Alexis
"Your Megalith cards are impressive," Fahrenheit said, scrolling through Alexis's deck. "They compliment your Cyber Angels beautifully. A perfect marriage of defense and offense."
Alexis sipped her tea, still shaken by the brash ultimatum set up by her mother. "In some cases, the Megalith monsters are the offense. So all that stuff you did back there. All that flirting. Was it just you acting the part?"
Fahrenheit laughed and dropped on the moth-eaten lounge chair by the waterfall in the sitting room. She put her feet up on the glass table. "Nope. I really do like you. But you're a princess and out of my league, so I can only play around with you until it's time to kill you."
Alexis rolled her eyes.
"Your mom would have my head if there was ever a thing between me and you. She's a traditionalist, right?"
"You have no idea," Alexis replied. "She never liked me coming to Domino because she absolutely hates technology. However, I'm her best negotiator when it comes to trade and other matters of the kingdom. But, even a stern mind can change. All people do. She was coming to like the city and the Daltons. But now... I can't...I can't believe she'd do this."
Fahrenheit set Alexis's cards down on the table. "Well, you'd be surprised what a mother is willing to do when her child is taken from her. You ever heard of the tale of Arasik and the Doomkaiser Dragon?"
"I do," Alexis said with a smile. "It was my mother's favorite story."
Fahrenheit crossed her legs and sat back. "Tell me the story. It's been so long since I heard it. And I suppose that the story told by a hot princess like you will make it even more endearing."
Alexis shook her head and paused to gather her thoughts. "Well, you know the basics of the tale. It all starts with Arasik, Goddess of the Blue-Eyes White Dragon. Needless to say that each one of her children is a treasure to her. Tathelrion, Verronex, and Tolthion the Sapphires of the Northern Star are said to be used by Seto Kaiba. Did you know this?"
"No," Fahrenheit said with a shake of her head. "What role do they play in this?"
Alexis laughed. "Nothing. Just a little did-ya-know if you catch my meaning. But I digress. There was one Blue-Eyes who was very special to her. Lassina the White. When she transformed into a human, she turned into a maiden so great in beauty, that flowers bloomed wherever she walked. Lassina was Arasik's greatest prize. But she also gained the attention of an undead dragon. The Doomkaiser Dragon. While she was picking flowers, Doomkaiser Dragon swooped her up and took her to his domain in the Shadow Realm. Arasik mourned for her daughter. She turned the cosmos inside out and almost destroyed the entire world looking for her. My mother might do the same."
"She certainly has the power to do so, Alexis. She could burn this whole city to the ground looking for you."
"I hope it doesn't come to that. Why are you here, Fahrenheit? You hate what he does. You hate how he treats you. How he treats us. You saw what he did to Flower. He auctioned her off like she was some cheap antique!"
Fahrenheit bobbed her hand up and down, telling Alexis to lower her voice. "There's not much we can do for Flower or the other girls. As for why I'm here, you can thank the Covenant of Yeyu for that. Just like everyone else who joined." She reared her head back and looked at the Lightsworn fresco on the ceiling. "I wasn't always like this. I used to own my own business in the Dragon Gardens District. A flower shop and a cupcake cafe melded into one."
Alexis snickered.
"Did I say something funny?"
"No. I mean, no disrespect. It's just...A tough-looking street punk like you? Growing flowers and making cupcakes? Sorry, I just don't see it."
Fahrenheit shrugged. "It's true. I grew the flowers in the park. She made the cupcakes."
"She?"
Fahrenheit sighed. "An Elf girl by the name of Idrialla. Poor thing. I found her cowering under a tree. She was a runaway slave from Naralia. I took her in and I grew to love her. You shoulda seen her, Alexis. Rosy cheeks, emerald green-eyes, hair like sunlight made into silk." She chuckled. "And those cute pointy ears. But it was her hair that I was obsessed with. I loved running my fingers through her hair when we cuddled; when we cooked; when we took our walks in the park. Not long after she settled in with me, I discovered she was a really great baker. I suppose it was her craft when she was a slave in Naralia. She made cupcakes for me during a bake sale to help fund my garden."
"Fund your garden?"
Fahrenheit laughed and nodded. "Duh. It's on city property. I had to pay an extra tax to the king. You think it was easy keeping that thing up?"
"And Idrialla's cupcakes really helped you out, huh?"
"That's an understatement. There were people lining an entire city block just to wait for her cupcakes. When there were no more ingredients, they literally paid her to buy them. And a little extra to reserve a few."
Alexis set down her teacup. "She sounds like a sweet girl. Tell me, Fahrenheit. Do you really think Idrialla would approve of your joining the gang?"
"Idrialla's dead!" Fahrenheit said at once.
Alexis blinked rapidly. "I...I'm sorry. What killed her?"
"Tolerance," Fahrenheit answered coldly. "The Covenant of Yeyu descended from Baldorum, came to our lands and destroyed everything we held dear to our hearts. By the time Idrialla and I wanted to marry, the Temple of Ana was torn down in place for a monument to Yeyu. That temple has been in our city since the foundation of the world, and the people who swear to protect us let them tear it down and form it into a place of worship for their looney cult. In order for me and Idrialla to marry, we needed a certificate and blessing from the temple. But there wasn't any for miles. We didn't have the money to travel far for just a blessing so we made a gamble. Idrialla and I had no choice but to ask the Covenant to bless us and legalize our engagement."
She shook her head.
"I have never seen a man so angry before, Alexis. He yelled at us. He called us names. He said we were an abomination in this world. They decreed that we are not allowed to love the way we do, even if our Goddesses say we are allowed to love who we want. And even if I had a pair of balls between my legs, they still wouldn't marry us. Idrialla was an Elf. To the Covenant, her kind is seen as parasites. Something to be squashed. In fact, the priest ordered soldiers from the Covenant Militant to detain us. Luckily, I know a little magic."
Fahrenheit snapped her fingers and created a green fireball. "I fought our way out. But not before I burned that hateful priest into ashes. It would not end for us there. I came home one day and found our bakery on fire. Idrialla was hanging naked from a tree. Her beautiful ears."
A tear rolled down her cheek.
"They were cut off, most likely sold to a Witch Hunter for a sack of gold. I was depressed. I was alone. Until he found me. Aldric. He promised me that if I joined him I would get my revenge against the Covenant. And revenge was sweet. He boosted my powers with this killer elixer his alchemists brewed up. My flames became more potent, and I gotta say, I love the pink and green color it gave my flames. I burned down their schools. I incinerated their monuments. I roasted their followers. They started to fear us."
"That's not the way!" Alexis shouted. "Killing indiscriminately as they do doesn't make you any better than them!"
"And talking to them won't make them stop! Tolerating them won't end the violence and the purging that they feel obligated to spread across our lands. Tolerance...is for the weak!"
"So is murder," said Alexis.
"We have to do something, Alexis." Fahrenheit examined her hands. "What if more people get hurt? People like me? I don't care what you think of me. I'm doing the world of favor getting rid of them. Seeing them melt like candle wax is the medicine that cures me of the pain of losing Idrialla."
Alexis looked away. "So if being by his side gives you such a high, why did you whisper revenge in my ear? Why do you want to get back at Aldric?"
"Because he's changed. He needs to be stopped, Alexis. It was one thing having him be King of Eredas to root out and purge the city from the Covenant. But now his mind has been poisoned by a fell power. I'm scared, Alexis. He aims for something much bigger. Aldric got his hands on a weapon that could not only make him king but High King of Termnnia as well. He could take down Prince Yuri."
Alexis smirked. "He believes that huh? Prince Yuri will never be ousted from the Diamond Throne. The God Cards chose him. They will never turn their back on him."
They heard cheering outside.
Fahrenheit gulped. "If that's what I think it is, they will now."
The both of them walked outside to join the throng of Aeons surrounding a truck that honked merrily as it drove into the courtyard. King Aldric pushed his way through his followers to get to the truck. The back door slid open and two Aeons carried a metal trunk towards the ramp, which lowered. Aldric rubbed his hands in great anticipation to see the content of the trunk.
The trunk let out steam and whirred as various machinations clicked and spun to unlock it. The lid opened, folding itself up as a sleek, black, pedestal raised from the bottom of the trunk. The pedestal held a black egg decorated with scrollwork. It opened. An orange gem was glistening inside, glowing with the light of the sun.
"At last," Aldric said, picking up the gem. He held it up for all to see. The Aeons cheered. A tall one in black armor walked towards him carrying a crown. Aldric bowed his head as the black-armored Aeon put the crown on his brow. It was a perfect fit. Sunflares seemed to burst from the crown. Aldric's eyes were glowing bright and his body was covered with orange runes.
"What is that?" Alexis asked in horror.
"We are in trouble," said Fahrenheit.
Meanwhile...
"It would be wise of you to return that before things turn ugly," said the old man.
A thug wearing an Avion mask laughed and shouldered his shotgun. "For you, old man, it's way too late for that."
The old man was unmoved by his words. "If you wish to see tomorrow, I suggest you surrender now."
"Or what?" mocked a robber with a Bubbleman mask.
"Do not test me, fool."
The tattered cloak of the old man slowly peeled back and flashed a platinum medallion emblazoned with a letter D on the center.
Thump!
A giant, muscled, hulk of a monster landed behind the old man. It wore tattered purple shorts and bore an iron mask with long, wild, black hair protruding from underneath it. Lightning flashed, revealing the creature for a brief moment, filling the bank robbers with fear.
"What the hell is that man?" shouted the driver, who was sporting a Necroid Shaman mask. "We need to get out of..."
CRASH!
Something landed on the car, smashing it flat as a pancake. The bank robbers lunged forward in fear, yelling and screaming as they landed with a splash on the sidewalk. The robber with the Avion mask stuttered and pointed at a shadowy figure looming over them. A purple-red cape fluttered in the stormy breeze. Burning, red eyes pierced the darkness and drilled a hole into the souls of the bank robbers.
"Dangerous," said the old man, rising up from the ground. "So good of you to join us." The man removed his tattered cloak and revealed himself to actually be a young boy with piercing blue-eyes and silver hair, tucked under a black skullcap beanie with the same D on his medallion emblazoned on the front. He sported an expensive black, leather jacket with a hood trimmed in white fur. His jeans were torn and bloused into black boots. A platinum chain dangled from his hip, jangling, and jingling as he slowly stepped towards the robbers. Underneath his jacket was a layered cuirass made of orichalcum with red neon lights for the sake of display.
One of the robbers fired a gun at the boy's chest. The bullet deflected off the plate. When he aimed for the boy's head the hulking monster grabbed the man by the arm, lifted him up and then closed his fist, crushing him like a bug. The other robbers cried out in horror, hearing the sickening sound of bones being ground to dust and the ill-sounding symphony of flesh squishing wetly in the behemoth's grip.
"It's him, dude!" sobbed one of the robbers. "It's the kid the boss warned us about."
"Aster Phoenix," said the robber in the Sparkman mask. "Oh, we're screwed, man. Look, kid. Come on. We'll share some of the loot with ya."
Aster continued to walk towards them. The hulking monster flung the glob of flesh from his palm and wiped the filth on his purple shorts. Meanwhile, Dangerous was watching the men, snarling like a demon, ready to strike if any of them made an attempt to run.
Aster scoffed. "Destiny HERO Dreadmaster. Let these sinners taste justice."
Dreadmaster raised his fist. The robbers screamed one final time before it came down and crushed them. Cars bumped from the impact, their alarms started wailing. The street lamps flickered.
Aster suddenly heard a slow clap. Someone walked out of the shadows of an alleyway across the street. He realized there were four of them, three boys and a girl with long, red hair, shaved on the side.
"Finally. We were getting bored waiting for you," said a boy, sporting a sleeveless coat colored white with white trim. He sported a beanie over his bright blue hair.
"The hell do you want?" Aster asked.
Dangerous turned around to face the group. Dreadmaster cracked his neck.
"You're Aster Phoenix," said a very young boy who looked no more than ten. He was bald and wore a green hoodie and khaki cargo pants. Upon seeing Aster, he flipped his green baseball cap backward. "We've been looking for you."
"No, shit," said Aster.
The bruiser of the group, a mastodon of a young man, smashed his fist against his palm. "So you're the Knight of Domino City, huh? HA! You don't look so tough."
Aster rolled his eyes. Like he never heard that one before. "I suppose these bank robbers work for you?"
"Used to," said the boy in the trench coat. "They were our meal ticket to getting to you. Our client, King Aldric, is paying quite a lot of money to anyone who takes you and this so-called Cyber Knight out of his city."
"You're looking for him, too?" Aster wondered. "I was kind of hoping he'd show up to stop these bozos, but I think he has other matters to attend to. Pfft. Some hero."
The little boy chortled obnoxiously. "Don't you know anything, Phoenix? War is on our doorstep. King Aldric is going to stop it and show what a true leader he really is."
Aster pointed at him. "Shut up! How does siding with criminal thugs and kidnapping the princess prove he's any fit to be a king?"
The little boy's sneer faded. "Uh...I'm not sure."
The leader in the white coat ruffled the kid's head. "Tomba, shut it, bro. It's politics. Way too complicated for someone your age."
"But he makes a good point, Luros," Tomba said, smacking his hand away and fixing his cap. "How is that going to prove him a good king?"
"Taking Alexis isn't about making him king," said Luros. "She's nothing but a bargaining chip in Aldric's game. The fact that the Queen of Lorin has sided with other kingdoms to march down here proves the whole world is playing right at his hand."
Aster couldn't believe how oblivious these youngsters were. "Armies from the most powerful kingdoms in Termnnia are coming here. Even if by some miracle Aldric claims the crown and has thousands of knights stupid enough to follow him, it's a losing situation for him. Are you people truly this stupid?"
The girl with the flaming red hair stepped forward. "You don't know Aldric like we do, kid. He has his hands on something that could change the whole tide of this war. The Heart of Helios."
Aster's eyes widened. "You can't be serious? King Aldric has a Gem of Horakhty?"
"You know your stuff," said the girl. "I don't know how he got it, but he did. And now everyone on the streets is joining him. Which leads us to you. He knows talent when he sees it and wants you to join the Aeons."
"I work alone."
The girl sneered. "He figured you'd say something like that. Boys, let's show Aster his choices." She held out her palm. A red arcane circle formed over it and was then emblazoned by flaming designs. "Salamangreat Heartleo!" she shouted, summoning her monster.
"This is gonna be fun!" Tomba said. He too conjured a monster. "Pyrocesslayer Magma!" he shouted.
The biggest member thumped his fists on his chest. "Dinowrestler Chimera T Wrexle! Kick some ass!"
Finally, Luros went up. "Come on out, Kaiser Vorse Raider!"
Tomba laughed, seeing all their monsters outnumber Aster and his two Destiny HEROES. "Now you've got no choice but to come along with us! Either way, it doesn't matter. King Aldric is gonna pay us for bringing him both your support or your head."
"Were it so easy," said Aster. "I'm impressed you idiots have the power to Summon eidolons into this world. That takes a lot of discipline and hard work. But you decide to waste your talents with criminal thugs and wannabe kings. You think you have me cornered because I only have two monsters out? Ha! I don't need two monsters. Dreadmaster is all I need to take you guys down."
The clocktower over the bank started ringing midnight. Dreadmaster flexed his muscles and let out a loud howl.
The group ordered their monsters to attack. Dinowrestler Chimera T Wrexle locked hands with Dreadmaster. The two of them tried shoving each other in a show of strength, but the group did not abide by any morals whatsoever. From behind, Pyrocesslayer Magma attacked, slashing Dreadmaster in the back. Dreadmaster roared in agony, then Dinowrestler started jabbing Dreadmaster in the kidneys and ribs. Kaiser Vorse Raider jumped out of nowhere and smashed his halberd against the side of Dreadmaster's helmet. The helmet vibrated horrible, disorienting Dreadmaster. Dangerous could watch no more and flew into battle, tackling Kaiser Vorse Raider to the ground, his cape flapping wildly behind him.
"Get 'im! Come on!" cheered Tomba.
Aster backed away then rolled to the left to avoid being smashed by Dreadmaster who was knocked backward by Salamangreat Heartleo. Dreadmaster landed on the stairs, crushing them instantly.
Aster looked at the carnage behind him, failing to notice Luros and his big friend running towards him with swords. Aster held out his palm and summoned four red blades to block their charge. It worked, the two boys stopped in their tracks. Aster picked up two of the long blades and taunted his two foes to come get him. They took the bait and stormed towards him. Aster blocked each attack flawlessly. Each time their weapons struck his blades, it created sparks. Aster moved like the wind, disorienting his two opponents who started to feel like they were out of their league.
Tomba hurried to a nearby trash can to pick up the custom baseball bat he had hidden there, but the girl with red hair told him no. He looked up at her and whined. "Aww, come on Roja. I wanna fight!"
"No. Let Luros and Longlast deal with him. They know what they're doing. You power up your Pyrocesslayer."
Tombo looked at his monster who had his attacks blocked by Dreadmaster, using his massive iron shackles as a shield to repel the attacks. Salamangreat Heartleo clawed him from behind. Meanwhile, Dangerous and Kaiser Vorse Raider were having a violent brawl down the street. Kaiser Vorse Raider swung his halberd around, trying to overpower Dangerous with his strength. But Dangerous moved like a shadow, popping out of every dark corner to strike the improved beast-warrior. Kaiser Vorse Raider then waited for him to make the same move. Dangerous appeared out of the dark, but Kaiser Vorse Raider was too quick for him. He swung his halberd to the right and smashed Dangerous in the chest.
Dangerous flew backward and landed on the sidewalk, smashing into a street lamp and knocking it down. He moved his head from side to side, grunting softly from the pain, and blacked out.
Dinowrestler Chimera T Wrexle then appeared behind Dreadmaster and held his arms up. Salamgreat Hearleo started punching him in the stomach. Tomba cheered, mocking punches in the air, pretending he was Heartleo. Then, Pyrocesslayer readied for the final blow.
"We're winning!" cheered Tomba.
"STRIDENT BLAST!"
Yellow lasers rained down on Pyrocesslayer and T Wrexle. They both crashed to the ground. Luros and Longlast cowered in fear and ran away.
Aster looked up. "Huh?"
The Cyber Knight had arrived. All three of his Cyber Dragons flying behind him at great speed. One of them smashed into Kaiser Vorse Raider and wrapped its coils around him. It squeezed him with all its might until he let out a loud screech and shattered like glass. Luros's body was overcome with great pain and he fell on the ground limply.
"Luros!" Roja shouted in terror. She ran towards him and carried him back to their alley.
Longlast grunted like an angry rhino and charged at Zane. Zane held up his palm and fired a pulse blast that knocked him back into a tree, smashing it. Zane used the pulse cannons on his palms to get Pyrocesslayer to back away. The second Cyber Dragon flew down and shot an upgraded Strident Blast at him, blowing his head off.
"NO!" cried Tomba. He fainted from the pain.
"We need to get out of here!" shouted Longlast, limping towards his friends. "T Wrexle can handle those overgrown metal salamanders!"
So he thought. Like two jets, a couple of HEROES flew down the street and smashed the Dinowrestler in the face. One was a warrior of gold with a red cape. The other was a heavily muscular warrior in neon yellow spandex.
"Captain Gold?" said Aster. "And Electrum?" He saw Jaden and Della running towards them.
Longlast saw them, too, and started to back away. "Oh...shit!" he said. "It's Jaden Yuki! The Hero of Red River!"
Roja saw the monsters he summoned, beating T Wrexle down. "His Elemental HEROES! They're amazing."
Luros was recovering from his agony. "We can't face them like this. Not with the Cyber Knight and Jaden here at the same time. We'll get them another day!"
Roja summoned back Heartleo. "You haven't heard the last of us, heroes!"
"Damn right!" Longlast said, putting Tomba over his shoulder. "We're gonna mess you all up bad next time!" He ran into the alley, disappearing with massive steps. His friends followed.
"Let them go!" Cyber Knight said to Electrum and Captain Gold.
Jaden finally caught up to them. "Woah! Zane? Is that you? What's with the sweet getup?" He looked up at the Cyber Dragons, flying above him, scanning the streets for more enemies. "Are those..."
"Yeah," Zane answered.
"Are they..."
"Yes."
"Sweet." He looked down at Aster, who was sitting on the sidewalk trying to catch his breath.
"Hey, Aster. Haven't seen you since the academy. What's up?"
Aster scoffed. "I had it taken care of. I didn't need your help."
Zane's helmet dematerialized to reveal his face. "Glad to see he hasn't changed."
Aster looked up at Zane and examined his cybernetic armor. "What the hell have you been doing since school ended, Zane. Late-night vigilante work?"
"I couldn't let you have all the fun."
"I'll bet. I take it you're finally in the game with Alexis's kidnapping, huh?"
"So it's true?" said Jaden. "Alexis. She's really been taken by the Aeons?"
Zane nodded. "And we've only got a few days left before they kill her. If her blood is spilled, the Queen-Mother and her allies are going to unleash their armies upon Eredas."
"I heard about that," said Aster, standing up and accepting a bottle of water from Zane. He looked at Della. "Who is this?"
Jaden backed up to let the girl walk forward. "Oh, guys, this is Della. She's a Priestess from the Temple of Ana. We're here to find some sacred stone she lost or something."
"What stone?" Zane asked.
"I was tasked with delivering this stone to Emboldor for the coming of Prince Yuri next summer. This stone is a rare and powerful artifact known as the Heart of Helios."
"Oh no..." groaned Aster.
"The Heart of Helios?" said Zane. "I thought it was a myth. Michael was right."
"It's real alright," said Aster. "And King Aldric has it."
"Oh dear!" cried Della.
Jaden put his hands on his hips. "No way. You're telling me the leader of the Aeons has it? What can it do?"
Aster scoffed. "The question is what CAN'T it do? The stone was so powerful it almost killed the God Cards in the War of the Giants. That thing will give you super speed, super strength. If you had a hold on it, Jaden, you'd be an Elemental HERO yourself."
Zane kicked a trash can so hard it flew down the street. "Great! This just complicates things."
Aster shook his head. "It doesn't make any sense. If he has this all-powerful stone, why would he go through the trouble to kidnap Alexis and force her mother to declare open war on us? Can't he just use the power of the stone to overthrow King Eldon?"
"He can't because the stone is not complete," said Della. She reached into her shirt and took out a silver case shaped like a heart. She opened it and revealed a glowing orange gem. Or a part of it.
"What the hell?" shouted Jaden. "You had that on you this whole time?"
Aster walked closer to examine the shard. "How did this happen?" he asked. "How were you able to cut the stone in half?"
"I was not the cause of its breaking," Della answered. She closed the case and tucked it back in her shirt. "The stone was broken in half long ago by one of the Seven Golden Aegis Kings. He smashed it under his boot, breaking it into two equal pieces to keep it from destroying his friends. Slifer, Obelisk, and Ra. The Temple of Ana found both pieces thousands of years later. I am more than just some priestess, my friends. I am an Oracle."
Zane and Aster knelt in respect. Jaden scratched his head. "Huh?"
"She can speak to the Goddesses, idiot!" Aster said impatiently.
Della nodded. "Yes. It is because I am closer to Ana that my order gave me the second half of the Heart of Helios for safekeeping until we reached Emboldor, where Yugi Muto was going to put it back together."
"I knew Yugi had it in him to put a Gem of Horakhty back together," said Jaden.
"Of course, he does," said Aster. "He's an Eyar. He can do anything. As for you, Della, you outta be ashamed of yourself. How could you let the Aeons gain possession of the stone?"
Jaden frowned at that. "Hey, back off, Aster."
Della stepped forward. "I can speak for myself, Jaden, thank you. As for you, buster!" She poked Aster on the chest. "It wasn't my fault! I had no idea we would be attacked by foreign mercenaries working for a criminal organization. Let's face it. Swords and fireballs do little to repel against drones, anti-magic machines, and guns."
"But when I found you, you were chased by western highwaymen," said Jaden.
"I was long gone from the assault before I encountered them," Della replied. "Those other men wanted my bottom more than they wanted the stone."
"You saved her from creeps," said Zane. "Nice work, Jaden. But now it looks like we've got ourselves a problem. Alexis is down in the Underground surrounded by mercenaries and Aeon thugs. Even with your HEROES and my Cyber Dragons with their upgrades, we're going to have a hard time getting her out of there."
"But how do we get there?" asked Aster. "There have to be a thousand entrances, many more of them hidden, that lead to the Underground. If we don't find the right entrance, we could be searching for Alexis for days. And she doesn't have that amount of time left, Zane. They'll kill her before we can find her."
"Not quite," said Zane. "Instead of digging him out, we'll draw him out."
"What can I do, Mr. Zane?" Della asked.
"Oooh no!" said Jaden. "It's too dangerous. We'll take care of this. Besides, you have the second half of the Heart of Helios. We can't risk you getting caught."
"He's right," Aster agreed. "I imagine Aldric's powerful enough with just one half. You incompetence saw to that. We can't afford to let him get the second piece."
Della snapped. "You know, I really don't like you Aster Phoenix! I'll have you know I can take care of myself! I am skilled in the arts of White Magic and Illusion. True, I can't summon big brutes like you fellas do, but I can...HEY!"
One of Zane's Cyber Dragons grabbed her by the skirt with its mouth and lifted her up.
"HEY! HEY! HEY!" she yelled. "What is this!?"
"Take her back to my room at once," Zane commanded.
"Let me go!" shouted Della. "Unhand me you ugly beast!"
"My friend Kara will take care of you," Zane said, struggling not to laugh. "And as for you," he said to the Cyber Dragon. "Make sure she stays there."
"NO!" shouted Della. "How dare you! All of you! You can't treat me like this AAAAAAAAAAAA!" Cyber Dragon took off with Della into the night.
Jaden chuckled. "Poor girl. But, uh, Zane. Now that only leaves us with two Cyber Dragons. You kind of left us at a disadvantage here."
"Not quite," said Zane. "Kara Kestrel, my lead engineer, and designer in the Cyber Dragon Project, has come up with an artistic way to boost the power of my beasts."
Jaden beamed. "Aw, cool! So, like new weapons and stuff?"
"Sort of," chuckled Zane. He looked at his two remaining Cyber Dragons. "Let's just say whoever said TWO heads are better than one is a total genius."
