Hey all! Hope you're enjoyin' the story so far!
Just thought I'd pop in here to mention something I'm sure a few of you might be curious about:
I've yet to decide if I'm going to make a romance ship between Astral and my main OC.
The thought's been going back and forth...but I'm not quite sure, so for now, they'll stay just friends. If any of you would like to offer your opinion in the reviews, that'd be great. I think I'll finalize on it by chapter 9.
Anyway, back to the story; read on!
It's a new afternoon shifting to evening in Heartland City, and we cast our view over the large shopping mall, specifically, one confections store as a middle-aged man with short, curly brown hair tucked under a hat, bushy eyebrows, wearing a green buttoned-up shirt and blue jeans under a yellow work apron with a candy icon on it, and black work boots, was announcing a huge sale he was having on his product for all passing shoppers to hear.
"Come and get it, everyone! Tasty snacks and treats for sale! Everything half-off; it won't last long!"
A good crowd of women have already crowded around the displays to check out what's offered and buy the products...but would soon be deterred away thanks to the voice of another.
They were a young boy of shorter height than most but with a maturity in his tone suggesting he was older than he appeared, short brown hair styled in a D.A. that also made it look like he had tiny horns on the sides of his head, and wore thick-framed green glasses that made his coal-gray irises smaller than they are, an aqua blue bowler hat with a shooting star design displayed up front while the back had a red frowny face, and the first-year boy's uniform of Heartland Academy.
"Half-off? Hmm, let's see here...Mhm, and that one? Yep: They're all half-price, but that's only half the story!"
After looking over two of the sweet products, he turns with a knowing grin to the confused crowd of potential customers before revealing,
"This food's so cheap, because it's past its expiration date!"
Their reaction was instant:
"Ugh, disgusting!" "I don't want this!" "Toss it back!"
As the products are discarded back onto the displays, the shop owner begins chewing the boy out for revealing his cover-up, tick-mark abundant.
"Hey, kid, what are you doin'?! You're costing me money!"
The boy in turn replies in an 'innocent' tone,
"I'm just telling the other side of things. Everything has two sides..."
He pulls his blue duel disk out from his messenger bag:
"Just like in a duel: There's a winner, and there's a lo~ser!"
"Well bring it on, kid!"
Soon, the two were engaged in a heated duel, and it looked like fortune's favour was about to be reflected in the boy's...
"And now, I play the Trap Card, Ultra-C!"
"What?! Ultra-C?!"
"Yep, and next I summon, Grettasaurus!"
And as soon as the red-skinned tyrannosaur monster emerged from the ground up, it attacks the shop owner directly, wiping out his last 1800 Life Points.
"Gaaaaaaahhhhh!"
The boy comes out victorious with 3400 Life Points, and says as the AR World fades away,
"That's for trying to pull one over on us. (Grin) 'Course, the truth is, the food had no expiration date to begin with!"
With a mischievous chuckle, he grabs one of the packaged lollies and moves on.
Well, that's life for ya: For every up, there's a down.
As he kept walking through the mall, we see that his viewpoint regarding two sides was, more literal than it seemed, from passing a sign shaped like a monkey and causing it to turn over...
For every Yes, there's a No.
To switching a Open Sign on a Pet Shop to Closed.
Every coin has two sides.
As he bites into his sweet, he spots Tiffany and a fellow female classmate sitting on a bench while having their own treats after school.
Simply put, everything has its Flip-side!
He passes them, and winds up causing their candies to turn upside-down in their hands, much to their confusion.
"Huh?"
"Weird..."
That is, until Tiffany quickly deduces who was to blame and calls after the boy with a ticked-off expression.
"Ay!"
But he soon left the mall and was walking in a different area of the city near a park, just as a LitterBot was doing its evening collection.
And I get by in this world by exposing that side, on everything I come across.
The robot too would be subjected to the 'flipping', and would be left stuck upside-down while calling,
"Error! Malfunction!"
The boy then muses his thoughts aloud as he slows to a stop near some stairs:
"Make that everything and everyone. (Looks up) Like her: Addy, or rather, Athena Fujina."
Yes: It was at that moment the red-eyed teenage girl was passing along in a jog on an upper bridge, wearing her modified school uniform and carrying a cloth shopping bag under one arm in addition to her backpack over her back. She mutters to herself,
"Dang it, I gotta step up the pace! Gramps won't be impressed if I'm late with the supplies for dinner tonight...!"
Astral had materialized out of her key just then, and found his eyes catching sight of the young man below, sensing a strange, ominous aura emanating from their being.
"That boy..."
Meanwhile, the unnamed student watches Athena disappear while thinking,
Athena's infamous for being better at rough-toned athletics rather than dueling...
Yet she defeated Shark, a duelist so good he made it to the Nationals last year.
There is definitely a Flip-side to that coin...
He looks down at a card in his hand depicting a cute, furred creature, Level One and with 900 Attack/Defense Points.
And with the help of this card, I'm gonna find out.
I'll give Athena this little guy in exchange for a duel, (Grin) and then I'll learn what I need to know!
Time Skip, Fujina Residence, Athena's POV
So it's been a few days since the fiasco atop that yet-to-be-finished tower and saving the city from a possible technical-related emergency (I don't wanna try wondering what that Number possessing Mister Kay was intending to do as opposed to his original plan), and everything's settled back into a more normal pace...
We~ll, okay, maybe normal's a bit of a stretch if we add everything up to now, but I've decided to take this new 'task' I got roped into with a better and less reluctant attitude. I'm also slowly getting used to Astral's presence in my life...if not without a few hitches.
"(Yawn) Mornin' already...?"
"I've noticed that you get up at quite an early hour compared to the other occupants of your home."
"Whah!"
(Thump)
For example, he seems to be developing a routine of hovering almost directly over me while I'm asleep, which does not end until first morning light when I wake up, which as you can guess startles the heck out of me.
Anyway, I lift myself to my feet from my topple to the floor and grumble,
"Geez, this better not become a new habit..."
"Why do you wake up this early?"
Letting out a breath and exercising patience (which believe me, is quite the hurdle for someone with my temper), I turn to his place by the end of my bed where he was floating, positioned with his arms folded and ankles crossed, and reply in a dry tone,
"Okay, first of all, can you please stop floating directly over-top of me while I'm sleeping? It's not a very pleasant feeling to nearly have the living daylights scared out of me when I wake up...As for your question, I just, do. It's a habit I've developed since more than a year and half ago."
He nods, and I move on with gathering up my clothes for school as well as my running outfit...As I did so, I could feel a pair of mismatched eyes following my movements, which prompted me to straighten up and face him again with another subject I've yet to bring to attention.
"Okay, look: I've decided to accept that you're not some figment of my imagination, mostly due to..."
I point over to my desk where my dueling equipment was along with my cards:
"Those crazy cards now occupying my deck...That being said, I'd like to go over some ground rules for the long haul of this new, partnership. (Holds up a finger) Rule Number One: Don't observe me while I'm changing my clothes. The reason is related to why I told you to stay out of the bathroom, the 'courtesy to privacy' thing. At the very least avert your eyes until I say it's okay."
"Alright."
"Rule Number Two: Don't disturb me while I'm asleep at night unless it's an emergency."
"And what qualifies as an emergency?"
Hm, good question...
I reply simply while putting my cards back into the deck holder,
"Basically anything ranging from Threat to Life to someone trying to steal the Number Cards."
"Hm, very well."
"Rule Number Three: I understand that I'm basically the only one who can see and hear you, so I'm likely gonna be your main go-to-source for information about my world. However, I'd appreciate it if you didn't blurt out too many questions at once, and give me time to come up with an answer that makes sense to the both of us."
"That is acceptable."
"Rule Number Four: If you see me with more than two persons at a time...I wouldn't try to get me to talk to you. No offense, but like I said, I'm so far the only person who can perceive you, so you can imagine what sort of trouble might brew if alot of people start lookin' at me funny for talking to 'seemingly thin air'."
"I suppose that is a fair point...Anything else?"
I flash a tiny smile at him as I zip up my backpack and reply,
"Nope. That's all I got for now. If I think of any others, I'll let you know...Now then..."
I grab my jogging outfit off of my desk chair and say to Astral,
"Moving on, I gotta get ready to head out the door soon, so, mind lookin' the other way?"
...A few minutes later:
"Okay, you're good to turn."
He does so as I finish tying the laces of my black sneakers, matching the scheme of my black/red halter top and capri-cut pants, and asks me,
"What sort of uniform is that?"
"It's not a uniform. It's just an outfit, for exercise to be more specific. It's made with lightweight material that hugs the body so the person isn't held back by things like extra weight or wind resistance."
Grabbing my bag, I make my way out the door of my room as Astral then asks,
"Does your school uniform have such weight and resistance?"
"Eh, kind-a, but it's more that I don't want my uniform to get scuffed up in any way. My, morning runs sometimes get a bit rough depending on the routes I take."
"Rough in what way?"
I open the door to the bathroom (leaving it partly ajar this time) to get my hairbrush and form my high ponytail as I reply casually,
"Mm, well, for example, there's this one road that gets alot of LitterBot traffic, and one time I accidentally scratched my leg on one of their mechanical hands as I passed. Nothin' serious, but if I had been wearing my uniform, my pants would've likely gotten ripped."
I turn from the mirror and saw Astral's face was occupying a slightly worried expression, and I smirked wryly while chiding with a chuckle,
"Relax, it doesn't happen all the time. I just have to be careful."
"...You speak so calmly about the potential in personal injury."
Shrugging, I make my way back into the hall and down the stairs to get my lunch packed and my stomach filled with breakfast for the morning. By no surprise to me, Grandpa was already sitting in the kitchen finishing up what looks to be Omurice while reading the paper on his duel disk and drinking some tea.
"Ah, Athena, good morning."
"Mornin', grandpa."
I move to grab my own plate and cup for breakfast before sitting across from him at the table, the both of us just doing our comfortable silence routine for the morning...Once I was done eating, I cleaned my dishes and left them in the drying rack before moving to grab a takeaway container to fill with some of last night's Kamameshi for my lunch.
It's kind-a funny that Gramps has on and off moods of homegrown versus overseas cuisine...
"...Have you been feeling any spikes in your metabolism, dear? I'm only asking because it's been a while since the last one."
I finish closing the container and turn to face grandpa with a faint smile as I reply,
"Nah, I've been feeling fine. No surprises, least not so far...Like the doc said, though, it's not really something my body can time anymore..."
"Yes, of course. But perhaps you should take an energy bar just be on the safe side?"
"Sure."
I quickly scoop up one said bar from the cupboard to toss into my backpack, zip it close and strapped on my water bottle before making my way out the door, waving bye to my elder family member as I passed...
As soon as I was about halfway down the front stairs, Astral would ask me a question I almost wasn't prepared to answer.
"What did your grandfather mean by spikes, and what is metabolism?"
"Uh, well...Metabolism refers to the system process in how an organism, like humans, breaks down sources of energy to use for themselves, storing, using, that sort of thing. As for spike...I don't have a normal metabolism compared to most: It has these random moments of rising to an unhealthy level, least for someone of my age. Basically, my body ends up burning off more energy than it needs to."
By this time, I've begun my jog, keeping a steady pace so I could speak to the being floating alongside me, who was rather intrigued of my condition.
"What happens to you if you use up too much energy?"
"I get more exhausted than usual, my vision gets a little blurry, I may or may not have trouble breathing...I start to lose weight, and even my muscle mass sometimes begins to deteriorate. Worst case, I pass out completely."
"...That sounds rather frightening..."
I pause on on top an incline and smile grimly as I muse,
"It was at first, but it's become a bit easier to manage even with the unpredictability. I never know when it comes, but thankfully, it only lasts for about a week. Increased exhaustion is usually my warning sign, and once I get it, I just have to up my intake of protein-based foods, drink more water and pull back a little on my intense exercise routines. Once it's done, I'm fine for another random amount of time."
"I see...and, how long has it been-"
"Since my last spike? Uhm, think we're comin' up on a month and three, no, four days..."
Turning to meet Astral's eyes, I say to him a bit more seriously,
"The reason I'm feeling open enough to tell you about all this, in addition to being in a decent mood to talk...is, because I sometimes don't sense the warning sign."
He tilts his chin down with his arms folded and eyes closed in a matter-of-fact fashion.
"Hm, I see...so you are asking me to be a second set of eyes incase you miss it."
I look away with a partly-sheepish expression and reply,
"Yeah, I mean, if you don't mind..."
"...I do not."
I turn back to look at him as he flashes me an expression of reassurance, which makes me smile slightly before moving on with my run...For the first rest of the time slot before I would make my way to school, instead of my usual solitude sessions of music and my own thoughts, I actually found myself talking with Astral a bit more, answering random questions he had about my world or just simply trading some words.
I would say that I wasn't fond of the change...but, that'd be a lie. I kind-a liked this new break in the usual silence I faced in the morning. It felt, less lonely...
Come close to 7:30, I circled down from the bridge overtop the park to the route where'd I meet with Jamal just as I finish answering Astral's question about my name, or rather, names.
"Athena is my true first name. Addy is just a nickname I've had since I was little, a playful short version of my name if you will. Heh, it's kind-a funny, though: The boy who started it back in first grade called me it to be mean to me, but the joke was on him because I liked how Addy sounded."
"Huh. So his bad intentions became pointless, then."
"Yep. Then over the years up to now, everyone I knew would begin calling me by Addy as often as they used Athena. There's no right or wrong way; I answer to both."
"I see...I think I prefer your true first name, Athena."
I shrug and reply,
"Hey, whatever works for ya."
"Addy!"
Hup, there's Jamal, right on time.
He would come rolling up from behind to my right side on his scooter, the ends of his dreadlocks peeking from out under his helmet to sail on the wind drag, mouth curved into his casual smile.
"Hey, Jamal!"
"Good mornin' so far?"
"Good as it gets, even with the mental exercise I got pulled into in addition to the run, (glances up) thanks to Astral."
The blue being in turn shoots me a slightly annoyed look when he catches my hint of a cheeky smile, while Jamal looked plain confused.
"Huh? Astral?...Oooh, you mean the invisible duelist?"
"Yep."
"...Is he here right now?"
"Left side."
My friend peers over to look almost directly at where Astral was (missing eye contact by about an inch), before focusing up front while shaking his head and remarking,
"You know, at a time ago, I'd say the idea of a being from another plain that can only be seen by one of my close friends is nutty...But given what we've been through on top of lately, I guess it wouldn't be insane to believe."
This was one of the things about my friends that I loved: They, like me, are willing to have faith in the impossible...
Anyway, this morning's commune to school would have a new kind of obstacle for Jamal and I to try and dodge, namely, two random guys walking along and hauling a large, skinny rectangular box labeled Fragile in bold red letters that looked pretty heavy.
"Whoa!" "Low Bridge!"
Luckily, this time we were able to prep ourselves for some skillful maneuvering, and by that, I mean we performed our own versions of ground-slides right under the box! The two men made sounds of panic-turned-awe, while we straightened up on the other side and called back over our shoulders as we kept moving,
"Sorry, guys!" "Sorry!"
They just shot us mixed smiles of forgiveness and annoyance before getting back on task...We meanwhile, continued on our way to school while praising eachother for our slick moves.
"That was an awesome slide you did with your scooter, Jamal!"
"Me? You're the one light on your feet, Addy! You were practically burnin' rubber!"
"Not according to the screeches of your wheels!"
We both laughed aloud, and Astral floats a bit closer to me as he comments,
"The both of you had rather substantial timing...but would it not have been easier to have gone around?"
"Heh, maybe, but the challenge in not crashing was more fun."
He looks at me incredulously, but does not choose to argue about it...
Eventually, Jamal and I made it to school, meeting Tiffany in the main courtyard as she comes off the monorail. I noticed that she was wearing her square-shaped, lemon yellow-framed glasses today.
Must've lost her contacts again...
As it turned out, we had about ten minutes before class even after I did a quick wardrobe change into my uniform, so we spent our free moment sitting on some of the arena steps chatting about random topics, eventually circling on Astral and the Number Cards.
"So, these new XYZ monsters that have been showin' up at random the past few days are actually a part of Astral's memory?"
I nod to Tiffany and say,
"Yeah, and we're not talking like a few dozen or anything: Apparently, there's ninety-nine of them altogether."
Jamal and Tiffany's eyes bulge out in surprise from the amount:
"Ninety-nine?!"
"Holy-That's alot of cards...!"
I don't deny nor argue, leaving my friends to exhale their breath before Jamal asks,
"So, out of curiousity, what does Astral remember so far? I'd ask him directly, but heh, it's not like I can actually hear him. (Looks around) No offense, wherever you're standing, Astral!"
I look up on my right where the blue being was really standing, noticing his expression almost seemed to reflect amusement from Jamal's address. He then focuses on me, knowing what I was about to ask, and nods as a go-ahead to tell my friends what he's already told me.
...But just before I could:
"Addy! He-He~y, how's it goin', buddy?"
A boy from our year who was at least a foot or so shorter than we wearing round, green glasses comes rushing over with an eager smile and tone.
I tilted my head to the side in confusion, not recognizing his face:
Huh. Strange, I don't remember seeing this kid before...
Must have different classes.
"Um, it's goin', and you are...?"
"The name is Flip! And I take quite a bit of pride in that name, because I believe everything has a Flip-side! My right, as my left; my front, my back; my frowny face as, my smiley face. See?"
(Sweatdrop) Boy, he sure knows how to yap...
"Please to meet ya."
I snapped out of my weirded-out thoughts and mutter back,
"Uh, yeah, same."
"Oh yeah, before I forget, I have a little somethin' for ya, Addy..."
He, Flip, then pulls a Duel Monster Card out of his pants pocket to present:
"It's an XYZ Monster, Baby Tiragon."
My brow raises and I ask,
"And, you're just giving it to me, right out of the blue?"
"Yep. For taking down that bully, Shark. Go on, Addy, don't be shy: Take it. It can be a symbol of our new friendship."
...I would have believed him, but there was something in the way his smile shifted, and the way my friends were looking at him that was making me feel suspicious.
Hmm...it sounds more like he's trying to persuade me rather than be sincere.
...What's his angle?
Folding my arms, I ask him,
"This is the first time we've really met, Flip, and you're just willing to part with one of your cards? (Small smirk) You're not tryin' to con me into a favour, are you?"
I meant it in a more joking manner, but he seemed to take it more seriously based on the slight break in his smile that exposed faint panic. He quickly covered it up with a grin and replies with a laugh,
"O-Of course not. You've got nothin' to worry about, Addy! Just reach out and take the card."
"Well...if you're sure."
But just as I move to throw this kid a bone, my hand was stopped by Tiffany's as she then says,
"Addy, we should get a move on before class starts."
"Huh? Uh, alright. (Glances back) Sorry, Flip, maybe another time?"
His smile falters, but he nods all the same as my friends then both tug me along in the direction for class...Once we were a good distance from Flip, I gently pull my hands free and ask,
"Okay, not that I didn't sense anything myself, but how come you two were lookin' at Flip like he was the neighbourhood menace?"
They hesitate, but Jamal explains,
"It's because he is, or more like he's the school prankster. Remember last year when we all weren't in the same class?"
"Yeah?"
"Well, while you were by yourself, Tiff and I wound up sharing the same class as Flip, and found out that he's a real troublemaker. He's always up to doin' the wrong thing."
Tiffany nods in confirmation and adds with a somewhat sad smile,
"Flip was the one who caused the lunchbox mishap during the fall of that year. That's why Jamal and I asked to share with you a few times."
That was him?!
I looked back in the direction he was currently standing, now a bit more on alert.
"Hm...then I guess my intuition was bang-on this round...Still, I have a sneaking suspicion the card offer's not gonna be dropped so quick."
My friends nod in agreement, and I look to see that Astral was eyeing Flip in suspicion too.
Oh great, even he's not trusting the kid...Now I definitely know somethin's up.
Flip's POV
I watched as Tiffany and Jamal pull Addy away from me, still a bit surprised by the question she asked.
Hm, on the other hand, I should've expected she'd be suspicious of anything that sounds like luring...
I then focus down on Baby Tiragon while thinking to myself,
You may have resisted the bait this time, Addy, but just like a coin, fate won't always land in your favour.
(Smirk) Soon, I'll be taking you down!
Small Time Skip, No POV
"So as you can plainly see, finding the percentage in this vial of sand is easy when you..."
Soon enough, it would be the trio's Math Class, and as Addy and her friends were listening in on their teacher while taking notes, inside the girl's key, Astral was doing some investigating of his own aboard the strange, gold-metaled machine standing in the middle of the desert-like space.
"This is a complex structure. What is its purpose?...But more importantly, what role does Athena play?"
(...Glow)
"Uh!"
That was when one of the pieces emits a ring of light towards him, and he floats up to take a closer look, only to find the numeral symbol for Number 17: Leviathan Dragon!
"Oh my...Could this be...?"
He holds out his palm, reflecting the same golden numeral from his palm, it surrounded by a black haze, before it blasts onto the structure piece, creating a blinding flash of golden yellow light, which activates a part of the intertwining gears to start moving!
...Back in the outside world, Math Class ends with Athena the last one out the door, only to run into Flip with the Baby Tiragon card.
"Hey, Addy! Here's your card!"
But she would immediately be pulled away by Tiffany:
"Come on, Addy, English!"
"Whoa!"
A while later, she would be exiting the bathroom after asking for a pass:
"Heh, that's what I get for over-hydrating..."
A familiar face would then pop out from the boy's bathroom seconds after:
"Addy!"
"Whah! Flip!"
"Your ca~rd!"
But his plans would be foiled again, this time by Jamal who floor-slides between Flip and the door before grabbing Athena's hand to tug her along.
"Better hurry back, or the Missus will be mad!"
"When'd you ask for a pass, Jamal?!"
...And then during a block change as the red-eyed girl grabs her things for Gym from her locker, she would find Flip had been standing behind her door.
"Your card!"
"Flip!"
This time, both of her friends appeared to take her away:
"Let's go!" "Time for Gym!"
"Ah!"
As they jogged along, with Athena sandwiched between Jamal and Tiffany and her arms wrapped in theirs, the latter says to her,
"Try to keep your guard up more, Addy."
She in turn replies with a smirk-glare,
"Yeah, I would...except I'm not sure who to keep my guard up to."
Meanwhile, Flip was sulking in irritation on a bench outside one of the school's buildings from his plans being botched.
"Curses...Tiffany and Jamal won't let me anywhere near Addy, and even so, she'd more than likely still be suspicious. I'm gonna have to change my strategy a bit..."
"(Groan) I've lost my XYZ Monster. Has anyone seen it?"
Just then, another first-year boy with short, spiky brown-black hair and dim blue eyes comes passing while peering around for a card he apparently misplaced. Flip recognized him immediately:
Hey: That's Spencer. He has a class with Addy.
(Smirk) I can use him.
Using his manipulation skills, he cons the poor unsuspecting Spencer into a deal...
"What? Are you for real?"
"Absolutely!"
He shakes the shorter boy's shoulders excitedly before cheering,
"Then you've got yourself a deal! Yes! This must be my lucky day!"
Flip watches him with a sneaky grin and thinks to himself,
Yet another Flip-side: This kid loses something, and I find my plan.
Time Skip, Fujina Residence
(Ka-chank)
"I'm home, everyone!"
Just as she makes that greeting, Athena's older brother Terry comes over from the living room with a stern expression, indicating that he wasn't happy about something.
"Athena. Didn't we have a talk that you'd do more homework and less Dueling?"
She replies with an annoyed but as serious expression,
"We did, and I have. Check my report cards if you don't believe me."
"Then why did I find this in the mail today?"
The redheaded male then tosses the girl with long black hair tipped copper-red a letter, who catches it with one hand before peering down at it.
"Hm? 'To my Dueling Hero, Athena. From your Biggest Admirer.'...Huh, fan-mail? Why would I of all people be-"
She stops herself when she sees the unimpressed facial features her brother was displaying, and lets out a breath before stating,
"Okay, look: I don't know why I got this, nor do I know anyone crazy enough to give me such a letter."
"But this does mean you are Dueling, doesn't it?"
Fed up with the interrogation routine, Athena snaps back with some attitude,
"And so what if I am?!"
"Athena!"
"No! Don't you Athena me, Terry! I don't understand why you've been acting like this, anyway: I'm well-aware that Dueling has a danger factor in it, but you never used to be this antsy about it! It's like...(Glare) It's like you're comparing it to that place."
Terry immediately froze up from the cold address...
"That's it, isn't it? You're being overprotective because of what I used to do, those, people I used to hang out with and fight...You think that and Dueling are both tearing at me."
"...Addy-"
"Don't even bother trying to cover it up. I can see it clear as day...and you're a fool if you think Dueling is just as dangerous! It's one of the few things that brings me any form of joy since those dark days! That place..."
She looks down, her hair curtaining her face, fist clenched:
"I made a terrible choice back then, I won't deny that, but I'm refusing to let it weigh me down. You seem to be doing the complete opposite, however: You're letting it blind you, make you believe that there's a chance of finding the Athena before those days...before I changed..."
Athena turned to leave up the stairs, looking back once with a grim, pitying expression at her brother.
"That innocent girl is gone, Terrence. I've woken up to the harsh reality of it a long time ago, but you need to drop your tunnel vision."
"A...Addy..."
With that, she makes her way up the stairs to her room, unaware that a certain blue being had appeared before the more heated part of the conversation, and was left almost as stunned as Terry, before making his way after her, curious for answers to the missing parts of this new information...
Meanwhile, the redheaded male shakes himself out of his stupor come the deep sigh and hand-clap on his shoulder from the other young man of the house, Adam, who along with their Grandfather, Homare, listened in from the kitchen.
"Terry, I warned you that the forbidding wasn't a good idea..."
"I know...You did...and I didn't listen."
"And I know you didn't have hostile intentions in why you went through with that plan...But she's right: We can't, you can't stay dwelling in the past forever. Athena isn't that little wide-eyed girl anymore. (Sad smile) Don't get me wrong; there's a selfish part of me that doesn't want her to grow up so quickly the way she is nowadays...but I also know that trying to slow her down won't help."
Terry looks at Adam with a mild glare traced with helplessness:
"So then what the hell are we suppose to do? Because...I just, I don't want to almost lose her again."
"The only thing we can do, is be there when she needs us, and trust her to make the right decisions."
"Adam is right."
The young men turn to their grandfather, who adds with a sip from his teacup,
"It won't help any to play helicopter like she's only three years old. She chose to engage in a hard lesson after she was found, and one that none of us wanted her to go through...but at least Athena is now smarter to the dangers in this world...and Dueling, will eventually teach her that as well."
As the elder was making such a blunt point, we catch up now with Athena who had decided to climb up into the attic rather than lay on her bed, her mood having took a rather downward drop after that argument with her brother. She's now sitting on the hardwood floor of said room, laying with her back against an old antiquity chest (which would be among other mysterious artifacts collected over the years by her missing parents) and running a hand over her face while trying to cool her frustrations.
Damn brother of mine...Why can't he listen, understand?
Dueling isn't dangerous for me...at least nowhere half as dangerous as that activity I used to participate in...
She then finally acknowledges Astral's presence, glancing up and widen her eyes slightly.
"Oh! Astral...I didn't see you come out...Um, you didn't, by chance...hear all of that, did you?"
The expression on his face told her all she needed to...Athena turns away from his stare and mumbles,
"Damn," before remembering the letter that was still in her hand:
"Hm? Oh, that's right, this letter...I wonder who this admirer is, and how they heard about me? I mean, I know that my duel against Shark has generated some buzz around school, but not likely this much..."
"So. Tell me why your brother does not want you Dueling."
That question caught her off-guard a little bit, and she looks back up at Astral...before answering with narrowed eyes directed to the floor,
"Because he's being way too overprotective, that's why. I would've thought that conversation you listened in on would tell you enough."
"Perhaps, but it also left more questions than answers. For example, you spoke of Dueling as one of the few things that brings you joy. Why is that?"
"...Because it's the truth."
Astral's eyes widen a little, as Athena runs a hand through her hair with a sigh before moving to sit on top of the chest, feeling some nerves beginning to pick up as she prepares herself for one conversation she almost wish to never have with the former.
"I...I've lost my happiness, my true happiness, since that day a year and a half ago."
"You've lost it? I do not understand."
"I know. (Deep breath) I was, hoping it would be a long while longer before I'd have to tell you this, but I might as well get the first part over with before I become too afraid to...You recall earlier today, when I told you about my metabolism spikes, right?"
"Yes?"
"...It's not some miracle mutation of nature. It was caused by some really bad people, who...who kidnapped me when I was eleven, two years ago."
The blue being lets out a startled breath:
"Uh! Kidnapped? You mean...you were taken?"
"Yes...I, can't remember much from what happened thanks to the trauma, but according to the doctor I visited after I was found by the side of an old road outside the city by Tiffany and her father...I found out I was forcibly injected with a substance that changed some parts of me. It wasn't just my metabolism that changed...I...I had also become virtually immune to physical pain."
Athena looks up with an emotionally-pained expression:
"No matter how injured I may get, I won't ever feel it, except maybe a slight sensation. I could even twist my ankle and almost not know about it until someone points it out. I feel the cause...but not the effect."
"...Athena..."
So this is why she does not flinch from pain...because her body can no longer be fully aware of injury.
"...And, you cannot recall who did this to you?"
The long-haired girl shakes her head:
"I've tried, but I can't get a clear-enough picture. All I really remember was getting some groceries for Gramps in the evening, then waking up on Tiffany's lap, battered and bruised but not feeling anything except...like my very humanity, was violated..."
A few tears escape from her eyes, and she struggles to brush them away just as Astral notes in a concerned tone,
"Uh! Athena, you're leaking."
Athena smiles slightly and replies in a tone traced with rawness,
"Heh, no, I'm fine. These are called tears, Astral. I'm, crying, an action humans do when we're feeling overwhelmed by our emotions, mostly the negative ones like sadness and anger."
"Oh..."
The being with mismatched gold and white irises floats closer to her side as he then asks a bit more gently,
"What, is preventing you from remembering? You said something called Trauma; what is that? Is it anything like the Number Cards?"
Sighing slightly, the girl answers in a calmer but quiet tone,
"The best way I can explain Trauma is...When a person experiences a particularly frightening event, sometimes this part of the brain will activate, creating a, 'safety shield' to block the memory away so they won't be overtaken by it. It's a, protection instinct that's neither good nor bad."
"I see...So there is a barrier inside your mind, blocking that day in your memories."
"Yeah...It's not a major guarantee, though: Some people can become traumatized beyond help and will usually descend into madness...I on the other hand, took a rather, extreme measure to cope, and while I might have touched madness, I somehow pulled myself out of that dark hole back to reality...But it changed me."
Athena turns her red irises down to her knees:
"I've lost my ability to be happy, truly happy with myself and my life. I can fake it, but it's not the same. It's really a miracle I can get up and face each morning without wanting to crawl back under the covers of my bed and hide."
"Hm...and what was this extreme measure you took to, cope with the trauma?"
"That, I don't want to talk about."
"Athena-"
"At least...not today."
She looks up again to meet Astral's eyes with hers, her face set an expression that made her look more aged and worn-down that she really was.
"I've amazed myself already with, being brave enough to talk about my kidnapping and the injection again...but, I'm not quite ready to talk about the aftermath following. When I am, though, you'll be the first person I talk to...That sound fair?"
He stares at Athena for a moment...before nodding firmly.
"Alright...When you're ready."
She offers her a minuscule smile of gratitude:
"Thank you for understanding...So, anyway."
Relaxing herself some, the girl turns the topic back on the letter in her hands:
"I may as well open this and see what it's about."
As she began opening the letter, Astral watches her with a careful eye and thinks to himself,
Observation Number Eight: Trauma, is one of the more mysterious and dangerous human emotions. It can protect...yet at the same time, it can also harm.
"Huh? Hey, it's Baby Triagon."
Athena was now looking at the very card that's been avoiding her hand until now, which was tucked into the envelope along with a holographic message.
"It looks an awful-lot like the one Flip was trying to give me all day...Is it just a coincidence, or...is it..."
(Beep)
"Hm?"
Her thoughts were interrupted by the holographic letter opening on its own, revealing the image of a young girl, back turned with shoulder-length, velvet-red hair and a lotus flower behind her ear, and wearing a cream-pink dress that wrapped like a shrug around her shoulders.
"Hi, Addy! I saved up for a year to get you this. I hope you like it!"
That was all the message said, before it faded away back into the letter...
Athena hms with a frown at it, before turning eyes back on the card:
"Well that was odd...This person has supposingly known me for a long while, and decides now to give me a card without rhyme or reason aside from my barely-existing dueling record?"
She looks up at Astral with a confused expression:
"Am I the only one here who finds this strange, or are you also feeling suspicious?"
"I too find this odd...that, and you actually admitted to barely having a good dueling record."
Athena caught the hint of a tease at the end of the being's sentence, and smirk-glares at him.
"Ha ha, very funny...But seriously, this XYZ monster coming to me in a letter after Flip was working his ass off trying to give it to me at school but failed each time? (Shakes head) Can't be a coincidence. Something's goin' down with that kid...For now, though, I shouldn't look a gift horse in the mouth."
She looks down at the monster in her hand and quirks,
"I dunno how I can use 'im, but I'm willing to at least give Baby Tiragon a try."
...Unbeknownst to Athena, Flip himself was standing against the brickwork that made the Fujina Residence fence, and had barely caught her words regarding the letter through the open window of the attic. He frowned slightly when he heard the skepticism:
"Shoot. Addy's a bit more clever than I thought...Still, she's taking the card, (smirk) which means I've got her right where I want her."
He leaves the area for his own home, and we later find him in his bedroom working on another part of his scheme using his duel disk.
"But that card was just the start: Next, the plan is to get her all alone an friendless...then she will be at my mercy!"
Time Skip, Athena's POV
Last night definitely had an awkward atmosphere mixed with tension, more so at the dinner table: I couldn't even look Terry in the eyes as I ate, and I figured out that Adam and Grandpa had heard our spat, so they weren't gonna be much help in filling the silence.
I dunno if anything I said actually broke through that bullheaded brother of mine and his insistent campaign to put the breaks on my Dueling, but something was obviously dented if he felt no reason to talk to me at all. I do regret the tone I used with him...but I won't apologize for my words; they had to be said.
Meanwhile...I've also been feeling a bit, shy in meeting Astral's eyes after our chat last night. Not in a bad way, just, strange.
I'd almost say I felt this, connection pass after I unveiled a part of my dark days to him...but I'm not completely sure if there was or wasn't. At least he isn't treating me too different, like, with pity or anything. That's the last thing I want him, or basically anyone to do: Feeling sorry for me or the need to walk on eggshells.
...Anyway, all of that would become afterthought issues come time for school, when I entered the room for first class, only to be met with hostility.
"Hey all!"
"Athena!"
I was suddenly met face-to-face with one of my lesser-known-to-me classmates, a girl named, Rika (I think), brunette with short pigtails and bottle-green eyes, who looked positively pissed, along with several other random faces behind her.
"You've certainly got nerve showing your face today after all that you've done!"
My eyes widen from the initial shock, before settling into a narrowed expression of confusion.
"And, what exactly are you accusing me of?"
"Don't you lie! You know very well, so you should at least admit it!"
She then holds up her duel disk to join some others and a few gazers, displaying some rather outrageous photos!
"We were all sent these pictures, the entire school. And I must say, this is shameful even for you: Stomping on the flower displays, pulling pranks on the staff, cheating during exams! The worst one was definitely this, (holds up her disk) when you took Spencer's lunch and replaced it with a frog!"
What the hell?!
I form an incredulous look of anger:
"I'm sorry, since when have any of you known me to pull off childish antics like these?! And where is Spencer, anyway? I bet you don't even have his side of the story!"
"That's where it gets weirder: Spencer's not here."
I turn left and see Tiffany and Jamal, along with a rather conflicted-looking Caswell who was casting eyes between us and the ticked-off mob.
"He's more than likely sick at home or whatever, but still..."
"Still, we're with Addy: There's no way she'd pull off stupid stuff like that! Right, Cas?...Caswell?"
He doesn't answer Jamal right away, looking nervously at the angry kids, before meeting my eyes with an apologetic and questioning expression.
"Well, I..."
...Come on, Caswell, I thought we made a deal not to judge on face-value.
Don't go back on it now.
He must've somehow understood my silent plea, for he closed his pear-green eyes with a swallow, and nodded slightly, saying he was on our side. Rika was appalled that our class representative wasn't on hers:
"Auh, seriously, you too, Caswell?! You're actually gonna believe them over these pictures?!"
"You mean the ones that are more-than-likely fakes?"
She whirls back to me, as I form a grim smile and say to her along with the rest of the mob following,
"You and the rest of this lot are choosing to believe something you've only just got, an image, and not the person you've known from before now, the real deal...Wow. That definitely says alot about this school's beliefs, being bias and not as open-book as I thought it was."
"Uh..."
That shut her up, and everyone else began to form shamed expressions, as I finish while passing them to sit down at my desk with a frown,
"I think I have an idea who might really be doing this...but since you all want to believe I'm a little menace with no objective other than to cause trouble, go ahead. See if I care...Just don't come cryin' to me with your apologies once you find out how wrong you are about judging someone without really knowing them."
...I get no response, as everyone broke away into their own little circles, murmurs filling the room, while I hear a few sets of footsteps approach me, belonging to the only three people who were smart enough not to let some dumb photos say who I was.
"Addy..."
"You okay?"
"Athena...In the end, I don't what to say, except...you're right."
I look up at them and flash a slight smile:
"I'm fine, and...thanks for not following the in-crowd, Cas."
...It was then I felt this pair of eyes staring into my back, and I turn around to see the true culprit behind this new mess staring at me with a wide-eyed gape, and I shoot him a challenging smirk.
Not that easy to make a bad rep outta me, boy. I dare you to keep trying, though.
Small Time Skip
Eventually, the day came and gone so I didn't have to deal with the stink eyes being thrown my way at school by the students. I would also say the teachers, but somehow Caswell managed to vouch for my innocence to these strange events and made a promise to find the real culprit responsible for the viral pics.
I definitely owe him big time for that...
I'm now sitting on a bench in the mall, taking a break from wandering around, wearing a simple outfit of a light blue tank-top with my black leather jacket, black jeans and white van sneakers (I sometimes have a civilian outfit on standby in my school locker incase I feel the urge to change into something less education-related) while my hair was tied back into a long braid, taking in the air of this more relaxing atmosphere while I still could.
"Much as it kind-a blows most of the school's pissed at me, it's their fault for believing something made completely out of context..."
Astral was out here beside me, and comments,
"Yet the timing seems to be almost impeccable, coming after only yesterday with the events surrounding Flip trying to talk you into taking Baby Tiragon from him, only to find it sent to you by an anonymous source..."
"I was just thinking that myself..."
"...A~ddy!"
Huh, speaking of Flip...
I look up and see the boy of the hour, waving at me with a smile:
"He-He~y, how's it goin'?"
I reply back with a half-smile and stiff nod:
"...Flip."
Now, to see if mine...and, to a lesser extent, Astral's amateur detective skills are correct.
I waved the boy over to sit down, and after asking about why I seemed a bit out of it, I told him about what's happened recently at school...
"Wow, it sounds like you've got a bum rap."
As I had suspected, there was a falter in his sympathetic tone, telling me he was using the emotion to cover something, so I string him along further and reply with a sad smile,
"Eh, it's not as bad as it sounds. I'm sure those kids will get their heads out of their asses eventually...Not like it's the first time I've been labelled an outcast, anyway."
"That is not true, Addy. You are no outcast."
I look at him in slight surprise, for his tone seemed less rehearsed that time. He moves to his feet while adding,
"Like I said before, I've liked you ever since you beat Shark. That was one of the best duels ever."
My brow raises as I reply,
"That so? (Light smirk) Tch, come on, you must've hear of better. I'll take the compliment, nonetheless, though..."
Flip smiles and nods, before forming a curious expression as he asks,
"By the way, what was that card you used to take down Shark? You know, uh..."
He doesn't know?...Or is this another feign?
"...Utopia."
"(Sheepish smile) Oh, ri~ght, that was it!"
"Or rather, that's what you wanted to know, am I right?"
"Huh?"
He looks at me confused, and I inquire knowingly,
"You're curious of the card's sudden appearance, its power, and how I was able to use it and make a seemingly impossible comeback against Shark in that duel. You want to know how someone with a dueling rep like mine suddenly got good enough to take down another with a stronger title."
I frown as I stand up and fold my arms while finishing,
"And to do so, you decided to employ some rather dirty tricks to get my attention, make most of the student body turn on me save my two close friends and Caswell, just so we could end up alone here and now. Am I right or wrong?"
Flip's eyes bulge with shock at my interrogation...before he suddenly smirks and replies with a laugh,
"Wo~w, didn't realize you were that clever. But then again, that look you shot me before first class should've given it away. Not bad, Addy, not bad."
"So it was you who sent those photos around the school. Doctored, I'm guessing?"
"Yep! I had to get you alone somehow, Addy. Didn't expect that speech you gave, but then again, this isn't a new issue for you, is it, being judged by total strangers?"
I smile grimly and nod, not denying that:
"No, it's not...What I can't seem to understand though is the XYZ monster you gave me."
Reaching into my deck, I pull out Baby Tiragon to hold out between my fingertips:
"I don't really care how you persuaded that mystery girl (least I'm hoping that was a different person...) to send it to me through an anonymous letter. What I really wanna know, is what part does this little guy have to play in your scheme?"
"Hmph. How about we have a duel and you can find out?"
"A duel?"
"Why yes. In fact, old pal, I insist upon it."
That mischievous grin on his face was giving me a slight shiver down my spine, like something in the air was trying to steer me away. It seems I wasn't the only one feeling it either:
"I have a bad feeling about this duel. I think you should pass."
I turned to Astral with a look as serious and reply,
"Not saying you're wrong...but I think dueling may be the only way to get the full story out of Flip. Besides, he's obviously not gonna stop his trickery until we do duel, so the sooner I get it over with, the sooner both of us can move on with our lives."
He puts a finger under his chin and thinks over my reasoning:
"Hm...That is a fair point. And he seems rather interested in the Numbers, which may not be a good thing considering his Aura."
"His, Aura?"
Does Astral sense something else in Flip I don't?
"Uuh, Addy, who're you talking to?"
Oh crap!
I suddenly remembered that in Flip's eyes, it was just him and me here, so I quickly turn around and reply with a sheepish smile,
"Ueh, it's nothing important; just thinking aloud. Anyway, (playful smirk) let's get this duel on, and add to the history pages!"
I ready my dueling equipment, right down to my gazer, before calling on the AR:
"Duel Interface: Show me the impossible!"
Augmented Reality Vision Link Established.
"(Both duelists) Let's duel!"
Flip's gazer was one of those types that wrapped around his glasses, which admittingly, I thought was cool...But I digress. Anyway, he would make the opening move:
"I'll go first if it's okay. Here goes: Draw! I place a monster face-down in Defense Mode! That's it for this round!"
"Hm, going with a safe strategy, are ya?"
"I better play it safe when I'm going up against a duelist as good as you, Addy."
Huh, still using some of the act, hm?
"I believe your opponent's praise is masking his true motives."
I glance back at Astral and reply,
"You see that too, huh? Eh, doesn't really matter if he wants to play flattery; we already know he's up to something. Our main focus for now should be on the duel."
And it's starting on a mystery note, too: With the monster face-down plus in Defense Mode, it'll be a gamble to attack it head on if I so choose to.
"Alright, writer's pen to me: I Draw! I better make sure my first monster has decently-high offensive power...I summon, Gagaga Magician!"
Being a Level Four with 1500 Attack Points, my magic-user usually gives me a good start in every duel.
"Okay, Gagaga: Attack the monster face-down!"
"Porcupine Fish, appear!"
Flip's monster suddenly makes itself known, its appearance akin to that of a fish skeleton with thorns all over the bones, but much to my mild surprise, it wasn't as strong as I expected it would be.
Huh? Level One with 400 Defense Points?
"Hmph, that'll be easy for my magician to overcome...too easy..."
"Flip Effect, activate!"
"Flip Effect?!"
Flip jokes as he explains,
"You must've missed that day at school, Addy: It's a special ability that activates when a monster that's face-down is flipped face-up! Wanna know what its Flip Effect is? You now take 400 points of damage!"
I cringe back from the spikes that are shot my way, my Life Points dropping but remaining a strong 3600.
"That's fine. A small price to pay so Gagaga Magician can take your monster down."
On that note, my magician lands a hard punch in the skeletal fish's muzzle, before it cracks to pixelized dust!
"My monster!"
"Is saying 'see ya'. I end my turn."
Opening the gazer chat screen into the projections, Flip compliments,
"Well played, but I expected no less. (Cheer) Still, I took away Life Points from the mighty Athena Fujina! Yea-hah, the duelist who took down the infamous Shark!"
My brow raises and I sweatdrop from his excitement, which seemed a bit overacted.
Sheesh, won't he drop it all and be more serious?
I hear Astral comment,
"Interesting. So he is a Flip-Effect Monster user."
Damn...That means there's gonna be more than one surprise I have to watch out for...
But whatever. I'll take on any if it means I'll find out all of Flip's motives.
Tiffany's POV
"Okay, thank you."
(Ka-chank)
Shortly after we parted from Addy after school, Jamal, Caswell and I went over to Spencer's house to find out if he had in fact stayed home sick, but wound up getting the opposite story.
We're now standing overlooking one of the street balconies, trying to figure out what's going on.
"This is getting stranger. Spencer's mom said he went to school today with no problems..."
"And yet no one at school has seen him at all..."
"In the end, this is a rather perplexing mystery...Unless..."
I look up at Caswell, my brain likely syncing with his on an idea that came to me at the same time it did his.
"The photos!"
"Maybe they really are fakes and have a clue to who's really to blame!"
Jamal looks back and forth between us and asks hopefully,
"You two think you can find out?"
I nod with a determined smile matching Caswell's:
"I'm certain we can!"
"Yes! Anything that will clear Addy's name...After she helped me out of my own trouble, it's the least I can do."
With that, I grab out my gazer while he takes out his disk so we could search for the pictures.
Back to the Mall, No POV
"My turn! Here I go! I play a monster face-down in Defense Mode!"
The card's projection materializes onto the field space, while Athena starts thinking over her counter play against Flip.
Another face-down...No doubt he's tryin' to get the jump with another Flip-Effect.
"And I'll end my turn with two face-downs!"
As the boy yields and the girl gets the green light, Astral thinks to himself,
Athena had better be careful: Flip's field is stacked.
"Me next again: I Draw! First I summon, Flelf!"
Level Two with 800 Attack Points and 1300 Defense Points, this monster had the appearance of a undercover agent from medieval fantasy.
"And I'll send him in to skewer your face-down monster."
The blue being was not pleased with such a move:
"But Athena! Do you not recall what happened last time?!"
"Of course I do, but it's fine: I can handle Flip-Effect damage...Once Flelf takes care of that mystery monster, it'll leave Flip open to being directly attacked by Gagaga Magician."
He could see that Athena had a serious expression, which said that she did think this method through...
"(Sigh) Very well, if that is your choice." Nodding, she faces up front and commands,
"Go, Flelf: Attack the face-down monster!"
Flip watches the charging elf coming his direction with a grin:
Yes, please do...
"Chew-bone, appear!"
The monster to flip right-side would be a boned beast at Level Three with 300 Defense Points.
"And now, for Chew-bone's Flip Effect: With it, I can summon up to three Chew-bone Juniors like it from my hand onto your field in Defense Mode!"
Three pieces of the monster's spinal cord spring out and form into three Level One beasts with 300 Defense Points onto Athena's side of the field, much to her surprise.
"Huh? On my side, you say?"
What the heck is he doin'?
Even so, Flelf would defeat Chew-Bone in three smooth strokes of its long blade...
"So cool! Did you see how I pulled that sweet summoning off?"
"Uh, yeah, 'cept there's a problem with your method, dude: They can't help ya if they're acting as shields for me on my side."
"What? On your side?"
Flip holds his head in shame:
"Aw nuts, I misunderstood the effect!"
But Astral wasn't buying the act, and neither was Athena:
"So you say..."
"Misunderstood, eh? Hm...not sure if I can believe that, but a move's a move, can't take it back."
She then calls out,
"Alright, Gagaga, way's all clear: Attack Flip directly!"
The spellcaster lunges forward and socks a fist into Flip's torso, knocking him backwards with a yelp as his Life Points drop to 2500.
Athena smirks slightly as she notes the differences in the score so far:
"Keh, looks like I'm in the lead, for now at least...Okay, that'll be my tu-"
"Whoa, wait! Hooold up there!"
"Hm?"
Athena stops herself as Flip then asks,
"Aren't you gonna summon your XYZ Monster?"
"My XYZ?...Oh, that's right: Thanks to your flop, I can use your monsters to bring out Baby Tiragon!...But wait..."
Athena narrows her eyes in suspicion:
"Why are you so eager for it to come onto the field?"
Flip panics out an answer:
"Uh, guh, I mean, why not?! D-Didn't you wanna find out why I wanted you to have the monster? Why it has a role in my scheme?"
"Hm...that's true...Tell you what: Will you finally shut down your whole act if I throw you a bone and summon the XYZ out?"
The boy hms in thought, before nodding with a small smirk:
"Sure, Addy. Just bring 'im out and I'll let the curtain drop."
Meanwhile, Astral was thinking further on the insistence and this duel's progress so far:
There is no doubt Athena is being set up, and she is aware...But why?
That's when it hits him, as he focuses on one of the face-downs:
Wait a moment! Of course!
"I overlay all three Level One Chew-bone Juniors!"
"No!"
But he was just a second too late to stop the girl from finishing the summon:
"Building the Overlay Network, I XYZ summon, Baby Tiragon! Come on out, little warrior!"
A giant lime green crystal formation shoots out from the summoning vortex, before exploding in a cloud of smoke to reveal the monster of the hour: They were rather small compared to most XYZ monsters, Level One with 900 Attack and Defense Points, and had the appearance of a young dragon with mixed features of an imp and a tiger's colour scheme, their eyes big and innocent with irises just a shade or two lighter than Athena's, holding reluctance and nerves in being here.
Said girl felt her heart ache slightly at the sight:
Oh wow...he's really cute...But, he looks so sad.
Does he not like to battle much, or...maybe he hasn't been with a good duelist.
She smiles gently at the little monster, and kneels down to meet its eye-level.
"Hey there, Baby Tiragon. My name's Athena, or Addy for short. It's nice to meet you, and I hope we can be a good team today."
Said monster widens its eyes slightly in surprise, and almost forms a smile back, while Astral watches the scene in his own version of awe.
How strange...I've never seen Athena behave this way to her other monsters during a duel before...
It would all be interrupted to the tune of Flip's laughter, as he points to Athena while jeering,
"You actually went through it, even with your suspicions! I dunno whether to call you dumb or brave!"
Said girl with red irises straightens up and asks with a frown,
"I did, so what's the big deal?"
"The big deal is that my right face-down is the Trap card, Ultra-C!"
Astral mutters the name with a worried tone as the wielder of the trap explains the details.
"Thanks to Ultra-C, when Baby Tiragon is summoned to your field, I can summon one XYZ Monster to my field. Oh, and there's one more thing: I have to summon it straight from your deck!"
"Just like that? Seriously?!"
"Yep...which means Utopia, is all mine! You summoning Baby Tiragon to the field was the worst thing that could've happened to you!"
Athena cringes, but looks down to see the look on the said monster's face shift to shame and regret, and wonders,
Oh...You poor thing, is that all Flip uses you for? As a trick?
"Flip planned this from the very start."
She turns to Astral as he then says,
"In order to get you to summon Baby Tiragon, he purposely summoned those three Chew-bone Juniors to your field."
"...I feel more sorry for Tiragon."
Astral forms a look of confusion, as Athena mutters sadly,
"I can tell from his expression: This little guy's been used as a tool of tricks more than once, never getting a real chance to fight like a monster should in a duel...which isn't fair at all. Everyone should have a chance to fight when they get it."
"Athena..."
"On a different but related note..."
She looks up with a glare at Flip and asks,
"Does this mean then it really was you who sent me the letter, in a disguise no less?"
His grin widens slightly as he replies,
"That's right!"
"But all of this, the tricks, the decit. Why, Flip?"
"Like I said already, I needed to get you alone, Addy. I knew that if you would be down from being disowned by your friends, you'd allow me into your circle...Though that didn't go according to plan, you nonetheless accepted the duel!"
"There's more, isn't there? You want something from me...It's Utopia, isn't it? You want him, don't you?"
Flip's smugness fades a bit from Athena's conclusion, suggesting she was right, and he nods.
"I do...I want to find out how its power gave you power over Shark! If it can make you a winner, it can do it for anyone!"
The girl with red irises exclaims mentally,
Ugh, I don't believe this!
Astral's eyes narrow in time with hers:
"What a snake."
"Agreed...but he's not getting Utopia."
Athena calls over strongly to Flip,
"You hear me?! You're not winning this duel, or swiping Utopia from me! I will prevail and protect him from your hands!"
"That's big words comin' from your mouth, but my Trap's nonetheless gonna steal him for this round!"
She grind my teeth in anger, but then hears Astral mutter nervously,
"Utopia is a Number Card. If this duel is lost, I too will be."
Athena glances at him in concern:
Astral...
"Now that we know the stakes, let's get on with the duel, shall we?!"
Flip draws his next card before making his grand play:
"Ultra-C, activate! And with your power, I summon Utopia from Athena's deck!"
The Overlay Network's vortex forms as the bespectacled boy cries out,
"Rise up, Utopia!"
And just like that, Athena would find herself face-to-face with her recently-new main monster standing on Flip's side of the dueling field!
"Shoot...Now the fight's gotten a whole lot rougher..."
But I won't back down. If I gotta take down Utopia to save him...then that's exactly what I'm gonna do!