Stardust Shimmer
Three: Makiu, the Magical Mist
The glare of the mainframe was trying on the eyes, despite the relatively lit state of the Watchtower. Again, Batman wondered why was he not in Gotham whenever something associated with Duel Monsters broke out in world-wide chaos. The relocation of the Nazca Lines to Neo Domino City was another issue to him, despite Neo Domino being one of the few cities that did not have any heroes and also was not regularly observed.
"Why would they need one?" Batman voiced to himself, busy clicking through the archives listing every incident over the past few years that happened in Neo Domino City.
No masked hero arrived to save the day to them, the voice of Zera murmured close by, almost wistful. A man, a single man with a name and face, brought together two divided cities into one and paved a way for the future. It reminds you of the past, does it not?
"Harvey Dent," he murmured, staring at the photograph of Yusei Fudo the League had on file. The photograph was a few years out of date, but usable, blue eyes glaring at him despite it only being a picture.
And his life story, it reminds you of something else, Zera murmured.
"Kal El," Batman frowned. "Change the name of the planet and most of the situation, and history repeats itself in Zero Reverse." A corner of his mouth lifted, recalling Superman's reaction to Duel Monsters in the six months following their impromptu trip through dimensions on the heels of Judai Yuuki. "The irony."
Momentum. The danger it presented in that, it produced power well enough, but the challenge was in storing the power. When it was not safely stored...
"Zero Reverse," Batman frowned as the picture of the devastated Domino City of over two decades ago came up. Yuugi Mutou had long ago vanished from the Duelling stage, as had Judai Yuuki, leaving behind only a vague legacy of Duelling and an unguarded city safe only from the supernatural and not the scientific threat. Batman himself had kept tabs on unusual activity concerning known powerful Duellists around the area, recalling the few accidents leading up to Showdown in Hero City, but those were few and far between in League-overseen areas, where the meta threat was more prevalent, and his own city called for him. Gotham was a demanding mistress of her dark knight, leaving him uncaring about the rest of the world beyond Gotham Bay most of the time, much less another city far across the Pacific.
The Black Rose Witch. Batman saw the photographs of the wreckage, apparently the results of psychic power gone wrong and the manifestation of a dragon. The horrible legacy left of a successful doctor who no longer showed any sign of power, yet, had also participated in the World Racing Grand Prix in Neo Domino with Team 5Ds.
"Team 5Ds," Batman noted the smiling faces of a pair of teal-haired fraternal twins, a tall blond, a short man with a mop of orange hair and numerous facial tattoos, and a younger Yusei Fudo. "Everything comes back... to Team 5Ds."
Fudo Ryuusei was mature for his age at thirteen, and, thankfully in his mother's opinion, took after his father the most, in that he carried part of the Fudo hairstyle, the stoic features that seemed to be passed down the family line, and the dead-pan analysis skills that often kept him grounded and there and inexplicably... unmoving. Constant as the northern star, as Uncle Crow had said.
Nevertheless, he was also very much the child of Aki Izayoi, as Yusei had commented as Ryuusei displayed an aptitude with plant monsters enough for a Dandylion to materialise when he was merely seven to roar at Duel Gang members who thought it amusing to challenge the son of Yusei Fudo. It was cute, and a vicious little bugger as well, according to the very confused police officers that had arrived on the scene.
His father had merely resigned himself to giving the 'great power is great responsibility' speech, the 'we still love you, you're our son even though you have a plant-lion thing following you and you make Duel Monsters real' speech and the 'try not to hurt people, okay?' speech once he had known, despite the clear worries of his mother. Yes, he had a very balanced family life, one of the fortunate few who had that and both gifts of his parents.
When he was eight, with powers ever-growing and out of control and lacking focus, and cursing the heritage he had, his father came home one day with a snivelling little girl.
"This is Professor Kannazuki's daughter," his father had told him with that same gentle air that made people, including his mother, have faith equalling to that in a supernatural creature in him. "She'll be staying with us for a while since Martha is on holiday. What do you think, Ryuusei?"
"Well, that's fine," Ryuusei had answered. Orphans stayed at the Fudo house occasionally, his father never forgetting to repay the orphanage where he grew up into a respectable adult. That much Ryuusei knew, his father was a decent man.
Large violet eyes carrying tears had met cat-eyed blues, the long black locks framing that cute face belying an image almost equal to an angel in his mind. "You are...?"
"This is Ryuusei, my son," his father had told the little girl. "He's eight, three years older than you."
Five, Ryuusei calculated.
The diminutive angel had stood, bowing deeply before greeting him with a tiny smile despite her tears. "I'm Kannazuki Seika! Nice to meet you!"
Ryuusei Fudo had gone to his mother after a few moments, requesting her diagnosis on symptoms he had been exhibiting, including but not limited to heart palpitations, shortness of breath, redness in the cheeks, dizziness, and perhaps a feeling akin to being hit by a two-by-four in the chest yet completely relishing the feeling of being on cloud nine at the same time.
Hiding a smile and completely failing, his godfather Uncle Jack had interrupted the conversation to ask which lucky girl had caught the heart of Fudo Ryuusei. Perhaps the Dandylion attack on him was hardly warranted, but Ryuusei finally realised the feeling for what it was.
Fast-forward about five years later, and currently Fudo Ryuusei's childhood crush was currently in an invisible tug-of-war between the man himself and the other Psychic Duellist around.
Shimotsuki Setsuka was about as clingy as a Fudo with friends, perhaps more so, and there was only so much a Dandylion and other monsters he had with him could do against her icy magic. Therefore, the youngest of the three could merely blink in confusion as the eleven-year-old girl and the thirteen-year-old boy glared at each other across the breakfast table laid out.
"Ryuusei Nii?" Seika tentatively broached. "Are you coming with us to where Setsu-chan is going?"
"Ah, yes," Ryuusei quickly answered, his expression perhaps not quite as set as an experienced Fudo but on the way. "The Junior Singles WRGP is also set there, so the entire family is set there for a month. Uncle Jack is also participating in the exhibition duel, and Uncle Rua is playing as guest of honour there."
"Oh? Atlas San is in the exhibition duel?" Seika mused. "Who is he duelling, Ryuusei-nii?"
"Father," Ryuusei pulled a long expression. "We all know how that is going to turn out."
"Red Demon Dragon vs Stardust Dragon, to be continued," Seika giggled.
"It's Duel Board format, isn't it?" Setsuka commented. "I'm participating in it as well."
"I wonder what your guardian will think about that," Ryuusei casually commented, so casually done as to be almost hostile in context.
"Nakamura San knows better than that," Setsuka casually sliced open a grapefruit with a fork more viciously than was needed. "I wonder if we will meet. Seika-han, be sure to cheer for us."
"May the best Duellist win then," Ryuusei's expression was hardly congratulatory as the decorative flower on their table suddenly burst into full bloom despite the lack of perceived outside interference.
"Indeed," in comparison, neither was Setsuka's own expression as the flower quickly wilted over and froze.
"A- Ano, one side's hot and one side is cold..." Seika tried to smile as she was stuck between two positively hostile forces. "Er..."
"Save the hostilities for the Riding Duel," the masculine voice diverted both glares at the speaker. However, the day that Jack Atlas gave in to be intimidated by children, even Psychic Duellist children and a Fudo at that, was the day he abdicated as king of the Pro Riding Leagues.
That is, hell freezing over was more likely.
"Brats," Jack gave his own glare to match both of them. "Ryuusei, make sure you don't lose with the absolute power this godfather bestowed on you!"
"Your absolute power will face extinction in the face of the ice age," Setsuka replied back.
"Your ice will melt before that absolute power," Ryuusei retorted.
"Shall we see, then?" Setsuka replied.
"Let's settle this in the Duel once and for all," the boy answered.
"Both of you are going to make us late," Yusei, outfitted in pants, neatly pressed shirt and white coat with his identification hanging from the pocket appeared, frowning at both of them. "I don't remember either of you taking this long for lunch before..."
His eyes landed on the wilted flower.
"...save the hostilities for the Riding Duel," the scientist finally sighed. "You'll appreciate the new Dual-Magic Rules in place, I suppose. Jack, you do know that this exhibition is going to be extremely boring for you, right?"
"Dual Magic?" Seika asked as the whole party moved out of the hotel and to the awaiting limousine outside. Jack Atlas liked to travel in style, and if he couldn't ride the Wheel of Fortune into the exhibition, then he was definitely taking them along for the ride, Yusei's objections be damned.
"Normal spells and Speed Spells are allowed together in this tournament," Setsuka elaborated. "This rule was institutionalised after the costs of Speed Spells went up to levels only adults and established Riding Duellists can afford. There are plans to initiate the same rule in the next WRGP as well, since Riding Duels rely mostly on Traps and Monster effects alone, making it too easy to abuse cards like Royal Decree, Royal Oppression or Skill Drain."
"Well, my deck was already composed of lots of monsters, so it's nothing too bad," Ryuusei pointed out as all of them got into the extended car, a frowning Nakamura already holding the door open.
"Then, we could use Time Passage or Fortune's Future in Riding Duels, right?" Seika perked up. "Nice..."
"Well, enough chatter and let's all get in-" Jack abruptly broke off, shoving Ryuusei unceremoniously into the car before following himself, yelling at the stunned driver. "Step on it!"
"Jack?" Yusei had barely strapped on the seat-belt beside a very unwilling Nakamura. "Aki's not here yet!"
"She'll understand!" Jack snapped back before the report of something exploded and the glass pane next to Yusei's head shattered.
"Missy!" Nakamura dived to cover the squirming brunette, checking her for injuries before hurrying to pull the driver out and take over the steering wheel, takin care to snag the chauffeur's cap. The roar of the engine heralded the car peeling out into the main road and another, unmarked black car following.
"And these things happen in Metropolis," Jack dismissively shook his head. "American cities are really unsafe, aren't they?"
"Says the man who believes that a normal ride goes at one hundred fifty kilometres an hour," Yusei dead-panned, dialling into a tiny cellphone equipped with Solid Vision holographic keys. "Aki? We're driving ahead first, we just got shot at and there are people chasing us. Be safe!"
"What? Yusei where are you? Yusei!"
"Mama is going to be so mad," Ryuusei sighed as Yusei hung up.
The glass panel separating the driver from the rest went down. "A police call has been made, Missy," Nakamura reported, salt-and-pepper hair poking out from under the pilfered cap. "Also, the pursuers carry a Duel override function with them that was quickly intercepted by our own."
"Then, they carry a Duel system as well," Yusei mused. "Presumably equipped with the Dual-Magic capability..."
"We're not in Neo Domino, we can't engage them," Ryuusei stated. "Right?"
"We might not need to," Yusei agreed. "Look in the sky!"
Metropolis's sentinel dived down from the skies, going after the clearly more dangerous car. As the gunners shot at him, the bullets harmlessly bounced off his chest as he reached for the engine and pulled the entire thing out with one hand.
All three occupants of the car stared at him with stunned expressions as he indicated for them to come out. As he lifted the whole car to knock them all out, the second car swerved to park a good distance away yet within sight.
One of the three men snarled, producing a DuelDisk already bearing a card. Before Superman could break the device, a clear slime had already descended over himself, preventing him from getting closer to the man.
"Taste Metal Reflect Slime," the man cackled, turning to the other car, which quickly pulled away. "No you don't! Nightmare Wheel!"
"That's completely inappropriate!" A roar sounded as a grinning man holding a scroll wrapped it around the materialised torture wheel and disappeared it. "Are you intending on destroying this car? The insurance company will kill me!"
"Nakamura San! Ignore Jack and drive!" another voice shouted within.
"Yes!" the car peeled away, leaving the Man of Steel up against a wall of steel slime as the pursuer glared at them.
"Damn, they got away... well, I have the Man of Steel here..."
"Not so... fast!" Superman reached over, breaking the DuelDisk with one hand as he struggled with the squirming thing. The slime quickly disappeared as the man reared back, realising that the DuelDisk was broken.
"I suggest you come with me," the Man of Steel severely warned as he watched the car driving away with the corner of his eye.
"That was a man in the sky!" Seika exclaimed.
"Superman," Yusei absently agreed, sighing in relief as the slightly battered limousine pulled up to the exhibition building. "This city is famous as the place he protects."
"Oh, so this city is precious to him?" Ryuusei asked in Japanese as they got out of the car, Nakamura still holding the door open. "See, Seika, we saw him!"
"Yes, we did!"
"I'm glad you kids enjoyed it," the light masculine voice answered as the Man of Steel himself floated down from the sky, to the awe of most people present. "Professor Fudo, was it?"
"For this exhibition, yes," Yusei frowned, keeping his face calm. "Good afternoon, how may I address you?"
"Ah, I'm Superman," the Man of Steel answered. "Just call me by that. I was just passing by when your car was attacked, horrible business wasn't it?"
"We had children," Yusei nodded. "Shall we take this business indoors now?"
"I don't like him," Jack muttered to Yusei in their native language as the whole goup filed into the lobby.
"Be nice," Yusei warned as he handed over his identification to the politely fascinated secretary, who kept trying to steal looks at the Man of Steel. "He did keep away those attackers, after all."
"Who were they?" Ryuusei murmured, watching Seika and Setsuka playing the part of children who only knew Japanese to the trusting hero, even though Ryuusei knew that Setsuka was perfectly capable of speaking English for the purposes of Duelling.
"There are... people after Seika," Yusei frowned lightly as he received his identification back, filling out a few visitor's forms in the meantime. "Some of them are Psychic Duellists, that's where Setsuka offered her services. Since Martha was worried about Seika in Metropolis, and Setsuka needed to go to Gotham City on some business, and I had business in this very city where Seika was going to meet a famous psychologist in person..."
"You were coerced by our polite, well-bred foster mother to take two brats other than your own to America first before your own son, I know," Ryuusei interjected.
"Sorry, Ryuusei," Yusei dotted the last form for Jack, now handling two more.
"I know," Ryuusei nodded. "Just like me and Uncle Jack, you let Seika have Stardust after the accident. I understand."
"Well, I'd give it to you instead," Yusei quietly murmured as Jack went to pull Seika away from the smiling hero who was still a stranger. "But, you already had your mother's Black Rose Dragon, and one of Jack's Red Demon's Dragon, and Seika had nothing."
"She has me," Ryuusei pointed out. "I'll protect her!"
"Yes, so Stardust will protect her when you're not around until you get over there," Yusei nodded.
"Ah," Ryuusei nodded, his face set. "Then, Stardust better do a good job until I arrive."
"I'm sure she will," Yusei lightly answered as he collected the stack of visitor's badges. "Okay, children, and Jack, gather for your badges. Don't lose them."
"Don't treat me like a kid!" Jack roared at him.
The language barrier notwithstanding, both the girls seemed delightful enough, and bored with the Green Energy Exhibition, that Superman almost missed his public appearance due to trying to interpret their babble mixed with English words.
"And now, we have Metropolis's very own hero, Superman, to present the posthumous Scientific Discovery Prize to Professor Ryuumi Fudo." the emcee began. "Since the late professor is not here this day, his son, the Professor Yusei Fudo, is here to collect it in his late father's name."
"J'onn," Superman muttered into his discreet earpiece once he had given the prize. "I'm at the exhibition with Yusei Fudo."
"Check," J'onn voice drifted in. "I am behind the stage."
"You actually got out of the Watchtower for this?"
"I am the only available Psychic," the alien replied severely. "There are two psychically strong presences within this room, though both are young despite their mental maturity. There is also one more approaching..." he fell silent.
"J'onn?" the Kryptonian murmured. "Are you there?"
"I have been discovered by the boy psychic, who is currently approaching Yusei Fudo," J'onn answered, staring at the spot he had thought empty. "How I did not detect him in such close proximity is an oversight."
"We all make mistakes," Superman answered, watching as the black-haired boy with red bangs slowly strolled towards his father as the professor left the stage after his speech. "Some of them just seem to be more severe."
Indeed, the blue intensity of those eyes directed at him could make the Man of Steel pause for a moment, before common sense pointed out that he was stronger than a human. Comparisons of Luthor and the memory of Duel Monster realms quickly gave the Kryptonian protector pause to tread with caution.
"We need to talk."
Please review! Stay tuned for the next turn: Short Circuit! Duel, Acceleration!