Ride 6: Champion's Shadow
Jack Atlus was not amused by Godwin's proposal, even as the Duel of Fortune Cup was advertised as a chance for him to have his decisive rematch with Yusei. Jack let his fingers hit the armrest of the couch he was reclining on as he heard Godwin's words and wondered how much they were really worth.
At the moment, Director Godwin was out visiting the Facility that Yusei had been thrown in, his duel with Jack interrupted by that 'Crimson Dragon' that Godwin spoke of. The intricacies of the matter regarding 'Signers' and the Nazca Lines didn't matter to Jack as the King sipped his coffee.
He didn't just want the rematch – he craved it. Godwin's connections would most likely get Yusei out of prison, but he didn't feel right just waiting around for Yusei to challenge him for Stardust again. No, the duel they'd had in the stadium days earlier was enough proof that Yusei had earned back his ace card, and it wasn't something Jack needed anymore.
His duel with Enjou Mukuro had ended in a victory for him, but he'd felt weak – false even. Yusei's un-televised victory was a blow to his confidence – rumors that Godwin had been rigging his matches had fallen on deaf ears in the past, but now they were more doubts for Jack to deal with. Losing to someone from Satellite. Losing from Yusei. A man who hadn't likely replaced a single card in his own deck since Jack had left him in the dust. It wasn't just humbling. It felt like it threw his whole life up-side down.
He stood up and exhaled, picking up the now empty mug and taking it to the sink for someone to wash. It wasn't his job but at the moment he preferred that to just feeling sorry for himself. Then Jack heard an alarm blare from somewhere in the building. He dropped the cup in the sink and turned, wondering what was wrong.
/
Vice-Director Jeager was having a relatively good day. The Satellite man's friends had been rounded up and most of the contestants for the Duel of Fortune Cup were arriving soon. With luck, it would be a quiet day in the spacious and air-conditioned building once he returned. The clown man chuckled as he ran his hand through his light purple coif of hair and went through the plan that Director Godwin had set in motion. At the moment he was away from the main worksite, gathering letters to send out to the girl Ruka – one of the chosen candidates that Godwin believed was a Signer.
Jeager had delivered the invitation and was on his way back. Then he saw something move out of the corner of his eye. Though he appeared as a clown, the Vice-Director was skilled in stealth and reconnaissance gathering – needed traits for his old life – and was stunned something caught him by surprise so suddenly.
It was a young woman with big brown eyes in a beige overcoat covering a black shirt and baggy pants. She landed on her feet like a cat and started intently at Jeager, a big bob of hair on her head.
"Could you be the Vice-Director." She said, tilting her head to the side in curiosity, her large dark hair swaying with the motion.
Jeager was confused at the woman's sudden appearance. He'd been trained to deal with the common rabble and no one should've been able to sneak up on him.
"W-who are you!?" Jeager managed to squeak out.
"Easy. I'm not here to hurt you. I just want to see if I can't get into the tournament." The woman said, staring at him like he was her prey.
"Too late for that. The Duel of Fortune Cup's members have already been selected." Jeager said. "You have to had known about it."
"So I can't take anyone's place?" The woman asked, looking a bit disappointed.
"No, but why ask me of all people? You couldn't visit a local registration booth instead?" The clown man asked.
"I figured asking the top brass was the most direct approach. I'm new here and didn't have time to fill out all the paperwork they threw in my face." The girl said.
Jeager frowned, bringing up his personal holo-screen, scanning the girl's face and finding her Identification. "Hmm, Alita Yoko, hmm?" He asked, looking from the card's image back to her face.
"And why would we honor such a request?" Jeager asked.
The woman smiled, her cute and innocent appearance shifting into the expression of a hunter. "Because I have a bargain to make."
/
"Mikage, what's the alarm for!" Jack yelled, walking into his receptionist's office in his jeans and black muscle shirt.
"Atlus-Sama!" Mikage said, deeply bowing to him. "There's some kind of hacking that breached our firewall, but it seems to be a glitch." She said, moving back to look at her computer. "After all, Godwin has an impeccable security network. No one should be able to hack this."
Jack nodded. "Then why is the alarm still going off?"
"Ah. Well even though we've determined it's a harmless glitch, the system still doesn't know that yet. We just need to wait for it to stop."
She looked at Jack with fascinated eyes, the same eyes the majority of the public looked to him with. Like Jack Atlus was some godly figure gracing their presence. To Jack, that look had become one he'd started to dislike.
At first Jack basked in the treatment. But now after his unofficial loss against Yusei, he questioned all of it. The women that threw themselves at him, the kids that wanted autographs. And of course the company sponsorships. Now it just irritated him, like he was just some popular brand name rather than an actual person.
"Who's that?" Jack asked, pointing to a recording showing the chief scientist under Godwin's payroll – Professor Akutsu, arguing with an older man wearing distinct half crescent goggles and a goofy grin on his face.
Mikage pushed a few buttons, and then stood up, pressing a button to call an escort of Security to the place while she walked to meet them. "Atlus – Sama, please stay here. This is a Security matter."
Jack sighed and sat across from the desk while she left to collect the strange man. It was a few minutes of sitting there, staring awkwardly of the picture of himself she had on her deck. He stood up to turn it away as the preened and picture perfect Jack Atlus was far from the real deal, who had someone else to wash out his coffee mug for him.
"Kya-haha! I swear I'm not here to do anything wrong!" The man proclaimed, all while laughing as Mikage and two tall and suited men walked him down the hall, an angry Professor Akutsu pursuing them.
"Hey! He's with the old staff of MIDS! Don't just drag him away, I want to learn from him! The breakthroughs they made in Momentum research were legendary!" The brown haired and orange glasses wearing scientist yelled as he followed.
The professor shot ahead of them, standing by the older man that the two Security officers were restraining. Jack looked to the old man and got a bad vibe from him.
"See! I have the documentation to prove it, Ma'am! Gentlemen!" The mystery man said frantically.
"Did you send that virus?" Mikage asked and the man shook his head. "I don't know what that was supposed to be, but I assure you if I HAD made such a program it would be perfec-"
"Professor Nova!" Akutsu yelled, cutting off the man's statement. "I will vouch for you! Now let's see his documentation."
"See, no need to drag me away." Nova said, grumbling as the two Security guards took a step back. He pulled out an ID and shoved it in Mikage's face. "Is that enough for you?" The old man said.
Mikage stopped for a second. "Yes, Director?" She said, as Godwin had contacted her personally it seemed. She looked angry and ashamed at herself.
"I see you just returned to Neo-Domino City. I apologize for my – directness." Mikage said, taking a step back and giving him a bow.
"No, no dear. I'm sure you're just doing your job. Now, where can I go to register properly as a member of the Momentum development?" The crazy looking man asked.
"Well luckily for you, Professor Nova, Professor Akutsu can show you the ropes. Do you mind, Professor?" Mikage asked the proud and awkward looking scientist.
"Of course not! Now let's look at our main reactor and you can tell me what you think! All about MO-O-O-O-OMENTUM!" The man yelled enthusiastically, spinning around before leading Nova away from the Security guards.
Jack frowned and stood up. If Godwin was free to contact Mikage like that, then he'd have finished his business at the facility. Jack looked to the deflated looking Mikage, knowing what would cheer her up might also be a way for him to make good on his challenge to his rival.
The door automatically shut, four panels sliding together as the scientists and the guards separately left the premise.
"Mikage, I have a favor to ask." Jack said. "Can you use our marker tracer system to locate Yusei Fudo?"
/
Gally grinned as Jeager led her to the mansion personally. It was about what she'd imagined the sky-city above the scrap-yard back home to be. Full of money and a bunch of idiots who didn't know how to spend it while the people they'd ignored suffered. The clown man sighed as he led her into the premises and looked her over. They were in a high rise mansion rich enough to be on the top of a huge skyscraper. The place even had a garden growing on the top of that.
"No weapons, but we have to be careful, especially if your contact was with MIDS." Jeager said as she was approached by a guard who padded her down for anything suspicious.
"If that's a metal detector, it's going to go off. I have some metal fillings." Gally said, hoping the white lie would hide the fact that she wasn't a flesh-and-blood human.
"She's not carrying anything, boss. But she'd got prosthetics all over her." The security officer said, looking confused.
"Well so long as she'd not armed." Jeager said and Gally wanted to laugh.
"In any case, I'll see what the Director thinks when he sees you in person." The clown said to her.
He sat down and looked at her, the man's face less strange and scary now that he let himself relax. "You're free to look around, just know you'll be monitored. I certainly don't want to have to follow you around the place." Jeager said.
Gally stood and with that, left to see just what she could find out.
/
"Professor Nova." The voice cut through Akutsu's excited chatter and physical movement whenever he mentioned the potential applications of Momentum, Rex Godwin immediately shutting down their conversation as the grey-suited man walked into the room with a smile that Nova knew was just for pleasantries.
"Ah yes, Mr. Godwin." Nova said. "I see you're here in person. How considerate of you to let me stay here."
"No, I'm more curious why someone from another place entirely is so interested in our Momentum applications." Godwin said, staring at Nova's goggles intently as though they were the man's own eyes.
"AH, so you were keeping tabs on me the whole time I was here!?" Nova said, looking startled.
"Not entirely. Though we did see what you did to take that man's Duel Disk away. And the attack on Mr. Fudo and your own current colleague. As for lying about MIDS, you're unfortunately looking at a man who used to work there himself. And you may answer for your crimes if you don't answer my next questions." Godwin said.
"I thought the City didn't care about anyone from that Satellite wasteland." Nova said. "My mistake. I thought getting rid of him was doing you a favor." He said without shame.
"Hmph. Well we care when it gives us . . . leverage. Now, first question." Godwin said. "Are you working for the Arcadia Movement?" He asked.
"Never heard of them." Nova said scratching the inside of his ear. "And I should warn you – blackmail won't work on me."
"Very well then. Second, are you familiar with the terms 'Signer'?" The man asked and Nova shook his head again. Godwin frowned. "The Crimson Dragon?" He asked and Nova smiled, shaking his head another time.
"And why are you so invested in this 'Duel of Fortune Cup' tournament of mine that you came directly here, uploaded a false alarm to our systems, sent a personal contact to find Jeager, and on top of all that, lied about working with the most prestigious Momentum research division to ever exist?" Godwin asked.
Behind his goggles, Nova blinked. That must have touched a nerve. From Nova's mannerisms, Akutsu looked like he wanted to piss himself.
Nave grinned. "That one's easy!" He said, sticking up his index finger. "But to answer it, I need to ask you a question, Director." Nova said, as though the title was a mere formality, grinning as he said his next words.
"Do you believe in Karma?"
/
Jack returned from the trip, having handed back Stardust to his former friend. Things felt a little more interesting now – that Yusei could actively use the dragon he'd found while in Satellite in the tournament. It would be the first time it had seen play since Jack last called it to use against Yusei as a way to prove that he could do so. And now it would make things more even. Not that Jack ever needed Stardust when Red Demon's was always at his side.
Jack parked the Wheel of Fortune and walked into the private suite. He was ready retire to his room to look at the line-up for the Fortune Cup, wondering who Yusei's first opponent would be.
His path was blocked as a girl a good foot shorter than him looked up to him, glaring at him. She looked like a vagabond, with a beige trench coat and big piercing eyes that reminded him of his rival's own cold glare.
"Jack Atlus!" She yelled and Jack wondered if he'd ever met her – he certainly didn't remember doing such a thing.
"Can I help you?" Jack asked.
"Stardust Dragon. Where is it?" The woman questioned. Jack's eyes widened. Only a select few people knew Jack had taken Stardust with him -after all he'd never used it in any of his public matches.
Jack smirked. "I don't know how you knew about that, but I got rid of it! I returned it back to it's former owner just today!" He said proudly.
"Wait. How!? Yusei is still in Satellite!" She said, looking confused.
"Well I don't know how you know of him, but your information is out of date! He's in the City now." Jack said. "I returned Stardust to him about half an hour ago."
The woman sighed and her anger ebbed. "Still. You took away his dream. How do you rationalize that?"
"I didn't need to rationalize anything. I did what I had to to get here. Stardust was one of the things I needed as a Passport here." Jack said. "But now that I'm here, Yusei can have it back. Now if you'll excuse me, I-"
Jack yelped as the woman swept her foot into the back of his shins, slamming her palm into his chest.
He landed on his back and she was right there, holding a palm to his neck. Jack was surprised at her strength. It was inhuman – yet it seemed like she had barely moved.
"Answer the question, or so help me." The woman said. "How do you rationalize something like that?!"
Jack's eyes narrowed as his fingers grabbed her wrist and began to squeeze, trying to pry her off.
"Like I said, I did what I had to! Yusei has to have understood that!" Jack said, fighting her own grip as he tried to knee her away, to no avail. She wasn't just stronger – but also far sturdier than she looked.
/
Gally wasn't sure where the anger came from. Was it because this blonde man had followed Yugo's path and made something of himself once he reached his own Zalem, never stopping to think about where he'd come from? Or was it that he'd spoken about his former friend like their ties meant nothing? Whatever the case was, she was now feeling his fingers trying to pry hers' free – she could in theory kill this man with little effort. Yet she found a pride in his gaze and a soul of a warrior behind the man's ego and fame. And Yusei still wanted to settle things with him.
Gally removed her hand from his neck and she stood up, letting him squeeze until he tired out his hands.
"Finished?" Gally asked and Jack removed his fingers, moving around each one to see if they were working properly. "What the hell are you?" Jack asked. "Are you a Signer?"
Gally shook her head. "I don't' know what that is. But my name's Gally." She said, pulling back the sleeve of her coat to reveal her cybernetic arm. "And I'm not like a normal person, as you might've guessed."
Jack nodded, unsure of how to proceed as he stood back up – wary that Security would arrive if they saw the King in any kind of altercation. "And you met Yusei, how?"
"We met in Satellite." Gally said. "I'm surprised you returned Stardust Dragon to him. And I want to know why you did it in the first place – becoming the King?"
"That role was offered to me." Jack said. "I have no future in Satellite. I already lost one friend to his own stupidity there and I don't mind losing another if it lets me stay here in this City."
"Do you ever miss it?" Gally asked him.
"Yes. But the City is the future of this world." Jack said to her. "I would be foolish to vanquish such an opportunity over a few friends."
"You think so?" Gally asked.
Then Jack stopped. "Hold on, it's the Director." he said, answering a vibrating electronic device. "It's Jack. What is it, Godwin?"
Then Jack's eyes widened and he looked at Gally. "Come with me. Godwin wants both of us to see him."