As the three of us ladies headed out of the garage, we ran into Leo, who was trying to peek through the door of the nearby locked garage. Without pausing, I grabbed his shoulder and dragged him to the stairs, "Come on shortstop. We are all going back to your house TOGETHER."
He attempted to escape my grasp, prompting me to kneel down in front of him, "Leo. Can you explain to me why looking in someone else's garage is more important than eating dinner?"
I had to admit that since coming to the city I enjoyed having multiple meals a day, so the fact that a tween boy didn't want food was concerning to me.
Leo's entire face went red as I stared him down. He continued to squirm, before finally he muttered barley within an audible range, "I wanted to see what your opponent's runner looked like."
"It doesn't matter what his runner looks like. The only thing that matters is how well he duels, and I have gotten a glimpse at that when he dueled you. Why would I need to see what his runner looks like? Let's just go home and eat."
The two of them rode home in a taxi with Aki, while I took my runner back to their penthouse. To the twins eternal credit, neither of them asked why Aki was coming back with us.
When I got back, the only question came from Leo, who jumped right in front of me, "Yusei?"
I walked around him to the kitchen, and started getting food ready to cook, "What's up?"
"Are you a guy or a girl?"
My face broke into a smile, "I am a female."
Leo turned to Luna for a translation, and simply received, "Girl."
He exploded, "I'm living with three girls?"
The three of us exploded into laughter, and I calmed down enough to speak, "Yes. But if it makes you feel better I act more like a guy than a girl."
Leo shrugged, "I guess, but you are still a girl."
The next morning, Tanner and Yunagi showed up to take the twins via taxi while Aki and I got ready for our duels. Once we were both ready, we got our invitations and got on the runner. As we were figuring out how to fit both of us on it, my call alert went off.
Even though I had MADE my runner, it still took me a few seconds to remember how to accept the call.
I was floored to see Blister's face on the screen, "Is something wrong?"
Blister's face had so many emotions running through it, that figuring out what was most prominent was difficult, making me silently curse my talent's range, while he spoke, "I found your old hideout, but it looks like a warzone. There's nobody here, and there hasn't been anyone for a while."
Taking a deep breath, I slowly blew out air, "That's just wonderful. Could you look around and see if anyone knows anything? Satellites are notorious for knowing other people's business."
He nodded, "I'll see what I can find."
Once he hung up, Aki looked at me with pity, "Is your family supposed to be there?"
"I was living with some really good friends, who would bring everything I needed to me, so I didn't have to go out to find it myself. They were basically family to me. Blister went to go check on them, and now I'm worried."
She touched my shoulder, "Sorry. Do you know what happened?"
Putting my face shield down, I looked at her, "Something makes me think that this person named Rex Goodwin might have been involved."
Aki finally figured out how to squeeze behind me, and we headed out to the arena.
With a passenger on the back of my runner, I drove much more carefully than I ever did on my own. There was no dodging between cars, or going slightly above the speed limit. In fact, I was going under the speed limit due to the hands that were wrapped tightly around my torso, threatening to cut off my air.
Finally we arrived at the arena, and thankfully didn't have to show our invitations to get in this time. Instead we headed right to my garage and set up for the day while I explained some things to Aki.
"So, the reason I suspect that the Director is involved in the fact that my friends are missing is the fact that he has literally had a hand in everything that has happened to me since I arrived. The first thing that happened when I arrived is that I dueled Jack. That caused the power to go out, and we accidentally summoned what I think was the Crimson Dragon. After that, I got arrested...but Jack didn't call them. We were raised together, and he would have never risked me getting arrested, even now.
"Then so many strange things happened when I was in the Facility, including a duel with the head of the Facility. Goodwin was there two days in a row, and just barely stopped me from getting put in Solitary Confinement. And then I was released, but I was tailed by about 20 officers in plain clothes. Blister was a friend of someone I met in the Facility, and helped me get off the radar. Somehow I was found again by Security, and that's when the invitation was delivered to me. If I don't duel in this tournament, my friends will be charged with all of the crimes that I was accused of to put me in the facility."
Aki leaned back against the worktable, "Got it. So basically what you are telling me is to not trust anyone working with or for Goodwin."
"More or less. Anyway, it looks like it's time for me to duel. Stay safe, okay?"
She nodded as I climbed on my runner, "You better win!"
Yet again, I was the first duelist out on the track. I did a couple rounds while waiting for Geiger to emerge.
My ears were not prepared for his runner by any means. It roared up beside me, taking away my hearing as it did so.
That thing is three times bigger than any runner I've ever seen! Goodwin is really pulling out all of the stops to see my mark again!
I regretfully pulled to a stop, trying not to visibly cringe at the rumble of his runner as he pulled up next to me, "Only one of us can get what we were promised by Goodwin today, and it sucks for you but that person is going to be me."
Yet again, my eyes seemed to roll on their own as another opponent made me question their ego and sanity at the same time, "Keep telling yourself that."
3...2...1...GO!
Two runners launched off at the same time, and he edged ahead to take the first turn, "I summon Spell Reactor RE and then place two cards facedown."
Spell Reactor RE-1200
My eyes scanned the cards in my hand, and I quickly plotted what moves to make, "The first move I am going to make is to place a facedown before summoning Speed Warrior in attack mode."
Speed Warrior-900
One of his facedowns flipped up as he smiled at me, "I activate my trap Hidden Soldiers. If you summon a monster I can summon a monster as well. Say hello to Trap Reactor Y-Fi!"
Trap Reactor Y-Fi-800
Sighing, I kept going, "My Warrior's attack points double on his first turn and I think I'll put them to good use. Speed Warrior, take out Spell Reactor RE!"
Speed Warrior-1800
Life Points Geiger=3400
For a second I let my guard down, until my hope was shattered by the revelation of Fake Explosion. Geiger's smile grew wider than his biceps (an impressive feat) as he spoke, "You were hoping to stop my plan, weren't you? You failed at destroying my Spell Reactor RE, now I bring out Summon Reactor SK!"
Summon Reactor SK-2000
"Next I use the spell Delta Reactor, which sends my three monsters to the graveyard to summon my Flying Fortress Skyfire."
Flying Fortress Skyfire-3000
Great. Just absolutely great. Now I have to figure out how to get that flying monstrosity out of the freaking sky before my life points get absolutely decimated. This is a duel that I'm going to have to make an honest effort with.
"In case you didn't watch my last duel, with my Skyfire on the field, anytime you summon a monster or set a card, it gets destroyed and you take 800 points of damage."
A wave of emotions swept through me from my deck, and I smiled.
Bring it on. My deck is going to take you down.
He glared at my sudden smile, "Take out that Speed Warrior!"
Life Points Yusei=1900
Whoever decided that your speed needed to drop when you lost speed counters was a horrible person.
Justice spun nearly out of control as my speed counters dropped completely to 0. I wrestled with the controls to keep going forward, until I could regain full control.
When my eyes locked with his, there was a smirk on his face, "I place a facedown and end my turn."
Multiple strategies ran through my mind as I looked at my hand, but when I drew Shield Warrior, I knew exactly what I was going to do. I hid my smile as I started my turn, "I summon Shield Warrior in defense mode."
Shield Warrior-1600
As Geiger laughed about my decision, I quietly put a card facedown and braced myself for the incoming attack as my Warrior was destroyed.
Life Points Yusei=1100
Grateful that my emotions didn't show on my face, I spoke again, "I end my turn with a facedown."
I kept my face as blank as possible while he drew one of his cards and started yelling his plan, "I am going to take out your life points right now Yusei!"
The Fortress prepared an attack as I opened my mouth, "About that...I activate Wasteland Tornado, which destroys one trap card on the field. I chose my own Limiter Break, which brings a monster back from my graveyard in defense mode when it is destroyed. Come back out Speed Warrior!"
Speed Warrior-400
Speed Warrior took the blow for me, saving my life points. It took a lot of self control to not show any emotions when Speed Warrior was sent back to the graveyard. A wave of guilt went through me, hoping that I hadn't offended him by summoning him when I knew that he wouldn't be on the field for long.
Geiger's humor had died down, "I end my turn."
All of my cards were ready for my plan, and I started to put it in action, "I summon my Massive Warrior in attack mode!"
Massive Warrior-600
Once again, his Fortress' effect blasted away Massive Warrior, taking some life points with him.
Life Points Yusei=300
Without hesitating, I continued with my plan, "I activate the card Zero Reverse which brings back a monster that was destroyed by an effect this turn but lowers their points to zero."
Massive Warrior-0
"Then I special summon Turbo Booster! And when Turbo Booster is on the field, I can release it in order to destroy your monster. Normally I would take damage considering this is a battle, but with Massive Warrior on the field I take no damage in battle."
Flying Fortress Skyfire shattered into pieces, and as it faded the weight on my shoulders faded away. It took nearly all of my life points to get rid of it, but in the end, I got rid of it.
Geiger looked mad beyond belief, and the fury on his face was amplified by a pair of giant spikes emerging from the wheels of his runner. One of his facedowns flipped up as he murmured, "I activate the trap Chariot Pile, which deals you 800 points of damage a turn, and the only way for you to negate this effect is to send a monster from your field to the graveyard."
I grimaced, "I send Massive Warrior to the graveyard."
Once my turn started, I looked over my hand again, "I summon Junk Synchron in attack mode."
Junk Synchron-1300
"When I successfully summon him, I can bring back a monster from the graveyard that has a lower level than him in defense mode. So my Speed Warrior gets a third chance to get you."
Speed Warrior-400
"Then I tune the two of them together to bring out Junk Warrior."
Junk Warrior-2300
I flicked my hand out, "Junk Warrior, get him!"
Apparently he was just as dramatic as me, "I think not! Due to my trap card, if I take 800 of self inflicted damage, I can destroy your monster."
Life Points Geiger=2600
That's a clever method. I placed one card facedown, glad that my deck was still giving me what I needed.
He was clearly still in a terrible mood, "I summon Black Salvo in attack mode."
Black Salvo-100
"Whenever I summon him, I can summon a level four monster from my graveyard, but it has to be a Dark Attribute monster. Trap Reactor Y-FI gets to come back out!"
Trap Reactor Y-FI-1800
At least it wasn't the Summon Reactor one.
Geiger wasn't done, "I tune them together to create Dark Strike Fighter!"
Dark Strike Fighter-2600
"Striker, take out Yusei!"
Tilting my head, I spoke up, "I activate Synchro Spirits. By removing a Synchro monster from play, I can summon the monsters that I used to summon him."
Speed Warrior-400
Junk Synchron-500
Junk Synchron got in the way of the attack, and as Geiger was opening his mouth I explained something, "I let you destroy Shield Warrior a few turns back in case I had to do this. If I removed Shield Warrior from play, one of my monsters can avoid being destroyed."
He really was starting to glare at me, "Then I activate my Chariot's effect."
"I will send Speed Warrior to the graveyard."
Geiger didn't stop, "Then I use the spell Ultimate Flare. If you negate my attack, I get to summon a Ultimate Flare Token. When I send this token to the graveyard, you take 200 points of damage, which gets multiplied by ten due to my Fighter's ability."
I grimaced in order to not roll my eyes, "I start my turn by summoning Tuning Supporter in attack mode."
Tuning Supporter-100
"Next I tune the two of my monsters together to summon Armory Arm!"
Armory Arm-1800
My sense of humor tried to intervene as the fact that I used such a cute little monster to create a giant metal hand made me want to giggle. But I got serious as I explained, "Whenever I use Tuning Supporter in a Synchro summon, I get to draw another card."
When my eyes landed on the card I drew, my relief was immense, "I use the spell Synchro Return! If I have more than four speed counters, I get to summon a Synchro monster that I removed from play earlier in the duel. I only have one monster that fits the bill, so come back Junk Warrior."
Junk Warrior-2300
"My Armory Arm has a special ability, which allows it to attach to another Synchro monster and give it an extra 1000 attack points."
Junk Warrior-3300
A ghost of a smile spread across my face, "It feels like a good time to take out your monster."
Life Points Geiger=1900
My smile spread all over my face, "Armory's other effect comes into play now. If the monster it attached to successfully destroys a monster in battle, you take damage equal to the destroyed monsters points."
Life Points Geiger=0 Defeat!
A/N: Thanks PipeDream and Let's-Go-To-Vermont for reviewing on the original version of this chapter!
