A new night darkens the blacktop streets of Heartland City, and we find ourselves zooming within the inner secured vaults of a popular jewellery store, as a robot used its mechanical hands to extend towards a podium keyboard between a laser grid to do battle against an AI CPU in a Duel Monster fight...
A few minutes later, the robot would succeed in beating the AI.
Duel Clearance Achieved. All Security Systems Disabled.
The lasers turn off just as the room lights up, and the glass displays of several pieces of very fine jewellery - ranging from decked-out necklaces, rings, earrings, bracelets and even a small-medium treasure chest - automatically open. Detracting its arms, the robot, exposed as noneother than a LitterBot, then says,
"Commence Operation: Clean House."
It leads a couple other fellow bots to start pilfering every last bit of polished rock and mineral, before speeding back out of the store to roll down the stairs to where a shady-looking man would be waiting for them, the back of his van open and ready for transport.
"Heheheh, right on time."
He pushes a remote button to send the LitterBots a signal to retract their bodies back to their normal states, allowing them to enter the van with no issues.
"The house has been successfully cleaned."
Once he was sure that all his robotic minions were on board, he puts the pedal to the metal.
"Let's roll!"
(Screeech-Vrrrooooooommmmm...)
...There was just one minor problem he didn't account for: One robot wasn't fast enough to roll up the van's ramp, and would wind up chasing after the vehicle while trying to get their boss's attention.
"You forgot me! You forgot me!"
After unsuccessfully trying to jump into the opened back doors, the LitterBot picks up their speed to call through the driver's window outside.
"Hello!...Hello!...Do not leave me behind!"
If the situation wasn't bad enough, a small family of ducks was just entering the side of the road to cross, only to get caught frozen with terror by the shine of the headlights fast-approaching them!
"Uh oh!"
The LitterBot decides to forgo their plans in joining their companions and save the ducks, their sudden appearance in front of the van causing the man to swerve while slamming the breaks.
"Whoa!"
(Screeeeeeec-CRASH)
Both vehicle and the mechanized trash collector collide, the impact sending the latter flying over the street barrier and into the river below!
(Splash...)
"Blast it! Grh!"
The man would have little time to curse at the incident, before his ears pick up on the sound of sirens from the local PD, forcing him to speed off else risk an easy capture by the authorities...
...But as it turned out, the LitterBot wasn't completely down and out, resurfacing from the watery deep to float downstream with the ducklings peeking their heads out of its mouth.
Time Skip
"Now accepting applicants for the World Duel Carnival! Do you~ have what it takes?"
That would be the popular advertisement announced overhead on a blimp jumbo-tron come Monday afternoon, which would go unnoticed by Athena, Tiffany and Jamal as they walked down in a street/park complex after another day of learning, which for the former, gave her a new reason to complain about their educational system.
"Damn, why'd there have to be a pop quiz in Science today of all days? I actually would've preferred Math..."
Jamal chokes down a snort and quirks with a skeptical brow raised and his lips turned upward in a crooked smile,
"Psh, really? You, Athena Fujina, would willingly choose a Math test?"
The girl with red irises pivots her head around to shoot a mild glare at the amused boy and replies,
"Yes! Math equations, I can study for. Naming the different parts of a human cell or the stages of mitosis? Nadda chance in hell."
Tiffany holds a hand to her mouth to cover up a few giggles as she suggests slyly,
"Well maybe it would help if you studied Science as much as you do dueling strategies..."
As they all pause their walk for a moment near the open knoll to the river, Athena rolls her eyes and retorts,
"Tch, I would if it were as interesting..."
"(Peep, peep, peep)"
"Hm?"
The three teens then look down to the sound of a baby bird's cries, finding themselves staring at a little yellow duckling who was darting around their feet in a frantic manner.
"Aw, poor little guy..."
Tiffany kneels down to gently bring the tiny duck into her palms, worry dancing in her cornflower blue irises.
"They must've been separated from their mom."
Athena hms, staring at the duckling for a moment with a mix of sympathy and thought, before turning her head in the direction it was peeping towards, only to spot two more chicks standing atop the LitterBot from the night before, now washed onto the grassy shore!
"Huh? A LitterBot?"
...Wonder how it got waterlogged?
Curious, she and her friends decide to move down the knoll to check the situation out.
"...Ey, you functioning? Hellooo..."
Wracking his knuckles on the metal head of the robot, Jamal sighs and mutters,
"Nope, nothin'. Maybe its circuits got fried by the water..."
Attention is drawn back to the ducklings (including the one who hopped off of Tiffany's hand to join their siblings) as they cried out a bit louder while tapping their beaks on the mouth of the LitterBot.
"What do you think they're trying to tell us?"
Athena shrugs at the other girl in an 'I dunno' fashion...before flinching back from the sight of a larger beak poking its way out of the opening of the robot's mouth!
"Gah, Jesus! What the heck was-?!"
Jamal suggests warily,
"Maybe try opening it to find out...?"
Nodding, the girl with long black hair naturally shaded by a rusty copper red at the tips, today tied back in a low ponytail, places her hands on both ends of the metal mouth, before struggling to shove the lower lip downward...
"(Quack)"
"Yipe!" "Holy-!"
She and the young male of the three would then nearly jump out of their skins when an adult duck comes swooping out of the trash containment!
...Once the initial shock wore off, all three academy students would burst into laughter at how silly they felt getting worked up over ducks of all possible things.
"Hehaha, guess that explains where mom went to!"
"God, I feel so ridiculous...!"
"You two should've seen your faces; priceless!"
They giggle and chuckle a little more...until the girl with short, bobbed black hair brings attention on the other half to this new mystery.
"...But moving on: These ducks don't really explain what happened to the LitterBot, do they?"
Athena's amused smile is replaced with her own curious frown:
"That's true."
She moves to sit on her knees to peer over the down robot with a more detail-oriented eye.
"I see some scratches and a few reasonable dents...Must've been hit pretty hard by something, maybe even while protecting those ducks..."
"Sounds possible...Think it could be fixed?"
"Well, this is usually more my bro's department...but I might be able to hot-wire it back to life."
A few minutes later, we would find Athena tinkering with the main process unit connected to the wiring of the LitterBot's insides.
"Hm, let's see...Maybe if we cross that with the ground tip here..."
Just as Astral materializes outside of the girl's Key pendant, Jamal asks her with uncertainty towards her skills,
"Um, you sure you know what you're doing, Addy?"
"Kind-of. I've watched Terry messin' around with enough tech stuff that I've picked up a few basic tips...(Nervous smile) Well, that, and I may or may not have learned how to take down some of the simpler-designed security locks during a few nights back in my 'Dark Days'."
Tiffany glares slightly at Athena in a scolding manner:
"Please tell me you didn't get yourself involved in anything to do with robberies."
"Of course not!...Just a couple break-ins to explore abandoned and semi-occupied buildings."
That answer would bring about a twin sweatdrop and groan from the red-eyed girl's classmates...Astral would then voice his own insight to the current problem needing a solution.
"Athena, try connecting that red cord."
"Oh! Astral...Hm, red cord?...Ah-ha, here it is!"
Athena would then be holding up a large red wire that had been snapped at the middle.
"Dunno how I missed that...Hm, anybody got a bobby pin on 'em?"
Jamal makes an incredulous expression:
"Dude, do I look like someone who uses hair pins?"
Tiffany meanwhile, forms a smile of realization before removing her daisy hair clip from her left fringe to present to the other young lady.
"I've got something better. Try using my clip."
"Thanks, Tiff."
After fastening one end of the severed wire to the hair clip, Athena would clap the opposite end on...causing an electrical current to flow once more, as evident by the glow of the white flower with the yellow center.
"Ah..."
The teens would then turn to the sound of gears and buttons clicking, coming from the main robot unit as it suddenly rose to its wheeled feet by pushing itself up with its mechanical arms, sucking back the main processing core into its metallic shell!
"Rebooting...Rebooting..."
Jamal notes with an awed expression,
"Looks like it worked...Uh! Whoa, watch it!"
He and Tiffany would then duck back from the robot as it lunged its arms towards the teens, snatching up the unsuspecting Athena!
"Gaaah!"
"Trash Identified. Trash Identified. Trash Identi-"
"For gods sake, what part of me looks like a garbage heap?! Tiff, Jamal, do something!"
Shaking off their shock, the girl's two tangible friends began an all-out game of Tug-o'-War with the LitterBot, being careful not to pull too hard and risk her getting injured, leaving the intangible Astral to watch helplessly with somewhat widened eyes darting slowly back and forth between both opposing parties.
Oh dear...
Eventually, Athena would be set free from the clutches of the LitterBot, before she and her friends decide to head back to her house while discreetly ditching the robot by the river...
What they would discover, however, is that they had gained a 'stalker' of sorts.
"...You guys hear something?"
Pausing by the paper-panel slide doors that made up the entrance of the front porch, the teens look towards the corner of the hedge leading to the stairs exiting the property...only to find the LitterBot they helped reboot peeking from behind the leaves.
"Oh come on, really?!"
Tiffany and Jamal began laughing loudly at the new development, while Athena was more than annoyed, flopping her behind onto the wood panels of the porch while groaning into her hands,
"I get attacked by a LitterBot, then it follows me home like a lost puppy...God, wha'd I do to deserve this?!"
The LitterBot, oddly enough, makes a similar gesture with their own hands and says,
"God, what did I do?"
That just made Tiffany giggle even more before commenting cheekily,
"I think someone likes you, Addy~...Why don't you take it in and look after it?"
Rising to her feet, the girl with red irises replies bitterly with a glare,
"Psh, yeah right, me, babysit a robot? I can barely handle those 'triplet monsters' Missus Davis from up the block swings me into watching on occasion!"
Astral cocks his head to the side in confusion:
"Triplet, monsters?"
"Haaah, not real monsters, Astral; it's just a nickname I have for those crazy five year old boys...Anyway, I've got other things I could be doing which don't involve a tag-along bot, like Dueling for example?"
That one word caught the LitterBot's attention:
"Duel!"
"Hm?"
"Duel, duel, duel, duel, duel!"
The robot then opens a small compartment on its front to shoot out a light pink-shaded duel disk to attach to its left arm! To say that the observers were surprised would be an understatement:
"Whoa!" "What the-?!"
"Since when do LitterBots duel?!...Wait, no reason to get worked up: Not like they have a deck."
Oh, would Athena quickly be proven wrong:
"Deeeeck!"
The LitterBot opens its mouth to spew out their cards before they float down to fasten into the draw holder!
"Duel!"
...A couple minutes later, Athena would find herself engaged in a Duel Monsters match with the robot, but wasn't sitting in the winner's circle, as evident by her thrown-back body sliding in the dirt while her Life Points drop down to 1900. She pushes herself up so she was leaning on her palms, looking at the Level Four and Three monsters with 800 Attack Points each with a panted frown.
"...Huh. This bucket of bolts ain't half-bad."
"I now activate the Spell Card, Starlight, Starbright. With this card, when there are monsters on the field, with either the same Attack Points, or the same Defense Points, I can take one of their Levels, and change all the other monster's Levels to that same Level. As a result, I will now change Junk Robot Teapot Kangaroo's Level to that of Junk Robot Camel-Cycle's Four."
Rising up on the soles of her shoes again, the girl mutters,
"(Wince) Hoh boy, I think I know what's comin' next..."
"Next, I overlay Level Four Teapot Kangaroo and Camel-Cycle."
The two monsters shift into twin shots of muted orange light to go streaming into the red vortex opening on the field...
"And with the Overlay Network created, I will now XYZ Summon, (head spins) Wind-Up Zenmaister!"
Athena backs a few steps from the upturned rock and dirt, making way for a large, technicoloured robotic knight, Rank Four and with 1900 Attack Points!
"Zenmaister, attack Athena directly!"
Pulling back a spring-jointed arm, the XYZ monster throws a hard punch against the teenage girl, who lets out a winded 'oof' before flying backwards with a roll to the ground, losing the duel to the LitterBot...Tiffany stood up from her seat on the porch and began praising the winner:
"Wow, that was great, LitterBot!"
"Athena, reckless. Athena, reckless."
Darting back onto her feet, said subject of classification growls and calls,
"What'd you say, you tin-twit?!"
Astral tries to cool the girl's temper, while at the same time holds back his own smile of amusement.
"Relax. This LitterBot is not trying to insult you: It is simply stating a fact."
That would earn him a side-glare and a reply of,
"Zip it!"
Meanwhile, Tiffany continued to speak sweetly to the robot:
"You're a pretty good duelist, LitterBot."
The robot does not reply...instead reaching its mechanical arms to the baby pink silk ribbon that the bobbed hair girl was wearing in a headband fashion today, and untying it to hold themselves.
"Huh?! W-What...?"
A light blush of surprise dusts the girl's cheeks, while the robot reties the ribbon in a bow over the left green knob on its head!
"Pretty. Pretty. Pink Ribbon makes LitterBot look pretty."
"Oh wow..."
Jamal smiles awkwardly and says,
"Well, I guess we can stop using 'it' and call the robot a 'she'."
"Hm, interesting. That would mean Addy lost to a girl."
Athena smirk-glares and grumbles sarcastically,
"Yeah, like the clearing of genders takes the sting of the loss away..."
"Say, I have a thought: We should decide on an actual name for our new mechanized friend."
Watching the LitterBot playfully reach towards a soft yellow-coloured butterfly, Tiffany hums,
"Let's see...What's the right name for her?"
"I'm partial to 'Pain in the Neck'."
She turns to scold Athena for her attitude:
"Come on, Addy, be nicer."
"Hey, whadda ya expect from me, something lame like...I dunno, LillyBot?"
"LillyBot, LillyBot!"
"Huh?"
The girl with red irises is suddenly fast-approached by the robot in question, she occupying a smile on their face at their new title.
"LillyBot, LillyBot!"
"What, seriously? You like that name?"
To confirm her answer, the robot grabs the girl's hands before spinning her around lightly in a circle, leaving Tiffany to giggle slightly and chime,
"Good one, Addy. I think you found her new name."
"I, love, Athena! Athena, Athena, Athena..."
Sighing out a puff of air, Athena mutters with an exasperated smile,
"Good grief," while LillyBot continued to go on with rapture about her new friend.
"Athena is LillyBot's best friend forever. BFF, friends for life."
"Okay, okay, I get the point, sheesh!"
Time Skip, Athena's POV
Alright, so it's been a few days since my buds and I discovered that washed-up LitterBot, rechristened LillyBot, and we decided (if reluctantly on my part) to give it a new home with our crew. Though I was annoyed at first at allowing a robot to worm its way into my life, I warmed up to her rather quickly after a couple sessions of fun and games. LillyBot knows how to play, that's for sure: She can slam-dunk a basketball like nobody's business, keep up with me and Jamal when we go rolling/running around town in our little races, and provides a substantial challenge for all of us when we wanna practice Dueling...
I'm peering over at the robot now from the inside entrance to the garage, myself dressed for bed in my giant powder blue sleepshirt while she was curled under a blanket on the old couch set against the wall.
"Well, end of another entertaining day...Goodnight, Lil."
I close the door and start making my way up the stairs, musing to myself with a smile of slight disbelief,
"Geez, sure didn't take long for me to get attached. I'm already referring to that robo-girl with a nickname..."
Astral was floating out here with me, and asks as we turn up the stairs to where my room would be,
"Is that a bad thing?"
"Nah, I guess not...It's just it usually takes longer than this for me to really feel obligated to be friendly to a new person, and accept their friendliness in return."
Entering my room, I pad over to my bed and pull back the covers before nestling down all comfortable-like, adding in an afterthought,
"Come to think of it...my dynamic of trust seems to have, shifted some this year, allowing some more people into my little circle of friends..."
I looked up at Astral with a soft expression:
"...including you."
He draws a silent breath of surprise, before smiling a bit and nodding in recognition...
Hours pass after I fell asleep, until the early morn came to blast a few gentle rays of the sun towards my face through my window, waking me up for a new day. I get dressed, ate some breakfast, before grabbing my things and got ready to head out the door...but not before popping my head into the garage to send a quick hello to LillyBot and see if she wanted to hang before I had to send her back to the house.
(Ka-chank)
"Yo, Lil, good morning. You wanna come with me to hang before scho-Huh?"
...But I would discover that my new robot friend was nowhere to be found, the garage door left wide open.
"...LillyBot?...Lillybot!"
That's weird...Where could she have gone?
After double-checking that she wasn't just waiting somewhere outside for me, I combed the garage high and low for any clues that could tell me where the robot currently was...before finding a certain card on the ground near the old couch.
"Hm? (Picks up card) Starlight, Starbright?...Must have dropped it before she left...or, could it be her version of a note?"
"Should we try and search for her in the city streets?"
I turn to Astral and shake my head:
"No, that'd take all day, especially since we don't have a solid lead...Best that I just head out like normal and cross my fingers that she'll turn up on her own."
At that, I tuck the Spell Card into my deck to keep it safe, before heading out for my morning jog while subconsciously keeping my eyes open incase I spot the runaway robot...
The day comes and goes, nothing real noteworthy from school to report, and there was still no signs of LillyBot. Jamal and Tiffany became rather anxious when I told them about her sudden disappearance, until I reassured them that the robot couldn't have taken off to cause any real trouble...Still, we all found ourselves looking thoroughly around the spots where we had been playing with our new friend incase she was hanging out there once school let out, before we all decided to head home for now and wait until some other clue popped up.
I'm now entering my house while looking down at the Starlight, Starbright Card again, a discouraged frown on my face.
Dang it...Where the heck'd ya go, you crazy robot?
"Hey, little sis, that you?"
I look up from my thoughts to the sound of Terry calling for me from the living room couch, before walking over to him with a raised brow.
"What's up?"
"You mind looking at something for me? Your eyes are a bit better than mine when it comes to finding little details."
"Depends on what it is."
"Yoko and her journalist partner Kiki just got their hands on some security footage for this new scoop they're workin' on together. Apparently, there's been a series of robberies from a couple local jewelers, and whoever it is has got some serious dueling skills to get past the duel-lock systems. She sent me some of the screenshots to see if there was something I might find she and Kiki missed, but I can't make jackcrap from this."
...My brother is so whipped.
Restraining myself from making that smart comment aloud, I let out a sighed groan before moving to sit down on the couch with my brother so I could see the images on his computer better.
"Alright, lemme see...Hm..."
Those don't look like humans, for one: They look like, robots...Maybe someone trained them for thievery.
...Wait, that one in the right middle...That looks like...a ribbon tied on their-
Gh!
My eyes widen a little when I realize,
That...That's Lil! It has to be!...But, what the heck is she doing robbing jewellery stores?
"Well? Anything?"
I jolted from my somewhat panicky thoughts to Terry's urging, before shaking my head and replying,
"Uh, nothing definitive...but it looks like the shapes on the screenshots might be robots."
No way am I bringing LillyBot into the conversation, 'specially since I can't be one-hundred percent sure it really is her there, on her own free will, at least.
"Robots? Hmm...that would explain why no one's come up with a profile. The real person behind it all must be acting in the shadows while using robots to do the actual work."
Astral adds in his own thoughts for only my ears to listen in on.
"This would also explain why LillyBot is so good at Dueling: She was programmed to be. Question is, by whom? And I think that is a question we might be able to answer by using simple logic."
Getting to my feet and leaving my brother in his philosopher pose that he forms when in deep thought, I move behind the couch to stand near my friend while muttering quiet enough for just the two of us,
"Right...The thief would need to bolt out of the area fast after the heist for somewhere to hide out from the cops. Somewhere close, but inconspicuous from the public eye..."
I look back to the computer monitors to the one that had a map of the city with a few markers that indicated the couple shops that were robbed so far in this crime wave, and try to zero in on somewhere that intersected all the locales.
Hm...The Old City Junkyard. That's the only place closest to all those robberies...
I pivoted my head to Astral, who nodded as his way of saying that was the most likely place to head to, before I whispered,
"Let's head upstairs and call Tiff and Jamal. They'll wanna lend a hand too."
With that, I began rushing up to my room, ignoring my brother's calls of,
"Uh, thanks for the help?"
Once I sent a message to my two friends and switched clothes so I wasn't wearing my uniform anymore, I would meet up with them at the front gate of the old junkyard just as evening rolls in. I chose a quick outfit of a black t-shirt under my black leather jacket, light blue skinny jeans with my red/black checkered skirt overtop, and my brown steel-toe boots. Tiffany in turn wore a baby pink pencil skirt that went to her knees, a white t-shirt with embroidery work on the sleeves, yellow ankle socks and black sneakers, while Jamal slapped together a neon green tank-top, light grey baggy jeans held up by black suspenders, and his dark orange vans.
"...Let's go."
Shoving open the creaky metal door to the place, we all slip inside and motor over to crouch behind a pile of random scrap parts to wait for the thief to return...
"You're sure that they'll be coming back here?"
I reply in a low-volume voice to Jamal,
"Yeah, this is the place Astral and I spotted on the map that intersected all the places robbed so far, and there was one more jeweler a little out of the way but still close enough to the action that hadn't been robbed of yet."
Tiffany hums,
"No doubt that it'll be pilfered tonight then, considering the robber's signature...Uh! I hear a vehicle coming."
(...Vroooooommmm...)
And lo and behold, a small van comes speeding in through the front gates after they were slid aside...The driver door opens, revealing a short man who looked to be around his late thirties, early forties, with crew-cut brown hair tucked under a dull mahogany baker's cap, pale tan skin, wearing a salmon red shit under a worn green jacket, grey pants and brown shoes. In one of his hands was a suitcase, which more than likely contained evidence of his crimes...
"Tonight's been the best haul yet, heheheh!"
He opens the back of the van, letting free a few LitterBots, including LillyBot!
Tiffany lets out a startled gasp, which I softly shushed her for so we could listen in on the guy's chatter.
"But since no one's smart enough to figure out my scheme, I'm sure it'll only get better."
Smirking cynically at this thief's confidence, I step out from hiding while countering in a quirk,
"Before it gets worse? I don't think so."
"Gah!"
The guy drops the suitcase, it falling to the ground and spilling out some of its many jewels, before he scrambles to get it all back inside while looking up at me with a nerved expression.
"H-H-Hey, who are you?!"
Tiffany and Jamal come to my sides as I call back,
"Oh, no one important to you, but I am considered LillyBot's BFF."
"Huh? Who's LillyBot?"
The man looks back at the small group of robots he has, before spotting the one my friends and I came for.
"You talkin' about her?"
He stands up and holds an arm out in front of the LitterBots:
"Sorry, but these bots are mine, so get lost!"
I frown and retort back,
"And let you continue to use these LitterBots like slaves? Nadda chance! So you can get outta our way so we can take Lil home."
"Keh, oh-hoh-kay...Get 'em."
LillyBot is left behind, while he quickly takes off with the others in his van...But he wasn't my main concern:
He'll get caught by the police soon enough, and those other robots will be returned to their regular duties...
Right now, I need to focus on getting LillyBot back on our side.
"...LillyBot? It's us, Athena, Jamal and Tiffany...Don't you remember the fun we've had these last few days?"
...She doesn't respond, until she suddenly shifts into some kind of battle form I didn't know LitterBots had, and shoots out her arms to try and strike us!
"Yipe!"
We all scramble away in time before we could get hit, and I bark over to the robot while I straightened up,
"What the hell was that for?!" Jamal exclaims after me,
"That's what I was about to shout! Looks like someone forgot the 'Forever' in BFF..."
Tiffany mutters worriedly,
"What'll we do now?"
...I recall the Spell Card left behind in the garage to be picked up by yours truly, before making my next move.
"Now...Now we duel!"
Despite her gears spinning the wrong way thanks to that creep, LillyBot meets my call to challenge.
"Duel Accepted. Target confirmed. Prepare to be eradicated."
Astral floats down so he was on my right before asking,
"And why exactly did you challenge Lilly to a duel?"
I reach into my deck and pull out Starlight, Starbright:
"This is why: Accident or not, this card was left behind for a reason...To be used in this battle to bring their wielder back to her senses."
I look up at LillyBot and add determinedly,
"And even if that plan botches, I'll just keep trying 'til something sticks...I just wanna avoid the most aggressive approach if I can help it."
On that note, I get myself ready for the Duel underway, clicking out my disk and fastening on my gazer as my friends do theirs and Lilly uses a camera atop her head to access the AR World.
Augmented Reality Vision Link Established.
"(Both Duelists) Let's Duel!"
I make the opener:
"Hope you're prepared, Lil, 'cause I'm drawing! First, I summon Gagaga Magician in Attack Mode! Then I place one card face-down, and end my turn!"
My confused robot friend was up next, all business and no play.
"Initiating Protocol 3-Z: Draw! First, I activate Eco-Spell, Reduce Waste. With this card, by banishing two Junk Robots in my deck, I can add Junk Robot Camel-Cycle to my hand. I now summon, Camel-Cycle!"
That Level Four Monster with 800 Attack Points and the appearance of a luggage-packed bike with a vacuum hose neck and sneaker head comes roaring onto the field...
"I then activate Eco-Spell, Recycle! With this card, I can summon the two Junk Monsters that were banished earlier. I now summon, Junk Robot Clean-Naga, and Junk Robot Computer-Kong!"
Level Four with 1200 and 1000 Attack Points each, these robots had the appearances of a hot red, out of control vacuum cleaner, and an ape made from ancient computer monitors and hard drives.
Three Level Fours, huh? I think I've got a good idea to what her next move will be...
"I now overlay these three Level Four Junk Robots, and by way of this overlay, a network has been created, and with it, I will now XYZ Summon, Recycle Rhinobot!"
And the monster that would form from those three, was a Rank Four robotic rhinoceros with 2700 Attack Points!
"Holy-That's one strong robo-animal!"
"Initiating Protocol 33-F: Rhinobot attacks Gagaga Magician!"
Astral calls my name in urgency, and I call back,
"I got it! I now activate my face-down, Half Unbreak! With this Trap, Gagaga's safe, and I only take half the damage of your attack."
The lightning sparking from the monster's horn bounces off the bubble protecting my magician, with it dying down some before reflecting down near my feet, making me flinch back from the impact as my Life Points drop to 3400...
"Keep it up, Addy! You're LillyBot's only hope of recovering her real self!"
I retort back to Tiffany as I brush down my clothes of some upturned dirt that washed on me,
"Well-aware of that, Tiff, but try telling her! Anyway, I Draw!"
I look down to see that the card I got, was noneother than my current monster's faithful companion.
"Nice! Okay, my next monster to grace the field, will be my magician's apprentice, Gagaga Girl!"
She was basically the female version of my male magician, but with a long, spiky bob of blond hair, red eyes and had a pink ribbon going around her black-dominated spellcaster uniform rather than a chain, and held a phone as her wand.
"My next play is the Equip Spell, Wonder Wand. Now my Gagaga Girl has an extra 500 Attack Points backing her 1000."
My Level Three magician gal's power rises to 1500...
"Nice move. Now it is time to take it to the next level."
I nod in agreement with Astral:
"Rightly so. Now I play my main magician's ability: His Level will now be Eight instead of Four until the end of this turn!"
"Uh! Really, Athena? But-"
"Next up is the Spell, Gagaga Thunder!"
A lighting-shaped symbol appears for both my spellcasters to grab onto...
"And the boom will be hittin' your Life Points hard, 'cause this card allows me to deal you damage equal to the difference of my magician's Levels times 300! If you don't have a calculator, I can crunch those numbers for ya: 5 times 300 for a total of 1500!"
A bolt of light purple lightning strikes my robotic friend, forcing her Life Points to drop to 2500...
"I then place one card face-down, and end my turn, which means Gagaga Magician goes back to being Level Four and not Eight."
As soon as everything settled for the pause before the next turn, Astral would not miss his chance in questioning my logic for this battle.
"Athena, I tried to tell you: Gagaga Girl has an ability that would changed LillyBot's monster's Attack Points to zero. If you then had changed Gagaga Magician's Level to match Gagaga Girl's, you could've XYZ Summoned Leviathan Dragon to attack Rhinobot, and you would've won."
"...I know...but that would've been the easier choice."
I turned my head to meet Astral's eyes and add firmly,
"And that would've meant not being able to play Lil's card, which I gotta do no matter what."
Because that may be the only real way of jolting her circuits back to normal.
Astral's POV
I could not fully understand why Athena was so firm in wanting to draw and use that particular Spell Card, but if it was that important to her, then I could only hope that she knew what she was doing...
"You're up, Lilly!"
"Initiating Protocol 2-X: Draw! First I summon, Junk Robot Teapot Kangaroo!"
The Level Three metal marsupial with 800 Attack Points rises to the field near LillyBot's XYZ monster...
"I know activate Rhinobot's ability: For every Overlay Unit I use, a different monster on my field other than Rhinobot gains 500 additional Attack Points."
Athena curses as I think to myself,
This is not good...
"I use three Overlay Units, so Teapot Kangaroo gains 1500 Attack Points!"
Now the Level Three machine-type monster had 2300 Attack Points to, 'dish out' as it were, and I hear Jamal exclaim,
"Dang, that Kanga means business!"
"First, I will have Rhinobot attack Gagaga Girl!"
Thankfully, Athena had a card ready to counteract the offensive measure:
"I activate the Trap, Gagaga Guard! Because I have two Gagaga monsters on my field, Gagaga Girl's safe from destruction this turn...'Course, doesn't mean I'm safe from taking the hit."
On that note, she flinches back with an arm shielding her face as the lightning from Rhinobot's horn comes to crash against her, while her Life Points dropped to 2200...LillyBot of course, was not done:
"Protocol 41-A: Teapot Kangaroo attacks Gagaga Magician!"
"No dice on that move, 'cause Gagaga Guard's still going strong to protect!"
"Perhaps...but not you!"
The marsupial lands a heavy punch against the crystal casing that saved the magician from certain doom, but the impact would travel past him to hit Athena full-blast, knocking her off her feet as her Life Points fell even further to 1400! Tiffany cries out the other girl's name with worry, while she in turn struggles to lift herself off the hard ground.
"Grh, dammit..."
"Athena, your Life Points cannot take too much more of this."
"I know, but those points are just gonna hafta deal, until I can get a hold of that card..."
She straightens up, before adding,
"If the luck of the draw's with me and I'm able to play the card Lil left behind, it may trigger her memories and she'll return to her old self again."
Uh...I had not considered that. The odds are rather sparse...but not impossible.
"Oooold, s-s-s-eeeelf?"
Athena's lips curved into a small smile as she called over to the confused robot,
"That's right, LillyBot! Think hard: How you're acting now isn't the same 'bot I met a few days ago! You know that, don't you?"
"I-I-I-I-I-I, I-I-I-I-I-I...I activate RhinoBot's ability: When Rhinobot does not have any Overlay Units, my monster with the least amount of Attack Points is destroyed."
What? But why would she...unless-!
"As a result, we both take damage equal to the destroyed monster's original Attack Points!"
At that, both she and Athena are struck with a bolt of blue electricity that sapped them of 800 Life Points each, bringing the totals down to 1700 and 600 respectively...My friend of course, would only smirk through the impact and call over in a retort,
"You can keep trying, but you can't dodge the truth all night, Lil!"
I on the other hand, was more pressed by the probable result of this Duel that may ensue unless something is done fast.
"Athena, when that special ability activates again, both you and Lilly will run out of Life Points."
"You're right...so I either gotta count on the perfect draw, or prep myself for a different kind of rumble."
Athena...
...Suddenly, a different spark of electricity conducted over the robot, and her limbs fell limp...!
"Huh? LillyBot?"
The response following Athena's inquire of concern, would not be a pleasant one.
"Self-Destruct Program Initiated! Countdown set at One Minute! Self-Destruct Program Initiated! Self-Destruct Program Initiated!"
The four of us simultaneously took in sharp breaths of alarm, and my friend currently dueling exclaims,
"Self-Destruct?! As in Lilly's gonna blow up to kingdom come?!"
"That is correct, Athena. You need to stop that countdown before it reaches zero."
"Mph! What a way to pile on the stakes...Though this shouldn't really change up my plans, right, other than speeding up the clock?"
I nod in confirmation:
"Yes. Just continue with your strategy to duel Lilly's memory back."
"Alright...May God and Lady Luck be on our sides tonight...Draw!"
(Swipe)
"...Ha, yes! Finally! I activate from my hand, Starlight, Starbright!"
LillyBot asks in a monotone but taken aback tone,
"What is this?!"
"It's a Spell that allows me to match up Gagaga Girl's Level to Gagaga Magician!"
As soon as both spellcasters had the same Level of Four...LillyBot felt the rush of her recent memories wash over her in a massive recall.
"...Memory Banks Overriding Operational Protocol! Override, Override, Override!"
She was soon jumping back and forth between her dormant and battle form as the pressures of her true identity fought to take control again...comically enough, by using this familiar phrase.
"Athena, reckless! Athena, reckless! Aaaa-thena, reckless! Athena, reckless!..."
Rolling her red irises, said subject of triggering calls over with a smirking smile,
"Yeah yeah, I know; just belt out what you gotta, Lil!"
Tiffany and Jamal were feeling as inspired:
"Go, Lilly!" "Keep at it, girl!"
The robot had soon snapped back to her normal state:
"Athena, reckless! Athena, reckless! Athena, reckless! Athena, reckless!...Operational Protocol has been successfully overridden!"
Said human girl cheers,
"Alright, she's back!"
...Unfortunately, it would seem that the memory recovery was only able to stop so much of the programming from that thief.
"Therefore, now Failsafe Systems are now Enacted!"
I hear Tiffany mutter anxiously,
"Oh Lilly," while Jamal cursed loudly in time with Athena's...I warn her,
"There are just twenty seconds remaining, Athena!"
"Then let's skip to where it all counts! I now Overlay Level Four Gagaga Magician and Gagaga Girl, to XYZ Summon Number 39: Utopia!"
Said Number would quickly rise up to the field in front of us just as our other two friends urge,
"Cutting to the end here, people!"
"Hurry, Addy!"
"Next I call upon Gagaga Girl's ability! Since she and her master magician were used to XYZ Summon, your monster's Attack Points drop all the way to zero!"
Utopia releases a ringed stream of light to hit Rhinobot, forcing their Attack Points to be eliminated...
"I hoped it wouldn't come to this, but let's see if a good whack will jog you back! Go, Utopia: Attack Rhinobot with Rising Sun Slash!"
His sword connects and destroys the mechanical rhinoceros, leaving LillyBot to go flying backwards as her Life Points dropped to zero, and her countdown stopped just two seconds before the self-destruct sequence could activate...
Hah, thank goodness. That was close.
"LillyBot!"
I snap out of my relieved thought to the sound of Athena and the others rushing to check in on LillyBot and see if there was any positive changes this time. I join them in waiting a moment with bated attention...before her eyes blink as she states,
"Athena, you're reckless. Athena, you're reckless."
Excited smiles spread onto the faces of the three young teens, before they all jump to hug her as Jamal chimes,
"Aw yeah, welcome back, Lilly!"
Once they all calmed down, Athena then says with a soft smile,
"Alright, you guys...let's all head for home, eh?"
We all nod in agreement, LillyBot saying repeatedly,
"Home, home, home," before starting our way to the front gates of this place...
(Boooooom...)
But just as we ready to exit down the path back to the main neighbourhood, we would all pause with wide eyes to the sudden echo of a distant explosion sounding from elsewhere in the city.
"Huh?"
"What the hell was that?"
"Dunno; sounded like it came from up the highway..."
"Uh oh. The others."
Eyes fall onto LillyBot come her sentence, as she turned her face to reflect a frown when she supposingly senses,
"The others, they, continued my countdown..."
...Tiffany would quickly pieced together what the LitterBot meant:
"Uh! You mean, the other robots that creep made off with?"
"Correct."
...We all look to once another with cringed expressions, realizing what likely must have happened, until Athena shrugs and comments nonchalantly,
"Eh, not our problem that Karma decided to turn on him."
Time Skip, No POV
Come the next morning in the Fujina household after the rumble in the junkyard, we would find Terry watching the early news on the living room couch in his dark orange-trimmed grey lounge pants and shirt, cringing at the breaking story being reported.
"Last night when police responded to an explosion, a man was arrested after-"
"Aw crap, someone scooped Yoko's story! Ugh, today's gonna be filled with nonstop bitching over the phone, I know it..."
Athena, dressed in one of her several jogging outfits with her backpack slung over her shoulder and her waist-length long hair tied back in a french braid, quietly snuck behind the furniture past her brother who was silently wailing into his knees, and out the door to start a new day...
"See you later, Gramps, Lilly!"
"Athena, do not forget your Duel Fuel. Catch!"
She spins around and swiftly catches the wrapped package tossed by the LitterBot, before replying back with a slight smile,
"Thanks, Lil. Anything else?"
"Just one thing: You're reckless. You're reckless. You're reckless-"
Groaning with a sweatdrop, Athena waves a dismissive hand and mutters,
"Why do I even ask," before turning to begin the first length of her morning run, smiling as life fell back into step again...