School has been awful. Luckily, I had hardly any homework for the first time in like two weeks!
LunaticChaos: I know. Evil=good!
Whispering Hope: You won't be saying 'poor Max' in future chapters…
John: I know, but I refuse to call a great monster like Olympion by his horrible English name. And please, no more fire puns.
=P: I've said it before, and I'll keep saying it: You scare me. Keep up the torture ideas!
Chapter 21: Shadow of the Past
Entering the tunnel was a tricky process. First, Ruecian went inside, soon emerging with the dead body of Robin. By this time, Gaston and Malon had already finished digging a hole. Ruecian gently laid the man inside before Malon began to cover the grave.
Getting Android out was much more difficult, but Ruecian and Darche managed to pull the machine up. They dropped the Soul Monster into another grave, and Malon kicked the dirt back on top of it.
It was easy enough to get Mana, Fell, and Gen in, even though they were unconscious. Doing the same for Zack was a challenge though. In the end, Gaston and Ruecian had to lift him down so that Draken and Neo could catch him. Neo nearly fell over, but they managed to get the cyborg into the tunnel.
"Why does he have to weigh so much?" Neo complained.
"Because he's almost completely made out of metal, you moron," Will said as he leapt down into the tunnel entrance. "Gaston, is everyone else inside?"
Ruecian lowered himself down, and then Gaston came as well. "Ruecian was the last one there."
"Geez, this tunnel is huge!" Rue commented. "It looks like five people could go shoulder to shoulder at once, and still walk down it without even scraping the sides!"
"That's right," Will confirmed. "Still, we'll have to space ourselves out. Rue, Draken, Ruecian, Darche, we need some guards here in case someone tries to ambush us. Will you remain here?"
"No problem," Rue replied. Draken nodded, leaning against a wall.
The others continued on down the tunnel, stopping when they arrived at the cavern in the back. Larka retreated to one corner, laying Fell down there. Malon sat beside her, whining softly. Miles stayed with Gen on the other side. Brandi managed to stagger over to another area, placing Mana down carefully. Will and Neo remained with Miles, silently watching the teen. Gaston leaned Zack against a wall, examining the cyborg before shaking his head.
"Is it bad?" Hope asked.
"I assume so." Gaston nodded towards Brandi. "Why don't you go over to her for a while? I'll look over Zack."
"Sure, thanks."
Hope walked over to Brandi, kneeling beside her. "Is Mana going to be ok?"
"After some time has passed, I know she will be." Brandi ran her hand over Mana's forehead. "If only she had not risked herself…"
"What exactly happened?" Hope inquired.
"She used a lot of her energy by attacking and healing me. When she was hit by a bullet, it just took away the last of her strength."
"What? Mana can heal?" Hope said in surprise. "You never told me that."
"She can only heal me, and it exhausts her, but she can," Brandi confirmed. "It's only a matter of time before she comes around-I just hope Claire can remove the bullet."
"I bet she can," Hope assured. "After all, her armor must have at least slowed the bullet down, right?"
"That's true." Brandi gazed back at her Soul Monster. "Still, I feel worried. All we can do is wait."
A woman walked across the plains. Her white cloak was blown around by the playful winds, yet she ignored it. She was searching for something.
Most people would have thought nothing of the rock that was lying on the ground, but this was what she had been looking for. She smiled grimly, and settled down to wait.
She had waited for this moment for years. She had no problem waiting for a few more hours.
"How's it going guys?" Rue asked, emerging from the tunnel after an hour had passed.
"It could be worse," Hope sighed, looking over at him. "But it could also be a lot better."
"So Mana, Gen, Fell, and Zack are still out of it?"
"That's right," Will confirmed. "Has anything happened up front?"
"Nope. I just wanted to see how it was back here," Rue shrugged. "I'm going back now. See you all later." Then he left, leaving the others to their own thoughts.
After a few minutes, Will spoke up. "Once we are ready to move on, what should we do?"
"Trying to find that official who used Prohibition Order on us would be the best move," Hope recommended. "We don't have much time to do it, either. If we can't log out, then we can't eat. We'll die of starvation."
"Actually, you can live up to a month without eating," Will stated. "We would die of dehydration first."
"Well, that's a relief… dehydration?!" Miles exclaimed.
"Either way, Hope's idea is probably the most logical," Will concluded. "But it is also one of the most difficult ones to carry out. We have no idea of where to look for that official, and when we do find him, he will most likely have reinforcements. Also, his Soul Monster is not to be taken lightly."
"Maybe Draken could get some of his Blue Eyes White Dragon friends to help us," Larka suggested.
"Perhaps. Whatever we are going to do must wait though," Hope reminded her. "Maybe over time, a better idea will come to us. For now, we need to wait for the rest of our friends to come around."
Larka lightly touched her brother's arm. "Yeah…"
They fell silent after that. The quiet was broken by a soft moan.
Mana opened her eyes slowly. "Brandi…?"
"Don't try to move," Brandi commanded. "Save your strength. How do you feel?"
"I'm ok…" Mana attempted to sit up, but failed.
"Convincing," Brandi said dryly, as she tried to put Mana in a more comfortable position.
"I can move, but I can't stand up… I just feel too weak…" Mana confessed.
"Let me try something." Brandi gently felt her Soul Monster's side, where the bullet entered. Mana yelped as Brandi ran her hand over the exact location.
"Not only are you weakened from healing me, but you still are wounded from that bullet. You have to stay still."
"What happened?" Mana asked. "All I can remember is the battle on the mountain, then nothing…"
"We made it down the mountain, and into this underground tunnel. Gen, Fell, and Zack are still injured at the moment, so we are waiting for them, along with you, to recover," Brandi explained. "So try to relax, ok?"
Mana nodded wearily. "I feel like such a burden though…"
"Hey, even if you weren't hurt, Gen would be anyway," Miles pointed out. "Along with Fell and Zack. It wouldn't matter if you were in perfect health-we still couldn't go on."
"I guess you're right," Mana agreed.
"Whoa, Miles was right about something? First time for everything," Gaston joked.
"Oh shut up," Miles muttered as he turned back to Gen.
Brandi spent the next hour giving Mana the specific details on what had happened, and informing her on what would probably happen next. It was around the time that she had finished when another of their group regained consciousness.
Miles was at Gen's side immediately as he came around. "Hey, are you alright?"
"I was caught in an explosion. How on earth could I be fine?"
Miles smiled slightly. "Well, at least you have your humor still. And… I owe you for saving me. Thanks a lot."
"Hey, the reason I exist is to help you, right?"
"I thought you were here to annoy me constantly."
"You have a point."
Hope laughed softly at the sight of them. "Look at those two! One nearly gets killed, yet they still talk to each other the same way."
"Yeah. That's just the way they are friends," Larka said.
Hope looked over at her. "How is Fell doing?"
"Not good." Larka frowned as she looked over at him again. "That cannon must have been charging for some time. That's the only explanation on why he hasn't woken up yet."
Gaston suddenly beckoned to Hope. "Hope, come over here! I think Zack is coming around!"
Hope ran over to see the cyborg examining the area. "What happened?" he inquired.
"You were hit with a magic card called Acid Rain. In the game, it destroys any Machine Sub-Types instantly, so you were harmed greatly by it. Are you ok now?"
"I believe so." Zack stood up, and nodded. "I just need some time to recharge. I would prefer an area that is quiet. Can I go into that tunnel?"
"Of course. It's a straight path, so you can't get lost. Rue, Ruecian, Draken, and Darche are all in the front of it, so staying in the tunnel itself would probably be the most silent area. Do you want me to explain what happened?"
Zack caught sight of the unconscious Fell. "You can tell both of us later."
"Alright then. Come back in when you're done."
"Sure."
Zack made it to the tunnel, stopping at what he estimated to be about half way. He stopped there, sitting down while leaning against the wall. He quickly pressed a few buttons on his wrist.
"My energy is a lot lower than I had hoped," he sighed. "That Acid Rain must have been too much… the most likely thing that occurred was that my body shut down to conserve the little energy it had left. It would be best if I recharged now… but it makes me much more vulnerable to attack." He shook his head. "This is a safe area… why am I so tense? It must be from being alone for so long, having to protect myself." He pressed another button. "Oh well. Extra precautions never hurt." Then he closed his eyes.
The woman looked at the sky, nodding in satisfaction. "Finally, it is noon." She placed a card into her Duel Disk. "Time to go to work. If what he said is correct, then my Miraculous Findings should reveal the tunnel that is here."
She shielded her eyes as a white light filled the area. When she looked again, she saw that a hole had formed. At the bottom was the tunnel.
"Good. Now I should be able to sneak in without them ever knowing, until it is too late." She jumped in silently.
Rue stood up, looking around.
"What's the matter?" Draken asked.
"Did you hear something?"
"No. Why?"
"Because I just did." Rue strode down the tunnel. "I'm going to check it out. You stay here."
"Sure thing."
Fell's eyes opened at last, and he attempted to get up.
"Fell! Are you ok? What are you doing?" Larka asked worriedly. "Lie back down. You need rest!"
"Somebody is approaching," Fell said.
"What?"
Will was up already. "In the tunnel? It isn't Rue, or Draken, or Zack?"
"Yes…"
"Come on, let's check this out," Will suggested. "Brandi, stay here with Mana. The rest of us should look into this."
"I'm coming too," Brandi declared. "I can bring Mana. It's better that we see this now than have to have it explained to us later."
"If you insist," Will shrugged.
The woman treaded softly down the tunnel, alert for any signs of the ones she was to slay. Being cautious, she fell back when she saw someone else in the tunnel. Her breathing grew steady again as she saw that the person was asleep. She quietly walked up to him, and barely managed to stop herself from snarling in rage.
Him! He may be a cyborg now, but I can still recognize him! Fitting that he will be the first to die.
She slowly drew a knife out, stealthily approaching Zack. When she was just in front of him, she drove down the knife, aiming for his neck, with all of her force.
Zack brought up his switchblade just in time. The blades crashed together, causing the woman to stumble back in surprise.
"But how?!" she exclaimed.
"I programmed myself to regain consciousness when someone else would come nearby me. Apparently, I was right for taking these safeguards."
With a growl of anger, she lunged again. Zack was ready this time though. He neatly dodged the blade and slashed at his opponent. She jumped backwards, but his switchblade had caught on to her hood. It was torn off, and the white cloth floated to the floor.
While the woman's clothes were still hidden, her face was now visible. She had long, blonde hair and brown eyes that burned with fury.
Zack stepped back, unable to believe what he was seeing. "Heather?"
"I'm surprised you remember me," she told him as she stepped away from him, preparing her knife.
"What are you doing here? Why are you trying to kill me?" he asked. "It makes no sense!"
"I'm doing this for revenge, of course! You know what you did!"
"What's going on here?"
They turned to see Hope, who had been the one to ask the question. Everyone else was there as well, having heard the commotion. Brandi had managed to bring Mana out, while Gen leaned against Miles' arm. Fell seemed as though he would collapse any second, but he was there too. From the other side, Rue came running, Ruecian following.
"What the hell happened?" Rue demanded. "It looks as if someone tunneled down here from above!"
"So that's how you made it here," Gaston realized, indicating to the woman.
Daine had emerged from his Soul Card on the way here. He snarled at the woman as Malon barked ferociously.
Hope caught sight of Zack's expression. "Zack? Do you know her?"
He nodded. "Yes… I do…"
"Who is she?" Rue inquired.
Zack just stared at his opponent. How can this be happening?
"I am Heather Oranda. Does that name ring a bell?"
Nobody answered.
"So he never told you about me? I should have expected that," she stated, looking over at Zack. "You wouldn't want your new companions to know of your traitorous personality, would you?"
"You do not understand!" Zack protested. "I did not betray him! I didn't want to… to harm anyone…"
"I find that hard to believe," Heather said in disgust. "Even after all that has happened, you would try to cover up your past. That will not work against me! What you have done is too real for me to be fooled by false stories and lies."
"You think I liked doing that? You think that I wanted to do what I did?!"
"Zack, try telling her your story," Hope suggested. "And tell us. Maybe we can figure out a solution that avoids fighting."
Zack didn't say anything for several moments. Finally, he nodded. "Alright. I'll explain. Know that it pains me to, though."
"We wouldn't ask you to tell us if it wasn't important," Larka said softly. "I'm sure you realize that."
"Yes… I do. Let me see… where should I begin?"
"I was born in 2045. I lived in Denver, Colorado at the time, a place that had several beautiful locations. I was proud to call it my home, and I had no desire to leave."
Hope seemed surprised at this. "My dad lives in that area! I agree-it is quite incredible."
"Yes, it is. However, I often kept to myself. There were a few people I would talk with occasionally, but that was it. However, there was one exception to this. When I was about ten years old, I met a boy named Andrew Oranda, who was the same age as me. He had just moved to Denver, and also preferred to not talk with anyone. When walking home one day after he had just moved in, I saw that some older kids were trying to attack him. He was standing his ground against them, and although outnumbered five to one, he took down three of them before the other two managed to restrain him. Normally, I would have tried to keep out of the situation, yet I felt that it was unfair that anyone who was such a good fighter would be taken out from number alone, and not skill. I took them on surprise, knocking one out. Andrew handled the other one, and then we left before anyone could witness what we had done."
"We went to a nearby park, with a large lake. There were many people around, but we found a more quiet area-if you don't count the squirrels there. Those squirrels had eaten from human hands for so long that they were almost tame. They had no fear in coming up to us…"
"Andrew said that he was grateful for the help, but something seemed to be bothering him. I asked, and he explained that he felt as though it was a weakness to require help. I told him that we all needed assistance sometimes, including the strongest of warriors, and inquired why he was worried about it. Apparently, he was usually pushed around by the others in his old home. He said that he had to learn to adapt, so he learned to fight. I don't know why, but I felt like I wanted to help him. Maybe it was because we were so similar in personality. But ever since that day, we had been friends."
"We went through school and continued to do well in it. When we were twenty five, after we had graduated from collage, we both found ourselves a wife. Andrew had fallen in love with Heather, and I for a woman named Crystal. Our weddings were around the same time period, and for five years we lived happily in the same neighborhood. Crystal and I also had two children, a boy named Sam and a girl called Samantha, after four years of being married. Although Andrew and Heather never had children of their own, they cared about ours just as much as we did."
"Our peaceful lives ended when we were thirty though. Andrew was drafted into the military. Although Heather pleaded with him to not go, he knew he had to."
"The night before he left, we went back to the park, the place where we had first become friends. I told him that he was the best friend I had, and that I wished he did not have to go, but that I knew he had no choice. He stayed silent for a few minutes, and then said that he wanted us to promise something-that no matter how far apart we were, we would always remain loyal friends. That… no matter what… we would always be comrades… and of course, I agreed…"
After a pause, Zack went on. "Five more years passed. We heard nothing from Andrew, and often worried for him-what if he was killed? But Heather was confident that one day he would return. So we lived on, acting positive but being worried on the inside. I felt especially bad for Heather. At least Crystal and I had our six year olds to look after, but she lived alone. Still, she carried on as if nothing was wrong…"
"I was thirty five when it happened. I had gone out to buy a medication-Samantha had picked up a cold. It wasn't serious, but we wanted to take care of it before it was. I was gone for about an hour-the nearby stores were already closed, so I had to go to a store we didn't often visit. When I came back to the house…" Zack stopped, and then continued with difficulty. "I found that the house had been broken into. Thieves… eleven of them… had forced their way in. They had obviously not been expecting anyone to interrupt them… when I walked in, I found five in the living room. With two bodies… my son and daughter. Both were… already dead… Filled with rage, I did not stop to think. All five were slaughtered-I always carried my switchblade with me." He brought it out of his arm before it slid back in. "Their screams alerted the other six. Five of them were just as easily dealt with, but the sixth… he was the leader. He was too arrogant… even the loss of his ten men did not phase him. He was proud to tell me what he had done with my wife… before killing her, he had forced himself upon her… I believe you know what I mean. I was already furious, but this… I slashed him several times, not pausing even when he was dead…"
"Finally, I forced myself to stop, and realized what I had just done. I ran upstairs, only to find that he had spoken the truth… Crystal lay lifeless… Everyone I cared about, except for Andrew and Heather, was dead… But I did not even consider the possibility of going to see Heather, and Andrew was still gone. So, not knowing what I was doing, I ran. I fled from the house, running towards a nearby field. I thought nobody would be there… at least not this late at night. Even in the daytime, hardly anyone would go to the fields."
"When I got there, I found a large group of men-about twenty-waiting for me. They were all from the military. Their commander was in the back ranks. I had no idea why they would be here, until one of the men stepped forward and asked his commander if I was the one they were after. The commander seemed to hesitate, but he nodded. I demanded to know what was going on, and the same man said that I was guilty of murdering the eleven men, and my own wife and children. I denied it… I told them I would never kill my own family members… but they didn't listen… my switchblade was covered with the thieves' blood, and they pointed out that my wife and children had been cut in several locations, and that the other eleven men did not even have any blades with them. But they did… I don't understand how they could have missed it!"
"There's only one explanation," Will stated grimly. "There was another person with them. And he took their blades, to lay the blame on you. Running off as you did would have made them suspicious as well."
"That's probably true," Zack said, still looking pained. "But the military men did not know of that. I was still furious and panicked. When two came forward to intercept me, I slew them."
"Apparently, their orders were to bring me back alive if possible, but if not, to kill me. So they opened fire. But I managed to dodge them, and ran towards them. I was dimly aware of what I was doing… I was thinking that I didn't want to kill anybody… but that thought was overridden by my rage. They carried swords, but only the back rank was able to pull them free-the front rank was cut down before they could even draw their blades. I also killed the back rank. I parried and blocked without thought, always slashing whenever there was an opening… blood was everywhere, even on me. But it wasn't mine. I wasn't sure whether that was a good or bad thing."
"Only the commander was left. He drew his own sword, and we battled. He was skilled and strong, while I was exhausted… even so, I had one thing he didn't. I had nothing to lose. So when his sword came down, I caught it with my left hand. It cut it harshly, but it took the commander by complete surprise-he had assumed that since I was left handed, I would not try a maneuver like that. But I had switched my blade to my right hand, and with one thrust to the stomach, he died instantly."
"But when he fell, and slammed into the ground, his helmet came off and rolled away. And that was when I saw who I had killed. Andrew."
"I knew then that I had no reason to live on. All of my loved ones were dead, my best and possibly my only friend was gone as well. And I had been the one to kill him. It was all my fault… I could never be forgiven, even by spending eternity in hell! I was not fighting anymore. I was a coward, weak, unable to grasp what I had done. So I added another victim's blood to my switchblade."
"You… you mean you…" Hope couldn't finish the sentence.
"Yes. I killed myself."
"Lies!" Heather snarled. "Andrew and you killed each other! You say he never landed a blow on you? Then how come his sword had blood on it?"
"Because I caught it with my hand…"
"Impossible! His whole blade was coated with blood! I don't care how badly that cut was, it would not be enough to shed as much blood as there was on Andrew's sword!" Heather yelled.
"But that can't be…" Zack shook his head. "I remember it clearly. His sword's upper part had some blood on it from my hand, but that was it."
"How could that have happened?" Larka wondered.
Rue was struck with a sudden idea. "Will! You said that it was possible someone had taken those knives from the thieves, right? Well, what if someone had coated Andrew's sword with blood after Zack committed suicide? After all, the ground must have been bloody after that fight. The person could also have borrowed a corpse's blood."
"Very doable," Will agreed. "Excellent thought."
"It's a nice thought, but scientist's tested the blood on all of the swords," Heather told them. "A few others had blood on them, but it was small amounts-it must have come from falling onto the ground. But I demanded that a test should be taken on the blood on Andrew's blade, and it was Zack's!"
"Then this mysterious person took some of Zack's blood; it isn't that hard to figure out," Brandi stated.
"How could have he, when Zack's body wasn't there?"
"Zack's body was gone?" Hope said in disbelief.
"Before I had come, more military men had been at the scene. One scientist had insisted on taking Zack's body-why, I had no idea. I thought it might be for organs, or something similar. I didn't care. I was grieving for my husband."
"But it wasn't for organs," Zack declined. "I was in darkness. I had no feelings, no thoughts, nothing. It was almost like… having a dreamless sleep, you might say. But when I finally awoke, I couldn't understand what had happened. My last memory had been intense pain in my heart… the area where I had stabbed myself. But now I was strapped to some kind of metal table. My hand had been in severe pain when I had last been conscious, but now it… didn't feel like anything. The same with my chest… I just didn't feel anything."
"There was a lab assistant nearby, and when he saw me he immediately ran off. A few minutes later, a scientist entered. He told me of what he had done… finding my strength to be tremendous, he had taken my body to try an experiment on, one he had been trying to make perfect for years. And he had finally succeeded. By replacing many of my organs and body parts with metal, he had brought me back to life. I was a cyborg."
Zack held out his left hand. "This hand that was cut was completely replaced with metal. My right hand is still human, but not my left hand."
"But I didn't want to be alive. I wanted to just go back to that world where I could not feel anything… My protests seemed to please the scientist. He said this was one reason he had chosen me to experiment on. He told me how to bring out my switchblade, and to try to slay myself with it. But when I tried to lift my arm to do it, I felt something course through me… a painful electric shock of some kind. My arm was paralyzed."
"The scientist was delighted. He had been trying to make this device work for a very long time, or so he explained. Its main purpose? It made committing suicide impossible. No matter what I do, I cannot kill myself."
"The scientist did a few more experiments, but soon he said that he had gotten all of the data he needed. He told me that I could leave and lived as I wished to. But I had no idea on what to do. So I took missions with low success rates, hoping I would be killed while trying to complete them. I also tried to slay as many in the missions as possible. I tried to accept the idea of slaying others, but no matter how many fell before me, I could not get myself to kill without guilt. Not once have I even been close to dying… until I tried to slay all of you." He turned to Hope. "I wanted Hope to kill me then. It was something I had wanted for the longest time, to die and be left without my memories or feelings… But I remembered my guilt and pain. I didn't want you to suffer as I had. But you were being hunted by a group with many dangerous people… what better chance did I have? I came with you to not only try to help, but so that if someone was to die then it would be me."
"So basically, your whole life has been spent trying to kill yourself?" Brandi concluded.
"Well, my second life if you want to call it that."
"But there's so many good things in life," Hope said. "Besides, would your wife and children want you to be dead just because of them? They'd feel completely responsible!"
"They didn't want me to die," Zack replied. "But Andrew did."
Hope had nothing to say to that.
"Nice story," Heather growled. "But you cannot convince me! You have just admitted that you killed Andrew, and that is enough reason for me to do the same to you!"
"But don't you see? I didn't want to hurt or kill anyone!" Zack exclaimed. "But no matter how much I wish I hadn't, I know I can't be forgiven. If you want to kill me Heather, then do so!"
Suddenly, Zack fell to his knees, growling with agony as blue electricity sparked around his body.
"What's happening?!" Neo asked.
"It must be that device he talked about," Will inferred. "The one that stops him from committing suicide…"
Hope wasn't listening to him. Besides the blue electricity, she was seeing something. It was a figure, one that glowed with light. It was so dim though… she could hardly see it. Then she thought she heard something. It took all of her concentration to catch the whisper.
"…Save him… please… please help him…!"
And then the figure was gone, the voice as well.
Hope stepped backwards. Gaston caught sight of her pale face.
"Hope! What's wrong?" he asked worriedly.
"It's nothing…"
"Don't tell me it's nothing! You look like you've seen a ghost!"
Hope's eyes widened. Maybe I did…
By this time, the electricity had faded away, and Zack was forcing himself to rise.
"It looks like you won't be allowed to let me kill you, so I'll have to do it by force." Heather held up her left arm, with the Duel Disk. "Then let us duel, and the loser will be forced to die!"
"Zack! You don't need to accept!" Rue shouted. "Let us handle her!"
"If he declines, he is killed instantly, by the rules of the game," Heather smirked. "And due to the device in his body, it is obvious that he will not be allowed to do that."
"She's right," Zack confirmed. "I have no choice to accept your challenge."
Hope knew she could not stop him. She watched helplessly as they prepared their Duel Disk.
"So you have no Deck Master?" Heather assumed.
"That's correct."
"What a disappointment-this will be easier than I thought." A Soul Monster appeared beside her. He looked like a man, who was wearing a blue t-shirt and shorts of the same color. Over that was a brown vest of some kind. He also had a bandanna tied around his head of the same color, hiding his hair color from view. Around both of his wrists, he had a black wristband. He carried a bow that was as tall as he was.
"Meet Ash, named after the ash tree. He's a Green Magic Bow Wielder."
"Uh… why is he named after a tree?" Rue inquired.
"Because he's a Plant Sub-Type," Heather replied.
"Heather loves flowers," Zack explained. "Andrew and I met her at her flower shop. The way she handled the plants, with care and kindness, was one reason Andrew loved her."
"That was me before," Heather interrupted. "Forget about the past me and focus on what I have become, or else you don't stand a chance!"
Zack: 8000
Heather: 8000
"You may go first," Heather offered.
"Alright then… I lay two cards down, and one monster in defense mode. That ends my turn."
"I will begin with Angel's Gift, so I can draw three cards and discard two. Perfect! I'll rid myself of two Lord Poisons. (1500/1000) Now I summon Rekunga. (1700/500) By removing two Water Sub-Types from my Cemetery, I can activate this creature's effect. It allows me to special summon one Rekunga Token in attack mode. (700/700)"
"What good will that do you?"
"It is more useful than you might think. I will activate Ash's effect. By sacrificing one Plant Sub-Type on my field, one of your magic or trap cards is destroyed. Ash, take out the one to my left!"
The miniature version of Rekunga vanished, turning into an arrow that was glowing with light. Ash grasped it, fitted it onto his bow, and fired, skewering Zack's card.
"My Magic Cylinder is gone."
"Excellent. Rekunga attacks!"
"You have run into my Air Guard Gear Golem. (800/2200)"
Zack: 8000
Heather: 7500
"It is not a big deal. I'll just lay one card down and end my turn."
Zack looked over at the opposing Soul Monster. None of my magic or trap cards will be safe with that creature on her side. But if she has no monsters, she cannot use its effect anyway. So if I take out all of her monsters, she will either be left open for a direct attack, or my magic and trap cards will be safe.
Zack shook his head. Why am I doing this? I should just give up. But I know that I can't.
"We don't have all day," Heather pointed out.
"Fine. I summon Cannon Soldier. (1400/1300) And then I equip him with 7 Cards, and choose to raise his attack by 700. (2100/1300) Cannon Soldier attacks your Rekunga."
"I have no need to stop you at the moment. Your attack goes through."
"In that case, I end my turn."
Zack: 8000
Heather: 7100
Heather seemed pleased by what she had drawn. "I will summon Guriguru! (350/300)"
"Is there a point to that pathetic thing besides looking stupid?" Rue asked.
"Actually, yes, there is. I will now play Magic Box of Death! This allows me to choose one monster on your side of the field to destroy. I will choose your Cannon Soldier. Then you are forced to take control of my Guriguru. That triggers its effect. When my opponent gains control of Guriguru, I gain 3000 Life Points."
Zack: 8000
Heather: 10100
"So there was a use to that thing," Rue realized.
"Indeed. I end my turn at that."
Zack glanced at her face down card suspiciously, but decided he had to take a risk. "I sacrifice Guriguru for Needle Bunker. (1700/1700)"
"And I activate my trap card, Tidal Wave. Both of your monsters are destroyed."
"I can do nothing more."
"I will summon Blood Orchis. (1700/1000) With his effect, I special summon Death Dendol. (300/2000) Normally, I could union these two monsters, but I don't think I will. Instead, I will sacrifice Death Dendol so that Ash can use his effect to wipe out your other magic or trap card."
Zack watched as the arrow pierced his last defense. "My Attack Nullification is gone…"
"Blood Orchis attacks directly! I lay one card down, and end my turn."
Zack: 6300
Heather: 10100
Zack examined the card he had drawn. "This will work well. I summon Magical Reflector Reflect Bounder. (1700/1000) Afterwards, I lay one card down and end my turn."
Heather gave the machine a disgusted look. "THAT'S the best thing you have to offer? Well, it's your funeral. I will sacrifice my Blood Orchis for King of Faeries-Oberon. (2200/1500) He attacks your Reflect Bounder."
"A poor decision on your part," Zack stated. "When you attack Reflect Bounder, you take damage equal to your monster's attack. So while I lose 500 Life Points, you lose 2200!"
Zack: 5800
Heather: 7900
"I also activate my trap card, Time Machine! When one of my monsters is destroyed in battle, they are reborn in the same position. So my Reflect Bounder is back."
"How irritating… I will end my turn."
Zack smiled slightly at the card he had drawn. "I will activate Cyclone on your face down card."
"I will chain it. It is my Destruction Ring, and I will use it to destroy Reflect Bounder."
Zack: 4100
Heather: 6200
Zack looked at the one card in his hand. "Then I'll have to hope for the best. I lay one monster in defense mode, and end my turn."
Heather smirked as she saw what she had drawn. "Excellent! I summon Thorn Faerie. (300/2000) And then I activate Forced Transfer. We each choose a monster on our field and switch control of it with our opponent. You can have my Thorn Faerie, and I get to see whatever you have." She looked at the defense monster, and gave it a disgusted look. "Cypher Scouter? (1350/1800) Unfortunately, I cannot switch it to attack mode this turn. But Oberon can still attack and destroy Thorn Faerie!"
Zack: 2200
Heather: 6200
"After a monster attacks Thorn Faerie, that monster is forced to go to defense mode. But when Oberon is in face up defense mode, he raises all Plant Sub-Type's attack and defense power by 500. (2700/2000) I will end my turn after that."
Zack shook his head. "I dislike taking gambles, but it seems that I have no choice this time. I will play Black Hole, destroying all of the monsters on the field. Then I end my turn."
Heather growled at her newest card. "I pass…"
"I summon Drillago (1600/1100) and attack with it."
Zack: 2200
Heather: 4600
"I lay one monster in defense mode, and end my turn."
"I play Jar of Greed, to draw two more cards." Zack considered the options. "I will lay both cards down. And then I will have Drillago attack your defense monster."
"You have attacked my Rigorous Reaper. (1600/100) We both have to discard a random card in our hands. You are lucky you don't have any in your hand at the moment. I'm forced to discard… my Tempest. Drat. Your Drillago also loses 500 attack and defense since it destroyed Rigorous Reaper in battle. (1100/600)"
"It's your turn."
"And I will take full advantage of it. I play Raise Dead on Oberon, and have him attack your Drillago."
Zack: 1100
Heather: 4600
Zack looked at the card he drew, and his eyes widened.
It was another Drillago.
I… can win now. That was the last card I needed.
But I don't want to! If I win… Heather will die. I can't! I can't kill the last person that is even close to being a friend! No, I must not win! I have to surrender!
Then he felt pain spread throughout him, caused by the one thing that was forcing him to go against his will. The device.
His actions were controlled by the device itself now. He simply summoned Drillago, and then flipped Cry of the Living Dead to bring back his other Drillago. And then he flipped over his other card, Limiter Removal.
Heather's face grew pale as she saw the card. "Limiter Removal! I remember now… that card doubles the attack of all Machine Sub-Types on your field. And… no! Since my only monster is above 1600 attack… your Drillagos can attack directly!"
Zack indicated to her. The Drillagos drilled underneath the surprised Oberon, emerging in front of Heather and Ash.
Heather only had time to say one thing.
"Andrew… why did it have to be this way?!"
Then the drills slammed into Heather and Ash, slaying both on the spot.
Zack: 1100
Heather: 0
Zack stepped back from them, his eyes burning with pain and guilt.
"No… no! What… what have… I done?!"
"Zack… it's ok," Larka said softly. "You had no control over your actions."
"Yes, I did! I could have fought it! I'm just as weak as I was before! All I need is pain to convince me to do anything! Why must I be like this?! Why must everyone I care about die?! Why do I have to be the one to carry out their execution?! Why can't I ever be strong?!"
Before anyone else could say anything, Zack fled down the tunnel, soon vanishing from sight.
Hope made her decision hastily. "I'm going after him! Who knows what he will do now!" She ran off after him.
"Wait for me!" Gaston called, following her.
Larka shook her head. "Poor guy… he's had so many tragedies in such a short time."
Draken heard someone coming, and turned. "Zack! What's going on?"
Zack halted, to look over at him. "Stay away from me!" Then he leapt out of the tunnel to run across the hills.
Draken was left staring at the grassy field. "What was that about?"
"Draken!" Hope shouted, running over. "Was Zack here?"
"Just a second ago, yeah. He looked freaked out about something. What's going on?"
"Ask Rue!" she responded, already jumping out of the tunnel. Gaston clambered up as well.
"…Right… how did we get stuck with these weirdos?" Draken asked Darche.
"Why are you asking me? You were the one who wanted to join up with them."
It's just like before, Zack thought as he ran on. I have no idea what I am doing, where I am going. Why did I strive to live before? Whatever reason I had, it is gone now. Why must I be denied from death like this?!
"There he is!" Hope gasped as she and Gaston made it over an especially steep hill and continued to pursue him.
"…He must not… die… his time… is not yet…"
Hope stopped short. "That voice again!"
"What?" Gaston gave her a strange look.
"Nothing. Come on!" she yelled.
Zack finally began to slow, not from exhaustion but from despair. I have no reason to continue… what can I do?
"Zack!" Hope cried. "Zack! Wait up!"
He turned to see her running towards him.
"What are you doing here?" he asked as she came up.
"I was worried about you," she said. "Zack…"
"No. I don't want to hear anything about it being ok, because it isn't! I just want my cursed existence to end!" Zack said desperately.
"You can't die!" Hope protested. "Zack, we're your friends. We may not be as good as Andrew was to you, but we are here to help and support you!"
"Then kill me. If you stay with me, I'll eventually turn my blade upon you!"
"You would never do that!" Hope told him. "I know you too well!"
"Well, what did I try to do when I first saw you?"
"That was before we knew each other. Please, don't give up hope!"
"It's too late for that. Just leave me alone." Zack turned to leave.
"Going somewhere?"
Hope and Zack looked over to see the official who had used Prohibition Order on them. His dinosaur Soul Monster was there as well, snarling at them.
Hope was speechless for a moment, before running over to Zack and trying to pull him away. "Zack, come on! We can't take him on by ourselves! Let's get back to the others for help!"
"You go," Zack said. "I'm not leaving."
"Feeling sorry for yourself, cyborg?" the official taunted. "Very well, stay and die. Run off and play games with your friends, little girl. I have business to take care of."
Hope glared at him, and moved over to Gaston. "I can't leave Zack by himself. Gaston, I need you to run back and get help! Please, don't argue. Just go!"
Gaston stared at her before nodding. "If that's what you want." Then he turned and ran.
"Agro! Don't let him get away!" the official ordered.
The dinosaur ran at Gaston, but Hope was ready. She reached down and snatched up a rock about the size of a baseball, and hurled it at the beast. Her aim was perfect; it struck it in the eye. The dinosaur, howling in pain and rage, turned its attention to Hope. Before she could even move, the dinosaur lunged at her, teeth bared.
"What am I going to do?!" Claire said desperately for at least the tenth time that day.
Max was still lying in bed, in a coma. Olympion was still snarling occasionally, but that was the least of Claire's problems.
"Oh, Brandi's going to be so depressed! There's got to be a way to help Max, there just has to! But… how…?" Overcome by exhaustion from no sleep for the past few days and tears of despair, Claire finally collapsed to the floor.
Olympion wasn't the only one to hear her hit the ground. On the bed, Max's hand moved.