Stardust Shimmer
Twelve: Driving Snow
Slumped in a corner of the large single bed, Setsuka eyed the two menservants as they patched up Kenzan. The man's face was slightly screwed up but he was functioning, at the very least. That boded well in comparison to how many she knew the Circle to have killed.
"You were a part of the original group," Setsuka observed. "Chancellor Samejima left most of your files with the KaibaCorp mainframe. You have dinosaur DNA in you... yet... what happened?"
Kenzan hissed as Mizoguchi slapped down a bandage. "I overheard the plans. They caught me. I escaped before they could duel me. Mackenzie gave chase, we duelled. She used Sephylon against me, I barely escaped."
"There must be some element in you that the dinosaur DNA protects you with," Setsuka observed. "So I heard. However, are you sure you do not require more aid?"
"Nah," Kenzan shook his head. "If I'm done, little missy, I'd like to see this thing to the end."
Blue eyes narrowed. "In Gotham... there is a reason why we almost never come to Gotham."
"I know, don't piss off the big bad Bat, Judai- Aniki told me," Kenzan sighed. "It's not Endymion's time anymore, you'd think that old age would slow him down, but no."
"It's a deeper reason than that," Setsuka reluctantly answered. "This is a city of madness. To stay here is to go insane. The reason why we don't come here is because for Duellists like ourselves it is to court a stint in Arkham. We can't afford to. Once Neo Domino City was reunited... once the third king severed the connection... we're open targets again."
"Won't stop me," Kenzan smirked as he put on his bandanna. "C'mon, I'll be good. Sho is coming here, isn't he?"
"Cyber Dragon is coming personally, that means Hero is coming as well," Setsuka relented. "You'll be with him."
Kenzan scowled. "Fine. So... where's the other guys?"
"I don't know," Setsuka yawned. "I presume they've stashed the Nopperabo somewhere to hand over in an equal exchange for our misdirection purposes. It is a late night. Nakamura San, see Kenzan San out to his room, please."
"I've got a room?" Kenzan exclaimed as he was pulled out by the manservant. "Cool!"
Quietly, Setsuka played with the silver chain around her neck, from which hung a locket with a stylised snowflake etched upon it.
The little girl sighed in the half-darkness. "Am I doing this right... Mother?"
Moments of silence passed before Nakamura entered the room again. "Missy?"
"...Nakamura San, Gotham is especially cloudy," Setsuka remarked. "I cannot see the moon."
"It is forecast to rain tomorrow, Missy." Nakamura shook his head. "Since it is the first week of October, we cannot expect a moon just yet..."
Brave was leading them on a merry chase through the narrow streets of Gotham as Batman grimly came into contact with the Watchtower. "Yes?"
"Batman," J'onn politely stated. "Zatanna, Flash and Green Lantern are on their way to Gotham City as we speak. Do you require Superman?"
"No!" Batman's voice raised a notch only as Brave sped forward towards a brick wall- and vanished. "Not Superman. Get me-"
"Batman?" Nightwing's voice filtered in from another channel. "I'm following the motorcycle as you said, somehow it disappeared as well."
"Dragan?" Batman switched communication frequencies. "Where?"
"Fifth Street, north," the vigilante relayed.
"I'm also on Fifth Street," Batman realised. "So they're in the building."
The sleek car parked itself as Batman leapt out, Huntress on his trail as the Dark Knight of Gotham placed a tentative hand on the red brick. "Property in Gotham... where?"
Open your eyes, child.
Under white lenses, he blinked as he saw the woman, white wings raised and smiling under the elaborate eagle headdress she wore. The woman pointed towards the door, before making a motion like pulling back a curtain.
Immediately, everything was clear, violet runes on the frame illuminating the building facade for a split second as the caped crusader stared.
"Batman?" Nightwing landed on the pavement, staring at his mentor. "Hello? Huntress?"
"We were following two people, named Sherry LeBlanc and Harald Seward," she answered. "I was trailing Question, who seems to be located by these people. However, our trail disappeared here."
"Call Zatanna," Batman relayed after a moment. "It's masked by magic. Why ever not?"
"One mistress of magic, at your service!" the woman in question chirped as she popped into existence with barely a flicker. "Hi, Huntress, Nightwing."
"What brings you here?" Batman asked, still staring.
"Dr Fate was chewed out by Seika Kannazuki's psychiatrist, who turned out to be a powerful witch moonlighting," Zatanna shrugged. "Anyway, I came because J'onn said you could expect arcane trouble and because I needed to get the information about Kannazuki to you pronto."
"She's a nexus to power, I know," Batman growled. "Can you see?"
Zatanna blinked. "Runic magic. Ingrained into the stone itself in a split second. Extremely powerful, but... not sorcery. How did you realise?"
"Spotted the runes," Batman pointed to the building front, where a set of stairs led to a door. "There's some on the doorstep, most on the door frame, and etched around the surrounding stone."
"... There's nothing," Dick answered.
"You're right, B," Zatanna blinked at the building. "When did you...?"
"Any way to undo it?" Huntress demanded, interrupting the question.
"Er, you need a sort of pass-card," Zatanna glanced. "A rune for power, another for bonds, another for... deceit, that's the cloaking... 'present power one has close bonds with'. What does that mean?"
Under the 'veil' that had been lifted, again he saw her, floating above the door as she glanced before motioning with her fingers. Something small, rectangular... herself...
"Power one has close bonds with," Batman echoed, reaching for his utility belt discreetly. "I know the Zera card's somewhere in here... if I accept you... you'll be something familiar, won't you?"
"Batman?' Dick blinked, unaware that beside him, the spirit of Zera was smiling.
A light glimmered in his eyes as a flap opened on the belt to reveal both cards, nestled in the reinforced compartment. Gingerly, he extracted both cards, one of the Warrior himself, the other of the darker shadow, that reminded the Batman so much of himself...
"Open," he growled, as the runes flashed and the door creaked open in invitation.
Utter silence greeted them for a moment before the Bat stormed in, the others following soon enough.
"Go home, treat your wounds under the mask," Harald was telling the Question, who was huddled in a small chair. Tattered khaki that was presumably the Question's coat was wrapped around the faceless man's body, and perched atop the head was the iconic fedora the detective sported. "No, I can't really tell you about Yliaster, I don't know that much myself. Good day."
"Hi, honey," the faceless man waved a lazy hand bound in a cast. "I got electrocuted, sorry."
"I do believe that this situation is rather difficult to believe," Harald shrugged, leaning back in the other chair available in the small apartment as Huntress stormed to Question. "Brave. Dragan."
The door creaked close behind them, Nightwing already whirling around to see two other men locking the door shut.
"Who are you?" Zatanna demanded as she whirled back towards Harald. "No... what are you?"
Harald gave a smile as his left eye glowed with the rune. "And I thought we already covered this. It is a late night, and I do believe that the Dark Knight has places to go."
"It'll include Gotham PD if you don't give me information soon," Batman growled. "Huntress, take Question. Don't let him into the crossfire."
"By all means," Question murmured as Huntress lifted him out with more murmurs. "Thank you, Mr Seward. It's a bit embarrassing to be held hostage by such monsters."
"You were shocked by an estimate of ten thousand volts by a Batteryman Fuel Cell, I don't think that's a laughing matter," Harald casually answered. "With the hero in question returned, I suppose my work is done."
"No," Batman shortly answered as Question was moved to a more secure spot away from the speakers. "It's not. What's with the eye?"
"That's a Rune Eye," Zatanna whispered. "A chosen of the Aesir... Odin."
"Bearers of the Rune Eye are champions of the Three Polar Gods, I suppose," Harald considered. "Though there are some less intelligent people who think of us as Psychic Duellists. We are not."
"And you're all champions?" Nightwing scoffed.
"Fleur is not, and neither is Winter," Harald answered easily. "I suppose you want an... update on who we fight."
"I already know," Batman growled. "There's another organisation of Psychic Duellists, the Elysium Circle, in Gotham. They're after the cards that are in my possession, which the precursor of you people handed to me to keep after Rafael Eatos stole it from them for the sole reason that he won't leave. You three, LeBlanc and Setsuka are allied with the Arcadia Movement, which is undergoing reconstruction after the late Diana Hunter took over from the previous leader. You want to stop them in their aims, something involving the Momentum generator exhibited in Metropolis. That's when we came in, since whatever the thieves tried backfired that first time. Again with Poison Ivy, who confessed to being offered much power in exchange for helping to steal the generator. They're here in the tournament to spread their agenda, but the only reason that no one believes it... who would believe that a card game could hurt people? Only those who can see them."
"You are amazing," Harald answered. "I suppose it should be expected."
"Tell me..." Batman continued. "Why Yusei Fudo?"
Harald considered. "Things arrange themselves this way. He is the only man who can build the generator, and I do believe that he mentioned working with Wayne Enterprises Research and Development on this as well. The generator... it supplies power, yes, but that power is useless, immutable as electricity. However, if you use a DuelDisk, or D-Wheel, combined with the right willpower..."
"Instant monster," Batman growled in conclusion.
"I was about to say instant weapon, but the result is the same," Harald shrugged, almost carelessly. "Yusei Fudo is not a Psychic... but he is an admirable Duellist chosen by the cards. It is perhaps unfortunate that the Elysium Circle intend to use his machines for their own ends. Perhaps... Setsuka knows that as well."
"Why allow a child to lead?" Huntress spat back at him.
Harald turned a remote gaze onto her. "Team Ragnarok first met Winter in Denmark, two years ago. At that time, the Shimotsuki couple we were acquainted with... were brutally murdered, leaving behind an eight-year-old daughter and a middle-aged caretaker. Imagine my surprise with the girl's own extensive powers, as well as her proposition... to eradicate the remains of Yliaster."
Idly, he played with his fingers. "I am a rich man myself, and I answered that we required no funding. She said that our power was needed, our connections... the fact that we were adults rather than any financial consideration. I thought it was for revenge... either way, she said that she would go on, with or without us."
"There's no way we can let a kid handle an organisation like that," Brave grimaced. "She took over her mother's position, scarily at that... it just happened. Call it mysterious... but..."
"You couldn't leave her to battle them alone," Nightwing nodded, seemingly in sympathy.
"The servant, Iemitsu Nakamura used to be like them too," Batman told Harald.
"I knew," the white-haired man answered easily. "That was how Winter managed to survive two years after their deaths; her butler protected them. I hope you can see the obvious problem inherent."
"That technically, the Elysium Circle hasn't done anything illegal," Batman concurred. "Wounds from holographic monsters simply would not be received... even for killing wounds."
"How d'you explain 'hey doc, I got these wounds from a giant monster?'" Nightwing frowned.
"In these cases..." Batman growled. "This is my city, you do not carry out your form of justice in my city, understood? There shall be no killing."
Harald stared at him. "I understand that murder is a common concept in Gotham, but there is such a thing as a holding facility for... such cases."
"There is?" the Dark Knight blurted.
"It exists," Harald wryly answered. "I would appreciate if you were to keep an eye on the Fudo family. Seika Kannazuki..."
"She's a nexus," Zatanna intervened. "Dr Ichihara told us."
"She did?" Harald frowned. "Ichihara Yuuko... if only you knew. Kannazuki Seika... Whatever you do, she cannot be emotionally endangered. I fear what natural laws would be rewritten in her presence."
Batman recalled the radiation readings around a certain block of Metropolis. "I know, that you know more than you tell."
Harald stood. "I served in the Swedish military, of course I know more. I will not hold you back from your duties now."
"Wha-" Nightwing was stopped as Batman held out an arm.
"Huntress, take Question to the car," Batman growled as the three men left. "Zee, with me. Nightwing, take west side. Please."
Batman said please. It was officially serious.
No one argued.
As the trio of Valhallanders hit the road, a murder of crows cawing overhead took flight.
"The gods call us to battle," Harald whispered. "In the city of the Bat, in the city of shadows..."
"Well, it's a start," Brave muttered, no longer smirking. "Dragan?"
"...it feels like we just woke a sleeping monster," the last of the team commented.
"Of course we did," Harald answered. "We just faced the Batman, and avoided most of the pertinent questions. Do you really think he would forget?"
"...how long has these conversations been going on?"
Placed upon one of Gotham's highest spire, the Dark Knight glanced down towards the glistening city lights. "A few years, maybe less... I haven't been keeping track. It's... a side effect. One of them is a bunny."
A corner of her mouth twitched. "Cute. Bruce... there's no way to exorcise them from your head, and I... I'm worried. Hearing things in your head is never good, even in the arcane world."
"Zee, do you see this city?" Batman pointed out. "It's alive. It's staring back at me. The city's lore... it wants the Bat. Not Bruce. It wants the one who walks in shadows and commands the fear of Gotham's criminals. It's the first time... I've actually seen it."
"Bruce..." Zatanna froze. "Tell me what you see."
"Shadows. Darkness." Batman shook his head. "Terror. Pain. More Darkness."
Gotham was a quagmire of shadows to the arcane lore, she knew. "Continue."
"And around us... bats." He pointed. "Where we left them, the rune for Ash. Where we met them, the snowflake. The stadium... the stadium is overflowing with yellow. Is that normal?"
"Close off your sight," Zatanna instructed. "Then?"
"There's her," he pointed to the Native woman floating before him again.
"Bruce... there's no one there." Zatanna sighed.
Take it, the figure mouthed, holding out both hands as it floated to the very edge of the tower. Focus. On me. Close out everything. Accept our covenant, come. Come, dark knight, dark crusader, caller of things unseeing.
"Eatos," he hissed, before taking the proffered hand. Despite the translucency of the appendage, to him it felt real and warm like a hand should be.
I am Guardian Eatos, and this is our covenant, the woman-Monster smiled. Protect this city, above all, above everything, so is your wish. I am a Guardian...
"-Bruce? Bruce, snap out of it!" Zatanna was yelling in concern now. "Retaw!"
Batman dodged the volley of water cast at him. "I'm awake."
Overhead, eyes with intensity like a bird of prey crinkled in happiness as white wings were spread against the dark skies of the Gotham night.
...I am the night watch.
It was later in the Bat-cave that a signature blur of red signalled the arrival of the Flash.
"Hey, Bats, what... gives?" the speedster halted. Zatanna, Nightwing and Robin were currently as far away from the Bat-computer as far as possible, the silhouette of the Batman himself pored over... a pile of cards.
"He's scaring me," Robin muttered to Nightwing. "He's been talking to those cards for... how long?"
"Two hours," Nightwing checked his watch.
"...did I come at a bad time?"
"Flash!" the speedster found himself as a human wall between the Dark Knight and the other Robins.
"Please, I still wanna live...!" Flash tried to run as they frogmarched him towards the Batman.
"Flash, you owe the hot-dog stand on First Street thirty bucks. No, now you owe Green Lantern." Batman growled without preamble. "Go pay him."
The Scarlet Speedster froze. "Does Gotham have a CCTV system? 'Cause I only arrived in Gotham about ten seconds ago."
"Kay'est was in the water you were running over," Batman pointed to a card featuring a mermaid. "Grarl was around the Gotham Circus, which you passed. Tryce was stationed overhead the bridge Lantern flew under, and Baou was close enough to see Lantern's expression when he got the bill. By the way, Lantern is angry at you, so I'd pay the bill quickly."
Complete and utter silence reigned.
"H- How?" the speedster muttered.
"You're fast, but not faster than thought," a corner of his mouth twitched. "Here's the plan for tomorrow..."
Yusei Fudo had been an early riser his entire life. No one quite knew why, or even how, it was like that certainty that Yusei would be there for his friends, that Yusei never got lost, that Yusei would win the duel against the bully/ enemy/ time-travelling nihilist/ whatever he was up against. Entire way, the end result was that Yusei was often up earlier than most American shops opened.
This was why, as Yusei idly reflected, that he had the oddest extended family that somehow arrived in Gotham at the same time as his own.
Kiryu was hardly an early riser, but up the other was and in front of him, and Chase with him, both grumbling something unintelligible and likely to be foul as both downed their coffee exactly the same way.
"You've tainted him," Yusei shook his head. "A mini Kiryu. Satisfaction Town won't survive."
"You exaggerate," Kiryu pulled a face as Jack and Crow entered, quarrelling at the same time. "Aren't we supposed to be at the stadium?"
"It starts after lunch," Yusei shook his head. "Just that Aki brought the three other kids over for some emergency briefing or something..."
"And this is our opponents?" Setsuka demanded as the randomiser transmitted the results onto the screen:
Setsuka Shimotsuki vs Reginald Mackenzie.
Ryuusei Fudo vs Glen Powers.
"I see," Ryuusei nodded beside Aki. "A Thunder oriented deck..."
"Interesting," Aki wondered.
"Interesting... I wanted the Ice Lock deck," Glen chuckled. "I guess I'd have to settle for the other deck... the Princess Yusei, was it?"
"A Valkyrie Burn... measures will have to be taken," Setsuka muttered.
"Missy?" Nakamura murmured as both mistress and servant exited the briefing room on the tails of Aki and Ryuusei.
"Setsu-chan?" Seika blinked as they turned a corner away from the general public. "Ah, Lionel Sensei!"
"Seika," Dr Lionel greeted, wearing a thick black jacket. "Setsuka. I'm here to visit my son."
So I hear, Dr Jordan Lionel... ex-husband of Regina Mackenzie," Setsuka lightly answered. "Why are you here, really?"
"Reggie wouldn't let me see the kid, you see... not until I proved myself," the doctor tersely answered as he pulled out from his jacket a folded DuelDisk. "Reg got his powers from me... and his gift from his mother, Reggie... but, Reggie was always the more powerful...she wanted more... and I just wanted to see my kid grow up."
"Setsu-chan?" Seika blinked again, shying behind Aki.
"You're with the Elysium Circle as well?" Ryuusei demanded.
"Why? Why would you do such a thing?" Aki shot.
"This burden of mine... only a parent can understand," the doctor shook his head. "I just have to defeat you, then my son is clear."
"You're... that's cheating!" Aki protested. "That kind of thing-!"
"Very well," Setsuka answered. "We'll settle this our way. Nakamura San, we'll duel for this. If you win, I will drop out. However... this will be no ordinary duel."
"Missy!" Nakamura protested. "This-!"
"Be prepared," Setsuka glared at the doctor as they proceeded to the empty open stadium and stood on either end of the football field. "They call this field the Duel of the End, where the legend of the King of Games split into two kings. Two opposing forces of equal powers clashed in our very position... cancelling each other out to prove that each side was now equal to the other."
"So, this will be a battle of wills," Dr Lionel nodded. "Very well, then I'll show you my will... and prove myself!"
"Duel!" both declared.
Please review! Stay tuned for the next turn: Daybreaker! Duel, Acceleration!