Yu-Gi-Oh! Fan Fiction ❯ Shadow Realm: Fifteen ❯ Cavalry ( Chapter 5 )
[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]
By: Man Called True 
Gaia the Fierce Knight is released, and he forces Fifteen into a showdown...
Anime/Manga: Yu-Gi-Oh! Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Fantasy / Drama / Action | Type: Alternate Universe | Uploaded On: 01.27.2005 | Pages: 2 | Words: 4.4K | Visits: 260 | Status: Completed
Gaia the Fierce Knight is released, and he forces Fifteen into a showdown...
Anime/Manga: Yu-Gi-Oh! Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Fantasy / Drama / Action | Type: Alternate Universe | Uploaded On: 01.27.2005 | Pages: 2 | Words: 4.4K | Visits: 260 | Status: Completed
The time was approximentally twenty minutes after seven, and the place was deep underneath the Central Shadow Realm. A heavy steel door sat there, undisturbed for a decade. It shifted aside with one flex of the Forbidden One's muscles.
Behind the door, there was a small room, almost entirely taken up by the Fierce Knight. A Shadow Spell held him in stasis, and he stared blankly at nothing, dangling from the spell's chains. He was still mounted atop his warhorse, which also enwrapped by the chains. The knight was flanked by two statues, each holding one of his lances. The only light in the room came from a torch, held by Exodia's aide, a La Jinn.
Stepping into the room, the Council Head sighed and held up a magic cube, a Heavy Storm. He clicked it on, and a hurricane filled the small chamber. The Shadow Spell's chains rattled and then shattered, causing the knight to slump onto his horse; the horse buckled, but did not fall, under the newly applied weight. A moment passed, and then he lifted his head, staring directly into Exodia's eyes.
"Ahhh... Exodia..." Gaia whispered, his voice thin and strained from years of unuse. "How long has passed... since our last meeting?"
Even as his aide shuddered and turned away, Exodia didn't move, instead looking back into Gaia's eyes. "Ten years, I believe."
There was a weak chuckle from the knight as he pulled himself upright in the saddle. "Ten years... the scratches on my armor tell the tale. Oh, how low I've sunk..." The long-absent mocking tone returned to Gaia's voice. "How could you do this to your friend, Exodia? We fought, side by side, against the Dragons together... you and me... in the Second Dragon War..."
"True enough," replied the Forbidden One as he took a key from his belt. "But once the dragons fled, you turned on your own soldiers. You killed five hundred innocent monsters before I caught you." The key slid into a hole on the first statue's head, and it released the lance in its hand.
Gaia caught the lance as it fell, chuckling again. "You're right about that... I didn't want the war to end... but that's behind us now. Why am I free this time?"
As he freed the other lance, which Gaia caught, Exodia explained, "We've got a serial killer in the Central Shadow Realm. He killed three people in a small bar, and he's murdered his way through the city. The killer is a Witty Phantom, with the aura 15A. You're the last option we can think of. If you bring him down, we will discuss your permanent release."
The knight's chuckle evolved into a full-blown sarcastic laugh. "You used that deal... last time," the Fierce Knight growled. "And once I had brought you the head of... the Hino-Kagu-Tsuchi... you hit me with your Shadow Spell and dragged me back here. Why... should I trust you now?"
There was silence, and then Exodia walked away. Before following his master, the La Jinn set something on the floor, then turned and exited himself.
One lance impaled the paper that the La Jinn had left behind, and Gaia looked it over. It was a wanted poster, with a Witty Phantom on it. Examining the aura, the knight smiled behind his mask. If nothing else, he'd at least have some fun with this one.
"Ha, Sleipnir!" the Fierce Knight called, spurring his horse to activity. It reared up, and then charged out of the room.
A few minutes later, Gaia the Fierce Knight was on the streets of the Central Shadow Realm once more. Sensing for the aura, he galloped towards the Level Four Spellcaster Living Quarters.
***
In Tessia's apartment, a game of cards had developed. Fifteen stared at his hand, wondering which cards to keep and which to throw. To his left, Naomi had her third eye open and blinking, a sign of concentration; across from him, Tessia moved a card from one side to the other of her hand; to his right, an Ancient Elf that Naomi had brought home with her was rubbing at his eyes, apparently not sure what to do either. Finally, all involved set three cards down and pushed them to their left.
Damn, Fifteen thought. He'd gotten the Queen of Spades.
There was a knock at the door, and Fifteen set down his hand, feeling his heart rate spike. Pushing back his chair, he slowly moved towards the door, and then sprang forward and threw it open, ready to flee.
"Greetings, neighbor," said the Skilled Black Magician from next door. "Could I borrow some sugar?"
Tessia got up from her chair to retrieve the sugar, as Fifteen readjusted his hat and tried to get himself back under some degree of control, turning away from the door. There was then a loud cry from the Skilled Black Magician...
...and when Fifteen turned back to the door, Gaia the Fierce Knight was standing over an groaning mage, horse snorting and lances at the ready. There was a brief moment where nobody moved.
This moment ended when Gaia shouted, "Die!" and thrust one of his lances forward. The resulting blast of energy took out the card table and sent the deck flying. By the time the cards had settled, Fifteen was out the window.
Hitting the street hard, Fifteen fell onto his side, ankles throbbing in pain. Trying to will himself to his feet, the Witty Phantom pondered why the Fierce Knight had found him so quickly. According to the papers, the knight's resting place was under the Council Lower Quarter...
The question was answered when he looked up, and happened to see the knight's horse walking on air, the Ancient Elf's head swinging from its saddle.
***
Even with its powers in the current body, the Copycat had not anticipated an attack. When Gaia's lance struck it, it fell, nerves firing up in utter pain. Thankfully, the point of the lance hadn't touched it, so the shapeshifter would survive that encounter.
Forcing itself to stand, it looked upon the situation. Two pitifully weak (and female, it noted without interest) spellcasters were cowering in the corner, while a third spellcaster had drawn his staff and was trying to attack Gaia. The fight ended swiftly when Gaia impaled the foolish one, and then decapitated him, strapping the head to his saddle.
The master had never told it of Gaia's release! The Copycat clenched its fists, enraged at this turn of events. It couldn't let the decoy die like this... not while the master required its continued existence. But the order was to stay in cover, and so it couldn't change its form... Such a dilemma.
A sudden realization struck the Copycat, and it ran back into its own apartment. It rushed up to a drawer marked "Emergency" and yanked it out of the counter, spilling magic cubes everywhere. Some of these were gathered up, shoved into a bag, and hurled from the window...
***
The bag landed at Fifteen's side, and he quickly looked into it. He then silently admired his good luck.
A whistling noise caused him to throw his prone body to one side, and Gaia's lance smashed into the concrete where he'd just lain. Pulling himself upside, Fifteen took off running, ignoring the pain in his feet. Spurring his horse, Gaia took off after him.
Fifteen threw himself at a fire escape, climbing up the ladder seconds before he realized he was heading to a dead end. Now on the metal platform, the Witty Phantom looked down and saw Gaia's horse leave the ground, running at him. One hand primed the Smoke Grenade of the Thief in his pocket...
Just as Gaia caught up to him, Fifteen triggered the magic cube. A blinding flash and a cloud of smoke filled the air, causing Gaia's horse to rear back, nearly throwing the Fierce Knight. Meanwhile, through the cube's effect, the fiend found himself on a rooftop. He resumed running, just as Gaia shouted, "You can't get away... I always know where you are!"
We'll see about that, Fifteen thought. He leapt onto another roof, and then another, not sure where to go. The only way to get out of the Level Four Spellcaster Living Quarters was by train, and the odds there'd be one at the station were relatively low. He heard the horse's hooves behind him and racked his brain hard enough to cause a headache. Then a flash of insight came to him, and he scrambled down the fire escape of the next building he landed on.
Scrambling up to the familiar Labyrinth Tank post, standing next to one of the apartment buildings, Fifteen jabbed the summon button. Nothing happened, and he stabbed at the button agan. When nothing happened that time, either, he cracked his knuckles and outright punched the button. A voice said, "Your aura matches one of the criminal auras stored in our database. Your summon request is denied." At that point, Fifteen kicked the post quite viciously.
***
There was a mad rush of activity in the Level Four Spellcaster Living Complex. Various monsters were either packing to leave, making arrangements with others for habitation, or simply panicking. It noted all this without concern, even as it made its way to the door. What worry did one who could take any shape have of Gaia the Fierce Knight?
The doors parted, and it concentrated. The form shifted, and then collapsed, pulling itself inward. Soon a rather large crow sat on the pavement in front of the Level Four Spellcaster Living Complex. It spread its wings and took off, drifting over the building.
As an updraft lifted the Copycat's avine body, it studied the landscape under it. At this height, it could see no sign of either the Witty Phantom or the Fierce Knight, and so it circled around the building, descending to get a closer view. Still nothing came to light, and it cursed its luck... until a flash of movement filled the corner of its eye.
Staying out of range of the knight's lances, the Copycat-bird flew after the movement, soon arriving at one of the Labyrinth Tank stops...
***
The horse's hooves clicked on the pavement as Gaia rode up to his target, both lances at the ready. Fifteen could only watch, rubbing his sore foot - kicking a metal post not being one of the wisest things he could do. "Tell me, 15A, aren't you tired of running? You're locked within my mind... You can't get away. All you can do is wear yourselve out before I kill you..."
"My body doesn't like to accept the inevitable," the Witty Phantom replied, stepping back a few feet. "So it seems that if running didn't work..." Instead of finishing the sentance, he took out another magic cube and activated it. The cube unfolded and inflated, turning into a long, serrated blade, a Sword of Deep-Seated. He could feel the familiar rush of power hitting his muscles, and shifted into a combat position.
Seeing this, the warrior burst into laughter, bent double in the saddle as he let out his mirth. Sitting up again, he held his side, saying between guffaws, "You must be kidding me! You know that you're running to your death, and yet you actually want to fight me... All right, then. But before we begin..." The knight's laughter came to a sudden stop, and he threw his famous lances to the ground, watching them bounce slightly. "I want to make this fight a little more even... just to keep it fun." Taking a magic cube from his saddlebag, Gaia activated it, causing a sword with a six-foot blade to flash into existance in his hand.
Fifteen winced. He'd expected Gaia to fight with his lances; he hadn't expected him to have a Legendary Sword. After a moment to reflect, he let out a cry of defiance and charged forward, blade drawn back. Once in range, he swung.
The Sword of Deep-Seated bounced off Gaia's Legendary Sword, and Fifteen was forced back. He then threw himself to the side, dodging under Gaia's counterattack. The whistling of the air informed him he'd just barely dodged the attack.
Spurring his horse, Gaia charged down the street, but then wheeled around and rushed back, bringing his sword around in a massive arc. Fifteen raised his blade to block, and was thrown a good five feet down the road. He struck the pavement hard, and swore that he'd cracked a rib on impact. Managing to get back to his feet, he heard another whistling noise and rolled to his right, barely avoiding decapitation.
Gaia's horse reared up and snorted, and the Fierce Knight laughed bitterly. "Even Sleipnir thinks you're a fool, fiend!" he called to Fifteen. "If you drop your blade, I'll..." Suddenly, the horse screamed and thrashed under Gaia, who had to fight to stay on. Looking down, the knight saw a long, shallow cut on his horse's flank.
"I'd suggest not getting distracted," Fifteen replied, wiping his blade on the Labyrinth Tank post. Moving in again, dodging the horse's hooves, he raised the Sword of Deep-Seated over his head and launched a double-handed strike.
Before it could even reach Gaia, the warrior caught control of Sleipnir and swung his arm around, knocking Fifteen to the ground and forcing the air from his lungs. The fiend rolled back, moving out of reach of the Legendary Sword. He had done so just in time, as Gaia's attack struck, leaving a long crack in the pavement.
"Getting tired?" Gaia asked. Fifteen didn't answer, but he was hardly in any condition to do so had he wanted to. His grip on his sword was loosening... but he refused to drop it, knowing he was dead if he did.
A moment passed, and then Gaia shrugged, drawing back his blade There was a quiet whistling in the air, and then he swung... and a wave of energy split the air before it, heading straight for Fifteen. The Witty Phantom barely ducked in time, and the energy took out a building behind him, causing metal and concrete to rain down.
Gaia swung again, and Fifteen ran, being spun and thrown by the energy's tail end. Another swing, and Fifteen tried to block it. He was sent flying once again, slamming into the side of a small shop. The wall on either side of him erupted in a shower of brick and mortar. "I can do this all night if I want to, 15A," Gaia said. His horse snorted again, and the sword came down, launching another wave of energy. This one hit the sidewalk in front of Fifteen's feet, pelting the fiend with a storm of debris.
Inside himself, Fifteen knew he was done for. A trickle of blood filled his mouth, and he was now rather sure that at least three ribs had broken from the last impact. His jacket was torn in about twenty different place, his hat was ruined, and he'd lost a pantscuff running before the fight. He looked as bad as he felt. Why continue?, he thought to himself. It just doesn't make sense.
A new thought rammed the first out of his head. This thought was much louder and simpler than the first. All it said was, I'm not dead just yet.
Placing the hilt of the Sword of Deep-Seated between his teeth, Fifteen slipped his jacket off. The tattered material fell to the ground, as he reached into the bag of magic cubes (tucked into his belt) and found the one he was looking for. He took it out, showed it to the warrior, and activated it, then took the hilt out of his mouth and smiled, his muscles bulging slightly through his shirt.
"Rush Recklessly?" Gaia asked. The Fierce Knight then smiled. "Very well. Come at me." The sword swung, and an energy wave launched at Fifteen...
...who vaulted over it, charging at full speed towards Gaia. He swung agan and again, the Sword of Deep-Seated clanging against the Legendary Sword. Gaia forced Sleipnir back, the horse growing scared under him.
Leaping over Fifteen's head, Gaia spun his horse around and swung his blade, another wave of energy slicing through the air. Fifteen swung his own sword, cutting through the wave and launching one of his own. Startled, Gaia barely managed to block in time. The length of street between them exploded, leaving a sizable crater between them.
Fifteen jumped the crater, knowing that he only had a certain amount of time before the Rush Recklessly burnt out and he was doomed. He relentlessly attacked, his sword clanging again and again against Gaia's Legendary Sword. Cracks began to appear in the warrior's blade, the metal straining under the constant impact of Fifteen's weapon. The two drew back, down the street on the edge of the Level Four Living Quarters...
And then two things happened.
The Legendary Sword shattered into pieces from impact, the shards clanging off Gaia's armor. At the same time, Fifteen drew back his blade and thrust forward, the Sword of Deep-Seated sliding cleanly and effortlessly into Sleipnir's chest. The horse let out an almost human scream and reared back, throwing Gaia into a wall, before it exploded into a rain of shards, slashing Fifteen's face in the aftermath.
The Rush Recklessly wore off, and Fifteen fell to his knees, sword slipping out of his fingers and breaking when it hit the pavement. Lifting his head, he saw Gaia the Fierce Knight, armor scratched and dented, slumped against a wall. His weapons gone, his horse slain, the warrior looked almost pathetic. Fifteen frowned; Gaia had set out with the express purpose of killing him, feeling compassion would be a very bad idea. "So... now what?" he asked no one.
Shuddering, the knight pulled himself to his feet. He was bowlegged, having spent almost his entire life on horseback. Looking to Fifteen, he bowed... and then turned and ran, leaping almost two hundred feet in one bound, landing on the rooftop. He leapt from roof to roof, just as Fifteen had when he was running, until he vanished from sight.
Having no intention of following, Fifteen tried to get up and promptly collapsed, breathing heavily. It was at that moment that all the pain he'd suffered decided to kick in, and he passed out, his last sight being of Tessia and Naomi stepping out of a Labyrinth Tank and rushing up to him.
***
Unnoticed by anyone, a crow took flight, setting out from a ledge above the crater and turning towards the Level Four Warrior Living Quarters. It flew without sound, altering its altitude so that it skimmed the rooftops. It had a very specific destination in mind.
An hour later, the crow landed in a back alley. Soon it shuddered, and melted into something larger... and then the Copycat dusted itself off, waiting for the master to arrive.
As always, the first sign was the sound of the master's pet growling. Then the voice of the master itself entered the Copycat's mind: [What news have you?]
In the voice that sounded like glass breaking, it replied, "The Witty Phantom has proved remarkably fortunate. He slew Gaia's horse and drove the Fierce Knight away... Master, may I ask a question?"
[You may, but do not expect an answer,] the master replied.
"Why did you choose that Witty Phantom as our scapegoat?"
There was no response for quite some time, and then a rush of pain filled the Copycat's body. It collapsed, gripping at its chest, and the master's voice filled its head: [As you said that, you thought to yourself, "What were you thinking when you chose him?" Never question my decisions again, Copycat. In words, in thoughts, nor in deeds. You can be replaced. 15A cannot. As for your spoken question, I will tell you once the plan has come to frutition. Not before then.]
The pain stopped, and the Copycat trembled, placing the top of its head to the ground. "I apologize, master. I will do only as you command."
[Very well.] In the shadows, the Copycat saw its master turn to leave. [Maintain the stakeout until further notice.]
The alley soon emptied, as the crow took flight once more.
***
There was an palace at the very peak of the Central Shadow Realm. In it, Exodia the Forbidden One once held court during the days of absolute rule. Now, however, it merely served as his home.
A Meda Bat had followed Gaia invisibly during his hunt for Fifteen, and now it relayed all that it had seen to the Head of the Council. Once the replay was over, he placed his head in his hands and groaned, a terrible, droning noise. The palace staff shuddered.
Exodia's aide, the La Jinn (who had taken the name Suleiman), had seen all of this as well. Shaking his own head, he asked, "What shall we do now, sir?"
"Nothing," came the eventual answer.
Taken aback, Suleiman took a moment to reply. "Nothing, sir?"
Despite the look of dismay on Exodia's face, he let out a low chuckle before speaking. "I fought alongside Gaia in the Second Dragon War, remember. During that war, something interesting took place... and if Gaia remembers it as well, I believe we have absolutely nothing to worry about."
***
In the headquarters of the Central Shadow Realm Police Force, an Unfriendly Amazon and a Sasuke Samurai were currently standing at attention. It was only proper, as the man behind the desk in front of them was the Chief of Police himself.
"Just got word from the Council that Gaia failed to bring down our suspected Shadow Killer," the Chief said, stroking his beard.
"Shadow Killer?" Aysev asked.
Geefor rolled his overly large eyes and stated, "The new name for our case. Also called the Blue Nemuriko Killer."
"Correct," the chief resumed. "Well, the Council has, as per usual, failed to do a damned thing about the suspect, so it's all down to us. Good news, though - we have a possible locale for our suspect."
Both Geefor and Aysev noticeably leaned forward on those words. "Really, sir?" Geefor asked.
The chief nodded, and shoved a small stack of papers across the desk. "The Level Four Spellcaster Living Quarters. In that stack you'll find one of the High Eyes's paperwork on the suspect's encounter with Gaia, and a list of possible places he could be hiding in. Now get to it!"
Taking the papers, Aysev passed them to Geefor, and then saluted before heading out of the office. As they made their way out, a Masked Sorcerer snickered and said, "Bet you ten bucks the perp's already out of the area."
"Smoke a Chain Destruction, Ninef," Aysev replied.
***
The news of Gaia's defeat traveled fast. One place it reached was the Missing Number bar. Unlike the reactions in the Council and the Police Force headquarters, the news was met with more than a little optimism - at least nobody else had to worry about Gaia for a while.
But one individual, the one wrapped in a cloak over in the corner, merely looked into his drink, other hand drumming the head of his staff, and whispered, "Oh, Fifteen, you don't know what this will lead to..."
***
The very edge of the Central Shadow Realm was surrounded by a wide trench, in order to prevent the landbound dragons and other menaces from crossing into the city proper. This trench was reinforced by Chasm of Spikes traps and other tricks, and the one safe alley out was guarded by a small army of Crimson Sentries. The only way to leave town was by the #24 train to Toon World, which left every three days, or through the use of a Labyrinth Tank, and almost no one had a reason to go into the Outer Shadow Realm.
A Crimson Sentry by the name of Kiki was on standard patrol when she saw one of the oddest things she'd ever seen in her life as a patroller. Armored feet clanking on the rails, a monster was staggering out of the Central Shadow Realm.
Someone was leaving on foot!
"Halt!" Kiki shouted, drawing her sword. More Crimson Sentries rushed to the scene, drawing their own weapons, just as the suspicous monster bent down and picked up a piece of wood from the side of the tracks. "What reason have you t-"
The next morning, Kiki, now missing an arm and severely beaten, would report that the armored monster crushed in the skull of one of the Crimson Sentries, and then took her sword before slaughtering the entire group, save for Kiki and two others. As they laid there, beaten and dying, the patrollers saw him wipe the sword clean on one of their bodies, before hiking off in the direction of the Dragon Lairs.
Behind the door, there was a small room, almost entirely taken up by the Fierce Knight. A Shadow Spell held him in stasis, and he stared blankly at nothing, dangling from the spell's chains. He was still mounted atop his warhorse, which also enwrapped by the chains. The knight was flanked by two statues, each holding one of his lances. The only light in the room came from a torch, held by Exodia's aide, a La Jinn.
Stepping into the room, the Council Head sighed and held up a magic cube, a Heavy Storm. He clicked it on, and a hurricane filled the small chamber. The Shadow Spell's chains rattled and then shattered, causing the knight to slump onto his horse; the horse buckled, but did not fall, under the newly applied weight. A moment passed, and then he lifted his head, staring directly into Exodia's eyes.
"Ahhh... Exodia..." Gaia whispered, his voice thin and strained from years of unuse. "How long has passed... since our last meeting?"
Even as his aide shuddered and turned away, Exodia didn't move, instead looking back into Gaia's eyes. "Ten years, I believe."
There was a weak chuckle from the knight as he pulled himself upright in the saddle. "Ten years... the scratches on my armor tell the tale. Oh, how low I've sunk..." The long-absent mocking tone returned to Gaia's voice. "How could you do this to your friend, Exodia? We fought, side by side, against the Dragons together... you and me... in the Second Dragon War..."
"True enough," replied the Forbidden One as he took a key from his belt. "But once the dragons fled, you turned on your own soldiers. You killed five hundred innocent monsters before I caught you." The key slid into a hole on the first statue's head, and it released the lance in its hand.
Gaia caught the lance as it fell, chuckling again. "You're right about that... I didn't want the war to end... but that's behind us now. Why am I free this time?"
As he freed the other lance, which Gaia caught, Exodia explained, "We've got a serial killer in the Central Shadow Realm. He killed three people in a small bar, and he's murdered his way through the city. The killer is a Witty Phantom, with the aura 15A. You're the last option we can think of. If you bring him down, we will discuss your permanent release."
The knight's chuckle evolved into a full-blown sarcastic laugh. "You used that deal... last time," the Fierce Knight growled. "And once I had brought you the head of... the Hino-Kagu-Tsuchi... you hit me with your Shadow Spell and dragged me back here. Why... should I trust you now?"
There was silence, and then Exodia walked away. Before following his master, the La Jinn set something on the floor, then turned and exited himself.
One lance impaled the paper that the La Jinn had left behind, and Gaia looked it over. It was a wanted poster, with a Witty Phantom on it. Examining the aura, the knight smiled behind his mask. If nothing else, he'd at least have some fun with this one.
"Ha, Sleipnir!" the Fierce Knight called, spurring his horse to activity. It reared up, and then charged out of the room.
A few minutes later, Gaia the Fierce Knight was on the streets of the Central Shadow Realm once more. Sensing for the aura, he galloped towards the Level Four Spellcaster Living Quarters.
***
In Tessia's apartment, a game of cards had developed. Fifteen stared at his hand, wondering which cards to keep and which to throw. To his left, Naomi had her third eye open and blinking, a sign of concentration; across from him, Tessia moved a card from one side to the other of her hand; to his right, an Ancient Elf that Naomi had brought home with her was rubbing at his eyes, apparently not sure what to do either. Finally, all involved set three cards down and pushed them to their left.
Damn, Fifteen thought. He'd gotten the Queen of Spades.
There was a knock at the door, and Fifteen set down his hand, feeling his heart rate spike. Pushing back his chair, he slowly moved towards the door, and then sprang forward and threw it open, ready to flee.
"Greetings, neighbor," said the Skilled Black Magician from next door. "Could I borrow some sugar?"
Tessia got up from her chair to retrieve the sugar, as Fifteen readjusted his hat and tried to get himself back under some degree of control, turning away from the door. There was then a loud cry from the Skilled Black Magician...
...and when Fifteen turned back to the door, Gaia the Fierce Knight was standing over an groaning mage, horse snorting and lances at the ready. There was a brief moment where nobody moved.
This moment ended when Gaia shouted, "Die!" and thrust one of his lances forward. The resulting blast of energy took out the card table and sent the deck flying. By the time the cards had settled, Fifteen was out the window.
Hitting the street hard, Fifteen fell onto his side, ankles throbbing in pain. Trying to will himself to his feet, the Witty Phantom pondered why the Fierce Knight had found him so quickly. According to the papers, the knight's resting place was under the Council Lower Quarter...
The question was answered when he looked up, and happened to see the knight's horse walking on air, the Ancient Elf's head swinging from its saddle.
***
Even with its powers in the current body, the Copycat had not anticipated an attack. When Gaia's lance struck it, it fell, nerves firing up in utter pain. Thankfully, the point of the lance hadn't touched it, so the shapeshifter would survive that encounter.
Forcing itself to stand, it looked upon the situation. Two pitifully weak (and female, it noted without interest) spellcasters were cowering in the corner, while a third spellcaster had drawn his staff and was trying to attack Gaia. The fight ended swiftly when Gaia impaled the foolish one, and then decapitated him, strapping the head to his saddle.
The master had never told it of Gaia's release! The Copycat clenched its fists, enraged at this turn of events. It couldn't let the decoy die like this... not while the master required its continued existence. But the order was to stay in cover, and so it couldn't change its form... Such a dilemma.
A sudden realization struck the Copycat, and it ran back into its own apartment. It rushed up to a drawer marked "Emergency" and yanked it out of the counter, spilling magic cubes everywhere. Some of these were gathered up, shoved into a bag, and hurled from the window...
***
The bag landed at Fifteen's side, and he quickly looked into it. He then silently admired his good luck.
A whistling noise caused him to throw his prone body to one side, and Gaia's lance smashed into the concrete where he'd just lain. Pulling himself upside, Fifteen took off running, ignoring the pain in his feet. Spurring his horse, Gaia took off after him.
Fifteen threw himself at a fire escape, climbing up the ladder seconds before he realized he was heading to a dead end. Now on the metal platform, the Witty Phantom looked down and saw Gaia's horse leave the ground, running at him. One hand primed the Smoke Grenade of the Thief in his pocket...
Just as Gaia caught up to him, Fifteen triggered the magic cube. A blinding flash and a cloud of smoke filled the air, causing Gaia's horse to rear back, nearly throwing the Fierce Knight. Meanwhile, through the cube's effect, the fiend found himself on a rooftop. He resumed running, just as Gaia shouted, "You can't get away... I always know where you are!"
We'll see about that, Fifteen thought. He leapt onto another roof, and then another, not sure where to go. The only way to get out of the Level Four Spellcaster Living Quarters was by train, and the odds there'd be one at the station were relatively low. He heard the horse's hooves behind him and racked his brain hard enough to cause a headache. Then a flash of insight came to him, and he scrambled down the fire escape of the next building he landed on.
Scrambling up to the familiar Labyrinth Tank post, standing next to one of the apartment buildings, Fifteen jabbed the summon button. Nothing happened, and he stabbed at the button agan. When nothing happened that time, either, he cracked his knuckles and outright punched the button. A voice said, "Your aura matches one of the criminal auras stored in our database. Your summon request is denied." At that point, Fifteen kicked the post quite viciously.
***
There was a mad rush of activity in the Level Four Spellcaster Living Complex. Various monsters were either packing to leave, making arrangements with others for habitation, or simply panicking. It noted all this without concern, even as it made its way to the door. What worry did one who could take any shape have of Gaia the Fierce Knight?
The doors parted, and it concentrated. The form shifted, and then collapsed, pulling itself inward. Soon a rather large crow sat on the pavement in front of the Level Four Spellcaster Living Complex. It spread its wings and took off, drifting over the building.
As an updraft lifted the Copycat's avine body, it studied the landscape under it. At this height, it could see no sign of either the Witty Phantom or the Fierce Knight, and so it circled around the building, descending to get a closer view. Still nothing came to light, and it cursed its luck... until a flash of movement filled the corner of its eye.
Staying out of range of the knight's lances, the Copycat-bird flew after the movement, soon arriving at one of the Labyrinth Tank stops...
***
The horse's hooves clicked on the pavement as Gaia rode up to his target, both lances at the ready. Fifteen could only watch, rubbing his sore foot - kicking a metal post not being one of the wisest things he could do. "Tell me, 15A, aren't you tired of running? You're locked within my mind... You can't get away. All you can do is wear yourselve out before I kill you..."
"My body doesn't like to accept the inevitable," the Witty Phantom replied, stepping back a few feet. "So it seems that if running didn't work..." Instead of finishing the sentance, he took out another magic cube and activated it. The cube unfolded and inflated, turning into a long, serrated blade, a Sword of Deep-Seated. He could feel the familiar rush of power hitting his muscles, and shifted into a combat position.
Seeing this, the warrior burst into laughter, bent double in the saddle as he let out his mirth. Sitting up again, he held his side, saying between guffaws, "You must be kidding me! You know that you're running to your death, and yet you actually want to fight me... All right, then. But before we begin..." The knight's laughter came to a sudden stop, and he threw his famous lances to the ground, watching them bounce slightly. "I want to make this fight a little more even... just to keep it fun." Taking a magic cube from his saddlebag, Gaia activated it, causing a sword with a six-foot blade to flash into existance in his hand.
Fifteen winced. He'd expected Gaia to fight with his lances; he hadn't expected him to have a Legendary Sword. After a moment to reflect, he let out a cry of defiance and charged forward, blade drawn back. Once in range, he swung.
The Sword of Deep-Seated bounced off Gaia's Legendary Sword, and Fifteen was forced back. He then threw himself to the side, dodging under Gaia's counterattack. The whistling of the air informed him he'd just barely dodged the attack.
Spurring his horse, Gaia charged down the street, but then wheeled around and rushed back, bringing his sword around in a massive arc. Fifteen raised his blade to block, and was thrown a good five feet down the road. He struck the pavement hard, and swore that he'd cracked a rib on impact. Managing to get back to his feet, he heard another whistling noise and rolled to his right, barely avoiding decapitation.
Gaia's horse reared up and snorted, and the Fierce Knight laughed bitterly. "Even Sleipnir thinks you're a fool, fiend!" he called to Fifteen. "If you drop your blade, I'll..." Suddenly, the horse screamed and thrashed under Gaia, who had to fight to stay on. Looking down, the knight saw a long, shallow cut on his horse's flank.
"I'd suggest not getting distracted," Fifteen replied, wiping his blade on the Labyrinth Tank post. Moving in again, dodging the horse's hooves, he raised the Sword of Deep-Seated over his head and launched a double-handed strike.
Before it could even reach Gaia, the warrior caught control of Sleipnir and swung his arm around, knocking Fifteen to the ground and forcing the air from his lungs. The fiend rolled back, moving out of reach of the Legendary Sword. He had done so just in time, as Gaia's attack struck, leaving a long crack in the pavement.
"Getting tired?" Gaia asked. Fifteen didn't answer, but he was hardly in any condition to do so had he wanted to. His grip on his sword was loosening... but he refused to drop it, knowing he was dead if he did.
A moment passed, and then Gaia shrugged, drawing back his blade There was a quiet whistling in the air, and then he swung... and a wave of energy split the air before it, heading straight for Fifteen. The Witty Phantom barely ducked in time, and the energy took out a building behind him, causing metal and concrete to rain down.
Gaia swung again, and Fifteen ran, being spun and thrown by the energy's tail end. Another swing, and Fifteen tried to block it. He was sent flying once again, slamming into the side of a small shop. The wall on either side of him erupted in a shower of brick and mortar. "I can do this all night if I want to, 15A," Gaia said. His horse snorted again, and the sword came down, launching another wave of energy. This one hit the sidewalk in front of Fifteen's feet, pelting the fiend with a storm of debris.
Inside himself, Fifteen knew he was done for. A trickle of blood filled his mouth, and he was now rather sure that at least three ribs had broken from the last impact. His jacket was torn in about twenty different place, his hat was ruined, and he'd lost a pantscuff running before the fight. He looked as bad as he felt. Why continue?, he thought to himself. It just doesn't make sense.
A new thought rammed the first out of his head. This thought was much louder and simpler than the first. All it said was, I'm not dead just yet.
Placing the hilt of the Sword of Deep-Seated between his teeth, Fifteen slipped his jacket off. The tattered material fell to the ground, as he reached into the bag of magic cubes (tucked into his belt) and found the one he was looking for. He took it out, showed it to the warrior, and activated it, then took the hilt out of his mouth and smiled, his muscles bulging slightly through his shirt.
"Rush Recklessly?" Gaia asked. The Fierce Knight then smiled. "Very well. Come at me." The sword swung, and an energy wave launched at Fifteen...
...who vaulted over it, charging at full speed towards Gaia. He swung agan and again, the Sword of Deep-Seated clanging against the Legendary Sword. Gaia forced Sleipnir back, the horse growing scared under him.
Leaping over Fifteen's head, Gaia spun his horse around and swung his blade, another wave of energy slicing through the air. Fifteen swung his own sword, cutting through the wave and launching one of his own. Startled, Gaia barely managed to block in time. The length of street between them exploded, leaving a sizable crater between them.
Fifteen jumped the crater, knowing that he only had a certain amount of time before the Rush Recklessly burnt out and he was doomed. He relentlessly attacked, his sword clanging again and again against Gaia's Legendary Sword. Cracks began to appear in the warrior's blade, the metal straining under the constant impact of Fifteen's weapon. The two drew back, down the street on the edge of the Level Four Living Quarters...
And then two things happened.
The Legendary Sword shattered into pieces from impact, the shards clanging off Gaia's armor. At the same time, Fifteen drew back his blade and thrust forward, the Sword of Deep-Seated sliding cleanly and effortlessly into Sleipnir's chest. The horse let out an almost human scream and reared back, throwing Gaia into a wall, before it exploded into a rain of shards, slashing Fifteen's face in the aftermath.
The Rush Recklessly wore off, and Fifteen fell to his knees, sword slipping out of his fingers and breaking when it hit the pavement. Lifting his head, he saw Gaia the Fierce Knight, armor scratched and dented, slumped against a wall. His weapons gone, his horse slain, the warrior looked almost pathetic. Fifteen frowned; Gaia had set out with the express purpose of killing him, feeling compassion would be a very bad idea. "So... now what?" he asked no one.
Shuddering, the knight pulled himself to his feet. He was bowlegged, having spent almost his entire life on horseback. Looking to Fifteen, he bowed... and then turned and ran, leaping almost two hundred feet in one bound, landing on the rooftop. He leapt from roof to roof, just as Fifteen had when he was running, until he vanished from sight.
Having no intention of following, Fifteen tried to get up and promptly collapsed, breathing heavily. It was at that moment that all the pain he'd suffered decided to kick in, and he passed out, his last sight being of Tessia and Naomi stepping out of a Labyrinth Tank and rushing up to him.
***
Unnoticed by anyone, a crow took flight, setting out from a ledge above the crater and turning towards the Level Four Warrior Living Quarters. It flew without sound, altering its altitude so that it skimmed the rooftops. It had a very specific destination in mind.
An hour later, the crow landed in a back alley. Soon it shuddered, and melted into something larger... and then the Copycat dusted itself off, waiting for the master to arrive.
As always, the first sign was the sound of the master's pet growling. Then the voice of the master itself entered the Copycat's mind: [What news have you?]
In the voice that sounded like glass breaking, it replied, "The Witty Phantom has proved remarkably fortunate. He slew Gaia's horse and drove the Fierce Knight away... Master, may I ask a question?"
[You may, but do not expect an answer,] the master replied.
"Why did you choose that Witty Phantom as our scapegoat?"
There was no response for quite some time, and then a rush of pain filled the Copycat's body. It collapsed, gripping at its chest, and the master's voice filled its head: [As you said that, you thought to yourself, "What were you thinking when you chose him?" Never question my decisions again, Copycat. In words, in thoughts, nor in deeds. You can be replaced. 15A cannot. As for your spoken question, I will tell you once the plan has come to frutition. Not before then.]
The pain stopped, and the Copycat trembled, placing the top of its head to the ground. "I apologize, master. I will do only as you command."
[Very well.] In the shadows, the Copycat saw its master turn to leave. [Maintain the stakeout until further notice.]
The alley soon emptied, as the crow took flight once more.
***
There was an palace at the very peak of the Central Shadow Realm. In it, Exodia the Forbidden One once held court during the days of absolute rule. Now, however, it merely served as his home.
A Meda Bat had followed Gaia invisibly during his hunt for Fifteen, and now it relayed all that it had seen to the Head of the Council. Once the replay was over, he placed his head in his hands and groaned, a terrible, droning noise. The palace staff shuddered.
Exodia's aide, the La Jinn (who had taken the name Suleiman), had seen all of this as well. Shaking his own head, he asked, "What shall we do now, sir?"
"Nothing," came the eventual answer.
Taken aback, Suleiman took a moment to reply. "Nothing, sir?"
Despite the look of dismay on Exodia's face, he let out a low chuckle before speaking. "I fought alongside Gaia in the Second Dragon War, remember. During that war, something interesting took place... and if Gaia remembers it as well, I believe we have absolutely nothing to worry about."
***
In the headquarters of the Central Shadow Realm Police Force, an Unfriendly Amazon and a Sasuke Samurai were currently standing at attention. It was only proper, as the man behind the desk in front of them was the Chief of Police himself.
"Just got word from the Council that Gaia failed to bring down our suspected Shadow Killer," the Chief said, stroking his beard.
"Shadow Killer?" Aysev asked.
Geefor rolled his overly large eyes and stated, "The new name for our case. Also called the Blue Nemuriko Killer."
"Correct," the chief resumed. "Well, the Council has, as per usual, failed to do a damned thing about the suspect, so it's all down to us. Good news, though - we have a possible locale for our suspect."
Both Geefor and Aysev noticeably leaned forward on those words. "Really, sir?" Geefor asked.
The chief nodded, and shoved a small stack of papers across the desk. "The Level Four Spellcaster Living Quarters. In that stack you'll find one of the High Eyes's paperwork on the suspect's encounter with Gaia, and a list of possible places he could be hiding in. Now get to it!"
Taking the papers, Aysev passed them to Geefor, and then saluted before heading out of the office. As they made their way out, a Masked Sorcerer snickered and said, "Bet you ten bucks the perp's already out of the area."
"Smoke a Chain Destruction, Ninef," Aysev replied.
***
The news of Gaia's defeat traveled fast. One place it reached was the Missing Number bar. Unlike the reactions in the Council and the Police Force headquarters, the news was met with more than a little optimism - at least nobody else had to worry about Gaia for a while.
But one individual, the one wrapped in a cloak over in the corner, merely looked into his drink, other hand drumming the head of his staff, and whispered, "Oh, Fifteen, you don't know what this will lead to..."
***
The very edge of the Central Shadow Realm was surrounded by a wide trench, in order to prevent the landbound dragons and other menaces from crossing into the city proper. This trench was reinforced by Chasm of Spikes traps and other tricks, and the one safe alley out was guarded by a small army of Crimson Sentries. The only way to leave town was by the #24 train to Toon World, which left every three days, or through the use of a Labyrinth Tank, and almost no one had a reason to go into the Outer Shadow Realm.
A Crimson Sentry by the name of Kiki was on standard patrol when she saw one of the oddest things she'd ever seen in her life as a patroller. Armored feet clanking on the rails, a monster was staggering out of the Central Shadow Realm.
Someone was leaving on foot!
"Halt!" Kiki shouted, drawing her sword. More Crimson Sentries rushed to the scene, drawing their own weapons, just as the suspicous monster bent down and picked up a piece of wood from the side of the tracks. "What reason have you t-"
The next morning, Kiki, now missing an arm and severely beaten, would report that the armored monster crushed in the skull of one of the Crimson Sentries, and then took her sword before slaughtering the entire group, save for Kiki and two others. As they laid there, beaten and dying, the patrollers saw him wipe the sword clean on one of their bodies, before hiking off in the direction of the Dragon Lairs.