"Greetings, magnificent duelists! The sun has set on the second day of the World Duel Carnival. Tomorrow, the hunt for Heart Pieces continues! For now, duelists, rest your decks and gather your strength, because come tomorrow, haha, you're gonna need it!"
That would be the announcement broadcasted through the AR system by the Duel Monster tournament host, Mister Heartland, his projection fading away for the darkening skies of onyx blue mixed with streams of salmon red.
Flying through one hologram of the flashily-dressed city mayor, was Kite Tenjo, he returning to Heartland Tower after another day filled with scouring the paved streets for Number Holders...He's soon traveling along the conveyor belt hallway with Orbital Seven, and the latter could see the former was steadily becoming more physically-deprived with each return to base.
"M-Master Kite, I know you need to find more N-Numbers, bu-but you've been in Photon Mode for far too long. I-I have to warn you that if you keep this up, yo-your body will soon-"
The blond with dark aqua bangs snaps his steel grey irises onto the robot and stiffly replies,
"Your concern is noted. Now get back to tracking down more info about the Numbers."
"S-Sorry! T-Tracking info!"
Silence befalls between the two after that abrupt end in the subject matter...Meanwhile, atop the infamous tower with the giant heart point, young Hart was standing by the tall windows looking outside with a distant and somewhat depressed expression on his face...
"Hart."
He turns around to the soft-toned greeting, meeting eyes with a smiling Kite who approaches the younger after taking the elevator up.
"How ya feelin'?"
"Brother..."
The older male decides to go straight to the point of his visit, informing Hart,
"I've gathered more Numbers..."
He kneels down in front of his blood relation, saying with a form of reassurance in his voice,
"Before you know it, you're gonna feel a whole lot better. I just need ya to keep hanging in there. You think you can do that for me?"
Despite his troubled mentality from whatever force of power was constantly flipping his spirit inside-out and back again, Hart was no fool. He could sense that Kite was wearing down substantially from the work he's been forced to do for both their sakes, and not just in body either.
"...Brother..."
Watching the other leave after a short while was even harder on the small bluenette, when he witnesses the blond lose his stepping and falls to one knee.
"Brother!"
Kite fruitlessly brushes it off with a weak smile, not wanting to panic his younger sibling.
"Ah-heh, I just tripped. What a klutz..."
...As soon as he was gone, Hart would be left alone with his growing worries.
"...Brother..."
A bitter resentment and a sliver of guilt bubbles in his stomach as highlights from a past escape attempt come to mind, for how far they got mattered not. They were still herded into their own circles overlapping the same intersection of trouble...
Finally, the young boy had enough.
"...I must go."
(Sheen)
Hart's eyes cloud over with a bright, neon light blue light, which develops into a substantial spark of power that surrounds him in a circular dome! He lets out an outcry almost more controlled than previous shouts, and the cuff-like bracelets on his wrists become so overwhelmed by the energy, that they break apart like cheap plastic!
This phenomenon would not go unnoticed by Heartland Tower security, who catch a bit of the action through a monitor before it's completely washed over by the light.
"Whoa! What's going on?!"
If anyone outside the artistically-inspired building were to have looked that way now, they would've seen the big red heart up top glowing that same blue through the clear window glass...
Of course, not everyone's eyes were focused upward; for some, even going as far as avoiding looking up any higher than their normal eye level. That was certainly the case for Athena, as she exits out one of the cleaner city alleyways with a disgruntled expression on her face.
"Man, I thought that flamboyant idiot we call our mayor was gonna go into another dumb blather. Yeah yeah, we get it: second day done, one more to go, greeeat...It almost sounds like he's excited to watch more people getting their arses kicked."
Following behind the girl with copper red-tipped black hair, was Tiffany, and Akira, he dressed in a simple light gray shirt under an olive green safari jacket, sandy orange carpenter pants, and white sneakers.
The two girls had met with the taller male with golden honey skin just an hour earlier after the incident with Pip and her dog pack had been settled, he urging them to follow him to one of the top-secret locales for the Supernova youth network, having come across some potentially serious information they and the others needed to know. Jamal and Flip had also come along while Caden stayed behind with Pip, curious about what these friends through friends had to say, and would be left just as shocked as the other two young teens.
They're bringing up the rear behind the girl with cornflower irises and the mid-teen with aqua eyes, as she asks him with a touch of skepticism laced in her still-surprised tone,
"And you're sure this information is legit, right? This is really from the heart of Heartland's secret files?"
"Like I keep tellin' you, Shayna's cousin Weber knows how to hack like it's nobody's business...Some of us have actually been suspicious of Heartland's activity for a few years now, since he hardly makes any public appearances and always dramatizes when he does, like's he got something to hide. He's also done jack to help today's troubled youth, so you can imagine why we'd resent him a little...This on the other hand, was not what we expected."
Akira's eyes narrow as he goes on:
"If those private audio excerpts from video calls with someone codenamed 'Faker' weren't creepy, those other linked files sure were."
Jamal pipes in with a,
"No, kidding! Scattered information about Astral World, the Numbers, and...(shudder) those weird profiles on Kite, Nistro and Dextra that read like they were no more than nameless soldiers...Not that there was much to read since it was almost all encrypted."
"Yeah, sorry. Even Weber can't perform perfect miracles...but you said that your buddy Caswell might be able to take a crack at it?"
The male with olive-coco skin and black dreadlocks nods and replies,
"He's pretty tech-savvy, and he's learned a few new tricks from a-uh, 'nother friend of ours..."
Probably best I keep Mister Kay's talents on the DL...
Twirling out a small USB drive with a Kurivolt design attached to a black lanyard, Jamal then says,
"Anyway, I'll hook 'em up with what your buddy Weber managed to dig up and see if he can't run another fine-tooth comb."
"Cool...So, this whole time, those weird XYZ monsters popping up around the city have actually been fragments of this extraterrestrial being from another world?"
The shortest male with the green-framed spectacles chimes,
"Yep! It sounds crazy at first, but once you get into it, it's almost normal."
"Heh, I imagine."
"...What we just found out, not so much. (Shiver) Feels like we've walked onto one of those 'government spying on our every move' conspiracies...The one time I'm both ecstatic and freaked out by a flipside..."
Raising a brow with a twitch of a smile, Tiffany focuses up front with a developing worry line on her forehead and a small frown on her lips, her vision directed on the girl walking ahead the rest.
"I think Addy's reaction still has us all beat: she looked so ready to throw up, scream and commit murder all at once."
Forming his own frown, Akira grimly comments,
"Well, considering how 'great' life's treated her these last few years...we can't really blame her for having that kind of a response, especially when you consider the other life stuck center stage in this obsessive talk."
The other two boys and one girl hm with sad nods of agreement...Zooming in on the other two people of this little group, Athena and Astral were having their own exclusive conversation through their mental connection, after finally settling their individual anxieties.
God, this is insanity at its finest...I was so close to landing a punch or two in that monitor. I can still hardly believe what I was reading.
"Yes, I too was shocked...and I could feel the disgust and rage building within you."
Well can you blame me? That creep's just a few stone throws away from being your stalker, Astral!...And if that wasn't enough, Heartland's pretty much got Kite on a tight leash, prime orders being 'gather the Numbers or Hart never gets better'.
The being with blue skin and intricate green markings knew that his friend was purposely dodging the real reason for the jump in negative emotions, and kindly chose to keep with her focus rather than try to get her to talk about her true issues.
"Yet we did not see anything about Hart within those unlocked files..."
Turning around the next corner of the sidewalk, Athena communes through the telepathic link,
His is probably one of the encrypted pages Weber couldn't translate...Anyway, what I really want to know is who this 'Faker' person is, the guy that Heartland's been conversing with...'cause something in me's saying that we've either got a team job, or another version of leader and subordinate.
"Are you suggesting that Heartland is also taking orders from someone?"
Well, in my eyes, he's a good manipulator; he's gotten this far with fooling the public eye about his activities...But a grand-master planner? Tch, nadda chance in Hell with that level of melodramatic.
(Beep-beep BEEP, BEEP-beep-beep...)
"Huh?"
The girl with red irises would then tune back to reality to the sound of multiple vehicle horns, focusing her attention on the crosswalk ahead where other members of the public were watching, as a young figure slowly makes his way across without taking notice of the cars and trucks that weren't stopping!
"What in the world...?"
Her other four friends catch up to her and Astral's proximity, also becoming dumbfounded by what they were seeing.
"Uh!" "What the heck-?!"
"Is that a kid?!"
"Are they tryin' to get run over?!"
As soon as the youth was about halfway across...that's when their appearance strikes a chord in Athena's memory.
"Wait...Oh my god..."
(Flash)
The image of Kite and Hart during a simpler, happier time...
(Flash)
A younger, somewhat livelier Hart staring with wide, golden eyes into the sunken, paranoid red of a younger Athena in the secret facility the latter was kept hostage in...
(Flash)
"That's Hart!"
"Huh?" "Who?"
Too stunned to fully register what she was doing next, the girl with the black leather jacket bolts from the sidewalk towards the bluenette boy, ignoring her friend's calls to stop. Once she was beside Hart, she tries to get some answers out of him.
"Hey, Hart! What the heck are ya doing out here?!...Where's your brother?"
(Beep-beeeeeeeep)
No answer would come out fast enough, before a huge delivery truck suddenly comes driving up from their left side! The driver lets out a yelp and tries to hit the brakes, but they weren't strong enough, so the truck would continue swerving sideways on a collision course for the two souls!
Cursing, Athena whirls around and kneels down to wrap her arms around the smaller youth, using herself to shield his body.
It's coming too fast; we can't run...but I can try to save an innocent at least.
(...Sheen)
Hart's eyes cloud over with the bright neon light blue, and he releases that same power from earlier to re-create the spherical dome shield to surround himself and Athena...
(CRASH)
"Addy!"
Tiffany leads the three boys in a charge off the sidewalk towards the new wreckage, all anxious and horrified by the possibility that their friend may have very well lost her life.
"Addy!" "Athena!"
"Crap, don't say-!"
"...Uh, there, look!"
Following Flip's point through the dissipating cloud of dust...we find that the teenage girl and young boy were okay! In fact, it doesn't look like they've been hurt at all, or so Athena would notice after several more seconds of clutching Hart to her tightly.
"...Huh?"
...Why do I not feel the crushing weight of metal?
Opening her eyes, she sees that the truck had toppled on its side, but had somehow stopped its sliding trajectory only a few feet away from her proximity.
"How...?"
Astral floats to her side as she dislodges herself from Hart.
"Athena, look."
"Hm?...Ga-ah!"
She'd quickly find herself gaping with disbelief, at a giant hole in the eighteen-wheeler's trailer!
"How, the fu-(Whirls around) Please tell me you saw how the hell that happened!?...Not that I'm not glad I didn't become part of the concrete, but still!"
Astral's voice, though carrying a light coat of his own surprise, remained as calm as ever as he answers,
"I did. At the moment of the collision, some sort of power phenomenon occurred. It seemed to protect you and the boy."
"...No kiddin'..."
Both sets of red and mismatched gold/silver-white irises look down at Hart, the owners wondering simultaneously,
Could that mean,
"The power came from him...?"
The situation would only become stranger...when the little bluenette suddenly looks up to meet Astral's eyes!
"...You look like you're cold."
Athena widens her own eyes, and sideglances her typically-invisible-to-everyone-else-except-her friend while muttering,
"Uuuh, I think he's talkin' to you, dude."
Curiousity spikes anew within the other-worldly being, and he shifts his position so that he was hovering in front of Hart.
"...Are you saying you can see me?"
"...Yes, I can...Who are you?"
"My name is Astral."
"...I know that name."
Hart's mind fills with snippets of his more destructive bursts of power combined with the city's trash deposits crashing down against the galaxy where the blue-skinned being once resided...
"...Astral..."
"Do you know something about me?"
Athena was just as curious as her friend was, looking over the young boy with a delicate frown on her face.
Hart...he doesn't look as healthy as he did in that photo, possibly even worse from back in, that brief visit into my old Hell...
What's happened to you since then, kiddo?
"Addy, you alright?!"
She looks up to see her other four friends hurrying over, softly muttering each of their names before replying normally,
"Yeah, I'm fine, (glances at Hart) thanks to him."
"Whaddo you me-Oh, crap...!"
Jamal cuts his question off mid-sentence, when his aqua green irises catch sight of a few police cars heading their way...
"Uhm, we might wanna get outta here before we're pulled into questioning by those cops."
Nodding in agreement with Akira, Athena then kneels to Hart's eye-level and says to him in a tone almost too soft for her use,
"Hey, Hart? Listen, I dunno what's going on, but I'm gonna take you somewhere safer than the middle of the road. You cool with me carrying you?...It'll be faster."
A faint flash of surprise appears across the bluenette's face, before he nods the slightest, giving the teenage girl with copper-red tipped black hair the go-ahead to lift him into her arms like a mother would her own child, one arm under his knees and the other holding him securely by the back.
"Come on, guys; we're heading back to my place."
Though their expressions carried a mix of wariness and worry, the other four teens nod and break into a run with the girl away from the crosswalk area, much to the dismay of the anxiously-aggravated truck driver.
"Hey! Look whach'ya did to my truck!..."
...Meanwhile, within the security room of Heartland Tower, a low whistle expels from a familiar soot-red-haired male as he overlooks the monitor displaying Hart's room...which now had a big crater by the windows.
"So whadda we think caused this one? Meteor? Big monster, maybe?"
Dextra's chocolate brown irises narrow a little at her partner's sarcasm.
"You know perfectly well that it was Subject Zero...If Mister Heartland finds out that he's out there..."
"Yeah well, he won't, and neither will Kite. We'll have the kid home by morning...Hopefully, he can manage to keep a lid on himself until we can track him down."
The young woman with purple hair hmphs, before starting her way out of the room.
"Let's move out, Nistro."
Small Time Skip, Athena's POV
It thankfully didn't take my friends and I too long until we got back to my house, though we were forced to take a few side-routes to avoid the public eye after what happened on the road earlier...which would become the big breaking news on TV.
"We now go to East City C, Block 35-62 where traffic is at a standstill after an earlier incident in which a trailer spun out of control and fell on its side. Witnesses reported seeing..."
I let out a sigh that came out as more of a groan, tuning out the report as I focus on my small gathering of people in the living room, thanking god that my brothers weren't home right now and gramps was busy with dinner to really fathom the gravity of my current situation (not that I've told him exactly what's going on).
"Well, as the great man once said, 'Here's another fine mess we've gotten ourselves into'."
Flip, who was sitting on the floor next to the corner of the small coffee table, lets out a small noise that sounded like a muffled moan, while Tiffany, she sitting in the loveseat right-adjacent to the couch, wonders aloud with a worry brow,
"What are we gonna do now? It's not like any of us have Kite's contact info..."
Akira was sitting on the outward curve of the big sectional couch, also at a bit of a loss over what to do.
"We obviously can't go wandering outside with the kid right now, not with the cops sniffing around...He'll most likely have to stay here overnight."
I was already planning on doing that, anyway, but it was good to hear that no one's going into a panic attack...
"I need to ask you something, Hart."
I turn focus on Astral as he began asking the boy a few questions.
"How is it that you can see me?"
"...Why wouldn't I be able to see you?"
My eyebrow raises from such an innocent answer.
Huh...
"Hey, guys!"
We all look towards the kitchen/dining room, and saw Jamal smiling at us with a small white apron wrapped around his waist.
"Food's almost done, and we need someone to set the table."
Aah, now here's the cure to calm our nerves: good food.
And boy did it all look good, indeed: fried dumplings, donburi, miso soup, Chikara udon and a huge pyramid of dango! My mouth was watering with anticipation before I even sat down, and Flip looked like he was in Heaven.
"Wooow, even my mom doesn't go this far with cooking! Heheh, I think I'll start with-"
(Yank)
"Ow-ow-ow-oooow!"
He's immediately stopped by Tiff when she pinches his earlobe and pulls him back from reaching the dumplings, a frown of disapproval on her face.
"Kindly refrain from acting like a grabby five year-old. We haven't even sat down yet."
"Okay okay, sorry!"
She lets go and sits on Jamal's right on the left side of the table, while Flip sits on his left while grumbling and rubbing his ear,
"Sheesh, why do girls always have to be so touchy...?"
I just roll my eyes and move to sit on my eldest guy friend's left at one end of the table, he commenting,
"Too bad your bros are working late; looks like they'll be missing out."
"Hah, yeah well, not like this is the first time..."
Gramps would settle on Akira's right and Hart's left - he at the other end of the table - while mentioning,
"I already have two bowls and plates set aside for them when they do come home...Now, shall we?"
We all nod and began grabbing and passing around the big meal, relishing in the vibrant tastes dancing on our tongues...
"Are you not hungry, my boy?"
Pausing to swallow some of the rice from my portion of donburi, I look over to see gramps talking to Hart who, oddly enough, hadn't touched his stuff.
Huh?
Smiling gently, my great-parental figure encourages our household's youngest guest to dig in.
"No need to feel meek at this table; just grab your chopsticks and dive in."
Jamal joins in as he loudly swallows a huge bite and comments,
"Yeah, better to eat while it's all still hot."
"Ugh, Jamal, do you have to be so obnoxious when you eat?"
He shoots a little glare at Tiffany's slightly disgusted expression.
"Hey, whaddo you expect from me; I'm a guy!"
Akira grabs a fried dumpling from the platter in the middle and says with a wry grin,
"I'd count your blessings he's not chewing with his mouth open like he's got a huge wad of gum in his mouth. That's how my baby cousins eat whenever they come over to my house."
"Eww, really?!"
"Really. Not that my mom and aunts haven't tried to teach them better manners, (shakes head) but they never stick long enough."
Slurping down some of his miso broth, Flip mutters with a nervous smile,
"I know my mom made it a mission to drill proper table manners into my skull. If I even slip up a little during mealtime, I wouldn't hear the end of it until the next day."
My two other guy friends and I wince with a mutter of,
"Harsh," and he nods with a,
"Mhm..."
...Another minute passes, before I would then hear Astral address Hart by his name. Glancing over where he was, I would feel an eyebrow raise as I watch him making these gestures like he was eating.
What the heck...?
But then, looking back and forth between my friend and the young boy...it'd suddenly make a little more sense.
Oooh...
And thankfully, it wouldn't take too long before the recipient of the message follows through, very slowly picking up his chopsticks and bowl of donburi. Pretty soon, he was steadily gobbling the food down, a small but noticeable smile on his face all the while, making the rest of us smile too.
Tha'da boy, Hart.
Jamal casually mentions to the young boy,
"Good tip: dipping the dumplings into the miso broth will leave your taste buds singing for more, heheh."
Soon, his bowl and plate would be clean, and Astral encourages him to go for a second round.
"Now Hart...ask for more."
Looking down in thought for a second, Hart then asks with a shy smile and tone,
"May I have some more, please?"
Gramps nods and replies wholeheartedly,
"Of course, my boy; help yourself! You looked like you were really enjoying that."
I grab the platter of dango - after taking two for myself, of course - and pass it to Akira to pass down to Hart.
"Here, Hart, grab a few of these. They're real good for anyone with a sweet tooth."
Tiffany follows my example by passing the Chikara udon down, a sweeter smile on her face all the while. The kid stares at our kind faces with a vacant-style surprise for a moment...before smiling a bit back at us...
Eventually, dinner would be over, and noting how tired he looked even after filling his stomach, we figured it'd be best for Hart to go to bed, and by bed, I mean mine. I'm sitting at the end of the mattress watching him sleep right now, while Tiffany took my deck chair, Flip sat behind her atop the desk, and Jamal and Akira were leaning against my closet doors. We kept our voices low so we wouldn't wake the kid, as we discuss the situation further.
"So do any of you got an idea where Hart may have been going while he was out there?"
Shrugging, I reply to my gal pal,
"Hard to say. He looked kind-of lost, to be honest, like, he wasn't expecting to end up downtown..."
Jamal suggests,
"Maybe he was trying to make a break for it from somewhere...?"
Akira nods in agreement with the idea.
"That's possible. He's a little haggard-looking for someone his age, and he's been acting really withdrawn...There's a good chance this may be the first time in god-who-knows-how-long he's been to the outside world from, wherever he's been held up in."
Humming quietly, my face contorts into a bitter sadness as I think,
Yeah, and I can somewhat understand how that feels...or understand as much as my memory's allowing me to.
"Soooo what're the chances that Kite's looking for his kid brother as we speak?"
We all cringe a bit at Flip's question, and I answer neutrally,
"I'd say the chances are real good...which means the next step is trying to find a way to track him down."
Looking over at my eldest guy friend, I ask him,
"Akira, did that secret file contain anything related to a possible gazer number?"
"Not from what I could see, but I can pull it up and look again..."
But just as he grabs out he duel disk...he pauses to look at me again and inquire,
"Is, contacting him a smart idea, though? Don't get me wrong; it's best that Hart be with his relative, but...given your last few encounters with him..."
I knew that someone was gonna mention the tense air still existing between Kite and I, which I'd be prepared for.
"Yeah, I know; we don't exactly see eye-to-eye..."
Flip and Jamal pipe in,
"Ha! That's putting it mildly," causing me to shoot them a shushing glare so they didn't wake the kid...
"Anyway, my latest encounter with him wasn't as bitter as it has been. We just exchanged a few mutual words...Besides, I know in my gut that even Kite's not dumb enough to start an unnecessary fight. He just wants his brother safe...That's all he's been fighting for, really: Hart's safety."
My friends hm in their own thoughts, letting my judgement sink into their heads...
"Athena."
My attention diverts to Astral, he hovering above and about a few feet away from me.
"Hart can see me. There is something quite special about him. I have a feeling that he knows about me and where I am from."
Recalling the little murmur the boy made before I carried him over to my place from the intersection, I nod and reply back through our telepathic link,
I was thinking that too. Question is, how much does he know, and...could he have been fed any form of false information?
"False information?...Uh! Are you referring to the communications between Mister Heartland and-"
"Mm-mnh...!"
We'd be interrupted out of our conversation by the sound of whimpering, and look over to see Hart's face contorted into an expression of discomfort...and fear.
"B...Brother...!"
Tsk, poor kid. Must be having a nightmare.
Feeling my soft spot for kids kicking in, I move so I was kneeling by the head of the bed, and carefully reach out to gently brush the tips of my fingers through his hair, hoping to soothe his anxieties.
Don't worry, Hart...I'll find a way to get you back to Kite...Promise.
Then without much of a warning, Hart bolts up awake!
"Brother!"
I quickly move to catch him so he didn't get whiplash or something.
"Whoa, Hart!"
"Wh...Wh-Where-"
"Easy, Hart, easy...We're in my room, remember? Tiffany tucked you in not too long ago."
His small frame shivers within my arms for a bit as he slowly came back to reality, and I just kept holding him, a small frown of pity on my face that matched similar expressions on each of my friends in the room...Once I was sure he was stable, we part a little so we had breathing room, though I kept a soft grip on his arms for security like my brothers used to do back several months before Astral's arrival when my own nightmares were particularly freaky.
"You alright?"
He nods a bit...and then looks me over with a slight rise of clarity in his eyes.
"...You...You, look like..."
I tilt my head to the side in confusion.
"Look like who?"
"...Like this person, from a dream I used to have...You have their hair, and their eyes."
One of Hart's small hands reaches up to touch the area near the side of my right eye.
"Those eyes...they looked so hurt, like, yours do."
I had to fight from stiffening up too much as he made that characterization.
Hurt...pain...Can it, be possible, that he might remember something from...?
"Athena...will you help me?"
Snapping back to reality, I meet Hart's eyes again and ask,
"Help with what?"
"...Help me find Kite...and, help me, help him."
To hear such a request was baffling to say the least, considering that Kite hasn't given any leeway into accepting my offer from a couple days back...and yet to be asked by his brother...Clearly, something was happening to the Hunter, something that's causing his kid brother to worry.
Keeping my tone neutral, I lower my hands from his arms and shift to wrap one of my own loosely around his frame before inquiring,
"...What's wrong with Kite?"
I could sense the surprise from the other souls in the room at my interest in the older blond, and not feeling any real judgement, Hart breathes out a sigh before explaining what he's been noticing this last while.
"He's been coming back from his missions, more exhausted than usual. He's been pushing himself so hard, to do what Mister Heartland orders him to just for my sake."
My friends and I gasp a little, since this pretty much confirms our findings via the Supernova Network.
I mutter with a touch of bitterness in my voice but not too much to scare the boy,
"So then Heartland's been pulling the strings all along. I knew it...!"
Tiffany then takes a turn in asking a question, her tone softer and more chiding than mine.
"Hart...you don't have to answer this if you're not comfortable, but...when exactly did Mister Heartland come into the picture? Do you remember?"
Hart thinks for a minute...before shaking his head and replying,
"I can't remember, exactly when he became a part of things...All I know is that, he's been providing Doctor Faker with what he needs, to help find a cure for my condition."
Doctor Faker?
"And who's this Faker guy?"
"...Mine and Kite's father."
Another round of gasps roll out, but we let Hart continue.
"I don't know the full story of what he did, but, Doctor Faker...he did something a very long time ago, that was suppose to help me be stronger...But, instead..."
He looks down at his hands with a mixed expression of fear and...disgust?
"It gave this, energy, too powerful for me to handle. I, I've tried for years to get control over it, but, (clenches hands) I-I'm too weak! I can't stop it from happening all the time...!"
Jamal clarifies,
"You mean like, what happened at the intersection earlier?"
"That...and something else much worse...Something that's, hurting somewhere else..."
Somewhere else...Uh! No...he, (looks up at Astral) he couldn't mean...!
Astral's expression told me he was wondering the same, terrible possibility...
"It's scaring me!"
I dart down back on Hart as he starts to grimace with an emotionally-pained expression, hands gripping the side of his dipped head.
"I don't, understand why I do this, and why my brother has to suffer too! He's gonna run himself into the ground doing Faker and Heartland's orders, and I can't do a thing to stop it! Why?!"
(Sheen...)
If the air wasn't already tensing badly, it would be when his eyes start flashing that weird glow again!
Oh shit!
Acting fast, I scoop up the boy under my arms and bolt for the door.
"We gotta get 'im out the house, now!"
My friends scramble to run with me, the sound of our thundering footsteps drawing gramps's attention from the living room.
"Huh?! What's the rush?!"
"Sorry, grandpa; emergency!"
Akira yanks the front door open, allowing me to sprint outside and head down the stairs to the lower streets. I'd end up placing Hart in the middle of the road - thanking god that this was one of the quieter areas of the city - so he had some room for what I knew was gonna come next.
"Everyone back up! Give the kid some room!"
(...POW-SHOOM)
We shield our eyes from the impact of light...and soon, we'd be staring at a new crater in the pavement.
Yeaaaah, this'll be an easy explanation for road construction...Not!
Small Time Skip, Astral's POV
It would not take too long before we formulated a new plan of action in light of this new information and...Hart's unfortunate episode in front of Athena's residence. We decided that we could not wait until tomorrow to track down Kite, and had to get the brothers back together before something more dire could ensue. I admit, the idea of searching for the Number Hunter did not sit with me very well...but Hart does not deserve that same discontent.
I am now floating along beside Athena, she holding the young boy's hand as he guides her to a place that housed a number of large apparatuses called wind turbines, with Tiffany and Akira walking but a foot behind us. Jamal and Flip chose to head over to Caswell's place to deliver those encrypted files to him, and most likely stay over for the night.
Hopefully, he can uncover more data...I need to know: what is this Doctor Faker's true goal?
(...Fwi-fwi-fwi-fwi-fwi-fwi)
"Hm?"
Suddenly, my ears catch the sound of an aerial vehicle coming close to our general area, followed by a bright spotlight, forcing us all to stop.
"Uh!" "What the-?!"
"Is that a helicopter?"
"What's going on?!"
"...Stay where you are!"
That voice...
Someone jumps down from the flying machine, revealing themselves as that Nistro fellow, with a grin on his face that did not look very pleasant.
"Come on, Hart. You're out way past your bedtime."
His eyes then land on Athena:
"Uh! It's you again!"
She gently pulls Hart closer to her in a protective manner, glaring at the man before us.
"Nistro..."
Akira asks,
"You know this guy, Addy?"
"Unfortunately, yes, and not on good terms, I may add...What're you doing here? What do you want with Hart?"
"This has nothing to do with you. The less you kids know, the better."
Rather than becoming bristled by the aggressive tone Nistro was using, Athena chose to smirk bitterly.
"Little late for that, I'm afraid."
"...What're you talkin' about, kid?"
"Let's just say, a few old pals through pals are real good at uncovering information, (glances down) and Hart was brave enough to let us in on some other details too..."
She looks up with a more serious expression.
"I don't know the full story, mind you, but what I do know is that Heartland and some secret partner of his have been abusing their power over the boy...and to another extent, their power over Kite, and you and your partner."
That seemed to strike a chord in Nistro, as evident by how much his muscles tensed, and how narrow his irises became.
"...Just how much do you know?"
"Like I said, not alot, but certainly not a little. I'll let you believe what you want to, but just know this."
It was my friend's turn to form slits with her eyes.
"I'm not about to hand Hart over to anyone who isn't his next of kin. If you know where Kite is right now, you better tell me, otherwise, you can get the frig out of my sight."
Athena...
Obviously, Nistro would become angered by the lack of cooperation from someone younger than he.
"Grrrh, when did you suddenly get appointed the kid's guardian?! Don't you get that the only safe place for him is Heartland City?!"
Akira would step forward to retort back,
"Yeah, according to who, your shady boss? Nice try, but we're not falling for your crap, pal."
"Why you-!"
(Sheen-Bzzzzzzzt)
The conversation would be cut short when Hart's strange energy began to spike anew!
"Guh! Aw no, not again!"
"You need, to leave, me, alone!"
Hart...!
The other three and I were forced to take cover as the boy's power creates another crater in the ground...And as soon as the ground was stable again, Athena quickly runs in through the smoke to grab Hart and lead us in a run away from the area.
"Come on, hurry!"
...
Our next stop would be situated within the middle of this turbine district, they being a tower made from a fishnet-like metal with what appears to be a viewing area up top. Hart seemed to be very drawn to this place, and would lead us all in a gradual climb up the stairs.
"...Brother..."
As we continue our ascend, Tiffany quietly asks Athena with uncertainty,
"Do you think Kite might actually be up here, Addy?"
"...I don't know. He may be, or, he might not be."
Akira mutters as we near the top steps,
"I wasn't able to find his gazer number, so, this is really our only lead."
Bearing all of this information in mind, I ask my friend,
"Athena...are you prepared for what may be waiting for us?"
"...I am. But like I said, I'm not gonna encourage a senseless fight...Not with Hart here."
Mm, let us hope that Kite feels the same way, assuming he is up there...
...Though as a large part of me predicted, the Number Hunter was nowhere to be found...
"Damn, he's not here...Hey, Hart, got any other ideas for where your brother could be?...Hart?"
The young boy wasn't listening, too focused on finding...something else.
"Where? Where is it? (Looks around frantically) It's suppose to be up here!"
Approaching him, Athena asks,
"What, Hart? What's suppose to be here?"
"Rgh, I have to find it!"
Moving so she was kneeling in front of him, she places a gentle but firm hand on his shoulder.
"Take it easy, kid. Deep breath...Now tell me: what are you trying to find up here?"
"...It's a square. It's small and very sweet...sweeter, than dango."
Sweeter than dango?...Could he be referring to, a sweet treat of sorts?
I could sense that both Athena and her friend Akira were drawing similar conclusions.
"Square and, sweeter than dango?"
"Like, a candy or something?"
Hart nods slightly, and adds with worry climbing into his tone,
"Without it, my brother will be-"
He's interrupted when that blasted helicopter carrying Nistro and Dextra comes flying overhead!
Curses, they found us!
...But that would prove to be a very unwise move.
(Ba-bump...)
"Hm?"
Feeling a beat of energy, I turn around to see Hart with a very terrified expression on his face, almost as bad if not worse than the frightened expressions I have seen Athena form.
This, cannot be good.
He lets out a very loud yell, drawing the attention of my friends, and we would all witness the same power phenomenon once more...only this time, the energy was much more potent, and would undergo a shift of colour, from bright light blue to an otherwise morbid neon red! Shielding Tiffany like an older brother would, Akira exclaims with aggravation carved in his tone,
"Dammit, why couldn't those idgits have left us alone?!"
Athena and I were more pressed by the change in the nature of this power.
"...Astral...this energy, is..."
"Yes, I know...I too recognize it."
It is the same power that has been attacking my homeworld...but...something does not add up.
Why would Hart want to attack my home?...And what is causing his loss of control now?
Something within my own instincts told me to approach the boy, which I did, ignoring my friend's call to wait...
As soon as the palm of my hand connects with his forehead, I was instantly drawn within Hart's mind, specifically, memories related to what had brought him and Kite into their current predicament. Truth be told, this was not my first instance in using this ability. I accidentally discovered it during the evening after my first ordeal against Black Mist, after hovering my hand above Athena's forehead for too long...allowing access into her own memory.
What I saw...was rather depressing, aside from a few flashes of a happier, much younger little girl before the disastrous event come her eleventh year. She was a little shocked after I told her about what I had paid witnessed to...but accepted my new knowledge with a strange content, especially after I offered to try and scan her mind for anything she may have missed in her latest revelations. But much like what I had tried with the Number Cards, nothing wanted to reveal itself...
But returning to current events: the memory that opened within Hart's mind looked to be none too long ago, perhaps, a month or so before my arrival into this world, when he and Kite attempted to elude Mister Heartland's agents. Apparently, the route we all took tonight, was almost exactly the same route they took back when...It was saddening to see the young boy look so scared to the point of tears, and a little surprising to see Kite acting so, tender towards him.
He clearly cares about his sibling very much...
The square sweet turned out to be something called Caramel, given to Hart as a way to calm his nerves and help him forget about the situation for a little while...Unfortunately, Heartland's agents would find them, restraining Kite so two others could lead the boy to the man in question, much to the elder brother's dismay. Seeing all of this...I felt a new rise of, sympathy go towards the Number Hunter.
He was forced to become one to protect Hart...Perhaps his interests in the cards, are really but a cover-up for his fears...
The memory would close here, and back in reality, Hart's power was rising to near-perilous proportions, his mind clouded by the images of the people hurting him and his brother.
"This time, I'll give you the energy! I'LL FIGHT THEM ALL!"
A wave crashes from the center of the power dome, throwing Athena, Tiffany and Akira off their feet to land harshly against the floor near the fencing, while the helicopter was forced to fly back...
Hart needs to be stopped before this power becomes cataclysmic!...And I think I know how.
I quickly fly over to my friend and inform her,
"Athena! Hart came up here to look for something called a Caramel!"
"A what?!"
"Hart wants to give a Caramel power-up to his brother!"
"...I dunno what that's suppose to mean, but I'm guessing if we don't somehow accommodate, things are gonna get messy?"
"More than messy, Athena: Hart is building up enough dark energy to swallow up the entire city!"
That definitely got her attention:
"The whole ci-...God, the things I gotta do-!"
Shaking her head furiously, Athena turns attention to the other two slumped near her.
"Tiff, Akira! This is gonna sound weird, but do any of you have Caramel on you?"
They look at her like she has gone insane...but then Akira forms an enlightened expression, and reaches into one of the many pockets of his pants to pull out what we needed.
"Here! I forgot that I bought a bunch of candy for my mom earlier today!"
Taking the wrapped sweet into her hand, Athena moves to stand up and make her way over to Hart, shoving herself against the gravity of the power.
"Hrh...gh!...Hart!"
She holds out the small square so he could see it.
"This is what you're looking for, right, the Caramel? I've got one right here, one you can give your brother! See?"
...Nothing seemed to change much, so Athena was forced to switch to a more direct approach.
"Hah, okay then...Hrrrah!"
She leaps forward through the spikes of energy, and enfolds her arms around the boy as she did earlier this evening...
"Hart, listen to me, please: everything's gonna be alright!...I know you're scared for Kite, but having a freakout's not going to do any good!...You need to calm down, for his sake if no one else!"
...
Her words reach Hart, and he was able to get a hold over his power, forcing it away and leaving the two in yet another crater...A silence blankets the roof of this tower for a moment...before Hart speaks again.
"...My brother...My brother is very tired because of me. I had to come up here to find a Caramel to give to my brother, (takes the sweet) to give him strength."
Athena's smile was a sad one as she replies softly,
"Oh Hart...It's nice that you wanna help lift the weight off your brother's shoulders, but you need to understand that this isn't your fault. If anything, it's Heartland's and that Faker guy's...I don't like what's going on either, believe me, but running yourself to the ground won't prevent him from doing it too. You gotta look after your own health...That's what'll truly make him happy."
"Athena..."
I decide to tell her what I had seen.
"I was able to see Hart's memories...Hart and Kite were hiding on this tower, and Hart seemed to be quite upset. Kite tried to reassure him by giving him the Caramel. He told him it would give him strength. They had been running away from somebody..."
"Lemme guess, Heartland?"
"Yes..."
(...Flash)
Next thing we knew, another spotlight casts over our bodies!
"Aw, you gotta be kidding me!"
Whirling around, Athena cries out to the occupant of the flying apparatus,
"When are you people gonna get it?! Hart's not going with anyone except Kite!"
The craft lands, and the side door opens...
"If it's a fight you want, though, I'm more than happy to oblige...Hm?"
But much to our surprise, we would not meeting the eyes of Nistro...but the eyes of a different, taller fellow with very long silver hair and dressed in a similar manner to that of, Quattro and Trey.
Could he be related to them...?
Athena immediately senses something off, pulling the young boy behind her.
"You're not Nistro...Who are you?"
"I'm Hart's friend. I'm here to help. (Sheen) Isn't that right, Hart?"
The man's forehead suddenly glows, revealing a strange crest like that of the other two humans I have seen do similarly. We shield our eyes from the light...unaware that it was effecting a specific target, until they start to slowly move towards the stranger.
Huh? Hart?...Wait...Uh! That crest must be-
Thankfully, Athena had figured it out, and grabs the boy before he could walk any further.
"Stop!...Grh, what did you do to him?!"
"Hart will be perfectly safe with me. I assure you."
...
...
My friend suddenly rises, keeping a firm hand on Hart's shoulder so he would not move.
"Tiffany...Akira."
"Addy?" "Yeah?"
"...On my signal, get Hart off this tower."
Something in her tone made my spirit shiver, and they were equally as wary. Tiffany asks her,
"What're you gonna do?"
"What I have to; just be ready."
Though confused and tense, she and Akira do as Athena tells them, moving to gently hold Hart as the second latter steps forward with a determined glare cast on the man before us.
"I dunno who the hell you think you are, but I've had it up to here with these kidnapping attempts. I'll give you only one chance to walk away right now before things get very ugly."
The stranger seemed a bit taken aback by my friend's hostile threat, but then narrows his eyes in return.
"Is that so? And how exactly does a child like you plan on forcing me to 'walk away'?"
One crack of her knuckles said it all.
"...You shouldn't have asked that, pal."
And just before anyone could protest her actions, she lunged at him with a fist raised, the assaulting appendage landing right in his torso!
Oh my!
No POV
Quinton lets out a grunt of surprise and pain as he stumbles back from Athena's punch, which is followed by a sweeping upper-kick that sends him straight for the ground near the hovercraft-like helicopter's doorway! Darting her head over her shoulder, the blackette calls to her friends,
"Get 'im outta here, now!"
Snapping out of their dazes, the teen boy with golden-honey skin scoops up Hart to throw over his right shoulder before grabbing the other girl's hand and lead her in a run for the stairs.
"Let's go!"
"Oh!"
While they made their escape, Athena stays behind for a minute to catch her breath from the sudden attack she conducted, staring at the man with ankle-length silver hair as he struggles to lift himself up.
Hm...getting a better look...he doesn't look like he works with 'those two'...
Still, he knows Hart, and something in my gut's telling me that's not a good thing.
Astral floats over to her side to get her attention.
"Athena, let us go. We should catch up with your friends and Hart."
"Hah...right."
She turns on her heel and began jogging after the others, unaware that Quinton's blue irises were watching her form disappear.
I...I failed in obtaining the boy, because of her...Who is she, and where did she get such strength?
Down below the tower, the three teens and one Astral Being exit out of the entrance, just as the young bluenette comes out of his daze.
"(...Blink) H-Huh? Wha...Uh!"
He fully tunes back to reality when he notices his change of position atop Akira's shoulder, making him a little scared.
"Wh-What's going on? What's happening?!"
Stopping underneath a turbine, the teen holding the young boy sets the latter down as Athena reassures,
"It's alright, kid, you're safe. We just had to get down from the tower."
"Why? What happened?"
"...You don't remember?"
"N-No...I mean, the last thing I remember was a really tall figure and a flash of light...and now I'm down here with all of you."
That made the other four hm in suspicion...and then their ears pick up on the sound of the flying transportation vehicle near their proximity. Tiffany whimpers a bit along with Hart, but Athena holds an arm to them in a silencing gesture, whispering,
"Don't panic..."
...The helicopter passes overhead, missing sight of the targets of interest...Sighing in relief, the girl with amber red irises mutters,
"Okay, I think we're in the clear for now...What the heck was that all about, anyway?"
Akira deduces,
"I'm willing to bet that weird light was causing some sort of hypnotic effect. That's probably why Hart can't remember, not that there's much worth remembering...Strange it didn't do anything to us, though."
Tiffany reasons with a small frown,
"Maybe that guy can target certain people?...Still, that doesn't explain what he wanted with Hart."
The girl with red irises folds her arms with a scowl and mutters,
"Don't know, but I already don't like it."
Astral then hovers closer to the youngest of the five to ask,
"Hart...do you recall anyone in your life that has long, sliver hair, blue eyes and stands approximately six feet tall?"
"Uuum...no, I...I don't, think so."
"Are you sure?"
"(Nod) The description sounds, vaguely familiar, but I'm not sure why..."
Hart's golden irises turn to Athena:
"What do we do now? Kite, wasn't up there, so..."
"Hm...Can you think any other places he might be?"
"Not off the top of my head. This was the first place that came to me."
He looks down at the small square of Caramel in his hand, and clenches it to himself over where his heart rested with a disappointed frown.
"Brother...now how will I get him the strength he needs?"
Seeing that he was fighting to break into tears, Tiffany quickly kneels down to pull him into a hug to comfort him...Meanwhile, Athena and Akira discuss the group's next course of action.
"So what do we do, Addy?"
"Uhm...lemme think...Okay, what do we know now?"
"Well, we know that Hart and his brother have been under Heartland and Faker's control for some time..."
"And according to Astral, they've tried to escape once, but failed."
Akira looks at the younger girl a bit strangely, and she waves a hand dismissively.
"Don't ask."
"Right...Okay, they've tried to bail, but are stuck working for those two, all because of Hart's condition. Those crazy power blasts."
"Mhm...And now we've got a second party coming after him."
"You don't think he's working for Heartland?"
Athena shakes her head:
"Nuh-uh. He doesn't fit the same vibe as Kite, Nistro or Dextra."
"...His clothes."
"Huh?"
The two turn to look at Tiffany, who continues her new train of thought.
"I, recognize his style of clothing."
"Psh, this is hardly the time for a fashion bash, Tiff."
"Not like that, dummy! I mean his dress is similar to that of Quattro and his younger brother."
Now that catches the leather-jacketed girl's attention.
"Quattro and Trey?...Wait...Come to think of it, that guy's power came from some sort of symbol on his forehead, like the crests those other two have."
Astral reasons,
"So this would mean, we are not looking at a brother duo or solo...but rather..."
"Right. We're looking at a brother trio, and there's a chance Quattro and Trey may come after Hart next."
Akira asks aloud,
"But what do they want with him?"
"Who knows?...But whatever their reasons, that doesn't change my opinion on the matter."
Clenching a fist to hover over her chest, Athena then says,
"I made a promise to get Hart back together with Kite, and dammit, I'm gonna keep it."
Relaxing, she proposes the following next move.
"Now, first things first, we need to get out of the area, 'cause it's only a matter of time before Nistro and Dextra catch up, and there's a slight chance Quattro and Trey will catch wind of their assumed brother's blown mission."
Akira nods in agreement, suggesting,
"We should avoid going the same way we came and try taking a long scenic route with as many turns and twists as possible. That should help throw our pursuers off our scent."
"Good idea."
"Also...I'm willing to put up my place as another safe zone. It's not in the ideal neighbourhood, as you well know, but given what happened to your road earlier..."
"Right. They could be tracking based on Hart's power freakouts...Thanks."
The young man with aqua-blue irises smiles and nods, before Athena turns around to kneel in front of Hart with a well-meaning expression.
"Listen, Hart...We won't call it a night yet, but we'll have to eventually unless we wanna pass out in an alley somewhere. We're gonna try taking a very long walk around the city, and see if any landmarks we pass trigger something in your brain that can lead us to Kite. If this is gonna work, we need to keep a low profile, which means staying calm, and focused...Sound good?"
"...Okay, I can do that."
"Good. (Slight smile) Maybe if we pass a candy shop, we can get some more Caramel power-ups to give to him."
That half-promise produces a small smile on the young boy's face.
"Really?"
"Sure, but that's if we've got the luxury, okay? We need to be careful-like in our movements."
The young bluenette nods in understanding, before muttering a very soft,
"...Thank you, for everything."
"Of course, kiddo. (Looks over the rest) Alright, everyone: let's move out."
Nods are made, and Akira took it upon himself to carry Hart this time piggyback-style, the former walking on Athena's left while Tiffany her right, and Astral hovered near and above all of them, direction being outward-ho of the wind turbine district...
What the quintet would not expect, however, was a third threat to their livelihoods.
"...Hm?"
Astral senses movement from behind two of the giant white pinwheels as the group near the exit, and calls Athena to stop.
"Wait."
She halts, prompting the others to do the same.
"What is it, Astral?"
"...I sense danger near us...and it is neither of our dual pursuers."
"Neither? Then who-"
Her ears then pick up on the sound of a few low chuckles and laughs, the type that sends shivers down hers and Akira's spines.
"Uh!...No..."
"It couldn't be..."
Tiffany and Hart become concerned:
"Guys...?" "What's wrong? Is it-"
"Well, well, well, isn't this a sorry sight."
Athena stiffens as hard as a diamond when she hears that one hard-edged male voice she detests with a passion, belonging to one of her greatest enemies.
Oh, Hell, No...
He would not make himself visible at first, though; rather, he gives a signal to a few of his people to show themselves. A few seconds later, we'd be looking at about four street punks blocking the exit, including two familiar faces. The first one was the young man with olive skin and viper tattoo on his left arm, coal brown eyes, buzz-cut black hair, and wore those same clothes comprised of a ripped white tank-top with baggy gray jeans held up by one suspender, and black worker boots. The second was the brunette by name of Spears, still wearing the same white tank-top with the black hole symbol the other three housed in their own fashions (ripped, in-tact, muscle shirt, t-shirt, whatever), but now wore skinny purple jeans with a rip in the left knee, and a silver fingerless glove on his left hand...
Trilos's voice bounces across the grounds from seemingly everywhere again.
"What's this, Berserker? You got a part-time career as a preschool escort or somethin' when you're not duelin' like a dweeb?"
The four antagonistic teens on his side snicker meanly in amusement, while the recipient of the insult fought to keep her temper in check.
Don't, let him, get to you. That's what he wants...
"Aaah, and look who's with ya, another member of the traitor club! How's it goin', Aky?"
Akira grimaces in disgust from his old nickname.
"That's not my name and you know it!"
"Was at one time ago."
"Whadda you want, Janko?!"
"Gee, I dunno, take a wild guess...You and the little mutt have been dodgin' me for too long, and I've been waiting patiently for the moment to exact my revenge...And now, I've just discovered the prefect way of ensuring it."
...
The lightly tan-complexioned male with short, spiky green hair tipped with ink and wearing the muscle-style version of the trademark Fallen Stars shirt, those ripped black jeans with the chains hanging off the right pocket, and indigo fingerless gloves matching his boots with blood-red laces rather than white steps into view from behind the five with two more dangerously-dressed teens between seventeen and eighteen. Grinning, Trilos croons to the teens in his line of sight,
"You two ingrates remember what the best kind of insurance is?"
(...PUNCH)
"Cauh!"
One wave of a fist to Athena's back was all it took before an all-out brawl ignites, the advantage being the attackers with seven against two capable fighters and two defenseless tag-alongs. Being intangible to this world, Astral is forced to watch in horror as his partner is beaten senseless despite the struggle she puts up, each new blooming bruise and cut to her skin making his heart cry out with terror.
"No!"
Athena!
(...Whap, slide)
"Aauh..."
Five minutes later, we would see the girl with the long plait of black hair tumble to the ground hard, her clothes now stained with dirt and covering the multitude of minor to medium-level injuries littering her body, her knees bleeding from a few shallow cuts made from the whipping of a chain used by one punk.
D...Damn...
Tiffany was the lucky one out of the young teens, only receiving a karate-chop to the back of her head, knocking her unconscious...
As for Akira, he was hardly better off from his old friend, sporting a developing black eye while his light gray shirt now housed a few bloodstains from a cut to his upper torso dangerously close to his neck. He's currently being pinned down by three of the Fallen Star members, struggling furiously as he watches the male with the viper tattoo yank Hart - also unconscious - over his shoulder.
"No! Hart! Rgh, leave 'im alone, you bastard; he's just a kid! He's got nothing to do with this!"
They just sneer down at the pissed teen, while Trilos laughs cruelly and calls over to Athena,
"Here's your answer: the best kind of insurance, is the kind that involves something or someone your opponent cares for."
The girl shakily lifts herself from the ground, and would grow livid when she sees the little bluenette in the hands of her enemies.
"...No...No! Don't you dare; don't you dare!"
Rising with a speed she didn't think possible, Athena readies to rush over and clobber Trilos and his subordinate to get Hart back...
(Whip, GRIP)
"Agh!"
But she wouldn't even get within five feet, when her body is suddenly thrown to the ground again back-first, immobilized by a rope weighed with heavy pegs that wrapped around her wrist and pinned her down!
"No! Rgh, gh, Trilos!"
"Hehahaha, now now, my friend, we shouldn't rush things...unless you wanna put the tyke at a higher risk?"
She glares hard with a growl at the male with dirt-orange irises, who adds,
"You want 'im back? Meet me at the place where art goes to die in two hours, and we'll have that long-awaited Duel Fist match. If you don't show up, the kid pays the price."
"You...Yooou...!"
Trilos's grin widens:
"See you soon, Fujina."
And with a maniacal laugh to be left ringing across the grounds, the gang leader and his men leave the area with their new hostage, waving off the enraged teenage girl's outcries.
"No...NO!...Haaaaaaart!"