This story was done in collaboration between me, Jriddle41 (Sodormatchmaker on DeviantART), and DaveMan1000 (both here and on DeviantART), and we own the OCs that are used in the story. AaronCottrell97 (known as stevecottrell on DeviantART) provided the Duel Layouts and additional ideas. Everything else belongs to their respective owners:
Thomas and Friends (c) Hit Entertainment and Mattel
The Railway Series (c) Rev Wilbert Awdry
Yu-Gi-Oh! (c) Konami
Gundam SEED characters, Orb, Blue Cosmos, M1 Astray, Strike Rouge, Murasame, Akatsuki (c) Sunrise
Character of Lisa Drake (c) DaveMan1000
Character of David Xadashi (c) DaveMan1000
Jak and Daxter characters, Spargus, Tough Puppy, Sand Shark, Dune Hopper, Gila Stomper, Slam Dozer, Heat Seeker, Dust Demon, Desert Screamer (c) Naughty Dog
Crash Bandicoot characters, Wumpa (c) Activision
Ratchet & Clank characters, Veldin, Sargasso, Shatterbomb (c) Insomniac
Sly Cooper characters (c) Sucker Punch
WARNING: Once again, this story is rated T for violence (stronger than normal here), some blood, suggestive themes, and some language. Reader discretion is advised.
WARNING 2: If you haven't read "Yu-Gi-Oh! The Sodor Chronicles Season 2", "Yu-Gi-Oh! The Sodor Chronicles Season 4", "Yu-Gi-Oh! The Sodor Chronicles (Pyramid of Light", "David Xadashi", "Lisa Drake", or "Team 4D's", you might want to do so before reading this story
Title: Requiem of the Heart
Opening up in the ruined streets of Hartford from minutes ago, Vincent, smiling insanely, finally spoke aloud.
"The time has finally come for me to get my revenge!" shrieked Vincent gleefully, "I Tribute 'Trap Reactor・Y FI' and 'Spell Reactor・RE'!"
Both 'Trap Reactor・Y FI' and 'Spell Reactor・RE' turned into colorful balls of light before rising towards the geoglyph in the sky. On cue, the area started shaking itself to pieces, which David and Lisa felt respectively. Vincent was not done, however.
"Great beast of the underworld! Let loose your earth-shattering howl, and rock this world to its core!" chanted Vincent, before holding up the card ('Earthbound Immortal Allqu') he wanted to use for so long, "Advent, 'Earthbound Immortal Allqu'!"
In a repeat performance of the same nightmare from Azrael and Discord's duel not that long ago, a large heart appeared from the geoglyph in the sky, ready to eat up the unfortunate souls trapped inside the geoglyph.
"O mighty 'Earthbound Immortal'! I offer up countless souls for you to absorb!" prayed Vincent, as he looked up towards the heart in the sky, "Come to feast on these worthless lives!"
From there, the many trapped citizens cried out as they were turned into balls of light, and forcefully pulled into the heart, causing it to slowly beat and release streams of darkness. The horrified David and Lisa both couldn't believe Vincent did what he did without hesitation or a care in the world—this was a further sign he'd jumped so far off the slippery slope. It got worse when the heart in the sky exploded with dark energy, and the flame walls intensified as the shadow of a huge monster could be seen coming outside—starting with a pair of glowing red eyes. Pretty soon, the full body of 'Earthbound Immortal Allqu' was revealed; it was that of a gigantic demonic dog, with a black and white skin tone to partially match the tone of the other 'Earthbound Immortal' monsters (Level: 10/ATK: 2700/DEF: 2300). Vincent, now in a position to take control of the duel and win, was laughing maniacally over how helpless his enemies were and how invincible he felt.
"Now let's see you drop dead one at a time!" declared Vincent madly, "'DIIIIIIIIIE'!"
'Earthbound Immortal Allqu' let out a loud howl while waiting for orders to crush the Signers.
"The 'Earthbound Immortals' share many of the same effects," thought Lisa, remembering Matt's first duel with Rutger and Discord's losing duel against Azrael, "They can't be targeted for attacks, they can't be targeted by the opponent's Spells and Traps, and they can attack the opposing player directly!"
"'High Speed World' is a compulsory Field Spell designed for Turbo Duels," thought David direly, "And the 'Earthbound Immortals' depend entirely on Field Spells to achieve their full strength! Since 'High Speed World' can never leave the field, the 'Earthbound Immortals' will 'always' be at their maximum potential!"
"And now, I activate 'Earthbound Immortal Allqu's' fifth effect!" boomed Vincent, "Once per turn, during my Main Phase 1: I must banish all cards in my opponent's Spell & Trap Zones, and if I do, monsters my opponent controls lose 600 ATK for each card banished by this effect!"
"(何?!) Nani?! (What?!)" wailed David in Japanese, "All cards in my Spell & Trap Zones are banished?"
"Got that right," confirmed Vincent, "This God was designed to fight your Equip Card strategies!" From there, as he announced the effect name, 'Earthbound Immortal Allqu' started to do something, "Immortal Howl!"
Unleashing a loud, thunderous howl, 'Earthbound Immortal Allqu' was able to get rid of all of David's face-up cards on the field around The Wild Card—being two such cards. With two cards of David's getting banished, 'Life Stream Dragon' (ATK: 2900 → 1700) and 'Parasomnia Token' (3000 → 1800) lost 1200 ATK respectively.
"This really is the perfect effect to handling my Equip Cards," thought David, dismayed, "Now I can't even rely on them or Trap Cards saving myself if they'll just be eliminated before Vincent attacks!"
It got worse when a large shadow loomed over him and Lisa (who was still outside the geoglyph).
"Take this, robo-boy and pink girl!" shouted Vincent, "'Allqu', attack the opposing player directly!"
Leering over its targets with malice, 'Earthbound Immortal Allqu' obeyed and raised a paw before bringing it down and crashing dangerously close to The Wild Card and Akatsuki. The powerful attack threw both Duel Runners aside as David and Lisa screamed. Luckily, they were still standing on the road (Akatsuki had also entered the geoglyph) as David's LP took a large drop from the attack (LP: 4000 → 1300)—which came dangerously close to killing him and Lisa at the same time.
"GWA HA HA HA HA HA HA! Hey, robo-boy, don't go dying on me here! This is far from being enough!" cackled Vincent, looking over his shoulder at the damage dealt the area and almost to David and Lisa at the same time. He then resumed looking at the road ahead, "Before I kill you, I'm going to attack one vital place of yours; your heart!"
"Dave's heart?" pondered Lisa, "What does he think he's talking ab—oh my God," It all became clear to her what Vincent was referring to, "Not that place!"
The monitor of Akatsuki turned on, showing an image of David riding The Wild Card, who overheard Lisa's frightened statement and wanted to know what was wrong.
"Lisa-chan?" The image of David pressed.
"Dave, if what I fear is true, the hospital Ashima and your family are at is just inches outside the geoglyph," recalled Lisa urgently, as a still of the mentioned hospital loomed in the background, "While everyone there was spared from the soul snatching—the building itself isn't far enough away to avoid being attacked and destroyed by 'Allqu', and it's probably still in the process of being evacuated!"
Hearing Lisa mention all of that and more, David gasped with horror of his own.
"That's the place," confessed Vincent, taking and readying two cards in his right hand, "Unfortunately, we're still not there yet. Robo-boy, I'm giving you one last chance to try and defeat me before I ruin your life forever!" With the swing of his right arm, two face-down cards materialized on the field behind The Beast, "I Set two cards face-down and end my turn!"
"(己,) Onore, (Damn you,) Vincent!" thought David in Japanese, "I won't let you hurt my family nor any of the people at the hospital! I swear it!" He drew a card and spoke aloud, "It's my turn!"
With it being his turn, both players gained a Speed Counter:
-David: 4 → 5
-Vincent: 4 → 5
Turn Six: David Xadashi (LP: 1300)
Deck: 47
Current Hand (1): "Gadget Magnifier"(!)
Speed Counters: 5
David saw his drawn card was a Monster Card called 'Gadget Magnifier'. However, as it was the Standby Phase…
"Continuous Trap, 'Ultimate Earthbound Immortal'!" cried Vincent, as one of his Set cards flipped face-up on the field in-front of The Beast and revealed itself, "If a Normal Summoned/Set 'Earthbound Immortal' monster is on the field: I can target 1 face-up monster on the field; I must destroy it!" As he spoke some more, David's 'Parasomnia Token' shattered into shards of glass, "I target and destroy your 'Parasomnia Token'!"
David grunted in agitation, "Don't forget I still control 'Life Stream Dragon'!" he reminded, "Even with the loss of 1200 ATK, it's still strong enough to defeat you!"
"Hm?" blinked Vincent.
"Remember?" continued David, "'Earthbound Immortal' monsters can't be targeted for attacks, but they don't prevent you from being attacked directly!" He then took his drawn card and placed it onto a Monster Zone (sideways) on his Duel Runner, "I Summon 'Gadget Magnifier' in Defense Position!"
Appearing on the field was a large robot designed like a magnifying glass (Level: 2/ATK: 500/DEF: 100).
"'Gadget Magnifier's' first effect activates!" began David, holding up a card ('Morphtronic Repair Unit') taken from the Deck, "If this card is Normal or Special Summoned: I can send 1 'Morphtronic' card, or…" He sent it to the GY, "…1 Equip Spell, from my Deck to the GY."
"Dave's making a big mistake; he shouldn't try attacking Vincent this soon," thought Lisa, starting to realize what Vincent was planning, "He's not thinking rationally like he usually does."
Unfortunately, David didn't seem to realize this…
"Battle!" The aqua blue-haired boy proclaimed, entering his Battle Phase, "This is the end, Vincent!"
Vincent grinned without saying a word. 'Life Stream Dragon' took to the skies and avoided a bite attack from 'Earthbound Immortal Allqu' before ending up above the seemingly vulnerable The Beast.
"'Life Stream', attack Vincent directly!" The voice of David commanded, as the end of the above scenario played out—just before 'Life Stream Dragon' opened its mouth and charged a golden breath attack, "Life's Beauty Howl!"
"Stop, Dave!" called Lisa desperately, "Vincent is 'waiting' for you to attack him!"
It was too late, 'Life Stream Dragon's' signature attack was unleashed.
"Gah ha ha ha ha ha! You should have listened to your girlfriend over there, robo-boy!" laughed Vincent, before pressing a button on his Duel Runner, "I activate a Continuous Trap!"
On cue, the remaining Set card flipped face-up on the field behind The Beast and revealed itself to be…
"'Brilliant Shrine Art'!" The voice of Vincent announced, as Life's Beauty Howl was closing in on The Beast, but then a paw from 'Earthbound Immortal Allqu' came in and blocked the whole attack while being left completely unhurt before growling in anger, "When an opponent's monster declares an attack while an 'Earthbound Immortal' monster is in my Monster Zone: I can switch the attack target to that face-up 'Earthbound Immortal' monster in my Monster Zone instead. When that 'Earthbound Immortal' monster leaves the field, I must destroy this card!"
"Oh no!" panicked David.
"Oh yes!" mocked Vincent, "Your stupidity is going to cost you!" He looked upward, "Counterattack, 'Allqu'!"
'Earthbound Immortal Allqu' obeyed, raising the other paw and bringing it down upon 'Life Stream Dragon' in an attempt to crush the smaller, Dragon Synchro Monster like a bug.
"I think not!" refused David, holding up a card ('Double Tool C&D') taken from his GY as it faded away into oblivion, "'Life Stream's' third effect activates! If this face-up card on the field would be destroyed, I can banish 1 Equip Spell from my GY instead!"
'Earthbound Immortal Allqu' smashed 'Life Stream Dragon' and began crushing it, but then managed to withstand the attack—if only barely. David, meanwhile, glowed red and grimaced while losing more LP from the attack (LP: 1300 → 300).
(elsewhere…)
Outside the main hospital, the last of the patients were being evacuated into nearby ambulances by the remaining doctors and nurses. Finally, the building was completely deserted, meaning everyone was safe and sound.
(inside…)
Within the back of one ambulance, Ren and Futaba were busy looking after their sleeping young daughter, while Ashima was awake and well enough to sit down beside the two parents of David and Gabriella. Currently, Ashima was thinking about what David was going through.
"You okay over there, dear?" worried Futaba, looking at Ashima.
"Oh, yes, I'm fine," reassured Ashima, "I'm just worried about my friends at Orb."
"I understand the feeling," acknowledged Ren, "I'm really worried about my son."
"As am I," put in Futaba, "I only hope he's okay…"
And nothing more was said.
(outside…)
And the remaining ambulances started making their way to the safety area.
(elsewhere…)
In another part of the city, the remaining Signers were busy searching for David and Lisa.
"They were definitely here," frowned Michael, looking at his surroundings and noticing the damage left behind, "They can't be that far away," He then heard Carlie shrieking, "What? What is it?"
"Up there!" yelled Carlie in shock.
The four Duel Runners stopped as Matt looked up and gasped. There, he saw 'Earthbound Immortal Allqu' in the distance/sky letting out a howl.
"That's…" began Matt.
"…the 'Earthbound Immortal'!" finished James R..
"The duel must be in the path of the hospital Ashima and Dave's family are still at!" realized Michael, revving up Wheel of Fortune, "Come on, we can't fall behind!"
Fudo Go, Wheel of Fortune, Blackbird, and Bloody Kiss all took off in the direction of the duel, hoping they would catch up in time.
(elsewhere…)
Back in the duel…
"(くっそーーツ!) Kuso! (Dammit!)! I failed to beat Vincent this turn!" thought David unhappily, before speaking aloud, "I end my turn!"
Once those words left David's mouth, Vincent started laughing like a maniac (again).
"I knew it! I knew you were never gonna beat me this turn, robo-boy!" he screeched with glee, before drawing a card, "It's finally time for me to pay you back for all of the humiliation!"
Both players gained another Speed Counter:
-David: 5 → 6
-Vincent: 5 → 6
Turn Seven: Vincent Stevens (LP: 1400)
Deck: 43
Current Hand (1): "Overboost"
Speed Counters: 6
Vincent's drawn card was a Spell Card called 'Overboost'. Since David had no cards in his Spell & Trap Zones, the fourth effect of 'Earthbound Immortal Allqu' couldn't be used, which was okay since Vincent had no real need for it at the moment; he had something much better to use.
"Now again!" declared Vincent, "I activate the effect of 'Ultimate Earthbound Immortal'!" The face-up 'Earthbound Immortal' Trap Card next to him (on his right) glowed purple before unleashing a shockwave, "I target and destroy your 'Life Stream Dragon'!"
The shockwave came closer to hitting 'Life Stream Dragon'.
"I won't let it happen!" cut in David, just as 'Life Stream Dragon' started glowing from him banishing another Equip Spell ('Life Extreme') from his GY, "By banishing another Equip Spell from my GY, the destruction of my monster is negated!"
The shockwave struck the glowing 'Life Stream Dragon', but nothing happened to the monster.
"Keh! It matters not!" dismissed Vincent, before holding out his drawn card ('Overboost'), "I activate the Spell Card," He slotted it into his Duel Runner, "'Overboost'!" As he explained the effect, the monitor of The Beast displayed his total Speed Counters—which started going up considerably (SPC: 6 → 10), "If 'High Speed World' is face-up on the field: I must gain 4 Speed Counters. During the End Phase, I must reduce my Speed Counters to 1!"
"Ten Speed Counters-!" recoiled David.
"'Overboost' is support for Speed Counters!" added Lisa, remembering an effect that was yet to be used in any Turbo Duel thus far, "And 'High Speed World' has an effect that requires ten of them…"
"I activate 'High Speed World's' third effect!" announced Vincent, as his Speed Counter gauge went way down (SPC: 10 → 0), "Once per turn: I can remove 10 Speed Counters of my own, then target 1 card on the field; I must destroy that target," His focus then went towards 'Life Stream Dragon', "I target and destroy your 'Life Stream Dragon'!"
The Beast fired off a beam of plasma towards 'Life Stream Dragon'.
"'Life Stream's' third effect!" interrupted David, as 'Life Stream Dragon' started glowing gold again due to another Equip Spell ('Morphtronic Repair Unit') being banished from his GY, "By banishing 'Morphtronic Repair Unit' from my GY, my monster's destruction is negated!"
"Ha! You've run out of Equip Spells!" taunted Vincent, "Huh?"
He noticed, up ahead, the very hospital that David's family (and Ashima) were seemingly at. It had finished evacuating almost ten minutes ago, but no one knew that. A slasher smile formed on Vincent's face since he believed the hospital was still packed with lots of sick and injured patients. Although he couldn't see Vincent's face, David went pale and realized what he was about to do.
"Vincent, please don't do it!" begged David, "It's not too late, you can stop this insanity!"
Alas, the pleading fell in deaf ears.
"Do it," muttered Vincent, as his eyes bulged with madness, "Send those pathetic rejects to Hell!"
'Earthbound Immortal Allqu' looked towards the nearby hospital and let out its most powerful Immortal Howl ever. The attack was so strong that not only did the windows shatter, but the building rocked about before crumbling into rubble. In one fell swoop, Vincent had managed to destroy the whole building as David and Lisa both watched helplessly while stopping their Duel Runners in front of the ruins of what used to be a hospital.
"No…" murmured David.
"It can't be…" came from Lisa.
David took off his helmet, dismounted The Wild Card, and limped over towards the wall of fire and the ruins of the hospital. It had to be a bad dream; Ashima, those patients, doctors, and nurses, and especially his family, they all couldn't have been… His breathing became shallow as he struggled with the many different emotions surging through his heart. Finally realizing he lost everything, David fell to his knees and started screaming in anguish, with the loudest, most heart-wrenching scream being towards the dark sky. Vincent had stopped The Beast to watch his enemy wailing in agony, smirking that he finally paid David back for humiliating him not once, but twice—actually hitting him where it really hurts. A heartbroken Lisa watched her devastated boyfriend begin losing his mind over the possible death of his whole family before turning her head and rage towards the party she held responsible for the deed.
"MURDEROUS BASTARDS!" screamed Lisa, getting Vincent's attention. She still had a lot she wanted to say, "How could you… you do such a horrible thing?! You Dark Signers are nothing but a bunch of heartless monsters! There were people in there! Innocent people who had nothing to do with this!" She breathed heavily as her voice began to crack, "Even… even Dave's family was there… Now, they're gone thanks to you!"
"Hey, robo-boy ruined my life years ago," shrugged Vincent, making Lisa grit her teeth as she listened, "I'm just returning the favor," He smiled like a shark, "An eye for an eye, as they say."
Such an uncaring statement caused Lisa to try and open her mouth to fire off a profane response. However, before she could even say anything, someone beat her to that…
"Vincent," The voice of David began.
"Dave?" gasped Lisa.
Vincent snorted and looked nearby. David was still crouched near the ruins of the hospital with his head bowed, but then stood up and faced Vincent. Surprisingly, he looked very calm despite his immense freakout seconds ago.
"Get back on your Duel Runner," requested David softly, walking over to The Wild Card, climbing back on, putting his helmet back on, and glaring, "We have a battle to finish."
Vincent scowled, "Tch! You don't know when to quit," he grunted, before raising his voice, "Fine! Let's continue the duel!"
The Wild Card, The Beast, and Akatsuki each fired up and took off down the road and away from the destroyed hospital. It was then Vincent's Battle Phase began.
"Go, 'Earthbound Immortal Allqu'!" ordered Vincent, as 'Earthbound Immortal Allqu' prepared to finish David off, "Attack the opponent directly!" He looked very deranged, "Die, robo-boy!"
'Earthbound Immortal Allqu' raised its left paw and brought it down, but then 'Gadget Magnifier' got in the way and blocked the attack.
"Sorry to disappoint you, Vincent, but I'm using this moment to activate 'Gadget Magnifier's' second effect!" scolded David.
"Second effect?" repeated Vincent.
"When an opponent's monster declares an attack: I can Tribute this card, then target 1 of my banished Equip Spells; I must…" explained David, holding up a returned card ('Life Extreme') just as his 'Gadget Magnifier' shattered into shards of glass and prevented 'Earthbound Immortal Allqu' from finishing its attack. To make matters worse, Vincent watched helplessly as the face-up 'Ultimate Earthbound Immortal' Trap Card next to The Beast (on its right) sank into the ground (GY), "…return it to the GY, and if I do, I take no battle damage from that battle, then, if I control a face-up 'Life Stream Dragon', I can send 1 face-up Spell/Trap my opponent controls to the GY!"
"My 'Ultimate Earthbound Immortal' is gone…" muttered Vincent angrily.
As Lisa continued to follow the duel, she started to overheard the sounds of familiar Duel Runners. Sure enough, the sounds were coming from Fudo Go (Matt), Wheel of Fortune (Michael), Bloody Kiss (Carlie), and Blackbird (James R.), having finally caught up.
"Lisa! Dave!" called Matt.
"Guys!" realized Lisa, before pressing another button on her Duel Runner's monitor and showing an image of Matt, "You made it!" She then looked sad, "But…I'm afraid you're too late."
"Too late?" worried Carlie, "What…do you mean by that?"
"Hold on, are you talking about that hospital back there?" panicked James R., as the image of Lisa on the monitor of Blackbird remained quiet, "Quick, tell us if there were any survivors!"
"Dave's family… Ashima… Those poor people at the hospital…" The image of Lisa answered quietly, "They're all gone…" Over where she was, she looked up slightly and cast an angry glance towards The Beast, "It's all his fault!"
Further up ahead, Vincent merely chuckled evilly over being mentioned indirectly.
"Damn you!" shouted Michael in anger.
"Ashima… Did you and everyone else really get out safely?" thought Matt, before sensing the presence of his Duel Spirit. Looking to his left, he found Junkuriboh, "Junkuriboh…"
"Kuri kuri!" said Junkuriboh firmly, as though it were telling Matt it felt as though Ashima and everyone else was still alive somehow, "Kuribi!"
While that was going on, Vincent finally entered his End Phase.
"I end my turn here!" finished Vincent, "Robo-boy, on my next turn, you will be defeated by my God!"
"I disagree," denied David.
"What?!" snarled Vincent.
"On my turn, not only will I defeat 'Allqu', but, Vincent, (貴様負けるよ!) kisama makeru yo! (you will lose, too!)" David finished, slipping into Japanese for the final section of his sentence.
"What bull$*#^!" scoffed Vincent, "What makes you think you'll succeed?" Focus went towards his face-up 'Brilliant Shrine Art' Trap Card, then towards 'Earthbound Immortal Allqu' (ATK: 2700), and finally towards 'Life Stream Dragon' (ATK: 1700), "Thanks to my Continuous Trap, 'Brilliant Shrine Art', you're only able to attack my 'Earthbound Immortal Allqu'—which has 2700 ATK! Your 'Life Stream Dragon' currently only has 1700 ATK from being weakened earlier on by my God's fourth effect!"
Nearby with the other Signers…
"He's got a point there," admitted James R..
"James!" snapped Lisa, "How could you say that?"
"I'm sorry, but it's true!" James R. insisted, trying to rationally point out the situation at hand, "However, I will say this…" His focus went towards David up ahead, "If Dave wants any chance to not only defeat Vincent but also 'Earthbound Immortal Allqu', he'll need his draws to be absolutely perfect."
"Right," The voice of Michael agreed, "It's the only way he'll be able to defeat Vincent and get revenge."
At long last, David finally drew a card and began his turn.
"(僕のターン!) Boku no taan! (It's my turn!)" proclaimed David in Japanese.
Both sides gained one more Speed Counter:
-David: 6 → 7
-Vincent: 0 → 1
Turn Eight: David Xadashi (LP: 300)
Deck: 47
Current Hand (1): "Life's Beauty Howl"(!)
Speed Counters: 7
David's drawn card was shown to be a Spell Card called 'Life's Beauty Howl'.
"'Life's Beauty Howl'… Named after 'Life Stream's' attack," thought David, "This is a good start, but I need some additional cards," He then looked at his Duel Runner's monitor, showing him how many Speed Counters he currently had, "Luckily, I have enough Speed Counters for this move," At last, he made another move, "I activate the third effect of 'High Speed World'!"
"Grr…" growled Vincent.
"Once per turn: I can remove 7 Speed Counters of my own; I must draw 1 card!" The voice of David explained, as, on the monitor of The Wild Card, his Speed Counter gauge went down to nothing. He braced two fingers on top of his Deck, closed his eyes, and went into his mind, "I need that final card. Otherwise, I'm not going to win this duel. Please come to me…"
There was silence everywhere in the area—even Vincent was unusually quiet. At last, David drew his card with a Destiny Draw as everyone watched with anticipation. David, with his eyes opened again, looked at both cards in his hand ('Life's Beauty Howl' and 'Magnet Reverse'). Before long, he started to see a potential combo with several cards in his hand, field, and GY towards bringing out a whole new monster, with which would help grant him victory. Taking his chance with the new monster waiting to be brought out, the duel resumed.
"From my hand, I'll activate the Quick-Play Spell, 'Magnet Reverse'!" began David, holding a card ('Magnet Reverse') out, "I must target 1 of my Machine or Rock monsters, that is banished or is in my GY, that cannot be Normal Summoned/Set; I must Special Summon it!" His GY started glowing all while, and, seconds later, 'Power Tool Dragon' took to the field (Level: 7/ATK: 2300/DEF: 2500), "Resurrect, 'Power Tool Dragon'!"
"'Power Tool Dragon' is back!" rejoiced Carlie, "Also… Can I say I've never seen Dave have both it and 'Life Stream' on the field at the same time?"
"No one has," grinned Michael.
"Can this be the start of a comeback?" wondered James R..
"Next, I'll activate 'Power Tool's' first effect!" declared David, as his Deck shuffled on its own, "Power Search!" He then took the card sticking out from the middle of the Deck and looked at it before looking up with a cold smirk on his face, "It's here."
"Huh?" sweated Vincent, but recovered fast, "Oh, that's a good one. You're trying to frighten me with your roar since your monsters have no bite! Well, you're not gonna scare me!"
"You're wrong!" retorted David, "These monsters are the start of your defeat!" He then slotted the added card into his Duel Runner, "I equip 'Life Stream' with 'Dragonic Insignia'(!)!"
The mentioned Spell Card materialized face-up on the field behind 'Life Stream Dragon', energizing the monster with new power.
"I must equip only to a Level 7 or 8 Dragon Synchro Monster," explained David, "It is unaffected by my opponent's activated monster effects."
"What are you trying to do?" quizzed Vincent.
"I'm going to bring out a new miracle!" As he said that, David held up one more card ('Life's Beauty Howl'), "I activate a Continuous Spell, 'Life's Beauty Howl'!"
"What?!" gasped Carlie.
"Did he say 'Life's Beauty Howl'?" put in James R..
"I never heard of that card before!" added Michael.
"It's named after 'Life Stream Dragon's' attack," remembered Matt, as large images of the 'Cosmic Flare' Spell Card and 'Absolute Powerforce' Spell Card loomed in the background, "It's just like 'Cosmic Flare' for 'Stardust', and 'Absolute Powerforce' for 'Red Daemon's'!"
"Dave…" whispered Lisa.
Back on the field, the 'Life's Beauty Howl' Spell Card was face-up on the field in-front of The Wild Card.
"During my Main Phase, if I control 'Life Stream Dragon': I can declare a Level from 1 to 12; all Synchro Monsters I control…" The voice of David was saying, while he clenched his right hand into a fist, "…become the declared Level (until the end of this turn), except 'Life Stream Dragon'!" It was then the Level of 'Power Tool Dragon' got heavily changed (Level: 7 → 1), "By choosing Level 1, 'Power Tool' becomes that Level!"
"I see where this is going," scowled Vincent, "But the question though… Do you…" As he (Vincent) rambled on, David listened with determination, "…even have any Level 9 Synchro Monsters in your Extra Deck?"
"Since you asked, I do," replied David.
"W-What?" stammered Vincent.
"I tune Level 1 'Power Tool Dragon' into Level 8 'Life Stream Dragon'!" announced David.
Glowing a golden yellow, 'Life Stream Dragon' turned itself into eight massive golden Synchro Rings, which 'Power Tool Dragon' flew into while its whole body was outlined with a single orb of light within the place where its heart should be. A Summon Chant from David echoed throughout the progress.
"Docking courage and power will lead to a revolution for peace!" chanted David, as the symbols 1 + 8 = 9 were shown briefly just before the outlined body of 'Power Tool Dragon' within the eight golden Synchro Rings was overwhelmed and turned into a beam of golden energy, "Synchro Summon! Come forth, Level 9! Protector of love and justice! 'Power Tool Braver Dragon'!"
The beam of energy burst apart, revealing a bigger, stronger, more upgraded version of 'Power Tool Dragon'—featuring newer and bigger weapons. More accurately, it resembled 'Life Stream Dragon' wearing armor based on 'Power Tool Dragon' (Level: 9/ATK: 2500/DEF: 2300).
"'Power Tool Braver Dragon'-!" whispered Carlie, "It looks almost like 'Life Stream Dragon'!"
"Its ATK and DEF are reversals of 'Power Tool Dragon's' ATK and DEF!" came from James R..
"Is Dave's desire to defeat Vincent…really that strong?" wondered Lisa in amazement.
Back on the field…
"I activate the second effect of 'Dragonic Insignia'!" David went on, "If this card is sent to the GY because the equipped monster is sent to the GY as Synchro Material: I can target that monster in my GY; I must Special Summon it, also I cannot Special Summon monsters for the rest of this turn, except Synchro Monsters!" Taking a card ('Life Stream Dragon') from his GY, he readied it before placing it onto his Duel Runner, "Resurrect, 'Life Stream Dragon'!"
In a beautiful golden light, 'Life Stream Dragon' reappeared on the field, with fully restored stats (Level: 8/ATK: 2900/DEF: 2400).
"I'm nearly done preparing for your defeat, Vincent!" warned David, "I activate 'Power Tool Braver Dragon's' first effect!" A card ('Life Extreme') automatically ejected from the GY, and another card ('Central Shield') ejected from the Deck, all on their own, before floating around in midair before stopping to spin, "If this card is Special Summoned: I can equip up to 3 Equip Spells with different names from my Deck and/or GY to this card! The card I choose from my GY is…" The first spinning card stopped, "…'Life Extreme'!" The second spinning card stopped, "And the card from my Deck is 'Central Shield'!"
"They aren't randomized, meaning you knew you'd pick them!" complained Vincent.
"Right," confirmed David, just as both of his midair cards were absorbed into 'Power Tool Braver Dragon', "I equip 'Power Tool Braver' with these two cards!"
'Power Tool Braver Dragon' let out a roar, with Vincent wondering what was going to happen next.
"I activate 'Power Tool Braver Dragon's' second effect!" exclaimed David, just as 'Power Tool Braver Dragon' started glowing a golden yellow similar to 'Life Stream Dragon', "During the Main Phase (Quick Effect): I can send 1 of my Equip Spells equipped to this card to the GY, then target 1 Effect Monster on the field; I must either change its battle position, or until the end of this turn, negate its effects!"
"WHAT?!" screamed Vincent.
"'Earthbound Immortal' monsters are normally immune to Spells and Traps, but monster effects are a different story!" David pointed out, just as 'Power Tool Braver Dragon' opened its mouth and fired a golden beam at 'Earthbound Immortal Allqu', "I send 'Central Shield' to the GY in order to target and negate the effects of 'Allqu'!"
The beam struck its mark, causing 'Earthbound Immortal Allqu' to howl in pain as it felt all of its effects leaving it (at least until the end of the turn). The remaining members of Team 6D's all cheered over the successful play, while Vincent had his head bowed to allow a shadow to cover his eyes.
"Say your prayers, Vincent," The voice of David advised, "One attack from 'Power Tool Braver' will bring down your God!" He held his right hand out and entered his Battle Phase, "Go forth, 'Power Tool Braver'!" As he explained what else the 'Life Extreme' Spell Card did, 'Power Tool Braver Dragon' roared and flew higher and higher into the sky before doing aerial dynamics that would make 'Shooting Star Dragon' and 'Red Nova Dragon' proud, "If the equipped monster battles an opponent's monster, the opponent's monster loses 1500 ATK during that damage calculation only!"
As 'Power Tool Braver Dragon' charged like a bullet towards 'Earthbound Immortal Allqu', the enemy monsters howled and tried to attack back in defiance—even as its ATK went down (ATK: 2700 → 1200). 'Power Tool Braver Dragon' was seemingly eaten whole by 'Earthbound Immortal Allqu', but, seconds later, the 'Earthbound Immortal' monster's lower section started glowing gold before it shrieked in agony and exploded from its resulting destruction. Surprisingly, Vincent kept his head down and prevented himself from reacting as his LP went down again (LP: 1400 → 100).
"And with your God gone," reminded David, just as the face-up 'Brilliant Shrine Art' Trap Card on the field to The Beast's left shattered into shards of glass, "your Trap Card, 'Brilliant Shrine Art', is destroyed!"
Over with the non-dueling Duel Runners…
"Alright, you're doing it, man!" encouraged James R., "All you need to do is sick 'Life Stream' on Vincent, and you'll be the winner!"
"But there's something weird going on with Vincent," interjected Lisa, making James R. look over in confusion, "He doesn't seem worried or scared about losing the duel."
"What makes you say that?" asked Carlie, "None of us can see his face from back here."
"I 'know' something's up," countered Lisa sternly, "Throughout the duel, Vincent has been goading David into hurting him harder and harder, and not once has he referred to himself as the 'Level-Up King'."
"Now that you've mentioned that, it is kind of strange," frowned Matt, "I wonder why it's the case?"
"We'll find out shortly," answered Michael, as he pointed up ahead, "Look! Dave's up to something!"
Back on the field, David suddenly revved The Wild Card even harder and started driving right past The Beast until he was a very good distance away. While doing that, his Battle Phase went on.
"'Life Stream Dragon', attack Vincent directly!" ordered David.
'Life Stream Dragon' obeyed, opening its mouth to begin charging its signature attack. Suddenly, just as 'Life Stream Dragon' finished charging, David, thinking about how his family was needlessly killed by the collapse of the hospital, felt something inside of him just…snap…as he turned The Wild Card right around and started…driving full speed towards The Beast! Lisa, meanwhile, finally realized what David aimed to do…
"You're gonna…" she uttered, before raising her voice, "No! Don't do it, you idiot!"
Screaming in a rage like nothing he ever felt before, David completely ignored Lisa and continued charging at The Beast. 'Life Stream Dragon' also finally fired off its Life's Beauty Howl, hitting The Beast and draining what was left of Vincent's LP (LP: 100 → 0). Upon the final blow being delivered, The Wild Card and The Beast collided and violently crashed as an explosion ensued and the other members of Team 6D's stopped their Duel Runners a good distance away from the scene of destruction.
DUEL RESULTS: David Xadashi wins!
"Oh no!" cried Carlie.
"What a crash!" agreed James R..
"Dave!" yelled Matt.
Over where both Duel Runners lay in ruin, both riders eventually crawled out of the wreckage, battered yet alive. The geoglyph also died down with the duel being over. Vincent was badly hurt from the crash, but would live. However, since he lost the dark duel, it meant he was going to die in a matter of time.
(elsewhere…)
Inside the hideout of the Dark Signers, Azrael, the hooded Misty, the Biological CPU trio, and Rutger all watched what happened on the crystal globe. Needless to say, they were very satisfied. This was the only time they were glad a Signer managed to win against one of their own (Dark Signers).
"I've warned the fool many times what would happen if he were to fail me," said Rutger coldly, "The loser of a dark duel will disappear, and…" As he finished speaking, the crystal globe displayed footage of an equally bloodied David wearing broken glasses, "…that includes a Dark Signer."
(elsewhere…)
Back on the streets of Hartford, David continued to glare at his hated enemy.
"Heh… Congratulations, David Xadashi," sneered Vincent, coughing up a little bit of blood, "You've beaten me," He looked at the glowing birthmark of the Dog on his exposed right forearm, "It means this stupid duel is going to kill me, just like it did to Discord when he lost to Azrael," From there, he looked back up scornfully, "You have my thanks, robo-boy."
"No," The voice of David interrupted, causing Vincent to ease up as he (David) was shown returning to his feet. He continued to glare, feeling his anger and hatred for the Dark Signer getting worse by the second, "You might be dying, but that's because of the influence from the 'Earthbound Immortal'. You don't deserve the easy way out."
"But you've already beaten me fair and square," protested Vincent, upset that he didn't get what he wanted, "That wasn't enough for you? What more do you want from me?"
David glared daggers, "You want to know what else I want?" he asked hatefully, "What I want more than anything…is to kill you myself!"
As soon as he heard those words being said to him, a truly terrifying slasher smile formed on Vincent's mouth—seeing as those were words he had been wanting to hear from David all this time. And he had an equally frightening response to such a request.
"Attaboy," praised Vincent madly.
Without any further restraint, David charged at Vincent, forcefully grabbed him by the collar and delivered a hard punch to his face, followed by another, and another, and another until an audible *SNAP!* was heard, as David's strikes had broken one of Vincent's cheek bones—but Vincent didn't seem to even flinch.
"Ooh, how nice!" he remarked, as he spat out some more blood, "Now it's my turn!"
Vincent threw a punch of his own, but David ducked it and pulled Vincent up by the collar until he was standing, and with an explosive display of strength, threw him to the side right onto some jagged pieces of metal from the destroyed The Beast. Vincent continued to laugh as he rolled onto his back; several cuts adorning his face. Standing up and wiping some blood away, the wicked smile never left his face.
"Where was all 'this' when I was wielding a fake gun and groping your girlfriend's boobs in-front of you?" Vincent asked mockingly, "Oh yes, they were soft, firm, and totally not fake!"
Such a response only served to anger David further as he charged again, only for Vincent to grab a stray shard of metal from the wreckage and start swinging and stabbing it at the aqua blue-haired boy, who just narrowly missed it due to stopping in time. Vincent whistled in an impressed tone before David charged him again, this time ducking to avoid the sharp metal and grabbing Vincent in a headlock from behind. Using their differing body weights, David hefted himself onto Vincent's shoulders and began repeatedly pounding on his head and face with his fists and elbows.
"AHHH! HA HA HA HA HA HA!" howled Vincent tauntingly, with each strike only making him laugh harder.
Getting more furious at his blows doing nothing, David then jumped up and brought his entire body down onto Vincent's head. The force was enough to completely knock him down to the ground, face first. Vincent slowly rolled over, glancing up at the enraged David; his smile still not floundering.
"Look at yourself!" accused Vincent, as David gritted his (David) teeth, "Reduced to an animal wildly lashing out! I love it!"
"(うるさい!) Urusai! (Shut up!)" shouted David in Japanese.
Vincent got back up, and David rushed forward once more. The two enemies resumed fighting, eventually grappling with each other, trying to overpower the other in a feat of strength.
"She was there, you know… because of you," cackled Vincent insanely, trying to provoke his enemy further. He (Vincent) started to slowly force David onto a knee, "I might have struck the final blow, but you, 'you' were the one who killed Gabriella!"
"No! NO!" hollered David in stubborn denial.
"Yes! And now you want to kill me for 'your' misdeed!" bellowed Vincent, continuing to force David onto his (David) knees, "As kind and sensitive you seem and claim to be, deep down," He showed off his most terrifying evil smile yet, "you know that you're just…like…me!"
With his anger reaching a boiling point, David started to stand back up and overpower Vincent in their grappling before pushing him (Vincent) onto the ground. Now with the advantage, David jumped onto Vincent and just started swinging, not caring about anything else, only wanting to make his enemy feel nothing but hurt. After punching that smug, crazy face in enough, David managed to knock out some of Vincent's teeth. When Vincent attempted to shield himself, David simply grabbed his arm and kicked the elbow inwards with an ugly snapping sound. He followed suit by striking one of Vincent's knees to the side, easily dislocating the bone. Before long, everything just became a blur to David as continued to wail on Vincent in a berserk rage.
"(大嫌い, 大嫌い, 大嫌い, 大嫌い!) Daikirai, daikirai, daikirai, daikirai! (I hate you, I hate you, I hate you, I hate you!)" wailed David in Japanese, with each punch being thrown and connecting with Vincent's face, "(大嫌い, 大嫌い, 大嫌い, 大嫌い!) Daikirai, daikirai, daikirai, daikirai! (I hate you, I hate you, I hate you, I hate you!)"
Nearby, the remaining Signers all watched the fight between old enemies. They were shocked by how brutal and animalistic David was acting here, but none more so than Lisa Drake. Before long, Vincent was still on the ground, more battered and bloodied than when he emerged from the wreckage of The Beast. Standing back up, David huffed and puffed, but didn't calm down so easily. Looking at the ground, he found a very sharp piece of The Beast; the same one Vincent had tried to use before, and picked it up. Looking at the shard, he knew exactly how to end this for good. Lisa, knowing what was about to happen, took off running towards the scene of violence.
"Stop it, Dave!" pleaded Lisa.
David, still armed with the shard metal, looked at the mortally wounded Vincent and raised the make-shift weapon in his right hand.
"(地獄へ行け!) Jigoku e ike! (Go to Hell!)" roared David in angry Japanese.
Before the killing blow was dealt, Lisa managed to grab David's wrist and force him to stop before it was too late.
"Don't do it, it's not worth it," she begged quietly, "Vincent… he's going to die, anyway."
"Let go of me!" demanded David harshly.
The two of them started struggling, with David trying to get Lisa to let go of his wrist so he could finally kill Vincent, and Lisa trying to make David drop the weapon and not commit murder. The remaining members of Team 6D's helplessly watched the fight between friends. After ten or so seconds of voices being raised and immense struggling from both sides, one of them finally lost all patience with the other…
"YOU ASSHOLE!" screamed Lisa, punching David in the face with her free hand, while clenching her thumb onto the inside of David's wrist, making him drop the metal shard, "Just knock it 'off'! Alright?!"
The metal shard fell in slow motion and landed on the ground with a *CLANG!*.
"L-Lisa-chan?" peeped David, his fury slowly beginning to subside at the image of his heartbroken girlfriend.
"Look at yourself! Look at what you're doing!" raged Lisa, as tears began welling up in her eyes, "You're gonna kill somebody in cold blood?! Quit screwing around! That's not the boy I fell for!"
"Don't you remember, Lisa-chan?" snapped David, trying to make his girlfriend see sense, "Vincent, he… he killed my whole family, Ashima-san… and all of those patients, doctors, and nurses with his 'Earthbound Immortal'!" Lisa listened to his every word, but did not lose any of her anger and sadness, "He did right in-front of our eyes!" He (David) cast a quick glance towards Vincent, "He 'deserves' this and more! I thought you of all people would agree with me on that!"
Unfortunately, that didn't sit well with Lisa, who only got more upset with David.
"Ugh! You idiot! How could you come to that conclusion?" berated Lisa, causing David to look back over—just in time to be grabbed by the shirt collar with both hands and lifted up slightly, "How could you end up doing something like that?" When nothing was said back, she went on with her rant, "In moments like this, I can only wonder what would happen if your deceased friends, Mom, and Dad all were here, and they saw you act like this… Or worse…"
A vision ensued.
VISION
Within the darkness, Gabriella closed her eyes and smiled sweetly.
"What if it was Gabriella who saw you, right now?" narrated Lisa, "A Big Brother who she thinks the world of, murdering someone like a wild animal? She'd be devastated and scarred for the rest of her life!"
END VISION
The vision ended.
"I…" murmured David, "Gabriella… Mother… Father… Sean-kun… Janice…"
"One person's killed for killing another… and then they're killed for killing him or her…" Lisa ranted some more, with her head bowed and her voice cracking as she tried in vain to hold back her tears. She then raised her head with an intensely hot look in her tear-filled eyes, "How the hell is that going to bring us peace in this stupid war?!" David simply remained in stunned silence even as she was expecting an answer from him, "Huh?! TELL ME!" After a long silence from both sides, she carefully lowered him back down and softened up considerably while gently weeping, "Please… just stop it."
It was then Matt and the others walked up looking very glum. As David looked at his four older friends, the berserking rage spell over him finally broke for good, and he fell to his knees and looked at the palms of both of his hands as they shook. Burnt out, horrified, and mortified, David Xadashi felt completely broken, having not only lost his friends and whole family to the Dark Signers, but also because he attempted to physically murder the one person he held responsible for it—and attempted murder was something he vowed he would never do to anyone, no matter if the perpetrator was evil or good.
"(僕は… 僕は…) Boku wa… Boku wa… (I… I…)" whimpered David in Japanese, while in his broken mind… "Oh, what have I done?!"
That phrase alone continued to echo within his head. Within milliseconds, Lisa was at David's side embracing him as she continued to let her tears fall. While that went on, the remaining members of Team 6D's spoke up…
"Dave, we're so sorry," said Carlie sadly.
"Futaba, Ren, Gabriella, Sean, Janice…" put in James R..
"The Dark Signers took all of your loved ones from you," frowned Michael, before looking towards the wounded Vincent, "It was only natural you'd feel nothing but animosity towards them to the point of using extreme violence."
"Even so, we all believe you're still a good person," reassured Matt, "We'd never leave you over something like this."
"Fudo-san…" muttered David depressedly.
"Anyway, you know what you have to do, right?" The voice of Matt pressed.
David, after a second of hesitation, nodded. He and Lisa then stood back up, looked at each other, and nodded in agreement, then approached the fatally wounded Vincent on the ground. Once he was close enough, he held out his right hand.
"Vincent-kun… I know we've had our clashes today and in the past, but holding onto grudges will only lead to more bloodshed down the road," offered David, once again using a Japanese honorific in his old bully's name, "I am willing to put the past behind us if…you agree to make peace with me."
His statement and request was immediately met with scornful laughter from Vincent, who looked like he didn't want to make any sort of peace with David.
"You'd like to make peace with me? 'After I killed your family'? Man, just how dumb are you?" spat Vincent, "You know that I'm dying," He closed his eyes and looked away from his enemy, "Even so, I don't need, or want, to make peace with a piece of Japanese $*#^ like you."
David gasped.
"You-!" hissed Michael.
"Now let me tell you a little secret; despite my huge ego and the likes, I always knew I wasn't going to win against you," continued Vincent, "Ever since school, you've gotten much too powerful as a duelist."
"Hold the phone! If you knew you'd never win, why did you keep on challenging him through various means?" questioned Lisa hotly.
"Hmph! It's pretty obvious," snorted Vincent, "If I can't beat robo-boy…" As he (Vincent) continued explaining his reasons, David listened and seemed to gasp again, "…in a duel, the least I can do is 'break' him!"
"You wanted to break Dave?" repeated Carlie, seeing where this was going.
"Yeah!" confessed Vincent, "In the end, even after losing this duel," All six members of Team 6D's all listened to his explanation while in a state of shock, "I still won because I got my big wish granted; your friend snapped and tried to kill me with his bare hands!" From there, his whole body began to disintegrate into dust. He showed absolutely no fear over it, and only continued to smile like a complete madman, "In the end, you proved you 'are' just like me…! Well done… I guess this means I'll see you later, robo-boy—in the bowels of Hell!"
With that said, Vincent Stevens crumbled away as final psychotic laughter echoed throughout the area and even the dark sky, leaving Team 6D's all alone on the streets of Hartford. The first Dark Signer had been defeated by the hands of a Signer, but no one was feeling any joy over it—since what happened proved that the Dark Signers would likely do anything to break the person they were facing, Signer or not. There was a long, long silence before Matt heard his cellphone ringing; he took it out of his jacket pocket and answered.
"Hello?" answered Matt.
"Matt, this is Erica," The voice of Ms. Simmons began, surprising Matt slightly, "We got a call from Ashima about ten minutes ago."
"What?" asked Matt, "You mean to say…?"
The reaction to the news about Ashima got everyone else's attention.
"Yes, she and Dave's family are all okay," The voice of Ms. Simmons confirmed, "They helped evacuate that hospital and left there just in the nick of time," Carlie, Michael, and Lisa overheard the conversation between her and Matt, "She told us they will be back at Orb very soon."
"Hey, did you hear that, Dave?" rejoiced James R., "Your parents and sister are safe and sound, after all! Isn't that great?"
No response.
"Huh? Dave?" blinked James R., "Didn't you hear me?"
Hearing that his family, Ashima, and all of the people at the hospital were all safe and at another location didn't actually make David feel any better. If anything, it just made him feel worse than ever, since it meant that his attempted murder of Vincent was all for nothing now that he knew he wasn't avenging the death of his family after all, but just to barbarically kill a Dark Signer—and a person he hated so much. Now all he could do was stare at the spot where Vincent disappeared, stand rooted in place, and tremble fearfully, knowing this moment would likely haunt him the rest of his life.
And there we go; our first Dark Signer has been defeated for good. Unfortunately, while David won the overall duel, Vincent still won the overall psychological battle and has successfully left David in an unresponsive, near-catatonic state after Lisa stopped him from doing something he would never forgive himself for if he went through with it. Even with the realization that Ashima, the injured/sick patients, doctors, nurses, and his family are all still alive, it has made David's Heroic BSoD state all the more worse. I ask all of you this question; will David ever recover from this traumatic event? Even so, I'm afraid I can't tell you when he will recover.
One more thing; the physical fight between David and Vincent after the Turbo Duel was highly inspired by the final fight between Spider-Man and Green Goblin from "Spider-Man: No Way Home", and Lisa's "What the Hell, Hero?" speech towards David was inspired by Athrun and Cagalli's conversation regarding Kira's seeming death by the former's hand and the state of the war between the Coordinators and the Naturals during Ep. 31 (or 29 from the HD remaster) of "Mobile Suit Gundam SEED"—which the episode is named "Grieving Skies".
Anyway, the next chapter is going to be a very small breather of a story before more and more important plot points are explored. I will try to have it ready in time for my 32nd Birthday. Until then, keep safe during these undesirable times.