When we last left in our story, we found Athena and Shark engaging in a tag duel against gang leaders Scorch and Chills in the courtyard of the Heartland City Museum, to stop the latter pair from stealing a prized Duel Monsters Deck that had been donated to the curators not long ago...
Unfortunately, the younger teens were already being struck hard by the men's extended combo strategies, and were now sitting at 2400 (Athena) and 1100 (Shark) Life Points each.
Scorch and Chills continue to taunt the other two for their attempt at bravery.
"You shouldn't have messed with us, you two. You should've stayed home in your pajamas."
"I think what my partner meant to say, is that should've stayed in your crib, in your diapers!"
They both broke into laughs, which would be cut off by the following retort.
"Certainly takes one to know one!"
The two men quickly formed glares that were directed at the red-eyed teen, who was smirking as she got back up on her feet with Shark.
"If you creeps have got nothin' better to do than insult our intelligence and use cheap-ass combo tricks, you two are gonna lose harder than our school's football team did last year."
"Gh!" "Why you-!"
Tiffany and Jamal broke into laughter upon that counter, and the latter calls,
"Nice one, Addy!"
She sends an amused smile back, as Shark compliments,
"Well played."
"Thanks."
"And you're right to not let those words get to you, since we've got the advantage now. Volcasaurus used up all its Overlay Units already."
An expression of realization spreads onto Athena's face, and she grins before exclaiming,
"Good point: He can't use their special ability now. Way'da blow all your good moves in one shot, Scorch!"
"That may be, pipsqueak, but I didn't need it to beat Shark anyway, 'cause ya see, my Volcasaurus can attack him directly!"
Said Number Monster lets out a blast of fire straight at their target, just as the girl calls out,
"Heads up, Shark!" He quickly acts on the defense:
"I activate my Trap, Zeus's Breath! This card can blow off your monster's attack!"
The god-like figure emerges onto the field and commands a few jet-streams of water to evaporate the incoming flames...
"Grh, looks like you lucked out this time..."
Athena lets out a breath and mutters,
"That was too close," to which Chills and his partner counter menacingly,
"You think you're safe now?"
"There's only one way this is ending, and that's you're gonna lose, and Utopia's gonna be ours! I place two cards face-down and end my turn!"
"What a load of egotistical crap! My Draw! Goblinbergh, takeoff for the air! When he flies onto the field, he can bring along another Level Four or below monster with him! This round, I'm bringing out Gagaga Magician!"
As soon as both of the girl's monsters settle onto the field in front of her, Shark says to her,
"I hope you know how to pull this off," while Astral calls,
"Athena, please wait!"
"Alright: I overlay Gagaga and Goblinbergh, and XYZ Summon Number 39: Utopia!"
Said Rank Four Number Card would burst to the field out of the Overlay Network vortex, the units orbs swirling around its body and highlighting the golden sheen of its armour...Tiffany smiles upon seeing the monster:
"Cool! Addy's got a good chance with Utopia here."
Jamal was thinking otherwise:
"I dunno about that, Tiff..."
Least she refrained from using the digit during her last duel...But still, is relying on Utopia's strength gonna be enough?
You better not be becoming dependent on those monsters, Addy...
Chills and Scorch mockingly cry out an 'oooo...', their bodies glowing strong with the dark red/purple aura while their eyes gleam red...
"Look, Chills, a Number Card."
"What-ever will we do, Scorch?...Oh wait, I know: I'll activate the Avalanche Trap Card, and freeze your Utopia in its tracks, preventing it from ever being able to attack!"
Athena grits her teeth and thinks to herself,
Crap. Guess I should've seen that move coming...
"Hahaha, how do you like that, little girl? Your big bad monster's been iced!"
Scorch then adds,
"And guess what? If you're thinkin' about using its special ability, don't bother, 'cause if you do, you'll be taking 500 points of damage."
Athena scoffs and retorts with a grim smile,
"You say that like I'm gonna let your little handicap slow me down. I once dislocated my shoulder and still kept fighting like a beast until my opponent was on the floor. Utopia may be stone cold at the moment, but he'll find a way to fight, just you wait and see!"
Scorch was taken aback by part of the retort:
Huh? How the heck can someone get their shoulder dislocated in a duel?
...Just what is this girl?
Shark was having similar thoughts:
"...That, wasn't directed at dueling, was it?"
Athena shakes her head and replies dryly,
"No...That happened in that 'other life' of mine, during month three...But nevermind that, back to reality: I place two cards face-down and end my turn!"
"Of course you're ending your turn now, pipsqueak: There's nothin' else you can do!"
"Screw you!"
Chills then calls back to the angered teenage girl,
"But there's alot more that we can do! For instance, I can switch Icebergdon into Attack Mode!"
The Level Five dinosaur with the iceberg on it back shifts from displaying 2100 Defense to 1300 Attack Points...
"Know what else I can do? I can have Icebergdon attack Shark directly! Bye-bye, traitor!"
The boy with cerulean shifts his footing, bracing himself for the end...but Athena wasn't gonna let that happen without a fight.
"Not so fast, Chills! I'm activating Utopia's special ability, Lightwing Shield!"
Shark tries to protest against her move:
"Wait, Athena, don't: If you use Utopia's ability, you're gonna get slammed by that Avalanche Trap!"
"Does it look like I care about a little snow?"
He was shocked by the dull reply of the girl beside him, while she gestures a nod for Utopia to keep going, who uses his wings to block off Icebergdon's charging form...Chills then taunts,
"If a hurting is what you want, then a hurting is what you're gonna get!"
Athena only takes a deep breath in and shuts her eyes, before the blustery winds of her opponent's trap card knock her off her feet and slams her to the ground hard, her Life Points dropping to 1900...Once his worried shock wears off with Tiffany's, Jamal then wonders,
"Wait a second...did Addy summon Utopia not to attack those two jerks, but to protect Shark?"
Said duelist looks at the fallen girl with a serious grit:
"Grh, Athena...you shouldn't have done that."
Chills mocks,
"Aww, what friendship...I'm so moved by this touching display, so moved that I think I'll attack again! Pompadour Blizzardon: Attack Shark directly!"
Athena counters his move by calling out,
"Not happening, 'cause I'm activating Utopia's ability again! Go, Lightwing Shield!"
And just like before, said Number Monster would protect Shark from the direct attack, but at the cost of their duelist being bombarded by the icy winds of the trap card. This time, she would kneel downward and place her palms flat on the concrete, gripping some loose cracks to help steady herself from going flying into the air again, wincing from the pressure of the cold air and hailing snow that pelted her body, her Life Points dropping to 1400.
As, long as I've, got Life Points to burn, I, won't let, Shark, get, wiped out...!
Said duelist on her mind could only stare at the girl with wide eyes for her selfless sacrifice...before his eyes are shadowed by his bangs as he turns away. Meanwhile, Jamal and Tiffany call over in worry,
"Addy!" "You okay?!"
Rubbing her arms vigorously, Athena calls back,
"Yeah yeah, I'm fine, 'cept I'm feelin' a biting cold in my veins! Damn..."
"Addy."
"Hm?"
She looks up at Shark's back, who then asks,
"Are you just gonna sit there, or are ya gonna stand up and battle?"
"Uh...(Slight smirk) Kuh, what do you think? Stand up, duh!"
Moving to her feet and walking to meet Shark's proximity again, the girl with red irises then calls over to their opponents,
"Are you jerks done with the target practice? I can keep the boomerang going as long as I've got to!"
Chills quirks to Scorch,
"I think pipsqueak's trying to trash-talk."
"Well this should shut her up...I activate the Volcanic Ash Trap Card! Using this card, I can put Chill's Pompadour Blizzardon in Defense Mode!"
As said dinosaur-like monster curls into itself, Athena mutters to herself,
"Well that's not what I expected. What's with the sudden change to go on the defensive?"
Astral kept silent, his observant expression focused straight ahead to watch Chills send a grin to his dueling partner.
"Thanks for the hookup! Now I activate the power of the Frozen Ice Cave Spell Card! It can increase the level of a monster on my field in Defense Mode!"
Athena winces,
"Oh. That's why..."
"So now Pompadour Blizzardon becomes a Level Five!"
Shark then mutters,
"That's two Level Fives now! Not good..." Chills smirks and calls out,
"I think you both know what's about to happen next. I overlay Level Five Icebergdon and Pompadour Blizzardon!"
Two contrasting shades of blue dive into the golden galactic vortex...
"I hope you two brought your jackets, 'cause the weather outside's about to get nasty...I XYZ Summon Number 19: Freezerdon!"
And the beast to grace the dueling field next, Rank Five with 2500 Defense Points displayed, would be one with features similar to an anklyosaurus standing upright, but with wings on its back and its body coloured various shades of frozen blue as if it were trapped within an iceberg...
Athena curses under her breath and exclaims in a hiss,
"As if one Number's not bad enough, now we gotta deal with two?! Fan-freakin-tastic..."
Chills continues his latest move:
"And I think it's time that I help out my partner's, by activating Freezerdon's special ability! So by using one Overlay Unit, I can restore all of Volcasaurus's Overlay Units!"
As the Number blasts a freezing breath in front of the other on their left, Athena and Astral exclaim/comment,
"Aw hell no!"
"That is quite an interesting tactic..."
Soon, Volcasaurus had their two orbs of light whirling around their body once more...The girl with red irises mutters with a glare,
"Greeeaaat, now we gotta deal with more wailing from Volcasaurus..."
Shark comments just as bitterly,
"That's convenient..."
"I place two cards face-down and end my turn." Chills and Scorch laugh smugly as the latter exclaims,
"No one can stand up to the one-two punch of Fire and Ice!"
Astral was becoming all the more suspicious by the duo's 'miraculous stroke of luck'.
"This is not right. Something is strange..."
Finally, Shark narrows it all down:
"They're cheating, Athena." She replies with just as serious a glare,
"Glad to know I'm not the only one who noticed."
Chills retorts in a mockingly dramatic manner,
"Cheating? What a pair of sore losers!" Shark counters,
"Don't play dumb! I know a cheater when I see one, and I, (glances at Athena) we, are looking at two!"
But while the teens dueling were on the same page, the blue-skinned being floating between them was a little confused.
"A, cheetah? Does he mean a large cat?"
Athena facepalms and replies tiredly,
"He said 'chea-ter', not 'chee-tah', as in someone who ignores and breaks the rules without thinking about the consequences."
"You mean...Uh! I see: They're being dishonest!"
Shark slams a fist into his open palm and angrily calls out,
"Figures you losers wouldn't play it straight! I'm gonna guess that you worked out a tag-team strategy in advance, you figured out the cards you needed-"
Athena cuts into the reveal:
"Then rigged your duel disk shuffle system to spit out said cards."
The boy with cerulean eyes pivots his head to look at her with slight surprise at her quick guess.
"How'd you-Wait...don't tell me: You've dueled against people like them before, haven't you?"
Red irises would emotionally darken considerably as she confirms her partner's words.
"I have...and when it wasn't modifying the shuffle system, those punks would use other cheats like causing glitches in their opponent's equipment or stealing cards before replacing them with fakes that wouldn't work. Somehow, I was one of the lucky few that evaded theft...but even so, once the duel started, there wasn't anything I could do to stop the other kinds cheating other than endure. Joke was on them, though."
Athena's lips curved into a cynical smirk:
"Most of the time, I managed to swing a tie in those half-ass duels. That's, where most of my ties came from, actually...even with the scars and beatings that came afterward. The boys of 'that place' didn't let anybody just walk away win or lose: Someone always got thrashed to a bloody pulp."
"Uh...Athena..."
She shakes her head and forms a neutral frown:
"But that's the past, we're talkin' about now, right? I knew there had to be something wrong with those lucky draws of Level Five beasts for Scorch and Chills."
Astral, who remained quiet for a moment during these small spouts of explanations, then remarks,
"So when Scorch used Volcanic Ash to put Chills's monster in Defense Mode, he did so knowing perfectly well that Chills would be able to increase Blizzardon's level, by activating Frozen Ice Cave. They always know what the other is holding, and what they will draw next...If that is truly the case, then these two are not true duelists."
Shark then shouts with a fist raised and a smouldering glare,
"I can't believe you guys call yourselves duelists! You're just a couple of cheating nobodies!"
"Tread lightly, little Shark: Cheating's not a word you wanna be tossing around."
Scorch adds after Chills,
"Meaning the Pot shouldn't be calling the Kettle black! Everyone knows that you cheated during the Nationals!"
Said subject of accusation stiffens frozen, the anger is his eyes burning out to be replaced by shock, while the other young teens and celestial being turn eyes to his form...
"You talk like a champion, but a real champion wouldn't peek at his opponent's deck before the finals!"
Flashback, Shark's POV
"All those weeks of watching duelists crush the other's dreams, have finally led to this!"
"That's right, Ron: The National Duel Tournaments are here, and the excitement..."
...I remember...
Those MCs playing up the drama on the TV screens, just adding to the pressure I was already feeling rise in my chest as I sat at that desk in the waiting area, before the signal would be given to head out to the arena for that last time...
"This is it. This is my moment: I have to win this thing!"
...I then heard the sound of a door opening, and looked up to see my opponent leaving the room, only to discover a set of Duel Monster Cards left behind on the desk they were likely sitting at!
"Is, that his deck?"
...A part of me knew that what I was about to do was wrong...but the anxiety I felt in that moment...it was too strong to ignore, and gave way to the temptation.
It wasn't like anyone was going to know, right?
...Wrong.
It would be during the last length of my final duel in that tournament, where everything fell apart.
"I've got this. Just one more turn..."
"I place one card face-down and end my turn!"
A face-down card...It's gotta be, the card I saw before: Mirror Force!
...This match is mine.
"My turn! I-"
My sentence was cut off instantly by the blaring sound of an alarm, followed by the appearance of several holographic red X signs reading 'Stop: Championship Misconduct', serving to further mock my stupidity in what I had done, along with the MC Ron calling out for all to hear,
"Ho-old on, ladies and gentlemen! Reginald Castle has been disqualified! Security caught some footage of the hopeful duelist looking at his opponent's deck minutes before the duel started!"
...It felt like a tidal wave came crashing against my body, drowning me in the horrible mistake I made that was now visual for the whole nation to see...
End of Flashback
"What happened after that? Oh-hoh, right: The League banished you for life, and now you'll never duel in a tournament again! Bummer!"
Scorch's words made me feel like my heart was fixing to plummet into my stomach.
"I looked for five seconds. I...I was so scared of defeat..."
That only served to make that jerk Chills laugh mockingly at me:
"Was the whittle bitty baby afwaid to wose the big duel? Talk about pathetic!"
"Waaa, mommy; wosing makes me cry!"
I shut my eyes to try and block out the sound of their taunts...but then snap them back open to the following shout.
"Shut the fuck up!"
Uh! Athena...!
I turned to look at her as she sends a seething glare towards our opponents and spits out,
"Who the hell do you cheaters think you are mocking Shark?! There's no humour in giving into actions that will come back to bite you hard later! I should know damn well 'cause I've made similar blunders in the past!"
Uh!...Is she going to reveal...?
"You recall when you said I looked an awful lot like that chick from the Fallen Stars, Berserker? Well here's a newsflash: I don't just look. I was her!"
That confession actually took those jerks aback, they forming expressions of shock and...slight fear?
"Hmph, that's right: I was once known as the little she-devil that showed no mercy to the ones I faced in the ring. I held no emotions, like a machine, and would beat the living tar out of my opponents, whether in regular brawls, or during those house rule duels that bastard Trilos set up for the hell of it."
Huh? House Rule Duels?
She didn't elaborate that bit, instead going on with a more gruff and slight catching in her voice.
"Maybe in the deepest realm of my mind, I knew that what I was doing was wrong, but I didn't give a rat's ass during those days. All I cared about, was finding a way to numb that hurt...that, emotional hurt that shook through my body thanks to those freaks who took away my ability to physically feel pain..."
I heard her friend Tiffany whimper from the sidelines,
"Oh Addy," as she herself grits her teeth and chokes out,
"It sickens me now to know I was so stupid to believe that Trilos offered me a way out. What he did was give me the keys to the gates of Hell, which I took with no hesitation whatsoever...If I had kept going with those suicide matches, I probably would've ended up as another forgotten corpse on those dirty streets..."
...Athena...
"But that was then, and this is now. 'Berserker' is dead, I'm still alive and able to stand on my own two feet. I refuse to let my mistakes weigh me: Instead, I use them as a reminder to never become that close to my end again!"
She gestures her free hand to my direction as she adds more strongly,
"It's the same for Shark: He screwed up, he knows that, but isn't so weak that he'd just give up on his livelihood! Neither of us are! We'll keep fighting against our mistakes no matter how many times they try to back us into a corner, because we know we're better than that! That's what makes us different from you two, lost causes who allow themselves to give into temptation again and again with no disregard to who gets hurt, not even yourselves!"
...I was stunned speechless by this girl's words, and the roughened experience I could hear in each word blurted out.
Chills and Scorch on the other hand, weren't so much moved, but found a new target to mock.
"Hah! What a powerful little speech! Just how much more ironic can you get, hearing that from a former street fighter?!"
"Speaking of backs to the wall, all you've got is a monster on ice! You're done, 'Berserker'!"
I hear her growl lowly from Scorch using her old street title, before I got her back on track.
"Athena."
"Yeah?"
"(Smirk) Let's take these clowns out."
"Uh...(Grin) Ha, you got it!"
With that, I begin my next turn in this duel:
"It's my turn: I Draw! First, I'm activating a Spell Card, XYZ Gift! When there's at least two XYZ Monsters on the field, I can use XYZ Gift to draw two more cards! Next, I summon Needle Sun Fish!"
My Level Three monster jumps onto the field just as I ready to use another Spell.
"Now I activate the Surface Spell Card from my hand! This allows me to summon one monster from my Graveyard, so watch out, 'cause Big Jaws is comin' back for more!"
Athena calls to me encouragingly,
"Do it, man!"
"I overlay Level Three Needle Sun Fish and Big Jaws! With these two monsters, I build the Overlay Network and XYZ Summon Black Ray Lancer!"
My Rank Three monster with 2100 Attack Points rises to stand in front of me at battle ready, making my partner smile a bit in anticipation.
"Finally, I get to see this big guy in action..."
I smirk slightly, remembering when I showed her this card earlier before we came to the museum, before getting on with my next move.
"I now activate Black Ray Lancer's special ability: By using one Overlay Unit, I can stop Volcasaurus from using its special abilities!"
"You what?!"
Athena adds with a smug smirk to Scorch,
"Which means your Number can easily be taken out!"
"Except that Volcasaurus has more Attack Points!"
Heh, not for long...
"Oh yeah, about that, I activate Needle Sun Fish's special ability: Since this guy was sent to the Graveyard, Volcasaurus loses 500 Attack Points!"
Athena cries out excitedly,
"Ha! Lancer can skewer Volcasaurus!"
I don't let either of us wait another second longer:
"What're you waiting for, Black Ray Lancer? Attack Volcasaurus! Go, Shimmering Spear Slash!"
And I would've succeeded in destroying that Number...if Chills hadn't interfered.
"Keh, I activate Compensation Exchange! This Trap Card stops Black Ray Lancer's attack, but now, my Life Points get hit by all of Volcasaurus's Attack Points!"
I growl slightly in annoyance while watching his Life Points drop to 2000, while Athena exclaims just as miffed,
"Damn you! You just had to slide up front, didn't you?!"
"He takes the hits and I dish 'em out!"
"That's how the leaders of the pack roll...and if I remember right, that's how some of those tag fights worked in the Fallen Stars. Am I right or wrong, little girl?"
I glance over at Athena, who clenches her jaw with a burning anger in her irises, but chose to stay silent...I wouldn't have time to wonder before Scorch called out his own move.
"And now I activate, Volcanic Abyss! With this card, I can check out one of your hands, and if there's a monster card, it gets sent back to your deck! Let's see...you holdin' any monster cards, pipsqueak?"
I hear Athena curse,
"Fuck, he's talking to me...Great, there goes one of my cards..."
Since the trap allowed all of us to see her hand, I was able to make note of what she currently held.
Gogogo Golem and Monster Reborn...I wonder...
"You've got a monster in your hand. Now you've gotta send it back to your deck."
Athena mutters solemnly,
"See you around next time, Golem," while I finish up my turn, a new plan running through my head.
"I place one card face-down and end my turn." Scorch was up next:
"And now I'll end you! My move; I Draw! Get ready to feel the heat, Shark, 'cause I'm activating Volcasaurus's special ability, Magma Mass!"
Why am I not surprised...
"First, Volcasaurus destroys Black Ray Lancer, and then you take damage equal to Black Ray Lancer's Attack Points! (Laugh) Nighty-night, Shark!"
Athena calls out my name in warning as Scorch taunts,
"You're finished! Volcasaurus, attack Black Ray Lancer!"
My monster disappears in a cluster of pixels...
"Say goodbye!"
"Oh no you don't!"
I turn to Athena's direction in surprise, as she suddenly activates one of her face-downs.
"I activate Damage Diet! With this card, the damage you're dealing to Shark this turn's cut in half!"
Thanks to my dueling partner, I barely survive the heat wave inflicted on me with 50 Life Points...
"And now, I activate Icy Crevasse! So now I can destroy one of your monsters, and then strike you with damage equal to your monster's Attack Points!"
Athena adds in a taunt as we watched Volcasaurus start to sink downward into the quaking ground,
"Let's see how you like a taste of your own medicine, Scorch!"
"So you're tryin' to take out my partner and his monster, are ya?!"
We turn eyes to Chills as he suddenly calls out,
"Well by activating Force Change, I can make Freezerdon and me take the fall instead!"
Uh! He's sacrificing himself to save Scorch?!...Guess even cheaters can be loyal sometimes.
No sooner after Freezerdon takes the plunge into the lava crevice, Chills is thrown backwards with an outcry by the force of impact, his Life Points dropping all the way to zero...
Neither I or my partner seemed overly bothered by the switch of defeat:
"Hm, oh well, least your trap took one of 'em out, right?"
"Yeah."
Scorch on the other hand...was pissed as all hell:
"Why you little punks...! Nobody messes with the Chills! I use Volcasaurus's special ability to destroy Utopia!"
Athena's monster was swept away with the tide of fire, which she would feel the backlash of...but survived thanks to her trap with 150 Life Points.
"Ggh! I activate Damage Diet again!"
"I'll finish you in a sec, but now Volcasaurus, attack Shark directly!"
But I had one more ace up my sleeve:
"I play the Final Offering Trap Card! With this trap card's power, I can force a battle to stop by pulling one card from my hand, and giving it to another player, like Athena!"
Said girl catches the card between her fingertips as I toss it to her, giving me a look of mild surprise.
"Seriously?...You're letting me use one of your own cards?"
"Yup."
I know you'll be able to use it right...
"Lucky break for you, but...now, I activate the Twin Volcano Spell! This card explodes for 500 points of damage for each of my turns, and it erupts for 500 points of damage, when I send it to the Graveyard!"
Athena curses,
"Crap...we're screwed when it becomes his turn again..."
Chills, who was now kneeling on one knee, calls with a sardonic smile,
"You little runts are done for!" Scorch adds just as amused,
"Not that you ever had a chance!"
I call back calmly,
"That's where you're wrong: You guys are the ones who are done for."
I hear Athena mutter,
"Hope for both our sakes you're right...My Draw!...Hmm...how do I carry this one out?"
The answer is right in front of you...You can do it, Athena.
Athena's POV
Alright, crunch time, girl: Let's see...
The card Shark gave me just now is, Armoured XYZ...And if I use that with Monster Reborn...
Aha! I got it!
With my plan set, I begin the first step by bringing back the monster I needed.
"I activate the Spell, Monster Reborn!"
"Who's she revivin' for this duel? Utopia?!"
"No, Jamal...I'm pulling back Black Ray Lancer for another round from Shark's Graveyard!"
Scorch lets out a big laugh at my revival choice:
"You could've brought out a game-changer like Utopia, but instead, you just brought out a game-ender!"
Shark coolly retorts,
"I don't think so."
"You don't?"
I smirk and reply,
"Of course he doesn't, dumbass, because I'm now activating the Spell, Armoured XYZ!"
"That doesn't sound too good..."
"All of a sudden, you two losers aren't lookin' so confident..."
Matching my partner's smirk, I chide with some mock directed at our opponents,
"Oh don't be too hard on them, Shark. They do have the right to get nervous...since this card allows me to equip one monster on my field with an XYZ from my Graveyard! Come on back, Utopia!"
My Number rose to the field once more, before I add,
"Okay! I equip Black Ray Lancer with Utopia!"
In that light, both mine and Shark's monsters fuse into one, and Lancer was now sporting golden armour alongside its blue/purple-sheen black and 2500 Attack Points...
"That's nice that you made your Lancer stronger, but did you forget that only a Number can destroy a Number?"
"Nope."
"We got that covered."
Both Scorch and Chills stutter out,
"What?!"
Shark and I explain,
"As far as technicalities are concerned, Black Ray Lancer now has Utopia's powers..."
"In other words, Lancer's become a Number now!"
That served to shatter their confidence completely:
"Do you realize what this means?!"
"Volcasaurus is goin' extinct!"
I waste no more seconds to finish this duel off:
"Black Ray Lancer: Attack Volcasaurus!"
Using its spear, the monster takes out the opposing Number in one fell slash, leaving Scorch to cringe as his Life Points drop to 1900...
"Your partner's out of the picture and you've got no monsters to hide behind!"
I agreed with Shark wholeheartedly:
"It's safe to say that you're gonna get pwned, for by sending Utopia to the Graveyard, Black Ray Lancer's able to swing in one more time to attack you directly!"
"Whah?! No way!"
"Oh yes way! Go, Shimmering Spear Slash!"
One kaboom from the monster's power sends Scorch and Chills flying to the ground, as the former's Life Points fall to zero, spelling victory for Shark and me.
Oh yeah, that's how ya do it!
No POV
As the AR World dissolves away to give headway for reality once again, Tiffany and Jamal cheer for their victorious friends.
"Woo-hoo, they did it; they won!"
"Alright, Addy!"
Meanwhile, Astral's focus was on extracting the two Numbers Volcasaurus and Freezerdon from the duo formerly known as Scorch and Chills.
Observation Number Twelve: Not every duelist in this world duels with honour. Some are willing to compromise their spirits, as long as it means winning.
...As soon as Numbers 61 and 19 touched his fingertips, however, the celestial being was struck with a rather disturbing image.
"Uh!"
(Pulse...)
The image shown to him, was of his home galaxy being struck with inferno red, comet-like blows from an outward source, followed by the distant sound of muffled screams from a large mass...
Astral's face was frozen with shock, not just from the new memory, but also,
This image...looks like what Athena had described seeing flash within her own mind before...
...I wonder.
He glances down at the girl with a newly serious expression:
Is it possible that a part of her subconscious, holds memories related to my world?
...Those days of her captivity by those rogue scientists...They might hold another answer that will take me a step closer to remembering everything I lost.
But until the trauma relieves her...I can only be patient.
Just as Astral comes to that decision, the two gang leaders awoke with their own heads muddled over recent events.
"Wha...What happened to us, Chills?"
"I dunno. I don't remember nothin'..."
They look up, only to cringe when they meet the glaring eyes of the young teens they just dueled (not that they necessarily recall)...
"Look, it's Shark!"
"A-And that crazy Berserker chick! Run away!"
As they turned to sprint out of the area, Jamal and Tiffany jeer with smirks on their faces,
"Kuh, cowards!"
"Don't you mess with us again!"
Athena shakes her head slightly in amusement from her friends, before turning to meet the eyes of her best male friend.
"...Jamal."
"Addy..."
Forming a guilty frown, the boy with dreadlocks tilts his head down and mutters,
"I'm, sorry I've been actin' like a total flake these last few days...I guess, I was just feelin' left out of the loop from all that time you were suddenly spendin' with Shark..."
His cheeks colour a little in embarrassment, and Athena's expression forms a mix of sympathy and exasperation.
Oh geez, Jamal...
"Like hell I'm gonna push ya out of my life, dude. (Small smirk) We've been tight friends since elementary; what kind of person would I be if I just threw it all away?"
"Uh..."
"Tch, but whatever. It's all done and out there, so let's put it all behind tonight and move on fresh in the morning. Sound good?"
Jamal looks at the girl with red irises in amazement for her willingness to forgive and forget, and glances over at Tiffany, who smiles gently and nods in agreement...He then smiles and says,
"Uh, yeah, sure. Water under the bridge. And hey, soon as we meet up tomorrow, we should have a duel!"
"Sounds like a plan!"
"I'm outta here."
"Hm?"
Athena turns to see Shark begin to casually walk away, but stops when she calls him to a halt.
"Hang on a sec! (Pulls out a card) Your Armoured XYZ. Don't you want it back for your deck?"
Without turning around, Shark replies,
"Nah...keep it."
"Uh, you sure?"
"Yeah. (Glances over his shoulder) You can use all the help you can get."
Feeling slightly insulted, Athena pouts and replies,
"O-Oi, watch it! If I recall, I was the one who helped you!"
Shark just smirks a little and softly calls a,
"Later," before continuing his way, leaving Athena to smile a bit and call back,
"...See you around, Shark."
Small Time Skip, Athena's POV
Thankfully, I managed to get home before I'd be too late for dinner with Grandpa and my bros, and after hitting the bathroom for a much-needed shower with a pair of dark red pajama shorts, undies and a grey-white pajama shirt, I would find myself sprawled across my bed with a more relaxed expression on my face, my brain still a bit wired from the excitement of that tag duel.
Man, that was one of the best duels I've had yet...I hope everybody got home safe, Shark especially...
I wonder which part of the city he lives in? I know he's not from this neighbourhood...
My thoughts were interrupted by my wandering eyes fixating on Astral's form again, who since the end of the duel has been real quiet, with trouble flickering in and out in his thinking expression.
He hasn't said a word since he retrieved Volcasaurus and Freezerdon...
Each Number represents a memory, but, so far none of them have left him drifting this distantly...
...Did he remember something bad, scary?
Seeing him this muddled made a part of my heart ache, because I had been brave enough to vent my tragic and fragmented memories to him, so, it wouldn't be unfair of him to do the same if he needed to...I wasn't gonna be able to fall asleep until I saw the blue being calmer, so clearing my throat a bit, I softly call him to attention.
"...Astral?"
"Hm?"
He looks down at me from his position near the foot of my bed, and I ask him,
"Is, everything alright? You've been silent as a mouse since that earlier duel ended...Does it have something to do with, Numbers 61 and 19?"
His eyes widen slightly in surprise from my question...before he looks away and mutters,
"It, does...but you shouldn't have to worry yourself with my troubles."
"Why not? You've done so with me."
Astral looks eye-to-eye with me again, and I sigh a touch before crawling on my hands and knees over to the end of the bed where he was, settling into a kneel while leaning my arms on the hardwood.
"I've harped about my own struggles with otherwise unpleasant memories...Why can't you do the same? (Sad smile) It'll make you feel less alone and trapped inside the labyrinth of your own mind."
"Uh...Athena..."
"Please, Astral. I understand if you're still trying to process a, initial shock...but take it from someone who knows: Staying silent for too long can really hurt yourself internally. It's usually best to find a good person to talk to...Get it all out in one go."
...The room falls silent for a few minutes, the two of us not breaking eye contact...until the being before me lets out an inaudible sigh and comments,
"Your stubbornness truly knows no bounds." I smirk wryly and retort,
"Comes with being a teenager...So?"
"Alright...I will tell you what I saw."
He then spins out a description of what I'm guessing to be the same event happening at different times, neither which were better or worse than the other...When he was done, my eyes were wide with shock:
"So, your world was being attacked by something?"
"It would seem so, and unfortunately, I do not have any clues to tell who the source of the attack was, why they were antagonizing my world...or when exactly this event occurred."
I could hear a bit more worry in his tone on that last bit, and ask,
"Are you, thinking that the memory could be more recent than it appears?"
"It is possible...It is also possible that this could be happening right now."
That thought sent a shiver down my spine, but Astral wasn't finished:
"What truly concerns me, however...was how this memory mirrors that occurrence you spoke of a few days ago."
Huh? Occurrence?
...Wait!
"(Gulp) Y-You mean, those weird visions I experienced, after my last, fist fight for the Fallen Stars..."
"Yes."
He then floats around so he was hovering in front of me from the side of my bed, his face reflecting a kind of seriousness that made me stiffen a bit nervously while shifting so I had my palms resting on my thighs.
"U-Uh...Astral?"
"Athena...I need you to be honest with me: What exactly do you recall from your past regarding those visions? Was that incident in the Mirror Alley the one time...or was there another?"
I was taken aback by such a question...but seeing the desperateness hiding behind the mismatched gold and white, made me feel like I needed to at least try and wrack my brain for an answer, anything to reply to the being before me. Holding the side of my head and shutting my eyes, I go into a moment of deep thought...but could only find the same things I've said already, which filled me with unease in my gut.
"I...I'm not sure. Honestly, I thought that what I saw was a part of my mental break...If there was another time before that, I likely forgot them faster then they came, like those kinds of nightmares that come once in a while to scare the living heck out of oneself."
"...I see..."
"...But on the other hand..."
I look up with my own serious expression and mutter with a twinge of a bitter air,
"There's still alot of what happened during my kidnapping I can't remember...Maybe I had an envisioning back then too, related to your world and your memories."
Astral's eyes light up with interest:
"Are you suggesting that something happened during your captivity that allowed your mind to see events occurring in my homeworld?"
"Can't say for sure. I still don't even know how I escaped from that hellhole..."
I felt one of my hands subconsciously reach up from my legs to grip my pendant securely as I recall,
"But, I remember that, the Key was on me the entire time...It never left my neck."
...One of Astral's hands suddenly reaches out to hover over the one gripping my pendant, his eyes fixating on the gold between my fingertips with an almost suspicious gaze.
"You're quite certain that it never left you? Did your captors ever try to relieve you of it?"
"...Maybe. Like I said, most of the incident's still foggy to me, but...there's this gut feeling, that's telling me those bastards failed in trying to take the Key away. That, I did something to stop them...or, that the Key itself did something? I dunno; it's all so confusing."
The both of us let out tried breaths, and Astral straightens back up before saying with a more neutral expression,
"Well, I suppose it will not help to pressure your mind into remembering. It would be best for you to recollect at a steadier pace."
...Astral...
He then flashes me a ghost of a smile and says in a sincere tone,
"Thank you, Athena, for allowing me to vent. You, were right: The uncertainty does not feel as suffocating as before."
"Uh...(Small smile) Anytime."
"Now, I believe we're reaching past your usual time to sleep?"
I almost let out a laugh at his parental tone, and nodded in agreement before shuffling over and under the covers of my bed.
"Right, right...Goodnight, Astral."
"...Goodnight, Athena."
With that, I fell soundly asleep, blessed with a night filled with only rest and no dreams of any kind to make my heart quiver with unnecessary excitement...or fear.