The Take Back
Cody, Jeremy, Eric and Mimi were walking together on the streets of New Domino City. And right now, it started to get dark.
"No luck today either." Jeremy sighed.
"I wonder where Sonia is." Cody muttered.
"I'm sure we'll find her. I know it." Eric said optimistically.
Cody smiled. "Right."
"(Yawn)" Mimi yawned almost loudly while rubbing her left eye.
"But for now, let's go home." Eric suggested.
"Yeah, good call." Cody agreed as they all kept walking.
Completely unaware of Mason's secretary watching them from a distance.
At the same time, Yusei was walking around in another part of the city, its florescent lights of the streets overwhelming the faint glow of the sky.
What he didn't know was that two figures were hiding behind a nearby brick wall. They each wore a black suit and black shades. One of them took out a small device that appeared to be like a walkie-talkie. "Wolfgang, this is Foxtrot. Target is on foot and heading west on Smith Street."
Yusei just passed by a car, where another man in a black suit watched him. He brought up his own walkie-talkie. "Trapline, he's coming your way."
"Roger that. Got the eyeball." Another man replied in a nearby location.
"Follow on foot, Trapline. Do not lose visual contact." With that, Trapline followed Yusei.
'I hope your card works, Tanner.' He thought.
Flashback
"Hold on! I got something for you as well." Tanner held up his Giant Ushi Oni card. "This card's gonna help you get your runner back. I overheard the guards talking about your sweet ride, and how it's locked up in the Impound Center. Now, take this to a store named Bootleg, order some milk, and ask for Blister. He'll help you out."
Flashback end
'Okay, Tanner. Let's see what this friend of yours can do about helping me get my runner back.'
With that in mind, Yusei kept walking through the street. Eventually, he came to an area where there were dirty, vandalized buildings. There were also some people, presumably criminals, that were slumped on the walls, either drunk or asleep.
None of them paid attention to Yusei. But the black suits did. "Hang back, Foxtrot. Let's see what he's up to."
After a moment, Yusei stopped right in front of an entrance of sorts, with a sign hanging above with the title 'Bootleg'. 'So this the place Tanner was talking about. Seems like my kind of joint. I just hope Tanner's friend comes through to me.' With that in mind, he entered the bar. It was smoky and dark in there, the smell in the air being a mix of cigarettes and alcohol. At the moment, only a few patrons were inside the place, drinking different kinds of beverages. But Yusei walked straight to the bar and took a seat.
The bartender standing behind it was a tall man who appeared to be around mid-twenties. He had a criminal marker in the form of two yellow lines joined together, going down from his left eye and over his left cheek. He also had an elfish face and black spiky hair, wearing a brown vest over a white shirt. When he noticed Yusei, he turned to him and sneered. "So what do you want here, kid? Lose your puppy or something? My heart's breaking for you, but this ain't the animal shelter, now get out of here! We got a 'No Loitering' rule; paying customers only."
"In that case, I'll have some milk." Yusei replied as he took out Tanner's card and presented it to the bartender, who gasped. "Bolt Tanner gave this to me. I'm looking for a guy named Blister."
The bartender glanced behind Yusei before serving him a glass of milk. "Those suits that followed you looking for Blister too?"
"Huh?" Yusei gave him a confused look before the bartender gestured to two men in black suits that were sitting together at the back of the bar, their eyes focused on the Satellite.
"I assume those guys, uh, aren't with you." The bartender said as the two men noticed Yusei glancing at them before looking away from him. "Now get out of here, kid."
"Hm?" Yusei turned to the bartender, who now stared at him with a serious look.
"You don't find Blister. Blister finds you."
Yusei quickly downed his drink and walked away with Tanner's card. "Thanks."
Once he left the place, the black suits followed him, but made sure to keep their distance. As Yusei walked further in the dusk-dimmed streets, he suddenly heard the sound of a duel runner from above. He then looked up to find a dark-green runner fly off a building in his direction. Even though it was coming so closely at him that its back wheel almost hit his head, Yusei just stood in place. When the duel runner landed, it skied to a halt.
"Looking for me?" The driver asked. He wore a green, sleeveless jacket with a ripped design along the shoulders over a white shirt and brown pants. He also wore a helmet with a pair of goggles.
The two men saw this and rushed over to them. "Quick! Don't let him get away!" One of them said. "Don't move!"
"Need a lift?" The driver asked as he drove past Yusei and grabbed him with ease, pulling him onto the backside of his runner baby-tantrum-style.
"Who was that?" One of them wondered.
"Check the Nava-link." The other one told him. "Are we tracking the signal?"
The first man took out a small tracking device, watched the monitor that showed him a map with a red blinking dot that was on the move. "Yeah, we got him. They're going north on..." But at that moment, the dot disappeared. "Come on...!" He muttered in frustration.
"What? What's going on?"
"Tell Wolfgang we've lost visual and radar."
Meanwhile, Yusei was being flashed by a small rod-like gadget. His marker was reacting to its light.
"Hold still." The man told him. "The ions in this little bad boy are jamming the marker's signal. We can't have those suits following us?"
"Are you Blister?" Yusei asked.
The man turned to him. "In the flesh."
Later
"Sector Security usually saves the helicopters for the big-time offenders, but you seem harmless enough." Blister commented while typing on a laptop. Without his helmet and goggles, his face was perfectly clear, despite the darkness of the room, which appeared to be an abandoned office or something. Blister had an unkempt appearance, sporting stubble. He also had short brown hair and brown eyes. "You know something about a city-hauled fat-cat you're not supposed to know?"
"Actually, I think someone knows something about me. But... I don't know what." Yusei replied while staring through a window.
"Well, your marker won't transmit for a few hours, and I've cloaked this building. You're good for now." Blister smiled a bit. "So Bolt Tanner told you to come here and find me, did he?"
"That's right."
"I don't suppose he sent you to pay me the chunk of change he owes me."
"Fraid not."
"In that case, you must be here for the official Blister Hook-Up. So, what's the deal? Need a new identity?"
"I need to sneak into the Security Impound Center to get my runner back."
Blister quickly turned to Yusei over his chair, giving him an incredulous look. "You're kidding, right?"
"Tanner said you could help me. So was he right or wrong?"
"...he's right."
And with that, Blister has been working for quite a while. He was typing on his laptop with a few times items nearby. A red mesh bag, a uniform, and an ID card of sorts with a picture of Yusei. "Alright, Mr. Adams, your maintenance uniform is set, and I've got your idea card. Just need to hack into the city's system..." While Blister worked, Yusei took a look around the place. He then found a photo.
It depicted a younger Blister standing beside a man with orange hair wearing a blue jacket. Both of them were lifting a trophy in the air with triumphant expressions on their faces. "And... done! Yusei Adams, you are officially an employee of the New Domino City Security Impound Center. Now each door requires a site-specific code. Let me hop onto the mainframe and see where they're keeping your ride so I'll know what code you'll need. When did they take it?"
"A few days ago, Blister." Yusei replied, still staring at the photo.
"Alright then," Blister skied to another computer. "I'll have to break the encryption on the security mainframe, some logarithm runs, a little ghost imaging, and..." Yusei noticed a card under it. The card was badly burned and torn. It was an effect monster card with the picture of a brown robot carrying a sniper rifle. "Booyah! I'm in! Just gotta narrow down the search down to single-ride duel runners confiscated over the past several days, run that against a list of other variables, and... bingo! Vault 64-B, top floor." He moved back to the laptop "Now to snag the passcodes you'll need to get in. This shouldn't be too hard."
"Blister..." Yusei held up the picture frame. "Did you use to be a duelist?"
"Hm? Wha-?" Blister turned to him before jumping off his chair. "What are you doing snooping around in here? Put that picture back!"
"Looks like you were taking names in the big leagues."
Blister turned sideways. "Nah, I was never big-leagued, that's for sure. Me and my partner dueled in the Semi-Pro league for a bit. But... that was a different time, Yusei. It was a long time ago. Put the picture down." he sat back on his chair. "We gotta focus here."
Yusei put the picture and card back to their place before approaching Blister. "Talk to me."
"Got the passcode for 64-B."
"Is that all I need?"
"That, the ID card, your uniform and a whole lot of luck. The security droids are on a random program, so I can't help you there."
"I'll risk it." Yusei assured. "So is that your duel partner with you in the picture?"
"Man!" Blister moved back to the other computer. "You don't know how to let something go, do you? We're not here to get to know each other, got it?"
Unbeknownst to Blister and Yusei, someone was keeping watch in the shadows outside the building. And that someone was none other than Officer Trudge.
"Hmmm. I spy someone who thinks they got away. But no one gets away from me. I'll show Yusei and that no-good Goodwin."
Flashback
At the headquarters, Trudge just reported his last confrontation with Yusei (and Cody), and the captain was not pleased. "I said there are third no chances with the Director. You're on mall patrol!"
Trudge growled and slammed his fist onto the captain's desk. "Goodwin's up to something here, Chief! First he has me shaking down the Satellite, then he lets him walk free in Domino? I'm gonna catch that kid and get to the bottom of this!" Right after saying all that, he left the room.
"Trudge, wait!" The captain called out, Trudge ignored him.
Flashback end
Trudge became so giddy contain his excitement, which led him to laugh loud. "And once you tell me what I want to know, Yusei, it's back to the Facility forever!"
The next morning
Yusei was fast asleep in Blister's office, leaning on the chair with its front legs in the air.
"Rise and shine, Yusei." He woke up to the sound of Blister dumping the mesh bag onto the table. "Everything you'll need tonight is in the bag. Tell Tanner I'm putting this on his tab."
"Will do." Yusei reached for the bag, but Blister pulled the strap away.
"Look, man. I did everything I could, but the odds are still against you."
"Only people who have a choice worry about odds. I have to get my runner back if I'm gonna get my friends out of the Satellite."
"Wait, what?" Blister looked at Yusei like he grew an extra head. "Ha! You're taking this huge risk for some friends?" When Yusei glanced at the photo he found the night before, Blister sighed in defeat, realizing that the Satellite won't drop the subject. "His name's Aero. We were best buds. You'd notice, of course, that I said were. People come and go, Yusei. You make friends, you lose friends. That's how it goes. But trust me, at the end, you realize you shouldn't bother with friends, cuz the only thing a friend is good for is... finding the best way to let you down. You're better off just looking out ofr number one. I mean, after all, that's what everyone else does, isn't it? We were on a practice run..."
Flashback
Blister was driving his duel runner, with a sidecar which his friend, Aero was sitting in. They were in a tag-team turbo duel of sorts. But then, their opponent spun out and knocked Blister off track, causing the cable connecting the two cars to break.
"I lost control of the bike, the connecting cables torn apart."
Eventually, the two them ended up completely separated. "Blister!" Aero called out and stretched out his right hand.
"Grab my hand!" Blister tried to reach him. "Almost there..." But then, he noticed the factory that they were heading to.
"We were gonna slam into a building. I didn't have time to think, I just turned away." Blister spun away, much to Aero's shock. Blister ended up falling off his runner.
"Aero." As he was on the ground, grunting, he watched as his friend crashed into the factory. "Oh no! Aero!"
Flashback end
"He was stuck in the sidecar. He had no control. It was bad. He spent eight months in recovery." Blister tried his best to not let some tears escape his eyes. He walked over to the picture and picked up the card from under it. "When he got out, he quit dueling. I never heard from him again, except for this card he sent me. It was his part of our best combo. It's all torn and burned. I'm pretty sure it was his way of saying that he'd never forgive me. Hmph, not that I blame him. I wouldn't forgive me either if I was him. Don't take this risk for your friends, Yusei. Cuz come crunch-time, they're gonna let you down. I mean, look at me. I let my best friend crash right into a building just to save myself."
Yusei remained silent and grabbed the bag. On the way out, he spoke up. "Try not to be so hard on yourself, Blister, and thanks for all your help." With that, he closed the door and left. 'I don't care what he says about friendship. Friends are the most important thing a person can have. Without them, you're nothing.'
Blister was staring at his Duel Monster card. 'I know what I did was wrong, but did you really have to throw it on my face, Aero?' He thought. "Talk about lame." At that moment, he heard the sound of a duel runner engine. He rushed over to the window and noticed someone nearby. "Someone's out there."
That someone was Trudge, who came out of his hiding spot and followed Yusei. 'I'm coming for you, Yusei. Hehehe!'
Meanwhile, somewhere else
Just like yesterday, Cody and the others walked on the streets of the city, still searching for Sonia.
They just walked into an alleyway… unaware of Mason's secretary following them.
"Your orders, ma'am?" Someone spoke through her earpiece.
"Engage." She ordered.
"I hope we'll have better luck today." Cody said.
"Don't worry. We'll find Sonia." Eric assured him. "Let's ask around in the next block."
Cody nodded. "Okay."
Clang!
"Huh?" He then looked down when he noticed a small metallic sphere.
Clang! Clang!
Two more spheres came out from nowhere. And then, they suddenly released some kind of smoke.
"What?! What is this… (Cough) (Cough)!" Cody exclaimed before started to cough. Soon after, all the others were coughing as well.
"(Cough) (Cough) Don't tell me… did they…" Jeremy began to say, but he couldn't finish his sentence because he fell unconscious. And then, so did the rest of the gang.
After a short moment, a group of black suits surrounded them, with the secretary approaching them with a pleased expression on her face.
"Excellent. Take them away."
Back with Yusei.
Yusei had just arrived at the Security Impound Center, wearing the uniform Blister prepared for him. He also had a patch that covered his marker.
Later on, when the dusk came, all the employess went home. After that, all the entrances and doors were locked and sealed. The power had been turned off as well. It was void for human life, except for one person.
Yusei emerged from the men's toilet, now back in his regular outfit. He noticed small robots rolling across the hallways. 'So far so good. Blister was right about those security droids. Time to move. Top floor, here I come.'
He moved briskly through the dark building until he came to a giant door of steel. 'This is it. Now I just hope this ID card and passcode work.' He slid his card through lock before typing in the code. The doors then opened to a giant room full of metal crates. 'Nice.'
He was holding a tracker with him while Salming afroasiatiska the area for a short area until the device locket ontologi his runner's locarion. "There we go, reunited at last."
But before he could anything, he was sudden exposed by spotlights.
"Hahahaha!" Upon hearing the familiar laughter, Yusei turned and saw the officers operating the spotlights, and the one the laughter belonged to: Trudge. "I'm starting to think you like me, Yusei. Why else world you constantly go out of your way to make sure we keep meeting up like this? Although, I gotta say this is probably your craziest stunt yet. What on earth were you thinking?"
"I just want my duel runner back, Trudge. It is mine!" Yusei barked.
"Actually, that runner of yours is now the property of Sector Security. It's gona be a patrol bike, or maybe they'll scrap it and turn it into a brunch of toasters! I'm not really sure. As for you, it's back to the Facility! Get him, boys!"
Many officers chased after Yusei, who climbed into the crate.
"Sorry, Yusei," Trudge jumped off the crate he was standing on before walking up to the one Yusei was hiding in. "But that runner is offline, so just come out quietly." But it was then he heard the sound of a duel runner engine. "What is that?!"
"Offline? Please!" Yusei's duel runner burst out from the crate, forcing Trudge to duck. He then shot out along the passageway cleared between the rows of crates.
"Don't let him get away!" One of the other officers ordered as the rest of them chased after Yusei.
"You asked for it!" Trudge growled as he got up.
Yusei got out of the room right before the doors closed. But then...
"SURPRISE!" Trudge's duel runner rammed into Yusei's as it skied across the wall. "Come on, Yusei, do you really think you can escape from me again? I'll never stop chasing you, don't you get that?"
"Chase this!" Yusei said as he sped up.
"So that's how you want to play, is it? Tell you what, I'll make you a deal: Give yourself up and I'll forget the fact that you broke into the vault when I'm filling out the report."
"No chance!"
"You're not leaving me and choice here. If you won't surrender, I'll have to make you surrender... with a duel!" With that, Trudge activated his duel runner's duel mode.
"Duel Mode engaged. Autopilot standing by." Everything around them turned purple as Yusei's runner acted on its own. "Overriding suspect's duel runner."
Yusei vegan drawing his starting hand. 'I just ned to buy time while I load up the building schematics tonfind a way out.' He then glanced at the officer. Alright, Trudge! Bring it on!"
"LET'S RIDE!
Yusei: 4000 SC: 0
Trudge: 4000 SC: 0
"Let's get this duel started! I draw!" Yusei began his turn. "And I summon Quillbolt Hedgehog in defense mode!" The brown hedgehog with bolts on its back emerged from a portal before turning blue. (ATK: 800 DEF: 800 LV: 2.) It was then a map appeared on his screen. 'There's the schematics. It I could find a way to escape through that opening, I'm home free.'
Trudge chuckled. "Get ready, Yusei! I draw!"
Yusei: 4000 SC: 0-1
Trudge: 4000 SC: 0-1
"And I summon Search Striker in attack mode!" A figure wearing a trenchcoat appeared, carrying laser rifles. One with each hand. (ATK: 1600 DEF: 1200 LV: 4) "Search Striker, blast that Satellite's puny little monster!" Striker fired a blue beam from his rifle, easily destroying the hedgehog. "Next I place one card facedown." A card appeared briefly near Trudge's runner. "Now what, Yusei?"
"You're about to find out." Yusei drew.
Yusei: 4000 SC: 1-2
Trudge: 4000 SC: 1-2
"From my hand, I summon the tuner monster, Junk Synchron!" The familiar tuner monster made of orange metal pilates appeared. (ATK: 1300 DEF: 500 LV: 3) "And since I successfully summoned Junk Synchron, I can also summon Quillbolt Hedgehog back to the field in defense position!"
"What?!"
"Sorry, Trudge, but this hedgehog's not done with you!" The hedgehog appeared again. (ATK: 800 DEF: 800 LV: 2) "Before it makes a move though, Junk Synchron's gonna give it a little tune up!" Junk Synchron pulled its ripcord before turning into three stars that became rings of green light.
"You think some synchro summon is gonna throw me off? You got another think coming, Satellite." Trudge said.
Quillbolt Hedgehog went through the three rings before turning into two stars that lined honans created a beam of light. "Junk Warrior, let's rev it up!" The light died down and revealed the purple armored warrior with his oversized right fist. (ATK: 2300 DEF: 1300 LV: 5)
"Too bad he can't stick around!" Trudge said, surprising Yusei. "See, I'm playing the trap card, Discord Counter! With this, I can undo your synchro summon and return the original monsters to the field in defense mode. Looks to me like your Junk Warrior's about to break into pieces!" In a flash of light, Junk Warrior vanished, and was then replaced by its synchro materials. (ATK: 800 DEF: 800 LV: 2) (ATK: 1300 DEF: 500 LV: 3) "I hope you like those two, cuz you're stuck with them for a while. Discord Counter stops you from summoning a monster until the end phase of your next turn!"
Yusei gritted his teeth before glancing at the map that was displayed. "I just need to get to that opening and get out of here!" He then sped up. He saw the opening in the giant hallway from a distance. "So close..."
Trudge smirked. "Where do you think you're going?"
Yusei looked ahead and saw a door that led to the center of the building. It was shutting close. As fast as his runner was, he couldn't get through in time as the door was now completely shut, so he swerved at that corner.
The one behind this were a bunch of people sitting in a big monitor room. "Close A5 and A7 barriers! Seal off this sector!"
Every time Yusei found an opening, it instantly closed off. "There's no little hatch to wiggle through this time, you sewer rat!" Trudge cackled. "You're gonna have to turn around face the big cat! Now tell me why Goodwin's so interested in you, kid! Tell me and I might let you go!"
But Yusei didn't say anything.
"You've got nothing to say? Well, this will get you talking!" Trudge drew.
Yusei: 4000 SC: 2-3
Trudge: 4000 SC: 2-3
"I summon Pursuit Chaser in attack mode!" A white security droid emerged from a portal. (ATK: 1400 DEF: 600 LV: 3) "And now that I've got these two monsters on my field, your Quillbolt and Junk Synchron are about to get blasted back to the scrap heap!" Both of his monsters aimed their lasers at their targets. "FIRE!" Both monsters' lasers fired and Yusei's two monsters were blown to bits. "Now here's the best part: since the monster Pursuit Chaser destroyed was in defense position, you get hit with 500 points of direct damage!" The security droid fired a bolt of blue electricity and zapped Yusei.
Yusei: 4000-3500 SC: 3
"Hahahaha! And with that, I slap one card facedown and end my turn!" A card appeared briefly near Trudge's duel runner. "Make your move!"
"Alright then!" Yusei drew.
Yusei: 3500 SC: 3-4
Trudge: 4000 SC: 3-4
He stared at the card he just drew before inserting it into his console. "I place one card facedown and end my turn."
"Ha! You're done, Yusei! You can't summon a monster for 2 more turns. Every possible escape route has been sealed off. You're totally trapped. The only thing waiting for you down this road is a dead end! And I mean that literally, Yusei! You're headed straight for a wall!"
True to Trudge's words, they were drivning down a hallway, straight towards yet another steel door...
"Keep going!"
Yusei was surprised by the voice coming out of his helmet. "Blister, is that you?"
"Keep going forward!"
"But, uh..."
"GOOOOO!"
With a determined look, Yusei sped up and headed straight for the door.
"No way! What is that punk doing?!" Trudge exclaimed.
Yusei kept going, despite how dangerous it seemed.
Trudge got over his shock and sneered. "You'll never make it out of here, Yusei! Unless of course you can drive through walls."
"Duck!" Blister said. As he did, the door exploded in front of Yusei and he plummeted off the edge, with Trudge following after him. Both of them held on to their runners.
"Ahahahaha! You certainly know how to make an exit, don't you? I just hope your life points are packing a parachute!" Trudge began his turn.
Yusei: 3500 SC: 4-5
Trudge: 4000 SC: 4-5
"Because with 5 speed counters, I can now play the speed spell, Rapid Shotwing! And for each speed counter I have, my Striker gets 100 attack points! Here goes!" A winged jetpack appeared. "And that means with my monster amper up, I can finallag get a little payback for when you ditched me in that trash tube back in the Satellite!" The jepack flew up along with Striker as it attached to his back. (ATK: 1600-2100)
"That's right, Yusei! You may have escaped me in our last duel, but the power of my beasts are gonna have you back in the Facility before you can make it to the bottom floor. Search Striker, take out his life points!" Striker blasted Yusei with his rifles. And when that happened, Yusei felt gravity tale its toll, and he was lifted in the air, held onto his runner.
Yusei: 3500-1400 SC: 5-3
"Hahahahaha! Looks like you're just hanging on. Now, Pursuit Chaser, end this!" The security droid fired its lasers.
Yusei struggled to reach his console. And right before the attack managed to reach him, he managed to press a button. "I play my facedown! Confusion Chaff!" His facedown card revealed itself and tolk the hit. When that happened, it glowed and released into many glowing paper tags, and some of them stuck onto Pursuit Chaser. It then went hurling up the shaft.
"Come back!"
"Oh, he will." Yusei assured. "See, my trap cancelled his attack. But guess what, he gets to fight again, only this time, it's against your own monster, Search Striker! Just watch!" When the tags detached from Pursuit Chaser, it charged at Search Striker, who avoided the assault and fired a few laser shots. Pursuit Chaser then fired its own laser, but Striker avoided the shot and finished it off with one more blast.
Trudge: 4000-3300 SC: 5
"Chaser..." Trudge mourned. "I'm gonna get you for that, Yusei. Just you wait." He then placed a facedown card before Striker's jetpack vanished. (ATK: 2100-1600)
"Yusei, brace yourself!" Blister said. "Next stop, ground floor!"
As he said that, Yusei hit solid ground... which he then broke through and landed on the inside of an elevator. The door opened, allowing him to get out. When Trudge came down, however, the door chose that moment to close before he could get out. "Hey!"
"See ya, Trudge!" Yusei called out. "Alright, now to get out of here."
But Trudge managed to bust through the door and across the balconies of the upper level. "We're not done yet!" He said before rundning through the railings and onto the lower level. He then rammed his runner against Yusei's. "Hey, Yusei, I hope you like the Facility becau..." Before he could finish his sentence, a brown booted foot slammed his face. Yusei turned and saw Blister riding beside him.
"Blister? Wow, thanks man."
"Forget the thank-yous. I'm only here to check out my handiwork and see you don't get caught. Cuz of word got out that I slipper up somehow, my reputation might not ever be able to recover. Now don't go thinking this makes is friends or anything, got that? I already ruined one friendship."
"...tell me about Aero."
Blister growled in defeat. "Fine. It's like I tolv you before, we were tag-team duelists in the Semi-Pro League...
Flashback
He was riding his duel runner, with Aero in the sidecar. Blister drew a card and played it. "We play Machina Sniper! Now end this!" The brown robot appeared and used its rifle, which not only took out a monster, but also won the duel for them. In no time at all, they were both standing on the main platform, holding their new trophy.
"We were at the top of our game, and it was all because Aero was a great competitor and an even greater friend. He thought we'd be champs forever, but Aero couldn't see the big picture. We were never gonna make the big money stuck doing tag duels. I had to go solo. So when a rep from KaibaCorp shower up one day with a case full of money, how could I say no? I had a new sponsor, a new gig, and an open road right to the big leagues. I'm talking about duelists like Atlas, Phoenix, Truesdale. The legends. But was Aero happy? Hmph, what do you think?"
In yet another duel, things looked bad for Blister and Aero.
"Blister, I'm summoning out Machina Sniper in attack mode!" Aero summoned the brown robot.
"What? Not him again!" Blister protested. "What, do you want us to lose or something?"
"Why do you care about this anyway? I heard about the deal you made to go pro. I thought we were friends.
"Friendship doesn't pay the rent. You think I want to spend my life in the tag-team bush-leagues? C'mon! You don't get it!"
Aero lowered his head. "Sorry."
While they argued, an attack just destroyed the sniper.
"Look at what you just did, Aero!" Blister said angrily. "I might as well kiss my contract goodbye!"
"It's just... our firendsip's all I got!"
"Well guess what, right now you got nothing, then!"
Suddenly, their opponent's runner began spinning out of control, then a stray object smashed their own's directly at where they connected, and kost control as well. They crashed through the railing, off the course, leading to the accident Blister talked about earlier.
Flashback end
"He was pretty banged up and spent a few months in the hospital. He never let me say sorry. In fact, he only sent me that card you saw to remind me of what bad friend I was. So the next time someone tells you about friendship, will you just remember what I did to my best friend?" Blister smirked. "I hope these pals of yours are worth the risk. Because if I know anything about friends, I bet that they hang out with you only because they want something from you in return."
"No! They're good people, Blister!" Yusei protested.
"Nobody's good forever. So you better just watch out for yourself!"
"You're wrong. You're just too angry with yourself to see the truth. Blister, can't you see that your friend Aero never wanted to hurt you?"
"Huh?" Blister gave him a confused look.
"Sometimes friends... do some stupid things, huh?"
"You can say that again!" Both of them saw Trudge reappear behind them. "This duel ain't over yet, punk! Your move!" He chuckled. "But, don't it'll help you escape from me!"
'I better make a move so I don't end up back in lockdown.' Yusei thought as began his turn. "Here we go!"
Yusei: 1400 SC: 3-4
Trudge: 3300 SC: 5-6
"Time to rev it up! I summon Speed Warrior in attack mode!" The Warrior in grey speed suit appeared. (ATK: 900 DEF: 400 LV: 2) " Now check this out, Officer! My Warrior's attack points are doubled!"
"Ha! What a waste, Yusei! I activate my trap card! Power Bind!" Trudge revealed his trap card. Now Speed Warrior can't attack until next turn. And until then, his attack points are 0, kinda like your chances of getting out of this duel without a one-way ticket back to the Facility. Sorry, Satellite, but that runner's staying put!" He laughed. "But on second thought, maybe I should just crush it into a cube! I'll be sure to take pictures so you can hang them in your cell!"
"Whoa! He sure doesn't like you." Blister commented.
"If you think it's bad now, wait until I play this! Reactor Pod!"
"A speed spell?" Trudge noted as the named card was displayed on his screen.
"And not just any speed spell. This one makes you take damage for Speed Warrior's original attack points!"
"Wow, you remind me so much of Aero. You're not afraid of anything that guy throws your way."
"Well, I'm sure Aero wasn't scared because he had you as his teammate, and that's exactly how I feel right now having you as my wingman, Blister." Speed Warrior unleashed a multi-colored torrent energy that enveloped Trudge.
Trudge: 3300-2400 SC: 6
"What else you got? Or is that all for now?" Trudge growled.
"I'm just gonna play a facedown, Trudge." Yusei concluded as a card briefly appeared near his runner.
"About time. Now I draw!"
Yusei: 1400 SC: 4-5
Trudge: 2400 SC: 6-7
"And don't forget, punk, Speed Warrior's got 0 attack points. Which means he should be easy pickings! Search Striker, attack!" Striker fired his laser.
"Not so fast! I play my trap! Scrap-Iron Scarecrow!" Yusei's trap card revealed itself and released the scarecrow made of scrap metal that blocket the attack. "Sorry, Trudge, not only is your attack cancelled, but I get to place my scarecrow facedown again. You'll have to try harder than that."
"Is this what you had in mind? I play Terminal Countdown!" Trudge's facedown card was revealed. "And this card's all about giving something to get something. There facedown cards I send to the graveyard, the more life points you lose! 500 for one, 1500 for three and 3000 for four! And last I checked, you have 1400 life points, so by sending three facedowns to my grave, you lose and I win! I got one facedown out there already! And come next turn I'm going to throw down two more and make three! And after, Yusei, it's game over, Satellite!" He inserted a card into his console, making a facedown card appear briefly. "You got one turn left. Make it count."
"I just don't see how you can win this duel now, Yusei!" Blister said. "No matter how fast you try and go, you can't outrun that card's effect!"
"Oh no? Just watch!" Yusei drew.
Yusei: 1400 SC: 5-6
Trudge: 2400 SC: 7-8
"Listen up, Speed Warrior! It's time for some defense." The warrior crossed his arms and turned blue. "And next I'm summoning out Healing Wave Generator to help generate a little 'D' for myself." A machine with some lights and a mirror on it appeared. (ATK: 800 DEF: 1600 LV: 4) "Now thanks to my generator's special ability, I can choose another monster on my field, like my Speed Warrior, I can give my life points a 100 point boost for each of its level." The machine rained tiny light particles on Yusei like angel dust.
Yusei: 1400-1600 SC: 6
"And with that bonus, it looks like you'll need four facedowns to win this, and I don't plan on letting that happen."
Trudge growled. "We'll see, Satellite!"
"If your goal is to make that guy even angrier, I'd call that combo a residing success." Blister joked. "I just hope you pull this off, Yusei!"
"Me too. I play two facedowns and end my turn." Yusei concluded as two facedown cards appeared briefly.
"Alright then, my move!"
Yusei: 1600 SC: 6-7
Trudge: 2400 SC: 8-9
"And I summon the tuner monster, Torapart!" A certain pair of puppets attached to each other appeared. (ATK: 600 DEF: 600 LV: 2) "And now I tune my Torapart and my Search Striker in order to synchro summon Goyo Guardian!" The two puppets turned into stars, and then into rings of light, which Striker went through. His body turned transparent, revealing four stars that lined up and created a beam of light. When it died down, the dreaded kabuki warrior was revealed. (ATK: 2800 DEF: 2000 LV: 6)
"Now take out that Healing Wave Generator!" Goyo swung his rope and jutte at the generator.
"Don't you learn? I can still play my Scrap-Iron Scarecrow!" Yusei's facedown card was revealed. But this time, electricity coursed through it as it froze in place.
"Oh no, you can't! See, since I used Torapart to synchro summon Goyo Guardian, you can't use trap when he attacks! So it looks like Scrap-Iron Scarecrow's scaring nothing away!" Goyo's jutte and rope made a direct hit on the generator and was now wrapped around it. "And now my Goyo Guardian's taking control of your Healing Wave Generator!" The kabuki warrior pulled it over to Trudge's field. "So with your generator on my side of the field, not only can I use its strength to fortify my defenses, but your own monster's gonna win this for me, Satellite! Cuz now I get a power surge, to a tune of 100 life points for each level of monster I pick. And by choosing my Guardian, I gain 600 more life points! I'm almost back to full power!" Trudge cackled as he was one now being blessed by light particles.
Trudge: 2400-3000 SC: 9
"Yusei, there's nothing better than outsmarting a smart aleck! Haha! And don't think I forget about Terminal Countdown!" He inserted another card into his console. "So with this facedown, you're one card away from losing!"
"Hey, what are you doing?" Blister pleaded. "It's like I said, I can't afford to have you lose this duel and end up getting caught, because If you go down, so do I. So what are you planning?"
"I'm planning on winning this duel, Blister." Yusei answered. "And your friendship's gonna make it all possible."
"..." Blister could only stare.
"Blister, I need you to help me out of here!"
"Listen, the last thing you want is me as a friend! Friends may get you through your days in the Satellite, but over here, they just get in the way!"
"I know you don't believe that. I saw the card, Blister. The one that Aero rescued from your last race, remember?
"STOP IT!" Blister snapped. "He gave me that card to remind me that I failed our friendship!" He then lowered his head in shame.
"You're wrong."
"Huh?" He looked up again.
"He gave you that card, as a symbol of your friendship, and no matter what road your two lives might've taken since that day, he's still your friend. Aero doesn't blame you for the accident, he blames himself. He probably thought If he'd supported you a little more, he could've been by your side all the way to the Pro League. It's not that he didn't want you to go, he didn't want you go alone. So he gave you the only thing that mattered: the card that fused your friendship. You know why? Because without his best friend, he didn't care about dueling anymore. But If you ever needed help, you've Aero world be there without a second to waste. Whatever you think, there's one thing in Aero that hasn't changed... he's your friend."
"I... don't know what to think." Blister said as he let Yusei's speech sink in.
"Just one thing. That I'm your friend as well."
Blister could only stare at him.
"It's my move!" Yusei drew.
Yusei: 1600 SC: 7-8
Trudge: 3000 9-10
"And I summon Turbo Synchron!" The monster that emerged from a portal was a strange green machine that resembled a Formula-1 car. It had a spherical head, two stubby arms and blocky feet. (ATK: 100 DEF: 500 LV: 1) "And the bonus of having a tuner monster out there is that Quillbolt Hedgehog comes back from the graveyard." The hedgehog appeared again. (ATK: 800 DEF: 800 LV: 2) "I think it's about time we take this battle to the next level! Now, Turbo Synchron, take out his Healing Wave Generator!"
"What?! He doesn't stand a chance against that monster!" Trudge pointed out. "What? Are all those diesel fumes chunking all your Brian cells? You're going to lose this, Satellite!" That didn't stop Turbo Synchron to throw a punch at the generator. But because of the difference of points between, an invisible force pushed him back until he was sent flying, returning to Yusei's side.
Yusei: 1600-0100 SC: 8-7
"Told ya!" Trudge grinned. "And now you're down to 100 life points. Nice knowing ya!"
"Why? You planning on going somewhere, or did you forget that when Turbo Synchron attacks, even If he loses, I can summon another monster. And I got just the one in mind." Turbo Synchron glowed green. "I didn't use in our last match in the pipeline. Sonic Chick, say hello!" The pink hird with red boots appeared. (ATK: 300 DEF: 300 LV: 1) "Next I play my trap card! Urgent Tuning!" One Yusei's facedown cards was revealed. Thanks to this card, I'm allowed to perform a synchro summon during the battle phase. So by combining all the monsters on my field, I can use their bond to bring about a beast that will end this duel! I enjoyed my time in the Facility, but this synchro summon is gonna make sure I don't come back!"
"Oh man, Aero played a similar combo in our first tag-team championship match!" Blister awed. "Yusei, you sure you can handel a move like this?"
"Don't do it!" Trudge barked.
"Sorry Trudge, now I tune Turbo Synchron with my Quillbolt Hedgehog, Speed Warrior and Sonic Chick to synchro summon Turbo Warrior!" Turbo Synchron turned into a ring of light while the three other monsters turned into a total of 5 stars that went through it and created a beam of light. "Turbo Warrior, let's rev it up!" The light died down and revealed a red and black armored monster that looked like a mix of a robot and truck. Its fingers were sharp metal claws, and its was crowned by something that resembled a certain hairstyle, while its mechanical appearance just seemed rather like armor. (ATK: 2500 DEF: 1500 LV: 6)
"What a move!" Blister said in are.
"Now, Turbo Warrior, take out that Goyo Guardian!" The machine glided towards the kabuki fighter.
Trudge chuckled. "Still can't add, can you, Yusei. Perhaps you can take more medial math back in the Facility! Maybe then you'll learn."
"Well, let me teach you something first, like what my Warrior can do. It cuts your Guardian's attack points right in half! Say goodbye!"
"What?!" The officer exclaimed.
"Yusei, you got him on the ropes!" Blister cheered as Turbo Warrior shot a dark beam at Goyo Guardian, weaking him. (ATK: 2800-1400)
"Big deal! Even with half its strength gone, I can still survive. But next round you're out of time, cuz I'm activating my Countdown's effect!"
But Yusei smirked as he revealed another facedown card. "Next round? There is no next round, Trudge. I play Synchro Strike, which gives 500 more attack points to my Turbo Warrior for every monster I used to synchro summon it!"
"No!" Trudge had a look of horror.
"And If my math is right, that adds up to your defeat!"
"How can this be?! With that kind of power, I can't stop that Warrior from wiping out all of my life points!" Four beams ejected and coursed through Turbo Warrior. (ATK: 2500-4500) "Ugh, I won't let you!" With that, Trudge accelerated.
"Look out!" Blister warned.
But it was too late as Trudge smashed his runner into Yusei's. "I don't care if I have to cheat to do it, but the only way you're getting out of here is with a Sector Security escort!"
"No!" Blister got in between the two and separated them.
"You too? Fine! There's plenty of room in the Facility!" Trudge and Blister battled it out, smashing into each other, until Blister managed to lock himself onto the officer.
"Attack now!" Blister called out.
"I can't!" Yusei said.
"Just attack! Isn't this what friends are for?"
"... they are."
"Back off!" Blister kept pushing Trudge away. "My friend's got a duel to win!"
Yusei maneuvered his duel runner 90 degrees to his side. "Now, Turbo Warrior, finish the job!" The robot charged forward. Goyon Guardian tried to stop him with his jutte, but it only bounced off Turbo Warrior's claw as it glowed and increased its size with crimson aura. It tore the kabuki fighter into pixels with one blow.
Trudge: 3000-0000 SC: 10
Trudge could only cry out in horror as steam erupted from his runner. As result, it was force to stop, causing both him and Blister to crash along side.
"Blister!" Yusei called out.
"Yusei! Just get out of here!" Blister pleaded. "GOOO!"
With no other options, Yusei went forward. However, right after he came out of the building, he was surrounded by countless Security officers, carrying taser batons. Without any other direction to go, he drive right through the crowd, suffering many painful electric shocks. He screamed loudly as he kept fighting through.
At that moment, in a large room, someone suddenly felt something. That someone, was none other than Luna, who appeared to be sitting at a table and playing Duel Monsters with her brother, Leo.
"What is it?" He asked.
She was trembling for some reason. And then, She suddenly ran off.
"Luna? Luna!"
Yusei just managed to get away from the officers. But when he swerved into a nearby alley, his runner crashed and threw him onto the ground.
Right after that, Leo and Luna came out from a nearby doorway and found his unconscious form.
"Who... who is he?" Leo asked.
Somewhere else
Eric, Jeremy and Mimi were tossed inside a small room. They were still knocked out. One of the black suited men closed the door and looked it. "They're now secured, ma'am."
"Good." She nodded, while her eyes focused on another unconscious individual who was tied up on a chair. "Now to deal with you, Cody Cooper."
And that's that.
Note: In the anime, when Blister asked Yusei when Sector Security took his runner, he answered a coupe of weeks ago. But given the number of days Cody and Jeremy walked around in the city while he was locked inside the Facility, I decided to change it to 'few days ago.'
Just wanted to mention that. Until next time.