Dueling is Magic! Many Futures

by Wolfgang

Chapter 30: The Throne in the Abyss

“Has there been any sign of Jack?” Yeager asked.

“No,” said Mina. “He hasn’t returned to his quarters, and no one in the base has seen him. Not even the guards or the prisoners.”

“You believe the prisoners?” Yeager asked.

“I didn’t see any bruises on their faces,” Mina replied. “And the Wheel of Fortune is missing as well.”

“Fair enough.” Yeager picked up a framed picture on his desk. A woman and child were shown in the photograph. The woman wore a serene smile, while the boy was laughing. “I can’t help but feel at least somewhat responsible for his departure.”

“Mayor, it wasn’t your fault.”

“Not completely, but I must accept some of the blame. I overreacted to Jack’s behavior, probably because I was tired of being pushed around by him. In trying to quell his anger, I let my own get the better of me.”

Yeager sighed and replaced the photograph. He walked past Mina and through the open door of his office. “I’m going for a walk,” he said. “I need to clear my head.”

The Volcanic Wheel of Fortune raced through the empty streets of Neo Domino City. Jack though on this. The city was once bustling. The only way he could get anywhere most days was to take the highways that were off limits to cars. Now, it was a ghost town.

The high-pitched hum of his D-Wheel was a comforting ambience. Jack could always think clearest when he was riding. For the sake of survival, he had to, but he enjoyed it nonetheless. Even today was no different.

The Black King is the reason for all of this, Jack thought. I’ve proven to the rest of them that I can handle him myself. So I’ll find him and end this once and for all! Jack noticed a flickering on his console. He pushed one of the buttons next to the screen and brought up the rear-view camera. But first, I should deal with this.

Jack reduced his speed and let Crow pull up beside him.

“If you’re here for a rematch, I’m not interested,” said Jack. “I have bigger fish to fry.”

“Let me guess: the Black King,” said Crow. “Jack, Yusei says there’s no such thing, and I believe him.”

“Believe what you want,” said Jack. “It doesn’t make any difference to me. But I saw the broadcast. I heard the words of Aporia and Sherry.”

“Aporia?” Crow said. “Aporia’s dead, Jack, you know that.”

“Sherry claims the Black King rebuilt him.”

Crow sighed. “What are you doing out here by yourself anyway?” he asked. “I haven’t seen anyone else on the road. Why just you?”

“I no longer have any ties to the resistance movement,” said Jack. “I don’t need them. I intend to defeat the Black King myself. He’s holed up in KaibaCorp. Tower.”

“Yusei’s there,” said Crow. “You can’t beat him.”

“Yusei is not the Black King,” Jack replied.

“Look, let’s say this Black King of yours is real and Yusei is lying to me for some reason,” said Crow. “What do you even know about him? About his deck? Nothing, I bet!”

Jack remained silent.

“You really don’t know anything!” Crow exclaimed. “You’re nuts!”

Jack increased his speed.

“Jack, get back here! I wasn’t done!” Crow yelled. He revved his engine and caught up to Jack. “What’s gotten into you? Why’d you leave everyone else behind anyway?”

“They were wasting time,” Jack responded. “I made it clear that I want nothing to do with their antics anymore. Yeager challenged me to a duel and I defeated him with ease.”

“You beat Yeager? Jack, I had to use ‘Aurora the Northern Lights’ just to get around his anti-Synchro deck! Did you even use ‘Red Dragon Archfiend’?”

“I finished it with ‘Red Nova Dragon’.”

“How?” Crow asked. “How did you get around his Traps?”

“I didn’t. He did it for me. And then I destroyed him.”

“And what about Leo and Luna? Or Aki? Mina? Ushio? The ponies?” Crow continued. “How do they feel about you leaving?”

“I’ll ask them when I’ve reclaimed my throne,” said Jack. “The Black King... the title of ‘King’ does not belong to him!” Jack looked over at Crow. “Why are you still following me?”

“I have orders from Yusei,” Crow said. “I’m supposed to defeat you again and bring you in.”

“You won’t beat me again,” said Jack.

“It’ll have to wait,” said Crow. “Jack, I’m not going to duel you while you’re like this. You abandoned your friends. You’re delusional.”

“Then fly away, Crow,” Jack said. “I will deal with you once I have freed Neo Domino City!”

Crow shook his head and veered away from Jack, turning down an exit and riding away on a lower road. Jack snorted and continued on.

KaibaCorp. Tower. The tallest spire and centerpiece of Neo Domino City. A gleaming pillar of steel and glass, a beacon of the technological advancement in the past three decades. Jack gazed up at it. The red panels that sat at the top, emblazoned with the KC logo, was just barely visible from where Jack stood.

Jack removed his helmet and placed it in the compartment beneath the seat of his D-Wheel. His Duel Disk on his arm, Jack walked up the steps and through the doors.

“Welcome to the Kaiba Corporation Tower,” came a woman’s voice. She was standing behind the receptionist desk. “Are you here for a tour? Or do you have an appointment with someone?”

“Tell me where the Black King is,” Jack said as his Duel Disk whirred to life.

“Who’s the Black King?” asked the woman.

“Don’t play dumb with me. You are here. You’re working for him. If you think you can take me, then call for reinforcements, but I WILL find the Black King!”

“Sir, there’s no one by that name here,” the woman said.

Jack blinked. “Is... is Yusei Fudo here?” he asked.

“Director Fudo? Yes, he is. May I ask your name?”

“Jack Atlas!” Jack said loudly. “How do you not recognize me?”

“I’m... sorry, Mr... Atlas,” the woman said uneasily. “You don’t have an appointment. Does Director Fudo know you?”

“He does,” Jack replied. “Tell him that I’m here.”

Several minutes passed before the woman looked up from her console. “An escort will take you to the Momentum control station,” she said.

“I know the way,” Jack said. With that, he stormed off.

It took several minutes before he noticed it. But nothing escapes the gaze of Jack Atlas. Jack was walking into darkness. The halls were becoming increasingly decayed with water damage.

And there was no one. Jack couldn’t decide if that was more or less disturbing.

He at last reached the door to the control room. It was partially open, the sliding doors parted and hanging crookedly. Jack gripped each one and pushed them as far as he could, then slipped through.

The massive chamber was completely dark, except for the light of Momentum. A figure stood at the controls, silhouetted against the light of Momentum.. Tall. Dark. Imposing.

The air seemed heavy around Jack. He found it difficult to breathe, almost as though he was underwater.

“I knew you were here,” he said.

“Very few know of my existence,” said the figure. Its voice was deep. Raspy. “You know nothing of the darkness.”

The figure turned around. Jack saw something from the side as it moved to face him. Something elongated, almost skull-like.

“You’re not the Black King,” Jack said. “Who are you then?”

“The darkness,” said the figure. “Tell me, Jack Atlas, what is your greatest dream?”

“To reclaim my title as King,” Jack said simply. “If you’d be so kind as to point me to that blasphemer’s throne room-”

“What is your strongest regret?”

“What? What’s that got to do with the Black King?”

“You have taken many actions in your life that you regret, Jack,” said the figure. “Gaze into the light. I shall let you tell me what you regret the most.” The figure stepped to the side and let the light of Momentum wash over Jack.

The wind was strong that day. There was a storm forming over the harbor. If he had believed in fate, Jack would say that this was the beginning of his destiny.

“Jack?” said a boy. It was Rally.

“Rally,” Jack said, “I need a favor.”

“You want me to do a favor for you?”

“I’ve decided to leave this place.”

“Seriously? But, how?”

“In order to do that, I need your help.”

“If I can help, I’ll do anything!” Rally said excitedly.

“I see...”

It took only a moment to knock him out.

The storm was growing stronger. He and Yusei stood on the water’s edge.

“I received an invitation from the city,” he said. “The tickets into the city are my ‘Red Dragon Archfiend’ and your ‘Stardust Dragon’.”

“What?!” Yusei said.

“But you can go to the city if you have the two cards. So what will you do?” A gust of wind pushed against his jacket. If we battle, you can watch the boat disappear beneath the waves. Or...”

He watched as his friend shed his jacket and dove into the water. He picked up the deck box and took the card he needed. He was gone after that.

Dust faded away into the wind. Carly was gone. She had sacrificed herself to save him... to tell him he loved her.

He said nothing back. He knew he should have. But he hadn’t. He’d wanted to die with her, shouldn’t that have been enough? But he knew it wasn’t.

Jack stood and returned to his D-Wheel. His mind returned to the task at hand. He had to activate the control unit. He had to stop the other Dark Signers. He had to...

“...see her again.”

A lone tear ran down his cheek. Nobody would see. He almost wished someone would. But there was no one, so he let it go.

He and Crow had fought before, but never like this. Jack knew he was innocent, but Crow didn’t. And that caused him to step over the line. He knew he should forgive him.

But Jack had gotten angry too. His pride would not likely allow it.

For the longest time, Jack never spoke of their fight at the prison. Eventually, it seemed like he’d forgotten about it...

Jack gasped as he reeled back. He was panting heavily, trying to catch his breath in the stagnant air.

“What... was...”

“Memories of your regretful actions,” said the being beside him. “Only a few, but they seemed to weigh heaviest among the others. Tell me, Jack, which one is your deepest regret?”

“My... deepest...”

Jack started to laugh. “Every action I have taken has led to the next one I would take,” Jack said. “It has always been my destiny to become the King. There is no point in mourning the past!”

“If you truly believe that you would become King by fate rather than by chance, then why not change something? Perhaps... the day you abandoned your home, and your friends?”

The reactor flashed. Jack staggered backwards.

“The day you lost the woman you loved?”

The reactor flashed again. Jack’s back slammed into the wall behind him.

“I think the day you regret the most,” came a familiar voice, “is the day you accepted my invitation.”

Jack looked up. The tall figure was gone. It had been replaced with Yeager.

“If it was really your destiny all along to become King, then you didn’t need my help. You took it anyway. You kidnapped a child and put him in danger. You stole your best friend’s most precious card, and the D-Wheel he’d worked so hard to build. You abandoned your friends and your home for fame and glory.”

“And then you learned what was really important in life,” said a woman. Jack looked to his left. Carly was standing there.

“Carly!” Jack said. “Where have you been?!”

“You came to love me, didn’t you?” she said. “You learned how valuable another person can be to you. But after the Dark Signers were defeated, you ignored me...”

“Carly...”

“Treachery has always been in your nature, Jack.” Jack turned around again.

“Yusei!” he said.

“You betrayed your friends to become the King. You betrayed Carly’s feelings for you when you began to ignore her, and when you shunned her almost a year ago. You’ve hurt so many people in your life, it’s a wonder you can live with yourself.”

“You’re... you’re not Yusei!” Jack yelled. “Yusei would never say anything like that!

“You are correct, Jack Atlas,” came the deep voice again. All three of his friends vanished. The dark figure reappeared. “But their words are no less true. This you cannot deny.”

“Who... what are you?”

“Shall I return you to that day, Jack?”

Jack stepped backward. His leg bumped into something and he fell backwards into a chair. He turned around to inspect it.

“This is the throne I had in the Satellite,” he said.

“You can have it back if you wish,” said the figure. “Avoid the pain of your mistakes. You will still become the King, as you have said.”

Jack’s gaze fell.

Yeager organizes search parties to try and locate Jack. Due to Twilight’s condition, she is not allowed to go, but the other ponies and Spike volunteer in her place. Pinkie and Spike join Kazama’s group. Yeager sends them to KaibaCorp. Tower, but when they arrive, they are met by Aporia, who tells them Jack isn’t there...

Red Dragon Archfiend
DARK
Level 8
Dragon/Synchro/Effect
1 Tuner + 1 or more non-Tuner monsters
After damage calculation, when this card attacks a Defense Position monster your opponent controls: Destroy all Defense Position monsters your opponent controls. During your End Phase: Destroy all other monsters you control that did not declare an attack this turn. This card must remain face-up on the field to activate and to resolve this effect.
ATK/3000
DEF/2000