I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's. Only Ethan and the wizard are mine.
Chapter One- Bitter Rival
The cheers of the crowd roared through the stadium as the duel came to an end. The people chanted, "Jack! Jack! Jack!" Said person faced the crowd and waved an arm as he turned to wave to all four sections before approaching his opponent who had risen to his feet. "Good game, Greiger," he said, holding out a hand.
"It was. I thought I had you a couple of times," Greiger said with a smile. "I'll be wanting a rematch, you know." He took the hand.
"Of course. I look forward to it."
The two men departed for opposite end of the stadium, Jack grinning as he did so. It was good to be the Duel King. He was paid well, lived in a plush place, and had wealthy sponsors. All three things, including the sponsors, hinged on his ability to keep winning. That Jack did well. He had a powerful deck that never failed to win him a match. He gained a crowd of fans and loyal fans who always came to watch and cheer him on.
Speaking of which, here come some now, he thought as some of his youngest fans, kids, lined the walls of the corridor. Some smiled at him while others yelled his name. He beamed at them and then his eyes landed on a boy with wide blue eyes whose fingers fluttered about in what seemed like a random fashion, but Jack knew better: The boy was using sign language. Jack had been taught sign language for such an eventuality and he practiced it every day. The boy's fingers spelled out his name and then drew them up his head to indicate Jack's hairstyle. How cute. He invented a sign for my name.
"Hi," Jack signed. "What's your name?"
"Ethan," was the reply. "Mr. Atlas? May I have your autograph?" He pulled out a notebook and a pen with a hopeful look.
"Yes, of course." Jack took the book and pen and scrawled his name as well as a personal message to the boy. He handed both back and signed, "By the way, I liked the sign you came up for my name. Share it with your friends."
Ethan put his things away and signed, "Thank you. I will."
Jack smiled and patted Ethan's shoulder before moving on. He knew he had just brightened Ethan's day by stopping to speak with him. He enjoyed being around the kids. Only with them was he warm; to adults he was cold and aloof. He displayed warm or cold to his opponents, depending on who they were. Greiger was one of the former. He was a likeable man and cared about kids just like he did. Those two traits made their rivalry a friendly, easygoing one.
Jack's thoughts carried him from the locker room, down the sidewalk, and to the docks. His mind ran through his schedule of upcoming duels. He had a duel with a Kalin Kessler tomorrow morning and one with Officer Tetsu Trudge in the afternoon. Tonight, however, he would be dueling Hunter Pace. The thought of Hunter made Jack roll his eyes.
Hunter Pace was his most persistent rival and one to whom he was cold. Hunter had been the Duel King until Jack defeated him a little over a year ago. Since then, he's been challenging Jack every two or three weeks, but losing every time. One would think that he would give up and realize that his glory days are over. Even I know that one day I'll lose and someone else will be Duel King or Queen.
Jack was on Hunter's mind while Jack had been dueling Greiger. The redhead had been watching that duel before double-checking his cards and strategies for his duel tonight. His deck was a solid one; red-hot and clever. It was the best deck he ever made and yet it wasn't enough to beat Jack. He growled to himself as he put it away. "The only way I'm going to beat Jack would be if he didn't show up. A no-show is a loss and the challenger would be the new Duel King. The thing is Jack's never late so he'll keep winning."
"Never late, you say?" a voice said suddenly. Hunter whipped his head to his left to see a man with gray hair and long sweeping crimson robes sitting on the bench beside him. "Who the hell are you?" he demanded.
"Just a traveling wizard," he said. "I sense those who could benefit from my help and teleport myself there. Tell me what troubles you, young man?"
Hunter briefly wondered why this wizard would ask about his troubles if he could sense that Hunter could benefit from his help but then chose not to question it. "I'm dueling a rival tonight who took my title of Duel King more than a year ago. I've challenged him repeatedly since then but he always wins. I feel my title was taken from me unfairly. If Jack were to not show tonight, I would win automatically and be the King again."
"I see. You would benefit from my help and I believe I know just the items to help you." He reached into his robes and pulled out a capped dart and a medallion. "This is a two-fold plan. This dart contains a formula to change a human into a merperson."
"Merperson? So, merpeople are real?"
"Oh, yes, they exist. They used to live peacefully with humans until we believed they were just a myth.
"Once Jack has changed, put his medallion against his throat. It will draw his voice and human memories into itself as long as you state it. Without his voice and memories and being a permanent merman, Jack won't show and can't tell anyone what you did because he can't speak and won't remember."
Hunter grinned. "That's perfect. So, how much do you want? I assume you're selling them to me for a price."
"You assume correctly. I understand that pro duelists are paid a fee to appear at their scheduled duels."
"Yeah, that's right."
"I would accept, at most, half of tonight's fee as payment. I will meet you in the concourse of the stadium where you will pay me once you are declared the winner. I warn you though; if you try to stiff me, I will turn you into a jackass as punishment."
Hunter gulped before saying, "I'll pay you. I swear it!"
The wizard smiled as he handed over the dart and medallion. "Then, it's a deal."
"Great, but I have no idea where Jack is right now."
The wizard produced a glass ball. "Place your hand on this and think of Jack. I will then ask my seeing sphere for his location."
Hunter did as instructed. He focused on Jack's appearance as he put a hand on the glass. He saw the wizard chant in an unknown language; at least unknown to him. The sphere glowed white and the center cleared to show Jack standing on an isolated dock.
"Perfect," the wizard said as the sphere ceased glowing and the image faded. "Now is the time to use the items. You'll be able to push him into the water once you've used the medallion."
"Yes. That is perfect." Hunter got up. "I'm heading there right now."
"Good luck, Hunter," the wizard murmured as the duelist ran off. His magical senses had indeed told him that this man could use his help. He believed Hunter's story, though it wasn't entirely true that Hunter lost his title unfairly, but the wizard didn't know that. He had had the dart on him for a time and when told about Jack, he knew the dart would be perfect for getting rid of Jack.
The medallion was an all-purpose item. It would do whatever the holder wanted. In this case, he suggested that it would take Jack's voice and human memories. He would be unable to speak or remember being human, but he would still have his name and whatever skills he possessed or learned. He'll be able to make a life for himself in the sea, the wizard thought. Maybe he'll catch a mermaid's eye and end up marrying her.