How...How, is this even happening right now?! And of course this is during another duel; sure, why not?
This thought of mixed surprise and frustration would be running through the young Fujina's mind, as her ember red irises drank in the sights before her.
An open dune of seemingly endless sand as white as the shores of the Australian beaches of Hyams and Lucky Bay, the colour muted by vivid blues and violets reflecting off the skies above, and tiny light particles floating in the atmosphere like snowflakes imitating stars...
This was the environment that made up the dimensional space within the Golden Key, which for reasons yet to be unveiled, had summoned a part of their owner's self within its depths right in the middle of her duel against Nistro and Dextra!
...Speaking of, back out in the AR-cloaked area in front of the main gate to Heartland City's inner core, this girl in the black leather jacket and matching-coloured pleated skirt was still acting like a limp ragdoll, as Blade Bounzer dove down from above to bring their blade against Gagaga Gardna. Taking this as a sign of shock, the young man with dark natural skin and sooty red hair taunts,
"Ha, that's right, kid: you can't protect your monster anymore since there are no more monsters in your hand! You're finished!"
The two young teens acting as audience members to this duel try to snap their friend out of it.
"Look out, Addy!"
"Snap to it, Addy, or we're both done for!"
There's no response at first...but then, the girl's head slowly rises to reflect a very impassive, almost dull expression.
"...Activating Tasuke's Special Ability, Push Battle Halt."
The hex circle that connects the Battlefield with the Graveyard opens, and Athena's monster rose back to action, thrusting a glowing hand forward to release a ripple of wind, which hits the attacking panther...before the whole offensive measure is brought to a complete standstill, with only a few inches of air between their weapon and Gardna's shield!
"Guh! She blocked me?!"
While Flip cheered with a hop in his step and a fist pumped into the air, Tiffany smiles as she remembers,
"Ah! That's right: Tasuke Knight can be brought back from the Graveyard when their wielder is being attacked while having no cards in their hands. Not only that, but he can also stop the battle from progressing."
Growling from the lack of damage dealt to his opponent, Nistro grinds,
"You got lucky, kid...Hm?"
That's when he notices that the girl with long, shaggy black plait tipped copper red was not displaying, any sort of emotion at all, which seemed to infuriate him more than her mocking smirks had been.
"Tch, what's with the look? Some new mind trick you're tryin' to pull?...Hey! I'm talkin' to you!"
"Duel."
"Huh?"
He'd only become more confused by the very dry, muttered reply that emitted from Athena's mouth, like she was on autopilot.
"Con-tin-ue...duel."
"What the..."
Well this duel just got weird: first we had a girl with an attitude problem...and now an android?
...
Back inside the girl's pristine golden pendant, she was asking herself similar questions, when she suddenly found her vision clouded by the events going on outside this temporal realm.
"...Uuuuuh, okaaaaay..."
That, was weird...So, I'm in two places in once?
...Hold on...Oooh, I get it: I'm not completely inside the key. Just my conscious...I think.
Which means, my subconscious must be running the show in my body right now.
...Wish I didn't sound like such a zombie, but, then again, I guess it's a miracle I can still talk and convey some sort of strategy for the duel.
"Still, I better find out what the hell's going on and get back out there before everyone starts suspecting."
Focusing her irises onto the golden airship before her, the girl with the beige complexion deciphers,
"I'm more than sure that those pulses were coming from that way...Now, if I remember right..."
Bending her knees a little, she then lightly kicks off the sandy grounds and starts making her way over to where the mysterious apparatus was...Athena would be landing softly on the edge of the roof two minutes later, thinking to herself with a slight smile despite herself,
Heh, if things haven't taken such an odd turn, this would be pretty cool...
So then, where's-
(Bang-clang-blaaang)
"Uh!"
Darting her head upward, Athena would witness the streaming forms that were Numbers 96 and 39, still hashing it out against one another in a fierce battle of wills.
Utopia...and Black Mist? But, how are they out here?
"Seize Astral, Black Mist!"
Uh!...That voice...it can't be...!
Following the sound of that command, ember red irises would lock down below at the malicious form that was the black-skinned being.
"It is! Number 96!...(Narrows eyes) What's the crap's he up to now, and how'd he break from Astral's control?"
Speaking of my friend...
(Clang)
She'd wince when Utopia protects Astral another attack from his opponent's monster form, glancing over at her blue-skinned companion with a growing worry.
Astral...So this is why you haven't come out yet: you got ambushed by this creep and are stuck fighting him...
Is that why the key brought me in here? To help? That must be it.
...But, what can I do?
"Give up! We will absorb you!"
Catching some emphasis near the end of that latest exclaim, Athena hms in a quiet voice while keeping herself hidden behind the edge of one large gear,
"Absorb...Hang on a second...Black Mist may have given us trouble last time, but I don't remember him being this powerful..."
Also, I would think that the other Numbers would jump to Astral's aid when he's being threatened...but, it's only Utopia defending right now.
...I wonder...Could Black Mist have stolen the power of the other Numbers?
...If he has...how can I find out?
(Pulse...)
"Hm?"
Suddenly, the girl feels a different beat of power echo from within the inner sanctums of the airship, and turns around to where she felt it tickle her back.
"...What was that?"
Was that...a Number?...It came from below here.
So with curiousity flooding her veins and temporarily masking the appending dangers, Athena silently steals away from her current vantage point to float deeper into the mysterious mode of air transport...At the same time, the celestial being from beyond this galaxy also feels a shift in the atmosphere as he did before he became caught in his current affairs...only this time, something felt different.
"Huh?...Athena?"
Odd...Suddenly, the warning beat of Life Force feels, duller, or less agitated.
Is she out of danger; did she end the duel that quickly?...No. Something is still wrong.
"As much as I want to believe Athena has everything under control...I will not be assured until I am able to see for my own eyes."
But first...I must put an end to this.
Forming an affirmed expression, Astral gestures his right arm forward in a commanding manner.
"Utopia: Let us finish this farce quickly so we may join Athena!"
Glancing over his shoulder, Utopia gives his current wielder a quick nod, before shoving the Black Mist Monster back harshly, then soaring for the air, causing the latter's monster's controller to think that he was making a break for it.
"Do not let it escape!"
They heed Number 96's order, and tries to blast the warrior angel out of the sky by firing a beam of dark purple energy...However, that would quickly be made an exercise of wasted strength, when Number 39 suddenly drops in a dive at the last second to dodge the latest attack, save a bit of singeing on the top edge of his right wing!
"What? Grrh, a feint?!"
Utopia lands smoothly near the sandy grounds below, turning to motion a challenging expression at his opponent, whom would growl before diving down to start another round. They would be followed by their wielders shortly after, Astral shooting Black Mist a very small, almost Athena-worthy smirk before starting his way down, bristling the latter.
"Rrrh, so, taking a few lessons from that little human of yours, are you? (Sneer) I'll make you regret your defiance, Astral."
"Funny, I was about to say something similar to you."
Athena's POV
As I made my way deeper into the inner workings of this strange airship, I caught the exchange of words between Black Mist and Astral, feeling a smirk of pride form as I heard my friend act so...rebelliously.
Heh, guess I must be starting to rub off on 'im. Way'da ruffle his feathers, Astral...
Now, while he and Utopia keep the gruesome twosome busy, I better see if I can make this battle a fair fight.
Slipping through an opening between two gears, I add in an afterthought,
"And I better go as fast as I can. Who knows how long my subconscious can keep dueling for...In fact, maybe I should check on my progress."
Whatever forces out there that caused this must've heard me, for one quick draw of breath was all it took, before I felt this weird pressure on my eyes...and I was able to see the outside world inside my mind (and that's the least confusing way I can put it...). With this image running through my brain as I went, I took note of my, body, drawing a card before sending Tasuke Knight to attack Morpho Butterspy...
Oh good, it worked. May not be much, but 500 down's what I call progress...
Nistro's mocking expression said otherwise (for some reason, the audio wasn't working this round), but both of my selves ignore him, and I come back to focus.
Eh, I say let 'em think he's all that. It'll come biting back soon enough...
Now, where does Astral store the Numbers when were not using them?
(Pulse...)
"Mph...That was little stronger this time. (Turns) From Northwest of here..."
I follow the pulsing as it got more prominent the closer I got...and eventually, I found the source.
"Whooooaaa..."
As it turns out, there's an area inside this metal airship that housed these, pillars, each one imprinted with a numeral representing dozens upon dozens of Number Cards needing collection. Of course, Astral and I have only gotten a limited quantity of them, so it's only a small section of the pillars that have been...unlocked, I suppose?
"So this is where the Numbers hang out when I'm not using them in a Duel...Man, what a way to remind myself of how big this whole mission really is..."
So far, we've only got twelve out of ninety-nine...and only Utopia's is glowing in a way that isn't of bad intent...while the others...
The other eleven Number Cards housed in here had this freaky, dark glow of power radiating off each one in that red/purple like that aura which those people previously possessed by them had until I defeated and freed them from that control...However, this was a little different from those other instances, for instead of a simple glow, there was a little sparking coming from the numerals...which were steadily flowing down near the lower center, where Black Mist's place would be, it glowing just as brightly as Utopia, only in a sickly black-plum light.
"I knew it...He's robbing the other Numbers of their power, save Utopia, for his own devices..."
I float up for a closer look, stopping in front of Number 83's symbol, careful to stay a foot or so back so I wasn't hit by the abrasive energies.
"There's gotta be a way to shut this off...but how?"
Come on, Addy, think...
H...Help.
Huh?
H-Help, me...
...I know that woman's voice.
"...Galaxy Queen? Is that you?"
The air grows quiet for a couple seconds, aside from the echos of the battle going on outside the airship...when suddenly, just above the pillar, a transparent form projects for my own eyes to see...in the form of the very Number Monster herself! I gasp a little and jolt back a bit, startled that she would try and meet face-to-face with me.
"G-Galaxy Queen...Wow, it's been a while...Oh!"
That's when I took notice of the black bands of power restraining her arms and waist, also sparking in that dark power, which was obviously causing the royal some really bad pain based on her expressions. I didn't need to play Twenty Questions to know who did this, and I form a glare before asking,
"...He did this, didn't he? Black Mist has forced you and the others to conspire with him by draining your powers."
Y-Yes, child...We, tried to resist, but he was too strong. Only, Utopia was able to fight back.
"Yeah, I kind-a got that, and I'm sure you and the others did your best...Anyway, I'm, still not entirely sure how I can remedy the sitch, but I'm thinking if we break the flow of stolen power, that should weaken Black Mist enough so Utopia has a better fighting chance...Any ideas, 'cause I'm kind-of winging it here."
Giving me a slight smile through her pain, she struggles to point her scepter down at her pillar.
There, is one way, you can help. Quickly; t-touch, my symbol.
"That's it? You sure?"
She nods, and I puff out a breath while shrugging,
"Alright, you're the expert...Here goes nothing."
One of the very, very few times where my lack-thereof ability to feel pain will be useful.
Shaking out my left wrist at ready, I start reaching out towards the 83 on the pillar end...As soon as was just a few centimeters from touching from the stone, the tips of my fingers would be met with what I felt as something like pressurized air, when it was really an invisible barrier that erected to try and keep me away.
"Mph...Come on. (Looks up) Galaxy Queen, I need you to relax. I understand you're in pain, but your discomfort is making it difficult for me to help...I need you to trust me."
I could tell her resistance was stemming from fear...but she nonetheless does as I ask her, breathing in deeply and allowing herself to go limp, depressurizing that invisible shield enough so that I could shove my way through!
"Rrrrr-hah!"
(...Ping)
As soon as my fingertips connect with the numeral, a rouge-gold light began to envelop the entire pillar, virtually evaporating all that dark power like it was just steam! My jaw drops in spite of myself, mystified by...whatever I just did.
How, the friggin' hell did I-
Well done, child.
Hm?
Forcing my eyes away from staring at my hand like a dummy, I look up and see the transparent form of Galaxy Queen, no longer held by those bindings and looking much healthier.
Thank you for freeing me.
"Um, your welcome...Just wish I knew what the hell I did, though..."
It will become more clear to you as time marches on. For now, concentrate your efforts on freeing the others, preferably before Black Mist becomes wise to your presence.
I stiffen on alert at the mention of that creep:
"Gh, that's right; it's a miracle that he hasn't sensed me yet...Okay, I think I can take it from here, Galaxy Queen. You rest, and, (slight smile) thanks. It was nice chattin' with you."
As it was a pleasure to speak freely with you...Until we meet again, Athena.
With that, Number 83 fades out of sight, likely heading back inside the pillar, which was now glowing in a more normal manner without the poisonous-looking aura. Breathing out another somewhat heavy sigh, I shake my head with a weak smirk and mutter,
"Like I said already, the things I gotta do for people...Hoh-kay, no time for stalling."
I zero in on my next target, and shift over a little so I was in front of them, determination filling my heart.
"Next up, Leviathan Dragon."
Hang on, Astral and Utopia, (smirk) and watch out, Creep One and Creep Two. Addy's on the job.
Black Mist's POV
Mmh, this is proving to be a bit more work than I expected...but I will not lose. Not this time.
I have shifted my stance from above the airship to the sand dunes below with Astral, we continuing our battle of wills with our respected Number Monsters, my own copy...and that blasted Number 39.
How did he even slip past my control?...Is he truly that strong?
(Smirk) No matter. Even the mightiest warriors fall eventually. I just have to chip his stamina down a little more...
Only a few minutes more of patience would be required, before my copy manages to seize that troublesome other Number with their tendrils, much to poor Astral's dismay.
"Utopia!"
Grinning, I think to myself,
Ha. I've got you now.
"Black Mist, destroy Number 39!"
They heed my command, and prepare to end that pathetic Utopia...but somehow, he was able to slip out one of his swords, and cuts himself free, throwing my monstrous doppelganger back! Clenching a fist, I growl,
"Curses...!"
I almost had him...Wait.
That was when...I felt the power that I acquired from the other Numbers - by force, mind you - begin to drop. Placing a hand over my chest, I mutter,
"What's, this? My new power is...weakening...?"
But how? The only way this could be possible, (glance) is if Astral was able to slip back to the pillars and started disconnecting my hold over them...
Yet he's over there, so how-...Unless...
I turn my head towards the airship, and narrow my eyes in suspicion.
"Someone else is inside the Key."
A moment passes as I use my powers to sense for any other auras...and I get a beat on a very familiar third party.
"Uh! Grrrh...it's that human, Athena!"
How in the worlds did she get in here?!...Tch, perhaps, I'll have to personally ask her that question.
Though while my very blood was boiling with anger over that girl interfering with my plans again, as I started to steal my way back into the airship...I could not help but smirk when I realize,
And while I'm at it...I shall capture and absorb her as well.
Astral's POV
Utopia had just broken free from Black Mist's hold once more, and was just about to ready himself for another counterattack...when suddenly, the monster form of that fiend just, stopped moving.
Huh?...Why did they stop attacking?
"...Do you admit defeat?"
That's when I noticed a certain 'copy-cat' wasn't in the area.
"Wait a moment...where is Number 96?"
...Both of the monsters within my vision turned their heads towards the airship, so I follow their gazes, only to see Black Mist heading his way in. I narrow my eyes in suspicion of this sudden change of behaviour, for it seemed rather unlike of that fiend to just, stop what he had planned to finish.
Now what is he up to...?
...Wait...Uh! I'm sensing another presence inside the pendant...and, it's, Athena's?
If I was not confused before, I certainly was now.
"But, this cannot be correct. Athena is currently engaged in a duel outside...And yet, I also feel her aura, within this place...?"
Something strange is going on here...
An unease begins to build within my chest, made all the more prominent when the monster Utopia and I were fighting, suddenly vanishes in a dark flash of light!
"Urh!"
I block my eyes with my arm...and uncover when the light died away.
"They, left...Their form must not be able to hold strongly unless Black Mist is focused on fighting."
But what could have distracted him...?
"Aaah!"
That's when my ears pick up on a very frightening sound:
Auh, I know that scream!
"Athena!"
I distinctly heard it from within this dimension...so she is here, but is also out there.
...I shall have to contemplate the details later; I must go to her at once!
Worried that the outcry could be Black Mist's doing, I quickly spin around to Utopia to tell him,
"Utopia, I do not know precisely what is happening, but I do know that Athena will need your presence in the duel outside. Go now while the danger has dissipated, and I shall handle things from here."
Though I could sense his reluctance, Number 39 nods in agreement, before turning around to launch in flight out of the key, while I started to make my way towards the airship, determined to figure out what was happening...and save my friend.
Athena, if that truly was you I heard, be strong!
A few minutes earlier, Athena's POV
So, it actually took a little less time than I thought it would to undergo the task of disconnecting the Numbers from that power directional flow once I got the ball rolling. True, there was some resistance on their parts, but like with Galaxy Queen, the friction was mostly out of pain and fear, which I calmed them of with my assurance...
Now it all comes down to this digit, Number 25.
"Okay, Force Focus, you're the last one...So, ya mind making things a little easier for the both of us so we can get this done quick?"
I'm not sure how well my subconscious is stalling, but I can't play zombie duelist for much longer...
Though I'm positive I've managed to take a big chunk of power away from Black Mist.
As I started the 'shove through and re-seal' bit again, I found myself smirking a little again as I think aloud,
"Ha, just you wait, 96: you're goin' down hard...Urh!"
Come on, 25, work with me he-
(Flash)
Tendrils shooting my way, and me barely dodging them so that they hit the gears of this airship...
(Flash)
"...U-Uh..."
I do manage to finish the job...and yet, that vision that came before me...it left a bad taste in my mouth as I lowered my arm.
What the hell was that?...Was, Force Focus trying to warn me about something?
...And those tendrils...they looked a little too familiar.
"Hello again, Athena."
Gh! Oh...shhhit!
Gulping a little nervously, I slowly turned around, and found myself locking eyes with that damn Astral look-alike, he smirk-glaring me from a couple feet away!
"Rh, Black Mist!"
This, is not, good.
No POV
As the situation for the conscious half of the girl with red irises was about to turn for the worst, we check back outside the golden key, as the duel between the subconscious Athena and her duo opponents slows down a little due to a lack of continuation from the teenager, much to Nistro's annoyance.
"Stop stallin'! End your turn so I can crush you!...Either that, or forfeit the duel."
The subconscious Athena ignores the harsh direction for the most part, focusing on her own agenda.
"Duel...One, face-down; end tu-"
(Sheen...)
"Mm?"
Suddenly, a great flash of golden light bursts out of the girl's pendant like a shooting star, shocking the spectators silly, before it curves back to hit against her extra deck!...Reaching into the case as if nothing happened, Athena pulls out,
"...Utopia...Hm..."
"If the light show is over, kid, let's get back to dueling!"
Between the drop in personality and this new release of power, the young woman with chocolate brown irises was starting to feel her suspicions rise.
"There's something weird going on...Be careful, Nistro."
Meanwhile, the girl with cornflower blue irises and wearing the green halter babydoll top under a blue open vest hums with a more anxious expression.
"Something's not right with Addy. It's like she's turned into one of those robot kids..."
Or like, not all of her is out here now...
Flip hms with his own frown of concern:
"Yeah, I'm a little worried too, but all we can do is hope that she'll find a way to flip this duel around."
They wouldn't have to wait long, before their friend would make her next move on her turn.
"Revise, strategy. New move: Over-laying, Level Four Gagaga Gardna, and, Tasuke Knight."
The monsters take to the air in a swirl of orange and yellow, the galactic Overlay Network portal opening in the ground below...
"XYZ Sum-moning, Number 39: Utopia."
And just like that, the warrior angel monster was up on the field...One can only imagine the level of shock that riddled Nistro when his dark purple irises soaked in the image that was the Rank Four XYZ.
"It's, a Number! She has a Number...and it's one of the most amazing I've ever seen!"
Dextra admits to her own amazement:
"It is spectacular...!"
She then narrows her eyes determinedly, becoming much more interested in this duel...Athena wraps up her turn:
"Now, one face-down set, ending, turn."
Grinning with a new found excitement, and somehow blocking out the strange behaviour his opponent's been displaying, the tall male with spiky reddish hair exclaims,
"I'm gonna subtract that Number from her deck!"
"Not yet, Nistro."
"Hm?"
He glances over at his partner, who draws her next card:
"You have to wait for me! I'm summoning Moonlit Papillon!"
Unlike the last two monsters she's summoned, this Level Four had the appearance of a giant eye with shining blue butterfly wings and antenna...
"Don't, Dextra! I told you I'm goin' after that Number!"
She retorts to her partner's whining,
"You'll wait your turn! Now that we know she has a Number Card, this isn't a game anymore. We're doing this by the book, understand?"
"Rrrh...Guuuh, I hate by the book..."
Focusing away from the groaning Nistro, Dextra applies the next step.
"I overlay my Level Four Swallowtail Butterspy and Moonlit Papillon! And with them, I'll build the Overlay Network, and XYZ Summon, Photon Papilloperative!"
And rising out the regular red portal, was a Rank Four humanoid butterfly of a dominant black, purple and magenta colour scheme with the air of an assassin, and 2100 Attack Points! Flip comments,
"That's one mean-looking butterfly!"
Tiffany replies with an uncertain expression directed at her near-emotionless friend who was dueling,
"Uhm, I don't think Addy shares your opinion..."
Okay, not that the whole poker face bit isn't a good thing, but this is too serious even for her...
What's going on with you, Addy?
...
Speaking of the girl, returning within the mysterious realm of the golden key pendant, we witness this Athena moving into a defensive position in front of the Number Pillars as she is confronted by Black Mist, his smirk growing a tad in seeing the human teenager becoming a little nervous by his presence.
"Well well, this is quite an interesting development. I should be annoyed that you're once again making a nuisance of yourself, but then again, I suppose I shouldn't be surprised considering our last encounter...How did you get in here?"
Glaring back, the girl with ember red irises replies,
"'Fraid I can't tell ya that; you'll have to ask the Key since it was the one that suddenly drew me inside...And since we're asking questions, I've got one for you: whaddo you think you're doing causing mayhem again?"
Chuckling a little, the fiendish Number rose a brow and comments,
"Causing mayhem? What a crude way of putting my actions. I'm merely trying to help Astral."
"Ha! I find that hard to believe! Help him with what exactly?"
"Remembering his mission of destruction, of course."
Now that would throw a curve with the teenage girl:
"Uh...Destruction?...You gotta be kidding..."
There's, no way, that can be true. Astral may not have all his memories back yet...but, from all the time we've spent together, I've never sensed any vibes that suggested he was secretly malicious...
He doesn't have the grit for something like that. Why would Black Mist think-
Wait...He represents that bad memory of Earth being, er, destroyed...and yet...
Shaking her head a little, Athena decides,
No. Something about that doesn't spell right.
She makes her case plain to the Number before her eyes with a strong tone.
"...You're lying! There's no way Astral's capable of something like total destruction! I don't care that you're supposed to hold a memory like that! Hell, for all I know, you're not even a memory at all; just a bad dream he never needed!"
"Believe what you like, but I am not about to let someone like you stop me from fulfilling my goals."
Black Mist floats up closer to the human, who inches backwards until her spine touches one of the pillars.
"Rgh..."
"I haven't forgotten our last battle and how despite possessing your motor functions, you had tricked me into defeat...Not this time."
A few tendrils protrude from the pitch black being's back, his lips curving into an evil smile.
"This round, I shall take complete control over your very being. I could simply destroy you, but I think it would be very enjoyable to witness the look on Astral's face when he finds that I've captured his little human friend."
"Grh!...Fat chance, you creep!"
On that note, Athena ducks downward fast to dodge the lunging tendrils, before kicking off forward to make a run, or rather, float for it. This only served to amuse Black Mist, who calls after her,
"Go ahead and try to run, but your chances of escape are as low as Astral's! I will absorb you both!"
He emphasizes his threat with a laugh and thrust of a single tendril, which slams against the girl's side and knocks her down for a straight course against a smooth surface between a section of gears.
"Aaaah-guuuh!"
She lands on her stomach with a harsh thump, and struggles to get up with a few coughed inhales and exhales.
D-Damn...I gotta find Astral...!
Glancing behind her with an agitated glare fixed on her current threat, the girl scrambles back onto her black, blue-laced sneakers before starting a fast weave into the inner sections of the airship. Grinning, Number 96 follows after her in a steady pace...
A couple, tension-thick minutes will then pass, before we would catch up with Athena somewhere near the far back end of the golden mode of transport, crouching within a cramp space between several mechanisms to hide from Black Mist long enough so she could think of a plan.
God dammit, of course something had to go wrong after the right...
But this could be a whole lot worse: at least I managed to disable 96's power upgrade.
...Only drawback is now I've got 'im hunting me down like a snake on a mouse.
She would silently flinch when her current enemy comes passing overhead, crooning in a mocking manner,
"Athena~, come out, come out, wherever you are~..."
Tch, stalker...Alright, can't afford to panic. I need to stay calm, quiet and get out of his range so I can concentrate on locating Astral.
(Throb...)
And I need to step up the pace. Looks like Nistro and Dextra have brought out the big guns...Photon Monsters.
...Hmph. Guess this means my first guess was right: they must have connections with Kite if they're using similar types.
Anyway, the traps I've set should keep me in the game...for now, at least. But I'll be cutting it dangerously close...
Shaking her head with a muted sigh, Athena peers her ember red irises around her vantage a few times to check if the coast was clear...
"No signs of 'im..."
Taking this opportunity with a cautionary first step, the girl with the tamed-down plait of long black hair shimmies herself out of the tight hiding spot, before choosing to float out straight through the middle path between several large gears until she was outside the airship again, pivoting around so she was facing it.
"Haaah, so far, so good...Hm?"
She then spots something odd on the smooth surface of gold near the tipped end.
"What's, that...?"
Curiousity getting the better of her again, Athena floats in for a closer inspection, coming face-to-face with what appeared to be...some sort of hairline fracturing in the metal.
"Well here's something I'd never think to see on a ship so...perfect-looking..."
Wonder where this came from...?
(...Thump-bump...thump-bump)
Rgh...Wait, this thing's got its own pulse?
...Without really thinking, the teenage girl reaches a hand towards the cracking in the gear piece...and as soon as her palm laid flat on it-
(Thu-BUMP)
"Auh!"
(Flash)
The clock rewinds and unclogs a new recollection of details for the young Fujina, the scene somewhat more clear than the others. In it, we witness a shivering form dressed in thin, slightly ripped cream-coloured garments, kneeling on the ground behind a glass surface...
A faint echo of shaking echo sounds, belonging to a form of restraints binding the small figure's wrists and waist...
Suddenly, they shoot forward with a haggard but very loud roar, revealing themselves...as Athena, her usual red irises overtaken by a translucent over-shine of golden light!
(Flash)
The girl witnessing the disturbing scene lets out a small scream of fright, staggering back fast with a flail of her arm.
W-What the hell was-?!
(Bump)
"Aaah!" "Ouh!"
She would wind up colliding with another body in the process, and both would go tumbling down to the sands below...A twin set of soft groans would sound, one belonging to Athena as she rolled off of whoever she slammed into.
"Aww, man..."
"...Athena?"
"Uh!...Astral...?"
Turning her head left, she would find herself locking irises with her friend from beyond these celestial regions, he just as surprised by the, 'sudden reunion'.
"...Astral...Oh, shoot!"
Darting to a sitting position, the girl then hurries to her feet before reaching a helping hand to the blue-skinned being.
"Sorry, I didn't mean to body-slam you like that; I just-...Wait...our, hands..."
Fixating her gaze onto the joined appendages, she meekly comments to herself in awe,
"They're...not, going through eachother..."
Smiling the slightest at the astonished expression on his friend's face, Astral postulates,
"Yes, I too am surprised...though it may due to the nature of this dimensional space that we are, able to touch one another..."
He then takes in a sharp breath, snapping back to a serious demeanor.
"But now is not the time to wonder; we have more pressing matters to address."
Shifting so he was lightly holding the girl's shoulders, the being asks with a bit of urgency,
"Athena, what in the world are you doing in here, and in the middle of a duel nonetheless?"
"Well, actually, I'm not all here; my subconscious is still driving the bus outside...I could sense the clashes between Utopia and Black Mist, and I guess the Key must've heard my worries and decided to bring me in here."
Forming her own firm expression, Athena adds,
"I managed to figure out how he was packing that extra power, and freed the Numbers from his siphoning control. Still not sure how exactly I did it, but I did."
"Freed them?...But Black Mist said they were on his side."
"Then he obviously lied: he was using his powers to steal away their energy, hurting them, and according to Galaxy Queen, only Utopia was strong enough to resist and pop out to lend you a hand."
Humming in thought, Astral mutters with a taste of bitterness,
"That does seem to make a little more sense to that fiend's character...But what exactly did you do to free the other Numbers from his control?"
"Uuh, like I said, I'm not really sure..."
Looking down at her open left palm, the girl with the beige skin tries to explain with some confusion in her tone,
"It was really Galaxy Queen who guided me. She told me to touch her symbol on those pillars, which I did, if with a little resistance from the dark energies of Black Mist...When my fingers connected with the surface, there was this, coppery-gold glow that kind of, hacked away the darker power...until it was back to normal."
...Astral was silent for a moment after his friend finished her short revise of the event, before he reaches out to take the girl's hand under his own palm.
"Interesting...Perhaps while you are here within the Key, you gain access to abilities similar to my own..."
"You think?"
"It is possible. We do share the Zexal Power, and there is still so much about it we have yet to learn..."
"That's, true..."
Sensing the slight pause between words in her response, Astral looks up from their hands to see the rise of anxiety within Athena's facial features.
"...What is wrong?"
"I...I don't, know, but, while I am, accepting that, the Zexal Power is for our benefit...a part of me is, still scared..."
"Scared? But why?...Wait...That, fracture you touched a moment ago..."
Both beings turn to look over at the area on the end of the airship.
"...It showed you something, did it not?"
"Uh...!...(Gulp) Y-Yes..."
"I thought so. I had been feeling a strange vibe coming from that odd crack for a few weeks now, but nothing revealed itself to me when I touched it...It must have been waiting for you to come."
Turning so they were facing eachother, the boy from beyond the Milky Way asks his human companion,
"Athena...what did you see?"
"I-I-"
"Ah~, so you found eachother, did you?"
"Gh!" "Rh!"
Jolting on alert, the pair pivot sharply towards the sands nearing the airship, where Black Mist was floating!
"Well this just makes things a little easier for me, doesn't it? Now I won't have to hunt you both down one at a time. (Grin) I can ensnare you together in one shot."
Athena makes a sound of nerves, just as Astral moves her behind him in a protective manner, shooting an indignant glare at the Number.
"I will not allow you to touch her, Black Mist."
An awed expression and light blush dusts the girl's cheeks:
Ah...Astral...
"Oh my, don't we sound protective? Heh, your desires for the human girl's safety will be your undoing, Astral...See for yourself!"
The pitch-black being then sends several tendrils at the other two, and the boy with mismatched gold/silver-white irises snatches up the hand of the girl with ember-red irises to pull her downward away from the incoming lunge.
"Get down!"
"Auh!"
They dive forward, sliding against the sandy grounds, creating a powdery could of white in the process before they scramble up to dodge another attack...The pair was soon making their way upward away from this fabric of time and space.
"Quickly, Athena, you must return to your body!"
"But, I can't just leave you in here!"
"You have to, otherwise we will both be at Black Mist's mercy...Uh, look out!"
This time, they're forced to let their hands go in order to dodge the lunging tendril...but what they weren't aware of was that it was meant as a form of distraction, so that a second one could sneak up behind Athena and grab her before she'd have time to sense it, coiling around her arms and restraining them to her sides!
"Aagh!"
Astral cries out her name and tries to hurry over to free her, but would be forced to a halt when another tendril fastens around his left ankle!
"Got you!"
"Hrh!"
Now that he had a grip on both parties, all Black Mist had to do was stretch the elasticity of their restraints so that they were bound heavily from ankles to upper torso, before floating up to their proximity, a victorious smirk on his face all the while.
"Hehahahuhuh, so sorry, but I'm afraid neither one of you shall be escaping your fates. You will join me and become me."
Athena felt a shiver go down her spine at the dark tone in the Number's voice, and immediately began to struggle.
"Rgh, mph!...I don't understand why you're doing this, Black Mist!"
"Mm?"
"You're one of Astral's Numbers, for crying out loud, a part of him! You should be helping him, not plotting conspiracies and terrorizing him! What could you possibly have to gain?!"
Zooming in so he was but a foot away from the girl, the Astral look-a-like replies in an matter-of-fact sort of tone,
"What else is there to gain but power?"
"Rrgh, that's the stupidest reason I've ever heard...!"
"You understand nothing, you weak little human!"
He reaches to yank Athena's head back by a lock of her hair, hissing,
"Which is why you're better off being no more than a mindless dueling slave!"
"Leave her alone, Black Mist!"
Pivoting his head, he meets the blazing eyes of Astral who looked, uncharacteristically, quite ready to strangle the evil being.
"If you hurt her, I swear I will make you regret the day we first met!"
The being with the mismatched gold and black irises was actually a little surprised by this sudden burst of anger...before curving his lips into an unpleasant smile, releasing Athena's hair and backing a little so that he was facing them both.
"Now now, calm down; your little host's life will not be ending today...for you see, (grin) I shall be infecting you both with my power, absorbing you, and turning the girl into my little puppet to control."
Both the human and celestial being shudder at the prospect...
...Tuning back in with the outside world for a short while, we find that the duel wasn't going in any better a direction, quickly teetering in favour of Nistro and Dextra, despite the subconscious Athena's maneuvers of defense. She now stands at 100 Life Points...and yet, much to the weirdness of everyone watching her, no matter how much force threw her back, the girl in the black pleated skirt, colour-matching leather jacket and white tube top still rose from the ground with ease...Though by 'rose', she was lifting herself in an awkward fashion that likened somewhere between a marionette and a zombie.
"Okay, this is starting to get really creepy. She's just, taking the blows like they're nothin', and hardly saying a word..."
The young woman with short, two-tone purple hair was having similar thoughts to her partner's.
It's as if she's completely lost interest of the duel...yet these moves, while amateur, still have some focus.
"Summoning Card Car D, Attack Mode."
This monster was on the weaker end, Level Two with only 800 Attack Points, but it seemed to make up for it by having slick, showstopper design of blue...and a very useful ability.
"Activating Card Car D's Special Ability, Turbo Draw, to draw two new cards from deck."
The road machine swerves around and makes a speeding charge back, going so fast that it shifts into a beam of light to bounce onto Athena's deck...She swipes up the cards, and looks down to see the following.
Dou-ble, or No-thing...Double, Ten-sion...
How to use them...How...
Though wary of the strange blankness and near unfeeling in all aspects behaviour, Tiffany could still tell when her friend was at a crossroads over what to do.
"...Addy..."
The subconscious-driven girl's head tilts to the side several times as she tries to think with only half a full mind, the movements further confusing her opponents.
"Hm? Now what's up with the kid?...Is she finally giving up?"
"I don't know..."
Athena's POV
...Oh, no...The duel...
I got another reading through the eyes of my subconscious in terms of where the duel's gone to...and it wasn't good.
Dammit, what am I suppose to do with two Spell Cards like that?
...Damn...I...I'm gonna fail. I'm gonna fail there, and here...!
It took all the self-control I had to keep myself from screaming in a mix frustration and torment over things taking a turn for the worst...but I couldn't stop the little angry tears forming in the corners of my eyes, to which Black Mist would not waste time in mocking me for.
"Oh yes, I'm afraid you have failed quite badly, Athena...in both the duel, and in saving Astral."
"N-No...!"
Next thing I knew...I started to feel this cold wave of power seep into my skin, like someone was dipping me into liquid nitrogen. There was no real pain involved, but the sensation...it almost felt like I was slowly drowning! Compression of my lungs, tightness in my throat, limbs getting heavy...I tried to fight it, squirming in the tendrils binding me, but I couldn't escape.
"Aa-aah!...R-Nyh! Hah-gya!..."
No! No! S-Stop! Make, it, stop...!
Astral wasn't having any better a time, he also feeling the pressures of this creep's energies spreading in his vitals like a crazy virus, though with less thrashing on his part.
"Rgh!...Agh, A-Athe-na...!"
Helpless, all I could do was pivot my head a little to his direction, he doing the same, until we were looking at one another with different levels of pain in our eyes, his more physical, while mine...held more of a spiritual quality.
"A-Astral...!"
Astral...I-I'm so sorry; I should have, left while I could...
Oh god, why?! Why must things go wrong this way?!
(Flash)
The lab room, my thrashing, screeching form...
(Flash)
My apparent descend into insanity while trapped in that holding cell...
(Flash)
The bounce of the wires on the wrestling ring.
(Flash)
The stench of sweat and blood from my own body and my opponents; jeers, catcalls, roars from wayward kids, like me.
(Flash)
The monster in the mirror. Oh god, that monster!
(Flash)
A small scream dislodges from the clenched muscles of my esophagus, my vision flooded with horrible memories both vivid yet surreal. It felt like my very head was going to explode from the mental pressures...which in itself, also felt horribly familiar...
"Oh dear, you really have been living a rather unfair life, haven't you?"
My breaths have become haggard, wheezy, my eyes too watery with tears I've yet to release, so when I focused on the sound of that, damned Number, his figure was blurred...Yet, I could sense that if he was smiling, it wasn't in the kind sort of sympathy.
"I will admit this much: you have survived an admirable amount of torture in your short years, for a human...But can sense the agony in your heart, my dear. You're still suffering."
Though my voice was weak and shaky, I managed to croak out,
"W-W...Wha', is y-your, point...?"
"...You want the pain to stop, do you not? Your inner pain?"
I hear a shift in the air, before feeling Black Mist's presence behind me, his lips by my right ear as he croons,
"You are being consumed by your depression, correct?...I can take that feeling away."
"W...What?"
"All you have to do is surrender to my whims, and I can remove those grieving emotions in your soul, take away the pain...You would have nothing more to trouble yourself with. Those terrible memories, gone, like they never happened."
...Like they, never happened...
"...You...can do that?"
I could feel the small grin forming at my interest:
"Yes, I can. Merely stop resisting, relax...Allow me into your spirit, Athena, and you will have nothing to fear again."
...I was so weak, so done with the constant mental torture, that even a deal with the devil sounded promising...I closed my eyes, and slowly let down my guard, the oozing power rising higher and higher over my body as I prepare to just, let it all go...
"A...Athena! D-Don't, listen, to him!"
My eyes snap awake to the sound of Astral's protest, and I glanced over to his direction, albeit with some difficulty, seeing him struggling to keep his own will in tact.
"A...s-stral..."
Astral...I, I don't think I can, hold on...I'm sorry. (Broken smile) I guess I'm not as strong as I thought I was, huh?
Athena...please, do not give up.
Why?...It's like the pretentious asshole said: I'm suffering. Have been, for too long...I can't kid myself anymore, Astral. There's no hope for me.
Yes, there is. There is always hope; that much, you have taught me.
My eyes widen the slightest, and my friend forms his own fragmented yet gentle smile.
Athena...you are much stronger than you believe yourself to be. Yes, you have been suffering, but you have also been resolving to heal. How can you think to throw all that you have worked for away, and give your will to someone like him?
Astral...
Answer me this: out of every moment in time up until now, when life looked its bleakest, have you actually put any true thought of just...ending it all?
...
...
...Well, no. Not really...I'm too stubborn to quit.
I swore I heard a hint of a chuckle echo through my mind before Astral replies through our link,
Exactly. Much too stubborn. And not only that, but you have been slowly allowing others, myself included, into your heart to help heal the wounds.
...Yeah, I guess I have, haven't I?...My god...what the hell was I thinking? Giving into Black Mist; no way am I this pathetic.
No, you are not. This is merely, a moment of weakness, which I've observed to be a rather common trait among humans...But these moments do not define who a person is.
Right...They only make us stronger, more determined to make our mark.
"I-I-I...I, a-am stron-ger...than this..."
I hear Black Mist make a sound of confusion, but I just blocked him out, my sole focus being on the one person here who hasn't given up on me, knows me almost as well as I know myself...In this case, a little better.
Astral...thanks. (Small smirk) Now let's kick this poser's ass.
He nods at me a little...and then, by some act of combined resolve, we fought out an arm each from our main tangles of the Number's tendrils, and slowly, inch by inch, reach towards one another, much to our enemy's disbelief.
"What's this?!...No!"
In a desperate attempt to stop us, he tried to tighten our limbs down, but we just pulled through the pressure, our eyes only for eachother.
"As-tral...!"
"A-the-na...!"
...
A few seconds later, our fingers would intertwine. A strange tear drop sound echos through the atmosphere...before our bodies began to glow that same gold amber light that shone a little bit ago when I helped the other Numbers, mixed with a bit of that neon light blue I remember from, our Zexal transformation (I'd find out later from Tiff that this same light was shining out from the Key)!
"Uh...!"
Holy-...What is...
"Athena."
Focusing back, I see Astral smiling at me, the black that was darkening his skin beginning to fade away, while parts of the bindings trapping him were slowly being overtaken by that blue.
"I can feel our connection, rising again. It is going to be alright."
I was a bit taken aback at first...before finding myself smiling a little back with a firm nod...Now as for Black Mist, well, you can imagine how much of a happy camper he was that he was getting trumped, again. Currently, he's shielding his eyes like a vampire from sunlight.
"Aaaarh! Aaaauuhh! It, feels like I am losing my hold on the two of you...!"
Tightening my grip on Astral's hand, he doing the same, we retort respectively,
"That is due to the bond between Athena and I! We out-power you!"
"And you can take that back where you belong, under lock and key! You'll never subdue us!"
"Impossible!"
That was when our power became too great for the Number's physical structure, and he began to evaporate right before our very eyes, the tendrils loosening and falling off our bodies...Then with one final outcry, that creep was gone...
"Ha! Yes, free at last!"
I did a little spin and fist-pump:
"Take that, Black Mist!"
Astral just smiled in amusement at my excitement, before gently taking my hand again to get my attention.
"Yes, I too am glad we were able to overcome his power...Athena."
"Yeah?"
"...Thank you."
"Uh...Mm, (small smile) anytime, and, right back at you, for bringing me back to my senses before I made a deal with the devil."
Our gazes then turn to the skies above, where the exit would be.
"So. Guess we better head out and take care of that other battle, huh?"
"That would be wise. I am certain that your opponents and friends have become quite suspicious of your, subconscious's behaviour by now."
At that, we started to fly our way out of this place...
...
There's another bright flash of light, before I found myself blinking back to the real world, in my real body.
"Mm, (blink) urh...What a trip..."
Astral had appeared by my side just a few seconds after I came back to earth.
"Are you feeling alright?"
Looking down at myself through the light that had yet to die down from my friend's body, I noted the scratches and bruises that littered my own, most being on my bare legs and knuckles.
"Mm, a little battered, but no more than usual in a duel."
Before Astral could reply, Nistro's exclaim cuts into our conversation:
"What is that?!"
We turn to see that he and Dextra were staring our way in disbelief...I then realize,
Uh oh. Everyone can see Astral's outline...!
Tiffany and Flip's cheers do ease me a little:
"Astral! You're here!"
"Just when we needed ya!"
But then my concerns rise back up when I catch Dextra muttering,
"That must be the envoy that came from Astral World...!"
What?...How do they know about Astral World?
I was ready to blow up with like, a ton of questions, until Astral - whose body had stopped glowing at this point - brought me back on task.
"Athena, we must focus on the battle. We can postulate about their knowledge later."
"Um...right. (Looks to the battlefield) Sooo, is there a good way to come back from this point? I think my-eh, subconscious was just scrapping by in a Go-Fish manner..."
"Hmm...I believe so...Yes, do not worry: your subconscious has laid out the pieces required."
My eyes widen a little in surprise:
"Really?...Huh. Who would've thought?"
Sending a smile my way, my friend from beyond this world further punctuates,
"We can win this, together."
His positivity was a nice change in the moods that have been clogging the air, making me smile back.
"Right...Together."
No POV
With the human/celestial being duo fired up and back to earth once again, the duel regains fuel to its proverbial fire. Astral instructs Athena on her next play:
"Alright, first, from your Graveyard, activate Overlay Eater's Special Ability!"
"On it!"
On the sidelines, Flip recalls the name of said monster:
"Ah! That's the monster Addy sent to the Graveyard earlier when she activated Gagaga Gardna's special ability!"
Tiffany wonders,
"But, what is their special ability?"
Her friend with light beige skin and the long, tamed-down black plait explains.
"Short version, by banishing Overlay Eater, I can steal one of my opponent's Overlay Units to give to one of my own XYZ Monsters."
"Aaah..."
The red-orange lizard monster pops his head out of the portal to the Graveyard...
"Go, Thieving Loll!"
They shoot their tongue out straight for Nistro's monster, Photon Strike Bounzer, snaring up their only Overlay Unit to toss over to Utopia on the other side of the field, he accepting it with a strong grunt. Smirking, Athena calls over to the young man with spiky, sooty-red hair,
"Good luck using your monster's special ability now, tough guy!"
"Grrh, although that move was clever, it won't save you!"
"Who says I was goin' after you?"
Focusing her ember red irises on Dextra's monster, she and Astral then command,
"Utopia: attack Photon Papilloperative!"
The angel warrior charges forward through the air, sword at ready, and while there was a fair enough difference of strength (his 1900 to Papilloperative's 1100), the young woman with chocolate brown irises remained confident.
"It's not enough damage to defeat me!"
"That's why I'm using Utopia's special ability, and stopping his attack!"
The little orb of yellow light crashes against Utopia's chest, and forces the sword to dormancy, much to Dextra and Nistro's shock.
"Wait, did you just say stop its attack?!"
"Haaauh!"
Moving so they were back-to-back, the young pair keep the ball rolling with their next card.
"Yes! And now I activate the Spell, Double or Nothing from my hand! Since I stopped Utopia's attack, this card allows me to attack again, only this time, his Attack Points are doubled!"
At that, the Number readies both of his swords, as his strength rose to 3900! Tiffany exclaims with a happy smile,
"Alright, now Utopia's stronger!"
And Addy...she looks alot better than she did earlier. I wonder what was going on before...?
Her happy feeling wasn't shared by Flip, though, when he realizes,
"Still, not by enough, Tiff..."
But Athena and Astral would quickly dispel the bespectacled boy's worries.
"That was only part one of the power boost! I activate the Double Tension Spell! This allows me to double my monster's power when they're attacking for a second time!"
Flames burst across the XYZ Monster's body, spreading to envelop around the blades and lengthen them, as his Attack Points rose even higher before settling to a whopping 7600! Dextra's eyes went bug-wide as she barely manages to shout,
"I think we can start panicking now...!" Nistro didn't disagree:
"Th-That's for sure...!"
Neither the face of the being of blue nor girl of light beige showed signs of wavering courage as they prepare to make the final move.
"Are you ready, Athena?"
"Always."
Both then exclaim,
"Utopia, attack! Go, Rising Sun Supreme Slash!"
The fiery-glowing warrior angel dives downward, heading on a straight course for Photon Papilloperative, she and her wielder frozen to the spot with no way to dodge...That is, until Nistro makes a bold counter.
"I activate my Trap, Bounzer Guard!...Now I can redirect my attack, so it hits Photon Strike Bounzer!"
At that, his monster rushes over to where their partner was...
(SLASH)
And takes the hit meant for the other, sacrificing themselves, the explosion blowing back to Nistro to knock him backwards, all 4000 of his Life Points shot down in a single blow...! According to the rules set in the beginning, since one out of two opponents is now down for the count, Athena won the match...
The AR world give way as everyone logs off, the girl with red irises breathing out a sigh of relief, shoulders slumped with exhaustion.
Man, two battles at once can really drain ya...
"Addy!"
She pivots her head to see the girl with black bobbed hair and cornflower irises, and the boy with brown D.A.-styled hair and black-gray irises run over to congratulate her, the second former wrapping her arms around the former's shoulders in a hug.
"You did it! You won the duel!"
Pushing out a chuckle, Athena pats Tiffany's head and mutters,
"Yeah, barely...Thanks for cheering me on, and, sorry if I freaked ya out earlier with that, 'rise from the dead' behaviour."
"No worries...but, what was up with that?"
"Long story. Tell ya later..."
Calming his jumping around a little, Flip comments with a relieved grin,
"Wow, for a minute there, I thought we were doomed! (Blubber) But then Astral showed up, to save the day!"
Athena just rolls her eyes:
Good grief...
Meanwhile, the young woman in the white skirt with matching jacket had stepped over in front of her partner to inquire about his last-minute heroics.
"Why did you take that hit for me?"
"...I dunno..."
Nistro stands up, smiling through his scuffs and bruises.
"It just felt, right."
Dextra could only stare at him in amazement, while he directed his dark purple irises over at Athena with a neutral frown. Feeling the stare, the girl and her friends look over to see him walking towards them. Flip makes a sound of panic and ducks behind the girls, while Tiffany mutters,
"Oh great, now what?"
Athena places a hand on the other teen's arm, watching Nistro like a hawk as he stops a few feet away from eachother's proximity.
"...Hey, kid."
"Yeah?"
"We're gonna give your friend here a second chance like we agreed, though he won't be participating in this and any other Duel Carnivals for quite a while."
"(Stiff nod) Alright. That's fair, (glances behind her) right, Flip?"
The bespectacled boy nods frantically, not wanting to say anything that could get him into more trouble hen he already had been. Turning back to the male with spiky, sooty-red hair, the girl with the long black plait naturally tipped copper red then asks,
"...There somethin' else you need to say? You've got that look in your eyes."
"Yeah, as a matter of fact, there is. Next time we duel, I'm taking you and the Original Number down!"
Athena's red irises widen a little...before she retorts back as strongly with a smirk,
"Keh, good luck trying's all I can say. We're a force to be reckon with...like you and Dextra are."
Nistro didn't expect the partial compliment, but his own smile doesn't waver.
"Hm...And now, we gotta go and get the jump on some more cheaters."
With that, he and Dextra hop out of sight...
"I could've easily beaten those bullies myself, of course, but it a~ll worked out anyway!"
Athena raises a delicate brow at her chuckling friend previously in major trouble.
"Tch, you still got kicked out of the tourney, Flip."
"De~tails, details; at least I still have my deck thanks to you and Astral."
"Mhm, yeah, be grateful for that..."
"There's that thieving Flip!"
"Hm?"
Turning their heads to the far right, the small group of four spots a couple of the kids Flip had flim-flammed not too long ago.
"We want our Heart Pieces, NOW!"
Letting out a yelp, the boy attempts to make a run for it, but was yanked to a halt by the back of his suit jacket, courtesy of Athena!
"Stop."
"A-Addy, let go!"
"Nuh-uh, dude. You gotta atone for your mistakes."
"Aw come on, have a heart...!"
At the same time Flip was about to get his comeuppance, the two older teens running the show for cracking down on dirty players were traveling down a mobile path within the secret headquarters of their employer to file their report of the hour...if with a few details left out.
"Dextra. I think we should keep our run-in with that Athena kid a secret from Mister Heartland."
"But why?"
"'Cause I'm gonna defeat that little spitfire, and the Original Number. I don't want Kite interfering."
I'm almost sure now that he and them have battled at least once...but that won't stop me from doing what he can't.
A little surprised by the statement, Dextra would then smile and reply,
"You got it."
...Then back outside the gates of Heartland City's inner core, those other duelists who were tricked in the 'Candy Piece Scam' were now walking away with their stolen Heart Pieces after Athena plucks them away from Flip and gives them back to their real owners.
"Ta~ke it easy, Flip." "See ya never!"
"Thanks, Addy." "Good luck, Addy!"
The girl waves the kids off with her free hand and a knowing smirk plastered on her face.
"See ya 'round the tourney, guys!"
Tiffany, who was standing on the sidelines with her hands held behind her innocently, shakes her head with an exasperated smile.
Hoh dear...
"I hope that was a good topper for learning your lesson, Flip."
Athena sets the now somewhat disheveled young boy to his feet, he groaning a little with a pained smile.
"Ugh, no kidding...Least I'll still have one Heart Piece to hold onto as a keepsake."
"'Fraid not. That one's gone too."
"What?!"
Searching his pockets with flailing arms, Flip would discover that his friend wasn't kidding, much to his dismay.
"Gah, i-i-it is gone! Addy, you didn't!"
"Did. You won't be needing that Heart Piece now that you're out of the Carnival. Like I said, you should be grateful you still got your deck and haven't been booted out of the city."
...The boy drops to his knees with a small, over-exaggerated wail, exclaiming,
"You can be so cruel sometimes, Addy! Tough and fair, but cruel!"
"Oh cry me a river, Flip. Don't you know cheaters never win and winners never cheat?"
"Ugh, don't try and work that kind of logic on me!"
"Why? Someone's gotta get through that thick skull of yours."
"Grrh, you-!"
Tiffany just laughs lightly at the bickering friends, while Astral rolled his eyes in both his own exasperation and amusement...