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Fanfic Chapter 72: Final Countdown Pt 1: A New Friend
Episode Basis: None

Previously on Yu-Gi-Oh! Kaiba stirred Yugi to battle and Yami-Yugi responded, taking control of Strings' Revival Jam. This set up an infinite loop that caused Strings to keep drawing cards until his deck ran dry. Yami-Yugi won the duel and the Egyptian God Card but there was no time for rest, for no sooner had Yami-Yugi let down his guard then Kaiba challenged him to a duel for the Egyptian God Card. But you can't keep a good puppet down. Marik taunted Yami-Yugi, saying that he would turn one or all of his friends into mind slaves. Yami-Yugi took off to search for his friends with Kaiba and Mokuba trailing behind.


Harold slowly opened his eyes and had to close them again when he was assaulted by a bright light. He rolled over and opened his eyes again. He was staring at black pavement. He pulled himself onto his knees and looked around. He was in an alleyway. "How long was I out?" Harold wondered.

A loud scream brought Harold to his feet. He ran around a corner to find a brute grabbing a girl by the arm. It looked like he was crushing her.

"Hey, leave her alone, King Kong," Harold ordered. He summoned his armlet's shield and used it to knock the thug into a pile of garbage. "Are you okay?" He asked the girl.

She looked up at him. Her hair was long and dark with a head band holding back her bangs. Her eyes were almond brown. She was dressed in blue overalls and a purple T-shirt. "Oh thank you," she said crying into Harold's shirt. "I just knew he was going to do something bad to me."

Harold wasn't exactly sure of what to do. This was really the first time a girl literally flung herself at him. He hesitantly patted her back. "It's okay, let's get out of here before tall, dark, and disturbing comes back." He took her hand and led her away.


Moments later, the two were sitting on a rooftop not far from where Yugi dueled Strings.

"So what's your name?"

"Katy, yours?"

"I'm Harold. So tell me, why was Godzilla back there trying to crush your arm?"

"I don't know. He just came up to me while I was walking down the street and pulled me into the alley. I think he was… he was…" Katy shivered.

"Well, we're safe up here. Even if that fall didn't knock him out, he didn't see what direction we ran in so he's going to be wandering around the city for hours."

Katy then noticed Harold's Duel Disk. "Wow, a Duel Disk! You must be a Battle City contestant."

"Well… sort of."

"What do you mean?" Harold related to her the story of how he came to be a Battle City contestant.

"I am such a piece of crud."

"Don't beat yourself up, you were dueling against Yugi Moto, I've heard that he's a dueling dynamo."

"He is, believe me, and he used to be my friend, now because of my stupid action, he probably hates me."

"So… you don't have any friends?" Harold shook his head. "Then… I'll be your friend!"

Harold stared at her bewildered. "Are you serious?"

"Yeah, you already admitted that you have no friends, and everyone needs at least one friend. And I do owe you for rescuing me. So I'll be your friend… if it's okay with you, of course."

"No, I don't mind at all."

"Great! So… how many locator cards do you have so far?"

"Two, I need four more to qualify for the finals. But if I don't get them by nightfall, something really bad is going to happen, I just know it."

Katy looked at her new friend worriedly.

"Well isn't this a cozy little love nest," a harsh voice cracked. Harold and Katy looked up and saw a tall boy with spiky blonde hair with pink tips wearing a T-shirt with a clock on it and blue jeans. "Hope nobody minds if I crash the party?"

"Who are you?" Harold asked.

"You can just call me Chris, and I've come to avenge my partner's defeat."

"Partner… you're one of the Four Horsemen!"

"Exactly, I've been trailing you ever since the warehouse. And now that I have you isolated, there's no place you can run!"

"He's not going to let us leave until he gets a duel," Harold said as Katy stepped behind him. "So let's give him one! Eject holo-emitters!"

"Duel Tray transform!"

"Scan deck!"

"Life points set!"

"Time to duel!"

(H: 4000)
(C: 4000)

"Why don't I go first," Chris volunteered. "I place one card face-down and summon Blue Chronos Soldier (1) in attack mode!" A man wearing blue armor holding a double-ended spear appeared. "That ends my turn."

Let's see… it sounds like he's trying to size me up, seeing what my dueling strategy is. If I work this right, I can get an early lead. "I summon Venus the Agent of Creation (2) in attack mode!" A gold-skinned woman appeared. "Now I activate her special ability!"

"What special ability?"

"I'll show you, by giving up 500 of my life points…"

(H: 3500)
(C: 4000)

"I can summon Mystical Shine Ball (3) in attack mode!" A white orb appeared next to Venus. "Next, I equip Venus with Silver Bow and Arrow increasing her attack points by 300!"

(VAC: 1600-1900, 0-300)

"Venus, attack his Chronos Soldier with Silver Lightning Arrow!" Venus fired an arrow which destroyed the Chronos Soldier.

(H: 3500)
(C: 3700)

"Mystical Shine Ball, attach his life points directly!" Mystical Shine Ball launched forward and got Chris in the gut.

(H: 3500)
(C: 3200)

"That ends my turn."

"Well done," Chris congratulated. "But you see, while he may be our leader, Aaron was actually the weakest of us. I am much stronger, as you're about to find out. I summon another Blue Chrono Soldier in attack mode! Chrono Soldier, attack his Mystical Shine Ball!" Blue Chrono Soldier swung his double-ended spear slicing Mystical Shine Ball twice.

(H: 2400)
(C: 3200)

"You can't get rid of me that easily," Harold said as he drew a card. "I give up 500 of my life points to special summon another Mystical Shine Ball."

(H: 1900)
(C: 3200)

"I then activate the magic card Cure Master which raises my life points by 1000."

(H: 2900)
(C: 3200)

"Venus, attack his Chronos Soldier!"

(H: 2900)
(C: 2900)

"Mystical Shine Ball, attack his life points directly!"

(H: 2900)
(C: 2400)

If all he's got are these lame warrior monsters, then this'll be a piece of cake.

Harold has no idea what he's getting himself into, Katy thought.

"Your move."

"Okay," Chris said as he drew a card. He looked up at Harold and smirked. "It's time."

"Time… time for what?"

"First I activate the magic card Spell Economics. Now I won't have to pay any life points when I activate a magic card."

What could he be doing? Harold wondered.

"Next, I activate the magic card… Final Countdown!" A shaft of energy shot into the air and a ring of fireballs came down around them.

"What's going on?"

"Final Countdown is a very special magic card. It puts a time limit on our duel."

"A time limit?"

"If you can't beat me after 20 turns, I automatically win the game. 20 turns, that means we each have ten turns each… or rather you have 10, I have 9. Now, before I end my turn, I'll set a monster in defense mode. That ends my turn."

19

One of the fireballs disappeared.

I can't dawdle; I have to finish him off soon. Harold drew a card. "Venus, attack his face-down card." The monster that was produced was a strange purple and brown clock. Suddenly Venus froze. "Huh, what happened?"

"You destroyed my Null Time Master (4). When he's sent to the graveyard, neither player can conduct their battle phases for the next two turns."

"Nuts," Harold moaned sliding a card into his graveyard. "I switch my Mystical Shine Ball to defense mode."

"You can't!"

"What?"

"My Null Time Master also prevents monsters from changing their position."

Harold growled. "I end my turn."

18

Chris drew a card. "Since I can't conduct my battle phase, I'll just set one card face-down and use Monster Reborn to bring back one of my Chrono Soldiers in defense mode!"

Nuts, even if Venus could move, there's no way she could attack a monster with 1900 defense points.

"I end my turn."

17

Harold drew a card and breathed a sigh of relief. "I tribute Venus and Mystical Shine Ball so I can summon Wingweaver!" Harold's favorite monster appeared. "You'll have to do some serious powering up to match Wingweaver in strength. I also set one card face-down and end my turn."

16

Chris drew a card.

"On my next turn I'll be free to attack and then you'll be in a world of hurt," Harold said.

"I won't give you the chance," Chris said. "I play Swords of Revealing Light which prevents you from attacking for three turns!" Three golden swords appeared around Harold and Wingweaver.

I see what he's trying to do, Harold thought. He's stalling. He wants time to run out so he'll be declared the winner!

"I end my turn," Chris declared.

15

Harold drew a card. "I summon The Forgiving Maiden (5) in defense mode!" A woman dressed like a nun appeared. "And that'll do it for me."

14

"I summon Red Chronos Warrior (6) in attack mode!" A red version of his blue Chronos Warrior appeared. "And that's it."

What's he doing? Harold wondered. Is he waiting for a stronger monster?

13

Harold discarded one card into his graveyard and passed the next turn.

12

Chris summoned Gold Chronos Warrior (7) in attack mode. My strategy's almost complete. Now all I need is the right monster and I'll be all set. "I reveal my face-down card Life Shaver!"

"Life Shaver? I never heard of that card.

"Life Shaver makes my opponent discard cards from his hand depending on how many turns it's been. Since it's been over five turns, that means you must discard your entire hand!"

Harold growled. "I end my turn."

11

Chris drew his card and let out a whoop of joy. "I have it! I finally have the card that will spend the end of you!"

"I don't like the sound of that!"

"Now I sacrifice my three Chronos Soldiers so I can summon this… come forth, Father Time (8)!" His three monsters disappeared and a large man with a long white beard wearing a dark cloak and carrying a scythe appeared. "Now, Father Time, attack his Wingweaver now!" Father Time swung his scythe. Wingweaver fell back and dissolved.

(H: 2150)
(C: 2400)

"Now Father Time's special ability kicks in. When he deals damage to your life points, I can declare one of your phases skipped. And I'll choose your Main Phase 1."

Nuts, that means I can't summon a monster to attack. And the monster that I already have on the field is much too weak. And in less than ten turns, those fireballs will disappear and I'll lose the duel!

Harold is in a jam, Katy mused. Chris is brutal in his dueling strategies. Harold better think of something or it's all over.

Chris voiced both of their thoughts. "With Father Time and Final Countdown on the field, there's no way you can win! You're doomed!" Chris burst into laughter.

To Be Continued.


Duel Monster Database

(1)
Name: Blue Chronos Soldier
Level: 4
Type: Warrior
Attribute: Light
ATK: 1600
DEF: 1900
One of the three guardians who protect the past, present, and future.

(2)
Name: Venus the Agent of Creation
Level: 3
Type: Fairy/Effect
Attribute: Light
ATK: 1600
DEF: 0

(3)
Name: Mystical Shine Ball
Level: 2
Type: Fairy
Attribute: Light
ATK: 500
DEF: 500

(4)
Name: Null Time Master
Level: 2
Type: Spellcaster/Effect
Attribute: Effect
ATK: 300
DEF: 400
FLIP: When this monster is sent to the graveyard as the result of battle, both players can not conduct their battle phases or change their monsters' battle positions.

(5)
Name: The Forgiving Maiden
Level: 4
Type: Fairy/Effect
Attribute: Light
ATK: 850
DEF: 2000

(6)
Name: Red Chronos Soldier
Level: 4
Type: Warrior
Attribute: Light
ATK: 1900
DEF: 1600
One of the three guardians who protect the past, present, and future.

(7)
Name: Gold Chronos Soldier
Level: 5
Type: Warrior/Effect
Attribute: Light
ATK: 1900
DEF: 1900
You can Special Summon this monster if "Blue Chronos Soldier" and "Red Chronos Soldier" are both on the field. Sacrifice all three of these monsters to Special Summon "Father Time"

(8)
Name: Father Time
Level: 9
Type: Spellcaster/Effect
Attribute: Dark
ATK; 3500
DEF: 3000
This monster can only be Special Summoned by tributing "Blue Chronos Soldier," "Red Chronos Soldier," and "Gold Chronos Soldier." Each time this monster does battle damage to your opponent's life points, choose a phase for the opponent to skip.