Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monster GX Fan Fiction ❯ The Darkness of Destiny ❯ Nostalgia ( Chapter 7 )

The Darkness of Destiny

 

Chapter 7

 

Nostalgia

 

“I understand your reluctance to disqualify him, Mr. Kaiba, but Zane represents a considerable danger to the duelists and to the audience. We have numerous reports of him being involved in underground duels, which are grounds for arrest, never mind expulsion from the leagues,” the investigator insisted. Mokuba narrowed his eyes and flipped through the report the investigator had brought. Seto had placed the leagues under his control a few years ago as a “present” for his twentieth birthday. His older brother finally realized the younger didn't have the penchant for dueling he did, but did observe his careful involvement with Battle City and the KC Grand Championship tournaments. Coupled with his budding technological genius and strict zero-tolerance for criminals, Seto had come to the conclusion Mokuba was perfect for the position of CEO of the league division. In the end, however, both as a brother and an official employee of Kaiba Corp, Mokuba answered to Seto.

 

“Underground duels are punishable by law, but until he hurts someone on a Kaiba Corp payroll or directly endangers one of our duelists, he stays. Kaiba Corp has no involvement in the underground league, positive or negative. Talk to the cops if you want some answers,” Mokuba replied, handing back the report. The investigator sighed and left the office. Mokuba watched the door closed and buzzed the intercom.

 

“What did he want?” Kaiba replied.

 

“He wanted Zane Truesdale disqualified from the leagues,” Mokuba explained, tapping a pen on the edge of his desk. “Seto, you know this guy is bad news, why are we letting him stay?” On the other end of the intercom link, Kaiba crossed his arms.'

 

“Mokuba, Zane is the greatest graduate in Duel Academy's decorated decade-long reign. We've had duelists from all schools and training facilities participate, but we've never had a moment like this before,” Kaiba said. “After ten years, finally, an Academy graduate will reign in the leagues. Aster is Pegasus' agent, and he's growing stale. Zane may be intense, but he draws the crowds. As long as he pulls in the money we need, he stays.”

 

“But Seto, he's dangerous! I talked to the shrink in public relations, he thinks Zane needs serious-.” The intercom crackled, and Mokuba groaned and slumped back.

 

- - - - - - - - - -

 

The investigator pushed the button for the elevator and sighed, looking at the report on Zane in his hands and shaking his head. The elevator opened, and he walked inside, hitting the button for the lobby. Another man stepped in just as the doors closed, and grabbed the investigator's collar.

 

“Alright, spill it, what do you know about Zane?” Mr. Thunder snapped.

 

“Hey, let me down!” The investigator protested.

 

“Relax you wimp, I just want some answers. What do you know about Zane's underground duels?” Thunder demanded. The investigator lifted up the report, and Thunder dropped him, snatching the papers and looking through them. “Perfect,” he muttered, the elevator doors opening. “Just one more thing left to do. Thanks,” Thunder called, walking away into the lobby.

 

- - - - - - - - - -

 

“Your guest is home,” Sartorius said, flipping the page of his novel. Aster nodded and paused his game, standing and walking out of the room. Alexis rounded the corner of the hall and stopped short.

 

“Oh…how did you know I was here?” she asked. Aster rolled his eyes.

 

“Sartorius,” he explained. “How did Zane's match go?”

 

“He won, but bare…wait, how did you know where I was?” Alexis asked, narrowing her eyes.

 

“We have cable, I was watching,” Aster replied. “Zane isn't scheduled to duel for another week or so, then he'll face the winner of the Fiona Hoffman and Wu Zheng match.”

 

“Um…Ms. Rhodes?” Alexis turned. “You have a, um…visitor,” Sean muttered. Alexis frowned and turned to Aster.

 

“Did you tell anyone I was staying here?” she asked. Aster shook his head, when an arm clamped around Alexis' neck. “Ah!”

 

“Glomp! Say cheese!” her assailant laughed, bringing a camera around to snap a photo. Alexis blinked away the spots of light as her assailant peeled off of her.

 

“Damn it, Atticus!” she cursed. Atticus Rhodes chuckled and dodged as she aimed a half-hearted punch. “What are you doing here?”

 

“Are you kidding, like I can't visit baby sis when she's in the lap of luxury?” Atticus replied, pulling her into a hug and giving her a noogie. Alexis looked around for a save, but Sean was gone and Aster was scratching his nose - and laughing behind his hand, it looked like.

 

“How did you find me?” Alexis asked when Atticus finally let her go.

 

“I was watching the TV for Zane's match, saw you in the stands behind him. I hadn't heard from you all summer so I figured I'd tail ya and say hello,” he explained. “And from the looks of this place I'd say you're doing pretty well. You dump Jaden for Aster or something?” Alexis blushed while Aster burst out coughing.

 

“He's helping with my dueling, and I told you about Jaden,” Alexis groaned, smacking her forehead. “So, did you just come here to annoy me?”

 

“Nah, that was just a neat bonus,” Atticus grinned. “Mom and Dad had me out looking for ya, we were wondering where you were. It's been a week since we even got a phone call, Lex, really, what's up?”

 

“I'm eighteen years old, Atticus, I don't need my parents to take care of me,” Alexis replied. “I was planning to visit just as soon as I got my career in order. Not all of us can grab a microphone and make money.”

 

“Whoa, low blow,” Atticus muttered, holding up his hands. “My music is just as difficult as your dueling. You need rhythm, style, talent and good looks.”

 

“And in your case a history of head trauma,” Alexis growled.

 

“Um, I hate to interrupt the family bonding…” Aster called, waving slightly. “But I'm still standing here.” Atticus grinned and moved past Alexis to shake Aster's hand.

 

“The pro league champ himself, taking in my little sis. You've got a big heart, Asty, unless Lex has already stolen it?” he teased.

 

“Uh…Asty?” Aster choked, raising an eyebrow. “I'm just your sister's coach man, really. We've just been busy training.”

 

“Sure, no prob, you guys wanna start slow that's your choice,” Atticus replied with a wink. “Say sis, think we can catch a couple minutes alone?” Alexis nodded and led Atticus into an adjacent room, leaving Aster in the hall. Alexis closed the door behind her as Atticus picked up a cue stick from a rack on the wall and made a few shooting motions on the pool table. The room appeared to be a rec room - as TV and a minibar lay against the far wall, with a poker table nearby.

 

“What's up?” Alexis asked. Atticus looked up and withdrew the cue stick. All pretense of joking was gone, and Alexis groaned. Atticus never got serious very often, but from her experience, he was usually worse that way.

 

“I came to talk to you about this little independent streak you've insisted on growing,” he said, removing the rack from over the pool balls as he spoke. “I gotta tell ya, Lex, it's getting a little old,” Atticus sighed, grabbing the white ball from the side of the table and setting up a shot.

 

“This isn't a streak, we've been over this before. I don't need you taking care of me,” Alexis replied, shaking her head. Atticus broke and sunk two balls, moving to take another shot.

 

“Maybe not me, but someone. I mean come on, even now you've got Aster giving you a home for a couple days now, and you've got him talking his manager into giving you a sponsorship,” Atticus explained, shooting and missing. He offered the stick to Alexis, who rolled her eyes and took it after a moment.

 

“Sartorius is doing this on his own, Aster just talked him into giving me a chance,” Alexis said, shooting and sinking two more balls. “I can take care of myself, Atticus. I'm in the professional leagues, not the sixth grade.” Alexis shot and missed, and Atticus swung around the table to grab the cue.

 

“Look, I'm still your big brother and I'm just trying to look out for ya,” he insisted. “Mom and Dad want you to come home with me.” Atticus shot and missed, and held the cue out to Alexis. She shook her head and looked at her feet.

 

“I think you need to go,” she muttered. Atticus sighed and gave her a half hug.

 

“Look, you need us, we're there for you,” he whispered, stepping away. He opened the door to the room and walked out, leaving Alexis alone in the rec room. Alexis took a long breath and vaguely noticed the door click shut again.

 

“How much did you hear?” she asked, looking up. Aster picked up the cue stick and took a shot. The nine ball sunk into the corner pocket.

 

“I didn't mean to hear anything,” he replied, shooting again and sinking a ball.

 

“Yeah, well look, it's not like it's any of your business,” Alexis snapped.

 

“Hey, no, I get it entirely, really. Your big bro is overprotective and you want to build your own identity,” Aster explained, shooting and missing.

 

“It's not him,” Alexis growled, snatching the cue stick and hesitating before shooting. “It's my parents…” she trailed off as she sunk the thirteen ball.

 

“Love `em and hate `em huh?” Aster nodded, not actually knowing from experience but hearing the term all the time.

 

“Let your brother watch out for you, Alexis. Your brother is there for you, Alexis. Let us know if you need us for anything, Alexis,” she mocked. “Gets damn annoying.” She shot and sunk another ball. “Seemed not a day went by that one of them wasn't trying to lead me by the hand. I couldn't trip or get called a name without one of them jumping to my rescue. That's why I took up dueling.” She missed and passed the cue to Aster.

 

“What do you mean?” Aster asked, shooting and landing two more balls. Alexis was pretty much rambling right now, but this was the first time she was actually talking to him.

 

“I know you can have your friends cheer for you and you can be motivated and whatever…but when it comes right down to it, it's just you and your opponent,” Alexis murmured, staring off into space. “You have to rely on your own power, to be able to handle yourself and be ready for anything. That was why I enrolled in Duel Academy even before Atticus was captured by the Shadow Riders.” Aster stood up and stared for a moment as Alexis kept staring at nothing.

 

“Gave you the chance to be who you wanted to be, not who the family want, right?” he confirmed. Alexis nodded slightly, then shook her head. The wall was back up.

 

“I'm gonna grab something to eat. Later,” she called over her shoulder, leaving the room.

 

- - - - - - - - - -

 

“The first three winners of the tournament have been decided. Zane Truesdale and Jerry Collins have all won their matches, and tomorrow in the Kaiba Dome will be the last match, Richard Pryce will face Ian McDonald, followed by Fiona Hofman against We Zheng. Then next week Round two begins with Zane Truesdale facing off against the Hoffman-Zheng victor, and Jerry Collins facing the Pyrce-McDonald winner.”

 

Zane turned out the news and stood up to walk into the kitchen. He opened the fridge and grabbed a beer, moving back into the living room. He didn't usually drink, but he figured one now and then couldn't hurt. He stopped as he walked past the couch.

 

“Aster has faced a few of these opponents before as you might recall. Ian McDonald faced Aster just last year in an exhibition match for the Kaiba Corporation Create-A-Card Contest II,” the newscaster said, a small replay of the duel playing on a screen beside him. Zane watched with mild interest. Aster had creamed Ian easily. The Scottish duelist played a Rock deck. “And before that he faced the favorite to win the tournament, Zane Truesdale.” Zane turned the TV as a clip from his first duel with Aster years ago played.

 

“I gotta tell ya, Zaney, well, I, thought you'd be tougher! I'm just getting warmed up!”

 

Zane's eyes widened, and the beer slipped from his grasp as he clutched his face. He fell back against the wall and let out a cry. He clenched his eyes shut as a pair of glowing eyes glared from behind the lids. The TV's words blurred in his ears.

 

“Show him how you got your name! Shining Enforcement!”

 

“The Demon! It's…”

 

“Young Zane will see…”

 

Zane gasped for breath and coughed, falling forward on his hands and knees. His head was swimming and the room spun slightly. He blinked rapidly and put a hand on the arm of the sofa to pull himself up. The TV continued to drone, the story about his match with Aster was surprisingly long over.

 

“This will be the first time since he first claimed the championship from his former mentor, the late Kyle Jables, better known by his stage name `The D'. Jables himself never defended his championship until the infamous Dr. Collector incident, after which the convict vanished and Jables followed suit. All that we know from after his vanishing is that Jables' yacht caught fire near the esteemed Duel Academy, with Aster being the only survivor. A committee of Industrial Illusions and Kaiba Corporation awarded Aster the title three months later when Jables was still missing and declared officially deceased. Jables you may remember first came upon the title over a decade ago…”

 

Zane stared at the TV as his vision swirled back into focus. He ran a hand through his hair and grunted slightly, his forehead throbbing.

 

“Where's the damn aspirin?” he muttered to himself, stumbling to the bathroom and pulling open the cabinet. He grabbed a bottle and popped a pair of pills into his mouth, swallowing. Zane put a hand on either side of the sink and took a moment to take a few more breaths as the throbbing sensation in his forehead subsided. Zane turned on the cold water and cupped his hands under the flow, splashing it onto his face and grabbing a towel. Zane dried off and lifted his head to stare at his reflection.

 

“What the hell is wrong with me?”

 

- - - - - - - - - -

 

An explosion rang down the alley, sending the duelist's coattails flying back behind him. Opposite him, the street thug grinned.

“Sorry ta stain dat pretty blue coat of yours,” he laughed. “Dat's what happens when you mess with me! Dat monster of yours is toast! My Masked Beast ha got 3200 points, you got nothing that can beat him!” The man in the Obelisk Blue jacket smirked as he drew.

“Is that so? You may want to check your work,” he replied. “Do you honestly think you can destroy my monsters without any consequences? I've crushed anyone who's ever stood in my way, and pathetic fools like you are nothing before me. Observe.” The man held a card over his head and slammed it into his Duel Disk. “I activate `Miracle Fusion'!” The thug gasped as a winged red and green monster, along with a gold and blue monster, appeared on the field. “Now, by removing Elemental Heroes Flame Wingman and Sparkman in my graveyard from play, I can call forth the ultimate fusion!” A burst of light appeared from his field, and the thug screamed.

“I summon `Elemental Hero Shining Flare Wingman' (2500, 2100)!” the Blue duelist cried. “And if you think he is impressive now, witness his special power! For every Elemental Hero in the graveyard, he gains 300 points! I count Avian, Burstinatrix, and Neos! And next I play 'Burial From a Different Dimension' to return my other two Heroes, for a total of five!” The thug screamed as the gleaming hero (4000, 2100) glowed even brighter.

“And now, Shining Flare Wingman!” The blue duelist sneered, his brown eyes flashing. “Attack! Destroy the Masked Beast with Solar Flare!” The hero raised his hands and fired a blast of flame. The Masked Beast roared as the flames ate away at his flesh, finally shattering. The thug was hit next and flung back the alley in the explosion.

-Thug LP: 0000-

The Obelisk Blue duelist grabbed the thug's collar and hauled him into the air.

“Here, take them!” the thug cried, holding out his deck. He was dropped to the ground as the Blue duelist grabbed the cards and fanned them out.

“These will fetch a good price,” he chuckled, picking out four cards. “You can keep the rest!” he tossed the cards over his shoulder into a puddle and walked away, the thug scrambling to gather his cards from the water behind him. He turned for a moment and raised a foot, slamming it into the rear of the thug and knocking his head into the puddle before he kept walking.