Yu-gi-oh/RWBY Chapter 13
Cleaning up causes new messes
Roman had to move quick if he wanted to get to Ruby before the press. He knew she wouldn't be able to handle their onslaught of questions and accusations, and he had a few questions himself. He managed to just barely get to her in time as a crowd of reporters was gathering. "Miss Ruby will answer all of your questions later. But first she has to recover from the exertion. We will be holding a press conference at the Arcadia building tomorrow." He helped Ruby up and escorted her away.
Cinder, up in her tower, pulled out her phone and made a call. "Have Ms Xiao Long brought back here and keep tabs on Ms Belladonna and Ms Schnee. I would hate to lose them after all this work to find them." She looked down, and noticed that Yang seemed to be nursing her arm, suggesting that it was probably broken. "Actually, have Yang brought to a hospital instead. She could use some medical attention." The person on the other end confirmed the order, so Cinder hung up. "Pardon my intrusion, Ms Fall." Neo said, while idly taking her gloves off to sharpen her nails. "But some might consider this a bad thing. We spent so much time and money cultivating Ms Xiao Long as the Queen of Duels, and Ms Rose steps in and causes all that work to collapse in the span of a single duel. Now the Arcadia movement will gain even more traction and publicity." Cinder turned to face Neo. "Don't worry. Our investment can still pay off. Yang is still in our pocket, for one thing." She turned back to look at the crowd below. "As for Roman, let him play his little games. In the end, they won't matter. Not with what comes next."
The next day, two press conferences were held, one at the Arcadia building, as Roman promised, and one at Cinder's house, both having carefully curated versions of the truth that were acceptable to release to the public. The reporters asked Cinder what that red dragon was, and what happened to Ruby and Yang after that. Cinder explained that there was a glitch in the solid vision system, and a full report of the duel would be released later. Many reporters asked Roman details about the Arcadia movement and psychic duelists like Ruby, which he handled with his usual charisma and grace.
Velvet was asking herself how she was ever going to get in the Arcadia building, with that crowd in the way. She considered climbing up the side to get in through the window, but a hand on her shoulder interrupted that chain of thought. "Hello there, Velvet Scarlatina." Velvet turned to see who that was, ready to ask how they knew her name, but she was stunned by how gorgeous this woman was. A red dress complimented her red hair, and the face seemed to look straight into her soul. "I've been looking all over for you." This took Velvet back a little. "Me? What would you want with someone like me? I know I'm not a big enough reporter for someone like you to know my name." As Velvet stumbled over her words, she recognized where this person was. "Wait, I know you! You're Pyrrha Nikos, that famous supermodel! What would you want with me?"
"I heard that you're a fortune teller in your spare time." Velvet crossed her legs in embarrassment. "Well, I dabble somewhat. Really, I just use my Fortune Fairy cards." Pyrrha got closer to her. "I use palm readings myself. Would you mind if I…" She asked, slowly reaching for Velvet's hands. "O-Of course! Go ahead!" She put her hands in Pyrrha's and let her start her work, all the while hoping her hands weren't sweaty or clammy. "Fascinating." Pyrrha let Velvet's hands go. "According to this, you're about to die soon." Velvet's eyes widened at that sudden turn. Pyrrha turned around and walked away. "See you then!"
Blake wandered the streets of Neo Domino City, planning her next move. She had hoped to get a chance to meet with Yang during the Fortune Cup, but that wasn't going to work out. She knew it had something to do with that vision she saw during Yang's and Ruby's duel. What did all of that mean? Was Satellite in danger? She didn't have a clue what any of this meant, and remembered what Yanagi said while they were in the Facility. Every 5000 years, warriors were chosen to wield the 5 dragons by the great star and battle a great evil. Was that what the vision was trying to tell her? What would happen if they failed?
She stopped and turned around, certain that she heard something. When the source of the noise didn't reveal itself, that only confirmed her suspicions that she was being followed. Blake crept into the shadows, letting her years of practice hiding from raiders guide her steps. She climbed over the fence to a sense of disappointment. Blake expected Cinder to send some trained operative to keep an eye on her, not some bunny faunus scared of her own shadow. Blake dropped her stealthy posture and walked over to the would-be follower. "What are you doing?" was what Blake was trying to say, but it was drowned out by Velvet's scream of panic.
"Please don't hurt me! I wasn't trying to be a stalker! I understand that your privacy is very important, but I was just hoping to ask you a few questions!" Blake was impressed. The girl had somehow managed to say all that in a single breath, while kneeling and doing some elaborate gesture of penitence. She knelt down and put a hand on the girl's shoulder, hoping to calm her down. "So you're a reporter?" Velvet took control of her breath, eventually. "Yes. I am." She stood up, with Blake following suit. "I'm Velvet Scarlatina, and I would like to do an interview with you." Blake thought it over, and decided that this could be a nice opportunity. "Tell you what. I'm still kinda new in town, and could use a guide. I'll answer your questions if you help me find my way around. Deal?"
Velvet got out her notepad and pencil. "Deal." The two began to walk through the street, unaware that Cinder's agent was following them, keeping an eye on Blake. Velvet started her questions. "So, what brings you to the city, Ms Belladonna?" "It's just Blake, and I came here with one goal in mind; To confront Yang Xiao Long and get her to come back home." "Right. You had mentioned that after your duel with Ruby Rose. You had said that she was from Satellite like you. When did she leave Satellite?" Blake looked at Velvet, with a face that indicated to the latter that this touched a nerve. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to offend you if that's a sore subject." "No, I suppose it's fair. It's just that I haven't thought about that particular day in a long while."
Blake's mind seemed to drift into memory lane, remembering that fateful day when she saw Yang on that helicopter, being flown away. Back then, Blake thought at first that Yang was being kidnapped, and was ready to run over and jump on to rescue her. But the look on Yang's face told her that this was no kidnapping, but it didn't give her any ease of mind.
"It must have been about 10 years ago, come August." Velvet quickly jotted that down. Another question popped into her mind, but she hoped that it wouldn't offend Blake again. Blake was being incredibly patient with her, and she didn't want to test that patience. Blake sensed something was on her mind. "If you have a question, go ahead. I don't mind. Unlike Yang, I'm not afraid of my past."
Velvet was taken aback by that statement, but took Blake's advice. "Why did Yang leave, and why did you only come to confront her now?" Blake let out a little chuckle. It figured that kind of question would be asked. "I was trying to leave all those years. It was only now that I manged to succeed. As for why Yang left…" Blake stopped, and Velvet stopped with her.
"I've been asking myself that question for 10 years now." The wind blew, letting Blake's hair flow in the breeze. "I was hoping to ask her if I managed to win against Ruby, but I guess it wasn't meant to be." Velvet stopped writing, and saw how Blake was troubled. They both wondered what they were even doing, and if they should even continue.
"The Crimson Dragon is coming to destroy you all!" The man preached in the square on the streets of Satellite. "Only by joining with the Darkness can you be saved!". Those that were there held a mild interest at best. The man in strange robes was clearly insane, but it was entertaining. Some pointed and laughed at the mad oracle. None noticed the spiders creeping from the shadows. Those that were bitten soon joined the man in his denouncement of the Crimson Dragon, with this inspiring others as well. Below them, a woman smiled. It was time for the war to begin.
Blake and Velvet continued through the street, but neither said a word. It didn't seem like anything more could be said. They stopped once several men started to show up, surrounding the two. Blake motioned for Velvet to stay close, hoping it wouldn't come to a fight. One stepped out from the crowd, a duel disk ready. Grady? Blake thought. She recognized him from Satellite. What was he doing here in Neo Domino City?
"Blake Belladonna, you are one of the Dragon's chosen. You will be slain for the rising of the Darkness!" He activates the duel disk, and around him, Blake, and Velvet, a ring of blue, otherworldly fire appeared. A mark like a spider with one leg glowed on his arm. Velvet dropped to her knees and hugged Blake's leg, hoping that this was all just a bad dream and that she would wake up any minute now.
Blake readied her duel disk. She didn't know what was happening, or what Grady was blathering about, but if he wanted a fight, she'd give him one. "I draw!" He said. "I summon Blizzard Lizard in defense mode!" A blue feathered lizard appeared, hanging onto the air as though it were a wall (Level 3/1800). That's weird, Blake pondered to herself. He uses a Warrior deck. What's this? "I set one card and end my turn."
"I draw." Blake said. "If I control no monsters, I can summon the tuner monster Fear Shield from my hand." A shield with a face cowering in fear appeared (Level 3/2000). "I then summon Knight of Night from my hand." (Level 4/2000). "I tune my level 4 Knight of Night with my level 3 Fear Shield. Enemies surround our home, so be ready to tear them all apart! Synchro Summon! Den Guardian!" A large lion appeared, ready to defend the two. (Level 7/1000).
"I can banish any number of Dark monsters to give Den Guardian 500 attack for each." The spirits of Fear Shield and Knight of Night appear before disappearing again (Den Guardian 1000-2000). "Go, attack Blizzard Lizard! Protective strike!" The lion charged forth and tore the lizard to shreds. Grady smiled at this. "When Blizzard Lizard is destroyed, you take 300 damage." A cold breeze ran past Blake and Hazel (Blake 4000-3700). Blake realized that she was actually feeling the cold from the attack. Is this like Ruby's power? No, it feels worse. "After Den Guardian attacks, it can switch to defense position." The lion crouches, ready to counter any attack (2600). "I set two cards and end my turn."
Grady laughs, the sound of it chilling Blake and Velvet more than the breeze from before. "I will show you a power that makes your synchro monster seem pale and pathetic in comparison. I draw! I activate my face-down, Call of the Haunted, bringing back Blizzard Lizard!" A set of gravestones appears, with Blizzard Lizard crawling out of the dirt they surround (Level 3/600). "I then activate Ice Mirror!" A mirror appears, reflecting Blizzard Lizard. "I can summon another Blizzard Lizard from my deck, but it can't attack this turn." Another lizard crawls out of the mirror, a match for the first. "I'll then activate my second Ice Mirror, for a third Blizzard Lizard." Again, another mirror summons the third lizard.
This is wrong. He's normally not like this. Blake was worried, for Grady, for Velvet, and for herself. "I tribute two of my lizards to summon the dark-tuner, Dark Catastrogue!" Two of the lizards convulse and writhe, before releasing a jester in black clothing (Level 8/0). Dark-tuner? Blake wondered. "I dark-tune my level 8 Catastrogue into my level 3 Blizzard Lizard!" 8 black lights burst out of the chest of the jester into Blizzard Lizard, who screams in pain. Its body turns translucent, revealing the black lights as well as 3 white lights. The lights seem to fight and battle, leaving only 5 black lights at the end. "When dark overlaps with dark, the doors of the underworld will open to a world without light! Dark Synchro! Show yourself, Frozen Fitzgerald!" A strange totem appeared, with ice around it forming something resembling arms and legs (Level -5/2500). "Dark synchro?" Blake asked. Grady, as well as the men around them, laughed. It was finally time for the light to fade.