I woke up to feel the last wisps of Gravekeeper Servant spell card finally exhausting itself. Since disarming that guy of his gun, it had been dwindling over the last few days, but I guess it finally ran out of juice.

Thinking about last night made me smile and I even whistled a little tune as I showered in the tiny bathroom, Lab even making the shower head turn into interesting spray patterns like a dice or an elephant.

With the cash from the factory and no intention of stopping until Penguin was as broke as the average Bowery payphone? I was in a pretty good mood.

As I showered, I got to select another card, blinking as I saw a new pack emerge.

"Labyrinth of Nightmares?" I mused as I stood under the spray for a moment. I tried giving it a shot and got a mixed bag. I got a monster that couldn't be summoned unless I had a water monster in the graveyard... some fairy that did something if my spells were challenged?

A ritual spell...

Like, 'summon satan with three virgins' ritual?

That sounded... my eyes lingered over the other card.

I was torn between getting a monster called 'Grand Tiki Elder' or getting another spell that would combo with my black pendant... I could become a dragon!

I mean... I was a warrior, right?

Lab made the shower tiles turn into a doubtful expression as I flexed. I gave him a long hard look before smearing the tiles with shampoo.

"Pervert wall," I grumbled as the titles seemed to rattle in panic, trying to dislodge the shampoo.

I took the Tiki Elder, deciding if nothing else? I could curse Cobblepot to have terrible bowel movements or to kick everything with his pinkie toe for a day.

Those were curses right?

As I walked out of my room a while later in a shirt and shorts, I stopped cold as I saw my Mom leaning on the table sobbing her eyes out as she put the phone down.

"Mom, what's wrong?!" I asked, voice alarmed as I rushed over. She looked like she was wobbling and her breathing was erratic.

"R-Roger... it's all gone to crap," she choked out and I was beyond shocked at her. My Mom never cursed.

"I was talking to one of the renter's about being moved to another apartment complex. I didn't want to worry you kids, so I was dealing with it," she said, wiping at her face. I loved my Mom, but honestly? Our family were kind of ugly criers.

"It was cheaper rent and the moving costs were going to be covered. They were so eager to get us to move and..." she trailed off, bursting into tears again.

"T-They said due to a series of attacks on their businesses, they can't afford to help us now. We have to pay up or move out," she hunched over as if trying to hug herself.

I stared, mouth open but no sounds coming out.

No! They were kidnapping people who were in the buildings!

'People who refused to move... the stubborn ones. What about the ones who would take the cheaper option and leave?' a horrible accusing tone in my mind hissed.

I shook my head slightly.

T-That didn't make it right. I couldn't trust that Cobblepot wouldn't just fuck us over and raise the rents again. What I did might have stopped us being offered a 'cheap' apartment elsewhere, but that didn't make it right or better.

But looking at my Mom, she had been working so hard and handling this... legally on her own. My guts twisted.

"So, it doesn't change anything," I tried and took her hand.

"I got cash and we'll work through this," I encouraged, but my Mom's eyes looked distant and her erratic breathing wasn't settling.

"Mom?" I said quietly and she looked up, the side of her face going slack and she looked both confused and terrified before she slurred something, a collection of just noises that didn't make sense.

She began to fall and I caught her as she shook.

"M-Mom!" I yelled, panicking. I summoned the damn Voodoo Elder. He knew medicine right?! In the dark corner of the room, away from the sunlight, a round mask appeared, followed by two disembodied hands.

"Heal her!" I told it and it tilted its head as its robes billowed, the masks on its waist rattling as the temperature in the room dropped. It raised a finger and shook it. I was beginning to feel... no, understand monsters as they existed. It wasn't so much reading their mind as much as sensing the emotions or ideas they sent at me.

It could heal her.

If I was to give it a healthy person to transfer energy over from... or a skull of a powerful shaman. Irrationally, my mind snapped to Cobblepot, despite the fact he was across the city and behind a lot of guns.

Tiki shook his finger again.

Incompatible. Sick for sick, kind for kind... mother for mother.

My mother was getting worse, shaking violently.

"What about me? I have lifepoints right? Could that cover it?" I asked in desperation as I fell to the kitchen floor, cradling her body. Finally, the Elder raised his hand up, palm first.

Possible, but it would be extremely unpleasant.

"I don't care!" I snapped at the monster, knowing I was being an utter dick to it despite all it could do and was doing.

It held out a hand and a dark aura surrounded it, the monster beginning to speak in a dark language I didn't know.

I began to feel immense pain instantly... I thought I might scream, but around my neck, the black pendant began to glow. The Tiki Elder fixed on with a macabre rattling laugh and flexed its hand and the necklace snapped off my neck, glowing the same colour as the elder.

I felt instantly as weak as a kid without the necklace, but I endured.

The necklace cracked and shattered, releasing a violent specter with fiendish claws, reaching and hissing, but the Tiki Elder took it to him, trapping into a mask at his side which began to glow.

After a moment, the Tiki Elder tilted its head at me.

This wouldn't hurt as much as it was going to... but still... this was going to be most displeasing to my soul.

As I began to glow again and my mother began to slowly stop shaking and breathing again...

I knew I'd do this a hundred times over.

I was only listening to the doctor as he rattled off causes and effects. A stroke, a major once brought on by pre-existing chances, rapidly made worse by lack of sleep, lack of eating, massive stress, and a trigger event of some massive shock.

I must have looked in shock myself or massively indifferent and a prick. The ambulance ride over, the noise, the entire event was... glancing off me. I was emotionally, or spiritually numb, from the transfer.

"She's not well, son," the doctor said and he looked like he enjoyed a good life, a decent tan, a fancy watch, and well-groomed...

I didn't trust well-groomed doctors. It told me they had time to spare and go golfing.

"What does she need?" I asked limply and he jumped about this treatment or that, but he eventually circled back to something that made him sigh.

"Her insurance won't cover it and the Wayne Medical Aid Foundation has a waiting list. How is this going to be paid for?" he asked in a tone that I suspected was supposed to be sympathetic. For the first time since my soul was used as currency to pay for my mother's life? I felt something.

I felt a spot of absolute loathing for the man before me who was waiting with his hand stretched out before he would get the chemicals or liquids that would help my mother. My hard-working, well-mannered, kind mother.

The loathing flamed inside me and right above the doctor, Grand Tiki's mask slowly phased through the ceiling, smiling at the doctor, hands ready to perform unspeakable magic on his person.

I stood up, thinking of my Mother being by my side, watching me.

What would she think if I allowed the Elder to curse the man so his insides crawled with leeches?

She would hate me and that was enough to make me inhale once.

"Cash," I began and inside my, Tiki and Lab seemed to collect in my soul, kindling some emotion back to me. The doctor blinked and seemed to shrink back for a moment as I eyed him.

"Begin treatment, I'll return shortly," I instructed, with a tone of a wiseman who would not be argued with.

"M-Mr Klein, that's not proper-" he began, smoothing his hair back like a bad habit. I looked him in the eye and just for a moment, the lights flickered, the walls creaking, and I spoke very calmly.

"Doctor, I'll be back with the cash. Please begin... the treatment. I know strokes aren't exactly cureable... but do whatever is needed to ensure she is looked after," I said and began to walk off.

"I didn't tell you the rough payment or costs," the man protested.

"It's covered," I said and went home.

"So, does that mean you have to cook for us now?" Liam asked quietly. It was a strange question but I knew kids dealt with trouble and fear differently.

"No, cause Mom's going to come back and be fine," Gabby snapped, pushing away from the table to storm to her room. Liam sat there before he hurried after his twin without looking back.

Tiki appeared a moment later, holding horrific looking dolls with strings around their necks and pins in their heart.

"They're a bit old... for dolls," I said finally and Tiki looked at me as though I said something idotic.

One was never too old for dolls.

"Thanks... for helping," I said finally as I went to my room to fetch the case.

The Elder was quiet as he watched me and Lab get the suitcase.

Finally, he sent an idea that perhaps he hadn't done so much as a favour but delayed my pain. I was quiet for a moment before shaking my head.

"I'll help her. Some monster or spell has to be strong enough to help my Mom if she needs it. She's not going to be living some... broken life," I declared.

Tiki faded to the shadows with the ringing idea that there was always a deal to be made in the dark worlds... if one had nothing to lose. As I eyed the money, trying to calculate how many months it might cover in payments, I had a distinct feeling of something snapping, like an elastic band stretched too far. I arched back, surprised.

I think Toll and Prohibition just ran out...

I frowned as something fluttered down in front of me. I grabbed it. It was a rumpled $10 bill. A second later three more fluttered down from a tiny tear in my ceiling. A few moments later, my eyes went wide as a pile of money began to fall towards me.

Liam returned from the kitchen, sad... and scared, but he had Roger and Gabby, so he had to be a brave boy. He was even growing! He struggled to reach the glasses in the cabinet but now he could easily reach them.

He was getting big! Gabby said that Liam must have levitated or jumped because they were the same height and she couldn't reach them.

But Gabby could also jump to the top bunk and that was way too high!

Liam wondered if space was feeling ill in the apartment? As he walked past Roger's bedroom, a $20 slipped out from under the crack and Liam burst into a smile as he picked it up.

Roger was so shy about being emotional, but he really did care. He stifled a giggle as he could almost hear Roger pressed to the door, muttering about something.

Another twenty came and Liam took that one for Gabby.

"Love you!" Liam called before running to show Gabby their gains.

I was pressed to the door, waist deep in cash. I was pulling damn coins out of my hair and there were dollar bills stuffed into my pants due to the overflow.

The cash was still coming in and I was in actual danger of drowning in money.

"Lab!" I hissed and there came the sound of something akin to a plug being pulled out. The cash began to slowly sink away with some help on my end to shove it all in the middle of the floor where a round hole had opened up. I kept shoving money in and my room still looked like I had a bunch of $1 strippers hurled about by a tornado. Money was on everything and most of it looked crunched.

After a few moments, I got most of it into Lab and he began to grind like a casino slot machine.

Something odd began to happen and I watched as Lab's card shined. It reminded oddly a lot like when Mystical Elf consumed Yami to-

I had to cover my eyes as a bright flash overcame the room.

I slowly looked down to see that in my hand was a golden key.

I quickly checked my field to see that Lab and his magic-addon were gone to reveal a strange new card.

It was a weird purple card, sort of like those 'fusion' cards I saw in other packs.

The image showed a massive set of red and gold doors and a slight angled view of a golden labyrinth beyond.

Cretan Labyrinth
Monster/Fusion
1900/3200
Labyrinth Wall+Battle Ox or Labyrinth Wall+Magical Labyrinth

The card can be summoned by discarding your entire hand and using the above materials for fusion. Once per turn, can redirect the enemy's attack to itself. If successfully blocked an attack, draw one card.

"Woah... you're all shiny," I said to the golden bricks that appeared on my wall. The emoticon was a smile and my closet door opened on its own to show a massive amount of neat stacks of notes and coins in spare shoe boxes. I think I had lost over half the cash to his new transformation but... that was so much cash that every inch of my closet was stretched thin.

I was glad I didn't curse the doctor. Honestly... shoving cash at him would be far better.

If he had to count it? Even better.

I went and tried to cook some dinner for the twins and myself and after watching the water burn at the bottom of the pot after three minutes, I went to my closet and grabbed some cash to order pizza.

Like any problem in my life recently? It could be solved by summoning the answer from some unknown place and location to my doorstep.

Once, that was on the way, our nice neighbour, Mrs Landry, offered to babysit. She and my Mom were pretty close as far as neighbours went.

Then I was off to pay for my Mom's treatments, case in hand and zero fucks to give.

But... I guess there was a thing called Murphy because as I made my way towards the hospital set off Gotham Heights?

I was cut off.

I froze as a massive sword buried itself before me, leaking familiar energy.

"Finally... If I have to drive around this shithole any longer I was going to burn it to the ground," a man said as he walked forward, the bike at his side apparently driving itself.

He was massive and looked like he crushed steel barrels for fun. His expression looked annoyed and his exposed open jacket showed a scary body with muscles for days. I'm sure if I swung that way, I might be happy, but I was only staring because of the massive tattoo across his torso.

At his side, a massive monster appeared, pulling the sword out of the ground. It looked like a proper demon, grinning and leering as it pointed its sword at me.

Tiki whispered to me that it was actually a Warrior type and called 'Swordstalker'.

I gave up, these monster types made no sense. Demons were Warriors, fairies were angels, and robots were also angels.

"I'm in a hurry, and while I have a lot of questions... you're not the most important thing right now," I warned and made to step around him. He actually stared at me as if I wasn't real.

"Oi, don't blow me off," he warned and I tried to keep walking past.

The Swordstalker went for me but Lab emerged, sending it crashing back. The golden bricks around me acted like the street had come alive and turned to gold.

"The hell is that thing?" the man grunted as he shoved his monster off him.

"Back off," I warned, not getting what the hell was this brickhouse's issue. I had the power to draw a card, but I was distracted as the man rolled his neck.

"It's fine... you don't want to play? I'll make you play," he promised darkly.

"You seem in a hurry, so how about you hang about for a while so we can play the game properly. I am Logain and I am here to kill the last hope," he announced. I stared at him.

"Medication is available for crazy you know?" I said and he glared as he flexed his hand.

Abruptly, his tattoo glowed a dark red, pulsing like crazy as it leaked some dark shadows. I backed up as it flooded the streets, causing a thin dome to appear. Lights of nearby buildings went out and I could only barely see Gotham outside. The shadows came for me, rustling past and through me, trying to take any inch of me it could, devouring me like a snack.

I fell to my knees, shocked, but just as Logain began to smirk, I stood back up, with a scoff, dismissing the shadows and the pain.

"Shadow Games aren't easy, but you're still standing," the man mused. I thought back to the Tiki ritual and my Mom.

"I felt worse," I said with a low angry tone.

The man grinned as if this was perfect.

"Very well, let's play! I don't want anyone interfering and that Labyrinth card you got there is... well, I think I can just make it a non-factor by forcing a duel... or you can stay here and wait for me to run out of energy, might take a few hours... more if some people come along and be nosy," he mused.

I eyed his monsters. I didn't have anything that beat his Swordstalker, but I could draw something... but if a battle broke out... I'd be delayed by Batman or the police.

"What kind of duel?" I asked finally and he grinned, holding out his arm as some... strange bondage... thing appeared. It looked like a blade connected to a glaring eye, but the top of the blade looked flat... and perfect size for cards.

"I'm sorry, but I'm really not into men," I began, hoping I hadn't read this all wrong. Logain closed his eyes for a moment.

"It's a Duel Disk, kid. It's meant to play the cards we both use casually, but in the strictest sense. My deck against your deck," he promised.

"Stop saying deck," I commanded, arms crossed as I wondered if Lab could protect me from predators.

Also... I didn't have a deck did I?

Before I could quite think about that, three forms appeared before me. Formed by light, I had to blink as Ancient Elf, a section of Lab's wall, and the guard from the Toll spell appeared before me.

Each of them had a massive pile of cards held out, waiting for me to take one.

"We three are deemed to be of greatest help to you thus far... so, we may aid you by giving you a theme. Spellcasters," Ancient pointed to himself, then to the guard.

"Consequences," he went on and finally to Lab.

"Path to Victory," he concluded.

After a moment, I turned to Lab.

"You and me buddy," I said and the other two smiled.

"Hurry up and win, my summoner can't be seen with a lout like him," Ancient said as the Toll Guard bowed, they both vanished.

Lab came closer and my form glowed before I saw I was wearing a completely different outfit. A ruffled white shirt, a tie that looked like two doors with a line down the middle, a suit pair of dark gloves...and dress slacks white white lines in the design of bricks.

On my head, rested a slightly tilted fedora of all things.

On my arm was a chunky looking Duel Disk that looked to be made from solid stone and mortar with interlocking bricks and cracks, more a relic than a device, but it had a smooth surface for the deck and cards as well.

I felt like I was the very essence of Lab.

"Twists and turns, take a left or a right," I began looking at Logain and his shocked expression.

I stepped forward and a gust emanated from all around me, outwards in a ring motion.

"Take any path you desire, but there's no loot here," I warned and smiled as the Duel Disks glowed in sync.

"Only the consequences of not letting me walk the fuck away," I promised and the shadow game began.