Chapter 2 - Threats
It had been a few days (close to a week) since Yusei's crash in the Daimon Area. Yusei's stitches were closer to being ready to take out, which made him very impatient every time he thought about it. Maya checked on his wound's progress everyday and made sure that he never skipped a meal to help the healing process quicken. 'An empty stomach can't help a person heal', she said to him countless times to which he always grunted at, but still heeded her advice.
At the same time, the two young adults were constantly engaging in friendly conversations everyday, though neither of them was willing to reveal too much about themselves, which was understandable in their eyes. They were still strangers to each other. However, they both appreciated their own individual efforts in being as open as they could manage even though they didn't have to be.
" 'It's better to extend the olive branch in this kind of situation than to pretend that it's not awkward that I'm literally getting very personal with you,' " Maya would say and to that, Yusei would smirk and nod.
When the weekend came around, Maya tended to Yusei as much as she could as the weekends were her longest shift days at the pub and she would not have time to come home and check up on him if he began to bleed through his bandages again.
"I've taken care of myself for a long time, Anaïs. I've survived a lot of bruises and cuts and still managed to come out just fine."
Maya rolled her eyes. "Men. All of you think the same way. Pouring some water or peroxide on a cut and then letting it dry is not how you take care of an injury. That's why you need a woman's touch, Yusei … to make sure that this heals properly and won't leave too much of a permanent scar."
He raised an eyebrow. "What's wrong with a little scarring?"
Maya rolled her eyes again.
"Men," she muttered and placed the last bit of tape on the gauze to hold it in place. She stood up and nodded at her work. "You're one lucky guy, Yusei. I don't think I've ever seen a patch-up job heal this well in a short amount of time before. I should've gone to medical school." She joked and then went back to the kitchenette to start making lunch.
"Why didn't you?" He asked.
Maya tensed up momentarily, but then relaxed quickly. "Um … where I come from … opportunities like that don't really exist … my family didn't have a lot of money either so that would've been a lost cause."
"I see," said Yusei.
They stayed quiet for a few minutes, unsure of how to continue the conversation. Maya finished putting together their sandwiches on plates and moved to bring them to the unclothed mattress, but somehow lost her footing suddenly. Yusei was already at her side, catching the falling plate before it met its doom and grabbed Maya's waist holding her upright against his bare chest. Maya blinked rapidly at the speed of everything and looked up into the young man's cerulean eyes.
'I never knew he had blue eyes,' she thought. 'Why didn't I notice that before?'
"You okay?" He asked, his grip on her waist slightly loosening to allow her space to wriggle free. She didn't.
"Yeah … I … ," she chuckled to herself, suddenly. "It's funny, I'm not a clumsy person. I've always been kind of a perfectionist in everything that to almost slip and fall is a little embarrassing to me." She said with flushed cheeks.
"It's okay to fall every now and then," said Yusei with a soft voice that felt a little out of the ordinary, even for him. "It's what makes us human."
Maya, feeling that their proximity was a little too much for her, cleared her throat and pulled away gently to not appear rude. Then, she shot him an impish smile. "Maybe I'm not human, then. I might be a cyborg or something, you never know."
Yusei smirked back. "I guess it would explain why your cooking skills are pretty much impeccable."
They shared a small laugh briefly and then took to the mattress to eat the sandwiches, though Maya made sure to keep an extra amount of distance this time around. As the rest of the day moved forward, Maya took the rest of the day to allow Yusei to see his D-Wheel and step outside to get some fresh air since his crash. The young man enjoyed every second of it, even if it didn't show on his stoic face.
"Thanks, Lore." said Maya to her landlord. "I really owe you one for helping me keep Yusei and his bike a secret."
The older and more rotund man grunted. "I keep telling you, Anaïs. You ain't gonna find a real nice landlord like me who keeps your shit underwraps. But make sure that this shit doesn't happen again. I may have taken in you, but I'm done taking in stray dogs." Yusei looked up at the man with stern eyes, but didn't say anything. Maya had to force herself to hold her tongue. One nasty word from her and she'd be on the streets again and despite Lore's attitude, he was the only person in this city to take her in.
"Sure, won't happen again." said Maya with a curt nod. Lore eyed her and Yusei carefully and then slammed the door shut at the top of the garage stairs that lead into his apartment complex. Maya muttered a curse word under her breath. Yusei looked at her.
"Don't be too upset about that, Anaïs. I'm used to getting called all types of things. It comes with the territory of being a Satellite." The girl climbed up on a box of junk and sat there, cross-legged with a huff.
"Still doesn't make it right." She grumbled.
"I know, … but it is what it is." Yusei focused his attention on the red D-Wheel and glided a careful hand over it while Maya watched silently. He was dressed in the newly stitched black sleeveless shirt with the red insignia in the middle. Maya had just finished washing his jacket and hung it up to dry in the sun before they came to check on the bike. She turned her head to the open garage door that showed a beautiful view of the city in the near distance and overlooked the Daimon Area a couple of blocks away. Maya breathed in the air and closed her eyes briefly, letting the soft breeze brush against her plum and pink hair before turning back to Yusei, who was now pressing buttons on the bike that opened several different compartments.
"Where'd you get the bike?" She suddenly asked, curious to the answer he would give, but completely unprepared for the response he gave.
"I built it." He said.
Maya scoffed while chuckling. "Yeah, right."
Yusei turned to meet her gaze with those same serious eyes. Her laughter faded quickly.
"Wait, you're serious?" She practically whispered. "You actually built this?"
"Not just me. It was me … and my friends back in the Satellite. I've … always been pretty handy with things. I used to fix anything I could find just for fun, then it became a real passion for me. My friends gathered the parts I would need and I melded, welded and fused everything together."
"Wow, Yusei … that's … incredible! Like—seriously!"
The young male shrugged and pushed more buttons to close the compartments before standing. "This was supposed to be our ticket to freedom."
"Our?"
"Me and my friends," he clarified with a sad expression. "None of them knew how to ride a D-Wheel. I learned and practiced after I fixed up a broken bike when I was younger. Had to ride it around in secret so that I wouldn't get mugged for it." He smiled wryly.
"This D-Wheel … the 'YuseiGo!' as my friends call it, was supposed to be a symbol of hope. We knew that we all couldn't escape the Satellite, at least not all at once. So we thought if one of us could escape now, it should be someone who we knew could bring change. Be a beacon of light, sort of. It was a unanimous decision, … except I didn't want the responsibility at first. I couldn't think about leaving my friends … the only family I ever had in the Satellite. If it weren't for them, I probably would've gone to the Facility a long time ago. Might've died there too … but life wasn't like that for me. I'm blessed to have been spared from that … even if my upbringing wasn't always the brightest."
Maya nodded solemnly and hesitated briefly before speaking. "That night of your crash, … you said you were running from Sector Security …"
"And you want to know why," He finished. Maya nodded.
"I'd left the Satellite two weeks prior to the night you found me. I got arrested the same night I entered the city, was sent to the Facility the next day, stayed there for a while and met some pretty decent people, got an early leave by some guy named Director Goodwin, I think, stole my D-Wheel back and well … you know the rest."
Maya's eyes were wide open. "Hold on a sec—you got an early leave from Rex Goodwin? How? Why? And wait—what did you get arrested for?"
Yusei smirked at her curiousness. "I'll tell you another time."
She shrugged. "Fair enough."
When the sun began to lower into the early evening, Maya left for work and Yusei made himself busy with fine tuning his D-Wheel with the tools Maya had and whatever Lore would offer him.
"Better not make too much noise down there or else you and me are going to have a fucking problem, Satellite." said Lore with low growl. Yusei remained composed as he took the tools from the landlord's reluctant hand.
"Don't worry, Lore. We won't have a problem with each other … because I know you don't want a problem with me." Yusei replied calmly. Lore cut his eyes at Yusei and went to grab at him, but the younger male was much faster with his reflexes and caught Lore's wrist, twisting it slightly. The landlord howled in pain before Yusei threw his arm back, causing Lore to stumble.
"Like I said … you don't want a problem with me." He warned. Lore grumbled a curse word under his breath and rubbed his wrist gently before he took two steps back into his stairwell and slammed the door shut, locking it twice.
Yusei sighed and pulled up a box to sit on and fix the small dents and re-work the wires in his D-Wheel whilst thinking about Rally, Blitz, Tank and Nervin—all of his friends who believed in him to make this journey to Satellite, who had faith that Yusei would become the bridge that closes the gap between the Satellite and the people of New Domino City. And yet … somehow … he failed them.
He put down the tools and placed his face in his hands.
"I failed you guys," he said quietly. "I was supposed to come here … to bring hope, live a better life than the one I remember back in the Satellite. Growing up with gangs, sickness, depression … I know that all too well. This city was supposed to be a second chance for all of us … even if one of us could only make it out." He sighed and then a not too fond memory plagued his thoughts and caused Yusei to curl his fist tightly.
"But then Jack took that dream from us … and I still don't know why. He says he did it because he wanted to get rich and famous, to get away from us … his friends," Yusei squeezed his knuckles tighter. "But I know that's not true. I have to know why. Why did my oldest friend … one of my best friends … turn his back on us so suddenly? What changed him?"
The questions in his mind were endless and made it hard for Yusei to focus on anything else, but Jack and why had he changed. The memories of that duel the night he arrived in New Domino City haunted his being with Jack's cold words replaying in his head.
'I knew how much that D-Wheel was worth and how much it meant to your and your friends … and when I saw an opportunity to have it for myself—I took it!'
A small pain appeared and throbbed against Yusei's forehead suddenly. He held it gently and felt his equilibrium was a little off and decided that all this worrying was making him ill. He needed rest, as much as he didn't want to admit it. The young man sauntered over to the door and went back inside the small basement apartment to the mattress and lied down upon his back with closed eyes and drifted off to a quiet slumber.
"Tequila mule," said Maya, pushing the chilled glass down the counter to the awaiting customer who grunted at her small delay. Chubbs was in the backroom, counting his money and being the lazy lout Maya knew him to be, but she knew the pub never got really busy anyways. Everyone who walked in was usually someone who was trying to stay low from Sector Security—either to avoid returning to the Satellite or refugees like she was.
Still, the least her boss could do was actually act like he cared about this business.
"Hey kitten, how about you give me a nice big ole' glass of beer and I'll give you a nice kiss in return." said one of her customers, who was more than 300 pounds overweight, had gold teeth and barely any hair on his head to makeup for his slob appearance.
Maya wrinkled her nose. "Cash only, dirt bag."
"Ooooh playin' hard to get? I like that in a woman."
She shuddered in disgust and filled his glass with beer and shoved it towards him. The man was still unsatisfied. "What about that kiss darlin'?
"I'd rather eat glass." She huffed, "Now pay up and get outta here." When Maya turned to clean another table, the man quickly swooped in from behind and grabbed her waist, pulling her against him. Rage and vomit pooled at the base of her throat and without hesitation—she elbowed him in the chest and then pushed off against him, preventing herself from falling to the ground with him.
"Don't ever touch me like that again!" She snarled. The few people who were left in the pub watched the scene before them warily while intrigued. The large man on the ground, who now had a throbbing ache in his chest and wheezed with flushed cheeks, glared at the young woman.
"You little bitch!" He growled and wobbled to stand upright. "I'll fucking kill you for that!"
Maya chuckled dryly. "Men who've said that to me never lived to tell the tale … if you want to join their ranks, please by all means … be my guest." She threatened darkly.
"Nobody threatens me," said the man with a low growl. "No one." Maya watched his moves closely. She remembered a moment in time like this situation and remembered how dangerously bad it ended … and unlike the previous time, she was not no damsel in distress. Maya's life had been crafted with fear, rage and hatred … there was not a cruel word or threat that she hadn't already heard of before.
But this time … Maya underestimated her opponent.
Just as he moved to grab her, she moved to throw a right hook that was suddenly captured in his stubby hands and held tightly behind her back. Then, he came around, holding her neck back with his bulky arm … with a knife pointed to her jugular.
The customers stood up in shock and backed away. Being a witness to a murder was not on their agendas.
"Not so tough now, are you?" He rasped into her ear. The bile in her throat built up steadily while her skin became pricked with goosebumps. She had never been outmaneuvered before. His size should not have granted him the swiftness that he possessed but alas, she had taken his bait and fallen into a trap that she wasn't too sure if she could escape.
"Let go of me, you bastard!" She shouted angrily. At her screams, Chubbs returned to the room while the man pushed the knife closer against Maya's neck. Her gasp was enough to make him grin. She was scared.
"Whoa, whoa, whoa … let's just calm down here, Brix. No need to fight or spill any blood in my pub. Let my employee go and you can take the drink—free of charge." Chubbs reasoned.
Her captor scoffed. "Fuck your watery-ass drink. This bitch needs to learn a lesson she won't forget! Nobody gets to threaten me and get away with it!"
"I admit it … she does have … an uncensored tongue," said Chubbs sheepishly. Maya shot him a hot glare that he effectively avoided eye contact with. "But there's no need for this! What if the police come by and see this? You'll be locked up instantly or worse … thrown in the Satellite! You don't want that, right?"
Brix laughed. "When the fuck did this turn into an intervention? This bitch," he said holding her tighter against him with the knife pressed a little harder against the side of her neck. She took in a deep breath. "Doesn't know when to shut the fuck up and now … I'm gonna teach her."
"Take your hands off of her," said a deep, yet smooth and familiar voice. Maya's eyes focused on the door where the shadow of a figure stood before stepping into the light.
"Yusei," she whispered.
"Who the fuck are you?" Brix narrowed his eyes, but Yusei's were far more intimidating and dangerous.
"I said, … take your hands off of her." Yusei moved to where they stood, but Brix drew back and clutched Maya tighter and pushed the point of the knife harder against her neck. She cried out in response and Yusei became rigid.
"Come any closer and she'll be lifeless by the time you reach me," he threatened. Everyone stood still in the room, waiting for someone to make a move or strike … but nobody was bold enough to charge forward. Except Maya and Yusei. Having had enough of being a fly caught in a spider's web—she bit down on Brix's sweaty hand and sunk her teeth in as deep as she could to the point where the taste of blood touched her lips and tongue. A howling shriek echoed from her captor and Yusei moved in swiftly, grabbing a tall glass off the counter and crashing it against the side of her attacker's head. Blood trickled down the side of his face as he succumbed to his injuries, falling to his knees whilst ultimately losing his grip on the girl. Maya reached a hand out that Yusei took and yanked her from him into the safety of his lean, muscled arms, her face pushed into his chest where sandalwood and charcoal lingered. She held him tightly.
"What the—holy fuck! What the hell? Anaïs, who is this guy?!" Chubbs sputtered.
Maya couldn't hear him. She was too consumed in the surprising comfort and warmth that Yusei radiated around them. She pulled back slowly and their eyes locked in a gentle gaze that lasted for barely a minute, before Yusei gently took her hands from his waist and then moved towards Brix, who was still holding his bloodied head.
He crouched down beside him and gripped his shoulder, pushing his body against the wall. Brix groaned at the sudden push and flared his eyes at Yusei's dark cerulean ones.
"Get out of here … now." He growled.
Maya widened her eyes. 'And I thought I was the one with the tough rep. Not Yusei.'
Brix scrambled past Maya and ran out the pub, clutching his bleeding temple, along with the other paying customers who left their untouched drinks at the counter—no longer having the stomach for the alcohol. Chubbs glared at Yusei.
"Anaïs, who the hell is this asshole who just chased away all of my fucking clients?!" Maya flinched at the shriek in his voice and scrambled for a plausible answer.
"He's my … my … ,"
"I'm her boyfriend." said Yusei flatly.
Maya was not one to blush, except in extreme circumstances—this was one of those extreme circumstances.
"And as her boyfriend, I want to know why the hell would you let that guy touch her and hold her hostage like that?" His words seemed calm. They definitely matched his expression, but it was his tone that set the mood very astray from peaceful to immensely tense.
Chubbs frowned. "Well, what the hell would you have me do, tough guy? If I would've called the police, he might've gone berserk. Approaching him didn't seem like a good option for either—my hands were tied!"
Yusei didn't blink. "Of course they were."
Chubbs' nose flared slightly. "Look I don't have to answer to a nobody like you! Anaïs!" He sent her a hot scowl. "Learn to reign in that boyfriend of yours and maybe—just maybe, I'll let you keep your job here."
Maya cut her eyes at him but knew better than to respond back. She nodded glumly while Chubbs grunted and then turned his back to him on his way to his office space. "Now get the hell outta my bar." He slammed the door harshly, echoing throughout the small space. Maya sighed and leaned against Yusei's shoulder.
"Let's get out of here," She whispered gently and moved towards the door. As they made their way outside, Yusei's D-Wheel greeted them upon view to which Yusei handed Maya his helmet and then grabbed the spare one from the special
compartment at the side, before boarding the bike and started the engine quickly.
Maya stood there with a confused expression.
"You just gonna stand there all night? Hop on," he smirked.
"Are you insane? I can't fit on your bike!" She protested helplessly while being slightly terrified of sitting on that thing.
Yusei smirked briefly. "Are you telling me that the brave Anaïs who's more than capable of taking down a man three times her size is scared of getting on a measly D-Wheel?" He looked down in mock shame with that same handsome toying in his lips that was slowly driving Maya insane. "My oh my … how I misjudged you."
She snorted. "You're really going to take shots at me, Mr. Fudo?"
"There's nobody else around to take shots at Miss Anaïs," he said simply.
"Just shut up and drive," she rolled her eyes to which the young male grinned at as she took her seat behind him, gripping onto the right accelerator hilt holder while her legs dangled under the left hilt holder.
"Comfortable?" He asked.
"As much as I can be," she muttered. The younger male chuckled under his breath and revved the engine one more time.
"Hang on!" He said and then they were gliding down and around, using his sharp memory skills to guide him back to the apartment with the occasional advice from Maya who was clutching onto the hilt for dear life. Yusei smiled to himself.
"Don't be afraid, Anaïs. I have complete control of this D-Wheel … besides, you should take a look at the view we're about to get." He said over the noise of the winds and the engine flowing in the breeze. Maya peeked one eye open and was surprised to see the crescent moon in the near distance again. It brightened the black sky with hope and shimmer as they glided down the Daimon Area, taking the path leading onto the newly constructed highway that few people used.
"Wow … ," said a breathless Maya. "It's gorgeous."
Yusei braked quickly and made a sharp right onto the ramp and zoomed forward. The view became even more wider and serene to their eyes with the crisp winds of the night cutting deliciously against their faces.
"I'm sorry for the trouble I caused at your workplace, Anaïs. I had no real intention of being there in the first place. I was just driving around to get some fresh air and then … I felt like … ," He paused.
"You felt what?"
" … like something was … pulling me to go in that direction … and then when I pulled up in front of the pub, that weird feeling intensified and the next thing I knew—I was rushing inside to see you with a knife at your neck."
Maya swallowed hard at the memory and vehemently pushed it from her mind. "I'm glad you were there, Yusei. I really don't know how things would've turned out if you weren't. And you didn't cause any trouble, despite what Chubbs said. You saved me and a bunch of other civilians from a possible homicide. To be honest … I didn't think you were the type to act so … tough. You seem like a really nice guy."
"I am … most times," he teased lightly. "But growing up in the Satellite also taught me that not everybody can be reasoned with and in those times of distress, sometimes words aren't enough. Sometimes you have to use your own knuckles to get the point across. You know what I mean?"
"More than you realize," she mumbled against the winds.
A sudden screech from behind them alerted Maya to look over her shoulder and see four Sector Security D-Wheels following them with their red and blue siren lights blinking.
"Uhh … Yusei, I think you might want to pull over." The young man heeded her words and turned the bike sideways, screeching to a halt as the other officers did as well, keeping a safe distance from one another. One officer dismounted the D-Wheel and stepped into the small light.
A face that Yusei recognized and was not pleased to see.
Officer Tetsu Trudge.
"Thought you could run away while your buddy kept me occupied, did you? Well, think again Satellite scum!" He barked, pushing his D-Wheel to be almost side by side with Yusei's. Officer Trudge then happened to notice the girl on the back of the bike holding onto to the hilt at the overhang and narrowed his eyes.
"Who's the girl, Yusei? I didn't take you for a ladies' man like Jack Atlas." Maya shot daggers at the demanding and very rude officer.
"None of your business, Trudge!" The young man then revved up his engines and zipped forward from the crowded space.
"You're not going anywhere, Yusei! Remember that new little tool I got installed on the patrol bike—well, luckily for me, it wasn't damaged in my crash with your little friend and since it's still in good condition—I'm gonna use it now to put you back in that cage you cheated your way out of in the Facility!"
A button was pressed on Trudge's patrol D-Wheel which then activated the Turbo Dueling function on Yusei's, overriding his commands once again. He growled in annoyance.
"This guy has some serious issues with you, Yusei." Maya observed.
"You have no idea, Anaïs." He replied with a grumble as the Speed World 2 Field Spell became active and then the world around them became a purple glaze that nobody could escape from until the duel ceased with someone as a winner. And for Maya's sake—Yusei couldn't afford to lose.
Not when he had made it this far.
"I'm gonna rid you from these clean New Domino City streets if it's the last thing I do, Yusei! So get your deck ready—because this'll be your last duel before I ship you off to the Facility again! Mr. Armstrong is looking forward to your immediate return!" Trudge chuckled darkly.
"Well I'm not planning on losing to the likes of you, Trudge! So bring it on!" Yusei replied, watching his deck get shuffled neatly before pulling the top five cards from his deck and placing it in the holding hilt situated on his right arm.
DUEL!
Trudge: 4000 LP
Yusei: 4000 LP
"I draw first!" said Trudge with his sixth card in his hand. "I summon Assault Dog in attack mode!" A blue portal opened on Officer Trudge's right side that revealed a police force dog armored and running alongside his D-Wheel.
Assault Dog: LVL 4 | 1200 ATK | 800 DEF
"I end my turn, Yusei. Your move!"
"Then let's go, Trudge!" said the fiery young man as he drew his new card and simultaneously, both Duelists gained 1 speed counter.
Trudge: SPC—1
Yusei: SPC—1
"You okay, Anaïs?" He suddenly asked the young girl who looked on over the duel in wonder. She had never seen a Turbo Duel before and as scary as it was being on a D-Wheel with the possibility of falling off or crashing—she was exhilarated at the same time.
"Just hanging out," she joked which eased Yusei's worry before he turned back to the duel, switching his drawn Trap Card for a Monster Card instead. He placed it vertically onto its respective zone.
"I summon Rockstone Warrior in attack mode!" A summon portal of blue opened on Yusei's left with a cobblestone warrior with fierce yellow eyes staring intensely at Trudge's opposing Monster Card.
Rockstone Warrior: LVL 4 | 1800 ATK | 1600 DEF
"And now I'll have him attack your Assault Dog directly! Boulder Smash!" He declared as the card collided with the police dog and shattered it on impact. Trudge was not impressed.
"I'm surprised, Yusei. I know we haven't dueled for awhile, but I didn't think that you would've already forgotten that when Assault Dog is destroyed by battle—I'm allowed to bring in the cavalry and summon two more Assault Dogs!" He said and placed two new Monster Cards on the duel disk that appeared on either side of his patrol vehicle.
Assault Dog #1: LVL 4 | 1200 ATK | 800 DEF
Assault Dog #2: LVL 4 | 1200 ATK | 800 DEF
"I end my turn." said Yusei, to which Officer Trudge grinned wickedly at.
"Alright then, I draw!" He began while their speed counters increased again.
Trudge: SPC—2
Yusei: SPC—2
"From my hand, I summon the Tuner Monster Stygian Security!" A new portal emerged with a small gremlin appearing with a police siren glued to its head, dragon wings and tail and wielded a blow horn and a baton in either of its claws.
Stygian Security: LVL 1 | Tuner | 100 ATK | 600 DEF
"This is already not lookin' good for me," said Yusei as he watched Trudge's Fiend Monster and one of the Assault Dogs rise up into the air together.
"And I plan on making it worse so that by the end of this Duel, you'll be begging me to go back to that trash heap you call 'home'. Now watch as Stygian Security and Assault Dog tune together to create—Goyo Chaser!"
From the combined forces of the green Synchro Summoning rings to the golden transparent outline of Trudge's former Monster Card and the white orbs of light that collided together and shto a beam of light behind his patrol car-Officer Trudge and his fellow colleagues grinned as a kabuki warrior emerged with a grim face and wearing traditional Japanese attire, flying above Trudge's patrol D-Wheel.
Goyo Chaser: LVL 5 | Synchro | 1900 ATK | 1000 DEF
"Let's not waste any time! Attack his warrior directly!" Trudge commanded abruptly, as the kabuki warrior flew over towards Yusei's cobblestone warrior and used its whip to slash against the opposing Monster Card and caused it to self-destruct beside Yusei's D-Wheel. He smirked nonetheless.
"Why are you smiling like that Yusei? I just destroyed your only monster."
"Because I was a fool to think that you'd know that I don't take any damage due to my warrior's effect. Then again, you don't really use your head that often, Trudge." Maya stifled a chuckle at the witty remark.
Trudge growled loudly. "Well, did you know that when Goyo Chaser destroys a monster in battle—he can usurp that monster from your Graveyard and bring it to my field, but it's ATK points are halved." The kabuki warrior made a small noise before using its whip to slash against the ground that then opened a portal and revived the cobblestone warrior to Trudge's field.
Rockstone Warrior: LVL 4 | 900 ATK | 1600 DEF
"Yes … I did know that, Trudge." Yusei replied and then pressed a button on his duel disk. "And I also know that when Rockstone Warrior is destroyed by battle, I get two Rockstone Tokens to take his place!"
Rockstone Token #1: LVL 1 | Token | 0 ATK | 0 DEF
Rockstone Token #2: LVL 1 | Token | 0 ATK | 0 DEF
"I'll place a card facedown to end my turn." Trudge resigned and placed the card into the Spell/Trap Card Zone, watching it materialize to his left side before the turn became Yusei's.
"Now it's my turn!" He began.
Trudge: SPC—3
Yusei: SPC—3
"And I summon the Tuner Monster Junk Synchron!" Yusei watched as one of his favorite Monster Cards appeared on the field in an orange junk clad outfit and a white scarf dangling from around its neck.
Junk Synchron: LVL 3 | Tuner | 1300 ATK | 500 DEF
"Now I tune Junk Synchron with the two Rockstone Tokens and I'm pretty sure you can guess who I'm about to summon Trudge." The Monster Cards in Yusei's field flew up and created the same process his opponent delivered moments ago and created a white beam of light that flashed and shot out horizontally against Yusei's D-Wheel.
"Even the tiniest scrap has value! And this monster will prove it! Synchro Summon!" He spoke as he placed the new white Monster Card onto his duel disk vertically.
"Appear, Junk Warrior!"
The new Monster Card flew out of the white beam of light and flew above Yusei and Maya's form and D-Wheel, dressed in similar attire as the former Tuner Monster Card with purple, yellow and green accents.
Junk Warrior: LVL 5 | Synchro | 2300 ATK | 1300 DEF
"Nice monster," said Maya, suddenly, to no one in particular.
"Junk Warrior—send Goyo Chaser to the scrap heap!" He declared as the junk Monster Card swooped in for an attack.
Trudge, Maya and Yusei watched as the Monster Cards collided and created a whirlwind of smoke that erupted above their heads. Trudge was smirking when the smoke dissipated.
Trudge: (-400) = 3600 LP
"You walked right into my trap, Yusei! And I mean that quite literally!" He grinned and then pressed a button on his duel disk that flipped up his facedown Trap Card.
"Because you destroyed a monster on my field—I triggered the Regretful Rebirth Trap Card which revives that monster in defense mode until the End Phase of my turn." The card became locked in chains and then split in half to reveal the fallen kabuki Monster Card that took a knee beside Trudge's patrol car.
Goyo Chaser: LVL 5 | Synchro | 1900 ATK | 1000 DEF
"I place two cards facedown to end my turn," said Yusei as both cards materialized in front and to the left side of his D-Wheel.
"My draw!" said Officer Trudge.
Trudge: SPC—4
Yusei: SPC—4
"And now that I have Goyo Chaser back—I'm going to sacrifice him to bring out a monster who's going to waste no time putting you behind bars!" He announced and then took a higher level Monster Card from his hand, replacing the previous card and setting it vertically on his duel disk. "You should remember this guy, Yusei because he definitely remembers you! I summon Handcuffs Dragon!"
A new portal emerged in front of Trudge's patrol car and from it a large yellow bellied dragon rose up with the front of its face resembling handcuffs as well as the back of its tail. It screeched loudly towards the opponents which Yusei narrowed his eyes at on his screen.
Handcuffs Dragon: LVL 5 | 1800 ATK | 1800 DEF
Trudge pulled a card from his hand and inserted it into the Spell and Trap Card Zone. "I activate the Speed Spell—Summon Speeder! Since I've got 4 speed counters I can use Summon Speeder's effect to special summon a Monster Card from my hand." At this, he picked up another card from his hand—one that showed the appearance of a gremlin riding a patrol car.
"Say hello again to Stygian Street Patrol!" said Trudge, as his Monster Card materialized fully onto the field, riding alongside the officer.
Stygian Street Patrol: LVL 4 | 1600 ATK | 1200 DEF
"I think this guy's a few cards short of a deck," said Maya to Yusei. "Neither of his monsters are capable of taking out Junk Warrior."
"Don't be so sure, Anaïs." Yusei replied.
"Handcuffs Dragon—put the brakes on that D-Wheel!" The officer ordered. The Monster Card screeched and flew straight towards the warrior who responded to the attack with a glowing fist that crushed his opponent. Trudge grunted as the shattered pieces fell onto him.
Trudge: (-500) = 3100 LP
Maya shook her head, but then became surprised as she witnessed the dragon latch onto Yusei's warrior with a pincer-like move.
"What the—what just happened here?" She asked.
"It's Handcuffs Dragon special ability! You see when it's destroyed by battle—it automatically latches onto the Monster Card that destroyed it and then drains it by the ATK points of Handcuffs Dragon. Therefore, locking up Yusei's monster for his criminal actions." He grinned.
Junk Warrior: (-1800) = 500 ATK
"That's some ability," Maya remarked quietly.
"And now that he's powered down—Stygian Street Patrol can attack!" The patrol monster glared at the entangled Monster Card and then revved it's engine to drive and crash into Junk Warrior, obliterating him completely.
Yusei: (-1100) = 2900 LP
Yusei: (-1) = SPC—3
The D-Wheel's speed reduced a little, bringing him backwards and closer to Trudge's reach. Maya held on tightly as Yusei boosted his accelerators and pushed forward.
Trudge cackled. "Feeling helpless yet, Yusei?"
"Not a chance, Trudge because now I activate my facedown—Miracle's Wake! Which resurrects a monster that was destroyed this turn. Return to battle, Junk Warrior!" A white portal emerged in front of the flipped up Trap Card and the fallen warrior rose up with a grunt, ready to resume battle.
Junk Warrior: LVL 5 | Synchro | 2300 ATK | 1300 DEF
"That's great, Yusei because thanks to Handcuffs Dragon's effect—he's revived as well!"
Handcuffs Dragon: LVL 5 | 1800 ATK | 1800 DEF
"I'll end my turn at that. Your move, Yusei."
"I draw, then!" The young man announced and then peered at his card. It was a Speed Spell, but Yusei would not enact it now. The timing had to be perfect in order to get past Trudge.
Trudge: 3100 LPSPC—5
Yusei: 2900 LPSPC—4
"I summon Junk Anchor in attack mode!"
A small robot jumped out of the blue summon portal to Yusei's right and squealed in excitement at being brought out into the duel. Maya smiled lightly.
Junk Anchor: LVL 2 | Tuner | 0 ATK | 0 DEF
"And with Junk Anchor out; I think you can guess what I'm about to do next, Trudge! He tunes with Junk Warrior to Synchro Summon—Junk Archer!" said Yusei as his Monster Cards, united to transform into a brand-new warrior with orange junk-plated armor and wielding a matching bow and arrow with a loud grunt as its eyes fixated on Handcuffs Dragon.
Junk Archer: LVL 7 | Synchro | 2300 ATK | 2000 DEF
"And now I activate Junk Archer's special ability. Once every turn, I'm allowed to target one Monster Card on your side of the field and have it temporarily removed it from play!" The junk-clad archer nocked its arrow swiftly and then let go, releasing a fiery arrow that stopped right above Handcuffs Dragon's head and created a swirling black portal that sucked the card inside.
Trudge growled impatiently.
"Now that we've got a more level playing field, Junk Archer's going straight in for a direct attack on your Stygian Street Patrol, Officer!" Trudge braced himself as the archer nocked another arrow and released it onto his demonic patrol officer who shattered immediately as the arrow pierced through its holographic form, but Trudge was still hit with the aftermath as the arrow combusted against his D-Wheel and shook his patrol car slightly.
Maya's eyes widened. Dammit! I thoughtI had it on lock!
Trudge: (-700) = 2400 LP
Trudge looked alarmingly at his wobbling patrol car. "What the hell …," he muttered. "That … that almost felt … real." He said to himself. He turned to Yusei's form slowly getting further away, but Trudge was not going to let him slip out of his fingers once again. He had already gotten humiliated by his colleagues at HQ for his failure to catch a 20 year old boy with no history, no family, no connections with nothing but a deck to keep him alive.
But Trudge knew that Yusei wasn't just any kid off the street. He knew there was something more to him than his smart-ass remarks and quips. Even if he didn't want to admit to his prideful self.
"I'm gonna set a card facedown first," said Yusei, pushing the card into the Spell and Trap Card Zone with his thumb, waiting for it to materialize briefly on the field before continuing. "And now Junk Archer's effect kicks in again and releases your dragon from that black hole earlier." The Monster Card was then suddenly dropped back onto the field by the black hole that disappeared into thin air.
Handcuffs Dragon: LVL 5 | 1800 ATK | 1800 DEF
"Your turn, Trudge."
The officer made a small face and then drew his new card from his awaiting deck. "You're running out of time, Yusei!"
Trudge: 2400 LPSPC—6
Yusei: 2900 LPSPC—5
"Don't get too comfortable with our evenly matched numbers, Yusei. Because this round, I'm putting the brake on you and that bike permanently!"
Yusei peered ahead and narrowed his eyes as the highway was finally coming to close and in a quick maneuver, he yelled, "Hang on!" to Maya, who clutched onto the motorcycle tightly as he braked around a sharp corner and diverted down the road towards Maya's apartment house. Trudge and his officers slowed down to make the turn which caused them to briefly lose sight of Yusei, but they weren't dismayed. The red beeping tracker light attached to Yusei's D-Wheel enabled them to follow him.
Yusei crossed corners and revved past narrow pathways until finally pulling up in front of Maya's home.
"Thank God, we lost them." She breathed as she dismounted from the vehicle.
"We didn't," said Yusei. "That tracker is still hooked up to my bike. They'll be here soon."
"Well, you go ditch the bike to keep them off your tail and then you can come—"
"I can't stay here anymore, Anais. I've worn out my welcome. I need to keep Trudge from snooping around here or trying to find something to arrest you for because I have a strong feeling you wouldn't tell him anything about me."
"Damn right," she responded with crossed arms. "And I don't mean to sound like a mom, but … you can't leave Yusei. Mainly because your wounds aren't fully healed yet."
"They're healed enough and I can't have you involved in my mess anymore. Now that Trudge has seen your face, he'll come to your doorstep demanding answers."
"And you think you running away again will stop him? What happens when he loses your trail again, Yusei? He's still gonna come here and nag the shit out of me for info that I'm not going to give."
At the end of her sentence, police cars piled in from around the corner and surrounded the house and Yusei in a tight circle. He glared at all of the officers beaming their headlights at him and Maya.
Trudge scowled at them over his headlights. "Forget about that tracking device, did ya Yusei?"
"No Trudge, just wanted to get my friend to safety and then we can finish our duel."
"I'm not leaving you with him," said Maya, whose fingers were itching to flip the bird at Trudge and his scarred face.
"You best move on and get inside young lady, it's way past your curfew and me and this scumbag have business to take care of so I'm going to tell you politely to move your ass."
"And I'm going to politely tell you to go fuck yourself." She retorted hotly.
"Anais," Yusei tried to interject.
"What a temper. Didn't know you were into those kinds of chicks, Yusei." Trudge chuckled before becoming serious. "I'm only gonna say this one more time; move … your … ass."
"Or else what Officer Dipshit? You gonna arrest me? I haven't done anything wrong."
"Aiding and abetting a criminal is a serious offense. You could spend a nice couple of years in the Facility for that." Trudge grinned darkly.
Fuck my life. I don't wanna go to jail, but … I don't want Yusei to keep running either. A guy like him shouldn't have to be on the run for the rest of his life.
"Anais, … listen to him. Just go inside. I'll be fine."
Maya whipped her head around at him to scowl. "No."
"Anais -"
"No, Yusei! Wherever you go after here, he will always be on your tail! You can't live a life like that knowing that you'll never have a moment's peace. You're a good guy and you deserve to live and have a normal life. Some self-entitled cop like him shouldn't have to decide your fate for you!"
"Interesting choice of words there, little girl, but i hate to break it to you; this Satellite reject is NOT who you think he is."
"He's right." Yusei said. "There's thing about me you don't and shouldn't know and he's also right about you. You need to go inside. Be away from this bullshit I've dragged you in." At this point, Yusei removed his helmet and stepped off of his D-Wheel to approach the young woman who glared defiantly up at the young man's cerulean blue eyes.
"Go inside, Anais. Please."
"I won't!"
"You have to!"
"Says who?!" She spat angrily. "You and this crooked cop don't have the right or the damn privilege to tell me—"
"Maya," he said, grabbing hold of her arms in a gentle, but firm manner. The words that left his mouth shattered her insides and sent her mind into a complete loop. She had never not once uttered her real name to him or anyone she had ever come into contact with since she first arrived in New Domino City. She had made sure of that.
How could he have possibly known that?
"Please don't fight with me. Not here. Please. Go inside. I'll be okay, I swear."
What else could she say? She didn't really know him. It wasn't like they were lifelong friends or anything, but yet … she didn't want him to leave. She wanted to protect him. Why? She had no clue. Something was drawing him to Maya and she thought she couldn't fully comprehend that pull in her stomach, it was as real as this moment.
She grasped his underarms that held hers and stared up at him.
"Will you come back inside too?"
"Yes," he said. She scoffed.
"You're a horrible liar, Yusei Fudo." Squeezing his arms gently, she pulled briskly away and shot a nasty glare at Trudge on her way to the door. One foot stepped onto the brick stairs and then a new pair of lights flashed upon everyone. Yusei used his hands to cover his eyes from the bright sheen. A car door opened with someone stepping out with a small chuckle echoing in the silence of the night.
"I insist that you stay, Ms. Kozuki." said the unknown person, who stood at 4'9, wearing clown-like makeup, a Victorian styled suit with a burgundy trench coat that splayed outwards from the back and oddly matched shoes.
The short man chuckled again. "Officer Trudge … aren't you supposed to be guarding the candles and calendar kiosks at the Outer Rim Mall?" He questioned smugly.
Trudge grunted. "I didn't get your name, short stack."
"Special Deputy Lazar. I work for the Director General." He revealed and then eloquently showed his I.D. badge to everyone. "And I outrank you. Sorry." He chuckled once again.
"How come I've never heard of you?" Trudge barked in annoyance.
"I'm on official business, Officer Trudge. And I would advise you to leave the area immediately. You're not warranted to patrol THIS particular space of the Daimon Area. A mall cop like you should know that."
"This punk's a menace!" said the disgruntled man. "He stole that D-Wheel from the Impound Center and he's a—"
"Officer," said Lazar with an authoritative tone that made Maya take interest in him, for being a short man with an immense amount of base in his voice. "There's hardly enough room in this city for street-beat cops who don't know their place or when to shut their mouths." Lazar grinned darkly to Trudge's embarrassment and dismay. The short man approached Yusei and took a quick glance at Maya as well.
"So what official business are you on, anyways?" asked Maya.
"Delivery. For one Mr. Yusei Fudo and one Miss Maya Kozuki." Lazar said and handed both of them envelopes. Both of them unfolded the sealed articles and gasped at the photos shown to them. Lazar grinned.
"We'd like for you both to participate in the Fortune Cup. If either of your refuse, the people you see in those photographs will pay the price for the rogue actions you took in obtaining that D-Wheel Mr. Fudo and the highly illegal actions of your own, Miss Kozuki. Falsifying records and stealing money from drugged corporate businessmen seems like a hefty sentence for someone as skilled as yourself. It would be a shame to dump the punishment for both of your wrongdoings on others, wouldn't you agree?" The short man turned on his heel back to the car. "Have a good evening."
Both Duelists held the envelopes and pictures in their hands as anger, fear, concern and rage took over their senses as they glared at the car driving away and out of view.
Peace & Love
xGhostReaderx