Acid Rain

by Time Thief

Rain's days on Team Satisfaction were simple. Duel a gang, win territory, repeat. She finds herself missing the little things: a popsicle from Crow, a scolding from Jack, a word of advice from Yusei, and the warmth of Kalin's hand in her own. Serving time in a Facility cell turns loneliness into a war. -rewritten- [Somewhat inspired by WC2010 Reverse of Arcadia] -COMPLETE!-

9. Descent

Chapter Nine

Descent

Golden light from the setting sun sparkled on Martha's flowers. Their pleasant scent was a kind refrain from the rotten smell of the rest of the Satellite. I wandered about the area, appreciating a moment of silence.

A child's voice broke it. "Hey, Rain!"

"Um, hi." The kid was a newer addition to the orphans living with Martha. He and a couple of the older children hopped in front of me.

"You're that chick with the cool powers, right?" the new kid asked. "Can you show me? Pleeease?"

"Sure." I pressed Blue-Eyes White Dragon onto my duel disk. He burst to life and sniffed at the children. The two kids who hadn't spoken screamed and fled. The new kid laughed at him. He rubbed the Blue-Eyes' head, enticing the dragon's purr.

"This is so awesome," he said. "I bet you use them all the time!"

"Well, no," I muttered. "They're not things to be used. They're my friends, and we work together. Kind of like Team Satisfaction."

The other child said, "You guys are super amazing duelists! I want to be just like you someday!"

I twirled a strand of my white hair around my finger. "Um…"

"I'm sure you will be!" An arm slung around my shoulder. Kalin pulled me close, and his grin was brilliant. He had two black bundles tucked under his other arm. "Mind if I steal Rain from you? We have some work to do."

"Y-you're Kalin Kessler!"

"In the flesh."

The kid gaped at us. "Y-you two are legendary! Would you tag duel me and my friend?"

"No can do," he said with a wag of his finger. Kalin interlaced his fingers with mine and led me away. "The Satellite needs us."

When we were far away from the cottage, I said, "Hi, partner."

"Hello!" He stopped, let me go, and covered his mouth with his gloved hand. He looked into my eyes, and his were darkened by the sun's now-red light. "Rain, you shouldn't show your power to everyone like that."

"I shouldn't? I thought you were only talking about duels when you said…" Though his hand covered his expression, the tilt of his eyes suggested concern. "Okay. Sorry."

"No need to apologize!" His smile was back in a flash, and he stole my hand again. We slipped into a narrow alley. He dropped a bundle and pulled the other over his head. The dark cloak hung on him loosely. "Our first food distributions are tomorrow, and I heard a tip that a couple members of an old gang are trying to ruin one. I set up a trap. We're catching them in the act, which means being sneaky. Think you can manage that?"

I whispered, "Yeah."

Kalin laughed. "Here, put this on. You're too eye-catching."

"Didn't think it would ever be an issue," I grumbled while pulling the mantle over my head.

"It's not." Soft lips planted a kiss on my forehead. Heat rose to my face. "You're beautiful."

"Y-you really think so?"

"You're joking. I thought I made it obvious." He made it sound awfully convincing. The slanting light hit his toothy smile. "Follow me."

"You're going like that?"

Kalin stared down at himself. "Is something wrong with me?"

"That's not how you wear a cloak," I said. I tugged on his hood so it cast a long shadow over his face. A belt of fabric on the inner lining tied together at his chest, tightening it to cover his clothes. The bottom barely masked the bright blue of his jeans. Mine brushed the concrete.

"How did you know to do that?"

"I don't know."

His exasperated groan paired with the upward tossing of his hands. "Put more thought into it! Maybe you were an assassin in your past! Or a vigilante! Or-"

"Someone who wore cloaks," I offered.

"That's what I…" He pinched the bridge of his nose, and I laughed. "Goddammit, Rain. Okay. Now follow me."

Night captured the Satellite, and stars watched us scale to the roofs of the entertainment district. I matched Kalin's steps as he leapt from one building to the next. We stopped beside a shattered glass dome. My partner peered inside then held up two fingers. Two opponents made it reminiscent of our first partner mission.

Kalin silently opened a hatch and hurried down a set of stairs. I followed into pitch-black. The sound of his breathing led me to him; I clutched at his cloak. He moved more slowly until we reached the room beneath the glass dome, where moonlight broke through the black.

Two shadows lingered near stacks of boxes. One said, "This is it? I expected more from the great Team Satisfaction."

"They're just putting up a front," said the other. "They don't give a shit about other Satellites. They're no different from the rest of the gangs."

Kalin shouted, "Wrong!"

He palmed something with a red light and clicked it. The boxes exploded into a smokescreen. Kalin sprinted forward and tossed a pair of cuffs at one of their silhouettes, and I did the same. I mumbled, "What happened to being discrete?"

He pulled the hood of his cloak down and winked at me. "C'mon, princess, you gotta admit how cool that was."

"But what does that have to do with- what was even the point of the cloaks?"

"Style," he answered.

Huh.

The smoke cleared. Two men wearing jeweled robes stared at us with wide eyes. "Oh, shit! Kessler and his shadow!"

"L-look, we weren't gonna- We just wanted- please don't duel us! We'll walk and never screw with you guys again!"

"Little late for that." My partner activated his disk. Mine sliced through the air, and I drew my cards.

---

"DUEL START!"

Following our combined shout, Kalin said, "I'll take the first move! I discard Archfiend General to bring the Pandemonium Field Spell to my hand and activate it. Next, I'll summon Shadowknight Archfiend, set a face-down, and end my turn."

"I swear to God we'll leave you alone if you stop now!" one begged. A blue gem caught moonlight at the clasp of his fancy cloak. Kalin set his fist on his hip, and his eyes thinned. I might have joined in if I wasn't staring at the unfamiliar cards in my hand. I'd never seen these monsters before. What did that word mean?

"At least try to keep your dignity," grumbled the other. An orange gem marked his robe's clutch. "I summon Defender, the Magical Knight in defense position, activate the Continuous Spell Arcane Barrier, and place a face-down. Defender gains one Spell Counter, which will prevent his destruction once. Turn end!"

I could use this card. Couldn't I? So weird. Had someone switched my deck?

"Rain." My partner's voice was low. "This is normally the part where you're pulling a combo to kick their asses into next week. Why do you look so nervous?"

"I, uh, I got this! I summon Dragunity Brandistock and use the effect of Dragunity Arma Mystletainn, sending Brandistock to the grave to special summon Arma! Arma's effect returns Brandistock to the field in the form of an Equip Spell for Arma." A yellow dragon with black wings shone in the filtered moonlight. A tiny, light-blue dragon wrapped around Arma's massive spear. Mystletainn had 2100 attack, 100 more than Defender's defense.

Kalin whistled. "That's new."

"As an equip card, Brandistock allows Mystletainn to attack twice," I explained. "That means his two attacks destroy Defender, and Shadowknight Archfiend can attack directly!"

Our opponents' knight shattered, and Kalin's monster sliced the orange-gemmed fellow. He grunted at the true damage, and his life fell to 3000 since Shadowknight's effect halved the damage of his 2000 attack. I passed my turn, thinking I'd done okay with the weird deck.

"Mine. I summon Alchemist of Black Spells and attack Mystletainn. Then, I activate the trap Magician's Circle to bring the Dark Magician Girl to the field and use the spell Magicians Unite. Alchemist has his attack cancelled and can't attack this turn, but Dark Magician Girl has her attack boosted to 3000! She destroys Mystletainn!"

Kalin's trap specified Fiend-types, so no help there. My dragon shattered, and Brandistock went to the grave with him. A pink beam of light singed my skin. I grit my teeth and scowled. Our life fell to 3100.

The guy with the blue clasp said, "Main 2! Alchemist of Black Spells swaps himself to defense position and can add a Spell Counter to our Arcane Barrier Continuous Spell. I set a face-down and end my turn."

"Your little magic tricks are cute. Want to see one of mine?" Kalin asked while swiping a card from his deck. "Shadowknight disappears, and Archfiend of Gilfer takes its place!"

A massive, black creature clawed into the hellish landscape of Pandemonium. He wielded 2200 attack and 2500 defense. "Attack Dark Magician Girl!"

"You're so full of shit, Kessler! I activate Magical Dimension! By destroying Alchemist, I can destroy Gilfer and special summon the Dark Magician from my hand!" The magical pair stood side-by-side, and our field was wide open. "You two are finished!"

Kalin's lopsided smile remained. "My partner and I are impossible to beat. I special summon Dark Necrofear in defense position by removing General, Shadowknight, and Gilfer from the grave!"

The blue-skinned monster had 2800 defense, 300 more than Dark Magician's attack and 800 more than Dark Magician Girl's. The turn changed to the guy with the orange jewel. "Whatever. It's my turn now, and I know exactly what I need to destroy that card. I summon Breaker the Magical Warrior and remove his Spell Counter to destroy your face-down!"

Kalin's Bark of Dark Ruler left our backline. Our opponent continued: "I activate Arcane Barrier's effect, sending it and Breaker to the grave to draw two more cards! Oh, look. They're exactly what I need to destroy that card of yours. Say hello to our strongest monster! Dark Magician and Dark Magician Girl are sacrificed to special summon Sorcerer of Dark Magic!"

A dark-armored spellcaster with a three-pronged staff spawned from a combination of the pair. It had a massive 3200 attack.

"I hope you didn't expect me to be stupid enough to ignore Necrofear's effect. I activate Diffusion Wave-Motion! By paying 1000 life points, I can attack Necrofear and negate its effect!" The blue fiend shattered. Our field was empty. The pair laughed at us. I chewed my nails. "You two have no chance! Huh? The hell? Why are you smiling, Kessler?"

Kalin met my eyes. His were silver by moonlight. "Time to win, Rain."

He was seriously doing this again? I sidled closer to him. I whispered, "Um, Kalin, what's a tuner?"

"You don't-" He quickly regained composure. "Do you know what Synchro Summoning is?"

"Sync-what?"

My leader breathed in deep. "Okay, Rain. Let me see your Extra Deck."

I withdrew the small deck stored in a compartment beneath the main one. Kalin fanned out five white cards I didn't recognize. Each had the name Dragunity Knight.

He explained, "Synchro Monsters are created using a tuner and one or more non-tuners. Your cards here need a Dragon that's a tuner and a Winged-Beast that's not a tuner. You have to have the tuner and the non-tuners on the field, and their stars added together have to equal whatever the level of the Synchro monster you want is. Does that make sense?"

"Yeah! This deck makes a lot more sense all of a sudden. I think someone switched it out while I wasn't looking."

He raised an eyebrow. "Unlikely. If someone wanted to steal your deck, it'd be gone. There wouldn't be one in its place."

"What the hell are you two doing? Hurry up and lose!"

"Hey, partner." He winked at me. "You've got this."

My nonexistent confidence managed to swell. "My draw! I start by summoning Dragunity Pilum, and by its effect, equipping Dragunity Tribus to it! I activate Double Summon and bring Dragunity Militum to the field! His effect special summons Tribus alongside them, and Tribus lets me send a Dragunity to the grave. Now, I tune 1-star Tribus and 4-star Militum with the 3-star tuner Pilum to Synchro Summon 8-star Dragunity Knight – Barcha!"

My monsters blanked into see-through silhouettes filled with stars. The sparkles aligned, and a pillar of light exploded. A grand, green dragon snaked onto the field and glowered at Sorcerer of Dark Magic.

"2000 attack? Lotta fancy moves for a weak monster," mocked our opponent.

"Upon Synchro Summoning, I can equip as many Dragon-type Dragunity monsters in my grave to Barcha, and each one gives him a 300 attack boost! Mystletainn, Brandistock, Pilum, and Darkspear return to the field!" Each of my fallen dragons joined with Barcha. Her attack boosted to 3200, matching the Sorcerer.

"S-so what," blue gem said. "The best it can do is equal our Sorcerer!"

"I don't need to attack your monster at all. As an equip card, Pilum lets me attack you directly with halved damage!"

"It's okay," said the other. "We'll still have one more turn!"

"I brought Brandistock back, also. Remember his ability? Dragunity Knight – Barcha can attack you directly twice! End this duel, Barcha!" With two mighty swipes of my dragon's tail, their life fell to 400 then zero. The smack of the thick appendage tossed them ten feet back. Their disks exploded.

"Synchro Summoning," I murmured, "is pretty useful."

"Understatement of the year. Like, holy shit. There's no way you haven't done that before. You- You're unbelievable." I beamed. He gave a little wave to say he was about to clean up.

The heel of his shoe squeaked when he faced our opponents. His soft expression shifted towards aggression. The pair of gang members groaned from the tiled floor. My dragon must have done serious damage.

Kalin said, "You can try again and again, fellas. When you mess with the Satellite's peace, all you'll find is loss and pain. If I ever see either of you again- heh. Trust me when I say you don't want a spot on my personal grudge list."

They struggled to their feet. The guy with the orange gem on his robe scrambled away and sprinted out the building's main entrance. The other snarled at us. His blue jewel had fallen off in the attack. "Who the hell do you think you are? You dictators take and take and-"

"That's rich." Kalin lifted his chin and pinned the thief with a high glare. "You're trying to steal food distributions from people who need it."

"How do you know I don't need it?"

"Then you could've gotten a ration like everyone else. That chance is out the window now. The Satellite's united against selfish assholes like you. Outta my sight. Now."

The guy flinched at Kalin's force. "D-don't sick your shadow after me. I'm not ending up like the Aviator guys! You won't kill me!"

His screams reverberated throughout the empty area. I murmured, "Aviator?"

Kalin cut me a glance. He hooked his hands behind his head and watched the sparse starlight. "Couple gang members died in a fight a while back. People who're sour against us pin it on Team Satisfaction."

"But we don't kill people."

"Exactly," Kalin said. His brows pushed inward. "The stupid nickname going around doesn't mean anything, okay? I wish they'd stop calling you that. You're so much more, partner."

"I don't mind it."

That pained look returned to his expression. "You should. You have a name, too. No, I- I shouldn't tell you that. What happened with that duel, by the way? Why were you using a Synchro-based deck without knowing how to Synchro Summon?"

"Hm, well, have you heard this one before?" I shouted, "I don't know!"

"…Sorry."

I sighed. "It's okay. Thanks for explaining that to me. If you hadn't-"

"No worries!" He slung his arm around my shoulder and led me outside. "That's what teammates are for. You can ask me anything!"

"Oh." I wound a strand of hair around my index finger. Moonlight changed white to silver. "Why're you so afraid of Sector Security?"

"Listen." His mouth set in a firm line, and his shoulders slumped. "I'm gonna have to ask you to trust me on this one without experiencing it yourself."

I pressed my fingertips together. "If you say so."

He smiled but it disappeared. "Do you hear that?"

"Hear what?" He pointed behind me. I turned but there was nothing more than silence, darkness, and rubble. When I looked back, my partner was gone. Panic bit my heart. "K-Kalin?"

I tugged my hood low and crept through the alleys around the building, but they were empty. Shadows seemed to claw at me as I combed the streets. I couldn't find him. I was alone, alone-

"Rain?"

He appeared behind me. His breaths heaved. My fingers curled into a fist. Kalin closed the gap between us in an instant and embraced me. He was tense and shaking. "I'm so sorry. I saw- well, nothing. Don't be scared. It'll be okay."

I buried my face in his cloak. "J-just, please, don't leave me alone again."

"Never! Um, hey." He drew back and searched my eyes. "Rain. Would you come home with me tonight?"

I tilted my head. "Go home with you?"

"Yeah!" He grinned. "I've seen your cool stage, so I thought you might want to see where the legendary Kalin Kessler beds down."

"Why?"

"Call me crazy, Rain, but I don't want to say good-by to you tonight." My face flushed, and he smiled. "Aw, could it be she feels the same way?"

"I, uh, no!"

He laughed at me. "Why bother lying? If you won't admit it to yourself, I could always kidnap you."

"What do you-" He lifted me over his shoulder before I could react. "Kalin!"

He broke into a fit of laughter and set me down. "I'm kidding! I wouldn't do that to you!"

"Stop messing with me!"

"How can you ask that of me when you look so damn cute when you blush?" The heat harshened, and I stared at my feet. He giggled. "You're really good at proving me right, Rain. Take for example every single one of our duels. You always pull out the win. You're the greatest duelist ever."

"Me? What about you?"

He cleared his throat. "Let's keep this between us."

I couldn't suppress a smile. "Even though I didn't know what Synchro Summoning was?"

"Remember what I said about proving me right? Yes, Rain. God, yes!"

"Weeell." I rolled a strand of hair between my fingers. "I guess I could stay the night with you."

His eyes widened for a split second before being crinkled by his smile. He offered his hand. I took it. Kalin led me to the rooftops once more, dashing from building to building. He crossed a long gap and waited. "This one's a little tough, but you can make it. If anything happens, I've got you."

Instead of the gap, my partner's eyes held my focus. I leapt with all of my might, and he caught me in his arms. "There's my girl. Knew you had it."

The kernel of ego I could boast with him by my side ignited my confidence. I whispered, "I want to keep being yours."

"Oh, yeah?" He snapped his fingers and winked. "Better get used to being my Rain."

I smirked. "And you're my Kalin."

"Oof. Poor girl got the short end of the stick."

"I did not!"

"Yeah, yeah. You coming or not?" He propped open a door. Endless darkness yawned within. "I'll be right behind you."

Pitch-black surrounded me again, but he lightly rested his hand on the small of my back to help guide me. The stairs emptied us on a balcony overlooking a huge factory floor.

A single machine remained; the rest was unoccupied space. Wide windows several feet above the foundation shone moonlight on the dirty floor. Large boxes were strewn about. Kalin threw himself over the balcony and landed with unusual grace on the machine. "Home, sweet, home. Pretty cool, right?"

I cocked my head. "What is this place?"

"I'll show you. C'mon down."

"Uh. Okay." I copied his movements to drop onto the machine. He stepped off, and I followed. Several tiny metal objects were scattered on the machine's conveyer belt. "What are those?"

"Tech projects. I usually get Yusei's help with them. He's taught me a lot. He's been busy working on a duel runner, though, so I try not to bother him with it."

I blinked. "Those smoke bombs today…"

"Yeah! I set that up."

"Woah."

He placed a hand over his heart and faked seriousness. "Oh, my Rain, you flatter me. Over here."

Kalin led me to an arched corner of the building that the light from the windows didn't touch. He palmed a lighter and fired up a lantern, casting firelight upon a mattress and a large cardboard box on the floor. He tossed his cloak onto the bed. Curiosity pushed me to peek inside the box beside him. "What? This is, like, hundreds of that same red shirt you wear!"

"Exactly!" Lantern light flickered on his grin, and fire burned in his irises. "This was a mass production clothing factory back in the day. They locked it up tight when the machines started being stolen, so not everything was looted properly. Lucky for me when I picked the lock on the rooftop entrance! I would give clothes away, but in the Satellite, kids are the ones in need. This place only made adult sizes. Bummer."

Hope lit my eyes. "Does that mean- is there- um, are there more Team Satisfaction vests?"

"Sorry, Rain." His stare dropped to his lap. "I had these special made for us. Each one took several weeks. It was supposed to be a surprise, but I'm having another one made just for you."

"You r-really mean it?"

"Uh, duh. Seriously, is that your catchphrase? You're a part of our team! And so much more. I mean, I…" He gained a sudden interest in distant floor tiles. His voice was less than a whisper: "I've never showed anyone this place before."

A heavy breath squeezed out of my lungs. Kalin removed his gloves and untied his headband. He pulled off his vest and shoes, and he arranged the items neatly. "Can't help but notice you're staring."

"I just. Uh."

"Aw, it's okay." He stood and untied my cloak. When it fell, he swept it with his into the box of clothing. Kalin sat with his back to the wall of the alcove and said, "You get some rest, princess, and I'll keep watch! If anything happens, I'll take care of it so you can keep sleeping- Er. Why do you look so angry?"

I grabbed him by the front of his shirt and dragged him onto the mattress. I curled against him and said, "You're staying right here."

He laughed and held me. "How can I say no to that?"

The warmth of his embrace and beat of his heart lulled me to sleep.

My dreams were empty, but I swore I heard a voice calling my name. Blue fire burned in the distance amidst darkness. Instinct guided me towards the fire. I buried my hand in the flames, and they licked my skin. Either they carried no heat or I didn't feel it.

The normal blackness of my dreamscape shattered into a dark, mountainous region. Lightning flashed over the image of a dragon's skeleton chiseled into a crag. A woman's voice called, "Please hear me! We need you, young dragon! We need you to save us again!"

The vision broke into shards like glass, and reality pulled me past the sharp edges. When I awoke, I shook off a shiver. I pushed myself up. My vision adjusted to the light spilling into the factory. The space beside me was cold and empty. "Kalin? Kalin!"

He kicked away from the machine and wheeled into view on a rolling chair. "Something wrong?"

"N-no." A weird dream; that's all. I'd never dreamed before. Were they supposed to feel so real? Whatever. It wasn't as important as the now. I swallowed a deep breath and observed my partner. He wore only his red t-shirt and jeans. "I just, I woke up and you weren't there."

"Sorry! You sleep kinda late. You can take all the time you need, but I have work to do!" He rolled back to his tech.

A smile found me. That was my partner for sure – patient as a hare. His careful explanation of Synchro Summoning surprised me. I thought he would've gotten frustrated. Should've learned by now. He really cared about me.

I crossed the floor, leaned over my partner's shoulder, and kissed his cheek. He dropped everything. I whispered, "I love you."

"I- I love you, too. Can I tell you something?"

"Anything."

He swiveled around and gazed through the window. His hazel irises sparkled in the midday light. "I was afraid to invite you because I knew that, once I did, it'd be lonely from then on. Now, though? I wouldn't trade this memory for anything."

Kalin searched my eyes and smiled. "Aw, there's that adorable blush again."

"Sh-shut up!"

He rose and pulled me tight against him. It reminded me of last night, and my face heated further. "Oh, but I know my Rain, and you looove when I make you blush."

A dumb grin spread across my face. "You know me too well."

"Okay! No more distracting!" He stepped away. "You're scouting with Crow later. He'll be waiting by the Bridge."

"Mkay. Hey, partner?" I said. "We'll make a bunch more memories like this, okay?"

Pained weariness dragged down his features. "I want that."

"Wh-what's wrong?"

"Nothing," he said, and it was all erased by his smile in an instant. "Hey. Remember. I want what's best for you. Keep that in mind for me."

"Of course!" I glanced over the items strewn along his makeshift table. There were an awful lot of explosives. "What are those for?"

"Oh, you know. Shit like today, people who want to screw with the good of the Satellite – or want to screw with us."

"That's kind of drastic, don't you think?"

He shrugged his shoulders. "I'm not trying to be a saint here, partner. Changing the world isn't easy. I do what needs to be done for the best of all of us."

"I don't think Yusei or Crow would approve," I commented.

"That's fine. They can't stand a guilty conscience. I can handle that burden."

"Guilty conscience," I repeated, my mind far away. The sapphire in my silver bracelet sparkled by the noon's light. Martha talked about how I had to figure out my own right from wrong. We'd threatened and attacked and created plenty of pain. It hadn't felt wrong, though. What we did in pursuit of my partner's dream never could.

Changing the world had to be worth it. "I can't wait to live in that world."

"Then get back to work, slacker," he joked. It was wearier than usual.

"Um," I said, "are you okay? You keep acting weird, like when you disappeared on me last night."

"Eh, guess I'm a little more stressed since I've got the whole of the Satellite to take care of now. Then there's you always getting into trouble on top of that!"

"H-hey!" He laughed at my flustered look. "W-well, don't forget about your team. We have your back!"

"…Yeah." His smile wavered. "Good luck with the scouting mission today. Bye, Rain."

I left via the roof exit and blinked at the noonday sun. What was he working on? Looked like some duel disks rigged with explosives. I couldn't see the reason in it.