Stardust Shimmer
Seventeen: United Resistance
The Batman was not in a good mood.
Batarangs were failing to penetrate the target, whereas an elaborate dagger, a long axe and a sceptre was doing what all his projectiles were not doing. Furthermore, it was getting harder to find space as they plowed through the labyrinthine hallways towards the main laboratory. He was the Batman, Gotham's Dark Knight, and he was not supposed to feel hunger, sweat, or have a sudden desire to take a nap.
"The barriers between worlds are truly degrading," Setsuka observed, lips turning blue with the sudden cold around. "Indeed..."
The red cloak swished above the ground around the feet of the rapidly solidifying warrior. His armour was black with red accents, and he wore a red helmet that left his face free but shrouded it in shadow at the same time. A sabre hung loosely in hand, curved and esoteric in look and possibly use, the metal curved and warped into hooks along the back of the blade that could possibly dig into flesh and rip chunks out.
"It appears that this place is shrouded in darkness enough for even the choice to be imposed on myself," the warrior sadly murmured, fiddling with his new gauntlets. "I am the Warrior of Zera... well, I used to be, my chosen."
Everyone stared. "What... happened?" the Bat finally asked.
Wings of dark feathers ruffled behind the warrior, mixed within the red cloak much like a bat's own wings. "The Choice. A Warrior of Zera is bound to have three destinies in his fate. The Sanctuary, Pandemonium, or a Zera Ritual. Once we choose, our potential is unleashed... to a point, and no longer. This is my form, as the Darklord Zerato now."
Blank features twisted as the grip on the sabre tightened. "Perhaps I could be of assistance."
He was the Dark Knight. He was not about to let these metas-
"I cannot render aid without you, my chosen," wings ruffled again as the warrior inclined his head. "In the end, I am a mere puppet to dance to your whims. The only reason I possess a solid form and a form of sentience is due to the weakening of the veil of dimensions."
The Batman raised a hand. "Clear the path."
"As you wish."
A single swipe of the blade, some dark power that shattered any and all monsters in his path, and blew open the final door of reinforced steel, and Dick Grayson had his world turned upside down as the warrior himself also shattered with every other monster.
"Well done, you," Setsuka mildly answered, nodding to the empty rooms and the trashed doors. "You finally mastered what to do with your will."
"I did that." A statement, not a fact.
"You did," she mildly answered, proceeding over. "Shall we?"
He could thrash monsters and order them around by sheer willpower.
Tim's statement summed up the thought of every member of the clan currently present. "They are not going to realise what hit them."
"Seika! Are you alright? Seika!" In a Herculean but ultimately futile effort Uzuki rattled at the binds keeping her from the dark-haired girl with a winning smile and violet eyes. "Seika!"
The little girl was strapped to the device, electrodes and nodes attached to her temples and hands. Now and then sparks and blue lightning arced through like some demented Frankenstein movie set, Seika arching her back as the shocks passed through her, and at the background of it all was the low, continuous hum of the approximately human-sized mini-generator, the Mini Momentum. The drums of the device were about two feet in diameter, making it the smallest generator in existence, yet that paled in comparison to the sheer power it could produce via the science of the Planetary Particle.
A perfect device to power anything requiring a high power consumption, in short.
"Why?" Uzuki yelled at the blond woman. "Why do this to us?"
Regina Mackenzie stood, remote and utterly alien in her aloofness. Before the lights of the Momentum, perhaps one could think of her as some serene being, save for her eyes that knew no kindness but pain and cruelty. "Why not?"
The doors then blew open with a cold draft of wind and within the dust clouds, silhouettes gathered. Even when bleeding, and with parts of the cape torn, and his back slightly hunched, the Batman loomed terrifyingly in the half-light, every bit the Dark Knight of Gotham, the Terror of the Night and the guardian of the dark city of madness.
"You started with the wrong city," the low, gravelly voice rang across the large laboratory cum observation theatre. "You messed with my city. Face the consequences."
"Useless," Jack remarked, standing between an irate Psychic Duellist currently powering some magic black dome. He was covered in some red aura, and around him were the unconscious forms of about ten spandex-clad heroes, and one Glen Powers.
"You shut up!" Reginald retorted. "I don't know why you're unaffected by the Dark Game, but, no one can leave until the game ends!"
"So, we just have to beat you, right?" the sound of wings fluttered as the grinning visage of Crow Hogan appeared beside Jack, DuelDisk unfolded. "We settle this with a Duel!"
"If you lose, this Game will take you as a sacrifice," Reginald coldly answered.
Crow merely sniffed. "Brat, if you beat me, I don't deserve to be let out anyway."
"Duel!" both declared.
The momentary shock of seeing someone dressed as a giant bat wore off to defiance as Regina Mackenzie righted herself again, glancing from the trapped girls to the Batman and assorted people behind the Dark Knight. "You must be the infamous Batman. You would hardly believe how many of my people ran away from Gotham if only to avoid your infamous reputation." Blue eyes narrowed. "Robin, the Boy Wonder. And Nightwing. I am truly honoured, to face the Bat clan. And the escaped one..."
Setsuka strode forward, stopping some distance next to the Batman. "Regina Mackenzie."
"Little Setsuka," the blonde woman's voice was dripping with sarcasm. "Here to rescue the nexus?" A silhouette formed behind her, that of an elaborately crowned and robed figure bearing a gleaming staff, wings spread wide as it floated above with its own splendour.
"One of the Legendary Planets, The Splendid Venus," Setsuka grimly murmured as the being's wings ruffled and it stood behind its mistress. "That card..."
"The monster that killed Rafael Eatos and Diana Hunter," Regina absently agreed. "That man, he stole the last Darklord, he ruined our plan to steal the D-Wheel batteries from Momentum itself that day... he was a thorn in our side, and his daughter continues for him even when he's dead. Your family is persistent to an unprecedented degree."
"That day?" Yusei echoed.
"Professor Fudo," Regina now pointed. "That day... your colleague was supposed to hand us the keys to Momentum, so that we could tap into the Ultimate Energy... but, at persuasion from Rafael, Professor Kannazuki refused to hand over the keys. One thing led to another... he fell at Venus's blow, like your parents, Setsuka."
"Don't use my name like that," the girl responded, harsher than any child should be. "Release Seika, now."
Regina's eyes narrowed. "Venus."
The icy dragon dived down to protect its mistress as the edge of a green card could be seen. "Swords of Revealing Light!"
The icy dragon roared into the winged being's blank face as Regina snarled in disappointment. "Though the Dark Knight has your protection... the little birds don't."
Ryuusei gasped from his protective stance with Yusei as the Venus flew towards Nightwing and Robin. Uncaring, Batman took a running leap to throw himself before the angelic creature's blast.
"Batman San!" her scream echoed slightly.
As he faced the light head-on, a thought flashed through his mind. Someone... help me protect them.
We will.
Light clashed against a shield, the form solidifying into the outline of wide butterfly wings against a single slender arm as a figure crouched before the Batman's form.
Red swished against the concrete as the Darklord Zerato took a stance against the fairy of light with others with him. "You picked the wrong person to fight, Venus."
It was bloody freezing, Flash decided, recalling his rather unpleasant first experience in the Shadow Realm as he shivered, lying on the ground.
True, his first trip was hardly planned in advance, and he got help soon enough from talking anthropomorphic animal aliens, but places so terrifying as to breed monsters that had been keeping one of the universe's most terrifying tyrants under lock and key casually were hardly forgotten. Forget about the cool experiences; it was still freezing and the whole place was a leech and-
-and there was green light, Lantern, and he was held under the light's protective bubble.
"I forgot that this place qualifies as a hostile environment," John huffed, the unconscious bodies of at least eight spandex-clad heroes floating beside him, and Superman holding about four more. "How many more?"
"So this is the inside of a Dark Game," Superman definitely seemed paler than usual in this place. "It's... cold..."
"You think Doc Fate can spring us out?" Flash stared around for an exit.
"No," the reply came behind them as the three conscious heroes turned behind to look.
Reginald was still standing, albeit panting as if the boy had just run a marathon. Beside him, the Athena figure stood, shield and spear at the ready against his opponents.
A red dragon with ram-like horns and red and black scales and a huge maw floated above the blond man standing opposite him. Superman recalled that the blond man was identified as Jack Atlas, and the other man with orange hair who had helped evacuate the stadium had many black-feathered creatures surrounding him was named Crow... Crow Hogan, yes.
"It's my turn!" the orange-haired man, which the Man of Tomorrow recalled from the Daily Planet coverage was Crow Hogan, drew from the bane of Superman's understanding known as the DuelDisk. "This Crow the Bullet won't let you off so easily!"
"Hurry up, idiot," Jack groaned at him, and Superman realised that the dragon was giving off some burning aura that was spread over ten or so more heroes that had answered Batman's once-in-a-blue-moon distress call. "My soul is burning..."
"Don't sweat it," Crow had smirked. "Black Feather – Gale the Hurricane, special summon! Tuning, Black Feather – Alizé the Tailwind and Black Feather – Gale the Hurricane! Darkened gales, become the wings that soar from resolved hope!"
Rings of light formed around the shadows, the light of hope in the darkness. "Synchro Summon! Soar, Black Feather Dragon!"
The first thing Superman noted was the sound of the wings. Feathers bleached white and red in an instant, a beak-like snout and large wings... it was a majestic sight.
"And then what?" Reginald called angrily. "That dragon... Athena will grant victory!"
"At the cost of pain?" Crow retorted. "I activate the Spell, Against the Wind! I choose a Black Feather in my grave, take damage equal to half its attack, and move it to my hand. But, it's at this moment that Black Feather Dragon's effect activates! When I would take damage from a card effect, I place a Black Feather Counter instead. Black Feather Dragon loses seven hundred attack for every Black Feather Counter on it."
"Then what's the point?" Reginald pointed out, struggling to remain on his feet. "Weakening your monster like that..."
"Spell card, Tremendous Fire!" Crow interrupted. "I inflict one thousand damage to you, and five hundred to me! Black Feather Dragon gains another Black Feather Counter!"
"What?" Reginald demanded as he was hit by a burst of flames.
"Third, I activate the effect of Black Feather – Zephyros the Elite in my grave, to special summon it by returning a face-up card I control to the hand, so I choose Black Whirlwind. I also take four hundred damage that my cute Black Feather Dragon saves me from, so that's the third Counter!"
White gave way to black as the dragon roared, slowly changing colour again...
"Four, I activate another Against the Wind, to take Sirocco the Dawn, and Black Feather Dragon gains its fourth and final Counter!" Crow declared.
"What are you doing?" Reginald retorted. "Your monster's attack is at zero! It's as good as an empty field!"
Crow held up a warning finger as the dragon flashed out its black wings. "Black Feather Dragon... it uses its body as a shield, and with its wings turns the skies pitch-black. As the skies clear once more, its enemies feel the pain inflicted by themselves upon their very form, and Black Feather Dragon rises again! It's the one who will release us from this hell you placed us in!"
He then indicated the black wings of the dragon. "Black Feather's blackened wings is the pain you inflict onto people. Now you try that pain! Black Feather Dragon's second effect activates! Once per turn, I remove all Black Feather Counters on it to have one face-up monster my opponent controls lose seven hundred attack power for each Black Feather Counter, and also inflict damage equal to the attack power lost by that monster because of this effect!"
Crow smirked as Athena was swarmed by black feathers. "Of course, I choose... Athena! Black Burst!"
"Athena!" Reginald called in concern even as he himself was swarmed in black feathers.
"And then, Black Feather Dragon, with its attack power returned to normal, attack Athena!" Crow commanded. "Noble Stream!"
A burst of white light set the feathers alight, as Athena gave a piercing scream as the shadows cracked.
"Athena!" Reginald sank to his knees in defeat, desperately trying to reach his monster as it shattered into a thousand shards. "Athena... Athena...! Athena!"
"Duel... over," Crow's sweeping motion seemed to cause a wind to blow across and dissolves the thick shadows into light right then. "Soar!"
As shadows dissolved into the Gotham stadium, only marginally ruined, Flash was the first to speak as Black Feather Dragon took to the skies, wings spread like the shadow of a certain Bat.
"Wow."
On his back, Glen Powers looked up to see the dark dragon fly across dying skies, a smile breaking out on his face as he began to laugh the laughter of the relieved and that which had narrowly escaped the visage of death. Around him, heroes stirred back to consciousness as Reginald screamed, the shadows swallowing him into their dark pull before the boy collapsed, unconscious even as the helmeted warrior-goddess's shade tried to reach for him as she shattered.
"-man? Superman!" J'onn's voice broke in.
"J'onn," Superman answered, still staring as the Black Feather Dragon did a lap in the skies and the three strange men who had risked their lives to achieve what the League failed to stop laughed and whooped for the dragon to get down, there was Yusei... "Yeah?"
"The Bat clan are still fighting against Mackenzie!" the alien's voice broke any illusions of possible victory. "I cannot reach them! They're at the Wayne Enterprises building right now!"
"Got it!" The Man of Steel hurriedly took to the skies, never caring about Batman's rules concerning Gotham. The Batman was at stake here, his best friend was at stake here. Windows shattered as Superman began to break the sound barrier to get to the building at all costs.
A silver arrow shot across the room, drilling through cables and steel parts to release the chained girls from their bonds. The other red-head immediately stood, half-carrying the brunette girl over.
"Please..." the girl panted as the building began to shake and Mini Momentum whirred faster. "Seika..."
"Seika!" Ryuusei called as he dashed over to pull both girls towards his father. "Are you alright?"
"I... really tired..." the girl whimpered. "My head... hurts... Ryuusei-nii, Setsu-chan..."
"Next time, I don't miss." The speaker, a dragon-headed hunchbacked archer in red armour, held a silver bow with arrow nocked and aimed at Mackenzie. "Try me."
"This... Guardian Shield... is really useful," the slender red-head decked in red and green Dick recognised stood up straight, armed with a familiar dagger. "Saved our lives countless times..."
"You're Elma!" Dick remembered.
"Really? That's the Guardian Elma!" Tim whooped. "Flash is so gonna eat his mask!"
"Growl." Axe at the ready, the hulking figure of a huge earth-coloured dinosaur wearing an ochre vest stood protectively over the recovering Batman. "Growl."
"I agree," Sceptre twirling in hand, a fin-eared mermaid with a blue tail floated next to the dinosaur, wearing a decidedly pissed expression. "We should teach Venus a lesson for laying a hand on our newest."
"Agreed," two sparking swords clanged as a yellow-suited warrior stood on the other side of the Guardian Grarl. "We should be prudent, though."
"Don't forget me, Tryce," Dark blade stabbed into the ground, a purple-skinned fiendish creature in a tattered red cloak revealed its claws. "I want to be the first to sink my claws..."
The bat could feel the heavy weight of something soft and furry, and opened his eyes to see the worst souvenir ever, or wide red eyes gleaming wetly and cutely and currently standing on hind feet on his chest, blocking him from attacks.
"Where do... all these guys come from?" Tim shook with awe. "I'm wavering between an anxiety attack and a nervous attack now."
"Keep it down," Dick advised.
"Enough of this." A sword clashed with staff, sending the Venus back into the wall across the room as a tattooed hand brushed imaginary dust from a long ochre patterned skirt. Soft moccasins brushed the ground as white wings spread out, the eyes of the eagle headdress as intense as the real avian eyes themselves as the woman warrior-shaman brandished her sword. "Regina Mackenzie."
"Guardian Eatos," the woman spat as the Splendid Venus held its staff out again to protect her. "You and the other Guardians... and the last Darklord... W- Who are you?" Regina demanded. "Venus... should have killed you-! You control them too...?"
The Dark Knight of the city stood, a lone shade within a gathering of colour, armed to the teeth and determined to pull through the fight and at the head of it all was their clear commander... "I... am the Batman."
Momentum's hum grew to a continuous whine as the building began to shake, vines sprouting to bloom into dark flowers bearing thorns as the vines dug into a lattice that supported the structure.
"Black Garden..." Setsuka stared at the blooming black roses. "This is... Hazuki?"
"Professor, get the girls out of here," Batman groaned, his tone low as he stood with the nine. "Now."
"Papa, Seika needs more help," Ryuusei shook his head.
"Wait..." Blearily, the brunette girl pulled out a card from her pocket. "This... Ryuusei-nii, here..."
The black-haired boy with red bangs stared at the card. "Seika, this-!"
"Clustering wishes... will become a new shining star," Seika began to murmur as her eyes closed and Momentum grew to a louder whine as sparked began to fly from the machine.
"Become the path its light shines upon..." Yusei, holding the little girl gently, echoed on instinct. "Take flight, Stardust Dragon!"
A curtain of stardust glittered overhead, and Batman looked up to see the visage of the slender dragon, a mere shade compared to what he saw in the Duel Stadium but still an awe-inspiring sight.
Regina laughed, the whir of the Mini Momentum growing larger by the minute. "Come near, and I will detonate it. The Old Momentum was enough to split apart the city of Neo Domino... I wonder what will happen if I were to set it off like this?"
Yusei froze, his expression one of horror. "That would... level off everything within a block."
"So be it," Regina gave a smile that was all teeth and no sincerity. "Yami no Game wa hajimari da..."
"Run!" Setsuka sent the snowy dragon spiralling out to hit Yusei and the two girls out of the doors as the shadows surrounded them.
"What?" Nightwing tried to attack, but was blocked by more of those winged humanoids. "Batman... it's cold..."
"Cold..." Birdarangs fluttered towards their targets as Robin began to flag. "Cold..."
"Those two apparently cannot stand the Shadow Realm," Regina dispassionately observed as Batman ran to them. "Now, what will you do, little Setsuka? Ryuusei Fudo? This Momentum is now connected to my life via the nexus and her power. A wonderful thing, bonds... can you stop it? My god will descend upon the power of the Ultimate Energy, and then, our time will begin. The future will be ours."
"B- Batman..." Robin babbled as he sank to the ground with Nightwing. "C- Cold..."
"This is... a Dark Game," red-streaked shadows covered them, the cold rapidly fading. "This... is not our fight..."
The Dark Knight bowed his head. "...thanks."
"We'll settle this like Duellists," Ryuusei declared in answer to the blonde woman. "We won't let you mess with our future!"
"I don't want to acknowledge people like you," Setsuka coldly answered. "The many people you hurt, the many spirits abused... do you regret it?"
"Mere casualties," Regina dismissively answered. "Very well, allow me to crush the Duel Monsters which fight for sinful humans that you believe in, in this duel you fight for your world."
"Duel!" all three declared.
Please review! Stay tuned for the next turn: Soul of Fire! Duel, Acceleration!