Author's Note:
I now present to you Chapter 26 of this long-running fanfiction. It continues the dark and bleak streak. I guess I just really enjoy torturing Yusei.
As always, thank you for taking the time to view and to read.
NineInchNailed.
"Have you ever seen a human heart? It looks like a fist, wrapped in blood."
~Patrick Marber, excerpt from "Closer"
The wind gushed as monstrous tentacles ripped through the ground, sending heavy debris about. The awful pain in his arm, the birthmark burning the same way it did when the Crimson Dragon appeared during his and Jack's duel. The enormous shadow of a dragon, bellowing. And as he ran towards it, he saw her. The mysterious cloaked figure holding the duel disk. The Black Rose Witch of the urban legends, branded by the birthmark of the Crimson Dragon like him and Jack. A sight never to be forgotten. The first time he saw her.
"Do you accept the challenge, Fudo Yusei?" the Black Rose Witch called-out, standing in the middle of Poppo Time plaza, a small form next to disturbing and bladed Makyura the Destructor.
She let go of her forearm and all the Signer marks stopped glowing at once.
It's a dream. This isn't real, Yusei thought. Lost and despaired he looked to his friends. Rua and Ruka, both frightened. Bruno and Carly speechless. Crow as fundamentally shocked as him. I'm dreaming. I have to be dreaming.
He turned and staggered back into the house, hand remaining on a wall to help his balance.
"Are you running? Hiding behind your friends? Behind those children?" she yelled after him and burst out in bloodcurdling laughter which sounded doubled at certain points; off; not right.
"Hey! Hey!" Crow intervened and stepped out to close the gap between the reduced Team 5D's and the masked figure. "What the hell are you doing, Aki!?"
"I have no business with you, Hogan Crow."
"Oh yeah, well I have business with you! You're our friend, Aki! Why are you acting like this? What's with that get-up?"
"Hogan Crow," she spoke up, bored inflections in her voice, the white mask all but a frozen expression. "You are pathetic. You are so weak you couldn't even give me a challenge if you tried! You tag along with the likes of Fudo Yusei and Jack Atlas, the Kings of Games, with nothing to show for yourself. Your ace monster doesn't even come close to the power theirs are capable of. You have no destiny for greatness. And you'll have nothing to show for yourself in the future. I would pity you – if only I cared."
Crow's mouth snapped open. Behind him, he heard his friends' gasps. He was so shocked that momentarily could only stammer. But then he let his anger speak. "Hey! What the hell…screw you, Aki! How can you say such things to me?" He felt burning in the corner of his eyes. He had been insulted plenty before but never by someone he considered a close friend, someone he cared so deeply about. This had nicked him on a very deep level.
"I'm here for Fudo Yusei. So why don't you FUCK OFF?" she screamed and the monster reacted with her, thundering so loudly that they all had to cover their ears, and anyone else who was awoken by the commotion in the plaza cowered in fear inside their homes. Gusts of gale surrounded her, sending everyone back with impact. And, in that moment, Crow realized that Aki was not holding a duel disk.
"Aki-san!" Ruka screamed, scared and upset.
"Aki nee-san, stop this!" Rua joined in, running to stand by Crow.
A distinct sound of a D-Wheel engine starting. Revving and then approaching. Then Yusei's red D-Wheel came up on the ramp from the garage. He drove out and stopped in the middle between her and the group. His posture was slouched and he was panting but behind the darkened helmet visor his cobalt eyes blazed. "Let's go."
"Yusei, don't! Stop! Don't go anywhere!" his friends' voices sounded off behind him.
She jumped on that unknown dark D-Wheel and started it. "Follow me," she intoned and waved at the airborne monster. It disintegrated into thin wisps of smoke. And then she sped off at incredible speed.
He followed her and such great was the speed of that strange D-Wheel that he had trouble following it closely. She took sharp turns and at times he had to navigate by the echo of the engine. Although potentially his reflexes had been dulled with his residual sickness.
Finally, he had turned a corner into an alley and there she was, waiting for him.
The dark cloak was off and lying by her feet. The porcelain mask as well. High-heeled black boots. Slick black riding suit, tight and shiny. Long red hair, no Arcadia pin to be seen, down and cascading over her shoulders. Arms folded as she stood there, leaning against the bike. Stunning smile on red lips. Brown eyes, bright and shining. All Aki…and none at all.
"You made it!" she cheered.
He stopped a short distance away. Studied her silently. Taking in every detail.
"Like what you see, don't you?" she laughed and made a little spin. "Come over and take a closer look. I'll let you, you know? I'll let you do anything you want."
"Who are you?" he didn't move a muscle.
"Izayoi Aki, actualized!" she closed and opened her fist repeatedly, fascinated by the movement of her own fingers. "All the power finally free. No inhibitions. No barriers. Complete surrender."
"You're not Aki." Every word, every syllable that escaped his mouth…shattered something within him. It wasn't her. Was it an impersonator? But no…he felt something; it was visceral, instinctual.
She laughed and saddled the bike. "Oh, you will see. We start our duel now."
"Why?"
She turned as she fastened a black helmet. "You have a card that belongs to me."
"I don't know what you're talking about."
"You're very daft today, Fudo Yusei. But I'll play along. The Winged Dragon of Ra in your deck. It's mine."
Whatever it was that had shattered previously within him, had now collapsed and the shards of it cut into everything deep inside. Dawn of comprehension; dreadful and devastating. "No…it's not."
"You can't be so stupid as to actually believe what you've just said. Think next time before you say something, okay?" she said sweetly.
Yusei's lips pressed into a thin line but he said nothing.
"You hear that?" she asked, taking out a phone and he became aware of the sounds of D-Wheels on a distance. "Your friends wasted no time in coming after you this time. But I won't let them interfere." She quickly finished typing something out and put the phone away. "Let's go."
"Aki!" he exclaimed desperately, hands gripping the D-Wheel handlebar so tight that the knuckles turned numb.
"But that's not who I am, didn't you say?" she teased and sped off. "Speed World 2, set on!"
He had no choice but to follow after her.
"I'll be taking the first turn," she called out and turned the corner, drawing a card.
[Aki ?]
[Beginning of Turn One: 0 Monsters; 0 Cards on Field; 6 Cards in hand; LP4000]
|[Her Speed Counters: 0]|
|[Yusei's Speed Counters: 0]|
"I set Newdoria in Defense mode," she narrated and a tall Level 4 monster appeared, hunched over with its arms touching the ground. A spiked, vaguely sadistic helmet was on its head, as well as similar cuffs all over its body. Defense points were at 800 and Attack at 1200. "Then I'll set two cards face down and end my turn. Easy, huh?"
[Aki ?]
[End of Turn One: Newdoria (Lvl.4) ATK800/DEF1200 in Defense Mode; 2 Face down Cards; 3 Cards in hand; LP4000]
|[Her Speed Counters: 0]|
|[Yusei's Speed Counters: 0]|
This isn't Aki's monster, Yusei despaired. None of them will be? He didn't know what may have been more painful, more confusing. "I…I draw a card."
[Yusei Fudo]
[Beginning of Turn One: 0 Monsters; 0 Cards on Field; 6 Cards in hand; LP4000]
|[Her Speed Counters: 0]|
|[Yusei's Speed Counters: 0]|
She looked at him over her shoulder. "By the way, what did you think of how I've paid you a visit today? Did you like it? A nice memento from your past. I worked hard to duplicate that mask."
Yusei ignored what he just heard. Rather he heard it but forced it down, suppressed it, buried it, before he needed to accept the pain of processing it.
"When my opponent controls a Monster and I have none, I can Special Summon Level Warrior from my hand. I set it in Defense mode," he said and a Level 3 monster, dressed as a caped superhero, appeared on the field. Its Attack was at 300 and Defense at 600 points.
"And now I also Summon Max Warrior, in Attack mode," he went on and a robust Level 4 robot appeared. Its Attack sat at 1800, Defense at 800 points.
She laughed. "Ah, classic Fudo Yusei strategy. Using effects to summon multiple monsters in one turn. So predictable. Anything new you want to show me?"
Still ignoring the words sent his way. And he hesitated then. He could attack her and he could destroy that Defense monster easily. But without a doubt there was something to it. She likely had also set traps but would she want to use a trap on the first turn? He knew Aki's cards inside and out but these cards weren't hers.
"Are you done?"
"No," he decided. "Max Warrior, attack Newdoria!"
His monster flew over and smashed hers into pieces. She did not bat an eye but the wind of the impact reached him. "You've lost your touch. Special effect activates," she intoned. "When this monster is destroyed by battle, I can target one monster on your field and destroy that target. I pick Level Warrior."
Yusei shielded his face as shards of Solid Vision from his destroyed monster reached him, leaving scratches upon his clothing. All damage will be real in this duel. "I place one card face down and I end my turn." Then he added, with regret: "When Max Warrior destroys a monster, its Level becomes 2 and original Attack and Defense are halved until my next turn."
[Yusei Fudo]
[End of Turn One: Max Warrior (Lvl.2) ATK900/DEF400 in Attack Mode; 1 Face down Card; 3 Cards in hand; LP4000]
|[Her Speed Counters: 0]|
|[Yusei's Speed Counters: 0]|
"Rookie mistakes. You need to make more effort to impress me, okay?" she hummed. "My turn!"
[Aki ?]
[Beginning of Turn Two: 0 Monsters; 2 Face down Cards; 4 Cards in hand; LP4000]
|[Her Speed Counters: 1]|
|[Yusei's Speed Counters: 1]|
"And now you're defenseless for your next turn," she giggled. "I summon Dark Jeroid in Attack mode." Another grotesque, multiple-limbed monster had appeared on the field, Level 4, Attack at 1200 points and Defense at 1500.
"Now, behold! I activate my set Magic card, Black Pendant." The green card flipped up from the field and a large black necklace appeared around Dark Jeroid's neck. "The Black Pendant card gives 500 additional Attack points to my monster." Dark Jeroid's stats increased to1700. "But I'm not quite done yet!" she went on excitedly: "Additionally, once a face-up Monster is targeted by Dark Jeroid, it loses 800 attack points."
Yusei's eyes widened behind the dark visor, watching as Max Warrior's Attack went down to a measly 100 points.
"Now, Dark Jeroid – attack Max Warrior!" she commanded. "Eat 1600 points of damage, Fudo Yusei!"
"No, Trap Activates!" Yusei rushed just as her monster launched at him. "I active Panic Wave! By destroying one card in my hand I can negate the effects of all your face-up Spells, Traps and Effect Monsters." He sent the card into Graveyard.
Dark Jeroid stopped midway and returned to her.
"Alright," she smiled lightly. "Maybe you haven't sustained complete brain damage after all. I add one more card face down and end my turn."
[Aki ?]
[End of Turn Two: Dark Jeroid (Lvl.4) ATK1700/DEF1500 in Attack Mode, equipped with Black Pendant Magic card; 1 Face down Card; 2 Cards in hand; LP4000]
|[Her Speed Counters: 1]|
|[Yusei's Speed Counters: 1]|
"I saw it, you know," she spoke up, interrupting his attention as he was about to claim his turn. She turned to study him over her shoulder. "How she's met you for the first time. She was a total lunatic, wasn't she? And yet you were the one to frighten the witch. What did you think when you first saw her? Did you think she was crazy? Or did you already feel something for her then? Did you feel like getting your rocks off afterwards, thinking of her? Because she had thought of you."
Yusei was too disturbed to say anything.
At the look on his face she rolled with bright melodious laughter. "This girl swims in her miserable memories. They've oversaturated every particle of her soul. I pity her."
And at that she turned another corner and Yusei saw a roadblock upfront put up by Public Security. He felt relieved. He'd rather they get stopped now, get fined or maybe get locked up for a day, than continue with this. He also prepared for her to suddenly turn around. But she didn't. Instead she continued speeding towards the roadblock and he realized then that they had left a small path for D-Wheels to pass through. And as they passed he tried to catch the faces of all those officers but they remained obscured by their tinted helmets.
They went through the blockade and glancing back he saw that Public Security had closed it after their passing. And far back on the distance he saw them putting up more. They were going to keep Crow and others completely out or entirely locked in.
"Aki!" he shouted at her, giving into desperation. He had to know, he had to understand, even if one thing at a time. "How? Why?"
"You may have defeated me and spat in my face at the offer I had for you," she hissed a response. "Turned down your great destiny. But the war is still ongoing. More players have been involved in this than you can even comprehend. I just need to clean up."
"What happened?" he finally attempted. "Aki…what did you do to her?"
"I helped her. She didn't think she had enough power to perform a miracle and without my encouragement she never would have attempted to. All this power and potential in her but which she couldn't use. And I was available," she blew a kiss at him then: "She had saved your life, Fudo Yusei. In exchange for hers."
Yusei's eyes grew large. It was all suddenly moving in slow motion. Impossible…incomprehensible…
She urged him on. "It's your turn and you're testing my patience."
He couldn't pick up a card. His hands clutching the handles were shaking. "No, I don't believe it. No. Aki would never…this is impossible."
"I had killed you, Fudo Yusei. I had. It's true. You know it. Surely you remember bleeding to death? Suffering some good old fashioned cardiac arrest? Yeah. I was successful. Just as the legends have foretold, I had granted you death," she echoed. "I warned you but you didn't believe me then. Do you believe me now?"
"But… Mahdi had died also. The explosion from Ra and Osiris. It…It can't be."
"Yes, that I did not predict. But I did not fully die, as you can see. There is always a way when one searches for it. And when somebody is out there, desperately wishing and begging… Oh it's so bright. It's so easy to latch onto." She laughed then and he watched, horrified, as unfamiliar chuckles shook her shoulders.
"Now. Your turn? Else by rules of Speed World 2, you forfeit. Go or lose any chance you have now."
Yusei tried to focus on this duel, the only tangible thing he could. Something actionable could take his mind off the horror and off this weary body. "Draw."
[Yusei Fudo]
[Beginning of Turn Two: Max Warrior (Lvl.2) ATK900/DEF400 in Attack Mode; 0 Face down Cards; 3 Cards in hand; LP4000]
|[Her Speed Counters: 2]|
|[Yusei's Speed Counters: 2]|
Aki had sacrificed herself…for me? Life for a life? No. No. I don't believe it. He stared at the cards in his hand, seeing nothing. He slowly looked up at the bike ahead of him, at the tresses of long red hair blown by the wind. It wasn't her? That disgusting…thing, took her over? It took over her body and settled-in like a parasite? The shakes had returned to him but now they were equally induced by sickness and panic.
"Yes?" her voice urged him on and it was frightening; eerie. He shook his head. You can do this, try to do this, he told himself, trying to snap out of it. He had to concentrate. He had to play and he had to win. If he only didn't see, didn't think, didn't feel. "At the beginning of my turn, Max Warrior's original stats return," he began and his warrior's Attack increased back to 1800 and Defense to 800 points and Level went up to 4. Aki is in there, she's somewhere in there. Just…just try to finish this duel. Try to reach her. Try to open her heart.
"Next, I summon Junk Synchron, in attack mode," he continued and his faithful Level 3 Tuner monster appeared, Attack 1300 and Defense at 500.
She smiled slowly.
"Now, if I have a face-up Tuner monster on my field, I can summon Bolt Hedgehog from my Graveyard," he went on and a card that he'd discarded on a previous turn came up and he activated it. A small robotic hedgehog made an appearance, Attack and Defense points both at 800.
"Are you going to surprise me or are you going to be stubborn?" she baited.
"I will tune Level 4 Max Warrior, to Level 3 Junk Synchron to Level 1 Bolt Hedgehog to summon my ace," he announced and began chanting: "Clustering stars become a shining new hope. Become a light that reveals itself. Appear, Stardust Dragon!"
The majestic silver beast took flight and let out a bellow. And watching his dragon take flight, soar just above him, the very manifestation of his soul – filled Yusei with hope and helped clear away some dizziness. He then returned his gaze to Aki, to see her reaction… She was in there somewhere – did she see it? Did she recognize it?
Her facial expression was blank. Bored. "You've stolen Winged Dragon of Ra from me. The strongest card that had ever existed. And you're not even going to use it?"
"No, never," he said immediately. I will never use anything but what is my own, anymore. Every card that belongs to me and that I had picked out with my own two hands. No more Osiris. Never Ra. Only my own deck. My own cards. "Stardust Dragon is all I need. Go, Stardust! Shooting Star Sonic!"
The dragon began charging the attack.
"That's all?" she sighed.
Her monster had been obliterated. She didn't flinch nor blink. Her Life points went down by 800 points.
"I then set a card facedown and end my turn," Yusei concluded.
[Yusei Fudo]
[End of Turn Two: Stardust Dragon (Lvl.8) ATK2500/DEF2000 in Attack Mode; 1 Face down Card; 1 Cards in hand; LP4000]
|[Her Speed Counters: 2]|
|[Yusei's Speed Counters: 2]|
"I don't respect you. And because of your pride in your inferior cards you will lose today," she intoned and drew a card.
[Aki ?]
[Beginning of Turn 3: 0 Monsters; 1 Face down Card; 3 Cards in hand; LP3200]
|[Her Speed Counters: 3]|
|[Yusei's Speed Counters: 3]|
"The way I had lost to you during our last duel?" he asked, daringly. If he only thought of this thing as somebody else. As Mahdi. Not as Aki. It made it possible to act. It fueled anger rather than dread and devastation.
"Oh yes. Don't you realize yet that you have actually lost everything then?" she smirked. "Pay attention. First, look at what you did: when my monster equipped with Black Pendant is sent to the Graveyard, I can activate the card's special effect. 500 Direct damage to my opponent. Do you know what this means?" she began laughing. "Behold! The full extent of this psychic power!"
Yusei's eyes widened. And as a bolt of energy escaped her Graveyard and targeted him like a fireball, he swerved violently to avoid its impact. But there was no escaping it. The white energy assaulted him with flames and for a moment it was a thousand degrees hot. The pain was palpable. And then it dissipated.
He didn't know how he had maintained his speed or from tilting the bike sideways into an alley wall. Smoke was coming off him in thin wisps. He didn't know how he hadn't fainted.
His Life Points went down to 3500.
"Aw, you're still keeping up," she laughed. "How was it? Was it as good for you as it was for me? Over a little too quickly for my liking. From what I've seen in her head you can generally go for a good time. What's happened?"
Yusei wanted to stop the D-Wheel and slump over the side. The idea of his head touching the ground seemed exquisite. He forced himself to concentrate on the road ahead, on the black bike and on that rose red hair. His breath was coming in short gasps. "Are you…finished?"
"It's hard to hear you. You're going to have to speak up a little," she continued laughing. "But of course not. Only getting started. I summon Lord Poison, in Attack mode," and another grotesque, spiked monster made an appearance, Attack at 1500 and Defense at 1200.
"Next, hidden card activates," she proclaimed and a facedown card appeared. "Spiritualistic Medium, Magic Card! By discarding all cards in my hand-" – she promptly slid them into Graveyard – "One of my monsters gains 500 points per card!" Lord Poison screeched and doubled in size as its Attack points went up by 1500 points. "Now! Attack Stardust Dragon! Make it bleed!"
Her monster lunged into attack. With a feeble hand, Yusei reached out and activated his only trap. "Trap card open: Scrap-Iron Scarecrow. When my opponent's monster declares an attack, I can negate it and set this card face-down again. Stardust is going nowhere." He tried to look at the Dragon's shining form and it helped him focus. The sound of his own voice returned to him with a delay, like an echo.
She didn't say anything this time, uncharacteristically. She had actually turned away and wiped a sleeve over her nose. She saw it then again, the blood. She swallowed back and rubbed with her hand until there was nothing left. And, without looking back at him, had simply concluded: "I set a card face down and end my turn."
[Aki ?]
[End of Turn Three: Lord Poison (Lvl.4) ATK3000/DEF1200 in Attack Mode; 0 Face down Cards; 0 Cards in hand; LP3200]
|[Her Speed Counters: 3]|
|[Yusei's Speed Counters: 3]|
"Draw…" Yusei rasped out. Steady…steady…concentrate. Aki. Aki. Where are you? Where did you go? You can't be gone.
[Yusei Fudo]
[Beginning of Turn Three: Stardust Dragon (Lvl.8) ATK2500/DEF2000 in Attack Mode; 1 Face down Card; 2 Cards in hand; LP3500]
|[Her Speed Counters: 3]|
|[Yusei's Speed Counters: 3]|
He looked at the card he'd just drawn and blinked slowly, dazedly.
Black Rose Dragon. He held it in his hand and he didn't understand how he had obtained it. It was silver, clear and uncorrupted. It was as if he had drawn a piece of Aki's soul.
"Road is ending," her voice interrupted. "Turn here," she made a sharp turn within that instant and squeezing the precious card he tried to follow suit. But perhaps he was a millisecond late or his reflexes were gone: he had turned too sharply and the D-Wheel oversteered and scraped hard against the left wall. Losing balance again but slowing down until he finally straightened out. He began picking up speed again to catch up to the tiny red dot on the distance.
He approached her at what seemed like impossible speed until he realized that she had stopped. She was waiting for him to catch up.
He decelerated as he approached, waiting for her to start and go off so they could continue but nothing. She continued sitting there, back turned to him, a hand over her forehead, and the disfigured Lord Poison still floating next to her.
He had to brake and at that she intoned: "This duel is over, Fudo Yusei."
"It's still my turn. I play-"
She had deactivated her duel disk. His shut down automatically and he looked up in panic at Stardust Dragon (my only hope, the only strength I have left) who's let out a quiet cry and disintegrated into thin air, gone without the source of Solid Vision energy. "What, no!"
"You can't play me anymore," she faced him, eyes dark behind the visor. Expression of disappointment. "You can't keep up. You can barely sit there, much less give me the duel I deserve."
He shakily added Black Rose Dragon to his dueling hand. "No, I refuse. The duel continues." He could still fight. He wouldn't let this happen.
She shook her head and took off the helmet, passing a hand through her hair to fix it. "I'll take Winged Dragon of Ra now."
"No."
She put the helmet down and neared him, a smile of compassion on her face.
"Hand it over," she held her hand out.
"No," he tensed. He would never willingly give it. And he watched her with anxiety, knowing that he might (shatter, collapse, scream) if she were to reach out and try to touch him. "The duel was not finished. I won't give you anything." Don't come any closer to me.
"I'm sorry that you feel that way, Fudo Yusei," she answered sadly and looked over his shoulder.
It all happened too fast then. Suddenly something inhumanly strong grabbed him and literally pulled him off the D-Wheel by the collar of his shirt. He had barely registered that it was Jack Atlas before he was thrown off and hit the ground.
His head was spinning intensely but he began scrambling up immediately. "No." He saw Aki take out the cards from the bike, flip them all over and start going through the undealt deck.
Jack was standing by her side, an enormous shadow. Signature gray coat lined with purple seams. Stoic expression. Eyes, pitch black even at the cornea.
"Not here," she sighed and threw the cards at him. A batch had hit his face and they scattered on the ground about him, some having floated down and brushed against him like butterfly wings.
"He's got it on him," she said next and nodded at Jack.
"No," Yusei had succeeded at standing up, slouched and unsteady. "Jack!"
His friend neared him and Yusei looked up, feeling jolts of fear. Jack, who was his most formidable opponent, whose strength could not be rivaled with, and his closest friend. "Jack, don't!" And then a fist had connected with his stomach, right there on the side where his injury had been, and the pain of which had exploded and melted beyond the physical; astronomical, almost. All air had gone out of him in an instant and still he knew (from far away) that a choked scream had been ripped right out of him. He had doubled over and then it was all red and red and black and nothing and nothing…and gray…and gray…and echo…all echo…
"Got it? Give it to me…"
Yusei could not feel his body; he had floated away, somewhere with no awareness, and then he returned and felt nothing except for the paralyzing rip in his abdomen. His eyes flickered open, briefly, to see the darkness and the blur. As waves of agony pulsed through him, he saw blood spread out in front of him (no, that was two days ago), escape his mouth (no, not this time), holes emerging through his body (no, not again) but he had no awareness of himself.
"Do you want Sky Dragon of Osiris too?"
"No, let him keep it. It's useless to me. But he could use all the help he can get."
Floating in the space between consciousness, pain and Nothingness he recalled (from far away) that Aki had seen Black Rose Dragon when she'd gone through his cards just now…but she did not even react. Aki had seen it but she did not even register it… She saw but it didn't matter… He couldn't reach her… She wasn't there… Aki wasn't there… Aki was gone…
"Is he out? You've only hit him once."
"He could never take a punch," Jack's harsh voice.
A melodious laughter. Then: "Stand up, Fudo Yusei."
Yusei attempted to open his eyes again. Vision was all static, haze and blood red. He didn't think he could ever move. It hurt so much that he could not draw in a breath. He had been crippled forever. Jack had punched a hole through him and held ripped-out insides in a powerful, crimson fist. He was back at that fateful duel with Kiryu (Mahdi)…fighting to save himself (Aki)… But he had no strength left now. He had given up; surrendered. He distantly comprehended that he was lying on his side, shaking uncontrollably, arms wrapped about him. Black heels and heavy gray boots in sight.
Aki's laughter again. "He can't get up, I don't think. Help him up."
"No! DON'T TOUCH ME!" Aki screamed at him, the slap still resonating upon his skin. It had been swift and instant, not quite hurtful but disorienting like an electroshock. He had hurt her badly. She was ready to walk out of that garage and never cross paths with him again. He had ruined everything he had sacrificed his happiness for. He had to stop her, he had to…
Gray boots stepping close. Then he was yanked up in the air and his head rolled back and then he was standing up somehow. Or rather Jack's strong arms were holding him upright, facing Aki. He could not quite feel the ground under his feet. He blinked once, slow. Some of his vision returning, focusing. His head was hanging down, the dark asphalt of the road was all he could see.
"The proud King of Games, Fudo Yusei. The captain of Team 5D's. The head Signer. Osiris reborn. Look at yourself," her voice announced affectionately and she stepped in closer to him. Tips of black shoes came in sight.
"Because what if this would make you a vulnerable target for our enemies?" he asked her, desperately, opening his heart and revealing his deepest fears. "If I slip…if I make a mistake… And then what if something happens to you? What if something happens to you because of me?" How could he live happily, love selfishly, breathe freely if something like that could happen? He couldn't. He mustn't. Just being Signers was enough, just being friends and fighters on the same path…it could be enough, he had accepted this. It was his destiny. But Aki had reassured him, had fought for him: "It's okay to make mistakes. To take risks. All of life is a risk. You don't have to protect everyone. And you especially mustn't feel like you have to protect me."
"You've fought me despite all odds, bleeding out to death. What's happened to you now? I've never seen anyone so weak."
"You don't always have to be so strong, Yusei," Aki spoke to him, convincing him to try changing what was inevitably in store for them, to take the plunge. "You don't always have to be right."
"Have you given up? Have you lost your will to fight? Is it because of who is standing before you now?" she sighed. "This is just pitiful. Jack Atlas, tell me: is this really your arch nemesis? Your main obstacle on the way to becoming King?"
Jack snickered in a booming voice. "Not anymore. He's not worthy."
"Mmm? Want to say something for yourself, Fudo Yusei?" she reached up and pulled the bike helmet off him.
"Yusei, say something. Anything," she whispered, begging him. He had to make a choice: others or himself. And he chose to seize the moment; he chose a path to his own happiness.
Her hands gently reached under his chin (her skin was acid and chilled flames) and tilted his head.
"Know now and once and for all, Aki. That for the longest time you've meant a lot to me. More than anyone. I…care so much for you."
He refused to look, forcing his eyes to stare to the side.
"Are you afraid of what you'll see when you look at me?" that same laughter. "Come on. Look."
"I care more for you than for anyone. There isn't anything I wouldn't do for you."
"Look at her!" the hysterical doubled voice broke through and hands dragged his face in that direction.
The beautiful honey-brown eyes. Distorted deep within. Something wild flickered there. They were polluted with impenetrable darkness, as inconceivable and as bottomless as a black hole within the ocean of cosmos. It wasn't Aki, it wasn't Mahdi, it wasn't anything he has ever seen and it was a foundation of chaos.
"Don't cry, Aki," reaching to wipe away her tears. Closer than he had ever dared before. "Don't cry."
"I've never seen anyone so sad," she exclaimed at Jack's direction but kept her gaze settled into his. "I actually think he's going to cry! Look!"
"Disgusting," Jack spat.
"Don't cry, Fudo Yusei," she leaned in close, resting her elbows on his chest, tangling her hands in his hair. "Let me bestow upon you, one last gift. It'll cheer you right up."
He took the first and final step, closing any space between them. He felt her breath on his cheek and then he felt it stop. And then gathering all the courage he ever had he touched his lips against hers. And he held it for what was both a moment and a sliver of eternity. And that smallest touch, the warmth of her skin, the scent of her perfume, the soft volume of her hair between his fingers, the subtle trembling of her body all encompassed the single most exhilarating moment of his life. This was only the beginning, all but a drop of what Happiness could be.
She kissed him then and he jerked back, but the hands that held him were locked-in and strong. He thought he let out a muffled cry against her mouth but he wasn't sure. He recoiled again, shaking his head in horror, but she wouldn't let him go.
"Kiss me again, Yusei," she whispered, dazed, and he saw the same desire erupt within her as it had within him. He stepped in and he couldn't help his hands. They reached and they touched her face as if to hold her there, to pull her closer. And he kissed her once more and she parted her lips, and when he had tasted her his head spun from desire, and he thought his hands had begun shaking and he thought he heard a soft moan from her. More than anything he felt that small sound vibrate over his lips and then the feeling of her arms draped over his shoulders and he felt the fragile weight of her limbs, her shy closeness, and he wanted more, more, more. He realized he was moving in closer, as if about to push her against a wall and realizing he was losing his mind he took a large step back and…
It – that thing that had possessed Aki and appeared to have eaten anything that was her, out from inside, as if scooped out with a spoon – slobbered over his immobile lips, holding him tightly in place. It wiggled a tongue into his clenched mouth for what seemed like hours.
It finally pulled back with a satisfied smirk and slowly licked its lips. "Mmmm. Just like good old times. Aren't you happy I did that for you?"
"Yusei…Yusei…I'm so sorry. He said I'd help him kill you. He said I would kill you. I only wanted to help you, Yusei, I only wanted to help!" she sobbed into his chest while he struggled to remain upright and fought a losing battle against debilitating injury.
He dropped his gaze to the ground, fighting against the watering vision.
"Help…me…" the girl named Aki, the Black Rose Witch, begged. She had collapsed to her knees after their duel. Begging someone, anyone. He could have been the one. Tears rolled down her face, revealed by the mask that fell away. He stepped in to console her, to offer everything he's got, but he was too late.
"Enough. We got what we came here for," Aki-thing decided and waved at Jack. At that the arms let go of him suddenly and he fell down. There was no strength and only the sharp pain in his stomach, the suffocation in his chest. He was paralyzed.
"Leave him here?" his best friend asked. All Dark Signer or an imitation of.
"Why not. He's got his D-Wheel."
Yusei focused his wavering vision on the cards lying all around him. Some fell into puddles nearby. The glimmering silver of Stardust Dragon away on the side. Close by, the Black Rose Dragon; the beautiful, precious card lay near where Jack and It were standing.
"Fine," Jack said and Yusei saw the gray shoes began departing somewhere he couldn't see.
"You've lost everything, Fudo Yusei. Don't bother trying to find me again. Don't let me see you again. It's over," that thing-Aki's voice said and it sounded like she blew him a kiss. Then she turned and began walking back to her D-Wheel. On the way to it she stepped on the Black Rose Dragon card and continued walking like nothing had happened. A few moments later, engine started for the Wheel of Fortune and then hers.
"Good-bye!" she called out cheerfully and they both had sped off.
Yusei remained lying there, twisted over on his side. Processing what he was seeing and then floating away the next. He didn't know how long it had been but by the time the pain had subsided a bit and he could catch his breath there were drops of rain on his face. He slowly blinked, letting the clear beads roll down his cheek.
"You're not going anywhere, Yusei," she said, squeezing his hands hard, keeping him there minutes before his inevitable death. "You belong here. With me. With us." Her touch warm and resilient and he yearned with all his heart to believe her despite knowing the fatal truth.
He finally attempted to move. It was impossible at first but slowly and surely he persisted. He found his knees under him and sat up, cradling one arm over his midsection, panting. The downpour had begun and he let it wash over him.
"I love this," Aki had whispered to him over dinner at Martha's. That signature stew was incomparable. She reached quietly under the table and took his hand in hers, entwining their fingers. Aki's smile was the best in the world.
He began picking up the cards scattered around him. He was so weak that he had to balance himself with a wall. But then, still slouched, still unsteady, continuing with the task. Gathering them up (scattered pieces of himself) and putting them together into a deck.
"I love you…I love you…" she had whispered, lips forming those inaudible words without her realizing, all but a small breath on his ear. Her body tensed and relaxed underneath him, waves of pleasure squeezing him. Pulling him tighter, nails scratching over his skin.
Junk Warrior had soaked into a puddle of dirt but when he picked it up, he was carefully able to clean it off and staggered to pick up the others.
Stardust was the next one he's picked up. He studied it absently and then raised his face to the sky. Closing his eyes while the warmth on his face was washed away by the rain.
Sky Dragon of Osiris was nearby. Spotless despite the rain; incredible in its power. It had done so much to help him. But he no longer needed it. That destiny had finished. He only needed to keep it out of others' hands. He had to return it to its rightful owner somehow.
A couple of final cards, wet and dirty but not without a possibility of rescuing them. When he had found and assembled most of these they were in an even worse condition. He could do it again.
He left Black Rose Dragon for last. Finally, he approached it: a piece of Aki's soul, thrown out, trampled over. He picked up the invaluable card and with outmost care tended to it: wiped off the water, grime, smoothed it. But what did it matter, really? It was fragmented from its owner. It no longer meant what it meant. Aki was gone.
"I want to be like you, like Jack and Crow. I want to understand the world that you see. I'm going to become a turbo duelist," Aki promised passionately. He studied the soft contours of her face out of the corner of his eye. Her promise. Her conviction. Her unmistakable beauty. Exhilaration was born deep in a pit of his stomach. It welled and grew and reached into his heart. Passion. Desire. He would do anything to help her achieve that dream. He believed in her.
He placed Aki's card into his deck and panting heavily, still slumped over from the pain, approached his D-Wheel.
His helmet…where was it. He saw it some distance away. He wondered what the point of wearing it now was. The way he felt now, if he had crashed and split his skull open, who would care. He wouldn't. It was all meaningless. It all meant nothing at all. And if his head was open maybe the world would finally hear him scream. Why am I here? What am I doing in this miserable place? Why did I come back?
Next to the helmet was a pipe, broken off from something. He approached and picked it up instead.
He stayed up all night sketching a D-Wheel for her. He couldn't stop drawing, ideas were just pouring out. Not a drop of sleep in his eyes. He was so excited to begin working on it first thing in the morning. He could give this happiness to her.
He returned to his D-Wheel and studied it as the bike stood there under the downpour of the rain. Everything it was: handmade, imperfect but all his own. Unstoppable. Unwavering. His life's work. When everything was broken, this D-Wheel was the only tangible thing he had control over. When he had nothing, when he was surrounded by garbage, he was able to create this out of (Kiryu's) ashes and it made dreams come true. It stood for everything he did and for everything he was.
Jack had laughed at him then: "What's with the red paint, are the two of you going to match now? D-Wheel buddies?" Yusei did not show that the comment had hurt him. "It's her favourite colour," he explained. It was. A different shade, closer to the colour of a deep velvet rose. The elegant fairings that he had designed. It was all custom made, especially for her. He wanted to make her happy. He wanted to see the expression on her face when she saw this, he wanted to hear it in her voice. And wouldn't she know then…seeing what he's built? Wouldn't she know what he was trying to say? He didn't know what, truly, but if she only thought…something… If she only thought maybe that would be enough. Maybe he simply wouldn't need to say anything else.
He slowly raised the pipe.
The thought of this gift erased all thoughts of sleep and that morning he was wide awake. And beginning to work on it brought back all the joyful memories from the time he built his own D-Wheel. It was a symbol of freedom. It could create miracles. He had poured his soul into that D-Wheel and having built it he could build anything. So many months ago, he had already given her a piece of his own heart.
He brought the pipe down. It smashed into the duel disk and left a significant dent. He didn't have a lot of strength but he would take as much out of his body that he could. He brought down the pipe again and again, smashing the bike over and over.
When he had to stop, it was because dizziness had become too much to bear. Pulse pumped in his ears, sharp breaths came in wheezes. The red D-Wheel was a shadow of its former self. The dented pipe escaped his hands.
He left just enough of it to make it operable to get home. And that was what he did.
He pulled in at Poppo Time some good thirty minutes later, on a broken D-Wheel that barely moved twenty kilometres an hour. The remaining residents ran out to meet him.
"Yusei, we tried to follow you but those Public Security bastards stop-" Crow's words died once he neared.
"Oh my god!" Bruno cried out.
"Yusei, what happened? Why is it like this?" Rua wailed, dismayed by what the head Signer's signature D-Wheel looked like.
"I was in an accident," Yusei answered, shortly.
"Yusei – are you okay?" Ruka asked quietly, studying him. If anyone could feel what had actually occurred, it was her.
He almost lied and said, Yes, but a pain in his throat stopped him. Pain had burrowed into every single cell, every molecule. He couldn't say anything and had simply looked elsewhere, away from the girl's sad concerned eyes.
"That's why you never should have gone," Crow sighed, frustrated, and pulled his arm over his shoulders. "Let's go? I'll help." Yusei let him, it was easier.
Nobody addressed the big elephant in the room – the reason why he'd gone out. Their late-night visitor. Nobody asked about Aki. Maybe they already knew everything. All the Signers did share a bond and could occasionally pick up on each others' states. Didn't they feel something was wrong? Didn't they all feel a little filthy, the corruption from both Aki and Jack?
Bruno was wheeling the broken motorcycle behind them into the garage. Carly walked alongside, holding her glasses up as she studied it. "Wow," she said, "It looks so bad! Almost looks like somebody smashed it, somehow."
"Don't you worry, Yusei! I can start fixing it tonight. I should be able to fix it in a few days," Bruno promised.
"No, don't," Yusei interrupted him. "Please leave it be. I need to do it myself."
Bruno did not understand but he did not persist.
Crow said nothing until he helped him get to the 2nd floor. There Yusei insisted he could do the rest – mainly sleep – without further assistance.
"What's happened to her, Yusei?" Crow finally blurted out. "Something was wrong, wasn't there? Where did she take you?"
"I'll tell you everything tomorrow."
Crow chewed on his lip and then clenched his fists, looking pained: "She's not coming home, is she?"
Yusei shook his head and closed the door of his room. There he staggered to the bed and collapsed on it. He didn't think he could ever fall asleep after what had happened but his body permitted him mercy: he blacked out in seconds.
On the other side of the city, deep within headquarters of Free Duelists Association, Aki paced about tirelessly.
"What's wrong?" Jack Atlas asked. He had finished loading up his deck with all the additional super-powered cards they provided him. Coupled with his own original cards he was now the most powerful duelist in the world.
She pressed the heels of her hands hard against her forehead. "Not sure."
Jack shrugged uncaringly and set off on his path.
The truth was she had a headache and it was strong. It felt like an ice pick, pressing insistently in the middle. It's started during the duel and it wasn't going away.
I hope you thought this chapter was an interesting read. I hated writing the duel so I ended up cutting it short for my own gain...lol. I also ended up splashing some flashbacks in there, to help drive the emotional poignancy and angst. More flashbacks will occur in the next chapters, as I miss the real and non-psycho Aki already. Although Dark Aki is definitely a fun one to write.
Thank you.