Tired of being what you want me to be…

Feeling so faithless, lost under the surface…

"Enjoy the show, ladies and gentlemen."

It smiled lazily.

"Every day you fight this war. Every single day. And you always lose. You can't stop it."

"You can't stop me."

(Leon: 1400/???: 4000).

"Damn you!"

Blood was trickling into his eyes. He almost dropped his cards, his hands were shaking so badly. His face was cut and bruised from that last attack. His opponent snickered, still wearing his face.

"Give up yet?"

"Never!"

It sighed dramatically.

"Of course you don't. You're too thick-headed to stop. Not until you're left bleeding and beaten on the ground. Maybe when you lose you'll understand that. Of course, you probably won't care."

Leon did not listen. He drew, slowly. He was facing Kaiser Glider and two Red-Eyes Black Dragons, all with 2400 attack points. He had used up every card he had had in play blocking those monsters last round, but he had what he needed in his hand.

"I activate Frenzied Beast Ritual!"

A gaping black hole appeared in the centre of the floor. An animal's scream shot through the air.

He skimmed through his deck, finding the card he was looking for.

"This allows me to send Beast-type monsters from my deck to my Graveyard until I have six level's worth, and then I can summon a Ritual monster! So goodbye Manticore of Darkness, and hello Frenzied Silverback (2600)!"

His winged beast was offered as a sacrifice to the pit, roaring in anger. A great, black gorilla hauled its way out. A long stripe of silvery hair ran down its back. Its arms were like great pillars of iron, with great rippling muscles. It beat its hands against its chest and bellowed at the top of its lungs. His opponenet merely chuckled.

"Ooh, look at the big monkey. Monkey want a banana?"

Leon ignored him, focusing on the field.

"I summon Breaker the Magical Warrior in attack mode (1600). And he gives himself a Spell Counter, which boosts his attack by three hundred (1900)!"

His armoured knight unsheathed his sword and angled it up to guard. It was brimming with barely suppressed energy. Looking at it, Leon frowned.

Something's not right here. I don't run Tribute monsters…so what the hell was Manticore of Darkness doing in my deck?

The abyss frowned. It would do him no good if Leon figured it out so easily.

"You put it in to face him. You needed more power."

It listened for a moment, then nodded and smiled, satisfied.

That would do, for the moment.

I've become so numb…

I can't feel you there…

Become so tired, so much more aware…

That's right. I put it in just for this duel. I needed more power.

He paused, surveying the field.

And I have all the power I need.

"Frenzied Silverback, activate your special ability and attack all three of his monsters!"

His monster charged, swinging its arms like pile drivers. First one, then the second, then the third dragon all fell to its swinging fists. His opponent gasped with pain.

(Leon: 1400/???: 3400).

"My Kaiser Glider's effect returns your brainless animal to your hand." His opponent choked out. He put a hand to his ribs, wincing. Frenzied Silverback vanished. Leon gritted his teeth, annoyed.

"Breaker, attack!"

"Argh!"

His knight slashed his opponent across the face. Blood flowered across its face. Leon winced, in spite of himself.

That'll sting in the morning.

(Leon: 1400/???: 1500).

It straightened up. It, amazingly, was grinning.

"You done?"

Leon nodded. The grin grew, changing into a sadistic sneer.

"You're going to die now. I activate Silent Doom!"

A ghostly arm appeared from the card, plunging into the dirt at his feet. It drew a white ball of light from the hole, and vanished. The white ball glowed, forming into the shape of one of his Red-Eyes Black Dragons. It took its place on the field in defence position, drawing its wings in front of it for protection. His opponent took another card from its hand. He dangled it like a fish on a line, taunting him.

"This card is Inferno Fire Blast. If I play it, you lose. How does it feel knowing I hold your existence in the palm of my hand?"

"You're bluffing." Leon said, braver then he felt.

It flipped the card around.

"Am I?"

The card was indeed Inferno Fire Blast. His heart sank.

"You going to beg for mercy?"

Leon's eyes narrowed. "Bite me" he hissed.

It shrugged.

"Bite this."

It slammed the card into its duel disk- my duel disk, Leon thought. The dragon unfurled its wings. Its scarlet eyes gleamed hungrily. A ball of crimson flame began to build in its mouth.

"You're going straight to hell, Leon. And you're never coming back."

"I'll save you a seat." He spat angrily.

Its face darkened.

"Kill him."

All of this- all of it- and he'd failed at the last. It was sickening. A fireball of grotesque size blasted straight towards him. He closed his eyes.

Sorry, Taylor.

He felt the flesh sear from his bones, running like melted wax away from his face. His eyes were ruined instantly, his hair and clothes set aflame. His duel disk could not withstand the flames, letting loose a vile, acrid stench as it began to dissolve. He screamed, and he felt the flames run down his throat, burning him alive from the inside out. He did not see the darkness consume his sight, did not feel what was left of him fall to the ground.

He was gone.

The abyss laughed. It had enjoyed that.

"Caught in a forever spiralling hell…soon you'll be nothing."

It watched him hungrily.

"And then I will live again."

(Leon: 2000/???: 4000)

"You didn't want me any more. You didn't need me any more. So you locked me away once I'd saved your precious bitch, and all I could do was whisper the truth in your ears. I thought I'd go mad, not being able to wrap my hands around your throat!"

It paused.

"But soon, I'll be able to do that. When the light in your eyes dims and dies, will you realise your brought it on yourself? We could have been great. Together, we could have had it all, including her! Isn't that what you want?"

It was painful for Leon to breathe, but he did it anyway.

"Maybe it was once. But right now…I've accepted that she doesn't want me. All I want to do right now is win this and go home."

It laughed. Leon's glare just seemed to bounce off.

"Dear Lord on high, you're stupid. Thing is, mate, is that she does. She just doesn't have a clue that you do."

His eyes widened. "You're lying."

"Am I? Why would I? It's not as if you'll ever see her alive again."

That thought, however chilling it was, was not lost on him.

"I created you." He said, quietly. "I can destroy you."

It shook its head- his head, Leon thought, angry- slowly. It bared its teeth in an evil grin.

"You are welcome to try. My turn!"

He picked the top card off his deck fastidiously, adding it to the rest of his cards.

"I sacrifice my Exploder Dragon to summon the mighty Summoned Skull!"

It reared up, leering at him through bony teeth. Lightning crackled between its jagged arms. Long, spiny claws adorned each of its fingers. Great, bat-like wings swept from its shoulders. Its face was like a grinning demon, evil and malevolent. Three gigantic claws sprang from its thick legs.

"Summoned Skull, direct attack. Lightning Strike!"

The electricity began to swell into a cloud, bulging with energy like water flowing over the edge of a cup. It eclipsed everything else, until it was all Leon could see. He was blinded by it, his eyes burned by the total brightness.

It was over.

The blast erupted from the cloud, smashing into him and tossing him aside. He was the raft and it was the storm. His black hair stood on end comically, stray bolts running along his skin like static. He folded like a puppet whose strings had been cut, writhing and screaming in pain. He twitched uncontrollably where he lay.

"Shocking, isn't it?"

(Leon: 0/???: 4000).

He did not hear. He could not.

The eye of the abyss was elsewhere. The torture had stopped.

For now.

She hung, naked before its gaze, lost in the black, airless void. She was too weak to speak, or even think. She just…hung.

She'd lost, she remembered that. She remembered blazing heat and a great, black dragon. Why she was there, she did not know. She just was. A hazy mental picture seemed to be hanging in front of her, like an oil painting in style.

A blazing volcano was depicted, lava streaming down from the mouth. A man stood, watching it. He was dressed in a long, black coat. His hair was black and heavily streaked with scarlet. His face was ruined and ghoulish, pale as chalk and marked by several nasty wounds. His right eye was just gone, leaving an empty socket behind. His left was swollen and veined, giving him a slightly alarming look. The remainder of his clothing was also jet-black, complete with boots and duelling gloves.

Does the Grim Reaper know you raided his wardrobe?

She blinked. Where had that come from?

In her head, the picture was captioned. Just one word. Maybe a name?

She traced it with her mind's eye, feeling more then seeing.

"Angel."

I've become so numb,

I can't feel you there…

He watched the lava gush from the mouth of the volcano with his single, blurry eye. It looked like blood weeping from a wound.

He had sinned. He knew this. He knew exactly what he'd done, and there wasn't a power on heaven or earth that would- that could- make him forget it. But he did not speak of it. Though it had split his heart in two, had hollowed him out inside there was no need to let anybody else see the damage.

No need to associate with what he had been, before.

"Long time no see."

His breath came hard. He had known that voice once, an eternity ago. He felt her hug him from behind, her arms wrapped around his chest. He closed his eyes, savouring the feeling for as long as he could. It made him feel…made him feel more alive. Something he hadn't felt in a very long time.

Finally, she let go. But still, he did not turn around to face her. He did not believe that it could be her.

But of course, it was. He sighed.

"Stop torturing me, Taylor. You're dead, ok? You died a long time ago. I know that it was my fault. Every night I see you screaming behind my eyes. There's nothing you can say to me now. I'm just…just a bloody shell. So just…just let me be, ok?. Leave me in peace with my hell."

She did not move.

"I can't. I need your help."

He sighed.

"What do you want from me? I can't bring you back."

Her eyes seemed to plead with him.

"Play your part. Save the person you were."

Can't you see that you're smothering me? Holding too tightly, afraid to lose control…

"Boss, no!"

"Sir, you must get up!"

"Come on, dude! You can beat this guy!"

(Leon: 800/???: 4000).

These guys are right…I have to get up!

His three Nimble Momonga cheered from the field as he stood. He forced his hands to stop shaking.

It merely laughed at him. Its lips were pulled back in a sneer. It folded its arms, an arrogant look on its face.

"Don't you know when to quit?"

Leon narrowed his eyes. "I'm not giving up."

It shrugged lazily.

"Then it seems I must put you down like the dog you are."

"You won't win. This is the last stop for you, bodysnatcher."

Its eyes widened, comically. "Oh dear! Such a powerful threat. I do believe I'm paralysed with fear!"

"Shut up!"

The laughter vanished from its face, replaced by an horrible smirk. It made his face look twisted and ugly, almost evil. There was a disturbing familiarity to the maliciousness.

"Forgive me," it replied darkly, "But this pound of flesh is mine. And I intend to keep it. Activate Flash Flare Blast!"

His Red-Eyes reared up, thrashing its wings wildly, its eyes gleaming. A blinding jet of flames erupted from his dragon's mouth, spraying deadly fire everywhere. He shielded his eyes and cursed as the stench of burning flesh and hair assailed his nostrils. When the smoke cleared, all three of his Nimble Momonga were gone, and their special effects weren't kicking in.

"You've got one turn before you die. Make your peace with the gods, Leon."

He touched his deck lightly. The damage he'd taken was beginning to tell, but he had enough left in him to finish.

He had to. He looked at his opponent, staring straight into his own eyes.

"I did that a long time ago. It's time for me to take you down!"

If it was capable of such things, the abyss would have snorted.

Take me down? Impossible. You're just a human.

It watched his defiant expression, amused.

And yet you created me. How ironic.

If it were capable, this moment would be highly satisfying.

Caught in my cycle of death and rebirth.

What will you do when there is nothing left?

Become so tired…

So much more aware…

Angel shook his head. "I can't."

"He needs your help!"

"And I'm not going to provide it!" he snapped.

"Why the hell not!?"

"Because he's not who I am anymore. He died when you did. Now leave me alone!"

She ignored him. "I'm not going to let this play out all over again. I can't."

"What the hell can you do?" he scoffed.

She looked down at the ground. Far away, the volcano blasted another cloud of ash into the sky.

"Honestly? Maybe nothing. Maybe I can't stop it. But he means too much to me not to try."

She fell silent, like she'd said too much. Angel sighed.

"That's not who I am. Not since…"

Her eyes flashed, her fingers curling into fists. "You're so bloody full of it! Get over yourself, why don't you!? It doesn't matter that he isn't you! The point is, he needs your help and you owe it to him!"

Angel scowled. "I don't owe him anything."

Something inside her seemed to crack. Pain seeped through, lining her face.

"Don't you? Don't we?"

Angel knew she was right. She almost always was, and there was nobody else who could penetrate the walls he built around himself. But…

"I don't owe him anything." He repeated.

She stared at him, obviously not believing it. To tell the truth, he didn't believe it himself.

"I didn't think I'd have to do this." She muttered.

"Do what?"

She held up her left arm. Angel snorted.

"You must be joking. You know I won't fight you."

She smiled dangerously. "Then this won't take long."

She activated her duel disk. Angel took a step back.

"Ready, handsome?"

He chuckled, looking at her through his one eye. "Fine. You win, I help. You lose, you leave me in peace."

Her eyes were full of pain, but she looked determined. Angel shuffled his deck quickly and slotted it into his own duel disk, which was blackened and well-used.

"You really have to do this, don't you?"

Taylor nodded. "I do."

Angel closed his single eye. "Alright then."

With that, his duel disk armed.

(Taylor: 4000/Angel: 4000).

Angel rested a hand on his deck. "Me first?"

She nodded. A thought shot through his head just as he was about to flick a card into his hand. He stopped.

"There's no point."

She closed her eyes and smiled apologetically.

"I know. I've already won."

A massive, five-starred pentagram started connecting behind her. The ground shook with the force of an earthquake, but Angel knew it was far worse then that. An unearthly roar echoed around the landscape. The pentagram glowed a deep gold colour, and shook as something crashed against it, trying to break free. Angel was almost thrown off his feet.

The pentagram shook again, more violently that this time, almost buckling under the strain. Whatever it was keeping back was huge, all-powerful, and Angel knew exactly what it was.

The third strike cracked the barrier. The fourth sent it crashing down, leaving a gaping white hole in the air. A huge, golden arm reached out, held back by an impossibly thick chain. With another mighty roar, the creature- the god- wrenched it free. Angel flinched as another arm grasped the edge of the portal, ripping through its bounds like a paper-chain. A pair of ridiculously broad legs, and a dull golden torso followed this.

Angel swallowed hard. This was very bad.

Tearing its head free of its confinement, the monstrous golden deity roared in triumph. It shook free of the last of its chains, channelling energy from the black clouds overhead. It radiated strength, rippling with suppressed power. Golden energy built in its palms, building until it was too painful to look at, obscuring the features of the beast. It leered at Angel, sure in its omnipotence. Behind it, he could see Taylor, illuminated in the glow. She was biting her lip, looking anxious.

"Exodia, obliterate." She said, softly.

The sealed god hit Angel with the force of an avalanche. He flew backwards, landing heavily on the ground with a crack. Exodia bellowed again, victorious, and vanished.

(Taylor: 4000/Angel: 0).

The bright light of the god faded away. Taylor stepped over to him and pulled him to his feet. He raised an eyebrow at her.

"You cheated. You stacked your deck, didn't you?"

She suddenly looked sheepish. She smiled and nodded.

"Couldn't let you win. Sorry."

He groaned dramatically, running a hand through his long, black hair.

"I should have known you'd try something crazy like that."

She laughed. "I won. So you're going to help?"

He smiled. It was a real smile, too, like getting smashed by Exodia had healed something in him.

"Yeah. But if I die, I'm going to haunt your ass, you know?"

She grinned. Then without warning, she pulled him close to her and kissed him hard, passionately. He put his arms around her, losing himself in her warmth, her touch. Finally, she let go and pulled away from him. He did not meet her eyes.

"I love you, you know."

She nodded. "I love you too."

The abyss watched gleefully as Leon collapsed. A gaping red hole had opened up in his chest, smoking and raw. His hands were pressed over it in a pathetic attempt to stop the bleeding. It could see the bone-white of his spine through the wound, mangled like a car in a collision.

How very gruesome.

He soon stopped trembling and lay still, a small puddle of blood beginning to surround his corpse. The abyss prepared to summon the shadow magic that would allow him to replay the event, but then stopped.

Something was wrong.

There was a presence- unnoticeable until now, though how it had masked itself it did not know. It was there now. It seemed to be approaching, drawing closer.

It sought to do battle. That much was obvious, though the notion was ridiculous. Challenge the abyss? Challenge the darkness within this one's soul to the darkest of all games, with the highest of all stakes? It was enough to make it laugh, if it were not beyond such things.

INTERLOPER, it declared, YOUR TIME IS UP.

And I know…

I may end up, failing too…

But I know…

You were just like me with someone disappointed in you…

Angel armed his duel disk. He stood, tense, immobile, waiting for the attack. He stood in absolute, total blackness. There was nothing around, no markers, no life at all. The voice had seemed to come from all sides, impossibly loud and dominating. He stood his ground, his ebony coat fluttered slightly, settling into place around his ankles.

"I don't have all day. Get out here so I can pay my debt."

FOOLISH HUMAN. YOUR SOUL SHALL BE EATEN BY THE DARK.

"Wouldn't be the first time…" he muttered softly. "I beat you once. I can do it again."

YOU STAND NO CHANCE AGAINST ME. YOU UNDERSTAND THE RULES OF THIS GAME?

"Of course. But this is no game. This is war."

YOU ARE NO MATCH FOR ME, HUMAN. I SUMMON SKULL KNIGHT!

At its command, a large, zombie-like monster strode forward, out of the darkness. It was huge, clad in armour made from white bone. It carried a large sword and shield, both a dirty white. The sword looked like it had been cannibalised from animal bone, the shield was carved in the motif of a snarling face. Red horns jutted from its small, demonic head. It beat its weapon against its shield, chittering madly like some kind of strange insect.

The strange monster lunged at him as the abyss bellowed a command.

KILL THE INTERLOPER!

"Activate Negate Attack!"

A swirling hole materialised in the air before Angel. As Skull Knight thrust its blade at him, trying to gut him, the weapon became caught in the vortex, blasting it back.

Angel knew he had to act fast. This was by no means a normal duel. He did not need to draw a card to use it, nor did he have Life Points as such. Instead, he could call up any card in his deck that he wanted to use. As there was no system of points, this war- and it was most certainly a war- would only end when one of them was too weak to continue.

"I call for Moisture Creature!"

A strange, white blob with eyeballs materialised in front of him. It looked at him silently, but warmly. Angel smiled.

"Alright, old pal. Attack Skull Knight!"

STUPID HUMAN. I ACTIVATE WIDESPREAD RUIN!

"No!"

Moisture Creature exploded in a titanic blast of heat and sound.

SKULL KNIGHT, COUNTERATTACK!

Temporality blinded, Angel couldn't react fast enough. Skull Knight almost split him in two with that massive blade. As it was, he was lucky enough- if that was the word- to just end up with a massive slash across the chest. Blood started weeping from it as he swore loudly.

Skull Knight's attack is twenty-six hundred…so fourteen hundred or so left.

He had to cause some damage, and quickly. He was feeling weaker now, and not just from the carving he'd endured from that knight.

"Hydrogeddon!"

His grey dinosaur leaped into the dark, hissing at Skull Knight like a cat.

TOO WEAK, HUMAN. SOON YOU WILL DIE.

"Put a sock in it! Activate Smashing Ground!"

At his command, a huge fist literally dropped from the sky, smashing Skull Knight flat and destroying it.

"Megamorph!"

His Hydrogeddon swelled to twice its usual size.

"Attack!"

The abyss shrieked in agony as his dinosaur shot a blast of water and gas in all directions. Angel smiled grimly.

"One more hit and you're done, creep."

PERHAPS. BUT THAT SHOULD NOT BE A CONCERN OF THOSE WHO ARE ABOUT TO DIE.

Hydrogeddon shrank to half its original size, the negative backlash of Megamorph kicking in. Angel snarled.

ULTIMATE OBEDIENT FIEND, DESTROY HIM AND DEVOUR HIS SOUL!

A gigantic, crimson monstrosity loomed out of the dark. Angel cursed angrily. It was truly hideous, with glistening red skin, horns coming out of both sides of its head, and a row of teeth that would've made a shark envious. Its bulk was almost all muscle, heaving with energy as it prepared to strike. A great gout of blood-red light erupted from its jaws, blasting Angel twenty feet away and disintegrating his monster.

I WIN, HUMAN. YOU WERE A FOOL TO CHALLENGE THE ABYSS.

"I take it that the abyss is getting scared, then?"

He stood, clutching the wound in his chest with one hand. He glared, resolutely.

"Because I'm not done dancing yet."

HOW CAN YOU STAND, HUMAN? YOU LOST!

Angel chuckled, then immediately winced, putting a hand to his ribs.

"Mirage Ruler begs to differ, though you can be sure I'll be out if you hit me once more. But since I'm about to win, that means nothing."

YOU LIE!

A ghost of a smile crossed his lips.

"Do I? I send the three Nimble Momonga from my deck to activate the effect of Gilford the Lightning, and destroy Ultimate Obedient Fiend!"

I WON'T LET YOU, HUMAN! ULTIMATE OBEDIENT FIEND, ANNHILATE THIS FOOL AND BRING ME VICTORY!

Another jet of scarlet light sprayed out from the monster of the abyss, but it never reached him. A huge blast of lightning shot down from the skies, intercepting the attack and creating a wall of electricity around Angel, shielding him. Standing in front of him was a muscled warrior, dressed partially in metallic armour and carrying a huge, two-handed blade he wielded dexterously.

NO!

"You're finished! Gilford, wipe him out!" Angel yelled above the roar of Ultimate Obedient Fiend.

The abyss screamed in frustration as Gilford lifted his blade. Thunder boomed overhead as lightning ran down the sword like water. Ultimate Obedient Fiend roared deafeningly, but it was futile. Gilford leapt for it, bringing the weapon to bear brutally, ramming the sword up through it like a cleaver through meat. It bellowed in rage and pain as the lightning electrocuted it thoroughly.

THIS IS IMPOSSIBLE! I AM THE GREATEST POWER THAT EXISTS, HUMAN! YOU CANNOT DESTROY ME!

Angel smiled. The job was done.

"Wanna bet?"

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Ultimate Obedient Fiend exploded in a ferocious blast, sending a virtual shockwave in all directions. Angel collapsed to one knee as the shadows began to clear.

He closed his eyes, panting for breath.

It was over.

'Cause everything that you thought I would be…

Is falling apart…

Right in front of you…

Leon opened his eyes. His eyes flicked around, taking in the unfamiliar surroundings.

He was in a large theatre. He stood in one of the private boxes the rich and famous had, where they'd pretend to watch but in fact would just be concerned with more important things. The stage was concealed behind thick, scarlet curtains, and seats lined the space leading up to it.

"Like what I've done with the place?"

His eyes were drawn to the other box, across on the other side of the theatre. He stood there, watching him, an amused look on his face. It still wore his body, though he looked somewhat the worse for wear. But it was most certainly he.

Not he. IT.

"That punk did quite a number on me. Good call sending Angel after me. And I'm not even going to talk about Kaiba…"

Angel? That one-eyed freak? I never sent Angel after him…

Suddenly, it hit him, like a bullet. "Where's Taylor? What did you do to her?"

He smiled, like a teacher who is pleased with a particularly apt pupil.

"All in good time. How'd you get Angel to bust you out of my web?"

His what? I never got Angel to do anything…but he needn't know that.

He tried to remember, but all he could sense were blurry, out-of focus, horrible images. Him being slashed, burnt, injured.

Killed.

"Where the hell is she?" he demanded. His hands were balled into fists. It laughed and gestured to the stage.

"See for yourself."

The thick curtains swung back of their own accord, revealing a large platform that had been set up. And on the platform…

Her body was burnt and charred. Her scarlet hair was dangling weakly around her shoulders. Her face was a mess of cuts and bruises. A large, weeping slash ran along her right cheek, blood dripping down her face. Her clothes were ripped in a dozen places, like something had savaged her. Thick, black nails had been driven through her wrists and ankles, ripping flesh and leaving her to hang from the cross. Her eyes stared, sightless.

Crucified.

"As it began, so does it end. This is what happens to those who challenge my power."

It smiled as it said these words. Leon knew that here, now- in more ways then one- he truly was fighting himself.

And I intend to win.

"You'll pay..." he hissed. He was cold now. Seeing her like that should have shocked him, but it didn't. Should have made him cry, but it didn't.

But it didn't.

He tore his eyes from the stage where she was displayed.

"Even dreams burn out, Leon. Are you ready to die?"

He looked at his duel disk. At his deck. He smiled, ruefully.

"I think I died a long time ago. Ever since you showed up, on that bloody awful night on that street, I haven't been able to live. I thought you could help me..."

An amused smirk crossed its face. "Are you telling me I didn't?"

Leon armed his duel disk.

"Maybe you did once. But that's all over now. It's time for you to get what you deserve."

The smile disappeared.

"One of us will."

He nodded. It slotted its deck into its duel disk, activating it.