This story was done in collaboration between me, Jriddle41 (Sodormatchmaker on DeviantART), and DaveMan1000 (both here and on DeviantART), and we own the OCs that are used in the story. AaronCottrell97 (known as stevecottrell on DeviantART) provided the Duel Layouts and additional ideas. Everything else belongs to their respective owners:
Thomas and Friends (c) Hit Entertainment and Mattel
The Railway Series (c) Rev Wilbert Awdry
Yu-Gi-Oh! (c) Konami
Gundam SEED characters, Orb, Blue Cosmos, M1 Astray, Strike Rouge, Murasame (c) Sunrise
Character of Lisa Drake (c) DaveMan1000
Character of David Xadashi (c) DaveMan1000
Movie Scene/Dialogue (The A-Team (2010)) (c) 20th Century Fox
WARNING: Once again, this story is rated T for violence, some blood, suggestive themes, and some language. Reader discretion is advised.
WARNING 2: If you haven't read "Yu-Gi-Oh! The Sodor Chronicles Season 2", "Yu-Gi-Oh! The Sodor Chronicles Season 4", "Yu-Gi-Oh! The Sodor Chronicles (Pyramid of Light", "David Xadashi", "Lisa Drake", or "Team 4D's", you might want to do so before reading this story
On a stage inside the Orb Duel School, five face-down cards were lined up on a large blackboard. On cue, David Xadashi and Lisa Drake both showed up and began speaking to the audience for only a brief amount of time.
"It's time for another segment of 'This week's noteworthy cards'!" began David, "Lisa-chan, would you care to do the honors?"
"With pleasure," cut in Lisa, before David and her turned and looked at the blackboard and she pointed at the middle card (still showing the backing), "Face-down cards, open!"
The five face-down cards on the blackboard all automatically turned over and revealed themselves to be:
-'Trap of Darkness' (Trap Card)
-'Fuse Ray Blaster' (Effect Monster Card)
-'Battlewasp - Azusa the Ghost Bow' (Synchro Monster Card)
-'Urgent Tuning' (Trap Card)
-'Battlewasp - Twinbow the Attacker' (Effect Monster Card)
"Hey now, would you look at that?" blinked Lisa, staring at the middle card ('Battlewasp - Azusa the Ghost Bow'), "This one seems to be one of Shinji's better cards."
"It would appear so," agreed David, before reading one of the card's effects, "When a monster is destroyed by battle with your 'Battlewasp' monster, while this card is in your GY: You can Special Summon this card in Defense Position, but banish it when it leaves the field," He then got thoughtful, "And it's also a Tuner monster."
"A Tuner Synchro Monster? Huh, I'd say that is helpful," remarked Lisa, before she and David turned and addressed the crowd, "What do the other cards do, you could be asking? That's what the duel will undoubtedly show you!" They both started waving, "Have a good night, everyone! Enjoy watching the duel and so much more!"
The audience cheered and clapped in response.
Title: My Heart in Your Hands
Opening up inside David's dorm at Orb one sunny late afternoon (3:30 pm), he and Lisa were seated on the couch watching a movie together. The two teenagers relaxed as they watched and listened to the catchy dialogue the film characters were saying. Despite being close, they still weren't officially a couple. When would they become one? That's unknown, and would likely take a special miracle for them to realize how much they mean to the other.
"Let me have a turn, Face, come on!"
"Why we in a fallin' tank?!"
"Because the plane exploded!"
"What plane-?! What?! When?!"
"Recently! The reapers shot it down!"
"What reapers?"
As the two friends watched on, Lisa's eyes started to get heavy and her head began to droop. David eventually took notice and gave her a light nudge.
"Feeling drained, Lisa-chan?" he pondered, before gesturing his right hand nearby, "I would've thought you would be as engaged in this high octane spectacle as I am."
"The same ones that are still trying to kill us!"
"I blame you, Hannibal!"
"Technically, we're not flying…"
"I know! Cause we 'falling', fool!"
"I guess I'm just feeling bored as heck," answered Lisa, slouching backwards.
"You perhaps wish to partake in something else, is that it?" David asked in response.
Taking a quick glance out the window, an idea came into Lisa's adventurous head as she snapped the fingers of her left hand.
"I know! How about later after dinner we go out for a little adventure on our Duel Runners?" suggested Lisa.
"Huh?" questioned David.
"Think about it," Lisa went on, grinning excitedly, "It would be just the two of us, and we can stop at an ice cream shop for a delicious treat or two," David simply blinked as the pink-haired girl finished up, "Come on, D-man! What do you say?"
"Hmm," mused David, looking thoughtful, "To be honest, I actually haven't ridden The Wild Card all that often since we arrived back to Hartford… But, now that you mention it…" He smiled and looked at Lisa as she listened to him, "Since you brought it up, a peaceful little cruise around town does sound like an exhilarating idea."
Lisa resumed grinning, getting the idea David liked her suggestion enough to say yes.
(elsewhere…)
Outside one of the fancy hotels, sounds of crashes and screaming could be heard coming from inside the building.
(inside…)
Inside one of the adjoining rooms, Elsworth was shown seated at a table looking over some Duel Monsters cards as he enjoyed a cup of tea and some crackers, while Sherry and Shinji both were seated in the middle of the big bed watching a scary movie on TV, which was where the crashing sounds and screams were coming from. They really liked scary movies, and this feature flim looked to be especially frightening, what with all the screaming and bloody murders going on. At one point, Shinji grinned and tried wrapping his left arm around Sherry, but she merely grinned back and brushed it off, causing him to jokingly pout. As the good stuff began to ensue, the channel suddenly changed on its own to a news channel, where an important report was being given.
"We interrupt this program to bring breaking news," announced Male Reporter, standing somewhere in the middle of downtown Boston. This got Sherry, Shinji, and even Elsworth's attention, "We have more reports of people going missing, this time in different cities across the states…" The footage cut from downtown Boston to a large a map of the entire United States, with markers being placed on the following states in New England being mentioned, "…of Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Vermont, and also around New York."
"What was that?" gasped Elsworth.
"Missing people?" added Shinji.
The map then cut back to the male reporter, who then walked around the street and showed some police in the background speaking to some apparent witnesses of what happened.
"Currently, we are on location in downtown Boston, where police are speaking to witnesses who claim they saw what happened," continued the male reporter, stepping aside to show the conversation between some citizens and police officers, "From what we're hearing, they saw some weird men wearing black cloaks saying some weird voodoo and then, just minutes later, the people listening just vanished," He then repeatedly pressed on the mechanical piece in his ear, "Wait, did I hear that right? The victims just vanish into thin-air?"
The TV set suddenly turned off, with Sherry holding the remote up before setting it down and shaking her head.
"The people didn't simply vanish just like that," Sherry said gravely, "That reporter mentioned men wearing black cloaks—they are definitely Dark Signers."
"M'lady, are you sure?" asked Elsworth.
"Positive," replied Sherry, "I saw them with my own eyes," She was, of course, referring to her battle royale-styled duel against a possessed Gwen, which was the same one she and Carlie teamed-up, "Carlie and I faced one of their puppets the night where one of her own friends was kidnapped."
"Yeah," acknowledged Shinji, who had been there to watch the duel, "After Gwen was freed from their control, Sherry and I got her back to Orb for rest," He laid himself down on the bed and stared at the ceiling in deep thought, "Now, more people have been reported as missing… Just what the hell do the Dark Signers really want?"
As much as they wanted to say something back, Sherry and Elsworth had nothing they wanted to say in order to answer the question.
(elsewhere…)
One such location of a missing person report was in 'Albany - New York', where it was one of the first places where the Dark Signers struck and possessed people to ultimately become sacrifices for the 'Earthbound Immortal' monsters. Outside Rex's family mansion, a pair of voices were heard inside the building.
"Yes, Lazar? Do you have something to report?" The voice of Rex began.
"I bring some unfortunate news, sir," The voice of Lazar responded.
"I see… Please proceed."
(inside…)
In the dining room, Rex was seated at the table, enjoying a cup of tea along with a late lunch/early dinner when he (Rex) was approached by Lazar, having bad news to deliver.
"Governor Godwin, I'm afraid more people have gone missing in the New England states, including in New York," reported Lazar, before handing his boss some notes, "The governors of Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont have…" He bowed politely, "…all requested that you join them for a meeting with the president to figure out what is going on."
Looking over the notes he was given, Rex frowned because he knew that, without a doubt, the Dark Signers are moving all across states in mostly New England. At last, he wiped his lips with a napkin and stood up from the table.
"Sir?" pressed Lazar, "Will you attend this meeting at the White House in Washington D.C.?"
"Of course, I'll attend," accepted Rex, before looking at Lazar with a stern expression, "However, I do not plan on telling them about the Dark Signers."
"What?" Lazar gasped, shocked, "But, sir-!"
"Honestly, I know I should let the governors and the president know about the Dark Signers," continued Rex, "But I do not want the president to unintentionally cause mass, countrywide hysteria for the people who are already on edge after these incidents as more people are disappearing faster than we can count," He looked over his shoulder, "You understand that, right?" While he (Rex) gave his reason, Lazar listened with the shocked expression still on his (Lazar) face, "It's taken time for General Damas and 'The All-Star Squad' to help quell the people of New York City and across the state who were protesting for Orb's freedom," The governor closed his eyes, "and I don't wish for that to be undone."
Lazar was left wondering if this was the right choice to be made. Still, Rex was his boss and the governor of the state of New York, meaning the final word on the matter belonged to him. Reluctantly, Lazar gave Rex a short bow before turning and leaving to make preparations for Rex to depart Albany and fly to Washington D.C. to meet with the president and the other governors. Once Rex was alone in the dining room, there was one person he was thinking of.
"Rutger…" thought Rex, "How far are you willing to go?"
Rutger, leader of the Dark Signers… Rex was contacted by him once before. Again, did he really know Rutger in some way, shape, or form? That was unknown at this time.
(elsewhere…)
As the sun in Hartford started setting, Lisa and David both were shown emerging from Orb with their helmets in hand as they started making their way to their respective Duel Runners (Lisa: Strike Rouge, David: The Wild Card). They were very excited for their ride, and believed nothing about it would go wrong. As they reached the Duel Runners, they heard a voice calling out to them.
"Dave! Lisa!" The voice of Matt echoed, causing both teenagers to look nearby and see him approaching, "I take it you're heading out for a ride in the city?"
"Fudo-san!" greeted David.
"We sure are," confirmed Lisa, "After all, it's a nice evening—might as well make the most of it."
"When you put it that way…" Matt grinned in response, before winking, "Is it possible your ride is more like a date?"
David and Lisa both blushed with embarrassment, while Matt kept the cheeky smile on his face as though he acknowledged they were having a hard time coming up with an excuse to counter the question. Unsurprisingly, David was able to come up with something to try and get Matt off his (David) and Lisa's backs.
"Fudo-san, I don't know why I must insist this at every turn, but Lisa-chan and I are friends, and only friends! Nothing more!" The aqua blue-haired boy insisted, "Can't friends hang out with one another?"
Too smart to be fooled, Matt resumed smirking and simply looked away while closing his eyes and giving off a shrug as though he was taking David's word for it. Regardless, his unintentionally smug smile warmed into a genuine smile as he opened his eyes and looked back at his two younger friends.
"In any case, I do hope you both have a good time," encouraged Matt honestly, before looking upwards, "Like you said, Lisa, the night's supposed to be beautiful, so this is the perfect opportunity for such an outing."
He then started to leave.
"Wait, Fudo-san!" yelled David, which caused Matt to stop, "How is Ashima-san holding up?"
Matt turned around and silently cast a quick, somewhat stern glance at David, worrying him (David) as though he might have upset Matt in a sort of way. Luckily, that fear was unfounded, as another genuine smile was shown on Matt's face as he answered the question.
"She's still traumatized and afraid to duel as a result of her possession by the Dark Signers," answered Matt, as David and Lisa both listened, "But she's brightened up a fair bit since she watched Mike duel and defeat Don Garome," He winked once more, "I think she will be dueling again at some point."
"Oh man, that's good to hear," sighed Lisa, relieved, but then looked thoughtful, "But, you know, it does remind me of something…" A thought bubble materialized above her, "I actually ran into her earlier in the hallway, and she looked much happier compared to the day after her kidnapping and possession."
In the bubble, Vision Lisa was shown walking down the hallway when a cheerful-looking Vision Ashima was shown walking by.
"Hi, Ashima," greeted Vision Lisa, "How's it going?"
"And hello to you too, Lisa," Vision Ashima greeted back, bubbly, before walking away, "I hope you're having a great day."
The thought bubble popped, and Lisa smiled a little bit. Once Matt had left to go inside, she and David slipped on their helmets and climbed aboard their Duel Runners, revved them up, and drove out of the parking lot to begin their little outing.
"Turbo Duel!" began David.
"Acceleration!" finished Lisa.
Soon, both Duel Runners drove out of sight.
(elsewhere…)
Somewhere in town, David and Lisa parked outside a small ice cream store to get a little snack to go with their outing. Both teenagers emerged with an ice cream cone. Lisa had chocolate ice cream, and David had strawberry ice cream.
"Chocolate!" cheered Lisa.
"Strawberry!" put in David.
They took a seat at the nearby bench to eat their frozen treats. From their position, the sunset was shining on them from the front, not that they minded. As David took a quick glance at Lisa, he suddenly found himself mesmerized, as the warm light from the sunset seemed to make her glow. Instinctively, Lisa turned her head to meet David's, and quickly found herself equally charmed. As the two silently gazed absentmindedly into each other's eyes, they slowly started sliding their free hands closer together on the bench.
"Dave?" peeped Lisa, as she started blushing.
David, who was blushing profusely, never responded, he simply continued to stare into Lisa's eyes as though he were in a trance. Lisa also stared into David's eyes, and, pretty soon, both teenagers leaned closer and closer. They were eventually interrupted by the loud roar of a Duel Runner, which came from the Duel Runner Killer Wasp, which, with Shinji riding, zoomed right by.
"(何だそれ?) Nanda sore? (What was that?)" gasped David in Japanese.
"I think that was Shinji," realized Lisa, before crying out, "Agh!"
Three more Duel Runners came roaring past her and David, and they were able to catch a glimpse at the riders. They were a trio of thugs, and they looked pretty miffed if chasing Shinji was any indignation.
"Why's Shinji-san being chased?" pondered David.
"No idea," replied Lisa, "But three thugs appear to look pissed off as hell with him," She started to get off the bench, "I don't know about you," She faced David with a stern, determined look on her face, "but we gotta help him!"
She started to leave, but then David grabbed her left wrist, causing her to turn and look at him.
"I would advise against that, Lisa-chan," protested David firmly, before holding up his cellphone, "We should alert the rest of the team before we engage; charging in headfirst when the odds are against us will not end well," He activated the device and started dialing the number, "Fudo-san, Hogan-kun, and Atlas-sama will definitely come once I let them know what's happening," He was almost finished dialing, "Especially since Hogan-kun is a close friend of Shinji-san's."
"What, and put Shinji in more danger while we wait?" snapped Lisa, which caused David to stop dialing and look very surprised by what his friend was telling him. Unfortunately, she did not lose her fiery expression nor did she let up, "By the time the others show up, it might be too late. We have to act 'now' before Shinji is done for!"
"Lisa-chan…" murmured David.
After glaring for a few more seconds, Lisa shook David's hand off her wrist and ran towards Strike Rouge, putting the helmet on, climbing aboard, and revving up one more time.
"Go ahead and call for backup if you want," she offered hotly, "But I'm not waiting to go and help a friend out."
With that said, Lisa drove off on Strike Rouge to follow and assist Shinji if she was able to. David watched for only a few seconds before realizing his friend was right. With renewed determination, David jumped onto The Wild Card and put his helmet on, then revved the vehicle up and drove after Lisa. Speaking of whom, Lisa was still chasing after the thugs when she heard a familiar engine, which was from David's Duel Runner as it slowly caught up with her.
"Listen, you can't make me turn back, Dave!" Lisa pointed out, "You know it's pointless to do!"
"I know," acknowledged David, as Lisa listened with disinterest, "But that does not mean I will let you go help Shinji-san alone!"
Lisa eased up when those last words were said, and she saw David with a daring smile on his face. Believing in him, the two teenagers rode after the three thugs. The three thugs were shown yelling insults and threats at Shinji, who only smiled to himself.
"You guys think shouting and swearing is gonna get me to slow down?" he commented to no one in particular, "Sorry, but that's not happening."
"Damn!" The first thug cussed, "Don't let him get away!"
"Hell yeah!" The second thug agreed loudly, "He'll pay for trying to sucker us!"
The two then heard a loud yell and moderately strong swear word, which came from the third thug as she noticed, in his rear view mirror, two Duel Runners chasing after him and his two buds. The first, high tech-looking Duel Runner (The Wild Card) was ridden by a teenage boy with glasses and aqua blue hair, and the other Duel Runner, colored a type of pink and red (Strike Rouge) and slightly resembled a gigantic, pilotable robot, was ridden by a teenage girl with long pink hair.
"We have two meddlers on our tails!" complained Thug 3, "They need to be taught a lesson and pronto!"
Thug 1 and Thug 2 both grinned evilly. Before long, the three Duel Runners broke away from chasing after Killer Wasp, causing Shinji to become curious as to why they were leaving him alone. Meanwhile, Lisa and David noticed the three Duel Runners slowing down from chasing Killer Wasp, but gasped when they turned their attention to them instead.
"Crap!" panicked Lisa, "I guess going after them worked a little too well!"
"Hurry and scatter!" requested David.
Both The Wild Card and Strike Rouge began to turn around and escape, but Thug 3, with his sights on the former Duel Runner, pulled out a handgun and aimed it carefully until it was being pointed at The Wild Card's back wheel.
"Right on the ticket," sneered Thug 3, before firing two shots.
Before David could even react or even process what just happened, the bullets punctured The Wild Card's rear wheel, much to Lisa's horror as she saw it. David, struggling to remain in control, cried out as he swerved off the road and crashed through a stone wall.
"DAVE!" shrieked Lisa.
The Wild Card was on its side with minor damage to the main body, but the back wheel was completely unworkable. David, meanwhile, had been thrown off by the impact, and was on the concrete ground with several injuries, including some nasty bleeding from his chest that stained the front of his shirt, which he was clutching in agony. Needless to say, Lisa was far from being happy with the thugs for trying to kill David like that.
"You Goddamn &%$#&%$s!" snarled Lisa in anger, "You'll pay for that!"
She never got that chance, since Thug 1 and Thug 2 both quickly surrounded her from the left and right and started bashing her Strike Rouge repeatedly. Lisa cursed more strongly as she tried her absolute hardest to stay aboard.
"K-Knock it off, you bastards!" quivered Lisa.
But the two thugs didn't stop, and, with one final kick to the front wheel from Thug 1, Lisa screamed as Strike Rouge spun out, throwing her off as it crashed onto its side before stopping. The three thugs smiled with malicious intention over the fact they defeated their two pursuers. On her back, Lisa tried to sit up, and felt a sharp sting of pain in her upper back while doing so. While hurt pretty badly herself, she was far more worried about David. So, despite her agony, she weakly stood up and limped over to where David was lying. Once near him, Lisa knelt down and scooped him in her arms, causing David to look at her.
"L-Lisa…" whispered David, not using (for a rare time) an honorific to address Lisa, "We…"
He never got further, since he fell unconscious in Lisa's arms. Upset, Lisa shut her eyes tightly and grit her teeth, mainly due to a mixture of pain from injuries and shame from getting David involved in a mess she recklessly started. It got worse when the three thugs approached on foot.
"Well now, it looks like the hunter has become the hunted," taunted Thug 2.
"We don't know whatever possessed you and your friend to go after us, but look where it got you," put in Thug 1.
"I guess the only thing left for us to do…" As he said that, Thug 3 aimed his handgun again, "…is to put you both out of your misery."
Lisa, holding David close to her body, kept her eyes shut and waited for the end to come for her and the unconscious David. Before a final gunshot could be fired, the sound of a Duel Runner was heard getting louder and louder. Thug 1 and Thug 2 wondered if it was possible, and when they turned their heads and looked where the sound was coming from, their fears were outright confirmed.
"GET OUT OF THE WAY!" The two men bellowed.
The Duel Runner was Killer Wasp, and it was coming right towards the scene. Thug 3 overheard his buddies yell the warning and quickly dove to the left, while Thug 1 and Thug 2 both dove to the right. Killer Wasp pulled up beside Lisa, who opened her eyes, and David, allowing Shinji to quickly address the pair.
"Hurry, climb on!" he demanded.
"Shinji, what the hell are you doing?" pressed Lisa.
"What does it look like? I'm here to save your butts," scolded Shinji, "Now, come on! Bring Dave up here."
Bringing David along, Lisa placed him behind Shinji, while she sat behind David to help keep him from falling off the Duel Runner.
"Alright, this is not going to be fun, so hang on," instructed Shinji, "And do me a favor; don't let go, no matter what."
"And why would I even do that?" deadpanned Lisa.
"Less snark back there, missy," Shinji countered, who was not amused, "You're talking to someone who's trying to save your lives."
Angrily, Thug 3 aimed his gun one more time, but Shinji, readying a common Duel Monsters card, was faster on the draw. He hurled his card like a shuriken star, striking the gun out of the man's hand. The weapon slid along the ground and through a grater into the sewers.
"You bastard!" growled Thug 3.
Without saying anything back, Shinji revved Killer Wasp and drove away. Not willing to give up easily, the thugs went back to their Duel Runners, revved them up, took off, and began chasing Shinji once more. This time, they had a different idea on how to deal with that delinquent, and it was through Duel Monsters.
"That punk won't escape us!" threatened Thug 1, as he raised his right hand, "Field Spell!"
"Because we know how to slow him down!" added Thug 2, as he raised his own right hand, "'High Speed World'!"
"That we do," finished Thug 3, as he also raised his right hand, "Set on!"
All three thugs pressed a button on their Duel Runners. On the monitors of the three Duel Runners, a whole new Spell Card materialized and activated.
"Duel Mode, engaged," came a computerized voice aboard the three, respective Duel Runners, "Autopilot activated."
From there, the three Duel Runners became surrounded by a purple dome as autopilot activated. Unfortunately for Shinji, he got caught in the sphere as, on the monitor of Killer Wasp, the 'High Speed World' Spell Card activated.
"Duel Mode, engaged," came a computerized voice aboard Killer Wasp, "Autopilot activated."
"Dammit! We can't stay and duel these clowns!" argued Lisa, before wincing slightly in pain, "Dave needs serious medical attention!"
"No worries," The voice of Shinji interrupted, which caused Lisa to soften slightly. There was a cool smile on his face, "I'll take those clowns down in no time."
"Shinji!" berated Lisa.
Ignoring the protests, Shinji, got to go first since he was far ahead of the competition.
"It's my turn!" he announced, drawing a card (LP: 4000), "Draw!"
Thug 1 (LP: 4000), Thug 2 (LP: 4000), and Thug 3 (LP: 4000) each waited to see what was going to be done.
Turn One: Shinji Weber (LP: 4000)
Deck: 54
Current Hand (6): "Battlewasp - Dart the Hunter", "Battlewasp - Arbalest the Rapidfire", "Urgent Tuning", "Revival Swarm", "Trap of Darkness", and "Battlewasp - Sting the Poison"
Speed Counters: 0
Shinji's drawn card was the 'Battlewasp - Sting the Poison' Tuner Monster Card, which was a very good start in his strategy to defeat the three thugs. He placed the card onto his Duel Runner without any hesitation.
"I play this card of mine, 'Battlewasp - Sting the Poison'!" continued Shinji, as the orange wasp-like monster appeared on the field (Level: 2/ATK: 400/DEF: 800), "Defense Position!"
"Tch!" scowled Thug 1.
"I activate 'Sting the Poison's' first effect!" exclaimed Shinji, "If this card is Normal or Special Summoned: I can add 1 'Battlewasp' monster…" He drew a card and saw it was the 'Battlewasp - Twinbow the Attacker' Effect Monster Card, "…from my Deck to my hand, except 'Battlewasp - Sting the Poison'."
"Come on, Shinji, you gotta win this duel fast!" thought Lisa urgently.
"From there, I'll Set two cards and end my turn!" finished Shinji, as he swung his right arm about and made two face-down cards appear on the field, "Now, come on, you bozos! Let me see how you work together!"
"Bozos?!" raged Thug 2.
"Wh-Watch your mouth!" warned Thug 1, "Because we're gonna show you just how well our cards work together!" He drew a card, "It's my turn!"
As it was now the second turn of the duel, all four Turbo Duelists gained a Speed Counter:
-Shinji: 0 → 1
-Thug 1: 0 → 1
-Thug 2: 0 → 1
-Thug 3: 0 → 1
Turn Two: Thug 1 (LP: 4000)
Deck: 34
Current Hand (6): "Fuse Ray Blaster", "Fighting Dirty", "Transmigration Break", "Fuse Ray Blaster", "Overdone Burial", and "Fuse Ray Blaster"
Speed Counters: 1
The drawn card was a Monster Card known as 'Fuse Ray Blaster'.
"I play a card called 'Fuse Ray Blaster'!" commanded Thug 1, before placing his drawn card ('Fuse Ray Blaster') onto a Monster Zone on his Duel Runner, "Attack Position!"
Appearing onto the field and posing for battle, was a cartoonish-looking man wearing a Mexican sombrero, red cape, and wielding a shotgun for a weapon (Level: 4/ATK: 1600/DEF: 800).
"Since this is a battle royale, no attack can be declared on the first turn," said Thug 1 knowingly, "As of now, I'll end my turn!"
"He's not even bothering to Set any other cards?" thought Lisa, "What is that guy up to?"
The four Duel Runners turn onto another street, just as Thug 2 finally began his own turn.
"It's my turn!" declared Thug 2, drawing a card.
With it being another turn, all four Turbo Duelists gained another Speed Counter:
-Shinji: 1 → 2
-Thug 1: 1 → 2
-Thug 2: 1 → 2
-Thug 3: 1 → 2
Turn Three: Thug 2 (LP: 4000)
Deck: 34
Current Hand (6): "Fuse Ray Blaster", "Dark Ruler No More", "Fuse Ray Blaster", "Counter Counter", "Phalanx Pike", and "Fuse Ray Blaster"
Speed Counters: 2
Thug 2's drawn card was a copy of the 'Fuse Ray Blaster' Effect Monster Card, which he believed was very, very good (for him).
"Well, whaddya know?" teased Thug 2, holding his drawn card ('Fuse Ray Blaster') out, "I've drawn 'Fuse Ray Blaster', too!" He placed it onto his Duel Runner, "I think I'll Summon it in Attack Position!"
Appearing onto the field and posing for battle, was a second 'Fuse Ray Blaster' (Level: 4/ATK: 1600/DEF: 800).
"Ah ha ha ha ha! This activates my 'Fuse Ray Blaster's' effect!" cackled Thug 1, giving the command to his monster as it raised his rifle, "Shooting!"
'Fuse Ray Blaster' fired a red beam from the rifle, striking Killer Wasp in the back and causing Shinji to stumble about as his LP took a hit (LP: 4000 → 3200).
"What was that about?!" cried Lisa, struggling to hold on tight.
"If this face-up card is in Attack Position when a 'Fuse Ray Blaster' is Summoned: I must inflict 800 damage to my opponent," explained Thug 2, just before several large images of the 'Fuse Ray Blaster' Effect Monster Card loomed in the background, "It's as simple as that! All three of us run these monsters! We get enough of them out, you can kiss your LP goodbye without us actually attacking you!" He then entered his End Phase, "I end my turn!"
"So, these guys have three copies of 'Fuse Ray Blaster' in their Decks," thought Shinji, before grinning with anticipation, "Sounds rather cheap, but whatever! I'm ready for those kinds of cards!"
Since Thug 1 and Thug 2 both Summoned a copy of 'Fuse Ray Blaster', it was only inevitable that Thug 3 would do the same thing once his turn began.
"It's my turn!" announced Thug 3, drawing a card.
Yet again, all four Turbo Duelists gained another Speed Counter:
-Shinji: 2 → 3
-Thug 1: 2 → 3
-Thug 2: 2 → 3
-Thug 3: 2 → 3
Turn Four: Thug 3 (LP: 4000)
Deck: 34
Current Hand (6): "Fuse Ray Blaster", "Eliminating the League", "Hard-sellin' Goblin", "Fuse Ray Blaster", "Destructive Draw", and "Fuse Ray Blaster"
Speed Counters: 3
Upon seeing his drawn 'Fuse Ray Blaster' Effect Monster Card, Thug 3 smiled wickedly since it meant he can help his buds inflict more damage to Shinji.
"I Summon 'Fuse Ray Blaster'!" Thug 3 went on, placing his card onto his Duel Runner.
Appearing onto the field and posing for battle, was a third 'Fuse Ray Blaster' (Level: 4/ATK: 1600/DEF: 800). Unfortunately for Shinji, Lisa, and the unconscious David, this also meant one thing…
"Shooting!" Thug 1 and Thug 2 both shouted at once.
Both 'Fuse Ray Blasters' raised their rifles and fired another red beam, striking the back of Killer Wasp and causing Shinji to briefly lose control of the Duel Runner as the three thugs finally caught up and surrounded him.
"Say goodbye to 1600 more LP!" laughed Thug 3.
Shinji winced as his LP dropped again (LP: 3200 → 1600).
"There are more than enough…" began Thug 1.
"…bullets remaining!" finished Thug 2.
They were referring to the cards in their respective hands; all three thugs had two additional copies of the 'Fuse Ray Blaster' Effect Monster Card present and accounted for. No matter what Shinji did for his turn, they were going to win on one of their coming turns.
"Damn," muttered Lisa, "We're trapped like rats in a maze," She looked at David, who was slumping against Shinji's back still in a state of unconsciousness, "Dave…"
"Beware, you punk! Once it's our turn, we'll send you and the two kids with you straight into Hell!" jeered Thug 2, "Don't worry, I heard Hell is supposed to be dark and not so bad!"
"You can't win!" insisted Thug 3, "I end my turn!"
"Shinji, let's just forget the Turbo Duel and get out of here!" requested Lisa, "I said it before, and I'll say it again; Dave needs to get back to Orb for treatment!"
"Unfortunately, in a Turbo Duel, the only way out is to win," reminded Shinji, becoming more determined than ever to win, "And that's what I aim to do."
Lisa blinked, "Shinji…"
"You seriously believe you can defeat the three of us before we can Summon another 'Fuse Ray Blaster'?" snorted Thug 1, as Shinji listened to the rant, "I don't know if you're being serious or trolling us. If it's the latter, we'll make sure…" He banged his fist onto the dashboard in anger, "…your impending death is as painful as it can be, since we hate trolls more than anything!"
"You think I'm lying?" pressed Shinji, before narrowing his eyes, "This is no lie I'm spouting; I'm definitely going to defeat the three of you on my turn!" He braced the index and middle fingers on top of his Deck before drawing a card with a Destiny Draw, "It's my turn!"
For a fourth time, the four Turbo Duelists gained a Speed Counter:
-Shinji: 3 → 4
-Thug 1: 3 → 4
-Thug 2: 3 → 4
-Thug 3: 3 → 4
Turn Five: Shinji Weber (LP: 1600)
Deck: 52
Current Hand (5): "Battlewasp - Dart the Hunter", "Battlewasp - Arbalest the Rapidfire", "Revival Swarm", "Battlewasp - Twinbow the Attacker", and "Battlewasp - Pin the Bullseye"
Speed Counters: 4
His drawn card was the 'Battlewasp - Pin the Bullseye' Effect Monster Card, and with four Speed Counters, this was all he needed to defeat the three thugs and get David and Lisa both to safety at Orb.
"First, I'm going to activate the first effect of 'High Speed World'!" began Shinji, as his Speed Counters automatically depleted (SPC: 4 → 0), "Once per turn: I can remove 4 Speed Counters of my own, then reveal any number of Spell Cards in my hand; I must inflict 800 damage to my opponent for each card revealed," He then held up a card ('Revival Swarm'), turned it over, and revealed it, "By revealing 'Revival Swarm', one of you jerks will be taking 800 damage!"
Thug 2 glowed red for a few seconds as he grimaced due to being the one to take the damage from the effect of the 'High Speed World' Spell Card (LP: 4000 → 3200). He then recovered and grinned with anticipation.
"I'll also activate the first effect of 'Battlewasp - Twinbow the Attacker'!" As Shinji placed his next card ('Battlewasp - Twinbow the Attacker' onto his Duel Runner, appearing onto the field was a wasp-like monster with twin stingers (Level: 3/ATK: 1000/DEF: 500), "During my Main Phase: I can Special Summon this card from my hand, also I cannot Special Summon monsters from the Extra Deck for the rest of this turn, except Insect monsters," He then readied another card and placed it onto his Duel Runner, "And now, from my hand, I'll Special Summon 'Battlewasp - Pin the Bullseye'!"
Appearing onto the field was the small bee-like monster with a rocket pack for a backside (Level: 1/ATK: 200/DEF: 300).
"If I control an Insect monster: I can Special Summon this card from my hand," explained Shinji, going over his monster's first effect before holding his right hand out, "Next, I'll activate 'Pin the Bullseye's' second effect!" As he went over the second effect, 'Battlewasp - Pin the Bullseye' turned and faced one of the opponents, "During my Main Phase: I can inflict 200 damage to my opponent for each 'Battlewasp - Pin the Bullseye' I control."
'Battlewasp - Pin the Bullseye' fired a yellow stinger from its mouth, striking Thug 1's Duel Runner and making him take some damage (LP: 4000 → 3800).
"Just remember you can only use that effect once per turn!" reminded Thug 1, "And besides that, what can you hope to do with a bunch of weak monsters?"
"Yeah!" agreed Thug 3, "You talk big, but all you've been Summoning are monsters with hardly any ATK!"
"It's true that my monsters are weak. With ATK ranging from 200 to 1000…" admitted Shinji, "On their own, they're mostly powerless! But I fight with these monsters!" The three thugs, including Lisa, listened to the passionate speech, "I've gotten to where I am using these weak cards! If these powerless monsters work together, they can overcome anything! That's what I'll show you!" He held his right hand out and gave the command, "My Level 2 'Sting the Poison' tunes Level 3 'Twinbow the Attacker'!"
'Battlewasp - Sting the Poison' turned into two Synchro Rings, which 'Battlewasp - Twinbow the Attacker' flew into before turning into three orbs of light during the Summon Chant that was going on.
"Furiously stinging needle, become a bow that can strike even heaven in a flash!" chanted Shinji, as the symbols 3 + 2 = 5 were shown for a few seconds before the three orbs of light within the duo of Synchro Rings turned into a massive beam of light, "Synchro Summon! Appear now, 'Battlewasp - Azusa the Ghost Bow'!"
Appearing onto the field, as the Synchro Summon sequence ended, was a humanoid Insect monster wearing white and rose red dress and wielding a bow and arrows (Level: 5/ATK: 2200/DEF: 1600). The three thugs felt uncomfortable seeing a strong monster make a dueling appearance.
"Another monster will now join this Queen of all wasps," continued Shinji, placing a card onto a Monster Zone on his Duel Runner, "Come, 'Battlewasp - Arbalest the Rapidfire'!"
Appearing onto the field was the wasp monster with a purple body and yellow stripes (Level: 4/ATK: 1800/DEF: 800).
"I activate the first effect of 'Arbalest the Rapidfire'!" As Shinji spoke, a card ('Battlewasp - Sting the Poison') slipped from his GY, which he took hold of and held out, "When this card is Normal Summoned: I can target 1 Level 3 or lower Insect monster in my GY; I must Special Summon that monster in Defense Position," The card was then placed onto a Monster Zone on the Duel Runner, "Resurrect, 'Sting the Poison'!"
Reappearing on the field was 'Battlewasp - Sting the Poison' (Level: 2/ATK: 400/DEF: 800).
"And with 'Sting the Poison's' first effect," exclaimed Shinji, drawing a card—which he saw was another copy of the 'Battlewasp - Arbalest the Rapidfire', "I'll add another copy of 'Arbalest the Rapidfire' into my hand," He then held another card ('Revival Swarm') for a few seconds before slotting it into his Duel Runner, "I activate the Spell Card, 'Revival Swarm'!"
The mentioned Spell Card materialized face-up on the field in-front of Killer Wasp.
"I must target 1 'Battlewasp' monster in my GY; I must Special Summon it," explained Shinji, before holding his right hand out again, "Resurrect, 'Twinbow the Attacker'!"
Reappearing on the field was 'Battlewasp - Twinbow the Attacker' (Level: 3/ATK: 1000/DEF: 500).
"Keh! Fine, we'll give you at least 'some' credit for getting a surprisingly strong monster out," Thug 3 praised sarcastically, referring to 'Battlewasp - Azusa the Ghost Bow', "However, even that can't defeat us in one turn! You're still doomed, you moron!"
"Is that so?" grinned Shinji, which caused the three thugs to wonder if there's something else that could be done. He entered his Battle Phase, "Battle!" While announcing 'Battlewasp - Azusa the Ghost Bow' to attack, she raised her bow, "'Azusa the Ghost Bow', attack the first 'Fuse Ray Blaster'!"
A stinger-like arrow was fired from the bow, impaling Thug 1's 'Fuse Ray Blaster' and causing it to shatter into shards of glass.
"Bastard!" insulted Thug 1 (LP: 3800 → 3200).
"Well, look on the bright side," reassured Thug 2, which caused Thug 1 to look over, "He still won't be able to take any of us out this soon."
"Damn straight!" jeered Thug 3, "Once his turn ends, it'll be Game Over!"
"I activate the first effect of the 'Dart the Hunter' in my hand!" interrupted Shinji, who then held a card ('Battlewasp - Dart the Hunter') out before sending it to the GY at the end of the explanation, "When my 'Battlewasp' monster destroys a monster by battle that is owned by my opponent: I can discard this card; I must inflict damage to my opponent equal to that destroyed monster's original ATK," Once his card was gone, he turned and pointed at Thug 1 (who was on the right), "And now, you'll sustain damage based on 'Fuse Ray Blaster's' ATK!"
Thug 1 screamed as he glowed red and sustained more damage—this time, it was based on the ATK of his destroyed 'Fuse Ray Blaster' (LP: 3200 → 1600).
"Damn you!" cursed Thug 2, but smirked as he retreated into his thoughts, "But still… He will definitely fall before any one of us gets defeated."
"My Battle Phase is not over," proclaimed Shinji, earning him another gasp from the three thugs, "It won't stop until we've defeated you guys!" He reached over and pressed a button on the dashboard of Killer Wasp, "I activate a Trap," One of the face-down cards reappeared on the field before flipping face-up and revealing itself, "'Urgent Tuning'!"
"What?!" shouted Thug 2.
"'Urgent Tuning'?!" Thug 1 and Thug 3 added.
"During the Battle Phase: Immediately after this effect resolves, I must Synchro Summon 1 Synchro Monster using monsters I control," explained Shinji, before 'Battlewasp - Pin the Bullseye' flew into the sky and 'Battlewasp - Azusa the Ghost Bow' started glowing, "My Level 5 'Azusa the Ghost Bow' tunes Level 1 'Pin the Bullseye'!"
"That Synchro Monster is also a Tuner?!" realized Lisa.
As expected, 'Battlewasp - Azusa the Ghost Bow' turned herself into five Synchro Rings, which 'Battlewasp - Pin the Bullseye' flew into and turned into a single orb of light as one of Shinji's favorite Summon Chants was heard throughout.
"Flap your wings to stir up a shockwave, and let your sting open up the road of truth!" chanted Shinji, as the symbols 1 + 5 = 6 were shown for a few seconds just before the single orb of light in the five Synchro Rings turned into a massive beam of light, "Synchro Summon! Come, 'Battlewasp - Halberd the Charge'!"
Appearing from the beam of light and within the sky, was the familiar, large wasp-like monster with mechanical qualities and a large axe-like weapon (Level: 6/ATK: 2500/DEF: 800).
"That gives him another monster to attack us with!" whined Thug 1.
"Take this!" yelled Shinji, as 'Battlewasp - Arbalest the Rapidfire' fired a stinger towards the second 'Fuse Ray Blaster', "My 'Arbalest the Rapidfire' will attack the second 'Fuse Ray Blaster'!"
'Fuse Ray Blaster' got impaled by the stinger, shattering into shards of glass as a result of destruction. This caused a fuming Thug 2 to receive very minor battle damage (LP: 3200 → 3000).
"I'm not done!" boomed Shinji, "The destruction of your monster activates the second effect of 'Azusa the Ghost Bow'!" Reappearing onto the field was 'Battlewasp - Azusa the Ghost Bow' (Level: 5/ATK: 2200/DEF: 1600), "When a monster is destroyed by battle with my 'Battlewasp' monster, while this card is in my GY: I…" He smiled with satisfaction, "…can Special Summon this card in Defense Position, but banish it when it leaves the field."
"In Defense Position?" quizzed Lisa.
"How useless!" laughed Thug 2.
Shinji ignored that taunt; he had access to many different ways to defeat his enemies, and those three thugs were no different to his previous opponents. Finally, he resumed his Battle Phase.
"Since I've Synchro Summoned during the Battle Phase, I can still attack!" recalled Shinji, as 'Battlewasp - Halberd the Charge' raised its axe and flew towards the remaining 'Fuse Ray Blaster' "My 'Halberd the Charge' will attack the third 'Fuse Ray Blaster'!"
With one swipe from the axe, 'Fuse Ray Blaster' was destroyed by 'Battlewasp - Halberd the Charge', causing Thug 3 to take battle damage, as well (LP: 4000 → 3100).
"As of now, I'll activate the second effect of 'Halberd the Charge'!" continued Shinji, "When this card inflicts battle damage to my opponent: I can inflict 200 damage to my opponent for each 'Battlewasp' monster I control!"
'Battlewasp - Halberd the Charge' slashed its axe and fired what appeared to be a stinger-like beam. While it wasn't seen connecting with anybody, Thug 3 glowed red and sustained even more damage (LP: 3100 → 2100).
"But this is where one of you falls!" proclaimed Shinji, "The first effect of 'Azusa the Ghost Bow' activates here!" As he (Shinji) explained the effect, Thug 3 looked afraid of what's to come, while 'Battlewasp - Azusa the Ghost Bow' prepared to attack again in a way by raising and aiming her bow directly at one of the opponents, "When my opponent takes effect damage from another 'Battlewasp' monster: I can inflict damage to my opponent equal to the original ATK of that monster!"
"WHAT?!" The three thugs cried out at once.
'Battlewasp - Azusa the Ghost Bow' aimed her bow and fired another arrow, causing Thug 3 to scream and yell in panic as the front of his Duel Runner got struck, defeating him as he crashed without his LP gauge being shown and depleting.
Thug 3 has been eliminated!
"Alright!" whooped Lisa, "One down, two to go!"
"Tch! So what?!" dismissed Thug 1, "Just because you beat our pal doesn't mean you'll defeat the two of us before your turn is over!"
"Remember that my Battle Phase is still on," reminded Shinji, "And my 'Battlewasp - Twinbow the Attacker' is capable of attacking twice per Battle Phase via its second effect," He sends his monster to attack, "My 'Twinbow the Attacker' attacks the second opponent directly twice!"
'Battlewasp - Twinbow the Attacker' obeyed, stinging Thug 2's Duel Runner in two frozen stills, causing him to take damage and fall behind Thug 3's Duel Runner (LP: 3000 → 1000).
"If this keeps up, Shinji might actually defeat those remaining thugs," thought Lisa, "He just needs to have one more card capable of finishing the job."
From there, Shinji, as though he knew what Lisa was thinking, smiled to himself.
"And now, it's time to end the duel," Shinji was saying.
Thug 1 and Thug 2 both looked surprised and concerned. Unfortunately, their perceived target was far from being done talking.
"The time for revolution has come!" Shinji went on, "Once I activate my final face-down card, victory will be all mine!" On cue, his final Set card reappeared on the field in-front of Killer Wasp, "I activate a Trap, 'Trap of Darkness'!"
The face-down card flipped face-up and revealed itself, much to the shock of Thug 1 and Thug 2.
"If my LP is 3000 or less: I must pay 1000 LP," said Shinji powerfully (LP: 1600 → 600), "then target 1 Normal Trap in my GY, except 'Trap of Darkness'; this card's effect becomes that target's activated effect, then I must banish that target," As he spoke on, his face-up 'Trap of Darkness' Trap Card had its artwork changed into that of the 'Urgent Tuning' Trap Card, "The Normal Trap in my GY I choose to copy and banish will be 'Urgent Tuning'!"
"Another Synchro Summon!" gasped Lisa, but in a good way.
Not even close to being happy, both Thug 1 and Thug 2 were freaking out and waiting for whatever was coming. Sure enough, 'Battlewasp - Azusa the Ghost Bow' once again started glowing as she turned herself into five Synchro Rings.
"Let the revolution begin!" The voice of Shinji declared, as the above scenario played out, "My Level 5 'Azusa the Ghost Bow' tunes Level 3 'Twinbow the Attacker'!"
'Battlewasp - Twinbow the Attacker' flew into the five Synchro Rings and turned into three orbs of light as a new Summon Chant by Shinji was heard throughout.
"Resonant powers, carry the flames of resentment in your hands, and fire the arrow of rebellion!" chanted Shinji, as the symbols 3 + 5 = 8 were shown briefly just before the three orbs of light within the five Synchro Rings turned into a massive beam of light, "Synchro Summon! Level 8! 'Battlewasp - Hama the Conquering Bow'!"
As the beam of light burst apart, standing on the field was a humanoid 'Battlewasp' monster similar to 'Battlewasp - Azusa the Ghost Bow' (who was now banished via her own effect), but male, colored entirely green, had glowing red eyes, and a more powerful-looking bow for a weapon (Level: 8/ATK: 2800/DEF: 2000).
"This is…!" stammered Lisa.
"2800 ATK?!" panicked Thug 1.
"It can wipe out either one of us!" exclaimed Thug 2.
"Either one of you?" frowned Shinji, speaking ominously, "Correction, my Deck's main monster will successfully wipe out the both of you at once!" He then pointed towards his newly Summoned monster, "'Hama the Conquering Bow's' first effect!" 'Battlewasp - Hama the Conquering Bow' did a few poses before readying his bow as the card explanation proceeded, "If this card was Synchro Summoned using a Synchro Monster as material, it can make a second attack during each Battle Phase."
"WHAT?!" Thug 1 and Thug 2 screamed in horror.
"Open fire, 'Hama the Conquering Bow'!" commanded Shinji, "Finish this duel!"
'Battlewasp - Hama the Conquering Bow' fired an arrow at Thug 1, striking him and causing him to be defeated (LP: 1600 → 0). A second arrow was then fired from 'Battlewasp - Hama the Conquering Bow', striking Thug 2 and finishing him off also (LP: 1000 → 0).
DUEL RESULTS: Shinji Weber wins!
Both Thug 1 and Thug 2 yelled in defeat as they ended up crashing as a result of their defeats. Shinji only smiled with triumph and satisfaction as he drove Killer Wasp away from the scene of destruction.
"Beating those three guys in just one turn…" admired Lisa, before finishing with something anew, "One Turn, Three Kill!"
Shinji briefly looked over his shoulder, grinned, and winked at Lisa, having shown her that he was more than capable of defeating multiple opponents in a single turn. Had David been awake, he likely would've found it impressive, as well.
"I'll retrieve The Wild Card and Strike Rouge as soon as I can," promised Shinji, "But, in the meantime, I'll get you both back to Orb for treatment."
Killer Wasp made a U-turn and started making its way all the way back to the Orb Duel School.
"I just have one question," pressed Lisa, "Why were those three guys chasing you in the first place?"
"Who knows?" replied Shinji, "They were likely after either my cards or money. But after that one turn knock out they each suffered, they likely won't be coming after me again."
(elsewhere…)
Eventually, Killer Wasp pulled into the parking lot of Orb and stopped. Lisa removed her helmet and got off first before carefully grabbing David and wrapping his right arm around her shoulders. Shinji got off his Duel Runner and also removed his helmet, aiming to bring both damaged Duel Runners back on foot.
"Good luck helping your friend, Lisa," encouraged Shinji, "I'll go and fetch Strike Rouge first."
He then ran off into the distance, leaving Lisa to start helping David along until they were both inside the school.
(inside…)
Inside her dorm a little later, Lisa and David, who was conscious again, were treating their injuries. A shirtless David was leaning back on Lisa's bed as she dabbed an alcohol-covered cloth over David's bare chest. The alcohol caused him to hiss in pain from the stinging feeling.
"You 'really' don't get out much, do you?" Lisa deadpanned, wondering if this was how David often acted when getting injuries taken care of, "I mean, come on, I'm just trying to help you."
"Was it so obvious? AH!" winced David.
After she was done, Lisa took some bandages and wrapped David's chest with them.
"That should do it," reassured Lisa, patting David's bandaged chest to help him feel better, "Just leave those on for at least twenty-four hours and you should be good to go."
Feeling Lisa's careful, yet surprisingly soft, touch, David then gently brushed his hand against the cuts concealed by the bandages, noting that the pain was slowly starting to subside.
"My deepest gratitude Lisa-chan," said David gratefully, "However, you have your own injuries and they, too, must be patched."
"Nah, I'm good," declined Lisa dismissively, "I've been through far worse."
David disagreed, "Lisa-chan, that crash was far more than your average 'reckless sport' outing," he stated sternly, "Don't think I failed to take notice of your distinct discomfort throughout all of this."
"Really, Dave, I'm fine," insisted Lisa, "I've been in more crashes than I can count."
"All the more reason why I must attend to your injuries as you did mine," David responded, not accepting the excuses, "Now if you would please discard your shirt so that I may receive a better examination."
Lisa's eyes widened in shock as she crossed her arms over her chest.
"Hey! You… Y-Y-You can't just ask me to do that!" Lisa fired back bitterly, with her face burning up, "You just want an excuse to see me in my-"
"I understand such a practice may not be ideal for you," countered David, unphased by the objections, "but it is the only way to ensure complete care for your physical wellbeing. I must insist you discard it," Lisa remained flustered as she listened, "It's the only way I can treat you."
Lisa wanted to protest further; nobody but her three friends in Asagi, Mayura, and Juri had seen her in a state of undress before, much less a boy. But David's tone of voice gave the impression that he wasn't backing down and letting her walk out in pain from her own injuries. Part of Lisa actually wanted to slap him to tears for even suggesting she strip anything in front of him, but another part was convinced David simply wanted to help her and nothing more. Reluctantly, she finally caved and agreed to the terms.
"Ugh! Fine!" scowled Lisa.
The pink-haired girl slowly slipped off her half-jacket and was about to remove to her tank top, but briefly stopped to shoot a cold, piercing glare at David while also giving him a stern talking to…
"But I'm warning you only once, buster!" she said firmly, "If you try 'anything', and I mean 'ANYTHING', I won't be responsible for my actions towards you! Do you get me?"
"Duly noted," accepted David, slightly intimidated by the fiery look in Lisa's eyes.
"Good."
Turning away from David's general direction, Lisa grasped the hem of her tank top and yanked it over head in one swift motion before dropping it on the floor. Her upper body was now clad in only her bright pink bra, which she made sure to cover with her arms so that her friend could not see her front, despite facing away from David.
"Well, go on then, make it quick!" Lisa spat harshly, making no effort to hide her mix of frustration and embarrassment at this moment, "I haven't got all day, you know!"
"Please relax, Lisa-chan," reassured David, "I have no intention of engaging in anything debauched towards you."
Lisa just huffed and remained still as David tended to the bruises and cuts on her back. She winced slightly as the alcohol from the cloth made contact with her open wounds, but swallowed any signs of discomfort. Lisa kept peeking over her shoulder every few seconds to make sure David wasn't sneaking a glance at her, but every time she did, she saw his eyes were glued to her back; a look of pure concentration plastered on his face. Soon, she decided to break the awkward silence.
"So…how bad is it?" asked Lisa.
David, still not looking up from his work, responded by adjusting the glasses on his face and sighing.
"Well," replied David, not stopping with his work, "there are a small number of deep cuts and some severe bruising around your lower back."
Taking a dry towel, David gently dabbed Lisa's back where he'd tended to, before continuing with his work.
"However," continued David, "there is one rather serious gash on your upper back…" He trailed off, knowing what he had to tell Lisa, who almost looked fearful of what was to be said next, "And…I'm afraid it is…concealed…by your… um… brassiere…"
As expected, Lisa jolted slightly upon hearing that final word, her eyes wide and her cheeks red. Just as she was about to tear into David with her bare hands over what he just said, she stopped herself and relaxed.
"He's gone this far without so much as 'attempting' to touch or look at me, and that cut does sound pretty bad…" thought Lisa, before speaking out loud, "Exactly how bad is it?"
"Well, for an ill-defined example, a clear blood stain is forming beneath your undergarment," said David, closely examining what he could make out from the patch of skin that wasn't covered, "You simply cannot afford to allow an injury of this magnitude to become infected. Doing such could lead to dire consequences for your physical health in the future," After getting no response from Lisa, he finally decided to ask the big favor, "If you would simply unclasp your brassiere so that I may safely get to the cut and patch it up, that will be all of your injuries tended to."
"I can't," Lisa replied, getting tensed up with her face practically burning up, "The strap's at the front…"
There was another very long, awkward, and rather embarrassing silence between both teenagers.
"Please," pleaded David, again breaking the silence, "I know this must be embarrassing for you, but unless you let me tend to that laceration, there's a high chance it could lead to severe complications down the road."
"I… I…" stammered Lisa, humiliated, wondering what else she could say in her defense. Ultimately, she conceded defeat, "A-Alright… Just…turn around for a moment."
David did as instructed. After making sure he wasn't looking at her, Lisa unclasped her bra and slipped it off from behind, wincing slightly upon peeling the fabric from her gash. Taking a quick glance at her undergarment, she noticed the blood stain was damp and dark red, hinting she was still bleeding slightly. Upon discarding her bra, Lisa quickly grabbed the sheets from the bottom of the bed and held them over her torso, to preserve some form of modesty and to prevent any further embarrassment.
"Okay… you can look, Dave," requested Lisa.
David turned back around and looked down upon Lisa's bare back and went to work cleaning and patching up the nasty gash near the top. As the alcohol-covered rag was touching the injury, Lisa shut her eyes and hissed in pain. Once David finished, he noticed the wound simply kept bleeding with no intention of stopping, causing him to shake his head.
"It's no good, Lisa-chan," David remarked urgently, surprising Lisa as she briefly looked over, "This is far more serious than I had initially speculated. I'm going to have to stitch the injury up."
"What?" realized Lisa, "It's that bad?" When David nodded, she looked very worried despite knowing it had to be done, "Alright… There's some more medical supplies inside the pack under my bed."
David got onto the floor, looked under the bed, and found the other medical pack as he was told of. He pulled it out and was looking over what was inside, finding a hook needle and sutures. He didn't like what he was going to do, but Lisa needed to be properly treated. Once he had the needle properly sterilized and had equipped himself with medical gloves, David took position behind Lisa, who gave a silent nod, letting him know she was ready. Focusing his concentration, David took one end of the gash and pinched the ends together, quickly stabbing the needle through the tissue, causing Lisa to nearly cry for real. David simply continued working on stitching up the wound on Lisa's back, while Lisa shut her eyes and grit her teeth while shedding some tears from the pain as the needle pierced through her skin. Not once did David attempt to even stare or violate Lisa's privacy in any sort of way. Once the stitching was finished, David placed a protective patch over the suture to keep it from being torn until it fully healed.
"(全部終わった,) Zenbu owatta, (All finished,)" sighed David in Japanese, collapsing onto a chair and looking away, "You can get up now, Lisa-chan."
Slowly, Lisa opened her eyes when she heard it was all over. Getting off the bed, she walked to the nearby drawer and pulled out a fresh bra and tank top, putting them on before putting on her discarded jacket.
"It's safe to look, now," informed Lisa, which caused David to look over as she flashed him a look of gratitude, "Thanks a bunch for working on that gash."
"Sure, no problem," muttered David.
The two teenagers then sat on the bed in awkward silence for about a full minute, wondering where to go after all that. Even though he was silent, David was very grateful he never once violated Lisa's privacy during him patching her up, and Lisa was likewise glad David was able to do something about her injury. From there, David was the first to break the awkward silence.
"Lisa-chan, I kept my word," began David, causing Lisa to look over, "I never once tried to peek at you. You know I would never violate your privacy."
"That's all you can say?" snapped Lisa defensively, still flustered.
"What?"
"No, 'sorry I made you strip for me'?!" The pink-haired girl ranted, resisting the urge to slap David in anger, "I've never been so humiliated in my life! But I bet you're proud of yourself, getting me to go topless for you!"
She then stopped when she saw David backing off slightly, his face a mixture of shocked and upset. Immediately, Lisa's temper evaporated once she realized what she had been saying.
"O-Oh! Oh, Dave, I'm sorry," Lisa said remorsefully, "I didn't mean what I said, really," David looked over, listening to the words of apology, "I'm just frustrated, because I'm the reason you got hurt," She shuffled about uncomfortably, "It doesn't help that we were put in such a position together when I still don't know how I really feel about you."
"Wait, how you feel about me?" quizzed David, before seeing the frustration and mixed emotions in Lisa's eyes which was admittedly also getting to him, "Can you tell me what you mean by that?"
Being unable to find a way to answer the question, Lisa simply tried to look away, but David, not having any of it, reached over and grabbed her face and got her to look at him.
"Lisa-chan, please stop," comforted David, "I don't harbor any ill will against you."
"You don't?" peeped Lisa, "Do you mean that?"
"I do," answered David, "In fact… I primarily share in your frustrations regarding the two of us," Lisa listened intently as he carried on, "It's something I'm completely unfamiliar with, but as we have continued to spend time together, I feel a certain…" He looked down slightly, "…spark between us. As though my heart is telling me something that my brain cannot properly comprehend."
Despite the seriousness behind the comment, Lisa couldn't help but giggle slightly at that last point, since it sounded so silly to her.
"Let me get this straight; 'your' brain is not comprehending something?" chuckled Lisa.
"Yes, as outlandish as it sounds," David also chuckled, just before going on with his explanation, "I originally brushed these feelings off as nervous jitters. But since we reunited, and especially after tonight's events, I believe I now understand what these emotions are…"
"And they are-?" pressed Lisa.
"Well, to start…" David started to say, ruffling his hair in nervousness before taking a deep breath to calm himself down, "It's something I have never felt before, but it would seem that I am indeed attracted to you—perhaps as more than a friend…"
Lisa was barely able to let out a gasp as she felt her heart beat faster and her stomach spin in loops and corkscrews. Without even thinking, she wrapped David in a tight yet delicate hug, making sure not to press down on his injuries.
"You have no idea how much I needed to hear that!" Lisa said happily.
The two teenagers pulled away, but continued staring into each other's eyes.
"I take that as an indication…that you feel the same way?" David asked hopefully.
"Yeah… Yes, Dave, I truly do," smiled Lisa, "I can't really make sense of it either… but whenever I'm with you, I just feel…whole. It's like I realized I've been missing something all my life, something no random trinket or nick-nack could ever fill," As she struggled to find the right words to say next, her hand moved slowly to meet David's on the bed as he listened to what else she had to say, "I know we didn't hit it off that well…"
"But just look where we are, now," added David, as they moved closer together; his hand now intertwined with Lisa's, "We're closer than ever before," He immediately corrected himself, "No, we're closer than that."
David Xadashi and Lisa Drake continued staring into each other's eyes as they moved closer…
"Together…" began Lisa.
…and closer…
"…at last," finished David.
…until they finally closed the gap and locked lips, sharing a long, passionate kiss, solidifying their relationship to its strongest point.
*KNOCK, KNOCK!*
The knocking on the door resulted in Lisa and David both pulling away from their kiss and looking around a couple of times.
"It's open!" called Lisa, not even annoyed.
The door opened, and the three Astray girls, Sean, Janice, and Gabriella all came rushing into the room.
"Lisa! Dave!" started Janice, "You two are okay!"
"When we saw Shinji bringing the damaged Strike Rouge into the parking lot, we knew something was wrong," put in Mayura, "We learned from him that you two were hurt and came here as fast as we could."
Gabriella immediately started crying as she hugged David and even Lisa at once, being deeply relieved the two were alive. Speaking of whom, David and Lisa accepted the hug and comforted the young girl by patting her back gently.
"Easy there, kiddo, we're alright, now," reassured Lisa, before wincing in pain from being hugged too tightly, "R-Really, take it easy. We're both in pretty bad shape."
"Yeah!" whined David, also in pain, "Please let go of us, Gabriella!"
Gabriella stopped crying when she heard those quotes and sheepishly backed away to give her older brother and his friend some breathing room.
"Listen, I'd like to apologize for making all of you worry," said David apologetically, "Both of us are deeply injured from our crash, but it wasn't anything we couldn't patch up ourselves. I assure you, we maybe down, but we are far from out," After Asagi, Mayura, Juri, Sean, Janice, and Gabriella all nodded, he pressed a new question upon them, "Since you've mentioned Strike Rouge, did Shinji-san bring The Wild Card in, too?"
"Shinji's likely busy getting it here," corrected Sean, with Janice nodding in agreement, "Luckily, it shouldn't take him long to do that."
"And speaking of which, you mentioned you and Lisa are in bad shape," Juri, while looking towards Lisa and David, added. She then shook her head a little bit, "This means the both of you will have to lay off dueling and Turbo Dueling for at least a little while as you heal up."
"I suppose it's for the best," accepted David.
"No argument there," agreed Lisa sincerely, before brightening up considerably, "But look on the bright side, Dave and I do have some great news to share with you lot!"
Sean, Janice, Gabriella, and the Astray trio all listened carefully, wondering what the good news could even be. Juri then noticed that David and Lisa's hands were still intertwined, and it didn't take her long to put two and two together.
"Lisa…" she said, gazing down at the hands locked together, "Are you two…?"
"Yep! As of tonight, Dave and I are officially an item!" proclaimed Lisa happily, wrapping her right arm around David's shoulders, "We're so happy to be together at last!"
David simply smiled shyly without saying a word. The news was obviously met with acclamation from the three Astray girls, David's two best friends, and even little Gabriella. Of the small group, Asagi, Mayura, and Juri in particular were squealing in utmost delight that their friend finally found a boyfriend.
"Omigosh, omigosh, omigosh, omigosh, omigosh!" cried Asagi, as Lisa grinned and David blushed a little bit, "You know what this means, right?" With sparkling eyes, she thought up an idea before bringing both her hands together and held them up near her face, "Lisa, it means we need to celebrate you finding a boyfriend—a really cute boyfriend, might I add!"
"W-Wait a moment, isn't that a bit-?" Lisa tried to speak, but got interrupted.
"Eeee! Come on!" requested Mayura, "Let's go find Matt and the others and tell them about it!"
"Yeah! The sooner we tell them, the better!" exclaimed Juri, being the first to leave the room.
Mayura and Asagi both followed suit, closing the door behind them. This left behind a highly annoyed-looking Lisa and some very bemused residents from the United Kingdom.
"Ooookay," mused Sean, with a big sweatdrop on the side of his head, "What's up with those three?"
"Oh, them acting all giddy?" said Lisa, unamused and as though she was used to the antics of her three friends by now, "They've been waiting for me to find a boyfriend since the first day I met 'em."
It was then David remembered when Asagi, Mayura, and Juri were absolutely giddy over him and Lisa going on a date during the Action Duel tournament to the point they dragged Lisa away from the stadium back to their hotel in order to help give her a makeover for the date, so this was not too much of a surprise for him.
"Now then, we're still really happy for you and Lisa, Dave," praised Janice.
"Eh? What do you mean by that, Janice-san?" commented Gabriella innocently, "Weren't (お兄ちゃん) O nīchan (Big Brother) and Lisa-san…" David and Lisa both listened to the harmless conversation, "…already a couple by now?"
"N-No, Gabriella. Only tonight have we decided to make it official," David cringed, trying to correct his younger sister, "Where did you get the idea for otherwise?"
"I did see you two hugging on the beach," Gabriella answered naively, "Don't people only do that if they're boyfriend and girlfriend?"
David blushed fiercely upon learning his younger sister had seen his and Lisa's private moment at the beach in New Haven.
"T-T-That was… um… merely a… I-I mean…not implying…" stammered David, "Come on, err…"
Poor David's incoherent babbling only caused Sean, Janice, Gabriella, and even Lisa all to start laughing in a positive way. Finally giving up, David joined in the laughter.
(outside…)
Outside Orb, as the sky became black with lots of stars, Shinji finished wheeling The Wild Card into the parking lot to join Strike Rouge. The Wild Card was slightly harder for him to bring back because the back wheel was completely destroyed. Overall, both Duel Runners would need some repairs, which he would ask Matt, Michael, and James R. each to do the next time he saw one of them.
"Whew!" panted Shinji, "Dave sure made this Duel Runner of his heavy and high tech, and it doesn't help the back wheel is wrecked," He wiped his sweaty forehead using his right sleeve and then straightened himself up and cracked his back a little bit, "Still, I got them both back here safely to be repaired," Suddenly, there was a clapping sound, which naturally got his attention before looking around carefully, "Hey! Who's there?!"
Stepping out of the nearby shadows were none other than Sherry and Elsworth, with the former being the one who's clapping.
"Sherry! Elsworth!" realized Shinji, "What are you both doing out here?"
"Look at you go," smirked Sherry, "Wheeling two big Duel Runners several blocks all the way here."
"It must have been hard work," commented Elsworth.
"Hold on, you two were watching me do this?" wondered Shinji, before scratching the side of his head and sighing, "Thanks a bunch for not helping… But I guess since you both don't know what happened, you deserve to know what the story behind it is."
Sherry folded her arms, while Elsworth simply waited to hear Shinji out.
"I was helping Dave and Lisa when they were in danger," explained Shinji, walking up to his two friends, "See, three thugs had been chasing after me on Duel Runners. Dave and Lisa saw and tried to help me, but the thugs turned their attention towards them instead."
"Good heavens!" gasped Elsworth, "I hope they're okay!"
"Thankfully, they are," reassured Shinji, "I rescued them, but the thugs continued their pursuit and forced me into a Turbo Duel, where I demolished them in a single turn despite some not so good odds."
"Defeating three opponents in a single turn…" mused Sherry, impressed, "But about those thugs… What made them chase after you in the first place?"
Shinji sweatdropped, "Well… Eh heh… Ahem!" he coughed sheepishly, "That was kinda 'my' fault."
"What did you do to earn their wrath?" asked Elsworth.
"I was out on the town when I visited a bar, where they spotted and challenged me to a game of poker," recalled Shinji. A thought bubble materialized above him as the scene began playing out while he explained about it, "During the game, I tried to cheat them out of their money by hiding the good cards in the sleeve of my motorcyclist suit, and just when I won with a third Royal Flush, they figured me out. Obviously, they were none too happy about it."
Realizing they were cheated, the three furious thugs were shown standing up, upending the table and spilling its contents, and preparing to throttle Vision Shinji, who got up from the table and raced out of the bar as fast as he could, and the three thugs quickly followed suit, wanting to beat the living daylights out of Vision Shinji for trying to trick them like that. The thought bubble then popped, and Sherry blinked a few times from hearing such a story.
"You tried tricking some thugs in a simple game of cards?" The blonde-haired young French woman whispered, which caused Shinji to visibly flinch slightly. She then smiled mischievously, "You would do that. Hmhmhm… You really haven't changed one bit, Shinji, and I hope you never do."
Shinji found himself relaxing after Sherry's tone went from shocked to impressed once again, but he still couldn't help but tease her for the sudden change in tone.
"Is that tone of yours signaling you're impressed?" teased Shinji, "Because it sure sounds like it to me."
Without making a smart response to the teasing, Sherry only chuckled before approaching and sharing a passionate kiss with her 'friend with benefits', which Shinji accepted without complaint. While watching his ward and her best friend kiss, Elsworth couldn't help but smile over it.
"As much of a delinquent you can be, Shinji," thought Elsworth, "you can definitely also be heroic when you want to be. There's little wonder why Sherry has a thing for you."
That I agree.
(inside…)
Back inside Orb a little later, Lisa and David were inside the latter's dorm watching another movie on TV, a bombastic action flick. This time, both teenagers were fully embracing their new romantic relationship, and they had their outing on their Duel Runners to thank for getting them together. David and Lisa said nothing throughout the movie, but Lisa eventually did cuddle up to David, who simply smiled and wrapped an arm around her.
(elsewhere…)
Around that same time, in Carlie's room, she had finished getting ready for bed when she heard her phone ringing. Curious over who could be calling at this time of night, Carlie picked up the phone and answered it.
"Hello? Carlie Izayoi speaking," began Carlie.
"Hi, Carlie, guess who?" A chipper male voice responded.
Carlie gasped, "Ben!" she realized, "Oh my goodness, how are you?!"
"I'm doing great!" The voice of Ben Izayoi, as he was named, replied, "But, right now, I have great news to tell you; Mom, Dad, and I are coming to see you and your friends real soon. How amazing is that?"
"You are?!" cried Carlie, "Oh, this is so amazing! I can't wait to see you all again! Right now, I'm spending the summer in Hartford at this amazing dueling school. It's called Orb."
"Hartford?" The voice of Ben repeated, "That's somewhere on the east coast, right?"
"It sure is," Carlie confirmed, before looking a little concerned, "I hope that isn't a problem for all of you."
"Oh, not at all!" The voice of Ben laughed, "I'm aware you guys travel a lot whether it's for business or Duel Monsters tournaments, so we've saved more money than we usually do. We now have enough to travel to nearly any place in the states."
"Oh, wow…" breathed Carlie, "A-Anyway, when can I expect to see you, Mom, and Dad."
"Expect to see us in at least a week or so," The voice of Ben said back, "We just need to finish planning out a couple of things and go over who will look after our house and dog while we're away. When we do leave Nevada, the flight will be extremely long, so we likely will be a little late in arriving. I hope you're okay with that," After a brief pause, "Sorry, Carlie, but I have to go now, Mom and Dad need me to help speak to one of the neighbors."
"Okay, Ben," nodded Carlie, "I love you, Mom, and Dad," The brown-haired young woman hung up and approached her bed, laying down on top of it and staring up at the ceiling in happiness, "Goodness gracious! My family's coming all the way from Reno to Hartford to visit… I'm so excited!"
Carlie then started thinking about introducing her family to her new friends from Hartford and from the United Kingdom. While she was, indeed, very happy about the news, she was not the only one to hear of it. Hiding on top of a bookcase and staying out of sight was a small black spider—one of Rutger's spiders, that is. The little creature of darkness overheard everything as the phone conversation ended and it began backing away.
(outside…)
Outside Orb, Azrael was shown staring at the building with his arms folded and a look signifying immense hatred towards it. Eventually, he looked down on the ground and found the small spider approaching him. Smiling, Azrael knelt down and allowed the spider to crawl onto the palm of his right hand.
"You've come back," admired Azrael, "So tell me, what did you find out?"
The black spider started uttering something in a language unknown to normal humans, but Azrael was able to understand it all as though it was clear English. He started speaking when the spider finally stopped squeaking.
"Oh really? Is it because they're neutral?" joked Azrael, as the spider appeared to say something else, "That's just not right, now is it? Not when all the others are risking their lives fighting against mankind's enemy," After a few more seconds of the spider telling him what he wanted to hear, he shook his head, "All-in-all, you did good in finding out about that psychic duelist's family coming to visit her," His mouth formed a sinister smile, "It will soon be time to bring a Signer—potentially the most dangerous of them—onto the side of the Dark Signers."
And Azrael continued to smile and stare at the disgusting building in-front of him. Would his time to strike come soon? That, I'm afraid, was unknown at this time—well, that and I would possibly spoil the next story if I told you right away.