...
...
It's been roughly an hour or two after the events at the private warehouse set by the city pier came to a literal explosive end, and we find our eyes staring within the top floor of Heartland Tower, as Kite stood by his younger brother Hart's bed, watching the little bluenette sleeping as his mind went over what happened not too long ago.
...Little brother. There's been a complication.
A kid named Athena has partnered up with the envoy from Astral World. Like me, they've been gathering Numbers...
And the girl...I now know about the connection you and she share.
(Flash)
"...He was, in there one day, about two years ago, during my captivity with those-mph, horrible excuses for human beings that dared call themselves scientists."
(Flash)
...She, also offered to help us...Somehow, she saw through me, and into the problem you and I are caught within.
(Flash)
"...So that's it? We're just, gonna remain enemies?...Kite, I know what it's like to be manipulated by bad people, and...I also know it's never too late to walk away, even with the risks that come...I'm not asking you to change your mind right now, but, just know...we don't have to be on opposite sides."
"Hm?"
"When you're ready to ditch whoever's yanking yours and Hart's chains...call me, and I'll work with you for however long it takes, to meet something that benefits both our goals. Our true goals."
Kite was both taken aback and slightly confused by the girl's secondary offer.
"What?"
"You can't lie to me, Kite. I can see it in your eyes: You don't, wanna really dole out hurt to Astral and his homeworld...That's someone else's agenda, whoever they are, and yours is only concerned with your little brother's health. Am I right or wrong?"
(Flash)
Shaking his head slightly, Kite thinks to himself with a frown that bordered close to regretful,
But I turned away...because even she can't help us...
...
...At least, not at the present.
Time Skip
It's now somewhere past six in the morning, and we zoom into the Fujina family residence just as Athena comes walking fast down the stairs to start her early bird routine, dressed in her red/black halter top and leggings with matching runners, her hair tied back into a very long black braid tipped copper red, and her dark grey, black-outlined school backpack slung over her shoulder.
"Crap, should've woken up a bit sooner than this...Guess I'll be doin' a shorter morning run today..."
Just as she turns to head to the kitchen, her brother Terry, who was sitting on the couch watching the morning news, calls her to a stop.
"Hold up for a sec, little sis."
Biting back an annoyed groan, she asks hurriedly,
"What is it? I'm wastin' enough time as it is."
"It's about last night: That copy of your uniform you tossed into the laundry was almost torn beyond simple repair, and carried the kind of smell you'd get from using a smoker on salmon."
Athena stiffens slightly, and her older brother with the asymmetrical copper red hair points a thumb to the television before adding in a suspecting tone,
"And this morning's main report is about a blown-up warehouse in the pier district...You weren't near the area at the time, were you?"
The girl with red irises decided on not giving away the full story, but also avoided wording the details in such a way that they sounded like an obvious lie.
"Uh, well, my friends and I might've walked by the area after it blew to smithereens, but we didn't go too close...Maybe my clothes absorbed some of the smoke?"
She began walking into the kitchen to quickly grab her lunch and a small to-go snack for her breakfast as Terry replies with a skeptical brow raised,
"Hmm...doesn't explain the tears in your uniform...But anyway, the investigators are saying the warehouse exploded 'cause of an electrical fire, but I know that kind of damage isn't so simply-achieved. Since Heartland Enterprises owned that building, I'm thinkin' there's some sort-a cover-up."
Speeding past the living room with a few mochi squares in her hands, Athena quickly calls back as she scrambles to open the front door,
"Eh, sounds suspicious, believe me, but I don't got the time to toss theories around right now; I gotta head to school; see ya, Ter!"
(Ka-chank, ka-clank)
"Uuh...Addy?"
Soon the girl was jogging along a shorter path that would lead to the Heartland Dueling Academy, passing a few LitterBots as she scarfed down the last of her snack, before wiping her mouth with the back of her hand while muttering,
"Man, I hate it when I get wired at night. Screwin' up my internal clock..."
Her pendant emits a glowing flash, before Astral materializes beside her form, commenting,
"Your brother is quite intuitive."
"Hah, hah, is he?"
"Yes, and I have a feeling he will eventually find out what you are involved in."
Pausing at the end of a quiet intersection that opened into the deeper city streets, Athena replies,
"Yeah well, I say let him wrack his brain...The only thing that matters to me right now, is that my key is back in my hands, Shark's soul has been restored to his body, and...that you're safe and sound again."
Astral's lips twitched up a smile to match Athena's for a short moment, before he looks forward with a more neutral frown as he thought about the events of last night.
"I must admit, I am still a bit shaken. The fact that Kite has the power to enter your key is most concerning..."
"Tch, honestly, I think he just got lucky in finding his way in...but I'll admit it, Kite really knows how to surprise."
Holding a hand to the back of her head, the girl with red irises thinks aloud with her own frown of mild frustration,
"As much as I feel like I'm starting to, get an idea to who he is and what his motives are, at the same time, those answers are being held out of my reach...One thing is definitely clear, though: Kite isn't doing what he's doing on his own volition."
"So you believe there's another individual, 'behind the scenes' as it were?...Is that why you offered to, help him?"
Moving her feet into the next length of her jog to the Academy, Athena says to Astral with a sigh,
"I know what you're probably thinking, that I'm crazy to hold out a helping hand to our apparent enemy...But, Astral, you saw it in his eyes and heard it in his voice: He doesn't necessarily want to be against us. He just, feels like there's no other way...He's afraid of turning his back on whoever he's working with to gather the Number Cards, not just for his own livelihood, but, his younger brother's too."
"Hm, yes, I know...It may also be that motivation in part, that is preventing him from falling under the influence of the Numbers."
The celestial being goes on as he summarizes what he and the girl had witnessed to this point regarding their duels for his memories.
"Up until now, the duelists we have faced who were using Number Cards were being controlled by the cards. The Number Cards had taken them over, and were making them act strangely, or against their wills...But that does not seem to be the case with Kite: He seems to be perfectly in control. It is very possible that Kite may be in possession of a power, that is not of this world."
That caused Athena to stop for a moment by the riverside to look at Astral with a surprised expression.
"Whoa, you think? What sort of power?"
"I do not know...but his Galaxy-Eyes Photon Dragon he uses. The light that lives inside that monster triggers a strange feeling inside of me. It makes wonder if the dragon, comes from another world..."
"Hm, well given what we've seen this last while, I wouldn't be surprised if that was the case...What's really puzzling me is how Kite came to the conclusion that your memories are suppose to help Hart. Something in my gut's telling me someone fed him false information."
"And you may be correct in that feeling. Perhaps they cannot save him. Perhaps this is about stopping me."
Red irises would widen and dilate in concern:
"Wh-What? Stopping you? Why?"
"Suppose that upon regaining my memories, I will discover something that threatens this hidden figure's plans. We do not know what situation Kite's younger brother is in."
"That's, not entirely true..."
It was Astral's turn to widen his mismatched gold/white irises in surprise, as Athena alliterates while looking towards the strip of blue,
"I've still yet to fully put together this piece, but...Hart was there in that place I was taken to more than two years ago for a reason, maybe related to his health. He looked, fairly fragile in physical terms...Still, I know that place only offered the worst kind of help imaginable, so, I'm hoping he didn't stay there long enough to become...a fellow victim."
"Athena..."
"The strange thing is, Kite wasn't there during that time, or least, I don't feel like he was, so someone else must have brought his little brother to the secret base...But getting back on point, whether Hart did ditch those freaks or not, obviously another party made an offer to help him and Kite that sounded pleasing enough on the surface, but the deal must've turned against them in some shape or form, and now both brothers are caught in a trap with virtually no way out."
Astral concludes,
"Which means that collecting my memories, is but a farce to their own agenda in saving Hart from his unknown health condition."
Athena continued on with her journey to school while replying to her friend floating alongside her,
"Exactly...I'm praying that Kite will eventually swallow his pride and contact me so we can meet up for a civilized discussion, find out just how bad things have gotten for him and Hart, and figure out a way to protect his little brother from these dangerous people they got duped into working for...I don't know if we could reach a part where he'd willingly give us the Number Cards he's collected, but, at the very least, it'd be good to have him on the same side."
"I see...You have a higher hope than I do, then."
"Eh, what can I say? I hate seeing people being manipulated for another's personal gain...since I know from my own experience how it feels, and lemme tell ya, it's a sucky kind of guilt that will eat away at you like acid...Hm?"
The girl briefly looks up towards the sky upon noticing a slight growth in shadow to light, and saw some some dark-looking clouds rolling in over the sun.
"Aw man, that wasn't suppose to be a part of the morning forecast. Damn news, never gets it right...Better step it up incase those clouds open up for rain."
She starts running a little faster, while Astral glances up at the clouds with uncertainty traced in his features, before moving to catch up with her...Soon, they arrived at the entrance courtyard of the Dueling Academy about five minutes close to the first bell, just as Tiffany comes racing in on her own two feet fully-dressed in her school uniform.
"Hey, Tiff, good morning!"
"It'd be good if we weren't running behind! Come on, we need to get you to the girl's bathroom and into your uniform!"
...Four minutes later, Athena emerges from the bathroom dressed for class, grumbling to herself while tugging down the hem of the pink material she was forced to wear on her hips for today.
"Dammit, I can't believe those pants were my last clean pair. Now I'm stuck wearing the stupid girl's skirt..."
Tiffany chides with a smile,
"You can complain more later at lunch, now come on, we need to-"
(Ding, dong, ding, dong...)
"Crap!"
Athena covers her mouth with a fist to stifle a snicker from her friend's exclaim, joking,
"Heh, you finally said crap...Wish this moment was during a lighter time, though. I swear the school board's making the start time more early each year..."
"Hmph!...You know, part of this is your fault, Addy."
She gives the other girl an exaggerated incredulous smile and asks,
"Really~? How is that even remotely possible?"
"Do you not recall last night? The warehouse exploding into a scrap heap after that duel with Kite? I was still shaking like a leaf after I got home 'cause I was worried over you!"
That wiped the upturn of lip from Athena's face, and she mutter's Tiffany's name with some guilt on her face...
"I nearly slept through my alarm thanks to you, not to mention had to barely dodge Dad's cop badgering...And when I say you, I really mean both of you. Astral was on my worry list too."
The girl with cornflower blue irises darts her head to the 'empty' space on her visible friend's left and says with a scolding expression,
"I hope you heard that, Astral. Thanks alot for making me paranoid half the night over you too!"
Athena widens her eyes slightly as she thinks to herself with an impressed air,
Wow, Tiff actually found Astral's hover spot that time...
"...Haaaah, it'll be a miracle that I don't get detention."
"Hey, take it easy, girl. We'll figure something out."
Letting out a more silent breath of air, Tiffany nods at Athena before glancing over in Astral's general direction again to say more calmly,
"But my nagging aside...I'm really glad you're alright, Astral."
Though the girl with black bobbed hair would not be able to see it, the celestial being smiled slightly at her care...
"Addy! Tiff!" "And Astral, if you're out here right now!"
Three sets of eyes turn to one of the staircases leading up to this raised section of the courtyard, and we see Jamal and Caswell rushing up to meet with the trio, moving to stand on either side of Tiffany. Athena greets them first:
"Hey, boys. Welcome to the tarty club."
Jamal comments with a tired smile,
"Geez, last night was really somethin' crazy. I barely got an hour and a half of sleep 'cause I was so wound up, and Mom nearly stopped me from goin' to school 'cause I looked like a walking zombie. Her words, not mine."
Caswell chimes in,
"I had trouble sleeping too, but in the end, I'm glad we were able to be there for you, and for Astral too."
Athena nods and replies sincerely,
"I really appreciated you guys all helping me last night, and sorry that it left you with lack of rest."
"Your welcome, and don't worry about."
"Whah!"
She jumps a little to the sound of a familiar male voice that leaned toward the quiet, shy type, and turns around to see Caden's smiling face on her right.
"Oh, Caden...Sheesh, you're almost too good at the 'sneaking behind people thing'."
"Yeah. That's what happens when you keep to yourself for too long."
"Right."
The last to arrive would be Flip, and he walked over casually with a sneaky smile on his face.
"He-ey, guys!"
"Hey, Flip!" "Flip!" "Morning."
"I'm surprised any of you actually showed up today and aren't home sleeping off last night."
Tiffany's eyes narrowed slightly in suspicion to the tone the shorter male used.
"Why do you say that?"
"Weeell, I might've just talked our principal into letting all six of us have a therapy day, after telling him about 'witnessing' the 'mysterious explosion' down at the pier last night while walkin' the city streets, and us becoming so freaked we couldn't sleep. Totally bought it after seeing how haggard I looked."
"What?!" "No way...!" "You didn't...!"
(Ding, dong, ding, dong...)
The second bell signalling the start of first class goes off...and the six academy students look to one another with partially cheeky or nervously-cheery smiles, Athena commenting,
"Heh, well, technically it's not a full lie: Looking closely, we all got hinted features of someone with a hangover."
That brought a spout of light laughter from everyone else, while Astral tilted his head to the side in confusion from the description.
"Hangover?"
"Remember when I explained being drunk? Hangover's the aftereffect, which usually involves a major headache, least according to my brothers..."
"Ah..."
Nodding slightly at the clarity forming on the celestial being's face, Athena then proposes to the group as a whole,
"So, since Flip just granted us a free day, what say we all head to the Axel Cafe?"
"Sure." "Alright." "Sounds good!"
With that, the several persons began making their way off the school grounds, if a touch reluctantly on Caswell and Tiffany's parts.
"Um, are we absolutely sure this is okay?"
"Yeah, especially since most of our folks don't know about this 'change of plans'..."
Flip waves their worries off with a casual hand and chides,
"It'll be fine, you guys. I gave a pretty convincing performance in my cover, and they don't usually call up the residences anyway once somebody says something."
Athena agreed, adding,
"I have a feeling Mister Kay's not gonna be expecting us in class today anyway..."
"Well, alright..."
"I dunno if I like this, but I'll trust your judgements."
The bespectacled boy chimes,
"That's the spirit," and slaps Caswell's back with a laugh, accidentally sending the other forward!
"Waaah!"
The boy with bowl-cut hair trips on a trajectory course for Athena...but she would feel no impact...when time suddenly comes to a screeching halt!
"(...Opens eyes) Huh? Uah! What the-?!"
...But there was something different about this version of time manipulation, as evident by the sparkling orbs of red, blue and gold yellow floating in the atmosphere...Darting her red irises away from her fellow classmates currently on the frozen end of the freeze dance game, Athena looks over at Astral to make sure he was still moving with her.
"Astral?...Oh good, you're able to move too...Is this, what I think is happening?"
"Yes. It would seem time has stopped."
"But...this isn't Kite's doing, is it?"
"No...This is something else."
This was certainly true, for if this was the work of the Number Hunter with the troubled-morale, then this strange phenomenon would not be affecting the entire city of Heartland (and quite possibly the rest of the globe; who knows?)...
However, Athena and Astral would not be the only ones able to move freely in this 'time-be-damned' realm. Moving to the inside of one of the Heartland Tower rooms, we find Mister Heartland speaking with his scheming partner to find out what was causing this.
"Doctor Faker, what is going on?!"
"Two electromagnetic surges, one from Astral World, and one from another world, have collided right on top of Earth. Because of the energy in that collision, time has temporarily stopped."
The male with green hair and showy-designed glasses found it hard for his mind to grasp such an improbable concept.
"How can time just stop?"
Doctor Faker shrugs it off as if they were talking about the weather.
"These things happen, Heartland. In a matter of hours, the collisional aftershocks will wear off, and everything will return to normal. (Narrows eyes) But there can be no mistake, that the two worlds are drawing closer to one another. We're running out of time. We must stop Astral World!"
...We turn back now to the area just out front of the Heartland Dueling Academy, as Astral spots yet another odd detail to add to this phenomenon.
"Athena, look!"
She follows his gaze to the sky...and her jaw would drop in disbelief at the sight of not one, not two, but three suns shining down from the dark cloudy sky!
"What the hell?! Since when does Earth sit near three suns?!"
Shielding her eyes from the glaring light of those larger than life stars, she mutters,
"I know one of them is a part of this galaxy, but the other two...they look like they're from elsewhere..."
And, their hues...they look so familiar...
Astral would voice similarly in bated breath:
"I know one of those suns...I believe it shines on my world...!"
"Whoa, really?...Ooh, right, I remember from my visions: Your world has the same blue as that sun!...Which means...the third one..."
(Flash)
The deformed red beast looming near Athena's form during the destruction of the secret lab base she was forcibly taken to...
(Flash)
The comet-like blasts colliding with Astral World...
(Flash)
"It's gotta be from the place that's been antagonizing your world for...well I dunno how long exactly, but long enough for it to be a huge problem."
The celestial being from said other galaxy nods absentmindedly...before drawing in a sharp breath when he senses something else amiss...At the same time, we find yet another lucky pair able to run around the 'frozen' city freely, or rather, glide through the air.
"I hope you're right about this, Orbital Seven. This could prove most useful."
Kite lands down in the middle of the Monorail Central Station Square, and as Orbital shifts into his regular form, the former asks,
"Now you're sure this is where they met?"
"I am! Every action they-they've taken leaves a footprint on the fabric of t-time and space. With this unexpected phenomenon occurring, we-we can now see those footprints."
The blond looks forward and activates his duel gazer tattoo while the orbital unit went on.
"The-Their journey together started right here: Athena was dueling the young human male, Shark..."
Flashback
Returning to the first duel that started it all, we come back to somewhere near the end of the first half...
"You fool. Did you really think you could beat me, the best of the best and win Jamal's deck back?"
Athena looks down at her broken pendant with a frown of frustration and her forehead dripping a bead of sweat, gripping it tight like it was a stress ball.
That was the plan, but I guess the universe wants a different outcome.
What the hell am I gonna do now?
"Face it, Athena: I stomped your little key to pieces, and now, I'm gonna stomp you!"
Of course, we recall that the girl with fiery red irises wasn't one to take an insult lying down.
"Don't talk to me about fighting the impossible! No matter how many times I crash and burn, I always get back on my feet to run for tomorrow. That's what it means to make your history: Never give up, block out the haters and push past your limits to leave your mark on the world! And speaking of marking my place..."
She rips off her pendant:
"That's what I'm doing now!"
(...Sheen)
"Uh?"
Flashing through the moments of Astral entering the realm of Earth through the demonic door, Athena returning to reality shortly after the Number Cards disperse, one quickly finding residence in Shark before being summoned to the field as Leviathan Dragon (Number 17) and attacking their opponent hard, we revisit the first time Astral spoke to the girl as she second-guesses her chances of a comeback.
"Rise."
"Huh?"
"...Rise up."
"Guh! Who...W-Who the heck are you?"
Fast-forward again to the moment when Utopia makes his first appearance...
"At last, the stage is set."
"(Turn) For wha-Hang on...Gagaga and Gonbara, are Level Four..."
"Look at your deck, Athena."
She pulls out the card:
"Uh! An XYZ Monster...! (Squints eyes) But, I can't read the text; it's too foreign..."
"I can. It's Number 39: Utopia."
It wouldn't be long before Number 39 rose to the occasion as the deciding card for this duel...
"Go, Utopia: Attack Leviathan with Rising Sun Slash!"
And one twin-cut down the middle was all it took for Leviathan Dragon to be destroyed in a mass cluster of pixels, which continued trajectory through the ground straight for Shark, he thrown back to the tune of his outcry and the final drop to zero Life Points!
End of Flashback
(PULSE)
"Aaaaauh! Aaaa-aaurrrhhh!..."
This access to the pathways of that certain duo would not bode very well for the celestial being, his mind receiving one of those type of migraines that makes you feel like someone's taking a jackhammer to your skull cavity! Athena became quite worried as Astral lets out a few cries and grips the sides of his head with a pained expression.
"Astral! Astral, what's wrong?!"
"M-My head! I have never felt like this before! Rgh! Someone, is trying to get into my head, and access my memories!"
"What?! No way!"
Shaking off some of the throbbing headache, Astral says with a wince in his tone,
"Athena, we need to revisit the places we have dueled."
Sensing how serious he sounded, Athena nodded with concern dilating in her red irises and a firmed frown, before scrambling to follow after her friend as he floated ahead of her en route to where the 'mystery' intruder of Astral's memories was going next...
In which case, Kite would be riding aboard the motorcycle-formed Orbital near the second site representing 'Number Landmarks'.
"Echoes of another duel are coming from inside that tower..."
(Flash)
That tower was noneother than the same one under construction where the events surrounding the original Crashbug Virus occurred...
"You've set me up for a perfect victory! I overlay Crashbug X, Y and Z! With these three monsters, I build the Overlay Network!"
"...Here comes Number 34: Terrorbyte!"
But as we recall, Athena prevailed once she and Astral found a way to work with one another more fluidly and summoned out both of the Numbers they had at the time.
"You're up first, Leviathan: Attack Terrorbyte with Shock-Stream Blast!"
The dragon would obliterate the data-chip rinocer-oid in one shot, leaving Mister Kay to cringe back against the electrical tide while his Life Points dropped to 2000...But that was only part one:
"Alright, Utopia, finish this off: Attack him directly with Rising Sun Slash!"
(SLASH)
"Aaaaaaaaaaaaaagggghhhhhhhh!"
The math teacher meets defeat, his Life Points gone in one swing from the Number's golden blade...!
(Flash)
We draw this window into the past closed just as Astral comes to stop near the entrance to the monorail station square, with Athena rushing to meet his side shortly afterward.
"Hah, hah, good lord, you're fast when you wanna be, Astral...Wait, since when have you been able to make off without me? Usually I'm the one having to take the lead, not that there was much of a choice in it for either of us..."
"It must be because of this cosmic occurrence that I am now able to move away from you."
"...I see. (Looks around) And what exactly are we searching for?"
The celestial being corrects the human girl:
"You mean...what is he searching for."
He then made a new course out of the area, forcing Athena to make chase again.
"Whoa, hey!"
Hang on...He?...Uh! Kite!
...The next place the pair would stop at was the courtyard area of the city mall, which the girl with red irises would recognize from her third duel involving Numbers.
"Here...This is where I dueled against Flip. I'd say we, but..."
(Flash)
Astral's kneeling body encased in that capsule of deep blue energy with light rings dancing around it...
(Flash)
"You were kind-of, unable to participate..."
"Correct. He was able to cease our Numbers, and as a result, my connection to you was severed. It became up to you to win the duel."
"Right. You coaxed me into summoning Baby Tiragon and ultimately protect him long enough that I was able to bring out Stinging Swordsman, using both their abilities to turn karma against Flip."
Athena then clenched her teeth a little as she remembers aloud,
"And that duel, opened up alot more than I expected it would...It acted as the first trigger, for the memories of my kidnapping to start returning. It, wasn't much compared to now...but it was enough to make my heart feel as if it was submerged in ice water."
...Moving along and away from the mall, we find ourselves in the seaport area of the city near the studio building where production of the ESPer Star Sparrow
fantasy sci-fi series took place, the next stop in Kite's tour of the 'footprints' left behind from Athena and Astral's duels for Numbers.
"Knowing who Astral and Athena are will help me defeat them...I wonder what details this sound stage will reveal?"
Flashback
Rewinding time, we return to when the girl had confronted Nelson about his recent actions as a vigilante superhero...
"...He's completely lost in the identity that's The Sparrow."
"Athena, I didn't want it to come to this...Alas, if you are with the Dark Emperor, (points at me) then I have no choice but to battle you!"
"(Both) Let's Duel!"
Jumping forward through the first two turns, we highlight the moment Number 83 was brought to the field.
"I XYZ Summon! Kneel before Number 83: Galaxy Queen!"
"...I have journeyed through time and space to fight the forces of evil, and restore justice to the galaxies!"
"That so? Well I traveled all the way down here from the Academy to fight the emotions that bind you, and restore your true identity for the world to see. And I have absolutely no intentions of turning back!"
Eventually, Athena would find a way to prevail in this duel thanks to Astral's general knowledge of the character Nelson was portraying.
"Hope your ready, 'Sparrow'! This will decide who takes the glory page in today's chapter! Utopia: Attack Galaxy Queen with Rising Sun Slash!"
Her monster brings out their tall, golden blades and prepares to attack, just as her opponent makes his own final move.
"Not so fast, Athena: I activate the Trap Card, Star Sparrow Forever!"
"What will that do, counterattack?"
"This card allows me to bring Star Sparrow out of my graveyard with 0 Attack Points, and like he always does, Sparrow jumps in to protect those being attacked!"
On that note, both ESPer Star Sparrows spread their arms in a protective stance for their queen, shocking Athena and Astral, as Utopia continues his trajectory to cut down on that monster instead, destroying him while the actor is thrown back hard in an outcry, his Life Points skydiving to zero!
End of Flashback
As that battle's memory drew the curtain down, we turn our eyes to the front gates of the Heartland City Museum where Athena and Astral were currently standing by on the sidewalk near a random young couple...
"Athena, do you recall your second duel with Shark?"
A slightly bitter smile forms on the girl's lips as she replies dryly,
"Heh, how can I not? Barely got through more than half the duel before I blacked out from my spiking metabolism...I ignored my body's warning signs, all 'cause I was too hell-bent on saving Shark from becoming like Scorch and Chills...like someone, I was close to becoming another time ago..."
Astral's contrasting gold and white irises would stare at her form for a moment, remembering the details of her full reveal the few days after waking in the hospital regarding her time as an underground street fighter...
(Flash)
"Like all highs, mine had an expiration date. Once I made the drop...the next step was cleaning myself up, physically and mentally. I went home, got rid of basically everything that I had gained as 'Beserker', and reclaimed my identity as Athena Fujina. I may have received alot of mental and physical scars...but I take them in as a reminder to never, ever fall that far again."
(Flash)
"After that, we were passing this area on the night Scorch and Chills were planning on breaking into the museum."
"All thanks to a tip from a certain asshole I'd rather not put a name to right now...It would be my first serious tag duel, (slight smile) and I'm proud to say Shark was an excellent teammate."
Flashback
"(All duelists) Let's Duel!"
We jump to the moment the first new Number Card featured in this duel is summoned to attack.
"...I summon Number 61: Volcasaurus!"
Scorch would not waste time in releasing the Number's power upon the younger teens.
"Say bye-bye to Aero Shark, and say hello to a world of hurt!"
And shortly after she acts as a cushion for her partner, Athena would also feel the wrath of Volcasaurus...
"Your Number Card's as good as ours!"
The older males would soon regret their taunting natures, when the duel is turned around against them after a couple more turns...
"Black Ray Lancer: Attack Volcasaurus!"
Using its spear, the monster takes out the opposing Number in one fell slash, leaving Scorch to cringe as his Life Points drop to 1900...
"Your partner's out of the picture and you've got no monsters to hide behind!"
"It's safe to say that you're gonna get pwned, for by sending Utopia to the Graveyard, Black Ray Lancer's able to swing in one more time to attack you directly!"
"Whah?! No way!"
"Oh yes way! Go, Shimmering Spear Slash!"
One kaboom from the monster's power sends Scorch and Chills flying to the ground, as the former's Life Points fall to zero to join the latter...
End of Flashback
Exiting from that recollection of events, we find the human/celestial pair walking down a street that led to a main traffic intersection, as the girl adds in an afterthought,
"According to one of Akira's buddies, Scorch and Chills were last seen being chased out of the city just a day afterward with the rest of their boys by some, 'old enemies' he and I share..."
"And by, enemies, you mean members of the Fallen Stars, correct?"
"That's right...One thing you should know about street gangs, Astral, is that they're alot like wolves, real territorial. Nobody likes a nosy busybody...Not to say they can't form a few allies, but the Fallen Stars prefer to operate independently, if with a few business deals on the side."
Stopping by the crosswalk, Athena shifts the topic back on their current objective.
"Anyway, where are we now?...Ah, right: This is where we had our first face-time with Kite."
"Yes, and we would be far from prepared for our second meeting a mere day later."
"Tch, and lousy timing on Kite's part too, snaring me just after I fought off a couple punks with Akira...We gave it our best shot, but even then, he schooled us hard."
Flashback
We rejoin the events of said duel just around after Galaxy-Eyes Photon Dragon powers itself up with Utopia's stolen Overlay Units...
"Alright then, it's my move. Now, Galaxy-Eyes, let her have it: Photon Stream of Destruction!"
The dragon monster charges up, before releasing a torrent of star-like energy to blast against Utopia, who thankfully was able to withstand and remain on the field...
"Even though only a Number can destroy a Number, you're still gonna take damage!"
Athena held her ground, shielding her face with her arm as her Life Points dropped to 2500...
"Next I'm gonna play this, the Spell Card, Photon Wind! And it'll be knocking the wind out of you, because when I deal damage without destroying your monster, you take an additional 1000 points of damage!"
She and Astral would be sent flying to the ground as the former's Life Points dropped even further to 1500...
"And that's not all my Photon Wind lets me do. Now I get to draw a card, and then I'll place one face-down. With that, I end my turn."
Such explanations would be put in the background for the pair on the loser end of this duel, as Astral gazed down at his throbbing skin...
"Astral..."
"As your Life Points diminish, my Life Force does with it."
Kite makes his taunt as he clenches a fist tight:
"I have you right in the palm of my hand. Can you feel the crush of defeat closing in?"
Rising to her feet with only the slightest falter in her step, the girl retorts bravely with a smirk,
"No, but I'm definitely feeling the weight of your ego, so knock it off."
By the end, however, witty comebacks would do little to stop the Number Hunter from calling out what may have been his finisher...But as we know, something else got in the way.
"Go, Photon Stream of-Uh-hah!"
"I-Incoming message...M-Master Kite!"
One glance at the projection of his incapacitated younger brother was all Kite needed to see before making a hasty retreat, forgetting about the duel.
"We'll finish this later!"
He snaps back the Duel Anchor from Athena's wrist:
"Uh!"
"For now, I must leave!..."
End of Flashback
"...Luck was definitely on our side that evening when he called off the duel, Hart's too I guess...If the battle continued...it would've been the end of everything for the both of us."
Running a hand over her face, Athena mutters with a cringed sigh,
"I was so angry at the world for the next few days afterward, 'cause it was a hell of alot easier than being a sad little prick...Least that's what I wanna believe, but, teh, who am I foolin'? I was depressed. I just, wanted to make a bigger show of it that time, use anger as a shield...We were both harping on ourselves after that duel..."
Forming a hint of a wry smile, she then recollects,
"But thanks to Gramps, we were sent back on the path to regaining our confidence by way of Master Roku and his lessons on 'moving a monster'. Then I'd put those teachings to the test when Master's former student Kaze came by lookin' for vengeance..."
(Flash)
"(Both duelists) Let's Duel!"
"...I XYZ Summon, Number 12: Crimson Shadow Armour Ninja!"
Just as Athena begins to get overly frustrated with Kaze's dark-influenced attitude, Astral steps in to steer her back on course.
"Do not let his words anger you to the point of distraction, Athena. Remember that you are not alone: You have got your friends behind you...I understand that when your back is against the wall, you may feel outnumbered...but you are not. When you have friends, you are never alone...You can do it."
"You're absolutely right. As long as I remember where I stand, and who's still with me when the road gets rough, nothing's impossible...Now to put this rising determination to good use, and take this ninja wannabe down!"
Shortly after overlaying her Dododo Warrior and Gagaga Magician to summon her own signature Number, Athena would put him to work taking down the opposing monster.
"...Go, Utopia: Attack Crimson Shadow Armour Ninja!"
Once Number 39 'subtracted' 12 from the play the first time, he would easily do so the second and final time after the Revenge Spell activates...
"This can't be! Aaaaaaaaggggghhhhhhh!"
(Flash)
Athena and Astral were standing on a street corner a good couple blocks away from the old townhouse belonging to a certain trouble-making fortuneteller as the former finishes recalling details of their time at the Duel Sanctuary.
"I definitely didn't expect to be given the sanctuary's Legendary Deck, but I'll forever be grateful to Master Roku for allowing me to take these monsters under my wing so we can grow together. Definitely got a better array of cards around the right time too, (narrows eyes) when that creep Fortuno came after everyone to force me into a duel."
Flashback
We turn back to the moment when the said man's first Number makes their appearance.
"...I XYZ Summon, Number 16: Shock Master!"
This was the day Astral was able to put a name to the feeling that was eating away at his heart this last while.
This feeling I have...this trembling in my spirit...
I think I now understand what it means to-...be afraid.
Things became especially emotional when it looked like the celestial being would have to surrender his existence to save the people he had formed connections with.
"You have to surrender your Number Card, Athena. In order to save your friends...you have to-"
To sacrifice your life without any true care about what exactly you're giving up...
I've been there, and it's sickening to think about, let alone hear it in another's!
"Athena?"
"Are you out of your mind?! I won't believe; I won't believe this is the only way!"
"There is no other..."
"...My friends. It's a wonder they haven't ditched me yet, the broken girl who barely has her head above water...But, they've stuck by, no matter what. Good days, bad days, at least one of them would be there, ready when I needed them, and ever since I walked away from that other life, I made a vow to always be there for the people who still dare to call me their friend."
"I know. That is why I am saying you should-"
Athena quickly cuts him off while at the point of breaking into hysterics.
"You really don't get it, huh?...Astral, I just said I'll always be there for a friend in need, and, (whirls to him) that includes you! You're my friend!"
Once the illusions of Fear were destroyed and Astral was given the better vision of Hope thanks to Athena's acknowledgement as a companion, the power of Chaos XYZ Summoning would be unlocked.
"...Athena. Win this."
"Consider it done, my friend..."
We jump forward to just as Utopia returns to their side, and Astral activates his new power.
"The path has been made!"
"Wh-Whadda you mean? Path for what?"
"For this: Chaos Number 39! By combining Utopia with its Overlay Units, Utopia can further evolve itself. The time is now, Athena!"
"(Both) Go, Chaos XYZ Evolution! Get ready for Chaos Number 39! I give you, Utopia Ray!"
One major power boost later, the dueling pair would call the deciding blow against Fortuno's second Number Card.
"Do it now, Utopia Ray: Attack Big Eye! Rising Sun Chaos Slash!"
The Chaos Number takes out the enemy in three strokes, leaving their wielder to go flying backwards with a yell as his Life Points barrelled to zero.
End of Flashback
Cutting away from they, we focus back on the other pair responsible for the memory access, Kite and Orbital, as they pause in the middle of that certain park plaza that played center stage to a particularly grueling duel for Numbers...
"Our efforts in learning more about Astral and Athena by tracing their memories have led us here. This is the location of their most recent memory dealing with a Number."
Which if we all recall, was certainly one of the toughest yet.
Flashback
When Athena's key was whacked off her person thanks to a careless pedestrian, it's absent power would allow Number 96: Black Mist to break free from their seal and cause some havoc, including taking over Astral's being!
"What is happening...?!"
(Bzzzzt)
"Aaah-Rrrrrgh!"
"Astral!"
"...Number 96: It is trying to take control of me!"
Jamal mutters harshly,
"I knew there was something off about that Number," while Athena wondered warily,
"But what does it want with Astral?"
"Oh you'll find out my desires soon enough, human..."
The teens tense to the sound of Black Mist's darkly-chuckling voice echo from the struggling Astral's person...
"You hear that?"
"Yeah...That was definitely not Astral."
"What you should be more pressed with is now that the Key is no longer around your neck, I am no longer sealed in my card...which means I am free to take control of your dear friend, Astral."
Once he had full possession over the blue being and maintained a captive-tight grip on Athena, the shadowy Number would move forward in his agenda.
"Now onto step two. Acquiring Number 39: Utopia!"
But, Jamal wasn't about to let Black Mist get away with their schemes.
"Yo, tall, dark and so not friendly! If you wanna get your mitts on Utopia, you gotta beat me in a duel!"
Jumping forward into the beginning of the battle, Number 96 would quickly bring himself out in his first turn.
"...I will then Overlay these three Level Twos, in order to build the Overlay Network, and XYZ Summon! A copy of myself, Number 96: Black Mist!"
Despite the strength this monster may have had, Athena and Astral were able to form a plan of deception that would ultimately lead Jamal to victory.
"This, cannot be!"
"Oh it be. Let this be a lesson to never, mess with the like of us again! Utopia, attack Black Mist with Rising Sun Slash!"
Two slashes later, and the shadow beast monster would explode in a cloud of black smog, leaving Athena to duck and cover from the main force of after impact, while the real enemy was hit full-blast as his Life Points plummeted to zero!
"Aaaaaaah! No way...I, I LOST! IMPOSSIBLE!"
End of Flashback
The memory would draw to a close just as the girl with red irises and the blue-skinned being with mismatched gold and white eyes arrive in the area.
"Hah, hah, hah...Okay, here, was where we truly fought Black Mist...and, that's it, or rather, this as far as we've come so far in our search for Numbers."
"That is right...Now, where is...?"
The two look around the park plaza, both feeling that their search for the one skimming through these highlighted dates was close by...Astral would spot Kite first with a gasp in his breath, causing Athena to spin on her heel to follow his gaze upward, locking onto a familiar distant figure standing atop a skyscraper across the street away from their standing point...
"I knew he was the one tracking our memories!"
The second Astral voices such a note...the electromagnetic anomaly finally ended its course on the Earth, and time would continue onward again...Which also meant that Caswell would continue his trajectory to the ground back outside the Heartland Dueling Academy.
"Gu-aaaah-oof!"
Everyone else would rush to his side as Tiffany asks worriedly,
"Caswell, are you alright?"
He replies in an uncharacteristically aggressive tone as he lifts himself from the pavement,
"Grh, I will be after I knock Flip flat!"
The bespectacled boy exclaims defensively,
"Sorry, man; didn't mean to slap your back that hard!"
As Jamal steps between the two to prevent a possible smack-down, Caden notices someone missing from their little friendship circle.
"Hey, hold on...Where's Addy?"
...We check back with said girl in the park plaza area, as she and Astral stare up with frowns at the smirking Kite, who calls down,
"We'll settle things at the World Duel Carnival!"
He then turns around to take flight with Orbital's glider form, and Athena watches him go with a grim smile forming after letting out a small breath.
"...I sure hope we do, Kite, and I'll look forward to dueling you on more neutral ground."
She turns to head out of the area...but would stop dead in her tracks, upon spotting a much more antagonizing and familiar figure in his middle-teens standing at the entrance/exit of the plaza, leaning on a pole casual-like with his lightly-tanned arms folded and a smirk that spelled trouble spread onto his lips. All it took was one look at his short, dark green spiky hair tipped black, and the black hole symbol on his white muscle tank-top, contrasting his ripped black jeans with chains hanging off the right pocket, indigo finger-less gloves matching his boots with white laces...before Athena felt as if she were on death row.
"Uh...!"
No...It, can't be...!
Noticing how rigid her body had become, Astral tries to inquire what the problem was out of concern.
"Athena? Athena, what is wrong?"
"Hello, Berserker."
The celestial being darts his head forward upon hearing that address to the girl from the new face in the area, recognizing the title name.
That, name...Uh! That boy; is he-!
Irises the colour of orange-stained dirt lock with red as the punk-dressed male adds in a snide sort of way,
"Long time, no see."
Athena felt anything but mutual, a growl in her tone as her eyes narrowed into slits.
"Trilos...What the hell is a lowlife like you doing on this side of the city?"
The addressed forms a feigned pout and begins approaching the other while replying,
"Aw, that hurts: I thought everyone was entitled to goin' where they want whenever they wanted to."
"Yeah, well knowing your track record, you avoid the nicer parts of Heartland if you can help it so you don't have to deal with the cops...You came here for a reason, and I'm willing to bet it has to do with old grudges you're too petty to let go of."
Replacing the fake expression of hurt for a shrewd smirk, Trilos jeers,
"Keh, you'd certainly know about that subject, wouldn't you, Berserker?"
"Stop calling me that! I dumped that poison out more than a year and a half ago, and I won't have you of all people remind me of it!"
"Why not? It's not like you're ever gonna escape the life of a punk. Are you even sure you're in a safe zone now?"
"...What're you talking about?"
Trilos forms a knowing sort of grin that to Athena looked like one of those smiles of a villain from her brother's old comic book collections.
"Don't think for a moment I haven't seen your progress since you deserted me and my boys...Heh, it's kind-a funny and pitiful watching you trying so hard to live life as another duel-crazy teenager, yet every so often..."
He leans his face in a lunging manner towards the girl, making her flinch slightly.
"Mph!"
"You slip up, and that spark ignites, flickering up that ole fighter flame that lights up who you really are for the whole world to see. Even if it lasts for a second or two...it's not dead. You're still a Fallen Star."
Those words were enough to make Athena stumble backwards in an attempt to distance herself from this older teen.
"Gh!...You're wrong. You're insane; I'm nowhere even close to being the girl that used to dominate my being!"
"Mm, true: You have softened since you ditched the club..."
Trilos widens his grin slightly and adds,
"Making you an easier target then you ever were."
"Why are you doing this, Trilos? Why me?"
"Because you were one of my best fighters, and I hate losing something valuable...You know, you don't have to end up like past traitors I've had to, 'erase'. All you gotta do, is swear your loyalty to me again, and we can get you back as the fighting machine you used to be."
Astral, who was helplessly stuck on the sidelines of this scene with no way to actually interfere, widens his eyes at the other male for suggesting such a deal.
He would dare-!...Athena. Athena, do not listen; do not consider for even a second what he is offering!
As if she was able to hear the blue-skinned being's thoughts, the red-eyed girl grinds her teeth before saying to Trilos in a low, icy tone,
"You, bastard...Do you honestly think I'm so weak that I'll just crawl back into that cesspool? Newsflash: I ain't, and never will be! I want nothing to do with you or the rest of the Fallen Stars; you can go to hell for all I give a damn!"
To her surprise, the older teen with dark green hair tipped black lets out a barked laugh.
"Why am I not surprised that'd be your answer?...Alright, fine. You wanna get your grave dug? I can oblige, and to make it even more of a living hell for you, I'll even use this so-called Duelin' Carnival that's coming to the city as the graveyard."
"What?"
"Oh come on, Berserker, don't tell me you forgot? I may not be as avid a player, but I can duel...So we'll just do this like what happens at the club: I'll find you and crush your rebel attitude along with your cards in the tournament. And who knows? (Sneer) Maybe I'll even take out a few of your little buddies in the process."
Athena's body was on the brink of shaking from her rising anger:
"You come near the people I care about...and I will end you!"
"Heh, you can keep telling yourself that, but I know how this'll end."
(Grasp)
"Uh!"
Trilos then grips the girl's left shoulder hard, dangerously close to the point where bone could break, and jerks her forward to his side to hiss in her ear,
"You'll be on the ground with your blood pooling, bones broken, and begging me to spare your life...the life I was so close to ending at the pier that year and a half ago. Luck may not have been on my side that day...but it will be soon."
He releases her with a harsh shove, and walked passed her out of the area, adding over his shoulder,
"That's a guaranteed promise, Berserker! A promise that I, Janko Trilos, will keep!"
...
...
Once he was gone, Athena felt the strength of her legs give out, and she fell to her knees, prompting Astral to hover down to her side in a worried manner.
"...Athena, are you alright?"
"...That's my name."
"Huh?"
Gripping her palms into fists, the girl with shaggy black hair tipped copper red began muttering to herself in a mantra,
"I, am, Athena. Not, Berserker. Berserker is dead, Athena's alive. I will never, be, Berserker, again..."
Trilos, you sonovabitch...If anyone's gonna be taking anybody down, it'll be me, to you!