Rolling to a halt outside Poppo Time, Trudge looked sideways at the passenger seat. "Are you going to tell her?" There was no doubt who he meant. Other than discussing the next step in their plan, the two hadn't spoken a single word since leaving the Facility.
"Just keep the car running." Sliding out of the door, the world was coated in a pre-dawn twilight. Nobody was around as he walked in through the shop with the quiet sound of time. Nobody noticed as he walked up all the quiet parts of the stairs to the second floor. Only Hoshi stirred as he walked past the couch in the open area.
In his room, the bed hadn't been slept in since he awoke the morning before. Everything was just as he had left it. Opening the drawer beside his bed, Yusei shuffled the assorted cards in a pile and slipped them into his pocket. They had been splayed out for some reason, jumbled about like he didn't usually store them. Closing it softly to avoid any noise, he shut his door just as quietly. Curling up around his legs came the silent figure of his cat.
"Hey." Bending down a trembling smile, he spoke in a whisper. "I need you to take care of her, okay?" Picking up the feline, he carried her the few feet over to the couch and set her down beside the still sleeping Lethe. That single lock of hair always seemed to drip her face was swaying again.
"Did you tell her?" Waiting patiently in the car, Trudge stared directly ahead as Yusei slid back into his seat.
"No." Just as much as they both knew whatever was going on was near impossible, they were both wise enough to recognise the trouble that might come out of it. Most likely, their attempts to spare Akiza from a fate they were beginning to believe never happened would end in futility and an extended stint in a psychiatric facility. At best, it would completely rewrite history and Yusei would wake up the next day in a world where he never met Lethe.
He wasn't sure which scenario would hurt him more.
"Yusei, I think that she has a right to know what's going on." It's strange how often people say those words. 'A right'. Rarely can they point to a law, legal precedent or any official record of this supposed 'right'. In this instance, Yusei decided to go with the moral right.
"How would you feel if Mina woke up one day and said you were in Lethe's position?" It was killing him not to burst in there and put everything right. "Just drive." Seated on his lap was a leather satchel. There was only one person Jack would listen to. Convincing them to help was expected to be only marginally easier than convincing Jack.
Their destination lay across the city. At that hour of travel, few cars were on the road and nobody was looking too closely at the ones which were. Within thirty minutes of their departure, the pair were finishing a journey which usually took the better part of an hour. As they finally pulled up to their destination, Trudge broke the grim silence with an equally grim question. "Do you think we should let her out?" Yusei considered the choice for a moment.
"Either that or she breaks herself out." From what they had seen in the prison, their unusual ally had no problem overcoming heavy-duty security measures. A simple lock would provide much less trouble. Levering themselves out of the car, the pair walked around to the back and shared a glance. "Your car, your trunk." Although she couldn't easily communicate the paranoid reasoning behind her choice, Phantom had quite readily rolled herself into trunk and shut the lid on the compartment. If Trudge had pulled himself over, it would have been a tricky time trying to explain to himself why he had been carrying a prison escapee in the back of his car.
"I've gotta say." Pausing with his key in the lock, Trudge shared an uneasy glance with his partner. "She gives me the creeps." Opening the lid, he was even more unsettled when the flickering blue eyes were staring straight at him. "Uh, hey."
Sliding her legs over the lip, Phantom joyfully hopped herself out onto the gravel path they were parked on. Uncanny valley. Patting him on one shoulder, step stepped past the policeman with utter fascination at what lay behind him. Not for the first time, Yusei had to wonder just how far across the line between genius and insanity this person wandered.
"Phantom, can you come over here and" Unable to be more than a guiding voice, he watched as she walked over to embrace a sturdy oak. Looking up at the waving leaves, she gave a happy smile as they swayed in the morning breeze.
"Yusei." Of all the insults in his life – and, being a cop, there were a lot of them – Trudge had never expected the opportunity for one this old. Humanity had come a long way since the phrase had been derogatory. "She's a tree-hugger. We broke her out of prison and now she's hugging a tree." Running on two hours sleep was giving Yusei a small headache and neither of companions were helping.
"Let's get inside." Ignoring the implication that he had been involved at all in the breakout and not simply a helpless bystander, Yusei gave a quiet knock on the front door. The owner taught her children to take advantage of as much of the day as they could and was usually up before dawn. "Just remember," Hearing the faint sound of footsteps approaching the other side of the door. "We need to approach this carefully. Let me do the talking." When the door opened, it warmed his heart to see the short figure of his mother wielding a stout lump of wood in one fist. Even with all the progress since his own childhood, there were still unsavoury characters lurking on Satellite Island and Martha preferred to reinforce caution with a big stick.
"Yusei?" Noting the stern figure of Trudge standing at one side, she reaffirmed her grip on the weapon. It would be a bleak day that she let the police into her house without due cause. Her fury could probably outstrip Phantom's assault on half the department if roused to the occasion. "What's going on?" Taking the glare and weapon under consideration, the grizzled police officer bravely edged behind his human shield for the second time that day.
"Ma'am." Bending at the knees made it easier to dodge, weave and even run if she turned violent. Trudge may be eternally indebted to Martha for turning him onto Mina but that wouldn't mean he would simply stand still while she rained down righteous fury on him. "Your son is crazy and he's brought a tree-hugger with him." Breathing deeply in through his nose, the suddenly surrounded young man tried to find a way to put a positive spin on the declaration. Nearly lost in the sound of the growing tension, a slight scratching was coming from the other side of the road.
"Who's there?" Dragging Yusei in front of him as he moved, Trudge slid to one side so that Martha could see the splayed outline of the tree-hugger now picking at the trunk she had formerly been embracing. Whatever the nuances of the conversation behind her, they weren't being sent in Phantom's direction so she just continued doing her own thing.
"That's… a long story." One too long to be recounted on a doorstep. "Can we talk inside?" Sparing a look over one shoulder, he saw the outline shimmy up the tree with every sign of enjoyment. It was the perfect sort for climbing. Plenty of strong limbs, thick foliage, no branches low enough that people instantly looked up to see if anyone was already climbing it.
"Have you eaten yet?" A mysterious stranger climbing the trees was hardly an issue when there were children which needed feeding. "Come in, come in. You can help me make breakfast." Ushering the pair into her house, Martha made sure to re-engage all the locks and bolts. Even though her maternal instincts were directing her to feed her guests, her preservation instincts were still operating.
"Now then," Filling the kettle, she set it to boil while pulling pots and pans from various cupboards. "What are you doing here at this hour and who was that outside?" It was still dark enough that she thought the outline was simply a trick of the dim light and nothing else.
"Her name's Phantom." Carefully taking a sharp vegetable knife, Yusei was directed to start slicing while Trudge was given the dubious authority of making coffee. Police officers the world over are known for making coffee either strong enough to rouse the dead or so disgusting it could empower the drinker with enough rage to never die in the first place. Usually both. "She's helping me with a problem."
"And what problem could be so important that you're banging on my door first thing in the morning?" Martha knew all her children well and couldn't fathom the sort of problem that would require both Trudge and herself to fix. "Is it the same problem that's causing my favourite police chief to call you mad?" Spooning a generous amount of coffee into a mug, her favourite police chief was trying to guess the caffeine tolerance of normal civilians. Years of late nights and double-shifts had given him a tolerance usually only seen in theoretical studies.
"It's about Akiza." Carefully putting down the knife, he tried to avoid focussing too much on his absent friend. Either she was gone and he could get her back or she was dead and this was all going to break him. "I think that something happened to her. Strange things have been happening and I think that it's because she isn't meant to be dead."
"It sounds mad." Deciding that two spoons should be enough, Trudge carefully filled each mug to the brim with boiling water. Empty space was wasted space and enough would steam off to give a small margin for error. "But a few of his points make sense. That girl outside knew what he was talking about before he told her. And the Facility didn't have any records of her arriving." Had he been less concerned with the safety of his companions drinking the coffee and more with actually making it, he would have been able to drink it and realises the problem with his sentence. "Not that she seems to be dangerous."
Taking a mug from beneath his petrified gaze, Martha radiated the serenity of one who possesses both a large wooden bat and the knowledge of how to use it. "A person you met in prison convinced you that Akiza isn't dead and you trust her because somebody forgot to fill in some paperwork?" When she put it like that, it questioned his already shaky belief in the scheme. "And why do you need my help?"
"Because," Waiting until she started drinking her coffee – and astounding Trudge with her stoicism – Yusei dropped to a low mumble to avoid actually voicing the words. Evolution is a fascinating system. Species can branch out in drastic ways to adapt to environment or to avoid predators.
"Why don't you just ask Jack to come yourself?" When it came to human females, they had a remarkable disposition to sound, an evolutionary gift to detect potential predators while they slept and Martha had heard every muttered word.
"You know that things have been difficult between us." The brothers hadn't spoken more than a handful of times since Yusei had given up on Duelling after the events on Ark Cradle. Jack had simply left to join tournament after tournament and refused to acknowledge his disappointment of a former rival.
He remembered it clearly.
"And you want me to trick him to come here and help you?" More mumbling sounded as he returned to slicing vegetables. "And Crow as well?" Yusei had a feeling that even a loud thought could be detected by a mother's hearing.
"It just seems like it should be the three of us." That was all it had been in the beginning. Kalin had come along later but the three brothers had always been together. Almost as much as Akiza, he felt like the relationship with his brothers had been taken away by something he couldn't quite name.
"Okay." Handing him a box of mushrooms to slice, she took the insanity in stride and started setting the small table in the kitchen. Her current roster of children would be eating in the dining room but her adult children would be needing the privacy to have their private conversation.
"Just like that?" Operating on shocked auto-pilot, he began rinsing the mushrooms and removing the caps. No matter the confusion of his memories, enough of them had been spent helping cook family meals that he could probably do it in his sleep.
"Yusei, our entire island was almost eaten by a giant spider." Most of the global population would never have proof of a higher power. Martha knew first-hand that stranger things existed in the world and that some of them held malicious intentions. "If there's even a chance to help poor Akiza, we will do whatever it takes. Just promise me," Putting aside the knife, she carefully took his hands in her own. "If nothing comes of this, I want you to start going back to therapy." Except for a yearly check-up, he had stopped seeing a psychiatrist. He couldn't forget what had happened but had learned to live with the pain.
"… Okay." Therapy was a board term. Already, he could feel the soft call of padded walls.
Having climbed and carved from several trees, her strange exercise was interrupted when Phantom hit a branch that overlooked the garden beside Martha's house. Even though daybreak was slowly drawing closer, it was still earlier than most people would be awake. They also wouldn't be hiding in the shrubbery and digging holes in the dirt. Slipping from the tree, she stepped over the fence by the road and into the garden.
Every aspect of her armour was designed to lower the chance of being detected. Light, sound, heat, the works. There was no way that she could think of to be noticed yet the digger managed to sense her arrival without a single problem. "Shhhh!" Waving one hand for silence, the wizened figure remained hunkered down between lavender fronds. "They'll hear us. Stay low and use your other senses. That's the ticket." Strange advice delivered, he returned to his activity. "According to my research, there should be a container buried near the reeds. Help me dig it out and I'll give you a share."
Looking from the digging intruder to the pair of buildings, Phantom made the sad deduction of logic. Martha lived and ran the vast cottage to care for orphaned children. The neighbouring facility cared for those enjoying the other end of their lifetimes. As a slight growing of light revealed the identity of the gardener, a wave of compassion swept over her. They hadn't met in person although she knew him by reputation. This was Tenzen Yanagi, the first man to tell Yusei about the Signer legacy, archaeologist, hunter of rare Duel Monster cards, chased out of more tombs than more people knew existed and starting a gentle decline into senility. In his advancing age, the once incredible mind was starting to mix past with present.
'One of the most fascinating aspects that I encountered while investigating the Incan ruins was the sheer scale of the infrastructure.' Softly crouching down by the huddled figure, she placed a gentle hand on his arm. Luckily, that peculiar method of overcoming her communication issues was the perfect trick for him to focus on. There was always a quote for any situation and she knew these words would stir in his memory. 'A person of my stature is of average height in Japan yet I found myself dwarfed by the size of the structures. My guide was equally amused and infuriated by my inability to actually navigate the buildings without being frequently physically lifted to navigate some of them.' A tiny wrinkle appeared between his eyebrows as Yanagi's mind gradually began to focus on the present. Once upon a time, he had
"That's not how it happened…" Leaving the trowel in the flowerbed, he looked at the soft blue gaze while straightening up with a sharpening glare. Already bowed when Yusei had first met him, the bone structure had reverted to an almost perfect hunch after the additional decade. "My editor insisted we put that it to make the entire business more 'relatable'. It only happened once, damn it!" Leaning on the guiding arm that had appeared in his grasp, they began shuffling in the direction of the near building. His mind could only focus on one major activity at a time and he barely noticed the journey. "Did I ever tell you about the time I went to that stupid 'Kaiba Temple'?"
Tell me again. Switching arms as gently as she could, Phantom carefully reached around to help balance her quarry as they clambered up the short steps towards the door. There was a ramp available yet she refused to demean the explorer in that way. These steps may not be much but they were as difficult for him now as the vast stone slabs at the Incan temples he had explored long ago and conquering them was as close as he was likely to get to another adventure.
"Smarmy upstart actually named the site after himself. No hard work finding it, just some fancy trickery with satellites." Teetering on the brink of a ledge, he barely noticed that his weight vanished for a moment as Phantom swept him forward. "There were some fascinating murals in that one. An entire chamber that seemed to be more in keeping with Egyptian mythology of the era, though they never reached that far. Definitely Incan methods used to build it. According to rumour," Leaning up as far as he could, Yanagi whispered one of archaeology's greatest secrets to his gentle walking aid. "They say he found something there and took it away before the authorities could stop him. Strange stuff, eh? What do you say about that?" Knocking on the door, Phantom remained as immutable as ever while a light inside came on.
You are right. Their difference in height was so much that she had to take a knee to better look him in the eye. With his gently bobbing head, it was easier for him to look down at her new perch. This was a man she had never expected to meet but had grown to know through the books he had written before his attention began to have a more casual relationship with the present. Pulling together the scattered shards of her own mind, she forced herself to speak in a straight fashion. They did find something in that temple.
For a moment, those tired eyes focused entirely on the present. Yanagi had dedicated his life to researching the mysteries of the past. "What did they find?" If he could find out just one more answer before his mind fully fell apart, it would be a lovely parting gift. On the other side of the mask, a broad smile grew to match his own.
When the care nurse came to find the most consistently escaping resident, he was astounded to find Yanagi looking down at his trowel with tears of joy starting to bud in his eyes. "Here," Thrusting out the dirty tool, he walked past with an energy he hadn't displayed in some years. "You'll need to replant a few things in the morning. I lost track of myself for a while there." During his more lucid moments, Yanagi seemed aware of his shortcomings and was ready to use any excuse to get out of any responsibility for them. Whistling cheerfully, he practically skipped up the stairs to his room as the nurse looked out at the ruined lawn.
In the trees outside the building, a shadow rustled branches as it continued to slowly carve lumps of bark from the wood. Looking over in the direction of some trampled lavender, an inverted smile flickered beneath the helmet. Hearing the sound of an approaching engine, she rotated the helmet to face an approaching taxi. It appeared that the first of the guests had arrived in the growing light of the dawn.
To summon Jack was a simple matter. All that Martha had to do was call the private number that the public didn't even know exist and berate him into stopping by for a visit. He would forever deny that it was the offer of cookies which had sealed the deal.
As the taxi pulled up outside the door, Jack slid from the passenger seat and stretched in the fresh morning air. Then he walked around the back and helped the other passenger out. "It'll be nice to see Martha again. When was the last time we were here?"
"Can't remember." Straightening up slightly, Crow adjusted the hang of his clothes. "I suppose that means it's been too long."
"Martha promised cookies." Walking the short distance to the door, he wrapped smartly on the knocker. Both of them knew that the door would surely be locked at the early hour while the children ate breakfast. "That's something to look forward too."
"Yeah." Mustering as much excitement as he could still left him with little. "Sure does." Footsteps sounded just before locks were drawn back and their mother could smile at them. "Hey, Martha."
"Boys!" Grabbing Jack in a tight embrace, she planted a soft kiss on Crow's cheek. "How are you both? Come in, come in." Ushering them over the threshold, she closed and locked the door behind them again. It wasn't muggers she was worried about this time. No matter what Yusei had said, that sinister shadow didn't bode well. "We're just finishing up from breakfast. The kids are eating in the dining room so I thought that we'd eat in the kitchen."
"Who's we?" Although she had tried to sneak it in, there was no disguising the way Martha had said someone else had helped her with breakfast.
"Is that them?" Popping his head around the door, Trudge gave a grim nod to the pair in the hallway. "Good to see you." Following their eyes, he noticed they were staring slightly lower than his face. "It stops the water from splashing on me during the drying."
"It's a flowery apron, that's what it is." As unwilling to let the obvious go as ever, Jack carefully herded his brother towards the kitchen. "Have you considered using it during questioning. Maybe try and upset the criminals into confessing." His antics were cut short as both knees rammed into Crow.
"What are you doing here?" Edging his brother into the room, Jack was able to see what had him so emotional.
"I'm sorry for tricking you." Standing over the sink, Yusei was scrubbing down the last of the pans for Trudge to dry. "It was the only way I could be certain you'd come." Turning around, he felt a pan lid slip through his fingers. Standing in the doorway, the height difference between his two siblings have never been more pronounced. Jack was standing as straight as ever but that wasn't what made the difference so great.
Crow was in a wheelchair. Since when? No, that couldn't be right. He had been hit by falling debris after defeating Sherry aboard Ark Cradle. Doctors were unable to repair the damage in time and he hadn't been able to move his legs ever since.
Waves of guilt overcame Yusei as memories of physical therapy and repeatedly failed tests filled his mind. In the dream he was clinging to, Crow had been as healthy as the next man. One part of the dream – Phantom – had been proven true. Then why couldn't his brother walk? Why was he seated in an uncomfortable prison?
"Guessing that you didn't think this might be a trap." The words cut through his confusion as Crow pivoted around to stare at his now far gigantic brother. "That Martha just happened to ask you to pick me up and come for breakfast." Jack instantly looked uncomfortable. His mother was the only thing standing between him and the front door and he'd happily choose a mountain instead. Although, the back door was only guarded by Trudge. That might be a suitable exit.
"I just need five minutes." Placing the dishes of food around the table, Yusei carefully shifted around to take his seat. "After that, you're free to do whatever you want." He pulled the table towards him slightly so that Crow could fit in on the far side. He hadn't planned on the wheelchair. After eight years, it should have been second nature. Unless it was another memory that didn't fit.
"Five minutes." Wheeling around to the far side of the table, Crow slid himself into place and engaged the brakes. One brother down, Yusei glanced at Jack. It was all for nought if he didn't agree to even talk.
"… Fine." Drawing out the stool at the head of the table, he seated himself at the edge. For a minute, none of them spoke. Just because the pair had agreed to hear him out didn't mean that Yusei had an easy speech planned which would instantly sway them over to his side. "Four minutes." At the impatient prompt from his brother, he threw caution to the wind and decided to make it up as he went.
"I've been having these weird dreams lately." Munching his way through the free breakfast, Crow was only going through the motions of listening. Jack felt too betrayed to even drink the cup of coffee Martha had given him. He was stoically reverting to only smelling the bitter scent. "Ones where everything happened differently after… after the WRDGP." Nobody had to say it outright but they all knew he was talking about what had happened on Ark Cradle. "And then I started to find things. Little things that didn't make sense with what we remember happened. Inconsistencies with the truth." Tucked into a breast pocket over his heart was that tiny earring which had started it all.
"There were parts that didn't make sense. Details that I couldn't have known." One cheek was still slightly bruised from where Hideo Izinski had struck him. "So, I followed the pieces. Asked Trudge to make sure that it wasn't just my imagination." Glossing over the part where they had originally thought he was going insane right before a prisoner had broken out, Yusei tried to ease his brothers into the crazy theory. "We found someone who knew the same things I did. Who remembered what I thought was just a dream." Again, he skipped past the part where she was currently hugging the trees outside. "It's difficult to accept but I don't that Akiza di"
"Stop it." Looking up with his plate already clear, Crow hadn't expected to hear anything that insane. "I couldn't protect her and I've paid for it every day since." An attempt to push the case again was interrupted by the usually more controlled brother.
"You didn't just lose her, we all did." Actual tears were starting to bud in Jack's eyes. There are few things more unsettling than a crying man and seeing the tall blonde tear up was causing the policeman in the corner to shift uncomfortably. "She was one of us and we failed her. Crow can't walk, that bloody dragon just left us. You don't get to sit there and tell us none of it happened."
"What the fuck is wrong with you two?!" Frustration evolved into outright fury as he grabbed the edge of the table and shoved it away from himself. In his enraged state, it seemed to make more sense than simply moving his chair backwards. Ignoring Martha's shocked gasp, he ploughed out with his screaming monologue. "Just think about it. We've avoided each other for eight years. So how is it that we all happen to be in the same city at the same time?" They all remembered after Ark Cradle when the twins had left and the three brothers had to face the fact that they had failed to protect their friend. Without even realising it, they had gone from not talking to one another to not living together to not talking at all.
"He's got a point." Lurking by the dishrack, Trudge spot directly to his former charge with more measured tones. "There are dozens of competitions that you could be taking part in right now." Although he wasn't actively Duelling those days, Trudge kept several running 'sportsman' bets on the sport. The running tab included a trip to India, several dozen rounds of takeout and the naming rights to an increasing number of children. "So why are you willing to sit around a table in New Domino instead?" It was a good question for the more active man at the table. There was just one problem.
"Yeah, and where the am I going to run off to?" Shifting in his wheelchair, the youngest brother rotated towards the door. "Not that many people looking for a Turbo Duellist who can't walk."
"That's not what I..." His brother refused to hear it and started to wheel himself to freedom. "Crow!" Trying to grab at the escapee, Yusei managed to catch his arm. Reacting on instinct, the former thief tugged his arm away. What he didn't account for was the difference in stature since the last time he had done it. With flailing grip, he tumbled from his perch.
"Fuck off!" Smacking away the numerous hands which reached out to help, he fumbled with his wheelchair. Engaged brakes, shifted upright. Struggled in as his legs dangled uselessly. Collect his blanket from where it had tangled the floor. Spread it over his motionless limbs. "I've had enough. Screw both of you." Slowly wheeling himself towards the front door, his anger peaked when Yusei stood in the middle of the doorway. "Get out of the way."
"Your legs aren't atrophied." Children knew about basic exercise from their earliest years. Muscles were built through hard work and weakened through lack of use. If Crow had really been crippled for eight years, his arms would be solid lumps of rock and his legs like noodles. "And your arms haven't bulked up. If you'd really been in that wheelchair for eight years, you'd have adjusted long ago."
"That's enough!" Stepping between his brothers, Jack snarled his displeasure. No matter how much his adoptive mother begged, Yusei had drastically overstepped and was heading the right way for an exchange of blows. "Back off."
"And you!" Grabbing Jack by the lapels, Yusei slammed him against the wall in exhausted confusion. He hadn't slept in nearly two days and the crazy was starting to shift out of his control. "If I'm right, you haven't been angry since yesterday. Where's Red Nova, Jack? Where's Red Nova?!" If his crazy delusions were true, the angry young woman who frequently looked like she wanted to tear him apart was containing the mighty beast. If he was wrong, the medical society would have a field day examining his brain to try and figure out what was happening to him.
In both scenarios, it was a massive mistake to grab at Jack's coat when he had no reason to hold back his temper. One punch was all it took to remove the unwanted addition from his lapels. In the dim reaches of his dream, Yusei remembered something very important about the crazy lady hugging trees outside.
"You probably shouldn't have done that." Unfortunately, he realised it at the same time the reinforced front door opened. Not smashed in, not unlocked. One hand was placed outside the top bolt, a foot against the bottom bolt and a shoulder simply leaned against the lock. As an act of simple civility, she made sure to lift the latch while various screws were forced from woodwork.
"What the," Seeing the outline in the door was not enough warning to stop it from grasping him by the throat and lifting him from the floor in the next second. "Fuck are you?" A poor choice of words to spend the last of his air on.
The sin which is unpardonable is knowingly and wilfully to reject truth, No eyes shone from the midst of the dark visor and a chill radiated through the air about her. Even though he punched back as hard as he dared, the blows were less rewarding than punching a brick wall. To fear knowledge lest that knowledge pander not to thy prejudices. Few people would recognise the quote out of hand. Most of them were not the sort of people that should be associated with. Phantom only knew the words because she had been looking for very different information when she read them.
"Remind me how many officers she attacked?" An exact number had not been offered in the icy cell. 'Mass mayhem' was the only vague alliterative descriptor which had been given. "Everyone, calm down." Nobody had ever said those words while attempting to save a choking victim and had anyone pay attention.
"Guys, this is Phantom." Inclining her head, the grim visage refused to utter a greeting as she raised Jack slightly higher. "She's weird but she knows a bit about what's going on." A startled look indicated that he was overestimating just how much she knew. Aside from remembering what had really happened and her one good idea, she was nearly as much in the dark as the next person. "You can put him down." If anything, she seemed to take the words under advisement.
"Put him down, right now." A blow from behind actually drew her attention. Holding Jack in the air with one hand left one to defend herself against potential attackers but Phantom hadn't expected the squat, multiple adopter to smack her in the back of the head with an old piece of wood. A faint flicker of blue appeared in her face as she recognised a worthy opponent. Looking at the unbridled fury, she carefully lowered Jack to the ground, smoothed out the wrinkles she had caused and knelt down on the floor with fingers behind her head.
"You have got to teach me how to do that." Looking down at the most complacent prisoner he had ever seen, Trudge was jealous of the way Martha had taken control of the situation. No hostage situation had ever been diffused so quickly before.
"I'm with Jack on this one." Wheeling slightly closer to take a better look, Crow was fascinated by the new arrival. As far as he remembered, this was their first time meeting and he was fascinated by the outfit for the second first time. "Who is she?"
"She's a friend." Standing up, Yusei took advantage of the shocked calm to throw down a more proverbial gauntlet than the one Phantom had been using. "Jack, if you don't want to see me again," Reaching across to the satchel which he had placed beside his chair, he pulled out a familiar shape. "Then Duel me for it. Come at me with everything you've got. If you lose, you have to help me. Otherwise, you're the best Duellist alive." It was a heavy gamble, like everything up until then. If he could get Jack to summon Red Nova Dragon, it would fill his objectives. All that he had to do was push his brother into such a corner that he would have no choice.
"Fine." Taking the object, Jack knew a good deal when he saw one. Yusei was the only person to have consistently beaten him. There was no greater challenge as a Duellist. "After this, you leave us alone." Understanding the difficulty of the situation, Martha made a choice.
"Trudge, give me a hand with the door." Except for the latch – which couldn't keep out a determined pigeon – all the fittings would need replacing. "I think that it's better if we let them get on with it. But if you," And she waved the wooden club under Phantom's helmet. "Touch my boys again, there won't be any armour in the world which can protect you." Blue light filtered out through the visor as Phantom gave a low bow. Much like her earlier interaction with Yanagi, she had never personally met Martha and had accrued a vast amount of respect through what she had learned from afar. If she made a promise, it would be carried out.
There was a field out behind Martha's house. Not vast enough for a proper sports match but perfect for all those child games which had a million different versions with a billion different sets of rules. It was also the perfect size for a Duel.
"You can still back out." Staring down at his rival, there was no mercy in his gaze. Jack would either crush a worthy opponent or refuse to waste his time on a distraction.
"Can you explain why your Duel Runner is sitting in Poppo Time?" More and more, he was starting to see the gaps between what was remembered and what made sense. There was no way that anyone as proud as Jack would have left behind his Duelling equipment. Yusei had even brought the lengthy Duel Disk in the same bag as his own.
Watching from the sidelines, the spectators were weighing up the competition. "My money is on Jack." Looking up at the silent outline, he detected a faint sense of worry. "I'm guessing that you're betting on Yusei." Even confined to a wheelchair, he was able to weigh up the odds and recognise who had the better chance. What he couldn't fathom was why the thing beside him was so invested in their Duel. "What do you get out of this?"
… She paused for a moment, struggling to voice her reasons. All the world is made of faith, and trust, and pixie dust.
"Yeah." Looking down at his immobile legs, Crow was also starting to notice the cracks in his narrative. Even the short journey to the field had left him with burning arms that should have been a lot more muscular. Delusional hope was still hope. "I could do with a bit of pixie dust myself." Taking up stances on either side of the open, misshapen space, his two brothers settled into place.
(Turn 1)
Yusei: LP: 4000 Hand:6 Field: None Graveyard: None
Jack: LP: 4000 Hand:5 Field: None Graveyard: None
As the current victor in their ongoing rivalry, Yusei took the first turn. A decent hand presented itself and he was already starting to see possibilities. "I summon," The last time that he had used these cards had been fighting betwixt the crumbled ruins of the future and the shining hope of his city. "Summon…" Words trailed off as he struggled to return his focus to the present. Conflicting memories clashed in his head. A dream where he had recently participated in the biggest tournament of all time and a history where he hadn't used these cards in eight years.
"That's what I thought." On the other side of the field, Jack's haughty demeanour came from a place of compassion. "Give it up, you're in no condition to take me on." It was obvious to anyone watching. It had taken all he could muster for Yusei to just draw the cards. Everything that they could remember was saying he had barely been able to even look at the cards for most of the past decade.
As his grip began to slacken, the instruments of his former career started to slip through his fingers. One brushed past his thumb, snagging on the tiny hole he had punctured when pulling out the worn earring from his pocket the morning before.
"I…" Only a tiny prickle even indicated the break in his skin. It was barely anything, nearly healed over already. "I summon…" Before Phantom's garbled words had confirmed something was wrong, before the visit to the Izinski household, before the dreams and crazy half-remembered memories, even finding the earring, Yusei had felt like he was being forced to follow a different path than his own. From the minute he had woken up the day before, everything had seemed fundamentally different from what it should be. And if he wasn't meant to be Duelling than whatever had screwed with his life would have to try a damn sight harder to try and stop him.
"I summon Quillbolt Hedgehog (L2/800/800)." Summoning the single monster was all that he could manage for his first turn. It was amazing that he could bring himself to put it in defence position.
(Turn 2)
Yusei: LP: 4000 Hand:5 Field: 1 Monster Graveyard: None
Jack: LP: 4000 Hand:6 Field: None Graveyard: None
"Pathetic. Let me show you how it should be done." Drawing his first card of the game, Jack couldn't shake how readily the Disk felt on his arm. It was supposedly eight years since he had used it yet it felt like only yesterday. "I summon the Twin-Sword Marauder (L4/1600/1000)!" Whirling onto his field, the killer had two weapons and two attacks. Putting his monster in defence position hadn't saved Yusei any time, it had increased his suffering. "Spike that rodent!" Sprinting across the field, one sword plunged through the quailing creature while the other stabbed directly in Yusei.
"Twin-Sword Marauder can attack a second time if the first attack was against a creature in defence mode." Now that she was seated beside the chair, Crow was finding his companion a lot less intimidating and trying to build a rapport by explaining the game. She was bristling with attention and seemed fascinated by the Duel. "And it can inflict piercing damage." Which meant that Yusei had lost over half his health in the first turn alone.
"I place two face-downs and end my turn."
(Turn 3)
Yusei: LP: 1600 Hand:6 Field: None Graveyard: 1 Monster
Jack: LP: 4000 Hand:3 Field: 1 Monster, 2 Spell/Trap Graveyard: None
Much like Jack, Yusei was starting to feel that he had been using his Duel Disk a lot more recently than the incidents eight years ago. Old instincts were rising deep inside and guiding his hand through the pick of cards. Twin-Sword Marauder was the current problem. Nothing he had was strong enough to defeat it outright. At best, he would leave himself open for another attack next turn. Instead, he would have to bank on Jack summoning another monster.
"I set one monster and three cards." Shield Wing could survive two attack a turn. Coupled with his Half Shield, that meant he could easily survive into the next round. He also had One For One and Counterattack Beacon down as decoys. It was a good strategy.
(Turn 4)
Yusei: LP: 1600 Hand:2 Field: 1 Monster, 3 Spell/Trap Graveyard: 1 Monster
Jack: LP: 4000 Hand:4 Field: 1 Monster, 2 Spell/Trap Graveyard: None
"Let me guess: you plan on stalling until you can build up your defences and muster a proper attack." In any life, there was only one person who could match up to Yusei and that was Jack. "Since you've set it in face-down, I'd say it's either a high-DEF monster or one with an ability." It had been a good strategy but Jack's was better. "I summon Top Runner (L4/1100/800)!"
"No." Yusei breathed the denial but there was nothing he could do. It was far earlier than he had expected.
"Witness the ruler's heartbeat! Come forth, Red Dragon Archfiend!" On only his second turn, the mighty behemoth erupted from the ground to crisp the air with sheer force. "Take out his monster with Absolute Powerforce!" Although a single blow should have had no effect on Shield Wing, the resulting effect of Red Dragon Archfiend automatically destroyed all the defence position monsters on Yusei's side of the field. "Looks like you were bluffing with those face-downs."
Gritting his teeth, there was little hope in Yusei. He had part of a plan but no way to execute it. There were three cards he needed and he was only holding one.
(Turn 5)
Yusei: LP: 1600 Hand:3 Field: 3 Spell/Trap Graveyard: 2 Monster
Jack: LP: 4000 Hand:3 Field: 1 Monster, 2 Spell/Trap Graveyard: 2 Monster
If he was going to force Jack into a corner, it had to be in this next move. Although his new card wasn't the instant solution to his problems, it might be enough to draw just what he needed. "I activate the Card of Consonance!" Sending it and another card to the Graveyard, he picked up a fresh pair from his Deck.
"Card of Consonance sends a Tuner monster to the graveyard to let the user draw two new cards." Nodding attentively, Phantom was staring at Yusei as she tried to figure out what the odds were of Jack summoning Red Nova Dragon if she threatened to break his arm. If the game didn't pick up suddenly, she might have to find out. Luck was on their side that day.
"I summon Hyper Synchron (L4/1600/800)!" It first strong move of the Duel. Not did Hyper Synchron have a high ATK, it was also a Tuner which would benefit any Dragon-type Synchro it was used for. "Since I have a Tuner monster on my field, Quillbolt Hedgehog can come back to the field." Jack knew his brother's Deck almost as well as he knew his own. Most of Yusei's Synchro monsters required a specific Tuner monster with the exception of Stardust Dragon. "And, because a monster was Special Summoned from my graveyard, I can call the Level 2 Dopplewarrior from my hand." No sooner had the monster appeared than it was gone again, replaced by swirling rings. "My hopes coalesce into a single star! Take flight, Stardust Dragon!" Descending from the skies, the glittering beast hovered behind Yusei in the same manner that Red Dragon Archfiend did behind Jack.
"Well, you finally pulled off a decent move." It was obvious what Yusei was about to do. Much the same as his brother, Jack had also been bluffing with one of his face-downs. "Come on then, show me what you can do!"
He was being goaded into it but there was no choice. Hyper Synchron had temporarily boosted Stardust's ATK by 800 points, making it 300 stronger than Red Dragon. Yet the cost of that was it being removed in two turns. Even if there was a Trap which would destroy it, Stardust's own effect would bring it back.
"Stardust Dragon, take him down!" Soaring into the heavens, the glittering dragon sent a stream of shining energy to engulf its opponent. Nothing should have been able to survive the blast which had trees creaking in its wake. Yet, when the smoke cleared, the enraged beast was still in place.
"While you were trying to catch up to me, I was already two steps ahead of you." Dissolving behind Jack was a protective red barrier. "Scar-Red Cocoon." Although its primary use was in negating the effect of Red Dragon Archfiend's target, it could also resurrect the monster if destroyed. "Like I said," He drew a card and gave a vicious smile. "You're in no condition to take me on."
(Turn 6)
Yusei: LP: 1600 Hand:1 Field: 1 Monster 3 Spell/Trap Graveyard: 3 Monster
Jack: LP: 3700 Hand:4 Field: 1 Monster, 1 Spell/Trap Graveyard: 2 Monster, 1 Trap
It all came down to this moment. There was only one monster Jack had which could beat Stardust Dragon outright. Sure, he had traps and spells and special effects but that wasn't how he played. Jack relied on overwhelming power and would follow the one course of action as surely as the sun rose in the east.
"From my hand, I activate Scarlet Security!" Although a twist that Yusei hadn't seen coming, it wasn't one to worry about. Both of his face-downs had been bluffs and trying to protect them would only leave him open to Red Dragon Archfiend and a quick defeat.
"Well, that just about does it." Part of Crow had been hoping Yusei would pull if off, just so that they could have hope for a little while longer. "There's no way that he can win now. It's done." He made to roll back to the house but a gentle hand rested on his armrest. Looking up at him from the floor, Phantom had the biggest, shit-eating grin he had ever seen.
"I summon Chain Resonator (L1/100/100)!" Trailing a clinking trail, the creepy little figure wouldn't be alone for long. "Due to it's effect, I can special summon another 'Resonator' monster if you have a synchro monster on the field. Come on out, Dark Resonator(L3/1300/300)!" Banging his tuning fork, the first robed blob summoned up a compatriot to join it. Smashing their forks together, the pair slowly dissolved into glowing rings of fire. "Your time is past. The future belongs to me! Double Tune! Red Nova Dragon!" Skies blackened and burned. Clouds billowed up before boiling away. Ground shuddered as the earth cracked with billows of smoke. Buildings quaked as the world fought back against what was occurring.
Giggling with terrified glee, Phantom was aware of incredible things happening beyond what she had once known. Atoms were singing in chaotic harmony, the universe was crying out in chaos as order was shattered apart. "What is it?" Watching the huddled form rock back and forth as it struggled to process everything, Crow leaned forwards in his chair. "What's going on?" Taking the situation under an analytical eye, Phantom began dragging Crow's chair away from the ring with the certainty that caution was better than risk when it came to survival.
"We're not going anywhere." Whatever hold this stranger had over his brother meant nothing to Crow. Instinct told him that important events were about to unfold. Applying the brakes did little to slow the retreat as she proceeded to simply pick up the wheelchair and carry it further away from the carnage.
Two steps forward, four wings soar. Those precious hours that she had used in the cell to try and gather her thoughts went to waste as it crumbled back towards the mess it had been at the docks. Hearing the universe change track will do that to anyone.
Out on the field, everything was getting worse. "What have you done?" Howling as his heart lurched in his chest, Jack could feel the overwhelming anger fizzling away. This wasn't how it was meant to be. And, at the same time, it was. "Yusei, tell me!"
"I was right!" Burning rings that had failed to encircle the dragon were wrapped around the circle like constraining barriers. Trapped in the blaze, the sibling rivals stared out across the distance between each other. "This proves that I was right!" Those encircling rings curved through the air to explode together in an inferno of raw power.
"Right? Right about what?!" Struggling to condense any further, a wave of energy exploded outwards as the flames boiled away into a tiny sun. Knocking Phantom from her feet, the blow failed to throw Crow to the floor as she held tight to his legs where the wheelchair landed. "Explain!" Even shouting from flat on his back couldn't suppress Jack's natural presence.
"Are you okay?" Reaching for the figure from where it had been cast against the ground, Crow tried his best to help them back upright. "What was that?" No answer came as the shapeless blob hurried to take up stance before him once more.
"Remember how it really is!" Events on the field were still continuing. All of the fire was in one tiny spot now, crisping the air into thin panes of hazy colour. "All of it, everything that she did, everything that happened because she was there to support us." All three brothers suddenly had the feeling of falling back inside themselves.
She had been living proof that being a Psychic Duellist didn't stop from living a full life. Someone that had endured the worst scorn humanity had had to offer and still managed to reach out with a compassionate hand. Even after years of trying, he still struggled to do anything more than contain his anger. Only a handful of people had earned his respect and she had done earned it two-fold.
While he had been chasing one brother around the world, she had been trying to save the life of the other. They had been together since before the beginning and she had been the only one to notice that anything was wrong. Using words that took several dictionaries to understand and methods he hadn't seen outside television to tirelessly search for a cure that may not even exist.
The one person he couldn't get to agree to his points. Always arguing, constantly making everything more difficult than he had anticipated. Unwilling to follow his advice, always manipulating circumstances when he wasn't looking. Ignoring the myriad of tests that had failed to produce results and refusing to give up hope. A permanent annoyance in the way he liked being annoyed.
Keeping the unneeded wheelchair from tipping, the silent outline was thinking of a very different tack. Concealed aspects of the already imperceptible armour had kept her fragile mind from being affected by the ongoing situation and she was remembering very differently to all the rest.
Falling inside the darkness, floating along where nobody could see. Able to think what was wanted, do what was needed, commit to ideals without restraint. All in the comforting embrace of icy blackness. Looking up from the deepest shadows, it was easy to see everything that was going on in brighter walks of life. To watch everything trying to crowd in and interfere. To reach out and meddle right back with a gentle touch. And then a hand had reached out towards the darkness.
A smile spread beneath a mask as the last vestiges of reality were forced apart and a hole was forced open in the universe. Screaming all the way back into existence, Musume tumbled out of the air in a maelstrom of whirling appendages and shining colours.
"!" Exactly which insults she used was up for debate. Certainly enough that a second breath was needed in the middle. Eventually, she finished with "Fuck, that hurt." as she cracked the bones in her neck back into place. Looking around at the group with glowing eyes, she gave a tight smile. "Hey guys. Took you long enough." Noticing the laughing figure of Phantom on the floor, she flipped the blade in her right palm into a back-hand grip. "She still mad?" Using one thumb – and the sword it was holding – as a pointer, she spoke to Yusei in her usual angry tone. As always, he had no idea why she hated him. Less.
"You're… Musume?" Like his opponent and fan, Yusei sank to the grass floor. Unlike them, he was only mildly terrified at the sight. Wings fully resplendent, serpentine tail curling about her legs, she wasn't holding anything back.
"Huh?" Noticing the array of petrified looks on various faces – with the exception of Phantom's invisible smile as she sat upright – Musume took note of her appearance. "Oh, yeah." A careless shrug rippled the wings and sent up a small cloud of dust. "Shit!" Trying to regain balance only brought more dust until she was coughing and spluttering all over the place. It managed to detract from the existential horror of her arrival.
You ruined your jacket. Unaffected by the cloud of dust and flapping wings, the jovial armour happily walked up and began pounding Musume on the back until her throat cleared.
"Do that again and I'll rip your throat out." One hand paused in mid-slap as the threat was processed. Straightening up, she adjusted the hang of her jacket. Phantom was right, the wings forced through the back had definitely ruined it. She'd just have to steal another one once everything had calmed down.
"Is that one of my jackets?" Wheeling himself over in his chair, Crow's brow furrowed as his mind started to piece together parts of the puzzle. With clear proof of Yusei's wild claims staring him in the face, the narrative that he had been following was starting to lose control. "Where did you get it from?" It had been one of his nicer ones as well. Hardly any burns on it, only the occasional stain from nobody-knew-what. One of those days, he would have promoted it from 'smart-casual' to 'casual' and just worn it wherever he wanted to. Except for now, when it had a massive gaping hole in the back.
"What are you doing in that thing?" Looking down at the man who had raised her, Musume reached out with to help him up. Unlike the mildly terrified look at her appearance, the replacement look of fear on his face could be considered practically standard. "Oh, sorry." Still held in place by her thumb was the handle of the 'Tender Hands' sword that she had originally gone to Convergence to ask about. "Here," Holding it out to her recent medical aid, she watched as they took a step away. Apparently, the throat-ripping threat had made an impression. "Do you want it back?"
There is a reason why all things are as they are. It was far from a concrete answer but the distance indicated she was allowed to keep it for the time being.
"When this is over," Slipping the blade down one boot, she was privately relieved to keep hold of the weapon. It was comforting to have a weapon that could supposedly cut through anything she wanted it to. "We're going to have a talk."
"If you're really real," Ever the sceptic in any reality, Jack had been cold towards her even before his memories had been messed with. "Then that means Yusei's right about Akiza." Just because he was a sceptic didn't mean that he couldn't connect the dots as fast as either of his brothers.
"And I was hoping that Musume might know what's going on." With a concrete foundation to expand his memories from, what had really happened was starting to return to his mind. How he had worked as a scientist for eight years, regularly replacing the drip keeping the hidden comatose patient sustained. That – until only a few days before – Akiza had been alive and present.
"Yeah, Crow's being lazy." With both hands free, she reached up his arms and pulled him upright with a slight scream and an unavoidable image of holding a giant baby. "Stand up." A whimpered refusal failed to hold any water as the group began to remember that he could walk. Being able to read by the illumination of her eyes was also quite intimidating. "Now!" Any idiot who has taken their phone to the toilet to browse the internet knows the dangers of sitting in one place for too long.
Much like those people, Crow's face became one of moderate constipation as blood began flowing properly in his legs for the first time in two days. The rest of it had been spent seated in a cheap wheelchair provided by the hotel he had found himself in when he woke up. It would take some explaining to return it. Feeling sensation in his toes again, he actually managed to plant his feet on the floor and stand unaided. "Shit!" For all of two seconds before collapsing to the ground.
"Wow." Gesturing that for Jack to kick his fallen brother (having prudently decided that the painful transformations inside her shoes possible being too dangerous) was not only permissible but encouraged, Musume returned to the main problem. "How soon can you get your hands on a car?"
"Trudge brought one with us." Acquiring it would require a convenient distraction – cue Crow's miraculous return to mobility – to swipe the keys and then slip out to steal it. Three minutes work if they wanted to avoid suspicion.
"Nice to see that your friends didn't just throw you in the loony bin." A thought occurred to her in that sarcastic retort. "What I don't get," Frowning slightly only highlighted the shining lines on her face. "Is how you still remembered anything." This was directed at the silent figure of Phantom who had been watching plans be made. "Why did you help him?" Pausing as she considered the question, a faint distraction drew her attention elsewhere for a moment.
Knowledge is stronger than memory. Smiling at Musume, hints of the next strangeness were already starting to appear. They just weren't obvious to people who still had their bodies. And we should not trust the weaker. In conjunction with her earlier words at the refusal of the sword, Yusei's internal insanity-sensor started to tick slightly.
"Is there any particular reason you're quoting Dracula or," A blank look seemed to sweep through the field. Like one of those moments when walking into a room only to instantly forget why. Except that it had probably never happened to so many people at once. As Yusei automatically finished his sentence, "Did you have a plan?" with a puzzled look, only the dragon girl who noticed the smile freeze in place seemed to be unaffected.
"Hey. What did you mean?" Tapping the handle of her sword against the unmoving head brought no reaction. "What's going on?" This hadn't been included in the inventory. Then again, not much had been included.
"Are you feeling okay?" Still regaining use of his legs, Crow stumbled upwards to clutch at her shoulder for balance. Memories were still filtering through the lies and that only made it easier to twist them again.
"Something's wrong with her." That darkness had always been unyielding just never so still. It wasn't only invisible; it was now immobile. It refused to move even an inch. And it wasn't just Crow who was confused, Jack was joining in as well.
"Wrong with who?" Hackles of instincts rose from deep inside her gut. "It's just a statue." Whatever protections that had kept Phantom safe had either been overcome or faded away. All that remained was the silent statue.
"Yusei. Tell me you know who this is." Maybe it was just those who had already been affected. Yusei seemed to have some resistance to whatever was happening.
"Who? The statue?" Unlike the freshly trapped figure, Musume had no theories about what could be happening. Nor could she guess how to undo it. She only knew what would happen next.
"Come on." Turning away from the frozen outline, she forced herself not to attack Yusei on sight. "We have work to do." Their mad friend would have to wait. Hopefully, she would recover when they managed to reverse what happened to the world. Otherwise, she would end up as another oddity nobody remembered clearly. Which wouldn't be too different from how she currently existed.
I was planning on having these three up yesterday but wanted to do them all at once and got delayed in the middle. At least they're only a year later!
But, please, don't leave your reviews for an entire year.