Hello, everyone. I'm coming back to this story after several months away, because the past summer has been very busy. Jobs, family, moving, and so forth.
Let me make something clear, though: my current schedule is still liable to change. This means I will not be able to provide consistent updates for the time being. In fact, this chapter is "testing the waters", so to speak, as to how you all feel about the story continuing.
In addition, this chapter will NOT contain a Duel. Putting that out there right now. There will be something related to this at the final author's notes, though.
This chapter contains characters developed by user "Myyddraal". All credit for that person goes to them.
Here are the Japanese - to - English names of people mentioned in this chapter:
Aki Izayoi = Akiza Izinski
Divine = Sayer
Angela Raines = Angela Raines (known as "Angela" in Japanese version)
Hideo Izayoi = Mr. Izinski
Setsuko Izayoi = Mrs. Izinski
Bommer = Grieger
Inspector Koda = Commander Koda
Sir Jill De Lancebeaux = Sir Gill De Randsborg
Professor Frank = The Professor
Ruka = Luna
Mukuro Enjo = Hunter Pace
DISCLAIMER: "Yugioh 5D's" and all related properties are owned by Konami Entertainment. The "Android: Netrunner" card game, and all related properties, is owned by Fantasy Flight Games. The author owns their OC, and all related content, from this story and its prequel.
Onward to the Chapter.
Something's different. I'm in a forest. The air feels warmer. There's sunlight in my eyes. I'm sure I was underground when I started running, right?
I slow down to a fast walk, and look around me. I walk over countless roots that trail over grass, leaves, and dirt. The angry voices are gone, which leaves a quiet stillness. The sunlight streams through a canopy of green leaves, giving light to thick trees with sturdy trunks. I hear a bird's loud twitter, but it gets quieter very quickly.
Suddenly, the forest expands to a small clearing. The air instantly changes from warm to… very warm. Oppressively warm. The warmth deadens everything save my own breath. I taste something odd on my tongue as I breathe in this changed air. It's strange, but not enough to be scary.
Instead of grass, roots, trunks, and leaves, there's just dark red, slimy flesh everywhere. It covers everything natural here. I look down to my feet to see my shoes already coated in the stuff. It doesn't hurt, or feel disgusting, so I let it rest there.
The center of the clearing has a circular bulb coated in the same flesh. Its skin has dark, black veins that crisscross each other many times over. This bulb looks like it can fit something twice my size inside of it, if it could open. But, I don't want to open it; who knows what's in there?
Grunts and hoots reach my ears from very far away. I glance back over my shoulder to see two large forms run towards me through the forest's trees. They're almost on top of me, not far away. I try to dart across the clearing before I am seen, but I just slip across the slime and crash into one of the flesh-covered trees. I stumble around the tree and hold my breath as two creatures burst into the clearing.
These creatures are apes with light brown fur and pinkish red eyes. They wear metal helmets with three bumps along the front, breastplates, shoulder plates with small white ribbons, knee guards, dark brown kilts, and boots. One of the apes stumbles on the slime, but its companion manages to hold him steady. In doing so, the second ape almost drops the strange staff it holds. The second ape holds a spear with a sharp tip instead of another staff.
The staff is a bit longer than the ape who holds it, the ape's fingers clutching a grey handle. The front end of the staff is golden, with two curved prongs. There's a strange black needle below the prongs, angled at a diagonal position. Could it be shifted around?
"Careful, careful!" The second ape says this to the first, its voice thick as it enunciates each syllable in its words. "Fleshy stuff slippery!"
"Yes, yes," the first ape replies in almost the exact same voice, but a little deeper than its friend. "Fleshy stuff not good. Me know this already. So, why we here, again?"
"Zeman tell us to look over fleshy stuff." It comes to me that these apes aren't phrasing their words correctly. But, the meaning behind their words is clear enough.
"But, what about strange human near here?" I press my back against the flesh-tree at that question. Did they see me earlier?
"It could be spirit, but probably ran off." The second ape casually dismisses its companion's question. "We first finish Zeman's task. Then, we look for human."
"Yes," the second ape agrees, "that is good plan."
With that, the two apes move slowly around the clearing, looking at the flesh with sniffs and small grunts. I breathe as quietly as I can as they inspect the place, and the apes don't spot me. They don't search for very long before they stand beside each other again.
"Fleshy stuff spreads fast," the spear-wielding ape comments. "Could be bad to forest if grows much more."
"Then, we contain it," the first ape reasons. "Me thinks fleshy stuff not natural. Zeman hate not natural things."
"Yes, you right. So, where you put Cursed Needle?"
"Me put Needle at edge of fleshy stuff." The ape holding the staff points the prongs at where it intends to place the so-called 'Cursed Needle'. "Needle keep fleshy stuff contained with Minus Curse."
"Yes, yes," the second ape agrees with a strong nod. "That is very good plan. Then, we go hunt human spirit in forest."
"No," the first ape counters as it slowly walks over to the edge of the clearing, "we first get new Cursed Needles from Zeman. We need Needles to catch spirits we hunt, remember?"
"Oh. You right. Me forgot."
Despite my position, I smirk at the ape's stupidity. In the meantime, the Cursed Needle is stabbed prong-side-up into the ground, where the abnormal flesh crosses over the natural soil. The ape turns the black needle below the prongs to a horizontal position, a literal minus sign.
The air instantly turns colder. My teeth chatter against my control as the apes shiver in place. The fleshy ground starts to bubble and froth. The center bulb pulses. Slime flows down its sides as cracks appear in its outer layer. It starts to split into four equal parts, releasing a reddish-pink gas into the air.
The instant the gas fills my mouth and nose, I almost slump to the ground as my limbs lose nearly all their strength. The apes hack and cough as their hands fly to their throats. They run away as the second ape drops his spear. A second later, the bulb fully splits open.
Something slides out from the bulb, slumping face-down onto the still-bubbling flesh. It looks human, but I can't see for sure. I step back into the clearing, the flesh sinking under my feet. It also holds me down like a sticky sludge. It takes a concentrated effort to put one foot in front of the other.
When I finally reach the human, I see it's a young man. His hair is black, his skin pale like mine. He's also not wearing any clothes, so I keep my eyes to his face as I kneel and try to roll him over. The flesh slowly yields to my grip, and I peel his body off the ground. I roll him onto my knees, and look down at his face.
His right eye is metallic, shaped just like how my metal eye used to be. His face looks like mine, a little dirtier from the slime that sticks to his cheeks. He takes slow breaths, a calm expression on his face. I stare at him, confused as to why he looks like me. I'm not angry, more like confused.
The man's eyes open, or turn on, as I look at him. His metal eye glows green as his human eye shines the same blue as mine. This only heightens the similarities between us, which only confuses me even more about why he's here. Is there some special reason he was in that bulb?
The person's hands wrap around my neck. He pulls me down to his face and whispers into my ear, "We will be one, again." Then, he blows a cloud of that pink gas right into my face. I gasp in surprise, and then crash to the ground as sleep takes hold of my senses.
The other me crawls to me across the flesh, a calm smile on his face as he places his hand over my mouth. His fingers dissolve into a liquid that numbs my tongue, teeth, and taste buds. His face melts over mine, fills every hole it can reach. He flows through me, and fills up an invisible hole inside me I didn't know I had.
People, voices, places, and actions I never did play out in a collage of senses and memories. I can't stop this from playing out, so I just let it all happen.
I fall unconscious before it finishes.
[MENTAL STATE ANALYZED] [MEMORY FULLY RESTORED] [RECOVERY COMPLETE]
[ACTIVATING PRIMARY SYSTEMS IN 3… 2… 1…]
My eyes snap open as I automatically inhale through my nose. I give a strong exhale, and a few coughs, as I place a hand over my chest. I blink rapidly as my human eye tears up: my metal eye blurs as if it was leaking tears of its own. I slowly turn my head around, and feel hard stone against my back. I'm sitting upright, but my head hangs down like I was asleep. My neck aches as I lift it up to look around me.
I'm in an alleyway, a covered trash bag on the other wall from me. A woman I don't recognize stands at the edge of the alleyway. She looks at me, and then walks over to me with a frown on her face.
This woman has pale white skin, golden eyes, and platinum-shaded hair that goes down to her waist. She stands very tall, with a determined expression. Her figure is like Andromeda's; slim waist, several curves, but also well-endowed in the chest and hips. Her clothing is dark green, but made in a style I don't recognize at all.
Luckily, my metal eye describes each individual piece of clothing she wears when I look at it. She has a "tricorn cap" on her head with a single white feather poking out. A small cloak rests over her Victorian-style gown. Form-fitting green pants cover her legs. Dark-brown leather boots cover her feet.
"You're finally awake," she says with a thick British accent. "It took you long enough." She then hands me my special sunglasses with the words, "You dropped these."
I quickly thank this woman, and slip the glasses over my eyes. Just as before, the lens's shade doesn't block my sight. I slowly stand up, not feeling any fatigue from that collage of memories. Those memories are supposed to be mine, but I don't feel like they fully are. Maybe that's because I've been without them for a while?
"You should be thankful I got you back here," the woman says with a high and mighty tone. "You were causing quite a scene, running through the alleys like a mad dog. To be fair, though, none of the commoners here reacted very much to you. I reckon they're caught up in their own lives."
"What do you mean by 'commoners'?" I ask as the woman crosses her arms over her assets. "This looks like the Daimon Area, so –"
"I call anyone of lower caliber than me a 'commoner'," the woman cuts in. "That's how my family, and greater household, have thought of the less-deserving for generations."
"Alright," I say as I take off my glasses again to quickly double-check them for damages. "That's your opinion. Now, I need to go."
"Not yet." The woman places a hand on the wall, right above my head. "I need some answers from you, first."
I blink at this woman's demand, and her stern glare. She looks like she'll get violent if I don't agree, and I don't want to get on a stranger's bad side. I don't have many friends in Neo Domino, anyway. The friends I do have aren't a big comfort right now.
"Alright," I say again as I slip my glasses back on. "Can I at least stand up?"
"Don't try anything funny," the woman warns as she stands back against the other wall. The sunlight shines on her cap and cloak, which shrouds her face in shadow. I stretch my limbs out for a second, my eyes still on her. She stares at me with the same glare until I finish my stretches.
"First question," she instantly begins. "Are you the so-called 'Netrunner' from the Fortune Cup Tournament?"
"Yes." I'm not afraid of revealing that side of me anymore.
"Good." She shows no emotion behind that word. "Second question: Do you remember anything about the other participants of the Fortune Cup?"
"Besides myself," I automatically state as I recall my lost memories of the tournament, "there was Bommer, Sir Jill de Lancebeaux, Investigator Koda, Professor Frank, Ruka, Aki Izayoi, Yusei Fudo, Ryoichi Tagami, Michael Z. Palus, Mukuro Enjo, and Maxx the Rockstar."
She gives a curt nod, and I gather the courage to ask, "Why do you want to know this?"
"You don't need to – No, wait," she interrupts herself as she looks away from me, "you do need to know why." She then mutters something under her breath, and doesn't let me pass.
"Fine," she says as she looks back at me, "I'll tell you; I'm looking for Michael Z. Palus, who lost to Yusei Fudo in the semifinals."
"The Kelolon Commander?" I use the name the MC used in the Fortune Cup. "Why do you want to find him?"
"That information is strictly personal. I need to know if you've seen him, or spoken to him, recently."
"No, I haven't seen him since the Cup. As for talking, we did talk a bit between some of the Cup's matches. He said he was a mechanic who worked in the Daimon Area."
"Is that all he said? Nothing else?"
"That's all I know, really. I don't know how he got his special Deck, or if he Dueled before the Cup."
The woman frowns, and then sighs as I don't say anything else.
"I was hoping you knew more than this," she states without breaking away. "I've already asked several mechanics in this 'Daimon Area' about Michael, and have met only hard faces and harder voices. These commoners don't treat people with respect."
"Those people aren't so trusting of others, you know." My words come from personal experience.
"I know that," she snaps. "I'm just irritated that they aren't complying to my requests. I'm trying to be nice, but they don't see that."
I raise an eyebrow as I ask, "You think 'nice' is asking your questions directly to their face?"
"Of course," she replies with insistence. "That's the best way to get a sincere answer out of weaker-willed people. It breaks through any mistrust they might use."
"That won't work with a citizen of Neo Domino. I'd recommend going to an information specialist if you want to know something specific."
"I assume you know someone who fits that category." I flinch at her statement, or maybe it's an accusation. She's being upfront with me, like she's at the end of her tether.
[Logic dictates you should tell her what you know,] my system's notifications tell me. [Your prior emotional state explains you do not want conflict with strangers. Telling her what she wants will appease her, and possibly prevent her from becoming a lingering problem.]
I suppose that works. I look back to this woman and say, "I do know someone." Her eyes widen a tiny bit at this.
"Who is it? Tell me, now."
"I'll tell you," I answer as I try to rack up a deal in my mind, "if you tell me why you are so interested in Michael's whereabouts."
"Don't delay me, commoner!" The woman presses a hand into the wall by my right ear as she leans her face towards mine. "I've dealt with too many slippery deals since I came to this accursed city."
"Well, I'm not changing my offer." I force myself not to stutter as I say this. "Take it, or leave it."
Her lips tighten as she draws her hand back. The fingers twitch several times before they curl into a fist. She breathes through her nose, each breath loud and forceful. Her eyes narrow, and I brace myself for a physical assault. After several seconds, no pain comes. The woman lets out a slow exhale and draws her hand to her side. She leans back and readjusts her hat ever so slightly.
"I will not reveal my past to you," she states with an impressive amount of calm. "I see now my time here was a waste. Goodbye, Netrunner."
With that, she turns and strides into the light. Her cloak billows behind her, adding to her appearance. I think over how she acted as I double-check that my glasses are on, slip out of the alleyway, and walk the opposite way down the street. There's no one around to see us walk out of the same location, and go different ways.
She was so commanding, so upfront with her demands, so angry with everything around her. It reminds me of someone else, another woman with equally-intimidating and destructive emotions. A woman I both want, and don't want, to cross paths with right now.
Aki Izayoi.
I press a hand to my head as emotions thunder in my skull. Anger clashes with adoration, vengeance with desire. They threaten to consume my sanity. I need to think all this over.
I slip into the shadows of the closest alleyway, take a breath, and look around me. There are only a few discarded boxes, and closed metal doors. I don't know if the doors will open while I'm here, but I'll take the risk. I close my eyes, and start to think.
A big question quickly comes up;Should I go to Aki, or back to the Superiors? Both options have their ups and downs.
If I go to the Superiors, they'll probably give me a new Deck. They'll probably want me to test it against someone, also. That means I'll be leaving Aki, and the Arcadia Movement she serves, alone for a while. If Divine is still out there, will he try to capture me again? What if the Movement is destroyed by these 'Dark Signers', and Aki along with it?
If I go to find Aki, I have no idea as to how she'll react. Does she know I was brainwashed by Divine? Or, will she treat me like she did at the Fortune Cup; a piece of her past that she needs to put down? Is she even in danger from the 'Dark Signer' attack? The Superiors did say the Movement was recently damaged, so—
A notification comes up: [The Arcadia Movement HQ was at the epicenter of the Dark Signer attack. Satellite imagery shows it, and most of the 'West Fifth' District around it, has been reduced to rubble. A report given earlier today by Angela Raines of the 'Duel Daily' News Channel indicates 120 people in the affected area are missing.]
'Is Aki one of those people?'
[Scanning Neo Domino Media Grid for Missing Persons list…]
I press my back against a wall as my eyes and ears fill with pictures and sounds. People talk into microphones, workmen shovel rubble around, and helicopters fly in the sky over two large markings burned into the ground. The markings look like a hummingbird, and a lizard, crossed over each other. They look like what the other Collective Agents talked about.
The noise and sound stop, and I stand back from the wall. An answer comes up: [Aki Izayoi has been administered to intensive care at Neo Domino Hospital. It has been reported that her parents are with her currently.]
'Her parents? Who are they?'
[The father is Senator Hideo Izayoi. The mother is Setsuko Izayoi. Images and video clips of them both are available for access.]
'I'll look at them later. Where is the hospital from here?'
[Calculating potential paths to destination…]
[Displaying ideal route now]
A green line flashes on the ground. I see it clearly bend sharply to the right, and out of sight. I tilt my eyes down, flip my jacket's hood up, and follow it.
After a few minutes, I leave the Daimon Area for Neo Domino's central district. Men and women walk about in large crowds, many carrying handheld devices. Cars move up and down the streets, each one carrying people I don't know to destinations I don't care about. No one notices me, or my appearance. I weave through to follow the green line on the ground. The path gives one final turn before I see the hospital. It flashes a green aura, and I quickly recognize it.
It's the same one I got treated at before the Fortune Cup. A sign by the entrance gate reads 'Domino General Hospital'. I stick by the gate and peek around the corner. A few ambulances are parked around the entrance, but there are no people around.
If Aki is in there, I could try just walking in and meeting her. It's certainly risky, but it would get this issue resolved quickly. It'll be easier than simply waiting for her to come out when she's better.
No, wait. This doesn't feel right. I should focus on simpler things right now, and fixing my relationship with Aki will be anything but simple. She's probably got a lot on her mind, like me. Disturbing her will just add to her problems. That's the logical way to handle this, right?
Do I want to be logical with this? Yes.
Do I want to make Aki feel better? Yes.
Do I love her like I used to? No, but I don't hate her, either. I need to fix my problems before I try and help other people out with their problems.
"Aki," I whisper as I give one last look at the hospital walls, "stay safe. Stay strong."
I turn and stride away from the hospital. The digital path vanishes after a few steps.
The Daimon Area's pathways are less crowded than the central streets. This lets me walk faster, which I hope can make up for lost time. I keep a brisk pace as I look for anything like the Collective's mark on a door. Nothing instantly pops up as I stride past rusty doors, broken walls, and shady-looking people.
One of these people shouts, "Don't touch my wares!" in a raspy voice as I pass them by. I step to the side, away from a small piece of cloth in front of this person. They shuffle around as dust falls from a brown coat around their body. They are a woman with gray hair and blue eyes.
"My wares are important," she squeaks out as her bony hands wave over an assortment of items and trinkets on the cloth. "You can look at them, but don't touch them."
I open my mouth to apologize, but stop before I get a word out. There's a small gear among the trinkets, shaped just like the Collective's mark.
My metal eye pops in: [Scans confirm this is a replica of The Collective's symbol]
I look the woman in the eyes, point to the trinket, and ask, "Where did you get this gear?"
"Oh, that?" The woman cracks a smile as she talks. "That's a rare item, very valuable. I'm sure I could sell it, but it'll cost you."
"I'll judge its value later," I say as I point at the gear again. "Right now, I want to know where you got it."
"I don't tell anyone my ways," she snaps at me when I don't instantly list a price. "You can look, but don't touch unless you want to buy it."
"Alright, then," I say as I resist the urge to grit my teeth at this process, "Do you accept credit?"
"I only take hard cash!" The woman nabs the object from the display as she shouts this at me. "Credit doesn't help me at all. If you aren't paying, I've got nothing to do with you."
"Alright," I get out as I turn away, "I'll go. Sorry for disturbing your sales." She shuffles slightly without saying a word, and I walk off no better than before. Still, it's given me some food for thought for when I get back to the Superiors.
The notification [Displaying route to nearest base entrance] appears before a flashing white line extends from me and down the alleys ahead of me. I follow it without objection, and only look up when it stops before a flashing door. It's the door to Kate "Mac" Mcaffery's workshop.
The door stands up properly, which tells me the shop was repaired since Exile's attack. That's nice to see, but the fact I was brought here isn't a good one. I don't think Kate wants to see me. But, I knock just below the Collective mark on her door anyway. It takes a few seconds for the door to open, and Kate herself stands before me.
She wears the same clothes she did at the Superior's meeting, down to the same goggles and overalls. Her eyes widen when she sees me, but that's the only part of her that reacts. I guess that's a good start.
"May I come in, Kate?" I ask. She replies with a brief, "I suppose so," and backs out of the doorway so I can walk inside.
"I assume you're just passing through," she says as I briefly see the shop's repaired interior, "so I don't want to keep you. The Superiors have probably got another task for you."
"Yeah," I reply as she turns to shift a few things on the front desk with quick movements, "they do. How is your task going?"
"Slow, but steady. The people here have short fuses, especially after the attack. I have to watch myself around them, but that was always the case here." She finishes her shifting as she talks, and then points to the adjacent garage.
"There's a back door in there that connects to the main base," she informs me. "Just move past the broken D-Wheel frame, and you'll see it."
"Alright, thanks." I turn to go, but my feet don't move. I want to say something to her, make her feel better. The problem is that I don't know what will be comforting.
"Listen, Kate," I begin, "I –"
"Don't." Kate cuts me off before I even start, without looking at me. "Just go. Do your work, and I'll do mine."
I walk away without a word. I move the broken D-Wheel frame at the back of the garage aside, and first see a large open box on the bottom section of one shelf. My eyes widen when I spot several of those Collective gear-emblems stacked inside. Several questions about who made these, and how they're being given to people, race through my mind.
My programming pops in: [Focus on your current objective.] I agree with it, for now.
The mentioned door isn't too hard to find. It is an inconspicuous part of the surrounding wall, but it's still a door with a small knob. Opening it leads to a carved tunnel winding down into cold darkness. I enter, making sure to shut the door behind me.
It doesn't take me long to find the same path I walked down before. I soon reach the 'connection room', as I now call it, the doors closed. Edward stands guard, as usual, and he still has his shirt on. I walk up to him without fear. He doesn't say a word as the doors open behind him, but he looks at me like I've come way too late. I swallow my worries down as I pass him by and step inside the chamber.
The Superiors are all there, standing in front of the all-important chair. They look at me with no major reaction, and no words. Luckily, I have an idea on what to say to them, and I get right to it.
"Superiors, I'm sorry for running off the way I did. I was, and still am, afraid of the pain I'll feel when reconstructing my Deck. My Psychic Dueling abilities made my cards manifest as spirits, with voices and personalities. I think their time in the Arcadia Movement has changed them, and probably damaged them. I fear they'll be angry at me if I see them again."
"We understand your reasoning," Wu instantly responds with a neutral expression. "We are not upset by your reaction. You saw a threat you did not think you could overcome, so you ran away from it. That is perfectly normal."
Bordeau then asks the big question: "Are you prepared to face your fears now?"
"Not exactly," I admit with a heavy heart. "But, I know I have to get this done at some point. Better now than later."
"Very well," William states with no question to my decision. "If you will come with us, we will set up for the reconstruction."
I move to the wired chair as the three, once again, move like one person out of the room. I shiver as I rub my hand along the chair's cold metal, but I force my feelings down with a loud gulp. I sit in the chair and quickly close my eyes. Belts tighten around my wrists, neck, ankles, legs, and chest. The chair flattens out to a horizontal position. I breathe in short gasps, counting each second until the inevitable happens.
A cold needle jabs into the back of my neck. For a moment, my mind hangs between two separate spheres of existence. Something blocks me from going forward, or backward. A red and orange eye the size of a star opens and looks me over. Then, I cross into cyberspace.
White surrounds me. I'm standing upright. I wear the same clothes, and feel the same way, as I did in meatspace. Actually, my custom sunglasses are gone, but that's the only difference. It doesn't affect my sight in this place, not that it should.
A holographic computer terminal is in front of me, its pieces a dark blue against the surrounding white. The terminal has a glowing keyboard, and a black screen. There's nothing else here, but the back of my neck tingles like something's about to pop in.
I slowly turn around. I don't hear my footsteps, or my breathing. As I look back to the terminal, a red dot appears on the screen. It quickly expands to fill the screen, and then grows an orange circle. The circle opens to reveal the same eye from a few moments ago. It stares at me, and I don't move a muscle.
The tingle turns into prickling as the eye looks at me. I know instantly, without question, that it's Apex. That virus is here, somehow. What does it want with me?
Apex blinks, and the eye melts into the screen. A bright blue human hand and arm stretch out, which connect to a pale white-skinned woman with flowing black hair as she pulls herself out of the screen. Her eyes are closed, her face strained as she takes the effort to get herself out. I close my eyes and turn away when I see she isn't wearing any clothes.
After a few more seconds, I hear her body slide out of the screen with a wet squelch. She slumps to the ground as she takes a few long breaths. Wisps of blue data fly by my eyes and flow towards her. I follow these wisps as they form into clothes around her body. In an instant, she is formed in the clothing of the Masque, independent AI in the network.
"It's been too long, Netrunner," she quietly says as the eyepiece she used to wear manifests over her left eye, "far too long."
"I know," I reply, even though I really don't, "but I'm here for a specific reason. I'm not sure whether that can be done if Apex is here."
"Apex won't be leaving, I'm afraid." The Masque frowns as she glances back at the black screen. "As long as I'm here, it's here."
"I don't understand." She glares at me for those words, offended for my saying them. At least, that's how I read her expression. She opens her mouth, and the air shakes before she says anything. She shuts up as Apex's eye bulges into sight. I try not to look right at it: it might still regard me as something to eat like its 'Harbinger'.
"Don't worry," the Masque informs me, "it won't eat you. It knows better than that, now."
"That's… good." I break away from Apex as I start to worry for my safety. "Can I get started on recreating my Deck now?"
"That's what we're here for," the Masque replies. "We are another brain to judge what Deck would best suit you. The war has escalated since we last met. Adaptation is essential if you want to protect what you love."
"What I love…" I repeat those words as I try to figure out what I love the most. Dueling? The spirits in my Deck? My clone brothers, and their Decks? My former friends from Satellite, who probably don't know I still exist? The Collective's goals? The Collective's agents? My past romance with Aki? I don't know!
"Time is short," the Masque announces as she turns to the terminal. "Let's begin the construction process." Apex's eye is replaced by a large database showing images of all the cards I ever used with the Collective. There are also cards I've never seen before, and others I connect to the other agents I've seen. There's so much here, and I'm not sure how to begin.
I know who I am, or at least who I'm supposed to be. How, then, do I represent it in Duel Monsters?
Alright, that's all for now. Wait, no it isn't. I need to ask you all something concerning Samuel's future Deck, and this story at large.
To put it simply, I am torn between creating a new custom Deck (using custom cards from the Android: Netrunner universe) and sticking to a canon Yugioh! Deck. I want to know what YOU ALL would like to see going into the future for this story. That future depends on your feedback.
If you want to see this story continue, you will have to answer this question. I will drop this story altogether if I do not get responses.
I want to give you an entertaining story, but I no longer feel I can do it alone. Self-doubt, and past negative criticism, have made me afraid of taking the initiative here. So, I am asking for your help on a story I hope at least some of you enjoy.
You can PM me your thoughts, or state them in a review. I'll look over them all, and reply back to the ones I can for further explanation (I can't reply to Guest reviews, unfortunately).
If you have ideas for a custom Deck using "Android: Netrunner" cards (which you can look up online), let me know. If you want Samuel to use a Deck of canon Yugioh! cards (he did use 'Koaki Meiru' while under the Arcadia Movement's control), let me know. Either way, please be as detailed as possible with your choice.
I will give this a few weeks to sit before I get going again. Again, if there is little to no response to this question, I will drop the story entirely. If that comes, I will give an update via Author's Notes.
Draconos is taking off.