【28 - The Demolition Sabotage and Power to the People! Vive la résistance!】
Genjin sat with both hands together atop the polished desk, comfortable in the leather armchair. His trusty subordinates had rifled through the drawers: pawing through Cuban cigars, gold-tipped pens and the tiny gun that'd been hidden in a secret compartment. Now they were along the shadowy edges of the room digging through shelves at all the other mafia-boss paraphernalia. At the sound of furious footsteps and that cane down the hall, the lieutenant raised a gloved hand. His subordinates immediately stepped back into the wall's shadows by the curtains and stone busts.
The double-doors burst open revealing the angry leader of the Sword gang. He stalked over the exquisite rug and straight to the desk, his desk.
"You bastard! You have some nerve!"
"Is something the matter?" the magician's moustache twitched with his words.
"You have began meddling with my orders! Where have all the guards here gone? And you called off my espionage mission!" he accused.
"I did. My men would be better suited to a greater cause, not squabbling among other gangs."
"Your men!?" he reached into his coat and pulled out a prescription bottle. Probably blood pressure medication. He started shaking out pills with furious hands, throwing his head back to swallow them. His gold rings flashed on wrinkled fingers as he lowered his arm again. "The Swords and Axes and Knives are in a blood-feud that will never end! You said you'd supply us with weapons and put an end to it once and for all!"
"But I have put an end to it once and for all." Genjin sat back calmly. "Thanks to the lieutenants of the Outer Path the triads have been united. Now the Axe leader was gunned down, the Knife leader is on his deathbed. I think it's time we leave you old folks and your ways in the past."
"Bastard! This isn't what we agreed to!" He lifted his cane and the end popped back. Before he could fire one of the shadows in the room whipped out, smacking the cane upward so the bullet blew through a portrait. Genjin didn't even flinch. Another twist from the lithe figure sent the cane spinning away.
The old man turned, his eyes widening at the three shadows that stepped together. The one on the left was as wide as two people, the lithe shadow stepped back to the right, and the centre one seemed to have a misshapen head.
"Freaks…" The mob-boss spoke fearfully.
"These are the best three performers in my Cirque of Freaks. It's time I was running things here. The curtains have closed for you, but my show is just beginning." The corner of his moustache raised.
The centre shadow raised the tiny gun they'd pilfered from the desk. He fired several small bullets into the Sword leader who shook with each gunshot. Then he keeled forward and started bleeding into the rug.
。
"These are demolition charges," Diego explained while holding bound bundles of dynamite "I rewired these. They have an adhesive tape strip that needs to be placed on the parts of the buildings I outlined on the blueprint."
Heidi, Simon, Lisa and Amira were listening as he explained his plan. They were in a small room with a table and row of chairs. Ms Snaketail leaned against the wall while puffing from a cigar. Heidi's eyes were watering and she'd coughed a few times, but she knew better than to say anything. They were being allowed to stay here and were even getting fed. The food wasn't extravagant but still better than anything they'd eaten since staying here. Perhaps the scarred information broker knew they opposed the lieutenants, as chosen duellists, and hoped they'd help rid her of the triads once and for all.
"The explosives need to be placed in these exact locations to bring the buildings down. We have to be sparing if we want to take down three of them. Now let me be clear," he put his hands on the table and leaned forward "if we succeed in this we'll have saved this city. A lot of bad people will be gone. But it means burying a lot of people alive. If we succeed, all of us here may be responsible for the deaths of over a hundred people. Criminals though they are, that still might be something that hangs over your heads for the rest of your lives."
Heidi looked down and clenched her fists. She'd taken two lives already, in duelling situations where she might also have died. This seemed very different.
"I don't think there's any question about it," Simon spoke up. "I've lived here my whole life. The police don't want to get their hands dirty with it. If we can put a stop to this I reckon we're obligated to do so." He turned his head "Amira?"
"I… agree. I want this over and done with. I want to be rid of Magris and have a somewhat normal life again."
Diego nodded in understanding. He looked at the anxious girl beside the chosen "Lisa?"
"I mean… it's a grey area… but if the ends justify the means." She looked at the eyes watching her. "I'm in."
"Cool. Heidi?" Simon turned his head the other way. "Don't tell me you're going to go all good-guy hero on us now, are you?"
"This isn't some Saturday morning cartoon," she responded darkly. "This is the real world. And these are real bad people. I want to make life better for all the people struggling in this city. We're all on board with this."
Ms Snaketail grinned to herself, sucking in her cigar and brightening the embers at the end.
Diego nodded "Excellent. If any of the gangs recognize my grandmother's people we could be in trouble. You said you guys all had useful talents?"
"Yes. I know karate and I taught myself combatives," Heidi explained. "I've been in my fair share of fights. Simon has a lot of insider knowledge and knows people. Lisa is an incredible nurse. As for Amira, I bet she's the stealthiest and sneakiest person in this whole city."
The darkness duellist shot Heidi a warning look.
"I'd pay that," Simon agreed with a nod.
"We need to split into three teams. Lisa with Simon and the two chosens together. I'll take two corners by myself."
"Not by yourself," Amira interrupted "take Heidi. I work better on my own anyway."
"Alright." Diego yielded and set the bundles of dynamite back down. "My Grandma said she could organize a distraction to help us get in. Which gang do we target first?"
"The Swords," Heidi spoke up immediately. Diego nodded thoughtfully and Heidi pressed "we already have Simon who's affiliated with them."
"What about the Knives?" Simon countered "Lisa knows way more about them and that Destirio guy is in the Knife gang, he's the one who captured you."
"I want to do this for Timothy," Heidi insisted darkly.
"Well if we're all in agreement, the Swords are our target. Are we in agreement?" Diego looked between the faces.
"I suppose none of us have good intel on the Axes…" Amira acknowledged reluctantly.
"Plus they already lost a lot of members in that massacre two weeks ago," Diego added.
"Okay, agreed. We start with the Swords," Amira sighed.
Ms Snaketail glided forward, her silk robe reflected the dull light. "Transport will be arranged for you all at midnight. You're doing this city a great service."
That evening was spent planning for the sabotage. They were permitted to wash up in cleaner bathrooms with actual showers. Afterwards Heidi left to excuse herself for an hour or two. After flicking through her deck out of habit she set out her phoenix card and leant it against the wall. Sitting herself cross-legged she took a deep breath and started meditating. She'd never had the patience for it before but the past month had really worn her down. She struggled to stop struggling, tried to bring herself to a place of effortless effort. After she got deep enough Heidi became aware of the energy around her. The invisible Kaijudo energy of her phoenix, still present even when she wasn't using it – only subtle. She felt how this energy connected to her card which was also surrounded by it. She saw an image of Mars flash behind her eyes, opened them to see her phoenix glowing and a new card resting in her hands. She'd properly opened up their connection for the first time, Heidi smiled.
Diego found her and knocked on the doorway. There were lots of empty rooms like these, Heidi watched him walk over and offer her a handgun.
"You might want this for tonight."
"I…" her hand hesitated "I've never used a gun before. They're a lot louder than they are on TV."
"There's a shooting range on level three if you want to practice?" Diego offered "It might save your life."
Heidi smiled before agreeing. Getting up and gathering her cards.
When midnight struck the five teens took the elevator to the ground floor, made their way to a different exit where a gleaming black impala sat waiting. Simon opted to drive again but Diego shot him down. None of them owned a licence but they didn't have traffic cops in the slums anyhow. Another two trucks contained Ms Snaketail's henchmen who were willing to offer some assistance. Her hired muscle wouldn't be as subtle as them in any case.
"I didn't even know where the head honcho lived," Simon admitted as Diego took them down streets that were mostly empty.
They arrived at a company building that'd been converted over the years, it still had its chain-link security fencing around the borders. Diego spoke into walkie-talkies, communicating with the trucks before coming up with a plan.
"Okay, so subtlety's out," he told the others. "One of the groups is going to distract the attention of the guards, then we bolt-cut our way in, stick the charges and get out. I'll detonate them once we're all back to the car, is that clear?" Diego received nods and then began unzipping the black bags by their feet. Each group received a walkie-talkie and bundle of dynamite. Amira was by herself while Heidi and Diego had two bombs between them. Static rang from Diego's handheld device. A commotion could be heard from the other side of the property. Diego started snipping through the fence with pliers "Now, let's go!"
Once inside they split up. Simon took Lisa's arm and started running. Amira flicked her black hood up and vanished into the darkness. Heidi started jogging after Diego, heading to their positions exactly as planned.
Heidi's heart was racing and she could feel the metal of her gun in her pocket as she ran. They reached the building and crouched down, sticking close and stooping under windows as they went. Soon enough they were in position to plant the first bomb and so far so good. Diego stripped the plastic off the adhesive, stuck the dynamite and flicked a switch. A green dot lit up to show it was live.
"Let's move on," he hissed.
Heidi could hear the voices of her friends through the static. Amira had succeeded in planting hers in the right spot and later Simon confirmed it as well.
"We're going to need an opening to get in. This charge needs to be closer to the centre," Diego explained. Simon's voice started going off through the static. It was hard to make out what he was saying, and then Heidi heard the pattering feet in the darkness. Then savage barking.
"Dogs!" Heidi yelled.
Diego cursed and pulled out his gun. Black pitbulls were running ravenous at the intruders, all guttural huffing and drool dripping from their jaws. There was barely enough lighting from the overhead spotlights to see them. One gunshot and a dead watchdog. The second missed, Diego backed up and fired a third time. The dog whimpered and slid across the dirt. They paused to listen, Heidi lowered her explosive to the ground. She could hear loud breathing getting closer in the black, then the scampering paws. She pulled out her handgun, both arms out and thumbed back the safety. She tugged down on the trigger and her gun recoiled. A pained yelp and then silence. Heidi blinked several times while her ears rang. Diego put a hand on her shoulder and she finally lowered the weapon. He picked up the dynamite and they pressed on.
"So that Lisa, she's a beautiful girl…" Diego started saying.
"Ah yeah, she is." Heidi was still recovering from shock. She'd just killed an animal.
"I mean, that other guy Timothy's with you. But Simon…"
"If you're worried about Simon hitting on Lisa why'd you pair them together?"
"Well, ah… he seemed to be coming onto me when we started talking. So I figured he didn't swing that way. Not that I judge."
"Well sorry to tell you, but Simon's bi. He flirts with everyone he meets."
"Oh… dammit."
"Look there's a window we can get up to!" Heidi desperately wanted to keep their focus on the mission.
"Is it open?" Diego worked his elbow under and it pulled out, enough for them to climb through "Just our luck, eh?" His grin was visible in the dark as he climbed over, Heidi followed him in. As soon as her sneakers touched down stage-lights lit up a huge room filled with circus props. Long mirrors, a trapeze, a tight-rope and hanging hoops. She slowly straightened up beside the other guy.
"What the fuck…" Diego looked around.
"Come one, come all to the greatest spectacle this side of the galaxy! Introducing your host, the marvellous and magical Genjin!" After his pompous self-introduction, the moustached man slid out from behind a curtain and did a bow. Heidi raised her gun at him immediately.
"Go on, Diego."
"What? Are you sure?"
"Yes," Heidi's eyes remained locked on his monochrome purples. "Plant the bomb and get out, I'll meet you outside."
"Don't be long," he told her and hurried off to an exit.
Genjin watched him go with a smile before the caped man looked back at Heidi "Come now, that's hardly fair. I thought you'd like a duel to avenge your friend?" His gloved hand ignited sky-blue.
"Or I could just put a bullet through your chest right now," Heidi hadn't lowered the gun.
"From over there? You might miss. And tell me chosen fire duellist, have you ever murdered in cold blood before?"
"You're not human."
"Well you're not clever. Haven't you noticed the startling lack of gangsters in this building? They're not all asleep somewhere, in actual fact they tend to be awake most nights playing poker or whatever else."
"Where are they!?" Heidi yelled.
"It doesn't matter. More importantly…" he flicked his wrist. Heidi's gun flew from her grip, bouncing across the room. Something slid to the floor, a Duel Masters card. "How's that for a card trick?"
"Alright then, kettou da! We'll settle this the old-fashioned way you freak!" her fist ignited with red energy.
"Yoshi…" he strolled over until he was the correct distance away. Tables darkened and crystalline shields expanded out. The players took their marks, shuffled, drew their hands and the game was underway.
Heidi grinned when she noticed Supernova Mars Disaster in her starting hand. Got this in the bag. She added mana and passed the turn to him.
"I summon Aqua Guard!" The blocker with the clawed hands stalked forth.
Heidi added mana and passed again.
"Melnia, the Aqua Shadow!" his rainbow creature emerged from a pool of itself in a purple hood.
"Your unblockable creatures don't mean jack against me!" Heidi yelled "I summon Smashblow Dragoon!" her flaming animal-hybrid landed in a crouch with tail swishing. Its power 2000.
Genjin added his third mana and tapped two "I generate Submarine Labor!" A high-tech watercraft assembled in his zone. "This cross gear will later allow me to look at four cards and add one to my hand, meaning God linking will be that much easier! It's always a crowd pleaser!"
Heidi wasn't pleased, remembering his terrible linked Gods. But she had a phoenix.
Genjin pointed "Melnia ike!"
The water-darkness being dipped its head before springing, its fist swelled before punching through a panel of glass.
Heidi took the card to her hand then drew, added mana "I cast Volcano Charger on Melnia!" The volcano flung the creature upward, it fell back into its molten death. "Smashblow Dragoon ike!"
"Aqua Guard blocks!" Genjin turned his card. Ripples of red and blue met in the middle. The liquid person was clawed into jelly.
"Smashblow is on 6000 when battling a blocker so survives!" Heidi declared.
"Hmph. Then for my next act: Dark Clown!" A brain jacker blocker towered above, this one on 6000. Its abdomen was swollen with what looked like blood.
"I summon Wild Racer Chief Garan!" The motorcyclist with three blades on its arm skidded to a stop. "Turn end."
"You have quite masculine cards and playing styles for such a little girl," Genjin commented.
"Excuse me!?" Heidi fired up at once. Her opponent only laughed.
"I bet you remember this next performer," his moustache wiggled "I summon Evil Ways God Kiki!" It was the blue amphibian God that hurt Timothy. On its own it was a mere blocker with only 3000. The strange vibes Heidi could feel from the card weren't normal. "Turn end."
Heidi drew then furiously slapped down her seventh mana card "I fortify my shield with Balzark, Sword Flash Fortress!" The new card Mars had given her that day appeared in a blaze of scarlet. It was a huge mechanical castle in the shape of a dragon. "My creatures now break twice as many shields! Turn end!"
"Not if I have anything to say about it," purple eyes narrowed as he summoned "Sea Mutant Dormel!" Another water-darkness creature on 4000 slithered into play. "Now I cross Submarine Labor to Kiki. Break a shield and eliminate her fortress, ike!" After the slippery amphibian was merged to the top of the ship it was propelled forward and Heidi had to hunker down from the explosion of smoke and glass. Genjin was smiling as he drew four cards, added one to his hand and put the rest on the bottom of his deck. When he looked back up his smile fell.
"Bolzark's effect lets me take a different shield to my hand when you try to break it, so it stays in play!" Heidi yelled beneath her robotic dragon-castle "And this shield was a trigger! I summon Express Dragoon!" A purple tyranno drake landed in the fray, it had spiked fists and 3000 power. "And now its my turn!" Heidi's mana untapped "I vortex evolution Smashblow Dragoon, Wild Racer Chief Garan and Express Dragoon into my chosen phoenix! Supernova Mars Disaster!"
Heat and light reverberated. The lieutenant snarled his displeasure. While the room was big it certainly wasn't big enough for Mars. Fire erupted and bathed everything in red. The ceiling exploded into the upper level, debris clattering down and wrecking all the circus props. When the demolition settled Heidi was cloaked in red, swelling with more power than she was used to. I… can actually feel Mars's emotions better. I can feel how eager fighting makes him. She grinned, you and me both, buddy.
"Thanks to my Sword Flash Fortress Mars can break six shields in one attack! You ready for this!? Ike and meteorburn!" The fire intensified, the sweating lieutenant moved quick to turn his card.
"Dark Clown block!" The brain jacker flexed its limbs and took the brunt of the streaming fire. A heatwave from its wingbeat melted Sea Mutant Dormel and Evil Ways God Kiki from existence. Genjin was left with no creatures. His submarine cross gear reassembled itself without a host. The red-orange phoenix glared down with white eyes trailing smoke.
With a nervous hand the magician drew. He held two cards. Considering his God would be wiped out from another meteorburn he could only add mana and end.
"Did you think you could injure my boyfriend and I wouldn't make you pay!?" Heidi snarled. She placed her hand on the tabletop while Genjin continued to sweat under the ripples of heat. "Supernova Mars Disaster break all five of his shields at once! Ike!"
Flaming feathers billowed, Mars held its celestial spheres beneath its wingspan. Crying out in birdsong before swinging its neck, an arc of fire burst all his shields and Genjin was thrown back, legs flying over his head and stupid cape. He winced on his stomach, looking up at the single trigger that drifted down. He struggled to his knees, pushed up and yanked the card from the air.
"I use Terror Pit to destroy Mars."
"I hate darkness cards…"
Heidi felt all that glorious and addictive power withdrawing, suctioning away as her phoenix was gradually extinguished. Soon all that was left was residual heat, smoke wafting up in random places. A small pile of cards fell into her graveyard.
Genjin started his turn "I summon Soderlight the Cold Blade!" His quartz scorpion scuttled forth on 4000.
"Okay…" Heidi took a breath. She could tell her opponent was agitated and trying to hide it. I have three shields while he has none. He's got more cards than me now, but if I rush him I can still win! She drew a spell and decided to use it "Hell's Scrapper gets rid of Soderlight!" The compressor machine rose up and whipped out a chain, grinding down until the crystal creature was dragged under and broken into shards.
Genjin snapped in anger "This is my show! You trespassed onto my stage! I summon Foreign Ways God Kaikai and cross it with Submarine Labor!" The purple devil counterpart to his other God stuck itself to the top of his submarine vessel.
Heidi shook her head "You're not going to God Link. I summon Cocco Lupia!" her crowned fire bird looped into play with a happy chirp. "I generate and cross him with Fire Blade! Todomeda!" Orange wing exhausts attached to her bird in flashes of red. She twisted the card and there was a jet-blaze of fire, her 1000 creature slamming into the magician and spinning him over his cape once more. He crashed into a ball pit. The game was done.
After collecting her cards Heidi was tempted to fetch that gun and finish the lieutenant once and for all. Lupia's attack would've given him no lasting injuries. Heidi remembered the plan then and knew she had to go. With some luck Genjin would be buried under the building after the explosive charges went off. She turned to the window she'd climbed through and saw it was hidden under collapsed rubble. I really need to get out of here. There was a higher-up window that was mostly free of glass. Heidi ran to a jutting slab of concrete, raced up its length and pushed off, curling up as she threw herself through the remaining points of glass. She hit the dirt and pushed up, running down the property and racing along the fence, searching for the hole they'd clipped. She was silently wishing armed guards weren't going to spot her and start shooting.
"There she is!" Amira called.
The four of them were by the car. Heidi was panting as she climbed out to join them. Simon was leaning against the bonnet while clutching his side.
"What happened to you?"
"Dog," he answered Heidi.
Lisa rolled her eyes "you tripped running away from a dog."
Once she was satisfied he hadn't been shot, Heidi stepped over to Diego to tell him "Most of the gang isn't there. They must've moved to a different hide-out or something."
"I know." He was holding the bulky trigger device.
"Why weren't they there!? Did someone tip them off!?"
"Possibly."
Lisa stepped forward to ask "What about the explosives? Isn't it a waste to use them now?"
"We can't go back and get them. And now they know, they won't give us another chance like this." Diego shook his head and decided "I'm doing it."
He jammed the button and four simultaneous explosions blew apart the walls of the building. There was a brief flash of flame and then smoke, like a stack of cards it collapsed straight down into a pile. The ground shook and dust blew out in a wave, reaching the street and making them swat at the air and scrunch their eyes. Diego hadn't even stayed to watch the explosion. He'd set it off then turned to the car, clearly annoyed. The other four coughed and hopped in as well, quickly to escape the choking cloud of dust. Diego fired up the engine then began the drive back to Ms Snaketail's penthouse.
Simon was hissing in the back seat, slipping off his jacket and pulling his shirt back. Heidi spotted the gang symbol tattooed on his ribs: a circle with two crossed swords.
"That looks painful," she blurted.
Lisa was inspecting the graze on his side "It's just a flesh wound. We'll get it bandaged properly when we're back."
"Lisa, are you also branded?" Heidi thought to ask.
"Yes. On my back. I was eleven."
Simon hunched against the door, gritting his teeth. They drove empty streets back, their tires whipping up stray trash as they went.
After their return the group of teenagers were in no rush to leave. While lodging there they had access to a decent though public bathroom and meals including mashed potato, unseasoned meats like sausages or chops, and wet greens like string beans or spinach. Eating properly was surely giving them more energy. They still bunkered in the lower levels with all the curious strangers, but they avoided the drugs and weird looks from weirder-looking people. There'd been no issues with the strangers yet so they must all be afraid of Ms Snaketail's henchmen. The teens knew that old Mr Barrow back in his shop would have things easier without having to provide food for so many extra mouths, plus they could spent more nights sleeping on actual beds. So they remained: resting, planning and getting to know each other better.
Timothy had seen Heidi, though he wasn't in a talkative mood. His torso was bandaged, arms in casts but he could move his fingers with some pain. It was three days later when they had an actual conversation.
"I'm leaving," Timothy was sitting against his stretcher and facing the wall.
Heidi felt a drop "I'll come with you. Amira will too, we just have to deal with her stalker first."
"No, Heidi" he shook his head and turned around. His face was sallower with purple marks under his eyes. "I have nothing left in me. And I've had time to think while alone. We don't have a plan to stop the Gatekeepers, or even Urobach. You want to save the world so bad you're going to die for it, but I don't want to die if it'll accomplish nothing. So I'm leaving."
A sad acceptance filled her "where will you go?"
"Ms Snaketail was kind enough to give me some money to get out of here. I can go to a real hospital and make sure they've done this right," he lifted his plastered arms. There was X-ray equipment and other medical machinery cluttered in the corner of the room. Timothy sighed "and then I'm going to go south. It'll take time, but I'll be able to reunite with the disciples of the Dawn of the Phoenix. After the temple got destroyed I don't know if they're vagabonds or hiding out somewhere but I'll find them."
"I can't leave this city until I've helped Amira with our promise."
"I think she's using you," Timothy pointed out. "The darkness duellist has only been out for herself. She would've run off now that she's healed up, but now she's going to use you to get rid of Magris for her. Amira's flaky."
Heidi bit back her tongue. Just this once she mustn't lose her cool. She couldn't go red and snap: just piss off then! Only to be consumed by that guilt once he was gone, knowing this was the last time she'd see him after everything they'd been through together.
"You've saved me, helped me for so long. I'm not sure how it'll be without you." She looked at his back. "I'm sorry our relationship went so wrong. Back in the DMA it was comforting and so good. I didn't want to let that go. If it weren't for all this pressure we're under, everything that's happened and the Gatekeepers… things would've been better."
"Back in the DMA I bluffed my victory against Konnako at the end there, he was under too much pressure to realise my final creature couldn't attack players." Timothy shook his head before standing. A pause. "You were my first girlfriend too… I'll find a nice disciple girl. And you'll find someone else, if you stay out of dangerous situations." He bent down and with difficulty pulled a bag of supplies up over his shoulder, ready to depart. He didn't want to convince her to leave with him. That settled that – their relationship was over.
Heidi stepped over to give him a final farewell hug, tried to make it as comforting as she could "goodbye, Timothy."
"Goodbye, Heidi."
She had regrets about how she'd acted in their relationship but at least they could part on good terms.
『AN: Yay reviews! Azure and Acuma are still keeping up-to-date and Shuriken is reviewing even if he's twenty chapters behind, as of this moment. So it seems Acuma thinks our heroes have been through "way too much" and we're not even halfway through Darkness Arc? Tsk tsk. Wait until the revelation I plan to give next chapter! I should clarify to both Azure and Acuma that Heidi is not going to be a firebender or the Human Torch or anything of the sort. I mean, unless I change my mind about that in the final arc. I think Shuriken would like this arc more, I reckon the dueling decks have better synergy and all the plot-points have been overreaching. Until next time!』
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