Hey everyone, second half at last!
Sorry for the longer delay; this chapter wound up requiring more research into the game than I expected. Thankfully, I had some assistance from a PM friend, who also gave me permission to use one of their fan cards featured in this chapter, called Achacha Restoration. Thank you, Amber Is A Fossil, and just so fellow Yu-Gi-Oh! story writers are aware, they are offering their services to anyone who needs ideas for cards :)
...That's it from me. On with the story!
(Clac-Clang...)
"Okay, according to the airship schematics, this should be the manual control modulator for the air vents..."
It's been a few minutes since the duel between Cameron Clix and Athena Fujina began within the malfunctioning Heartland Commemorative Airship, and while they hashed it out, Tiffany and three other passengers work to try and dissipate the smoke swelling from the engines and seeping into the observation deck. With the panel cover for the floor control box removed, the strange quartet start pulling out wired panels and began tweaking with the circuitry, determined to bring even just a little calm and order for the other panicking people...
Peering up from the one technological layer she was tinkering with to glance at the Duel Monster battle, the girl with cornflower blue irises and black bobbed hair pleads mentally while biting her lip nervously,
Please be careful, Addy, and take Cameron down...for his own good.
Meanwhile, back on the new battlefield, Athena starts her next turn, further disregarding her opponent's predictions of the win-lose outcome.
"Your pics don't scare me at all, Camera Boy! I'll disprove your power if it's the last thing I do!"
And hopefully, Tiff and Yoko will find a way to land this metal death trap without any sacrifice of life...
"I Draw!"
Red irises gaze at the drawn card:
Bye-Bye Damage, eh? Hm...okay, let's try this.
"First, let's bring another ally to the field. I choose, Achacha Archer, which is bad news for you since his special ability allows me to deal 500 points of damage after a successful summon!"
The Level Three archer with the fiery spirit readies a flaming arrow...
"Release!"
He fulfills Athena's request, and the arrowhead whizzes through the air to meet its bullseye, aka Cameron's torso, meaning his Life Points would decrease to 3500. Smirking, the girl with long, shaggy black hair tipped copper red jeers,
"Ha! That's what you get for being overconfident!"
But to her surprise, the boy with lilac purple irises chuckles before retorting back with a sneering smile,
"It's funny, I should be the one telling you not to get cocky."
"What're you talking about?"
"You see, the photos I took of you before we started are alot more accurate then they may have looked..."
He holds up one said image:
"Take this one for example, having cleverly predicted you playing Achacha Archer, and then place the card Bye-Bye Damage right afterward. See the proof?"
A zoom-in screen is sent for Athena's gazer, and her red irises widen slightly...before settling into a neutral expression.
"So?"
While Cameron forms a faint expression of disbelief from the lack of fear in his opponent, Astral obverses,
The effect of the card Bye-Bye Damage Trap Card Athena has in her hand, keeps a monster that she has on her field from being destroyed when attacked.
Athena would still take damage like she normally would, but Cameron would then be dealt double damage...
It would have been a great play, but since Cameron somehow saw it coming...
Wiping away the disappointment in not sending a shiver of worry with a new sneer, the boy with aqua blue hair replies back to the stoic girl,
"So then, just play it! You know it's your only move!"
Raising a single brow, Athena quirks back calmly,
"Is it? Let's double-check that, shall we? (Peers over cards) Hmm..."
Hey...there is that card...If I time it out correctly...Yeah. Yeah, that'll work!
"I place two cards face-down, and end my turn!"
"What?! Two?!"
Astral was just as surprised by the play, and asks the girl through their telepathic connection,
Athena, what did you do?
You'll see in a minute. Trust me, I know what I'm doing...I said I was going to disprove Cameron's predictions, and I meant it.
...I do hope so, for if we cannot undermine his future photographs, that may have been your last play.
The airship jerks again, causing everyone to stumble a little and in some cases let out a few frightened yelps...
We cut briefly into the cockpit where Yoko was currently, and as she steadies herself from the latest shake, she asks one of the pilots,
"Isn't there some way to get some control over this thing?"
"We're doing our best, ma'am, but with both engines shot...it'll be a miracle if we can land this thing without too big of a crash. Galen, have you contacted the air marshals?"
The co-pilot replies with a bit of nerves in his own voice,
"I did, but the radio signal keeps jamming. I can't get a clear message to ground control!"
"Well keep trying, man! People's lives are at risk!"
The young woman with bubblegum pink hair makes her way to crouch by the pilot having communication troubles.
"Here, lemme give you a hand. The rattling may be causing a system glitch."
Come on...This can't be where things end. I won't allow it...
Returning to the observation deck, Cameron forms a frown of confusion from his opponent's play that contradicted his photographic predictions.
How can this be? She should've just set the one card face-down, not two...
Mph, no matter. One of those cards has to be Bye-Bye Damage...She's still technically playing along with what the future foretold.
"My turn! Draw!"
Astral warns his friend,
"Look out for that Cameraclops, Athena. Since it is equipped with Telescopic Lens, it gains 400 points for every card in Cameron's hand. That is 3000 total in Attack Points."
"Right, which'll mean 1800 points of damage if that attack connects...But that's why I played those two face-downs, so I can be ready for it."
The being with blue skin hms at Athena's confidence, but looks toward the field wondering,
Yes, but just what exactly do you have planned...and will Cameron be caught off-guard?
"Heheh, I think I'll play the Spell Card Night Beam right about now!"
"Dare I ask what that does?"
"Basically, I can pick one of your face-downs and destroy it! Let's see...which one should I choose?...I think I'll pick the one, in the middle!"
The face-down flips face-up to reveal Bye-Bye Damage...
"Thought you'd do something like that."
"Huh?!"
Smirking smartly, Athena then calls,
"Which is why I'm countering with another Trap I laid down, Fairy Wind!"
Hearing the name of that specific card, Tiffany's head snaps up to attention with a small gasp.
I know that card! That's the one I gave Addy this morning before we left her place...
Flashback
We go back to about half an hour before breakfast in the Fujina Household, when the girls were finishing getting ready for the second day of the World Duel Carnival...
As she tugged her baby blue vest on, a thought came to Tiffany's head for how she could contribute a helping hand to her friend's goals in this city-wide tournament.
"Hey, Addy. Think you can make room in your deck for one more card?"
Looking up from the cards spread onto her bed, the other young teen shrugs with a,
"Mm, maybe...Whadda ya have in mind?"
Reaching into her grey backpack decorated with pink hearts, Tiffany slips a Duel Monsters card out of her own deck she seldom uses, before walking over to her friend to present it.
"Here. Take this one. I think it could be really helpful."
Athena takes the card from her friend to see for herself, Astral hovering over her shoulder so he could look as well.
"Hm..."
"Fairy Wind?"
"Yeah! It's a card that can be really useful when your opponent tries to one-up you with a Spell or Trap. (Sheepish smile) O-Or at least, I think it's useful..."
Seeing the modest uncertainty in her friend's smile made something in Athena's heart go out to the other...She'd then smile a little herself and reply back,
"Well this does look like a good card...one that I can definitely use."
Tiffany's eyes sparked with an eagerness at that remark.
"Hah! Seriously?"
"Heheh, seriously seriously."
The girl with red irises tucks the Fairy Wind Card beside one of her monsters laid atop the bed cover, adding,
"Not sure when I'll be able to use it, mind you, but you never know."
End of Flashback
Tiffany found herself smiling as the memory came to a close, feeling a touch more confident that her friend would win this battle.
Athena...
Speaking of said duelist, we cut back to the AR battlefield as she gave a quick explanation about her latest move.
"Lemme give you the scoop on Fairy Wind: this Trap allows me to destroy all other face-up Spell or Trap Cards on the field, no matter whose side that may be...Which means your Night Beam and my Bye-Bye Damage are gone, and we both take damage equal to the number of cards destroyed by 300."
"What?!"
Watching as her Trap Card releases two gusts of misty, sparkling wind streaming side by side from the feet of half a dozen purple-schemed fairies like a comet with two tails, Athena thinks to herself,
It's a little risky, but at least this way he's still taking damage...
The creatures split into two groups of three, taking a magical wind stream each to flutter around the targeted Spell and Trap Cards, gradually going faster and faster until they formed into whirlwinds that destroyed the cards! The fairies shoot out from the top, before directing each tornado to go crashing against the duelists who played the Spell and Trap, forcing them to cringe back and shield themselves from the other half of this card's ability. In which case, Cameron's Life Points would then drop to 2900, while Athena's total decreased to 2300...
The latter recovers first with a little grin despite the small sacrifice on her part and quirks,
"So much for your future photos, eh, Cam? Looks like they missed a few details. (Smirk) Or maybe they're just acting like their photographer: too cocky to analyze every possible variable."
"Grh, why you-!"
While Cameron fumes over the failure of his prediction, Astral comments about Athena's choice of strategy.
"That was quite an interesting counter you chose...but rather risky. Are you sure it was worthwhile to lose 600 Life Points over proving a point?"
"Very sure. Every action has the potential for a good or bad reaction...While it's true that I could have just rolled with the punch of losing Bye-Bye Damage...I also didn't wanna make it easy for Cameron to get by in this duel. That's why I played Fairy Wind, to make that much clear."
"I see."
Looking up to see the furious expression on their opponent's face, Astral says to his human partner,
"Well, it looks like your plan worked based on the amount of anger his face is displaying right now."
"Working, you mean."
He peers back at Athena with an expression of confusion, and she in turn whispers with a sneaky smile,
"There's more where that came from, trust me."
Red irises then focus back ahead as the owner of those orbs then calls,
"Well? Are ya done gawking or what? Come on, show me what else you got this turn, Cameron...or was that your biggest move?"
"Rrrrh...you'll regret messing with my future predictions! I summon out Scandal Snapper!"
The next monster to come ramming onto the field in a screech of tires, was Level Four with 700 Attack Points and held the appearance of a humanoid motorcycle with a camera in their hand.
"Unfortunately, since I have two fewer cards in my hand, Cameraclops loses 800 of its Attack Points."
So now that Level Four monster housed 2200 Attack Points...Cameron wasn't worried, though.
"But that's still plenty to pack a punch, or in this case, a photo! Cameraclops: attack Achacha Archer!"
One flash and bang later, the archer would be gone in an explosion of pixels, leaving their wielder to wince with gritted teeth as her Life Points dropped down to 1300.
"And now, get ready for your close-up, 'cause Scandal Snapper's attacking you directly!"
Bright flashes from the monster's camera shutter blind Athena, before she would find herself being rammed backwards in a slide to the floor, causing a few passengers of the airship to scramble to the sides to dodge!...Thankfully, she had another card on the field ready for such an attack, which she'd call on as soon as she stood up to her feet again.
"Hah, hah...I activate my other Trap, Achacha Restoration!"
Athena's other lone face-down on the right flips upward to reveal a scene with Achacha Archer's fist holding up a fire arrow against a smoky maroon and brown background.
"When an Achacha monster is destroyed in battle, I can use this trap to revive them back from the Graveyard."
The hex portal opens up in the ground, allowing Achacha Archer to pixelize back onto the field like he was never taken out!
"Once more, I gain Life Points equal to that monster's Attack Points!"
In which case, 1200 would be added to Athena's weak 600 Life Points, bringing it up to a stronger 1800...
Astral was quite impressed by the level of strategy that the teenage girl was displaying in this match.
Now that, was smart counter play...Athena is really beginning to grow as a duelist.
(Slight smile) And she certainly never disappoints in using surprise to its full potential.
He focuses back on his friend's battle as she calls her opponent out on the power he possesses thanks to Number 25.
"You're starting to see it now, aren't you, Cameron? Your pictures are only capturing part of the story, not the finer details. They don't get to tell how each chapter is written."
Clenching his free hand into a knuckle-cracking fist, said boy with the light purple irises shouts back as that dark purple/red aura flares around his body,
"This isn't over yet! Scandal Snapper still has its special ability! See, I still dealt you damage, so its Level revs up by two, then it switches from Attack Mode to Defense Mode!"
So now his monster was a Level Six instead of Four...
"Next up, I'm activating the Spell XYZ Frame from my hand! And that means on your next turn, you're not aloud to attack with a non-XYZ monster!"
Grinning sardonically, Cameron jeers,
"Let's see you try to outmaneuver my picture-perfect moves now...Oh, and speaking of pictures, we've finally reached the fifth turn."
He holds up an image of Number 39: Utopia getting blasted with a beam of light.
"And as I showed you before, it'll be on that fifth turn of yours, that you'll summon Utopia and then, you'll lose in the sixth!"
Athena's POV
There he goes again, trying to pre-plan my moves in advance...
Alright. It's time to hit his delusions hard with some reality.
"My turn. I Draw!"
"Lemme guess: you drew Gogogo Giant!"
My teeth clench in annoyance as he correctly states my latest card, which encourages him to go further by saying,
"And since that's the only monster currently in your hand, you'll summon it. That'll allow you to summon Gogogo Golem from your Graveyard! At which point, you'll have two Level Four monsters, and you'll Overlay them to summon out Utopia, as my photos foretold!"
Rolling my eyes, I shake my head while grumbling to myself,
"Foretold this, predicted that. Honestly, and I thought Fortuno's psychic crap was annoying..."
"Go on, Athena. Play Utopia! It's your destiny!"
Now that, definitely tweaked me the wrong way, and I bark back in a barely contained flare of fury,
"Don't you go using that word destiny around me like you're God or somethin'! That's just going way too far!"
(...Ka-boom)
"Gah!"
If my mood hadn't been pushed enough already, it would be now when the second wing's engine suddenly blew up and caught fire, causing everyone to scream while also providing a new wave of smoke to mix in! Coughing in irritation from the thicker, polluted air seeping into my lungs more strongly than earlier, I cry out,
"Everyone! Stay calm and duck down away from the smoke!"
Tiffany then comes in through my gazer's chat connection to check up on me.
"Addy! Are you, (cough), alright?!"
"Hanging in there. How's it goin' with the air vents; any luck with the reverse flow?"
"Still working on it. There's alot more circuit panels then we anticipated, and we're (cough, cough) having trouble discerning which ones belong to which section of the airship."
"What have you labelled so far?"
"Uhm...We found the one for the cockpit..."
"Hm...Okay, that's a start. Yoko and the pilots will need cleaner air more than we do right now...See if one or two of you can get that one working, confirm (cough) with Yoko, while another one or two keep searching for the vent controls belonging to the observation deck."
"Sounds like a plan...Thanks. And, Addy?"
"Yeah?"
"...We're gonna get through this, right?"
It broke my heart a little to hear how uncertain my bestie was, so I gave her my best reassuring smile and nod back,
"Yeah...no doubt...We're gonna make it, Tiff, and if not-(cough), feel free to bitch-slap me when we hit Cloud 9."
That made her giggle the slightest through the tiny tears prickling in the corners of her eyes, and she nods with a light 'mhm', before ending the chat...
"Your leadership in this crisis is doing well to keep an air of calm, Athena."
I turn my head to Astral's direction and quirk back through that telepathic link,
Leadership? I dunno about that. I just don't want anyone, least of all Tiffany to go into a really unhelpful panic attack.
"Yet your way of directing everyone, is that of a leader."
I was a bit taken aback by his insistence on the matter...before finding myself coughing out a chuckle and muttering internally,
Well, if I am showing signs of being a leader, I have a number of good influences to thank for that...including you.
"Uh!...Me?"
Yes you, smart guy. Your way of conveying strategies in our duels, kind-a makes you the leading mind...and no, I'm not saying that again.
It was annoying in the beginning of our relationship...but now...
My lips turn upward to form a very rare, sincere smile as I finish,
Now I couldn't have asked for a better partner than you.
He looked really taken aback by statement...and quite frankly, so was I, looking away from him suddenly to shake my head in slight disbelief for this weird confession of...I wanna say affection, but not like 'lovely' affection. More like super close comrades.
Whoa, girl...where'd that come from?
"Athena...I, do not know what to say..."
Mumbling a 'same here', I try to steer this conversation back on course with more important things.
Ahem, a-anyway, speaking of leading...Cameron's sure leading on with his so-called future photos.
I expected my little spins on what he was expecting would throw him off-course in some way, but, he's still acting like they're the guideline that has to be followed to the letter.
Humming in thought (possibly as grateful as I was for a distraction from that awkward moment between us...), Astral mutters,
"Yes, I have been noticing that as well...Perhaps it would be beneficial to learn a little more about where this power of his came from."
Yeah, like, where'd he even get the Number in the first place...?
I decide to pop that question aloud:
"Oi, Camera Boy, answer me somethin', would ya?...How exactly did you get your hands on Number 25?"
Cameron's eyes widen the slightest at my ability to name the card's numeral without him telling me...before obliging me with a more neutral frown.
"There's not much to tell. This card enables me to make any thought a reality simply by thinking and snapping."
"So that would mean your images are no more than your version of the future, a sad attempt to put puppet strings on what can't be controlled."
"Grh, don't act as if you know me!...I've always wanted to make the front page, so I would spend hours dreaming up once-in-a-lifetime shots, like this airship bursting into flames, but I was never in the right place in the right time. It seemed that was the story of my life, at least until that day."
I urge,
"That, day?"
He smirks a bit insanely and explains,
"The day my Number Card appeared! Suddenly, everything changed! I remember it all so clearly: I was taking silly little photos, and then, I saw it. I approached it, and cautiously picked it up. It felt like it was supposed to be mine. The card's power revealed itself to me immediately...and that's when I realized, that the story of my life had been rewritten!"
I clicked my tongue in disgust as I mentally remarked,
Yeah, rewritten...I know how that feels, and in a much worse way then he'll ever experience.
"With the supernatural power that this card gave to me, I arranged for those once-in-a-lifetime moments to become realities, and I can only imagine that with each new Number I acquire, my power will grow!"
"Tch, you've clearly allowed that Number to mess with your mentality with that kind of talk...Mind you, that seems to be the only tone this whole carnival's broadcasting: violence and cruel drama down every corner."
I look down sadly and add more to myself,
"It's like, people are forgetting what it really means to play Duel Monsters...or how to live without life restraining you."
"Well that all really depends on what you believe it means."
Looking back up, Cameron then says to me with a smug expression,
"You see, my Number's also given me the power to influence people's perceptions of reality."
These were yet another set of words to bristle me, and I retort back,
"Yeah? Well you're not influencing my perceptions, and I'm gonna end your little games or die trying!"
"Well then by all means, go ahead and try to stop me!...But let's be honest: you know you won't be able to. Even with those little tricks, you saw the picture for yourself. You've already lost!"
"Bullshit! You might've suckered other poor souls into believing they have no other routes, but incase you haven't been paying attention, you haven't suckered me into walking onto a tightrope blind!"
All those pics are really worth to me...is a guideline to how I'm gonna win.
"Enough of this stalling! I summon out, Gogogo Giant!"
My Level Four golem with 2000 Attack Points rises to the field in a whirlwind of air...
"That's right, just like I said. And now, go ahead and activate its special ability!"
"...No."
"Say what?!"
I grab the next card in my hand to play in my plan to completely overthrow Cameron's crazy predictions.
"What I will do is activate the Equip Spell, Mist Body!"
Gogogo Giant's form is wrapped in a cloud of mist that distorts his appearance to have an almost translucent quality...
"Now my giant cannot be destroyed in battle...Next, I place one card face-down, and end my turn here."
Astral...how'm I doin' so far?
You are doing well, Athena. Just remember to be ready to play that Trap when the time is right.
I nod firmly, just as my opponent gets extremely touchy about the lack of order.
"No...impossible...Utopia! You were suppose to play it! See for yourself: my pictures never lie!"
"Maybe not to you."
Cameron's raging rant pauses there at my interjection, and I strongly in a blunt tone,
"Those are your photos, right, your imagination trying to determine what life's gonna give you? Wake up and smell the daisies, dude: those future predictions are only a possibility, not a finality! The only way either of us are gonna be sure about how this duel will end, is by playing, so quit preaching what you don't know and move it along!"
"Fiiiine, Athena! Here we go! I Draw! First I summon this card. Here, it, comes! Paparazzi Pest!"
This monster was a Level Two with 1000 Attack Points, and looked like a giant mosquito with a camera for a head...
"Now I'll activate it's special ability! I tribute Paparazzi Pest to Cameraclops to increase its Level by two!"
I don't need future-predicting photos to tell me what's coming next...
"I overlay Level Six Cameraclops and Scandal Snapper, so I can build the Overlay Network! I XYZ Summon, Number 25: Force Focus!"
It started out as an emblem symbolizing a camera lens, before twisting and reconfigurating into a full-blown movie film camera with gun attachments at the bottom, Rank Six and with a strong 2800!
Okay, don't panic...Just gotta pray he heads after Achacha Archer and not Gogogo Giant...
Thankfully, Cameron was too blinded by his anger and desires to fully pay attention to the golden opportunity of taking a chunk out of my Life Points.
"Now go, Force Focus: Destroy Achacha Archer, with Projection of Pain!"
"I activate my Trap, Half Shield!"
My card flips face-up, and the heart with contrasting sides - the left a shadowy black with gold embellishments while the right was a liquid clear blue - projects outward to manifest in front of Archer, staving off most of Force Focus's attack.
"Now the damage dealt to me by your Number's cut in half!"
So instead of losing 1600 Life Points, I'd only lose 800, bringing my total down to 1000...
"Aaagh, no way! How did you-?!"
"To explain how I managed to ignore your 'script' for how I should think would be wasted on you."
Astral nodded in agreement with me, noting,
"Now I couldn't be anymore certain, that these future photos, are not for real. The only reason they worked before, was because Cameron was so good at convincing people they were. Duelists thought that they had no choice, so they would subconsciously behave in a matter, that would make the images come true..."
Smiling slightly at me, he comments in a manner that for him would be considered joking,
"Thankfully, your behaviour is as spontaneous and unpredictable as they come."
Smirking a bit, I banter back,
"Heh, very funny...but you're not wrong. As much as I respect some sets of rules, like in this game, I hate following order and expectations all the time. It's boring and constricting."
"Yes, so you've displayed many times...Now then."
We focus back in front of us as towards the battlefield.
"The game is yours, Athena, so win this duel."
"Consider it done."
Meanwhile, it looks like Cameron's finally allowing reality to come crashing in like a wrecking ball...Problem was, I think Number 25 may have had a hold on his heart long enough that there was a bit more 'damage' than 'damage control' going on for him.
"No way...These pics...I know they're real...! They're the future!"
All I could do was shake my head in a cynical kind of pity, for as much as this wasn't entirely his fault, at the same time, he allowed things to go too far.
"Just give it up, Cameron. The only future that's real is how seriously screwed up your own perception of reality is gonna be if you continue to hold onto your delusions...You've created a personal doomsday and don't even know it."
"N-No...No! I can, I can still-"
I interrupt his stammering before he started another pointless spat.
"You can do nothing but accept defeat in this duel...which I'm praying won't be yours or my last one."
He was right about one thing: once it's the present, you can't change the future...
This duel's the only thing I can interfere with. The rest is up to Tiffany and Yoko.
"Either way, I'm not holding back! It's my turn, and I Draw! First, I'm summoning Overlay Owl!"
My Level Four white owl in the yellow vest and red cape with 800 Attack Points rises to the field with a 'hoo, hoo', carrying his wooden staff in his right wing.
"And now that he's here to join in on the action, I'm activating his special ability!"
He gleams his yellow irises my way, and my Life Points drop to 400.
"By paying 600 of my Life Points, I'm able to send one of your monster's Overlay Units to the Graveyard!"
"Not gonna happen! I'll simply use another Overlay Unit to negate your owl's special ability!"
"Ye~ah, see, there's a little problem with that plan."
I hold up the last card in my hand with a smirk:
"Something I'd like to call the Spell, Space Cyclone, which allows me to get rid of one Overlay Unit from an XYZ Monster! And since Force Focus is currently the only XYZ Monster with Overlay Units...so long, sucker!"
A tornado with asteroid debris spinning inside comes whirling onto the field, and knocks right into Number 25 to blow their last Overlay Unit away for the Graveyard, much to Cameron's shock.
"What?! Noooo!"
I just chuckle at his dismay while thinking to myself,
And I have my mysterious donator to thank for this card...
(Flash)
See, at around five-thirty in the morning, an hour before Tiff would've woken up, I had just rose out of bed to start the day...when I saw something fly past my bedroom window.
"Huh?"
...Hurrying outside (and forgetting that I was wearing my salmon red tank top pajama dress and no shoes), I stop at around the point where that large shape took off from, but found nothing...except an envelope.
"What, the...?"
Curious, and a bit cautious, I move to pick it up while grumbling a bit tiredly,
"God, if this is Flip pulling another prank, I'm gonna...Huh."
Oddly enough, it was just the Trap Card, and nothing else. No message, no name written on the back on the envelope, nothing that could tell me where the card came from...
And yet as I looked up towards where the shadow flew off from...I found myself smiling the tiniest bit.
"Heh...Guess I better find a way to add this into my deck..."
(Flash)
I already have a hunch to whom that might've been...but I'll thank 'im at a later time, after I win this duel.
"Well, seeing as you can't do anything but gawk, I'll keep goin' with my turn. (Holds out hand) I overlay Level Four Gogogo Giant, and Overlay Owl, to create the Overlay Network! Here's where that one detail of your pics gets it right!...I XYZ Summon, Number 39: Utopia!"
And my signature Number comes swooping up onto the field...which was around the moment when Tiffany and those citizen helpers of hers finally got the air vent reverse for this room working! One simultaneous suction from all the vents surrounding us was all it took, before we could all breathe a little easier, myself sighing in relief with the rest of my fellow passengers.
Haaah, that's better...
My bestie cheers the good news through the AR Chat:
"Addy, Addy, we did it; we got the reverse working for here, and in the cockpit! The pilots and Yoko are having a better time concentrating on a game plan for an emergency landing. It won't be easy...but they're a little more confident they can do it without too much damage to the city."
"That's great to hear, Tiff, really great...Good job, and hang tight. We're gonna beat this sitch."
"I know we are. I feel, so much more hopeful, a-and I'm not even sure if it's just from accomplishing the job, or...like, someone heard our prayers for a turnaround. I dunno, does that sound crazy?"
...I look up at Utopia...and he turns his head to meet my eyes with his, making me smile and reply to my friend,
"No...No, it's not crazy at all."
You heard us, didn't you, big guy? You heard us...and answered the call for a new hope...
"At last, Utopia!"
I snap out of my sentimentality to look over at Cameron with a raised brow, he more, excited by my summon than I would think an opponent ought'a be.
"The monster I've been hoping Athena would bring out! The monster that Force Focus will destroy, on my next turn!"
I jeer back,
"In your dreams," as Astral urges me,
"End this now, Athena!"
"You got it! Crunch time, Utopia!...Go, Chaos XYZ Evolution! Here's something that no one can ever predict!...Rise up, Chaos Number 39: Utopia Ray!"
One drop down the rabbit hole that was the Overlay Network's vortex and back again was all it took, before we'd all pay witness to my Number's more vamped form...The audience was certainly captivated, gasps and murmurs of awe humming in the air to distract us from the real-life situation, while Cameron was on the verge of a panic attack.
"What's happening?!"
"Your delusions are shattering like a mirror, that's what! I now activate Utopia Ray's ability! For every Overlay Unit used, my monster gains 500 Attack Points, while yours loses 1000 for each one. Go, Overlay Charge!"
Quick as an eyelash bat, Utopia Ray was standing strong with 4000 Attack Points, while Force Focus lost all power.
"No way...This isn't happening...!"
"Still not convinced? Maybe this next strike will...Utopia Ray, take out Force Focus with Rising Sun Chaos Slash!"
(Slash, slash...SLASH)
Three strokes of the swords later, Number 25 was busted beyond repair, leaving Cameron to go flying back from the impact as the last of his Life Points tumbled to zero...
"Addy!"
I turn around just as I pull off my Duel Gazer to face Tiffany, the AR World fading away as she ran over to me.
"Tiff..."
"You beat him...Did Astral get the Number?"
I glance over and saw a glowing card shape in my other friend's hand, telling me what I needed to know in an instant.
"Yeah. It's no longer in Cameron's hands...Still, beating him and Force Focus doesn't change much of the problem."
We both peer at the smoking engines with solemn expressions, feeling a faint rise of dread wrack our bones...
No POV
The girls quickly decide that standing around doing nothing except allowing their emotions to get the better of them was a terrible way of walking away from this minor victory, so they would hurry out of the passenger observation deck for the cockpit to join Yoko and the co-pilots, Astral trailing behind them...
"Yoko!"
Said young woman wearing the brown sleeveless dress turns around from the controls to see her young friends settling in through the entrance.
"Athena, Tiffany...I'm guessing Cameron's been taken care of?"
The former addressed nods in confirmation:
"Yeah, I knocked him flat. He's currently laying unconscious and being kept an eye on by one of Tiff's helpers...How's it goin' in here?"
One of the pilots, Galen, replies regrettably as he and his partner click several buttons and switches on the console,
"Not as well as we'd like. With both engines shot, our only hope is an emergency landing on the highway below us. That's if we can steady this craft."
The other man behind the wheel adds,
"The silver lining is that we finally got a message through to the air marshals, they alerted the police, and they already called an immediate evacuation...At this point, however, all we can do, is prepare ourselves for what may come."
The other three (or four, depending on how you look at it) nod in understanding, knowing that the line between a near-miss and total disaster was dangerously thin this hour...
Soon enough, the commemorative airship was rattling in a fight for balance, as both pilots tug back the wheels sharply, while Yoko, Athena and Tiffany held onto the sides of the cockpit's entrance/exit to brace themselves, the latter two females gripping eachother's free hands tightly...in a very similar fashion to what Astral recalled from that horrible future photograph taken by the possessed Cameron before anyone boarded the craft...
His mismatched silver-white and gold irises close shut, he too praying for a miracle.
Please...don't let this be the end...
"Look!"
He and the other three snap their eyes open to Galen's exclaim, he adding as he pointed to one of the instrument monitors,
"There's an unidentified aircraft approaching the airship fast! It came outta nowhere!"
The other mutters in disbelief,
"Who on earth would be crazy enough to...Uh! They're circling overtop us!"
...A figure blurs overhead the higher windows of the cockpit, one that Athena would recognize from much earlier today.
Uh! No...It couldn't be...!
(...SHATTER)
"Agh!"
She and everyone else would then shield themselves from broken glass as part of the figure comes crashing in from the front!
...And that someone, would be none other than,
"Kite!"
The older teen with blond/teal hair steals a very quick glance at Athena upon her call, before straightening up and spinning around to call outside,
"Now, Orbital! Full Power!"
The robot unit, he positioned at the bottom of the airship's nose, calls back,
"Y-You got it!"
He then activates the jet engines in his arms that are used in his glider form, using the momentum from the fire power to act as a makeshift emergency break, straightening the airship some as it goes sliding against the raised highway hard...and stopping just as the tip of the nose teeters off the edge of the next fork in the road!
...
Soon enough, everyone was escorted off the large transport by emergency services, including Tiffany and Yoko who chose to carry down the still unconscious Cameron with an arm wrapped around each of their shoulders and one of their own around his waist.
"All this trouble just to get some recognition and fame...Remind me to never go into Journalism."
"Heh, yeah, it's a rather rocky career some days, but when you actually put in the hard work to climb up, it can be worthwhile. That's why I do what I do..."
Glancing down at the boy in her arms, Yoko found herself forming an expression of pity.
Now that I've witnessed his struggles for my own eyes...I almost feel kind-a bad for the kid.
He's a talent for sure, but he took a very wrong route to try and reach the top...
Someone should help him get back on course, do things the right way...and maybe...maybe I could be his mentor.
Nodding to herself with a smile and tucking the new goal away in the back of her mind for now, she then quirks to Tiffany with a wry and somewhat nervous smirk,
"Er, btw, don't tell Terry I was on the airship, or he's gonna have kittens."
Sweatdropping with a chagrin, the younger replies,
"Ah-heheh, right. Mum's the word..."
Athena would exit down from an appointed escalator behind them, sucking in a cleansing breath of relief as her feet touched the non-flying surface again.
"Man, what a ride. So much for escaping drama..."
She then felt a small smirk form on her face, and turned around to call up at the 'hero of the hour' who was standing atop the airship.
"Yo, Kite!"
His steel grey irises peer down her direction, and she says to him,
"Nice timing with Orbital back there!...But how'd you know where we'd be?"
"Need you ask? The live feed was broadcasted all over the city."
"Right, right...By the by."
The girl with long, shaggy black hair tipped copper red then pulls out the Space Cyclone Spell Card from her deck to hold up with a knowing smile.
"Don't think I need more than one guess to tell me who sent this my way early this morning...Any ideas to why, though?"
"...Why are you asking me?"
"(Shrug) I dunno. You're a smart guy...So...?"
...A strange, unreadable expression forms on Kite's face, before he turns away from those red irises while tching,
"I have no idea what you're taking about...See you in the finals if you can make it there."
With that, the blond takes off for the air with Orbital's glider form, leaving Athena to shake her head with a quiet chuckle under her breath.
Sure thing, Kite...and while I dunno why you did what you did as of yet, I thank you nonetheless.
Looking down at the card between her fingers, she quirks with a small smile,
Maybe, just maybe...this is a sign that he's thinking about my offer from a few days ago...
"So you survived the crash, did'ja?"
Athena would then stiffen like a two-by-four to the sound of the rough-cut young male voice, and spun on her heel with a defensive growl, directing a new glare towards the source casually leaning his right side against a lamppost.
"You...I guess this explains why I felt daggers in the back of my skull before I got on the airship."
"Keh, nice choice of metaphor. I am more a dagger kind-of guy."
Fighting to stay calm and not cause a scene, Athena asks the other,
"What're you doin' here, Trilos? Stalking me?"
Astral floats closer to the girl's side in a protective manner, his own eyes set in a glare towards the teenager with short, spiky dark green hair tipped an inky black.
What does he want?
"Ha, I wouldn't exactly call it stalking, per say. Just happened to spot ya with that little gal pal of yours earlier near the river, and decided t' see if I could make ya jerk a little by playing shadow. (Smirk) And based on your reaction, looks like it worked."
Athena makes a sound of discontent, her fingers inching towards her Duel Monster Deck, much to her enemy's amusement.
"Heheheh, come on, don't be so hasty. Believe it or not, I'm not here lookin' for a fight...not yet."
Moving away from the street pole until he was only standing a couple feet away from Athena, Trilos quirks with a gleam in his burnt orange irises,
"I'm more into the idea fly-boy mentioned before he took off: save the real action for the finals...And who knows? Maybe I'll crush 'im before I do the same to you."
"You leave Kite out of this. This business is strictly between you and me; there doesn't have to be any crossfire casualties."
"Hah, (shakes head) Berserker, Berserker...don't you know me at all?"
Trilos forms a mean little grin and states,
"Anyone, who stands in my way, gets taken out, plain and simple."
"Rgh..."
"I'll leave ya to think on that...but I wouldn't let your guard fall too far down."
The middle-teen adds ominously over his shoulder as he disappears into the crowd,
"For you never know who could be watching...waiting..."
...Once he was gone, Athena relaxes her stance, but not the growing unease in her system.
"Damn it...he's getting bolder in making his appearances...That's not good at all."
His confidence is growing...which means he's gonna strike soon, and strike hard.
Question is...when?