Chapter 12: Breaking Point
Summary: The pressures of his returning past push Takashi to his
S.A.L. continues to writhe on the ground for another second before Alexis and Jaden snap out of their horror and run over with determined looks. The shocking subsides leaving S.A.L. twitching on the ground as they get up to him. As they start trying to pry the duel disk off his arm as Jasmine slowly crawls off the tree, looking at the monkey who kidnapped her with concern before she snaps her head up to glare at the scientists. "What did you do to him?!" The head scientist chuckles.
"We did nothing, in your friend's desperate attempt to save you by beating S.A.L. in a duel. She did this." Alexis looks up to glare at the head scientist as she and Jaden manage to pry the duel disk off, revealing red blistering skin on top of existing burn scars.
"What's that supposed to mean?!" The head scientist gives her an amused smirk.
"It's simple, he lost a duel, and was therefore punished." Mindy and Syrus have snapped out of their horror by this point and all the kids are glaring at him, making him sigh. "While your care is noble, S.A.L. is just a monkey, an animal, more importantly though, he's our property. So, hand him over and we'll be on our way." Jaden gives him a determined stare standing in front of S.A.L.'s unconscious body holding his arms out.
"If you want S.A.L., you'll have to go through me!" Alexis and Jasmine stand beside Jaden also holding their arms out as Syrus and Mindy run over you join them, with all five standing over S.A.L., Alexis gives the head scientist a challenging glare.
"You'll have to go through ALL of us!" The head scientist tsks as the one with the tranquilizer gun raises it and aims at the kids.
"Unfortunately for you, we're not taking no for an answer." As the man is about to fire, Professor Banner's cat, Pharaoh, jumps from the tree line landing on the gunman's face, scratching it up.
"Gah! Get it off me!" As he tries to pull the cat off, he drops his gun on the ground, seeing that, Pharaoh jumps off his face and snatches the gun up with its mouth and brings it to the edge of the clearing where Professor Banner is waiting.
"Good boy, Pharaoh!" Taking the gun, he gives the scientists an eerily calm smile. "Now gentlemen, may I ask why you are aiming your weapon at my students?" The head scientist glares at Banner.
"We're simply trying to reclaim our property. Now, tell your brats to move out of our way, and return him to us!" The chilling aura that surrounds Banner grows colder as his calm smile remains on his face.
"You see I would, but you have done a couple things to anger me. One, you abused an animal, I happen to be a lover of animals, and two…" Banner drops the gun and stomps on it, splitting it in half. "You threatened my precious students. So, you can leave this island now, or you can deal with me and campus security that is just a call away." The head scientist grits his teeth trying to glare a hole in Banner's head before looking away with a scoff.
"We're leaving, gentlemen." The taller scientist looks down at the head scientist with a worried look.
"But si-" The head scientist quiets him with a glare.
"We've been beat, accept it." With that he leads his two subordinates away. "There are plenty of monkeys in the island, we'll lay low for now and simply find another."
As the scientists leave the kids relax with Jaden giving Professor Banner a big grin. "You're the man, Professor Banner!" Syrus nods rapidly.
"Yeah, I don't know what we would have done if you hadn't shown up!" The chilling aura around Banner fades as he picks up Pharaoh and approaches the kids while petting him.
"I just can't stand to see animals abused." He looks down at S.A.L who Jasmine and Mindy are fretting over. "Humans can be so cruel." Alexis, Jaden, and Syrus get a pained look on their faces at that with Alexis thinking to herself.
"I'm beginning to realize that." She shakes off her thoughts and looks at Professor Banner. "So, what should we do with him?" Professor Banner gives her a smile.
"We'll bring him to Dr. Fontaine; she didn't just go to school to be a doctor; she also went to one to become a veterinarian. She will be able to care for our friend here." The kids look relived hearing that. All standing up and putting S.A.L in Jaden's arms to carry. As they are making their way to Fontaine's office Jaden turns to look at Professor Banner curiously.
"By the way, why were you out here Professor Banner?" Professor Banner suddenly remembers why he was looking for the kids in the first place.
"Ah yes, Dr. Crowler said you all were looking for Chazz." Jaden grins at Professor Banner.
"All this S.A.L. stuff almost made me forget!" He starts laughing as the other kids shake their heads in exasperation while Professor Banner chuckles.
"Yes well, shortly after you all left, Chancellor Shepard told him that Chazz dropped out, he left on a boat an hour ago." The kids let out a gasp and look at Professor Banner in shock. Jaden pulls himself together after a moment.
"Dropped out?!" Jaden's shocked look changes to contemplative and thinks back to what Takashi said the night before. "Was he really that worried about losing his spot in Obelisk?" Professor Banner nods.
"I'm afraid so. He apparently had decided the school had nothing to offer him."
/RFSXPL/
At the docks while Alexis dueled S.A.L.
Boarding his private boat Chazz looks back at the academy. "Don't get comfortable Takashi! When I come back, I will crush you!" Chazz turns away and shouts an order to the captain. "Let's get moving! We're going to North Academy!"
/RFSXPL/
Jaden sighs at that. "Man, Takashi is going to be crushed. He really wanted to reach out a hand to Chazz." Unbeknownst to the leaving group, a pair of hazel eyes had been watching, hidden in the tree line.
/RFSXPL/
On the way to Dr. Fontaine's office, they had messaged Bastion, Chumley, and Takashi that Chazz had left the island. Bastion and Chumley had responded right away, asking if they should meet up with them, they let them know they had something to take care of and would talk to them later. Takashi took a minute to respond, apologizing for not getting his legs ready in time to help look. Assuring Takashi that it was fine they arrived at Dr. Fontaine's office, and said doctor was waiting for them at her door.
"So, where's my patient?" Jaden presents the still unconscious S.A.L. to her.
"He's right here ma'am. Do you think you can help him?" Fontaine gasps at seeing S.A.L.'s condition.
"Oh my god!" She grabs S.A.L. from Jaden's arms and brings him over to a bed. "Just leave him with me, kids. I'll give you an update on his condition when I can." The kids hesitate so Professor Banner gives them a calming smile and ushers them out of the room.
"Come on children, let's leave the doctor to her work. Standing around her office isn't going to help him get better." The kids reluctantly agree. Once back outside, Professor Banner waves goodbye to the students. "Alright kids I have to head to the Chancellor's office to report what happened today." As he heads that way Alexis turns to Jasmine and Mindy.
"You girls go ahead to the dorm without me, I need to talk to Jaden and Syrus about something." Jasmine and Mindy look confused, wondering what Alexis would want to talk to a couple of Slifer Reds about that she wouldn't say in front of them. Jasmine raises an eyebrow and speaks with an unsure tone.
"Ok Alexis. We'll meet you back there." With that, her and Mindy make their way back to their dorm. Syrus looks up at Alexis, also confused by this turn of events.
"What's up Alexis?" Alexis looks at the two with a serious expression.
"It's about Takashi. I don't think we should tell him about the torture those scientists put S.A.L. through." Jaden looks at her incredulously while Syrus looks like he might know what she's getting at.
"Why wouldn't we tell Takashi?" Alexis looks contemplative.
"I-I just worry how this will affect him. After everything he's been through, I just worry hearing that there are people doing something similar on the island might push him to do something he'll regret." Jaden looks confused still while Syrus nods in understanding.
"I see what she's saying bro. When Titan threatened us, he became a different person, if we weren't there, I'm not sure he would have stopped at knocking him out." Jaden looks conflicted.
"I mean, I understand where you guys are coming from, I just feel weird keeping this a secret from him." Alexis gives Jaden a reassuring look.
"I'm not saying we have to leave him completely in the dark, I just think we should avoid being very specific, at least until the school runs these guys out of here." Jaden scratches the back of his head nervously but reluctantly nods.
"Yeah, maybe it's for the best. I'm not that good at stuff like this." Alexis smiles sadly.
"I'm not the best at this either, at least not with a situation this severe. Maybe this is the wrong move, but it's the best I can think of right now." Alexis gives a tired sigh and waves to them. "I'll talk to you guys later; this has been a long morning." Waving back the boys walk back to their dorm.
/RFSXPL/
From the tree line a pair of glowing sickly green eyes watch as the scientists enter their secret lab hidden in the forest. As the last one enters, the eyes disappear back into the forest.
/RFSXPL/
Having arrived back at the dorm, the four boys meet up in Takashi's room as he puts the final repairs on his legs. Jaden just finished explaining the toned-down version of the events of that morning. Takashi puts on one of his legs giving Jaden an amused look.
"Sounds like you had an interesting day. I'm sorry I couldn't make it." Jaden and Syrus chuckle nervously at that.
"You could say that."
"It was definitely one of my weirder days." Takashi starts attaching the other leg as his face takes on a somber look.
"I am disappointed to hear Chazz left. His inner struggle was strong enough to feel, even without trying to reach out to his mind." Takashi finishes attaching his leg and looks down at the floor with a pained expression. "I just… I guess I just really wanted to help him." The other three boys give him sympathetic looks before Chumley puts a hand on his shoulder.
"I know you want to help people, but take it from me, you won't be able to help them until they're ready to accept it." Takashi looks up at Chumley with a tired smile.
"I know, I appreciate you guys being here. But I think I want to be alone for the rest of the day." The three give him an understanding smile as they make their way out of the room, Takashi thanks them again and shuts his door. After he turns around to go back to his workbench, face changing into an emotionless stare.
/RFSXPL/
It is midnight when the security team called the search for the lab off for the night. It is also midnight when Takashi puts his hair in a tight braid, a full dark gray body suit, gloves, hooded cloak, and face mask. Leaving only his eyes visible. He silently leaves his room, jumping off the balcony and landing on the ground without a sound.
/RFSXPL/
The night is silent, as Takashi flies over the lab atop Black-Winged Dragon. Sensing three hidden guards, he locates them and uses three Bottomless Trap Holes. All at once, a hole appears underneath each guard, closing up before they can utter a scream, and leaving no trace that they were ever there.
Dismissing his summon, he falls to the ground, and once he hits the ground he bursts into mist. The mist then reforms into his body and he unequips Mist Body from himself. Taking a deep breath of air as he does so. Takashi approaches the door and summons Hack Worm, who turns into data and merges with the circuitry in the door, opening it after a second.
Takashi enters the building, pulling out six cards and summons the Secret Six Samurais- Doji, Fuma, Genba, Hatsume, Kizaru, and Rihan. With a hand signal from Takashi, Fuma, Hatsume, Kizaru, and Rihan separate from the group and perform recon on all the rooms. Fuma and Hatsume came across a few scientists and quickly silenced them with a shuriken and kunai to the head respectively. Once the floor had been cleared, they regroup and make their way to the elevator, Hack Worm opens the door without bringing the elevator up, and Genba drops his whole bandolier of dynamite down the shaft.
A chain of explosions goes off down the glass elevator shaft causing the artificial jungle biome below to shake violently. Takashi dismisses all the samurai except Doji, who he has stand guard on top to shoot any of the workers who comes in or manages to make it up to try and escape. Then, taking a deep breath, Takashi activates Mist Body once more, and drops down the destroyed elevator shaft. Upon reforming Takashi let's out a gasp of air and takes a moment to catch his breath.
Takashi then summons Ancient Fairy Dragon to search for and protect any other animals that might be in here. He pulls out his PDA, seeing that Hack Worm had sent the building's schematic to him, and begins making his way through the jungle, towards the door to the next area. As he's halfway there, a group of twenty men in suits surround him, all pointing guns at him. The one in charge shouts at Takashi.
"I don't know how you got in here, or how you blew up the elevator, but it stops now! Put your hands up and come quietly!" Takashi raises his hands up seemingly in surrender. He then raises his head up, exposing his eyes underneath the hood making the men flinch. "What the fuck are you?" Takashi's eyes are now a solid sickly green that glows harshly in the shadow of the hood. That's when four cards slip out of his pocket and into his hand as he summons: Starving Venom Fusion Dragon, Clear Wing Synchro Dragon, Dark Rebellion XYZ Dragon, and Odd-Eyes Pendulum Dragon.
All four dragons are summoned around him in a circle, and all unleash their blasts at the same time, vaporizing them before they could scream. Dismissing the dragons, he walks through the ashes of the fallen men in front of him and finishes making his way to the door. Upon reaching the stairs he climbs them to reach the door. Ancient Fairy Dragon returns with no animals, so Takashi dismisses her and as he enters the door, he summons three Lava Golems, who release a wave of lava that consumes the jungle, burning it all to the ground.
Upon entering the next area, a large open metal room, Takashi summons Gatling Dragon who shoots around the room, killing the five hidden snipers, who all drop to the ground from hidden balconies, bleeding profusely from the numerous amounts of bullets holes in their bodies. Dismissing them, he goes through the door that leads to a hallway that branches to two rooms. The power room on the left, and the main laboratory. Walking to the main lab door, Takashi has Hack Worm shut the power system down.
/RFSXPL/
Earlier, inside the main laboratory, the head scientist and his ten assistants have been having a bad day. First, they lost S.A.L. to some kids and their teacher, and because of that, they were having to move their base of operations off the island, a shame due the abundance of Duel Spirts the island possesses. The process had been going smoothly, until the lab was suddenly rocked by a massive explosion. After balancing himself, the head scientist shouts.
"What the hell was that?!" His assistants begin frantically checking the security cameras with one shouting.
"I don't know sir! There's nothing on the monitors!" The head scientist slams his hand on the console in front of him.
"That's impossible! Something had to have caused that quake!" He speaks into a microphone on his console. "All security personnel, check from here to the entrance and find out what caused this! Snipers, take your positions! Status report from outside!" He gets a response from everyone except the guards from outside. "I said give me a status! Report, Watchdog unit!" Still receiving silence, the head scientist shouts in frustration. One of the assistants turns to him.
"Sir, the vital monitors on the Watchdog unit have gone dark!" Growling, the head yells at his assistants.
"Hurry up backing the data up! Someone is coming after us! We must get out of here as soon as possible!"
After a few minutes one of the assistants starts sweating pointing at a monitor. "Doctor, the vital monitors for the security personnel have all gone dark at once!" Turning to him with a panicked look the head scientist shouts.
"What! What happened?!"
"We don't know! The monitors show everything thing is fine!" Before the head can worry anymore about that another assistant shouts.
"The sniper's vitals have gone dark too!" The head is about to shout at him when he hears a small gurgling screech as all the scientists panic. Moving across all the monitors is some grotesque mutant worm. It stops to face the monitor and lets out what sounds like a demented giggle before all the power goes out leaving the lab in pitch black darkness.
They are all frozen in shock, when suddenly there's a bang on the door.
Then another, this time causing the door to dent.
The next one sends the door flying from its hinges, killing the assistant who was in its path, splattering him on the console behind the head scientist.
In the doorway are two sets of eyes, one set of solid glowing red, the other a solid sickly green. The red eyes disappear as the green eyes start moving closer, the sound of metal-on-metal sounds as the eyes get closer. The first assistant screams before going quiet as something thuds on the ground, then a larger thud shortly after. The head scientist then listens in fear as each of his assistants lets out a scream before going silent.
As the eyes reach the head scientist, the lights turn back on, revealing the blood covered gray cloaked Takashi. In his right hand is a long sword with a golden handle designed after a phoenix. Behind the boy are the decapitated heads and bodies of his assistants, their faces frozen in terror.
"P-Please, don't kill me. I'll give you whatever you want. Just please don't kill me!" The glowing green eyes stare at the head scientist blankly as the sword disappears from his hand. Takashi steps to the side to let the sniveling man run past him. Seeing his chance, the head scientist flees the lab, the helipad is unreachable with that monster in there, so he runs to the jungle, hoping to escape from the elevator. As he runs through the last room, pointedly ignoring the dead snipers, he opens the door and is immediately hit with a wave of heat causing him to wince.
When he opens his eyes, he stares out in horror, the orange glow of the lava lighting up his face. The whole jungle floor has become a massive pool of lava. "My god." Hearing familiar footsteps behind him, the head scientist slowly turns around to look at the approaching Takashi. He stares into the whimpering scientist's eyes and gives a nod. Before the scientist can wonder why, the large hand of Lava Golem reaches out and grabs the scientist, dragging him into the pool of lava screaming. He dismisses all his summons, and summons Black-Winged Dragon again, riding him out of the crumbling underground base.
/RFSXPL/
Takashi slips back into his room silently at 3 am in the morning. He pulls off his hood and mask as his eyes stop glowing and the green recedes, the white of his eyes and pupils returning, the green recedes further making his irises return to hazel. After a minute, Takashi runs over to the sink and begins vomiting violently, after another minute he takes a moment to breathe, looking up into the mirror, he sees the tears running down his face.
So Takashi's mental stability took a nose dive and we finally get to see the results of the compound boosting Takashi's Psychic Duelist powers and his child soldier training, yayyyyyyyyyyyyy.