CHAPTER SEVEN
I’d like to make a little confession, just between the two of us. Now, I wasn’t truly lying when I had told Jinx back then that I knew how to use a Disk… But knowing how to use one and knowing how to do so well, well, that was another story.
Yeah, I could use one. My cousin Akira, who I believe has already been mentioned, used to lend me his extra one when he came to visit, and let me use it. He was pretty much my only opponent for serious duels using holographic technology. Since he was a pro, and I wasn’t, I almost always lost those matches.
I had never dreamed I would be using one against someone who played for keeps, as seemed to be the case in this new group I had reluctantly joined. I was certainly no expert at serious dueling.
And despite the fact that I was technically coming with Jinx to “observe”, a small voice inside me told me that, inexperienced as I was, I had better become experienced… fast.
In a quiet residential area of Neo Domino, far from downtown, was an unassuming, one-story office building. It didn’t have much to distinguish itself from the other similar buildings in the quiet neighborhood, and the only clue to its purpose was a plaque on the front door that said “Dr. Martin Fogg, MD”.
Jinx slowly drove her D-Wheel up to the front, with Ember holding on.
“This is the address,” said Jinx, as she parked the bike.
She got off, and hit the command on the dashboard. The Duel Disk disengaged from the console, latching onto her gauntlet.
“Uh, Jinx?” asked Ember. “Would you mind if I asked a question that may be personal?”
“I have nothing to hide,” replied Jinx.
“Uhm…” said Ember. “Do all of you guys have… marks?”
Jinx looked strangely at Ember for a minute.
Then she laughed out loud.
“You afraid of this?” she laughed, pointing at the scar on her cheek.
She laughed softly for a minute.
“Forgot to explain that Ember…” she said. “It’s no criminal mark… That’s the Badge of the Shadowchasers. It’s what tells a Shadow that we have authority.
“Normally, it’s invisible to anyone but Awares and Shadows. Unless we want to show it to Mundanes. And let me tell you, the fact that it looks like a mark can be quite useful when dealing with Mundanes.”
“How so?” asked Ember. “Because it makes you more intimidating?”
Jinx smiled and nodded.
“Someone sees a mark,” she said, “he wonders what the person did to get it, and he wonders if he’ll ever do it again.”
“So, this Badge…” muttered Ember. “Am… I gonna get one?”
Jinx nodded again.
“And once you do, Ember,” she said. “You’ll realize that it’s a badge of pride…
“Now, onto the business at hand… We gotta get in somehow, and the front door is likely locked.”
They walked up to one of the windows.
To their surprise, there were bars on the inside.
“Very unusual for a psychiatrist,” said Ember.
“Not gonna get in that way,” replied Jinx. “Not without a hacksaw.”
She took a cell phone headset out of her jacket pocket.
“Let’s try the front door anyway…”
They turned around towards the front, and got another surprise. The front door was not only locked, apparently, but locked with a digital combination.
“Hmm…” said Jynx.
“Bars on the windows, digital locks on the doors,” said Ember. “I get the feeling that there’s something very important in there…”
“More than you know,” replied Jinx, holding up her cell phone and dialing. “I’ve seen this before, it’s a common trick used by technology-savvy Shadowkind. The digital lock is a ruse. If any combination were entered, it would likely set off a nasty booby trap. Forcing it open would likely be worse. The real way to get in is most likely a verbal code, or something even more complex.”
She turned on the headset.
“I suppose knocking is out of the question?” asked Ember.
“Not wise,” said Jinx. “With a setup like this, I don’t think he’d cooperate, and he’d know we were here too.
“Gears, are you there? Yeah, we’re at the place, but it’s pretty well-fortified. How long will it take you to hack into the grid?
“Okay, I’ll keep track…”
She looked at her watch.
“What’s Gears gonna do?” asked Ember.
“Hack into the power grid for this part of town and shut down the power for this block,” replied Ember. “No power, no security system, and no lock. He says it will take him two minutes… Then we’ll have at most ten minutes before an override system turns it back on.
“Now, once we get in there, be alert. The downside of getting in this way is, if someone’s in there, we lose the element of surprise.”
She looked at her watch as the seconds ticked away…
Then there was a loud hum, as the numbers on the lock faded away. Jinx grabbed hold of the door and pulled it open.
“Piece of cake!” she whispered.
Jinx and Ember walked in. Ember’s first reaction was to look for a light switch, before she remembered.
They were in a long hallway, in what looked like a typical doctor’s office. Jinx’s attention turned to a door that had another digital lock on it, which was also dead due to the loss of power.
She opened it, and both of them looked in with surprise.
It clearly wasn’t what you’d find in a psychiatrist’s office. More like a pharmacy.
“Gears, are you still there?” whispered Jinx into the speaker.
“Yeah, I’m here, Jinx,” came the reply. “You in trouble?”
“Are you sure this guy’s a psychiatrist?” asked Jinx. “This place looks more like a chemistry lab.”
“I did some checking on Fogg,” replied Gears. “He’s a real MD and he graduated from the Neo Domino University School of Psychology. Second in his class, in fact.”
“He’s got enough manaranil here for a hospital,” replied Jinx, picking up a large container.
“Manaranil?” asked Gears.
“And a lot of zolomoloft,” continued Jinx, looking at the containers. “Purmisic RD… Strynaztalan… And that’s just the stuff I recognize. Aren’t these all very powerful stimulants of some kind?
“Plus he’s got a bunch of equipment here that I’m sure isn’t psychiatric-issue. Flasks, Bunsen burners, measuring cups… There’s a small refrigerator over there, and I’m pretty sure he doesn’t have soda in it…”
She looked at an odd machine on a table.
“I think this may be a medical incubator, in fact. Isn’t that used for growing bacteria cultures? We’re talking biochemistry here…”
“Yeah, and I can’t explain that,” replied Gears, “but you were right about those chemicals being stimulants. They’re very powerful ones, and they haven’t been approved for use as psychiatric medications yet.”
“They’re that powerful?” asked Jinx.
“They’d likely make The Unhappy Maiden stop crying,” replied Gears. “As of right now, they can only be used for special experimental use. The average doctor can’t legally prescribe them.”
“Then what the heck is some private practitioner doing with them?” asked Jinx. “And all this other equipment?”
“Making breakthroughs in psychiatric science,” said a voice from the other side of the room.
Ember and Jinx spun around. Standing at the door that they had entered were two people. One – the one who had just spoken – was a tall man with very dark skin, and no hair, wearing a white leisure suit. What got their attention was the fact that he was pointing a gun at them.
Behind him was a young woman about Ember’s age, dressed in a sweatshirt and sweatpants, with long, strawberry blonde hair.
“Dr. Martin Fogg, I presume,” said Jinx, looking up from the incubator.
“Yes,” said the man. “And I’ll have you know that this is a device that doesn’t need to be plugged in.”
“Put that away before you hurt someone,” replied Jinx.
“That’s the idea,” said Fogg, aiming it at her.
“Jinx…” said Ember, nervously.
Then, as Fogg pulled the trigger, there was a loud snap, and he cringed a little.
“What happened?” shouted the woman behind him.
“It jammed!” shouted Fogg. “How could it have…”
Jinx laughed.
“I guess it was just bad luck!” she laughed.
Fogg turned to his assistant.
“Debbie…” he said.
Then the two of them turned and ran the way they came.
“After them!” shouted Jinx.
She followed them down the hallway, with Ember following. At the end of the hallway, their quarry fled in opposite directions, Fogg going right, and Debbie going left.
“Whoa…” said Jinx, motioning for Ember to stop.
She paused.
“Ember…” she said. “If that assistant gets away, we could be in trouble… There’s no way I can chase after both of them.
“Let me ask you something…
“How committed are you?”
Ember looked at Jinx.
“I’ve come this far…” she said.
Jinx patted her on the shoulder.
“You handle her,” she said. “I’ll go get Fogg…”
Then she ran down after Fogg.
Nervously, Ember ran at a brisk pace down the hallway where Debbie had gone. The lights came back on as she did; clearly, that override system had kicked in.
She saw an open door.
She took off her Duel Disk, and poked it inside the entrance, waving it about.
“Oh, just come in!” snapped Debbie. “Even if I did have a gun, I wouldn’t ambush you…”
Ember walked into a large, comfortable-looking office, and saw Debbie, holding a Disk of her own. She could see that Debbie didn’t look as human as she did before, either. She had small horns on her forehead, and her eyes were an unnatural violet.
“You can see it, right?” asked Debbie. “Yeah, we learn early on to deal with the stares…”
“Pardon me?” asked Ember.
“What, are you new?” asked Debbie. “Never met a tiefling before? Well, now you have.”
“You seem to have a lot of anger,” replied Ember.
“You would too if you had the blood of fiends,” replied Debbie. “How would you like growing up with evil in your genes? With everyone expecting that you’d turn out bad? Some people have relatives who were Italian, or Latino, or German… Mine? Mine were demons.”
“That…” muttered Ember. “That’s awful…”
“Don’t feel sorry for me,” replied Debbie, as her Disk activated. “You know the old saying… You can choose your friends, but you can’t choose your relatives.
“The way I see it, I’ll either vent my frustration by beating you to a pulp, or you’ll put me out of my misery. To me, that’s a win-win situation.”
Ember took a deep breath.
Okay, Ember, deep breaths… she thought. Deep, cleansing breaths…
She activated her own Disk.
“Let’s do this,” she said.
(Ember: 8,000) - - - - - - - - - - (Debbie: 8,000)
“As you might expect, sister,” said Debbie, making a draw, “I have a lot of pent-up aggression. And the gals in my deck don’t play very nice either.
“I summon Amazoness Fighter!”
In a blast of energy, a feminine – sort of – Monster appeared in front of Debbie. She was a female Warrior that seemed far more muscular than most women should be, dressed in a blue bikini top and loincloth, two leather belts around her waist, and a lot of primitive jewelry. A headband held her bushy hair back, which was tied in a ponytail, and she didn’t seem to have any weapon except her fists. (1,500 ATK)
Ho boy… thought Ember, as she started to sweat.
She really wasn’t used to her opponent using a Disk to summon a Monster that wasn’t a Lightsworn…
“I’ll throw these facedown for later,” continued Debbie, as two facedown cards appeared behind the Amazon. “And that’s all.”
Ember hesitated. She froze for a second.
“Are you gonna move or what?” asked Debbie.
Ember quickly snapped out of it. She drew a card.
She looked over the six cards in her hand.
What am I worried about? she told herself. I’ve got someone here who’s stronger than her Monster…
“I summon… Molten Zombie!” she shouted.
A blast of flames shot up from the space in front of her, and a hunched over figure rose out of them. It was a humanoid made entirely of magma, with a zombie-like face, and flames leaking from its pores. (1,600 ATK)
“Attack!” shouted Ember.
Molten Zombie belched a cloud of flaming gas at Amazoness Fighter. She cringed, and then shattered into pixels.
“Not bad,” replied Debbie. “But due to Fighter’s effect, I don’t lose any Life Points.
“And I also get to activate this…”
Her facedown card shot up.
“Pride of Tribe. Since one of my Amazons fell, I get to summon another one from my deck.
“So I summon Amazoness Swords Woman!”
In another burst of energy, another female warrior appeared. She wore a skimpy, blue bikini, and jewelry made of teeth. Her hair was fiery red, and worn long. She held a very large sword in her right hand. (1,500 ATK)
Ember looked at Swords Woman and put her hand on her hip. She was starting to get more confidence…
“You know,” she said, “I’m no expert in Greek mythology, but I think that the Amazons had as much access to armor as male warriors.”
“They weren’t the smartest fighters in the world,” replied Debbie. “After all, Hercules defeated their whole army by himself.”
Ember sighed, and looked at her hand.
“I’ll set a facedown card of my own,” she said, “and I’ll call it a turn.”
A facedown card flashed into existence in front of her.
Calm down, Ember… she thought. Just pretend that Amazon is one big Barbie Doll…
She looked closely at Swords Woman. Swords Woman glared back at her and grinned.
Oh brother! she thought. Why do I think of things like that?!
Debbie made a draw.
“I summon… Amazoness Tiger!” she exclaimed.
With a roar, a savage-looking she-tiger appeared on the field next to Swords Woman. She wore golden bracelets on all four legs, and a golden collar with a chain leash. (1,100 ATK)
“Tiger is the Amazons’ loyal pet and bodyguard,” said Debbie. “While she’s on the field, you can’t attack any Amazon except her. And if you think that will be easy, she also gains 400 more Attack Points for each Amazon on the field.
“She just loves having friends around.”
(1,900 ATK)
“Attack her Molten Zombie!” she shouted.
Amazoness Tiger pounced. Ember froze for a second.
Then she remembered her facedown card.
“Chew on this!” she replied, as it lifted up. “I activate… Backfire! This Trap Card will hit you for 500 points of damage whenever one of my Fire Monsters is destroyed!”
Tiger made a swipe with her claws, and Molten Zombie groaned before being blasted into embers. Then, a blast of flames shot out of the Backfire card, striking Debbie.
“Okay, sister,” replied Debbie. “You burned me… But now, Swords Woman wants a word with you…
“Direct attack! Savage sword!”
Swords Woman leapt at Ember, holding her sword aloft.
Ember cringed as the sword made a slash across her torso, and she fell on her behind.
(E: 6,200) - - - - - - - - - - (D: 7,500)
“Aw, did that hurt?” asked Debbie.
Ember slowly got up.
Truthfully, the actual attack didn’t hurt as much as falling on her behind did. But she wasn’t going to tell her that.
“Your move,” said Debbie.
I’m off to a really bad start, thought Ember. I gotta get rid of that Tiger before she brings out another Amazon.
She looked at her hand of cards.
I got someone here who can do the job, but he’s Level 6…
She drew a card.
It was Monster Reborn.
Ember couldn’t believe her luck. She had never gotten a draw that good exactly when she needed it.
She quickly played it.
“Go, Monster Reborn!” she shouted.
As she played it, the golden ankh appeared in mid-air.
“That’s a pretty powerful Spell Card to be playing so early in the duel,” said Debbie. “Are you sure you want to do that?”
Molten Zombie appeared in front of Ember again. (1,600 ATK)
“I sure do,” replied Ember. “Because, when Molten Zombie is Special Summoned from the Graveyard, I get to draw one card.”
She made a draw.
All right! she thought, looking at it. I drew Infernal Flame Emperor!
Unfortunately, I’d need to swap two Monsters for it, and I don’t have them… Best save it for later…
“I sacrifice Molten Zombie…” she exclaimed.
Molten Zombie vanished.
“…to call forth Thestalos the Firestorm Monarch!”
A bonfire erupted in front of Ember, and a ten-foot-tall giant rose out of the flames. He was clad head to toe in iron plate armor, and his hands burned with fire. (2,400 ATK)
“Now I activate his effect…” continued Ember.
The three cards in Debbie’s hand glowed, and then three large cards appeared on the field, their backs to Ember.
Thestalos formed a fireball in his hands, and hurled it at the middle card. It turned around right before it hit, revealing itself to be a second Swords Woman. The card was burned to ashes.
“You not only lose that card,” continued Ember, “but since that was a Level 4 Monster, you lose 400 Life Points.”
Debbie groaned as a fiery aura surrounded her body.
“All right, Thestalos!” shouted Ember. “Attack her Tiger! Royal flames!”
Thestalos threw a second, more intense ball of fire. The Tiger roared before exploding in a flaming burst.
Debbie scowled at Ember…
(E: 6,200) - - - - - - - - - - (D: 6,600)
“My move…” she growled.
She drew a card.
She quickly placed it on her Disk, and a defensive Monster appeared.
“Turn end,” she said.
“Ah, ha!” laughed Ember. “Look at you! I made you so mad, you forgot to move Swords Woman to Defense Mode!”
Debbie looked at Swords Woman.
“Oh…” she said. “Well, well, well… So I did… How careless of me…”
Ember quickly drew a card.
“First I set a Monster!” she said eagerly, as a concealed Monster appeared.
“Thestalos, roast her Swords Woman!”
Thestalos hurled his ball of flame again. Swords Woman screamed before she went up in flames.
“Hey, sunshine!” said Debbie. “Look up…”
“Huh?” said Ember, looking up.
Then she saw that Sword Woman had apparently thrown her sword at her right before she was hit, because it was flying towards her…
Ember shrieked as it hit her.
“You’re obviously a rookie,” replied Debbie. “You clearly don’t know that when Swords Woman loses a battle, she still wins, because my opponent takes the battle damage. Maybe you should have done research before becoming a duelist, let alone a Shadowchaser.”
Ember sighed.
That’s what I get for being cocky, she thought. I can’t be careless… Letting my guard down at this point might spell disaster…
“I end my turn…” she muttered.
(E: 5,300) - - - - - - - - - - (D: 6,600)
Debbie drew a card.
“I’m taking that big lug down,” she said, playing a card, “and my Amazoness Blowpiper is gonna do it.”
Another Amazon appeared, this one wearing a green bikini top and loincloth, fur boots with knee guards made from skulls, and more of the same primitive jewelry, with black hair tied in a ponytail. She carried a long blowgun with a snake’s skull mounted on the end. (800 ATK)
“How is she gonna beat Thestalos?” asked Ember. “He’s three times stronger.”
“I’ll show you as soon as Flip-Summon my other Monster,” replied Debbie. “Amazoness Chain Master.”
Her facedown Monster flipped up, and yet another female Warrior appeared, cut from the same cloth as the others. This one had white, platinum blonde hair, worn loose, wore a blue bikini top and loincloth, and carried a long chain with a grapple. (1,500 ATK)
“Now then…” continued Debbie, as a Spell Card appeared on the field. “I play Amazoness Spellcaster! This causes my Amazon and your Monarch to swap Attack Scores.”
“HUH?” gasped Ember.
Seeing was believing. Thestalos fell to an Attack Score of only 800, while Blowpiper rose to 2,400.
“Seems that the tables are turned,” said Debbie, as Blowpiper put her weapon to her lips.
Blowpiper took a breath, and blew into her pipe, shooting a dart right at the much larger Monster. Thestalos groaned, and keeled over… And then burst into an explosion of soot and smoke.
“Did you forget about my Backfire?” asked Ember.
Another blast of flames shot out of the Trap Card, hitting Debbie. She growled.
“Chain Master, attack her facedown Monster!”
Chain Master twirled her grapple above her head, and hurled it. On the card, a large turtle with a shell resembling a flying saucer appeared, right before the chain hit it, and it exploded into slag.
Backfire shot another wave of flames, hitting Debbie again.
“You destroyed my UFO Turtle,” said Ember. “And when it gets totaled, I get to Special Summon a low-powered Fire Monster from my deck. Like another UFO Turtle.”
Another of the odd Machines appeared in front of Ember. (1,400 ATK)
“Then that’s all,” replied Debbie, as Blowpiper’s Attack Score fell back to 800.
(E: 3,700) - - - - - - - - - - (D: 5,600)
Ember drew a card quickly. She looked at it closely. It was Sakuretsu Armor.
Starting to get the hang of this… she thought. Maybe it isn’t as hard as I thought it would be…
She placed it in her Disk.
“I set a facedown…” she said.
She took another card.
“Then I summon Tenkabito Shien!”
In another burst of fire, and the loud whiny of a horse, a mounted figure rose onto the field. He was dressed in the clothing of Japanese nobility, holding a long nodachi and riding a coal-black steed. (1,500 ATK)
“Attack her Blowpiper!” shouted Ember.
Shien galloped forward on his mount. Blowpiper screamed before she was cut down. Debbie cringed.
“I’ll move UFO Turtle to Defense Mode, and end my turn,” said Ember.
UFO Turtle retracted its limbs and head into its shell. (1,200 DEF)
(E: 3,700) - - - - - - - - - - (D: 4,900)
“My move…” said Debbie.
She drew a card.
“And I play Pot of Avarice!” she shouted, playing it.
The nutty-looking jar appeared in front of her, and both Swords Women, Tiger, Fighter, and Blowpiper slipped out of her discard slot. She shuffled them into her deck, and then drew twice.
“I summon Amazoness Paladin!” she shouted.
In another flash of energy, yet another of the savage women appeared. She was dressed in a white bikini top and loincloth, and also a hood and tattered cape. Her long, blonde hair fell down to her waist from under it. She held a sword that wasn’t as big as Swords Woman’s, but looked more finely made. (1,700 ATK)
“And she gains 100 more Attack Points for each Amazon on the field,” continued Debbie.
(1,900 ATK)
“Destroy Tenkabito Shien!”
Paladin made a graceful pose, and then leapt at Shien, sword first…
“I activate, Sakuretsu Armor!” shouted Ember, as her facedown card shot up.
“Paladin!” shouted Debbie. “Escape!”
Paladin vanished.
“HUH?” said Ember. “Where did she go?”
Then she noticed that Debbie had triggered the Trap Card that she had set on her first turn, which she had almost forgotten about.
“It’s called Dramatic Rescue,” replied Debbie, holding up Paladin’s card. “It saves my Amazon by sending her back to my hand.
“And it also lets me summon another Monster from my hand to take her place.
“Like another Swords Woman!”
In another burst of energy, Swords Woman appeared again. (1,500 ATK)
“Chain Master, move to Defense Mode,” she continued.
Chain Master knelt, and shielded herself with her arms. (1,300 DEF)
“It’s your move…” she said.
Ember drew, and looked at her hand.
I have two Monsters on the field, she thought. That’s enough to summon my Infernal Flame Emperor…
But with her Swords Woman there, having a Monster that powerful on my side may well be too dangerous…
I’d better wait…
“Shien, attack Chain Master!” she commanded.
Tenkabito Shien charged forward on his mount, cutting down Chain Master with one swipe.
Then Debbie laughed out loud.
“You fell right into my trap,” she said. “It seems you really are a newbie.
“When Chain Master falls in battle, a powerful effect is activated… The Brink of Death Chain Dance!”
“I have a feeling I’m not gonna like this…” said Ember.
“I have to pay 1,500 Life Points,” continued Debbie, “and then…”
A ghostly phantom that resembled Chain Master appeared next to Debbie. Her eyes glowed with eerie light, and then the cards in Ember’s hand glowed with the same light…
Then, the images of the four cards in Ember’s hand appeared in front of her.
“That one,” said Debbie, pointing.
The ghostly Amazon threw her grapple, and it snagged the Infernal Flame Emperor card.
“HEY!” shouted Ember.
Debbie grinned as the card appeared in her hand and the phantom vanished.
“Nice,” she said, looking at it. “This your best card?”
Ember frowned.
“You need two Monsters to summon it,” she said with a scowl.
“I’m well aware of that,” replied Debbie. “Any other moves you’d like to make?”
“Just move…” growled Ember.
(E: 3,700) - - - - - - - - - - (D: 3,400)
Debbie drew a card.
“I summon another Fighter,” she said, playing a card.
The incredibly muscular Amazon appeared again. (1,500 ATK)
“Then I throw a card facedown,” she continued, “and end my turn.”
A facedown card appeared with a flash.
“My move!” shouted Ember.
She drew a card.
Oh, that does it… she thought. I gotta get rid of that annoying Swords Woman, even if I have to take out Shien in the process…
“Shien, attack her Swords Woman!” she shouted.
Shien galloped towards Swords Woman…
“Facedown card activate…” exclaimed Debbie.
“Hold up!” laughed Ember. “Shien is immune to Trap Cards!”
“Who said it was a Trap Card?” asked Debbie.
The Quickplay Spell revealed itself, showing itself to be Shrink. Ember’s eyes opened wide.
Tenkabito Shien fell to an Attack Score of 750. Swords Woman made a swipe with her blade, and he burst into an explosion of flames.
“I activate the effect of Backfire!” shouted Ember.
The flaming blast shot towards Debbie, and she grunted again.
(E: 2,950) - - - - - - - - - - (D: 2,900)
“So what are you gonna do now?” asked Debbie.
“It’s still my turn!” shouted Ember. “I’ll set a Monster in Defense Mode…”
A defensive Monster appeared.
“Then, I’ll remove one Fire Monster from play…”
Molten Zombie slipped out of her discard slot. Ember pocketed it.
“…to also summon Inferno in Defense Mode.”
Another fiery Monster appeared in front of her. It looked basically like a small bonfire with two glowing eyes. (1,900 DEF)
“And now I end my turn…”
Debbie drew a card.
“You remember Paladin, don’t you?” she asked, as Amazoness Paladin appeared again. (1,700 ATK)
“And guess what? I have three Amazons on the field now…”
(2,000 ATK)
“Paladin, destroy Inferno!”
Paladin slashed with her sword, and Inferno vanished in a burst of smoke.
The Backfire card blasted flames at Debbie again.
“Curse that infernal card…” growled Debbie. “Fighter, attack her mystery Monster!”
Fighter leapt at the facedown Monster…
A large, blocky construct that seemed to be made of burnt-out wood appeared on the card. Fighter struck it with her fist, but it only shivered a little. (2,100 DEF)
“Charcoal Inpachi is too tough for her to crack,” replied Ember.
“True,” said Debbie. “But due to her effect, I take no damage. But due to Swords Woman’s effect, you’ll sure take some…”
Swords Woman leapt at Charcoal Inpachi and struck it with her sword. Ember groaned as the force of the impact ripped through her.
(E: 2,350) - - - - - - - - - - (D: 2,400)
“It’s your move,” said Debbie, with a grin. “And I must thank you… It really feels good to just let it out…”
Ember sighed, and drew a card.
She quickly placed it on her Disk, and a facedown Monster appeared.
“That all?” asked Debbie, drawing a card.
“Well, it’s about time… I play Mystical Space Typhoon!”
The cyclone tore across the field, blowing the Backfire card to pieces.
“Boy, that was therapeutic,” she said. “Now, let’s see… I could just keep attacking your Inpachi with Swords Woman, and deplete your Life Points 600 at a time…
“But I think I’ll go for the gusto…
“I sacrifice Fighter and Swords Woman…”
The two Amazons vanished into grains of light…
“I summon Infernal Flame Emperor!”
With a roar, a huge Pyro rose onto Debbie’s side of the field. It was just as big as Thestalos, and resembled a flaming centaur, with wings and a head shaped like a hawk. It burned with a fiery aura. (2,700 ATK)
“Bet you never expected I’d use your best card against you huh?” she asked. “But that’s how it is, you know. When you grow up like I did, you learn early on that life can be so cruel…”
Ember just glared at Debbie.
“Attack Charcoal Inpachi!” shouted Debbie.
Infernal Flame Emperor threw a searing ball of flames, and Ember braced herself as her Monster was blown to shards.
“Now, Paladin attacks your facedown Monster!”
Paladin flew at the facedown Monster…
A third UFO Turtle appeared on the card, and she cleaved it in a half.
“A third one?” shouted Debbie.
“Yes, I had a third one,” replied Ember. “And you’re going to see just how cruel life can be. I use its effect to summon…
“…Ultimate Baseball Kid!”
In a blast of fire, a very unlikely Monster leapt onto Ember’s side of the field. He looked like a ten-year-old, dressed in a red little league uniform, holding a metal bat covered with spikes. His eyes burned with fire, and the Kanji symbol for Fire was printed on his batting helmet. (500 ATK)
“Mmmph!” said Debbie, trying to hold back laughter. “You’re kidding right?”
“Seems you’re the one who didn’t do any research now,” said Ember. “Ultimate Baseball Kid is incredibly powerful when you use him right. He gains 1,000 Attack Points for each Fire Monster on the field, other than himself. I see two right now, UFO Turtle, and Infernal Flame Emperor.”
Ultimate Baseball Kid took a few warm-up swings with his bat… (2,500 ATK)
“Uh…” said Debbie.
“And it’s my move…” said Ember, drawing a card.
“I play MY Pot of Avarice,” she said.
The jar appeared, and she took Tenkabito Shien, Thestalos, both UFO Turtles, and Inferno from her Graveyard. She shuffled them back into her deck, and made two draws.
“Next, I remove Charcoal Inpachi from play, to Special Summon Spirit of Flames!”
In another burst of fire, a muscular, fiendish-looking creature, with horns and flames in place of legs, appeared on the field. (1,700 ATK)
“Then, I Normal Summon Magna Drago!”
She played the card, and a small but vicious-looking Dragon with red scales appeared on her side of the field. (1,400 ATK)
“That’s a Tuner Monster!” shouted Debbie.
“Exactly,” replied Ember, with a smile. “You thought that Infernal Flame Emperor was my best card, but you were wrong… Allow me to introduce you to my best card…”
Magna Dragon breathed flames from its jaws. Then it and UFO Turtle flew to the ceiling, and split into six shimmering stars.
Then, a flaming meteor fell to Ember’s side of the field.
“I Tune UFO Turtle and Magna Drago,” she said, “to Synchro Summon… Flamvell Urquizas!”
The fireball burst, and a tall, intimidating Monster was standing there. He looked like a man in armor that suggested volcanic stone, decorated with fire-red crystal, with flames shrouding his hands. (2,100 ATK)
“Flamvell… Urquizas?” asked Debbie. “Uhm… How do you spell that?”
Ember sighed.
“Why do they always ask that?” she muttered. “For you, he spells trouble, because with three other Fire Monsters on the field, Ultimate Baseball Kid gets even stronger!”
Ultimate Baseball Kid burned with fire. (3,500 ATK)
“Sorry about this, pal,” said Ember, looking at Infernal Flame Emperor. “Ultimate Baseball Kid, attack with home run slammer!”
Ultimate Baseball Kid formed a fireball in his hand, then threw it up, and walloped it with his bat, hitting a line drive that blew Infernal Flame Emperor to shards.
“Now my Spirit of Flame attacks your Paladin,” continued Ember. “And during my Battle Phase, it gains 300 extra Attack Points!”
Spirit of Flames rose to an Attack Score of 2,000. It breathed a blast of fire, and Amazoness Paladin screamed before she was incinerated.
“All right, Urquizas!” said Ember. “Let’s take this duel home! Attack directly with fist of flame!”
Flamvell Urquizas burned like a blazing beacon. He flew at Debbie, and socked her in the stomach with his molten fist. Debbie screamed, and fell over.
(E: 2,350) - - - - - - - - - - (D: 0)
Ember watched as Debbie slowly got up.
So now what? thought Ember. Jinx hasn’t finished with Fogg yet… And I never got that thing I need to make an arrest… I don’t even think I’m authorized to do so yet…
Debbie chuckled as she looked at Ember. She slowly got up.
“So you beat me,” she said, reaching into her pocket. “Ah, well…”
Ember almost jumped when she saw that she was taking a switchblade out of her pocket.
“Seems I’m gonna have to deal with you another way…”
* * * * * * * * * *
Five minutes later, Ember could hardly believe what had happened.
Right now, she was holding Debbie down by sitting on her, although Debbie was not fighting back. She was holding her eyes in incredible pain. Ember didn’t know how to use a sword, but the pepper spray that she had carried long before she had ever met Shichiro had proven useful.
“I swear, bitch,” cursed Debbie, “as soon as I manage to see you…”
“Yeah, yeah,” muttered Ember. “By the way, gimme back my card…”
She reached down and took the card off Debbie’s Disk.
Hurry up, Jinx, she thought. I’m really not sure how long I can hold her…
* * * * * * * * * *
Satellite…
It was a place that could be summed up very simply: If you didn’t live there, you hoped you’d never go there. And if you did, you dreamed of finding a way to leave.
Crumbling buildings stood astride ruined streets… Smoke and soot filled the air… Dirty water and other unidentifiable residue collected in ditches… If you only spent an hour here, the aura of despair would cling to you like an unpleasant rash.
Situated on a large island about eight miles from the mainland, Satellite was once the original Domino City, before a careless accident turned it into a ruin. Now, it was a run-down, crumbling berg, suffering from terrible urban decay, a slum where the lower class and the fallen-from-grace lived, and could only look up upon the utopia that was far out of reach.
Satellite was not without its uses. Neo Domino, like most large cities, generated a great deal of refuse, and the garbage was sent to factories in Satellite for recycling and processing. The residents of Satellite were in charge of this dubious task; to quote an old saying, it was a dirty job, but someone had to do it. They didn’t do it willingly, but what choice did they have? They knew of no other existence. Even if they could somehow leave, they wouldn’t be welcome in Neo Domino. The folk there tended to regard them as objects of pity at best, and as unclean lepers at worst. The term “Satellite scum” was a common phrase used to reference them.
Very few residents had actually escaped and managed to achieve a better life. Among the well-known residents who had were Jack Atlas and Yusei Fudo. One claim that only certain people made – in secret – was that Godwin himself was a native of Satellite. Supposedly, this secret was one that the Arcadia Movement knew, and was the reason Godwin’s men didn’t interfere with them. Of course, they were likely smart enough to know when to draw the line; if they used this knowledge to make an attempt at blackmail, they would likely be silenced.
Only a very small minority actually lived in Satellite by choice. You’d need a very good reason to. Satellite simply wasn’t a very nice place…
…if you were human, that is. To some Shadows, Satellite suited them just fine.
As the morning sun tried to burn through the smog in a remote area of Satellite, three urchins in worn clothing – two boys and one girl, the boys ages twelve and fourteen, the girl only ten – ran through the streets, the girl trying to keep up.
“Stop!” she shouted. “Wes! Stop!”
Wes laughed, and then did stop.
“What’s the matter, Mira?” he asked. “Can’t keep up?”
“Wes…” said Mira, nervously, looking ahead. “Dad told us never to come here…”
The three of them looked at a large building in front of them. It may have once been a factory at one time, but exactly what it had once manufactured could not be determined.
“Scared of an old, abandoned factory?” asked Wes, grinning from ear to ear.
“I’m with Mira,” said the other boy. “Dad said…”
“Wait!” said Wes. “I know why dad doesn’t want us near here…
“I heard that Louis DaPen lives here…”
Mira shivered a little.
“Isn’t that something?” said Wes, still grinning. “Know what I heard? I heard that if he doesn’t like someone, he throws them in the bay wearing cement shoes!”
Mira cowered in fear.
“Wes…” said the other boy.
“I also heard,” continued Wes, “that one time he locked a guy in his car, and then crushed the car in a compactor with the guy still in it!”
“I wanna go home!” squeaked Mira.
“Wes, that’s a lot of bull!” snapped the other boy. “You’ve been using dad’s laptop to download old gangster movies, haven’t you? He told you not to waste download time doing that!”
Wes looked, and saw a door, an apparent entrance to the factory.
“You two scared?” he asked. “Heck, I’m not scared… Why don’t we see if he’s home?”
“WES!” shouted Mira.
“No, really,” replied Wes, as he started to walk up to the door. “You two may be fraidy-cats, but I feel like meeting the old guy. I’m sure he’s a nice guy when you get to know…”
Before he could finish the sentence, the door opened. They all turned to it.
Standing there was a huge, unsmiling man. He stood at least seven feet tall, and was hulking, with dark hair and skin, as well as piercing, suspicious-looking eyes. He was dressed in a black suit with a red tie.
He looked at them and frowned.
Three screams echoed from that part of the block as the three kids ran for their lives.
The thug watched until they were out of sight.
“Kids…” he said with a shrug.
He took a pack of cigarettes from his pocket, and transferred one directly from the pack to his mouth. He made sure they were gone, and then turned back inside, lighting it in the process.
Wes was a rotten kid who had been trying to scare his sister, but he had inadvertently been right; this was DaPen’s home and office. The thug was one of his two most trusted bodyguards.
The door led to a long hallway, and once inside, you would see the difference immediately. The inside of this building was in much better shape than the outside. Everything was clean, and it had luxuries that most residents of Satellite only dreamed of.
The hallway led to a large, comfortable looking waiting room. This was where you went if you had business with DaPen and were considered a guest. However, there was no guarantee that this status would not change. Guests who annoyed DaPen or made him angry didn’t last long. DaPen never actually drowned anyone by giving him cement shoes (too cliché) but he had other methods.
Opposite the door where the thug went in was another door, guarded by another thug who looked just like him. (They were brothers, actually.) The first thug went by, and opened the door, into the room that was the limit of what most guests saw:
DaPen’s office.
The office was comparable to Draco’s in terms of comfort. It had a large mahogany desk with a padded swivel chair, a television with a digital receiver (which was also equipped with receivers for viewing areas in Neo Domino that he had an interest in), a laptop computer, a fully stocked wet bar, and bookshelves, with some of the books held in place by locked chains (the contents of these books were a mystery to most). Doors in the back of the office led to the interior of the building, where only a select few were allowed to go.
DaPen was not what you would call handsome. To most viewers, he looked like a corpulent, unpleasant man who seemed to be in his mid-forties, dressed in a grey business suit, with incredibly pale skin that suggested he had not gotten any sun in months. He was bald on the top of his head, but he had a full, white beard. His beard seemed to constantly flow as if blown in the wind, even when there was no wind. He was fond of cigars, and was rarely seen without one in hand (Cuban, of course).
Even if you were an Aware, you’d likely never see any more than this. DaPen hid his true form behind multiple layers of disguise, keeping most from discovering what lay hidden underneath the veil. Only certain Shadowkind could see what he truly was, and even they kept mum about it.
It wasn’t often that DaPen was seen by anyone whom he wasn’t well-acquainted with. Those who saw him would say that, despite his lack of morals, he was never rude, and tended to be formal in most matters. After all, his profession was just another business in his eyes…
The only difference was, when your business of choice is organized crime, there are ways of dealing with issues that aren’t used in most other businesses…
“Did you scare away those kids?” he asked, as the henchman entered the room.
DaPen had one of those odd accents that made it impossible for a listener to tell exactly where he was from. Clearly, anyone he spoke to would realize he was not a native of this part of the world.
“Yeah, I got rid of them,” replied the thug.
“Good,” said DaPen. “Make sure they don’t come back. There’s going to be trouble in a few minutes, and I want to make sure I know all the details…”
He hit a remote, and the television came on. He took a drag on his cigar before leaning on his chin.
“So, they want to know me, huh?” he muttered. “Well… Maybe it wouldn’t hurt to be a little more… social…”
Now, technically, Debbie was not a true Shadowkind. As a tiefling, she was Shadow-Touched. Since she had no idea what member of her family had actually been a Shadow, and how far in the past it had occurred, she was far more human than Shadow, even though she apparently had more loyalty to them.
Still, I didn’t expect my first victory as a Shadowchaser to have a great amount of grandeur. Almost everyone starts small. Debbie mentioned Hercules, and his first Labor, the slaying of the Nemean Lion, paled in comparison with what came later. I mean, what’s more heroic, slaying an overly vicious and hard-to-kill lion, or making a trip into the Underworld and subduing Cerberus himself?
Still, my first victory is one I remember better than others. The fact that I had done it alone, and with no help, doing something important for this new task that had been set before me… well, it gave me inspiration that I didn’t have before. And it had helped give me the sea legs I needed to use the Disk better than I had in the past.
As I held Debbie down, waiting for Jinx to come, the thought that was at the forefront of my mind was, “What comes next?”
PRIDE OF TRIBE (Trap Card)
Normal Trap
Image: Amazoness Swords Woman striking a pose on a hill against the full moon.
Card Description: You can activate this card when an “Amazoness” Monster you control, or 1 that is named “Amazon Archer”, is destroyed and sent to the Graveyard. Special Summon 1 “Amazoness” Monster or an “Amazon Archer” from your deck.
Note: “Pride of Tribe” was first used by Tanya in the “Yu-Gi-Oh GX” episode “Duel Distractions (Part 1)”. Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode.
FLAMVELL URQUIZAS (Monster Card)
Card Specs
Type: Pyro/Synchro/Effect
Attribute: Fire
Level: 6
ATK: 2,100
DEF: 400
Card Description: Tuner + 1 or more non-Tuner Monsters
When this card attacks a Defense Position Monster whose DEF is lower than the ATK of this card, inflict the difference in battle damage to your opponent’s Life Points. When this card inflicts battle damage, increase its ATK by 300.
Note: “Flamvell Urquizas” was released in Japan for the original “Duel Terminal” system. It has not yet been released in the United States.
Coming up next:
Ember took down the assistant – now Jinx has to deal with her boss. As she confronts the mysterious Dr. Fogg, she learns clues as to the bigger threat they are facing. Meanwhile, DaPen continues to plot and scheme, and it likely won’t be good.
“Science Soldier” is next.