A new day comes and quavers away through the fair City of Heartland, but unfortunately, this hour was not starting on a good note within the main building of the shopping district, as a newly dire situation takes place, covered by noneother than Terry's girlfriend, Yoko, who was filling in for one of the other local news anchors. Her bubblegum pink hair was pinned up with a clip or two, while she wore a simple, french mauve-coloured t-shirt dress with a dark grey vest overtop matching her one-inch heels.
"We're here at the city shopping center, where two unknown individuals have blockaded all access points to the top floor. We understand that-"
Her announcement was suddenly cut off by the sound of a Litterbot crying out one of its signature phrases as it dropped down from the top floor of the mall!
"Trash identified, trash indenti-"
(SMASH)
Innocent bystanders scrambled to get out of the way in time, as we zoom in on the origin point where the poor robotic victim was thrown from. Their assaulter was a young man in his very late teens with a pale complexion, highlighting his short-cut hair of strawberry blond and black-green, dark purple eyes outlined with black eyeliner, and wore an outfit comprised of a dark tan tank-top under a black vest jacket lined with red and blue rhinestone-studded buttons, spiked wrist bands, red pants with a singular white stripe running down the pant legs on both sides, and brown sneakers. He held out a black baseball bat with a menacing sneer and calls out,
"Now you're trash; dumb Litterbot!"
Down below, the busted-up trash-collector stutters out,
"Don't forget to recycle," as Athena, dressed in her school uniform, calls up with an aggravated expression,
"Oi, watch where you're tossin', you idiot!"
She and Tiffany, who had come to the mall after school to hang out, were standing in the crowd of witnesses on the main floor, watching with gritted/worried expressions at the scene unfolding. Back up top, the punk calls out in a warning tone to the policemen behind the barricade,
"For the last time, make good on our demands, or the hostages are gonna get it!"
"I'd listen to him if I were you..."
Looking at the far left of the first rugged young man, we see a second individual who had a similar skin complexion but highlighting a few battle scars on his arms and neck, sharp-looking Mohawk hair coloured dark blue, multiple piercings on his left ear, dark brown eyes, and wore an outfit of a lime green, ripped muscle tank-top, black cargo pants with a white skull printed on the left pocket, and brown boots. He holds out a long chain he was using as his own weapon with a sadistic smirk and says,
"See, my friend and I aren't very patient, and the longer we have to wait, the less of a chance these people we've got are gonna leave without some form of injury..."
He cracks the chain in a whip-like fashion towards the four other innocents sitting on the ground defensively (A young boy, his parents and another young lady), who flinch back with frightened expressions, making him laugh darkly. The first punk adds,
"See that? We mean business! The clock's tickin'!"
Gritting her own teeth slightly, Yoko shakes her head before forming a serious expression to continue with her job.
"The standoff continues. It's unclear if authorities will meet their demands of money and a helicopter. We will see as we continue to monitor the situation..."
Back below, Tiffany mutters to herself with worry,
"I hope dad and his partners know what they're doing up there. These punks looks serious."
Athena growls a little, nodding in agreement:
And they are...'cause I've seen these guys before. They used to frequent to the Fallen Star Building alot to participate in a couple fights.
The aggression levels of the one with the bat don't have a strong cap: If the police don't use the right negotiation technique, things are gonna get bloody up there real fast.
...But something about this feels strange: First there was Scorch and Chills getting sweet-talked into a heist by Trilos...and now we have two of his older fighters coming out to cause trouble.
"(Mumble) What the hell is that bastard up to now...?"
The girl with red irises would be pulled out of her thoughts to the sound of her duel gazer ringing, and she pulls it out of her pocket to answer...only to meet the stern expression and voice of her older brother Terry.
"(Digital) Athena! Are you at the shopping center right now?"
"Are you suggesting I'm taking a detour to goof off when I should be coming home to start on my homework? (Feigned offense) How dare you!"
Tiffany sweatdrops and replies,
"But, ya kind-a are," making Athena hiss,
"Stuff it, would ya?"
"(Digital) Tiffany's correct. And would you like to know how I know she's right, Addy? Because I can see the two of you on the live news report right now!"
And looking up at one of the mall's television monitors, the girl with long, shaggy black hair tipped copper-red cringes at seeing her captured image.
Craaaaap...
Terry then barks at her,
"(Digital) But I'll give you a pass this time, only if you find a way to get up there and see how Yoko's doing! Once you're done, I expect you to get your ass home! Got it?!"
"(Salute) Yes, sir!"
With a huffed nod, Athena's older brother hangs up, leaving the girl to let out a deep sigh of annoyed exasperation.
"People say manual labour's the most demanding job out there...I'd like to see them take a turn at being a younger sister."
Her attention is then back on the TV monitor as it switches from showing Yoko to a close-up of the punk criminals who caused this new fiasco.
"Quit stallin', or you're gonna be sorry!"
"We'll use the little kid as an example first if we have to!"
Narrowing her eyes, Athena quietly wonders to herself,
"What the hell's goin' though those guy's heads? Last I checked, Trilos's boys usually avoid camera time...Their angle is ensuing fear into the public heart without having their faces too well-recognized..."
Just as she finishes that characterization, Astral appears outside her key in front of her.
"Look, there."
"Hm?"
She follows his gaze, and widens her eyes when she spots the numeral symbol 56 tattooed on the first punk's left shoulder!
"It is a Number."
"(Cracks knuckles) Damn...then no wonder that creep's off his rocker: The Number's not allowing him to think straight. As for the second one...he's always been a sadistic son-of-a-bitch..."
With that, Athena turns around to lightly shove her way out of the crowd to find a way to get up to where they were.
"I gotta get up there, fast!"
Tiffany tries to call her back, but to no avail...Meanwhile, just outside the mall at the top of a nearby skyscraper, another unknown male was zeroing his eyes on the XYZ Monster in question as well.
"...Number confirmed."
He motions to a small robot (known as an Orbital model to the tech savvies of Heartland City) standing ready behind him.
"Time to spread our wings."
"(Salute) Y-You got it, boss!"
On that note, the unknown male jumps right off the tip of the skyscraper with the robot following shortly after, before the latter shifts forms to attach to the former in a glider formation!
"Let the hunt begin!"
...Back inside, Athena has just reached one of the shut-off elevators and was making her way past some people to get higher.
"'Scuse me, pardon me, comin' through!"
"Hey, look up there!"
She pauses to the sound of a random shopper pointing to something swooping in and out over the glass dome roof of the mall.
"Looks like a glider or something!"
"What is that?"
She narrows her eyes in suspicion from the shadow...but shrugs and continues with her current objection.
Meanwhile, both of the punks up top had reached their limit of patience:
"Hey! Time's up!"
"Break out the helicopter and cash, or these people suf-Huh?!"
(CRASH)
Before they could continue their threats, the gliding figure smashes their way through the glass dome, before landing swiftly and smoothly on the ground! At the same time, Athena was pushing through to the next elevator, when she accidentally bumps into a man holding a tub of popcorn.
(Thwump)
"Oh!"
She lands on her behind and shakes her head to rid herself of any dizziness...only to bulge her eyes, when she sees that no one and nothing except herself was moving!
"W-What the hell?! Who hit the pause button?! Why's nothing moving?"
Astral, who was also somehow still moving, floats closer to her side and remarks,
"It would appear that time has been frozen."
"But how's that even possible?...Wait, do you hear that?"
By that, she was referring to the sound of someone whistling an eerie tune, they being the figure who skydived down from the adjacent skyscraper to land within the mall, who was now slowly and ominously approaching the one punk with the shorter hair and bat who was still able to move about.
"Huh, hey, what's happening? How come nobody's moving?"
His gaze locks with the frozen body of his associate with the chain and Mohawk, who was flinching from some shards that were suspended in midair, before he turns the focus on the approaching figure and their robot.
"(Points with his bat) So you're behind this, huh?!"
Zooming in, we see that this new face was a young man in his late teens with pale skin, blond hair curled upward in a point, with dark green dying his front bangs that also spiked up a bit in five points, slate grey-blue eyes, and wearing a black trench-coat with a red-trimmed high collar over a grey shirt, a fingerless black leather glove on his right hand, and white pants with a belt looping through it that carried two purple-shaded Duel Monster deck boxes contrasting his black boots.
"Such questions are irrelevant, little punk. What is relevant, is what I do, and that's hunt Numbers."
"So, you're some kind-of an accountant?"
"You thickheaded thug! Why don't I just demonstrate."
Suddenly, the robot following the blond extends its neck and spots the damaged Litterbot on the ground floor, which left them quite bristled.
"Mmmrh, t-this bozo has no respect for robots!"
They turn their head to the young man:
"D-Demonstrate all over the hothead!"
One glare from the latter makes the former retract back and act more sheepish.
"I-I mean, if you want, M-Master Kite."
They, Kite, focus back on the punk with a goal-seeking gaze:
"Oh, I want...Prepare to duel, you lowlife!"
"Duel?! You serious?"
"(Smirk) Oh yes. I'm always serious when it comes to hunting Numbers."
The punk forms a sneer and retorts back,
"Well then, come and get it; I got one right here!"
We see that he held Number 56 between his fingertips, a Rank One XYZ that had the appearance of a golden-armoured armadillo...
"And I'm sure you've got a few of your own Number Cards, Kite, (drops his bat) so what do you say we make this interesting? What do you say you put one on the line too?"
"That's fine, because I won't be losing!"
The robot agrees with Kite wholeheartedly:
"H-He ain't lyin'!"
It then opens a compartment at the top of its head to shoot out Kite's duel disk, as he gets himself fired up for the battle beginning.
"Now then, you don't mind if I change, do you? Hrrrah!"
His body is wrapped in a strange glow, that shifts the colour scheme of most of his clothing to white!
"Go, Photon Transformation!"
His duel disk swings downward like a boomerang to click onto his left arm in a crescent moon design, while his left eye, contrary to the traditional gazers, is tattooed with the shape of a gazer in dark blue, while his iris shifts to red!
"There. I'm quite comfortable now, (chuckle) and you're in quite a bit of trouble."
Down about two floors, Astral senses the duel that was starting, and quickly floats down to warn Athena just as she tries to work her way between two chubby older women.
"Come on, ladies, please moooove! Ugh, alright, screw it, I'm going full-acro on this elevator!"
Placing her palms on the escalator rails, she crouches down with a big breath, before launching herself into the air in a somersault-jump over the people to the upper part of the frozen mobile stairs!
"Hah, hah, geez, the things I gotta do..."
"Athena, quickly: A Number Duel is afoot."
"A what?!...Why am I not surprised those digits have a part to play?"
Just as the girl makes the sarcastic remark, her ears pick up on the sound of the young punk crying out.
"Yaaah!"
Huh? Is the duel ending that quick?
...Better step up the pace.
So while she continued to work her way upward with Astral, we check back into the duel just as Number 56 was summoned by the punk criminal...But it would seem that doing so mattered not, for the battle was going in favour of the mysterious duelist, Kite.
"N-No, no, this duel can't be over already! Please, I beg you, show mercy!"
Kite's response was cold and blunt:
"I'm afraid that's one skill I do not possess...Go, Galaxy Eyes Photon Dragon: Attack with Photon Stream of Destruction!"
Said monster, that held the countenance of an upright galactic dragon, releases a torrent of shooting-star like energy to destroy the Number, the impact sending the punk flying to the ground and knocking out the last of his Life Points...As the AR World shuts down, so too does the 'Photon Transformation', before Kite gestures an arm forward.
"And now...to take my prize!"
A strange, transparent, ghostly-blue hand reflects out of his arm, and shoots right into the punk's torso, making him cry out in protest and pain, before the Number is forcibly extracted from their person to be held by Kite in an orb, before it shifts into the more familiar card form...
"Success. The Number's mine."
"W-Way to go, sir!"
With that, Kite and the Orbital Unit exit the area...By this time, Athena had finally reached the top floor, and began rushing past the news crew and the police, glancing at Yoko's frozen form as well as Tiffany's Father's, before hopping over the barricade towards the defeated punk's sprawled form...only to discover,
"Guh! Oh my god...He's aged...!"
Looking down, we see that the forced extraction of the Number Card had done alot more damage than say the version Astral uses: The punk had somehow aged biologically several decades, now reflecting the facade of an old man, their skin paled and sallow while his hair was stark white!
Athena kneels down and asks with narrowed eyes,
"Hey, Home-run Boy: If you can hear me, tell me who did this to you!"
Hate to admit it, but even he doesn't deserve a fate this weird...
The punk darts his irises to meet the red of the girl's, and widens them slightly when he recognizes her.
"Y...Y-You're, her. But Trilos, said-"
"Whatever cock-and-bull he's told you about me is a lie. I'm very much alive and plan to keep it that way...Now come on, spill: Who did this to you?"
"...N-Number, Hunter."
His answer only caused Athena to quirk a brow:
"Huh? Number Hunter? Who's he?"
Astral was also puzzled:
"Number Hunter?...Uh! Can it be?"
He tries to do an internal search for the Number Card...but found nothing, much to his shock.
"Dear me!...His, Number was taken?"
It was then Athena's eyes catch sight of Kite's form flying out of the mall with the robot in gilder form.
Uh! Is that him, then, the Number Hunter?
As soon as the mysterious duelist was gone, time moves once more, with Athena shielding herself from the cracked glass.
"Whoa! Geez, did he not know what a door is...?!"
"Ah! Russ! No!"
"Huh?"
Her attention then spins in address to the enraged outcry, before she's hoisted into the air by her uniform shirt by the other punk with the Mohawk hair and the chain as a weapon!
"You! What the hell did you do, you little-?!"
"I-I, I didn't do a damn thing! Now get, off!"
(KICK)
"Guh!"
Athena then whacks her right foot into the young man's torso, causing him to release her and land on his behind, she dropping to a crouch before straightening up and smoothing the material of her uniform.
That'll teach him to manhandle a girl...Oh crap!
"Hrrraaaah, you'll pay for that, bitch!"
"Rgh, you wanna fight?! Bring it on!"
The spectators would then receive quite a show, as the young girl (who to them appeared seemingly out of nowhere) and roughnecked punk go into an all-out brawl, with Yoko reporting the coverage in front of the camera.
"And the plot just thickened!"
...Turning away from the fiasco at the local shopping center, we now follow the path of several Heartland City garbage trucks to the inner district, where inside a sanitation depot, several dozen Litterbots are emptied of their daily pick-up. Then, that massive sea of trash travels to another section of the plant, where standing in the middle of a pillared floor, was a young boy with pixie-cut light blue hair with three red accessory pieces atop just before his bangs, pale skin, and wore an outfit comprised of a dark blue sleeveless shirt matching his shorts and shoes, and black-blue wristbands.
His expression was one of suppressed pain, grimacing and breathing a bit shakily, before he strains out,
"It's starting again...! (Darts his head up) I'm so sorryyyyyy!"
We see his golden irises were wide, crazed and a bit bloodshot, before his entire body is engulfed in a red light that soon shoots into the air, diving downward where the spilling trash was landing...
...That destination, would be noneother than Astral World, and we discover that the source of those comet-like attacks was in fact this young boy's power, which compresses the trash into large, sparking asteroids to plummet onto the surface of the galaxy!
The feedback of energy from these blows bounces back to the underground room where the boy was, and he holds his arms upward as he feels the power pulsate, his lips upturned in a smile that held no sanity.
"The energy...fills, me...!"
And he lets out a hysterical laugh to boom around the metal walls...
We turn now to another building in this district, as Kite returns to report to his own boss behind his activities as an apparent 'Number Hunter'. He hears them call him inside, and the door automatically slides open to reveal the inside of a spacious monitor room, with a singular abstract chair in the middle.
"...Did you retrieve the Number, Kite?"
"I did."
The figure turns around, revealed to be a man with short dark-aqua hair save the lime green bangs styled over part of his forehead, a golden round-stud earring on his right ear, his skin pale complexioned and highlighting his large orange square glasses that had points in the upper corners and a red V making the bridge, the glass showcasing his purple irises, while the rest of his wear includes a blue-green suit, pale yellow shirt, an orange tie with a blue clip, and white shoes.
"That's superb news! And superb news for Heartland City. Your dueling skills will soon bring peace there. So, how many Numbers is it that you have now?"
"...Orbital?"
The robot reports,
"A-At last count..."
It projects a grid screen from its eye, and highlights several spaces representing captured Numbers.
"Eleven N-Number Cards are in our possession."
The man's smiles grows slightly:
"Wonderful; so many in such a short time! I knew I picked the right man for the job."
That's when he noticed that the younger male's expression was of the opposite he was feeling.
"...What's wrong, Kite?" He takes a guess to what was conflicting the youth:
"Now now. Don't tell me you're upset about all the souls that you've been capturing? As you well know, when you take a Number, there's no way to avoid taking a bit of that Number Keeper's Life Force too. But what's a few extra gray hairs? After all, everyone ages; we're just speeding up the process...and these Number Keepers have it coming too. They're a villainous lot and should be shown no mercy."
"Just promise me that when all of the Number Cards are ours...my brother will be okay."
"Of course!"
The man places his hands on the Kite's shoulders reassuringly:
"As I've told you time and time again, once all the Numbers have been gathered, your brother will be cured. I assure you of this; you must believe me, Kite. Your brother's well-being means just as much to me as it does to you."
The look in the younger male's eyes said he believed otherwise...but he nonetheless took the man's words into consideration.
"...Okay."
With that, he and his robot Orbital exit the room with the man calling encouragingly,
"Keep up the good work and Happy Number-Hunting, Kite! Remember, the quicker you fetch them, the sooner we can cure your brother!"
...Once Kite was gone, the room darkens and the chair disappears, making room for a large holographic communicator to turn on, showcasing another associate of this man.
"Ah, Doctor Faker."
We see that this new face was also an older male, pale-skinned that had tightening in some regions of his face, light purple eyes, blond hair styled upward in a classic mad scientist manner, and wore a golden earring on his right ear, a black trench-coat with a high collar, a fingerless white leather glove on his right hand, white pants held by a grey belt, and black boots.
"(Digital) Tell me: What is the latest in our undertaking?"
"Well, the latest is that everything is going just as planned."
"(Digital) And what a fine plan it is. What is it they say, 'one man's trash, is another man's treasure'? Well it's true, and with that treasure we will do what we must protect our future, just as I had protected Kite and his brother once before."
"Yes, quite right, Doctor Faker."
That's when the man in the hologram reveals what he considers an amusing tabloid.
"(Digital) Lesser people of Astral World tried to stop me, by sending an envoy. Oh yes, I know he's here: I knew the minute he arrived...But mark my words, his visit, will be short! I'll send him back to the pathetic little planet he calls home; he'll go back as a broken, beaten soul!"
"Hm, yes..."
Small Time Skip, Athena's POV
"I can't believe you got into an all-out smack-down at the mall and only walked away with a few bruises and a gash on your arm. How'd you even get mixed into that, anyway?"
"Hell if I know, Adam; bad luck on my part for getting too close to the barrier."
I'm finally home after dealing with the craziness at the mall, which by the way, ended with me coming on top in that fight before the cops dragged chain-boy away along with his associate, I myself just escorted out of the area by Tiffany's dad. I would then be badgered with multiple questions by he and one of his partners before they would let me go, to which Officer Quen would give me and Tiff a ride to my house in his squad car. You can imagine the reactions my brothers and gramps would have: Fierce scolding, followed by just happy that I wasn't severely hurt.
Anyway, I'm now sitting on the living room couch while Adam patches me up for my surprisingly minor injuries (including this gash on my right arm), as we, Tiffany and Terry watch the News covering Yoko's story.
"So as you can see from today's earlier incident at the mall, it would seem one of the assailants somehow took another hostage in addition to the family of four, a young girl. But that would turn into a big mistake on his part, when he and the girl suddenly broke into a fight before the police intervened. We've since learned that they've released the young lady without any charges, stating that she had no affiliations with the criminals, despite the one who called out some scathing threats to her person shortly before being taken into custody. More on this story as it develops..."
Terry turns to look at me with an exasperated expression and says,
"I only wanted you to check up on Yoko, not accidentally play hero! Sheesh..."
I rolled my eyes at his complaint, and Tiffany thinks aloud with a finger under her chin,
"What I can't seem to understand is how you got involved in that mess, Addy. Did you really just sneak that close to the barrier?"
As much as I wanted to tell her the real details, I couldn't do so with my family within earshot, so I replied with a nod,
"Simple as that, Tiff: Guess I just took the wrong path to find Yoko and the next thing I knew, I was yanked into a brawl."
"And, what that one guy said to you, the one with the Mohawk, before he was taken away by the cops...Have you seen him before, back when...you know..."
(Flash)
"Rrgh, don't think I don't know your mug now, bitch! You better watch your back, 'cause the boss is firing up the search for traitors again, and you're at the top of his list! He'll have your hide; you're a dead girl walking!"
(Flash)
Recalling the threat, I gritted my teeth while clenching my fist...before relaxing out a breath and blurt out only part of the truth to protect the people I care about.
"Might've seem his profile once or twice, but I don't know 'im personally. He was pretty hot under the collar after seeing the state of his partner, so, maybe he just saw me as someone to lash at."
But, if what he said was true...
Astral then calls my attention out of my thoughts from the end of the couch as Adam moves out to put the first aid kit back into the bathroom upstairs.
"Athena. Are you not going to tell them about the Number Hunter?"
I whisper back,
"Nu-uh, not with Mister Overprotective Brother in the room. You should know by now that he doesn't wanna hear about anything related to 'Dueling Drama'."
Said subject darts his head up and looks at me suspiciously:
"What was that?"
"Gh!"
"I didn't hear the words 'Dueling Drama', did I?"
"Uh, no, of course not, Terry. That'd be stupid."
(Brrriiiiing...brrriiiiing...)
"Hm? Who could be calling me now?"
I pull out my gazer...and widen my eyes a bit at seeing Akira's name before quickly excusing myself.
"I gotta take this in another room; 'scuse me."
Bolting out of the living room and ignoring the confused stares of my brother and best friend, I decide to head upstairs into the attic so I could have more privacy.
(Ping)
"Hey, Akira..."
"(Digital) Hey, I just saw the News...You okay?"
"Yeah yeah, just a few bruises and a gash, nothing serious...But I think you and I both know what's happening."
"(Digital) Mhm...He's rising from the gutters again."
Meanwhile, in the Central City, No POV
At the same time two types of unease began to caress Athena's being, we turn our eyes to the brilliant technicolour lights making up the entertainment that is the theme park section of Heartland City Central, as people of many ages wandered the game grounds with smiles of different sizes making up their faces, oblivious to the darkening hours of the night. One little girl with long brown hair wearing a red sailor dress pauses with her parents to receive a heart-shaped balloon from one of the clowns working tonight.
"Really? For me?"
Unfortunately, the string slipped between her fingertips, and the balloon floated away...which would be seen by another familiar youth with pixie-cut light blue hair from up top the Heartland Tower, its giant red glass room shaped like the iconic organ...
A floor entrance opens automatically, giving way to the returning Kite, confirming that the younger boy is in fact his brother.
"...Hey, Kite."
"Hey, Hart. You ready to check out the fair?"
The boy, Hart, replies a bit hesitantly,
"Mm, don't think so."
Kite puts on a encouraging smile and tries to coax the younger into leaving the tower for even a little while.
"Come on. They've got games and balloons down there. You love that stuff."
Hart watches the balloon outside float higher and higher into the star-filled sky, and says with a depressed air,
"I don't remember liking games and balloons. In fact, I don't remember liking much of anything...Why can't I remember, Kite? Did something happen? Is there something wrong with me?"
Hearing the broken innocence in his younger sibling made Kite's heart clench.
"Hart, you..."
He grimaces to himself and looks away, unable to reveal a truth he knows about Hart's current condition that might very well shatter the younger's personality even further...
"Kite, I don't think I ever liked anything."
The older blond kneels down and gently grips the young boy's shoulders, vowing,
"Hart, you're wrong about that and I'm going to prove it to you."
"...You promise?"
"Yeah. I promise."
Fujina Residence
We turn back to the inside of the attic above Athena's bedroom, the girl dressed for bed in a giant light blue t-shirt that came to just above her knees, sitting with her spine against the wooden chest underneath the window, one arm hanging limp on the side of her body while the other was draped on her kneecaps.
...Her expression held no signs of someone heeding the call of sleep, however, head tilted downward to the floor with narrowed eyes shut and a serious scowl curved onto her lips as she thought of the events earlier today...
"...Athena."
She pulls out of her thoughts to meet the mismatched irises of Astral, who was floating a foot or two away from her a bit to the left.
"What's up?"
"What is up is that someone other than you and I are gathering Numbers and that is troubling."
"(Nod) Yeah, I was having similar thoughts."
"You do realize that this Hunter will eventually come looking for us. In fact, it is more than likely that he is looking for us, as, we, speak. We need some sort of plan, Athena."
There's a pause...before the girl mutters bitterly,
"I know...but my mind's a bit more focused on a second problem right now."
Astral was almost taken aback by that answer...until he remembers Athena's conversation with Akira via Duel Gazers an hour or two prior to now.
(Flash)
"(Digital) So what are we gonna do? We know what happened last time that asshole and his boys came out to play."
"I do, and there's not much we can do unless they make the first move, other than up our guard for when it comes. I'm more concerned for you, your mom and your buddies, since you all live closer to where the forest building is..."
"(Digital) Don't worry 'bout us. As long as we remember the buddy system and avoid night travel when we can, we'll be fine...If anyone should be worried about anybody, it's me for you."
"Why?"
"(Digital) Tuh, need you even ask? That psycho almost killed you more than a year and a half ago when he and his followers attacked you, Jamal and Tiffany down near the sea port. If me and my friends hadn't been there...god, I don't even wanna think about it."
"Akira...Hah, that was partly my fault for being too careless just close to a fortnight of walking out of that hellhole. I should've known he'd be comin' after me...But I'm not making that same mistake again. I'm gonna make sure I don't get caught unawares."
"(Digital) Addy...Haaah, alright. You sound fairly sure of yourself, so I won't argue. Just don't hesitate to call me if anything, and I mean anything happens."
"I won't. 'Night, and talk you soon."
(Flash)
"...Are you referring to the conversation you shared with that young man, Akira, and, that threat the other with the strange hair and chain yelled at you before he was taken away by the authorities?"
"I am...and that was no idle threat, Astral."
Athena looks ahead to the wall opposite of her with a burning glare, as she explains,
"That was a promise of pain, which the Fallen Stars will always guarantee. They, Trilos especially, don't take kindly to deserters, and will usually hunt them down to either force them to return, or beat them to the point where there's a fifty-fifty chance medical help will or won't save their life."
The being from beyond felt his eyes widen with shock from such a dark description.
"Uh! You mean...they would go as far as, ridding a life?"
"Mhm...They tried to do me in close to a year and a half ago, after I hung up my title. Trilos himself was there, and was the one who nearly succeeded in choking me to death."
Athena moves to sit Indian-style, placing the fingertips of her right hand delicately on the skin of her neck.
"I can still recall the feeling, of being slammed onto the wall of a nearby warehouse building, that bastard's hands tight around my throat. I couldn't feel the pain, of course...which made the sensation of my wind pipe being forced closed all the more scary. Jamal and Tiffany tried to help, but were quickly overpowered by those creep followers...If, Akira and his buddies hadn't been in the area at the time and saw what was going on...there's a good chance I wouldn't be here right now."
"...Athena..."
Shaking her head, the girl with long black hair tipped copper-red then remarks in a dry tone,
"What happened with Scorch and Chills, on top of today's incident at the mall, makes the new danger all the more clear: Trilos is on the rise again, and the main thing that'll be on his agenda is tracking down any remaining deserters of his club, to give them a thrashing no one could walk away from without at least one broken limb."
"And, you are included among such a list?"
"You got it. 'Course, mind you, he usually likes to start such hunts by sending some of his fighter monkeys to find those poor souls and unleash hell upon them. If they don't succeed, that's when he'll start participating personal-like. (Grim smirk) According to him, though, I was the freak exception to his personal rules: He wanted to be the one to end my 'pathetic, mutated existence', least I think that was the insult he used...Trilos used to make fun of my pain tolerance, refraining when I was in the ring fighting, saying that my 'little curse' was only good for dolling out pain to those who can feel what I can't."
A lone tear falls from the girl's left iris, and she brushes it away with a grit in her teeth before grumbling bitterly,
"Thinking back to those days, those words, how I agreed numbly with his judgment...It's like I'm looking at the life of a different person. A part of me refuses to believe that was me, but, it was...!"
She suddenly darts to her feet and smacks a fist on the window glass, biting back a growl as she exclaims,
"I was a blind fool!"
Astral hovers back slightly, worried by the rise of anger in the girl's being.
"Uh! Athena...!"
...She shakily removes the arm from extending to the window, and whispers a bit more calmly,
"I'm sorry. I, didn't mean to snap...I just, hate myself so much sometimes, for being so naïve and walking right into the arms of that bastard, to allow my sense of reason to drift away so carelessly..."
Turning away from the glass with a heavy sigh, Athena plops back onto the floor with a tormented expression on her face.
"I try to tell myself that these things, can happen to the best of people...but it doesn't always help keep the bad thoughts away. It also doesn't help that Trilos is still running around free on the streets and hasn't gotten his ass sent to juvenile hall. I dunno how he does it, but somehow he skirts around the cops..."
Running a hand over her face, she adds,
"It's only a matter of time before he finds me, to make me pay for 'betraying him'...There isn't much I can do about it, either: I'm not gonna be dumb and take the fight to him. I said I wasn't going anywhere near that life again, and I meant it. I can only up my guard, and be ready for when the opening blow comes...which is unfortunately all we can do with regards to that Number Hunter too."
"Huh?"
Athena meets Astral's confused eyes again, a serious yet slightly regretful expression on her face.
"We have no knowledge about this mystery duelist other than they're too gathering Numbers, which means they obviously know how to use 'em. We also know based on the state of that bat-wielding punk, the anonymous duelist has a rather cringe-worthy way of taking the Numbers away. Other than that, we've got no clue on their strategy, their motives, not even a name. It'd be stupid to try and call them out for a challenge without even a little more information...(Shakes head) No. Really, the only strategy that's sound is to be cautious and wait for them to come to us. It sucks, I know..."
The two turn their eyes to the calm darkness of the outside, as the girl finishes with a grim air,
"But I can't think of any other plan that's not any less dangerous than this one."
Time Skip
We turn our eyes to the inside of one of the Heartland Dueling Academy classrooms just before first period, as the dark-skinned youth with dreadlocks reveals some exciting information to his friends...
"Wow, really, Jamal?"
"Mhm, this place is legit! A bit close to the old district, but it's a popular hotspot to pick up some duels."
Athena smirks a bit in anticipation:
"Oh I am so there. It'd pay to have a duel or two just for fun without the drama. (Looks at Tiffany and Caswell) What about you two?"
The boy with pear-green eyes smiles apologetically and replies,
"I can't; my mother wants me to help with errands after school," while the other girl hms,
"Uuum...sure, okay. But you're buying the snacks this time."
Athena winces playfully, then remarks with a mock business-type air,
"You drive a hard bargain, Miss Quen, but I accept your deal."
Time Skip, Athena's POV
Once school let out, Jamal led me and Tiff to this area near one of the older info centers that was getting a steady rise of dueling traffic, and we'd spend the rest of the afternoon and part of the evening taking part in as many duels as we can...
Eventually, we had to call it a day and head back home, and it would just be me and Tiffany walking down one street in a scenic sort of route to our respected homes as we chatted about the battles we participated in.
"Gotta give props to Jamal: That was a sweet way to kill off the hours!"
"Heh, yeah, 'cept you did choke on a few of those duels, Addy..."
I scowl at her annoyed and retort,
"Oh gimme a break: I almost won two of those matches, and skated some ties! That's gotta count for something."
She just giggles at my exclaim, making me roll my eyes with a headshake...I was then pulled out of my minor brood, when Astral suddenly appears out of the key with a tensed air abound.
"Athena."
"Hm?"
"I sense that danger is near."
What? Danger?
I follow the direction he was looking (which was the sky), as he asks me,
"Do you feel it as well?"
Frowning, I reply,
"No, nothing...You sure you're not being paranoid?"
Tiffany asks me confused,
"What's going on, Addy? Is something wrong?"
"Uh, not sure, Tiff; probably just a fluke."
On the other hand, there is the eminent dual target on my back thanks to two sources, but I'm not telling her that. Too dangerous.
My thoughts would then be distracted by the feeling of water droplets on my skin.
"Huh?"
"Uh oh..."
"Aw crap, really? Rain? Tch, the one time I forget my leather jacket...Come on, Tiff, we better get outta here before we get soaked."
I start the run for the nearest crosswalk on our little downtown path and begin heading over it, but had to pause halfway to wait for my gal pal to catch up.
"Tiff, step it up a little, would ya, before we both drown like rats in a sewer!"
She retorts with a puff in her cheeks and her hands covering her head,
"Do you have to use that reference every time we're caught in the-"
(Beep, beeeeeeeep)
She was cut off by the blaring sound of a truck horn, that came up on the road fast with her body right in the middle of its path!
NO!
"TIFFANYYYY!"
I bolted like a madman and shoved her out of the way, leaving me to be caught in the line of impact...
...
...which never came.
"...Athena?...Athena!"
My eyes shoot awake to the sound of Astral's voice, and found myself staring at one of the eighteen wheels that should've ran me over.
"Guh!"
I shot up into a sitting position with a spooked expression, holding a hand over my racing heart to calm myself down.
"Hah, hah, hah...What the hell's goin' on?...Tiffany!"
Darting my head right, I saw my friend's form stuck frozen in a midair fall to the safety of the sidewalk, her expression reflecting fright...I let out a small breath of relief, registering she was okay, before focusing on the real issue, that being time has once again stopped.
Wait...Oh crap!
That's when I heard that whistled tune, and I quickly rose to my feet to face the road heading outward, with Astral hovering close beside me as he mutters,
"...He's here."
The Number Hunter...
They were a teen at least a few years younger than my brothers, with blond hair and wearing a trench-coat over white pants and black boots, along with a few duel decks strapped on with a belt. He then lets out an echoing roar, which sends a good torrent of the frozen water droplets to pelt my body. I cringe back from the impact, before I lash out some words at this creep.
"Oi, what the hell's your problem, and why do you keep making time stop?!"
"Time hasn't exactly stopped: It's just moving at one ten-thousandth of its speed. And do you know why?"
Tch, no, or I wouldn't have asked, dumbass.
The little robot beside him blurts out the answer:
"B-Because it's a special duel field I created!"
"Quite special. Only people with Numbers can move freely in this field...You see, that's how I know you have a Number."
We hadn't even started a duel yet, and I was already getting a bad vibe from this guy, the kind that said 'He's not worth it; bug outta here, girl!'. Apparently, I wasn't the only one either:
"Athena, we should leave this place, now...!"
"What?"
"Athena, get out of here! Run, quick!"
Given how agitated he sounded on top of the warning feeling in my gut, I prepared to do just that...just as the blond made his next move to try and prevent me from leaving.
"Hrrah!"
(Shoom)
Guh! A duel anchor!
(Flash)
I remember one time, after another one of my more grueling fist fights, I was leaving the building to head for home...Next thing I knew, I was caught under at least four red energy lines on each of my arms and limbs by some of the punks who still carried their dueling equipment back and forth from this place!
"(Laugh) These anchors are a riot, ain't they? Once you're caught under 'em, you can't separate from that person until you duel 'em!"
"Ooooh, so sorry, Berserker, but you didn't honestly think you'd be leaving so soon without dueling once, did you? We know you brought your duelin' stuff today..."
All I could do was struggle slightly against the lines with a growl in my voice, cursing myself for not being vigilant, and for bringing my deck that day...
(Flash)
...No way I'm gettin' snared this time!
Acting fast, I ducked downward in a split out of the path of the duel anchor, causing it to get caught on the antenna of the truck behind me!
...The area goes silent for a few seconds, the blond's face set in surprise for my quick reaction, which told me this must've been the first time anyone was able to dodge him, before his robo-buddy blurts out their own exclaim.
"W-What?! How did she do that?!"
Jumping back to my feet, I let out a puff of air, my expression set in a glare of disgust from this guy's method of forcing out duels.
"...I dunno where someone like you was able to get his hands on a duel anchor, but I've participated in too many matches to hate those things and the people who wield them with a passion. If that's the sort of greeting you make to every duelist you come across, then you and I have got no business with eachother."
I move over to the other side of the road opposite of Tiffany's frozen form, shooting a glance at her while sending the mental message,
Sorry, Tiff...but you might not see me in the next bit.
With that, I send a final glare at the creep and his robot, before turning around to dash out of the area.
Kite's POV
Sensing that this girl was going to try and escape, I shot out my duel anchor to prevent her from getting far...only for her to drop down in a split and dodge the anchor, it snaring onto the truck behind her!
Uh!...She's fast...This girl, was able to duck away from my duel anchor...!
Orbital's reaction was more verbal:
"W-What?! How did she do that?!"
The girl hops back to her feet and forms the kind of glare that could send a chill down a normal person's spine, but only made me more wary of her ground.
"...I dunno where someone like you was able to get his hands on a duel anchor, but I've participated in too many matches to hate those things and the people who wield them with a passion. If that's the sort of greeting you make to every duelist you come across, then you and I have got no business with eachother."
She's been caught under the duel anchor before?
...I have heard some street kids began selling them on the black market a few years ago, but I just assumed it was a half-baked rumour.
But that look...she's serious.
Next thing I knew, the girl slowly stepped over to the other side of the road, her eyes casting a short glance over at the other girl who was with her (more than likely a friend of hers), before she spins on her heel and takes off in a run from the area.
"M-Master Kite, she's getting away!"
Hmm...this girl's different from the other Number Keepers.
I turn to Orbital and say to him,
"Then we'll just have to make chase, now won't we? Switch to cycle mode."
"Y-You got it!"
A few seconds later, they shifted accordingly into the mode of transport that would be more than fast enough to catch up with that girl. I hopped on, and started the engine, thinking to myself with a small grin,
This hunt just got alot more interesting.
Small Time Skip, Astral's POV
It has been close to half an hour since Athena and I made our tactical retreat from the area where the Number Hunter was, and she had taken the lead in posing our escape route, ducking down multiple alleyways, side roads and even through a small park complex...
We pause for a moment by the building with the large, abstract neon sign so she could catch her breath, and the first thing I would hear her say after a long moment of silence between us was,
"Hah, hah, damn, everything's still moving slower than a snail out here. Just how far is that mini-mech's field range?"
"I do not know, and part of me wishes to not know...Also, since you seem to have some knowledge on the technology, can you explain to me what a duel anchor is?"
...Athena grows quiet for a minute, before she starts jogging along down a new road and replies a touch reluctantly,
"Well, like the name implies, they're these kind of snare lines used to prevent duelists from separating from one another. One acts as the anchor, the other the target. Once you get caught, you can't escape the person until you have a duel."
Uh! What a cruel way of assuring a battle.
"And, you have experienced these type of duels before?"
"Yeah, a couple times here and there. Not that I didn't try to struggle, but I quickly learned such actions were pointless...I had no choice but to roll with the punches."
I looked down at the girl with a pitying expression, but she just waved me off with an expression that read 'Do not worry; I am fine'.
"Anyway, as far as I know, duel anchors are suppose to only be accessible on the black market trade. They were banned by the Duel Monster Regulators about two decades or so ago thanks to so many complaints of people using them for more than just forcing out duels...'Course, that didn't stop some from using them illegally: They started showing up again a few years back in some of the shadier pockets of the cities that have a healthy level of duelists, including here in Heartland City."
"I see...Do you believe that is where the Number Hunter acquired his duel anchor?"
"Probably...but his air doesn't exactly scream criminal, so, I can't be sure..."
Just as we turn around another street corner, Athena would screech to a halt, when she sees that young man again, standing just several feet ahead of us with what appears to be the same robot from before, but in a different state made for fast transport!
"Oh crap, that didn't take him long!"
No, it certainly did not...
The Number Hunter sends a mocking smirk in our direction and asks Athena,
"You didn't honestly think it was that easy to escape my eyes, did you?"
She shifts her footing into a defensive stance and retorts,
"Funny...'cause I was about to ask you if you think it's that easy to catch up with me!"
With that, she darts off into a new sprint to the other side of the road through a thin gap between two buildings, myself flying close behind her. My ears picked up on the sound of a vehicle engine starting up, telling me,
This new predicament is not going to go away quietly...
...Another hour and a half would be lost to us, and sometime halfway, the Number Hunter must have called off the mysterious dueling field and allowed time to move normally for us again, which meant Athena would soon be soaked with the heavy downpour of rain that opened up from the sky earlier. Despite that, she did not slow down, merely using the slick sheet of water on the pavement to increase her speed, her lead taking us to the area of the city known as the sea port, specifically, the docks.
Once she was standing in the middle of the planked boardwalk, Athena stopped to catch her breath again, her pants a bit heavier than before.
"Hah...hah...hah...I'd like, to see that, Number Hunter, try and keep up now."
"Wish granted."
"Gah!"
Whirling around, the two of us spot him and his robot standing only a couple feet away from us!
This hunter is relentless...!
...He starts his slow approach, prompting Athena to back away in similar speed, until she was trapped at the edge of the dock.
"Uh...!"
"Well, what now, girl? You have nowhere else to run, (chuckle) unless you're actually crazy enough to jump into the ocean..."
I watch with bated breath as Athena grits her teeth at the hunter...before glancing behind her for several seconds at the choppy waters with, an intent expression.
...No. No, she cannot really be considering...?!
Her dry laugh told me all that I needed to, while it only confused our common enemy.
"What's so funny?"
"Just this: I am crazy enough."
"Huh?"
She sends the young man a smirk and jeers,
"You dunno what limits I'm willing to push to avoid a senseless fight. Bad weather be damned; try and swipe my Numbers now, hunter!"
Athena, no!
(Leap...Splash)
But I was too late to try and protest her next move, and would lose sight of her as her body jumped backwards into the dark water behind her!
No POV
Athena dove backwards headfirst over the edge of the boardwalk into the salty onyx blue, mouth shut tight as a zip-lock bag before she opened her eyes to the sting of the H2O.
...Not my smartest move, but I'll take it.
I just hope I can reach the boardwalk supports before I'm swept away with the tide...
Meanwhile, up above, Kite was struck silly with shock over the red-eyed teen's latest move, leaving Orbital to once again voice a verbal reaction to compensate for the two.
"Gaaaaah! S-She actually dove into the ocean in this weather?! That g-girl is insane!"
The robot wasn't the only one feeling panic settling in: Astral's irises of mismatched gold and white were wide with worry as he floated all over the dock area near where Athena jumped, searching for any signs of the girl.
"Athena!...Athena!"
Athena, where are you?!
...Once the frozen feeling left his bones, the blond with slate-grey blue eyes narrows his expression with suspicion.
...She's not dead...I can feel it.
"Orbital. Can you still track her through the Numbers?"
"S-Sorry, Master Kite, but the storm's messing with my GPS; I can't even sense the closest L-Litterbot."
Astral pauses his frantic search when he hears the address, and turns to eye the Number Hunter with his own narrowed expression.
Hm? Kite?
Said subject of inquiry sighs with annoyance but nods with some understanding, before waving the robot to follow him off the boardwalk.
"Come on, we're leaving. No use trying to search in this storm...We can find her another day."
"You m-mean, you think she's still alive, Master?"
"I do. She wouldn't have jumped off the dock if she didn't believe she'd make it..."
Pausing at the exit, Kite turns to look towards the edge of the wood panels where Athena stood a few moments ago, and sends the following message through his thoughts.
You may have escaped this time...but I will find you again, girl, so grip your Numbers tight while you still can.
With that, he boards the transformed form of Orbital, and drives away from the area...
...
...Two minutes later:
(Splash)
"Haaaaah!"
"Uh! Athena!"
The girl caught under the imaginary bullseye bursts out from underneath the boardwalk and leaps to grab the edge to pull herself out of the brine. Shivering from the cold and coughing slightly from a bit of water ingestion, Athena crawls up and onto the wood planks to sprawl over the surface while struggling to catch her breath.
"Hah...hah, (cough)...hah..."
Damn, that was too close. Any longer and I might've drowned...
Astral immediately hovers down to her level to check her condition, relief washing through his being that she was back in his sights.
"Athena...Are you alright?"
"I'm, (cough) okay. Just had a bit of trouble staying above water under the dock...He's gone, right; I climbed up at the right time?"
"Yes, he left..."
Athena pushes herself to a shaky stand, wrapping her arms around her body to try and warm up with little success.
"Brrr, that water was freezing. I'll be lucky to not catch a cold after today...Wait. Time's moving normal again, ain't it?"
Which means...shit! Tiffany!
(Brriiiiiing...brriiiiing...)
And just as she thought of her friend, the girl's duel gazer suddenly rings in accordance of an incoming call. Athena pulls it out, muttering to herself dryly,
"Good thing Adam talked me into getting those waterproof duel equipment and deck cases..."
(Beep)
"(Digital) Addy! Finally, you answer! Where are you?!"
"Whoa whoa, easy, Tiff, easy!"
"(Digital) Easy? Easy?! How can you expect me to ease myself when I find my bestie no longer beside me after saving my life from that incoming truck?! I thought you got run over!"
Flinching a bit from the high-pitched anxiety in Tiffany's voice, the girl with shaggy black hair tipped copper red now coated with salty brine works to try and calm the former down.
"Okay, first of all, breathe before you hyperventilate. Second, I'm really sorry I scared the crap out of you with my, uh, Houdini act, but it wasn't really something I could avoid."
"(Digital) Really, do explain why."
Still hesitant in telling anyone about the Number Hunter, Athena decided to at least come clean about another problem she's facing and uses them as a cover for her current predicament...
"(Digital) Oh my go-So those creeps from that club chased you all the way to the sea port?! Are you okay; should I call Dad?!"
Moving to sit down on an old bus bench on a side road connecting to the highway leading out of the sea port area, the girl with red irises holds a hand out in a calming gesture to the panicking girl with blue irises and bobbed black hair that looked to be flattening from the rain on the digital screen.
"Tiff, Tiff, breathe! Remember to breathe!...And no, I'm fine; they bolted after I dived into the ocean to escape. They never got the chance to beat the crap outta me."
"(Digital) Haaaah, okay...I still can't believe you actually jumped into the ocean. That's crazy even for you, Addy."
"Heh, yeah, I know. I scared myself the second my head met the blue."
"(Digital) I also feel sorry for Astral, poor guy. You must've nearly given him a heart attack."
Athena glances over at said being, who was looking back at her with a mixed expression of his usual calm curiousity and minor anxiety still shining in his irises, before she nods in confirmation to her friend on her duel gazer screen.
"Yeah..."
"(Digital) So, how are you gonna get home? You're kind-a way far from the nieghbourhood now..."
"(Wince) Ooo, that's a good question. I'd call home, but I kind-a wanna wait until I'm in the house before I get the three-way shout of 'Where the heck have you been?'."
"(Digital) True, true, and I don't think they wanna see you coming home in a squad car, again."
The girls laugh a little at the thought...just when a new roar of an engine settles a few feet in front of Athena, prompting her to look up, and widen her eyes in surprise at seeing,
"Uh! Shark?!"
"(Digital) Huh? Shark? Seriously; he's like, there now?"
Said boy with the cerulean irises pushes up the cover of his duel runner helmet to reveal his confused face to the other.
"Addy? It is you...What the hell are you doin' out here in this crap weather?"
Moving to stand up, said girl casually walks over with a shiver in her step from the cold temperatures and replies,
"Uh, long story, but to make it short, I was bein' chased by some shady characters and just lost 'em here."
Not a complete lie, but no way am I endangering Shark with that Number Hunter either.
"I see...Do you need a ride home?"
"You offering?"
"Wouldn't be askin'."
"Um, sure, if you don't mind. (Looks at her gazer) I'll call you back as soon as I get home, 'kay, Tiff?"
Said girl with bobbed black hair nods with a small smile:
"(Digital) Okay. Safe travel, Addy, and nice to see you again, Shark."
(Ping)
As Athena puts her duel gazer back in its case, Shark gets off the driver seat and walks to the compartment at the rear to pull out another helmet.
"Luckily for you, I always remember to store an extra helmet. Gimme your bag and I'll put it in here."
"Here."
"Thanks. (Wince) Geez, this thing's as soaked as you are."
"Quite aware of that, thanks. Makes me more glad it's made of waterproof material, well, the inner lining at least..."
Once they were ready, the two teens would settle onto the runner with Shark at the front and Athena sitting behind him gripping his torso so she stayed steady.
"Ready?"
"Fire away."
(Vrro-vroooooommmmm...)
Time Skip, Athena's POV
Just as I had predicted, I got that three-tine scolding from my bros and gramps for arriving home late on top of being soaked to the bone...But as soon as I told them about what happened at the crosswalk as well as being assaulted by some unsavory characters (once again using discrete words to avoid telling the whole truth) and my last-minute means of escape, they calmed down somewhat and opted for being anxious over my condition.
They also thanked Shark for giving me a ride home, and given how late it was by the time we parked in front of the garage, gramps offered him the couch for the night so he wasn't navigating through the dark stormy weather to get back to his own place. Said boy was a bit hesitant to accept at first, but one glance between the thundering clouds and the warm interior of my house convinced him to be smart and stay over until the next morning.
One well-deserved shower and a confirmation call to Tiffany later, I was out like a light in my bed...
And for the first time in a long while, I actually slept in a few hours into the next morning 'til about close to nine, which had me thanking the lord it was the start of the long weekend.
Guess yesterday wore me out in more ways than one...
Once I was awake and got dressed in one of my jogging outfits (the green halter top and leggings with black bordering, and my white runners), I would make my way downstairs while finishing up my high ponytail, only to meet up with Shark in the living room, who was wearing a pair of black sweatpants and a matching t-shirt Terry lent him for the night.
"Hey. Nice marathon equipment."
"And good morning to you too. Sleep alright?"
"Yeah, once the storm finally died off close to eleven...How 'bout you?"
"Like a log...Actually, I haven't slept that deep and this late for a while."
He raised a brow at me:
"Nine in the morning's late for you?"
"Mhm. I'm one of those early birds that's usually up just after the crack of dawn."
That caused his blue irises to widen considerably with surprise, making me laugh silently behind my hand, before I headed into the kitchen for some breakfast, he trailing behind me not a minute or two after. By no surprise to me, gramps was already up and having what I'm assuming is his second cup of coffee while reading the world news rather than the local.
"Ah, Athena, you're up."
"Heh, mornin, grandpa. Yeah, I finally caught a snooze day."
I glance over at the counter and saw a telltale bowl of batter and the waffle maker out for action, along with a few eggs and peppers.
"That all for breakfast this morning?"
"Correct."
"Alright...I got it."
About twenty minutes later, I cooked up some golden-brown goodness shaped like flat beehives and three egg omelets for myself, gramps and Shark, and we'd be eating together with a comfortable silence between us, if a bit odder with a guest present...Once we were done and the dishes were washed, I'd gather up my water bottle and a few protein bars before heading out the door for my routine morning run, waving goodbye to Shark as he boarded his duel runner to drive the opposite way of me, he sending a wave back. It didn't matter to me that we didn't talk much last night or this morning; it was just cool enough to have him over in a more casual air this time.
...Anyway, it's reaching close to eleven in the morning now, and I'm bounding down a quieter hill of the further corners of my neighbourhood back home from my workout route, just as Astral finally makes his appearance out of the key after retreating inside with no real warning as soon as we returned to my house last night.
Pausing at the bottom by a patch of wild grass and flowers growing in a sidewalk, I shuck off my headphones to hang off my neck (decided not to use my earbud-styled ones this time) and smiled slightly at seeing his face.
"Hey, look who finally came out. I was a bit concerned you'd be playing recluse today..."
...He doesn't respond to my dry joke, instead choosing to stare at me with an expression that may have seemed blank to the untrained eye, but was really one that left me a bit uneasy.
"...Um, Astral, are you okay?"
"Athena...why did you make such a reckless decision yesterday?"
Hoh boy. I was afraid he'd ask me something along those lines...
Sucking in a calming breath, I reply with a serious expression,
"Because that creep hunter left me little options: Like I said similarly, I wasn't gonna allow him to trap me in a corner with that anchor."
"But was jumping into those crashing waves truly a smart move?"
"No, but what did you expect me to do, pull a jackrabbit and hop over him and that robot?! I don't have superhuman abilities that high, Astral!"
"Your life could've been lost!"
I was taken aback by his shout, and watched with widened eyes he grits his teeth while looking down with a grimace, one of hands clenched into a fist.
"...As much as I appreciate your dedication to protect the Numbers, I...I don't want it to go so far, that you would forget your own safety."
That's when I realized,
...Oh god. He really was worried for me, still is.
A sad smile curves onto my face, and I approach the boy from beyond before hovering my hand over his in my own way of comforting the intangible being.
"Astral...I'm, sorry. I didn't know that my action freaked you out that badly...but please, don't dwell on the thought. Just focus on the positive: I'm fine, you're fine, our Numbers are safe for a while longer..."
He looks up at me with a bit of surprise for my gentleness, and I smirk lightly while chiding causally,
"Besides, I would've thought you'd be used to my reckless behaviour by now."
That sparked a slight flash of annoyance to reflect on his face, followed by an amused puff of air to pass through his lips before he replies,
"Fair point...You are quite a rebellious young girl and ignore danger easily."
I watch as his hand hover-wraps around mine, acting as if it was squeezing the other, making a part of my heart wish desperately that we could truly touch one another...Astral then adds in a whisper,
"Which has me a bit envious of you. I wish I had some of your obliviousness to danger."
Astral...
Time Skip, No POV
The day would pass by slow and steady with little activity for the girl with red irises to have adamant attention to, other than attending to some of her schoolwork...
We now zoom in the downtown area, as she, now wearing her hair in a plait, dressed in a dark blue tank-top under her signature black leather jacket, a knee-length yellow/black-checkered plaid skirt with a pair of black suspenders hanging off her hips, knee-high black socks and her black sneakers with the red laces, wandered around the streets with Astral at her side as they talked about somewhat lighter topics.
"Really? So it was your brothers who taught you how to duel?"
"Yeah, or at least they took over the teaching when Dad was busy. They were the ones who ran over the basics for tag duels and basic combos...Actually, come to think of it, it was Terry who taught me a bit more than Adam did."
"Hm...and yet he has been discouraging you from dueling nowadays."
Athena's face contorts into a sad frown:
"Mhm...I'm fairly sure it's to due with what happened two years ago: My kidnapping...how I dealt with the aftermath...He probably felt like he lost me in a way, and doesn't want to again, which is why he's playing overprotective, or in these recent weeks, acting like I don't exist."
"I am sure the latter is not true. Your brother cares about you very much."
A bitter smile forms on the girl's lips as she replies,
"I wish I can believe that, Astral, I really do...but his reactions keep telling me otherwise. Anyway, much as Terry's being a bit of an asshat right now, I still love him and Adam for what they've done to be there for me. Still do, and always will."
Astral frowns slightly at the expression and tone in Athena's voice, but chose not to comment...
The silence between the two would then be cut off, by the sound of ruckus laughter heading their way from around the next corner a couple feet away from them. Athena froze, recognizing the voices:
Oh, crap!
"Athena? What's wrong?"
She doesn't answer the being beside her, opting instead to move into a defensive stance in preparedness for the six new faces that would appear, all males in their mid-to-late teens, wearing the clothing of stereotypical street punks, and carrying an assortment of blunt object weapons, from baseball bats to lead pipes and even a long chain!
They're from the Fallen Stars, or at least four of them I remember. The other two look like newer recruits.
The sextet quickly acknowledge her presence, leering and grinning at her menacingly.
"Hey, lookie who we finally ran into!"
"If it ain't the boss's number one traitor!"
"The freak that don't feel a thing!"
One of the six young men, he having olive skin with scars on his right arm while the left occupied a viper tattoo, coal brown eyes, buzz-cut black hair, and wore a ripped white tank-top with baggy gray jeans held up by one suspender, and black worker boots, steps up front to address Athena.
"Tuh, so this is what the great Berserker's become, eh? Not much to look at: You look more green then you were back when."
Said girl grits her teeth before asking,
"What do you jerks want?"
"Think the answer's pretty obvious: Your hide. As you well know, Trilos don't like letting his best fighters just ditch the club like it's the downtown gym. He wants us to bring your sorry ass back so he can dish to you a personal punishment."
The boy's grin grows darker as he adds,
"'Course, he didn't say anythin' against roughin' you up some beforehand..."
Astral felt a shiver run down his spine from his tone and the chuckles that passed through the other five.
Oh, this is not good...
Athena on the other hand, was more than annoyed by this sextet of troublemakers.
"Well sorry to disappoint you scumbags, but I'm not in the mood for an unfair fight of one against six. If that psycho wants to deal me back so bad, he should quit hiding behind poser tough guys like you and call me out for a one on one fight like a real man."
"W-Why you-!"
The teen with the viper tattoo suddenly lunges forward and tries to take a swing at the girl with red irises, to which she'd easily see coming and dart to one side before twisting his offensive arm behind him and kicking him down to the pavement in his spine!
"Gah!"
Brushing herself off, Athena's attention would whirl back to the other five, who slowly grew angered expressions on their faces.
Damn. Normally, I'd be fine in a one against some fight, but six is too many.
Got no choice: I gotta make a break for it!
With that decided, the girl pivots all the way around behind her and starts running for her life, with the group of punks chasing her after two help the one with the tattooed arm off the ground...
Soon, we approach the start of evening, the sun just beginning to lower and casting a pale yellow over the blue sky, and by this time, Athena had made her way to the Monorail Station while sending an SOS text through her duel gazer to Akira for some backup. Now, she was busy catching her breath while squatting behind some nearby bushes, her body now littered in fresh-blooming bruises and scrapes from a few unfortunate pauses she was forced to make which costed her a beating.
"Hah, hah, hah, hah..."
This is bad, really bad. It's gonna be at least a few hours until these clowns give up, and about forty-five minutes before Akira can reach here.
I was lucky to dodge into this bush...but it won't fool them for long.
"Athena?"
She darts her head up to see Astral hovering near her with a concerned expression on his face.
"Are you alright?"
She nods, and makes a few silent gestures that asked 'Are they still there?'. The being from beyond didn't quite understand at first, until he looked over to where the six street punks were skulking around, and his eyes widen slightly in understanding before turning back to Athena to nod his head, confirming that danger was still present. The girl hisses a curse, and stays in her place behind the green...A little while later, she feels her gazer vibrate, and pulls it out to see a text from Akira.
I managed to snag an express route from my district. Which end of the station are you at?
She texts back,
I'm squatting behind the bushes near that pole sign that says A-11. Be careful; they're nearby.
Athena tucks her gazer away, and peers out to the main courtyard to wait for the familiar face...A few minutes later, she sees Akira's form emerge from the shadows of the ticket booth. Getting a closer look, we see that he was at least three years older than herself, taller and with a light brown complexion making up his partly lanky frame, short black hair that came to above his shoulders in beach waves, and wore an outfit comprised of a dark grey t-shirt, blue jeans with some wear at the pant leg ends, and white sneakers.
His aqua irises peer over to distant-lock with her red ones, and they both nod to one another, before enacting the plan they talked over via text-message beforehand. First, they darted out from their hiding spots, and bolted out into the open courtyard to draw the attention of the six punks who were hunting the younger girl.
"Huh?!" "Ay!"
"There she is!" "And another one of them traitors; I recognize him!"
"Get 'em!"
The girl and boy shifted positions so they were running beside one another, and panted,
"Hah, you take three, I take the others?"
"Hah, hah, sounds good. Gotta get to the ponds first!"
By that, Akira was referring to an area none too far away from the public-thick courtyard, that held the artificial pond built beside the old information center that he and Athena have wandered around many times before...
Once both parties arrived, the two chased whirled around with their firsts raised at ready back-to-back, just as the six chasers moved to circle them in.
"(Laugh) What a dumbass move, lurin' us to where you can't get help!"
"You two are sooo dead!"
"Us? Please. If anything, you creeps are gonna be praying for medical."
The sextet raise their brows in confusion from Akira's calm retort, he smirking slightly before glancing at Athena.
"Ready?"
"Always."
With that, the real fight began, two against six.
"Haaaaaah!"
"Hrrrrrraaaaaah!"
(Whack, wham, thwock...)
...The battle would be over in but a short ten minutes, the victors being Athena and Akira, whom despite the injuries they took from flying fists, bats, pipes and chains, were able to overcome their opponents, they sprawled on the ground three on each side with more bruises littering their bodies than their victims, moaning in and out of consciousness in pain...
"Ha! That wasn't too hard."
"Yeah, no kidding...Thanks for coming to help; I know you hate getting involved in this sort-a crap more than I do."
"Hey, forget about it. Just glad to make sure you're still ali-Huh? What's that?"
Athena turns to follow Akira's suspicious gaze...
(Whip)
"Gah!"
Only for her left wrist to get caught by a duel anchor just two seconds after!
"Addy!"
But before Akira could try and lend a hand:
(FLASH)
His body freezes halfway into the pivot, along with everything else relying on time to move...!
"Grh, Akira!"
He's frozen...No. Time's moving stupid-slow again...
Which means-
Her ears pick up on the tell-tale whistling that ominous tune, and focuses up front to see the Number Hunter, Kite, slowly approach from the cover of some nearby trees, Orbital by his side, while holding his hand that shot the duel anchor out, a smug grin on his face. Astral tenses considerably upon their arrival:
Gh! It's him...I was hoping it would be a while longer before we would see the hunter again.
Athena's reaction was more verbal and angered than his was:
"Damn it, not you again!"
"(Chuckle) Nice to see you too. I was watching you the whole time you were being chased by those punks...You're not half-bad a street fighter, which only has me all the more curious how much of a fight you'll put in our duel."
He retracts the anchor, adding,
"Which you of course have no choice but to participate in now, since I managed to snare you with the duel anchor this time."
"(Growl) Damn you...!"
Kite's smile only grew slightly at seeing the anger burning in Athena's eyes.
"Save your cursing for when we start the match."
"Tch, whatever. Another fight isn't a problem for me. I'll take you on, Number Hunter!"
Astral replies to her,
"Good attitude, Athena. We must be fearless."
"Fearless? Didn't you make it clear last time that we should keep our distance from him?"
"That was when you had the option to run, Athena."
Hearing the drop of tone in his voice, Athena hms and mutters,
"Well aren't we confident..."
"Get ready, Athena: This duel we're about to have, is not just for fun and games. The stakes have never been higher."
"Oh yeah? Well luckily I live for high stake situations! Let's cut the chatter and get 'er started!"
With that, the girl with red irises throws out her duel disk to attach to her arm, and clicks her gazer into place while adding with a smirk of anticipation,
"Time to add a new page to history!" Kite in turn retorts,
"Ha, oh yeah? Well that page will have your name under casualty!"
He then activates his own brand of duel preparation, causing Athena to bug her eyes and blurt,
"What the hell?!"
"Go, Photon Transformation!"
Augmented Reality Vision Link Established.
"There is no escape now, my little friend! You and your Number will be hunted down!"
"Keep dreaming!"
"(Both duelists) Now let's duel!"
Kite would take the opening turn for this intensified match:
"Allow me to go first, won't you? I draw! First, I activate the Spell Card, Photon Veil from my hand! With this card, by returning three Light-Attribute Monsters from my hand to my deck, I can then add three Light-Attribute Monsters from my deck to my hand."
Athena curses,
"Shoot. And I have a sick feeling he can choose which monsters..."
"Next, I'm gonna activate the power of the Spell, Photon Lead, which lets me summon one of the monsters I just added to my hand in Attack Mode. And the monster I summon, is Daybreaker!"
The said monster that appears on Kite's side of the dueling field, had the appearance of a futuristic white knight with a red cape and long sword, Level Four and with 1700 Attack Points...
"But there's more: When this card is successfully summoned, I can summon another one from my hand!"
A second Daybreaker rises to join the first one...
"So that's two Daybreakers, and then the second one's ability activates...so welcome to the field, Daybreaker number three!"
Athena exclaims,
"Holy-Three monsters summoned in a connected ability...!"
Astral notes,
"Oh no, and each one of them shares the same Level of Four."
"...Ugh, don't tell me: One of those is coming next, ain't it?"
Kite's next move answers her question with no hesitation:
"I overlay my three Level Four Daybreakers, to build the Overlay Network!"
Three streams of yellow twirl and intertwine as they dove into the summoning vortex...
"I XYZ Summon, Number 10: Illumiknight!"
And the Number Monster that came to occupy the space, had the guise of a silver-armoured knight on horseback with a lance at ready, Rank Four and with 2400 Attack Points! Astral and Athena were quite shocked to seeing a Number this early in a match:
"Oh my...!"
"Christ, he summoned a Number on his first turn?!"
"That's right, and guess what? I'm still not done, 'cause now, I'm playing Illumiknight's ability! With it, once per turn, I can use an overlay unit to discard one card from my hand, and draw one new card from my deck! Then Light Serpent's special ability activates: You see, when Light Serpent is sent to the Graveyard from my hand, it's then summoned to the field."
At that, a large snake with icy blue scales slithers onto the field, Level Three with 1200 Attack Points...
"Next I'll bring out the monster, Plasma Ball!"
This one was also a Level Three, but with 900 Attack Points, and had the appearance of an iron sphere with one red eye in the middle while sparking electricity. Athena remarks,
"Another round of three monsters? Seriously, does this guy not know the meaning of slow and steady? If he keeps this up, this duel will take longer than either of us need to be...Or, maybe..."
She looks over at Astral, who mutters,
"I fear, not at this rate."
"I now overlay Light Serpent, and Plasma Ball! And with that, I can once again build the Overlay Network! I XYZ Summon, Number 20: Giga-Brilliant!"
This next Number Monster had the appearance of a colossal flying ant, Rank Three with 1800 Attack Points...
"Ooooh crap..."
"He summoned two Numbers in just one turn!"
Kite grins and mutters,
"Now, the hunt truly begins."