The Road Burning Red
Summary:
Antinomy assesses Jack's potential to determine if he has the same ability to develop Clear Mind as Yusei. However, in the course of their duel, Jack shows signs of a different power, and Antinomy is forced to reevaluate his assumptions. Canon-compliant what-if duel one-shot.
A/N: I normally do A/Ns at the end but I want to establish – this story takes place probably right before the Crash Town arc or somewhere in that timeframe before the WRGP starts. Therefore, Jack does not have access to Red Nova Dragon at this point in time. Also, this story will feature some modern cards although it will not feature any non-synchro extra deck cards, which would only come up in Antinomy's case anyways. Card effects should reflect how they work in the TCG rather than the anime, unless I make a mistake, which I more than likely will. Alright, leggo!
In the thrill of speed and the intense focus required to steer, many motorists found their thoughts drowned out by instinct and muscle memory. For some, it made driving therapeutic – the shackles of thought were subsumed by the need for situational awareness. For the most expert drivers, however, ultimate freedom was gained when instinct and training grew so ingrained as to be automatic, allowing the mind to flow freely and clearly.
Antinomy, known by many as Bruno, was one such driver. Since he had first gained consciousness, he was fascinated with speed, and the inner workings of systems designed to facilitate the sublime evolution beyond humanity's base physical capabilities. And yet now he could not enjoy the pure pleasure of thought, nor the expression of it in the form of engineering. Now, he had to devote all of his faculties and resources towards the downfall of those who would cause the world's destruction.
Although the cult of Yliaster devoted itself to the ruination of synchro summoning and the energy source behind it, Antinomy did not believe the answer lied in the use of alternative fighting styles. Duelists did not need synchro summoning to be powerful, history proved that beyond a doubt. But even as the enemy devised numerous technological methods to counter the white cards, Antinomy believed the only path to victory was through the release of synchro summoning's untapped potential. The war would be won on the frontiers of knowledge, technology and science, not in the past. It was not logical, but Antinomy took pleasure in the thought of defeating the Meklord Emperors with the same power that they specifically designed themselves to foil. It would be the ultimate victory…all duelists were weighed down with such pride, for it was a natural accompaniment to power. Everyone chased the high of the ultimate victory on some level, even if they claimed to fight for other reasons.
"Pride…" For some reason, the word unpleasantly stuck in Antinomy's mind as he raced through the highways of Neo Domino City. His bike, Delta Eagle, impossibly held its balance on one rear wheel due to hover-repulse technology from the future. The streets were largely open on a Tuesday at ten in the morning, allowing him maximal freedom of movement. Systems in Antinomy's suit and visor allowed him to maneuver around other drivers as if they were in slow motion, and the speed of his vehicle stretched the limits of the eye's perception – no cops would pick him up despite his duel runner casually exceeding known maximum speeds.
"Time is running out until the World Racing Grand Prix begins. One more test of Yusei's progress should yield sufficient data." Already, Yusei had grasped the concept of Clear Mind, the power that went beyond synchro summoning. He was a prodigy unlike any duelist in history, none could deny this.
"Well, some could deny it, I suppose." As Antinomy stopped a red light, he thought of Yusei's "rival" (people were so eager to box themselves into pre-defined roles) and the former King of Turbo Dueling, Jack Atlas. Of the Signers, Jack was the only one who came close to Yusei's power level. Crow had some potential as well ever since he had awakened his mark, but the man did not even have his own dragon yet. Some duelists would question the difference one synchro monster could make, but Antinomy knew it to be a crucial distinction. Perhaps Crow grow in power again soon, but for now Yusei was the only one who stood a chance against the Meklords.
Jack was powerful, true, but his was the strength of a brutish animal, a wild boar ripping through prey with dull tusks and feasting on its remains before going off to rut. "Then again, he also manifested the Majestic Dragon against the dark signers…" Antinomy reconsidered. Truth be told, he hadn't factored Jack into his calculations significantly. He would never be able to attain Clear Mind. The serenity and focus required was antithetical to him – Jack was motivated by emotion and ego. Rather than aspiring to enlightenment, Jack sought strength from deep below, in primordial soups of rage and sorrow. "Feh! Such a thing is not enough to defeat Yliaster." The powers of the Meklord Emperors far surpassed those of the dark signers. The Majestic Dragon was too unwieldly and unreliable to suffice.
Lost in thought, Antinomy's bike seemed to guide itself to the mechanic's shop, where he worked by day as Bruno. With his hair gelled up, his visor obscuring his eyes, a new costume, and a change in posture, Antinomy was confident that Yusei would not recognize him. Although he hoped to catch the signer on a day off, the summer season caused an upswing in business that kept Yusei and Crow working late, especially when "Bruno" called in sick…
Parking outside, Antinomy prepared to walk into the shop when a voice barked out, "Oi! Who the bloody hell are you?" from across the way.
"Oh, great. Speak of the devil…" Antinomy thought as he saw Jack Atlas sitting at a table beneath a green awning, the label "Café La Geen" printed in looping gold cursive. Once again, he was running up his outstanding tab, a hot cup of Blue-Eyes Mountain in one hand and a breakfast sandwich in the other. Running a cursory diagnostic scan through his visor, Antinomy determined the contents of the sandwich to include a fried egg over hard, a slice of ham, sprinklings of shredded cheddar cheese, and a generous dollop of hollandaise sauce between two English muffins. In Antinomy's opinion, there was no such thing as too much information.
For a moment, Antinomy was tempted to tweak the easily irritated duelist, but decided to get straight to the point. "I am looking for Yusei Fudo. Is he here?"
Jack took a long sip, peering over the brim at the Delta Eagle. Then, he took a large bite of his sandwich, chewing loudly with his mouth open. "He's busy working on my runner now, you'll have to wait. And he just started on mine, so it'll be a while." He polished off the rest of the sandwich and licked his lips, the stranger impassively looking straight ahead as he did so.
Antinomy didn't realize Jack needed work done on his bike. "Standard maintenance?"
"Nothing serious. They're a bit short-staffed today because one of our mechanics called in sick. Actually…wait, you look familiar…" Jack narrowed his eyes.
"If they're so short-staffed, why not simply perform your own repairs?" Antinomy asked to divert Jack from his suspicions.
"That sounds a lot like work. No thanks!" Jack smirked before draining the rest of his cup.
"Damn, he'll be busy for a while then." Antinomy prepared to mount the Delta Eagle and depart. "I'm running out of time to test his power…" He muttered to himself.
"Test his power? What are you on about?" Jack stood, allowing a waitress to clean his table as he took a step towards the mysterious stranger.
Pausing a moment, Antinomy decided to make the most of the opportunity before him. Perhaps Jack had something to surprise him after all. Jack continued, "Yusei told me he dueled some weird bloke in red goggles. The guy was vaguely yammering on about some secret technique, couldn't speak plain to save his life. That you, mate?"
"Correct, although I doubt Yusei described me in such terms." Antinomy replied evenly, "He's is the only one who has the power to stop what's coming, but he'll need your support, along with the other signers."
"My support…maybe Yusei is the one who will be supporting me, when the time comes. No one knows what the future holds, my friend." Jack challenged, standing fearlessly in the center of the empty cobblestone street.
"I have seen, and I know. That is why I speak with conviction and certainty. My claims are based in fact and observation, not empty bluster. That is the difference between us."
That fired Jack up. "How dare you?! No one doubts the king's power and walks away unscathed! If you have any guts, you'll back up those words in a duel!" He shook his fist, a faint red aura surrounding his body.
That was precisely what Antinomy wanted to hear. "Very good. This trip won't be a waste after all." He hopped on the Delta Eagle and prepared to take off, assuming that Jack would want to face him in a turbo duel.
"…Mate, did you forget my runner is in the shop?" Jack interjected, a smirk on his face.
Momentarily embarrassed, Antinomy swiftly dismounted. "Oh, right, sorry. It's actually been a little while since I've done a ground duel." He swapped his deck out for another one in his jacket pocket and disengaged his duel disk from the bike. The custom model had a rounded blade like the old academy disks, and was colored purple and white. Likewise, Jack had detached his long white duel disk from the Phoenix Whirlwind before Yusei and Crow started working on it. The implement sat heavy on his arm – only someone of Jack's strength and build could have carried it for long periods of time.
Moving away from the shop, they went to an empty basketball court a block east, which granted them more space. Antinomy won the rock-paper-scissors and elected to go first.
"I draw a card." Antinomy began, speaking loudly and clearly enunciating each syllable. "Come on, T.G. Catapult Dragon (900/1300)!" His first monster was a bulky red and grey beast with a ridged torso and a long snout in the shape of semicircle curving upwards. "Using its effect, I can special summon a T.G monster from my hand – T.G. Jet Falcon (1400/1200)!" Soaring in with a metallic screech, the eagle was a cyborg, with a natural body and wings but cybernetic talons and a metal ring jutting from its back.
"T.G? What is that short for?" Jack asked, having never heard of these cards before despite his extensive experience on the turbo dueling circuit. "I thought I knew all of the cards in the game, but I've never heard of these…" He thought suspiciously.
"Tech Genus." Antinomy answered crisply before swiftly preparing to continue his turn. However, Jack interrupted again.
"Tech Genius? What makes them so genius?"
His expression tightening, Antinomy replied, "I said genus, not genius."
"What's a genus?"
Although Antinomy was a bit annoyed, he realized that Jack probably didn't learn much in whatever passed for schooling in the Satellite. In that regard, they were very different. Antinomy grew up with excellent education and ample resources, only to see all of it taken away – Jack never had anything to take away in the first place. Somewhat sadly, he replied, "It's a taxonomic classification used in describing organic life forms. The genus canis, for example, encompasses all species of dogs."
"Eh, getting bored now." Jack yawned.
"Oh, I see. Maybe this will pique your interest then - I tune the level two Catapult Dragon with the level three Jet Falcon!" Jet Falcon lodged itself in the dragon's snout before launching upwards, forming a tower of three bright green rings in the sky as it dissipated into pure duel energy. A pillar of white energy engulfed the prone Catapult Dragon, transforming it into a humanoid cyborg wearing flowing white robes, a beret, and sunglasses. "Remove level five limiter! I play T.G. Hyper Librarian (2400/1800)!"
As Jack took in the appearance of the new monster, he found himself stumbling forward as two claw marks nearly ripped the back of his jacket. "When Jet Falcon is used for synchro material, it deals you 500 points of damage." Antinomy explained. Jack cursed as he took the first blow of the duel. (Jack 3500/Antinomy 4000)
"Wait, what was that you said before?" Jack questioned.
"Huh?"
"Level five limiter? What is that?"
"Oh, uh…it sounds cooler in a turbo duel. Don't worry about it. I set a card and end my turn." Antinomy felt out of sorts standing still while dueling, and he began pacing back and forth as Jack drew. The blond man smirked.
"You think you know everything there is to know about me. But just because you know what's coming doesn't mean you'll be able to stop it! Since I control no monsters, I can special summon Vice Dragon (2000/2400) from my hand in defense!" Jack's first monster was a rather ugly, shriveled wyvern with tattered purple wings. Since it was special summoned using its own effect, Vice Dragon's attack and defense points were halved.
"Then, I'll normal summon Soul Resonator (500/200)!" One of Jack's many Resonators, the little smiling fiend arrived in a rush of sparks, waving about its fork and tuner like torches. "When he's brought out, I can add a level four or lower fiend to my hand from my deck!" Jack searched the card with a flourish.
"Let me guess, now you're going to synchro summon Red Dragon Archfiend." Antinomy interjected blandly.
"Damn! Am I really that predictable?" Jack worried.
As if reading his thoughts, Antinomy followed up with, "Yes, you are that predictable, my friend. Face it, when is the last time you played a duel without summoning that card?"
"Well…it usually works, doesn't it?" Jack evaded the question.
"It will not be enough –"
"You said that already. Maybe it would be more helpful to tell me what the threat actually is?" Jack growled.
"You already know the name Yliaster. Your old boss Godwin used to be a member."
"…Yes, but I was never privy to what the group's goal was, nor the nature of their operations." Jack ground out. The memory of Godwin's manipulations elicited a sting of shame.
"Even still, you must wonder what happened to the organization's leadership once you guys popped good old Rex. His successors are far more powerful and dangerous."
"If you expect me to feel bad about taking that bastard down, you've got another thing coming." Jack roused.
"Oh, not at all, what you and the other signers did was necessary and right. The difference is that the new leaders of Yliaster have methods to counteract synchro summoning, as Yusei no doubt told you." Antinomy grew stoic.
"So? This changes nothing. Synchro summoning is integral to my pride as a duelist. Only a coward would abandon their ways at the first sign of resistance." Jack puffed his chest up.
"Some would call that pride, others would call it stupidity. But it happens that I sort of agree with you. The way forward is through synchro summoning, but not as you know it. I will show you how in this fight, it will be easier than explaining."
Jack continued his turn, but found himself at a crossroads. "This prick may have a common enemy with us, but I won't let him beat me. The way he was talking earlier, he was expecting me to summon my Red Dragon Archfiend. I shouldn't play into my opponent's expectations. But then again, maybe he was saying that as bait, and he's actually expecting me to summon something else! In that case, maybe I should summon Red Dragon Archfiend! Damn it all…"
"He's overthinking…if he's this easily frustrated, Clear Mind is well beyond his reach." Antinomy thought.
"I have to make a decision!" Jack's violet eyes burned fiercely. "I tune the level five Vice Dragon with the level three Soul Resonator for a level eight synchro summon!" Soul Resonator touched its baton to the tuning fork in its other hand. The fiend burst into flames, three burning rings of fire that Vice Dragon flew through. On the other side, a slim jester clad in red and orange emerged, playfully twirling swords in hand. "The king's determination is conceived with a crimson blade ablaze fires of red! Appear from beyond the burning heat waves! Synchro summon! Crimson Blader (2800/2600)!" The air shimmered from the sheer energy emanating from its swords.
"I forgot he has to do his speeches every time he synchro summons." Antinomy thought with wry amusement. "I'll have to be careful of that monster's effect. If it destroys a monster by battle, I'll be locked out of summoning level five or higher monsters on my next turn."
T.G. Hyper Librarian began to glow a light blue. "Due to my librarian's effect, I get to draw a card whenever each of us synchro summons." Antinomy picked up a card.
"Like I care! Crimson Blader, destroy his librarian with red burner!" The swords caught on fire as Crimson Blader leapt towards Antinomy's monster with an overhead downward slash.
"Reveal face down card, Sonic Stun!" A crack of shrill sound ripped through the air, halting the swordsman's progress and forcing him to retreat back to Jack's side of the field. "This trap negates your attack while allowing me to special summon a T.G. monster from the deck. Come on, T.G. Drill Fish (100/800)!" Although the monster had the slick brown hide of a sea mammal, its spear was metallic and spiraling like a screw.
"Blast! I set two cards and end my turn." Jack frowned.
"I draw a card." Antinomy wanted to keep his librarian on the field as much as possible in order to accumulate hand advantage. However, he also was looking for an opportunity to show Jack the power of Accel Synchro…even if it meant losing, it would be worth it to show Jack the heights he should strive for. "First, I'll normal summon T.G. Rush Rhino (1600/800)." Somewhat goofy looking, the beast-warrior's cartoonish expression clashed with the cold machinery assimilated into its frame. "Then, I can decrease Rush Rhino's attack points by 1000 in order to special summon T.G. Gear Zombie (600/0) from my hand!" This creature was a shuffling automation made entirely of old, rusted cogs.
"His deck can special summon quickly and focuses on combo pieces…" Jack noted.
"Now I tune the level four Rush Rhino with the level one Gear Zombie! Remove level five limiter! Systems are go! Here's T.G. Wonder Magician (1900/0)!" A surprisingly cute pink-haired girl soared on cybernetic steel wings. "When she's summoned, I can destroy a spell or trap card on the field." Additionally, Antinomy drew another card using Hyper Librarian's effect.
Hovering above Jack's field, the girl's eyes suddenly shone bright blue. She shot two laser beams from her irises, zapping Jack's set Red Screen and causing an updraft to blow his coattails about. Jack kept his countenance neutral, causing Antinomy to wonder if he sniped the wrong card. But he couldn't worry about that now. "I'll enter the battle phase and use T.G. Drill Fish's effect, allowing me to attack you directly!"
The fish swam through the air fluidly, landing a glancing blow on Jack as it passed by. (Jack 3400/Antinomy 4000) "And when Drill Fish lands a direct attack, I can destroy one of your cards!" As it circled around, Drill Fish launched the horn from its using some sort of hydraulic mechanism. The projectile impaled the unwitting Crimson Blader, leaving Jack's field void of monsters.
"This will end it! Hyper Librarian attacks directly!" With cape flowing, Hyper Librarian opened the covers of the book it was holding, using it as a sort of wand to direct a blast of magical energy at Jack.
The blond's smile confirmed that Antinomy had destroyed the wrong set card. "I reveal my trap card, Powerful Rebirth! This will summon a level four or lower monster from my graveyard and increase its level by one! Return, Soul Resonator!" Jack placed the fiend in defense mode. Not only did it protect his life points, but its effect allowed Jack to call another low-level fiend monster to his hand.
Antinomy, despite himself, was glad that Jack didn't go down so easily. He destroyed Soul Resonator with Hyper Librarian before moving to strike Jack directly with Wonder Magician. "Attack with machine sorcery!" The synchro monster's eye beams hit Jack head-on, causing him to skid backwards a few feet and collide with the chain-link fence at his back (Jack 1500/Antinomy 4000).
"It's not looking good, Jack! At this rate, I won't even need to use the Accel Synchro technique to win!" Although Antinomy was not suited to boasting, he knew it would drive Jack to push himself out of spite, which was as good a motivator as any. He set two cards and ended his turn.
"Don't count me out yet!" Jack drew, and the red aura that surrounded him previously arose with greater intensity. The energy felt unfamiliar to Antinomy, unlike what Jack had demonstrated in the time he knew him.
"That's odd…what could cause that?" He thought, because the energy felt more akin to that of an Earthbound Immortal than a human.
Upon drawing, Jack revealed his spell card. "I play Resonator Call, searching for another resonator from the deck!" He then revealed the card he just added. "Since you control a monster summoned from the extra deck and I don't, I can use the effect of Mirror Resonator (0/0) from my hand! This card special summons itself and then copies the level stars of your monster!"
In a shimmer of light appeared a two-paned mirror held up by a smiling gremlin similar in appearance to Soul Resonator. T.G. Hyper Librarian was reflected in the mirror. "I'll copy your monster's level of five!" Jack was far from done. "Next, I'll normal summon Bone Archfiend (1800/0)!" The dancing fiend's skeletal fingers wiggled as it hopped about.
"A level nine?" Antinomy didn't realize Jack had any level nine synchros he could summon with those materials – however, he was also unaware of Bone Archfiend's effect.
"Nah, I'm gonna stick with old reliable level eight. By sending a fiend tuner from my deck to the graveyard, I can adjust Bone Archfiend's level by one." Jack pitched Dark Resonator from his deck in order to lower Bone Archfiend's level from four to three. "And with that, I'm ready to kick this duel into overdrive!" The red aura seemed to catch fire around him, rising into the air and leaving behind smoke. "I tune the level five Mirror Resonator with the level three Bone Archfiend!"
"I already know about your Red Dragon Archfiend, Jack." Antinomy thought, and yet something seemed different this time…what was he up to?
"The ruler's heartbeats will now file through here! Take witness to its earth-shaking power! Synchro summon, my burning soul, Scar-Red Dragon Archfiend (3000/2500)!"
"What the hell?!" Antinomy exclaimed as an inferno soared in waves behind Jack, its bright orange light casting him in silhouette. Burst forth from a crust of igneous rock, Red Dragon Archfiend almost looked the same as usual – curved horns, sharp claws, red wings and black scales. And yet this time, it seemed to move faster, surrounding by a pale crimson aura that left afterimages in its wake.
"Ah…what the hell, indeed." Jack flexed his fingers, his muscles straining under the weight of the duel energy. "I've felt it ever since our battle with Godwin…the King of the Netherworld's demonic energy rubbed off on me that day. For some reason, Yusei and Crow were unaffected by it, but something about that energy, riding forth from the flames of hell…it sang to me, and I harnessed a piece of it." Jack's amethyst eyes flared like crystals embedded in the dark walls of a cave. "And now you'll be the first to see the results, my friend."
Recomposing himself, Antinomy drew another card from Hyper Librarian's effect. "Bring it on! I activate my trap card, Tuner Capture! This will summon the tuner you just used to my side of the field!" Summoning it in defense mode, Mirror Resonator's level now returned to its original one star.
"And now I'll show you the power of Clear Mind, Jack Atlas! I activate the effect of T.G. Wonder Magician to synchro summon on your turn!" He explained. Jack's eyebrows shot up, as he didn't realize Wonder Magician was a tuner as well as a synchro monster.
Bursting apart into five white rings, Hyper Librarian swiftly flew through them before being engulfed in a beam of vivid green photons. An aura of white power surged around Antinomy's frame. "Clear Mind! Remove Level 10 limiter! Step from the shadows into the light, T.G. Blade Blaster (3300/2200)!"
Jack was agape in shock as Antinomy's monster, a robot in orange and green plating, towered above his own Red Dragon Archfiend. Its engines whirring at high performance levels, the droid swiftly withdrew a spear from a notch on its back. Pressing a button on its side, the spear changed shape into a gun pointed at Jack.
"So, this is the power you were talking about? Accel Synchro?" Jack grit his teeth as his own feat was overshadowed.
"Yes, it is what I am trying to teach Yusei. Perhaps you could try it as well, but…" Antinomy left his doubt hanging in the air.
"It is an impressive power, but I am more capable of defeating you and these Yliaster cultists my own way! Scar-Red Dragon Archfiend, attack his Drill Fish!" Charging a ball of concentrated magma in one hand, the dragon lunged forward, preparing to slam it into the weak monster left in attack position.
"Give my defense a little more credit, Jack. I activate my other set card, Urgent Tuning! This allows me to synchro summon during the battle phase! Remove level two limiter! Regulator open! Synchro summon, T.G. Recipro Dragonfly (300/300)!"
Using the level one Mirror Resonator and the level one Drill Fish as materials, Antinomy summoned the new monster in defense mode, a drone in the shape of an insect whirring its fan-blades in place to act as wings. Jack thrust his hand forward, pressing the attack. Scar-Red Drgon Archfiend easily melted the dragonfly with a swipe of its claws, but Antinomy was able to avoid taking damage. Frowning, Jack set two cards and ended his turn.
'I draw…" Antinomy was a little more hesitant now, trying to grasp the abilities of Jack's new monster. After a brief analysis, he opted to attack. "T.G. Blade Blaster, destroy his Scar-Red Dragon Archfiend!" The droid squat before hopping into the air, loosing a volley of gunfire at the dragon. Scare-Red Dragon Archfiend evaded the initial burst of bullets, leaving behind a trail of red afterimages. However, in doding it flew closer to Blade Blaster. The robot changed its gun back into its spear form before thrusting it into the beast's abdomen, felling it instantly and causing the hologram to shatter. (Jack 1200/Antinomy 4000)
Jack weathered the damage before roaring, "When Scar-Red Dragon Archfiend is destroyed, I can summon the original Red Dragon Archfiend (3000/2500) directly from my deck to the field!" One of the afterimages left by Scar-Red took solid shape, glowering at Blade Blaster defiantly despite its lesser strength.
"No matter. I have more than enough data on this monster. I set one card before ending my turn."
"Well, your data is already proven to be outdated, so I wouldn't rely on it!" Jack snapped the top card off of his deck. "I summon Power Supplier (400/400)!" A small, rather ugly man sidled up to Red Dragon Archfiend, wearing a backpack with mysterious green fluid inside of it.
"This card can give one of my monsters an additional 400 attack points, and luckily for me that's just enough to shatter your accel synchro monster!" Power Supplier jabbed Red Dragon Archfiend with a syringe, giving the dragon a dose of whatever performance enhancing drug was in its pack. Red Dragon Archfiend howled aggressively as it flew towards T.G. Blade Blaster.
Although Antinomy could have saved Blade Blaster with its own effect, which would banish itself until the next standby phase, he couldn't afford to take direct attacks from the boosted Red Dragon Archfiend and Power Supplier. Although it subverted the point he originally wanted to make, he allowed Blade Blaster to be destroyed. (Jack 1200/Antinomy 3900)
Jack belted out laughter. "Ha! How's that?! I told you my Red dragon Archfiend was strong enough to handle anything! Now, let's see if you've got a backup plan! If not, I'll just crush you and go back to my coffee!" Jack ended his turn. Red Dragon Archfiend's effect activated, destroying the Power Supplier now that it had served its purpose. The dragon picked up the panicking supplier and crushed it like an overripe fruit in its claws. Jack could have attacked with it, but didn't want to leave a weak monster exposed while he was so low on life points.
"His dragon is back to its original attack value…" Antinomy thought as he drew. As it happened, he did have a backup plan as well as a way to recur resources. "I play my face-down trap, TGX3-DX2! This returns three T.G. monsters from my graveyard to my deck and allows me to draw two cards!" Antinomy returned Blade Blaster, Wonder Magician, and Recipro Dragonfly to his extra deck, allowing him to keep his main deck lean.
He didn't expect to need more advanced techniques beyond the accel synchro, it was sufficient enough for Yusei anyways. However, Antinomy was seized by a desire to win this game and serve Jack a slice of humble pie. Looking upon his new cards, a combo formed in his mind.
"First, I'll use the spell Monster Reborn to bring back Hyper Librarian!" The smiling spellcaster returned to the field from a portal on the ground. "Then, I'll summon T.G. Screw Serpent (1300/500)." Blue-plated and fit with two small wings on each side, Screw Serpent looked at Jack with a laser pointer mounted between its optical receptors. "This monster lets me revive a level four or lower T.G. from my graveyard. Return, Drill Fish!"
Looking over the monster's effect on his duel disk's heads-up display, Jack noted that Screw Serpent was a tuner. "Damn, he's going to have another twenty minute turn. Perhaps I should go get a refill on my drink."
"Now, I'll tune my level four Screw Serpent with the level 1 Drill Fish – " Antinomy dramatically declared, only to be struck speechless as Jack started walking towards the front door of Café La Geen. "Hey, don't give up yet, come on!"
"I'm not giving up, I'm just grabbing another coffee. Go ahead with your turn, I'll be right back." Jack waved before walking into the coffee shop. His Red Dragon Archfiend looked somewhat sad and confused like a dog after its owner leaves for work.
"Prick…" Antinomy wondered what the point would be of declaring his moves to himself, but decided not to let the habit lapse. "Ok, where was I? Oh yes, I was about to synchro summon the level 5 T.G. Star Guardian (100/2200)!" The emerging monster looked identical to Antinomy himself, prompting he question of whether Antinomy modeled his fashion after the card or whether the card designer based it off of his look. The world may never know.
"Star Guardian's effect lets me add a T.G. monster from my graveyard to my hand." He retrieved Drill Fish while drawing a card from Hyper Librarian's effect. Jack didn't seem to suspect Antinomy was going to take advantage of his absence to cheat – of course, the duel disks had anti-cheating functions embedded in their software, not that those did anything to stop magical interference. Luckily for Jack, Antinomy had no intentions of foul play.
"Now, I'll use the spell One for One, discarding Buster Blaster from my hand to special summon T.G. Cyber Magician (0/0) to the field." A diminutive wizard similar in size to Jack's Power Supplier, the monster was bedecked in chrome armor. "I'll then tune the level one T.G. Cyber Magician with the level one T.G. Drill Fish to synchro summon T.G. Recipro Dragonfly back to the field. Oh, you're back already." He saw Jack return with a hot latte in hand while he drew another card..
"Yes, it was a short line, probably because most people are at their jobs this time of day." Jack said before taking a sip. "Ow, that's hot! Anyways, you have three synchro monsters on the field, bloody hell. And one of them looks like you, what's up with that?"
"Don't worry about it, he's not going to be here for long. You see, my T.G. Star Guardian is a synchro monster and a tuner. With my three synchro monsters on the field, I have everything in place to go one step beyond accel synchro, into the realm of Delta Accel Synchro!" Antinomy declared with a wave of the hand.
"The word synchro doesn't even sound real to me anymore with how often you've said it." Jack mocked.
"I wonder if you'll keep making jokes after this…" Calling forth deep reserves of power from within, Antinomy's aura turned bright green, engulfing his entire body in glittering light. Indeed, the smile was wiped off of Jack's face as he felt the wellspring of energy rise to the surface.
"Bloody hell…that power far exceeds Godwin's…it's enough to collapse a star!" Jack was transfixed as Antinomy's monsters flew high into the sky, shimmering and vanishing in a haze of rainbow spectra. More than that, Jack finally felt the weight of Antinomy's single-minded conviction, the truth of his words and what he believed.
"Limit removal MAX! Regulator open! All clear! Pierce through time and space into a world unknown! I delta accel synchro summon T.G. Halberd Cannon (4000/4000)!" Hovering in the air, the monster was a gigantic mech-warrior holding a spear taller than any of the surrounding buildings. Its frame was so large it could be seen from Satellite.
"Ok…maybe this guy's pretty good after all…" Jack whispered, momentarily struck with intimidation.
"Erase his Red Dragon Archfiend!" Antinomy commanded, and the droid swatted Red Dragon with a sideswipe from its halberd, sending the dragon flying dozens of kilometers through the air. However, the dragon held on somehow, a warm orange glow seeming to protect it from total annihilation.
"Argh!" Jack cried out as he came close to taking lethal damage (Jack 200/Antinomy 3900). "It's not over yet…my Soul Resonator has an effect in the graveyard, banishing itself to protect my dragon from destruction one time."
"Yes, I was aware of this. But all the same, it's over. My Halberd Cannon can negate one of your summons every turn, and you don't have the resources to summon a monster strong enough to defeat it in battle anyways. Perhaps now you can see the wisdom of pursuing accel synchro?" Antinomy's sheer power weighed heavily on Jack – it was difficult for him to stand in the presence of it.
"If I gave up so quickly, I would never have made it out of the bloody Satellite! I draw!" Jack yelled with determination. "I activate Pot of Avarice, shuffling back five monsters from my graveyard in order to draw two cards!" With trembling fingers, Jack put back Vice Dragon, Crimson Blader, Mirror Resonator, Bone Archfiend, and Scar-Red Dragon Archfiend before taking his draws. Breathing heavily, Jack did not appear pleased with his draws. "I switch Red Dragon Archfiend to defense mode and set a face-down. That's all."
After drawing, Antinomy said, "I am surprised you were able to hold on this long, Jack, even with that grain of power from the Underworld king. But this will end it. I summon T.G. Warwolf (1200/0)." A cybernetic werewolf scampered by Antinomy, hard to notice compared to the dominating frame of Halberd Cannon. Nonetheless, he would need something to attack Jack directly once his ace took out Red Dragon Archfiend, and this was as good a monster as any.
"I can tell by the look on your face you have nothing left. Halberd Cannon, strike down his Red Dragon Archfiend." Antinomy ordered, and his war droid prepared to raise its arms for an overhead strike. However, it did not lower its arms – could not lower them, for the robot's entire body was bound with dark violet chains.
Jack smiled, his feint a success. "It appears that scanner you have on your goggles can't detect a simple bluff. My Fiendish Chain trap card will lock your Halberd Cannon in place, regardless of whatever fancy technique you used to summon it. That means you won't be able to attack with it, nor use its effect."
"Damn…his Red Dragon Archfiend is still alive and I've just left a weak monster in attack mode!" Antinomy sweat. "There's nothing else I can do…turn end."
Drawing, Jack also couldn't do much but wait and try to accumulate resources. Taking a risk, he switched Red Dragon Archfiend to attack position. Still breathing hard from the strain of the duel, Jack shouted, "Try this on for size! Red Dragon Archfiend, send his T.G. Warwolf to the scrap heap!" The embattled dragon smacked aside the werewolf with a fiery punch, sending Antinomy skidding back. (Jack 200/Antinomy 2100).
"Urgh…at the end phase, Warwolf's effect lets me add a T.G. from deck to hand…" Antinomy grabbed T.G. Striker. Having no more moves left, Jack ended, hoping his opponent didn't have a way of dispatching his Fiendish Chain.
As always, Antinomy looked at his drawn card with a neutral expression, the visor helping him keep his reactions guarded from the adversary. Silently, he passed turn to Jack again.
"I'm at a disadvantage the longer this stalemate goes on…I need something now!" The wings of the crimson dragon burned red on his right arm, vivid through his white jacket. Jack's need was rewarded with the card he needed. "I play the spell Absolute Powerforce! This will boost Red Dragon Archfiend's attack by 1000 when it battles this turn! Furthermore, you won't be able to activate any effects in response to my monster's attack!" Red Dragon Archfiend's right arm suddenly erupted in flame, hot wind expelling from the appendage. "That means it has just enough to wipe out your Halberd Cannon! Go!"
Soaring in a streak of orange, Red Dragon Archfiend fearlessly took on Halberd Cannon despite the monster being dozens of times larger than it. As it drew closer, Red Dragon Archfiend suddenly picked up speed, becoming a streaking red comet. Halberd Cannon raised its lance in defense, the tip colliding with the oncoming dragon. The resulting explosion caused a tower of smoke to burst skyward – thousands of pedestrians and passersby in Neo Domino City looked up and wondered what the hell was going on. Some panicked, assuming that the city was under attack, but fortunately the flames only went up.
On the ground, Jack and Antinomy both found themselves without monsters, the battle resulting in a double knockout. As the thick smoke settled, each of them coughed violently. "If we keep this up, I'll have Sector Security on my arse…wouldn't that be nostalgic?" Jack chuckled, his blond hair and white jacket turning gray from the settling soot. "That's it for me…take your turn…"
Before Antinomy drew, he realized that his visor was cracked. "Blast it! If this thing breaks, Jack will be able to tell who I am!" Luckily, he brought an extra visor just for this type of occasion – he just didn't expect to need it. Turning his back to Jack, he quickly replaced the cracked visor with a new one, which was just as well because the old one was covered in ash anyways.
"Ha! Really, is it that bad if your bloody goggles break? I mean I understand you're going for a certain look, but come on!" The notion that Antinomy was intentionally concealing his identity didn't seem to occur to Jack.
"You're in quite a vulnerable position, Atlas…you know I can end this now! Draw!" Antinomy arm's shook with strain from the fight, but he pressed on. "Come out, T.G. Striker (800/0)!" Skating past Antinomy on hovering rollerblades, Striker wore a gray visor similar to his master. "This game is over – direct attack!" In a way that reminded Jack of Yusei's Speed Warrior, T.G. Striker lunged forward and prepared to hit Jack with a spinning kick.
However, the Striker's momentum seemed to slow for no reason, and ultimately it tumbled over ungracefully before scampering back to Antinomy's side of the field. Above Jack's head, a violet metronome sounded with a thumm-thumm-thumm. "Battle Fader (0/0) in my hand will stop that…" Jack smiled, having caught his breath. Summoning the monster in defense mode, Antinomy slapped a set card down in frustration before ending his turn.
"Now you're the one that's open!" Regaining more of his fire, Jack drew. "Come forth, Mad Archfiend (1800/0)!" Similar in appearance to Bone Archfiend, Mad Archfiend's red hair sprouted every which way like the leaves of a carrot as it pranced around. Big, meaty hands offset the strange monster's skeletal frame. "Take down his T.G. Striker!" Leaping forward with hands outstretched, Mad Archfiend clapped T.G. Striker between its palms, the ensuing damage sending Antinomy flying up and over one of the nearby basketball hoops. (Jack 200/Antinomy 1100)
Having little in the way of stamina, Mad Archfiend switched to defense mode after battling due to its effect while Antinomy picked himself up. Wheezing, he thought, "I never thought this could happen! If I don't get a good draw, I'm done for!" Fortunately for him, Striker's effect allowed him to search another T.G. monster at the end phase, supplementing his hand.
Jack stood tall, confident he could survive at least one more turn. However, his opponent's next card would put that confidence to the test. "Take this, Jack! I summon Psi-Reflector (400/300)!" A hooded cyborg clad in white and green hovered forth, circular waves visibly emanating from the nodes on its palms.
"Wait a second, I know that card! Are you planning to use the assault mode?" Jack felt some relief that he was able to recognize at least one of his opponent's monsters from prior experience.
"In a manner of speaking. My monster's effect lets me search a card that lists "Assault Mode Activate" in its text from deck to hand. I'll choose to add Assault Beast (1900/1200). Then, using Assault Beast's effect, I can discard it to add the Assault Mode Activate trap card from deck to hand. With that, I have all the pieces in place to use Psi-Reflector's second effect, revealing the copy of Assault Mode Activate in my hand in order to revive Assault Beast from the graveyard!"
Assault Beast burst from the concrete, a wolf-warrior with a long white mane, a bronze mace, and matching armor over its body. "Now, both of my monsters attack!" Swinging the ball and chain, Assault Beast crushed Mad Archfiend while Psi-Reflector had just enough strength to vanquish the Battle Fader, leaving nothing on Jack's field.
"With that, I'll set a card. Then, I'll tune the level one Psi-Reflector with the level four Assault Beast, synchro summoning T.G. Hyper Librarian to the field!" The alabaster-robed wizard returned with a flourish. "My turn is done. Just keep in mind if you synchro summon, you're only giving me more cards, Jack."
"I won't need to synchro summon any longer, for my fire rises from deep below! I draw!" Jack's faith in himself was rewarded with a powerful spell, one his opponent had already used. "Monster Reborn, raise my soul from the dark depths!"
Accompanied by waves of deep red fire, Red Dragon Archfiend roared proudly, defiantly at Antinomy. "You judged the dragon's power insufficient at the beginning of the duel, so this will be a fitting counterargument! Red Dragon Archfiend, destroy Hyper Librarian!" It wouldn't end the duel, but Antinomy was out of cards, so it was highly unlikely he would be able to come back from his librarian being destroyed, as long as the attack went through.
"I should correct myself – it is not your power that is insufficient, but it is how you use it. Reveal trap card, TG1-EM1! This causes both of our monsters to switch places."
Jack was struck speechless as his dragon surged forth, only to stumble into a magenta portal that appeared right in front of it. Nodes and implants affixed themselves to Red Dragon Archfiend, and it went over to Antinomy's side of the field. Its fire was gone – the dragon was a branded slave for its new master. Hyper Librarian smirked at Jack as it calmly went over to his side.
Jack searched for anything else he could do, but found nothing…still, he would make the enemy defeat him, surrender was never an option. "I switch Hyper Librarian to defense mode and end my turn…." He looked down in shame.
Silently, Antinomy drew, needing to focus the rest of his energy on finishing the fight. "I summon T.G. Metal Skeleton (1100/0)." The final monster was a mass of bones covering in a sheer, vaguely chrome-colored shielding. "Now, Red Dragon Archfiend, destroy Hyper Librarian!" Although the dragon tried to resist the mental domination, the cybernetic implants were too potent, and it had no choice but to give in and strike down the spellcaster. Without another word, Antinomy sent Metal Skeleton to deliver a gut punch to Jack, causing him to hack up blood and clutch his stomach as he went down to his knees. (Jack 0/Antinomy 1100)
Jack's knees wobbled before he fell to his side, hacking up another globule of blood. "Damn…damn it all!" He forced out. Jack would not require medical attention, but his duel energy reserves were tapped out, and he would need at least a few day's bedrest.
Putting on his helmet, Antinomy attached his deck and duel disk back to his runner before walking over to Jack. "Yusei didn't need this type of bloody battle, but I guess you are his opposite, Jack. Perhaps there is something to your ways after all, but you are in uncharted territory. I won't be of any help on the path you're walking."
"Don't expect any thanks from me….I'll defeat you someday, mark my words!" Jack glared up at the cool Antinomy…damn, something about him looked familiar, but Jack still couldn't place it. Struggling, he managed to pick himself up – he would be alright to walk back to the shop, and wouldn't have accepted a ride form Antinomy in any case.
"Heh, good. Keep up that spirit, my friend. If you have to perceive me as an enemy to overcome, then so be it. Farewell…" Antinomy mounted the Delta Eagle and vanished in a blur of light. "Well done, Jack…I learned much from this as well, and grew stronger for the effort."
Jack slowly started to walk back to his friends, eager to share the day's events. "I just need a little more time, a little more effort…I'll be ready to destroy Yliaster then!"
A/N
Thank you for reading, hope you enjoyed. I had fun writing my first 5Ds story. I don't know if I could ever do a longer one a. because I only like to write duels based off the real game, although I like the concept and execution of turbo duels and b. At the moment I'm done writing long yugioh stories in general.
This is a what-if match I always wanted to see and I'm surprised never happened in the anime. While I believe Jack surpassed Antinomy by the end of the series, I think it makes sense that he would lost to Antinomy at this point due to his lack of burning soul/earthbound immortal power and also it seems like yugioh characters almost always grow in "power" each time they duel. Antinomy also suffers from a credibility issue as he only duels Yusei or Placido in the series and loses each time, so it's difficult to gauge his power in relation to the other characters as a result. That motivated me to write a duel with him where he does win. Alright peace out dawg!