Hey everyone of the World Wide Web, I'm back! And considering that I'm hitting the home stretch for this semester of university, I find it a little lucky I even have the time to bust out a chapter for each of my stories...That said, for those familiar with all my works, expect more delays for the next two weeks after this one. Ugh, gotta love final projects and exams...
Anyway, being the kind writer that I am, there's something I must warn you about before you continue ahead.
This and the next two chapters coming will have some triggers related to dark themes and imagery, as well as...suicidal thought, so tread carefully. If this is something that you're not comfortable reading, then I would recommend waiting until about chapter 44 when the crazy mood tones down some. I'll try to give a little message for the sensitive hearts in the audience during a few particular scenes envisioned, but this is the main tipper.
Alright? Alright...Carry on.
...No.
...No, this is wrong; this isn't right! Not Hart! Anyone but the kid!
This would be the severely panicked thought that ran through Athena Fujina's skull as she helplessly watches the forms of street gang leader Janko Trilos and his six cohorts vanish in a jog out of the wind turbine district, taking Hart Tenjo with them! Try as she did, the poor girl was unable to stop them, overpowered by the heavy quantity of fists and soles dealt against her body, even with some help from one of her friends, Akira Shima.
Tugging furiously at the wrist that was pinned to the ground by metal-heavy pegs attached to a cord-like rope, Athena struggles to lift herself up to her knees as her outcries became less raged and more desperate-sounding.
"Hart!...Hart!...Hart...!"
Astral, whom had remained frozen through the entire ambush attack, snaps out of his daze to the sound of his friend's wavering tone, and floats down to her level to try and get her attention before her panic escalates.
"Athena...Athena...!"
Yet even he was having trouble keeping his own worries in check.
This could not have turned into a more dire situation.
Based on what Athena has told me regarding that Trilos brute...there is no telling what could happen to Hart if we do not find him quickly.
A couple feet back, Akira was hanging his head in his hands, growling to himself in an angry kind of shame.
"Dammit...!"
I should've kept the kid close to me as we were fighting, or, told Tiffany to take him outta here, and now-!
...Grh...Addy...Hart. I'm, so sorry.
"Mm-mr-hh...A-A-ddy, A-ki-ra..."
The young man with short, wavy black hair and aqua green irises breaks out of his self-berating thoughts when he hears the soft moan of the other teenage girl in the area, she coming to after being harshly knocked out by one of the Fallen Star boys. Turning her way and crawling to her side, Akira helps Tiffany sit up as her vision blurred back clear.
"Tiffany..."
"A...Akira...Uh! What happened; is Addy okay?! What about Hart?! Are they-?!"
The girl's newly messed-up black bob of hair frantically pivots eyes around the area, spotting Athena with a short sigh of relief...which hitches when she doesn't see the young soul with periwinkle blue hair and golden irises.
"...Oh my god...Did, th-they take...?"
Tiffany couldn't finish her sentence out of fear, but would receive a dreadfully grim nod from Akira.
"Yeah...They, they took Hart. I couldn't stop them; they kept me pinned long enough for viper-boy to book it ahead with the kid over his shoulder..."
Cornflower irises began to pool with tears, the owner softly stuttering Hart's name.
The poor boy...
"This can't be happening..."
"Uh?"
Both parties look up at the sound of that latest gritted hiss from the blackette with copper red tips, and look over to see her gripping the sides of her head, almost rocking backward and forward on her knees as more paranoia floods her system.
"This can't be happening; this can't be happening; this can't be happening...!"
Why Hart; why Hart; why Hart?! He's an innocent! An innocent!
Between the sentences conveyed within her mind and out from her chapped lips, Athena's friends felt their concern rise and direct toward the more-than-probable anxiety attack.
"Oh no..."
"Crap..." "Addy..."
(...FLASH)
Once again, the tensely thick air receives a cut from the knife of hostility, when another helicopter spotlight came shining down on their forms! For Astral, Tiffany and Akira, they merely shield their eyes in aggravation from this reoccurring interference...
...But for Athena...it did something much worse.
(Ba-BUMP)
"Gh!"
(Flash)
What the celestial being didn't catch from his somewhat-unintended mental read, was that the girl had connected this event to a more personal hurt she can barely fathom.
Fragmented, muted memories had resurfaced as she watched Hart being taken away, her vision clouded over with illusions of white-coated figures, dragging away...an indescribable, yet dead-limped humanoid beast shadowed by the bright light of a more spacious room...
What confused and frightened the recipient of this recalled snippet, were these feelings of guilt, rage and anguish.
(Flash)
"...Innocence. Our innocence, s-s-stolen..."
Back in the real time, someone jumps down from the helicopter, prompting Tiffany and Akira to hurry to their feet, minding their injuries.
"Rh! Not again!"
"...Wait...I think, that's..."
Panning over to where they were looking, we see the figure to be Nistro rather than Quinton, his face reflecting that his frustrations have reached their near-end. His eyes lock on Athena's form, and he starts stomping over to get some answers after not seeing Hart on the ground before hopping down.
"Alright, kid, where's-"
He'd be cut off mid-sentence, when the girl suddenly lets out a very loud scream!
"Aaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhh!"
Nistro stumbles back with shock:
"Gh! What th-!"
Athena, meanwhile, felt her heart was ready to leap out of her chest, her eyes doe-wide and filled with a paralyzing fear as she scrambles to try and get as far back as she could from the older teen...Only, it wasn't him she was seeing.
(Flash)
Her panic had escalated to the point of hysterical hallucination, the spotlight of the chopper acting as a laboratory light, and instead of a fellow duelist...she was facing at least four white-coated figures who had dark smiles etched onto their faces, standing behind a fifth figure dressed in black and gray, whose fuzzy expression was the most sinister, a singular needle held up in his right hand!
(Flash)
"NO! NO, NO, NOOO! NO, PLEASE, LEAVE ME ALONE! DON'T TOUCH ME; KEEP THAT POISON AWAY FROM ME! I WON'T BE YOUR LAB RAT! NEVER; NEVEEER!"
The girl was screeching like a banshee who had their dress caught on fire, waving her arms in a desperate attempt to destroy the nightmare before her, legs kicking out in a spasmodic manner. Astral was forced to float back quickly so he wouldn't get 'struck' by a fist, and would be staring down at his friend with his protective instincts going through the roof.
"Athena!"
What is happening to her?!
"Auh, she's gone into a relapse!"
His mismatched irises sharply lock onto Tiffany's gasping form, the latter soon running over to her troubled gal pal's side, sliding to her knees and making attempts to grab the girl before she hurts herself.
"HELP! SOMEONE HELP, MEEE!"
"Addy! Addy, please; you gotta calm down! It's not real!"
The red-eyed girl's yells began shifting volumes as her throat became raw and haggard.
"P-PLEASE HElp...SOME-one please, Make it STOp...!"
Nistro could only watch the scene with major confusion and uncertainty written all over his face, finally noticing the injuries on the teens as well as the restraint device on the hysterical soul's wrist.
What the hell's going on?...What happened to these kids?
By this point, the helicopter had landed, and Dextra exits from the cockpit, moving to her partner's side while occupying a critical yet wary expression on her features directed to the activity before them.
"Nistro, what's going on?"
"I don't know..."
"Back up."
"Hm?"
Purple and chocolate-brown irises move to lock with the glaring aqua green irises of Akira, who decided to do something useful in trying to help relieve his friend's frightful state of mind.
"I said back up, right now! My friend's in a very fragile state, and your close presence is not helping!"
"Whadda ya mean fragile?"
"You wouldn't understand...and it's not my place to say in detail..."
The honey-brown complexioned boy's glare hardens protectively.
"But as Athena's friend, it is my place to prevent any possible threat to her mentality. Right now, she's seeing you two as hostiles from a very horrible experience of her past, so you can either back the frick up on your own, (knuckle crack) or I'll make you."
The two late teens working under Heartland could sense that Akira was extremely serious, and after glancing at the rocking form of Athena being forcibly hugged to a stop by Tiffany...they reluctantly heed the order, taking several steps backwards towards the chopper...
"Shh, Addy, it's okay, shhhh, just breathe..."
"Nnh-nh! Hhh-hh-hh..."
A few shuddered breaths are drawn...before the girl's teary red orbs blink back to reality, and they dart back and forth to make sure that there wasn't anything here that could hurt them.
"Hnh...T...T-T-Tiff-any...They, they were; th-they were here..."
"Addy..."
"Th...They came back. (Sniff) Th-They were closing in; t-tryin' to-!"
Tiffany hugs her best friend close and mutters soothingly,
"Shh, no Addy, those terrible people weren't there. You were in a relapse...I promise they don't know where you are."
"(Sniff-sniff) Th...They don't?"
"Heck no...You escaped from them; you're safe..."
...Some of Athena's shaking slows, and she weakly wiggles away from the other girl's hold to kneel on her own again, placing a hand over her rapidly beating heart...She notices that it's the same appendage that was being restrained by the corded rope, and immediately began whimpering in fear again.
(Flash)
The rattle of metal scraping metal, and a chain flies into view, slowing to showcase the struggling wrist cuffed to a floor...
(Flash)
"N-No! No, get it off; get it, off...!"
Seeing what was agitating his friend, Akira acts fast and searches his carpenter pant pockets, pulling out a box-cutter from his right.
"Tiffany, here. Use this and cut her loose before she goes into another relapse."
"Right!"
The girl with black-bobbed hair snatches up the closed blade and immediately turns back to Athena so she can help free the latter.
"Addy, Addy! It's okay; I'll get you loose. Just stay still..."
The girl in the black pleated skirt and leather jacket does her hardest to comply, but was still shivering a little violently from visions that wouldn't leave her alone...
"Athena."
Sniffling, she glances over and sees Astral floating near her once again, his eyes reflecting concern at its highest while his face remained calm.
"It will be alright..."
His hand slowly reaches to hover over her shoulder.
"You are with your friends, including myself, not anyone who can hurt you."
"A...Astral..."
A jittery hand lifts itself up to hover over the male's, the owner releasing a deep, shaky breath as her tears slowly cease, her spirit sedated by the presence of the face whom has come to roost in her heart in just a short few months.
Astral...
He smiles the slightest and chides the girl's name back through the mind link, just as Tiffany finishes cutting the rope around her friend's wrist.
"Hah, there...Hm?"
Her ears then pick up on the sound of something swooping down from the air, which would be heard by everyone else, and they all look up to the air behind the chopper...spotting none other than Kite, flying down with Orbital's gilder form!
"Uh!" "No way!"
"Kite?!"
Athena was the last to look up as the blond drops down to the ground smoothly and the Orbital robot unit detaches to reform into his standard form.
...Kite...
"N-Nice landing, sir!"
Ignoring his robot lacky, Kite goes straight to his reasons for coming here.
"Alright, tell me where Hart is. Is my brother okay?...Well?!"
Wincing a little, Akira swallows down a gulp of nerves before stepping to face the eldest Tenjo brother.
"He...I'm sorry, man, but, he was taken."
"...Taken?...By who?"
The blond forms a narrowed glare and swiftly grasps one of the aqua-eyed teen's shoulders in a tight vice.
"Gh!"
"Who took my brother?!...Tell me!"
"An, enemy of mine and Akira's."
"Hm?"
Eyes turn towards Athena, whom had just exited her relapsed state, and was slowly rising to her feet while lightly rubbing her fingers against the wrist bruised by the cord restraint. Tiffany rose with her, having her arms extended hesitantly and watching that her friend didn't trip on herself.
"Addy, maybe you shouldn't get up quite-"
"I'm, fine, Tiff...but thanks for freeing me, (broken smile) in more ways than one."
Catching the meaning in those last five words, the cornflower-eyed girl's breath hitches...
"Whadda ya mean by an 'old enemy' of yours, kid?"
Red irises lock with the dusty purple belonging to Nistro, as the addressee of the skeptic-laced question replies after ridding herself of a few tear streams,
"(Sniff) Exactly, what I said...which is all you and your partner are gonna hear."
"What's that suppose to mean?"
"Oh please, just how dumb do you think I am?...I know who you and Dextra work for, Nistro."
Both late teens stiffen considerably, and Athena softens her glare as she focuses on the boy with steel gray eyes.
"The only one here who deserves to listen to what my friends and I have to say, is Kite, Hart's family, not people who see the boy as-...mh, as nothing more than a wild animal to contain."
Kite's serious expression gives way the slightest to surprise at the younger teen's words.
Athena...
"So, until you two leave, my mouth stays shut, (narrows eyes) and there's nothing you can do to me that others haven't done tonight that'll make me talk."
Tiffany and Akira are momentarily shocked by the girl's proclamation, before they nod in agreement with the implications and form their own firm expressions to send Nistro and Dextra's way.
"Same here."
"Me too. None of us are breathing a word that'll travel back to Heartland."
The face belonging to the young man with spiky soot-red hair contorts into anger from the defiance of the three youths.
"Why, you-!"
But before he could move in, the young woman with short, two-tone purple hair cuts into his action plan with a calmer air.
"Don't bother, Nistro."
"Huh?"
"It's clear these three aren't going to tell the two of us a thing. (Looks at Athena) Though need I remind you, young lady, that we are a part of the World Duel Carnival Disciplinary Committee? All it takes is one word from us, and you're disqualified."
"...And who the hell says I care?"
"Uh!"
Nothing in the young Fujina's expression reflected any interest from Dextra's lesser threat.
"It's become clear recently that this whole tourney's been a sham, covering up another scheme cooked up by our 'dear mayor', and I'm done playing the duped victim. Kick me out, don't kick me out, I don't give a damn. I've got more important things to be concerned with. (Bitter smirk) But I must say, I'm both impressed and disappointed that you'd be willing to deal a low blow like that, Dextra...I would've thought someone who uses a butterfly deck would have more class and her priorities straight."
A few gasps sound from Athena's insult, and Dextra grits her teeth at feeling her pride being bruised...before releasing a cleansing breath to cool the sudden rise of temper.
"Hmph...I don't need to explain myself to you..."
Chocolate-brown irises glance over at Kite for a few seconds, before the source turns to head aboard the helicopter.
"Nistro, we're going."
"Uh! Dextra..."
Nistro hurries after his partner, grumbling to himself,
"Damn, this whole mission's been a waste..."
...
As soon as the chopper was gone, the four teens of varied ages lock focus with eachother, and Kite starts the inquiry again.
"Okay, they're gone...Now what happened?"
Quinton's POV
"What?! What do you mean you weren't able to retrieve Hart?!"
Wincing the slightest from Vetrix's aggravated exclaim, I reluctantly explain via duel gazer from inside the helicopter.
"I'm sorry, sir. I was close to apprehending the boy, but was stopped by the small youth group he was with, one in particular who saw through the power of my crest."
"Saw through it?"
"Yes. I am not sure how, but they seem to be extremely wise to anything that feels like a ruse."
Not only that...but something about the girl seems, familiar...
"I see...Haah, very well. We'll just have to shift the plan. Contact your brothers as soon as you can find the boy's signal again, and all three of you are to go after him."
"Understood."
"And Quinton?"
"Yes?"
"...Try not to fail a second time."
Our connection breaks, and I exhale a breath I wasn't aware I was holding, feeling the weight of my failed mission prod my body...
Hart's POV
"Mm...M-huh?"
Wh-Wha...What, happened?
I finally wake up after being harshly knocked out by something hitting the back of my head...but where I woke up was a total mystery. Rubbing the back of my skull with a wince, I weakly blink my eyes open, only to find myself sitting limply against a pillar on the ground floor of some sort of old building.
"Uh!...Uh..."
What is this place?...Wait: where's, Athena, and Astral?
...Kite...my brother. Where's my brother?
"So you're up now, huh, squirt?"
Jolting a little from the sound of an unfamiliar male voice, I look over to my left, and spot a very scary-looking teenager with acid green hair tipped black who had one of those smirks that spelled danger with a capital D.
"Hh! Wh...Wh-Who are you?"
"Oh just an 'old friend' of Berserker's...though you may know her as, Athena?"
Athena?
"What, do you want with her?"
"You'll find out soon enough...But in the meantime, I suggest you don't cause me any grief or, (knuckle-crack) let's just say your 'saviour' won't have much to save."
I flinch from the threat and the crazy grin on his face, and think to myself desperately,
Athena...Kite...someone, please help me...!
No POV
At the same time Quinton was being rebuffed for his failed mission and Hart comes face-to-face with his kidnapper, Athena regales the events that had came to pass these last couple hours, from when she and her friends first found Hart downtown, to the power freakouts the young boy's body struggled to contain, the near-kidnapping up top the tower situated in the middle of the Wind Turbine District, and finally, the ambush by Trilos and half a dozen of his gang members...
"So let me get this straight: first, a tall stranger with long silver hair whom you suspect is related to this Quattro person tried to take my brother, then you lot were attacked by this punk Trilos, and he took him away?"
Akira nods and replies regrettably,
"Yes. We tried to stop them, but it was seven against two and we were caught off-guard. We didn't stand a chance."
"...And the reason they took him, (turns) has to do with you?"
Kite was staring at Athena accusingly as she receives the last of her medical attention from 'Tiffany, the mobile first aid kit', which she would not reprimand him for.
"Yes. The bastard's been wanting revenge on me for some time now, and, unfortunately, he saw Hart as an opportunity for ransom...See, as much as I was once valued as a strong 'tool' for his disposal, Trilos also knew that I had at least one weakness, and that was my soft spot for younger kids."
The girl grimaces and mutters distastefully,
"Though I could've cared less for my own life, it still disgusted me whenever I saw little boys under ten acting like their so-called 'mentors', sometimes by force, going up against fighters they clearly stood no chance to, or being used as a terrible blackmail to keep some of the weaker-hearted members in check."
Akira sniffs and grinds his teeth in a similar manner to his younger friend.
"I can still remember when they took my buddy CJ's baby sis hostage one day when he tried to bail out on a prize fight a few years ago. Horrible stuff. Poor kid was shaken for almost a week and a half..."
Tiffany holds her knuckles to her lips with a saddened, open-mouthed frown, staring between her two battered friends with pity.
They've had to endure so much...
Sighing quietly towards the ground, Athena looks back up so she was eye-level with Kite again.
"...Kite. I'm sorry that you and your little bro got mixed into my shit. The last thing I wanted was for my past and present to criss-cross and cause people to trip into the danger zone...But thinking about it now, maybe this was inevitable."
She glances over to the skies above and quotes,
"This whole city's become one giant spiderweb, trapping and connecting everyone to motives like the Numbers, vengeance, answers to questions some of us have wondered for years...It's a twisted weave we can only struggle against, with no guarantee of a way out, unless you've got scissors."
"What's all of that got to do with my brother?"
"More than I can explain in the short amount of time we have."
The blond's grey irises narrow a touch at the implication in the girl's latest sentence.
"...You keep saying 'we'."
"Yes, because like it or not, Kite, your problems and mine have now become one in the same...And as much as it kills me to even think about it..."
The bandaged fingers of Athena's left hand curl into a fist as she reluctantly finishes,
"There's only one way to save Hart."
Knowing where she was heading, Tiffany and Akira immediately protest.
"Addy, no! You can't be thinking-!"
"You're seriously gonna give into that psycho's demand?! You could get killed!"
She snaps at the young man with wavy black hair,
"Dammit, don't you think I already know that?!"
"Uh!..."
"It's my life or Hart's, Akira, and I'll be dragged into the depths of Hell before I allow a little kid to be used as a scapegoat!...Mph, (shakes head) I can't let that happen. I just, can't."
A traitorous tear falls from the girl's right eye, which is brushed away with a smudge of dirt in a dulled fury.
"I've, come close to losing you, my own self-worth, and got others in danger because of my past relations with the Fallen Stars...It stops now. Plus, I promised Hart I'd get him back together with his brother, and I'm gonna hold to that promise if it's the last thing I ever do."
Astral could only stare at his human partner in a turmoil of emotions from how raw her strife has become.
Oh Athena...
Kite meanwhile, disguises his disbelief with an impassive expression.
She's really serious about this...and, I've got no argument against her. None...
Rgh, damn it, how does she keep doing that?
"Haah, alright, fine, you've made your point...So where do you think they took Hart?"
Orbital Seven swivels his head towards his creator in surprise by the lack of debate.
"M-Master...?"
The blond ignores the robot...Folding her arms, Athena closes her eyes in thought to Kite's question, almost mirroring the familiar position her seldom-seen friend from another world occupies every now and again.
"Hm, now that, I haven't figured out yet...I do remember something Trilos said before he and his lackies took off..."
(Flash)
"You want 'im back? Meet me at the place where art goes to die in two hours..."
(Flash)
"...'the place where art goes to die'...Mrh, I know that phrase from somewhere, a nickname for a place we used to frequent to during those night raids...Uh!"
Suddenly, it dawns on the girl with the shaggy black plait of hair.
"Oh god...I know where they are..."
Everyone looks at her in confusion from her mumble, before she suddenly takes off in a run while exclaiming,
"I know where they took Hart!"
"Uh! Addy!" "Hold up!"
...The group of four turned five (or six if you count Orbital Seven) was soon speeding along downtown and through a few side streets, Athena in lead, Tiffany and Akira following behind her, Astral floating alongside the young teen, and Kite taking to the air again above the rest with his robot's glider form.
"The old floating art gallery?"
Nodding, the girl with red irises replies to the only other female present,
"Yes. I remember back in my other life, that place was a favourite to head to when we needed a spot to lay low from the cops."
Akira bops his head up and down in confirmation.
"Yeah, it's comin' back to me too: that gallery's been abandoned for more then thirty years and no one's bothered to go in to do any real maintenance...It was the perfect hiding place for street punks who didn't wanna add to their record..."
The blond with steel grey irises calls from up high,
"And you're sure that's where my brother's being held?"
Athena replies back,
"I couldn't be anymore positive if I tried. That old nickname was the giveaway; 'the place where art goes to die'...But right now, we need to step on it. We're cutting close to the end of the time window Trilos gave before he took off."
And if he dares to try and hurt Hart in any way...I'll introduce him to a world of pain.
Humming, Kite focuses in front of himself again, following the girl's path while his mind went adrift in his worries for his younger sibling.
She better be right, 'cause if this leads to a dead end...
...Hart...
Flashback, Kite's POV
If only things could go back to how they used to be, back when life for us used to be simple, carefree...You might not be able to recall that life at present, but I do...
Our home in those peaceful woods by the small lake, where we used to play all the time each day offered to us at first morning light...
"Hart! Come out come out, wherever you are!"
Ha, hide 'n seek was one of our favourites, you ducking behind any tree within your reach...Yet I always seemed to know just where exactly you were...
"Fo~und you."
"Heh! You win, Kite, like you always do. You're really good at hide 'n seek! It doesn't matter where I try to hide: you can always find me!"
...I need that ability more than ever...But whatever happens...
End of Flashback
"I will find you this time, Hart. Just call out...Call out to me!"
"Better yet, call out to all of us!"
"Mm?"
I look down and see Athena glancing up at me over her shoulder, realizing she heard me.
"Remember Kite, you're not alone here...You've got others on your side this time, others who want Hart's safety just as much as you do."
Her two friends nod firmly in agreement, and for some reason, seeing this display made the weight on my shoulders feel...a little lighter.
Is it, possible...that I'm growing to trust this girl and her friends?...Can I trust them, trust her?
Small Time Skip, Athena's POV
This would be the only night that I was actually a bit grateful of living that bitter chapter of my life before this one, because it meant that I could recall the quickest route to the old art gallery in the middle of that big pond just outside the city heading into...those woods.
Ironic that the old museum's actually none too far away from the Fallen Stars headquarters. Just a kilometer or so off...
Anyway, gotta focus.
"...There it is!"
Looking ahead on Akira's shout, I spot the gallery out on the pond, fenced in by a rusted, vine-covered gate, making it look an awful lot like one of those creepy fairy tale castles...I signal everyone to stop a few yards back from the entrance, Kite landing with Orbital a few seconds afterward. He turns to me and asks,
"Why are we stopping?"
I point ahead to the opened entrance with a serious expression while replying,
"That's why."
As I expected, two of the stooges that came with Trilos before were playing guard dog, arms crossed like they were the bouncers of an exclusive party.
Tuh, some party...
"Suddenly, that place looks less innocent than it does during the day..."
I reply matter-of-factually to Tiffany,
"Yeah well, there's that old saying 'looks can be deceiving'..."
"...So how'do you wanna approach this, Addy?"
Pivoting my head to Akira, I make my case.
"Well under normal circumstances, I'd take the 'punch now, ask questions later' route...but considering the situation, it might be smarter to just meet, greet and let them lead us inside."
"Urh, I dunno if that plan sounds any better...but I won't complain."
Humming, I turn around to fully facing my two friends with me tonight so I could check that they were up for this.
"Now...this is your last moment to really think about what you'll be walking into. Are you sure you wanna continue following me?"
My eyes lock with a familiar cornflower blue that were now at risk of losing some of their innocent shine.
"I'm asking you in particular, Tiff, 'cause...you won't be able to unsee whatever horrors await."
...There's a pause, before she nods and replies quietly but assuredly,
"I know...but I'd follow you anywhere, Addy, be it Heaven or Hell."
My friend who left that other life with me had his answer just as ready.
"Same here. We're not letting you go in there to face that psycho alone."
I was a little surprised by their lack of hesitation, but at the same time, it made a part of my heart smirk to hear their bravery.
"Alright..."
One glance up at Astral's face told me he was behind me all the way too, which just left Kite. I lock my red with his grey and say to him,
"I won't bother asking you since I know what your answer's gonna be...All I will ask is that you leave the coming fight to me, 'cause this duel's gonna have danger unlike anything you've ever witnessed before."
"And you can handle that?"
"...Not like I had a choice back when, but yes. Besides..."
I face the gate ahead of us again with a glare forming and add,
"In the end, all that bastard wants is two things: me, and a rematch. Hart's just collateral."
"Hmph...fine. I'll, let you take lead, but if things go south, I'm getting my little brother out of there by any means, no matter what you say."
"Fair enough...Haah, alright, let's get this crap over with."
With that, I lead everyone in a walk towards the two creeps standing guard by the entrance...
As soon as they see us, their mouths curve into a matching pair of mean smirks.
"We~ll, look who showed up finally: the freak who don't feel pain and her posse."
"I'll be honest, I was sure you were gonna wimp out."
Keeping my tone even and firm, I spit back,
"Save your flattery for someone who gives a damn. Now take us to Hart and your boss before I get more angry than I already am."
"Oooo, we're shakin'...but whatever. The boss is gettin' anxious for your arrival anyway...Follow us."
They turn around and start walking along the old stone walkway to the gallery entrance, the lot of us trailing behind them...
(Crrrreeeeeaaaaak...)
They shove the double-doors open for us, giving a clear view to the inside: just as broken-down and dusty as I remember, with large, decorative stain glass windows, a few marble statues standing at the sides between the more intact pillars, two of which having crumbled a long time ago leaving two pieces behind, and a set of double stairs leading to a balcony viewing area in the back which matched the one behind us above the front doors...
And sitting limply against the one piece of pillar closest to the stairs, was Hart!
"Auh! Hart..."
He doesn't look injured...but...
Just as I make the motion to hurry over to him, the voice of the bastard behind this whole mess cuts into the air.
"Now now, Berserker, don't forget why you're here..."
I freeze, and watch as Trilos walks out from behind the left set of stairs just as I hear the doors close behind my friends and I...
"Gotta say, I'm impressed that you made it here on time...But on the other hand, you always were the punctual one when it came t' fights, weren't you?"
"Grrrh, Trilos...How dare you put Hart's life in danger because of a petty grudge!"
"Petty? You wound me, Berserker...and as for the kid, I haven't harmed a single hair on him."
He yanks Hart off the ground by the collar of his shirt, holding him out towards us like he's nothing more than a rag doll.
"See? No blood or bruises; I'm a man of my word."
Hearing the strangled groan from the little boy's lips was enough to snap at Kite's temper.
"Grrrh, put my little brother down, you lowlife!"
"Ah, so you're the prodigal Kite the brat wouldn't shut up about, huh? (Shrug) Not impressed."
Forming a sick little grin, Trilos then tosses Hart into the arms of one of the flunkies on his side, namely, the one with the viper tattoo, who holds the poor kid with one arm around his neck and the other around his torso, successfully pinning the younger's arms to his side.
"Ah! Nnnh...!"
"Still, if your intelligence goes further than your deck and that Number Hunting crap, you'll stay where you are and not make any dumb moves to steal back your brother before the fight's even started."
Kite growls loudly, and my friends are forced to physically move him to the sidelines before he could make a foolish run towards his captured brother...Meanwhile, I feel a brow raise in slight surprise from my enemy's knowledge about the Number Cards.
"You've heard about the Numbers?"
I felt a bit of surprise from Astral through our mental connection, and my enemy replies casually,
"Of course. Who hasn't heard abou' the XYZ Monsters that make most people go bonkers with power? I for one, don' want nothin' to do with those things. I'm strong enough on my own...But we're getting off-topic, aren't we?"
Trilos's smirk returns as he muses,
"We've got a fight to begin, a Duel Fist match...one I've been waiting a looong time comin'."
Hearing the relish in his voice sent a shiver of disgust down my spine, but I hold my ground and shift my footing to an offensive stance while muttering darkly,
"Can't say the feeling's mutual, and you know damn well why."
"Aw, that's a shame t' hear...and yet, I can't help but wonder if there's a little bullshit hiding behind your hostility."
"...What're you talking about?"
"Come on, don't insult my intelligence, Berserker...Surely you haven't softened that much."
His smirk softens a bit to look like it was inching towards a sentimental smile, but I wasn't about to be made a fool. There was a sadistic dictator hiding behind that 'old colleague' facade.
"I remember the old days when you were the kind who lived and breathed a good rumble, be-it the classic one-two punch or with our duel monsters mixed in...You were the perfect combo of a wild beast and an unfeeling, semi-disciplined machine. Took a good deal of training, but you were virtually unstoppable, even against those six-foot giants!"
Unfortunately, what he spoke about wasn't false, if a little embellished: his description was precisely what I became in the Fallen Stars. I was a youth fighter beyond comprehension, not just because I was a girl nor because of my raw talent...but because my numb body could take so much punishment, which in the interest of confessions...was, a part of the real reason I was there for as long I had been. I was, fruitlessly searching for a way to punish myself for the things that have gone wrong in my life, a way to feel a physical hurt.
But what a dumbass move that was...Look where it's gotten me now...
"And ya know, despite the fact that you've been pissing me off to no end since you turned your back on my boys and me...I can still see it."
My eyes narrow in confusion:
"See what?"
"That spark...the spark of a blackhearted rebel with the fighting prowess of a hornet."
Trilos's smirk curves to look just downright evil come the following accusation.
"That monster's still in you, Berserker."
"Gh!..."
"That's why I can't find it in me to let you go or just ax you. An extraordinary monster like you is not something a guy like me can just simply ignore. See, I either have to find a benefit in using you...or do you in the most epic way possible that'll give my rep the edge it needs."
My eyes blink back and forth between going wide as saucers and narrowing into snake slits, and I found myself backing a step in shock from his obsessive ideals.
"...You're insane. Completely and utterly insane! A monster for your benefit whether I'm alive or dead?...You're a fucking lunatic!"
"Call me what you want; it don't effect me in the least. After all, aren't we all out of our minds in some shape or form?"
"Screw you!"
"Hehaha, that's right, kid, get fired up. Get angry. (Grin) You're only proving what my vision shows: your Berserker beast is gnashing at the bars of your Athena cage, begging for its release."
"Shut, up!"
My fists were clenching tight enough to threaten blood flow, my voice cracking and seething in a rage ready to pop like a hot air balloon...
"Don't listen to his garbage, Addy!"
My head turns sharply to the right towards the sound of Akira's voice, and I see him looking at me determinedly from beside Tiffany's right while Kite and Orbital Seven occupied her left, all standing by a stone statue of some ancient scholar.
"He's just trying to provoke you into doin' something stupid! Don't give him banter!"
Tiff adds,
"Akira's right! Besides, you're nothing like that girl from the past!...You've got so much more feeling, something and someones to fight for...That's Athena all the way."
Guys...
"I agree with them both."
I glance over my left to meet Astral's eyes as he says to me,
"It is not worth the energy to become angered by what that brute is saying. That would mean playing the part of his false characterization about you...Also, (looks forward) you must not forget the other unfortunate soul on the line in this grandstand..."
Astral...That's right, Hart.
My vision takes me over to the captive boy, his face scrunched up in fear with his eyes closed like this was a bad nightmare, a few whimpers escaping his lips as viper boy kept his grip on the other. My anger dissipates almost instantaneously, replaced with a deep concern.
Oh Hart...I'm sorry. I can only imagine just how scared you must be right now...
I form a newly determined frown:
Just hang in there for me, kid. I'll get you away from these bastards even if it takes 'til dawn.
Focusing back on Trilos, I call to him in a much calmer but stern tone,
"Enough of your psychee nonsense! Let's get this damn fight started already!"
"Fine by me! I'm ready to rumble if you are...But first..."
He quickly slips his unopen duel disk on, before shooting out what I knew was going to come before we got our equipment set: the Duel Anchor...
...
But unlike the normal version of this inescapable device, Trilos's Duel Anchor acts more like a hangman's noose, streaming out the red rope to go looping around both our necks like a choke collar used on vicious dogs.
"Gh!" "Hnn!"
I hear my friends cry out my name in alarm, as well as two startled noises sound from Hart and Kite each.
The latter's mini-mech, as usual, had a word or two to say on the matter.
"Whaaaat?! Th-That's not how a Duel Anchor s-s-suppose to work!"
Not in a traditional duel, maybe...but this is exactly how it works among the Duel Fist pros.
I kept my cool as the red line fades from view, while Trilos wasn't bothering to hide his increasing excitement, chuckling with a toothy grin.
"Oh this must bring back a memory or two, don't it? The ole Duel Leash. (Glances at the sidelines) For the green people who don' understand this version of the anchor, I'll keep the story short: we at the Fallen Stars have found alot of very interesting ways to modify the Dueling Experience to include a much better danger factor to it. For example, once you've been slapped by the Duel Anchor, you and your opponent can't separate, right? Heheheheh, well, with the Duel Leash, you've got a real reason to stay in one spot..."
He sends a look my direction, before jumping back a foot and snapping the energy rope, which in turn, causes the knot to tighten around my neck loop!
"Ghh!"
(Flash)
I couldn't help but remember the first time this was used on me. Trilos himself tugged me into the ring one early morning, saying that he believed I was ready for the next level of dueling in the underground...
Little did I know that it was but another excuse to both test my grit and torture me a little. The moment that red noose shot around my neck, I was fixed to head right into panic mode (a rare emotion I felt during those days), dropping to my knees with wide eyes...
"Don't, struggle."
Thankfully...I wasn't alone. Akira was there too, and he had already gone through what I was being subjected to. He dropped to my level at the same time I did, sure...but he was alot calmer than my younger self was.
"J-Just, slow your breathing. Relax, against the rope, or you'll choke...and that's what they want."
(Flash)
Right...relax...
Recalling that whispered advice during the worst of times, I crane my neck back a little, and slow down my breathing, keeping my eyes straight ahead. Though even with the grit, Trilos could see a trickle of fear in my eyes, and would not skip a beat in mocking me discreetly for it.
"Ha! You see?! You'd have to be a coward with a death wish to try and run away from the Leash! Keeps you and your opponents in line, with no choice but to play, or pass out from lack of air."
Or die, depending on the mood of the aggressor...
Shifting my footing and bending my head back a bit more, I grind out with a bit of hoarseness in my tone,
"I think they get the picture...!"
He hums with a tilt of his head, before chuckling and letting go. I suck in some well-deserved air while sputtering a cough or two, stumbling forward a bit and letting a hand drop to rest on my knee...
"Are you alright?"
Panting more steadily, I side-glance at Astral and reply through our telepathic link,
I'm...I'm fine...Not the, first time I've had this around my neck...
"I see...Athena, I must be honest: I do not like this at all. This is already becoming too dangerous, and the battle has not even begun."
My eyes soften a little from the amount of concern in his tone.
I know. Believe me, I hate this as much as you do...but there's no turning back now.
...And, Astral?
"Yes?"
...If at any point the action becomes too much for you to witness...I won't stop you from ducking into the key until it's all over.
"Uh...Athena..."
He shakes his head and replies with an expression that looked like his usual passive...yet with some subtle differences around his eyes: a shine in his pupils and crease in his brows that leaned towards a glare not out of anger...but, out of pure and serious determination.
"I appreciate your consideration towards my mental as well as emotional state...but as your friend, I cannot fathom the idea of leaving you to your own devices in such a compromising situation, especially after all the times you had not done so for me...No. I am not going anywhere, Athena. I will stay here and help you in any way I can, no matter how difficult the fight may get."
Astral...(Nod) Alright. It's your choice...thanks.
He and I share a quick flash of smiles, before turning focus to my, or rather, our opponent.
"Duel Disk, go! Duel Gazer, show me the impossible!...Time to finally make an edit on the past, so I can write my future!"
Trilos follows after me with his own dueling equipment, clicking his Duel Disk awake and showcasing the colours of an acid green base and rusty orange spatters.
"...Hehehehahaha! Time to crush a few skulls!"
He snaps on his gazer with a smirking grin, it sharing the same colour scheme.
"I'm gonna enjoy making you suffer..."
Augmented Reality Vision Link Established...Activating Alternate Duel Zone.
After the initial AR opens, I feel that familiar wave of energy blast from the center like a teeny tiny supernova, indicating that this other reality will have a more, realistic quality to it...
I swore to myself I would never go back to dueling like this...but for Hart's sake, I'll face my demons head-on!
"(Both duelists) Duel Fist! Draw, Punch, Battle-on!"