If you have any feedback on how I can make this story better, please, by all means, let me know. I am always looking to improve.

Life was a dream for Leo. I mean, why wouldn't it be? After all, Leo's parents made all the money he could ever want. He had a nice, cushy, penthouse in the Tops sector, and anything that money could buy. Not to mention he was the Turbo Duel champion of New Domino City, now. The fans loved him, the kids loved him- everybody loved him. It was good to be the king. He still remembered the day when he usurped the throne from his all-time hero, Jack Atlas.

"You want me to duel this half-pint?" Jack questioned as a young boy with golden eyes and light greenish-aquamarine hair tied into a ponytail, entered the room and walked beside Goodwin, bowing to Jack who was seated on his couch, drinking coffee.

"Aw man, this place is awesome! Just what I'd expect from the master of faster!" Leo spoke admiringly, looking around the room. "Oh, and this view! It's even better than the one at my house!"

"Leo. You are about to enter a professional duel against the King, Jack Atlas. You should conduct yourself as such." Goodwin chastised.

"Right, right, sorry." Leo apologized, scratching his head sheepishly. "This is so awesome! I get to duel my hero!"

"You have good taste in role models, kid." Jack commented. "But Goodwin, why should I waste my time dueling this runt?"

"This runt, Jack, has dueled his way into the cream of the crop in just two short months since entering the pro league. Currently, he is rated as the fourth best duelist in New Domino City."

"Oh really?"

"Yes, and since you've already dueled and defeated the other members of the top five, I thought, 'why not give the crowd something different?' And so, your next opponent is Leo."

"I'm really looking forward to it, Jack. I mean, mister Atlas." Leo bowed again.

"Never bow to your opponent." Jack told Leo coldly.

"R-right, Jack!"

"I just hope you're not too much of a pushover."

"You just watch, Jack! You may be my hero, but I'm going to win!" Leo declared.

"We'll see." Jack replied calmly, taking another sip of his coffee.

"Alright ladies and gentlemen!" The MC shouted into his microphone. "Leo has dueled exceptionally well, reducing Jack's life points to just eight hundred, but with only two hundred life points left, it seems as if it's all over for him now!"

"I'm impressed you've lasted so long on that puny skateboard of yours." Jack remarked, his runner racing side by side with Leo's green duel board. Leo wore kneepads the same color as his hair over his grey shorts, and elbow pads of the same color over the sleeves of his white jacket, along with a green helmet.

"But now it's time to kick this turbo duel into overdrive! Now then, Red Dragon Archfiend, attack Power Tool Dragon! Go, Absolute Power Force!"

Leo smirked. This is it, if I pull this off, I'll be the new king! "I activate my trap, Synchro Strike! This card powers up my Power Tool Dragon by one thousand points, making it stronger than Red Dragon Archfiend!" Power Tool Dragon atk(2300-3300)

"I expected that play, and so I equipped my Red Dragon Archfiend with the trap, Assault Spirits! Now, by sending Dark Tinker to the graveyard, Red Dragon Archfiend gains one thousand attack points!" Red Dragon Archfiend atk(3000-4000) "And so, it looks like we're right back where we started, with Red Dragon Archfiend about to destroy your Power Tool Dragon!"

"No way!"

"Yes way! Go Absolute Power Force!"

"Wait up! I activate my trap, Power Break!"

"Power Break?" Jack questioned.

"As long as I have Power Tool Dragon, Power Break returns every equip card on the field back to the deck, and then you take five hundred points of damage for each one! So say goodbye to your Assault Spirits!"

"Oh no!" Jack exclaimed as his trap was destroyed. "Argh!" Jack Lp(800-300) Red Dragon Archfiend atk(4000-3000) Perhaps I let this duel get a little too close.

"Would you look at that?!" The MC screamed excitedly. "Jack was posed to deliver the finishing blow, but Leo countered with a trap, but Jack countered with a trap of his own, but then Leo made a spectacular counter play! Could this be the end of Jack Atlas's reign as Master of Faster?"

"Now go, Power Tool Dragon! Win this duel! Attack with Crafty Break!"

"Aaaaaaaaaaah!" Jack Lp(300-0)

"I did it..." Leo said to himself in disbelief. "I beat Jack!" Leo continued riding his board around the track, riding up the side and flipping himself upside down, giving a 'V for victory' sign as he fell, before turning himself upright and landing.

"Alright!" Leo shouted to the cheering crowd. "The Amazing Leo... WINS!"

Leo let out a content sigh as he finished recalling that glorious day. He hoped he would get to duel Jack again soon. Turbo dueling was always a blast, especially seeing as he was still pretty new to it, but he hadn't once met an opponent who could recreate the joy of dueling the formerly Master of Faster.

"Ladies and gentlemen!" Leo heard the MC give the sign for Leo's entrance. "Please welcome- the one, the only, the Roaring Little Lion! The Amazing Leo!"

At this, Leo appeared from his tunnel on his duel board, performing what had become his signature trick, riding up the side of the track, flipping upside down and giving a wink and a 'V for Victory' to the crowd before continuing his spin, landing right side up. Being here always reminded him of when he was just a little boy and he dreamed of being a world-famous turbo duelist. Since then, much had changed.

Leo's outfit, for example, was completely different, and yet much the same. Somehow both reminiscent and distracting of his former attire he had worn when he was younger. He wore a long, white, sleeveless jacket that went down to his knees and then flared outwards. He had modeled it after the famous Seto Kaiba, but naturally the KC logo was replaced by his parents' LC logo. He'd wanted it longer, but the designers told him it would get caught in the wheels of his duel board and that that would be a 'safety concern'. Pfft. Leo made a mental note to secretly hire someone to make it longer.

He also wore a blue T-shirt with red markings on it, and knee-length shorts the color of his hair along with a red belt. He wore sneakers of the same color as his shorts with golden laces. The only thing that remained intact from his former outfit were the two grey and white bracelets he wore on his wrists. That, and his blue oversized duel disk. When Goodwin had asked if Leo wanted his duel disk adjusted to fit him better, he had told him that the larger duel disk was perfect, and that had been that.

"And... Leo's opponent! A former champion from before Jack Atlas's days, Hunter Pace!"

"Yee-haw! I've been waiting for my chance at you, punk. And now, I've got it." Hunter Pace told Leo as he rode up to the boy on the starting line.

"So you're Hunter Pace?! Aw man, I'm such a big fan! I used to watch you all the time, you know, before Jack beat you." Leo replied energetically, ignoring Hunter Pace's hostility.

Turning to the crowd, Leo lifted a finger up in the air. "Alright, let's get this party started!"

"You heard the boy! The Speed World field spells have been activated, and auto-pilot's been engaged. So let's get started! 3, 2, 1-

"Let's duel!" Leo and Hunter Pace took off on their respective rides.

"I'll blow you away!" Hunter Pace declared, boosting ahead of Leo. "After all, you can't match my speed on that little skateboard of yours." As Hunter Pace said this, he'd already taken the first turn of the track.

"So I draw! And I summon Burning Skull Head in attack mode!"

Burning Skull Head

Level 3, zombie type, fire attribute

1000atk/800def

"I end my turn wit a facedown. You're up, kid!" Leo said nothing in response, instead hitting a button on his green helmet, causing two golden objects shaped like lion heads to emerge on each side of Leo's duel board. The mighty sound of the Lion's roar filled the arena as flames spewed out of the lions' mouths, propelling Leo past Hunter Pace.

"The Amazing Leo..."

"DRAWS!" The crowd finished with Leo.

Leo: Lp(4000)CIH: 6 SPC: 1 Hunter Pace: Lp(4000)CIH: 4 SPC: 1

"How in the world is that puny thing keeping up with me?" Hunter questioned.

"Big things come in small packages." Leo explained, a cheeky grin on his face. "Now I summon Morphtronic Scopen in attack mode!"

Morphtronic Scopen

Level 3, machine type, light attribute

800atk/1400def

"And now, since Scopen's in attack mode, I can summon another level four Morphtronic from my hand! So join us, Morphtronic Radion!"

Morphtronic Radion

Level 4, thunder type, light attribute

1000atk/900def

"And now that Radion's in attack mode, all my Morphtronic monsters gain eight hundred attack points!" Scopen atk(800-1600) Radion atk(1000-1800)

"Would you look at that?! An impressive starting move from our young champion! Not that we'd expect anything less!"

"Oh yeah! I'm just getting started!" Leo cheered. He may be the champion, but the adrenaline still always got to him in these duels. "Next I activate the Speed Spell- Overboost! Now I'm really going to go into hyperdrive!" The flames that Leo's lions spewed slowly began changing color, becoming yellow, then red, until finally they became blue. At the same time, Leo's board sped ahead of Hunter Pace, leaving him halfway behind his opponent in their lap around the track.

"Thanks to Overboost I get four more speed counters!" Leo shouted back to his opponent. Leo SPC(1-5) "Next I play the Speed Spell- Summon Speeder! Now I can summon Morphtronic Celfon from my hand!"

Morphtronic Celfon

Level 1, machine type, earth attribute

100atk/100def

Celfon atk(100-900) "And now I activate Morphtronic Celfon's special ability! Now Celfon dials a random number, and then I pick up the same number of cards from my deck! And if one of those cards is a level four or lower Morphtronic monster, I get to summon it!" Leo spun his arm as Celfon dialed, earning a few 'aww's from those in the crowd who found it adorable. *Beep, boop, beep* "Alright, a two! This means I get to check two cards from my deck!" Leo looked at the two cards, squeezing one of his eyes tight in concentration, opening it when he saw he got what he wanted.

"Check it out!" Leo told the crowd as he neared Hunter Pace. "Since I drew Morphtronic Boomboxen, I get to summon it!"

Morphtronic Boomboxen

Level 4, machine type, earth attribute

1200atk/400def

Boomboxen atk(1200-2000) "Oh my!" The MC screamed in amazement. "In just one turn, Leo's assembled quite the plethora of monsters!"

"Urgh, this doesn't bode well for- wait, when'd you-

"Lap you? Don't feel bad, Pace! Most people don't notice when the Lion of the Lanes has caught his prey! Now go, Morphtronic Boomboxen! Take out Burning Skull Head!" Boomboxen leaped towards Skull Head, destroying it in one swift kick. Hunter Pace Lp(4000-3000)

"I activate my trap, Doom Accelerator! Now I gain two speed counters instead of losing one!" Hunter Pace explained as his runner's tailpipes began shooting flames and he shot up to match Leo, who had already lapped him. Hunter Pace SPC(1-3)

"Well, it won't matter long! Boomboxen, attack Pace directly!"

"Aaaaaaah!" Hunter Pace Lp(3000-1000) SPC(3-1)

"Oh, boy! Things are looking real rough for Hunter Pace now! The next attack from the Lion King may end it!"

"Go, Morphtronic Radion! Show Hunter the door!"

"Daaaaaaaaaaaarn it!" Hunter Pace's voice echoed out as his runner spun out after receiving Radion's electric bolt. Hunter Pace Lp(1000-0)

Leo performed his signature trick once again, and after he landed he stuck his index finger as high as he could for the people to see.

"Who's the Lion of the Lanes? Who soars through the stadium? That's right, it's the one, the only, the Amazing Leo!"

Leo let out a sigh as he donned his golden mask of the Lion's face, which was adorned handsomely by the flaming red mane that surrounded it. His duel tonight had not been an especially difficult one, but it was late, and Leo was still tired.

"Are you sure you need to do this?" Goodwin questioned, clipping Leo's golden cape to his back, completing his ensemble that consisted of a blue spandex suit with green lions strewn across it, his lion mask and cape, along with a pink duel disk on his left arm. This pink duel disk was also oversized, just like his normal one that he used during turbo duels.

"Of course I do." Leo responded simply. His words conveyed all Goodwin needed to hear. Leo considered his words to be the facts in this matter. "There are people out there who need my help- the Sun Lion's help."

Yes, at night Leo patrolled the streets as a 'superhero' of sorts, the Sun Lion. While Leo did in fact compete in many turbo duels, most of his duels were around midday, allowing him a little leeway to go out at the latest points of the night, before retiring to sleep in the wee hours of the morning. Goodwin, and many of the citizens of New Domino City, found it ironic that there was a superhero calling himself the Sun Lion, when he only was ever seen during the night. Leo, however, refused to call himself the Moon Lion.

"I understand your desire to help people, but in trying to help everyone, you will only succeed in exhausting yourself. I implore you to consider resting. After all, I did not make it possible for you to become champion simply so you could throw it all away to-

"I wouldn't finish that sentence." Behind his mask, Leo sent a cold glare that no one knew him capable of in Goodwin's direction. Despite not being able to see it, the chill of Leo's tone that seemed to freeze the words in the air itself got the message across.

"Very well, I shall take my leave." Goodwin left the room, leaving the silence of a boy left alone with his thoughts.

"'Make it possible to become champion'. Pfft! Make it possible to become a monster, more like it."

"W-what do you want from me? You already beat me, just take the money!" A man with a long brown ponytail and shadowy, dark, blue eyes slowly walked backwards into the alley, realizing he was at a dead end as he felt a dumpster meet his rear end.

"Money? Hah! I want more than just money!" The man's pursuer, a tall woman with broad shoulders, sharp green eyes, and red hair that came down to her back in a braid, declared. "I want your deck!"

"My cards?! You wouldn't!" The man defied.

"Oh, I would." The woman assured, continuing to stalk down alley towards the man.

"Stop right there!" A child's voice rang through the air. Before either party could react, a small figure wearing a blue suit, a gold cape, a pink duel disk, and a mask modeled after a lion's face landed from above between the two.

"You're-

"The Sun Lion!" The man cried in relief. "Oh, please, help me!"

"What do you want, Sun Lion?" The woman questioned. "Want to duel me?"

"No." The Sun Lion's voice came through their mask. "I only duel duelists. Someone like you who takes someone else's cards isn't fit to be called a duelist."

"So what are you going to do the- ah!" The woman shouted as she felt cold steel clamp on her wrists.

"You're coming with me." A gruff voice spoke from behind her.

"Who are you-

"Officer Tetsu Trudge. Not that it matters in the Facility."

"No, you can't take me there! I-

"Save it for the court." Trudge shushed the woman, pushing her into the police car behind him. "And to you, Sun Lion, I offer my thanks." Trudge saluted, which the Sun Lion returned with a salute of his own.

"Without you spotting them, we'd have never known about this."

"It's nothing."

"No really, I insist you at least allow me to-

"Hah!" With a grunt, the Sun Lion jumped onto the dumpster. One more jump and he was on top of one of the nearby buildings. From there he jumped to the next building, and then the next.

"Man. I don't know what kid is behind that mask, but I sure wish he'd let us thank him properly one of these days." Trudge muttered to himself before turning to his men. "Come on, boys. Let's turn them in!"

A few hours and a dozen rescues later, Leo was back in his penthouse, looking out the large glass window in his observatory suite.

Leo felt a pang in his heart as he looked over the beautiful sight that was New Domino City, aglow with light in the black of night. He realized that there were people out there that he couldn't save, no matter what he did. Leo's heart panged again. A pang of guilt. There were people, after all, that Leo could save this very instant if he tried, and yet he was here, about to go to bed for the night. Perhaps these thoughts weren't normal for an eleven year-old boy, but when you've been the cause of someone else's final despair, thoughts of that variety tended to come without warning, regardless of if they were wanted or not. Well, he turned eleven in a few short days anyways.

Overall though, Leo would say that his day was very productive. He won a turbo duel and entertained his fans, he played superhero and saved people and dealt out justice to criminals, and in between it all, he got to eat great meals. A good day indeed. Leo had enjoyed himself. And yet, he couldn't bring himself to put his usual smile on his face. As he stared at the moon, he wondered why. No, that's not right. He knew why, but he couldn't bring himself to admit it.

Ring ring ring! Ring ring ring! Phone call, phone call! Ring ring ring! Ring ring ring! Phone call, phone- A phone call? At this hour? Who could it possibly be, Leo wondered as he picked up his blue cell phone.

"Hello?" Leo questioned sleepily.

As he opened his phone, the familiar, overly cheery voice of Leo's mother greeted him through the phone. Well that sure explained the timing. Leo's parents were in Europe, where it was still daytime. Leo wondered if they worried about waking him up, or if they even knew that it was four in the morning in New Domino City.

"I'm doing good, Mom." Leo replied, doing his best to put on a cheery facade. "I won my duel today!" Leo waited as the response came from Leo's mother. "Yeah, I know, but you're busy, you can't just drop work to come see me... Yes, I miss you too... Love you... Hmm? You want to talk to my sister?" Leo paused for a few seconds. "Sorry, she's sleeping... It's pretty late here, you know... No, I'm not staying up past my bedtime... I know it's been a while since you talked to her... Well, maybe try calling when it's a bit earlier, next time... Yes, mom, I'm sorry. I was just trying to help... Bye, love you too." With that, Leo hung up and snapped his phone shut.

"Hah." Leo sighed. "She wants to talk to my sister, huh? If she really cared, she'd come in person. Not that she'd see anything, anyways." Leo felt something run down his hands. Something warm and oozing. Something red and iron-scented. Leo looked down, thoroughly inspecting his fingers, his palms, the back of his hands. Nothing. They were clean, of course. And yet he felt as if he could see and smell the blood on them.

"Not again." Leo's voice let out quietly. What was supposed to be exasperation came out as a whine. Leo took a deep breath in, then out. Nothing, the blood was still vividly phasing in and out of sight. Another deep breath. In. Out. Again. Once more.

"Phew." Leo breathed out. Finally, when he looked at his hand, it looked like a perfectly normal boy's hand. Leo thought back to when he was younger. When he had been a normal boy. Thinking about it, Leo realized that he should be euphoric right now. Not only had he become the Turbo Dueling King, an outlandish enough dream for a young boy, but he'd even become a superhero! He was living out every boy's dream, including his own.

Another pang. This one of longing. Leo sighed. He hated to admit that Goodwin was right about anything, but perhaps he really should see a psychologist.

"Do you miss me?" Leo heard the familiar haunting sound of his own voice come from behind him. Without turning from the window, he answered, bitterly;

"What do you want? Why do you haunt? Have you come to flaunt? Flaunt that you've found peace, and I have not?"

"You're rhyming again."

"Shut up. I'm good at wordplay. Who do you think came up with 'Lion of the Lanes'? Now answer me!" Leo demanded, losing his patience.

"Only you know the answers to such questions. So I ask you, why is it that I am here?"

"Enough! If you have something to say, just say it! Don't confuse me with all your cryptic mumbo-jumbo." Leo complained.

"Only when your mind is clear can you find within you the answers that you seek." Leo's voice responded.

"I want answers in order to clear my mind! That doesn't help me!" Leo turned around, hoping to catch his apparition acquaintance red-handed. Instead, as always, he caught only the sight of greenish-aquamarine hair flowing as the cause of the voice disappeared.

Leo looked around the room for signs of his visitor, but found none. All he saw were paintings of the moon that lined the walls, and the pink duel disk that the Sun Lion wore. A deck of cards in an open drawer, and a Kuribon plush in the corner. Some of the hair bands he used to tie his ponytail, and the open door to his former bedroom. Leo searched the rooms for signs of his visitor, but all he found was pain.

A buzz in his pocket. Leo took out his cell phone and saw that he had a notification. His next duel would be the day after tomorrow. A redemption duel for the former champ, Jack Atlas.

Leo... no, he didn't smile. He didn't smirk. He couldn't even begin to get his lips to curve upwards, yet he was excited all the same. He would finally get the chance to duel his hero again. Leo wondered how much better Jack had gotten.

"Aw man, I just can't wait!" Leo shouted, happiness in his voice again as he momentarily forgot his visitor. And then he remembered. And then he smirked. "A duel against Jack Atlas." He spoke darkly. "The crowd will love it." And hopefully the 'me' in the crowd does, too. Maybe then...

Life was a dream. But her corpse was still on his hands.