Thank you to D3lph0xL0v3r, also thanks for the error spot. I will fix that. Thanks again.
Malik was facing Alex and Hannah. The pair's faces showed nothing but horror having seen Malik seal Clark away.
"Ok, where do you want me to start?" said Malik who knew his secrets were now blown.
Hannah was gobsmacked. "Where to start? Where to start?" Hannah walked over to Malik and pushed him to the ground. "Maybe tell us why you lied to us?"
Hannah was about to go over to Malik, still on the floor. Just as she got over him, Alex pulled her back by her green tank top. "I think we owe it to him to explain himself." said Alex.
Malik depressed got back up, he then rubbed his face with his hand while walking around in a circle, trying to think of a explantion.
"Ok, five years ago Sampson became president of the City, at the same time five years ago I was leading a gang. We stole cards and sold them back for the highest profit. I always lived on the streets or in the Shelter, so its the way I grew up."
Malik turned to face Alex and Hannah. "I was never caught by the police, for two years I was one of the most wanted youth criminals in the City. But one day the police saw my face after a job went wrong, they were able to quickly track me at the Shelter. But when they did, Sampson was the one who turned up, not the police."
"So he was there to arrest you?"
"No, the opposite. Sampson came to the shelter looking for me because he needed my help."
"Why would he need help from the most wanted?" said a sarcastic Hannah.
" The police force was struggling, Sampson decided what better way to improve it, then hire one of the best criminals."
"So you stole cards from people, what lowlife scum are you Malik?" once again questioned Hannah.
"Like I said, its the way I grew up, in order to survive, but Derek was able to fix that. After I was on the police force, me and him started to get along. It turned out we both had dark pasts, he was bullied as a child and eventually he built his way up to be President. I think he saw me as someone who he could help as well. As a kid I wasn't evil, I never wanted to hurt anyone but I thought what I was doing was right. But Derek taught me that life isn't all dark and gloomy. After working with him and being friends with him, I was able to realize what I was doing was wrong."
"Then what?" replied Alex.
"Well from that moment on, me and Derek got along as best friends and we did clean up the City. It was great, I finally had a good purpose, but exactly three years on, from where he picked me up, that explosion happened and he banned all dueling from the City. All police officers were made into the DP, and us high ranking officers were made into the elite squad."
Malik started to sigh as he was about to talk about his darkest moments. "It all started OK, people were given fair trials but for some reason a month later, Sampson changed his tone. He ordered all DP officers to arrest anyone, and they were thrown into jail with no trial. And us elite squad, we were given new duel disks with a way to seal people."
Malik then closed his eyes with regret. "For the remainder of that year, I... dueled numerous people and sealed them away. I didn't lose once."
"How many Malik?" question Hannah.
"I er..."
"Answer the question, how many!"
"Twenty, twenty people I sealed away. The last people I sealed away were..." Malik then started to shed a tear.
"Who Malik? Who?"
"I sealed away two young children. They were not even dueling but they had a ton of cards on them. The elite squad was only used for dueling the toughest duelists, while the DP was used to gather up the rest. But Sampson asked me to seal these kids away, he knew I detested the anti dueling rules, but he wanted to know I would still be loyal to him and I was. I sealed away two innocent kids, along with eighteen other innocent people."
"Why did you do it Malik? Why?" said Alex.
"I did it because I was scared to leave someone who helped me realize who I was, I was never a true criminal, I was just misguided by bad people. For once in my life I had a good friend, even when I knew he had lost his mind I was still hoping one day he would change. "
Malik was able to hold back the tears. "After seeing the horror of those kids getting sealed, I had a thought, why would my best friend make me do this? After that I knew he was never going to go back to how he was."
Flashback- Two Years Ago
Sampson is in his office, Malik slams the door open with the most determined angry face a person could ever see.
"Why?"
"Why what Malik?"
"Why would you make me seal those kids away?"
"I know Malik you don't like my dueling rules, but I needed to make sure you was still able to do what needs to be done. I know you have been slipping for weeks now."
Malik slams his hands on his desk, "Why does this need to be done? Its been a year since that explosion and not once have you lifted the ban? When will this madness end?"
"I don't know Malik, I wanted to lift the ban but the more we sealed, the more evil I saw in the City. Someone inflicted all that pain during that explosion, I will make sure that never happens again."
"You was never like this, a month after the explosion you changed."
"My leadership wasn't working within the first month, I needed to change, why are you finally come up with this Malik?"
"Because I cant take it no more, those kids faces are giving me... giving me the worst feeling in the world. That was the last straw, I was giving you a chance but your not going to change."
"I'm sorry you feel that way Malik, your free to leave the force, if you want there is a small run down village on the outskirts of this City, we cleared that place a few months ago. Stay there for a while and clear your head."
"Your the one who needs to clear his head." Malik then slammed his badge on the desk and left the room.
Flashback End
"After that night, I was back on the streets, I slowly begun to wonder if Sampson was up to something, something more then just banning dueling. Then of course I met you Hannah. Then we started this whole fightback with the same belief. Stop Sampson at all costs."
"Anything else we should know." said Hannah, still very angry.
"Me and Sampson have been doing deals for the last year, he found out about this group and he could have attacked it anytime. The deal was, he doesn't attack this place, and I keep giving him information about some project hes doing. I don't know what the project is, but it was the only way I could keep you guys safe. He threatened to come over here if I didn't listen to him, and today I didn't, I dueled him and lost. Now all our team mates have been taken."
"Wait, Malik you... you did deals to stop him taking us?"
"Yes, I never wanted it to be this way. This whole year we have been doing this, its been great finally have proper friends. This time last year I had quit the elite squad, one year on I have these great friends and teammates, I didn't want to lose that. So whatever you need to do to me, fine. I don't deserve forgiveness."
Malik sat down on a nearby rock. Hannah and Alex looked at each other, then sat down next to him.
"When we built this team Malik, we made a slogan. Everyone deserves a second chance. What you did was terrible, utterly terrible. But everything you did, wasn't because you wanted to, Sampson knew you was weak and he used you. I saw you seal that guard away, I thought... I thought you was evil inside." said Hannah in a soft tone.
"But I am? I did all that stuff."
"Yes, and you cant change the past. I thought you enjoyed sealing people away and you was doing this to get revenge on Sampson and you didn't care about us. But your not, your actually doing this because you care, you care about your City and your friends."
Malik turned his head to Hannah. "I'm not saying I forgive you fully, forgiving someone takes time. But I know your heart is in the right place and now you know you want to do for this for the right reasons."
"Malik what you did was wrong, yes. But you did all that stuff to protect us, that doesn't sound like a evil person." said Alex.
"I don't know what to say. Sorry doesn't even cut it."
"Then don't say anything. Malik, your our leader, and one of my best friends. You did something bad, but now your making up for it."
Hannah and Alex helped Malik of the rock, they then all did a team hug.
"Thank you guys, thank you." Malik now was teary. "Now lets get back our team."
"Not in this state your not. I don't think we can break them out of jail thanks to a few tears." said Alex. "Me and you Malik, and a duel."
"What, how..how would that help?"
"Well, we cant just let you walk over there like this, we need someone strong, which is why I'm taking you on you, in a duel for the leadership."
"What?" said Malik.
"To lead, you need to be strong and crying is for the weak. So its time to see if you still have it."
"Hannah tell him please."
"No I agree with Alex, we need a proven leader, time to step up Malik."
"Guys.. I don't think."
Suddenly Alex got his disk out and hit the touchscreen, then Malik's disk made a familiar noise.
"AUTOMATIC DUEL ENGAGED, THIS CAN NOT BE REJECTED."
"Fine then Alex, you want some tough. Duel accepted." Malik pulled out the elite cards from his card and put in his proper deck back in, along with his extra deck card."
"We never have once faced a elite squad member. Time to see what you got. "
"Oh, I take it you never heard of this." Malik pushed a button on his disk. The gage counter appeared.
"What.. what is that."
"Its a new summon us elite squad had. You guys never took on a elite squad member because Sampson felt you weren't a real threat, but he was wrong. Its called a Growth summon, and your about to feel its full force."
"Bring it." said a motivated Alex.
"Lets duel!"
Next Time: Alex and Malik go head to head for the leadership of Team Fightback
Timeline of events.
2009 -Sampson becomes president
2011 - Malik joins the police force
Start of 2014 The explosion happens and Malik is made elite squad
End of 2014 Malik leaves the elite squad
Start of 2015 Malik starts Team Fightback
Start of 2016 - 1 year after setting up the team, this is the current date.