There's an old rilmani proverb that says, "The tree that does not bend, breaks". Such is the case of conspiracy theories that are spawned by celebrity sensations.
Lady Gaga was a slightly eccentric (okay, an incredibly eccentric) American pop singer who was a hit around the early 21st Century, and was the subject of rumors that seemed to come from rather sick minds. Some people claimed she was a "true hermaphrodite". (That means, someone who has both male and female sex organs, and they both work.) Now, because many people assume that hermaphrodites can be born out of incest, these people tended to think that she was produced in an incestuous manner as part of a secret eugenics program funded by some group like the New World Order to create the next generation of entertainers. (No, I'm not kidding. These people actually assume that the best pawn that an evil organization trying to take over the world could use was a spacy pop singer.)
Evidence against this are twofold and obvious. First, it's impossible among humans. (As any doctor will tell you.) Second, seeing as she was a stripper before she became famous, you'd think someone would have noticed.
But she wasn't the first "victim" of a theory like this. Decades earlier, Madonna got a lot of this too, her "Papa Don't Preach" hit seen as an effort to encourage unprotected premarital sex among teenagers. (They missed the entire point of the song, and she didn't even write it.) And decades earlier, Marilyn Monroe was the subject of serious rumors, believed to be a Communist sympathizer during the Red Scare, so much that to this day, many believe that her death was murder, not the suicide that was on the official coroner's report.
None of these singers would ever have truly hurt a fly, so why all the venom? Well, their groundbreaking music and controversial ideas were not appreciated by the older generation at the time, who thought them to be a bad influence on America's youth. (Socrates was executed for that sort of thing, if I recall.) Unfortunately for them, the youth were their target audience, and they rarely listened to their detractors, because the youth don't share the ideas of that vocal minority. The albums of singers like this tend to go platinum overnight and they become successful, much to the chagrin of the folks who wish they'd fail.
Maybe jealousy is the true motive... Or maybe these people don't like the fact that the world is changing around them but they can't. So dumb rumors like this start, which hopefully, never get anywhere.
These people resist progress, refusing to bend, and like I said, a tree that doesn't bend, breaks.
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CHAPTER FIVE
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Material Girl
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At a diner several blocks away, Douglas was sitting at the counter while a waitress was pouring coffee.
"It's strong today, hon," she said.
"Ah, the stronger the better," he said, holding his head, the fog from the jet lag still there. "So, ah… was wondering… Anything strange happen around here lately?"
"Kinda depends on your definition of strange, hon," she replied. "Usually, the only big news that happens in this city has to do with the Packers, or their current and former players."
"Well, ah…" he said. "You know anything about Clement McMahan?"
She looked at him strangely.
"The butcher of Green Bay?" she asked. "Someone told me he was dead… Is that true, or is he just in jail?"
"Uh… I'm pretty sure he's dead…" he asked. "You, uh, wouldn't happen to know…"
"Who killed him?" she asked, her voice sinking to a whisper.
She put the coffee pot down, and took her glasses off.
"This is completely off the record, hon, but… Know how that… man used to kill people when he wanted to do it personally? Know what a Chicago typewriter is?"
"That's…" he said. "That's gangland slang for the Thompson submachine gun… The 'tommy gun'…"
"Yeah, the type Al Capone used to use, they say," she continued. "He'd have one of his goons tie the poor guy to a post or handcuff him to a fence, then he'd take one of those guns and empty the whole damn magazine into the guy's chest. Do you have any idea how many bullets you can fire from one of those things?"
"Dear God…" said Douglas. "The poor man would have been… Swiss cheese…"
"Yeah, more than one coroner said that same thing," she muttered, "and there was a common joke among his goons that half the money his gang made from crime went to buying bullets. See, it wasn't satisfying for him unless it was violent and loud. He didn't even like guns with silencers, to him, a gun that wasn't loud defeated the purpose.
"He was so fond of that sort of thing, he would set traps for rivals using old-fashioned dynamite, grenades, plastic explosives… Anything that would explode."
Aye, tulgar berserkers are fond of noise, thought Douglas.
"Not all of them were enemies, by the way," she continued. "Some were civilians who made him angry, or just annoyed him. He wouldn't do it to women though. He said he wouldn't shoot them… Or hit them… For them he has a special gallows that he built and kept in his basement for that exact purpose…"
"Ya can't be serious…" he asked.
"That's what one of his thugs that turned states' evidence claimed," she replied. "A gallows built with three nooses, and he used it for special occasions. One time he kidnapped a rival mob boss, and forced the guy to watch as he used the gallows to execute his wife and two daughters before killing the guy. His claim of chivalry was just an excuse. He didn't even offer them blindfolds.
"We have to take that henchman's word, of course… When police finally got a search warrant because of that testimony, Clem had destroyed most of the incriminating stuff and gone into hiding…
"But… Getting back to your original question… I would say everyone, including me…"
Douglas sighed, and leaned on his hand.
From what I'm hearing, he thought, I'd probably be on that list too if he weren't already dead… Like solving a whodunit that takes place at the National Butler's Convention.
Brings up two tough questions, though… One, if he was a tulgar berserker, how the hell didn't WE know about him until now?
An' two… Who finally did manage to kill him?
Of course, he realized that was probably the reason Jalal wanted to find the killer. Everyone hated this guy, and everyone might have wanted to kill him, but the thing is, the murder had about five witnesses, and still, no positive ID. This mystery man, who confronted a tulgar berserker with a shotgun unarmed and won, couldn't be ignored.
Then his Disk hummed and vibrated again.
"I'm here, chief," he said. "Uhm, I…"
"Douglas, how far are you from Green Bay Plaza?" shouted Jalal's voice, interrupting.
"Wha?" he asked. "Green Bay Plaza? I…"
"About four blocks that way, hon," said the waitress, pointing outside. "New gadget?"
"Uh…" he said, looking out the street.
"I heard her," replied Jalal. "Get over there, it's an emergency. I'll tell you on the way."
"Right…" he said. "What's the deal?"
He tossed a five-spot on the counter.
"Let's just say it's a good thing you're there…" replied the leader.
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Four minutes and twenty seconds later…
Right outside the Taco Bell at the strip mall called the Green Bay Mall, three tough-looking punks were lying sprawled on the ground, all three with bruises, black eyes, and fat lips. One had been thrown against the now-dented remains of a bicycle.
"What the devil?" shouted Douglas.
He ran up to them, and offered his hand to the one who was trying to get up.
"What happened to you guys?" he shouted.
The one he was helping groaned a little, but didn't answer. The other two sat up.
"Uh, we were…" said the second.
The third slapped him on the back of the head.
"I mean, she was…"
That got him another slap.
"Uh, we were jumped by three other guys," said the one who slapped him. "Yeah, they beat us up and robbed us…"
"You were robbed?" asked Douglas. "I suppose the muggers just didn't care for gold?"
The punk who had spoken looked at himself. Indeed, the bling he was wearing made his excuse a little hard to believe.
"We were beaten up by a babe dressed like a bunny girl," groaned the one he had helped.
"You are so dead, Nick," said the one with the bling.
"Hey, at least I'll go to Heaven!" shouted Nick.
"Where is…" started Douglas.
Then he heard a scream, and his question was answered.
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Down the street a little, Emily had apparently gotten tired of the first "trick", and had become a little daring. She had just positioned herself in a central area, and had spent the last ten minutes inviting people to wrestle her.
Too easy.
Two defeated victims were lying on the ground, and they were hurt even worse that the other three. She was finishing off a third as Douglas got there, slamming his face into the side of a wall and dropping him on the floor as everyone watched in horror.
"Go on, get…" said the moon elf, nudging him with his foot. He groaned and tried to get up, but could only crawl.
"HEY!" shouted the Shadowchaser.
"Wow, you finally made it," she said, turning around. "I was wondering what a girl needed to do to get your attention."
"Ah you crazy?" he asked.
He looked at the guy she had just fought. His nose was bleeding badly.
"You actually think this is funny? Are you some kind of sadist?"
"Nope," she said. "I just like beating the shit out of people. So it was either this or take up ice hockey."
"You know, lass, I don't find you one bit funny," he replied. "Ah never thought I've ever say this to a lady wearing a Bunny outfit, but… Yer a disgrace to that uniform!"
"Why thank you," she replied.
"Yer lucky I never hit a woman," he said.
"Don't let that stop you fellah," she giggled. "Still, if you are into chivalry… I always wanted to see what a big bad Shadowchaser like you is made of…"
Should I throw up now, or later? he thought. All right, she asked for it…
He hated to do it, but at least he knew how to take someone down in one hit without hurting him too bad. Still Emily's smile didn't falter in the least as his punch landed on her chin…
…nor did it falter after it landed.
Douglas looked at her in disbelief. She giggled a little. He had been holding back, sure, but… She hadn't even flinched.
This is not the typical nightclub cocktail waitress… he thought.
He aimed another punch, this time with more strength behind it, and Emily reacted a little this time; however, it wasn't the way he had hoped. She lifted her right hand and caught his fist.
She giggled a little again. Then he yelled "OOF!" and stepped backwards.
It was obvious that she had just kicked him in the gut right then, and the wind was knocked out of him, not just from the blow, but from the surprise. He looked around; it seemed they had drawn quite a crowd, and the six guys she had beaten up were watching too.
They hadn't been hurt bad, but Douglas was starting to get the picture. She had been holding back too; she likely could have killed them if she had wanted to.
"Come on big guy, put em up!" she laughed. She lifted her fists and started hopping around.
This dame is loco, but there's gotta be some point to this, he thought. Elves dressed like this with super strength don't just start street brawls for no reason…
How could she be so strong? Gauntlets of Ogre Power or Potions of Bull's Strength or something? Least I hope it's something like that, 'cause if it isn't…
"Yer pretty strong, lass, you on steroids or something?"
Emily actually laughed.
"Maybe, maybe not," she replied. "What if I am? That's not illegal, unless you take them to play baseball, or football, or cycling, or box lacrosse, or… Well, you get the idea…"
He just looked at her in the face. She pouted.
"Don't wanna fight, huh?" she purred. Then she made a rather seductive pose. "Want to frisk me?"
"Look, lass…" said Douglas.
"Maybe I can just take this outfit off and save you the trouble…" she said, softly.
"Oh, yeah!" shouted someone from the crowd.
"Lass, please, I'll just…" he said.
Then she lifted her left arm forward, and Douglas noticed her armband – it was metal. There was a click, and it unfolded into a Duel Disk.
"Huh?" he said.
"Let's start over," she cooed. "You don't want to fight me the old way – yet… So then, duel me… Believe me, this gets my heart beating just as fast."
Is this some sort of, he thought, what's the word… fetish of hers?
Well, whether it is or it isn't, there's less of a chance of someone actually getting hurt. Let's hope I can bring her down this way.
He activated his own Disk, then stepped back five yards.
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Meanwhile, above them, the muscular guy with the red hair was on the roof of the Old County Buffet, watching with an eager look.
Man, this must be my lucky day, he thought. Can't believe I forgot my video recorder. Go get 'im, Emily!
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"Say, I recognize you," said Emily. "Yeah… Douglas Bowmaker, right? The guy who caught that, uhm…"
She quickly looked at everyone watching, and changed mid-sentence.
"…really… ugly, uh… legbreaker in Dublin?"
That was technically the truth, but he was far uglier than most humans, and was about eight feet tall, which was no surprise considering he was a spriggan. (Most folks had been fooled by the media into assuming that leprechauns were the only fey who lived in Ireland, but there were plenty of others, and some were just plain nasty.)
"Aye," replied Douglas. "You saw my picture somewhere."
"Mmm-hmm," she said, nodding. "I'm not good with faces, but I never forget a beard like that.
"Duel Gazer, activate!"
She threw out her arm, unfolding the device, one with a hot pink lens, and slipped it over her right eye. Douglas used a more modest one, and the digital simulation began.
"Duel interface set, augmented reality vision link established."
(Douglas: 8,000) - - - - - - - - - - (Emily: 8,000)
"I don' like smart-ass dames," he said. He made one draw, and looked over his six cards. "I'll set these two cards, and that will be my turn for now."
He played the cards, and both the cards appeared – both in his Spell Zone, actually.
"You sure?" asked Emily, making a curious look. "Bad hand?"
"Maybe, maybe not," he replied. "I said it's your move."
"Okay…" she said making her first turn. "Draw…
"And I'll summon someone who's a real looker… The suave and mysterious Dawn Knight!"
The light turned hazy and red, and an armored man with black hair, a crimson cape, and goggles with dark lenses, stepped in front of Emily, shielding his eyes from the glare. The odd dawn slowly subsided, and he lifted a sword. (1,400 ATK)
"Ah, what the hey… Attack directly!"
"I use this…" replied Douglas. "The First Monarch!"
One of his cards lifted, the purple background indicating a Trap and the infinity sign marking it as a Continuous Trap. However, the card disappeared, and a monster formed that looked like a tall, shadowy humanoid wearing a black cloak. It knelt in front of Douglas. (2,400 DEF)
"Not only does it make an effective shield," he said, "but if I discard one card from my hand, it becomes any Attribute I want…"
He discarded one of his cards, and the First Monarch's cloak turned scarlet with a halo of fire.
"As you can see, I decided on Fire this time."
"Nice save…" she said, "but he won't be defending next turn. Well, he can, but if he does, he won't last…"
She played a card, and the odd morning light was accompanied by cheerful cricket chirps and the smell of fresh morning dew.
"This card is called Butterfly Charm," she said. "That means your face-up monsters have to attack if they can, and if they can't, they get totaled at the end of my turn."
She smiled sweetly again. Then a face-down card appeared in the space next to it.
"Assuming I don't get rid of them first, but keep that in mind. I'll set one more, and that's that…"
Okay, this is… new, he thought. Still, it's not like I never intended to attack…
He drew, then switched cards quickly.
"Forgot to mention," he said, "since I switched the First Monarch's Attribute, if I sacrifice it to summon a high-Level monster that's the same Attribute, it can count as two monsters. So I'll sacrifice him…"
The Trap Monster and the Trap it came from disappeared, and a dark, hazy fog rose from the spot. It got bigger, turning into a large cloud, then sixteen glowing eyes peered out of it.
"I summon Yamata Dragon!" he shouted.
There were eight terrible roars, and eight hideous serpent heads emerged from the cloud, fires burning in each of their jaws. (2,600 ATK)
"WOO!" shouted Emily, looking at the huge Dragon. "You're a big guy, huh?"
It looked at her and growled…
"Ah, your bark is worse than your bite…"
Then it roared, clearly angry, and this time, she looked a little nervous.
"…but your breath, on the other hand…"
"You know, lass," said Douglas. "Teasing Dragons is not wise. It's like teasing a pit bull, times a million. Just ask the chief… He never did it himself, but he saw what happened to lots a' folks who tried.
"Attack Dawn Knight with Blazing Prominence!"
As eight burning streams of fire honed in on Dawn Knight, Emily grabbed one of the four cards in her hand, and held it in front of her.
"From my hand, I banish Butterspy Enchantress!" she shouted.
Streaks of light darted from Dawn Knight, and a girlish giggle came from behind him. As the flames hit the Knight, Douglas vaguely saw a ghostly woman behind the Knight, caressing and hugging him playfully.
Then the fire and the light subsided, and the Knight was still there, but the strange woman was gone.
(D: 8,000) - - - - - - - - - - (E: 6,800)
"Not only did he survive because of her effect," continued Emily, closing her eyes with a smirk, "but I get to take a Light monster from my deck, so long as its Attack Score is lower than the damage I took."
She casually took a card from her deck as Edgar muttered something under his breath.
"Yeah, well, since ya did take damage," he said, "ah still get to use my Dragon's effect, and draw cards until I have five."
He made three draws, then looked at them and his other two.
"Now, 'cause the big guy will go back to my hand when I end my turn, I'll use this card…"
His Spell Card flipped up, and the Mystik Wok appeared behind him.
"I'll use the old Wok, as it is, to sacrifice him and gain Life Points equal to his Defense Points."
The Dragon disappeared in a cloud of fiery smoke and ash.
"I'll set two cards, and I'm done," he said, as two more reversed cards appeared in his Spell Zone.
"Not yet you aren't," said Emily, with a snarky smile.
"A Trap?" said Edgar. "What…"
The Trap lifted up, and again, a soft light covered the makeshift arena.
"Spiritual Light Art – Hijiri," she said. "I have to sacrifice a Light monster to use this Trap, so I'll use Dawn Knight…"
Dawn Knight faded into the light, and a shimmering portal opened in the floor.
"Then, for starters, because he went to the Graveyard, I can take a Light monster from my deck and discard it."
She giggled again, and then took another card, playfully throwing in into the discard slot.
"Next, we get to the Trap itself," she continued. "By sacrificing a Light monster, I can Special Summon a banished one. However, you can stop it from happening if you reveal a Trap Card in your hand."
Douglas grunted a little. He had just set the only two he had.
She's smart, he thought. She knew enough not ta jump the gun…
He only shook his head a little. The portal shimmered more, and someone started to rise out of it.
Douglas was a little surprised. It was a young elf-like woman with richly tanned skin, her blonde hair in a long ponytail, wearing a halter top with a dangerously low v-line, the two sides held together with straps across it that seemed to emphasize her bust. She also wore a breechcloth, along with knee-high boots that seemed to be made of the same fabric. All of her clothes were a light shade of aquamarine that seemed to shimmer. Most remarkably, she had very large, decorated butterfly wings, like those of a monarch, the same shade of green.
She looked at Douglas and made a playful wink. (1,500 ATK)
(D: 11,100) - - - - - - - - - - (E: 6,800)
"I think it's my move now…" said Emily. "Draw…"
She smiled again as she added that one to her others.
"Next thing I'm going to do is banish Dawn Knight," she said, "because by banishing a Light monster, I can summon Butterspy Temptress from my Graveyard."
There was another gentle light and another girlish laugh, and another butterfly girl rose beside the first one; she was a brunette with short hair and bangs. Her outfit was the same as the other, but colored rich magenta. Again, her large wings were the same vibrant color. (800 ATK)
"The downside is," continued Emily, "both her Scores are reduced to zero. Next I'll bring out Butterspy Seductress."
A third one appeared, this one with red hair worn long to the side. Her outfit – again the same style – was bright yellow, as were her wings. (1,100 ATK)
This is gonna be one of those days where I wish I never got out of bed… thought Douglas.
Then all three of the Butterspies stopped giggling and looked very serious.
"With these three monsters," shouted Emily, "I build the Overlay Network!"
Oddly enough, what happened was different than most times Douglas had seen an Xyz Summon. While a vortex appeared in midair, it was very different than any he was familiar with. To describe it best, it was a ring of gold with eight spikes forming a starburst pattern, hovering in midair. The center… Well, through the center, Duncan could see a hazy landscape under a red, burning sky…
Then a terrible suction started, and the three Butterspies were sucked through as dirt, dust, and litter on the street were drawn in. Everyone watching held onto hats, purses, and other loose clothing as the portal shattered…
Another elf-like butterfly maiden was in front of Emily, hovering in mid-air, but this one looked a little older and with far more authority. Her outfit was similar, but was a one-piece leotard (still with the plunging v-line to emphasize the cleavage) with the same boots, and also velvet gloves, all of them royal purple. She was wearing diamonds everywhere; the necklace alone looked like it was worth the price of a car. She had floor-length platinum blonde hair, and her wings were violet with emerald-green triangular patterns on each of the four sections. (2,500 ATK)
"So, what do you think of Enchanting Damselfly Papilloperative?" she asked.
"I got no idea what the sam-hill a 'Papilloperative' is," replied Douglas, "but I don' think I'm gonna like it…"
"Well, it's the type of monster I need to use this card," replied Emily. "The Elimigate!"
She played the card, and the air behind her tore open, literally. That weird portal appeared again, but the suction was less intense now. The sinister butterfly maiden's eyes glowed, and she smiled at him.
"So long as I have this card, any monster that tries to attack – except a Papilloperative – gets totaled. And I've got something else too…"
She played a card, and the sun got a little brighter.
"It's called Butterfly Swarm… Costs me a little to play it… Well, okay, it cost me a lot…"
(D: 11,100) - - - - - - - - - - (E: 4,800)
"That's kinda steep…" said Douglas.
"Actually, that's only the activation cost," she said, wryly. "There's also a maintenance cost. But it's worth it, because whenever a monster is totaled, is owner gets clobbered too, for 1,500 points of damage!
"Makes me wanna shout… Same with her! Attack Damselfly! Dark Banshee Scream!"
It came so sudden that Douglas didn't have time to prepare himself. It was a wail, accompanied by a blast of pure sound that hit him like a hammer, and knocked him on his back.
He grunted and looked up. Damselfly looked back at him with a frown, then produced a small aerosol bottle of breath spray (where she kept it in that outfit, he had no clue) and spritzed it into her throat.
A regular comedian, he thought.
"Your move, handsome," said Emily.
(D: 8,600) - - - - - - - - - - (E: 4,800)
Edgar said something incomprehensible as he picked himself up, drawing as he did so.
This lass is pretty good… he thought, looking at the set up. The first Spell will make my monsters try to attack and kill them if they don't, the second one will kill them if they do, and the third will make me regret it either way…
Gonna have to improvise here…
He set one card, and a monster appeared set in front of him.
"Move," he said.
"That's clever, big guy," she said. "You figured out the one way to usually avoid taking the most damage and protect your monsters when trapped in this lock…"
Usually? thought Douglas. How…
"Before I draw, I'll activate my Life-Absorbing Machine," she said.
The card on the last space in her Spell Zone opened, and then she made a draw.
"That means I regain a thousand of the Life Points I spent. Then I pay 2,000 of them to keep my Butterfly Swarm.
"Then, I'll use Supremacy Berry, and gain 2,000 points more."
She used one of her two cards, and a dove flew from the card holding an olive branch in its mouth.
"Now for the final part of my combo… When my Damselfly attacks a monster that's defending, she can use an Overlay Unit, and for every Continuous Spell and Trap I have, you lose 400 Life Points."
"Bring it!" shouted Douglas. "I'm not afraid of her!"
"Tough talk coming from a man wearing a skirt," she replied.
Damselfly screamed again, and a large ball of puss appeared on the card, then exploded into goo. Some of it splattered on Emily, but she just smiled a little broader, putting her left hand on her hip as she did.
"Giant Germ, huh?" she asked. "Well, don't forget about my Swarm…"
The card's name fit the effect perfectly. A swarm of multicolored butterflies flew out of the card like angry bees, mobbing and biting the muscular Shadowchaser.
Still, as much as they hurt, and as angry as he was about that… The "skirt" crack was something he – and men who wore kilts in general – never found funny…
(D: 5,500) - - - - - - - - - - (E: 5,300)
"Now you've done it…" he snarled, as he got up. "You not only lose 500 Life Points, from my Giant Germ, but I get two more…."
The goo started to coagulate and slither together, rising up into two different bacterium. (1,000 ATK)
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The big guy watching on the roof was chuckling softly.
Yeah, NOW you've done it, Emily! he thought. You've made him mad! Man, I only wish I had some Crackerjacks right now…
Then he caught an odd smell, some sort of incense. He looked down, and saw something familiar. A small, golden chest shaped like a temple, emitting an eerie smoke from the sides.
"Now what?" he thought.
He bent down and opened it, taking a small slip of paper out.
"CHECK THE MOBILE, IDIOT!" was written on it.
"Huh?" he said.
He fished around in his pocket, and took his cellular phone out. Then he slapped himself in the forehead.
Once again, he had forgotten to turn this thing on. As he did so, he wondered just how long it had been since he had, and how much trouble he was going to be in…
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"Now it's my turn…" he growled Douglas, as he drew.
"First off, I'll use the Trade-In Spell Card. I get to draw twice, so long as I ditch one Level 8 monster."
The Spell Card appeared, and he slammed one of his other cards into the Disk, then made two draws.
"Dramatic," replied Emily. "Got anything good?"
"See for yourself," he replied. "I sacrifice both Germs…"
One of the Fiends turned to golden fire, then the other. There was a rumble of thunder…
"…and summon one of my best monsters… The defender of the Sanctuary in the Sky… Majestic Mech – Goryu!"
The sky darkened, and golden squares flew from above, below, and each side, all of them piecing together into a huge creature. The whole thing took a few seconds to form, then revealed itself in full, a golden metal serpent with a faceless head and multiple, feathered wings, the whole thing about a hundred feet long. (2,900 ATK)
For the first time, Emily was a little nervous.
"Okay that's… a pretty mean-looking Fairy…" she said.
"Not all Fairies are the goody-goody type who live on fluffy clouds and play harps, lass," he said. "Some are downright tough. You can't take things for granted… After all, I just found out that some Playboy Bunnies are brutal street fighters."
"Uh…" she said. "Touché… Still, as big as he is, he can't blast through my Elimigate…"
The front part of Goryu's "face" started to pulsate.
"Looks like he's gonna try anyway!" shouted Douglas.
A blast of plasma thundered at Damselfly, but true to Emily's warning, hellfire erupted from the Elimigate… Both duelists ducked as the Majestic Mech shattered.
Then the swarm flew from the Butterfly Swarm card at him again, but he was a little ready this time, shielding himself with the forearm of his free arm.
(D: 4,000) - - - - - - - - - - (E: 5,300)
"I'll set one more card, and then play the Spell, The Shallow Grave," he said. "We both take one monster from our Graveyards, and set them on the field."
Emily slyly looked at the discard slot on her Disk. There was only one monster in her Graveyard right now, Butterspy Temptress. Normally, summoning her with her effect meant she was gone for good if she went to the Graveyard, but using her to summon an Xyz changed everything.
She quickly set the card on her Monster Zone, and a set monster appeared opposite Damselfly.
"Your move, lass," said Douglas.
"I draw once…" said Emily, making a draw. "I'll give up 2,000 Life Points to keep my Butterfly Swarm, but I get back 1,000 from my Machine."
(D: 5,500) - - - - - - - - - - (E: 4,300)
"Not that I need it… I'll attack your monster with Papilloperative, and use an Overlay Unit again! Go!"
Enchanting Damselfly Papilloperative screamed a second time, but this time, it met some opposition. The three Waboku priestesses sprang up, halting the advance.
"Your Trap?" she gasped.
"One of them," he replied. "My monster is safe and so am I, but… Waboku doesn't stop the actual attack…"
The flat card in front of him flipped right-side-up, and a small bat-like imp holding a spear appeared. (500 DEF)
"Spear Cretin?" asked Emily. "That wasn't in your Graveyard…"
"Was it?" he asked. "Think hard…"
"Uh…" she said.
Then it sunk in…
"Not only does it make an effective shield, but if I discard one card from my hand, it becomes any Attribute I want…"
"You're smarter than you let on, fellah," she said.
"I'll consider that a compliment," he replied. "And seein' as ya just flipped my Spear Cretin, we both summon a monster from our Graveyards, either set in Defense Mode, or in Attack Mode. I have another monster in my Graveyard you may not have noticed… Darklord Superbia!"
The monster that appeared, was bizarre to say the least. It looked like a huge chalice made of black metal, with two small arms ending in claws, a hideous mask in the front, and huge hawk-like wings in back, flapping and keeping it hovering in the air. (2,900 ATK)
"When he's summoned from the Graveyard, he gets to bring one a' his friends along," continued Douglas. "Guess who it is…"
There was another loud roar, and Goryu rose on the opposite side on Douglas. (2,900 ATK)
"Okay…" she said. "You've got… two of them now… But…"
"But they can't get past your Elimigate, right?" asked Douglas. "No, they can't, so I'll just use someone who can. Watch and learn…"
0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0
Meanwhile, the muscular guy was sitting on the rooftop with his legs over the edge, talking on the mobile.
"Yeah, I'm watching her right now," he said. "It's a scream."
Then he listened, and his expression changed.
"Calm down, calm down!" he said. "It's terrible when you stutter!"
He stopped.
"Uh-huh, uh-huh…"
He looked at Douglas.
"Right…" he muttered. "Crap… Okay, I'm coming…"
He was about to hang up, then he stopped. Then he listened again.
"Eh? There?" he said. "Well, okay…"
He hung up, then stood up, and moved his vest aside slightly. The large bronze belt buckle he was wearing had a shape like hexagon, but longer widthwise, and six triangular buttons on each radius.
He quickly tapped the six buttons in a specific pattern, and the same eerie smoke that had come from the chest, only a larger quantity this time, rose from the floor in front of him. He quickly picked up the chest, and the smoke started to cover him.
After a few seconds, the smoke vanished, and he had gone with it.
0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0
"I'll set one more card," said Emily.
She fit a card into the last space in her Spell Zone.
"Your move, tough stuff."
"Fine!" shouted Douglas, as he drew.
"And there's the sweet spot! Ah use the Fiend's Sanctuary Spell Card."
The Spell appeared, and a wicked-looking stone gargoyle on a pedestal followed, then an odd, metal stickman. (0 ATK)
"Then ah sacrifice this Metal Fiend Token and Spear Cretin to summon my favorite monster! Here he comes…"
The two Fiends shattered into pieces, and the pieces turned gold. Then they started to put themselves back together…
"Felgrand Dragon!"
The Dragon wasn't as big as Goryu, but it was larger than life. It was standing on its hind legs, with armored skin of pure gold, gleaming in the early afternoon sun. It looked at Emily and her monster, its eyes liquid pools of gold that seemed mesmerizing. (2,800 ATK)
"Okay, okay, so now what?" she asked.
"Keep yer shirt on!" he exclaimed. "I'm gonna make an Xyz Summon of my own…"
This time, the portal that appeared was the normal one. Goryu turned into a sphere of light, while Superbia turned to a globe of inky blackness.
"So with the Overlay Network opened," he continued, "ah can summon my Dragon's best friend… Besides me, of course… Meet Divine Dragon Knight Felgrand!"
There was a blast of radiant sparks, and a tall, muscular Warrior leapt out of the vortex. His form-fitting metallic armor was made of the same material as the Dragon's hide, and he had a golden helmet that concealed his face with a gold plate. He wore a cape that was ribbed, making it look like the Dragon's wings, fancy, decorated gloves and boots, and a golden, shimmering sword. (2,800 ATK)
"Heh, the two Fairies were better," said Emily, with a slight laugh.
"That's what you think," replied Douglas. "Ya see, by giving up an Overlay Unit, he can choose one monster on the field…"
A light flashed from the Knight's sword, and the flash surged into Felgrand Dragon's chest.
"This effect prevents Felgrand Dragon from using its own effect for the rest of the turn, but… Now it's immune to all other effects!"
"You're kidding…" replied Emily. "But that means…"
Felgrand Dragon opened its jaws, and a pulsating orb of light started to form in them. Suddenly, Damselfly looked frightened.
"You got it!" he replied. "He can blast right through that Elimigate without hurting himself! So it's curtains for her. Attack with Mega Plasma Blast!"
The burning plasma blasted at the sorceress, and a loud scream that tapered into a sob echoed over the streets, right before she was reduced to hot ash. Then the Elimigate card shattered too.
"Seems that card went with her," said Douglas. "But not that one…"
He pointed to the Butterfly Swarm card, and it was working again, but this time, the swarm flew out and mobbed Emily. She was the one who shrieked now.
(D: 4,000) - - - - - - - - - - (E: 2,500)
"Been waitin' for that all day," he said. "In fact, why don't we see it again…"
"I use Call of the Haunted!" shouted Emily.
Her Trap flipped up and around, and Butterspy Seductress floated out of the ground. (1,100 ATK)
"Oh, and by the way," she said, "you aren't allowed to attack any monster except her."
"Well, fine!" replied Douglas.
The Knight turned to her, but then, Seductress giggled and waved to him playfully. The Knight paused…
"What?" said Douglas.
Emily discarded her last card, and Seductress strode up to Felgrand the Divine Dragon Knight with a sly look. He lowered his sword...
"Stay away from her!" shouted Douglas.
"Too late, fellah," said Emily.
Indeed it was; the Knight didn't resist as Butterspy held his head a planted a deep kiss on his lips. Then she let go, and led him by the hand to Emily's side of the field.
"Vile witch…" growled Douglas.
"Hey, no-one ever said you had to attack her," replied Emily.
Douglas made a deep sigh. She was right…
"Ah end my turn…" he said.
"Good…" she said, making a draw. The Life-Absorbing Machine glowed again.
"Don't forget, ya harpy, you have to pay 2,000 Points to keep Butterfly Swarm!"
Emily fidgeted. She looked at the card.
"Uh…" she said. "Maybe I'd better not…"
The card turned to dust.
"Thanks to your Shallow Grave and Spear Cretin, I have both Temptress and Enchantress here…"
Her two set monsters flipped up, revealing themselves. (1,500 ATK, 800 ATK)
"So I'll build the Overlay Unit again…"
This time, it was the normal vortex, and it drew the three Butterspy though like a gloomy, dark spiral.
"I Xyz Summon Night Papilloperative!" she shouted.
Another butterfly-themed humanoid flew out of the vortex, but this time, it was male. It wore a black outfit that seemed a combination of spandex and armor, with golden highlights, with bladed shoulder guards, knee guards, helmet crest, and sword-like blades on his wrists, pointing backwards. His mask covered his entire face, and his moth-like wings were vibrant blue and violet. (2,600 ATK)
"Now that's a sharp outfit!" she said.
The monster didn't seem to find the joke any funnier than Douglas or anyone else did, because he groaned a little and shook his head covering his eyes with his hand.
"All right, all right, bad joke…" said Emily. "I'll use this guy's effect now… I'll ditch one Overlay Unit…"
She took Temptress' card, and slipped it into her Graveyard Slot.
"…then we count up every Overlay Unit on every Xyz Monster on the field, multiply by 300, and add the total to Night Papilloperative's Score. Think fast…"
(3,500 ATK)
"Now seeing as you'll get your Knight back at the end of my turn, and I don't want that to happen… Felgrand Divine Dragon Knight, attack Felgrand Dragon!"
The Knight and the Dragon looked each other in the eye, then he lifted his sword, and the two charged towards each other. There was a blinding flash as the two monsters were vaporized.
"Well don't just stand there!" she laughed, turning to Night Papilloperative.
The moth-Warrior spread its wings, flying upward, and then came down feet-first, kicking Douglas hard in the chest, causing him to fall on his behind with a crash.
(D: 500) - - - - - - - - - - (E: 2,500)
"Hope ya enjoyed that missy…" he said.
One of his remaining cards lifted up.
"I use Damage Gate! Now I can Special Summon someone from my Graveyard with an Attack Score equal to or less than the damage I took."
There was another dark, shadowy aura, and Darklord Superbia appeared again. (2,900 ATK) Then, again, the shimmering portal appeared, and Goryu appeared with him. (2,900 ATK)
"…so thank you so much for sending my Knight there while he had Goryu as an Overlay Unit."
"I'm so scared," said Emily. "Well, I would be, but you see, when my turn ends, Night Papilloperative's Score won't go back to 2,600, it will stay where it is. I can even use his effect again to bring it up another 300 points. Even more if there are more Xyzs around.
"Oh… and I've got this too…"
She played her last card, and Emergency Provisions appeared, and the Butterfly Charm, Call of the Haunted, and Life-Absorbing Machine turned into green mist. She inhaled deeply, and breathed it in.
"Ah…" she said. "Invigorating…"
(D: 500) - - - - - - - - - - (E: 5,500)
"Your move, flyboy. Got anything else?"
"Oh… You bet I do…" he said.
He smiled broadly as he got up, drawing a card as he did. Then his final Trap lifted up. It was his Call of the Haunted. A golden light shone on the field, and Felgrand Dragon returned. (2,800 ATK)
"Now to unleash his true potential," he said. "You like math, right? Well, take the Level of my Yamata Dragon, multiply by 200, and you've got the amount of Attack Points my Felgrand Dragon gains right now, seein' as I Special Summoned him from the Graveyard."
(4,200 ATK)
"So now my monster is bigger than yours…"
"Ah… heh, heh…" said Emily.
"No more fooling!" shouted Douglas.
The Dragon's mighty breath shot at Night Papilloperative, blowing him into teeny-tiny pieces.
"Now for you!" he said, holding up his fist. "Enervation Ray!"
Two beams of pure blackness shot from Darklord Superbia's eyes, striking Emily directly in the chest…
"Ooh…" she said.
Then she looked at him with a nervous smile.
"That all you've got?"
I don't believe this, he thought.
With a mighty thunderclap, Goryu followed, the lightning crashing down, striking the rogue Bunny Girl…
(D: 500) - - - - - - - - - - (E: 0)
"What the…" said Douglas.
He took off his D-Gazer as the VR started to disappear. His opponent was gone. Only the same eerie green smoke was rising from where she had stood, and quickly dissipating… Then he noticed a note on the ground.
"What's this?" he said, as he carefully approached it.
He picked it up, and read.
Dear Douglas,
I wanted to thank you for the great duel. It was fun.
Anyway, if you're looking for the guy who killed Clement McMahan, I doubt there's any point looking around Green Bay any more. I heard on good authority that he's left the city.
I might see you again… But whether or not you'll see me, well, that's a very different question.
Love,
The letter was "signed" with a lipstick print.
In the name of Jehoshaphat, what was that all about? he thought.
0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0
A few hours later, about six-thirty, a highway outside Chicago. A D-Wheel with a male rider was driving west, and humming to himself.
"Going fast, makes me feel alive, my heart beats, in…"
Then he slammed the side of his helmet with his hand.
"Damn, I can't get that song outta my head!"
The young man pulled to a stop at a rest area to the side of the highway. He took off his helmet, and looked around.
Seems to be the right spot… thought Francis.
He was a tall man about twenty-five or so, with a leather jacket and jeans, and a t-shirt with a picture of the Looney Tunes character Yosemite Sam on it. He had a boyish face and shaggy brown hair that was slightly long in the back. His arms were rather toned and muscular – he had learned a little having Nichole as a sparring partner.
He had two odd tattoos, one on each arm. The first was that of a scantily clad elf maiden with eagle wings beside a golden sun-like image. The one of his other arm had a dark counterpart of that image; a dark elf version of the same maiden, with bat like wings, beside an ominous moon image.
He dismounted, then dug into his pocket, and took a note that Bartholomew had written on an envelope.
"Okay, let's see here…" he said to himself, reading.
"Thou shalt know when thine time is right. Celestial orb first horns at night. Stand to shun the northern star, atop the stone from south is far. Find the stones the horns connect. The sinister stone is the stone correct. Circle widdershins four stones more, greet the dawn, move two stones more. Widdershins circle again one stone, slant across the circle home. Imagine another stone laid down, stand it that spot to gain the crown."
He scratched his head.
"Lovely…" he thought. "Funny, Bartholomew, very…"
Then, the sun seemed to go out… Quickly.
0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0
BUTTERFLY CHARM (Spell Card)
Continuous Spell
Image: Fairies with butterfly wings flying over a peaceful meadow full of flowers.
Effect: Monsters your opponent controls must attack, if able. During the End Phase of your opponent's turn, destroy all face-up monsters controlled by your opponent that did not declare an attack.
0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0
ELIMIGATE (Spell Card)
Continuous Spell
Image: A circular portal in the sky with a golden frame, with a suction drawing everything in. A hellish landscape is seen on the other side. In front of the portal, a man stands with his arms outstretched.
Effect: When a monster other than a "Papilloperative" Monster attacks, negate that attack and destroy that monster. If neither player controls a face-up "Papilloperative" Monster, destroy this card.
0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0
BUTTERFLY SWARM (Spell Card)
Continuous Spell
Image: A swarm of butterflies made of violet energy flying around a hill while a sun radiating eerie, purple light shines overhead.
Effect: Pay 2,000 Life Points to activate this card. During each of your Standby Phases, either pay 2,000 Life Points or destroy this card. If a Monster is destroyed and sent to the Graveyard, its owner takes 1,500 points of damage.
Note: The preceding three cards were first used by Droite in the "Yu-Gi-Oh Zexal'' episode "Welcome to the Jungle". Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode.
0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0
ENCHANTING DAMSELFLY PAPILLOPERATIVE (Monster Card)
Spellcaster/Dark/Xyz/Effect/Rank4/2,500ATK/1,500DEF
3 Level 4 Monsters
Effect: If this card attacks an opposing monster, you may detach 1 Xyz Material from this card; if you do, and this card destroys a monster in face-down Defense Position, your opponent takes 400 points of damage times the number of Continuous Spell and Trap Cards you control.
0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0
BUTTERSPY ENCHANTRESS (Monster Card)
Spellcaster/Light/Effect/Lvl4/1,500/1,000
Effect: If your opponent attacks a Level 4 or lower LIGHT monster you control that is in Attack Position, banish this monster in your hand. The attack target is not destroyed, and you can add 1 "Butterspy" monster from your deck to your hand with an ATK that is equal or lower to the damage taken, except for a "Butterspy Enchantress".
0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0
BUTTERSPY TEMPTRESS (Monster Card)
Spellcaster/Light/Effect/Lvl4/800/1,600
Effect: If this card is in your Graveyard, you may Special Summon this card from your Graveyard in Attack Position by Banishing another Level 4 LIGHT Monster from your Graveyard. If you do, reduce the ATK and DEF of this card to zero. If this card is removed from the field after this effect is activated, banish it.
0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0
BUTTERSPY SEDUCTRESS (Monster Card)
Spellcaster/Light/Effect/Lvl4/1,100/1,800
Effect: If you control this card, your opponent cannot attack any monster you control except "Butterspy Seductress". If this card is attacked by an opposing monster, you may discard 1 card from your hand to take control of the attacking monster until the End Phase of your next turn.
0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0
Jemorille: Emily seemed to have accomplished what she had set out to do; she and her employer seemed to be a strange ally of the mysterious assassin, and it seemed that she was as much a mystery. Still, if she was indeed behind some plot against McMahan's gang, she seemed much less bloodthirsty.
For now, a new recruit – relatively – to the Shadowchasers was getting the last thing for an event that he and many others had been waiting for a long time. Five years to be precise. He didn't want any trouble… But trouble seemed drawn to the Shadowchasers.
"Leader of the Pack" is next. Riding Duel, Acceleration!