Pale yellows, reds and purples made up the early morning skies, casting a pale glow over the concrete-dominant streets of the city of Heartland...
Standing outside the Fujina Residence as a lone soul awake at this time of day, was Athena, dressed in one of her more casual jogging outfits, consisting of a pair of soft black capri pants, a light grey tank-top that hugged her body to show off her thin figure and subtle muscle tone, and black running shoes with blue laces woven in this round for a splash of colour, highlighting the edges of her white ankle socks.
She was leaning her back against the barrier wall that ran along the front of her home before opening to a staircase, right foot propped up and her left standing near her sky blue backpack with leather outlining, twisting her left index finger around some of her long black hair tipped copper red, sighing in an impatient manner.
"For gods sake, he should be here by now. That guy and I always pass eachother during my runs..."
"Who exactly are you speaking about, Athena?"
She glances over to her right at Astral, replying dryly,
"The mailman. I should be receivin' my entrance stuff for the WDC today in the mail."
"W, D, C?"
"The World Duel Carnival, doigt! It said on the website the day before yesterday that I should be getting my things for the tournament today."
Thank god I found the Apply part on it when I got home...
I almost have to thank both Kite...and that bastard Trilos, for reminding me about the Carnival.
(Beep-beep)
"Oh! That should be him now."
Turning our attention to the right, we see a man dressed in a jean blue courier's uniform riding up the small incline on a red Segway, his expression displaying a mundane indifference...
"Yo, delivery dude!"
He pauses his drive in front of Athena's home upon hearing her address, which read in her red irises as an okay to approach to inquire about any deliveries that had her name on them.
"Thanks for stoppin'. Just wanted to ask if there's anything in your run this morning that might be for me. I'm expecting a package of sorts sometime today. My name is Athena Fujina."
"Athena, is it?"
The mailman opens a projection screen that listed his deliveries for today.
"Let's see here...Ah, lucky you: There's a small package addressed to you from Heartland Industries, for some sort of tournament."
"Yeah, yeah! That'll be the WDC!"
Getting off the seat of the Segway, the uniformed male walks over to open the back compartment to pull out a very small parcel wrapped in brown paper with a letter attached.
"Here it is. I'll just get you to sign here...Alright, we're good to go. Have a nice day."
"You too, sir, and thanks!"
With that, the mailman drove away on his mode of transport, leaving Athena to sit on the grassy strip between the sidewalk and blacktop Indian-style while staring at the package and letter now in her hands.
"Huh...I actually expected a bit more than this..."
Her blue-skinned friend comes to float in a mock-sitting position right next to her on her left side, folding his legs sideways, also curious about the contents.
"That is a rather small package...What could be inside, and does the letter provide more instructions?"
"Only one way to find out."
(Rip, rrrip...)
...Both the human and celestial being formed puzzled expressions once the small parcel was torn open, revealing what appeared to be a brass framework shaped like the iconic heart, with a singular piece of a fake magenta ruby clicked in the left corner.
"Huh? What the heck is this?"
"It appears to be an incomplete heart of some like...though I too am confused of its purpose."
"(Shrug) Eh, the letter's probably gonna explain."
Carefully placing the strange object in her lap, Athena then clicks open the letter, unveiling a projection message delivered by noneother than the mayor of this mysterious city.
"Congratulations, duelist, and welcome to the World Duel Carnival!..."
Small Time Skip
Jumping along to the beginning of the apparent school day, we zoom in on a random classroom where the rest of our cast would meet up, starting with Caswell who received a rather animated greeting from Jamal.
"Go~od morning, Cas, otherwise known as my favourite brainiac!"
Nearly choking from the strong arm over his shoulders, the boy with the bowl-cut hair exclaims annoyed and uncomfortable,
"Gah! It was a good morning until you showed up!"
Tiffany and Caden approach the two with amused smiles, the former commenting,
"I see you woke up on a 'greater than the good' side of the bed this morning, Jamal."
"Every side's the best side this mornin', Tiff! And here's why."
The boy with long dreadlocks releases Caswell (much to his relief) to then pull out his duel disk, showing an ad for the dueling tournament that's taken hold of everyone's attention throughout the city.
"Because the WDC's starting, finally!"
Tiffany forms a cheery, close-eyed smile:
"Oh yes, of course!"
"This tourney's gonna be off, the hook, awesome!"
Brushing aside the ruffled greeting with the other boy, Caswell puts in his own two cents on the subject, also happy that the event was finally drawing up its curtain.
"Due in no small part to what the duelist could win: Not only will the winner be immortalized as a champion for all time, but they get a free lifetime pass to Heartland!"
Flip enters the circle of conversation next with his own blurb of the details related to the Carnival.
"And you'll really flip when you hear this part: Mister Heartland himself has promised to grant the winner one wish, and make it come true no matter what it takes!"
The girl with cornflower blue irises chimes,
"Really?"
Flip nods and announces smartly (well, smartly to him),
"I already know what my wish is gonna be. I'm gonna wish for a hundred more wishes; how smart is that?"
...Caswell forms a deadpanned expression and mutters,
"Maybe you should just wish for a less goofy hat," while Caden thought aloud in a wistful manner,
"No matter what, hm?...Maybe I could wish for a date with Addy..."
He sighs dreamily to himself with a purr and a light blush...
Sweatdropping a bit, Tiffany moves the topic along:
"Uhm, a-anyway, who out of us is competing?"
The short boy with round spectacles replies with a grin,
"Better believe I am! (Holds up an object) See?"
Between his fingertips was the same strange item that Athena got in the mail earlier this morning, though with a different-shaped ruby fragment...
"What is that?"
"It's a Heart Piece. It's watch'ya need to get into the Duel Carnival. I got mine in the mail just this week."
Jamal, Caswell and Caden each pull out their own copies of the labelled Heart Piece.
"Me too!"
"Me three!"
"Don't forget me!"
"Oh wow, so everyone's in this?"
"Yep, including me."
The five teens pivot their heads towards the doorway where the sixth voice came from, seeing Athena, dressed in her modified school uniform, leaning against the wall near the entrance with a casual smirk, holding her own Heart Piece up between her fingers.
"Just got mine delivered this morning."
"Oh, Addy!" "Whoa, like, a few hours ago?!"
"Sheesh, you sure know how to cut it close, girl."
Shrugging it off casually, the girl walks over to the group with Astral trailing behind her, forming a more neutral expression as she then asks,
"So what's this business I hear about the winner being granted any wish? You guys aren't actually buying into that crap, are you?"
Moving so that all six academy students were sitting around some desks, Jamal then asks,
"Huh? What're you talking about, Addy?"
"I mean that I'm calling bull on that 'any wish, no matter what' bit. Sounds alot like lip service, if you ask me, and I don't trust it."
Caswell asks,
"You really believe there's something suspicious about it?"
Folding her arms with a closed-eyed frown, Athena sighs,
"To be frank, this whole tourney's giving me a suspicious vibe...But on the other hand, I've been on edge since two days ago thanks to the surfacing of that two-faced bastard, so, maybe I'm just being over-paranoid."
The five teens formed cringed expressions, knowing who their friend was talking about after receiving the full details of her encounter just yesterday...Caden then wonders aloud with a quiet, worried tone,
"Y-You don't think, he was being serious, do you? That...he's going to enter the tournament?"
"I really wish I could say he was bluffing, Cade, I really do...but since I have the unfortunate displeasure of knowing Trilos like the back of my own hand, it wouldn't be unlike him to use something like the WDC as a good reason to trash his enemies..."
Jamal mutters with a distant glare near-to-matching Athena's,
"What I don't get is why he would choose now to come after you again, or why he's even still wasting his time on you in the first place...Why's he pickin' on you of all people? Weren't there others who ditched his club, gang, whatever?"
Forming a smile as bitter as tobacco, the girl with red irises speculates,
"Tch-heh, probably 'cause according to him, I was one of his more valuable fighters, and he hates losing something he can use to the full extent. Much as he insulted me now and again...Trilos also had this, strange obsession with my abilities, saying we could make the world quake under our feet once upon a time."
"In other words, he saw you as no more than a powerful tool."
She glances up at Astral, noting his distasteful frown and nodded with her own disgusted expression.
"Pretty much. That's all people are to him, really: Puppets and Tools to manipulate with his own hands..."
...Tiffany reaches out to grip the other girl's hand tight in a rise of protectiveness, muttering,
"Which makes me, really glad you got out when you did. I don't want you to ever become no more than a weapon for someone else..."
"Tiff..."
Athena smiled a bit sadly at her BFF's worries, and squeezed her hand back.
"Hey. I'm sitting with you and everyone else, aren't I? That's gotta count for something."
"It does, truly, make no mistake..."
"Good."
...The conversation's atmosphere is suddenly broken by the sound of a few surprised exclaims from outside in the school courtyard, prompting all seven sets of eyes to turn to the windows.
"Hm?" "What the heck was that?"
"Sounds like panic to me." "I think I heard a robot's voice."
"Let's go check it out."
Rushing out of the classroom and down the halls, the group of six young teens and one celestial being found themselves entering the edge of the front courtyard, staring at a rather peculiar sight: A LitterBot (which to be clear, was not LillyBot), rolling amok around the center area, wailing its arms to and fro, crying out incoherent functionary sentences, leaving any poor students or staff that got too close to go scrambling out of the way with yelps of fright yipping from their throats.
"What the...?"
"Is that a LitterBot?"
"Looks like..."
Caswell hms while placing a finger under his chin in observational thought.
"It appears to have lost all cognitive reasoning and is on some sort of rampage...But why is it here at the school of all places?"
Everyone else shrugs in a 'beats me' fashion...when Jamal spots a familiar feature on the trash-collecting robot.
"Hang on...It's got a big dent on top of its head...Hey, Addy: I think that's the same LitterBot you kicked away durin' the Crashbug Virus fiasco."
"What?! No way!"
Being extremely careful in their approach, the group quietly steals their way down the stairs closer to the spinning LitterBot, and squinting her eyes in an analyzing manner...the memory clicks in Athena's brain.
"Auh, you're right: It's chrome-dome!...But, what're they doin' here wigging out?"
Astral makes a suggestion:
"Perhaps they are still mad from when you harshly kicked them away during that past event."
"Tch, yeah, like I was gonna let 'em trash me? No way, man...Besides, I would've gotten over it by now and not be petty about it."
"Tr-r-r-ash I-dent-!"
"Hm?"
Attention focuses back on the LitterBot with the dent in its head, as it slows its whirling around to a sudden halt...and turns to look straight at the girl with long shaggy hair.
"Tra-a-a-Traaaaa..."
Making a hmph noise, Athena takes a few intimidating steps forward towards the robot.
"You talkin' to me, wise guy?"
Her friends mutter her name in a worried and wary manner, and there's a pregnant pause in light of a staring contest between human and machine...before the latter makes their move, charging forward towards the former!
"Gauh!"
Athena quickly somersaults to the side, while the others scrambled up the stairs in their own respected dodges, Flip jumping onto Jamal's back in his own rise of fear.
"Yipe!"
"Gah-hah-whoa, Flip!"
"Sorry, spur of the moment!" Caden points the focus back below:
"Look!"
They all watch as the out-of-control LitterBot swerved around and barrelled towards the girl with red irises again, the action forcing out a curse from her before she tries to rush away. Unfortunately, she would not be fast enough this time, and was seized by one of the clamping arms before getting tossed harshly to the ground!
"Waaah-Gruh!"
She rolls and skids a little on the surface of the ground before stopping on her side, gritting her teeth slightly from the numbed, pushing impact on her body.
What was that for?!
"Addy!"
Her friends quickly come running over to crowd around her, Tiffany and Caden lifting the girl back onto her feet.
"Are you okay?!" "You alright?"
"What the heck's that rustbucket's problem?!"
"In the end, I've never seen a LitterBot act in that fashion!"
"Are you hurt?"
Shaking her head a bit, Athena replies in strained aggravation,
"I'm fine, but that robo-dweeb's got issues with a capital I-...Wait a minute..."
Why does my right hip feel...lighter?
Groping her hand down to the area in question...the girl feels air in replacement to something very important that should be attached to her side.
"Guh! My deck! Where's my-"
"Trash-Trash! Trash-Trash!"
"Grh!"
She darts her eyes ahead of herself, and following her gaze, everyone would gape in disbelief when they see the LitterBot waving its arm up in the air in a near-mischievous manner, with Athena's cased deck tight in its clamp hand!
"Auh!" "No way!" "It can't be!"
"That robot took Addy's deck!"
"That's just, bizarre!"
Astral's reaction was not quite as exclaimed, but was nonetheless just as surprised-sounding.
"Oh my, that is not good..."
...The LitterBot then turns on its wheeled heel and speeds out of the area for no real rhyme nor reason, leaving the poor victim of the thievery to drop her jaw even further, before quickly forming an infuriated expression and began sprinting after it.
"Hey! Get back here with my deck, you thief!"
The other six would not hesitate to dart after her:
"Addy!" "Athena!" "Hold up!"
Athena's POV
Curse my damn luck: First I had my key taken by Kite, and now a LitterBot's makin' off with my deck?!
What the hell's the universe playin' at?!
I could hear the others panting and their rushing footsteps none too far behind me, which meant I wasn't the only one making a dash off the Academy grounds to track down Chrome-Dome to get my deck back...Mind you, the only one that seemed to have an easier time keeping up with my fast legs was Astral, which was fair since he's capable of flight.
"Do you have any idea where you are going?"
"Nope, not a damn clue, but as long as my eyes have a glimpse of that robot's body, I can't lose 'em!"
...Bu~t because the universe just loves to screw with me every chance it gets, the robo-nut would get a lucky break and managed to swerve out of sight down an alleyway, one of which I knew would have way too many paths to choose from.
"Auh crap, seriously?!"
Slowing to a stop in the middle of the thankfully-quiet roadway to catch my breath, I grumble to myself,
"Greeeeat, now how am I gonna find the menace?"
(...Vrrrrooooommm)
"Hm?"
Next thing I knew, a familiar Duel Runner-styled motorcycle came rolling up on my left before turning to park in front of me, the driver noneother than my upper classmate, Shark.
"Athena? What in the world are you doin'?"
"Tryin' to chase after a batcrap-crazy robot that just stole my deck...Why?"
He gives me a weird expression, before settling with shaking his head in an amused manner.
"You really know how to get into trouble in the strangest ways..."
He then spots the Heart Piece in my hand that I somehow kept a death grip on even after I got the wind knocked out of me before.
"Ah, I see you're competing in that tournament, huh?"
Despite my growing anxiety over my poor monsters being held hostage, I smiled slightly and replied,
"Yeah, I am...Any chance I might see you in the Carnival at all?"
"Other than on whim to maybe cheer you on, probably not."
"Really?"
I was surprised to hear he wasn't planning on participating...
Revving up his engine, he offers a partly-cryptic answer to my unspoken 'why'.
"The only person that I duel for, Athena, is myself."
His words made me smirk a bit, not completely buying the lone wolf banter, and I joke,
"Aw, does that mean you don't like dueling with your friends?"
"Very funny. You know I mean."
"I do...and, I'm glad you're sounding more sure of your dueling spirit, Shark."
He nods appreciatively, and says,
"Anyway, I'll leave you to lookin' for that LitterBot that took your deck...If I somehow spot it, I'll send you a message through the gazer."
"Cool! Thanks, man. I could use any help I can get."
With that, Shark speeds away on his cycle...By that time, everyone else catches up to me, spotting our classmate's shrinking form.
"Oh! Was that, Shark?" I nod to Tiffany,
"Mhm, and he offered to keep his eyes peeled for that robo-thief...Ugh, still, it's gonna be a chore and a half to find it and my deck."
"Maybe so, maybe not."
I dart my eyes up on my left, to see Astral forming one of those kinds of smiles that usually pops up when someone feels a good idea come.
"I have an idea to how we can track your deck."
"You do? Spill!"
"We merely have to use the energy of the Number Cards to our advantage."
The Numbers?...Hmm, I hope Astral knows what he's doing.
Shark's POV
Geez, leave it to Addy to get her deck stolen by a LitterBot of all things...
I had just began riding away from the street that the girl was on, maintaining my halfhearted promise in combing my eyes about for any signs of an out-of-whack robot that had something in its hands it shouldn't...
But I would soon be distracted by something else:
"Hm!?"
(Shoom...Fwip)
I screeched my motorbike to a halt to catch a Duel Monster card between my fingertips, thrown down from the near top of a red-tinted steel building that was under construction...And it wasn't just any card: This was the one card that stirred something awful in me, thanks to that stupid mistake I made a year ago.
Gh! Mirror Force?...No...It can't be!
Dumping my helmet onto my seat, I rushed up the stairs to the point where I was sure the card was thrown from...At first, there wasn't any sign of anyone else there...but then.
"Long time, no see, Reginald."
That, voice...!
Turning my head to glare at the approaching figure, he says in a feigned apologetic tone,
"I'm sorry. Everyone calls you Shark now, right?"
He still looked about the same as he did back when:
Short-cut but large, spiky, layered burgundy and yellow hair, irises of a darker shade of red that nearly mimicked pink in comparison to a certain girl that I've started calling my friend (hers were more a fiery ember), and had that long, cross-shaped scar running over his right face, his skin still carrying that very dull tan...But instead of the more casual outfit he sported in the past, he was wearing these kind of clothes that made you think of the medieval ages, including a long-flowing coat over a white shirt, matching his pants and shoes, all embroidered with a fancy gold patterning like he was from higher class.
Tch, like he ever had any class to begin with...
I reply evenly,
"That's right," and hold up Mirror Force while asking,
"What's the duel card suppose to mean?"
"I simply thought it might come in handy in the Duel Carnival..."
One of my eyebrows almost rose from his statement, before I mutter while glancing away from him,
"I'm not entering the tournament."
"Oh my. You're still holding onto that old burden, aren't you?"
I stiffened...before feigning ignorance:
"What burden?" He of course didn't buy it, but played along:
"Perhaps a story will jog your memory: It takes place during the finals of a duel tournament, where you spied on your opponent's deck and were then disqualified. You do remember your opponent, don't you? It was me."
How can I possibly forget, when there's people like you who constantly remind me?
"...So?"
"So there was more to your spying than simply wanting to win, correct?"
That accusation hit me where it hurt...for he wasn't wrong: There was something...no, someone, who I made a promise to before the finals of that tournament.
(Flash)
Her voice, despite being weak thanks to her injured body wrapped in head-to-toe bandages, was the only sound in that hospital room aside from the beeping of the heart monitor...
"Reginald...during the finals...promise me. Promise me that you'll win. Win for me. You need to."
(Flash)
...Sister...
"I don't blame you: You wanted to win so badly for her. How could you resist my, conveniently-placed duel deck? Why, it's almost as if that deck was left there on purpose..."
Wait...no way...! Athena was right!
"You mean...you set me up...!"
The Mirror Force Card slips out from between my fingertips as a new wave of shock came to flood my veins, my brain buzzing and my ears rushing...It ended quicker than it came, though, and I'd feel a huge jump of rage build up at the man before me.
You, Bastard!
"Why you-!"
He cuts me off with a smug air before I could blow up any further:
"What's done is done, hehehehehe...and that includes your Dueling Career, because ever since that day, you've been a no-name nobody, whereas I've been winning trophy after trophy on the Duel Circuit. That must make you feel like...a loser."
How, dare, he! Acting like a big shot, calling me a loser!?
...And mocking my sibling with his feigned sympathy...after what he did...
Never! I'll never forgive him!
"No! I am not a loser!"
"So then prove it to me, Reginald, and face me in the World Duel Carnival..."
He tosses me one of those Heart Pieces that I've been hearing about, adding menacingly,
"If you dare," before walking out of sight with a laugh...
...Clenching the bit in my hand tight, I mutter in a growl,
"Oh...I dare alright."
Just you wait, Quattro...The next duel you have with me, will be your last!
Small Time Skip, No POV
Moving to about late morning, we find ourselves gazing within a room attached to a suite complex sitting at the top floor of a very tall skyscraper, the lighting dim save for an enormous projection display of multiple children's programs against a back wall between two columns standing stiff on a checkered floor.
A lone, throne-like chair sat in front of the projection, occupied by what sounded like a young male soul, clearly enjoying what he was watching as evident by his pitched laughter and hand-clapping...
Getting a closer look, we see that this unknown individual had quite a...mysterious appearance to say the least. His complexion and height along with his hint of vocals suggested someone no older than ten, yet the rest of his style propose a higher maturity. He had blond hair fashioned in a way that looked somewhat like a choppy pageboy cut with a braid over his right shoulder, yellow eyes with only the right iris visible due to the metallic, knight/royalty mix-inspired mask that covered most of his face, and wore an outfit comprised of a sea foam green suit that seemed to come from a different era, caped and with a ruffled white shirt underneath, and white gloves.
...The room's entrance opens, revealing the other male that cornered Shark not too long ago, Quattro, who walks over to stand near the giggling figure to report,
"Reginald will be participating in the World Duel Carnival just as you wished."
"Excellent! I knew you wouldn't let me down."
"Of course, but still, I must ask: Does he really matter? He's but an empty shell now..."
...Joining the entering burgundy-blond's far right side was another male, younger by about two years, with short pink hair that curled at the ends tickling his neck, emerald green eyes, peach-pale skin, and wore clothing also inspired from the older times, consisting of a pink-washed white shirt with slight puff in the sleeves cut off by red cuffs, matching the red, short-sleeved overcoat, white pants, and knee-high boots that reflected the same themed colour scheme.
After him, came another man who was older than the first two to stand close to Quattro's left, considerably tall with extremely long silver hair that flowed down to his ankles, with light purple and green shading in the fringes that framed his pale complexioned face and highlighted his light sea blue eyes, and wore clothing fitting the collective vibe for this apparent group of four, including a white shirt with puffed sleeves cuffed at the ends, a dark blue over jacket outlined gold, with long white trim that ran past the waist, skinny white pants, and white heeled boots that only came up just past the ankles.
...Getting back to scene, the little man in the chair lets out another childish spout of laughter before countering,
"Perhaps, but he still has a part to play! All will become clear once I've gathered the Numbers...You'll see!"
Quattro doesn't show signs of protest, deciding to, 'entertain himself' so to speak in the meantime.
"Very well. Until then...I'll just enjoy putting Shark through the ringer again."
He forms a dangerous-looking grin at the thought, chuckling under his breath while the figure in the chair just laughs on...
...
...Meanwhile, in another part of Heartland City just outside the inner core's towering walls, we see that malfunctioning LitterBot with the dent in its head slowly rolling along in an almost cautious manner...
All is quiet...until:
"Aha!"
(WHAM, Crash)
A familiar, pale-tanned blur with black hair tipped copper red comes barreling in from one side to tackle the unsuspecting robot to the ground!
"Er! Er! Error!"
"Aw, stuff a screw in it and gimme back my deck, ya hot water heater!"
As Athena got to work fighting the machine she was currently straddling, her group of six friends would watch awkwardly from a safe distance, a mix of awe, worry and slightly terrified expressions occupying their faces.
"Guh..." "Uhm..."
Caswell then forms a sweatdrop smile and chides,
"You've gotta give her points for perseverance," which Jamal would agree to with a nervous smile of his own.
"Yeah, no kiddin'."
...And elsewhere throughout the city, many dueling hearts from all crosses of life would be making their arrival into Heartland for the grand tournament, some hearing the following greeting through the airplane terminal intercom.
"Welcome all Duel Carnival Travelers! Baggage claim is on the lower level and all ground transportation can be found in Terminal A. Please enjoy your stay in our fair city, and good luck in the tournament!"
...Then turning our eyes and ears to the place where main operations for the World Duel Carnival was being conducted, we see several dozen robots hard at work monitoring the city growth and health through multiple security screens and computer keyboards...
"Heartland City population has increased by 150%, and continues to expand every hour."
Panning upward to a balcony area, we see a man in his very late teens (though with a biological stature that made him look older) with tanned skin, flame-shaped soot red hair with much lighter shading in the fringe, purple eyes, and wearing an outfit comprised of a muted dark burgundy/black trench coat with a high collar, red shirt, pants that matched the rouge in his coat, black shoes, and black gloves that highlighted a bead-bordered bracelet on his left wrist.
He forms an excited grin and exclaims,
"Did you hear that? Duelists are comin' in by the droves! This is gonna be better than we hoped! Oh-ho-hooo!"
Behind him a few feet, and several feet away from the throne-lounging Mister Heartland, stood a woman about the redhead's age, with milky peach skin, shoulder-length black hair that almost looked onyx in the lighting, her fringes highlighted purple and cut down past her milk chocolate brown irises, and wore an outfit consisting of a dark pink blouse with a purple high-collared undershirt, a white business suit jacket and matching skirt shortened to above her knees, dark purple tights, black heels with spiked tips, and an anklet around her right ankle that matched the bracelet on the high-spirited male. She, herself, kept a cool, calculated demeanor.
"Are all city systems online?" The robots below echo upward,
"Security Systems are online and operational. Network Transmissions are online and operational. All Service Pods are online and operational."
"You hear that? We're all good!"
The woman replies coolly to the unnamed male in the room,
"All of us except for you, Nistro."
He turns to glare over his shoulder at her in a near childish manner.
"What?!"
"Just because things are running smoothly does not mean they'll stay that way. We must stay sharp."
Harrumphing, Nistro retorts,
"I'm as sharp as they come, but you; you're the dullest knife in the drawer! You're lucky I'm here to pick up your slack, Dextra!"
"Oh please!"
Mister Heartland cuts in to stop the bickering:
"That's enough, you two. If this is going to work, we need to work together."
...The air of the conversation is then interrupted when our familiar Number Hunter and his orbital unit arrive in the room by elevator.
"Aah, Kite. I've been waiting for you."
As the man with green hair stood to approach the younger blond, the latter asks irritably,
"Why'd you call me here, Heartland? I have things to do."
"Yes, I know you're busy...but not so busy that you can't behold the spectacle, the glory that is the World Duel Carnival!"
Mister Heartland gestures a hand to the monitors reflecting screenshots of arriving duelists from all of wherever.
"Look at them all: So happy, so excited, so completely and utterly clueless. They have no idea that the reason we've assembled them here is to snatch their Number Cards."
He focuses down on Kite:
"And when I say we, I mean you. After all, you're the one who Doctor Faker's counting on most. (Sneer) Don't let him down. After all, there are many powerful duelists competing."
The Number Hunter says nothing in reply, giving Nistro the opportunity to jump in and say,
"Well ya know what I say? Bring 'em on! Whatever Numbers Kite here can't take, I'll be more than happy to nab!"
Kite replies dryly,
"'preciate the offer, but I've got this."
His mood doesn't deter the redhead's; if anything, it encourages his own ego.
"See? He's confident. He's just like me!" But Dextra shoots him down by commenting,
"It's 'cause he's earned it," making him form a slumped and annoyed expression...
(Ping)
There then came a second interruption in the serious atmosphere, when a worker for the inner city offices - they being a male in his early to mid-twenties with short brown hair, pale complexioned and wearing a rather 'loud' uniform - suddenly calls in on a projection monitor.
"Mister Heartland? There's a young duelist who's completely demolished a LitterBot with her bare hands outside the gate, apparently trying to get her stolen deck back."
Said man's eyes widen a little in surprise from such a piece of news, before relaxing to ask,
"And I should care why? Shouldn't this be a problem for the police to handle?"
"Um, that's just it, sir: A couple officers have arrived...but they've been having trouble subduing her for a couple hours now, and, honestly...I don't think the girl's going to go down without a fight anytime soon."
Panning the camera backwards for the confused mayor, he and the other three humans plus one orbital unit would gape in shock at the following scene: At least four city officers sprawled on the ground near the newly-wrecked trash-collecting robot (to the point where it could be considered a spare part scrap heap), while two others were poising at the ready to try and charge at their target of inquiry, they being Athena, who now had her deck back on her hip where it belonged, but was now sporting a few bruises on her limbs, scuff marks on her uniform, and an extremely pissed-off expression on her face.
"How many fucking times do I have to explain it to you lightweights?! That damn LitterBot's to blame, not me: They attacked me, stole my deck, and made me go on a wild goose chase to get it back! If anything, I should be suing the manufacturers for allowing shit like this to happen!"
Kite would recognize the girl in an instant:
It's her!
"Good lord, that one's got mouth on her...Send in personnel from security to assist and take her away."
Just as the office worker agreed to Mister Heartland's order, the blond with grey eyes cuts in.
"Hold on: Let's leave the little punk alone. Clearly, it was the LitterBot's fault, and I heard one went wild and took off from the sanitation site on its own..."
"...You know her?"
"No...I just don't approve of over-excessive brute force, as you well know...Besides, you never know who could have a Number Card these days."
Mister Heartland felt his suspicions rise from such a statement from his agent.
"I say...are you sure you're not hiding something, Kite? The other day, there was a mysterious explosion at a Heartland facility..."
Kite replies quickly,
"I don't know anything about that. All I care about, is gathering the Numbers...Now please excuse me. I have to go prepare for the tournament."
The older man with green hair reluctantly allows the blond to leave.
"You're excused."
...Kite and Orbital Seven are then seen traveling down a convector belt hallway to elsewhere within the Heartland Tower so the former could gather his materials needed for the WDC...After a moment of silence, the robot asked curiously,
"Ma-aster Kite, why didn't you report that Athena was involved with that blast?"
The blond shoots Orbital a steely glare and snaps,
"Quiet, or I'll power you down permanently."
"S-Sir!? Quieting down..."
Focusing back up in front of him, his expression relaxes some to where he was reflecting a burning determination, his thoughts drifting to one part of those previous events mentioned in particular.
The only person I'm focused on...is Astral.
"And I will have my revenge on him."
"U-Uhm, you're not still talking about me, are you?"
Kite continues his thinking aloud without really registering his robotic companion.
"As for Athena...she is harmless."
...Orbital nearly felt his mechanical jaw unhinge and drop to the floor at such a characterization, especially as he recalled what the two saw on the security monitor just moments ago.
"Really?! Athena's ha-harmless?!"
...A very minuscule and wry smile curved onto the Number Hunter's lips as he adds in a mutter,
"Except to herself, and anyone who really ticks her off."
Which admittedly, makes me a bit more curious about her past...and if she truly could become an ally in the future.
Cutting back outside the gargantuan walls of Heartland City's inner core, we see that the aggression levels in Athena had not deteriorated in the slightest, she now holding an arm in a block against a guard's baton-striking appendage while kicking down another, the policemen previously trying to subdue her now receiving a bit of medical care from a few of the office workers.
"Grrh, you morons must be real proud of yourselves ganging up on a single teenage girl like this!"
"Stop resisting and stand down!"
"Call off your men first, ya jackass!"
The girl's fellow classmates and Astral were still standing/floating off to the side away from the battle area, not wanting to get themselves caught in the middle. By this point, they weren't so much scared of Athena's sparring, but were getting a bit exasperated by the continuous cycle. Tiffany groans and pinches her nose bridge:
"Uuugh, this had to be the one day my dad goes out of town. If he were here, this would've been settled quickly without a hassle."
Caden shakes his head in slight disbelief and comments,
"What I'm finding impressive is that Addy's still not tired after several hours of...well, this."
Flip jokes,
"No wonder the school's wrestling team has tried recruiting her a couple times. They'd be unstoppable with her stamina."
(...Clank)
"Hm?"
Attention is then focused up to the large doorway blocking entrance to the inner city, as the big heart in the center suddenly shuffles like a puzzle box! Athena relaxes as the security officer retracts his arm from hers, staring up at the door with confusion.
"Huh? What's goin' on?"
(Ka-chaaaaaaa-clank)
The door opens, and out came a rather showy spectacle: Thirty-two LitterBots dressed like marching band musicians (the four in front playing trumpets), splitting off into two long rows for each side, making way for a large, heart-shaped float designed with a flower-vine theme, carrying Nistro, Dextra, and Mister Heartland in the center!
"Whoa, no way!"
"Is that, Mister Heartland?!"
"It just can't be...!"
While her friends may have been left in awe by the display, Athena just stared blankly up at the man in the green suit for a moment...before forming a frown while thinking to herself with a fold of her arms,
So our mayor's got one of those showman personalities, huh? Wow...kind-a pathetic, really.
Once the spotlights on the float turn off and the mayor got a better look at the expression on the girl's face, his smile dropped to form a frown of his own.
Hm? That's a rather different reaction compared to other citizens of the city...Is she not easy to impress?
Finding the sudden silence awkward, Athena clears her throat to prop up a conversation.
"So you're the infamous Mister Heartland, eh? I wondered what meeting you in person would be like a few times...Certainly not what I expected: I imagined something more formal and understated."
"O-Oh really?"
"Truly...And if I may be bolder, why'd you have the urge to come out here? Is this the security's idea of getting me to pipe down?"
The girl's red irises glare over at the clustered mix of police and regular security personnel.
"If it is, I'll be knockin' their jaws loose next."
That caused the men to shiver in light fear of the growled tone, while Caswell and Jamal comment with deadpans,
"Addy should really consider widening her vocabulary outside of threats during times like this."
"Haaaah, I agree. Problem is, her vocab box's usually crumpled into a paper wad when she's especially ticked off, making finding calmer phrases to use difficult..."
Shifting his own expression into a reassuring smile, Mister Heartland chides with a calm hand gestured up,
"My dear girl, there is no need for violence. I have heard about what really happened, and have come here personally to call off these men and let you off from this terrible misunderstanding."
"Uh!...Seriously?"
Athena glances over at the wrecked LitterBot:
"Even after I-uh, trashed the trash-collector?"
"It would have been torn apart by the technical division during repairs, anyway. If anything, you did a service by doing the hard work for them."
"...Wow...Alright then."
Forming a weak smile, the girl calls up to the mayor,
"In that case, thank you for pardoning me, and I apologize for uh-heh, going overboard."
"All water under the bridge, my dear...Hm?"
That was when Mister Heartland spotted the gold pendant around Athena's neck, and became instantly intrigued.
"What, is that pendant there?"
Forming a look of confusion, the girl holds out her necklace slightly while looking down at said key.
"Oh, this?"
"It has a unique shape."
"Yeah, I guess...It was a gift from my Father."
"Was it?"
Mister Heartland forms a smile of knowing, thinking to himself,
There is something special about this girl after all...
Athena found the shift of expression a bit creepy, and stiffened with an uncomfortable frown on her face.
O-kaaay, why do I suddenly feel like I'm under a magnifying glass?
...Better yet, why would this man of all people, have interest in my pendant?
It seemed she wasn't the only one feeling a wave of suspicion flood into her, for Astral too found himself staring up at Mister Heartland during the entire conversation from the point the man forgave Athena for her actions, his eyes narrowed in careful, calculated thought.
Time Skip
The sun would soon be sinking from the sky, casting a golden orange glow over the entire of the city from land to sea, a view best seen from Athena, Astral and Tiffany's current vantage point in the middle of the highway bridge sidewalk...
"You know, even with the serious stuff that's jumbling around, you must still be excited, Addy. This tournament is basically your first official step in becoming part of the big names in the Duel Monster history books..."
A tiny smile formed on the addressed girl's lips:
"Yeah, maybe a little..."
"Athena."
She pivots her head left to Astral's soft call, who then says,
"There is more to it than just that: This is a big tournament that you are in, and a big tournament means there will be alot of duelists, which means there could be alot of Number Cards."
"(Nod) Right, of course...With every Number we gather, your memory receives a new stitch in its seams towards the eventual repair...That's, actually my main reason for entering the WDC."
"What do you mean? I thought your reasons were related to becoming a duel champion for your father."
Athena shakes her head with a lazy, yet sincere smirk.
"I don't really care about that kind of stuff...In the end, trophies are just empty cups, medals and awards are just hunks of metal, and the title 'Winner' is just a fancy word that doesn't hold true meaning in life. That's something Adam taught me that he learned from his moments of 'academic fame' in high school and university...I'm, sure dad would agree with that too. He always spoke about finding something meaningful in life to strive for, like, forming a bond."
"...A bond?"
"Mhm. Like, the kind of bond we share, (glance) the bond I have with Tiffany and the rest of our crew..."
Said girl with black bobbed hair would blush slightly with a sheepish smile as Athena continued.
"And then of course, the bonds I form with the people I duel. Though it's more or less reserved for the kinds that'll stay connected with me after the AR World fades away, the acknowledgement alone can be felt from my enemies too. See, Dueling isn't and shouldn't be focused on the shallow 'Win or Lose' bit, but on something that can't be described in mere words, a, feeling beyond reason."
"I am afraid that isn't a notion true for all."
The girl with red irises dart back on Astral's form again:
"I know that...but who are you referring to specifically?"
"I am referring to Kite. Losing is not an option for him, and he does not give second chances."
"Hmph, maybe not, considering his methods...but I know he's not doing what he's doing on his full free will. Like I said before, he's just afraid of putting his younger brother in more danger than he probably already has..."
Casting her eyes down to the water below her, Athena adds in a mixed tone of sadness and bitterness,
"I understand how that feels, thanks to Trilos, the bastard...If there's anyone I really need to watch out for in this tournament, it's him. Not that I'm fully worried: This ain't my first rodeo after all."
"Athena..."
"Hm?"
She turns to meet Astral's eyes again...but saw that the mismatched gold and white was cast past her, towards Tiffany, whom the former turned to see having a distantly scared frown form on her lips.
"Addy...I, I don't want anything bad to happen to you. I, want you to be safe..."
Noting the moisture that was manifesting in the corners of those cornflower blue eyes, Athena quickly tries to quell the other girl's fears.
"Whoa, hey, hey, don't you start cryin', Tiff. I'm gonna be just fine...You know me: Nothing can knock me down. (Small smirk) Worse comes to worst, I'll just introduce any wise guys to my two little friends, (holds up her fists) Punch, and Ya."
The dry, crude joke made Tiffany giggle the slightest, and she smiles before replying in a chide,
"Alright alright, let's not take it that far...I do, however, want you to promise me one thing."
"Shoot."
The blue-eyed girl with black bobbed hair turns to take Athena's hands into her own before requesting,
"That you'll go in, duel, take names, and come back out of this tournament in one piece...Otherwise, it'll be my 'Punch and Ya' you'll be introduced to."
Both girls laughed, and the latter nods in agreement:
"Deal."
...Later on, we find Astral inside the temporal space of Athena's pendant just outside the mysterious golden airship, pondering over the girl's worded concepts by his own thinking.
Interesting...Dueling is about something more precious than Winning and Losing.
A feeling beyond reason that no words can describe.
...But what, Athena? What?
As the celestial being's mind spun ideas to how he can answer this question in a way he'd understand, we zoom out of the key into the owner's bedroom, as she sat on the floor near her bed thinking deep and careful about her choices for her Duel Monster deck.
"Hmm, let's see...Damn, I think this is the hardest I've ever thought in terms of organizing my deck."
A slight smirk graces the lips of the girl dressed in her giant light blue sleepshirt, and she turns to glance her red irises that sparkled with a knowing glint out her window.
"Somethin' in my gut's saying that I'm not the only one spinning the gears..."
And right Athena was: Fading in and out from several different homes, we see that her friends Flip, Caswell, Caden and Jamal were hard at work prepping their decks as well, determined smiles/smirks on their faces as they shuffled card after card...
...But it wasn't just the girl's allies, of course: Her enemies, one true and the other forced, were also readying themselves for the next day. For Kite, it would mean shooting another mental promise to the sleeping Hart.
Little Brother...I promise you...things will be as before.
He glances down between the framed photograph of the two brothers back before the triggering event that led to this point, and the hiding place of those drawings he found.
Even if it means, eventually teaming up with someone I'd least expect to seek...help from.
Then for Trilos, he would be standing atop the roof of an old abandoned building close to the rougher end of the city that stood tall and overlooked a good deal, gripping his cased deck tight with a menacing smirk plastered on his face.
"Keh, moments like these I count myself lucky to be a descendant of another infamous lowlife in the Dueling World..."
Their cards, plus some from my dips in the Black Market, have treated me right these last several years...
And with them...I'm gonna finally kill the rebel spirit of that little bitch who dared turn her back on me, and haul her ass back where it belongs, or completely destroy her trying.
Time Skip
Confetti is shot into the air and explodes to scatter as a fluttery rainbow against the clear, sunny skies for all eyes of the public to see during this grand opening day of the city's World Duel Carnival. A large progression of LitterBots roll down the road in their marching band uniforms to play a song of celebration to mix with the cheers and smiles of the many people, duelists and spectators alike, awaiting the green light for big event to begin.
"Check out how fast they're goin'!"
"They must be hittin' light speed!"
"Look at all those hearts!" "They're so beautiful!"
Those exclaims from the unnamed faces in the crowd would be for the airshow jets that came zooming across the big expanse of blue, streaming smoke of pastel colours to create more than a dozen iconic heart shapes to float above the eyes mesmerized by the sight...Then came the holographic greeter message spelling 'Welcome to Heartland' to spin around the top of the infamous Heartland Tower...
Among those who had their duel gazers on to take in both the physical and potentially-reachable views, was Athena, hair left wild and free that matched her playful smirk, dressed in a bright red fitted tank top, her golden key shining around her neck, her black leather jacket she inherited from her mother, onyx skinny jeans with a white patch on the right knee, a dark blue/black checkered pleated skirt that ran to just above her knees overtop the jeans with a pair of silver suspenders hanging on her hips through the belt loops along with her dueling equipment, and her brown steel-toe boots she got from her brother Terry.
...Standing with her up front a part of the big crowd of citizens was all of her friends.
Astral, who floated near the girl's left side with his usual indifferent frown, but with curiousity and anticipation sparkling in his mismatched gold and white irises.
Tiffany, she wearing a mint green babydoll dress that had a flowy skirt running to a little past the knee-length, powder blue flats, and her signature green daisy hair clip holding up her left fringe, better showing off the bright smile on her face as she stood on Athena's right.
Jamal, sporting a yellow tank top under a black vest, baggy grey jeans held with black suspenders, and his white hightop sneakers, his dreadlocks sneaking out from under his loosely snugged-on black and electric blue-striped ski cap, lips set with a half-smile, half-smirk with his hands in his pockets while standing by the girl with bobbed black hair.
Caswell, standing content in his first-year academy uniform with a smile that read as both excited and a bit nervous near the coco-olive skinned male.
Flip, grinning like a mischief maker while wearing a more dapper outfit consisting of a cerulean blue suit outlined with yellow for the jacket and aqua green for the pockets and cuffs of his short pants, a pink-washed white undershirt, his usual aqua bowler hat with the shooting star symbol up front and the red frowny face at the back, a big red bowtie, blue/green striped long socks, and brown shoes similar to his academy-regulated pair.
And of course, Caden, a shy yet confident smile framed by his lips as he stood near the boy with the bowl-cut blue hair and the other shorter, bespectacled male, clad in his special outfit that highlighted his passion for the feline world, from his gray dress-shirt and matching skinny jeans with the sandy-brown tail spotted with gray peeking out, a sandy-brown undershirt, his neck adorning a black collar choker with a silver star charm, down to his black-gray high-top converses, his hands once again covered by gray gloves that sported those sharp, white nails.
Tiffany says to Athena in her own excitement,
"It's finally starting, Addy: The big day!"
The latter nods in acknowledgement, humming the longer-pitched chorus of a familiar song she's come to hold as an anthem for her life...
(Note: Rights and Ownership of references to Diamond Eyes belong to the band, Shinedown.)
...Cutting briefly away from the major shuffle of people, we see Shark standing at ready in his own day clothes, his lips being the only ones not reflecting an expression related to the realm of good feeling, frowning in waiting for the starting blast to this event so he could get on with his own agenda...
Attention is then focused above all on the following live message via AR projection, delivered by Mister Heartland himself, dressed in a very stand-outside-the-crowd suit of reflective gold trimmed with bright sky blue feathers on the collar, matching his heeled shoes, a pink iconic heart spattered on the front of the tailcoat, a red/yellow polka-dot bowtie, white gloves, and a similar-themed top-hat resting on his crown.
"Welcome, Duelists, to Heartland City! Welcome to the World Duel Carnival! Now, here are the rules."
A simple map of the city is displayed.
"The field of play is the entire city, and the phase of this tournament will last three days. During these three days, if you are challenged to a duel, you must accept that challenge. How do you accept a challenge? Simple: You wager a Heart Piece. If you lose your Heart Piece, you lose your spot here. But if you win, you win a Heart Piece!"
An image of said ante symbol is shown to demonstrate an example of such a scenario.
"Assemble all five pieces and you'll have won a spot in the tournament finals. If you have any further questions about the tournament rules, well, that's just too bad, because much like all our viewers at home, I can't wait another second! So let the Duels Begin!"
With that, the mayor signs off with a beaming smile, matching most of the crowd as they cheered for the green light to start the back-to-back battles...
One of such people, would be Jamal:
"Awright! This is it, dudes!"
He turns to shoot a smirking grin at his friends:
"Here's where we part as friendly rivals! Check ya later!"
The dark-complexioned boy with aqua irises then darts off, followed by Flip, whose grin was more mischievous than the previous.
"See ya in the finals, heheheh!"
Watching them leave, the girls then lightly discuss the probability of who and when for this tournament.
"So who do you think will call the first challenge?"
"No idea, but it's gonna take a specific kind of spunk, I think."
"Out of the way! Move it!"
"Hm?!"
Raising a unison brow of confusion and surprise, they, Caden, Caswell and Astral turn around to the sound of a young male's impatient shout, mixed with gasps and yelps from the crowd, caused by a fast-running blur of blue, apparently kicking a soccer ball plastered with Duel Monster cards!
"Since winning this tournament is my goal, I'll let my ball pick my opponent!"
(...KICK)
He whacks his foot hard against the ball and sends it flying towards its random target...
(FWAP-Screeeeeeeecccccch...plop)
But instead of some poor person getting the wind knocked out of their system or a concussion, the ball wound up picking out a stranger whose reflexes were more than a match for the heat-seeking-speedy sphere, holding out a flat palm to stop it, causing a momentary continuum spin, before dropping to the ground innocently like it was as dangerous as a pillow.
...That person, by the way, was of course our girl with the long, shaggy black hair tipped copper red, her crimson irises glaring at the mystery soccer enthusiast who stalked over to plant a foot on his ball. The remain part of her crew was completely gobsmacked by the display of skill...until Tiffany broke the awed silence with a clear of her throat, awkwardly commenting,
"Uh, nice block, Addy." The addressed merely replied with a dry,
"Gotta be prepared for anything."
"Right...anyway."
The girl with cornflower blue irises then turns to match her best friend's glare at the one responsible for the near-collision of the soccer ball.
"Oi, what's your issue, buddy?! This is a Duel Tournament, not a soccer field!"
Getting a better look, we see that the um, assailant, was a young boy around the four academy student's age group, wearing a soccer team uniform consisting of a bright blue t-shirt with white bordering on the sleeve ends and collar, a light blue line running overtop that and across his torso, underscoring the upside-down triangle emblem over his left breast, matching shorts with hints of a pair of skin-tight, magenta athletic shorts peeking from under the baggy ocean cuffs, and white sneakers with orange laces. He also had a pale-tanned complexion, highlighting his wildly spiky red-brown hair with light orange dyed in his fringes, and yellow-hazel eyes.
His lips are curved into a pumped-up smirk as he retorts to Tiffany's scolding,
"For me, they're one in the same. Now then, I'm hoping from that reaction, goalie girl, that you're ready for a duel."
That nickname was reserved for Athena, who smirks back while softening her glare slightly to reflect a ready-and-able player.
"Oh you better believe I am, and you're gonna regret kicking that 'deck' of yours in my direction!"
Here begins the first battle in this little game of War...