We find ourselves on the top floor of an office building. Inside we find a man in his mid-twenty with pale blue skin and white hair, he wore a white overcoat that went to his knees with a red yolk, pockets and cuffs. He was looking out the large windows overlooking the city, before turning back towards a large desk where a deck of cards sat between two free cards. Picking the two cards up in each hand he crossed his arms before throwing them straight, sending the cards flying onto the desk where they began spinning on one of their corners like tops.
"Which of you has what it takes?" he asked. "Show yourself!" The cards spun towards each other and slapped one another two, three, four times before the one on the left sent the other flying off the table. "Awesome." He took the still spinning card and added it to the deck before leaving the office.
On his way out he saw a woman carrying many files walking along the corridor. "Move all my appointments, I have some special work that needs doing." He told her not stopping his pace.
"Yes Mr Cold Steel." She said not getting any response from him.
It was Sunday so Flash had gotten to sleep in most of the morning like he usually did.
When he finally did wake up he turned to his alarm clock, which read 11:50, and decided to get up. Quickly getting dressed he left his room and went to make breakfast, er, lunch when suddenly a buzz at the door's intercom caught his attention. "Hello?" He said pressing the button.
"Special delivery for Flash Sentry," the voice replied.
"I didn't order anything," Flash said.
"This is apartment 3C right?" the delivery man asked.
"Yeah but I still didn't order anything." Flash replied.
"Not my problem." he said back.
"Fine." Flash unlocked the door and the delivery man soon arrived with a package. Flash signed and he was gone, leaving the teen with the box. Flash placed the box on the kitchen table and studied it. The logo on the front he recognised as Freeze Industries, the well known producer and distributor of Duelling related stuff like the cards and Duel Disks. Deciding to open it Flash found a dark blue Duel Disk. Taking the device out of the box he activated it and checked the user detail, and just like that all his info was there. His age, birthday, where he lived everything.
"What is going on?" he asked himself. First he gets left a deck of cards and now someone bought, programmed and delivered a Duel Disk for him. He looked back down at the box and noticed an envelope had been sitting under the Duel Disk. Picking up and opening it his eyes went wide seeing new cards, some were normal ones and others were Pendulum cards. No doubt now this package was for him since not only did it have Pendulum cards, some were Magna Fighters like the ones in his deck. Finally in the envelope was a small map, he looked and noticed an area circled which he recognised as a nearby mall.
Before he had a chance to think he was out the door, running at full speed out of the apartment and down the street on route to the mall. He was going so fast that he wasn't watching where he was going, and when he turned a corner he ended up crashing into something or someone. "Ow," he said rubbing his head.
"Ow," looking at who he had hit his eyes went wide seeing it was Twilight. Twilight looked at him to and like him she was surprised seeing him.
Flash laughed as he got up, "we've got to stop bumping into each other like this." he said offering his hand to help her up.
"Maybe you just need to watch were you’re going." Twilight replied as she took his hand. "So what were you running from this time, more psychos."
"Actually," Flash held up his new Duel Disk.
"You got a new Duel Disk?" Twilight asked.
"It just showed up along with some new cards and a map showing the city mall," he explained, "I think whoever sent me my deck wants to meet."
"You think so?" Twilight asked.
"It's the only thing I can think of." Flash said as he pulled out his deck. "I know it sounds weird but ever since I got this deck I've been seeing things in a new light. I used to hate Duelling, but now when I use these cards I get this strange feeling like this was what I was meant to do."
"You talk about it like it's your destiny." Twilight told him.
"You think so?" Flash thought for a moment. Now that she said it this did sound like destiny, like some greater power was pulling him back into Duelling. "Maybe you've got a point?"
"Listen," Twilight said "I wish I could come with you and find out, but my mom's got me doing errands all day, so."
"Oh," Flash said "that's too bad. You wanted to learn new stuff about Pendulum cards so I thought."
"Yeah," Twilight said, "sorry." She then looked at her phone and realised the time, "I got to get going." She began running down the street. "If you find anything out tell me."
"Sure," Flash replied watching her leave, before restarting his journey to the mall.
He eventually arrived and started looking around trying to see if there was anyone suspicious, but the place was so big and there was so many people that it was next to impossible to tell them apart. "Man, I didn't think there'd be this many people." he said sitting on a bench. "I wonder why the map said to come here?" He pulled out his deck and began flipping through the cards along with the new ones.
"Excuse me," Flash looked up and saw the man named Cold Steel standing not too far off, "don't mean to be rude, but I couldn't help but notice you’re a Duellist," he pointed to the cards.
"I guess," Flash replied, "but who are you?"
"Just someone looking to pass the time." Cold Steel replied. "I had some business in this area and was hoping to find a good Duel, what do you say?"
Flash thought for a moment, since he couldn't find anyone he might as well. "Sure let's do this."
Flash and Cold had gone to the mall's rooftop parking lot.
"Are you ready?" Cold asked attaching a white Duel Disk to his arm, a white energy blade forming.
"As I'll ever be." Flash replied attaching his own Duel Disk to his arm as an orange energy blade appeared.
"Then we begin," they drew their cards.
"DUEL."
Flash: 4000
Cold: 4000
"I'll start," Cold Steel said drawing his card, "I activate the Spell Reasoning. You declare a level and I draw until I get a monster, and if it's level is the one you stated I send it to the graveyard but if not I get to summon it."
"Okay," Flash said, "level four."
Cold drew his card and smiled, "My card is level three Blazing Soul Firefly, ATK mode," a humanoid insect appeared. His skin was black and he wore flame patterned armour on his chest, waist, arms, knees, feet and face along with a pair of flame patterned butterfly wings. (A900/D1400/L3)
"Why would he play it in ATK mode?" Flash asked himself.
"Since my Firefly was special summoned," Cold explained, "I can summon as many other copies of him from my deck," two identical copies appeared next to the original. (A900/D1400/L3)X2
"Next I play the Spell card Blazing Soul Fireball, this will deal you three hundred points of damage for every ATK position Blazing Soul monster on my field. The three Fireflies spat a fireball at Flash, hitting him dead on as he covered his face.
Flash: 3100
Cold: 4000
"I end with a face down." Cold said.
"My draw," Flash said as he drew his card and saw it was one of his new Pendulum cards, "I summon Magna Fighter Lucidum." A teen in yellow armour appeared, carrying a pair of circular blades. (A1000/D1000/L3/P2)
"Is that a Pendulum card?" Cold Steel asked surprising Flash.
"You know about Pendulum cards?"
"Of course," he said, "after all everyone is talking about them. A new mysterious summoning style, of course word would spread."
"I guess," Flash replied, he remembered his Duel with Twilight and how some people had been recording, "I never thought about it."
"Out of all the cards that exist," Cold continued, "why did you choose those ones? Why do you use Pendulum cards?"
"I didn't," Flash replied, "I found it."
"Out of convenience," Cold Steel said, "not because you were drawn to it."
Something about the way he said that struck a cord with Flash, when suddenly he remembered his talk with Twilight and smiled. "Destiny," he said, "that's why I use it."
"Really?" Cold Steel asked, his demeanour suddenly shifting to a more serious one. "You leave me no choice."
"No choice?" Flash repeated.
"I'm going to make you prove it to me," Cold Steel said, "now come and show me that destiny."
"You got it." Flash said, "I activate Lucidum's ability. Once per turn I select a monster on my field, and that monster can attack every special summoned monster on your field. Since Lucidum is the only one out I select him, and attack your three Fireflies." The armoured warrior ran towards the three insects his circular weapons raised before slashing through them.
Flash: 3100
Cold: 3700
"I'll end with my own face down." Flash said.
"My draw," Cold Steel drew his card, "and I summon Blazing Soul Knight Gekaa." A man in red armour with long black hair appeared. He carried a long silver lance (A1600/D1400/L4). "Attack." Gekaa threw himself at Lucidum and swung his lance down striking him, but instead of being destroyed like normal Lucidum shattered like he was made from glass.
"Reflection Guard activate," Flash said showing his face down Trap. "I may still take damage but my monster is safe." The mirror his trap had created disappeared showing the real Lucidum standing behind.
Flash: 2500
Cold: 3700
"I end my turn."
"My draw," Flash drew his card, "and I sacrifice Lucidum to summon Twin Lazor Dragon." Lucidum disappeared, replaced with a robotic brachiosaurus with two massive blasters attached to its sides. (A2100/D1500/L5) "Attack." Twin Lazor Dragon fired a blast from its left side cannon hitting Gekaa and destroying him.
Flash: 2500
Cold: 3200
"Also," Flash said, "Twin Lazor Dragon can attack twice a turn. Fire," the right cannon fired a blast at Cold Steel.
"I activate a Trap card," Cold Steel said, "Blazing Soul Wildfire. When you attack me directly I draw a card and if it's a monster I can summon it and negate the attack," he drew his card, "it's Blazing Soul Dragon, Burnout Dragon." A large red dragon appeared, its body covered in spikes (A2200/D1800/L6)
Twin Lazor's attack disappeared. "I end my turn."
"My draw," Cold Steel drew his card, "and I summon Blazing Soul Dragon, Magma Breath Dragon," a four legged dragon with rock like skin appeared. (A1800/D1500/L4) "Burnout attacks," the spiked dragon let out a burst of fire which destroyed Twin Lazor Dragon.
Flash: 2400
Cold: 3200
"Magma Breath," the other dragon shot a fireball at Flash, knocking him on his back.
Flash: 600
Cold: 3200
When Flash got back on his feet Cold continued. "Finally, I activate my Spell Blazing Soul Cleansing, now we both discard are hands and draw five new cards.” They did and as Flash looked at his new hand he smiled seeing Manga Caster Solaris, Lunara and Flash Heart Dragon. "I end my turn."
"My draw," Flash said. "Hope your ready. I'm using Scale one Magna Caster Lunara and Scale eight Magna Caster Solaris to set the Pendulum Scale." He placed the cards on the far sides of the Duel Disk creating two pillars of light besides him, where the two magicians flew up with their numbers appearing below them. "Now I can summon monsters levelled two through seven all at the same time. Cut through space time and carve the arc of victory," the portal formed above him, "I PENDULUM SUMMON."
The portal opened and three streams of light shot out.
"Slice and dice Magna Fighter Lucidum." (A1000/D1000/L3/P2)
"Lock and load Magna Fighter Crossbolt." (A1400/D1400/L4)
"Shine your light of victory, Flash Heart Dragon." (A2500/D2000/L7/P4)
Cold Steel didn't seem phased by what he saw.
"I activate Flash Heart Dragon's special ability and send Magma Breath Dragon to the bottom of the deck." A wormhole appeared underneath the rock skinned dragon, causing him to fall through. "Now attack," Flash Heart's boosters kicked in sending him flying at Burnout Dragon, but in that second he suddenly fell to the floor as if being pulled down by a magnet. "What's going on?" Flash asked.
"My Gravity Bind Trap card is what's going on," Cold Steel said. "I activated it before you Pendulum Summoned, it creates a gravitational field so strong that no monster level four or above can escape it, meaning they can't attack."
"But that means your monsters can't attack either." Flash said.
"Don't be so sure," Cold said, "now if you’re done?"
Flash sighed, "I'll set a face down and end my turn." He couldn't believe his Pendulum Summon was so easily stopped.
"My draw," Cold drew his card and when he saw what it was he smiled, before returning to his icy demeanour. "Listen up," he said "here's your lesson. A guy like you...will never be able to beat me, not a chance."
"What?"
"You heard me," Cold Steel replied, "you’re finished, it's been decided. Let me show you." He took a card from his hand and placed in in the Duel Disk, "I activate my Mystical Revival. By paying a thousand life points this Spell Card lets me revive one monster for every face up Spell card on your field."
Flash: 600
Cold: 2200
Flash grinned. "Looks like you wasted a thousand points, since I don't have any Spell cards."
Cold Steel kept his stoic expression. "Look again."
Flash was about to ask what he meant but a pair of pained screams caught his attention. Looking up he saw Solaris and Lunara glowing a dark light, wincing as if they were in pain. The next thing he knew the dark light shot out of them and flew over to Cold's field and took the forms of a pair of Blazing Soul Fireflies.
"But...how?" Flash asked.
"It seemed your Pendulum cards count as Spell cards while in the Pendulum scale," Cold Steel said.
"No way!" Flash couldn't believe his own Pendulum cards were being used against him.
"A rookie mistake to not know everything about the cards you use," Cold told him.
"I am not a rookie!" Flash said while giving him an angry stare.
"Do you expect me to treat you like a real Duellist?" Cold Steel asked. "Without showing me anything worth watching."
"I won't lose," Flash told him.
"We'll see if you keep thinking like that after you see true strength," Cold Steel said taking the card he had drawn. "Forged in the flames of hell, a great rage is born," he held it up, "now it appears to burn everything to ashes." His three monsters suddenly burst into flames which pulled together into a tornado of fire.
Flash watched in shock as he saw a shadowy figure appear inside the cyclone.
"Blazing Soul Dragon, Purgatory Dragon," the flames dissipated revealing a massive humanoid dragon, it wore armour that was either dark red or jet black with yellow cone shaped spikes coming from the chest. It had a demonic face with large horns, long broad shoulders and massive claws (A?/D?/L10)
Flash stood in a catatonic state at the massive dragon. Never had he felt fear like this.
"Purgatory Dragon's origanal ATK points become that of the sacrificed monsters levels times three hundred.” (A3600/D3600/L10)
"But that means nothing," Flash said, "your Gravity Bind Trap will prevent it from attacking."
"Think again," Cold said, "Purgatory Dragon's ability negates the effects of all Traps during my turn."
"It what?" Flash asked, his eyes going wide. That meant not only was Gravity Bind's effect gone, but the trap Flash had face down was also useless. "There's nothing I can do."
"In the heat of battle, a Duellist's true character is revealed," Cold said, "and depending on your actions, your insecurities become crystal clear to your opponent."
Flash growled. "So from this one Duel you think you've got me all figured out?"
"But I do have you figured out," Cold said. "Purgatory Dragon attack Flash Heart Dragon." The giant dragon brought it's claws together, as a fireball formed and grew.
"No," Flash said trying to think of a way to stop him.
"Imagine it," Cold said. Hearing this Flash looked at him, and as their eyes met the young teen suddenly found himself blinded by light. When his vision cleared he wasn't looking at Cold Steel, but at Purgatory Dragon.
"What's going on?" He asked moving his hand up to cover his face from the heat of the fireball, only to take a second look when he realised his hand wasn't that of a human, but a robot. Looking down at his arms and at his body he realised he had somehow become Flash Heart Dragon. "What...how?" He asked. Looking behind him at where he should be standing and he was, but something was different about him. He stood perfectly still as if he was a statue, his eyes were white voids. It was as if his very soul had been removed, which Flash realised is what had happened. "What's going on?"
"Look around you boy," Cold Steel said, "at the monsters you cower behind."
Flash looked down at Lucidum and Crossbolt, both standing ready for the fight. But on closer inspection he saw their faces had a look of fear engraved on them.
"This is why a guy like you will never beat me," Cold explained, "when you summon your monsters do you think about how they feel, about whether they want to battle?"
"I...I…" Flash didn't know what to say.
"You don't, you simply summon them as if they're mindless puppets, because you’re not strong enough to fight. Well I'm going to show you what your monsters must face every time you Duel."
Purgatory Dragon released the fireball, which was now three times the size of the dragon, and it flew towards him.
"No," Flash said trying to move, but his body refused as if it he frozen in place. The fireball finally reached him and all he could do was shield himself with his hands. "NOOOOO!" Suddenly Flash threw his arms out as a wave of energy shot out of him, the wave pulsed again and again causing the holograms to flicker.
"What?" Cold said protecting his face.
The holograms suddenly dissolved into data bits as the wave grew weaker. Flash, now back in his own body, fell to his knees and panted heavily. "Incredible," Cold Steel said in actual amazement, "he overloaded the Duel System."
"What happened?" Flash asked.
"Our Duel Disks detected a fault and have shut down for safety reasons," Cold explained, "we're done here." He turned to walk away.
"Wait!" Flash said making him stop. "What's your name? You owe me that much."
Cold Steel remained silent for a moment, his back still turned away, until he said "get stronger and I might tell you," and with that he left.
Now alone Flash's eyes never left the spot Cold had been, not even blinking. Never had he been so completely helpless in a Duel, even back when he was young. Who was that man, and how had he made Flash see all that stuff?
Back at the office building Cold Steel sat looking out the window. "He has far more potential then I had originally believed," he said aloud to himself, "but this is only the beginning."
Flash was on his way home, crossing a large bridge over a river when he finally stopped. His body was shaking with pent up frustration, so much so that he couldn't take it and let out a mighty yell that caused nearby birds to spook. Many people heard it and turned to the bridge wondering who would make such a noise, and what would drive them to it?