Chapter 20- Farther Then Ever

Matt knew something was wrong the instant they had stepped through the arch to the shadow realm. He didn't expect whoever the mastermind was to be able to warp the destination that the gate sent people to. He didn't even know it was possible.

Too much stuff I don't know. Matt thought. That's not good.

No it is not. Good Matt replied.

Damn it! I hate when I don't know shit. Evil Matt thought. It aggravates me.

Almost everything aggravates you. Good Matt politely pointed out.

Shut the fuck up! Thought Evil Matt. Just because you're all peaceful and sh-

Could we please try to cooperate? Matt thought. It makes it easier to survive.

I have no problems with Evil Matt, apart from the fact that he is evil. Thought Good Matt.

Fuck you, man. I know you hate me. Evil Matt thought.

Now, now. Keep it G-rated. Matt thought. He stood up and looked around. Whoever had manipulated the destination had dropped him into the core of the first level. Matt walked over to the gate and ran his hand over the frame. The gate stood wide open.

Hmm… it seems that we have a problem. Good Matt thought. Look up. Matt looked up. Above the gate were six black lights. Four of them were lit.

Damn, that's not good. Evil Matt thought.

Yes… it means that four levels have been opened. I'm not sure what's down there… but whatever it is it can't be good. Matt thought. We need to find the others!

Fuck them, let's get the hell out of here! Evil Matt thought.

Yeah, since when have you cared about anyone but yourself, you murderer? Came thousands of different voices. All you've ever done is saved your own skin, why start now?

That's not true. Matt protested. I care about some other people-

Yeah right. That's why we're all dead.

Yes it is.

The thousands of mouths opened to respond, paused, then closed, realizing that Matt was probably right. It doesn't matter! The point still stands that the only person you care about is yourself!

Just shut up. I have enough problems without you guys adding to them.

Yeah, like how about those guys? Good Matt said. Matt spun around. Almost 1000 fiends (of various types) were streaming into the room and headed straight for him.

Yeah, those guys count. Matt said, and dropped into Drunken Fist form, swaying on the spot. I'm gonna have some problems with this… A bullet flew past his head, and Matt lurched forward into the fiends. He bent backwards under a fiend's claw and his foot shot into the fiend's stomach, creating a hole straight through it. Matt twisted and brought the entire fiend crashing down on one of his compatriots. He pulled his foot out, bending and twisting at the same time in order to dodge the constant attacks.

These guys aren't particularly durable, Matt thought, swaying around a fiend. But they sure are annoying!

Very annoying. Evil Matt agreed.

I'm sure there's some good in them… Good Matt said.

I highly doubt it. Matt said, executing another one of his bone-shattering punches on a fiend's skull. Its head exploded. They just can not have bad in them.

What does that mean?

They can be neutral. Matt lashed out at a nearby dog and knocked its head clean off. There was a sharp pain in the arm that had done the destructive deed but Matt ignored it. Even so, the pain was enough to slow him down enough to give one of the fiends an opening. The fiend raked its claw across Matt's arm.

Matt's face contorted a little from the combined pain. He shoved outwards to his sides, as if pushing two people standing next to him away. A white-and-black aura shot out from him and pushed all the fiends within a twenty foot radius of him outside that distance. Matt stood straight up, his hand on his wound.

"So… that's how it's going to be?" Matt said. "Alright then…" He held his hand up and focused hard on the palm. A blue mass of lambent energy began to accumulate in his hand. He moved his other hand around it at high speed to shape it into a sphere. "This ought to help me a little. Drunken Fist is more of a hobby for me, just a kind of funny thing that I do. My true form no one has seen, but I'll give you an imitation…"

Matt ran at the nearest fiend. In seconds the fiend was little more than strips of bloody flesh on the ground, sliced up by the concentrated sphere of energy in Matt's right hand. The fiends, frozen after they had been pushed back by the energy, reacted by attacking Matt again. This time, however, they were no match for him. Even in an imitation of his true form, he was far beyond their ability to kill. A few minutes later they were little more than piles of bloody flesh on the ground. The energy in Matt's hand disappated.

"All too easy."

Of course it was. Evil Matt said. You're fucking awesome!

No, I'm not all that great. You know why I'm so strong.

It is because we are a contingent of souls, because our strength is the sum of our strength combined. As are all of our other physical atributes… Good Matt said. In other words, because we have an extreme form of unity.

Though it does cause some extra wear and tear on my body when I exceed my normal body's limit. I've been doing that too much lately… Matt said, staring at the head of the dog he had knocked off. He had gotten carried away in the fight and had accidentally used more strength than his body could supply. That had caused a tear in the muscles of his arm- causing the pain that had distracted him. Good thing I heal at a rapid pace too…

Again because of the other souls around here. Good Matt said.

Yeah, but that's also a natural thing. Evil Matt said. Let's get the hell out of dodge.

I agree. Matt said, and turned toward the exit.

"You're not going anywhere!" came an unfortunately familiar voice. Matt looked up. Helen was standing in the balcony that they had been on last year. She was descending the steps that lead off to the side. And she had her left arm crossed over her chest, her duel disk active.

"So…you'll be my opponent now?" Matt said. Poor girl, he thought. Twice in two years.

Don't go soft on me! Evil Matt said. Slap this bitch around and let's get out of here!

Now, now. Calm down. Good Matt said. You know he never shows any mercy in this game. Which, of course, when it does not have life-or-death stakes, is fine. But then again, now it does…

Can you just shut it and let me do this? Matt said.

Sorry. Good Matt said.

Whatever. Evil Matt said.

"So, do you think you have any chance of keeping up with me?" Helen said.

"I won't just keep up with you, I'll annihilate you with little hesitation." Matt activated his duel disk. "Let's go."

"Let's duel!"

Matt: 4000

Helen(possessed): 4000

"I shall begin!" Helen said. "I will summon my Petit Moth (Earth/Insect, 300/200) in defense mode! Then, I'll equip it with the Cocoon of Evolution! This card changes its attack and defense values to equal to the Cocoon! (0/2000) Now, I set a card facedown."

"Is that all you have?" Matt drew a card. Hmm, challenge or no challenge? I'll take the challenge. I could probably win right now, but where's the fun in that? I'll make this a little longer. "I summon Mastrus, the Guardian (Light/Warrior/Mpire/Effect, 1400/2200) in defense mode, and set a card facedown. That's all."

"Ha! Too scared to attack?" Helen drew a card.

Why did you not attack? Good Matt said. Why will you not give the woman a quick and painless defeat?

Because that's no fun, damn it! Evil Matt said. I agree with regular Matt on this one, let's draw it out!

Both of you, silence! Good and Evil Matt fell into silence. "Go on." Matt instructed Helen.

"Ha! This will be the end for you!" Helen said. "I summon Leghul (Earth/Insect/Effect, 300/350) in attack mode! Now, he may seem weak, but he can attack you directly! And since you seem unable to attack, I'll just wait her behind my monsters and attack! But not this turn. I'll wait until the next! I end my turn."

"Really?" Matt said. Oh well. She doesn't have any idea of what I've got planned. He drew a card. "This should bolster my defense! I'll summon my Mpirian Duck (Water/Machine/Effect, 1000/2300) in defense mode! That will end my turn."

"So, content to wait in defense?" Helen drew a card. "It will not help you! For now I summon the mighty Chainsaw Insect (Earth/Insect/Effect, 2400/0) in attack mode! He'll tear right through your defenses! Go, attack his Duck!"

"Ha. That was rash. Mastrus grants all defense monsters on my side of the field a 400 point boost. (2700)"

"No!"

Matt: 4000

Helen(possessed): 3700

"Furthermore, when your bug battles with my monster, I get to draw a card." Matt drew his card.

"You'll die… Leghul! Attack him directly!"

Matt: 3700 Helen(possessed): 3700

"Now that we're even, I'll end my turn."

"Correction: we are not even. I have card control and we have the same life points." Matt drew a card. "Not to mention that it's my turn. Hmm… so many choices. I think I'll summon my Mpirian Miner (Dark/Warrior/Effect, 0/2000) in defense mode. That will be all."

"Ha! Is that the best you can muster?" Helen drew a card. "I activate Pyro Clock of Destiny! This card moves the turn count forward one! And you know what that means… five turns have passed!"

"Yes I know."

"But! I'll wait one more. For now, I summon my Insect Knight (Earth/Insect, 1900/1500) in attack mode. Now, Chainsaw Insect, attack his Guardian!"

"What a fool. I play my trap card, Mpirian Superfortify! This card prevents you from destroying my defenses monsters, so long as all my monsters remain in defenses mode. Also, you cannot cause damage, so your Leghul is worthless now! And, furthermore, Mastrus prevents you from destroying it, and all my other cards. So, have fun breaking this lock. I'll win… in two turns. Oh yeah, and I get a card." Matt drew.

"Ha! In two turns you will be dead! Now, I set a card and end my turn."

"Good. Let it begin." Matt drew again. "I'll summon my Mpirian Knight (Light/Warrior, 1900/1400) in defense mode. Then, I set a card facedown. That's all."

"I'll destroy you!" Helen drew a card. "For now it has been six turns! I sacrifice my Petit Moth to summon the Perfectly Ultimate Great Moth (Earth/Insect/Effect, 3500/3000) in attack mode!"

"So?"

"Now I play my spell card, Offerings to the Doomed! This will destroy your Guardian! And since he's destroyed, I can play Mystical Space Typhoon to destroy your Trap! Now, Great Moth, attack his stupid Knight!"

"I activate Magical Barrier. You fell right in. Now, all your monsters are gone…"

"NO! Oh well. I'll destroy you soon."

"Nope. This game's over." Matt drew a card. "Because you see, the Mpirian Miner prevents any and all of your trap cards from taking effect. So, you have little chance. And thanks for all the extra cards, because now I can send all these cards to the graveyard and summon the Mpirian Omni Machine (Light/Machine/Mpire/Fusion/Effect, 5200/5200) in attack mode. And thanks to him and the Miner, this game's over!"

"NOOOOOOOOO!!!"

"Omni Machine, end this duel!"

Matt: 3700

Helen(possessed): 0

A fiend jumped out of Helen's back and she collapsed. The fiend combusted. Matt shook his head. "They're so rash."

Oh yeah. Evil Matt said.

For once I agree with you. Good Matt said. Matt nodded his final agreement, picked up Helen's body (I would hate to leave her lying around to get possessed again), slung it over his shoulder, and began his trek to find the others.