Chapter Three: The Great Pretender

Author's Note:

Hey guys! Sorry for not updating for so long. Valentine's Day is coming, which means sweet Valentine cards, secret admirer notes on lockers, etc, etc. Anywho, let's get it started. Emily is kidnapped...again... and this time, they'll need more than a short temper. The cards will come in great deal here. This chapter features Jon Frederik's "The Great Pretender" from "Yu-Gi-Oh! The Movie." Don't ask how I know that, I just watched the movie with my sister. What? It was good... and a bit scary... a reminder. It is rated PG. Don't watch it with your baby sister. Anyway, here's Chapter Three: The Great Pretender! I'll see ya guys at Chapter Four: Four to Fourteen. See ya! ;-)

-CelestialTime93

Matt studied The Flower card between two fingers, studying the front and the back.

"This is just too weird..." Matt muttered.

"What's too weird?" Digit asked, plopping down beside Matt on a bench near the window of Control Central.

"This." Matt replied, handing the card to Digit.

Digit accepted it and studied it. "This is a CyberTarot Card."

"I know that." Matt replied, "The strange thing is that it belonged to my dad."

"And why is that strange?" Digit asked.

"Because he went by the name of, say, I dunno..." Matt said, "Mark Williams."

"Mark?" Digit wondered out loud. He turned to Motherboard and asked, "Say, Motherboard, wasn't Mark the photographer that arrived her almost, say, 50 years ago?"

"I think he was." Motherboard replied.

"There you have it!" Digit smiled, "Mark Williams was... uh-oh..."

Digit frowned when he saw Matt's furrowed expression.

"How come you never told me my dad knew Cyberspace?" Matt growled.

"I thought he already told you!" Digit exclaimed.

"DIGIT!" Matt cried. It was so loud that the girls could hear it from the kitchen, and Dr. Marbles and Slider could hear it from the garage.

"Actually, he told me to keep it a secret if any of his kids from the future entered." Digit replied, "I'm sorry!"

Matt sighed. "It's okay. No use for secrets anyway. My parents are dead."

"Mark got too old, hasn't he?" Digit asked.

"Nope." Matt replied, "Got murdered. At work. The killer soon went after my mother. Also at work. What next? Me, then Inez, then Emily and her best friend, Adam?"

"Let's not get too hasty here, shall we?" Digit frowned.

"Fine." Matt frowned, "I just wish Emily got a chance to know her grandparents. It's not fair for her. She only knows Inez's parents."

"That's good enough, isn't it?" Digit asked.

"Not for me." Matt replied, "My brother's no use. He's already married for 20 years and he's 30 years old! He won't even bother coming over. Y'know, he always hated me for some reason. I just don't know what."

"Maybe because you got a good girl?" Digit wondered out loud.

"Didge, Inez was 9 when my brother was 16." Matt frowned, "Seven years apart. Besides, my brother didn't like Inez anyway. And Inez definatly didn't like my brother. He kept on calling her a pipsqueak."

"Don't get started on the reactions!" Digit warned, "I already know from today's experiance."

Matt laughed. "Good one, Didge!" he exclaimed, slapping Digit's back accidently too hard.

"Oof!" Digit got hit and fell forwards onto the ground.

"Whoops." Matt smiled, helping the cybird up, "Sorry, Digit."

"Ah, no biggie." Digit replied, "I can handle it!"

"That was a pretty loud scream." Jackie commented as the girls worked out something in the kitchen.

"I can't believe I said yes to his proposal five years ago..." Inez groaned, "He works too hard, both at home and work, he barely gets any sleep, he barely leaves any work for me, and, I dunno. I'm worried about him."

"Which will explain why he's so skinny and looks like he's gonna break any minute!" Jackie exclaimed, "Does he eat?"

"Barely." Inez replied, "Hmm... maybe that's why I married him."

"Girl, the women at work think you're the luckiest married woman alive!" Jackie exclaimed, "You have a great daughter, and you're married to the perfect man. Y'know that the other women's husbands are either too fat, too physique, or just too gross. Your's is perfect. You're married to a busy working farmer. Hey, at least you don't have to make so much meals like the other women at work."

"But I worry too much!" Inez exclaimed, "And... um... he... okay, I didn't tell this to Emily yet but, Matt has-"

"Can't you keep it down?" Digit cried, as he and Matt entered the kitchen.

"I can't help it!" Matt cried, "One minute I see Emily outside the window, and the next, she's gone!"

"GONE?" Inez screamed, leaping from her seat, "What do you mean she's gone?"

"She disappeared." Matt replied. Suddenly, his vision blurred, and he had a huge headache. He groaned in pain and tried to keep himself up by leaning at the doorway.

"Matt?" Inez panicked, "Matt! Matt, can you hear me?"

"Pull yourself together!" Digit cried, shaking Matt by the shoulders.

"I... can't..." Matt mustered out through his weakness. Soon, he collapsed to the ground, his world swirling in his mind.

"Matt!" Inez screamed, and fell to her husband's aid, "C'mon, honey, wake up! Please!"

Matt groaned, and opened his weak eyes. Some of his vision returned, but it was still fuzzy.

"C'mon, Matt!" Inez begged, her hands on Matt's cheeks, "Focus! Focus, please!"

Finally, Matt's vision returned to normal, but he was still weak.

"Good thing is that I can see..." Matt replied weakly. He was exhausted.

"Thank God!" Inez sighed in relief, and hugged Matt tightly.

"Ow!" Matt cried, "Inez!"

"Oh, sorry!" Inez frowned.

"What happened back there?" Jackie asked, as Dr. Marbles and Slider rushed in.

"What happened?" Slider asked.

"Ask them!" Jackie exclaimed, motioning her hand at Matt and Inez.

"You guys, what happened?" Slider asked.

"Matt just had another panic attack, it's been happening so much lately." Inez frowned, "Lately, it was when Emily suddenly - oh no."

"Emily!" Matt exclaimed, and shot up to his feet, only to fall forwards again.

"Matt..." Inez frowned, helping her husband up, "Please, be more careful. You just had a panic attack."

"Alright, I'll remember." Matt replied, and ran towards the main Control Room.

"Matt!" Inez cried, "I said be careful! As in don't run!"

Matt didn't listen, "Motherboard! Open a portal to the Northern Frontier! It's time I settled this with Hacker."

"If you're thinking about a duel, don't even think about it!" Inez cried as a portal appeared beside them.

"It's worth a shot." Matt replied. He gave Inez a short kiss and said, "Wish me luck." And with that, he leaped into the portal, just before it closed.

Do you wander through this life?
Like a child without a care?
Do you fear the things you love?
Do you seek the things you fear?
And when the world comes crashing down
Did you just smile and say

Inez just stood there for a few moments, her eyes closed, holding back tears. Finally, she opened them, just as Jackie, Slider, and Digit entered the room, "Motherboard. I wish to follow Matt to the Northern Frontier."

I am the great pretender
Oh, yeah
Willing to dream forever
Oh, I'll just float away and let the waves keep pullin' me in
I'll just hang out here and watch the world pass over my head
Because I'll still believe in
All of the things you said
Oh, all of the things you said

Matt landed in the Northern Frontier from the portal that appeared in the sky.

"I just knew it!" Hacker cried, "I knew you were going to give up!"

"Daddy! Don't listen to him!" Emily cried.

"I'm not here to give up, Hacker." Matt replied, retrieving the box of cards from his handbag, "I'm here to challenge you to a battle! Cyber Battle Mode!"

Why you searchin' for the truth
When all you come across is lies?
Someone sabatoged your room
With all the answers in disguise
And when the world comes crashin' down
Do you just smile and say

With the words said, holographic panel boards appeared, and the cards flew out of the box and piled into a neat deck on one of the panels. Six cards flew out from the top of the deck and into Matt's hands.

A panel board appeared for Hacker, but he had to place his deck on a panel by hand and pick up six cards by hands.

I am the great pretender
Oh, yeah
Willing to dream forever
Oh, I'll just float away and let the waves keep pullin' me in
I'll just stay out here and watch the world pass over my head
Because I'll still believe in
All of the things you said------------
Oh, yeah

"Matt! Stop!"

Matt looked up at the sky to see another portal form. This time, Inez, Jackie, Slider, and Digit jumped out from it.

"Inez?" Matt cried, "What are you doing here?"

"Don't start the battle! Please!" Inez cried.

Why
Do I
Try?
Whoa, why
Do I
Try?
Yeah, why
Do I
Try?

"It's too late, I already did." Matt replied.

Ooh, I am the great pretender
Oh, yeah
Willing to dream forever
Whoa, right now I said
I am the great
I am the great
I am the great pretender
And oh, I'll just float away and let the waves keep pullin' me in
I'll just stay out here and watch the world pass over my head
Because I'll still believe in
All of the things you said, said, said
Whoa, right now, I said

I am the great pretender
Hey, y'know that
I am the great pretender
And y'know what I'm sayin' is
I'll still believe in
All of the things you said...

Oh, all of the things you said

"No, Matt!" Inez screamed.

"It's a trap!" Slider cried.

Just as the words were spoken, the battlefield was isolated by a blue dome made from blue cyberdata, and cuffs trapped Matt onto the battlefield stadium.

"What in the-?" Matt cried.

"Ha ha!" Hacker cackled, "You're trapped! And the only way you can get out, is to win the duel!"