Stardust Shimmer
Fourteen: Ice Water
Alfred Pennyworth, professional butler to billionaire and secret vigilante Bruce Wayne, had seen almost everything possible in service to Bruce Wayne and the Batman. This ranged from the Rogues' Gallery Museum in the Batcave to the assortment of various items ranging from a gamut of sometimes questionable backgrounds. Occasionally, the master of the house himself would act oddly, if only under the provision of the latest Joker gas or of Ivy's poisons.
Seeing the master talk to thin air was the latest in a string of unusual experiences. Seeing him do so while he wore the mask of the Batman while hanging a doctor upside down was even more unusual. The fact that there was someone else that was not part of the Bat Family, extended or otherwise, almost paled in comparison. Almost.
"Perhaps a change towards those who can actually see the other converser?" he suggested, wearing a domino mask outfitted with a voice-modifier.
"Dr Jordan Lionel, I strongly recommend that you tell us," the Batman hissed at the upside-down doctor.
"No," the other stubbornly growled back, his hair standing on end.
"Suit yourself," Batman activated the sonar Batarang he had attached to the doctor's coat. Soon enough, leathery wings of an entire swarm of bats flapped, surrounding the latest disturbance in a pillar of winged bodies and mammals.
"Argh, stop, stop!" the doctor screamed. "Get them away!"
"Erm, should we turn that off?" Alfred pointed towards the still glowing DuelDisk some distance away, which had begun to emit light in the shape of a robotic human that began to blast at the bats. Screams of the mammals echoed in the granite cave from the stalagmites and stalactites as winged bodies shaking from the electric shock landed on the ground.
"Crap!" Batman narrowly dodged the blast aimed at him as he threw himself towards the DuelDisk. "Turn it off!"
"I'm a bit occupied at the moment," Alfred stoically replied in the face of the electric blast aimed for him.
The Batman threw a Batarang at the DuelDisk, the projectile emitting a static discharge upon impact that shorted out the device. The machine monster shattered as the DuelDisk shut down.
The psychiatrist was still sputtering, gently swinging upside down. "What? Who the hell are you?"
The ruins of the DuelDisk now on the console of the Bat-computer, the Caped Crusader himself loomed before the psychologist like a ghoul of the night. "I... am the Batman."
"Now, we come to the second round of the semi-finals!" the announcer cheered to a screaming crowd. "Presenting, the ice princess, Setsuka Shimotsuki! And, duelling her, would be the lord of the Valkyries, Reginald Mackenzie!"
"You are like me," Reginald spoke low as the two D-Boards assembled at the start line. "It would be interesting to see how much so."
"So you think," Setsuka non-committally answered.
"Field Magic, Speed World Two Dual-Magic, set on!" the announcer called.
Both D-Boards took off.
"Riding Duel, Acceleration!"
Setsuka: LP 4000
Reginald: LP 4000
"I'll go first! Draw!" Setsuka called. "I play the Continuous Spell, Water Hazard! I use Water Hazard to special summon Secret Guards of the Ice Barrier [100/1600] in defence mode!"
On command, a warrior in blue armour wielding two swords crossed his arms as he crouched before her.
"I then summon Dewdark of the Ice Barrier [1200/800] in attack mode!" A ninja joined the warrior. "With that, I special summon from my hand Prior of the Ice Barrier [1000/400] in attack mode! I set two cards and end my turn!" Setsuka finished as an old man wielding a staff joined her field.
"And with that, Setsuka has set up an incredible field of three monsters!" the announcer cheered. "Any opinion, Mark?"
"Yes, but she's sacrificed her hand to do it," Mark contributed. "And the strength of the Ice Barrier deck lies in a well-stocked hand..."
"Draw!" Reginald took over. " So close to the prologue, and the epilogue is at hand for you."
"What are you blabbering about?" Setsuka suspiciously asked.
"I play the Spell, Ride of the Valkyries!" Wagner's notable piece began to play out as from the skies, female deities astride white horses charged down to surround Reginald.
"Oh, it's the three Valkyrie sisters!" the announcer called. "Valkyrie Erste [1600/1800], Valkyrie Zweite [1600/1600], and Valkyrie Dritte [1000/1600]! Setsuka's in a pinch with all of her monsters being of a lower attack!"
"When Valkyrie Zweite is summoned, she can destroy one monster you control!" Reginald pointed.
"Too bad! Secret Guards of the Ice Barrier prevents any Ice Barrier monster from being targeted by your monsters' effects!" Setsuka retorted. "And, Continuous Trap card, open! Eisbahn! All monsters summoned with Attributes other than Water are changed to defence mode! Looks like your epilogue will have to wait a bit more."
"What? With that, Reginald is in a bind!" the announcer Chris called. "At the end of the turn, all three Valkyries will return to the deck! Setsuka has successfully defended herself for one turn from the charge of Valkyries!"
"Can't be helped," Reginald smirked. "We'll go to chapter two. I tribute Valkyrie Dritte and Valkyrie Erste to summon Athena [2600/800]!"
"Again, Reginald summons Athena to the field, and thus Setsuka is at a bind!" the announcer called as the white-haired goddess arrived on the field. "Even if Athena is moved to defence mode, it can use its effect!"
"I activate Athena's effect!" Reginald called. "I tribute Valkyrie Zweite to special summon Valkyrie Erste! Athena gives you six hundred damage!"
Setsuka: LP 4000 → LP 3400
"Gah!" Setsuka winced as the goddess shot a blast of light at her and the bubblegum-pink haired Valkyrie appeared. "You..."
"I then activate Nibelung's Treasure!" Reginald announced. "I can equip Nibelung's Ring from my deck to your Secret Guards of the Ice Barrier, and then I draw five cards! I set one card, turn end! As Erste was special summoned by Athena, she does not return, and the other Valkyries do not return as they're in the grave! As I thought... you are not favoured by fate today against me."
"With that, Secret Guards can no longer protect monsters!" the announcer bellowed as the lone guard struggled with the iron ring that had appeared. "What will Setsuka do, with no cards in hand?"
"Draw!" Setsuka growled. "Your destiny has nothing to do with me, and so, fate has no need to favour me. Due to Nibelung's Ring, I have to draw two cards, and then discard one monster like this. Very well, I discard General Grunard of the Ice Barrier. When all the monsters I control are of level two and below, Dewdark can attack directly! Go, Dewdark! Water Shadow!"
"Trap card, open, Wotan's Judgement!" Reginald retorted. "I can draw one card, and return a Spell card from my hand to my deck, and with that, end the battle phase. Fate truly is not with you this day, Setsuka Shimotsuki. You cannot fight against fate."
"I see," Setsuka nodded as the ninja returned to her field. "I activate Prior of the Ice Barrier's effect, to tribute him and special summon General Grunard of the Ice Barrier [2800/1800] from my grave!"
With a mighty heave, the armoured general stood tall and proud on the field.
"I play the Spell, Card of Demise!" Setsuka continued. "I draw until I have five cards, and upon my fifth standby phase after activation, I have to discard my entire hand. I summon Strategist of the Ice Barrier! With that, I discard one card to draw another. With General Grunard, I summon Blizzed, Defender of the Ice Barrier [300/500] as well."
"What's the point?" Reginald laughed.
"Dewdark is a tuner monster!" Setsuka retorted, which shut him up as winds howled around her. "Your Nibelung's Ring won't stop Synchro Summons! I tune level two Secret Guards of the Ice Barrier, level four Strategist of the Ice Barrier and level one Blizzed to level two Dewdark!"
"It's a level nine Synchro!" the announcer called. "Could it be...?"
"Trident of the cold death, the swing of the pendulum is ever frozen." Setsuka chanted. "Synchro Summon! Touch the three worlds, Trishula, Dragon of the Ice Barrier!"
"There it is!" Chris yelled a three serpentine heads, glittering with frost and crystalline ice as cold air blasted the field. "The top dragon of the Ice Barrier deck, Trishula, Dragon of the Ice Barrier [2700/2000]!"
"The effect of Trishula activates!" Setsuka screamed in pure rage. "When it is Synchro Summoned, I can banish up to one card from your hand, field and grave! I choose that right-most card in your hand, your Athena, and the Valkyrie Erste in your grave! Trishula, Three World Spear!"
Large bat-like wings spread out, the dragon's three heads roared as icy winds blew the silhouettes of three cards away.
"Athena!" Reginald called.
"I set a card, and end my turn," Setsuka murmured. "Well, destiny is no longer on your side, is it?"
Reginald gritted his teeth. "I play Spellbook Inside the Pot, allowing both of us to draw three cards. I play Speed Spell – Angel Baton to draw two cards and discard one."
A small smile came as he studied his hand. "Well, thank you for your efforts, but you see, the end of the story is approaching the crossroads. I play the three Continuous Spell cards, Urd's Verdict, Verdandi's Guidance, and Skuld's Oracle! Let the three Norns decree your fate, with I, the favoured one, as the conductor!"
"There it is, the famous combo of Siegfried von Schroeder!" the announcer yelled as the three Norse goddesses who decreed fate appeared, one in yellow robes with her hair in pigtails, another with long pink hair and blue robes, and the last with short blonde hair and pink robes. "The Three Goddesses combo!"
"Goddess Skuld of the future, please show me the possibilities!" Reginald pointed. "Once per turn, I can see the top three cards of my opponent's and rearrange them as I wish."
Setsuka grimaced as her top three cards were rearranged.
"We then turn to the goddess of the present, Verdandi," Reginald pointed. "Once per turn, I can guess the type of card of the top card of my opponent's deck. If I am correct, the card is set face-down on the field. The top card is a monster card, so it will be special summoned in face-down defence mode."
"Of course, you would know," Setsuka noted that the top card was General Raiho, setting it. "So far, it is close to the strategies..."
"The goddess of the past, that which has come, Urd, will judge the choice." Reginald now indicated. "Once per turn, I can guess the card set on the field. If I am correct, you will banish it. The face-down card is... General Raiho of the Ice Barrier [2100/2300]!"
"Big surprise!" Setsuka called as the long-haired general appeared crouching next to his fellow general. "Continuous Trap, Imperial Iron Wall! No cards can be banished!"
"Oh!" the announcer called amidst applause. "With one card, Setsuka has effectively stopped the Three Goddess combo!"
Setsuka scoffed. "I don't need you to tell me my fate."
Reginald recovered quickly. "With that, I equip Fortune Chariot [0/0] to Valkyrie Erste."
"Raiho has a very special ability," Setsuka added slyly. "If an opponent's monster effect resolves on the field, he has to discard one card."
"In that case, Fortune Chariot is negated." Reginald grimly answered as he took back the card. "I play the Spell, Final Light, allowing me to special summon a Light Attribute monster in my grave. I choose what I discarded, Valkyrie Brunhilde!"
"The ace of Siegfried von Schroeder, Valkyrie Brunhilde!" the announcer called as the armoured Valkyrie appeared, her horse galloping next to Reginald.
"The opponent can also special summon a monster with two thousand or less attack power from their grave in face-up attack position," Reginald added, on a last-minute thought.
"I'll summon Strategist of the Ice Barrier [1600/1600]," Setsuka grimly stated as the wizened old man appeared again.
"Valkyrie Brunhilde gains three hundred attack for every Dragon or Warrior Type on the field, and you have three [1800/2000 → 2700/2000]!" Reginald called. "She is moved to defence mode by Eisbahn, but I can wait. Turn end. Your next card will be De-Synchro, which could be useful... or not."
"Draw!" Setsuka stared at her card.
"I already know your cards, and I already know what you will draw," Reginald shook his head. "The advantage is with me. You cannot win. Once I beat you, the stock of the Arcadia Movement will fall, and Elysium will triumph as the leader of the world's Psychic Duellists. Tournaments like these affect the reputation of the contestants and their ability."
"You know... Siegfried von Schroeder faced Seto Kaiba before, under similar conditions," Setsuka whispered. "Schroeder went on a long spiel on how he was favoured by fate, about how KaibaCorp has managed to ruin his company. Kaiba's reply was only this... that his words had not managed to move him at all."
"Excuse me?" Reginald yelled.
"Is that your only aim?" Setsuka threw out an arm to make her point. "How you feel towards me has nothing to do with me at all. Your meaningless words have not moved me at all. I came here to search for the Elysium Circle, and I did. Whether my win or loss will affect the Arcadia Movement is of no concern to me. I will teach you, the difference in Duelling between you and I!"
"W- What can you do?" Reginald smiled, though it looked forced.
"I activate my own Speed Spell – Angel Baton to draw two cards and discard one, the De-Synchro you arranged." Setsuka growled. "I activate the Spell, Salvage, which allows me to take two Water Attribute monsters and move them to my hand. I choose my Dewdark and Secret Guards. I summon Dewdark of the Ice Barrier. Tuning, level four Strategist to level two Dewdark! The chill of frost spread over the land, the arching spear of the lost people. Synchro Summon! Brionac, Dragon of the Ice Barrier!"
"The second dragon has come!" Chris cheered. "Brionac, Dragon of the Ice Barrier [2300/1400]!"
"I activate the effect of Brionac!" Setsuka declared. "I discard Secret guards to bounce Brunhilde back to your hand! Chill Frost!"
"Brunhilde!" Reginald called as the Valkyrie disappeared in a wave of icy wind.
"Now, you're wide open!" Setsuka murmured. "The Norns predicted that the twilight of the gods would come, heralded by the great winter," Setsuka grimly answered. "You will face your end with the Fimbulwinter, do you see that, Norns? Trishula, Brionac, send this sad and disappointing lot to their requiem! Ice Target! Stopping Strike!"
The wave of ice spewed forth from the icy dragons, flooding Reginald with a wave of pure white cold.
Reginald: LP 4000 → LP 0
"In the end, the son of a rat is a rat," Setsuka sniffed as she got down from her D-Board. "Reginald Mackenzie... no wonder your mother is disappointed in you such that she would rather have me."
"You..." Reginald coughed, shivering as he hauled himself up, parts of him cut, bleeding and white with cold. "Take. That. Back!"
"Missy," Nakamura bowed as the tiny mistress landed, handing her a paper cup steaming.
"Isn't it true?" Setsuka shook her head. "Why else would Regina Mackenzie come after Seika and I? She obviously is disappointed in the lack of power her son shows. Even Dr Lionel has more power than you exercise, Reginald. Bear the cold upon your soul, and remember..."
Cold winds howled as they blew through the stadium, Setsuka's parting words still ringing in the blond's ears as he walked back to where the Elysium Circle were stationed.
"...that you are nothing."
Mother, Father, my apologies to you,
My knees are trembling, sucking on my thumb,
Brother, Sister, I'll see you later,
I'm reckless in theses worn-out shoes!
"Which idiot put up Vocaloid here?" Setsuka complained as she studied the transcripts.
"My apologies, Missy, but it seems that the organisers wanted a more... exciting feel after the tournament before the two boys from Elysium battle," Nakamura interjected.
"Hmph," Setsuka scoffed, but said nothing else.
With vanity spreading the size, take the pattern paper,
If it's alright, I'll substitute them!
I grumble that I wanted to be loved,
If only I could find a tougher scissor,
I would cut off that face!
Hear the words of the almighty omniscience,
All I need is a clear mind,
Why not, I don't know,
I got hurt while swinging the creation of tomorrow,
To fill the gap between the seams...
"I wonder if they actually know what it means," Setsuka spoke out loud.
"I occasionally think that of modern music," Nakamura answered.
Everybody, this is a goodbye.
Sensei, I hope that you're fine,
I drool as the drips throb my chest.
Is that what you truly see?
You will make a real fool out of yourself!
Is that what you truly see?
You will make a real fool out of yourself!
Ah, it's still not enough!
The sewing machine must be bigger,
So it can go through the heart!
Hear the words of the almighty omniscience,
All I need is a clear mind,
Why not, I don't know!
I got hurt while swinging the creation of tomorrow,
To fill the gap between the seams!
I have nothing left, I tore everything off,
This cell lying inside the sea of strings.
So, I won't let myself be thrown away,
Not even in that place I used to live.
Proof of existence,
Ah, shut up, body full of lies,
I want to finish this, I want to cheat,
Now, give me the answer!
Don't you want to change? Don't you want to rise?
Nothing? This isn't me!
I pull off one thousand broken seams!
I drown the fire of my mortal life as my days boil,
It doesn't matter who I become,
I want to change!
The song finally ended, left with only silence within the room.
"Missy?" Nakamura asked.
"It's... nothing," Setsuka shook her head. "Maybe... I just read too deeply into it..."
"Setsu-chan, you were so cool!" Seika ran in, smiling, followed by an uneasily smiling Yusei.
"Thank you, Seika," Setsuka nodded. "Is it time for lunch?"
"O Jii-chan is going to adopt me!" Seika smiled. "Isn't that good news?"
Those who were looking closely could tell that her smile had become more brittle. "Is that so, Seika...? How nice."
"Yes! I'm going to call Ryuusei-nii O Nii-chan!" Seika continued, oblivious to the other girl's gradually disappearing smile. "Setsu-chan? Is there-?"
"Professor, shall we?" Setsuka gave her best winning smile to the stoic professor. "Otherwise, we won't make it in time for the match..."
"Truly, the day when a game board came be a deadly weapon," Alfred remarked as Batman kept looming over the terrified doctor. "I will return when you are done, then."
"Talk, or I use this," the Bat loomed, the DuelDisk clasped onto one arm as he slotted a card. "Now."
"You cannot use that to hurt people," the doctor scoffed. "I have seen worse monsters than you."
"Your son hasn't."
The doctor's expression fell. "No, he hasn't," he admitted hesitantly. "I would like to keep it like that... but..."
"I can help your son," Batman growled in the dim room. "Tell me."
The doctor took a deep breath. "Kannazuki Seika is a nexus... a nexus to power. My ex-wife, Regina... she wants power. To do so, she would unleash a monster, and use Reginald to control it... Regina has a strong power, but it's not enough for her, the Dark Games are too risky..."
"Dark Games," Batman echoed. "Games which you stake your lives to play."
The doctor fervently nodded. "She want power, without the risks of the Dark Games... she'll begin here, to summon Sephylon. Please, save Reginald..."
A moment of silence...
"I will," came the promise from the darkness.
Dr Lionel took a deep breath. "Regina is staying at the Hotel Rothschild in Gotham. No doubt, she'd have known that I'm missing from Reginald now, and she'll be coming over. Aside from Glen and Reginald, including me and Regina, there are five other Psychic Duellists with her. They would be planning to capture Seika Kannazuki for tomorrow's event at Wayne Enterprises."
"What event?" Batman growled.
"The showcase of Momentum," Dr Lionel answered. "Without a regulator, Momentum is a ticking time bomb that could well wipe Gotham off the map. She would go in, and set it off... releasing enough power for Sephylon to enter this world from the other world... blowing up Gotham in the process..."
The Bat froze, recalling the hell that was the days of No Man's Land. "Assuming that she succeeds in blowing up Gotham..."
"To unleash Sephylon across the eastern seaboard," the doctor nodded. "Maybe even stop by Metropolis. Regardless of whether she succeeds, civilians will die. A revenge for Psychic Duellists... an ideal held by most of the Circle. The Arcadia Movement was our ideal, that is, until Divine fell... the Arcadia Movement will rise with Elysium at the helm, so Regina believed..."
Summon me, Eatos whispered urgently. We... are running out of time.
The blonde woman that stepped out of the armoured car embraced her small son, Reginald tolerating the perfunctory gesture as a mere social function rather than any actual affection. "Leader."
"Reginald, Glen," the woman shook her head. "Although I am disappointed that neither of you made it to the finals, I suppose that it was too much to ask of minors."
Glen winced as Reginald grimaced.
"It matters not," she shook her head. "Later there will be the consolation match between the both of you. Once the match starts, we will lock down the stadium in preparation. Operation Nexus will then begin."
Reginald perked up at that. "So fast?"
The woman nodded. "We have to wrest the Nexus away quickly, from the eyes of Nakamura Iemitsu and his little mistress, while Fudo Yusei is away from his invention. I am fairly powerful myself, but even I will not be able to stand up to the man who felled Yliaster. I am counting on the both of you to keep them in, Glen, Reginald. Do you understand?"
"Wait," Glen raised a hand, like a little dependent child. "Where's the doctor?"
"Jordan is... a bit occupied," Regina Mackenzie admitted. "I do not know."
"This is the city of the Batman, right?" Glen pointed out in frustration. "Wouldn't we be facing his Bat Family, if he's got one? Even if we're not facing several trained fighters, we're talking the Batman. If word that he's with the League correct, then we might be facing the League themselves! Even Superman! What if... what if... we...?"
Her piercing blue eyes informed them that there was no room for failure.
"Yes, ma'am," Glen nodded, his voice laden with resignation.
Reginald looked down at his neatly shod feet. "Yes... Mother."
The woman smiled. "Excellent, my son."
The explosion was the first thing Setsuka realised. The second thing... was Seika.
"Raiho!" she screamed. The robed figure of the General shielded both of them from the blast as thorned vines descended over the Fudo couple. Ryuusei was on top of things, naturally managing to hold his own despite his tender age.
"Ryuusei!" Yusei bellowed, pushing his son out of a stray fireball.
Nakamura came barrelling in from where he had been with the chauffeur, a blue-armoured and a red-armoured samurai right beside him in a flash against a white-haired woman in ochre robes wielding a wooden staff.
"Fire Princess," Setsuka snarled at the monster which had become the poster girl for Burn decks. "Raiho!"
"Yes, my lady," the figure easily took down the Spellcaster, but then a black blur dived in and got a hold on a baby blue jacket.
"Setsu-chan!" Seika screamed as the Ninja leapt away with its load. The worn Spellcaster faded out soon after, leaving the brunet General standing guard.
"Seika!" Setsuka called, getting to her feet. "Raiho, I order you to retrieve Seika, failing that, to follow the ninja to wherever he goes."
"Yes, my lady," the blue-robed figure leapt out after it.
"Missy?" Nakamura turned to her, the two members of the Legendary Six Samurai with him handling a Raging Flame Sprite.
Setsuka took a deep breath. "Pull up the agenda. And... pull out the charms."
Nakamura blanched. "But-"
"Setsuka, are you alright?" Yusei knelt by the standing girl, who was currently glaring at the manservant.
"Nakamura San," Setsuka repeated.
The manservant sighed, defeated. "Yes, Missy."
Please review! Stay tuned for the next turn: Deal of Phantom! Duel, Acceleration!