Renegades: A New Dawn
Chapter LXIV: Press 3 for a Girl, 4 for a Boy
Flashback: 20 minutes after Against All Odds ended
Phil was just exiting his title photoshoot when Maddy approached him, a furious look on her face. As he saw this, he immediately said 'I'll be back in a few girls, just need to talk to Maddy.' They went outside, and she shared her displeasure. 'What the fuck was that?' 'A plan executed to perfection.' 'We had a plan, you know we had a plan, or am I suddenly mistaken?' 'Correction: you had a plan.' 'Which you agreed to.' 'Correct.' 'So what am I missing here?' He then revealed his hand.
'Astrid has all the time in the world, I don't. I don't know how many more shots I'm going to get at this title, believe it or not I'm not going to be around here forever. So I decided that after everything, I was going to keep the title in the Renegades by any means necessary. And when Astrid was beating Claude, I saw an opportunity to win the title for myself.' 'You know she's going to lose her contract from LFD now.' 'If that happens, tell Astrid to speak to Frances, because that shit isn't legal, and let's face it, you had no problem going into business for yourself there. Now if Astrid wants a rematch, I'll more than happily give it to her, anytime I get to tangle with her I'm going to take it. But otherwise, she's just going to have to deal with the fact that I won fairly, and she could easily have beaten me.'
Astrid then spotted them, and ran over. 'Maddy, I thought I told you not to say anything.' Phil immediately defused the situation though. 'It's fine, I was just telling Maddy that I'll happily give you a rematch whenever you want.' 'Why?' she asked, cautious about his intentions. 'Because it's what you're owed, and I like facing you. So name a place, name a time, and I'll make the challenge so they can't stop it.' 'I'll let you know. Just know that I'm not going away.' 'I don't expect you to. Don't expect me to just hand you the title back either though.' They shook on their agreement, as Maddy shook her head.
6 Days Later
It was the day of the Manchester Festival event, but instead of the Manchester Arena, Phil, Hannah and Sakura were on their way to another venue entirely. 'So they used to race dogs at this place?' 'Yeah, it was used for Greyhound racing until business dried up about a decade ago. Now it's just used for local Pro Wrestling events and other small-scale events.' He then turned around to Hannah, who was lying in the back of the Impreza, with her eyes closed. 'If you're feeling that bad then we can always call this off you know.'
'No no, I'm fine. Just been a little queasy that's all.' 'Well I don't want you making yourself worse. There's always other chances.' 'No, there isn't' she snapped in response. 'Look, when I retire for good at the end of the season, I mean it, I'm done. I'm not coming back for a cameo, I'm not doing exhibitions, this is the last chance I'm going to get to do this with you. We've been promising to do this for five years, and I'm not going to let people down AGAIN.' This comment intrigued Sakura.
'I know you couldn't last year because you weren't competing.' 'You mean I wasn't competing, Phil did.' 'Oh yeah, the whole control thing, I take it no hard feelings?' 'I mean I sort of invited him to do it, and it lasted all of a week. Honestly there's more hard feelings about him making me put up with this massive lump for 8 months and counting. So we didn't last year, two years ago Phil was on a hiatus but I won the singles event here, three years ago we were busy getting the tag titles back from Crow and Jack' 'Oh yeah I remember that one, wasn't that the one where you ended up using Tyrant's Tantrum, Royal Decree and Majesty's Fiend to stop them activating any cards?'
Hannah laughed in response. 'The one and only, I'll never forget that we spent four days labbing out that combo, and not once did it ever work, but then when we were in the duel, I just saw the opportunity and quickly signalled to him before he sent Tantrum to the graveyard. It helped that Crow didn't see Gale the entire game. Hey Phil, you remember why we didn't do the exhibition in 2012?' After a moment of consideration, he came up with an answer. 'Wasn't that the time that the track was closed due to flooding?' 'Oh yeah, they held the Festival in late February that year, and the rain was absolutely mental. And 2011, that was the year you broke your toe?' 'Yep, broke my toe three days before and I could barely walk.' As Phil and Hannah continued to debate how bad a toe injury from five years before was, Sakura giggled to herself, considering herself to be in exalted company. 'Gonna be fun today.'
Outside the Manchester Arena
As the rest of the club walked the streets approaching the arena, they were met with large crowds, many of whom had been waiting overnight in order to see them. As they were, Rio stepped up to one who was holding out their autograph book, but as she approached, they stepped back. 'Excuse me, I'm looking for Blair, I was hoping she could sign this for me?' 'Sorry, she's not here at the moment, she's getting the train down from football practice.' 'Oh, ok' the individual responded, before walking off again. 'I could sign one for you…' Rio sighed.
Noticing her reaction, Kris quietly walked over, and just tapped her on the back, quipping 'They don't know what they're missing out on', before walking by, making her smile. As he walked by, he passed Maddy, who appeared to be in the middle of an incredible tense phone call. 'You heard what he said - if they try stopping you from competing there, you speak to Frances and take 'em to court. That contract does not say anything about the fuckin' title, and even if it did, you were champ when you signed it. K? Frances will be at the base later about 2, I told her that she could borrow one of the rooms to do some paperwork. If you need anything else, I'm a phone call away. Ok, laters.'
Hearing the conversation, Kris approached her as she pulled her eyes at the situation. 'Still going on about it?' 'Yep, keep telling her to just talk to Frances. But she just doesn't listen to us.' 'Tell me about it, I spent two hours telling her just that yesterday. She's just been in such a funk ever since that duel.' 'I can't blame her, I mean the way she thought she'd won, and then he sneaked in, it just wasn't right. Like, against anyone else yeah, but against another one of us, at least try and prove you're better.'
While they were conversing, Rio saw Declan walking towards them, and ran over to Kris. 'Traitor, 3 o'clock.' Kris readied himself for a fight, but Declan readily approached them, leaving his advisors behind him. 'Is Astrid around?' 'No, no wonder after what your lot have done to her as well.' 'Believe it or not, that's why I'm here.' 'I'll bet it is.' Rio then held him back, and walked up to him. 'Ms. Kastle.' 'Why should we hear you out?' He calmly responded with 'Because I didn't make the statement.' She turned to Kris, and confidently told him 'Hear him out.' Kris then calmed down. '2 minutes.'
'I won't need that long, it's very simple. You see, it is my mother who owns the company, not myself. I personally recruited Astrid for the company without her knowing, and now she's using this as a power play. I wanted Astrid before she was champion, so much that we first approached her while she was Amateur World Champion. Now I am attempting to purchase voting shares so I am the primary owner. However, if she wants to come to us before then, I suggest she find a lawyer to threaten legal action. It won't get to the court, they will back down.'
'So let me get this straight - your Mom owns the company and you're just the monkey bringing everyone in.' 'No, in fact I am actually the President of the company. Normally my role is above such menial tasks, however I wanted to contact Astrid directly to ensure her signature. And in business, you take advantage of a rival's mistakes, such as not appreciating your assets sufficiently. Now if you wouldn't mind passing on my phone number as well, I will happily talk her through the next steps.'
Maddy wasn't sold though, and stood up to him. 'You might be president of the Leo Federation, but around here I'm only seeing one president with actual power, and that's ME. So you're going to turn around, walk away, and we will contact you when and only when Astrid is given her place at the top of your cards back. But if you're seeing your Mam anytime soon, tell her that you don't f*ck with the Renegades without expecting payback. So if she ain't playing ball, she can take her ball to court and we'll snatch it off her.' Declan smiled at her in response. 'Some might call you a firecracker. But if you want to make real money, we would be open to you joining us… after all, Astrid would like that.'
'Thanks but no thanks' was the defiant response. 'I don't need to jump ship, I'm staying because I'm going to make a change. Astrid's free to make her own decisions, but I'm blazing my own path. I won't tell her what she wants just like she ain't telling me where I should go.' 'Is there anything we could offer you, money, fame, opportunities,' 'The only thing you could offer me right now is the opportunity to give yer Mam an atomic wedgie right between the' 'Keep it civil' Rio suddenly whispered to her. 'It appears I have no more business here then. Until the time that we face off as true enemies. Our paths will cross again.' As he sauntered off, she responded in the affirmative. 'Yeah, no doubt about it.'
At the greyhound track, Gorton
As preparations were made for the exhibition, Hannah was talking to the organiser, confirming the rules. 'So 60 minutes right?' '60 minutes, most damage wins, but most of all, just try and put on a show for them, we love you both here. The more that you put on a show, the more likely we'll be able to put on more like this in the future.' 'Not with me you aren't' she responded while quickly looping her hair. 'End of the season, I'm done. Only plans after this are Worlds if I'm offered it and maybe a proper goodbye duel.'
'Come on now, you can never say never.' 'Yeah, I mean in five or ten years maybe, but not for a long time. I'm just done with all of it, I don't have the fire to compete like that anymore, and if I'm not playing to win, I'm not playing. So meet and greets, sure. Autograph signings, why not. Swimming pool and book store openings, absolutely. But I'm not coming to compete, because quite honestly, I can't anymore. Because I literally don't care if I win or if I lose, and the moment you stop caring, I'm done. I only agreed to do this as a favour.'
Back at the Manchester Arena
After over half an hour, Maddy was getting impatient. 'We told them 12:30pm, right?' 'Yep' Rio replied, sighing as she did. 'What's keeping them so long then?' 'Blair did say she wanted to explore Manchester more… I just didn't realise she meant she was doing it before coming here.' 'Just to check, nobody told her about the football ground just out of town?' 'No, we agreed we'd only tell her after the event ended. I'm worried we'll never get her out of there honestly.' Maddy was then approached by two men in plain black coats, who just stood right in front of her, and stared.
'Did you want something? Apart from, like the 30th autograph I've signed today, I never knew Geordies were so popular down here.' Instead of talking to her, they talked amongst each other. 'She the one?' 'Seems sufficiently edgy and aggressive. I suppose we could talk at least.' They then turned back to her. 'We're here on behalf of the Segolia Corporation, you may be familiar with us.' 'You again? I thought you had enough the last time we beat up your goons?' 'As I say, we are here on behalf of them, we don't actively work for them.' 'Well on behalf of me, you can turn around and go back over there. Or wherever in fact, as long as it ain't here.' They clearly weren't getting the message though.
'We come to bring you a message from Alexander Kincaid.' 'Can't wait for this one' Maddy remarked. 'He would like to make you a deal.' They then produced a briefcase, stuffed full of cash. '£250,000. More money than you could earn in an entire year here. All you have to do is come over to our labs in Toronto and help our research for a few weeks. We're trying to understand more about your species.' 'Yeah, well from what I've heard and seen, it's not exactly understanding you want, more… eradication.' 'Name your price then, and I'm sure we can work something out.'
'You just don't get it. You could offer me all the money in all the banks in the world, and I still wouldn't agree. Because I'm not about to sell out like that, and I'm not about to betray my entire race like that. The answer was no before, it's no now, and the next time you ask me, it's still going to be a no. I'm not helping you with your weird experiments, so you can turn yer arses around, and get lost, before I spear you so hard you'll be shitting out intestines for weeks.' One of them responded by laughing. 'Sorry, but we were told that you were coming, whether you liked it or not.'
While this conversation was happening, Denny rocketed up behind the goons, and with the greatest of grace and the softest of touches, stole their belts, disappearing off to the side of them as their trousers suddenly slid down their legs. As they stood there embarrassed, Maddy laughed, and Dakota walked up to them. 'So you met my brother? Doesn't talk much, but he's a hell of a hand when it comes to theft. Oh yeah, I'm KAI by the way, here's a present to remember me by.' She took two gloves out of her pocket, and punched both goons in the crotch, making them slump to the ground, and causing Maddy to get intrigued.
As she tapped the gloves, she was shocked to feel how stiff they were. 'The fuck's in these?' 'Steel shot, a good 10kg worth. I don't usually use these because they tend to make a mess of your hand, but they're not going to be having kids any time soon.' 'They'll have to ring up the orphanage after that, just press 3 for a girl or 4 for a boy!' Rio chirped, with Kris tapping her on the shoulder and remarking 'I don't think that's how they work in any country.' 'Not even Alabama?' 'C'mon Ri' he responded, before walking off, stating confidently 'Nobody in Alabama can count that high.'
Just then, Dakota saw something apparently unbelievable. 'Is that… Blair?' As everyone else glanced across, they found Blair, not dressed in her football kit but in a navy blue jacket and trousers, hair slicked right back and wearing sunglasses. Ally was stood with her, with a red jacket, her short red hair vibrantly reflecting the sun. She hadn't noticed them though; being far more occupied and concerned with signing autographs for fans. This lasted for over 20 minutes, before Ally ran off upon seeing Rio, rushing straight to her.
'Hey, where've you been?' 'Auntie Blair went shopping in the centre of Manchester. She spent over £200.' Rio sighed in response. 'That's what happens if you give a poor girl money.' It was then that she noticed a thin stream of blood trickling down the inside of Ally's leg. 'What's all this missy?' She immediately looked guilty. 'I… um… might have been knocked over on some cobbles.' 'Come on, show me your leg.' As the youngster rolled her trouser leg up, it was clear she had landed heavily on her right knee, with blood seeping from a large graze. 'That looks bad doesn't it?'
Rio just smiled in response. 'Nothing that can't be sorted. Let's get this cleaned up.' She then signalled to Kris. 'Could you throw over my pack please?' As Kris did just that, she withdrew a small box, and pulled an antiseptic wipe out of it. While cleaning it, she spoke to Ally. 'Why didn't you tell Blair?' 'I was worried she'd find the person and get angry with them.' 'Well you should be telling her. Because she worries about you and she is so desperate to keep you safe. This is just going to sting slightly, so I need you to be big and brave.'
As she cleaned out the graze, Blair walked over, and was surprised to see the blood. 'When did this happen Ally?' 'While you were spending the entire property fund in every fashion store in Manchester' Rio snapped in response, shocking everyone. 'I literally went in one shop, and gave Ally some money to go to the newsagents to buy some chocolate.' Ally then defended her. 'It's not Auntie Blair's fault, she wanted to come with me.' Blair then attempted to explain the situation.
'Ally wanted to go to the newsagents', I told her I'd come with her, she said she wanted some independence. Don't forget, it was you who told me last week to stop wrapping her in cotton wool. You can't have it both ways Ri.' Furious at the response, Rio finished cleaning the wound, and then padded it up, taping the pad on while avoiding any eye contact with her friend. 'Don't take this off for at least two days, k?' 'Gotya' Ally replied, hugging Rio and walking away. Rio then walked straight into the arena, with the rest of the club following her.
As they all entered the building together, the AllStars draw was just commencing. 'Before the draw is made, we would like to address the substitutions in the draw. World Numbers 9 and 11, those being Rhydian Morris and Astrid Hofferson, are not eligible to compete in this event. Therefore, they have been replaced by the World Number 17 Kari Tsukumo, and the World Number 27 Rio Kastle, who was chosen by the Board of Directors due to being the Baltic Champion. Additionally, defending champion Lorenzo was invited to compete here, however he turned down the opportunity. So without further ado, let's begin. Each duellist has been assigned a number based on their seeding from 1 to 16, but the draw will be completely random.'
The balls were all emptied into a rather elegant velvet bag, and then the first one was withdrawn by Michael. 'Number 5.' The presenter quickly stated 'Number 5 is Kalin Kessler.' 'And he will face Number 15.' 'Number 15 is Kari Tsukumo.' 'Number 12.' 'Number 12 is Col. Pez de Fuego, formerly David Asun.' 'And he will be facing Number 13.' 'Number 13 is Maddy Smith, on a rampage at the moment.' Seeing her draw, Maddy limbered up, supremely confident. 'Number 4.' 'That is Nash, he's currently at his highest career ranking, winner of seven out of ten events on the secondary circuit this season.' 'And he's up against Number 10.' 'Number 12 is Kenta Kobayashi, not been seen a huge amount recently but still a great threat.'
'Number 1.' 'That is Blair Flannigan, the current World Number 1.' Blair looked up at the screens, but didn't expect her opponent. 'Number 16.' The presenter laughed hearing this. 'We've got a battle of the tag champions, Blair Flannigan vs. Rio Kastle.' When it was announced, they looked at each other, and Blair smiled, with Rio nodding back. 'Number 6.' 'Jaden Yuki, always a great competitor.' 'Faces Number 14.' 'Number 14 is the World Number 16, Kris Travis, competing with a frozen ranking in this event after a cancer-related absence.' Kris and Jaden gave a slight grin to each other at their duel, both hungry for competition.
'Number 2.' 'Number 2 is Akiza Izinski, was a minute and a half from becoming World Number 1 at Against All Odds, has another opportunity to regain the World Number 1 spot by going further than Blair here.' 'Number 3.' 'Phil Robinson, looking to put right an awful AllStars record, but the current WDC Champion has lost 7 of his last 10 1-1 duels in competition.' 'Number 7.' 'Lukas Chipperfield, the Aussie from Black Rose Inc., one of three representatives here.' 'Against Number 10.' 'Radley, in the AllStars for the first time.' 'And that leaves Number 6 Kieran Byrne against Number 8, Claude Duane.' After this, the draw in full was shown with brackets.
Blair Flannigan vs. Rio Kastle
Jaden Yuki vs. Kris Travis
Nash vs. Kenta Kobayashi
Maddy Smith vs. Pez de Fuego
Claude Duane vs. Kieran Byrne
Kalin Kessler vs. Kari Tsukumo
Radley vs. Lukas Chipperfield
Akiza Izinski vs. Phil Robinson
After the draw was confirmed, Blair walked up to Rio, and smiled. 'Guess we're facing each other first then? Could be fun.' Her friend didn't speak, but quietly walked off, concerning Blair. 'Wonder what I did wrong… can't just be because I was late can it?' As she continued to murmur and wonder, the screens changed to the greyhound track, as Phil and Hannah walked out, side by side, and took their positions in the dirty grounds.
Exhibition Duel: Phil Robinson vs. Hannah Cummings
(Hannah hand: Solar Flare Dragon, The Thing in the Crater, Rekindling, Inferno, Shockwave, Blaze Accelerator)
Hannah: 'I draw. I'll set a monster and pass.' As Phil drew his card, she suddenly cramped right up in pain, but he didn't notice.
(Phil hand: Cyber Dragon Core, Cyber Dragon, Polymerisation, Pot of Avarice, Cybernetic Fusion Support, Cyber Revsystem)
Phil: 'I draw. I summon Cyber Dragon Core (Atk:400). And Core's effect will get me a copy of Cybernetic Overflow. Then I'll activate Polymerisation, fusing it with my Cyber Dragon from hand for Cyber Twin Dragon (Atk:2800). Twin Dragon, destroy her monster.' As the attack came flying in (Thing in the Crater Def.:1200), Hannah looked down nervously, before being blown off of her feet.
Concerningly though, she didn't get back up afterwards, leading to Phil cracking an ill-timed joke. 'Come on, I didn't attack that hard.' A small trail of liquid then started running towards him. 'Phil, some help please?' 'What's going on Hannah?' She then looked up, crying. 'I think… my waters have broken.' He then panicked. 'Shit! It can't be, it's too early! You're not due for a month!' As he ran over, the referee shouted for assistance.
Just after this, Sakura also ran down, with a medical bag. 'Hannah, this is really important - have your contractions started?' She just shook her head. 'Great, that means we've got a little bit of time. We need to get her to the hospital ASAP.' As paramedics rushed into the stadium, and Hannah was placed on a gurney, she was wheeled out while fans applauded. The rather irrelevant result was then confirmed. 'Erm… the result of this Exhibition duel is a… I want to say it's a no contest?'
As Hannah was loaded into the ambulance, Sakura approached Phil. 'I won't be allowed to travel in the ambulance, so I'll drive down behind you.' 'You know where you're going?' 'No.' He quickly opened up the sat-nav on his phone and handed it to her. 'That should get you to the right place if you lose sight of us.' 'Thanks.' 'No, thank you, for saying you'll come.' 'Me and Hannah went through all sorts of birthing stuff, I'm not going to abandon it now. I'm not going to abandon both of you now.' He nodded in the deepest of appreciation, before hopping into the ambulance, which then drove away, sirens blaring.
On the way to the hospital, Hannah started screaming in pain. 'I think they've started! I think they've started!' When she said this, Phil just held her tight. 'You can do this, you've always been able to do this. Just hang in there.' 'I DON'T HAVE MUCH CHOICE DO I!?' the response came. As they continued on, the contractions went from every 5 minutes to barely every 3 minutes, with the pain increasing each time. Phil meanwhile was trying to remain calm, but couldn't help muttering "It's too early" a few times more.
Meanwhile, back at the stadium
As the entire club waited nervously, Maddy phoned Sakura. 'Sak, it's Maddy, what's going on?' 'Hannah's having contractions - she's gone into labour. We're just pulling up outside the hospital now, so I'll have to go. We're keeping her calm.' 'K, well just keep me updated.' 'I'll do my best to.' The call then terminated, as Astrid put her arm around her. 'It will be fine. Just find something to take your mind off of it.'
'Take my mind off it? Astrid, she's in fucking labour. How the hell am I supposed to take my mind off of it?' 'Easily. Just concentrate on anything else.' 'Like what eh? What else am I supposed to concentrate on to make up for the fact that I could be a big sister in a few hours?' 'Anything! Write your life story, draw me naked like you've always wanted to do, and don't even deny it, I've seen your texts, do one of those stupid number box things' 'You do realise I hate Sudoku right? Almost as much as I hate people telling me to calm down.' 'Literally just do anything which requires some form of focus.'
A couple of minutes later, with Maddy still fretting, Dakota walked in. 'Maddy, this might be a bad time, but you were saying about the whole culture of the wild pack?' 'Yeah, I remember...' 'I was just wondering about how the different packs ended up sort of melding together there? Because I'm totally into tribal history, I could honestly talk for days about Kiwi tribes and how they changed over the centuries.' Maddy was smiling and laughing as she said that. 'How about we go outside and talk about it? It's easier to talk about it in nature.' 'Oh yeah totally.'
The two of them then went outside. As they did though, Dakota looked over at Astrid, and they performed a two finger salute with their middle fingers to each other, before the Kiwi winked at her mate, making Blair suspicious. 'You set that one up didn't you?' 'Nothing to do with me, Dakota was stood there the entire time.' Rio then added 'Maddy's the expert on wolfie sh*t because Jana doesn't like strangers. Or anyone for that matter.' She then turned away, causing more worry for Blair at her apparent shift in attitude. 'Colder than being hit by that Falcon of yours.'
A question then came upon the mind of Kris. 'Hey, when did you get here?' 'Just now, I was watching the exhibition on the TV and the moment Hannah's waters broke, Jade offered to use Primal Eolas to bring me to Hannah. Except' 'Jade has no sense of direction with Eolas yet' Blair finished. 'You're lucky you didn't end up in a bin, she's done that to me before. Did she stick around?' 'No, she said she was going to warp back.' 'I'll check in with her in a bit to see if she got back safe.'
Back at the hospital
Hannah was rushed in, as the doctors got the lowdown. 'Here we have Hannah Robinson-Cummings, 31, she's just gone into labour with her first child. She's been rushed in as she has previous pelvic damage which may cause issues with the delivery. She's at 35 weeks but has reported no previous issues regarding her pregnancy. Blood pressure 140 over 80, SAT levels 95%, heart rate 115. Straight to the maternity ward please.'
As they reached the ward, the contractions started to quicken further, and Hannah started screaming at her husband, who had her hand tightly gripped. 'Why did I let you talk me into this?!' 'It was your idea. You're the one who said that nobody ever gets pregnant on a beach holiday!' 'I didn't think I could! I thought I was infertile! That's why we adopted Maddy!' She then smiled slightly. 'Glad we did though.' 'Best mistake of our lives.'
At this moment the contractions got stronger, as the midwife encouraged her. 'Keep pushing!' 'I'm trying! It's easy for you to say, you're not giving birth!' A staffer then ran in. 'Her file says to only deliver by C-Section, due to the previous damage to her pelvis.' 'We don't have the time. Putting her under now would endanger her life and the baby's.' Hannah then yelled at them. 'I can hear you both! Stop talking like I'm not here!' As she said this, Sakura started rubbing her feet. 'Just keep yourself calm, you can do this, you're nearly there.'
Several more minutes followed, and then a massive push came, followed by another, and she screamed. 'I THINK IT'S COMING!' 'Ok, don't hyperventilate, just push if you feel you need to.' As Hannah's heart rate spiked to past 200 bpm, the doctors tried to calm her down. 'Hannah, you need to calm yourself down, you're going into something called Supraventricular Tachycardia, it means your heart is beating too fast and your baby is at severe risk.' 'Why don't you calm down!'
Thinking on his feet, Phil gently started stroking Hannah's hair. 'Just breathe, in then out. In then out.' 'I just want the baby to be fine!' 'And they will be. You just need to put everything out of your mind. Just focus on keeping as calm as you can.' She looked at him, crying. 'I'm trying! I really am!' 'I know, and you're doing so brilliantly. Just another few pushes. Just squeeze if you need to. Push like never before.'
As she squeezed his hand intensely, she screamed again, and kept pushing, and pushing, with blood pouring from her, until eventually, the baby started to appear, head first. 'I see a head! Keep pushing!' Phil was still trying to keep her calm. 'Breathe, in and out. How's her blood pressure now?' '147, she's doing really well.' 'Hannah, I need you to push for me, just once more. Now!'
With one more massive push and scream, the baby slid out enough for the midwife to get it out. There was a tense few moments, before it started crying, and all the medical staff breathed a massive sigh of relief. Hannah meanwhile, had passed out from the pain, her job finally done, leaving Phil to gently kiss her on the forehead. 'You did it Hannah. You did it. You're just brilliant.'
Back in the arena
As people waited for an update, one was delivered, just not on what was expected, as Michael walked out silently. 'Ladies and Gentlemen, I have just spoken to the Board of Directors, and have confirmed that today's play in the WDC AllStars has been cancelled.' As the crowd groaned, he offered a compromise. 'As a result, tomorrow's play will start at 10am, and all fans who had a ticket for today will have their tickets accepted for the opening round tomorrow. Thank you.'
Five hours later
Hannah slowly awoke, and looked around. She then came to her senses quickly, and her maternal instincts kicked in. 'My baby… where's my baby… did it come out? I don't feel it, where is it, WHERE IS IT!?' As the midwife smiled and moved, Hannah saw Phil stood there, cradling the baby in his arms. He then looked up and saw her. 'It's a boy. I think he wants his Mum though.' She nodded, and he gently delivered the newest addition to her.
Immediately looking down, she cried. 'I did it.' 'You sure did. And I'm going to tell you something now - Marie would be so fucking proud of you. You are going to be the best mother in the world, and I couldn't be more proud of you.' 'And you're going to be ace as a father. Nobody I'd rather have done it with.' A doctor then walked up to them both. 'Is now a good time?' Phil went to warn him off, but Hannah stopped him. 'Whatever it is, just tell us please.'
'Your birthing was… shall we say not without its issues. We will have to check in order to make certain, but we believe that the damage caused to your body by the pregnancy and your previous injuries may make you infertile in the future.' Hannah just looked at Phil and smiled. 'It's fine thanks, we're not planning on another.' Phil then realised something. 'I've got to go - I haven't let people know what's going on yet.'
In the arena
With all action in the All Stars postponed by a day, the Renegades were just about to leave their box when Maddy got a phone call, having spent several more hours fretting. 'So who's the call from?' 'It's Dad. Just give me a moment.' She then took the call. 'Hello?' 'Sorry Maddy, I didn't get chance to call before.' 'Please tell me everything's ok.' 'Hannah's given birth to a boy. Mother and baby are both well, he weighs 8lb 1oz, so he's an absolute chunk.' 'Give me a moment please.'
Maddy then addressed them. 'Everyone, gather round. I've just been on the phone to Dad.' A nervous Dakota asked the question. 'And?' She then beamed a smile across to them. 'I'm going to be a big sister!' The whole club then cheered. 'Everything's all A-OK.' As she said this, Freja sprang up. 'How about we go and make the announcement?' 'That would be great, thank you.' 'Belle, you coming?' 'Sure' the typically aloof reply came.
Belle and Freja then walked down to the duelling zone together, to no music, as the few fans who were starting to leave paused mid-motion. Freja took the microphone first. 'Ladies and Gentlemen, as you saw earlier, Hannah had to be rushed to hospital. This is not a publicity stunt, she genuinely went into labour right here. Well our announcement is… Hannah Robinson-Cummings has given birth to a baby boy. Both Mother and Baby are doing well, and we ask for you to respect their privacy.' As she stated this, the fans cheered relentlessly.
Maddy then turned around, and noticed that Astrid had gone. 'Hang on, where's 'trid gone? Sure she was here a moment ago.' Kris was the one to remark 'She's probably gone to see Hannah, she's been super excited about this.' Groaning, Maddy picked up her phone. 'I'm going to go and catch up with her. Blair, you're in charge' she hastily said before leaving, causing Rio to remark 'Because of course she is'. It was an innocuous comment, but one which was quietly noted by Kris.
At the hospital
Maddy and Astrid arrived at the hospital, to find Hannah lying in the bed, holding a bundle in a blanket. After a moment of awkwardness, Astrid approached. 'Yes, you can hold him, but be quick.' As she did this, Maddy sat on the edge of the bed. 'You ok?' 'Knackered' she laughed weakly. 'But I got through it.' 'You're amazing. 'I'm not bad, am I?' she joked. 'I'm just so thankful I got through it all. 8 and a half months, and finally I'm free.' Astrid then looked up, beaming. 'He's absolutely gorgeous. You have a name?'
As she asked, Phil walked in with a can of coke. 'Skylar. I've got Dutch relatives on my Mum's side, the name comes from their surnames. It means Scholar, we're hoping that he'll be a smarty.' 'Like his Dad' Hannah responded. 'And brave as fuck like his Mum. You did it sweetheart.' 'No, we did it' she replied while clutching his hand. 'Because I wouldn't without you. You were there every step.' 'And I will be even now.' As this conversation was going on, Maddy nudged Astrid. 'I think Mam might want her baby back.' 'Oh sorry' she replied, totally transfixed by the new life she was cradling.
As she gently handed the baby back, Blair walked in. 'Would have been quicker but the Tram didn't go past here so I had to get the bus. Public transport's awesome here.' Astrid side-eyed her frenemy, and remarked 'Well it's official, she's a Brit now.' 'Hey, how's that a bad thing? I'm fitting in with the culture. Don't tell me you've not been tempted to try the Tram.' 'I have, and the one time I did, I nearly got bitten by a dog and had three drunk girls trying to hit on me, enough to put me off for life. I'll happily just walk here, because nothing is too tiring to keep me away from this little cutie' she oddled while stroking Skylar's head.
Blair then passed Hannah a chocolate bar. 'Thought you'd need to get some energy back.' 'Thanks, I'll have it in a bit.' 'How you getting on?' 'Pretty tired honestly. I'll probably get some sleep when you all leave, not that I'm rushing you or anything.' 'Yeah, I get it, I just wanted to see you. You going to be in the AllStars Phil?' He just looked at her and smiled. 'Not this year, I've got something far more important in my life now. You'll understand that in time - winning might feel like the most important thing right now, but one day, you're going to have to choose between life and opportunity.'
As Blair pondered this, Maddy had a question for her. 'Erm Blair, if you're here, who's looking after the rest of the rabble?' 'Rio obviously.' 'What do you mean "obviously"?' Interestingly it wasn't Blair who answered, but Astrid, in between waxing lyrical about Skylar. 'You should have some trust in her, she is the vice-president after all. And she's technically been with us longer than anyone apart from you or Blair.' The Michiganer than added 'Technically she's been a member longer than me if you count the whole protection aspect. But I think we should leave Hannah be now, I can see she's desperate for a nap.' With that, they all bid their farewells, and left the Neonatal Unit.
That morning, 3:46am
Maddy was sound asleep, snoring noisily, when a thump on the door of their budget hotel woke her up with a start. So she slowly stretched, rolled out of bed (nearly hitting her head on the bedside table in the process), and walked to the door, where she tentatively unlocked the door, and opened it, finding Kris stood there, looking exhausted. 'Oh… it's you… you ok?' He didn't speak, but instead brought a duvet and two pillows into the room. 'I'm sleeping in here, Astrid's driving me insane. She just won't stop talking about babies and the "magic of childhood" and I just want to sleep man.' Taking sympathy, Maddy allowed him to stay in the room. 'I'll try to keep my snoring down.' 'Be like opera compared to Astrid. At least I don't have to pay attention to you.'
'You really know how to charm 'em' Maddy joked in response. 'Sorry, I didn't mean to' 'It's fine, just come in if you're coming in.' 'Thanks again.' 'No problem. So she's excited then.' 'That's the… erm… nice way of putting it. I know it's exciting, I get it, I'm excited, but she's just… something else. She ever been like this with you?' 'Not like this, no. I know she's got a soft spot for kids, I mean look at her with Allygator' 'That's still a cute nickname.' 'Probably the one smart thing Dakota's said since joining.' 'Yeah, not exactly the brains of the operation. Anyway, I'll see you in the morning.' 'You do realise it is the morning, right? Like 5 to 4?' 'Seriously? I'm going to sleep.'
The next morning
After the events of the previous day, Phil and Hannah were both, understandably, not present. But Maddy had an update. 'Right guys, been on the phone to Dad, Hannah had a good night, baby's doing well. She might be up for visitors again later, but she'll need to get some sleep first. No idea if Dad's gonna be back or not, but I'm anticipating it's going to be a no. As for the AllStars, usual business, fuck everyone else, if you're up against each other, a good clean fight and the loser shakes the winner' hand, we show unity, we raise the red right hand, we are a united revolution. Now let's go!'
As Blair made preparations for leaving, Kris called her over. 'Hey, I heard you had kind of a rough night, it must be rough if you volunteered to listen to Maddy sleep, I've slept in the room next door before and she's like a steam train.' 'She ain't that bad, but… no, that wasn't what I wanted to talk about.' 'Well can you make it quick? I've already had two people try to invade my room this morning for autographs, it's kinda creepy actually.' 'I need to talk to you about Rio.' 'Yeah, what about her?' 'You noticed that she's been… a bit tense recently?'
'Well yeah, she's like that sometimes.' 'This one's different, because her issue's you.' 'Me? What've I done?' 'Nothing, nothing, it's more… her perception of you? I don't quite know how to explain it, but I think she's kind of jealous of you.' Blair just laughed the suggestion off. 'Kris, that's ridiculous, Rio couldn't be the furthest thing from jealous. She isn't the type.' 'Well she really got the hump yesterday, some guys came up to her but they were only asking for your autograph.' Unexpectedly, Blair laughed at this. 'That's so cute!' 'You ain't listening to me, she's really getting bitter about something, should have heard the way she reacted to you being put in charge yesterday. I know you think it's all just her being grumpy, but I really think you need to talk to her.' She shrugged, and agreed. 'Ok, I'll talk to her after our duel.' She walked away, but Kris remained unconvinced. 'This could turn ugly.'
In the duelling zone
Rio's music hit, and she emerged, wearing facepaint to look like a skull, with prominent teeth painted on around her mouth, and sporting sharp, midnight blue gear with long sleeves and red rings on the sleeves. 'The following duel is your opening contest in the AllStars. Introducing first, from Twin Falls, Idaho, the World Number 27, Rio Kastle.' Rio walked straight down, not hanging around while her bio was read out. 'Well, after an… interesting day yesterday, we're getting underway with the AllStars now, with a late replacement. Rio Kastle, the World Number 27 has been invited as the Baltic Champion to fill the 16th slot.'
'She is a tenacious competitor making the best of tragic circumstances, and never goes down without a fight. She has a variety of decks, but we understand she is arriving with a Water Ritual deck, gifted to her by Hannah Cummings, former AllStars finalist in her own right, which controls the pace of the game by punishing the opponent for accessing the Extra deck.' 'Outside of duelling, Rio manages the farm shop owned by her manager Phil; can she rise to the challenge and sell us a huge shock against the World Number 1?'
As Rio waited, Blair's music started up, and she walked out wearing a local football kit, which appeared to delight the fans, and greatly annoy Rio. She stopped for a moment to take a breath, and to look closely at her friend and foe, before she calmly walked down, looking through her deck as she did. 'Introducing her opponent, from Shelby, Michigan, the World Number 1 - Blair Flannigan.' As Blair reached the zone, her bio was also read. 'Blair Flannigan is the current World Number 1, and in the absence of any defending Champion, is the top seed. She's a calculated and calm competitor who always has a plan and analyses opponents before dissecting them like tearing legs off a bug. Her Invoked Shaddoll deck locks opponents down and forces mistakes before ripping them apart with powerful attacks and effects.' 'Being a native of Michigan and a regular in the Motor City, Blair is also a highly skilled mechanic, and she'll hope to engineer a comfortable win over her best friend.'
In the zone, Blair was smiling, until she noticed the frosty reception she was getting. 'Err, you ok Ri?' She responded by activating her duel disk. 'C'mon superstar, show me what you've got.' 'Superstar? The hell's wrong with you today?' 'What's wrong with me? Come on, activate it, I'm waiting to show you I'm more than just your afterthought.' 'I don't think that of you at all' 'JUST DO IT' she snapped, causing Blair to stumble back in shock, before her gaze hardened. 'Fine, just don't complain when I win again.'
AllStars Round 1: [26] Rio Kastle LP:8000 vs. [1] Blair Flannigan LP:8000
(Rio hand: Shurit, Strategist of the Nekroz, Nekroz Cycle, Nekroz of Valkyrus, Nekroz of Unicore, Exa, Enforcer of the Nekroz)
Turn 1: Rio: 'I'll open with Nekroz Cycle, I can use Shurit, Strategist of the Nekroz as the entire offering for the Ritual, to summon Nekroz of Valkyrus (Atk:2900). Shurit's effect adds Nekroz of Areadbhair, then Valkyrus' effect can be chained to tribute Exa, Enforcer of the Nekroz and draw a new card. Exa's effect then adds Nekroz of Catastor. I end my turn with a face-down.' She then held her arms out, and screamed 'Entertained yet!?' at the crowd, while Blair watched on in shock.
(Blair hand: Fusion Gate, Foolish Burial, Shaddoll Schism, Shaddoll Dragon, Mathematician, Artifact Scythe)
Blair: 'This ain't you Rio. I don't know what's going on in your head, but this ain't it. I draw. I'll summon Mathematician (Atk:1500).' 'Wow, you're good at Math, good for you. I'm sure your legion of fans is delighted.' 'Well excuse me for actually being popular for once, I'll go back to being lonely and depressed if that's what you prefer. But until you've made your mind up, I'm going to mill Shaddoll Falco with my Mathematician, then Falco's effect summons itself back face-down. It's not sticking for long though, as we enter the Fusion Gate!' A swirling purple cloud appeared above the field, as Blair and Rio locked eyes again. 'This allows me to Fusion summon by banishing the materials. I'll banish both my monsters from the field, and summon the unbreakable wall of divinity blocking your path to victory - El Shaddoll Shekhinaga (Def.:3000).'
'So what - you're just going to hope I can't attack over Shek?' 'Ri, you've known me long enough, I NEVER take you for granted. I'm fully aware of the fact you could beat me quite easily, so I'm activating Foolish Burial, dumping Helshaddoll Hollow. Then Hollow's effect will allow me to send El Shaddoll Anoyatyllis from my Extra deck to the grave, and banish your Valkyrus.' One moment Valkyrus was stood stoically on Rio's field, and the next, a puff of spectral flame from underneath made it vanish completely. 'I'll set one and end my turn.' Blair then took a bow, and the fans cheered madly for her, annoying Rio even more.
(Rio hand: Nekroz of Catastor, Nekroz of Unicore, Nobleman of Crossout)
Rio: 'I draw. I activate Nekroz Cycle in grave, banishing it and Exa, Enforcer of the Nekroz to add Nekroz Kaleidoscope to my hand. Now I'll activate my Kaleidoscope, using the Level of an Extra deck monster for my Rituals. So I'll send Level 9 Cloudcastle to my graveyard, and Ritual summon Nekroz of Catastor and Nekroz of Unicore (Atk:2200,2300). Oh, and don't think of trying anything, because I activate my face-down Ritual Buster.' Seeing the card, Blair looked at Rio suspiciously. 'Hang on, I taught you that one.' 'Yeah, because you taught me everything I know' 'No, I absolutely taught you that one because it was the day after you used the deck competitively for the first time, we spent all afternoon in the arena because you were determined to learn the deck.'
'And now, you're going to lose to the deck. Ritual Buster locks you out of Spells and Traps until my next Standby phase. Catastor, attack Shek. When Catastor attacks a monster summoned from the Extra deck, your monster gets destroyed.' Catastor's bladed arm approached Shek, and briefly glowed silver before piercing through it effortlessly, causing it to simply crumble to dust. 'Unicore, attack.' The Nekroz monster thusted its weapon straight towards Blair, dealing the first damage to the favourite (Blair LP:8000-5700). 'I end my turn with a face-down.'
(Blair hand: Shaddoll Dragon, Artifact Scythe, Pot of Desires)
Blair: 'I draw. I'll activate Pot of Desires, banishing 10 from the top of my deck to draw two cards. Now I'll set a monster, set a backrow, and then pass.
(Rio hand: Tribute Burial)
Rio: 'I draw. I activate my face-down Nobleman of Crossout.' 'You set that? Why?' 'You're running a Flip deck, I didn't think I needed to explain that bit. Don't forget to banish all the other copies as well.' A sword came plunging from the sky, which impaled Blair's Shaddoll Dragon, forcing her to remove the other two copies from her deck as well. 'You're falling for every trick in the book. Unicore, attack.' As Unicore's attack came in (Blair LP:5700-3400), she struck. 'It turns out sometimes you're the one falling for the trick. I activate Damage Condenser, which converts the 2300 points of damage I just took into a monster of equal or less Attack. Time to graduate, Hero Kid (Def.:600). And you know what they say - all the best things come in 3s: the Trifecta Frozen Diamonds, the amount of Astrid's relatives I know,' 'The amount of Shaddoll Dragons I just banished' 'The amount of football teams in Manchester… wait that's two isn't it… anyway, two more Hero Kids can jet out of my deck (Def.:600).'
'Siblings, how cute. Catastor, rip the kid's head off, I don't care which one.' 'Too bad, you just walked into it again. I activate the effect of Tualatin in my hand.' 'What's that…' Rio asked nervously. 'Because all monsters I controlled at the start of my Battle phase have been destroyed, I can summon it from my hand (Atk:2800). Then I can declare an attribute… let's call it Water, and not only destroy all monsters with that Attribute, but also lock you out of summoning them as long as my monster is on the field.' Rio took a moment to digest this, but far from looking intimidated, looked as edgy and alert as she had the entire contest. 'I end my turn, nice move.'
(Blair hand: Super Polymerisation)
Blair: 'I draw. I'll attack directly with Tualatin.' The angelic-looking monster released green blasts of light from its hands, dropping Rio's total (Rio LP:8000-5200). 'I end my turn.'
(Rio hand: Tribute Burial, Thestalos the Shadowfire Monarch)
Rio: 'My turn.' Having drawn the exact sequence of cards she was after, she looked up. 'You really think I'm that stupid don't you?' 'I… don't get you.' 'You really think I haven't heard of Tualatin? I knew you were packing some real power, so when you were busy at the autograph stand earlier, I took it on myself to have a quick flick through the decklist you faced Akiza with. I knew this was coming B, I'm smarter than you'd think a brain damaged bum would be. Because I'm not just beating you, I'm outclassing you. I activate Tribute Burial, to banish…' This was when Rio looked at her graveyard and realised an error, silently admitting (Damn, I should have banished Shurit first so Exa could bring it back…), before hurriedly announcing 'I'll banish Shurit and Shek so I can Tribute summon Thestalos the Shadowfire Monarch (Atk:3000).'
The crowd applauded this revelation, but Blair was far from impressed. 'This was supposed to be friendly.' 'All's far in love and war, does your Art of War not tell you that? What - you think Sun Tzu would have got upset if his enemies had a sneak peak at what weapons he had? C'mon B, I thought you were supposed to be this amazing superstar, the apple of everyone's eye, lil' miss immaculate, the genius of duelling, you're better than this. Stop fucking moaning.' This stunned her briefly, but she then smiled and refocused. 'Give me your best fucking shot!' 'Quite happily, I'll use Shadowfire's effect to banish a card from your hand. Normally random, but I think you can guess which one.' Seeing her best card disappear, Blair looked concerned. 'I really could have used that (Blair LP:3400-2400).' 'Too bad, and it's even worse when I attack Tuatalin.' Thestalos fired a black fireball, which seared Tualatin and destroyed it (Blair LP:2400-2200). 'I end my turn.'
(Blair hand: Shaddoll Squamata)
Blair: 'I draw. You're going to regret what you said - I'll activate my face-down Shaddoll Schism.' This declaration saw a rift appear in the air, as Blair tried to make a move. 'I'll fuse together Shaddoll Falco and Helshaddoll Hollow to Fusion summon El Shaddoll Grysta (Atk:2450). And the secondary effect of Schism will banish your Fire-attribute Monarch. Yeah, I've seen the card before, big surprise.' The sprint of a match passed 9 minutes as Thestalos was dragged inexorably into the void. 'Now I'll summon Squamata (Atk:1800), and use Fusion Gate again to fuse Grysta and Squamata into a 2nd Grysta (Atk:2450). Grysta, attack directly.' Ghostly flames emanated from the Fusion monster, which took Rio down significantly (Rio LP:5200-2750). 'I end my turn.' Before her turn, Rio stopped for a moment, looking at the significant errors which had lead her to being in trouble, and suddenly, her facade cracked, and she started to make plays even quicker, very clearly letting the pressure go to her head.
(Rio hand: Nekroz of Areadbhair, Exa, Enforcer of the Nekroz)
Rio: 'I draw. You… you made the mistake of leaving my field empty meaning I can banish Kaleidoscope from the graveyard and add Nekroz Mirror to my hand. Then I activate Mirror, banishing Catastor from my graveyard and tributing Exa from my hand to Ritual summon Nekroz of Areadbhair (Atk:3300), then attacking!' Rio's blisteringly fast moves appeared to be paying off, as her monster easily dismissed Grysta (Blair LP:2200-1350). 'I end my turn.'
(Blair hand: Naelshaddoll Ariel)
Blair: 'I draw.' This draw made her smile. 'Finally, you're cooked. I summon Naelshaddoll Ariel (Atk:1000), and then use Schism to fuse it and Grysta from my graveyard into El Shaddoll Anoyatyllis (Atk:2700). Then Schism will drag Areadbhair into the eternal darkness. Sadly I can't attack directly with a monster summoned by Schism, so I end my turn.'
(Rio hand: Five Card Salute)
Rio: 'My turn! I activate Five Card Salute, drawing five but I lose Life points if I don't yada yada, you get the picture, I'll set a monster and three cards face-down.'
(Blair hand: Artifact Scythe)
Blair: 'I draw. I'll set this and attack with Anoyatyllis.' The hefty Fusion monster released a sinister web of threads, which cocooned Rio's Blizzard Falcon (Def.:1500), suffocating it and subjecting it to a painful demise. 'I end my turn.'
(Rio hand: Nekroz Mirror)
Rio: 'My go. This would be fantastic if I could Ritual summon, but I can't, due to your Anoyatyllis preventing me from summoning from the hand or graveyard with Spells. I'll just pass.'
(Blair hand: Mystical Space Typhoon)
Blair: 'I draw. I'll just pass my turn.'
(Rio hand: Nekroz Mirror, Nekroz of Clausolas)
Rio: 'I draw. I still can't do anything because of your stupid monster, so I end my turn.'
(Blair hand: Shaddoll Falco)
Blair: 'I draw. I summon Shaddoll Falco (Atk:600), and activate Fusion Gate once more, fusing Anoyatyllis and Falco to Fusion summon a 3rd Anoyatyllis (Atk:2700). Attack directly!' Anoyatyllis unleashed its web-like attack, which took Rio to the brink of defeat (Rio LP:2750-50). 'I'll set a card and end my turn. Hope your draw's good.'
(Rio hand: Rank-up Magic Renegades Unite!)
Rio: 'I'll draw. I activate Rank-up Magic Renegades Unite!' 'That… was a sweet draw, I'll give you that. Not good enough though - I'll chain Mystical Space Typhoon.' 'You know that doesn't work on Renegades Unite, right?' 'Sure, that's why I'm blowing up my own face-down, Artifact Scythe. Now if you've been doing the research you claim, you'll know it stops you summoning from the Extra deck. Here's a tip - NEVER doubt me.' Rio just watched on in horror as her last chance fizzled out (Atk:2200).
At this point, Blair's body language relaxed, and softened, as she started to walk towards Rio, expecting a concession. What she got instead was Rio saying 'I end my turn. Give me your best shot.' 'Rio…' 'You heard me.' Frustrated, Blair stepped back just enough into her zone. As she did, Rio gave her a chilling message. 'I'd rather DIE than give up thanks.'
(Blair hand: Shaddoll Schism)
Blair: 'I draw. Last chance Ri.' Rio responded with a very firm 'Screw you', prompting Blair to send Scythe in to deliver the final blow (Rio LP:50-0).
After the duel, Blair walked straight up to her partner, who was clearly furious with the result. 'You're so close Rio, you really could have got me there.' Rio responded with a muttered 'Cheers', and offered a handshake, which Blair accepted. As she went in for a hug though, Rio just brushed her off and walked away quickly. The victor was so distracted by this that she didn't see her name light up gold on the screens, nor did she notice the crowd's love for her.
As Rio licked her wounds, Akiza was talking in her dark room. 'The founder of the Renegades, the Godfather of the Revolution, the masterful coach, the selfish old warrior. So many hats you've worn, but none of them have made you a star. I was rather looking forward to our final meeting so I could send you to the stars, never to return, but it now appears that this isn't possible. So I'll have to settle for taking what I want instead. I'll just have to fight through until I come face to face with the ultimate prize, and then prize it… from your grasp.'
Outside the arena
Kris walked outside and saw Rio visibly shaking, while smoking, tears juddering down her face like a stream over a hill. So he watched for a moment, and then decided to wander over to her. 'Look, I know how you feel, being overshadowed and everything, but you were fuckin' awesome out there. I honestly don't know how Blair got herself out of that.' 'Because I didn't duel well enough. I made mistakes that I never made when I was green as anything, I had her and then I let her go. And I can't keep doing that, this, I can't keep doing this. Because you know what I am?' Kris had plenty of answers, but decided to let Rio show her hand. 'No…'
'I'm just Blair's friend, Blair's ill, dying friend. Just like I was always Reginald's sister, Reginald's sickly, always in the hospital sister. That's what I always am, and that's what I'm always going to be. And… I don't know, I just thought by 21 I'd be more than that. Like maybe I'd be worth something without someone else.' 'You are something though, you're literally the VP' 'Exactly, I'm the Vice-President, because I'm Maddy's Number 2, I'm just Maddy's dying, unreliable deputy. My entire life is just what I am to everyone else, and I'm just done with it all.' She stamped out her cigarette, and then stormed away. Little did she know that she was being watched.
In the duelling zone
Akiza quietly walked down to the duelling zone for the impending walkover, as the commentators reluctantly did an overview. 'One of the most hyped R1 duels in the All Stars, Akiza Izinski is the veteran who always brings their A game. Four times an All Stars champion, she loves this event, and we were ready for an absolute war between these two. However, after the events of yesterday we understand that there has still been no sign of Phil leaving the hospital where he is with Hannah.'
In the zone, Akiza looked over at the official, who paused slightly, before starting to count down. '1… 2… 3… 4… 5… 6… 7… 8…' And then, just as the count was about to reach 9, the opening bars of Layla played, as the Manchester fans lost their minds. There was a delay, and Akiza started smiling, but the smile was wiped off her face when she saw a sight.
Walking out of the tunnel, Phil was stood, having not even had time to get changed. Around his head, he had a cut-off leg of Hannah's bloody tights wrapped and tied like a headband, wearing his wife's blood as face paint, and her jacket tied around his waist. As he stormed down, the crowd took delight in watching him, and as he entered the zone, they took delight in chanting "Baby Daddy" at him, causing him to look around and smile at them, before raising the Symbol of Excellence. Akiza watched him, as he activated his duel disk, starting the duel.
(3) Phil Robinson vs. (2) Akiza Izinski
(Akiza hand: Child's Play, Aromaseraphy Rosemary, Aroma Jar, Blessed Winds, Blooming of the Darkest Rose)
Akiza: 'I'll just set a monster, activate Child's Play, and end my turn with two face-downs. Is this really what you call "good" parenting - abandoning your wife and newborn just so you can go for glory?'
(Phil hand: Cyber Kirin, Power Bond, Cyber Emergency, Cyber Dragon, Cyber Dragon, Bad Reaction to Simochi)
Phil: 'Like you'd know what makes a good parent. I'll activate Cyber Emergency, to add Cyber Dragon from my deck to my hand.' 'Boys and there toys, you'll never change.' 'Why change when I can stay the ace? I'll activate Power Bond, to fuse together my three Cyber Dragons to summon the three heads of destruction - Cyber End Dragon (Atk:4000-8000). Attack her monster with Super Strident Blaze.' Cyber End's triple-headed onslaught ripped across the battlefield, charring Akiza's Aroma Jar (Def.:400), tearing Akiza's Life points up (Akiza LP:8000-400). 'So you got to hit me, congratulations. It's just a shame that you're going to take so much damage back.' 'Main 2, summon Cyber Kirin (Atk:300). I'll tribute it, so I don't take any damage at the End phase. Which is right now (setting one card face-down).' 'And my Jar will give me 500 more Life points (Akiza LP:400-900).
(Akiza hand: Aromaseraphy Rosemary, Swords of Revealing Light)
Akiza: 'I draw. I'll activate Swords of Revealing Light and end my turn, during which my Aroma Jar will replenish more of my Life points.' Phil gave a slight grin, and responded with 'Bad Reaction to Simochi. Which means as soon as I end my turn, you're done (Akiza LP:900-400).
(Phil hand: Five Brothers Explosion)
Phil: 'I end my turn (Akiza LP:400-0).'
Next time: Phil explains his return, and the AllStars becomes a family affair in Renegades: A New Dawn Chapter LXV: Family of Stars