From the Shadows - Building the Better, Darker Fanfic of Tomorrow, Today!

[slice n dice]

This is my second fic, imported from the TCGPlayer Forums. I know many of you will be on there, but I thought I might as well put it up here.

Also, this probably will have some unsuitable material at some point, so all of you minors remember this - YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED, LEAVE NOW OR BE POSSIBLY SCARRED FOR LIFE!

 

Chapter 1 - The Edge of the Law

The tall stranger approached out of the blackness. A shifty-looking grubby man watched the door, and he watched cautiously as the figure approached, like a shadow in the moonlight. He moved with grace, and the guard stood motionless, watching the man sweep toward him.

"State your purpose," the guard demanded.

The stranger's eerie calm unnerved him. He spoke softly. "My purpose is to enter."

"I see. Care to enlighten me? Why?"

"Think carefully. Do you want to continually delay me, or let me through?"

The doorkeeper shivered. There was a reason for the stranger's arrogance. Either he was extremely stupid or very, very good. He was tempted to believe the latter and let him through, but then the moon cast a sliver of light down on the dark backstreet and he saw that his adversary was a mere youth, pale and lithe. He wore a long coat that billowed out behind him intimidatingly as he walked, and he had a calm, calculating voice, but the guard decided that the kid was just bluster, and he called his bluff.

"I think I'll delay you."

The stranger did not bother to reply, instead seizing hold of the man’s filthy jacket and hurling him into a nearby pile of refuse before throwing the door open.

He strode into a noisy, crowded room where groups of loutish men were drinking. He gave an inner chuckle at the ridiculous nature of the scene before sidling up to the bar. The barman gave him an appraising glace and jerked a thumb at a flight of stairs, raising an eyebrow questioningly. The man in the trench coat nodded and walked up to be greeted by a short, squat man with an almost visibly receding hairline.

“Name?”

“Damian Rice.”

“Yeah, like that’s your real name! Who’d be dumb enough not to give a fake name here?”

Damian smiled to himself as he thought. Someone would have to be smart to give their real name, knowing that it would be taken as fake.

“So, you understand the rules of our little tournament? That the winner takes the loser’s deck?” Such tournaments had been made illegal by the International Dueling Council due to unscrupulous conmen and naïve duelists.

“Yes. Now, can I ask a question?”

The fat man smiled at the innocence of youth. “Yes?”

“How much longer are you going to keep talking?”

The man waved him over through the throng of competing duelists to a table where a thin cloaked figure sat. “This will be your opponent,” he said, trying not to betray his anger at Damian’s arrogance.

“I see.”

“Greetings, stranger,” said the man at the table. “Care to duel?”

“Well,” Damian replied with acid sarcasm, “It’s not what I’m here for, but OK.”

His opponent glared as he sat. “I predict a horrifying destiny for you, beginning with defeat at my hands!”

“That’s what they all say…” came the cynical response, and so the cloaked man, becoming angrier by the second, just pulled out his duel disk and drew his cards.

“It is predestined that I will start.”

Damian shrugged, beginning to become irritated by the destiny crap. He also drew five.

“I’ll start off with a set card to each zone to foretell your doom!”

“Could you please cut the fortune-telling crap and just proceed with this formality so I can take your deck and move on?”

“That is not your desti–”

“Oh, shut up.”

Damian drew his sixth card and glared darkly at the fortune-teller. “First I’ll activate MST, destroying your set card.”

“No! You’ve destroyed my Torrential Tribute!”

Next, I’ll play my Dark World Lightning, striking down your monster!”

“Ah, my Disk Commander; a paltry loss given you must now discard a card.”

“Think again. I’ll discard my Sillva, Warlord of Dark World (2300/1400) to Special Summon it! Then I’ll summon my Broww, Huntsman of Dark World (1400/800) and attack your life points directly. Broww, hunt him down!”

 

Damian – 8000

Fortuneteller – 4300

 

“Now I end.”

“Somewhat of an anticlimax. I’ll draw! Now I’ll activate Destiny Draw on my Malicious, allowing me to draw two cards. My Monster Reborn spell allows me to revive my Disk Commander (300/300) and use the effect of the Commander to draw two more. I’ll remove my Malicious to Special Summon another from my deck (800/800), and then I’ll summon Elemental Hero Stratos (1800/300) to search out my Destiny Hero – Plasma. By tributing all three of my monsters, I can summon him (1900/600)! That’s not all. By his effect, I can absorb your Sillva, making him grow in strength (3050/600) and run over your Broww for damage!”

Plasma tore over Broww and Damian winced.

 

Damian – 6350

Fortuneteller – 4300

 

“Then I’ll set a spell or trap, and that’s enough for my turn.”

Damian remained light-hearted. “Didn’t do a lot, did you? I’ll draw. Your reckless move has forced me on the defensive, so I’ll set a monster and a spell or trap to end.”

The fortune-teller was unfazed. “You did even less,” he retorted. “You may laugh now, but wait until your defeat! I’ll activate Shield Crush to destroy your facedown monster!”

“Wait! I’ll activate Dark Deal to negate your spell. Instead I have to discard a card randomly. I discard… my Goldd, Wu-Lord of Dark World (2300/1400)! It counts as discarded by your effect, so now you lose your Plasma!”

“No! Think again, for my Plasma negates your Goldd!”

“For someone who talks so much, you actually have a decent deck.”

“Beware! For I will unleash the legendary monster of your nightmares!”

“You’re the monster of my nightmares.”

“Silence!”

“That was unnecessarily dramatic.”

“Insolent fool. Behold my Chain Material! With my Polymerization I can fuse my other Plasma in my deck with my Destiny Hero – Dogma to create… Destiny End Dragoon (3000/3000). My Plasma on the field will attack Goldd!”

Goldd fell and Damian winced again. The duel was taking a turn for the worse.

 

Damian – 5600

Fortuneteller – 4300

 

“My Dragoon can’t attack due to my Chain Material, though. I’ll end, and my Dragoon dies because of the same trap’s effect.”

Damian was puzzled. The trap seemed pointless. “I’ll start off by drawing, and activating Dark World Dealings. We both draw one and discard one, and I’ll discard Kahkki, Guerilla of Dark World. It destroys Plasma!”

“No! My unstoppable hero!”

“Not unstoppable, as it may seem. I’ll set a spell or trap and end.”

“Doing less and less, I see. I’ll bring back my Dragoon by removing Plasma! He cannot be killed! He will just rise again! He will attack you directly, and so will the Fear Monger (1000/1000) I summon. Then I’ll end,” he finished smugly.

“He will eventually lose!” Damian tried to hide the fact that he was beginning to become worried.

 

Damian – 1600

Fortuneteller – 4300

 

“I’ll draw, and my Lightning Vortex destroys both your monsters, and I’ll discard my Snipe Hunter. Then I’ll activate Monster Reborn on my Hunter to attack you!”

 

Damian – 1600

Fortuneteller – 2800

 

“And lastly, I shall set a monster.”

“I’ll draw! Next, I remove my Fear Monger to bring back Dragoon again! I’ll use its effect to destroy your face-down monster!

“My Newdoria! That would have been a nasty surprise for you?”

“Not really.”

 

Damian – 400

Fortune-teller – 2800

 

Damian drew, praying to whatever gods could hear him for the right card. He smiled. It was the first emotion he had allowed his face to betray. “Card Destruction.”

He Special Summoned Goldd and sent another Kahkki to the graveyard. “My Kahkki destroys Dragoon and I attack you directly!”

 

Damian – 400

Fortune-teller – 0

 

The fortune-teller roared in rage. “I’m not giving you my deck! Never!” His screeching attracted the attention of the fat man who was organising the shady event. The man motioned to his two heavily-built lackeys, who walked over. Their presence was enough to scare the man into submission. He meekly handed over his deck, beaten.

Damian stood and looked around the room, waiting for the round to end. He heard a peal of laughter, high and clear, from amidst the cacophony and turned to see a young woman with cascading blonde hair smirking as she collected the deck of a man twice her size. He motioned to follow her as she left the room but time was declared and the other participants all stood, blocking his way. He sighed and sat down at a spare table to begin leafing through his newly-acquired cards.

 

 

Chapter 2 – Shining Darkness

As he flicked through the deck, Damian wondered if it would have to just be cast aside. It didn’t seem to fit him at all. He stared intently at the cards, willing them to give him some inspiration.

He thought back to his training; his Japanese tutor would drill phrases into him over and over. Play to your strengths. Understand that you have weaknesses and know them. Weakness. Strength. It was a cycle of meanings and words.

An idea struck him, like a bolt of lightning through every fibre of his being. He feverishly began exchanging cards like a man possessed. Hard choices, and not much time to make them. Eventually he was finished, and went to find his next opponent.

Much later, Damian sat sipping from a cocktail glass in the bar as he waited for the semi-finals to end. He had won through several rounds, and had some new decks to add to his collection. His new cards fitted nicely, and he had a seamless creation. It was not perfect. He knew a deck always had weaknesses. But his now had more strength than most.

After draining his glass he ascended the steps again, knowing the other semi-final would be almost finished. Upon reaching the top floor, he found that it already had, and his opponent was sitting waiting at the table. To his surprise it was the laughing girl he had seen after the first round.

She smiled at him, and her blue eyes, intriguingly flecked with gold, shone. Her face was feline and she moved with the grace of a dancer. From her poise and precision, though, Damian knew she was less of a tame tabby cat than a leopard, swift and deadly, with a wild beauty.

He extended a hand. “Damian Rice.”

“Ariane Rukmini.”

“Ladies first.”

“Quite the charmer, Mr. Rice!” Ariane laughed. “As you wish.”

Both duelists drew five, and Ariane took her sixth. “I’ll start off by summoning Lyla, Lightsworn Sorceress (1700/200). Remind you of anyone?”

“She does look remarkably like you.”

“I’ll set a spell or trap and end. My Sorceress’ effect forces me to send three cards from the top of my deck to my Graveyard.”

“Won’t you deck out?”

“I’m planning on winning first.”

“Ah. I’ll start by summoning my Elemental Hero Stratos (1800/300). His effect allows me to fetch Destiny Hero – Disk Commander from my deck. Now I’ll activate Destiny Draw; I can discard the dear Commander to draw two. Now, Stratos, destroy Lyla!”

Ariane grimaced as Stratos ran her Lyla over.

 

Ariane – 7900

Damian – 8000

 

Damian smiled. He was enjoying himself, and he’d opened well. “I’ll set a card to my back row and end.”

“Draw! Now to activate my trap card, Glorious Illusion. Lyla, return!”

“You get to Special Summon that Sorceress again?”

“Yes. Now I’ll activate her effect – I can change her to defence mode to destroy your set trap!”

“I’ll chain it – my Limit Reverse! I can revive my Destiny Hero – Disk Commander (300/300) and draw two. Unfortunately, the Commander is destroyed along with Reverse.”

Ariane smiled again, but this time it was different. She looked as if she was about to eat him. Seeing the look on his normally emotionless face, she laughed warmly and gestured to show that it had been in good humour. He smiled back.

“Now I’ll summon my Garoth, Lightsworn Warrior (1850/1300). Garoth, run over his Stratos!”

 

Ariane – 7900

Damian – 7950

 

“Now I’ll end. Lyla mills three cards, and Garoth’s effect makes me send two more. I then draw a card for each Lightsworn milled.”

“How many is that?”

“Just the one, but it’s my Wulf, Lightsworn Beast. I can’t Normal Summon or Set Wulf, but when I mill him he gets Special Summoned (2100/300)!”

“I see. I’ll activate Monster Reborn, recurring the Commander again! Once again I draw two cards. Next, behold a second Destiny Draw. This time, I’ll discard a Destiny Hero – Malicious. Now I’ll activate Card of Safe Return, and then my Card Destruction. That lets me discard my Sillva, Warlord of Dark World, which gets Special Summoned (2300/1400), my Goldd, Wu-Lord of Dark World (2300/1400), who does the same, and my Kahkki, Guerilla of Dark World, who’s effect destroys your Beast!”

Ariane reeled. It was a key point in the duel. She was speechless.

“Oh, and also, since my Sillva and Goldd were Special Summoned from the Graveyard, I draw two for Safe Return. I’ll activate Mystical Space Typhoon on your Glorious Illusion! That destroys your Sorceress!”

Ariane was still wordless.

“The effect of my Destiny Hero – Malicious allows me to remove it from play to Special Summon another from my deck. I’ll then Tribute my Malicious and my Disk Commander for Dark Magician of Chaos. The magician’s effect allows me to retrieve Card Destruction! Now, my monsters, attack!”

 

Ariane – 2350

Damian – 7950

 

“I’ll end.”

Ariane looked shaken. She steeled herself, and continued. “I’ll draw, then summon the mighty Judgement Dragon (3000/2600)! By his effect, I can destroy all cards on the field by paying 1000 life points!”

 

Ariane – 1350

Damian – 7950

 

Now I am free to summon Ehren, my Lightsworn Monk (1600/1000). Now it’s my turn to attack! Go, Judgement Dragon!”

 

Ariane – 1350

Damian – 3350

“Now I’ll set a card and end my turn.” Drained by the long competition, Ariane sounded spent.

“I’ll Card Destruction!”

Fearing another Dark World swarm, Ariane responded. “Solemn Judgement.”

 

Ariane – 675

Damian – 3350

 

Stymied, Damian thought harder. “Lightning Vortex; I’ll discard Destiny Hero – Dasher to destroy your Dragon and Monk. Then I’ll end.”

Ariane grinned again when she looked at her draw. The sparkle was back in her eyes and she looked revitalised. “I’ll summon a second Judgement Dragon! Dragon, attack his life points!”

 

Ariane – 675

Damian – 350

 

“I’ll set another spell or trap and end.”

“I’ll draw, and use my Dark World Dealings; we both draw and discard one.”

“I’ll activate another Solemn Judgement to negate it.”

 

Ariane – 337

Damian – 350

 

“Fine, I’ll summon my Snipe Hunter and discard Premature Burial to shoot at your Dragon. Come on, Snipe Hunter, don’t fail me now!”

Snipe Hunter’s hit was successful, crippling the dragon and sending it to the graveyard.

Ariane looked put out. “I suppose that’s game.” She gathered up her cards and reluctantly handed over her deck.

Damian smiled. He pushed it back. “Keep it. Good match.”

She beamed and it was like a ray of sunshine bursting through the room. “Good match,” she echoed.

 

 

Chapter 3 – An Unexpected Call

Damian awoke to the sound of his mobile ringing. Groaning, he tossed and turned, trying to ignore it and go back to sleep. He sighed with relief as it eventually stopped ringing and nodded off.

An hour later, the phone unleashed its annoying metallic chimes again. Damian snarled in frustration and picked it up. “Hello?”

“Can I speak to Damian Rice?”

“You are.”

“I see. In that case, I have a proposition for you.”

“Continue.” The faintest hint of interest crept into Damian’s voice.

“I am Maurus Fallon, and I am starting a Yu-Gi-Oh! team for the New York Invitational next Sunday.”

“You want me to join your team.”

“The thought had crossed my mind. Interested?”

“Possibly. How did you get my phone number?”

“I have my ways.”

“I want to know more.”

“I see. You know the Blue Rose on the corner of Meyer Street?”

“Yes.”

“Meet me there at two o’clock.”

“Agreed.” Damian hung up the phone and yawned. He checked his watch, gauging how much longer he would be able to sleep for, and was shocked to realise it was already one-thirty. He dashed out of bed and dressed swiftly. White shirt, black trousers, high boots, dark jacket. As he ran his fingers through his dark hair he caught sight of himself in the mirror. “Imposing,” he chuckled to himself before dashing out of the door.

 

When he reached the pub, Fallon was already inside. He was sitting casually at a table, a thin, calculating man in nondescript clothes. He seemed average, but his brown eyes constantly shot back and forth, evaluating. They looked Damian up and down as he entered, appraising, judging.

Damian sat down and called for a drink. The waiter seemed to think that the two mysterious men sitting in the corner were making some kind of shady deal and timidly rushed off with a small “yes, sir.”

“So,” Damian asked. “What is this team?”

“We’re Backlash.”

“OK, you’ve got a cool name. What else do you have?”

“A collection of the best and brightest duelists on the face of the planet.” Fallon seemed confident.

“So how did I qualify for this category?”

“Mr. Rice, one needs only to look at your history.”

“Where, may I ask, did you get my history, and phone number, and all the other stuff?”

“I’m afraid I can’t answer that.”

“I’m afraid that if you don’t tell me, I’ll have nothing to do with this team of yours.”

Maurus laughed. “Strong-willed! That’s good. I can only say this – I know people.”

Eyeing him suspiciously, Damian decided he could be trusted. The way Fallon’s eyes shifted was unnerving, but it was, he supposed, the mark of a cunning man who saw all and missed nothing.

“I’m in.”

“Excellent. We’ll send a cab on Saturday morning at nine. We have, shall we say, a wealthy benefactor who is paying expenses.”

“Who is he?”

“I can’t say that either.”

“You know,” snapped Damian, his anger rising. “I’m not letting you keep me in the dark! You’re not going to do that to me! I have a right to know, do I not? I am–”

He was interrupted by the waiter.

“Sir?”

Damian shot him a dark glare and he flinched. Fallon broke the tension. “Calm down. I can’t tell you because our sponsor is anonymous and wishes to remain so.”

Damian fought to keep his rage in check. He answered coldly. “I apologise. I do not appreciate being treated like some petulant child.”

“Agreed.” Fallon smiled. “I can expect you, then?”

“Yes.” He noticed Fallon making to leave. “Wait!”

“I’m sorry; I’m late for an important meeting. The driver will have further instruction.” Fallon left without another word.

Damian was slightly irritated at the swift departure of his new team organiser, but pacified by the thought of the opportunities opening up before him. He returned home to prepare time off from his trainee position at the local duel academy with his head in the clouds.

[Umbra]

I guess that the "scarred for life" parts haven't happened yet?

[Atomix]

lol, but this is o.k. for a newbie