A/N: I OWN NO PART YU GI OH 5DS! ALL RIGHTS GO TO THE CREATORS!
Chapter 31: The Being in the Machine
Era's POV
Yusei, Bruno, and I were at the Sector Security Headquarters with Trudge and Mina. I had managed to keep the infection that Yusei had got from the Underworld Curse Gem moving slower than it moved with me. But I had to use a lot of pain relief spells to keep the others from getting suspicious and worrying them. And though I refused to tell Yusei, it was wearing out my strength.
"Wait, so a demon's working with these guys?" Trudge asked.
"Yeah. It only adds up with everything that's been happening," I answered. "The thing that gives the biggest confirmation is that Bruno's memories have been locked away by a powerful demon. My first guess as to which one: Brehnam."
"Is there any way to get his memories back?" Mina asked.
"I tried to before I realized it was a demon that locked his memories away. When I discovered it, I knew the only way was with the help of Healer Angels and that process takes a lot of sessions which can be painfully. Especially when it's a human and not an angel," I explained. "Believe me, if I had any easier way of getting around it, Bruno would have his memories back by now."
"I'll be fine, Era," Bruno told me. "I'll get them back eventually."
I nodded. I turned back to the officers. "But I'm also worried about those men that are working with Brehnam," I stated. "Brehnam had said that he was using them and their wish to destroy the world to build a utopian society in a way against them. He was working with them only to go against them in the end result."
"What is he planning exactly?" Mina asked.
"I don't know the exact details," I replied. "But he had told me that after his temporal alliance with those people came to an end, he was going to bring the world into the vision of the Underworld. But until those people begin to destroy the world, the Underworld doesn't have enough power for a full scale invasion and world transformation. But that's not going to happen, I can guarantee you that."
"Coming from a hundred year old angel, I don't have any reason to doubt you," Trudge responded. I nodded in acceptance. We were about to continue talking when another officer ran in alert. "What is it?"
"There is a report that there is a time bomb inside the building," the officer information.
Yusei and I glanced at each other suspiciously. Something didn't seem right. While Trudge and Mina called for an evacuation, Yusei asked me, "Do you sense any energy like from a bomb?"
"No, not even demonic energy," I answered.
Trudge ordered the three of us out. But just as we went to exit the area, I noticed Sherry run in the building. I immediately turned around and ran after her.
"Era!" Yusei called but I followed Sherry.
I did noticed Bruno and Yusei follow me. I noticed Sherry go through a door to the central computer terminal and Elsworth begin to shut the door. I slipped through along with Bruno but Yusei was locked on the other side.
Third Person POV
Elsworth began to wire his duel disk to the door. Yusei's heart raced in automatic worry that Era was out of his sight again. And he couldn't go through the door without Elsworth seeing him.
Once Elsworth's duel disk was fully wired to the door, he stated, "It is now impossible for the door to be unlocked unless I am defeated in a duel. If you want to get to Mistress Sherry and your friends, you will have to face me."
"Fine," Yusei agreed and they began the duel.
Elsworth went first and drew his card, "I summon Spirit Summit Warrior (Attack 1200/ Defense 0) in attack mode. Now since Spirit Summit Warrior was successfully normal summon, its effect activates, allowing me to summon Liberated Rear Warrior (Attack 0/ Defense 1200) from my hand in attack mode as it is a level three or below warrior type monster. Now I tune Spirit Summon Warrior with Liberated Rear Warrior in order to synchro summon. Come forth, Driven Daredevil (Attack 2400/ Defense 2100)! I end my turn with two face downs."
Yusei drew his card. "By sending Quillbolt Hedgehog from my hand to the graveyard, I can special summon Quickdraw Synchron (Attack 700/ Defense 1400) form my hand in attack mode. Now since I have a tuner monster on my field, I can special summon Quillbolt Hedgehog (Attack 800/ Defense 800) straight from my graveyard in attack mode. I then tune Quillbolt Hedgehog with Quickdraw Synchron in order to do my own synchro summoning. I summon forth, Nitro Warrior (Attack 2800/ Defense 1800)! Nitro Warrior, attack Driven Daredevil!" Due to Elsworth's monster's effect, it wasn't destroyed but Elsworth's life points still took the hit dropping him to 3600 life points.
"I activate the second effect of Driven Daredevil! This destroys your Nitro Warrior," Elsworth fought. "And then I activate Master and Servant's Resolve! Since your monster was destroyed by a monster's effect during the battle phase, you're dealt damage equal to the attack of your Nitro Warrior!" Yusei's life points instantly dropped to a mere 1200.
"I summon Tricular (Attack 300/ Defense 300) in defense mode and set one face down. That ends my turn," Yusei finished. "What're you and Sherry doing?"
"I am here to help Mistress Sherry eliminate all her enemies, regardless of my cost to myself," Elsworth answered.
"Why are you so devoted to supporting Sherry and her mission?" Yusei asked the man.
"I do not have to answer that," Elsworth refused.
Era's POV
Bruno and I followed Sherry into a room where she began an analysis of a card.
"Sherry, what're you doing?" I asked.
Sherry looked at us but reached to grab Bruno. But the amnesic man dodged the French girl, saying, "We don't want to fight you."
"I need to analyze this card," Sherry said. I looked at it confused.
"Why?" I asked.
"I need to determine the motive behind my parents' murder," she answered.
Sherry went to unleash a lethal attack on Bruno, but my friend's eyes glowed red and he deflected the attack, throwing Sherry across the room with ease. The girl lands, ready to fight more, but Bruno seized Sherry by the neck.
He was about the punch her and I yelled, "Bruno, stop!"
Bruno stopped and I knew it was only because he noticed the card. He grabbed it and Sherry said, "Give it back! It has the truth I've been searching for!"
At these words, Bruno returned to normal and he released Sherry. "What happened?" he muttered.
I looked over him. "Part of the demon spell that locked away your memories seems to have some bad side effects," I told him. I looked at Sherry. "Sorry about, Bruno. I'll explain everything while I help you find out as much as I can about your card."
Sherry looked at me shocked. "You would really help me?" she asked. "But I broke into the headquarters."
I grinned. "It's the least I can do. One, it is as a compensation for Bruno's actions. I'm sure he'll help to. Plus, and most importantly, I don't want the people who murdered your parents to get away with what they've done either," I told her and her eyes widened. "No one should get away with murder, Sherry."
Sherry nodded and we got to work. And as I subtly suggested to Bruno, he helped as well.
Yusei's POV
It was Elsworth's turn and I was getting more and more worried about Era by the second. But the pain in my shoulder was coming back too and it was taking a lot of effort to not make it known. The times where you wish Era or another angel was around.
Elsworth drew his card to begin his turn. "Now due to it being my standby phase, I will take 1000 points of damage to keep Master and Servant's resolve on the field," he declared and his life points fell to 2600. "Driven Daredevil, attack Tricular!"
The attack destroyed my monster, but I defended myself, "I activate Tricular's effect to special summon Bicular (Attack 200/ Defense 200) from my deck in defense mode."
"I activate Reversal Sword! This destroys your Bicular and inflicts damage to both of us equal to its attack," Elsworth fought and I watched as my monster was destroyed and my life points drop to 1000 while his dropped to 2400. "I set a face down and end my turn."
I drew my card. "I summon Debris Dragon (Attack 1000/ Defense 2000) in attack mode. And now since Debris Dragon was successfully summoned, I can activate its first effect to summon back Tricular (Attack 300/ Defense 300) from my graveyard in attack position with its effects negated. And since I normal summoned a monster, I can special summon Turbo Booster (Attack 0/ Defense 0) from my hand in attack position," I declared. "Now I tune my Turbo Booster and Tricular with Debris Dragon in order to synchro summon. Take flight, Stardust Dragon (Attack 2500/ Defense 2000)! Stardust Dragon, attack Driven Daredevil!"
"I activate Standoff!" Elsworth fought. "And due to the first effect of my Daredevil, it isn't destroyed while dragon is." But his life points still fell to 2300.
"I activate Stardust Dragon's ability to negate the effect of Driven Daredevil and destroy it by tributing Stardust Dragon," I tried but it didn't happen confusing me.
"With Standoff in play, both players cannot tribute monsters on the field," Elsworth explained.
"Well, I activate Space Jump! By removing Stardust Dragon from play, I can inflict damage to you equal to its attack," I fought and the assault succeeded and Elsworth's life point fell to zero.
The door was unlocked and Elsworth and I walked into the room where Bruno, Sherry, and Era were finishing an analysis on a card. I gave a subtle sigh of relief knowing Era was alright.
"That's strange," Era stated. "There's nothing strange about the card." But more surprising, the terminal surges a storm of energy and I ran to them only as we were enveloped in a burst of light.
Era, Bruno, Sherry, and I looked at each other and our surroundings that looked like a cyber plane. Era looked at me, and I mouthed, "Know anything?" She shook her head. We turned back to the plane area.
But we all noticed a strange mechanical object with an eye staring right at us. We stared at it but a high pitched frequency and light scanned us. The sound made Era and I cover our ears in pain while the other two fell unconscious.
"W-What is that?" Era asked.
"Strange," said a deep voice that had a slight echo, while the noise stopped obviously making Era and I relieved. We looked as Bruno and Sherry flashed out. "Your minds and bodies are different. Very strange, indeed."
"Who are you?" Era asked it.
"You will find out eventually," the being answered. "Do not worry about that."
Suddenly the sound came out again, only much louder and higher pitched. Era and I covered our ears, trying to block it out, but it wasn't long until we fell unconscious as well.
. . .
I woke back up to see Era waking up beside me along with Bruno. Though, Sherry was still rendered unconscious. We looked around. We were back in our world but we were far from the Sector Security Headquarters. Elsworth came up.
"There you are, Mistress Sherry," Elsworth stated. He looked at me. "I owe you a debt for not turning us in to Security, Yusei, Era." Elsworth then picked up Sherry and drove off.
"What… just happened?" Bruno asked.
"I don't know," Era answered. "But that being in that machine…"
"I know. I want to know who he is and what is going on there," Yusei stated.
"Did you talk to that thing?" Bruno asked. "I only saw it for a few seconds before I was knocked out by some sound."
"As angels, our minds are more thoroughly protected to high frequency sounds but it can hurt a lot more," Era explained. "Meaning we were able to stay conscious for a bit longer. In that time, the man inside just said that our minds and bodies were different, which was strange to him. And then said we would find out who he is eventually before sending out the sound again only a lot worse and knocking us out."
"It was unusual, to say the least," I added.
"I bet," Bruno agreed.
Era obviously noticed I was straining a bit with the pain in my shoulder because she quickly used the two spells without Bruno knowing and helping it.
"You doing okay?" she asked.
"I'll be fine," I answered. "Don't worry about me, Era." I then added mentally, though, 'I just hope with this that I'll be able to keep my promise to Era… that she'll never lose me. No, I will keep that promise. I have to, for Era's sake.'