Chapter 53

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Ring ring ring

Serentiy Wheeler smiled as she slowly reached out her hand, following the sound of the ringing phone to her nightstand. That was where she'd left the phone the last time she'd used it but it didn't hurt to be careful and make sure it was truly there. The last thing she wanted to do was knock it onto the ground and be forced to call a nurse and have them get it for her. They were just so busy and Serenity didn't want to bother them if she could help it,

"Hello?"

"Hey Serenity!" Tea said happily, making the younger teen smile.

"Hi Tea! How are things?"

"Really good. I want to let you know about the Battle City Standings, since I didn't know if you had a nurse there to tell you just what was happening."

"I have been listening to the CCN reports on Battle City but I just got done taking a nap so I missed what had happened." Edwin had been the one to get her the laptop and the phone, both of which were designed to allow blind people to use them easily. Voice command, raised buttons with different symbols to allow her to know what she was pressing… everything that would allow her to do more than just sit in her hospital bed and think about the operation and hope that it had been a success. That she wouldn't lose her sight despite everyone telling her it would be okay.

"Well, Yuri and I just made it to the next round!" Tea told her excitedly.

"Really?" Serenity said, just as delighted.

"Let me read off the rankings for you," Tea said and there was a brief pause. "Edwin has made it in-" Serenity smiled at that, "-Mai Valentine as well."

"That's Edwin's girlfriend, right?" Serenity said.

"Yup. Really good duelist. Anyway, some guy called Brom Bones, Mokuba Kaiba… huh, Mokuba got in before his brother. I didn't expect that. Anyway, that's about it…"

Serenity smiled, having already sensed that Tea was leading up to something. "Joey got in, didn't he?"

"Aw, I was going to tease you a bit more!" Tea said with a laugh. "But yea, he's in."

"That's wonderful!" Serenity said with a smile. "I hope I can watch him duel from here. Do you know if they'll be televising the finals?"

"I'll ask Edwin when I next see him. Maybe we can figure out a way to get you to the stadium or where ever Kaiba is holding the finals," Tea stated. "One moment." There was a brief shuffling. "Yuri said she's sure Edwin will make sure that you are able to attend."

Serenity felt her heart race at that. The idea that she could see her brother duel, get to cheer him on… it was utterly delightful and wonderful and she couldn't wait to see her big brother doing what he loved. "That would be…"

"Miss Wheeler?"

She twisted her head towards the door and then blushed when she remembered that she couldn't actually see who had arrived. Not someone she was familiar with, as she was rather good at remembering people's voices. One had to be when their eyes were wrapped up like her's were. "Yes?"

"Its time for your physical therapy."

"Of course. Tea, I need to go."

"Sure thing! Need to do that therapy so you can be ready the next time Joey duels!" Tea teased. "Bye Serenity!"

The younger woman hung up the phone before holding out her hand to the nurse. "Sorry about that."

"Perfectly fine," the man said.

"You're new, aren't you?" Serenity said with a smile. "I don't recognize your voice." Without a second thought, in a way that would have reminded someone that knew Joey well of his own habit of blurting out his thoughts, she said, "I like it."

"Thank you," the nurse said and Serenity blushed. It voice was deep and calm, like the sea on a peaceful day. Feeling how her hand was swallowed up in his much larger one she knew he must have been a large man, which made sense considering he helped people with their physical therapy. "Are you ready for your walk today?"

"Yes and no," Serenity admitted. "Please don't get me wrong… I'm very happy to have a chance to get out of this bed. Being able to walk around the hospital, working out in the gym… it's the best part of my day."

"Not one for lying about?"

Serenity shook her head. "Oh no, never have been. I couldn't play sports, not with-" she gestured at the bandages covering her eyes, "-but I was able to do gym class. It was my favorite class in school. No matter what the gym teacher threw at me I attacked in with gusto!" She giggled slightly as the nurse led her away from her room; when her friends visited they couldn't walk around with her unless a nurse was present, meaning that she had to sit in a wheelchair as they pushed her around. They found ways to make it fun but sometimes all Serenity wanted to do was run! "Maybe now…"

"If everything works out properly you should be able to do all that." The nurse paused and Serenity heard someone walk by. "What would you like to do? Football? Basketball?"

"Swimming," Serenity said with a smile, thinking of her and Joey playing on the beach. "My school had a pool and I loved to dive into the water… it was one of the few activities that even with my eyesight going I could do without any real danger, so long as there was a spotter. I'd love to do that."

"…that sounds lovely," the nurse said.

"Thank you Mr…"

"Rishid," the nurse told her. "I am Rishid."

~MC~MC~MC~

"You look a bit lost."

Joey blinked, glancing up at the teen that was standing next to him. He wasn't wearing a duel disc but, oddly enough, had a deck box strapped to his belt. Also the guy was TALL. Joey wasn't a shrimp by any means… he was just slightly taller than average though sometimes he felt short when standing around Edwin, who thanks to his over 6 foot tall frame managed to make Joey feel younger than he was. But the teen before him could wrest his friggin' chin on Joey's head without having to crane his neck! He wasn't bulky though… just tall with shaggy brown hair and kind friendly eyes. A normal guy like, well, most normal people.

"Tryin' ta figure out what ta do with my time," Joey said. "I'm in Battle City."

"I figured from the Duel Disc," the teen said. "Also I've been following the Battle City updates on CCN. Joey Wheeler, right?"

"Yeah…" Joey said slowly. Before Battle City he might have preened at someone recognizing him but now, knowing about the Rare Hunters and the other threats that lurked in the city, he wasn't quite ready to leap up and offer autographs to anyone that said hello. "Listen-"

"I'm not in Battle City," the other teen said, cutting Joey off. The blond must have let his surprise show on his face because the new arrival laughed. "Sorry… I just figured people are bugging you for duels now that you are in the finals and I wanted to assure you that I'm not interested in that."

"Oh… uh… cool." He paused, looking down at the deck box on the other teen's hip.

"Ah… that." He chuckled and patted it. "I WANTED to be part of Battle City… but I didn't get an invite and missed the chance to register and try and earn a spot."

Joey nodded at that. "Yeah, that sucks. Kaiba didn't want me in either but my pal Ed helped me get in."

The teen smiled. "It's alright. I was traveling when it got announced and only got back about an hour ago. My sister is going to kill me for skipping out on unpacking but I wanted to be able to watch a few duels live."

"Yeah, Kaiba kinda rushed this whole thing, didn't he?" Joey complained with good natured humor. "But that's Kaiba in a nutshell."

"Oh!" the teen said suddenly. "Sorry, that was rude. I'm Koyo."

"Joey but I guess you know that."

Koyo sat down on the bench Joey had planted himself down. "So, you looked a bit lost?"

"Yeah," Joey said with a rueful grin. "It's silly though."

"Try me."

Joey sighed, looking up at the sky. "I was at Duelist Kingdom."

"Were you?" Koyo asked. "Me too!"

"Really?" Joey asked, surprised only to realize he shouldn't have been that surprised. There were a ton of people that had gone to Duelist Kingdom and they had been handpicked by Pegasus… and Koyo had said he wanted to register for Battle City which must have meant he was good if he thought he was going to be able to get in. And he'd run into plenty of people from Duelist Kingdom so why not another? "How'd you do?"

"I was two Star Chips away when time ran out," Koyo said with a shrug. "It happens. I was taking on an eliminator, using a Zombie Deck-"

"Ugh."

Koyo though merely smiled. "He was actually a really nice guy. Said we could complete the duel if I wanted and when I won he personally walked me to the docks and traveled with me to the ship. Organized some just-fun matches for everyone while we waited to head off. Spent a lot of time with the younger kids, making sure they were okay after losing and didn't take it too hard." He shook his head. "I think we got off topic."

"Right," Joey said. "What do you remember, beside the duels?"

"Huh?"

"Beside the duels… what do you remember about Duelist Kingdom?"

Koyo frowned. "Uh… island. A lot of tall trees. Nice rivers."

Joey nodded. "Yeah, that's even more than I remember. That… that was the first time I'd ever left Japan and all I remember are the duels. I mean, that was great but… it feels like a waste, you know?"

The other teen was quiet for a moment before he slowly nodded. "You made it into the finals but now have time on your hands…"

"And I don't know what to do!" Joey exclaimed in frustration. "I know it's crazy and silly but there is so much stuff going on in Domino right now and I don't want to miss out on it because I focused on dueling. And hey, I'm in the finals but… I have no idea what to do." He let out an annoyed huff. "I bet Ed and the rest don't have this problem!"

~MC~MC~MC~

"I do want you to know… I am very sorry about this," the captor told Renard and me as he pulled us out of the limo. The bags are still on our heads so I couldn't see a damn thing but I could tell we were no longer in the busy part of the city. If I had to guess I would have said we were in the warehouse district. "I am very sorry that I couldn't take you up on your offer."

His voice was different. Now that we are vulnerable… he sounded more vunerable himsef. I couldn't help but wonder how much of his strength and determination from earlier were forced. How much effort it had taken him to appear tough. Because now he just sounded tired.

"…you don't have a choice, do you? This isn't voluntary."

"N-nothing in voluntary in my life." He pressed a hand against my back to get me to move.

I sighed. 'Fuck, now I have to save him too!'

~MC~MC~MC~

Mokuba watched as his brother and Yugi argued about who was going to duel first. They had been approached by two weird guys in masks, who had demanded they face them at the top of some tower because they claimed that they had kidnapped… him.

Mokuba.

Because apparently they didn't even know what Mokuba looked like.

Seto had clearly thought about calling them out about their lies only to decide to actually see what the two weirdos were up to. Yugi had come too, whispering that if they were willing to lie about kidnapping a child who knew what other troubles they might get into so it was best for them to follow and find out.

'And I really wanted to check out that funhouse…' Mokuba thought grumpily to himself as he inched towards the edge of the sky rise Yugi and Seto-

"Mokuba, get away from that edge right now!" Seto declared, having stopped right in the middle of his turn to glare at him.

"Yes big brother," Mokuba said with a sigh, returning back to the spot Seto had told him to sit so he was safe from falling.

~MC~MC~MC~

"I just don't know what to do!" Joey complained.

Koyo pressed his tongue against the inside of his cheek in thought. "I have a trick that might work. But first can you answer some questions for me, super quick?"

"Huh?"

"Just answer them as fast as you can."

"Uh, I guess I can do that. Not sure why-"

"What is your favorite food?"

"Pizza."

"Subject you hate in school."

"History."

"Long sleeves or short?"

"Short."

"Favorite duel monster card."

"Red Eyes Black Dragon."

"What do you want to do right now?"

"Check out that sea life park."

Joey blinked after he'd said that last comment.

Koyo smirked. "See? You get tangled up in your head too much and you overthink things."

"I don't think anyone has ever accused me over overthinkin' things," Joey said with a rueful smile.

"But you were, just now. You were all concerned about different possibilities that you weren't actually considering what you wanted to do. It happens to a lot of people, in all aspects of their lives. They get so wrapped up in thinking about the could-bes and might-bes that they get paralyzed. Sometimes the best strategy is to just react instead of trying to plan everything out."

Joey frowned. "I don't know 'bout that. My friend Yug, he is always comin' up with all these schemes when he's duelin'. Same with Ed."

"And sometimes that works. But I bet you can think of plenty of times when Yugi or Ed came up with something spur of the moment."

"Well… yeah." He thought back to Yugi's duel against Pegasus. "When Yugi was in the final match of Duelist Kingdom Pegasus had 'im on the ropes! It was like he was lookin' right over his shoulder, able to see every card he had in his hand or that he set on the field. It made it impossible for him to come up with a way to defeat these freaky toon monsters Pegasus was playin'.

"Yug finally decided ta just begin playing right off the top of his deck and throwin' down cards as soon as he drew them. That, and some misdirection, let him defeat those annoyin' toons. Was some of the best duelin' I've ever seen."

"Exactly," Koyo said, standing up. "So let's check out that sea life park."

"Yeah… yeah! Better than wastin' my time sittin' on this bench!"

~MC~MC~MC~

"Heh… I can't believe it!" Rex said in shock as he watched the last of his opponent's lifepoints trickle away. "I can't… believe it! I… I did it! I actually did it!" He pumped his fist. "I'm going to the Battle City finals!"

When he'd lost to Yugi he'd thought he was done for. That Battle City was already over for him. He'd heard that Weevil had gotten drummed out real fast, having lost to Edwin, and Rex had feared that was his fate as well. But then Edwin had told him to knock it off and actually think for a moment.

'I lost one duel… but it's not the first time I've lost,' Rex thought to himself as he walked over to his opponent. 'I mean… when I was starting I'd lose all the time! And I lost to Weevil too… though now I wonder if that was really a loss.' He huffed, banishing that thought; thinking about the little pest would only make him angry. 'At some point I forgot that losing a duel isn't the end the world. Especially in a tournament like this.' He collected the Locator Card and his opponent's rarest card before heading off, staring down at it still in disbelief. 'That thinking… it's like Weevil. Edwin lost in Duelist Kingdom and he didn't let that get him down! Hell, he's now a millionaire and dating that fine Mai Valentine!'

Rex shook his head.

'Maybe it's time I stop focusing on wins and losses and actually focus on the bigger picture.'

~MC~MC~MC~

"Man, I used to love the beach but I don't know if I'll be goin' in the water any time soon now that I know what is lurking in there!"

Koyo chuckled as Joey stared at the massive aquarium that had all manner of sharks swimming about. Joey seemed to be very much focused on the Hammerheads, tracking their movements as if he thought they would suddenly burst through the divider.

"Well Joey, I probably shouldn't take you to a zoo at some point. Then you'll never want to leave the city!"

"Heh, probably right," Joey said with a chuckle, rubbing the underside of his nose with his index finger as he gave the sharks one final look. "Just can't help it though… with lions and tigers and that there is a logic to'em, ya know? They have feet like us and hair and all that. These guys… they are like aliens, man! Freaky bloodthirsty aliens!"

"They probably think the same thing about you, Joey," Koyo commented.

Joey opened his mouth to say something only for a roar from the crowd outside the Shark Bay aquarium building to fill the air. The two teens raced out, wondering what was going on, only for Joey's jaw to drop as he saw Mako Tsunami on several of the large screens that hung about the Sea Life Park.

"Hey, I know that guy! Mako! Heh, makes sense he'd be here! He's obsessed with the sea."

Koyo nodded. "Looks like he's going to duel someone at the whale tank. Want to check it out?"

"Why not? I haven't seen someone duel in a while. Wouldn't hurt to see how others are doing."

Luckily the crowd was surging towards the whale tank area anyway so it was easy for Joey and Koyo to just go with the flow. Joey didn't see a lot of people wearing duel discs but there were enough to give him an idea of just how big Battle City truly was; he doubted many of the people heading towards the duel were competitive duelists who had a shot at making it into the finals so most of them had either been drummed out or knew that they didn't have enough time to get all the locator cards they needed. So they were just going to enjoy the show and the day.

"Come on!" Koyo called out to him once they got into the structure itself, gesturing for Joey to follow him to the left and down some stairs. A lot of people were moving towards another set of stairs so it was easier for the two to move that way. "They want to be able to see the entire duel so they are heading towards the stadium's mid-range seating. But I want to be close enough that we can hear the duelists actually talk. If they aren't micced up we might miss stuff."

"Hey, great idea!" Joey told his new friend and the two of them wiggled their way through the crowd, managing to get a set of seats that were right in the first row. "Don't see any of the duelists… ya don't think they were just lyin' about Mako duelin' so they could trick everyone inta comin' ta the whale show, do ya?"

"Nah," Koyo said, waving him off as he settled in his seat. "I think that they just want to make a great entrance."

"Maybe," Joey muttered, looking across the pool and seeing the large killer whale that was currently swimming below the surface. "Man, I would not want ta get in the water with that guy!"

There was a cry and Joey looked up in time to see Mako leaping from a platform, diving easily into the water. Joey was instantly on his feet, searching the water for the Water Duelist, only for the killer whale to breach, Mako riding his back like it was as normal as riding on a bicycle. Mako waved to the crowd that was eating up his antics before the whale swam over to one side of the pool, letting Mako off.

"I swear, that guy gets wilder every time I see 'im!" Joey exclaimed.

"Looks like his opponent isn't going to try and top that."

Joey looked to the other side of the pool, his jaw dropping.

"Tristan!?!"

~MC~MC~MC~

"Ladies and Gentlemen!" Mako said, picking up a microphone. "Welcome to Domino Sea Life Park and Aquarium! Today you are in for a special treat: a Battle City duel right here at the lovely Lino's tank! I, Mako Tsunami, will be taking on Tristan Taylor, with our battle determining which of us will be going to the Battle City Finals!"

The crowd roared at that and Tristan did his best to focus on his deck and not all the stares that were burning against the back of his neck. 'I asked Mako if he wanted a duel… didn't think he'd make it some grand event!' Tristan thought to himself with a roll of his eyes. 'Well… whatever it takes to get that final locator card.'

So far his time in Battle City had been going well. He'd managed to take on some smaller time duelists, the ones that the big professionals tended to ignore in favor of making some grand statement by taking out heavy hitters. That slow and steady process had gotten him 5 locator cards but then he'd run into Mako who'd proposed they have a duel in order to lock in a slot in the finals. Tristan had accepted, assuming they'd head down to the boardwalk or the beach but instead Mako had decided to pull some strings and get them to duel as the sea life park!

'Doesn't matter,' Tristan thought to himself. 'I'll win all the same.'

"Now then, Tristan!" Mako called out. "I think its time we DUELED!"

"Agreed!" Tristan said, activating his duel disc and sending out the holo projectors, Mako doing the same.

"I will start off this duel!" Mako declared. "And I will do so by setting the stage. The waters hide many secrets but if one knows where to look they will be able to discover what has been lost to the ages. More than that they can learn that what was lost has, in fact, thrived in the absence of the world's eye." He held up a card. "Let me show you! I discard my Warrior of Atlantis, which allows me to add the field spell A Legendary Ocean to my hand, which I then activate!"

The waters of the whale tank shimmered as the holo projectors shone upon it and suddenly the surface rippled and bubbled before a great stone castle rose from the depths. The crowd murmured in surprise and Tristan looked down, able to see that while a lot of the structure had been exposed above the water below the waves there was still much that was hidden.

"My Legendary Ocean allows me to decrease the levels of my Water Type monsters, meaning that I can summon from the depths far stronger monsters than you might have ever expected! Starting with this: Codarus."

Tristan wasn't sure if he should call the monster that appeared a sea serpent or an aquatic dragon. There were definitely traits of both in the youthful looking blue creature. It had a long snake-like body but dragon-like claws and its fins were just as much stubby wings as they were flippers. It let out a roar before diving back under the water, circling the castle of the Legendary Ocean.

'Alright, time to show Mako what me and my deck can truly do!' Tristan thought to himself as he looked over his hand. "In order to take on your monsters I'll need to make sure I am in better position! I'll start by playing my Machina Reployment. This card allows me to send one Machina monster from my hand to the graveyard in order to add two Machina Cards from my deck to my hand." Sending one Machina monster to his graveyard he looked over his deck, considering just what to use. 'Mako likes to hit hard with his monsters and use the Ocean itself to hide them. I remember that from Yugi's duel with him. If you can come on strong and prevent him from building up a strong field then it's really hard for him to bounce back.' He paused. 'But that was when he was using the field card Umi.' It still amazed Tristan that thanks to Aiden Order he could remember all the cards he'd ever seen, even if they came BEFORE he had gotten his duel monsters upgrade. He hadn't asked Tea about it but he wondered if she now had the same photographic memory he did or if she had gotten something else from that asshole. 'Now though that Legendary Ocean will help him bring out his stronger monsters easier… meaning I need to be even faster and stronger with what I do. A full on assault.' He nodded and selected his cards. "Now then Mako, let me show you the power of my deck!"

"Yes, show me your fury!" Mako said with a grin. "Only by seeing how one faces the ocean can one learn what they are truly like in life."

"Then I hope you like this," Tristan said. "I send another Machina monster to my graveyard, Machina Possesstorage, in order to special summon my Machina Air Raider!" The robot, which looked a bit like a blue drone, appeared on the field, hovering several feet above the waters of the whale tank. "And now I will normal summon another Machina Possesstorage in attack mode!" This Machina monster, which looked like a robotic soldier with blades for arms and who had glowing red eyes that warned that its systems had been hacked by some third party, appeared on the field, standing on the steps of the tank.

"A fine selection of machines, Tristan! But you will find that even the most water-proofed robot can still fall to the power of the sea!"

Trista though shook his head. "Sorry… but I'm still not done yet!"

"There is more?" Mako said in surprise. "You've already summoned two monsters to your field!"

"And now I can summon a third! When I normal summoned Machina Possesstorage that triggered another Machina effect, allowing me to bring forth one of the mightiest weapons in my arsenal. So behold the terrible power of Machina Fortress!"

The large tank-like robot appeared on the field and slammed down into The Legendary Ocean, sending waves crashing as it let out an electronic bellow challenging Mako and his monster. It was easily twice the size of the killer whale Mako had been riding on and that beast wasn't a small fry at all!

"Now," Tristan said wth a dark smirk, "I remember how you would use the ocean to protect your monsters when Yugi was trying to defeat them. He had to destroy his own Moon in order to dry up your seven seas. But me-" He tapped his duel disc, "-I don't need to get that showy."

The crowd began to murmur as the Fortress began to glow with energy. The air around it rippled thanks to the heat and, more importantly, the waters of A Legendary Ocean began to steam and bubble until Mako's monster let out a cry as it leapt up into the air, needing to escape the waters before it was cooked alive.

"I can now overheat my Fortress by downloading the same virus that has taken over my Possessotrage, causing it to return to my hand for repairs. But… the heat from that hack causes it to send one spell or trap card you control back to your hand. And I choose A Legendary Ocean!" The water evaporated, leaving only the real water in the tank and the Killer Whale within (who had popped its head up to see what was going on only to quickly duck back down again) while Mako's sea serpent landed on the surface, along with Tristan's machines.

"Clever," Mako said. "You knew there was a chance I could further use my Field Spell to aid me."

"Yeah. So let's get rid of it for a while so I can do some damage! Machina Possesstorage, attack his Codarus while Machina Air Raider attacks directly!" The two machines locked their targeting systems on Mako and his monster and the Water Specialist shielded his face as his monster was destroyed along with a large chunk of his lifepoints (Mako- 2300)

~MC~MC~MC~

Joey was stunned.

That was the only word for it as he saw how Tristan was dueling.

'I didn't realize how good he'd gotten!' Joey thought to himself. 'I mean… Tea and Yug kept telling me Tristan was better than we all thought but… I just didn't believe it. But now, seeing this?' He paused, his brow furrowing as he considered just WHAT he had seen. 'Wait… why did it take me seein' him duel to realize how good he is? Tristan has been tellin' me for a month or two that he's been practicin' and that he was ready for this tournament… so why didn't I believe him?' He shut his eyes as he thought over how he'd treated his friend. 'Man… Tristan has always had my back. Even when he was worried about me fightin' Rex it was because he was worried I was rushing into things. And he apologized afterwards. I was so mad at him for that… and then I go and do the exact same thing to him? That ain't fair at all!'

Joey shook his head before opening his eyes, a determined look on his face.

'Well, no more! I'm gonna show my pal I believe in him, startin' right now!'

Mako though spoke up before Joey could even call out encouragements. "That was an impressive set of moves, Tristan. Of course considering you're friends with Yugi I shouldn't be surprised."

"But this is all me, Mako. Not Yugi… I'm the one that is going to beat you and punch my ticket to the finals!"

"It is easy to claim that but harder to actually do it," Mako warned him before drawing. "Because remember… you didn't destroy my ocean… you merely caused it to evaporate away. But this has been low tide… the high tide has now come!" Mako slapped a card onto his duel disc. "I reactivate A Legendary Ocean."

"Hmmm," Koyo said, leaning in close to Joey so he could hear him over the roar of the crowd. "He brings up a good point. Tristan only managed to get rid of the ocean for a turn… he shouldn't be surprised that Mako would reactivate it."

"Yeah… hopefully he has a plan to deal with it again."

"Now then," Mako stated, "with my ocean returned-" he gestured at the holographic water that had rushed in and refilled the dueling area. Tristan's Possesstorage was up to its neck but refusing to even budge while Air Raider had just lifted up a few extra feet to keep itself dry, "-I can summon more beasts from the deep. Such as my Jellyfish Physalia!"

Joey grimaced as the monster appeared on the field. "Man I really hate those things… they always give me the creeps!" Jellyfish had always bugged him after his father, on one of the rare times he hadn't been drunk out of his mind, had taken him to the waterfront to skip stones. He'd warned Joey about jellyfish and how they could sting you and poison you. How they looked like floating lamp shades but were some deadly, nasty creatures.

"And with this summoned to the field I can now use its effect. By sending one Umi card from my deck to the graveyard-"

"Aw man," Joey moaned; of course Mako would have more than one Ocean type field spell!

"-I can summon forth from my deck the ruler of the waves. The ancient predator of the deep. Come forth Levia-Dragon Daedalus!"

The sea serpant that burst from the waves could only be the father of the Codarus that Tristan had destroyed last turn. Same coloring, same basic body shape… but far larger. Far stronger. Older. Mightier. Where Codarus was a child playing in the waves this was a beast that had survived a thousand battles to earn its place at the top of the food chain. Much of it remained hidden under the water but what did pop out still towered over everyone in the stadium.

"And now I will activate my Levia-Dragon Daedalus' special ability! By sending A Legendary Ocean from the field to the graveyard I can destroy all other monsters of the field!"

"Tristan's monsters!" Joey said in a panic. "He's gonna be totally defenseless!"

"I don't think so," Koyo murmured and Joey, following his gaze, saw that while Tristan was worried… he was thinking.

The only question was would he think quickly enough because the waters were swirling into a vortex that were sucking all the monsters save for the Levia-Dragon Daedalus deep within. First Mako's Jellyfish Physalia, then Tristan's Machina Possesstorage. The Machina Air Raider for a moment looked like it would survive but then a water spout blasted up, striking it and causing it to fall into the water, being sucked towards the center of the vortrex.

"I activate Air Raider's special ability!" Tristan quickly called out. "I can destroy it to summon a monster to my side of the field from my deck!" He quickly pulled out a card and slapped it on his duel disc. "Machina Peacekeeper!"

"It won't do you any good!" Mako declared as the vortex took the new Machina monster into its depths, so quick Joey didn't even get to see what it looked like. "The effect of my Levia-Dragon Daedalus still destroys all monsters on the field, even your newly summoned one!" Finally the waters receded, leaving only Daedalus on the field. "Now then, allow me to show you the power of my leviathan! Attack Tristan directly!"

"Tristan!" Joey called out but his voice was drowned out by the cries of the audience cheering or gasping as the massive sea serpent lunged right at Tristan, jaw opened wide…

…only to find a new Machina monster standing in front of the duelist.

"You should have realized by now that my mechanical army knows how to constantly replenish its forces," Tristan said. "When Peacekeeper was destroyed I was allowed to summon one monster from my deck to my field. Thus my Machina Gearframe. He won't last long-" the Machina monster shattered, "but because I summoned it in defense mode that means my lifepoints are protected."

Mako merely nodded at that. "A good move, Tristan, a good move. But will it be enough? And can you make two miracles happen to protect yourself when it is my turn again?" He set a card on the field and ended his turn.

"…come on Tristan, can't ya see he's scared of ya? Beat this guy!"

"Joey?"

~MC~MC~MC~

Tristan turned, blinking in surprise as he saw Joey… his best friend ('is he still my best friend?')… standing in the front row, pumping his fist while his other hand was held up to his mouth to help his words carry out further.

"Yeah! You are doin' amazin' pal, now show Mako why you deserve to go to tha finals!" Joey paused before looking at Mako. "Heh. No offense, man. Anyone else I'd be cheerin' for you-"

"None taken!" Mako said with a laugh.

"Joey," Tristan said with a shake of his head; only his friend could go from boldly screaming out praise to being embarrassed in a flat second.

"Hey… hey man," Joey said, smiling weakly. "You're… doing a really great job and I am here ta support ya 135%!" He rubbed the back of his head. "And… listen, I know I said some really stupid things and its gonna take ya a while to get over it but… when you're ready-"

"Meh, I forgive ya."

Tristan couldn't help but smirk as his friend stumbled, nearly falling into the tnak at that. "WHA?!?"

"Joey, if there is one thing I know about you its that it takes a lot for you to admit you were wrong. You are like a dog with a bone-"

"Hey! I'm not dog-"

Tristan glared at him. "Would you shut up and let me explain?!"

"…sorry," Joey said, folding in on himself.

"As I said, it takes a lot for you to change your mind and admit you were wrong. So when you do… I know its from a place of honesty. I know you aren't saying it to say it. It might take us a while to get back to where we were but-"

"EITHER FUCK OR DUEL ALREADY!" someone in the crowd roared and Tristan blinked as he remembered that, yes, yes he was in the middle of a duel.

Mako folded his arms over his chest. "I'm not sticking around if you choose the first option. There are enough rumors about me and the ocean as it is…"

"Right…" Tristan said slowly, nodding to Joey… who looked half tempted to rush into the stands and find whoever had shouted that and give them a shake for breaking up their tender moment… before turning back to Mako. "Well, let me give the audience what it wants! I'll start by summoning my Machina Soldier, doing so allows me to bring back my Machina Fortress!" Both monsters appeared back on the field and Tristan couldn't help but smile as he heard Joey cheer him on, screaming and whooping at his ability to bring out his big monster once again. "And now I'll have my Fortress attack your Levia-Dragon Daedalus!"

The crowd gasped in shock at that.

"What trick are you going to pull to power up your monster?" Mako asked. "Because my Daedalus is still stronger than it."

"Yes, by 100 attack points. And… not trick. This… is a suicide run."

"…what?" Mako said in shock as the Machina Fortress blasted forward only for his Levia-Dragon to wrap it up in its coils and squeeze it tight, not letting it move as Daedelus reached down and ripped off its head with its powerful jaws. (Tristan-3900)

"Yes, I lose some lifepoints. But that's fine when I can activate my monster's final affect!" The Machina Fortress began to shake and tremble. "See, the Machina army hates to leave behind devices the enemy might claim. So when their truly powerful weapons are lost in battle… they leave nothing behind. Them… or their foes. Machina Fortress! Self Destruct authorized!"

Mako's jaw dropped as the Machina Fortress blew itself up, shattering… and taking out his Levia-Dragon along with it. His dragon had tried to escape, disengaging and moving to swim away, but it hadn't been fast enough and it had been caught in the blast radius. "That leaves me wide open for attack!"

"That's right! Machina Soldier, attack!"

"Activate Sea Stealth Attack, which allows me to reactivate Umi on my side of the field!" Mako said hurriedly but it didn't do him much good because Tristan's Machina Soldier still managed to get in a strong hit that had him reeling. (Mako-700)

"That's in Tristan! Take this guy out!" Joey called out. "Again, no offense Mako!"

"And again, none taken!" Mako said with a smile. "We can laugh about it after I defeat Tristan here and go to the finals!"

"Yeah right!" joey called out. "Tristan gots ya on the ropes."

'I don't think so,' Tristan thought to himself though, looking at Mako's side of the field. 'I think he's planning something. He isn't as worried as he should be…'

"I'll start my turn with this: Fish Radar!" A radar device appeared on the field. "This card allows me to select one monster from my deck and add it to my hand then summon from my deck one normal-type water monster."

"Aw man, that don't sound good!" Joey said.

"Now do you see what happens when you taunt people?!" Tristan complained just as Mako sent out a long eel-like monster that looked like a nightmare from the deepest part of the pitch black seas. "GEEZ!"

"This is my Kairyu-Shin, an ancient master of the deep. But… he won't be staying on the field for long. I activate now the effect of my Doom Kraken, which lets me return one monster to my hand to special summon it to the field!"

The eel disappeared, which was a relief. But in its place came a squid-like creatures with a multitude of limbs that thrashed about in the waters, churning them up rather violently. Tristan's Machina Soldier struggled against the waves only for two of the tentacles to suddenly shoot out and grab it, dragging it under the water.

"What the hell?" Tristan cried out. "What happened to my monster!"

"My Doom Kraken is able to destroy one monster when it is special summoned by its effect… so your Machina Soldier is sent to rust at the bottom of the ocean. One you will never find because now I think its time for A Change of Course!" he slapped the spell card onto his duel disc. "This card allows me to change a Umi field spell for one that list's Umi in its effect that's in my deck. So now my Umi becomes once more A Legendary Ocean!"

"Aw man!" Tristan exclaimed. "And that's the card that lets you summon stronger water monsters for less tributes."

"Or none!" Mako declared. "Such as my Kairyu-Shin, who can now be normal summoned to the field!"

"TRISTAN!" Joey cried out. "look out!"

But there was nothing he could do. The two sea predators launched themselves at Tristan and he cried out as their attacks hit home, dropping his lifepoints (Tristan-700)

"You have fought well Tristan but the sea is a fickle mistress. And now it is about to claim you!"

'Man,' Tristan thought as he looked over his field, Mako's sea beasts leaping from the waves to let him see the raw power they held, 'if I don't think of a way out of this mess quick this is going to be the end of Battle City for me!'

~MC~MC~MC~

Into The Chaosverse Omake

Earth 299

Great Drake Hall was filled to the brim in a way it hadn't been in nearly a decade and a half.

Lord Seto had not been one for feasts and pageantry, believing it to be a waste of good coin. He sought only to improve his realm, to see it grow stronger and the people secure. Many of the trinkets his father had gathered had been sold off to fund his many projects and that had won him the love of the smallfolk and some minor grumbles from his bannermen. But he hadn't cared… it was his nature to think little of those around him who did not contribute. And besides, even if he had been one for trinkets items that reminded him of his father, the man who had dishonored his wife and taken Seto's mother as a pleasure slave, were the last thing he'd have wanted.

So Great Drake Hall and its grand ballrooms had lain empty for 12 years.

But no longer.

Lord Seto was dead; killed by his own traitorous advisors on orders of his exiled half brother. Lord Noah had only ruled for 6 months though, his plot with King Atem of House Muto brought crashing down by a sellsword of all people. A stranger to the lands.

A stranger who was now being judged by the gathered lords.

Ser Espa had risen from his chair, waving his hand in the man's direction. He wasn't in chains and he had been treated quite fairly despite killing a Dueling Lord… but the question remained what to do with him.

"We are thankful for his service," Ser Espa declared. "Were it not for him many of us would be hiding behind our gates, wondering if our castles would be the next to fall. But-"

"And that is why he should be rewarded!" Lord Mako shouted.

"You are not of these lands, my lord," Ser Espa said. "You are here as a curtsey." Ser Espa looked back to the sellsword who sat quietly in the chair at the table closest to the High Table. "The same as this sellsword."

"If it were not for that sellsword my men and I would not have summoned our Aquatic monsters to turn the tide of battle that saw this castle liberated. And if it were not for that sellsword Noah Kayba would still be ruling over you along with the Great Five!" The crowd murmured at that, grumbling at the reminder of the boy tyrant and the five traitors. "He must be rewarded."

" But what you ask…" Ser Espa stated only to be cut off by Lord Hassleberry, who stood with his young son Tyranno.

"Are you the lord of this castle, good ser?" He gestured to the high table where a young man sat. "Lord Seto's brother, Mokuba, is now the Lord of Great Drake and these lands. Should he not have a say in the sellsword's reward? I would hear his words."

"He… he is but a child…" Ser Espa sputtered. "And he is not fit to rule. He has said so himself."

Mokuba… Lord Mokuba… raised his hand and the hall fell quiet.

"It is true what Ser Espa says," the boy stated softly. "I never planned to rule. Seto would have given me a castle of my own, if I wished. But all I wanted was to serve him." He swallowed, closing his eyes. "But my brother is dead. Slain by King Atem."

"We have not proven that the King gave the order-" someone said.

"But it was given all the same. And the King has done nothing to make it right. He instead turns his focus to petty squabbles while our realms burn." Mokuba shook his head. "No… the person who made it right sits before us." Mokuba rose and the gathered lords and knights fell silent as he took out his brother's deck. The deck of House Kaiba. "My brother was a bastard who slew our father and saved these lands. He had no right to rule… only because he had the strength to do so. It would be foolish for me to take the seat." He slowly moved away from his chair and strode over to the sellsword, placing the deck before him. "I don't care if Edwyn Kaos is a stranger to these lands. He is my brother's heir in spirit and in strength."

The crowd was rendered speechless.

Never… never had a lord given up their birthright to a strange not of their blood. While it had been unusual for Lord Seto to become master of Great Drake Hall and its lands he had still been the bastard son of Lord Gozaburo. The blood of House Kaiba had flowed through his veins. And while Lord Mokuba was not a Kaiba by blood Lord Seto had named him his heir when he'd taken his seat. Edwyn Kaos was not that. No one knew who the blond man was, only that he was a cunning warrior who had seemed to understand Lord Noah's plans to such a degree he appeared to be in the council of the usurper. A good man… but a lord?

After several long moments, Lord Hassleberry rose and walked over to Edwyn.

"No," he said, his voice deep and gruff. "Our lord? No… that is too small for him." He turned towards the gathered lords. "Once we ruled ourselves! It was to the might of Exodia we bent the knee! But Exoida is lost and House Muto in shambles! King Atem finds himself adrift… it is said even his brother Yugi questions him! He gives stations of power to the unworthy while his Council dreams of further war. We want no part of that! So why should we not rule ourselves again? In the old ways… not because some king squirted his seed into the right woman… but because a man showed himself strong enough to bring us victory and peace!" He drew his Ultimate Conductor Tyranno and knelt, placing it face down on the ground. "Edwyn Kaos avenged Lord Seto! He is the Ultimate Dragon! The King of the Cards!"

Lord Mako rose next. "I am not of these lands… but that does not mean what happens here does not affect me and my people. You have been a good friend, Edwyn… you will make a better king. The King of Cards."

And with that he placed The Fortress Whale face down and bent the knee.

Lord Fudo, old and half blind thanks to a wound he taken in the battle, shuffled forward. Though injured as he was he still kept his back straight and his shoulder squared. "For too long we forgot what it meant to rule. We allowed ourselves to have decks passed from father to son and assumed that made them strong. Noble. But Edwyn Kaos has shown us that the tales and songs of good men are not myth. They are real. Dark days lay before us… some will not see them through. But if I am to die… I will die standing with him." He placed the Stardust Dragon upon the ground. "The King of the Cards!"

The cry went up in the hall as others raised the cards of their Houses, placing down facedown on the ground. Edwyn Kaos looked on, his façade of calm breaking into shock before he slowly reached out, drawing Lord Seto's Blue Eyes White Dragon and lifting it above his head…

…and the card blazed with light, the roar of the mighty dragon filling the hall as it became his.

Introducing Edwyn Kaos

The King of the Cards

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