Hello, again.
Now we come to the first attack of the Shadow Riders, though they don't quite know the name of the group yet. Though things will be a bit different this time around.
I don't own Yugioh GX or Fairy Tail.
Brothers, Return!
"Soul-Lock, the Chancellor wishes to speak to you, Mr. Yuki, Ms. Rhodes, Mr. Princeton, Mr. Misawa, and Mr. Truesdale."
Bella looked at the others. "Guys."
The group nodded as the ones Banner mentioned stood and followed her out of the classroom.
They eventually made it to the Chancellor's office, with Bella slipping into her Soul-Lock persona as they walked in. "We have arrived."
"Guess I should've seen this coming." Sheppard shook his head, "Just as well you are out, Soul-Lock. This is rather serious business."
Soul-Lock simply walked to his desk, the others plus Crowler and Banner right behind and fanning out to all see Sheppard and the box on his desk.
"With Soul-Lock here, I'll keep things simple." Sheppard began speaking after a breath, "This school has been hiding a secret, and a group have declared their intent to take it for themselves."
"The Sacred Beast Cards." Soul-Lock said, getting the groups attention, especially Jaden's.
Why do they sound familiar?
"Three cards comparable to the Egyptian Gods." Soul-Lock continued, "They must not be allowed to see daylight."
"More than even you know, Soul-Lock." Sheppard told them, getting Soul-Lock to look at him with a slightly narrower expression, "If active, they have the power to drain Duel Monsters of power, practically making any resistance impossible. The only thing we can truly do to keep them from finding freedom is to keep these out of their hands."
He opened the box to reveal a series of oddly-shaped pendants.
"What are these?" Jaden asked as he picked one up.
"The keys to their prison." Sheppard explained as they (except Banner) began putting them on, "Seven keys, seven guardians. They need to win the keys through duels, though with the inclusion of magic, I do have a few doubts as to duels being the only thing you might face."
While Soul-Lock didn't react, the others weren't quite so calm, not knowing just what they might end up dealing with.
But they didn't quite have much of a choice, as backing down would prove disaterous.
Though Crowler did accidentally let slip that he like the design, making Bella come out to discreetly pinch her nose that got a silent giggle from Alexis.
Eventually, they split for the day.
XXXXX
Bella gasped heavily as she awoke, finding herself back in her cage. She looked down when she felt something strange on the cage floor.
"Noticed it, didn't you?" her captor's voice chuckled darkly, "That's dirt. Or what's left of it at least."
She looked at him while backing up a tad.
"It's actually quite an interesting turn of events, though somewhat disappointing. You went over your limit, yet all it takes to restore you to full health is dirt. A proportionate amount to the damage you took, but still..."
"It matters little, Baker."
He glanced over towards a computer. "True enough. Dirt is easy enough to get until we finally turn back to this. In the meantime, what say we begin the next test, N-"
XXXXX
"Bella?"
"Ggh-!" Bella took a moment to wake up, only to find herself face-to-face with Abigail again, "Abigail?"
"I've been clued in to what's going on." the older girl said, sitting by Bella's legs, the Gravekeeper pendant in hand, "Including this. Do you think this group might have Albert?"
Bella sat up beside her. "Truthfully, no, but the timing certainly helps."
"Yeah, but...after all this time..." Abigail hung her head in sorrow, "I just don't want it to be false."
Bella put on hand on her shoulder, understanding enough. "You're his girlfriend, Abigail. It's okay to worry for him. And if what you've told me about him is true, then the only reason why I'm not like you right now is just because I don't remember the guy."
Abigail let a small smile grace her face. "Yeah. He may like tech, but was quite protective of the likes of us, even before the incident that took you away. Heck, he one time learned I had a stalker, and I only found out when a broach Al gave me zapped the guy in the nuts. Right in the middle of a crowded Times Square."
Bella had to let loose a laugh at the image. "That'll ruin a reputation!"
"It most certainly did."
A few moments later, however, the pair were interrupted by Mavis' voice. "OUTSIDE, NOW!"
Bella immediately got the both of them and their decks outside, just in time to see Jaden's room and a spot in the distance light up, followed by a faint scream.
"Alexis." Bella realized, "The first attack is starting! Abigail, call it in! Mavis, Exceeds, find them!"
Happy, however, just came in. "The volcano!"
Bella rushed over to the edge of the volcano, only to find a platform and orb of energy, Syrus and Chumley in the orb and Jaden and Alexis on the platform, with a pair of young men in masks facing them.
"Shit!" Bella pulled out her guns and jumped, landing on the platform, "Guys! You alright?"
"Yeah, but not for long." Alexis answered, "These two want a duel, and Syrus and Chumley's prison is slowly disappearing."
"...shit." Bella glared at the attackers, "Alright, here's how it's going to be: return us to the Slifer Dorm and fuck off, or I'll shoot."
One laughed at her words, while the other said nothing. In fact, it was as though the black-haired boy in a bodysuit was more of a puppet than a participant.
"Wait a sec." Bella stopped for a moment, "The one in the bodysuit..."
"Bella, focus! Even if it is true, we're in a volcano, and he's more of a puppet than a regular person." Mavis refocused her.
"Right." Bella responded as the one in a cape laughed and started talking, only to be cut off by a bullet from her, "That was a warning."
She did not expect the return fire being a wave of energy that sapped her strength, growing as the boy in the bodysuit walked over and picked her up by the neck.
"BELLA!"
He said nothing as he tossed her back out of the volcano, flying out after her.
When he landed, Bella noticed the item in his hand as she struggled to stand. "That's what...doing this..."
"Correct." he finally spoke, walking over to backhand her to the ground again.
"He must've been sent for you directly!" Mavis said, "And not for the keys!"
Bella immediately growled as she stood again, this time catching his hand. "Then I'm kicking your little bitch ass, ya bastard!"
Anything he might've said further was cut off with a hard right hook, sending him to the ground at just the right angle to send him tumbling further down the side.
Right to a just returned Abigail.
"Abigail!" Bella called out to her, "He has something that can drain me!"
"Then stay back! I'll deal with this." Abigail returned, focusing on the boy who was now facing her, "And I know just the way to do it."
She started harmonizing, which summoned RWBY, before she switched to singing, getting Carla to ask "Is that from that one band named after a kitchen pan?"
"Skillet? I think so." Bella answered, still somewhat recovering so her memory was a little rattled, "'Feel Invincible' I believe."
Ruby and Blake were the first to move, their blades with clear experience cutting through his suit with each pass, but not him. After about five passes each, they split away for Weiss to send a wave of ice that engulfed him before Yang shattered it with a punch.
He back-flipped, only to have to activate a shield of some sort when Yang sent a blast at him, leaving Weiss open to activate a sigil under Yang as Blake through her weapon on a ribbon at her for the blonde to grab.
Upon grabbing it, her hair now aflame, Yang followed Blake's tug, running with it to increase the speed to breakneck levels before swinging in their opponent, only to pass right through him.
This managed to catch even Abigail by surprise, getting her to accidentally stop. "W-where is he?!"
Ruby was the first to notice, firing a shot from her sniper-scythe that passed right by Bella's head. "He's going after Bella!"
"Shit!" Bella whirled around, only to have to send herself tumbling down to the rest to avoid an attack.
"Language."
All of them had to sweat-drop at that, with Bella asking "Did he just seriously bitch about my language when he's trying to kill me?"
"Yes. Yes he did. Also," Abigail smacked Bella's head, "language."
"Seriously?!"
She suddenly felt her strength going again, though this time, she promptly did something about it.
By way of a bullet to the device, destroying it.
Though it did hurt him, it did leave him open to Ruby grabbing the mask off his face, letting Yang break it with a punch charged with power from all four of Team RWBY.
They had to shield their eyes as both he and the volcano opening flared up with light.
When it died down, the boy was revealed to be on the ground, sporting brown hair and a gray bodysuit.
As RWBY disappeared, Abigail slowly walked over and turned the boy to see his face, tearing up at the sight. "It is him."
"Not just him." Mavis spoke up, pointing at a spot a small distance away.
Bella glanced at her for a moment. "Atticus?"
Mavis nodded.
"Abigail, get Al out of here, I'll help them." Bella said, walking over to where a standing Chumley and Syrus were right by a prone Jaden and a kneeling Alexis cradling the other boy. "Quit gawking and start getting Jaden to Fontaine, you idiots. I'll help Alexis."
"What about you?" Syrus asked, having noticed her still recovering stance.
"They're in worse condition than I am."
XXXXX
"While I'm not too sure about their mental states, physically at least, they just need time to rest. All of them."
"Thank you, Ms. Fontaine."
Bella heard Alexis speak in the background, but she herself was focus on the sleeping body in front of her.
Brown hair on a decent looking face, with eyes like her natural one when she checked, but overall, nothing that made her think a celebrity would truly notice him.
Yet Abigail did.
Hopefully, even your mind recovers from what happened to you. Bella thought as she finally left the infirmary, a low growl escaping her mouth. Either way though...they will pay.
I know the fight wasn't much, let alone the fact that no duel was in it for those that might've wanted one, but the idea wasn't to make it anything spectacular. It was more for three key points: the device that drained Bella, the in-person return of Albert, and how Abigail can help in a fight.
The first item will take some time to 'finish up,' but the whole thing will eventually come. Eventually.
Until next time. Please let me know what you think.
