Fader had invited Serena upsatirs to his suite to share some lunch after
their duel. Serena had been pushing herself very hard the past forty-eight
hours to get the remaining locator cards and hadn't really had time for a
good meal so she agreed. Fader dissappeared into the suite's kitchen for an
hour before he finally emerged with two plates of food. Serena amused
herself with broadcasts of some of the other duels that were happening
around Battle City. She thought she recognized one of the victorious
duelists but shrugged it off.
"Why didn't you just ask the hotel kitchen to bring a meal up?" she asked Fader.
"I guess I've goteen used to making my own meals," he replied.
"Where did you learn to cook in the first place?"
"My father taught me, before he died of course."
"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have asked," Serena said with embarassment.
"It's not a big deal. Not any more. You didn't know. It's just one of life's hardships that we have to endure." The two of them continued the meal in silence for another ten minutes until they had finished.
"That was fantastic," Serena said dabbing a napkin to her mouth. "I've never had chicken and rice like that before. I'd be a fool to let you get away."
"Is that so?" Fader said with a smile.
There was an awkward silence filling the room until Fader spoke up again, "So should we get this over with?"
"Right," Serena agreed. They both walked over to the couch and grabbed their decks and Duel Disks beore heading outside to the plaza square once more.
"So how exactly does this work?" she asked as she thumbed through her locator cards.
"As far as I understand we set the ten locator cards into the Duel Disks, five in the magic slots and five in the monster zones. What happens after that I don't know. I suppose the location of the finals will get revealed."
Both of them took their ten locator cards and placed them into the appropriate slots. After they finished, nothing happened. No map, no instructions, nothing indicating the whereabouts of the Battle City finals. Another fifteen minutes had passed and still nothing had happened.
"That was anti-climatic," Serena said crossing her arms. Seconds later, violent winds began to whip around them, Serena and Fader brought thier arms up to their faces to shield their eyes and searched for the source of the uproar. Within a short time a helicopter had landed in the plaza square and from it emerged Evo.
He stepped forward to greet them. "Congratulations on being the first two contestants in all of Battle City to collect ten locator cards. I officially welcome you to the Battle City finals."
"The locator cards were never about allowing us to learn the location of the finals," Fader said. "It was so that you could find us, wasn't it?"
"I knew you'd figure it out," Evo replied."You are a bright one. Now I'll give you some time to gather your things, but I ask that you don't dawdle."
"We're ready now," Serena told him holding up her backpack. Fader nodded his agreement holding up a backpack of his own.
"Then let's go," Evo said motioning to the helicopter. "The Duelist's Tower and the Battle City finals await."
* * *
They had been travelling by helicopter for twenty minutes before Fader became concerned. He furrowed his brow and glanced out the window as he watched the scenery of decimated ruins and demolished cityscape pass by.
Evo noticed Fader's discomfort and questioned him about it. "Is there something wrong?"
"No," Fader replied turning from the window. "Not if you can tell me why you were already on your way to pick us up when we activated our Duel Disks."
Evo began to laugh to himself. "Very observant of you. After you had your gauntlet match I knew that you had enough locator cards to enter the finals. I had planned on surprising you this morning before you had a chance to activate your locator cards but Miss Kaiba beat me to the punch and challenged you to a duel."
Serena piped in at this moment, "But you still must have known that even if he lost Fader still would have had enough cards to get in the finals?"
"I did know, but I thought it would be rude of me to interrupt your tete-a- tete. I decided to run a few errands in town and wait for your signal. Both of yours." The flight continued for another ten minutes before Evo put a finger to his ear and cocked his head to the side. "It seems that we've just about arrived to the Duelists' Tower now, and from what I'm told, the other five finalists are in the other chopper and are just leaving Domino now."
"Other five?" Fader asked. "That would mean that there are only seven finalists."
"No," Evo corrected. "It only means that seven finalists need to be picked up from Battle City."
"Jaina," Serena cut in. Fader could hear the contempt in her voice. Fader knew that she hhad been a duelist in Battle City, but he didn't actually figure on her participating in the finals. She must be his last trump card to prevent other duelists from winning the tournament. Fader thought to himself.
"That's right. And don't worry Miss Kaiba, you'll get your chance at revenge in the finals. I know Jaina is looking forward to another duel." Evo told her, this brought on a disgruntled sigh from Serena as she turned away from him.
Fader turned his attention back out the window, and then he saw it; the Duelists' Tower. The only thing that could be it, a giant skyscraper that stood amidst the ruined city. Fader had thought that most towers had been deemed too expensive to build in the wake of The End. Apparently Evo had a lot more money than he let on.
The helicopter landed on one of the two heli-pads forty stories up from the ground. Serena and Fader both exited the aircraft and took in the scenery of devistation of the once proud city. They turned around to face the tower again only to realize that they had not infact landed on the roof and that there were still another four floors above them.
"If you'll follow me," Evo said motioning to a doorway. "I'll show you to your accomidations. I hope you don't mind sharing a room?" Fader and Serena just looked at each other and let a smile slip past thier serious facades.
Evo lead them to their suite. "Someone will be around to let you know when the other finalists arrive and you can join me at level one for an explanation of how the finals will work."
"Level one?" Fader tried to ask, but Evo was already gone.
* * *
Fader and Serena took the opprtunity to relax in the time they had been given before the other finalists arrived. Serena opted to take a shower, which left Fader to re-organize his deck to get his mind off....other things.
Another twenty minutes later a thug in a suit appeared in the doorway and told them that the other duelists had in fact arrived and that Evo was prepared to address the group at level one.
They arrived in lobby of "level one" which was actually the forty-first floor, one of the top few floors that Serena and he had noticed when they arrived. Fader could see the hatred in Serena's eyes as she watched Jaina from across the room. Fader took the opportunity to survey the other duelists himself. There were two girls other than Jaina and three other guys. He was just wondering where the eighth opponent was when someone came up behind him and tapped him on the shoulder.
"Beezy?" Fader said as he turned.
"It's good to see you again," Beezy said as they shook hands. "Don't tell me that you didn't expect to see me here at the finals?"
"Not at all. That was the deal right?"
"You and me in the finals, I remember."
"Right," Fader said nodding. he was about to say something else when Evo arrived in an elevator and entered the room.
"Welcome finalists," he began. "And Welcome to the Duelists' Tower. I would first like to extend my congratulations for making it this far. As you can tell the tower extends several floors above the roof of the tower where you landed earlier in the helicopters. You may also notice the four doors behind me. These are to be the rooms where the finals are to take place. In each room there is a single door that will only open when one of you has lost all of your life points. Behind the door you will find an elevator leading up to the next floor where you will face your next opponent on level two." Evo walked among the duelists and surveyed all of them as if he were a preadator sizing up prey for the kill.
"Jaina will be against Kurt, Vaughn against Serena, Kasumi against Beezy and Axis will be dueling Fader. Good luck to all duelists. I look forward to seeing you on level four to give you your prize." With that Evo returned to his elevator and acended to level four once again to await the winner. After he was gone each duelist made thier way to the room that they had been designated to.
The Battle City finals had begun.
"Why didn't you just ask the hotel kitchen to bring a meal up?" she asked Fader.
"I guess I've goteen used to making my own meals," he replied.
"Where did you learn to cook in the first place?"
"My father taught me, before he died of course."
"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have asked," Serena said with embarassment.
"It's not a big deal. Not any more. You didn't know. It's just one of life's hardships that we have to endure." The two of them continued the meal in silence for another ten minutes until they had finished.
"That was fantastic," Serena said dabbing a napkin to her mouth. "I've never had chicken and rice like that before. I'd be a fool to let you get away."
"Is that so?" Fader said with a smile.
There was an awkward silence filling the room until Fader spoke up again, "So should we get this over with?"
"Right," Serena agreed. They both walked over to the couch and grabbed their decks and Duel Disks beore heading outside to the plaza square once more.
"So how exactly does this work?" she asked as she thumbed through her locator cards.
"As far as I understand we set the ten locator cards into the Duel Disks, five in the magic slots and five in the monster zones. What happens after that I don't know. I suppose the location of the finals will get revealed."
Both of them took their ten locator cards and placed them into the appropriate slots. After they finished, nothing happened. No map, no instructions, nothing indicating the whereabouts of the Battle City finals. Another fifteen minutes had passed and still nothing had happened.
"That was anti-climatic," Serena said crossing her arms. Seconds later, violent winds began to whip around them, Serena and Fader brought thier arms up to their faces to shield their eyes and searched for the source of the uproar. Within a short time a helicopter had landed in the plaza square and from it emerged Evo.
He stepped forward to greet them. "Congratulations on being the first two contestants in all of Battle City to collect ten locator cards. I officially welcome you to the Battle City finals."
"The locator cards were never about allowing us to learn the location of the finals," Fader said. "It was so that you could find us, wasn't it?"
"I knew you'd figure it out," Evo replied."You are a bright one. Now I'll give you some time to gather your things, but I ask that you don't dawdle."
"We're ready now," Serena told him holding up her backpack. Fader nodded his agreement holding up a backpack of his own.
"Then let's go," Evo said motioning to the helicopter. "The Duelist's Tower and the Battle City finals await."
* * *
They had been travelling by helicopter for twenty minutes before Fader became concerned. He furrowed his brow and glanced out the window as he watched the scenery of decimated ruins and demolished cityscape pass by.
Evo noticed Fader's discomfort and questioned him about it. "Is there something wrong?"
"No," Fader replied turning from the window. "Not if you can tell me why you were already on your way to pick us up when we activated our Duel Disks."
Evo began to laugh to himself. "Very observant of you. After you had your gauntlet match I knew that you had enough locator cards to enter the finals. I had planned on surprising you this morning before you had a chance to activate your locator cards but Miss Kaiba beat me to the punch and challenged you to a duel."
Serena piped in at this moment, "But you still must have known that even if he lost Fader still would have had enough cards to get in the finals?"
"I did know, but I thought it would be rude of me to interrupt your tete-a- tete. I decided to run a few errands in town and wait for your signal. Both of yours." The flight continued for another ten minutes before Evo put a finger to his ear and cocked his head to the side. "It seems that we've just about arrived to the Duelists' Tower now, and from what I'm told, the other five finalists are in the other chopper and are just leaving Domino now."
"Other five?" Fader asked. "That would mean that there are only seven finalists."
"No," Evo corrected. "It only means that seven finalists need to be picked up from Battle City."
"Jaina," Serena cut in. Fader could hear the contempt in her voice. Fader knew that she hhad been a duelist in Battle City, but he didn't actually figure on her participating in the finals. She must be his last trump card to prevent other duelists from winning the tournament. Fader thought to himself.
"That's right. And don't worry Miss Kaiba, you'll get your chance at revenge in the finals. I know Jaina is looking forward to another duel." Evo told her, this brought on a disgruntled sigh from Serena as she turned away from him.
Fader turned his attention back out the window, and then he saw it; the Duelists' Tower. The only thing that could be it, a giant skyscraper that stood amidst the ruined city. Fader had thought that most towers had been deemed too expensive to build in the wake of The End. Apparently Evo had a lot more money than he let on.
The helicopter landed on one of the two heli-pads forty stories up from the ground. Serena and Fader both exited the aircraft and took in the scenery of devistation of the once proud city. They turned around to face the tower again only to realize that they had not infact landed on the roof and that there were still another four floors above them.
"If you'll follow me," Evo said motioning to a doorway. "I'll show you to your accomidations. I hope you don't mind sharing a room?" Fader and Serena just looked at each other and let a smile slip past thier serious facades.
Evo lead them to their suite. "Someone will be around to let you know when the other finalists arrive and you can join me at level one for an explanation of how the finals will work."
"Level one?" Fader tried to ask, but Evo was already gone.
* * *
Fader and Serena took the opprtunity to relax in the time they had been given before the other finalists arrived. Serena opted to take a shower, which left Fader to re-organize his deck to get his mind off....other things.
Another twenty minutes later a thug in a suit appeared in the doorway and told them that the other duelists had in fact arrived and that Evo was prepared to address the group at level one.
They arrived in lobby of "level one" which was actually the forty-first floor, one of the top few floors that Serena and he had noticed when they arrived. Fader could see the hatred in Serena's eyes as she watched Jaina from across the room. Fader took the opportunity to survey the other duelists himself. There were two girls other than Jaina and three other guys. He was just wondering where the eighth opponent was when someone came up behind him and tapped him on the shoulder.
"Beezy?" Fader said as he turned.
"It's good to see you again," Beezy said as they shook hands. "Don't tell me that you didn't expect to see me here at the finals?"
"Not at all. That was the deal right?"
"You and me in the finals, I remember."
"Right," Fader said nodding. he was about to say something else when Evo arrived in an elevator and entered the room.
"Welcome finalists," he began. "And Welcome to the Duelists' Tower. I would first like to extend my congratulations for making it this far. As you can tell the tower extends several floors above the roof of the tower where you landed earlier in the helicopters. You may also notice the four doors behind me. These are to be the rooms where the finals are to take place. In each room there is a single door that will only open when one of you has lost all of your life points. Behind the door you will find an elevator leading up to the next floor where you will face your next opponent on level two." Evo walked among the duelists and surveyed all of them as if he were a preadator sizing up prey for the kill.
"Jaina will be against Kurt, Vaughn against Serena, Kasumi against Beezy and Axis will be dueling Fader. Good luck to all duelists. I look forward to seeing you on level four to give you your prize." With that Evo returned to his elevator and acended to level four once again to await the winner. After he was gone each duelist made thier way to the room that they had been designated to.
The Battle City finals had begun.