrupted, "you nailed it."

He beamed. It was sad how hard he had to try to fit in. Yusei wondered what all had gotten knocked loose in that crash of his. They picked a matching pale blue umbrella and towel combo.

A stretch of blinding white sand was free to the east. Sailboats drifted in the distance, and taller waves obscured their white flags off and on. Walkers commented on washed-up shells and proclaimed victory upon discovering shark's teeth.

Yusei faced his palms towards the sun, letting his skin fry. He kinda sorta regretting not grabbing some headphones at least – a book at most. Hell, a dueling strategy book lay half-read on his desk at home. Not that he had a say in what they were taking, but-

Cold lotion landed on his chest, and he yelped. Bruno huffed. "No complaining! Spread that, or you'll be in trouble!"

He did. Bruno practically flipped him over to let him at his back, and he massaged in sunscreen on his back and shoulders. It was… nice. Relaxing. He couldn't even recall their reason for coming in the first place.

The sky was blue and endless.

"How 'bout those sunglasses?" Bruno offered, his smile sunny as always.

Yusei breathed. The corners of his lips lifted. "Yeah."