Chapter 9: New Domino City
Long shafts of golden afternoon light slant in through a large window at the top of the eastern wall, the only source of light in the otherwise dim courtroom. I squint my eyes as I stare up at the judge, a thin, solemn-faced man who looks like a giant seated at the tall slab of dark wood that serves as the judge's bench. He stares down at an open file, his eyes tired as he flips through several pieces of paper.
"Let's see here… your name is Ben?" he asks after a moment, shuffling the papers together and looking back to me.
"Yes," I reply a bit awkwardly, shifting in my chair to ease the discomfort in my bound hands. "…Your Honor."
"Oh, good, you know basic courtroom manners, you're a step above the average person I find in here," he states, his tone somewhat bored. "And your last name?"
Pause. Pause. A third pause. A slightly longer fourth pause as I try to think of a believable answer, but finally settle on, "I… don't know. There's a lot about me that I don't know."
He shuffles his papers together several times during the long pauses, before finally stopping again at my statement. "You don't know your own last name? This is a court of law, son, not a comedy club."
"I have amnesia, Your Honor, I only remember my first name. And only that it's Ben, not even if it's short for anything," I explain, hoping that I won't be branded a liar.
"I see… well, according to these files here, your surname is Galloway," he says in a matter-of-fact tone, picking up one of the sheets of paper and studying it. "And Ben is short for Benj—" however, before he can finish saying my full name, the sound of a truck honking is heard loudly in the background, and he sighs and mutters, "Of course they give the old man the courtroom nearest the highway…"
The flash of light reflecting off glasses is visible as he pushes them up on his face, and I can see his eyes go wide when he looks closer at the papers. Sighing again, he stands up and looks off to his right, into a dark doorway.
"Did anyone check these files before they gave them to me? This can't be right at all!" he yells, standing up from his chair. He looks to me. "Pardon me, Ben… I'll be back. Imbeciles don't know how to get the proper forms and records and…" he walks through the dark doorway, shaking his head and grumbling many things that probably should not be repeated.
After what felt like hours alone in that dim courtroom, the judge returns with a puzzled look on his face, but no apparent additions or replacements to the collection of files. He sits down, frowns, and shuffles the papers several more times.
"Well, son… you say that you don't know much about yourself. And, from what you've shown me, that seems to be the truth." He pauses. "Something I know about you, however, is that, whether or not you realize it… you've got some very powerful people looking out for you."
I give him a puzzled look. "What do you mean?"
He beckons to one of the empty doorframes, and a Sector Security officer steps out and walks to him, the white helmet gleaming like a shiny bald head as some of the light from outside hits it. When the guard reaches him, the judge hands him a sheet of paper and he brings it to me, placing it in my hands. It's still warm, as if it just came out of the printer.
"You've received a pardon from Director Goodwin himself. You're to be released within the next few days, into the custody of someone sent by the Director to collect you. You'll be given back your Deck and Duel Disk—quite a nice collector's item, if you'll forgive me for saying—and from there, well… Director Goodwin will decide from there, I'm assuming."
I look down at the paper. It bears the official-looking heading, "From the desk of Rex Goodwin, Director of Sector Security," and has a bit of rather stuffy wording that basically translates to, "Let the boy go, or I'll be making you into a table."
How someone is able to make another person into a table, I do not know, nor do I particularly want to know. Reading through it several times, I spot "Benj—" in multiple places, though each time I see it, after the j it appears as if the printer must have run out of ink, or else purposely left unfinished for some unknown reason.
"So… I'm free?" I ask after a moment.
The judge nods. "After a few days. The person Director Goodwin is sending should be here within two or three days, so you won't have to be here too long. I'm rather glad this is how we're doing it, it didn't feel right to send you to the Facility with your situation," he says kindly. "Welcome to New Domino City, son. Or, perhaps, welcome back."
[Cue in opening theme: "Imagination" by Caleb Hyles feat. Gareth West (English cover of the first opening for Haikyuu!)]
As the sweat rolls down my face, sweltering heat comes in waves
We open on a shot of Ben's face, staring up at the sky as the shadow of a cloud passes over his face. As the cloud drifts past and the sun beams down on his face again, he begins to smile.
I hear our voices echo, as we're standing side by side!
The camera begins to zoom outward, revealing that standing in a circle around Ben is each of the Omni-Heroes; in no particular order, Escuridão, Great Tornado, Absolute Zero, Nova Master, Gaia, and The Shining.
An open window lets in light, I turn my eyes up to the sky,
Now the camera shoots down to the ground, looking up at the assembled group of heroes and their leader as the urban sprawl of Skyscraper shoots up above them
Questionings if to someone will come our way, Mr. Future
Ben's face focuses in on the camera as we see the shadow of someone's legs stepping in front of us. We can see Ben grin as his heroes fall in line beside him.
(Oh come on, come on) If there is still a chance…
A sudden swift upward shift from the camera, and we're viewing Ben and his heroes from above, and in the shadows of Skyscraper, dark figures begin to form, faceless phantoms that stand to oppose our hero.
(Oh come on, come on) Go and get… it!
Taking the first step, Ben leads the charge as his heroes run forward at the shadow figures. Great Tornado streaks through the sky, a bright green wind trailing behind him as The Shining appears alongside him, bright light emanating from his body. Absolute Zero and Nova run right beside Ben, leaving trails of ice and fire in their tracks, respectively, while Gaia stomps alongside, and Escuridão dodges from shadow to shadow, as dark as darkness itself. Just as they reach the figures and begin to fight, a bright light suddenly consumes the screen.
You can't move me, you can't break me!
The light dissipates and shows the heroes at battle. First, we see The Shining lashing out for a punch, his fist enclosed in a blinding bright aura as it smashes into the stomach of Crab Turtle. Next we see Great Tornado blasting away a slew of Spellcaster monsters, namely Endymion and Breaker, among others.
You will always look right through me!
Nova Master appears on screen next, its full body aflame as it lunges toward Frost and Flame Dragon, Absolute Zero combatting the Flame half as Nova Master prepares to strike the Frost half.
I will falter, I will stumble, but I'll keep on suffering!
Gaia raises a massive boulder above its head, hurling it at Doom Dozer as the insect is restrained by shadow tendrils courtesy of Escuridão.
Never give up, never give in—I can't let it end in failure!
We spin to view Ben now, his fist clenched in anticipation as we begin to rotate, revealing that all the battles are going on simultaneously. Finally tired of seeing his heroes fight at his command, he charges into the fray as well—focusing specifically on one shadow figure.
Oh, my imagination's fighting to believe—
Ben throws a punch of his own as he reaches the character, the air around his fist blurring as he strikes mere shadow—though as the figure disappears, we get a sudden glimpse of gray hair…
Believing in something!
The shadows, Skyscraper, and the heroes all disappear at once, leaving Ben standing in the subway tunnel with Rally and the rest of the Satellite crew, looking at him hopefully.
Oh-oh! Believing in something!
Ben mounts his Duel Runner, pulling his helmet on and giving them a grin.
Oh-oh!
And on the last note, he speeds off down the tunnel, the shot fading to grayscale on his friends waving him off. The title, "Stardust Accelerator: A Hero in Time" appears in bright gold lettering, standing out against the gray as the form of the Crimson Dragon wraps around it.
The dream is the same I've had ever since I arrived in New Domino City.
Endless darkness surrounds me as I stand in a circle of light, closing in on it like a pack of predators going for the kill on weakened prey. The oppressive shadow presses in, as if trying to choke away all the life from the light. From the depths of the abyss, I feel cruel gazes upon my back, sides, and all around me, a whole army of them stalking me like fearsome foes waiting to strike. The air is still, and silent.
Before me, standing with his arms outstretched protectively, is a man who, if I could not see him breathe, I would have assumed he was a statue. Porcelain white skin stretches across a chiseled, muscular body, with three blue orbs set in places across his angular form; one on each shoulder, deep blue and gleaming bright like sapphires, and a third on the top of his head, turquoise and shining with immense power. In his strong arms, he holds two blazing swords, fiery and defiant against the suffocating darkness around us.
I don't know his name, and it pains me to say that. I should—I SHOULD, and it feels like a betrayal to say that I cannot remember. His face is turned away, but I know it all too well, adding to the additional insult that I cannot recall the name of this creature, who I know has been a lifelong companion to me.
Opposing us are two shadowy figures. One stands before the other, tall and grim, cloaked in moving shadows, with inky black wings that give off leathery flapping sounds, like a bat's wings. Behind that is a shorter one, my height, or a bit smaller, and the only thing visible from that dark mass is a pair of angry golden eyes affixing me with a hateful stare that seems to tell me that this is where I die, threatening to shred me down to my last atom.
Pain racks my body, countless broken bones somehow holding my injured frame together. Ragged breaths elicit from my mouth, my lungs seeming to rattle from within me as I stand proud, and just as angry as the shadow before me.
"This… isn't the end!" I state in a defiant growl, holding my arm out in front of me. Attached to it is the Duel Disk I've carried with me through the Satellite, although the wear and tear is gone, and it appears to be brand new.
"It is." The shadow states. "You should have learned this by now, old friend… Evil always triumphs. Go, my monster! Eliminate this final thorn in my side with Malicious Force!"
The inky black creature rushes forth and passes a shadowy hand through my monster—before bearing down on me. I feel the wings beating stale air down upon me, and then an unimaginable amount of pressure gripping my body as the hand slashes through me as well.
And then, I fall forever. But two words emerge from my lips, naming my lifelong partner before the oncoming darkness embraces me.
"Terra… Firma…"
And then I awaken to the sound of my cell door sliding open with a clean, hydraulic hiss. I never realized just how high-tech New Domino City is compared to the Satellite until I found myself in the holding area of the City's main courthouse.
"Come on, kid, time to get up. Your ticket out's here," says the guard coldly, tossing me a towel. "And mop up the sweat, this isn't a gym."
I turn the fluffy white towel over in my hands, realizing just then that my hair is matted with sweat, and I'm breathing a bit heavily as well. Looking down at the hard mattress they provided for me, I can see a dark shadow where my head had laid just moments before.
That dream again… what the hell is it? I ask myself, combing my hands through my messy hair, digging my fingers through the tangled locks. Those eyes… that monster… why are they so familiar?
And the name repeats itself in a dull echo of my own voice, Terra Firma. Terra Firma.
Just then, Shapeshift decides to grace me with his presence, his voice excited as he speaks to me, You remembered the boss?! You remembered the boss! Man, they'll be so glad to hear it… maybe we'll find him again soon…
Shapeshift, you keep mentioning 'the Boss,' I say, having gotten slightly more used to the idea of having conversations with Shapeshift. Perhaps because of these dreams, the notion that this hero might actually be speaking to me doesn't seem quite so ludicrous anymore.
Yeah! Elemental Hero Terra Firma! He's one of the only ones who has been with you longer than me, so he's kind of in charge, Shapeshift explains. I can almost hear him bouncing up and down in my mind, though soon he begins to laugh softly.
What's so funny?
It's just… I was worried that we'd never be able to talk like this again, Ben. We were all worried.
I start to question him on the usage of 'we,' but before I can the door opens again, with the guard standing there looking a bit annoyed. His mouth has a foul twist to it, as if he's just eaten something sour. "Hurry up, kid, we've got a schedule to keep! Get dressed so we can get you out of here!"
The door shuts again and I'm left alone to my thoughts, though I can feel the guard's presence outside. I look to the corner of the small room, where my clothes sit freshly laundered in a shabby wooden dresser. Standing and dressing, I can't help but notice that the long-sleeved shirt I first wore in the Satellite has gotten a bit baggier, though I write it off as side effects of the Satellite diet. Slipping on my shoes and dabbing the sweat-stained mattress with the towel, I walk to the door and rap on it a couple times.
"Took you long enough. Come on, trash," he growls, grabbing my arm and yanking me from the cell. I don't know whether or not he's heard about the pardon from Director Goodwin—or if he even cares. From my experience the past few days, there's a pretty heavy hatred for anyone from the Satellite here in the City. "Can't believe they're just going to let garbage like you back onto the streets…"
"You know, 'garbage like me' can hear you," I snark, stepping out onto the brightly polished linoleum flooring and beginning my walk. My knee buckles, however, as I feel a sharp blow in the back of my leg, and I'm forced to one knee.
"If I wanted to hear garbage talking back, I'd be watching politics. Move!" he says, kicking me once again as he walks past me.
Clenching my fists, feeling a surge of defiance running through me, I push myself to my feet and begin walking behind him. Though I briefly contemplate it, I decide rather quickly that striking a guard when I've been set free is probably the worst thing I can do right now. Instead, holding my chin high, I follow behind, refusing to react to his taunts and attacks.
Good boy, Ben. Don't forget, you're a hero, not a villain, Shapeshift comments.
We make our way through the somewhat modern-looking holding area, passing by bright white walls set with sliding metal doors that march alongside us as we walk, and soon break out into the more vintage-style court building.
Beautifully polished floors stretch out beneath a high ceiling that seems like it could be hundreds upon hundreds of feet high. The footsteps of dozens of other people echoes through the building as they walk toward the various counters spread throughout the place, dodge around tall urns full of lush green plants, or fill out mounds of documents in the multitude of uncomfortable-looking chairs dotting the carpeted areas. On the back wall, with an army of spotlights shining upon it, is the Sector Security emblem, an orange hexagon with several black designs inside of it, looming over us all.
All in all, this place seems like the breeding ground for inconvenience.
We're joined by a second guard as we approach another electric sliding door, though he doesn't speak. The first officer attempts to provoke me again, but gives up with a scowl when I don't respond. Soon we're at the doors, which are made of glass that is so clear I almost think that it's open air at first, and they hiss open.
And for the first time in days, sunlight hits me as we step outside, the golden rays enveloping me with warmth as I look up to the bright blue sky with a smile. I breathe in the air, and can't help but laugh softly at how it doesn't smell odd like Satellite air; the guards give me a weird look, and the first one pushes me forward, nearly causing me to trip down the ten concrete stairs that take us down to street level.
Looking around, I find myself dwarfed by the skyscrapers that until now I had only seen from a distance when I first arrived in the city. They grow out of the ground like enormous trees, equipped with thousands of reflective glass windows that shower sunlight down upon me, flashing like hot bursts of white and yellow whenever my eyes touch them. Choirs of birds wheel through the sky, flying over or around them in their musical groups of many colors.
"The city is beautiful," I find myself saying to no one in particular.
"Bet it is, compared to that trash heap you came from," the first guard taunts.
"Ben!" shouts a voice from the bottom of the steps. "Ben West!"
Letting my eyes move through the small crowd swimming their way up the staircase, they finally fall upon a smartly dressed old man with snow white hair. The crowd parts around the officers and I as we descend, finally coming to a stop in front of him. Every bit of him seems to be smiling—no, beaming as I approach; his smile is radiant, his eyes shining with a mix of joy and perhaps tears, and his white button-up seems to reflect the sun itself.
"You're the one the Director sent?" asks the first guard.
"Mm," the man says in affirmative, waving them off. "Come now, let an old man see his young man. It's been a very long time."
The second guard nods silently and turns on his heel, but the first one gives me a look of warning before he retreats into the building as well. Soon, the crowd subsides as well, leaving myself and the old man standing alone in the street.
He stands only a little bit shorter than me, bent with age but in his youth he must have been just as tall as me, if not more. Short hair falls in white wisps around his head, like puffs of snow that piled up and were never shovelled away; once, he must have had a fine mane, but now it's thinning somewhat. Intelligence peaks out from behind his spectacles, radiating from blue eyes that are only a few shades above my own blue gray.
Something about him seems so familiar… but I can't place it. Surely, we must be related, though; my grandfather perhaps?
"Ben… Ben, Ben, Ben, Ben, Ben…" the old man says, wrapping me in a hug. For someone his age, he still has a strong grip; he pulls me to him and I can smell his cologne. "I was so worried that I'd never see you again."
I chew on my lip for a moment, feeling rather bad about what I'm going to say next, "Sorry… who are you? Grandpa?"
He releases me and takes a step back, studying me with his sharp eyes. Then, he begins to chuckle softly, though his eyes betray a small hint of sadness. "I should not have ruled out this outcome… no, Ben, I am not your grandfather. Nor your uncle, great-uncle, or any other sort of relation. Just a very old friend," he explains. "For now… you can call me Mr. M, until you can recall my name. But enough of that, let's get you home. I'm sure you'd like an actual bed, and a meal."
My stomach rumbles guiltily; the meals we were given in the holding cells weren't much, just enough to keep from breaking any sort of cruelty laws. "Well… that wouldn't be a bad idea, Mr. M."
He claps me on the back and begins walking me away from the building. "Come on, I've also got your cards and Duel Disk in the car. I'm sure you've missed them."
Mr. M was right—I did miss my cards. I've felt weirdly empty without them this whole time, only realizing this now that they're in my possession once more. Shapeshift seems glad to have the others back as well, spending the whole ride bouncing off the walls of my mind shouting for joy.
The car cruises through the streets of New Domino, as smooth as if it were hovering along. Mr. M is a very competent driver at his age, or else he must be using some sort of autopilot—though I do think it is the former.
Passing down a fancy street packed with large, luxurious mansions set side-by-side with tall skyscrapers where every unit must be a penthouse, we finally come to a set of large, ornate gates that swing smoothly as we approach.
"It's been so long since I've seen metal without rust on it…" I comment absently, staring out the window in awe.
Mr. M chuckles. "Why thank you. I take pride in the lack of rust on my gates," he replies as we go down the driveway. On either side of us, a carpet of green grass blankets the ground, all leading up to an absolutely massive house.
Though short when compared to the looming skyscrapers that seem to serve as pillars holding the sky in the air, the large white house sprawls out wider than any other house we've passed on this street. Three stories tall and resting at the end of a circular driveway, it shines pristinely in the bright sun like it was plucked out of heaven itself. A few small towers stick up just over the slant of the roof, with a couple of various other smaller buildings on the property.
"I'll wager that you didn't see anything like this in the Satellite, Ben," Mr. M says as we pull up to the front of the house. "I still wonder how you ever even got there… you say that you don't remember anything?"
"Nothing," I confirm. "Aside from a few small fragments… my memory is a blank after I woke up in the Satellite."
This bit of information seems to intrigue Mr. M. "Fragments, you say? Well, I might be able to help with them… could you tell me what they are?"
I pause, trying to gather all the details that I can. "Well… one of the things I remember is a massive stone with an angry face. It's floating in the sky, and shaking like it's about to drop," I say, being quite puzzled by that.
Mr. M laughs. "That's easy. That memory comes from a video game that you were very fond of years ago. Is that everything?"
"Well, no. I remembered several people saying my name… which is how I remembered that I was even called Ben," I explain, and then I hesitate for a moment before adding on the next part, "and… when I got that memory of the video game… I also remembered someone playing with my hair. Their hands seemed really soft."
His eyes widen for half a second, but return to normal as he steps out of the car, gesturing for me to do the same. "Hmm… that's something even I can't place," he says, though the way he speaks it suggests that there is more to it than that. "But enough of this, let's go inside and get you some real food."
I follow him inside, through a set of ornate wooden doors, and into an amazing entryway. Polished black floors reflect white light from above, and throughout the room tall ceramic urns sprout lush green plants; art that I would rather not share my plebeian opinion on hangs from the walls, and several doorways open into other rooms. A magnificent white staircase rises from the floor into the other levels.
"Dr. Pepper, we're home!" Mr. M yells out, seemingly to no one. He takes off his jacket and hangs it on a hook by the door, doing the same with his keys. "You'll have to forgive Dr. Pepper if he jumps on you at all, it's been many years since we've had visitors."
Looking around, I finally find the voice to speak. "Who's Dr. Pepper? And… how long have I been gone? You're talking like I've been away for years…"
"It certainly feels like years, my boy. It certainly feels like it," Mr. M replies in a suddenly weary tone. "Ah, here's Dr. Pepper! Come here, old friend, we have a visitor."
Rounding the corner of one of the doorways, a small green head appears first. Then, slowly, the rest of the body appears; four legs, a massive shell, and a tail.
"A… tortoise?" I ask incredulously as the large reptile whose doctor-ness I am strongly doubting begins to walk toward us. Its feet tap slowly on the floor, beady eyes fixed intently upon me.
"Indeed. And a very intelligent one at that," Mr. M says.
We wait silently for several minutes until the tortoise reaches us, standing directly in front of me. Hesitantly, I kneel down and begin to run my hand along its neck, tracing the rough and smooth scales. My hand brushes against a small red collar, from which dangles a tiny golden medal that reads "Dr. Pepper."
Just then, a sharp jolt runs through my mind. I gasp, squeezing my eyes shut and biting my lip in pain. "Dr. Pepper… that's a good name for him, I think," I hear my own voice saying in my mind.
"Ben?!" Mr. M says in surprise, laying a hand on my shoulder. "Are you alright?!"
After a moment, I calm down, and open my eyes once more. Taking deep, steady breaths, I reply, "I… just remembered something. I think… did I name Dr. Pepper?"
"You did," Mr. M confirms. "Dr. Pepper has been beside you for nearly as long as your Heroes."
"But… he seems so old," I state, feeling the wrinkles on the tortoise's leathery skin.
"What can I say? We're an old pair," Mr. M muses, gently pulling to my feet. "Come on, Ben. I'll show you to your room, and then you can go off and do as you please… so long as you don't wind up in the Satellite again. How does that sound?"
Finally tearing my eyes away from the increasingly familiar eyes of the reptile in front of me, I nod.
Mr. M leads me up the stairs to the top floor, Dr. Pepper trailing along behind us at a typical space for an aged tortoise. We pass rows and rows of bookshelves filled to the brim with books, portraits of people who have a rather science-y look to them, plants, trophies, computers, and just about everything else under the Sun; I don't understand how this house can be filled with so many things.
Finally, we stop at a door at the end of the eastern hallway. A window right beside it faces out onto the green expanse of the yard, revealing a rather large in-ground pool and an army of topiary shaped like all sorts of animals. Mr. M turns the doorknob, the noise drawing my attention away from the outside, and shows me into the room.
On its own, this room is twice as big as the tent Rally, Yusei and I shared in the Satellite. A large bed rests in the center of the western wall, set between a desk and a tall bookshelf that stretches all the way to the ceiling, complete with a ladder beside it. A closet is built into the wall beside the bookshelf, and it sits open, exposing several articles of clothing. The eastern wall, however, is dominated by a long bay window that runs along almost the entirety of the wall, letting in a large amount of natural light and giving me an even better view than the window outside. A wide chest sits beneath the window, covered in some sort of fabric and decorated with patterns that seem like nonsense to me.
"Welcome home, Ben," Mr. M says from behind me. "I hope that you'll regain your memories soon. This place has felt so lonely with you gone."
On the left side of the bed, I see that a small, circular bed, like what a pet would sleep on, has been laid out. Pushing past Mr. M, Dr. Pepper moseys his way over and lays down on it, seeming to smile with contentment as I sit down on my bed.
"I hope I can remember too… if this is where I live, I can't wait to remember all the cool stuff we've done here."
Sitting here on this bed, with Dr. Pepper snoozing beside me and Mr. M standing in the doorway…
…It almost feels like I'm home…
…Almost.
Alright folks, here we have it! I did decide to write out the Facility business after all, and it does seem like a pretty decent amount of you wanted it that way. Based off the poll, about 72% actually did want the Facility out of the way so that we could learn more about Ben, and I'm not complaining honestly. I think now that I have a bit more creative freedom for the time being, we'll be able to get the plot moving a lot quicker without the extra padding from the Facility, although I am a bit sad to dispose of Sanda like that, it might just be my incredibly stupid sense of humor but I grew rather fond of that tracksuit wearing idiot.
Anyway, forgive me again for bothering you with a notification, but since this is an actual chapter, if not a bit updated, I hope that when you come after me with your torches and pitchforks you'll show some bit of mercy.
SO! IN THIS EPISODE! Ben is pardoned from time in the Facility due to an order from… Director Goodwin himself?! How can this be?! (I mean, if you've ever played Stardust Accelerator you have a basic idea, but pretend you don't, please. For my fragile ego.) Then, he goes on to meet an old man from his past, Mr. M, who lives in an enormous mansion with an equally old tortoise named Dr. Pepper—who Ben suddenly remembered naming! And our questions—who is Mr. M? Did Ben give Dr. Pepper his name when he was already very old, and probably had his own name that he'd given to himself? Is Dr. Pepper an actual doctor? Where is Elemental Hero Terra Firma? And what the hell is Benj— short for?!
Find out all these questions and more… on the next chapter of Stardust Accelerator: A Hero in Time!
So, as always, take care, brrrrush yo hair, stay healthy, and I'll see ya when I see ya. PEACE!
~Chase