Disclaimer: I do not own YGO 5Ds
A/N: Or therelackof
I found myself driving through pouring rain again. It was a chilly November afternoon, the kind that makes you wonder if it was rain or sleet rapping against the window of your car. Suddenly, or rather expectedly, I saw a flash of lightning, fairly rare for this time of year. Though I had come to expect it, I nevertheless lost control over my car, like I always did, and crashed it. Into the side of a building this time. I thought the building looked vaguely like the duel stadium in Neo Domino.
My chest made impact first, crashing against the steering wheel when the airbags didn't deploy, then my legs plowed into the dashboard also, making an odd, crunching noise. Opening the door with my left hand, surprisingly not broken this time, I struggled to get out the car. Greiger came out of the rain like he always does, first firing at the gas tank until the car lit on fire, then at me. I didn't have duel monsters to protect me this time.
I breathed heavily as I woke again, at the same point as I always do. The same nightmare, merging my recent two near-death experiences, have been hunting me non-stop since the Greiger thing happened. Still lying in bed, I tried to get my heart rate and breathing under control again in hopes of getting a couple more hours of sleep before sunrise. The smell of metal and gunpowder still lingered even as my brain tried to convince me it was only my imagination.
"Tono." Greiger nudged the sleeping woman with the nozzle of his gun, "Time to face your fate." Roman had ordered him to defeat Atlas, which he will. But first, he thought he would get a little something for himself.
"Greiger?" I opened my eyes, momentarily disoriented, trying to tell if this was dream or reality. He pressed the gun harder into my arm in response, I immediately broke out in cold sweat.
I knew I should have spent more money on personal security! Truth is, it hadn't been something that I had to consider before. I always considered myself very safety conscious, but as a regular person, that included things like locking my door, paying my alarm company and carrying Mace. Body guards just felt so excessive. So now this.
"What do you want?" For a second, I was confused why he didn't just shoot me in my sleep, but the satisfied glint in his eyes told me the answer. He hated me enough that he wanted to see my horror and despair.
"You've escaped from the clutches of fate long enough," Greiger hissed, "Using whatever means necessary to get ahead, no matter who you threw under the bus in the process."
My brain worked furiously despite my lungs barely being able to breath, debating whether I should scream for help. Overpowering Greiger is out of the question, but there's really nothing keeping him from shooting me if I tried anything. In fact, I'm not sure why he hadn't shot me already.
"You don't have that luxury anymore," Greiger continued, obviously pleased with the fear radiating from my pores, "When all of your advantages are peeled away, there's nothing left except this whimpering, shaking mess. That's what you really are."
I had installed a silent alarm in my room, but it's under my desk across the room. Maybe if I got up...
"Now you have no where to run and nobody to hide behind," Greiger stood up, motioning for me to follow him outside, "Let's see how you do in a duel when the game isn't stacked in your favor."
Despite myself, I burst out laughing.
Ironically, all my fears dissolved with that comment.
In my nightmares, Greiger had always been a ruthless killing machine. He always came out of nowhere, shot, killed and left. But that's only a figment of my imagination. This Greiger, even the Dark Signer version, only wants a children's card game. Reality has turned my nightmares into a joke.
"Quiet!" He warned, shoving the gun against my chest until I had my back against the wall, "Anybody who comes here because of the noise, I'll get rid of them first. Now, grab what's left of your deck, I can't wait for our duel."
"Neither can I." I sneered, white rage burning inside me. Greiger really has no idea about the resources available to an efficient organization (or an inefficient one like ours). I already have a couple of decent decks. I hesitated and chose a burn deck. I intend to destroy Greiger, not his monsters, and not his Immortal.
"Good. Then we can finally make up for the duel in Domino City, get your duel runner!" Greiger ordered as I hastily grabbed a jacket to go outside.
Turbo duel? I thought annoyed. I can't really refuse at this point, the Dark Signers usually don't offer that option. Maybe I can ride a bike? But no, that wouldn't work, I can't hold the handle in one hand and draw with the other, what if I fall off?
"Sure." I conceded, "Let me get Nervin's keys."
"This?" Greiger snickered, "This is your ride?"
Greiger and I had gotten out of the house and into our storage area undetected. (I really need a new security system, and maybe a security team... If I can find/afford one.)
I chose for my duel runner Nervin's tricycle. It had been fitted with a new electric motor, so technically I can call it a duel runner. But next to Greiger's runner, also a tricycle by the way, it looked like... Well, it looked like me standing beside Greiger, which doesn't sound like an encouraging comparison. None of that matters though, I just need something with three wheels so it doesn't topple over.
"Well? I'm ready," I started my 'runner' with a cold smirk. "Do you want to play or not?"
Greiger took out his deck, locking me in a duel as the outlines of a giant rose around us, trapping us in opaque purple light.
The mark of Earthbound Immortal Ccapac Apu, I remembered. The Giant, because Roman had given the mark of the Whale to Vincent.
"Can't wait for your doom I see." Greiger commented.
"This is a joke," I replied, free to speak my mind now that the duel had begun, "You are a joke, and I'll show you why."
Greiger didn't respond, only stepped on the gas to race to the first bend, in order to get the first turn, which he naturally did.
"I summon-" He began, then looked back, visibly confused. The boundaries around us form the mark of Ccapac Apu, and they aren't transparent, so after he makes the bend, we can't see each other anymore- hardly practical for the purposes of our children's card game.
"Over here!" I shouted, laughing at how seriously he took the situation. It took about 15 seconds for me to get to the first turn, which I didn't think was too much time, but the look on Greiger's face obviously screamed otherwise.
"If you think this is a farce-" Greiger threatened.
"I do." I laughed again mockingly, "because it is. Also my runner is programmed to go a maximum of 30 miles per hour, that's our speed limit you see."
I could hear Greiger's teeth grinding loudly, that can't be good for his oral health.
"I summon," Greiger continued, reluctantly slowing his duel runner to a crawl (i.e the legal speed limit) to continue the game, "Spell Reactor-RE (lv3, 1200/800), in attack mode, and set two cards face down, that ends my turn."
Turn 2, Yuki's Turn
"In that case, I'll summon Reflect Bounder (lv4,1700,1000), attack Spell Reactor." I ordered, waiting for Greiger's trap to activate. Greiger had a good deck in the anime (disastrous in real life) because he was always able to draw the cards he wanted. But I know his every strategy (so like, three strategies), and he's doomed.
"I activate, Fake Explosion!" Greiger exclaimed victoriously, "To bring Summon Reactor - SK (lv5, 2000/1400) to the field, in attack mode!"
"I'll place three cards facedown also and end my turn," I replied.
Turn 3, Greiger's Turn
"I summon Trap Reactor- Y FI (lv4, 800/1800) to my field in attack mode!" Greiger obviously thought victory was in the bag, "Then I activate the effect of Summon Reactor - SK, to send Spell Reactor, Trap Reactor and Summon Reactor to the graveyard to summon- Flying Fortress SKY FIRE (lv8, 3000/2500)!"
"Activate trap, Bottomless Trap Hole." I flipped over one of my facedowns.
"My Flying Fortress negates the activation of your trap card and deals you 800 damage." Greiger said skeptically, but having no real option except to activate his monster's ability.
A holographic ball of flames flew my way and somehow caused me pain... But my duel runner remained steady because it has three wheels- I have excellent foresight.
"With the second effect of my Flying Fortress, I discard Dark Tuner, Dark Submarine to the graveyard and destroy your Reflect Bounder." Greiger seems familiar with the effect of my monster, which deals my opponent damage equal to the attack of the monster that destroyed it."Flying Fortress SKY FIRE, attack directly!"
"Activate trap, Widespread Ruin, and I'll chain it to Magical Cylinder." I watched as Greiger's life points dropped by 3000 to 1000 and his impressive fortress crumbled to the ground. "No, I'm not playing around this time."
"I activate the effect of my Dark Tuner Doom Submarine (lv-9, 0/0), to special summon itself to the field when I have no monsters on the field."
Greiger had no card left in his hand and had to end his turn.
Turn 4, Yuki's Turn Yuki 3200, Greiger 1000
"I place one monster face down and two traps face down to end my tun." I said flatly.
Turn 5: Greiger's Turn
"I summon Dark Sea Rescue (lv1 0/0) in attack mode, and tune her with my Dark Tuner Doom Submarine to synchro summon, Dark Flattop (lv -8, 0/3000) in defense mode. The effects of my Dark Sea Rescue and my Dark Flattop together lets me draw two new cards! I'll place one card face down."
"Next, I activate the effect of my dark synchro monster Dark Flattop to special summon Flying Fortress SKYFIRE back onto my field. I activate his effect to discard Dark Sea Float to the graveyard and destroy your face down monster."
My facedown monster was Marshmallow, an effect monster that would have dealt Greiger 1000 points of damage if she had been attacked. Greiger looked grim, realizing that he has very little room for error now that he only has 1000 LP left.
"By Dark Sea Float's effect, I get to draw another card." Greiger smiled victoriously down at the card he drew, and I knew he had drawn his Immortal.
"Flying Fortress SKYFIRE, attack directly!" Greiger commanded.
"Activate trap, Sakuretsu Armor." My armor was duly negated and I received 800 damage. "Now that your Flying Fortress had used up his ability, I can summon my trap monster, Zoma the Spirit (lv4, 1800/500). I should explain, but by the look on your face, I see you're familiar with her effect."
"When Zoma the Spirit is destroyed in battle, she deals damage to the opponent equal to the attack points of the monster that destroyed her." Greiger replied as he stopped the attack. But that wouldn't be enough, because I can attack his Flying Fortress next turn and end the duel.
"I tribute Flying Fortress SKYFIRE and Dark Flattop to summon, the being without peer. Come forth and destroy my opponent, Earthbound Immortal Ccapac Apu (lv10, 3000/2500)." Greiger did the only thing he could do. Since Earthbound Immortals can't be attacked, he would be safe. The alternative would require him to discard his Earthbound Immortal next turn, which he (or whatever forces controlling him) was obviously reluctant to do.
The Giant appeared in Satellite again, though it feels much less intimidating the second time.
"Hey, you guys doing okay?" Akiza's Black Rose Dragon hovered over us, it's about time. I've been playing Greiger for more than 10 minutes.
Greiger looked up at Akiza, and saw his Immortal, with images of the souls it consumed, among them his own family. He immediately skidded to a stop, I kept going, pleased that I overtook somebody in a turbo duel.
"We're okay." I assured her, "Greiger's immortal's out, so I'll be able to finish this soon."
"Sounds good," Akiza nodded, "Yusei and Luna left to find another Dark Signer in the pier, Jack and Crow followed them. But the rest of us are here to cheer you on."
Since Galen and Vincent stayed in Neo Domino for medical treatment, that leaves Chaos, Kalin, Cyril and Felice.
"What Dark Signer activity?" I asked.
"My family!" Greiger exclaimed, completely ignoring and interrupting our conversation. "Why are they contained within this monster?"
"Oh yeah," I shrugged, "Remember how Earthbound Immortals absorb human souls when they're summoned?"
Did I not mention to Greiger that his family was killed by Earthbound Immortals? Must have slipped my mind when he was trying to kill me.
"Destroying the Immortal will bring them back though," Akiza assured him.
"Yu-Yuki-sama," Greiger forced out, "I would like- I would like nothing more than to destroy you! I don't trust a word from you and your Signer friends!"
He snarled, presumably having been influenced by his Earthbound Immortal, though he had always talked like that to me, so I really can't tell. "Your move."
Turn 6, Yuki's Turn
"You're not going to-" Black Rose Dragon hovered lower so Akiza could see my hand. "You'll kill him!"
"That's the point." I replied, determined to proceed with my game.
"I activate my facedown card, Call of the Haunted, to special summon Flying Fortress SKYFIRE in defense mode," Greiger activated his trap before I make a move. That won't save him.
"Yuki, wait!" Akiza called out passionately. "He doesn't deserve this!"
"Yes he does." I replied flatly.
"You don't want to be a killer!" She tried again.
"Right now, I sort of do." I answered with a grin at the sky."
"...Fine." Akiza's flames of passion had smoldered to cinders, "Kill him and destroy your reputation in the Satellite."
"That's a good point," I relented. Plus, Greiger would be revived after we destroy the Ruler of the Netherworld (whenever that is), revived and cleansed of all his sins. And that just didn't seem fair. "I summon, Lava Golem (lv10, 3000/2500), onto your field! By tributing your Earthbound Immortal and Flying Fortress SKYFIRE!"
Flying Fortress SKYFIRE can destroy summoned monsters, but not negate their summoning.
Clarity returned to his eyes for a second and Greiger didn't hesitate. He had seen how quickly the Earthbound Immortals took hold of Dark Signers after the destruction of their cards. Greiger jumped off of his duel runner, grabbing his deck as he did so, and watched his runner crashing into the wall of light. The walls forming the Mark of the Giant blurred, then faded altogether.
"Good duel," I grinned up at Greiger, "Are you glad it's all over?"
Greiger took a deep breath where he stood, looking down at the ground without a word as he realized what would come next.
"Well?" I prompted again, sarcasm dripping from every word,"Aren't you glad your family is in the real world now? Why don't you go find them?" I saw my team gathering around us as the mark of the giant disappeared, but at the moment, I didn't mind showing them the worst side of me.
"Yuki-sama," Greiger mumbled, barely coherent.
"Wait, you did free everybody in his village, right?" Akiza said, looking at Greiger and I in turn, not understanding the tension between us.
"I did. I did." I nodded repeatedly with a malicious grin, "I did see the puddy cat! I mean, I did free everybody in his village. They're all free and alive right now!"
"I thought..." Akiza started, then trailed off at the ugly look on Greiger's face.
"You thought he'd be more grateful, right?" I said, intentionally twisting her words as my grin grew wide still, "So did I!"
"Yuki-sama," Greiger began, speaking clearly and earnestly this time "You do have my gratitude-."
"Nope, too late, don't care!" I cut him off, enjoying the embarrassment and restraint on his face. I felt guilty for a brief second, but I got over it fairly quickly thanks to another sharp pang of pain from my fractured sternum.
"I don't understand," Akiza said slowly, "What's he still doing here, why doesn't he just go back?"
"That's an excellent question," I laughed gleefully, turning to Greiger "Why doesn't he just go back? I do feel like I'm being exceedingly generous in not keeping him for a couple of years after all the trouble he's caused."
"Yes." Greiger stared at the ground in front of me, his voice trembling in anger and fear, "I thank you for your generosity, Yuki-sama."
"I don't think he meant it," Akiza said, honestly confused. "Why not?"
"I agree," I feigned confusion mockingly, "I don't think he meant it either."
Chaos sighed before I could say anything else.
"His village is in South America," Chaos explained more for Greiger's benefit than Akiza's, "Yuki's duel brought the people in his village back into this world, but the village itself was blown up by Goodwin's experiment months ago."
"Uh-huh." Akiza nodded, still oblivious, "Yusei told me about what Director Goodwin did, the Momentum testing had left only a crater where their village used to be. But that's why he needs to go back and rebuild, it's not like he can help them if he stays here."
Greiger had turned downright pale at her comment, I burst out laughing at the look on his face.
I honestly don't blame her, it took me a while after watching the anime to notice. It's funny what we take for granted. Akiza can summon a monster to bring herself to safety no matter where she is.. As for me, at least subconsciously, I expect to be saved by some government forces or other when I'm trapped in the middle of nowhere. Certainly I would expect it if a hundred people are trapped in the middle of nowhere. I mean, that's what taxes are for, right? Heck, that's what governments are for.
"Greiger's village is basically in a desert in the middle of nowhere, as in a couple of hundred kilometers from civilization," I wiped the smile off my face at Chaos' disapproving look, "So now he's got like, two hundred people, either juvenile or senile, trapped in a crater that used to be a village in the middle of nowhere, without shelter, food or, I'm presuming, water."
Greiger had been genuinely excited over our water collection system, which can only mean he needs drinking water back home.
"I sort of always assumed people would get rescued in cases like that," I continued as comprehension dawned on Akiza's face, "But who's gonna rescue them? The local government certainly wouldn't. The entire village being blown up didn't even make it onto the news, they hushed the whole thing up. In any responsible dictatorship," I paused, wondering if whichever country in South America Greiger is from was a dictatorship, then gave up, "In any decent dictatorship, they'd kill anybody who came back to life just to keep them quiet about not having been saved by the government in the first place."
Twisted logic, but sadly not that far from the truth.
You know, the most I think about it, the more curious the issue becomes. I wonder what actually happened to the people in Greiger's village in the anime. Greiger had asked Crow to 'take care' of his village before his supposed death, but he was revived like 6 hours later, when the Signers defeated Rex Goodwin. Presumably, he went back to 'save' his village, but what could he have done? All he had was the clothes on his back. Did he just sell a bunch of duel monster cards to make ends meet, or was there a deeper reason to his entire village disappearing and 'moving away' in the next season.
Akiza turned to study Greiger, finally realizing the powerlessness of a regular mortal when compared to her own powers. "He doesn't even have a duel runner anymore, how will he go back?"
Given international tensions, flights are now expensive and far-in-between.
"Or get the people in his village out or get any resources to them, even if he does make it back in time. I mean, if he even makes it back on time." I added unhelpfully, "Beats me. Not my problem, not gonna worry about it. Let's go back to bed, I'm sleepy."
"What?" Akiza looked horrified. She's a good person, unlike me. Also, she didn't get shot.
"Yuki-sama," Greiger look a step forward, "I beg of you, for these kids if not for me-"
"No, definitely not for you. You're not doing the equation any favors." I barked a quick laugh, then stopped at the looks everybody gave me. "What? We're not gonna save everybody, you know we can't. There're plenty of people who needs our help, these kids aren't special just because somebody they know, I mean knew (?) tried to kill me."
"Please, they'll die without you, you're our only hope," Greiger quickly glanced up at my face before looking down again, "Anything you want to do to me, anything you want me to do, please!"
"Nope. Again, they're not my fault, not my problem. A lot of people would be alive with my help, but given limited resources, I'm afraid we can only do so much," I offered him a facetious smile, "Why don't you try your luck with somebody who you didn't try to kill a couple of days ago."
"Yuki," Kalin mumbled. The thing is, he grew up in the Satellite, so he understands that effective distribution of resources doesn't always agree with what you wanted to do.
"They'll die without our help?" Akiza searched my face, I returned a large smile.
"See, the thing is," I easily found the justification for my behavior, "We have limited resources, and there're just so many people who need help. South America is an ocean away, it's so much more expensive to save people there. With the same resources, we could help so many more people at home."
"But that's not really why you won't do anything, is it?" Chaos asked indulgently, "You were ready to break into Neo Domino for me."
"I would go to the end of time for you," I replied matter-of-factly, "But he's not you."
"So you're really not going to do anything for his village?" Cyril spoke up.
"Nope!" I replied cheerfully. "Look, if it makes you feel any better, we'll spend twice as much money to help ten times as many people back home."
"And you won't let us go either?" Cyril asked again.
"Why do you care?" I asked, perplexed, "It's not like you know any of them."
"Why do you?" Cyril asked. "What do you care whether it's a couple of hundred people in the Satellite who gets help or a hundred somewhere further away?"
"He shot me! I make a point to not reward that kind of behavior." I replied indignantly.
"You're okay now," Kalin said carefully.
"That's not the point!"
"You were wearing a vest," Felice actually sounded exasperated.
"But he didn't know that," I pointed out the obvious, "Why are you guys on his side?"
"I guess it's because we've all been where he is." Kalin said slowly, "Begging for help that would never come, clinging to hope when we knew there would be none. It's what kept us alive in this hellhole, and worse."
"Well, did you shoot the person you were trying to get help from?" I asked sarcastically.
"I shot at a couple," Kalin admitted candidly, "I shot at a lot of people during my Enforcer days, I never hit any of them if you want to get technical."
Technical?
"I'm not the one being petty here, am I?" I looked around searchingly, "I mean, he shot me! Doesn't that mean anything anymore?"
"You're not being petty," Kalin reassured me, but if you're trying to rule the Satellite, not being petty is not enough.
"In that case, let me just be petty!" I snapped, honestly getting a little peeved. "He shot me therefore I won't help him, and that's that. Now let's go to bed and save the world in the morning."
Kalin shrugged, looking like he gave up. My team might sympathize with Greiger, but nobody knew him well enough to really fight for him.
"I can understand if Yuki-sama has reservations," Greiger said slowly, looking at me with a fire in his eyes that made me take a step back. He stepped up and continued, "I had done whatever Goodwin wanted in order to protect my village, and later to avenge them. It's only fair that I should do the same now. If my actions can mitigate even a fractions of my crimes-"
"I don't need-" I cut him off.
He started talking again before I could finish my sentence.
"I understand dueling is not as high a priority in the Zephyrs, nor are you short on excellent duelists."
I nodded. Honestly, Yusei is like a duelist magnet. We need literally every other type of people, other than duelists.
"Then perhaps I could be of use some other way." Greiger said as he reached for my hand. When I didn't move away, he took my hand and guided it to his flat stomach, sliding it up and across his own body.
I understood immediately.
My fingers lingered on his eight-pack for the fraction of a second, appreciating its shape and texture. He encouraged me by pressing even closer, standing straighter for my perusal. He was close enough that I could examine every inch of his abs with my tongue, as I was beginning to be increasingly tempted to do. As though of their own accord, I felt my fingers sneak up his shirt (armor? bra?), tracing the outlines of-
"No!" Chaos grabbed me by the back of my shirt, leaving me flailing helplessly in midair.
"Let me go!" I struggled jokingly in Chaos' hands, "I want to rip off that thing pretending to be a shirt and bounce quarters off of his pecs!"
"What?" Chaos burst out laughing.
"Yuki!" Akiza yelped.
"It would be my honor to oblige you, Yuki-sama." Greiger bowed slightly, keeping his eyes on a ground, as though what I just said was perfectly reasonable.
"See!" I pointed to Greiger.
Instead of letting me down, Chaos set me onto his shoulders before turning towards Greiger.
"We're not that kind of group," Felice said quickly.
"You're not?" Greiger asked, looking at me, obviously unconvinced.
"We're not?" Cyril looked entirely too skeptical.
"Are we?" Chaos asked rhetorically, I could feel him glaring at me even though I was sitting on his shoulder.
"We're not." I admitted reluctantly, pulling on his hair in revenge. "And we won't be tempted no matter how much I want to."
"You should be ashamed of yourself," Chaos turned towards Greiger, "Seducing a girl like that. She's half your age!"
"No way." Greiger shook his head, but had to accept reality as what head done dawned on the people around him and their expressions reflected as much. "That's not possible." He repeated.
He had seen the way Yuki looked at his body, with a sense of appreciation and greed that definitely did not belong to a thirteen-year-old. He still remembered when they first met, the short woman sitting on the porch looked at him from the neck down, her eyes resting on his pecs, abs, legs then circling back reluctantly to his face. That's not the actions of a teenager. Or so he thought.
He looked up hopefully, at the woman, girl. Despite her age, her interest may be the only thing that will save his family "Yuki-sama?" He prompted gently.
"Ahem," I cleared my throat, "Look do whatever you guys want." I muttered, then poked Chaos to go back inside.
"We'll figure out something," Felice scoffed with a chuckle, shaking her head.
"What happened to your Greiger rug?" Chaos teased.
"Oh yeah, almost forgot about that," I replied, "Greiger, you're gonna be a carpet for the foreseeable future, problem?"
"No Yuki-sama," Greiger replied automatically, though obviously not understanding what I meant.
"See," I gloated, sticking my tongue out at Chaos, "Greiger-carpet, get! Now let's go back, we should probably check on Yusei, and I need my beauty sleep."
A/N: I was actually playing the Duelist of Roses the other day and remembered the whole 'get' thing. LOL. If you know what I'm talking about, you've obviously enjoyed this children's card game for way too long just like I have...
A/N 2: Also, if you didn't understand the whole 'Greiger carpet' thing, don't worry about it. XD