「Kaijudo Generation Arc: Team Zeta. 006 - Massacre in Manhattan!」


The shops in the complex were mostly shut and it was almost empty. Tafiya drifted past shutters with backpack on, she saw a pair of teens with frozen cokes stroll out of sight. A security guard closed up a clothing store then walked off, leaving her alone. Tafiya stood and stared at the wavy pink dress now behind a steel grate. It was strapless with ruffles and diamonds studded on the hems and it'd look perfect on her. She could feel her deck in the pocket of her skirt, uncomfortable as the middle strained against the flesh folding over. The temptation to have that dress was almost overwhelming. It'd fit her perfectly, then she wouldn't be hiding her pregnancy beneath this roomy sweater.

Tafiya's hands itched for her cards. Could she really… use Aqua Jolter to break in for her, grab the dress and her boyfriend quick, teleport with Dimension Gate again before anybody caught her? The temptation kept her rooted to the spot, staring ahead at that pretty-pretty dress. Then before she could make up her mind one way or the other someone called to her. It was a boy, not Collin.

"Dylan Rodriguez?"

"You're coming with me. Don't make this difficult." The Latino teen stated.

She stared at him for a second longer before suddenly bursting into tears. She'd always been good at crying on demand – it'd got her out of trouble many times before. It worked on teachers and trips to the principal's office, but it didn't work on Dylan. He stared at her, unmoved.

"C-C-Collin, he- it was horrible…!"

"I'll tell you a secret, Tafiya. I'm not easily fooled. From one water duelist to another, it takes a game-player to know a game-player."

Tafiya immediately stopped crying and carefully dried her tears with the back of her thumb, trying not to smear her makeup further. She scoffed "is that right?"

"You tried to kill Jamie."

"What are you going to do about it?"

"Jamie's my teammate. I'm taking you back one way or another."

Tafiya smirked at Dylan then opened her palm, rattling the plastic bangles on her arm. Blue energy shot upward and a duel field rippled into a dome around them. Dylan copied her, adding another layer of blue. Their game area swallowed a coffee stand, half a waiting bench and the public toilets entry. Their tables appeared and as they took their marks ten shields sprang forth with a gleam.


Most Wondrous Battle Music Ever: The Wild Card (Epic Rock/Action)


Tafiya went first and added mana. Dylan did the same and passed his turn.

"I play Grape Globbo!" her mana cards tapped. A translucent jellyfish-being swam forth.

Grape Globbo

Civilization: Water

Power: 1000

Dylan scowled before turning over his hand.

"I see, I see…" Tafiya remarked while squinting at his cards. "You have Aqua Guard in your hand but didn't play it… because you wanted to evolve it with that Crystal Paladin and surprise me… you also have an Energy Stream… turn done." She straightened, satisfied.

Dylan whipped out a card "Since there's no point in being subtle anymore…" he played his blocker.

Aqua Guard

Civilization: Water

Power: 2000

The liquid being skidded into sight, those clawed hands snapping. Tafiya charged and passed her turn. Dylan used his Energy Stream for mana and his three mana cards tapped.

"I summon Aqua Hulcus and draw." A second liquid person with long arm-guards and a tail slinked down.

Aqua Hulcus

Civilization: Water

Power: 2000

"I cast Eureka Charger," Tafiya held out the spell and it shone underwater-blue. "I draw and mana ramp." After its use she turned it upside-down and moved it beneath her shields.

Dylan added his fourth mana and they turned "Arise Vanguard of the Seven Seas, I evolve Aqua Guard into Crystal Paladin!" An evo-crystal descended onto his blocker and it shone blue, replacing it with a glass-smooth centaur with a honeycomb-patterned shield.

Crystal Paladin

Civilization: Water

Power: 5000

"Crystal Paladin break a shield! So does Aqua Hulcus!" Dylan pointed and his creatures charged, his Paladin refracting light in a dozen different angles. The coffee stand splintered apart, pieces flying and trampled under hooves. Tafiya raised her arms as shields shattered, glass cutting into the sleeves of her jumper. Dylan knew waiting to attack was pointless when she already had a full hand.

Tafiya

Shields: 5-4-3

"Moving quick huh? That's not like a water player." Tafiya observed.

"True but I'm also versing a water player." Dylan stated "I'm not going to let you draw and ramp mana so you can make a strategy to take me out mid-game or later. Not when you can see my hand or shields."

"Is that right, you little punk?" she drew, starting her turn with eight cards. Tafiya charged her sixth mana then "I summon Scout Cluster and cast Spiral Gate! Crystal Paladin gets sent back to your hand." A vortex of water flushed Dylan's paladin from the field, he caught two cards that bounced from his tabletop. A blue domed tank scuttled forth.

Scout Cluster

Civilization: Water

Power: 4000

Tafiya had Marching Motherboard in hand, just waiting to replenish her hand if she started running low on cards again. "Grape Globbo, break his shield!" It swished forth at her command, thrusting itself through a panel.

Dylan

Shields: 5-4

Dylan drew and started with seven cards. His figure shone blue as he added his fifth mana, all of them turning "I resummon Aqua Guard and evolve it again into Crystal Paladin. Arise and lead your army to victory! This bounces Scout Cluster back to your hand. Not a good move Tafiya, I'd say the pressure must be getting to you."

She winced as her blocker flew up. Her jaw was clenched as she caught the card, barely restraining an angry shout.

Dylan pointed "Crystal Paladin, break her shield!"

The translucent centaur galloped once more and cleared a panel.

Tafiya

Shields: 3-2

"Shield trigger!" she called in delight. "Aqua Surfer sends Hulcus back to your hand!"


[OST] Parasyte - BLACK NAIL


Aqua Surfer

Civilization: Water

Power: 2000

It rode in on a wave, turning its board so the water rolled on and swept Hulcus up and away.

"Ugh, fine. Your go."

"You're such a dear. I cast another Eureka Charger then summon Kelp Candle." A bioluminescent starfish fluttered into play.

Kelp Candle

Civilization: Water

Power: 1000

"Grape Globbo breaks a shield! Then so does Aqua Surfer!" She began her strike-back, glass flinging about on her opponent's side.

Dylan

Shields: 4-3-2

"Shield trigger!" the pieces assembled into a card over his head "Spiral Gate on your blocker, Kelp Candle! It's over now, Tafiya." Dylan couldn't help the excitement that broke through his serious expression. He added his sixth mana and all the cards turned "I evolve Crystal Paladin into Crystal Lancer!" Another evo-crystal descended once more, his Paladin grew in size and shone iridescent. Its body was sea-green while the lances on its arms were sunset orange and purple.

Crystal Lancer

Civilization: Water

Power: 8000

Dylan's smirk stretched wide as he observed her chagrin "You know what this means, right? You have two shields left and my Lancer's a double-breaker. Even if you do bounce it I have my Paladin and Aqua Guard beneath it, meaning I can summon it again next turn and bounce back all your blockers then go for a win. This game is over! Go, Lancer!"

At the teen's order the brilliant creature charged and shattered Tafiya's last defense. She huddled forward, protectively over her stomach. It made Dylan hesitate.

Tafiya

Shields: 2-0

"You wouldn't attack a pregnant girl, would you?" she asked him.

"That's a dirty trick. We both know full well you would've attacked me, and Jamie if she hadn't beat you!"

"True," Tafiya laughed and straightened. "But I don't need to use that to beat you. In fact, I can beat you myself. First with this shield trigger, Spiral Gate on Lancer!" A vortex whipped up and three cards flew into Dylan's hand.

"Didn't you hear me?"

"Secondly I use Divine Riptide to send all our mana back to our hands!" Tafiya revealed the glowing spell.

"No!" Dylan shouted, glancing at her table. Sure enough she had nine mana and they all tapped before flying up one after the after. Dylan's own cards leapt up and he was suddenly holding eleven. Tafiya had thirteen and nobody had any mana.

"Grape Globbo break a shield! Aqua Surfer break a shield!"

Dylan

Shields: 2-1-0

Her two creatures drifted back. Unlike her Dylan hadn't lucked out with a second trigger. He drew – twelve cards – and could do nothing but charge a single mana and re-summon his Aqua Guard blocker.

Aqua Guard

Civilization: Water

Power: 2000

"Oh what a shame sweetheart, you came so close too…" her expression turned mean while Dylan's shoulders hung with his defeat. Tafiya pointed "Aqua Surfer attacks!"

"Aqua Guard block!" Dylan stopped her stronger creature. If she was going to attack him it would have to be with her weaker one.

Aqua Surfer: 2000

Aqua Guard: 2000

Tafiya turned her second creature "Grape Globbo, direct attack!" Her jellyfish-creature breezed forward and Dylan's eyes widened with fear. He flew back with a grunt, hitting the bench and rolling over its back. The dome around them dissipated and Tafiya let out a relieved sigh.

He got really close… that weakling creature of mine won't keep him down for long, I better find Collin. She quickly scampered past the coffee stand's wreckage and away. After getting around the corner though she leapt back with a hand on her belly. There was Jake Wilson standing over her unconscious boyfriend, stooping down to put handcuffs on him.

"Useless idiot…" Tafiya knew they'd move Collin to a new holding cell, one she hadn't seen before. She wouldn't be able to rescue him again. She reached into her other pocket and pulled out the Dimension Gate she stole from Jeremy. It was a shame she hadn't been able to take that dress. Her K-waves spiked and with a thought she was gone.

Jake turned his head before jogging over.

Back at the Henderson's residence it was bedtime before the next emergency. CJ was in pajamas and Heidi still brushing her teeth as they poked their heads into the hallway. Mr. and Mrs. Henderson were running around urgently in the front rooms.

"So this is one of those all hands on deck things?" Catharine was saying.

"Duke Schuka will be working overtime tonight that's for sure." Nate said back as they ran past each other.

"You take Star-Cry Dragon, he's probably your fastest. I'll take CJ and Heidi with me in the car to keep an eye on them."

"That's a good idea. After today… we don't know if he's going to try tracking CJ down." Nate tried lowering his voice at the end there but the two teens heard, stepping over to the adults.

"Mom. Dad. What's going on?" CJ asked.

Catharine looked at them while Nate walked off again to grab something else.

"We're going to the car. No," she stopped her son when he turned to redress. "We don't have time. We need to leave this instant."

In less than a minute after that Catharine, CJ and Heidi were power-walking to the elevator. Nate left them for the rooftop. Catharine was dressed with Junky poking his head out her handbag, Heidi had a shirt with pajama bottoms while CJ was in his button-up ready for bed.

"Are you going to tell us what's going on?" CJ demanded while his Mom tapped her foot in the elevator.

"In a minute. I don't want to worry you."

"We're passed that, I think." CJ replied.

Then they left for the lot at night, getting into the SUV and driving to the exit to type in the security code to get onto the street. Only then did Catharine breathe a sigh of relief.

"Jeremy's relapse ended and he bounced back to being strong again. He has a Dimension Gate and according to your father, has an issue with you. At any time he could've appeared in the building."

"I mean, he doesn't like me. But why would he come after me?" CJ was stumped.

"In the state of mind he's in now, he could do anything." Catharine explained. "And he's too strong for any of us to stop him. That's why Director Roman has declared this a code red and ordered every agent in New York to move in."

"It's a good thing he doesn't know where you live." Heidi spoke up.

"What's happening?" CJ asked clearly. They came to another stop behind some traffic.

"A few hours ago, they were debating whether or not to kill Jeremy. Whether it would be the humane thing to do. But the DCA doesn't have the clearance to make decisions like that. Now that he's free and strong again, he's gone out there and we don't know what he's going to do. He broke out of the building security like it was nothing and even bullets can't get through that energy shield around his body."

"They shot at him?" CJ felt the fear clutch his heart. They moved off again, turning down an intersection.

"When Robert, Jake's Dad, tried using the Omnistrain on Team Neo it failed. Dr. Scrivener got his hands on top-secret information and was working to adapt the Omnistrain as well. His research failed in a different way. Jeremy's been infected by Dr. Scrivener's modified version of the Omnistrain, and it only makes him powerful half the time because as the power continuously increases it has ebb stages. During these ebb stages Jeremy is so weak he can't move and needs an IV drip, but that scoundrel Orland put measures in place that would keep his nephew from dying. The result…"

"He's… Orland's super-soldier instead?" Heidi guessed.

"No. Jeremy can't be used by anyone. He spends hours at a time being tortured, then suddenly he's the strongest of us. His mind is probably broken. It's more likely he's just going to start destroying things senselessly." Catharine answered.

"If his power is continuously increasing how strong is he going to get?" CJ asked.

"Not much stronger. His next ebb stage is scheduled in seven and a half hours from now. The drop should be severe enough to kill him this time. If not the Director has given his agents special permission to put Jeremy out of his misery."

"That's…" CJ was momentarily at a loss for words. How horrible. He'd never liked Jeremy, but that didn't mean he deserved to go through all this. He was just a dumb kid who wanted to prove himself and be the hero, even if he was unlikeable. "That's bad. So… for the next seven hours we have to make sure Jeremy causes as little damage as possible. Is that it?"

Catharine scoffed "If we make it that far. According to our scientists there's also a chance his power will get more unstable when the flow stage meets its high-point. He could go off like a small nuke."

"So in just under four hours… you're telling me there might not be a New York anymore?"

Catharine was quiet and they drove in silence for a long moment.

"This is it…" Heidi murmured. "This has to be why Yukari sent me to help in this dimension. It's to help stop Jeremy from going nuclear and wiping out an entire city."

Catharine received a call to her Bluetooth speaker and answered the agent on the other end.

"Latest news is Jeremy is heading into midtown Manhattan, towards Times Square." The voice reported.

Catharine's hands clenched the steering wheel and she softly cursed. CJ almost said something but let it slide. Soon they were pulling up at a rendezvous point, a series of outdoor tables outside a restaurant with fake tealights everywhere. Street-walkers went by without any knowledge of the imminent danger. They saw most of Team KG waiting and hopped out the car. CJ and Heidi got weird looks at their clothes from passers-by.

"Karon's not here yet." CJ observed.

"Nice duds."

"This isn't the time for jokes, Dylan. What happened to your wrist?" CJ observed the little brace as Dylan raised his arm.

"We had a run-in with Collin and Tafiya across the harbor." Jake explained. "Collin's in custody again, he's now locked up where his girlfriend can't find him. Tafiya's still on the loose. We just got back when all this started."

"You…?" CJ almost protested but stopped himself, deciding it wasn't the time. Jamie stood beside her brother Jason, also looking like she wasn't happy with Jake's non-clearance mission.

"We're teens, like Team Zeta. We know them and can predict their decisions better than the adults can. I bet it's the same for Jeremy-"

"No." Catharine quickly cut Jake off with a shake of her head.

"With all due respect, it's why you had CJ duel Collin that time. It's why me and Dylan were able to track down Tafiya. It's why we're all together now on stand-by. These guys are our classmates and we know them."

"With all due respect – no." Catharine replied. "You're not even adults, and you go running off by yourselves to deal with issues that are meant for qualified agents. You're still in training, all of you. What would Janet think? You don't have enough field experience and you're all together now so we can keep you from running off again!"

"Mom…"

"And don't you Mom me. You're also together so we can keep you safe if Jeremy-" she stopped herself.

"Decides to come after us." Dylan finished for her.

"We have three and a half hours until the critical moment." Jason began. "If we can talk some sense into Jeremy before then… maybe the scientists will have enough time to pull out a miracle."

"I'm here for a reason, there must be a way I can help somehow." Heidi raised her deck and stared at Supernova Mars Disaster.

"Thank you, Heidi." Catharine put a hand on her shoulder "but for now we have to sit tight."

"Especially since Times Square isn't far from here." CJ remarked.

They'd cleared the street he was walking down. At every step his K-waves reacted with nature, forcing roots and vines to burst up through the sidewalk. A mailbox was knocked over, a street-sign bent, a car was wrapped by vines around its middle and crushed so shards flew from its windshield. The police were still working to clear everyone ahead using whatever excuse they could, so when Jeremy reached Times Square it was empty. He stood at its corner, roots the thickness of busses now weaved themselves in-out the streets. At a young age he'd had a nice afternoon here with parents, eating some gelato they served down the street. The strange and distant memory was all that prompted him.

Jeremy's head snapped back as someone tried sniping him from a distance. The energy around him crackled and hummed, the flattened bullet bouncing away like a penny. Jeremy turned around and could see nothing but fleeing people. Another bullet sent his head back and he snarled – he didn't want to hurt again – he reached out and colossal vines tore upward and pierced the building opposite. There were mass screams and the fleeing became urgent.

Suddenly there were three airborne creatures above him. An armored dragon, angel command and giant insect. Jeremy recognized one of the figures as CJ's Dad.

"It's time to stop this, Jeremy!" Nate called. "If you don't let us help you, you're going to die and take everyone in the city with you!"

Jeremy tilted his chin back, once more his eyeballs were entirely green light. Sparks raced along his body "die? I've never felt stronger."

He raised his hands and a force pulsed outwards, propelling the giant creatures away. A distant armoloid fired a missile that fizzed toward him. Jeremy turned and raised a hand, his K-waves pulsed and the missile was forced backward before whipping up into the sky, exploding into a ball of fire above the city.

Jeremy looked skinnier than he'd ever been, his cheekbones jutted and his tortured eyes bulged in his skull. He slowly raised both hands, then a forest of wriggling vines as thick as cobras burst upward to a height of twenty feet. Each vine pierced a pedestrian through the middle or chest, sending them high and parading their bodies like trophies. The people squirmed like dying bugs and blood rained on car roofs, footpaths and everything. Jeremy stretched his arms with face to the sky before continuing his walk to the center of the square. The huge screens on all sides continued playing advertisements, some with blood running down the glass. Jeremy almost 'Hills are Alive' twirled in the open space. He laughed.

"Jeremy!" a familiar voice yelled.

He stopped his basking and turned to see Fighter Dual Fang crouching around a corner. There was CJ sliding down its arm as he ran out, alone. "This has to stop now!" At the sight of all this horror what kept circling through CJ's mind was a poem they studied in English, weirdly enough. A line from Gwen Harwood's 'Barn Owl': a lonely child who believed death clean and final, not this obscene.

"CJ… do you remember Mrs. Tremball's science class?"

"Please stop this. You're not thinking right, you've been tortured Jeremy."

"Everything is made out of atoms. And the particles that make up atoms are just waves of energy. So everything we see around us, all of life… it's just energy." The warping light around Jeremy condensed and he began to slowly raise into the air, his power humming.

"I have to get us back to safety!" Tsume roared.

"No!" the boy yelled. "Please, Jeremy. Listen to me!"

Jeremy hovered higher, staring out at all the destruction and pools of blood "everything… it's just energy."

"We're getting out of here now!" the beast folk snatched his partner, then Tsume turned and sprinted from the scene. Shaking parked cars as he went.

Jeremy hovered higher and higher, soon reaching the height of the buildings around him. He could feel the raw power brought on by the modified Omnistrain in his body. He paused mid-air and felt the high-altitude wind blow through his clothes and hair. All of New York beneath him. He sensed a K-wave signature and turned his head, but instead of seeing another attacker it was the World Tree CJ had summoned in the distance. Could it fix his power's looping problem or would it give him more power? Would it make him go off like a nuke the second he got close? Jeremy could feel indescribable power building inside him. He wanted to die now if it meant no more torture. And exploding like a bomb that takes out the entire city sounded pretty cool. Nothing like lives lost registered to him anymore. He didn't even see lives, just energy. Jeremy began hovering in the direction of the World Tree.

He barely noticed the sudden K-wave spike from behind him when a giant hand closed around his body. Jeremy rushed through the night, getting tossed onto the roof of a skyscraper. He hit concrete and bounced, it split in tiny cracks around him with specs floating at eye-level. The green-glowing orbs in his head narrowed at Ballom, Master of Death. The giant sat in a meditating position, blue wings sweeping open as feathers orbited around him.

"Who dares…?" he scanned the chain-link fencing that bordered the rooftop.

From out of the shadows stepped Team KG's oldest member, the Sri Lankan. Karon walked until he was several feet away then planted himself "where do you think you're going?"

Jeremy didn't have to push himself up. His body raised in the air before he turned vertically, feet slamming down as more splits in the cement spider-webbed away from him. Green sparks went off and nature began to grow. Roots, vines and mosses weaved and spread from behind Jeremy and infested their surroundings.

"This will be dangerous," Yomi's voice echoed as he floated overhead.

"I'm ready. Let's do this." Karon answered back.


⟨author's note⟩

Finally got this chapter out ~ So I have spoken to Acuma a bit about my next arc, of which Shuriken won't be able to read cause spoilers. But it won't be following on after this with Team KG universe so it doesn't really matter. And likewise Acuma and Azure aren't going to need to read this first arc before getting to the ones that involve their characters. That's the wonder of a special multi-arc compendium story. So yes, this arc is on track to go for either nine chapters or eleven but really who knows what the heck is gonna happen? I do, for the most part. I hope anyone reading is still enjoying what's happened so far.