Author's Note: I had intended to get this chapter finished and put up yesterday, but the outline of the duel turned out to be very frustrating. I apologize for the slight delay.
Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's, and the character of Raven is the creation of sammycrusinix.
Chapter 12: A Woman Scorned
It took Jack a little longer than he liked to get to the place where Carly had said to meet her. Fortunately at that hour of the night, traffic in the city had greatly thinned. Still, at the time Carly had called, Jack was on the other side of town. So it had still taken him a bit to get there. When Jack had finally gotten to the place where he and Carly had gone to the small carnival, something he saw with a glance caught his attention. Hanging over the water at the end of the boardwalk was a construction crane with something that seemed to be moving at the end. Jack drove over to get a closer look and saw that it was Angela and Mr. Pitts.
"What the bloody hell?" a surprised Jack wondered.
"Please, help us!" Angela begged.
"Get us down!" Mr. Pitts pleaded.
"Hello, darling." A familiar voice greeted. Jack turned his head to see Carly sitting atop her D-Wheel. "I was starting to worry that you might not show up."
"Carly, what the duce is going on here?" Jack demanded to know. "Who are those people tied to the crane?"
"Oh, that's my jerk of an ex-boss and bitch of an archrival." Carly explained. "I thought it was time they got what they deserved. A little later I plan to let them drop into the water. With those heavy chains I put on them, they'll sink like stones. You know I've heard that drowning is a really painful way to die."
"I understand about wanting to get back at people, but don't you think this is a bit overkill?" Jack pointed out.
"…Nah, not really." Carly shrugged. "Actually, those two are getting off pretty easy compared to what I plan to do to you."
"So you want to get back to me as well." Jack observed.
"You walked out on me." Carly reminded him, a hint of rage coming to her face. "We had something good together and you just threw it away!"
"You should've told me that you were a reporter from the start!" Jack argued.
"And would that have made a difference? Would you have still given me the time of day if I had told you from the start that I was a reporter?" Carly asked.
Jack was about to answer, but stopped as soon as he opened his mouth. He had to admit that if Carly had told him that she was a reporter that night she came into his hospital room that night, he would've told her to scram. The last thing he wanted to deal with at that time was some reporter wanting to ask about how he felt about losing his title and finding out he was nothing but a joke.
"I was going to tell you on the day you left." Carly revealed. "I thought that maybe… if you really were the kind of guy I hoped you were… maybe you'd actually understand. But it turned out just like I thought!"
"…So what are you planning to do now?" Jack asked.
"Now I'm going to challenge you to a duel." Carly laughed coldly. "I'm going to crush you like you crushed my heart!"
"You do realize who you're challenging, don't you?" Jack pointed out.
"Yeah, a big blowhard who was nothing but a fake champion." Carly mocked.
Jack was hit by the insult a bit hard. "Fine! I've never been one to turn down a challenge, and I won't start now! You want a duel, you've got one!"
"The track will be from here to our old love-nest." Carly decided. "The first one onto the street gets the first turn."
"Fine!" Jack agreed. "And if I win, you'll let those two people on the crane go!"
"That's a pretty big if, but okay." Carly agreed. "Let's go!"
With that, Jack and Carly took off towards the street. Just as Jack was about to pull ahead, Carly rammed into him from the side and laughed madly as she pulled onto the road first. As soon as Jack hit the street after her, the duel began.
"Track Field, activate! Future Visions!" Carly called. At once, the city became shrouded in a starry purple mist. Carly drew her first card. "I summon Fortune Lady Light in Attack Mode!"
The youngest of the Fortune Lady sisters materialized onto the battlefield. But a split second later she vanished almost as if she was a mirage.
"What just happened?" Jack wondered.
"Because of Future Visions, any monster we summon normally gets sent one turn into the future." Carly explained. "Light will be back at the start of my next turn. But in the meantime, since Light just got removed, I can use her effect to summon another Fortune Lady from my deck. Appear now, Fortune Lady Earth!"
The eldest of the Fortune Ladies appeared in Light's place. "Good evening, Mr. Atlas. It's a pity we have to meet again under such circumstances."
"What the… how can that monster talk?" a surprised Jack asked.
"We've met before." Earth reminded him. "Though my sisters and I have changed a bit since our last encounter."
It took Jack a moment to realize just what Earth was talking about. "Wait a minute! You're one of those little fairies that hang around Carly! What the duce happened to you?"
"I still haven't entirely figured that out either." Carly admitted. "But I don't really mind. By the way, you should know that Earth's ATK is equal to her level time four hundred points. Which means right now her ATK is 2800. I'll set two cards on the field and end my turn."
Jack looked at his hand and scowled. He had everything he needed to summon Red Dragon Archfiend. But because of Future Visions, his Tuner monster would be sent a turn into the future. He had to buy time. Jack drew his first card and found just the card that might just do the trick.
"Because you control a monster while I have none, I Special Summon Vice Dragon from my hand!" Jack announced.
Materializing alongside Jack was a large dragon with bumpy purple skin. It had three stubby white horns on its head and a pair of rumpled green wings.
"Next I summon the Tuner monster, Dark Resonator!" Jack announced.
The small tuning fork-wielding demon appeared on the field. But a split second later it vanished.
"Oops. Did you forget about the effect of Future Visions Jackie?" Carly mocked. "Looks like your Synchro Summon just got screwed up."
"I set a card on the field and end my turn." Jack announced.
As Carly drew her next card, Light reappeared on the battlefield. "Hi Jack."
"Hmph, so you can talk too." Jack observed with an annoyed expression.
"That's right. And I've got a few things to say to you." Light told him as she put her left hand on her hip. "Do you have any idea how hurt Carly was when you left? She spent hours crying her eyes out on the couch! After everything she did for you, after all the two of you shared, how could you think that she was just using you to get a story? You should be ashamed of yourself!"
Jack was struck greatly by Light's words. He had realized earlier that he had overreacted a bit to the revelation of Carly's true occupation. But he had no idea that she had been so hurt. Jack felt guilty, though he wasn't about to let it show.
"I don't need to be lectured by a palm-palm girl like you!" Jack told Light.
"A… palm-palm girl?" Light repeated with an offended expression. "You meanie!"
"Save it Light. Jack knows what he's done." Carly told her. "And I'm going to make him pay for it! Earth!"
"Yes Carly." the Duel Monster nodded. "Because Carly's turn has begun, my level rises from six to seven, increasing my ATK to 3200. Furthermore, each time my level increases, the opponent takes 400 points of damage."
With that, Earth raised her bladed staff and swung it at Jack, sending a blade of orange energy at him. The blade struck Jack on his side, causing his D-Wheel to wobble. His life points dropped slightly to 3600.
"I summon Fortune Lady Wind in Attack Mode!" Carly announced. Wind appeared briefly on the battlefield before vanishing an instant later. "Now Earth, attack Jack's Vice Dragon!"
"My apologies Mr. Atlas, but I must do what Carly commands!" Earth told him as she swung her staff. Dark spikes erupted from the ground and headed for Jack's purple dragon.
"Take your apology and stuff it!" Jack smirked. "I activate my Trap, Widespread Ruin! This card destroys the monster with the highest ATK that my opponent controls!"
A blast of flames shot out from Jack's Trap card, vaporizing the spikes created by the elder Fortune Lady's attack. Earth was quickly caught in the blast and vaporized as well.
"Oh no! Earth!" Light cried out.
"I'll make you pay for that!" Carly declared. "I end my turn!"
As Jack drew his next card, Dark Resonator reappeared on the field. "Because my level three Dark Resonator is back, I now tune it into my level five Vice Dragon for a level eight Synchro Summon!"
Dark Resonator clinked his fork against the metal rod he was holding in his other hand, causing him to change into three rings of green light. The rings encircled Vice Dragon and changed it into five balls of white light.
"The ruler's heartbeats will now file through here! Take witness to its creation-shaking power!" Jack chanted. "Synchro Summon! My very soul, Red Dragon Archfiend!"
The lights flashed and erupted into a pillar of fire. The flames soon died down to reveal Jack's red and black dragon.
"Uh-oh. This… doesn't look good." Light observed as she went pale.
"Red Dragon Archfiend, attack Fortune Lady Light!" Jack commanded. "Absolute Power Force!"
The dragon raised its fist and created a massive ball of red flames in its palm. Light screamed and attempted to cover her face with her arms as Red Dragon Archfiend launched its attack.
"I activate my Trap, Fortune Slip!" Carly announced. "By sending Light into the future, I negate your dragon's attack!" At the last second, Light vanished just before Red Dragon's attack hit. "And since Light was sent into the future again, I can summon another Fortune Lady from my deck. Appear now, Fortune Lady Fire!"
Fire materialized in Light's place and raised her hand forward. "BLAMO!"
Suddenly Red Dragon Archfiend exploded in an inferno of red flames. Fire laughed as the inferno struck Jack and almost caused his white D-Wheel to topple over. When the firestorm ended, Jack's life points had fallen to a mere 600.
"What the hell just happened?" Jack demanded to know.
"You just got fried by my effect, that's what?" Fire chuckled. "Because Light's effect summoned me to the field, I was able to destroy your friend, scaleface, and burn you with his ATK."
"So much for you big bad dragon, Jackie." Carly mocked.
"I set two cards on the field and end my turn." Jack announced.
As Carly drew her next card, Light and Wind reappeared next to Fire. Wind looked and noticed that Light was still trying to shield herself.
"Hey Light, you okay?" Wind asked.
Light opened one of her eyes and saw that Jack's dragon was gone. "Oh, thank goodness. I was sure Jack's red dragon was going to destroy me."
"You mean you were attacked by that jerk's strongest monster?" an angered Wind asked. "That son of a…!"
"Relax sis, I took care of it." Fire assured her. "That dumb dragon was no match for my effect."
"No one goes after my little sister like that!" Wind declared. "I'm gonna kick Atlas' ass!"
"Take it easy Wind, I'm okay." Light assured her.
"Don't worry, Wind. Jack is going to get what he deserves in the worst way." Carly told her. "Because I have at least one Fortune Lady on the field, I Special Summon the Tuner monster, Time Bending Witch!"
Appearing next to the three Fortune Ladies was what appeared to be a little girl with short pink hair and red eyes. She was wearing a sort of witch's outfit with a large conical hat with a large brim and a large gold clock on the front and a long cloak that was closed in the front. The purple material of the outfit sparkled as if it showed the stars.
"Good idea, Carly." Fire praised.
"I don't know. That seems a little extreme." Light remarked.
"As long as it hands Atlas his ass, who cares?" Wind pointed out. "Just get it over with Carly."
"What's going on?" Jack demanded to know.
"I activate the effect of Time Bending Witch!" Carly announced. "Once per turn, I can change her level to any number from one to seven. So now I raise her level from one to two!"
The child witch suddenly seemed to glow with a pink aura and began to change. After a moment, the aura faded and Carly's witch looked as if she had grown just a little older.
"I now tune the level two Time Bending Witch into the level two Fortune Lady Fire, the level one Fortune Lady Light, and the level three Fortune Lady Wind for a level eight Synchro Summon!"
The clock on the witch's hat flashed and she soon changed into two rings made of pink light. The rings encircled all three Fortune Ladies, transforming all three into six balls of white light.
"The stars of fate change here and now! Reveal the dark path to the world beyond!" Carly chanted. "Synchro Summon! Appear before us, Witch Queen of the Netherworld!"
The lights flashed and erupted into a massive column of red light. The light soon faded to reveal to reveal a young-looking woman with chalk-white skin and black eyes with pink irises. She had on a black skin-tight bodysuit with black and silver armor covering the front of her torso. On her hands she wore a pair of silver gloves that went half way up her forearms, and on her feet she wore a pair of silver knee-high high-heeled boots. The haunting woman also wore a sparkling black hood and cloak that seemed to show the stars. The woman's long blonde hair poured down from the hood, and in her right hand she carried a scythe with a silver handle and a black blade.
"And now, my dear Jack." Carly spoke with a mad grin. "Time for you to die."
Author's Note: Having Carly use Future Visions made outlining the duel very tricky. I had to figure out how Jack was going to pull off summoning Red Dragon Archfiend for one thing. But I seemed to make it work in the end. The actual chapter itself turned out to be quite fun to write. It was nice having monsters that interacted with the opponent instead of just hovering on the field. I also ended up giving Carly her own Synchro monster. It was so unfair that she was the only Dark Signer in the anime not to get one. Heck, even Misty's Reptilian monsters got one or two Synchro monsters, even though they were never used in the anime.
Please review and let me know what you think.