Picture a scene of a darkened night overtaken by thousands of stars, and three grand super-moons casting an eerie glow over a massive, jagged stone castle built over a glass-like lake...
Inside its walls, two creatures, one of phoenix origins and the other an anthropomorphic panther knight, were being attacked by a regally-dressed woman with floor-length magenta-red hair wearing a dark purple dress that had a temporal space pattern on the skirt, who was in possession of dark power currently being concentrated into bolt-like energies to subdue the two former.
(...Shatter)
That is, until someone comes crashing through one of the stain glass windows and distracts her, they being a youth addressed by the panther as,
"Sparrow!"
As they move to stand, we see that they were a boy with short, muted light blue hair styled upward and a pale complexion, wearing a white spandex bodysuit outlined with yellow and indigo trimming to match his thigh-high boots, a gold/brown striped belt with a holster support for what appears to be a whip, a light blue cape held on by a large gold buckle, light blue, dangling diamond earrings, and a red mask with a gold crown that covered a good half of his face but showed off his big green eyes.
"I have traveled through time and space to fight the forces of evil, and restore justice to the galaxies...I am The Sparrow!"
...But zooming away from the action, we see that this was not in fact an actual event taking place in Heartland City, but rather, a new sequence in a fantasy sci-fi series titled ESPer Star Sparrow playing on Athena's small television in her room that was set up on the left side of her desk just before her window. She of course wasn't watching it, but quietly asleep in her bed, leaving Astral the only one with bated attention to the screen as the woman addresses the newly-arrived Sparrow.
"How?! Furious Max sealed you away in a dimensional prison!"
"Tuh, I escaped."
"Well, things have changed since you were sealed away: Furious Max now rules over the entire galaxy!"
The youth wasn't about to let that come to pass without a fight:
"His reign is about to come to an end! Go, Mega-Punch Surprise!"
But it was in making the charge to attack the regal woman, that he catches a glimpse of her reflection in the crystal on her left, and was immediately stricken with shock by what he saw.
Uh! It can't be! The Galaxy Queen's true identity...is noneother than-!
"You fool. Nothing can stop the Dark Emperor's Curse!"
(Bzzzzzzt)
"Agh! Hrrrggh...!"
The Sparrow's absentmindedness costed him great, as he was launched backwards by the Galaxy Queen's staff, and began to feel the pressuring dark energies take over his being!
"Now you're my puppet, just like your precious Puma!"
It was when the woman lets out her evil laugh that Athena finally stirred awake to the noise, and lets out a sigh at seeing that her TV was still on, before getting up to turn the knob by the screen to the off position.
"(Yawn) That's enough of that."
(Click)
"Sheesh. Can't believe that's been on since I fell asleep three hours ago and none are the wiser, 'cept me..."
With that, she pads back over to her bed and crawls under the covers to drift back into dreamland...However, Astral had become extremely interested with the programming, and got up from his seat on the floor to float over to the sleepy girl to inquire some more information about it.
"You need to wake up."
"(Mumble) No' u'less it's World War Three."
"Did you know there is a boy called The Sparrow and he from another world just like me?"
"Yeah, if I, (yawn) remember right, he's from the planet Vortexia..."
"Where is that?"
Sensing this new development wasn't going to be an easy one to drop, Athena moves to sit up half-awake and tries to persuade the blue being to at least let her get more rest first.
"Uhm, supposingly in an alternate version of the Andromeda Galaxy, or so the fans theorize...Astral, this isn't really a good time to ask these questions."
"Athena, please. I need to know more."
She sighs in exasperation while dipping her head before conceding,
"Alright, hang on, I'll turn it back on. But I'm turning down the volume, otherwise gramps is not gonna be impressed that 'I' was watching TV all night..."
(Shuffle, step, step, step...Click)
But by the time Athena switches it back on, the show's episode had come to an end, leaving Astral to become more anticipated, especially after the voice-over announces,
"Tune in tomorrow to watch the Sparrow's destiny continue to unfold!"
Time Skip
We now zoom in on the Heartland Dueling Academy, just as another school day comes to a close which in Athena's case, meant the end of Math Class.
"Ha, finally! It felt like that class was gonna drone on forever..."
She exits into the hallway while tucking away her textbook and her duel disk into her backpack, before musing to herself with a small grin,
"Now to go treat myself with a kiwi-strawberry smoothie!"
"We need to return to your house immediately."
Her eyes dart up to meet Astral's with a raised brow:
"What? How come?"
"I have to tune in to watch The Sparrow's destiny continue to unfold."
That sentence was all Athena needed to hear before she sweatdropped with the 'Hah?!' expression, giving headway for the blue being to go on.
"If The Sparrow really did arrive here through a dimensional vortex, then, there is a chance he may know something about me and my missing memories."
...The girl sucks some breath between her teeth and mutters,
"Hooooo, that's right. We haven't had the TV conversation yet, have we? Hah, okay, Astral, I gotta level with you before this spirals out of control: What you saw, wasn't what you thought you saw. There is no 'Sparrow' in this world."
But whether that registered into Astral's head or not would be left to guess later, as Athena's friends Tiffany and Jamal finally rush out of the classroom to tell her some exciting news.
"Hey, Addy, guess what?"
"Wait, don't tell me: You can finally afford laser-eye surgery."
Tiffany muses with a wistful smile (this time remembering her eye contacts so she wouldn't need her glasses),
"I wish...but no! The Sparrow is down by the sea port today!"
That caught Astral's attention:
"...He is where?"
"They built a set, or a studio, whatever; the point is, there's going to be filming down on South Street!"
Jamal says with a smile,
"We're thinkin' of heading down there to try and get a peek behind the scenes."
The girl with blue eyes and bobbed black hair sighs in bliss with an adoring blush:
"The Sparrow is so dreamy. He could come to my rescue anytime...!"
Athena rolls her eyes with an amused smirk, knowing how much of a die-hard fan her friend was of EPSer Star Sparrow...Astral then says to her,
"We cannot squander this opportunity, Athena."
"You sure, 'cause I don't fancy the idea of getting lost in a crowd of sheep trying to get more than an autograph from that poor boy..."
"...Sheep?"
She waves a dismissive hand and mutters to the confused being,
"Nevermind; I'll explain that reference another day...I, guess we can head down there, mostly to keep an eye on Tiffany so she doesn't do anything stupid."
(Whap)
"Ouch!"
That comment earned Athena a slap on the back of her head by said girl, looking at the former with an annoyed puff in her cheeks while Jamal stifled a laugh...
Small Time Skip
Soon, the three teens and one being from beyond had made it down to the sea port on South Street where the newly-acclaimed filming studio was, which already had a large crowd of young girls with rosy, cheery faces at the blockade set up at the entrance path to the building.
Tiffany would of course soon merge herself among those individuals:
"I love you, Sparrow!"
Meanwhile, Jamal mutters to Athena with a squinted expression,
"Uh, I think I might be the only dude here...well, unless you count Astral; he is out here, right?"
She nods, making him sigh a bit in relief, before she hisses back in an annoyed tone,
"I think the more pressing problem is that I might be the only sane girl here."
Must, resist, urge to 'baa' at them...
"I wish we could get in there and see him!"
Another familiar face would provide a way to fulfill Tiffany's wish, they being Flip!
"(Chuckle) If ya wanna get in, just follow me!"
He leads them to another entrance gate leading up to the studio building that was being guarded by a security officer, and they peek out from behind a steel crate as he explains his method of waltzing inside.
"It's possible to slip right by these stage door guys. I saw this on a reality show about celebrity fan clubs: The secret is to act like an industry big-shot!"
Flip then slips on a green-washed gray jacket over his shoulders and a pair of dark sunglasses before darting out to demonstrate his plan.
"He-ey, how ya doin', mac? Just swung by Ninja Blue to get some sushi; good stu~ff! Man, the paparazzi in this town never give up: I had to hide out in a-Whagh!"
But while he might've been very close to success, the guard saw through the act and hoisted the former up by the back of his shirt and jacket to stop him from going inside.
"Where do you think you're goin'?"
"My publicist is gonna have a field day when he hears about this!..."
Jamal sees this as the real opportunity to slip past the guard into the studio:
"(Whisper) Let's, leave Flip to distraction detail and bolt in while we can."
The girls and Astral nod, before all four quickly and quietly steal their way behind the man and Flip to make a mad dash for the building...Once they were inside, Tiffany was enthralled in fan animation:
"This, is, amazing! He probably walked down this very hallway; I'll never take these shoes off, ever!"
Athena groans and replies to her,
"For god sakes, Tiff, have some self-control! You're making the rest of us young girls look pathetic in comparison..."
Jamal quirks to the red-eyed teen with a wry smile,
"I'd get off that campaign if I were you: We both know that she's not gonna shut up for the rest of the week."
"Which is why I have our emergency fandom-overload kit ready to go in advance come Friday...You're bringing the candy this time, right?"
"Already stocked up."
Just as the two teens share a slide-five, a new voice was introduced from inside one of the connecting rooms.
"You lowly minions think you can defeat me? Think again!"
Tiffany gasps,
"Did you hear that? That's his voice!"
She leads the way into a room labelled Studio 2, and peeks from behind some character costumes to watch, as our young performer was practicing his lines and actions for the coming production of the show's latest episode.
Tiffany's cheeks colour again as she whispers with a smile,
"Wow...! It's really him!" Jamal comments,
"Huh. He looks a bit younger than I expected off-screen; probably no older than us..."
'The Sparrow' then narrates one of his more prominent lines:
"Dark Emperor Furious Max, your reign of terror is about to end!"
Astral mutters to himself,
"The Dark Emperor Furious Max...Is that who I was sent here to battle?"
He then focuses on a shape that was directly behind Athena:
"Uh! Athena, look behind you: One of the Emperor's minions is about to grab you!"
"Huh?"
She pivot her head behind her right shoulder, looking at the gear for a reptilian creature, before letting out a sigh with an exasperated smile.
"Astral, this is just a costume."
He relaxes slightly upon seeing her calm position, but was nonetheless puzzled.
"Costume?"
"Yeah, something a person wears to enhance looking the part of another identity...Hang on, I think there's a zipper here..."
The girl with long, shaggy black hair tipped copper red then unzips the torso of the costume, and opens it to reveal the hollow shell for Astral to look at.
"See? Nothing. It's just a fancier kind of clothing..."
The blue being floats a bit closer to peer inside the gap, and becomes more confused and a bit disheartened by what he sees.
What? So, the Dark Emperor's minions do not exist?...Or is this some kind of a ruse?
I don't understand...
As soon as Astral began floating back, Athena moves to re-zip the costume back up...only to accidentally shove the heavy material against an upward pulley switch, causing the costume to shoot into the air on a wire, taking her along with it!
"Yipe!"
"Addy!" "Oh, crap..."
The boy in the spandex suit catches the sound of the girl's startled outcry, while she tries to stay calm in the midair atop the costume's back.
Damn, damn, damn...!
Astral floats up to her eye-level and asks curiously,
"What's this? Why did you not tell me you could fly?"
"Because I'm not, dummy: The costume's attached to a wire that wheeled me up with this thing!"
There's a click, before the suspended costume begins to spin around in a circle, much to Athena's dislike.
"Oh come on, really?! Tiffany, Jamal, help! Find the switch and get me down from here!"
While she was whirling around, her hip bops against the costume hard enough that it knocks off her Duel Monster deck case, sending it to fall right at 'The Sparrow' actor's feet!
"Ah...!"
But she would be too pressed by her current situation to notice, before the wire snaps under pressure and flings her straight into a pillared archway (which was thankfully made from Styrofoam)!
"No, no, no, noooo!"
(Crash...)
...As soon as the security guard caught wind of the trouble, he would barge his way inside and seize the three teens before scolding them at the door they entered through to get into the studio building.
"You kids are trespassing on a closed set! We're going to the security room and calling your parents!"
With shamed expressions, they slowly trudge behind the man to do just that...except for Athena, who was stopped by the sudden appearance of 'The Sparrow'!
"Not you. You're coming with me."
"Huh?"
Whirling out a thin grappling hook around one of the upper support beams, he then snatches the girl around her waist and carries her off before she could make a protest, with Astral following close behind...
He winds up taking her into his dressing room, before presenting her duel deck in his left hand.
"Is this yours, 'cause I know it isn't mine."
"Uh, shouldn't be. Mine's still around my-"
But then Athena feels nothing on her left hip...
"Oh crap, it is! (Sheepish smile) Guess it must've gotten knocked off while I was being tossed around like a ragdoll..."
As she takes back her enclosed cards, Astral scolds her for being somewhat careless.
"The heart and soul of a duelist...and you just drop it? Unbelievable..."
She in turn shoots him a glare, before focusing back on the boy who 'saved her' from being harped at by her family for her and her friend's mischief, for the time being.
"Thanks for recovering this, heh, and for delaying the scolding I'm likely gonna get later from my brothers and grandpa."
"No need to thank me, though I do have a small request..."
"Oh? What's that?"
"I would like to challenge you to a lavish duel." Athena was surprised by such a challenge:
"Really? You duel?"
"When I'm not saving the universe, yes."
"Heh, in that case, how 'bout we get the party goin' right now?"
'The Sparrow' became excited from hearing that, so much so that his voice rose to a different octave (which was more than likely his real voice).
"You mean it?"
Realizing his mistake, he coughs with an embarrassed blush before shifting back to his heroic tone.
"I meant to say, are you sure?"
Though a bit curious of the slight break in character, the girl shrugs it off with a small smirk that ghosted a smile and replies,
"Sure I'm sure! Name's Athena, by the way, or you can call me Addy. It's nice to meet you-"
She was then interrupted by Astral, who urges,
"We have more important matters to address: Find out what he knows about me and where I live."
Fed up with how clueless he was still acting to the differences between reality and television (which clearly meant that he didn't listen to her brief explanation earlier today), Athena turns to glare at him as she insists,
"He's not going to know a thing about your origins, Astral!"
"He might."
"No, he won't! I already told you that The Sparrow's-"
The second interruption to come would be in the form of a small scream emitting from the said actor, who was suddenly cowering under the table of the wall-attached vanity!
"Huh? What's wrong, dude?"
He points frantically in the air to the source of his anxiety, namely...a spider.
"That's it? This little arachnid?"
"I can't even...I can't look; I can't!"
"Oh please tell me this is an actor's joke..."
"Do I look like I'm joking?! Please, just do something about that thing; get rid of it!"
So at the same time Tiffany and Jamal were waiting outside the gateway to the path leading to the studio waiting for their parents to pick them up (and Flip was trying to fight against the security guard's grip, again...), wondering where their other friend was, Athena takes care of the actor's current trouble, taking the spider off its silk line and gently blowing it off her palm out the dressing room's window.
"...Alright, the spider's been evicted. Get up."
'The Sparrow' rises from under the vanity tabletop with a breath of relief, replying in a more normal tone for a boy his age,
"That, was terrifying. Thanks for helping."
It was then Athena couldn't help herself, and bursts into a small fit of laughter while quirking,
"So, someone who's a self-proclaimed hero, has arachnophobia? I'm sorry, dude, but that's a little lame!"
The boy in the spandex costume smiles sheepishly and distantly as he pulls off his mask before replying while brushing his hair downward,
"I'm not a hero. I'm just an average middle-school kid from the 'burbs...I like video games, and comic books and pizza. I'm not some monster-busting freedom fighter. I mean, strangely aside from you, I can't even talk to girls without getting nervous, but it's all in keeping the fans interested twenty-four seven, so I had to keep up the act at all times...(Sad smile) And let's be honest: I don't think anyone wants to know the real me."
The girl with red irises felt her heart ache a bit to see this new side of the actor.
"...That's a real shame there. (Small smile) I think many people would be lucky to get to know the boy behind the mask."
To hear such words made the boy smile with hope:
"You think so?"
He then steps up to Athena and takes one of her hands into both of his before saying,
"Thank you. You're like the first person who's ever said that to me! Okay, um, hang on, I'm gonna try this out: It is nice to met you. My name is Nelson."
Astral tilts his head up and stares at the boy in confusion, still not quite understanding that 'The Sparrow' is merely a character.
"What is a Nelson?"
Meanwhile, Athena smiles encouragingly at the teen actor:
"Heh, there you go. Easy as the alphabet...Now how 'bout we get to know eachother's stories more through a duel?"
He nods in agreement...when suddenly his door opens to reveal a new face:
"There you are!"
"Hm?" "Huh?"
The teens turn to the doorway, to meet the eyes of a woman who mirrored Galaxy Queen's appearance, but with magenta-red hair that just barely hung before her ankles, crystal blue eyes, skinny earrings coloured gold, and wore a dark blue business suit with a striped white shirt underneath the jacket and a knee-length skirt.
"Who's this girl, Nelson?"
Said addressee instantly became nervous of the woman's arrival:
"M-Mom!"
Athena was surprised to be meeting a family member of his:
"Wait, what? She's your mom?"
Nelson's Mother wasn't impressed with what she saw:
"You're not to speak to anyone except for authorized personnel!"
Astral would recognize the woman by her other ego behind the television cameras.
"It's her...The Galaxy Queen."
Nelson would try to reason with his mother's authoritative manner, but to no avail.
"I know that, mom, but uh-"
"But nothing. If people found out what kind of a kid you really are, the illusion of The Sparrow would be shattered. And it's not just about you: Think about how many people depend on you being The Sparrow. You're part of something much bigger than yourself, Nelson. You need to remember that."
"Tch, nice way of parenting."
Nelson's mother turns eyes onto Athena, who folded her arms in a disapproving fashion while glaring with distaste at the woman with her red irises.
"You're putting your reputation as a 'momager' and his career above what he wants in life and who he really wants to be? What a way to kill his confidence off-camera and make him no more than a mask."
Nelson stares at the girl in amazement for her defense, while his mother grits her teeth slightly from the rebellious attitude before stepping to grip the girl's shoulder with a manicured hand and lead her out of the dressing room.
"I'm going to have to ask you to leave."
"Hey!"
"If tell anyone that you met Nelson, I will make sure you never duel in this town again."
"What the hell does dueling have to do with this?! Hey, knock it off!"
"Shoo; on your way."
"I said stop it, woman! God, and people say today's youth have no manners!"
Just as the two females were out the door, Nelson calls after the younger with an apologetic expression.
"I'm sorry, Addy!"
"Nelson...I swear to you that our duel will happen. But first, (meaningful smirk) you gotta tell everyone who keeps badgering about your identity to lay off! Tell them you have control, and no one else."
"Uh...I, can't. The Sparrow is more important than I am. Nelson Andrews doesn't matter."
Athena and Astral form shocked looks at hearing such a sad characterization, just as the door to the boy's dressing room closes...Before she leaves, the red-eyed girl then shoves the woman's hands off, and shoots them a cold glare of disgust, making the older female flinch.
"Uh...!"
"I hope you're proud of yourself, woman. Your show may have a star...but you may have very well lost your son."
Small Time Skip, Athena's POV
After leaving the sea port studio, I walked all the way to the middle of the highway bridge to lean on the barrier and watch the sunset while cooling down my temper from earlier before I head back home...
"Man, it's adults like her who really piss me off, playing helicopter parent just so they can (gesture) 'help' their kids succeed. All they're really doing is setting their children up for a crash and burn early in life because they can't form one on their own!"
Sucking a deep breath in and out with a huff, I formed a sad frown as I thought of Nelson's specific situation.
"I can't even begin to imagine how much of a hell Nelson must be going through right now as a child star..."
"I am not following this..."
I look up at Astral, who then asks me,
"Why was The Sparrow calling himself a Nelson?"
Aw geez, he's still lost in fantasy delusion...
"Because there's no such thing as 'The Sparrow', Astral. He's just a character from an imaginary world."
"Huh?"
"Some anonymous person just woke up one day with the idea to create a story with his character and assorted others. That's how most TV works; it's all just pretend, with the exception of the News and Weather Reports."
"You mean that someone was attempting to trick me?"
I almost laughed at that question, but managed to hold it down and opt for an amused smile before explaining,
"No, Astral. It's all for the sake of visual entertainment, another way for humans to amuse themselves."
"So then, he doesn't know anything?"
"Exactly, and I'm willing to bet he's ignorant to any knowledge about the Numbers too. That's what I've been trying to explain to you all day, but you've had your head stuck in the clouds almost as bad as Tiffany."
"...I, see now..."
That's when I noticed the disappointment on his face, and became a bit concerned.
"Hm? Hey, what's with the frown? Don't tell me you're actually that bummed out about this whole thing..."
"What is feeling bummed out?"
"It's like the milder version of feeling sad or disappointed. For example, one day mine and Tiffany's favourite smoothie joint stopped selling one of their more popular flavours. The feeling of bummed out lasted for a few days after...You get it?"
He nods:
"I understand...So Nelson is bummed out too."
"Hm?"
"Did you not hear the last thing he said?"
I recall the said words...
(Flash)
"...Nelson Andrews doesn't matter."
(Flash)
They made me form a sympathetic frown, for I know from my own experience that the emotion that showed on Nelson's face was more complex than that...
"...I do...but what we saw wasn't as simple as just feeling bummed out."
"It wasn't?"
"No..."
I turn to face out to the water again with my arms leaning on the bridge barrier, and explain,
"Nelson...is more than likely on the borderline of depression."
"Depression...What is that exactly? Is it worse than feeling bummed out?"
"Yeah...It's like Sadness...but deeper and consuming, an emotion that can make you feel as if, there's no point to life anymore and that the world wouldn't care if you were gone."
I hear Astral take a sharp breath in from my description, and I smile sadly as I muse,
"I doubt that Nelson's is that bad, however, or his outlook wouldn't have been as animated as we saw before his mom interfered...Still, thanks to his job, he's forced to hide how he truly feels behind a mask, make it seem like he's okay to the people around him, when he's really not. He's, hurting emotionally..."
"...The way you speak, suggests you understand this emotion more personally than others would."
I let out a whisper of a chuckle, and nod as my smile shifts to being a touch more mournful.
"Not alot gets past you, does it?...Yes, I do speak rather personally, and it's because I myself, have been battling depression for some time now."
"You're, depressed?"
"Yeah...and like Nelson, I try to keep it all hidden behind a mask."
Pushing lightly from the bar, I turn right to begin walking home, as I add,
"The only differences are, that my mask is invisible...and has gone under multiple pressures that threaten to get rid of it completely, but still remains in some form. It has, cracks, that allow glimpses into that other side...like worn-out concrete."
...I don't hear a reply from Astral, so I look up to see him staring at me with a strange expression, like he was trying to see past something in front of me...I just smile slightly at him, before focusing back up front with a semi-content breath, letting today go with the cool breeze of the evening.
Small Time Skip, No POV
Night falls over the city, and we turn eyes to a tall, expensive hotel building where up top in one of the main suites, was Nelson, no longer having to wear his costume and wearing a regular outfit of a muted green turtleneck shirt over a light blue/dark blue striped shirt with yellow bordering the bottom, white pants with black suspender belts hanging off the sides of his hips, and light-coloured shoes.
He was standing on the balcony, looking off into the distant rooftops and glittering lights of the windows, trying to still the sad and pressuring thoughts running through his mind thanks to his career, before turning to head inside to get ready for bed...
However:
"...Huh? What's that?"
He then spots something with a glowing aura on the ground, and walks over to investigate...
"It's a card."
Nelson picks it up, which would be a big mistake on his part, when the Duel Monster Card begins taking over his conscious, revealed to be a Number that mirrored Galaxy Queen!
"Yeees, Nelson. Let the Number take hooold..."
Try as he did to fight the card's influencing power, the boy would soon have the glowing numeral 83 imprinted on the back of his right hand, as his mind becomes lost to the dark desires that the Number chose to amplify...
...An hour later, our view shifts below to the streets of Heartland City, as a man with long brown hair wearing a snazzy mahogany suit wanders down the sidewalk with a careless smile, tossing a finished can of soda over his shoulder...Suddenly, a familiar caped youth comes leaping in front of him a few feet away, forcing him to stop with a raised brow.
"Oh, hey man. Nice cape."
Getting a closer look, we see that the youth, was noneother than Nelson, once again dawning his Sparrow costume!
"Disregarding this city's littering laws? (Points forward) I know you: You're one of the Dark Emperor's minions, aren't you?"
"Uh, the what?"
'The Sparrow' then brings out his whip from his holster:
"Come on...Time for me to take out the trash! Hrryah!"
(Whip)
...A little while later, in another section of the streets, we see a cat moving to cross the road, only to get caught frozen with a yowl in the headlights of an incoming car! Thankfully for them, 'The Sparrow' jumps in as a human shield, forcing the vehicle to stop while the feline makes a break for it.
"Hey, you! Get outta the road!"
(Thump, thump)
Unfortunately for the driver, the justice-seeking youth wasn't about to let him off, climbing on top of the car to emphasize their point.
"Only a follower of the Dark Emperor Furious Max would try to harm an innocent creature. It's too bad you don't have nine lives!"
(Leap, whip)
And 'The Sparrow' would go on to strike three more times throughout the city, leaving everyone to wake up the next morning to some startling news in the TV daily report.
Time Skip
In which case, Athena, Astral and Tiffany would tune into such via the latter's duel disk at school during the break before first class...
"Multiple eye-witnesses report that the assailant was noneother than The Sparrow, the hero of a popular TV series. We go now to a press conference being held by the show's producers..."
Headlining such was Nelson's mother, who was really upset by this incriminating turn in the character's publicity.
"Our Sparrow would never do such things! He stands for honour, truth and justice!"
Shutting off the News, Tiffany comments with a frown,
"This is bad. Someone wants to make The Sparrow look like a criminal...but why?"
Athena's own expression was more suspicious than upset:
Hm...
Time Skip, Athena's POV
I was already getting a bad feeling to who this 'Mystery Sparrow' might be, but I didn't want to jump to conclusions too soon. That's why when Tiffany asked me to go combing the streets later this evening, I was on board with the plan, wanting answers just as much as she did. All I had to do was time my sneaking out of the house carefully so my brothers and gramps were none the wiser, hopping down from my bedroom window before jogging to meet my friend at the street corner, she handing me one of the two lantern flashlights she brought along.
For this round, I dressed in my white tank-top with the legendary Red-Eyes Black Dragon printed on the middle, my treasured black leather jacket, dark blue jeans and my tough, steel-toe brown boots that believe it or not, came from Terry after they became too small for him. Meanwhile, Tiffany's outfit wasn't quite as practical, but wasn't too dressy either, they being a long-sleeved muted pink dress that reached just past her knees, a lime green sweater shrug tied on with a white ribbon, brown flats, and she brushed her hair back under a carnation pink scarf.
"Seriously, Tiff, we need to pick a day and have a discussion about your clothing choices for our little adventures..."
She sees my playful smirk and smile-glares back as she replies,
"Oh shush, it's not like I'm wearing a ball gown. Now focus: We need to find out what's really going on. (Serious frown) There's no way The Sparrow would actually flip a car and hog-tie people out of random with no cause..."
I mutter to myself with a wry smile,
"You're not wrong about that: He's too timid for that kind-a thing."
"Too what?"
"Guh-uh, I mean, too self-righteous!"
"Heeeeelp!"
We were interrupted in our conversation by someone calling for help on the upper street, and dashed up the staircase to find a man wearing a baker's cap and jean jacket bound by his torso and wrists just like those other poor suckers caught under the eyes of 'The Sparrow'.
Rushing to his aid, Tiffany asks him,
"Are you okay, sir? What happened?"
"Some oddball in a cape came outta nowhere...!"
Astral would then spot said 'oddball' just making his getaway into an alleyway:
"Over there."
"On it."
I got off the ground and left Tiffany to help free the man from the twine while I chased the anonymous vigilante.
"Hey you, come back here!"
They'd hop onto the top of the dead-end wall just as I call after them again:
"Stop right there, you-uh!"
...Nelson?!
I slowed into a stop, eyes wide with surprise to find out my suspicions were confirmed.
"...So it was you."
"Athena...just, stay away from me."
That was all he said to me, before he makes a mad leap and dash down an upper path into the shadows...It was then that Tiffany catches up with me, and asks while catching her breath,
"Hauh...Where did he...?"
"He hopped to the upper paths; no way we're catching him now."
"...And, was it...?"
Now, I could've told her who it was...but I knew it would break her heart if she found out her TV hero had gone berserk, so I opted in bending the information some, at least for now until I could figure out what got into Nelson to do these crazy stunts.
"Can't say for sure...but their getup did looked pretty similar to The Sparrow's. But who knows? It might just be a nut-job trying to pose as his character for their own brand of justice."
"Hm, maybe...You think this is gonna stop soon, Addy?"
"That, I have no idea...but we can talk about it more tomorrow. Right now, we better motor back to our houses before your folks or mine get wise to our nightly adventure."
Small Time Skip
By no surprise to me, I didn't get as much sleep as I wanted thanks to my mind racing with questions about what I saw in the streets last night, and wound up waking up a bit earlier than usual. I go through my usual morning routine, but instead of doing a massive jog before school...I wound up wandering the crisply cool streets to an old secluded spot I haven't visited in a long time.
It's this small area in the main park of the city, the grass and moss mixing textures to be as soft as the inside material of a duvet, a little duck pond enclosed by some thick-leaved oaks and low bushes, and seldom gets much foot traffic these days. Guess most of the people of Heartland aren't all that big on the solitude and tranquility that's becoming increasingly hard to find in this growing populace...A shame, really.
Anyway, I was sitting down on the green with my back against one of the more comfortable trunks of wood that had its exposed roots twisted in a way that it provides a decent seat, while Astral was floating near my left as we discussed the events from a couple hours ago.
"No doubt that had to have been Nelson under that getup...but why? Why is he suddenly trying to smear his character's name?"
I place a finger under my chin in thought as I add,
"I'd understand he's frustrated by his career pressures, but based on what I saw two days ago, his heart's not hard enough to go to such extreme levels..."
"The answer is out there. Find it."
Looking up at the being, I ask,
"And how do you propose I do that?"
"You made a promise to Nelson when you met. You should fulfill that promise."
Promise?...Oh!
"You mean, to have a duel?"
"Yes. That is exactly what you should do. A duel can bring someone's inner strength, no matter how deeply it is buried...or rather, how much a person may mask it."
My eyes lit with surprise when he used similar words to my own from the evening before last...I then formed a small smirk and nodded.
"Alright then. After school, it's go-time at the sea port."
Time Skip
As soon as the bell lets out for the end of another mundane day of education, I ran out of the academy straight for South Street to sneak into the studio building again. This round, I used a few tricks I picked up from...another time, to distract the guard, throwing a reasonably-sized rock a good to bounce hard off of a metal import/export crate a good distance away, creating a bang loud enough to get the man's attention and rush off to investigate, leaving me open for a mad dash down the path over the blue...
I would then pick the lock to the side door using an old bobby pin I kept in the pouch of my backpack for any weird situations like this, and slip my way inside with Astral right behind me. After that, it was all in a matter of waiting for Nelson to come down here into the main scenery area like I figured he would (If he's acting like 'The Sparrow', then this place may as well be his personal hero hideout)...And once he was at the chair containing his mask:
"Lights, Camera, Action!"
(Clack)
I switched the spotlights on, which prompts him to turn around to my direction as I stepped into view to interrogate him on his recent behaviour.
"Nelson. Why are you playing vigilante and attacking minor offenders?"
He in turn asks,
"What are you doing here? I thought I told you to stay away."
But I wasn't gonna let him off:
"Don't avoid my question! If attacking civilians isn't crazy enough, why are you doing it dressed and acting like The Sparrow?"
"I have to fulfill my duty to the Galaxy Queen."
That, was not an answer I was prepared for...
"Huh?...Are you talking about your mom?"
Nor did I expect the following proclamation:
"I swore to defeat Dark Emperor Furious Max and his minions."
"...Nelson..."
Oh god, has he finally snapped?
He smiles at me strangely, like someone fighting insanity, and asks,
"Why do you keep calling me by that name? (Fwips his cape) For I am known in every corner of the universe as, The Sparrow!"
My eyes widened slightly in shock, drinking in the sight that was the TV superhero in full costume again, as he then asks me,
"Now as for you...why have you come here? Has the Dark Emperor managed to sink his claws into you as well?"
Yep, he's definitely lost it.
"Crap...You've really allowed it all to go to your head, haven't you?"
Astral floats closer to my side and asks me,
"What is going on? All what?"
"The anxiety and pressures of being his TV character, that's what. He's completely lost in the identity that's The Sparrow."
He was quite surprised to hear such:
"What? You mean, he is stuck in the fantasy TV world of make-believe and pretend?"
"Right as rain. I mean, this is basically method-acting gone haywire!"
Nelson lets out a righteous laugh and holds a fist up high with determination that unknown to him, wasn't rational.
"The world is waiting for me to deliver justice far and wide!"
I try to snap him out of his character daze:
"Nelson, stop it; this isn't you! You're not The Sparrow!"
He frowns at me in a regrettable fashion and replies,
"Athena, I didn't want it to come to this...Alas, if you are with the Dark Emperor, (points at me) then I have no choice but to battle you!"
Ugh, great...Well, I guess there's no other options here, is there?
Maybe a good knockout from a Duel will click his brain back into place...
I form a serious frown and call back,
"Alright. If it's a fight you want, it's a fight you'll get! I challenge you to Duel!"
"(Grin) I accept your challenge."
With that, we got out our equipment, duel disk to gazer, and the AR World jumps to life...
Augmented Reality Vision Link Established.
"Prepare yourself, 'Sparrow', 'cause girls like me don't go down easy!"
We both call out that signature phrase:
"Let's Duel!"
Nelson then fwips a part of his cape away again...before his right hand emits the one glow I was worried might show up, shaped as the numeral 83 this round.
Oh, no...
"You're going to lose, Athena!"
While the poor deluded boy grins and chuckles, Astral asks me,
"Do you see?"
"Sure do, a Number. I had this feeling in the back of my skull that might've been a contributing factor too..."
"It must be amplifying the pressure that he feels to be The Sparrow."
Tempted though I was to point fingers, I knew it wasn't his fault that these cards were making people go nuts here and there. Instead, I replied,
"All the more reason to beat Nelson as quick as we can. There's no telling what this Number has in mind for him next after vigilante stunts..."
We nod to one another, before facing up front as Nelson makes the opening move.
"Alright, let's do this! I Draw! First I summon, Beast-Warrior Puma!"
The monster brought out to play in Attack Mode, was noneother than that same anthropomorphic wildcat the ESPer Star Sparrow series based a character off of, Level Four with 1600 Attack Points. Astral recognized him right away too:
"I have seen him in action. Not only is he incredibly acrobatic, but he is a rather gifted swordsman."
"I end my turn by playing one card face-down!"
My turn, then.
"Look out, Puma, here I come! I Draw! I summon, Gogogo Golem in Attack Mode!"
As my monster appears on the field, Nelson comments,
"I suppose you're going to send that lumbering brute in to attack Puma..."
"Good guess, 'Sparrow'. Golem: Attack with Gogogo Gust!"
"I can't believe it. You walked right into my Trap!"
His face-down flips up, revealing a card depicting a giant star with three little figures standing on its surface...
"Since I have three copies of Triple-Star Trion in my hand, I can activate Trion Barrier and force your Golem into Defense Mode!"
Shoot...
My monster freezes mid-attack and shifts into said position, reflecting 1500 Defense Points instead of 1800 Attack, as Nelson adds,
"And then, I can summon my three Triple-Star Trions to the field!"
Said little monsters appear in a triple-node swirl, each one Level One with only 100 Attack Points.
Hm, looks like I'll have to stop here for now.
"I place one card face-down and end my turn."
"Then it's my turn! I Draw! First, I'm releasing two of my Trions so I can Tribute-Summon! ESPer Star Sparrow is ready to crash this party!"
On that note, said monster Nelson's current character is based off of smashes through the top of the stain glass window behind him onto the field (the only major difference in their appearances was that the monster was dominantly dark-schemed like an actual sparrow), Level Ten and packing a strong 3000 Attack Points!
"...Uhm, Astral, mind filling me in on Tribute-Summoning?"
"To summon high-level monsters, you must tribute other monsters. Nelson had to tribute two monsters to summon his ESPer Star Sparrow."
Nodding in understanding, I focus back up front as Nelson continued his tricks this turn.
"And now I'll activate my Trion's special ability, which means I can re-stack my field by bringing back my other two Trions that are in my graveyard. Go, Lavish Return!"
And just like that, those two little red and green-sweater mage monsters come back from the dead to rejoin their blue-sweater friend's sides.
"Welcome back, you two. Next, I'm activating Space Ration from my hand! I can activate this card's power since ESPer Star Sparrow's on my field. Thanks to its effect, I can draw two new cards from my hand!"
He does so...
"And with that done, I Overlay my three Level One Trions! With these three monsters, I build the Overlay Network!"
Here it comes...
"I XYZ Summon! Kneel before Number 83: Galaxy Queen!"
The Number to grace the field behind Nelson, was yet another mirror of the series characters, they being that dark beauty of a royal with their numeral symbol branded on her skin just underneath their jeweled choker necklace, Rank One in Defense Mode with 500 Defense Points.
"...Okay, summoning your mom? That's just weird."
Astral was in awe compared to my sweatdropped expression:
"The Galaxy Queen...She was revered as a good and noble leader, but then-"
His explanation was interrupted by Nelson as he calls out his next piece in his play.
"I equip the Galaxy Queen with Furious Max's Curse!"
The Number's form is surrounded by a dark aura...
"While under this spell's influence, the Galaxy Queen can't be destroyed in any situation!"
Aw, seriously?!
"And now, I use one Overlay Unit to activate the Galaxy Queen's special ability!"
One of the orbs of light dives into the royal's jeweled staff as Nelson explains this Number's special power in a Duel.
"The Galaxy Queen can grant every monster on my field with immortality until my next turn, and to deal damage even if your monster is in Defense Mode."
"Come. Follow me and gain the ultimate power!"
With a wave of the Queen's staff, the rest of the monsters on Nelson's side of the field are engulfed in their own dark aura as well...
I mutter to Astral with light sarcasm,
"Well, this can't possibly be any worse for me, can it?"
"Correct. If Gogogo Golem is attacked, I am afraid it will not be very pleasant. Your Life Points will be damaged."
"Beast-Warrior Puma, Attack! Go, Dark Slash!"
Thankfully, even though the wildcat pounced fiercely at my monster, I knew that my Golem would be safe.
"Because Gogogo Golem is in Defense Mode, it can avoid being destroyed once a turn."
Nelson jeers back,
"Perhaps so, but your Life Points still take damage!"
And right he was: The impact from the attack pushes against me as my Life Points drop by 100...
"And now, to finish what Puma started! Go, Star Sparrow; Attack!"
With a dangerous-sounding growl grinding from his throat, said monster lunges in to attack my golem again with a fist raised.
"Hope you enjoy his Mega-Punch Surprise!"
This time, my monster wouldn't survive, and was destroyed in a cluster of pixels, while I slid backwards on my feet in a crouch to avoid skinning myself as my Life Points dropped to 2400. Looking up with a grit, I notice that Astral felt the impact too, and I quickly rush up on my feet to check up on him.
"...You alright?"
He looked at me in slight surprise for my concern, but nodded all the same...Nelson ends his turn with a face-down while announcing,
"You see? You can't win. I am The Sparrow! I have journeyed through time and space to fight the forces of evil, and restore justice to the galaxies!"
Scoffing at the method-act, I retort back with just as much fire,
"That so? Well I traveled all the way down here from the Academy to fight the emotions that bind you, and restore your true identity for the world to see. And I have absolutely no intentions of turning back!"